crialpaca's recent activity
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Comment on Self published authors, how do you market your books? Nothing I've tried has had any success. in ~creative
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Comment on Has anyone here received any benefit as a consumer from algorithmic ad targeting? in ~tech
crialpaca Link ParentMy first set of challenges is the LotR bundle! Really looking forward to getting that first medal.My first set of challenges is the LotR bundle! Really looking forward to getting that first medal.
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Comment on Has anyone here received any benefit as a consumer from algorithmic ad targeting? in ~tech
crialpaca Link ParentIt's The Conqueror, which is basically a virtual challenge where they send you fun virtual rewards as you log miles (you can convert timed exercises) and you get a physical medal in the mail when...It's The Conqueror, which is basically a virtual challenge where they send you fun virtual rewards as you log miles (you can convert timed exercises) and you get a physical medal in the mail when you complete a challenge. They're all themed and most of them seem to follow real paths, which I find pretty cool.
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Comment on Has anyone here received any benefit as a consumer from algorithmic ad targeting? in ~tech
crialpaca Link ParentMy experience has been searching for something, thinking about it, NOT buying it, and then being pressured by ads forever after! I experienced this with an exercise program thing. The pressure did...My experience has been searching for something, thinking about it, NOT buying it, and then being pressured by ads forever after! I experienced this with an exercise program thing. The pressure did work - I eventually bought it, but thankfully I am benefiting from it because I'm actually exercising. (But the reason I didn't buy it before now was that I couldn't exercise, so... it wouldn't have made sense to buy it OR for ads to rub it in my face if they put together my search history lol.)
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Comment on ‘No cash accepted’ signs are bad news for millions of unbanked Americans in ~finance
crialpaca Link ParentIt depends on the bank's policies, but yes, some banks do offer this service, usually for a $5-10 fee.It depends on the bank's policies, but yes, some banks do offer this service, usually for a $5-10 fee.
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Comment on What was your highlight of 2023? in ~talk
crialpaca LinkI got my first job with a true work-life balance and will be celebrating a year there on Wednesday (that was a big way to start the year last year)! My partner and I also got a kitten (8 months)...I got my first job with a true work-life balance and will be celebrating a year there on Wednesday (that was a big way to start the year last year)!
My partner and I also got a kitten (8 months) about halfway through the year and have been thrilled to watch him (slowly) mature. He's buff with orange stripes and is lucky to have the braincell on any given day. He's a big guy but has the tiniest squeakiest voice and I love him. He has done a not-insignificant amount of emotional support work for us already, seeing as we lost both of our previous cats in the first half of 2023 [natural but unfortunately very early causes]. We're working toward making him comfortable sitting on laps, and he hit a big milestone the other day - ten minutes on a lap. Next step is to encourage him to lap-sit more often. As a person who grew up with a pretty vicious cat, having all of my previous experience turned upside down by the three cats I've known in the last four years has been really rewarding.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life
crialpaca LinkHow are his fine motor skills? Things like wood burning, fly tying (fly fishing flies - even if he can't get out and use them himself, he he might be interested in learning about the different...How are his fine motor skills? Things like wood burning, fly tying (fly fishing flies - even if he can't get out and use them himself, he he might be interested in learning about the different types or selling them), and other crafty things might be up his alley if he has creative interests. Paint by number, painting with Bob Ross... if he can get out of the house, birding on some accessible trails might be fun?
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Comment on What are your traditional Christmas dinners, and do you do anything that's unusual in your country? in ~food
crialpaca Link ParentI'm in the PNW too! We always had ham growing up, and it was linked to the Christmas tradition because no one in my family actually liked it, we just apparently made it out of obligation?? I'm...I'm in the PNW too! We always had ham growing up, and it was linked to the Christmas tradition because no one in my family actually liked it, we just apparently made it out of obligation?? I'm finally actually doing something for Christmas (been at least 5 years) and we'll be doing steak instead of ham, thank goodness. Baked beans with the ham was a staple, too.
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Comment on US emergency risk index used for allocating disaster prevention and mitigation spending ignores coastal Washington tsunami risk and other predictable disasters in ~enviro
crialpaca LinkThe article mentions that this index is using only recorded history (which apparently starts in 1800 in Washington) for some Pacific Northwest data... which is wild, considering the many thousands...The article mentions that this index is using only recorded history (which apparently starts in 1800 in Washington) for some Pacific Northwest data... which is wild, considering the many thousands of years' worth of geologic data we have on this region. As a Washingtonian who received a relatively cursory education about my state throughout K-12, I know enough to feel like it's pretty outrageous to use such a tiny dataset (where basically nothing has happened) to consider distributing funding to prepare for an event that would be an unmitigated disaster. However, even with that perspective, I feel like this article has a lot of "spin" to make Washington look worthy of sympathy and is missing comparisons to other states. I'd like to know how things look compared to hurricane-exposed areas, which are, of course, hit way more frequently. If the idea of this program is to help move funding to areas where funding is more predictably needed, it would make sense for us to be left out, since these tsunami / big quake events aren't even one in a lifetime. If the idea is to help put funding toward long-term safety structures, like the tsunami tower, to help mitigate extreme events... well, using this index would make less sense. It sounds like it's probably supposed to do some of both.
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Comment on After Dobbs, US doctors say more people are turning to permanent contraception in ~health
crialpaca LinkI am no longer an owner of fallopian tubes. My decision was made before the Dobbs decision, but that was what really made me seek out my procedure. In my mind, I couldn't risk the procedure being...I am no longer an owner of fallopian tubes. My decision was made before the Dobbs decision, but that was what really made me seek out my procedure. In my mind, I couldn't risk the procedure being either unavailable or not covered in the future. I'm terrified of pregnancy and would be basically guaranteed to have adverse effects. While I do live in a solidly blue state, I didn't feel safe with the direction things have been going.
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Comment on No bar exam required to practice law in Oregon starting next year in ~news
crialpaca Link ParentWashington state does have a non-law-school program (called a law clerk program) that one can do if one qualifies, where the student is employed by an attorney for 4 years, completes a program of...Washington state does have a non-law-school program (called a law clerk program) that one can do if one qualifies, where the student is employed by an attorney for 4 years, completes a program of study under them and occasional substitutes mentors, and can then take the bar without having obtained a law degree. It does still involve taking the bar, but doesn't necessarily involve the expense of law school. (As an aside, when I brought this up to the firm I worked for, they wanted me to pay for the overhead + more of the attorney who would be mentoring me, so I wouldn't be surprised if some unsuspecting law clerks unwittingly end up in weird financial situations due to similar "arrangements".)
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Comment on At least sixteen dead in Maine shooting as police hunt for ‘person of interest’ and residents shelter in ~news
crialpaca LinkThe fact that this person was/is? an arms instructor in the military changes my perspective a bit. No wonder police are on high alert and residents are sheltering in place. This person has the...The fact that this person was/is? an arms instructor in the military changes my perspective a bit. No wonder police are on high alert and residents are sheltering in place. This person has the training to do incredible amounts of harm. The gun culture in Maine seems like an aside when the shooter is someone who was stationed there with the training and resources to do this.
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Comment on What caused you to change your mind about something significant? in ~talk
crialpaca Link ParentI wasn't making any kind of comparison about adoption being easier. But it certainly doesn't involve pregnancy or giving birth, both of which would be very difficult for me personally (and now...I wasn't making any kind of comparison about adoption being easier. But it certainly doesn't involve pregnancy or giving birth, both of which would be very difficult for me personally (and now would be pretty much physically impossible, which was the point and was my decision). Adoption is an option that can't necessarily be taken off the table unless I do something that disqualifies me. It's also something that would need to be pursued with sufficient financial and legal resources, which I probably wouldn't be able to accrue in the age band in which I would be interested in raising a child, so it's probably a moot point (again, for me personally). The path exists. Doesn't mean that I would take it or that it wouldn't be stupid hard.
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Comment on What caused you to change your mind about something significant? in ~talk
crialpaca Link ParentMy experience has been the opposite. I always said I wanted kids. I had internalized that having kids was one of the responsibilities of becoming an adult and having a mature relationship. I...My experience has been the opposite. I always said I wanted kids. I had internalized that having kids was one of the responsibilities of becoming an adult and having a mature relationship. I (cringe) actually kind of harassed one of my friends who had a childfree marriage for environmental reasons, as I thought their reasons weren't valid enough (I was in my teens).
The person I had my first relationship with had a child. He generally made irresponsible decisions. I didn't really fault him for them (I should have). The second person I had a relationship with was childfree. He didn't really explain his reasons, just flatly told me "no" any time I brought up kids. We broke up on weird terms, but his position got me thinking.
I can barely take care of (or AFFORD to take care of) myself and my two animals. I have a chronic illness and depression that occasionally appears as a result. I now have a wonderful partner who does NOT enjoy kids because they often result in sensory overload for him (they do for me, too, but it takes more). I realized that the only planning I've ever done for kids is to think about what I would want to name them, in a weird, covetous fashion (clearly they would need to be named after some of my favorite book characters). The more I've thought about it, the more it has seemed that having kids wouldn't be a good choice for me personally; everything else aside, pregnancy would likely wreak havoc on my body. I think the last step for me was finding out that permanent sterilization is fully covered under my insurance. So I actually went through with having that done, and now as much as the future (or lack there of) abortion legislation in the US terrifies me, it's not something I have to worry about on an existential level anymore. I still do, but that's beside the point.
Adopting is still on the table, as are some alternative options, like being a host family for an exchange student. But biological kids are something I took off the table for myself, and I'm very relieved that I did. It's a really personal choice. I wish having kids was less something expected by society and less of a default setting, because questioning my entire reality during this process was, uh... interesting. I think it's becoming more common to really calculate if/when kids make the most sense, and I hope that thinking becomes more encouraged as time goes on. It would be cool for having kids to be considered an adult choice, rather than THE adult reality.
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Comment on US cities have a staggering problem of Kia and Hyundai thefts. This data shows it. in ~transport
crialpaca Link ParentOh yeah, I had a whole second paragraph I was trying to type (but couldn't articulate the way I want to) about how vulnerable this makes Hyundai and Kia owners, even those without the issue. My...Oh yeah, I had a whole second paragraph I was trying to type (but couldn't articulate the way I want to) about how vulnerable this makes Hyundai and Kia owners, even those without the issue. My car got a sticker added to it with the software update but like... the kids doing this aren't going to be looking for that.
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Comment on US cities have a staggering problem of Kia and Hyundai thefts. This data shows it. in ~transport
crialpaca LinkMy first ever new car purchase was a 2021 Hyundai Venue. Two years later, it was basically uninsurable, even with the software update. I hope one of the class action lawsuits against Hyundai / Kia...My first ever new car purchase was a 2021 Hyundai Venue. Two years later, it was basically uninsurable, even with the software update. I hope one of the class action lawsuits against Hyundai / Kia sticks.
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Comment on Chick-fil-A plans UK restaurants opening after previously facing backlash from LGBTQ+ rights activists in ~food
crialpaca Link ParentI live in Washington state and feel internal dismay every time a new restaurant is opened here. I have never eaten there and will continue to spend my money elsewhere. I feel the same way every...I live in Washington state and feel internal dismay every time a new restaurant is opened here. I have never eaten there and will continue to spend my money elsewhere. I feel the same way every time I pass a Hobby Lobby. They don't deserve my business.
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Comment on Are the memes about setting up and troubleshooting printers overblown nowadays? in ~tech
crialpaca LinkAnecdotally, the printers I've encountered that still work have been one of two things: either a 15+ year old dinosaur that is somehow still kicking (but is well past the end of support and parts...Anecdotally, the printers I've encountered that still work have been one of two things: either a 15+ year old dinosaur that is somehow still kicking (but is well past the end of support and parts aren't being made for it anymore) OR a simple black and white laser printer. The former are much easier to troubleshoot than anything newer, and the latter are pretty hard for the home user to mess up.
Anything with a touch screen makes me wary. Sometimes they're straightforward. Other times, you can't tell how to start it again when it jams or how to switch to double-sided.
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Comment on I used to love Marvel. Now it feels like homework in ~tv
crialpaca Link ParentYou don't think they went a little hard on the vivisection of baby animals to play on the viewers' emotions while taking cheap shots with the rest of the writing? This NPR review agrees with me.You don't think they went a little hard on the vivisection of baby animals to play on the viewers' emotions while taking cheap shots with the rest of the writing? This NPR review agrees with me.
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Comment on I used to love Marvel. Now it feels like homework in ~tv
crialpaca LinkGuardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 was the nail in the coffin for me. It was so emotionally manipulative and the use of visceral imagery was so overdone that by the end of the movie, I felt betrayed...Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 was the nail in the coffin for me. It was so emotionally manipulative and the use of visceral imagery was so overdone that by the end of the movie, I felt betrayed as a viewer. Some of the lines still pop into my head when I hear the words "floor" or "teefs" and I hate it. I wish I had never seen it. I think they forgot where to draw the line.
Hi! Unsuccessful author here. ;) the free ebook sales don't cost anything, but they don't get you any money either. They might get you goodwill, but that only goes so far if you're struggling and the people who might have bought your book snagged it for free. You can also do promo sales for low $ amounts which will get you something, but not a lot.