Mendanbar's recent activity
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Comment on How are you dealing with inflation regarding everyday enjoyment? in ~life
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Comment on Whistleblower who accused Boeing supplier of ignoring defects dies in ~transport
Mendanbar Link ParentFormer Boeing employee here. In addition to the stress others have mentioned, I would also point out that there were quite a few divisions that tended to reward/promote unhealthy attachments to...Former Boeing employee here. In addition to the stress others have mentioned, I would also point out that there were quite a few divisions that tended to reward/promote unhealthy attachments to work. I saw far too many coworkers choosing to work long hours, skip lunch and breaks, etc for some imaginary moving-target goals. This is just speculation, but I would not be surprised if lot of the whistleblowers are seeing diminished health as a side effect of years of unhealthy work habits.
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Comment on VR gaming is reawakening my enthusiasm for games in ~games
Mendanbar LinkAnother great game that my kids have been enjoying is VR Giants. It's an interesting take, because one player controls the 2D regular character, while the other player controls the VR Giant. It's...Another great game that my kids have been enjoying is VR Giants. It's an interesting take, because one player controls the 2D regular character, while the other player controls the VR Giant. It's a pretty cool co-op experience, and it runs well on a single PC with decent graphics card.
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Comment on Former US President Donald Trump will speak at the Libertarian National Convention in ~misc
Mendanbar Link ParentYeah I am embarrassed to admit that I also was briefly swayed Libertarian in the early 2000s, and my journey was largely the same as yours. Now I look upon them (and more moderate Republicans, to...Yeah I am embarrassed to admit that I also was briefly swayed Libertarian in the early 2000s, and my journey was largely the same as yours. Now I look upon them (and more moderate Republicans, to an extent) as just extremely naïve about the reality of the world in which we live. I've even met some really smart people that claim to be Libertarian, and I've come to the conclusion that they just haven't yet encountered anything hard in their life that makes them examine the more complex nature of a lot of issues.
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Comment on May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
Mendanbar Link ParentOk, picked my first game: Life is Strange (Complete Season). It falls in the "started but never completed" category because I played episode 1 years ago and never circled back. Will be back with...Ok, picked my first game: Life is Strange (Complete Season). It falls in the "started but never completed" category because I played episode 1 years ago and never circled back. Will be back with my thoughts.
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Comment on May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
Mendanbar (edited )LinkI just completed The Planet Crafter yesterday, so this comes at the perfect time. 🙂 Changed my mind and jumped on the Bingo bandwagon. Bingo Card (0/25) Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 0/25 You...I just completed The Planet Crafter yesterday, so this comes at the perfect time.
Not sure yet if I'll be doing the Bingo thing but I will definitely be picking a game from the backlog monster and playing along.🙂Changed my mind and jumped on the Bingo bandwagon.
Bingo Card (0/25)
Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 0/25 You started it but never completed it Came out more than 2 years ago It’s already installed Is one of the oldest games you own You're giving it a second chance Has a skill tree Has both combat and puzzles Multiple playable characters “When the hell did I buy this?” You got from a bundle Features a mystery Popular game you never got around to playing ★ Wildcard Chosen for you by someone else Has dogs Set in a real world location Owned for more than 3 years You can complete it in only a few hours Has survival mechanics Has gravity manipulation An updated version (remake, re-release) of an older game You heard about it in our weekly gaming topics Has a review score above 85 Is beatable without killing any enemies You can save/pet/care for animals -
Comment on May 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 1 Discussion in ~games
Mendanbar Link ParentOh boy Hotel Dusk brings back some memories. I'm excited to hear your thoughts if/when you play it.Oh boy Hotel Dusk brings back some memories. I'm excited to hear your thoughts if/when you play it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Mendanbar LinkI've been playing the 1.0 update of The Planet Crafter and absolutely loving it. I bought it in early access but didn't play because I was focused on other games at the time. I'm glad it worked...I've been playing the 1.0 update of The Planet Crafter and absolutely loving it. I bought it in early access but didn't play because I was focused on other games at the time. I'm glad it worked out this way though, because there is a ton that went in before 1.0 that really make the game shine IMO.
The game is very clearly inspired by Subnautica, but the setting and some of the mechanics are just different enough to make the game stand on its own. I loved Subnautica and a part of me is sad that I can't experience its story again for the first time. The Planet Crafter was able to scratch that itch to an extent. There's quite a bit of unexpected depth to the game's story, and I found myself really becoming immersed in the plot as I progressed.
Much like Subnautica, the map is pre-made and fixed. There is good and bad to this, in my opinion. The map is beautiful and feels natural. There is no weird glitchiness or sameyness that happens with procedural gen (thinking of games like No Man's Sky). However, once you've seen it all, that's it. Some of this is alleviated by the nature of the terraforming aspect of the game. The planet goes through quite the transformation, and it really is nice to revisit areas to see how they've progressed. There are also unlocks later in the game that add depth to existing areas, and even create small procedural areas that play similar to dungeon crawls. These all have the effect of extending the game's playtime in the best way. Once the main story ends in Subnautica, there's not a lot to do. I could see myself continuing to play The Planet Crafter in some capacity after the main story is done (I haven't quite reached that point yet).
There's a bunch more to the game that I didn't touch on, and don't really want to spoil. Let's just say that if you liked Subnautica, or No Man's Sky, or modded Minecraft, you should give The Planet Crafter a look. :)
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Comment on Help me ditch Chrome's password manager! in ~tech
Mendanbar Link ParentI didn't mention open source in my original post because I was trying to cast a wide net, but it's a big plus.I didn't mention open source in my original post because I was trying to cast a wide net, but it's a big plus.
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Comment on Help me ditch Chrome's password manager! in ~tech
Mendanbar Link ParentThe last time I went down this rabbit hole I was seriously close to getting a Nextcloud instance going. I liked the idea that I could add other services down the road and further take control of...The last time I went down this rabbit hole I was seriously close to getting a Nextcloud instance going. I liked the idea that I could add other services down the road and further take control of things. I think I may still go that route someday, but don't have much capacity ATM. Bitwarden seems like a clear winner so far based on all the other comments.
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Help me ditch Chrome's password manager!
I've been trying to reduce my reliance on all things Google, and one of the big ones is password management. I've tried several times to make the jump, but every time I start researching options...
I've been trying to reduce my reliance on all things Google, and one of the big ones is password management. I've tried several times to make the jump, but every time I start researching options I'm overwhelmed by the selection. There are a lot of popular options out there, and I really don't have the time/energy to endure a misstep. So without a clear idea of which manager will check all of my boxes, I end up bailing on the process and keep using chrome's built in option.
So to start, here's what I like about Chrome:
- Automatically offers to store passwords without extra clicks
- Autofills automatically where it can, and gives me an easy choice when it can't
- Works everywhere I need passwords. (basically everywhere I browse the internet since chrome works everywhere)
- Minimal overhead. This is hard to beat since Chrome just includes it, so I'm fine with a little extra setup if necessary.
I used to use keepass portable on a thumb drive (I want to say circa ~2009ish), but it became really inconvenient as my usage shifted more to mobile devices.
I see this as a first step to also reducing my reliance on Chrome so I can start to consider other browsers. Right now I feel locked in to Google's ecosystem, but I know I can break it up if I don't get too bogged down by choice. Much appreciate any help. :)
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Comment on The internet used to be ✨fun✨ in ~tech
Mendanbar Link ParentHopefully not derailing here, but what is everyone using for RSS reading these days? I sort of stopped using RSS regularly after the loss of Google reader and now I'm thinking I might want to give...Hopefully not derailing here, but what is everyone using for RSS reading these days? I sort of stopped using RSS regularly after the loss of Google reader and now I'm thinking I might want to give it another try.
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Comment on The internet used to be ✨fun✨ in ~tech
Mendanbar (edited )LinkThis thread made me realize how many webcomics I've lost touch with over the years, and sent me on a journey of rediscovery that ultimately led me back to the bizarre misadventures of Pokey the...This thread made me realize how many webcomics I've lost touch with over the years, and sent me on a journey of rediscovery that ultimately led me back to the bizarre misadventures of Pokey the penguin.
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Comment on The internet used to be ✨fun✨ in ~tech
Mendanbar Link ParentI had to see it to believe it. It's almost unrecognizable.I had to see it to believe it. It's almost unrecognizable.
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Comment on Have you had a life-altering change in who you are? in ~talk
Mendanbar Link ParentThis line of reasoning reminds me of this interview with Stephen Fry.this supreme being was so vein that it would punish me simply for not literally bowing down to it, then I wouldn't want anything to do with it anyway.
This line of reasoning reminds me of this interview with Stephen Fry.
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Comment on As I get older, I get more and more disillusioned with "activism", and I'm fine with this in ~talk
Mendanbar Link ParentCan confirm from my limited experience growing up in a small midwest town that Kiwanis club did a great deal for the community. They were always well connected with school organizations (Key club,...Can confirm from my limited experience growing up in a small midwest town that Kiwanis club did a great deal for the community. They were always well connected with school organizations (Key club, Sports, scouts, etc) and churches, and were often at the center of positive community events (fundraisers, community cleanup, etc).
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Comment on How do you organize your phone's home screens and apps? in ~tech
Mendanbar LinkI use Smart Launcher. Keeps the home screen customized but clean, and it automatically categorizes apps in the drawer into a handful of broad groups (internet, finance, games, settings, etc). I've...I use Smart Launcher. Keeps the home screen customized but clean, and it automatically categorizes apps in the drawer into a handful of broad groups (internet, finance, games, settings, etc). I've found it to be a nice balance between customization and organization.
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Comment on Best "dad" jokes and puns! in ~talk
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Comment on Best "dad" jokes and puns! in ~talk
Mendanbar LinkAlso, not really a Dad joke, but my favorite joke from college What do you get when you cross an elephant with a giraffe? ||elephant|| ||giraffe|| sin θAlso, not really a Dad joke, but my favorite joke from college
What do you get when you cross an elephant with a giraffe?
||elephant|| ||giraffe|| sin θ
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Comment on Best "dad" jokes and puns! in ~talk
Mendanbar Link ParentI snorted at the canteen part. I'm going to remember this technique.I snorted at the canteen part. I'm going to remember this technique.
This reminds me of a Lifehacker article I read years ago, and it really stuck with me. The basic idea is that you should spend money where you spend the most time. So if you spend your days at a desk working, you should allocate funds appropriately so that experience is as comfortable as possible. The article also provides some example math that divides the cost of items by the total hours of benefit. That really helped me wrap my mind around the "unit cost" of the comfort provided. Definitely a good read for those struggling to decide where to spend limited funds.