What’re you into, what’re you looking forward to, what’re you happy about?

Please

I am feeling terribly self-harmy in advance of my birthday next week

I got to the point of making a pros and cons chart

give me something to be vicariously happy about or something to look forward to, please

  • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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    4 months ago

    @FourteenEyes@hexbear.net please come tell me your relationship is going swimmingly

    @FearsomeJoeandmac@hexbear.net please tell me about the trash you’re eating this evening or ask me a ridiculous question

    @ashinadash@hexbear.net & @magi@hexbear.net please tell me something cute about your relationship

    @Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net please tell me anything, everything you post is great

    @ReadFanon@hexbear.net please lecture me about how there’s better ways to deal with this or literally anything, I am delighted by your discourse on everything

    @HarryLime@hexbear.net please tell me some wolf facts or something

    I’m too tapped to continue this roll call, which could definitely go on forever

    • ashinadash [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      4 months ago

      Hi!! We just spent an hour rearranging our bedroom hifi and sweating it out together niko-happy More generally I like that we discovered together that we have autism, because I ended up lookin into it and self-dx’ing and then she did too, which was rad. I also really appreciate that she and I are of different generations, so we often have different, complimentary views and experiences

      Also she introduced me to hexbear. Wifey is much better at technology than I am tbh power-genius

      • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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        4 months ago

        My husband and I figured out we have autism together, too. ❤️ suddenly it all made sense why we felt so much safer with each other than most of the other people in our social circle and had such an instant rapport. Our first date was supposed to be a very normal 2-3 hours but instead lasted 36. 😂🥰

        I also really appreciate that she and I are of different generations, so we often have different, complimentary views and experiences

        I bet you two have the best conversations!! 😍🥰

        I have often admired the knowledge you demonstrate in your comments /c/technology etc, so she sounds impressive. Isn’t competence hot??? 😂❤️ mine is a mechanical genius, and it is still a sexy marvel every time he magically fixes a thing someone brought to him as dead junk. I’ve been watching it happen for 20 years, and it’s still amazing.

        I’m so glad she found Hexbear and brought you with her. You are a delight. ❤️ thank you very, very much.

        cuddle Care-Comrade

        • ashinadash [she/her]@hexbear.net
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          4 months ago

          lets-fucking-go DISCOVERING UR AUTISM W/SOMEONE U LOOOOVE

          lmao 36 hour date, wildin… We do in fact have pretty good chats 24/7 though madeline-smug It’s rad that she’s good at computers, but while I should be in programming socks I got the Bad At Math autism, alas…

          Damn, the mechanical husband! I have an affection for mechanical stuff but am too weak and busted to do it. I think you have to be not chronically ill, and also jacked with oily calloused hands, right? Congrats on 20 years together though, another itsb banger ✨

          Same, yw and I hope you’re doin a little better cat-trans I know you said to me before that if your inbox blew up you’d just quit, hope you’re managing that too, lol

          • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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            4 months ago

            you said to me before that if your inbox blew up you’d just quit, hope you’re managing that too, lol

            😂🎯

            if it hadn’t been responses to a post about self-harm filling my inbox, I would have just avoided the site for a while, but I didn’t want anyone to think the worst, so I guess I’m doing Inbox Exposure Therapy 😂

            I think maybe it is actually helping me not be scared that replies = flaming (reddit was often kinda mean to me), but it was definitely a thing I had to just grit my teeth and get through 😂🤦 so silly, I know – “I need support! … AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH YOUR SUPPORT IS TERRIFYING!!” 😂😂😂😂

            It is so sweet of you to remember that little fact about me. ❤️ I appreciate you very much. meow-hug

        • magi [null/void]@hexbear.net
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          Ever since meeting each other we have speken almost 24/7 like constamtly talking to one another without a break lol but we had been looking for a more welcoming place since there had been too many libs or spaces with too much hostility for either of ua and I’m glad I found hexbear ^^ She is the nicest person I’ve ever known, and my best friend. We are very similar but not the sane.

          I’m very glad to see you doing better

          • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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            4 months ago

            She is the nicest person I’ve ever known, and my best friend. We are very similar but not the same

            aaaaaaahhhhhhhh ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ this makes me so happy to read

            I am one of those mushy goobers who gets very excited for other people, and my favorite thing to be excited about is people having that magical connection, I love this so much meow-hug meow-bounce thank you!

      • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.net
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        4 months ago

        Here’s a couple of photos of some emus I encountered once upon a time. I was in a vehicle and they kinda dashed by fairly quickly so I didn’t get a chance to take some really good shots but it was neat to see them in the wild.

          • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.net
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            4 months ago

            Apologies for dipping out on you without replying, life got on top of me as it tends to.

            It was pretty cool seeing these emus. They weren’t doing any goofy dances though. There was just these strange bushes that seemed to be moving from out of the corner of my eye—no, wait those must be animals! And suddenly these strange things that looked like they were directly out of the Jim Henson workshop come loping right across the dirt track out of nowhere and then off into the bushes in a matter of seconds.

            • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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              looked like they were directly out of the Jim Henson workshop

              omg 😂 you’re so right, that is exactly what they looked like!!! The shaggy feathers really do have the same visual texture as Snufflupagus’s fur. 🤩 They’re so fucking fun, I love them.

              Apologies for dipping out on you without replying, life got on top of me as it tends to.

              No worries at all, would have been totally fine if you never got back to it, just stopping by to say anything at all made a huge difference. Care-Comrade Thank you!

      • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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        !!! I DID NOT 🤩 omg, thank you for rectifying this gap in my birb knowledge

        That fucking dance!! 😂 I do a very similar kinda thing when I run up all silly on somebody, kinda sway my whole deal and shuffle feet a bit

        maybe I’ve been an emu this whole time 😀

        thank you ❤️

        Care-Comrade

    • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.net
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      4 months ago

      I like thinking about my birthdays as being anniversaries of my survival. I’m not sure if it’s going to be suitable for your situation but for me instead of thinking back to my childhood or my shitty family, I like framing it as being a yearly marker where I’ve succeeded despite the odds.

      This feels safer and more comfortable for me because it allows me to acknowledge hardships that I’ve faced and I don’t feel compelled to feel enthusiastic or to celebrate things that don’t really resonate with me. I can be like “Fuck yeah, I worked hard at this and I made it through another one”. This also has the upshot of taking the pressure off of me from feeling the pressure to celebrate it with others because my survival is a very personal affair and I wouldn’t feel inclined inclined to invite other people to join in this because it’s not about them and it’s not for them. Although this also allows room for change too because I am able to welcome people into this experience of celebrating my survival, if I choose to.

      There are things to hold out for. The world is changing very rapidly these days and the advances in medicine are pretty astonishing. I completely understand what it’s like to question whether it’s worth continuing on if things are going to remain as they are right now but try to allow space for the fact that choosing to continue means that you are allowing for the opportunity for things to improve, and that’s truly invaluable. I know that it it probably doesn’t feel like it’s true but I genuinely mean it when I say that it is.

      I also want to mention that a typical person tends to underestimate themselves. A person who struggles with serious challenges in their lives and especially in their mental health tends to underestimate themselves even more. You are stronger, more intelligent, more valued, and more resourceful than that part of you which wants to convince you otherwise.

      In other news, a little while back I made a post about how anticapitalist and socialist discourse has become super normalised in the media and I keep on coming across random, basically apolitical content where people shit on capitalism openly and directly. I’ve even seen the milquetoast progressive-ish left which is very hostile to radical politics engaging with concepts and symbolism of the radical left and I think that’s because they do not feel comfortable in ignoring it any longer. The anti-landlord discourse has also kicked up massively in the past couple of years especially, at least in my corner of media consumption and it has already become completely normalised. People who aren’t diehard communists will do things like mention Mao in comments sections when landlords get discussed lol. I used to feel like the fringe lunatic ranting and raving about radical stuff in most mainstream corners of social media. These days I routinely come across ideas and comments where I simply agree with no notes to add and often there will be comments that surprise me in how openly radical they are.

      Also I’m putting a freshwater shrimp tank together for the first time in my life. It’s been a bit delayed due to a period of worsened mental health for me and being broke/putting too much money towards causes but soon enough I’m going to have an aquarium for the first time in my life and I’ll have some little critters doing their thing in the tank. Not that exact type of shrimp but something similar. I’m looking forward to trying my hand at doing some aquascaping and seeing how I go with setting up the aquarium, and I’m excited share some pics of what I put together. I hope I’ll be able to show you the completed project sometime soon.

      Anyway, I hope that things go smoothly for you. Of course in the long term but especially in the next week or so.

      • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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        4 months ago

        As much as I can love a person I’ve only interacted with on an Internet forum, I love you. I don’t even know what else to say right now in reply to this - I’ll read it again in the morning and maybe be able to be more cogent and say something better - but this was everything I wanted in a response when I made this post, and I just don’t even have the words to express how much it means to me that you were able to give me the thing I needed but couldn’t perfectly articulate a request for. I have needed someone to do that my whole life.

        😭❤️

        “thank you” doesn’t even begin to cover it

        cuddle Care-Comrade

        • ReadFanon [any, any]@hexbear.net
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          I’m so glad that my comment was what you needed. I was trying to muster something good and I wasn’t sure if it was going to hit the mark for you so it’s nice to get the positive feedback.

          I hope you’re doing well and that things have been going more smoothly than you predicted. I really appreciate the contributions you make to this site and the culture here, it makes it a welcoming place even for oddball characters like me who never feel at home anywhere.

          • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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            4 months ago

            It was a much better week than I expected, and I have been wanting to make a post telling everyone and thanking you all, but I wanted to wait for this weekend to try to keep the actual date slightly fuzzier.

            A major contributor to things being better was feeling so supported by the kindness of the community here and distracted with all the various topics and interests everyone had. I appreciate you all very, very much. ❤️

            Care-Comrade

            oddball characters like me who never feel at home anywhere

            Reading this genuinely hurts my heart. You are one of the coolest people I’ve ever met, online or off. You’re famous even to my husband, who is not on Hexbear but cheerfully suffers my enthusiasm for the site. I link him to your comments regularly, and I literally refer to you as “the best Hexbear” to help him remember which person you are whenever I talk about you (which happens fairly often).

            In addition to sharing everything I learn from you with my husband directly (and teenage son in an overview/notes form that he’s more likely to take in 🙄😂), I sent your comment about what to know when starting ADHD medication to a recently diagnosed friend who was very impressed and grateful. You are positively changing the lives of people you will never directly interact with.

            Honestly, considering all of that, I feel like a real asshole for thinking about doing anything that would interfere with my ability to bring your wisdom to the people I know.

            I don’t want to be weird gushing over it too much – I know sometimes my enthusiasm for particular people comes across as creepy – but I could easily write a dozen paragraphs about the positive impact you’ve had on the lives of people here and elsewhere. Please let me know if a little (or big!! 😂) essay on how great you are would be at all helpful to you, it would be my absolute pleasure to write it.

            It makes me feel really good to know that you appreciate my contributions here, too; it means a lot, especially coming from you. Thank you very much. meow-hug

    • FourteenEyes [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      4 months ago

      It is. We’re taking the hiccups in stride and trying hard to communicate with each other. I bought her a silver coin pendant which has the vegvisir on one side and aegishjalmur on the other, and plan on giving it to her when we go to the renn faire in a few weeks. The more we learn about each other the more we like each other. She has me watching romcom animes (ToraDora right now) and I’ve been inflicting my weird gamer youtubers on her like Ross Scott and Civvie11. We like each other a lot, and even told each other “I love you” for the first time recently in the nerdiest way possible: referencing the “would you love me if I was a worm” meme in relation to Dune.

      I really love her. I’m glad we met.

      • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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        4 months ago

        idk how to tell you how much I love this. I think the world of you, and I am so fucking beyond ecstatic to see you getting the love you deserve. I am so glad you met, too ❤️I’m so happy for you! cuddle

        thank you very much for sharing this beautiful brightness with me ❤️

        Care-Comrade

  • FlakesBongler [they/them]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    Pro: I love you and the world is a better place with you in it, even if birthdays are… a mixed bag so to say

    I mean, hell, my partners car popped a tire so we had to borrow her mom’s car and it didn’t have A/C, so we had to run our errands in 90°F+ heat and couldn’t even enjoy our leisure time because we were dying from getting baked

    And my birthday cake melted in the heat too, but we salvaged it

    Suffice to say, there’s ups and downs and believe me, sometimes those downs are downs

    You are a beautiful spark in the darkness, don’t let it snuff you out

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      You are a beautiful spark in the darkness, don’t let it snuff you out

      😭 this is the kindest thing anyone has said to me in a while, and it makes me cry every time I read it

      I appreciate your kindness more than I can say, thank you very very much ❤️

      Care-Comrade

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    4 months ago

    i got mint, so i either will make cookies with ginger and min or try it with chili pepper (for science). Also its great in tea quagsire-pog. But my genius will have to wait till the weekend angry-hex

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      I’ve had mint tea and mint chocolate cookies, but ginger and mint cookies?! Maybe with chili pepper?? 🤯 I would love to know more. What texture are you going for? Are you working from a recipe or inspired genius?

      xi-cooking

      Thank you for telling me about your intriguing cookie project ❤️ would you please post about them when you make them this weekend?

      Care-Comrade

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        Oh, no , chili with mint is a separate thingie, I just wanted to test how hot and cold food feels together.

        Figure chili would be too weird in a cookie. Although black pepper might work curious-sickle

        I’ll keep you updated rat-salute

        Nah usual ginger cookies, but because I have a small oven, I have to bake in 3 goes, so I try some stuff with them

          • plinky [he/him]@hexbear.net
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            Cookie report card:

            Black pepper works, surprisingly nicely actually, feels like different heat than ginger. (A-)

            Mint - kinda meh, cooling effect isn’t felt. Althoug smell of mint is felt in breath/roof of mouth, dunno how to describe it, like after minty candy or toothpaste. Maybe i should dump a whole load of it, dunno. But very complicated taste. Maybe if i lost clove and got fresh leafs (or very strong ones) it could work. thonk (B, needs some work, likely complicated balance to find)

            • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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              Have you created a whole new genre of cookie here?? I’ve never heard of a pepper cookie, but it sounds awesome and I’d totally try one.

              🤩 I’m impressed with your ingenuity! I would never have thought of trying that.

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                I don’t think so, in some recipes i’ve seen mentions of ginger cookies with pepper soviet-hmm

                but it makes sense, ginger has some hotness, different from other hot thingies. Peppermint does as well, so its like shy two spicy things, but differently spicy meow-fiesta

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      4 months ago

      just the mental image of your connection with those people in that moment is deeply inspiring and beautiful, I love that feeling of having actually helped ❤️

      thank you, I needed this

      cuddle Care-Comrade

      • kristina [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        4 months ago

        Its important to stick around so you can help others out! Also helps when you’re feeling bad to remember the good things you’ve done

        • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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          remember the good things you’ve done

          This is a really good idea but hard for me because I see all the flaws in everything I’ve done. Maybe I should get someone to help me with it and bonk me on the head with a pillow every time I try to nitpick. 😂❤️

          Thank you. meow-hug You are awesome, and I appreciate your kindness and care very much.

  • I look forward to finishing the 2 volumes of Das Kapital, yet happy I completed the first one days ago…

    and I think of traveling around countries, maybe Philippines or some other country (Southeast Asia likely; one of my parents are of such origins)

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      Was there anything in the first volume that surprised you?

      I used to love thinking about travel. Have you traveled much? Would this be your first trip to Southeast Asia? What would you most like to see or do while there?

      Care-Comrade

      thank you ❤️

      • Chapter 25: General Law of Capitalist Accumulation… elaborates mainly on the idea of reserve army of labor…

        Have I traveled much? As a child, a lot, and this isn’t my first time to Southeast Asia? (I actually have family in the Philippines)… I don’t know what to do if I was there… perhaps get involved with any Makabayan organizations there and better myself in the mother tongue…

  • asg101 [none/use name, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    I live in a cannabis post-prohibition country, so I can grow and use my medicine without fear of being kidnapped, thrown in a cage, and tortured to death like back in the old country (Imperial Core). I hope you are able to light up and celebrate if you are so inclined.

    Also, there is so much interesting shit to watch happening, you don’t want to miss out!

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      thank you ❤️

      Care-Comrade

      I’ve got a medical card, and it definitely helps with my PTSD and anxiety.

      I was honestly hoping Genocide Joe would die or drop out before my birthday to give me some extremely hot goss and drama to live for, but he’s only got a few days left. I’m trying to stick it out, though, because it would be an objective shame for him and fucking heartless Dick Cheney to outlive me.

      Comrade Stroke, Friend Aneurysm, time’s a-ticking, please show up to Joe’s party, and stop by the Cheney residence on your way ✨🙏✨

      • asg101 [none/use name, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        You are quite welcome, and I agree being outlived by Genocide Joe and 9/11 Architect Cheney would be a cruel cosmic joke to be sure. Hang in there, good things DO happen occasionally, and our side needs all the comrades we can get.

  • Cowbee [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.net
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    My partner made extremely yummy food! I failed to beat Malenia again today, so that’s 2 days of trying, but I’ll get there. I made it to phase 2 today, so it’s only a matter of time!

    In general, I am extremely fortunate to have made it to a point where I truly don’t feel like my life is missing anything, and can reliably keep a roof over my head with some savings. I know this is more than many people can say for themselves, but I allow myself to be happy about my own position, as I’m ultimately just another worker.

    I wish I could reach out and help you, but in absence of that I want to say I am here to lend an ear if you need help. It does get better. I used to think about harming myself daily, even hourly, but I can say that over time those feelings have become far less frequent. It still happens every once in a while, or I’ll get extremely anxious, but forward progress keeps me hopeful.

    I hope you have a happy birthday!

      • Cowbee [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.net
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        No problem!

        It took a lot of time, and a lot of change. A few years ago I had a really bad job, no friends, and no family nearby to speak of. I had moved far away for a job for a fresh start, with no safety net. Conditions were unsafe, working hours were long with no overtime, and higher-ups were abusive. I had no safety net, so I stuck with it for a while to escape it.

        Eventually, I met my partner while working there, a true sweetheart. I found a new job, we moved to a new city, got another fresh start, but this time I had a better career and a safety net. Things got better, got back to cooking and reading, and really was able to feel content.

        Basically, a whole lot of luck, and the willingness and ability to get out.

        One thing I want to stress is that there were several times where I felt hopeless and with no way out, but time passing really does change everything.

        As for Malenia, she is a boss in Elden Ring, haha. I’ve had a bit of extra time lately and wanted to finally play it. Beat her last night, finally!

  • Red_Sunshine_Over_Florida [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    I’m going to go on a vacation in a couple of weeks. We go to the same place every time but, it has its charms. I feel in better shape to climb the lighthouse this year. I wish you could see the beaches too, the ones I like have their rustic charms that I enjoy and I’m sure you would too.

    You ever been near the coast? If so, how did you enjoy it?

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      I love the coast. I have done day-trip beach visits when I lived in states closer to the ocean 20+ years ago, and it was magical. idk if it would still have the same magic it did then, but I would love to swim in the ocean again.

      My paternal grandparents and associated aunts, uncles, and cousins used to meet us at Lake Erie every year for a family vacation. I know there’s no way things are very much like I remember them, but I do wish someday to simultaneously have both the money and time to take my kid and husband to the area we used to visit.

      I love lighthouses, too. I hope you surprise yourself with how well you climb it and get incredible pictures at the top.

      Care-Comrade

      thank you ❤️

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    I saw a post where a guy said he played Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain” on his brand new electric guitar. I haven’t played guitar in more than a year. I got disgusted with my lack of musical ability so I just stopped. I couldn’t remember that song. I almost started laughing when I listened to it. It’s about the easiest song possible - 3 chords in a super easy strum pattern. That’s it.

    My goal by Monday is to pick up my guitar and play those chords until I get them right. I can even strum mindlessly as I watch speed chess online. Repetition and not dwelling on or - cough - fretting about stuff is key. Why by Monday and not - say - tonight? Um… Cat videos to watch? But in in all seriousness - I will do it. Just not right now.

  • BountifulEggnog [she/her]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    I just finished a minecraft farm. It’s a mob farm, then I filter out the gun powder. I also have a sugar cane farm, and use the new autocrafters to make rockets automatically. The redstone was complicated but felt really satisfying to finish.

    Oh also my pet snake started eating again. She was on a hunger strike for some reason but ate this last time I fed her, so hopefully that’s over and I’ll be able to start handling her again.

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      4 months ago

      Care-Comrade

      thank you ❤️

      It’s a mob farm, then I filter out the gun powder.

      this is a brilliant distraction - a sentence where I understand each word separately but adds up to something utterly baffling! “Mob farm”?? 😂 I know it’s not this, but the idea that you’re growing little Minecraft Sopranos guys really tickles me. “Filter out the gunpowder”?!?

      And how does a sugarcane farm end up creating rockets?! If sugar powers the rockets, do you think maybe the exhaust smells like burnt marshmallows??? 🤩

      What’s your snake’s name? How old is she? When she’s feeling friendly, in what way do you hang out? Does she explore your home or does she usually prefer hanging out on the nice warm people?

      • BountifulEggnog [she/her]@hexbear.net
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        4 months ago

        meow-hug of course!

        A clear cut case of me not wanting to over explain, so I under explain oh-shit I hope this comes out semi readable.

        A “mob” in minecraft is all the non player characters/entities. cows, chickens and pigs are all passive mobs, creepers, zombies, spiders and skeletons are all hostile mobs. There’s more, but those last 4 are what this farm “spawns” (they just appear out of thin air). Mobs all have their own spawning conditions, but these four need somewhere dark, on a solid block, and somewhat close but not too close to the player. There is also a cap on how many hostile mobs can be in the world at any one time. We exploit these mechanics by building in the middle of an ocean. This ensures mobs can’t spawn in caves or other areas on the surface, slowing the farm. The place for the player to stand is way up in the sky, so nothing can spawn in caves under the ocean We have multiple platforms stacked up for them to spawn on, and then have a machine periodically place water, to flush the mobs down the kill chamber where they die from fall damage.

        The filtering out part is going to sound complicated, but is actually very easy to build. First I should say that creepers drop gunpowder, which is the main thing we wanted from this farm but my friends build the farm wrong (creepers have subtly different requirements, for example zombies and skeletons need a full two blocks to spawn in, but creepers need more like 1.9 blocks. If you place trap doors on every block mobs can spawn, you will block zombies and skeletons from ever spawning. Unfortunately we missed a few spots so we get a few of those.). Gunpowder has two main uses, rockets and tnt. Personally I never use tnt but one of my friends was insistent that we have some separated out. Rockets are incredibly useful. When you fly with an elytra its more of a glide without them to boost you along. With the rockets you go way faster, and can fly up instead of just gliding to the ground. Obviously flying everywhere is more fun and faster so we go through a lot of rockets.

        Anyway to filter the gunpowder out we have all the items (string, bones, rotten flesh, and the gunpowder) through a line of hoppers. Hoppers are a block that take items from one place and move them to another place, like another hopper, autocrafter, or a chest. So we have this line of hoppers, that will take all the items and underneath is a hopper that only has gunpowder in it and can’t move the items anywhere because it is powered/“locked” (funny how that works isn’t it, usually things only work when powered). So it can’t move items from itself, but can still pick them up. When it grabs one more item, it triggers a comparator (just a little redstone component that detects how many items are in a hopper or chest). This is linked up to unpower the hopper for a brief moment, letting the locked hopper release one item. This line underneath now only has gunpowder. I take that to a bunch of chests to store it in, and then once all those chests are full it takes the gunpowder to the rocket making part of the farm. Also a quick note, the unfiltered items (rotten flesh, string, etc) just get put in some other chests or discarded if those are full. They weren’t the focus of the farm (we actually took a few steps to not get any, but alas).

        Whew! That was a lot of information. Hope I didn’t lose you. Let’s talk about my snake for a minute before I talk about the rocket half, which I am very excited to talk about because it was all my own design.

        I’m kind of terrible with names ohnoes I usually just call her the banana, because she is a banana ball python. She’s actually a lot brighter of a yellow then any of those pictures, like unbelievably yellow. Her brightest yellows look more like the yellows on an albino. But she is not an albino, she doesn’t have any white and she has those cute looking black dots. I would post a picture but snakes can have fairly unique patterns and I am overly cautious (paranoid). I can DM you a few pictures if you want though.

        Anyway (my god I can talk, right?) She’s around 6, I’ve had her for about half that. I bought her from a breeder who was moving out of state, and couldn’t keep everything so she was already an adult. Most of the time when she’s out, she’s wrapped around my arm or someone else’s. I will put her on the ground and let her wander around for a little bit every time I get her out, but there’s a lot of places for her to get lost (hide, in her mind) and once she does she isn’t going to come out willingly. Once they have found a little crevice or hide for themselves, they go from “oh let’s explore” mode to “I am hidden, and will stand my ground against anyone who wishes to take me from my safe space” mode, so that’s a bit of a problem quokka-smile Snakes have very distinct behavioral “modes” they go in to and keeping them in the right one is really important (but not very hard!).

        Wow I love talking about snakes. Let’s see… we had just finished sorting the gunpowder from everything else, and bringing it to the sugar cane farm. The sugar cane is harvested automatically by a flying machine. I have some observers (another redstone component, this time it powers when a block “updates” [which can mean a lot of things, in this case its when the sugar cane below it grows]) that trigger the harvesting. It triggers both the collection system (a hopper in a minecart which loops around under the sugar cane), and the flying machine to break it all. Honestly I don’t understand how it works well enough to explain it, but its two pistons pushing and pulling each other and it just works. The hopper minecart unloads all of the sugar cane it picked up and the flying machine returns to the activation mechanism.

        A hopper takes the sugar cane and puts it into an autocrafter. A comparator measures how many are in there, and when it hits three sends a signal to craft it into paper. This paper is then combined with gunpowder to make firework rockets. I use comparitors to make sure both are at least somewhat stocked and if they both are, that generates a pulse to make the crafter spit out rockets. I wired it up to repeat this pulse until it runs out of either ingredient, then it shuts off. I know it sounds like the lamest part but getting it to loop properly with the timings and not triggering more then its supposed to (if you trigger the crafter at the wrong time, or put too many items in you can get the wrong output which would fill the firework/rocket chests and look ugly) was really challenging cheems

        I have always thought of them as like ancient Chinese fireworks, having them be sugar powered makes them even more low tech then that and I love it.

        • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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          4 months ago

          (my god I can talk, right?)

          and it’s wonderful – reading this comment like

          that shit was fascinating, thank you for taking the time to type it all up! I hope you had as much fun writing it as I had reading it. ❤️ meow-coffee

          I love “The Banana,” I think that’s a great name!! I didn’t know about snakes’ behavior modes, that does sound like a challenge! Are you into reptiles generally or just snakes?

          You have an incredible talent for explaining things. I haven’t played much Minecraft (I couldn’t figure out a pov that didn’t make me super motion sick), and though I’ve watched my husband and kid play enough to know a lot of vocabulary and a few mechanics, I don’t actually understand very much of it.

          Your explanation of your farm and the amazing process you’ve got set up to make fireworks was perfectly comprehensible for me – like, actually perfect, it was never boring, it was the exact right amount of detail, it was perfect. 🤩

          dprk-general

          You are awesome and your posts rock. Thank you very much for sharing your time and interests with me, I love it. lenin-heart

          • BountifulEggnog [she/her]@hexbear.net
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            4 months ago

            I did have fun writing it! I rarely get the opportunity.

            Its actually not that bad, once you understand there are very clear signs and its easy to read their body language. Their modes being so distinct is really helpful, like knowing if they are hungry and want to eat, feeling scared, or if they are just exploring and checking out their surroundings.

            I love all reptiles! I especially love how diverse snakes are as a group, and how easy they are to care for though. You can really find a species that works for you, and I love that. I actually have another snake, a corn snake who is so chill I can hand them off to anyone and know it won’t be an issue. There are lots of cool lizards, I’m a big fan of the argus monitor, everyone I’ve heard talk about them has talked about how personable they are (plus they look so cool!). A dream reptile for me. One of my favorite trips was when my family went to an alligator farm, and they let me hold some of the babies. One of them was like three feet long (quite the baby, lol). Now that I think of it, I have a lot of fond memories of reptiles at zoos and such.

            Aw thank you, that means a lot. I’m glad I did a good job, it felt long winded.

            That’s unfortunate sadness I’ve never had to deal with motion sickness thankfully, but from what I’ve been told it sounds really awful. I know you didn’t necessarily ask for advice, but I know on PC there’s a view bobbing setting, and I’ve heard turning it off can help with motion sickness a lot (and honestly I can see why, its a little much for me too). Maybe that’s worth a try, if you haven’t already? (also I find the default sensitivity is really high, but again maybe you already played with that/and I don’t really understand what actually causes motion sickness) Glad your husband can play at least, I remember when I was younger (well and still now, I suppose) how special minecraft was and how much I loved doing that kind of thing with my parents so I’m sure they appreciate it.

            No you are awesome! Your enthusiasm has really made my day. Thanks for listening! You are such a good listener! Your family is really lucky.

            • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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              4 months ago

              meow-hug That is such a kind thing to say 😭❤️

              I’ve gotten motion sickness ever since childhood. I remember being able to read while laying in the floor on a some road trips in early elementary school, but I had to stop by the time I was 9-10, and eventually got to the point where I needed to keep my eyes on the road to make the data from my inner ears and eyes agree, or I’d be miserable the whole time.

              San Francisco Rush was the first video game to cause it and make me stop trying to play it, and I couldn’t even watch my brother play Descent for more than a couple minutes, let alone play it myself. Multiplayer stuff is a lot easier; I can play Mario Kart with the family just fine, but I get very sick if I solo.

              I don’t usually actually throw up, it just feels terrible (overwhelming nausea, hot and cold chills, dizzy, eventually my whole body feels heavy and I have to lay down) and lasts for a while after the stimulus stops. Dramamine helped when I was a kid but even the non-drowsy kind knocked me right the fuck out, so I haven’t tried it in a long time.

              I just do my best to avoid situations that would cause it 🤷 it’s nbd. Watch other people play dizzying games from far enough away that there’s enough “standing still” in my periphery to keep my eyes and ears in agreement, watch the road carefully when I’m in a vehicle, avoid spinning carnival rides, etc.

              SEE! I can talk, too! 😂

              Now I’m gonna go look up “Argus monitor” and find out what they look like! Do you have any thoughts about why they’re so personable?

              Edit: I looked them up! 🤩

              What a cutie!!

              😎

              fun things I learned from their Wikipedia article:

              The Argus monitor displays great sexual dimorphism, with the female reaching an average total length of three feet (90 cm), while the male reaches an average of 4–5 feet (120–150 cm).

              😂 Large adult sons indeed!! Would you want a male or female?

              Argus monitors will often “tripod”, raising up on their hind legs and supporting themselves with their tail. This unusual behavior is used to spot potential prey or enemies from a distance or when they are threatened. They exhibit this behavior regularly in captivity as well. This habit provides them a unique characteristic that separates them from most other monitors.

              omg 🤩😍🥰

              Its prey consists of almost anything that it can overpower.

              Better stay swole! 😂

              Recent studies suggest that the infestation of cane toads, a novel and toxic species, has severely damaged the population structure of Argus monitors within the Top End. It is estimated that numbers have dropped by as much as 90% in many areas.

              sadness

              Many individuals of this species are captive bred as a conservation effort against poisoning from the cane toad infestation of the species’ native range and as exotic pets.

              You totally need a mating pair! It’s for conservation!!!

              • BountifulEggnog [she/her]@hexbear.net
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                4 months ago

                That’s so interesting and weird, especially how some games effect it more then others. I’ve never felt anything like that. At least you are still able to drive! Has it always been this way for you, or did it get worse/better with time?

                I think its because of their intelligence. Monitors as a group of some of the smartest lizards. Apparently they can count and know their name (not impressive by mammal/dog standards I know but for reptiles, that’s something). And yes they are so cute! I really love their long necks, they look like a dinosaur. Monitors are also a group that hasn’t changed much with time, like crocodilians.

                I’d rather a male, if I had space. They are actually very lean and have big tails, so I don’t think a four foot lizard is actually quite as big as it might sound. A side note, for snakes the sexual dimorphism is the opposite! Lizards tend to have big males, and snakes almost exclusively have big females. Something to do with if males have to fight to reproduce.

                Yes the tripoding is so cute lenin-heart and they do it so much too. Just stand up and have a look around.

                Mostly small rodents and large bugs, but transitioning and losing my strength is an actual concern of mine for this reason sweat They obviously couldn’t actually kill/eat me but I’d hate for my love of reptiles, especially larger ones to put me in a bad spot post hrt. Maybe I’ll end up with a female, haha.

                Reptile, and animal populations in general are in such a grim place. So much habitat loss.

                I’d love a mating pair! One potential problem is most reptiles don’t like being kept together, so you end up needing basically double of everything.

                • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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                  4 months ago

                  I’m sorry to have taken so long to reply! My problems with motion sickness have unfortunately only gotten worse as I’ve gotten older, and like most of my fun little bodily quirks, it got worse after carrying a child. I’m actually calling this morning to try to see a doctor finally about it all, because I think it might all be Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which would explain some otherwise very strange occurrences in my family’s medical history. And it would mean that actually my generally pretty good luck didn’t actually take a horrible turn in my 20s, it has been fine, because being pregnant with EDS could have killed me and so could have several other issues. Happy to discuss more in DM if you’re curious, but yeah, I keep dodging the reaper somehow. 💃

                  I had no idea that any lizards were capable of counting! I know beardies are supposed to be smart and personable too, but it sounds like monitors are smarter? That is so cool. Huge and smart – lizard puppos? 😍😂

                  I knew that transitioning causes women to lose strength and bone density, but I hadn’t really thought about how that would affect their ability to participate in their established hobbies, even though it’s obvious. 🤦

                  Do you have the time and resources to do strength training to help? I have enjoyed the little bit I’ve done, but I’m a little worried that some of the things I do are making some of my joints worse, and if I do have EDS, it’s a really stupid thing to be doing to myself. And that’s why I need a doctor and an approved exercise program! How do you feel about exercise? Which kinds do you like?

                  Do you have a doctor that you like? Do you find talking to medical professionals as dreadful and terrifying as I do?

                  I’ve even been excited for my son to gain strength and maybe even a little height as he transitions (we think/hope he started early enough to help with height), because then he can help me reach and lift more things! 😂 Obviously I love seeing him become more himself, and I know he’s having challenges too, but it’s only been a few months he’s already over half an inch taller and his voice is changing, and I’m really looking forward to him patting me on the head someday and calling me his smol mom 🥰😍 and then getting that thing out of the cabinet on top of the fridge for me! 😂

                  How did your reptile fascination start? Do you have the opportunities and resources to do any related volunteer work? I’m from a rural area and wished very badly to be closer to a big city when I was little so I could volunteer at a zoo or aquarium. Do you have any interest in doing anything with reptiles professionally?

                  I have loved talking to you and appreciate your kindness and brilliant distractions very very much. I’m doing better now, and you have very much helped. Please don’t feel obligated to keep entertaining my questions, but also please know that I love and appreciate it. You’re a wonderful person with fascinating interests, and you generously and patiently share your knowledge and enthusiasm.

                  You’re an absolute delight. meow-hug Thank you so much for your time and care.

  • GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    I have a dog with me who makes impressively loud snorts for his size (and without much trouble breathing, he’s just really loud).

    Talking to a friend, I remembered there’s a setting on my keyboard that blatantly doesn’t work but, because of that, it’s probably the most interesting way to play it if you’re fine with sacrificing dynamics. I’m going to start using it again, I don’t know why I stopped.

    • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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      4 months ago

      I love the thought of your little pupper piglet very much 🥰

      It took me longer than I want to admit to figure out that you meant a musical keyboard and not a special gaming keyboard 🤦😂 What kind of music do you make with it? What’s wrong with the setting and how does that make make it more interesting?

      Care-Comrade

      thank you ❤️

      • GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        4 months ago

        I probably should have specified what kind.

        Mostly I do classical because I am just learning. By coincidence of their form, the jazz pieces I know how to play don’t sound as interesting with it.

        The specific problem is that it’s somehow not calibrated to handle polyphony correctly, so when you have just one note, it comes out fine, but when you have multiple they sort of crowd each other and it creates distortion, with more notes being more distorted. Because of that, when a song has, to use the example that has the best effect so far, a monophonic melody but then the accompanying notes vary in number, the melody gets more and less distorted and it adds a new dimension to the song. With the songs I play, which tend to be mildly positive, it tends to sound very somber in an almost mocking way, partly because the soundfont is that of an organ to start with.

          • GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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            4 months ago

            Well, I think it would be a lot more fun playing with other people, but I’m garbage at music so the only time I got to play with other people was for a class in college, which I quite enjoyed.

            • the_itsb [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.netOP
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              4 months ago

              I’m confident that your enthusiasm for playing music and love of it will get you to that skill level before you know it. ❤️ I hope to someday see you post how fucking awesome your first jam sesh with some musician friends went and how you’re thinking about starting a band.

              I’m cheering for you! meow-bounce I’m pretty sure you’re gonna be so much better than you expect. 😊