aphoenix's recent activity
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
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Comment on When it comes to Canadian politics, all bets are now off in ~society
aphoenix That was a more patient response than I am typically wont to give, so kudos. The carbon tax is a monetary net benefit for the majority of canadians, and is also a net benefit for people who want...That was a more patient response than I am typically wont to give, so kudos.
The carbon tax is a monetary net benefit for the majority of canadians, and is also a net benefit for people who want to, you know, be able to live moving forward. Here is an article from the David Suzuki foundation about the carbon tax.
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Comment on When it comes to Canadian politics, all bets are now off in ~society
aphoenix It's really hard to say what is going to happen after during the next federal election. 338Canada show a number of polls and over the last few weeks, the shift has been absolutely wild and we have...It's really hard to say what is going to happen after during the next federal election. 338Canada show a number of polls and over the last few weeks, the shift has been absolutely wild and we have quite a wait.
Greens will likely play ball with just about anyone - they lack the the importance to do much else - and the NDP and Liberals have a long history of working together in a dysfunctional way, and then stopping when it seems obvious to everyone else that they shouldn't. The Bloq is also a big question mark in there.
So... it could happen. But there are a lot of things between here and there that have to get sorted first, most importantly who is going to take over for Trudeau. Poilievre seems to lack the ability to say positive things about Canada which is really riling people up against him right now.
tl;dr it's a shitshow, and the title of this article is right on - all bets are off. What you asked really could happen. Or it could be a Conservative majority. Or something else. The polls are crazy right now.
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
aphoenix Are there any good spots in Hamilton? My wife works at McMaster so is there with some frequency. Unrelated to coffee, have you been to The Mule?Are there any good spots in Hamilton? My wife works at McMaster so is there with some frequency.
Unrelated to coffee, have you been to The Mule?
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Comment on Humble Choice - February 2025 in ~games
aphoenix (edited )LinkI'm late to this discussion, but I'm excited for this month. I really enjoyed the The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk game, so the Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master is getting installed now. I loved the...I'm late to this discussion, but I'm excited for this month.
I really enjoyed the The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk game, so the Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master is getting installed now. I loved the juxtaposition of quite silly and saucy storytelling with decent-to-good gameplay and combat.
Tales and Tactics was already on my wishlist! It's a roguelike that looks pretty good, but the main reason it's there is because it's by the same people who build the "Downfall" mod for Slay the Spire, which is a really well thought out mod, easily one of the best mods I have played for a game.
My Little Universe looks like a fun couch co-op so that's also going to get tried out pretty soon. I'm also installing Fabledom with no information at all because it looks so cute.
Immortals of Aveum I've already given away, and the rest went on my "considering" list - I'll run them by the kids and see if anyone's interested and otherwise, they'll be fodder for the next Tildes giveaway.
Edit: it is often interesting how different people can be. So many people here are calling this a skip month, but for me, it's one of the most exciting ones in recent memory. I immediately installed (but haven't yet gotten into) four games, then read @Acorn_CK's comment and also installed Griftlands. Usually I only grab a couple of keys and the rest just go in key storage.
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
aphoenix For beans, we usually try to go to somewhere local to us, in Guelph. We have some pretty great spots in my town - Coffee Stiles, Planet Bean, and Lost Aviator. I tend to favor Coffee Stiles...For beans, we usually try to go to somewhere local to us, in Guelph. We have some pretty great spots in my town - Coffee Stiles, Planet Bean, and Lost Aviator. I tend to favor Coffee Stiles because they have a beautiful dog named Booter as a greeter, and they have a pretty wide selection of single origin ethically sourced beans. I don't think they sell actual drinks, but they do have a good amount of coffee paraphernalia. They also have a wide variety of Keurig pods for my wife, who enjoys when I make coffee but also will often pop a keurig pod in if she wants a quicker brew. Planet Bean is pretty good, but I think of it more as a place to go to drink a coffee than to get coffee beans. Lost Aviator is both a good spot to get a drink, and a great spot to get whatever they are currently roasting.
Oh and I also love Balzac's for getting a coffee.
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Comment on Inside inventor Simone Giertz’s small Los Angeles home, 58sqm/630sqft in ~design
aphoenix Oh wow, it's great! What a smart layout. At some point, I'd love to see your pax layouts in action. What a lovely spot! <3Oh wow, it's great! What a smart layout. At some point, I'd love to see your pax layouts in action. What a lovely spot! <3
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
aphoenix I wish! I didn't, but mostly because there was a guy that was deeply into doing magic tricks that I went to school with. Here he is on Fool Us. Even 35 years ago his stage production was not...I wish! I didn't, but mostly because there was a guy that was deeply into doing magic tricks that I went to school with. Here he is on Fool Us. Even 35 years ago his stage production was not something anyone else could match.
I played and sang Candle in the Wind the last time I was in a talent show. I came fourth, after the above magician, a girl who was a much better singer, and a guy who shot... I think it was 8 of 10 half court basketball shots. Fun fact, that guy now has three gold medals and a silver in basketball at the Paralympics.
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
aphoenix 45 / M / Ontario, Canada. By way of introduction, here is what it says in my Tildes bio: (he/him) You can find me with this username on reddit and lobste.rs as well. I am: a father of three a...45 / M / Ontario, Canada. By way of introduction, here is what it says in my Tildes bio:
(he/him) You can find me with this username on reddit and lobste.rs as well. I am:
- a father of three
- a husband (of one)
- a software developer - python & typescript a lot of the time
- enthusiastic about games - board games, video games, sports
- overweight but fixing it
- formerly really into lifting heavy things repeatedly
- a beer lover, though I drink infrequently
- a coffee lover, and I drink very frequently
- the primary cook for our family of 5
- a musician - our house is full of instruments
- casually into playing sports, especially disc golf
- into juggling, speedcubing, sleight-of-hand, that sort of thing
- quite interested in puzzles - crosswords, sudoku, other cryptic games
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Comment on What’s inside a manhole? in ~engineering
aphoenix Phrasing Grady! As usual, this is a well thought out and interesting glimpse into how things work, with fun little quips, and a soothing manner, and even though it's about sewers, it's not...Phrasing Grady!
As usual, this is a well thought out and interesting glimpse into how things work, with fun little quips, and a soothing manner, and even though it's about sewers, it's not particularly gross.
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Comment on Update on Tildes codebase: Less community fork, more official maintainers in ~tildes
aphoenix (edited )Link ParentThe main difference from my point of view is that I use docker. There are a bunch of technical differences, but generally Docker, Vagrant, other options are both valid and useful. It just happens...The main difference from my point of view is that I use docker. There are a bunch of technical differences, but generally Docker, Vagrant, other options are both valid and useful. It just happens that I use docker day to day.
Edit: maybe an important thing to note is that Tildes is actually probably more suited to vagrant than docker in a lot of ways. If you are actually looking for a breakdown of why one might choose one over the other, somebody can probably give a high level idea, but if you were just wondering specifically about my rather flippant comment, then this relatively brief answer is likely sufficient.
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Comment on I just turned 29 last month, what are some things I should be thinking about before my 30s? in ~talk
aphoenix I haven't really read the other contributions, but here are the things I wish I had done at 29. For context, I am 45. Gotten in good shape - every year it is harder to maintain health. It is...I haven't really read the other contributions, but here are the things I wish I had done at 29. For context, I am 45.
Gotten in good shape - every year it is harder to maintain health. It is easier when one starts from a place of relatively good health.
Changed my diet - eat less, mostly green things. I'm happy with who I am, but I want to stick around as long as possible in a healthy way. Eating less is a good way to do so.
Maintain your hobbies - there are various artistic things that I am not as good at as I used to be. I should be able to shred on a guitar just as well as I did 20 years ago, but I didn't practice enough. My eye for photography has grown stagnant. That sort of thing.
Put more in savings / investments - I have a lot of stuff. I wish I had less stuff and more of a safety net.
Lean into libraries - this is a specific example of the previous item. I have so many books. I read them once or twice, then they go on a shelf. They're beautiful, I love them. Despite that, I honestly wish I had fewer books.
Understand that chores are favours you do to your future self - nobody likes taking the garbage out, but it is enjoyable to not live in a place of garbage. Put time into chores, because you will enjoy having the chores be done.
Here are some things that I did do and feel like it worked out well.
Sunscreen and Sunglasses - I go through a lot of sunscreen, and I have very expensive sunglasses. Both of them are great. I haven't had a bad sunburn in 25+ years.
Tell your mentors why they are mentors - I told various people whom I have looked up to what they mean to me, and why I look up to them. They have been very receptive and thankful.
Tell the people you love that you love them - I try to let them all know that I love them and I try to make my actions show that.
Try / Learn new things - do a thing you're uncomfortable with. Learn a new cooking style. Find a new skill. There are so many things that you can learn to do.
Help whomever you can when you can - if I see someone struggling, I try to stop and help whenever I can safely do so. Sometimes that means stopping to help someone with a flat tire, sometimes that means helping out an acquaintance by driving them somewhere, sometimes it's just snowblowing a neighbour's driveway. I just try to put goodness out into the universe.
Enjoy your time - life is hard, loads of things suck. Find enjoyment in life. This could mean playing video games, or making art, or find a partner and, in the immortal words of Rosa Diaz, bone down, or make a great meal, or enjoy a fine beer, or brush your beard, or make a high quality coffee for someone. Whatever you do, life is short, and it is meant to be enjoyed.
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Comment on Update on Tildes codebase: Less community fork, more official maintainers in ~tildes
aphoenix These are all great developments. I'm excited that docker support is coming. It's been a while since I looked at any of the Tildes code, but I'm more likely to give it a go again with that as an...These are all great developments.
I'm excited that docker support is coming. It's been a while since I looked at any of the Tildes code, but I'm more likely to give it a go again with that as an option.
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Comment on Growing a beard. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
aphoenix It has been a while since I've had a shorter beard, but I think I did mostly the same when it was close to my face. Here's a stream of consciousness brain dump of beard related things! Washing...It has been a while since I've had a shorter beard, but I think I did mostly the same when it was close to my face. Here's a stream of consciousness brain dump of beard related things!
Washing
It's obviously important to wash your beard, but like your hair, if you overwash you're going to strip off the natural oils that protect your hair. I try to wash my beard about 2 - 3 times per week, and I do so with a gentle soap. I still wash my face, usually morning and night, but I just don't do the bearded areas.
Moisturizer / Balm / Oil
There are so many options and what you do is going to depend on what you like, but I recommend trying each of these at least once
- beard balm
- beard oil
- beard leave-in conditioner
- beard butter
And then picking the one that you like. I use a beard balm because I felt like beard oil felt, well, oily, butter felt like it didn't do much, and the leave-in felt like it was a coating on my face. The one I'm currently using is "Viking Revolution Cedar and Pine".
Scents
Find something that both you and your husband like the smell of. I had a few different products that my wife just didn't like the smell of, and then she got me one that I didn't like the smell of. You have to find something good for both of you, because you both have to smell it. I know this seems obvious, but it has eluded several other of my friends when they were starting out.
Brush
I recommend getting a good quality boar hair brush. There's something quite relaxing about brushing out your beard
Trimming and Shaving
I trim and shape my beard fairly frequently. Sometimes it's as simple as getting errant beard hairs into a good position; sometimes it's getting rid of volume, sometimes it's changing the style. I have a good set of trimmers - the same ones I use for my hair - and a good set of scissors, and a good wooden comb. My beard is kind of wiry, so I use a comb with bigger gaps.
My advice for trimming is to just pick a shape, and then cut your beard into that general shape. I
You probably still want good shaving peripherals as well. I still shave my neck because I think there should be some kind of line between my body hair and my beard.
I probably have more info, but I have to take my son to ball hockey!
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
aphoenix In what I have observed, this goes one of two ways: a) it works! Your hair swirls in a particular way that the extra hair covers the pate and you're all set. This is how my dad's hair goes - he...My barber actually recommended keeping my hair a little longer as a way of covering more of the scalp up
In what I have observed, this goes one of two ways:
a) it works! Your hair swirls in a particular way that the extra hair covers the pate and you're all set. This is how my dad's hair goes - he keeps his hair longer, and it sweeps back and over his spot and it's not noticeable.
b) it does the opposite. Your hair swirls outward from the pate and it it causes your hair to act as an arrow that points to your balding area. This is what mine does.
I have a lot of stuff that I do with my beard - washing, trimming, shaping, balm, oil, moustache wax, etc - and it's mostly just a ritual of self care and pampering. I definitely recommend it for relaxation, but there's also an element of "I like myself and deserve something nice" to it as well, which I think is important. That's part of what I like about having the thicker beard. You can do it with a short beard as well, though.
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
aphoenix He is a great person - thoughtful, insightful, full of kindness, and beloved by many in these parts. Thank you! I'm entering my silver fox era. Ha, even the juxtaposition of those two selfies I...He is a great person - thoughtful, insightful, full of kindness, and beloved by many in these parts.
Thank you! I'm entering my silver fox era. Ha, even the juxtaposition of those two selfies I can see way more grey in there. My hair used to be reddish brown! I think this suits me though.
Hopefully the idea of the cut came through from the selfies - tighter to the scalp, still fairly stylish (I think), not fully shaved but still quite short, and not accentuating but working with the shortness.
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Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of January 26 in ~games
aphoenix This is a fun game. My son likes it and said it's basically an upgrade to 911 operator. He's got a fair number of hours in it, and I think he can play in our city? It's pretty nifty.This is a fun game. My son likes it and said it's basically an upgrade to 911 operator. He's got a fair number of hours in it, and I think he can play in our city? It's pretty nifty.
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Comment on Should I self-host my blog? in ~tech
aphoenix I understand your point about CDN failure, but I usually state that as a feature and not a bug. Most sites that rely on a CDN are less noticeable than Amazon, NYTimes, or Reddit. If those sites...I understand your point about CDN failure, but I usually state that as a feature and not a bug. Most sites that rely on a CDN are less noticeable than Amazon, NYTimes, or Reddit. If those sites are down, you have a pretty good cover story - we use the same sort of tech that these big sites use, and the outage hit a lot of places!
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Comment on My hair is thinning. Tips and tricks, please! in ~life.style
aphoenix Unsurprisingly, given our other similarities, I have gone through this same situation. My pate shows through. I've elected not to do much that was suggested - no rogaine and I did not shave my...- Exemplary
Unsurprisingly, given our other similarities, I have gone through this same situation. My pate shows through. I've elected not to do much that was suggested - no rogaine and I did not shave my head - but I did adjust my haircut. I keep my hair quite short on the sides - I buzz it to a .5 or 1 - and then a bit longer on the top, fading back to a 1 where my pate shows through. I think it works for me, generally - here is a selfie from a couple of years ago and that's contrasted with one from a year or so earlier. You can see that I've gone much shorter hair, which downplays (or "doesn't accentuate") the bald spot.
A while ago a friend of mine told me something along the lines of this, speaking about men in general:
Y'all can be attractive and yes, even cute, and yes, even beautiful, and yes, even hot, and, trust me on this, you don't need perfectly chiseled abs and defined pecs to pull that off. Not even close.
I think that's applicable for hair, and all other physical aspects of one's body. With that in mind I try to look at other guys who have similar hair / beard / features / build to me and then think "what do I think about how they look." I think a big part of it is about choosing a style that works for your face and hair, but in general, I think that you can pick a haircut that works with what you have, whether that's a fully shaved head, what I've described above, or otherwise.
All that to say - if you pick medication, that's great. If you rock the bald look, that's great. If you go with a haircut like mine, that's great. There's not a singular "right" answer, other than to remember that you're beautiful while you're doing it.
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Comment on TimeGuessr in ~games
aphoenix It's still popular, but not quite the viral "everybody is doing it" as it was for a while. It definitely took a dip when it went pay to play.It's still popular, but not quite the viral "everybody is doing it" as it was for a while. It definitely took a dip when it went pay to play.
Thanks for the coffee recommendations!
I've been to the Mule in hamilton a few times - it was only as I was looking for the link to share that I realized there was more than the one location. I agree that it's a super cool place with great tacos, and generally just want to spread awareness to people that they should go there. :)