NeonBright's recent activity
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Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk
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Comment on Worse on Purpose: a site that tracks which brands are still worth their old reputation and which have been enshittified in ~enviro
NeonBright LinkMicroplane is on the approved list?? This surprises me greatly. As a long-term user, I can attest that they are an absolute shadow of their original form. Every single corner that could be cut,...Microplane is on the approved list??
This surprises me greatly. As a long-term user, I can attest that they are an absolute shadow of their original form. Every single corner that could be cut, has been.
The current microplanes last no more than a few months under even quite moderate domestic use. Which is in stark contrast to the early ones, which were a genuine investment... but absolutely worth it, because they were robust and well designed. -
Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk
NeonBright Link ParentAustralia was basically designed with lizards (and snakes) in mind. We have added water sources (like bird baths but at ground level and with a strategic stone added to enable any that fall in to...Australia was basically designed with lizards (and snakes) in mind.
We have added water sources (like bird baths but at ground level and with a strategic stone added to enable any that fall in to get out again), stone palaces (piles of reasonably attractive stones with lots of nooks and crannies), natural timber edging to garden beds, and we planted back a fair bit of low-growing ground cover to provide safe habitat.
Our regulars range from big blue tongues to tawny dragons to grass skinks. We also have two kinds of local night-active geckos (but neither of them say very much), and a couple of other small skinks.They all have quite different habits and personalities.
The grass skinks in particular seem to live in little groups and spend quite a lot of time bickering with each other in ways that look very social - and at times not all that survival oriented!
They are very funny to watch; surprisingly human-seeming for tiny reptiles. -
Comment on What are you looking forward to? in ~talk
NeonBright Link ParentThey are angry. But to date their anger directionless at best, or completely misguided at worst... Undirected anger isn't something I look forward to, because it's so much easier to wreck...Iv been saying for years that the people need to step up and be angry.
They are angry. But to date their anger directionless at best, or completely misguided at worst...
Undirected anger isn't something I look forward to, because it's so much easier to wreck something than it is to build something.
I'd argue we need more constructive, focused builders, and fewer wreckers. At every level of society.
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Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk
NeonBright Link ParentOh they know - they know. :-) Other side of the world here; it's wintertime in Australia right now but I'm looking forward to springtime when our local skinks wake up and start to cause mischief....how do you not know I’m looking straight into your soul lil guy?
Oh they know - they know. :-)
Other side of the world here; it's wintertime in Australia right now but I'm looking forward to springtime when our local skinks wake up and start to cause mischief. We have modified our garden to be much more lizard friendly and now have five species we see regularly, and a couple more that come and go.
The thing that gets me is that everyone considers lizards to be 'cold blooded' in every sense, but in the wild they seem to be quite social and have distinct alliances with some individuals, and territorial disputes with others. You just have to watch them for a while to see how rich and complex their little high-speed lives are.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
NeonBright LinkLemon bars. Our meyer lemon tree is laden at the moment so four lemons made a large tray of lemon bars. Even though the ingredients are simple (not much more than lemons, eggs, sugar, butter and...Lemon bars.
Our meyer lemon tree is laden at the moment so four lemons made a large tray of lemon bars. Even though the ingredients are simple (not much more than lemons, eggs, sugar, butter and flour), somehow they are more than the sum of their parts.
In particular, if you get the shortcrust base right it becomes both crisp and somehow creamy? at the same time.
It's a pretty special example of making the best of simple ingredients you probably have on hand. -
Comment on Better things are possible in ~talk
NeonBright Link ParentI find lizards a reliable source of joy, so that's not nothing! Get out there and grant yourself permission just to sit and watch for a while. They have quite complex personal lives - it's like...I find lizards a reliable source of joy, so that's not nothing!
Get out there and grant yourself permission just to sit and watch for a while. They have quite complex personal lives - it's like watching a tiny (scaly) soap opera. -
Comment on Tildes Survey #3: What country were you born in? (Results) in ~talk
NeonBright Link ParentPing please!Ping please!
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 6/4/26 in ~hobbies
NeonBright Link ParentThere are those that garden with knives, and those who do not. My father - who had a truck garden covering more than an acre - never left the house without his knife on his belt. Me, on the other...There are those that garden with knives, and those who do not.
My father - who had a truck garden covering more than an acre - never left the house without his knife on his belt.
Me, on the other hand - I've been gardening for decades and rarely use a knife, not even for harvesting. On the other hand, my personal landscape is littered with uncountable pairs of secateurs...
I guess it depends on your own style of gardening, and of course your garden itself.Why not get a cheap holstered garden knife and see how it works for you, before commiting the money on the fancy brand name version? I know that even if I was given one as a gift I would never use it, but clearly others work differently!
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Comment on Alternative news source recommendations in ~news
NeonBright LinkTry News Minimalist. They have a free version and a subscription version. Their very interesting ranking process specifically seeks out stories of high general importance and I am regularly blown...Try News Minimalist. They have a free version and a subscription version.
Their very interesting ranking process specifically seeks out stories of high general importance and I am regularly blown away by news items that are reported there but overlooked by most news services I access. -
Comment on Would anyone be interested in an online gardening club? in ~hobbies
NeonBright LinkYes, I'd be interested... but I'm in Australia and my seasons are likely very different from those of most Tildarians. It's late summer just moving into autumn here, and that means we are in our...Yes, I'd be interested... but I'm in Australia and my seasons are likely very different from those of most Tildarians.
It's late summer just moving into autumn here, and that means we are in our fallow season. The heat and most importantly the lack of rain brings gardening to a halt in the same way that snow does elsewhere.
I have a large garden and have been gardening for many years. We grow a bit of everything; fruit, flowers, veggies, native plants for the birds etc etc. The pears are ready for picking this week.
We also have an extensive collection of houseplants, many of which have been grown from vegetative propagation of one kind or another.
It's surprisingly quick and easy to get plants to make more plants. -
Comment on What are you working through? in ~life
NeonBright Link ParentI hear what you are saying. Maybe you do feel like your life is a mess. And maybe it really is. I don't know - I'm a stranger on the internet, after all. :-) But - to me it sounds like you are...I hear what you are saying.
Maybe you do feel like your life is a mess. And maybe it really is. I don't know - I'm a stranger on the internet, after all. :-)
But - to me it sounds like you are doing great work. You've got a new job, and you are making meaningful changes in your community. That's solid stuff right there.You also sound tired. Not a mess. Just plain, old fashioned, boring, tired.
Would it be possible for you to carve out half a day a week, or a couple of evenings, and use them purely to recharge your batteries in the way that feels best to you?
No new projects.
Just focussing on your own physical and mental needs.
Don't worry about who says what about 'how' you should relax; just follow your instincts and do what works for you.
Sleep, dance, read, have a bath or a walk or a coffee with a friend. Whatever works for you.
And then just keep doing that - defending that space and time for yourself, rather than starting yet another new project - until you feel a bit better.Once you are a bit rested things will seem more manageable, and who knows, maybe then some housework will get done.
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Comment on Elon Musk says SpaceX will prioritize a city on the moon instead of a colony on Mars in ~space
NeonBright Link ParentChina can build an earth city in a decade, and has done so multiple times in the very recent past. (How well is another story...) And China appears to be serious about their current moon landing...China can build an earth city in a decade, and has done so multiple times in the very recent past. (How well is another story...)
And China appears to be serious about their current moon landing program; their date is 2030.
A decade might be cutting it a bit fine, but China has a solid record of Making Things Happen these days. -
Comment on What are your favorite home remedies or comforts when you're sick? in ~health
NeonBright Link ParentYes! I do something similar, except without the theraflu/zzquil since I don't think either of them are available here. It works very well if you have the time (and self discipline) to do it when...Yes!
I do something similar, except without the theraflu/zzquil since I don't think either of them are available here.It works very well if you have the time (and self discipline) to do it when it's needed, which is in the first 12 hours or so of symptoms.
It results in very heavy sweating (be prepared with extra pyjamas and sheets) but it also generally eradicates or greatly reduces the illness.It's not something I'd do casually though - you do need to keep an eye on your fluids and temperature, and consciously monitor how you are feeling during the process and adjust accordingly.
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Comment on Advice request: potentially adopting a cat in ~life.pets
NeonBright Link ParentFWIW, we had a rescue cat we adopted at over a year old. He had been literally kept in a box and had health and behaviour issues as a result. However once he realised that 1) humans wanted to help...FWIW, we had a rescue cat we adopted at over a year old. He had been literally kept in a box and had health and behaviour issues as a result.
However once he realised that 1) humans wanted to help not harm, and 2) he could influence the world around him (he had no sense of personal autonomy initially - literally everything was a mysterious act of god to him) he became as trainable as any other cat.
So it can be done, even with adult(ish) cats. These days he is conversational, affectionate, fastidious with his litter tray, and a pleasure to share a house with.Yelling (or clapping hands) at bad behaviour/rewarding good behaviour really does work if it's done kindly and consistently.
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Comment on Advice request: potentially adopting a cat in ~life.pets
NeonBright LinkContrariwise to another poster, keep in mind that cats are trainable. They like people, and want to get along with their housemates when they can. So if you explain the ground rules of the house...Contrariwise to another poster, keep in mind that cats are trainable. They like people, and want to get along with their housemates when they can. So if you explain the ground rules of the house to the cat through your own behaviour and expectations, they will generally adjust over time.
They aren't dogs, though, so the training approach is different. It helps to build a social alliance with the cat first, so that the cat can establish that everyone in the house is on the same team. And you may not win every time.
For example, all of our cats bar one have understood that table tops and counters are 100% off limits, and didn't/do not climb on them.
The sole exception understood that table tops and counters were off limits as long as there was a human in the room... but that if the room did not contain a human, every surface was fair game. He could not be persuaded otherwise. But as I said, he was the exception!Scratching furniture is a tricky habit to break (if you can, pick a cat that doesn't already have the habit); make sure that you provide lots of alternative approved scratching surfaces, like big sturdy cat poles, coarse carpeting, or those shreddable cardboard cat scratchers.
Show the cat what those surfaces are for by using them yourself, with your fingernails, while showing great and sincere enjoyment. (Don't try to force the cat's paws onto the surfaces, that's just an inexplicable punishment to a cat.) But they do watch to see what you are enjoying!Boredom is rarely a problem; cats are active morning and evening but sleep during the day and for most of the nighttime, and that fits well with when humans have a bit of time to interact with them. Most cats sleep a lot, and many will be happy to snooze while you work.
That said, over time you will accumulate toys.
One of ours loves woollen clothes dryer balls over all other toys, another liked feathers, and one was a techno cat and lived for chasing red laser dots. -
Comment on What are the simple things in your life that you are thankful for? in ~life
NeonBright Link ParentAs a counterpoint to your gravy in a jar, one of the things I am grateful for is the ability to make a good gravy! I love that I have the means and ability to roast and then boil down turkey...As a counterpoint to your gravy in a jar, one of the things I am grateful for is the ability to make a good gravy!
I love that I have the means and ability to roast and then boil down turkey bones, make a broth, skim it, and then turn that into gravy that tastes exactly the way I want it to.
It's one of the highlights of my personal vision of xmas.
But I'm very aware that it takes a lot of time and resources to be able to get it 'just right'. And none of it is ever thrown away; it's jealously hoarded as a vital Boxing Day leftovers-sandwich ingredient.
Who would have thought that gravy would feature so prominently in a list of simple pleasures! -
Comment on What do you need to vent about? in ~talk
NeonBright Link ParentThere is fairly good evidence that the vast majority of people who make a big change in their life are happy with their decision 6 months later. That is, it's better to make the change, than to...There is fairly good evidence that the vast majority of people who make a big change in their life are happy with their decision 6 months later.
That is, it's better to make the change, than to not make the change.
So, when you do make the decision to walk away from the money, the chances are you will be happy that you made the decision to do so.FWIW, our family did something similar, and while we remember that period of milk and honey reasonably fondly, we are all pretty glad that it's in the past.
The stress is just too much to continue it over the longer term.And - in the end, the money didn't make that big a difference anyhow, as world events 100% out of our control intervened.
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Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (June 2025) in ~health.mental
NeonBright Link ParentThis is actually... really good? :-) You are becoming aware of the world outside of pure survival. That's a good thing! Having opinions about stuff, even if they are negative ones, is better than...This is actually... really good? :-)
You are becoming aware of the world outside of pure survival. That's a good thing!
Having opinions about stuff, even if they are negative ones, is better than emotional paralysis.
Because eventually - when you are ready - you'll start moving again, and that will be the start of the next phase of your life. -
Comment on Tips for starting a garden? in ~hobbies
NeonBright Link ParentPlants dying can be a good thing, at least in the long run. It's a quick way of learning what works in your microclimate, and what does not. No-one, not even the pro gardeners, are good at growing...Plants dying can be a good thing, at least in the long run.
It's a quick way of learning what works in your microclimate, and what does not.
No-one, not even the pro gardeners, are good at growing everything.I strongly endorse the 'peeking into other people's yards' approach mentioned above.
Start out copying the varieties and strategies that have been successful for others in your neighbourhood. If that works for you, then you can begin to improvise and adapt.
I don't really understand the appeal of lawn. I mean a bit is nice for the dogs and kids to play on, but most of a garden needs to be other things; flowers and trees and shrubs and maybe a few vegetables. Part of the joy of having a garden is sharing it with other critters.