soks_n_sandals's recent activity
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Comment on Help me find the perfect sandals? in ~life.style
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
soks_n_sandals Link ParentOK, thanks a ton for confirming that I’m not too far off. The QA person in me desperately wants to figure out what’s going wrong with my current router, and the other part of me wants to buy...OK, thanks a ton for confirming that I’m not too far off. The QA person in me desperately wants to figure out what’s going wrong with my current router, and the other part of me wants to buy something new and move on lol
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
soks_n_sandals Link ParentI haven’t seen the advice to check the power supply yet, so that’s worth trying. Thankfully, the hardware itself should be safe since we don’t have kids and I’m rarely touching the antennas, but...I haven’t seen the advice to check the power supply yet, so that’s worth trying. Thankfully, the hardware itself should be safe since we don’t have kids and I’m rarely touching the antennas, but if they happened to be delicate or I inadvertently damaged one then I could see that as a possibility as well.
I have thought about whether network interference might be playing a role here, but what I think is strange is having a device that previously had 100 Mb up down one moment, suddenly slow to a crawl without changing our usage or location in our apartment. But that’s definitely something to investigate and see if that might resolve the issue.
Ultimately, reflashing the firmware seems like the most logical first step. Then, checking for interference and power issues, and maybe a hardware upgrade if that all fails.
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
soks_n_sandals Link ParentAll good points. The CPU usage had me thinking about a compromised device as well since it’s just me and my wife and we do concurrent 4K streaming or gaming on multiple devices. Thankfully, I’m...All good points. The CPU usage had me thinking about a compromised device as well since it’s just me and my wife and we do concurrent 4K streaming or gaming on multiple devices.
Thankfully, I’m pretty tech savvy, but I have been trying to figure out what level of tinkering I’m willing to do. I agree the firewalla is on the pricey side, but there is some appeal about having a lot of the insights already set up and made available in their user interface.
I have been thinking about reflashing the firmware as a step to see if these some of these issues resolve. I changed the password somewhat recently, but not so recently that I remember exactly when so that’s not a bad idea either.
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Question about routers and access points
Hi all, I've had a Netgear XR300 serve me fairly well for the past 5 or so years, but in the last few months I've had increasingly frustrating levels of failure. Things like sustained 100% CPU...
Hi all, I've had a Netgear XR300 serve me fairly well for the past 5 or so years, but in the last few months I've had increasingly frustrating levels of failure. Things like sustained 100% CPU utilization, individual machines connected but unable to access internet, being unable to access the router admin page, individual machines suddenly having their ping go to 500-2000ms and bandwidth down to the kB range (I have symmetric 300Mbps up/down).
As a potential, I've been eying the Firewalla Purple to become my new router for a few reasons (Netgear not getting security updates, Firewalla has Wireguard support, etc.). The Firewalla only has short-range wifi, so my question is this:
Would using a Firewalla as a router and using the Netgear device as an access point for wireless connectivity be likely to mitigate these kinds of issues?
I've realized I lack the knowledge on which aspects of connectivity would be handled by two discrete devices, so I'm hoping to suss out if this is a viable solution.
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Comment on Is there one AI product you would recommend over another to a complete newbie? The primary task is writing. in ~tech
soks_n_sandals LinkI think Anthropic’s paid service for Claude is quite good for writing. I’ve been discussing different models with my wife, and she’s been using Claude’s document upload to great effect, including...I think Anthropic’s paid service for Claude is quite good for writing. I’ve been discussing different models with my wife, and she’s been using Claude’s document upload to great effect, including for cover letters. She’d used a bit of chatGPT but none of the paid tools before Claude. You can upload writing samples, a job posting and your resume, give it some direction, and it can produce compelling results.
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Comment on What are your favorite books with an unreliable narrator? in ~books
soks_n_sandals LinkI just finished Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and the narrator is partly what makes the book. She feeds the perfect amount of information to allow the reader to build assumptions, then circles...I just finished Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and the narrator is partly what makes the book. She feeds the perfect amount of information to allow the reader to build assumptions, then circles back to break them. The book is filled with extravagant details and descriptions, but the narrator never comes fully into focus and skews parts of her experience as it happens.
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Comment on Audio enthusiasts share your audio setups in ~hobbies
soks_n_sandals Link ParentThey’re priced in a way where replacement cables don’t make sense. I think I picked up my pair for around $130, which is pound-for-pound the best return on investment I’ve ever gotten on any audio...They’re priced in a way where replacement cables don’t make sense. I think I picked up my pair for around $130, which is pound-for-pound the best return on investment I’ve ever gotten on any audio equipment. They could legitimately replace my loudspeaker setup if life suddenly went south, and I’d still feel like I had access to the joy of hifi.
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Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk
soks_n_sandals Link ParentThose are nearly double or triple the length of this year’s printing. Thanks for looking through them! I really liked the fewer ads. An inflation calculator says the 1985 Madonna edition would be...Those are nearly double or triple the length of this year’s printing. Thanks for looking through them! I really liked the fewer ads. An inflation calculator says the 1985 Madonna edition would be ~$10, so this new one being $20 is worth it to have fewer ads.
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Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk
soks_n_sandals Link ParentThere’s a digital version, but I’m not sure if it’s available as a PDF or an ebook format.There’s a digital version, but I’m not sure if it’s available as a PDF or an ebook format.
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Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk
soks_n_sandals Link ParentI don’t have any old copies to reference against, but my feeling is that it’s not a lot, per se. In the opening pages, there are three non-nude (albeit provocative) photos, followed immediately by...I don’t have any old copies to reference against, but my feeling is that it’s not a lot, per se. In the opening pages, there are three non-nude (albeit provocative) photos, followed immediately by the shoot with the cover model Lori Harvey, which has no nudity. There’s a centerfold model in the middle of the magazine, and there’s a photoshoot with nudity on the last couple of pages. But aside from the very beginning/middle/end, it’s basically uninterrupted. Perhaps this describes the previous formats. If it’s a new format, hopefully it indicates a new approach.
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I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint.
Or, let’s be honest, firstly as a novelty. I don't know anyone else personally who has bought, or would buy, a copy. I figured it would be interesting to see what it was like. My wife and I...
Or, let’s be honest, firstly as a novelty. I don't know anyone else personally who has bought, or would buy, a copy. I figured it would be interesting to see what it was like.
My wife and I stopped on Valentine’s day to buy a copy, and I think we were both surprised by the print. I knew Playboy magazines produced some notable interviews in the past, but a dozen important conversations over several decades isn’t exactly going to outweigh the sea of photographs they’re known for. The new edition was a surprising $20 in-person. It felt like a bit of a gamble, but I think it was worth it.
By the numbers, it’s ~125 pages long and features 3 pictorial photoshoots. Beyond a few pages of photos, the rest is basically all writing. There are a few ads, but nothing like the volume of ads in other magazines I’ve read recently. I figured the magazine would be full of risqué photos, but it’s more of a tasteful inclusion alongside other, more substantial discussion. It is essentially all writing, and it’s good writing.
From the outset, the Editor’s Letter (Mike Guy) sets the tone of the new printing:
Five years have passed since an issue of Playboy rolled off a printing press, and they have been strange years indeed. We’ve passed through the wreckage of a pandemic, sat on a violent political see-saw, and watched as discourse shrinks to tiny digital moments that explode into divisive range at precisely the time we need reason. Just as Playboy was frustrated with the conservative norms of the ‘50s, we want to challenge them now, too. This can mean just showing up, listening; it can mean choosing connecting and pleasure over sensation and isolation. It means rejecting poisonous, meme-driven narratives, as writer Magdalene Taylor urges in “The Rise of the Beta Male” …, her disturbing report from the front lines of our emerging dystopia about young men who have given up on sex. … The internet - OnlyFans, TikTok, and the rest - has stolen sexuality and fed it into the meat grinder of the attention economy. We’re doing our part to steal it back. As the poet Wallace Stevens wrote, “The greatest poverty is not to live in the physical world.”
I didn’t anticipate an article detailing a first-person investigation into the rise of anti-semitism, or an article about a far-out apocalyptic billionaire party, nor did I expect a humorous memoir about the rise of Nashville as the bachelorette party destination. But, these were funny, interesting pieces that spurred much discussion in my house. My wife and I have taken turns reading these long-form articles aloud each night. The article on an ultra-exclusive sex party in LA fell inline with the sort of topics I expected, but the writing and description of a beautiful spectacle made us pause and say, “that actually sounds like a fun time.”
It turns out you really can read Playboy for the articles, and more importantly resonate on the value of re-engaging human connection, disarming hate, building up our communities, and challenging our preconceived notions.
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Comment on Audio enthusiasts share your audio setups in ~hobbies
soks_n_sandals (edited )LinkMy main setup is in our small, multi-use living room/kitchen/dining room. I have slowly added components over the years, and it currently is: Digital (computer running Roon, phone with Airplay) ->...My main setup is in our small, multi-use living room/kitchen/dining room. I have slowly added components over the years, and it currently is:
- Digital (computer running Roon, phone with Airplay) -> Cambridge Audio AXN10 network streamer
- Streamer (or TV) -> Cambridge AXA35 integrated amp
- Integrated amp to Elac DBR62 bookshelf speakers and an SVS SB1000 powered subwoofer.
- Roon runs convolution filters for the main system, and I control subwoofer levels with the SVS app on my phone.
- edit: totally forgot I also have a turntable haha. Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo with the Sumiko cartridge -> integrated amp
At my desk, I run a simple setup:
- Roon endpoint to Schiit Modi 3 DAC
- DAC to Adam Audio T7V reference monitors
- No DSP for this setup just yet
I previously had a pair of Sennheiser IE200 in-ears which I loved, but then seem to have lost on a plane recently. I'm massively disappointed by that, because they were my favorite for hifi listening when I traveled.
Edit: I’m really considering running my Mac Mini with something like the Blackhole loop back software to pull it into MainStage and run a tube saturator or other effects to experiment with plugins to liven up the sound for certain records. And, I really want to rip my vinyl records to FLAC/ALAC and have them locally because the turntable really only gets used by my wife.
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Comment on ADHD representation in media in ~health.mental
soks_n_sandals LinkThere's a short clip from Malcom in the Middle that I saw online a few years back that always stuck with me - link here. It's less than 60 seconds, but the feeling of getting distracted by...There's a short clip from Malcom in the Middle that I saw online a few years back that always stuck with me - link here. It's less than 60 seconds, but the feeling of getting distracted by something random in a project which leads to another, totally unrelated project really resonates.
While not traditional media (TV/streaming/etc.), I feel much more closely aligned with Adam Savage's persona. He put out solo, uncut VLOGs on his Tested YouTube channel during the pandemic through now. I had never seen anyone else cut off in the middle of their thought to pause, reframe, backtrack, or start over completely. It felt like looking in a mirror when he would hear something random in his shop and look away from the camera, head cocked, before coming back to the thought after a few seconds. Another mirror behavior was seeing him stop in the middle of a thought to go root around in his shop for something to support his thoughts and bolster his enthusiasm.
I found Savage's YouTube channel at a time where I had just started to wonder whether, as an adult, I might have ADHD (I do). He became an encouraging, positive role model in my adult life after having been a role model in my childhood when Mythbusters aired on TV. He conveys a joy, humor, enthusiasm, and excitement for the scientific method and creativity in general that I find inspiring.
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Comment on How France uncovered the mystery of the forbidden photos of Nazi-occupied Paris in ~humanities.history
soks_n_sandals LinkSharing this fascinating story. A tumultuous 24 hours in American politics makes this a potent reminder that even small acts of subversion can have an outsized effect on history. A summary:Sharing this fascinating story. A tumultuous 24 hours in American politics makes this a potent reminder that even small acts of subversion can have an outsized effect on history. A summary:
In Nazi-occupied Paris, amateur photographer Raoul Minot risked his life to document the occupation, capturing both everyday life and the presence of German soldiers. Photography was illegal and carried severe penalties except for those with a permit. Minot's photographs, discovered decades later, offer a unique glimpse into the city during its occupation.
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How France uncovered the mystery of the forbidden photos of Nazi-occupied Paris
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Comment on Erotic art (an overview of centuries of philosophical arguments) in ~arts
soks_n_sandals Link ParentFirstly, thanks for reading this and responding. I am in the same camp in that I hold the view that erotic art can exist. You raise an interesting point in viewers seeking erotic art that...Firstly, thanks for reading this and responding.
I am in the same camp in that I hold the view that erotic art can exist. You raise an interesting point in viewers seeking erotic art that simulates the feelings of intimacy. The degree of intimacy in a work is a good proxy for its genuine-ness, or its effectiveness in achieving its goal of ascending beyond obscenity. To me, intimacy implies some shades of love. I think of Ansel Adam’s black-and-white photographs of the American West. Having visited these places, his work represents a sliver of the emotional impact that a massive granite wall can induce in-person. However, his reverence of place and landscape is imbued into his photographic prints. That is, I think that even the best artists can only capture a fraction of the love or intimacy of a scene they observe. Then, to truly render an erotic work of art, I am suggesting that there has to be a profound love toward some aspect of the subject or scene by the artist.
I see the appreciation of sublimity particularly in communities that track extreme weather. I recall the awestruck nature of meteorologists as they watched the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico during 2024. To see something reach the theoretical limits of a natural phenomenon was the most recent example of the sublime I can recall. Threatening, terrifying, but beautiful and enamoring still.
Thanks again for engaging on this topic. I find interpreting a work through a lens that tries to designate whether the feelings generated in the viewer preclude the work’s quality as art deeply fascinating. For me, it follows the arguments in Music: A Subversive History by Ted Gioia, which highlights how a lot of love songs were deeply disturbing to entrenched power structures, much like what was mentioned about 1700s France. It’s just interesting to see the parallels.
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Comment on Erotic art (an overview of centuries of philosophical arguments) in ~arts
soks_n_sandals (edited )LinkThis is an essay from Stanford University's Philosophy Department that reviews several hundred years' worth of philosophical arguments about whether erotic art exists (as in, it is either art or...This is an essay from Stanford University's Philosophy Department that reviews several hundred years' worth of philosophical arguments about whether erotic art exists (as in, it is either art or it is erotic and therefore not art), and if it does exist, what makes something erotic and not merely pornographic or obscene? This is a fascinating question I've mentally ruminated on the last week and thought was worth
sharing.
In the last week, I have been using Instagram to discover new artists to follow. I've been fascinated with illustrators and designers, especially those who make use of digital tools from companies like Retro Supply Co. and True Grit Supply. Moreover, a few years ago, I found the illustrated pin-ups of Gil Elvgren and really appreciated their moment in American art, society, and advertisement that his work captures.
I stumbled across an artist who does vintage-inspired character illustrations and pin-ups. As the Instagram discovery algorithm pulled in similar artists and styles to my feed, I began to mentally sort art into three categories:
- I liked this because it's just pretty
- I like this because it's an art style I enjoy, and it also happens to be erotic.
- I do NOT like this because it's merely obscene/pornographic.
A lot of lewd art feels treacherous, questionable, objectifying, or low-effort. As a result, I started to designate my own moral and ethical boundaries while consuming visual art that spans a variety of styles (including lewd or erotic). This led me to research the history of erotic art. Unsurprisingly, this is a well-debated and engaging philosophical topic. Through some online searching, I found this essay from Stanford detailing broad criticism and viewpoints.
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Erotic art (an overview of centuries of philosophical arguments)
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
soks_n_sandals LinkBeen listening to the new Early James record Medium Rare bandcamp link. It's a raw, spirited modern blues/rock record. The other tracks I am playing out at least a couple times a day are...Been listening to the new Early James record Medium Rare bandcamp link. It's a raw, spirited modern blues/rock record.
The other tracks I am playing out at least a couple times a day are "Scissors" by Julia Michaels and Maren Morris (pop) - YouTube link and "weren't for the wind" by Ella Langley (country) - YouTube link. I really like a lot of Ella Langley's recent album, but I think the track ordering is pretty bad because some of the absolute best songs come at the end of the album.
+1 for the Bedrocks - I’ve tried Teva, Chacos, Xeros, Vibrams, and the bedrocks are the only sandals I’ve purchased a second pair of. The adjustable Y-strap is so much easier than chacos, and they’re so much lighter. I found Teva and Xero sandals to be way too slippery when my feet sweat or the sandals got wet.