AugustusFerdinand's recent activity
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Comment on ‘Monstrous’ North Korean artillery spotted in Russia, likely for use in Ukraine in ~news
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Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentNot at all, I only accept payment from friends in the form of food and/or whiskey. Have you taken the CRV to the second mechanic yet for an opinion?Not at all, I only accept payment from friends in the form of food and/or whiskey.
Have you taken the CRV to the second mechanic yet for an opinion? -
Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes
AugustusFerdinand Link Parentteh fuk u say 'bout me /joke I just like fixing stuff and have always just been able to figure out how things work with a glance. Gotta have something to balance out my utter inability to "art"....teh fuk u say 'bout me
/jokeI just like fixing stuff and have always just been able to figure out how things work with a glance. Gotta have something to balance out my utter inability to "art". Like if I was closer (and they'd let me) I'd happily be over at @DefinitelyNotAFae's place to fix their CRV.
Plus, I have a favor to repay over the course of a lifetime and helping others with mechanical stuff is in my wheelhouse (pun intended).
If we're name dropping though (and not to repeat anyone previously mentioned)...
@kfwyre creates more community here than I knew was possible in an online space. -
Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentThe Falconeer is worth a shot. I don't have VR, but just watched a couple of clips of it and I'm kinda disappointed it's not in first person in VR. I get it as part of the UI is actually needing...The Falconeer is worth a shot. I don't have VR, but just watched a couple of clips of it and I'm kinda disappointed it's not in first person in VR. I get it as part of the UI is actually needing to see the energy canisters that are on the back of the falcon (think Dead Space backpack) and part of the gameplay is tracking targets by turning the camera view while flying a different direction, so it will probably still work great, but not give a 100% feeling as if you're the falconeer.
Always loved flying and flying games, hadn't thought about those with VR, so might have to borrow a friend's headset to try it out. -
Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games
AugustusFerdinand Linkle card Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 7/25 ✅ Deus Ex - Mankind Divided Has both combat and puzzles Has a campaign longer than 5 hours ✅ Subnautica Considered a disappointment Part of a trilogy ✅...le card
Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 7/25 Is beatable without killing any enemies
✅ Deus Ex - Mankind DividedHas both combat and puzzles Has a campaign longer than 5 hours Has survival mechanics
✅ SubnauticaConsidered a disappointment Part of a trilogy Has more than 3 words in its title
✅ Cult of the LambHas a skill tree Set in a post-apocalyptic world Is open-source Focuses on relationships A modded game ★ Wildcard You have to tinker to get it running
✅ Anomaly Warzone EarthFrom now-defunct dev studio You can create your own character Has dinosaurs You wanted it when you were younger Features a mystery Has a time limit Has a lives system
✅ WarpipsIs mostly text-based
✅ MoonringIt’s already installed
✅ The FalconeerIs one of the oldest games you own Has cards le games
Subnautica: Extremely well acclaimed game loved by hundreds of thousands of people. I knew of the game and was expecting some minor crafting and major exploration, it appears to be a major component in both categories and I greatly dislike crafting games. It's pretty and aside from trying to build a base while floating in three dimensional space being more troublesome than I like, it's not a bad game at all for the hour or so I played it. Just not a game for me. I also dislike "remember to eat/drink" survival games, but I played on the second mode where I don't have to play the game like it's a high resolution Tamagotchi.
Warpips: Basic tug-of-war RTS game, not bad, semi-good variety of troops, played on the hardest mode, still found it a bit too easy once you're past the first island as playing smart as it becomes relatively quick to build up a good cache of troops to use. I've played a lot of this style of game, typically on mobile and this one could easily be there too with its voxel graphics. Not a bad time waster, but not worth keeping on my computer, would keep it on my phone if there was an Android version. Seems to be PC and console only though.
The Falconeer: Only game from this week that is still installed. Beautiful game, interesting story, well narrated and fully voiced, am through the first chapter now, will come back to it after the backlog burner is over. Hope there is more variety of weapons/falcons/gear after the first chapter, but am will not be disappointed if not as I've only tried a couple of strategies so far.
le note...
I'm not actually trying for a Bingo; if it happens, it happens (like real bingo). In fact, I'm not even choosing the games I'm playing. I'm letting a friend pick random numbers of the backlogged games I have installed already and just going from there.
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Comment on Heat pumps used to struggle in the cold. Not anymore. in ~enviro
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentAm in Colorado, gas is $1.01/therm, lowest electricity rate (off peak hours) is $0.12/kWh... Gas heat at 80% for 100M BTU: $1,262.50 Heat pump at 250% for 100M BTU: $1,406.80 ...and that's with...Am in Colorado, gas is $1.01/therm, lowest electricity rate (off peak hours) is $0.12/kWh...
Gas heat at 80% for 100M BTU: $1,262.50
Heat pump at 250% for 100M BTU: $1,406.80...and that's with only using the lowest possible electricity rate.
I'm also waiting for this "solar/wind will make electricity cheaper" to happen. Electric providers aren't stupid, they know not to build more than they can sell for a profit and none of them are eager to make electricity prices go down. Looking at the 10 year price history for electricity in Colorado the base rate in January of 2014 was $0.04604/kWh in January of 2024 it was $0.07136/kWh; adjusting for inflation the 2014 rate was $0.06. In the same amount of time Colorado went from producing 7,975GWh to 21,318.5GWh of renewables annually.
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Comment on Car maintenance/replacement advice in ~transport
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentSimply put, piston rings are springs that are held by the piston in grooves and push outward toward the walls of the cylinder to perform various tasks like sealing the combustion chamber,...Simply put, piston rings are springs that are held by the piston in grooves and push outward toward the walls of the cylinder to perform various tasks like sealing the combustion chamber, regulating oil use, etc. For lack of a better term "gunk" can get in the grooves of the piston, making the piston ring stick and not seal properly.
Very strong products like BG EPR - https://www.bgprod.com/catalog/engine/bg-epr-engine-performance-restoration/ - can loosen this "gunk" and unstick the piston rings. It's not a guarantee, but at about $20 for a can of it, it could be worth a shot.The warning is this: It takes no prisoners. It will loosen any gunk it comes across, sometimes gunk/sludge is the only thing keeping a seal or gasket from leaking, so it can open up more leaks. Instructions need to be followed to the letter. This is usually stuff used by people that do their own maintenance, I take it from your replies here that you do not. So in your case you'd drive to your mechanic or oil change place of choice, let the car cool down, put it in the oil, warm the car back up, run it for 10 minutes at 1,200rpm, then immediately change the oil and filter. I would also only drive for another 500 miles and then change the oil again. If there is significant gunk/sludge in your engine then there is the chance that it will dislodge too much, won't be fully removed with the oil changes, and clog the oil pickup or somewhere else in the engine and cause more issues.
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Comment on Car maintenance/replacement advice in ~transport
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentWorth noting that the Fiat 500e is an utter piece of shit car and easily the least reliable vehicle in that list.Worth noting that the Fiat 500e is an utter piece of shit car and easily the least reliable vehicle in that list.
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Comment on Car maintenance/replacement advice in ~transport
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentI do not agree with their opinion on this as I see it as nothing more than dodging warranty claims, but 1qt per 1k miles is, by most manufacturer's claims, an "acceptable" amount of oil loss. So...I do not agree with their opinion on this as I see it as nothing more than dodging warranty claims, but 1qt per 1k miles is, by most manufacturer's claims, an "acceptable" amount of oil loss. So if you don't mind throwing in a $5 quart of oil every few fill ups, then it'll probably keep on ticking for awhile that way.
That said, as one of the automotive/mechanically minded folks here, that amount of oil burning is unacceptable to me; with a caveat.
The caveat is that everyone's financial situation is different and $5 a month for the foreseeable future vs $4-6k engine rebuild right now is two very different things to different people.In my opinion you have a stuck piston ring that is allowing too much blow-by and burning oil. There are some very powerful products that could unstick the piston ring, but they aren't guaranteed to work, they require some careful considerations to their use during and after, and have the possibility of making other issues appear. I can expand on this if you're interested.
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Comment on Car maintenance/replacement advice in ~transport
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentHow long has this been going on (the it being low when you go to get an oil change)?How long has this been going on (the it being low when you go to get an oil change)?
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Comment on Car maintenance/replacement advice in ~transport
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentYou're changing the oil every 3k miles and having to add more oil in between changes or noticing that it's low when you go to change it at the 3k mile interval?You're changing the oil every 3k miles and having to add more oil in between changes or noticing that it's low when you go to change it at the 3k mile interval?
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Tens of thousands of Chinese college students went cycling at night for soup dumplings in Kaifeng. That put the government on edge.
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Comment on China: Clampdown on bike rides after thousands of students take over highway to buy Kaifeng dumplings in ~transport
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentWhoa, nice catch! I was posting from my phone, during my lunch, and didn't even notice that when I was viewing the CNN article through the app that the share:copy link option wasn't the CNN...A nitpick on link selection: I haven't seen ground.news before, and it looks like a fairly decent news aggregator. But I think for top-level links, it would be better to pick whichever news article seems like the best one to you and link to that, maybe linking to the aggregator in a comment.
Whoa, nice catch! I was posting from my phone, during my lunch, and didn't even notice that when I was viewing the CNN article through the app that the share:copy link option wasn't the CNN article.
Going to repost it correctly now.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
AugustusFerdinand LinkWatched two movies over the weekend. Twisters - Utter and extremely predictable horseshit that has all of the elements I hate about modern movies. Joker: Folie à Deux - Absolutely amazing and I...Watched two movies over the weekend.
Twisters - Utter and extremely predictable horseshit that has all of the elements I hate about modern movies.
Joker: Folie à Deux - Absolutely amazing and I can only imagine all the pushback and box office disappointment from it are because people hate musicals for some reason. -
Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentGames so far are fun enough and I don't regret spending the time playing them, which is the main point for me. Just not in the top of the list for me, but if they were they'd either the be games...Games so far are fun enough and I don't regret spending the time playing them, which is the main point for me. Just not in the top of the list for me, but if they were they'd either the be games I've already played or are sitting in my "when I have time to utterly dedicate myself to them" bucket.
I do have high hopes for Moonring (solo project as I understand it from one of the co-creators of the Fable series), but I try to play any SteamDeck verified games on that device as I have this weird thing where it feels like a waste to use my very powerful gaming PC for something that has graphics that could be rendered on a calculator.
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Tony Todd, 'Candyman' star, passes away at 69
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Comment on November 2024 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games
AugustusFerdinand LinkLe card Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 4/25 ✅ Deus Ex - Mankind Divided Has both combat and puzzles Has a campaign longer than 5 hours Has survival mechanics Considered a disappointment Part of a...Le card
Mode: Standard Bingo! Finished 4/25 Is beatable without killing any enemies
✅ Deus Ex - Mankind DividedHas both combat and puzzles Has a campaign longer than 5 hours Has survival mechanics Considered a disappointment Part of a trilogy Has more than 3 words in its title
✅ Cult of the LambHas a skill tree Set in a post-apocalyptic world Is open-source Focuses on relationships A modded game ★ Wildcard You have to tinker to get it running
✅ Anomaly Warzone EarthFrom now-defunct dev studio You can create your own character Has dinosaurs You wanted it when you were younger Features a mystery Has a time limit Has a lives system Is mostly text-based
✅ MoonringIt’s already installed Is one of the oldest games you own Has cards Le games
Cult of the Lamb: Cute, understand why it was popular, enjoyed all the tongue-in-cheek references and the humor is right up my alley. However, I treated it more like a standard hack-and-slash as I am not a fan of games I have to micro-manage individuals. I fast tracked to the upgrades that make the followers pick up their own poop and farm their own food. Beat it, but definitely spent less time than others doing so to just get it done.
6/10 when fighting, 3/10 the rest of the time.Moonring: Started this, it'll probably get much better and might need to play it on my computer instead of the SteamDeck to enjoy it fully.
?/10 too soon to tell.Anomaly Warzone Earth: Reverse tower defense (you are the movers instead of the towers). I have a love/hate relationship with tower defense games. I like the games, but pretty much all of them have balance issues (the only exception in recent memory is Herectic's Fork) where there ends up only being a single winning strategy and that's no longer fun. If I wanted a game where only a single build is viable, I'd play Diablo 4. This game is no different and hit the wall a day or so ago and uninstalled.
5/10 as the half of the game I played was generally enjoyable but not flawless, didn't get to the other half.Deus Ex - Mankind Divided: I remember playing, but not finishing due to bugs, Human Revolution years ago. Got this for free ages ago on Epic, so decided to give it a shot. Dialog could be better and I've decided to depart from my usual playstyle and doing a full non-lethal playthrough. So far so good, but I am tired of hacking.
6/10 so far. -
Comment on America defeats America in ~society
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentDon't... ...even... ...get... ...me... ...started... ...on... ...personal... ...overuse... ...of... ...specific... ...forms... ...of... ...punctuation... Do not go to my profile and CTRL+F...Don't...
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...personal...
...overuse...
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Do not go to my profile and CTRL+F ellipses. I know it's far too many.
I know it looks like I never finish a thought... -
Comment on US election results (other than presidential) thread in ~society
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentI hear you. I love the big kitties, they just don't love me or love too hard.I hear you. I love the big kitties, they just don't love me or love too hard.
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Comment on Dropkick Murphys feat Violent Femmes - Gotta Get to Peekskill (2023) - More solidarity and anti-fascist recommendation? in ~music
AugustusFerdinand Link ParentHow so?less so IRL.
How so?
Some info from people that follow this sort of thing.
Short version is that it's believed to be replacing Russia's greatly diminished artillery supply and it has a max range that's 50% longer than the Russian artillery it is replacing.