Paul85's recent activity
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Comment on Timasomo 2026: Week 3 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Paul85 LinkI have to admit I’ve just been lazy this week and have been letting Apple Music decide what I should listen to. I tell it to play my station and it’s a mix of labourites and new or random picks it...I have to admit I’ve just been lazy this week and have been letting Apple Music decide what I should listen to. I tell it to play my station and it’s a mix of labourites and new or random picks it thinks I’d like. It is a lazy approach, but I’ll give it credit for managing to balance some very different genres pretty well. Got some metal, rap, chillout, indie rock, reggae. I was out of town over the weekend and had to spend many hours driving, so this turned out good given that I prefer to keep my eyes on the road.
More specifically, some rap songs caught my attention. Run The Jewels and it’s respective members solo work too.
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Comment on I can kinda see why social media sites use divisive topics to solicit engagement in ~tech
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Comment on I can kinda see why social media sites use divisive topics to solicit engagement in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentSocial media found a way to monetize the trolls. The slogan is “Feed the troll! Be a troll!” Because views = ads = profit. None of these platforms actually care about what is posted. They care...Social media found a way to monetize the trolls. The slogan is “Feed the troll! Be a troll!” Because views = ads = profit. None of these platforms actually care about what is posted. They care that ads are shown to eyeballs.
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Comment on Timasomo 2026: Week 3 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
Paul85 LinkAs I have assumed I would, I did find time over the weekend to edit my short story based on solo RPG prompts that I wrote responses to. I was away from home so I edited on my tablet. I’ll have to...As I have assumed I would, I did find time over the weekend to edit my short story based on solo RPG prompts that I wrote responses to. I was away from home so I edited on my tablet. I’ll have to check once more for pagination and alignment of drawings, but otherwise it’s pretty much done and I just have to export to PDF and also turn it into a blog post, which due to the platform I use will be a little tedious for the graphical elements.
Thoughts about it after editing: I can’t say I am seeing this as some major accomplishment, but more like “fun writing practice” to hopefully motivate myself to do more. But hey maybe I am just too harsh with myself. We’ll see once some people actually read this thing.
Work has been tough, so evenings have been lacking motivation to work on anything, but I hope the pace slows down next week so that I can fit some of this work in my lunch breaks. Evenings tend to be too busy during the week, between dinner, dog walks, family time. This weekend it seems the weather will suck big time, so I might just do it then.
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Comment on Maybe I hate technology in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentBeing bored is good. I notice many people are uncomfortable being bored at all. In fact I think being bored and doing nothing is becoming a luxury. Our attention is being pulled into a million...Being bored is good. I notice many people are uncomfortable being bored at all. In fact I think being bored and doing nothing is becoming a luxury. Our attention is being pulled into a million directions.
A small think I like doing is leaving my phone at home when I walk my dogs. Seems like a small change, but it actually feels different! And I’ll admit to my hand sometimes reaching for the (empty) pocket when I see something I’d want to take a photo of. Then I remember I need to enjoy the moment instead of trying to capture it to enjoy it later.
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Comment on Maybe I hate technology in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentGood job dropping video games. Winters are long here in Canada and as much as I can avoid games in summer, it’s a very good indoor activity in winter. Offline, my wife and I have dogs, so lots of...Good job dropping video games. Winters are long here in Canada and as much as I can avoid games in summer, it’s a very good indoor activity in winter.
Offline, my wife and I have dogs, so lots of dog walks and dog sports. In the summer I like cycling and hiking in the mountains. I like reading, writing and sometimes drawing for other offline hobbies. Photography too, occasionally (with a camera not with the phone). Board games and card games with friends are also a good alternative to video games. I play some Magic the Gathering fairly regularly.
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Comment on Maybe I hate technology in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentI was thinking of that recently: the internet, when I was young, was something that lived on my computer. It was basically a better alternative to cable TV which was full of ads and 100 channels...I was thinking of that recently: the internet, when I was young, was something that lived on my computer. It was basically a better alternative to cable TV which was full of ads and 100 channels of garbage. The internet was a place for fun, new, creative stuff and open communication. Now it’s in everyone’s pocket and I am not so sure if the benefits it brought will ever outweigh the damage it is doing. But maybe I’m just getting old and fail to see how all this is just normal, another cycle in human evolution, our era’s version of electricity? I guess we’ll see!
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Comment on Maybe I hate technology in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentAround the same timeframe as you in terms of when the internet hit, being an introvert, even meeting my partner online (via Facebook, nevertheless, before any dating apps existed). I owe a lot to...Around the same timeframe as you in terms of when the internet hit, being an introvert, even meeting my partner online (via Facebook, nevertheless, before any dating apps existed). I owe a lot to tech, but I also feel my abuses of it robbed me of many years of more “real” experiences, as opposed to “virtual” experiences (video games primarily). I’ve gotten better at balancing, but these days the pattern has been more “how do I avoid screens” or “what’s the best use of screen time if I do want to avoid overdoing it”. For example I got rid of Facebook and most other social networks and apps a while ago. This was very helpful and a big change. Video games, I learned to balance. I tried quitting altogether, but mixed results.
Another comment says a lot of criticism of tech is actually a criticism of capitalism. I can see that. I feel things took a massive down turn when ads became the primary drivers of everything “free” online. Algorithms broke a lot of the things I used to like. Luckily I’m in my early 40s now with enough offline things to keep me busy and joyful. My need to rely on these technologies that let me down is decreasing more and more each year. Coupled with an active effort to spend time offline, it feels like I am reaching a decent balance. I do “hate” technology, or the direction it’s going in, or how pervasive it has become, with AI now. A conscious effort to say “no” to much of it is needed, at least for me.
PS I don’t mind you sharing links to your blog. It’s a good blog and beats paywalled articles any day. :-)
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Comment on How cringe took over culture in ~arts
Paul85 Link ParentThat’s a good quote. Thanks for sharing."Write books only if you are going to say in them the things you would never dare confide to anyone.”
That’s a good quote. Thanks for sharing.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
Paul85 Link ParentI went in practically blind too. Happy I did. I liked it more than expected because TBH I am not a huge Seth Rogen fan. I like him and I love that he’s a fellow Canadian but the guy mostly plays...I went in practically blind too. Happy I did. I liked it more than expected because TBH I am not a huge Seth Rogen fan. I like him and I love that he’s a fellow Canadian but the guy mostly plays the exact same character in different settings. Still, this worked, felt like watching a play, and honestly I learned something from it that made me pause and think of my own relationship.
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Comment on iPhone Duo sells out immediately, now backordered until next year in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentAh damn there goes my Plan B of switching to a dumb phone. Or having one as a secondary emergency line.Ah damn there goes my Plan B of switching to a dumb phone. Or having one as a secondary emergency line.
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Comment on iPhone Duo sells out immediately, now backordered until next year in ~tech
Paul85 Link ParentA good point. I was thinking about this myself. At what point has work managed to encroach on my own device via 2FA? I can say No to installing work apps, I have not been forced to have a work...A good point. I was thinking about this myself. At what point has work managed to encroach on my own device via 2FA? I can say No to installing work apps, I have not been forced to have a work phone (thankfully), and yet the 2FA somehow slides under the radar. First it was some app called Duo, not work switched to the Microsoft Authenticator. I do think there is an option to use text messaging, but it’s not the default and can’t be set as the default. I would always have to click on “use another method”.
Earlier this year they said “if you enrol your phone with the corporate mobile management system we’ll pay you $20 a month towards your phone bill”. My boss was pretty surprised when I said no, and was the only one in the team to say no. “But it’s free money!” Yeah, free money and the capability for the company to wipe my device if they see fit. No thank you.
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Comment on What was a small but bright moment of your day? in ~life
Paul85 Link ParentMakes me wonder what tech is up next on the chopping block. CDs I think are on a short fuse, but music lovers may yet keep them alive. Dedicated MP3 players are already kind of dead. Smartphones...Makes me wonder what tech is up next on the chopping block. CDs I think are on a short fuse, but music lovers may yet keep them alive. Dedicated MP3 players are already kind of dead. Smartphones did them in. You can only find niche high end ones that are really nice. The rest feel cheap and not worth it if you’ve got a smartphone.
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (October 2026) in ~health.mental
Paul85 Link ParentThat’s very cool. Thank you for pointing out that nuance between the gut feeling I was imagining and your actual experience. Sounds like an awesome feeling. Glad you went with it! Flow like water....That’s very cool. Thank you for pointing out that nuance between the gut feeling I was imagining and your actual experience. Sounds like an awesome feeling. Glad you went with it! Flow like water.
It’s funny you use the word unnatural, but then describe it as a sort of visceral joy. Maybe it’s in fact very natural and you already pointed out that you just had to allow yourself to experience it. Like opening a faucet and letting it in.
I had to think back if I ever had similar experiences. I think I have, mostly while travelling and experiencing something new. I remember I was in Tokyo once and was just walking around and came across a small museum. It was one of those forking paths moment for me. Keep walking or randomly go to this museum. I followed my heart and went in, and was surprised how cool it was. Not quite the same as you described, but one of the memories that came to mind.
I think that when I travel I’m just in a different mode of experiencing the world, and it’s too bad I fail to flip that switch at home too. I know there are tons of cool things to experience in my own city that I simply don’t make the time for, get complacent with daily routine and comforts, and close myself to these experiences that might be a few steps away.
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Comment on 1 in 8 Billion - Browser game, free, life sim with real statistics from 172 countries in ~games
Paul85 Link ParentI had this feeling that we’re all just grains of sands in an ocean of time, reminding me at once how much I should appreciate this one shot I get at life, and how small it is in the context of the...I had this feeling that we’re all just grains of sands in an ocean of time, reminding me at once how much I should appreciate this one shot I get at life, and how small it is in the context of the universe.
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Comment on What was a small but bright moment of your day? in ~life
Paul85 Link ParentCome to think of it, DVDs did not really have a HUGE lifespan, did they? Maybe like early 2000s to maybe 2015ish? Vinyl records on the other hand are still going strong. I know they still exist...Come to think of it, DVDs did not really have a HUGE lifespan, did they? Maybe like early 2000s to maybe 2015ish? Vinyl records on the other hand are still going strong.
I know they still exist and all, but the peak and their time as the de facto video storage and enjoyment method is gone
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (October 2026) in ~health.mental
Paul85 Link ParentI like how you followed your heart with the horse artwork. I can relate to it and I also think it’s a useful habit (within reason). Time and again I had a “gut feeling” about a person, place,...I like how you followed your heart with the horse artwork. I can relate to it and I also think it’s a useful habit (within reason). Time and again I had a “gut feeling” about a person, place, situation, chose to follow more “logical” paths, only to later realize my gut feeling was correct all along. So I think it’s a good tool and compass. Sometimes it’s a one-off fun thing, but other times it can be a good sense to snuff out warning signs early (people, jobs while you’re interviewing, social situations).
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Comment on 1 in 8 Billion - Browser game, free, life sim with real statistics from 172 countries in ~games
Paul85 LinkNow I’m sad. (born 1985) I was born a girl into a well-off family in Fortaleza, Brazil. As a child I dreamed of being a painter. My last job: teacher. My happiest year was at 53: a milestone in...Now I’m sad.
(born 1985) I was born a girl into a well-off family in Fortaleza, Brazil.
As a child I dreamed of being a painter. My last job: teacher.
My happiest year was at 53: a milestone in school.
I retired, and died of complications of diabetes at 79.
At my funeral, my daughter Ana remembered me as “someone whose eyes lit up whenever dancing came up.” -
Comment on Grand Theft Auto VI | Launch trailer in ~games
Paul85 LinkOn one hand, I haven’t felt the need to play GTA since Vice City. On the other hand, if this winter has a lot of really cold weekends and I’m bored, I can see myself giving this a shot just to see...On one hand, I haven’t felt the need to play GTA since Vice City. On the other hand, if this winter has a lot of really cold weekends and I’m bored, I can see myself giving this a shot just to see for myself if the hype is justified. I can take it or leave it, and I definitely don’t want to pay $130 for it, so we’ll see.
Sorry to hear that about your dog. Hope he/she gets better soon.