RoyalHenOil's recent activity
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Comment on South Korea is over in ~society
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Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv
RoyalHenOil Link ParentTo be fair, a whole lot of shows are very poorly written and characters do things that advance the plot or heighten the drama rather than what real human beings do in that position.To be fair, a whole lot of shows are very poorly written and characters do things that advance the plot or heighten the drama rather than what real human beings do in that position.
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Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI think it's very likely that I do (based on family history and other factors, like extreme hyperfocus and finding it easier to sleep if I take a caffeine pill before bed), but I have not been...I think it's very likely that I do (based on family history and other factors, like extreme hyperfocus and finding it easier to sleep if I take a caffeine pill before bed), but I have not been diagnosed. I've made several false starts, but I just don't have what it takes to get through the arduous process of getting assessed.
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Comment on What's a secondhand heartbreak you've experienced? in ~talk
RoyalHenOil LinkWhen I was eight years old, my uncle (my dad's little brother) and my own little brother both had prolonged illnesses and died within a couple months of each other. I was so focused on how sorry I...When I was eight years old, my uncle (my dad's little brother) and my own little brother both had prolonged illnesses and died within a couple months of each other. I was so focused on how sorry I felt for myself, and my parents held themselves together so well for me, that it took over a decade for me to grasp how unfathomably deep their own pain must have been — and must still be.
My parents didn't financially recover until I was well into adulthood, and I spent most of my childhood feeling bitter about that, too. It wasn't until I was older that I made the connection between my brother's intensive medical care (months of ECMO when it was still uncommon technology) and my family slipping into decades of financial strife. They were still getting bills in the mail years and years after he was gone.
They were younger than I am now. I don't know how they did it. They are the two strongest and kindest people I have ever known.
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Comment on We can’t stop checking our phones while watching TV or movies – and it’s affecting the quality of shows in ~tv
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI am the same. I am just way too distractible. I find it almost impossible to work while listening to music, for example. I can do mindless chores while listening to music, but I can't listen to a...I am the same. I am just way too distractible. I find it almost impossible to work while listening to music, for example. I can do mindless chores while listening to music, but I can't listen to a podcast because I end up doing the chore very badly and still have no idea what the podcaster is saying. So I spend the great majority of my day in silence until I'm ready to fully focus on something I want to listen to.
I never look at my phone while watching a show — or while doing any activity really. I constantly misplace my phone, and often accidentally go all day without it, because I can't split my attention like seemingly everyone else can: if it's out of sight, it's out of mind.
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Comment on South Korea is over in ~society
RoyalHenOil Link ParentThis has been the sentiment of the South Koreans I know in real life. For example, my partner's cousin visited South Korea and ended up falling in love with a woman there. They got married and...This has been the sentiment of the South Koreans I know in real life.
For example, my partner's cousin visited South Korea and ended up falling in love with a woman there. They got married and lived there for several years. But when they decided to have children, they left South Korea for his home country.
She explained to me that, as much as she wanted to keep living near her family, there was no way she was going to raise children in South Korea. South Korean society is simply not conducive to starting a family, and Koreans who want to have kids immigrate elsewhere to do it.
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Comment on Kindle modding wiki in ~books
RoyalHenOil Link ParentThere is a way to change the format on modern .kfx files. The method is quite a bit more roundabout than with older Kindle formats, so I would generally recommend against buying eBooks in that...There is a way to change the format on modern .kfx files. The method is quite a bit more roundabout than with older Kindle formats, so I would generally recommend against buying eBooks in that format. But you're not out of luck if you do, so long as you have access to the Amazon account where the books were purchased and a Windows PC (I can't personally vouch for other operating systems).
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Comment on US President Donald Trump announces pause in ‘reciprocal’ tariffs for all countries but China in ~society
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIt sounds like the bond market is what finally scared him into the pause. Those numbers were getting dangerous. So I feel like we've learned something: Trump is not angling for a total economic...It sounds like the bond market is what finally scared him into the pause. Those numbers were getting dangerous.
So I feel like we've learned something: Trump is not angling for a total economic collapse and will try to avoid causing the US to default on its debts. But at the same time, this demonstrated a huge vulnerability in Trump's negotiation tactics. If he pisses them off enough, other countries that hold a lot of US debt — which includes China — can unilaterally wreck the US economy, and this trade war still isn't over.
I, personally, feel a lot less confident in US treasuries now than I did in December.
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Comment on The new US tariffs - weird formulas, risks, and the coming trade war in ~finance
RoyalHenOil LinkThank you, this is the clearest explanation and analysis I've seen of these bizarre tariffs and what may come next.Thank you, this is the clearest explanation and analysis I've seen of these bizarre tariffs and what may come next.
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Comment on The origins of Dwarf Fortress (Episode One) in ~games
RoyalHenOil (edited )Link ParentSimilar here. I played a lot of Dwarf Fortress for years, backed Rimworld on Kickstarter because the creator was inspired by Dwarf Fortress, played Rimworld a while, and then went back to Dwarf...Funnily enough, I've had the opposite experience with Rimworld and Dwarf Fortress. I used to play a fair bit of Rimworld, but ever since I played Dwarf Fortress for the first time (when the Steam version released), I haven't been able to go back to it.
Similar here. I played a lot of Dwarf Fortress for years, backed Rimworld on Kickstarter because the creator was inspired by Dwarf Fortress, played Rimworld a while, and then went back to Dwarf Fortress because I find it so much more interesting and satisfying.
I admittedly don't play it as much as I used to, but it will always be very special to me — not just because of the countless hours of wonder and entertainment, but because it materially changed my life:
Back in 2009, I had just recently graduated with a job and then lost it when the recession hit, and I was living with my parents and at a loss for what to do with myself in between fruitless job hunts for any kind of work whatsoever. I decided I wanted to learn how to play this free game called Dwarf Fortress, but I didn't know where to begin, and there was nobody in my life who had any interest in it or had even heard of it — except for some random online penpal I very occasionally exchanged emails with from the other side of the world.
It turned out that he was an avid Dwarf Fortress fan (he even had some of Toady's famous crayon drawings), but he also didn't know anybody else who knew or cared about it, and he was thrilled to finally share this passion with someone else. As soon as we discovered our mutual interest in the game, we immediately started making plans to meet in-person (he could afford plane tickets because the 2008 recession didn't hit his country) so he could show me the ropes and we could play together. Long story short, we're approaching our 15th anniversary, I'm a dual citizen, and we both work in tech education.
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Comment on When is it okay to give up? in ~life
RoyalHenOil LinkI am an extreme introvert, and one of the big life lessons I had to learn was how to make peace with this aspect of my personality. I used to feel deeply guilty, to the point of depression, for...I am an extreme introvert, and one of the big life lessons I had to learn was how to make peace with this aspect of my personality. I used to feel deeply guilty, to the point of depression, for not having the mental energy to socialize with other people anywhere near as much as they wanted me to — but guilt just drained my mental energy even more, so what was the point of feeling guilty?
Throughout my life, there have probably been a hundred or more people, including family members (my family is big), who could have been great friends, but I let our interactions lapse — not because they did anything wrong, but because I simply can't stay in reliable contact with more than a small handful of people at any time, and so I'm forced to be choosy or arbitrary.
So I just can't go through life feeling guilty for every person I've drifted away from who didn't deserve it. There are way too many of them, and I would be utterly non-functional if I let my mind wander down that path. Thus I spent a couple of hard years learning how to let that guilt go and just let my nature be.
Your situation is a lot more straightforward, though. In my case, I've drifted away from a lot of people who are absolutely lovely and supportive in every way, including favorite family members who raised me. But you're talking about people who seem to be actively and intentionally making you feel bad. If you're going to feel guilty for not socializing with certain people anymore, at least save it for people who haven't sabotaged your relationship with them.
Whatever you decide to do, now or in the future, I urge you to not let guilt be any part of it.
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Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI do a somewhat similar routine: Rinse hair and body Apply shampoo and leave to soak Wash and exfoliate body Rinse away shampoo and body wash Apply conditioner and leave to soak Floss and brush...I do a somewhat similar routine:
- Rinse hair and body
- Apply shampoo and leave to soak
- Wash and exfoliate body
- Rinse away shampoo and body wash
- Apply conditioner and leave to soak
- Floss and brush teeth
- Rinse away conditioner
- Wash and exfoliate face and back
- Rinse away cleanser and body wash
If I am conserving hot water (our gas is quite expensive), I only run the shower during the four rinsing steps.
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Comment on Religious switching into and out of Islam in ~humanities
RoyalHenOil Link ParentThe cultural aspect of the Catholic identity seems to be strongest in places where Catholics have experienced a lot of discrimination and social exclusion. I've met people who use "Catholic"...The cultural aspect of the Catholic identity seems to be strongest in places where Catholics have experienced a lot of discrimination and social exclusion. I've met people who use "Catholic" almost as a synonym for "Irish", for example.
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Comment on Religious switching into and out of Islam in ~humanities
RoyalHenOil Link ParentI wonder to what extent people identify as Muslim for cultural reasons rather than for strictly religious reasons. After all, there are a lot of atheists out there identifying as Jews and as...I wonder to what extent people identify as Muslim for cultural reasons rather than for strictly religious reasons. After all, there are a lot of atheists out there identifying as Jews and as Catholics, so I would not be surprised if there are atheists who identify as Muslims as well because they're still members of that cultural community.
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Comment on Windows 11 is closing a loophole that let you skip making a Microsoft account in ~tech
RoyalHenOil Link ParentThat is exactly the situation I'm in. I work from home and use my personal desktop, and most of the software I have to use for work is simply not available on Linux.That is exactly the situation I'm in. I work from home and use my personal desktop, and most of the software I have to use for work is simply not available on Linux.
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Comment on When is pet insurance worth it? in ~life.pets
RoyalHenOil LinkFor me, pet insurance is not worth it because I set aside a large portion of every paycheck into savings, and I have enough savings to comfortably cover a major health problem. I didn't get dogs...For me, pet insurance is not worth it because I set aside a large portion of every paycheck into savings, and I have enough savings to comfortably cover a major health problem. I didn't get dogs (even though I badly wanted them for years) until I had ample savings in the bank.
I also chose a dog breed that has very high genetic diversity and few health problems, and I selected a breeder I could trust. (If I lived somewhere with a lot of rescue dogs, I would have chosen a thoroughly well-mixed mutt instead. Backyard breeding and puppy mills are illegal here, however.)
Good preventative care also greatly reduces the risk of an unexpected vet trip: good dog food, regular vaccinations and checkups, plenty of exercise, dental care, flea and heartworm prevention, etc.
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Comment on “I don’t see how we can save it.” in ~life
RoyalHenOil Link ParentOof, that is very large. I was hoping it would be one of those dwarf ornamental varieties — the sort that can fit in a large pot. I am so sorry. I can completely understand why you've fought so...Oof, that is very large. I was hoping it would be one of those dwarf ornamental varieties — the sort that can fit in a large pot.
I am so sorry. I can completely understand why you've fought so hard to save this tree. Please do root some cuttings, and maybe offer to share some of them around with your neighbors who will no doubt be heartbroken, too.
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Comment on “I don’t see how we can save it.” in ~life
RoyalHenOil Link ParentHow large is the tree? Arborists tend to be fairly conservative in my experience (they don't want to tell you that you can move the tree if there's a reasonable chance that it might not survive...How large is the tree? Arborists tend to be fairly conservative in my experience (they don't want to tell you that you can move the tree if there's a reasonable chance that it might not survive the process or that it might look kind of bad for a few years while it recovers), but if it's small enough that one or two people could dig up its root ball and drag it to a new position, I think you have a pretty good chance of saving it if you do it in the cooler months.
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Comment on 23andMe files for bankruptcy in ~finance
RoyalHenOil Link ParentMy grandfather was raised by a struggling single father (a sharecropper) after his mother abandoned them and lost contact. Needless to say, my grandfather was very close to his dad, and they...My grandfather was raised by a struggling single father (a sharecropper) after his mother abandoned them and lost contact. Needless to say, my grandfather was very close to his dad, and they continued working side-by-side in the fields well into my grandfather's adulthood.
In his later years, my grandfather became very interested in the genealogy on his father's side, so he got his DNA tested — and I think you can probably guess where I'm going with this.
Some mysteries are absolutely worth solving, but others are best left alone. Just make sure you know exactly which kind of mystery you have on your hands before you go seeking answers.
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Comment on What do you do with your diplomas? in ~life
RoyalHenOil Link ParentIt's the same in Australia. You do occasionally need to show your university diploma to your prospective employer, depending on the job and its legal requirements.It's the same in Australia. You do occasionally need to show your university diploma to your prospective employer, depending on the job and its legal requirements.
She didn't give me specifics, but she told me that basically Korean society (work, childcare, public spaces, social expectations, etc.) broadly cater only to adults without children.
She mentioned that she was particularly reluctant to raise a son in South Korea due to conscription.