Crossroads's recent activity
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Comment on Non-parents give crappy parenting advice in ~life
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Comment on Non-parents give crappy parenting advice in ~life
Crossroads Link ParentI'm 38, and I'm just now getting some of my mental stuff straight after a few years of being with my partner that had an extremely rough and abusive childhood like me. Seeing her go to therapy,...I'm 38, and I'm just now getting some of my mental stuff straight after a few years of being with my partner that had an extremely rough and abusive childhood like me.
Seeing her go to therapy, along me being there for her to talk with when therapy wasn't enough really put a lot of my own traumas into perspective and helped me a lot to work through some of my own problems in more productive ways than self medicating and ignoring it.
As long as you aren't outright abusing your children, I'm gonna wager they'll be just fine later in life.
I see a lot of parent threads that talk here and there about this sort of thing.
Not being a parent myself, I don't know what to really say other than I bet you're doing a freaking awesome job compared to some people's parents, trust me.
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Comment on Microsoft erases guide for switching to local Windows accounts in ~tech
Crossroads (edited )Link ParentYea, I pretty much only do music production and gaming on my PC with some light Discord and medium to heavy Youtube use. So nothing too crazy, but for my main hobbies/interests (music, and gaming)...Yea, I pretty much only do music production and gaming on my PC with some light Discord and medium to heavy Youtube use. So nothing too crazy, but for my main hobbies/interests (music, and gaming) I really do just want my stuff to work.
I wish more plugin companies and other music related companies paid more attention to Linux too, cause if I had a sort of guarantee of a plugin or suite of plugins (LABS, Crow Hill, really any paid plugin, etc looking at you!) working on Linux out of the box I'd be a LOT more inclined to switch ASAP.
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Comment on Microsoft erases guide for switching to local Windows accounts in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI feel you on the music production aspect. Even with community tools, I found that converting VSTs to .so files to be pretty hit or miss to get Bitwig to recognize them, even though the DAW itself...I feel you on the music production aspect. Even with community tools, I found that converting VSTs to .so files to be pretty hit or miss to get Bitwig to recognize them, even though the DAW itself is native to Linux when I tried it out earlier this year.
It was a struggle, and I really don't wanna mess with things as they stand on Win10 because I've got everything working perfectly fine as it is.
It is a pain to switch to Linux if you have a LOT of plugins (I do) and there's really no guarantee your favorite plugin(s) will work on Linux. You just gotta hope it does after converting it over or bridging it.
Not a fun position to be in when you just wanna boot up your DAW and get something down.
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Comment on Microsoft erases guide for switching to local Windows accounts in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI'll use WIn10 til the wheels fall off at this point and I until actually have no choice but to switch to Linux - I refuse to use Win11. I flirted with a few Linux distros at the start of the year...I'll use WIn10 til the wheels fall off at this point and I until actually have no choice but to switch to Linux - I refuse to use Win11.
I flirted with a few Linux distros at the start of the year but my main complaint is that no matter what distro I wound up trying, getting VSTs to work flawlessly as they do on Windows was hit and miss by a long shot even when I used community made tools that were supposed to convert them.
Gaming on Steam was mostly fine, minus some older games just outright crashing here and there during online co-op sessions. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but also wasn't the best experience in total.
I mostly game and make music on my Win10 PC and that's about it, so having those two features come with issues kinda sucked. Maybe things are further along than they were earlier this year now. I know Bitwig is a Linux native DAW which I already use on Windows, so I think I'll continue to use that once I do switch.
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Comment on Deciding whether to continue with chemotherapy and immunotherapy in ~health
Crossroads LinkDamn, this is heavy. I have no advice or guidance for you but I wish you the best and least painful path forward that makes you the most happy, and that gives you the ability to spend your time as...Damn, this is heavy.
I have no advice or guidance for you but I wish you the best and least painful path forward that makes you the most happy, and that gives you the ability to spend your time as you would like to on your own terms.
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Comment on What makes you chew fire? in ~talk
Crossroads Link ParentI absolutely love Malazan: Book of the Fallen, despite how jarring the first half of the first book is in terms of narration. I tend to recommend it to any of my friends that haven't heard of it...I absolutely love Malazan: Book of the Fallen, despite how jarring the first half of the first book is in terms of narration. I tend to recommend it to any of my friends that haven't heard of it and enjoy fantasy.
It is right up there with LOTR and The Wheel of Time for me, and probably a few other series. I have a lot of "favorite" fantasy books/series.
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Comment on What makes you chew fire? in ~talk
Crossroads Link ParentBetween ASOIF, Rothfuss and other forever-unfinished fantasy series I'm glad that Sanderson at least completes the other 99% of his series that he sets up. Personally, I'll take one dropped sequel...Between ASOIF, Rothfuss and other forever-unfinished fantasy series I'm glad that Sanderson at least completes the other 99% of his series that he sets up.
Personally, I'll take one dropped sequel over an entire story not being finished indefinitely, even if I have smaller gripes with Sanderson's writing style sometimes. He's fun to read, for the most part as well.
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Comment on What makes you chew fire? in ~talk
Crossroads Link ParentSanderson is a fun writer to read, but I find that a lot of his action scenes are written sorta like movie action scenes or anime fights - whether that is Mistborn or Stormlight Archive. I didn't...Sanderson is a fun writer to read, but I find that a lot of his action scenes are written sorta like movie action scenes or anime fights - whether that is Mistborn or Stormlight Archive. I didn't pick up on it at first but now I can't "unsee" it. I don't think it makes his action scenes bad or anything, just not your traditional fantasy sword and board stuff for the most part.
It worked really well for The Last Battle in The Wheel of Time, actually. If you can get into that larger than life sort of headspace, it seems a bit less silly when you read his standalone works, because I think that's just how he writes action scenes.
Mistborn is a bit more YA in terms of feel than Stormlight for sure, but I think it's still a fun read if you can look past some of it's flaws.
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Comment on Join Brad Leone as he travels to Dublin, Ireland and gets a special, VIP behind-the-scenes tour at the world famous Guinness Factory | Local Legends in ~food
Crossroads Link ParentI'd guess they're talking about when he was doing "It's Alive" and gave bad information about canning seafood. Bon Appétit pulled the episode but I can't think of anything else he's ever done...I'd guess they're talking about when he was doing "It's Alive" and gave bad information about canning seafood.
Bon Appétit pulled the episode but I can't think of anything else he's ever done that's unsafe or misinformation in particular so it could be something else totally that I don't know about either.
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Comment on Police bodycam shows sheriff hunting for 'obscene' books at library in ~books
Crossroads (edited )Link ParentYou and I both, but I think I turned out the better for it looking back on it now. I'm sure it would be frowned upon these days, in some circles. King was (is?) a writer plagued by substance abuse...You and I both, but I think I turned out the better for it looking back on it now.
I'm sure it would be frowned upon these days, in some circles.
King was (is?) a writer plagued by substance abuse and psychological issues but I don't think that invalidates his output or makes his his work any the less for it.
Plenty of artists have issues and make art despite or in spite of it.
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Comment on Online anonymity: study found ‘stable pseudonyms’ created a more civil environment than real user names in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentThank you so much for the condensed information, I figure I have a lot of reading and research to do in terms of pixel art and how to get the particular look and style I'm going for. I am not a...Thank you so much for the condensed information, I figure I have a lot of reading and research to do in terms of pixel art and how to get the particular look and style I'm going for. I am not a traditional artist, but I tend to do well in pixel art so I think that may play to my strengths.
Either way, I very much value your input and advice, and I'll look more into the steps you've outlined! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment.
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Comment on Online anonymity: study found ‘stable pseudonyms’ created a more civil environment than real user names in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI'd like to revisit this comment and say how much I appreciate how in depth and comprehensive it is in regards to the question I asked. You are very kind to expand so much on a simple question I...I'd like to revisit this comment and say how much I appreciate how in depth and comprehensive it is in regards to the question I asked. You are very kind to expand so much on a simple question I asked, and I really do appreciate your input and wisdom.
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Comment on Frequent/long-term use of the Apple Vision Pro may rewire our brains in unexpected ways in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI feel the spirit of this comment and generally agree with the sentiment, in some aspects. I'm not sure how things will play out but I'll probably be an old grey codger long before we understand...I feel the spirit of this comment and generally agree with the sentiment, in some aspects. I'm not sure how things will play out but I'll probably be an old grey codger long before we understand even how the internet and social media has shaped the human mind and also communication in general.
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Comment on Frequent/long-term use of the Apple Vision Pro may rewire our brains in unexpected ways in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI don't think Black Mirror is as much "PHONE BAD?" as much as it asks some pertinent questions that prompt the viewer to think about their engagement with technology and how it is impacting their...I don't think Black Mirror is as much "PHONE BAD?" as much as it asks some pertinent questions that prompt the viewer to think about their engagement with technology and how it is impacting their lives. If more people are turning away from integrating software and hardware solutions into their daily lives and maybe eventually even themselves and their own bodies (at some far flung, or maybe not so far flung future time)...well, that's choice for a person to make for themselves if you ask me.
I don't think "PHONE BAD" but I do think that we're still figuring out the impact of widespread social media and personal device use on a psychological level, and it probably is re-shaping how our brains are wired to some degree. How much of a degree is that? I dunno, I'm not a professional sociologist or a psychologist so my input is just spurious data and personal opinion on my part.
If we're still figuring all this out now, I can see why someone would be hesitant to fully embrace whatever the newest thing is without a bit of scrutiny. I think it's smarter to be suspicious than to just embrace something just because it promises to do something better than whatever it is replacing.
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Comment on Online anonymity: study found ‘stable pseudonyms’ created a more civil environment than real user names in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentHow do you make resource packs? Could I use Aesprite to edit the files?How do you make resource packs? Could I use Aesprite to edit the files?
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Comment on Piracy is surging again because streaming execs ignored the lessons of the past in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentStarting off, I'd like to apologize. I wasn't trying to fight although I think my tone was certainly not conducive to constructive conversation. I'm sorry if that came off that way. I guess that...I am not sure if I just failed to write coherently or if we are back at reddit as far as discussions go where things get fought over based on things that haven't been said. I'll give it one more try.
Starting off, I'd like to apologize. I wasn't trying to fight although I think my tone was certainly not conducive to constructive conversation. I'm sorry if that came off that way.
I guess that doesn't help when people are trying to learn about emulation because I've been engaged with that community here and there for probably close to twenty years so I sometimes make assumptions that people may know about options available when they're just looking for more information in general.
This means that all of the above is extra effort that is not needed as they already have the cartridges they care about. They are effectively making the argument that if they can they buy new media physically whenever possible so they know they won't lose access to it through companies fucking around.
Certainly. We can't trust our games will be available forever as a digital service/live service or what have you. In that case, I'd suggest that the OP with the games they'd like to keep, find a device online that will allow them to rip the games and safely store or play them on their preferred device. It also does make a case for buying physical games, but that can be challenging based on system, availability, or price gouging if it's a popular title in the "retro gaming" market.
As for modern digital games, if you want to own them, than GoG is kinda the only way to go as far as I know in terms of DRM free "what you see is what you own" sort of purchases in the digital space.
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Comment on Piracy is surging again because streaming execs ignored the lessons of the past in ~tech
Crossroads (edited )Link ParentIt's not hard. Most emulators out there that are easily accessible aren't deprecated. Most emulators made in the past fifteen years will run on most laptops that aren't fifteen or twenty years...It's not hard. Most emulators out there that are easily accessible aren't deprecated. Most emulators made in the past fifteen years will run on most laptops that aren't fifteen or twenty years old. Some will, though if you have a really, really old desktop or laptop. If that's the case, then you might have more issues on hand than figuring out an emulator though.
That isn't taking into account rom carts you can just plug into the original hardware if someone isn't too braindead to put roms onto a cart and plug it into a console and then navigate to the roms to play them. That applies to consoles and handheld consoles, too these days.
If that's too hard, there's always Nintendo Switch Online Plus which is $50 a year to emulate whatever Nintendo decides your $50/year is worth on a Switch, mostly with the exact same roms you can get for free online.
Acting like you have to research emulators in 2024 is kinda weird, it's not like you can't just search for help across tons of threads all over the internet for almost any emulated video game system. Mabye in the early to mid 2000s, you'd have to do some digging but it's long past that point.
Sticking to hardware these days is more aesthetic than practical. I can buy a rom cart for my Sega Genesis that can run every game ever made for it, for a fraction of the price of buying one or two two first party physical carts. There are plug and play mods for most popular newer consoles now that require nothing more than a screwdriver and the willingness to plug in something. Sometimes all you have to do is flash some firmware, if you're so inclined. The PS2 and PS3 are very easy to crack that way.
Anyone buying straight up physical games for old consoles has more money than sense these days, considering the inflated price that "classic" physical games are seeing at the moment.
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Comment on I'm thoroughly done with my choices being only "yes" or "not now" in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI wish Linux did have a bit more third party compatibility, and it's not like larger music software or music hardware manufacturers exactly develop for Linux - some do, or include a native version...I wish Linux did have a bit more third party compatibility, and it's not like larger music software or music hardware manufacturers exactly develop for Linux - some do, or include a native version of software, which is nice when it happens. I don't expect it though.
That's just my use case though, and I mostly produce music and play games on my desktop with a bit of art related stuff on the side.
I was pretty frustrated trying to find a distro that had less small annoyances that just got in my way once I dug into it. I didnt find one that made me say "I want to stick with this, everything works just fine".
Maybe that distro is out there somewhere for me, and maybe one day I'll find it.
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Comment on I'm thoroughly done with my choices being only "yes" or "not now" in ~tech
Crossroads Link ParentI got tired of constantly fighting my DAW on Manjaro. I got tired of my MIDI controllers not working correctly, even when properly mapped and setup. I tried Pipewire, too. My experience with Mint,..."And also why I do not understand why so many people cling to convenience of for example Windows"
I got tired of constantly fighting my DAW on Manjaro. I got tired of my MIDI controllers not working correctly, even when properly mapped and setup. I tried Pipewire, too. My experience with Mint, and several other flavors of Linux over several months was pretty hodge-podge and varied when it came to things working better, or worse, or at all.
Converting VST to .so files sometimes worked, and sometimes my DAW (or three, I tried a few other ones just in case) wouldn't even recognize the converted VSTs anyways. Wine and various Wine wrappers don't always work for specific VST host/DAW software that runs flawlessly on Windows without me having to dig through repositories and the internet.
Proton works great for gaming - until it doesn't, and you spend more time troubleshooting down the line of Proton installs rather than actually playing the games you wanna play. Wrappers sometimes work and sometimes don't when it comes to launching non-Steam games like, Epic or GoG storefront games.
I don't consider myself tech illiterate, I just got tired of trying to find hacky ways to get stuff to work on Linux that literally "just works" on Windows. Call me lazy, I don't care. I just want my shit to work so I can use it, or play games, or whatever it is I'd like to do at the moment.
I'd rather have a working PC than a Linux box that almost does everything I could do in Windows just fine. I'll take the tradeoff and ride Windows 10 til EOL and see where Linux is then.
I'm glad there's people out there our age having kids and enjoying that experience. Or at least trying to do a great job at it, cause I think..maybe that's all you can do, sometimes. Try your best and make the best decisions you can.
My parents at least tried their best, my mom especially. My dad, well...he did what he could, given his own issues and trauma and addictions at the time.
I never felt "ready" for kids, I never thought about having kids as something I wanted to do. I always thought the burden of raising a child into a human would be a monumental task that maybe I'd never be ready for mentally or psychologically.
Frankly, it scared me because I didn't want to be the kind of father my father was to me. I'd rather not have kids than ever put my kids through anything close to what I went through.
So, a few years ago I got a vasectomy. I think I'd do it again, looking back on it.