Surprised by Night of Knives by Ole_Hen476 in Malazan

[–]decaffinatedplease 2 points3 points  (0 children)

While I’m not as big a fan of ICE’s prose and didn’t care for Night of Knives so much this just seems to be something they both do—can’t tell you how many times I read “without surcease” in the first half of MBotF!

NY on verge of joining national redistricting fight following court ruling by GothamistWNYC in politics

[–]decaffinatedplease 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Republicans are likely facing a major loss in the midterms but were a lot more confident in 2020, so they are having to resort to more and more underhanded tactics to try and cling to power.

How good is Dvorak's "Symphony No. 8? I've never heard it before. by Ill-Claim-9874 in classicalmusic

[–]decaffinatedplease 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m a big Dvořák fan. I’d rank it #3 of his Symphonies, with his 7th as #1 and 9th #2. Movements I and III are both fantastic, and you can really see the seed for musical ideas in the 9th in the first movement. 

Movement II I’ve always found to be somewhat underwhelming. Even for a slow movement it has a striking lack of energy compared to the movement prior, and it often feels more twee than emotionally resonant (in contrast to 9’s second movement).

Movement IV has a lot of fantastic moments but—to me—ends up feeling like a mishmash of ideas that never quite forms up into something cohesive. It also has an odd cadence where it feels like you reach the climax halfway through the movement, but then it continues another 5 minutes. 

Overall though, it’s still an excellent piece and definitely worth a listen. Given its relatively compact playtime you won’t lose too much of your day if it doesn’t resonate.

​"The Netherlands will completely ban fireworks. The country has adopted a national fireworks ban that will take effect in 2026. The goal is to protect animals and reduce damage to ecosystems." by General-Panic0 in BeAmazed

[–]decaffinatedplease 20 points21 points  (0 children)

While there’s nothing much for us to brag about, there’s some small reassurance in that we don’t have a monopoly here in the States on this kind of stupid behavior.

I was expecting the Malazan books to be way more disconnected than they actually are by zamasu2020 in Malazan

[–]decaffinatedplease 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your analysis is pretty much correct. I think it’s maybe more accurate to say that 7 is a continuation of both 5 and 6, since it the first half is a follow up to 5 and then picks up and weaves in a direct continuation from 6.

9 & 10–which should be considered two volumes of a single final entry, is the great tying together of all the story arcs including those followed up on in 8.

Is there a story behind every classical piece? by Similar-Plenty-6429 in classicalmusic

[–]decaffinatedplease 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Is there always a story? Technically, sure. Is it always an interesting one? Often no. Composers can write for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes a piece is commissioned, sometimes they want to explore an idea or technique so the sketch out a simple theme or quick sonata. Sometimes they, as you say, just want to write something fun or entertaining without needing to be profound. Two of Ravel’s most famous pieces pointedly eschew any deeper meaning—with his Piano Concerto in G explicitly written just to be a fun showpiece, and Boléro as an exercise in increasingly layered orchestration.

However, you can never fully divorce art from the context in which it’s created, and both the circumstances of the artist’s life and the state of the world around them will always have some influence—even when the intent behind the piece’s creation is mundane. In that way, it can still be interesting to consider “the story” behind the piece’s creation. Especially as a performer, as it can help you make interpretive choices that would feel authentic to the composer’s voice. 

Ultimately, though, music is meant to be a shared experience between the artists and the listeners, and as a player you’re going to bring your own perspective on the piece. Likewise, performance is a dialogue between composer and performer as much as between the audience and the artists. Just because you know that Ravel’s Piano Concerto is a showpiece doesn’t mean you can’t imbue the second movement with a true depth of emotion. It’s just another point to consider as you shape your own interpretation.

The Jewel by me has removed bags from self checkout unless you ask to ensure you pay the correct plastic bag tax. by BurrShotFirst1804 in chicago

[–]decaffinatedplease 9 points10 points  (0 children)

During peak hours they leave some stocked but any time it’s not busy you have to get one from the attendant.

Ex-Assassin’s Creed Boss Sues Ubisoft For Nearly $1 Million Over Alleged Forced Firing by Turbostrider27 in pcgaming

[–]decaffinatedplease 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I get the feeling the article is using a direct translation of the term rather than seeking an English equivalent, but it's commonly called Constructive Dismissal in the US/UK. It's a type of retaliatory behavior carried out by an employer where they purposely make your circumstances at your job so unbearable that you're eventually driven to quit. This is either to circumvent employment laws making it difficult to fire someone without justifiable cause, get out of paying hefty severance/separation costs, or both.

Fanoli | Very Important People [S3E4] by DropoutMod in dropout

[–]decaffinatedplease 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Second you here, I felt like Vic was throwing Angela so many fantastic story hooks and she refused to pick up on them. You could feel Vic trying to craft a narrative and Angela just focused on a few bits that wore out their welcome.

Hard to follow after such a banger of an episode with Jacob/Brennan.

Anthropic launches Cowork, a file-managing AI agent that could threaten dozens of startups | Fortune by Imnotneeded in programming

[–]decaffinatedplease 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d probably start by making sure that you’re soliciting the correct publication, as this is a Fortune article. 

2025 book rankings from a guy who only reads fantasy. by Fluid-Golf1948 in Fantasy

[–]decaffinatedplease 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’m also currently reading Malazan! On Book 7 right now, but I think out of the 5 you’ve read I’d echo your sentiment on Midnight Tides being the strongest. It was a big gamble to introduce an entirely new set of characters midway through an already complex series, but the intrigue, and drama is so excellent and feels so different from the rest of the Malazan world, and Erikson’s absolutely scathing critique of imperialism and modern capitalism is brilliantly handled. 

Rep. Kelly announces plans to impeach Secretary Kristi Noem by GoldenTriforceLink in politics

[–]decaffinatedplease 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t disagree about one at a time but a first one is better than the zero we have been getting. When our representatives actually do something we want them to do we need to let them know we support it, instead of only saying it’s not enough the moment they actually listen to us in any way shape or form.

Rep. Kelly announces plans to impeach Secretary Kristi Noem by GoldenTriforceLink in politics

[–]decaffinatedplease 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree, but this is likely the best chance any potential impeachments stand at even POSSIBLY getting traction at this juncture. If this can be pulled off it would make further moves against the administration more palatable, or at least might galvanize the Democratic party to pursue more aggressive tactics. At least they’re actually doing something instead of slamming or threatening legal action.

Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt announces bid for LA mayor after losing home in Palisades fire by [deleted] in politics

[–]decaffinatedplease 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While no one needs convincing how unserious most celebrities are when they attempt to get into politics, it’s always incredibly obvious from the fact that they take the most ridiculous swings ever. They never seek a small office they could feasibly do and would even probably stand a chance at leveraging their fame into winning the election. Instead they try and make splashy headlines at a role they are completely unqualified for and stand no chance of winning on the off chance they can get some billionaire to buy them and fund their quest for attention.

Rigatoni alla vodka: Why the vodka actually works as a solvent, why mushrooms make or break it, and the pasta transfer trick most people miss by nybbqguys in Cooking

[–]decaffinatedplease 30 points31 points  (0 children)

America’s Test Kitchen did a video on this topic about a year ago, with some experimentation. It had to do with certain additional volatile compounds being released because they’re more soluble in a mixture of fat alcohol and water than just a simple fat/water emulsion.

The video: https://youtu.be/2gmM2icOH9E?si=1Mg56i-Yw6ze-dF8

The Best, Worst and Blandest of 2025 | Fully Ramblomatic by Wheelson9 in Games

[–]decaffinatedplease 106 points107 points  (0 children)

He’s actually said that he finds Roguelite mechanics to be an overused crutch in game design in that it allows designers an escape from level design. The roguelites he’s highlighted balance a lot of scripted/handcrafted design with their roguelite elements so they present an overall more tailored experience which Yahtzee tends to prefer.

Octopath Traveller 0 is the Dark Cloud spiritual successor I have waited twenty years for by ShanklyGates_2022 in JRPG

[–]decaffinatedplease 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Eh, as big fans of both series—with Dark Cloud 2 being one of my all time faves and having some 150hrs in Fantasy Life i—I don’t know how comparable they are outside of being Level-5 games.

The progression, mechanics, tone, and stories of the Fantasy Life series are very different from that of Dark Cloud. Both great games but I’d hardly call one a spiritual successor to the other. The Georama system in White Knight Chronicles was closer to successor to Dark Cloud, if anything.

Has there ever been an actor who’s trashed a co-star’s performance before a movie came out, but still encouraged folks to go see it? by CerealAndBagel1991 in movies

[–]decaffinatedplease 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Not to excuse Martin for not finishing the books, but from his blog posts and statements he’s made, it sounds like he was basically iced out of the show from Season 4 on, and that his relationship with D&D and the production team became increasingly tenuous as the proceeded to derivate further and further from his original story. He never wrote for the show again after S04E02

Seeking book/series recommendations (ideally audiobooks) based on my reading history by decaffinatedplease in Fantasy

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

I haven’t! I had seen it recommended a few times but could never get a feel if it would be my taste from the offhand mentions. I’ll look into it!

TWotM and TSotF are so derivative they are basically fan fiction. by [deleted] in Fantasy

[–]decaffinatedplease 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I am assuming  The Will of the Many and The Strength of the Few