vili's recent activity
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Comment on Sleep struggles: how do I get better sleep quality? in ~life
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Comment on The tantalizing possibility of locating consciousness in the brain in ~science
vili LinkThis is a general, pop science type overview of some of the things that are happening in the study of consciousness. Nothing too deep or academic, but I thought a pleasant enough read worth...This is a general, pop science type overview of some of the things that are happening in the study of consciousness. Nothing too deep or academic, but I thought a pleasant enough read worth sharing nonetheless.
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The tantalizing possibility of locating consciousness in the brain
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Comment on Neuroscientists find logical reasoning does not involve language-processing parts of the brain in ~science
vili LinkIt’s an interesting study, although for me the result sounds very natural, as I don’t generally use language for thought, let alone reasoning. For me, language is primarily a tool for communication.It’s an interesting study, although for me the result sounds very natural, as I don’t generally use language for thought, let alone reasoning. For me, language is primarily a tool for communication.
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Neuroscientists find logical reasoning does not involve language-processing parts of the brain
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Comment on CGA-2026-07 🕹️🔥⚔️ REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals in ~games
vili LinkI drifted away from Lufia II pretty early on. I think I played for about 6-7 hours. Some of it was backtracking and a part of it was grinding early on to be able to beat the fish in the cave. I...I drifted away from Lufia II pretty early on. I think I played for about 6-7 hours. Some of it was backtracking and a part of it was grinding early on to be able to beat the fish in the cave.
I can definitely understand why some people love the game so much, but I can also see why it isn't more popular. Personally, I found it (well, the beginning of it) interesting in its unevenness. The highs were quite high, but there were also many aspects that annoyed me. Ultimately, it was the repetition, both in the gameplay and the music, that made me stop playing.
The music in particular. While some of the soundtrack is excellent, there were bits that I developed a very visceral negative reaction to. And unfortunately, they were the tunes that I kept hearing the most: the dungeon music and the battle music. For some reason, the repetition in the dungeon theme in particular drove me absolutely nuts.
But Lufia II got me thinking about jrpgs again, a genre that I have never been all that comfortable with. And through that process, it accomplished something that no other title has: I finally booted up Final Fantasy VII. A game that I have heard so much about over the years, but which I had never tried. I thought it could help me understand why my relationship with jrpgs is what it is.
I didn't find the beginning of FF7 much more interesting than Lufia II. As with Lufia II, I felt I was being pushed forward in a pre-determined story, with game mechanics little more than an excuse to tell that story, rather than the story serving the game experience. And while there is nothing objectively wrong with that, it's just not all that enjoyable for me as I rarely find video game stories interesting. They just aren't the kind of stories I would seek in other forms of narrative media. And neither are they typically told in ways that I would find very exciting. For some reason, most games just try to be films or books, but films and books are so much better at being films and books.
I then remembered that FF7 is currently being remade into a trilogy games. And since I had just reached the point in Final Fantasy VII where the first Final Fantasy VII Remake ends, I decided to continue the story in the new trilogy's second part, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which came out a couple of years ago.
This was an interesting experience because it made me appreciate both the original Final Fantasy VII and Lufia II more. Not that there is anything objectively wrong with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. By all accounts, it is a very well made game, at least based on what I have played. But it doesn't solve the main issue that I have with these games: the feeling that I'm just being pushed around in a theme-park ride through a pre-determined story that doesn't quite interest me, with none of the interactive bits (what I would call the "game") really mattering all that much.
In fact, the new game makes it worse. The way Final Fantasy VII Rebirth tells its story engages me less than what I experienced in the original Final Fantasy VII, or Lufia II for that matter. This puzzled me for a while, but then I realised that it's likely because of the new game's heightened presentational realism.
In the early 1980s, text adventure company Infocom ran an ad claiming that they utilise the world's most powerful graphics technology. In that ad, they pointed out:
You'll never see Infocom's graphics on any computer screen. Because there's never been a computer built by man that could handle the images we produce. And there never will be. We draw our graphics from the limitless imagery of your imagination -— a technology so powerful, it makes every picture that's ever come out of a screen look like graffiti by comparison. And nobody knows how to unleash your imagination like Infocom.
And I don't think it's just graphics. In all sorts of ways, technological limitations that older games faced left more gaps in the end product that my own imagination needs, nay, gets to fill. When I play the original Final Fantasy VII, I imagine it as a grittier, more grown up world than what Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gives me. Text based dialogue always sounds better in my head than what voice actors can produce. Symbolic representation is more meaningful than realism to me. In other words, even if the main story-beats are largely the same, in the original game I have to supply a lot of my own interpretation to join the dots and colour between the lines. Rebirth is of course very likely closer to the original creators' intentions, but I do like my version better.
Like I said, I only played Lufia II for about 6-7 hours. But it actually felt a lot longer. So much seemed to happen. The same is true of the opening section of the original Final Fantasy VII. In roughly seven hours, it had me play an eco-terrorist responsible for untold death and destruction, before plunging me into a world full of sex trafficking, slavery, corporate power dynamics and something of a eugenics program. That's fairly much.
In contrast, I have now played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for about the same length of time and time seems to have flown much quicker. But not in a good way. It feels like neither the story nor the gameplay has really moved forward. This is partly because of the way Rebirth structures its narration, and also because they have really stretched out the story, but I think also because of what playing these games requires of me. In older games, I am a much more active participant than in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, where much of the time I feel like a passive observer. Fewer things seem to happen to me, fewer memories are generated, and that I guess makes subjective time pass faster. I feel like I'm getting far less out of the remake than I did from the original.
I suspect this is the main reason why I generally find stories told by older video games if not better, at least more memorable than those found in newer titles. In older games, I am a more active participant in the interpretation of what is going on, almost a co-creator, and therefore their stories, or at least the style in which those stories are told and the thoughts that they generate in my brain, are more to my liking.
Having said all that, the Final Fantasy VII remake series seems to be attempting something interesting when it comes to narration, storytelling and the game's relationship with the original game. Or at least there appears to be a level of self-awareness in it of being a remake, baked right into its narration. Whether it develops anywhere interesting, I don't know, as I'm still at the beginning of that second game. But I'm mildly curious to see where it all leads.
I'm sorry I can't really say much more about Lufia II, the game I was supposed to play. But it did lead me to some useful reflections and gave me a better understanding of some things, which I consider a definite win.
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Comment on You can vote on the design of the next Euro banknotes! in ~design
vili Link ParentI was curious why they selected these specific birds. While many have argued that the group of people featured in the "European culture" set of notes is elitist, or favours some aspects of Europe...- Exemplary
I was curious why they selected these specific birds. While many have argued that the group of people featured in the "European culture" set of notes is elitist, or favours some aspects of Europe more than others, I actually feel the same about these birds.
Some of these birds only appear in very limited areas in Europe, and there are areas of Europe where I believe none of these birds are ever seen in the wild. So, why not feature something like robins, sparrows, siskins, goldfinches, ravens and other common birds that are more widely present in Europe? Why the white stork and not a crane for a truly European migratory bird? Why no swans, which are important in so many European mythological traditions?
This bothered me, so I tried to find some answers. Fortunately, the Report by the Motifs Advisory Group tells us this about the selection process:
In the case of “Rivers and birds”, after defining the stages of a river (river or sea landscapes), the group made thoroughly assessed each proposed bird species. The group considered each species’ habitat and how it fits together with the stages of the river, their visual attractiveness, migratory status, Europeanness (i.e. occurrence in multiple European countries) and whether the EU laws and measures taken to protect them have had an effect on their populations. They also discussed and conducted background checks on how each bird species is perceived in different parts of Europe (positive/negative) and what kind of folkloristic characteristics it has been assigned. Lastly, the group wanted to make sure that each bird would be depicted in its natural habitat for each denomination.
While my personal list of European birds would still be very different, I can certainly accept their selection criteria. And if they have done their homework properly based on those criteria, then I can also accept the results.
The report also tells us about design ideas that have since been rejected. In the Rivers and birds section, a table under "Nature as culture" presents an idea that I'm a little disappointed wasn't actually implemented. There probably is a little too much going on here for a set of bank notes, but still, this could have been gorgeous:
Nature as Culture Period of European culture: pre-classical antiquity €5 front
Representation of a spring and a Wallcreeper in a style inspired by ancient art.€5 reverse
Inspired by ancient pottery vessels imprinted with a pattern of spirals representing waves, like those found throughout pre-classical antiquity.Period of European culture: Graeco-Roman €10 front
Representation of a Kingfisher and mountain stream as imagined in classical art.€10 reverse
Inspired by classical fountains and (humorous) waterspouts, such as those depicted in mosaics from Pompeii and surviving spouts in classical cities.Period of European culture: medieval and early modern (up to the 17th century) €20 front
A representation of a Bee-eater in a confined river valley as imagined through medieval art and printing.€20 reverse
Inspired by medieval manuscripts and their playful and fantastical images of birds, alongside examples from the printing press, creating an interesting interplay between the two media.Period of European culture: 18th century to mid-19th century €50 front
Representation of a White Stork and a series of bends in a river (a meander) as imagined or depicted in the style of 18th century scientific topography.€50 reverse
Inspired by scientific taxonomy and naturalistic observations of birds.Period of European culture: 19th century to mid-20th century €100 front
Representation of a river mouth and an Avocet sweeping over the surface of a mud flat as imagined in the style of Romanticism.€100 reverse
Inspired by representations of a harbour, steamboats, riverscapes and the human activities that go on in such places.Period of European culture: contemporary/the future €200 front
Representation of an Osprey and a seacoast as imagined through contemporary/futuristic style.€200 reverse
Waves as metaphors for the digital and quantum universes inspired by postmodern art, visually linking back to the spiral patterns of antiquity. -
Comment on CGA-2026-07 🕹️🔥⚔️ INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals in ~games
vili LinkThe exclamation points and the repeated use of the word "puzzles" —sometimes combined together — very much sold this for me. I look forward to diving in!The exclamation points and the repeated use of the word "puzzles" —sometimes combined together — very much sold this for me. I look forward to diving in!
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Comment on CGA-2026-06 🦇🧛♀️🔥 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow in ~games
vili LinkI had some challenges getting into this one, but those had nothing to do with the game as it was originally released. Rather they came from the Steam version, my bone-headedness, and what turned...I had some challenges getting into this one, but those had nothing to do with the game as it was originally released. Rather they came from the Steam version, my bone-headedness, and what turned out to be a faulty controller.
Once I got things working, I fell in love with the music. Occasionally, it reminded me of Chrono Trigger's soundtrack. I could also appreciate the graphics, although they probably work much better on GBA than a TV.
As for the gameplay itself, I think it's a very well made metroidvania, but it doesn't seem to take many risks. I didn't come across anything out of the ordinary, particularly inventive, or downright crazy. The level design was polished, but a little forgettable. It also felt quite easy, especially the further I progressed. The story and characters were similarly passable, but not particularly memorable.
The enemy absorbing mechanic is interesting, but I'm also one of those players who dislikes micromanaging gear to a point where I often play games without really changing my starting setup. (Most crafting, base building and party management systems are similarly beyond my patience.) So, the main aspect that makes Aria of Sorrow unique happened to be something that I don't really care for that much. Again, definitely not the game's fault.
So, I would call this a very well made game, just not something that I will remember all that fondly. Except for that music! Oh boy was that good.
Since this is CGA's first metroidvania title, I'd love to hear what everyone's favourite games in the genre are. Do you gravitate more towards the minimalism of Metroid or the complexity of Castlevania? Do you prefer the challenge of something like Silksong or the relative chill of the Ori series?
My own favourites are probably Super Metroid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (a boring start, I know), Shadow Complex, Axiom Verge and Yoku's Island Express. I might also argue that Sekiro is something of a metroidvania and as such belongs to that list.
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Comment on Are there any video games that are/were popular in your country, that the rest of the world hardly knows about? in ~games
vili LinkI grew up in Finland and the oldest popular domestic game that I can remember is 1986's Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle (lit. "Uuno Turhapuro Moves to the Countryside"), which Wikipedia describes as...I grew up in Finland and the oldest popular domestic game that I can remember is 1986's Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle (lit. "Uuno Turhapuro Moves to the Countryside"), which Wikipedia describes as "the first commercially successful Finnish video game". It was based on a popular film of the same name and apparently sold a whopping 2,000 copies, which would have been a lot at the time. The game is a fairly simple but incredibly tough 2D side scroller. I probably never made it past the second stage. The graphics are pretty impressive for the time.
Nero 2000 (1987, lit. "Genius 2000") is a pretty straightforward quiz game that my parents would occasionally play with their friends. I wasn't allowed to join because I had played it so much on my own that I knew all the answers by heart. I had the same situation with the board game Trivial Pursuit. I grew up in a tiny village and there wasn't much to do.
But those were early, scattered titles. This suddenly changed in the early 1990s, when a thriving demo scene formed, giving birth to a new wave of Finnish video games. Many of these were multi-player single-screen shareware titles, and many a school break was spent hunched over a PC, whether playing or watching other people play. Most of these multi-player titles were played over a single keyboard, resulting in an intense, close-quarters experience.
Turboraketti (1992, lit. "Turbo Rocket") kicked off a genre that became quite popular throughout the decade: cave flying. Think of multiplayer Spacewar, Asteroids, or Star Control's Melee, but with the game set in a cave system. To win, you need to shoot the other player(s) down. Other notable games in the genre include AUTS (1995) and Wings (1996). The more recent (and more internationally popular) Finnish indie game Noita (2020) seems to partly come from this lineage of games.
UnReal World (1992, still in active development and nothing to do with Epic's later Unreal or its engine) is sometimes called the first ever survival game, and therefore influential on games like Minecraft, DayZ and Don't Starve. It is also often included in lists of the best roleplaying games ever made, so I assume it's not entirely unknown outside of the country. Still, it's quite Finnish, as you try to stay alive in iron age Finland. The world, rich in lore, is based on Finnish mythology and plays much like a roguelike title.
Slicks 'n' Slide (1993) is a top-down racing game that features multiple cars and a track editor. It influenced Death Rally (1996), which I believe did break the international market and was the first game by Remedy Entertainment, the Finnish company that would later go on to develop titles like Max Payne, Alan Wake and Control.
Liero (1998, lit. "Earthworm") is something of a real time Worms game where two players control earthworms that dig underground while trying to kill each other with guns. It was incredibly popular for a couple of years.
Me, I always preferred Mine Bombers (1995) as it was the "thinking man's Liero". In more slow-paced gameplay, two or more players dig caves underground and try to kill each other with bombs, guns and other items they either purchase or find. It's something of a Bomberman clone, I suppose.
Pizza Worm (1994) is a delicious snake style game with more freedom of movement than is typical in the genre. While Nokia's Snake (1998) may be the best known Finnish snake game both domestically and internationally, Pizza Worm has the best sound design. Namnam.
Towards the late 90s, the demo scene had matured and individual developers had began to set up companies. I already mentioned Remedy as an example, but also companies like Bugbear (the FlatOut series), Housemarque (Stardust, Returnal, Saros) and Futuremark (benchmarking tool 3DMark) had their origins in the 1990s demo scene in Finland. Rovio (of Angry Birds) came just a few years later, also initially making their name through the thriving demo scene.
But as this was happening, life took me elsewhere and I stopped playing video games for about a decade, so I don't really know what happened from 1999 onwards. Still, in my memories at least, the 1990s certainly were an exciting time to be a gamer in Finland.
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Comment on Commodore Callback flip phone in ~tech
vili Link ParentCommodore was acquired last year by a group led by Christian Simpson, best known as Peri Fractic of the YouTube channel Retro Recipes (but he's done more of course). In addition to working with...Commodore was acquired last year by a group led by Christian Simpson, best known as Peri Fractic of the YouTube channel Retro Recipes (but he's done more of course). In addition to working with several tech and financial experts, he has built an advisory team of something like a dozen people who worked at Commodore back in the 80s and 90s, some of who in very key roles. They also include the son of Commodore's founder Jack Tramiel. In that sense, this seems to me like the first time in three decades that the Commodore brand is again legitimately "Commodore", and not just a logo that someone is using to sell stuff to people.
The direction that the new Commodore seems to be attempting is something like "the future that we were promised", an approach that many of us expected tech to take in the late 80s or early 90s, before things took a different turn. One where devices, software and services function to make our lives better and easier, not to just sell us things or to sell us to things. They also seem to lean fairly heavily on the concept of digital minimalism which Simpson has made multiple videos about in recent years.
Personally, I think the Callback phone is a fun idea, but I wonder if there really is a market for it. The challenge, as far as I see it, is that while people often have several computers in use at the same time, leaving room for "hobby PCs," fewer people use multiple phones simultaneously. And these days, in my experience at least, a phone pretty much has to support banking apps, government services, travel applications and other similar systems, or it becomes difficult to function in society. Since this likely doesn't support any of those, I at least would find it very hard to use this phone in my day-to-day life.
Also, I'm not entirely sure I understand the "no social media" argument. I have an iPhone and I have no social media apps in it. Surely it's not that hard. Phones also have fairly robust notification and permissions settings, so attaining at least some level of "digital minimalism" isn't really that challenging, either.
That said, I hope they find customers and the brand thrives! I do like what they are doing, even if I haven't yet seen a product from them that I would buy.
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Comment on What is your eleventh favorite video game? in ~games
vili Link ParentThe first demo of the game is also currently available to play for free until next Monday as part of Steam’s Next Fest. They say it features over a hundred puzzles and dozens of hours of playtime....Their next game comes out later this year.
The first demo of the game is also currently available to play for free until next Monday as part of Steam’s Next Fest. They say it features over a hundred puzzles and dozens of hours of playtime. The save file should carry over to the full release. I spent about an hour with it yesterday and enjoyed the experience.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
vili LinkI’ve been using Kagi since 2022 and as I have had no need to look elsewhere in that time, I don’t really know how it compares to other search products these days. But it also means that I haven’t...I’ve been using Kagi since 2022 and as I have had no need to look elsewhere in that time, I don’t really know how it compares to other search products these days. But it also means that I haven’t felt the need to look elsewhere. For me personally, Kagi has been one of the best things to come out of the modern internet.
I primarily use two features: the search and the translator. The search is very good, although also their search results often contain AI written websites, but sadly that’s the internet these days. The translator is excellent, I think the best I have used, and comes with lots of settings to tweak not only the meaning but also the style of the output.
Their other offerings have been a bit less successful in my use. Their assistant, which gives access to various LLM models, just doesn’t work as well as when I use models like GPT and Gemini directly. Although I do use paid/pro versions of those while I don’t pay for the ultimate version of Kagi which includes the best models, so the comparison isn’t entirely fair.
Their news service is an interesting concept, but whenever I have checked it out, it’s just felt too AI driven. I still want my news to be filtered through a journalist and an editor, because then I sort of know what biases to expect. An entirely (?) AI written news digest from a company with no journalistic background just doesn’t feel like something I would like to have as my source of information about the world. No matter how much I like Kagi.
And I do love Kagi. I like their philosophy and approach to things. I trust their privacy promises. Their support is quick and friendly, and their public communication doesn’t feel like corporate PR talk. They sometimes stumble and they are open about it. They do an impressive amount of things for a small company but every now and then you are reminded of their smallness, such as when their service was once down for several hours for planned database migration, which I thought was charming. There are some things I don’t see eye to eye with them, like using (and paying for) the Russian government linked Yandex as part of their search arsenal, but I usually accept their reasons.
I have recommended Kagi to friends and coworkers. Some have stayed, while others haven’t found it useful enough to pay for the service. Whether it’s worth the money depends on the individual. For me personally, it’s one of my favourite subscriptions.
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Comment on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past announced in ~games
vili Link ParentIndeed, you are absolutely right. Make that two feet in mouths.he's one of the major shareholders of CDPR (second biggest IIRC), so he has some control over CDPR.
Indeed, you are absolutely right. Make that two feet in mouths.
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Comment on CGA-2026-05 🕹️⛵🦜 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Sid Meier's Pirates! in ~games
vili LinkCGA Announcement: We have officially ejected the cartridge for Sid Meier's Pirates!. No worries if you're not done -- there is still plenty of time left in the month to play! This topic is for...CGA Announcement: We have officially ejected the cartridge for Sid Meier's Pirates!. No worries if you're not done -- there is still plenty of time left in the month to play!
This topic is for people to share their parting thoughts and experiences. Spoilers are NOT required to be hidden for this topic, so if you're reading this before you've finished, be careful about reading any comments here.
If you would like to be added or removed from the Notification List, please PM u/kfwyre.
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CGA-2026-05 🕹️⛵🦜 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Sid Meier's Pirates!
Warning: this post may contain spoilers
Ahoy there cap'n, and welcome to Puerto Retiro! Once you have docked your ship, head over to the town's best (and only) tavern, La Aventura Colosal, to rest your peg leg, sip a glass of rum, and exchange tales of your exploits with other well-salted seadogs.
How was your time with Sid Meier's Pirates!, our CGA title for May? Which version did you play? How did it meet your expectations? What worked for you and what perhaps didn't? Did you read the manual?
Don’t get too comfy though! In just a couple of days, u/Lapbunny will be booting up Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for us, which based on the title I assume is a karaoke game for melancholy songs. I for one have been practising my rendition of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for weeks in anticipation!
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Comment on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past announced in ~games
vili Link ParentCDProjekt sold GOG to one of its founders back in December and as I understand it no longer has any control over the store. Are you perhaps referring to the new owner of GOG who has indeed been...the new boss of CDProjekt has been talking about how he wants to make GOG work natively on Linux
CDProjekt sold GOG to one of its founders back in December and as I understand it no longer has any control over the store.
Are you perhaps referring to the new owner of GOG who has indeed been quite vocal about his dislike of Windows (but has no control over what CDProjekt does)?
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Comment on There's a hundred illegal erections in the hills behind my parents' house in ~hobbies
vili Link ParentThanks! I’ve hiked in the Slovakian Tatras a couple of times (just day hikes though) and seen some stunning places, but never yet been hiking in Czechia. Maybe one day! There definitely is a...Thanks! I’ve hiked in the Slovakian Tatras a couple of times (just day hikes though) and seen some stunning places, but never yet been hiking in Czechia. Maybe one day!
There definitely is a difference between Central Europe and the Nordics in terms of population density. I’m based in Hungary and you never really are more than a stone’s throw from a busy road, a farmer’s field or a settlement.
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Comment on There's a hundred illegal erections in the hills behind my parents' house in ~hobbies
vili LinkThis was a really interesting read, and the song is lovely, too. Thank you for sharing! One thing I love about hiking in the Nordics is that national parks often have free-to-use huts and lean-to...This was a really interesting read, and the song is lovely, too. Thank you for sharing!
One thing I love about hiking in the Nordics is that national parks often have free-to-use huts and lean-to shelters, and other fairly well maintained amenities that look a bit like the ones in your pictures. I'm actually heading to the Arctic Circle this weekend for a five-day hike, and although I will be sleeping in a tent, I still appreciate the availability of firewood and composting toilets along the trail.
You wrote that in Czechia and Slovakia "when you want to sleep in the forest, you can of course just use a tarp and a sleeping bag anywhere". I'm surprised (and a little excited) to hear this, as I was under the impression that wild camping is illegal in the two countries, like it is in most countries in the area. But am I mistaken here? Am I a fool to travel to the other side of the continent to get my yearly tramping fix?
Also, I think in New Zealand, they also use the word "tramping" to refer to hiking.
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Comment on Is there a "Razor" for the idea that "If a Billionaire is against it, I'm for it?" in ~finance
vili LinkNot quite a "razor", but the process itself sounds like reactive devaluation. Or possibly genetic fallacy. So, how about the "bulverist's razor"? I for sure have wielded that blade more often than...Not quite a "razor", but the process itself sounds like reactive devaluation. Or possibly genetic fallacy.
So, how about the "bulverist's razor"? I for sure have wielded that blade more often than I care to admit.
This sounds very familiar. The following is not medical advice, but for me, this pattern ended when I started to take probiotics. Not just yogurts or sauerkraut or such, but higher dozes in over the counter pill form. I had tried all sorts of things to manage my sleep, but it turns out sleep wasn't the problem, my digestive system was.
My theory is that what woke me up was the gut not working properly. And my brain interpreted that feeling in the gut literally as a "gut feeling", that something wasn't right, and then proceeded to invent things that I could be stressed about, leading to that endless spiral of nighttime thoughts. Again, this is not medical advice or robust science, but for me probiotics changed my sleep, and in many ways my life.
It might also be a good idea to keep a diary of things that you do, eat and experience during the day and track the quality of your sleep, either manually or with an app or a sleep tracker. I did that for a year or so and learnt a lot about what seems to affect my sleep both positively and negatively. Some findings were quite understandable, others surprising. Knowing what seems to affect my sleep has been very helpful.
As for dealing with those nights of tossing and turning, just like some others here have already suggested, for me the best way to go back to sleep was to move to another place to sleep, and then put on something that I could listen to which was interesting enough to maintain my focus, but soothing enough to put my brain to sleep. For me, it was the YouTube channel Cracking the Cryptic (they do sudoku and cryptic crossword solves), and Simon's videos in particular.