Having meditated for over 15 years, I finally purchased a proper meditating stool… and it really is amazing how much easier it is to sit for an extended period as opposed to choosing a particular yoga pose to stay in. I got it for under $40, made of acacia wood and quality fabric online. There’s definitely less stress on my leg joints as well.
Java and Generics
I’ve been brushing up on Java a bit lately, and came across the topic of generics. While I’ve consumed generic classes, primary collections, I’ve only created a generic class a few times. It’s really quite fascinating, in particular when you get to the concept of upper and lower bounds for generic types.
Type erasure in Java is also quite intriguing… the end result being that the Java runtime knows nothing about generics.
I’m reading “Learning Java” 4th Edition, and while there might be a newer version, I still highly recommend it for reviewing generics.
The Wonderful PlayStation Vue
I dropped cable TV years ago and for some time survived on Netflix and/or Amazon Prime.
Maybe a year or two ago I tried out PlayStation Vue, a live channel streaming service. It’s just like cable TV without some of the local channels, all streamed over the internet with no connect/disconnect charges or contracts.
I love it, especially that I can keep it for 2-4 months then get rid of it if I become too busy, without having to return a cable box or pay fees.
Check it out at https://www.playstation.com/en-us/network/vue/
Not Skyrim but… Morrowind!
A few years ago I got Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind on Steam for very little money on a sale, so I could play Elder Scrolls on a cheap laptop with a poor graphics card. I got Skyrim around the same time and spent most of my time on that.
Recently I’ve come back to Morrowind and it’s such a phenomenal, immersive, very otherworldly experience. I feel like Skyrim, while graphically superior, doesn’t have quite the originality of Morrowind. Both the creatures and the vegetation are just plain weird. I personally love exploring the dark elves’ Vivee location, a seemingly mazelike winding of corridors on multiple levels in giant constructions.
I’ll be playing more for sure… and after 9 hours I’m still level 1, as I’ve focused so much on exploring and conversing with characters rather than battle.
Abstract Algebra and my JavaScript Library “Theory”
I’ve recently revisited abstract algebra, my favorite branch of mathematics. A few years ago I wrote a JavaScript library, “Theory”, which had a handful of math functions including analysis of sets and operations to see if they’re a group, Abelian group, etc.
I’m going to rebrand it with a more unique name, write more group theory functions, and hopefully port it to Java or Python at some point. For now, expanding the JavaScript library is top priority, along with choosing an online source control platform.
“Brave Dungeon” for 3DS
This cheap $5 hack and slash “RPG” provides plenty of fun if you just want to battle monsters and level up while advancing further through five different dungeons. Each floor of each dungeon has a boss to fight. The aesthetics are simple but pleasant, and the controls are very basic since it consists of turn-based battles only. There’s not much beyond that… while you can swap party members there’s really no reason to. There are some cool items that you collect while adventuring, and that’s the main upgrade path for the game. Worth $5 for sure!
Learning Hiragana Online
Duolingo now has Japanese learning for free… I’ve started learning Hiragana on it and it’s fascinating. I debated if I wanted to learn Chinese or Japanese, but I’m quite fascinated by Japanese culture, from anime, to matcha, to sushi, Zen Buddhism (which is Chinese as well I guess) and the countless JRPG games like Final Fantasy – so this choice was a fairly easy one. Somehow I’m starting to just grasp the different characters… interesting that it feels automatic by going through the lessons.
Best guitar picks I’ve tried
For many years I used the yellow and green Dunlop Tortex picks, and especially gravitated towards the slightly thinner yellow version.
Recently I tried the Graphtech TUSQ .68mm. It’s thin enough to bend just a little bit when you pick making fast passages easier and less fatiguing. It’s also substantial enough to not feel flimsy or make an overly percussive overtone like really thin picks do.
Overall highly recommended especially for fast alternate picking.
Alchemic Dungeons – a New Awesome 3DS Digital Game
The 8-bit/pixelated graphics of “Alchemic Dungeons” definitely remind me of old DOS or NES games – but the colors seem more vibrant and the graphics more sophisticated.
You choose one of four classes (Fighter, Hunter, Dwarf, or Witch – I think the Hunter is the best class) and go on your way adventuring in a hack and slash sort of style. There are about a hundred items you can craft with materials you collect on your adventures.
I finished the first real stage (not counting the short tutorial), the “Phantom Forest”, after trying again and again – but I definitely learned the basic strategy of the gameplay, and I think later stages will be easier if strategy is applied.
The only real issue with this game is the music gets a bit repetitive… but other than that I highly recommend it!
UPDATE: I’ve since beaten the second stage, which was even more difficult. And an important note: this is a turn-based hack and slash, so you only get to do one thing, then the enemies move/attack, etc.
Elder Scrolls: Skyrim… forever!
I used to play Skyrim on a gaming laptop – fun, but recently I bought Skyrim: Special Edition for PS4, and it looks incredible compared to the laptop version (though not as good as some PS4 games). One of the expansions has started, in which you hunt down vampires… but there are countless other general quests to take on. Overall, really fun game with good graphics and lots of stuff to find and figure out; few games have captivated me like Skyrim, and I highly recommend it.