kfwyre's recent activity
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of September 14 in ~games
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Comment on Tildes Book Club schedule 2025 - 2026 in ~books
kfwyre LinkA Psalm for the Wild-Built has A Discount for the E-Reader. It’s on sale for $3 USD wherever you buy your ebooks. Canadian friends, additional good news: Amazon.ca DOES have this deal! Also, for... -
Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI'm probably not the best person for anyone to compare their experiences to, as my nostalgia goggles for this game are unbelievably rose-colored. The map and hotspots and even where you can and...I'm probably not the best person for anyone to compare their experiences to, as my nostalgia goggles for this game are unbelievably rose-colored. The map and hotspots and even where you can and can't go and look are all burned into my brain.
I think if I were playing it without that foundation I would find it much more frustrating and uninteresting. I'd be able to see its flaws a lot more clearly. So I don't begrudge anyone who isn't into it! I think that's completely understandable, and your criticisms are valid.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
kfwyre LinkI wouldn’t call myself a Swiftie, but I would say that I’ve been fond of Taylor Swift's songwriting ever since Speak Now came out. I was impressed at the richness of its lyrics. Swift was a...I wouldn’t call myself a Swiftie, but I would say that I’ve been fond of Taylor Swift's songwriting ever since Speak Now came out. I was impressed at the richness of its lyrics. Swift was a teenager when writing most of them, but her writing had a maturity and perspective that felt older than her years. She has a fantastic ear for melody and can land resonance in pop song lyrics like few else.
But there is one line that has bothered me ever since Speak Now came out fifteen years ago. In "Better Than Revenge", the chorus starts like this:
She's not a saint
And she's not what you think
She's an actress (whoa-oh)
She's better known for the things
That she does on the mattress (whoa-oh)Not only is the "actress/mattress" rhyme tortured on its own, but the last two lines feel juvenile in a bad way (and more than a little bit slut-shame-y). Those lines were the bane of my many repeated Speak Now listens, blemishing what I think is otherwise a nearly flawless pop album.
Well, in a remarkably rare case of a sore thumb line being fixed, Swift actually changed the lyrics when she re-recorded "Taylor's Version", tweaking the chorus to be:
She's not a saint
And she's not what you think
She's an actress (whoa-oh)
He was a moth to the flame
She was holding the matches (whoa-oh)It is a genuine improvement in my eyes. A fantastic bugfix, now with 100% less slut-shaming! Even besides that, it hits the ear better; the rhyming is more thoughtful; and it strengthens the song's theme.
It's not often that artists get a chance to 'fix" a song but Swift took that opportunity with her re-record and I think the song and album are much better for it.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
kfwyre (edited )Link ParentI totally get it. In thinking about my own answer to the question, Vanessa Carlton’s “Hands on Me” came to mind. I love the whole song: its lyrics, its composition, its feel, the brightness of...I totally get it.
In thinking about my own answer to the question, Vanessa Carlton’s “Hands on Me” came to mind.
I love the whole song: its lyrics, its composition, its feel, the brightness of Carlton’s voice. I also have a soft spot for the video, which was explicitly queer-inclusive back in 2007 when mainstream representation was still quite hard for us to find.
But in the chorus, she sings:
And if you don’t believe me
Just put your hands on meMultiple times.
It’s not technically a rhyme in the structure of the song, but my brain can’t hear it as anything other than rhyming “me” with “me”.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
kfwyre Link ParentI love that you brought an annotated counterpoint to the table. This is such a high effort post on such a low stakes topic and I am here for it. 😁I love that you brought an annotated counterpoint to the table.
This is such a high effort post on such a low stakes topic and I am here for it. 😁
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What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you?
I’m calling a “sore thumb” lyric a bad line (or lines) in an otherwise good, well-written song. Something that sticks out like, well, a sore thumb. It’s something that’s bad enough to be...
I’m calling a “sore thumb” lyric a bad line (or lines) in an otherwise good, well-written song. Something that sticks out like, well, a sore thumb.
It’s something that’s bad enough to be noteworthy, potentially even bad enough to ruin the entire song if it’s really potent. It is, of course, also entirely a matter of personal taste and preference. One person’s “sore thumb” lyric might be another person’s highlight.
Of note: it’s not a sore thumb lyric if you don’t like the song or think it’s poorly written in the first place. The point of the topic isn’t to highlight bad songwriting but to highlight misfires in otherwise good songwriting.
What are some examples of these lines in songs you like?
Explain why they stick out like a sore thumb for you personally.
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Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentIt happened! The Last Express on an actual train! That photo is such a delight.It happened! The Last Express on an actual train!
That photo is such a delight.
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Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentLetting you know that I finished The Last Express today, and I ordered an old hint guide for Titanic: Adventure Out of Time that should be coming in soon, which means I'm going to give the game a...Letting you know that I finished The Last Express today, and I ordered an old hint guide for Titanic: Adventure Out of Time that should be coming in soon, which means I'm going to give the game a try since I've still got half a month left until our next CGA pick.
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Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentI just finished the game! The credits sequence still gives me chills. It's probably been close to 10 years since the last time I played it. There were a surprising amount of things I didn't...I just finished the game! The credits sequence still gives me chills.
It's probably been close to 10 years since the last time I played it. There were a surprising amount of things I didn't remember, and my mental mapping of the events of the game was completely out of order.
Needless to say though, I loved it yet again. I don't know what it is about this game, but it just gets me. I could play it again right now and be thoroughly happy about it! It was also shorter than I remember, but I think that's because I'm essentially speedrunning the game (as much as you can speedrun a game that runs at its own pace) since I already know what to do and don't hit all the regular failstates. Though I was admittedly humbled by
Spoilers
how many times I failed some of the fights. Particularly the one with Vesna (with the sword) on top of the train.
I've been loving reading everyone's updates in this topic, and I'm so excited to hear final thoughts in the Remove Cartridge topic.
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Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
kfwyre Link ParentMetaphorically, unfortunately. I would love to play this on an actual train, both because it would be thematically appropriate and because I want @CannibalisticApple to give me bonus points for...Metaphorically, unfortunately.
I would love to play this on an actual train, both because it would be thematically appropriate and because I want @CannibalisticApple to give me bonus points for winning a meta challenge.
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Comment on CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express in ~games
kfwyre LinkIt's Friday night. The copy of the strategy guide I ordered has arrived. The game is up and running in ScummVM. And I'm about to depart on my 10th? 15th? maybe even 20th? trip on The Last Express....It's Friday night.
The copy of the strategy guide I ordered has arrived.
The game is up and running in ScummVM.
And I'm about to depart on my 10th? 15th? maybe even 20th? trip on The Last Express. I'm excited to relive the story and meet back up with all the different characters.
I shouldn't actually need the strategy guide unless I somehow forget something major, but it's a big part of my overall nostalgia for the game. I remember calling different bookstores back in the day to find one near me that had it in stock! I'm going to have fun re-reading it once
I finish my playthroughthe train arrives at its destination, which is looking to be either Saturday or Sunday, depending on our stops. -
Comment on The US school shooting industry is worth billions — and it keeps growing in ~society
kfwyre LinkThere have been more than 400 school shootings since Columbine in 1999, according to an analysis by The Washington Post. The latest was last month, when a former student opened fire at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. Two students were killed and at least 18 other people were wounded.
In the wake of those shootings, an industry has emerged to try to protect schools — and business is booming. According to the market research firm Omdia, the school security industry is now worth as much as $4 billion, and it's projected to keep growing.
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The US school shooting industry is worth billions — and it keeps growing
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Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk
kfwyre Link ParentAccording to its Wikipedia page (yes, it has its own Wikipedia page), it switched from Flash to HTML5 in 2021. I’m glad the infinite is still possible; the unattainable, still unknown.According to its Wikipedia page (yes, it has its own Wikipedia page), it switched from Flash to HTML5 in 2021.
I’m glad the infinite is still possible; the unattainable, still unknown.
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Comment on Throwback Thursday: Let's talk old flash and memes! in ~talk
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of September 7 in ~games
kfwyre (edited )LinkFanatical has an unfortunately named bundle out that’s a pretty great deal. Pick 5 or more games for $1.10 USD each. I’ll specifically recommend Chernobylite. It’s clearly S.T.A.L.K.E.R-inspired...Fanatical has an unfortunately named bundle out that’s a pretty great deal. Pick 5 or more games for $1.10 USD each.
I’ll specifically recommend Chernobylite. It’s clearly S.T.A.L.K.E.R-inspired and definitely has some flaws, but I enjoyed it overall and it’s got great atmospheric vibes. Being able to visit some of the iconic places from the Exclusion Zone was really cool. It suffers from padding out its length with the same content (you’ll repeatedly deploy to the same maps over and over again), but for a buck, it’s a bargain.
I’ll also softly recommend Accident. It’s sort of the platonic ideal of a bundle game: something odd and niche and that I wouldn’t recommend at full price. It’s essentially a First Responder Simulator. Each scenario has you being the first person to arrive at the scene of an accident, and you have to assess the situation, secure the location, provide aid, and gather evidence that reveals what caused the accident. The game isn’t exactly fun (it treats itself seriously, which I think is the right tone), and it’s pretty rote (you’re really just following a checklist for each scenario), but I’ve never played anything else like it and I appreciated my time with it.
I myself grabbed Pinball Spire and started it up. It’s a sort of single-world pinball game where you complete tables to advance to the next one (but can also fall back to previous ones). I’m liking it so far. Definitely worth a buck.
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
kfwyre Link ParentEven though the specifics of your original point were wrong, its main thrust still holds. The fact that we have to clarify that, actually, people didn’t die in today’s school shooting is, once...- Exemplary
Even though the specifics of your original point were wrong, its main thrust still holds. The fact that we have to clarify that, actually, people didn’t die in today’s school shooting is, once again, a damning indictment of how normalized it has become in this country to have bullets rip through kids.
Additional Soapboxing
While I’m here, I want to add that the (unfortunately necessary) focus on deaths relative to school shootings ends up creating a distorted view of their impact. Even though no one died (besides the shooter) in yesterday’s school shooting, there were still people injured in possibly life-altering ways.
Also, that entire school and everyone connected to it is now deeply traumatized. The kids who won’t be able to feel safe again for months or years; the staff who had to face their own potential deaths as well as the potential deaths of the kids they care for; the parents and guardians and families who got the call or saw the news and won’t be able to shake the feeling of that horrible, heart-stopping, stomach-dropping fear from their minds for years.
With so many school shootings and a seemingly unilateral focus on deaths, we miss these events for what they actually are: mass trauma for whole communities — especially the children in those communities. Yes, there were no deaths, and that is a twisted sort of blessing, but something like this is still damnably dark, and we’re so jaded by now that we hardly even notice.
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Comment on Humble Choice - September 2025 in ~games
kfwyre LinkI tried out Grapple Dog. It's a neat little game. Bright, simple graphics, and movement that's easy to learn, hard to master. Sometimes I play games and come to the conclusion that they're not for...I tried out Grapple Dog. It's a neat little game. Bright, simple graphics, and movement that's easy to learn, hard to master.
Sometimes I play games and come to the conclusion that they're not for me, but they're the exact kind of game I'd want to watch a speedrun of. This is one of those. My forays through the beginning levels were clumsy and awkward, but I can see how, with practice and mastery, the movement would become satisfying and buttery smooth.
So, not my cup of tea, but definitely a good game for what it is. If you're looking for a retro-inspired 2D grappling hook platformer (which, let's be honest, there aren't terribly many of), then this is a good fit.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang - How is it going? in ~books
kfwyre LinkIn contrast with my usual pattern of slacking, I’ve actually already started! Chiang’s Exhalation is one of my favorite books, so I’ve been looking forward to this one. I’ve finished the first two...In contrast with my usual pattern of slacking, I’ve actually already started! Chiang’s Exhalation is one of my favorite books, so I’ve been looking forward to this one.
I’ve finished the first two stories and liked both of them. I love how conceptual his stories are. He always has thoughtful, unique premises for them.
I’ve got a platelet donation scheduled for this weekend. That’ll be a nice uninterrupted two hour reading block, so I’ll put more of a dent in the rest of the book then.
Colossal Cave, a modern remake/update of Colossal Cave Adventure (the naming inspiration for our very own Colossal Game Adventure), is on sale for 75% off on Steam and GOG.
I haven’t played it so I can’t give my thoughts, but it’s pretty cool that the top review on Steam is from Roberta Williams herself.