Perryapsis's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Perryapsis Link ParentYeah, that's what I'm getting at about separating the work from the job. There are a lot of things where the work is enjoyable, but the job sucks.Yeah, that's what I'm getting at about separating the work from the job. There are a lot of things where the work is enjoyable, but the job sucks.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Perryapsis Link ParentCows get out and use them as scratching posts. Curious dogs will try to play with them. Birds try to nest in the top of them. Spiders build webs over them and inside them. Various kinds of animals...Cows get out and use them as scratching posts. Curious dogs will try to play with them. Birds try to nest in the top of them. Spiders build webs over them and inside them. Various kinds of animals will dig up and chew through the wires. Etc etc. We know that these things happen sometimes, and it's almost always better to let us know than to try to fix it yourself and make up a story later.
Vandalism isn't usually a problem. Rain totals from thunderstorms vary wildly over even a mile or two, so farmers appreciated having an accurate reading from their exact field. As for the elements, well... they're weather instruments. They're built to deal with the elements. But animals are always the wildcard.
And the last line is tongue-in-cheek because you would think so, right? :| While proofreading, I realized that I never actually said what my degree was in the comment, so that's a funny way to bring it up.
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Comment on What's your dream job? in ~life
Perryapsis LinkHow much are we allowed to "dream"? If I could take the job security of an engineering job to do the sorts of work I did while getting my degree, I wouldn't mind that. Bagging groceries,...How much are we allowed to "dream"? If I could take the job security of an engineering job to do the sorts of work I did while getting my degree, I wouldn't mind that. Bagging groceries, collecting shopping carts; calibrating rain gauges, repairing rain gauges that were hit by tractors, repairing rain gauges that were "hit by tractors", etc. But outside dreamland, I keep applying for things that use my degree.
(anyone hiring mechanical engineers?)
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Comment on What is watts, volts and amps? in ~science
Perryapsis (edited )LinkIn addition to the other analogies already given, it might help to think in terms of the apocryphal story of Isaac Newton discovering gravity by watching apples fall from a tree. Suppose he didn't...In addition to the other analogies already given, it might help to think in terms of the apocryphal story of Isaac Newton discovering gravity by watching apples fall from a tree. Suppose he didn't see apples falling in a gravitational field, but instead saw charges falling in an electric field:
Newton reasons that there must be some energy that gets released when an apple falls from a tree and, being Newton, starts thinking about machines that could harness that energy and how much of that energy he could use. What kind of trees will give him the most energy? He notes two things:
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Taller trees give you more energy per apple. Tall trees don't necessarily have bigger or more apples, but they release more energy per apple when they drop them because of their great height. And
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Trees that drop a lot of apples quickly give you more energy quickly. A tree that drops an apple once every two weeks isn't going to give you much energy even if it's very tall. Meanwhile you can get a lot of energy out of a short tree if it's ripe and dropping an apple every five minutes.
In electrical terms, we say that the trees with property 1 have high voltage, while the trees with property 2 have high current (amps). Taken together, a given tree's height and drop rate determine how quickly we can get energy out of it (watts).
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis LinkLetterboxd lets you track your watch history in a diary, but doesn't show it to you in a calendar format, so I went and did it myself. Does anybody want to talk about: The Zone of Interest (2023):...Letterboxd lets you track your watch history in a diary, but doesn't show it to you in a calendar format, so I went and did it myself.
Does anybody want to talk about:
The Zone of Interest (2023): ★★☆
I really wish they hadn't burned the subtitles into the video and let me use the normal subtitle toggle instead. The ones burned into the video are too small and hard to read at times because they don't have an outline. They also really need to make the setting clear when the movie opens the way that it does. It also would have been nice to be able to try and follow the German on my own. It's been more than a decade since I took classes in school, but I could make out bits and pieces on my own.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986): ★★☆ (rewatch)
I'd seen this once before. After that, I read some people's opinions that the movie is really about Ferris' friend Cameron, and I tried to watch it from that perspective this time. I get where people are coming from, but Cameron's arc has a 30-minute TV episode's worth of material, not a two hour movie. You still need all the rest of it to make it a satisfying movie.
Taste of Cherry (1997): ★☆☆
Add one to the list of movies that make me feel stupid. I was confused at the end and felt nothing as the credits started rolling. Clearly I missed something since this movie is so well-regarded, but I can't really explain my frustration without going deep into spoilers.
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Comment on Which Linux distro do you use, and why? in ~tech
Perryapsis LinkI've been using Linux Mint for a couple years now. My computer overheated one day, and the hard drive was the last thing I had to get working again. That got me looking into ways to use the...I've been using Linux Mint for a couple years now. My computer overheated one day, and the hard drive was the last thing I had to get working again. That got me looking into ways to use the computer even if the hard drive completely died, and that led me to Linux on USB. I read a lot of opinions saying that Mint is the closest thing to a drop-in replacement for Windows, so I tried that and was satisfied. Eventually I decided to install it permanently and dual boot, but now I haven't booted into Windows in ages.
On that note, could someone please recommend a guide for distro-hopping-for-noobs? I was a moron and installed Mint onto a partition of a spinning-disk external hard drive, and I've noticed it getting slower as time goes on. I'd like to port my existing installation to an SSD and try out some other distros in the meantime, but I'm terrified that I'll brick my computer trying.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis Link ParentI think that helps me with noirs. I usually can't jive with jerk protagonists, but when the movie is straight up about "they get their comeuppance, so just go along for the ride," it actually does...It is impressive how a movie can basically start with the ending, and still be gripping all the way through.
I think that helps me with noirs. I usually can't jive with jerk protagonists, but when the movie is straight up about "they get their comeuppance, so just go along for the ride," it actually does help me go along with it.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis LinkDoes anybody want to talk about: Double Indemnity (1944): ★★☆ Notorious (1946): ★★☆ The Kid (1921): ★★★ Avengers Age of Ultron (2015): ★☆☆ -
Comment on Half-baked idea for metered inline image allowances in ~tildes
Perryapsis Link ParentI started using Lensdump when people complained that imgur was compressing too much.I started using Lensdump when people complained that imgur was compressing too much.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis LinkDoes anybody want to talk about: M (1931): ★★★ I don't usually like movies with unsympathetic protagonists, but this one worked since Mr. M isn't really quite a protagonist. This movie does the...Does anybody want to talk about:
M (1931): ★★★
I don't usually like movies with unsympathetic protagonists, but this one worked since Mr. M isn't really quite a protagonist. This movie does the suspenseful chase really well without any smoke and mirrors or modern special effects. The ending was slightly abrupt, and we don't explicitly get the fate of one of the minor characters, but this was good overall.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014): ★★☆
I am Groot.
The Passion of the Christ (2004): ★★★
I have lots of Christmas movies, but I realized that I don't really have any proper Easter movies. This was the closest thing, and I hadn't seen it before.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis Link ParentWitness for the Prosecution is on my list. Without spoiling anything, would you say it's another one that sticks reasonably close to actual court procedure?Witness for the Prosecution is on my list. Without spoiling anything, would you say it's another one that sticks reasonably close to actual court procedure?
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools' Day 2026 on the internet in ~talk
Perryapsis Link ParentWhat is the intended behavior? It didn't work for me either.What is the intended behavior? It didn't work for me either.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis LinkI know what day it is, but does anybody want to (seriously) talk about: Friendship (2025): ★☆☆ The cringe overpowered the comedy for me. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't click for me. Anatomy of...I know what day it is, but does anybody want to (seriously) talk about:
Friendship (2025): ★☆☆
The cringe overpowered the comedy for me. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't click for me.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959): ★★☆
This is some awfully heavy subject matter for an old movie...
Project Hail Mary (2026): ★★☆
This was good. Not better than Interstellar, but very solid. When I logged the movie on Letterboxd, it was ranked 89th of all time between Good Will Hunting and A Separation. I know that ratings tend to start high and regress to the mean over time, but it was funny to see since I didn't think it's in that tier of great movies.
There were a few things that annoyed me, but didn't ruin the experience. My theater had a problem with the projector, so they started playing the trailers with just the sound. It's a strange experience to listen to movie trailers without the picture. There's also typical scifi technobabble about e.g. "xenonite, a metallic form of xenon," when that's not what the -ite suffix means, etc. And then finally, I noticed some of the "explain what you're doing out loud so that people on their phones can follow along" moments that briefly broke my suspension of disbelief.
Spoilers! Example:
The captain is dead. The movie shows you the dead body. Then it shows the screen of a medical device saying "deceased." But then they _still_ have a character say "the captain is dead" out loud a bit later for the people who weren't paying attention.When is the "amaze amaze amaze" line actually dropped during the movie? I've seen people memeing it reddit, but I don't actually remember hearing it during the movie.
Rebecca (1940): ★★☆
This was almost three stars. Maybe I need to rewatch it again after learning all the twists. It was interesting that the title character calls herself a "paid companion" without much additional explanation. I had thought that was a strictly Japanese phenomenon after watching Rental Family. Was that a known thing in the west even in the 40s?
Field of Dreams (1989): ★★☆
This movie has three fades to black! There were a couple times I got confused because the movie doesn't explain how the magic works, but I was able to catch up enough to just go with it.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis Link ParentThanks for the suggestion, and just in time for the Criterion sale!Thanks for the suggestion, and just in time for the Criterion sale!
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis LinkDoes anybody want to talk about: Captain America Winter Soldier (2014): ★★☆ So continues my Marvel catch-up. I thought this was good, but not great. Despite my general lack of knowledge about the...Does anybody want to talk about:
Captain America Winter Soldier (2014): ★★☆
So continues my Marvel catch-up. I thought this was good, but not great. Despite my general lack of knowledge about the MCU, I did at least know that one character had to live for a later movie, so one of the important plot threads of this one was moot to me. It was also interesting to see Anthony Mackie in this movie while knowing that he gets his own movie later.
Hoppers (2026): ★★☆
Eh. This is a kids' movie, but I expected that and enjoyed it well enough. They do a good job of not explaining the magic/sci-fi too much and just letting you go with it. I am a little worried about emoji-spamming becoming a meme, but that thankfully doesn't seem to have taken off as much as the movie tried to turn it into a meme.
Joke that contains a **spoiler for Hoppers**
They have a sequence chasing a guy named Jerry, and they couldn't name the predator Tom? :P
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): ★★☆
Not bad. The edu-tainment bits for things I already know slow the movie down, but it's still enjoyable on the whole. There are some things that are interesting just for being from 1939, like sending 9 cents in coins through the mail and World Series tickets being worth $15.
Does anyone happen to know who all the portraits are on Paine's wall? There are Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover, and one that's probably Teddy Roosevelt. But I assume that viewers at the time would have recognized more of them, since the walls of his office are completely lined with portraits.
Question that requires implied spoilers to even ask
Is there a term for an anti-Chekhov's gun? Smith's office has a rifle prominently displayed in the background of several shots, but it never ends up mattering.
The Revenant (2015): ★★☆
This movie was showing in a theater an hour away from me. It said it was for its 10th anniversary, but that should have been last year, so ¯\(ツ)/¯
They made a movie of The Last of Red Dead Part II‽ Seriously though, this was close to three stars. If only there weren't quite so many flashback/daydream bits and Fitzgerald didn't mumble half of his lines...
Joke with spoilers for BOTH Hoppers and The Revenant
Early tranquil nature scene. Bear attack. Is Hoppers just a PG remake of The Revenant‽
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Comment on What would you do with a video game style inventory? in ~talk
Perryapsis LinkIt depends on whether others have the same ability. If not, I could start the world's best moving company. But if so, there would be no more need for moving companies in general. On second...It depends on whether others have the same ability. If not, I could start the world's best moving company. But if so, there would be no more need for moving companies in general.
On second thought, maybe the better move is to use the inventory to preserve organs for transplant.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis Link ParentI think it's more on me than the movie, tbh. It's one where I needed to heed the content warnings more, like The Substance. Besides all the chronic sexual material, I don't do well with the gore...I think it's more on me than the movie, tbh. It's one where I needed to heed the content warnings more, like The Substance. Besides all the chronic sexual material, I don't do well with the gore in the surgical scenes.
As for the plot, the whole thing hinges on [event], which felt like pure coincidence. So I had a bit of a "that's it?" feeling as the credits started rolling.
Spoiler for [event]
The woman in Portugal who recognizes Bella/VictoriaI didn't think Bugonia was that bad, but I did roll my eyes at the ending. Based on those two movies, I might try Lanthimos again, but only if I can find the movies on a decent sale.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Perryapsis LinkDoes anybody want to talk about: Iron Man 3 (2013): ★★☆ Gilda (1946): ★★☆ Poor Things (2023): ★☆☆ -
Comment on What are important historical books lost to time? in ~books
Perryapsis Link ParentOn a related note, the Bible itself includes many references to other texts, many of which have since been lost.On a related note, the Bible itself includes many references to other texts, many of which have since been lost.
Updated calendar view
Bigger list than usual. Part of that is me missing last week's thread, and part is because our family got together for late Easter and watched some movies together. So some of them wouldn't be my normal picks, and my score is more about how much I enjoyed watching them more so than an objective rating of the movie. But with that being said, does anybody want to talk about:
Fight Club (1999): ★☆☆ (rewatch)
I enjoyed this less on a rewatch. Knowing the secrets changes the vibe of the whole movie and it just didn't sit right with me.
To Catch A Thief (1955): ★★☆
Jesus Revolution (2023): ★★☆
Field of Dreams (1989): ★★★ (rewatch)
Jack Jack Attack (short) (2005): ★★★ (rewatch)
We also watched the director's commentary for this. They talked about how this was rewritten so that all of Jack Jack's stunts were things real kids couldn't imitate by themselves.
Flow (2024): ★★★ (rewatch)
My parents talked less than usual during this movie; they were locked in. Surprisingly, their cat didn't react at all to any of the animal noises.
That Thing You Do (1996): ★★☆
The Silence of the Lambs (1990): ★★★ (rewatch)
Chicago (2002): ★☆☆
For a best picture winner, I was disappointed. It was more sleaze than style, which is doubly bad since it was made by Miramax. And then the plot was simple and had no real surprises.