Paul26's recent activity
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Comment on How's everyone doing? in ~talk
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Comment on What is your top, unknown, non fiction recommendation ? in ~books
Paul26 LinkI like Not Always So by Shunryu Suzuki.I like Not Always So by Shunryu Suzuki.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentThis is true these days to be honest. In the past, Apple products used to usually mean less tinkering, but these days I am growing increasingly frustrated with my iPhone. I don't know how it is...This is true these days to be honest. In the past, Apple products used to usually mean less tinkering, but these days I am growing increasingly frustrated with my iPhone. I don't know how it is for other platforms, but the one thing that does feel pretty smooth still, is how multiple apple devices talk to each other. It's very seamless. My Apple TV will offer to switch the audio to my AirPods if I put them on somewhere near the Apple TV. Everything syncs well via iCloud between iPhone, iPad, MacBook. I can easily move what I am playing to a speaker and back to the iPhone without fiddling with bluetooth connections (beyond the first time setting them up).
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Comment on The ethics of buying, playing military, war or games inspired by them? in ~games
Paul26 Link ParentI agree, there is a line between a game simply showing you a hobby you may have not yet considered, and the game being a blatant in-your-face aggressive advertising for it. A racing game like...I agree, there is a line between a game simply showing you a hobby you may have not yet considered, and the game being a blatant in-your-face aggressive advertising for it. A racing game like Burnout uses fictional car brands. A game like Lotus Road Challenge (MS DOS ooollldddd game) is pretty clearly an ad for Lotus as you cannot even pick any other car. Still a fun game tho, to be honest. The music was very good!
For racing, maybe the distinction is this: how much time do you spend racing, and how much time do you have to spend in menus, garage, customizations? An old Need for Speed game made you pick the car, and away you went! Newer titles, you spend a lot of time in the garage: gotta have a drift car, a race car, a drag race car, etc. Then a game like Gran Truismo 7 is more of a simulator and it's just honest that basically it tries to be as realistic as possible in every aspect. Not sure what category that goes in. Maybe its own category: simulator.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentNot at all! I can comment only on my own perspective. To me, when I moved from Android to iOS, the iPhone had much fewer options. The compromise was "do things the Apple way" because you couldn't...Not at all! I can comment only on my own perspective. To me, when I moved from Android to iOS, the iPhone had much fewer options. The compromise was "do things the Apple way" because you couldn't customize very much. Skip forward about 12 years and I think you can tinker a lot more and may need to. In fact, I think it's almost becoming the opposite, where I feel Apple stuff "lost its way" to some extent. I was fiddling on my dad's Android last summer to help him setup some things, and I was surprised how smooth and clean it is these days.
In short, I think it's a sentiment that is founded in the past, and may in itself be outdated now. I don't really believe Apple = less tinkering anymore, but I do still think that if all your stuff is Apple, they do seem to work pretty seamlessly, which I don't know if it's the case for other platforms. I could be totally wrong too!
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Comment on The ethics of buying, playing military, war or games inspired by them? in ~games
Paul26 LinkI had a recent stint of Call of Duty. Didn’t play it for years, decided to revisit Warzone. The amount of time spent on customizing the guns, seeing them in fine detail, unlocking all sort of...I had a recent stint of Call of Duty. Didn’t play it for years, decided to revisit Warzone. The amount of time spent on customizing the guns, seeing them in fine detail, unlocking all sort of accessories, feels like a big advertisement for guns. I got tired of it pretty quick and I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it again for a long time, if ever. It didn’t help that the public games seem full of assholes. The whole thing just turned me off and made me rethink the kind of game I’d spend time on.
Similarly, I used to love racing games, but recently I can’t help but seeing these as large ads for expensive vehicles. After how many hours of racing in cool supercars does one start feeling like their own vehicle is insufficient? How many racing games does it take before one starts thinking “even though I can’t afford that car, I can afford leasing it.”
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
Paul26 Link ParentShe’s beautiful! 45 pounds is a good size in my opinion. My older dog is turning 8 and is also not showing her age. Hope she stays energetic and youthful a while longer!She’s beautiful! 45 pounds is a good size in my opinion. My older dog is turning 8 and is also not showing her age. Hope she stays energetic and youthful a while longer!
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Comment on Good News Everyone! - your semi regular good news thread in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentI really really hope Alberta follows suit especially now that we’re between 2 provinces that stopped the time change. I won’t hold my breath, but it would be a nice surprise if it happened.I really really hope Alberta follows suit especially now that we’re between 2 provinces that stopped the time change. I won’t hold my breath, but it would be a nice surprise if it happened.
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
Paul26 Link ParentAlways nice to see more "affordable" options from Apple.Always nice to see more "affordable" options from Apple.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentVPN I initially got because of Torrents, but since I am paying for it and it includes ad-blocking, I ended up using anytime I am reading news or surfing the web. It blocks most ads very well, so I...VPN I initially got because of Torrents, but since I am paying for it and it includes ad-blocking, I ended up using anytime I am reading news or surfing the web. It blocks most ads very well, so I figured might as well just use it. The only issues I noticed are that some apps won't work. At one point, podcasts over cellular didn't work if I had it on.
Kagi, I was torn about paying for something like this, but I did grow increasingly frustrated with even the "privacy-oriented" search engines including ads all the time (DuckDuckGo) and nagging me to install their own browser. So yeah I never thought I'd be paying for a search engine, but here we are. I may have a lower-than-average tolerance for ads, in that I really hate ads and will go to great lengths to prevent them from assaulting my eyeballs.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentAgreed. Also, the older I get, the less time is left in life, so I'm more critical about how I spend that time. Fore example, I prefer to be here on Tildes rather than doom-scroll on Reddit or...Agreed. Also, the older I get, the less time is left in life, so I'm more critical about how I spend that time. Fore example, I prefer to be here on Tildes rather than doom-scroll on Reddit or Instagram.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentYup, this is true. We are also at a point in time where not having a smartphone is a significant obstacle to a lot of things. Not unsurmountable, but a pretty big disadvantage. Since these devices...from a hobby to an utility
Yup, this is true. We are also at a point in time where not having a smartphone is a significant obstacle to a lot of things. Not unsurmountable, but a pretty big disadvantage. Since these devices are so embedded in daily life, my efforts these days go more towards not using it rather than using it more or customizing it. Do I really need that app? Do I really need those notifications?
Windows customization! I did some of that maaaany years ago. Winamp themes and windows desktop customizations, registry tweaks, etc. It was fun for a while. The PC WAS the hobby. Now the PC is this thing I HAVE to use at work 8 hours a day. All I want from it is for Excel not to crash and for things to load reasonably fast.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentThis is the eternal Star Trek vs Star Wars take… I grew up watching The Next Generation way before I saw any Star Wars stuff. I watched some older anime series and some 90s cartoons all before...This is the eternal Star Trek vs Star Wars take… I grew up watching The Next Generation way before I saw any Star Wars stuff. I watched some older anime series and some 90s cartoons all before seeing Star Wars. Once I finally did, I was quite disappointed. I didn’t get what the big deal was. I did end up watching most movies, most of them no more than once. I played a few of the games. I think Jedi Outcast on PC was fun. And pod racer. I much preferred Battlestar Galactica, The Expanse, probably a lot of other sci fi over Star Wars. I never felt the characters to be super relatable. The plot was mediocre in my opinion, the robots too dorky especially that golden one. Data from Star Trek is a far more interesting character than any of these robots in Star Wars. Sorry, I’m not even a Trekkie, I just don’t see the mass success of Star Wars. Maybe I just had to be there to get it, and not experience it X years later.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentHuh! Pink Floyd! Interesting. For me this was more “my dad’s music” which I did like, but maybe because I was so young (pre-teen) that I may have liked anything he showed passion for. Either way,...Huh! Pink Floyd! Interesting.
For me this was more “my dad’s music” which I did like, but maybe because I was so young (pre-teen) that I may have liked anything he showed passion for. Either way, while I liked it, it never had a formative influence on me. I “get it” more now as an adult of course. I occasionally listen to Wish You Were. I guess I never overdid it with Pink Floyd to get sick of them.There were, however, some bands that did have a strong influence on me, and I have mixed feelings about them. I’ll generally avoid them these days because they remind me of a time I was pretty unhappy. Yet sometimes they have the opposite effect and I find them soothing. I think it depends on my mood.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 LinkI hate to say it because I feel it’s not a good thing, but I’ve grown increasingly tired of having to setup tech and tweak things. It started around 2016 when I moved from Android to iPhone. I...I hate to say it because I feel it’s not a good thing, but I’ve grown increasingly tired of having to setup tech and tweak things. It started around 2016 when I moved from Android to iPhone. I used to love customizing my Android phone with launchers and whatnot. I haven’t built a PC since around 2012. Been on Mac. I don’t think it’s a good thing in general because it’s good to control your devices rather than be controlled by them. I definitely still manually adjust all the settings I can, but I rarely go out of my way into deeper customization. On one hand there is a desire to spend less time in front of screens. On the other, a resistance to just accepting what the device defaults to or what apps are popular. I remain aware of data privacy and still opt for options that don’t gobble up my data if I can. Thanks to Tildes, I discovered Kagi for example. I use a VPN. I don’t have Facebook. Back in the day I was dabbling in Linux and used a Linux laptop for several years in university. These days I kind of want to ditch Apple, but I don’t know if I got it in me to dive into Linux again. I still remember spending hours just to get a network driver to work.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentLoved your answer. Big list kept going! I’m with you re: alcohol. I stopped 8 years ago. It had become diminishing returns and stated feeling the negative effects on my health, both mental and...Loved your answer. Big list kept going!
I’m with you re: alcohol. I stopped 8 years ago. It had become diminishing returns and stated feeling the negative effects on my health, both mental and physical. I was gaining weight too. One of the best decisions I ever made for my health was to ditch alcohol completely.Same with candy, recently I’ve started avoiding it as much as I can. Dessert after dinner? Not for me. Maybe a tea or a coffee instead. Candy from the corner store? Pass. Sweets as gifts from a relative? I take the box to work and leave it in the kitchen for others to enjoy. If I want sweet, I’ll aim for fruit.
Movies and TV Shows, I’m having a very hard time lately to find any of them really interesting. There is the occasional show and movie that I watch and find moving or memorable, but they are few and far between.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
Paul26 LinkAs a casual cannabis enjoyer on a Friday night after a long and busy work week, I found myself getting the munchies. A common occurrence. So off I went (on foot) to the local 7/11 to pickup...As a casual cannabis enjoyer on a Friday night after a long and busy work week, I found myself getting the munchies. A common occurrence. So off I went (on foot) to the local 7/11 to pickup snacks. I try to eat healthy most of the time, but I do still enjoy some junk food now and then - or used to!
For the first time ever, I simply did not enjoy the snacks. I put them in a bowl, looked at them, and thought to myself "how is this 'food'?" How are these hard, dry, crunchy orange nuggets supposed to give me any nutrition (Cheetos)? Why have I loved these snacks so much all my life (I'm in my early 40s). How is it legal to sell this kind of thing anyway?
I have been sort of feeling this way about chips and snacks for a few weeks, but I think it wasn't until Friday that I decided I'm done putting these things in my body. Lately, I have been pretty good at taking healthy food to work, snacking mostly on things like fruit and dates. I don't love sweets so avoiding candy, muffins, etc. is no problem. Salty snacks have been top of my preference all my life, but I think I'm done with them.
I used to love these. Put a large bag of Lays in front of me and it's gone. I still like the taste, but now I can't get this idea out of my head that I'm just ingesting garbage. Maybe chips you could argue they are still slices of potato, but something like Cheetos... I can't think of these as being "food". It just happens to be produced as food as sold as food. But it's not food. I don't know what it is. Same with candy. I know I said I don't have issues avoiding candy, but I did like some of those peach gummies now and then. What are these gummies anyway? Gelatin! Basically the rejected materials from pigs? turned into some sort of paste and infused with sugar and flavoring. Gross.
Anyway, that's my food rant. Sorry if you love Cheetos, chips and candy. I did too, but I think I have to do better for the sake of my own body and liver.
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Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp
Paul26 LinkAt home I use only 1 4K 32" monitor and I find it great. At work I have a smaller 4K monitor (27"), so I add my laptop screen on a laptop stand. Mostly I just keep Teams there.At home I use only 1 4K 32" monitor and I find it great. At work I have a smaller 4K monitor (27"), so I add my laptop screen on a laptop stand. Mostly I just keep Teams there.
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Comment on What would you do with a video game style inventory? in ~talk
Paul26 Link ParentOur pets would live a lot longer if you store them in there while you're at work. Basically double their lifespan.Our pets would live a lot longer if you store them in there while you're at work. Basically double their lifespan.
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Comment on What would you do with a video game style inventory? in ~talk
Paul26 LinkFirst of all, assuming this is secure and can't get robbed, I'd pull my money from the bank and keep it in there. I'd leave only an amount needed for daily life in the bank. Then, food, especially...First of all, assuming this is secure and can't get robbed, I'd pull my money from the bank and keep it in there. I'd leave only an amount needed for daily life in the bank.
Then, food, especially if it stays fresh, I can prep on Sunday and actually just manifest at work during lunch. No more time spent preparing the lunch box and all that.
I'd have all my Magic the Gathering decks & cards on me all the time.
I'd re-think how I use the space in my house. Maybe even move to a smaller place. No more clutter and constant Marie Kondo efforts. I'd still Marie Kondo my new inventory from time to time tho.
I would ditch e-books and only read paper books. Half the reason I don't always buy paper books is that I don't like accumulating things.
I'd have all sorts of tools on me all the time.
I'd have a bike and a skateboard stored in there. Some ice skates. Various sporting goods (balls, rackets, etc.)
All my clothes.As I think of this, I am realizing just like physical storage can get cluttered and overwhelming, so can this kind of inventory. If I keep dumping every little thing in there, how will I remember what's in there? Will I end up spending 5 minutes every time browsing/searching for the item because it became so disorganized? Even if I can summon the object with one thought, if I lose track of what is in there, I'll be there thinking up objects and getting an error 50% of the time - that can become frustrating really fast.
A little annoyed with work recently. The organization is trying to pigeonhole me into a role I don't want or ever applied for. My previous team got split up when my leader left a year back, and now under the new team they seem to want me to do things I am really not interested in nor an expert in. I feel a bit "first world problems" in the sense that I should be grateful I have a job and they trust me enough to give me these new tasks. But after a year of this, another part of me feels like I've just been "Mr. Nice Guy" who just says yes in spite of my own desires and aspirations, just because "someone's gotta do it". I've started bringing this up with my current leader and they seem supportive to help change things for me. Time will tell if it will actually happen.