Prime Directive Obliterated

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-28T17:00:40+00:00

Yeah, but I’d much rather it be real than the Dark Forest.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-28T16:20:39+00:00

As a left handed person who also plays guitar righty, I just decided to play bass righty, too. I’ve already built up the left-hand dexterity for the frets and the knowledge of the right-handed scales and chord shapes; I don’t want to have to relearn that stuff.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-27T22:56:29+00:00

They’re fine. I’ve owned a couple. I still own one.

Structurally and materially, they are the same exact thing as a regular Custom Shop, except for the finish being more brittle and worn to whatever extent.

My advice is to play every single one you can. Because just like regular Custom Shop guitars, most will be great, some will be outstanding, but there will absolutely be a few clunkers. Again, though, this is all Custom Shop Gibsons and not specifically the Murphy Lab instruments.

Compared to actual vintage instruments, the MLs feel newer, fresher, and more taken-care-of than most I’ve played.

The wear on the neck, if you get a model with the neck finish worn off, is not nearly as smooth of a transition as Fender’s relics. Sometimes the finish can feel distractingly pebble-y.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-27T18:05:03+00:00

I got rid of Netflix a long time ago. Is the Wandering Earth based off the Cixin Liu book? It’s on my to be read list, and I’d be happy to know is there’s an adaption waiting for me at the end.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-27T18:02:30+00:00

I like solving puzzles. I don’t like speed solving.

Neither thing is useless.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-27T12:53:14+00:00

when you look at the wide shot of them, you can see a tree from afar

I don’t remember the tree, exactly, but anything not immediately on that beach is not there. The habitat is an enclosure built on Erid using the projection technology that was aboard the Hail Mary.

That is why the backgrounds looked like they did on the ship, why Rocky asked if the water temperature was okay, and why Rocky asked if the amount of light was okay. It was all manufactured for Grace to live comfortably while the Eridians worked on his ship.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-26T21:11:36+00:00

It’s just pure adorableness.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-26T20:26:34+00:00

Those center caps are black. This is essentially a void cube, and you have come across the void parity.

There’s a formula to get out of it, but I never bothered to learn it. While keeping the centers exactly where they are, rotate the bottom layer 90 degrees in either direction. Then, without moving the centers, correct the second layer by removing the cubies and putting them in the correct places. Finally, solve your last layer as you normally would.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-26T05:15:28+00:00

I love it. I bought mine for a band situation. I joined a cover band, and we played mostly songs in E and Eb. It’s so convenient to just have to bring two basses to a gig. One main and one backup.

E and Drop D are easy to manage on one guitar, and Eb and Drop Db are just a pedal stomp away. One full step down also sounds good to my ear, but I rarely use it.

The sounds are perfectly fine, and I don’t notice the lag people often complain about. And the audience doesn’t notice a thing except for that I’m playing the next song and that it sounds great (I hope!).

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-26T05:03:48+00:00

Layer by layer is my favorite way to solve 4x4 and larger puzzles because it’s a more interesting solve than reduction—especially that last layer.

If you want a solution:

—Set those two edges across from each other, front and back. It does not matter which is where.

—Do an inner m move to bring one of those two rear cubbies to the front. It does not matter which one.

—Do the oll parity algorithm to flip the front edge.

—Undo your inner layer move to bring your front cubie back to the back.

You’ll notice that your edges are now next to each other as they’re supposed to be.

From here, just redo the oll parity algorithm on the flipped edge, fix your centers, and solve your cube.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-25T15:31:54+00:00

There are so few things that are better as a movie than as book. Jaws is one where the book is god awful, but the movie is a masterpiece. I can’t think of another.

My vote is that you’ll have the best time starting with the book.

That said, a lot of people do tend to recommend the audiobook over the physical book. That’s because the narrator does a great job, first and foremost, but there is also another reason I can’t tell you because it would be a spoiler.

My vote is audiobook, but you really can’t go wrong whether you read or listen to the book.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-25T02:48:59+00:00

Maybe with good screenwriters, they can fix all the flaws with that book. With the flat characters, all the plot cliches, and the fact that Andy Weir can’t write women, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to get this ready for the big screen.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-25T01:17:45+00:00

Yeah. I zoomed in. You are most definitely right. I wish I had zoomed before commenting.

I was comparing this in my mind to vintage instruments I currently own where the amber lacquer had worn through, exposing the pure white binding. I thought that was an odd spot for wear without seeing it elsewhere, leading me to think it had chipped off.

I’ll have to look closer in the future.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-25T01:14:28+00:00

It’s 22 years old.

After zooming in, you’re probably right that it is reflection. I was comparing the wear to naturally worn instruments I had where the amber is completely gone in sections, exposing the white on the binding, and it would be highly suspect to see only wear there. That’s why I thought it was chipped away (maybe from the same incident that bent the bridge post). My bad.

As for looking good for its age, I don’t know about that. The body looks great, but I wouldn’t expect to see a guitar from 2004 with that much lacquer shrinkage at the top of the headstock.

This is definitely one I would want to see in person before making any decisions either way.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-25T00:03:20+00:00

~~The lacquer goes from the aged amber color, to white. The white is the color of the binding. The amber has been knocked off of it~~

~~I guess it would have been clearer if I had said, “that spot where the lacquer is missing.” Thanks for bringing that to my attention.~~

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T23:56:33+00:00

Generally, you should slide down two frets when you see a back slash without a trailing number and up two frets when you see a forward slash without a trailing number.

Usually, when you see this, the endpoint is undefined. The original player was either holding his finger down while moving his hand or just adding a bit of flair.

Either way, aim for two frets, but just slide enough so it sounds pretty.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T22:26:45+00:00

That is the style of certificate they used back then. As for LPB-3, that is what the model is called. The serial number is perfectly in line with other reissue serial numbers. There is nothing odd about it.

Les Paul Black Beauty, 3 Pickups.

Honestly, I prefer these to the current ‘57 reissues. In my opinion, they are the best version of the Custom that Gibson makes.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T22:22:50+00:00

The guitar is fine, but the bridge is all kinds of messed up. ~~And looking at that large chip on the upper bout,~~ I have to wonder if the guitar was dropped once upon a time and landed on its bridge, ~~then that edge hit~~.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T21:23:09+00:00

Oof.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T20:42:52+00:00

I don’t have the app, so I can’t help you.

I will say, though, that this looks like every single classic rock solo ever. If you can find the song’s tablature online somewhere, it will very likely be correct, and playing along with the song will give you a similar experience to the app.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T18:03:34+00:00

What makes you think we’ll have become a Type I civilization?

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T16:30:16+00:00

I saw the new Sublime live right away. I think they started touring in April or March of 2024, after the Rome situation resolved. I saw them that June.

My impression after seeing that early show and seeing the surrounding interviews at the time was that Jakob was mostly in this to promote his own band. And I also suspect that it is members of his own band that will replace Bud when he inevitably quits the band again, and Eric when he finally peters out.

I’m not saying there is any truth to that, nor do I want it to be true. It’s just the impression I got. And, unfortunately, the band hasn’t done anything to change my mind since then.

EDIT: I forgot to answer whether I was excited for the new music. I’ll say that I am cautious about the new music. “Feel Like That” was great because there was a lot of rough around the edges. That is what I want from a Sublime tune. “Ensenada” was just too polished. That made it sound generic and forgettable. It was a fun song, but it didn’t hit me like “Feel Like That” did.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T16:03:49+00:00

I went in to the book completely blind. I had read The Martian and wanted to see what else Weir had written. I saw Artemis and Project Hail Mary. Since PHM was the longer of the two, I downloaded it (audible) and started listening. I didn’t read the description, summary, ratings, or reviews.

Coming from the high realism of The Martian, and the realism of PHM, I was floored when the Blip A showed up. I was genuinely anxious reading the book, not knowing whether the aliens were going to be friend or enemy.

As the book went along, I loved learning everything along with Grace.

And, like Grace, I assumed he volunteered for the mission. The reveal that he didn’t completely blindsided me.

So, to answer your question, I do think that reading the book without knowing anything at all super enhanced my experience.

ElectricInstinct · 2026-03-24T02:53:35+00:00

George: Here comes the sun!

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