lou's recent activity

  1. Comment on What do you leave out for Father Christmas? in ~talk

    lou
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    Here in the tropics leaving food out means attracting cockroaches, rodents and sometimes other creatures. So that would be an uncomfortable tradition to have! That would work though.

    Here in the tropics leaving food out means attracting cockroaches, rodents and sometimes other creatures. So that would be an uncomfortable tradition to have!

    but it didn't occur to me that maybe leaving him alcohol is not a typical tradition outside of the UK!

    That would work though.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on You’re 16. You’re a pedophile. You don’t want to hurt anyone. What do you do now? in ~life

  3. Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv

    lou
    (edited )
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    It took me long enough to realize that, after the first episode, Pluribus is primarily interpersonal drama and very light on science fiction material. It is fairly slow as well, and before you...

    It took me long enough to realize that, after the first episode, Pluribus is primarily interpersonal drama and very light on science fiction material. It is fairly slow as well, and before you give me the "generation TikTok has no attention span" spiel, I'm 43 years old, never used TikTok, and enjoyed several slow burns before.

    The sci-fi component in Pluribus is underdeveloped when compared to how much screen time is devoted to relationship stuff. The basic scientific premise is essentially the same throughout the first season and additional information served only to confirm every assumption I had before. There was no growth in complexity or scale.

    If you approach the show as regular science fiction (like I did) you may be disappointed. If you're looking for some quality drama, I guess it's fine?

    The sci-fi flavor makes it interesting for drama fans, which are the majority. Science fiction buffs may be better served by something more traditional.

  4. Comment on How do you keep your life organized? What tools & systems do you use? in ~talk

    lou
    (edited )
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    I use Google Agenda for most things. I should probably be using Todoist more; I just didn't have the need for a while. My wife has a good memory, so I ask her a lot of the things that are not on...

    I use Google Agenda for most things. I should probably be using Todoist more; I just didn't have the need for a while. My wife has a good memory, so I ask her a lot of the things that are not on Google Agenda for some reason. Sometimes twice. Sometimes more. I have ADHD. Anything complicated or clever is likely to fail. The best for me is having the most predictable routine possible. That is not always possible, but it is the ideal.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Hate Brussels sprouts? You may be living in the past. in ~food

    lou
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    I didn't know there was a Brussels sprouts debate lol. I am very sensitive to bitterness, but I do like some things that are considered bitter. And most vegetables I hated as a child were...

    I didn't know there was a Brussels sprouts debate lol. I am very sensitive to bitterness, but I do like some things that are considered bitter. And most vegetables I hated as a child were completely innocent; they were just badly cooked. I'd give that a shot.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on She fell in love with ChatGPT. Then she ghosted it. in ~tech

    lou
    Link Parent
    Some people are single while having a rich social life with friends and family. Others are single while having no friends or close family. So being single can be very different depending on that....

    Some people are single while having a rich social life with friends and family. Others are single while having no friends or close family. So being single can be very different depending on that. Some people put a lot more weight on romantic relationships than others.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on Bowen Yang is leaving Saturday Night Live after tonight’s episode in ~tv

    lou
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    SNL is one of the few pure comedy TV shows these days. I haven't seen Bowen Yang in anything other than SNL, so I have no opinion on him as a general-purpose actor. But he's good at SNL's flavor...

    SNL is one of the few pure comedy TV shows these days. I haven't seen Bowen Yang in anything other than SNL, so I have no opinion on him as a general-purpose actor. But he's good at SNL's flavor of sketch comedy.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on Bowen Yang is leaving Saturday Night Live after tonight’s episode in ~tv

    lou
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    Bowen was probably the most featured cast member in the past two or three years. He was often the star, and he carried a lot of the weight when he wasn't. Excluding Kenan Thompson, this departure...

    Bowen was probably the most featured cast member in the past two or three years. He was often the star, and he carried a lot of the weight when he wasn't. Excluding Kenan Thompson, this departure is about as bombastic and impactful as an SNL departure could get right now.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on Legendary Star Trek writer David Gerrold has started a GoFundMe as he battles leukemia in ~tv

    lou
    Link
    Besides Star Trek, David Gerrold also wrote one of the most insane time-travel stories I ever read, The Man Who Folded Himself.

    Besides Star Trek, David Gerrold also wrote one of the most insane time-travel stories I ever read, The Man Who Folded Himself.

    6 votes

  11. Comment on 'Saturday Night Live' hit with backlash for using AI images in ~tv

    lou
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    SNL's "Domingo" was a big hit last year and it's videos regularly hit multiple million views on YouTube. The political openings can be incredibly boring but they are sometimes referenced by news...

    SNL's "Domingo" was a big hit last year and it's videos regularly hit multiple million views on YouTube. The political openings can be incredibly boring but they are sometimes referenced by news and other media. Same for Weekend Update. I have no idea how many people watch it in full these days, but it's relevant. It was renewed for season 51 that starts this October.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative

    lou
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the answer! Perhaps I will give you a complete response later. But it did clarify this: In the following line: The meaning you use for the word "symbolism" seems broader than I have....

    Thank you for the answer!

    Perhaps I will give you a complete response later. But it did clarify this:

    “when dissected, fiction tends to die”

    In the following line:

    By that I mean that it becomes less appealing.

    The meaning you use for the word "symbolism" seems broader than I have. I'll probably comment on that later.

    4 votes

  14. Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative

    lou
    Link Parent
    That is true about the multiple experiences. That is possible without symbolism but I understand the point that symbolism is one way to achieve that. I have seen quite a few young writers invest...

    That is true about the multiple experiences. That is possible without symbolism but I understand the point that symbolism is one way to achieve that.

    I have seen quite a few young writers invest so heavily in symbolism that a failure in the combination of the symbols can demolish their entire project. Perhaps they should work on creating multiple "edges" as you mention.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative

    lou
    Link Parent
    That's a good idea. Young Brazilian writers are often obsessed with symbolism. But they start with symbolism so it doesn't feel organic.

    That's a good idea. Young Brazilian writers are often obsessed with symbolism. But they start with symbolism so it doesn't feel organic.

    10 votes

  16. Comment on I don't care much for symbolism in ~creative

    lou
    Link Parent
    Yes. You're right. Also, I found it delightful when someone made symbolism out of me. That is not something I seek as a reader myself, but symbolism can be a great thing.

    Yes. You're right. Also, I found it delightful when someone made symbolism out of me. That is not something I seek as a reader myself, but symbolism can be a great thing.

    4 votes

  17. I don't care much for symbolism

    ~creative Ask
    Looking at movies and books like a sleuth, looking for correlations, is not my thing. That is a very cerebral way to look at stories. I prefer letting them take over me with all they got,...

    Looking at movies and books like a sleuth, looking for correlations, is not my thing. That is a very cerebral way to look at stories. I prefer letting them take over me with all they got, symbolism included but mixed with everything else. When it comes to fiction and magic, I wanna watch the trick, not figure it out. Much like magic tricks, I firmly believe that, when dissected, fiction tends to die.

    By that I mean that it becomes less appealing.

    I'm a little annoyed by the view that, if you don't look for "hidden meanings", your engagement with art is of a lesser quality. As if there was only one acceptable and elevated way to read things.

    Much to my delight, people have built interesting symbolism from my writing that I never intended to create. I don't write symbolism, but I tend to use elements that are universal, well-known, and easy to interpret as symbols.

    I'm not sure why I wrote this. I just wanted to organize my thoughts about this subject in a place where people are nice.

    I guess that is it.

    What do you think of symbolism?

    30 votes

  18. Comment on Supergirl | Official teaser in ~movies

    lou
    (edited )
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    Looks okay. Not incredible, but not completely generic either. I think I saw one set that is not entirely blue screen. Milly Alcock has an interesting face and carries herself well. She's the best...

    Looks okay. Not incredible, but not completely generic either. I think I saw one set that is not entirely blue screen. Milly Alcock has an interesting face and carries herself well. She's the best thing in this trailer for me. I'm not very interested in watching Supergirl on another planet, the cinematic Supe* family only really makes sense on Earth for me. Yes, I know comic book Superman had plenty of stories in space, but comics have way more stories and arcs, so that's okay.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on How Europe is gearing up to follow Australia's teen social media ban in ~tech

    lou
    Link Parent
    I don't think laws are made under the expectation that they'll work 100% of time. Some will use VPNs, some will use other websites. Some will use less social media. That is by design.

    I don't think laws are made under the expectation that they'll work 100% of time. Some will use VPNs, some will use other websites. Some will use less social media. That is by design.

    2 votes