Starman2112's recent activity
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Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv
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Comment on I'm tired of dismissive anti-AI bias in ~tech
Starman2112 Link ParentIt's not that it looked at someone's pictures when it wasn't supposed to, it's that these companies are making insane amounts of money using these artists' work without their consent, while...So then when you tell me that we shouldn't use this cool new technology because it looked at someone's pictures when it wasn't supposed to, I kind of feel the same way.
It's not that it looked at someone's pictures when it wasn't supposed to, it's that these companies are making insane amounts of money using these artists' work without their consent, while simultaneously putting these artists out of work. Like, I am entirely in favor of violating copyright, but if the sites I use to watch anime were actively putting anime studios out of business, I would be against using them too
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
Starman2112 Link ParentDitto lmao Boxed mac and cheese + a can of whatever is in the cupboard Rice, cheese, canned mixed veggies, tomatoes and green chilis $7 box of heart disease from taco bellDitto lmao
Boxed mac and cheese + a can of whatever is in the cupboard
Rice, cheese, canned mixed veggies, tomatoes and green chilis
$7 box of heart disease from taco bell
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
Starman2112 Link ParentI'll throw anything in kraft mac. Canned vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, black beans + tomatoes and green chilis. My go-to is a can of peas. I tend to work late into the night, so when I come home...I'll throw anything in kraft mac. Canned vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, black beans + tomatoes and green chilis. My go-to is a can of peas. I tend to work late into the night, so when I come home to make dinner, I want something easy and quick. Mac and Peas is easy and quick.
Pizza with a whole head of garlic and like a dozen olives.
That just sounds like a good pizza to me
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Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk
Starman2112 Link ParentHoly cow, thank you for this comment. It seems so obvious now! spoiler Given a choice between a 2x improvement for 5 seconds or a 1.5x improvement for 5 seconds, the choice is obvious when you put...Holy cow, thank you for this comment. It seems so obvious now!
spoiler
Given a choice between a 2x improvement for 5 seconds or a 1.5x improvement for 5 seconds, the choice is obvious when you put it like that
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Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk
Starman2112 LinkA note titled "I'm doing the f*cking math", regarding this airport inspired math puzzle. Some fun maths Let's assume it's 50 meters solid ground, 50 meters moving walkway, which moves at 2 meters...A note titled "I'm doing the f*cking math", regarding this airport inspired math puzzle.
Some fun maths
Let's assume it's 50 meters solid ground, 50 meters moving walkway, which moves at 2 meters per second.
Let's assume you walk at 2 meters per second.
The solid ground takes 50 meters divided by 2 meters per second to travel, totalling 25 seconds. The moving walkway takes 50 meters divided by 2+2 meters per second to travel, totalling 12.5 seconds. It takes you 37.5 seconds to walk from A to B.
You can sprint for 5 seconds, doubling your speed to 4 meters per second.
You sprint on the solid ground. For 5 seconds, you're moving 4 meters per second, totalling 20 meters. You must walk the remaining 30 meters at 2 meters per second, totalling 15 seconds, and the whole walkway at 4 meters per second, for a grand total of 5+15+12.5=32.5 seconds.
You sprint on the walkway. The solid ground takes 25 seconds. For 5 seconds, you move at 6 meters per second, totalling 30 meters. You must walk the remaining 20 meters at 4 meters per second, totalling 5 more seconds, for a grand total of 25+5+5=35
Wtf this makes no sense but the math adds up but it makes no sense because you're just adding a set amount to your speed this does not compute
I still don't get it. I feel like it shouldn't matter whether you run along the solid ground or the moving walkway. This hurts my brain more than conditional probability.
Maybe some of you can have some fun with this. Does the math match up with your intuition?
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 (edited )LinkUsually I have a hard time getting words out, but today it seems I have a hard time keeping them in. No spoilers except where marked. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth...Usually I have a hard time getting words out, but today it seems I have a hard time keeping them in. No spoilers except where marked.
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
https://myanimelist.net/anime/52215/Chi_Chikyuu_no_Undou_ni_Tsuite
It was really good. What seems at first to be a show about an astronomer studying heliocentrism in 15th century Poland is really about having hope for an uncertain future. Several prominent characters die throughout the show, and all of them face their deaths with serenity, despite not knowing whether what they've died for will succeed. So long as there's a sliver of a chance that someone else can pick up the torch, they're content with the fate they've made.
Spoiler for the last few episodes of Orb
In the end, it seems that the entire story has led up to one man mentioning the name of Oczy's book as famous historical figure Albert Brudzewksi passes by. The culmination of all of the characters' efforts ultimately leads to one question in Albert's mind: the earth doesn't move... right?
In reality, Albert was himself skeptical of the geocentric model of the universe, and he had an extremely relevant student on whom he undoubtedly made an impact: Nicolaus Copernicus.
Whether the events of the show are meant to have literally taken place (within the fiction of the show), or if they're meant to be one of infinite possible causes for that letter to have been delivered to that house at that time, is not made clear. In my opinion, the existence of Rafal both in the beginning of the anime's story and in Albert's backstory leads me to think it's not meant to be literal.
It is simply a story about the unknown and anonymous contributors to history. Potocki, Hubert, Rafal, Glass, Oczy, Badeni, Novak, Jolenta, Grabowski, Draka, Schmidt—people whose names and faces have been forgotten, but whose actions drove the course of history.
When the people of the past or future gaze across the span of time, they'll merely see us all as people from the 15th century. [...] More than those born with similar philosophies, I feel much closer to those who were born in the same era as me. [...] I feel that we, who happened to live in this day and age, even if we hated one another enough to kill, are comrades who built an era together.
Virtually every character in this series never existed, but the people they represent did. The real human beings who contributed to evolving understandings of cosmology are more than just people from the 15th century, and famous figures like Albert Brudzewski and Nicolaus Copernicus couldn't have done the work they did without these anonymous predecessors.
Personally, I'm giving it a 10/10. I liked the animation, I liked the music, and most importantly, it's rare that a series drives me to write this much. Objectively, I have to give it a 9/10, for exactly one reason: the brightness is way off sometimes. It didn't affect me too much, because I watch my TV shows in a pitch black room anyway, but I can imagine it being hard to watch if you have so much as a lamp on in the same room. Also, it's not very pleasant getting flashbanged with a bright white screen after a solid minute of almost complete darkness.
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Comment on Have you ever witnessed the Butterfly Effect? in ~life
Starman2112 LinkWatching youtube at work led to my interest in astronomy Dropped phone and broke screen. Upgraded to Galaxy S24 Ultra. The camera on this thing is bonkers, I wonder what Jupiter looks like through...Watching youtube at work led to my interest in astronomy
Dropped phone and broke screen. Upgraded to Galaxy S24 Ultra. The camera on this thing is bonkers, I wonder what Jupiter looks like through it? It's a blurry mess, but you can see the Gallilean moons! Imagine holding this up to a telescope! Hey dad, do you still have that old telescope in storage?
Of course, a cell phone is not very good for astrophotography, and a 4.5 inch dobsonian telescope is even worse. A Canon EOS 300D and the cheapest equatorial mount from Celestron isn't much better. I know astronomy is where my heart is, because I've gone through multiple "hobby killers" and I still want more
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 LinkStruggling to think of how to describe Kyousougiga. I am not nearly good enough with words to give this show a meaningful review, but the entire reason I reply to these threads after every show is...Struggling to think of how to describe Kyousougiga. I am not nearly good enough with words to give this show a meaningful review, but the entire reason I reply to these threads after every show is to exercise my writing.
A poor attempt at a review [no spoilers]
Kyousougiga is very abstract. In the simplest terms, it's a show about a family's relationship. A father carelessly bringing children into the world, and then abandoning them without realizing how he's affected them. A mother whose time with her children is woefully limited. A trio of siblings placed in charge of their parents' world whose relationship is turbulent at the best of times, but always loving. A daughter willing to break holes in reality to find her mother, to make up for a childhood she never really had.
Man, I think I'm actually tapped out. There is so much more to this show than I am capable of conveying. If anyone else has seen it and can offer a better review without spoiling story elements, please do.
One thing I can convey is that it is absolutely beautiful. The visuals are what put it on my list. Honestly, it's worth watching 10 episodes of it for the animation alone. 8/10, and it's on the rewatch pile.
Now for something more grounded, so to speak. Orb: On the Movements of the Earth. Look at my username. An anime set in 15th century Poland about an astronomer studying the heliocentric model of the solar system? This series was made for me specifically. I'm only two episodes in right now, but so far it is promising.
The subject of the show makes me wonder: if I was a 15th century Polish peasant, would I be a heliocentrist? Probably not. Infatuated as I am with astronomy, I'm very trusting of experts in the field. I've never checked claims of stellar parallax. Maybe I should try that. Expect an update in ten years if I manage to prove that Sirius isn't actually 8.6 light-years away!
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Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
Starman2112 (edited )LinkThis is why I mostly watch 10+ year old shows. I've always had trouble keeping up with weekly releases, and even when I manage to watch a full season, the wait between seasons always kills the...With all of the shows out there that may or may not get another season to someday catch up with their source material, it's kinda risky starting something and being able to see it through to the end.
This is why I mostly watch 10+ year old shows. I've always had trouble keeping up with weekly releases, and even when I manage to watch a full season, the wait between seasons always kills the momentum.
Most of what I watch is anime original, but some of them are (from my understanding) complete adaptations. There's already been some really good recommendations in this thread, so I'll be the fourth to recommend Stand Alone Complex (it legitimately changed how I rate shows, because I cannot give something a 10 if it doesn't stand up to SAC), and the first to recommend
Haibane Renmei
https://myanimelist.net/anime/387/Haibane_Renmei
A girl wakes up in a strange world with no memories of her past life. It is by far my favorite show. If you only watch one show on this list, make it Haibane Renmei. Just keep in mind that although it seems like a mystery series, none of your questions will be answered, because it's not about the mysteries, it's about how the characters act towards, interact with, and react to each other and the world. By all means, spend time wondering about the significance of the cocoon dreams, the nature of the walls, and the origins of the strange rules and customs. Just don't be upset when the show doesn't tell you the answers.
Shinsekai Yori
https://myanimelist.net/anime/13125/Shinsekai_yori
It's at the same time a show about people with psychic powers, a show about finding your place in a world you can't change, and an interrogation of what it means to be a human. One of the most fascinating shows I've seen.
Megalo Box
The first season is about a man with quite literally nothing to his name (not even a name), who finds a purpose in his life in professional megalo boxing.
The second season is about a man who's lost everything but his name, listlessly drifting through life, before rediscovering what he lost, and finding redemption for the sins he's committed. The first season is really good, but the second season brings it to a 10/10
Deca-Dence
https://myanimelist.net/anime/40056/Deca-Dence
A show about a mechanical walled city, and the people who live in, maintain, and defend it. To even describe the show past the second episode would be to spoil it, so I'm just gonna suggest watching until you get to the twist before you decide whether to drop it. You'll know what the twist is.
ACCA: 13 Territory Inspection Department
https://myanimelist.net/anime/33337/ACCA__13-ku_Kansatsu-ka
A show about a federal government auditor in the fictional nation of Dowa, investigating rumours of a potential coup. My favorite aspect of this show is that it actively declines to have any action. I like a show about professional adults acting like professional adults.
Akudama Drive
https://myanimelist.net/anime/41433/Akudama_Drive
Cyberpunk crime action drama. A group of basically supervillains (and one Ordinary Person) are hired to pull off the heist of a lifetime. Stylish as all hell.
Super Crooks
https://myanimelist.net/anime/48453/Super_Crooks
A show about literal supervillains pulling off one last heist before retiring. Although it's an anime spinoff of a live-action adaptation of a comic book, the story is nicely wrapped up, and you don't need any background knowledge about Jupiter's Legacy to enjoy it.
Ergo Proxy
Another one where even talking about the show past couple episodes would spoil it. This is another show that interrogates the concept of what it means to be human. It's also the only show I've seen with a decidedly anti-theist tone. I will say this: it's weird and hard to understand. But if you like weird esoteric stuff, it's great
Read or Die
The OVA follows Yomiko Readman, a sorta James Bond style secret agent, working for the British Library to fight a group of supervillains who are cloning historical figures to take over the world or something. The important thing is that they stole Yomiko's book, and she'd really like it back.
The TV show takes place a few years after the OVA, and follows Nenene Sumiregawa, an author and a close friend of Yomiko Readman's. It also follows the Paper Sisters, a trio of paper masters, working for a shady government organization to procure books for them. Despite
my wifeYomiko not showing up for the first like 15 episodes, I really liked it. One of a few shows where I really missed the characters after I finished it. -
Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
Starman2112 Link ParentIf I'm being totally honest? I don't know if there's any rules against linking to pirate sites directly, but theindex has provided me a path to most of my shows. Streaming services have largely...If I'm being totally honest? I don't know if there's any rules against linking to pirate sites directly, but theindex has provided me a path to most of my shows. Streaming services have largely forgotten that they rely on providing a more convenient service than the ones we get for free.
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Comment on Piglets will be left to starve in a controversial art exhibit in Denmark – Marco Evaristti aims to raise awareness of the suffering caused by modern pig production in ~arts
Starman2112 Link ParentIf intent matters, then surely we can agree that this man has a noble intent. It's true that everyone knows that the conditions on animal farms are torturous at best, and decades of saying this...If intent matters, then surely we can agree that this man has a noble intent. It's true that everyone knows that the conditions on animal farms are torturous at best, and decades of saying this has achieved zero results. He isn't killing these three piglets for fun or profit, he's doing it to force the very discussions that we are having right now. If this exhibition causes even one person to become a vegetarian, this man will have prevented more than three animals' torturous deaths.
Given that these pigs would have been sold to someone who would have killed them anyway, this is at worst a net neutral, and at best a net positive.
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Comment on Piglets will be left to starve in a controversial art exhibit in Denmark – Marco Evaristti aims to raise awareness of the suffering caused by modern pig production in ~arts
Starman2112 LinkYou can think what you want about it. I think it's horrific. But also, if you buy meat regularly, you are personally responsible for more of this suffering than Marco Evaristti is. Some people are...You can think what you want about it. I think it's horrific. But also, if you buy meat regularly, you are personally responsible for more of this suffering than Marco Evaristti is. Some people are justifying their own contributions to this by saying that it's different when animals die for the sake of meat production. This would be a fair point, if you needed to eat meat.
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Comment on Piglets will be left to starve in a controversial art exhibit in Denmark – Marco Evaristti aims to raise awareness of the suffering caused by modern pig production in ~arts
Starman2112 Link ParentThe piglets in question are not raised for food. Nobody is eating the 27,000 piglets that die every day. Why is it okay for companies to allow this suffering for the sake of profits, but not for...The piglets in question are not raised for food. Nobody is eating the 27,000 piglets that die every day.
Why is it okay for companies to allow this suffering for the sake of profits, but not for an individual to do the same at a much, much smaller scale?
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Comment on Piglets will be left to starve in a controversial art exhibit in Denmark – Marco Evaristti aims to raise awareness of the suffering caused by modern pig production in ~arts
Starman2112 Link ParentIt could be, if there was a widely accepted cultural practice of stapling bunnies to trees for profit.It could be, if there was a widely accepted cultural practice of stapling bunnies to trees for profit.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 LinkThere's a certain loneliness that comes with watching older shows for the first time. It's hard to describe the feeling of stumbling onto an online discussion, being fully ready to leave a...There's a certain loneliness that comes with watching older shows for the first time. It's hard to describe the feeling of stumbling onto an online discussion, being fully ready to leave a comment, only to see that the last reply was 15 years ago. It's like showing up to a party after everyone has left. Such has been my experience with many shows, the latest being Xam'd: Lost Memories. No spoilers ahead, just compressing text.
Xam'd: Lost Memories
The show follows Akiyuki, a boy who, during an attack on the island he lives on, is implanted with a "Hiruko," which turns him into a Xam'd, a type of Humanform—that is, a big monster. These terms are used throughout the show, as if the viewer knows what they are already, which I like. I don't want a lecture on Humanforms or beat kayaks or airships, I can just kinda look at how they work in the story and figure it out myself.
The show also follows Nakiyami, a mysterious girl who has some connection with the Xam'd and Humanforms, who recognizes Akiyuki as a Xam'd and takes him aboard the airship she lives on so she can help him cope with his new life. The show also follows Haru and Furuichi, Akiyuki's friends who join the military after said attack. There are a multitude of other people the show follows, but it would be tedious to list them all off, and these four are the most important characters.
Xam'd is strange. A lot of people have compared it to Eureka Seven, but being that I haven't seen that yet, it gave me strong Last Exile vibes. That is to say, it's my kind of strange. It helps that Bones cannot make a show that isn't beautiful. Part of why I'm surprised that so many of the discussions I've read are a decade and a half old is because the show looks like it came out six years ago, not sixteen.
If you like the premise and aren't turned off by the idea of a show that refuses to explain itself, I can highly recommend it. 8/10, and it's on the rewatch pile.
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Comment on What were some artists, groups or albums that had an influence on you before you were old enough to choose for yourself? in ~music
Starman2112 LinkMy dad had one Rush compilation album (the The Spirit of Radio one), which got me into my favorite band at the age of like 10. I still think Time Stand Still sounds weird without the scratched CD....My dad had one Rush compilation album (the The Spirit of Radio one), which got me into my favorite band at the age of like 10. I still think Time Stand Still sounds weird without the scratched CD. The best musical experience of my life was the one time I ever saw Rush live when I was 15. I have a notoriously awful memory, but the feeling of 10,000 pairs of feet stomping along with the chorus in The Spirit of Radio is cauterized into my soul
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
Starman2112 (edited )LinkFinished Moribito the other day. It follows Balsa, a hyper competent bodyguard and survivalist, on an escort mission protecting a young prince from assassins. I liked it a lot. It's on the same...Finished Moribito the other day. It follows Balsa, a hyper competent bodyguard and survivalist, on an escort mission protecting a young prince from assassins. I liked it a lot. It's on the same shelf as Mushishi in my brain. A slow and deliberately paced fantasy series. Unlike Mushishi, it has some action sequences, and I liked all of them.
It's good to see a cast of entirely competent people acting rationally. The world feels very grounded, and the characters feel grounded in it. One point that sticks out to me is early in the series, when the main character explains that she can't take the payment she's being offered by a royal, because the palace crest is on the money. It would be too easy to track her down if she's spending royal coin in a commoners' market. It's not a very important moment, but I feel like it represents the attention to detail that the author put in.
Once the fantastical elements come more into play late in the series, it loses a little bit of my interest. Not by much, I just prefer a harder magic system, and the resolution to the conflict felt a little bit contrived. I'm giving it an 8/10. I might look into the light novels, but the anime has a solid enough ending that I'm comfortable leaving it here.
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Comment on Single most useful program you daily use? in ~tech
Starman2112 (edited )LinkDo Android apps count? I tiptoe on the line between nerd and tech-illiterate, and Tasker is great for my demographic. There's a ton of simple, minor quality of life things—for example, I have a...Do Android apps count? I tiptoe on the line between nerd and tech-illiterate, and Tasker is great for my demographic. There's a ton of simple, minor quality of life things—for example, I have a profile to send a notification every 8 hours reminding me about medication. I have another profile reminding me to clock in when I get to work. Tasker handles my multitude of wallpapers. When certain contacts call me, Tasker sets my ringtone to max volume. There's a ton of little things that you can automate with Tasker to slightly improve the functionality of your phone.
Sometimes I learn a little bit about tech wizardry. For example, I have a profile that calls a weather API, finds the forecasted high and low temperatures and humidity, and notifies me every morning about whether I should leave my window open while I'm at work. I have the beginnings of an automatic Calicojack player in Stardew Valley using OCR to decide whether to hit or stay. It's more math than tech, but I also made a GPS for Subnautica which I am still very proud of.
Try it out, the worst thing that can happen is you'll spend $3.50 on an app that can turn your wi-fi on and off for you
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Comment on What fictional world would you live in, if you could pick any one? in ~talk
Starman2112 LinkEasy, Glie. I value stability, and I'm not one for adventure. A peaceful life in a walled city where everyone has their place would be my natural habitatEasy, Glie. I value stability, and I'm not one for adventure. A peaceful life in a walled city where everyone has their place would be my natural habitat
The rise of second screen content is really disheartening to me. I'm watching TV to enjoy a story, not to make 6:00 turn into 10:00 faster. It sucks that series with great potential get chopped up and mutilated to account for the fact that viewers aren't viewing. (cough Avatar cough)
I was ready to disagree with this, because I felt like picking up my phone to read discussions immediately after finishing a show or movie was separate from the viewing experience, but I have to acknowledge that the period after watching the show is part of watching the show. I never really digest the media I watch anymore; I immediately take to the internet to read discussions to help shape my opinions.
As much as I believe I'm unsusceptible to having my opinions meaningfully changed by reading someone else's, I'm going to start giving it a few days before reading about a show I've just finished. Other people's reviews will still be there when I check, and it'll give me time to put my feelings into words independent of what other people have written.