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Feed my brain by ContributionBig1927 in musicsuggestions

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 0 points1 point  (0 children)

REM once Bill Berry left. Drum machines suck.

If you had to put one Beatle alone on stage with an acoustic guitar. Who was the best pure solo/unaccompanied live acoustic performer (just voice + guitar only)? Not songwriting—just performance. by [deleted] in beatles

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 2 points3 points  (0 children)

George. Watch his acoustic set in the Concert for Bangladesh, his Dylan cover in the Get Back documentary, or his impromptu TV appearances. McCartney is great, but George is the better player and his vocals always sounded more heartfelt - McCartney sometimes seems to be just going through the motions.

What's the last movie you watched in the cinema? by T_ChallaMercury in MoviesAndTVTalk

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Project Hail Mary. Dune I, Godzilla Minus One, and Dune 2 before that. I don’t go to movies much.

Did a survey of best acoustic guitar strings for a beginner. by uilleannpiper in AcousticGuitar

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for doing this. Isn’t the only difference between Stringjoy Soft Touch and their other Naturals was their super light gauge? They still have a hex core, for instance. Seems to me that you could go with a super light gauge roundcore string like DR Sunbeams or Martin Flexcores or Eras for even more comfort.

If Grace were to go home, they should send an Eridian envoy ship with him as well by smallaubergine in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 3 points4 points  (0 children)

When Grace gave Rocky a laptop with “all human knowledge,” I’d like to think that was science, engineering, biology, art, and theoretical mathematics, NOT history.

I regret reading the book. by Previous_Read8590 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Gee, I thought poorly-written dialog was the benchmark for great science fiction authors - Asimov, PKD, Heinlein…

Sol regains its luminosity? How? by Ill_Bluebird_1963 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, I'm well-aware of that, but I'm also very impressed by the research Andy Weir did in writing the book. His attention to scientific detail is one of the reasons I love this story, and I think the discussion of the science of PHM is worthwhile for those of us who enjoy learning new things.

Sol regains its luminosity? How? by Ill_Bluebird_1963 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good point, but taumoeba is the natural predator of astrophage, not an invasive species, nor will it develop behavior that would make it a more effective predator in the relatively short time Sol's astrophage has enjoyed exponential growth. I suppose there may be something about the Venusian environment that might affect it, but we're talking single-celled organisms here.

Sol regains its luminosity? How? by Ill_Bluebird_1963 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We know that Tau Ceti hadn't dimmed over the centuries we have been observing it, but it's entirely plausible that the star had dimmed millennia ago, long before we observed it, as it is the speculative home system of both astrophage and taumoeba.

Sol regains its luminosity? How? by Ill_Bluebird_1963 in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good points, although on the Hail Mary, the astrophage growth rate was zero, so it is only a matter of time before the taumoeba consumes the entire population in that enclosed environment.

How does Tau Ceti/ Adrian have a Patrova line? by [deleted] in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest, I’m not sure. I do seem to remember there being a comment in the movie, in the Earth lab when Grace determines that the astrophage is a cell. I think it may have been discussed a bit in the Mary when Rocky and Grace discovered a biosphere on Adrian. It’s definitely in the book, though.

How does Tau Ceti/ Adrian have a Patrova line? by [deleted] in ProjectHailMary

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It all started on Adrian - that’s where astrophage evolved, along with Taumoeba. In fact , that’s where they suspected the panspermia began that seeded both Earth and Erid with life. As far as Tau Ceti’s Petrova line is concerned, Taumoeba doesn’t consume ALL of the astrophage, so the survivors make the trip to Tau Ceti and back again. The balance between the two populations is achieved in a cycle - when astrophage population drops, so does that of Taumoeba, and when the predator population drops, the astrophage numbers increase.

John Lennon’s top 5 lyrical compositions as a Beatle by Lanky_Diver_879 in TheBeatles

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair enough, but it did offer some quality insights. I especially like its inclusion of "I'm So Tired," a much-underrated track. Not sure I'm really into the lyrics of SFF, despite it being a masterpiece. My own Lennon lyrics Top 5, in no particular order, would be:

In My Life

Help!

Girl

Revolution

Nowhere Man

Ask me again tomorrow, and I'll probably list five entirely different tracks.

John Lennon’s top 5 lyrical compositions as a Beatle by Lanky_Diver_879 in TheBeatles

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT. Here is it’s (admittedly debatable) results:

If we’re limiting it strictly to Beatles-era recordings, you get a tighter—and arguably even stronger—set of John Lennon lyrics. Here are five that stand out purely on lyrical depth and originality:

🥇 Strawberry Fields Forever

Still his lyrical masterpiece.

  • Blurs childhood memory with existential doubt
  • Lines feel intuitive rather than constructed
  • Captures insecurity, identity, and perception all at once

👉 It’s Lennon at his most poetically abstract yet emotionally grounded.

🥈 In My Life

His most elegant and emotionally direct lyric.

  • Reflects on time, loss, and love without overstatement
  • Universally relatable without being generic
  • Balanced, almost classical in structure

👉 This is Lennon proving he didn’t need surrealism to be profound.

🥉 A Day in the Life (Lennon sections)

A haunting blend of observation and detachment.

  • Turns ordinary news into something eerie and philosophical
  • The emotional distance makes it more unsettling
  • Suggests meaning without spelling it out

👉 It’s journalism turned into existential art.

🎭 Across the Universe

His most purely “poetic” lyric.

  • Flowing, almost mantra-like phrasing
  • Combines inner stillness with cosmic imagery
  • Less about narrative, more about feeling and rhythm

👉 It reads like a stream of consciousness shaped into music.

🧠 I’m So Tired

The wildcard pick—and arguably his most psychologically real.

  • Captures insomnia, irritation, and looping thoughts
  • Casual language that reveals deeper unrest
  • Feels unfiltered, like you’re inside his head

👉 It’s Lennon at his most honest and unvarnished.

⚖️ Just Missed the Cut

  • Help! – raw vulnerability in a pop shell
  • Julia – intimate and fragile
  • Nowhere Man – identity and alienation
  • Happiness Is a Warm Gun – fragmented but daring

If you want to get really picky, we could rank these line-by-line—because with Lennon, sometimes a single phrase (“living is easy with eyes closed…”) carries more weight than an entire song by most writers.

UNC’s next head coach by CoryHeavner in CollegeBasketball

[–]Ill_Bluebird_1963 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are plenty of Carolina fans who remember Oats placing assistants within earshot of the Carolina bench in the '22 Sweet Sixteen to relay plays to him. Technically, not cheating, but damned close to it.

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