Baeocystin's recent activity
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Comment on How to make friends as an adult in ~life
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Comment on What are your favorite special kitchen ingredients? in ~food
Baeocystin LinkA tiny amount of Xanthan Gum makes bread dough amazingly springy and awesome. When making pretzels, use real lye water, not the fake baking soda method that tastes like metallic disappointment....A tiny amount of Xanthan Gum makes bread dough amazingly springy and awesome.
When making pretzels, use real lye water, not the fake baking soda method that tastes like metallic disappointment. Sodium hydroxide will full thermally decompose, leaving no nasty aftertaste, just delicious Maillardy deliciousness.
Mushroom Ketchup is an amazing sauce, and is so easy to make, everyone should try it. The dried mushroom powder left after making it is just as good.
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Comment on The US Democrats need to start acting like an opposition party in ~society
Baeocystin LinkI say this as an exceedingly frustrated liberal myself: My problem with the American Left is the problem I've had with the Democrat establishment for decades- they're very, very good at moralizing...I say this as an exceedingly frustrated liberal myself: My problem with the American Left is the problem I've had with the Democrat establishment for decades- they're very, very good at moralizing about how others are fucking up, and absolutely allergic to taking a stand on anything, out of fear of getting called out for not being ideologically perfect themselves. Meanwhile the Right, whatever their manifold faults, know exactly how to work together as a team to push things through.
I'm posting a few Slate Star Codex essays below. I think they are very relevant if we're going to find a way forward past what currently isn't working at all. Not because I agree with them 100%, but because they provide think-grist for the mill.
https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/30/i-can-tolerate-anything-except-the-outgroup/
https://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/
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Comment on Is there a model of computer mouse that will let you easily open it up to clean it OR in ~tech
Baeocystin (edited )LinkI can speak to this; I work in IT, and deal with hundreds of mice. Being able to open a mouse to clean it just doesn't matter any more; everything is optical, with no internal moving parts to get...I can speak to this; I work in IT, and deal with hundreds of mice. Being able to open a mouse to clean it just doesn't matter any more; everything is optical, with no internal moving parts to get gummed up. Scroll wheels will age out from use, but I haven't seen one lost to crud in years.
You can get sealed mice for industrial uses, but they're kind of shitty as mice, they cost 10x what a regular mouse goes for, and they don't last anywhere near 10x as long. You're better off just using regular mice and replacing them slightly more often. I have regular mice on the floor in furniture shops that have a ton of wood dust, and they're fine, and have been for years.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
Baeocystin Link ParentI'm glad you liked the pics! Here's a few more for you to enjoy.. I really did enjoy my time there. I live in the suburbs, now, and that does have certain advantages, but all that open space was...I'm glad you liked the pics! Here's a few more for you to enjoy.. I really did enjoy my time there. I live in the suburbs, now, and that does have certain advantages, but all that open space was good for the soul, and I do miss it. :)
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentMy donkey friend's job was as a flock guardian for a bunch of emus, and he did his job well! They eventually got him a girlfriend, and she was just as nice, too. Donkeys are great. [edit] I found...My donkey friend's job was as a flock guardian for a bunch of emus, and he did his job well! They eventually got him a girlfriend, and she was just as nice, too. Donkeys are great.
[edit] I found some pictures! Here's my Donkey Buddy, one of the emus he protected, and two of my pups at the time, Pawsy and her grown-up puppy Miss D.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentNot OP, but I used to live on a horse ranch. Some horses were OK. Some were mean. One was really nice. Many, perhaps most, were not animals I wanted to be in the same paddock with. Donkeys, on the...Not OP, but I used to live on a horse ranch. Some horses were OK. Some were mean. One was really nice. Many, perhaps most, were not animals I wanted to be in the same paddock with.
Donkeys, on the other hand, are awesome. I had a donkey friend who would hoot and holler from acres away when he saw me coming home, and he just loved to hang out when I was working on the fence or the like. I would 100% have some donkey buddies if I ever had acreage.
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Baeocystin Link ParentI do have a DM15L, which I like. I still use my HP most of the time, as the larger screen is nice, but if I had to use a modern calculator, it would be a SwissMicros. It's noticeably faster than...I do have a DM15L, which I like. I still use my HP most of the time, as the larger screen is nice, but if I had to use a modern calculator, it would be a SwissMicros. It's noticeably faster than the original, and while I can't say the keys feel exactly the same, I have no complaints at all with how they feel. The build quality is top-notch, and the metal frame is very nice.
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Baeocystin Link ParentThat was a cool bit of history, thanks for sharing it. :) I knew the tune was called "Amaryllis", which is one of my favorite flowers, but I didn't know the greater context. Neat! And yeah, fully...That was a cool bit of history, thanks for sharing it. :) I knew the tune was called "Amaryllis", which is one of my favorite flowers, but I didn't know the greater context. Neat!
And yeah, fully agreed on the brown rice. I don't eat it often, but I 100% use the zojirushi when I do.
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Baeocystin Link ParentIf you're ever in the mood for more modern equipment, SwissMicros has a line of new-manufacture clones that are really good. (Not cheap either, unfortunately.)If you're ever in the mood for more modern equipment, SwissMicros has a line of new-manufacture clones that are really good. (Not cheap either, unfortunately.)
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Baeocystin LinkAt the risk of outing myself as an übernerd, my HP 48SX RPN Graphing Calculator. I purchased it new with a half a summer's worth of savings from my first job in high school in the early 90's, and...At the risk of outing myself as an übernerd, my HP 48SX RPN Graphing Calculator. I purchased it new with a half a summer's worth of savings from my first job in high school in the early 90's, and have been using it regularly ever since. The buttons are just so satisfyingly clicky to use, and stack-based calculations just make a lot more sense to my brain's flow. It makes me happy to use it every single time, and I hope it lasts forever.
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Baeocystin Link ParentI have the same model, which is perfect for one or two people. My only regret is not getting one sooner. I'm a good home cook, and have no problem with stovetop rice, but the Zojirushi just...nslgc05
I have the same model, which is perfect for one or two people. My only regret is not getting one sooner. I'm a good home cook, and have no problem with stovetop rice, but the Zojirushi just absolutely nails it every time, even when I'm using weird rice blends to finish the last of a couple bags or the like. It's just a delight to use. Plus the little tune it plays makes me happy. :)
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
Baeocystin Link ParentFWIW, I used my Q2, and use my Q3, with wireless airlink and basically don't think about latency, ever. It's reached good enough I don't care for the marginal gain of the cable. And I'm pretty...FWIW, I used my Q2, and use my Q3, with wireless airlink and basically don't think about latency, ever. It's reached good enough I don't care for the marginal gain of the cable. And I'm pretty sensitive to framerate, jitter, and the like. Using eero 6e's for my home network.
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Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? in ~tech
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentFor me, it's the use of lenses, and being able to boost/deprecate search results based on domain. No longer does Pinterest pollute my feed with nondownloadable images, for example. It does take a...For me, it's the use of lenses, and being able to boost/deprecate search results based on domain. No longer does Pinterest pollute my feed with nondownloadable images, for example.
It does take a while to get used to the Kagi way of searching, but it is well worth it. The times I have to switch back to Google to get something has dropped to just a few percent, nowadays.
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Comment on Anyone interested in trying out Kagi? in ~tech
Baeocystin Link ParentInvite sent.Invite sent.
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Comment on How to get used to spicy food? in ~food
Baeocystin LinkI take a digestive enzyme with every meal for other reasons, but a nice side effect is that I can once again tolerate spicier foods, like I could when I was young. So that's one option. Of course,...I take a digestive enzyme with every meal for other reasons, but a nice side effect is that I can once again tolerate spicier foods, like I could when I was young. So that's one option. Of course, spicy foods are usually served with lots of proteins and fats, which will also help avoid future ring of fire consequences.
In general, though, if it's causing you too much upset, just dial it back. You body is communicating with you; it's best to listen. :)
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Comment on Your partner asks for your phone, you refuse over privacy, they tell you they don't trust you. How do you respond? in ~talk
Baeocystin (edited )LinkMy phone has private, personal conversations with many people, private information related to business dealings, and private notes to myself that are intended only for my eyes. Outside of a call...My phone has private, personal conversations with many people, private information related to business dealings, and private notes to myself that are intended only for my eyes. Outside of a call 911 while I administer first aid type of emergency, it doesn't get shared, and I would never ask a partner for theirs for the same reason.
I have no nefarious secrets to hide. I do not lie or cheat. I also have my own business that is no one else's, as does any adult. I respect my partner's right to a private internal life, and I expect the same.
Of course, the reality is that there is very little I don't share and talk about with my significant other, which is also how it should be. But levels of privacy are important, and this is a hill I am willing to, if not die on, at least fight to defend.
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Comment on Why are people on social media fixated on sharing insane takes for "criticism" or mocking? in ~talk
Baeocystin LinkAbsolute vs. relative % numbers are in play, here. We as humans haven't yet developed the cultural tools we need to deal with superscale connectivity, and much of our innate social judgement...The question is this: how come this many people, after all this time, don't realize this is such an unhealthy thing?
Absolute vs. relative % numbers are in play, here. We as humans haven't yet developed the cultural tools we need to deal with superscale connectivity, and much of our innate social judgement co-evolved in much, much smaller groups than we are exposed to now. What seems like a lot of people may be a tiny percentage of the most reactive, simply amplified by the algorithm. Or it may be bots. Or it may genuinely reflect a worrying trend! But we do not, and cannot know which of these it is without serious analysis and access to back-end data that the social media companies do not share.
I recently heard someone say that they are nostalgic for the time the internet was a small part of their lives and felt big, instead of the current inverse. I agree with them, and it's one of the reasons I post more here than on reddit. I do want to talk to people, just not everyone all at once, and yes I gatekeep the everliving heck out of who I interact with for sanity's sake. Falling down the rabbit hole of guessing internet behavior otherwise is (IMO) a losing game.
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Comment on What chemicals/substances do you keep at home? And what do you do with them? in ~life.home_improvement
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentFunnily enough, I'm going to need to do exactly this soon. I have a LaserPecker 4. Is there a specific powder::acrylic ratio you find works best, or is it just make it opaque and you're good to go?Powdered Titanium Oxide for mixing with acrylic to coat white tiles in order to laser pure black designs on
Funnily enough, I'm going to need to do exactly this soon. I have a LaserPecker 4. Is there a specific powder::acrylic ratio you find works best, or is it just make it opaque and you're good to go?
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Comment on CrowdStrike avoids customer exodus after triggering global IT outage in ~tech
Baeocystin (edited )Link ParentNothing conspiratorial about it; cybersecurity is a shitshow. Part of it is misaligned incentives such as check-box compliance theatre, but to cut the industry (a little) slack, security is a...Nothing conspiratorial about it; cybersecurity is a shitshow. Part of it is misaligned incentives such as check-box compliance theatre, but to cut the industry (a little) slack, security is a really, really hard problem, even with well understood, well defined systems.
When it is seen as a cost center frustration that makes it hard to do your job properly (which is how it is seen by 99%+ of the world), hard becomes almost impossible. You wind up making a lot of compromises just to keep some semblance of things running, but how the sausage is made is really ugly. I think it genuinely would shock people to know how many companies out there are surviving because of a single, non-backed up Excel horrorshow running on a server that is a structural component to the shelf that holds the water cooler*, or some other equally awful Sword of Damocles.
(* a 100% real example from years ago)
I'm an American who has spent a lot of time outside the US. It's funny that stateside, I am considered rather introverted compared to the norm, but in most European countries I've visited, I'm (relatively) exceedingly extroverted when it comes to talking to new people. Same in east Asia.
And FWIW, I still strike up conversations with randos when I can, overseas or not. Obviously I try to read the vibe first, but 9 times out of 10 I wind up having a nice little chat with someone who absolutely hadn't expected to have a friendly talk with a stranger that day, and both our days are the better for it. Nothing wrong with spreading a little American-style warmth when folks are open to it.