Merry's recent activity
-
Comment on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoots and kills a woman during the Minneapolis immigration crackdown in ~society
-
Comment on What private companies are you happy doing business with? in ~talk
Merry LinkKing Arthur Baking Company They are 100% employee owned through employee stock ownership plan, where eligible employees earn/accrue company stock over time. It is very rare to see this type of...King Arthur Baking Company
They are 100% employee owned through employee stock ownership plan, where eligible employees earn/accrue company stock over time. It is very rare to see this type of model today in the United States, but it aligns with how I wish more companies were structured.
They also make excellent flour.
-
Comment on Life: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~life
Merry (edited )Link ParentSo I am in the US and we follow NEC here so that is where my material is sourced around. I spent ~4-6 weeks learning the material whenever I had a moment to spare: A video game called Wired on...So I am in the US and we follow NEC here so that is where my material is sourced around. I spent ~4-6 weeks learning the material whenever I had a moment to spare:
-
A video game called Wired on Steam. This is a free game built by someone at Cambridge. It is puzzles based on electrical concepts, so playing it as I was advancing my learning helped solidify context. Plus, it is a pretty fun game and has that corny professor vibes to it.
-
Interplay Learning/SkillMill - This is a learning system focused on the trades. I went through a lot of this material and paid the monthly subscription. If you have a VR headset, you can go through some examples using it which I thought was pretty nice.
-
up.codes - this is an LLM trained on various localities building codes that was extremely helpful in rubberducking and checking my logic. You should always fact check the LLMs though.
-
Black and Decker ebook "The Complete Guide to Wiring" - just nice reading material
-
Brilliant - this is an app that has some exercises for electricity/circuits. Great duolingo-like learning medium.
-
Delmar Online Training Simulation Electriicty Wiring - this was a nice resource to go through simulations and troubleshooting scenarios.
There are things I won't do though. I won't do a panel or subpanel upgrades. I also am not touching anything that generates power and stores it/sends it back to the grid like solar, generators, or home battery backups. I kept my wiring as simple as possible. For example, instead of 3-way switches I used switches that are remotes to other switches. This is allowed in code, but kind of hacky. I also have a basement so doing a hub and spoke approach to outlets on the first floor is very easy.
And thank you for the gardening tips) I may end up doing some fencing this upcoming year. I can't imagine that a hydroponic tomato tasting as good as one that has been baking in the sun on a hot day.
Edit: also re: permitting. I pulled permits for the entire project to renovate my upstairs. It consisted of 16 receptacles, 11 lights on three separate zones, and adding whole home smoke detectors. The guy looked at my stuff for maybe 5-10 minutes total and was a complete rip off. For several hundred dollars, I was expecting some feedback but I got the impression they didn't care one bit. I did not get permits for the remainder of the work I did since I am just taking old wire out and putting new wire in. I will get a permit for my kitchen remodel, but always weigh what you are comfortable doing
-
-
Comment on Life: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~life
Merry LinkPretty busy year for me to be honest: Completed gutted and renovated my conditioned attic space starting in June(?). I tore out all the old wooden paneling and insulation, and replaced it with...Pretty busy year for me to be honest:
-
Completed gutted and renovated my conditioned attic space starting in June(?). I tore out all the old wooden paneling and insulation, and replaced it with mineral wool insulation, drywall, and carpet. Also learned how to do the electricity in my home and was able to do what was needed for the attic, as well as rewired some of my rooms just this past month. So big win for me there just learning some sort of practical skill that saved me some money.
-
My wife is pregnant and expected in June 2026, so that is exciting. We are having a boy. So basically everything for the next six months will be focused on getting the home ready, including full gut remodel of my kitchen and new fencing for the dog. Lot of shuffling the home around.
-
Work has been okay. I still have to write my yearly performance review this week, but my boss has signaled to me that I will be getting a high rating, so nice bonus coming up. They gave me a nice bonus last year, and a retention bonus. But I won't lie, I'm in the midst of a major project since August and it isn't going how I expect it to have been going. Too many personalities, leadership changes which causes interfering, my company being terrible to work with for consultants, and my company choosing consultants badly. Lots of just sitting on meetings and blanking out because there are 20 people invited to the thing, and it least 2-3 suck all the oxygen out of the room making it impossible to make progress.
-
Switching notes, I was successful in growing some tomatoes for the first time. However, the deer in my area absolutely decimated my garden. I'm thinking of going full hydroponic in my basement moving forward.
Here's to another year though! Hopefully it doesn't all go to shit.
-
-
Johnny Flynn - Detectorists (2014)
8 votes -
Comment on 10x engineer - Midlife crisis in ~tech
Merry LinkShout out to the Connor O'Malley version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYrNjPGgAAAShout out to the Connor O'Malley version
-
Comment on Valve announces new hardware: Steam Frame, Steam Controller, and Steam Machine in ~games
Merry Link ParentHonestly, if anything breaks with my Index I am going to get the Frame. I have some wonkiness with my controllers right now. The price to replace them is stupidly high. The ability to just whip my...Honestly, if anything breaks with my Index I am going to get the Frame. I have some wonkiness with my controllers right now. The price to replace them is stupidly high. The ability to just whip my headset out whenever would be a big win as well. Right now I put it away for periods at a time due to space requirements, and when I do bring it out it is a commitment to play for at least month.
-
Comment on Valve announces new hardware: Steam Frame, Steam Controller, and Steam Machine in ~games
Merry Link ParentJust for an alternative, I have the Viture Pro XR glasses. They are great! I usually use mine with my phone every night to watch an episode while my wife is falling asleep next to me. If you have...Just for an alternative, I have the Viture Pro XR glasses. They are great! I usually use mine with my phone every night to watch an episode while my wife is falling asleep next to me. If you have a Samsung phone and access to Dex, I think its worth it. You can always buy on Amazon and return if you hate them.
-
An appreciation thread: Library music
Have you ever wondered where all the background music comes from in commercials, documentaries, training films, or TV shows? It is a genre of music called Library music, but also referred to as...
Have you ever wondered where all the background music comes from in commercials, documentaries, training films, or TV shows? It is a genre of music called Library music, but also referred to as "production music" or "stock music".
For example, some American football fans might recognize this tune: Heavy Action by Johnny Pearson
Or maybe Tomfoolery by David Snell
I have some standout favorites myself such as Plucking the Strings by David Snell and really the whole Bruton BRN11 Prestige album has great tracks.
What I love about library music is how direct it is where every track tells you exactly what feeling or mood it’s meant to capture, so finding the right piece for a moment becomes straightforward. It’s music created for utility that is commissioned, catalogued, and sold to fit commercial needs. That makes it oddly fascinating to me. Out of the thousands of albums, some pieces slip into our collective memory while others fade into obscurity or as a one-time background sound. I feel the people making this stuff were clearly talented, but they worked in a strange niche where their art was never meant to be more than an enhancement to a visual effect. Digging into it feels like uncovering a forgotten corner of pop culture.
If you want to search more example of library music, I think the go-to's are any of the Bruton or KPM libraries, but there are many more out there.
11 votes -
Dan Reeder - Young at Heart (2019)
6 votes -
DJ Okawari - Flower Dance (2010)
7 votes -
Comment on Does anyone have a digg invite code I can get ? in ~tech
-
Comment on Does anyone have a digg invite code I can get ? in ~tech
-
Comment on So was there no song of the summer this year? in ~music
Merry LinkMany people are saying it is Disco Snails. . . . But I am probably living in a bubble.Many people are saying it is Disco Snails.
-
Comment on Thoughts on wallpaper? in ~life.home_improvement
Merry Link ParentYeah, all the painting that I did was a semi-gloss so while it is easy cleanable when the dog decides to shake after playing in mud, everything looks a bit shiny. I also did not paint the best and...Yeah, all the painting that I did was a semi-gloss so while it is easy cleanable when the dog decides to shake after playing in mud, everything looks a bit shiny. I also did not paint the best and you can see every imperfection. I will have to look into the level of difficulty doing accent border. It might be a good option and nice blend, but again I don't really have the eye for getting good looking designs!
-
Thoughts on wallpaper?
Since buying my house nearly two years ago, I have been working on various home improvement tasks. One of the first things I did when I moved in was to re-paint the walls in certain rooms because...
Since buying my house nearly two years ago, I have been working on various home improvement tasks. One of the first things I did when I moved in was to re-paint the walls in certain rooms because of ugly paint jobs from the past or visible damage that required me to fix cracks or other imperfections. The problem is that I don't really have an eye for color matching or designs so every room that I have painted, is just white. I want to make my home feel more cozy during the Michigan winters so I am thinking of getting some high-quality wallpaper to put up as opposed to painting. Especially because I did a complete remodel of my attic living space, replacing wood paneling with drywall, and I am soon approaching the beautification of the space.
So I am conflicted because it seems like there is many prevailing thoughts in the American design psyche:
-
Fuck wallpaper - this seems to be due to the difficulty of removing wallpapers from 60s to 80s, where the designs were also not very good and quality bad. I removed wallpaper when I moved into my home, and it really wasn't that bad. I did it all in a day, but I can relate to hating the patterns that former owners put up.
-
Accent wall only - put wallpaper just on a single wall in a room. Would still need to color match this to paint and kind of seems like the worst of both worlds. However, wallpaper can be expensive if you go the premium route so this could save money.
My wife is European, and while the attitudes towards wallpaper in various parts of the continent can vary, she is also very pro-wallpaper. She is thinking of doing whole room wallpapering.
So what are your thoughts, experiences, and opinions? If you have experience in America doing it, what vendors and advice do you have?
19 votes -
-
Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
Merry LinkI bought my first car off eBay. This was around 2008. It had a salvage title in New Jersey, only 20,000 miles, and cost around $3000. Loved that little car. A nice Ford Focus hatchback that had...I bought my first car off eBay. This was around 2008. It had a salvage title in New Jersey, only 20,000 miles, and cost around $3000. Loved that little car. A nice Ford Focus hatchback that had hand cranked windows.
I had for a bit over a year. It was a bad winter for snow and school had been cancelled for nearly a month by the end of January so the county was resisting delaying any more. We had a two hour delay and on the way to school, a truck was backing out of their driveway, my car hit a long sheet of ice, and I hit the back of the truck. Surprisingly, did not get a ticket. Insurance totalled the car and took it away. I ended up spending several years driving Ford Taurus SHOs from 96-98 years. My dad and grandpa had an unhealthy, obsessive obsession with buying them, welding the cams, and then selling them for a profit. Fun cars, but they devoured gas compared to my old Focus.
-
WinRAR zero-day under active exploitation – update to latest version immediately
40 votes -
Comment on Артем Пивоваров х The Вуса х Ірина Білик - YABADABADU (2025) in ~music
Merry Link ParentI don't know if it is a full on reference to the Flintstones myself, but the gist I get from this song is it is describing being in a toxic relationship with someone, and battling with wanting to...I don't know if it is a full on reference to the Flintstones myself, but the gist I get from this song is it is describing being in a toxic relationship with someone, and battling with wanting to be with them. But I am not an expert in Ukrainian language and the song has a lot of poetry behind it that may have a different meaning than my interpretation. So maybe just using it to make the song more whimsical and catchy?
-
Comment on Артем Пивоваров х The Вуса х Ірина Білик - YABADABADU (2025) in ~music
Merry Link ParentI am going to his concert in Chicago next month! I'm excited to see it and how it goes, but your comment raises the hype meter.I am going to his concert in Chicago next month! I'm excited to see it and how it goes, but your comment raises the hype meter.
Not the OP, but the answer is more structural rather than motivational.
Moving countries requires legal residency and income authorization. For most people, that means an employment-sponsored visa. I have substantial savings, minimal debt, and a well-paid remote job (but that job cannot be performed outside the US for tax and compliance reasons).
My field, HR Information Technology, is tightly coupled to local labor law and regulatory frameworks. EU employers can more easily source or train this skillset internally without sponsoring visas, especially in the current market.
My spouse is Ukrainian, so relocation to Ukraine is legally possible, but given the war, that is a lateral move in risk rather than an upgrade in stability.
So “just moving” is not a logistics problem or a lack of will, but more a legal and labor-market constraint at the time. Believe me, I have been looking for exit paths since November 2024 and weighing all my options. I would gladly take a massive pay cut and uproot my family to live in a European country. Worst case scenario, if I really had to, we could enroll in university in Europe but the student visas have certain restrictions I am not comfortable with right now.