cdb's recent activity
-
Comment on Details for the Motorola Signature 27 with GrapheneOS support in ~tech
-
Comment on Timasomo 2026: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo
cdb Link ParentProbably something wrong with the fermentation. If your yeasts don't get proper nutrition (mostly nitrogen), then they'll make more byproducts that aren't ethanol, mostly different alcohols that...Probably something wrong with the fermentation. If your yeasts don't get proper nutrition (mostly nitrogen), then they'll make more byproducts that aren't ethanol, mostly different alcohols that taste harsh. With aging, some of those will convert to ethanol or other compounds, and some will escape into the air. The annoying thing is that if your yeasts get going too quickly and get too hot, similar things can happen. So in general you want a moderate and well fed fermentation. If that goes well, it should be fine to drink within a month.
Also, if you don't like a bone dry mead, which can taste a bit sour, you'll want to backsweeten it after the fermentation is done. You have to make sure any sugar you add won't restart your fermentation. So you start by making sure you won't ferment anymore (with chemicals or pasteurization), then adding some honey or other sugar to taste. Alternatively, you could use a non-fermentable fake sweetener like erythritol, but I've never tried that.
I have a batch that took a really long time to start because I used distilled water (yeast needs minerals too), and it's practically undrinkable. I'm hoping age will help, but it's going to be a long while before I'm even going to taste it again.
-
Comment on Timasomo 2026: The Showcase in ~creative.timasomo
cdb Link ParentCool. I've made a few batches of mead this year. There aren't a lot of meads that are dry enough to suit my palate in stores or even local meaderies, so there's an incentive there. Some batches...Cool. I've made a few batches of mead this year. There aren't a lot of meads that are dry enough to suit my palate in stores or even local meaderies, so there's an incentive there. Some batches have been terrible and some batches have been pretty damn good.
How's the tasting going? Do you like it compared to other cabs you've had?
Also, did you actually make it from start to finish in a month? For my meads I'm typically leaving it in primary fermentation for 2-4 weeks, transferring to a secondary bottle leaving it for over a month, then bottling. So minimum 6-8 weeks to bottle.
-
Comment on Amazon Grocery introduces a Thanksgiving meal for $25 in ~food
cdb Link ParentI personally found the spatchcocking process to be a bit too much of a pain. Plus, last time I cut myself on sharp rib. It was pretty minor, but I also don't want raw poultry in my bloodstream....I personally found the spatchcocking process to be a bit too much of a pain. Plus, last time I cut myself on sharp rib. It was pretty minor, but I also don't want raw poultry in my bloodstream.
So, nowadays I just cut the wings and leg quarters off and roast it all on a rack. Then you can just remove each part from the oven as they reach desired temp. I'm the type to carve in the kitchen, so it doesn't matter as far as appearance. However, I think it still looks fine if you want to loosely reassemble all the pieces on a serving platter for the table.
-
Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
cdb (edited )LinkI'm reading Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil regarding negative effects of computer models. So far, I'm not that big a fan of the analysis. The whole time I'm reading about the...I'm reading Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil regarding negative effects of computer models.
So far, I'm not that big a fan of the analysis. The whole time I'm reading about the description of the negatives thinking "compared to what?" Any sufficiently complicated system has flaws. Pointing out flaws without comparing with the alternative is not that helpful in my opinion. The first chapter introduces a potentially problematic rating system for removing low-performing teachers. While the criticisms are valid, I wonder if the outcome doesn't have just as many issues if the ratings were based on human judgement, which is not addressed. Also, the argument against seems to hinge significantly on a single example of a teacher who was rated highly by her supervisor and peers but scored low on the model. I mean, the model doesn't sound very good at all, but is it not ironic that the main criticisms about the model are low sample size, opacity, and unverified inputs, when the example used to criticize seems to have the same issues? On the other hand, googling about this model shows a lot of statistical issues with it, so maybe the book is doing its job to draw attention to the subject?
All that said, I'm going to keep reading. I've said that a lot of the criticisms are still valid, and it's an important topic. Plus, people should read things that bother them, especially due to perspective, because it's good to understand other peoples' ways of thinking, especially if it clashes with your own. I don't really like the emotional angle instead of the statistical angle, because you could do it with anything, but maybe that's what you need to draw attention to real issues. The danger is that you're at the mercy of trusting the author to have the right opinion.
-
Comment on #YesAllMen #NotAllMen #MaybeSomeMen How to be better? in ~life.men
cdb (edited )Link ParentHmm... I've reached my 3 reply limit, but since you asked me a direct question, I don't want to dodge it, so I'm just going to quote my previous comment and hope that's clear enough. Edit: I...Hmm... I've reached my 3 reply limit, but since you asked me a direct question, I don't want to dodge it, so I'm just going to quote my previous comment and hope that's clear enough.
Main Point: Individual experiences are valid, but they shouldn't be overgeneralized.
Edit: I realized that this response could also be considered dodging the question so to directly answer your question, no, and frankly I'm a bit offended by your interpretation of my comments.
-
Comment on #YesAllMen #NotAllMen #MaybeSomeMen How to be better? in ~life.men
cdb Link ParentWell, I am a racial minority, just not the kind that anyone cares about. But, everyone has their own experiences. I find it counterproductive to think of people as minority and non-minority. The...Well, I am a racial minority, just not the kind that anyone cares about. But, everyone has their own experiences. I find it counterproductive to think of people as minority and non-minority.
The "they" you're talking about here are not special in having access to knowledge and experiences others haven't seen. Even if there are certain trends, in the same way that most people aren't the average height, generalizations about majorities or minorities can't be applied at the individual level. We never know what others have gone through. We all should look to understand others and be careful about overly broad statements for this reason.
Plato raises an interesting question though. Why should anyone believe anyone else about the parts of life they haven't seen? Well, it's a hard problem, and not exactly a solved one. We do have some technologies that can help us, like science, which is what I'm advocating for. I actually think it's not the best analogy for the situation. The truth is it's not like some are enlightened to the situation and some are not, but that we're all seeing only partially-overlapping slices of the world. I'll never fully understand the slice of your world that doesn't overlap with mine and vice-versa. Since I feel like my slice, especially the unique parts, has value, then with empathy I feel like so does yours.
-
Comment on #YesAllMen #NotAllMen #MaybeSomeMen How to be better? in ~life.men
cdb (edited )Link ParentI feel like this isn't a good statement because it questions the value of data without acknowledging its usefulness. It also implies that I said that we should only care about data, which I did...Data isn’t perfect, though.
I feel like this isn't a good statement because it questions the value of data without acknowledging its usefulness. It also implies that I said that we should only care about data, which I did not. Of course data isn't perfect. It's not an either-or. You can't really be missing either. I would like to say that repeated anecdotes shouldn't be compared to scientific data collection because of the way human brains and culture work.
The typical way of things would be anecdotes that lead to people thinking about collecting data, which leads to collecting qualitative data, which leads to collecting quantitative data. These steps are additive and getting quantitative data doesn't necessarily invalidate everything that came before it, although it can disprove some assumptions. Once you get a number from the quantitative data, you can't just point to a number and say that this is the final answer. Something like an average ratio is also not fully representative of things, as I've pointed out already.
Like, we can suggest things without invalidating the other thing. Just because I'm suggesting that the anecdotes are overgeneralized and expanded on another comment's mention of data doesn't mean I think that data is everything and anecdotes are worthless. Maybe this is a problem with the discourse in general. If you're not just 100% in support for one single thing, people think you must be against it. "We've seen a lot of X, so how about some Y?" "Why do you hate X?" "WTF, I don't?"
-
Comment on #YesAllMen #NotAllMen #MaybeSomeMen How to be better? in ~life.men
cdb Link ParentI'm not saying there are zero issues in society in this respect, just that in general, statistics or scientifically collected qualitative assessments are good, but anecdotes are to be taken with a...I'm not saying there are zero issues in society in this respect, just that in general, statistics or scientifically collected qualitative assessments are good, but anecdotes are to be taken with a grain of salt. There can be a lot of reasons for differences in gender ratios in jobs. There are fewer men teaching or nursing. Nursing is a high paying job, so it's not just men taking larger shares of high paying jobs. Some differences may be cultural, and that might be ok or not ok, depending on how society feels about that at large. Some "cultural issues" can be unfairly exclusionary while others could just be where people are at as far as roles and mindsets.
So, I disagree that we can assume that anecdotes are evidence of oppression. However, I'm not trying to say we shouldn't look to identify and address potential issues. I'm saying that some of the discourse is out of control and has a lot of it driven by reactions to individual events, rather than the data that you brought up. We can use some anecdotes to drum up attention to a matter, but as discussions move towards what to do about it, we should learn more and more on carefully collected data.
-
Comment on #YesAllMen #NotAllMen #MaybeSomeMen How to be better? in ~life.men
cdb (edited )Link ParentI've had to train two women who were hired above me in title, not just on procedures but on how to become better at the job, and I continue to provide guidance. They're both still above me in...I've had to train two women who were hired above me in title, not just on procedures but on how to become better at the job, and I continue to provide guidance. They're both still above me in title and have been selected for more career-advancing roles than me based on job title. The executives above me are also women, including the very top. Is this the matriarchy? I don't think so, and I don't think my situation has anything to do with gender. I understand that I can't generalize my experience to society as whole. Stuff like this happens. When it happens to men, it's just business. When it happens to women, should we assume that it is the result of systematic oppression?
Main Point: Individual experiences are valid, but they shouldn't be overgeneralized.
-
Comment on Advice on new PC build in ~comp
cdb Link ParentI'll second the prebuilt recommendation. As someone who's always built their own PC, it kind of hurts to recommend a prebuilt, but the value difference it too big right now. For example, there is...I'll second the prebuilt recommendation.
As someone who's always built their own PC, it kind of hurts to recommend a prebuilt, but the value difference it too big right now. For example, there is an Acer Nitro 60 PC with RTX 5080 for $2300-ish on Newegg right now (no link because I'm not advertising). I've seen a few other deals for prebuilts with 5080 around $2300-2400 in the past month. You just can't get close to that price building it yourself. I can replicate OP's specs with cheaper parts for about $2500 (not including monitor), but it's not going to perform as well as that prebuilt that costs $200 less.
-
Comment on Introducing all-new Amazon Alexa Tablets—powerful tablets with Alexa+ built in in ~tech
cdb (edited )Link ParentWith Amazon already being the largest android tablet seller in the US, seemingly mostly for children, I guess it makes sense to try to start selling tablets that can appeal to older children and...With Amazon already being the largest android tablet seller in the US, seemingly mostly for children, I guess it makes sense to try to start selling tablets that can appeal to older children and adults as those tablet-using children grow up. Most amazon tablets start to look really terrible in performance once you start comparing it to a decent phone.
Maybe they're also trying to appeal to people who use and like alexa devices. I don't personally know anyone who does, but apparently they are still selling.
The iPad is tough to compete against, but it seems like it wouldn't take that much to deliver a better software experience than what samsung offers. As a tablet user myself, I'm happy to see more competition in the space.
edit: I ended up looking into the specs, and the 8 and 11 inch tablets are still using a low performance SoC with 6 year old cores, same as the current fire max tablet. Only the 12 inch tablet is using a decent processor from less than 2 years ago. So, never mind about my previous comment on performance, except for the top end one starting at $500. If they don't sell, it might be nice to snag one of the 12 inch ones at half price in a year or two.
-
Comment on Amazon uses its tracking data to guess whether shoppers have a flat butt and no friends in ~tech
cdb (edited )Link ParentHere's the way I see the math working out. What are the odds any random person will buy a toilet seat? Surely less than 1%. Maybe even less than 0.1%. Many people aren't even in a position that...Here's the way I see the math working out.
What are the odds any random person will buy a toilet seat? Surely less than 1%. Maybe even less than 0.1%. Many people aren't even in a position that they would replace a toilet seat, you only need one person per household to do it, people might hire a contractors or handymen to do it resulting in concentration in buying, etc.
However, once you've purchased one toilet seat, you've established yourself as someone who actually would buy a toilet seat. You are now a toilet seat buyer. This is relevant in the same way that I'm a bike accessory buyer or someone else might be a flat butt enhancement product buyer. It is absolutely relevant information about that person. Also, the return rate on amazon is pretty high, about 5-15% depending on category. If you're buying in person, you'll probably stick with your choice. If you're buying online, you might buy the wrong size or be unhappy with it once you see it in person.
So for an individual, being 95% sure you're going to keep the product is very high, but that 5% that you might return that product is very relevant to amazon. That means you're more than 50x more likely to buy a toilet seat soon compared to our 0.1% estimate for the average person. Also in the long run, even if you don't have another bathroom to remodel right now, toilet seats are a thing that need replacement from time to time. Even if you're on a 20 year replacement cycle, that's 5% for any given year, so you're still 50x more likely to buy a toilet seat than any other random account.
Overall, showing you product suggestions for things you have greater odds to buy is better than showing you random product suggestions, at least for generating more sales. Well, aside from the return rate, the numbers are made up, but I think they're conceptually accurate. I think you still have a point that it's not the most effective strategy for items like toilet seats, but if you get labeled as "home goods buyer" rather than "toilet seat enthusiast" and the recommendations are not just toilet seats but other home items, it makes a lot of sense.
-
Comment on The fine dining flip in ~food
cdb LinkThe article seems to rely only on a few anecdotes, so I wonder if it's really a trend or not. My personal and also anecdotal impression is that most restaurants at all price levels have gotten...The article seems to rely only on a few anecdotes, so I wonder if it's really a trend or not. My personal and also anecdotal impression is that most restaurants at all price levels have gotten more expensive and/or have reduced portion sizes.
On the other hand, I wonder if there's something going with price brackets and psychology here where 3 digits feels like a big jump. The kind of attitude that if I'm going to be paying $100+ for a meal, it better be damn good. That used to be nice fine dining kind of territory, but since everything has moved up in price, the mid-range-kind-of-nice-but-not-super-nice bracket has moved up to about $100, despite not necessarily providing the super high end experience. So, maybe it's hard to be a restaurant charging near that hundred-dollar threshold right now. A lot of people might balk at the $100 price tag, while people willing to spend that much for a meal might just be willing to spend $200 on a michelin starred restaurant instead. I've personally found myself reacting that way after dining at such a restaurant. Conversations like: "We spent $100 each here? I didn't think it was that nice a place."
-
Comment on What was a small but bright moment of your day? in ~life
cdb LinkI have two dogs. The older one will usually wander over to my side of the bed after I turn the lights out and put his head on the bed next to me until I pet him for a bit. Then he goes back to his...I have two dogs. The older one will usually wander over to my side of the bed after I turn the lights out and put his head on the bed next to me until I pet him for a bit. Then he goes back to his bed and goes to sleep. The newer puppy is less than a year old and had never done that... until last night! After I laid down in bed, she came over to me, and I pet her for a bit before she wandered off to bed. Small thing, but it definitely put a smile on my face.
-
Comment on Amazon uses its tracking data to guess whether shoppers have a flat butt and no friends in ~tech
cdb Link ParentIt's true that a lot of these inferences are either obvious or slightly off-target. Sure I've bought a lot of bike-related gear over the years, so obviously I'm a frequent cyclist. Isn't that...It's true that a lot of these inferences are either obvious or slightly off-target. Sure I've bought a lot of bike-related gear over the years, so obviously I'm a frequent cyclist. Isn't that obvious? However, I kind of wonder if the general public underestimates the usefulness of these seemingly shallow insights.
The classic one I've seen on the internet is someone buying a toilet seat and getting a bunch of ads for toilet seats afterwards, as if amazon is stupid for doing that. The way I see it, any average person is highly unlikely to purchase a toilet seat at any given time. Someone who's recently purchased a toilet seat has a vastly higher chance of purchasing another toilet seat, since they might return the first one or have another bathroom to work on later.
I don't have any evidence to support it, but my guess is that amazon makes a ton of sales due to their profile-based recommendations. I guess in my case the data is not that sparse. I've purchased about a thousand things on there with purchase history going back to 2002. That's a lot of data.
-
Comment on OpenAI releases findings on 377 math problems, further roiling field in ~science
cdb Link ParentHonestly, I don't find your comments here civil at all. You engaged in name-calling. You suggest that this user or his comments should be removed from the site, and the only reason they aren't is...I will be civil about it
Honestly, I don't find your comments here civil at all. You engaged in name-calling. You suggest that this user or his comments should be removed from the site, and the only reason they aren't is lack of moderation. You advise others to ignore this user. I was a hair away from labeling your comment malice, but I decided to comment instead.
I feel like you did have a good piece of advice here, but I'd like to reflect it back a bit. I don't see how your comments here are contributing to the discussion. You're right that one does not need to engage in discussions they're not interested in. If you've come here just to badmouth a frequent contributor to the site, I'd say that you are in fact violating Tildes' number one rule.
I hope you will take this as feedback rather than fighting.
-
Comment on I'm having a glow up, but it sucks in ~life.men
cdb LinkI feel like I understand how you feel, at least in some ways. About the tying social value to work, not the being hot part. When I was unemployed for a while, I started doing some part time...I feel like I understand how you feel, at least in some ways. About the tying social value to work, not the being hot part.
When I was unemployed for a while, I started doing some part time volunteer work, and that really helped my mental state. It got me socializing in a work-type environment, and I felt like I was doing something useful. Turns out that I was feeling kind of useless when my only tangible output for the past several months was getting better at rock climbing and denied job applications. I ended up putting the volunteer work on my resume, which may have contributed to getting a job offer later. That's just a bonus though. I think the main benefit was the effect on my attitude and mental state at the time.
-
Comment on Blocking of unverified apps on Android starts in Brazil and other three countries in ~tech
cdb Link ParentMy understanding is that this move is in fact related to government regulation. It's just that they are regulating google rather than individuals. That's why it's rolling out in southeast Asia...My understanding is that this move is in fact related to government regulation. It's just that they are regulating google rather than individuals. That's why it's rolling out in southeast Asia first. Although I didn't look into Brazil.
My take is that corporations don't tend to do anything unless it's profitable or if someone makes them. I know people are suggesting that this move gives them more control, but I don't really see how it makes google money. So, it seems likely to me that it's because someone is making them do it. "Government partnerships" tend to be the government telling a company to do something rather than a real collaboration.
From a Singapore government site:
Google Singapore announced that, in partnership with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), Google is launching a new enhanced protection feature within Google Play Protect to help further safeguard mobile users against malware-enabled scams, by blocking the installation of potentially-risky sideloaded apps. ... Singapore will be the first country to begin a phased pilot of this feature on Android devices in the next few weeks. This feature has undergone pre-testing and was developed as part of the ongoing partnership between Google and CSA on cybersecurity and anti-scam efforts
From Google:
To further keep Malaysians safe from financial fraud, Google has rolled out its enhanced fraud protection feature within Google Play Protect to all Android users in Malaysia. This initiative is supported by the National Cyber Security Agency, National Security Council (NACSA, NSC), and is designed to better safeguard mobile users against malware-enabled scams, by blocking the installation of potentially-risky sideloaded apps. ... The announcement was made at the Google 2026 Online Safety Dialogue, alongside Malaysia Minister of Communications, YB Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. This is in line with the Ministry’s ‘Kempen Internet Selamat’, aimed at bolstering nationwide digital safety against threats such as online scams.
-
Comment on Owners mourn spoiled food after firmware update bricks Samsung smart fridges in ~tech
cdb Link ParentI think the real advancement for this use-case is the all in one washer/dryer combos where you can just hit a button and come back 3 hours later to clean and dry clothes. Yeah, it takes longer, in...I think the real advancement for this use-case is the all in one washer/dryer combos where you can just hit a button and come back 3 hours later to clean and dry clothes. Yeah, it takes longer, in part due to the heat pump dryer, but they're efficient and don't need an external exhaust vent. The reviews on these aren't great either though, so it seems like there are some engineering issues to overcome. I really want one of these, but I'm waiting for the tech to mature.
The price is high even for flagship phones. The base iphone 18 pro max is $1300 and the S26 ultra has an MSRP of $1400, but it never sells for that price and is actually $1000 right now from Samsung.
$300+ higher than the competition is pretty crazy coming from Motorola. $1600 is the same as the current selling price of the Fold8 direct from Samsung. While I'd love for there to be some more competition in the US smartphone market, I'm not seeing any distinctive features from the Motorola phone that would make anyone choose this over Samsung and Apple.