Your ISP controls what ports you can access using one or more firewalls and traffic control devices somewhere past the point where you connect to their network.

They can block whatever ports they want. The only way around this is to use a VPN, which creates a tunnel directly from your device to a remote server to route traffic. This still goes through your ISP and whatever firewall they have but does so over a port that they (probably) don’t block. They can’t see what ports your web or network requests are using so they can’t block it directly.

Depending on your technical know how and what type of router you have, you could set up a VPN at the device level (PC, phone, etc.) to send just requests from that device or at the router level which could send all traffic from your network through the VPN.

It’s important to remember when using a VPN that the VPN servers can still see (and potentially log) all of your traffic, even if your ISP cannot. You still need to find a VPN service that you trust to not monitor your traffic.

I think that sometimes the burnout is internal, rather than in relation to something external like my job. It’s also hard to separate the DGAF mood from other stressors like lack of sleep (something my video game habit has not helped with).

Burnout is absolutely real, though I had a vacation a few weeks ago so I think this is just due to not having enough downtime to myself over the weekend. It seems like the older I get the more distance that I need from people in order to recharge.

I think this idea could be true for some businesses, primarily those that only use their endpoints (laptops) for simple documentation tasks and/or as gateways to web-based tools. However, in addition to “user demand” there needs to be an adequate business case ($$ savings) plus enough technical knowledge on the IT implementation side to made the move. I’ve worked in shops moving from a large Microsoft Windows footprint to Apple products and it is not always an easy transition, even with tools like Jamf.

Since companies will still have to rely on a Windows- or Linux-based backend (on prem or cloud) they’ll need admins that can handle integrating those macOS and iOS devices into their MDM systems alongside the Windows systems. There are also a lot of users out there who may have no experience with using a Mac, either for personal or business use, that will need re-training to use a Mac laptop. Both integration / transition of systems and users will introduce delays and downtime into a company’s business processes, increasing the cost to transition.

None of the above is a reason not to move from Microsoft to Apple, but it’s definitely not a simple process and that can lead to slow (or no) transitions for large businesses, no matter how many users ask for it.

I don’t have much to say that might help, except that I feel what you’re saying. Many times I’ve been at a place where all I can do is look at my emotions and think “what the hell am I supposed to do with this?”. Nothing like not knowing how long you’ll have to wade through the swamp or what’s going to help you get out. Sometimes all you can do is keep moving and be open to what’s coming in the future.

This week is starting out complicated. I have a ton to do for work and absolutely no motivation to do any of it, so I’m having to spend more willpower than I’m used to just to get started. I’m coming off of a bad weekend mood-wise and really feeling the “want to run away to a cave and live there forever” vibes, which is also taking effort to move past.

One thing that’s cheering me up is planning out the details of some house changes for August/September, which hopefully will end up going well. Visualizing the end result is giving me something positive to look forward to.

I would absolutely choose this mode without any shame. I already spend plenty of time in “Story Mode” difficulty; I don’t care to spend hours of frustration trying to hit just the right dodge pattern for a boss because I no longer have the finger dexterity that I did when I was 20.

I’ve been using it for the last day or so on a separate account and I like it so far. It’s a new app and there’s plenty of stuff planned for it, but the ability to open comments in a separate column instead of another tab is fantastic. There’s already a request for light mode in the repo, which is my biggest issue right now.

Supergiant has always been great at music and soundtracks. I especially enjoyed the Bastion soundtrack.

“Mallyhacked” - meaning something that is broken or destroyed. I heard this phrase a lot from older folks during my childhood, but never by anyone who wasn’t from my area. My SO didn’t believe it was a real word so I did some digging and I think that it is likely a very regionally accented version of “malahack”.

Urban Dictionary says that malahack comes from the Lumbee-English slang of southern North Carolina. I don’t think that’s quite accurate because I’m not from anywhere close to North Carolina. My preferred reference is from The Vocabulary of East-Anglia: An Attempt to Record the Vulgar Tongue of the Twin Sister Counties Norfolk and Suffolk, as it Existed in the Last Twenty Years of the Eighteenth Century, and Still Exists: with Proof of Its Antiquity from Etymology and Authority; in Two Volumes · Volume 2 by Robert Forby, 1830:

Malahack, v. A word ludicrously fabricated, which means to cut or carve in an awkward and slovenly manner.

Who wouldn’t trust that (obviously-not-a-robot-in-disguise) smiling face? 😅

That is completely accurate and logical representation of the article after it’s had the heart ripped out KALIMAAA-style and been lowered into a pit.

I’ve heard it described as “Eurovision in space”

Ok I’m sold, that’s going to the top of the list.

Thank you for the recommendation!

I just recently found her Substack and devoured most of the public posts. I haven’t gotten any of her books yet, but she’s on my list the next time I go into a bookstore. Are there any of her other works that you’d recommend?

Several things are regularly in my “ponder and wonder” list, the most recent being:

• Chaos theory
• Higher dimensions (>4)
• The actual scale of space versus our normal human scale
• The idea of social/societal evolution (how can we be better together as a species)

I can get lost for a while in any of these topics.

I beat my head against Hollow Knight when it was released and set it aside after a while. I recently went back and somehow was able to get through it (I’m convinced they made it easier vs me getting better).

Make sure to explore and find all the story and world building tidbits. It’s definitely worth digging into, and I love some of the little side stories and character interactions as you go deeper into Hollownest.

I finished a playthrough of the legendary edition of the trilogy earlier this year. Still great and after all the time that’s passed since the original ME3 release I can almost accept the ending(s).

Grinding through nightmare dungeons in Diablo 4, and because I fell down a YouTube tutorial hole I’m retrying Frostpunk. Hopefully I can stave off the guilt from slapping makeshift prosthetics on orphans long enough to finish it this time.

I second this, and also (for those living in urban areas) recommend spending the night outside somewhere with no light pollution. Going out on clear, moonless nights and looking at the stars was a formative experience for me as a child. I’m continually sad that it takes more time and effort as I age to find places to do this and the time/money to get to them.