Apex's recent activity
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Comment on Advice on avoiding the hedonic treadmill of endless content? in ~life
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Comment on Stranger Things finale discussion in ~tv
Apex Link ParentIt’s the Vecna plot line - he gives Kas, his lieutenant, a powerful sword, and Kas ends up turning on him and using the sword to kill him.It’s the Vecna plot line - he gives Kas, his lieutenant, a powerful sword, and Kas ends up turning on him and using the sword to kill him.
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Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk
Apex LinkI am way, way too into tabletop RPGs. I started playing a little of AD&D back in Boy Scouts when I was young, then played some 3e back in my teens. I had a very long break where I didn’t play...I am way, way too into tabletop RPGs. I started playing a little of AD&D back in Boy Scouts when I was young, then played some 3e back in my teens. I had a very long break where I didn’t play anything until 2018, then started running 5e as a DM for several campaigns until a couple years ago. I found that 5e seemed overly complicated to run and stressful (I was also having panic attacks around that time, probably unrelated) and started expanding into other games, and heavily into AD&D, B/X, and other OSR games. I’ve also acquired a lot of the 3e books, tons of Call of Cthulhu, Traveler, Warhammer Fantasy, etc. Whenever I find or get into a new game, I tend to obtain every single book for that game and/or edition in new/mint/near mint condition, and definitely try to get any special editions of a book, even if the game likely won’t see play at my table because others I know tend to be a one-game type of person. I bought a Wyrmwood modular gaming table during their first Kickstarter, and all in all I’m probably 10s of thousands of dollars into the hobby.
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Comment on Are you still using social media? in ~tech
Apex Link ParentI’ve never heard of discuit until now, thanks!I’ve never heard of discuit until now, thanks!
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Comment on Gift recommendations in ~life
Apex Link ParentI opened a can with a can opener, held the can lid in one hand, and was attempting to scrape some food off of it onto a plate when the scraper nudged the can lid, causing it to slide across my thumb 😅I opened a can with a can opener, held the can lid in one hand, and was attempting to scrape some food off of it onto a plate when the scraper nudged the can lid, causing it to slide across my thumb 😅
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Comment on Gift recommendations in ~life
Apex Link ParentYep! Fortunately it ended up okay, didn’t have to remove the entire thumb.Yep! Fortunately it ended up okay, didn’t have to remove the entire thumb.
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Comment on Gift recommendations in ~life
Apex Link ParentAs someone who deeply sliced their thumb open on a can lid just the other day, this can opener just got added to my list.As someone who deeply sliced their thumb open on a can lid just the other day, this can opener just got added to my list.
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Comment on Dr. Glen Jeffery: Using red light to improve your health and the harmful effects of LEDs [Huberman Lab] in ~health
Apex Link ParentIs this something you can do with Hue bulbs, or are those considered cheap LED bulbs?Is this something you can do with Hue bulbs, or are those considered cheap LED bulbs?
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (December 2025) in ~health.mental
Apex LinkI got laid off about two weeks ago from a job I was at for 7 years. Most of my friends work there, my wife works there, and it feels really awkward that this whole piece of my life is just gone...I got laid off about two weeks ago from a job I was at for 7 years. Most of my friends work there, my wife works there, and it feels really awkward that this whole piece of my life is just gone and I can't be there anymore. I've roamed those office halls so many times, had so many conversations, been to so many places in the vicinity.
I was in a deep depression for the first week, and I've gotten out of it, but I'm still not happy yet. I updated my resume and my Linkedin last week, and I'm looking for a small career transition to project management from being a devops engineer. I've applied to a handful of roles, but I haven't gotten any bites or interviews yet, only one rejection (on Thanksgiving!).
I've always been afraid that my stint working in tech was only temporary and I'll end up backsliding back into working a retail job, and trying to change my career to a different role that I don't have formal experience in makes that fear a little more real. I don't believe I would be able to get a new role as a devops engineer in this economy with AI and such, because it's moreso a role I stumbled into and worked at for a long time, but don't have formal software engineering experience, a degree, and I don't think I could pass any whiteboarding exams.
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Comment on Best recommendations for PC couch multiplayer games? in ~games
Apex Link ParentSeconding Towerfall. That’s one of my favorite games.Seconding Towerfall. That’s one of my favorite games.
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Comment on Tips/guides to turn my home into a smart home? in ~tech
Apex LinkEnsure your internet backbone is strong. Hardwired Ethernet, if possible, is superior over wi-fi options. I dropped cash to get a Ubiquiti Dream Machine, their access points, doorbells, and...Ensure your internet backbone is strong. Hardwired Ethernet, if possible, is superior over wi-fi options. I dropped cash to get a Ubiquiti Dream Machine, their access points, doorbells, and cameras when I first bought my home. Only the router and APs I found absolutely essential.
I’ve had Hue bulbs in a previous apartment, and they’re a good low-effort smart home introduction, though I do find that they can be a bit slow to turn on, though that may just be Siri and how terrible it is. I’m trying to move onto Lutron switches here over time, as they don’t rely on WiFi and are more resilient. There are new bulbs out there that you can manually switch to different brightness/color as you like, so although that’s not a smart option, if it’s something you’re interested in you could always use it with a Lutron switch.
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Comment on Death in D&D 5e, the various revival spells, and their impact on the game in ~games.tabletop
Apex (edited )LinkI have such an issue with the culture of play for 5e that’s very…player-centric in that everything seems engineered to prevent them from experiencing lasting consequences. Both the healing system...I have such an issue with the culture of play for 5e that’s very…player-centric in that everything seems engineered to prevent them from experiencing lasting consequences. Both the healing system and the death system/revival spells build up a superheroic level of play that isn’t just fun for me. I’m not out to kill characters, but it should always be on the table, especially if they do something foolish. It shouldn’t however be due to “gotcha” traps, and infrequently to spells, unless it’s somewhat expected (i.e. fighting a lich or a medusa). The leveling is too fast, and the post-level-10 shouldn’t be accelerated just to make players happy. I like an AD&D 2e vibe - heroic. Not OSR-level of potentially frequent death, but so far from the superheroics of 5e where you can charge into every combat and expect to live 90% of the time, which just serves to reinforce combat as the primary solution to all problems.
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Comment on Looking for surreal horror/mindbending in ~books
Apex LinkIf you have remotely any interest in tabletop games, Impossible Landscapes about the King in Yellow for the Delta Green game might be up your alley.If you have remotely any interest in tabletop games, Impossible Landscapes about the King in Yellow for the Delta Green game might be up your alley.
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Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
Apex Link ParentEdited my comment to add some more context. They seem a bit...lost in the sauce, chasing the AI bubble but constantly pivoting to the new hot thing, methodology, etc. It's left a lot of people...Edited my comment to add some more context.
They seem a bit...lost in the sauce, chasing the AI bubble but constantly pivoting to the new hot thing, methodology, etc. It's left a lot of people feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and lost.
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Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
Apex Link ParentThanks for the offer! I'll definitely look into Salesforce developer and see what it entails and how far I can get in qualifying myself for the role. What would I have to read/learn to study up to...Thanks for the offer! I'll definitely look into Salesforce developer and see what it entails and how far I can get in qualifying myself for the role. What would I have to read/learn to study up to take the certification(s)? Do you consider it an easy job?
I feel like my skills are fairly shallow, but they're very wide as I've done lots of cross-functional collaboration within my company and originally came on as Support before moving to Engineering, so I've dealt with all of our product verticals in some way or another.
I find myself a bit disillusioned with tech at the moment and fearful about putting myself out there on the job market, and I think I'm entirely disinterested in any FAANG-related companies as they just seem to lack any morals. Do you have any recommendations on places to look for jobs? I started 7 years ago, and used Built In at the time, and LinkedIn (though I didn't see any return from it).
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Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
Apex (edited )Link ParentMy company is pivoting towards implementing AI in our actual product, as well as more AI tooling, and seems to believe that operational work will just disappear if they shout "AI!" enough. They...My company is pivoting towards implementing AI in our actual product, as well as more AI tooling, and seems to believe that operational work will just disappear if they shout "AI!" enough. They want to eliminate all junior/entry-level roles and only have senior/staff/principal engineers. They also want to use vibe coding design tools and that eliminates need for design associates and juniors (and PMs seem excited to just whip things up themselves without engaging the design team at all).
I will say that I don't dislike AI as a tool - I use it as a pair-coding partner instead of a replacement or just disengage entirely from what I'm coding. I have it explain things, break down concepts, etc., and it's great for generating boilerplate code. I just don't think it should replace people, but act as a force multiplier. Intelligence isn't the same thing as wisdom.
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Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
Apex Link ParentNot a junior, but a base-level Systems Engineer-turning Software Engineer. We've been in a process of skilling up towards software engineering as we've been moved around from an Ops team to an SRE...Not a junior, but a base-level Systems Engineer-turning Software Engineer. We've been in a process of skilling up towards software engineering as we've been moved around from an Ops team to an SRE team to an Infrastructure Services team. Unfortunately, I found out yesterday I'm very likely to be laid off in a few weeks due to AI, so my fears aren't unfounded!
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Comment on CareerBuilder + Monster, which once dominated online job boards, file for bankruptcy in ~finance
Apex Link ParentLast time I job hunted, I also used Built In, but things may have changed. I'm about to be laid off, so inquiring minds want to know.Last time I job hunted, I also used Built In, but things may have changed. I'm about to be laid off, so inquiring minds want to know.
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Comment on Is the AI bubble about to burst? in ~tech
Apex Link ParentI work in a software role where AI is pushed more and more, and for me it’s really all about those economic realities you mention. I’m trying to grow my career within the tech industry and with...I work in a software role where AI is pushed more and more, and for me it’s really all about those economic realities you mention. I’m trying to grow my career within the tech industry and with the implications of AI, I could easily be replaced if my company went that way. With our current political administration and the trending direction, we’ve had little to no chance of UBI or anything like that. They’d sooner replace us all with AI and automation and sit on their pile of gold than give up a single coin.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 16 in ~society
Apex Linkhttps://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/16/trump-mobile-phone-plan.html This could so easily be satire, but somehow it's not. Next up, he'll be selling his bath water.https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/16/trump-mobile-phone-plan.html
This could so easily be satire, but somehow it's not. Next up, he'll be selling his bath water.
My son just turned 1 too, and I love how he picks out books and slaps them down next to me! Even if I'm rereading the same book 5x in a row, it warms my heart. Banana Bop is probably one of his favorites, and then a picture book we made of his favorite people with a page for each member of the family.