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Hoiditthroughthegrapevine

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Ok, so I've been around a bit (the pleasant way of saying I'm a grumpy old man). 

I know some things, and more importantly I know what I don't know.

This is a place for serious questions that will elicit serious answers.

Please don't send me templated questions about my favorite cosmere characters, etc. But any real question I will endeavor to answer earnestly and to the best of my ability. If anything I say is speculative or a surmise it will be presented as such.

Ask away, ask away.

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23 minutes ago, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

Ok, so I've been around a bit (the pleasant way of saying I'm a grumpy old man). 

I know some things, and more importantly I know what I don't know.

This is a place for serious questions that will elicit serious answers.

Please don't send me templated questions about my favorite cosmere characters, etc. But any real question I will endeavor to answer earnestly and to the best of my ability. If anything I say is speculative or a surmise it will be presented as such.

Ask away, ask away.

Well, since you want serious questions, who's your least favorite cosmere character?

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On 8/27/2021 at 5:04 PM, crème de la crèmling said:

 

 

32 minutes ago, Nameless said:

Well, since you want serious questions, who's your least favorite cosmere character?

I'm not sure if I'm using this sure right at all.

 

But if I had to pick a least favorite cosmere character, I'd say either one of the unmemorable characters from war breaker (as in I couldn't be bothered to even remember their names they were so boring, so obviously not great characters overall)

 

or maybe spook.

[Spoilers for mistborn era 1]

 

.

.

.

He just seemed to get really insecure almost out of nowhere. Then super extra from it, getting really op pretty much off screen. It's like he just exists to have a crush on Vin and then get over it by being made of nothing but plot armor and exposition

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57 minutes ago, Nameless said:

Well, since you want serious questions, who's your least favorite cosmere character?

Adolin. If you want a rant reply with the following "I love Ken WAY more than Barbie."

 

18 minutes ago, RadiantFox said:

He just seemed to get really insecure almost out of nowhere. Then super extra from it, getting really op pretty much off screen. It's like he just exists to have a crush on Vin and then get over it by being made of nothing but plot armor and exposition

All that aside I have supreme empathy for Spook, just imagine if your name was Lestibournes. I would wish my parents had named me it's  me I've got poop in my pants instead of that horrible name (Itsmeiivgotpipenmipsnts. Doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?)

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14 hours ago, Nameless said:

What makes you dislike him?

With the exception of The 4 on 2 duel, almost all of Adolin’s story arcs are dull.

The girth strap investigation in Way of Kings was the the thing I looked forward to least when rereading the SLA, it's up there in the pantheon of painful to get through fantasy moments with Galan Luca's Traveling Circus in WOT, Tom Bombadil in the LOTR, and the SPEW house elf bits in Harry Potter.

He's also not really a character, he's a series of affectations (fashion loving, hair tousling, etc) wrapped up in a bland nice guy persona. 

In RoW, when he goes off by himself to rescue Notum, he didn't need to rush off just by himself except to have a noble principled stand. Kinda lame.

Also, the one interesting and out of character thing that he did, namely eye stabbing Sadeas, was an action in a void, it had no effect on his character development and he suffered no consequences for murdering a high prince. He just needs to smile a boyish good natured grin and muss his handsome head of hair and the world just shrugs and says "Oh you".

Also I hated the trial in RoW, the whole thing again felt like a canned set piece to show Adolin’s principled stand, but again it was an act of rash stupidity. He was being tutored on the legal process in an alien society by *gasp* an antagonistic party, but thankfully some spren of tousled hair were in the jury, and he won the trial, not by any of his own cunning or clever stratagems but because the Honor spren were wrong about the nature of the Recreance. Once again Adolin blusters headlong into the maw of danger without a plan, and the world just shrugs and says "Oh you."

Those are just my two dollars and two cents, if you want to defend Adolin I promise I'll read it.

13 hours ago, Elegy said:

What was your favorite new book and music discovery this year?

Fun questions!

My favorite book series that I read this year was the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. Williams' descriptions of environment are some of the best I've read, I'd say he's as good at describing setting as Flaubert. The characters are great, the story is paced incredibly well, his prose is understated but sublime, and the ending of To Green Angel Tower is epic in a Sanderson avalanche kind of way. All the threads come together quite beautifully.

I also really enjoyed Martian Time Slip by Philip K Dick. It's about a schizophrenic simulacra repairman, Jack Bohlen, who left Earth to colonize Mars after having a breakdown. He was talking to his boss and had the following hallucination:

Quote

He saw, through the man’s skin, his skeleton. It had been wired together, the bones connected with fine copper wire. The organs, which had withered away, were replaced by artificial components, kidney, heart, lungs­—­everything was made of plastic and stainless steel, all working in unison but entirely without authentic life. The man’s voice issued from a tape, through an amplifier and speaker system.

Possibly at some time in the past the man had been real and alive, but that was over, and the stealthy replacement had taken place, inch by inch, progressing insidiously from one organ to the next, and the entire structure was there to deceive others.

The novel involves land speculation based on the pre-cognitive visions of an austic boy, who sees everyone as if they are dead and leaking gubbish. It's a bit uneven, but there are some truly great scenes in this book. This is probably my 3rd favorite book by Philip K. Dick (the top two being Ubik, and Flow My Tears the Policeman Said).

As far as music goes, one of my favorites that I've heard all year was recommended by @Orlion Blight, Steeleye Span's Long Lankin (spoilered below).

Spoiler

 

New music that I've liked a lot (new to me at least) that I've heard from my daughters are:

MGMT, Little Dark Age:

Spoiler

 

Marina and the Diamonds,  Hollywood:

Spoiler

 

Lemon Demon, Matches and Nails:

Spoiler

 

Vance Joy, Riptide:

Spoiler

 

And Will Wood, Laplace's Angel:

Spoiler

 

 

14 hours ago, Elegy said:

Also, any songs that you associate with specific Cosmere characters or events? ^_^

There's an Elliott Smith song that's perfect for Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell:

Spoiler

 

And this remake of a Linkin Park song that was used for the Magic the Gathering: War of the Spark trailer is perfect for the first Part of the Battle of Thaylen Field, when Shallan, Kaladin and Adolin are stuck in Shadesmar and it looks like Dalinar is going to become Odium's Champion:

Spoiler

 

How about you?

What are some of your favorite books that you've read recently? 

What are some of your favorite songs that you've heard this year?

Cosmere themed songs?

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That Elliott Smith song is really good, I should go through his discography once again, it's been a while!

On 12.9.2021 at 10:16 AM, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

How about you?

What are some of your favorite books that you've read recently? 

What are some of your favorite songs that you've heard this year?

Cosmere themed songs?

I haven't read many books this year, but I've written one :D Still not sure what to do with it. If manga counts, the series Emma by Kaoru Mori (historical romance drama) was very moving.

I've recently gotten into the work of Ichiko Aoba, a Japanese folk musician who recently gained a lot of traction in the west due to music rating websites like RateYourMusic.

Spoiler

 

 

 

There's some M83 songs that make me think of the Stormlight Archive and Stormlight moments:

Spoiler

 

 

 

Also, there's this song that Brandon apparently listened to as he wrote the Oathbringer climax, and it's impossible for me to separate from chapter 119:

Spoiler

 

 

There's a bunch more, I'm actually constantly working on Cosmere playlists, but I'll leave it at that for now :D

Thanks for returning the question ^_^

Edited by Elegy
Finally fixed the spoiler boxes, I think ^^
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I've loved listening to Riptide! I can't believe it's been almost a decade (and that a decade ago means in the 2010s!) *uuuuuuuggggg*

Assuming you haven't already heard them, I think you'd also like Woodkid's Golden Age, Iron, Run Boy Run; Hozier's... anything really but Take Me To Church, From Eden and Someone New are the best; Sugar & Headlights by Robin Schultz; No Place I'd Rather Be by Clean Bandit; Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths; Soldier On by Temper Trap

(that's all the songs that come to mind that have the same feel, I think)

Now you owe me (more) recs too, gimme!

Edited by Honorless
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On 9/13/2021 at 7:23 AM, Elegy said:

I haven't read many books this year, but I've written one :D Still not sure what to do with it.

Sweet!

On 9/13/2021 at 7:23 AM, Elegy said:

If manga counts, the series Emma by Kaoru Mori (historical romance drama) was very moving.

Interesting, will see if they have it at the library. If you like historical romance, The Rose of Versailles is great (and the anime is amazing too).

On 9/13/2021 at 7:23 AM, Elegy said:

I've recently gotten into the work of Ichiko Aoba, a Japanese folk musician who recently gained a lot of traction in the west due to music rating websites like RateYourMusic.

That's a very pretty song, reminds me of one of my all time favorite songs, Toki Wo Koete Kagome, from the Inuyasha OST (this is the best song to listen to in the spring, while watching the cherry blossoms sway in the breeze and occasionally detach and swirl to the ground):

Spoiler

 

 

On 9/13/2021 at 8:05 AM, Honorless said:

Assuming you haven't already heard them, I think you'd also like Woodkid's Golden Age, Iron, Run Boy Run; Hozier's... anything really but Take Me To Church, From Eden and Someone New are the best; Sugar & Headlights by Robin Schultz; No Place I'd Rather Be by Clean Bandit; Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths; Soldier On by Temper Trap

I have a finite amount of time right now, but I listened to enough of your recommendations to make three determinations:

  1. They are all very good songs (I especially liked the Hozier collection)
  2. I will definitely listen to the whole collection.
  3. I think I have just the songs for you.
On 9/13/2021 at 8:05 AM, Honorless said:

gimme!

Here you go:

Band of Horses
 

Spoiler

Part One (from Everything All the Time)

St. Augustine (from Everything All the Time)

Cigarettes and Wedding Bands (from Cease to Begin)

The General Specific (from Cease to Begin)

 

Beirut:

Spoiler

Fener (from No No No)

Gibraltar (from No No No)

East Harlem (from The Riptide)

 

Magnetic Fields (really Stephen Merrit)

Spoiler

It's a Crime (from 69 Love Songs)

Meaningless (from 69 Love Songs)

The Death of Ferdinand De Saussure (from 69 Love Songs)

 

Alt J - Breezeblocks

Spoiler

 

Nada Surf - Blonde on Blonde (from the album Let Go, and it's the prettiest song ever made)

Spoiler

 

That's it for the moment, thanks for the recommendations!

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On 16.9.2021 at 0:16 AM, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

Interesting, will see if they have it at the library. If you like historical romance, The Rose of Versailles is great (and the anime is amazing too).

That one's actually on my list! I'll get to it eventually. I love how distinctive the art style is!

On 16.9.2021 at 0:16 AM, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

That's a very pretty song, reminds me of one of my all time favorite songs, Toki Wo Koete Kagome, from the Inuyasha OST (this is the best song to listen to in the spring, while watching the cherry blossoms sway in the breeze and occasionally detach and swirl to the ground):

Yeah, it has that same peacefulness. I wouldn't be surprised if she is somehow influenced by Inuyasha. She has done a version of the Ballad of the Wind Fish for a trailer for the Link's Awakening remake, by the way ^_^

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23 minutes ago, Nameless said:

Why did you choose your username? If you had to choose another one, what would it be?

I joined the TOR website to speculate about prerelease chapters for Oathbringer, and as a lark, I phonetically spelled out how Credence Clearwater Revival sings Heard it through the Grapevine. John Fogarty's Southern California imitation bayou brogue allowed me to cleverly insert Hoid into my user name.

If I had to change my username, say because I had to have a human alias when I am in fact a robot, I would choose Tobor.

How did you pick your username? Or isit really an anti-username? If you picked a new username and then your new username collided with your old username, would they mutually annihilate each other?

14 minutes ago, Elegy said:

That one's actually on my list! I'll get to it eventually. I love how distinctive the art style is!

It's great, and it's extensively researched too. Historically accurate with a great romance, win win!

14 minutes ago, Elegy said:

She has done a version of the Ballad of the Wind Fish for a trailer for the Link's Awakening remake, by the way ^_^

Checking it out right now...

Edited by Hoiditthroughthegrapevine
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1 minute ago, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

How did you pick your username? Or isit really an anti-username? If you picked a new username and then your new username collided with your old username, would they mutually annihilate each other?

Well, I wasn't happy with my current username, so I thought up this one. I didn't really have a specific reason for choosing it, I just thought it was a cool username. As for the anti-username properties, that's classified.

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1 hour ago, Nameless said:

I just thought it was a cool username.

It's a very cool username.

1 hour ago, Nameless said:

As for the anti-username properties, that's classified.

Sorry, I gotta go now. Some guys in an unmarked van just pulled up...wait why are they coming in through the windows...

1 hour ago, Elegy said:

She has done a version of the Ballad of the Wind Fish for a trailer for the Link's Awakening remake, by the way ^_^

That's beautiful!

Kind of reminds me of Maaya Sakomoto.

Kiseki No Umi (from Record of Lodoss War)

Spoiler

 

And Hemisphere (opening song for Rahxephon).

Spoiler

 

 

Edited by Hoiditthroughthegrapevine
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2 hours ago, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

Sorry, I gotta go now. Some guys in an unmarked van just pulled up...wait why are they coming in through the windows...

Ah, sorry. Just remember, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I abjure my right to remain silent, you shan't silence me that easily.

Try using this against me:

The world should be run by puppies, not politicians. You can't pet puppies with nuclear arms. Instead of fussin' and a-feudin' the people of the world should take out their frustrations by chewing up furniture and footwear. There is a softer way here people, let the puppies show us our true potential, reverse the leash now before it's too late.

 

 

 

 

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53 minutes ago, Hoiditthroughthegrapevine said:

The world should be run by puppies, not politicians. You can't pet puppies with nuclear arms. Instead of fussin' and a-feudin' the people of the world should take out their frustrations by chewing up furniture and footwear. There is a softer way here people, let the puppies show us our true potential, reverse the leash now before it's too late.

Only problem is that puppies lack the tenacity to stay in power. Politicians may be pure evil, but at least they are greedy enough to hang on to their power and deal with anyone who tries to take it from them. Puppies would get bored and run away.

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1 minute ago, Nameless said:

Only problem is that puppies lack the tenacity to stay in power. Politicians may be pure evil, but at least they are greedy enough to hang on to their power and deal with anyone who tries to take it from them. Puppies would get bored and run away.

Oh ye of little faith...

The trick is to put a squeaker into power, then puppies would never let go of power.

Hark, ye guardians of the old Republic, I speak of the change that is to come. Long have you heard the barking at your fence, listen well, this is the sound of the dawning of a new age. This is the Kaninist manifesto. Verily I say the hand that pets the dog, is the hand that rules the world. No longer shall it be the tail that wags the dog, the leash shall be reversed, and it shall be instead the tail that wags the world.

#puppiesnotpoliticians2022

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On 9/28/2021 at 10:49 PM, Danex said:

What...

-is the meaning of life?

I believe that we were created by a loving God, and given the freedom to choose what we make of our life. I believe that life really only has meaning if you try to live a life of love, service, and also of appreciation. The beauty of the world is that there are an infinite number of paths to walk, finding the path you were meant to walk is only part of it, just as important is taking time to appreciate the beauty you find along the way.

On 9/28/2021 at 10:49 PM, Danex said:

-have I got in my pocket?

I'll take multiple stabs at this one. Let me know if any of these is right.

1) The One Ring

2) Nothing

3) Pocket lint and an old orange tic-tac

4) A Philly cheese steak

On 9/28/2021 at 10:49 PM, Danex said:

-is love? (baby don't hurt me)

 

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  • 4 months later...

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