0x29A's recent activity
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Comment on Strange YouTube watch-tracking behavior in ~tech
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Comment on Is trying to become an author insane in times of LLMs? in ~tech
0x29A LinkExpress yourself as a human to spite the AIs regardless. Continue breathing human life into creative works. I think a lot of people will forever value that. Will enough value that? Never enough,...Express yourself as a human to spite the AIs regardless. Continue breathing human life into creative works. I think a lot of people will forever value that. Will enough value that? Never enough, truly
However, yes, even now, and for a long time past, we undervalue a lot of creative work in society, sadly, and that is unlikely to change (and that lack of valuing is reflected in the desire of some for slop). But my point is if you have something you want to write, don't let any fears of its lack of viability stop you
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
0x29A Linkpost-punk / darkwave - https://nite.bandcamp.com/album/nite post-punk / oi / streetpunk / synth - https://arewenothomefront.bandcamp.com/album/watch-it-die black / death / industrial / noise -...post-punk / darkwave - https://nite.bandcamp.com/album/nite
post-punk / oi / streetpunk / synth - https://arewenothomefront.bandcamp.com/album/watch-it-die
black / death / industrial / noise - https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/corrosion-of-existencedeath metal / osdm - https://fessusdarknessshallrise.bandcamp.com/album/subcutaneous-tomb - only one track available atm but if the rest of it is like the single, it's AOTY material
i'm super behind on my music recs blog, just been in a bit of a rut lately and distracted so im months behind at this point, hoping to pick that back up again here soon and still do it for every week this year
i've been having moments of just not listening to a lot of music, or listening to a bunch of it, or checking out tracks newly coming out but not settling on anything. i'm all over the place mentally atm
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A Link ParentYes, I preheat all teaware involved with hot water from the kettle to minimize heat loss, and then I dial in my kettle to the exact temperature I want (I have one that lets you choose in 1C/1F...Yes, I preheat all teaware involved with hot water from the kettle to minimize heat loss, and then I dial in my kettle to the exact temperature I want (I have one that lets you choose in 1C/1F increments and monitors the temperature in the idle kettle after the heating is done)
I also stay aware of temp losses that might occur by storing hot water in a thermos/carafe, etc for times where only the first brew is directly from the kettle. I do have a thermometer if I need to check water anywhere outside the kettle, though I do that much less often
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A Link ParentI love a good "forest floor + sweetness" ripe pu'er. There's something so comfy about the woody/leafy, "fresh rain", etc kind of flavor profile, and often I find ripes round that out with a bit of...I love a good "forest floor + sweetness" ripe pu'er. There's something so comfy about the woody/leafy, "fresh rain", etc kind of flavor profile, and often I find ripes round that out with a bit of vanilla/cherry/etc
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A (edited )Link ParentI think you're happening to achieve something similar by keeping your steeps extremely short, as that's also a big factor. But if you're going for longer steeps (especially Western style brews vs....I think you're happening to achieve something similar by keeping your steeps extremely short, as that's also a big factor. But if you're going for longer steeps (especially Western style brews vs. the short gong fu ones), keeping the temps lower will help keep the green tea from becoming overly bitter or astringent. They are two of many different threads you can pull on to change your brew, and you've found the right balance for yourself.
For Japanese greens like Gyokuro, Sencha, etc I do something like 70C/160F. For Chinese green tea, depends on the tea, but often a bit higher (80C/175F). If I'm gongfu brewing (super short steeps) I tend to be a bit less worried about the temps, though. But a lower temp gongfu can sometimes really hit the spot too
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A Link ParentTheanine definitely seems to work for me in times of stress, anxiety, or with jitters, or etc. However, I've found it to be inconsistent and situation-dependent and I think in most use cases its...Theanine definitely seems to work for me in times of stress, anxiety, or with jitters, or etc. However, I've found it to be inconsistent and situation-dependent and I think in most use cases its effects aren't massively potent, in that, it's no cure-all for feelings of anxiety/stress/etc
However, it has come in handy for me before, and I enjoy high-theanine (shade grown) teas too and that is my preferred way of ingesting it.
Unfortunately, it seems supplemental L-Theanine is a headache/migraine-trigger for me, so I keep it around but rarely take it in supplemental form. In tea form I do not have the same problems, probably due to all the other compounds in tea complimenting it.
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Comment on Fordæðuskapr - Benmánar (2025) in ~music
0x29A LinkAnother great black metal project from the person behind Helrunar and Árstíðir lífsins This is a track off of Hræflóð markar fjalla (bandcamp link)Another great black metal project from the person behind Helrunar and Árstíðir lífsins
This is a track off of Hræflóð markar fjalla (bandcamp link)
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Fordæðuskapr - Benmánar (2025)
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A Link ParentWhile not as travel-friendly, at home I use a Zojirushi as well, but a thermal serving carafe- I heat a kettle full of water and then pour it into one of these to keep hot throughout my gongfu tea...While not as travel-friendly, at home I use a Zojirushi as well, but a thermal serving carafe- I heat a kettle full of water and then pour it into one of these to keep hot throughout my gongfu tea sessions, so I don't have to constantly keep the kettle going. It's glass inside, so I find, especially when using it only for water, it doesn't build up anything that needs intensive cleaning, thankfully.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A Link ParentNp! Yeah, while I am not a fan of most flavored or herbal teas, they can be okay once in a while, but I just don't like outside things in my hot drinks. I keep a few around that I have gotten as...Np! Yeah, while I am not a fan of most flavored or herbal teas, they can be okay once in a while, but I just don't like outside things in my hot drinks. I keep a few around that I have gotten as gifts or that are slightly medicinal just to change things up or when I am sick or whatever and sometimes they can hit the spot in a particular mood or be really soothing and easy on the stomach.
I prefer drinking (unflavored) specialty coffee, and drinking it black, and same with tea. Additives mask the flavor of the leaves or beans, and if I am masking flavor, that typically means for me personally that I am not buying good enough tea/coffee.
I suppose on exception would be the more traditional stuffed Chenpi (tangerine peel), but that's more a novelty for me
Best of wishes in zeroing in on the issue quickly and that it's not something you love like coffee! <3
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
0x29A (edited )LinkI'm deep into both coffee and loose leaf (Chinese, Japanese, etc) tea. You can dive as deep in as you want or stay on the surface- all up to you. Lapsang Souchong is nice, especially when the...I'm deep into both coffee and loose leaf (Chinese, Japanese, etc) tea. You can dive as deep in as you want or stay on the surface- all up to you.
Lapsang Souchong is nice, especially when the smoke is subtle and balanced and not overpowering (for me anyways). There's also a less common unsmoked Lapsang I've tried before that was nice.
I don't think weighing is strange at all actually. A lot of tea enthusiasts do weigh their tea out before brewing (some might eventually get to the point where they eyeball it, but weighing isn't out of the ordinary). I've seen plenty of "gongfu tea" enjoyers weigh the tea. Now, I'm sure that may be a less common experience in China, but for Westerners brewing loose leaf Chinese tea, I've more often seen scales than not and plenty of loose leaf tea vendors sell scales too
As others have said, lots of the same parameters as coffee (temperature, brew/steeping style and time, etc) that massively affect the taste, and depends on the type of tea, etc.
My favorite vendors tend to be Yunnan Sourcing (they have a .US site for separate warehousing in the US if that's closer to you), New Mexico Tea Co, White2Tea, Bitterleaf Teas, and Liquid Proust (admittedly this is more a boutique/experimental vendor), among a few others too. Note that the ones based in China can take some time to get the tea to you- and the tariff situation has made things messy- though a lot of vendors now do a special type of shipping where they cover any tariff costs to simplify things- just make sure to double-check any vendor- if you go down this road (or stick to vendors that have stock more geographically convenient to you)
99% of my tea experience is of loose leaf, plain/non-flavored teas, brewed either gongfu style or long steeps (Western style) in a teapot, I also don't add milk or anything- which I think is going to be more common with red/black tea and typical Western tea consumption- nothing wrong with it of course, but it's definitely optional. As opinionated about it all as I may be- the best tea is the tea you like to drink- so if that means adding milk, honey, or enjoying a flavored tea, or an herbal tisane, then more power to you
All that to say, there's multiple paths/roads to go down for enjoying tea, including as a coffee replacement, so find what works for you. All depends on what you want out of it (new hobby? deep dive? nerdy? or just a coffee replacement you can make without thinking about it, etc)
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Comment on Affinity V3 is here with a new freemium model in ~design
0x29A (edited )LinkThis has been a massive bummer. New product contains an AI chatbot that cannot be disabled (or so I have been told, maybe at least it requires a subscription for it to bother you), I specifically...This has been a massive bummer. New product contains an AI chatbot that cannot be disabled (or so I have been told, maybe at least it requires a subscription for it to bother you), I specifically bought V2 to support a company with one-time purchase costs, no subscriptions, and reasonable licensing, all for them to throw all that goodwill away by enshittifying through acquisition, and now, AI and subscription infiltration.
It was a good run. I am sticking with my v2 as long as possible and just dread the day they no longer activate or run after some future OS update.
I don't even care about the "promises" they're making to v2 users- because I've seen too many companies eventually break those promises. There is NO WAY it will be this way permanently going forward. They're starting to boil the frog and it's only a matter of time. Canva's wishes will eventually take priority over any of ex-Serif's voices, even if it takes five years to get there. They'll smile and welcome you in now and stab you in the back later.
It's the beginning of the end for Affinity and I will have no part in it, nor will I recommend them to anyone ever again, at least not freely, only rarely and begrudgingly. They are the lesser of two evils now I suppose because F Adobe til kingdom come, but still, the only way I would mention them is if someone wanted to avoid Adobe.
Edit: Also, lack of backward compatibility with v2, which to me is a clear (negative) way of trying to incentivize upgrades leaves a really bad taste
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
0x29A (edited )Link ParentI think that's different, and your awareness of the reason for the nostalgia and the specific way in which you feel it keeps it benign. Maybe "unexamined nostalgia" is where the danger really...I think that's different, and your awareness of the reason for the nostalgia and the specific way in which you feel it keeps it benign.
Maybe "unexamined nostalgia" is where the danger really lies. Because I do think there is a subset of people, particularly those that grew up during the particular time involved- that end up feeling like for example "things were better in the 80s and 90s", but that feeling for many is because they were privileged kids/teens during that time that didn't have to deal with (or feel affected by) the politics and reality of that era so to them it's this "less political" / simple time they look back on fondly and I think that feeling is preyed on once you're an adult (by media, politicians, etc)
It also feels like it's so easy for a given industry/marketing/etc to hook into peoples' nostalgia that they'll pay money to chase that feeling and even knowing it works on me sometimes, it still feels gross from time to time
Then again, maybe a lot of nostalgia is just fine and not that deep and is simply just for fun (retro computing groups, playing really old games, watching old media) and I get that too, but I think it's worth dissecting things we often take for granted as fine
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
0x29A (edited )LinkIt works on me sometimes, for good or bad. I realize I am susceptible to it, both in positive and negative ways. I think at times it can be okay if consumed/approached carefully. Occasionally it...It works on me sometimes, for good or bad. I realize I am susceptible to it, both in positive and negative ways.
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I think at times it can be okay if consumed/approached carefully. Occasionally it can be used to make creative and good things. We can appreciate art/works/etc from the past and new works that reference those or are based on them. We can fondly look back at some good days we had in our youth, or whatnot, as long as all of this is done with restraint and not let it poison our approach to the future, but rather inform it. If we get to the point where we're solely running on the fumes of nostalgia and not able to appreciate anything current, I think that's dangerous
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I do think there's a subversive nature to some nostalgia that is used to lure us into a sense of feeling like there's a "good 'ole days" to which we should return, which can be a very dangerous sentiment. It can sometimes lean towards a rose-tinted-glasses view of the past that actually romanticizes consumerism too (like vaporwave aesthetic's fondness of Pepsi or other brands). I don't necessarily want to veer this commentary far down the road of talking about fascism/politics/etc- but there are some parallels to "longing for the past" and I do think nostalgia is intertwined with some dangerous thinking
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I also think that it can often be weaponized as a cash-grab by exploiting peoples' love of particular things without providing them something solid in return. It can also then water down existing properties with its infiltration.
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I think there is a middle, and careful, way to approach all of it, in ways that can appreciate experiences, products, and artworks of the past while remaining self-aware of the bigger picture.
Ultimately, I find nostalgia not necessarily inherently bad, but exploited, complicated and not without its dangers.
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Comment on Drinking coffee from a cup made of coffee in ~food
0x29A LinkLoved this and found the channel via a NightHawkinLight video about DIY bioplasticsLoved this and found the channel via a NightHawkinLight video about DIY bioplastics
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Comment on What is happening to Japan? in ~tech
0x29A Link Parent"We used to program the algorithms, now they're programming us""We used to program the algorithms, now they're programming us"
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Comment on Controllers that work well with CachyOS? in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentThe Linux landscape is so broad that my specific anecdotal experience with particular controllers and connection methods might not reflect the broader overall feel towards controllers on Linux....The Linux landscape is so broad that my specific anecdotal experience with particular controllers and connection methods might not reflect the broader overall feel towards controllers on Linux. Whether it's a different combo of drivers, kernels and other system tweaks or something else.
I had problems with both a wireless 8bitdo Pro 2 and a wireless Machinike G5 Pro, and gave up after that, but I am on an older OS/kernel, not on an Arch base, and from the replies of others here I am convinced my particular experience might have just been a rather unlucky one.
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Comment on Controllers that work well with CachyOS? in ~tech
0x29A (edited )Link ParentMy 8bitdo wired's rumble works well. All first-party controllers I have used rumble just fine. I had a Machenike G5 Pro that got no rumble out of the box. To get rumble working on it required...My 8bitdo wired's rumble works well. All first-party controllers I have used rumble just fine.
I had a Machenike G5 Pro that got no rumble out of the box. To get rumble working on it required special udev rules, editing a quirks file to fix how the controller reports itself, etc. After all of this I still don't think it was perfect. I think ultimately the manufacturer botched the controller firmware and the quirk was a bandaid on that. One of the controller's vendors was willing to take some info I collected and do a write-up of the fix though, so I was glad to have a hand in that happening.
Interesting to know the first-party dongle works great for you, at least that might be one option for some.
I can't go back to first-party controllers myself because I need one of the drift-resistant technologies which have finally solved drift issues for me that I have had now with 2-3 first-party replacements
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Comment on Controllers that work well with CachyOS? in ~tech
0x29A (edited )LinkI use an 8bitdo Ultimate (wired, though, specifically) on Kubuntu 22.04, but I did have to wrestle with it a bit to get it to work, IIRC. It's currently using the xone driver and works perfectly...I use an 8bitdo Ultimate (wired, though, specifically) on Kubuntu 22.04, but I did have to wrestle with it a bit to get it to work, IIRC. It's currently using the xone driver and works perfectly for me using that.
I've so far, never had a solid experience on Linux using wireless controllers, which is specifically why I use this wired model actually. Previous controllers I've had were more consistent in wired mode too.
Maybe there are wireless ones that work consistently, but I don't mind wires so I decided to abandon the convenience. Generally with wireless I've had pairing problems, problems keeping it paired, and latency / choppiness / freezing problems even once paired successfully.
Yes! This does happen to me and I've never been able to fully explain it! I never have autoplay enabled, so I never automatically get taken to other videos on any device, nor let videos play in such a way. I'm very picky and intentional about what I choose to play and how-so
I have thought, at one point, it was due to my mouse hovering over a video in a results list or sidebar, and it starting to play a video in the thumbnail- however this was quickly disproven by the fact that a number of videos that I've never played that showed as partially watched were significantly long and indicated that I had watched an hour or more of them. Unless hovering (even for a split second when scrolling a page) causes it to scrub to a particular place in the middle of the video, and even if that's done for a second, it considers said video 'watched up to that point', but that seems wild and implausible to me.
I do use a number of browser extensions, including some that help remember my place in videos without Youtube's help, or modify Youtube in certain ways, and I thought maybe some bug from them could be interfering, but it would not explain me seeing videos I've never even browsed to or searched for previously marked as partially-watched. There is also no common denominator between the various videos that have been "watched" that I've never watched, no common theme or content, or anything.
It's always a search result or recommendation, and it always seems rather random.