0x29A's recent activity
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
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Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
0x29A (edited )LinkCassettes for me are a nice relatively small physical "trinket" / memorandum / merch piece (like a shirt or otherwise) if I want to have a physical copy of an album that isn't as expensive as...Cassettes for me are a nice relatively small physical "trinket" / memorandum / merch piece (like a shirt or otherwise) if I want to have a physical copy of an album that isn't as expensive as vinyl. So for certain records I'll sometimes get the cassette (which very often comes with a digital copy anyway- since most of my purchases are from bandcamp or similar).
I doubt I will ever play my cassettes but I leave the option open. I've thought about getting a decent used cassette deck for the purpose, but for older-style physical media that I'd actually play, I'll probably stick to vinyl for the occasional physical experience. Most of my music listening is digital regardless, but I do like physical (and analog) media, but I definitely prefer vinyl for that. Tapes just aren't in general a great experience in a number of ways, but I could see myself "enjoying it for what it is" with a cassette deck. Sometimes the jankiness is part of the joy.
I do these days (while having YT Premium and rarely using streaming that comes with it with YTM) almost always play mp3 files when I want to listen to music. On PC or any device in the house it is local mp3s streamed from a in-home music server or on the device directly. In my car, it's a USB SSD full of mp3s. On the go, I often save a subset of my library to my phone/device and use that directly. I definitely like the experience more sans streaming, but occasionally it can come in handy, especially if I don't feel like sailing the high seas for a quick listen or something, if it's not something I've yet decided to purchase.
I always buy music or merch as my way of supporting the (especially smaller) artists I want to support, knowing a single album purchase is worth thousands of song streams in terms of revenue. Feels much better to throw them a few bucks they'd never remotely see if I'm streaming it
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Comment on Faetooth - Labyrinthine (2025) in ~music
0x29A LinkThoroughly enjoy this doomgaze band. Album just released in early september. Dark, haunting, great dynamics, perfect for fall weather. Bandcamp LinkThoroughly enjoy this doomgaze band. Album just released in early september.
Dark, haunting, great dynamics, perfect for fall weather.
Bandcamp Link -
Faetooth - Labyrinthine (2025)
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (October 2025) in ~health.mental
0x29A (edited )Link ParentI am. Yeah, and for many, especially a lot of those in power in the US, the cruelty is part of the point. Of course our country's history is filled to the brim with it- so in a lot of ways its...I am. Yeah, and for many, especially a lot of those in power in the US, the cruelty is part of the point. Of course our country's history is filled to the brim with it- so in a lot of ways its nothing new, but there's a visceral closeness/realness that the cruelty has when it's extremely forward and overt and not even trying to hide itself behind any disguise. Our country has been in that kind of place before too, but the horror is very real when we're there again and its laughing right in our face, and with a very... peculiar / harsh / ignorant rhetoric to go along with it and when we see it hurting those we care for
Yes, part of the despair I feel daily is the inaction you speak of- because in the face of these massive problems, cruelty, and horrors backed by money and power- it feels pretty helpless a lot of the time- and I get it- the awfulness of the the entire social system (jobs, money, etc) that we're working in often saps our energy to the point it feels we don't have time or energy to do something to help
But, at other times, and I'm glad you got at least a small bit of it from my prior comment- I realize how many of us there are that do care and want to help things change and don't want to let the horrors overtake us- and that even now, in other countries, or the open seas, or in communities across the US- the power of the people can and has before overcome awful things and every day there are people doing what they feel they can. In a structure rigged against us, even if what you can do feels small, it can still chip away at the horrors.
And I think it's definitely good to remind ourselves (talking to myself a TON here), that a single donation to a local mutual aid group often can accomplish far more than a few hours of doomscrolling, or there are a million small ways, that even with limited time or resources, or very specific needs/abilities, people can find to take small actions for good- and the more of these millions of small good things that add up, the bigger our power gets. So even if you do something that feels insignificant, realize it's one small, important piece that makes up a massive collective movement for good things.
Hell, even if it's as simple as making art, or talking to a neighbor, or some small random act of kindness, or sharing knowledge and skills, or just finding moments of joy in spite of everything- every little bit helps because each bit of that is in direct opposition to what the cruel want. Finding community and like minds and helping others, and just building connections and, where reasonable/possible, hopefully that helps both pull some other people out of the horror and/or helps them see things in a new light, if they're reachable
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (October 2025) in ~health.mental
0x29A (edited )LinkNot great, honestly. But just pushing through. Taken much longer to move than originally planned, been without a job a lot longer than planned, and even then I still don't miss the mental health I...Not great, honestly. But just pushing through. Taken much longer to move than originally planned, been without a job a lot longer than planned, and even then I still don't miss the mental health I was dealing with at the time and how leaving really helped. And now, with the country the way it is, tech the way it is (AI BS, etc), and the job market in general the way it is, it feels pretty damn hopeless. But I've still got my focus on some options. Getting moved is the big key thing. After that, I don't care if I'm working some simple middling-paying job packing boxes or stocking stuff in the back of a small business or whatever that just pays enough to get by- I don't mind a simple life, and I'll be closer to some family I want to be more near, and in a better place a number of ways.
Still yet, each week I'm making some progress towards the move and towards finishing this big life change "era" of my life, nearing 40 years old. Call it a midlife crisis or whatever if you must.
Despite that though, having hard time focusing and working on things I need to to actually get my ass moved and get out of where I am and all sorts of things. I'm finding it just very difficult to have the necessary function to do what needs done, and more quickly, and anxiety + doom (from the weight of all going on in the world, near and far) + etc etc etc a lot of it piles on top of me psychologically pretty quickly sometimes.
I just.. despite mentally/physically/etc being in a somewhat better place than I was in my last job, I've not been able to properly wrangle in my unemployed time properly, so I traded one kind of mental struggle for another. I'll eventually get through it and I have family/friends to stay in touch with to navigate this, but it sure has been a slog and will continue to be... and I just... hate how everything currently is about the world and society and the US, and all this.
The awfulness of the world is very real and very intimately and deeply affecting me more than it ever has before. I think it's because I've increased my awareness of what's going on by a lot, because compared to 15 years ago, my outlook on the world is much different, I know many more people affected by what is going on, and am affected in ways myself, despite my privilege, etc. It's far more "real" to me than it ever has been because I used privilege to ignore things for a long time, and it just so happens the years where I've become most plugged into it all, are years where it's really gotten bad (again)
So, overall, very much a metronome teetering between hopeless and hopeful, between feeling stalled and feeling movement, between sadness and a fire underneath my ass. It's just wild how far that pendulum swings from day to day.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
0x29A LinkThe Arsonist | Sodom Lord of Two Horns | DRAWN AND QUARTERED | Nuclear Winter Records LYKOFOS | LYKOFOS Ekstasis of Subterranean Currents | Thanatorean Pruning of the Lower Limbs | Moving... -
Comment on Bluesky melts down over Jesse Singal in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentYeah, after seeing this open mockery/deflection of people with legitimate concerns about harassers/doxxers I am inclined to leave.Yeah, after seeing this open mockery/deflection of people with legitimate concerns about harassers/doxxers I am inclined to leave.
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Comment on Sloan - Money City Maniacs (1998) in ~music
0x29A LinkThis is a band I've never dived deep into, heard them talked about in passing multiple times on podcasts, and have always enjoyed when I've gone to listen to a few songs here or there. Apparently...This is a band I've never dived deep into, heard them talked about in passing multiple times on podcasts, and have always enjoyed when I've gone to listen to a few songs here or there. Apparently they're bigger than I realized (at least in Canada, I guess?).
Love when they harmonize, especially. It tickles my brain.
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Comment on imgur.com geoblocks the UK in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentGreat point- it helps reframe the conversation outside of just the stigmatized things it impacts. Sadly I feel like porn/etc is purposely used as a way to try to reduce/deflect complaints about...Great point- it helps reframe the conversation outside of just the stigmatized things it impacts. Sadly I feel like porn/etc is purposely used as a way to try to reduce/deflect complaints about these kinds of laws because they know for a fact less people will be inclined to loudly defend them.
The stigma around such things should be fought, of course, but especially for OSA in particular, the broadness of its application is one of the massive problems with it and it deserves to be criticized and complained about on its own dystopian terms
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Comment on imgur.com geoblocks the UK in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentI agree, I feel like these kinds of responses are the kind that actually enact some decent pressure due to how it impacts everyone, including some of those making the decisions about these laws-...I agree, I feel like these kinds of responses are the kind that actually enact some decent pressure due to how it impacts everyone, including some of those making the decisions about these laws- and if not them, if the services are widely-used enough, it builds pressure from the general public too
It makes the effects of such legislation very tangible
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Comment on Swedish black metallers Watain have announced that their upcoming eighth studio album will be their final collection of new material in ~music
0x29A LinkWhen I listened to them regularly, I did enjoy some of the older records, and while I haven't seen them live, I have seen video and think they do the atmosphere well, but I feel like they fell off...When I listened to them regularly, I did enjoy some of the older records, and while I haven't seen them live, I have seen video and think they do the atmosphere well, but I feel like they fell off pretty hard. Nothing after Lawless Darkness was anything I could ever get into. I also think they've gotten overly hyped for what they are, which is a good-to-mid Dissection-worship black metal band that due to their popularity, a lot of other bands have tried to follow. If I want "popular" / "big" black metal, I'd much prefer Necrophobic
Their symbolism definitely aligns with their beliefs. They are sincere- a lot of symbolism and stuff in black metal isn't always this way, but in this case, they are indeed theistic Satanists with connections to the occult, just like Dissection was.
I will say, one thing they've always had mostly on-point is their art- and that's thanks to artist Zbigniew M. Bielak
They're also not a band I revisit much now, nor would I actively recommend them to anyone because I have some pretty stringent personal rules about recommending/advertising bands when it comes to their connections/politics/beliefs/etc and their Dissection-worship and adjacency to some fashy occult stuff (MLO/TotBL) - they've had some good comments, some bad, and some iffy behaviors I'm not a fan of-
I'll leave it there- it's something I could go into detail on but probably not necessary here. Much of my music finding/listening and sharing with others and so on has led me to be fairly thorough in my checking if said music is sketchy, so I'm used to discussing that kind of thing at length.
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Comment on Castle Rat - The Bestiary (2025) in ~music
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Comment on Samsung confirms its $1,800+ fridges will start showing you ads in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentAt that point I would be buying old used stuff (like I would with cars too). I have no doubt things will worsen to the point that it will be unavoidable at some point in time. But I will make the...At that point I would be buying old used stuff (like I would with cars too). I have no doubt things will worsen to the point that it will be unavoidable at some point in time. But I will make the best of the present, and do my best for my remaining days on Earth not to surrender to the nonsense
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Comment on Samsung confirms its $1,800+ fridges will start showing you ads in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentIf my fridge ever has any functions that require "settings" other than temperature knobs/dials, and at MOST, a button to dispense water or ice, I have purchased the wrong, and overcomplicated, fridge.If my fridge ever has any functions that require "settings" other than temperature knobs/dials, and at MOST, a button to dispense water or ice, I have purchased the wrong, and overcomplicated, fridge.
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Comment on Samsung confirms its $1,800+ fridges will start showing you ads in ~tech
0x29A (edited )Link ParentThis very much depends on what you're used to. I'm used to a no-frills (no water dispenser, etc) fridge, and you can buy 30 cu. ft. basic/standard models for like $700 at Home Depot. There is...This very much depends on what you're used to. I'm used to a no-frills (no water dispenser, etc) fridge, and you can buy 30 cu. ft. basic/standard models for like $700 at Home Depot. There is absolutely no way I'd be spending $1800 on a fridge. Maybe it's normal for larger homes and kitchens and what not, but I've never, and my family has never, had a ton of money or spent that money on appliances so any of those massive $1200+ fridges are very much unnecessary "luxury" items to me.
IMO the more complicated they are, the harder they are to repair, and the more things they have that can break, and I don't trust overly expensive, over complicated stuff to seem to last a long time these days either
It will always be basic stuff for me, even if I have to go with "used" models, just so they can continue to be repairable and built well.
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Comment on Samsung confirms its $1,800+ fridges will start showing you ads in ~tech
0x29A (edited )Link ParentYeah and I'm sure we'll get there eventually. Hopefully it will be long enough that I'll never have to experience it.Yeah and I'm sure we'll get there eventually. Hopefully it will be long enough that I'll never have to experience it.
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Comment on Samsung confirms its $1,800+ fridges will start showing you ads in ~tech
0x29A (edited )LinkGoing to attempt to never own a fridge, for one, that costs that much, but secondly, never one with a screen on it for as long as I live, and certainly not any Samsung products in general....Going to attempt to never own a fridge, for one, that costs that much, but secondly, never one with a screen on it for as long as I live, and certainly not any Samsung products in general. Hopefully the same with any/all appliances. Most smart stuff can stay the f far away from me, or honestly, anything with screens or touchscreens at all that don't need them (dishwashers, dryers, washers, fridges, microwaves, toasters, cars, etc...)
In the early-mid days of SSDs they had some solid efforts, but outside of that, no interest in the brand at all
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentYeah I am referring to that same problem- nausea, etc. I would consider that iced tea, yeah, a form of it at least.Yeah I am referring to that same problem- nausea, etc.
I would consider that iced tea, yeah, a form of it at least.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
0x29A Link ParentNice! I do the reverse typically. I do coffee in the mornings and then often a tea in the afternoon. I find the coffee sits easier on my stomach than the tea for early morning hours (depends on...Nice! I do the reverse typically. I do coffee in the mornings and then often a tea in the afternoon. I find the coffee sits easier on my stomach than the tea for early morning hours (depends on the tea, though, of course), and I want my biggest punch of caffeine in the morning and a smaller one in the afternoon.
Loose leaf is what I drink- all kinds of teas, including plenty of green teas.
These probably sit somewhere in-between creative and technical, but:
Continuing down the 3D printing rabbit hole. Designed and printed some brackets to hold some USB PC fans up above my router, pointing air down at it and the hardware on its sides (modem + miniPC server). The brackets clip to the top of the router and cradle the fans.
Planning on printing some brackets to clip onto the drain tray that goes around my A-frame inside coil of my HVAC system so that the filters that lay on each side of the coil don't dip down into the drainage tray, causing them to wick up moisture and grow mold. The brackets will provide a nice little platform / catch for the bottom edge of the filters to rest on, while keeping them elevated enough not to touch the moisture
Re-did my online presence on the web. Moved my music blog to its own domain, kept it on bearblog. Moved my personal site to a static host and just using HTML/CSS there. I wanted to keep the frictionless writing of using a blog platform for the music posts since they're the most often/common, but break outside of a platform and use HTML/CSS so I have more control for my personal site for creating types of pages bearblog wasn't really designed for (and for things where markdown just isn't adequate or desired)