fefellama's recent activity
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
fefellama LinkJust saw Spy X Family Code: White in theater yesterday and it was amazing! Highly recommend for any fans of the show or just anime in general. It's the perfect blend of slice-of-life mixed in with...Just saw Spy X Family Code: White in theater yesterday and it was amazing! Highly recommend for any fans of the show or just anime in general. It's the perfect blend of slice-of-life mixed in with both action and comedy. The show has quickly become probably my favorite anime series in the last couple years.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama Link ParentOh I agree 100%, it's a tried-and-true formula and I find it relaxing knowing what to expect when I go into the game. I enjoy it as well in other games like the newer assassins creed games and...Oh I agree 100%, it's a tried-and-true formula and I find it relaxing knowing what to expect when I go into the game. I enjoy it as well in other games like the newer assassins creed games and horizon zero dawn, but I can also see how some people might find it a bit repetitive. HZD actually reminded me a lot of far cry primal, but with robots instead of saber-tooth cats.
Far Cry 2 had this same formula and it's probably one of my favorite games ever. The setting in that game was also pretty incredible (what other game has you fighting malaria?).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama Link ParentWhich starter did you pick? I periodically play through Emerald again but I've found that I'm never able to enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. Seems too easy now to just grind your way...new run of Pokémon Emerald
Which starter did you pick? I periodically play through Emerald again but I've found that I'm never able to enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. Seems too easy now to just grind your way through everything without very rigid self-imposed rules. I still enjoy the nostalgia of it but find it missing something to keep me engaged.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama Link ParentThe setting is probably the best part of Far Cry Primal. I remember reading a while back that they actually hired a linguist or something to make sure that the dialogue sounds were accurate (based...The setting is probably the best part of Far Cry Primal. I remember reading a while back that they actually hired a linguist or something to make sure that the dialogue sounds were accurate (based on academic research, I don't think we have many recordings from 10,000+ years ago lol). The gameplay is the same ubisoft loop of explore > find new outpost > sneak in or go guns blazing > outpost cleared > repeat. I enjoy it but I know that it's a lot of people's main gripe with the game.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
fefellama LinkJust finished rewatching Community and I totally forgot how wacky the latter seasons were. I love the random lines that reference this, like "didn't this show used to be about a community...Just finished rewatching Community and I totally forgot how wacky the latter seasons were. I love the random lines that reference this, like "didn't this show used to be about a community college?" Their fourth-wall breaks are pretty spot on most of the time.
Recently found out there's a movie supposedly in the works (#sixseasonsandamovie) but from some basic research it doesn't seem like it's actively being made. Maybe it'll be a Veronica Mars thing where ten years from now they'll reunite for a movie where everyone has moved on with their lives and meets up for some Greendale reunion or something like that. Knowing them, they'll probably question why a community college has a reunion event like high schools do, but it would also totally make sense for that school to have a reunion, especially if it involves a dance. I can already hear Abed saying "so we're doing a Veronica Mars then?"
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Comment on I grew up in Michigan but currently live in Georgia. My GF and I are looking at buying a house, and both states have first time home buyer incentives, but they're income based. in ~finance
fefellama Link ParentI just wrote up my experiences with an FHA loan a few years ago, maybe it could help you.I just wrote up my experiences with an FHA loan a few years ago, maybe it could help you.
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Comment on I grew up in Michigan but currently live in Georgia. My GF and I are looking at buying a house, and both states have first time home buyer incentives, but they're income based. in ~finance
fefellama LinkAside from any local/state incentives, one thing you should consider is an FHA loan. It is a federal program for first-time home buyers that helps you not have to put as much money down (if you...Aside from any local/state incentives, one thing you should consider is an FHA loan. It is a federal program for first-time home buyers that helps you not have to put as much money down (if you don't have a large savings for a downpayment, most regular mortgages ask for at least 20% down, but with an FHA loan you can put in as little as 3.5% down) and also can potentially help with the interest rate a bit (since it's a federally backed program). They're also easier to qualify for if you need it, since it's understood that this is your first house and you may not have the same credit or savings as someone who's bought and sold multiple houses before.
I did an FHA loan in 2020 and really benefited from it, but there are a couple of caveats though:
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some places might not want to sell to FHA loans or work with you, since as part of the FHA loan, the bank will force you to get an inspection, which you should do anyways, but they might require additional things like wind mitigation or termite inspection or whatever. Sellers might be impatient to sell and not want to wait for all these inspections, so they might be holding out for a cash offer.
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normally banks ask for 20% downpayment on a mortgage. The reason you normally want to put that much down is because if you go less than that, say 10%, you'll be required to pay a mortgage insurance premium, which is basically the bank charging you more for having less invested into the house. Once you reach 20% in equity on a regular loan though, you lose that mortgage insurance and it becomes the same as if you had put in 20% down to begin with. HOWEVER, for an FHA loan, that mortgage insurance premium will stay for the entire length of the loan, regardless of how much equity you have in the house. You can have the house 99% paid off and you'll still be paying that mortgage insurance. This may not be the end of the world (see my example below), but you should definitely keep it in mind and plan on refinancing in a few years once you've hit that 20% threshold.
My situation was a really lucky one, so I wouldn't use it as the model of what an FHA loan looks like, but my wife and I were able to purchase our home in 2020 despite not having much at all saved up. We both had full-time jobs and no debt (had recently paid off some student loans), but also did not have much saved up for the 20% of a downpayment. But we had enough for 3.5%, so we used that as a downpayment and then even negotiated with the sellers for them to pay $5,000 of our closing costs. But I fully knew about the mortgage insurance, and that we would have to refinance the house maybe like 5-10 years later once we hit 20% equity, so I factored that into our calculations. We ended up getting extremely lucky and were able to refinance less than two years in (house prices went up, so even though we had barely paid off our loan, our equity in the house went up). But the TL;DR of the story is that we wouldn't have been able to afford the house without the FHA loan because we barely had any savings and didn't have much credit history (good credit, but not much history). The FHA loan allowed us to put MUCH less down than we otherwise would have and also a competitive interest rate despite our lack of credit history.
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Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech
fefellama LinkIf you have a small child: triple click the side button for a setting called guided access where you can make the buttons and touch screen not do anything or just limit the phone to a single app...If you have a small child: triple click the side button for a setting called guided access where you can make the buttons and touch screen not do anything or just limit the phone to a single app (like a video or game).
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Comment on Why the short-lived Calvin and Hobbes is still one of the most beloved and influential comic strips in ~comics
fefellama LinkIn case anyone wants to get a daily dose of C&H, here's an RSS feed for you.In case anyone wants to get a daily dose of C&H, here's an RSS feed for you.
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Comment on Looking for advice on replacing my motherboard in ~tech
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
fefellama LinkRecently saw Next (2007) starring Nicolas Cage. I thought it was decent. No spoilers, but the ending caught me off guard. Not because of any major plot twist or anything, but just at how quickly...Recently saw Next (2007) starring Nicolas Cage. I thought it was decent. No spoilers, but the ending caught me off guard. Not because of any major plot twist or anything, but just at how quickly it ended. Instead of dragging on, it just ends and leaves you to almost extrapolate based on what you've learned in the movie.
I feel like if that movie had been made today it would either have lasted another 30mins-1 hour, where they'd try to neatly wrap everything up, or they would keep the abrupt ending and just tease a sequel (which I despise wholeheartedly).
It felt almost refreshing to have the movie just basically say "that's it, you can probably figure out the rest, the end" and just end it after like an hour and a half. I was a bit confused at first, but looking back I probably wouldn't change it at all.
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Comment on ‘It’s plain elitist’: anger at Greek plan for €5,000 private tours of Acropolis in ~travel
fefellama LinkI have mixed feelings about this article. On the one hand, they aren't really changing all that much about the site. Regular visitation will remain mostly unchanged, this would be an additional...I have mixed feelings about this article. On the one hand, they aren't really changing all that much about the site. Regular visitation will remain mostly unchanged, this would be an additional offering to anyone willing to pay for a private tour before or after regular hours. I work for a historic site and museum that does similar things (though admittedly we are no where near as busy and famous as the Acropolis) and no one has ever batted an eye at private tours. They make our 'elevated donors' feel special which in turn leads to higher donations from them for showing them around and treating them like VIPs when they have guests in town. And importantly, it doesn't detract from our regular visitor experience in any way, it's purely an additional offering.
In her office overlooking a central Athens boulevard, Valakou said the culture ministry had taken the criticism onboard. The tours, it is estimated, could bring in up to €40,000 a day, with proceeds going to cash-starved cultural projects.
Historic preservation, and cultural services in general, cost a lot of money and are usually on the chopping block for things to cut or defund when things get tough. So being able to generate significant amounts of additional funding has to be a good thing (if said funds are utilized properly, of course).
But I totally understand OP's point that this will reserve the coolest parts of the day to those with the means to pay. And the easy counter argument that can be made to this whole thing is that they should just open the site earlier and close later. That way the crowds would hopefully dissipate a bit and everyone would be able to see the Acropolis during the cooler parts of the day. But they'd miss out on all that additional revenue from the private tours...
It's a tricky situation for sure, and I think a lot of it comes down to exactly how that additional revenue is used. If it gets directly reinvested into the preservation of the site and related projects, I think these private tours could be seen as a necessary evil to ensure the safety and longevity of the Acropolis (again, most people don't realize how expensive that can be). But if not utilized properly, then yeah, it's a slap in the face of anyone not wealthy enough to get their own VIP tour. Interesting moral dilemma in my opinion.
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Comment on Russia's meat grinder soldiers - 50,000 confirmed dead in ~news
fefellama LinkImportant to note that the article mentions that the real death toll is likely much higher, these are just what the BBC were able to confirm through their own research. It also mentions that the...Important to note that the article mentions that the real death toll is likely much higher, these are just what the BBC were able to confirm through their own research.
It also mentions that the Ukrainian death toll is said to be 30,000, but that the real figure for that is also most likely much higher.
So 80,000 people dead 'officially' and probably another tens of thousands dead unofficially. All in about 2 years. Just tragic.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
fefellama LinkLike many other people here, I recently watched the Fallout show that just came out. I thought it was pretty good! Mostly faithful to the source material but not patronizing, and accessible for...Like many other people here, I recently watched the Fallout show that just came out. I thought it was pretty good! Mostly faithful to the source material but not patronizing, and accessible for newcomers. Definitely better than some other video game adaptations in recent years. Hopefully they keep that energy strong for the next season.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama Link ParentWow I didn't know about TTW, seems interesting. Reminds me of Skyblivion which would be Oblivion remade in the Skyrim engine (if it ever comes out). Something about those old Bethesda games just...Wow I didn't know about TTW, seems interesting. Reminds me of Skyblivion which would be Oblivion remade in the Skyrim engine (if it ever comes out). Something about those old Bethesda games just feels so nostalgic, jankiness and all. To this day I still jump around in pretty much every game I play because of Oblivion (you had an acrobatics skill that leveled up the more you jumped, so I jumped everywhere I went). And the sounds of the fallout games were more distinctive than I had realized. While watching the show, every time someone used a pip-boy or power armor or one of the vault doors opened I was like 'yup, that's the sound'. Even the radroaches sounded correct, lol.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama Link ParentI'm in the same boat regarding StS2 and Fallout. Saw the announcement of Slay the Spire 2 and immediately felt like playing the first game. So I have been doing the dailies again for that (and...I'm in the same boat regarding StS2 and Fallout. Saw the announcement of Slay the Spire 2 and immediately felt like playing the first game. So I have been doing the dailies again for that (and also Monster Train which is equally awesome). My favorite combos usually involve either 0-cost cards (shivs, claws, ftl) or lots of powers (noxious fumes, thousand cuts, after image), or preferably, both.
And I plan on replaying New Vegas soon since I too just finished the Fallout show. 3 is great too, but I just love me some wild west aesthetics.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
fefellama LinkAnyone here have any experience with Divinity Original Sin 2 local co-op on the PC? I've played it plenty (love the game), but never co-op. Can I just connect two controllers and that's it? Or are...Anyone here have any experience with Divinity Original Sin 2 local co-op on the PC? I've played it plenty (love the game), but never co-op. Can I just connect two controllers and that's it? Or are there other considerations that I might need to factor in. This would be on steam big picture mode, if that makes a difference. Recently set up a PC for the living room TV and figured this would be a great game to play with my wife.
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Comment on How to make a time capsule in ~hobbies
fefellama LinkAs luck would have it, my job involves the preservation of historic objects, and I was asked just last year to consult on a time capsule that the town where I work at was planning on putting into...As luck would have it, my job involves the preservation of historic objects, and I was asked just last year to consult on a time capsule that the town where I work at was planning on putting into the ground. I did a ton of research, took hundreds of photographs of the town to be placed in the time capsule, found ways of saving the town hundreds of dollars, recommended items and artifacts to be placed inside… and then last minute they decide not to go through with the project. Absolute let down.
I think they’re fascinating and wish more places did them. But there are a couple of key considerations to take regarding the survival of the objects left inside them. A lot of people don’t realize that many common items will not survive much longer than a couple decades in less-than-ideal scenarios before becoming almost unrecognizable. Which unfortunately leads to exactly the situation that this article mentions, a time capsule is opened and its contents mostly illegible and nearly destroyed. It’s more common than you might think.
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Comment on World Nature Photography Awards 2024 winners in ~arts
fefellama Link ParentIt’s hard to choose! That gorilla one is definitely super touching, I’ll make sure to check out the others from that photographer. I’m a sucker for high-def closeups of animal faces, so my...It’s hard to choose! That gorilla one is definitely super touching, I’ll make sure to check out the others from that photographer. I’m a sucker for high-def closeups of animal faces, so my favorite would probably be all three of:
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Ox with the vampire bird on its face looks metal as fuck
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Vulture/condor with blood all over its face also looks metal as fuck
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The iguana with a smaller lizard (baby iguana?) on its head has such a chill expression. Reminds me of Uncle Iroh for some reason.
And then besides those three, the mantis in the moonlight looks like a scene out of a martial arts movie, very cool.
I spent a good twenty minutes or so going through the previous years winners via the link at the bottom of the page. All are incredible.
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I'll copy a post I made in the movie talk thread since I feel like it also applies here:
Just saw Spy X Family Code: White in theater yesterday and it was amazing! Highly recommend for any fans of the show or just anime in general. It's the perfect blend of slice-of-life mixed in with both action and comedy. The show has quickly become probably my favorite anime series in the last couple years.