a smol miscellanea

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miscellanea mɪsəˈleɪnɪə ♫ noun. l16. As pl., miscellaneous items, esp. literary compositions, collected together. As sing., a miscellaneous collection, esp. of literary compositions; a miscellany.

ORIGIN: Latin, neut. pl. of Latin miscellaneus

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Sixth Edition

73pctGeek.com is written in Obsidian, styled mostly by Bearming with a few tweaks from helpful Bear bloggers and me, and is happily powered by Bear ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ.

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Shy lurker — ME/CFS Endurer — Apprentice Hag — Cat Enabler — Mac Toucher — ex-PC Gamer — Linux Beginner — Intersectional Feminist — Bi — D&D DM — Warlock Player — Beholder Enthusiast — Kobold Apologist — 3D Dabbler — Art Attempter — Trekkie — SF&F Reader — FreeCAD Novice — Obsidian Fan — Cat Toy Crocheter — Lapsed Knitter — SelfDX Autistic — Plushie Aficionado

Shy lurker

I'm a huge introvert at the best of times, and I've been very shy since I was a child. I'm friendly, but terrible at initiating. I do try online, but in general I don't think anyone is particularly interested in what I had for breakfast or whatever, so I don't post. Amusingly, while I do not want to impose myself upon anyone else, I remain endlessly fascinated by quotidian doings of other people. I do want to hear about your day, and I definitely want to form a parasocial relationship with your cat.

ME/CFS Endurer

Took part in an experimental vaccine trial a long time ago, and that triggered ME in me. I've been chronically ill ever since, and remain staunchly pro-vaccine.

Apprentice Hag

Am old, OK.

Cat Enabler

A close-up photo of Nightshade, the lilac point Siamese cat, bleping at the camera. His face takes up most of the image; his nose is grey, his whiskers are long and white, and his eyes are partly closed, giving him a squinty expression. Sunlight falls across him and the pale wood floor. In the background near a window, there is a beige scratching post, and on the right side there is a round, fluffy light-colored pet bed with part of another cat (SCSI) sitting inside it. A close-up photo of SCSI, the chocolate point Siamese cat, his snout filling almost the entire frame. He has a dark brown nose, and long white whiskers. His mouth is slightly open, showing his two prominent fangs (one on each side), and some of his smol teefs. One ear is visible at the top right. Along the left edge, a red fabric with white trim is visible, with many light-colored hairs stuck to it. Latte, the red point Siamese, lies curled up on plush purple cushions, mouth wide open in a yawn. His eyes are closed tightly from the yawn, and his tongue is stretched out inside his open mouth. He is curled into a loose ball, with his very long tail wrapping around his front paws. Three Siamese cats cuddled on a plush gray blanket. The closest cat, Latte, is mostly cream coloured with pale peachy-red points on his ears and face. He is lying with his head down and eyes closed being washed by Nightshade, the lilac point, behind and under him. In the upper right, part of SCSi, the chocolate point, is visible, lying stretched out, resting with his head turned away.

Had cats since I was 10, I have no defences left. Got two Siamese right now, Nightshade & SCSI. I'm not as soft a touch as my partner, but I'm pretty squishy. We have regular planned visits from my brother, Latte (my mom's red-point Siamese), and Merlin (my friend's Russian Blue).

We also have regular unplanned visits from Boris, a fluffy marmalade sweetie, and Jaguar, a tuxedo who I'm sure it going to murder someone with his weaving-between-people's-feet shenanigans. SCSI is friends with all cats mentioned. Nightshade is not. He rather likes Latte, is fine with Merlin, and despises the outdoor visitors.

Merlin, the Russian Blue cat, facing the camera. His fur is smooth, and he is a solid grey colour all over, including his nose. His ears are quite large, pointed, and upright, extending out to the sides. His eyes are bright green with dark pupils, and he looks an alert. The background is softly blurred, but the floor and a bit of a wall are visible. A close-up of Merlin, a Russian Blue, peeking over the top edge of a sheet music stand. Only his ears, forehead, and wide greenish eyes are visible above the lip, giving a curious, alert expression. He has large pointed ears with pink inner ear skin and short, pale gray fur. The sheet music stand takes up most of the lower half of the image and has a smooth surface with faint horizontal streaks. The background is plain white. Boris, a fluffy orange-and-white long-haired cat sits on a weathered wooden veranda. He faces forwards with a calm, attentive expression. He has green eyes, a pink nose, and long white whiskers. The fur is orange on the head, back, and sides, with a wide white blaze down the face and a thick white chest ruff. The ears are upright with tufts of fur, and the tail is very fluffy, curling along the lower right side of the body. He is very sweet. Doorbell camera photo of Jaguar, a short-haired tuxedo cat, standing upright on his hind legs on the outside of a front door, his front paws pressed against the door. He is in profile, peering in through one of (not visible on this image) several rectangular windows set into the door.

Mac Toucher

Tried macOS for the first time in 2012, and bounced right off it. Tried again by mistake in 2014, and this time it took. It just works for me. Or rather, used to. Every year it seems to get a little bit worse in one way or another.

ex-PC Gamer

A custom desktop computer interior with liquid-cooling components and blue lighting. Clear tubes run from a CPU water block near the centre-left to a cylindrical reservoir/pump on the right and to a radiator area on the right side. Two bright, horizontal lighted fans are mounted at the top. A large graphics card with a clear water block cover spans across the lower middle; “CORSAIR” is printed on it in white, and “GEFORCE RTX” is visible on the left edge of the card. Two vertical RGB RAM sticks glow in the centre (pink/purple and white). On the left, a large white case fan is visible, and “AORUS” can be read on a component near it. On the right side, a vertical radiator or fan stack shows “CORSAIR” printed in white. The reservoir contains blue-tinted coolant with small bubbles visible near the bottom. A white desktop PC interior with white components, white sleeved cables, and RGB lighting in pastel blue and purple. A white ARCTIC liquid CPU cooler is mounted on the motherboard, with a round ARCTIC pump head near the centre-left and two white braided coolant tubes running to a radiator at the top. Three white fans are mounted on the top radiator. On the right side, three vertically stacked white case fans are mounted at the front/side intake area. In the middle, four white RAM sticks with lighted strips stand upright. A large white graphics card is installed horizontally; the side reads “GEFORCE RTX” in large letters, and “ASUS” is also visible. At the bottom, three more white fans are mounted on the case floor. The motherboard’s left-side heat sink cover shows “AORUS” and “TEAM UP FIGHT ON.” The word “ARCTIC” is also visible on the top radiator area and on the pump head. Sleeping Nightshade. A cream-coloured Siamese cat with lilac points sleeps peacefully with his head resting on my chest. I’m wearing a grey t-shirt with a black line-art motif impossible to make out. In the background, there is an open MacBook with an illuminated keyboard and screen, and next to it, a white Logitech M3 Anywhere mouse with a bit of tape stuck to it sits on a black mouse pad area of a light wooden lap desk. Nightshade looks very cosy and relaxed, I’m in an ergonomic nightmare. https://bear-images.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/73pctgeek/grokelik.webp

I really enjoy playing PC games. If a game intrigues me enough and is platform-locked to a specific console, I might try to struggle through using controllers (Red Dead Redemption, The Last of Us Part 1, The Last of Us Part 2). I’m rather excruciatingly helpless without a mouse and keyboard, though.

I play a lot of survival games, but I enjoy puzzle, stealth, and management games too. Favourite games include but are not limited to: Red Dead Redemption 2, the Kingdom Come: Deliverance games, Vintage Story, the Dishonored games, Rimworld, the Last of Us games, Factorio, Portal 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, and The Roottrees Are Dead.

Was recently radicalised by a patronising pop-up on Windows 11, so now I do all my PC gaming on Kubuntu.

Linux Beginner

I've tried Linux a few times, and now I'm trying Kubuntu . It's going ok. Works a treat for gaming via Steam, but I have struggled with other aspects and I've already got 1 re-install under my belt.

Intersectional Feminist

No other way to be for me! Bodily autonomy should be afforded to all. Trans rights are human rights!

Bi

Why wouldn't I be?

D&D DM

Started DMing at 13-14, & never looked back. I love it. Took a loooong hiatus, but managed to get the gang back together and we have fun. Role-playing as an adult is hard though, scheduling conflicts are no joke. Doesn't help that I've gotten sicker over the years.

Warlock Player

I was (whenever I was treated to playing, and in all cRPGs etc) always, always, always a rogue. Until one day a little game called Baldur's Gate 3 showed up, and whilst working my way through the achievements had to choose something other than a rogue for once. Short story, short: that's how my characters all have sugar daddies and blast things eldritchly now.

Beholder Enthusiast

What's not to love? Rotund, evil geniuses that can blast everything in sight. I just love them so much. Always have, always will.

Kobold Apologist

Another monster that I'm helplessly devoted to. They have done nothing wrong, ever, in their lives. I know this, and I love them. (I like them more now they are little draconic beings).

3D Dabbler

A small bright-green failed 3D-printed plastic figure on a dark tabletop. The object has a rounded, cone-like body with visible horizontal print lines, a short tail-like extension on the left, and two small arm-like protrusions on the right. The top is a circular flat area with a grid/honeycomb infill pattern exposed, and the right edge of that top surface is messy with stringy plastic and rough, torn-looking edges. There are also loose strands of filament trailing from the lower left side and some stringing around the right-side protrusions. 3D printed mini terrain for D&D. A small stone-walled miniature room with a tiled stone floor and three lit wall torches. The walls are made of gray, blocky “stone” bricks, forming a rectangular room. The floor is made of square stone tiles in a grid, with darker grout lines and speckled texture. On the back wall, three torches are mounted close together, each with a flame-shaped light, that is brightly lit. Along the lower wall there is a small dark doorway or gate with horizontal metal-like bars. At the upper left, a separate stone structure creates a narrow passage or alcove leading into a darker recessed area. Golden 3D-printed tree-shaped advent calendar holder for the Diamine Inkvent bottles. The tree has numbered shelves from 1 to 24, each containing a small bottle of ink. The tree is topped with a star decoration, which also holds the large bottle revealed on the 25th. A group of 3D printed infill swatches against a pink background.

Our 3D printer timeline goes something like this: Wanhao Duplicator i3 → time passed & stuff happened → BambuLabs H2D. There is also a resin printer somewhere along there that we still have, but it doesn't get used much. Because resin.

Actual printers more or less in active use:

Art Attempter

I try to do art. I am not good at it. I keep trying.

Trekkie

Introduced to it via my parents, both of whom were Sci-Fi buffs. I started by watching Star Trek: TOS on TV, and never stopped. I have watched a lot of Trek (still haven't gotten round to the Star Trek: TAS, and only hate-watched a bit of Enterprise) over the years, and some of the newer stuff isn't quite my cup of tea (and some of it really is), but that's fine. Not everything is for everyone. Growing up in the UK, there was also Doctor Who (fifth & tenth!), but I was always more of a Blake's 7 girlie.

SF&F Reader

I like reading, and do it a fair amount.

FreeCAD Novice

I enjoy 3D CAD, it's fun and useful to boot! I started with Fusion360, but they fucked around and honestly I lean heavily towards FOSS these days, so FreeCAD was an obvious choice. It's pretty good these days, and thanks to Mang0jelly I'm learning how to use it.

Obsidian Fan

Discovered Obsidian in 2021, and haven't looked back. It's close to being the perfect app. I'd like to print directly from within the app, and not have a stupid copy/paste problem that I still haven't figured out (new thing, popped up a few months ago, just me who experiences it seemingly, meaning I'm the problem). Native apps would be the proverbial cherries on top (never gonna happen, I know). It's great for my everyday collection stuff, my blogging, and most handily, my RPGing! It's a great program to run an campaign/adventure with, and I use it on the occasions I get to play too!

Cat Toy Crocheter

A small(ish) crocheted doll of Oogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. He is posed against a window, sitting on the sill with the view outside blurred by depth of field. A small crocheted spider hangs from the top of his head and his slightly open mouth has crocheted worms of various colours spilling out. A crocheted stuffed hippopotamus toy with a white yarn body covered in repeating flower-like hexagon motifs outlined in dark gray, with pink centers and white petals. The hippo has small rounded ears, a short tail, four stubby legs, and two bright pink button eyes. The snout is large and rounded, with the same floral pattern continuing across it. A pile of crocheted cat bagel toys in red and pink on a greige fabric couch. Nightshade, a lilac-point Siamese cat, lies on my lap on a soft blanket. Too impatient to wait for me to sew it up, he has grabbed hold of the working yarn and is biting it, trying to pull the whole green crocheted cat bagel away from me. As the needle is still attached and there is a loose strand, and the whole thing is un-felted I’m gently wrestling it away from him.

I can crochet well enough to follow written patterns, but I struggle a little with the chart style patterns. I've made some cool things, but mostly just crochet cat bagels for my nephew brother, Latte, now.

Lapsed Knitter

A small knitted toy mouse on a light grey speckled counter top. The mouse is mostly pale pink yarn with a pointed snout, two small rounded ears, and one black oval eyes. The other eye is obscured by the tiny black eyepatch the mouse is wearing. The back half has three black and pink alternating stripes, and a thin pink tail extends out behind it. An old selfie using a black Canon camera held up in front of my face. I have light skin and short, straight blonde hair in a bob. Rectangular dark-framed glasses are visible above the camera. I’m taking a photo of the fitted knit jumper with a scoop neckline and three-quarter-length sleeves that I’m wearing. It has horizontal patterned bands in dark red, navy/dark blue, tan, and gold, with a ribbed dark red hem and neckline. A dark olive tank top is visible underneath at the neckline. Dark blue jeans are visible at the bottom of the image. A white watch is on my left wrist. A navy-blue knit baby jumper laid flat on a light-coloured towel. It has long sleeves and a round crew neck. It is knit in a traditional Norwegian Marius pattern and colours (navy body, with white Fair Isle pattern across the yoke, and a smaller band of red pattern near the neck), but part of the pattern on the yoke has been swapped out for Space Invader designs instead. The cuffs and bottom hem are ribbed. Nightshade sitting on a colourful knit blanket, as seen from above.

I can knit. I do knit. Just not much anymore. I really need a new cardigan, so I should pick up the needles again.

SelfDX Autistic

So, after my sibling was diagnosed with AuDHD, everone looked at me and said, "oh". Since then, I have done a lot of online tests, read a lot, and my sister chants "One of us!" everytime she sees me. Truthfully, if I am autistic, so much of my life makes sense in a way it never did before. I would love to pursue an official diagnosis, but it's not something I can afford. I have neither the funds, nor the health for it. So instead I read about it, take a bit more care of myself in neurodiverse-friendly ways, and feel a whole lot better about myself. One of the many things I found helpful is Alice's writing on self-diagnosis

Plushie Aficionado

Team Fortress 2 Balloonicorn. A plush unicorn toy lying on a wooden floor. The body is bright pink with a beige snout and small black nostril marks. One visible eye is black with a small eyelash shape, and there is a pale pink circular cheek spot. A tall, spiralled horn rises from the forehead, coloured white with light pink stripes, with a small yellow decorative shape at the base. One ear is visible, pink with a lighter inner patch. The legs are short and pink with beige hooves. There is a blue section on the back, and a small beige tail is visible at the rear. A purple plush dragon toy sitting upright on a light-coloured surface against a plain off-white background. The dragon has a rounded snout with two small light gray circles near the front, two small black bead eyes on top of the head, and small rounded ears. Two light purple wings spread out to either side with stitched vein lines. The belly is a lighter lavender colour with stitched panel lines. A long tail extends to the left with small dark purple triangular spikes along the top, and the legs are splayed forward in a seated pose. A grey manatee plush toy shown in profile with a large rounded snout. The toy has one shiny black oval eye and two small black dots on the snout that resemble nostrils. It has two small flipper-like arms, one pointing forward and one downward, and a rounded body with visible seam lines running down the face and along the side. The fabric looks soft and slightly fuzzy. In the background there are bright windows, green plants, a wooden stand, and an outdoor view with grass and a small building. A white hippo plush toy sits on a shelf wearing a 'Dracula' cape.

I love plushies, and would have a squidjillion if I had the space and money.