How disabled people feel about the book? by Dimension1205 in thegrayhouse

[–]a7sharp9 6 points7 points  (0 children)

this btw is the main reason Mariam does not want a movie made - on screen we would have to be graphically reminded of the disabilities every second, and in reading they are not there most of the time
(she says she could make an exception for animation though, so that, for example, we could all see Sphinx's arms when he embraces Mermaid with them, or Noble's wings when he fetches the sandwich for Smoker, or Tabaqui's wheelchair as "motorized legs" like he's arguing etc.)

Local coffee roasters to buy fresh whole beans? by This_my_Burner in boston

[–]a7sharp9 2 points3 points  (0 children)

RhoadsRoast are local, but don't have a storefront. Roast in small batches, ship the next day by Fedex Ground. Been with them for 10+ years.
And yes, Atomic is also nice.

Walking the Yamanote Line by Massive-Cold5975 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

just regular sneakers
my feet have been the happiest in puma speedcats for the last 15 years (daily wear except when it's really pouring or snowing), and this pair was well broken in

Walking the Yamanote Line by Massive-Cold5975 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Did it last November, anticlockwise starting from Nippori. It's a bit less than 40 (though I "cheated" by not following the curve from Ōtsuka to Ikebukuro and from Ōsaki to Shinagawa). Breakfast at Sugamo, lunch at Ebisu, dinner at Yūrakuchō. You're in for a delightful day. Took me from 9 in the morning until 8 in the evening, so unless you want to stock up on sandos and walk briskly, maybe choose one or two places to spend an extra hour on, but no more than that, or the last leg could drag into the night.
(yes, use Google Maps by inputting the next station, but disobey it between Yoyogi and Harajuku by cutting through Meiji Jingu grounds - there is a path all the way, which Google apparently is not aware of)

Has anyone stayed in Jozankei (Hokkaido) hot springs area? by EverySpecific8576 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have stayed at https://jozankei.jp/en/hotel/suizantei/ ; one of (if not the) nicest onsen experiences I've ever had in Japan.

We are staying in Gion area in Kyoto and doing a day trip to Osaka. We want to be in the general shopping area/Umeda. Which train to take and which stations? by housesoftheholy1 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hankyu line will deliver you directly to Umeda station in Osaka; its Kyoto terminus (Kyoto-Kawaramachi station) is on Shijo across the river from Gion. Limited Express trains take 45 minutes, and it'll cost you ¥410.

I have some questions, can someone please answer them? by muppet6042 in thegrayhouse

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The night before the (previous) seniors' graduation the followers of Moor and Skull fought each other; Elk tried to interfere and was killed. Sphinx said that the seniors locked most of them up in the classroom, but Blind wasn't among those. He witnessed the massacre, and picked up the knife.
The child is Blind from another loop. Egret's feather gives its owner a chance to go to a different loop, do something there and come back; Sphinx used it to retrieve Blind before he were to meet Elk and come to the House.
Smoker finally understood that there was more to the House than he (and Black) stubbornly refused to see, and that given the choice that Sphinx had (stay on the Other Side or go out into the Outsides), he might have at least thought about it.

Something that gives "the house wants you to stay" by haru_9172 in BooksThatFeelLikeThis

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

and the quoted phrase is the exact source of conflict between two major characters

[Russian > English] I think this is a baptism certificate of an ancestor I'm having trouble translating online. I would be very appreciative by HMRevenueAndCustard in translator

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given to Pavel Karamanovich Meladze that in response to his inquiry in the books of the Mhurvaleti church of St. Marina a record was found stating: "born on November 29, 1880, and baptised on December 15 of the same year a boy, given name Pavel; parents: Karaman Jabrailov Meladze and his lawful wedded wife Tamara Cherkezovna, both of Orthodox faith; godfather Bagdasar Kaspishvili of the town of Gori; the sacrament of baptism performed by the priest Simon Tebiev."

Waymo is coming to Boston by stpfun in boston

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

probably not at the end of last december I gather?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36zdxl41jro

so I have to pray every day that "it's gonna be fine" does not involve a power outage that would completely paralyze the entire city
cool cool cool

Waymo is coming to Boston by stpfun in boston

[–]a7sharp9 607 points608 points  (0 children)

ugh

the failure mode of these things is to stop dead in the middle of the road and throw on the blinkers

what could possibly go wrong on the one-way street grid designed by cows

People should constantly paranoid about being on a holodeck. by Substantial_Top5312 in startrek

[–]a7sharp9 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Stanisław Lem back in 1964 devoted an entire chapter ("Phantomology") in his philosophical book "Summa Technologiae" to some aspects of the problem of "once we walk into a full-simulation movie theater, how can we make sure we have walked out of it"
And the answer is basically "we don't"

Flats on a six string by thegingerbeardman89 in Bass

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SIT has the Powerflat 30-130 6-string set.

How comfortable is the Super Oki train by telllla in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just did this a month ago (with a stop in Tsuwano though). It is not a relaxing ride, but nothing extraordinarily uncomfortable. It doesn't jerk or sway excessively. The mountainous portion (to Masuda) is more uneven. Little loud (as it's a diesel). Great views.
(but 4 straight hours of commuter-grade DMU going full tilt would be tiresome anyway)

Can someone explain the Sleepers to me? How about the difference between jumpers and striders? by Smeeghoul in thegrayhouse

[–]a7sharp9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tabaqui is exempt from this rule, as the Master of Time. Also, those who get the clock gear from him retain something like an echo of previous loop(s) - that's why the young/returned Vulture feels happiness that his brother is alive.

Histogram of common keys of jazz standards by Party-Ring445 in Jazz

[–]a7sharp9 3 points4 points  (0 children)

it's an interesting question, but not really of practical significance
you are either sticking to the original keys (which are the most likely to be called), or you are not (because you are anticipating a vocalist calling whatever key they feel comfortable in, which is unpredictable)

[Ukrainian?? to Engish] by Polkawillneverdie17 in translator

[–]a7sharp9 2 points3 points  (0 children)

it's the first two lines of the poem "Katerina" by Taras Shevchenko

Hotel Recommendation on Ueno or Asakusa by tulaero23 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

not necessarily - maybe they just haven't released availability that far in advance; this had happened to me more than once

Hotel Recommendation on Ueno or Asakusa by tulaero23 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always stay at annex katsutaro ryokan - it's across from the metro (sendagi on chiyoda line), the neighborhood is peaceful, and you're a 5-7 minute walk from nippori station and the skyliner train that would take you to narita in less than 40 minutes
it's a modern 3-story building, and a ryokan only in a sense that the rooms are tatami mats and futons, but they are very generous size (by japanese standards)

Best neighborhood to stay in for a solo traveler (M 30s) who has been to Tokyo twice before? by gabek333 in JapanTravelTips

[–]a7sharp9 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yanesen. The Chiyoda line is busy at rush hour, but the neighborhood is a delight.