gwg's recent activity
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Comment on What's a word from another language that you wish was a thing in English? in ~humanities.languages
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Comment on Any BBS sysops here from back in the day? in ~comp
gwg LinkThis reminds me of an embarrassing story that I hadn't thought about in years. I'm not a sysop, but used to dial into some local BBSes back in my freshman or sophomore year of high school. One of...This reminds me of an embarrassing story that I hadn't thought about in years. I'm not a sysop, but used to dial into some local BBSes back in my freshman or sophomore year of high school. One of them had a restriction that you had to post on the message boards in order to get your game turns that day (probably Drug Wars or Legend of the Red Dragon). So I'd hop over, pick a board, post some gibberish, and happily play my turns.
This went on for a couple of weeks until a senior at school stopped me in the hall one day. He explained that that was his BBS and I was ruining his message board. He gave me some gentle schooling on online etiquette that lasts to this day. It turns out the message boards were pretty interesting once I actually read them, but unfortunately the BBS shut down after he left for college.
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Comment on Is there any book that you keep trying but can not get through? in ~books
gwg LinkI love Neal Stephenson and have read (and generally liked, despite some iffy endings) every book of his except for the Baroque Cycle series. I've tried to read Quicksilver three times and gotten...I love Neal Stephenson and have read (and generally liked, despite some iffy endings) every book of his except for the Baroque Cycle series. I've tried to read Quicksilver three times and gotten about 2/3rds of the way through before quitting each time. Historical fiction is not my jam and that book proves it.
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Comment on Favorite ambient / instrumental music? in ~music
gwg LinkMany of the recommendations here are great (glad to see a Zoe Keating mention) and I'll have to add a few of these I hadn't heard of to my work playlist. I'd add a few albums to the mix: Aphex...Many of the recommendations here are great (glad to see a Zoe Keating mention) and I'll have to add a few of these I hadn't heard of to my work playlist. I'd add a few albums to the mix:
- Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works Volume II - Ambient electronica, very quiet/mellow
- Nine Inch Nails: Ghosts I-IV, V, and VI - Very different from other NIN albums, similar to Aphex Twin's ambient albums. I think V is my favorite of these.
- Snarky Puppy: We Like It Here - Wonderful live jazz. Manages to fit in virtuoso instrumental performances without being super wanky about it.
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Any album, but I think F# A# ∞ is my favorite. Postrock.
- Orbital: The Box pt 1 & 2 on In Sides are my favorites. Electronica.
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Comment on Best products to bring back to Europe from the US in ~hobbies
gwg LinkI don't know if it's the same in Germany, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding kosher salt in Portugal. I can find (relatively) expensive flor de sal or some salt that doesn't like dissolving,...I don't know if it's the same in Germany, but I'm having a lot of trouble finding kosher salt in Portugal. I can find (relatively) expensive flor de sal or some salt that doesn't like dissolving, but I miss the familiarity of kosher salt.
I agree with grabbing spices and OTC meds, we stocked up on Costco-sized containers of a both before we left. My wife would kill for some proper popcorn salt. In non-food items, I've had difficulty finding Band-aids, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and Ziploc bags in the size and/or quality I want.
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Comment on Swedish singer Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest – only the second performer to take the prize twice in ~music
gwg LinkJust a request for future posts like this: could you not put the winner in the title? Not everyone can watch events live so common courtesy would be to avoid spoilers in post titles.Just a request for future posts like this: could you not put the winner in the title? Not everyone can watch events live so common courtesy would be to avoid spoilers in post titles.
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Comment on Teaching myself how to cook - where to begin? in ~food
gwg LinkSince you mentioned wanting to know the Why and not just the How, I have a few recommendations that helped me: Cook's Illustrated and their associated PBS show America's Test Kitchen are great...Since you mentioned wanting to know the Why and not just the How, I have a few recommendations that helped me:
- Cook's Illustrated and their associated PBS show America's Test Kitchen are great resources for the Why of cooking. They do extensive recipe, ingredient, and product testing. Don't just read the recipes, read the article about the recipe to understand what makes it work. The only downsides are that the website is very pushy about upselling subscriptions to their other sites and that their recipes tend to be very mild in their seasoning - I usually have to adjust the level of spice after tasting.
- Similarly, Serious Eats tends to be good about testing recipes and getting into the science behind the recipes. The quality of the recipes varies from author to author, but I generally trust J. Kenji López-Alt. His book The Food Lab is a great resource for all types of cooking basics. He has a cooking channel on YouTube as well, but I find his Go Pro headset style of shooting gives me motion sickness.
- Alton Brown is a treasure. His Food Network series Good Eats made the science of cooking very approachable.
Also good for general, simple cooking skills:
- Jacques Pépin's Cooking At Home series is great for figuring out how to cook with whatever's in the fridge. It's like a friendly grandpa with 70 years of world-class cooking experience inviting you into his kitchen to watch him make lunch. There are also hundreds of other Pépin cooking videos available if you search around.
- The previously mentioned Basics with Babish is good at covering some common dishes and skills in a very digestible format.
Hope that helps!
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Comment on Tildes Video Thread in ~misc
gwg LinkI've managed to beat my YouTube feed into 90% music or food, so here's a video that combines both: Billy Corgan eating chips on stage during a Smashing Pumpkins show. If you want to watch a good...I've managed to beat my YouTube feed into 90% music or food, so here's a video that combines both: Billy Corgan eating chips on stage during a Smashing Pumpkins show.
If you want to watch a good performance instead, Santigold performed on Tiny Desk recently and was charming and wonderful despite her issues with having a stationary mic.
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Comment on Duke University Libraries - Library Takeout in ~music
gwg Link ParentThe style reminds me of Coin, which according to a youtube description is "chipcore." I'm not sure what that means. Anyway, I could only find their albums on youtube since there's a very bland,...The style reminds me of Coin, which according to a youtube description is "chipcore." I'm not sure what that means. Anyway, I could only find their albums on youtube since there's a very bland, semi-popular group of the same name on spotify.
Attract Mode
Architects of CharacterI think Streaming Data, track 6 on Architects of Character, is especially similar in style.
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Comment on Recommend me a song that _________. in ~music
gwg Link ParentNick Cave may be considered cheating for this request, but his most recent album Skeleton Tree is particularly haunting given the circumstances of its recording. For gut-punch songs: -"I See A...Nick Cave may be considered cheating for this request, but his most recent album Skeleton Tree is particularly haunting given the circumstances of its recording.
For gut-punch songs:
-"I See A Darkness" by Will Oldham or Johnny Cash's superior version (cry for help)
-"Truce" by The Dresden Dolls (break-up song)
-"Still Fighting It" by Ben Folds (children growing up)
-"Plants and Rags" by PJ Harvey (it's just depressing) -
Comment on Tildistas, what is your favorite poem? in ~books
gwg LinkPoetry has never been a great love of mine, but a friend posted this poem during national poetry month back when LJ was used by people other than GRRM. It's stuck with me since. The Waking By...Poetry has never been a great love of mine, but a friend posted this poem during national poetry month back when LJ was used by people other than GRRM. It's stuck with me since.
The Waking
By Theodore RoethkeI wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I feel my fate in what I cannot fear.
I learn by going where I have to go.We think by feeling. What is there to know?
I hear my being dance from ear to ear.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.Of those so close beside me, which are you?
God bless the Ground! I shall walk softly there,
And learn by going where I have to go.Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?
The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair;
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.Great Nature has another thing to do
To you and me; so take the lively air,
And, lovely, learn by going where to go.This shaking keeps me steady. I should know.
What falls away is always. And is near.
I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow.
I learn by going where I have to go. -
Comment on ~music Weekly Music Tracks Thread 1 - Uplifting Earworms in ~music
gwg LinkThe uplifting requirement made this much more difficult than expected. For instance, Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" makes me incredibly happy, but is relatively downbeat in lyrical content. Anyway, here...The uplifting requirement made this much more difficult than expected. For instance, Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" makes me incredibly happy, but is relatively downbeat in lyrical content. Anyway, here are some more cut-and-dry upbeat songs.
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Comment on ~music Weekly Music Tracks Thread 1 - Uplifting Earworms in ~music
gwg Link ParentThe David Coffin song reminded me of another song that used to get stuck in my head constantly. It's a very different take on a similar theme - Cylob - What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor.The David Coffin song reminded me of another song that used to get stuck in my head constantly. It's a very different take on a similar theme - Cylob - What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor.
It's also captured well by this MARO song, written after the loss of her grandfather. I like this cozy live performance better than the Eurovision one, but both are great.