tomorrow-never-knows's recent activity
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Comment on The Odyssey (no, not that one) | Official trailer in ~movies
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Comment on What's something that's more challenging for you than it is for others? in ~talk
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentThat monomaniacal drive towards practice and dedication to craft does appear to be a near universal trait amongst the greats, and not limited to any particular genre either. I've heard countless...That monomaniacal drive towards practice and dedication to craft does appear to be a near universal trait amongst the greats, and not limited to any particular genre either. I've heard countless stories of musicians in their formative years being inseparable from their instruments, some even bringing them into the bathroom (usually guitarists). Besides this obsessiveness, and barring natural genius talent, the key element to good improv strikes me as being a keen sense of relative harmony. I think theory can help with navigation, and goes hand-in-hand with having fluency on your instrument's layout, but a well-trained ear for harmony can be enough to get by, which certainly seems to be the case for those without a formal background. I do wonder how many are able to operate in a state of 'pure improvisation' though as I know even some of the most expressive players still work off a memorised vocabulary, or 'trick bag', of go-to phrases to get about.
Reading Jazz sounds like a fascinating collection, I'll be keeping an eye out for a copy, thanks!
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Comment on What's something that's more challenging for you than it is for others? in ~talk
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentFirst of all, many of those skills you can do are quite hard for many musicians, so kudos, it sounds like you're quite talented whatever your own perception! And I know the feels when it comes to...First of all, many of those skills you can do are quite hard for many musicians, so kudos, it sounds like you're quite talented whatever your own perception! And I know the feels when it comes to improvisation, I spent most of my formative learning years reading and memorising so by the time I got interested in improvising solos and the like I was quickly frustrated to see the big divide between my technical skills and creative ones - as you said, any success often seemed like happy accidents. Even now, I still tend to iterate leads over multiple takes, writing and rewriting to the point it's a composition again.
I'm curious as to your stylistic background. It's something I've noticed that tends to crop up quite often with classically trained players, I've even known some professional symphony players, national level talents, who couldn't improvise to save their life. In general, it's jazz players that seem to me to be the most fluent improvisers, with a unique synthesis of intellect and feeling that you seem to be searching. I love improvisers throughout a lot of genres but the likes of Keith Jarrett, in particular, seem absolutely superhuman to me
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Comment on Why your Amazon order confirmation emails have become so unhelpful in ~tech
tomorrow-never-knows LinkThis behaviour seems to be only for the US store, at least for now, as all my Ordered/Dispatched/Out for Delivery updates from EU sites still refer to the specific item in both subject and body of...This behaviour seems to be only for the US store, at least for now, as all my Ordered/Dispatched/Out for Delivery updates from EU sites still refer to the specific item in both subject and body of the mails.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentThe problem is largely one of context and expectations. When it's an entry in a series that built a reputation on its gritty take on traditional fantasy, from a studio with the narrative pedigree...The problem is largely one of context and expectations. When it's an entry in a series that built a reputation on its gritty take on traditional fantasy, from a studio with the narrative pedigree of Bioware, and releasing in the wake of genre landmarks such as The Witcher 3 and Baldur's Gate 3, to deliver something on the tonal level of a typical MCU movie was a massive misfire. It didn't even need to go full grimdark, necessarily; it could just as well have worked if the writers were able to get to a Pillars of Eternity level in their depth of lore and complexity in choices.
But again, in terms of mechanics and classic Bioware stylings, it absolutely delivers and there is still a lot of fun to be had. You just need to calibrate your expectations going in.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows LinkSo after having whiled away a few hours on its surprisingly robust character creator over the past year or so, I finally drop a few pennies on a month of EA Play and set about blasting through...So after having whiled away a few hours on its surprisingly robust character creator over the past year or so, I finally drop a few pennies on a month of EA Play and set about blasting through Dragon Age: The Veilguard. From having read and watched much coverage lamenting the disappointingly milquetoast, 'HR-approved' writing, I went in with quite low expectations and an itch to go as Renegade as possible - straight to the maximum asshole run. And, yeah, unfortunately those reviews were spot on because that just ain't possible. There might have been some interesting intentions here originally but every aspect of the final script has been watered down more than a Coors Light. Some characters have a touch of depth, but what passes for inter-party conflicts are little more than schoolyard squabbles. The game is flat-out afraid to tackle anything resembling complex morality in its questing design, and damn near every line of dialogue is ripped right from the 'Big Book of MCU Sass.'
Having said all that, the game quite clearly popped straight out of the patented Mass Effect 2 template, and I'll be damned if it didn't use it to great effect in delivering a lot of those classic Bioware vibes throughout. Veilguard actually excels when it comes to combat and exploration, with many different avenues for building out the three base classes and a plethora of modern QoL features to boot. It's kinda jarring in how it gives you all the tools for a great ARPG romp and then proceeds to trip over its woeful script at every turn. In any case, there was enough there for me to get hooked enough to fly through the full game and a good chunk of the side content, though I flat out skipped anything to do with some of the weaker companions and was speeding through a ton of the dialogue and cinematics in the main quests by the end - a stark contrast to my previous Bioware experiences. So yeah, weirdly, I would actually recommend it overall, but with the massive caveat regarding the weak as fuck writing situation.
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Comment on How often are you eating plant based meals? in ~food
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentAll very tasty options, but there's nothing like super fresh sashimi.All very tasty options, but there's nothing like super fresh sashimi.
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Comment on ‘X-Men’ finally unveils its cast, including Adam Driver, Inde Navarrette, Christopher Abbott in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentAh, I was only going by that article, hadn't heard anything else about this project. Cheers for the info!Ah, I was only going by that article, hadn't heard anything else about this project. Cheers for the info!
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Comment on ‘X-Men’ finally unveils its cast, including Adam Driver, Inde Navarrette, Christopher Abbott in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows LinkThey've announced casting, director, and release date, but not a peep about writers or story. Good money says this one suffers the usual Disney bullshit of shooting starting before a script is...They've announced casting, director, and release date, but not a peep about writers or story. Good money says this one suffers the usual Disney bullshit of shooting starting before a script is even finished.
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Comment on How often are you eating plant based meals? in ~food
tomorrow-never-knows (edited )LinkAt home, we keep every Monday vegetarian - partly a religious thing for my Hindu wife - and then will have a loose balance of 1/4 red meat, 1/4 poultry, 1/4 fish and 1/4 vegetarian across lunches...At home, we keep every Monday vegetarian - partly a religious thing for my Hindu wife - and then will have a loose balance of 1/4 red meat, 1/4 poultry, 1/4 fish and 1/4 vegetarian across lunches and dinners. Works for us, but we don't hold the 7yo to it, we're just happy he gets some decent nutrition in with a bit of variety.
We recently went on a vegan kick for a few weeks to try it out and force us into expanding our day-to-day menu. I actually didn't mind too much, and we did get some delicious dishes out of it, but I'd never adopt veganism long-term - no way in hell I'm giving up sushi or local dairy.
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Comment on Inside David Ellison’s desperate fight for Warner Bros in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows LinkSeriously? Hangs head in disappointmentAlready, Paramount has received clearances from 65 foreign regulators, including Britain and the European Commission.
Seriously?
Hangs head in disappointment
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Comment on ‘The Odyssey’ surpasses $1 billion, Christopher Nolan’s first movie since ‘Dark Knight Rises’ to reach coveted box office milestone in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentCloser to 'Dances With Wolves.'Closer to 'Dances With
SmurfsWolves.' -
Comment on Cheap / budget travel Japan ideas request in ~travel
tomorrow-never-knows LinkSome excellent advice here. Few small things I'll add if you happen to end up in Kyoto. Definitely go check out Nijō castle. Basic ticket is less than €5, very impressive and you can easily spend...Some excellent advice here. Few small things I'll add if you happen to end up in Kyoto. Definitely go check out Nijō castle. Basic ticket is less than €5, very impressive and you can easily spend a few hours walking around enjoying the grounds and history. Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist temple is a smaller but beautiful spot not too far from train station and worth stopping, free entry there. Speaking of trains, if you have any interest there, the train museum is a great one to check out. Also, not really cheap but 100% worth the cost is a stall outside the train museum selling wagyu beef skewers. They're fucking. Amazing.
Another recommendation I got from a friend but hadn't the time to check out was Take no Michi bamboo trail which is supposed to be a really nice and much quieter alternative to the popular Arashiyama bamboo forest. Hopefully someone more familiar with Kyoto can verify this.
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Comment on DuckDuckGo’s anti-AI sunglasses won’t spy on anyone in ~tech
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentThe shit of it is, a large proportion of search results are clearly from AI slop sites so the search summary can actually be pretty handy in cutting through some of that crap, especially for...The shit of it is, a large proportion of search results are clearly from AI slop sites so the search summary can actually be pretty handy in cutting through some of that crap, especially for rudimentary queries. It is very much a case of a solution we shouldn't need for a problem that shouldn't exist, but the internet has some deep-rooted issues now that may take a long time to tackle, if even possible at this point.
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Comment on Any obscure songs you'd like to share? in ~music
tomorrow-never-knows (edited )LinkI have a tonne that might work here, but for the first port of call I'm gonna delve deep into the thin divide between symphony and cacophony with this one: The Red Archromance by Anorexia Nervosa....I have a tonne that might work here, but for the first port of call I'm gonna delve deep into the thin divide between symphony and cacophony with this one: The Red Archromance by Anorexia Nervosa. The closing track from the French symphonic black metal masters' second album, Drudenhaus. For me, it's special in how it sustains such incredible intensity until it finally shatters into a break of fiercely yearning, triumphant melodicism.
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Comment on Game Pass was supposed to save Xbox – instead, it’s killing the company in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentThe movie/TV streaming comparison is a good one because these services do open themselves up to typical streaming behaviours. Not everyone is necessarily going to keep a subscription running...The movie/TV streaming comparison is a good one because these services do open themselves up to typical streaming behaviours. Not everyone is necessarily going to keep a subscription running year-round. I'm guessing a good portion just subscribe for a month or two, play through whatever single player games are on their mind and then cancel. I do it myself for EA games, happy to drop €6 and blitz through a Jedi game or something where I'm unlikely to replay it, or if I do get the itch, it will be at a much later time when it's going for €5-10 on sale.
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Comment on Watch orcas ram a sunfish so hard it explodes in ~enviro
tomorrow-never-knows LinkYup, Orcas are assholes.Yup, Orcas are assholes.
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Comment on Introducing XBOX backward compatibility on PC in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows LinkI'd be interested if they brought out some X360 classics like Fable 2, Lost Odyssey, or the Skate series.I'd be interested if they brought out some X360 classics like Fable 2, Lost Odyssey, or the Skate series.
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Comment on Avengers: Doomsday | Official trailer in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows LinkWhile I'm fairly neutral on the trailer, I am loving how nearly everyone here has admitted to still having some MCU homework due to Principal Iger.While I'm fairly neutral on the trailer, I am loving how nearly everyone here has admitted to still having some MCU homework due to Principal Iger.
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Comment on Peter Jackson says the next film he’s directing is “The Adventures of TinTin 2” in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows LinkYes! About damn time, the first one was so much fun, can't believe it's taken this long to get the sequel going.Yes! About damn time, the first one was so much fun, can't believe it's taken this long to get the sequel going.
The Asylum have been at this a long time now. Got caught once when the Dwayne Johnson vehicle San Andreas was out in cinemas. My flatmate at the time had a Kodi box set up and was excited to see 'San Andreas' on it already, not noticing the little 'Quake' part at the end of the title. Cue ourselves and his partner sitting down expecting to watch The Rock's latest masterpiece. I could immediately tell something was up from the low budget cinematography but also noticed that neither of the other two had clocked it yet. So I actually wound up enjoying the hell out of the first 30ish mins of the movie as confusion and eventual realisation dawned on my flatmates.
The mockbusters may be pretty cheap switcheroos but some of their originals, such as the Sharknado series, are genuinely fun romps, perfect with friends after a few (too many) beers.