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    1. Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix 2023 - Results

      It was an interesting race with tire strategy, given that Pirelli and the FIA imposed an 18-lap max on all tires, even used one, for safety reasons. Results -- SPOILER POS NO DRIVER CAR LAPS...

      It was an interesting race with tire strategy, given that Pirelli and the FIA imposed an 18-lap max on all tires, even used one, for safety reasons.

      Results -- SPOILER
      POS NO DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME/RETIRED PTS
      1 1 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT 57 1:27:39.168 26
      2 81 Oscar Piastri MCLAREN MERCEDES 57 +4.833s 18
      3 4 Lando Norris MCLAREN MERCEDES 57 +5.969s 15
      4 63 George Russell MERCEDES 57 +34.119s 12
      5 16 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 57 +38.976s 10
      6 14 Fernando Alonso ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES 57 +49.032s 8
      7 31 Esteban Ocon ALPINE RENAULT 57 +62.390s 6
      8 77 Valtteri Bottas ALFA ROMEO FERRARI 57 +66.563s 4
      9 24 Zhou Guanyu ALFA ROMEO FERRARI 57 +76.127s 2
      10 11 Sergio Perez RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT 57 +80.181s 1
      11 18 Lance Stroll ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES 57 +81.652s 0
      12 10 Pierre Gasly ALPINE RENAULT 57 +82.300s 0
      13 23 Alexander Albon WILLIAMS MERCEDES 57 +91.014s 0
      14 20 Kevin Magnussen HAAS FERRARI 56 +1 lap 0
      15 22 Yuki Tsunoda ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT 56 +1 lap 0
      16 27 Nico Hulkenberg HAAS FERRARI 56 +1 lap 0
      17 40 Liam Lawson ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT 56 +1 lap 0
      NC 2 Logan Sargeant WILLIAMS MERCEDES 40 DNF 0
      NC 44 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 0 DNF 0
      NC 55 Carlos Sainz FERRARI 0 DNS 0

      Fastest Lap: Max Verstappen

      Source: F1.com

      F1 heads to the US in two weeks for COTA (Oct 20-22). Hopefully the drivers and teams get a bit of a break from such a grueling race. See you all there!

      19 votes
    2. The great advantage of being alive

      I desire more poetry on this site. So here is more poetry! I believe this is Cummings due to the style and some cursory internet searches but I was unable to find an authoritative source. If...

      I desire more poetry on this site. So here is more poetry!

      I believe this is Cummings due to the style and some cursory internet searches but I was unable to find an authoritative source. If anyone has one I'll edit it in! The formatting is taken from a book (I discovered this in a photo online).

      the great advantage of being alive
      (instead of undying)is not so much
      that mind no more can disprove than prove
      what heart may feel and soul may touch
      --the great(my darling) happens to be
      that love are in we,that love are in we

      and here is a secret they will never share
      for whom create is less than have
      or one times one than when times where--
      that we are in love,that we are in love
      with us they've nothing times nothing to do
      (for love are in we am in i am in you)

      this world(as timorous itsters all
      to call their cowardice quite agree)
      shall never discover our touch and feel
      --for love are in we are in love are in we;
      for you are and i am and we are(above
      and under all possible worlds)in love

      a billion brains may coax undeath
      from fancied fact and spaceful time--
      no heart can leap,no soul can breathe
      but by the sizeless truth of a dream
      whose sleep is the sky and the earth and the sea.
      For love are in you am in i are in we

      23 votes
    3. What are your thoughts on how a vet should interact with a dog?

      I'm curious about people's thoughts/opinions on how a vet (or someone offering a pet service) should interact with a dog. It seems as though people have wide ranging and shifting opinions about...

      I'm curious about people's thoughts/opinions on how a vet (or someone offering a pet service) should interact with a dog. It seems as though people have wide ranging and shifting opinions about how dogs should be interacted with and how they interpret the dog's behavior. Some people are extremely sensitive about their dog's mental well being. They do acupuncture and meditation exercises with their dog, speak about the dog's mental health and choose vets that take a very non-threatening and holistic approach to dealing with dogs.

      On the flip side is the vet that, although kind and somewhat sensitive, takes a more treatment focused approach and are more direct (the "gentle but firm" approach). Although the dog may be nervous and scared, IME that's pretty common for many dogs. This more direct vet would acknowledge the nervousness but still do what they need to do, often saying "I know you don't like this buddy, but we've gotta do this".

      I'm curious what people's thoughts are on this. I'm asking about this because I had an experience at a vet that took a more sensitive approach. And while I appreciate that, my dog was sick and needed treatment. Because of this sensitive technique, the vet didn't examine my dog. He did the "let the dog come to me" approach, which, heh, doesn't really work when you have a sick dog that needs a diagnosis and treatment. You kinda HAVE to put your hands on the dog, feel their vitals, chest, check for lumps, etc. The vet also did the "don't make eye contact" approach, which, heh, means you also aren't looking at my dog to see what their issue looks like. Basically the vet crouched down in the corner of the room, didn't look at my dog and didn't touch her. Because I'm very cuddly with dogs, my dog took his behavior as being uninterested and ignored him. When the vet pointed to her ears and said they were laying down because she felt threatened, I corrected him and said her ears were down because she was being submissive (she was calm, sitting with her ears relaxed, not flattened down against her head). I was getting frustrated because I just wanted my dog examined and treated. I'm fine with my dog being uncomfortable during a wellness exam because that's just the way it goes, even for humans! I do want a vet to be somewhat sensitive but firmness and directness can be done sensitively. Idk if it's because I'm older and have an older mentality about this. I grew up watching vets kinda manhandle dogs and saying "they're dogs, they're fine, don't worry so much". I don't treat dogs like hunting dogs (that's just too harsh imo) but I acknowledge that dogs are tougher than we think sometimes.

      What are your thoughts and/or opinions on this?

      (This is my first post, so please do add tags or tell me if I've missed anything. Thanks!)

      18 votes
    4. What should I look at on Google Earth?

      I opened up the Google Earth app on my phone wanting to browse random beautiful and interesting places, but it doesn't seem to have a good way to do it. (Maybe this is a limitation on the mobile...

      I opened up the Google Earth app on my phone wanting to browse random beautiful and interesting places, but it doesn't seem to have a good way to do it. (Maybe this is a limitation on the mobile app, and the desktop app is better?)

      For example, if I try searching for "wetlands", it only shows me a list of maybe 10 places near my current location.

      I tried searching the web too, but I mostly get "listicles" like "10 amazing places on Google Earth" but they're practically unreadable with the webpage being covered with ads.

      I found Earth View Gallery https://blog.google/products/earth/most-stunning-images-from-google-earth/ and it's nice but it's just a gallery of images with no contextual information (at least when viewing on mobile). It shows me beautiful pictures but no information about where the picture is from... I would have expected it to link to the spot on Google Earth.

      Anyway if you happen to have some recommended places for me to check out on Google Earth I'd love to see them! I like:

      • wetland-type habitats like marshes, pond systems, mangrove swamps
      • beautiful natural scenery in general
      • abandoned and/or ancient architecture

      But open to any interesting recommendations in general.


      Edit: It does seem to be slightly better on desktop. Searching on Google Earth works better, and Earth View Gallery does link to the location on Google Earth. I wish Google Earth had like, a built-in community feature for me to check out other people's public projects.

      22 votes
    5. Should I bother installing another OS on my Pixel 4a?

      I have a Pixel 4a which has just reached end of support for Android. However, I love this phone and the only hardware issue is that the battery doesn't last me scrolling social media all day, so I...

      I have a Pixel 4a which has just reached end of support for Android. However, I love this phone and the only hardware issue is that the battery doesn't last me scrolling social media all day, so I am not looking to upgrade to a newer handheld just yet.

      I've been looking into Graphene OS and Lineage OS as perhaps alternatives I should consider, at least just so I can keep getting security updates. However, looking through GOS, they say that their 4a build is an "extended support" build different from the main OS which is described as a "stopgap" before upgrading phones. LOS says it's supported but through an automatically generated page which doesn't leave me with much confidence about the attention and stability of the build on my particular phone.

      I'm asking y'all's opinion on whether I should even bother. Security upgrades are important, but my phone is a secondary device at best, one which I always use with the same apps and websites and honestly not really that much of a security risk. Watch hubris get me.

      23 votes
    6. Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of 8 October 2023

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week! Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle...

      Add awesome game deals to this topic as they come up over the course of the week!

      Alternately, ask about a given game deal if you want the community’s opinions: e.g. “What games from this bundle are most worth my attention?”

      Rules:

      • No grey market sales
      • No affiliate links
      • Each deal must include a short statement of why you think the game/games are worthwhile, or a question to the community about the game/games

      If you don’t want to see threads in this series, add save point to your personal tag filters.

      27 votes
    7. Physical keyboard for android phone?

      I have a quandary. Even with a decent android keyboard (Typewise offline keyboard), I still find myself hampered by gettingnanstringnofnwordsnwhereni miss the space bar. Sometimes I miss n "A"...

      I have a quandary. Even with a decent android keyboard (Typewise offline keyboard), I still find myself hampered by gettingnanstringnofnwordsnwhereni miss the space bar. Sometimes I miss n "A" key. I am very out put by my likelihood of getting "out" when I meant "put" and vice versa.

      I am becoming a part time worker / primary parent while my wife goes back to a full time job, which means I do a lot of waiting in places where I'm typing extended sections of text (like this one) in places where its not really practical or appropriate to pull out a laptop.

      What I really want is a physical keyboard for my phone. It seems like there are a lot of folding and non-folding options that are meant to work on a table with the phone as a screen. But if I could do that, I could pull out my laptop.

      If I had a wish that could get me anything, I'd like a split thumb keyboard where the two halves sandwich (and grip) the phone the way the joycons go on a Nintendo switch.

      The best thing I have found so far is this keyboard puck. I have bought a similar device for HTPC, and it is surprisingly easy to use. This still has the downside of requiring the use of with hands and not having a way to hold the phone. Maybe I could 3D print some kind of mount, but something with a built-in mount would be much better.

      I'm wondering how others have solved this problem? I'm open to almost anything that makes me a faster /more accurate typist on the go.

      20 votes
    8. How do you divide a room completely and maintain high visibility?

      So here's my situation and what I'm trying to prepare for. My mom is currently sick (we think it's an infection), and last night she fell and threw up, scared me half to death. She says she's...

      So here's my situation and what I'm trying to prepare for. My mom is currently sick (we think it's an infection), and last night she fell and threw up, scared me half to death. She says she's fine(ish) now, and we're waiting on test results. It got me thinking how she said I'll inherit her Siamese cat breeding business and it got me thinking a lot about it.

      I'm wanting to divide what is currently a purely aesthetic room so the queens can have more room for their kittens who then won't get to hide under/in the couch (yes, inside the couch, because they tore holes in the fabric underneath it, apparently) whenever I try to show them to customers.

      I want to divide my dining room from the entry way, where the front door leads into the living room, so the cats don't escape out the front door. Imagine a hallway (12 to 14 feet long) from the front door to the living room (and it's a double wide doorless doorway connecting it to the living room), but one wall of the hallway doesn't exist, and instead opens fully into the dining area. I haven't measured yet, but I'm estimating it's around 12 to 14 feet across, and 9 or 10 feet tall.

      I'd like to use something budget friendly (ofc), like plexiglass, acrylic, resin, whatever. Something fully see through (or as see through as possible) so the customers can see them immediately. Proper glass will need a whole installation process and will add to the cost. Also, I'll want to add a door to this new "window wall" so the customers and I can walk in and out, and preferably have it be a sliding door, since I think this is the option that will be the least likely to pinch a kitten.

      My dad suggested a garage screen door, with magnetic closing, made of fiber glass mesh, but I can already tell the cats will eventually tear it up and make it look ratty, and also slip out from under it most likely.

      We can't use normal room dividers because our cats can sometimes jump from the floor to the top of the fridge, and room dividers are too flimsy. Also I'm not sure how to fasten a door to them (maybe I could just open them, but idk).

      I've also half-way crossed any meshes, cages, or fencing off my option list because it looks ratty imo. Btw when I say "ratty" I mean it will make me look like some backyard breeder or someone who doesn't care about her cats. I don't want my kittens to look like inmates lol. But cages/metal bars are a last resort, because I need something, as right now my mom has them set up in what I personally consider to be cages that are far too small to keep the mother cat in 24/7 for 2 to 4 weeks. The mother cat can just about lay down once you have to put the litterbox in. (It's the vertical one with the 3 tier platforms, with wheels and a bottom tray that you can find on amazon)

      I've looked all over amazon, just window (lol) shopping/browsing for ideas on what I could use, and omg. Either inflation is horrible, or I'm severely out of touch with what a "budget" option for this project would be.

      I've even gone so far as to consult ChatGPT, who was not really that helpful.

      A list of things I've thought about already are:
      -Garage screen doors (cats will eventually scratch through and slip under)
      -Sliding barn doors (for the end of the entry way that leads into the living room, instead of dividing the dining room, but this would give the kittens and queens access to the front door when people go in and out)

      • Those DIY metal grid panels people use to build storage furniture (ratty looking, and kind of expensive, but is my last resort as it seems to be the cheapest option I think)
      • Ordering a proper glass window wall (this would have to be properly installed into the house, which would cost too much)
      • Normal room dividers (too flimsy, too short, no door option)
      • Chain link fence segments (definitely ratty looking)
      • Decorative metal/PVC room divider modular panels that hang from the ceiling (I can't seem to find a version that has ample visibility without giant holes the kittens could slip through)
      • Just building a bigger cage (more expensive than just building a wall out of the panels, and again, it's ratty looking)
      • Using clear acrylic modular panels with holes in the corners, chained/tied together to hang from the ceiling (it's an option, but I'm not sure if it's the best in terms of aesthetics & cost, and idk how to attach a door that way)
      • 3D printed prefab wall panels (not see through, and idk if/how I'd fit a door on it)
      • Prefab floor to ceiling windows (expensive, heavy, needs proper installation I think)
      • A clear, plastic tent piece, large enough for a patio (that would also look bad, since it's shiny and most likely will get scratched up)

      I may be forgetting some options that I considered already, but I'm a complete novice at construction and home improvement, so I figured you guys probably know something I don't. I need a true barrier, that is preferably as clear as possible.

      Even if you think your idea isn't all that good, suggest it anyway because I might be able to springboard off of it. This includes ideas relating to stuff I've thought of already.

      17 votes
    9. Formula 1 Qatar SPRINT RACE 2023 - Results

      Since it's a weekend with a Sprint Race, thought I'd do a separate post for the Sprint. The big news is that... [SPOILER] Max Verstappen is the 2023 World Drivers Champion! With 407 points, there...

      Since it's a weekend with a Sprint Race, thought I'd do a separate post for the Sprint.

      The big news is that... [SPOILER]

      Max Verstappen is the 2023 World Drivers Champion!

      With 407 points, there aren't enough points left for anyone else, mainly Sergio Perez, to knock him off P1. This is Max's 3rd WDC in a row.

      Redbull Honda wraps up the season with both the World Constructors Championship (in Japan) and now the WDC. I say "wraps up," yet there are 6 Grands Prix and 2 Sprint Races to go.

      And on to the Sprint Race Results:

      Results -- SPOILER
      POS NO DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME/RETIRED PTS
      1 81 Oscar Piastri MCLAREN MERCEDES 19 35:01.297 8
      2 1 Max Verstappen RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT 19 +1.871s 7
      3 4 Lando Norris MCLAREN MERCEDES 19 +8.497s 6
      4 63 George Russell MERCEDES 19 +11.036s 5
      5 44 Lewis Hamilton MERCEDES 19 +17.314s 4
      6 55 Carlos Sainz FERRARI 19 +18.806s 3
      7 16 Charles Leclerc FERRARI 19 +19.860s 2
      8 23 Alexander Albon WILLIAMS MERCEDES 19 +19.864s 1
      9 14 Fernando Alonso ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES 19 +21.180s 0
      10 10 Pierre Gasly ALPINE RENAULT 19 +21.742s 0
      11 77 Valtteri Bottas ALFA ROMEO FERRARI 19 +22.208s 0
      12 22 Yuki Tsunoda ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT 19 +22.863s 0
      13 18 Lance Stroll ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES 19 +24.523s 0
      14 20 Kevin Magnussen HAAS FERRARI 19 +24.970s 0
      15 24 Zhou Guanyu ALFA ROMEO FERRARI 19 +26.868s 0
      NC 27 Nico Hulkenberg HAAS FERRARI 11 DNF 0
      NC 31 Esteban Ocon ALPINE RENAULT 10 DNF 0
      NC 11 Sergio Perez RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT 10 DNF 0
      NC 2 Logan Sargeant WILLIAMS MERCEDES 2 DNF 0
      NC 40 Liam Lawson ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT 0 DNF 0

      Source: F1.com

      On to the actual Grand Prix, tomorrow!

      7 votes
    10. Timasomo 2023: Week 1 Updates

      Update us on your progress so far! What did/didn't you get done this week? Anything go according to plan? Anything go off the rails? Any successes or struggles to share? Do you need feedback or...

      Update us on your progress so far!

      • What did/didn't you get done this week?

      • Anything go according to plan?

      • Anything go off the rails?

      • Any successes or struggles to share?

      • Do you need feedback or help on anything?

      This is your topic to share anything and everything you want about what you’ve made so far.

      30 votes
    11. Request - Suggestions of a laptop brand or style for someone who is clumsy

      I don't want to pay an extra thousand dollars for 'rugged' design suitable for military deployment, but the user in this case is not well coordinated at all and it should be able to survive being...

      I don't want to pay an extra thousand dollars for 'rugged' design suitable for military deployment, but the user in this case is not well coordinated at all and it should be able to survive being dropped.

      I otherwise need sufficient memory and speed to boot reasonably quickly and to run standard text, spreadsheet and database programs without annoying lag.

      9 votes
    12. I've been looking into self-hosting, what's the best cost-efficient option?

      I host a couple of very small websites for personal stuff and a Foundry server for my weekly RPG. Not exactly resource-intensive. And I've been paying for webhosting for a while for it, and it...

      I host a couple of very small websites for personal stuff and a Foundry server for my weekly RPG. Not exactly resource-intensive. And I've been paying for webhosting for a while for it, and it just feels unnecessary.

      I always figured when I finally decided to do it, I'd just grab a Raspberry Pi and go to town. But they're... weirdly expensive. The Zero 2 W is sold out everywhere, they have insane resale prices, and you still need to essentially buy the 'kit' first time to have most of the stuff to set one up. So is it worth it?

      I've been toying between that or just grabbing an old server off craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for $25-$30 and just going to town from there. What do you guys recommend?

      31 votes
    13. Is acupuncture, like, legit now?

      I remember a time when acupuncture was universally condemned as bogus pseudoscience, and I was under the impression that that remained true. However, looking for negative takes on acupuncture on...

      I remember a time when acupuncture was universally condemned as bogus pseudoscience, and I was under the impression that that remained true. However, looking for negative takes on acupuncture on YouTube is almost impossible now. Almost everything is overwhelmingly positive, including content produced by medical doctors. I could only find a few negative videos. They were short, not very good, and not very popular.

      This is a sincere question: am I really out of touch, or has everyone gone crazy?

      Anecdotally, I did acupuncture without believing in it, and it didn't do anything for me.

      30 votes