McFin's recent activity
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Comment on Students at fake university in Michigan created by ICE can sue US, court rules in ~life
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Comment on Assume the Sapir-Whorf Linguistic Theory is accurate: What languages would be best to learn, to improve one's cognitive functions and/or worldview? in ~humanities.languages
McFin (edited )Link ParentI regret that my response was aggressive and dismissive of your question and your general curiosity. This wasn't my intent. However, because that's how I came off, then that's the truth of my...I regret that my response was aggressive and dismissive of your question and your general curiosity. This wasn't my intent. However, because that's how I came off, then that's the truth of my response: dismissive and aggressive. I apologize for responding that way. Please don't let my response turn you off from the whole of Tildes.
The rest of my response will deal with the nature of why I was
gracefullytrying to sidestep your question.The problem with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that it isn't just a fun thought experiment. There are racist and American-centric undertones foundational to the theory and in the poor research conducted in its establishment. I don't know you, but I'm completely certain that you have no interest in promoting these kinds of ideas. I assume your question is far more kind-hearted and earnest than the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis allows.
I wasn't attempting to tear you down, but take the spirit of the question to heart.
If you want to assume that the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is true, then we would be making very unhealthy and untrue claims about the capabilities of certain cultures. We would be stating that their minds are less equipped to think on certain levels because their their language is different from the "civilized" Western cultures rooted in the theory's genesis.
Since the introduction of this theory, linguists and anthropologists have attempted to soften the theory more and more (hence the strong and weak theory), but each iteration is not only problematic, but ends up dubious when attempting to prove. I don't know another way to address this than stating its problems plainly.
This is why it isn't constructive to assume it's true. It is inherently a destructive hypothesis. But I also don't believe that its implications and undertones were the intent of your topic. I believe you wanted to expand your horizons (not limit them, as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis does). So my response was to carry the nature of your topic in the direction I interpreted you wanted to go. I apologize if I misinterpreted your intent.
And again, I wholeheartedly apologize for discouraging you and being dismissive. Please don't let my response turn you off from the curiosity you have about language or Tildes as a whole.
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Comment on Assume the Sapir-Whorf Linguistic Theory is accurate: What languages would be best to learn, to improve one's cognitive functions and/or worldview? in ~humanities.languages
McFin LinkLet's re-examine this question. Linguistic relativity is bunk, full stop. Instead of fantasizing about the non-existent merits a theory that is patently false, let's focus on what is true about...- Exemplary
Let's re-examine this question.
Linguistic relativity is bunk, full stop.
Instead of fantasizing about the non-existent merits a theory that is patently false, let's focus on what is true about language: language transmits culture.
This tenent is one of the main staples of a language/dialect (and a language is just a dialect with an army, as my linguistics prof was so fond of reminding us...). So really, we should fixate on learning language to understand other cultures.
Learn a language to learn a culture. This can only help expand your horizons and give you tools for examining the world around you, as you learn to see things from that culture's point-of-view (hopefully).
Don't think about learning language to give you some kind of magical mind powers or to make you "smarter." Look at language from the perspective of seeing a new culture. That's the missed takeaway from Arrival anyway, not that language gives you powers, but seeing things from another perspective gives you new tools to analyze the world around you.
And don't divide language into something thing like "English, German, Italian," etc. Look at so-called dialects within your own language (I say so-called dialects because these can be seen as languages in their own right). If you're American, for example, look at Chicano English, African American Vernacular, Afro-Seminolen Creole, Cajun, Midlander...the list goes on.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not arguing against learning another nation's language or isolating yourself from other cultures. The opposite. Look inward to see outward. Dialect is an understated aspect of learning a foreign language. You've got a world of foreign culture just down the road from where you live, regardless of your country.
Bottom-line/TDRL: learn language to learn culture. Don't limit yourself to national languages but study dialects within your own language.
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Comment on What slow-burn game is worth the time? in ~games
McFin LinkChants of Sennaar is a linguistic puzzle game in which you unlock new areas to explore by learning about the culture and language. The mechanics of learning the language are very robust and much...Chants of Sennaar is a linguistic puzzle game in which you unlock new areas to explore by learning about the culture and language.
The mechanics of learning the language are very robust and much more satisfying than, say, No Man's Sky's language learning system.
The in-game tools you're given to record what you've learned are comprehensive and very easy to use, and the game is quite good at assuming your intent when you record your interpretation of a word.
It uses real anthropology/linguistic techniques to teach the language, such as a linguistic might use to learn a language in context. For example, you play a card game near the beginning of the game where, as you observe your opponent and make your own moves, you realize how their caste system is structured along with the names of castes.
Observing artwork might shed insight into cultural values but not necessarily language, but knowing those values places unfamiliar words in a context through which you can deduce meaning.
Another example is watching cultural rituals (some forbidden for outsiders to observe, you immoral little anthropologist!).
Related words are easier to decipher. Once you know the free morpheme, the root word with a bound morpheme is much easier to infer, as are words with opposite meanings. As such, once you learn the morpheme that makes something past tense or future, etc, you can start to guess the nature of an instruction or conversation even if you know only one of the words in the whole exchange.
It's a very well thought-out puzzle game that requires the same kind of curiosity mixed with intentionality that Outer Wilds required. Half the time you don't know what's going on, but then that aha moment will propel you forward though several layers of mystery and give you new tools to tackle the next few layers.
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Comment on How to deal with (apparent) loss of love? in ~life.men
McFin Link ParentI'm sorry if my post came off as antagonistic or sharp. Rereading it this morning, I put a lot of blame at your feet and came on pretty harsh. I'm not in your shoes and there's always more to a...I'm sorry if my post came off as antagonistic or sharp. Rereading it this morning, I put a lot of blame at your feet and came on pretty harsh. I'm not in your shoes and there's always more to a person than can be conveyed or inferred through a forum.
It's hard to form emotional bonds and it's extremely difficult to see those bonds dissolving. I can't feel exactly what you're feeling right now, but I can say I've been in a similar spot, and the emotion turmoil is hard and dark to push through.
An alternative perspective is that sometimes people drift apart and that's just life. Time and distance is a bitch. You change in one direction, they change in another, and nobody is to blame. I don't think it would be wrong if you to let a relationship be what it is, even if that "is" is a slow drift apart.
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Comment on How to deal with (apparent) loss of love? in ~life.men
McFin (edited )LinkI don't 100% know your situation, but this is a standout to me: If those are the things she's talking about, they're not superficial. They are important to her, so try to engage her with what...- Exemplary
I don't 100% know your situation, but this is a standout to me:
It was all about the boys in her life, Instagram likes, and other such superficial things.
If those are the things she's talking about, they're not superficial. They are important to her, so try to engage her with what she's interested in. She's a complete person, view her as such. She's sharing things with you. Accept them for what they are and at face value. No sense in judging her for what she chooses to share with you. That is, if you want to maintain a healthy connection.
Also, don't demand love from people. If they want to give it to you, they will. Demanding love from them is not a loving act on your part. Love is not an exercise in reciprocation.
I would advise against "finding a home for your emotions" in others (if I'm interpreting you correctly: you're searching for emotional relief from others). That's not what relationships are. Thinking about people as an outlet or means of expressing your emotions leads to toxicity. You are the home for your emotions, not them.
The way this post reads to me is that you want others to give to you, but I don't see a lot of giving on your part. Calling her interests superficial is an indicator of this, to me. Nobody has superficial interests - it's unhealthy to look at people that way.
The part about your cousin being a "sink" to pour your love into...that doesn't sound healthy for either of you. It sounds a bit like she's an emotional outlet for you. This isn't a good way to treat people. Consider it a good sign that she still talks to you - there is still a relationship there. But there won't be if you blow off what she's sharing with you.
I'm sorry if I come off sounding negative or rude, this isn't my intent. Maybe I've wildly misread your post, and if I have I apologize for it. But this post reads to me like you need to look inward at how you view others.
I've had a couple relationships in my life where I thought similar to this. It was wrong of me to see people this way. It only leads to toxicity, pain, and hurting others. It's a bad road to travel down.
Look inward here - others not validating your emotional outpouring is not what is causing these feelings of loneliness for you.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
McFin (edited )Link ParentI think we're in agreement. I didn't mention prison or jail time in my post because the point isn't to punish them but remove the problem they pose. The easiest way to do that is to remove their...I think we're in agreement. I didn't mention prison or jail time in my post because the point isn't to punish them but remove the problem they pose. The easiest way to do that is to remove their right to own firearms if they incur multiple offenses.
I would never want someone to suffer in our correctional facilities, especially over something like a lapse of judgement. We give them the benefit of the doubt: if negligence was found, we give them proper training to prevent negligent behavior in the future. If they have another lapse in judgement even after training, they clearly don't possess enough judgement or sense to bear the responsibility of firearm ownership.
We apply this same mindset to violent offenders. If you're convicted of domestic abuse, for instance, you can't own firearms because you've proven to have too poor of judgement to be trusted with them.
My logic is to apply the same philosophy here with a built-in mechanism to provide for correcting the unwanted behavior before removing their right completely.
So the point is not to punish. Correct by providing training. If they can't be trained, remove their guns. They never have to see the inside of a prison or jail.
Edit: I also might just be overzealous with ammunition accountability - I'm fully aware that what's ingrained in me might not be the norm and the majority might believe that it shouldn't be the norm. I honestly don't know because the idea that people might not care about the whereabouts of their ammo is a new concept to me. Perhaps it isn't as big a deal to society at large as it is to me.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
McFin Link ParentI'm probably preaching to the choir, but that level of carelessness is insane to me. Mishandling of firearms or ammunition should be grounds for remedial firearm training or else loose your right...I'm probably preaching to the choir, but that level of carelessness is insane to me. Mishandling of firearms or ammunition should be grounds for remedial firearm training or else loose your right to own either, full stop. Second offense after remedial training is a total loss of firearm ownership. Letting prosecutors decide if they want to persue charges (or if they are misdemeanors or felonies) for negligent use of firearms is just stupid to me. Take it to court, let it be sorted out there was actual negligence. If ever there was a purpose for mandatory minimums in courts, firearm safety is it. Not to punish but to lead by example in seriousness. I believe firearm culture is passed from the top down. If the State takes firearms serious and severely, so will gun-owners. Our casual attitude about firearms is a destructive feedback loop - it is passed from leaders to citizens. Citizens become leaders who are equally laissez-faire. I'm all about 2a but strongly desire more common-sense approaches to firearm regulations, especially for those who are so careless with such a huge responsibility.
As a long-time gun owner, keeping track of ammunition is just as important as keeping track of the firearm itself. But then again, I learned about handling firearms from my grandfather, who was a firearms instructor, and firearm safety was further re-enforced by my military service where unholy hell would be visited upon our unit if even a single piece of brass could not be accounted for (in garrison, obviously we didn't need to collect brass if we fired in anger downrange).
Perhaps I've internalized this idea of ammunition accountability and it's not as pervasive as I've previously assumed, but it seems preposterous to me forget where you've stored your ammunition. Equally insane not to police your bags after transport to make sure there's no loose brass or ammo.
What are the experiences of casual gun owners?
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Comment on Bespoke Synth - a highly modular DAW in ~music
McFin Link ParentThis is really cool, thanks for sharing. It's got a really nice mellow feel to it - rainy day/night cruising, I dig it a lot!This is really cool, thanks for sharing. It's got a really nice mellow feel to it - rainy day/night cruising, I dig it a lot!
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
McFin (edited )Link ParentI have no experience with the EP-133 II so keep that in mind as you read. Teenage Engineering has had pretty big QA and build quality issues in recent years. This has manifested in various ways -...I have no experience with the EP-133 II so keep that in mind as you read.
Teenage Engineering has had pretty big QA and build quality issues in recent years. This has manifested in various ways - with the OP-Z, the chassis would curve quite noticably over time. With the POM-400, the paint would chip off at the bends. With the OP-1, there is audio popping where a performance is sliced (lifted, I mean) on the tape between bars.
These are just what I (and others) have direct experience with. I say all of this to establish that their build issues are endemic throughout their product lines - it's an issue with the entire company. They just don't build quality products.
So with that in mind, I've read many reviews which mention that the fader knob breaks off. Sometimes right away, sometimes after some use. Because they have an established track record of building sub-quality products prone to breaking (but not bricking, it's still technically functional), I don't believe these reviews are isolated cases nor are they exaggerating.
I believe if you spend money on an EP-133, you'll be buying a product in which a key element will break rather easily. For that reason, I suggest you stay away from it.
I've frequently heard it said: "Teenage Engineering is a design company, not a synth company." I've never quite understood what the point of this is, but my interpretation is that they have great design instincts. They make things that look cool and funky and very artistic. They have style. That compels people to buy it. Why not? They problem is that for some reason they can't stamp out their build quality issues. Whether they can't or won't, I don't know. But when you compare build quality to the price you pay, the gap is too large. Teenage Engineering should be charging Berhinger prices for how shoddy their build quality can be - not Apple prices.
I don't want to wax cantankerously for too long lest everyone is blinded by the grinded edges of my axe.
With your budget in mind, if samplers are what you want, may I suggest an SP-404a on Reverb? They regularly pop up on there for 250-300 USD. There will still be a lot of menu diving but I think it's unavoidable at this point.
I know I suggested to OP that Volcas may not be great for them, but the Volca Sample 2 is 150 USD new and it I think it might work well for you. BUT please keep in mind that I have no idea if you can put down an entire track with one. It has 10 tracks but I'm not sure if they can trigger simultaneously.
Check out a tutorial videos on the SP-404a and Volca Sample 2 and see which one has the workflow that clicks better with you while still targeting your musical goal. You may also want to download the manuals for them and read them through to get an idea of it beyond what a tutorial video might offer.
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
McFin (edited )Link ParentThanks for the correction. I confused Reaper with Renoise. This speaks to the depth of my experience with both of them! I think I associate Cubase with a younger audience because it wasn't on my...Reaper is not a tracker, reaper is a standard linear DAW that is quite surprisingly deep and flexible for how cheap it is.
Thanks for the correction. I confused Reaper with Renoise. This speaks to the depth of my experience with both of them!
I think I associate Cubase with a younger audience because it wasn't on my radar when I was first learning in '03 or so. Fast forward about 15 years or so, I was long-term subbing for ELA and while chatting with some of my students, we got to talking about music production and they all talked about Cubase. They're probably just better than me.
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
McFin Link ParentWell, that's disappointing. They always intrigued me but I never pulled the trigger on them because I don't want to just buy one "just 'cause." Good to know I shouldn't hold out for one though.Well, that's disappointing. They always intrigued me but I never pulled the trigger on them because I don't want to just buy one "just 'cause." Good to know I shouldn't hold out for one though.
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Comment on Is there an intuitive (but powerful) music thingie? in ~music
McFin (edited )LinkYou're getting into the hobby at a time when options are falling out of our ears for music thingies in which entire albums can be produced. You picked a good time. Polyend Play has already been...- Exemplary
You're getting into the hobby at a time when options are falling out of our ears for music thingies in which entire albums can be produced. You picked a good time.
Polyend Play has already been mentioned. It's fun but I'm a bias source because I like trackers.
On the topic of trackers: M8 Tracker is insanely powerful. I suggest it over the Polyend Play and Play+ because simply because the M8 leans harder into its form factor. It's my main dish when I'm away from my eurorack or banjo. I love it to death. Pre-orders for the Model 02 should be reopening again soon. $$$$ but worth every penny if you're fearless of trackers.
If you want fun curiosities that are relatively inexpensive, Teenage Enginneering's PO-33 (versatile little sampler) and the PO-20 (a quasi-chiptune maker). Their interfaces are not exactly user-friendly but they get the job done.
Avoid all other Teenage Engineering products. You'll run into them eventually if you continue down this path. They're overpriced, poorly built, gimmicky (as the POs are but at least the POs are relatively inexpensive for what they are), and whatever you want from a TE product you can find better elsewhere.
The Korg Volca line is just okay imo. They sound great (wonderful, actually, except a couple but that's subjective or course), but the workflow is just not there on many of them. If you're going to get a Korg just commit and get one of their classics or a flagship. Something bigger - Korg doesn't do compact workflow well (for my admittedly shitty taste, I mean I'm up there suggesting trackers which can be notoriously obtuse so take my opinion with a heap of salt).
If you really want to get experimental, SunVox on Android and iPhone. Really hard to use on the phone but it's also pretty cheap and uses modular synthesis philosophy in instrument design and quasi-tracker for composition. So just really super flexible and equally obtuse and cumbersome. I love it, but for all its efforts at approachability and despite its many improvements, I would still call it "user hostile" though it tries earnestly not to be.
For computers/DAWs (digital audio workstations): well SunVox is free on PC.
FL Studio is what I grew up in when it was still called Fruity Loops so I'm obviously very inclined to suggest it over something like Ableton but there's no technical or logical reason for me to prefer FL over Ableton. It's just what I'm used to and also I paid a bunch of money for it so why switch?
Ableton is another DAW that's extremely powerful and pretty much infinitely flexible. With both FL Studio or Ableton the only reason you might not be able to do something is because you haven't watched the right YouTube video or read the right tutorial. If it's even distantly related to sound design or music composition, Ableton or FL Studio can do it natively or someone has made a free plugin that can do it.
The above can be said about many DAWs. When you're working "in the box" with a DAW, they'll always be eternally more powerful, more flexible, and significantly easier to use than any groovebox or music thingies for actual music production. But sometimes a person wants to get away from a computer screen and instead look at a tinier, more difficult to read computer screen with multiple layers of menus, so we turn to things like the M8 or Polyend.
There are other DAWs out there like Cubase and Reaper but with Cubase it's something youths talk about and I don't know about them, and Reaper is a tracker (oops, I confused this with Renoise, see the correction by @V17) and I've said enough about them (but can you really say enough about them)?
Things I don't have direct experience with but envy those who do:
Liven XM - an FM groovebox that seems to have a relatively painless workflow.
Liven Warps - chiptune instead of XM but same as above.
Liven Texture - granular synth instead, but otherwise same as above above. Granular synthesis will change your life. It's my one lament about the M8 - it's incapable of doing so on its own and needs outside help.I've heard good things about the Roland MC-707 but I also see a lot of people complain about Roland in general so I'm not sure. But it fits the bill for what you want...maybe.
Some unsolicited advice:
Stay way from modular/eurorack. It's a hobby for drooling idiots like myself. I've spent several thousands over several years building mine to perfection, and it does exactly what I can do with a piece of 50 dollar software on my computer (or free if you are intelligent, unlike me, and just use VCV rack) in a fraction of the time. And unlike my eurorack, when I spend hours building a patch, I can click save on my computer and come back to it later. -
Comment on You don't need to document everything in ~tech
McFin (edited )LinkThere's something to be said about exploiting others for social media (eg, children who can't consent to being filmed or don't understand that parents are incentivizing them to act a certain way...- Exemplary
There's something to be said about exploiting others for social media (eg, children who can't consent to being filmed or don't understand that parents are incentivizing them to act a certain way for likes).
But I've always been averse to the kind of gatekeeping that is implied with "stop filming and enjoy the moment." Who makes you the authority for how people enjoy their moments? The "you" not being OP directly, but aimed at people who dictate that someone filming an event or moment means they're not enjoying it properly.
If someone wants to take issue with using minors (or adults who haven't agreed to be posted on social media) for personal gain, it's a logical point to argue that has merits grounded in how we understand consent, notwithstanding laws about filming on public property.
But criticizing someone because they don't "enjoy the moment" in the same way that you think they should is just hollow. It's the same "technology is ruining the new generation!" drum that's been beaten since the printing press, probably before that as well. They don't come from a well-meaning place nor do they generate constructive discussion.
This is just another reframing of same old argument: "this damn generation is ruining everything! People sure were better back in my day!"
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Comment on Apple is turning William Gibson’s Neuromancer into a TV series in ~tv
McFin (edited )Link ParentIf they don't cut much from the book, (to say nothing of adding things) I believe it would be enough material to cover 10 episodes at 45 min each. And while certain works like The Matrix and Blade...If they don't cut much from the book, (to say nothing of adding things) I believe it would be enough material to cover 10 episodes at 45 min each. And while certain works like The Matrix and Blade Runner are/were popular in the mainstream, I don't think there's enough pure cyberpunk works out there that this story and its characters wouldn't be fresh and engaging (cyberpunk is relatively niche in the scope of things). You'd need to have consumed a lot of cyberpunk media and completely skipped Neuromancer in the meantime to yawn at this. And I don't think the overlap in audiences is great enough for that to be very likely. I think this is going to be pretty engaging for a lot of people who haven't read it.
Regarding length specifically, Neuromancer is very dense without being overly descriptive, moreso than any other book Gibson has written, even in the rest of the Spawl series.
For example: he spends about 3 very brief paragraphs describing Case's maiming at the hands of his former employers from whom he stole. In just that short passage, he goes from the US East Coast where he presumably stole the data during a job, to Amsterdam to fence it (where he was caught), then to Tennessee where his nervous system is rendered incapable of jacking in.
That takes a lot of time to tell visually in a way that isn't a shitty montage or rapid cuts - and I'd be baffled if Graham Roland tried either of those two things.
Neuromancer is littered with this kind of stuff. The entire segment of stealing the Dixie Flatline with Yonderboy and his crew from the Sense/Net Pyramid is rough for someone unfamiliar with the cyberpunk genre, which this show will (and should) most certainly attempt to draw in. This means a lot of visual context will be required so vewiers unfamiliar with the genre can keep up.
Plus all the expository stuff that will need to be told visually. You can't have Gibson telling the viewer how shitty Night City is, you have to show it. I expect a lot of very long, lingering shots on scenes similar to Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 in order to provide context to the viewer. All that chews up a lot of screentime.
Anyway, Graham Roland has a good track record so I'm going to stay optimistic about Neuromancer. Roland's resume isn't flashy but what's there is rock solid, even if, like me, you're not 100% into it (e.g., Jack Ryan wasn't my cup of tea but I recognize that it's a well produced show and, according to my Tom Clancy superfan father, didn't tarnish Clancy's work).
Edit: I can see them taking a lot of cinematography cues from movies like the Matrix, Blade Runner (and BR 2049), Dredd, Altered Carbon, etc., in order to build the world visually - which is ironic to me since Neuromancer is the root of most of those works.
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Comment on Link's Awakening DX HD - PC port (unofficial) in ~games
McFin Link ParentTypo on my part but I do find it quite fun that I so easily swapped out one hyper-litigious legal department with another without noticing.Typo on my part but I do find it quite fun that I so easily swapped out one hyper-litigious legal department with another without noticing.
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Comment on Link's Awakening DX HD - PC port (unofficial) in ~games
McFin LinkLooks like it's already been flagged for review. Won't be up long I imagine. Nintendo won't have to do anything - itch will probably preemptively bomb it specifically to avoid summoning the Disney...Looks like it's already been flagged for review. Won't be up long I imagine. Nintendo won't have to do anything - itch will probably preemptively bomb it specifically to avoid summoning the Disney lawyers.
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Comment on Microsoft might want to be making Windows 12 a subscription OS, suggests leak in ~tech
McFin Link ParentProton is a tool built into Steam to run any game or program you please on Linux (though your mileage will vary based on the game/proton version). Just click the gear icon, go to compatibility...Proton is a tool built into Steam to run any game or program you please on Linux (though your mileage will vary based on the game/proton version). Just click the gear icon, go to compatibility mode, and select a version of Proton.
I have very few games that won't run on some version of Proton, and I've never exerienced reduced performance. My experience is all or nothing - the game will run just as fine as in windows, or it won't run at all. Others might experience hitches, ofc. Just my experience, never seem to encounter them.
You can run non-Steam games/programs though Proton by adding them to your Steam library.
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Comment on Short(er) easy reading fantasy series that isn't YA or Discworld in ~books
McFin LinkThe Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. It's a series of 10 books. First 5 are from the POV of a single character, next 5 are from the POV of a different character. Each book is about 175-200...The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. It's a series of 10 books. First 5 are from the POV of a single character, next 5 are from the POV of a different character. Each book is about 175-200 pages. Very easy to get through. Forgive the sometimes cheesy book covers - series was written in the 70s.
The rough, overarching plot of the entire series is that Amber is the only real city that exists, and every other city is just a shadow or distortion of Amber. The main character is from an immortal family (though not invulnerable - the family members can be mutilated and killed) who have been sabotaging one another for millenia to curry favor with their father (the king), in order to become THE successor to the throne of Amber.
Although it's fantasy, it gets really psychedelic and occasionally sci-fi since every city that you can imagine exists will exist in this multiverse, and the main characters do a lot of sliding to other versions of Amber in order to escape from or chase down each other, or rally armies to invade (and Earth is just a shadow of Amber, or an imitation of the one, true city).
Link to the first book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92121.Nine_Princes_in_Amber -
Comment on Is this really what renting is like now? (Pennsylvania, USA) in ~life
McFin LinkDefinitely not my experience. Much of that 100% not legal here in NY state. If you're in the US, even small towns should have some kind of housing board or urban development. Contact them for...Definitely not my experience. Much of that 100% not legal here in NY state. If you're in the US, even small towns should have some kind of housing board or urban development. Contact them for resources. Keep this lease even if you don't plan to ever rent with this landlord so you have something to give the housing board or urban development board. If your town is large enough/proactive enough, you might even have a tenant advocacy group you can contact.
Also, leases are not set in stone. If you find a place that has a couple of things in the lease you don't care for, ask for changes to be made. Obviously this particularly landlord sounds very shady so I wouldn't bother trying to negotiate with them, but many other landlords who aren't corporations or who don't own vast swaths of homes are perfectly reasonable human beings and will change the lease if the changes are reasonable enough.
To answer your last question, I've rented from landlords who own 1-2 properties. They've been perfectly reasonable and wonderful humans - so they're still out there. My wife and I used to chill on the porch or living room and have a beer with our landlord when he'd come by to fix things or do minor seasonal maintenance.
In the second link, unless I misread something, it seems like some students were genuinely confused about classes not being offered. So it seems like some, perhaps many, had honest intentions. On the subject of no classes available, one student was recorded saying, "Why wasn't I told about this?"
It seems like a plausible scenario that the university appeared to offer classes, then when some tried to enroll in classes, there was a bait and switch, and were told that there were no classes available but they could still "enroll" to maintain their visa.
With the wider context that many students had to switch institutes because their previous college lost accreditation, and applying to admissions takes time and effort, it seems almost reasonable to assume a good number of those caught in this trap/sting thing probably changed plans to this university and were then blindsided by the whole "oh okay actually we don't offer classes but here's what you can do instead." Short time time or perhaps unable to now apply to another college, the student takes the technically illegal stopgap to maintain their visa, assuming they could then take actual classes when there was room or in the next semester.
Otherwise, why would some be confused and distressed that no classes were being offered, and exasperated that they weren't initially told that no classes were available? Why would they even call to ask when classes began unless they intended to attend class?
Of course, there are also students quoted pressing an agent to make sure they wouldn't have to take classes or complete assignments. So others certainly had every intent of using this as a visa mill situation without having any academic expectations.
I wonder if perhaps different ICE agents told students different things (for whatever reason, maybe not wholly malice but overzelousness in their duties), and ended up catching honest students.
It doesn't seem as black and white as ICE is presenting it, nor as black and white as "ICE just doing this to trap innocent people." Seems like shady shit happened all around. Some bad actors were caught, namely the recruiters purposefully enticing students with the promise of no classes and no assignments, and some innocent immigrants who actually wanted to attend class but found themselves unable to do so because it wasn't communicated clearly to them were also caught.
The question I wonder is whether or not I even give a damn if some people are abusing student visa programs. Do people abusing student visa programs and "getting away with it" even have any negative impact on anyone? Genuine question because I don't really know.