Well_known_bear's recent activity
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Comment on How do you shave your nose and ears? in ~life.men
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Comment on Christmas present swap ideas in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkFor similar work events (albeit lower budget), I typically get something high quality but consumable so that it's easy for the recipient to quickly use / doesn't end up as clutter in their home. A...For similar work events (albeit lower budget), I typically get something high quality but consumable so that it's easy for the recipient to quickly use / doesn't end up as clutter in their home. A food hall at a department store or a speciality bottle shop are good places to look.
Some examples:
- Fancy tea / coffee
- Cheese
- Fancy condiments (e.g. truffle oil)
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Comment on Japanese workers in their twenties turn to resignation agencies in ~life
Well_known_bear Link ParentI agreed with your takeaway. It's obviously the official PR account and only one side of the story, but it's difficult to imagine that they wouldn't have let the employee resign if they had gone...I agreed with your takeaway. It's obviously the official PR account and only one side of the story, but it's difficult to imagine that they wouldn't have let the employee resign if they had gone through the normal channels (due to the reputational risk of that story getting out if nothing else).
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Comment on Japanese workers in their twenties turn to resignation agencies in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkI had to chuckle a bit when I saw a recent story about one of Momuri's own employees using (a different) agency to resign. Post from Momuri's own X account here (in Japanese).I had to chuckle a bit when I saw a recent story about one of Momuri's own employees using (a different) agency to resign. Post from Momuri's own X account here (in Japanese).
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Comment on How well do you cook? in ~life.men
Well_known_bear LinkI am an average cook at best, but cooking as a basic skill has so many upsides: saves you money compared to always eating out allows you to eat whatever you want at any time (including stuff no...I am an average cook at best, but cooking as a basic skill has so many upsides:
- saves you money compared to always eating out
- allows you to eat whatever you want at any time (including stuff no one nearby is selling), as long as you have the ingredients
- lets you customise the nutrition for your meals down to whatever you need
- is a lot of fun when trying out new recipes (of which there are an endless number), while at the same time being very affordable and not requiring a lot of equipment
I cook every day and consider it up there with other fundamental skills like financial literacy and learning how to exercise!
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Comment on Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition | Announcement trailer in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkBig fan of 1-3 and very much looking forward to the release. Every time I've bought a Switch game this year, I've been increasingly certain that it will be my last before Switch 2, but they just...Big fan of 1-3 and very much looking forward to the release. Every time I've bought a Switch game this year, I've been increasingly certain that it will be my last before Switch 2, but they just keep coming...
We'll almost certainly have the details about Switch 2 before 20 March 2025, so it may well be that they also put out a further announcement about how this game will play on that (assuming there is backwards compatibility) before the release date.
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Comment on Nintendo Switch Online Playtest Program is a new multiplayer game in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkI am not in the playtest but very intrigued by what the final implementation will look like. 10,000 players in a server test is of course still far fewer than the number of people who would sign...I am not in the playtest but very intrigued by what the final implementation will look like.
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10,000 players in a server test is of course still far fewer than the number of people who would sign up for a massively multiplayer online Nintendo game, so will the final product still need to be instanced to work?
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I've heard that this playtest already has a full soundtrack included (where they could easily have used placeholder music for testing purposes). If that's true, it suggests that some pretty substantive resources have already been put into the development of whatever this is.
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The playtest is on the current Switch, notwithstanding that Switch 2 is expected before March 2025. Does this suggest that whatever this is will be released on the original Switch? As a cross platform title?
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Well_known_bear (edited )LinkBought The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and finished it over the weekend. The game didn't hook me like Tears of the Kingdom did (where I was staying up late playing even on weeknights), but...Bought The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and finished it over the weekend. The game didn't hook me like Tears of the Kingdom did (where I was staying up late playing even on weeknights), but it was still very enjoyable and feels spot on in terms of length and scope.
General thoughts:
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I love the focus on letting the player experiment with whatever tools they have without punishment for failure. There's no item cost for using echoes (as there is with making stuff in TotK, if you're not using whatever junk is lying around). There's no penalty for falling into a pit when your plan doesn't pan out. You can recover health just by sleeping pretty much anywhere. There are basically no barriers to travelling between regions if you can build something to get you over the obstacles.
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It is a little frustrating at the start to have to constantly hang back and watch your echoes slowly fight even basic enemies, but it's not an issue by mid/late game where you can start deploying stronger units / units which have the strategic advantage in the situation. Selecting the right units for the job and recalling them as needed has an oddly Pokemon-like feel to it which I dig.
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Dungeons are back and are for the most part pretty good room to room, but feel very linear compared to those from Link to the Past (the most obvious inspiration down to the world map) or even Link's Awakening (which had some devilishly elaborate dungeons for a game originally on the GB!)
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Playing as Zelda makes the role playing aspect of the game more interesting. Characters react appropriately to meeting a celebrity. Being the princess means you have pre-existing motives and relationships which come with that background. I wasn't expecting this at all given role playing isn't a focus of the series, but it feels different to playing a blank slate like Link and makes for a nice change of pace.
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Although a lot of the loot you find is pretty inconsequential (just like BotW and TotK), sometimes you'll find equippable items which improve your abilities (or which are just fun in other ways, like the various dress up outfits). I thought this was a good compromise between removing the possibility of discovering cool unique treasure altogether and having powerful items that players might miss or obtain too early in an open world-ish kind of game.
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Comment on Tokyo Game Show 2024 in ~games
Well_known_bear LinkThreads of Time is giving some major PS1 era pixel sprites + 3D background JRPG vibes (apart from the obvious comparisons to Chrono Trigger). Hope it turns out well!Threads of Time is giving some major PS1 era pixel sprites + 3D background JRPG vibes (apart from the obvious comparisons to Chrono Trigger). Hope it turns out well!
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Comment on How are you dealing with mosquitoes and flies? in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkIf you are able to install fly screens on your windows, that would be my go to. I had some serious sleepless nights due to mosquito noise and tried out all sorts of repellents, but nothing worked...If you are able to install fly screens on your windows, that would be my go to. I had some serious sleepless nights due to mosquito noise and tried out all sorts of repellents, but nothing worked as well as just blocking physical access via a screen.
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Comment on What books helped you deal with the anxiety of life's uncertainties? in ~books
Well_known_bear Link ParentThe same author's book 'Status Anxiety' was also a great read for me as a young person dealing with how I fit into the world relative to everyone else.The same author's book 'Status Anxiety' was also a great read for me as a young person dealing with how I fit into the world relative to everyone else.
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Comment on How do you store ”loose” tech hardware? in ~tech
Well_known_bear LinkI pack related items (cables of the same kind, for example) in the same ziplock bag. All ziplock bags then go into a plastic storage crate. It's a good compromise between effort / space required...I pack related items (cables of the same kind, for example) in the same ziplock bag. All ziplock bags then go into a plastic storage crate. It's a good compromise between effort / space required in organising and effort required to find stuff I need later.
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Comment on When do you listen to podcasts? in ~life
Well_known_bear LinkI listen mainly on the commute and when exercising, doing chores or out for a walk. Basically any time I can sort of zone out and listen with half an ear when the topic engages me. This generally...I listen mainly on the commute and when exercising, doing chores or out for a walk. Basically any time I can sort of zone out and listen with half an ear when the topic engages me. This generally makes up about 8-10 hours a week.
Some of my favourites:
- This American Life (stories on a different theme each week)
- Planet Money (accessible economics news; has a 10 minute 'indicator' version which is published more frequently)
- Hard Fork (tech news; lots of jokes but also interviews with journalists and tech leaders)
- Search Engine (weekly story on a topic of interest to the host)
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Comment on What a bunch of A-list celebs taught me about how to use my phone in ~tech
Well_known_bear Link ParentPossibly this recent story? I found it a surprising result and indicative of how subtle the effects of pushed notifications can be.Possibly this recent story? I found it a surprising result and indicative of how subtle the effects of pushed notifications can be.
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Comment on Nintendo is telling game publishers Switch 2 will be delayed [until early 2025] in ~games
Well_known_bear Link ParentPerhaps it's a combination of: games that push current hardware to its limitations becoming increasingly more complicated and expensive to make; conversely, indie development (which doesn't...Perhaps it's a combination of:
- games that push current hardware to its limitations becoming increasingly more complicated and expensive to make;
- conversely, indie development (which doesn't require cutting edge hardware) becoming increasingly sustainable and accessible; and
- diminishing returns on what improvements to pure processing power can bring to gameplay experience.
I always look forward to new Nintendo consoles given their track record of delivering weird and novel ways of playing games (even if they're not always successful), but I'm perfectly happy now with longer gaps between 'same thing but faster' hardware generations.
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Comment on Google Bard is now Gemini; Gemini Advanced launched in ~tech
Well_known_bear LinkThe basic version of Gemini was rolled out today to my ancient pixel 3a (which is otherwise long beyond the point of getting even security updates). The results seem serviceable so far, but...The basic version of Gemini was rolled out today to my ancient pixel 3a (which is otherwise long beyond the point of getting even security updates). The results seem serviceable so far, but sometimes have odd glitches like returning part of the results in another language. I'll be trying it further in cases where I would like a starting point, but I definitely don't feel like I could rely on any results without doing my own verification.
That aside, the fact that Google is able to roll the AI out across its enormous product range and user base (much like MS has now done with copilot in windows 11) will no doubt give it a big leg up in getting people to adopt it at least for casual usage.
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Comment on The day I put $50,000 in a shoe box and handed it to a stranger in ~finance
Well_known_bear LinkThis (and the recent Cory Doctorow article) really stresses to me the importance of just taking a moment to hang up and call the institution directly from your side if any kind of stranger...This (and the recent Cory Doctorow article) really stresses to me the importance of just taking a moment to hang up and call the institution directly from your side if any kind of stranger contacts you on the phone at all. In our modern life, I am finding that more and more, the only people who call me directly are not the service providers I deal with, but scammers and spammers.
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Comment on Most bingeable book series? in ~books
Well_known_bear Link ParentI too felt that the first book required a genuine mental effort to get through (and this was going in after having read all the other Cosmere books first). The setting and social dynamics of the...I too felt that the first book required a genuine mental effort to get through (and this was going in after having read all the other Cosmere books first). The setting and social dynamics of the series initially feel very alien and the reader is constantly being confronted with new characters and information, the significance of which is not always immediately clear.
However, once I got through the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the following ones which then really dig into (and in many cases tear away at) the foundations laid in the first. The initial investment is well rewarded in my view!
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Comment on Fooocus - The most user-friendly local image-gen interface to date in ~comp
Well_known_bear Link ParentThe default install will give you a couple of models to start out with, and there are plenty of others you can download and try out. Citivai is a good starting point.The default install will give you a couple of models to start out with, and there are plenty of others you can download and try out. Citivai is a good starting point.
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Comment on Fooocus - The most user-friendly local image-gen interface to date in ~comp
Well_known_bear LinkGave it a shot and loved the idiot proof easy install process (although A1111 now also has a similar automated process) and simple user interface. This is a great option for anyone who wants to...Gave it a shot and loved the idiot proof easy install process (although A1111 now also has a similar automated process) and simple user interface.
This is a great option for anyone who wants to just jump in and generate some images, but only being able to use SDXL models as your main model is a real bummer. A lot of the models floating around right now are SD 1.5 and that's likely to remain the case in the short term.
I am also in the device camp. I use a Philips nose hair trimmer which cost less than AUD 30 and is simple to use and clean.
I've tried grooming scissors before, but found they required much more focus to do a good job and avoid injury.
Pulling out the hairs is not only painful and uneven, but also leads to infection. Avoid for sure!