smiles134's recent activity
-
Comment on What short standalone book is worth more than its page count? in ~books
-
Comment on What short standalone book is worth more than its page count? in ~books
smiles134 Link ParentI'm curious what makes God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater your favorite Vonnegut. I'm a big Vonnegut fan myself but I read Rosewater for the first time this year and was very let down by the ending in...I'm curious what makes God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater your favorite Vonnegut. I'm a big Vonnegut fan myself but I read Rosewater for the first time this year and was very let down by the ending in particular.
-
Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentThe only one of those that's a realistic option is an oral exam, which some disciplines do do, but they're time consuming to schedule so it may not be feasible for many instructors who are already...The only one of those that's a realistic option is an oral exam, which some disciplines do do, but they're time consuming to schedule so it may not be feasible for many instructors who are already overloaded with their courses.
I'm in favor of overhauling our assessment methods and higher Ed in general but just saying "do all writing in class" isn't viable for writing heavy classes.
-
Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentProbably because it's simply not possible to produce a 10-12 page essay entirely in a classroom setting, which are necessary parts of upper-level literature courses and a number of other...Probably because it's simply not possible to produce a 10-12 page essay entirely in a classroom setting, which are necessary parts of upper-level literature courses and a number of other humanities disciplines.
-
Comment on Study: essay graders rarely detect AI, give higher grades in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentThat's pretty typical honestly and it's something I'd often recommend to my students. There's a false belief that writing is a linear process -> you start with your thesis, then you write your...That's pretty typical honestly and it's something I'd often recommend to my students. There's a false belief that writing is a linear process -> you start with your thesis, then you write your supporting paragraphs, then your conclusion, but it's really a lot messier than that.
My students would do their papers in 3 drafts. First draft is about ~50% of the overall word count (and just gets graded on completion basis). Then we'd meet individually to talk about plans for the rest of the paper, what's working so far and what could be strengthened. And it was entirely up to them what that 50% looked like, so often I'd get a sentence or two of an "intro" and then body paragraphs without any connective tissue, so in our meetings we'd discuss organizational strategies, and how they could reorder things for the best logical arguments.
2nd draft would be 75% of the paper, and I would require at the very least a thesis statement to be present at this point. They'd do a peer review so they could see how a neutral audience was responding to their arguments, if there were any gaps in their logic, etc. This also gets graded by completion.
3rd draft is the graded draft. I would give a lot of comments throughout the paper and then overall feedback at the end. At that point, students could revise and resubmit for a new grade if they chose.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentFWIW your initial post says just 3 hours, not 30!FWIW your initial post says just 3 hours, not 30!
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 LinkI just wrapped up Broken Age over the weekend. I hadn't heard of it before but owned a copy from some humble bundle offering years ago and installed it on a whim after scrolling through my...I just wrapped up Broken Age over the weekend. I hadn't heard of it before but owned a copy from some humble bundle offering years ago and installed it on a whim after scrolling through my library. I was pretty excited when I booted it up and realized it was from Double Fine, because I loved the Psychonauts games when I played through them last year.
Overall, my impressions are mixed, which I gather is the prevailing sentiment about the game. The writing is clever and funny and the two protagonists are charming characters, but wow the ending sequence was obtuse to say the least. I have no idea how you were supposed to piece together several parts of the solutions when the two collide in the end. There's basically no context clues to use for deduction whatsoever. Without looking up solutions, a lot of it is brute forcing objects when you have no reason to suspect it'll have any impact.
-
Comment on Juan Soto and the New York Mets agree to fifteen year, $765M deal in ~sports.baseball
-
Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 LinkNot this week, but my wife and I went to see Wicked last weekend. We're both big fans of the musical--I've seen it twice, once with her. I've been nervous about the film ever since it was...Not this week, but my wife and I went to see Wicked last weekend. We're both big fans of the musical--I've seen it twice, once with her. I've been nervous about the film ever since it was announced, and doubly so with it being split (unnecessarily). I do think they did a good job with it overall. There's some unnecessary padding, but the cameo in Oz (which I was actually not aware of heading into the film) was well done and appreciated. Ariane Grande was incredible, which I truly didn't expect. My biggest complaint though is what they did to Defying Gravity. The cut aways/additional scenes/action (whatever you want to call it) absolutely butchered the pacing and emotional resonance of the song. They added over ten minutes to this section! It's crazy.
If they do this to For Good in the second act, the two films will be irredeemable in my opinion. But I don't think they will, since that song doesn't really call for any action. Anyway, good movie and if you like the musical, you should go see it.
I watched two other movies recently, new to me.
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead -- wow this was a bleak ride. I couldn't help but think of Uncut Gems as I was watching. Just a bad decision made continually worse by two people who are desperate. Both Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke were great, and Michael Shannon was weird and menacing in his small role.
Also, The Rainmaker. This is a bit of a by-the-numbers legal drama, adapted from a Grisham novel in the nineties. Maybe the same quality as The Firm with Tom Cruise, but with less sprinting and shooting and more courtroom stuff. Matt Damon's good here, but I thought Danny Devito really shined. This one seems notable to me right now because it's about suing a health insurance company that had a policy of frequent claims denials, which is, uhhhh, relevant currently.
-
Comment on On moving for grad school in ~life
smiles134 LinkSo, I went to grad school in a city I really hated -- my wife and I lived there for four years (3 during the program, and one extra while I looked for a job because the cost of living was really...So, I went to grad school in a city I really hated -- my wife and I lived there for four years (3 during the program, and one extra while I looked for a job because the cost of living was really cheap and my wife liked her job).
I would say take the leap and go now. I was in a similar position to you where I thought my first year that maybe I should've waited and applied again the next year. But guess what happened the next year? COVID. Of course you can't plan around a global pandemic, but had I waited, 1) I may not have gotten in anywhere else and 2) even if I had, I may not have been able to go.
You don't know what the future holds, but you do know that you have an opportunity that you're not guaranteed to have again, right now. The program itself is what's important, and the people you'll meet there. Use the time you're not in school to do some traveling, explore other cities, maybe go to conferences and network for your future.
-
Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of December 1 in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentThere was one from like 10 years ago I think that had ep. 1-6 if I remember right. edit: it was called "The Complete Saga" and it was from 2007, my godThere was one from like 10 years ago I think that had ep. 1-6 if I remember right.
edit: it was called "The Complete Saga" and it was from 2007, my god
-
Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of December 1 in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentIs there a version that's not the 2022 version?Is there a version that's not the 2022 version?
-
Comment on Your partner asks for your phone, you refuse over privacy, they tell you they don't trust you. How do you respond? in ~talk
smiles134 LinkMy wife and I have biometric access to each other's phones. We're not hiding anything from each other but we also both respect each other's privacy, so neither of us is using the other's phone...My wife and I have biometric access to each other's phones. We're not hiding anything from each other but we also both respect each other's privacy, so neither of us is using the other's phone unless there's a reason (like we ordered doordash and the other is going to pick it up from the front lobby). Like @beardyhat said, if my wife said there was something she didn't want me to see, I'd assume it's some kind of surprise for me.
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentI agree that these are all better games than the new Jedi games (though I disagree on the why -- for me it's primarily the souls-like/lite combat that I don't love), but I also think if you made...If you ask what Star Wars game was Star Wars enough for me then I have some examples: Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy and KotOR 1&2. Those are games I would all play anytime over this new Fallen Order.
I agree that these are all better games than the new Jedi games (though I disagree on the why -- for me it's primarily the souls-like/lite combat that I don't love), but I also think if you made all the substitutions in any of those games that you proposed for Jedi, switching it to the HP world, they would also be fine. I guess I don't understand the purpose of saying, If you change the theme from Star Wars to Harry Potter, you don't have a Star Wars game anymore. That seems pretty true of every IP?
Star Wars in and of itself isn't a terribly original IP, or at least in 2024 there are enough universes that borrow from Star Wars and what Star Wars itself borrowed from that the universe is only a few tweaks away from a different universe. But those parts are in there, so I don't know what you could add (or subtract) that would make it feel more like Star Wars.
-
Comment on Favorite quick play tabletop game recommendations in ~games.tabletop
smiles134 Link ParentThere's a domino tiles version of Hanabi that my wife and I use. It works great because the tiles stand up on their own, but it is a bit heavy and doesn't travel great. But if you've got the space...There's a domino tiles version of Hanabi that my wife and I use. It works great because the tiles stand up on their own, but it is a bit heavy and doesn't travel great. But if you've got the space for it, highly recommend that version.
-
Comment on US President Joe Biden pardons son in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentI don't even care about this part honestly. If it's not this, then they'll just make up don't other Boogeyman to yell about. Reality doesn't mean anything to themI think this really does give the loonies a bunch of ammo and it's going to be weaponized for years to come
I don't even care about this part honestly. If it's not this, then they'll just make up don't other Boogeyman to yell about. Reality doesn't mean anything to them
-
Comment on Favorite quick play tabletop game recommendations in ~games.tabletop
smiles134 LinkMy wife and I have had success introducing people to ShipShape. Easy to pick up and learn, doesn't have issues with runaway leaders, everyone has a shot to win through a combo of planning and...My wife and I have had success introducing people to ShipShape. Easy to pick up and learn, doesn't have issues with runaway leaders, everyone has a shot to win through a combo of planning and smart wagering.
Essentially, the game plays over three "voyages" which are each 3 rounds. The goal is to fill your cargo hold by stacking tiles that you win through bidding with your cards. Sometimes you want the top tile, so you bid with your highest numbered card, but sometimes you want the one in the middle of the pile, so you have to consider whether others will want the top tile more and bid lower or risk getting a tile that doesn't fit your needs.
-
Comment on Great shows with a truly satisfying ending? in ~tv
smiles134 Link ParentI'm not sure this is true except in instances where he was already breaking protocol and going on a hunch. Stan made a lot of mistakes throughout the show, I'll give you that, but that's part of...Stan almost always went solo
I'm not sure this is true except in instances where he was already breaking protocol and going on a hunch. Stan made a lot of mistakes throughout the show, I'll give you that, but that's part of the point in his character. He has a lot of faith in his ability to read people and to win people over (remember he spent years under cover in a white supremacist org), and that was his fatal flaw.
Re Paige
I really hated the crisis around whether she could join the church, but it led to interesting places later in the show. But in general, yeah, child actors are rarely great.
-
Comment on Great shows with a truly satisfying ending? in ~tv
smiles134 Link ParentThe last time my wife and I rewatched, we just never started the last episode cause neither of us were ready to be that sad again lolThe last time my wife and I rewatched, we just never started the last episode cause neither of us were ready to be that sad again lol
-
Comment on Great shows with a truly satisfying ending? in ~tv
smiles134 Link ParentI understand why you listed The Good Place under the feel good endings, but God it makes me cry every timeI understand why you listed The Good Place under the feel good endings, but God it makes me cry every time
I haven't yet, but it's on my watchlist.
Player Piano will also be my next Vonnegut, as it turns out.
What I disliked about the ending of the book is basically that Eliot blacks out for a year while he's in treatment, and when he comes to, he has the solution to the secret plot that's been happening in the background of the entire novel. And that's how it ends. It just feels way too neat and abrupt for me.