Englerdy's recent activity

  1. Comment on It’s Boulder! Sundance exits Utah for 2027 move to blue state Colorado. in ~movies

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Dushanbe and is a lovely spot! Can definitely second that recommendation.

    Dushanbe and is a lovely spot! Can definitely second that recommendation.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    I love this! This is such a fun story! Thank you so much for sharing. ( ^▽^ )

    I love this! This is such a fun story! Thank you so much for sharing. (⁠ ^⁠▽^ ⁠)

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    I've been listening to the nosleep podcast, and while I'm not sure how the subreddit felt about the podcast (cause I don't have the impression it was 'official'), I've really enjoyed listening to...

    I've been listening to the nosleep podcast, and while I'm not sure how the subreddit felt about the podcast (cause I don't have the impression it was 'official'), I've really enjoyed listening to people's stories. There were some absolute masterpieces written there! Do you have a copy of your stories anywhere else? I'd love to read them!

    4 votes

  4. Comment on Post something from your notes app in ~talk

    Englerdy
    Link
    I woke with a start to the sound of a characteristic popping. Kind of like the sound of elementary school kids pulling their fingers to release a chathertic "crack." Except this sound wasn't quite...

    I woke with a start to the sound of a characteristic popping. Kind of like the sound of elementary school kids pulling their fingers to release a chathertic "crack." Except this sound wasn't quite a crack. At the end of the noise came a subtle squeak. Like when you fall wrong and your bottom jaw collides with its mated top and a crunching, squeaking noise resonates through your skull.

    And there I laid. That same nauseating squeaking and popping echoing in my room. I laid frozen. Was it a dream? I felt too lucid in my discomfort and contemplation at what could be making such a sound for this to be a dream. I couldn't bring myself to turn and look so there I laid and just, listened. "It couldn't be. But it is," I thought to myself. It's in the walls. Like worms, like fingers stripped to their core, crawling through my walls. Their calcified little forms wrapping and snapping as they etched their way to their unknown destinations. Each of their movements on the gypsum boards finalizing with an ear pounding "pop."

    I couldn't say how long it lasted, but it felt like after reaching a crescendo akin to hail on glass windows it all went quite. Not another sound breaking the stillness of night. Yet there I laid. Listening. Waiting. Waiting for what must have been an a small army to begin its resurgent assault on the peace of the night. Yet I waited for an encore that never came. Hours of sleepless stillness passed, and as the sun crept through my windows I allowed myself to breath a bit deeper and a bit easier. Up I got, cautiously to the kitchen I went to make coffee and make sense of what surely had been an awful case of sleep paralysis. Though truthfully I'm not sure I'd ever experienced sleep paralysis before that night.

    The house appeared to be as I'd left it before drifting off the night before. The water boiled, the beans ground, and the first relief of my waking hours came as the smooth, bitter aroma of my brew snuck from the cup into my nose. I had a few sips of my morning concoction when I noticed it. A fine, speckled, powdering of chalk like dust seemed to coat the inside of my house. The walls, the floors, the table. Everything was just faintly dusty. Maybe I'd been too overworked these past few weeks to notice how far I'd let the house slip into a state of disarray, but had it really been so dusty just a half a day prior? I never heard the popping in my walls again. It's been years now and my therapist reassures me that this is a completely reasonable sleep paralysis experience and there's nothing for me to worry about. All the same, I've never felt comfortable hearing the sound of popping knuckles after that night.

    This is fiction just in case anyone is curious. My wife and I got a rescue puppy from a bad situation a few years ago and the first few months were tough and we were not getting very consistent sleep. One night when I was especially tired this story just kind of flowed out of me as I typed it on my phone. It's weird and I still love it even if the language style is a bit over the top for my taste. I'd love to write more weird stuff like this, but rarely have ever experienced something popping into my head as fully as this little story. One thing I do look forward to at the prospect of having kids some day is that despite how awful sleep deprivation is, I might get some really good writing that comes out of it. I didn't do any editing to this in the spirit of this thread, so any typos are a result of my sleep deprived brain a couple years ago.

    Thanks for spending some time reading my little nosleep/creepy pasta kind of story stranger!

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Poll finds most Americans would swap democracy for $100 Best Buy gift card in ~society

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    I'm following you now. I misinterpreted your original comment.

    I'm following you now. I misinterpreted your original comment.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on Poll finds most Americans would swap democracy for $100 Best Buy gift card in ~society

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Just in case you missed it, The Onion is a parody site. Unfortunately their headlines look less and less like a parody these days 🙃

    Just in case you missed it, The Onion is a parody site. Unfortunately their headlines look less and less like a parody these days 🙃

    9 votes

  7. Comment on Windows 11 cleanup/configuration script(s)? in ~comp

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Believe me, I have thought long and hard about just jumping to Ubuntu or something. My hangup is a lot of my work relies on basically the whole Office Suite and the web apps are insufficient. I'll...

    Believe me, I have thought long and hard about just jumping to Ubuntu or something. My hangup is a lot of my work relies on basically the whole Office Suite and the web apps are insufficient. I'll happily do so the day I'm able to, but for now it's still too much of a headache. 😕

    5 votes

  8. Comment on Windows 11 cleanup/configuration script(s)? in ~comp

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate the feedback as I was hoping someone with an IT background might have something helpful up their sleeve. I definitely share your concern and made...

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I appreciate the feedback as I was hoping someone with an IT background might have something helpful up their sleeve. I definitely share your concern and made this post looking for resources that weren't the ones aimed at doing too much so speak. After a night of sleep I realized I'm almost looking for something that's basically a glorified setting toggle checklist to walk me through configuring features I might or might not want.

    I had forgotten about Ninite so thank you for reminding me of that resource!

    In regard to:

    please start using bookmarks and folders as intended instead of keeping tabs open forever lol. It will be better organized, greatly reduce your risk of data loss, and your computer will thank you. ;)

    You're certainly not the first and likely won't be the last. 😂 I've worked hard to learn new browser hygiene to reduce tab and window hoarding such as routinely purging tabs and windows I am finished with. I've realized that my brain wants to interact with a browser very similar to how I work on a table. I'm not sure if it's an ADHD behavior or just personality, I generally have to spread work out to keep track of everything and can't put things away until the project is finished without adding significant time to getting started again. So browser windows tend to house different "workspaces" and if I shuffle them into bookmarks I'll lose track of what's still something I'm actively working on. I do have lots of bookmarks for stuff I want to be able to find again, but haven't found a good system for managing and organizing different workspace windows that doesn't add a lot of psychological overhead for getting started again. Definitely open for advice if you've learned any tricks there.

    3 votes

  9. Comment on Windows 11 cleanup/configuration script(s)? in ~comp

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    That looks pretty close to what I've been looking for regarding easily adjusting settings. Thank you very much!

    That looks pretty close to what I've been looking for regarding easily adjusting settings. Thank you very much!

    3 votes

  10. Windows 11 cleanup/configuration script(s)?

    ~comp Ask (advice)
    I'm doing a long overdo computer update (new CPU, mobo, and RAM), and am going to be reinstalling windows for the first time in a while. My current system is still on Win10 due to incompatiblity...

    I'm doing a long overdo computer update (new CPU, mobo, and RAM), and am going to be reinstalling windows for the first time in a while. My current system is still on Win10 due to incompatiblity with Win11, however I wouldn't have updated to Win11 until now anyway. I have Win11 on a Surface Pro and with recent updates adding features that match my existing muscle memory better (such as allowing expanded window buttons and putting Start on the left), I'm not as resistant to installing Win11 on my new hardware. I have access to the Education version of Win11 which after some research looks like it's basically Windows Enterprise and that itself seems like a big feature since it shouldn't come with a lot of the bloat apps already.

    With that in mind I have few questions:

    1. Does anyone have a PowerShell script they've put together to run on a fresh Windows 11 install that configures a lot of the settings to make it behave more like Win10 (and it's predecessors), toggles privacy settings on, etc. I am not looking for something that tries to strip anything out, I just want something that will save me time chasing down all the settings I've slowly found and adjusted on my Surface. I have the default folders like Pictures and Documents pointed to a drive on a seperate drive from my Windows drive specifically to make migrating to a new installation easier. I'd love something that prompts me to update where those shortcuts should point as well.
    2. Does anyone have any protips for getting the bulk of programs I need installed? I looked at Winget and Chocolatey a couple years ago, but they didn't quite look as fuss free as I was looking for. I generally avoid installing things from the Microsoft app store (which I understand would make this easier if I was willing to lean more into the Microsoft ecosystem). I'd love something (script based or otherwise) that's going to grab and install the program (rather than app) for a list of things like Firefox, Spotify, Steam, Miniconda, etc. I plan to make a list of programs I have installed that I know I will want to reinstall before doing the fresh install, but I'm making a plan to make installing everything as easy as possible. If there's a reliable script based way to install like 80% of my main programs I'd be thrilled to only have to track down and install more specialized stuff.
    3. Any general advice for transfering my browser data? I use Firefox, am signed in to an account, and think I have everything set to sync. However I'd love to bring over all my browser tabs and windows I'm still working in. I did look up how to transfer the browser data and found a Mozilla article for it, just wasn't sure if anyone had a method they discovered and like better.

    Thanks in advance for tips and advice.

    25 votes

  11. Comment on How US Department of Government Efficiency’s Internal Revenue Service cuts could easily cost more than DOGE will ever save in ~society

    Englerdy
    Link
    Stuff like this bewilders me when average conservative Americans defend it. I get wealthy people wanting to cripple the IRS, but I don't know how to illustrate to regular people how valuable the...

    Stuff like this bewilders me when average conservative Americans defend it. I get wealthy people wanting to cripple the IRS, but I don't know how to illustrate to regular people how valuable the IRS is to the country and how it really needs more resources and support to go after high income tax fraud which should reduce audits of low income people. Instead the far right culture has made it another part of their evil fantasy to sell their base which is really confusing. I guess I feel a similar level of confusion about most of the stuff his base is celebrating. Ugh. 🙃

    15 votes

  12. Comment on US Department of Housing and Urban Development workers greeted by AI video of Donald Trump licking 'Real King' Elon Musk's (two left) feet in ~society

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Don't get me wrong, I think libel and slander laws are important and this isn't a criticism of them in practice or in concept. My issue is with people weaponizing them to silence legitimate...

    Don't get me wrong, I think libel and slander laws are important and this isn't a criticism of them in practice or in concept. My issue is with people weaponizing them to silence legitimate criticism. That's the part that I think is frustrating.

    13 votes

  13. Comment on US Department of Housing and Urban Development workers greeted by AI video of Donald Trump licking 'Real King' Elon Musk's (two left) feet in ~society

    Englerdy
    Link
    Accidentally is being a bit generous here. But I guess it goes back to journalists trying to avoid a libel suit. 🙄

    Since its inception, DOGE has also accidentally fired scientists trying to prevent a national outbreak of bird flu, military veterans who run a national crisis line, and the people in charge of managing the country’s nuclear weapons.

    Accidentally is being a bit generous here. But I guess it goes back to journalists trying to avoid a libel suit. 🙄

    50 votes

  14. Comment on Anyone using Meshtastic/LoRA radio? in ~hobbies

    Englerdy
    Link
    Anyone have any resources they found helpful for getting started with this? I think I've seen stuff about this pop up on my Instagram feed, but haven't found a good leg in to start researching it....

    Anyone have any resources they found helpful for getting started with this? I think I've seen stuff about this pop up on my Instagram feed, but haven't found a good leg in to start researching it. It sounds like a lot of fun though.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Bluejeweled in ~games

    Englerdy
    Link
    Nonsense? Yes. A good time? Also yes. Not a mod I would have expected to be as fun as it is.

    Nonsense? Yes. A good time? Also yes. Not a mod I would have expected to be as fun as it is.

    6 votes

  16. Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk

  17. Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Fun recommendations! Thanks! I love podcasts and that one sounds fun. While not my world view, I still like learning about others and this sounds like a fascinating world view. The "ancient...

    Fun recommendations! Thanks! I love podcasts and that one sounds fun. While not my world view, I still like learning about others and this sounds like a fascinating world view. The "ancient peoples weren't somehow way dumber than we are and easily believed in any ridiculous mythology" point I think is a genuinely interesting point to make and something I've personally wondered about in the context of ancient myths and stories. Especially for myths, legends, and folk lore that overlap between regions that otherwise had no contact with each other in the ancient world.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on Attorneys are resigning in response to orders from US President Donald Trump's government in ~society

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    Very interesting, thanks for sharing that perspective.

    Very interesting, thanks for sharing that perspective.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    These are great, thanks for sharing! Maybe I'll have to work on compiling my own metacompilation of vampire lore as I find sources. I think being able to overlap, compare, and contrast depictions...

    These are great, thanks for sharing! Maybe I'll have to work on compiling my own metacompilation of vampire lore as I find sources. I think being able to overlap, compare, and contrast depictions and how the idea of a vampire has evolved as a function of both time, region, and cultural influenced.

    Obviously not a small project. I'll have to add it to my ever growing list of 'side projects I hope to work on some day." 🥲

    2 votes

  20. Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk

    Englerdy
    Link Parent
    This is a great! Thanks for sharing. Dracula kicked things off for me. I've been slowly working my way through Buffy, which while a light hearted take I think has still been fun. Definitely falls...

    This is a great! Thanks for sharing.

    • Dracula kicked things off for me.
    • I've been slowly working my way through Buffy, which while a light hearted take I think has still been fun. Definitely falls more into a goofy vampire depiction, but I think the themes they explore are still very interesting and I'm a big fan of the 'monster of the week' story structure at least early one.
    • I listened to Salem's Lot, and while I'm not a fan of the direction it takes towards the end, I at least appreciate what he was trying to do. About half way I thought we were going the direction of a righteous battle between good and evil (following them discovering that making a sign of the cross with tongue depressors combined with a moment of faith was effective at repelling the vampires), and was disappointed at what felt like a 'turn tail and run' ending. Obviously their are several scenes that drive that turn (notably everyone he was coming to love being turned into vampires), but I still can't shake how cool an ending it would have been going the other direction in a righteous triumph of good vs evil (which I could tell by the end was not the story king wanted to write).
    • What we do in the Shadows the series is great though I'm a season or two behind
    • The Castlevania Netflix series I think is great and feels faithful to a 'vampires are terrifying' depiction.
    • The movie Renfield I thought was a fantastic comedic take on Dracula and fun from start to finish.

    That's kind of where I've started and I'm very grateful you've given me some new suggestions to pick up!

    2 votes