When I need to run something that I can't or won't run at home, I usually spin up a machine at Hetzner. Cheap, reliable, and setup is fast. The server auction can give you a pretty nice hardware stack at a low cost, and you can cancel at any time.

However, the cases were I use hosting providers are becoming fewer and fewer, as I'm in the stages of rebuilding my "homelab" the way I want it. If only those UPS batteries could arrive soon...

My dad died in 2014. I still have his number saved. No, I don't delete contacts very often.

Seconded, although Mark ruined the concept of the Metaverse. And that sex scene with a 15 year old might need some rewriting. I love the book for its storyline and world building, but certain developments of the past 20 years stains the book.

Speaking of Stephenson, I wonder if Cryptonomicon could work as a TV series. Filming the two time periods without them seeming completely disconnected would be challenging, though.

Agreed. The underdark portion of his life would make for and excellent TV adaption.

HOWEVER

I don't trust the current climate of TV production to pull it off properly. In all likelihood, if produced today, it'd end up as a Netflix series (or similar series) where the streaming format would throw off pacing, and after completing a season of sticking to the story, any subsequent seasons would stray far away from Salvatores stories in an effort to have mass appeal.

I think it would have worked 15-20 years ago. Not before, as the CGI necessary wasn't there yet. Not later because formulaic streamability would ruin it (along with Netflix-lighting, ugh).

Maybe it would work again at some point in the future once the current trend of algorithmic slop has gone away.

I have vague memories of playing Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road (1990) as a kid.

My country of choice was solely based on liking one of the anthems, but sadly I do not remember which one. Was Australia or New Zealand am option? I feel like it was one of those.

EDIT: Upon doing some research (watching YouTube videos), I think it may have been New Zealand. Still not sure if that was available in my game, but that's still my final answer. Australia is pretty cool too, so you aussies and kiwies can fight it out amongst yourselves - Knowing you, you already are anyway.

Anything made to be run from battery can work fine without one. Worst case scenario requires you to spoof some I²C communication to properly emulate a battery, but most devices and batteries are far dumber than that. DC is DC, and sometimes you just need to graft something on top for the other pins.

Source: My old laptops charging circuit failed, so I soldered the charger onto the battery pins instead. Then I replaced the actual battery with an Adafruit Itsybitsy 32u4 (because that what I happened to have available) that emulated the battery status of "Charging, nothing to see here, move along" and sent it via I²C

Yes, as indicated by my username. I tend to try out different instances, and this is my 4th (obviously) account.

Same. https://sh.itjust.works/post/65657453

It was pepper spray

3-4 days straight, every 5ish months.

I used to work 5 week shifts on a ship, and as an introvert, once I arrived back home my social battery was well beyond spent. Since I was offshore, people were used to my phone being "outside of reception". But the truth was that once I arrived back home it was an important part of my self care ritual:

Upon arriving back home, I sent an SMS to my mom letting immediate family know that I was no longer on the other side of the planet, but back home and safe. I then turned my phone completely off and left it under my bed, and did whatever I felt like doing. After about three days I felt ready to interact with society again.

I don't really have any complaints, I'm just not a very happy person

Yes, because I enjoy looking at women more