Captain_Wacky's recent activity

  1. Comment on ‘It finally feels like we’re back in 2019’: US movie theater owners rejoice over $4 billion summer. Can the fall keep the momentum? in ~movies

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    IIRC, weren't theater owners lamenting their 2019 numbers, right before COVID hit?

    IIRC, weren't theater owners lamenting their 2019 numbers, right before COVID hit?

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Trying to identify a Yixing Teapot, need help in ~arts

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    Yeah, was posting to here, hoping to get a second opinion, or more information in general.

    Yeah, was posting to here, hoping to get a second opinion, or more information in general.

  3. Trying to identify a Yixing Teapot, need help

    ~arts Ask (advice)
    I have found a yixing teapot at a consignment store in the US, and despite the usual advice of "assume it to be bootleg," it seems to be handmade, and from yixing clay. However, I am having...

    I have found a yixing teapot at a consignment store in the US, and despite the usual advice of "assume it to be bootleg," it seems to be handmade, and from yixing clay.

    However, I am having trouble ascertaining identity beyond "yep that's a handmade clay teapot." It has some bamboo motifs that do not seem to fit in any of the online examples I have found concerning teapot shapes, and I have also had trouble in identifying the 3 makers marks present on the teapot. The marks themselves are under the lid, under the main body, and at the 'root' of the handle. Took pictures at multiple orientations for lighting purposes, and frankly, because idk which side is "up" for the characters. I have also included some images to indicate that it's made from clay, and that it's handmade, or at the very least not something pulled from a mold. The black and white and red flecks in the up close shots, the grooves in the bottom interior of the pot indicate it was made with hand tools, no dimples in the interior wall facing the handle to indicate use of a mold, as well as the bamboo branch 'loops' themselves all indicate to me that this had to be made by hand.

    Link to the album to the teapot in question: https://ibb.co/album/Zp9BnC

    It's a nice mystery to have. I can't imagine it to be anything worthy of a museum, the bamboo motifs certainly do make it seem like it's something quite special, however they also make it hard to discern what the exact geometry of the pot to be when looking at a chart like this: https://www.cnteaspirit.com/shapes-of-yixing-teapot-the-ultimate-guide/ (the closest I think is "Fang Gu" but it could easily be the "Zhu Gu" or "Zhu Duan" special forms, due to the bamboo). I have not seen any bamboo branch loops in any of the examples I have found, so my curiosity is piqued even more.

    I am curious to see what anyone can make out of the translations!

    13 votes

  4. Comment on I'm not ready to let this place go in ~tildes

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    The latest round of invites disbursed on the Tildes subreddit is also only a month old, and has been done at least 46 times since the Reddit API situation.

    The latest round of invites disbursed on the Tildes subreddit is also only a month old, and has been done at least 46 times since the Reddit API situation.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick in ~talk

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    I got in by emailing Deimos, in-between /r/Tildes invite waves during the Reddit API panic. (I think it was Deimos, anyway) Finding the email wasn't terribly difficult, just a tad buried in the...

    I got in by emailing Deimos, in-between /r/Tildes invite waves during the Reddit API panic. (I think it was Deimos, anyway)

    Finding the email wasn't terribly difficult, just a tad buried in the FAQ.

    Idk if he would still answer those emails today, but between that being a potential option, Tildes invites distributed between current users and the sporadic "invite request rounds" on /r/Tildes, (46 rounds total, latest being a month old) I would have dared to say that Tildes was growing at a rate that was successfully combating the "Eternal September" syndrome.

    I guess I would just watch /r/Tildes to see if another batch of invites gets distributed in the following months.

    5 votes

  6. Comment on Waving goodbye, carrying my bundle on a stick in ~talk

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    That's what I'm wondering as well. I wonder if they do realize that wasn't some announcement of placing the website on life support, right?

    That's what I'm wondering as well.

    I wonder if they do realize that wasn't some announcement of placing the website on life support, right?

    11 votes

  7. Comment on The US is recruiting gamers to solve its air traffic controller shortage in ~transport

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    With the relaxing of rules, I can see this going badly. A lot of the current training is to instill a professional mindset, and I can only assume that they're targeting gamers with the idea of...

    With the relaxing of rules, I can see this going badly. A lot of the current training is to instill a professional mindset, and I can only assume that they're targeting gamers with the idea of bypassing/reducing some aspects of training. Sure, gamers may be adept at picking out patterns and potentially having quick reflexes, but they're operating on an entirely different set of principles. I can't realistically see this current administration doing anything to address that discrepancy.

    Will the gamer actually stick it out when it no longer feels like play? Will they remain vigilant, and not divide their attention onto farming on passive games, and/or shitposting on Reddit/4chan? Will they not turn the ATC tower into a gooner cave? How will they handle themselves in an emergency? What if that emergency gets worse, beyond their control? Will they not inadvertently compromise security over the promise of a vial of gamer girl bathwater?

    As the article alluded to, you can't just "rage quit" out of a bad situation, and I really, really hope they're filtering those kinds of guys out. I know that not every person who lives with the label "gamer" is that far gone, but is a two-year training program really going to be effective enough to weed out the dummies?

    Lastly, none of this is still addressing the main problem: atc guys are being overworked and underpaid. Now they're just doing the same thing but with gamers at a reduced training regimen.

    7 votes

  8. Comment on As Reddit stock falls, CEO questions value of Google’s AI Overviews in ~tech

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    ...a member of the Silicon Valley upper crust, speaking ill of AI? I would have thought someone like Huffman would have become an unflinching AI sycophant. Interesting to see any of those guys...

    ...a member of the Silicon Valley upper crust, speaking ill of AI?

    I would have thought someone like Huffman would have become an unflinching AI sycophant. Interesting to see any of those guys openly complain about how AI is actually making their businesses worse. I guess that adage "no honor among thieves" rings true in this case.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on What’s a must-buy item you get when traveling internationally? in ~travel

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    What state are you going to, in the US? If able, find a quality BBQ place, and order the ribs. Preferably from some place that isn't a chain restaurant.

    What state are you going to, in the US?

    If able, find a quality BBQ place, and order the ribs.

    Preferably from some place that isn't a chain restaurant.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on Wildfire smoke from Canada will soon spread across the Midwest and East United States in ~enviro

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    It's already noticeable in the Ohio sunrises. The morning "golden hour" now casts light as red as a sunset.

    It's already noticeable in the Ohio sunrises.

    The morning "golden hour" now casts light as red as a sunset.

    3 votes

  11. Comment on Nvidia announces liquid cooling system that promises to reduce electricity consumption and cut water use by up to 100% in ~tech

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    The article seems to infer that this system will only be available for Vera Rubin chips. Can't/unwilling to retrofit the existing data centers with this system? What about those currently under...

    The article seems to infer that this system will only be available for Vera Rubin chips. Can't/unwilling to retrofit the existing data centers with this system? What about those currently under construction?

    It also seems relatively quick turnaround from the "problems" starting (the protests) to the announcement of this solution: so I can also infer that this cooling setup couldn't have been too terribly hard to conjure up. Why not do the due diligence and come up with a competent design the first time around?

    4 votes

  12. Comment on ‘Backrooms’ sends Hollywood running to Reddit for new ideas in ~movies

  13. Comment on What do you think is the best sandwich? in ~food

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    You can't eat a burger one-handed, but you totally can with sliders.

    You can't eat a burger one-handed, but you totally can with sliders.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on What do you think is the best sandwich? in ~food

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    From "The Hamburger Wagon" in Miamisburg Ohio: Four hamburger sliders (raw onion slice, salt/pepper, pickle) in a waxpaper bag and two cans of soda split between a friend, to be consumed sitting...

    From "The Hamburger Wagon" in Miamisburg Ohio: Four hamburger sliders (raw onion slice, salt/pepper, pickle) in a waxpaper bag and two cans of soda split between a friend, to be consumed sitting on some closed business' stoop in downtown during a sweaty-hot summer's day.

    That is the best sandwich.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on What do you think is the best sandwich? in ~food

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    I dunno, that diced olive spread seems like it would be even better if it was served warm.

    I dunno, that diced olive spread seems like it would be even better if it was served warm.

    1 vote

  16. Comment on The 100 best novels of all time published in English in ~books

  17. Comment on The 100 best novels of all time published in English in ~books

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    Five entries go to a single author, (Woolf) and four apiece to another two authors. (Dickens and Austen) Not a single mention of Borges or Saramago, either.

    Five entries go to a single author, (Woolf) and four apiece to another two authors. (Dickens and Austen)

    Not a single mention of Borges or Saramago, either.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ reviews mixed: “Boring and lifeless” vs. “best Star Wars in years” in ~movies

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    I feel like that would be the "free space" in a "Star Wars Reviews" Bingo card.

    I feel like that would be the "free space" in a "Star Wars Reviews" Bingo card.

    18 votes

  19. Comment on Tildes Survey #5: Pineapple on pizza? (Results) in ~talk

    Captain_Wacky
    Link Parent
    You may hate canned pineapple, which happens to be a pretty consistent thing. If possible, find a pizza place that serves fresh-cut grilled pineapple on their pizza. That'll make a true-believer...

    You may hate canned pineapple, which happens to be a pretty consistent thing.

    If possible, find a pizza place that serves fresh-cut grilled pineapple on their pizza. That'll make a true-believer out of anybody.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Can helium-3 create a gold rush on the moon? in ~space

    Captain_Wacky
    Link
    I feel like Betteridge's Law of Headlines would apply here. IIRC, there's only one private entity (Axiom Space) who's actively trying to put a continuously-manned space station into orbit....

    I feel like Betteridge's Law of Headlines would apply here.

    IIRC, there's only one private entity (Axiom Space) who's actively trying to put a continuously-manned space station into orbit. According to Wikipedia, they planned on assembling four modules and attaching them to the ISS by 2024. They had money issues in 2023, scaled back the anticipated size of their initial station in 2024, and secured more funding in 2026. They are running their business (or at least the engineering dept) out of a refurbished "Fry's Electronics."

    NASA wants to deorbit the ISS in 2030, with the Axiom Space Station running independent of the ISS by 2028. They have yet to place a single module, and it is currently May of 2026.

    If private entities have yet to clear that hurdle, any talk about industry on another celestial body is pure fantasy. We don't have anything resembling a factory in LEO, let alone the Moon.

    Not saying it's impossible, just highly improbable, till more realistic milestones are met.

    5 votes