bailey's recent activity
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Comment on Do you carry a knife with with you? If so, what type/company? in ~hobbies
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Alfa Mist - Galaxy (2020)
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Comment on Complete an emotional inventory of your music library/experiences in ~music
bailey LinkRhubarb by Aphex Twin. Almost every time I've listened to this song it has sent me on an introspective trip. Thoughts about childhood, family and loss always come bubbling to the surface with...Is emotionally devastating
Rhubarb by Aphex Twin. Almost every time I've listened to this song it has sent me on an introspective trip. Thoughts about childhood, family and loss always come bubbling to the surface with surprising ease. The song itself is relatively simple ambience - there is no narrative or subtext - but seems to resonate with me at a very low level. The main musical idea is evolved masterfully, changing enough to provoke thought without evolving too quickly to keep track of. While not always emotionally devastating, it always evokes an intense and complex emotional response from me.
The first time I heard this song was when my friend introduced it to me. We did not talk, or even make eye contact for the whole song. By the end I had tears in my eyes. It felt very intimate and personal, yet oddly private. We did not want to share the details of our thoughts; we simply acknowledged the profoundness of the experience.
For me, this is not a song that I like to listen to regularly. I know that some people like to loop it as background ambience, and I can see how it could fit that role well. For me, however, the emotional associations are too strong. Treating it as background music would ruin the magic. I listen to this song when I need the perspective it provides - almost using at as a tool for emotional well-being over pure recreation.
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Comment on What are your thoughts on piracy? in ~talk
bailey Link ParentI think that a lot of companies have realised this - free use allows for people that would not buy the software anyway to become familiar with it, and then buy it when they either have the...Now that I'm used to their software and can afford to buy/subscribe, they have a regular customer they might not have had otherwise.
I think that a lot of companies have realised this - free use allows for people that would not buy the software anyway to become familiar with it, and then buy it when they either have the financial means themselves or are working for a company that can afford it. A good example is the JetBrains IDEs - IntelliJ and PyCharm community editions undoubtedly have trained a large number of programmers with the JetBrains workflow, who will now prefer those IDEs when given the option at work.
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Comment on Use this, not that: Positive swaps for the New Year in ~life
bailey Link ParentGoogle's over interpretation of search queries drives me wild! While DDG falls short sometimes for local results, in general it's super refreshing to have consistency in a search engine again.Google's over interpretation of search queries drives me wild! While DDG falls short sometimes for local results, in general it's super refreshing to have consistency in a search engine again.
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Comment on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Now with new and improved(?) lyrics in ~music
bailey LinkI don't think the song needed to be rewritten, but I wholeheartedly support artists re-imagining historical works in a modern context. What I don't agree with is the assertion that by rewriting...I don't think the song needed to be rewritten, but I wholeheartedly support artists re-imagining historical works in a modern context.
What I don't agree with is the assertion that by rewriting the song, the song has been improved. I would argue that the John Legend version is simply less engaging, illustrative and musically pleasing than the original. I believe this cover should be able to exist alongside the original to provide some valuable insight into how our society has changed - I do not believe that it should be considered a replacement.
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Comment on Music Makers: Guitarists, Bassists and other Stringslingers in ~creative
bailey Link ParentAh nice. I rarely play with super high gain, usually just a nice transparent OD from an EHX soul food. I’ll definitely have to try one of these out!Ah nice. I rarely play with super high gain, usually just a nice transparent OD from an EHX soul food. I’ll definitely have to try one of these out!
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Comment on Music Makers: Guitarists, Bassists and other Stringslingers in ~creative
bailey Link ParentI had never seen those Acoustasonic fenders before. That tele looks really cool. Reminds me of a thinline on steroids haha. Do you know how it handles a bit of overdrive? I would imagine it's...I had never seen those Acoustasonic fenders before. That tele looks really cool. Reminds me of a thinline on steroids haha. Do you know how it handles a bit of overdrive? I would imagine it's prone to a bit of feedback?
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Comment on Your car doesn’t need a touchscreen in it in ~design
bailey (edited )Link ParentI don't really see how it's more distracting - when it comes down to it it's a picture of a map with some arrows on it. I suppose it takes a bit more focus to look at a smaller screen though. Like...I don't really see how it's more distracting - when it comes down to it it's a picture of a map with some arrows on it. I suppose it takes a bit more focus to look at a smaller screen though. Like I said, I generally know where I'm going so navigation isn't important to me.
The point I was trying to make is that there's a difference between a simple navigation display and a full featured in car computer. If someone is using navigation, they will input the destination before before they start their journey. They might glance at the screen a few times throughout the drive and listen to the audio prompts, but they are not required to put any input back into the screen.
I think a better way to deal with this sort of information is with a HUD projected onto the windshield.
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Comment on Your car doesn’t need a touchscreen in it in ~design
bailey Link ParentI don't generally use navigation - if by chance I do need to, I clip my phone to an air vent with one of those phone holders. It works well enough for me. I understand that people like techy...I don't generally use navigation - if by chance I do need to, I clip my phone to an air vent with one of those phone holders. It works well enough for me.
I understand that people like techy features in their cars and a complex computer interface is the only realistic way to manage these features. My issue is more with fact that you can use these interfaces while operating the vehicle.
My personal belief is that cars should be as simple and light as possible - if it isn't essential to the driving experience, I don't want it. Heated seats, multi-zone climate control, fancy internal lighting - they're all wasteful features to me; the trade off between weight and energy use versus actual utility is incredibly low.
I know I'm in the minority here though, must just be a bit old fashioned about this stuff.
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Comment on Your car doesn’t need a touchscreen in it in ~design
bailey LinkI drive a car from the 90s and to be honest, there isn't really anything outside of the early 00s that I would want to own. These screens not only are unnecessary from a reliability and functional...I drive a car from the 90s and to be honest, there isn't really anything outside of the early 00s that I would want to own. These screens not only are unnecessary from a reliability and functional perspective, but also introduce an additional layer of complexity to the operation of the vehicle. The sheer amount of information available to the driver is impossible to process while still paying adequate attention to the road.
There have been times when driving modern cars that I have been distracted by the information presented in the gauge cluster and realised that I hadn't been paying attention to the road for the past five seconds or so. That might be caused by my relative unfamiliarity with these features, but as a relatively focused driver who enjoys the driving activity I could imagine that others who are less satisfied by the act of driving might be even more susceptible to these distractions. In addition to this, simple actions like changing the audio and climate controls often involve interaction with an interface that provides no tactile feedback, increasing the amount of time spent looking down - not at the road!
I think that by including complex displays in their vehicles automakers are undermining public efforts to reduce distracted driving - they are almost as distracting as mobile phones!
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Comment on Would you pay for social media platforms and search engines if it meant they would not have any advertising or data collection? in ~talk
bailey Link ParentI definitely agree. I feel like if something is going to be the main representation of someone's online identity then the user should have as much control over the service as possible. I would...I think the better option there is a move toward decentralization
I definitely agree. I feel like if something is going to be the main representation of someone's online identity then the user should have as much control over the service as possible.
I would love to be able to host my own social media page that, while tightly integrated with the pages of others, could still exist independently. There could still be providers that cater to those who don't wish to host their own instance, but the most important thing for me is that the option of independence exists. I suppose what I want is an open social networking protocol, rather than a particular social network implementation.
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Comment on Medieval Fighting Techniques - Mounted vs Foot (Lance vs Polearm & Sword) in ~humanities.history
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Comment on What do you prefer diesel or petrol? in ~transport
bailey LinkWhy do you prefer diesel? I like the torque of a turbo diesel when driving around town; it makes an otherwise underpowered vehicle feel quite zippy and responsive (not to mention how much easier...Why do you prefer diesel?
I like the torque of a turbo diesel when driving around town; it makes an otherwise underpowered vehicle feel quite zippy and responsive (not to mention how much easier it is to operate the clutch in a torquey vehicle). However, nothing beats a high revving petrol engine for fun, imo. The torque curve of a typical NA petrol engine is more satisfying for spirited driving and the sound is much more enjoyable.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bailey Link ParentI'm not super experienced with rougelikes but it seems pretty well balanced to me. I think in theory it would be possible to kit out your character with explosives and blast your way through the...I'm not super experienced with rougelikes but it seems pretty well balanced to me. I think in theory it would be possible to kit out your character with explosives and blast your way through the levels, but that would come at the cost of missing monster loot (coins), which is essential to become more powerful. It doesn't feel like the whole destructible environment thing is shoved in your face - it's more like the world just reacts to things like you'd expect it to.
It's a pretty refreshing game to me. Enemies are satisfying to kill, especially with the physics. You have to be quite careful about how you handle fire and fluids as they can quickly turn an otherwise manageable situation very hectic.
The only issues I have with it so far are the typical early access things: I've had a couple of crashes and very occasional framerate dips. I'm not sure how much of that is caused by Proton versus running it natively so ymmv.
All in all it's a cool game and I'm looking to put a good chunk of time into it this weekend!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
bailey LinkI have been playing Noita since it was released on early access a few days ago. It's a pretty fun rougelike with a totally destructible environment/physics simulation. Combat feels quite strategic...I have been playing Noita since it was released on early access a few days ago. It's a pretty fun rougelike with a totally destructible environment/physics simulation. Combat feels quite strategic and the spell customisation is surprisingly in depth.
I have been running it on Proton with no complaints; which is frankly impressive for an early access title on release. I usually stay away from early access games, but I'm looking forward to seeing where the devs take it in the coming months.
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Comment on How would one go about removing Google from one's life? in ~tech
bailey Link ParentI’ve been using Signal exclusively for my personal messaging over the last year and it has worked pretty well. The only real issue I’ve had is dealing with storage space on my phone, as it keeps...I’ve been using Signal exclusively for my personal messaging over the last year and it has worked pretty well. The only real issue I’ve had is dealing with storage space on my phone, as it keeps all media in full size on the device.
I carry a Laguiole folding knife in my pocket, which I use most days. It has a beautiful finish, but the blade is potentially a little bit long for every day carry - I sometimes feel self conscious pulling it out around other people.