0d_billie's recent activity
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Comment on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is reaching end of standard support soon: April 2025. Plan to upgrade soon! in ~tech
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Comment on Your theme for 2025 in ~talk
0d_billie LinkI've been doing this for years now. Past years have been years of authenticity, finances, and music. 2024 was the Year of Investment, in which I at the outset planned to dim my hobby bulbs a fair...I've been doing this for years now. Past years have been years of authenticity, finances, and music. 2024 was the Year of Investment, in which I at the outset planned to dim my hobby bulbs a fair amount to be able to instead put time into my health, work, and social lightbulbs.
I had expected the year to contain a lot of focus on getting some IT qualifications that I could then use to springboard into a better paying job. Instead, I realised early on that I don't really want to do IT for the rest of my life. I am bored by the work, and it feels like a sufficiently solved problem in my head to the extent that I really struggled to want to study. I haven't been able to reach a conclusion as to what I would like to do instead yet, but that is going to be folded into 2025's theme I think.
It's been a pretty great year for my relationships with others, and honestly with myself as well. In focusing on my social lightbulb, I spent a lot more quality time with my daughter and family, and readjusted my relationship with my family members. I also met and fell in love with my girlfriend. Transitioning continues to go from strength to strength, and I am hoping to be moved onto a shared care pathway in the new year, meaning that I don't need to keep paying for private prescriptions and appointments.
Part of the planned investment was to buy my own home. I was sick of renting and of living in shared accommodation, and it is still just about cheaper to have a mortgage than it is to rent. I looked around, I moved back in with my parents to keep saving, I looked around some more, and I had an offer accepted on a cute little ground floor flat in a northern suburb of my city. But as time wore on and the process kept stalling (for more than 6 months in the end) I was growing closer and closer with my new partner and her children. We had several long and deep conversations about the future, and I decided that it was pointless to buy a flat that I wouldn't use for even a year before moving in with my girlfriend. Next year's theme needs to incorporate that process to some degree.
My hobby light was initially dimmed at the start of the year. The end of the Sir Curse project took me by surprise, but it's actually been quite nice to not have two bands on the go. The reclaimed time has been positive for my relationships, and and I have been able to put more time into playing D&D again, something which I hadn't really had the time or energy to do for a while, much less to DM. Approaching the end of the year, I feel it's a little dimmer than I would like. That's something I'd like to address with next year's theme.
Overall, 2024 was a pretty great year. The theme being investment meant that I was better able to weather changes to my expectations and frame things such as spending time with my family, friends, and partner as investment in those relationships. I feel an enormous sense of contentment and gratitude for how well the year has gone, and I hope that 2025 ends in a similarly peaceful and satisfied manner!
The Year of Clearing the Decks
I'm pretty confident that I have stolen this one from Grey himself, but it feels applicable to my life right now. I want a new career but I don't know what I want that to be. I want to spend more time reading and writing music, but I don't always have the opportunity to do so. I want to move in with my girlfriend, but (by her own admission) she has too much stuff for me to fit comfortably into her home as it exists.
Essentially this is an exercise in resetting some foundational things in my life; extracting time-sinks that no longer work for me, reducing the amount of replication in my day-to-day tasks, and making sure giving myself a clean(er) slate from which to spring from. I've still not fully figured out what this means for me, but it feels like my most resonant theme yet. -
Comment on Your theme for 2025 in ~talk
0d_billie LinkIt's theme time again folks! If you're not familiar with the theme system, go have a watch of the video in the post. It's short and sweet, and it describes an approach to making deliberate changes...It gets earlier every year!
It's theme time again folks! If you're not familiar with the theme system, go have a watch of the video in the post. It's short and sweet, and it describes an approach to making deliberate changes to your life that are much less goal-oriented than you might be used to. The website is here although I'm slightly loathe to link it. You do not need a journal or a physical product to be able to participate in the theme system. Much like the Bullet Journal, it's about the framework and not having the correct products. You make it work the way you want it to, and not the other way around. -
Your theme for 2025
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
0d_billie Link ParentI’ll await my thank you card in the post ;PI’ll await my thank you card in the post ;P
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
0d_billie Link ParentI'm a big fan of an Aeropress, I do need to get one of my own now that I'm not living with my friend's!I'm a big fan of an Aeropress, I do need to get one of my own now that I'm not living with my friend's!
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
0d_billie Link ParentThis is such a cute answer, I love it! :)This is such a cute answer, I love it! :)
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
0d_billie LinkI have three that I'll share: Fender Stratocaster (Dave Murray Signature) I joined an Iron Maiden tribute band in 2017, and in order to tick off an A for authenticity, I bought Dave Murray's...I have three that I'll share:
Fender Stratocaster (Dave Murray Signature)
I joined an Iron Maiden tribute band in 2017, and in order to tick off an A for authenticity, I bought Dave Murray's signature stratocaster. Having played guitar for years, but never owned a true strat (or any fender, for that matter) I was sceptical that this would be the gamechanger it proved to be. It is astonishingly good. The pickups sound great, and it practically plays itself. The neck is slim, the frets are chunky, the action is tight and low, and with 9-42 gauge strings on I feel like my hand simply glides through whatever song I throw at it. It's a thing of beauty. I love every scratch, dent, and spot of wear on the thing. I've played it constantly for 7 years, and I still love it every time I pick it up.iPhone 15 Pro
Perhaps this one counts less, since I've only had it about 9 months. But I have been loving the switch to an iPhone, and this thing feels so polished and exciting. It feels magical to use, and continues to do so. I really like their implementation of an always-on display, I find magsafe super satisfying, and the eventual addition of Apple Intelligence to UK English phones is just a great time. Notification summaries have been tickling me pink ever since I got them. The integration with my other Apple stuff is continually wild, and it feels like a treat to pick up my phone and use it.Hand-made Crokinole Board
When I first learned about crokinole, I couldn't quite believe that such a simple game could be as fun as it is. But I took a punt, and ordered a lovely hand-made board from a family business in Canada. The first thing to note is that it is simply a beautiful object. It's bright, round (obviously), and meticulously well made. The game is simplicity itself, but devilishly tricky to master, and among the most addicting things I have ever played. It has become a staple among my family's gatherings. Every child and every adult wants to have a go, and there is a never ending cycle of "just one more round" that eats late into the evenings. -
What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time?
I was talking to the other guitarist in one of my bands about the hedonic treadmill the other day. And he said to me that despite owning his swanky Range Rover for over 4 years, every time he gets...
I was talking to the other guitarist in one of my bands about the hedonic treadmill the other day. And he said to me that despite owning his swanky Range Rover for over 4 years, every time he gets in it he feels like a kid and is excited by it.
I think continued delight in the things that we already have is a really important attitude to take in life, and so I wondered what things my fellow Tilderen (yes, I'm refusing to budge on the nomenclature until I see at least one other person use it) have which they still feel the magic of owning, even after a long time.
76 votes -
Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? in ~tech
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Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? in ~tech
0d_billie LinkI also have 3 codes to gift if anyone would like one :)I also have 3 codes to gift if anyone would like one :)
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Comment on Spotify Unwrapped - How much do Spotify pay your favourite artist(s) on your behalf? in ~music
0d_billie LinkI've said it before, and I'll say it again. Streaming is appallingly bad value for all but the very largest artists. Music discovery is great, and I'm glad that people can now find something to...I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Streaming is appallingly bad value for all but the very largest artists. Music discovery is great, and I'm glad that people can now find something to listen to from all across the world. And I'm glad that the barriers to getting ears on your music as a small artist are now considerably lower.
But this model is completely unsustainable, and it continually punishes artists with smaller followings by not allowing them to recoup the losses of a) writing and recording their art, and b) uploading it to streaming sites. I'm not saying that every artist deserves to make millions, especially from a smaller audience. If you care about a small musician/band and want them to keep creating, I implore you to find other ways to support their creation (Bandcamp, Patreon, merch, etc), because "number go up" on their streaming numbers counts for insultingly little.
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
0d_billie Link ParentIt's very dry, and it's a pastiche of 19th century novels in tone and style. With the addition of footnotes and an academic voice, it can come across as a challenging read (tonally, not in terms...It's very dry, and it's a pastiche of 19th century novels in tone and style. With the addition of footnotes and an academic voice, it can come across as a challenging read (tonally, not in terms of your reading level). I struggled the first time as well, but on a second try I really enjoyed it. Have you tried the audiobook?
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Comment on Book recommendation request: Fantasy book about university similar to The Name of the Wind? in ~books
0d_billie LinkAt the risk of very loosely interpreting your criteria, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is an excellent story about one magician teaching another. I wholeheartedly adore the book. It's a slow burn,...At the risk of very loosely interpreting your criteria, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is an excellent story about one magician teaching another. I wholeheartedly adore the book. It's a slow burn, with a thoroughly academic vibe throughout, and is superbly witty.
It's not really got a university type setting. The tuition happens mostly in a one-on-one context, and is often relegated to the background in lieu of exploring the relationship between these two gentlemen. And stylistically it's very removed from Rothfuss' writing. But it is, in my opinion, one of the greatest works of fantasy (possibly even fiction?) of this century.
(See also, a tremendously good BBC adaptation of the same)
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Comment on What's the biggest YouTube channel still run by just one person? in ~creative
0d_billie Link ParentI think it's probably also best to consider him a podcaster who makes occasional YouTube videos these days!I think it's probably also best to consider him a podcaster who makes occasional YouTube videos these days!
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Comment on United States Department of Justice will push Google to sell Chrome to break search monopoly in ~tech
0d_billie Link ParentA lot of people find the syncing of bookmarks and passwords between devices very convenient.A lot of people find the syncing of bookmarks and passwords between devices very convenient.
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Comment on Queer | Official trailer in ~movies
0d_billie Link ParentI honestly thought it would have died by nowI honestly thought it would have died by now
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Nominations thread in ~books
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Comment on New research uncovers why our brains are effective at quickly processing short messages in ~science
0d_billie Link ParentAhhh, yes they must have updated it after the fact. Either that or I hadn't had enough caffeine yet! Thanks :)Ahhh, yes they must have updated it after the fact. Either that or I hadn't had enough caffeine yet! Thanks :)
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Comment on New research uncovers why our brains are effective at quickly processing short messages in ~science
0d_billie (edited )LinkOooooh, fascinating, I'll have to get a copy of the paper to read! Aside, but it really irks me that in the official press release from the university where this research originated do not provide...Oooooh, fascinating, I'll have to get a copy of the paper to read!
Aside, but it really irks me that in the official press release from the university where this research originated do not provide any links (that I can see) to the actual paper itself.
I had to search for the author's name and the journal name to be able to figure out that the paper itself is entitled The spatiotemporal dynamics of bottom-up and top-down processing during at-a-glance reading.See the comment by /u/4rm below
I dread Ubuntu version upgrades at work. We've managed to switch most of our clients to Debian now, upgrades of which are far less likely to bork the whole system, even if each one is a much more hands on affair!