General Discussion

[leroybrown]

When I was doing a bit of gaming on the laptop I got a PC keyboard and just plugged that in.

The positive side to laptops being subpar for gaming is that you get to check out some cool older games. I spent ages on Quake 1 & 2 and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri back int' day. And Doom 1 & 2, which actually I still play now and then.

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And on the subject of holidays, does no-one fancy a bit of Italy?

I'd love to see Florence, Venice and Rome some day. And not because I keep obsessively re-playing Assassin's Creed 2. Well, not just because...

Got a question for you, you seem like you may know: Why is it that if I format my pc and fresh install win 7 it will run lightning fast but after updates (service packs etc) it shows its age and becomes essentially useless? So fresh install, lightning fast net, install microsoft updates, then the pc can hardly function. Kinda crazy updates can cripple an old pc like that. I'm running mint now and it gets by but I'm looking to replace soon.

Regarding travel I haven't been to Florence but Rome is amazing and Venice I find to be seriously overrated. If I ever go back it's probably because I got married and the missus is twisting my arm for the picturesque gondola ride.

[Lord Timster]

Can't really help you I'm afraid. I have worked in IT on and off but it was mostly mainframe or database stuff not really the PC side of things.

There's always this or

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kozukumi said "After doing the install and all the updates do another reboot then manually start System Maintenance from within Control Panel -> Security and Maintenance -> Maintenance. Then leave the computer until it is finished. Then run it again! Yes I know it is a pain in the ass but what this does is all Windows to go through and tidy up everything. It will optimise the disks (defrag), clean up and regen all of the .NET GAC, do boot optimisations, etc. I have found doing this gets the computer back up to running at a good speed. I am sure others will say it is pointless but just give it a try on one machine and then see if it made any difference for you. I don't have many Windows 7 machines these days but for the ones I do have this has always worked great for me."

to have a go at. If they do nothing then I don't know, sorry.

Unfortunate to hear about Venice. Still worth seeing though I'd guess, especially if the Carnival is running. Though whether they will let me climb around in Saint Mark's Basilica looking for the Secret Assassin's Tomb is another matter.

...and now I see that the adverts along the bottom of the page are offering me a cheap trip to Rome...?!?
...we are being watched...

[The SheoDovah]

They kinda frown on that. It's also frowned upon by the British police to use Unrelenting Force shouts in public. Not that i've ever done that to see if i am the dragonborn or not.

[leroybrown]

Unfortunate to hear about Venice. Still worth seeing though I'd guess, especially if the Carnival is running. Though whether they will let me climb around in Saint Mark's Basilica looking for the Secret Assassin's Tomb is another matter.

I don't mean to turn anybody off to it, definitely worth a visit. Hands down best panini I ever had in my life was there. The Basilica is cool but kinda sad in a way because it's so busted from constant flooding. The tiles are way off; imagine walking on tiles where each tile is an inch or so off from the other. Right outside the Basilica is treacherous and a bird will for sure [&@%!] on you if you're not under cover (I was 'hit' on my right shoulder). I'm not kidding, it's a giant courtyard where tourists feed hundreds of birds so the birds constantly fly over head. This is such an issue it's in guide books.

I am a nerd for culture and history but honestly what I really liked about it was observing the logistics of how this place operates: deliveries (obviously) come by boat and one guy stays in the boat and tosses the goods over to the guy on land (I've actually got a pic of this somewhere). Trash collection is interesting, a guy goes around with basically a rickshaw and picks up garbage bags, etc. Cool stuff.

[Lord Timster]

Mental note: take an umbrella to the Piazza San Marco... :/

It's also frowned upon by the British police to use Unrelenting Force shouts in public.

That's just because they're being British, innit guv.

"'Ello 'ello 'ello wot's goin' on 'ere then? I'll 'ave you know this 'ere 'Daedric Artifact' is the property of 'er Majesty. Time to 'ave your collar felt, sonny. You're nicked."

[Cassandra]

I'm here for 2 seconds! Camp is fun! I miss you all! I have an IRL friend who loves BL even more than me! Yay!

Okay, bye now. Talk to y'all in 4-ish weeks!

[BetaB17]

Okay, bye now. Talk to y'all in 4-ish weeks!

Why do you tease us so... It's literally torture

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So cruel

(It is good to hear you having a blast tho!!)

[The SheoDovah]

For that, she will be back in 8ish weeks, Beta. Every anime gif extends her absence. Pray that it is not extended any further.

[BetaB17]

How could you say such a horrible thing...

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[VirtualWeasel]

Spoiler:

Kanye West

Yeezy Yeezy. Yeezus himself. Let's talk about the world's greatest rapper alive for a moment.

Now, I know what you must be thinking.

Ugh.

Kanye West?

Uuuuugggghhhhh.

That [&@%!] from the Grammys?
That [&@%!] who married Kim K?
That [&@%!] who can't stop talking about himself?

Yes. That Kanye West.

I need everyone to take a moment to appreciate this guy. Regardless if you like Kanye. Regardless if you like rap. Regardless if you even like music, you need to take a moment to appreciate this guy right now. The most influential name in rap, and one of the leading influences in all of music and even culture itself. Yes, that Kanye West. My goal isn't to get you start bumping Kanye West, but maybe to at least appreciate him.

This post is for you if you think any of the following:
I used to think the same thing as you. Now I don't.

• I don't like rap. It's just a bunch of guys pretending to act tough and promoting a bad image.
  Rapper are certainly well known for how much they like to toot their own horn. It would be criminal to admit anything else. Here's a line from Jay-Z:

  Lost thirty mil so I spent another thirty -- cuz unlike Hammer 30 million can't hurt me!

  Or maybe another rapper, Pusha T.

  If God had an iPod I be on his playlist.

  Or maybe from Ye himself.

  Does he write his own rhymes, well sort of, I think 'em
  That mean I forgot better [&@%!] than you ever thought of
  Damn, is he really that caught up?
  I ask if you talked about classics, do my name get brought up?

  You have a point, you're not wrong, but the spirit of rap isn't boasting. Not at all. It's putting your soul on a track. There are plenty of rappers who don't talk about themselves, look at the soulful MF Doom for example. Doom is a rapper raised in New York but born in England who started rapping after his brother done. Give Accordion a listen and tell me that rap can't be soulful. I would share a Kanye song here, but I go over some choice tracks in depth.
  
  But this is about Kanye West. He'd be a hack if only talked about himself. Here's him rapping about how much he loved his late mother, Donda West. Or him talking about one of him many inner conflicts.
  
  If you cant' appreciate rap because you think it's just boasting on a soap box, give it a listen. Acknowledge that, and let it go. You won't get passed your hung up if you don't give it a shot.
• Kanye Who? Talk to me again when's contributed half as much to music like The Beatles or Led Zeppelin.
  I know, I know, this is a strawman straight out of /r/lewronggeneration but I hear this a lot. Some people feel like rappers like Kanye West adds nothing to music as a whole. Music doesn't work like that though -- each artist has their own effect.
  
  Kanye West is influential for many reasons. I'll try to list some.
  • Kanye West was one of the first rappers who didn't market themselves off a criminal reputation. Most rappers when Kanye West broke into the scene had bad boy reputations -- they paraded themselves as gangsters or drug dealers. Notorious B.I.G.
    rapped about slinging crack. 2Pac was in a gang himself. Hell, Eminem, the first influential white rapper, was involved in crime. Kanye was different because he didn't market himself as a gangster. His first album was called The College Dropout, a far cry from BIG's Born 2 Die or A Gangster's Paradise. Kanye struggled to get features and even published because he refuse to brand himself as a [&@%!]. Kanye even talks about this in College Dropout. Because of Kanye, the perspective on rap changed. It wasn't a gangster's genre of music anymore like it was in the 90s. After Kanye, we got rappers like Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino, or even the entirety of Odd Future. That's significant because without Kanye, the genre would have struggled to brush off a gangster persona. How do you think a rappers like Macklemore or Drake are even given the light of day today? 2Pac was killed over his rejection of gang culture, but today Kendrick Lamar is praised for it.
  • Musically he's talented and that goes a long way. Kanye's signature style is to take old soul music and use it in his music. A prime example of this Gold Digger where he samples Otis Redding. Another example is Bound 2 where he samples several soul artists. Or even Blood on the Leaves where he uses an old civil rights song written about lynchings in the American South. Kanye's style has been replicated and reused across music now -- it's suddenly cool to take older music, chop it up, and sample it. Kanye is the godfather of that style.
  • He's inspired and his work shows it. Each of Kanye's albums is a piece of work that he's put his soul in. The College Dropout is him breaking into rap and struggling with that persona. Graduation is him rocketing into fame and the real effects it had on his character. 808s and Heartbreak came at a time where he was almost suicidal -- his mother died and he went through a serious break up. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was written at his personal lowest -- after he was told by some of his closest friends to flee the US with no friends in sight. If you listen to Kanye with even some context, you might appreciate it more.

Now onto Kanye West. I want to show you some tracks throughout his career that might change your opinion of Kanye West.

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Hey Mama.
The one thing that Kanye West loved the most in the world was his mother, Donda West. Kanye was inspired by his mother's unbreakable attitude and her devotion to her children. Kanye West takes a 5 minute track to appreciate his mother on his sky rocket to fame. This is actually pretty uncharacteristic of most rappers, who usually don't take a moment out of their time to talk about their mama.

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Diamonds from Sierra Leone.
This track is about what it says on the tin -- blood diamonds from Sierra Leone. A blood diamond is a diamond mined in a war zone, usually Africa, and sold at the profit of slave holding war lords. Kanye West is a man who loves jewelry, so much so that he's gone to some ridiculous lengths selling his own. The conflict in Sierra Leone disturbed Kanye West deeply, because he had to come to terms that his tastes affects other people.

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Runaway.
This is perhaps Kanye West's magnum opus. Runaway is a 9 minute track where Kanye comes to terms why his past relationships failed -- himself. He also comes to term with the media's perception of him -- a self aggrandizing [&@%!]. Keep in mind that it wasn't just the media saying that Kanye was as an ass at this point. Other rappers, musicians, and fans alike called him as much. Barack Obama, the famously taciturn and diplomatic former president, said so himself, on camera. I understand, Kanye West is kind of an ass. He's kind of self obsessed. It takes a certain kind of humility for someone to acknowledge that and come to terms with it -- he doesn't fight with anyone on that point. He knows what he's like and knows how it affects other people. This is why I like Runaway so much, because it truly shows Kanye West in reflection. If you have half an hour to spare, I recommend you take a moment to watch his 30 minute film based on Runaway.



I love Kanye West, and maybe one day I can awkwardly ask the man himself for an autograph or a shake his hand, but that's just me. I think most people would like Kanye if they gave him a chance, there's something in his discography for everyone really. When I drive friends, they laugh at me playing Kanye West on the stereo, but I always notice them enjoying the beat or talking about his lyrics. No joke -- you can probably find something you like yourself.

is this why Rose left you lol

[Fiar]

2010 and prior Kanye is a great artist who went through some hardships, and vented them in odd ways. Post MBDTF Kanye is not the same Kanye. He is still a great producer, but his ego is causing his ship to slowly burn and sink.

Honestly. Replace Kanye West with Kendrick Lamar, and you have the G.O.A.T of the current generation. He is also more gifted in talking about issues than Kanye currently is too.

[The SheoDovah]

How could you say such a horrible thing...

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Consider this my full venegance for the stolen pie meme. Yes. I waited until you least suspected it and boom! Revenge is mine! Mwahahaha!

Also, for that, Cass will be back in 9ish weeks. Pray that she doesn't decide to extend it any further.

Regarding Kenya West, the only song that i like of his is: All the power. That's pretty much due to Saints Row the Third though. As for Kanye, er... meeeh. I don't pay much attention to singers. But i do intend on getting some honest to god, heavy metal and have a one man rave. Or do that with classical music.

[Kestral]

2010 and prior Kanye is a great artist who went through some hardships, and vented them in odd ways. Post MBDTF Kanye is not the same Kanye. He is still a great producer, but his ego is causing his ship to slowly burn and sink.

Honestly. Replace Kanye West with Kendrick Lamar, and you have the G.O.A.T of the current generation. He is also more gifted in talking about issues than Kanye currently is too.

Question mark?

Kanye West has always add his ego, even before the Taylor Swift fiasco people knew that he was an [&@%!]. And through "some hardships?" Kanye was absolutely destroyed emotionally when he made 808s and Heartbreak -- he `vented` mostly through his music. Kanye does have somewhat of an odd personality (His candid "George Bush doesn't care about black people" comment stands out). I'll acknowledge that his life experiences has changed his music, but he's not really sinking. Yeezus was huge, and The Life of Pablo was pretty good, if a bit unfocused.

Regarding Kenya West, the only song that i like of his is: All the power. That's pretty much due to Saints Row the Third though. As for Kanye, er... meeeh. I don't pay much attention to singers. But i do intend on getting some honest to god, heavy metal and have a one man rave. Or do that with classical music. :Twisted Evil:

If you liked Power, I have some recommendations then.

Spoiler:

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These are the three off the top of my head.

is this why Rose left you lol

I am not super sure if I should dignify this with a response.

[Fiar]

Question mark?

Kanye West has always add his ego, even before the Taylor Swift fiasco people knew that he was an [&@%!]. And through "some hardships?" Kanye was absolutely destroyed emotionally when he made 808s and Heartbreak -- he `vented` mostly through his music. Kanye does have somewhat of an odd personality (His candid "George Bush doesn't care about black people" comment stands out). I'll acknowledge that his life experiences has changed his music, but he's not really sinking. Yeezus was huge, and The Life of Pablo was pretty good, if a bit unfocused.

Yes and no, the mindset of Kanye during his Late Registration days and then Yeezus is apparent. His boasts about being great were always there, but he was held back by the presence of his mother, his music as you said, and he wasn't as established in his fame as he would be during his following releases. College Dropout did A LOT to establish him, but LR and Graduation cemented him as the current thing. And MBDTF silenced the criticisms he accrued during 808's (Which has become an accepted album years later).

After though he has had a declining impact on music. It's natural over time, but Kanye still has gems left in him. In his case, his lack of focus and ego probably stems from him not properly grieving his mother, or he is working himself too hard, or his ego has convinced him that he is making the right moves. I know his mom raised him to have confidence in himself, but overconfidence leads to slipping up and not really knowing it.

And not to bring politics into this, but if the Kanye circa 2005 heard what Kanye now said about Trump and his thoughts on racism, "Being focused on too much", I think 2005 Kanye would have fainted.

So yeah, Ye has always been an asshat, but his focus, actions, and motives have changed. I think the Swift incident would have been left in the past if he simply moved on and ignored attempts to rekindle that mishap. He is even aware of his mistakes, even on TLOP he has acknowledged them, but true growth shows you trying to avoid them and not just talking about them.

And finally, his ship from my PoV (Which is an important factor here, I'll admit) is starting to take on water. He has always been bad with public relations, but even him and Jay-Z are on odd terms right now. Kanye REALLY should avoid airing out his dirty laundry at his shows.

[BetaB17]

You know what? Mars posting dog pictures in that other thread really makes me wanna do the same Then again.. I am like.. Three shots in with some Rum, so who knows, maybe I'll mix [&@%!] up and toss in an actual photo of me Here we go!

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Good. Good good good, I didn't somehow [&@%!] things up and accidently post something embarrassing (Like the horrible time when I though Hawaiian shirts were an acceptable fashion choice....)

[Fiar]

Saw Baby Driver today. I was disappointed because I thought it was going to be an infant as the getaway driver. The dude is AT LEAST 23 though.

Ok ok...It was pretty good, I will see it again when it comes to iTunes.

[dremorababe]

Cute dogs @Beta. Are they always that sleepy though?

[BetaB17]

Clearly, you know nothing about Basset hounds

Though to your credit, the first one is featuring a puppy taking her mid-day nap while the rest are close to midnight. My earlier statement still stands tho

[dremorababe]

That makes sens oh and I know all about sleepy pets, I am owned by a Persian cat. Speaking of which, am I the only cat person around here?

[Fiar]

That makes sens oh and I know all about sleepy pets, I am owned by a Persian cat. Speaking of which, am I the only cat person around here?

Certainly not! I have a gray cat myself named Midna, and she owns me just as much as yours does you. Even asserts herself by jumping on my shoulders and riding around when she can.

[Unionhack]

I want a cat. My girlfriend says no one can live with her unless they provide a cat in addition to the 3 she already has (4 if you count her sister's) and while that's mostly a joke, I'd still want my own kitten to be my little shoulder buddy.

I'd name him/her Noodle.

[dremorababe]

Ooh I'd love to see a picture of her @Fiar
Mine's a pompous, white Persian. He's a stud, and he's aware.

[Kerr]

I have a cat, her name's Jess.

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Adult/Adolescent cats are better than kittens. They're easier to deal with for one thing and hugging them is way more satisfying. A nice thing about adult cats is they just kind of do their own thing a lot of the time, like a roommate who never pays rent or helps with the cleaning and might have babies underneath your bed if you don't have them neutered. My cat used to be my brother's, he found her as a kitten but I've lived with her for years, I don't think we get along worse because I've only known her since adulthood. Now if she'd been a feral adult cat when we took her in then yeah, I imagine we wouldn't get along so good.

[dremorababe]

Aww I love her coat. She look fluffy enough without being high maintenance, unlike SOMEONE. Seriously, Schmoo is so high maintenance. I prefer adult cats myself, they have a lot of character too. I like chubby cats.

[Fiar]

Ooh I'd love to see a picture of her @Fiar
Mine's a pompous, white Persian. He's a stud, and he's aware.

Ask and you shall receive!

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