Arshan's recent activity
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Comment on How to start a DnD campaign with your friends? in ~games.tabletop
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Comment on What are the best, most interesting TV shows from outside the US? in ~tv
Arshan LinkI highly recommend Kingdom. Its a Korean period piece that is set during the Josean era. It is beautifully shot, and all the costumes are amazing. Season 2 also just came out, so I highly...I highly recommend Kingdom. Its a Korean period piece that is set during the Josean era. It is beautifully shot, and all the costumes are amazing. Season 2 also just came out, so I highly recommend catching up.
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Comment on Life during the outbreak in ~talk
Arshan LinkI live in the middle of the US, and this weekend was the first time I noticed anything in my day to day life. I went grocery shopping and so many food staples were just gone; I got the LAST bag of...I live in the middle of the US, and this weekend was the first time I noticed anything in my day to day life. I went grocery shopping and so many food staples were just gone; I got the LAST bag of rice. One of my roomates worked from home today. Other than that, my current intentional unemployment means that I haven't been getting out that much anyway, and I am not worried about losing a job.
I considered the odds of a significant infectious outbreak of this scale to be inevitable, so I am not overwhelmed like most people seem to be. To be honest, I thought more people assumed the same; that globalization would lead to a fast moving outbreak at some point. Even historically, it is my understanding that pandemics at a global scale are, roughly, a per century thing.
So, yeah I guess I am personally feeling pretty okay, but I do hope everyone in more serious situations can find some peace.
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Comment on What's the longest running quandary/debate you've had with yourself? in ~talk
Arshan Link ParentI know I have heard that term before, but it never clicked for me. It felt weird to categorize myself around not caring about something, though I don't care about sportsball either. :)I know I have heard that term before, but it never clicked for me. It felt weird to categorize myself around not caring about something, though I don't care about sportsball either. :)
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Comment on What's the longest running quandary/debate you've had with yourself? in ~talk
Arshan Link ParentI was in the same boat as you for a long time; I wondered about the nature of existence and if a creator is necessary. I was raised as a catholic, but I fairly quickly moved closer to agnosticism....I was in the same boat as you for a long time; I wondered about the nature of existence and if a creator is necessary. I was raised as a catholic, but I fairly quickly moved closer to agnosticism. Eventually, I rested on the idea that something must be uncaused, something must always be. Most people anthropomorphize this uncaused cause and worship it; I prefer to simply "deify" matter / energy and go about my day. I uncomfortably rested on this assumption for a long time.
However at some point ( I honestly don't remember when), it just clicked in my brain that it didn't matter what the answer was. I do exist, in whatever way we exist; the how is unanswerable. To be clear, I am not saying there isn't an answer, just that we can never know it. Mormans could be 100% right about everything, but there is no way for any of us to know that. Atheists could be a 100% right, but the atheistic world is not discernably different from the Morman world. We are born, do some stuff and then die, probably within a 100 rotations of a rock around a really big ball of energy. Does the why matter?
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Comment on Coming up with a good personal domain name in ~creative
Arshan LinkWell, I have been in a similar search for a while. But, I have found online identity name that I like! It is PersonNonGrata. It is a hypothetical eggcorn of a latin phrase. I also took it because...Well, I have been in a similar search for a while. But, I have found online identity name that I like! It is PersonNonGrata. It is a hypothetical eggcorn of a latin phrase. I also took it because apparently no one else has used it as a username on most platforms. Its not perfect, I could see it coming off as kinda edgy, but it is good enough. I hope you can find a name that works for you.
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Comment on Which are your top five computer programs? in ~comp
Arshan LinkEmacs: Most customizable text editor / video player / web browser / shell / window manager MPV: Clean and customizable video player Firefox: Best browser Fish: Modern bash replacement i3: Tiling...- Emacs: Most customizable text editor / video player / web browser / shell / window manager
- MPV: Clean and customizable video player
- Firefox: Best browser
- Fish: Modern bash replacement
- i3: Tiling windows manager that just works
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Comment on How do you get over Impostor Syndrome, especially in romantic relationships? in ~talk
Arshan (edited )LinkI can comiserate on insecurities when it comes to romantic relationships; it is the predominat reason I have never been in a serious romantic relationship, so this doesn't speak directly on...I can comiserate on insecurities when it comes to romantic relationships; it is the predominat reason I have never been in a serious romantic relationship, so this doesn't speak directly on imposter syndrome. I have gotten over the worst of my insecurities with time. My personal method for overcoming them was to acknowledge that they were vague and meaningless. But overall, I would recommend talking to the person that feels out of your league as @vivaria mentioned. Assuming you are in a romantic relationship, there are real reasons that they want to be in the relationship as well.
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Comment on Iran's Qassem Soleimani killed in US airstrike at Baghdad airport in ~news
Arshan LinkSo, I used to be really into Middle Eastern Geopolitics. Soleimani is huge in the region; he is the face of Iran's military expansion over the last decade. He has been on the ground in both Syria...So, I used to be really into Middle Eastern Geopolitics. Soleimani is huge in the region; he is the face of Iran's military expansion over the last decade. He has been on the ground in both Syria and Iraq. He is the leader of the Quds force, Iran's equivalant to the US' Green Berets, as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the actual military of Iran. He is not a low level figure. He is equivalant to at least a US head of a military branch, probably closer to the secretary of defense. If any country publically assassainated a US secretary of defense, it would rightfully be considered an act of war. Its possible Ayatollah Khamenei will not respond in kind, but especially with the protests in Novemeber, he will not want to cave to US aggression. He also gave an ultimatum; three days of mourning and then retaliation. I guess will see on Monday if I need to burn my draft card.
So far 2020 really fucking sucks
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Comment on Mansplaining convention coming to Orlando promises to 'Make Women Great Again' in ~life
Arshan LinkIf this is a some omen of the next decade, we are fucked. As far as I can tell, this is not a joke or satire or performance art. This is a group of alt-right and mens' rights influencers giving a...If this is a some omen of the next decade, we are fucked. As far as I can tell, this is not a joke or satire or performance art. This is a group of alt-right and mens' rights influencers giving a serious conference. I read through the convention's entire main page. I recognize Mike Cernovich and Stefan Molyneux as real people in the this sphere of people.
Now, using the terminology of "progressivism", I don't what else to call it, in a mocking tone is nothing new to the alt-right. But this takes it too such a meta level, I don't know if I can process it. It is a conference for a bunch of idiots with dicks to talk down to women. The line that got to me was
These clever manipulations were designed to weed you out of the gene pool
It is just so unabashedly pro-eugenics. Man, the existence of this conference hard bums me out.
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Comment on What does your ideal life look like? in ~talk
Arshan LinkI have been thinking about this a lot recently. I don't have many specifics, but here are the few specifics that I do have: I would like to have between $500,000 to $20,000,000 USD in wealth. This...I have been thinking about this a lot recently. I don't have many specifics, but here are the few specifics that I do have:
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I would like to have between $500,000 to $20,000,000 USD in wealth. This is the range of money that I know I can live off the interest from indefinately.
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I need to either be self-employed or run my own business, which would have to be a worker cooperative. I feel myself slowly dying in the corporate environment.
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I want to spend a significant period of time living a nomad life style. It is something I have dreamed about since I was kid, and I'd like to know one way or another if I enjoy it.
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Comment on How do you organize your digital files? in ~tech
Arshan LinkI have been tinkering on my backup system for months now. Right now, I am using Backblaze B2 and rsync; its dirt cheap and works. But the data isn't encrypted at rest and it is fairly fragile. So,...I have been tinkering on my backup system for months now. Right now, I am using Backblaze B2 and rsync; its dirt cheap and works. But the data isn't encrypted at rest and it is fairly fragile. So, I am slowly switching to ZFS as the filesystem and trying out snapshots. I am also looking at rsync.net for the storage, as I do love me some open-source tools. I am also looking into git-annex for a more versatile software component.
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Comment on I'm freaking out and need advice in ~talk
Arshan Link ParentI work a technical support job; it's incredibly boring, but it has given me time to get a feel for adulting. It pays ~$20 per hour, so its decent pay for a single person.I work a technical support job; it's incredibly boring, but it has given me time to get a feel for adulting. It pays ~$20 per hour, so its decent pay for a single person.
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Comment on I'm freaking out and need advice in ~talk
Arshan Link ParentI have 3 roomates that I didn't know before moving in. Overall, its nice to have people around, but I don't have much in common with them, so we don't really hang out.I have 3 roomates that I didn't know before moving in. Overall, its nice to have people around, but I don't have much in common with them, so we don't really hang out.
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Comment on I'm freaking out and need advice in ~talk
Arshan LinkAs someone who recently started living on their own, I can offer that perspective. So, I was also scared shitless of maintaining a life, the cooking my meals, the paying the rent and all the other...As someone who recently started living on their own, I can offer that perspective. So, I was also scared shitless of maintaining a life, the cooking my meals, the paying the rent and all the other stuff. But after a few months of it, I am pretty comfortable with it. You get used to those things, and since they are actually pretty straighfoward, it gets easy just to breeze through them. Its not super practical advice, but I can say that it gets easier.
On some of your wider concerns about not having a "passion", I feel you. I have never had a good response to people when they ask me that. I've always felt that some people just don't think in that way. There is also the cynical part of me that just assumes people with a Passion for <insert cool AND meaningful thing!!> are just being performative. I am just trying to figure out what I enjoy and do that for a while. If it changes, cool.
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Comment on Til Death do us Blart podcast in ~movies
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Til Death do us Blart podcast
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The Real Class War
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Comment on Pour one out for the Steam Controller, now on closeout sale for just $5 plus shipping in ~games
Arshan LinkLike a lot of people, I just bought one, becuase $13 is cheap enough. I have intermittant RSI issues, so I have always been interested in one. Could also be fun to hack around with.Like a lot of people, I just bought one, becuase $13 is cheap enough. I have intermittant RSI issues, so I have always been interested in one. Could also be fun to hack around with.
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Comment on Tesla "Cybertruck" Unveiling Livestream: Event starts 8PM PT in ~tech
Arshan LinkI kinda like the look... I definitely wouldn't call it a good looking car, but it is a crazy, fun type of ugly. I wouldn't buy one, but I wouldn't buy any truck.I kinda like the look... I definitely wouldn't call it a good looking car, but it is a crazy, fun type of ugly. I wouldn't buy one, but I wouldn't buy any truck.
I have played alot of 5th edition D&D and also DM'ed for a few short running campaigns.
I started in a homebrewed campaign with some friends in college. We never used pre-generated characters, and I personally highly recommend it. Making your own character forces you to learn the basic rules around that class. Also, assuming you are starting at level 1, there aren't to many choices; it is mostly just race, class and background. Writing their own character also makes them much more connected and invested in them, which is the most important in the beginning.
I wasn't gently introduced at all, but as a DM I tried to. My main strategy was to work with the players on their characters to make sure they understood the core functions of their character class. I also cannot recommend a session 0 enough, especially for a new group. Session 0 is a session before the campaign start to make sure everyone is on the same page and to run through the basic rules. I also like to run through a background event for each character during the session. It is a simple thing like they fought off a childhood bully or had to sneak past a prision guard, but they use their class features. It helps them dip their feet in with zero stakes and makes them feel more connected to the character.
I can only say that there will be unpredictable situations. Your party will almost certainly kill someone important to the plot or run off to another continent or build an airship. It is helpful to expect it and to have some rough ideas of the world around them to able to make up a response in the moment.
Ever player will enjoy different aspects of the game in different amounts, so I like to make sure each session has a little bit of everything. You don't need to have a full-blown combat each session, but maybe give the violent approach as an option with consquences of course. My favorite part of D&D is the complete freedom to do anything I can think of. It will probably fail, but that is half the fun. The big thing is to make sure you are thinking about everyone having a good time.