TheRtRevKaiser's recent activity
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Comment on The confusing reality of AI friends in ~tech
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Comment on You should have a website in ~tech
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentThis is probably the thing that I would be most likely to do, but honestly I'm not sure blogging is for me. I find a lot more value in conversation and dialogue than I do in just writing essays or...This is probably the thing that I would be most likely to do, but honestly I'm not sure blogging is for me. I find a lot more value in conversation and dialogue than I do in just writing essays or blogposts. My wife, on the other hand, habitually writes essays that no one else will ever see just to organize her own thoughts so that she can understand them herself. I've tried to convince her to start a blog, but really I think that whole process if more for her own benefit, and that writing for others to potentially see might actually make her self-censor or be less honest with herself about her own thoughts, maybe.
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Comment on You should have a website in ~tech
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentWell, first of all, I appreciate you saying that. I've enjoyed a lot of conversations here at Tildes, and I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that conversations here and a few other...Well, first of all, I appreciate you saying that. I've enjoyed a lot of conversations here at Tildes, and I don't think it would be exaggerating to say that conversations here and a few other sites have shaped my view of the world by exposing me to types of people and ways of thinking that I likely would never have been exposed to otherwise. I still think, though, that the value of those things were that they were conversations. They had value and I remember the impact they've had, but they were part of a moment. I wouldn't obsessively record conversations that I have with folks IRL and put them up on a wall, and I don't really see a need to collect my thoughts and ramblings and put them somewhere permanent online, either. I get that other folks feel differently, though. Some folks write in diaries or journal about conversations that they have, but I've never felt that need either. So I get that a blog or web site is of value for some people, I'm just not convinced that it's a necessity for everyone.
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Comment on You should have a website in ~tech
TheRtRevKaiser LinkI've read this before, and honestly I'm not convinced. I don't really care if one of my social media sites goes sideways. I'm willing to completely abandon a social media handle if a site starts...I've read this before, and honestly I'm not convinced. I don't really care if one of my social media sites goes sideways. I'm willing to completely abandon a social media handle if a site starts to go in a direction I don't like, and I've done so a number of times. I've deleted Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit in the past with relatively little friction and honestly it's not particularly been much of a loss any of those times. So, what am I - a pretty average guy with no projects that I care to share with strangers, and no particular desire for a persistent web presence - supposed to get from building a web site?
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Comment on Reusing plastic water bottles, to-go containers? Scientists say that’s a bad idea. in ~health
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentPeople online make seasoning and maintaining the season on cast iron into a whole thing. It's frankly ridiculous at times, and we're past the point where anybody is washing their dishes with lye...People online make seasoning and maintaining the season on cast iron into a whole thing. It's frankly ridiculous at times, and we're past the point where anybody is washing their dishes with lye soap. I think more folks just need to realize - cook some oil into the dang pot, cleat it with water and dish soap if you need, and dry it off so it doesn't rust. If stuff gets crusted on there, scrape it off and slap some more oil on that bad boy, no need to baby it.
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Comment on How do you build strong online communities? in ~talk
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentI'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral. Can't understand what I mean? You soon will. (I just realized that lyric sounds vaguely threatening)I mean if you tell a joke at a funeral you cannot read the room.
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral. Can't understand what I mean? You soon will.
(I just realized that lyric sounds vaguely threatening)
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentI hope this doesn't come across as rude, but HPMoR is the most infuriatingly smug thing I've read since The Fountainhead. It's reasonably well written for a fanfic but I've rarely read anything...I hope this doesn't come across as rude, but HPMoR is the most infuriatingly smug thing I've read since The Fountainhead. It's reasonably well written for a fanfic but I've rarely read anything that made me actively dislike the narrator more. 😅
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentOh Man, I had forgotten about the Robert Asprin books. How do they hold up? I read them ages ago around the same age I was reading Piers Anthony, and I think most of us know how those books aged...Oh Man, I had forgotten about the Robert Asprin books. How do they hold up? I read them ages ago around the same age I was reading Piers Anthony, and I think most of us know how those books aged...
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentWoT also dumps the "magic school" vibes fairly quickly (well...quickly for WoT) so if that's the primary thing OP is looking for I'm not sure WoT is really going to scratch the itch. I do think...You won't hit the White Tower stuff in earnest until book 2.
WoT also dumps the "magic school" vibes fairly quickly (well...quickly for WoT) so if that's the primary thing OP is looking for I'm not sure WoT is really going to scratch the itch. I do think it's a series that any fan of Fantasy should at least make an attempt to finish, though.
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentI love Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, but I've found it to be a surprisingly divisive book. My mom and sister are both voracious readers and have read a lot of SFF, and both bounced off of this...I love Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, but I've found it to be a surprisingly divisive book. My mom and sister are both voracious readers and have read a lot of SFF, and both bounced off of this book so hard. On the other hand, I've read a lot of the same stuff as them but I agree with you, I think it's one of the best fantasy books ever written.
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentAh, I knew I was missing something. Mother of Learning is pretty cool, I agree.Ah, I knew I was missing something. Mother of Learning is pretty cool, I agree.
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentCan't disagree with your take on The Magicians. There are things I appreciated about those books, but god DAMN were they depressing and miserable to read.Can't disagree with your take on The Magicians. There are things I appreciated about those books, but god DAMN were they depressing and miserable to read.
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentToo late, my thunder has been stolen and I'm devastated. /s My memory of the Valdemar books is very fuzzy. I did reread the first trilogy, a lot of which also takes place at the Collegium, about a...Too late, my thunder has been stolen and I'm devastated. /s
My memory of the Valdemar books is very fuzzy. I did reread the first trilogy, a lot of which also takes place at the Collegium, about a year ago and I made it through the books but it was a slog, the gender/sexual politics in those books get pretty deeply weird at times. My sister has a lot of fondness for them, though, so I wanted to reread some of them. I didn't make it any further than the first three this time around, so later books might be better, maybe?
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
TheRtRevKaiser (edited )LinkA few possibilities: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - This isn't exclusively about a magical university, but a large part of the book takes place at one, and it's one of the...A few possibilities:
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - This isn't exclusively about a magical university, but a large part of the book takes place at one, and it's one of the foundational works of the modern Fantasy genre.
- The Magicians by Lev Grossman - This is probably only going to work for you if you've got a reasonable tolerance for nihilism/dark stuff. It gets fairly bleak at times. There's a lot of Magic College stuff, but it's a bit of a deconstruction of the whole "magic school" trope along with other fantasy tropes, so it may not have the same feeling. Still a very good series if those things don't bother you.
- The "Unseen University" books by Terry Pratchett - These are silly but shouldn't be seen as just comedy. Pratchett has a way of creating compelling narratives and grappling with big issues while keeping things fun and funny. The books in the Unseen University series are: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Eric, Interesting Times, The Last Continent and Unseen Academicals. These aren't the very best of Pratchett in my opinion, but that still means they're better than 98% of fantasy out there.
- Mage Errant series by John Bierce - If you liked Arcane Ascension I can just about guarantee you'll like these, and the series just wrapped up last year so it's complete. This is in the same sort of progression fantasy/litRPG subgenre as AA but IMO Bierce is a more compelling writer. The first book is called Into the Labyrinth.
I know there are others that I'm missing - I think a lot of Mercedes Lackey's books take place at the Collegium, which is the magical college in her Valdemar setting, but IMO those books have not aged particularly well. If I think of any others I'll edit this comment.
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Comment on "Americans get screwed because they can’t read" in ~society
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentSo this is probably a result of a common style of writing in news journalism called the "Inverted Pyramid" where you frontload the most important information (the "who, what, where, when, and why)...I always feel bad about not finishing news articles, but they drift off on tangents, I have things to do, and I lose patience.
So this is probably a result of a common style of writing in news journalism called the "Inverted Pyramid" where you frontload the most important information (the "who, what, where, when, and why) in the opening paragraphs of the article, follow with details of the story, and end with background. It means that less critical information can be placed below the fold (in the days of actual newspapers) or edited out for space if needed. So it's not all that odd that you might lose interest in a news story written in this style before you get to the end, because you've probably gotten all of the pertinent info already (unless the writer has "buried the lede", i.e. placed the most critical piece of information further down the story).
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
TheRtRevKaiser LinkI started using a version of this username (but with numbers at the end, because it was the late 90s) when I was playing Breath of Fire 3. I thought the Kaiser dragon form was the coolest and so I...I started using a version of this username (but with numbers at the end, because it was the late 90s) when I was playing Breath of Fire 3. I thought the Kaiser dragon form was the coolest and so I used it on an IRC server that I would hang out with friends on. It stuck, and probably decade ago I decided I wanted to use something that didn't have any numbers but would still be unique and easy to register on new sites. I decided to use a Style to make it less likely to be taken, and settled on "The Right Reverend", which is the form of address used by bishops in Anglican (and Catholic, I think) churches, because I thought it was funny.
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Comment on Where does your username come from? (Following up on last year's thread) in ~tildes
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentIs yours difficult to get on new sites? Seems like it would be.Is yours difficult to get on new sites? Seems like it would be.
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Comment on What are some good YouTube channels/shows/series related to travel? in ~travel
TheRtRevKaiser LinkMy personal fav is GeoWizard. He plays a lot of Geoguesser on his channel, but the best videos are his travel videos. He has a few series, like his How Not to Travel where he hitchhikes his way...My personal fav is GeoWizard. He plays a lot of Geoguesser on his channel, but the best videos are his travel videos. He has a few series, like his How Not to Travel where he hitchhikes his way around various places, his "straight line missions" where he attempts to walk across various regions in a perfectly straight line, and my personal favorite his "Tenner in my Pocket" videos, where he sets out with ten pounds in his pocket and hikes across the English countryside he runs out of money, relying on foraging (he's not bear grylls) or just random encounters with strangers. In most of his videos he puts a lot of focus on interacting with people, and there are a lot of surprisingly fun and charming encounters.
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Comment on The US has a cloned sheep contraband problem in ~science
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentOh wow, yeah that's really messed up. I grew up around hunters - never really got the appeal myself though - but none of them were really the trophy hunting type. Mostly seemed to be an excuse to...Oh wow, yeah that's really messed up. I grew up around hunters - never really got the appeal myself though - but none of them were really the trophy hunting type. Mostly seemed to be an excuse to get outside (and spend money on gear) and maybe occasionally put some meat in the freezer.
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Comment on The US has a cloned sheep contraband problem in ~science
TheRtRevKaiser Link ParentHuh, I'm curious why there's a market for breeding white-tailed deer. They're not exactly rare, at least not where I'm from...Huh, I'm curious why there's a market for breeding white-tailed deer. They're not exactly rare, at least not where I'm from...
Now I'm imagining an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac where Cyrano is an AI that Christian uses to try and woo Roxanne...