Wandering Adventure Party

Sometimes I really want to sit down with an author and ask them questions about their work. With The Murder at the Black Car Cafe I want to ask:

* why is 15% of the book a painful explanation of the mystery trope we’re about to experience?
* why is every scene just the protagonist interrogating exposition fonts?
* why is everything tell, not show?
* Did you know that the Sherlock-Holmes style narrative structure was already about 50 years past its pull date by the 1970s?
* did you really have to kill the cat?
* Wouldn’t it be cool if half of the interrogations wasn’t framed around a witness, telling a story to the constable, telling the story to the detective, telling the story to the narrator, telling the story to us?
* What are these “shameful western clothing” you go on about? Do you actually know? All we know is it’s “loud”. It’s weird when we get exact descriptions of the Japanese styles.
* why the maps? They don’t ever seem important
* did you know you can just say Yokohama? Everyone knows what Y— means.

I mean I dropped around half way through so maybe I would have gotten more answers if I continued…

This being “The murder at the black cafe cafe” by Seishi Yokomizo. Which I would obviously not recommend.

I think it’s time to drop this book. I’m beginning to fight it at every turn. I’m 70 pages in and bored out of my mind. Zero characterization, just seems like a painfully droll Japanese Sherlock-style mystery. I also think I know “the twist”

I skipped to the end and … I was mostly right. The author gave away the entire mystery in a single sentence on page 50 or so. ​:akko_badday:​

the chief inspector felt a curious unease rise up through his chest.

I think this guy just needs to see a doctor… he’s got all kinds of weird sensations going on.

a chill ran down the chief inspector’s spine.
2 pages later same scene.
a chill ran down the chief inspector’s spine.

Ok guy, you only get one spine-chill a scene, otherwise you just need to admit that you’re cold.

@matt5sean3@urusai.social Something happens. Police make a statement - Press nearly reprints entire police statement with little to no independent verification, because work. Press becomes mouth piece for the police. Tale as old as time.

@yon@sakurajima.moe indeed. iIt’s sometimes kinda macabre to me. Mythologizing living memory.

I think many people are just overlaying the past with the sense of safety their childhood memories have, even if they didn’t live those times (because it’s all on a curve in a simplistic sort of way).

As someone who had a shit childhood, I wish my more fortunate fellows would color their views of those times with the reminder that their surrounding adults and society at large were constantly hiding the ugliness of reality from them.

@Patrizl001@sakurajima.moe welcome to Sakurajima! I look forward to seeing you around! ​​

Recently I've been somewhat fascinated by the concept of a Paccekabuddha. To vastly oversimplify it, it's a one whom independently achieves liberation without the aid of teachers; someone who finds the Dharma even in an age without buddhas (teachers) because the dharma exists all around, always, even when no one realizes it. They find it for themselves alone, not to teach it.

I'm not really concerned with the exact doctrinal definitions of this concept or coming up with some stupid ass bootstraps brobuddhism. I don't think we're quite in an age without teachers or dharma or whatever you want to call it.

But Christian, buddhist, whatever, I feel like everyone I encounter feels a certain... distance from those teachers. Their moralities don't match up, they know they have to ignore specific things, and add others. Almost everyone I know is dissatisfied with the general-public expression of their professed creed and it feels to me like they're being being forced (often against their will) into a negotiation with their spiritual beliefs.

By which I mean: it feels like many people are on an individual path of liberation. They don't see a dharma in what their fellows profess, but aren't necessarily looking to spread something different. They're on their own, sorting through modern concerns, ancient texts, new texts, and the like. Essentially, on the path of an almost Paccekabuddha, just following whispers towards something they can live with that isn't orthodox, but still liberating. There's probably a more coherent and poignant thought there. I can't make it.

@robustjumprope A lot of things in iOS feel subtly or not so subtly broken right now. Liquid Glass really messed up the whole OS.

The keyboard is just a total mess. It fails to be context aware; I have to dismiss it and reinvoke it often. it often does not pop up for me when its supposed to, and while I have never used glide typing, I am unsurprised that its a mess too.

I regret upgrading. It really feels like someone forced it out the door way before it was ready.

@yon@sakurajima.moe I guess. I was raised with a 'What you don't know not only can hurt you, but probably will as you stumble upon it in the dark' attitude with regards to the law. I find reading it as boring to read as anyone else does, but satisfying in a due-diligence way.

Also: The police are often stunningly ignorant in the law. Many of them have a 'penalize first, let the courts sort it out' attitude.

Also because of how it's written, its almost impossible for you to know if you're in compliance. It's whatever the city official feels is reasonable, which basically means "Who do I side with such that they stop calling me out here?"

i.e., you're in compliance until someone complains. Which is shit.

Within the jurisdiction, it shall be unlawful for anyone to keep bees in such a manner as to deny the reasonable use and enjoyment of adjacent property, or endanger the personal health or welfare of the inhabitants of the city.

Whoever wrote this code is ass. What do those things even mean?

That last part basically translates to 'no bees' Because bees can roam about 1-2 miles from home. Thus if they can sting anyone allergic within a 2 mile radius, you're fucked.

It is kinda strange to me that very few people I know have ever popped open their municipal codes or state laws. I hear people talk about what is or isn't legal and ... no one looks to confirm. Very strange.

I was browsing municipal codes of cities where people I know live. As you do.

After review...Many people I know are out compliance with their city's codes ​:btr_ryo_lurk:​ Luckily for them, I ain't a snitch.

Not only did you say you wanted to meet in the morning at ~11PM yesterday, you then proceeded to be late.

@ielenia@ck.catwithaclari.net I too wish for this fine grain control. I might enjoy following someone but find their take on say, mushrooms, to be against my grain. I like mushrooms in general though and don’t want to mute it globally.

Just a reminder for newbies

Fedi people like to control their engagement a bit more than on other platforms. So you’ll see a lot of people require follower reviews. At the least: Have a profile and some posts for a vibe check. Engage a little with the locals.

@dopey_kun@sakurajima.moe @jellal@sakurajima.moe traditional Ice Tea in my area is unsweetened (though most bottled brands are infuriatingly “slightly sweetened”). If served sugar is something someone is expected to add on their own.

Though In the southern United States if you ask for “tea” you will get a glass of “sweet tea” which is an iced tea that is sweetened to a degree I can only characterize as “repugnant”.

@dopey_kun@sakurajima.moe they do sell it in plastic bottles that are a bit easier to manage, but they’re kinda rare in my experience.

Yeah, an Arnold Palmer is also known as a “Half and Half” though in a bar you’ll often see it with alcohol added. When I make mine I often macerate peach slices with it. Simple, but something about the bitterness of tea and the sweet/sour of lemonade does it for me.