JCPhoenix's recent activity
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Comment on Introductions | March 2025 in ~talk
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Comment on Elon Musk says xAI has acquired X in deal that values social media site at $33 billion in ~tech
JCPhoenix Link ParentI'm imagining you as Dr. Evil while saying this.I'm imagining you as Dr. Evil while saying this.
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Comment on When is pet insurance worth it? in ~life.pets
JCPhoenix Link ParentThanks for pinging me. I suppose that's the point of having insurance: not just for the regular maintenance checkups (as we tend to do with human health insurance), but for the emergent and...Thanks for pinging me. I suppose that's the point of having insurance: not just for the regular maintenance checkups (as we tend to do with human health insurance), but for the emergent and potentially catastrophic events that can happen. Hmm, definitely something I need to look into more. Appreciate you sharing your perspective and experience.
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Comment on What does a newcomer moving to your town/city/state/country need to know? in ~life
JCPhoenix Link ParentI know all about this! My parents left KC 7yrs ago for Las Vegas. While I was still in KC, they would occasionally have me either send them BBQ sauces or bring some with me when I went to visit....I know all about this! My parents left KC 7yrs ago for Las Vegas. While I was still in KC, they would occasionally have me either send them BBQ sauces or bring some with me when I went to visit. And it wasn't just from one place; it was, "Hey, we want 2 bottles of sauce from here, 4 from here, and 2 from here. Thanks!" They'd have me running all over town. There were times I even had to bring actual BBQ'd meat with me.
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Comment on When is pet insurance worth it? in ~life.pets
JCPhoenix Link ParentWondering the same. I've briefly looked into pet insurance for my cat; the vet chain I go to offers it, and even my employer-provided health insurance offers some kind of pet insurance. But it...Wondering the same. I've briefly looked into pet insurance for my cat; the vet chain I go to offers it, and even my employer-provided health insurance offers some kind of pet insurance. But it just didn't seem worth it, especially for a house cat that never goes outside. My cat is turning 9yo this year, and still pretty spry and active. Every visit, vet says he's in great shape.
So far, the only major expense I've had for him was when he was a kitten and I had to bring him to the emergency room since he wheezing, having trouble breathing, and had snot dripping from his nose. Luckily, it was just the equivalent of a cold. I think that cost me $600.
Annual visits + required shots (if needed) only run me like $100/yr. So I can't imagine paying even $20/mo for pet insurance. If I had to pay $5000 out-of-pocket in some emergency, I could. It would hurt my wallet big time, but I could do it. Might even be able to set up a payment plan. So Idk.
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Comment on Introductions | March 2025 in ~talk
JCPhoenix Link ParentHow could I forget the Quadumvirate?! Shameful on my part 😞How could I forget the Quadumvirate?! Shameful on my part 😞
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Comment on Introductions | March 2025 in ~talk
JCPhoenix Link ParentOh god, I try to avoid the DMV as much as possible! DMV is an abbreviation for "DC/Maryland/Virginia." Just a way to say the DC metro. Totally understand on the F1 post. I wish it would last a few...Oh god, I try to avoid the DMV as much as possible! DMV is an abbreviation for "DC/Maryland/Virginia." Just a way to say the DC metro.
Totally understand on the F1 post. I wish it would last a few more days, but Tildes posts sometimes feel a bit more "ephemeral" than reddit. Probably just because we don't have the community size.
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Comment on Introductions | March 2025 in ~talk
JCPhoenix LinkHow long have you been on Tildes? How did you find out about us? Since Feb 2019. I came across Tildes via talking with someone on reddit, probably on r/theoryofreddit. That led me to r/tildes,...How long have you been on Tildes? How did you find out about us?
Since Feb 2019. I came across Tildes via talking with someone on reddit, probably on r/theoryofreddit. That led me to r/tildes, where I'm sure many of us came from.
How did you choose your username?
JCPhoenix is a mix of two my online names I've used in the past: PhoenixFire, a name I used when I was much younger like in middle/high school, and Jaedan Chantes, which is a name I tend to use in MMOs, such as Eve, FFXIV, etc.
What are your interests?
Gaming (MMOs, JRPGs, city builders/colony managers mainly), travel, technology, politics & current events, public transit, messing with my homelab when I'm not lazy, motorsports (primarily Formula 1, but also IndyCar and Formula E). Also napping. I kinda want to take a nap right now...
A/S/L (age/(gender|pronouns|identifier)/location)
38/M (he/him)/Virginia (DMV). Though I'm from and grew up in the Midwest. Only been out east since August.
What do you do? This could be in your spare time, for work, your passions.
I work in IT for the US Federal Government. Department of Homeland Security. Still a "Probie," as I've only been in government for about 7mo now. It's calmed down a bit, but yeah. Fun times.
Do you want other users to PM/DM you from this thread?
Sure, why not. Though I'm not necessarily a conversationalist, especially with folks I don't know that well!
Give us a fun fact (or a link!)! If there is anything to know about tilderinos, it's that we value knowledge sharing!
Idk. I got nothing. If you're into Formula 1 -- which you should be -- I make post-race threads over in ~sports.motorsports. Come join us!
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Comment on Yuki Tsunoda set to replace Liam Lawson at Red Bull in ~sports.motorsports
JCPhoenix Link ParentSame. This wouldn't be the first time the rumor mills were spinning like mad, only for nothing to happen. Yuki is in a weird spot here. If he is swapped into cursed 2nd RB, and doesn't perform,...Same. This wouldn't be the first time the rumor mills were spinning like mad, only for nothing to happen.
Yuki is in a weird spot here. If he is swapped into cursed 2nd RB, and doesn't perform, what does that mean for his career? Certainly everyone knows that car is impossible for drivers not named Max to drive, but still. It's a big gamble. That'd be pretty embarrassing to get a chance (hopefully more than one race weekend), only to be sent back down to VCARB. Idek what would happen to Lawson.
At the same time, he pretty much has to take the offer. Anyone who's given the chance to drive for RB would be stupid to not take it. Sure, Lawson's stock has fallen, but at least can say he drove for Red Bull for two races. The fact that Red Bull went for him at all says something, I think.
Hopefully, if this does happen, Yuki can get that car into the midfield. Hopefully that's the goal the team has for him; that they're not expecting him -- or anyone in that seat -- to be racing at the front. Again, Max is doing miracles out there. That can't and shouldn't be expected of anyone else. At least not initially.
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Comment on US government workers and military planners love Signal now in ~tech
JCPhoenix Link ParentMy gov team uses Signal. But not for sharing classified info or even CUI. It's just way easier to communicate things like "Hey team, don't forget: I'm off tomorrow," or "I feel like shit, I'm not...My gov team uses Signal. But not for sharing classified info or even CUI. It's just way easier to communicate things like "Hey team, don't forget: I'm off tomorrow," or "I feel like shit, I'm not coming in today," along with cat/dog pics. We can't have Teams on our phones (like I had at my previous private sector job), and I don't always have my work laptop with me. In fact, my work computer stays at work now with 5 days/wk RTO. So I never have it with me outside of work. So Signal is the place for that kinda stuff.
During the workday, we are making an effort to use Teams for actual work-related things. But when we're spread across the building and people are away from the desks...sometimes Signal is still used.
That said, for sure, there's def some anti-admin/Musk snark that gets posted in Signal. I have an IRL friend who works for the DOD who I chat with everyday on Teams. But anytime it feels like the conversation is headed towards talking about something the admin wouldn't like, we switch to Discord DMs. Before the inauguration, it was NBD. But now? No way in hell I'm leaving any evidence that I'm not on the admin's side.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
JCPhoenix Link ParentI finished Trails of Cold Steel I years ago on Vita, and I'm technically in Cold Steel II, also on Vita, but it's been awhile since I've played it. I do own both on Steam -- along with I think III...I finished Trails of Cold Steel I years ago on Vita, and I'm technically in Cold Steel II, also on Vita, but it's been awhile since I've played it. I do own both on Steam -- along with I think III and IV? -- so once I'm done with The 3rd, I'm going to restart the Cold Steel series, so I can get reacquainted with the story.
I do have Zero, but yeah wanna get through ALL of Cold Steel before trying it. Might be awhile, lol. Idk if there's like an unofficial sequence I should be following. Not sure of the timeline for these games that are set in Zemuria.
Did you ever play the LoH titles on PSP? Tears of Vermillion, Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, and Song of the Ocean? Those are definitely old school since they originally came out in the 90s! They were kinda mid, but still glad to have played them.
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Comment on LocalSend: a free, open-source, cross-platform app to share files to nearby devices in ~tech
JCPhoenix (edited )LinkI've been using Localsend for the last year or two. It's great. I find I use it most between my iPhone and my main Windows computer, especially for photos. On my MBP, I can just Airdrop it. Though...I've been using Localsend for the last year or two. It's great. I find I use it most between my iPhone and my main Windows computer, especially for photos. On my MBP, I can just Airdrop it. Though I have
AirdropLocalsend installed on all my devices for quickly moving things around. Beats having to email files or cloud storage. -
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
JCPhoenix Link ParentI got the original Playstation release of Grandia when I was a kid. But I probably didn't actually play and finish it until the early/mid 2000s, when I was a bit older. I remember enjoying it a...I got the original Playstation release of Grandia when I was a kid. But I probably didn't actually play and finish it until the early/mid 2000s, when I was a bit older. I remember enjoying it a lot. And it was a big deal when it released; I remember seeing the commercials on TV for it.
That said, I could see how today, it could be a bit annoying. The voice acting, which was a big deal back then, would definitely be a bit grating today. The theme of Grandia is a banger though.
Interestingly, I'm playing an old-school right now: "Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, the 3rd." Am I'm like "Yesss an old school JRPG to play!" But like Grandia, it also has some unskippable dialog scenes, which is 100% annoying when I'm having to replay a section because the party died or something. I was buttonmashing a section like that last night. I swear to god, took like 10min to get through.
I'll probably get to replaying Grandia again at some point, along with giving Grandia 2 another try. But I got plenty more more modern or at least, less-old, JRPGs to get through.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
JCPhoenix LinkStarted Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd (Steam). This is a sorta Part 3 of a three-parter JRPG. I finished the first two back in like 2022/2023 (though I played & finished Part 1 on...Started Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd (Steam). This is a sorta Part 3 of a three-parter JRPG. I finished the first two back in like 2022/2023 (though I played & finished Part 1 on either PSP or Vita way back). I say "sorta," since technically the main story wrapped-up in the first two parts, but I guess "the 3rd" is looking at some of the villains of the first two and how we got here.
Kinda a weird, unexpected start. Like I'm starting with characters I already know, that I've encountered and even used in my party in the first two games. But whereas Part 1 of the trilogy was a real slow burn (probably why it was split into two parts), this just drops you into the mystery right away. Which is nice, though again, it's an unexpected direction in terms of this mystery.
Mechanics-wise, it's a pretty standard traditional JRPG. Which is why I love the Legend of Heroes universe JRPGs. Idk, feel like I've been craving that traditional, old-school JRPG lately. Tried to play Metaphor ReFantazio and just wasn't scratching that itch.
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
JCPhoenix Link ParentI used to do this with chicken wings or even ribs. I hate saucy, sticky hands. I once saw a kid who spilled a hot chocolate on his hands, and then didn't immediately try to wipe his hands up...I...I used to do this with chicken wings or even ribs. I hate saucy, sticky hands. I once saw a kid who spilled a hot chocolate on his hands, and then didn't immediately try to wipe his hands up...I was getting anxious just watching it.
That said, I've largely gotten over it with wings and ribs with my hands. I say "largely," because I don't actively seek out either. But if I'm with a group and we're going to B-Dubs or some BBQ place, then it is what it is. I'll just use a lot of napkins/paper towels.
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Comment on Confess your food crimes in ~food
JCPhoenix Link ParentWhat in the actual fuck? This is one of those where it's so out there, I actually kinda wanna try this. So just like normal peach ice cream with Malort drizzled on it? I've never had Malort; I...Malört peach ice cream.
What in the actual fuck? This is one of those where it's so out there, I actually kinda wanna try this. So just like normal peach ice cream with Malort drizzled on it? I've never had Malort; I only know its reputation.
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Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
JCPhoenix LinkI kept mine in the padded folio thing that diplomas typically come in, but otherwise just kept it with important documents in a messenger bag I use for stuff like that. But a few years ago, my...I kept mine in the padded folio thing that diplomas typically come in, but otherwise just kept it with important documents in a messenger bag I use for stuff like that.
But a few years ago, my brother actually bought me a diploma frame. So I put it in there and hung it up. It's not currently hung up, since I moved like 7mo ago and just haven't gotten around to hanging everything up. But I'll hang it up in my room again at some point.
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Comment on Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2025 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
JCPhoenix Link ParentI was half-joking with my family that maybe Marko and Horner are actually protecting Yuki's career by not putting him in the cursed 2nd RB. He's been great in the sister team (even if the White...I was half-joking with my family that maybe Marko and Horner are actually protecting Yuki's career by not putting him in the cursed 2nd RB. He's been great in the sister team (even if the White Bulls' strategist are just god awful). If he doesn't pull it off in the 2nd RB, does Yuki's stock fall?
At the same time, I get why he wants the chance. Anyone would want that chance, I think. Plus, literally everyone knows how hard-to-drive the RB is, so if Yuki can't pull it off, maybe he still comes out relatively unscathed. To me, all he needs to do is bring the RB into the midfield and that'd be considered a success, at least at the start.
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Comment on Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix 2025 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
JCPhoenix (edited )LinkUPDATE: Cars 10 (Gasly) and 16 (Leclerc) were weighed afterwards and determined to be underweight by 1kg. Matters have been referred to the stewards. Confirmed DSQ: Gasly and Leclerc. UPDATE 2:...UPDATE: Cars 10 (Gasly) and 16 (Leclerc) were weighed afterwards and determined to be underweight by 1kg. Matters have been referred to the stewards. Confirmed DSQ: Gasly and Leclerc.
UPDATE 2: Car 44 (HAM) skid wear under minimum thickness. Matters have been referred to the stewards. Confirmed DSQ.
Ferrari double DSQ incoming? Please stand watch over your friends and family if they're Ferrari fans...
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Comment on EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely in ~tech
JCPhoenix Link ParentYeah that's a big one, especially when traveling, I usually have my phone cabled to a powerbank or built-in USB port or power outlet in a car/plane/train. I do have a travel wireless stand thing....there’s no good option to use the phone while it’s charging if it’s wireless only
Yeah that's a big one, especially when traveling, I usually have my phone cabled to a powerbank or built-in USB port or power outlet in a car/plane/train. I do have a travel wireless stand thing. Am I gonna have to connect the stand to the bank/outlet via cable, then "attach" the phone to the wireless stand?
At least the iPhone, which is what I use, has Magsafe charging, so it all "sticks" together. Do Androids have something like Magsafe? If not, yeah Android users are SOL. But even as an iPhone Magsafe user, that'll just be annoying have to have this extra accessory attached to my phone to cable charge.
I have a 12-13yo Dell Poweredge T620. 2x Xeon E5-2460, with 80GB RAM, ~2.5TB storage. Also got it from a previous job! I used to work at an MSP (contracted IT) and us techs could often take home hardware that clients were replacing. So we could play and experiment and learn stuff.
I have EXSi on it, with several VMs. I have a few Windows Servers with Active Directory, which are acting as DCs. Not all my computer here at home are domain joined, but enough are that it's good for testing GPOs and other AD stuff. Though I haven't messed with that in while. There's an Ubuntu Server VM that primarily hosts my Wireguard VPN server and then a simple script for DDNS syncing. It used to host my Ubiquiti Unifi network controller here, but I eventually just bought Unifi hardware that does that. I also have Pi-Hole and UPS software VMs.
Surprisingly, I personally haven't hosted any games on this. My Minecraft hosting days are far behind me...I don't miss those lost days and weekends lol. Though I did have a friend who wanted to host a "V Rising" server, so I let him do so until he got bored. That was kinda fun playing server/network admin for him.
Lately, I've been learning how to do backups of these VMs via Veeam. Unfortunately, I've run out of space on external HDDs for those backups, so now I'm thinking of turning another server (which has been a glorified footrest under a desk) I have into a storage server of sorts.