tomorrow-never-knows's recent activity
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
tomorrow-never-knows LinkI've been horsing through Light Bringer, the latest, and penultimate, novel in Pierce Brown's Red Rising series. I enjoyed the 'Hunger Games, but better' vibe the first one had going before the...I've been horsing through Light Bringer, the latest, and penultimate, novel in Pierce Brown's Red Rising series. I enjoyed the 'Hunger Games, but better' vibe the first one had going before the second immediately blasted the whole thing off into full-on space opera and wound up as a very satisfying trilogy. The fourth entry, Iron Gold, dipped a bit as it is very much a 'scene setter' novel but ho. ly. fuck. I was not prepared for the compulsively grim depths into which the aptly-titled Dark Age then dove - complete with its own Red Wedding challenger to boot. It has also been a joy to see Brown pushing himself with each novel and the development of his writing skill throughout the series' run, it reminds me quite a bit of The Expanse series there.
So yeah, very much enjoying the series, easy recommend for fans of action-packed sci-fi. The finale is due out next year, and Brown has a good track record, so little to fear for those adverse to incomplete series.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows LinkI'm currently working my way through the recent expansions for The Talos Principle 2 and loving all the extra puzzle-driven dopamine hits they deliver. In contrast to The Road to Gehenna from the...I'm currently working my way through the recent expansions for The Talos Principle 2 and loving all the extra puzzle-driven dopamine hits they deliver. In contrast to The Road to Gehenna from the first game which was a massive expansion building upon the main story, this time around it has been broken up into three different scenarios of varying difficulty, e.g., one is standalone and focused on pushing the laser puzzles to the limit, while another is more varied and serves as an epilogue to the main story. Well worth the cost of admission for any who have enjoyed the previous releases.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentIt's been many years since I watched it but I do recall the series having some excellent storytelling and thematic elements underneath all the graphic content. It is short enough too (12 eps?) so...It's been many years since I watched it but I do recall the series having some excellent storytelling and thematic elements underneath all the graphic content. It is short enough too (12 eps?) so I would recommend sticking with it to the end if you're not off the fence yet. But, of course, that's just a reflection of my own tastes which are pretty seinen-oriented and I'm used to harsher stuff in general, so if it's not for you then no pressure at all.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
tomorrow-never-knows LinkThe Cure - Songs of a Lost World Their first album in 16 years finds Smith and co. back wallowing in Disintegration territory and it is wonderful. After only the few listens I've had since it...The Cure - Songs of a Lost World
Their first album in 16 years finds Smith and co. back wallowing in Disintegration territory and it is wonderful. After only the few listens I've had since it dropped yesterday I'm already convinced that it is one of their strongest releases. Great album throughout.Neon Nightmare - Faded Dream
Yesterday was a doubly good release day for me. I had also been really looking forward to this tasty bit of Type O Negative-worship and it fully delivered the goods. Hits a few of the staple Peter Steele (RIP) sounds near pitch perfect. -
Comment on The Kids Should See This in ~tv
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentThere are a couple of curated lists available to get you started, PBS, Nat Geo, science, arts and crafts, etc., but you need to manually select these, and all other videos and channels. You will...There are a couple of curated lists available to get you started, PBS, Nat Geo, science, arts and crafts, etc., but you need to manually select these, and all other videos and channels. You will have access to the search feature yourself and can add/remove as needed through the app. The UI is a bit cumbersome though, probably took me around 45 mins to an hour to get it all setup initially.
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Comment on The Kids Should See This in ~tv
tomorrow-never-knows (edited )Link ParentLeft in its default state YouTube Kids does quickly descend into a mess of nonsense. Thankfully, you can lock out the search and require all content be approved on a per video / channel basis via...Left in its default state YouTube Kids does quickly descend into a mess of nonsense. Thankfully, you can lock out the search and require all content be approved on a per video / channel basis via the parental controls. You can also set timers to limit viewing sessions. It is a little time consuming but well worth the effort, I noticed a big difference with my son's viewing habits, generally much calmer since the majority of addictive / triggering content has been removed.
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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 ParentFirst time playing it but I was aware of the Hinterlands advice from Steam reviews and was actively avoiding the busywork fetch quests. I do fondly remember playing through Origins twice around...First time playing it but I was aware of the Hinterlands advice from Steam reviews and was actively avoiding the busywork fetch quests. I do fondly remember playing through Origins twice around the time of release but the narrative / lore just wasn't doing it for me this time round. Admittedly, having come off two action-oriented games I was playing it in a more active style, as the game offers, and avoiding the isometric RTWP element, which I imagine offers a richer tactical experience but, ultimately, I was in the mood for something faster paced. Also I have been fairly burned out on traditional medieval fantasy settings lately, could be some of that at play here too. So, yeah, probably was just a case of 'wrong game, wrong time.'
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
tomorrow-never-knows LinkBeen working through the Star Wars movies recently with my 6 year old so I wound up subbing to a month of EA Play and used it to play through Jedi: Survivor. Coming straight off an epic Elden Ring...Been working through the Star Wars movies recently with my 6 year old so I wound up subbing to a month of EA Play and used it to play through Jedi: Survivor. Coming straight off an epic Elden Ring playthrough it took me a few hours before I gelled with the much stiffer feeling gameplay, but I did wind up enjoying it far more than anticipated after those initial lacklustre hours. However, I feel the 'Soulslike' label is entirely misapplied here, it has much more in common with modern adventure games such as God of War (2018) and the recent Tomb Raider trilogy.
With some time left on the sub I then decided to give Dragon Age: Inquisition a whirl after teetering on the fence for so long. And, boy, has that game aged poorly. Dropped it just before hitting the 10-hour mark out of sheer boredom.
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Comment on E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders in ~food
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentOr stick a BK-style 'XL' on the end. Either way you're not tied to an exact size - could make it a 7/24 pound pattie and rake in those long term savings.Or stick a BK-style 'XL' on the end. Either way you're not tied to an exact size - could make it a 7/24 pound pattie and rake in those long term savings.
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Comment on I was a teenage foot clan ninja in ~tv
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI loved those movies as a kid, and the first one still holds up as a lot of fun, but there's levels of craziness in the premise that this guy just mined perfectly ha. Thanks for sharing!I loved those movies as a kid, and the first one still holds up as a lot of fun, but there's levels of craziness in the premise that this guy just mined perfectly ha. Thanks for sharing!
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows (edited )Link ParentOh for sure, being that this is likely Coppola's last big project then it's a no-brainer in that sense, but in my original question I was thinking more along the lines of how they were...Oh for sure, being that this is likely Coppola's last big project then it's a no-brainer in that sense, but in my original question I was thinking more along the lines of how they were interpreting it from a craft perspective.
To play devil's advocate, I have been enjoying the YT channel of journalist Damien Walter for his quite thoughtful takes on various sci-fi media and he recently posted a very positive piece on Megalopolis. I think he presents some sound arguments in the film's favour and articulates them quite well, though I still feel that everything is too on the nose and ham-fisted in execution to work as effective satire.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentCoppola has made some of my favourite films and I have massive respect for him as an artist so, despite the largely negative reception, I made a point of going to see it tonight, with expectations...Coppola has made some of my favourite films and I have massive respect for him as an artist so, despite the largely negative reception, I made a point of going to see it tonight, with expectations tempered but mind kept open. And, unfortunately, it is indeed an absolute mess of a film. It felt like watching a sketchbook of ideas, as if Coppola had a load of themes, topics and visuals he was really passionate about expressing but couldn't wrap them up into a coherent work and decided to plow through regardless - or else he hit the mark in a way very, very specific to his own mind.
I'd be very curious to hear what exactly the actors themselves had envisioned they were signing up for originally. It's a hell of a stacked cast, and they did all seem to be on the same page, more or less.
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Comment on Recommend some new(ish) metal bands in ~music
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI've listened to Memoriam's three releases but they don't have the same, eh... spark as the mighty BT. Haven't listened to Frozen Soul though, thanks for the rec!I've listened to Memoriam's three releases but they don't have the same, eh... spark as the mighty BT. Haven't listened to Frozen Soul though, thanks for the rec!
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Comment on Recommend some new(ish) metal bands in ~music
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentIf Kanonenfieber is floating your (U-)boat then definitely give 1914 from Ukraine a spin. They operate in the same thematic area but are more death metal leaning (of the Bolt Thrower school) with...If Kanonenfieber is floating your (U-)boat then definitely give 1914 from Ukraine a spin. They operate in the same thematic area but are more death metal leaning (of the Bolt Thrower school) with some brass-heavy symphonic elements in the mix on their latest, Where Fear and Weapons Meet.
Recommended tracks:
Arrival. The Meuse Argonne
Passchenhell
FN .380 ACP#19074Edit: fixed link formatting
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentFor a bona fide classic of the genre go with Superman (1978), it still holds up really well and is as good of an introduction as any I reckon. Plus it has that iconic John Williams score. For a...For a bona fide classic of the genre go with Superman (1978), it still holds up really well and is as good of an introduction as any I reckon. Plus it has that iconic John Williams score.
For a more modern flavour that can also be enjoyed without prior context go with X-Men (2000), Spider-Man (2002) and/or Iron Man (2008). These set the blueprint for the massive boom in super-flicks over the past 15-20 years. Gotta get some Batman in there too, either of Batman (1989) or Batman Begins (2005) will fit the intro bill.
On the other hand, if you want to get away from that recent class of pop culture juggernauts and try something a bit different, The Crow (1994), Unbreakable (2000) and Chronicle (2012) are all well worth a watch.
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Comment on The Legend of Vox Machina Seasons 1 and 2 in ~tv
tomorrow-never-knows Link ParentI was the complete opposite actually. Despite having played in a 5e campaign for several years the CR podcast just couldn't hold my attention beyond an episode or two, yet I loved the first two...I was the complete opposite actually. Despite having played in a 5e campaign for several years the CR podcast just couldn't hold my attention beyond an episode or two, yet I loved the first two seasons of the show largely due to more focused pacing that format brings. Plus excellent animation and absolutely hilarious throughout.
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Comment on Blood Incantation (feat. Tangerine Dream) - The Stargate (2024) in ~music
tomorrow-never-knows LinkThe new album, Absolute Elsewhere, is out Friday and they just went and dropped half of it along with a 20 min video / short film.The new album, Absolute Elsewhere, is out Friday and they just went and dropped half of it along with a 20 min video / short film.
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Blood Incantation (feat. Tangerine Dream) - The Stargate (2024)
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Comment on Thunderbolts | Teaser trailer in ~movies
tomorrow-never-knows LinkI wouldn't be familiar with the source comic for this, however, the overwhelming impression I get is of it being Marvel's go at the whole 'Suicide Squad' idea, but minus the crap-tonne of fun...I wouldn't be familiar with the source comic for this, however, the overwhelming impression I get is of it being Marvel's go at the whole 'Suicide Squad' idea, but minus the crap-tonne of fun James Gunn injected into the second film (and Peacemaker). I'll be honest, it will take some pretty stellar reviews to entice me into seeing it. That, or an extreme divide of opinion amongst critics, usually indicating some interesting creative risks were taken.
Might be worth sticking a spoilerbox around that last bit for those mid-read.
That whole first section of Dark Age is certainly heavy going, it has a very oppressive atmosphere which is actually what I most enjoyed about it, great execution - you come out the other side of it damn near shell-shocked yourself! But yeah, overall it is a huge growth novel for
character name
Lysander