I daresay it ran better than Windows 10 (though I don’t think many would be surprised). It detected my external USB drives and the proper resolution for the laptop screen. Sadly I couldn’t test the external monitor because the USB stick was so thick it blocked the HDMI port.
Author: Joshua Lim
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Of Laptops New and Old
I can honestly say that I did not have “Buy a Gaming Laptop” on my 2025 bingo yet here we are. Meet my new Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (how do people come up with such extravagant names?)
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USB complications
In preparation for installing Linux Mint on my Asus Zenbook, I wanted to create a live USB stick to test run the OS on the system.
I’ve been told “faster is better” for live USB sticks so I thought of getting the Kingston DataTraveler Max 256GB which is available at a local store. Then I remembered my Zenbook’s ports are USB 3.0 meaning I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the stick’s faster speed.
I realized I could save some money by getting a USB stick that closer matched the USB 3.0 speed limit. The Kingston DataTraveler Kyson 64GB seemed sufficient and was $30 cheaper. Then I found out that USB models of different capacities could have varying performances. In the Kyson’s case, anything below 256GB seemed sus.
But here’s the thing: the DT Max 256GB is only $13 more than the DT Kyson 256GB. So I decided to get the DataTraveler Max because I’d also be future-proofing myself.
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A distress call from Seagate
Earlier this year I turned on my Seagate external hard drive and was greeted with a continuous beeping sound. Could this be my very first experience with hard drive failure?
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All aboard the Linux train
I now have 2 Linux installations on my daily driver Windows machine. Isn’t that an interesting sign of the times…
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Dreaming about spaces
The concept of “Spaces” has captured my imagination as of late. I’m referring of course to the physical spaces in which life takes place but also the metaphysical “space” that comes with it. Certain environments can make us feel certain ways whether happy, motivated, agitated or upset — I’ve been thinking about how we can create spaces not just to stimulate positive inner states but to invite action and living.
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2023 Closing: Something for the pain
I started 2023 with an unwanted present, a little pain in the left side of my upper back. Small but consistent, the irritation would build up into anguish like Chinese water torture. Add to that the mornings when I’d wake up to find the pain had found its way into my neck or it was sending aftershocks down my left arm and I was left miserable for days on end.
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2023 Closing: Triangulate
Thought I’d try closing out the year somewhat differently this time. Rather than leaving it to the final few calendar days I started my personal review of 2023 on 1st December and will continue to develop it over the month. In a way, I’m treating December as a Dave Gorman intermission between 2023 and 2024. I’ll make a few posts to both clarify and solidify my thoughts on a significant events that took place in 2023. I hope you enjoy the ride.
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2023 3rd Quarter Check-In
Here we go again. Let’s get right into it then.
The Project is (unofficially) complete!
At the tail-end of 2022 I made reference to something I called “The Project”, a personally-meaningful endeavor that I’d (re-)started. I’m proud to say it’s complete! It was an amazing ride that has provided a new window of insight into things I’ve known before and a door revealing that maybe the time is right (finally!). I still say it’s “unofficially” complete because there is some admin needed to put a bow on this but the powers-that-be have assured me that the journey is done.
I’m excited not because of what I’ve accomplished or even for what’s now possible but for the opportunities that have been presenting themselves. Things have been falling into place so neatly leaving a part of me frustrated because it didn’t happen sooner. The longer I live the less I understand what “Life” is and how it operates but I know enough to be thankful for what comes and to enjoy the ride.
“Don’t wanna close my eyes…”
Sleep and meditation are a bit rocky again (though meditation has always been the house built on sand). My sleep isn’t terrible and has in fact been very good but I have not been protecting the time leading up to sleep. I can’t remember the last time I did my stretching routine to slow myself down and can’t even bring myself to lay down the mats to begin the process. I’m still doing Yoga Nidra which helps but it’s not the sitting meditation I want to do. Even my daily check-ins have gone invisible on me and I turn off the reminder alarm without a second thought.
At the same time other parts of my mind have been quite engaged thanks to a renewed spark of interest in several other projects. I’m all for deep engagement but not when I feel it’s robbing attention away from other projects or costing me sleep. I need to find a way to control/channel the excitement properly so I get the best of all worlds.
What of the exercising?
I have been doing more cardio and have recently switched from the stationary bicycle to re-visiting jump rope again. I feel the bike wasn’t getting my heart rate as high as I wanted it to be so decided to do intervals with a jump rope. And it’s working though I foresee fatigue becoming an issue if I don’t control the number of intervals.
This also means I haven’t done resistance training in a while. I still love it and am looking for a way to incorporate both especially since resistance training puts me in a good place mentally. A challenge I’m facing is (once again) containing myself so that I can get the best of all worlds; when I do resistance training I usually go all-out leaving nothing left for cardio. I’d alternate between days for resistance training and days for cardio but I can feel a petulant child inside me declare “NO!”
I’ll take this slow. That I am exercising regularly is already a win. That I’m doing more cardio for heart health is also a big win. I just need to find that configuration that makes me happy where resistance training is also part of the picture.
An overall look at my annual one-pager
I am really happy with what I’ve accomplished so far and with how things are generally going. No one said there wouldn’t be speed bumps so we take them as they come. I’m excited to see what the final 3 months hold for me.
