DrStone's recent activity
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Comment on From neat lawns to wild havens: how No Mow May is transforming England’s gardens in ~enviro
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Comment on What’s something that didn’t work for you? in ~talk
DrStone Link ParentAt the end of the day, it's still a show targeted at 3-7 year old kids. There's an ocean of shows targeted at the same age range (or wider) that range from garbage to actively detrimental to a...At the end of the day, it's still a show targeted at 3-7 year old kids. There's an ocean of shows targeted at the same age range (or wider) that range from garbage to actively detrimental to a child (in no particular order: cocomelon, peppa pig, caillou, blippi). Bluey has a lot of good themes, realistic problems and resolutions, healthy relationships and family dynamics, a lot of imagination activities (with a clear distinction from "real" life), and isn't overstimulating. They occasionally touch on serious topics, like infertility or feeling inadequate as a parent, in an age-appropriate way. For parents, aside from being comfortable with your kids watching it, there's many little details and jokes that are relatable. In short, it's a show parent's might actually enjoy watching with their kids, which is a rarity worth celebrating. It's not one I'd recommend an adult seek out on their own.
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Comment on Buying a high-end PC for the first time - help me to doublecheck what I'm buying? Is 4k a bad idea with the specs? in ~tech
DrStone Link ParentI have an RTX 3080 and had a 750W PSU. It worked fine for two or three years, but as soon as the PSU started to age and degrade a little, I would get hard shutdowns maybe once or twice a day while...I have an RTX 3080 and had a 750W PSU. It worked fine for two or three years, but as soon as the PSU started to age and degrade a little, I would get hard shutdowns maybe once or twice a day while gaming, across a range of games. Eventually I suspected the PSU and started more targeted investigation, logging HWiNFO sensor data while performing various tests. GPUs can spike like x2-x3 above the stated/set power limit ("transients"). I ended up replacing the PSU with a new 1000w Seasonic. I considered an 850W, which would have been sufficient for my hardware, but... the cost to jump to 1000W wasn't significant, a PSU running closer to 50-60% capacity than full is better, and it provides more room for transient spikes or future hardware upgrades.
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Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech
DrStone Link ParentMaybe I’m misunderstanding, but here is the official iPhone User Guide Get extensions to customize Safari on iPhoneMaybe I’m misunderstanding, but here is the official iPhone User Guide Get extensions to customize Safari on iPhone
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Comment on Lost/losing the drive for friendship in ~health.mental
DrStone Link ParentI'm sorry to hear that you've gone through such a struggle, but this is a very uncharitable interpretation and unnecessarily hostile response. I can almost guarantee that stu was not suggesting...I'm sorry to hear that you've gone through such a struggle, but this is a very uncharitable interpretation and unnecessarily hostile response. I can almost guarantee that stu was not suggesting that an alcoholic continue drinking with friends instead of maintaining sobriety. The majority of adults who drink alcohol neither suffer from alcohol use disorder nor have any other preexisting medical issues that make it particularly dangerous. While alcohol has some dangers and negative health impact for an average healthy adult when consumed responsibly, they are saying that is likely smaller in magnitude than the large positive impact of having friends. So, ordered in terms of benefit:
- (Ideal) Friends + sobriety
- Friends + alcohol consumption
- No friends + sobriety
- No friends + alcohol consumption
- (Clearly dangerous) Alcoholic/medically-at-risk + alcohol consumption regardless of friends.
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Comment on I love bioparks in ~travel
DrStone Link ParentWhat a coincidence, this was just announced: Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay ranked third-best attraction in the world in Tripadvisor awards Note that it's not "best garden" or similar niche, it's...What a coincidence, this was just announced:
Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay ranked third-best attraction in the world in Tripadvisor awardsNote that it's not "best garden" or similar niche, it's "best attraction" period. First and second were The Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.
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Comment on I love bioparks in ~travel
DrStone LinkThe Singapore Botanic Gardens (official site / wiki) are really great and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a beautiful garden, clean and well maintained, with an incredible...The Singapore Botanic Gardens (official site / wiki) are really great and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a beautiful garden, clean and well maintained, with an incredible diversity of plants and environments. There are several large fields for playing and picnicking, one of which has a symphony stage in the middle of a pond where they often perform free concerts. Of particular note is the National Orchid Garden within the main gardens, containing over 1,500 species and 3,000 hybrids on display.
Also in Singapore is the Gardens by the Bay (official site / wiki) located along the waterfront. Large outdoor gardens, events and performances, food, and two huge conservatories - the "Cloud Forest" modeling a tropical mountain with a 35' waterfall and several levels of bridge walkways, and the "Flower Dome" with a range of habitats and a central section with a frequently changing whimsical theme.
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Comment on A brief history of fish sauce in ~food
DrStone Link ParentThe West has Worcestershire sauce, which is a type of fish sauce, though it has more ingredients than a typical Asian fish sauce. It was common in my experience in the US.The West has Worcestershire sauce, which is a type of fish sauce, though it has more ingredients than a typical Asian fish sauce. It was common in my experience in the US.
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Comment on Dual national Londoner stranded in Spain by new border rule in ~travel
DrStone Link ParentI looked into this while traveling with US dual-citizens and it was confirmed by the immigration officers on both sides during the trip: for both the US and the other country in our case, it is...I looked into this while traveling with US dual-citizens and it was confirmed by the immigration officers on both sides during the trip: for both the US and the other country in our case, it is mandatory to use the local passport at the immigration checkpoint (i.e. US to enter/exit US, other to enter/exit other). This is separate from the airline check-in and airport security, which I believe has some flexibility as long as you are ready to present both passports.
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Comment on Why Portuguese is the most underestimated global language on Earth in ~humanities.languages
DrStone Link ParentThe modern generation's "This looks shopped. I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time."The modern generation's "This looks shopped. I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few shops in my time."
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Comment on AI Coding agents are the opposite of what I want in ~comp
DrStone Link ParentFor commercial airplanes, autopilot does handle almost the entire typical flight, getting turned on shortly after takeoff and turned off shortly before landing. The pilot's job while while its on...For commercial airplanes, autopilot does handle almost the entire typical flight, getting turned on shortly after takeoff and turned off shortly before landing. The pilot's job while while its on (unless they choose to do more) is basically to monitor everything, input data for the autopilot and make adjustments, and handle the edge/failure cases. It actually sounds a lot like coding with AI.
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Comment on I miss technology that was meant to be used as a tool in ~tech
DrStone Link ParentI am absolutely certain that we could find things in your life that you don’t/can’t care about, or don’t care about “enough” for whatever threshold we hold, and write similar rants.I am absolutely certain that we could find things in your life that you don’t/can’t care about, or don’t care about “enough” for whatever threshold we hold, and write similar rants.
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Comment on Getting permission from your significant other in ~life
DrStone LinkHealthy partner and parenting relationships have already been covered. One thing I didn’t see mentioned is specific to this scenario of meeting up to play. Aside from “boss”, I’ve heard countless...Healthy partner and parenting relationships have already been covered. One thing I didn’t see mentioned is specific to this scenario of meeting up to play. Aside from “boss”, I’ve heard countless variations of your second example “I got permission! I can go to the after-work game” said as a light hearted joke from both husbands and wives (and roommates) since it reminds people of asking their parents if they could play with friends as kids.
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Comment on Getting permission from your significant other in ~life
DrStone Link ParentThe time and mental effort difference to wrangle multiple rambunctious toddlers through a meal, bathing, and getting ready for bed/school with one adult versus two is unbelievable.The time and mental effort difference to wrangle multiple rambunctious toddlers through a meal, bathing, and getting ready for bed/school with one adult versus two is unbelievable.
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Comment on Pokémon Go players built a thirty-billion-photo map for AI in ~tech
DrStone Link ParentThat has been Niantic's core business - dressing up real world data collection as a game - since they began as an internal startup at Google in 2010 and released Ingress in 2012.That has been Niantic's core business - dressing up real world data collection as a game - since they began as an internal startup at Google in 2010 and released Ingress in 2012.
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Comment on Can we talk about rice cookers? in ~food
DrStone Link ParentZojirushi specifically uses "Sumiflon", which seems to be marketed as a high-end Teflon-like coating with higher durability. I've had one for maybe five years, acquired second hand, with a bowl...Zojirushi specifically uses "Sumiflon", which seems to be marketed as a high-end Teflon-like coating with higher durability. I've had one for maybe five years, acquired second hand, with a bowl coating still in perfect condition even with washing the rice vigorously in it. Friends and comments online share similar or longer lives for theirs, including people who use it literally every day. There's absolutely no contest between the Zojirushi bowl coating durability and my other generic Teflon-coated cookware. As for how much of that is the coating itself versus being extra careful handling of rice cooker bowls, especially high-end ones, who knows.
Funny story: Many years ago, a friend of mine started dating a Chinese woman. On one of the first visits to meet her family for dinner, he wanted to be a good guest, and so offered to help with the dishes. When he got to the rice cooker bowl, there were some stubborn bits; it was a bit older and I guess already had some chips or scratches. So he did what what any reasonable person might do if they didn't know any better - flipped the sponge to the scouring side. It certainly got the rice off, and he noticed some black stuff too. Must be burnt bits stuck on like on an old sheet tray, he thought, and decided to give it a thorough scrub. Needless to say, the family was not pleased to see the bare metal bottom of the bowl. They eventually got married and currently own a nice, gently cared for rice cooker.
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Comment on Can we talk about rice cookers? in ~food
DrStone Link ParentIt's also common for Chinese cooking to rinse the rice at least a few times. I think it's more broadly an East/West divide.It's also common for Chinese cooking to rinse the rice at least a few times. I think it's more broadly an East/West divide.
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Comment on Everything we just learned about the new Stargate series in ~tv
DrStone LinkWhat’s the best way to watch Stargate SG-1 in 2026? It popped up on Netflix for me recently and air was excited to start, but it is rough. The compression on top of the expectedly low resolution...What’s the best way to watch Stargate SG-1 in 2026? It popped up on Netflix for me recently and air was excited to start, but it is rough. The compression on top of the expectedly low resolution is particularly bad. The dialogue volume relative to the rest of the audio seems even worse than recent shows that people complain about. I could swear there’s some occasional sync issues between the audio and video too.
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Comment on When you were first getting your driver's license, what were you afraid of? in ~transport
DrStone Link ParentAdditionally, while some drivers seem to think there is a 5-10 second sustained fuck-you-other-guy minimum duration requirement, the standard horn can in fact be used for short bursts. A quick...Additionally, while some drivers seem to think there is a 5-10 second sustained fuck-you-other-guy minimum duration requirement, the standard horn can in fact be used for short bursts. A quick little beep or two is usually plenty to draw attention with minimal disturbance in less critical situations.
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Comment on Your daily coffee may be protecting your brain, 43-year study finds in ~health.mental
DrStone Link ParentFrom cursory research, it seems that while caffeine by dry weight may be higher in tea than roasted coffee beans, the caffeine per cup of drink is almost always lower in tea due to amount used and...From cursory research, it seems that while caffeine by dry weight may be higher in tea than roasted coffee beans, the caffeine per cup of drink is almost always lower in tea due to amount used and strength of the extraction. Around 30-70mg for 8oz of tea versus 90-120mg for coffee. Also caffeine varies with part of the tea plant you're using, more for whole leaves and less for the stems and dust in cheap bags that most people drink daily.
Then you have the "kopi" in southeast asia that use 100% robusto beans and average 100-200mg, sometimes upwards of 265mg, in an 8oz cup (plus a bunch of condensed milk and white sugar). The majority of people drink one or more cups of this
rocket fuelcoffee daily.
Yeah, this is likely it. Giving up a perfectly manicured lawn doesn't mean you can simply stop maintaining everything. A bit of planning and regular maintenance go a long way in keeping both your neighbors and the environment happy. Carefully select a variety of native plants that grow well together, favoring ones that provide the most benefit for local/migratory fauna and healthy/stable soil. Just letting whatever grow may end up of minimal benefit to the ecosystem on top of being ugly. Maintain whatever you decide to grow. More intense routine in the beginning to help establish everything new, but regular intentional trimming/pruning can help your plants grow better, on top of looking nicer and keeping shared paths/sidewalks fully accessible. Depending on your location and specific neighbors, proactively work to keep out dangerous inhabitants. Venomous snakes and spiders, aggressive and territorial animals, poisonous plants, invasive weeds, anything you'd give a wide berth on a hike isn't great to have in close proximity to people (particularly near curious children, pets, and the elderly). Also plan around and monitor water drainage. You can unintentionally create problems for yourself or your neighbors, and your local government may have laws/rules/permits around disturbing drainage flows.
I think my parents' home is a good example. A detached home in the middle of a suburban development. We always did the landscaping ourselves. Initially it was some gardening around walkways and under windows, plus a few smaller flower/vegetable/herb gardens. Over the years, and as we kids grew, the gardens and landscaping expanded. At some point we replaced the entire front yard with a garden, the first to do so on our block, and I think only one to this day. The other gardens are slowly taking over the back and side yards, year by year. Always careful and intentional with the changes and maintenance. The neighbors (and property values) are happy, and the place is packed with the bees, butterflies, birds, and other creatures.