Notcoffeetable's recent activity
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Comment on Anyone here suffering from low testosterone? in ~health
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Comment on Clothes shopping as a short & fat (trans) guy with narrow shoulders in ~life.style
Notcoffeetable LinkI have a stockier body. Pants are hit and miss since my preferred size is like 29 inseam, 48 waist. I have success with basic wranglers. Banana Republic also tends to fit well. I can't really...I have a stockier body. Pants are hit and miss since my preferred size is like 29 inseam, 48 waist. I have success with basic wranglers. Banana Republic also tends to fit well.
I can't really recommend anything for tops. It's a struggle for me as well. I need long shirts with broad shoulders but that usually ends up being a giant bag to hide a gut more sizable than my own. My friends who are more slight tend to gravitate towards european or asian brands like Uniqlo.
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Comment on Is Tildes failing to thrive? in ~tildes
Notcoffeetable Link ParentWhat does "irrefutable proof that you are a decent human" even mean? I don't think someone needs to be a paragon of virtue to join and contribute. There are warning and ban systems. The invite is...What does "irrefutable proof that you are a decent human" even mean? I don't think someone needs to be a paragon of virtue to join and contribute. There are warning and ban systems. The invite is tied to you so you probably don't want to post public invite links. But if someone generally seems engaged and amenable to reasonable discourse there's no reason to keep them out.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
Notcoffeetable (edited )LinkHad another powerlifting meet this weekend. My second in 6 weeks which is a very tight turnaround. It did not go well. The day started off kind of rocky. Jumped the rack command on my first squat....Had another powerlifting meet this weekend. My second in 6 weeks which is a very tight turnaround. It did not go well.
- The day started off kind of rocky. Jumped the rack command on my first squat. I have never made a procedural error in a meet so it was weird. The lifts felt strong though and I executed well for my second and third attempts. Ended the session with 230/506 which is a 5kg PR.
- The day started deteriorating with bench. Warm-ups felt strong but I was struggling to stay conscious with my light warm ups. Started eating and drinking everything I could. Got my first attempt at 147.5/326. Second attempt at 157.5 moved pretty good but again jumped the rack command. Loaded 160 for my third, locked it out but not without bobbling it near the top so got no lift.
- Continued trying to eat and hydrate for deadlifts but I think I was in too much of an energy deficit hole. Opened okay with 210/465. Loaded a conservative 225, most days I can hit this at RPE 8, 9 on a bad day. Unfortunately it got stuck by my knees. Tried it again for my third, got it a bit higher but still got stuck.
Overall it was 4/9 on attempts, 587.5 total versus 615 at my last meet.
I'm taking it pretty hard. I can accept performance not being there but messing up my controllables is a much more bitter pill to swallow. I've been locked in for about 3 months. Missing on commands is something well within my ability to avoid. Nutrition leading into the weekend was also lacking. I should have been eating much more the day before and morning of the event.
It's also rare for me to perform so poorly. But these moments are opportunities to evaluate priorities, recommit to the important things, and remember that identity and self worth are more than a hobby or career. We were already planning on cutting back form 6 days/week to 3days/week for the summer. It will be nice to have more time to do other things I enjoy.
We've seen the best in the world have these days, it's just part of the the journey. A reminder that meets matter, anyone can hit a big PR in the gym when they've got the juice. Putting it together is the sport and life in general.
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Comment on Tokyo starts ride-hailing service — but it may not be what you expect in ~transport
Notcoffeetable Link ParentI like it too. And they actually get paid a wage and presumably any benefits a part timer would be eligible for. I know the taxi lobby in Japan is strong but this sound like a sustainable plan. I...I like it too. And they actually get paid a wage and presumably any benefits a part timer would be eligible for. I know the taxi lobby in Japan is strong but this sound like a sustainable plan. I don't plan on taking taxis this autumn when I'm there but happy to know there will be some Uber/Lyft coverage if we need a quick ride.
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Comment on What cooking techniques need more evidence? in ~food
Notcoffeetable Link ParentI've adopted the same practice. I had cast irons where I followed the general advice re: no soap, crape food off, etc. Frankly the fact that there was a weird ritual meant they were only washed by...I've adopted the same practice. I had cast irons where I followed the general advice re: no soap, crape food off, etc. Frankly the fact that there was a weird ritual meant they were only washed by me because other family members didn't want to.
My current cast irons are washed like any other pan. Then I wipe it down with some oil and throw it in the oven for a bit to get rid of any water. It's held up great and doesn't have any sticking issues.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Notcoffeetable LinkLast night I hopped on the Balatro train. Being PC/Laptop bound was one of the limitations for me; it's the type of game I'd much rather be able to play on the couch beside my partner while she...Last night I hopped on the Balatro train. Being PC/Laptop bound was one of the limitations for me; it's the type of game I'd much rather be able to play on the couch beside my partner while she watches a show or in bed while she reads. OOC I googled Balatro on iOS. Along with confirming that they will be releasing on iOS I found a guide for playing the current build on an iPad.
Snagged a copy on steam. Made a couple edits to the game's LUA files, airdropped to my iPad, and loaded the game in Love2D studio. Game launches, plays, and saves states seamlessly. I will be buying a copy in the app store when it drops but am happy I can play the game how I want to in the meantime.
I dislike games that use a standard deck of playing cards. I knew that Balatro wasn't like that but was still apprehensive. And damn this game rocks. In my second run I stumbled on the flush strategy and rocked up to Ante 6. Could have beat that blind as I was regularly getting 15k per hand but played a bad flush (was playing odds and had a bunch of evens) and ended up a bit short. I'm still scratch the surface and learning how to optimize my decisions but I appreciate how simple the main gameplay loop is.
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Comment on Under development: WoW Remix: Mists of Pandaria (not classic) in ~games
Notcoffeetable Link ParentDo you think Dragonflight is worth playing? It is the only expansion I didn't reach max level in. The skinner box just became so obvious to me that I felt gross playing it. It felt like I was...Do you think Dragonflight is worth playing? It is the only expansion I didn't reach max level in. The skinner box just became so obvious to me that I felt gross playing it. It felt like I was getting a visual dopamine kick every couple minutes.
I'm likely to return for future expansions so I suppose it's probably worth getting a character to max level?
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Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities
Notcoffeetable Link ParentThanks for the thoughtful reply. I'll own that there is some conflation of rationalism and empiricism in my post.Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I'll own that there is some conflation of rationalism and empiricism in my post.
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Comment on Where will people commune in a godless America? in ~humanities
Notcoffeetable Link ParentThe human mind is very bad at dealing in unknowns and infinity. It is uncomfortable to not know or understand and finding comfort is an evolutionary advantage. But the universe has no incentive to...The human mind is very bad at dealing in unknowns and infinity. It is uncomfortable to not know or understand and finding comfort is an evolutionary advantage. But the universe has no incentive to be comfortable. A deity is a creature comfort, a bag into which we shove everything that confuses us.
The rise of rationalism and empiricism has demonstrated that the confusing and unknowable can become understood. Is the rational theist position that science slowly pares away at god, "the great grab bag of unknows," until it is an infinitesimal, vestigal belief?
You bring up the concept of a first mover and provide an example of a infinitely long line of sticks. I don't want to take the analogy beyond its intent but this is how I approach such thought experiments.
There are mathematical constructions of such a space, we call it The Long Line (this is not the the real numbers, it's longer than that). It is a differentiable manifold so we can talk about wiggling. If we observe a wave traveling long the line we can trace the wave back, and we would observe it traveling back infinitely without an origin. Now the crux of the thought experiment is "why is this line moving." Proponents of the first mover principle would like there to be pre and post wiggle states. But I'd contend that it's completely possible that movement is the nature of the space. In this case we can ask the same question albeit from a different perspective: "what about this space makes it want to wiggle?" The difference being it is a question about the inherent nature rather than presupposing an external force.
I bring this up because it has an attached anecdote. My religious classmates in grad school really struggled with the Long Line. As PhD candidates in mathematics I think it's fair to call them "rational theists." But they wanted there to be a way to build longer versions of the line or ask questions like "how long is it though?" Some of them even dropped out because "the abstraction is too much."
And this gets to the why I think one can be "rational theist" but a rationalist cannot be a theist. Deities are an emergency exit when we get to the unknown. A lazy way to plug gaps. I never know when a theist is going to reach a challenging concept and just decide "god works in mysterious ways." I'd much rather say "I don't know what was before the big bang. I desperately want to know and maybe some day we will answer the question." God isn't necessary and I can't consider myself rational and believe in extraneous doodads. Maybe a universe is created every time an extradimensional being turns on their microwave. Maybe the universes is a wave traveling back and forth along space time, expanding, contracting, and big banging again.
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Comment on Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
Notcoffeetable Link ParentI suppose I'm thinking an "average" driver. I'd agree on the 5% if we're putting another top 6 driver in his Red Bull Seat. But who would be an average driver? Gasly, Tsunoda, Ocon? If they were...I suppose I'm thinking an "average" driver. I'd agree on the 5% if we're putting another top 6 driver in his Red Bull Seat. But who would be an average driver? Gasly, Tsunoda, Ocon? If they were in a Red Bull I bet Max could beat them in a Ferrari. I think he would beat Perez just based on consistency, but my opinion could change this year, Perez has started well. Perez's last season highlighted that the car doesn't just win by itself.
I don't think I'm underestimating the importance of the car. I only claimed he'd have a chance in the second best car. There was no claim he'd be competing for the Driver's Championship in anything slower.
It's too bad that "racecraft" isn't even part of the conversation. We saw that Max tried to bully Hamilton in 2021. I'd like to see how others respond to similar competition.
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Comment on How do I sell a car? in ~transport
Notcoffeetable (edited )Link ParentAgreed, if someone has a hard limit I'd prefer they communicate that before taking my time for a test drive. But then I'm pretty firm on price in person if we've set an expectation ahead of time....Agreed, if someone has a hard limit I'd prefer they communicate that before taking my time for a test drive. But then I'm pretty firm on price in person if we've set an expectation ahead of time. I also take someone more seriously if they have questions ahead of time because it demonstrates they're doing research and seriously considering the vehicle.
The flip side is if I someone messages just asking to see the vehicle... well sure but I'm going to be less flexible with my schedule. Chances are they'll show up, drive it and hope I accept a lower offer in person.
I've bought/sold 7 vehicles on craigslist. I've never had a bad experience but it does feel like the wild west. As a pretty "big" guy I feel safe and people are less likely to bully me. I would recommend caution, meet at a police station or have your own bodyguard around.
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Comment on Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
Notcoffeetable Link ParentJust a counterpoint to u/chargrilled_broccoli which posted a very fair/reasonable take. I'm not a Max fan an I didn't watch in the Vettel or Hamilton eras. I started watching in 2021 so I've...Just a counterpoint to u/chargrilled_broccoli which posted a very fair/reasonable take. I'm not a Max fan an I didn't watch in the Vettel or Hamilton eras. I started watching in 2021 so I've watched the "Rise of Verstappen." 2021 was excellent, the Mercedes and Red Bull were very closed and the last year that Max could be considered an "underdog."
The prevailing opinion is that Max is one of the best drivers ever. He "only" has three championships (and a fourth is pretty much in the books). The man lives and breathes racing. When he isn't doing F1 work he plays racing sims constantly regularly staying up late the night before a grand prix on iRacing. He's installed a full sim rig in his private jet so that he can race all the time. His childhood is also a bit different than other racers, his father is an abusive asshole former F1 driver (not very good). But pretty much shaped Max into a F1 driver since the age of 3.
The point that he has a dominant car is significant. To understand skills versus mechanical advantage our best data point is performance versus his team mate. His current partner is Sergio Perez. Who is a very good driver. But Sergio is beatable in the Red Bull. If Sergio beats the field by 10 seconds, Max is ahead of him by 20-30 seconds. And he isn't driving "all out." We've seen time and again that he has more time in his back pocket.
I think every F1 fan wants to see Max is a different car.
- If we moved Max to a Ferrari and filled the Red Bull with anyone else. I think we get a very dramatic championship (but I'd still bet on Max taking it).
- Max in a Mclaren would be interesting. I think he might secure a a couple wins.... maybe. I'd expect a few more podium finishes than Norris. But I don't think he'd be a contender for the championship.
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Comment on How do I sell a car? in ~transport
Notcoffeetable Link ParentWhat model is it? That isn't very high mileage. If it runs and only has minor issues it will likely sell private party for much more than 3k with some patience.What model is it? That isn't very high mileage. If it runs and only has minor issues it will likely sell private party for much more than 3k with some patience.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
Notcoffeetable (edited )LinkTwo weeks out. I hesitate to say motivation is back, I'd prefer not to go to the gym most days and accessory compliance is spotty. But coach is happy with the effort I'm putting in. In order to...Two weeks out. I hesitate to say motivation is back, I'd prefer not to go to the gym most days and accessory compliance is spotty. But coach is happy with the effort I'm putting in.
In order to push myself I am breaking my "no caffeine after noon" rule. I'm not big on energy drinks but one at the beginning of each session is helping with my focus during heavier efforts. It's impacting my ability to sleep on time but I'm hitting my 9 hours so I don't think it is having any deleterious effects in the short term. Will reinforce the rule after next week when effort drops back down.
Also tried quitting nicotine (those Zyn things). It was successful for a bit over a week. But I found myself really struggling with focus at work. The result is I cut my nicotine intake by about half. Thinking it might be self medication with undiagnosed ADHD. Not sure I want to talk to a doctor about it. Hoping a job change will help, my current job doesn't really provide opportunities for the "hyperfocus" that I'm good at.
- Squat is slowly coming back. Last week I had a single at 200kg which I rated about a 7. But there were some technical issues. Ended up a little forward and leaked a bit of energy maintaining bar path. I have another try at it tomorrow so will aim to execute better and maybe add a couple kilos without overshooting the RPE.
- Bench is coming back. Slowly working away at getting 140kg for reps. I think we're gonna see some good strength gains after several months of hypertrophy training this summer.
- Deadlifts are getting better but strength is about where it was before. Switching my grip has been a boon and doing higher rep work with straps seems like the way to go. I never really used straps much but with how good my grip feels on singles I feel like I have a bit more latitude to pull with straps on back off sets. Upside is I can load up my 5+ rep sets heavier.
Looking forward to dialing back lifting frequency. Will move from 6 days/week to 4days/week. Want to get out on some more walks in the evenings this summer.
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Comment on Proving the Earth is round at home in ~science
Notcoffeetable Link ParentThis is an old thread but it prompted a thought. As you mentioned most of the DIY experiments only prove local curvature. Proving an object is a topological sphere requires global rather than...This is an old thread but it prompted a thought.
As you mentioned most of the DIY experiments only prove local curvature. Proving an object is a topological sphere requires global rather than local data. The best global data available is the collection of all GPS coordinates.
So we could ask how would spherical GPS coordinates would work on a disc? We can stereographically project a punctured sphere to a disc, but this means the boundary of the disc would be "the same place." If we do the same operation without removing a point from the sphere we end up getting an infinite plane as the origin of our projection is "infinity."
Reducing this as an experiment: buy a global atlas and glue it together. It will be a sphere unless you decline to glue the most external edged together. I'm sure there is a flat earther explanation for this but it probably means accepting we live in a pacman maze.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
Notcoffeetable Link ParentPeople want to say their piece and leave it at that. Perhaps they want to flag nuance that is being overlooked but also recognize that a back and forth on a website isn't going to change minds. In...- Exemplary
People want to say their piece and leave it at that. Perhaps they want to flag nuance that is being overlooked but also recognize that a back and forth on a website isn't going to change minds. In some cases it's just avoiding the sunk cost fallacy.
Often times I type up a response and delete it. Writing the response scratched the itch of reflection and the end result isn't particularly substantive. Some people might get to that point and decide they'll post it and move on. I don't think either is a poor decisions; different strokes.
I don't think I'm in this group of people you've identified but I probably only reply to ~40% of replies on my comments. The majority of replies are akin to a fist bump to acknowledge "yeah what you posted resonated" I appreciate that and will give a vote to indicate I saw it. But there is nothing for me to add and I don't need to have the last word.
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Comment on Hey, monthly mystery commenters, what's up with the hit-and-runs? in ~tildes
Notcoffeetable Link ParentI don't think it is that strange. I get the sense that Tilde's has a strong millennial presence. It was the generation where online communities were really accessible. Some of us spent a lot of...I don't think it is that strange. I get the sense that Tilde's has a strong millennial presence. It was the generation where online communities were really accessible. Some of us spent a lot of our formative years getting to know people online and making friendships that way.
A place like Tildes feels second nature to me. I'm much more comfortable expressing myself in text than speaking to an acquaintance. It's a whole thing figuring out what energy to bring into a conversation, body language, thinking of the right thing to say on the fly. At least in text I can say what I mean, if someone dislikes it, that's fine, but at least I know I expressed my intent accurately.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Notcoffeetable LinkOn a whim started playing FFVII: REMAKE INTERGRADE (available on PS Plus). There have been some mixed reviews and I'm usually hesitant to play remakes. So far I am impressed. I like...On a whim started playing FFVII: REMAKE INTERGRADE (available on PS Plus). There have been some mixed reviews and I'm usually hesitant to play remakes. So far I am impressed. I like action/adventure and this leans into that. Switching between party members and using the skills recalls the old turn based combat but is much faster paced. For such a story/environment heavy game modern graphics help to do it justice. Touches like Barrett humming the victory song after a battle are nice.
I'll definitely keep putting some time in as I'm excited to relive the story in this reimagined game.
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Comment on Hugo Awards finalists for 2024 with transparency in ~books
Notcoffeetable LinkInteresting to see Leckie's Translation State listed. I loved Ancillary Justice but was a bit let down with the rest of the series (enjoyable though). Read Fortuna and enjoyed it but didn't like...Interesting to see Leckie's Translation State listed. I loved Ancillary Justice but was a bit let down with the rest of the series (enjoyable though). Read Fortuna and enjoyed it but didn't like it as much as the Ancillary trilogy. I've heard some good things about Translation State but have been hesitant to pick it up. This might be the signal I needed.
At 36 I have some of the symptoms you describe. I've wondered about my levels of test but also compete in a tested sport so HRT wouldn't really be an option.
What I have found is that the underlying stress makes a big impact. I track my recovery, workouts, and diet pretty closely. We've identified that about 4 weeks of training is when my performance starts to drop. I'll run a deload week that cuts volume in half. During those deload weeks my drive will spike and energy comes back. Same happens on taper weeks before meets, my energy ends up being much higher and most of the symptoms diminish.
It sounds like you are fortunate to have a low stress life and it doesn't sound like you are exerting yourself too much. But building in some easier weeks to your programming may be beneficial.