vivarium's recent activity

  1. Comment on How do you listen to your favorite obscure music that never made it onto any streaming platforms? in ~music

    vivarium
    Link
    I run a little home media server where I host a Navidrome instance (self-hosted music library software) and connect to it via the Symfonium app on Android. I also use Tailscale to stay connected...

    I run a little home media server where I host a Navidrome instance (self-hosted music library software) and connect to it via the Symfonium app on Android. I also use Tailscale to stay connected when outside my LAN. After setting this up, I don't think I could ever go back to manually syncing files with MusicBee like I used to.

    (While I do host Plex too, and could in theory use Plexamp, I have a cheap data plan so the ability to save files locally on my phone is super important to me. Paying for Plex Pass vs. paying for a one-time Symfonium download was a straightforward choice. Plus, Symfonium has more robust capabilities for auto-downloading specific albums/smart playlists/etc.)

    As far as actually finding the obscure music... I'm a TM on RED (IYKYK) and actively help with archival efforts for music that is too obscure to even realistically purchase. (I like hunting down albums that literally cannot be purchased anywhere except via secondhand CDs, and making sure that music doesn't get lost to time.) If there's any music you wish you could find but that feels lost to time, feel free to PM and I'll see if I can find it. :)

    7 votes

  2. Comment on Does anyone know of a 3D disk stacking puzzle? in ~hobbies

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    I was literally about to post about my Darth Vader one earlier today! I had a half-finished comment I never posted...

    I was literally about to post about my Darth Vader one earlier today! I had a half-finished comment I never posted...

    Ah!! I had one of these types of puzzles as a kid. Except, instead of a globe, it was a Darth Vader mask. I won it at a bingo event for kids, ehe. :v

    (Here it is, completed. From the comments, the brand seems to be Puzz-3D? Which opens up some new search terms, and lead me to https://www.ebay.ca/itm/354141036112... which, oddly, isn't Puzz-3D branded. Hmm.)

  3. Comment on If you had up to US$250 to get one person into a hobby you're interested in, what would you do to get them started? in ~hobbies

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    +1 for this! But, rather than an RPi, I had found Project TinyMiniMicro and went with an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 with an i5-8500T. I got it refurbished on Amazon for 224CAD after taxes, which is about...

    +1 for this! But, rather than an RPi, I had found Project TinyMiniMicro and went with an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 with an i5-8500T. I got it refurbished on Amazon for 224CAD after taxes, which is about 164USD, well within budget with room for extra storage! It was the best cost-for-CPU-performance buy I could find for the CPUs in the i5-x500T range.

    In hindsight I might have gone with one of the many modern Intel N100 NUCs (due to their miniscule power consumption, (35W -> 9W)). But, I figured that the lower up-front cost and slightly better performance for the i5 balanced things out anyway. (I also love how the HP EliteDesk technically has room for 2 M.2 drives + 1 SATA drive, even within its tiny form factor.)

    I also went for Ubuntu Sever and the docker-compose + Portainer route. Leaning on LinuxServer.io images has made configuration a little easier, too. But, it's still been a bit tricky learning the quirks of docker-compose, especially when you start to mix LinuxServer.io's starter configs with various tweaks from all of the "how to set up a home server" blogs out there. There's quite a bit of a learning curve to writing maintainable compose + .env files, figuring out which yaml keys are mandatory for the container to function and which are optional, organizing containers into stacks, and properly setting up your networking. (e.g. It took me ages to realize that you could map different external ports to the same internal docker port for each image, which is critical since many containers serve their pages on HTML port 80!)

    Here's a screenshot of the services I'm self-hosting. :)

    5 votes

  4. Comment on What did you do to "prepare" for your marriage? in ~life

    vivarium
    Link
    Sort of off-topic, and I don't mean to distract from your post, but... Thank you for namedropping The ADHD Effect on Marriage! I currently cohabitate with my partner who has ADHD, and I've found...

    Sort of off-topic, and I don't mean to distract from your post, but...

    Thank you for namedropping The ADHD Effect on Marriage! I currently cohabitate with my partner who has ADHD, and I've found it really tricky to adjust and work around my partner's quirks, especially since I myself am on the (lovingly termed) AuDHD spectrum. Her and I have talked about marriage in recent months, so I'm looking forward to giving this one a spin. :)

    7 votes

  5. What are the best websites/programs for creating mood boards / image collages / 'visual lists'?

    ~tech Ask (recommendations)
    Hullo! I'm very much a list person, but I'm also very much a visual person. So, I've found that simple grids of images work really well for me when I want to plan and organize information,...

    Hullo! I'm very much a list person, but I'm also very much a visual person. So, I've found that simple grids of images work really well for me when I want to plan and organize information, aesthetics, etc. However, I've struggled to find my ideal website or program that allows me to do this.

    My wants:

    • To upload images with minimal clicks. (My workflow would likely be to find an image somewhere, get the image's URL, navigate to a page, and upload via URL, without necessarily needing to enter form fields or save an image locally first.)
    • To display medium resolution images as clear thumbnails (e.g. anywhere from 200x200 to 500x500). Enough for detail, but not necessarily "HD".
    • To offer the ability to crop (or even just display) images as square thumbnails (for the purposes of a neat and uniform grid) without me having to go through https://squareanimage.com (real website!) for every single image.
    • To categorize images into groups (i.e. to display a set of images as a coherent little grid/gallery). I'm not picky about whether this is done via fixed category pages, or tags + filtering.
    • To maybe add extra information attached to each image (e.g. descriptions, links, etc.) without necessarily cluttering the grid.
    • As for whether the service is public or private, cloud-based or local, I don't really mind!

    Some of the options I've tried:

    • Wordpress: Really nice grid-based themes, but the "blog post"-based system feels cumbersome for what I'm trying to do (images only). So many clicks to add images and make new posts.
    • Tumblr: Lovely for content discovery, the quick reblog feature saves a lot of clicks, and tagging is flexible. But, this has many of the same downsides as Wordpress (lots of clicks to upload your own images, post-based system), and Tumblr as a platform is so much more than what I'm looking for (don't want/need social features).
    • Pinterest: 10/10 for content discovery -- their image similarity algorithms and image search are unmatched. Wonderful for quickly spinning up a collage of themed pictures. But, horrid for uploading new pictures, given that they'll become public pins with comments/links/etc. Too many clicks + unnecessary fields. I worry about attribution for artists with Pinterest specifically -- I don't want to perpetuate a lack of attribution with publicly re-shareable images. Also, the collages are very busy with ads and unnecessary text. Plus, it's kind of cumbersome to reorganize images between boards if you want to change your board scheme.
    • Pinry: Open source, self-hosted version of Pinterest. Was a bit too rough around the edges the last time I tried to use it, but maybe it's good enough now?
    • Are.na: A bit too... New York trendy? For my tastes. Also, the social elements aren't really my thing... Also, costly!!!
    • Google Keep: Surprisingly good? Perhaps the best option I've tried? For image notes, it's very flexible with regards to grid-based layouts, tagging, adding optional details, adding multiple images to a single note, etc. My main criticisms are that uploading images and tagging notes does take quite a few clicks; the grid stops being aligned the moment your notes begin to differ (e.g. add images of varying size, add titles/details, etc.), so it can start to look a bit visually cluttered; the UI doesn't seem to be designed with many tags in mind; the default layout shows all notes (I never want this).
    • Local files and folders: Dead simple, but with very few features. Thumbnail views in file explorers are really space inefficient compared to grid-based image galleries.
    • Random photo organizing software: Largely geared towards actual photos taken with an actual camera (real life subjects, camera EXIF data, organizing by date taken, etc.). Too many unnecessary features for my needs, not enough features geared towards digital non-photo images (e.g. graphics).
    • "Speed dial" new tab pages for browsers: Helps me organize bookmarks! I like being able to see the icons, like a desktop for webapps. I will use image grids for everything.
    • Artwork grids in media libraries / tracking websites: Plex, MusicBee, Letterboxd, Goodreads, Anime-Planet... you are heaven to me.

    Here is a gallery of screenshots for websites/services I have tried, to give you an idea of how I use these services. The first one (tumblr) is the closest to visually ideal (dense + uniform grid), but Keep is the closest to ideal feature-wise. Surely there is a website or service I'm missing that could be the best of both worlds!

    10 votes

  6. Comment on Looking for help in purchasing an eReader in ~books

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    Sorry to hear that!! Doing a quick search, though, it looks like Kobo's customer service is pretty good? You may want to try reaching out:...

    Sorry to hear that!! Doing a quick search, though, it looks like Kobo's customer service is pretty good? You may want to try reaching out: https://www.reddit.com/r/kobo/comments/14jors6/very_happy_with_kobos_customer_service/

    There's also the possibility of replacing the battery, it seems? EDIT: Reading more closely, it seems like repair is a lot harder than I thought it to be.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Looking for help in purchasing an eReader in ~books

    vivarium
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Just to chime in on the Kobo 8" (Sage/Forma) here... I've spent the past few days researching this EXACT topic (manga reading on a hackable e-reader) due to my sister thread over here. I'm also an...

    Just to chime in on the Kobo 8" (Sage/Forma) here... I've spent the past few days researching this EXACT topic (manga reading on a hackable e-reader) due to my sister thread over here. I'm also an open source manga-reading nerd, so I was reading a lot of random blogs/GitHub repos/HN posts about Kobo e-readers, and I can share some of the findings I came across.

    (Side note: I ended up ordering a refurb Kobo Forma to save $100, plus I like the form factor compared to the sage (rubbery grip). But, given OP is looking for note-taking and audio support, the Sage+stylus seems like a significant upgrade over the Forma.)

    Anyway, here are my notes:

    • 8" screen seems to be more than enough for manga readers, due to the comparable size to your average tankoban volume (source 1, source 2). So, I don't think something like the Elipsa is entirely needed, if budget is a concern.
    • It recently became possible to use Kobos without needing to create an account, which helps to minimize the presence of the Kobo store, etc. on the device's home page.
    • @kru mentioned Calibre already, but I also want to specifically mention Calibre-Web, because it has the killer app of Syncing wirelessly to Kobos and automatically converting books to Kobo's enhanced ePub format KePub (via kepubify). From what I can tell, the syncing specifically involves replacing the Kobo Store API URL with a URL from the local Calibre-Web server, which again further minimizes the presence of the Kobo Store on the device.
    • Calibre itself also provides a lot of fun hacking around you can do, due to its open source nature and huge adoption in the reading scene. I've been poking around plugins (specifically manga metadata fetching from ComicVine), as well as services such as Readarr/Mylar3/Kapowarr. I recently set up Sonarr/Radarr/Plex integration, and *-arr/Calibre integration seems similar? I have AnimeBytes as my manga source... now to just get an invite to MAM (pls help, rip 32p).
    • There's also a fairly robust modding scene for Kobo devices.
      • From what I can tell, the standard "must-install" mods are NickelMenu and KoReader, the latter of which has its own syncing mechanism? (From what I can tell, Calibre-Web's is just better though?)
      • Aside: Patrick Gaskin seems to have been a godsend for the community as a whole, given the ubiquity of his mods. I've just noticed another mod of his called NickelSeries, which seems vital for manga given the necessity of series metadata for long-running tankoban volume series.
      • There's also InkBox and its assorted plugins -- the fact that the author created an entire custom OS really shows how hackable Kobos are.
    • I'm also personally a big RSS fan (following blogs such as Admiral Cloudberg, Stereogum's The Number Ones, etc) and the fact that Kobo Readers have Pocket support is a big plus. I'm either going to take the manual RSS->Pocket approach described here, or set up an automated approach using IFTTT/Zapier or something similar.
    • EDIT: I just found out that you can mod Bluetooth-enabled Kobos to support page turners: https://github.com/tsowell/kobo-btpt. (Sadly, the Forma doesn't support Bluetooth, so I'm SOL here. ;_;)

    Basically, the Kobo ecosystem is SUPER scratching my itch for hackability, so I highly recommend that OP go down the same rabbit hole as I've been. :3

    8 votes

  8. Comment on People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night? in ~talk

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    Oh my gosh, another Bathroom Reader fan. I was addicted to them as a kid? I actually collected them, because I adored how each volume had a unique cover design. They looked so neat on a shelf all...

    Oh my gosh, another Bathroom Reader fan. I was addicted to them as a kid? I actually collected them, because I adored how each volume had a unique cover design. They looked so neat on a shelf all lined up? Plus, as you say, the trivia and stories were splendid.

    Small world! Maybe I can look into rebuilding my collection. (I left them all behind when I moved across the country, sadly...)

  9. Comment on People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night? in ~talk

    vivarium
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Just to chime in here as OP: I wasn't at all bothered by your comment, and I actually took it to heart! I think you're very right to point out that my topic description wasn't written very...

    Just to chime in here as OP: I wasn't at all bothered by your comment, and I actually took it to heart!

    I think you're very right to point out that my topic description wasn't written very clearly? I didn't go too deeply into what my sleep habits + phone usage habits have been like long-term, and I absolutely conflated a few different ideas. There are a lot of factors at play here?

    1. Phone addiction + websites built to serve the attention economy + executive dysfunction
    2. Light from electronic devices disturbing circadian rhythms
    3. Habits/routines (esp. nighttime activities that can help your brain wind down for bed)
    4. Insomnia due to factors entirely separate from the above three

    For what it's worth, I don't have insomnia? I've had a 12-8 sleep schedule for long stretches of my life, and while that has shifted recently to 2-10, the bad 4am nights are an outlier. That night just so happened to be a particularly anxious night for me. I had stayed up until 2am on my phone (due to factor #1), and then found I could no longer fall asleep (due to factor #2), so I did a pleasurable (non-phone) activity for another 2 hours to calm my anxiety. But, most nights (especially those where I put away my phone early), I can fall asleep at around 12 -- hence my desire to seek ideas for factor #3 and reinforce a healthy routine.

    I'm happy to say I slept from 1-9 last night, and I'm hoping to gradually shift my rhythms even further back to my desired normal with the help of activities that can ween me off of my phone usage. :)

    5 votes

  10. Comment on People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night? in ~talk

    vivarium
    Link
    Thank you everyone! I've ordered a refurb Kobo Forma (recs from this Tildes thread and this YouTube video) and I'm very very excited to start reading manga (and books!) in bed.

    Thank you everyone! I've ordered a refurb Kobo Forma (recs from this Tildes thread and this YouTube video) and I'm very very excited to start reading manga (and books!) in bed.

    8 votes

  11. Comment on People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night? in ~talk

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    My cup of tea is honestly a bit hard to pin down. There is one book that I read voraciously without my attention ever drifting? It's When Marnie Was There. It's a lovely, warm, wholesome slice of...

    My cup of tea is honestly a bit hard to pin down. There is one book that I read voraciously without my attention ever drifting? It's When Marnie Was There. It's a lovely, warm, wholesome slice of life book with some magical realism elements, and it made me cry so much.

    I've tried other books in the same vein (e.g. Tom's Midnight Garden) and they just didn't scratch the same itch. So, I'm not sure where to go next?

    4 votes

  12. Comment on People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night? in ~talk

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    I do really enjoy anime? Like, hundreds of series watched? Yet, I've never really gotten into manga yet. Manga might solve the quantity/quality issue, since a long-running series might give me a...

    and manga

    I do really enjoy anime? Like, hundreds of series watched? Yet, I've never really gotten into manga yet. Manga might solve the quantity/quality issue, since a long-running series might give me a lot to chew on (as compared to one-off graphic novels).

    I used to read really terrible scanlations of Naruto on my computer in middle school. Do you happen to know what the scene is like these days? Like, in theory, could I purchase an e-ink reader and read manga on that?

    2 votes

  13. Comment on People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night? in ~talk

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    I have a really tricky time reading long-form books. I try time and time again, but the motivation just isn't there? My attention wanders very easily, and I find it hard to stay engaged. For some...

    I have a really tricky time reading long-form books. I try time and time again, but the motivation just isn't there? My attention wanders very easily, and I find it hard to stay engaged.

    For some reason, though, I have 0 issue with graphic novels. I adore the medium. I used to go to the library and check out a dozen graphic novels each time, plowing through them with ease.

    Case in point: I have a book called "The Secret Loves of Geek Girls" which is an anthology of stories and comics written by prominent geeky women. Whenever I pick it up, I will happily read the comics, but when I turn the page and see a big wall of text, I groan and flip through it until I get to another comic.

    In theory, perhaps I could follow your advice with just graphic novels, but gosh... They're so quick to finish? They represent a fraction of the depth that an actual book provides. If I go for quantity, then things become very expensive very quickly, and I risk running out of options entirely.

    Oddly though, I have no problems reading post after post of /r/BestOfRedditorUpdates. So, long-form text isn't inherently an issue? If I can figure out this dilemma, I'd love to become a reader again like I was as a kid.

    7 votes

  14. People who turn off their electronics hours before bed... What do you do at night?

    ~talk Ask (survey)
    There's a good thread going around on Tildes right now about sleep hygiene tips. One of those is making sure you stop using your electronics before bed, to help with circadian rhythms and whatnot....

    There's a good thread going around on Tildes right now about sleep hygiene tips. One of those is making sure you stop using your electronics before bed, to help with circadian rhythms and whatnot.

    Determined to make a fool of myself in spite of the above thread, last night I stayed up until 4am in bed reading various junk sites on my phone. As a consequence, I slept in until noon 😭. I don't want to do this anymore! I want a regular sleep schedule... 11-7 or 12-8 would be my dream.

    I've tried blocking the problematic sites in the past, and it largely works for me for several months... Until I hit a bad mood patch and get antsy and bored, craving the dopamine hits, wanting to turn my brain off and just scroll mindlessly. (It's very much a self-soothe behavior...)

    I think it would be easier to solve this problem if I had an arsenal of things to do that are nice and engaging, but don't involve using a phone or computer. Yet, I'm at a bit of a loss... Seemingly everything involves a computer or screen one way or another these days. I'd love an e-ink device that let's me listen to Spotify or something, but alas, I think I might need to look into low-tech solutions.

    What do you do at night that doesn't involve screen time?

    64 votes

  15. Comment on What are the best resources to get started with 3D modeling and printing now that the hobby is quite mature? in ~hobbies

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    Oh wow! This thread is really exciting to read... In my EE undergrad, I took a CAD class, and absolutely hated it. It's up there with OChem in my "most hated courses of all time" ranking. It just...

    Oh wow! This thread is really exciting to read... In my EE undergrad, I took a CAD class, and absolutely hated it. It's up there with OChem in my "most hated courses of all time" ranking. It just didn't mesh with my brain for some reason? I remember feeling so frustrated with how fiddly AutoCAD felt. Getting a 60 in that class didn't end up being too consequential to my overall EE degree, but I did end up pivoting into software development, so maybe it was a sign. Code feels so much more natural.

    I'll have to give it a try!

    1 vote

  16. Comment on In need of a side-by-side image viewer that runs through directories in ~comp

    vivarium
    Link
    A bit of an unconventional suggestion: Make a Windows live CD (e.g. Live10/Live11, Windows To Go, etc.), then install one of the Windows solutions out there. I've personally used the Visual...

    A bit of an unconventional suggestion: Make a Windows live CD (e.g. Live10/Live11, Windows To Go, etc.), then install one of the Windows solutions out there.

    I've personally used the Visual Similarity Duplicate Finder, which IIUC would take care of the need to write logic to group files by filename pairs, since it can group duplicates for side by side comparison. (I figure this is suitable because I imagine the AI-fixed images would be e.g. >90% similarity, and the fuzzy duplicate finding can handle this.)

    2 votes

  17. Comment on I want to use a desk, but I can't get myself to stop using my bed due to a complex tangle of issues (autism, chronic pain, etc.). What should I do? in ~health

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    This is really funny! Another user suggested something similar, and I immediately assumed it was in jest (my mistake!), but still adored the idea. Same thoughts, same words! (Jest jest jest jest...

    I don't say this in jest. But maybe you could do with a separate work bed?

    This is really funny! Another user suggested something similar, and I immediately assumed it was in jest (my mistake!), but still adored the idea. Same thoughts, same words! (Jest jest jest jest jest.)

    Still, though, I really like the extra details you've provided. That gaming bed is... really well suited to what I need, honestly? Admittedly I feel bashful, because the target market feels sort of... NEET-ish, what with the cup noodles and energy drinks? I would be very ashamed to show houseguests such a setup, and would need a separate room to hide it away in. I would want to maybe DIY a clone of it, and try to make it feel less "black metal and carbon fibre"-ish, and instead more organic? Plants and wood and cute things. But... the general idea feels really really nice to me, especially if I can find a way to merge ergonomics (head tilt, arm position, etc.) and comfort (blankets, bedding, etc.)

    Lots to think about! :3

    4 votes

  18. Comment on I want to use a desk, but I can't get myself to stop using my bed due to a complex tangle of issues (autism, chronic pain, etc.). What should I do? in ~health

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    Honestly, please don't worry at all about frequency or length of responses!! I'm really enjoying your perspective here. You've given me quite a lot to think about and discuss with my partner, too...

    Honestly, please don't worry at all about frequency or length of responses!! I'm really enjoying your perspective here. You've given me quite a lot to think about and discuss with my partner, too (in a very good way), so please feel free to infodump as much as you wish! :>

    That Pipersong chair is curious but also a little terrifying to me. I'm very lanky and have struggled with joint hypermobility to the point of frequent dislocations as a teen, so sitting cross-legged terrifies me to this day? But I wouldn't mind an excuse to practice my flexibility, either!!

    Thank you for sharing all sorts of outside-the-box perspectives and challenging norms. I love to do that, and really hope to find a therapist one day who is good at thinking on that wavelength, too. :3

    3 votes

  19. Comment on I want to use a desk, but I can't get myself to stop using my bed due to a complex tangle of issues (autism, chronic pain, etc.). What should I do? in ~health

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    !!! You're the first other person I've met in the wild who understands my feelings. Propanalol was exactly the one I was prescribed, too. Your reply was really exciting to read -- you're not...

    I am also autistic, and fully relate to so much of what you're saying.

    !!! You're the first other person I've met in the wild who understands my feelings. Propanalol was exactly the one I was prescribed, too. Your reply was really exciting to read -- you're not overstepping or anything, I greatly encourage and appreciate your enthusiasm. :3

    First: find a doctor (any doctor) and ask for propranolol (or your preferred beta blocker) "for a plane flight" or "stage fright" or "driving" or literally any mundane thing that can cause anxiety. That's what it's usually for AFAIK, and is pretty safe and really shouldn't be hard to get.

    It helps that I literally am so scared of driving that I would have panic attacks before driving lessons, with me ultimately bailing before I could get the level above learner's. This may actually be a genuine thing I should reconsider in adulthood, funnily enough.

    It helps you, get some. Don't give them info they don't need that might make them question giving you something else/stronger. (I wish I could just send you my extra.... my provider intentionally over-prescribes that one since it's as-needed and ya never know.)

    Just out of curiosity, do you take your propanalol when you begin to feel pain/discomfort/anxiety, or preemptively? And, how often do you tend to take it? I ask as I notice it can be tricky for me to time my Aleve... By the time the pain hits a threshold where I need to do something about it, I often feel reticent to take it because I know I'll need to wait another hour or so for it to kick in... which leads to wallowing/procrastination and unnecessary suffering. So, I then think about preemptively taking it, yet worry about taking it too regularly. And, I'm concerned I'll face the same dilemma with propanalol?

    6 votes

  20. Comment on I want to use a desk, but I can't get myself to stop using my bed due to a complex tangle of issues (autism, chronic pain, etc.). What should I do? in ~health

    vivarium
    Link Parent
    You jest, but this is something I was genuinely considering! I really like niche, personalized solutions to complex problems, no matter how weird, and this is very much up my alley. I was...

    You jest, but this is something I was genuinely considering! I really like niche, personalized solutions to complex problems, no matter how weird, and this is very much up my alley. I was pondering getting one of those powered beds that can conform to a sitting position or something like that.

    It wouldn't be the most practical, but it's curious and interesting.

    5 votes