Grendel's recent activity
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Comment on How native English speakers can stop confusing everyone else in ~humanities.languages
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Week 2 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
Grendel LinkDarkroom photomontage project Well, not much progress this week. I had one hour of darkroom time and revised my technique some. But, right at the end of the session it hit me like a ton of bricks:...Darkroom photomontage project
Well, not much progress this week. I had one hour of darkroom time and revised my technique some.
But, right at the end of the session it hit me like a ton of bricks: I have two enlarges! Using one negative in each would streamline the process and give better results.
I the thought hadn't crossed my mind because my other enlarge can't handle negatives of this size/format. But I realized that since I'm only printing one part of that image, I should be able to make it work.
I've only got one (working) easel, so I'll need to sort that somehow, but hopefully I can rig something up.
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Week 1 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
Grendel (edited )LinkAntique Photo Montage Project Well, I've made some small progress! Tl;Dr First Attempts I spent some time going through the negatives. I've been wanting to get clear plastic sheets to put them in...Antique Photo Montage Project
Well, I've made some small progress!
Tl;Dr First Attempts
I spent some time going through the negatives. I've been wanting to get clear plastic sheets to put them in a binder (like baseball cards) but this format of film was discontinued int he 80's so I'm not going to be able to find anything like that, which is a big hit to organizing/cataloging them.
Looking over the source material I've realized that there's no way I can emulate Mutter or O'Reilly using just the antique negatives. I'm okay with that though, I'm kind of excited to try my own thing.
I spent some time in the darkroom last night experimenting with double exposures and masking, along with some original techniques I'm trying to develop. You can see the results in the link above. All of this was done purely in the darkroom with no digital manipulation. I was trying to take the eyes face/eyes of a picture of a child and superimpose them on woman in the couples picture. These three pictures took about 3 hours to produce, and the results pretty rough.
I would really love any feedback that anyone has. Which one do you like the best? How do the images make you feel, what vibe do they give? What would you do different?
My next step is to practice, refine, and (hopefully) streamline the darkroom techniques I'm trying to use. I think I'd like to try a few more things with the couples photo:
- Removing all of her face except her eyes
- Removing all of her face except eyes and mouth
- Placing eyes all over her dress
- Removing the man's mouth
There's so much to do and explore!
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Comment on I got a pokemon tattoo in ~life
Grendel Link ParentI would love to see them, if you are comfortable sharingI would love to see them, if you are comfortable sharing
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Comment on I got a pokemon tattoo in ~life
Grendel Link ParentIt really does feel good to get something non-serious just because I like it. Also, my kids love pokemon, so it reminds me of them as well.It really does feel good to get something non-serious just because I like it. Also, my kids love pokemon, so it reminds me of them as well.
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Comment on I got a pokemon tattoo in ~life
Grendel Link ParentIt's all thanks to a wonderfully talented artist :)It's all thanks to a wonderfully talented artist :)
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
Grendel Link ParentI stumbled across a set on eBay and discovered quite a few listings for them. It seems like most of them come from estate sales. So far all of them have come in their original envelopes (people...I stumbled across a set on eBay and discovered quite a few listings for them. It seems like most of them come from estate sales.
So far all of them have come in their original envelopes (people used mail to get film developed) with the old postage stamps!
My favorite set is 12 glass plate negatives, in their original cardboard box, manufactured some time between 1882-1902. They are in unbelievable condition. I'm currently trying to find a museum to donate them too, since I'm worried I don't have the resources to properly preserve them.
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
Grendel LinkBetter late than never!!! This year I'm doing something with photography, but very different from past years. I'll be darkroom printing antique negatives! Over the last 12 months I've collected...Better late than never!!!
This year I'm doing something with photography, but very different from past years.
I'll be darkroom printing antique negatives! Over the last 12 months I've collected several hundred photo negatives from the 20's through the 50's. I'd love to use them to create an art piece.
I'm going to go out on a limb and try photo montage (look up Scott Mutter), something I've wanted to do for a long time but have never been confident enough to try.
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Comment on I got a pokemon tattoo in ~life
Grendel LinkI've been wanting to get a second tattoo for a long time now, but I was super indecisive about it. Then my wife found out a local tattoo artist has made it his personal mission to give tattoos of...I've been wanting to get a second tattoo for a long time now, but I was super indecisive about it.
Then my wife found out a local tattoo artist has made it his personal mission to give tattoos of each of the original 151 pokemon, and to help with that he was giving a discount to anyone who picked one that he hadn't done yet. He's super talented and the discount was significant.
So, very much off the cuff, I decided to get a Psyduck tattoo.
This guy's work is unbelievable. He really deeply cares about his work, and has incredible attention to detail. He used 15 colors for this tattoo. He's like a Bob Ross of tattoos (minus the happy accidents).
I love it! It's my first color tattoo, my first "for fun" tattoo, and my first tattoo that's visible day to day. Getting a tattoo that doesn't have a lot of personal symbolic meaning, and one so visible, was a bit of a leap of faith for me, but I'm really happy that I did it.
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I got a pokemon tattoo
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
Grendel LinkBetter late than never!!! This year I'm doing something with photography, but very different from past years. I'll be darkroom printing antique negatives! Over the last 12 months I've collected...Better late than never!!!
This year I'm doing something with photography, but very different from past years.
I'll be darkroom printing antique negatives! Over the last 12 months I've collected several hundred photo negatives from the 20's through the 50's. I'd love to use them to create an art piece.
I'm going to go out on a limb and try photo montage (look up Scott Mutter), something I've wanted to do for a long time but have never been confident enough to try.
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Comment on What do you look for in a friend? in ~talk
Grendel LinkFirstly I think it's important to note that you can be friendly with someone without being friends, and that's okay. For me it has a lot to do with vulnerability. I expect a safe place where I can...Firstly I think it's important to note that you can be friendly with someone without being friends, and that's okay.
For me it has a lot to do with vulnerability. I expect a safe place where I can let my guard down, and I do expect them to open up to me as well.
It's okay if people don't want to do that; we can still be friendly, but for me the depth (and in turn commitment) is defined by how vulnerable the two of us can be.
I try to be the one to take that first step, it helps others feel safe when you open up.
There's a guy at work I enjoy talking to, we've even hung out outside of work. But despite knowing each other over a year he's never really opened up beyond surface stuff. So, I would say we are friendly, but not friends.
With friends quality trumps quantity every time.
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Comment on What is your experience with foldable phones? in ~tech
Grendel LinkOh man, mine wasn't great. I bought the Microsoft Surface Duo. Now, MS makes great surface tablets and surface books, so it follows that their phones would be decent too. This wasn't a single...Oh man, mine wasn't great.
I bought the Microsoft Surface Duo. Now, MS makes great surface tablets and surface books, so it follows that their phones would be decent too. This wasn't a single screen that folds in the middle like most phones, this was two separate screens hinged together.
It was designed for productivity, like having two monitors on your desk. It folded totally around to use as a single screen too. The idea was solid but.. the execution was terrible. TONS of software bugs, the screens not behaving properly, the CPU spiking and overheating randomly when the phone wasn't even being used, and, believe it or not the fingerprint reader on the side fell off! the phone got so hot that the ball solder joints came loose on it. The camera was atrocious, even by 2014 standards.
When it worked it was pretty great. Made a perfect Nintendo DS emulator, and I could turn it in portrait mode to have the entire bottom half as a keyboard and an ssh connection in the top half. Reading books was nice since you got the book effect with the two seperate screens. But it wasn't worth all of the trouble.
Fortunatly, when I went to make an insurance claim on it the company didn't have anything comprable to replace it with, so they gave me a full refund of the MSRP price! I was able to pay off the remaining balance, pay off the deductable, and still have enough to get a Pixel 7a.
They have a Duo 2 that's supposed to be better, but I'm not going to try it.
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Comment on Your creative ways to say "none of your business"? in ~talk
Grendel LinkMy parents told of a Bible college professor; whenever another Christian would start to gossip he would grab their hand and say "why don't you lead us in prayer for them?" Either they would...My parents told of a Bible college professor; whenever another Christian would start to gossip he would grab their hand and say "why don't you lead us in prayer for them?"
Either they would realize they were wrong to gossip, or they'd stop gossiping around him.
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Comment on What are some foods you really like, from countries not well known for great cuisine? in ~food
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Comment on Today I learned this weird Windows keyboard shortcut opens LinkedIn in ~tech
Grendel LinkHow funny, I saw this on mastodon last week and shared it with my co-workers for a good laugh. It does make sense when you learn about the office key built into some keyboards, but it's still...How funny, I saw this on mastodon last week and shared it with my co-workers for a good laugh.
It does make sense when you learn about the office key built into some keyboards, but it's still annoying to have something like that baked into the OS.
I wonder if it could be exploited somehow...
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Comment on Mental health and sense of belonging in ~health.mental
Grendel LinkConcerning possible causes What life changes have you had? Have you moved recently? Changed jobs? Had a change in family? Lost a friend? Also think about your age. Maybe you've hit a new chapter...Concerning possible causes
What life changes have you had? Have you moved recently? Changed jobs? Had a change in family? Lost a friend? Also think about your age. Maybe you've hit a new chapter in life and you're trying to cope with the changes that come with it.
Also, you used the word "cycles". You should consider seeing a psychiatrist (note: that is different than a psychologist). Some people have bipolar, or even cyclothymia (a much milder form) and don't realize it. If/when you do see a doctor, try and bring someone who knows you really well. Someone who lives with you if possible. When you've lived with something for a long time things feel "normal" to you and having that outsider perspective is immensely helpful.
Helpful tips
Finding small online communities (like here at tildes) has really helped me to have a sense of belonging. I came back here after being gone for a full year, and people remembered me and said they were happy I was back. I cried a little that day. I'm not saying online is a sufficient replacement for in person interaction, but for me it's helped a lot.
Finally, some hobbies lend themselves to in person community. Table Top RPGs, collectable card games, bowling, and many more are great connection points. Meetup.com is a great way to find local groups to connect with.
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Comment on What do you do with old electronics? in ~tech
Grendel Link ParentI recently dealt with this. In my case it was an android phone, meaning I could run a terminal emulator. My steps: Wipe the phone the "normal" way via the settings Use a terminal emulator to run...I recently dealt with this.
In my case it was an android phone, meaning I could run a terminal emulator. My steps:
- Wipe the phone the "normal" way via the settings
- Use a terminal emulator to run the DD command to fill up the storage with zeros
- Wipe the phone again back to factory.
Zeroing out an SSD is a horrible idea, but in my case I was making an insurance claim and getting rid of the phone anyway so I didn't care about that.
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Comment on Wikipedia:Dark mode in ~design
Grendel LinkI just want to throw out a kudos to the android app. It offers way more than just dark mode, including tabs and bookmarks and history. As far as design goes it's simple and easy to use but still...I just want to throw out a kudos to the android app. It offers way more than just dark mode, including tabs and bookmarks and history.
As far as design goes it's simple and easy to use but still offers worthwhile features
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Comment on Berkeley landlord association throws party to celebrate restarting evictions in ~life
Grendel Link ParentI'm sorry that you have to face the negative sentiment/backlash caused by other people. Every person deserves to be treated fairly, and judged upon their actions, not the worst actions of the...I'm sorry that you have to face the negative sentiment/backlash caused by other people. Every person deserves to be treated fairly, and judged upon their actions, not the worst actions of the collective group.
I find myself feeling the "eat the rich" attitude when I read about things like this. But one of the things that I believe are holding us back from progress is that we have the wrong idea of "rich".
Landlords who are unethical and predatory are definitely a problem, but the biggest
problem is the rich people that you don't see. Humans aren't good at comprehending the scale of increasing orders of magnitude, and as a result people get lumped into categories (like "rich") that don't fit. The people we encounter first hand or see in news articles like this one are easy targets, but it's ridiculous to say that the systemic issues and inequalities can be solved by going after local landlords.
Ultimately, going after the wrong targets just fractures us at a time when we need to unify, and it's exactly what the real "rich" people want to see.
Side Note:
When I was a kid my father who was in the Army got deployed to the middle east. If I remember correctly, our landlord (who was retired and lived across the street) offered to waive our rent while he was overseas. My parents ended up opting to move in with my grandparents (for the extra support for my mom), but that kind of offer only comes from someone with genuine compassion.
I live in the Midwest US (which oddly is middle of the whole country, not middle of the western half) and I'm amazed at how often native speakers don't know the origin of idioms.
Just yesterday someone used "don't look a gift horse in the mouth". Of course they understood that it means don't criticize a gift, but they didn't understand why that idiom means that.
It really goes to show how we use them almost subconsciously