artvandelay's recent activity
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
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Comment on South Korea is over in ~society
artvandelay Link ParentYep, that's pretty much what the commenters in the video also mentioned. The workaholic culture has people often spending 70+ hours a week at work, which is like ~12hr days for 6 days a week. You...Yep, that's pretty much what the commenters in the video also mentioned. The workaholic culture has people often spending 70+ hours a week at work, which is like ~12hr days for 6 days a week. You get one day off and then you're back at work. Assuming you sleep 8 hours a day, there's very little time after that to even look after yourself, much less look after kids as well. Combining that with a rising cost of living and stagnant wages, most people are getting squeezed.
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (April 2025) in ~health.mental
artvandelay LinkNot doing so hot if I'm honest but could be a lot worse. In early March, I was put on a "performance improvement plan" at work as I had only "met most expectations" for two performance cycles in a...Not doing so hot if I'm honest but could be a lot worse. In early March, I was put on a "performance improvement plan" at work as I had only "met most expectations" for two performance cycles in a row. I was told that this plan would last 4 weeks. I finished those 4 weeks well, exceeding the expectations that my manager had for me. Unfortunately, the following Tuesday after this plan, my manager told me that I needed to continue this plan for a few more weeks. Previously, they were very explicit in saying that my plan would only last 4 weeks but with this extension, they've been a bit vague, saying it'll last "a few weeks". I've never heard of PIPs being extended like this. That day when I heard about this plan being extended, I was crashing out a bit. However, after letting that initial shock wear off, I've just been trying my best to maintain my momentum from the last 4 weeks and finish this plan off. My manager's been telling me that his "data signals" for me have been looking really good and that promotion is on the cards. I really do hope I can get promoted in September, this plan has just wrecked my confidence at work.
On the brighter side, I moved out of my parents place last month (terrible timing I know) and I've been enjoying living by myself. I'm now in a major city, not that far from my parents. I'm enjoying just walking and using public transit to get around. I've explored some new restaurants as well. There's definitely a lot of stress around moving out, which definitely can be a bit overwhelming with my work stress, but I feel like I've been managing okay. I do plan on scheduling some appointments with a therapist soon though just to work through my thoughts with someone.
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Comment on South Korea is over in ~society
artvandelay LinkA very interesting video! While the title may sound pretty doomer (and is more doomer on YouTube as its all caps there) it does do a pretty good job of explaining the trajectory that South Korea...A very interesting video! While the title may sound pretty doomer (and is more doomer on YouTube as its all caps there) it does do a pretty good job of explaining the trajectory that South Korea is currently on and the trajectory other countries may soon find themselves on. The most depressing part of the video wasn't the video itself, but the comments section. It's just filled with people from South Korea talking about how the government hasn't tried addressing the root causes and simply keeps offering bandaid fixes, which doesn't really help.
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Comment on Do 5g home internet modems get better cell reception than mobile phones? in ~tech
artvandelay LinkI haven't used these 5G boxes so just speculating but I've heard that they can get better receptions with fixed antennas but the speeds won't be that different. If you're getting meh speeds on...I haven't used these 5G boxes so just speculating but I've heard that they can get better receptions with fixed antennas but the speeds won't be that different. If you're getting meh speeds on your phone, I can't imagine the dedicated 5G box being much better.
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Comment on South Korean court removes president from office, says he violated duties in ~society
artvandelay Link ParentI think another aspect at play here is the memories of the struggles South Korea citizens faced as they fought to bring democracy to their nation. The military dictatorship in Korea in the 1970s...I think another aspect at play here is the memories of the struggles South Korea citizens faced as they fought to bring democracy to their nation. The military dictatorship in Korea in the 1970s was incredibly violent against protests for democracy and culminated in the 1980 Gwangju uprising. Protests continued as a new government was ushered in 1981. Student-led protests were incredibly common and as more students died at the hands of the dictatorship in 1987, protests began as another election loomed. The June struggle as its now called is incredible to read about. Where previous democratic protests were mainly comprised of students, this protest drew in people from all walks of life and there were over a million people protesting.
The 1980s were not that long ago and many of the students who would've participated in those protests are now in their 50s-70s and certainly would not want military control over their country again.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
artvandelay LinkBeen listening to a lot of Jabberloop this week, they're a Japanese club jazz band. Just had their albums on repeat all week, my favorites are probably WAVE (2023) and Core (2020). Besides that,...Been listening to a lot of Jabberloop this week, they're a Japanese club jazz band. Just had their albums on repeat all week, my favorites are probably WAVE (2023) and Core (2020). Besides that, I've also sprinkled in some K-Pop, listening to New Face (2017) by PSY.
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Comment on Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025 in ~games
artvandelay Link ParentThat's somewhat relieving to hear, I do hope Nintendo maintains proper physical releases for their main franchises. I do intend to buy a Switch 2 with physical copies of Mario Kart and probably a...That's somewhat relieving to hear, I do hope Nintendo maintains proper physical releases for their main franchises. I do intend to buy a Switch 2 with physical copies of Mario Kart and probably a few other games as well in the future so here's to hoping haha.
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Comment on Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025 in ~games
artvandelay LinkI only took a look at a condensed video of the announcement and the Mario Kart World announcement and overall, things look great! Pricing does sting a bit with the console alone being $450 and...I only took a look at a condensed video of the announcement and the Mario Kart World announcement and overall, things look great! Pricing does sting a bit with the console alone being $450 and games being $70-90. I also saw online that some games will come in a "game key" cartridge where the game has to be downloaded and the cartridge is just a key which does annoy me. I think other consoles also do this but I like collecting physical games and this will make it harder to buy ones that have the game on the cartridge.
I don't think I'll preorder the system. I don't have Nintendo Switch Online so I wouldn't get priority anyways. I also just don't use my Switch too much these days now that I have a Steam Deck. I also just spent a shit ton of money moving to a new apartment so I'll wait for my finances to stabilize again before thinking about buying this haha.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
artvandelay LinkWatched two movies in the past week, one great, one just ok. First up, Mickey 17 (2025). Honestly, this movie was just meh to me. The trailer really caught my attention but the actual movie left...Watched two movies in the past week, one great, one just ok.
First up, Mickey 17 (2025). Honestly, this movie was just meh to me. The trailer really caught my attention but the actual movie left me disappointed. It's certainly not a bad movie; Robert Pattinson did a great job in his role, the set design was great, and the direction was solid. The writing, however, lets it down for me. The first half does a lot of setup that then goes nowhere. The second half is just completely disconnected from the first half and drags on for just a touch too long. Overall, I'd probably save myself the money and just watch this on streaming.
Second, Sivaji: The Boss (2007). This is a classic South Indian movie that is basically a live action anime. The director of this movie is known for making movies that address contemporary social issues and have vigilante themes and this movie does all of that. In short, this movie is about a software engineer who, after becoming wealthy in the US, returns to India to use his wealth to serve and improve the lives of the poor. However, he faces constant roadblocks from a corrupt government and dangerous political leaders and decides to do things on his own. The movie does a great job of highlighting the corruption you'd see in India. Excessive regulations, complicated tax/licensing systems, layers upon layers of opaque bureaucracy, etc. are all things you see the titular character Sivaji faces as he tries to make his dream a reality. Watching from an American perspective, the movie does have a lot of questionable aspects to it, like colorism and sexism, but it's still an interesting watch.
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Comment on How do you customize Tildes? in ~tildes
artvandelay LinkI've kept my customization to Tildes to a minimum, mainly out of laziness but there's some sensible defaults here so I haven't felt the need to do too much. The only thing I've started doing...I've kept my customization to Tildes to a minimum, mainly out of laziness but there's some sensible defaults here so I haven't felt the need to do too much. The only thing I've started doing recently is switching between the basic white and black themes depending on the time of day. I'm sure there's a way to automate it but I don't mind doing it manually. I'm also a user of the Tildes Extended extension. I just use it to open links in a new tab, jump to new comments, and give me a markdown preview.
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Comment on Hollywood’s IP dilemma | Whether it’s “Novocaine,” “Mickey 17” or the “Oceans” director’s latest, audiences are slow to show up for original films in ~movies
artvandelay Link ParentThis is actually another point I didn't even think about but makes a lot of sense. There's no need to drop $20+ for a movie when you can just watch it as part of your monthly streaming subscriptions.This is actually another point I didn't even think about but makes a lot of sense. There's no need to drop $20+ for a movie when you can just watch it as part of your monthly streaming subscriptions.
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Comment on How do you feel about your PTO? in ~life
artvandelay LinkI work for an Australian company in America that offers us unlimited PTO. Like any other company its not truly unlimited but they don't closely monitor you on it either. I feel my team and manager...I work for an Australian company in America that offers us unlimited PTO. Like any other company its not truly unlimited but they don't closely monitor you on it either. I feel my team and manager are pretty good about us taking time off. They often encourage us to take a few days off here and there and take things easy when we can. I think on average, people on my team will take ~20-30 days PTO throughout the year. Our team also doesn't care about # of sick days taken so I often see people logging off early if they're not feeling well which is good.
Since my PTO is unlimited, I don't have to wait to accrue time off which is nice. I have friends in other companies across the US and we have to plan our trips around their PTO policies which can be a bit annoying at times. They have to schedule things to minimize the amount of time off they take since they only get a certain number throughout the year.
Regarding the other side of the pond, it would be nice if the US had some similar federal-level requirement for PTO. It would also be cool to have something akin to Australia's long service leave. I'm looking at this purely through a naive American perspective, but it does seem like a cool benefit. In essence, you get extra time off accrued based on how long you've stayed at a company. It gets added onto their federal requirement of 4 weeks of PTO, which also rolls over year to year. I know in Melbourne (maybe Victoria as a whole?) you accrue 6 days of PTO every year for long service leave and you can then use it after 7 years of employment. My colleague in Melbourne recently hit 7 years at our company and so they took their long service leave along with some of their PTO they accrued over the years to take like 4 months off. If you tried that in America you'd lose your job immediately haha.
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Comment on First three Andor episodes now streaming on YouTube in ~tv
artvandelay Link Parent100% agree it's the best Star Wars I've seen. The slow start is really worth it.100% agree it's the best Star Wars I've seen. The slow start is really worth it.
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Comment on First three Andor episodes now streaming on YouTube in ~tv
artvandelay LinkI loved Andor, hope the second season can live up to my hype haha. I think these three episodes are a bit slow unfortunately but things pick up soon after these.I loved Andor, hope the second season can live up to my hype haha. I think these three episodes are a bit slow unfortunately but things pick up soon after these.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Survival in ~games
artvandelay Link ParentActually, that makes a ton of sense! I think I'll continue to think about what to do here throughout the week. I don't want to over-complicate things and keep things as simple and clean as...the idea was that it was not going to be a hub of a transit stop, but for newcomers exploring on transit to find the town square
Actually, that makes a ton of sense! I think I'll continue to think about what to do here throughout the week. I don't want to over-complicate things and keep things as simple and clean as possible. I don't think a connection between two stations is 100% needed but would be cool haha.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Survival in ~games
artvandelay LinkI hopped on after a while again and decided to contribute again to the growing Metro system. I added an extension to the Cyan line (again) this time westward to the area near the clocktower and...I hopped on after a while again and decided to contribute again to the growing Metro system. I added an extension to the Cyan line (again) this time westward to the area near the clocktower and natural history museum. I built a basic entrance to the station in keeping with the cherry tree theme, if anyone with more building and design skill wants to change it, feel free to do so. I'm also planning a connection between the new TildeTown West and Town Central station but I'm just not sure where I could create the entrance for it on the Town Central side.
Been a fun week so far!
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
artvandelay LinkPretty busy week for me, was just knocking out tasks left and right at work. Unfortunately since I got a "Meets Most Expectation" two halfs in a row, I have to do a Performance Improvement Plan....Pretty busy week for me, was just knocking out tasks left and right at work. Unfortunately since I got a "Meets Most Expectation" two halfs in a row, I have to do a Performance Improvement Plan. However, since I've been doing so well since the year began, my manager told me its just a formality at this point. Next 30 days are going to be super busy basically just getting HR off my back.
Outside of work, I'm still waiting on signing my apartment lease. The elevator in the building I'm looking to sign in is broken and the company that owns the building doesn't have an estimate for when it'll be done. I've got a placeholder lease atm just to see if there are any "gotch-ya"s in it but it seems fine so far. I know it sounds weird to be thinking about signing an apartment lease when my job could be at risk but I'm not too worried and I look forward to moving out of my parents' house finally. If anything does go south, I can end the lease and always move back in w my parents.
I've also been playing on the Tildes Minecraft world a lot more this week. I actually built out a little extension to the Cyan Line on the metro that goes to the west side of Tildetown. Now I'm thinking about connecting that new western terminus of the Cyan Line with the main downtown Tildetown Station. Not sure if I can reuse any of the existing tunnels but it would be interesting. It'd also move metro system away from its current radial nature and criss-cross the world.
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Comment on Spotify down? No, your Spotify mod was just blocked—here's why it won't work anymore. in ~tech
artvandelay Link ParentI'm one of the few YouTube Music users and have been fairly happy with it. Having experimented with Apple Music and Spotify, YouTube Music's algorithm seems to understand me best. I'm someone who...I'm one of the few YouTube Music users and have been fairly happy with it. Having experimented with Apple Music and Spotify, YouTube Music's algorithm seems to understand me best. I'm someone who prefers primarily listening to songs on my liked songs playlist with a few new songs here and there to break things up. I also often just listen to new songs I like on repeat for a while before I just add it to my usual listening rotation. Spotify and Apple Music would take that to mean I like every song from that artist so my recommendations would only be filled with them. YouTube doesn't and will mix that artists songs with other recommendations for me, which I prefer.
I'm also a big fan of the fact that you can add most YouTube videos to your liked songs playlist. I find this helpful because I often listen to a lot of video game soundtracks and there are many games where the soundtrack only exists as videos someone uploaded 10-15 years ago. For example, I'm a big fan of the original Forza Motorsport soundtrack by JunkieXL but it only exists as a YouTube video playlist.
I'm also a big YouTube watcher so the rather high price tag for YouTube Premium+Music is worth it to me.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
artvandelay LinkFinally got a chance to watch the first season of Severence. What a show. Great cinematography, really mysterious writing, and a great cast. I'll be honest, I went into the show thinking I...Finally got a chance to watch the first season of Severence. What a show. Great cinematography, really mysterious writing, and a great cast. I'll be honest, I went into the show thinking I wouldn't like it but it really proved me wrong after 3-4 episodes. In a manner similar to Andor, the show started off pretty slow but after that it picks up and starts running. Definitely recommend watching, I look forward to season 2 finishing so I can binge it as well haha.
Been playing some Switch games recently!
A remake of a mid-90s classic. I've tried playing the original so many times but just couldn't get into it for some reason. I'm currently trying out this remake and have been enjoying it so far. I've just beaten the first boss so far. My favorite part of the original game was the soundtrack and the remake soundtrack is just as good in my opinion. Overall, a fun game!
I've talked about playing Densha de Go before but those were the versions from the early 2000s. This version is the latest version available on the Switch and the PS4/5. So far, this game is far more forgiving than the earlier versions I've played, which is nice. The main aim of this game is just to get from station to station on time, stopping your train within the correct spot, and doing a variety of random small tasks along the way. I don't understand a single piece of text in this game because its only available in Japanese but it's still a lot of fun. Would recommend!