sparkle's recent activity
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Comment on Making another pickproof lock (but better) in ~engineering
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Making another pickproof lock (but better)
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Comment on The food that makes you gay in ~lgbt
sparkle Link ParentIf I recall from the vegan propaganda I used to consume and the research that I actually did because the soy boobs joke annoyed me to no end - the phytoestrogens in beer are something like 50x as...If I recall from the vegan propaganda I used to consume and the research that I actually did because the soy boobs joke annoyed me to no end - the phytoestrogens in beer are something like 50x as strong as that in soy milk!
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
sparkle LinkI recently found myself hyper fixated on the Dreamcast VMU. After some research (i.e., reading large portions of the 778 page internal development manual) I'm even more fascinated by it and now I...I recently found myself hyper fixated on the Dreamcast VMU. After some research (i.e., reading large portions of the 778 page internal development manual) I'm even more fascinated by it and now I want to try and build a hardware emulated version on a microcontroller like an ESP32. I think being able to add in WiFi/BT connectivity could be really fun (the original method of "mating" two VMUs to play games was cool on paper but awkward in practice) as well as upgrade to a proper backlit OLED and I've always been drawn to the time when coding was an exercise in creativity because you only had 512 BYTES of RAM to play with. And most of that wasn't even directly available.
The documentation is surprisingly complete and I've started mapping out my registers and some of the processor instructions. I've also gently dismantled an old controller to create a breakout cable so that I can plug my hardware into the connectors on either another VMU or into the memory slot on another controller.
I do wish I could find some of the old assemblers and other coding tools that Sega published but a lot of the hobby enthusiast sites that hosted them have just disappeared. I have not yet strolled through the internet archive to look for them though, I'm hopeful they still exist somewhere in there.
And yes, the VMU has been implemented well enough in various emulators and there are third party hardware ones as well, but I don't think anybody has tried emulating the hardware before. It's an 8-bit CPU and I figure that if NES/Gameboy can be emulated on an ESP32, something like this should be possible too. Besides, I've never explored a project quite of this caliber and I think it'll prove to be a fun learning experience.
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Comment on Rubbing your eyes is way more harmful than you think in ~health
sparkle Link ParentSounds like we occupied the same or analogous parts of the world for awhile. Every year from about April to early June I would also have maddeningly itchy eyes and the only cures were intense...Sounds like we occupied the same or analogous parts of the world for awhile. Every year from about April to early June I would also have maddeningly itchy eyes and the only cures were intense rubbing, cold showers, or a heavy dose of antihistamines.
Thankfully I've moved very far away from that yellow inferno of tree sex and I don't suffer anymore. I think it's a combination of a later start to spring and different tree species. I didn't even just swap one set of allergies for another, I have little to no reaction to any pollen here and I consider myself extremely lucky.
This doesn't help but I commiserate with you and hope you ultimately find relief in one fashion or another.
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Comment on Looking for some recommendations in ~comics
sparkle (edited )Link ParentYeah so the deluxe edition does have the first 16 issues which I think covers most of the TV show. And also the Midnight Theatre which apparently is just a sort of crossover between the original...Yeah so the deluxe edition does have the first 16 issues which I think covers most of the TV show. And also the Midnight Theatre which apparently is just a sort of crossover between the original Sandman from the 40's comics and the new Gaiman Sandman. Haven't read it so couldn't speak much to it unfortunately.
I feel like the books listed on Amazon are actually a bit broader than I was thinking. For instance in the first 20 issues there's three self contained stories (collections) in there. So if you were to get the deluxe edition, that would be two story arcs and the bonus novella. The book 1 listed on Amazon would get you three collections. It looks like the later books listed on Amazon include spinoff material as well.
Hopefully this helps! I found each collection takes me maybe 15-30 minutes to read so you're like at an hour-ish for each book.
Edit: sorry, I failed to answer your first question- they all wrap up pretty satisfyingly as far as I remember, with the exception of one-offs sometimes; if you didn't know there were more, you could probably close it and put it down with a gentle sigh and move on with life, fondly remembering it from time to time.
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Comment on Looking for some recommendations in ~comics
sparkle Link ParentSandman does come in self contained stories, usually spanning four issues, I believe. I think most of the reprints follow this. You might miss a reference here and there but the overall story of...Sandman does come in self contained stories, usually spanning four issues, I believe. I think most of the reprints follow this. You might miss a reference here and there but the overall story of each arc is completely enjoyable without having read any of the others!
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Comment on The Slack controversy has opened a whole new can of worms in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentMy company went from Teams to Slack and now... back to Teams. It's not awful, but I did much much prefer the experience on Slack. Although I wonder if they had a heads-up about this because they...My company went from Teams to Slack and now... back to Teams. It's not awful, but I did much much prefer the experience on Slack. Although I wonder if they had a heads-up about this because they wouldn't even let us port our DMs to Teams. They've been hem-hawing on anything AI lately. The lack of DM porting could just be because of laziness or limitations in the migration software they were using and not having any skills though, we never did get a clear answer despite several queries.
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Comment on Frozen human brain tissue was successfully revived for the first time in ~science
sparkle Link ParentIf you had asked me this four years ago, I would have said no. But since then I've completely upended my life, moved 5000 km to a city with no friends other than my partner, no job, new culture,...On a more philosophical front, would you undergo a freezing medical treatment?
If you had asked me this four years ago, I would have said no. But since then I've completely upended my life, moved 5000 km to a city with no friends other than my partner, no job, new culture, etc. I don't have much contact with family so didn't even really have that to fall back on.
Fast forward today and I have more here, but if given the opportunity, I think I would undergo freezing. I feel like I'm more mature and less anxious than before that I could handle going into an unknown future. I guess it would depend on the age though. Freeze me now? No, I have a family and a lot to accomplish still. Freeze me around 70? Sure, at the least I'll get to see the future for a few years. It'll either be depressing or fantastic. Or I die on the way there, in which case at least everybody will have already been able to say goodbye and it's painless for me.
Thanks for the interesting thought experiment. Definitely made me look back on myself at the least and see how far I've come. Cheers!
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Comment on Frozen human brain tissue was successfully revived for the first time in ~science
sparkle LinkI thought that in general, cryofreezing small cells and even larger samples like the 3mm cube, was already achievable. I'm guessing the big breakthrough is the prevention of cell death pathways...I thought that in general, cryofreezing small cells and even larger samples like the 3mm cube, was already achievable. I'm guessing the big breakthrough is the prevention of cell death pathways via MEDY and the cell revival? But the biggest roadblock to Futurama style freezing is that a human body can't be frozen fast enough to preserve due to its size - how could MEDY be used to overcome this hurdle? I'm not much of a cryogenicist but I don't think you could just pump it into a body and freeze them from the inside out. A bath in it doesn't seem like it'd be fast enough either.
Nevertheless, I'm always excited to hear about advances in cryogenics! It's such an interesting field and the implications that perhaps one day we will cure all/most diseases is a nice bit of hope in an otherwise bleak world.
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Comment on Steve Albini, storied producer and icon of the rock underground, dies at 61 in ~music
sparkle LinkOh damn, this hits hard. I've been a huge fan of anything Steve touched and engineered. His mastery of dissonance was second to none. Gonna have to blast out some Jesus Lizard and of course some...Oh damn, this hits hard. I've been a huge fan of anything Steve touched and engineered. His mastery of dissonance was second to none. Gonna have to blast out some Jesus Lizard and of course some In Utero as well.
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Comment on Spring gardening thread in ~hobbies
sparkle LinkZone 3b here, despite the recent warmth, still holding off until the end of May to put anything in the ground. Despite that, the raspberry canes that my neighbour has so graciously donated under...Zone 3b here, despite the recent warmth, still holding off until the end of May to put anything in the ground.
Despite that, the raspberry canes that my neighbour has so graciously donated under the fence have started to proliferate - this is year 3 so hoping we get some fruit finally! A patch of chives decided to grow back in one of the raised beds, it's already about a foot tall and has made its way into a few meals. Hoping to get some flowers out of it this year and create some chive blossom vinegar to use in pickles.
Grow tent is in full swing with the pride and joy of our garden - Paisanos! Last year we had some 300 lbs of tomatoes from them, a lot more than expected considering we lost a lot to some pretty significant hail damage.
Last year we struggled to get hot peppers going in the grow tent and ultimately wound up buying them from a local nursery so this year we just didn't even bother trying and will pick some up once available. Last year's mix was habaneros, jalapenos, and banana peppers - thinking I'll just focus on habaneros and jalapenos this year to further refine my hot sauce fermenting techniques.
And assuming we don't have our front porch torn apart by renovations this year, we'll be growing long beans along it - also my other pride and joy. At the peak of summer, we can usually harvest about 1-2lbs beans per day.
I also keep meaning to setup some automation for watering, but I don't even know where to start really, the commercial solutions I've looked at are just prohibitively expensive and the DIY never seems like it'll actually work with my use case and I just don't have the time to design something completely from scratch :/
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Comment on Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers - Flood the Earth Again (2024) in ~music
sparkle LinkI remember hearing them on NPR a few years back and at first being kinda taken aback, but it grew on me. Hadn't thought about them since then but I really enjoyed this! Thanks for the share and...I remember hearing them on NPR a few years back and at first being kinda taken aback, but it grew on me. Hadn't thought about them since then but I really enjoyed this! Thanks for the share and the brief recollection of the days when my aux jack was broken and NPR was the only radio station that came in clear on my commute :)
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Comment on What are some non-science-fiction books that are deep, insane, mind-bending, etc? in ~books
sparkle Link ParentIt's weird that he wrote this, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and then went off the deep end recently. At this point, I think he might actually believe he is the avatar. Also, as an aside, I remember...It's weird that he wrote this, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and then went off the deep end recently. At this point, I think he might actually believe he is the avatar.
Also, as an aside, I remember way back in probably 1998 or so, I had emailed him asking if Dilbert's tie was always flipped out because it was sentient and averse to his personality. He actually responded and said "hey that's not a bad idea!" Always thought that was cool as shit that a big cartoonist like him responded to my peabrained question lol
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Comment on Does anyone else have succulents? in ~hobbies
sparkle LinkNo succulents here, but we do have a three year old avocado tree and a ? year old hibiscus that survive our zone 3b winters indoors and thrive during the summer when they get to live outside with...No succulents here, but we do have a three year old avocado tree and a ? year old hibiscus that survive our zone 3b winters indoors and thrive during the summer when they get to live outside with the produce crops! Also an orchid cactus and a spider plant that stay indoors year round.
My wife grew up with lots of tropical house plants and it's an aspect of our union I've really grown to enjoy. The cat I think enjoys them too, much to our chagrin as most of the day is spent yelling at him attacking one of the plants :D
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Comment on Meet Sparkles in ~tech
sparkle LinkI swear I'm not a robot dog... Really more of a cat robot Jokes aside, I guess I had an expectation based on the smoothness of the dance that the software to create such smooth transitions would...I swear I'm not a robot dog... Really more of a cat robot
Jokes aside, I guess I had an expectation based on the smoothness of the dance that the software to create such smooth transitions would be highly sophisticated but the glimpses of the UI in the BD article are surprisingly lacking. It IS an internal tool after all, so I shouldn't have expected much, which really just makes the movement that much more impressive to me.
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Comment on Sci-fi audio drama - The Last City in ~hobbies
sparkle Link ParentI'll definitely be checking it out! I used to be a big audio drama fan when I had a 30+ minute commute every day - that's the only thing I miss now that I work remote full time. I catch up on pod...I'll definitely be checking it out! I used to be a big audio drama fan when I had a 30+ minute commute every day - that's the only thing I miss now that I work remote full time. I catch up on pod while doing woodworking but not as often as I'd like.
Wolf 359, Steal the Stars, Vast Horizon, The White Vault, Ars Paradoxica, and Mission to Zyxx (comedy) are some of my other scifi favourites that I'd highly recommend as well.
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Comment on In-flight canoodling: is it ever acceptable to spoon at 40,000ft? in ~travel
sparkle Link ParentThat's a fair point and as an aviation nerd, I sometimes lose my head in the clouds. That being said though, my comment was more of adding to the list of how bizarrely off the article was - would...That's a fair point and as an aviation nerd, I sometimes lose my head in the clouds.
That being said though, my comment was more of adding to the list of how bizarrely off the article was - would it have been too much to lookup "what altitude do jetliners fly at" and put 36,000 feet?
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Comment on In-flight canoodling: is it ever acceptable to spoon at 40,000ft? in ~travel
sparkle Link ParentTo add another fork in the spoon slot, commercial airliners very rarely fly at 40,000 feet. You typically only see that in private jets in which case, do whatever you like back there as long as...To add another fork in the spoon slot, commercial airliners very rarely fly at 40,000 feet. You typically only see that in private jets in which case, do whatever you like back there as long as it's your charter/jet
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
sparkle LinkI'm about 10 weeks out from my first half marathon and I recently completed the full distance on the treadmill! Definitely the furthest I've ever run and the fastest. My time was just under 2:30...I'm about 10 weeks out from my first half marathon and I recently completed the full distance on the treadmill! Definitely the furthest I've ever run and the fastest. My time was just under 2:30 which I understand is pretty ok for a beginner. I really enjoyed that I was able to find my good "cruising pace" where it felt like I could keep going forever.
Going to keep working on my speed and now that spring is finally starting to arrive, will start taking some of the runs outside to acclimate myself for a June run.
Last year it was nearly 40 the day of the race so hopefully it is nowhere near as hot this year...
I'm not much of a mechanical engineer (more electrical here), but I do enjoy watching others create mechanical designs such as this. The animation quality is also quite nice and the explanations flow smoothly as well.
I really enjoyed the use of the ball bearings as a "pseudo-fluid" in place of traditional springs. I've seen designs like the vise he talks about before, but would have never thought to apply that to a lock. I do wish he would have gone into more details about the adjustments he made after picking the lock, but I suppose as this is made partially for the lockpicking community, he wanted to leave at least a little bit of mystery.
My main takeaway though was that yes, it is possible to make a (potentially) unpickable lock - but it's not an attack-proof lock. Vulnerabilities such as key copying or drilling out the lock still exist. I'd be curious to see somebody try to address these one day - or if anybody has any videos to share concerning these, I'd love to see them!