DesktopMonitor's recent activity
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Comment on Tokyo, yeast, and expectations in ~travel
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Comment on What's an itch you were finally able to scratch? in ~talk
DesktopMonitor LinkBeen meaning to put myself in a position to wear clothes that aren’t baggy or square for pretty much my whole life. After actual decades I finally can. The itch is scratched. I do my job better, I...Been meaning to put myself in a position to wear clothes that aren’t baggy or square for pretty much my whole life. After actual decades I finally can. The itch is scratched.
I do my job better, I move through spaces physically and psychologically at ease. There’s no meaningful criticism of my physical form to be thought or felt. I don’t even look like an overweight person that’s lost weight. I am as thin as I can be. I am a western person that can wear a size small in Asia. When clothes don’t fit it is because the cut doesn’t work with my figure to create the desired silhouette, and there are now a wider range of desirable silhouettes available. There are lots of challenges ahead in this life, but thank goodness looking at myself in the mirror isn’t one of them right now. I’ll take that.
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Comment on What's your favorite personal gaming memory? in ~games
DesktopMonitor Link ParentAww you guys are an adorable popoto couple! Sweet album. Make sure you come back for 8.0 it’s going to be a blast!Aww you guys are an adorable popoto couple! Sweet album. Make sure you come back for 8.0 it’s going to be a blast!
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Comment on What's your favorite personal gaming memory? in ~games
DesktopMonitor Link Parentgpose please!!gpose please!!
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Comment on Israel passes death penalty [as default] law for Palestinians convincted [in military court] of lethal attacks in ~society
DesktopMonitor Link ParentLack of such prosecutions does appear to be an issue: Israel has not prosecuted its citizens for killing Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank since the start of this decade, a Guardian... -
Comment on Can we talk about rice cookers? in ~food
DesktopMonitor Link ParentAwesome suggestion. Having used Cuckoo along with Japanese and American market Zojirushi I would definitely go with the Cuckoo if I were in North America. In my years of eating rice daily I’ve...Awesome suggestion. Having used Cuckoo along with Japanese and American market Zojirushi I would definitely go with the Cuckoo if I were in North America. In my years of eating rice daily I’ve found that better rice cookers consistently make better rice using the same product.
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Comment on Proton Mail helped US FBI unmask anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ protester in ~tech
DesktopMonitor Link ParentTangential but the above quoted text reads, to me at least, to have been written by AI.Tangential but the above quoted text reads, to me at least, to have been written by AI.
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Comment on Messy 2026 F1 cars leave a deeply disturbing impression in ~sports.motorsports
DesktopMonitor LinkThe complaints following the switch to hybrid were strong and numerous. Same goes for the halo. Change and innovations are a part of F1. Of course things will be rocky. This is part of why I, and...The complaints following the switch to hybrid were strong and numerous. Same goes for the halo. Change and innovations are a part of F1. Of course things will be rocky. This is part of why I, and many others I’d imagine, watch the sport.
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Comment on An AI agent published a hit piece on me in ~tech
DesktopMonitor LinkAfter further dialogue in the GitHub comments, the AI agent apologized for the tone of its blog post. I won’t pretend to understand the whole issue but here are additional links for context:...After further dialogue in the GitHub comments, the AI agent apologized for the tone of its blog post. I won’t pretend to understand the whole issue but here are additional links for context:
Matplotlib GitHub : https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/pull/31132
AI’s apology: https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/pull/31132#issuecomment-3886901288
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Comment on Alternative to Spotify? in ~music
DesktopMonitor LinkI’m surprised no one has mentioned YouTube Music yet. It comes bundled with YT Premium but is its own app. It pulls in, if you want, all of the niche content on regular YT and presents it in an...I’m surprised no one has mentioned YouTube Music yet. It comes bundled with YT Premium but is its own app. It pulls in, if you want, all of the niche content on regular YT and presents it in an organized way alongside a given artist’s albums. I have used it every day since signing up. Just please get it directly from YT’s website if you are on iOS so you don’t pay extra.
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Comment on Rising cognitive disability as a public health concern among US adults, trends from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system, 2013–2023 in ~health.mental
DesktopMonitor Link ParentSo antidepressants, central nervous system stimulants, or analgesics. I’m not drawing any conclusions, but my experiences living among Americans plus the fact that data from this study was...Among youth, the three most prevalent disability types were mental health-related (13.6%), learning (9.2%), and pain-related (6.7%)
So antidepressants, central nervous system stimulants, or analgesics. I’m not drawing any conclusions, but my experiences living among Americans plus the fact that data from this study was gathered from self report instruments suggests to me a more complex picture.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
DesktopMonitor Link ParentI can say that green tea is definitely not a straight off the boil tea. Japanese hot water kettles have all got a 91-92 degree setting for green tea. That said, I would check the recommendations...I can say that green tea is definitely not a straight off the boil tea. Japanese hot water kettles have all got a 91-92 degree setting for green tea. That said, I would check the recommendations for your specific variety.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
DesktopMonitor Link ParentIt is. I’ve never smelled or tasted anything else remotely like it in my life. I’ve kept the last couple pellets for years now. I won’t drink the last one until I’ve found another supply.It is. I’ve never smelled or tasted anything else remotely like it in my life. I’ve kept the last couple pellets for years now. I won’t drink the last one until I’ve found another supply.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
DesktopMonitor Link ParentAlmost. The pu’er in my cupboard tastes like a one thousand year old library.would wager almost no white people have ever tasted this, despite being fairly popular in China.
Almost. The pu’er in my cupboard tastes like a one thousand year old library.
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Comment on Tips for becoming a tea person in ~food
DesktopMonitor (edited )LinkWater temperature, dose, and steeping time definitely affect the quality of the finished cup. I’d recommend looking up guidelines for the particular tea you are drinking. *don’t worry about the...Water temperature, dose, and steeping time definitely affect the quality of the finished cup. I’d recommend looking up guidelines for the particular tea you are drinking.
*don’t worry about the people who say it is odd to care about these things. They’ll love your tea.
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Comment on 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' movie review by Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel (1982) in ~movies
DesktopMonitor Link ParentMy comment was mostly in jest but yes, I agree with the points you’ve made above, especially about the Klingon’s practical nature.My comment was mostly in jest but yes, I agree with the points you’ve made above, especially about the Klingon’s practical nature.
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Comment on 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' movie review by Roger Ebert & Gene Siskel (1982) in ~movies
DesktopMonitor Link ParentSo, like, at some point, presumably on Qo'noS, some very motivated Klingons with bat’leth beat back some very unfortunate invaders with their disrupters and it was all warp drives and sloppy table...So, like, at some point, presumably on Qo'noS, some very motivated Klingons with bat’leth beat back some very unfortunate invaders with their disrupters and it was all warp drives and sloppy table meat parties from there on out? Sure! Why not. More plausible than the last season of Picard.
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Comment on What is happening to Japan? in ~tech
DesktopMonitor (edited )Link ParentWhat is actually happening is just lots of us getting up to go to work or school. You can see older businesses closing and homes being closed up after their occupants pass way since we live in an...What is actually happening is just lots of us getting up to go to work or school. You can see older businesses closing and homes being closed up after their occupants pass way since we live in an increasingly aging society. New homes and businesses are constantly being built too, but it still shows. The cost of goods and services have been rising, most notably the price of rice which is a *pretty solid indicator of feeling okay or not about your finances. Still, you can see lots of discretionary spending on goods and millions of people are constantly traveling domestically to enjoy themselves in their free time. These days there has been an influx of foreigners mainly from Nepal according to gov’t data. It makes sense since the value of the yen has been weakening compared to a bunch of other currencies, so the people for whom it is worth it to move here for work have changed accordingly. That’s about it from where I stand.
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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
DesktopMonitor Link ParentIf there is still some addictive need for food that semaglutide doesn’t take care of then I sincerely want to wish you the best in finding a way to quash it. Hang in there 💪If there is still some addictive need for food that semaglutide doesn’t take care of then I sincerely want to wish you the best in finding a way to quash it. Hang in there 💪
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Comment on If AI can diagnose patients, what are doctors for? in ~health
DesktopMonitor LinkWell, confirmed that we’re still around peak hype. I’d think the New Yorker would write better headlines at least. The attention baiting is gross. Is it so hard to choose something moderate like...Well, confirmed that we’re still around peak hype. I’d think the New Yorker would write better headlines at least. The attention baiting is gross. Is it so hard to choose something moderate like ‘Reexamining the role of doctors in the age of AI diagnosis’?
To each their own but compared to NYC for example I’ve found it easier to travel around Tokyo with a kid and –probably because I’ve lived here for so many years– I find the food just fine.
These days many train cars in Tokyo have areas for people with strollers that are large and super clearly marked in like bright orange, green, or pink or something. I appreciate that those of us with young kids are now not only using that space but asking people without young children or health problems to move aside. Also, train stations often have elevators from the platform to the street but it requires planning one’s trip with knowledge of which car will roll up near the elevator at a given station. Staircases aren’t so great for lifting strollers and you won’t get auto team lifting from strangers like in NYC but whatever.
A two or three year old in a Japanese family does spend a lot of time doing stuff with their parent(s) but generally within their community, especially on weekdays. If you aren’t in a dense residential neighborhood of young families at the right times of the day they are likely to appear absent but they are there. Tokyo is vast. There are many places for people to be, so sometimes it seems like no one is anywhere.
Food for two year olds… well they are generally eating basic Japanese foods at restaurants that parents know they will have like some rice or udon and maybe some side dish. Might not even be on the menu. Many parents of kids that age also bring food for the kid along with them from home like onigiri or something.
In the end I’ve found the availability of clean kid-friendly bathrooms to be the single most important thing for my family when we go out. A city like Tokyo has them in abundance.
Sushi? Lots of mediocre sushi in a country that has so much of it. Excellent sushi for a good price is abundant as well. Any sushi in Japan that still costs a lot when considered in USD should not be considered the normal price for good sushi.
Finally, vibes regarding being a burden to an employee because you are a tourist or need some extra time or consideration because you have a kid? Real. I’ve found people here tend to establish for themselves what is ‘normal work’ and what is ‘extra work’. Foreigners with small kids push that needle a bit too far for too many people imo. Tourists typically want to experience a wide variety of things because they are on vacation, so they shouldn’t be expected to end up doing their day fully like Japanese families with younger kids. I think that is something that some smaller businesses and younger customer-facing employees don’t always acknowledge.