h3x's recent activity
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Comment on OpenFatigue™: Open is the new closed in ~finance
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Comment on US Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed in ~society
h3x LinkBloody hell, that's awful. What an appalling step backwards in civilisation. I know that public executions have been a thing for a long time throughout history, and by all accounts were popular...Bloody hell, that's awful. What an appalling step backwards in civilisation. I know that public executions have been a thing for a long time throughout history, and by all accounts were popular events. But, I don't know. I guess I hoped that as a species we might be growing out of this kind of cruelty. Don't all the studies show that this kind of thing isn't even remotely efficacious at reducing crime?
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Comment on Timasomo 2026: Week 1 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
h3x Link ParentI really like this, it's got a great relaxing vibe to it. I'd love to know what VSTs and such that you've used for it!I really like this, it's got a great relaxing vibe to it. I'd love to know what VSTs and such that you've used for it!
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Comment on Timasomo 2026: Week 1 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
h3x LinkAll righty, here's the GitHub repo for my project. It's coming along nicely, and I'm hoping to put some more time into the project today. At the outset I felt really over-faced by this whole idea,...All righty, here's the GitHub repo for my project. It's coming along nicely, and I'm hoping to put some more time into the project today.
At the outset I felt really over-faced by this whole idea, and it felt like it might be beyond my abilities. But I've actually been having a really good time working on it, and it feels like just the right amount of challenging. Honestly, I think the hardest part of this right now is that Textual's docs are a little obtuse and poorly laid out (to my mind at least). I've taken to using Kagi with a site:https://textual.textualize.io/ directive instead of the site's own search function, which seems to get me where I need to be much faster.
My next steps are to get the logic for adding a new actor into initiative order, and to add in a way of progressing through the list. Along the way I want to fix up the CSS, because at least in my terminal this thing looks ugly as sin. Any feedback on my progress so far is greatly appreciated!
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Comment on Was watching a history YouTube video when I realized they are all AI in ~tech
h3x Link ParentI don’t doubt he’s a controversial figure. But he’s a great history communicator, and does an excellent job (IMHO) of making history not “boring.” I don’t personally see what the problem is with...I don’t doubt he’s a controversial figure. But he’s a great history communicator, and does an excellent job (IMHO) of making history not “boring.” I don’t personally see what the problem is with someone taking a topic that a great many people think is dry, stuffy, and uninteresting, and being able to make it compelling, interesting, and exciting?
Perhaps it’s a false equivalence, but to me it’s like saying that I shouldn’t listen to any music unless the artists involved all have degree-level knowledge of music theory. But I want to listen to whatever compels me and sounds good, and makes me feel something!
I have a degree in linguistics, and I still enjoy listening to people knowledgeable of the field—but not necessarily academically educated in it—talk about language. If someone can synthesise together a lot of ideas and communicate them for mass appeal, then I think that should be applauded. We all win when more people are more knowledgeable.
I hold academia in very high regard. But I recognise it’s not for everyone, and we shouldn’t gatekeep knowledge behind the ivory towers of the university system, to be doled out through dry online lectures. Yes, those educators have a deep understanding of a very specific niche in history, and their contributions to the store of human knowledge are invaluable. But Dan Carlin and his ilk have the ability to take a broad look at something, give it some context, and package it in a way that is palatable for huge numbers to experience and take an interest in. To make people feel something.
There is room for both, and I would argue that neither can exist without the other.
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Comment on Was watching a history YouTube video when I realized they are all AI in ~tech
h3x Link ParentDan Carlin would like a wordThis will sound snobby buy I don't care: If the person presenting does not have a Ph.D or at least a Masters Degree in the topic they are speaking on turn it off, they have no business speaking on the topic. Secondly, if whatever you are watching feels 'entertaining' it is probably crap, history is boring and that is OK.
Dan Carlin would like a word
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Comment on US closely monitoring case of lab worker who ‘possibly’ died of plague in Siberia, says Marco Rubio in ~health
h3x Link ParentThe frantic tone of a lot of the media on this topic has been quite eye-opening, especially after a period of complete news avoidance. The attempt at mongering fear over this (admittedly serious)...The frantic tone of a lot of the media on this topic has been quite eye-opening, especially after a period of complete news avoidance. The attempt at mongering fear over this (admittedly serious) disease outbreak in a distant land borders on hysterical.
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Comment on Netherwilds - Return The Goat (2026) in ~music
h3x Link*reading tags* Peasant metal? *watches video* Ah yes, peasant metal.*reading tags*
Peasant metal?
*watches video*
Ah yes, peasant metal.
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Comment on There is no epidemic of loneliness, but there is an epidemic of social scurvy in ~life
h3x Link ParentThis has really stuck in my mind since I first read your reply to this thread. It's a great reframing of the challenge, and one that's helping me to reconsider how I go about making friends in my...I think maybe embracing acquaintanceship instead of being focused on finding a new best friend opened me up to a breadth of connection that I found really rewarding.
This has really stuck in my mind since I first read your reply to this thread. It's a great reframing of the challenge, and one that's helping me to reconsider how I go about making friends in my thirties. Thanks!
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Comment on End of development of Orion for Linux and Windows in ~tech
h3x Link ParentI've not had any issues with it, that I can recall. My only real gripe is that the extension experience is inferior to that of Safari's. I miss being able to use the fingerprint reader to unlock...I've not had any issues with it, that I can recall. My only real gripe is that the extension experience is inferior to that of Safari's. I miss being able to use the fingerprint reader to unlock the Bitwarden extension. But beyond that, no complaints!
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Comment on End of development of Orion for Linux and Windows in ~tech
h3x LinkThis is a shame. I really like using Orion on my iPhone and on my Mac, and was looking forward to using it on my work laptop. In its current state Orion for Linux is not really usable for a daily...This is a shame. I really like using Orion on my iPhone and on my Mac, and was looking forward to using it on my work laptop. In its current state Orion for Linux is not really usable for a daily driver, especially for actual work. I really hope it does get picked up and carried forward; although I expect it’ll end up being quite different than Kagi originally intended. Heigh ho.
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Comment on Screenless Day discussion topic: September 2026 in ~life
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Comment on Screenless Day discussion topic: September 2026 in ~life
h3x Link ParentWhy thank you! I've seen a few mentions online about ways to be more boundaried about phone usage, and time cutoffs feel like the most natural one to my mind, not least because I'm quite practised...Why thank you! I've seen a few mentions online about ways to be more boundaried about phone usage, and time cutoffs feel like the most natural one to my mind, not least because I'm quite practised about it when it comes to caffeine. Another really beneficial one has been replacing my phone's alarm with a physical clock and putting my phone on charge downstairs overnight. Putting it on charge is the beginning of my bedtime routine, and there are days where it remains on the charger until later and later in the day. It's been very liberating!
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Comment on Timasomo 2026: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
h3x Link ParentI'm interested to know how you plan to manage selecting the music?I'm interested to know how you plan to manage selecting the music?
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Comment on Timasomo 2026: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
h3x LinkI have been working my way through boot.dev's DevOps course, and have made my way onto the first self-directed project. I've decided I want to make a little tool that I'd actually use in real...I have been working my way through boot.dev's DevOps course, and have made my way onto the first self-directed project. I've decided I want to make a little tool that I'd actually use in real life. Initially I wanted to make a TUI character sheet for D&D in Python, but the sheer complexity of the task was absolutely overwhelming. I don't play D&D as a player much anyway, so I pivoted to making an initiative tracker instead.
🚨 𝜯𝜤𝜧𝑨𝑺𝑶𝜧𝑶 𝜬𝑶𝑳𝜤𝑪𝜠 🚨 The work is already started, and I have the bones of something together already. There's a lot more to do, but I suppose honesty is important about my starting position. I would estimate I'm about 20% of the way through the endeavour? Anyway, that's what I'm bringing to the table this time around!Good Timasomoing everyone, I can't wait to see the results!
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Comment on Screenless Day discussion topic: September 2026 in ~life
h3x LinkI started drafting a really long comment, and realised it was getting a bit out of hand and possibly off-topic. So I typed up my full response as a blog-post which can be read here. I really...- Exemplary
I started drafting a really long comment, and realised it was getting a bit out of hand and possibly off-topic. So I typed up my full response as a blog-post which can be read here.
I really enjoyed spending a day without any screens at all. It made me feel like I have so much more time, and it channelled me toward activities which require me to think and create, rather than those which encourage me to consume. Since doing my screenless day on the 12th September, I've ruminated quite a lot on that dichotomy between creation and consumption, and I think I've finally realised what it is that I was after all along: a sense of intentionality. I feel like the way that I have been using my screens robs me of that feeling of intention, and that is where my interest in going screen-free lies. Not in the asceticism of it, but in the knowledge that I chose this. I don't want to purge screens from my life. They are in many ways incredibly useful. I simply want to strengthen and exercise my intentions a lot more than I have been.
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Comment on Billing for web hosting in ~comp
h3x LinkIf you’re running a full VPS then you’ll want to consider monitoring as well, and presumably breakfix for if something with the server or the site goes wrong. Then there’s also patching to...If you’re running a full VPS then you’ll want to consider monitoring as well, and presumably breakfix for if something with the server or the site goes wrong. Then there’s also patching to consider, and associated downtime.
A static site isn’t likely to cause too much trouble, and Linux is pretty well rock-solid for hosting. So your overheads in time spent should be pretty minimal, but there are costs associated with setting up and maintaining a good monitoring stack.
And on the assumption that you aren’t charging for time spent fixing a broken server, you’ll wanna factor those costs into your rates too. It’s kind of a finger in the air sort of measure, until you can gauge how much of your time is being eaten up by this stuff.
Edit to add: looking after LAMP servers is bread and butter at my day job, so if you have any questions about the Linux/monitoring side of things, do let me know!
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Comment on In search of the hypothetical iPhone Duo buyer in ~tech
h3x Link ParentThe quality of life improvements on the iPads Pro are definitely more numerous than the iPhones, but for me it's all about that sweet ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate. I can't go back now, everything...The quality of life improvements on the iPads Pro are definitely more numerous than the iPhones, but for me it's all about that sweet ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate. I can't go back now, everything else feels really juddery, and I like the idea of being able to play games on my iPad (or iPhone Duo if I plump for one) in a higher refresh rate. There's also the argument to be made that the "pro" chips are going to stay powerful and efficient relative to the software that they run for longer than the baseline model (backed up by
real sciencehard factsjust a vibe, y'know?). -
Comment on In search of the hypothetical iPhone Duo buyer in ~tech
h3x Link ParentMy iPad is no longer receiving updates, and I’m considering getting a Duo when my phone packs in (probably not for a good while though, it’s only 3 years old). I use my phone as a recipe book an...My iPad is no longer receiving updates, and I’m considering getting a Duo when my phone packs in (probably not for a good while though, it’s only 3 years old).
I use my phone as a recipe book an awful lot, and it would be nice to not have to prop it up or keep it just flat on the counter top and crane my neck to see what I’m doing. I frequently feel like I need to migrate what I’m doing on the phone to a larger device because I find that less constraining, being able to flip to the bigger one immediately and with perfect continuity would be awesome.
I don’t know. I think your point about it being more expensive that a phone and a tablet combined is a really valid one. But when you’re considering a pro phone and a pro ipad, suddenly that calculus shifts quite a lot. The Duo is definitely a luxury product, and not one I expect a ton of people to buy. But I have liked the idea of foldables since I saw Westworld and think there’s something inherently very cool about them. I think the tech is still maturing and we’re throughly inside the “enthusiasts only” stage of its marketing life, but I do expect the tech over time to become far more ubiquitous. I fall firmly into that first camp, and I just wanna enjoy the novelty.
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Comment on Remain | Official teaser in ~movies
h3x LinkOh cool, a documentary the other side of the Brexit refere— WAIT A SECONDOh cool, a documentary the other side of the Brexit refere— WAIT A SECOND
I think that’s the joke :)