doors_1's recent activity
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
doors_1 Link ParentMore has been written about Citizen Kane than probably any other film. I think until 2012, it used to rank #1 in 'Sight and Sound' list of greatest films of all time [when it was overtaken by...More has been written about Citizen Kane than probably any other film. I think until 2012, it used to rank #1 in 'Sight and Sound' list of greatest films of all time [when it was overtaken by Hitchcock's Vertigo ].
I saw it once a long time ago and found it decent though that's it.But then I was going with great expectations [when you are seeing a film oft speaken as the greatest of all time, you are bound to be disappointed]. Even from 1941 English cinema, Maltese Falcon is another gem.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
doors_1 LinkI was re-listening to the prog rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They were famous in 70s for their extravaganza stage shows and as is common in prog, really long songs. However, I came out with...I was re-listening to the prog rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They were famous in 70s for their extravaganza stage shows and as is common in prog, really long songs. However, I came out with a better appreciation of their albums this time. From the silken self titled debut to the 20 minute title track on Tarkus (which is a prototypical masterpiece from the genre); the band was at it's zenith (though they will come to ground later).
Ash Ra Tempel - Friendship : They were a band from West Germany whose glory days were far behind them. This is a reunion album from 2000 but it is overlong and exceptionally boring. Any of their 70s output far exceeds this.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
doors_1 LinkDeclan Walsh's Nine Lives of Pakistan. Former was a Western journalist for multiple years in Pakistan until he was forced out from the country. The book is not a linear year by year account of the...Declan Walsh's Nine Lives of Pakistan. Former was a Western journalist for multiple years in Pakistan until he was forced out from the country. The book is not a linear year by year account of the nation; rather it views it through the prisms of many characters [some major and many minor with whom the journalist personally interacted with].
It is significantly political in nature and one would need to take any rose coloured glasses off to read the book. That being said, the prose is eminently readable and I was quite engrossed by it.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
doors_1 LinkI saw Z [1969]. It is in the genre of political thriller and was a French co-production. Whilst technically fictional, it is heavily inspired by real life events that happened in Greece at that...I saw Z [1969]. It is in the genre of political thriller and was a French co-production. Whilst technically fictional, it is heavily inspired by real life events that happened in Greece at that time [death of a democratic politician under the military junta that Greece was being stifled under].
The film is ~2 hrs long but never lets down [though most of us would need English subtitles to see it]. The letter Z is inspired from real world situations where in Greece, it means he lives [as in the dead politician/icon lives]. Easily one of the finest films I have seen in recent times.
The Blue Dahlia : A 1946 film noir that has doesn't have the most veritable plot but the action and direction makes it so that it's decent enough and does not let down. It's no 'Third Man' [1949] but if someone likes the genre/timeline, they won't be disappointed.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
doors_1 LinkFuture Days: Krautrock and the Birth of a Revolutionary New Music - David Stubbs . This is an in-depth account of the music that came out of West Germany in the 70s [it was dubbed as krautrock...Future Days: Krautrock and the Birth of a Revolutionary New Music - David Stubbs . This is an in-depth account of the music that came out of West Germany in the 70s [it was dubbed as krautrock though some music fans disregard that term]. It deals with the associated culture and important bands like 'Kraftwerk', 'Neu', 'Can', 'Ammon Duu II' which rose from the ashes. If someone is a progressive rock fan and wishes to delve deep into music evolving from Germany [and they tried a path independent of the blues oriented tradition rooted in US and UK songwriting], then this is a decent book.
To Kill a MockingBird : I am currently in the process of reading it. I am sure it won't have as much of a cultural impact on me since I am not an American even though I recognize the major themes in the book. I think this is/was even taught in American schools [please correct me if I am wrong]. My first impressions are that the book takes it's own sweet time to get to the crux of the topic. For eg] Almost 60 pages in and nothing related to the main plot even happens. One is just relegated to side characters [I wonder if the book could have been compressed and presented in a more concise form as well; not that I dislike long books].
I saw the associated Gregory Peck film from 1962 as well and it seems to keep quite in pace with the novel. -
Comment on Brave Origin (Nightly), a paid, bloat-free version of Brave in ~tech
doors_1 Link ParentI doubt many people in the Linux community will use it. Linux is mostly dominated by Firefox [or it's forks]. Even Microsoft Edge has an official Linux build but I would be surprised if many folks...I doubt many people in the Linux community will use it. Linux is mostly dominated by Firefox [or it's forks]. Even Microsoft Edge has an official Linux build but I would be surprised if many folks used it as their primary browser.
If they offered it as a paid version on Linux, it is almost certain that no one would use it [read:revenue stream would be very low in any case]. This way, they are likely hoping to remain atleast a viable alternative in the Linux eco-system.
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Comment on I’ve ‘run out’ of notes on TickTick in ~tech
doors_1 Link ParentUnless something involves an ongoing server/cloud hosting costs; subscription model is useless. The good old pay once ought to be the norm. Things like music or video streaming make sense as a...Unless something involves an ongoing server/cloud hosting costs; subscription model is useless. The good old pay once ought to be the norm.
Things like music or video streaming make sense as a subscription model; something like this does not. This is just enshittification , as Cory Doctorow would have put it.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
doors_1 LinkI read Death of Grass by John Christopher. It's a dystopic sci fi novel though it mostly concerns with the human elements [the dystopia involves a world where a virus basically wipes out any blade...I read Death of Grass by John Christopher. It's a dystopic sci fi novel though it mostly concerns with the human elements [the dystopia involves a world where a virus basically wipes out any blade of grass; essentially agriculture being done for and madness that follows ). It's within 200 pages and quite a decent read.
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Comment on Commonly misspelled words quiz in ~humanities.languages
doors_1 Link ParentThat is true. The French is the only one I got wrong. I had heard of the term but never quite sure of it's exact spelling [and it's rather hard to be honest]. Also, now that we are into culinary...That is true. The French is the only one I got wrong. I had heard of the term but never quite sure of it's exact spelling [and it's rather hard to be honest]. Also, now that we are into culinary inspired terms, look into amouse bouche.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - March 2026 - The Metamorphosis by Kafka in ~books
doors_1 LinkI read this novel twice I think (original one a decade ago when I read most of his works). The small length really helps :p. I don't think there is one consensus on what Kafka really meant to...I read this novel twice I think (original one a decade ago when I read most of his works). The small length really helps :p. I don't think there is one consensus on what Kafka really meant to tell/showcase via this novel. I still don't consider it as good as the Trial (which is unprecedentedly good) and really puts Kafka-esque in the true sense.
I once trawled through whole of Hitchcock's filmography [including his lesser known films made in the 30s I think] though his most fertile period was in the fifties [when he made Grace Kelly the quintessential blonde in many of his films]. I found Vertigo one amongst many splendid films [others including Rear Window, North by Northwest (I think it had the iconic crop chase sequence) and Psycho ] though it didn't rose above it's peers.
Come to think of it, I remember more from the above films than I do of Vertigo [all seen roughly a decade ago].