Zorind's recent activity
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Comment on What’s your “I didn’t know I needed that” item? in ~life
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Comment on How to judge relative dangers of chemicals for someone too busy (or lazy) to keep up with the science? in ~health
Zorind Link ParentA video came across my feed earlier, about the study that became highly popularized regarding toxicity in black plastics used for food. Video by Adam Ragusea, he was a professor of Journalism,...A video came across my feed earlier, about the study that became highly popularized regarding toxicity in black plastics used for food. Video by Adam Ragusea, he was a professor of Journalism, became a cooking/food science youtuber, now semi-retired from it but still releases videos now and then. In it, he basically mentioned that anywhere scientists look, they find microplastics, and can make a study about it. Like yes, it's bad that there are microplastics in <insert organ>, but they are also highly probably in every other organ, they just haven't done a study on it yet.
Is that bad? Yes, but it does mean its also a bit sensationalized to talk about it with respect to specific things.
Anyway, the video itself is interesting too, regarding the specific study he looks at in it. I was going to potentially post it as a topic, but saw this comment and figured it was relevant enough to just drop here.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Discussion - The City We Became by N K Jemisin in ~books
Zorind Link ParentI’ve done worse than you - I meant to read it during my flights this past week, but I spent the time sleeping on the plane instead. I only made it through the introduction chapter about Staten...I’ve done worse than you - I meant to read it during my flights this past week, but I spent the time sleeping on the plane instead. I only made it through the introduction chapter about Staten Island!
I am enjoying it so far, but will have to see when I have the time to pick it back up.
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Comment on Does anyone else budget like this? in ~finance
Zorind LinkI think that would still be considered “envelope” style budgeting. But in your case, your “envelopes” are the savings accounts. I do a similar thing, but I use a plain-text accounting tool...I think that would still be considered “envelope” style budgeting. But in your case, your “envelopes” are the savings accounts.
I do a similar thing, but I use a plain-text accounting tool (specifically hledger), with lots of “virtual accounts”.
So while I have money in ~4 accounts at ~3 different banks, I have it all grouped into a one virtual “Budget” account with many sub-accounts, for each type of expense (envelope style). All of those are “virtual accounts” within hledger, so I can check my actual account balances easily, to make sure I have enough in the relevant accounts for paying off credit cards & rent, etc. All of my paychecks go into a “monthly income” virtual account, and then at the start of each month I distribute that into the “envelope budget virtual accounts.”
I think yours is closer to actual envelope style, since you check before spending that you have the money in the relevant accounts, whereas I reconcile each weekend to update the plaintext hledger file & check the balances for my budgets (but I do use that to inform spending).
Right now, my process is heavily manual, but I do use macros/autocompletes for generating the start of month distributions and easily updating the expenses.
I like hledger because at the end of each month I generate a report that allows me to easily compare that months spending with the average, and for each other month and a total.
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Comment on The UX of LEGO interface panels in ~comp
Zorind LinkOkay that’s a fun article, thanks for sharing!Okay that’s a fun article, thanks for sharing!
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Comment on Coffee prices surge to highest since 1997 on supply fears in ~food
Zorind Link ParentI would love if you had any resources as a “getting started point” or a “slowly building up” point. (I’ve thought of lurking reddit again, but have tried to avoid the site for the most part. I...I would love if you had any resources as a “getting started point” or a “slowly building up” point. (I’ve thought of lurking reddit again, but have tried to avoid the site for the most part. I guess I will check out their “newbies” pinned thread, but if there’s anything specific you’ve found useful I’d love seeing a thread here talking about it.)
I don’t live in an area with anything too major, but we do have some natural disasters that do occur and could certainly impact the grocery stores or ability to get to them. We do live in an apartment complex, so there’s not much we could do in terms of backup power or heating systems, but food etc could maybe be useful.
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Comment on How the heck do you go about moving cross country? in ~life
Zorind Link ParentOh, a "long term" rental like an Airbnb for a week/month is a great option I would think. Especially if you aren't moving a bunch of stuff at first, that would let you get to know an area, and...Oh, a "long term" rental like an Airbnb for a week/month is a great option I would think. Especially if you aren't moving a bunch of stuff at first, that would let you get to know an area, and give some stability while you look for an apartment to rent for actually moving to.
Works best if you can still leave your "permanent" address at your old place while you are moving, but I believe you could also likely get a P.O. Box from a post office in the area you are planning to move to, to use for local mail or as a "local" address while you figure the rest out.
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Comment on How the heck do you go about moving cross country? in ~life
Zorind LinkI would highly recommend traveling in person to check a place out before moving in. I have moved cross country twice, but both times I had someone I was moving in with on the other side, which...I would highly recommend traveling in person to check a place out before moving in.
I have moved cross country twice, but both times I had someone I was moving in with on the other side, which made it a fair bit easier, and also not applicable to your situation.
If you have more stuff you are planning on moving with than will fit in your own vehicle, I can recommend using a “moving pod” service like U-Pack or PODS. I personally used U-Pack, and while stuff did shift around in transit, it was pretty hassle-free and easy enough, though I think it was around $3k for the two-thousand or so miles I had it shipped (a few years ago). Which is both a lot, and not very much at the same time.
Edit: I guess I missed where you said you were selling what you couldn’t fit in your car, so maybe not helpful to you, but I figured I’d leave my comment alone in case others want to reference it later.
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Comment on Is the love song dying? in ~music
Zorind LinkI jest, but it does feel like their categories are a bit too broad…but the visualization is cool, and with the end page allowing you to remove genres you disagree with being “love songs”. Pretty...“Is the love song dying?”
“Not if we interpret love songs as 70 of the billboard top 100 songs each year, regardless of the song!”
I jest, but it does feel like their categories are a bit too broad…but the visualization is cool, and with the end page allowing you to remove genres you disagree with being “love songs”. Pretty neat article/visualization, thanks for sharing!
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Comment on How do people get over enshittification? in ~life
Zorind Link ParentCurrently looking for a nice bathrobe. Also a good outdoors blanket, I’d heard Vermont Flannel recommended for flannel shirts & blankets, but then others were saying that their quality isn’t what...Currently looking for a nice bathrobe. Also a good outdoors blanket, I’d heard Vermont Flannel recommended for flannel shirts & blankets, but then others were saying that their quality isn’t what it’s made out to be.
I was going to say an Air Purifier, but I did recently find a review website that seems trustworthy enough (HouseFresh).
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Comment on How do people get over enshittification? in ~life
Zorind Link ParentMy problem is that I would love to but it’s becoming very difficult to find actual quality alternatives, versus the same garbage just at a higher price point. It’s basically impossible when...My problem is that I would love to
“pay more for a quality alternative”
but it’s becoming very difficult to find actual quality alternatives, versus the same garbage just at a higher price point. It’s basically impossible when shopping online, but even buying things in person it’s still not easy.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Zorind Link ParentI’m playing a warrior in DA:tV and I think I can block with the shield loadout…but I’ve only used the two-handed maul loadout so far. I’m going for maximizing staggering enemies and then using the...I’m playing a warrior in DA:tV and I think I can block with the shield loadout…but I’ve only used the two-handed maul loadout so far. I’m going for maximizing staggering enemies and then using the “Takedown” attack.
I don’t think I have blocked or parried a single attack, just “dodged” or facetanked them.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
Zorind (edited )LinkI picked up Dragon Age: The Veilguard and have about 15 hours in it so far. I think I’m still in the first main “act” - I just added the last companion to my party. I know it got lots of...I picked up Dragon Age: The Veilguard and have about 15 hours in it so far. I think I’m still in the first main “act” - I just added the last companion to my party.
I know it got lots of right-wing backlash for being “woke” and then also lots of backlash from fans of the franchise for its art style and dialogue and everything else…but I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. (It is the first Dragon Age game I have played). The art style is maybe a little cartoony, but I actually like it for the game.
Companion gender identity spoilers
One of the companions is exploring their gender identity, it looks to be like it will happen over a couple event conversations of which I’ve only had the first. The conversation is a little basic, but overall I think it is decently thought out. And I’m interested to see how it resolves.
Sure, there’s some repetitive dialogue, but as the game has progressed it’s been less repetitive (so probably just slightly too-long “tutorial-style” dialogue). But not enough to turn me off of the game.
The companions banter has been fun. The lack of “open world” doesn’t bother me, because the levels are interesting enough and you revisit them at your leisure.
The combat is maybe a bit of a slog at times, but I’m still having fun with it. It’s not MMO-complexity, reminds me a bit of Genshin Impacts combat system, which I liked. I like that your companions don’t take damage and so you don’t have to worry about their positioning or micromanage their health and can focus on your own health instead.
One of the companions mentions how they hate boring puzzles that just seem thrown in like an afterthought, which is kinda funny meta-commentary on some of the puzzles in the game, which I can respect. The “puzzles” in the game have been fine IMO, though I did have to look up a guide for one of them so far.
Overall, I’m having a good time with it and am looking forward to playing more of it, to see how the overall story and the companion stories resolve.
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Comment on Is ADHD really that debilitating? in ~health.mental
Zorind Link ParentNot the person you replied to, but an email reminder isn’t necessarily going to work, since it is separated from the thing that needs doing. Between getting the email and going to update a...Not the person you replied to, but an email reminder isn’t necessarily going to work, since it is separated from the thing that needs doing.
Between getting the email and going to update a journal, any number of things could happen as distractions and then updating gets forgotten. Even marking an email as “unread” until you do the thing might not help, since you might forget to mark it as unread, or forgot to then mark it as read, or still get distracted by something between marking it as read and updating the journal. Or get the email, but not have the physical or mental energy to go update the journal.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Discussion - Kindred by Octavia Butler in ~books
Zorind (edited )Link ParentI didn’t necessarily learn anything “new”, but I don’t know the last time I’d actually read anything dealing with slavery from a “first-person” perspective. It would’ve been likely around 10ish...I didn’t necessarily learn anything “new”, but I don’t know the last time I’d actually read anything dealing with slavery from a “first-person” perspective. It would’ve been likely around 10ish years ago, back in high school, and I doubt I would’ve had the same experience reading it then as I did now.
I’m struggling to put my thoughts into words, but I really appreciated this book. I’ll likely take a pass at answering some of the other questions/discussing more after sleeping on it.
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Comment on Elections: ultimately, it’s going to be okay in ~society
Zorind LinkI get what you are saying, and I don’t disagree. We will get through this, we will survive, because that is what we have to do. However, there are those of us who won’t survive, and those of us...I get what you are saying, and I don’t disagree. We will get through this, we will survive, because that is what we have to do.
However, there are those of us who won’t survive, and those of us whose lives will be worse as a result. I’m not worried for my direct safety, but I am worried for the safety of my wife, of my sibling, of my siblings partner, and anyone else who does not have the same privileges as me.
Frankly, I am worried for myself as well - I’m worried about deregulation leading to worse health outcomes - wether that be deregulation and a decline in healthcare directly, or deregulation of climate initiatives, or deregulation of safety standards of vehicles on the roads and things we use to make food, and food itself. And these are not things that will have an immediate effect, but things that will likely have small effects over the next 10-20-50 years.
(Not to even mention the fear of wars “ending” - but not in ways that are good for those who are having war waged against them).
My wife and I were thinking of maybe having kids someday, and while I still think we would be good parents, and be able to care for a kid, I’m worried that the social institutions and the rest of the world won’t be a conducive environment to raise a kid. I’ve suffered from mental health issues when I was growing up, and I can’t imagine bringing new life into a worse world than what I had.
I’ve seen this poem going around, and I think it resonates with me a bit, so I’m posting it here too.
When people say, “we have made it through worse before”, by Clint Smith.
Even with all that said, I am not hopeless. I am worried, but I am hopeful of a brighter day. I believe community will be more important than ever, but community is not easy to find. I hope to pull through, and I hope I will be able to help those around me who are important to me.
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Comment on US election results (other than presidential) thread in ~society
Zorind Link ParentI am pretty disappointed with the results of the School Bond/Levys and the libraries as well. Most failed. But a few, mostly in the pretty (D) heavy areas did pass.I am pretty disappointed with the results of the School Bond/Levys and the libraries as well. Most failed. But a few, mostly in the pretty (D) heavy areas did pass.
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Comment on 2024 United States election megathread in ~society
Zorind Link ParentOoh, ginger tea is definitely not a bad idea. Thanks for the reminder!Ooh, ginger tea is definitely not a bad idea. Thanks for the reminder!
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Comment on Traceroute isn't real in ~tech
Zorind LinkAs someone in a “Software Engineer” role, this is too real to me, every time I get tasked with writing any sort of code dealing with networking-related things. Which right now, is my entire...It has been my experience that easily 75% of people working networking jobs are operating in a state of absolute terror, trying to keep their head above water with problems they don't really understand at all.
As someone in a “Software Engineer” role, this is too real to me, every time I get tasked with writing any sort of code dealing with networking-related things. Which right now, is my entire current task. I am not having a good time.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club - Nominations thread in ~books
Zorind LinkIs there a reference list of past books? And can you add me to your ping list for the club? Here’s a few I’ve been interested in, have not read before. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher...Is there a reference list of past books? And can you add me to your ping list for the club?
Here’s a few I’ve been interested in, have not read before.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Permutation City by Greg Egan
and a final suggestion, one I have read before:
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
I bought one from Costco last month (it was on sale, and I had been thinking of getting one for a while). I’m actually pretty indifferent to it, but my wife really likes it. So I’d give this a tentative seconding.
What I would really like is a face-towel steamer for a pre-shave face toweling (the towel warmer we got is a bucket style, and doesn’t really work for a wet face towel).