artvandelay's recent activity
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Comment on Kim Jong Un chooses daughter as heir, says Seoul in ~society
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Comment on What are you working through? in ~life
artvandelay LinkJust dealing with my emotions at the moment, an odd mix of stress, anxiety, and unhappiness. It's been almost a year since I moved to the city and the past 12 months have been quite an odd time. I...Just dealing with my emotions at the moment, an odd mix of stress, anxiety, and unhappiness.
It's been almost a year since I moved to the city and the past 12 months have been quite an odd time. I spent the majority of the last 12 months dealing with job-related issues and stress which took up most of my time. As a result, I haven't really dedicated any time to making friends here in the city. Most of my friends still live in the suburbs 45 minutes away or are online so I've been spending more time alone. I don't particularly hate it but at times it can feel lonely and I wish I had more friends closer to me. I have been planning to do things like bar trivia nights or go to some community game stores and join a board game or D&D campaign to meet people but I just haven't made time or put in the effort to do so, which is my fault.
Another thing I'm dealing with at the moment is my car. I've had it for a few years and it's been an amazing, if expensive, weekend toy for me. I've had the privilege of being able to store it at my parent's home in the suburbs for free the entire time I've owned it. However, my parents are moving to a different state so now I need to figure out what to do with the car. I've got many options (of which I could yap about for ages) but I just can't make up my mind on any of them.
Final thing I'm dealing with, just to lift the mood here, are my broken glasses. I broke them on December 31st in the evening while I was traveling and quite literally every single day since then, I've held them together with tape as I don't have a backup pair. I immediately went to the optometrist when I got back home to order a new pair and they arrived mid-late Jan. However, they messed up and put the wrong prescription in them so I returned them quite literally within 15 minutes. I waited another 2 weeks, to the beginning of February, for the replacement to arrive. I wore them for the weekend, which was Super Bowl weekend, and my eyes were strained the entire time. I returned them again and learned that the issue was with the new prescription I got from the optometrist, not the glasses themselves, so they're gone again. They should arrive next week, however, I'm traveling for the next week so I need to wait yet another week after that to see if they're correct. This is such an annoying little saga, I wish I didn't break my glasses to begin with so I didn't have to deal with this lol.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
artvandelay Link Parent@creesch Here's the coordinates of my stations! TildeTown Union (same as the high speed station) X -223, Y 78, Z 77 Northtown X -227, Y 86, Z -51 Industrial District X -108, Y 69, Z -51 I'd love...@creesch Here's the coordinates of my stations!
- TildeTown Union (same as the high speed station) X -223, Y 78, Z 77
- Northtown X -227, Y 86, Z -51
- Industrial District X -108, Y 69, Z -51
I'd love for it to be called the "C - Local" line on the Bluemap if that's cool :)
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Comment on Update on developer access and platform security | Spotify for Developers in ~tech
artvandelay Link ParentYeah I'm not saying I agree with their decision to restrict their APIs this way, just that I can understand that they want to control their platform more tightly and so these APIs had to be...Yeah I'm not saying I agree with their decision to restrict their APIs this way, just that I can understand that they want to control their platform more tightly and so these APIs had to be restricted as well. I definitely agree with you that hostility towards third party clients isn't the smartest, Reddit's own hostility is what brought me to Tildes to begin with.
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Comment on Update on developer access and platform security | Spotify for Developers in ~tech
artvandelay Link ParentI assume it's meant to be a tool to learn how to interact with APIs to begin with. Authenticate users on a remote service, stream data from an outside provider, things like that.I assume it's meant to be a tool to learn how to interact with APIs to begin with. Authenticate users on a remote service, stream data from an outside provider, things like that.
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Comment on Update on developer access and platform security | Spotify for Developers in ~tech
artvandelay LinkSeems like they're clamping down on their API to make it strictly a tool for learning and not for building alternative clients for Spotify with. I can kind of understand where they're coming from.Seems like they're clamping down on their API to make it strictly a tool for learning and not for building alternative clients for Spotify with. I can kind of understand where they're coming from.
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp
artvandelay Link ParentJust to confuse you a little more, buying directly from Apple/Google doesn't mean the phone is unlocked haha. When buying a phone from the Apple/Google website, it lets you select your carrier and...I have no idea how to onboard an unlocked phone for my carrier.
Just to confuse you a little more, buying directly from Apple/Google doesn't mean the phone is unlocked haha. When buying a phone from the Apple/Google website, it lets you select your carrier and unless you select unlocked, the phone you receive from them will be locked.
Onboarding a phone you buy from Apple to your phone plan is fairly straightforward from what I remember, Apple makes the steps super straightforward for iPhone to iPhone upgrades. You just need to keep both phones near each other and follow the on-screen prompts. If nothing goes wrong during the process, it's about as complicated as installing Linux Mint with no issues. The same should be true on Android but I've unfortunately never tried it.
That being said, I completely understand just buying your phone from the carrier since it does simplify things greatly. Our systems are built to maximize profits for these corporations, not to make your life simpler.
Its really silly to own an iphone and use basically none of the features
Honestly, I respect it. It's very easy to be lured into all the features with their marketing, I am one such sucker who has been drawn in by said marketing. From what it sounds like, you use your phone as a tool like it was intended to be. There are special "distraction free" phones meant for people trying to do a "digital detox" and reduce their reliance on the features mentioned earlier. it could work for you but I have no experience with them and don't know how long they'd last. I'd probably just stay with an iPhone, you could get the iPhone 16e or the "basic" iPhone 17, they should last a while.
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp
artvandelay LinkI don't really have much else new to add here (sorry) but I do echo a lot of the sentiments shared in this thread. M-series Macbook Airs and Pros are great! Amazing performance, battery life,...I don't really have much else new to add here (sorry) but I do echo a lot of the sentiments shared in this thread.
M-series Macbook Airs and Pros are great! Amazing performance, battery life, screens, speakers, keyboards. While Windows laptops are closing the gap (or have even closed the gap) on performance and maybe even battery life, I find a lot of them still have meh keyboards and speakers. I think you might've gotten unlucky with your MacBook Pro as everyone else I know that has one has had that generation of MacBook Pro still use them today. If you absolutely need to get a brand new laptop, it's hard to beat the MacBook Air on value, especially with the slightly older models which often go on sale for ~750-800 USD on Amazon and other retailers. If you don't mind used, you might have some luck with used MacBook Pros. I've got a 16" M1 MacBook Pro and it still holds up amazingly well. macOS 26 is what it is, would definitely recommend trying it in a store to see if you can get over the aesthetics if you haven't experienced it yet.
I don't think you're dumb for avoiding Android phones like the plague, everyone's got their preferences :), but I do think it is worth at least exploring the Google Pixel phones if you're in the US. I have both an iPhone and a Pixel and the Pixel is the closest you'll get to an iPhone-like experience on Android in my opinion. You don't need to sign into your Google Account to use one though downloading apps will require some effort as you'd have to download apps from other third party app-stores like F-Droid or the Aurora Store (open-source Google Play Store frontend). Music can just be dragged and dropped onto the phone from your Linux PC's file browser and Mac's Android File Transfer program. If you've only used iPhones before, it will take a while to get used to things. Even though both platforms are mature nowadays, a lot of small things work very differently and so your muscle memory will be fighting you for a while. I still struggle with the "double-tap power button" gesture that both phones use. On iPhone, by default, it opens the wallet for payments. On Pixels and most Android phones, by default, it opens the camera! Pixels (and others too I assume) let you change this but I think my point still stands.
If you do end up deciding to get either an iPhone or a Pixel, I do recommend looking into buying them directly from Apple and Google respectively. Carriers, at least in the US, may offer some enticing deals but I hate that they lock you into contracts (looking at you AT&T with your 30 month contracts). Seeing as you have an iPhone. 8, you would also have to figure out getting an eSIM setup. I think most US carriers make it easy to switch from physical SIM to eSIM though when I tried it a few years ago with AT&T they were a pain in the ass to deal with. Switching eSIMs between phones with AT&T has been fine but yeah that initial switch was annoying.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
artvandelay Link ParentThanks! I was going to tag you in my initial comment to ask to be added but I wanted to get you the coordinates before I did haha. I'll ping you here later today with the coordinates of the 2 new...Thanks! I was going to tag you in my initial comment to ask to be added but I wanted to get you the coordinates before I did haha. I'll ping you here later today with the coordinates of the 2 new stations I've added and they can then be added to the map :)
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
artvandelay (edited )LinkHaven't played too much this week yet but wanted to thank @Positive and @Bront for renovating my rail line in TildeTown Union/Central station. I had originally bored around the staircase statues...Haven't played too much this week yet but wanted to thank @Positive and @Bront for renovating my rail line in TildeTown Union/Central station. I had originally bored around the staircase statues for the Trading Hall since I didn't want to disrupt the symmetry lol. I've also continued the overhead lamp motif from the high-speed line over my own line so it looks a bit better integrated. I've given my line a blue color since it draws heavy inspiration from the NYC Subway and its C line is also blue. I do plan on improving the tunnel design in the near future but that'll take a while haha
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
artvandelay LinkI recently watched hit new Indian movie Dhurandhar (2025). It's a spy-action thriller "inspired" by real life events where, after a number of terrorist attacks on India planned by Pakistan, India...I recently watched hit new Indian movie Dhurandhar (2025). It's a spy-action thriller "inspired" by real life events where, after a number of terrorist attacks on India planned by Pakistan, India sends spies to a suburb of Karachi, where their orders are to rise up in a local gang in order to destroy the system. It's a fairly gorey movie, with many violent scenes not shying away from showing the blood splatters and violent actions. For example, there's a scene where a character gets their head bashed in with a concrete block. They show you the character's half open head as they fall off a table and the internals spill out. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and it has a great soundtrack too. I look forward to the sequel next month.
I put "inspired" in quotes above because the movie directly references many terrorist attacks India suffered in the 90s and 2000s, uses video and audio recordings from certain attacks, and even uses real life Pakistani gangsters as characters in the movie. Like many other Indian films, the movie depicts Pakistan and Muslims as nothing but terrorists. It is a hit hypocritical of me to criticize this aspect of the movie as I'm an American and this is exactly what Hollywood does as well but it'd be nice to see them portray Pakistan and Muslims in a different manner lol.
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Comment on Europe’s $24 trillion breakup with Visa and Mastercard has begun in ~finance
artvandelay LinkGreat news for the EU. I do hope this means they'd give US networks some competition. As far as I know, there shouldn't be anything stopping them from operating in the US since we also have the...Great news for the EU. I do hope this means they'd give US networks some competition. As far as I know, there shouldn't be anything stopping them from operating in the US since we also have the UnionPay network here. Even though I'm not a big privacy buff, it's insane to me that every single European transaction record has traveled outside the EU to be processed.
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Comment on What are your food aversions? in ~food
artvandelay LinkI'm a fairly picky eater so I have a lot I could add here haha. Mushrooms, many types of cheeses, and beans are probably my top choices. The texture of mushrooms are off-putting to me, very...I'm a fairly picky eater so I have a lot I could add here haha. Mushrooms, many types of cheeses, and beans are probably my top choices. The texture of mushrooms are off-putting to me, very rubbery and slimy. Blue cheese, brie, and a few others taste terrible to me so I try to avoid them at all costs. Beans seem super versatile and useful but something about their texture never sits right with me for some reason.
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Comment on 'The Grand Tour' revs up with new hosts Thomas Holland and James Engelsman (from Throttle House) and Francis Bourgeois in ~tv
artvandelay LinkCautiously excited about this! Throttle House has been one of my favorite car-related YouTube channels for a while now. Their reviews have some substance to them and the banter between Thomas and...Cautiously excited about this! Throttle House has been one of my favorite car-related YouTube channels for a while now. Their reviews have some substance to them and the banter between Thomas and James really works well. I've seen people refer to them as the modern Top Gear and they've definitely earned that comparison. Their 1000 Mile V12 Sedan Roadtrip and Enlightenment Trip series really felt like Top Gear specials in terms of quality, entertainment, and content. I'll be honest, I hadn't heard of Francis Bourgeois before this announcement, which is odd given how much train-related content I also watch. However, after watching some of his videos, he definitely looks like he'd be a perfect complement to Thomas and James. I've seen a lot of comparisons of Francis to James May and while I can see that at the surface level, given his love of details and mechanical things, he's got a very different personality. Francis is definitely more lively and animated than James May ever was and I can see him having great banter and chemistry with Thomas and James on screen.
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Comment on Hair loss open discussion in ~talk
artvandelay Link ParentCheers to that :)Cheers to that :)
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Comment on Hair loss open discussion in ~talk
artvandelay Link ParentSorry you had to deal with an extreme case like that, glad it grew back! The panic I felt seeing those bald spots is certainly something I'll never forget. I'm grateful that with social media now,...Sorry you had to deal with an extreme case like that, glad it grew back!
The panic I felt seeing those bald spots is certainly something I'll never forget. I'm grateful that with social media now, we have online communities like on Reddit where people come together to support each other as they deal with alopecia areata, made me feel less alone and supported. Similar to your case, my episode of alopecia areata only lasted 6 months total. Even now, I'll still run my hands all over my head just to see if it ever comes back.
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Comment on Hair loss open discussion in ~talk
artvandelay LinkI had some temporary hairloss in late 2024/early 2025 with a condition called alopecia areata. I learned that alopecia isn't one condition, but this specific type of alopecia is actually split...I had some temporary hairloss in late 2024/early 2025 with a condition called alopecia areata. I learned that alopecia isn't one condition, but this specific type of alopecia is actually split into 3 variants. There's alopecia totalis, which most people would imagine when they hear the word alopecia. It is total hair loss on the scalp. There's then alopecia areata where you lose hair in small areas (or patches) on your head. Finally, there's alopecia universalis where you lose hair all over your body. I only had the mild alopecia areata.
When I first noticed it, I immediately felt dread and immediately understood the plight of all the balding characters I've seen in movies and TV shows and felt bad for laughing at them. I also immediately felt self-conscious, constantly trying to hide my bald patches. This was made worse by the fact that I noticed these bald patches the night before a 2-week long trip (in December!). After I got back, I scheduled an appointment at a local dermatologist after the new years and they confirmed it to be alopecia areata.
Treatment was fairly straightforward. I had a cream (I will get the name of the medication in a bit) that I had to apply twice a day in 2-week stretches. I also then got steroid injections monthly. This aggressive treatment meant that my patches were gone within 5-6 months of me first noticing them. They haven't returned since but I still check out of fear haha. In all, the saga really made me more grateful for having the hair that I do have. I do expect to start balding more once I'm in my late 30s due to genetics but I don't mind it as much anymore. I do worry about having a weird head shape so if I have the financial means, I might consider a hair transplant but that's an issue to deal with down the line.
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Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
artvandelay Link ParentAfter massive help from @creesch (seriously, thanks for the help!), my local line between TildeTown town center and the Industrial District is open. I got a bit creative with the naming and have...After massive help from @creesch (seriously, thanks for the help!), my local line between TildeTown town center and the Industrial District is open. I got a bit creative with the naming and have positioned my line as a competing railroad to @creesch's HSR line. As a result, on the signs I've added for my line, I refer to the main station as TildeTown Union Station, much like the United States' "union stations" that are all across the country where different railroads used to meet. I've tried integrating the line into the mail rail hall but it's quite rough against the beautifully built station building haha. I still need to adjust things but it's fully functional!
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Comment on Any software engineers considering a career switch due to AI? in ~comp
artvandelay Link ParentI've thought about it before and even had an opportunity to join one of the AI/ML teams at my current company before I locked in a different team. Unfortunately, those orgs have some horrendous...I've thought about it before and even had an opportunity to join one of the AI/ML teams at my current company before I locked in a different team. Unfortunately, those orgs have some horrendous work life balance, with long hours and things constantly breaking and requiring firefighting. Even if the work is interesting, I can't see myself dedicating that sort of time to any big corporation haha.
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Comment on Any software engineers considering a career switch due to AI? in ~comp
artvandelay LinkI can't say it hasn't crossed my mind but I haven't given it too much thought either. It's certainly annoying just how much they've been pushing AI usage onto us and expecting us to do more. One...I can't say it hasn't crossed my mind but I haven't given it too much thought either. It's certainly annoying just how much they've been pushing AI usage onto us and expecting us to do more. One of the pushes with AI I've seen in my company is to essentially trial replacing whole teams with AI where 2-3 engineers take on the role of a Project Manager, Data Scientist, and Software Engineer to rapidly prototype new features and demo them, with AI being used at every step along the way. It takes away from the joy of software engineering since you outsource your thinking and labor to a machine.
Having studied a combined math and computer science degree at university, I have thought about doing something more math related out of passion for the subject. I've also been thinking about just doing more math for fun in general since it feels like my brain has gone to mush with all this AI usage.
In Korean, her name is written as 김주애. 김 is Kim, same as Kim Jong Un. 주 (Ju) is pronounced fairly similarly to "Jew" in English, though not a 100% match. The "ooh" part is shorter in Korean than it would be in "Jew" in English. So you can pronounce it like "Jew" but shorten the "ooh" at the end. 애 (Ae) I think is exactly like "Eh" in English.