kfwyre's recent activity

  1. Comment on Summer Games Done Quick 2023, a week-long charity fundraising event featuring speedruns, has begun in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    I always recommend looking for games you know, as watching a game you don’t is usually harder to appreciate. Speedrunners make everything look so easy, and when you know a particular game...

    I always recommend looking for games you know, as watching a game you don’t is usually harder to appreciate. Speedrunners make everything look so easy, and when you know a particular game yourself, it makes their skill stand out a lot more.

    Now that’s also a complete cop-out non-answer 😆 so in the spirit of giving an actual recommendation: The event my husband and I always look forward to most is the Mario Maker relay (currently scheduled for Saturday night — time-zone dependent of course). Two teams race each other on new Mario Maker levels made specifically for the event by some of the world’s best MM level designers. The teams pass off the controller after each death, so while one person is playing the others are watching and noting what to do when they get their chance with the controller.

    It’s always one of the most exciting events, with the levels being stunningly well-made and the skill on display being absolutely top notch.

    3 votes
  2. Comment on Summer Games Done Quick 2023, a week-long charity fundraising event featuring speedruns, has begun in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I always love the TASbot blocks, but they seem to be unexpectedly controversial, with many people hating them for some reason? They’ve been absent before and come back though, so I expect we’ll...

    I always love the TASbot blocks, but they seem to be unexpectedly controversial, with many people hating them for some reason? They’ve been absent before and come back though, so I expect we’ll see them again in the future. TASbot and dwangoAC are iconic GDQ staples at this point.

    Also, I was fine with Super Metroid leaving as an ending game, but it’s a nice throwback to have it return. I do wish they would change the incentives to “Save the Animals vs. Save the Frames” because it feels like it’s more in the spirit of the event, and it’s honestly always kind of weird and jarring to hear the announcer plug the “Kill the Animals” incentive.

    2 votes
  3. Comment on Summer Games Done Quick 2023, a week-long charity fundraising event featuring speedruns, has begun in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Yeah, that was a ridiculous and thoroughly entertaining run. I also ended up ordering Ring Fit Adventure as a result. My husband and I were watching and thought that it looked fun, so we’re going...

    Yeah, that was a ridiculous and thoroughly entertaining run.

    I also ended up ordering Ring Fit Adventure as a result. My husband and I were watching and thought that it looked fun, so we’re going to try it out (but, you know, casually and not speedrun-style). I’ve been doing a lot of fitness-based VR stuff lately, and Ring Fit looks like a good complement to that.

    2 votes
  4. Comment on Summer Games Done Quick 2023, a week-long charity fundraising event featuring speedruns, has begun in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Even if the COVID protocols are a bit of an overreaction at this point in time, I'm fine with them. The marathon is supporting a medical organization, so being overly cautious in the wake of a...

    Even if the COVID protocols are a bit of an overreaction at this point in time, I'm fine with them. The marathon is supporting a medical organization, so being overly cautious in the wake of a pandemic is essentially a sign of respect. Also there's a possibility that MSF might have requested the protocols for the event themselves, and it wasn't even GDQ's decision in the first place.

    If you're wanting that "early GDQ vibe", look into ESA's marathons. They're comparable to (at times better than!) GDQ in polish and quality, but they feel a lot less "produced" than current GDQ.

    Also, this isn't a dig at you in the slightest, but I've been hearing the "GDQ is too corporate/sanitized/woke/soulless/greedy" line for a LONG time now, and a lot of times it's less of a genuine criticism and more of a cover for a regressive viewpoint. When GDQ had an openly trans host that was getting transphobic comments in chat, for example, moderating that hate speech was spun in the negative by critics as GDQ being too "corporate" or "sanitized". People didn't want to openly say "we want to continue being transphobic" because they know that's a bad look, so they hid it under more general, reasonable-sounding criticism.

    As a long-time watcher of GDQ, I definitely have my criticisms of it, and lately I genuinely have preferred ESA's more chill and a bit off-the-wall vibe. But I'll also say that the "GDQ is/will be dead by its own hand" narrative is overblown and is perpetuated mostly by people who find a revealing delight rather than an earnest sadness in the idea of the organization failing. Again, I am not saying this applies to you in the slightest (I think you're being honest and genuine here), but I do think it's valuable to contextualize the broader conversation.

    To me, GDQ remains one of the best faces the gaming community has. They’ve done an incomparable amount of good, and they continue to put out high quality events, even if those events don't reach the same highs as previous ones.

    5 votes
  5. Comment on Tildes Pop-up Book Club: Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky in ~books

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    I'm in! Also I'm so excited to see a pop-up event from someone besides myself!

    I'm in!

    Also I'm so excited to see a pop-up event from someone besides myself!

    3 votes
  6. Comment on Summer Games Done Quick 2023, a week-long charity fundraising event featuring speedruns, has begun in ~games

  7. Comment on Tildes Pop-Up Game Event: Demo Disc Days in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    You had it right. I misread it! (Sorry @mundane_and_naive) And the spirit of the event is to try out games you haven’t played before, so ideally it’s stuff that’s new to you.

    You had it right. I misread it! (Sorry @mundane_and_naive)

    And the spirit of the event is to try out games you haven’t played before, so ideally it’s stuff that’s new to you.

    2 votes
  8. Comment on Tildes Pop-Up Game Event: Demo Disc Days in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    @Protected, if you want me to include the game in the event, let me know!

    @Protected, if you want me to include the game in the event, let me know!

    2 votes
  9. Comment on Battle of the Bits in ~music

    kfwyre
    Link
    In the mid 2000s, I used to spend a lot of time on Song Fight, which I had forgotten about until I saw this. It’s basically a similar concept to Battle of the Bits, but instead of using the same...

    In the mid 2000s, I used to spend a lot of time on Song Fight, which I had forgotten about until I saw this. It’s basically a similar concept to Battle of the Bits, but instead of using the same samples, everyone writes and records a song around a common title.

    I was honestly amazed to see that the site is still up and going. The site design hasn’t changed at all, so I got a huge blast of nostalgia when it loaded. They did add a TWENTY YEARS! banner on their logo which make me feel all sorts of old though.

    2 votes
  10. Comment on Liquid diet recommendations and tips? in ~health

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    cc: @DrStone I’ve got a Ninja Foodi. I love it and it does an excellent job. The reason my smoothies are so gritty is that I add a lot of stuff into them: oats, protein powder, flax and chia...

    cc: @DrStone

    I’ve got a Ninja Foodi. I love it and it does an excellent job. The reason my smoothies are so gritty is that I add a lot of stuff into them: oats, protein powder, flax and chia seeds, etc. I also much prefer a thicker, heavier smoothie over something thinner and closer to juice.

    If I take those out and up the ratio of liquid to fruit and veg, I have no doubt I can get something smooth out of it.

    1 vote
  11. Comment on Liquid diet recommendations and tips? in ~health

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    Update: I've tried out three meal replacement shakes so far: Soylent, Huel, and OWYN. I tried the chocolate ready-to-drink versions for each to make the comparisons easy. In terms of taste and...

    Update:

    I've tried out three meal replacement shakes so far: Soylent, Huel, and OWYN.

    I tried the chocolate ready-to-drink versions for each to make the comparisons easy.

    In terms of taste and texture, the order is: Huel, OWYN, Soylent
    In terms of cost, the order is: OWYN, Soylent, Huel
    In terms of sugar content, the order is: Soylent, Huel, OWYN

    So, literally even across all three if we keep the scoring at that.

    OWYN I've ruled out based on two factors. One, it's only cheaper per-item, not per-calorie (its bottles are 250 calories instead of 400). Furthermore, its sugar content is still too high for what I'd like. At 4 grams/250 calories, I'm looking at 32 grams/2000 calories. If I'm going to subsist off of almost nothing but these for a few days, I'd like to have less.

    Soylent and Huel are pretty neck and neck for me. Huel was much thicker than Soylent, which made it feel a bit more "substantial" to have than the Soylent did (which I think is going to make a psychological difference during the days where I can't eat anything). I also liked the taste slightly more, but honestly, I genuinely liked all three. Huel does have a lot more sugar than Soylent, but 20 grams/2000 calories is fine for me. I might just order some of both and switching between the brands can make me feel like I'm getting some "variety" in my diet, lol.

    I've also got a blender and do a smoothie daily already, but the way I make it is still super gritty. I'm going to experiment with getting the grit down, and also doing some things like making curries (though without the heat!) and blending soups.

    Thanks for all of the people who have chimed in and given advice.

    2 votes
  12. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of May 15 in ~news

    kfwyre
    Link
    FDA eases ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men I missed this news last week. I’ve never donated blood but I’ve always wanted to. I downloaded the Red Cross app, but it hasn’t been...

    FDA eases ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men

    The Food and Drug Administration announced on Thursday that it had formally ended the agency’s wide-ranging prohibition on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, a longstanding policy that had been denounced as discriminatory.

    Instead, the F.D.A. is finalizing guidance that includes a questionnaire for all donors that is aimed at learning about their recent sexual activity. The more targeted questions will focus on whether someone has had new or multiple sex partners and anal sex in the last three months.

    Potential donors who had recent sex with new or multiple partners and anal sex under those screening criteria would still be turned away.

    I missed this news last week. I’ve never donated blood but I’ve always wanted to.

    I downloaded the Red Cross app, but it hasn’t been updated yet and still says I’m ineligible. I’ll wait a bit for the changes to propagate before I schedule my first appointment.

    3 votes
  13. Comment on Teya & Salena - Who the Hell Is Edgar? (2023) in ~music

    kfwyre
    Link
    I know I’m late to the Eurovision party (as an American this is allowed, I think?), but I was checking out the highlights from this year’s competition a few days ago, and I haven’t been able to...

    I know I’m late to the Eurovision party (as an American this is allowed, I think?), but I was checking out the highlights from this year’s competition a few days ago, and I haven’t been able to stop listening to this ridiculous and astoundingly catchy bop ever since.

    2 votes
  14. Comment on Who here is a homeowner? in ~life

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    Lots of great stuff from other people here. I'll add two things that were very helpful for me. One was this thread: What are some big mistakes that first-time home buyers can make? (meta sidenote:...

    Lots of great stuff from other people here. I'll add two things that were very helpful for me.

    One was this thread: What are some big mistakes that first-time home buyers can make?
    (meta sidenote: this was one of the first posts I made on Tildes and it gave me a great first impression of the site)
    (another meta sidenote: I noticed that @mycketforvirrad updated the tags on that almost five-year-old post just fourteen hours ago -- you are an absolute LEGEND and tagging GOD and we are lucky to have you)

    The other:

    Initially, I was super intimidated by home-buying. The prospect was so big and so daunting that I was hesitant to even start looking up information because I'd immediately get overwhelmed. There is so much advice out there, and all of the decisions regarding homebuying have such incredible gravity to them, that my anxiety spiked something fierce.

    I say this not to scare you, but actually to reassure you. Once my husband and I started on the homebuying process, I realized that it's actually very linear. We started at step 1, and then I'd dive into learning about step 2. Then we'd do step 2, and I'd learn about the upcoming step 3.

    If you're finding yourself overwhelmed, focus your energies on what you need to know for your next step only. Filter out advice and information that isn't applicable to that particular step, and then come back to those later when you're ready for them.

    5 votes
  15. Comment on Pokemon Pride Team: A commissioned artwork in ~creative

    kfwyre
    Link
    Update: I mounted the print and was able to get some good photos of it. See the final product in all its glory! My husband started up a new Brilliant Diamond game with this Pokemon team.

    Update:

    1. I mounted the print and was able to get some good photos of it. See the final product in all its glory!

    2. My husband started up a new Brilliant Diamond game with this Pokemon team.

    5 votes
  16. Comment on Pokemon Pride Team: A commissioned artwork in ~creative

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    YES! I got my wish and made someone cry! Kidding of course. This was genuinely heartwarming to read. It also brings our conversation full circle! I jokingly asked if we were clones, which prompted...

    YES! I got my wish and made someone cry!

    Kidding of course. This was genuinely heartwarming to read. It also brings our conversation full circle! I jokingly asked if we were clones, which prompted a deeper and more resonant conversation about our perceptions of one another and others online, which has now led to the revelation that we probably actually do look alike in real life, which brings me right back to the idea that we might actually be clones. 😆

    I'm changing over my mental image of you to "my Canadian doppelganger" (but like, the good kind of doppelganger).

    3 votes
  17. Comment on AlbumLove recommendations thread: May 2023 in ~music

    kfwyre
    Link
    casio dad - he's not with us anymore In posting this, there's a big part of me that feels the need to do some lampshade hanging and point out that I'm aware of its flaws, but in the spirit of...

    casio dad - he's not with us anymore

    In posting this, there's a big part of me that feels the need to do some lampshade hanging and point out that I'm aware of its flaws, but in the spirit of AlbumLove I'm going to forego all of that and simply say that this EP has some sort of weird magnetism for me. It's messy, frantic, and chaotic, but all in a really good and compelling way. It's earnest and unpretentious. It's catchy as hell in places, and it displays surprising range in such a short time.

    The artist later went on to greater success with their band glass beach, but I didn't like their album with that band nearly as much as I liked this little slice of odd, chiptune-adjacent, alternative, thoughtful pop.

    3 votes
  18. AlbumLove recommendations thread: May 2023

    Meta note: this series has been restarted by request. Choose one album that you love that you think deserves more love Tell us what it is, and why. Previous posts in series Additional Details What...

    Meta note: this series has been restarted by request.

    Choose one album
    that you love
    that you think deserves more love

    Tell us what it is, and why.


    Previous posts in series


    Additional Details

    What is this?

    It's a new post series I'm trying out! Each month people can use the AlbumLove thread to post an album they love and explore those posted by others.

    I'm planning to put up a new AlbumLove thread on the first of each month for a few months to see how these go as a trial run. If people like it we can keep it going — if they don’t it’ll fizzle out and I’ll stop.

    Why AlbumLove?

    In this day and age, algorithmic recommendations for music are easy to come by, and it's trivial to seek out new music that interests you by searching online. AlbumLove offers an opportunity to sift through music loved by others, including those who might have divergent tastes from you. Think of this as an opportunity to listen outside of your comfort zone, with music that you know someone else adores, from a small pool of thoughtful hand-selected options.

    What do I post?

    Any album that you love and that you feel deserves more appreciation. There are no restrictions on genre, year, or anything else, and nothing is “too popular” or “too niche”. If you think it needs more love — for whatever reason — then it’s welcome in AlbumLove.

    Name the artist and the album, and then, most importantly, share what you love about the album. It could be the music itself, but it could also be your associations with it -- maybe the album reminds you of someone you love, or you saw the band live and got a new appreciation for the studio songs.

    Also, commenting on others' recommendations is encouraged! If you love something that someone else shared, let them know!

    Do I have to listen to what everyone else posts?

    Nope. You don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to. This is about creating a menu of options that people can explore as they wish.

    Can I post more than one album in a month?

    Nope. Limit one! This helps us be more selective about what we choose, as well as preventing the threads from getting flooded with too many contributions to keep track of.

    Why albums and not songs/artists?

    I like albums. :)

    Seriously though, I feel like it's a very different thing to like an album as a whole versus a few songs or just an artist's general vibe. I like the idea of quantizing music for appreciation in the same way we might do with books or movies.

    What about EPs?

    Fair game!

    6 votes