Hobofarmer's recent activity

  1. Comment on To all the dads celebrating it today -- Happy father's day! in ~life.men

    Hobofarmer
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Thank you. Watching The Lion King with my boy tonight might not have been the best idea since I kept wanting to cry, but we made it through.

    Thank you. Watching The Lion King with my boy tonight might not have been the best idea since I kept wanting to cry, but we made it through.

    4 votes

  2. Comment on How to tie a tie, animated in ~life.style

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    It's the one I always go to. I wear a tie so infrequently that it's not automatic though, but it looks the best for the effort.

    It's the one I always go to. I wear a tie so infrequently that it's not automatic though, but it looks the best for the effort.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on To all the dads celebrating it today -- Happy father's day! in ~life.men

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    It's been a really hard year for me. Really hard. I've gotten to a point now where things are finally lookin up and I'm thrilled to share that success with my son. Happy father's day.

    It's been a really hard year for me. Really hard. I've gotten to a point now where things are finally lookin up and I'm thrilled to share that success with my son. Happy father's day.

    13 votes

  4. Comment on ‘Backrooms’ sends Hollywood running to Reddit for new ideas in ~movies

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    I have a soft spot for that literature since it's what I fixated on to quit smoking. I recognize it's cheesy and pulpy but I don't care.

    I have a soft spot for that literature since it's what I fixated on to quit smoking. I recognize it's cheesy and pulpy but I don't care.

    10 votes

  5. Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of June 8 in ~society

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    Ugh I guess I will have to as well.

    Ugh I guess I will have to as well.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on What's a game you're dying to play that doesn't exist? in ~games

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    I fear this is just a waxing nostalgic post but I'm putting it up anyways. Back in 2002ish I got my hands on Freelancer. This was when we still had dial-up so I didn't do much with multiplayer. I...

    I fear this is just a waxing nostalgic post but I'm putting it up anyways.

    Back in 2002ish I got my hands on Freelancer. This was when we still had dial-up so I didn't do much with multiplayer. I did come to love the game - as someone who was heavily invested in the Star Wars universe at the time, it was a really neat way to scratch that itch.

    A few years later, we got DSL internet and I discovered multiplayer, and mods. Some of my favorite memories are about space trucking in a huge freighter through system after system, chatting and having a good time listening to prog rock. The game truly has iconic visuals.

    I discovered the Freeworlds mod (Star Wars conversion) and got really really good at the space combat, becoming the reigning Pirate King by way of a duel system in place for that faction. I have some of immensely fond memories of that mod and that community.

    It's one of my favorite games that I don't think I can ever "go home" to.

    4 votes

  7. Comment on What are your gaming idiosyncracies? in ~games

  8. Comment on Guild Wars 3 officially revealed in ~games

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    I still have a lot of fond memories with Guild Wars, I wish them luck.

    I still have a lot of fond memories with Guild Wars, I wish them luck.

  9. Comment on What internet discussion sites remain? in ~tech

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    I think it's a bit of correlation though. Folks who are interested in tech things find new and niche tech things to engage with... Which tildes kind of is.

    I think it's a bit of correlation though. Folks who are interested in tech things find new and niche tech things to engage with... Which tildes kind of is.

    3 votes

  10. Comment on Are you ready for it? in ~music

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    Real talk though I have some recurring themes in my dreams and I always wonder why my mind goes there.

    Real talk though I have some recurring themes in my dreams and I always wonder why my mind goes there.

    5 votes

  11. Comment on Are you ready for it? in ~music

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    Skipping through the fields, weightless as the fairies.

    Skipping through the fields, weightless as the fairies.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on America’s tech-filled classrooms are facing a backlash against school-assigned devices in ~life

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    As a single parent, no way am I leaving my phone at home. I don't feel like having my ex berate me because I didn't have my phone on me.

    As a single parent, no way am I leaving my phone at home. I don't feel like having my ex berate me because I didn't have my phone on me.

    2 votes

  13. Comment on When did you realize you were different? in ~talk

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    This is gonna be one of those topics where I feel I'm not adding much because my experience echoes so many others here. I'm making myself post anyways, I think it's gonna be fine. I don't think I...

    This is gonna be one of those topics where I feel I'm not adding much because my experience echoes so many others here. I'm making myself post anyways, I think it's gonna be fine.

    I don't think I actively realized I was different or weird until much later than others, when I had a sort of "Aha!" moment. I think I was around 10? I'd moved a lot in my life, three different countries and half a dozen schools by that age. I never really developed proper social skills with kids my age as a result. The fact that I'm ADHD and likely also Autistic didn't help much, but I was a very smart kid and got along fine with adults so no one thought anything was wrong.

    I struggled a lot in middle school to fit in. I had very few friends and they were mostly outcasts and misfits. People who put up with each other because no one else would. I was lucky (unlucky?) enough to have access to the internet at an early age and I discovered when I was young that people online were much more forgiving of my quirks. I could be whoever I wanted to be. I'm still friends with some of those folks from a forum I joined 25 years ago.

    Come the middle of high school, it was time to move again, from the Midwest to a place that oddly enough, would accept my weirdness - Boulder, CO. I thrived there. I reinvented myself, and found people who accepted me as I was in real life and they were cool and popular and I became cool and popular by extension. This was a huge boost for my self esteem. I truly believe that without that experience, I'd be a sad mess of a person.

    I still struggled in many ways though. I had figured out friendships and how to get along in society, but I struggled with love. A lot. I had a string of short, meaningless relationships. I was always ready to dive in 100% and I think that scares people, but I know no other way to love - either I give it my all or I'm out.

    In the middle of my college years, I had a mental breakdown after a breakup and nearly ended my life, several times. I gave up on relationships for nearly a decade. To this day, I still have had only one relationship last longer than a few weeks. I don't know that I'll ever figure out love.

    At least despite my weirdness, I've got a rich social life and a happy job. I love teaching - one of the most rewarding parts of my job is when I see other weird and struggling kids and I have an opportunity to give them a place, a space, or a person to talk to that understands them. I run a chess club in my building that might as well be "the weird kids club" and I love it.

    Weirdness should be celebrated.

    15 votes

  14. Comment on Everyone against us in ~society

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    The stories I see portrayed here match ones I've heard of first hand. It is not hyperbole. I'm glad that there are those who are willing to fight against, and for, the system. I wish that we had...

    The stories I see portrayed here match ones I've heard of first hand. It is not hyperbole. I'm glad that there are those who are willing to fight against, and for, the system. I wish that we had more good people like this in other positions of power to support them.

    10 votes

  15. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    Frankly, better benefits and more pay.

    Frankly, better benefits and more pay.

    1 vote

  16. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Hobofarmer
    Link Parent
    I'm happy to talk about it! I taught prek in private school for 15 years so I'm not entirely new to teaching. I switched to 2nd grade in public school last year and it was also a very large shift...

    I'm happy to talk about it! I taught prek in private school for 15 years so I'm not entirely new to teaching. I switched to 2nd grade in public school last year and it was also a very large shift demographically for me - I went from teaching mostly white, middle class kids to teaching low income Black/Hispanic kids.

    Parents were for the most part easy to work with, though they weren't as involved as I was used to. The kids came with emotional baggage at times that could be difficult to deal with. They also have a different culture which I needed to adjust to.

    I do get summers off, though I can teach summer school if I wanted to. I have a young son though so I'd have to pay for daycare or camp and that is... Expensive. I'd lose all the income I make. I get paid year round (salaried) so I'm fine through the summer.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Why Japanese companies do so many different things in ~finance

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    Thank you I really enjoyed this article.

    Thank you I really enjoyed this article.

    10 votes

  18. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    This week marks the end of the school year. I've completed my first year teaching in public school, and now I have the entire summer to look forward to. It was an interesting year - many joys,...

    This week marks the end of the school year. I've completed my first year teaching in public school, and now I have the entire summer to look forward to. It was an interesting year - many joys, many hardships. I was challenged and I feel I rose to the occasion. My new colleagues like me, my scores were good, and families were happy.

    Tonight I fly out to be with my sibling for their graduation ceremony. I hope the weather is nice, otherwise I'll have to watch it on a screen, which would suck.

    I'm looking forward to spending more time with my son and creating memories together.

    6 votes

  19. Comment on What's your favorite personal gaming memory? in ~games

  20. Comment on What movies become better by having a bus suddenly come out of no where and hit someone? in ~movies

    Hobofarmer
    Link
    Star Wars would be immeasurably funnier if Darth Vader's fighter were hit by a bus instead of Han Solo.

    Star Wars would be immeasurably funnier if Darth Vader's fighter were hit by a bus instead of Han Solo.

    7 votes