talesofweirdfl's recent activity

  1. Comment on Safe spaces for him: Why men need support groups run by other males for their well-being in ~life.men

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    This is very interesting to me. Could you perhaps share the name? I'd like to learn more. If you don't feel comfortable posting it here, please feel free to message me directly.

    This is very interesting to me. Could you perhaps share the name? I'd like to learn more. If you don't feel comfortable posting it here, please feel free to message me directly.

    2 votes

  2. Embarking on this new hobby and a little overwhelmed

    ~games Ask
    I'm embarking on a new phase in my life and am frankly pretty darned excited about it. My only child is off in college now and I find myself with extra time I didn't used to have. As such, some...

    I'm embarking on a new phase in my life and am frankly pretty darned excited about it. My only child is off in college now and I find myself with extra time I didn't used to have. As such, some younger friends of mine have been reaching out and asking me to join them for "shenanigans" in the form of online video games. Mind you, I haven't played games since the mid 90s, so while this sounds exciting, it also is quite intimidating.

    So far I have gotten my hands on a ROG Ally X. It's a nifty looking handheld that I have been assured would allow me to play a lot of the games my buddies play, but my eyes aren't what they used to be and the screen, however nice, isn't quite big enough for my needs.

    Time to get a dock!

    I was able to find a one for this thing, which is very cool, but now I'm thinking I'm going to drive my wife crazy shouting at the device to talk to my buddies. I assume I need a decent headset, but which one? These things seem to run the range in prices. Do I need it to be wireless?

    Also, I'm guessing it would be good to have some sort of controller so I'm not on top of the screen, again, what fits the middle of the road? Cordless? Do I want a trackpad? Is that even a thing?

    I am overloaded with options.

    Basically, I'm a dad who has discovered he has a lot more time on his hands than he expected and good (and patient) friends who want to spend time with him, but I'm way out of my depth trying to plot a modest path forward (without spending silly money).

    Anyway, thanks for making an old guy coming to the hobby feel welcome!

    24 votes

  3. Comment on ACCESS.bus: The forgotten USB competitor in ~comp

  4. Comment on ACCESS.bus: The forgotten USB competitor in ~comp

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Hell yeah. I have a feeling we would have been buddies back in the old times. Now if you tell me you played DnD, skateboarded, and loved you some 'tendo. I'd have to start to question whether or...

    Hell yeah. I have a feeling we would have been buddies back in the old times. Now if you tell me you played DnD, skateboarded, and loved you some 'tendo. I'd have to start to question whether or not I have a clone...

    1 vote

  5. Comment on ACCESS.bus: The forgotten USB competitor in ~comp

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    But we were wizards back then. I remember vividly getting free candy from a friend because I could rewrite his config.sys and autoexec.bat to squeeze out just enough conventional memory to run...

    But we were wizards back then. I remember vividly getting free candy from a friend because I could rewrite his config.sys and autoexec.bat to squeeze out just enough conventional memory to run Wing Commander and his Sound Blaster card.

    JFC, listen to me... I think I just aged 5 years in one post.

    6 votes

  6. Comment on ACCESS.bus: The forgotten USB competitor in ~comp

  7. Comment on ACCESS.bus: The forgotten USB competitor in ~comp

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Holy shit, you weren't kidding. That video had like everything I remember from my senior year of high school. It's hard to believe that we used to do everything with serial and parallel cables. I...

    Holy shit, you weren't kidding. That video had like everything I remember from my senior year of high school. It's hard to believe that we used to do everything with serial and parallel cables. I remember parallel "dongles" for certain insanely expensive software products too.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on What low-stakes drama is going on in your circles right now? in ~talk

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    This is really good advice. Thank you! I will consider checking that PD again. Fist bump Astigmatism friends!

    This is really good advice. Thank you! I will consider checking that PD again. Fist bump Astigmatism friends!

    2 votes

  9. Comment on What low-stakes drama is going on in your circles right now? in ~talk

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Ugh. I'm pretty sure you are right. I think I'll give this a try next year. Just too much going on in my life to go funhouse mirror mode right now. Thanks for the encouragement though!

    Ugh. I'm pretty sure you are right. I think I'll give this a try next year. Just too much going on in my life to go funhouse mirror mode right now. Thanks for the encouragement though!

    1 vote

  10. Comment on What low-stakes drama is going on in your circles right now? in ~talk

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    I am both amazed and horrified. Off to google I go! Thank you.

    I am both amazed and horrified. Off to google I go! Thank you.

    10 votes

  11. Comment on What low-stakes drama is going on in your circles right now? in ~talk

    talesofweirdfl
    Link
    I have the olds. My single vision glasses are no longer working for me when it comes to phone and e-reader viewing (damn you, iPhone). So now I have progressives. For those who don't know, these...

    I have the olds. My single vision glasses are no longer working for me when it comes to phone and e-reader viewing (damn you, iPhone). So now I have progressives. For those who don't know, these are like slapping funhouse mirrors on your eyeballs. I have felt like I wanted to vomit twice so far. Listen, I get it, it's hell getting older and it does beat the alternative, but... is this really the best we can do? We put people on the moon, created vaccines, split the atom, etc. We can't fix my crappy eyes with magic lenses? Sigh.

    14 votes

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

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    I just snorted tea all over my desk. Thank you for providing material for a future book.

    I just snorted tea all over my desk. Thank you for providing material for a future book.

    3 votes

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

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Well if that just isn't capital news I don't know what is. Way to go, papa! Mine just hit 18. I get called, but just for money.

    Well if that just isn't capital news I don't know what is. Way to go, papa! Mine just hit 18. I get called, but just for money.

    9 votes

  14. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    The man has a few hot button items. His favorite evil incarnations are paintings, dead bodies/things, puppets, art, wall stains, empty houses, and paintings. Did I mention paintings? :) All...

    The man has a few hot button items. His favorite evil incarnations are paintings, dead bodies/things, puppets, art, wall stains, empty houses, and paintings.

    Did I mention paintings? :)

    All kidding aside. I teased him that I wanted to know who left him in an art gallery as a small child...

    Most of his books have that same slow burn feel. The only one that has deviated is All the Fiends of Hell. That one reads more like a thriller than a horror story, but with his highly poetic prose it doesn't rip quite as fast as it could.

    If you want more slow burn Nevill with a weird ending, I'd recommend "No One Gets Out Alive." Look for the connections to Last Days if you do. They're in there. It's subtle, but if you look closely you'll see them. The Nevill verse is highly connected. Enjoy!

    1 vote

  15. Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books

    talesofweirdfl
    Link
    I write and read horror. Right now I'm on an Adam Nevill kick and am about 70% of the way through "Cunning Folk." It's folk horror with some nice pacing and a few good twists. Nevill paints with a...

    I write and read horror. Right now I'm on an Adam Nevill kick and am about 70% of the way through "Cunning Folk." It's folk horror with some nice pacing and a few good twists. Nevill paints with a very detailed brush. He knows words. He knows lots of words. But, the story is good, fast, and very well done. I can't say enough positive things about it.

    Also, an aside, he's a gem of a guy to interact with. I purchased a couple of hardbacks of his work online for a friend and asked him to sign them and he did, plus added a nice personalization to each.

    That's just good stuff.

    3 votes

  16. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    "if you try." And therein lies the rub, but that's a funny visual, Gygax in a cabinet booming his words out. Thanks!

    "if you try."

    And therein lies the rub, but that's a funny visual, Gygax in a cabinet booming his words out. Thanks!

    1 vote

  17. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Wow! That's really cool. I have to go look up what a risograph is.

    Wow! That's really cool. I have to go look up what a risograph is.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on If you sharpened a particularly stiff carrot, could you kill a vampire with it? in ~talk

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Came here looking for Bunnicula, was not disappointed. Thank you, Tildes, for being cool.

    Came here looking for Bunnicula, was not disappointed. Thank you, Tildes, for being cool.

    10 votes

  19. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Dude! That's interesting. Where would I host such a thing?

    Dude! That's interesting. Where would I host such a thing?

    1 vote

  20. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    talesofweirdfl
    Link Parent
    Thanks, buddy. Yeah. I feel like everything today looks like Neverwinter Nights or Diablo. I'm a novelist, so I greatly prefer the words to the pictures, but I get that I'm the minority. So for...

    Thanks, buddy. Yeah. I feel like everything today looks like Neverwinter Nights or Diablo. I'm a novelist, so I greatly prefer the words to the pictures, but I get that I'm the minority. So for now I'll keep working on puppets and try to get past the procrastination.

    1 vote