vili's recent activity
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Comment on What long standalone book is worth its page count? in ~books
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Comment on What are your Christmas movies? in ~movies
vili LinkNot a classic by any definition of the word, but I just watched Carry-On on Netflix and thought that it was a perfectly adequate riff on the Die Hard type Christmas film. Then again, I'm also down...Not a classic by any definition of the word, but I just watched Carry-On on Netflix and thought that it was a perfectly adequate riff on the Die Hard type Christmas film. Then again, I'm also down with the flu and 39C fever, so that may have contributed to the experience.
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Comment on What long standalone book is worth its page count? in ~books
vili LinkUmberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum is a long, at times complex journey through some wonderfully outlandish conspiracy theories, occultism and the Templars, but manages to stay a page turner...Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum is a long, at times complex journey through some wonderfully outlandish conspiracy theories, occultism and the Templars, but manages to stay a page turner throughout. It's also one of the funniest, or at least wittiest books that I have read.
I tend to recommend it as a thinking man's Da Vinci Code, no matter how elitist that may sound.
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Comment on Kagi Small Web in ~tech
vili Link ParentIt might be relevant to keep in mind though that there was a fairly major change in the ownership of the company earlier this year. It's now fully Russian owned, and possibly much closer to...It might be relevant to keep in mind though that there was a fairly major change in the ownership of the company earlier this year. It's now fully Russian owned, and possibly much closer to Kremlin than it used to be.
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Comment on What do you use for 2fa? in ~tech
vili LinkI still use Google Authenticator, which I have been wanting to switch away from for ages. I tried switching to Ente Auth but the import was a mess and I didn't have the patience to start double...I still use Google Authenticator, which I have been wanting to switch away from for ages. I tried switching to Ente Auth but the import was a mess and I didn't have the patience to start double checking what it imported from Google and what it perhaps didn't. It did at least duplicate things a lot and lost names in the process, so I didn't know what was what.
I also have Microsoft's authenticator installed because some Azure services seemed to require it and not play ball with Google's authenticator. And of course banking and such have their own apps.
I save all the recovery codes that are given and I manually sync the Google Authenticator with another Google Authenticator app on a backup phone whenever needed.
I don't use desktop apps.
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Comment on Sony is in talks to buy media powerhouse Kadokawa in ~games
vili Link ParentWell, to be honest, I just assume this to be true based on the fact that Daiei produced those films and when the company went bankrupt in the early 70s, Kadokawa bought them. I could be wrong of...Well, to be honest, I just assume this to be true based on the fact that Daiei produced those films and when the company went bankrupt in the early 70s, Kadokawa bought them. I could be wrong of course.
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Comment on Sony is in talks to buy media powerhouse Kadokawa in ~games
vili LinkI think Kadokawa also owns the old Daiei Pictures catalogue, which I suppose means that this purchase could get Sony two Akira Kurosawa films, namely his classic Rashomon and the less well known...I think Kadokawa also owns the old Daiei Pictures catalogue, which I suppose means that this purchase could get Sony two Akira Kurosawa films, namely his classic Rashomon and the less well known (but I think quite excellent) The Quiet Duel, as well as many late-career works of Kenji Mizoguchi such as Ugetsu and Sansho the Bailiff, and also the Zatoichi series.
That's quite a big thing, if you are into golden age Japanese cinema.
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Comment on How do Fallout’s NPCs get home? in ~games
vili LinkJust a heads-up for those who enjoy Any Austin's videos and humour, happen to like electro/synth funk, and like me haven't really paid much attention to the end of his videos: I just realised that...Just a heads-up for those who enjoy Any Austin's videos and humour, happen to like electro/synth funk, and like me haven't really paid much attention to the end of his videos: I just realised that he also does music as The Excellent Man from Minneapolis and has released a pretty brilliant album called 7 Songs.
He's wearing a Prince necklace and t-shirt on the cover, so that kind of gives you an indication of what to expect. It's the Minneapolis sound, with humour that reminds me a little of Chromeo, but with the kind of mood and observations that make me think of the early, independent, pre-fame The Weeknd releases. I'm not saying that Austin is or will be the next The Weeknd, or Chromeo, or Prince, but I personally really like the album.
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Comment on How do Fallout’s NPCs get home? in ~games
vili Link ParentI'm afraid Shenmue came out during that time when I wasn't really playing many video games, so I completely missed it. I get motion sickness pretty easily and early 3D games are particularly bad...I'm afraid Shenmue came out during that time when I wasn't really playing many video games, so I completely missed it. I get motion sickness pretty easily and early 3D games are particularly bad experiences. As the industry moved increasingly from 2D to 3D towards the late 90s, I slowly lost interest and my focus switched to other things until I got interested in games again in the late 2000s.
I'm trying to think what could be my earliest memory of NPCs seemingly living their own lives. While many games defnitely created that illusion (Little Computer People in particular comes to mind, it was sort of like the 80s precursor to The Sims), and for my child's mind everything certainly felt alive and magical to some extent, I might say that Ultima VII was probably the first one where all the pieces really felt like combining into a complex, living world. Its NPCs seemed to go around and do things for reasons totally unrelated to me or my story, had daily routines and value systems, and reacted to things that were happening around them. It was quite fascinating.
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Comment on How do Fallout’s NPCs get home? in ~games
vili LinkI remember trying to follow one character in Fallout 3. Maybe it was the dad. I got quite far but then got ambushed and lost track of him. I worried about him. But later I found out that he was...I remember trying to follow one character in Fallout 3. Maybe it was the dad. I got quite far but then got ambushed and lost track of him. I worried about him. But later I found out that he was okay. It was a huge relief.
I kind of miss having games create that illusion for me. These days I'm far too cognisant of how games work. But back in the late 2000s, I hadn't really played video games for over a decade and games like the then new Fallout or Morrowind felt magical, almost like real living places. I mean, obviously I knew they weren't, but the difference to something like Commodore 64 games or early PC games was massive. I didn't know where exactly the boundary was between what was possible and what just make-believe.
Come to think of it, maybe I should take another decade long break from gaming. It might freshen things up again.
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Comment on Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer | Announcement trailer in ~games
vili LinkI was pleasantly surprised by the first game. It has a bit of a Gabriel Knight vibe, but also a strong identity of its own. I don't think the puzzles were particularly tough, even if I played the...I was pleasantly surprised by the first game. It has a bit of a Gabriel Knight vibe, but also a strong identity of its own. I don't think the puzzles were particularly tough, even if I played the game in French, a language that I don't really speak. Adventure games are good for language practice. Maybe it's time for another lesson soon.
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A finger-sized clay cylinder from a tomb in northern Syria appears to be the oldest example of writing using an alphabet rather than hieroglyphs or cuneiform
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Comment on Is OneDrive for Linux Mature Enough Yet? in ~comp
vili Link ParentThis quick video goes through the basic process and how it works, or at least how it worked some 5 months ago in Ubuntu. That's pretty much how far I've got with my research. It's been one of...This quick video goes through the basic process and how it works, or at least how it worked some 5 months ago in Ubuntu. That's pretty much how far I've got with my research. It's been one of those things that I'll test "next weekend", for almost half a year now.
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Comment on Is OneDrive for Linux Mature Enough Yet? in ~comp
vili LinkI am not a Linux expert, but my understanding is that GNOME added OneDrive support earlier this year, and therefore the latest versions of distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint now support OneDrive...I am not a Linux expert, but my understanding is that GNOME added OneDrive support earlier this year, and therefore the latest versions of distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint now support OneDrive out of the box. Or this at least is what GNOME 46's release notes write:
GNOME’s Online Accounts feature have had a major upgrade for GNOME 46. The biggest improvement is the new support for Microsoft OneDrive. Setup a Microsoft 365 account from the settings, and your OneDrive will appear in the Files sidebar, where it can be easily browsed and accessed alongside your local files and folders.
That said, my understanding is that it doesn't save or sync files offline, so you need to be online to access your files. And I must also stress that I don't actually use a desktop Linux regularly and haven't tried this, so I would also be interested to hear from anyone who knows more about this.
I have actually been planning to switch to Linux Mint myself, and one reason I think I could finally do it now is the promise of OneDrive support, if it indeed exists and is reliable. But I just haven't had the time to test it myself. Hence, any first hand information would be very valuable to me as well.
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Comment on Should I stop using Kagi because they do business with Yandex? in ~tech
vili Link ParentAnd thank you for the clarification as well! That definitely puts things into context.And thank you for the clarification as well! That definitely puts things into context.
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Comment on Should I stop using Kagi because they do business with Yandex? in ~tech
vili Link ParentI could be wrong, but my understanding is that Yandex was owned by Yandex N.V., a Dutch holding company. Earlier this year, it sold its ownership of Yandex to that Russian investment fund, and...I could be wrong, but my understanding is that Yandex was owned by Yandex N.V., a Dutch holding company. Earlier this year, it sold its ownership of Yandex to that Russian investment fund, and changed its name to Nebius Group N.V., continuing to work in AI and self-driving technologies. Arkady Volozh, who founded Yandex, continues as the CEO of Nebius. I haven't followed his career closely, but from what I have gathered, he doesn't seem to have been that keen on the direction that Russia has been taking in recent decades.
But I must stress that I really know next to nothing about this, other than what has been reported in the press over the years.
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Comment on Should I stop using Kagi because they do business with Yandex? in ~tech
vili Link ParentThat may to some extent have been the case once upon a time, but earlier this year, the company that used to be Yandex was forced to sell their search engine business to a Russian investment fund...Nothing shows that they're actually fully on board with what the Kremlin is doing
That may to some extent have been the case once upon a time, but earlier this year, the company that used to be Yandex was forced to sell their search engine business to a Russian investment fund that, to the best of my understanding, is operated by people close to Kremlin. So I think it's safe to assume that the current Yandex is very much on board with Putin's world view.
Here is an article that looks at this and Yandex's history with Kremlin more widely.
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Comment on Teachers: what do you do with a class that couldn't care less about what you have to say? in ~talk
vili Link ParentThis is very true. I did an exchange year in Japan, and pretty much the only reason I chose the country was because of my love for the films of Akira Kurosawa. And probably the only reason I knew...And remember, sometimes you're reaching folks that on the surface don't look like they care at all, but internally they're having a spark lit.
This is very true. I did an exchange year in Japan, and pretty much the only reason I chose the country was because of my love for the films of Akira Kurosawa. And probably the only reason I knew of him was my English teacher, who in elementary school lent me Seven Samurai. Or rather, she just dropped the VHS on my desk one day and said "you might like this". Completely out of the blue. I actually didn't like it, not very much, but it was different enough to stay in my mind and a few years later, when I came across Kurosawa's other films, I devoured them and discovered an extraordinary connection with his work.
I sent my former teacher a postcard from Japan and mentioned the above, and apparently it made her very happy. I'm a bit sad that she passed away before I could send her another postcard a few years later. I would have loved to tell her that I had become an English major.
And mind you, English was pretty much my weakest subject in elementary school.
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Comment on Teachers: what do you do with a class that couldn't care less about what you have to say? in ~talk
vili LinkAt the end of my studies, I spent a couple of semesters teaching at the university's English department. I taught courses in linguistics, and there is one class that I remember particularly well....At the end of my studies, I spent a couple of semesters teaching at the university's English department. I taught courses in linguistics, and there is one class that I remember particularly well.
Now, the majority of students who enrolled in English studies were there for the literature. A large portion were there to become English teachers. Some were interested in culture and history. And almost no one cared one bit for theoretical linguistics.
Then, of those few who actually were interested in linguistics, most were interested in phonetics and phonology. Some were interested in historical linguistics. A handful liked semantics. And hardly anyone seemed to have any interest whatsoever in syntax and morphology.
So, there I was, tasked to teach a compulsory introduction to syntax class to some 15 students. Every Monday. From 5 pm to 6.30 pm. Regular teachers got to pick their time slots first. I was given what was left available, and I also had my own classes to attend.
I also wasn't the first choice for any of those students. A young no-name non-teacher who didn't even speak the local language. So, no one was interested in the subject. (Ok, I exaggerate, one student in the class actually was, bless her soul.) Everyone was very very tired. And none of them wanted to be there. And it was Monday, of all days.
I had to device a plan. And mine was: tea and cookies. An exotic tea selection and cookies for everyone. Each week's cookie offer would be a surprise. Just bring your own cup for the tea.
That, and lots of positivity. And a little bit of extra energy to keep everyone awake.
It worked! Attendance was good, in fact better than in any of the other classes that I ran. And the students actually seemed to learn something: the main aim of the class was to prepare them for an end of the semester exam that was tied to a connected lecture series. None of my students failed the exam. Which was very, very rare indeed. I was quite proud of myself.
So, the trick there at least was not so much to try to make the subject interesting, but to make the learning environment pleasing. Something that the students could actually look forward to at the end of a long and boring Monday. I think they actually wanted to be there, and somehow, through heightened intrinsic motivation, or whatever was in the tea, or just through sheer osmosis or something, they all did better than expected.
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Comment on Churchil Solitaire - The game that turned me off from buying mobile games in ~games
vili LinkIf you have Netflix, check out the mobile game offerings that come with your subscription. They have some surprisingly decent games and as those include no in-app purchase nonsense, their design...If you have Netflix, check out the mobile game offerings that come with your subscription. They have some surprisingly decent games and as those include no in-app purchase nonsense, their design is not as hostile against users as your average mobile games tend to be.
The same goes for Apple Arcade, if you are an iPhone user. I'm not a big fan of subscription services for game libraries, but I have given up trying navigate mobile app stores, discovery is just so insanely bad and most of what is out there is just focused on reaching for my wallet, rather than my soul.
If you like dice games, also check out the free Deep Space D6. And if you like Sudoku, the Cracking the Cryptic app is great. It does have in-app purchases for individual sudoku packs, but I feel they are fairly priced.
There is something oddly brilliant about King's writing, even if I don't typically read his genre. On the one hand I'm fairly certain that most of his books could be edited down to about 60-70% of their published length without really sacrificing much, yet I don't actually mind the length of his novels. They are almost always pleasant to read, especially his more recent work.
It's been ages since I read The Stand, I think around when the 1990s TV adaptation came out, but I also remember it as a really gripping and easy to read, hard to put down novel. But then again, I also vaguely remember that I was reading it through quickly to impress a girl and to have something to talk to her about, so that may have coloured my memories of the book.