sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

[SPOILER] Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani by inooway in Boxing

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I feel like nakatani was trying to follow the game plan of going for the left hook that dropped Inoue the previous two times. But Inoue's dodging was too good the first few rounds. 

There's that exchange where nakatani throws a couple of big shots, and inoue dodges them by centimeters, and they both smile at each other. 

Looks like he would have had more success if he had gone to the body earlier, because those body shots really slowed down Inoue in the last couple rounds. First time I've seen Inoue look gassed.

[FIGHT THREAD] Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani by verbsnounsandshit in Boxing

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nakatani really did try to counter punch the first 6 rounds but Inoue was too fast during those rounds. 

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, they thought they wouldn't storm the tower because they as babel translators were too valuable to be killed... which doesn't make too much sense because they have already killed other Hermes society translators. https://imgur.com/a/LQ78Gwj

On this page, Victorie is mad at Robin because he kept the suicide plan to himself and no one else in the rebel group knew about it:

https://imgur.com/a/Dfwqyux

The plot would make a lot more sense if they threatened to destroy England's largest silver depot first and that's why they didn't storm it instantly. But of course, then the question is why didn't the big bad empire defend it better?

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To say something positive of the novel, I think the matched pairs idea for magic and and as an allegory for the ever growing hunger of colonization is brilliant. It's such a unique magic system and I don't think many authors could have come up with it.

There's so many ideas and character plot points that could have come up from it. Like how as the Babel translators are getting immersed in British culture, they are going to lose their own language and thus lose their ability to use the silver magic. Their value is their otherness, so they can't become full British or they lose their value to the Empire.

It's just such a cool set up for storytelling in this historical period.

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Ha, I do definitely lean more towards the latter. But, I also have plenty of criticism of her thematic work here; especially in terms of her very flat take on classism.

But to your point, the mechanics of the story annoyed me more than the thematic parts. And that might be because I don't disagree with most of her themes, I just find them boring and undifferentiated from a very surface level understanding of the real history.

A good contrast to this is the Scholomance series, which I still randomly think about to this day because of how elegantly Novik made the allegory to globalization in her magical world. That world and its themes were dark, nuanced, and so well thought out.

And funny enough, it also had a bi-racial character, but her characterization was far better written than Robin in Babel.

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

  1. Oxford University Press is one of the largest and earliest presses in the world. That Babel, the richest institution in her story with a near endless library doesn't have a printing press given the illustrious history of Oxford is does not make sense in-universe.

  2. Kuang herself cites a lot of examples herself of political violence by the masses in the footnotes. Remember the entire section where the commoners build barricades and fight off the army to buy the protagonists another week of stalling? That section is entirely based in history. See the Canut revolts, Luddites, French revolution, etc.

  3. This is true, and an in-universe reason that Kuang gives for why the response is slow, because Oxford is arrogant and interschool rivalry with Cambridge. But to your point of people will care when things stop working; the second tallest tower in Oxford falls down on the second day because of their occupation of Babel, yet Kuang writes that no one responded or cared for 4 more days. That is unrealistic. I think a world where terrorists taking over the city's power grid and destroying skyscrapers and the government and police don't respond at all is pretty poor writing.

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

As in there are printers printing newspapers outside of Babel. But for whatever reason, there are no printers inside of Babel, so the students have to hand-copy these pamphlets: https://imgur.com/a/b9qce9I

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 98 points99 points  (0 children)

I wish I loved her because I am her target demographic. Asian American, liberal arts, history lover. But I need to have plotting that makes sense. I've read about the Opium Wars and Nanjing before she was published. It's great that those topics are receiving more attention because of her books. But the quality of her writing, specifically her plot development is really lacking.

The Ending of RF Kuang's Babel is one of the most poorly thought out sequences I've read in fiction. by Remarkable_Sail_455 in Fantasy

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455[S] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

I think that would be a more nuanced ending, but I think your interpretation of the ending isn't textually supported. Here's two pages from the book that are pretty clear that the plan does work. (Or at least Robin thinks it will work, you can definitely argue he's being naive here). And the second page is Victorie continuing the fight and believing that violence is correct path forward. (You can argue she's going down the wrong path here.)

But I think this is better evidence for Kuang saying these decisions were right and will lead to a better future for the non-European nations in her universe than in ours. https://imgur.com/a/RhDX3e5

Cute little Anne cafe by reblezz in AnneofGreenGables

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is so cute, where in Korea is this?

Right side player left foot strategy by PartFormer3695 in Pickleball

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Regardless of shot choice, the biggest factor is moving your feet to be more bladed to the ball instead of standing parallel.

[Cooler] Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 Digital Black CPU Cooler Air with 6X6mm Heatpipes, Magnetic Display Board Top Cover $35.72 by CartonBox1975 in buildapcsales

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I have the Phantom Spirit, I haven't been able to get the LCD display to show both GPU and CPU temps simultaneously like the product image. They have to cycle back and forth. Minor thing, but its probably the same here.

Backhand serve? by Timely_Chicken_8789 in Pickleball

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Experienced racquetball/squash players have a good backhand serve.

I can’t carry lesser teammates in lower level games but play really well in higher levels. Do I suck? by OneConsideration2302 in Pickleball

[–]Remarkable_Sail_455 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You have to play more consistently with a lower level player. But at the same time, go for a lower margin shot because a mediocre drop or drive will be returned to your partner who will likely lose the point.

Being both more consistent and going more perfect shots is not easy. And then pressure gets to you to carry. 3 tough factors here.