LumaBop's recent activity

  1. How do you shave?

    ~life.men Ask (survey)
    I’ve been shaving for about five years, and in that time I’ve always been using an electric razor. I’m not sure why, but that was the first way that I learned to shave, and I’d never bothered to...

    I’ve been shaving for about five years, and in that time I’ve always been using an electric razor. I’m not sure why, but that was the first way that I learned to shave, and I’d never bothered to try a different tool - until 10 minutes ago, when I shaved with a cartridge razor for the first time.

    Oh, my, word. It’s like magic - as if I’m just wiping the hairs off my face. I don’t think I’ll ever go back now, this shave was easier, less messy, and closer, plus since I can easily see where I’ve already been and what I have left to do because of the shaving foam I don’t accidentally miss a patch.

    Now I’m wondering, how do other Tilderinos shave, and what has your experience been with different types of razor?

    38 votes

  2. Comment on BBC exit poll predicts Labour landslide in UK in ~news

    LumaBop
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    I have a lot of hopes, most of them tempered. I’d love to see a radical shift in this country towards social and economic equality. Labour doesn’t seem to be offering this: anything that could be...

    I have a lot of hopes, most of them tempered.

    I’d love to see a radical shift in this country towards social and economic equality. Labour doesn’t seem to be offering this: anything that could be seen as “controversial” (I.e. trans rights) they seem unwilling to push for, and any chance of actually taxing the wealthy in this country seems off the table.

    But, it does seem like they intend to enact some policies which will uncontroversially improve the country. Fixing the NHS, addressing the climate crisis, improving workers rights: I hope this will happen, and I hope that they will go far enough.

    They’ve made a big fuss about economic growth. I would like to see the economy turn around, but it’s not clear how the government can create growth without actually stimulating the economy by spending more - and of course they can only realistically spend more by taxing more.

    On the EU, it’s pretty clear that we won’t be rejoining it any time soon, certainly not in this parliament. Labour have also said they won’t rejoin the single market or customs union, and to be honest the EU probably wouldn’t have us if we asked. But I hope that we can have a more positive trade relationship with our European friends, and maybe, in the long term, seek to heal the rift between us and move towards a closer relationship involving free trade, free movement etc.

    27 votes

  3. Comment on Can friendships be forced? in ~talk

    LumaBop
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    Yes, absolutely. Two people can choose to spend time together and foster a friendship, regardless of the fact they might never spend time together “organically” (i.e. without going out of their...

    Yes, absolutely. Two people can choose to spend time together and foster a friendship, regardless of the fact they might never spend time together “organically” (i.e. without going out of their way and deliberately choosing to).

    If anything, building a friendship this way could be particularly rewarding because you know you are friends out of a mutual choice to become so, rather than out of happenstance or convenience.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Office chair recommendations? in ~health

    LumaBop
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    Joining in on the second hand Herman Miller recommendations, my Mirra 2 is absolutely fantastic. I fancy it a nicer chair than the Aeron, but I’ve never sat in a Sayl so can’t compare there. I...

    Joining in on the second hand Herman Miller recommendations, my Mirra 2 is absolutely fantastic. I fancy it a nicer chair than the Aeron, but I’ve never sat in a Sayl so can’t compare there.

    I think the Mirra is pretty easy to find second hand as well.

    5 votes

  5. Comment on Danish dictionary to weed out gender stereotypes – ‘career women’ are now paired with ‘career men’ and manslaughter is a linguistic offence in ~humanities.languages

    LumaBop
    Link Parent
    Interestingly, some languages are actually defined by some official authority, or at least the language as defined by that authority is recognised by the government as being “officially correct”....

    Interestingly, some languages are actually defined by some official authority, or at least the language as defined by that authority is recognised by the government as being “officially correct”. This is the case with French: the Académie Française prescribes the French dictionary and rules of grammar.

    It looks like this is sort of the case with Danish. The Danish Language Council, referenced in the article, is responsible for the official Danish dictionary, “which all government institutions and schools are obliged by law to follow”. So Danish, when used in those institutions, is actually prescribed.

    So these languages work a bit differently to English, for example, where as you say the language is purely defined by its use, and dictionaries only exist to describe the language as it is used by its speakers.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Just finished reading The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, and wondering what to read next in ~books

    LumaBop
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    I’ve been on a fantasy binge lately, so if you’d like more fantasy I can easily recommend: The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo. I just finished it, and it is just fantastic. It’s urban...

    I’ve been on a fantasy binge lately, so if you’d like more fantasy I can easily recommend:

    • The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo. I just finished it, and it is just fantastic. It’s urban fantasy, and Bardugo writes nothing like Tolkien but I think it’s an excellent pair of books. The characters in this are brilliant, I love every one of them, and one of my favourite features of Bardugo’s writing is her way of showing rather than telling, and dropping in details that become relevant later, which make the major plot beats and twists all the more satisfying because of how they are foreshadowed. I cannot recommend this duology strongly enough to anyone who has an interest in fantasy.
    • The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. This is nice, traditional high fantasy with a really cool magic system. It’s also a story within a story that utilises the middle layer in interesting ways, which I think is really cool. It does however come with the warning that it is part of a three-book series, but the third book is not yet complete and there’s a lot of uncertainty about when that book will be finished. So there’s a risk that you love it so much that you want more, but it’s not available yet. Still recommend it strongly nonetheless.
    • The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. If you’d like to sink your teeth into a long, meaty series, look no further than the Stormlight Archive. I can only personally attest to the quality of the first book as I’ve had some trouble getting my hands on the second volume, but what I’ve read so far is excellent, and Sanderson is widely regarded as one of the best authors in fantasy at the moment. His world building is particularly brilliant. The story definitely can take its time, a bit of a slow burn, but I think if you liked Tolkien you’ll like Sanderson.

  7. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    LumaBop
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    The Six of Crows Duology, by Leigh Bardugo - I’m just about to finish Crooked Kingdom, the second book. The two books form one continuous story, so you can kind of think of it as one book in two...

    The Six of Crows Duology, by Leigh Bardugo - I’m just about to finish Crooked Kingdom, the second book. The two books form one continuous story, so you can kind of think of it as one book in two parts, a la Lord of the Rings which is both one book and three.

    This pair have been absolutely fantastic. The first book is focused on a heist, with most of the book dedicated to the build up preceding it. The pacing is fantastic and it does a great job of introducing you to the characters. The narrative is quite streamlined: there are side plots and backstories, but it’s always driving towards the inevitable climax that is laid out from the start. And when you get there, oh man, the pay off is fantastic.

    The second book is quite different. We’re still following the same cast of protagonists, but there’s quite a lot more going on, and you get a lot more character development. It’s very rewarding to see a lot of the arcs that were set up in the first book resolved here. One of the things Bardugo does really well is dropping in little clues and details that become important later, so when there’s a twist or something major happens, you go “ah hah! That’s because of that! How did I not see that coming?” Or sometimes you’re able to see what’s about to happen because you’ve been paying attention, which is equally satisfying.

    I really love these books. Bardugo does great world building, writes interesting characters that are loveable and at the same time flawed, and overall I think her prose has a beautiful style that is just pleasant to read. I read another book of hers, Ninth House, a while ago, which has a fairly recently published sequel I need to pick up, and I’ll have to read the other books she has written in the same universe as Six of Crows.

    But before I get round to those I need to read the second volume of The Way of Kings (Brandon Sanderson), or else it will get to be too long since I read the first volume and I’ll have no clue what’s going on. I’m also one book into Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles, and the second book is waiting on my shelf, but I might put that off since the third book isn’t out yet, so I can equally well wait now and then hopefully read books two and three back to back when it’s finally finished.

  8. Comment on Apple unveils iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in ~tech

    LumaBop
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    Probably one of the less important details, but does anyone else find it funny that they’ve gone for rounded edges? As someone who prefers the squared off design - I was so pleased when it...

    Probably one of the less important details, but does anyone else find it funny that they’ve gone for rounded edges? As someone who prefers the squared off design - I was so pleased when it returned with the 12, my current phone - I do wonder if it’s just change for the sake of change. Perhaps we’re just going to see iPhones cycling between more rounded and more squared designs indefinitely.

    1 vote