lou's recent activity
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Comment on Living human brain cells play DOOM on a CL1 in ~tech
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
lou (edited )LinkIrony Especially online but also offline. Irony is now a vague, overly broad concept loosely applied to any kind of non-serious utterance. It is usually poorly conceived, providing no intellectual...Irony
Especially online but also offline.
Irony is now a vague, overly broad concept loosely applied to any kind of non-serious utterance. It is usually poorly conceived, providing no intellectual gratification. More often than not, online irony is an ad-hoc justification for abject statements. It is also made in social contexts where the members are not familiar with each other. Familiarity is a crucial element of well-crafted irony.
There are many necessary conditions for felicitous irony that are only possible in very small groups, preferably in person.
I do believe irony is often felicitous in fiction. Other than that, it is typically either a failure or a pointless display of (self-attributed) wit.
Some people believe I don't get irony because I am autistic, but the reality is that, in most cases, I'd rather ignore the irony because it is boring and poorly conceived. I take irony at face value not because I fail to perceive it, but rather because there is a serious tangent that is way more interesting.
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Comment on Writers who don't read books: a response in ~books
lou (edited )Link ParentA lack of reading often makes aspiring writers believe that their writing is awesome and special. They have nothing to compare to. They can show a premature fear of being plagiarized. "No, dude, I...A lack of reading often makes aspiring writers believe that their writing is awesome and special. They have nothing to compare to. They can show a premature fear of being plagiarized. "No, dude, I don't think you should be worried that your super unique idea about teenagers gaining superpowers is at any risk of being stolen".
Reality can be a shock, as they are genuinely not prepared to the possibility that they are maybe not geniuses.
It took me a very long time to understand why my earnest criticism was met with either silence or bewilderment. I was trying to be helpful. It turns out, in most cases, the socially appropriate response to writing is superlative praise. Since I cannot always guarantee that, I stopped reading stuff aspiring writers sent me. That was a great decision for my mental health.
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Comment on The legal rights of extraterrestrials in ~society
lou Link ParentI haven't read it in full but I believe Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein touches on those issues.I haven't read it in full but I believe Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein touches on those issues.
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Comment on Writers who don't read books: a response in ~books
lou Link ParentPerhaps consider adding "source.youtube" to your filtered tags.I don't watch Youtube video's so I have no idea what this is really about so I'm commenting on the headline only.
Perhaps consider adding "source.youtube" to your filtered tags.
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Writers who don't read books: a response
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
lou (edited )Link ParentYeah... we have the kiss on the cheek in Brazil too. But only with the opposite sex. In São Paulo is one kiss, in Rio is two sides. Here in Salvador is kiss and a hug. I hate all of that so I have...Yeah... we have the kiss on the cheek in Brazil too. But only with the opposite sex. In São Paulo is one kiss, in Rio is two sides. Here in Salvador is kiss and a hug. I hate all of that so I have several strategies to avoid it.
I don't think they have it in the South, which is predominantly White.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lou LinkAbsolute Superman 1 and 2. DC's Absolute imprint recreates heroes in another universe with significant differences from the mainline. It is a great way to get back into reading DC comics without...Absolute Superman 1 and 2.
DC's Absolute imprint recreates heroes in another universe with significant differences from the mainline. It is a great way to get back into reading DC comics without having to make sense of years of continuity. Up until now the titles are also independent so you don't need to follow several titles to understand the stories.
It recently started being published in Brazil.
Absolute Superman is awesome and vibrant. The art is gorgeous and the story is full of energy. In this universe, Kal-El only leaves Krypton as a teenager. Krypton itself is different too, with a rigit caste system. Kal-El is not from a wealthy family. This Superman is younger and Earth's reality, darker and more complex. Lois Lane is not a journalist, but an agent in an organization hunting Superman.
I am loving Absolute Superman. It introduces enough different elements to make it fresh while remaining faithfull to the core values of the characters. They made Krypton a lot more interesting and it would be a shame to not explore it any further. The title brilliantly reintroduces Superman to older fans and I am excited for the other issues!
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
lou Link ParentWagner Moura is from my hometown and studied journalism at the same university my parents did. I know many people who know him and I even saw him at the local airport once. So I 100% should have...Wagner Moura is from my hometown and studied journalism at the same university my parents did. I know many people who know him and I even saw him at the local airport once. So I 100% should have watched it already. I'm a bad Brazilian. I'll get back to this comment when I watch it.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
lou (edited )LinkUnless someone is very close and present in my life, I don't usually care about deaths. But James Van Der Beek's death hit hard and I'm still trying to understand why. I am not grieving as if he...Unless someone is very close and present in my life, I don't usually care about deaths. But James Van Der Beek's death hit hard and I'm still trying to understand why. I am not grieving as if he was a close friend, but I am definitely experiencing this way more intensely than any other celebrity.
Maybe Dawson (his most famous character) had an influence on me that I never realized.
Like me, he was a movie buff who loved Spielberg and went to film school. Like me, he was oblivous of his surroundings, socially incompetent and a cronic overthinker. He spent his teenage years in an intermittent relationship with Joey (Katie Holmes), and, to my dismay, that is when the similarities end.
I did not watch Dawson's Creek in full in the 1990s, but the little I watched made a huge impact on me. I wrote about it before, and going back to it now is both comforting and unsettling. The shots of the lake, the bucolic atmosphere. The constant references to films from the 1980s and before. It's a powerful nostalgia bomb I can't resist right now.
Thank you for that, James.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lou Link ParentThat is great. My only worry is not having the mental capacity for convoluted exposition. I'm sure it's a great book ;)That is great.
My only worry is not having the mental capacity for convoluted exposition. I'm sure it's a great book ;)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lou LinkI was discouraged by the amount of names and unexplained concepts in the beginning of Hyperion. I understand that is a writing technique, but I am worried by the amount of obscurity I may...I was discouraged by the amount of names and unexplained concepts in the beginning of Hyperion. I understand that is a writing technique, but I am worried by the amount of obscurity I may routinely face in that book. I assume that the goal is to increase immersion, but I cannot help feeling extremely anxious and insecure as a reader.
If that only happens in the beginning, I'm okay with it. But I don't have the mental capacity for a book that keeps doing that. If something is name-dropped and only explained after 200 pages, the odds of me remembering when that one tiny detail was introduced are slim. Fans of that book: does this get better?
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Comment on James Van Der Beek, the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star who later mocked his own hunky persona, has died at 48 in ~tv
lou LinkI had a Dawson's Creek moment in 2022 that was very nostalgic. This is so sad. That dude is part of my history and was not that much older than me. Also, it's fucked that someone would have to...I had a Dawson's Creek moment in 2022 that was very nostalgic.
This is so sad. That dude is part of my history and was not that much older than me. Also, it's fucked that someone would have to incur debt because they lost the genetic lottery.
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Comment on Cassini, a spiritual successor to Microsoft Paint for the iPad in ~creative
lou Link ParentI don't know when that became a feature on Paint, but you can change the size of your drawing by dragging the tiny square in the corner. I do know that feature has existed for a very long time,...For example, every Cassini canvas is 1000x500. That's it. No other resolutions exist,
I don't know when that became a feature on Paint, but you can change the size of your drawing by dragging the tiny square in the corner. I do know that feature has existed for a very long time, but I don't know if it was there when Paintbrush was created.
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Comment on Babylon 5 is now free to watch on YouTube in ~tv
lou LinkI really tried that show. I couldn't get into the theatre-like feel. Maybe I'll give it another shot.I really tried that show. I couldn't get into the theatre-like feel. Maybe I'll give it another shot.
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Comment on What are you working through? in ~life
lou (edited )LinkI am working through my dissatisfaction with people on chat groups -- WhatsApp and Discord. I realized that they cause me way too much stress without many positives. Most people in these groups...I am working through my dissatisfaction with people on chat groups -- WhatsApp and Discord. I realized that they cause me way too much stress without many positives. Most people in these groups are under 25 years old, and, respectfully, I'm tired of dealing with young people who barely read what I write and aggressively respond to imaginary versions of my beliefs and statements. Leaving some of these groups already lowered my anxiety. I intend to leave all of them soon. But it's really something I am working through, as these groups provided an important social environment for me in the past year. But those connections are elusive and incredibly shallow. The next step is finding a real-life social environment for me. It won't be easy.
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Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech
lou (edited )Link ParentI am a progressive leftist and also a father, but my child is too young for that to be a concern. In the past I helped a (now) former partner who had a 12-year-old daughter. Her daughter was...I am a progressive leftist and also a father, but my child is too young for that to be a concern.
In the past I helped a (now) former partner who had a 12-year-old daughter. Her daughter was seduced by a man in his 40s from another state via Facebook. She sent him naked pictures. Probably videos as well.
When we discovered what was happening, her daughter was about to go to a bus terminal to get on an interstate bus and meet the man almost 1200 kilometers (or 746 miles) away. A 16 hour trip. We're in Brazil, so our police forces are much smaller and less efficient than in the US. At that point, she would be out of our reach and completely at the mercy of her abuser.
That is, of course, just one case. But it left a lasting impression on me. Enough to not be so critical of attempts to protect minors from online exposure. Even if a policy like that is only effective 5% of the time, 5% is probably a lot already.
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Comment on Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month in ~tech
lou Link ParentI don't believe the main issue is pornography. Since Discord is a chat program, I would be way more concerned with grooming and sex crimes targeting minors.I don't believe the main issue is pornography. Since Discord is a chat program, I would be way more concerned with grooming and sex crimes targeting minors.
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Comment on What are your food aversions? in ~food
lou Link ParentI don't believe I dislike acidic foods. For example, I don't put sugar on tomato sauce precisely because I don't mind and even enjoy the acidity. Up to a level. Tropical fruit, which are plentiful...I don't believe I dislike acidic foods. For example, I don't put sugar on tomato sauce precisely because I don't mind and even enjoy the acidity. Up to a level. Tropical fruit, which are plentiful here, are usually vibrant and exuberant. It is too much for me.
I do believe my taste in food may be a reflection of autism, which I was recently diagnosed with.
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Comment on What are your food aversions? in ~food
lou Link ParentThere's no need to say you are sorry. I do not like fruit, but I have no issue with other people enjoying it :P I'm glad you ate some fruit you love. It is unfortunate that you became allergic to...There's no need to say you are sorry. I do not like fruit, but I have no issue with other people enjoying it :P
I'm glad you ate some fruit you love. It is unfortunate that you became allergic to some fruit, but aren't some allergies curable?
It is quite conceivable for consciousness to already exist at this moment over systems that are not made of brain cells.
Dear reader: "conceivable" is an intentional word choice. I know this is bananas.