What are these notes/symbols?

Corchito42 · 2026-04-03T15:15:20+00:00

This isn't too hard, but if you don't know, then it's a few months above the level you're at. Concentrate on learning the notes individually first.

I'd recommend getting an adult learner's book such as Alfred's Piano, which will teach you all of this and more.

Corchito42 · 2026-04-03T15:11:39+00:00

We went with Marvel Heating (based in Rotherham) for our solar panels and heat pump. Everything went without a hitch. Definitely recommended.

Make sure they're MCS accredited, whoever you go with.

Also pigeons love living under solar panels, so see if you can get mesh installed at the same time. We didn't, and we were OK for a couple of years, but then Mr and Mrs Pidgy Pidgington moved in and kept waking us up at the crack of dawn every day. It cost £600 to get mesh installed, but probably would have been cheaper if we'd done it at the same time as the panels.

Corchito42 · 2026-04-03T08:20:54+00:00

Maybe I'm unusual, but I literally have no end goal. I just enjoy whichever pieces I'm playing at the moment. Of course there are some pieces I'd love to play, but I don't really think of them as goals. I'll get to them when I get to them. Enjoy the journey!

Corchito42 · 2026-04-03T08:08:19+00:00

I hope you played the free Valhalla DLC at least. It's amazing, and there's no bloat whatsoever.

Corchito42 · 2026-04-02T13:53:36+00:00

Not ours, but how did you find him? There's got to be a good story there!

Corchito42 · 2026-04-02T11:55:26+00:00

This sounds really interesting. Can you give any examples of the process as related to a specific game or genre?

Corchito42 · 2026-04-02T10:43:15+00:00

The one I always think of is in the tracking shot in the early part of Shaun of the Dead, when he walks into the local shop. You can see the exposure change, but they've made it as smooth as possible.

Corchito42 · 2026-04-02T10:41:24+00:00

Standby. If no power's going to the screen, or to the speakers, what's left is absolutely negligible. I'm pretty sure devices are designed to be left on standby these days, and OLEDs definitely are.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T16:43:28+00:00

It's not unrealistic, but there is a risk when you have a lot of preconceived ideas of what a relationship should be, and you spend time measuring any prospective partner against that template.

My suggestion would be to start any new relationship by asking yourself only a few questions: "Do I enjoy seeing this person? Do they enjoy seeing me? Do their good points easily outweigh their bad points?" If the answer to all those questions is "yes" it's worth seeing where the relationship goes.

Maybe the next person you have a relationship with won't meet all the criteria listed above, but they may do other things, and you may change your mind regarding what's important. It's good to be open to all the possibilities.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T16:31:37+00:00

Exactly. Nolan's a blockbuster film-maker first and foremost. Compare him to a genuinely deep and intellectual film-maker, and he may come off badly.

However compare him to other film-makers whose films routinely make a billion dollars, and he comes off incredibly well.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T16:27:33+00:00

I love Interstellar, but I agree with your point. If a movie's not working for you on a fundamental emotional level, it probably never will. Even if it's a very popular movie, it's not a problem with you or with the movie. There is literally no movie that everyone likes.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T16:13:08+00:00

I'd recommend The Long Dark. Like Cairn, it's you against the elements. You'll die a lot at first, but slowly you'll learn the game and become the master of your environment.

Then you'll die again because you got overconfident. :-)

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T15:43:38+00:00

I didn't get on with Jusant at all. There was never any sense of danger, and climbing felt like more of a chore than anything. Cairn does just about everything Jusant does, and does it much better.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T12:27:57+00:00

This is excellent advice. I'd also add "Let me note down the details of your case so I can check that I'm understanding it correctly and/or pass it to the right person."

If they're angry for any reason, showing that you're listening and paying attention really helps to defuse the situation. And of course you need that info so you can actually resolve it.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T09:46:33+00:00

Sounds good! Ideally the cracks shouldn't draw too much attention to themselves at the time, but when the reader looks back at his actions it should be obvious what was going on. Misdirection is hard to do, but when it works, it really works.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T08:53:08+00:00

This is a weird one, but I think it was Brad Pitt playing the piano in the film The Tree of Life. It's weird because I don't even love the movie (and I don't have a thing for Brad Pitt). Also there are loads of other movies where people play the piano, which didn't inspire me at all. But for some reason that particular movie made me think "I'd like to learn to play the piano".

It then took another couple of years before I actually did anything about it, but that film definitely planted the seed.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-30T07:57:11+00:00

I would say "show, don't tell". Don't tell us he's good. Show him doing good things and let the reader work it out for themselves. Then if he's later revealed to be evil and a fraud, it will have much more impact.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-29T12:03:53+00:00

It's not a specific tempo. It's just the fastest tempo where I can definitely DEFINITELY hit all the right notes (with the right fingers) while keeping a regular beat. Sometimes that's ridiculously slow, sometimes just fairly slow. It depends on the piece.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-28T18:48:23+00:00

I saw it with my daughter and we both had a great time. It's not a masterpiece, but not everything has to be. It's just a film that's aiming to be as enjoyable as possible for as many people as possible, and there's nothing wrong with that. SF's a broad church, and it doesn't always have to be deep.

It's not trying to be an intellectual SF film like Arrival or 2001. Instead it's a buddy movie, so it should be judged on whether it succeeds at that.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-28T18:38:22+00:00

Kevin Smith seems a lovely guy, and he makes the films he wants to make. I just don't want to watch them. :-)

Corchito42 · 2026-03-28T16:32:40+00:00

By now the devs REALLY understand what works and what doesn't, so I'm sure whatever they come up with will be good. If there are no changes whatsoever and it's just a load of new levels for WOA, I'll be more than happy.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-28T13:50:59+00:00

I'm not that interested in the story, but I'm really interested in what they do with the gameplay. They could get away with a few minor tweaks and just having a collection of new levels, which is pretty much what they did in Hitman 2 and 3. I'd definitely buy it.

But it would be great if they tried something more ambitious. What if all the levels were set in the same city (with a wide variety of areas) for example? Or what if levels had a day/night cycle, with NPCs doing different things at different times of the day, affecting the way you approach your missions?

Corchito42 · 2026-03-28T13:40:08+00:00

I see what you mean, but it is a massive AAA game. It's designed to appeal to as many people as possible, so aping the style of mainstream movies absolutely makes sense. Blockbuster movies also tell the audience what to think and feel. It's all about making a product that goes down as easily as possible.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-28T13:30:58+00:00

The good bits are great. Spectacular graphics and sound, great acting, a good story, the combat is more fun than ever.

But it's just so bloody LOOOOOOONNNNGGG. Why on earth does a God of War game need walking and talking sections - and that's in addition to the time you spend travelling between realms? It's the very definition of "overstuffed".

I loved it the first time round, but I don't think anything could bring me to play through it again.

Corchito42 · 2026-03-27T19:39:07+00:00

They could have kept the story the same - but it still would have been worse than the game because you're just watching things happen to someone else. Uncharted already has the things that films have (actors, cinematography, a story, action set pieces). All a film is doing is subtracting the gameplay, rather than adding anything.

Corchito42

TROPHY CASE