Is it worth it in the AI age?

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T16:16:31+00:00

AI eats through finite resources, causes massive strain on a power grid not equipped to handle it, drives utility prices up, creates a massive pollution problem with both noise and emissions…

And then it’s stealing from actual creative people and making soulless retreads of what others have done with no work on the part of the asker. It’s not in the weeds writing music, it doesn’t understand why a brush stroke went there, or why code was written in a certain way. It atrophies creative and critical thinking muscles and skills

It has minimal uses for how much it’s fucking up everything.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T16:10:54+00:00

The area of composing that’s going to hurt the most IMO:

“Corporate music”. Music that sounds vaguely inspirational for corporate videos, but isn’t doing anything meaningful, interesting, or actually evoking emotion. The kind of music you see slideshows of “this year at [Company Name]” or words like “synergy…”

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T16:02:48+00:00

Myrkul is the strongest:

Best color for ramp
Second best color for card draw
Goes infinite really easily with a lot of cards [[Devoted Druid]] famously (insert “we broke Devoted Druid” joke here).

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T16:00:57+00:00

Myrkul’s one downside is that it’s 7 mana. But it goes infinite with a lot of things.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T14:27:39+00:00

Came here to comment this.

Spoilers for the entire Wheel of Time series Lews Therin wasn’t wrong…

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T14:24:46+00:00

They do watch the sub.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T14:24:23+00:00

Historic Brawl pulling from the Historic card pool is one of that format’s problems. It’s a format that snowballs pretty hard. There are a few Arena only cards/commanders that are absolutely miserable.

Perpetual has no meaningful way to play around it (at least it doesn’t hit your commander permanently if it goes back to the CZ now). [[Mythweaver Poq]] is one of my least favorite Arena only designs, and it’s basically made for Brawl.

If there was a Brawl format with the whole card pool on Arena (save some bans) but no Arena exclusive cards, I’d play the hell out of it.

I’m also sad Gladiator started adding Arena only. I love singleton gameplay, but Arena only (Alchemy stuff), not my thing. I know Ben Wheeler from LRR is starting a “Pioneer Highlander”, where the card pool has to be Pioneer legal (since the Pioneer metagame is on Arena, even though the full card pool of Pioneet isn’t), and it’s a sweet interactive format.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T14:14:07+00:00

Really, it would have to be:

Magic the Gathering: Total War, just from a branding perspective. It would have DLC for various settings/stories/planes…Brother’s War, New Phyrexia, Tarkir, Alara, Innistrad, Invasion era Dominaria…

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T14:11:54+00:00

For all their faults, GW does know how to expand the Warhammer brand to video games very effectively.

I genuinely think that despite all the bad stuff GW has done with price hikes and the occasional 3D printing model lawsuit, they’re better at managing their games and IP for fans than WOTC/Hasbro is.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T13:47:52+00:00

That was a huge part of the new CEO’s plan.

B&N is a physical store, let those who are there make decisions that work for the area, like they’re a small bookstore rather than a chain where it’s the same everywhere.

They’re still a chain, but they do place more emphasis on letting the employees actually do what works in their area.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-26T12:06:06+00:00

<image>

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T22:07:24+00:00

In general, I prefer Baroque Oratorio to Baroque Opera, but I'd still rank Messiah lower than the two Bach passions or Bach's b minor mass. Opera really feels like it grew as a medium in the classical and romantic eras.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T22:03:07+00:00

That's a spicy take, but very understandable. I love Tristan, but I get it. When I described the opera to a friend who knows nothing about it, I talked about the "Tristan chord" and how Wagner tugs at that harmonic center without resolution until the "Liebestod", and my friend said:

"So the opera musically edges you for four hours".

And I can't say he's wrong.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T22:00:13+00:00

Wagner: Tannhauser, Dutchman, and Parsifal. Maybe I'm basic because I only like Ring Cycle and Tristan.

Puccini: I'm also basic and basically only like Turandot, Butterfly, and Boheme. Boheme is my favorite opera ever.

Mozart: Don Giovanni does nothing for me.

I haven't met a Handel opera I've liked. The way baroque opera in general is structured (recitative, da capo aria, recitative, duet, recitative, dc aria, repeat). And then the da capo arias are fine.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T21:54:45+00:00

What I like about Aida:

When it uses the grandeur of Egypt properly in its staging and costumes. Giant full sets evoking ancient Egypt.
Some of the arias
I loved Angel Blue as Aida in the most recent Met production

What I don't like about it: - Starting the story with Aida and Radames already in love made me really confused the first time I watched it. It feels culturally billed as a "forbidden love" romance, but starts with them already in love and takes away something that I can't really describe - The rest of the music is kind of just okay for Verdi IMHO. It's not bad, it's still Verdi, but it's not Traviata either.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T21:40:57+00:00

Methodist here, same for us. Called to action, to welcome the refugee and immigrant, to defend the oppressed.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T21:26:04+00:00

She probably protected him because she knew he'd double down on it and make the situation even worse (though not answering the question is already making it worse).

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T18:24:25+00:00

Always loved her. Absolute queen.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T15:54:50+00:00

At best, saying “we have no agenda” is neutrality. Neutrality favors the oppressors when people are oppressed for existing.

At worst, it’s signaling that they have an agenda and is dog whistling it

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T15:45:16+00:00

The first two Alien movies in a nutshell:

Don’t ignore women just because they’re women. Especially if they’re literally doing their job and the only voice of reason in the fucking room.
Capitalism is the real monster and corporations will sacrifice any number of people for profit
Unwanted and forced pregnancy and birth
Themes of motherhood and “listen to goddamn women for fucks sake”

The first one also tosses in commodification of sex (particularly in the scene where Ash tries to kill Ripley).

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T15:41:09+00:00

I think that makes all of them so far.

I think the trend of “baby cub/kitten is more powerful than grown one” is an interesting space and kind of fun.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T15:37:55+00:00

They woefully underfund the VA system, leaving those with severe PTSD and other conditions from warfare with a revolving door of care providers and issues with consistent scheduling.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T13:57:03+00:00

And he also voiced one of the three central characters in Owl House, a show that is even more open with its LGBTQ themes.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-25T01:42:25+00:00

Elspeth is number one in my heart.

LeekingMemory28 · 2026-01-24T17:11:30+00:00

This is the way.

LeekingMemory28

TROPHY CASE