aphoenix's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
aphoenix LinkOver the weekend I had a bit of unwell time so I watched some DC movies. Maybe it's the food poisoning talking, but I thought they weren't as bad as people tend to think they were. Man of Steel -...Over the weekend I had a bit of unwell time so I watched some DC movies. Maybe it's the food poisoning talking, but I thought they weren't as bad as people tend to think they were.
Man of Steel - this was a rewatch for me, and dang does Cavill ever get Superman right. I thought it was a bit long, but overall I thought it was pretty good for the Zod storyline, even down to Superman agonizingly accepting what he must do. There are some bad beats in the story - the father just not allowing Clark to save him is objectively stupid, considering that Superman is as fast as the Flash in later movies, so nobody would ever know. Overall, though, I think they got the spirit right.
Batman vs. Superman - this was also a rewatch. Again, there are some objectively stupid parts, like when Superman says, "Martha! You're letting them kill Martha!". Batfleck comes back with "Why would you say that?" and that was the first time I was in tune with Batfleck in the movie. That was poorly written, but Affleck and Cavill got to chew the scenery for it and did their best with a poor script. I was discussing with someone, and they expressed confusion about why Lex Luthor was even there - he claimed that the story could have been done without him. That also highlighted an issue that I think the story had, which is that Luthor does at one point explain that he was manipulating things so that Superman and Batman would be at each other's throats, but the only thing it really explicitly shows is when he captures Superman's mom, and I guess when he blows up the Capitol building.
Justice League was the one I hadn't seen before, and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. There are some fun moments, and I actually enjoyed Flash and Aquaman in it, and Batfleck started to grow on me a bit. I think that the Steppenwolf storyline was weak, but it worked out well enough. There were some more instances of poor story / poor writing in this one too, like the parademons being around too early, which made no sense.
Overall, I'd give them all a 3/5, but what really busts my chops is that there is the makings of something pretty great underneath all of them. I haven't seen the Snyder cut of Justice League, and I don't know if there is a Snyder cut of all of these together, but dang do I want there to be. It would be great if the things that are clearly Darkseid premonitions were there from Man of Steel onwards, and ramped up into a full Darkseid-is-the-bad-guy culminating arc. I guess it was too similar to Thanos being the mastermind of all the bad things, which is just too bad because I think Darkseid is the better ubervillain.
Maybe that's why everyone seems to dislike the DC-verse; it could have been pretty good with just a few changes.
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Comment on Non-parents give crappy parenting advice in ~life
aphoenix Link ParentDisclaimer: I'm not a doctor. Children have lower blood sugar than adults, so alcohol can effect them much more at lower doses. There is no amount of alcohol that is considered a safe dose, as...Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor.
Children have lower blood sugar than adults, so alcohol can effect them much more at lower doses. There is no amount of alcohol that is considered a safe dose, as opposed to many other drugs which do have safe dosage amounts. For example, there are safe dosage tables for things like acetominophen and ibuprofen and you'll note that you can give the first to very young children, but not the second in any amount. Alcohol similarly has no safe dosage.
Also children are prone to alcohol poisoning according to several articles I saw (this was the most notable one IMO).
I think one could take into consideration that politically nobody is going to actually study "is it okay to give kids alcohol really" because of ethics reasons, and that there is likely some kind of non-scientific guiding of things that would prevent anyone from finding that it's okay to give kids alcohol. But I think there's also enough evidence to say that it's generally just not good.
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Comment on What is a non-professional situation, area or activity in which you are uniquely experienced or skilled? in ~talk
aphoenix Link ParentI'm not @BashCrandiboot, but I've also been told that I'm good at speeches, and one time I wrote down some specific instructions for giving Best Man speeches. They could be generalized. On Speeches.I'm not @BashCrandiboot, but I've also been told that I'm good at speeches, and one time I wrote down some specific instructions for giving Best Man speeches. They could be generalized.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
aphoenix Link ParentHa, yup, understood - I found the Roll for Shoes site and I think it looks pretty interesting. I'm getting more and more into micro systems for TTRPG; it seems like a pretty great way to focus on...Ha, yup, understood - I found the Roll for Shoes site and I think it looks pretty interesting. I'm getting more and more into micro systems for TTRPG; it seems like a pretty great way to focus on the roleplaying more and the fiddly bits less.
It's okay to love the fiddly bits of RPGs too, but in my DnD campaign, I don't always look forward to things like levelling up, because of the fiddly system of doing so. Part of that is using Roll20 (ugh) but part of it is how many things there are to do when you level up. I'm looking at 6 books on my shelf for DnD, and there are 6 rules for this whole system. That's pretty cool.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
aphoenix Link ParentI haven't seen Roll for Shoes - I'll try to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation. I'm also excited for Bitcherton; what a great cast. I didn't get super into the Fantasy High series, but I...I haven't seen Roll for Shoes - I'll try to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation. I'm also excited for Bitcherton; what a great cast.
I didn't get super into the Fantasy High series, but I loved A Crown of Candy, and they were great in it.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
aphoenix Link ParentI love Ally's journey through D20, and I just love seeing them as almost the voice of reason in this season. It's such a switch from their earlier appearances, and you can tell that they've really...I love Ally's journey through D20, and I just love seeing them as almost the voice of reason in this season. It's such a switch from their earlier appearances, and you can tell that they've really engaged with roleplaying and gaming, and it is awesome.
This whole cast is just one of the best casts I've seen. Rekha, Ify, Jacob, Izzy, Ally have been great in a ton of Dropout things lately, and Alex Song-Xia is one of my favourite "guest stars". Their performance in Mentopolis was great, and I'm glad to see more of them in D20 stuff.
Both of those games are getting me interested in running a Kids on Bikes game some time.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
aphoenix (edited )LinkI started "Never Stop Blowing Up" from Dropout / Dimension 20. It is a DnD/TTRPG show, but this specific one is using a modified version of a system called "Kids on Bikes" which is the same one...I started "Never Stop Blowing Up" from Dropout / Dimension 20. It is a DnD/TTRPG show, but this specific one is using a modified version of a system called "Kids on Bikes" which is the same one that they used for a previous run called "Mentopolis". Both of these are my favourites from D20 so far.
NSBU is about people in a video store that are basically pulled into a VHS-tape 80s action world, as action stars. The characters tend to be send-ups of familiar franchises; one character is "Vic Ethanol" who was in a movie called "2 Quick 2 Perilous", for example. It is absolutely wild and Brennan Lee Mulligan is a great DM who is enabling some absolutely nutty shenanigans in a hilarious way. If you like watching people play TTRPGs, then this one is especially good, although it is very silly. If you have watched any D20 shows before, then the best way I can describe how absolutely bonkers things are is that Ally Beardsley is the voice of reason at the table. Ally is notable in previous seasons for being chaos incarnate, and they are definitely one of the least chaotic in this show.
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Comment on What are some fun/interesting websites that don't involve news or current events? in ~tech
aphoenix LinkI think Neal.fun might work for this. It's mostly light entertainment games, but they tend to be pretty good.I think Neal.fun might work for this. It's mostly light entertainment games, but they tend to be pretty good.
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Comment on Joe Biden calls Volodymyr Zelensky 'Putin' right before huge press conference in ~news
aphoenix Link ParentThe only problem is that you are exactly correct in 2022. However, it is 2024; if there is a change to the presidential ticket at this point, it is basically just handing a win to Trump. The GOP...Biden steps down, commits to backing whoever is selects to run in his stead
The only problem is that you are exactly correct in 2022. However, it is 2024; if there is a change to the presidential ticket at this point, it is basically just handing a win to Trump. The GOP would have a field day, and would try - and potentially succeed, with the way the SCOTUS current is - at keeping the new candidate off ballots in a lot of places, potentially even in swing states.
Biden should have been a one-termer. He's not. Now it must be dealt with.
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Comment on Satisfactory: Toilet Flush releases on September 10th 2024 in ~games
aphoenix Link1.0 release, finally! Exciting news, and I'm glad that they clearly still value humour greatly.1.0 release, finally! Exciting news, and I'm glad that they clearly still value humour greatly.
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Comment on What's your recommended survival crafting game to play solo? in ~games
aphoenix Link ParentWhile I don't actively dislike story mode as you do, I did enjoy survival a lot more. I also got the game long before story mode came out, and had to actually figure out how to survive. It felt...While I don't actively dislike story mode as you do, I did enjoy survival a lot more. I also got the game long before story mode came out, and had to actually figure out how to survive. It felt deeply rewarding to figure out how to play and what to do, instead of being spoonfed everything. That said, I understand that a lot of games ease people into things, so when a game doesn't do that it can feel jarring and difficult.
Survival is much more my jam than the story mode - I haven't played in a while, but I think I was on day 90 or something the last time I played, and had a healthy stockpile available.
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Comment on I tried ditching my vehicle and doing the no-car thing. It was awful. in ~transport
aphoenix (edited )Link ParentI considered that, but I think given the context that it was less likely than the idea that he believes that anti-car activists actually want to take cars away. Edit: but you are correct, I should...I considered that, but I think given the context that it was less likely than the idea that he believes that anti-car activists actually want to take cars away.
Edit: but you are correct, I should assume the best. I try to do that and I did not in this case.
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Comment on I tried ditching my vehicle and doing the no-car thing. It was awful. in ~transport
aphoenix Link ParentYou're looking for some kind of fight that will literally never happen. Nobody is going to "pry keys from your cold dead hands" and nobody is going to take any of your vehicles from you. Anti-car...You're looking for some kind of fight that will literally never happen. Nobody is going to "pry keys from your cold dead hands" and nobody is going to take any of your vehicles from you. Anti-car activism isn't about that, at all.
It's almost unbelievable to me that you had a bad time on transit, and came to the conclusion that the people who are clamouring for improvements to transit think that transit is in a good place and that they want people to experience the current situation. If transit was currently good people would not be frustrated with it, and there wouldn't be activism about it.
Consider if someone said something like this:
I have seen a lot of anti-war protestors so I went to war. I got shot. I can't believe these protestors want people to get shot all the time!
It's almost comedically wrong.
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Comment on I tried ditching my vehicle and doing the no-car thing. It was awful. in ~transport
aphoenix Link ParentI love driving. I used to get in my car and go for a relaxing drive in the country, and when I had a sports car, sometimes I'd go to the track just to enjoy driving it with a bit more oomph. I...I love driving. I used to get in my car and go for a relaxing drive in the country, and when I had a sports car, sometimes I'd go to the track just to enjoy driving it with a bit more oomph. I like to work on my vehicles, and do so sometimes for fun. I'm a big proponent of having and driving cars, and cars make my life a heck of a lot more convenient.
I would very much like to see our society's reliance on cars decrease dramatically. And I think it's pretty easy to understand why that would be the case, but for simplicity:
- cars are bad for the environment
- cars often kill people
- lots of people can't use cars
So my question to you is this: is it actually hard to understand the passion for being anti-car? The points that most people have are really simple, and easy to understand. Are you actually making an effort to listen to and understand the point of being anti-car?
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Comment on I tried ditching my vehicle and doing the no-car thing. It was awful. in ~transport
aphoenix Link ParentYou have nailed it. It's this sentiment: It is so dismissive of the whole idea of making culture less car centric, and while I applaud OP for making some effort to talk about it, people who...You have nailed it. It's this sentiment:
Those people who hate cars must be masochists or just love hearing country songs sung badly. Ill take my vehicle every time from now on, thank you.
It is so dismissive of the whole idea of making culture less car centric, and while I applaud OP for making some effort to talk about it, people who advocate for less car centric cities have dealt with so many poor-faith arguments like this that it is very frustrating to see something so mischaracterized.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
aphoenix Link ParentI prefer to do Sudoku with pencil and paper over on a screen. The screen versions tend to give you lots of ways to actually avoid some of the "grindy" thinking parts, like automatically allowing...I prefer to do Sudoku with pencil and paper over on a screen. The screen versions tend to give you lots of ways to actually avoid some of the "grindy" thinking parts, like automatically allowing you to pencil in the possibilities for all spaces.
There are also more options for Sudoku with magazines and books. I have a very large book which has a lot of sudoku variations in it, which is a lot of fun, including something called "Samurai Sudoku", which are basically five sudoku puzzles that have some overlap. (see https://www.samurai-sudoku.com/ for an example).
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Comment on [SOLVED] Is there a way to check if a topic has been posted before (recently)? in ~tildes
aphoenix (edited )LinkYou get a notification already if you try to post something that has been recently posted. Here is an example of what that looks like. Note that this doesn't prevent you from posting it, it just...You get a notification already if you try to post something that has been recently posted. Here is an example of what that looks like. Note that this doesn't prevent you from posting it, it just requires you to click a few buttons to do so.
Edit: @Deimos there could be some utility in also allowing search by URL, though? I thought about it a bit, waffled back and forth on pros and cons, then just decided to ping you and make you think about it. ;)
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
aphoenix LinkI've been picking and choosing a few Black Mirror and Cabinet of Curiosities episodes to rewatch. Spoilers for Black Mirror episodes It had been a while since I watched "USS Callister" - what a...I've been picking and choosing a few Black Mirror and Cabinet of Curiosities episodes to rewatch.
Spoilers for Black Mirror episodes
It had been a while since I watched "USS Callister" - what a cast! Jesse Plemons is excellent, and I'll watch just about anything with Jimmi Simpson in it or Cristin Milioti. Poking fun at Star Trek was a lot of fun, and while I am starting to tire of Charlie Brooker's "I made you empathize with this character, but they are a massive piece of evil shit" plot hooks, Plemons is great at evoking pathos, then making you hate him.Seriously though, so many episodes of Black Mirror have this same hook. White Bear, White Christmas, Shut Up and Dance just to name a few.
I rewatched Shut Up and Dance as well, and that's a bit of a different vibe when you know that the main character is a pedophile; his interactions are all sickening. It's still a good episode and Alex Lawther is great in his role, for the same reason as Plemons was in his - you empathize with him at the beginning before being absolutely reviled by him later.
The third episode I watched was Hated in the Nation, though I actually watched it before the other two during this rewatch. I watched it because I had looked up Benedict Wong on IMDB and saw that he was in it, and had totally forgotten that he had ever been in Black Mirror. This is the episode where someone hijacks bee drones and uses them to assassinate people based on a hashtag on social media. This is another one with a great cast, though I have to specifically call out Elizabeth Berrington and Ben Miles for immediately establishing characters that we were okay with being killed. They really nailed it.
Spoilers for Cabinet of Curisoities
I had watched this more recently than the black mirror episodes, but The Autopsy is one of the best pieces of short horror I have seen. The pacing is good, the body horror is strong, F. Murray Abraham and Luke Roberts are both great, the creature is horrific, and the ending was satisfying - the doctor thinks quickly and "wins". The director of this piece is David Prior, who also directed The Empty Man, which was a decent-but-not-great horror movie that got hosed by studio issues and probably deserved better support than it got.I also watched Lot 36 because I love Time Blake Nelson. This one is very straight forward - if I gave someone the relevant set up plot point, every single person could tell me how that plot point would resolve - but still fun.
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Comment on Pride Month at Tildes: #10 - What did you do for Pride Month? in ~lgbt
aphoenix (edited )LinkThank you for putting these threads together for pride month. I, and I think many others, appreciate it. I read each thread and comment here, and participated in a couple of them as well, while...Thank you for putting these threads together for pride month. I, and I think many others, appreciate it.
I read each thread and comment here, and participated in a couple of them as well, while trying to learn as much as I could. My family went to a pride fest early in the month, which was great. I bought a couple sets of pins; I wore a couple for most of the month and gave the rest away. I wore my "Free Dad Hugs" shirt more times than usual this month; it's in the standard rotation of shirts, which means about twice a month normally, but 4 or 5 times this month.
I have another story to add about the shirt, actually, and a very recent one. I wore it to Costco on Saturday. I was waiting for my family to get their perogy taste testers, and saw another guy with a t-shirt that caught my eye. His said "Fuck macho bullshit forever" (it might have been this one) and he was also a big dude with a big beard, though unlike me, he had a load of great tattoos. When he looked at me, he smiled huge, and lifted up his hands to show his finger tats, which said, "FREE HUGS". Obviously we hugged.
Edit: I had a final thought about Pride month. I read something written by someone I admire (and am technically replying to, so this is more a comment for posterity), and I just want to second it and include it again. Here is the original and the whole thing is worth reading if you haven't already.
No matter who is reading this; no matter how you feel or how you identify -- even if you're not sure yet who you are; even if you're not sure if you'll ever be sure; even if the world has told you over and over again that you are not valid; even if you're hiding who you are because bringing the truth to the surface is too painful to bear -- please know that I support you.
Above all else, thought, please know that you are worthy of love -- not because of who you are or what you do or what people might be able to get from you -- but you are worthy of love because you are. That's it. And that's all you need to do. Just be.
10 words, exactly what I was trying to encapsulate above, without quite realizing it. That's a perfect summary of the issue with these films. All of them are not quite it, but are good enough for you to feel that they could be good.