Sapholia's recent activity
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Comment on The real problem with toilet paper: Where it comes from in ~enviro
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Comment on The real problem with toilet paper: Where it comes from in ~enviro
Sapholia Link ParentHalf the population uses toilet paper every time they urinate. It's messy to pee out of a recessed area rather than a hose; liquid clings and runs along surfaces. Several handfuls of toilet paper...Half the population uses toilet paper every time they urinate. It's messy to pee out of a recessed area rather than a hose; liquid clings and runs along surfaces. Several handfuls of toilet paper can be necessary, since each time you are absorbing liquid to do the entire cleanup, rather than wiping away a semisolid. Think the difference between cleaning up a spill of apple juice versus wiping away a glob of peanut butter. And needless to say, #1 is far more frequent than #2 over the course of the day.
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Comment on An appeal to the community for non-algorithmic recommendations in ~talk
Sapholia LinkI'd like to recommend the blog Twenty Sided Tale by Shamus Young. If you recognize any of it, you'll probably recognize DM of the Rings, the screencap webcomic that (as far as I know) inspired all...I'd like to recommend the blog Twenty Sided Tale by Shamus Young. If you recognize any of it, you'll probably recognize DM of the Rings, the screencap webcomic that (as far as I know) inspired all the other webcomics that are in the same style, such as Darths & Droids.
Sadly, Shamus passed away a few years ago, but there is quite a lot of content to mine. He wrote long-form content on a variety of topics, all of them very geeky. There was quite a lot of video game analysis, but also a lot of talk about programming, internet society, narrative structure, and miscellaneous other topics, as well as posts made for pure entertainment. (Some of my favorites were his humorous Let's Plays in text-and-screenshot form: Champions Online, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online) He also had very thoughtful commenters for the most part, and quite a lot of discussion took place there.
Today, Shamus' family keeps the blog alive. They're remastering DM of the Rings (being from so long ago, the original images were quite small for today's monitors) and putting up new content. Unfortunately I never quite had the heart to keep visiting the site after he passed, but Shamus was always proud of his family and they were pretty involved while he was still posting, so I don't doubt there is still quality content going up.
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Comment on Deep cleaning a previously-roach infested kitchen in ~life.home_improvement
Sapholia LinkThanks for making this topic. I've always come up empty when trying to find the best ways to deep clean, although my problem isn't exactly the same as yours. No one seems to make guides for...Thanks for making this topic. I've always come up empty when trying to find the best ways to deep clean, although my problem isn't exactly the same as yours. No one seems to make guides for scrubbing off the accumulated grime of years and how to access/clean the unseen parts of a house (like drains).
One thing I did find just by reading the label: don't use Easy-Off in a convection oven (like countertop air fryers). I couldn't find the reason why, though I found some vague speculation that it might be bad to get it in the fans.
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Comment on Looking for low-precision, mouse-only Steam game recommendations in ~games
Sapholia Link ParentLiterally came here to recommend the Ace Attorney (Phoenix Wright) series, as well as Ghost Trick. OP, if you're interested, start with the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. These...Literally came here to recommend the Ace Attorney (Phoenix Wright) series, as well as Ghost Trick. OP, if you're interested, start with the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. These games were all originally designed for a small low-resolution screen, so there ought to be no problem making out details. They're also just plain fun to play, and it's really satisfying to finally pin someone down on the witness stand. The tone of the storylines can be very wacky at times, but it's also got some real emotional punch too.
I'd probably try playing with a fine-tipped stylus, though it shouldn't be necessary. I just find it makes things go much more smoothly if I'm spending any significant amount of time with a touchscreen.
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Comment on The Airbnb/Hotel Gap: Private common spaces in ~life
Sapholia (edited )LinkHotels that rent out suites with full kitchens definitely exist, but poking at a few travel booking sites, it's surprisingly hard to specify that that's what you're looking for. I did find one...Hotels that rent out suites with full kitchens definitely exist, but poking at a few travel booking sites, it's surprisingly hard to specify that that's what you're looking for. I did find one service that specialized in finding suites and connected rooms, but I have no idea of its quality.
Otherwise, are you up for renting a cabin from a smaller, more localized service like @R3qn65 mentions? I've used this one for example (once, ten years ago, so grain of salt and all) and I was appreciative.
If you're up for roughing it a bit, you could always try to find cabins at state parks. (I think you're in the US? Apologies if I got that wrong.) You may or may not have to bring your own linens and housewares. You didn't say how large your group was, but if it's bigger than four-to-six people you might have to get more than one cabin. You say you group up by common interest, so it might be possible to use the different cabins for different interests? Or you could gather at areas outside? I know it's not really the same as being able to float easily from one group to the other inside the same residence, but it's a suggestion you might not have thought of.
EDIT: Just as a curiosity, not because it fits your use case: Before AirBnB, I had a group of friends who would gather to stay at a hotel and rent out a small conference room to hang out in. Definitely no kitchens there (we went out to eat), and the aesthetic was very utilitarian, but it worked for our purposes. We would mostly just hang out, play goofy party games or silly show-and-tell, and watch our traditional bad movie with a TV on a cart provided by the hotel. On the second day of the hangout, we'd find a park to wander and play outdoor games and have a picnic/barbecue on the public grills. Good memories there, but yours sound pretty homey and cozy. I wouldn't have minded if we'd done it that way.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Sapholia Link ParentAh no, I meant, some of the minigames in the original reappeared later in the game, in the Gold Saucer. I was glad those ones I named didn't make another appearance! Not even as an optional...Ah no, I meant, some of the minigames in the original reappeared later in the game, in the Gold Saucer. I was glad those ones I named didn't make another appearance! Not even as an optional minigame. :-)
Actually Wall Market was about where I gave up in the Remake, yeah. I did try switching characters in combat, but it honestly felt pretty tedious. Switch to another character, and then do some ineffectual nominal attacks to build up the ATB gauge in order to do something more interesting, rinse and repeat. And I kept having to spend those hard-won ATB gauges on using items to heal up, which felt infuriating. Not to mention I've just never meshed well with the spectacle fighter style of game in the first place. (I'm not sure Remake really counts as one of those, but it sure felt similar.) When you're constantly spending all your best moves to chip away slowly at an enormous health bar, I'm done with the fight at about 25% in.
I'm not opposed to moving away from menu-driven combat in general. I can appreciate something fresher and more kinesthetic. I just didn't click with that style, personally.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Sapholia Link ParentI appreciate your writeup. The original holds a special place in my heart as well. Like you, it really triggered a heightened appreciation for video games. I tried hard to get into Remake, but I...I appreciate your writeup. The original holds a special place in my heart as well. Like you, it really triggered a heightened appreciation for video games.
I tried hard to get into Remake, but I felt like I was always struggling with the combat system, even after turning it on easy (wait mode?). I'm glad to hear Rebirth has made it easier to fill ATB gauges, because I think that was one of my main complaints. I did really love how they transformed Midgar into something so immersive, though, and made so many callbacks while introducing new elements as well. I hope one day I can finish Remake (I haven't really been spoiled on it, though I hear things take an unexpected turn, which is really all I know) and get into the next one.
And ha, as soon as you said people were complaining about all the minigames, I was just flooded with memories of hours spent at the Gold Saucer. I spent so much time snowboarding. Minigames are part of FFVII's legacy. Not to mention the ones that didn't make it to a rehashing in the Gold Saucer, like the CPR one or squats one (which is good, because neither one of those needed to come back).
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Sapholia Link ParentI haven't had much of a chance to play with a Deck, but when I tried PowerWash Simulator it felt so awkward compared to the mouse&keyboard controls. (This is generally how I feel about first...I haven't had much of a chance to play with a Deck, but when I tried PowerWash Simulator it felt so awkward compared to the mouse&keyboard controls. (This is generally how I feel about first person games, really.) Curious to know how you recommend playing it; is it something you can make better with gyro controls, for instance?
I haven't played Hades on a Deck, but I've played it on a Switch, and can heartily second the handheld recommendation there!
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Sapholia Link ParentI've been playing Melvor Idle too. I actually used to play it years ago and recently got back into it, and managed to import my old save with only slight corruption. (Not sure what happened there,...I've been playing Melvor Idle too. I actually used to play it years ago and recently got back into it, and managed to import my old save with only slight corruption. (Not sure what happened there, but there's been quite a lot of new content since I first played, so maybe the saves weren't quite compatible.) It's one of the better idle games out there, in my opinion. It's great for the occasional alt-tab over to poke at it and then let it be for a while again, or there are more active ways to play (combat before acquiring the auto-eat option for healing food, for instance). And there are so many ways the different skills can synergize that there's hardly a wrong one to focus on first.
Here is that demo you mentioned as a browser game. Incidentally, you can also use the Android/iOS app with all the same content you've bought on Steam, if that works better for you than playing in mobile browser.
Highly recommend adding the "[Bank] Item placeholder" mod to the game. It removes any headaches you get from organizing your bank, which becomes a real difficulty once you've gathered enough stuff (it's a UI/QoL mod only, not a cheat). The mods also travel with your cloud save, fortunately.
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Comment on Netflix says its brief Apple TV app integration was a mistake in ~tv
Sapholia Link ParentOn the Roku, Netflix also doesn't do integration with the global closed captions settings, which is a slap in the face for accessibility as far as I'm concerned. Every other streaming app that...On the Roku, Netflix also doesn't do integration with the global closed captions settings, which is a slap in the face for accessibility as far as I'm concerned. Every other streaming app that I've tried on Roku has played nice with it.
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Comment on The hardest working font in Manhattan in ~design
Sapholia LinkThat was fascinating. I enjoyed both the history and the sentimentality. I'm not sure my senses about fonts are fine-tuned enough to be able to agree with just how attractive or ugly the...That was fascinating. I enjoyed both the history and the sentimentality. I'm not sure my senses about fonts are fine-tuned enough to be able to agree with just how attractive or ugly the variations are, but I rather liked most of them. This is perhaps because the font family as a whole just feels familiar and nostalgic to me; I have no idea how many times I've seen it over the years, but surely it's been a lot. I do agree with the author that a lot of the well-worn signs have a satisfying appeal to them, but I can't agree as much about the ones with particularly bad kerning. :-)
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Comment on Josef Fares' last game sold 23 million copies, but he insists success hasn't changed Split Fiction – can Hazelight Studios recapture the magic? in ~games
Sapholia Link ParentAll of the non-dated definitions, I feel, refer to telling the details out loud. Given the other mistakes, I'm not personally willing to give the benefit of the doubt for use of the dated...All of the non-dated definitions, I feel, refer to telling the details out loud. Given the other mistakes, I'm not personally willing to give the benefit of the doubt for use of the dated definitions (which, to be honest, I don't think would be applied correctly in this situation either). I think we lose something when words get fuzzier in their meanings because they're mistakenly swapped in for similar words.
However! I'm not any kind of authority, and one wide-spread language can vary a lot over time and regional use. I know my experience is just a single one in a sea of many millions, so if others say that definition is a common one for them, I'll take that as something new to learn.
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Comment on Josef Fares' last game sold 23 million copies, but he insists success hasn't changed Split Fiction – can Hazelight Studios recapture the magic? in ~games
Sapholia LinkI enjoyed this article, but I'm pretty distracted by the fact that it's got two word swap mistakes I've never seen before (and one fairly common one). I've seen "grizzly" instead of "grisly", but...I enjoyed this article, but I'm pretty distracted by the fact that it's got two word swap mistakes I've never seen before (and one fairly common one). I've seen "grizzly" instead of "grisly", but "rye smile" is new to me, as well as "recounting" instead of "recalling". Whole language instruction has a lot to answer for.
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Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk
Sapholia Link ParentChristopher Nolan knows his sound mixing is terrible for dialogue, does it on purpose, and doesn't plan to change. I don't think I care enough to watch another Nolan film again, no matter how...Christopher Nolan knows his sound mixing is terrible for dialogue, does it on purpose, and doesn't plan to change. I don't think I care enough to watch another Nolan film again, no matter how unmissable people say it is. When I watched Interstellar at home, I kept turning up the volume until my TV was maxed out and I still couldn't understand what people were saying. I had to give in and turn on subtitles, which ruins the impact of dialogue for me.
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Comment on Facing egg shortage, some Americans turn to backyard chickens in ~food
Sapholia Link ParentThe way I first read this was that your body will take an incomplete protein and assemble it into a complete one, so I was confused why you then need to intake all the amino acids over the course...The way I first read this was that your body will take an incomplete protein and assemble it into a complete one, so I was confused why you then need to intake all the amino acids over the course of the day. For clarity, it's the latter you're saying, not the former, right?
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Comment on Facing egg shortage, some Americans turn to backyard chickens in ~food
Sapholia Link ParentBeans are awesome, but they do have a different nutrient profile that doesn't suit everyone who's looking to just add some protein. People who are insulin resistant might need to watch out for the...Beans are awesome, but they do have a different nutrient profile that doesn't suit everyone who's looking to just add some protein. People who are insulin resistant might need to watch out for the carbs in the beans; when researching diets for my PCOS I saw a lot of cautions about relying too heavily on beans because of this. There is also, of course, the digestive difficulty factor. I think lentils have the highest protein-to-carbs ratio and are also the easiest to digest, which is fortunate for me since I think lentils are wonderful. But they really are amazingly cheap, so I hope they're a good option for lots of people.
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Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk
Sapholia (edited )Link ParentYou're braver than I for saying it first, haha! I see nothing but praise for Primer and I never want to be the person that says I just found it a confusing mess. I'm sure there's a brilliant...You're braver than I for saying it first, haha! I see nothing but praise for Primer and I never want to be the person that says I just found it a confusing mess. I'm sure there's a brilliant underpinning to the whole thing, but I don't feel that investment to dig further into it after the initial viewing. I just felt like I wasted a couple of hours watching nonsense.
Edit: Typo.
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Comment on What are your favourite time-loop based books, movies and video games? in ~talk
Sapholia Link ParentRun Lola Run is fantastic and I'm surprised you're the only one who's mentioned it so far! Granted it's been a long time since I've seen it; I should really track it down and watch it again. From...Run Lola Run is fantastic and I'm surprised you're the only one who's mentioned it so far! Granted it's been a long time since I've seen it; I should really track it down and watch it again. From what I remember, I feel a bit like it's not strictly a time loop, more of an alternate version of events... over and over again. I think it satisfies the same sort of tropes, though.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
Sapholia Link ParentWow, you got them quick. Great to hear that it's working out and lasting so long! Our dogs are pretty funny about it being so long-lasting; after a while of chewing they decide that they're done,...Wow, you got them quick. Great to hear that it's working out and lasting so long! Our dogs are pretty funny about it being so long-lasting; after a while of chewing they decide that they're done, but they don't want to just drop the yak cheese somewhere because the other dog might get it. So they come to us and we ask "put it away?" (based on previous training, for putting away other things), and they'll give it up in exchange for a small treat. Somehow it's more acceptable for it to be put out of reach of both of them than for the other dog to get it.
(I say "our dogs" but they aren't mine; I just live with them and feed them and walk them and take them to the vet... they'd probably object if I acted like I didn't belong to them at this point, come to think of it. XD)
she's a rescue and was found intentionally abandoned in the back yard of a foreclosed home
It just boils my blood when I hear about things like this. Sounds like she's lucky to have now found her forever home, at least. I had my own rescue with bad separation anxiety for a long time; he never got over it, but he was something of a special case. He had behavior specialists scratching their heads over him. But we loved him and gave him the most security it was possible to give.
You probably know this, but it's not necessarily a failure if you never reach the point where she can be uncrated while you're gone from the house. (This is unrelated to the previous story about my rescue; unfortunately a crate wouldn't have helped his particular personality.) When crate training is done right, the crate becomes the dog's safe space, and it's a way for them to feel comfortable and settled when they're left alone. But I hope you reach the solution that works best for your dog and your household, whatever it is. Lucky you can be home with her so much in the first place!
"Picturing"? I'm going by a lifetime of experience and experimentation. I find this combative and dismissive attitude about my own experiences pretty strange and I wish you'd approached your response in the spirit of discussion rather than arguing.
I try to use as little toilet paper as possible, but in order for it not to get on my hands I do need a fair amount, and I need to repeat the process. How much is needed depends on the ply and absorbency of the paper itself, of course. With a good absorbent toilet paper, I might need only a few squares each pass, but the toilet paper found in cheap public restrooms, for instance, needs a larger number of squares. That's why I mentioned the absorbency issue versus wiping a semisolid. (Perhaps my use of "handful" made you picture something more specific about the size of the wad of paper?)
We must have very different private areas, because for me the front is more recessed when wiping, with far more wrinkles and surface area to clean, as the urethra opening is between both the outer and inner labia. If I want to get it all dry, then yeah, it needs a few passes. In the back it's just... easy to spread things out and access just the relevant area, without having to clean up liquid that's run all over everything. Even if I need to repeat in the rear, I can use just enough paper to cover my fingertips each time.