chocobean's recent activity
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Comment on Some protein powders and shakes may contain high levels of lead in ~health
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Comment on Frieren manga announces indefinite hiatus in ~anime
chocobean LinkOfficial announcement from Manga Sunday in Japanese I hope the author and illustrator have a good long and restorative break. No masterpiece is worth the health of its creators. Thank you for...Official announcement from Manga Sunday in Japanese
I hope the author and illustrator have a good long and restorative break. No masterpiece is worth the health of its creators. Thank you for everything so far, and if there won't ever be more, it has been a privilege. Anime next year is just a wonderful bonus.
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Frieren manga announces indefinite hiatus
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Comment on Financial collapse? in ~finance
chocobean Link ParentI've been bearish on Canadian real estate for 20ish years and I've been wrong for 20ish years. "Markets can stay irrational for longer than you can stay solvent." Even if prices crash to 20% of...knowing a crash is coming and knowing when and how is much much harder.
I've been bearish on Canadian real estate for 20ish years and I've been wrong for 20ish years. "Markets can stay irrational for longer than you can stay solvent." Even if prices crash to 20% of the current prices (government will 100% NOT allow that to happen) it's still a crazy amount of increase since the 90s. Meanwhile, one still needs a place to live come heck and high waters.
I’m mostly focusing on being employed and staying stable.
I agree with you: hug a job, don't gamble on number stock/margins/options/meme stock. Best strategy this whole time is still be frugal, be employed, and do whichever buy/rent/live at parents makes more financial/mental health sense.
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Comment on Financial collapse? in ~finance
chocobean (edited )LinkBest thing I would advice is to decrease debt and lower spending, because that's always a good idea. Live smaller, learn to cook, buy less, keep using what you have for longer, grow food or...Best thing I would advice is to decrease debt and lower spending, because that's always a good idea. Live smaller, learn to cook, buy less, keep using what you have for longer, grow food or hunt/fish/forage if you can. I realise that most people rent and there's not much one can do to further decrease rent. Feels bad
un-informed investments muttering
Not advice: just muttering. I recently moved my investments to "more cash less equity" conservative funds, but I'm expecting them to take a beating still. If my investment horizon is less than 15 years i would move them completely to cash only. Also moved them away from US markets, towards ex-china ex-HK Asian Emerging but that's more my beef with USA/China as a Canadian/Hong Konger than investment outlook.Edit: sorry for editing. But I want to say that the US economy isn't going to collapse and become (say) Zimbabwe or reduce to bartering sticks for eggs. There's 400 million people collectively dreaming this dream, and the entire world is heavily tied in to their massive massive finances and military might. The US and the world overall will survive the next panic, just like it has done for 2000 and 2008. I would only really worry if I were heavily leveraged, if I had no savings, or if I were retiring/retired. Otherwise, be frugal without being a miser, and it'll be tough but okay.
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Comment on Some protein powders and shakes may contain high levels of lead in ~health
chocobean LinkIt sounds like the contamination is coming from crops, and the ultra processed nature of it. They were testing for pea protein. But another Consumer Lab report recently called out cassava and a...It sounds like the contamination is coming from crops, and the ultra processed nature of it. They were testing for pea protein. But another Consumer Lab report recently called out cassava and a bunch of other ingredients.
Basically I'll just assume nothing's safe. -..-
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Comment on Who tried beetroot? in ~food
chocobean Link ParentUrrraagh!! Gimme the dumplings now!! >..< want to eat!!!Urrraagh!! Gimme the dumplings now!! >..< want to eat!!!
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Comment on Who tried beetroot? in ~food
chocobean LinkUkrainian beet soup (borscht) Just steamed, peeled, sliced, salt, eaten hot Blended smooth into hot creamy soup Not a big fan of cold foods but beets are tasty. Also the leaves are tasty too! Stir...Ukrainian beet soup (borscht)
Just steamed, peeled, sliced, salt, eaten hot
Blended smooth into hot creamy soup
Not a big fan of cold foods but beets are tasty.
Also the leaves are tasty too! Stir fry!
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Comment on Luigi Mangione wants death penalty count tossed in US CEO murder case in ~news
chocobean Link ParentIn this world, the rich has always been able to delude the masses into thinking that the rich can rub the faces of 90% of society in the dirt for perpetuity, and not wind up with immense...In this world, the rich has always been able to delude the masses into thinking that the rich can rub the faces of 90% of society in the dirt for perpetuity, and not wind up with immense sociopolitical dysfunction, because the rich are intelligent / rational / wise / virtuous and whatever goods things they in fact hoard are stolen by "the outsiders".
For folks who love to side with power, when things don't work out for them, it's too dangerous to reconsider if maybe siding with abusive power has been wrong. It's easier to stop all of that doubt and just focus on hurting the outsiders. Surely the virtuous Rich and Powerful would have loved to share, but they can't because the wealth is stolen by them.
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Comment on How do I convince my workplace we need SQL databases? in ~tech
chocobean LinkYou could try being more familiar with PostGIS first, and then using it on your own alongside the regular work. Documenting hours it takes to do it the old way vs new. Then before next project,...You could try being more familiar with PostGIS first, and then using it on your own alongside the regular work. Documenting hours it takes to do it the old way vs new. Then before next project, ask for permission to use only the new one if it's a solo project, and compare the time savings as well as any other advantages. Make a good presentation for why it'll save money: remember that not having panic catastrophic loss is a money saver too. Say those happen once a year, vs 0, that's X dollars saved. Project Regular labour savings stacked over one year + Catastrophe per year savings.
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And then money is time. Tally up the hours saved, and estimate that if the whole team saves X hours, they could take on Y number of additional projects, which would bring in Z amount of money.
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Comment on ‘Everything is legitimate’: Israeli leaders defend soldiers accused of rape (2024) in ~society
chocobean Link Parent2025, March, UN](https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161081) They're not satisfied with just killing them; they are attempting to snuff out the humanity of their victims before destroying their...2025, March, UN](https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161081)
Senior human rights investigators reporting to the UN Human Rights Council alleged on Thursday that sexual and gender-based violence by Israeli security forces against Palestinians – including children - have been increasingly used “as a method of war” following the 7 October 2023 attacks that sparked the Gaza war.
They're not satisfied with just killing them; they are attempting to snuff out the humanity of their victims before destroying their bodies. I don't think there's anything more horrific than that.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
chocobean Link ParentUntil you pointed it out I didn't realise they coined this. BravoUntil you pointed it out I didn't realise they coined this. Bravo
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
chocobean Link ParentIt might also be that society makes it supremely unsafe for attractive women to broadcast okay-ness with one night stands.It might also be that society makes it supremely unsafe for attractive women to broadcast okay-ness with one night stands.
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Comment on At the end of our ropes in ~health.mental
chocobean Link ParentDon't let them give you generics, by the way. A lot of these meds, eg concerta, gave a unique slow delivery mechanism which make them last most of the day, vs generics which are chemically...Don't let them give you generics, by the way. A lot of these meds, eg concerta, gave a unique slow delivery mechanism which make them last most of the day, vs generics which are chemically equivalent but not the same. It's like saying buying a pile of wood pulp is the same as buying a house.
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
chocobean Link ParentYeah it's kind of like job interview sites and how it keeps getting worse and worse for both parties But the cat is out of the bag now, there's no going backYeah it's kind of like job interview sites and how it keeps getting worse and worse for both parties
But the cat is out of the bag now, there's no going back
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Comment on ‘I realised I’d been ChatGPT-ed into bed’: how ‘Chatfishing’ made finding love on dating apps even weirder in ~tech
chocobean Link ParentThat's because you're the kind of person who can generate two paragraphs of coherent, insightful and relevant text on a whim. Some people really do suffer from inability to carry on a text based...That's because you're the kind of person who can generate two paragraphs of coherent, insightful and relevant text on a whim. Some people really do suffer from inability to carry on a text based conversation beyond "yup" and "ok". As the dating landscape move from .... whatever it was before , to one where women carefully vet men for the ability to communicate, to show wit and empathy, and some level of emotional vulnerability and intelligence, we have a bunch of people who didn't grow up fostering that skill set.
I think the people using it as a tutor to learn how to better communicate will do fine. The differentiation will be between those who use their tutor to learn the material, vs those who are hoping their tutor writes their entire papers.
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Comment on At the end of our ropes in ~health.mental
chocobean Linkecho, second opinion. suggestions: (1) find out how he's doing emotionally, and (2) lean into his hyperfocus (1) is it possible that he's smart enough to have figured out this place sucks and...- Exemplary
echo, second opinion.
suggestions: (1) find out how he's doing emotionally, and (2) lean into his hyperfocus
(1) is it possible that he's smart enough to have figured out this place sucks and everything is meaningless, so he's just gonna chill and "wait it out" so to speak. Like, what do you want from him and why do you want it? If it's to get through school and get a job, really, why? So he can get into mortgage debt and be bored like this, but now with debt? Sounds dumb. So what's there in the human experience that's worth his while? Have a good talk. He says he's frustrated with himself: is he having some anxiety about where his executive functioning deficits is heading, and would he benefit from speaking to an understanding professional about it? I just discovered THIS MONTH that there are occupational therapists who cover executive functioning, so maybe give that a try IF he wants help just doesn't know how to get there. Is he having trouble with making friends or confused by girls or have trouble understand intent from what others want from him or how to get people to stop having weird thoughts about him? Get thee hence to a good Speech Language Pathologist. Interview a bunch of these people before hiring them, by the way, the mileage SUPER varies. But yeah they're crazy expensive even with a good one :(
(2) Hyperfocus. This is about harnessing his superpowers. Is he into rocks? Make a budget that works for your family, and ask him to plan a rock hounding trip which includes logistics, money, accommodations, local rock clubs, field trips and local law on collecting specimens. He's smart enough to do it, and let him know you expect flaws and y'all will roll with it. Is he into defeating your cyber home defenses to get to certain sites? You guys gotta game up and ask for advice here and/or hire guns to set up ever higher and higher hurdles precisely so he can learn to leap over them, and celebrate his victories begrudgingly. Get him to volunteer at the local "seniors can't swip to answer their smartphones" help clinics maybe, and use his powers for good. Convert those volunteer hours into a resume so he can get a job doing this, and with money saved up he can plan his trip to some kind of security conference or expo or convention, or look into post secondary programs in that field. From there, maybe highschool graduation will make more sense to accomplish as a clear stepping stone to fun adult world activities.
Lastly, he's 16. He's old enough to stay home by himself and finish highschool via correspondence IF that's what he wants to do. It's not for everyone of course but he could do it.
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Comment on At the end of our ropes in ~health.mental
chocobean Link ParentFWIW Vyvanse, Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin did not work for me: not knocking them and I'm so happy they exist for others, but just for folks who tried and don't work, don't panic, it's not just you...FWIW Vyvanse, Concerta, Adderall, Ritalin did not work for me: not knocking them and I'm so happy they exist for others, but just for folks who tried and don't work, don't panic, it's not just you and it's okay to keep trying new ones until you find something.
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Comment on Can you really be addicted to food? Researchers are uncovering similarities to drug addiction in some eating patterns. in ~food
chocobean Link ParentLol I love this (I mean I hate this! Grrr!) , and will try to potentially use it as a mantra when I'm struggling to do the right thing (which is often). Broccosalt wouldn't hesitate to press this...Lol I love this (I mean I hate this! Grrr!) , and will try to potentially use it as a mantra when I'm struggling to do the right thing (which is often). Broccosalt wouldn't hesitate to press this advantage, Broccosalt is here take what's theirs and darn tootin' right it's theirs!
:< but perhaps Broccosalt is the better version of me, one who eats their vegetables, and exercises, and have been seeing an OT about executive functioning for longer, and has their life together as an adult, and isn't even tempted to take advantage of petty nonsense and give in to making dumb easy evil choices all the time.
Incidentally, I just read one of Ted Chiang's short story from Exhalation, Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" (Hugo Award and Nebula Award finalist), the one about infinite parallel selves. :) Perhaps there's a version of me who went to work in HK decades ago, became a ruthless capitalist and side with money and power easily, and cheering on Might making Right why not.
I hope there's no version of me out there who is totally awful, but (this is Chiang's brilliant story idea, not mine) what small good I do today can ensure that every single branch from today has also done this small good, and hopefully becomes a habit for all those versions which begats more good actions. (Conversely, even though there's no ability to undo the evils I've done up till now, I have the potential to make those evil the absolute low points, by being better from here on)
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Comment on After quitting antidepressants, some people suffer surprising, lingering symptoms in ~health.mental
chocobean Link ParentI'm not sure. Maybe just put them in a bag and take them to the pharmacist without names and dates? I would ask them first if they're willing to take old unlabelled drugs first -- maybe someone...I'm not sure. Maybe just put them in a bag and take them to the pharmacist without names and dates? I would ask them first if they're willing to take old unlabelled drugs first -- maybe someone found them cleaning out an apartment for an elderly relative? I've had to get rid of a lot of pairs of old glasses, wouldn't be surprising to find a lot of untaken prescription.
Dr. Zoidberg: Once again, the conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor.