SpruceWillis's recent activity
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Comment on Steam Spring Sale suggestions in ~games
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Comment on YouTube Premium Lite: Ad-free viewing for $7.99/month in ~tech
SpruceWillis Link$7.99 is ridiculous for this. Mostly ad-free, lol. If they offered this as a cheaper tier I could actually understand it, something priced at a few dollars a month, but $8 is just crazy for...$7.99 is ridiculous for this. Mostly ad-free, lol.
If they offered this as a cheaper tier I could actually understand it, something priced at a few dollars a month, but $8 is just crazy for essentially "YouTube as it is at the moment, just slightly less annoying as we'll only show you less ads than we currently do."
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
SpruceWillis LinkI'd first of all like to apologise for saying that "Snow Crash" felt like satire, pushing cyberpunk to its most ridiculous conclusions. VR addicted populations living in 1000's of sovereign...I'd first of all like to apologise for saying that "Snow Crash" felt like satire, pushing cyberpunk to its most ridiculous conclusions. VR addicted populations living in 1000's of sovereign corporate owned microstates where CEOs are kings who own private armies with nuclear stockpiles and the central government is a withered byproduct of a long gone form of nation state seemed a bit mental. However, after hearing about Musk, Thiel, Zuckerberg, and Andressen citing Balaji Srinivasen's "The Network State" and Curtis Yarvin/Nick Lands philosophy of "The Dark Enlightment" I can now see that Neal Stephenson is simply some sort of oracle or soothsayer who has glimpsed the future.
The fact these men have read Snow Crash, or at least a few of them have, and decided that they wanted to mould the world into that hellish dystopia and probably saw L. Bob Rife as some sort of misunderstood villain is wild.
In regards to the thread itself, I'm slowly getting through "Absolution" by Jeff VanderMeer. It's a fun book, but I'm just focused on other stuff at the moment and my daughter isn't sleeping particularly well at the moment so I'm generally pretty tired most nights when I'd read.
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Comment on In an age of right-wing populism, why are Denmark's liberals winning? (gifted link) in ~society
SpruceWillis Link ParentYeah, context is very important. While liberal can have the imported American meaning in the UK, probably moreso than in Denmark since we share a common language with the US. If someone was...Yeah, context is very important. While liberal can have the imported American meaning in the UK, probably moreso than in Denmark since we share a common language with the US. If someone was waffling on about liberals in the UK I'd assume they were talking about the Liberal Democrats, our center party, who ideologically draw upon British and European liberalism.
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Comment on I want to hear about good relationships in ~talk
SpruceWillis Link ParentAren't you thinking of Milk Tray? I remember the Milk Tray ads as a UK mid-late millenial featuring a James Bond-esque character delivering chocolates to a sexy lady. While I'm aware of Brut, I...Aren't you thinking of Milk Tray? I remember the Milk Tray ads as a UK mid-late millenial featuring a James Bond-esque character delivering chocolates to a sexy lady.
While I'm aware of Brut, I think it's a bit before my time, think it had been relegated to dad aftershave by the time I was a teen/young man I afraid. Versace Blue Jeans was a favourite of teen me in the early-mid 00's and Issey Miyake as a younger man in the late 00's (which is still a fantastic aftershave).
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Comment on James Bond shocker! Amazon MGM Studios takes creative control of spy franchise as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli step back. in ~movies
SpruceWillis Link ParentYou're already seeing it, with Bezos asking people who they want to see as Bond. Now you could say that it's just a post from Bezos celebrating them getting control over the Bond licence but I...You're already seeing it, with Bezos asking people who they want to see as Bond.
Now you could say that it's just a post from Bezos celebrating them getting control over the Bond licence but I absolutely reckon they'll use the data in future discussions.
The problem is the general public doesn't really know who they want as Bond considering they keep suggesting people like Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Tom Holland or having a female Bond (which I'm only against because Bond is a male character and has been for 70+ years. There are plenty of great female action heroes and great books that could be used for material to create a female spy character, such as The Modesty Blaise novels, which are very fun and quite Bondian).
I remember the public reacting pretty negatively to Daniel Craig getting the role, only for him to put in a consistently fantastic showing as Bond
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Comment on James Bond shocker! Amazon MGM Studios takes creative control of spy franchise as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli step back. in ~movies
SpruceWillis LinkOaft, this worries me. Barbara and Michael have made missteps for sure over the years but it's obvious they sincerely love the series and have given us some incredible films. I don't really trust...Oaft, this worries me. Barbara and Michael have made missteps for sure over the years but it's obvious they sincerely love the series and have given us some incredible films.
I don't really trust Amazon to do the series justice I'm afraid, I feel they're consistently one of the worst of the streaming companies in regards to their wheelhouse of original TV shows and movies.
I'm a huge Bond fan, the Fleming novels (and some of the continuation novels) are some of my favourite books. Moonraker (the book, not the film lol) is a top 3 novel of all time for me, so I know how large and how far the culture of Bond as a character stretches, so I really hope they take their time and treat the series with the respect it deserves.
It doesn't have to become some sort of Expanded Universe behemoth like DC or Marvel. Keep it as a showstopping big budget blockbuster every 3-4 years in my opinion. And if they must, perhaps a short 3 to 4 episode self-contained miniseries exploring other aspects of the Bond universe in between the films. Something like Kim Sherwood's "Double O" novels, centered around other Double O agents, or Samantha Weinberg's "Moneypenny Diaries", exploring Moneypenny's background and filling in the gaps between Bonds missions could be a good backbone for these.
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Comment on The Tiananmen Square protests in pictures, 1989 in ~humanities.history
SpruceWillis Link ParentYeah, the diplomatic cables that came out of the UK embassy were something else.Yeah, the diplomatic cables that came out of the UK embassy were something else.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
SpruceWillis LinkI'm going to see Pantera next Tuesday so been spinning their old records in anticipation. Outside of the usual suspects like Walk, Cowboys from Hell, and I'm Broken I hope they play stuff like...I'm going to see Pantera next Tuesday so been spinning their old records in anticipation. Outside of the usual suspects like Walk, Cowboys from Hell, and I'm Broken I hope they play stuff like Revolution is my Name, Domination, and Suicide Note Pt 2.
I also grabbed tickets to go see Bilmuri so I've been listening to the albums American Motor Sports and 400LB BACK SQUAT as well. American Motor Sports was one of my favourite albums last year so I'm excited to hear some of the tracks live!
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Comment on What video game mods do you play, or have played in the past? in ~games
SpruceWillis LinkI can see a lot of great games and mods have already been mentioned so I'll go with something a little more niche. Back in the early 00's, The Dark Mod was released for Doom 3. It was a total...I can see a lot of great games and mods have already been mentioned so I'll go with something a little more niche.
Back in the early 00's, The Dark Mod was released for Doom 3. It was a total conversion mod that turned Doom 3 into, essentially, a Thief game, that gave users the tools to create their own levels and play those made by other people.
In the early-mid 10's the game became completely standalone so is technically no longer a mod but it's how it got its start. It's very good fun to play and there's a ton of user made levels to play through, and it's free and open source.
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Comment on What are some books for which the critical/public opinion has flipped over time? in ~books
SpruceWillis LinkJessie Popes patriotic poetry during WWI was widely distributed in newspapers and collected in books and sold throughout Great Britain during the war years to pressure men to go off to fight while...Jessie Popes patriotic poetry during WWI was widely distributed in newspapers and collected in books and sold throughout Great Britain during the war years to pressure men to go off to fight while war poets like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were largely ignored.
Now Owen and Sassoons writings are the gold standard in exemplifying the horrors of World War One while Popes writing is largely forgotten, and dismissed as jingoistic and distasteful.
Owens famous poem "Dulce et Decorum Est", regularly taught in high school English here in the UK, was originally dedicated to Pope as Owen disliked her pro-war poems.
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Comment on Can you recommend tv shows with themes of grit, endurance, survival under hostile circumstances? in ~tv
SpruceWillis Link"The Americans" fits the bill I'd say. Two Russian spies, living undercover in the US as spies during the 80's. Features gritty violence and espionage, survival with enemies all around and..."The Americans" fits the bill I'd say.
Two Russian spies, living undercover in the US as spies during the 80's. Features gritty violence and espionage, survival with enemies all around and endurance to maintain the difficult facade of pleasant, suburban Americans while balancing their real jobs as highly trained intelligence agents.
Great show, a slow burn for definite with great characterisation, tense plotting and quick violent bursts of, at times, very brutal action.
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Comment on GOG resurrects Dino Crisis and Dino Crisis 2 on PC in ~games
SpruceWillis LinkThis is great. Me and a couple friends play a "game club", kind of like book club but for games instead, and Dino Crisis is on the list. Least I know I can get it through GOG now.This is great. Me and a couple friends play a "game club", kind of like book club but for games instead, and Dino Crisis is on the list.
Least I know I can get it through GOG now.
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Comment on What are your favourite let's plays? in ~games
SpruceWillis LinkI very much enjoy HCBailly, he's been Let's Playing for like 14 or 15 years. Mostly JRPG's but he does play other older games. His playthroughs of Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Majora's Mask,...I very much enjoy HCBailly, he's been Let's Playing for like 14 or 15 years. Mostly JRPG's but he does play other older games.
His playthroughs of Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Majora's Mask, Final Fantasy 6, 7, 8, and 9 are fantastic.
His playthroughs are well practiced, he knows a ton about the games, how to beat them efficiently, along with a lot of secrets and Easter Eggs.
He's a bit of a nerd, his humour can be hit or miss but he's an old school LP'er and I still like coming back to his content now and again.
Another one I've recently started watching is Mapocolops. An Australian LP'er who does Blind Playthroughs.
He's a decent gamer and he tends to get through most games without too much issue (although he seriously sucks at stealth games). His strength lies in how involved he gets in game lore, he really dives into appendices, codexes, ingame books, newspapers etc.
His playthrough of Deus Ex is great (although any attempt at stealth generally ends up a failure). His playthroughs of the Soulsbourne games are fantastic, and his playthroughs of the 3D Zelda games, which he's recently started, are great.
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Comment on David Lynch, visionary filmmaker behind 'Twin Peaks' and 'Mulholland Drive,' dies at 78 in ~movies
SpruceWillis LinkA shame, I enjoyed a few of his films and Twin Peaks was great! I first looked into him in my late teens when he interviewed Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, my favourite band. I'd heard of...A shame, I enjoyed a few of his films and Twin Peaks was great!
I first looked into him in my late teens when he interviewed Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, my favourite band. I'd heard of him but that interview was what got me to look into his work.
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Comment on An update from Nintendo (Nintendo Switch 2 announcement) in ~games
SpruceWillis LinkYeah, I'm cool with this, nice to just see an incremental upgrade for once considering how much I love what the Switch offers. The backwards compatibility with Switch games is nice as well....Yeah, I'm cool with this, nice to just see an incremental upgrade for once considering how much I love what the Switch offers.
The backwards compatibility with Switch games is nice as well. Haven't played my Switch in about a year since my daughter got sentient and grabby enough to find it interesting so I'll grab the Switch 2 and finish Tears of the Kingdom on it I reckon.
Also, I love Mario Kart so I'm excited for that.
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Comment on Awesome Games Done Quick 2025, a week-long charity fundraiser featuring speedruns, is live (runs January 5 - January 11) in ~games
SpruceWillis LinkThis Batman Forever run is incredibly fun! Gotta love when the runner and their couch knows a game is just pure insanity and just has a ton of fun with it. It was Wild Guns at SGDQ 2023,...This Batman Forever run is incredibly fun! Gotta love when the runner and their couch knows a game is just pure insanity and just has a ton of fun with it.
It was Wild Guns at SGDQ 2023, definitely Batman Forever for me at AGDQ 2024.
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Comment on Awesome Games Done Quick 2025, a week-long charity fundraiser featuring speedruns, is live (runs January 5 - January 11) in ~games
SpruceWillis LinkBeen waiting for this to start, always a good way to start my first week back at work after Christmas and New Year, stick it on in the background while I get on with my job.Been waiting for this to start, always a good way to start my first week back at work after Christmas and New Year, stick it on in the background while I get on with my job.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society
SpruceWillis Link ParentYeah, growing up in Scotland it's very obvious to everyone here how much of a shitstain Sectarianism and sectarian violence is, especially in Glasgow. Protestants and Catholics, villifying, hating...Yeah, growing up in Scotland it's very obvious to everyone here how much of a shitstain Sectarianism and sectarian violence is, especially in Glasgow.
Protestants and Catholics, villifying, hating and committing violence against one another because of what flavour of Christianity they follow/if they're Republicans or Monarchists/whether they support Rangers FC or Celtic FC. (I can tell you a majority of the sectarian violence in Scotland is due to what football team people support).
It's ugly, kids being raised to think the other side are worse than animals, areas of the city you wouldn't dare set foot in wearing blue or green.
I've even got a friend who makes cakes for a living and she had someone request a cake for their 4 or 5 year olds birthday. They wanted an icing likeness of their child playing football on top of the cake and asked for the icing grass to be blue because they're a Rangers house and they can't have the colour green on a birthday cake, it's bonkers, these people's brains are mush.
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Comment on Happy new year! in ~talk
SpruceWillis LinkHappy New Year! Last night was the first Hogmanay in a long, long time that I didn't make the bells. Me, my partner and daughter have all managed to catch this horrible flu thing that's doing the...Happy New Year!
Last night was the first Hogmanay in a long, long time that I didn't make the bells. Me, my partner and daughter have all managed to catch this horrible flu thing that's doing the rounds so I was asleep by half eight last night and now I've woken up feeling a lot better but with no voice whatsoever so I'm struggling to catch a break.
Kids are horrendous germ factories.
I grabbed Jedi Fallen Order for £3.49, which I thought was a great price, not gonna have the chance to play it for a bit but couldn't turn down a 90% discount.
Also grabbed Teardown for £12.99, been keeping an eye on this game for a while and 50% seems to be the lowest I've seen it so figured I'd bite the bullet. Played that for a couple hours this afternoon and it's a lot of fun.