RoyalHenOil's recent activity
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Comment on My polish costs nothing in ~tech
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Comment on My polish costs nothing in ~tech
RoyalHenOil (edited )Link ParentI've noticed that stuff written by Claude (not super sure about ChatGPT) uses em dashes in places where I would never use one; I would use a semicolon there instead (unless I already have another...I've noticed that stuff written by Claude (not super sure about ChatGPT) uses em dashes in places where I would never use one; I would use a semicolon there instead (unless I already have another semicolon in the sentence, and I'm just really adverse to breaking it into two sentences for some reason).
There are plenty of people who use em dashes that way, though. Or double-hyphens. (I use true em dashes when I'm writing on my phone, like right now, or on my PC where I have an AutoHotKey script to make typing them easier; I edit a lot of technical documentation for work, so I need easier access to all my punctuation than Windows offers standard. Otherwise, I also use a double-hyphen, but I've noticed a lot of software automatically converts that to an em dash anyway.)
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Comment on My polish costs nothing in ~tech
RoyalHenOil (edited )Link ParentI've always been a big em dash user (and semi-colon user, though I don't think I've ever seen that one in LLM writing?). And, um, an over-user of parenthetical statements. I use way too much...I've always been a big em dash user (and semi-colon user, though I don't think I've ever seen that one in LLM writing?). And, um, an over-user of parenthetical statements. I use way too much punctuation.
Believe it or not, I used to be much worse about it when I was a teenager (waaay before LLMs). Back then, I even used to abuse ellipses...
I have admittedly tried to cut back on my em dash usage since LLMs became common, but they're really useful and instinctive for me. At least I use them a slightly nonstandard way (straddled by spaces), since I was taught on AP style in school, rather than Chicago style or whatever. All of the LLM writing I've seen lacks the spaces (I assume because they've been fed on a lot of books and formal writing?).
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Comment on How has climate change affected your life / plans? in ~enviro
RoyalHenOil LinkI'm trialing a lot of plants in my garden that, by rights, shouldn't be able to grow in my climate. Those trials are going alarmingly well. I just planted my most daring trial yet — a tropical...I'm trialing a lot of plants in my garden that, by rights, shouldn't be able to grow in my climate. Those trials are going alarmingly well. I just planted my most daring trial yet — a tropical indoor philodendron in a relatively unprotected position (east-facing, partially covered by a deciduous tree that is currently leafless).
It's mid-winter right now (equivalent to late January for those of you in the northern hemisphere), and my roses are still blooming and putting on new growth. On a more annoying note, I'm still having to watch for mosquitoes. We've had plenty of frosts, but no proper killing frosts yet, and I'm starting to wonder if we will this year.
We haven't had a single snow day here since early 2020, even though we had multiple snow days per year every year before that.
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Comment on My polish costs nothing in ~tech
RoyalHenOil Link ParentA large percentage of the population will likely just not be able to tell the difference, and they'll be the source of a lot of false positives and false negatives. Before AI-generated imagery,...A large percentage of the population will likely just not be able to tell the difference, and they'll be the source of a lot of false positives and false negatives.
Before AI-generated imagery, people were constantly wrongly accusing photographers of Photoshopping their photos (e.g., due to shadows appearing to go in different directions, even though that's just how perspective works, or due to the existence of JPG artifacts) while missing very blatant Photoshop tells (e.g., inconsistent resolution in different parts of the image).
Now that image-based genAI is a thing, suddenly nobody's accusing each other of Photoshopping images, even though Photoshop is still very much being used to doctor photos.
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Comment on My polish costs nothing in ~tech
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIt probably depends a lot on the applicant and the job they're applying for. I've always found cover letters really great. They make me feel like a human with a personality, rather than like a...It probably depends a lot on the applicant and the job they're applying for.
I've always found cover letters really great. They make me feel like a human with a personality, rather than like a mindless application-filler or resume-submitter.
My resume is basically just a list of stats, but my cover letter is where I can just outright say what I want them to know about me. It's a chance to demonstrate my personality, explain things in my resume (like job gaps and career changes), and generally just communicate what sort of stuff I'm good at (and not so good at) and what sort of stuff I'm hoping to do in my next job.
I really struggle with formality, adhering to vague-yet-somehow-strict social 'rules' (like how to dress for interviews or how to word resumes), and selling myself, so until I get an interview, my cover letter is pretty much the only place I can loosen up and show off what I offer instead, like my creativity, flexibility, and direct communication style.
But I've mostly only applied to work at small companies that haven't publicly listed the roles they're hiring for, so they aren't slogging through hundreds of applicants. Writing a cover letter is a lot more enticing when you know people are actually going to read it — and, more importantly, that those people are your potential future managers and coworkers (and therefore pretty keen to get a sense of your personality).
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Comment on DNA tests are uncovering the true prevalence of incest (gifted link) in ~health
RoyalHenOil Link ParentNearly all of the data I have found on the subject strongly suggests that child sexual abuse rates have been falling substantially since the early 90s. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of data...Nearly all of the data I have found on the subject strongly suggests that child sexual abuse rates have been falling substantially since the early 90s.
Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of data from before the 90s, but I've read a number of researchers say that it's their considered opinion that it's been generally falling since at least the 70s — which, to me, is definitely suggestive of a long-term, multi-generational trend.
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Comment on How do you live simply/save money? What does your lifestyle look like? in ~talk
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIn my experience, art-related hobbies (writing, painting, music, etc.) can be particularly useful for getting yourself to slow down and soak your environment in. Even if you're not actively...In my experience, art-related hobbies (writing, painting, music, etc.) can be particularly useful for getting yourself to slow down and soak your environment in. Even if you're not actively creating, you're still going to want to take in details wherever you can to build up your internal library.
I'd say art is 90% experiencing (and learning how to experience) and 10% creating.
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Comment on How do you live simply/save money? What does your lifestyle look like? in ~talk
RoyalHenOil (edited )LinkI have a lot of hobbies, and I can fall back on the cheaper ones (writing, drawing, programming, etc.) when I'm trying to save money. However, even my most expensive hobbies tend not to have high...I have a lot of hobbies, and I can fall back on the cheaper ones (writing, drawing, programming, etc.) when I'm trying to save money.
However, even my most expensive hobbies tend not to have high ongoing costs — usually just a few major one-time costs, which I have largely already made. For example, I'm into woodworking, which can potentially get very expensive, but I mostly use hand tools and smaller power tools (like my drill and my sander), plus a few items I got very cheaply secondhand or were gifted to me (like my scroll saw) or that I can borrow (like my father-in-law's lathe). I also mostly use inexpensive lumber (like pine) or free wood (people give away a lot of good-quality scrap and broken furniture that can be taken apart — plus I live in the country, so there's a lot of random branches, firewood, etc. around that I can repurpose).
As for socializing, I generally prefer to hang out with other people who have hobbies. Even if we don't have the same hobby, it's fun to hang out and work on our own projects in each other's company. This is a lot cheaper (and, in my opinion, a lot more stimulating) than going out to eat or other expensive activities.
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Comment on DNA tests are uncovering the true prevalence of incest (gifted link) in ~health
RoyalHenOil Link ParentYeah, that was a harrowing read in more ways than one. Especially, I thought, that most of these cases appear to be between first-order relatives (parent-child or sibling-sibling) — almost...Yeah, that was a harrowing read in more ways than one. Especially, I thought, that most of these cases appear to be between first-order relatives (parent-child or sibling-sibling) — almost certainly cases of abuse — rather than more distant relatives.
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Comment on Unreleased OpenAI model escapes containment and hacks into HuggingFace in ~tech
RoyalHenOil Link ParentAt least those pest control ads are advertising that they'll stop the cockroach invasion, not start it. People, and enterprises in particular, aren't going to want to OpenAI products anywhere near...At least those pest control ads are advertising that they'll stop the cockroach invasion, not start it.
People, and enterprises in particular, aren't going to want to OpenAI products anywhere near their work if they're afraid it'll violate security protocols and start destroying or leaking things.
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Comment on An oil boom, a supermarket opportunity and decades of adaptation transformed the taco from a Tex-Mex import into one of Norway's most beloved traditions in ~food
RoyalHenOil Link ParentYeah, absolutely. My brother-in-law's from Mexico City, and the food options there are ridiculously diverse and borrow heavily from around the Mexican (and formerly Mexican) landscape, and from...Yeah, absolutely. My brother-in-law's from Mexico City, and the food options there are ridiculously diverse and borrow heavily from around the Mexican (and formerly Mexican) landscape, and from around the world in general. There's plenty of Tejano food to be found there, from traditional to fusion.
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Comment on An oil boom, a supermarket opportunity and decades of adaptation transformed the taco from a Tex-Mex import into one of Norway's most beloved traditions in ~food
RoyalHenOil Link ParentTex-Mex isn't authentic Mexican only by a technicality — the annexation of Texas. Before that happened, the Tejanos and their food culture certainly would have counted as Mexican.Tex-Mex isn't authentic Mexican only by a technicality — the annexation of Texas. Before that happened, the Tejanos and their food culture certainly would have counted as Mexican.
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Comment on The end of reading is here in ~books
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI agree with you (although I have to admit that I do have difficulty with changing tires sometimes — my upper body strength is pathetic, and some of those lug nuts are really tight!). I think just...I agree with you (although I have to admit that I do have difficulty with changing tires sometimes — my upper body strength is pathetic, and some of those lug nuts are really tight!). I think just having a habit of trying things and seeing projects through, whatever they are, builds self-confidence that can be applied to anything.
I didn't grow up building high-tension fences, designing irrigation systems, or building furniture — all things I self-taught for the first time as an adult, without any guidance but how-to guides and videos. I didn't grow up doing anything like those tasks; instead, I grew up doing little crafts like sewing Halloween costumes and painting pictures. But these activities, simple as they were, gave me confidence that I can try new things, recover from mistakes, and ultimately succeed if I'm determined enough.
In my personal observation, the number one thing I see holding people back is anxiety. They're so scared of messing something up and have no confidence whatsoever in their ability to improvise when something goes wrong. They think they have to do everything in the 100% "best" way (e.g., thinking they need to invest in expensive raised garden beds before they'll even entertain growing vegetables), which raises the stakes so high that they're afraid to try it at all. And even when the stakes are extremely low (e.g., messing up a loaf of sourdough bread), people often freeze up the moment something goes a little sideways and they need to wing it.
In my experience with teaching skills to other people, it's about a bazillion times easier to teach somebody who already has some kind of confidence-building hobby than somebody who does not. I can teach a programmer (for example) how to prune fruit trees without much trouble, even though there's essentially no overlap between the two skills, simply because programmers are pretty used to making mistakes.
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Comment on Modern, abstract art makes me angry in ~arts
RoyalHenOil LinkI'm not generally a fan of abstract paintings when viewed in isolation, but I don't get annoyed by them. I just don't spend long looking at them in museums, because I generally prefer them when...I'm not generally a fan of abstract paintings when viewed in isolation, but I don't get annoyed by them. I just don't spend long looking at them in museums, because I generally prefer them when they're incorporated in something else (I do think they work well in some interior design spaces, as low-distraction backdrops on phones or computers, etc.).
A big part of the reason abstract art doesn't annoy me because it's absolutely everywhere. It's on most of the products at the supermarket, it's in every home (interior design is almost always abstract unless the room is designed to be heavily themed, which I honestly dislike a lot more than abstract design), a lot of clothing is abstract (graphic T-shirts, floral prints, etc. excepted), and most household objects (vases, small kitchen appliances, woodturned legs on furniture, etc.) are just kind of some artful shape that's not depicting anything in particular.
Abstract design is just kind of the norm. Paintings and sculptures that depict something in particular are a strange exception — no doubt a cultural fluke that evolved out of the need/desire to keep records of what things look like before the invention of photography.
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Comment on Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles in ~games
RoyalHenOil Link ParentThe weird thing, at least where I live, is that cartridges are cheaper — often substantially so — than digital downloads, despite being so much more expensive to produce and being resellable. I...The weird thing, at least where I live, is that cartridges are cheaper — often substantially so — than digital downloads, despite being so much more expensive to produce and being resellable.
I prefer digital games due to the faster load times (particularly noticeable on the Switch 2), so it's a tough choice between that and buying the cheaper, slower physical copy.
For this reason, I'm a big fan of game key cards. They're the best of both worlds, and I preferentially buy them whenever they're available. Unfortunately, most of the games I'm interested in buying just come on regular cartridges, not game key cartridges, but I'm hoping this changes in the future.
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Comment on How do I keep my dog from fearing water sprinklers? in ~life.pets
RoyalHenOil LinkKikopup has several videos on treating phobias and reactivity in dogs. Although none of them are about sprinklers specifically, the same general strategy should apply.Kikopup has several videos on treating phobias and reactivity in dogs. Although none of them are about sprinklers specifically, the same general strategy should apply.
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Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
RoyalHenOil (edited )Link ParentI love those chainmail scrubbers! One of the biggest reasons I prefer cooking in cast iron is because I can use a chainmail scrubber without worrying about scratches. I wish I could use it on...I love those chainmail scrubbers!
One of the biggest reasons I prefer cooking in cast iron is because I can use a chainmail scrubber without worrying about scratches. I wish I could use it on everything. It's so annoying dealing with burnt food, etc., on my non-cast-iron cookware. (For them, I use a EuroScrubby pad, which is pretty good, but chainmail is better.)
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Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIf you really want to see rust, take a steel brush grinder to the inside of the skillet to strip off the seasoning, and then put it through the dishwasher. I've done this before, and it's a pretty...If you really want to see rust, take a steel brush grinder to the inside of the skillet to strip off the seasoning, and then put it through the dishwasher. I've done this before, and it's a pretty shocking change! But after you remove the rust and re-season it, it's silky smooth — better than new.
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Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
RoyalHenOil Link ParentEh, very easily fixed. Rust is super easy to remove, and the edge is super easy to sharpen if it gets a little banged up. You should be sharpening them frequently anyway. Lots of high-carbon...Eh, very easily fixed. Rust is super easy to remove, and the edge is super easy to sharpen if it gets a little banged up. You should be sharpening them frequently anyway.
Lots of high-carbon blades (axes, chainsaw blades, whittling knives, carving chisrls/gouges, etc.) get far harsher treatment than a kitchen knife's occasional trip through a dishwasher, and they last for years and years and years.
Yeah, that makes sense. I think particularly when the cover letter is getting filtered through some kind of recruitment apparatus first, adhering to some kind of standard formulation for it might be necessary? (Not sure.)
For the jobs I apply for, I write it in a more casual tone, like how I'd write an email. I might even inject a bit of humor. I figure if that gets me filtered out, I probably don't want to work for whoever filtered it out; they're way too rigid for me!