Parliment's recent activity
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Comment on Caught the cycling bug. Anyone else? in ~hobbies
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Comment on Why so many people are going "no contact" with their parents in ~life
Parliment LinkGenuinely a difficult situation for everyone involved. I just want to share a resource that was tremendously valuable to me when grappling with my experiences growing up with a disturbed parent:...Genuinely a difficult situation for everyone involved. I just want to share a resource that was tremendously valuable to me when grappling with my experiences growing up with a disturbed parent:
"Understanding the Borderline Mother: Helping Her Children Transcend the Intense, Unpredictable, and Volatile Relationship" by Christine Ann Lawson
Not every situation calls for going no contact, which the shared article states, but sometimes it is the only reasonable option.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
Parliment LinkI've been listening to recently shared recordings by Aadam Jacobs: From Early Nirvana To Phish, A Chicago Fan’s Secret Recordings Of 10,000 Shows Are Now Online Aadam Jacobs Collection at the Live...I've been listening to recently shared recordings by Aadam Jacobs:
From Early Nirvana To Phish, A Chicago Fan’s Secret Recordings Of 10,000 Shows Are Now Online
Aadam Jacobs Collection at the Live Music Archive
A few standouts I've found:
Nirvana Live at Dreamerz 1989-07-08
Pere Ubu Live at Cabaret Metro 1989-07-16
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Parliment LinkAlways Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009) by Michael J. Fox There are some parts that did not age well, especially the chapter effusively praising Lance Armstrong (whose...Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist (2009) by Michael J. Fox
There are some parts that did not age well, especially the chapter effusively praising Lance Armstrong (whose foundation Fox modeled his own after), and some mentions of his admiration for Bill Cosby, both of whom still hadn't been exposed at the time. And he gets deeper into the nitty gritty of some things like the political fight to allow stem cell research than I expected. But the stories about his personal struggles of dealing with Parkinson's are incredibly moving, and help me put my own problems into better perspective. Also, Fox says early in the book that he is not well educated and only got his GED in his 30s, but his writing is very refined and rich with allusions. It's also very self-deprecating and often funny in just the way you'd expect from him.
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Comment on Games: Your personal year in review for 2025 in ~games
Parliment LinkGames I played this year: Jagged Alliance 3 - Tried it to scratch the XCOM itch. It's quite good, but XCOM is still the best turn-based tactics series ever. Sword of the Sea - Short but gorgeous...Games I played this year:
Jagged Alliance 3 - Tried it to scratch the XCOM itch. It's quite good, but XCOM is still the best turn-based tactics series ever.
Sword of the Sea - Short but gorgeous and transporting.
Keeper - Same as above.
South of Midnight - Beautiful to look at and well voice acted, but the combat and platforming are forgettable.
Ball x Pit - Addicting, and not in a good way. Felt like I was playing out of habituation not desire. Uninstalled it.
Cities Skylines II - For all its faults and shortcomings (and they are numerous), it's still the best city builder.
Red Dead Redemption - I loved RDR2 so I had to try its predecessor, and while it doesn't hit the rarified air of the sequel, it's still an absolutely excellent game. Rockstar rarely misses.
Frostpunk 2 - The original is wonderful, and while the follow-up is by no means bad, it doesn't live up to it.
Star Wars Jedi Survivor - Really enjoyed the platforming in this one. It has a Metroidvania style where you continually gain abilities that open up new areas of the map, which I generally like.
Cocoon - A must play puzzle game for people of all ages. Tremendously inventive. I haven't this much satisfaction from solving a puzzle since the Portal games.
Jusant - Not a long game, but it went underappreciated. I've always enjoyed games with "verticality" and this climbing challenge epitomizes that.
Lonely Mountain Snow Riders / Downhill - Surprisingly challenging skiing and mountain biking games that be thrilling or relaxing depending on how you choose to play.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Parliment Link ParentCan I ask, how much of the game is stealth-oriented? Is core to the game and you can't really avoid it, or can you choose a more aggressive play style if you want and the game adapts?Can I ask, how much of the game is stealth-oriented? Is core to the game and you can't really avoid it, or can you choose a more aggressive play style if you want and the game adapts?
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Parliment LinkJust finished Sword of the Sea. It's a very short game (4-5 hours), but I loved it. It's from the team behind Abzu which I also really liked. Both have their puzzle and platforming elements, but...Just finished Sword of the Sea. It's a very short game (4-5 hours), but I loved it. It's from the team behind Abzu which I also really liked. Both have their puzzle and platforming elements, but the core of the game is really the environments, which are beautiful, peaceful, and mysterious. Sometimes I want a game that delivers an adrenaline rush, but often I want something relaxing but that still offers a few challenges, and this fit the bill perfectly. If I could recommend one other game that I felt similarly about it would be Jusant, a climbing game that came out in 2023 which has not gotten the credit it deserves.
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Comment on What are your favorite ways to measure your own health? in ~health
Parliment (edited )Link ParentI've been saying the clothes thing for years. I know so many people that constantly weigh themselves when all they need to do is check which notch of their belt they are using. Also, recent...I've been saying the clothes thing for years. I know so many people that constantly weigh themselves when all they need to do is check which notch of their belt they are using. Also, recent research indicates that body shape is a better predictor of health than body weight.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
Parliment LinkI grow basil every summer. It was so hot and rainy this summer that I have harvested more than ever. I've been eating pasta and panini for weeks and my freezer is full of pesto. I love basil (and...I grow basil every summer. It was so hot and rainy this summer that I have harvested more than ever. I've been eating pasta and panini for weeks and my freezer is full of pesto. I love basil (and basil pesto) but even I am hitting my limit.
I visited a cousin in Brooklyn ten years ago and he had an extra bike and suggested we go for a ride. At the time, I hadn't been on a bike for more than ten minutes since I was a child, but I said yes. We rode over the Brooklyn Bridge and tooled around Manhattan and did about eight miles that day. I was immediately hooked. The wind in your face, the feeling of freedom, and the ease of getting around are all intoxicating. It was just a lot of fun.
I went to my LBS (local bike shop) and bought a Giant Escape 3 hybrid for $350. I rode the hell out of it, added toe clips to the pedals, bar ends, and a rear rack. I used it for my first big event, the 5 Boro Bike Tour. It was great. They shut down a bunch of major roads and the Verrazano bridge and you get to circle the whole of NYC with 30,000 other cyclists. My skill level at the time put me well ahead of most people and well behind the elite riders, so I spent most of my time trailing the lead pack. I would catch up to them at certain holding points, and when we were given the ok to go, you’d hear a hundred people clip into their pedals at the same time and it was a cool sound.
I had several great bike trips during this time. I did my longest ever ride, which was 70 miles from Ocean City, NJ to the Cape May lighthouse and back, following along the ocean and taking every little drawbridge. It was a memorable experience but one I won’t be repeating. It is more mentally draining than even physically. I also biked every single State Park in my home state of NJ. Personally, there is nothing more soothing to me than a long, empty, sun-dappled road snaking through the Pine Barrens. I also took a summer bike trip with a friend to Seattle and Portland. We rented road bikes and did 40-50 miles every day exploring the entirety of those exceptionally bike-friendly cities.
I also became a winter biker. I considered buying a stationary bike or a trainer, but indoor cycling just never seemed to provide even a fraction of the enjoyment that outdoor did. I was also once at the LBS and was asking one of the mechanics about trainers and he gave me the full rundown. But when I asked if he used one, he just laughed and said no, he was a “purist.” I think that lodged something in my brain and I decided right then I wanted to be a purist too. I had more than my share of bone-chilling rides before I dialed in the gear just right. You can’t just look at temperatures, you also need the windspeed and humidity to know how to dress properly. Even if it’s a bright, sunny day in the high 60s, you can still freeze your butt off if it’s also very dry and windy. Also, in the very cold, don’t try to bundle up in heavy padding. It’s unwieldy and you’ll overheat. The key is to have a thin outer layer that blocks the wind. Once you have that, your riding will generate sufficient body heat and the wind won’t be able to steal it from you. Also, super thick gloves or mittens will impede your dexterity a lot. Bar mittens or pogies are much better.
My smartest move was creating a bike clothes journal. I made a spreadsheet with every item of clothing I wear while biking. Then I add a new day for each ride that lists the weather details and I check off everything I wore. If I was too cold or too hot, I would note that when I got back. Then the next time it’s time to ride, I check the weather and find a day on my sheet that looks similar and see what I wore. After two years of that, I have pretty much every weather condition figured. More than once I’ve looked at what I wrote and thought “that can’t be right,” but I’ve learned to trust it!
My second smartest move was deciding I didn’t care how dorky a rearview mirror mounted on my eyeglasses looked. I don’t know how people ride without them. I tried sideview mirrors on the handlebars, but they are useless when turning. After ten years of riding with my eyeglass mirror, I don’t even notice it. It’s like having eyes in the back of my head.
At some point I decided I wanted to know more about bike wrenching and found a LBS that offered classes (which isn’t that easy given that most shops don’t want to teach you how to do services they sell). I spent a couple hundred bucks on nine hours of private lessons from a really great bike mechanic, and a similar amount on new tools. I still don’t entirely trust myself on everything, but I know how everything works now and have technically rebuilt a bike from parts, which is all very useful information. That bike mechanic also taught me how to change a tire, which I’ve thankfully only had to do once roadside.
Three years into my Fuji and I decided it was time to upgrade again. I genuinely enjoy mountain and gravel biking, but if I’m being really honest with myself, I’m a road dog. MTB and gravel take way more skill and focus. It’s not to say I lose focus while on the road (you ignore the risk the cars pose at your own peril), but I get into a zen-like state while road biking that I can’t on a trail where I’m trying to navigate tricky rocks and roots all the time. I’ve seen gravel riders and underbikers who are like billy goats effortlessly traversing trails where I would have to walk my bike, but I never got that good and eventually decided I was happier on the road.
My first two bikes were relatively cheap. They were aluminum frames with no frills groupsets. The Fuji had Shimano Claris, which is barely above entry-level but also a very capable, reliable and low maintenance drivetrain. Still, I wanted to try something more. The bike I rented in Portland was a vintage steelie that had been upgraded with Shimano Tiagra (two steps above Claris) and it was quite nice, so I was determined to get something at least that good.
I agonized over the decision for too long, filling out extensive spreadsheets with options, listing weights, groupsets, and stack and reach lengths, before deciding I was never going to find a goldilocks bike and to just bite the bullet and go for something. I saw an ad from a different LBS near me for a sale on Cannondales and went for a test ride. I ended up with a 2022 Synapse with a 105 groupset (one above Tiagra) in carbon for $3,000. It’s an endurance road bike, which means the geometry is a little more forgiving than road bikes built for racing, but it’s still plenty fast and nimble. It’s definitely one of my favorite toys ever.
When e-bikes started becoming popular, I figured I should give that a try too. I got a folding Rad Power for around $1,100 which was a good deal at the height of the pandemic when everyone was buying up bikes left and right. It is certainly enjoyable and I’ve put several thousand miles on it, but it just doesn’t scratch the itch that human-powered pedalling does. I never feel the same sense of satisfaction afterwards. I sometimes bike with my dad who is getting up there in years, him on the e-bike and me on my standard bike. He likes to go fast and I would struggle to keep up with him. So when I went to visit him in Florida this winter I rented an e-bike. We did several long rides together and it was very nice, but I came away convinced it just isn’t for me. Next time, I’ll rent a regular bike and just continue to struggle to follow him. It’s better that way.