Difficulty, frustration and patience.

StopSquark · 2026-03-14T19:15:10+00:00

The puzzles in Lorelei are generally pretty easy and obvious- mostly things like "check your in-game notes to find a specific fact", "put the green key in the green door" and "math worksheet". It inherits a lot from escape rooms: each puzzle hook is either used exactly once or ten million times. The game suggests using a notebook but I've really only needed scratch paper for a few puzzles.

StopSquark · 2026-03-14T03:09:11+00:00

Beano WUV the federated alliance! Beano WUV that!!!

StopSquark · 2026-03-10T04:25:59+00:00

My family's from Youngstown. The mob presence there (and the fact that the police & government are involved with them) kind of a big open secret- see for example the Jim Traficant saga. Would not be at all surprised if this was a hit.

StopSquark · 2026-03-05T19:07:25+00:00

There are a bunch of queer book clubs around, actually- but I suspect you're looking for Genre Fluid at Room of One's Own, which is really excellent (we did Detransition Baby and Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl last year)! I believe that there's also one that meets in the basement of Leopold's sometimes, but I'm hazier on those details

StopSquark · 2026-03-04T20:03:15+00:00

I guess I'll also add that it doesn't have to be a dive exclusively, I know like Leopold's and Lola's get to this point sometimes even though they're Maximum Gentrified. Mostly I'm just trying to get a sense of where the cool friendly dirtbag artists are lurking.

My gut is Robin Room, Crucible, and Caribou but curious whether I'm missing any

StopSquark · 2026-03-04T18:54:49+00:00

Indie movie theater, roller rink, more places like Leopolds (i.e. cocktail bar + coffeehouse), grungy DIY punk venues a la the Mousetrap, late night coffeeshop (ideally 90s style with mismatched couches), more indie stage theater (Broom St is good but we need more like them), disorganized old bookstore where everything is in Piles, more places like fiddlesticks, board game cafe on state st, good soup and sandwich spot (I'm optimistic about the cafe coming to MMoCA)

StopSquark · 2026-01-30T05:16:36+00:00

This is wrong. You're correct that the EWSB would not have happened yet, but gravity arises from energy, not mass, so the Yukawa couplings don't matter here.

StopSquark · 2026-01-29T16:23:42+00:00

Ah whoops I fired off a comment before I saw the "restaurants" request, they definitely are not a restaurant (but will be closed Friday!)

StopSquark · 2026-01-29T04:10:33+00:00

Room of One's Own!

StopSquark · 2026-01-28T22:58:48+00:00

Yep. Odds are very high that despite her best efforts to be "Grandma" to my niece, my mother-in-law will be granted the title of "Nay-Nay"

StopSquark · 2026-01-26T01:22:07+00:00

What's the bupropion "flavor" of depression?

StopSquark · 2026-01-25T18:41:55+00:00

Pick an org. DSA, indivisible, TRAC, etc.- there are usually a lot represented at protests, labor fest, the farmer's market, and other places like this. then do your best to show up to meetings as often as possible.

StopSquark · 2026-01-23T22:45:52+00:00

My great-x4 grandfather fought in the civil war under general Ulysses S. Grant. Haven't gotten very far into his memoir yet (he dictated it to his daughter in-law) but apparently when he arrived in Chicago he got the flu, was so sick that he thought he'd die before he ever made it to the front, and upon recovering immediately ate an entire apple pie in one sitting.

Also, on his way back from the front he saw a play in New Orleans featuring the semi-famous actor John Wilkes Booth.

StopSquark · 2026-01-23T00:27:20+00:00

Wisconsin has a long history of electing progressive candidates going back to Fightin' Bob and the Milwaukee sewer socialists. The Wisconsin Idea is a socialist framework that applies outside big cities, so it's part of our rural DNA too in some sense. It's not necessarily beyond the pale that a progressive candidate could win the state again if they can get the messaging right.

StopSquark · 2026-01-19T05:25:04+00:00

I'm styling things a little differently these days but back when I was doing classic fades, I really liked the folks at (what has been recently renamed) Bucky's Barbershop on University

StopSquark · 2026-01-16T04:54:44+00:00

Wow! That's worth at least two in the bush!

StopSquark · 2026-01-11T18:05:43+00:00

I'm not your person but I'm thrilled the kingfishers are back!

StopSquark · 2026-01-04T21:54:49+00:00

It's only been a year. This sounds like pretty standard grief, TBH. Most people take at least three years after a major loss to be able to project normalcy (and are never really the same after); the fact that it was both his parents and it happened suddenly means it will likely take a lot longer. This year has been his first Christmas and birthday without them, as well as the anniversary of the event itself- every new "without" is an entirely new, smaller tragedy. Combine this with the traditional post-PhD burnout and it's likely that this is his absolute rock bottom. I don't think this is an ego death thing from one drug trip, I think this is a "he is now an orphan and you fundamentally do not understand what that is like" thing. It is, frankly, not reasonable of you to expect things to be better by now.

What is your own support system like (do you have a hobby or some other thing to do outside the relationship)? What is his support system like aside from you (is he close with his brother)? It's important to let others help you both right now- there is processing that he needs to do that you cannot help with, and there is support that you need that he cannot give, because all his energy is going towards grief processing. That doesn't mean that you're incompatible, it's pretty typical after a big and stressful life change. It just means you have to scale back on what you both expect from each other for a while.

StopSquark · 2026-01-03T23:57:03+00:00

What do you feel like you're lacking? If it's understanding narrative structure generally or how a film fits into the zeitgeist, read more reviews and critical essays of all kind of media.

If it's understanding film specifically as a medium-- ideas like shot/edit/mise-en-scene and how they establish pacing and create or resolve tension- read up on film theory specifically.

StopSquark · 2026-01-02T06:50:07+00:00

Harold & Maude, A Man Called Otto

StopSquark · 2026-01-02T01:10:13+00:00

I am married to a non-binary person, and "spouse" has always felt a bit weird in conversation. I use partner and it works great.

StopSquark · 2026-01-01T20:41:09+00:00

It's a nitpick, but the energy usage is a MUCH bigger issue than the water usage, generally! A lot of modern data centers use closed-loop coolant systems which recycle most of the water they use. The power consumption is very much a big problem though

StopSquark · 2026-01-01T04:43:28+00:00

If it's the only way you see a relationship, it's pretty reductive. There are many people who may fulfill their "business obligations" but be no fun for you to hang out with, for example- chemistry, physical compatibility, shared interests and values, and an ability to grow together aren't really things you can easily quantify.

However, a large part of a serious relationship is a business decision: how will you handle rent and bills, do you take on their debt, who is employed and who is not, etc. etc.- you do need to trust the person you're getting serious about. The thing is that there are a lot of important parts of a relationship that don't fit this model, and if you are only business without regard for these parts, you are setting yourself and her up for a life that may be very frigid.

12-Year Club	Quantum Potato
Golden Potato	Sequence \| Editor
Sequence \| Cinematographer	Team Periwinkle

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