elcuello's recent activity

  1. Comment on Danecdotes: Reminiscences and Reflections Concerning a Largely Wasted Life in ~life.men

  2. Help my wife decide about AJ & Smart

    ~tech Ask (advice)
    My wife is thinking about signing up for the Master Workshopper program from AJ & Smart. It’s a relatively big financially decision so I thought I would pass along some of her initial thoughts and...

    My wife is thinking about signing up for the Master Workshopper program from AJ & Smart. It’s a relatively big financially decision so I thought I would pass along some of her initial thoughts and questions here in the hopes anyone had some experience with this program either personally or just anecdotally.

    Hey everyone,

    I'm thinking about signing up for the Master Workshopper program from AJ & Smart and would love to hear from anyone who's already gone through it. If you've done it, I'd really appreciate your thoughts!

    Here’s what I’m curious about:

    1	Quality of Content: Is the material solid and up-to-date?

2	Instructors: How are the instructors? Do they make the content engaging and clear?

3	Practical Application: Were you able to use what you learned right away in your work?

4	Community and Networking: How’s the community aspect? Did you make any good connections?

5	Value for Money: Do you think it was worth the investment? Why or why not?

6	Career Impact: Has it made a difference in your career or skills?

    Any other thoughts or experiences you can share would be awesome too!

    Thanks a lot for your help!

    15 votes

  3. Comment on Texas congressman becomes first House Democrat to call on Joe Biden to withdraw in ~news

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    This is the exact same kind of arrogance that made Hillary lose to Trump in the first place but I guess if Biden is the only one the Democrats could muster to face a man so fake and unbelievable...

    This is the exact same kind of arrogance that made Hillary lose to Trump in the first place but I guess if Biden is the only one the Democrats could muster to face a man so fake and unbelievable it's laughable they reap what they sow...unfortunate that means the US and the rest of the world have to suffer the consequences. It's exceptionally frustrating looking in from the outside.

    10 votes

  4. Comment on Germany's Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala shrug off storm delay to sink furious Denmark and head through to the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals in ~sports.football

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Thanks for clearing that up. I can positively say that we are in 100% disagreement and further discussion is futile :)

    Thanks for clearing that up. I can positively say that we are in 100% disagreement and further discussion is futile :)

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Germany's Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala shrug off storm delay to sink furious Denmark and head through to the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals in ~sports.football

    elcuello
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Sure there are bad calls (it's part of the game) but a lot of people act like the rules were always black/white and directly transferable to technology. There's a reason we have a referee and that...

    Sure there are bad calls (it's part of the game) but a lot of people act like the rules were always black/white and directly transferable to technology. There's a reason we have a referee and that is to make judgement calls and that's going to piss someone off probably but that's also the beauty of it. With this new direction I honestly think we're heading to a completely referee-less game in 20-30 years because why even bother?

    I mean your examples are from 38 and 14 years ago and while there certainly are more recent examples the need for this are still ridiculously overblown IMO.

    Take the penalty in this game for example. No one on the pitch, in the stands, in the commentator box batted an eye in that situation and no-one would have said anything if VAR didn’t exist. We would have played on and that would be fine. Is the opposite really what we want for this game? Every single little interaction scrutinized to death and funnily enough your argument that players bent the rules and “got away with it” before is really falling short because VAR is feeding this hyper awareness awarding penalties left and right and affecting the game so much that defending players are on edge whenever the attacking players are in the proximity of the penalty area.

    I’d like to add that I acknowledge that the offside and penalty were technically correct but I think we should look at HOW these rules are interpreted and that’s where I think VAR ruins everything.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Germany's Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala shrug off storm delay to sink furious Denmark and head through to the UEFA Euro 2024 quarter-finals in ~sports.football

    elcuello
    Link
    Yet another example of how VAR has killed the thrill and natural flow of the game completely. I’ve hated (yes, literally hated) this technology from it was mentioned the very first time because it...

    Yet another example of how VAR has killed the thrill and natural flow of the game completely. I’ve hated (yes, literally hated) this technology from it was mentioned the very first time because it was so painfully obvious how much it would affect this much beloved game. The goalposts for
    discussions just moved from the referees to behind screens but the arguments remain basically the same. It’s so frustrating how this shit is ruining the fun of the game.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Denmark finished second in UEFA Euro 2024 Group C by virtue of having a better disciplinary record than Slovenia after a dull draw with Serbia in ~sports.football

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Yeah but equal amounts of yellows would put Denmark on 2. place anyway because it would come down to how the teams placed in the qualifier. Denmark had to receive more yellows in order to secure...

    Yeah but equal amounts of yellows would put Denmark on 2. place anyway because it would come down to how the teams placed in the qualifier. Denmark had to receive more yellows in order to secure the Serbs second place.

    1 vote

  8. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Please do and let me know. I went a bit overboard because I was so excited but I still stand by my words. You seem well versed in metal so I guess I shouldn't be saying this but try to avoid...

    Please do and let me know. I went a bit overboard because I was so excited but I still stand by my words. You seem well versed in metal so I guess I shouldn't be saying this but try to avoid thinking genres and boxes (it's metal I know it's impossible). I've read some other reviews that gets so caught up in these arbitrary discussions with themselves. I've learned to like what I like and I like this.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    elcuello
    Link
    You know that feeling you get when you browse music and it seem like you only like one or two songs from an artist or album and it's just isn't enough and you move on? Well, I've been having that...

    You know that feeling you get when you browse music and it seem like you only like one or two songs from an artist or album and it's just isn't enough and you move on? Well, I've been having that feeling for a while now and while I've found some cool music I just felt lacking.

    Then Wormwood put out their newest album "The Star" and through the first listen I instantly knew this was it. I knew it was going to be one of the best album I've ever heard. I don't know if this is cheating but I copy/pasted this review from The Metal Archives because I simply lack the words and expression to capture this album:

    "The Star" is the conclusion of a trilogy about death that began with "Nattarvet", which deals with the famine in the Nordic regions of the 19th century. "The Archives" deals with the inevitable demise of humanity and "The Star" tells the story of the end of the universe."
    It starts with "Stärnfall", which immediately grabs you with its shimmering guitars and a distinctive melody. The piece begins very solemnly and the keys provide a certain degree of atmosphere. The bright key tones set accents, but don't make it sound cheesy. The drums are powerful and drive the number forward nicely, but can also hold back and act as a simple beat. The vocals, which are sometimes croaking, sometimes throaty and also two-part, set additional accents alongside tempo changes, breaks and solos and provide a lot of variety. Female vocals are also wonderfully integrated. A piece that makes the introduction to the album perfect. The eight and a half minutes vary from quiet, atmospheric, "longe-like" parts to great melodic lines and groovy moments, to black metal outbursts driven by double bass.

    All of this is also reflected in the other pieces and makes the whole work absolutely coherent. The catchiness is almost frightening for a black metal album. It almost gives rise to a kind of hope that things won't be so bad after all. Even if the basic orientation of the pieces is always similar, the Swedes manage to give each piece its own accents. An unexpected outburst here, a solo there or simply a tough riff or a groovy, pounding rhythm, such as in "Galactic Blood".

    You would like to take all the songs apart here to describe them. Because you could write a separate review for each piece. But in the end I would like to leave this work to the listener. At this point my tip again is to listen to the whole thing with headphones. These brilliantly sophisticated and detailed pieces allow so much to be discovered that it is almost a must to do so. So discover first and then worry, or vice versa, depending on what you want first. The album allows both, not least because of the strong production.

    I would also like to mention the album closer "Ro", which is also the longest piece on the disc at over 10 minutes. Here you are literally carried by a sad, beautiful part at the beginning. A veil falls around you, which is then blown away by driving percussion and robust riffs. A great melody replaces the supporting part and lets you swim along with the rhythm of the song from then on. There is always an up and down, which makes the song sometimes light as a feather and sometimes very heavy. Towards the end, the number glides along gently and calmly. As brilliant and concise as the album began, it ends just as brilliantly. One of the strongest numbers I have heard in this genre for a long time.

    Conclusion:
    "The Star" manages to grab the listener from the first to the last note. With large melodic arcs and solemn, atmospheric parts, Wormwood create black, epic hymns that immerse the listener deeply in the story of the album. However, these hymns never neglect hardness and aggressiveness and are far from being watered down. If you get into it, you can practically experience the pieces. Definitely a "must have" for fans of the genre. One of the best things you can hear in modern melodic black metal these days.

    Source: https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Wormwood/The_Star/1212684/

    Full album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvTFy3Yk6Ec

    1 vote

  10. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (June 2024) in ~health.mental

    elcuello
    Link
    I went for a retreat/festival/gathering whatever you call it with 120 regular men this weekend. Third time I went and it was absolutely mindblowingly beautiful as always. We talked, listened,...

    I went for a retreat/festival/gathering whatever you call it with 120 regular men this weekend. Third time I went and it was absolutely mindblowingly beautiful as always. We talked, listened, worked on our issues through sharing groups and exercises mixed up with interesting work shops thrown in the middle ranging from mindfulness, ancient drummin, breathwork, embracing our feminine/masculine energy, aggression and much more. It culminated with a ritual where we literally faced our demons (the organizers dressed up as "envy" "anger", "puny" etc.) and confronted them through a 2 hour session bare chested around a huge fire.
    It's really difficult to put into word just how healing and beautiful these 4 days were. The amount of love, closeness, surrender, vulnerability, courage and just pure joy of letting go is almost overwhelming. The age ranged from 20 to 69 and every walk of life but it wasn't important. The only important thing was feeling accepted and embracing your own masculinity in whatever form it may be by connecting to your body and not just your mind.
    It almost brings me to tears writing this because of how powerful this experience was and I wish every single man on earth had the opportunity to have this experience and journey just once in their life. The power within released in the right setting is life changing.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv

    elcuello
    Link
    I stumbled upon Dark Matter last week. I read the book a year ago and I have never watched a show/movie that was so close to the book and it's honestly amazing. It's hard to be objective about the...

    I stumbled upon Dark Matter last week. I read the book a year ago and I have never watched a show/movie that was so close to the book and it's honestly amazing. It's hard to be objective about the quality of the show when every scene you created in your head when reading the book is transformed perfectly. For me at least. I wish more authors were this involved in adaptations. Granted the book reads as a screenplay and maybe this was the plan all along but it works.

    Generally I've been watching more and more Apple+ because the quality generally is just higher and much better than Netflix/Max/Amazon/whatever. I love that I can put on a show and know while it might not be for me at least the quality is there. Something especially Netflix and now sadly also HBO(Max) have lost some time ago. That's not to say you can't find great stuff on these streaming platforms but I get tired looking for it.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv

    elcuello
    (edited )
    Link
    Been watching The Bear with my wife and it's and interesting show that has really sparked some conversation between us. I really don't know how to feel about it and maybe that's the point. It's a...

    Been watching The Bear with my wife and it's and interesting show that has really sparked some conversation between us. I really don't know how to feel about it and maybe that's the point. It's a weird mix of intense cinematography/editing with dramatic fast paced conversations/shouting on the one side and sometimes almost amateurish/Hallmarkian acting and cartoonish conflict solving. The humor also feels misplaced and awkward but again maybe that's exactly the point. To keep the audience confused and anxiety ridden. It makes me think of Birdman and the feeling that movie gave me. I don't know if I like the show but it makes in impact and gets you questioning the purpose of the the whole thing.
    Another thing is the enthusiastic/ambitious approach to the job from the staff and shear number that confuses me considering it's a simple sandwich shop and isn't really explained (at least not in season 1).
    I'm not sure I would continue watching this show if it wasn't so praised and if I had went in blind.

  13. Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Interesting. I agree somewhat that the first half of his show felt a bit "boomer" and following the same old tired path too many seasoned comics go down these days but I really think he picked...

    Interesting. I agree somewhat that the first half of his show felt a bit "boomer" and following the same old tired path too many seasoned comics go down these days but I really think he picked some of it up in the second half and at least tried to be a little progressive and not go full Gervaise/Chapelle. I appreciated that.

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision as UK comes 18th in ~music

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Thanks - I couldn't put into words what you just said.

    Thanks - I couldn't put into words what you just said.

  15. Comment on Vast coin collection of Danish butter magnate L.E. Bruun is set to finally go on sale a century after his death, and could fetch up to $72 million in ~humanities.history

    elcuello
    Link
    I collected stamps with my dad when I was a boy and really enjoyed it. I wasn't really interested in rarity but read about it and it was obviously a big thing in this hobby. I was more interested...

    I collected stamps with my dad when I was a boy and really enjoyed it. I wasn't really interested in rarity but read about it and it was obviously a big thing in this hobby. I was more interested in colors and foreign stamps. Maybe it was just the time spend with my dad or the whole process of placing the ripped of envelope pieces in water, separating the stamp, drying them on newspaper, pressing them in big books, that pleased me. Hell, I get all nostalgic thinking about it now. I don't do it anymore but really appreciated it at the time.....Anyways I've always been fascinated with coins in kinda the same way but never got into it. This sparked my interest again. I think I'm getting older. That's okay.

    1 vote

  16. Comment on Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision as UK comes 18th in ~music

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Ah okay. That's obviously horribly and shouldn't happen - but sadly not surprising for twitter. I was simply referring to the song compared to the other songs and the countless people I spoke with...

    Ah okay. That's obviously horribly and shouldn't happen - but sadly not surprising for twitter. I was simply referring to the song compared to the other songs and the countless people I spoke with afterwards that felt the same. It just felt bland and uninteresting and like it tried to make up for the lack of song quality in provocative show antics.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision as UK comes 18th in ~music

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    I don’t think you need to drag homophobia or politics into the “fact” that it was a bad song and weak compared to almost all the other entries.

    I don’t think you need to drag homophobia or politics into the “fact” that it was a bad song and weak compared to almost all the other entries.

    7 votes

  18. Comment on My not so nice thoughts on Battlestar Galactica in ~tv

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    I agree with the rating of The Expanse and OPs post overall and I love sci fi. I really like The Expanse but there seems to be a low expectation in general to sci fi if this is the best of the...

    I agree with the rating of The Expanse and OPs post overall and I love sci fi. I really like The Expanse but there seems to be a low expectation in general to sci fi if this is the best of the best. Compare that to exceptional shows in other genres and it wouldn’t even make the top 5. I tried watching Firefly, Star Trek, a ton of Star Wars and BG but it’s just not that good and childlike at times. It seems like cheesiness and horrible acting gets a pass if we just get some cool space stuff and it kinda reminds me of the horror genre. Maybe that’s why there’s a lot of overlap between to two.

    3 votes

  19. Comment on Sweden has a global reputation for championing high taxes and social equality, but it has become a European hotspot for the super rich in ~finance

    elcuello
    Link
    Oh how ever grateful we should be. Fucking arrogant prick.

    "We have a nanny and we have a gardener and cleaners… and that also gives more jobs. So we shouldn't forget about how we're building the society."

    Oh how ever grateful we should be. Fucking arrogant prick.

    14 votes

  20. Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies

    elcuello
    Link Parent
    Do you think she's bad in Euphoria too? I haven't really seen her in anything else besides Dune I and in that she was kinda meh but she wasn't on screen that long. I think it worked in Euphoria....

    Do you think she's bad in Euphoria too? I haven't really seen her in anything else besides Dune I and in that she was kinda meh but she wasn't on screen that long. I think it worked in Euphoria. You're having me doubting my own judgement now...

    3 votes