kodystriplin's recent activity
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Comment on What are your favorite CLI tools/applications? in ~comp
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Comment on What did you do this weekend? in ~talk
kodystriplin LinkI started working through The C Programming Language. I'm a Python developer, learning Qt/C++, and wanted to challenge myself to complete K&R's book while I'm stuck indoors. It's finally sunny in...I started working through The C Programming Language. I'm a Python developer, learning Qt/C++, and wanted to challenge myself to complete K&R's book while I'm stuck indoors.
It's finally sunny in San Diego so I've been taking long walks with wife & dog.
I finished refinishing the dresser/changing table for the baby (due April 29).
I finished repainting our rocking chair.
Wife was craving candy so I made a grocery run and picked up a case of Latitutde 33 Mangovesa, played a few hours of Skyrim.
I started reading Enlightening the Mind, Lightening the Heart; Core Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. I'm enjoying it; I struggle almost every time I pick it up to not prejudge it or project my own understanding onto it, but that's part of the reason I'm reading it.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
kodystriplin LinkI'm DMing Lost Mines of Phandelver. I moved our game to Roll20 so we can continue the campaign despite physical isolation. I didn't want the new tool to detract from the actual story, so I built a...I'm DMing Lost Mines of Phandelver. I moved our game to Roll20 so we can continue the campaign despite physical isolation. I didn't want the new tool to detract from the actual story, so I built a side dungeon packed with fun magic items for the party to crawl. Roll20 is working out well for us, but I'm ending up sinking a ton of time into actually building the dungeons. I'm used to a whiteboard or paper battlemat. The dungeons sure look pretty, though.
I've also started a vanilla Skyrim playthrough. Holy COW does this game have a level of detail I've never noticed before. Morrowind is my favorite game of all time, and I wanted to emulate the exploration mechanic of Morrowind so I'm not using fast travel (except via carriages), and I'm finding all sorts of stuff I've missed in past playthroughs. It almost surprises me that the developers added fast travel with so much stuff scattered throughout the map.
I'm slowly getting my wife warmed up to the idea of playing Civ 5 and/or Tabletop Sim (she and I are big board game fans -- Scythe was our game of choice before the virus) so we'll see where that goes!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
kodystriplin Link ParentMy brother in law just got me into Sanderson (The Way of Kings) over Christmas and I am LOVING IT. Same delightful fantasy worldbuilding as Robert Jordan or RA Salvatore but feels so much more...My brother in law just got me into Sanderson (The Way of Kings) over Christmas and I am LOVING IT. Same delightful fantasy worldbuilding as Robert Jordan or RA Salvatore but feels so much more focused; he's constantly rolling the story forward rather than stalling with long, sprawling descriptions and background story.
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Comment on In retrospect it seems hard to overstate the cultural damage done by South Park in ~tv
kodystriplin Link ParentWhich generation dismisses climate change? I would bet that it's not the one that watches South Park. South Park also backpedaled hard on ManBearPig a few seasons back, including highlighting the...Which generation dismisses climate change? I would bet that it's not the one that watches South Park.
South Park also backpedaled hard on ManBearPig a few seasons back, including highlighting the absurdity of people who say "well it's too late to do anything about it now". They could've EASILY stuck to their guns and continued to make fun of Gore and climate change or ignored the issue altogether to save face.
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Comment on Help me find a "quote of the day" sort of app in ~tech
kodystriplin LinkIf you have any inclination to make this yourself and have a Google account, you can make a Google Sheet, add a row for each quote, and then write a Google Script to email a quote(s) to yourself...If you have any inclination to make this yourself and have a Google account, you can make a Google Sheet, add a row for each quote, and then write a Google Script to email a quote(s) to yourself every day. This tutorial would get you started: https://developers.google.com/apps-script/articles/sending_emails
My wife and I used to track our budget in Google Sheets. I wrote a script to email our daily budget and spending trends to us every day. It worked very well for our needs.
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Comment on What TV classics are significantly better than the remake? in ~tv
kodystriplin Link ParentHaha, I was trying to temper my opinion but I completely agree. I would kill for a single new EPISODE of Star Trek that traded shiny CGI and intense shootouts for the TNG-era worldbuilding that...Haha, I was trying to temper my opinion but I completely agree. I would kill for a single new EPISODE of Star Trek that traded shiny CGI and intense shootouts for the TNG-era worldbuilding that still blows my mind.
The Expanse and The Orville are the only shows that have really scratched that itch for me.
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Comment on What TV classics are significantly better than the remake? in ~tv
kodystriplin Link ParentI totally agree. Yet I'd still watch Voyager over anything made post-DS9 any day.I totally agree. Yet I'd still watch Voyager over anything made post-DS9 any day.
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Comment on What TV classics are significantly better than the remake? in ~tv
kodystriplin LinkI don't think you could consider the new stuff 'remakes', but any Star Trek made after DS9 has disappointed me. It's not bad, just different from the stuff I grew up with.I don't think you could consider the new stuff 'remakes', but any Star Trek made after DS9 has disappointed me. It's not bad, just different from the stuff I grew up with.
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Comment on Any bike commuters here? in ~transport
kodystriplin Link ParentHahaha that's brilliant! And also way, way friendlier than what commuters USUALLY shout at tourists in the bike lane. Alas, I never ran into that guy.Hahaha that's brilliant! And also way, way friendlier than what commuters USUALLY shout at tourists in the bike lane. Alas, I never ran into that guy.
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Comment on Any bike commuters here? in ~transport
kodystriplin LinkI miss commuting by bicycle so much. I had an 80s Bianchi racing bike that I bought for $200 one summer when I was sick of riding the subway when it was beautiful outside. I rode from Flatbush...I miss commuting by bicycle so much. I had an 80s Bianchi racing bike that I bought for $200 one summer when I was sick of riding the subway when it was beautiful outside. I rode from Flatbush (Brooklyn) to Flatiron (Manhattan). Usually took the Brooklyn Bridge. That might be the happiest I've ever been.
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Comment on Why can’t I commit to a hobby? in ~hobbies
kodystriplin Link ParentNobody implied that a hobby is necessary to make you happier or that you should burn out for the sake of being good at a hobby. Hobbies usually require some level of time and energy commitment and...Nobody implied that a hobby is necessary to make you happier or that you should burn out for the sake of being good at a hobby.
Hobbies usually require some level of time and energy commitment and often have some level of activation energy required to get enjoyment out of them. I love my hobbies but don't always want to do them after a day of work. If I wait until I'm in the right state of mind to do my hobby, I'll only get to it on weekends.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
kodystriplin Link ParentI used and recommend the 'Strong' app. You can create custom workout routines and track your PRs there. I just created 2 when I did Stronglifts 5x5: Workout A and Workout B. It's pretty easy to...I used and recommend the 'Strong' app. You can create custom workout routines and track your PRs there. I just created 2 when I did Stronglifts 5x5: Workout A and Workout B. It's pretty easy to track your progression that way.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
kodystriplin Link ParentThe cost was totally prohibitive for me for years, and even now it's just uncomfortable enough to make me feel like I need to "earn" the privilege of spending so much on a sport. I pay $160/mo for...The cost was totally prohibitive for me for years, and even now it's just uncomfortable enough to make me feel like I need to "earn" the privilege of spending so much on a sport. I pay $160/mo for reference. There are some gyms for closer to $100 on the coast (CA), but the drive to my gym is 10 minutes which really makes a difference.
BJJ is so much more technical than I expected. As soon as I feel like I have a grasp (pun intended) on the fundamentals of passing one type of guard, my partner switches it up and twists me into a pretzel before I can process what just happened. It's a ton of fun and is just as much a mental workout as physical.
If you can find a way to budget for it, I highly highly recommend giving it a shot.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
kodystriplin LinkAt work: setting up CI/CD for our Qt program to build Linux, MacOS, and Windows executables. Coming from a web dev & interpreted language background in general, I was intimidated by the task but...At work: setting up CI/CD for our Qt program to build Linux, MacOS, and Windows executables. Coming from a web dev & interpreted language background in general, I was intimidated by the task but I'm learning that the world of C++ and compiled software isn't really all that hard.
At home: working through Project Euler in C++ to learn the language, trying to wrap up Advent of Code, and designing a minimal weekly meal prep web app to learn Elm and brush up on Django.
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Comment on Tell me about your RPG campaign in ~games.tabletop
kodystriplin Link ParentThat's a great idea; I might have to steal that! Our Warlock is now convinced that he'll be able to Speak with Dead to commune with the dead player, so that'll be an interesting development to...That's a great idea; I might have to steal that! Our Warlock is now convinced that he'll be able to Speak with Dead to commune with the dead player, so that'll be an interesting development to play off of.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
kodystriplin LinkI started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a few weeks ago, and it's an incredible workout. I feel like I can barely walk after every session, but it's fun enough to bring me back the next day. I chose BJJ...I started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a few weeks ago, and it's an incredible workout. I feel like I can barely walk after every session, but it's fun enough to bring me back the next day. I chose BJJ because I'm not a competitive person, so I wanted to strengthen that "muscle".
Unfortunately, I've been sick for the last week and a half so I've been itching to get back to the gym. But I won't risk getting everyone else sick.
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Comment on Tell me about your RPG campaign in ~games.tabletop
kodystriplin LinkI'm DMing for the first time, and I'm playing Lost Mines of Phandelver with a group of 7 players, all level 3. We had the most intense session last week: Lost Mines of Phandelver Spoilers! The...I'm DMing for the first time, and I'm playing Lost Mines of Phandelver with a group of 7 players, all level 3. We had the most intense session last week:
Lost Mines of Phandelver Spoilers!
The party decided to go after Venomfang (the young green dragon). They've handled themselves pretty well up until this fight and maaaaay have been a little too cocky. While roleplaying the dragon, I convinced the party that Reidoth (the druid who asks the party to drive out the dragon) is actually a rival blue dragon. They were on the verge of leaving to attack Reidoth, when the Cleric decided he wanted at the pile of loot instead and attacked Venomfang.
The Cleric, Barbarian, and Rogue were inside the tower so they landed a few good hits on the dragon and got him down to about 60% of his max HP (at 50% he would fly away). Unfortunately, the rest of the party was clustered together in the adjacent room. One solid poison breath from Venomfang instakilled our other Rogue. The party immediately sobered up and hauled it out of there.
The thing is, this is the first death any of us encountered in D&D and we didn't discuss it in our Session 0 (my bad). I was 100% going to roll with the consequences of death but noticed the player seemed bummed out, so I asked if she wanted to keep that character. Turns out she did, so I started trying to figure out how the party could resurrect her. One of the party starts texting me during break and we formulate a plan to have his character sacrifice his life for hers in some way (he's an experienced player and had a backup character already ready). So I have the druid take the PCs - one dead, one sacrificing himself, out into the woods. They return a week later and the rogue is alive while the other PC is nowhere in sight.
Soooo now I get to try and explain how the heck that happened! It should be fun. I felt totally out of my depth, but it seemed like everyone had a blast, and the players are really getting into the story, especially now that they know they can't steamroll every monster they come across.
If you are using zsh (the new default shell on macOS) you should check out Oh My ZSH. They've got lots of CLI programs in the form of plugins. I use the
git,wd(warp),osx,spotify, andvsca(VS Code) plugins all day every day.