Thoughts

Quick disjointed thoughts about things. Too unorganized for proper posts, but ones that I want to put down in writing anyway. Expect spoilers; ye be warned.

Table of contents

2026-03-19: Adventures in resin casting

I’m exploring epoxy resin as a material for my next geocache. It’s the third material I’m trying out for this particular cache, having tried polymer clay and brass sheets previously. For this project I’m going with a more trial-by-error approach; minimal planning and just going straight into execution. Inevitably with this sort of approach, there are mistakes. And so:

I didn’t adhere the master to the bottom of the mould box, so it started floating when I poured the silicone in. Fixed it by sticking two pieces of scrap wood on top and balancing a hand plane over it to weigh the master down.

I should probably have taken the time to apply a varnish to my master made of cardstock when making the silicone mould. The master stuck to the mould and had to be destroyed to get it out. Not a big deal though. I had anticipated it would happen, so it was a calculated risk.

The master wasn’t perfectly level in the mould box, likely because of the floating issue, so when I poured the resin into the mould, it started flowing out one side. Fixed by adding some shims on one side to balance things out.

Using silicone for moulding prototypes is really expensive. I didn’t think I’d need almost the entire 1kg bottle I bought for this one object. Next time I’d make my moulds from clay instead.

I haven’t yet removed my resin cast from the mould. There’s a lot of overflowing, and the surface isn’t very level. I expect I’ll need to do quite a lot of sanding later on. It’s an incredibly janky attempt, but I’d give it a 60% chance of success at this stage.

2026-03-14: Out of touch, or ahead of the curve?

Earlier this year I learnt that iPods are in again. Today I read another article about wired headphones being back, too.

I’ve often felt that my identity has been that of an unintentional hipster, given how my technological preferences typically diverge from that of wider society. It’s not that I’m trying to be quirky or old-school… On the contrary, I think rather deeply about the products I use, or don’t use. Digital Audio Players (DAPs) have always worked better for my local music library. Wired headphones have always seemed far more usable and reliable than Bluetooth ones.

I think I may, in fact, be a trendsetter. So, if you want to get ahead of the trend curve, here are some of my other oddball technological preferences:

2026-03-11: Home server and self-hosting, again

I’ve set up a home server. It runs on a GMKtec G3 Plus, an Intel N150 minipc. It runs Debian. Services are typically deployed using podman containers with some exceptions. Tailscale is required for all incoming traffic.

Running a home server isn’t novel to me. though the last one I ran was many years ago. It primarily ran a Mumble server for me and my friends, in the pre-Discord days. My self-hosted services up until recently have been on VPS providers. Years ago I used Linode, then DigitalOcean, and for a brief period, Fly.io.

However there are services that I’m keen on but hesitant to run on an externally-managed VPS, hence my recent foray into a home server. I currently have: Syncthing. Adguard, Immich, LibreChat, Actual Budget. Miniflux.

Very happy with my setup so far. Wished I had started doing so earlier rather than pay DigitalOcean $15 each month. Having a local server has opened up the possibility to self-host services involving private data, like Immich for photos and Actual Budget for financial budgeting.

2026-03-03: The Spear Cuts Through Water

I’m blown away. The novel is structured so uniquely; I’ve never read a novel that switches between first, second, and third person narration so seamlessly and so effectively. The prose is beautiful and evocative. The story multi-layered and compelling. It is, in the end, a love story. One punctuated by loss and grief, horror and cruelty, triumph and wonder.

The plotline that really stuck with me was the Defect’s. Such a tragic life he led, up to his end. It made me so happy that he managed to have that one bright memory, drifting along the river in the morning, free and unbeholden to anyone, under that clear sky, with cool water to dip into and fishes to count and bugs to catch. To have captured that memory and sent it out into the black, so that the other tortoises could share in that one moment of peace… I teared up.

2026-02-20: Joo Chiat Oyster House

This is my fourth time here. It’s the first place where I had oysters I actually liked. I’m a little bummed that their fun cocktails, like the Solero, are no longer on their refreshed menu. This evening we changed things up and, rather than ordering our own mains, went for four side dishes to share instead. 18 oysters in various styles, wagyu short plate, pork belly, truffle fries, and a cuban melt. For dessert, a miso banana cake. All of the food was excellent. The highballs we got were fine, but nothing to write home about. I miss the Solero and other cocktails. I think next time I’ll just get a basic G&T, a whiskey, or a glass of red.

Fun evening, with good food and great conversation. I’ve been feeling somewhat lonely lately, which is not uncommon during holiday periods, so it’s nice to have a bit of social interaction.

2026-02-18: Mewgenics

It’s been 7 days since release and I have 63 hours played. Being a fan of The Binding of Isaac, I had been anticipating Mewgenics since it was announced in 2012. I can hardly believe it’s out and that it’s actually good. The release coincided with the CNY period, which historically for me has been a rather lazy and lonely period. Well, it’s still is, and I’m still feeling lonely, but at least this year I have Mewgenics as a nice little distraction. I’m not even close to finishing the game yet, but I expect I’ll slow down my pace from here on.

2026-02-06: Cairn

I didn’t expect to enjoy the mechanics as much as I did. I played the demo, and I liked it, but I didn’t think I’d love the full game as much as I ended up doing. Bought on a whim, since I had just finished Trails in the Sky: The 3rd, and had a 10 day gap before Mewgenics releases. Finished in 14 hours over 3 days.

More thoughts on the story below. Spoiler warning!

I liked that the protagonist was deeply flawed. She’s quick to temper and abrasive and irresponsible and irrational and yet, and yet, that just makes her human. Throughout the game we also see hints of compassion; from the way she interacts with Marco, to her reactions as she learns about the now-gone civilization that lived on the mountain.

I’m so so so sad about Climbot! I knew there would be some tragedy at the end involving him (yes, I’m using he/him pronouns for Climbot). If there’s a cute lil' faithful companion who’s been around since the beginning, both of the game and of Aava’s life, then surely, surely that lil' creature would meet some tragic end at the end. It’s a trope so obvious and so overdone and yet still works on me, everytime. Of course I hauled him up the mountain. I hope the little guy finds peace. Which leads me to the last bit…

I’m still processing the ending. My interpretation is that Aava died at the summit. She gave it her all to make it there. She pushed herself to the absolute limit and burned herself out. At the beginning of the game she said, “all I ever wanted to do was to touch eternity, even for an instant.” And she did, in a way. I think she succumbed to hypothermia and hypoxia. I think she collapsed, exhausted. I like to believe that she held Climbot as she did so. In the ending sequence we see the death throes of her mind as she imagines, or hallucinates, herself burning bright and finally touching eternity.

Kami’s summit was Aava’s greatest desire in life. Not a desire in the sense of wanting it, but a desire in the sense of needing it. She needed to try to reach Kami’s summit. Whether or not she does so… That’s secondary to the act of devoting every fiber of herself into trying. She needed to try, with all her being, and she did try, and she did summit, and she did become whole.

2026-02-05: Terry Pratchett - The Fifth Elephant

This is one of Pratchett’s books that demonstrate how progressive he was during a time where people were largely unaware of trans people and trans issues. Not only that, but there are a few passages in the book that show how Pratchett had a level of understanding of the trans experience, beyond what a cis person would normally express. I wonder how much of this is due to research, and how much is simply his humanism shining through; his razor sharp observation of the world around him. I like how he wrote about gender identity with grace.

2026-02-03: Metal concerts in sit-down venues

Just back from a Dream Theater concert. The band almost exclusively holds their concerts in sit-down venues these days. Wasn’t sure initially what to expect; the idea of a sit-down metal concert seemed kind of strange to me. But I actually really enjoyed it! I think it works especially well for DT’s music, with long technical instrumental sections. It gives space to appreciate the technicality on display. In general I’d still prefer standing in the pit, at least for most other bands.

2026-02-01: Trails in the Sky FC/SC/3rd

I finished FC in 2024, SC a week ago, and 3rd just. A wonderful wrap up to this trio of games. In terms of ranking I’d say SC > FC > 3rd. I just adored Estelle’s journey and growth. I tend to be a sucker for the coming of age and found family tropes. I think SC might very well have broken into my top 10 games, or top 15 at least. Excited to start on the Crossbell arc next, but I’ll need to take a long break lest I get burnt out. I find that I can’t binge more than a couple JRPGs without burning out.