lynxy's recent activity
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Comment on Horror fishing game Dredge being adapted for live-action movie in ~movies
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lynxy (edited )LinkAfter hearing about the death of Vernor Vinge, I decided to pick up one or two of his books- I love a little sci-fi, and I'm getting very Iain M. Banks Culture vibes so far. I absolutely devoured...After hearing about the death of Vernor Vinge, I decided to pick up one or two of his books- I love a little sci-fi, and I'm getting very Iain M. Banks Culture vibes so far. I absolutely devoured "A Deepness in the Sky", and am currently quite enjoying "A Fire Upon the Deep ".
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Comment on US President Joe Biden's 2024 State of the Union address in ~news
lynxy LinkMy partner and I, both European, happen to be in Washington for a few days, and we walked up to the Capitol earlier on today (yesterday now, I suppose). We had hoped to see the visitor centre,...My partner and I, both European, happen to be in Washington for a few days, and we walked up to the Capitol earlier on today (yesterday now, I suppose). We had hoped to see the visitor centre, only to be told it was closed for "an event" later that evening. "Bad luck" we thought, and headed instead down to the Smithsonian Air & Space, noting the number of police cars out and about. It was only a few minutes ago that we realised that the State of the Union address was today, at the Capitol, and that must have been what all of the fuss was about. It's funny how one of the few days we're here happens to be one of the more important presidential events of the year and we had absolutely no idea. I had no idea there were so many cops.
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Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative
lynxy LinkI've been stuck in America for a number of months with my partner who is pursuing a research placement for his Masters degree, and the one place I've found nearby, that I'm pretty sure I'll miss,...I've been stuck in America for a number of months with my partner who is pursuing a research placement for his Masters degree, and the one place I've found nearby, that I'm pretty sure I'll miss, is the local MakeSpace. It has such a wonderful depth and breadth of equipment and knowledgeable people- and I've taken up this opportunity to learn a little more about woodwork. I'm usually a software engineer, so to work with my hands on something creative is such a different experience, and very rewarding.
For the longest time I have wanted to try to craft a pair of bookshelf speakers, specifically the Overnight Sensations kit. The crossovers are simple, but the kit usually comes with a prefabricated MDF cabinet, flat packed, and I knew that I wanted to achieve this part of the project myself. Preferably out of some form of hardwood. I modelled the cabinet design in Blender, a simple rabbeted box, and selected a couple of woods- Hard Maple, with a Walnut baffle. I then spent the next two-and-a-half months on-and-off learning how to use the table saw, the miter saw, the router table, the drill press, the Forstner bits, and the laser cutter (to make routing templates).
https://i.imgur.com/dQK1t7c.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/P1JADHf.jpegThey're very far from perfect, but after stuffing them with an amount of quilting material, I'm very happy with how they sound, and very proud of them. I hope to make a subwoofer to match, in the next space I find like this.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy Link ParentThat's fair enough! I outlined a few of these concerns in my comment, not knowing quite how detrimental they were at this point in time, and it looks like you know better than I on that front :)That's fair enough! I outlined a few of these concerns in my comment, not knowing quite how detrimental they were at this point in time, and it looks like you know better than I on that front :)
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy Link ParentHave you considered looking into any of the myriad of self-hostable large language models- whether they'd behave as capably, whether it would be cheaper to host them on a VPS over using GPT4,...Have you considered looking into any of the myriad of self-hostable large language models- whether they'd behave as capably, whether it would be cheaper to host them on a VPS over using GPT4, whether the maintenance work is worth it?
A lot of work has gone into making tools such as LLaMa run on even very simple hardware, such as the Raspberry Pi. Depending on the amount of content you're piping in, it might be capable enough! Just a thought :)
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Comment on RSS users - how do you use, organize and maximize your enjoyment of RSS? in ~tech
lynxy Link ParentThe original thinking was that it's a platform I use often- and I get free notifications! I'm wondering about shifting to Revolt or similar though. I'm not a massive fan of how Discord is run as...The original thinking was that it's a platform I use often- and I get free notifications! I'm wondering about shifting to Revolt or similar though. I'm not a massive fan of how Discord is run as an entity. Alternatively, it's all portable python code and I can always re-use it in later projects :)
It's why programming has got to be, at least in my eyes, one of the most powerful tools you can learn, especially in this increasingly online world. There are so many useful paradigms, such as RSS, and so many free-to-use APIs for a range of different services. Make how you consume content work for you. Did you know that NASA provide a number of open APIs for fetching space-themed data? How cool is that?
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Comment on RSS users - how do you use, organize and maximize your enjoyment of RSS? in ~tech
lynxy LinkI subscribe to and parse RSS feeds using a module of a self-written & hosted Discord bot, separating feeds between channels depending on content type- but the majority of feeds I follow are...I subscribe to and parse RSS feeds using a module of a self-written & hosted Discord bot, separating feeds between channels depending on content type- but the majority of feeds I follow are web-comic or Youtube feeds. I refuse to own a Youtube account, anything Google, so that is how I keep up with creators I enjoy. Like your friend, I've tried following some of the "louder" feeds such as Ars, but I find that sort of content is more easily digested (or ignored) in e-mail subscription format. When it comes to web-comics I definitely find the time to read each new post, but this is easy when most comics update semiweekly at most (Mon-Fri, Mon-Wed-Fri, etc).
If I want to browse a large selection of semi-interesting content, I always have Reddit- a bad habit, I know. I treat RSS more like a "follow" button for content creators. It's less overwhelming that way.
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Comment on Looking at getting a new phone - help with my odd requirements? in ~tech
lynxy Link ParentIt's a really nice device, let down only by the really strange choice to continue with USB 2.0 for IO, and Asus' refusal to act with any integrity over the bootloader unlocking issue. For months,...It's a really nice device, let down only by the really strange choice to continue with USB 2.0 for IO, and Asus' refusal to act with any integrity over the bootloader unlocking issue. For months, a year or more, they've been withholding the ability to unlock the bootloader of the Zenfone 8,9,10, and a handful of the ROG devices, while not providing any concrete information on whether or when unlocking might be possible again.
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Comment on What service are you using for domain names? in ~comp
lynxy Link ParentAnother vote for Porkbun here- I've been with them for years after a brief stint with Namecheap, and I've had absolutely no issues at all with them. They're small, friendly, have all of the tools...Another vote for Porkbun here- I've been with them for years after a brief stint with Namecheap, and I've had absolutely no issues at all with them. They're small, friendly, have all of the tools I have needed so far, and appear to have a sense of fun, too.
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Comment on ‘Death Glitch’ looks at what happens after we’ve logged off for good in ~books
lynxy Link ParentI hate to be the one to break it to you, but it's currently 2023, not 2003! :)I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it's currently 2023, not 2003! :)
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Comment on Octopuses sleep—and possibly dream—just like humans in ~science
lynxy Link ParentIf you long for a sci-fi twist on the concept, I might suggest the latter half of the Children of Time series, by Adrian Tchaikovsky!If you long for a sci-fi twist on the concept, I might suggest the latter half of the Children of Time series, by Adrian Tchaikovsky!
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy (edited )Link ParentI love this idea! I find I'm often bouncing between projects that utilise shared code, mirroring changes I've made in the latest to catch my attention to all of the others. This tool seems to...I love this idea! I find I'm often bouncing between projects that utilise shared code, mirroring changes I've made in the latest to catch my attention to all of the others. This tool seems to address this use-case almost perfectly :)
If I find some time to play around with it, I just might.
Edited: sentence structure.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
lynxy LinkMy current collection of projects are all similar- web themed. On top of steadily expanding upon my template git repository (which can be specialised for a number of different project types...My current collection of projects are all similar- web themed.
On top of steadily expanding upon my template git repository (which can be specialised for a number of different project types through the use of a python script [py, c++ executable, c++ lib, http]), I've been working on a number of common or shared tools and code between my personal landing page, a portfolio which I'm procrastinating on populating with text (I am hopeless at the whole self-advertising thing), and a simple mongodb based image sharing site. (Deep breath).
I've been moving away from PHP in favour of very light-weight client-sided page rendering. I'm not a fan of the idea of larger bloated JavaScript frameworks so everything is vanilla, optionally minified. All API calls are passed through an NGINX reverse proxy to a very simple low-level socket based python script I've dubbed, imaginatively, echopy. This is what interfaces with mongo.
You'd have thought that after years of approaching development in this way I'd get a little less stubborn- a little more willing to utilise existing, and I'm sure very powerful tools. Maybe not. At least I'm not producing any of this stuff commercially, eh?
Otherwise I've been working on expanding further on my personal Discord bot. Who doesn't have one at this point? The latest changes include a refactor which improves the behaviour of many of the modules while the bot resides in multiple guilds at once, as well as a module for calculating, given a number of entry and exit dates, the number of Shengen Zone days a non-EU citizen has left during a rolling period (thanks, Brexit).
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tv
lynxy LinkI suppose I can bring myself to empathise with the crowd who wanted a zombie show to be always filled with zombies and action, as well as those who disagree with changes made when adapting from...I suppose I can bring myself to empathise with the crowd who wanted a zombie show to be always filled with zombies and action, as well as those who disagree with changes made when adapting from game to show. It's always a little jarring when a piece of media you enjoy is changed for whatever reason; when what's in your mind confronts what's on the screen.
But I'm not a player of the game. I'm sure I watched a play-through years ago, and enjoyed it at the time, but I didn't enter into the series with that at the forefront of my mind. I also didn't expect such a tender and self-contained episode from a zombie show.
It had me almost sobbing at multiple points. The pacing, atmosphere, and acting were all superb- but having watched Chernobyl (also headed by Craig Mazin) maybe I shouldn't be so surprised? And this is described as the happy episode by Druckmann (Tweet by Neil_Druckmann @ 4:25 AM · Jan 30, 2023), though, possibly, ironically.
I can't wait to see what's next.
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (May 2022) in ~health.mental
lynxy LinkHonestly? Not too great. I'd usually avoid throwing identifying information out onto sites like these but I've not many other avenues to vent. I'm currently part-way through week four of...Honestly? Not too great.
I'd usually avoid throwing identifying information out onto sites like these but I've not many other avenues to vent. I'm currently part-way through week four of recovering from breaking both of my arms in an incident involving an electric scooter- a hospital trip which I likely also caught covid during. I'm back at work but the time off seems only to have highlighted that I don't much enjoy it.
In combination with these health issues, and possibly partially because of them, I've been spiralling a little. Isolating myself. Coming to the realisation that the main online social space I frequent has changed over the years and I no longer vibe with the existing user-base is difficult to deal with, and a split from a short-lived relationship with an older friend due to mine own insecurities, his inability to communicate (and, really, a genuine unreadiness for relationships), and the difficulties surrounding long-distance as a whole have not helped. I'm not sure why I do this to myself when prior history shows it's not a good idea.
I'm not sure. I'm getting by. Trying to find things I can look forward to. Trying to prepare a suit for an upcoming funeral for a grandparent.
This, too, shall pass.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
lynxy LinkPerhaps prompted by the so-so response to Amazon's adaptation, I have finally entered the Wheel of Time universe- reaching book four before having to put that on pause for a short while due to an...Perhaps prompted by the so-so response to Amazon's adaptation, I have finally entered the Wheel of Time universe- reaching book four before having to put that on pause for a short while due to an accident irl. Even so, the collection still grows faster than I can read them, and my local library has been stocking some nice-looking hardback copies of the Discworld series. I pick up one or two when I walk past. At some point I hope to finally get around to Paolini's latest book, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.
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Comment on List of Rock and Roll movies? in ~movies
lynxy LinkI might tentatively add 'A Knight's Tale' for the rock and roll soundtrack. It's definitely worth a watch! Heath Ledger, Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk, etc. It's a lot of fun :)I might tentatively add 'A Knight's Tale' for the rock and roll soundtrack. It's definitely worth a watch! Heath Ledger, Paul Bettany, Alan Tudyk, etc. It's a lot of fun :)
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Comment on Recommend me books with a twist (with a twist) in ~books
lynxy LinkIf you've not read any of the Culture series by Iain Banks I highly recommend 'Use Of Weapons'. The rest of the books are fantastic, though as the series is sort of anthological (or at least, not...If you've not read any of the Culture series by Iain Banks I highly recommend 'Use Of Weapons'. The rest of the books are fantastic, though as the series is sort of anthological (or at least, not chronological in a strict sense), they're not necessary to grok this one.
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Comment on Tell me about your smartphone! in ~tech
lynxy Link ParentThe main issues I've had going Google-less are the few apps that refuse to work without Google services installed, such as Authy, but there are always alternatives. A secondary issue is that any...The main issues I've had going Google-less are the few apps that refuse to work without Google services installed, such as Authy, but there are always alternatives. A secondary issue is that any apps relying upon GCM / FCM ( Google Cloud Messaging / Firebase Cloud Messaging ) for notifications will no longer have notifications. Some of these issues can be fixed using microG but I don't feel it's worth it. You can still install any app you want, be it FOSS from FDroid, or from the Play Store itself using Aurora or alternatives.
I've not played Dredge myself, and can only guess at the extent and depth (haha) of the story, but the Stupendium's latest song is Dredge-themed, and it's probably one of my favorites of his recent work (that and the Fallen London musical).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3BQ-UZh0a8