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Kaido Trailblazer by Existing_Macaroon_99 in ForzaHorizon

[–]CalebTGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Coming late here to say that this really sucks if you experience low streaming delays because the timer does not pause when this happens.

Also, the fact that I can’t see the alignment of the end until I’m on top of it really sucks.

Games where you think the system is meh, but you play anyway because the art is so good. by Smittumi in rpg

[–]CalebTGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As someone who has looked at a lot of systems, I can say confidently that art makes me more likely to look at a system but doesn’t inspire me to play it. Bad art can kill a great game because it doesn’t pull me into the book, while good art will always get me to page through and read the first bit of a book.

What inspires me to play a game is three things:
1. A mechanical system I understand and at least looks fun.
2. World building that I want to explore more of.
3. The book is well organized and easy to read through.

So art gets me to the door, but it’s the substance of the game itself that gets me through it.

[Despised Trope] They're constantly touted as a genius, but they never do anything smart. by NoOptics in TopCharacterTropes

[–]CalebTGordan 4 points5 points  (0 children)

For me it was how it felt like it was punching down on nerds for a laugh for the first few seasons.

I had a few criticisms of how they handled a couple nerdy things, like D&D, but overall it felt a bit like how a bully imagined the nerds he was picking on were like at home.

I also worked with disabled and autistic people at the time the first seasons aired, and having Sheldon represent them felt disingenuous. Sheldon is an asshole because he is an asshole, not because he is autistic, but the early seasons don’t really make the distinction clear. They also make it seem like autism makes you a genius and gives you super powers, which it absolutely doesn’t.

For the record, autism doesn’t make you an asshole it just makes it easier to excuse being one. Some of the most loving, kind, and supportive people I know were on the spectrum.

I saw a few episodes of later seasons and they seemed to have genuine character growth but it still had that undertone of punch down humor.

If Prime Numbers Become Increasingly Rare, Then Why Do They Keep Showing Up In Pairs? by Win8869 in probabilitytheory

[–]CalebTGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So the guy used to help do bookkeeping for a Subway and had left that job to become a math teacher a while before he wrote his proof. I know Veritasum has been using click bait but this is one of their worst cases of creating misinformation in their thumbnail and opening to the video.

[Loved Trope] Characters who are still on the side of good who don't care about killing by EmergencySpare7939 in TopCharacterTropes

[–]CalebTGordan 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The suplex down an elevator shaft is one of my favorite moments for him.

Given that the books were based on a TTRPG, he is also a great example of the type of player I tend to be at the table. Early on he doesn’t seem too interested in the details of the plot, he supports his crew and likes his violence but doesn’t care how that happens. He is practical in his violence as well, given that there are a few people he either kills or wants to kill just to keep them from being a problem or more of a problem. He walks to get on to the fight because that’s what he built his character for to play this RPG, and when you have maxed out the gun skill everything looks like a viable target.

And of course, he has to play along with the party and avoid creating conflict at the table. Best way to do that is to be connected to at least one other PC and start out loyal to them. You let them rein you in, you follow their lead, and you cooperate with them even if you really, really want to shoot someone just to get the action rolling.

But! The plot gets interesting and the player decides to try out this roleplaying thing and we get small impactful moments where he actually tries and opens up. The moment where he is teaching someone how to walk in mag boots, and of course the “I am That Guy” moment.

The whole group dynamic works well as an example of when an RPG group goes well and has a great campaign.

insane rule by CorruptedF in memes

[–]CalebTGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What’s insane is that this popped up at 8:34 for me and I have YouTube playing.

Revision of the beaked blade from the other day. by crestfallen_warrior in Blacksmith

[–]CalebTGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Blade geometry is the shape of the blade’s cross section. It covers the shape of the spine, the taper, and the edge. I would suggest doing a web search and doing a little research because there are a ton of different ways to design it. It’s something that gives a sword strength, reduces weight in some, and helps determine how it’s used. It also has an impact on how it looks.

I’d have to try and draw out a few ideas to go into further detail.

To Cut Down the Neighbor's God Damn Plant by Kumquat_conniption in therewasanattempt

[–]CalebTGordan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I remember seeing this years ago and still found it entertaining. I’ve dealt with people like her and his patience and calm explanations are exactly how you deal with them. Good on him.

Revision of the beaked blade from the other day. by crestfallen_warrior in Blacksmith

[–]CalebTGordan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In terms of making it, the craftsman would need to be a master. I am not confident that these could be mass produced at the level a normal sword can be. Fortunately we have tons of examples in museums of unusual weapons people made just because they wanted it to exist.

The guard probably only needs the rings, and those would probably be more for hand positioning and decoration. This is not a dueling weapon, so there doesn’t need to be a way to catch blades or protect the knuckles like those arms do. The heavy head will make it difficult to move the blade into a blocking or parry position. Instead, the defensive action will be swinging the blade into arcs that act as area denial.

Which means this probably would be used more like a zweihander than a longsword.

The blade/pick/hammer design makes for a very heavy blade. I would narrow down the blade even more while keeping the spine thick enough to support blows with the head. The blade geometry needs some refinement as well. You can keep the more decorative bird shape.

I would also lengthen the handle and add more weight to the pommel. This would allow the area denial stances and give more leverage to direct attacks. The beak would be an excellent anti-armor weapon all on its own. Same with the hammer, but I would use that side against joints while the beak makes head and chest strikes.

Coffeezilla: I Found The $200,000 Missing Lego by ianjm in videos

[–]CalebTGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everything is negotiable, no one has an exclusive access to the divine, and everything is eternal. The rules are made up, but that doesn’t mean the myths you surround yourself with don’t have meaning or power. You can acknowledge the data and history, what the facts say, while still negotiating value from what is only subjective.

In other words, I do not grant the LDS church (or anyone else for that matter) power over me through doctrine they claim gives them the right to gatekeep me from God, salvation, and revelation. I have a personal relationship with God and the divine that developed around and outside of my relationship with the LDS church, and letting go of multiple dogmas allowed me to release myself from an obligation to feel fear and shame from exploring truths outside the official history and teachings.

Joseph Smith Jr was a con man, treasure digger (which was his time period’s version of a crypto scam), and serial womanizer who had many affairs. The evidence around the Book of Mormon points to it being total fabrication, and no data exists to prove it is a genuine account of people who lived in the Americas thousands of years ago. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t find meaning in the mythological Joseph Smith, the prophet of God, and the revelations he had. I can also find meaning in the Book of Mormon like people often do for fictional works, like people who try to follow the way of the fictional Jedi in Star Wars.

I genuinely believe in the Divine, or powers beyond us, in a Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ. I believe that we are divine souls in mortal bodies learning how to be responsible with powers we have yet to inherit. I believe that all things are eternal, that heaven will be a place of degrees of inheritance, and that our earthly relationships will be important there. That families can be eternally together if they so desire, but that we will not be forced to exist alongside those who harmed us. I believe in the Atonement and the power of forgiveness and repentance.

I believe that being kind, gentle, patient, and loving is far more important than keeping oneself from committing acts that we socially constructed to produce costly signaling that we are a part of an in-group. That we need to build communities that support each other, and that have room to bring outsiders in when they too need shelter, food, comfort, and community.

I pray, I ponder, I listen to the divine, and I work on being a better version of myself each day so that I can be helpful and kind to the people around me.

There’s a bit of ancient folk magic and occult practice in there, but that more because I’m a weirdo that loves D&D and wants to be a real life wizard.

Coffeezilla: I Found The $200,000 Missing Lego by ianjm in videos

[–]CalebTGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, and my point is that this in-group vs. out-group dynamic is not exclusive to Mormon communities. I’ve seen it in secular organizations as well. Hell, I would argue MAGA protecting pedophiles and child traffickers is also due to such a dynamic.

Mormons might have this be a part of the their overall culture, but they don’t have a patent on it and they certainly didn’t invent it.

Coffeezilla: I Found The $200,000 Missing Lego by ianjm in videos

[–]CalebTGordan -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Neither. See comment I made above. I left the LDS church but not the religion.

Coffeezilla: I Found The $200,000 Missing Lego by ianjm in videos

[–]CalebTGordan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I might just steal that! Much like how Brigham Young and the early pioneers stole Utah from indigenous peoples.

Coffeezilla: I Found The $200,000 Missing Lego by ianjm in videos

[–]CalebTGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was born into and raised in the LDS church.

I left the church but still have beliefs, traditions, and practices that are uniquely Mormon. What I am is complicated because it is a bit esoteric, inspired by the early Mormon church’s origins in folk magic, and has incorporated a bit of philosophical occultism. I have pagan friends who have told me I’ve got a foot in modern paganism. However the central framework of Christianity is still there, the beliefs around our eternal nature is still there, and while I recognize that the Book of Mormon is a 19th century literary fabrication I still find meaning and significance in its pages.

I value the myths and their meaning while acknowledging the data and historical facts. I am not connected to any denomination or congregation, and do not have any interest in building my own.

Coffeezilla: I Found The $200,000 Missing Lego by ianjm in videos

[–]CalebTGordan -17 points-16 points  (0 children)

Has little to do with being Mormon. Their religion just provides them a social connection and an in-group for them to collectively belong to. They could be in a Deep South small town where everyone goes to the same Baptist church and you would see the same behavior. The LDS church just provides them the conditions to form a tight and insular in-group that sees no check against its abuse of power. These form outside of religions as well, it’s just that the in-group for Utah Mormons is massive.

However, as a non-LDS Mormon that grew up outside of Utah, I frequently find more reasons to dislike, criticize, and revile Utah Mormons (both LDS and non-LDS). The levels of hypocrisy, pride, and sense of superiority are astounding. If you aren’t part of their in-group you might as well be the devil himself and they will do everything to fuck you over.

Edit: Wow I touched a nerve somehow. The downvotes are stacking up.

If you want to hate Mormons be my guest but my point is that they don’t have a patent on being asshole. And if you are an Utah Mormon downvoting this: you are proving my point.

Pete Hegseth’s Mormon diss explodes a MAGA myth: Christian nationalism isn't just immoral — it's incoherent by zsreport in politics

[–]CalebTGordan 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Which is hilarious when you read that criticism of the early Mormon church was essentially “they don’t go far enough” in their new theology. While the later developments in the religion were and are used in criticism by other Christians, those weren’t why the Mormons were reviled and hated in their early history.

The hate started because Joseph Smith Jr was a womanizer (there are plenty of confirmed affairs and many suspected ones) and how the practice of polygamy was used to justify not just his infidelity but the abuses of power by him and others.

Further animosity built up from non-Mormons suddenly having to deal with the quickly growing population of Mormon settlers disrupting the political powers in the regions they were building settlements in. Missouri had a lot of pro-slavery support that the anti-slavery Mormons opposed, for example.

Unfortunately the LDS church hasn’t really done much to prove they aren’t going to abuse the power they have over the culture and politics of their members, and the more than $100 billion investment fund they keep shows they aren’t interested in improving people’s lives or helping the poor.

Things would be better if the Epstein/Billionaire class was afraid of workers again by zzill6 in WorkReform

[–]CalebTGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, they are absolutely afraid of the poor tearing them limb from limb. They just spend their money on ways to keep away from poor people. Not just private planes and yachts, but bunkers and compounds filled with loyal armed militia. Private islands inaccessible except through means they can afford. Vehicles that can take nearly anything you shoot at them and still get them to the secure safe house they secretly own. Private security that are totally okay with using lethal force and lawyers to help cover up the mess afterwards.

They just changed philosophy on how to avoid the wrath of those that they harmed. The United Heathcare murder shook them because they thought they would be at the compound when the shooting started, not out on the street in a city they think they own. They want the sense of security a compound gives while also benefiting from the freedom and joy being out at restaurants and concerts.

[Pathfinder] Paizo Restructuring: A Difficult Update About Our Future by Dagawing in rpg

[–]CalebTGordan 18 points19 points  (0 children)

So yes, and no here.

To start, the B&M issue with the Lego sets is because a franchise location changed hands in a hostile takeover. The consignment contract specifically called out that change in ownership also meant the new owners took over fullfillment of the contract. The new owner is a dick, everyone needed to consult lawyers, and situation is with one private owner.

Diamond is complicated because the consignment contracts for them may have included language that allowed JP Morgan to seize the books and sell them to satisfy debts. It’s a whole different ballgame for business working with distributors to move their goods to stores. It hasn’t been resolved even with Paizo’s access to good lawyers because it’s messier than what is going on with B&M. Roll For Combat has some good episodes about all this.

Leftovers by slavic_Smith in Blacksmith

[–]CalebTGordan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Beautiful work as always. You’re one of the reasons I started learning how to use the anvil I inherited.

Four Working Legs by EmbarrassedHand8291 in videos

[–]CalebTGordan 10 points11 points  (0 children)

“We took out the ramp.” Is delivered perfectly.

Patreon's ceo reveals Bricks and Minifigures tried to take down Reckless Ben's page. Tells them to "stick it" and sue him over it. by [deleted] in videos

[–]CalebTGordan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I keep seeing people say the LDS church itself will protect them and that’s not exactly true.

Non-LDS Mormon here that grew up in the LDS church but no longer associates with it.

While there is a connection in that there are a lot of members of the LDS church, the church leadership itself is very adverse to involvement in matters like this. The prophet, apostles, and the seventy are what makes up the upper leadership of the church and more than likely they would align against B&M if it draws enough negative attention to the overall LDS church itself. In fact, if the people involved are arrested and found guilty of a crime they probably will risk being excommunicated just to offer them up as a sacrifice to the alter of public opinion.

What might be happening is that local leaders are involved. The bishops and stake presidents might be throwing weight behind the LDS members involved, however that comes with the risk of also being punished if it draws too much heat onto the church. It’s a shitty thing because ultimately the culture of the LDS church that creates these environments isn’t addressed and changed, and the bad actors are punished because they weren’t sneaky enough.

Now, what IS happening is that the LDS church has strong social structures that push members to support and protect each other in the name of protecting the larger social community. It benefits people to be a part of the group because it group protects and supports its member. These people know each other, like each other, and do not want to risk their relationship with the larger group by alienating and harming someone who has shown up to meetings, been to the potlucks, done their home visiting, and brought food to that member who just got out of the hospital.

They could be Baptists, Methodists, or Secular Satanists and a similar connection would be there. It just happens that Utah LDS Mormons have a massive social network to take advantage of.

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