doctortofu's recent activity

  1. Comment on Dragon’s Dogma 2’s combat is sloppy and unrefined — on purpose in ~games

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    Fully agreed. I'm close to hitting level 60 soon, and while the game does have its flaws, I think the combat is great. Many styles to choose from, possibility to mix them up even (Wayfarer class),...

    Fully agreed. I'm close to hitting level 60 soon, and while the game does have its flaws, I think the combat is great. Many styles to choose from, possibility to mix them up even (Wayfarer class), and even though the amount of skills you can equip is very limited, I'm having loads of fun with it. I wouldn't call it sloppy at all.

    1 vote
  2. Comment on From ‘crookies’ to flavored versions: The French croissant reinvents itself to battle American snacks and attract Gen Z in ~food

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    That's a great point actually - good croissants are amazing, but you can't half-ass them I think - it makes them underwhelming and totally pointless, might as well just try some bread or buns or...

    That's a great point actually - good croissants are amazing, but you can't half-ass them I think - it makes them underwhelming and totally pointless, might as well just try some bread or buns or whatever.

    A good, fresh croissant in the morning though, either on its own or with some savory toppings (canned tuna and lettuce is my personal favorite) is simply divine. I'm lucky that Tokyo has some good bakeries where I can get them once in a while, because a lot of "bread" (quotation marks intentional) sold in Japan is just not good at all.

    12 votes
  3. Comment on From ‘crookies’ to flavored versions: The French croissant reinvents itself to battle American snacks and attract Gen Z in ~food

    doctortofu
    Link
    I might be too old and curmudgeonly, but after trying similar variations on the theme of croissant (in Tokyo though, not in Paris), I still prefer the classic buttery flaky goodness of the...

    I might be too old and curmudgeonly, but after trying similar variations on the theme of croissant (in Tokyo though, not in Paris), I still prefer the classic buttery flaky goodness of the traditional version. One variation I did love dearly were croissants made with sourdough, but the bakery that made them closed down - clearly my tastes don't align with the general populace.

    Having said that, it's good to see people experimenting - I don't think crookies and such ever fully replace traditional croissants, so I'll still be able to have the classics,while others can be more adventurous :)

    19 votes
  4. Comment on Notes on conciseness in ~life

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    This is only tangentially related to both the article and your post, but I think a lot of issues mentioned in both are caused (or at least exacerbated) by internet discourse at large following the...

    This is only tangentially related to both the article and your post, but I think a lot of issues mentioned in both are caused (or at least exacerbated) by internet discourse at large following the exact opposite rules to ones we have here - instead of looking for a charitable interpretation, a large number of people (I feel like it might even be the majority, but might be my personal bias) is trying to find the most uncharitable interpretation and either argue with or make a fool of others.

    I'm guilty of this too - very often my first instinct is to think "well look here at this moron/asshole!", but thanks to Tildes, more often than not I try to correct myself and look for ways this person could be right instead of trying to find ways in which they are wrong. Could they mean something else than what I understood it as at first glance? Maybe it's just their command of the language that's an issue rather than the message itself? Maybe they just have a bad day? Sure, telling someone off or making a fool out of them publicly can feel great (for some damn reason), but it's amazing how one's reaction can change if you don't give in to that first impulse and instead give it a bit more thought...

    I'm sadly the opposite of concise most of the time so apologies for droning, but I wish so much there were more places online when people actively try to agree or at least actually talk to each other instead of hurling insults, nitpicking and degrading other posters. I love it here because I feel this is what is happening on Tildes - even though I don't post much, I'm continuously amazed at how civil and... I don't know, just... nice a conversation online can be, even when people disagree with each other.

    I do hope there is a way to make this style of posting and discussion a trend - the internet needs more nice forums and fewer toxic garbage dumps...

    4 votes
  5. Comment on Does anyone else have posting anxiety? in ~tech

    doctortofu
    Link
    In my case it's not really anxiety, but simply not having anything profound, interesting, funny or otherwise meaningful to contribute. I don't want to litter the web with even more meaningless...

    In my case it's not really anxiety, but simply not having anything profound, interesting, funny or otherwise meaningful to contribute. I don't want to litter the web with even more meaningless "this" or "exactly!" garbage comments or silly puns, so most of the time I just read without posting anything.
    This, plus living in a timezone that is most active when a lot of anglophone countries are asleep means that most of my interactions are rather one-sided, but tbh I don't mind

    5 votes
  6. Comment on Can you recommend songs or musicians/bands with lyrics in Spanish? in ~music

    doctortofu
    Link
    I don't speak Spanish, but I enjoy Sebastián Yatra, a Columbian singer, a lot – Cómo Mirarte is one of my favorite ballads ever, in any language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbqH5bJURc He has...

    I don't speak Spanish, but I enjoy Sebastián Yatra, a Columbian singer, a lot – Cómo Mirarte is one of my favorite ballads ever, in any language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsbqH5bJURc

    He has a lot of other songs I like a lot too - in general I prefer his older ones too his newer ones, but give them a listen and see what you think!

  7. Comment on Danish parliament has voted to ban the burning of religious scriptures after a series of Qur’an desecrations in the country and neighbouring Sweden in ~humanities

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    You do make a good point - the acts that provoked this law do ineed look deliberate and potentially motivated by external factors (Russia), but I'm still not a fan of criminalization of offending...

    You do make a good point - the acts that provoked this law do ineed look deliberate and potentially motivated by external factors (Russia), but I'm still not a fan of criminalization of offending any religion...

    As you say, "very deliberately eating bacon in front of a muslim while intensely staring at them is just not a thing you do." I do agree. but should it be a thing you go to jail for? I don't believe it should. I will freely admit I know nothing about the law in Denmark in general, but I disagree with setting religion up as a special category that shalt not be offended - I expect there are laws against harassment or some such that could (should?) be applied here, without adding this one...

    I have my own biases, being pretty intensely anti-theist, so this annoys me more than it probably should, but no matter how much I think about it it just doesn't sit well with me - it feels extremely regressive...

    22 votes
  8. Comment on Danish parliament has voted to ban the burning of religious scriptures after a series of Qur’an desecrations in the country and neighbouring Sweden in ~humanities

    doctortofu
    Link
    I may be oversimplifying here, but did he just publicly announce that threats of violence are a valid and effective negotiation strategy as far as he is concerned, and that he will not only...

    The Danish government has presented the move as a security measure. Presenting the proposal in August, the justice minister, Peter Hummelgaard, a Social Democrat, said: “It harms Denmark and Danish interests, and risks harming the security of Danes abroad and here at home.”

    I may be oversimplifying here, but did he just publicly announce that threats of violence are a valid and effective negotiation strategy as far as he is concerned, and that he will not only negotiate with terrorists, but also fold to their demands?

    I consider burning books, any books, silly at best and deranged/dangerous/reprehensible most of the time, but I think singling out religious texts (with an added qualifier even there - it's not just any religious text, it has to be for a "recognized" religion, whatever that is supposed to mean) is regressive and harmful. I don't live in Denmark, but I'm saddened by these news...

    48 votes
  9. Comment on What is your favorite type(s) of cheese? in ~food

    doctortofu
    Link
    A couple of recent favorites: Shropshire Blue - combination of blue cheese and cheddar taste-wise. Absolutely lovely. https://www.tasteatlas.com/shropshire-blue Laphroaig Cheddar - I don'teven...

    A couple of recent favorites:

    Shropshire Blue - combination of blue cheese and cheddar taste-wise. Absolutely lovely.
    https://www.tasteatlas.com/shropshire-blue

    Laphroaig Cheddar - I don'teven like whisky, but this thing is divine. Fantastic flavour profile, I love it with wine or on lightly toasted baguette.
    https://www.scotcheese.com/product/iok-laphroaig/

    Mont d’Or - a little wooden box stuffed full of creamy goodness. Perfect when oven baked with some garlic and white wine too.
    https://thegoodlifefrance.com/mont-dor-cheese-of-france/

    6 votes
  10. Comment on Looking for favorite easy custard or pudding recipes that are not tapioca in ~food

    doctortofu
    (edited )
    Link
    A bit of a curveball, but how about some Japanese savory steamed custard (chawanmushi in Japanese)? I'm a big fan, and it's an interesting variation on the theme:...

    A bit of a curveball, but how about some Japanese savory steamed custard (chawanmushi in Japanese)? I'm a big fan, and it's an interesting variation on the theme: https://www.justonecookbook.com/chawanmushi-savory-steamed-egg-custard/

    Edit: not sure how easy it is to get the ingredients outside of Japan, but I make it quite often, since I do live here, so everything is available in every supermarket...

    2 votes
  11. Comment on Warner Bros. shelves John Cena’s ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ movie a year after it completed filming in ~movies

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    Actually, that search now results mostly in links to articles about WB forcing GQ to delete the article you are probably talking about, but fortunately there's an archived version of it that WB...

    If you search "David Zaslov controversy" you can find all sorts of controversial moves done in the name of saving money, while pissing off and alienating MANY creators in Hollywood.

    Actually, that search now results mostly in links to articles about WB forcing GQ to delete the article you are probably talking about, but fortunately there's an archived version of it that WB can't get their paws on:

    https://archive.is/2023.07.03-160323/https://www.gq.com/story/david-zaslav-warner-bros-discovery-ceo-tcm-max

    3 votes
  12. Comment on 70% of US workers lie on resumes, new study shows in ~life

    doctortofu
    (edited )
    Link
    It's a bit of a self-perpetuating cycle though, isn't it? If you know (or suspect/believe) that almost everyone else competing with you for a job lies on their resume and/or during interviews,...

    It's a bit of a self-perpetuating cycle though, isn't it? If you know (or suspect/believe) that almost everyone else competing with you for a job lies on their resume and/or during interviews, taking the high road is almost self-sabotage, unless you're one of the few lucky people with compketely bullet-proof resume that is so packed with content that makes recruiters salivate that it truly doesn't need embellishment...

    25 votes
  13. Comment on What comes after Marvel? Better hope it’s not something worse in ~movies

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    Yes, but what I'm trying to say is that they don't HAVE to be. Just like a burger can be both a cheap fastfood junk food and a gourmet, Michelin-starred meal, I think we can have ambitious, artful...

    These movies, in almost every case, are crafted to draw in the largest possible audience. That is the very reason they are so milquetoast and have little artistry.

    Yes, but what I'm trying to say is that they don't HAVE to be. Just like a burger can be both a cheap fastfood junk food and a gourmet, Michelin-starred meal, I think we can have ambitious, artful and complicated movies in any genre. I see no reason why human drama couldn't be shown alongside advanced CGI, or as a cartoon. In fact, I thing it would be an interesting experiment, and if love to see it on the big screen. Multiple times, probably, because thoughtful complicated movies often get even better with repeated viewings.

    I do not feel insulted or slighted in any way - just as I can have instant noodles for lunch and then go to a Michelin starred restaurant for dinner (and enjoy both in their own way) or read both comic books and Dostoyevsky, I can enjoy both art cinema and superhero romps. The only thing that annoys me is when fans of "high" culture shit on the mass market one without offering any solutions apart from "either join me on my high horse, or stay in the mud with the rest of the unwashed masses."

    Of course, popular culture or food will by definition always be enjoyed by more people than their revised counterparts, but there's no reason why it needs to be this polarized, and combining the two could offer a gateway for people from the popular end of the spectrum that have been misled to think that anything more high class is boring, pretentious and bland, and the ones on the opposite end that are equally misled to consider anything less than high concept art to automatically be pedestrian, simplistic and unworthy to meet somewhere in between and maybe even enjoy some things together...

    26 votes
  14. Comment on What comes after Marvel? Better hope it’s not something worse in ~movies

    doctortofu
    Link
    First, let me nitpick the unnecessarily flowery writing style, because this sentence made me physically recoil: "There had been antecedents, of course. In hindsight, much of our fantasy culture...
    • Exemplary

    First, let me nitpick the unnecessarily flowery writing style, because this sentence made me physically recoil:
    "There had been antecedents, of course. In hindsight, much of our fantasy culture sprung from the loins of J.R.R. Tolkien."

    Ugh, loins? Of a man? Pretty sure he wasn't spraying anything out of his loins, gross.

    Anyway, pointless rambling aside, the unnecessary opposition of "good cinema" and "comic book/videogame movies" (with a fometely unnecessary jab about how the latter are for children) greatly annoys me. Who said thar a videogame movie can't be "movies for adults, with supple scripts, great acting, and true human drama"?

    Wouldn't THAT be a challenge for Scorsese and others in the I am an artiste, and the popular culture is trash and beyond me camp? Why don't you actually adapt a videogame or a comic movie and show everyone how it's done? Why won't you even try to try and lead the Marvel enjoying crowds towards what you consider more ambitious or artful?

    It's easy to hurl critique down into the crowds from ivory towers, but I think maybe opening the doors and letting people peek inside may be a better solution...

    61 votes
  15. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life

    doctortofu
    Link
    I'm not going to reddit, and it depends on the definition of "free", but if we're just talking about not having to pay money, I think there are still places in the world that will allow you to...

    I'm not going to reddit, and it depends on the definition of "free", but if we're just talking about not having to pay money, I think there are still places in the world that will allow you to live somewhere if you work for it. Places that might look for volunteers to help with farm work and providing room and board in exchange for it, families looking for live-in helpers for the aged, this sort of thing.

    20 votes
  16. Comment on YouTube’s anti-adblock and uBlock Origin in ~tech

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    Agreed. And it makes me swing far into the opposite direction every time I make a bug report or contact support, probably too far in fact. I make sure to start every message with words of thanks,...

    Agreed. And it makes me swing far into the opposite direction every time I make a bug report or contact support, probably too far in fact. I make sure to start every message with words of thanks, and am probably a bit too polite and non-threatening, to the point it actually makes the message too wordy and obnoxious.

    It's hard to change that though, because I see so much shitty, dickish behavior all over the web that I feel I should try to balance it a bit, and let people who write software or make other stuff I enjoy know that they're appreciated and at least some people are really grateful for what they do...

    3 votes
  17. Comment on What are your favorite break up songs? Or my lover left me songs? in ~music

    doctortofu
    Link
    "Accidental Babies" by Damien Rice - no other song has ever hit me as hard as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELTVP4aqWAI "Does he drive you wild? Or just mildly free? What about me?" I...

    "Accidental Babies" by Damien Rice - no other song has ever hit me as hard as this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELTVP4aqWAI

    "Does he drive you wild?
    Or just mildly free?
    What about me?"

    I think technically it's an affair song, but I used to listen it on repeat after a bad, bad breakup when I wanted to bawl my eyes out yet again - never failed to work...

  18. Comment on X to collect biometric and employment data in ~tech

    doctortofu
    Link
    ...if you keep using it, and you should stop using it for multiple reasons. Jokes aside, if people want to keep using Twitter, at this stage it's fully on them. I never found it enticing or useful...

    ...if you keep using it, and you should stop using it for multiple reasons.

    Jokes aside, if people want to keep using Twitter, at this stage it's fully on them. I never found it enticing or useful enough to even get an account, but if I had one I'd have certainly deleted it by now. People who still hold on to their accounts are just beyond saving, I think. I treat them the same way I treat people who eat feces as a kink - as long as they don't encourage me to join them, I'm fine with them enjoying their hobby, but in general I keep as far away from them as possible...

    10 votes
  19. Comment on Titan Quest II | Announcement trailer in ~games

    doctortofu
    Link
    The trailer didn't show much, but I used to love the 1st game, so I'll be waiting for reviews of this one - learned a while ago to not preorder anything ever.

    The trailer didn't show much, but I used to love the 1st game, so I'll be waiting for reviews of this one - learned a while ago to not preorder anything ever.

    1 vote
  20. Comment on Squabblr is now a free speech platform in ~tech

    doctortofu
    Link Parent
    No problem at all! We all have those - I imagine I'd be pretty distressed if I had to, say, try to explain my atheism to a religious zealot who wants to send me to hell by cutting my head off, and...

    No problem at all! We all have those - I imagine I'd be pretty distressed if I had to, say, try to explain my atheism to a religious zealot who wants to send me to hell by cutting my head off, and if someone assumed that we can have any sort of reasonable discussion about it, so I definitely see your point.

    20 votes