BlueKittyMeow's recent activity

  1. Comment on Loved, yet lonely - You might have the unconditional love of family and friends and yet feel deep loneliness. Can philosophy explain why? in ~health.mental

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I think being truly "seen" and fundamentally understood in relationships like the one with your brother are incredible blessings but the other side of that is the feeling of being bereft of that...

    I think being truly "seen" and fundamentally understood in relationships like the one with your brother are incredible blessings but the other side of that is the feeling of being bereft of that and truly understanding how different most other relationships are. Your brother held a piece of who you are inside of him and showed it to you. It's terribly hard and I'm sorry. Other people who will click with you do exist out there, the trouble is we never know how long it will be until we encounter them again. It can feel like being unable to breathe. I dread losing my sister because, while Walt Whitman said he contains multitudes of himselves, people like her and your brother also contain and reflect us.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Is it wise to relapse into an episode before you get treatment? in ~health.mental

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I know this is not the same situation at all, but just on the theme of having someone present with you to help ground you - for ADHD, cleaning or other tasks can be really hard to do alone. My mom...

    I know this is not the same situation at all, but just on the theme of having someone present with you to help ground you - for ADHD, cleaning or other tasks can be really hard to do alone. My mom and my sister and I sit with each other and just the presence helps. For times they can't, there are sometimes videos I'll pull up of people doing a task. I haven't jumped into live streams but those exist too and a group of people all do tasks "alone together", your own video and mic optional. Idk if that would be at all remotely helpful, but I wanted to mention the idea in case it seemed like a tool that you might use. It's called "body doubling" if you want to look into it.

    I also second everyone else - it's more than okay to seek out help at any time. It sounds like this is causing you distress anyway, but you don't need to wait to be in active crisis/"full blown" relapse to do so. I speak as someone who is always relearning that same lesson. You deserve help and you deserve a good quality of life. ✨

    2 votes

  3. Comment on Physical keyboard for android phone? in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
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    This question plagues me! I keep revisiting it periodically. I've diagramed how I would program a braille style one handed input using cherry switches, tried some gestural wearables that are tap...

    This question plagues me! I keep revisiting it periodically. I've diagramed how I would program a braille style one handed input using cherry switches, tried some gestural wearables that are tap based, looked at some of the few phones out there with physical keyboards (add on case for Pinephone, the Cosmo phone, etc), tried out a few of the tiny Bluetooth keyboards, looked at extant pcbs with mini switches for keyboards ... and come up with nothing that is quite what I want.

    Maybe some of us could get together to make an open source solution? If we could come up with a sliding mechanism that would hold a PCB, maybe we could figure out how to make that system attachable to standard cases and so, able to work with different phone models. I'm not a super programmer but I'd be interested in collaborating on this if we get a group together. There isn't a market for this it seems, but there is clearly a certain amount of demand - enough that addressing this would be a quality of life improvement for a lot of people.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on Where do I start if i want to draw these one day? in ~creative

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I work in higher Ed in a digital arts department at an art institute and have been working with our faculty to try to improve ergonomics for our students. One of the things faculty recommend are...

    I work in higher Ed in a digital arts department at an art institute and have been working with our faculty to try to improve ergonomics for our students.

    One of the things faculty recommend are arms and mounts for the cintiqs, set up to support neutral head and neck angles.

    One of the books we circulate for students is "Draw Stronger" by Kriota Willberg. I haven't read it yet but the faculty I spoke with found it very good.

    On a personal level, it's funny, I thought digital art wasn't for me for decades. My mom is a graphic designer and she had an early Wacom in the early/mid 90s. I could never make my brain work with that and kind of gave up on digital art. A few years ago I got an iPad Pro with the apple pencil and my artistic practice has just exploded - I never imagined I would consider myself a visual artist when drawing digitally! It has also given me new perspective on my physical art mediums. I do hear from a lot of students though that they have strong preferences for the display tablets or for the regular older screenless wacoms. In the end it comes down to individual preference.

    (Also, as someone whose body is also breaking down, I VERY much feel your comment :( losing ability to do creative pursuits can hit even harder than losing other abilities. I will edit my post after I check and see what support hardware we use in my department - not sure that any specific thing will ever definitely help someone but it could be a good starting point. So much of disability/accessibility for individuals ends up being a costly, long, and often frustrating process of trial and error. I'm glad it sounds like you have workflows that you make work for you!)

    Edit: a letter

    1 vote

  5. Comment on xQc is stealing content (and so are most reaction streamers) in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    Interestingly though it may still be "transformative" - a very on the nose example sprung to mind of this pug who gets reactive at specific parts of Homeward Bound. The reaction is related to the...

    Interestingly though it may still be "transformative" - a very on the nose example sprung to mind of this pug who gets reactive at specific parts of Homeward Bound. The reaction is related to the content, but the original content is not the focus.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on Recommend your favorite "cozy" games, please in ~games

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link
    Cozy Grove! It's a game where you play as a little Spirit Scout (think girl scout/boy scout/girl guides but with witchcraft and psychopomp elements) who is going for her badge but ends up on an...

    Cozy Grove! It's a game where you play as a little Spirit Scout (think girl scout/boy scout/girl guides but with witchcraft and psychopomp elements) who is going for her badge but ends up on an island of ghost bears who all have really challenging traumas from their lives and deaths that they haven't dealt with.

    You can just run around and explore the island, talk to Flame, your campfire (I adore Flamey and all of his phases) and discover bugs and fish and arrange your campsite decorations. It is great for ADHD and losing time because you can always see your real time right on the game screen, and it has a calm day/night cycle. The environment sounds are pleasant ASMR and there is no up selling, real money at all, or gaming pressures. The item descriptions are all cute and have clever depth. I love falling into the calm environment of Cozy Grove. I've literally sobbed from some of the stories, and also used it to decompress after hard days.

    7 votes

  7. Comment on Chick-fil-A plans UK restaurants opening after previously facing backlash from LGBTQ+ rights activists in ~food

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    Your comment about spuds has me wondering about the etymology of the word (seems like it derives from a tool used for digging in the ground like espada, spade, etc) and I ended up finding myself...

    Your comment about spuds has me wondering about the etymology of the word (seems like it derives from a tool used for digging in the ground like espada, spade, etc) and I ended up finding myself deep down the Wikipedia rabbit hole about the cultivation and development of potatoes and their role in different central and south american cultures!

    Thanks for the unintended grist for the curiosity mill!

    6 votes

  8. Comment on How frequently do you shower? in ~life

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I agree. Perhaps a funny story? We always used that when I was growing up, to the point that people would comment about how my sister and I had great skin or super soft hands, etc. I used to...

    I agree. Perhaps a funny story? We always used that when I was growing up, to the point that people would comment about how my sister and I had great skin or super soft hands, etc. I used to semi-joke "it's Dove soap!".

    Turns out we actually have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and the soft skin is (one of many) diagnostic criteria and what I view as the consolation prize for the pain and other repercussions.

    I still like Dove soap. I'm of the "every 3 days school" mostly because of the EDS, lots of things are just exhausting, showers or baths included. I really like the older style soaps right now. I have a bar of Yardley Lavender right now that feels just like the soaps my grandmother used to have. I'm also constantly dehydrated and don't like lotion for sensory reasons, thus my bathing schedule. I have never had anyone complain or mention anything, from very honest family, to intimate partners, etc.

  9. Comment on Tokitae, the star of Miami Seaquarium, dies after half a century in captivity in ~enviro

    BlueKittyMeow
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    This is such a travesty. I had been following the announcement that she was going to be moved to the sea and this just... Shattered me. Personhood is not limited to humans - I hope we as a species...

    This is such a travesty. I had been following the announcement that she was going to be moved to the sea and this just... Shattered me. Personhood is not limited to humans - I hope we as a species work to think more generously about all the different people around us, humans and other animals.

    13 votes

  10. Comment on Do you have favorite lighthearted or silly songs? in ~music

  11. Comment on Do you have favorite lighthearted or silly songs? in ~music

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    Bushes of Love is one I unironically love in spite of myself. It's going to be stuck in my head all night now! Some of the older Bad Lip Reading ones are iconic - the VP debate between Biden and...

    Bushes of Love is one I unironically love in spite of myself. It's going to be stuck in my head all night now! Some of the older Bad Lip Reading ones are iconic - the VP debate between Biden and Ryan is a bit of an earworm as well. ("Step up, we trained you, we're leaving! 🎶")

    1 vote

  12. Comment on Failures in accuracy, ethics and responsibility with Linus Tech Tips and LMG as a whole in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    That's been my outsider impression, so it's helpful, if disheartening to hear it confirmed from someone with experience. Do you have any advice for someone who will be launching a software...

    That's been my outsider impression, so it's helpful, if disheartening to hear it confirmed from someone with experience.

    Do you have any advice for someone who will be launching a software business in the next few years? I've run a few small businesses before, only one of which was enough to pay for its own expenses, but this is a big step up in scale. Eventually, my partner and I know we will need to hire more staff, including management, but we both find the development more rewarding than the management aspect. We aren't looking to sell out, the product fills a gap in the market where there is an absence of solutions made with care and thought, and we have been compelled to try to make our best solution in this space. But I know we won't want to be doing business management for the rest of our lives. Have you seen any small businesses find ways to retain creator control and original values while still stepping back from (non-customer facing) larger management roles?

    I will be meeting with chamber of commerce and advisors once we get closer to final viable software for launch, just curious if you've seen any successes along these lines!

    7 votes

  13. Comment on A reading challenge! in ~books

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    Every October I do a read along of A Night in the Lonesome October, reading each "day" in the book on the same day of the month. It's a fun little tradition that I would recommend trying at least...

    Every October I do a read along of A Night in the Lonesome October, reading each "day" in the book on the same day of the month. It's a fun little tradition that I would recommend trying at least once for anyone who likes autumn/spooky vibes.

  14. Comment on ChatGPT can be broken by entering these strange words, and nobody is sure why in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I agree. This is the reason that I love it when people paste the content of the article in a comment. I do most of my reading on my phone and jumping around into different apps to bring up the...

    I agree. This is the reason that I love it when people paste the content of the article in a comment. I do most of my reading on my phone and jumping around into different apps to bring up the article in a readable way can be frustrating enough to just pass it by.

    11 votes

  15. Comment on How has the Reddit drama affected the quality of conversations on here? in ~tildes

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I'm super clumsy so I've been on the receiving end of this a few times and while it's pretty embarrasing, it is incredibly heartwarming to know that people do keep an eye out. It's funny when we...

    I'm super clumsy so I've been on the receiving end of this a few times and while it's pretty embarrasing, it is incredibly heartwarming to know that people do keep an eye out. It's funny when we all queue up to do so though! Thanks for being one of those people, it definitely goes a long way to making the world better. And yes, I think that my urge to help definitely spills over - looking over my old reddit comments, most of them are in reply to people going through rough times where the compulsion to share whatever resources I know of took over. I ended up working in libraries which is a natural good fit for this impulse - it's nice to be able to get paid to help people and do it as a hobby as well :P

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    Homebody! And there was Oscar the dachshund... I don't remember any of the other default names but that is so engrained in my mind somehow. I hated scolding them, they would get such a shivering...

    Homebody! And there was Oscar the dachshund... I don't remember any of the other default names but that is so engrained in my mind somehow. I hated scolding them, they would get such a shivering sad look. It's funny how well they conveyed emotion through body language when the models were so simple.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    Yes, the music box!! Those cute little jumping things they did were so cute. I loved the candies and the physics of how things would fall/scatter. Somehow it's just so uniquely charming. I'm so...

    Yes, the music box!! Those cute little jumping things they did were so cute. I loved the candies and the physics of how things would fall/scatter. Somehow it's just so uniquely charming.

    I'm so glad to hear that the community is still going strong! Are there any pages that you like that you feel like sharing a link to? I fell out of all of it and Carolyn's is the only page I really remember.

    1 vote

  18. Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I'm so glad to have triggered that! It was such a great website, I love being able to revisit it :)

    I'm so glad to have triggered that! It was such a great website, I love being able to revisit it :)

  19. Comment on Label for appreciated course corrections in ~tildes

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    This sounds like how it works on Ravelry, the fiber arts site. They have a few different options and they are not mutually exclusive, you can click as many as you want (even those which seems...

    This sounds like how it works on Ravelry, the fiber arts site. They have a few different options and they are not mutually exclusive, you can click as many as you want (even those which seems mutually exclusive. They have agree, disagree, love, interesting, funny, and... Helpful perhaps? It's been a long time since I've been there.

    It was a nice way to be able to indicate what you referred to - disagreeing but acknowledging value. For that I would click "disagree" and "interesting". And for the times where you feel especially conflicted, clicking agree and disagree could scratch that itch. While they do maintain the same ratio as not responding at all, it also indicated that the comment elicited a (set of) responses.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Nostalgia -- what programs do you miss? in ~tech

    BlueKittyMeow
    Link Parent
    I had the Neko one - little cat that would sit on your window or crawl around the taskbar. It is exactly as you say - it was very unusual for the time and felt a bit magical or like breaking some...

    I had the Neko one - little cat that would sit on your window or crawl around the taskbar. It is exactly as you say - it was very unusual for the time and felt a bit magical or like breaking some fundamental rules of the world.

    3 votes