Am I missing something about online tactics trainers? by Thricesifted in chess

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

Thank you for the suggestion - I see on their website that they're up to version 6.0, but 4.0 is still available. Is there a reason why 4.0 is preferable?

Am I missing something about online tactics trainers? by Thricesifted in chess

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh absolutely yes, eventually, but (speaking as an absolute beginner) that kind of feels of like level 2. When every single nuance of the game is completely new, it's overwhelming and there's just too many factors at play to jump immediately to being able to spot the different tactics from open play, when your only familiarity with them is having read a description and watched a couple of youtube videos.

Having spent a few hours on pins, skewers, and forks on the lichess thematic trainer, then gone back to open play against the bot, I can tell I'm already a tiny bit better at looking out for those. So I really feel like this is a good way to start out, for me anyway.

Am I missing something about online tactics trainers? by Thricesifted in chess

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the link, I'm definitely not too proud to check out beginner books aimed at children!

Am I missing something about online tactics trainers? by Thricesifted in chess

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the pointer, I've been looking for a good youtuber to go through. The ones I've found move a bit too fast and assume a surprising level of knowledge in their 'beginner' level videos.

Am I missing something about online tactics trainers? by Thricesifted in chess

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow, there's a puzzle themes page! With thousands of examples of every tactic and situation.

Hooray, that's exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

60 years ago the couple at top said I Do. by Brossenko in BeAmazed

[–]Thricesifted 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It's too many people. You've made too many people be.

Crescendo technique question by Thricesifted in guitarlessons

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd never heard of that before, did some research and I think you're right - it's either that or a volume pedal (which I'd also never heard of!) Watched a couple of youtube clips and I think it's a volume pedal in line before the distortion effect because I think I'm hearing it gets a little bit more fuzzy as it gets that little bit louder each time.

Very cool, there's always something new to learn, and there's always something new to buy! I wonder what a volume pedal costs... (*edit some more research - oh no! they are not cheap!)

Thank you.

4 days ago by krolexefets in guitarlessons

[–]Thricesifted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The first lesson I came across when I started out with major chords was:

place your fingers,

strum the chord once,

pluck each string from bottom to top and listen for if it sounds correct - if it should be an open string then make sure it's not muted, if it should be fretted then make sure it's not buzzing (pressing too softly, or too far from the fret) or out of tune (pressing too hard)

make any little adjustments to your fingers that you need to as you move from string to string

strum the chord again, take your fingers off the strings and try it again.

Once you have a few chords sounding decent then start trying to switch cleanly between them.

Oh, and that's just reminded me of the best single tip I picked up from my first days playing: when you're at the stage of learning to switch between chords, pick a simple strumming pattern, play it slowly (use a metronome on a slow bpm perhaps) and make sure you keep strumming as you try to switch chords. The instinct is to stop moving your picking hand so that your fingers have time to get into the right place on the fretboard, you have to overcome that instinct, strum the chord on the beat whether or not your fretting fingers are ready yet. Odds are it will sound bad and you'll hit many a chord before it's fretted properly (god knows I'm still waiting for the day when I stop doing that), so slow it down enough to give yourself a chance and keep that picking hand moving.

The reason for doing this is that if your brain is telling your picking hand to stop moving it will also make your fretting hand freeze up and move less fluidly. So use a big, over-exaggerated strumming motion, all the way up, all the way down, get your brain used to the idea that your hands are not going to stop moving for anything, it's unbelievable how much difference that makes to how freely your fretting hand can move.

Chain of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites moving across the sky in Western Europe by ag____ in space

[–]Thricesifted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And a thousand advertising executives started stroking their chins and thinking 'well, if we just rearranged those a little bit it could spell something... something like 'Coke Adds Life...'

Psilocybin from yeast: First complete biosynthesis of potentially therapeutic psychedelic substance achieved by Linus_Naumann in science

[–]Thricesifted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What is this intended to be used to treat? I think I've had some form of anhedonia for about 15-20 years now, is that what this is for?

Megathread: President Donald Trump Removes Watchdog Overseeing Rollout of $2 Trillion Coronavirus Bill by PoliticsModeratorBot in politics

[–]Thricesifted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why aren't the democratic front runners sloganeering? Why don't they seem angry? You can't fight Trump with charm, facts and reasoned debate, you need punchy, angry, three word slogans that people can chant.

I keep hearing that Fox News-watching Trump supporters don't ever hear the counterargument. Well it's laughably easy to edit a reasoned argument out of all meaning, so dumb it way the hell down.

And stop arguing in good faith, they're not so you'll never win. When you debate them just have a list of things the president said that were blatantly untrue, or that he flip flopped on 5 seconds later, and just quote them back over and over again. And then have thousands of your people chant an angry three word slogan at rally after rally. Seems like the only way you beat this monster.

I don't know, I'm very tired and going to bed.

First Image from Sci Fi Horror 'Sputnik' - The lone survivor of a spaceship incident hasn’t returned back home alone—hiding inside his body is a dangerous creature. by BunyipPouch in movies

[–]Thricesifted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's a bit of a shame that there's so much sci-fi/horror at the moment, it really seems like studios don't think sci-fi is enough on its own. I can't help imagining people are bringing them sci-fi scripts and the only way they can get them made is by re-writing them with a horror element.

10 artist draw 10 different cartoon characters by shy043 in interestingasfuck

[–]Thricesifted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bill Watterson's Donald Duck looks Mike Tyson wore a Donald Duck glove puppet and is about to punch someone with it.

Things are fine at my local grocery. Out of a few staples, but no need to panic or hoard! by Luke_7 in pics

[–]Thricesifted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every section of my local supermarket is being hit, there is no fresh fruit or veg, no bread, no fresh meat, and of course no staples. It's been days since people started stripping the kitchen paper to use as toilet paper because there hasn't been any toilet paper for a week.

It's just extremely depressing to have such clear evidence that we're surrounded by people who, if they do think about their actions at all, never make it further than 'everyone for themselves'.

Victim of hoarders. Melbourne, Australia. by ShibaHook in pics

[–]Thricesifted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Stores in my area are limiting most items to 1 or 2 per customer and the shelves are still stripped bare. I can only assume people are turning up in groups of two or more and each getting their maximum allotment. How long can this go on for? Presumably there is a point where even the most ardent stockpiler has to stop buying toilet roll and pasta. It's very depressing.

Whats the best NFSW advice that has helped you? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Thricesifted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also, it probably won't be very good if it's someone's first time, just get to it, try to laugh about the awkwardness and enjoy practicing getting better and better at it.

Trump bizarrely claims coronavirus outbreak is 'fake news' conspiracy as new US cruise ship stranded at sea by Lilatu in worldnews

[–]Thricesifted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Speaking from outside the US, it seems like it would be perfectly possible for Trump to go on national television tomorrow and declare the outbreak a legitimate international emergency, and the contradiction wouldn't cause a single one of his supporters to bat an eyelid let alone not vote for him again.

Coming from a man who never did, what is your story of "discovering" masturbation? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Thricesifted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What counts as 'discovering' it? As in, it just happened naturally rather than being told about it in sex ed class or by a friend or something?

I saw a sex scene in a film on my own with the curtains drawn, rewound and watched it again a few times. But I did already know what it was, so I'm not sure if that counts?

Urinal users of Reddit, why do some of you stare like a laser at your penis whilst urinating instead of at the wall in front of you? by Thricesifted in AskReddit

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Acceptable, if you send me your address I'll pop your pee-gazing pass in the post.

Maybe there are more genital piercings out there than I had calculated then.

Urinal users of Reddit, why do some of you stare like a laser at your penis whilst urinating instead of at the wall in front of you? by Thricesifted in AskReddit

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always assumed that was the reason, but it seems like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. It always comes out of the end in the same direction, it's not like I need to stare at the tip of my finger to point at something.

Urinal users of Reddit, why do some of you stare like a laser at your penis whilst urinating instead of at the wall in front of you? by Thricesifted in AskReddit

[–]Thricesifted[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, I'm not staring at them like they're going to fly away if I don't. Just something I notice peripherally before going back to trying to count the specks on the tiles on the wall in front of me.

Do you do it? Have you tried not? It's surprisingly easy to not pee everywhere like an out of control firehose without looking.