clem's recent activity
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
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Comment on Give us your hot takes on the latest Nintendo Direct in ~games
clem Link ParentThanks for the warning. I've already hacked my Switch, but only to make the Master Sword unbreakable in Tears of the Kingdom (and adjust the durability of other weapons), and have had no problems...Thanks for the warning. I've already hacked my Switch, but only to make the Master Sword unbreakable in Tears of the Kingdom (and adjust the durability of other weapons), and have had no problems because of it. But maybe I'll hold off on pirating stuff on it and just play a rom on my PC or something.
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Comment on Give us your hot takes on the latest Nintendo Direct in ~games
clem LinkHot take: While watching, I was excited to play Galaxy 1 and 2 again, thinking, Hmm, I'd pay maybe $30 for them. When they announced the price at $40 each (so $50 more than I wanted to spend), I...Hot take: While watching, I was excited to play Galaxy 1 and 2 again, thinking, Hmm, I'd pay maybe $30 for them. When they announced the price at $40 each (so $50 more than I wanted to spend), I lost interest. I'll consider just taking my Wii out to play the first one again some time and wait for the second to go on sale. I've also considered going full pirate-mode with my original Switch once I pick up a Switch 2.
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Comment on Hollow Knight: Silksong will cost $20, releases Thursday at 7 am PDT/10 am EDT in ~games
clem Link ParentWith sequels I sometimes like to think about the value I've gotten from the previous game, and for me Hollow Knight is a good example. Did I get more than $15 worth of enjoyment from the first...... so my idea was to wait for a discount in a year or two... now I am not more sure anymore... could it be the game I will buy on day one?
With sequels I sometimes like to think about the value I've gotten from the previous game, and for me Hollow Knight is a good example. Did I get more than $15 worth of enjoyment from the first game? Did I get $35 worth of enjoyment from it? Heck yes. So it's kind of a no-brainer. I owe them an extra $20, so I'll pick it up, no questions asked. That helps me from having to spoil anything in the game or spend time researching it.
I've of course gotten burned because of this strategy (Civ 6, Sports Story, Echoes of Wisdom), but when I think about it in terms of simply supporting franchises I've gotten a ton of entertainment from, I don't feel bad about it.
All of that said...there's nothing wrong with waiting. Silksong will still be there waiting for you whenever it inevitably goes on sale, the devs are clearly not hurting for money, and there are way more good games to play than there is time to play them!
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
clem LinkNot technically an achievement by your definition (and honestly not that impressive), but I did get to Gannon [sic] without picking up a sword in the original Legend of Zelda. This was something...Not technically an achievement by your definition (and honestly not that impressive), but I did get to Gannon [sic] without picking up a sword in the original Legend of Zelda. This was something like 20 years ago, but if I remember right, the hardest part was the blue darknuts in level 5 leading up to getting more bombs. Bombs are the key to playing the game without a sword, and dodging those darknuts while placing bombs at the right times so that they'd walk into them was not easy. But it was tons of fun chilling with my friends in my college days trying that out. The ending is very unsatisfying: you get to Ganon and can't do anything. So you have to go back and get the sword to actually finish the game.
My favorite silly achievement: Don't play The Stanley Parable for five years.
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Comment on The vast majority ~90% of us only consume, never post and never comment. So come on in, leave a tildes-worthy comment, and join the 10% my dear lurker in ~talk
clem Link ParentA joke I read about getting more chickens: it takes as much time to care for 20 chickens as it does 10, so why not get 40? I have sorta found that to be true, but from the moment I planned to get...A joke I read about getting more chickens: it takes as much time to care for 20 chickens as it does 10, so why not get 40? I have sorta found that to be true, but from the moment I planned to get chickens, I planned on an Edible Acres-style chicken composting system, so I've been working toward this for a long time and am surely biased because of it.
I think we've finally figured out Peckbeak's story (/u/datavoid might be interested too): I know for sure that my son (~6 at the time) was too rough with her and had trouble understanding that this was problematic. What I'm pretty sure happened as a result was that he threw her near the rooster and the rooster reacted in that moment the way roosters do. My son was horrified and absolutely learned his lesson, but Peckbeak died because of it. It took us over a year to get that full story, but he has always maintained that he didn't directly kill her and that the rooster was involved.
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Comment on The vast majority ~90% of us only consume, never post and never comment. So come on in, leave a tildes-worthy comment, and join the 10% my dear lurker in ~talk
clem Link ParentNot to dismiss your overall point, but from my perspective, I disagree. I am also a lurker and that is who I am. I don't often form strong opinions and so I don't feel the need to express them....Not to dismiss your overall point, but from my perspective, I disagree. I am also a lurker and that is who I am. I don't often form strong opinions and so I don't feel the need to express them. And when I read about a topic I don't know much about, I actually think it's better to stay quiet to avoid adding to the noise. This is especially true for political, scientific, or other important topics. I feel like the constant noise on those topics has been harmful to society as a whole. On those matters we should hear from experts and no one else. If I have a clarification question, that's reasonable, but no one needs to hear my "hot take." People are generally better off without hearing "hot takes."
I'm not a lurker everywhere, though; I am quite active on /r/composting and /r/Permaculture, but there's no equivalent here. There are plenty of people here who are interested in gardening/homesteading/etc., but there's nowhere here to focus on those topics other than scattered threads. This isn't the place for a discussion of those specifics. For example, few people here care that yesterday I collected 4 gallons of coffee grounds, 3 gallons of Mexican food, and 2 gallons of veggie scraps to add to my compost operation (though if you're interested in a less-specific discussion of that, here's a recent post).
Not that I'm trying to dismiss your ideas! I'm sure you're right to encourage lurkers to overcome any anxiety about it and share their thoughts. But some lurkers, like me, surely have good reasons to keep quiet.
Plus I often browse Tildes on my phone, and I'm not logged in there (and hate typing on my phone anyway).
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Comment on Happily sharing that one of my all-time favorite sites, LooksLikeGoodDesign, is (partially) back online in ~design
clem Link ParentThere we go; I appreciate this version that doesn't change my mouse pointer into a square block. I can't say that was a good impression of actually being "good design," but I also wasn't that...There we go; I appreciate this version that doesn't change my mouse pointer into a square block. I can't say that was a good impression of actually being "good design," but I also wasn't that surprised.
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Comment on Share the contents of an old file you've got lying around in ~talk
clem LinkAlright, here's the dorkiest old thing I could find quickly: https://i.imgur.com/L8KqLJr.png It's a spreadsheet from apparently the start of the '97-'98 hockey season with my "career statistics."...Alright, here's the dorkiest old thing I could find quickly: https://i.imgur.com/L8KqLJr.png
It's a spreadsheet from apparently the start of the '97-'98 hockey season with my "career statistics." I actually have another version floating around that has my whole career mapped out until my early 40s. I think I even planned out when I would retire from my lengthy career with the Detroit Red Wings.
I do actually still play...on a "beer league" team once a week. But my dream of NHL success is long, long dead!
P.S. Also note that I apparently neglected to type my sequential ages correctly. My current actual age is discernible from this spreadsheet, but I am not quite 45, as it suggests!
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Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes
clem Link ParentThanks for this list of people who have left Tildes--I always feel weird about how people can disappear from an internet community without anyone noticing, so it's good to have that...Thanks for this list of people who have left Tildes--I always feel weird about how people can disappear from an internet community without anyone noticing, so it's good to have that acknowledgement of the absence. You can miss someone without even realizing it! Despite mostly being a lurker here, I'm sad to see some of these names. I also vaguely remember some people from when Tildes started not being here, and I wish I could even remember their names! It seems like the crew was pretty different back then.
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Comment on What's the most feasible way to exit modern society? in ~talk
clem LinkConsider avoiding the extremes you've set up here. Yes, I'm sure you could actually totally depart from society in a Dick Proenneke-esque way, as someone else mentioned. That's always appealed to...Consider avoiding the extremes you've set up here. Yes, I'm sure you could actually totally depart from society in a Dick Proenneke-esque way, as someone else mentioned. That's always appealed to me, too.
But you could also just have two sides to your life: one, that's connected to the BS of modern life; and another, where you live in a nice place out in the woods, gradually become more reliant on the land, and simply put that other modern stuff aside. That's sort of how I've built my life. Yes, I spend time sitting at my computer doing nothing but basically exchanging my time for money. But when that's done, I'm raising chickens, weeding the garden, finding seeds to grow into trees, working on the compost, etc. When I'm outside doing this work--that to me feels like real work in ways that my job does not--I'm really not thinking about the other side to things. I'm just enjoying my connection with nature.
Something to think about. It'd be pretty hard to actually leave modern society. But you can still earn money from it even if your heart isn't in it.
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Comment on What in your opinion is the greatest guitar solo? in ~music
clem LinkWhat a great thread--lots of listening for me here. Started with the Metallica link at the top and am pleased to listen to them again. They were one of my favorite bands as a teenager, but then...What a great thread--lots of listening for me here. Started with the Metallica link at the top and am pleased to listen to them again. They were one of my favorite bands as a teenager, but then their anti-Napster shenanigans made me boycott them for many years.
Anyway, I don't have much to add to this thread, but wanted to recommend John Paul Jones's "The Thunderthief". Not as the "greatest guitar solo" (and maybe not even as a great song in general), but the guitar part is pretty rocking. Definitely worth a listen.
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Comment on How do you decide when to buy a new computer, smartphone, etc.? in ~tech
clem LinkI just recently upgraded my PC. I didn't especially feel like I needed the upgrade, as while my last full upgrade was in 2009 (though I more recently got some of my brother's hand-me-down parts,...I just recently upgraded my PC. I didn't especially feel like I needed the upgrade, as while my last full upgrade was in 2009 (though I more recently got some of my brother's hand-me-down parts, which were from 2014), it was a good PC that still ran well. It was no longer a very good gaming PC, but that's pretty secondary to me. I do like PC games, but really can't afford to keep up with it for that reason.
I made the upgrade (PCPartPicker link here if ya want) for two reasons: one, because Windows 10 support is running out and I don't want to be without security updates; but primarily because my country's president is destroying my country for his personal gain and I have no idea what he's going to do to the PC components market.
If not for that second point, I would've waited until it was basically no longer functional for my work needs and general use or until I'd saved up enough "fun money" to be able to afford it with that. But for fun, I generally care about other things more, so hadn't saved up for it.
As an aside, I am happy to have the newer PC, but I honestly don't notice much difference. It's better for games, but otherwise it seems about the same.
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Comment on My experience running my phone in greyscale for the past several weeks in ~health.mental
clem LinkWell, it was an interesting experiment, but not for me. Reading in greyscale mode actually hurt my eyes: the text felt blurry. I guess the way it dims page backgrounds as well as the text makes it...Well, it was an interesting experiment, but not for me. Reading in greyscale mode actually hurt my eyes: the text felt blurry. I guess the way it dims page backgrounds as well as the text makes it harder for my eyes to read. It's a shame, because it seemed like it might make my phone feel more like an e-reader, which would be amazing.
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Comment on My experience running my phone in greyscale for the past several weeks in ~health.mental
clem Link ParentThanks for the general suggestion. I don't especially need it to make my phone less appealing (frankly, I hate my phone in a lot of ways), but /u/MimicSquid's thought that it makes it calmer...Thanks for the general suggestion. I don't especially need it to make my phone less appealing (frankly, I hate my phone in a lot of ways), but /u/MimicSquid's thought that it makes it calmer sounds good to me. I might give it a try. I might think about what apps lose functionality without color or I might just jump in and see how it goes.
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Comment on Entrepreneurs are hauling bergs from the Arctic island of Greenland, betting there are enough people willing to pay up for an extra-chilled drink in ~food
clem Link ParentONCE AND FOR ALL! Though actually, this sounds even stupider. And is reality.ONCE AND FOR ALL!
Though actually, this sounds even stupider. And is reality.
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Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk
clem Link ParentI think people have wildly different scalps. I rinse my hair pretty much every day in the shower, but I actually haven't used anything but water on it in years. It doesn't smell, it doesn't look...I think people have wildly different scalps. I rinse my hair pretty much every day in the shower, but I actually haven't used anything but water on it in years. It doesn't smell, it doesn't look gross, it's just fluffy and normal for me. If it actually gets gross for some reason, I'll use shampoo, or if I let someone else cut my hair (a rarity now also), I'll let them shampoo it. But my scalp just doesn't need it. Sounds like yours does, though!
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Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
clem LinkI use this coffee grinder daily. It functions perfectly well (other than needing a rubber band to keep the hatch closed) so I see no reason to change. An electric grinder would take up a permanent...I use this coffee grinder daily. It functions perfectly well (other than needing a rubber band to keep the hatch closed) so I see no reason to change. An electric grinder would take up a permanent spot on the counter and be noisier. This can go into a cabinet when not in use. I've had to glue and nail it back together, but since I took the time to do that, it's perfectly sturdy and should last the rest of my life. No idea how old it is, but I assume it predates electric grinders.
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Comment on It is as if you were on your phone in ~tech
clem Link ParentIts annoyance to me was the opposite: it emphasized for me just how much I hate playing on my phone. I was fine with swiping right at first, but then it had me tap a bunch of dots. I tapped three...Its annoyance to me was the opposite: it emphasized for me just how much I hate playing on my phone. I was fine with swiping right at first, but then it had me tap a bunch of dots. I tapped three or four, then a bunch more showed up, and that was all I could stand. I think that was less than 10 seconds total.
Not that I don't like playing on the internet! Don't think this is me saying I don't waste time like that. I'm just lucky that the phone form factor is obnoxious to me, so I'm not as inclined to pull the thing out of my pocket for that purpose.
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Comment on US President Donald Trump calls for an end to the Chips Act, redirecting funds to national debt in ~society
clem Link ParentI made the mistake of reading some reactions from what Reuters considers a cross-section of people who voted for him. I was appalled at how little they seemed to know about anything. Apparently...I made the mistake of reading some reactions from what Reuters considers a cross-section of people who voted for him. I was appalled at how little they seemed to know about anything. Apparently this is how we got where we are.
This one random line in the chorus of the Carolina Chocolate Drops' "Country Girl":
First of all, when I listen to it, the line sounds like, "I wanna shut your mouth," and so I'm constantly like...why? I'm just here listening to the song! I didn't say anything! The actual line makes more sense, but it's still weird to me. I otherwise like the song quite a bit despite being a white guy from Michigan. And it's actually sorta fun making fun of that line, especially if I'm listening with my son.