JC Palmer

Writer. Formerly of Tom's Guide, Android Central, Windows Central, Android Police, and others. Now a technical writer and an aspiring published author.

Linux guy, big fan of video games, love mechanical keyboards. I talk a lot about philosophy and my projects.

Public Key

npub1yxlsez3rkcdfjl2yly9m9sqmjayxzth3qhxyxs0yx9wr2ctcyuzstcs6su

NIP-05 Address

jccpalmer_at_mstdn.io@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqszr0cv3g3mvx5e04z0jzajcqdewjrp9mcstnzrg8jrzhp4v9uzwpgpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgqgcwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnwa5x2un99e3k7mgdnqaug

Publishing to

relay.nostr.band

relay.noswhere.com

relay.mostr.pub

Author Public Key

npub1yxlsez3rkcdfjl2yly9m9sqmjayxzth3qhxyxs0yx9wr2ctcyuzstcs6su

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Last Notes

2024-03-05 12:57:29

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@npub12r7…q3dk Thanks! I joined.

2024-03-04 20:50:04

Yuzu caved. I knew they would. At least we still have Ryujinx, but now I have to learn how to use that. And I’m glad I have a backup of a recent Yuzu build, but it’s several days old.
Go to hell, #Nintendo.

2024-03-02 23:00:24

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Wow, the RG405M is a beautiful handheld. I'm installing the custom firmware, GammaOS, right now, to make sure that the software does the hardware justice.

2024-03-02 22:13:02

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This was a TON of fun.

2024-03-02 17:56:30

Oh cool. My RG405M is out for delivery today. That means that I can start organizing my ROM library, small as it is, to go with this retro handheld. First, of course, will be installing the custom firmware.

2024-03-02 15:39:55

A friend and I might be trying the seamless co-op Elden Ring mod today. I have to say, I'm pretty excited to show her through this amazing game (even though I haven't beaten it yet). It'll be her first Soulslike experience.

2024-02-28 14:40:39

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@npub1532…5ffy We all have them, so take all the time you need. What game has your attention these days?

2024-02-27 23:07:26

Wow, Nintendo finally went after Yuzu. This isn’t good. Not good at all.

2024-02-27 23:00:53

My Uber Eats delivery guy is on a bike. I live in the suburbs.
I keep watching my ETA climb more and more, or at best, not move at all. I should have just gone to pick up my food.

2024-02-27 13:45:47

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@npub1jhv…qnpz That game is the most horrifying thing I have ever experienced. I can't play it.

2024-02-27 13:23:19

Last Epoch has quickly become my new obsession.

2024-02-27 02:14:48

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@npub1tg6…s376 It's really good so far! Grim Dawn is my favorite ARPG ever, but Last Epoch may be my new favorite at this rate.

2024-02-26 22:17:04

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This game kicks ass. I’m in love. Just complex enough to catch my interest yet not so deep that I’m not overwhelmed. This is great.

2024-02-26 20:08:43

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@npub1h6h…ttjk Why not?

2024-02-26 20:06:01

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Alright, I did it, I bought the game. $35 was way too tempting and it looks so good. Grim Dawn is thus far my favorite ARPG ever, but Last Epoch may yet unseat it. #LastEpoch

2024-02-26 18:57:38

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@npub1532…5ffy What would you know about freedom and democracy? /s

2024-02-26 18:07:37

Anbernic’s shipping speed is almost as bad as Retroid’s. It’ll be mid-March by the time I receive my RG405M at this rate.

2024-02-26 13:06:27

Man, I'm tempted by Last Epoch. It looks like a perfect ARPG for me. #LastEpoch

2024-02-26 12:22:30

Found out my mayoral approval rating in Animal Crossing: New Leaf is 16%. And here I thought everyone was super chill with me. Lying bastards.

2024-02-24 11:48:57

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@npub17z6…4mp8 I only write in cursive these days, but it feels like a sin to use my fountain pen to write in print.
But I look at my journals from one to two years ago and I’m amazed at how my handwriting has improved since then.

2024-02-24 11:41:00

Well, it finally happened. I was sick on my birthday and I barely remember the day. Oh well. I also barely remember yesterday.

2024-02-20 19:19:41

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Alright, I ordered an RG405M and a separate matte screen protector. It was significantly more expensive than the Pocket 2S (like, Pocket 4 Pro territory), but I think I'll be happier with the bigger screen, boost in performance, metal shell, and the custom firmware.
Now to wait however long it takes Anbernic to ship it.

2024-02-20 01:21:40

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@npub1t70…uz2v Just wait until you get further into the expedition!

2024-02-19 23:45:02

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I’m experiencing major buyer’s remorse, so I emailed Retroid to cancel my order. If they comply, I will be getting an RG405M, despite the large price difference. I want the modern design, performance bump, metal body, larger screen, better battery life, and ability to install CFW. (GammaOS allegedly massively improves the experience.)

2024-02-19 20:15:54

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I completed the expedition, got my new staff and ship, and now my character looks awesome since I kitted them out to look like a hobo Autophage. Now to farm for a dreadnought.

2024-02-19 20:04:26

A video that popped up on my YouTube feed has me all excited to hack my Wii U. That might be my project for my four-day weekend that's coming up.

2024-02-18 15:22:07

Time to load up No Man's Sky again. I'm joining my first expedition for that new starship and gear, plus I want to claim a dreadnought to replace my freighter. #NoMansSky #nms

2024-02-17 19:27:11

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I'm having some buyer's remorse after seeing Retro Game Corps' review of the Pocket 4 that's only $50 more. But I keep telling myself that I don't need that kind of power for GBA, SNES, and N64. I want something pocketable. Plus, I have a Steam Deck for higher-end emulation.

2024-02-15 13:11:43

My wife bought me a physical copy of #Metroid Prime Remastered for Valentine's Day. She knows me so well.

2024-02-14 20:30:14

I bought my first retro handheld today. After days of debating, I opted for the Retroid Pocket 2S. I really wanted the Anbernic RG405M for the slim metal body and larger screen, but I couldn't justify the price difference.
I'm very excited.

2024-02-12 14:07:24

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Stage Manager is officially a no-go for me. It's a cool concept, but since I can't tile my windows, it definitely will not work for me. I sacrifice too much screen real estate on my 13" display and forces me to give up my ultrawide benefits.

2024-02-09 20:13:06

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Nope, Stage Manager prevents me from tiling windows side by side. I don't think this is going to work for me.

2024-02-09 17:05:13

Well, well. Looks like Fedora Kinoite might be my new XPS 13 distro. This is awesome.

2024-02-09 13:44:13

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@npub1gl5…7hk0 I'm throwing Kinoite on my XPS 13 9360 to see how it compares to LMDE, which itself is a rock steady distro. Can't wait!

2024-02-09 12:39:07

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@npub1h6h…ttjk Not that I don't believe you, but do you have a link? I have to see this. Or maybe an archived link so that I don't give them a click.

2024-02-09 12:36:28

I decided to give Stage Manager a try on my MacBook. I feel like it's better suited to an ultrawide monitor than my 13" display since I'm giving up a lot of screen real estate to that side panel. It's a cool feature, don't get me wrong, but I need to play with it more.
Maybe it's better on the newer 14" or 16" MacBooks displays? I'm just a pleb on my base model M1 13" MBP.

2024-02-08 02:04:03

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@npub1f2z…kh0y I’ll answer your questions. You can DM me here if you’d like.

2024-02-07 15:16:25

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Guess I get to go back to what life was like before medication. Livable, but goddamn exhausting. Hopefully I can get back on my medication before I go back for my Master's later this year, otherwise I'm in for a treat.

2024-02-07 15:14:54

Thanks to the shortage of #ADHD medication, it looks like I will have to stop taking mine until the backorders resolve themselves. I have called over thirty pharmacies in my area and none have anything I take in stock, and thanks to the class of medication, none will tell me what they do have in stock that I could switch to.
I'm so tired of this. The drug manufacturers blame the DEA and the DEA blames the drug manufacturers. It's been a hassle every month for over year now and I'm done.

2024-02-06 14:36:52

"It [anger] is altogether irregular; at one time it runs into undue excess, at another it falls short of its duty, for it indulges its own feelings and gives sentence according to its own caprices, will not listen to evidence, allows the defense no opportunity of being heard, clings to what it has wrongly assumed, and will not suffer its opinion to be wrested from it, even when it is a mistaken one."
Seneca, On Anger, 17
#Stoicism #philosophy

2024-02-06 12:51:12

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@npub1qg4…augv Totally didn't think "voice chat" at first, nuhhuh. No way.

2024-02-06 12:36:38

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@npub1u6e…e36n I have one friend who is the same. We talk every few weeks and share long messages and/or conversations over voice chat on Discord. It's great. I consider him a dear friend and there is no love lost for this arrangement.

2024-02-06 12:34:59

My Canadian friend sent me a care package of Canadian goods for my birthday. It includes the dangerously good maple cream cookies, the likes of which I have not found in the US. I have found knock-offs, yes, but nothing as good as the Canadian version.
I may have only two friends, but they are very good and very dear friends, indeed.

2024-02-05 12:22:07

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@npub1u6e…e36n I just don’t feel like responding. If I feel a weight of dread when I see the person’s name pop up, I know that it’s not something I’m going to reply to immediately. Then, couple that in with my “out of sight, out of mind” forgetfulness and I’m terrible at immediate replies. Also, there’s the social anxiety aspect to consider. Once I realize how long it’s been, I am incredibly self-conscious about replying and just leave it be.

2024-01-29 19:23:43

"You will deserve respect from everyone if you will start by respecting yourself.”
Musonius Rufus
#Stoicism #philosophy

2024-01-23 18:27:29

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Alright, so closing the application is a bit inconvenient in that it removes all cookies and site data by default (as it's supposed to do). You can whitelist sites, which I have done with a few on my desktop such a Proton Mail and a couple of others that I trust to some extent. But I knew this would be an adjustment process.

2024-01-23 18:25:30

I finally did the smart thing and removed my passwords from my cloud-synced Firefox account. While convenient, it was stupid to have that all there. It would be further wise to change every password that was saved in that account, but I am not sure I have that in me. Still, I made the right call, I think.

2024-01-23 00:11:43

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So far on my MacBook, it's going quite well. I haven't done much with it on my desktop yet, but overall, LibreWolf may be here to stay for me.

2024-01-21 22:59:15

After some research, I'm giving #LibreWolf a serious shot as my new browser. It's got what I like about #Firefox without Mozilla's garbage. Sure, it lacks a lot of convenience features, but that's the price for security and privacy.

2024-01-21 13:51:13

I really like what Kratos says to Atreus in God of War (2018) at the beginning of the game, "Do not be sorry. Be better."
In context, it's a perfect statement. However, in life, I'd like to amend it to say, "Do not waste time being sorry. Be better."
Because one should apologize and make amends for wrongs committed, but being sorry beyond that is stupid. Be better, do better, improve as a person, speak through your actions, live by example.

2024-01-20 17:45:49

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@npub1jhv…qnpz This modlist makes Skyrim feel and look like an entirely new game. It’s amazing and I’m having a great time. 60 hours between two characters and it’s flown by.

2024-01-20 17:43:10

I didn’t think I’d enjoy a cover of a song from the Howard Jones era of Killswitch Engage, being a huge fan of Jones, but I found a really good one for “My Curse” that slaps. #metal #metalcore

2024-01-20 14:48:47

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Facing down Alduin. #Skyrim
https://media.mstdn.io/mstdn-media/media_attachments/files/111/788/813/201/919/030/original/1affdc24c67c93f6.png

2024-01-17 19:18:33

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@npub1tvq…l6jk Depends on how much work you’re willing to put in. You can always look at mods for your particular brand or board itself. Foam, poly-fil, tape mods, switch lube, etc. O-rings can dampen the noise, sure, but they can really mess with the typing feel and they’re not all that popular for a reason. You may not mind them, though.
In short, there’s plenty you can do, and some of it requires more work than other things. But in the end, you won’t eliminate all of the noise.

2024-01-17 14:07:15

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@npub153s…cvd9 About time.

2024-01-16 14:05:48

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@npub1qg4…augv Been there, done that. A lesson learned the very difficult way, that’s for damn sure. Now, I either wear disposable gloves or wash my hands two or three times after touching peppers or chiles of any kind.

2024-01-16 13:47:37

Tidal just brought up a song from Lordi that I haven’t heard since high school. What a massive throwback. Funny thing is that I remember every word and note, too.

2024-01-16 13:30:41

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@npub1ne3…tsce I went TKL for a bit, still too big. You get used to the compact form factor, I assure you. But again, to each their own. I’m not an evangelist. If Liam wants a full-size, that’s on him. But I play a lot of shooters, so I like having the extra mouse room.
As for switches, Outemu Blues are not my favorite. I don’t like any clicky switch. I use a light-medium linear for gaming and a medium tactile for typing (TTC Bluish White). Do you like the bump or no bump?

2024-01-16 13:23:04

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@npub1zh3…8rtv I’m a hardcore introvert who despises in-person interaction, so this move will simply drive me to use grocery pick-up more — thus reducing my impulse purchases, so good for me, I suppose.
I really don’t want to deal with awkward social interactions with underpaid employees at a cash register when I’m faster at a self-checkout. But, again, not going in the store may actually be good for me, so this might be a blessing in disguise.

2024-01-16 13:14:52

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@npub1532…5ffy I did, and still do, thank him. So much room for my mouse while gaming. But to each their own!! The beauty is that there’s so much choice. I prefer 75% personally because I love my function row and tilde key.

2024-01-16 13:14:38

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@npub1532…5ffy I, too, thought that. Then I had a colleague — the one who introduced me to mechanical keyboards — question me: was I an accountant, mathematician, lawyer, or any other professional that uses numbers for a living?
“No,” he said, “you’re a tech journalist that writes about Android. Try a fucking 65%. You’ll thank me later for saving you all that desk space that you can use for your mouse.”

2024-01-16 13:05:47

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@npub1532…5ffy So you’re one of those holding onto a full-size. I see how it is. I was once there, absolutely convinced. Then I saw the light.
In all seriousness, glad you’re happy. Keychron is good starting place for mechanicals.

2024-01-16 13:05:47

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2024-01-16 12:54:18

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@npub1532…5ffy What keyboard?

2024-01-14 14:23:20

Picked up “Areté” by Brian Johnson based on some recommendations. I was a bit skeptical at first because it seems very self-help-y, and I’m not a huge fan of the writing style — can someone please use the phrase “begs the question” correctly? — but it’s got some good wisdom so far, so I’ll keep going. It’s much more focused on self-improvement, like philosophy was intended to be.
It’s also a massive book at almost 1,000 pages. I’ll be working on it for a while.

2024-01-12 14:53:19

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@npub19qw…hhx5 This is absolutely excellent. I love this.

2024-01-12 14:32:02

Just found a video on YouTube of someone that synthesized Kratos’ voice reading “On Anger” by Seneca and it’s the best thing I’ve heard so far this year.

2024-01-11 14:19:37

"Real philosophers need only contemplate what it is to do the right thing."
Musonius Rufus, Lectures and Sayings, 16.10d
#Stoicism #philosophy

2024-01-10 15:04:12

Well, my first foray into written #horror (unless you count Lovecraft) started off really promising but ended poorly. It was a space ghost ship, really unsettling. But I figured out the big twists and I was left dissatisfied. No cosmological horror for me.

2024-01-10 15:03:39

Well, my first foray into written horror (unless you count Lovecraft) started off really promising but ended poorly. It was a space ghost ship, really unsettling. But I figured out the big twists and I was left dissatisfied. No cosmological horror for me.

2024-01-07 12:22:24

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But I'm going with heavy armor, a combination of two-handed, one-handed and aetherial magic, and one-handed and shield. It's a really fun play style. Like a cleric, but better.

2024-01-07 12:21:33

Challenging myself to a Vigilant of Stendarr (paladin) playthrough in #Skyrim and it's surprisingly difficult. No theft, no Dark Brotherhood, no Daedric artifacts. But lots of killing daedra, vampires, and other monsters. And there's even a mod that adds a whole Vigilants questline.

2024-01-05 11:04:52

The "well, actually" people on Reddit drive me nuts. They completely disregard what you say and go with a non-sequitur instead. It's truly a practice in patience.

2024-01-04 14:19:03

Completed my new #keyboard last night. Picked up a barebones Drop Alt V2 on sale. Installed Durock V2 stabilizers (lubed them myself, of course), then moved over my TTC Bluish White tactile switches and my XY Kitty Paw caps from my Vissles V84 Pro.
Overall, I’m pleased with the board. I would like to lube the switches as they’re a bit scratchy, but that’s a project for a future me.
https://media.mstdn.io/mstdn-media/media_attachments/files/111/698/096/624/679/794/original/d6b333470dcb8d9c.jpeg

2024-01-04 12:40:24

I finished my #3DS. It’s a black Japanese model with an IPS upper display that I region unlocked with custom firmware. I then installed my red shell from my old unit (which has sound output issues now, don’t ask) to make this. I’m really happy with it. It’s a looker. I may install my red shoulder buttons for a cooler look, but I’ve been modding 3DS units for weeks now and I’m tired. This is fine for now.
https://media.mstdn.io/mstdn-media/media_attachments/files/111/697/708/614/718/283/original/d7cbc9afbfdb088c.jpeg

2024-01-04 02:23:59

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@npub166s…dcfc Firefish was great and really customizable, even for people who didn’t know a whole lot. I loved a lot of what it had to offer. But now, yeah, I’ll probably stick with Mastodon. I’ll watch the Firefish fork, but only casually for now.

2024-01-04 02:08:37

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@npub166s…dcfc Yep, I’m none too pleased about it. I really liked Firefish, but I’m not up doing my own server again. Not yet.

2024-01-04 01:31:56

Looks like I may be coming back to this account, since development on Firefish has seemingly stopped. It was a fun ride.

2023-11-25 17:59:58

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@npub16aw…3k5k Damn, I don’t let myself sleep that late! But I also don’t stay up late anymore. My wife calls me old, but I like getting up early.

2023-11-25 16:35:26

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@npub16aw…3k5k You mean that you're not awake already by that time?

2023-11-25 16:35:07

So for those not following me on Firefish, I'm in the process of assembling my parts for the #PSPi project. I purchased my donor PSP-1000 in black and I'll be building a custom bespoke panda colorway model.
I also just picked up a 2GB Raspberry Pi CM4 Lite with Wi-Fi thanks to @npub1axc…um6d! This is going to be such a great little retro gaming handheld. It'll be great when I don't want to haul out my Steam Deck OLED to play some classic games.

2023-11-25 14:16:15

Power surge knocked out my homelab. I've recovered everything except my Firefish instance, the Docker container for which is stuck in a restart loop. Maybe this is a sign to host Firefish on a VPS.

2023-11-13 12:10:23

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And now the new cable suddenly works with my TB16 dock. No idea why, just tried the same exact thing I did last night, but now it works. And my MacBook now supports the monitor’s full 48-100Hz variable refresh rate range (and HDR is still there, too).
I plan to run the cable on my lunch break if possible.

2023-11-12 23:56:25

Alright, I got my new Firefish instance set up and externally accessible. Y'all can follow me over there! I'm not sure if I'll do a full account migration or not.
@npub1knp…ldg7

2023-11-12 23:08:50

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New cable works! I get my monitor’s full 3440x1440 resolution, a variable 48-60Hz refresh rate (not the full refresh rate, but I’ll take it), and HDR support.
Bummer is, my TB16 Thunderbolt 3 dock does not in any way like the new cable. That stumps me. But this dock is moody on a good day.

2023-11-12 12:15:21

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@npub19qw…hhx5 I’ve made the decision to skip writing this character’s chapters for the remainder of NaNo. She’s by far my least favorite and writing her is like pulling teeth, despite how important she is to the lore. But after three hours this morning, I only have a few hundred words done. I’m just going to move on and come back to her after November.

2023-11-12 12:01:09

I’m so unmotivated to write this character that I just alphabetized my MacBook’s Launchpad instead. (A process that is still manual in 2023 for some god-forsaken reason.)
#NaNoWriMo Day 12 is not off to a good start.

2023-11-12 09:33:22

Found an open source app that adds window snapping to macOS. While I don't find that my 13-inch MacBook Pro display hugely benefits from snapped windows, my 34-inch ultrawide monitor most certainly does (even scaled poorly).
So cue Rectangle, an open-source project that has given me the window snapping efficiency I crave. So far, it's working great. I wish Apple would just build this into the OS, but that would make too much sense.

2023-11-12 09:11:33

You don't realize how amazing Reddit Enhancement Suite is until you try to use Reddit without it.

2023-11-11 23:21:52

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Alright, I got the server functional, now it's time to get the thing externally accessible. Getting the server online took a lot of effort and I had to end up nuking the containers and starting over to get it to work, but in the end, I have a working Firefish instance.

2023-11-11 23:20:17

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@npub166s…dcfc I'm hoping the cable issue resolves it, but my dock doesn't have USB-C as an input option, so we'll see.

2023-11-11 21:11:43

Turns out that macOS does not like my ultrawide Asus monitor that I have plugged into my Thunderbolt 3 dock. It scales very poorly at 1080p. According to some people, it's a cable issue (I'm using an HDMI to mini-DisplayPort abomination because it was long enough to run through my wall) because MacBooks are finicky. So I ordered a high-quality USB-C to DisplayPort marketed for MacBooks, so we'll see. Just means that I have to rerun cabling through my wall, which doesn't thrill me much.

2023-11-10 20:43:33

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Alright, I got the container installed, but it won't stay stable. This is progress, but I'm far from where I want to be. Nothing is ever simple.

2023-11-10 19:25:48

Filefish (formerly Calckey) appears to have ARM support now, meaning that I can install my own instance on my Orange Pi 5. Looks like that's my next project.

2023-11-10 19:00:33

#NaNoWriMo Day 10 down with 2,665 words. That puts me over 19,000 words for the month, well ahead of schedule and my projections. So far, so good. It helps that I’m writing an interlude chapter from the perspective of my most badass, overpowerered character.

2023-11-10 18:32:05

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@npub1dvp…wu9c Ultra-modded Skyrim or Halo Infinite.

2023-11-10 16:20:40

I wish the writing Focus mode I have set up on my Mac would block Reddit.

2023-11-10 14:30:09

The thrill of being able to share knowledge and the little tidbits of wisdom I've picked up over the years is really unparalleled.

2023-11-10 14:29:48

The thrill of being able to share knowledge and the little tidbits of wisdom I've picked up over the years is really unparalleled. It's a humbling experience rather an ego-boosting one for me.

2023-11-10 13:15:16

A challenge for us all, to master ourselves.
#Stoicism #philosophy
https://media.mstdn.io/mstdn-media/media_attachments/files/111/386/429/107/461/942/original/1a996fb5b8518a33.jpeg

2023-11-10 04:19:15

I finally (re)built my Raspberry Pi travel router with VPN. Now, I take it with me when I go anywhere, connect it to a network, then connect my devices to it. They're then routed over my VPN provider, get ads blocked, and it's a more secure system. Took several hours of work, but here we are.

2023-08-26 20:08:21

Just ordered the last piece I need to get my server up and running. I’m so excited. My #homelab will see a massive upgrade here in the next few weeks.
There are many challenges ahead, such as passing through a RAID card and 24 drives to a TrueNAS VM and migrating all of my data to it from a Synology NAS, but I’m ready.