culturedleftfoot's recent activity
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Comment on What makes a game, a game? in ~games
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Comment on Dick Cheney dies at 84 in ~society
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI shudder to think of it, but it may turn out to be worst president thus far.I shudder to think of it, but it may turn out to be worst president thus far.
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Comment on Dick Cheney dies at 84 in ~society
culturedleftfoot Link ParentThanks for this. I did not know about the Philippine tentacle of the "Enduring Freedom" octopus.Thanks for this. I did not know about the Philippine tentacle of the "Enduring Freedom" octopus.
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Comment on Dick Cheney dies at 84 in ~society
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI think that's largely a function of the casual disregard of veeps. Does the public really care about VPs who never became president? If he'd been the head honcho at any point, with the exact same...I think that's largely a function of the casual disregard of veeps. Does the public really care about VPs who never became president? If he'd been the head honcho at any point, with the exact same war record, I'm sure the circlejerk would have been in full effect today.
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Comment on Paid e-mail providers - your experiences, how you use them and how I would use it in ~tech
culturedleftfoot Link ParentOh yeah, I use that sometimes to trace if a service I sign up for will potentially leak my email address. But I believe lots (most?) of email providers have that capability now, I've done it with...Oh yeah, I use that sometimes to trace if a service I sign up for will potentially leak my email address. But I believe lots (most?) of email providers have that capability now, I've done it with a few.
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Comment on Paid e-mail providers - your experiences, how you use them and how I would use it in ~tech
culturedleftfoot LinkI'll recommend Posteo. It's German, so weigh the 14 Eyes vs. GDPR pros and cons, but they do aim to be privacy-conscious. Webmail-based, so no app, and the actual service is quite good. Plans are...I'll recommend Posteo.
It's German, so weigh the 14 Eyes vs. GDPR pros and cons, but they do aim to be privacy-conscious. Webmail-based, so no app, and the actual service is quite good. Plans are €1/month for 2GB I think, and each gig past that is €0.25 up to 20GB. They accept anonymous payment methods so they don't ever get your personal info if you don't want them to, you get IMAP sync, multiple encryption options, you can rotate your address through like 10 different domains, up to 2 free aliases per address, and I think each extra address is like another €2 or €3. Support seems thorough, from what I've seen on the site. I always thought them including Linux, Vivaldi, and other niche platforms in their FAQs to be a good sign (Edit: they're open source! That's why.)... I think they might still even have their Blackberry 10 setup guides online. Never had any issues with it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
culturedleftfoot LinkI haven't played anything myself in 4 or 5 months (after sustaining a thumb injury from playing V-Rally 4 all day for like a week straight... I swear I've given myself early-onset arthritis), but...I haven't played anything myself in 4 or 5 months (after sustaining a thumb injury from playing V-Rally 4 all day for like a week straight... I swear I've given myself early-onset arthritis), but yesterday I resumed watching a Silksong playthrough that I still haven't finished. It's been nice so far, but I think I maybe was expecting too much and ultimately made the right call in not buying and playing this myself. I'm a little disappointed by the distinct lack of Shaw! so far, but apparently the YouTuber I'm watching is only just getting to Act 2, 7 hours into the 12-hour runtime.
As an aside, thanks to last month's Insert Cartridge topic, I went digging to see if I had sold my copy of Final Fantasy Chronicles and found that I still have an old PSX sitting in a box under a pile of cables. I'd thought that I'd sold my collection off a couple years ago, but I still have the system along with a few games. Funny, at the time I was totally fine with letting everything go, and now that I've rediscovered them I want to hold on to them again for a bit.
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Comment on Tildes ReExtended version announcements and changelog in ~tildes
culturedleftfoot Link ParentSomehow I only just realized that Tildes Extended is dead 🙄 and ReExtended has taken its place. Doesn't look like there's been any cause for pings in quite a while but I'd like a notice if/when...Somehow I only just realized that Tildes Extended is dead 🙄 and ReExtended has taken its place. Doesn't look like there's been any cause for pings in quite a while but I'd like a notice if/when that changes.
Besides that, any chance I can request a feature somewhere? Gitlab is not cooperating with me.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
culturedleftfoot Link ParentThere'll never be a more appropriate time to ask for the inspiration behind your username... and someone has to do it, so it might as well be me :PThere'll never be a more appropriate time to ask for the inspiration behind your username... and someone has to do it, so it might as well be me :P
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Comment on People with a very good memory: does that make it harder to forgive? in ~talk
culturedleftfoot LinkI can forgive quite easily, as long as I believe the other party is sincere about not bearing any malice. I don't forget though. It's not about holding a grudge, it's about recognizing patterns of...I can forgive quite easily, as long as I believe the other party is sincere about not bearing any malice. I don't forget though. It's not about holding a grudge, it's about recognizing patterns of behavior if any emerge. Fool me once, and so forth.
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Comment on Crunchyroll is destroying its subtitles for no good reason in ~anime
culturedleftfoot LinkPoor subtitling is actually a big reason I've never considered getting a Crunchyroll or Funimation plan. I'm generally not watching the newest, latest shows, so by the time I'm convinced that...Poor subtitling is actually a big reason I've never considered getting a Crunchyroll or Funimation plan. I'm generally not watching the newest, latest shows, so by the time I'm convinced that something's worth watching, way better fansubs have been released than what you get through the official channels. Sad to say, but unless you're invested in being part of all the online hype every week (or watch anime primarily dubbed, I suppose), I don't see the experience on CR/Amazon/Netflix as better than sailing the high seas.
The irony is that while you used to maybe have to be skeptical about the quality of fansub translations back in the day, now the fansubs are based on, and improve, the official subs.
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Comment on What are your favorite low cost main dishes/meals? in ~food
culturedleftfoot Link ParentThis video or this one are decent practical summaries. Alex aka FrenchGuyCooking did a full series on pasta, and not all of it is required watching, but he does go through all the ins and outs of...I don't think I've ever paid attention to what pasta is made of, checked the pantry, it's semolina. Is durum healthier / tastier / pricier? I didn't know there was a difference, I've only ever bought cheap pasta.
This video or this one are decent practical summaries. Alex aka FrenchGuyCooking did a full series on pasta, and not all of it is required watching, but he does go through all the ins and outs of what pasta's real quality can be. I definitely recommend watching his visit to the pasta factory at the least.
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Comment on 10M people watched a YouTuber shim a lock; the lock company sued him. Bad idea. in ~tech
culturedleftfoot Link ParentJeez Louise. Just some light, age-appropriate literature, I see. Without having actually paid attention to it when it was happening, I second the Cardi B testimony recommendation, but you've got...One of my first formative books was the literal, unabridged, court transcripts of the Lizzie Borden trial.
Jeez Louise. Just some light, age-appropriate literature, I see.
Without having actually paid attention to it when it was happening, I second the Cardi B testimony recommendation, but you've got to actually watch some of it at least. Cardi is such a character, you have to see her facial expressions and hear the full Bronx accent to truly appreciate the hilarity of it.
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Comment on Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2025 - Race Weekend Discussion in ~sports.motorsports
culturedleftfoot LinkAs a super casual fan, when I saw it on the schedule yesterday I wanted to watch the race, but I only woke up from a nap in time to catch the drivers heading to the podium. So then I tried to...As a super casual fan, when I saw it on the schedule yesterday I wanted to watch the race, but I only woke up from a nap in time to catch the drivers heading to the podium. So then I tried to watch highlights on Youtube, but the official F1 channel is geoblocking me, ESPN F1's highlights aren't HD so will look blurry on my screen, and then one other channel that's dodging copyright strikes by skipping the video ahead every 2.5 seconds. It shouldn't be this difficult 😑
Caught a glimpse of Evander Holyfield though, cool to see him there.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
culturedleftfoot LinkI've been slowly getting back into the groove of real cooking over the past couple months. I'd made a big batch of chana masala and jeera aloo a few days ago and begrudgingly ate it with rice,...I've been slowly getting back into the groove of real cooking over the past couple months. I'd made a big batch of chana masala and jeera aloo a few days ago and begrudgingly ate it with rice, because I haven't found the heat-and-eat paratha I had in mind at any stores nearby. It took me a whole three days to finally realize I could just make some myself! I had to improvise some baking powder (because I had my bright idea in the middle of the night when shops are closed) and substitute a cast-iron skillet for a griddle/tawa, but the final product was actually very good, regardless of it being my first ever attempt at it. Quite pleased!
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
culturedleftfoot LinkNot mad at it, but you should probably get rid of four or five just by consolidating within the original 13, not just RI. The full vid touches on it, it's only 6 mins. My real subway take is that...Not mad at it, but you should probably get rid of four or five just by consolidating within the original 13, not just RI. The full vid touches on it, it's only 6 mins.
My real subway take is that the USA should be at least three countries.Everybody in Miami has rich parents, is selling drugs, or is on OnlyFans.
Yup.
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Comment on In an extract from their new book, international referee Jonas Eriksson describes how top officials were made to strip down to be weighed and have their body fat checked in ~sports.football
culturedleftfoot Link ParentFair enough, I wavered on posting that response myself. I would instead have essentially just posted, "I don't agree, and you seem to have assumptions that I would challenge," but you'd probably...Fair enough, I wavered on posting that response myself. I would instead have essentially just posted, "I don't agree, and you seem to have assumptions that I would challenge," but you'd probably think you could say the same about me.
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Comment on YouTube has a new video player in ~tech
culturedleftfoot (edited )LinkThe like/dislike buttons in fullscreen make sense, as does the comments panel. It looks sleeker, and I'm seeing a little benefit to my CPU on 4k vids as well, which is welcome. I can't speak to...The like/dislike buttons in fullscreen make sense, as does the comments panel. It looks sleeker, and I'm seeing a little benefit to my CPU on 4k vids as well, which is welcome. I can't speak to who they've copied but this is alright by me. Credit where it's due.
Edit: my satisfaction ultimately hinges upon how resistant this new UI is to my YT improvement addons. I just realized DeArrow is broken and I hate seeing clickbait thumbnails again.
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Comment on YouTube has a new video player in ~tech
culturedleftfoot Link ParentOh noes. Is downloading YT vids considered piracy?newer and exciting anti-download protections
Oh noes.
Is downloading YT vids considered piracy?
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Comment on In an extract from their new book, international referee Jonas Eriksson describes how top officials were made to strip down to be weighed and have their body fat checked in ~sports.football
culturedleftfoot Link ParentI don't agree at all. Eriksson himself wrote: Weight and body-fat management was certainly emphasized or prioritized, but it was not the solitary issue. In and of itself, that is no cause for...The description of the whole thing sounds like it became a weight loss/body fat focused thing to the exclusion of all else.
I don't agree at all. Eriksson himself wrote:
Our two annual courses with Uefa thereafter followed the same pattern. Weigh-in, measurement of fat percentage, running tests, rule tests, reviews of interpretations, group work and then at the end everything would be summarised.
Weight and body-fat management was certainly emphasized or prioritized, but it was not the solitary issue. In and of itself, that is no cause for alarm. The whole point of monitoring body fat is to optimize your body for efficiency:
It irrefutably affects your physical capacity and performance. To say there is no reason to measure or monitor it in top-level sport is unreasonable.
If the ref can keep up with the game, avoid being involved in plays, etc then whether they're carrying extra pounds or have more body fat doesn't actually matter unless you care about how they look.
What does "keeping up" with the game look like? What's the yardstick? Does the distance that'd be considered appropriate generally stay the same throughout the match or does it change depending on where the ball is on the pitch? The phase of play? The formations being used by the teams? Foul vs. offside call? Does it vary from game to game? If you stay within the recommended distance does line of sight matter?
It's not as simple an assessment as one might assume.
The part about caring about the look, I understood it to refer to looking like a top professional. In a sport industry, for a job where your physical capacity impacts your performance, that would mean looking (and obviously, being) fit. If you want to dispute whether his 18% body fat percentage deserves a better rating than poor, take it up with UEFA, but what you can't dispute is that he could reduce said percentage quite a bit before it could be considered unhealthy or dangerous. Unless you somehow know that Collina as much as encouraged them to shortcut their way to target metrics instead of adopting better gym and diet habits, I'm not willing to indict him for some of the referees' "weight hysteria."
Like it or not, a top-level referee who does not at least visibly look physically fit for purpose, i.e. appropriately lean, will be scoffed at by elite players who train for peak physical performance, because they will think the ref likely won't be able to keep up. Starting with that psychological disadvantage in such a hyper-competitive environment makes your own job harder.
Sure, there are issues with disordered eating among professional athletes, especially those with high levels of perfectionism, more so in sports with weight classes or where appearance is part of the judging instead of performance.
And football is not such a sport, which is why I questioned the interjection of disordered eating here. It wasn't about diversion of resources, it was because it's less likely to be a relevant factor.
Soccer players may be socially judged or shamed for their bodies but their performance isn't tied to it like gymnastics. Tying the refs performance to their bodies is not a good thing from this lens either.
I'm not sure how you figure that players' performances are tied to their bodies less than gymnastics, or any other sport for that matter... especially in modern football. I think you underestimate the physical demands on both players and referees.
This article mentions that elite referees often reach peak speeds similar to professional players, which makes sense if they need to keep up with the game. This referee highlights the importance of being in top physical condition.
Also consider that for most sports, athletes train for a season that may last 6-9 months, and typically adjust their activity-recovery regimens to achieve peak physical performance at specific times - a particular event or tournament. On the other hand, footballers train to be at their peak physical condition for every weekend for a 10-month season, with top internationals often doing more like 11 months and playing twice a week for large chunks of it. The referees are working on the same calendar.The fundamental thing is, when you say this:
Body fat percentage doesn't make you a better ref, it just makes you look better in the uniform.
...that's a gross oversimplification.
I think you read a bit much into article based on your own experience. I don't know if my own experience is coloring how I interpreted it (I vaguely recall seeing/hearing some coverage about this program when it was first adopted and in subsequent early years)... but given the context published, I don't read anything in the article as especially negative without a lot more information. Callous, in terms of how the refs were treated when tested? Sure. Unnecessary? Irresponsible? Harmful? I don't see it.
I recall someone seeing me in the midst of an attempt at a newspaper crossword puzzle once, and them saying, "Wow, you play those?" It was one of the most confusing moments of my life; I hadn't heard anyone refer to "playing" crosswords before, and I haven't heard it since. They wandered off to incredulously tell someone else that I was "playing" the newspaper crossword, with the implied notion that me bothering with that marked me as some sort of weirdo. By my guess, the attitude probably was related to the verbiage.
A common complaint about the video game The Witness (where you wander about an island solving line puzzles on panels) is, "There's no reward for completing puzzles! All you get are more puzzles." I've seen this in countless reviews and it's never made sense to me. Isn't the satisfaction of solving the puzzle the reward? Haven't they done crosswords before, or jigsaw puzzles, or word search puzzles, or just any kind of puzzle? I'm amazed at how frequently someone would have to chime in to explain that the "upgrades" you earn in the game are the increasing levels of understanding of the rules that you figure out on your own, i.e. more knowledge to tackle higher difficulty puzzles.
I used to hope those complaints were just voiced by a subset of modern gamers conditioned to crave a light-flashing, bell-jingling dopamine hit for every bit of progress, but it's depressingly common.
I'm pretty sure many people have a certain definition that is contradicted somewhere along the line by mere received custom of using the word "play" with specific activities. We instinctively will associate anything we say someone plays with a game. That probably reflects how the definition of games has changed over time, with the language usage potentially not always changing with it.