AnxiousCucumber's recent activity
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
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Comment on George R.R. Martin says 'The Winds of Winter' is 'the curse of my life' in ~books
AnxiousCucumber Link ParentBetween those two authors, I no longer start a series that isn't already finished. Fool me once...Between those two authors, I no longer start a series that isn't already finished. Fool me once...
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Comment on US President Donald Trump lashes out at Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. Says termination can't come soon enough. in ~society
AnxiousCucumber Link ParentIt's apparent that destroying the US economy so trump and his cronies can grift as much as possible is the point. Even if he isn't compromised by Russia, everything he has done so far is not in...It's apparent that destroying the US economy so trump and his cronies can grift as much as possible is the point. Even if he isn't compromised by Russia, everything he has done so far is not in America's interests and is wrecking the current global financial system. The man's past decisions bankrupted a casino, after all. But now his terrible decisions are earth-sized.
There has never been more uncertainty on the macro level with so many unqualified, careless people running the most powerful country on earth.
It's never a good idea to buy at the top, but I really do think 'this time it's different ' and am still buying gold (and silver). I originally thought we'd see $5000 gold during whatever passes for the 2028 us election, but shit... There's a non-zero chance we might see it next year. -
Comment on 'politics.usa' tag proposal in ~tildes
AnxiousCucumber LinkIt appears the "flood the zone" strategy is working very well, considering even this small, niche corner of the internet now has too many USA news headlines relative to the rest of .politics...It appears the "flood the zone" strategy is working very well, considering even this small, niche corner of the internet now has too many USA news headlines relative to the rest of .politics content.
Good to filter via that tag... A skim of Drudge is enough US news for the day, don't need more here. -
Comment on US President Donald Trump fires National Security Agency director Timothy Haugh in national security purge in ~society
AnxiousCucumber LinkIt's shocking how fast the US gov is crumbling into a collection of weaponized (or neutered) agencies run by incompetent lackeys."It is astonishing that President Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the NSA while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app – even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office," Warner wrote in a post on X.
It's shocking how fast the US gov is crumbling into a collection of weaponized (or neutered) agencies run by incompetent lackeys.
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Comment on An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip in ~tech
AnxiousCucumber LinkAny AI that achieves learning (or stealing) by scraping the internet of whatever a culture produces winds up matching the era of those products. Example to keep with the article: "a medieval...Any AI that achieves learning (or stealing) by scraping the internet of whatever a culture produces winds up matching the era of those products.
Example to keep with the article: "a medieval English outlaw who is an archer, lives in a forest, and robs from the rich to feed the poor." Today, we will see images of Russell Crowe, or maybe Kevin Costner, as Robin Hood. If AI was around in the 1940s, it would be predominantly Errol Flynn. That was what the culture / media of the time was creating.
Unfortunately this seems to create a bias for more recent pop culture data to have priority, since it is digitized, and available in greater volume for the AI learning process. So we see only Indiana Jones rather than any earlier alternates to the query "adventuring archeologist who wears a fedora.' -
Comment on Elon Musk says xAI has acquired X in deal that values social media site at $33 billion in ~tech
AnxiousCucumber LinkThis might have something to do with DOGE wrapping its tentacles into the SEC recently... Or is this business as usual? Is this move a wash, or securities fraud? Idk, I'm not a securities...This might have something to do with DOGE wrapping its tentacles into the SEC recently... Or is this business as usual? Is this move a wash, or securities fraud?
Idk, I'm not a securities litigator. Can someone more knowledgeable weigh in on this? -
Comment on What does a newcomer moving to your town/city/state/country need to know? in ~life
AnxiousCucumber Link ParentMore Victoria facts: You must spend at least 5% of your income on specialty coffees from local shops. Alternate traffic merging advice: Drive all the way until you can't, then try to edge in with...More Victoria facts:
You must spend at least 5% of your income on specialty coffees from local shops.
Alternate traffic merging advice:
Drive all the way until you can't, then try to edge in with no blind spot check. Traditionally, this is a BMW / Audi Vancouver driver move, but I see it more and more in Vic.Be prepared for 1-2 hour long queues if you want to sit down for breakfast in any restaurant on a weekend.
Oak Bay has a speed limit of 30 km/h. If it isn't de jure, it is de facto due to all the ancient boomer / silent generation local drivers who are still stubbornly driving despite medical advice saying they shouldn't be.
Do not attempt to drive into Esquimalt or Colwood between the hours of 3:30-5PM on weekdays. They call it the Colwood Crawl for a reason.
Consider getting a good ebike or bicycle to get around. There's lots of bike paths and bike lanes, and half the time it's faster than using a car. Get the strongest bike lock you can buy too, there's thieves aplenty.
Get a sandwich from the red barn market. The original location on W Saanich Rd near Mt Work.
Juan de Fuca park has beautiful beaches, trails, and surf, and it's about 1.5 hours drive from downtown. However, everyone instead drives 5 hours to Tofino for the weekend.
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Comment on What are your goto cocktails? in ~food
AnxiousCucumber LinkWhisky sours. The classic: 2 part whisky 1 part lemon juice 1 part simple syrup 1 drop bitters 0.5 egg white Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass or Coupe. For nicer foam, strain through a fine...Whisky sours.
The classic:
2 part whisky
1 part lemon juice
1 part simple syrup
1 drop bitters
0.5 egg white
Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass or Coupe. For nicer foam, strain through a fine mesh conical strainer. Now you can choose to lay an extra drop of bitters on the foam and drag a toothpick across for sexy presentation.Canadian riff: sub in Maple syrup for simple syrup. Use dry rye Canadian whisky. Centennial and Canadian Club work well.
Japanese riff: sub yuzu for lemon, and use Japanese whisky (I use nikka or suntori). When making the simple syrup use about 30% mirin to create mirin syrup. Omit the bitters, add a few drops of sake or a drop of high quality rice vinegar instead.
Also a big fan of the Sidecar. Considering it's a similar build to a sour using brandy as the core spirit, that tracks.
If you want a low alcohol drink that's great refreshment, try an Americano:
2 oz sweet ( red) vermouth
Orange slice
Build in a tumbler or Collins glass over ice, top up with soda water or seltzer. -
Comment on What are your goto cocktails? in ~food
AnxiousCucumber Link ParentTry running a lemon peel around the glass rim and sourcing / infusing some cardamom bitters... Would complement the ginger element nicely.Try running a lemon peel around the glass rim and sourcing / infusing some cardamom bitters... Would complement the ginger element nicely.
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Comment on What mattress would you recommend? in ~life.home_improvement
AnxiousCucumber LinkPerhaps it's time for a visit to Sleep Like the Dead, an unbiased mattress review aggregator. There is also a quick "mattress selector" quiz for prospective mattress buyers.Perhaps it's time for a visit to Sleep Like the Dead, an unbiased mattress review aggregator. There is also a quick "mattress selector" quiz for prospective mattress buyers.
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Comment on If you could go into hibernation and wake up in the future, would you? in ~talk
AnxiousCucumber LinkHibernation is a major plot device in Orson Scott card 's The Worthing Saga. Premise: dystopian interstellar human empire whose rulers "sleep"away the years between planning and fruition of plans...Hibernation is a major plot device in Orson Scott card 's The Worthing Saga.
Premise: dystopian interstellar human empire whose rulers "sleep"away the years between planning and fruition of plans involving relativistic space travel timelines. Colony ships are sent with the colonists"asleep" and awakened when they reach their destination.
Hibernation is also used as a tool for rewarding citizens. Sleep periods are allocated based on wealth and social standing (eg; a mid rank civil servant gets six months of sleep for every three years awake, while the empress gets five year's sleep for each week awake).
The most powerful people sleep as much as possible to implement multi generational plans, appearing immortal for all intents to the proles living and dying regular lifetimes. -
Comment on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and US influencers bash seed oils, baffling nutrition scientists in ~food
AnxiousCucumber LinkNo restaurateur in their right mind would use beef tallow for deep fryers unless it was a part of the branding and marketing and was priced accordingly. Ye Olde English fish and chips joint could...No restaurateur in their right mind would use beef tallow for deep fryers unless it was a part of the branding and marketing and was priced accordingly. Ye Olde English fish and chips joint could get away with it. McDonald's could not.
The costs of using beef tallow in a deep fryer are many:
It's significantly more expensive than veg oil.
It has a shorter shelf life than veg oil.
It's life cycle in a fryer is lower than veg oil (eg, canola oil for fryers generally have stabilizers added to extend lifespan at constant high heat).
French fries and everything else cooked in tallow is no longer vegetarian / vegan.
It requires multiples more energy, feed, water and effort to raise animals for fryer fats than just using plants in the first place.
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Comment on Donald Trump weighs revoking legal status of Ukrainians as US steps up deportations in ~society
AnxiousCucumber LinkAn affront to Lady Liberty herself. Immigration is the foundation of the USA's economic successes. How is it Americans are so complacent (even outright encouraging) while a modern Nero and his..."Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
An affront to Lady Liberty herself.
Immigration is the foundation of the USA's economic successes.
How is it Americans are so complacent (even outright encouraging) while a modern Nero and his cronies betray allies and burn their own country to the ground? -
Comment on What are your favorite books with an unreliable narrator? in ~books
AnxiousCucumber LinkThe Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood has an unreliable narrator. Although the reader won't realize that immediately.The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood has an unreliable narrator. Although the reader won't realize that immediately.
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Comment on [SOLVED] What's the scifi book? in ~books
AnxiousCucumber Link ParentCorrect, and he wasn't intentionally made brain dead as all the other organ harvestee clones were.Correct, and he wasn't intentionally made brain dead as all the other organ harvestee clones were.
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Comment on US Republican Party representative introduces bill to amend the 22nd Amendment, seeking to allow a third Donald Trump term in office in ~society
AnxiousCucumber LinkWhat are the odds the magzis can get a 75% majority to pass this? Is this wishful thinking by the gop or is it the first step toward passing the US equivalent of Germany's 1933 Enabling Act?What are the odds the magzis can get a 75% majority to pass this? Is this wishful thinking by the gop or is it the first step toward passing the US equivalent of Germany's 1933 Enabling Act?
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Comment on How has your industry changed in the past decade? in ~life
AnxiousCucumber Link ParentNot at all an issue! Negations ("no this") are usually easy to implement during the time taken to build the order. Onions, in particular raw onions, are a common negation. They tend to give...Not at all an issue! Negations ("no this") are usually easy to implement during the time taken to build the order.
Onions, in particular raw onions, are a common negation. They tend to give heartburn, bloating, or gas to many people.Yes it is upscale dining. An Applebee's price point isn't going to care much about the trendy diet you just saw on tiktok.
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Comment on How has your industry changed in the past decade? in ~life
AnxiousCucumber LinkChef here. Across the board there has been an explosion of special diets. "Special diet" is not the same as a genuine allergy or ideological/ religious diet. It means nowadays about a fifth of the...Chef here. Across the board there has been an explosion of special diets.
"Special diet" is not the same as a genuine allergy or ideological/ religious diet. It means nowadays about a fifth of the people who walk into the dining room want to feel special. They want something off menu, they want some trendy ingredient they saw on the food network, they want some influencer's most recent fad diet.
Because of this explosion of requests, it is affecting labor cost and menu prices. It takes just as much time to create a bespoke meal for one person as it takes for a menu listed meal for twenty people. One of my sous chefs spends about a third of their workday taking care of all the special diets (and those are the ones who have had the decency to give us advance notice).
Diners are also paying more because of ingredient costs, as anyone who has bought groceries has noticed. -
Comment on The destruction of the soft power of the United States in ~society
AnxiousCucumber Link"It is hard for a man to understand an issue, when his livelihood depends upon him not understanding it."But for some reason they don't seem to give a shit. Something is more important to them so they allowed Trump to continue and they constantly help spread lies to give him more power.
"It is hard for a man to understand an issue, when his livelihood depends upon him not understanding it."
Careless People. Bought a copy exactly because of Meta's behavior regarding its release. Would not even have noticed it if it hadn't been in the news. Only just started into it, but from the narration it paints Zuck like an antisocial engineer who isn't thinking about the big picture. Maybe he influenced the character of Richard Hendricks in Silicon Valley?