WrathOfTheHydra's recent activity

  1. Comment on The death of punctuation in ~humanities.languages

    WrathOfTheHydra
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    There's a lot of comments in this thread talking about themselves and/or how text messaging has reasons for being more informal. Unfortunately, I know what OP is referring to and yeah, it's been...

    There's a lot of comments in this thread talking about themselves and/or how text messaging has reasons for being more informal. Unfortunately, I know what OP is referring to and yeah, it's been getting a lot worse recently. I don't think the amount of non-punctuated posts have grown across the internet yet, but it does seem like more and more of them are getting upvoted to the front page/algorithmic feed of various sites. This in turn seems to be influencing more people to start posting in the same fashion.

    It's very frustrating... I try not to be an old curmudgeon about it, and I generally count myself as an anti-decorum fighter against the fastidious. But it really sucks when it's the inciting title to a thread of discussion around something serious, because it then seems to attract more half-baked comments instead of participants that want to fully flesh out the topic. To be clear, Tildes doesn't seem to suffer from this yet. Other platforms like reddit and tech forums recently are getting slapped by run-on sentence gremlins unable to properly convey their thoughts without giving the reader a headache.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Best recommendations for PC couch multiplayer games? in ~games

    WrathOfTheHydra
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    I'll add Outer Wilds to the list as well. You end up bouncing a lot of ideas and theories off eachother that way. The only issue is you'll only be able to play when both of you are available, but...

    I'll add Outer Wilds to the list as well. You end up bouncing a lot of ideas and theories off eachother that way. The only issue is you'll only be able to play when both of you are available, but it does beat having only one of you playing and being unable to talk to the other person about it!

    1 vote

  3. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    WrathOfTheHydra
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    I recently helped clean out my childhood home's garage that was essentially a hoarders paradise. Decades-to-centuries old stuff just sitting around, and we finally started going through it. I...

    I recently helped clean out my childhood home's garage that was essentially a hoarders paradise. Decades-to-centuries old stuff just sitting around, and we finally started going through it. I collected a bunch of my childhood toys and some art pieces and wanted to make a video about it for Glomble. I've been organizing different item groups together and am working on a rough outline so I can record myself going through a bunch of my old items and talk about them. I... being the apparent masochist that I am, decided to switch to linux halfway through this process, which has put an absolute snag in the process, but I'm excited to talk about the stuff I found eventually!

    For those who are curious: Here's the shenanigans that have kneecapped my momentum from installing linux during the process. I said the other day *here on tildes* that I was switching to Arch Linux to avoid Window 11 and I am a man of my word! :D Unfortunately, that means I had to install a whole other operating system before I could reinstall Davinci Resolve Studio, which isn't technically made for Arch. D: I ran into a couple snags that are entertaining in the "of course these would happen *now*" moments.

    First, I was just trying to use 'archinstall' since I had limited pockets of time to try and install things. I managed to make my usb with the ISO the day before a new bug was fixed. It took a lot of re-attempts and magically finding the right combination of error messages/key words into google to find the archinstall github thread discussing the problem. (I eventually figured out sudo pacman -S archinstall from the USB/ISO, followed by running archinstall, fixed the problem)

    Then, during the several days I was wondering why my nvidia-drivers didn't exist and finally got an install to work, apparently the server hosting a package I needed to install davinci-resolve-studio disappeared, so I couldn't install the one thing I was worried about switching to linux for. After following a couple threads that did not readily fix the problem, I just git cloned the package link instead of trying to pull from the AUR via things like paru, and I finally got the package.

    As I write this line of text, I finally just got davinci installed. Literally no idea if it even runs as I'm about to find out when I run it. But at this point I feel like Hal from Malcolm in the Middle when Lois comes out to the garage asking if he was going to change the lightbulb, and Hal screams from under the car "WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M DOING?!". I will edit a video someday... any day now. :')

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Mozilla Firefox gets new anti-fingerprinting defenses in ~tech

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    They've had AI integrated for a while in the sidebar. It's been pretty inconspicuous about it for a while, but if they're gunna start training data at all I guess I get to move on.

    They've had AI integrated for a while in the sidebar. It's been pretty inconspicuous about it for a while, but if they're gunna start training data at all I guess I get to move on.

  5. Comment on Need pixel art software recommendations (it can be free or paid) in ~games

    WrathOfTheHydra
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    I used Krita for our gamejam submission. It's got a pixel brush and you can just make the canvas small and zoom in. It's not fancy but gets the job done. (and is free!)

    I used Krita for our gamejam submission. It's got a pixel brush and you can just make the canvas small and zoom in. It's not fancy but gets the job done. (and is free!)

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
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    We have some pretty drawn-out plans to get my childhood upright piano into the house at some point, and if that happens then I'll definitely get on that. 👍

    We have some pretty drawn-out plans to get my childhood upright piano into the house at some point, and if that happens then I'll definitely get on that. 👍

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    I'm sure you belt a wicked Whitney Houston in the shower. ;) Thanks for listening and the compliments!

    I'm sure you belt a wicked Whitney Houston in the shower. ;) Thanks for listening and the compliments!

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    If you've ever gotten a song stuck in your head that you don't know all the words to, and then you go look up the lyrics because you're tired of humming the chorus and some verses with no real...

    Out of curiosity, do you have a process for composing? Do you play around then transcribe?

    If you've ever gotten a song stuck in your head that you don't know all the words to, and then you go look up the lyrics because you're tired of humming the chorus and some verses with no real vocabulary behind them... that's basically my process, lol.

    The following is more detail behind this process, but it is more longwinded than it is technical. :P

    I usually have a good portion of a song in my head, complete with backing track and chorus singers and whatnot, pretty much immediately without noting anything down. The words, however, will range from incredibly crystal clear choruses to muddy incoherent concepts. It'll be around the time I get tired of the liminal space between the clear chorus/catchy verses that I'll pull out the guitar.

    This particular song is a bit different because I've had it bopping around for over a decade in my head (think I first twinkled it out on piano briefly around sophmore year of college? Ah man, I feel old.). I didn't start actually song writing until about 2 years ago, and I had to learn guitar to start for some reason, so it was fairly dormant when I returned to it, which meant I didn't have clear lyrics in my head other than the chorus and I think "-and it's a looong waaay faaar from home, there's no one else I'd share this ride!" So the roughly 2-3 actual days to work on this had a lot more lyric-slapping than usual.

    For when I'm actually writing-writing, I'm at my standing desk in front of the computer with a guitar. I'll strum out the chords I mentally have mapped out and sing the bits I know. When I naturally run out of confident material, I fall into this cycle:

    Part 1:

    1. Type out some lyrics within the bars between known sections.
      *2. Read it again and ask myself if it's what the character/voice of the song wants to say, and then-
      *3. Sing it outloud with guitar and see if it sounds good.

    I then bounce the section between 2 and 3, which becomes a bit of a compromise: 'You can say your piece, character-in-song, but you have to sound good doing it!'

    Rinse and repeat through all of the parts of the song. Song writing and playing has really just been for my own fulfillment, so I haven't really gotten a good workflow with recording and sharing with others. (besides this preview since the point was to share it :P) I've technically done it before, but I just get angry at recording setups and software and bleeeeeeh. So I've just been settling for jotting down the lyrics and basic chord progressions ftm in case I abandon the song and need a refresher later.

    Hilariously, one of the river-based rhymes/vocab I was planning was between January and Estuary... There may be hope for 'This is just a Tributary' just yet...

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Microsoft is adding AI facial recognition to OneDrive and users can only turn it off three times a year in ~tech

    WrathOfTheHydra
    (edited )
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    This turned into a ramble, so I've collapsed it into this summary. To be clear, it was less about the update and more about what the changes to Windows 11 have brought. There's a lot of pent up...
    This turned into a ramble, so I've collapsed it into this summary. To be clear, it was less about the update and more about what the changes to Windows 11 have brought. There's a lot of pent up angst behind my original comment...

    From the general user-side experience, there are a lot of 'nuh-uh-uh, you have to say the magic word' moments with Mac that are just jarring. I don't have any intricate examples at the moment, but having to hold specific keys before entering certain menus to... change your resolution? To access basic server connectivity options? Why are some of my home folders subject to permission blocks, so I just save/use the Documents folder on the fly to toss photos into and avoid it?

    Now I've learned how to get through all of that properly at this point, and for the general public it can be great to have a system that points you away from things that may be potentially damaging. As someone who does more wacky stuff, I've learned all the tricks and have gotten really good at jumping through the hoops, but I don't... want to jump through hoops when I can just search and click through to the thing I need.

    Windows (generally speaking) was a lot more open in that you could click through to find anything, and even just break stuff if you wanted. If you're someone who does niche things on a computer, you can really feel the amount of times you have to strong arm through some superficial wall that isn't just a limitation of the computer's inner-workings. Windows fit the niche of someone that wants to tinker around a bit more, or at the very least use the system with confidence.

    Now, unfortunately, Windows has gone from suggesting what you should and shouldn't access or change to forcibly removing your control. This has covered issues as big as the Copilot updates to incredibly small dumb stuff like accessing your audio devices quickly. I'm going to Arch in part because I use it for work, but also because I have a lot more patience for issues I run into because open source developers are trying to figure things out, versus a large company putting their thumb over the switch and handing me a rattle. Mac has esstablished what it wants to be and does it well: It's a fairly closed system for security that handles segmented apps well with a polished branding to boot. Windows is trying to copy that aesthetic and formula with the charisma of a cement brick to the temple.

    13 votes

  10. Comment on Microsoft is adding AI facial recognition to OneDrive and users can only turn it off three times a year in ~tech

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    As the original commenter, aaabsolutely. I use Arch for work, and while the skill ceiling and bugginess have all dropped significantly in the last 3 years, it is not an intro-distro. Bop around on...

    As the original commenter, aaabsolutely. I use Arch for work, and while the skill ceiling and bugginess have all dropped significantly in the last 3 years, it is not an intro-distro. Bop around on the Debian distros for a bit and then you'll be fine, but it will feel incredibly overwhelming to start with Arch.

    4 votes

  11. Comment on Chinese takeout menu in ~food

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    I mean, it's been his MO ever since Video Game High School. VGHS was just a demo reel for the different styles of TV he could do for producers (hence the wild changes in genre in season 2)....

    I mean, it's been his MO ever since Video Game High School. VGHS was just a demo reel for the different styles of TV he could do for producers (hence the wild changes in genre in season 2).

    Personally I'm glad he's been open about it since his return. These things cost money (especially indie things), and after years of financial dancing with movie execs it definitely feels like he knows the blunt approach is the best one. If you've ever read a thread here with a bunch of engagement but barely any upvotes, you've seen the apathetic engagement trap that free content is oft to fall into.

    If anyone hasn't seen Boxcar Fight, I highly recommend. Its roughly 15 minutes of skit and then an hour and a half of behind-the-scenes on how they filmed it.

    1 vote

  12. Comment on Microsoft is adding AI facial recognition to OneDrive and users can only turn it off three times a year in ~tech

    WrathOfTheHydra
    (edited )
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    Literally just spent tonight moving files around and grabbing ISO's to switch everything to Arch Linux. I'm just so tired of the lack of privacy and Mac-ification of Windows, I can't stay on it...

    Literally just spent tonight moving files around and grabbing ISO's to switch everything to Arch Linux. I'm just so tired of the lack of privacy and Mac-ification of Windows, I can't stay on it anymore.

    22 votes

  13. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    What a sturdy looking set of shelves. Nicely done, and I'm glad the little dino has a home in the corner! :)

    What a sturdy looking set of shelves. Nicely done, and I'm glad the little dino has a home in the corner! :)

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    Aw danks :D I love Big Fish the movie, so I'll have to check out the musical at some point. Once I listen to a musical soundtrack, it manifests in my cranium and will not let go for months, so I...

    Aw danks :D I love Big Fish the movie, so I'll have to check out the musical at some point. Once I listen to a musical soundtrack, it manifests in my cranium and will not let go for months, so I gotta schedule when to introduce myself to OST's so I don't drive my partner up the wall humming it around the house. (shoutout Kpop Demon Hunters T_T) Thanks for listening!

    Follow up notes on the Riverbend:

    • I'll be toying around with bookending the song with the older version of the character.
      -Branching off that, starting with a more narrative/freeflow introduction similar to sections of Hadestown with Hermes might help pacing, as well as balancing the song to be more 50/50 with both voices.
    • I do not have the skill on any instrument for a good solo, but this song feels like it would benefit from it. Potentially some violin thrown in there? Dunno atm.
    • I don't currently have the range, but I'd love the younger 'agaaain' high note to climb to a B and settle back onto an A, and then the older note would switch to the G - F# that's currently in there. When I'm done being sick I'll keep working on my range. :P
    4 votes

  15. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    Not disappointing at all! I like how much character you put into the description on the github page, and I look forward to a video demonstration if you decide to make one at some point!

    Not disappointing at all! I like how much character you put into the description on the github page, and I look forward to a video demonstration if you decide to make one at some point!

    3 votes

  16. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    This is obviously a super idealized thought experiment, but I think everyone should get the chance to wear a dress/skirt at some point. I got to wear a couple things like that in college, and even...

    This is obviously a super idealized thought experiment, but I think everyone should get the chance to wear a dress/skirt at some point. I got to wear a couple things like that in college, and even as a cis man there is a perspective to be learned from wearing more feminized clothing. If it doesn't specifically appeal to you and your personal image, it's still great to have the experience of what women typically wear and how that feels.

    Thanks for the comic! It's incredibly raw and open about you experiences, and it's appreciated!

    4 votes

  17. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    I agree with the 'messy' being a perk. Gives it a punk vibe which I enjoy. Any of these patches being 'messy' is honestly just refreshing that it wasn't made by a machine, frankly. This is...

    I agree with the 'messy' being a perk. Gives it a punk vibe which I enjoy. Any of these patches being 'messy' is honestly just refreshing that it wasn't made by a machine, frankly. This is something I would have traded around in school if I knew about it then! (especially since my jeans were ripped to shreds at the time).

    3 votes

  18. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    These are so fun! This is also such a good way to practice with a needle. Are you going to do more embroidery or move to other types of needlework (like the bag) after?

    These are so fun! This is also such a good way to practice with a needle. Are you going to do more embroidery or move to other types of needlework (like the bag) after?

    3 votes

  19. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
    Link Parent
    I thoroughly thank you for not only taking on this feat but specifically documenting your steps for others. It is so so annoying when you hit the fringe part of a hobby that no one else has...

    I thoroughly thank you for not only taking on this feat but specifically documenting your steps for others. It is so so annoying when you hit the fringe part of a hobby that no one else has documented while seeing several people online have clearly done the thing with no repro steps. This is going to help a lot of people! Good job!!!

    5 votes

  20. Comment on Timasomo 2025: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo

    WrathOfTheHydra
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    WHEW. It has been quite the dang sprint with 2 weeks abroad, illness, slicing my finger on a gosh dang potato peeler, birthday and holiday shenanigans... but we did it boiz and girlz, yeayuh. My...
    • Exemplary

    WHEW. It has been quite the dang sprint with 2 weeks abroad, illness, slicing my finger on a gosh dang potato peeler, birthday and holiday shenanigans... but we did it boiz and girlz, yeayuh.

    My project was to throw together a song outline, with bonus points if I threw together a pre-vis (or pre-audio, I guess). I actually managed to make a janky mock-up of what it generally sounds like. Things to note before listening:

    • This is designed to be a duet between a younger and older version of a character. As a theatre guy, I'd have two singers (one young, one old) wearing the same outfit with one fairly warn and weathered. However, I want to design the song so that technicallyyy~ a single singer could catch voice lines in the first half of the song and then play them back later to harmonize with for a solo show. Ideally the younger would be on guitar and the older would have a piano, but I don't have a piano that works well with my setup atm so you get 4 guitar chords in the pre-vis. :D While I don't really change my voice too much, note that the minor-key sections are from the 'older' singer (also noted in the lyrics in the description).
    • The audio editing is... not great. This is stitched together with duct tape and some EQ in Davinci Resolve, lmao. This is not winning a Grammy for the editing (but it could win an Oscar, heyoooo~).
    • The writing is faaar from complete. Like I've done with other songs, this is the 'get some lyrics on the page and worry about making it good later' version. I did not have the time to apply any voluptuous river vocabulary or hammer out the syllable-stuffed sections, and I think there's an entire section currently missing in which the relationship falls apart so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ if you're confused that's why. Really just a proof of concept to decide whether this is even worth polishing, which I guess you can decide since you're listening to it. :^) Without further ado...

    Riverbend (Pre-Vis)

    11 votes