Englerdy's recent activity
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Comment on Untrusted: Hackers at Large (Hacking RPG) | Launch trailer (29th January 2026) in ~games
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Comment on US President Donald Trump isn't building a ballroom in ~society
Englerdy Link ParentWithout a doubt this is well into educated speculation territory. That said, I think this administration is weirdly enthusiastic about the current AI hype. So to think trump's bought full force...Without a doubt this is well into educated speculation territory. That said, I think this administration is weirdly enthusiastic about the current AI hype. So to think trump's bought full force into "the power of AI!" wouldn't be a surprising outcome here. I think the authors speculation about AI is really tied to the donor company's and their recent push for an AI arms race. Wouldn't be surprising if they're all collaborating with the admin to push full force into the next form of advanced weapons grade AI. Which I'm sure several other countries are quietly doing as well. Hard to say
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Comment on US President Donald Trump isn't building a ballroom in ~society
Englerdy (edited )LinkI went into this pretty skeptical and expecting dubious red string connections, however the author has absolutely done their homework. I think the title does the actual article a disservice...I went into this pretty skeptical and expecting dubious red string connections, however the author has absolutely done their homework. I think the title does the actual article a disservice though. Trump IS building a ballroom (which will no doubt be his own brand of tacky extravagant). However, the construction of the ballroom is very likely a distraction (as is this administration's specialty) to draw attention away from the fact that under that ballroom they are probably also constructing a state of the art, hardened, military data center facility.
On one hand, trump doing something superficial and ego boosting in general just doesn't raise eyebrows because he does it constantly. On the other hand, because he does it constantly it would be very easy for the admin to slip stuff passed notice because it's now easy to dismiss "trump just being trump."
Short read and a pretty compelling idea. Hard to feel like any of this investment is worth while. Though it does worry me to see war mongers actively making preparations to be able to conduct even more aggressive conflicts.
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Comment on How I stopped cooking breakfast every day - baked oats in ~food
Englerdy Link ParentI LOVE breakfast. For me it's protein boosted pancakes (usually about 10% added pea protein these days), eggs, and crispy potatoes on the weekend when I have time to cook. Instant oats with a...I LOVE breakfast. For me it's protein boosted pancakes (usually about 10% added pea protein these days), eggs, and crispy potatoes on the weekend when I have time to cook. Instant oats with a scoop of peanut butter protein (50% powder peanut butter and 50% pea protein by weight), allulose, pinch of brown sugar, walnuts, and frozen fruit (usually a triple berry mix but sometimes fresh fruit if I have it) on the weekdays. I've found that instant oats in the big containers can be made just by mixing them with boiling water from the kettle (the same way as the little instant oatmeal packets, they just don't put those instructions on the big containers for some unimaginable reason). They're set and at a cool enough temperature by time I walk away to get dressed, so prepping them just after getting out of bed ends up being a fast and pretty filling breakfast. And much better nutrition profile compared to the instant packs for a similar level of convince which I'm a fan of.
Going to try some baked oats after watching this because it looks like a fun change in flavor and texture.
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Englerdy Link ParentFascinating on both accounts! Thanks for sharing.Fascinating on both accounts! Thanks for sharing.
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Englerdy Link ParentI did hear "Entschuldigung" a few times at the end of my trip, but it was rare compared to what I'm used to. I started using it though since it felt like the most polite way to let someone know I...I did hear "Entschuldigung" a few times at the end of my trip, but it was rare compared to what I'm used to. I started using it though since it felt like the most polite way to let someone know I was trying to move passed them. 🤷
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Comment on What's a culture shock that you experienced? in ~talk
Englerdy Link ParentAs someone who's spent a substantial amount of time in the Denver area and grown up in the west I always felt like people around the area were really nice. But my personality is a bit golden...As someone who's spent a substantial amount of time in the Denver area and grown up in the west I always felt like people around the area were really nice. But my personality is a bit golden retriever so maybe people think I come across a little too friendly and intense. T.T but maybe if I spend more time in the south I might find I'm actually a bit cold by comparison.
It was actually a personal shock to me as an American from the western US visiting Germany and Austria earlier this year. Like, strangers don't talk to each other AT ALL which was very strange. I loved both countries and want to visit again, but my inner golden retriever was really sad that strangers don't really socialize. Or like, even acknowledge each other really. And it's really hard to fight the urge to wave at cars while crossing the street, smiling as you pass people, or trying to find a semi Deutsch way of saying "excuse me" while trying to pass people in a crowded space. They just don't like say anything? So strange. ಠಿ_ಠಿ
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Comment on Windows 11 cleanup/configuration script(s)? in ~comp
Englerdy LinkThanks to everyone who responded to this thread! Life picked up shortly after I made this post, but y'alls collective feedback helped me arrive at a configuration that I liked and that was...Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread! Life picked up shortly after I made this post, but y'alls collective feedback helped me arrive at a configuration that I liked and that was familiar enough to my existing workflow. Thank you so much for taking some time to share your advice and links!
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Comment on This life gives you nothing - Your attention is all you have. Wasting it is annihilating in ~life
Englerdy Link ParentHonestly the backlight turned out to be a big thing for me. And the reason I upgraded to a nicer device after a year. I wanted a dark mode and warm back lighting for when I stay up reading while...Honestly the backlight turned out to be a big thing for me. And the reason I upgraded to a nicer device after a year. I wanted a dark mode and warm back lighting for when I stay up reading while my wife is falling asleep. I find the adjustable backlighting super useful depending on the environment and like that I can get it just right for comfortable reading. I still mix in the occasional book, but it's a bit of a hassle since I read a lot before bed. Part of the charm I guess.
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Comment on This life gives you nothing - Your attention is all you have. Wasting it is annihilating in ~life
Englerdy Link ParentIf you haven't tried an ereader yet, I'd highly recommend it! I hate reading books on my phone and computer, but e-readers (with an E-Ink display) run a really happy medium for me. I scooped a...If you haven't tried an ereader yet, I'd highly recommend it! I hate reading books on my phone and computer, but e-readers (with an E-Ink display) run a really happy medium for me. I scooped a cheap used kindle to try it a few years ago and it was exactly what I needed to start learning to fun read again. Paired with a local library card you can get ebook loans for free really easily! Usually the use the libby app which is a pain, but again, it's free.
Might be a great way to dip your toes in. I also like that I can juggle a few books depending on what sounds interesting, and it takes the pain away if I don't like a book and want to put it down. It's harder to me with a physical book because it feels like I've wasted time running to library to pick it up or because I paid money for it.
Good luck!
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Comment on Meet the biggest heat pumps in the world in ~engineering
Englerdy Link ParentHistorically it was miles of steam pipes which to my knowledge was actually trickier to manage. That said, steam comes into a building at a really high temperature so I think it was about having...Historically it was miles of steam pipes which to my knowledge was actually trickier to manage. That said, steam comes into a building at a really high temperature so I think it was about having high energy density delivered to high rise buildings to reduce the need for that onsite heat generation. But steam networks have a ton of maintenance overhead and struggle with efficiency because every small leak is wasted energy. However, leaks for that big a system are also inevitable. Hot water is easier to manage because the system can run at a lower pressure. The flip side is that it's at a lower temperature so you can't swap a steam system to a hot water system very easily.
You don't have to move hot or cold water though for a district loop. You can actually move relatively neutral temperature water (65-75 °F) and then use a heat pump in each building to adjust the temperature to where you want it. This gives you the option of running one loop and buildings being able to use the loop for either heating or cooling. With a known, steady temperature you can design a system that almost always is running at its design point which is much more efficient. At least compared to an air-source heat pump (like a typical home AC unit or heat pump) that is subject to variable outside air temperatures.
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Comment on Disney inks blockbuster $1b deal with OpenAI, handing characters over to Sora in ~tech
Englerdy Link ParentIs it wrong to hope the wheels come off right out of the gate with something like this? Like, this feels like the perfect kind of drama to want to see go sideways in the midst of so many other...Is it wrong to hope the wheels come off right out of the gate with something like this? Like, this feels like the perfect kind of drama to want to see go sideways in the midst of so many other things going wrong in a not fun way.
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Comment on These travel influencers don’t want freebies. They’re AI. in ~travel
Englerdy Link ParentI wondered about that as well. How easy will it be to get any of these to gain a following considering how hard it is for a real person? That's the other thing that I think will make AI...I wondered about that as well. How easy will it be to get any of these to gain a following considering how hard it is for a real person? That's the other thing that I think will make AI influencers an up hill battle (and I'll be very disappointed if these somehow become more popular than humans). That said, I'm not sure the accidental death of influencer culture would be an inherently net negative to society either. Bit of a toss up for me and hard to know how to feel.
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Comment on These travel influencers don’t want freebies. They’re AI. in ~travel
Englerdy LinkI'm left to wonder how effective an AI influencer is the moment people realize they're fake. Even if you know a person is being paid for a promotion, you still know it's a person delivering the...I'm left to wonder how effective an AI influencer is the moment people realize they're fake. Even if you know a person is being paid for a promotion, you still know it's a person delivering the message. I feel like there's a level of trust between influencers and their audience (regardless of how well placed that trust is). If I was watching a video or reading a post and I realized the whole thing was AI generated, I'd immediately disbelieve everything I'd heard because I don't trust AI to be factual, especially if I'm looking for opinions and first hand experiences. I imagine that's a lot of the value a travel influencer provides for their followers and I have to wonder if that same people who pay attention to influencers (a demographic I don't really fall into) will actually pay attention to these AI accounts.
Part of me feels like an idea like this is dead on arrival, but I've been surprised so often at how people choose to engage with AI so far (like people who "date" chat bots) that I won't be surprised either way. Strange times.
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Comment on Tweaks to state laws mean many Americans will be able to benefit from small, simple plug-in solar panels in ~enviro
Englerdy Link ParentOh! I see what you're saying now, my mistake. Yeah I suppose you could exceed the rated load on a circuit if it had generation on it. Not sure how to fix that, that's an interesting problem.Oh! I see what you're saying now, my mistake. Yeah I suppose you could exceed the rated load on a circuit if it had generation on it. Not sure how to fix that, that's an interesting problem.
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Comment on Tweaks to state laws mean many Americans will be able to benefit from small, simple plug-in solar panels in ~enviro
Englerdy Link ParentYeah, these are designed to just plug straight into a wall outlet. These systems tend to be pretty small (just a couple panels) so exceeding the current on a 15 Amp breaker would be really...Yeah, these are designed to just plug straight into a wall outlet. These systems tend to be pretty small (just a couple panels) so exceeding the current on a 15 Amp breaker would be really unlikely. An in Utah's case it looks like they're going to be limited to 1200 Watt installations which is about 12 Amps, so well below exceeding the breaker.
From my comment below:
I think these inverters are usually designed to follow the frequency of the grid and to stop outputting power as soon as there's no power coming in from the grid. So I'd imagine as a regulatory point, states would be interested in only allowing systems that automatically cut power as soon as grid power drops for safety.
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Comment on Tweaks to state laws mean many Americans will be able to benefit from small, simple plug-in solar panels in ~enviro
Englerdy Link ParentI think a big thing with plug in solar is that the generation from these (at least in the context of apartment sized living units) will be lower than the residence's total base load, so for most...I think a big thing with plug in solar is that the generation from these (at least in the context of apartment sized living units) will be lower than the residence's total base load, so for most of the people who would want this, back feeding is pretty unlikely. And in Utah's case, it looks like the law change limits these to pretty small systems.
Not to say that back feeding to the grid would be impossible, but not as likely as with a larger home solar installation.
That said, I think these inverters are usually designed to follow the frequency of the grid and to stop outputting power as soon as there's no power coming in from the grid. So I'd imagine as a regulatory point, states would be interested in only allowing systems that automatically cut power as soon as grid power drops for safety.
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Comment on Tweaks to state laws mean many Americans will be able to benefit from small, simple plug-in solar panels in ~enviro
Englerdy Link ParentThis would be so cool living in a multifamily unit. I own my unit, but it's basically impossible to get a loan for solar on a multifamily roof with multiple owners, so rooftop solar even just for...This would be so cool living in a multifamily unit. I own my unit, but it's basically impossible to get a loan for solar on a multifamily roof with multiple owners, so rooftop solar even just for my portion of the roof is challenging to do. And then the HOA has to get involved because they manage the roof and sidings for the buildings.
But plugin solar panels? It would be SO EASY! No HOA involvement needed and easy to pay for out of pocket. And even a few hundred watts would satisfy a big chunk of my base load at least in summer when I have good sun over head on my back patio. Crossing my fingers to see this catch on nationally.
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Comment on How to brew solar powered coffee in ~food
Englerdy Link ParentI honestly feel like a solar reflector design would be more efficient too since the desired output is heat. That solar panel has anywhere from a 15%-20% conversion efficiency. So their 100 watt...I honestly feel like a solar reflector design would be more efficient too since the desired output is heat. That solar panel has anywhere from a 15%-20% conversion efficiency. So their 100 watt panel (which is probably outputting closer to 80 W), is getting hit with about 500 W of solar energy. And you can heat/boil water a lot easier with 500 W than you can with 80 W.
Though there is an elegance from being able to position the coffee maker independently of the solar receiver.
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Comment on Project Hail Mary | Official trailer in ~movies
Englerdy Link ParentWhen The Martian was about to come out I sarcastically grumbled to friends that Matt Damon was too pretty to be Mark Watney. Then watched it and had to reluctantly admit to myself and friends that...When The Martian was about to come out I sarcastically grumbled to friends that Matt Damon was too pretty to be Mark Watney. Then watched it and had to reluctantly admit to myself and friends that Matt Damon really killed the part. I have similar feels about Gosling and am optimistic he's probably going to nail the roll as well.
I honestly don't think it's an outrageous idea that they could have made an account, lurked for a couple years, and then posted about their project that they feel proud about. I suspect there're a large portion of lurkers on the site, and I feel like the implication your making here is unnecessarily harsh.