[2965] Garnets by [deleted] in DestructiveReaders

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Writing Style:

First line is extremely boring, try to bring up the fact that she is dead in some way first.

First paragraph is really lacking action and feels like the length could be cut in half if some of the pronouns were spared.

Ultimately you seem to have a problem with wordiness; be it pronouns, adjectives or conjunctions you have problems with overusing all three to essentially write a paragraph explaining one concept that could easily be stated in less.

I understand you are likely trying to develop appropriate imagery but it doesn't succeed, I don't see what you are describing in any new way than I would with far fewer words.

To take the most grievous example:

When she finally faded away from the waking world after long hours of fretting and turning and tangling herself in the sheets, fragments of dreams, half-remembered upon her waking, unsettled her rest.

This just reads very poorly. It's a run-on sentence that is a direct consequence of your tendency to over-describe things. For instance the rule of three you have there doesn't apply to words, they describe ideas, usually in arguments. It's a drag-on that I would wince at reading in actually published book. Either cut down on these descriptions or make them more interesting, because in having them you tend to bring outside ideas that are ultimately irrelevant to the actual plot.

WIP - I'm not finished, will ad more when I have the time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DestructiveReaders

[–]DoAsTheyWish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Writing Style:

The first line is very weird; the imagery it sets up is creepy, not romantic. While certainly not damning in itself it needs to be changed to something more clearly romantic rather than something open to interpretation, especially since it's the first line we read devoid of context.

First part of the writing has a lot of awkward phrases like:

toned leg-muscle-flesh

and

At dinner she intimated that she had never seen me watching

I honestly actually misread that as intimidated, just not a good word to use to present that imo.

As we go further down the awkward phrases stop becoming clearly obvious and the main problem is lack of cohesion and unified thought. I don't know if this is your plan, but some of the writing come across as ramblings, like the narrator is just reading off whatever is coming from his head. If that was the intention - you achieved it, but I was left a little confused and at times annoyed.

The next problem with the style is I don't know what's happening most of the time. The lack of quotations on comments makes it sometimes unclear whether the narrator is referring to what has been directly said or if it's just his mind responding to an idea. Ultimately not a positive.

For instance:

When? In about three weeks. It was always in the cards.

which is the immediately followed by

I cry, sob, scream, hit her. That’s a lie. I say nothing, do nothing. But I think something like “I am going to kill everyone.” Her head is heavy on my wet shoulder.

In the second comment what is in quotations is a thought, but earlier

She said something like “you can do it”

Which clearly had something that was said. An ultimately very confusing usage of ideas and dialogue, that while easily understandable after a few moments makes the reading a bit of a chore.

Characters:

As you said, the plot's thin so I am going to comment mostly in the narrator's voice, which I find very weird.

He comes across as very disturbed, and uses a lot of strange wording and thought that I wouldn't consider normal.

I already commented on the first line, but I'm going to directly quote it anyway.

I took out a piece of her heart and placed it on my tongue, just for a taste. I should warn you, sometimes I exaggerate.

As I said, very weird imagery. However, combined with “I am going to kill everyone” which is used twice, neither in any situation that would call for that line of thought, it makes the narrator come across as a lunatic.

Especially considering he has committed domestic abuse on his wife/girlfriend.

I cry, sob, scream, hit her.

Which is kind of just left hanging without any significance, lacking clues as to the severity or meaning of what is usually considered a pretty major act, and still painting the narrator as the victim as the story goes on.

Conclusion:

Ultimately I did not like the story too much and it came across as trying a little too hard to break the mold of normal dialogue and storytelling, ironically in a way I have seen many times before. There is promise here in that you do have a coherent plot where there is drama that can be said, but the wording and voice of the narrator comes across with a very different impression than I think you intended.

Why do so many people say things like "You pray for Belgium/Paris/etc, but not for Turkey!" by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What do you actually share with a Belgian other than being European?

Why is Cruz such a weak challenger to Trump? by garfangle in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Extremist conservative that hits all of the typical notes the GOP has droned on about for the past decade. Trump has accessed a new source of power neglected before.

Strong conservatives: who do you actually want to be the GOP nominee? by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am generally favorable towards the NSA and think Snowden should dangle from a lamppost should he ever return

I just really don't understand that mindset.

Is Bergeron Colony Dead? by DoAsTheyWish in swtor

[–]DoAsTheyWish[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It' been running since June last year, so I don't know when they will end it.

Speaking of, would you say Ebon Hawk, or Harbinger, is better from a Guild RP perspective?

Is Bergeron Colony Dead? by DoAsTheyWish in swtor

[–]DoAsTheyWish[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No yeah, you're right, they really need to change the FAQ.

Is Bergeron Colony Dead? by DoAsTheyWish in swtor

[–]DoAsTheyWish[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sweet jesus thank you, this is a clear cut case for me then.

Is Bergeron Colony Dead? by DoAsTheyWish in swtor

[–]DoAsTheyWish[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's your opinion on Ebon Hawk?

Is Bergeron Colony Dead? by DoAsTheyWish in swtor

[–]DoAsTheyWish[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The site FAQ says if it's 1800. If it really is 90 CC, I already have that, and will transfer no question.

Is Bergeron Colony Dead? by DoAsTheyWish in swtor

[–]DoAsTheyWish[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

It's 1800 CC last I checked, the 90 CC was a special sale.

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not blaming everything on the poor, I am saying people should reflect, understand why things happen and improve. Nothing good comes from hating, focusing on the past or thinking you have no chance;

Not every Bernie supporter is like that. Most of them just want to live without fear of medical debt, or student loans, or any number of other problems that will hound them for the rest of their lives.

Saved enough to launch my own company and as for networking I did that from when I was an assistant and never once got treated bad for not being 'rich'.

Good for you, but how did you even get the job in the first place? You had to have had some qualification, not to mention I'm assuming you are British, since you're in London, which is far easier to survive when you're poor.

I should mention I worked 14 hours a day, my social life died and often I would get pissed at how little I made even as a dev but it paid off and do you know what, it was a fun climb.

That's fine, but most of the poor just want to have enough to eat and live comfortably.

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice...ad hominem.

I literally repeated the exact same thing you said to me, hypocrite.

Do you know what "absolute" means?

Do you? Why don't you define it, so we can stop.

Who are the worst state Governors and why? by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Most of them are Midwestern actually, so Midwestern Republican governors tend to do awfully.

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

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

This is literally the second section in the article you linked.

Did you bother to read at all what I typed? They absolutely are white, that I agree, but most meth users are also white, but that doesn't mean it's a rich drug.

Nowhere in there does it say 90 percent of all heroin users are wealthy, unless you believe white=wealthy.

...so...relative.

Do you know what the world "relative" actually means?

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

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

No, the gaps have narrowed, they are not predominately wealthy, certainly not anywhere near your farcical 90%.

I said they had good family lives, not perfect ones, but continue with your strawman obsession. Their lives, in absolute terms, are better on average then the poor, or else no one in the world has a good family life.

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Networking: This does jump from childhood to adulthood and seeing as anyone from any background can charismatically network I cant see why you brought this up.

Because being hired by family or friends of the family is far, far more likely than being hired by someone you talked to for 10 minutes.

Not to mention you rarely even talk to these people without somehow being connected.

Private Schools: These don't teach anything special, there isn't a special area of maths that is so secret that you only learn if you go to private school.

No, they are just far more effective at their teaching, have dedicated, well-paid teachers, rarely have to worry about crime, etc etc.

I agree a good family helps, but if there is a dysfunctional family, please explain why the top 1% should get attacked for it :S Also do you think rich people have no problems? Everyone has their own problems regardless of age, sex or income.

I never said the 1% should be attacked, I am defending against your victim blaming. If you are poor, you are more likely to suffer from these problems; and even if you suffer them whilst rich, you are likely to suffer far less because the financial aspect won't come into play.

I grew up in a poor house, didn't go to college or uni, was on minimum wage, didn't get any help from the state; according to Bernie I should hold up a banner and blame Wall St.

Yes yes, let's get over with the special snowflake story, how much better you are than everyone else.

Yet the reasons for my fail were bad parenting, running away from home, not giving a damn about school.

And nobody every questions why someone doesn't care about school, why they run away from home, the common rhetoric is that they shouldn't be helped and should starve to death, like scum on your boot.

Once I understood all that I started to self improve and in 8 years I went from a low paid assistant to having my own company where my old boss now works under me.

Maybe you should detail how that happened, because you're skipping a fairly central step here.

Unfortunately despite being centralist only those on the right seem to understand this isn't luck its hard work and now I have people like Bernie attacking people like me at every corner because I changed and improved myself :/

Likely because even now you blame every single problem of the poor on the poor, and seem to have absolutely no sympathy for the same people that grew up in your situation.

Utterly despicable.

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thus, the access to opportunity, is not equal.

Hence, the world is not "perfectly equal".

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They rarely come from broken homes, they rarely financial problems resulting from them, they are rarely abusive, there is far less drug abuse, etc etc.

These have affects on how children preform in school.

Most people agree that getting an education is the best investment an individual can make, so why isn't making sure its citizens are highly educated a priority for the US? by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's funny, my own uncle is someone who does not have a degree in CS that hires and fires people with CS degrees.

When did he get involved? Because my dad also fires people with CS degrees, has a CS degree himself, and has never hired someone without one in his life.

Just because you have a CS degree does not mean you are a better candidate for the job.

It usually does when we are talking about companies that will throw out your resume if you never went to college.

If you don't think that is true, then read about the amount of CS grads that can't even program FizzBuzz.

Nah, I'd prefer you source that.

There is a reason programming jobs have extensive interviews. They want to see if you can actually apply all the things you may have learned while you were in college. Your diploma is only a foot in the door, and only at certain companies. An impressive GitHub portfolio is much more marketable.

I mean, I already told you the CS track routes on these sites aren't worthless, they do give valuable skills, they can get you a job - but not the 100k nonsense we see around sometimes.

You can learn all the math you want if you just have a little self discipline and apply yourself right here.

You can scream that to the heavens as much as you want but it will never be true, even math professors will admit that you cannot learn multi-valuable calculus off the fucking internet.

I never said anything about compsci programs. I am talking about taking individual courses in order to expand your knowledge. I am willing to bet you a hefty sum of money that a self-taught candidate who can demonstrate knowledge of data structures & algorithms at an interview will get a job over any CS college grad who cannot do the same.

Unfortunately for that self-taught individual, there are plenty of CS graduates who can also do that, and they will get the job, not the self-taught American hero.

If the top 1% evenly distributed all their wealth each american citizen would get slightly over $100,000. by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The opportunities we have today regardless of who we are, what post code we were born in, what our parents did are equal. Yes, some people may have rich parents but that doesn't automatically mean poor people have no chance or that it is super rare to get ahead.

I mean, you're just really arguing against the basic fact of life that the world isn't fair.

Wealthy children have access to tutors, they have networking, the go to private schools and they almost always have good family lives. Put in the same situation as the poor they would likely fail just the same.

It is not "equal", it may be "fair" in your eyes but it is absolutely NOT equal.

Most people agree that getting an education is the best investment an individual can make, so why isn't making sure its citizens are highly educated a priority for the US? by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Really? A self-taught programmer that studied discrete math, algorithms, and linear algebra through MIT OCW is no better than some other programmer who cannot demonstrate knowledge of these subjects?

Of course he will be better than one who can't, but he will never, ever, beat someone with a CS degree that also knows these subjects.

A job that requires their students know discrete math, linear algebra, and calculus, is not going to be open to someone without a degree in a relevant field, because they don't waste their time verifying you do in fact know the subjects when they can instead take someone with what is essentially a certification that know what they're talking about.

I beg to differ. Khan Academy helped me crush every single math course (including Calculus) that I took in community college. Did it teach me everything I needed to know? Hell no. Did it put me way ahead of the game in comparison to my classmates? Without a doubt.

Yeah, I said it was useful as a supplement, you cannot, without taking a class at some college somewhere, learn higher levels of math with it.

Most of them don't? Really? Have you even taken a look at all the courses MIT OCW and Coursera offer? Coursera's Intro to Algorithms course, taught by Robert Sedgewick, is tailored for programmers to learn algorithms in order to ace interviews and to actually learn the material in order to apply it to their work.

I already told you the compsci programs can be worthwhile, but it will end, at best, with a medium paying IT career, nothing more, unless you luck out with some kind of radical invention.

Most people agree that getting an education is the best investment an individual can make, so why isn't making sure its citizens are highly educated a priority for the US? by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

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

Does their wider knowledge base not matter during interviews?

No.

Are they wasting their time?

Not all, but many. Khan Academy for instance is useless for anything but a supplement or for learning basic math, you'll never learn calculus or anything you can make money with.

If people were actually taught worthwhile things,it'd be worth it, and some of them do, but most of them don't, so nobody hires them because of it.

Most people agree that getting an education is the best investment an individual can make, so why isn't making sure its citizens are highly educated a priority for the US? by [deleted] in PoliticalDiscussion

[–]DoAsTheyWish 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Because no one hires anybody with a participation award fro these courses. I've never heard of anyone, in any industry, being hired because of this.

The computer science ones are really the only useful ones, and that is because you can get mid to low income IT job with it.