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Maedhros

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Posts posted by Maedhros

  1. Irish journalist spends a year traveling the US. He posted about 17 things that surprised him or he didn't like about life in the US. It's criticism with more than a touch of humor. I got a chuckle out of t. Can't say I disagree with him on most of them https://www.businessinsider.com/17-cultural-clashes-this-european-had-in-america-2017-6

     

    Pretty spot on from my experiences there as well.

     

    Even so, I keep coming back.

  2. Ive never eaten kale, what does it taste like? Lettuce? Spinach?

     

    The texture is a bit different than those. It gives more resistance when you chew it. Tastewise it's hard to describe, it's slightly bitter. More similar to spinach than lettuce I'd say.

     

    I love kale, but it can be very hit and miss. I had a really good Pollock and kale dish the other day, with a butter/caper/lovage-sauce. So good, but the kale stole too much attention from the best parts of the dish.

     

    (Learned a few new english words by making this post. Pollock and Lovage, woop woop).

    • Like 2
  3.  

    Sanderson, Lynch, Abercrombie, Rothfuss. I've read most of their books up until a couple of years ago, but I think that's actually what turned me away from fantasy fiction. They're all talented in their own way, but I feel they lack the "gravitas" of the best writers in the genre. In a way they remind me of the Marvel films, they're good fun to watch, offer cheap laughs but not much beyond that. Of course, you can also get too much "gravitas", like the Malazan series where everything has to be meaningful and every character has profound reflections on the world or themselves.

     

    A fantasy writer I really like is Guy Gavriel Kay. I always try to buy his newest novels. GRRM is great, but frustratingly slow and wrote himself into a corner. Other than that, Tolkien is still the Grandmaster.

     

    Any recommendations on where to start with Gavriel Kay?

     

     

    Under Heaven (Tang Dynasty), The Lions of al-Rassan (medieval Spain) or Tigana (reneissance Italy) are all good starting points. Depends on what kind of period and place in history you want to start with. Just avoid The Fionavar Tapestry (his weakest work) and his "sequel" novels and you'll do fine.

     

    As for Dune, I definitely recommend reading all the Frank Herbert books. The first one is definitely the best, but I really enjoyed 4-6 as well.

    • Like 1
  4. Sanderson, Lynch, Abercrombie, Rothfuss. I've read most of their books up until a couple of years ago, but I think that's actually what turned me away from fantasy fiction. They're all talented in their own way, but I feel they lack the "gravitas" of the best writers in the genre. In a way they remind me of the Marvel films, they're good fun to watch, offer cheap laughs but not much beyond that. Of course, you can also get too much "gravitas", like the Malazan series where everything has to be meaningful and every character has profound reflections on the world or themselves.

     

    A fantasy writer I really like is Guy Gavriel Kay. I always try to buy his newest novels. GRRM is great, but frustratingly slow and wrote himself into a corner. Other than that, Tolkien is still the Grandmaster.

  5. Mads Mikkelsen is a much better actor too, but I still think Cavill can be a good enough fit. The showrunner tweeted why he got the role:

     

    "This is important, and from my heart. I met Henry in April. Over the next four months, I met/reviewed hundreds of other potential leads, many of whom were amazing. But what I never forgot was Henry's deeply insightful understanding of Geralt's strength and brutality, and more importantly, his wit and vulnerability. Because as a fan of the franchise, Henry saw beyond the script pages. He saw the human connection that Geralt perpetually needs, even if he denies it, kicking and screaming at every turn. What I saw was Geralt's heart, in Henry."

  6. Fjords, submerged tunnels, bridges and roads - the ambitious now-in-motion plan to connect Norway's west coast. I'll probably be a relatively old man when it's done...but the first stage of it will apparently be done in 6-7 years, and will reduce the travel time between Bergen (where I live) and Stavanger (where most of my family lives) by 40ish minutes or so. Anything helps, because the current travel time at around 5 hours is far too long when you take the distance into consideration.

     

  7. "Socialism" and capitalism should complement each other. Investing in your citizens is not a bad idea. I mean historically I can understand why Americans are afraid of the Big Government, but come on...

     

    I'll never understand why people think private ownership of education, healthcare, prisons, etc - is a good idea. I've read that some schools over the pond even make advertisement deals with big companies to make more cash? Basically selling out your own kids. Are you fine with this?

  8.  

    Usually Fox "News" is only good for a laugh, but in this case, the Danish politicians response to the rather uninformed (nicest way I can put it) person making some really weird claims about Denmark is more funny than the original video...

     

    Copenhagen is like living in a hellhole though.

     

     

    Wut? Copenhagen is great. Probably my favorite city in Europe. Didn't live there though, so perhaps you can elaborate? Was it perhaps the language?

     

    • Like 1
  9.  

    The countries with the least crime in the world are largely irreligeous. What does that tell you? Your logic makes no sense.

    I know right, just like the logic of atheists who begin praying to God when one of their loved ones are in the hospital on a deathbed, or atheists who don't believe in God yet blame God for things like murder, or what have you. The blame always seems to revert back to God or "Well if there is this in the world, God surely cannot exist" but they failed to grasp the concept that there is a satan to contrast God, there is evil to contrast good.

     

     

    What does that have to do with anything? I was replying to your post where you said we need God to be moral. I refuted that by pointing out that the most "moral countries" (at least in terms of crimes committed) are largely irreligious. Not sure what you're trying to say with your followup?

  10.  

     

    When you deny God, you deny that satan and heaven and hell exists. You deny judgement exist which means there is no such concept as good or evil, which is hindsight justifies everything bad or evil. There is no point for any morality whatsoever because what's the point? It's not like we will have to pay for any of it.

    Strange leap of logic here. Do you only live a moral life because of what happens in a supposed afterlife?

    The short answer is "No."

     

    The correct way to look at it would be from this point...

    There isn't any purpose in worrying about such things when there is no consequences for your actions. Accountability, is in itself reason enough but as others have said, even the court cases aren't enough to bring justice to criminals whether they have killed 400 people or raped 1 innocent girl. It would also be an insult to the victims to assume there would be no further judement beyind the courtroom on the criminal. Sometimes it takes someone witnessing a tragic event to wake them up to this concept though. I understand that not many can grasp the complexity on such things.

     

     

     

    Uh oh, the thread suddenly transforms into an anti-religion argument.

     

    I can see the comment appearing again:

    "Take your baby murderin' god and shove em up your ***"

     

    The countries with the least crime in the world are largely irreligeous. What does that tell you? Your logic makes no sense.

  11. When you deny God, you deny that satan and heaven and hell exists. You deny judgement exist which means there is no such concept as good or evil, which is hindsight justifies everything bad or evil. There is no point for any morality whatsoever because what's the point? It's not like we will have to pay for any of it.

     

    Strange leap of logic here. Do you only live a moral life because of what happens in a supposed afterlife?

  12. Great opening match by Liverpool. Mane is looking sharp, as he usually does at the beginning of the season. Hope he can keep it going. Keita looks to be a great transfer.

     

    Watching Arsenal vs City...glad I have Mendy in my fantasy team! 2 assists and possibly a clean sheet.

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