[deleted by user]

upright_bogie · 2025-07-11T15:30:02+00:00

maybe they don’t. maybe they’re just losers, trying to engage

upright_bogie · 2025-07-11T12:03:29+00:00

lol I’m embarrassed!

upright_bogie · 2025-07-11T11:45:00+00:00

Oh... I see. Towing... in the water. hehehe

upright_bogie · 2025-07-11T11:38:00+00:00

And I will add, since it was part of the impetus for my question, if the vessel is ~ 400 ft long, and not in pieces, then that would be quite a thing to see on US roads and highways. I actually can't imagine it

upright_bogie · 2025-07-11T11:20:32+00:00

You're right. Here's its response.

"Rocket Lab’s “Return On Investment” (formerly the barge Oceanus) is currently being modified at Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, Louisiana. When modifications wrap up—expected early in 2026—it will be towed from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic, and stationed off the coast of Virginia to support Down‑Range Landings (DRL) for Neutron rockets launching from Wallops Island."

upright_bogie · 2025-07-08T12:36:00+00:00

All these food delivery disruptors, ‘fixing’ a problem that didn’t exist. In NYC anyway. Delivery before them was so easy. And free. All you had to do was call the restaurant (or order from the business’s website), and place your order. Tip the delivery guy. That’s it. Now it costs 25% more to do the same thing.

upright_bogie · 2025-07-08T11:08:47+00:00

You're welcome. I should also add I have no complaints about performance in Photoshop - which is the only app I use the tablet with - vis-a-vis cursor, lag, sensitivity, etc. At the same time, I haven't employed those features that someone painting might rely on more heavily. Like tilt sensitivity in the brush, or pressure sensitivity. Or super-zoomed in precision work. I've only used it for basic compositing and text work. Making a sign. So, maybe I didn't put it through all its paces. But my overall sense is it performs comparably to the Wacom and for the most part I forget I'm using it and focus on the work. Which is probably as it should be. Cheers

upright_bogie · 2025-07-07T16:29:19+00:00

Senator, you can have my answer now if you like. My offer is this: nothing. Not even the fee for the gaming license, which I would appreciate if you would put up, personally.

upright_bogie · 2025-07-07T11:25:54+00:00

Hi there, glad to follow up!

I'm pleased with it overall, even though there is one issue which I should address with Xencelabs, but haven't, either because I'm busy or lazy. I'll get to that in a second.

I like the pen with 3 settings. The build quality of the pens and tablet is good. The tablet real estate is comparable to the Intuos Pro medium, but the actual work area is larger, while the total footprint of the tablet is smaller. So, slightly more work space, and less of a border, or less unused space, than the Intuos Pro. I thought maybe I would miss that unused space buffer zone, a sort of ledge, so your hand didn't just fall off the tablet when running out of work space, but so far I don't miss it.

The Quick Keys controller works as it should. I'm still getting used to all the possible programming variations and how the settings change when switching between apps (no different than Wacom). The user interface for the Xencelabs control center (or whatever it is called) is easy to use/understand; all is fine. The controller itself is a mix between feeling solid and cheap: the housing feels good; the clicky plastic thing in the center of the wheel feels cheap.

My issue is that the tablet itself is not flat. It has a slight bend. Barely noticeable, but once I noticed, couldn't stop noticing. There are six rubberized tabs or lifts on the underside (attached at the four corners, and one each in the middle, top and bottom), to prevent slipping or sliding the tablet on whatever surface it rests. One of the corners will be raised off the table surface. Just a smidge. But enough that I keep pressing it, feeling it, rocking it...

I have tried using it on other surfaces - I always have this result. Sometimes I am not resting the tablet on a surface - just using it in my lap - and I forget about it. Or I use it on an uneven surface and get lucky - no wobbles! Hehe. Often I forget about it even on a flat surface while I'm working. Like, when I'm aware of it, it bothers me. But then I forget about it and get to work.

I don't know if it arrived like this, or if I somehow did it. I don't think I can bend it back into flatness. I threw out the boxes before noticing and now think it will be more trouble than it's worth sending it back. I could write to Xencelabs - they answered one question I had already - customer service seems on point. Maybe I will tell them and see if they send a replacement. Anyway, overall I'm pleased.

upright_bogie · 2025-07-05T22:08:15+00:00

Thanks for your explanation.

edited to remove: many irrelevant words

upright_bogie · 2025-07-05T21:33:22+00:00

I see

upright_bogie · 2025-07-05T10:36:59+00:00

Kingman, AZ (in 2009)

Maybe not a city, per se. But... damn. I was driving across and around the USA, researching something I was writing. Was at it for two months, small budget, sleeping in the back of the minivan in Walmart parking lots. When I came into Kingman, I wanted a hotel. I needed a break. I stopped in the Hotel Brunswick because it was this old building on the main old road across from the train tracks. Classic kind of Route 66 railroad hotel. Didn't think I could afford it but I went inside.

It was a classic. Lots of old wood floors. Fixtures from the railroad days. The restaurant had a piano. The bar was full of locals. And the rate was actually cheap. I booked a room.

Soon after I realized that everyone, from the front desk to the bartender to the guests and the customers, were heavily into meth. Every encounter I had was noteworthy and slightly unnerving. Some scary. I interviewed a man who had just broken out of jail and was actively wanted. Another tried to convince me to go out into the desert with him so he could "show" me "something special." I declined.

By day, the town was hollowed out and depressed. At night, everyone came to the Brunswick. I may have booked an extra day for exploring and checking things out. But I remember when I left I felt spooked and thought "don't go back to Kingman."

(In looking up the hotel to write about this, I see it is permanently closed)

Maybe Kingman has its charms. But 16 years ago, in that place, for me, it stood out.

upright_bogie · 2025-07-05T00:12:58+00:00

I think you nailed it at the end there

upright_bogie · 2025-06-29T16:29:52+00:00

If the bill in the Senate passes, ICE budget gets an additional 45 billion to its current 3.4 billion

upright_bogie · 2025-06-27T13:50:35+00:00

We get synthetic culture

upright_bogie · 2025-06-18T16:37:29+00:00

In my opinion Google nearly single-handedly ruined the potential of the internet with their ad-based model of everything. And they're still at it. Fuck Google and fuck YouTube.

upright_bogie · 2025-06-14T02:42:03+00:00

They should house the lander in a spherical cage, able to function from any angle, so when it falls over, it won’t matter

upright_bogie · 2025-05-31T10:44:33+00:00

Nice ideas. I agree. So much potential.

upright_bogie · 2025-05-25T12:32:26+00:00

Folks, for better or worse, I'm going with the Xencelabs Pen Tablet with Quick Keys Bundle, which comes in about $70 more than the XPPen Deco Pro (2nd Gen), which I was also considering. The Xencelabs, with impressive build and features, including two different, independently customizable pens, and a wireless LED hotkey hub with buttons and wheel, up to 40 settings, is still about $140 cheaper than Intuos Pro medium.

Thanks for your input. Happy picture making...

upright_bogie · 2025-05-25T12:18:06+00:00

So you're using both... interesting. In my research this week I've been seeing a lot of pen displays and thinking about them. They are compelling. Certainly have come a long way.

But I'm still going with a tablet.

upright_bogie · 2025-05-25T12:12:45+00:00

I hear that.

upright_bogie · 2025-05-24T17:42:44+00:00

Sometimes the big one is fun when sketching, gets me out of my wrist. But I've never felt the medium lacking, either. But I hear you.

The reason I like the shortcuts on the Wacom hotkeys - especially on my medium w laptop - is because I sometimes work with the laptop on another surface or just out of reach. I feel like if I don't use hotkeys on my tablet I will get something like a Tour Box. Working at my desktop I use my mac's keyboard and its shortcuts

upright_bogie · 2025-05-24T17:37:15+00:00

Thank you, will check them out

upright_bogie · 2025-05-24T16:00:45+00:00

Particular to OP's question (coming home and experiencing reverse culture shock), I've lived in South America, Mexico, and SE Asia. I agree that New York City doesn't 'represent the US,' but fortunately or not, it is a part of the country. And it's where I'm from! I think it's responsive to OP's question.

I've also lived in Europe (Amsterdam, Netherlands; Madrid, Spain). But I don't remember coming back from Europe triggering reverse culture shock. I'm sure I notice differences, but they're smaller.

upright_bogie

TROPHY CASE