umop_dn's recent activity
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Comment on DM/GMs, what map making tools do you use? in ~games.tabletop
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Comment on The rent is too damn algorithmic - Washington DC attorney general is investigating RealPage, a company that helps landlords set rent prices, for potential antitrust violations in ~tech
umop_dn LinkThe blatant extortion that is the home/apartment rental industry drives so much of the problem with financial inequities in the US. This and rising food costs (despite boasting record profits)...The blatant extortion that is the home/apartment rental industry drives so much of the problem with financial inequities in the US. This and rising food costs (despite boasting record profits) further the wealth gap to wealth chasms... It's deplorable. The whole "profit at any cost" way of capitalist thinking is just disgusting. CEO bonuses on top of insane salaries... Man. It's just fucked.
I think the worst part is that we have enough money and technology, collectively, for it to not be this way anymore. But politics are convincing more people than ever to vote against their own interests... There's gotta be a tipping point, hasn't there?
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Comment on I used to love Marvel. Now it feels like homework in ~tv
umop_dn Link ParentThis! I feel like the scripts now read like episodes of 2 Broke Girls, where every damn bit of dialogue has a punchline. They might as well start putting a laugh track on these things. I guess...This! I feel like the scripts now read like episodes of 2 Broke Girls, where every damn bit of dialogue has a punchline. They might as well start putting a laugh track on these things. I guess they did that on wandavision... ffs. Didn't they? That's another thing, I think. They're all so easily forgettable now. They're so busy, like walking around a Vegas casino, you immediately forget what you just saw. Only that it was loud and flashy and kind of irritating.
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Comment on Record $100 million settlement reached in lawsuits alleging torture, rape, atarvation at US Christian school in ~humanities
umop_dn (edited )Link ParentI hate to say it but, that's pretty funny coming from an ex Catholic. You're talking about an organization that dedicates millions to a legal budget thats sole purpose is keeping rapists out of...I hate to say it but, that's pretty funny coming from an ex Catholic. You're talking about an organization that dedicates millions to a legal budget thats sole purpose is keeping rapists out of jail and abused children quiet. Not everyone does that, I get it... But everyone who is a part of that church is willfully turning a blind eye to the Vatican money machine and its gross practices. No matter the peace it brings them.
The pilots on 9/11 had peace in their hearts too. They believed with every fiber of their being that they were doing the right thing. Because they loved god.
If we had started without religion gaining traction, and instead we had societies built upon science and open reasoning from the get go? Imagine where we'd be now. How much more progress would've been possible if people could communicate openly. I think FeminalPanda was right, it's a stain. Worse than that, religion is toxic.
"Religion is an insult to human dignity. Without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things.
But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."
-Steven WeinbergPS I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings or anything, I just don't think it's ok to hide behind good intentions. Have a good night!
EDIT Just wanted to add, I think there are better ways to reach the same peace and understanding. And I missed a word!:)
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Comment on Gorilla Tuning of Rexburg, Idaho, pleads guilty to criminal conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, will pay $1 million in criminal fines, while its owner faces up to two years in jail in ~transport
umop_dn LinkI live in northeastern Washington, these goddamn rubes are everywhere. Their ignorance is actually a point of pride to them, if not a full on virtue. It's these asshats that spend their spare time...I live in northeastern Washington, these goddamn rubes are everywhere. Their ignorance is actually a point of pride to them, if not a full on virtue. It's these asshats that spend their spare time (which is apparently in abundance) blocking EV charge stations, and obnoxiously choke down their double decker cheese burger with extra bacon if they happen to be in earshot of anyone eating a fucking salad. Every single one of these trucks has an FJB, or "Let's go Brandon" decal on them. I don't know if MTFU skull (this means "Man The Fuck Up" for those unfamiliar) stickers are popular outside of the Pacific Northwest, but those are typically present as well.
Just, for what? To what end? To irritate forward thinking people? Great, mission accomplished... But, they can never even consider that they're simply making the world a worse place. I don't get it man. Why make things worse intentionally? In all the vitriol and division they further separate people. Their actions cannot help the world in any way whatsoever. Their actions are always a net negative. Awesome. 😕
Thank you for listening to my Tuesday morning gripe.
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Comment on The impact of an accent on charisma/persuasion in ~talk
umop_dn LinkI don't think 5e has any set rules on accent modifying charisma/persuasion checks. But a good dm would let you roll with advantage. 😐I don't think 5e has any set rules on accent modifying charisma/persuasion checks. But a good dm would let you roll with advantage. 😐
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Comment on Starter tool set for someone starting out in ~life.home_improvement
umop_dn LinkSomeone said socket set and ratchet. This is a super good thing to have, as important as power drill or impact screw gun. Which should really be a priority I think. And don't forget to check out...Someone said socket set and ratchet. This is a super good thing to have, as important as power drill or impact screw gun. Which should really be a priority I think. And don't forget to check out places like Harbor Freight, cheap stuff... But like anything, if you take care of it, it'll generally take care of you. Consider also a miter saw (I think the one I got from there was $100 or less and it's incredibly useful.
Don't forget a couple of saw horses and a good piece of plywood for a work surface.
And I'd throw in a voltage checker, even if you're not messing with electricity, it's good to know when something is hot or not.:) And the 5 in 1 painters tool is maybe the most used tool in my kit. Seriously! They are awesome.
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Comment on Spotify is raising the price of its single-account premium plan for the first time since 2011 and hiking other services as well in ~tech
umop_dn Link ParentHell's bells, that video really took any virtuous feelings I had about Tidal and vaporized them. And you're absolutely right about the app's functionality and interface leaving much to be desired....Hell's bells, that video really took any virtuous feelings I had about Tidal and vaporized them. And you're absolutely right about the app's functionality and interface leaving much to be desired.
I also live/work in a fairly rural area (PNW about an hour from the Canadian border), and although some of the higher quality streams do sound better, if I skip a couple of songs it takes quite a while to buffer a new track. So, Spotify it is for now unfortunately... Also, I don't want to pay a third party service to transfer playlists over 1,500 songs.
I feel pretty discouraged about it. I listen to a lot of music, I think Spotify said last year I listened to something like 40-50k minutes. I don't know how many thousands of dollars I've spent on CDs from my mid teens to my mid 30s. Enough where the idea of rebuilding my collection digitally album by album doesn't sound feasible.
Anyway, thanks for sharing the link. The guy had a lot of interesting things to say. Especially from a musicians perspective. :)
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Comment on What is your favourite cutscene/cinematic in any game? in ~games
umop_dn LinkIt ages me, but the first time you meet SHODAN in System Shock 2... Still gives me goosebumps. 🙂It ages me, but the first time you meet SHODAN in System Shock 2... Still gives me goosebumps. 🙂
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Comment on Spotify is raising the price of its single-account premium plan for the first time since 2011 and hiking other services as well in ~tech
umop_dn LinkI should have switched to Tidal a year ago or better. Now there's no reason not to. And their family plan is now the same price as Spotify's duo. For hifi audio, there's really a noticeable...I should have switched to Tidal a year ago or better. Now there's no reason not to. And their family plan is now the same price as Spotify's duo. For hifi audio, there's really a noticeable difference in quality... Spotify caps out at 320kpbs I think? Tidal hifi goes up to 1411kpbs.
And as far as I know, Tidal still pays more to the artists than Spotify. The others are good reasons to switch, but I think this last one is the best. From what I've read, it's still a pretty paltry share... But at least it's facing the right direction.
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Comment on What is your background TV solution? in ~tv
umop_dn LinkIf we can't find or are too tired to look for something to watch, Law & Order: SVU is great background... The unmistakable "dun-dun" sound in between scenes is reassuring for some reason. Familiar...If we can't find or are too tired to look for something to watch, Law & Order: SVU is great background... The unmistakable "dun-dun" sound in between scenes is reassuring for some reason. Familiar characters and new ones across 20+ seasons. One of our cats' name is even Detective Tutuola. :)
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Comment on "Layered" music that builds throughout the song? in ~music
umop_dn LinkRadiohead doesn't always build, but there are a lot of layers. If you're looking for mellow... If you're into a bit heavier, more aggressive stuff, Between The Buried And Me have a song called...Radiohead doesn't always build, but there are a lot of layers. If you're looking for mellow...
If you're into a bit heavier, more aggressive stuff, Between The Buried And Me have a song called "Telos" that has a great build that gets me every time.
Less heavy, Converge has a song called "Wretched World" that's kind of a slow burner and never fails to give me goosebumps. Lots of neat subtle layers there. The guitar player is a hell of a producer.
Super heavy suggestion, "Coexistence" from Beyond Creation has several builds and peaks that are wonderful. Makes me smile always. 🙂
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Comment on What are your best cleaning tips? in ~life.home_improvement
umop_dn Link ParentSure thing! I didn't mention windows or bathrooms or really a ton of things normal people don't think about in their home. If anyone would like advice, please just ask! A quick mention for...Sure thing! I didn't mention windows or bathrooms or really a ton of things normal people don't think about in their home. If anyone would like advice, please just ask!
A quick mention for porcelain... Sinks or especially toilets. Get a pumice stone, or "pumie scouring stick"... Toilets get really gross pretty fast. Even soaking in the blue toilet cleaner and scrubbing with a brush won't get the waterline ring off (unless you clean your toilets every 3 or 4 days). But the pumice will work!
Lastly, if you're a guy, or have guys in your life... You have urine all over the front and sides of your toilets. Clean this regularly, and your bathrooms will smell much better! No one likes cleaning toilets... But it's necessary. Everyone in your life will appreciate it. :)
Hope y'all have a good day!
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Comment on What are your best cleaning tips? in ~life.home_improvement
umop_dn (edited )LinkHey there, I owned a cleaning business for a little over a decade. I'd still have it, but I was burnt out on it. Needed a change. I almost never used bleach. Never underestimate the power of hot...Hey there, I owned a cleaning business for a little over a decade. I'd still have it, but I was burnt out on it. Needed a change.
I almost never used bleach. Never underestimate the power of hot water (doesn't have to be scalding), and Murphy's Wood soap, on just about everything. Scrubbing bubbles for stubborn residue. Greased lightning is a great degreaser. Follow that up with some Sprayway glass cleaner for streaks (I used this stuff for any surface really, and it smells amazing).
Also, yellow microfiber towels from Costco are the best. Magic erasers are are incredible, just be mindful of the pressure applied when cleaning finished surfaces, as it can damage the surface if overused.
Lastly, a couple of tools will make your life easier to clean. Xoxo brand has a corner brush set with a rubber cleaning tip. And get a painters multi tool (at any hardware store), for scraping surfaces and getting in corners. Razor blades too... Just be careful! It's easy to poke yourself. :)
I've used dungeondraft and it's cool. Gets the job done, but there's a bit of learning curve. And the app can get bogged down if you load too many assets...
I don't know how you feel about AI trends, but I just asked Bing for a "dnd style map of a city with a castle, overhead view, with grid lines" and got some pretty decent results that could be pretty easily edited in Photoshop or something (I use GIMP... It's free and very comprehensive!).
You could even import the bing image into Dungeondraft for editing or adding assets.