semitones's recent activity

  1. Comment on Looking for non-actiony, non-competitive Android games with regular new content in ~games

    semitones
    Link Parent
    I'm a big fan of antimatter dimensions. It has a great discord too and the next update is always 5 hours away

    I'm a big fan of antimatter dimensions. It has a great discord too and the next update is always 5 hours away

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Google-free /e/ OS is now selling preloaded phones in the US, starting at $380 in ~tech

    semitones
    Link Parent
    How is calling and texting?

    How is calling and texting?

    3 votes

  3. Comment on The worst song you ever had to experience in ~music

    semitones
    Link Parent
    I almost came back to this comment because I relistened to it, and my opinion changed completely after just 3 years of life experience (including 2020). What I mostly didn't like the first time...

    I almost came back to this comment because I relistened to it, and my opinion changed completely after just 3 years of life experience (including 2020).

    What I mostly didn't like the first time was the arrangement. First it's discordant, that's cool. Then her voice, alright, that's different. Then her playing with being in tune /out of tune. Alright... Then her vocalizing along with the harpsichord ...ouch.... Then the lofi stacked vocals knocked it out of the park of misery. The cherry on top was "Peach plum" (no pear) at the very end. Ahh I was sorry I listened to it the first time.

    But this time, I felt it in a way words can't take express. The world isn't always a beautiful place. Life goes on even when you are just hanging on to the ride. And things can still be beautiful. They can be beautiful despite it all. In the face of it. I started appreciating the mood in Newsom's voice: that old blues adage that it's not how well you sing, it's the experience you bring to the song. Damn.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on An amazing Twitter thread on the use of classical music in classic cartoons in ~music

    semitones
    Link
    I remember this one with the same Liszt piece, but it was a cartoon drama between a maestro and a maitre 'd of a variety show

    I remember this one with the same Liszt piece, but it was a cartoon drama between a maestro and a maitre 'd of a variety show

    1 vote

  5. Comment on The worst song you ever had to experience in ~music

    semitones
    Link
    My friend told me that the song Peach Pear Plum was the worst song in existence. I have a pretty eclectic taste, so I listened to it, to try and prove him wrong. The thing about this song is,...

    My friend told me that the song Peach Pear Plum was the worst song in existence. I have a pretty eclectic taste, so I listened to it, to try and prove him wrong.

    The thing about this song is, every time you think "oh, that's why it's a bad song," the song evolves and gets even worse.

    I have no idea why it is so popular.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on What books are you reading nowadays? in ~misc

    semitones
    Link
    The things they carried - Tim O'Brien

    The things they carried - Tim O'Brien

  7. Comment on Tree-Based Commenting Systems & Quickly Decaying Threads in ~tildes

    semitones
    Link
    Maybe some way to braid the comment that's 5 deep in a thread, but interesting, back into the top level comments? Like how r/bestof finds gold like that and reposts it for all to see

    Maybe some way to braid the comment that's 5 deep in a thread, but interesting, back into the top level comments? Like how r/bestof finds gold like that and reposts it for all to see

    4 votes

  8. Comment on Let's talk Podcasts. What are some that you like and why? in ~talk

    semitones
    Link
    General interest: The Big Listen - well produced podcast... about Podcasts! Can't recommend it enough. By WAMU and NPR. Inquiring Minds - formerly with Mother Jones, now independent: they host...

    General interest:

    • The Big Listen - well produced podcast... about Podcasts! Can't recommend it enough.
      By WAMU and NPR.
    • Inquiring Minds - formerly with Mother Jones, now independent: they host full interviews with scientists (often in the news) about their research
    • The Moth - great (true) stories told in front of a live audience
    • Unladylike - pretty cool take on normal stuff. Their previous podcast "Stuff mom never told you" was also really good, especially the yogurt one.
    • Invisibilia
    • Freakonomics
    • TED radio hour

    Specific Topics:

    • What's this Dao All About - the best (and only?) podcast about daoism, especially the first episodes.
    • Amicus - Slate's supreme Court podcast. Great, especially when actually covering supreme Court news.
    • Stay tuned with Preet
    • SCI PHI - did you realize you're NOT currently listening to a podcast about the philosophy of science? Interviews.
    • More Perfect
    • Hello from the magic tavern - comedy/improv with a fantasy bent, with people from Chicago
    • KEXP song of the day
    • Personality Hacker (used to be good, lately new episodes have just been talking and rambling)

  9. Comment on Let's talk Podcasts. What are some that you like and why? in ~talk

    semitones
    Link Parent
    What's good about it? I still have doubts about Malcom Gladwell but I know his stuff is interesting

    What's good about it? I still have doubts about Malcom Gladwell but I know his stuff is interesting

  10. Comment on Anyone else have a Microsoft Surface? in ~comp

    semitones
    Link
    I also have a SP3. I can echo others saying it really does feel like a beautiful and well working machine which I did not expect. I have Windows 10 and I mostly don't notice it anymore, however...

    I also have a SP3. I can echo others saying it really does feel like a beautiful and well working machine which I did not expect.

    I have Windows 10 and I mostly don't notice it anymore, however I'm not sure how many of its "features" I've disabled.

    My biggest gripes are that its "tablet mode" is downright unusable. It has none of the touch-friendly features of a true mobile operating system like Android or iOS. And they recently removed the only half-decent part which was the split on-screen keyboard.

    Secondly the power button can only trigger an immediate shutdown, or do nothing. It can't ask you if you'd like to shut down. I've pushed it thinking it was the volume button many times, but not enough to disable it.

    Also recently it developed a crack in the screen and I don't know how hard that will be to fix, but it's growing. I tend to keep it in backpacks a lot though, and I'm sure it's fallen a few times (some of the corners are dented) but it had really stood up to a lot.

    I like the drawing ability of it for what it's worth.

    I don't think I've used many of the windows 10 specific apps except for drawing.

    1 vote