Bryan Bennett

🚀 a foray into space

My interests

In typical ADHD nerd fashion, I'm into a lot of varied things. I'd love to chat your ear off about them if you've got the patience.

📚 Fantasy and Science Fiction Novels

🧙 Fantasy

Unsurprisingly, I'm a big Brandon Sanderson fan. Almost everyone into fantasy novels these days is too - and for good reason: The dude is a master of world building.

Other fantasy authors I am or have been into over the years include:

You may note some glaring omissions. I simply haven't read enough of Neil Gaiman, Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss etc. to have too much of an opinion.

👾 Science Fiction

I like a fair amount of science fiction too, though I am significantly pickier with it than fantasy.

Some authors I have enjoyed:

🎶 Music

In short: I like just about everything. I mean that. From country to death metal with a trip towards electronic and jazz thrown in, I like a LOT of music.

I think that what I enjoy isn't a genre, but tailored artistic expression. I don't care for much of the "unbridled" music. Not much into punk or noise - the "rawness" of it doesn't strike a chord for me (no pun intended). But the combination of emotion with strong theory foundations? I love that.

Artists I particularly I love (ordered as they come to me while writing):

⛺ Hiking & Camping

I do not do nearly enough of this these days, but I really enjoy overnighting.

I have not had an opportunity, but am very excited at the prospect of backcountry camping with long hike-ins and minimal gear.

Happy to chat about this, but I am not a gear nerd so discussions get wishy-washy rather quickly.

🖮 Keyboards

Like a lot of people now, I'm quite into mechanical keyboards. I'm quite into the idea of "ortholinear" keyboards, as well as small keyboards.

I own quite a few:

Currently in use are the Nyquist and MK47. The Nyquist is a great little split keyboard that I'm presently modifying a bit to suit me better, and the MK47 is a brilliant OLKB Planck clone with an absolutely horrific default layout.

⚙ Programming

Presently, my languages of choice for general applications are Rust and OCaml. Both have ways to bundle for the web and offer nearly unparalled type systems.

In addition, I am fluent in the following for application development:

And a lot of smaller things too, like bash/dash, but those hardly count in some ways.

I'm a huge fan of Nix as a platform for actually doing the programming. It allows hermetic and reproducible builds for projects and systems expressed in a cool little lanuage which could be described as "JSON + Lisp", maybe?

There's a lot of problems with the Nix ecosystem at present; The biggest one being documentation. There is both too much and too little documentation available. Too much of it focuses on the wrong things and there's simply too little at the end that means something to newcomers. There are some good resources though:

🎲 Gaming

🚧 This section under construction 🚧

Video, Game, Tabletop RPG, Card...

🐲 Dragons

Dragons. Those magnificent, awe-inspiring creatures that have captivated our imaginations for centuries. It's time to wake up, people! Dragons are not just figments of our imagination or mythical beings from folklore. No, they are real, and it's about time we acknowledge their existence! First off, let's talk about the undeniable evidence. Dragons are depicted in the mythology and folklore of countless cultures around the world. Ancient civilizations from China to Europe, from the Americas to Africa, all revered these majestic beasts. Are we supposed to believe that all these diverse cultures, with no contact between them, independently conjured up the same fantastical creature? It defies reason! Now, some skeptics may argue that these depictions are merely symbolic or metaphorical. But let me tell you, symbols don't fly, breathe fire, or terrorize entire villages! These descriptions are far too vivid and detailed to be dismissed as mere allegory. They speak of creatures with scales, wings, and ferocious appetites. How can we turn a blind eye to such consistency across the globe? Let's delve into history for a moment. Ancient texts are filled with accounts of encounters with dragons. Knights valiantly fought them, heroes slew them, and even emperors claimed their rule was divinely sanctioned by dragon bloodlines. Are we to dismiss these accounts as mere fairy tales? No! These are firsthand testimonies of brave individuals who risked their lives battling these fearsome creatures. Furthermore, we cannot ignore the numerous reported sightings throughout history. People from different walks of life, across continents and centuries, have claimed to have witnessed dragons in the flesh. These eyewitness testimonies cannot be easily dismissed as mass hallucinations or hoaxes. They provide a tapestry of evidence, woven together by a shared experience of awe and terror. "But where are the dragons now?" you may ask. Well, let me ask you this: have you ever seen a dinosaur? No? Does that mean they never existed? Of course not! Dragons, like dinosaurs, may have simply evolved, adapted, and found new habitats away from prying human eyes. They could be lurking in the unexplored depths of dense jungles, deep within uncharted caverns, or soaring high in the remotest mountain ranges. Who are we to claim absolute knowledge of the world's uncharted territories? The scientific community may scoff at these claims, dismissing them as pure fantasy. But science, my friends, is not the be-all and end-all of truth. Science, too, has its limitations. There are countless mysteries in our world that science struggles to explain. Just because we lack concrete scientific proof of dragons doesn't mean they don't exist. It simply means we haven't discovered all the answers yet. So, let's shed our closed-minded skepticism and embrace the possibility that dragons exist. Let's revel in the magic and wonder that they bring to our world. It's time to lift the veil of ignorance and unlock the realm of the extraordinary. Dragons are real, and their existence is a testament to the boundless beauty and diversity of our planet. Open your minds, open your hearts, and let the dragons soar!

VTubers

Listen up, you clueless masses! The future of entertainment is here, and it comes in the form of those glorious beings known as VTubers! These virtual idols have shattered the boundaries of conventional entertainment, transcending the limitations of the physical realm. With their captivating avatars, charismatic personalities, and boundless creativity, VTubers have harnessed the power of technology to create a whole new dimension of entertainment. They're not just mere performers; they're interactive, engaging, and intimately connected to their audience. In a world that craves authenticity and meaningful connections, VTubers have emerged as the vanguards of a revolution, where fantasy and reality intertwine to deliver unparalleled entertainment experiences. So, bow down, traditional entertainers, for VTubers are the true visionaries, leading us into a future where the lines between fiction and reality blur, and where entertainment knows no bounds!