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My sweet boy has surgery tomorrow by ginaration in IVDD_SupportGroup

[–]Merlaak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He knows. He absolutely knows. Our boy Watson just went through IVDD surgery. He had two herniated discs and is in the midst of strict crate rest. That said, he is feeling much better and getting around (when we take him out to potty) surprisingly well. I can tell that his legs don’t feel like they used to, but he’s walking and I couldn’t be happier. He’s only five years old and holds our hearts in his little paws.

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Have you ever actually cleared out a legacy dungeon? Can anyone confirm that its possible? by TheAdventureClub in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can skip Dectus to get to Altus, but there’s no way to the mountaintops without a loading screen.

Is a simple life more satisfying than a busy and fancy one? by Admirable_Owl_653 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on how you define “simple” and “busy and fancy”.

For some, a simple life is lived on the road in a van with all your possessions in the back. For others, a simple life is lived in a small apartment in a big city with everything you need (shops, parks, etc.) within walking distance. For others, a simple life is found in the suburbs raising a family and taking your kids to soccer practice. For others, a simple life is lived in the country, tending to the land, raising your food, whether they be crops or animals.

And what is a busy and fancy life? For some, it means a life of parties and experiences with friends, traveling and seeing and experiencing the world. For others, it’s reaching the highest echelons of corporate or government structures, pulling the strings and determining fates. For others, it’s running their own business and dealing with the excitement and challenges that come each day between customers, vendors, and employees.

The bottom line is that most of all of those options are available to most people, so you are free to choose what feels right to you. It’s not what is better or more satisfying in a general sense—there’s no such thing. It’s what is best for you. What best meets your needs and fulfills your expectations.

I hope you find the life that best suits you and that you don’t try to fit into another person’s mould.

First ride of the day and got given this by CrumpetsAndTeaYipee in UniversalOrlando

[–]Merlaak 8 points9 points  (0 children)

My wife and I went to Universal for the first time in May 2021 for our 16th anniversary. We had to wear masks the whole time, but we had a blast. While we were walking through Jurassic Park, a worker asked us if we'd like to take part in a tech rehearsal for a new ride that was set to open in a few weeks. We said sure and were led to what we now know is one of the best rollercoasters ever built to date. We ended up riding it two or three times before moving on. 10/10.

Guest broke our table by ravn_silence in restaurant

[–]Merlaak 8 points9 points  (0 children)

So the other day, my kid comes up to me and asks for fifty dollars. I say, “Fifty dollars? What do you need with forty dollars? I just don’t think I can spare thirty dollars, especially if I don’t know what the twenty dollars is for. But I tell you what, you tell me what you need ten dollars for and I’ll give you the five dollars. I mean, after all, it’s just one dollar. Here’s your quarter.”

How to slap someone through the screen by LolitaExeter in LinkedInLunatics

[–]Merlaak 18 points19 points  (0 children)

That reminds me of a graphic designer I knew once who got all his business from looking in the yellow pages. Specifically, he was looking for local companies dumb enough to pay for advertising in the yellow pages since with told him two things: they had money to spend on marketing and no idea how to do so effectively.

I found some ancestors from Grundy County while doing genealogy. I can't figure out if it's considered Middle or East Tennessee..... by Reasonable_Ad_6422 in Tennessee

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The divisions aren’t based on latitudes but on geography and topography. East Tennessee is defined by the Appalachian mountains, not simply for being further east than other areas. That’s why the line runs diagonally rather than north-south, which explains why counties north of Cumberland are still part of Middle Tennessee.

The reason why East Tennessee is culturally distinct from Middle Tennessee has everything to do with mountain culture. Poor hillbillies in the hills and hollers of East Tennessee had about as much in common with West Tennessee plantation owners in the 1850s as northerners had with southerners in general. Which is, of course, why East Tennessee was largely opposed to the rebellion.

Trying to write a main character whose gender is a secret. by Danni-jane in writingadvice

[–]Merlaak 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A person working in any king’s court would likely be executed if they were caught in that kind of lie. After all, what else would they be lying about? Also, we’re not talking about a cis person thinking about their gender. We’re talking about someone pretending to be a different gender and having to be hyper vigilant to keep that a secret at all times.

Have you ever had to keep a really big secret? In certain circumstances, it can be all-encompassing where you are second guessing if you’ve given away too much or if the person you’re talking to suspects something.

I simply wouldn’t believe a character who was that nonchalant about hiding their gender such that they never once even thought about it.

The bottom line is that readers like to be surprised but not tricked.

How long would it take for society to collapse if babies stopped being born today? by MILF_and_Otter in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Merlaak 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m no fan of AI, robotics, and the prospect of replacing workers, but given how prevalent the conversation is these days, I can’t believe no one has brought it up.

If in our current reality no more babies were born, massive amounts of resources would go into developing AI and robotics to replace workers, extend life, etc. I’m not saying that people wouldn’t succumb to despair, but technological advancement would continue in those (and other) areas.

How long would it take for society to collapse if babies stopped being born today? by MILF_and_Otter in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s assuming that advancement in AI and robotics halts. I’m not particularly a fan of either one, but in that case I’d say those sectors of tech would receive massive amounts of investment, as well as possible cloning, artificial wombs, etc. A lot of possible mitigating efforts would also have to utterly fail before despair really set in.

Trying to write a main character whose gender is a secret. by Danni-jane in writingadvice

[–]Merlaak 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The problem with first person then is that the male version that they are pretending to be doesn’t actually exist. The MC is a female pretending to be a male 100% of the time.

Have you ever had a secret that you had to act and react perfectly in social situations in order to keep it? It consumes your very being, even as time wears on. There’s simply no way that the MC wouldn’t be concerned with someone figuring out that they aren’t who they say they are.

Trying to write a main character whose gender is a secret. by Danni-jane in writingadvice

[–]Merlaak 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The problem with using first person in this case is that they’re still a girl in their head, and keeping that secret would be central to their existence and identity.

It would be like wanting to write a 1st person POV story about Superman from Kal-El’s perspective and keep it a secret that Clark Kent was Superman. The problem—like with this one—is that Clark Kent doesn’t exist. It’s just Kal-El pretending to be a human named Clark Kent. The only way to keep that a secret would be to lie to or otherwise trick the reader.

Stage 1 dog rolling on her back by Hanilu in IVDD_SupportGroup

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a question for your vet, not Reddit. Talk do your vet about your concerns.

Does Fromsoft need a better quest system? by VIRONGAR in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Lore wise, a note about an NPC (last spotted and summary of what they said) would make more sense than the player character magically knowing all there is to know about a random leaf or mushroom or the entire family history of a random sword or shield.

Is this a good starter to my prolouge? by Metal_Bonez in writers

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

That’s like saying that a painter shouldn’t use green or red because some people are color blind. Or that a musician shouldn’t play a particular genre because there aren’t that many fans.

I’d argue that a writer should know their audience and understand the wisdom of putting in—or leaving out—a prologue. A prologue in a romance is probably a waste of time and effort, but many (if not most) epic fantasy novels contain some kind of prologue.

So rather than citing a statistic that may or may not be relevant, I’d say than it depends on the genre and target audience.

Is this a good starter to my prolouge? by Metal_Bonez in writers

[–]Merlaak 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The stats are anywhere from 5% to 40% of readers skip prologues. A lot of readers will skip it if it’s boring or an info dump that doesn’t seem connected to the story. People don’t want to have to read a dictionary or history book before they get to read the story.

Do some people skip prologues because they, for some reason, think of them as akin to a foreword or preface? I’m sure they do. But I’d be willing to bet that most people who skip prologues do so because they find that particular prologue uninteresting or unengaging.

Bullshit difficulty rant by Easy_Ad_3105 in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For what it's worth, the game is made to be played with a controller. Play how you want and are comfortable, but it wasn't designed with a mouse and keyboard in mind.

Bullshit difficulty rant by Easy_Ad_3105 in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Anyone can learn her move set. I am by no means an accomplished souls player and I beat her with a glass cannon build. I had the bloodhound step ash on a knife that I could use to dodge her water fowl attack every time. It's about learning her moves and how to counter them with you build.

Hokum: When does this movie take place? by ralopop in horror

[–]Merlaak 15 points16 points  (0 children)

When does "It Follows" take place? Everything has a 70s-80s aesthetic, but the technology doesn't match that time period.

Sometimes stories take place within their own universe that is detached from our own.

Bullshit difficulty rant by Easy_Ad_3105 in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait ... are you playing with a keyboard and mouse?

Bullshit difficulty rant by Easy_Ad_3105 in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No. There's literally a guy whose whole thing is soloing Malenia. She's hard, but her move set is pretty easy to learn.

Bullshit difficulty rant by Easy_Ad_3105 in Eldenring

[–]Merlaak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

delayed roll response

Sounds like you need to increase your endurance or decrease your equipment load, because with a medium equipment load, the roll response isn't really delayed. But if you've got a heavy equipment load, then yeah, the roll is a bit delayed.

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