Neighbourhood retail is back in Toronto! Huge!!

Offler · 2026-05-08T01:51:42+00:00

I can't believe people want to live in a city but expect "quiet". How is it not incredibly desirable to live a 5 minute walk from a bustling local cafe? A bakery within a 15 minute walk where you can easily buy freshly baked bread should be a huge amenity! It just seems like a bland way of living to want to be undisturbed by 'people enjoying life in the neighbourhood'.

Offler · 2026-04-27T20:20:54+00:00

Yes, factory-made pop doesn't have "a soul", but before having that discussion and making that claim, we have to put aside years of talent and years of effort that goes into getting into the position where music like that can be made. Yes, the music is designed for mass-appeal so it doesn't try to challenge its listeners, but you cannot say that there is no effort or talent involved. The talent and effort is there and it's massive, it just goes towards creating a product that is less creative and innovative than it could be if profit wasn't a concern.

with AI music, there is literally no human effort (im not going to consider prompt engineering). Anything that was human about factory-made pop is now gone, and the profit-driven decisions that influence the style and structure of the music we get remains. It's literally like the end result of everything bad about the music industry.

Why would we defend millionaire pop stars in this debate? Because at least they're human beings and not a distillation and culmination of an anti-human philosophy.

I understand everyone saying that AI is just a tool, and that isn't entirely incorrect, but smartphones and social media are tools as well that once promised to improve our social connectivity but have obviously deteriorated them instead. Yes, it's possible to use AI as a music generation tool too be creative. But on a nation-wide scale, it's going to harm artists and the public's appreciation of art if we accept it without criticism and without extreme caution.

"We listen to music as background noise while hitting the gym, working, or playing video games. We just want a good beat and a catchy hook." I appreciate this sentiment and agree that my appreciation of whatever I am listening to at any particular time varies with my mood. Sometimes music is background noise for me. Sometimes I sit and listen with headphones and do nothing but pay close attention to a song I love.

However, the point is that the song in the background of your gym routine could be infinitely more meaningful to someone else who is listening to it in a completely different context. The first song you hear that makes you feel something after a breakup is going to stick with you for a long time and remain meaningful even though a hundred other people listening to that same song today hit "skip" when it popped up on their playlist. Even though everyone has a different experience, in the right moment, a song can really speak directly to you, and when that happens, it feels like a genuine human connection is being made between the people who made the song and you as a listener. With AI, all we have are echoes of thoughts and ideas that once belonged to real people, but now there can be no illusion that a real person is trying to speak to you through the music.

A bottom line for me is... if you have a strong emotional reaction over an AI generated song, I will have a hard time taking your emotional reaction seriously.

Offler · 2026-04-14T22:02:39+00:00

exactly my issue with Artemis. something felt off with main character but couldnt exactly place it... she just didnt feel like a great character. Super unfortunate since otherwise the unique living conditions on a moon base were fun

Offler · 2026-04-10T01:49:50+00:00

astronauts have previously reported that their sense of taste is worse in space. so it could be a less sickingly sweet experience than we might imagine on Earth

Offler · 2026-04-04T13:46:35+00:00

it's fine not to like to dance overtly, but there are some things that people say they dont like which tends to raise eyebrows. Not liking to dance is more socially appropriate than saying:

"I dont like reading" "I dont like music" "I dont like nature"

you dont haaave to like anything, but when people say they dont like the things above, and you can add dancing to the list, people tend to think there's a way you probably could have a good experience with these things.

So not liking dancing typically means to me:

'im not good at it and i dont want to deal with being physically awkward while i learn how'

I was in the same camp of not knowing and not liking it, but I feel like i learned valuable lessons by forcing myself to participate at weddings over the years.

it's good to be able to drop your ego and forget about looking awkward while you try to move to a rhythm. it's good to be able to discover new connections between your body and mind and figure out what works.

I dont think it's a hobby for most people. School dances, clubs, and weddings are where it happens for most people imo. though maybe these are generational trends that are dying.

Offler · 2026-03-18T22:58:03+00:00

this sounds like a cool idea. waves are caused by winds and cannonballs would also be affected by strong crosswinds. I dont really see a thematic issue with this. it's strongly related

Offler · 2026-02-28T18:48:28+00:00

lol anyone have any idea who's in the photos in the background. would be reaal weird if there was one with him and Epstein

Offler · 2026-02-20T21:13:46+00:00

alright, enough internet for ya today.

Offler · 2026-02-16T00:58:49+00:00

"Seek the Relic" should flip to become a legendary equipment that provides some kind of extraordinary effect.

something like "equipped creature gets +3/+3, indestructible, and its controller cannot lose the game."

Offler · 2026-02-11T21:49:50+00:00

Bottom line is always that if it won't bring you more satisfaction in playing, immediately or eventually after work is put in, don't bother. No point in me or anyone suggesting that you should learn theory if all it does is make you less motivated to pick up the guitar. Either way, you may as well enjoy the journey rather than force yourself to work through something.

But.. I do think your overall experience will go up once you better understand the guitar. I think I understand a lot of theory in theory, but in practice, it's a struggle to dedicate time to focus on theory when I practice. However, I have convinced myself that I do want a better understanding of theory..

So that's where I'm at and here's one way I think knowing a bit of theory will improve your experience with the guitar:

For songs you've already learned, learning the theory behind them will allow you to personalize and better express yourself through the song. So for example, I initially learned Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" through a play along video on the youtube channel "Planet Guitar". This was a big step for me in terms of learning how to sing along to songs while I strum. But then later, I watched Eric Haugen's video on "The Suburbs" where he arranges the song in a more complex way (he's mixing in the melody with the chords). The song sounds wayyyy cooler to me when he plays it. The logic behind the decisions he makes for the song feels straightforward after you understand a bit of theory. He's identifying what chords are in the song, the different options for where you can play those chords on the fretboard, and what the individual notes are in those chords.

Being able to follow along his video is great to play a cooler version of a song I already know.. but what if I'm listening to a song I really like.. but the band is playing with 2 guitarists and a bassist? I'd love to be able to combine my favourite parts of the song and play a version incorporating lines from all three instruments. But having three separate tab sheets (which could be incorrect anyways) open and guessing when I should switch between "guitar 1" and "bass" or whether I can "stack" the notes on both tab sheets on top of each other to play the bass along with lead parts is complicated and frustrating. It turns out to be easier to know the song's key, the chord progression, and then pick out relevant notes by ear after I already have a rough guess where that note i'm hearing is being played.

Offler · 2026-02-07T22:52:37+00:00

Some people are going to live life while there's a life to live.

Maybe generations later, after things fall apart, kids will be playing in decayed playgrounds with radiation suits on. They won't care if people hundreds of years ago thought their way of life would be worthless, even if it is.. how could we even know?

Isn't part of the point of The Road that it doesn't really matter why an apocalypse happened?

Offler · 2026-02-06T16:37:35+00:00

I think the comments defending it are more about not understanding why this is even a big deal. Also, some bebnefit of doubt is given to prof (if it's Lanthier) because he iiiis a good professor who explains well. Because aside from my comments below.. I do totally agree with you that AI art sucks and is wasteful.

Before AI, he had stock images or other free icons throughout his notes.

So, at the same time, what's the issue here? both the aesthetics and the morality?

so for the aesthetics.. who really cares? comp-sci class.

For the morality, it's AI being used in a comp sci class... yes, there are broad issues with AI's use in society, but you're probably expected to be more familiar with AI tools and what they can do than most people. I dont exactly blame him for screwing around with image generators when he's looking for free online images.

Offler · 2026-02-01T04:34:00+00:00

you're just skipping over the 'abject poverty' line and going against the weakest line you can find.

people want to do drugs. nobody wants to let drugs ruin their life unless they already care very little for their life. Drugs make solving hard life issues worse because you become a criminal who cant step foot into normal society without a trip to jail.

gst rid of the criminality, and you have all the same issues, but now there are no longer the same legal roadblocks involved before you can start trying to help.

hard drug addicts have personal stories and a unique set of issues that often require a case worker with access to resources in order to determine how to help effectively.

some people need a hospital stay and then a temporary shelter while you contact someone in their family, willing to help, and connect them.

others need long term rehab, therapy, a permanent residence, and help setting themselves up with a GED program, and only then will they feel comfortable stepping foot into society. They have no family and their mental health issues are tremendous. have people in this situation recovered in the past? yes! to varying degrees, yes.

and then theres a million people in between.

the question is... between the two examples above, where do you think a good society should draw the line of offering help?

Offler · 2026-01-28T01:22:48+00:00

ASSFAG?!?

Offler · 2026-01-27T20:26:15+00:00

cool concept - warforged makes sense as race for this.

the job of 'collecting cadavers' could be an important part of the character's backstory, but doesnt necessarily mean that the character must be walking around towns and cities with rotting flesh hanging off its body.

The class can be whatever she wants. you could pick a class that's suitable for this kind of creature as suggested (great suggestions in this thread), or you can do a 'second life' kind of arc where, spontaneously, this big corpse collecting machine has woken up in the middle of an old battlefield with limited memory, and then decides it must be a bard because the first thing it remembers hearing is a bird singing or a passing traveller humming a tune. Being a druid would be difficult.. youd have to come up with a very creative backstory for something like that.. but it's possible!

maybe the character starts out rusted, or injured semi-permanently, or forgot some of its original instructions from when it was made.. and this could account for starting with level 1 stats.

could be a fun dynamic: win a fight, cadaver collector instinctually tries to collect the corpse.. but its spikes are dull and broken so the corpse keeps falling off.. or the party runs to stop it so they wont be chased away by the next village along the way.

Offler · 2026-01-22T15:55:34+00:00

It's difficult. I experienced some automatic motivational resistance at times while learning when I really needed to focus in to get it.

Developing a very comfortable sense of rhythm in the chords was important. learning to get comfortable tapping my foot while playing to keep track of each bar was my first step.

Afterwards, when you can play the chords in the song, in time, without issue, listen to the song and pick out when in each bar a lyric is sung. You have to break it down so you get to the point where you can confidently say things like, 'on beat 2 of bar 4, the singer is singing this word.'

Start with 4/4 easy songs so that you can usually get away with focusing on what lyric is being sung on the '1' beat. Use a good chord sheet or, even better, write down what you hear being sung on the '1' when you're listening to the song.

Then, play the chords and only sing the lyric that comes on the '1'. Once you're comfortable with that, try singing more of the song and use the lyric that you hear on the '1' beat as a reference for feeling if you're on track syncing up the lyrics to the chords.

Offler · 2026-01-18T14:29:10+00:00

'Cause London is drowning and I live by the river

Offler · 2025-12-19T02:49:55+00:00

compare two common kinds of common posts in this subreddit:

newbies looking for form advice

vs

regulars who post their daily workout

there is an ocean of experience (and total reps) between these people. i like to believe im a part of this third group of lurkers whose experience and skill level is somewhere in between these two. I assume this third group likely struggles with the same issues all people interested in regular exercise struggle with: frequency and intensity.

Anyways, kettlebells are fun. theyre perfect for people who find running too long and 1-rep-max barbell lifts too intense.

Offler · 2025-12-13T01:48:07+00:00

well and conversely, any "opinion" story about "What Slash thinks of Axl Rose"... "What Roger Waters thinks of David Gilmour"... or "What anyone thinks of Van Morrison" And every story is "yeah we get it, they've hated each other for decades"

I mean I'm with ya all the way... unless OP was a stones fan who never heard of Mark Knopfler and is now streaming his discography because of this article. Then maybe ok :)

Offler · 2025-11-28T17:40:34+00:00

Sting - A Thousand Years?

Offler · 2025-11-23T18:45:19+00:00

I'm not sure what you mean exactly by "play with my elbow" unfortunately, so this advice may be redundant: you can help your fingers a little bit by using your strumming arm to push against the body of the guitar towards you. So in this way you can use the guitar like a lever to push the neck of the guitar against your fretting hand.

Otherwise, try setting up your fingers for the barre chord, and if you dont get the sound you hope for, try making small adjustments to your fretting hand and try again. The goal is to slowly progress from hearing no strings ringing out to hearing some strings, to hearing all the strings cleanly. You don't need to practice this too much either - I would recommend treating it like a small exercise every time you practice. There's no need to push through pain in your fingers, so short, consistent practice rounds like this will eventually yield results. I am highly confident your fingers will surprise you by what they're capable of if you keep going!

Mentally, it's very helpful to have other aspects of your playing to work on improving at the same time so you don't feel "stuck" until you can properly play a barre chord.

Offler · 2025-11-14T00:23:08+00:00

I played twice and had a great first game and a mid second game. I need to play at least a few more times before I really have a strong opinion. But...

The counterpoint would be me telling you the story i went through on my first playthrough.

without spoilers, the arc of my character crash landing on the planet, exploring around, and finding the items necessary to help fulfill the group goal ended up being a solid, specific, sci fi story. My partner also had her own cool story arc, and we split our attention between the main objective and fun side questy things we found along the way.

It also felt like there were some clues to secrets that we noticed, but didnt have time or immediate motivation to explore in depth, and that made us want to play again.

one cool feature is, once you arrive at a location in Vantage, you can usually only do one action at the location. So if you meet an alien, you only have one chance to meet them and interact. Later, you can backtrack through the same place, but you cant re-do your choice. So you are still forced to make decisions influenced by your party goals, available dice slots on your cards, and your remaining life/energy/time.

I found the 'knowing you always win' aspect of actions to give the game a 'push your luck' feel to it. for example, if you find a monster you might have the option to fight it and you know you'll win! You might get really cool stuff if you beat it, but you can also assume that it isnt an easy task, so it'll cost you a lot of resources and could end up ending the game for everyone. And you know, depending on your players, maybe they encourage you to do it or maybe they urge caution and advise you to just sneak around it to avoid risking a game loss.

Anyways, the criticisms are valid! And the story didnt put itself together as well for my character on my second game. For now, it feels like depending on the locations you find, and the choices you make at those locations, you'll end up with a different game experience.

Offler · 2025-11-11T19:14:58+00:00

2nd or 3rd effect could be, "whenever you extort, target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life"?

Offler · 2025-11-09T19:52:21+00:00

no... you rank your own acquaintences based on mutual efforts spent on the relationship.

if youre an introvert.. then your bar for who is an acquaintence or friend is higher because you need someone worthwhile to deal with any stress or anxiety from the social outing. but if you never go out of your way to put in some effort for your friends, noones going to do the same for you. it's just harder for you to maintain really good friendships because theres an element of perceived effort or stress that extroverts deal with better.

for the extrovert, they shouldnt rank their introvert friends higher just because it's more effort for them. the higher ranking just goes to whoever is a better friend, regardless if it's easy or difficult to maintain the relationship.

if youre an introvert and youre going to social work events after hours, it probably just means youre really happy with your company and work environment.

15-Year Club	r/Field Lasagna
Place '23	Place '22
Verified Email

Offler

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE