Years ago, coming from Windows 7, I decided Linux Mint was simple enough to dip my toes into Linux. Some jackass had posted a guide to manually install a cool looking desktop environment and I fell for it faster than an idiot born yesterday.

Sure, the DE worked and looked cool for a day or two. But it was massively borked after the first security update. Looking back, I wouldn’t do anything different. I am grateful for that tough first lesson. After spending the subsequent days reading about the different distros, I picked one that was notoriously un-shiny and I read the documentation. Whenever I think about adding shiny, unsupported thingies, I think about how fast foolish decisions can tank the OS.

I think this is the same ending as the movie In Bruges (2008), right? I’m going to watch it soon, too!

I figured out a mental trick after 2 days. It’s hard to explain in words, but here goes…

In my brain, I created a second typing profile where in my minds-eye, I imagine the ortholinear keys while on my new keyboard. When I go back to my old keyboard, I try to keep my brain aware that it’s the old layout. I have a Logitech G13, which is an ortholinear style gaming pad, so I think my brain was already wired for ortholinear finger movements and it was already natural for my brain to distinguish between the two.

Now, the “weirdest” keys for me to type on the old keyboard are C, B, Y. I realize how super annoying it is having to stretch my fingers out for some keys and that’s why I’m certain that I’m going to stick with ortholinear in the long run.

Edit 25 days later: I am now slower on a staggered keyboard because my fingers are no longer accustomed to stretching far. I now hate the number row and backspace on staggered keyboards.

I just received my 4x12 keyboard 4 days ago! While there has been a steep learning curve and I took a huge hit on my typing speed, I really enjoy using it. I was a bit hesitant to spend much $$$ on something I wasn’t sure about, so I decided that if I didn’t like it that I could just use it as a macropad or use it in place of my dying Logitech G13 gaming pad. So far, I’ve been carrying it between work and home and using it for everything. If all goes well, this will be my main and only keyboard.

It’s a CSTC40 that I bought from aliexpress. Unfortunately, it looks like they stopped selling it after I received mine (lucky me!). This unit seems to get shit on by mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, but I love it because it was cheap ($70CDN shipped) and didn’t require soldering. I happened to have a set of keycaps that I’ve made work for this keyboard. I don’t really look down when I’m typing, so I don’t really care that some of the legends don’t make sense.

I just want to say how happy I am that good sounding audio equipment and large screen TVs are relatively cheap. With a bit of research and tinkering, one can have a nice A/V setup for not much $$$. Of note, I am very impressed with the audio quality of Class D amplifiers nowadays. I was conditioned to believe that Class D would always be inferior until I tried it myself.

A TV that is not connected to the internet is effectively just a large monitor.

I understand that some TVs lock functionality and coerce you into connecting it to the network, but most of them function well as monitors. I know it’s tempting to make use of the “smart” features since it’s included, but if you care about privacy, it’s better to keep it off the internet.

Would you mind telling us more about your exotic industrial camera and how you managed to salvage it? I love learning more about topics like this.

If your back is constantly itchy, it’s possible that you could benefit from exfoliating your skin. I use these salux cloths for my back and all over when I shower. My back scratching tool is now collecting dust and also, my keratosis pilaris issues went away after about a year.

“Never underestimate the power of denial.”

― Ricky Fitts (American Beauty)

I now constantly test myself to see if I’m overlooking the truth. Refusal to admit reality or refusal to acknowledge an unpleasant truth can ultimately hold you back.

As a longtime Debian user, Steam can work really well on Debian, but rarely there are some things that fall between the cracks when some packages get updated. There’s also a bit of latest-and-greatest envy because Debian (even testing) is a little bit behind. If you’re only using your computer for Steam, look elsewhere. If you want a mostly reliable desktop computer and are okay with occasional hiccups, Debian is pretty awesome. Honestly, any computer you use will run into some issues eventually. If you get familiar with the Debian way of doing things, you’re gonna have a good time!

In Canada, I know people from Hong Kong who still boil water before drinking. They have been in Canada for 40+ years, have seen everyone around them drink tap water, and yet hang on to this ritual of boiling copious amounts of water.