DumpsterGrackle's recent activity

  1. Comment on What are your cooking experiments that haven't turned out well? in ~food

    DumpsterGrackle
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    Not sure if it's really an experiment in the same way, but I recently came across a recipe in a comment that used metric measurements. Instead of converting them to imperial, I decided to try...

    Not sure if it's really an experiment in the same way, but I recently came across a recipe in a comment that used metric measurements. Instead of converting them to imperial, I decided to try using a scale we already have.

    The issue was that this scale isn't for food, and doesn't have enough decimal places to properly convert to grams. We were originally given this to weigh our cat. I guess I mostly just wanted to see if I could eyeball my ingredients well enough to bake one small cake.

    Turns out, I cannot. Especially trying to bake in metric, when I've been baking in imperial all my life.

    So my cake batter was very liquidy, took way longer to cook than the stated time, rose up like a souffle, burned on the top, and was generally an embarrassment. This wasn't entirely unexpected, but I just needed to truly rule out the possibility that I'm some sort of cake wizard.

    3 votes

  2. Comment on Electric cars are not the future – In cities at least, e-bikes make more cultural and consumer sense in ~transport

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    Agreed! That's why I asked for some clarification. I'm disabled and I drive, as do most of the other disabled people I know. It's a huge spectrum, and it's frustrating that articles and...

    Agreed! That's why I asked for some clarification. I'm disabled and I drive, as do most of the other disabled people I know. It's a huge spectrum, and it's frustrating that articles and discussions about altering infrastructure tend to either leave us out altogether, or make sweeping generalizations and ignore all the nuance. Some other comments already elucidated many of these concerns, luckily.

    Maybe a better question would be, "What percentage of drivers are disabled in some way?" I'll try to find something.

    3 votes

  3. Comment on Electric cars are not the future – In cities at least, e-bikes make more cultural and consumer sense in ~transport

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    What's your basis for this assumption?

    Disabled people typically cannot drive

    What's your basis for this assumption?

    4 votes

  4. Comment on Quizzle – Can you guess the word in fewer than twenty questions? in ~games

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    How strange. I asked, "Is it kept as a pet?" and got a thumbs down.

    How strange. I asked, "Is it kept as a pet?" and got a thumbs down.

  5. Comment on I used to love Marvel. Now it feels like homework in ~tv

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    That shift put me off, too, when it persisted. It's like the tone of everything started to blend together. I get that they were merging all the storylines, but part of the fun of that is seeing...

    That shift put me off, too, when it persisted. It's like the tone of everything started to blend together. I get that they were merging all the storylines, but part of the fun of that is seeing the interactions between serious and light-hearted characters. Those moments can have great humor and chemistry precisely because of the clash, but now that everyone feels like they're more or less in line with the tone of Guardians, it's not as interesting. It's frustrating that the more serious characters seem to have lost their gravitas, even in their own movies. The balance of humor is off.

    It's great to have a lot of content to choose from, and the series still have different styles. It just feels like the characters are falling flat, or doing too many little forced, uncharacteristic things.

    6 votes

  6. Comment on What game mechanic or boss could you just not overcome? in ~games

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    I'm not alone! I adore the Zelda games, but the bosses (and some of the other enemies, to be honest) in the 3D ones really spike my anxiety. I think I must get too invested, coupled with the...

    I'm not alone! I adore the Zelda games, but the bosses (and some of the other enemies, to be honest) in the 3D ones really spike my anxiety. I think I must get too invested, coupled with the reasons you mentioned. I loved the concept of Majora's Mask, but that constant time limit was no bueno.

    I do much better with turn-based games.

    4 votes

  7. Comment on After two decades the dominance of Google Search comes into question in ~tech

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    It is a little disappointing, isn't it? I've been able to successfully migrate my bookmarks for many, many years, and I dread to think how many of them are dead links. I lost a knitting pattern...

    Consequently, the old adage of "nothing is ever deleted from the internet" is also not really true anymore, as this content consolidation has accelerated. Occasionally I remember something I saw on the web 20 years ago, finding it now is often impossible.

    It is a little disappointing, isn't it? I've been able to successfully migrate my bookmarks for many, many years, and I dread to think how many of them are dead links. I lost a knitting pattern that had three slight variations on three different websites, all of which are now defunct. I'm pretty sure I can find it again with the archive or a new search, but it was a little disconcerting that my redundancy (which seemed like overkill at the time) wasn't enough.

    I've actually started printing out recipes I really love. It feels like a step backward, but does save me from scrolling the gauntlet of the SEO life story before the actual instructions. I suppose paper backups will help protect me from the Cylon hordes, too. That doesn't help with miscellanea I don't know I'll want to reference again in the future, though.

    7 votes

  8. Comment on What’s a value that you hold but also struggle to live up to? in ~talk

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    I know what you mean. There have been a number of times I've fought through this anxiety and pushed back, and it's never gone well. I've spent more time on thorough debunkings than I did on some...

    I know what you mean. There have been a number of times I've fought through this anxiety and pushed back, and it's never gone well. I've spent more time on thorough debunkings than I did on some of my college classes. I've taken great pains to remain civil, measured, compassionate... which is already far more consideration than the other parties have shown to me. Even just asking for something as simple as refraining from using racial epithets in my presence has been met with vitriol, condescension, hand-waving dismissal, or other defensive reactions. Some truly impressive relationship implosions have resulted, but I doubt I changed their minds.

    At this point, I can't be bothered to write further theses for even those I care about most. Distancing to protect myself is the best I can do. I can't control their reactions, so removing myself is the only recourse. Maybe something I said will eventually sink in, but I either won't be in their lives to find out, or I won't be having further conversations on the subject with them at all.

    These confrontations have not helped my anxiety, but they have given me the "gifts" of several bigoted manifestos, numerous conspiracy-laden emails, and one racist PowerPoint. The absurdity of that last one almost makes up for the heartache.

    Not everyone can confront things in the same way. Your distance may be more effective than you think, too. Sometimes, a fight is what they're looking for, so denying them the attention is also a tactic.

    14 votes

  9. Comment on Texas woman injured after hawk drops snake on her in ~life

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link
    All of the characters in this story are extremely tenacious. The snake, the hawk, and the woman. I don't know who to root for. I'm surprised the hawk went after a human to get the snake back, but...

    All of the characters in this story are extremely tenacious. The snake, the hawk, and the woman. I don't know who to root for. I'm surprised the hawk went after a human to get the snake back, but I'm guessing the drought has made food scarce. I've had a few snake drops in my yard, but I never imagined it could 1) land directly on me, and 2) not be the most alarming thing to happen that day, or even that minute. I hope someone offers her some designer glasses with a snake and hawk theme.

    30 votes

  10. Comment on Do you look up words while reading a novel? in ~books

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    Until embarrassingly recently, I thought "capricious" was akin to greed or cruelty. It's possible I confused it with "avarice," but I'm pretty sure I just misinterpreted the context in which I...

    That did lead to some problems. Like, for example, knowing that chrysoprase was a type of colour, but not quite being sure what colour it was.

    Until embarrassingly recently, I thought "capricious" was akin to greed or cruelty. It's possible I confused it with "avarice," but I'm pretty sure I just misinterpreted the context in which I first read it. My brain refuses to update to the actual definition.

    And then, there's always the mispronunciation problems.

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Three Cheers for Tildes (Android version) is open for alpha testing on the Google Play Store in ~tildes

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    No, no... I've watched a lot of Top Gear. Let them go first.

    No, no... I've watched a lot of Top Gear. Let them go first.

    11 votes

  12. Comment on Futurama Season 8 Episode 1 discussion in ~tv

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    I haven't watched The Simpsons in a while, but I'm pretty sure they do some stuff with President Trump, so I'm guessing Futurama will stick with Nixon's head when it comes to political lampooning....

    I haven't watched The Simpsons in a while, but I'm pretty sure they do some stuff with President Trump, so I'm guessing Futurama will stick with Nixon's head when it comes to political lampooning. I agree that I'd rather not have direct stand-ins. To your point about relatable politicians, I guess they'd have to go with Bush Jr. to preserve that same time gap, but that feels odd, too. Or maybe I just feel old after reading your comment, haha.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tildes

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    It's like pulling that "bank error in your favor" card in Monopoly. Maybe they'll just be pleasantly confused. Who doesn't like a surprise windfall? I had a minor panic a while back that I...
    • Exemplary

    It's like pulling that "bank error in your favor" card in Monopoly. Maybe they'll just be pleasantly confused. Who doesn't like a surprise windfall?

    I had a minor panic a while back that I might've accidentally labeled a comment as "malicious," only to find out I'd forgotten the meaning of a few other stripe colors for comments. I'm sure I will butt-label someone at some point while putting my phone in my pocket.

    7 votes

  14. Comment on Why did you select your username for Tildes? in ~tildes

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link
    Rusty, you giblet-head, it's already 110 in the summer, and if it gets one degree hotter, I'm gonna kick your ass! Dumpster Grackles have it all. Tenacity, beauty, vocals, rage, discarded french...

    Dale Rusty, you giblet-head, it's already 110 in the summer, and if it gets one degree hotter, I'm gonna kick your ass!

    Dumpster Grackles have it all. Tenacity, beauty, vocals, rage, discarded french fries, a regular colon, a will to survive that would inspire Beyonce... what's not to love?

    6 votes

  15. Comment on What are your favourite dad jokes? in ~talk

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link
    Two guys walk into a bar. The third one ducked.
    Two guys walk into a bar. The third one ducked.
    2 votes

  16. Comment on What consumeristic and somewhat pointless hobby do you have? in ~hobbies

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    Thank you, this is super helpful! I like the look of that Metropolitan. Good to know those cartridges can be refilled easily, too. The reviews mention a "converter" to switch from cartridges to...

    Thank you, this is super helpful! I like the look of that Metropolitan. Good to know those cartridges can be refilled easily, too. The reviews mention a "converter" to switch from cartridges to refilling by sticking the pen into a jar of ink, and it sounds like that may be the plunger you're talking about. I'm definitely drawn to reducing plastic waste and having a variety of inks to choose from.

    I can feel my wallet cowering in fear already, lol.

  17. Comment on What consumeristic and somewhat pointless hobby do you have? in ~hobbies

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    Ooh, can you recommend a decent starter pen, or point me in the direction of some more information? Awhile back, I bought a gift set that, unbeknownst to me, included a cheap fountain pen. I loved...

    Ooh, can you recommend a decent starter pen, or point me in the direction of some more information? Awhile back, I bought a gift set that, unbeknownst to me, included a cheap fountain pen. I loved writing with it, but the tip broke, and refills don't work well with it. I've been wanting to get a better fountain pen ever since, but my knowledge of pens is limited to the nice Parker ballpoint I have.

    I fear I may end up with fountain pen mountain, but it's a risk I'm willing to take, lol.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on Series finales and a lack of closure in ~tv

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link
    I know what you mean. I think this can be a really difficult needle to thread for the creators and showrunners, though. I've definitely experienced the disappointment you described, but I've also...

    I know what you mean. I think this can be a really difficult needle to thread for the creators and showrunners, though. I've definitely experienced the disappointment you described, but I've also had a few shows I thought were wrapped up well, only to say, "Oh... there's another episode?"

    Aside from the pressure of looming cancellation, I'm sure many shows suffer from an unexpectedly truncated season (cough GoT cough), or run into budget issues. They probably want to prioritize telling the meat of the story as well as they can. Saving money, time, and everything else to convert the last episode into an epilogue might not seem worth it, especially if you have to squish other elements earlier in the season to make up for it.

    I imagine studio interference is no small part of this, too. A creator might have a clear vision from start to finish, but be unable to execute it for myriad reasons, especially if they're not a big name. And you can always end up with a surprise monkey wrench, such as a falling out between co-creators, an actor quitting, or the writers' strike (which I support, but I'm still salty about Battlestar Galactica).

    I always wanted an additional episode from Star Trek: Voyager, but it helps that Star Trek has a robust expanded universe. For other shows, I just use my headcannon. The police have not yet pulled me over.

    It does make shows that do this well stand out even more, but it still breaks your heart when the show you love just ends up... not quite right.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~music

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link
    Weird Al was a super fun concert! I saw him while he was touring for his Running With Scissors album. It was cold and drizzly, but he still put on a hell of a show. Several costume changes, lots...

    Weird Al was a super fun concert! I saw him while he was touring for his Running With Scissors album. It was cold and drizzly, but he still put on a hell of a show. Several costume changes, lots of energy, and even some pretty impressive high kicks. He really worked to get the crowd into it, and it was totally worth suffering in the rain. I think a lot of people didn't show up due to the weather, but it felt like Weird Al put on an even better show because of the challenge. I'm so glad we didn't cancel our plans. Definitely go see him if you get the chance.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~music

    DumpsterGrackle
    Link Parent
    Gwar was a fantastic show! Saw them around 2015 or so, and it was one of the funnest shows I've ever been to. The crowd was great, the venue wasn't too big, and the show was so wrong it was right....

    Gwar was a fantastic show! Saw them around 2015 or so, and it was one of the funnest shows I've ever been to. The crowd was great, the venue wasn't too big, and the show was so wrong it was right. It was outdoors, in the cold, but we all still clamored to get sprayed with the fake blood and pee. At least, they told us it was fake...

    Maybe I should go smell that coat again, just to check.

    1 vote