Thursday 29 March 2018

The Expanse

Wasn't long ago I made a post, but I thought this was sufficiently important to make a new one. I also don't watch TV series, they don't do a whole lot for me. I forced myself to watch some for some years because everybody was doing it. Peer pressure, it's a terrible thing.

However, The Expanse is brilliant, as expected since my brother recommended it _long_ ago. Starts a bit weird, and the whole setting is a little "uncanny" somehow, but it gets real nice for a sci-fi buff very fast. And it keeps building. I remember The Wire had me hooked from the start and it held an impeccable pace throughout, similarly to Deadwood. Every other series went up and down, up and down. But what makes The Expanse special to me is that it won't stop getting better. Just like Hang 'em All or Behind the Sun. It's always what I wished Mass Effect was, every time I tried it, but then realized it's rubbish and trashed it. Looks like The Expanse has a lot of support too. Too bad "thermodynamics" is hotter than "momentum and energy conservation", interchanging them would have made more sense in a scene. "YEAH, thermodyn-, I mean science!"

On another note, I'm looking at new earbuds, since (hang tight) the Fujiyama keycap inspired me to look at Massdrop headphones, which made me realize I'm happy with my Denons, which made me realize I use my el cheapo ATH C505 I got for in Japan for 900 JPY a lot. I bought a HHKB for my hands, I should buy something for my ears. As always it's a barrage of trade-offs: the best sounding ones are not super-comfortable, they tend to not be the choice of regular people and are thus sold from weird web-sites, and actually that's about it. Still only ~80 EUR, i.e. the same price as a bottle of decent whisky, only I'd get years of effective use out of them. Most people insist on traveling on weekends which I don't, I should spend some to make the world go round. Regarding the trade-offs: super-comfortable means people lie in bed with them which I don't want to do, and if so many people managed to buy from "weird" web-sites it can't be too bad. As always I'll keep thinking about it.

Thimbleweed Park is on sale! *bought*

Monday 26 March 2018

Lots of things

Just had my first run since last summer, and to start easy, I did 9.4 km. This wasn't planned at all, I had forgotten about a section of road that's closed off which added some 1.5 km. Went to sleep at 21:30, woke up at 9:30 the next day... That was two days ago and my legs aren't hurting too much, so I suppose I've taken somewhat good care of myself. Might join a work-related 10 km running event which sparked a little motivation. NEWS ALERT: Was just reminded that this happens exactly the week I'm in Dubrovnik for a collaboration meeting. I'll just have to run there, drats :)

I got to see the legend for real once at CERN, when he presented his theory of a Universe without initial and boundary conditions. I didn't understand any of it. The Hawk shall be remembered. And I forgot to have pie on Pi day.

SRC at JINR in Dubna went fine. As always we'll only know for sure once the data have been through the analysers and scrutinisers. It was a tough end of beam party.

Joined my first Massdrop! A Fujiyama artisan SA key-cap. Which means I'll have to shell out for an SA key-set too, but that's how this started in the first place. Still didn't program my Let's Split properly, but what I miss the most is homing buttons. I hope this hobby won't get out of hand... I even started thinking about new headphones. Not yet.

Getting steadier on the violin, although my practising has been waning a bit lately, mostly due to all the trips tripping up my non-trippy life. Weather is favouring the Bernardel rosin again which is nice, I prefer the feeling and sound of that.

Leather Teeth is incredible. Monday Hunt and Inferno Galore make me nuts. And of course Atlas by FM-84, this is why I will never lose hope in yt recommendations.

Commissioning is getting closer! There's so much to be done! And I have too many vacation days to spend!

100 posts! That took a good number of years, I can pat my back for not wasting my time here too much.