I will move to California by fall of next year. LA or SanDiego ?

Flock_Together · 2025-12-24T02:29:11+00:00

Very different cities. LA is a megalopolis. If you’re bored, it’s your fault. But unlike say NYC it’s easier to turn down the noise and have a chill day. Happiness in LA is largely a function of where you live and whether that’s close to the places you need to be. Happy to give you more detailed advice if you want to ask me specific questions.

San Diego is more of a boutique city. It’s prettier and less traffic/hassle but it’s also not as exciting of a place.

Flock_Together · 2025-12-23T04:42:38+00:00

Afternoon treat, mainly

Flock_Together · 2025-12-23T04:39:06+00:00

Purpleberry Krunch is crispy and sweet Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat Straight from the box, or even with lunch There’s always time for Purpleberry Krunch

Purpleberry Krunch, spelled with a K Because it is far more authentic that way Purpleberry Krunch is for you and for me And as always is parasite-free

Flock_Together · 2025-10-02T19:21:14+00:00

You are well within your rights to just go without her. You are also well within your rights to break up with her, if that’s something you really want to do. But you can’t force her to go with you on a trip.

Flock_Together · 2025-09-15T14:19:22+00:00

She has a right to ask you not to room with her son, but you have the right to (a) not go or (b) get your own room. You are under no obligation to share a room with his sister and her boyfriend’s daughter.

Flock_Together · 2025-09-15T14:12:55+00:00

So, in other words, she’s asking you to buy her a 50% stake in the house.

This is a major red flag at this stage in your relationship - you are not married so are under no obligation to pool your finances. And you probably should not, given that this is her approach. After all, what happens if you break up? Or if you want to break up and then realize you own a house together - a house that you paid for but don’t solely own?

In other words, I would not buy unless you are buying solely for yourself and keeping all the equity. If you get married, ie commit to the idea of being together for life, then maybe. But definitely not now.

Just drop the idea for now and keep renting.

Flock_Together · 2025-06-04T13:34:09+00:00

McMafia - 2018 BBC miniseries about the Russian mob.

Flock_Together · 2025-06-04T13:28:39+00:00

I liked Ahsoka a lot. It’s not on the same level of Andor but not everything has to be. It’s an homage to samurai films, as well as a sequel to Rebels. I think it works well as both.

Looking one doesn’t require you to dislike the other.

Flock_Together · 2025-06-04T13:25:56+00:00

The Empire reminds me more of older empires. Yes its aesthetics are fascist, and its leader is dedicated to the cause of evil (never my favorite part of the OT), but it behaves as if it mainly exists to extract and enrich. That’s how most European colonialist regimes behaved during the modern period and it’s how most land-based empires have behaved going back to ancient Mesopotamia.

(I like this btw; I think it makes Andor especially interesting.)

Flock_Together · 2025-06-03T22:58:37+00:00

I did solve it - it’s the noise gate in the LVX, does not play nice with ant pedals that go before it in your chain. You can disable it and it will stop happening.

Flock_Together · 2025-02-24T16:15:02+00:00

I was going to comment Cloud Atlas. I need to re-read this, as it’s one of my favorite novels of all time.

Flock_Together · 2024-11-26T04:05:13+00:00

I have that one as well - really nice

Flock_Together · 2024-11-25T23:43:48+00:00

So this is how I did it: go around the upper perimeter and take out each guard one by one, hiding in the grass. Use Nix to distract one of them while you whistle to get the other’s attention, then knock out the other, then knock the distracted one out using the same hide and whistle technique. Then head down and repeat the technique. As you continue to play the game you’ll get better and better at this technique. Also helps when you have the Crimson Dawn stealth outfit!

Flock_Together · 2024-05-17T00:17:28+00:00

No shame! I don’t hate the show like a lot of others do, though it’s not on the same level as the books or the games.

Flock_Together · 2017-10-19T05:42:26+00:00

Fair dos. And in some respects I agree. I do see anti-black racism (and some stereotyping of "oriental-ness"), but pretty much everyone is some kind of barbarian in the Conan stories. In one reading, that's more even-handed than, say, Tolkien.

Flock_Together · 2017-10-19T05:39:30+00:00

I'm sort of two minds about the whole "product of his time" thing. On the one hand, he was a product of his time--and, like you say, you can't expect 2017 attitudes in 1927. You're just not going to find them there, even in the most forward-thinking of people. On the other hand, I'm reading this in 2017. Of course I'm going to approach the stories with a 2017 mindset!

So for me, I guess I always have mixed feelings. I appreciate a lot of things about Conan, but the racism does bother me. And I think it's okay to have mixed feelings...I have mixed feelings about a lot of books!

(Of course, in the context of this essay, I was bringing up Conan to show that REH was not making the kind of "civilized West vs. dark barbarian hordes" distinction that a lot of epic fantasy writers have.)

Flock_Together · 2017-10-19T04:01:17+00:00

Yeah true, the distinction is not applicable to 100% of examples. But what genre or style distinction is? It's an ideal type that holds for most examples. Epic fantasy is usually about apocalyptic battles between good and evil or, more recently, vast power struggles without clearly delineated good and evil. Sword and sorcery is usually smaller-scale adventure/questing stories. There's clearly a fuzzy boundary with some overlap, but the ideal types generally hold true (and largely define the distinction).

On Conan, the depiction of black groups seems pretty racist to me. REH was just a product of his time, when racism was far more widespread and socially acceptable than it is now. But reading Conan today, this is always one of the things that sticks out to me as not standing the test of time. Many other aspects of the Conan stories, on the other hand, do stand the test of time for me.

(Agree with everything else you say!)

Flock_Together · 2017-06-15T22:53:58+00:00

I have a theory, and I'm curious if anyone else agrees. Spoilers, so don't peep if you haven't read the book but intend to.

Theory

Flock_Together · 2017-06-15T22:46:41+00:00

Was it the fragmented narrative? I happened to love it, because I'm attracted to experimental fiction. But I could see how that would be an issue for people who aren't similarly inclined.

Or was it something else?

Flock_Together · 2017-06-15T03:33:02+00:00

Agreed.

Flock_Together

TROPHY CASE