Mountain-View5322's recent activity

  1. Comment on Recommend a nonfiction book accessible to outsiders that makes your interest seem awesome in ~books

    Mountain-View5322
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    LOL Yes, autocorrect really did a number on that, it's supposed to be "beehive".

    LOL Yes, autocorrect really did a number on that, it's supposed to be "beehive".

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Recommend a nonfiction book accessible to outsiders that makes your interest seem awesome in ~books

    Mountain-View5322
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    We (my spouse, really) have kept a beehive for a few years. I like to recommend Honeybee Democracy, about the mechanisms that a hive uses to make major decisions. It's written in accessible...

    We (my spouse, really) have kept a vehicle beehive for a few years. I like to recommend Honeybee Democracy, about the mechanisms that a hive uses to make major decisions. It's written in accessible language (with pictures! And graphs!) by a PhD summarizing years of his research. It's mostly about how the hive splits and relocates, including some of the author's tests and methodology. Absolutely fascinating.

    3 votes

  3. Comment on List of unusual units of measurement in ~humanities.history

    Mountain-View5322
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    Yesterday I realized that I could use "years of allowance money" as a unit if measurement for my kiddo. The penthouse suite of the fanciest hotel in the area is about 7 years of allowance per night.

    Yesterday I realized that I could use "years of allowance money" as a unit if measurement for my kiddo. The penthouse suite of the fanciest hotel in the area is about 7 years of allowance per night.

    8 votes

  4. Comment on Any tips for games for two or more players? in ~games.tabletop

    Mountain-View5322
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    I'm going to add a vote for Agricola, a euro worker placement game where you are each managing a family trying to make it through the seasons and gather enough resources to grow your farm and feed...

    I'm going to add a vote for Agricola, a euro worker placement game where you are each managing a family trying to make it through the seasons and gather enough resources to grow your farm and feed your family. It is well-balanced as a two-player game, and even has a one-player solo campaign mode that I've really enjoyed. The rules are a little more complicated than most games we reach for (I think the box says 12yo and up?). The meeples are adorable.

    2 votes

  5. Comment on What is a scam that more people should be aware of? in ~life

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    I've been using NetGuard recently and it's made my phone a much more pleasant place. Turned it on for every app that shouldn't need to contact the Internet (sudoku, really?).

    I've been using NetGuard recently and it's made my phone a much more pleasant place. Turned it on for every app that shouldn't need to contact the Internet (sudoku, really?).

    1 vote

  6. Comment on Traveling to Italy in February for ten days, what to know? in ~travel

    Mountain-View5322
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    Make sure the thing around your neck is under your clothes and not visible. Acquaintance of mine ended up in the hospital after someone slashed her chest to cut the strap.

    Make sure the thing around your neck is under your clothes and not visible. Acquaintance of mine ended up in the hospital after someone slashed her chest to cut the strap.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Wool and fabrics - Online retailer recommendations? in ~creative

    Mountain-View5322
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    Another vote for athriftynotion.com and I'd like to also add https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com . They generally have a large selection of many types of fabric, though not in every color. If you're...

    Another vote for athriftynotion.com and I'd like to also add https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com . They generally have a large selection of many types of fabric, though not in every color. If you're trying to do a test run, they can be a good source for slightly cheaper material in the same weave as the expensive stuff. If you're willing to work with what is in stock as far as color/pattern, they're cheeeeap. Also, if you want someone's opinion on color matching, drape, or hand (feel), you can call during working hours and a real person in the same building as the fabric will pick up. Don't expect any particular bolt of fabric to be in stock long, it moves pretty fast. Also keep an eye on the daily sales, they cycle through the fabric categories and everything is on sale eventually.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on Standardization of household goods / end user goods in ~life

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    Thanks cfabbro, I might give these socks a try.

    Thanks cfabbro, I might give these socks a try.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Standardization of household goods / end user goods in ~life

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    Given that I have used lanolin cream before without a reaction, I think that may not be a problem. Maybe I'll give these socks a try.

    Given that I have used lanolin cream before without a reaction, I think that may not be a problem. Maybe I'll give these socks a try.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on Standardization of household goods / end user goods in ~life

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    Wool typically feels itchy to me, even very soft wool eventually irritates. I might have an allergy, idk, I'm allergic to everything. Does anyone here have experience with other wool clothes being...

    Wool typically feels itchy to me, even very soft wool eventually irritates. I might have an allergy, idk, I'm allergic to everything.

    Does anyone here have experience with other wool clothes being itchy, but darn tough socks not itching?

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Apple cuts off Beeper Mini’s access after launch of service that brought iMessage to Android in ~tech

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    As an American, there's a few hurdles to get through before I start using a different messaging service: Give yet another company my information. Sign up info, plus my contact list, plus whatever...

    As an American, there's a few hurdles to get through before I start using a different messaging service:

    1. Give yet another company my information. Sign up info, plus my contact list, plus whatever messages I send through the service. How much do I trust any given company?

    2. I have to trust that whatever service is going to continue working in the future, which basically means it must be very clear how they are monetized. SMS is paid by my phone bill; even if the company I get it through goes under or sells out, I'll still have SMS service. In fact, this recently happened, and my phone service was never interrupted.

    3. A chunk of my regular communication partners must all decide to move to a new service. I know of three people in real life who use Whatsapp, and two of them I don't communicate with regularly (spouse's friends).

    If my spouse asked me to start using it, I probably would, but he hasn't.

    32 votes

  12. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    In a day or two; some of them are in the laundry right now!

    In a day or two; some of them are in the laundry right now!

    1 vote

  13. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    This is hilarious and absolutely what I'd do to my child's napkin ring.

    This is hilarious and absolutely what I'd do to my child's napkin ring.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    These are awesome! Does the pattern of stitches inside the hearts have a name? I kinda want to try it.

    These are awesome! Does the pattern of stitches inside the hearts have a name? I kinda want to try it.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Mountain-View5322
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    Recently I picked up a couple sets of cloth napkins. Thing is, you can use cloth napkins for more than one meal, or even several meals, before they need washing. Just refold to get a clean...

    Recently I picked up a couple sets of cloth napkins. Thing is, you can use cloth napkins for more than one meal, or even several meals, before they need washing. Just refold to get a clean surface. So now we have a problem: generic napkin on the table - is that one mine? Did I sit here or there last meal, did anyone else use the table between times?

    So now I'm embroidering unique designs on each napkin. I've done a star, moon, sun, feather, leaf, hearts, skull, bird, mushroom, and I'm working on a butterfly right now. I'll round it out with a bee and maybe a rainbow.... or a balloon? Too many ideas.

    7 votes

  16. Comment on YouTube is now rolling out disabling videos after detecting adblockers in ~tech

    Mountain-View5322
    Link Parent
    yts.mx is my current go-to, though I'm not a video-encoding-technology-buff. They are an open tracker, have the smallest file sizes for the resolution, the most seeds, and usually have popular...

    yts.mx is my current go-to, though I'm not a video-encoding-technology-buff. They are an open tracker, have the smallest file sizes for the resolution, the most seeds, and usually have popular movies out within hours of availability on streaming. If a movie is VERY popular, they might have a bootleg version for a little while until the clean is ready.

    I think out of my collection of 1k+ movies, I have one that isn't from their library, and one more I can't find anywhere.

    You will need a VPN for privacy.

    8 votes

  17. Comment on What's your favorite dinosaur? in ~science

    Mountain-View5322
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    My five-year-old votes, "Triceratops, because they have three horns, and I like how they fight."
    • Exemplary

    My five-year-old votes, "Triceratops, because they have three horns, and I like how they fight."

    10 votes

  18. Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies

    Mountain-View5322
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    Lift (2023) Documentary about a ballet instructor/choreographer who went back to his childhood shelter to try to bring other children through home insecurities to a better place. It was incredibly...

    Lift (2023)

    Documentary about a ballet instructor/choreographer who went back to his childhood shelter to try to bring other children through home insecurities to a better place. It was incredibly moving and heartfelt, and the ending was absolutely beautiful.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on Which board games have you been playing? (to 4th September) in ~games.tabletop

    Mountain-View5322
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    I didn't post last week so I think this is fair, this is a game we played about two weeks ago. We got Spirit Island to the table. It's usually just me and my spouse, so the two-player board. It's...

    I didn't post last week so I think this is fair, this is a game we played about two weeks ago.

    We got Spirit Island to the table. It's usually just me and my spouse, so the two-player board. It's been a while, so we had to review the rules, and those first couple of turns felt super stressful. Once we got going though it got a lot easier. The end of the game felt as if it snuck up on us. "Oh wait if we take out that last town then we win, I can do that now." I think we need to figure out a way to make the game harder. Or play a three player board with two players, maybe.

    1 vote

  20. Comment on Ten things kids don’t know how to do (and five things they know how to do better) in ~life

    Mountain-View5322
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    Many of the things on these lists feel... like filler content. Maybe the whole thing. Outdated too, as if someone in 1925 complained that kids these days don't know how to drive a buggy because...

    Many of the things on these lists feel... like filler content. Maybe the whole thing. Outdated too, as if someone in 1925 complained that kids these days don't know how to drive a buggy because they're all driving cars.

    Dewey Decimal system - yeah computers made that outdated immediately. Sure, it's useful in a specialized way, particularly for librarians restocking shelves, but it could be any expandable organizing system and it'd be fine.

    Automatic transmission: good luck finding a new car with a manual stick is-all-i'm-sayin.

    Wind a watch: what planet do you live on that you think anyone needs an instruction manual to learn how to wind a watch??

    Diagram a sentence: I know a kid who was learning this in middle school last week. Where is this person getting their information?

    Use an atlas: again, atlases are neither difficult (turn to the notated page!) , nor necessary (computers!). If all the satellites go out at once... something else is seriously wrong, and you probably shouldn't drive somewhere you don't already know the directions anyway.

    Also, "use technology like it's second nature" is so absolutely stunningly dumb. Technology is easier to use than I was growing up, and also harder to both personalize and break. Troubleshooting is a learned skill, and the less you are force to do it by your tech, the less comfortable you will be with doing it when necessary.

    Bah humbug to this clickbait, basically.

    64 votes