RoyalHenOil's recent activity
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
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Comment on Don’t like joining in? Why it could be your superpower. in ~life
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIntroversion/extraversion is the only aspect of MBTI that is well supported by the science — although the way that MBTI characterizes it is highly misleading. Introversion not an on/off thing....Introversion/extraversion is the only aspect of MBTI that is well supported by the science — although the way that MBTI characterizes it is highly misleading.
Introversion not an on/off thing. It's a normal distribution, where most people fall in the middle (neither particularly introverted nor extraverted). But there are some pretty fundamental brain differences between people who do fall at the far ends of the scale.
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Comment on The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia in ~health
RoyalHenOil Link ParentFor sure! My long sleeve work shirts are substantially cooler than a T-shirt. If you occasionally mist your hat with water, you'll get a nice evaporative cooling effect that will make it more...For sure! My long sleeve work shirts are substantially cooler than a T-shirt.
If you occasionally mist your hat with water, you'll get a nice evaporative cooling effect that will make it more comfortable (nicer than a bare head, in my opinion, at least if you have dark hair).
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Comment on The day return became enter in ~tech
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI was born in the mid 80s, and I don't think I've ever actually seen a typewriter with my own two eyes. My parents both worked at a cutting-edge Kinko's (print shop) and used a Mac Plus for all...I was born in the mid 80s, and I don't think I've ever actually seen a typewriter with my own two eyes.
My parents both worked at a cutting-edge Kinko's (print shop) and used a Mac Plus for all their typing needs, and my school had Apple II's and dot matrix printers.
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Comment on The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia in ~health
RoyalHenOil Link ParentSunscreen in general should not be a first defense. It's very easy to miss spots or apply too thinly without realizing, and it needs to be reapplied every two hours (more often if you're swimming...Sunscreen in general should not be a first defense. It's very easy to miss spots or apply too thinly without realizing, and it needs to be reapplied every two hours (more often if you're swimming or sweating). Plus, the sunscreen itself can be ruined if the bottle is exposed to heat (e.g., if you leave it in your car or leave it out in the sun at the beach; it should be kept in a cooler with ice).
I worked on a farm for eight years, and I learned to rely primarily on other methods that don't give you a false sense of security: long-sleeve shirts, wide-brimmed hats, etc.
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Comment on The sunscreen scandal shocking Australia in ~health
RoyalHenOil Link ParentAustralia and New Zealand vie for first place in skin cancer rates. The sun is more intense down here. When I lived in the US (in the Southeast), it took me noticeably longer to burn than where I...Australia and New Zealand vie for first place in skin cancer rates. The sun is more intense down here.
When I lived in the US (in the Southeast), it took me noticeably longer to burn than where I live now in Australia, even though I'm now further from the equator and at a lower elevation.
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Comment on Should C be mandatory learning for career developers? in ~comp
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI agree. C (and, to a lesser extent, other C-like languages as long as I ignore a lot of their high-level features) really click for me in a way that more Python-like languages do not. I feel like...I agree. C (and, to a lesser extent, other C-like languages as long as I ignore a lot of their high-level features) really click for me in a way that more Python-like languages do not. I feel like tearing my hair out whenever I try to write anything in Python.
I think I'm just too much of a control freak; I want to understand exactly what my code is doing, to the extent that that's possible, or I feel lost. But I imagine I might feel differently if I were a "real" programmer rather than just an occasional hobbyist.
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Comment on Should C be mandatory learning for career developers? in ~comp
RoyalHenOil LinkI'm not a developer, but I learned C through the CS50x course. I've lightly dabbled in several other languages — C++, C#, Lua, Python, etc. — but I found C's syntax particularly simple to...I'm not a developer, but I learned C through the CS50x course. I've lightly dabbled in several other languages — C++, C#, Lua, Python, etc. — but I found C's syntax particularly simple to understand and work with (albeit in the easy-to-learn-hard-to-master sense), and it really helped solidify a number of computer science topics in my head, particularly around how computers manage memory. After taking CS50, I used C in several Arduino projects, which further helped me grok some of the inner workings of computers.
I don't do any programming in my line of work, but I edit text and develop graphics/diagrams for mainframe-related educational material, and I suspect I owe several raises and promotions to C.
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Comment on Dehumidifiers are confusing. Here's why. in ~engineering
RoyalHenOil Link ParentThanks, this is the type of dehumidifier we use in the part of Australia where I live (although we have much nicer models than the one in the video). We have wet winters that soar to 70-80% RH on...Thanks, this is the type of dehumidifier we use in the part of Australia where I live (although we have much nicer models than the one in the video).
We have wet winters that soar to 70-80% RH on rainy days while the temperature is 0–10°C (32–50°F). Those are prime chilblain conditions, not to mention mold conditions, so desiccant humidifiers make winter tolerable.
We just run our dehumidifier in the coldest, wettest room (our unheated bathroom/laundry), and it keeps the whole place reasonably regulated.
As a bonus, desiccant dehumidifiers also make it feasible to air dry laundry indoors on cold, rainy days. And they're so narrow and lightweight that they're easy to pack away in spring.
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Comment on Medieval Europeans were fanatical about a strange fruit with a vulgar name that could only be eaten rotten. Then it was forgotten altogether. Why did they love it so much? And why did it disappear? in ~humanities.history
RoyalHenOil (edited )Link ParentI'd never heard of quinces before I moved to Australia. You never see them in shops, but they're popular backyard trees. They have to be cooked, and they are extremely sour and require a lot of...I'd never heard of quinces before I moved to Australia. You never see them in shops, but they're popular backyard trees.
They have to be cooked, and they are extremely sour and require a lot of sugar.
To me, quinces taste like what pears wish they could taste like. They have a very fresh, complex, floral note.
Another fruit that I love, but never heard of until I came to Australia, is the gooseberry. There seem to be two varieties: sweeter red ones that are better for fresh eating, and tart green ones that are great for jams, etc.
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Comment on Medieval Europeans were fanatical about a strange fruit with a vulgar name that could only be eaten rotten. Then it was forgotten altogether. Why did they love it so much? And why did it disappear? in ~humanities.history
RoyalHenOil (edited )LinkI ate some medlar fruit earlier this year (collected from a local park that has some medlar trees) and I plan to grow my own. Medlars are reasonably common ornamental trees in Australia. If you...I ate some medlar fruit earlier this year (collected from a local park that has some medlar trees) and I plan to grow my own. Medlars are reasonably common ornamental trees in Australia.
If you are curious, the fruit has a delicious, intense sweet-sour, apple-butter-like flavor with strong pear overtones. I recommend picking the fruit up when it falls off the tree (it will still be too hard and astringent to eat at that point), then setting it on your counter until it's ripe. When it's ripe, it will be very squishy and you can spoon it out like jam to add to scones, tarts, or whatever.
A big benefit of the two-step ripening process is wild animals don't show much interest the fruit, so you can get a big harvest. (This is also a benefit of quinces, which aren't edible directly off the tree.)
My only complaint is that the fruit is fairly small, a bit smaller than a fig, so it's a little fiddly.
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Comment on What are the standards for a good father/husband? in ~life.men
RoyalHenOil LinkI'm not sure what the norm is, but I think my partner and I contribute relatively evenly. We don't have a system — we both just kind of do tasks as we notice they need doing and we feel up for...I'm not sure what the norm is, but I think my partner and I contribute relatively evenly. We don't have a system — we both just kind of do tasks as we notice they need doing and we feel up for doing them — although there are some tasks he tends to do a bit more (like cooking, dishes, and grocery shopping) and some that I tend to do a bit more (like laundry, home repairs, and putting random things away).
If he notices me doing a chore, he'll generally jump in and help me with it. If I do a chore on my own, he generally notices and thanks me for doing it. If I'm having an off week and don't get much done, he picks up the slack. (I do these for him as well, of course.)
On the whole, I'd say I'm probably a little neater than him and have slightly higher standards — although there are exceptions — but I rarely have complaints. We're pretty good at meeting in the middle.
I suspect we work so well together in this area for two reasons: We both have experience living alone (so we're both familiar with all the chores involved in running a household) and we're both people pleasers (so we readily show each other appreciation, and we're motivated by each other's appreciation).
I think the people-pleasing trait is particularly important. We've been living together for nearly 15 years, but we still thank each other several times a day and we still do as many of our chores together as we can. It's basically a bonding activity.
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Comment on Bluesky will block Mississippi IP addresses in response to its age assurance law in ~tech
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIt's not just Mississippi, unfortunately. Australia has similar laws in the works.It's not just Mississippi, unfortunately. Australia has similar laws in the works.
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Comment on How many remakes have ever actually lived up to or surpassed the original? in ~movies
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI was going to suggest the same. It's hard to imagine how the original could have been better — but I didn't see it, so maybe it was.I was going to suggest the same. It's hard to imagine how the original could have been better — but I didn't see it, so maybe it was.
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Comment on How do you practice self love? in ~health.mental
RoyalHenOil LinkI would generally rate myself as someone with a great deal of self-admiration, self-respect, and self-love. (My self-confidence is another matter but, eh, you can't have everything. At least...I would generally rate myself as someone with a great deal of self-admiration, self-respect, and self-love. (My self-confidence is another matter but, eh, you can't have everything. At least self-doubt is still adorable in its own way.)
But I do still need other people's approval and affection. We are ultimately social animals, and we evolved with a strong instinct to bond with one another. Without those bonds, we feel incomplete no matter how great everything else in our lives may be going. It's like... however well-fed you may otherwise be, if you have a vitamin deficiency, you're going to feel crummy — and you may ask yourself why the ample, nutritious food you already eat isn't enough, and you may try to tough it out, but that's not going to solve the problem.
One of the things I've learned about myself, for example, is that I am miserable without a romantic partner. It's still not as bad as being with the wrong romantic partner (I'd rather spend years wallowing in loneliness than ever do that again), but it is something that platonic friendship alone cannot ameliorate for me. Once I'm in a stable, healthy romantic relationship, I am content and can coast on it forever. This deep need of mine isn't because I don't love myself enough; it's because my own love isn't the only kind of love I require.
The thing to watch out for, though, is whether the problem actually is what it feels like it is. For example, if I felt a strong drive to be in a romantic relationship, but then proceeded to twist and sabotage those relationships (for example, like a certain ex of mine does), that would be a sure sign that I've misdiagnosed the root of my loneliness.
Sometimes you have to get a bit scientific with it: which conditions aggravate the feelings you're having and which conditions ease them? If those conditions remain static, do your feelings remain static as well, or could there be other factors at play that you haven't accounted for? My experience has been that analyzing my emotions this way (including taking extensive notes over long periods of time to identify patterns of cause and effect) helps me understand my needs much better, and it has been instrumental in getting myself out of some dire situations (for example, a certain abusive relationship that I lightly alluded to earlier). Emotional pain, like physical pain, exists for a reason: your brain is trying to communicate something to you.
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Comment on Safe spaces for him: Why men need support groups run by other males for their well-being in ~life.men
RoyalHenOil LinkThis reminds me a lot of men's sheds here in Australia. Even very small towns here typically have a men's shed. In addition to the emotional support and social connection they provide for men,...This reminds me a lot of men's sheds here in Australia. Even very small towns here typically have a men's shed. In addition to the emotional support and social connection they provide for men, they do a lot of volunteer work for their communities: clean up and repair after storms, making and donating furniture, running free workshops for the public, etc.
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Comment on Looking for surreal horror/mindbending in ~books
RoyalHenOil Link ParentHer collection of short stories, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, are excellent as well. I enjoyed them every bit as much as I enjoyed her novels.Her collection of short stories, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, are excellent as well. I enjoyed them every bit as much as I enjoyed her novels.
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Comment on What were you right about? in ~talk
RoyalHenOil (edited )Link ParentOh, that's quite good! Unfortunately, the bulk of the stocks I inherited were in individual tech companies that haven't performed so well — there wasn't a single market index amongst them — so I...Oh, that's quite good!
Unfortunately, the bulk of the stocks I inherited were in individual tech companies that haven't performed so well — there wasn't a single market index amongst them — so I really needed to sell them regardless of where I reinvested. I'm grateful Trump's election prompted me to sell them when I did and to reinvest where I did. My portfolio is at 15.58% YTD, although I do expect a tax hit.
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Comment on What were you right about? in ~talk
RoyalHenOil LinkI inherited some stocks a little over a year ago. This was my first real foray into the stock market, and I didn't really know what I was doing nor particularly care to learn, so I just left them...I inherited some stocks a little over a year ago. This was my first real foray into the stock market, and I didn't really know what I was doing nor particularly care to learn, so I just left them alone.
However, Trump's election made me pretty jumpy about my inheritance. Eventually I got so fed up stressing about it that I impulsively sold all of my US-based stocks. I knew I'd likely lose money panic-selling like that, but I was tired of losing sleep over it and I just wanted to get it over with.
This was in February, just a few days shy of the US stock market peak. I reinvested the proceeds in non-US ETFs, particularly weighted toward gold and European defense since they seemed reasonably stable and ignorable at the time.
Let's just say that my sleep has improved an awful lot.
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Comment on What’s a plot twist that happened in your own life? in ~life
RoyalHenOil LinkHere is a short one: When I was a Girl Scout in the late 90s, my troop went camping in the north Georgia mountains. As to be expected from a bunch of little kids, we told each other ghost stories...Here is a short one:
When I was a Girl Scout in the late 90s, my troop went camping in the north Georgia mountains. As to be expected from a bunch of little kids, we told each other ghost stories and serial killer stories, ran around in the woods screaming, and basically scared ourselves so silly we couldn't aleep. It was great fun.
A couple weeks after our trip, the news reported that police had discovered the site where Eric Rudolph had been hiding out until just a few days prior — basically right where we had been camping. He almost certainly heard us screaming about psycho murderers in the woods.
I think this might be a semantic misunderstanding.
To me, the phrase "to face the consequences of one's own actions" is an observation that someone has previously done something that is now causing them harm, while the phrase "to have it coming" specifically means that they deserve that harm.
For example, if you lend money to a friend and they don't repay you, I might say that you're facing the consequences of lending them money, but I wouldn't say that you had it coming (unless, for some reason, I'm glad they didn't repay you).