rsl12's recent activity
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Comment on Vegan recipe log in ~food
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Comment on What's your attitude about Russian classic literature? in ~books
rsl12 (edited )LinkI heard that many Ukrainians avoid all Russian culture, for obvious reasons. Is this correct? Do many people avoid classic Russian literature for this reason? I'm curious about your feelings. I...I heard that many Ukrainians avoid all Russian culture, for obvious reasons. Is this correct? Do many people avoid classic Russian literature for this reason?
I'm curious about your feelings. I have read some Dostoevsky (The Double, Crime & Punishment, Brothers Karamasov), Tolstoy (War and Peace, Anna Karenina), Solzhenitsyn (One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a little bit of Gulag Archipelago), and Nabokov (Lolita, Pale Fire). In both Dostoevsky's and Tolstoy's works, there is a tiny bit of patriotism. Both authors spend a couple of paragraphs exulting the Russian soul and spirit. But if I remember right, they never say "Russia is superior to all other countries" (or if they do, they do it in the same way a person would say "My mother is the best mother," without meaning that all other mothers are inferior).
Do Ukrainians feel that Dostoevsky's and Tolstoy's works are jingoistic? If so, I'm curious about how they were taught in Ukrainian schools, because as an outsider, I didn't have that impression at all.
My feelings about the authors:
Tolstoy: he's like a scientist, the way he studies personalities and how to depict them. I feel like my internal library of "personality types" expanded by reading his works.
Dostoevsky: "Brothers Karamazov" was my favorite book when I was in university. I love how it depicts three different ways of finding salvation (even though I'm not religious, I understand what it means to feel spiritual). And the plot that bound everything together was also gripping. One thing I loved about both Tolstoy and Dostoevsky was how easy they were to read, both in terms of how interesting they were, and how clearly the plot and characters were described.
Solzhenitsyn: He shares so many stylistic similarities with Tolstoy and Dostoevsky--they way characters are described, the length and detail, the way he goes off on philosophical tangents.
Nabokov: Quite different from the other writers I mentioned above. I enjoyed Lolita--it was colorful, his use of the English language was outstanding, and he managed to throw in many thoughtful ideas into his crazy plot. Pale Fire was less interesting to me. I liked the opening poem section, but after that it felt like a crossword puzzle, both in terms of how much brain power I needed to understand it, and in terms of the amount of emotional weight it held (almost none).
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman in ~books
rsl12 Link ParentIf one were judging strictly by plot, it would be a pretty typical kid's story: child from the mundane world meets a girl with magic powers. The two go to a fantasy setting to confront a monster,...If one were judging strictly by plot, it would be a pretty typical kid's story: child from the mundane world meets a girl with magic powers. The two go to a fantasy setting to confront a monster, and then because of a mistake they have to confront a bigger monster. It looks like a sad ending until magic makes everything okay.
But I think the details are designed to trigger adults more than children. Money worries and obsession is handled in a way that rings true, even if exaggerated. Unhealthy scenes of coping with loneliness seem very adult.
I really enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting my finger on why it moved me, given its standard fantasy plot. But there is definitely poetry in the details.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - How are you doing with Ocean at the End of the Lane? in ~books
rsl12 Link ParentI finished the book before that news broke... I don't think it colors how I feel about the novel's plot or characters, but it does make me sad to hear.I finished the book before that news broke... I don't think it colors how I feel about the novel's plot or characters, but it does make me sad to hear.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - 2024 summer schedule in ~books
rsl12 LinkI keep underestimating my summer reading ability (but also the book club books are so good I can't put them down). I am now two books ahead of schedule: Small Gods and The Ocean At The End Of The...I keep underestimating my summer reading ability (but also the book club books are so good I can't put them down). I am now two books ahead of schedule: Small Gods and The Ocean At The End Of The Lane. I just finished the latter. There is plenty to discuss, but at the same time I worry that discussion will break the magic of it. I will wait impatiently for the discussion to start.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - 2024 summer schedule in ~books
rsl12 Link ParentThanks for the suggestion! I don't think my next Pratchett read necessarily needs to be similar to Small Gods. I now know that I like his style and that he's a very capable wordsmith, and any...Thanks for the suggestion! I don't think my next Pratchett read necessarily needs to be similar to Small Gods. I now know that I like his style and that he's a very capable wordsmith, and any topic he writes about is probably going to be enjoyable for me.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - 2024 summer schedule in ~books
rsl12 LinkI just finished Small Gods, a little too early for book club. I just want to say it was wonderful, and I'm very interested in reading more Terry Pratchett! The blurbs on the back of his books say...I just finished Small Gods, a little too early for book club. I just want to say it was wonderful, and I'm very interested in reading more Terry Pratchett! The blurbs on the back of his books say things like,
"Unadulterated fun . . . witty, frequently hilarious . . . Pratchett parodies everything in sight.” - San Francisco Chronicle
and
"There is no end to the wacky wonders . . . no fantasies as consistently, inventively mad . . . wild and wonderful!” - Isaac Asimov Science Fiction Magazine
so I was expecting more silliness, like a Douglas Adams book. Maybe his other books are like that. But small gods was not wacky at all. It was written by a witty curmudgeon who takes frequent humorous stabs, but not in an overwhelming way. I'm looking forward to the discussion.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
rsl12 Link ParentCan you imagine what the nationalists would say? "USA is trying to assert their power over us, just as they did in WWII. They think their writing system is superior, but we won't let them erase...Can you imagine what the nationalists would say? "USA is trying to assert their power over us, just as they did in WWII. They think their writing system is superior, but we won't let them erase our Japanese culture!"
I googled online discussions on this topic, and let's just say, even in English, there are a lot of impassioned conservative voices saying how the existing system is fine, even superior, to any alternative.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Should we read nonfiction as well as fiction and with what frequency? in ~books
rsl12 LinkI think that nonfiction would result in more personal discussions, since we are more likely to relate what we read to personal experiences. Tildes discussions from previous (fictional) book club...I think that nonfiction would result in more personal discussions, since we are more likely to relate what we read to personal experiences. Tildes discussions from previous (fictional) book club books seem to center on the artistic merits, meanings, symbolisms. I enjoy that kind of discussion too, but I think nonfiction would drive the kinds of discussions that lead to richer interpersonal connections.
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Comment on The beautiful dissociation of the Japanese language in ~humanities.languages
rsl12 LinkI have been casually learning Japanese for a few months in preparation for a trip this summer. One advantage I have over other English-speaking learners is my advanced knowledge of Korean, the...Because of the unique dissociation between the written word and the way it is pronounced, Japanese is not only harder to learn, but it's also more malleable and richer in a way that cannot be imitated. It's an extra dimension of language and a happy historical accident.
I have been casually learning Japanese for a few months in preparation for a trip this summer. One advantage I have over other English-speaking learners is my advanced knowledge of Korean, the language most similar to Japanese. The author correctly notes the features of Japanese that are unique, even when compared to modern Korean. How he can enjoy these "features" is a mystery to me!
Centuries ago, Korean used to have the same problems: lots of shoehorning of pure Korean words into Chinese characters. But through a series of reforms, Korean is now commonly written with a very logical alphabet. As I learn Japanese, I am frustrated by the points the author celebrates, and I thank the inventor of the Korean alphabet for having made my ancestral language much more sensible!
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Comment on Song lyrics are getting more repetitive, angrier in ~music
rsl12 LinkThanks for sharing the article! After skimming it, I feel like the study doesn't prove anything. The dataset is from last.fm users, which means the songs represented for each year are not randomly...Thanks for sharing the article! After skimming it, I feel like the study doesn't prove anything. The dataset is from last.fm users, which means the songs represented for each year are not randomly selected. The songs examined from 1974, for instance, would be the songs/lyrics that last.fm users listened/read on last.fm, which means not the ones listened to in 1974. Time has done the job of filtering out flash-in-the-pan songs from 1974.
All the study can really say is that people who listen to old music today pick out songs that are more complicated lyrically than what is popular with people who listen to contemporary music. The same could be said of literature--those who like reading classics prefer novels with richer language compared to people who like reading only contemporary novels.
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Comment on Multiauthor poetry anthology recommendations in ~books
rsl12 LinkDo you like Garrison Keillor (Lake Wobegon)? "Good poems" is a collection he curated, and the poems are unmistakably of his taste. Easy to understand, folksy, and often meaningful and beautiful.Do you like Garrison Keillor (Lake Wobegon)? "Good poems" is a collection he curated, and the poems are unmistakably of his taste. Easy to understand, folksy, and often meaningful and beautiful.
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Comment on The worst masterpiece: ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ at 100 in ~music
rsl12 (edited )LinkI enjoyed this article! It's got a good survey of attitudes towards the piece, but also the interesting insight about the promise of the piece when it came out: a closer fusion of ideas between...I enjoyed this article! It's got a good survey of attitudes towards the piece, but also the interesting insight about the promise of the piece when it came out: a closer fusion of ideas between the classical and jazz worlds. As someone who plays both, I see the author's point that classical players/composers on the whole still don't have a good sense of how to implement jazz rhythm, both in the strictness of tempo or the swing beat. I don't totally agree with his main point though.. I find love and respect from most classical/jazz musicians for the other side, and the number of universities and conservatories offering jazz programs is both a symptom and a cause for the jazz/classical blends we see today. I think the reason the two worlds are still quite separate is the same reason that Japanese and English languages will remain distinct from each other no matter how close relations get between their native speakers--the languages are just fundamentally different and it's hard to master both in one lifetime.
Oxalis was worried the piece would just be about cultural appropriation; the author mentions it briefly, but I don't think it's the main focus of the authors' gripe.
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Comment on I need an alternative to the traditional typewriter in ~creative
rsl12 LinkI don't know anything about typewriters, but I was curious. I found these instructions for a Remington Portable. On Page 2, under "Handling Cards and Envelopes", it says "To write on cards and...I don't know anything about typewriters, but I was curious. I found these instructions for a Remington Portable. On Page 2, under "Handling Cards and Envelopes", it says "To write on cards and envelopes, use the permanent Card Finger on the Card and Writing line scale." I have no idea what card fingers or card and writing line scales are, but maybe those are good search terms to try...?
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Comment on One Dimensional Pacman in ~games
rsl12 LinkIt was cute! My high score is 2307. The power pellets are best used to eat the dots in the center, as those are the ones that are impossible to eat in the higher levels without the ghost-eating...It was cute! My high score is 2307. The power pellets are best used to eat the dots in the center, as those are the ones that are impossible to eat in the higher levels without the ghost-eating ability.
Is it okay to be pedantic about trivial things? Pac-man is still two-dimensional. Though I concede "One Dimensional Pacman" sounds better than "One Degree of Freedom Pacman".
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Comment on How social media’s biggest user protest rocked Reddit in ~tech
rsl12 Link ParentThe "quick gratification" issue has always been a problem with Reddit, hasn't it? It's a problem baked into their positive-feedback algorithm: posts that quickly gain upvotes within the first few...The "quick gratification" issue has always been a problem with Reddit, hasn't it? It's a problem baked into their positive-feedback algorithm: posts that quickly gain upvotes within the first few minutes of posting get pushed to the front page. Reddit could be tweaking the algorithm to make it worse, but my guess is that the "dozens" who left included some of the best posters/mods.
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Comment on Ten conflicts to watch in 2024 in ~society
rsl12 LinkThe article is more informative and insightful than I would have thought from the title. There's a lot to digest in here. Thank you.The article is more informative and insightful than I would have thought from the title. There's a lot to digest in here. Thank you.
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Comment on How social media’s biggest user protest rocked Reddit in ~tech
rsl12 (edited )LinkFor those of you curious about the longer-term impacts of the 2023 summer Reddit protests. TL;DR: other than a slight dip over the summer, Reddit traffic has remained consistent, despite "dozens"...For those of you curious about the longer-term impacts of the 2023 summer Reddit protests.
TL;DR: other than a slight dip over the summer, Reddit traffic has remained consistent, despite "dozens" of Redditors promising to leave the site if their favorite 3rd party apps had to close shop. The article quotes a couple people who state that the quality of the content has declined. A Reddit spokesman's response is that there's no metric by which to measure content quality.
The article lists some positive changes that Reddit made in response to the protests. Reddit has been working on improving mod tools within the official app and on accessibility issues. According to a Reddit spokesman, they are on track to comply with WWW consortium's accessibility guidelines by the end of 2024.
Personal note: it would be nice to have a metric by which to measure content quality. I peek in there every now and then, and the content in the big subreddits is definitely worse than I remember.
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How social media’s biggest user protest rocked Reddit
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Comment on The medical reason a doctor might put sugar on your anus in ~health
rsl12 LinkTrying to think of other things that swell where this might work. What about blisters?Trying to think of other things that swell where this might work. What about blisters?
Korean cuisine is pretty different from Chinese. It's closer to Japanese, but it's still pretty distinct. Cornstarch-thickened sauces are used in Korean kitchens mostly for foreign-influenced foods. The main role of cornstarch is in batters for fried foods.