goose's recent activity
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
-
Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech
goose Link ParentRCS is intended to exist internationally, in the same way SMS/MMS exist, as a service provided by that individual's carrier. RCS is a spec, like HTTP, not a proprietary service. I (American)...RCS is intended to exist internationally, in the same way SMS/MMS exist, as a service provided by that individual's carrier. RCS is a spec, like HTTP, not a proprietary service. I (American) regular RCS text my dad, who lives in Europe full time.
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
goose Link ParentI've heard of this, yes, but haven't looked into it. I've been using Cygwin for my needs since sometime around 2012? Given it already does what I want it to do, I didn't see a need to switch, even...I've heard of this, yes, but haven't looked into it. I've been using Cygwin for my needs since sometime around 2012? Given it already does what I want it to do, I didn't see a need to switch, even for a more "native" solution.
-
Comment on Do you have American healthcare? Do you pay for a gym membership? Perhaps you can pay less and get more! in ~health
goose Link ParentI didn't look in to climbing gyms, but a higher tier than my $36/mo does include some of the barre studios that my wife used to go toI didn't look in to climbing gyms, but a higher tier than my $36/mo does include some of the barre studios that my wife used to go to
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
goose LinkOn my Windows hosts, I use Cygwin as my pseudo-Linux shell, plus my preferred ssh client to my Linux hosts. On my Linux hosts, I use Debian, and can use the netselect-apt tool to find the fastest...On my Windows hosts, I use Cygwin as my pseudo-Linux shell, plus my preferred ssh client to my Linux hosts.
On my Linux hosts, I use Debian, and can use the netselect-apt tool to find the fastest aptitude mirrors for me.
I was wondering if there's a similar tool for Cygwin mirrors. Some google-ing led me to a very old Sourceforge perl script, which did not work for me.
So I whipped a modernized python script to serve the purpose, instead!
-
Do you have American healthcare? Do you pay for a gym membership? Perhaps you can pay less and get more!
After deciding to get back into the gym after a long hiatus, I was shopping around my area and trying to decide between Crunch or LA Fitness, each for about $40/mo, plus steep initiation fees and...
After deciding to get back into the gym after a long hiatus, I was shopping around my area and trying to decide between Crunch or LA Fitness, each for about $40/mo, plus steep initiation fees and annual fees. Searching for a way to get a discounted rate, I stumbled across One Pass Select, offered by my health insurer, United Healthcare. While I was fully prepared to dunk on United, because of how often Dr. Glaucomflecken does, this particular member benefit turned out to be pretty great.
One Pass Select essentially functions as a gym aggregator, offering multiple memberships for one flat rate. So rather than paying Crunch or LA Fitness $40/mo and being subjected to their terms/conditions, I pay One Pass Select $36/mo and get access to:
- Crunch
- LA Fitness
- Anytime Fitness
- Workout Anytime
And a handful of other gyms I haven't signed up for, because they're not convenient to me. Four gym memberships for $36/mo is pretty cool. Plus if I ever want to cancel, I just cancel my One Pass Select membership from their website, instead of having to sacrifice a squirrel on the 8th day of the sabbath under a blood moon while chanting gregorian monk (the level of difficulty it felt like the last time I wanted to cancel a gym membership).
A quick Google indicates that other insurers offer similar programs:
- UHC has One Pass Select
- Cigna/BCBS/Kaiser have Active&Fit Direct
- BCBS also has Fitness Your Way
- Aetna has GlobalFit
This was a great find for me, that I'd never even heard of before. Sharing it to hopefully benefit someone else, as well!
22 votes -
Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech
goose Link ParentThat's largely because of carriers dragging their feet. RCS is supposed to be carrier mediated, in the same way your phone calls, SMS/MMS, and cellular data is. The reason it's "a cartel" (Google)...but it’s still essentially a cartel forcing us into a less than ideal situation.
That's largely because of carriers dragging their feet. RCS is supposed to be carrier mediated, in the same way your phone calls, SMS/MMS, and cellular data is. The reason it's "a cartel" (Google) is because carriers were doing so little (to nothing) to implement it, that Google took it out of their hands (for the time being?) to centralize/deploy it on their servers/services. By all means, RCS was not supposed to be a Google service, it was supposed to be a carrier level service.
I don't know if Google ever wants or plans to give up RCS to carriers now that it's responsible for it, I would hope so. But in my eyes, the monopolization of RCS is entirely to blame on the carriers.
I would be interested in knowing how much of carriers not pushing for RCS development and deployment comes from their disinterest in it given the market split between iOS and non-iOS users. After all, if half their market is happily moving along with iMessage, they may not see the value in pursuing development and deployment of RCS for the other half of their market when SMS/MMS "does good enough". But that's a different conversation, I think.
-
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
goose LinkA couple of things: My DnD party needed a better way to schedule our sessions, which for the upcoming campaign, will be dynamic (let's find a day once every two weeks) rather than static (let's...A couple of things:
My DnD party needed a better way to schedule our sessions, which for the upcoming campaign, will be dynamic (let's find a day once every two weeks) rather than static (let's meet every Thursday). I tried out a few tools, StrawPoll, When2meet, Rallly. They all could have been suitable, but with some work. Add on that I wanted an API so I could wrap a script to send Discord notifications about who needs to list their availability and when a date was decided, auto add new polls, but I just couldn't find a tool that quite did everything I needed.
So I had LLM AI make me a tool, purpose built to what I want. Enter PartyPlanner! Serves our purposes great.
I also spun up a DocMost container for our party to use, for notes. And damn is it a nice wiki. Much better system for taking and sharing notes than the shared Google Doc we were using before. If anyone needs a place to whip up some documentation, highly recommend. Great ACL's, editing features, linking features, sharing features. Way more solid than when I tried out MediaWiki.
When updating some things related to my IRC client, I was reminded of the old program
pisg, which allowed people to generate statistics in HTML format from IRC logs. I decided to see if there was anything newer/better for a few of the channels I'm in, and found SuperSeriousStats. Great, but I detest running PHP on bare metal. Peeking at the issues, the dev specifically said he didn't want to bother maintaining an image/containerizing the application. So I did. -
Comment on How have you changed in the last year? What are your goals for this year? in ~life
goose LinkMy biggest 2025 accomplishment was gaining dual citizenship in an EU country. There's no language requirement for direct descendant, so I'm now able to apply for it for all three of my kids. My...My biggest 2025 accomplishment was gaining dual citizenship in an EU country. There's no language requirement for direct descendant, so I'm now able to apply for it for all three of my kids. My wife could, too, but she has to pass a language test first -- So she's working on learning it.
Despite my best attempts to pursue medical school, the MCAT screened me out, so I've fallen back into a nursing program. It's not quite as fulfilling as what I wanted to do, but it's been very easy for me so far, so that's nice. I'll graduate in 2027 with a master's degree, my third degree.
I found out my insurance (United) offers a program where I can get a discounted rate on multiple gyms. So now, for $36/mo, I get access to: LA Fitness, Crunch, Anytime Fitness, Workout Anytime, and some other area gyms that are far enough away I didn't bother signing up for them. But it's a nice perk! Once upon a time I was pretty strong. Looking forward to building back to that again.
Outside of that, my goals are pretty simple: Be the best dad I can be, and end the year in a better place than I start it.
-
Comment on Is it possible to live without WhatsApp? in ~tech
goose Link ParentThat isn't quite right. Those features are carrier services now. RCS handles the "modern" messaging features (high-res photos, groups, stickers). It uses data, but it is an interoperable standard,...That isn't quite right. Those features are carrier services now.
RCS handles the "modern" messaging features (high-res photos, groups, stickers). It uses data, but it is an interoperable standard, not a proprietary app like Discord.
Calls are also data now. Almost all modern calls use VoLTE or VoNR (Voice over New Radio).
The distinction is that carrier services (RCS/VoLTE) run on dedicated, high-priority data bands with guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS), whereas apps like WhatsApp run on "best effort" public internet traffic.
-
Comment on Is it possible to live without WhatsApp? in ~tech
goose Link ParentAs an Android user who has been bullied for not having iMessage: For me, it's about reliability and interoperability. I don't want a messaging service that relies on Apple. I want one that relies...As an Android user who has been bullied for not having iMessage: For me, it's about reliability and interoperability. I don't want a messaging service that relies on Apple. I want one that relies on my carrier, who (should) be regulated by my government as a service provider for an infrastructure service. While I'm happy that RCS has been deployed and is interoperable between Android and iOS devices, I'm less happy that the rollout was dependent on Google to provide RCS functionality, rather than my carrier.
In my opinion, I find value in knowing the things I rely on as a service (Communications) are being held to some standard under regulation. After all, if I need to call 911 and my call fails because of my carrier, it becomes a matter of public safety negligence and critical infrastructure failure, not just an inconvenience caused by a server going down in California. Tie in to this the roll out of 911 over SMS (and now RCS), and I feel my argument becomes even stronger.
-
Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk
goose Link ParentEh, I still drink socially. Not nearly as much as I did back then, I'm good for zero to three beers a week, average of one. I did throw together a keg of Brulosophy's non-alcoholic H-brü-O Hop...Eh, I still drink socially. Not nearly as much as I did back then, I'm good for zero to three beers a week, average of one. I did throw together a keg of Brulosophy's non-alcoholic H-brü-O Hop Water last year. It came out pretty nice, I'll put together another keg of it soon. But my brewery is crafted to five gallon batches, which is a lot of beer for someone who doesn't drink very much now a days. That's probably my biggest barrier to trying to really get back in to the hobby.
-
Comment on What's something you're "in too deep" on? in ~talk
goose LinkBrewing beer. It started as a hobby back in 2009. At the ripe young age of 19, my American friends and I were unable to buy beer. But we figured out there was no age restriction on the ingredients...Brewing beer.
It started as a hobby back in 2009. At the ripe young age of 19, my American friends and I were unable to buy beer. But we figured out there was no age restriction on the ingredients to make beer.
Our first few batches were pretty bad. But with time, we learned, and improved. By the time we turned 21, we kept going, it was fun and more cost effective. The basic starting kits were quickly outgrown for equipment that was better for bottling, better for transferring among vessels, easier to clean, easier to measure. More precise fermentation measurements and control were bigger costs (A Tilt Hydrometer, along with a chest freezer/raspberry pi/ardiuno to run Fermentrack). Then moving from bottles to kegs, and the equipment costs of building my own keezer (Chest freezer converted for use with kegs). I'm probably $2,000 in equipment, on a hobby I now only get in to 2-4 times a year, now that I'm in the swing of being a dad with three young kids.
But I keep telling myself I'll get back to it...eventually.
-
Comment on Does the way you tie a sheet bend matter? in ~hobbies
goose Link ParentBack in my days of public safety, I was a rope rescue tech (and later instructor). If we absolutely had to use two different size ropes, we'd usually do a figure eight bend. It was exceedingly...Back in my days of public safety, I was a rope rescue tech (and later instructor). If we absolutely had to use two different size ropes, we'd usually do a figure eight bend. It was exceedingly rare though, since almost all our rope was 14mm.
-
Comment on Tablet suggestions? in ~tech
goose Link Parent+1 for the Pixel Tablet. I bought one for my iPhone using wife, and she's enjoyed it. About two years old and like the Pixel phones, performance is still great. Great integration with the dock, too.+1 for the Pixel Tablet. I bought one for my iPhone using wife, and she's enjoyed it. About two years old and like the Pixel phones, performance is still great. Great integration with the dock, too.
-
Comment on Moving back to the US (after 7+ years living in Germany) in ~life
goose Link ParentMy quick and dirty math, using a bill of $32.34 as an example: Move the decimal left one (3.234) and round up to the nearest whole number (4). I use that as 10%. Add half for 15%, double for 20%,...My quick and dirty math, using a bill of $32.34 as an example:
Move the decimal left one (3.234) and round up to the nearest whole number (4). I use that as 10%. Add half for 15%, double for 20%, and so on (if needed). I end up being slightly above my target percentages, but at a margin I'm okay with.
Feel free to use or ignore, to your taste, if it's helpful reintegrating into our tipping culture 😁 Good luck with your move!
-
Comment on Moving back to the US (after 7+ years living in Germany) in ~life
goose (edited )Link7+ year gap puts you emigrating around 2018? One of the things I think you'll notice most immediately is "sticker shock". While prices have gone up just about everywhere around the globe, we've...7+ year gap puts you emigrating around 2018?
One of the things I think you'll notice most immediately is "sticker shock". While prices have gone up just about everywhere around the globe, we've seen costs for housing and groceries rise significantly. If I recall correctly, beef products alone are up nearly 12% just this year. There's been a lot of price increases across all major consumer categories, including services. Just to renew my professional licenses has gone up about 15% over the last six years. When I break down the cost of groceries, we've had about an 18% increase over the last two years.
I've also experienced quite a bit of tip fatigue. I've been spending 2-3 weeks every other year in France visiting my dad, and one of the things I love is that when we're out and getting a coffee or a pastry, the cashier isn't flipping the screen around at me and coyly saying "Screen is gonna ask you a question" and it wants to know if I want to tip 10/20/30%. Places where tipping wasn't even a consideration when you left are very likely asking for tips now.
On that note, cash has become more rare. It's certainly still around, but I don't remember any businesses in 2018 being cashless, where as a handful of the ones I visit now are. But tap to pay is much more common now than it was when you left, which I find to be more convenient.
Finally, while doing my best to respect your wishes to remain apolitical, I just want to mention that while in your words you are aware of the political status in the US, I think viewing it from afar versus living it will be two different experiences. I'd like to just say that while view of hate seem to be more (publicly) widespread than they were when you left, please don't be too discouraged. There are still large swathes of people who don't want to spread hate, who want to be kind and supportive of others. Living here, it's easy to sometimes feel "trapped in the negative news cycle". But once you engage with your local community, I think you'll find that kindness is still the default for most Americans. Don't let the noise drown out the good.
Welcome home.
-
Comment on I force my shell prompt to the bottom of the screen in ~comp
goose Link ParentVery nice! Only issue I'm seeing is that if I resize the window, it doesn't move to the new "bottom". But not enough of a problem to stop me from using this. Thanks!Very nice! Only issue I'm seeing is that if I resize the window, it doesn't move to the new "bottom". But not enough of a problem to stop me from using this. Thanks!
-
Comment on Merry Christmas! in ~talk
goose Link ParentThanks for the thanks! Obfuscating just a tiny bit, I currently work on a specialty team for a local pediatric hospital. My team offers 24/7 coverage, I joined as a night shifter about 2 years...Thanks for the thanks! Obfuscating just a tiny bit, I currently work on a specialty team for a local pediatric hospital. My team offers 24/7 coverage, I joined as a night shifter about 2 years ago. My previous job was in public safety, where I also worked on holidays. It's all I've ever known, since starting my life as a professional.
-
Comment on Merry Christmas! in ~talk
goose LinkI'm on for work this year. My job only gives us two shifts of one of three major holidays each year, in a forward rotation. Last year I was thanksgiving, this year I'm Christmas, next year I'll be...I'm on for work this year. My job only gives us two shifts of one of three major holidays each year, in a forward rotation. Last year I was thanksgiving, this year I'm Christmas, next year I'll be new years, then it starts over. I'm a night shifter, but while I spent Christmas Eve at work last night, I was able to dip out an hour early and get home before my kids got up for presents. So that was nice! I'll be back tonight for day two of my work holiday tonight, hopefully it's as good as last night was!
Nice! I recently submitted a PR to a repo for an image I use, switching to to alpine/nginx/php-fpm, and trimming the image from 500 MB down to 80 MB. Hoping the author accepts it!