Rudism's recent activity
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Comment on Superman | Official teaser trailer in ~movies
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Comment on What are your Christmas movies? in ~movies
Rudism LinkEvery year I watch Treevenge with the kiddos, and lately Krampus has also become a bit of a tradition (without the kids though, since YouTube has rotted away the part of their brain that lets them... -
Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Rudism Link ParentGuess I'll throw in for the coffee + mechanical keyboards crew too. I use my Aeropress every day (except when family is visiting, when I'll break out the Cuisinart drip machine). I'm not a coffee...Guess I'll throw in for the coffee + mechanical keyboards crew too.
I use my Aeropress every day (except when family is visiting, when I'll break out the Cuisinart drip machine). I'm not a coffee aficionado or anything but I very much appreciate the consistent quality I get out of that thing.
A few years ago I got deep into building my own mechanical keyboards--researching and sourcing boards, microcontrollers, switches, keycaps (all the various profiles), then soldering everything together and 3D-printing my own cases. The end product is a few different Corne keyboards (two wired, one wireless), as well as a hand-wired macropad powered by a Pi Pico, and I also put together a Ploopy Nano trackball. I've also customized the layouts and firmware (roughly based on Dvorak but with several changes to how symbols are laid out to make it better for writing code). I love my keyboards.
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Comment on Kagi Small Web in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI put search in the same bucket as email--I technically could probably self-host it, but I don't want to be responsible for maintaining and fixing it. I need both of them to be more reliable than...I put search in the same bucket as email--I technically could probably self-host it, but I don't want to be responsible for maintaining and fixing it. I need both of them to be more reliable than I trust myself to manage. I'd rather pay someone and have it just work.
I used to run a SearXNG instance for personal use, but the backends stopped working and it needed to be updated or patched often enough (sometimes when I was out and searching something on my phone and couldn't do anything about it) that I got fed up. I also used to self-host my email, which was even more harrowing. Now I use Fastmail for email and Kagi for search and the fact that I'm paying actual money for them gives me at least a little peace of mind that they're not going to disappear or sell my data to Satan.
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Comment on What’s something that you weren’t supposed to see/hear, but did? in ~talk
Rudism Link ParentIn their defense, they were speaking quietly enough that I was probably the only one they had to worry about overhearing, and out of habit I was also explicitly pretending to pay zero attention to...In their defense, they were speaking quietly enough that I was probably the only one they had to worry about overhearing, and out of habit I was also explicitly pretending to pay zero attention to their conversation.
I also have everything set to military time across the board (wristwatch, phones, computers, etc.) so it was a pretty big face-palm moment for me when my wife showed me the tickets and asked "you don't suppose they mean AM on the time here do you?" (several hours after the flight).
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Comment on What sound did I hear while hiking through Tucson's Pima Canyon? in ~talk
Rudism LinkI'd guess some kind of beetle (or other large bug) taking flight or landing nearby. Example (not of one that would be found in that region, but I'm sure there are other large beetle species...I'd guess some kind of beetle (or other large bug) taking flight or landing nearby.
Example (not of one that would be found in that region, but I'm sure there are other large beetle species there): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp0k6VDXUOQ
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Comment on What’s something that you weren’t supposed to see/hear, but did? in ~talk
Rudism Link ParentI had a similar(ish) language-based experience when I was visiting Europe with my wife several years ago. We had a flight scheduled to go from Geneva to Rome at 09:00, but we ended up missing it...I had a similar(ish) language-based experience when I was visiting Europe with my wife several years ago. We had a flight scheduled to go from Geneva to Rome at 09:00, but we ended up missing it (PSA: make sure to familiarize yourself with military time if you're used to AM and PM and decide to visit Europe) and had to book a last minute train instead. As a result my wife and I couldn't book seats next to each other, so I ended up sitting next to 3 young women (it was two sets of seats facing each other with me and one of the women on one side facing the other two).
All three women were speaking in English, and I guess they assumed I was a local and couldn't understand them, because they started openly commenting about the other passengers (including me) in ways that I assume they wouldn't have if they thought anyone else knew what they were saying. I don't remember specifically what they said about me, but it definitely was not a flattering experience like the one you had.
At some point my wife came down the aisle to find me and asked (in English) if I wanted to switch seats with her, because she had one with a bit more leg room and thought I'd be more comfortable. I said something like "Yeah, sounds great, can you show me where it is?" When I glanced back at the women as we walked away they were all staring at us open-mouthed.
My wife later told me that she ended up having a great time sitting with and talking to them (after they expressed their horror and asked her to apologize to me for them for anything insulting they may have said), and the seat I traded for was much more comfortable for me, so it all worked out in the end.
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Comment on Podcast app recs in ~tech
Rudism LinkAudiobookshelf might be an option to look at, if you're not opposed to self-hosting a server component. I like it because you can add and listen to podcasts from any device via the mobile apps or...Audiobookshelf might be an option to look at, if you're not opposed to self-hosting a server component.
I like it because you can add and listen to podcasts from any device via the mobile apps or the web interface and they all stay in sync. The episodes are also downloaded and served by the server component, so you can still listen even if the original podcast host goes down or they remove episodes that you haven't listened to yet. The apps aren't the greatest in terms of functionality, but everything is open source and being actively improved. I haven't tried the iOS version (only the web interface and Android app) but they serve me well enough.
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Comment on What do you use for 2fa? in ~tech
Rudism LinkI use Bitwarden (technically it's a self-hosted vaultwarden), for both general password management and generating TOTP tokens, and I also have a Thetis Fido2 key and a couple Yubikeys that I use...I use Bitwarden (technically it's a self-hosted vaultwarden), for both general password management and generating TOTP tokens, and I also have a Thetis Fido2 key and a couple Yubikeys that I use for sites and apps that support webauthn.
The self-hosted vaultwarden gets backed up to Backblaze B2 every night with other various things from the machine it's running on (plus all the client apps keep a local snapshot of whatever they most recently synced from the server, so I'm not too worried about losing everything in the event of catastrophic failure of my backups).
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Comment on What is the best modern-ish OS to install on older computers? (Parameters within) in ~comp
Rudism Link ParentIf going with Linux, I'd pick one that doesn't use (or has the option not to use) systemd, as I've found that can crank up the system requirements (RAM, CPU, etc.) compared to older-school init...If going with Linux, I'd pick one that doesn't use (or has the option not to use) systemd, as I've found that can crank up the system requirements (RAM, CPU, etc.) compared to older-school init systems.
Slackware, Void (my personal choice), Gentoo, maybe even Alpine would probably be better than Debian. (Unless Debian has the option to use a lighter-weight init system, I've not tried it any time recently so I don't know.) Also I think any of the BSDs should be an option, but they might present a tougher challenge to get all the hardware and any peripherals functional.
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Comment on I just acquired a Samsung phone. Is there an operational benefit to registering it with Samsung? in ~tech
Rudism Link ParentI'm not sure if it would also work for Samsung, but my old OnePlus phone did the same thing (nagged to register a OnePlus account and had a big non-dismissable "SIGN IN" button at the top of the...I'm not sure if it would also work for Samsung, but my old OnePlus phone did the same thing (nagged to register a OnePlus account and had a big non-dismissable "SIGN IN" button at the top of the settings). But the universal android debloater was able to uninstall all the OnePlus bloat, including whatever package was doing the nagging and adding the OnePlus account settings, leaving it in a much cleaner vanilla Android state without all that bloat.
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Comment on Disney’s Snow White | Official trailer in ~movies
Rudism LinkWhen I was really young there was a period of time when my dad took me and my brother to watch old Disney movies at a nearby theater every Sunday. Each week we'd watch things like Snow White,...When I was really young there was a period of time when my dad took me and my brother to watch old Disney movies at a nearby theater every Sunday. Each week we'd watch things like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, Pete's Dragon, Song of the South, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmatians, The Rescuers, Lady and the Tramp, Mary Poppins--all the old classics. Later on when I was a little older our whole family would go out to theaters for all the new hype Disney animated movies, like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Lion King. And we bought many of those on VHS later when they became available, so I've probably watched them all more times than any other movie I've seen.
I wonder if there's a generation of kids right now who'd form the same kind of memories around these live action remakes. It certainly feels to me like they're all pointless trash that do nothing other than come dangerously close to tarnishing my own memories associated with the original films, but I wonder if it's just because I'm overly nostalgic or if these new films actually do have some kind of value or merit beyond being lazy cash grabs. The only one I've seen is The Jungle Book and, while still kind of pointless, it wasn't awful, but I hear that most or all of the others so far are much worse.
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Comment on Sony is reportedly working on a PS5 portable in ~games
Rudism LinkThe PS Vita is probably still my favorite handheld console, but because of how they handled that I no longer trust Sony enough that I would ever buy into anything new they put out.The PS Vita is probably still my favorite handheld console, but because of how they handled that I no longer trust Sony enough that I would ever buy into anything new they put out.
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Comment on I don't own a cellphone. Can this privacy-focused network change that? in ~tech
Rudism LinkI didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but I'm assuming the author must have a landline? I've often fantasized about ditching my cellphone for a landline, since I work from home now I'm here probably...I didn't see it mentioned anywhere, but I'm assuming the author must have a landline? I've often fantasized about ditching my cellphone for a landline, since I work from home now I'm here probably 99.9% of the time anyways. I don't think my wife would approve though, since it would mean I'd be unreachable on those rare occasions that I do travel or have to drive somewhere for an extended period of time.
I wonder where the IMEIs and IMSIs come from on the Cape service, and whether they're ever shared between users or not. Could have potentially scary implications on law enforcement requests if some identifier that they tracked to one of your personas might also have been used (or is actively being used) by other Cape users.
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Comment on China population set for 51 million drop as pro-birth moves fail in ~society
Rudism Link ParentThis was more or less the plot of Idiocracy.This was more or less the plot of Idiocracy.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
Rudism LinkIt was my birthday a few days ago so I treated myself to a couple new toys--a Teenage Engineering EP-133 and a Roland J-6 chord sequencer. I've always wanted to futz around with making music as a...It was my birthday a few days ago so I treated myself to a couple new toys--a Teenage Engineering EP-133 and a Roland J-6 chord sequencer. I've always wanted to futz around with making music as a potential hobby, but in a way that a) I can accomplish despite never having learned to play any instruments, b) doesn't require much initial understanding of music theory, and c) doesn't involve me sitting at a computer (which I do enough of already for my job).
So far it's been fun and I think this combo of dedicated hardware devices was a good choice--the EP-133 is really easy and fun to capture samples and make beats and loops on, and the J-6 is like a non-musician's dream come true for finding good-sounding chord progressions (and I love the sound of the built-in synth). My plan is to see if I can completely sequence and produce some tracks sans-computer--basically run the J-6's audio out through the EP-133, sync up their timing via MIDI, and then feed the EP-133 out into a Zoom recorder to record everything as I play it. Probably everything I do will be trash since I'm 100% brand new to literally every aspect of this, but it's so much fun I don't really care.
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Comment on What are some good YouTube channels/shows/series related to travel? in ~travel
Rudism LinkI recently found Joe & Nic's Road Trip and have been enjoying it. Lots of lowkey footage from small-town rural USA given along with facts for each town (population, income, household value,...I recently found Joe & Nic's Road Trip and have been enjoying it. Lots of lowkey footage from small-town rural USA given along with facts for each town (population, income, household value, crime). Sometimes when they're covering a town that's big enough to have restaurants (for example they recently completed a tour of all 50 US state capitals) they'll stop at one and talk about the food a bit.
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Comment on AirPods or not? in ~music
Rudism LinkI'm against Apple products for various reasons, and I'm not exactly an audiophile, but here's what I use: Nothing Ear (a) as my daily driver buds. Less than $100, configurable LDAC support (at the...I'm against Apple products for various reasons, and I'm not exactly an audiophile, but here's what I use:
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Nothing Ear (a) as my daily driver buds. Less than $100, configurable LDAC support (at the cost of battery), sound really good to me, and pretty decent noise cancellation. They're comfortable, the app (on Android) is really nice, and the stem controls work well and can be customized. Best buds I've ever owned (though I've never spent over $100 on a pair).
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Soundcore Space A40 as my sleep buds. I got these because they're cheap (often on sale for $50 or less), and small enough that I can side-sleep with them in and not feel them. I use them with ANC turned off (for max battery life) to listen to podcasts or white noise at night, so sound quality wasn't a big factor.
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Microsoft Surface Headphones as my daily driver when I want over-ears. Sound quality is acceptable (I think maybe they only support SBC though), and noise cancellation is there but nothing to get excited about. These are probably the most comfortable over-ear headphones I've ever worn though, which is the only reason why I haven't replaced them with something with better quality or ANC yet.
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Sennheiser HD 450BTs were an attempt to replace the Surface Headphones with something that sounded better, but these are straight trash. I can't wear them for longer than 10 minutes without feeling like my head is slowly being crushed in a vice and my ears are going to melt off. I should have returned them. Dunno why I waited too long. They're the only ones I have paired to my desktop so I only use them for work meetings which typically don't last long anyway.
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Comment on I think it's time to give a "news detox" a try in ~talk
Rudism Link ParentWell, like I said I'm not completely in the dark--I get a slow-trickle of important news and general vibes from my wife. Also, and this may only really be germane to the US with our merely...Well, like I said I'm not completely in the dark--I get a slow-trickle of important news and general vibes from my wife.
Also, and this may only really be germane to the US with our merely "democratic-ish" two-party system, the choices we're presented with are often such polar opposites on so many issues that it's not too hard to know which party and candidates most align on the values that matter to you the most. I think if I lived in a country with more nuanced politics then I'd hope for something like those quizzes you linked to help me decide.
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Comment on I think it's time to give a "news detox" a try in ~talk
Rudism LinkI support and highly recommend this idea. Anecdotally, I stopped watching the news and following politics almost completely 8 years ago (and ditched the vast majority of social media long before...I support and highly recommend this idea.
Anecdotally, I stopped watching the news and following politics almost completely 8 years ago (and ditched the vast majority of social media long before that) and it has been very freeing and invigorating. I feel less anxious and irritated in general, my average blood pressure (which wasn't that bad to begin with) has lowered, I've found more time and motivation to exercise and eat healthier, and I think I just enjoy life a lot more than I used to with the cloud of the 24 hour news cycle always looming.
I can't say for certain how much of the positive changes I've experienced over time is directly attributable to becoming "willfully ignorant," but it feels like a pretty big component. My wife still follows the news (I think she's much better at handling it than me) so I'm never completely left in the dark on major events.
When I was a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, superhero media was like crack cocaine to me. The Christopher Reeve Supermans, the Burton and Schumaker Batmans, all the glorious cartoons, comics, and toys. Then the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy came out, the Ang Lee Hulk, then Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America--can't even express the pure joy I felt back then.
I never would have imagined in a million years that the studios would be able to grind me down to the point where a new Superman movie comes out and my immediate reaction is to not even bother watching the trailer because I am so many leagues away from the target audience.