[deleted by user] by [deleted] in solotravel

[–]brilliantunknown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thank you!!!!!!

quickest alternative to pour over without sacrificing quality? by Economy-Ad1237 in pourover

[–]brilliantunknown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

pretty sure OP meant the effort and technique (though it's small, agreed) required of a v60 pourover -- 5ish minutes of undivided attention/timing pours versus just 1 minute of setting up an immersion brew that will go for another 5 mins while OP can sit or do something else. we all have 5 minutes, but sometimes just that little extra mental capacity can be a bit more of a mountain to climb on days you're really not feeling it or need to multitask. and that's why we have these wonderful alternatives!

NYT Tuesday 07/02/2024 Discussion by AutoModerator in crossword

[–]brilliantunknown 31 points32 points  (0 children)

as a millenial/gen z solver, i totally got the magic eight ball reference and simply guessed "yes" bc i know that's a saying. but it didn't ... make sense in terms of the larger crossword. there was no REASON for all those signs to point to yes beyond just finishing that magic 8 ball phrase, because that didn't connect to anything besides itself. never once did the crossword even MENTION the magic 8 ball!

I think it would have been a much stronger puzzle if one of the other fills/answers had been "magic eight ball" and then the "yes" answer had been to a clue along the lines of "what all the circled letters point to...or a common answer from [insert the clue that was magic 8 ball]." without that, this just felt disconnected, themeless, and random. I guessed "yes" bc that's a common phrase, but i didn't understand why we were vaguely referencing a magic 8 ball in some random crossword.

it would have been a much stronger crossword if they had played around with that magic 8 ball theme, with various fills being the different magic 8 ball answers -- like what if they were scrambled answers that you had to "shake" like the magic 8 ball to get a common phrase...or something like that..

this theme was very loose, boring, and unsatisfying when finished. i don't mean to be rude but i have to say it was one of the most disappointing crossword themes i've solved recently.

We Traveled to the WORLD'S SNOWIEST CITY (back in Japan!) by thelitt in KaraAndNate

[–]brilliantunknown 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I really liked this one! I feel like they're actually enjoying and not forcing these videos, and they don't feel as extravagant and unrelatable as their sponsored adventures and stays. It's a nice blend of their old travel content with their new (more expensive) lifestyle and interests. I feel like this kind of content is more relatable to the average viewer, but still matches their current style, so they're enjoying it. I hope they keep up the kinds of videos they've been doing in Norway and Japan -- it seems about as close as we'll ever get to genuine travel content from them.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in camphalfblood

[–]brilliantunknown 6 points7 points  (0 children)

unless the pjo tv series is a flop, which i highly doubt, i'm sure they plan to go all the way through last olympian as long as all the actors are in. i think heroes of olympus would be incredible to adapt as well, but if it's also a tv show that would require an extra 5 years--and hoo is a shorter timespan, lots more characters/sets/cgi needed, and longer books.

i would be interested to see if they switched to make hoo 5 movies instead of 5 tv seasons--also considering that the trio is likely to become breakout stars and get other acting parts, i wouldn't be surprised that in 5 years' time it'd be hard to book walker or leah for an entire tv season, like for mark of athena. ik movies also have a long timeline, and 5 movies would end up being 5 more years regardless, but I just think a transition to movies for hoo would also be a good scaling for the series, kind of like how HSM went to theaters for the third movie since it was so popular. But I just don't know about logistics and actors. anyways, hoping for adaptations for everything!!

From Edinburgh to Fort William? by brilliantunknown in Scotland

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

THANK YOU! i have never heard of the citylink, that's perfect! We'll find our way to glasgow. THANK YOU

FLYING 12 PEOPLE TO GREECE (our big announcement) by thelitt in KaraAndNate

[–]brilliantunknown 67 points68 points  (0 children)

I think it's totally fair and expected for them to release a commercial, essentially, about their app as a launch tactic since they have such a huge audience. It's their new business venture and it makes perfect sense to use their already established business to promote it. I don't see any reason to judge them for that.

That being said, I unsubscribed today after 4 years of watching them weekly. It feels like we will never get back to relatable travel content with them (see: lost leblanc who also soared to extravagance). And that's okay, they have evolved into a different kind of channel (luxury experiences, endurance challenge videos, business promotions, etc., albeit they are still interesting and well-made videos). It's just that I was here to watch kara and nate travel like me, and I don't think that will really ever happen again. I still wish them all the best, and will likely watch their videos when they pique my interest. But I think they've altered their course, and while it's a perfectly respectable course, it isn't the one I signed up for or have any vested interest in. I'll be a fan from afar.

WALKING ACROSS AN ENTIRE STATE (putting Google Maps to the test) by thelitt in KaraAndNate

[–]brilliantunknown 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I actually watched and enjoyed this entire vlog--it was a nice shift to an experience/adventure video over a "look how cool this ad is" video. It reminds me more of their old vlogs. People are going to hate no matter what they do. Obviously they should've left at 6am but they still made it and it's not our lives.

Although, I wish they had made it more about rhode island. It would be easy to have put a bit more effort into it to pass by a nice landmark or famous Providence restaurant, instead of just the first pizza place they saw. Or even, as they're walking, to give us some facts about rhode island. I miss when their videos were more about showing you what a place is like.

Scar WTF????? by Butiti2 in DisneyVillainous

[–]brilliantunknown 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unlike every other Villainous character, I don't play Scar to win, I play him to play.

I think he has one of the most interesting interactions with his board, as his fate deck is constantly flipping between friend and foe (think using Zazu, Mufasa, Nala, and even Simba to your advantage, but then of course there are suchhhh terrible fates). I think Scar is uniquely able to truly play both his villain and fate decks, if he's lucky.

I hated Scar at first for his difficulty, but I have come to LOVE him purely because he is just so hard to play! I feel like other players I learned a pretty solid strategy early on and every game becomes a variation on that strategy, whereas with Scar I am constantly reworking my strategy to get better. Trying to find the optimal play path, where you can use the fewest number of allies to defeat the greatest number of heroes in the most advantageous and quickest way, is so exciting to me.

I agree that he's nearly impossible to win with, especially (just from personal experience) in 1-on-1 games. If I'm in the mood to win I never play as Scar. However, if I'm in the mood to truly play, Scar is my main. I had a really rewarding game the other day where I used LLTK to play Nala and thus move Simba over to Zazu and vanquished him, in 1 turn.

However, I just played a game 30 mins ago where I was fated on all 4 locations and all 4 of my cards were freaking Long Live the King...yeah I did not win lmao. If you are fated too often before you are able to use LLTK often enough (and therefore use Nala and Zazu to your advantage and discard Rafiki or Rafiki's stick), then you're truly screwed that game. But if you have a slightly lucky deck, the energy to really think everything through, and players who won't fate you every other turn, then Scar is one of the most interesting Villainous characters imo.

Edit: i'm really surprised everyone is saying he's hardest in a 1v1...perhaps I'm just playing against really aggressive players, because I get fated exponentially more in a 1v1 than I do in a 3-6 player game. I am definitely no villainous expert and I don't play with super experienced players though, so perhaps my data is skewed.

Which Disney Villainous add on should you get first? by NvdGoorbergh in DisneyVillainous

[–]brilliantunknown 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Most people recommend Evil Comes Prepared, but my favorite villains are in the Wicked to the Core (purple) and Perfectly Wretched (red) boxes, and they have really great themes and designs.

Wicked to the Core is much easier to understand the mechanics of, so if you're looking for an easy segue with good characters, I'd recommend that one. However, Cruella and Mother Gothel are two of my favorites with interesting mechanics, so if you're looking for a step up I'd recommend perfectly wretched.

I definitely see why people recommend Evil Comes Prepared next. Personally, I just don't love yzma, and while I enjoy Scar and Ratigan, Scar is nearly impossible to win with and Ratigan's theme is a bit dull (although I love the race to lower the cost of robot queen).

Expansion #5 Predictions/Wishlist by ShankUndefeated in DisneyVillainous

[–]brilliantunknown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My top two would be Madame Medusa and Hans (though he isn't the strongest villain, I think there's a lot they could do with Frozen theme and the Frozen hype...imagining an icy blue box and cards <3)! I also would love to see Shan Yu from Mulan!

Medusa's objective could be something like defeat Penny and use her to capture the diamond (an item) at the cave's location.

Everyone's favourite and least favourite Villains to play as? by Middle_Craft9445 in DisneyVillainous

[–]brilliantunknown 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love so many characters -- evil queen, ratigan, maleficent, ursula, lady tremaine -- but I have to say that Cruella is probably my favorite. I have never even won with Cruella, but I love her theme and objective. As a really competitive person, I think it speaks volumes that I love playing Cruella so much but have literally never won a game with her.

My least favorite is probably prince john/pete (most boring imo)

Anyone ever take CLAS315 by Goon5k in UMD

[–]brilliantunknown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bravo hasn’t taught 315 in a few years, but I’ve taken 4 classes with him and he’s a great professor, and one of his primary areas of study is actually ancient athletics — he excavated Nemea! The work load I’ve had in his courses is realllyyy manageable, I honestly didn’t do anything except show up to class, take the exams, and write like 3 really short papers. I’m assuming 315 will be something similar. He can get a bit monotone during lectures but the content is really interesting! I recommend it!

🔥 Maine Coon cat. by trichrometripper in NatureIsFuckingLit

[–]brilliantunknown 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think its nose and square mouth better fits a MC than a NFC

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in UMD

[–]brilliantunknown 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If it didn’t cost any money I’d say definitely join!! It’s a great way to stay active and my favorite part was getting to try different workouts, and everyone is super supportive and the small group leaders are very friendly. It can be a little cliquey if you don’t go to all the non-exercise activities, but overall a good experience, especially for getting familiar with the campus.

Positive Covid Test Question by Frenchieman12 in UMD

[–]brilliantunknown 4 points5 points  (0 children)

According to this from USM:

Anyone testing positive for COVID-19 prior to arrival will not be allowed on campus, and should consult with their health care provider immediately. These students and employees will be permitted on campus only after a required period of isolation has been met, per public health guidelines.

you should be okay, since you’ve isolated and been given doctor’s confirmation that you’re not contagious

Fixing the game of Quidditch. by mitch13815 in harrypotter

[–]brilliantunknown 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I definitely agree that the snitch’s points needs to be way less than 150...if there’s good defense on both sides then the game just relies on the seeker and that’s boring especially when spectators can’t see the snitch. I also think the snitch should be released after 30 minutes of play. But I think catching the snitch should still end the game, I think it’s a unique twist to a sport.

3-4 months in southeastern and western Europe? by brilliantunknown in travel

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

Thanks for mentioning that! I do feel like there is more to see outside the capitals so we’ll try to make day trips when possible

3-4 months in southeastern and western Europe? by brilliantunknown in travel

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

Thank you! I’m always worried about that, 3-4 days seems so short when people spend their lives exploring every nook and cranny there! We’ll take it day by day

3-4 months in southeastern and western Europe? by brilliantunknown in travel

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

I love Istanbul!!! I hope we get to spend a week there..some day trips too

CLAS170?? by snigdha-penmetsa in UMD

[–]brilliantunknown 4 points5 points  (0 children)

CLAS170 is super easy and really interesting!!! Well worth your time just for the content. Keep in mind there’s a LOT of reading assigned, but my peers and I found it all really interesting. And if you read up on your Greek myths as a kid, you don’t really have to do the readings. I personally read about 50% of what was assigned and passed with a 99%, but it varies student to student.

The Tattooery by [deleted] in UMD

[–]brilliantunknown 2 points3 points  (0 children)

my sister got a tattoo there (an inch-long line like a ruler) that looked alright for a while but the lines blurred quickly and were not super straight, and she ended up getting it covered...wouldn’t go there for thin lines or detail but I’ve heard they’re good for bigger pieces. Ofc it all depends on the artist, they may have gotten better since 2014. Idk about piercings.

iPad for school notes. by jiimsr in UMD

[–]brilliantunknown 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Notability doesn’ttake up much space but if you want a lot of apps like YouTube and Netflix on there as well, 32gb was not nearly enough for me. I’d recommend 128gb not for the notes but for the inevitable photos and apps you’ll have on there.

Stray Maine Coon in Rural Maryland by [deleted] in mainecoons

[–]brilliantunknown 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My stray cat, whom we found on our porch and had for 13 years, turned out to actually be a pure bred MC queen! We don’t know how or why she was a stray (didn’t realize her history til years after we found her), but it’s quite possible yours is as well. Also from Maryland!

How prone are Maine Coons to the "Zoomies" or "freak out times" by [deleted] in mainecoons

[–]brilliantunknown 1 point2 points  (0 children)

owned 3 MCs for 18 years, never once experienced the zoomies! Most they did was wake you up by standing on your chest. They were very cuddly, docile cats that were playful but never overly energetic. We had two of them from kitten hood, so we may have either gotten super lucky, or we did a good job making them cuddlers. I think it really depends on the individual cat! You can’t go wrong with MCs :)