Random Rants Q': I protest against subtitles

[Valka D'Ur]

Apparently if I am watching a video about Dune's universe I must get amazing ads about buying spices.... Thats good isn't it?

Where are you watching it? If it's YT, there's an extension that can get rid of ads.

At least you're getting relevant ones. I used to run a Dune forum and Google AdSense would zoom in on the dumbest keywords in our posts. Wanna discuss the 1984 Lynch movie and the absurdity of Patrick Stewart carrying around the Atreides' pug dog for several in-universe years? The Fremen would have taken its water right away (or most likely it would have died from dehydration). Next thing we knew, we were getting ads for pug breeders, trainers, and kennel facilities.

Some of the ads were for completely inappropriate things and finally I wrote in and told them to stop - we were a niche forum mostly populated by teenage males and 20-something young men, and they would NOT be buying what those ads were selling. I knew we had to accept ads as part of the TOS/TOU, but could they at least be relevant and not offensive to the point of inducing embarrassment and nausea?

 

[really]

I got my second jab yesterday and have a high temp and headache today.

I'd like to take the day off sick and crash on the couch playing civ or whatever, but I have two small kids at home so I think I'll get more rest working from home.

 

[Gelion]

Where are you watching it? If it's YT, there's an extension that can get rid of ads.

I don't mind the ads, they give me a sensation that I am "paying" for my content Its the algorithm that seems to be nearly personified (not personalised ) and yet purposely dumb that made me notice it.

At least you're getting relevant ones. I used to run a Dune forum and Google AdSense would zoom in on the dumbest keywords in our posts. Wanna discuss the 1984 Lynch movie and the absurdity of Patrick Stewart carrying around the Atreides' pug dog for several in-universe years? The Fremen would have taken its water right away (or most likely it would have died from dehydration). Next thing we knew, we were getting ads for pug breeders, trainers, and kennel facilities.

I guess those could be described as semi-relevant, as in my case. Unless you added a little sarcasm to the mix in the first phrase. It seems to mirror my situation exactly.

Some of the ads were for completely inappropriate things and finally I wrote in and told them to stop - we were a niche forum mostly populated by teenage males and 20-something young men, and they would NOT be buying what those ads were selling. I knew we had to accept ads as part of the TOS/TOU, but could they at least be relevant and not offensive to the point of inducing embarrassment and nausea?

Its funny, but a lot of "inappropriate" adds are there to mark that you are not surfing in a "popular" part of the internet. Its not about selling ads for revenue, but rather to show that the ad providers do not approve of the contents of a site. Some of the more interesting places I know used to get these "inappropriate" ads. Also Russian internet in general in the 90's and early 2000's used to be the same. Thats my take on this based on 20+ years of surfing.

 

[The_J]

I got my second jab yesterday and have a high temp and headache today.

I'd like to take the day off sick and crash on the couch playing civ or whatever, but I have two small kids at home so I think I'll get more rest working from home.

Get well soon .

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I don't mind the ads, they give me a sensation that I am "paying" for my content Its the algorithm that seems to be nearly personified (not personalised ) and yet purposely dumb that made me notice it.


I guess those could be described as semi-relevant, as in my case. Unless you added a little sarcasm to the mix in the first phrase. It seems to mirror my situation exactly.

Quite a lot of my posts come flavored with sarcasm/snark these days. Call it a freight train's worth of frustration with RL issues going on that sometimes creeps into my non-news site/FB posts. But in the case of Dune-related ads, I assumed you meant that the ads were trying to sell you real spices - the kind you eat. If that's the case, then it's somewhat relevant, given that the Fremen and most aristocrats who could afford it would consume melange on a daily basis.

Its funny, but a lot of "inappropriate" adds are there to mark that you are not surfing in a "popular" part of the internet. Its not about selling ads for revenue, but rather to show that the ad providers do not approve of the contents of a site. Some of the more interesting places I know used to get these "inappropriate" ads. Also Russian internet in general in the 90's and early 2000's used to be the same. Thats my take on this based on 20+ years of surfing.

If Google doesn't like academic discussions of a novel that was published in 1965, it can take a hike. Arrakeen was a forum that was dedicated to Frank Herbert, his Dune novels, his non-Dune novels, and much more. That was the place where I found people who could explain God Emperor of Dune to me - up until that time I found that novel an unbearably awful slog and didn't get most of what it was about.

As far as ads go... I accept them as a necessary evil on TV, though it does grate that I've never actually seen some shows on PBS when they weren't broken up by 10-15-minute pledge breaks. I had to buy the Yanni: Live at the Acropolis video to see it in its unbroken form.

What solidified my loathing for ads, though, was some years ago when I found a YT channel where someone had uploaded several years' worth of General Hospital episodes. These were from years I'd missed when I didn't have a TV, and when I finally did get one and started watching again, I couldn't make heads or tails of the storyline and there were too many new characters. But when I found that YT channel, I was able to catch up on over 3 years' worth of episodes in about 3.5 months. When you remove the ads, that show is about 36 minutes long, rather than 60.

 

[Tee Kay]

I moved into a new house about two months ago and it's almost perfect in almost every way except for one big one, it has a big problem with loud cars and their drivers who like to use local roads as a race track. Now this is a problem anywhere you move in this city, but it's particularly bad in this suburb

Police ostensibly has a dedicated taskforce to combat hoons but it's so embedded in this country's culture it's hard to not just hit my head against the wall out of despair

 

[Gelion]

Quite a lot of my posts come flavored with sarcasm/snark these days. Call it a freight train's worth of frustration with RL issues going on that sometimes creeps into my non-news site/FB posts. But in the case of Dune-related ads, I assumed you meant that the ads were trying to sell you real spices - the kind you eat. If that's the case, then it's somewhat relevant, given that the Fremen and most aristocrats who could afford it would consume melange on a daily basis.

Yes, thats exactly the case, it thought that if there's a lot of the word "spice" in my video that I really want to "buy spices"... I know it can do better
Yes, its hard to stomach what is going on right now, even though the processes are never abrupt, they are always building in magnitude. Perhaps I've been more sarcastic in advance than now because I've anticipated much of it and I am just living though what I've analysed before.

If Google doesn't like academic discussions of a novel that was published in 1965, it can take a hike.

I don't think ads were a responsibility of Google at first... but I agree in principle

Arrakeen was a forum that was dedicated to Frank Herbert, his Dune novels, his non-Dune novels, and much more. That was the place where I found people who could explain God Emperor of Dune to me - up until that time I found that novel an unbearably awful slog and didn't get most of what it was about.

Having watched those Dune lore videos on YT I think I am finally ready for the books. So its great that you ran one of those good old Forums during their golden age

As far as ads go... I accept them as a necessary evil on TV, though it does grate that I've never actually seen some shows on PBS when they weren't broken up by 10-15-minute pledge breaks. I had to buy the Yanni: Live at the Acropolis video to see it in its unbroken form.

What solidified my loathing for ads, though, was some years ago when I found a YT channel where someone had uploaded several years' worth of General Hospital episodes. These were from years I'd missed when I didn't have a TV, and when I finally did get one and started watching again, I couldn't make heads or tails of the storyline and there were too many new characters. But when I found that YT channel, I was able to catch up on over 3 years' worth of episodes in about 3.5 months. When you remove the ads, that show is about 36 minutes long, rather than 60.

There are some countries that have an unbearable amount of ads and if you have to watch 1 minute of ads for 2 minutes of content then you are not paid enough. Most of ads are unaccountable as far as results go anyway, so there's no practical need to have as much if selling stuff is your primary motivation. I've always treated them as an indicator of someone "making a point" about the way things are run rather than genuine attempts to sell you stuff. With exceptions of course.

 

[GinandTonic]

Greece in the early noughties, there was a bizarre worst-of-both-worlds of having one ad break in a film but it was twenty or twenty-five mins long. I'ld just go out and have a quick beer.

No-one watched the ads, but they annoyed everyone.

 

[Sofista]

This is both correct and the most Italian thing that doesn't involve a Vespa.

Guilty... and proud! . It's a way of life to me...

But what would be the most credible alternative to instant noodles, other than pasta?

I failed to mention it above, but maybe @haroon could try pastina soup (very small pasta cooked directly in meat stock) and be happy with it. As a recipe, it's even faster than regular pasta!

 

[Kyriakos]

Greece in the early noughties, there was a bizarre worst-of-both-worlds of having one ad break in a film but it was twenty or twenty-five mins long. I'ld just go out and have a quick beer.

No-one watched the ads, but they annoyed everyone.

And how would you know? Pls don't tell me you had been masquerading all this time as a british person

 

[H4run]

Guilty... and proud! . It's a way of life to me...

But what would be the most credible alternative to instant noodles, other than pasta?

I failed to mention it above, but maybe @haroon could try pastina soup (very small pasta cooked directly in meat stock) and be happy with it. As a recipe, it's even faster than regular pasta!

As a recipe....

Perhaps you can provide me the recipe

 

[Takhisis]

Guilty... and proud! . It's a way of life to me...

But what would be the most credible alternative to instant noodles, other than pasta?

I failed to mention it above, but maybe @haroon could try pastina soup (very small pasta cooked directly in meat stock) and be happy with it. As a recipe, it's even faster than regular pasta!

You actually once posted:

And for the record, in Italy pasta and chicken just. don't. mix.

And now you're proposing to boil pasta in chicken broth. With actual chicken in it.

 

[Samson]

Guilty... and proud! . It's a way of life to me...

But what would be the most credible alternative to instant noodles, other than pasta?

I failed to mention it above, but maybe @haroon could try pastina soup (very small pasta cooked directly in meat stock) and be happy with it. As a recipe, it's even faster than regular pasta!

It depends what you mean by an alternative to instant noodles. Instant noodles primary features are they contain everything in one little packet, they only need hot water and a container, are dirt cheap and last for ages. Now couscous is a pasta, and is about the only thing I know of that really gets close on all axis, but you have to add some flavourings in a way you do not with instant noodles.

 

[Birdjaguar]

As a recipe....

Perhaps you can provide me the recipe

1. Simmer a couple of chicken legs (or other parts) in water until cooked and the meat falls easily off the bone. Add any seasonings you like. The amount of chicken should be tied to the amount of food you are making overall.
2. Remove the bones from the simmered chicken and return to the broth.
3. Add mixed, fresh or frozen veggies of all types to the broth and chicken and heat or cook them as desired.
4. Cook some pasta of the kind you like in the amount needed for your meal or enough for later too. Drain the pasta. Time the cooking of the pasta so that it is ready about the time the veggies are cooked.
5. Add the pasta to the chicken, veggies, and broth and season to taste.
6. Serve

 

[Arakhor]

And how would you know? Pls don't tell me you had been masquerading all this time as a british person

Seems like you're not the only one who's lived abroad and now complains about having done so.

 

[Kyriakos]

Seems like you're not the only one who's lived abroad and now complains about having done so.

I don't complain about having lived in England (well, at least London). It would have been a lot better if my attitude had been different.

 

[GinandTonic]

Didn't live just stayed with an ex for a couple of weeks. The single mega ad break wasn't really a bad thing, just weirdly pointless. Surely everyone just did something else for a bit? Hell, Sofista could cook a meal.

 

[Kyriakos]

Didn't live just stayed with an ex for a couple of weeks. The single mega ad break wasn't really a bad thing, just weirdly pointless. Surely everyone just did something else for a bit? Hell, Sofista could cook a meal.

Yes. Which is one of reasons why by now virtually no one watches greek tv, if they have enough giga-web access (mobile) or just unlimited mobile or landline.
The other reason is that there isn't anything good there in the first place. I haven't watched in fifteen years.

 

[JohannaK]

I moved into a new house about two months ago and it's almost perfect in almost every way except for one big one, it has a big problem with loud cars and their drivers who like to use local roads as a race track. Now this is a problem anywhere you move in this city, but it's particularly bad in this suburb

Police ostensibly has a dedicated taskforce to combat hoons but it's so embedded in this country's culture it's hard to not just hit my head against the wall out of despair

Oh what we suffer here in my house is drunk people yelling as they walk past, and it being a narrow street it's even worse. Covid at least gave us some respite from that.

 

[Arakhor]

There's a chap with a noisy motorbike who likes revving past, but it's only infrequently. The biggest noise pollution in my area is people's lawnmowers and noisy children.