clem's recent activity
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Comment on Songs about doing chores / daily routines? in ~music
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Comment on Operation Bluebird launches Twitter.now in ~tech
clem LinkWhen has Twitter ever been a positive? They took social media and dumbed it down to 160 characters: not just encouraging you to appeal to the lowest common denominator, but actually requiring it....When has Twitter ever been a positive? They took social media and dumbed it down to 160 characters: not just encouraging you to appeal to the lowest common denominator, but actually requiring it. I've always partially blamed Twitter for Trump's first term, so rejuvenating it doesn't exactly thrill me.
Not that this comment of mine is any better. I'm just grouchy and need to let it out. Reading that Trump is now thinking about renaming the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans was too much for me.
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Comment on What is the oldest file you still have? in ~tech
clem LinkTechnically the oldest file seems to be this one from May 1997 (SHOTSPED.DOC): I would measure the distance from the puck (or ball) to the goal, and then my friend Adam and I would take turns...Technically the oldest file seems to be this one from May 1997 (SHOTSPED.DOC):
Shot Speed Formula
You take the distance (X- in feet) between where you are shooting and divide it by the amount of time (T- in seconds) it takes you to shoot from this length. You then take this and multiply it by 3,600. After you do that, you take this and divide it by 5,280. This will give you your shot’s speed in Miles Per Hour!
Formula:((X/T)3600)/5280 = Shot speed (MPH)
(X = Distance between where you are starting from and target (Feet))
(T = Amount of time it takes puck to travel X (In seconds))I would measure the distance from the puck (or ball) to the goal, and then my friend Adam and I would take turns using a stopwatch to time how long it took to reach the goal. Very accurate! I think I hit 50 mph or so.
There's also this adorable gem tracking my hockey stats and future hockey career (posted before here): https://i.imgur.com/L8KqLJr.png. Alas, it was not an accurate predictor.
These are technically older, but I also have a file for the Dragon Warrior book I started working on in 4th or 5th grade (1991 or 1992). The date says 1999, so I guess I last edited it during my junior year of high school:
CHAPTER I
The Prophesy BeginsModify prologue when done (in a LONG time)!
Once upon a time, in the ninth century of Harpaulin times, and in the great country of Alefgard, there was a prophesy foreseen by many of the great King Lorik’s wise men. They counseled for many months, and eventually stumbled on this:
“Someday the Dragonlord will kidnap the princess Gwealin. After learning of this horrible deed, the great King Lorik will send forth his strongest and bravest messenger to get Erdrick, the bravest knight, and his party. After much time passes, the party returns kneeling before Lorik. Lorik tells the party their quest, and gives them each some money to spend on goods they will need. During their great quest they fight much evil, and Erdrick confronts the Dragonlord...”
King Lorik has been moping around for days, and no one, including him, knows why. So he calls for messenger Guecle.
“Guecle.”
“Yes your majesty?”
“I have a great deed for you. I want you to seek the help of Erdrick and his party just in case the legend comes true. The ball of light has already been stolen by the Dragonlord, and I don’t want anything else stolen by him. I have had a feeling of fear for days.”And so forth for another 25 pages. So much of my psyche depended on that story, but then I just cast it aside...
Why do I keep these things? Why not? They take up almost no space and are fun to look back on whenever I do. Maybe my son will like to explore them someday, too.
Though I'm also a digital hoarder. I do my best to not be a physical hoarder despite those tendencies, but I don't fight it on my PC. As long as it's reasonably organized, I see no problem with digital hoarding.
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Comment on I'm not ready to let this place go in ~tildes
clem Link ParentSame. I do hope @Deimos clarifies what he means by this place "sunsetting," because clearly not everyone had the same reading of it. I read it as "business as usual, but in case you didn't notice,...Same. I do hope @Deimos clarifies what he means by this place "sunsetting," because clearly not everyone had the same reading of it. I read it as "business as usual, but in case you didn't notice, I'm no longer motivated to improve it." I gave up on this place being anything close to a Reddit replacement like 5 years ago, and I've been fine with that. Here's to another 5 years!
Edit: Just found a new comment that supports our reading of the message:
Which is exactly the same thing I've been doing for somewhere around 5 years now. It's strange to see this being treated as an inflection point, it's effectively no different from how the site has been for a very long time already.
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Comment on Elon Musk on tomatoes in ~food
clem Link ParentI guess I find any normalization of this guy offensive. He spent billions to get a rapist elected President and proceeded to work toward dismantling the US government. Oh, and he's either a Nazi...I guess I find any normalization of this guy offensive. He spent billions to get a rapist elected President and proceeded to work toward dismantling the US government. Oh, and he's either a Nazi or thinks Nazi salutes are funny. I don't think we should care what he thinks other than in so far as we have to defend ourselves from him.
No offense to OP; not everyone has to think like I do. It's a pretty harmless topic overall. But I figure someone should say it.
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Comment on Is it time to include pronouns? in ~tildes
clem LinkPretty interesting discussion here that I wish I could eventually digest fully (too bad so many comments were deleted!). My two cents is that I've always liked how gender/sex don't have to be a...Pretty interesting discussion here that I wish I could eventually digest fully (too bad so many comments were deleted!). My two cents is that I've always liked how gender/sex don't have to be a thing on forums. We're all just humans (or dogs, I suppose). I hate how on reddit, everyone assumes everyone is a dude (even though I am one). It seems very dismissive of everyone else. But clearly there's more nuance to the idea that I need to think about.
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Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech
clem Link ParentCount me in if you end up dropping the /s. And if your layout resembles old.reddit.com or Tildes. I'd use my massive power as a mod to get at least a few people from /r/composting to come along.Count me in if you end up dropping the /s. And if your layout resembles old.reddit.com or Tildes. I'd use my massive power as a mod to get at least a few people from /r/composting to come along.
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Comment on Tildos, let's be unserious for a while; show us your dankest memes and god-tier shitposts! in ~talk
clem Link ParentThis is how that one started before being repurposed: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/your-politics-bore-meThis is how that one started before being repurposed: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/your-politics-bore-me
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Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech
clem Link ParentNo, I don't have the time or the inclination to do all that work. I've looked at some other platforms and joined a few during that small reddit exodus a few years ago, but nothing clicked for me....No, I don't have the time or the inclination to do all that work. I've looked at some other platforms and joined a few during that small reddit exodus a few years ago, but nothing clicked for me. But starting from scratch--I wouldn't even know where to begin. I don't have the personality to convince others to help me or one that would convince people to want to join me. It just wouldn't be for me. Plus there's Permies.com; I dislike the layout, but it's not a bad community overall.
Though I'd happily take a small role helping mod some new place like that! I don't always know what I'm doing in my reddit mod work, but I mostly enjoy it, and would enjoy it more if I wasn't helping some dumb company profit off me.
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Comment on Question for those who played both the original and remake of Final Fantasy VII in ~games
clem Link ParentThis comparison is helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GsXtxxKqEg. Now that I'm focused on the music, I'm not sure what I think, because I do like the new versions of the songs and think...This comparison is helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GsXtxxKqEg. Now that I'm focused on the music, I'm not sure what I think, because I do like the new versions of the songs and think they're trying to recreate what was so good about the originals. Maybe it's the synth instruments; the songs used them so well, and their sounds seem pretty key to what made the songs evocative. The newer ones sound a bit more generic; trying to create the same mood but with sounds that I'm more used to.
It could be the expectation of random battles adding to the suspense or not knowing what's coming, but I think it's more just the music itself. As I listen again, it's all just how I remembered it. I need to think about this a bit more. And maybe jump into the original FF7! Thanks for your thoughts.
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Comment on Question for those who played both the original and remake of Final Fantasy VII in ~games
clem Link ParentDid you feel like the remake captured or even improved the mood of the different areas? I played through the demo for the first game of the remake (whatever it's called...I can't keep them...Did you feel like the remake captured or even improved the mood of the different areas? I played through the demo for the first game of the remake (whatever it's called...I can't keep them straight), and this was my biggest disappointment. I remember that area of the game (where they set the bomb in the reactor or whatever) feeling creepy, empty, and desolate because of the music in the original, and while the same melodies were repeated in the newer music, it was more muted and less evocative. But maybe it's just nostalgia talking. It's been like 25 years since I played FF7, so I don't exactly trust my memory.
I'll also randomly add that Barret's constant swearing during battles annoyed me, but I could get past that. It just means I can't let my 8 year-old watch me play!
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Comment on The end of reading is here in ~books
clem Link ParentYep. I wonder if it was an intentional "gotcha": the author knew it didn't matter, that it was an overly verbose sentence, and that it would make readers feel bad the way I did (just enough to...Yep. I wonder if it was an intentional "gotcha": the author knew it didn't matter, that it was an overly verbose sentence, and that it would make readers feel bad the way I did (just enough to think of it as ironic).
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Comment on The end of reading is here in ~books
clem Link ParentI felt exactly this when I noticed I had glossed over this bit: I chuckled then forced myself to read it.I felt exactly this when I noticed I had glossed over this bit:
Doctor Zhivago was the best-selling novel of the year, according to Publishers Weekly. Pasternak writes in long, complex sentences: “On that warm gray morning in the mountains, Zhivago felt sorry for the Tsar, was disturbed at the thought that such diffident reserve and shyness could be the essential characteristics of an oppressor, that a man so weak could imprison, hang, or pardon.”
I chuckled then forced myself to read it.
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Comment on The end of reading is here in ~books
clem LinkIt's pretty interesting to see this conclusion based on this question. I'll also add that the illiterate peasants were more critical, as they refused to take Luria at his word that "In the Far...[Neuropsychologist Alexander] Luria met his subjects at teahouses, in field camps, and around evening fires. There, he posed a number of questions designed to elucidate differences in how illiterate and literate peasants thought. Luria told the peasants: “In the Far North, all bears are white. Novaya Zemlya is in the Far North.” He then asked them the color of bears in Novaya Zemlya. The literate peasants were able to complete the syllogism. But the illiterate ones refused to try, explaining that they had never been to the north and thus couldn’t answer. Achieving literacy seemed to have conveyed an ability to think logically and abstractly, not simply to read words.
It's pretty interesting to see this conclusion based on this question. I'll also add that the illiterate peasants were more critical, as they refused to take Luria at his word that "In the Far North, all bears are white." I'd have to see more about this study to feel confident in this conclusion, but to me it seems smarter to refuse to try, "explaining that they had never been to the north and thus couldn’t answer." I don't think this takes much away from the article's overall point (though I admit I've run out of time to read it and need to finish later), but it's worth thinking about. There's always value in staying grounded and not getting carried away from that by complex thought.
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Comment on The Atlantic republishes JD Vance article about Donald Trump from 2016 in ~society
clem Link ParentFor someone so ingrained in the Trump empire, it's interesting to see how deeply he's against him. This to me is just another example of how these people are all using each other in such obvious...For someone so ingrained in the Trump empire, it's interesting to see how deeply he's against him. This to me is just another example of how these people are all using each other in such obvious ways. Trump at the top using his power for little but personal gain, but all these others using his favor for their own priorities. Their own personal gain or fighting for their hate-filled visions of the world. Tit for tat to the ultimate extreme.
Thanks for sharing both articles. I've never had particularly strong feelings about today's holiday, I'm sure stemming from my lack of patriotism. I've always admired the ideals of my country but have never really seen them at its core. Just capitalism and greed: that's what America has represented to me for as long as I've had the capacity to think about it. But I suppose this is a good nightcap after a day of mostly ignoring the occasion. A reminder of the extreme hypocrisy. I'll try to be hopeful about it, as this kind of dysfunction doesn't last forever.
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Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech
clem Link ParentI hate my phone. I mean, I look at stuff on my phone despite hating it, but it's not how I participate in forums. I especially hate typing on it, which means my replies would be far shorter than...I hate my phone. I mean, I look at stuff on my phone despite hating it, but it's not how I participate in forums. I especially hate typing on it, which means my replies would be far shorter than I'd like them to be, and I would never want to have any kind of meaningful conversation that way.
But thank you! I'm sure if there were something like that on desktop it'd be useful to me.
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Comment on Reddit will require you to be logged in to use old.reddit.com in ~tech
clem Link ParentI'll be ready, but I'll miss it. The main subreddit I care about has already declined quite a bit, going through phases where people only care about low-effort jokes. But it's still a helpful and...I'll be ready, but I'll miss it. The main subreddit I care about has already declined quite a bit, going through phases where people only care about low-effort jokes. But it's still a helpful and informative place most of the time. So if reddit kicks me out by removing the only layout I can stand to use, it'll be sad.
I sure wish there was an alternative. There were plenty of choices back when reddit killed the 3rd party mobile apps, but none of them seemed to have what I wanted. Beehaw was the best one I could find, but the layout is ugly in the same way the new reddit layouts have been. So much white space and big ugly thumbnails. I just want well-organized, dense text; is that too much to ask?
Clearly not. Tildes has a great layout and lots of friendly, helpful people. But it does not have enough users to have tons of nature/gardening/Permaculture/composting content.
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Comment on I need more hilariously awful pick up lines to make my wife roll her eyes at me in ~talk
clem Link ParentIf that doesn't work you can always try Cousin Merle's coveralls. Also, I have an alternate title for this thread: Untitled Goose Game.If that doesn't work you can always try Cousin Merle's coveralls.
Also, I have an alternate title for this thread: Untitled Goose Game.
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Comment on Jamie Hyneman on MythBusters fame and why he and Adam Savage never socialized in ~tv
clem (edited )Link ParentAgreed; for pretty much any external content, I look to the comments first to see if it's worth leaving the lovely, pleasant layout of Tildes for the nasty wider internet with its many megabytes...- Exemplary
Agreed; for pretty much any external content, I look to the comments first to see if it's worth leaving the lovely, pleasant layout of Tildes for the nasty wider internet with its many megabytes of scripts, tracking, and ads "required" to view a bit of text and maybe some images. This is even more true of videos. I know what I'm getting with YouTube--probably a video ad and then something that will disturb the quiet, requiring me to listen rather than just read at my own pace, and at an unknown length--but this is usually even worse than what I fear from the random internet.
But I don't think it should be required. I want to know why the person posted it, because without that, I'm probably not sold on it. But requiring that is a bit much.
Also, another side-meta discussion: I really dislike the way people have used the "Exemplary" tag lately. It should never be used as a super-upvote, and that's obviously what happened here. Nothing against your comment, but you clearly did not put any extra effort into it. It's just a normal comment expressing an opinion. There's no reason to call it "Exemplary" other than to express that someone really, really agrees with you. And that kind of use of it has started making me grouchy immediately when I see the tag. I think, "Look out, here comes something that might be controversial" rather than "Ooh, this comment is well put-together and/or says something insightful, I better read it!"
I see two solutions to this. First of all, we should stop using the tag this way. Second, super-users (the almost-mods of Tildes) should be able to remove these tags when appropriate.
Edit: I always appreciate a smartass, so thanks for that!
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Comment on Tildes Survey #10: How often do you visit/read Tildes? (Results) in ~talk
clem Link ParentAha--thanks to you both. And maybe I remember that now. But the site's been around for eight years, so wow--it's hard to remember stuff I read back when it started. Enjoy your vacation!Aha--thanks to you both. And maybe I remember that now. But the site's been around for eight years, so wow--it's hard to remember stuff I read back when it started. Enjoy your vacation!
A lot of Cornelius's music fits well. "Fit" from Sensuous would be good, or "Drop", where the music video is a kid washing his hands. The sound of the music definitely fits your theme of chores / daily routine even if some of the specifics don't. I'd check out the whole Point album. Maybe "Typewrite Lesson," too. Either way, it's all so dang good.