A note on how to read this website: when you visit, read it from top to bottom.
Skim over entire areas.
Reread for new content.
Sure, the longer you scroll the older the content will generally be, but this is a living document.
It is not divided into blog posts, although I use that abstraction in the code.
Instead, think of this as a growing body of information about me and the things I'm interested in.
There is no chronology other than the commit messages on GitHub and the occassional date sprinkled in.
Handheld Gaming
Handheld consoles hold a special place in my heart.
I like the combination of hardware and software producing identical experiences in video and sound.
Everyone gets the same game on the same machine.
It's the same experience for everyone.
It's no wonder that I'm also obsessed with arcade cabinets.
My first true handheld console was the Gameboy.
I'm still in love with it today and play games on my Miyoo Mini Plus.
A few classics to try:
Donkey Kong
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Metroid 2
Tetris
Mathematics
I'm obsessed with mathematics.
I'm not very good at doing arithmetic, which some people find funny.
It's just laziness. I can do it when I summon the strength.
You really don't need to learn much math to operate in our world today.
It really depends on what you want to do, I suppose.
If your goals are like mine, then you will benefit from learning higher math.
I would like to see a reevaluation on how and what we teach.
Schools require too much math. It filters students unnecessarily.
I think arithmetic (order of evaluation, fractions), some algebra,
geometry (especially trignometry), what we call precalculus in America, and maybe some vector algebra for learning about
position, displacement, translation, matrix transformations, etc. is all a person really needs to pursue their dreams and
become a well-rounded citizen.
Basic Mathematics by Serge Lang should be in everyone's library.
It should be the bare minimum for every adult in the country.
If simple logic statements like if a = b and b = c then a = c fascinate you, then you will benefit the most and quickest.
On Food and Cooking
If you want to improve your cooking overnight, then you need three things:
thermometers
scales
timers
They tell you three important facts: when to add food, how much food to add, and how long to cook the food.
Indispensable information when cooking.
Cook with your senses if it fancies you, but it can be invaluable to join the world of modern gastronomy.
You will make better food and be less dependent
on restaurants. Equip your kitchen with the tools used in restaurants and you will be closer to restaurant quality food.
That said, you will sometimes need to learn to purchase restaurant quality ingredients and learn how to identify them correctly.
Ask for Prime cuts of beef, when possible, for example.
Food: Solved
I solved food. Did you know? It's true. Here are some tips I've come up with (in no particular order):
Buy staples.
Flour, eggs, butter, milk.
If you intend to cook at home, then accept you're going to use a lot of eggs and milk.
But also dried legumes, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, tuna, peanut butter, oats, etc.
Don't just read this. Go and do it. Shop in terms of months. How long can you go without going to the store? Answer this question for yourself.
You will need a few things like yeast, white and brown sugar, salt, black pepper,
corn starch, baking powder, olive oil,
vanilla extract, dried fruits, bananas, tahini, honey, maple syrup, etc.
Already we're capable of making a large list of dishes for all times of the day.
To round things out we need some animal protein. Bacon, link sausage, ham.
Eat sparingly but enjoy these meats that will last weeks in the refrigerator.
Focus on technique.
Fry an egg to temperature until you can do it with little thought. Practice every morning. A bit of butter, a couple large eggs, and a slice of bread.
It's the perfect breakfast.
Don't be afraid of animal fat. Use real, unsalted butter.
Don't be afraid of salt. Use fine sea salt. Your eggs won't season themselves.
Best Invention Since Sliced Bread
I understand, but then I really don't. Baked into that little aphorism is a false sentiment: that industrial bread is better than homemade.
Sorry, but I am going to strongly disagree. We live in an age where you can buy an electric stand mixer,
Pullman pans coated in silicon, digital scales and thermometers, etc. and cook in a home oven.
What a time to be alive!
I think since the pandemic bread may have made something of a comeback, I hope. I haven't looked into it lately, I admit.
I know for awhile it was nearly impossible to buy flour or yeast.
Fortunately that's not true today, and we can return to normal.
But let it be a lesson. It may be useful to buy 50 pounds of flour and some food grade buckets and keep it in storage.
Learn to make infinite yeast from scraps of dough.
Flour
I've been baking recently because I'm disappointed in the quality of products in my city.
There are a few exceptions, but overwhelmingly there is a shortage of really good products made from flour.
I've taken matters into my own hands and I've slowly been acquiring equipment, knowledge, and experience.
Like a lot of you, I did some baking during the COVID pandemic.
Before that event, I'd learned everything I wanted to learn, or so I thought.
I didn't do much baking during that period.
It wasn't until I worked briefly at a pizzeria and realized I had no idea what I was doing that things changed.
By the time I left, I'd figured out what it took.
My successes happen more often than failures now.
One of my favorite dishes recently has been pancakes.
I've tried using different flours, mixes of flour, different kinds of toppings and ingredients.
I've really fallen in love with them. They're great with bacon, maple syrup, and butter.
Reese's peanut butter chips if you're a peanut butter addict like me.
Another success is pan pizza. For years I sought after a pizza so good that it would rival any takeout in my city, and I believe I have achieved that. It's inspired
me to open a pizzeria someday. If you're going to make a pizza at home, then I think your best bet is to use a pan.
Ted Kaczynski
I was soon-to-be a teenager when he was caught. I remember reading a lot about him at the time. His choice to live in the Montana woods was appealing to me.
I just think of him as this guy who wanted to roleplay and the adults
told him no. This dude made homemade glue! From reading his journals, I get the impression he enjoyed handmade things. That's relatable.
I like candles, cast iron skillets, wood burning stoves, handmade quilts, rope, gardening, hunting, etc. I can't imagine a life without
these simple enjoyments. I hope there's a future for them.
"Setherd" and "Setherghd"
"Setherd"
I am the OG Setherd. If you look back at posts on USENET, then you will find a young 9-10 year old using the handle. That's me.
This website is owned by Seth Arlington and he is currently 40 years old and has had a birthday this year.
I live in Little Rock, AR in the Hillcrest Historic District.
As far as I remember, it was my "moo moo" who gave me the name. What's a "moo moo", you ask? Long story short, it's my mom's best friend.
There may be one other person in the world who has used the username. I've encountered some collision when registering for websites.
I do not own or have access to setherd@gmail.com and I want it very badly. Make it happen, Google.
"Setherghd"
It's simple. Take a word like "ugh". You don't pronounce the 'gh'. You don't pronounce the 'gh' in "Setherghd" either. It comes out sounding like "Setherd".
It's a way for me to use the handle when I've either lost a password or I've run into that other fraud Setherd. Fuck that dude, right? There is only
one Setherd and it's me. If you're looking for Setherd, then you've found the right place.
What if you were auctioning a storage facility and you bid and won and there was a never-before-seen one-of-a-kind arcade game machine inside?
One was produced. Nothing about it is known. The artwork is hand painted. It’s a prototype, yes, but it’s the reference cabinet.
If there are clones, they will use vinyl cabinet art, but this one is beautifully hand painted. It’s pristine on the inside.
The monitor is behind a hand-painted glass bezel and sits at an angle, hanging there like Pepper's ghost.
The sprites are blurry and have scan lines.
The entire screen is warped at the edges like a CRT monitor, either real or emulated. You plug it in and it boots directly into the game, running in attract mode.
There’s a quick demonstration of the gameplay. You put in a quarter and the game begins. The music is fast and powerful. The input is zero lag and responsive.
You seem to have control of your character like he’s an extension of yourself. Great controls in this one.
The game is simple but rewarding and has the technical limitations of the era. But this game is something really special.
A lot of thought went into it. Surely this needs to be shared with the world. So you dump the ROM and create an emulator.
Everyone online can play the game, but for the real experience you have to drive to a small city in rural America.
Section /b/
August 9th, 2026. Today I made homemade buttermilk biscuits and a butterscotch pie (the crust was frozen).