Mechangel's recent activity
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - title editing in ~tildes.official
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - nothing in particular in ~tildes.official
Mechangel LinkThis is just a personal observation on my end. I've noticed that I delete and/or rewrite my comments on Tildes far more frequently than I do on on Reddit. I don't think this is out of fear of...This is just a personal observation on my end. I've noticed that I delete and/or rewrite my comments on Tildes far more frequently than I do on on Reddit. I don't think this is out of fear of being snarked at or disagreed with. Actually, I comment here more frequently than I do elsewhere. I think it's because the community here makes me really want to put my best foot forward, and only comment when I have something legitimate to add to the discussion. You all are a group of very interesting, polite and smart people, and I try to keep that in mind when I write. Thanks for being rad.
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Comment on What's currently upsetting you? in ~talk
Mechangel Link ParentNo one likes to fail, but it's also a really important thing to do from time to time. Adam Savage has a really interesting talk on failure that's worth watching. The most valuable things I've...No one likes to fail, but it's also a really important thing to do from time to time. Adam Savage has a really interesting talk on failure that's worth watching. The most valuable things I've learned about myself haven't come from the times when I've been successful. The most valuable things I've learned about myself have come from the instances when I've absolutely bombed a presentation, a paper, a test, an interview, etc... While those experiences were painful at the time, I'm really glad they happened.
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Comment on What's something you're good at? And what advice to you have for those who aren't good at this thing? in ~talk
Mechangel Link ParentI make any presentation I do for kids as interactive as possible. They like to be talked with and not talked at, so I look for places in my presentation where I can call on them, either...I make any presentation I do for kids as interactive as possible. They like to be talked with and not talked at, so I look for places in my presentation where I can call on them, either individually or as a group, to answer a question that leads into the next point I'm going to make. So, for example, if I'm trying to get them excited to participate in a summer reading incentive program that offers a coupon for free ice cream as a reward, I might say something like, "Okay guys. Now, I'm not really sure how you're going to feel about these prizes. I mean, you don't like free ice cream, do you?" Then they all look at me like I must be insane and yell, "Yes! Yes we do! We want ice cream!"
Another example is that sometimes I run classes to teach kids Scratch in which they team up to make a short game, and then at the end of the course, they play and evaluate the games that other teams have made. Even though Scratch is relatively simple to learn, there's still a lot to unpack there. If I were to stand up in front of them and give a lecture on what different blocks do and how to use them for three hours, the kid would either go bonkers or fall asleep. Instead, I'll talk for five or ten minutes, and then have them complete some sort of mini game or challenge based on the content I just went over. If kids think they've solved the puzzle, I'll call on them and let them explain what their strategy was and how they solved it to the rest of the group. That way, they're doing equal parts listening, thinking and engaging with each other.
One thing I do try to avoid is to leave opportunities for participation open-ended. By that I mean situations where I'm in the middle of making a point and someone's hand shoots up in the air. Usually that means the child has something tangentially related that popped into their brain and they want to tell me about it asap. Nothing takes your presentation off-course faster than, "Okay, so this is a book about a goblin named Bob, who.--" "Excuse me! Hey! My uncle is named Bob and he lives in Virginia and we're going to see him next week and he has a pool, and--" "Hey! Hey! I'm going to the water park next week and it's my birthday and--" You get the picture. I try to leave time at the end of any presentation I give for kids to ask questions or tell me about whatever it was they thought of halfway through.
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Comment on What's something you're good at? And what advice to you have for those who aren't good at this thing? in ~talk
Mechangel LinkTalking in front of groups of people. I did some theater in middle school and high school and I think that helped significantly. I ended up in a career that's entirely non-theater related, but...Talking in front of groups of people.
I did some theater in middle school and high school and I think that helped significantly. I ended up in a career that's entirely non-theater related, but that does require me to speak to groups of people frequently. I'm pretty comfortable with it now. While I will sometimes type out what I want to say, I almost never rely on my notes when I'm actually doing it. It's better if they serve as a vague outline for a presentation and I just read the crowd and go with whatever fits best. I often speak to children and while they can sometimes be a brutally judgmental audience, they're also often really easy to get excited.
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Comment on Hard versus soft shell lobsters in ~food
Mechangel LinkI'm often surprised to learn that many people don't know there's a difference in lobster depending on the time of year in which it was caught. I'm very partial to soft shell lobster as you can eat...I'm often surprised to learn that many people don't know there's a difference in lobster depending on the time of year in which it was caught. I'm very partial to soft shell lobster as you can eat it with your hands and the meat is sweeter. We're coming into soft shell season now, and lobster pounds should have plenty of them within the coming weeks.
Other fun facts:
The green "innards" in the lobster are called the tomalley and can be eaten, though it's really not my thing. My grandparents always ate this part without a second thought.
Female lobsters have eggs called "coral," and that part I do eat because it's delicious. The eggs turn red when cooked and are quite pretty. They also make a nice garnish on lobster rolls.
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Hard versus soft shell lobsters
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Comment on George Lucas Would Have Set Third Star Wars Trilogy in 'Microbiotic World' Linked to Midi-Chlorians in ~movies
Mechangel LinkInteresting article. I think Lucas is right that a lot of fans would have hated it, but I don't necessarily think it was right to casually equate that with The Phantom Menace the way he did:...Interesting article. I think Lucas is right that a lot of fans would have hated it, but I don't necessarily think it was right to casually equate that with The Phantom Menace the way he did:
Of course, a lot of the fans would have hated it, just like they did ‘Phantom Menace’ and everything...
They'd have hated it for the reason James Cameron points out in the interview:
But you're putting detail and a facade of science around an idea that's pretty timeless, which is the spirit, the soul, heaven, causation.
I think Cameron was correct in assuming that many Star Wars fans, whether consciously or not, view The Force as some sort of Jedi religious/mystic power. People probably would have recoiled at the idea that their heroes weren't really the ones who were important in the Universe--that it was these microscopic creatures instead. Telling people who've known and loved and studied a franchise for forty years that something else was at play the entire time would have disappointed them horribly. It's like watching a movie or a weird episode of a favorite show where you find out that everything was just a dream the whole time, and none of it ever happened. People get mad over that stuff.
All that being said, I think it's a fascinating idea. It'd make for a great spin-off series. I'd watch it.
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Comment on What are you working on this weekend? in ~comp
Mechangel LinkI'm working on developing a lesson plan for a kids' coding and robotics event I'm doing in a couple of weeks. It's been a lot of me messing around with LEGO Mindstorms, Sphero Edu and Blockly....I'm working on developing a lesson plan for a kids' coding and robotics event I'm doing in a couple of weeks. It's been a lot of me messing around with LEGO Mindstorms, Sphero Edu and Blockly. It's been a pretty nice excuse to play with toys at work.
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Comment on The magic of road trips in ~travel
Mechangel Link ParentYou are far more adventurous than I am! Care to share any words of wisdom you picked up from the people you've ridden with?You are far more adventurous than I am! Care to share any words of wisdom you picked up from the people you've ridden with?
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The magic of road trips
It's summer where I am and I'm kicking myself for not having planned a road trip. Road trips are magical. I once fell out of love with someone while on a road trip. On another trip, I fell in love...
It's summer where I am and I'm kicking myself for not having planned a road trip. Road trips are magical. I once fell out of love with someone while on a road trip. On another trip, I fell in love with someone. A road trip helped me reconnect with my mom as an adult. I once got pulled over next to a farm full of yelling, angry goats. One time a weird guy wandering around on top of a mountain tried to get in the car with us. One time I ran into Martha Stewart at a junk shop. I learned that sleeping in your car is not nearly as bohemian-romantic as it sounds.
There's something special about being in the car and feeling like you have the freedom to go anywhere and that the memories from the journey are just as important as those from the destination.
What have been your favorite road trips? What was the most beautiful? What was the most memorable? Are there any places you long to go back to, or roads you've vowed never to drive again?
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Comment on Blizzard Dev Watercooler - World of Warcraft Classic in ~games
Mechangel LinkI'm really looking forward to WoW Classic. I played for years, but eventually I guess I kind of felt lost with all the changes they made. I really enjoyed soloing or rolling around with people I...I'm really looking forward to WoW Classic. I played for years, but eventually I guess I kind of felt lost with all the changes they made. I really enjoyed soloing or rolling around with people I knew in real life, especially my partner. Playing with someone who was actually in the room with me was a lot of fun. Eventually I embraced pugs and raids and other multiplayer aspects of the game, but it was never the main appeal for me. I'm hoping that it's been long enough since I first started playing that when Classic is released, I can enjoy it without having rose-colored glasses on.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - starting some moderation in ~tildes.official
Mechangel Link ParentWhat if the cool down period pertained to the thread and not the users? If a heated argument has started, the option of locking the thread for a certain period of time might help. It might also...What if the cool down period pertained to the thread and not the users? If a heated argument has started, the option of locking the thread for a certain period of time might help. It might also just kill the thread. I'm not really sure how that'd play out. I don't think I participate in groups anywhere else online where this is done.
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Comment on What are some of the lesser known upcoming games that you're excited about? in ~games
Mechangel LinkI'm looking forward to Donut County. It appears to be part puzzle game, part...Katamari? There's a hole in the ground, and you move it around to swallow stuff up. As you do, it gets bigger, but...I'm looking forward to Donut County. It appears to be part puzzle game, part...Katamari? There's a hole in the ground, and you move it around to swallow stuff up. As you do, it gets bigger, but you also need the use the hole in order to solve puzzles. There's not a release date for it yet, but it seems to feature the kind of weirdness I enjoy.
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Comment on Two months post graduation, I am lost, confused and don't know how to go where I want to be. in ~talk
Mechangel LinkI think this touches on the points some others have made in this thread, but your passions and your job don't have to be one and the same. In my experience, working with great people can go a...I think this touches on the points some others have made in this thread, but your passions and your job don't have to be one and the same. In my experience, working with great people can go a really long way toward achieving personal career satisfaction, even if you're not in your desired field. Part of what drives me to get up and go to work every day is that I genuinely like my colleagues.
I'm also fortunate enough to have a career that doesn't require me to bring my work home with me. My free time is still my own, and that helps to ensure that I don't resent my employer or myself for my past choices.
When I was a senior in college, I got talked into going on a weekend vocational retreat that was supposed to help people who were about to graduate focus on their futures. At one point, we were all sitting in a circle and everyone was supposed to say what their plans were after graduation. Everyone was all, "I'm going to do 'Teach for America,'" or "I'm going to law school." When it was my turn, I burst into tears in front of the entire group and said, "I don't know. I just want to be happy." At the time I was horrified, but when I look back on that moment now, most days, I feel like I've achieved that. I don't work in a field that pays well, but I have a roof over my head, I like what I do, and I'm given a lot of freedom to try out my own ideas and focus on the aspects of my job that are personally rewarding.
You have the rest of your life to figure things out. You'll find your niche.
Edit: Forgot a word
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Comment on With meta-discussions high-quality content meaning civil disagreement, let's put it to the test: What constitutes as a sandwich? in ~food
Mechangel Link ParentI've been in desperate sandwich circumstances before. Sometimes you're just not paying enough attention to how much bread is left in the bag. It's called a "disappointment sandwich."I've been in desperate sandwich circumstances before. Sometimes you're just not paying enough attention to how much bread is left in the bag. It's called a "disappointment sandwich."
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Comment on With meta-discussions high-quality content meaning civil disagreement, let's put it to the test: What constitutes as a sandwich? in ~food
Mechangel Link ParentWhat if you had a whole loaf of sliced bread but are down to the last two pieces: One that's been sliced on both sides, and one that's only sliced on one side, a.k.a. the heel of the loaf. If you...What if you had a whole loaf of sliced bread but are down to the last two pieces: One that's been sliced on both sides, and one that's only sliced on one side, a.k.a. the heel of the loaf. If you use those two pieces, is it still a sandwich? If you use two heels is it still a sandwich?
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Comment on What’s the oldest book you own and how did you get it? in ~books
Mechangel Link ParentOne is The Chances by Fletcher, another is Pericles, Prince of Tyre written by Shakespeare and other authors, and the last is The Hypocrite by Bickerstaffe. I'm not sure what value they held who...One is The Chances by Fletcher, another is Pericles, Prince of Tyre written by Shakespeare and other authors, and the last is The Hypocrite by Bickerstaffe. I'm not sure what value they held who whomever owned them originally, though I wish I knew.
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Comment on What’s the oldest book you own and how did you get it? in ~books
Mechangel LinkI have some late 18th century plays that are (regrettably) falling to pieces due to age and having been stored improperly throughout their lives. My uncle gave them to me, and before that they...I have some late 18th century plays that are (regrettably) falling to pieces due to age and having been stored improperly throughout their lives. My uncle gave them to me, and before that they belonged to my great grandfather, and before that, it's hard to say. They likely passed through my great great grandfather's hands as well, though I have some of his books and he had a tendency to write his name inside of all of his stuff, so they could have come from elsewhere.
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Comment on Daily Tildes discussion - let's start gathering some thoughts for commenting guidelines in ~tildes.official
Mechangel LinkI'm not really sure how to put this eloquently, but I'd like to see us avoid comments in the vein of "Who cares?" Even if a user has a well-thought-out, thousand word response to another person's...I'm not really sure how to put this eloquently, but I'd like to see us avoid comments in the vein of "Who cares?" Even if a user has a well-thought-out, thousand word response to another person's link, text post or comment, if the heart of the user's argument is, "I don't care about this, you shouldn't care about this, and no one else here should either," then I don't think said user should be posting that response.
People usually post content because they think it's important or it's meaningful to them. If someone has made a post, we should assume that the poster cares about that content. Responding to them simply to tell them that it's not worthwhile is disrespectful and can dampen the rest of the conversation on the topic. It can discourage other people from engaging in the topical discussion because they don't want to be seen as someone who cares about something others see as silly or trivial. It can also lead to the entire comments section devolving into a heated argument about whether or not the topic is worth talking about.
Instead, I'd like to see comments like, "Can you tell me why (thing) is important to you?" or "This isn't something I usually give much thought to. What do you think I should be taking away from your article/post/video you linked?"
If someone could help me put this more succinctly, I'd be very grateful.
I haven't seen this crop up here yet, but it might be nice to edit any, er, overly passionate/enthusiastic titles that are in all caps so that they're not in all caps.