milkbones_4_bigelow's recent activity

  1. Comment on Deeper - This Heat in ~music

  2. Comment on Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P-Orridge dies aged 70 in ~music

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link
    Sometimes, just drifting In this simple world Like a country dream...

    Sometimes, just drifting
    In this simple world
    Like a country dream...

    3 votes

  3. Comment on It’s okay to leave your headphones at home in ~life

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link
    There's a tendency in contemporary culture to impress the virtue of picking sides however, I'm not sure this is something that has to be thought of in those terms. I've had experiences where the...

    There's a tendency in contemporary culture to impress the virtue of picking sides however, I'm not sure this is something that has to be thought of in those terms. I've had experiences where the real world and whichever soundtrack is scoring it have converged to offer moments of great clarity and conversely moments of peace and reflection in complete silence. Is there perhaps room for both?

    22 votes

  4. Comment on Confessions of a slaughterhouse worker in ~life

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    (edited )
    Link
    I think the questions surrounding language and comparison serve only to avoid the issue. We need only ask ourselves the question, is the consumption of animal products necessary? In the great...

    I think the questions surrounding language and comparison serve only to avoid the issue. We need only ask ourselves the question, is the consumption of animal products necessary? In the great majority of cases, I believe it is not. We value our own desires over the lives of sentient complex beings. This is difficult to acknowledge but I'm certain with some soul-searching the majority of reasonable people will reach the same conclusion without much effort. Should anybody out there be interested in resources/a friendly chat/have questions, please feel free to reach out.

    17 votes

  5. Comment on What's the deal with meta advertising? in ~talk

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I have the feeling something wholly more insidious is going on. Humour is now being used by corporations to anthropomorphise themselves. To appear human-like, similar to someone you may know and...

    I have the feeling something wholly more insidious is going on. Humour is now being used by corporations to anthropomorphise themselves. To appear human-like, similar to someone you may know and perhaps even trust.

    It's also difficult to criticise any entity that beats you to the punch. This closes the door or at least leaves it ajar on real criticism. There's an awful lot going on here though so this is obviously conjecture on my part. I'm not even sure if there has been a downturn in corporate criticism or if people are generally becoming more apathetic. It's hard to tell, at least I wouldn't know where to source such information.

    6 votes

  6. Comment on What did you do this week? in ~talk

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    I'm sorry for your loss. My grandmother passed away suddenly this week and it's been difficult too. You sound like a really compassionate person and I'm sure your friend also recognises that. I...

    I'm sorry for your loss. My grandmother passed away suddenly this week and it's been difficult too. You sound like a really compassionate person and I'm sure your friend also recognises that. I know from experience that just being present and offering your support can be a great comfort. Best of luck to both of you moving forward.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on What's the deal with meta advertising? in ~talk

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I've seen the DFW video before but not for many moons, thanks for the reminder. I enjoyed watching it a second time. It's probably not very cool to champion modernism but there is something so...

    I've seen the DFW video before but not for many moons, thanks for the reminder. I enjoyed watching it a second time. It's probably not very cool to champion modernism but there is something so disheartening about the post-modern mire. It's hard - and likely spurred on by romanticism - to not harken back to the past.

    It's not that relativism is necessarily a bad thing but if it's all that's offered at the epistemological grocer we may find ourselves drowning in a sea of apathy/cynicism before long, perhaps we're already there? "Godot, clean up on aisle 5!"

    3 votes

  8. What's the deal with meta advertising?

    ~talk Text 145 words
    I don't watch T.V very often, but do - when I'm up (which is infrequent given I'm outside the U.S) - watch the NBA. Recently I've had a little time so have watched a few games live. Doing so, I...

    I don't watch T.V very often, but do - when I'm up (which is infrequent given I'm outside the U.S) - watch the NBA. Recently I've had a little time so have watched a few games live. Doing so, I was quite taken aback at how commonplace humour and meta advertising are nowadays. Is this just a U.S thing?

    Is there any research out there on when and why advertisers started doing this? Seems like every other ad shoots for either humour or "we know you know this is an ad, you're clearly smart enough to realise that, so smart in fact you might want to buy into our brand". Whatever the case, as ever, grateful for resources/discussion from those more in the know than I.

    EDIT: A good example that is equal parts humour/meta is LeBron James' Super Bowl Sprite Ad.

    10 votes

  9. Comment on Where to start with Mozart? in ~music

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    Added to my "to watch" list, appreciate the recommendation.

    Added to my "to watch" list, appreciate the recommendation.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on Let's Share Recipes! in ~food

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    Sounds delicious, will look forward to trying this out next weekend :)

    Sounds delicious, will look forward to trying this out next weekend :)

    2 votes

  11. What is something cheap to create but expensive to purchase?

    ~talk Ask
    I was having a conversation with a friend today about the economics of art and the potential cost of purchasing an idea. It got me thinking, what are some other things relatively cheap to create...

    I was having a conversation with a friend today about the economics of art and the potential cost of purchasing an idea. It got me thinking, what are some other things relatively cheap to create but expensive to purchase?

    19 votes

  12. Comment on captcha.nsa.gov in ~tech

  13. Comment on Where to start with Mozart? in ~music

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    Listening now, thanks! Pretty epic opening there.

    Listening now, thanks! Pretty epic opening there.

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Where to start with Mozart? in ~music

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    I've tried similar things in the past, I always burnout. Good reminder though.

    I've tried similar things in the past, I always burnout. Good reminder though.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Where to start with Mozart? in ~music

  16. Comment on Terry A Davis: Questions to God in ~comp

  17. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    I love Felt but haven't heard "Me and a Monkey on the Moon" for some reason. Sounds amazing. Thanks! What was it you didn't like about Loveless?

    I love Felt but haven't heard "Me and a Monkey on the Moon" for some reason. Sounds amazing. Thanks! What was it you didn't like about Loveless?

  18. Comment on reCAPTCHA: Is there method in monotony? in ~tech

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Apologies for the delay in responding skybrian. I agree, ignoring important distinctions is a problem. I could do with being more mindful of this. That said, sticking with Google, it's difficult...

    Apologies for the delay in responding skybrian.

    I agree, ignoring important distinctions is a problem. I could do with being more mindful of this. That said, sticking with Google, it's difficult for me to quantify the net positive/negative considering their reach and given the story hasn't yet fully played out. I can acknowledge my feelings towards Google are just that.

    Re: "free riders/not everyone who got a lunch paid for it". I still do not believe the ride is free. Even if people see advertisements that are irrelevant to them on the grounds of economic exclusion they still pay with their data that is mined and that has the potential of being abused.

    From Permanent Record

    "Ultimately, saying that you don't care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different from saying you don't care about freedom of speech because you have nothing to say. Or that you don't care about freedom of the press because you don't like to read. Or that you don't care about freedom of religion because you don't believe in God. Or that you don't care about the freedom to peacably assemble because you're a lazy, antisocial agoraphobe."

    I appreciate your point about making money and the difficulty that entails for say, creating content on YouTube but perhaps the question we ought to be asking is what are more ethical/sustainable alternatives? I am not interested for example in methods to increase income for the dairy industry just by virtue of it being one of the more ubiquitous methods of agriculture. It's brutal and unnecessary and I would rather seek alternatives that generate less harm.

    Whatever the case, it seems this thread is going on a bit. Just to close from my side, thanks skybrian for your thoughtful responses and for making me think more deeply about this.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on Where to start with Mozart? in ~music

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    Mining the best of seems like a good approach, I'll give that a try, thanks for taking the time to respond.

    You'll likely also recognize a lot of famous pieces from movies, pop culture etc. if you go with best-of albums. It's a way of getting an overview.

    Mining the best of seems like a good approach, I'll give that a try, thanks for taking the time to respond.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on International alternatives... in ~books

    milkbones_4_bigelow
    Link Parent
    Will take a look, thanks.

    China Mieville. I'd probably suggest you start with The City and The City but they're all good.

    Will take a look, thanks.