dirthawker's recent activity
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
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Comment on Sleep struggles: how do I get better sleep quality? in ~life
dirthawker LinkI had a couple of years of stress and started listening to sleep podcasts. My staple is Otis Gray/Sleepy Radio, who reads public domain books twice a week - Wednesdays are full length short...I had a couple of years of stress and started listening to sleep podcasts. My staple is Otis Gray/Sleepy Radio, who reads public domain books twice a week - Wednesdays are full length short stories, about 30 minutes, and Sundays are the first N chapters of a novel for an hour-ish. It's quite peaceful with just a little intro music and IMO very much worth the $2/month for ad-free. My other favorite is Sleep With Me, which is what I listen to when things are industrial strength stressful. SWM is chaotic, nonsensical, and distracting, which may not work for everyone, but it's the kind of noise that drowns out your own thoughts and kind of becomes a blur.
Even though the stressful time is over I still listen to the podcasts every night back to back. I've got some 10 hours of podcast playlist lined up.
I do have a similar issue of falling asleep like the dead right away and waking up at 1 or 2am feeling too refreshed to easily go back to sleep. I tend to get back pain and find sleeping in the recliner cradles my body in a way that is lower-back supportive but also cozy.
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
dirthawker (edited )LinkI would swear David Lynch's Dune had a scene where Muad'dib is being shown a cache of water in a seitch. There's something about how the walls sre so smooth that water doesn't stick to the sides...I would swear David Lynch's Dune had a scene where Muad'dib is being shown a cache of water in a seitch. There's something about how the walls sre so smooth that water doesn't stick to the sides where it would evaporate, since water is so precious they cannot lose a drop. I think this scene is in the book, in reality. The last time I saw the movie I don't remember seeing it, and yet it's very vivid in my mind. Kyle MacLachlan gazing up in awe, then a tight closeup of the water and the dark gray-yellow-brown wall of the cache with droplets running down with an echoey droplet sound. Music rises. Very Lynchian.
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Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books
dirthawker Link ParentThe Sheep Look Up was going to be my recommendation. It's dated and a bit racist stereotyped, and a bit hippie-ish, but the whole crumbling of society part really stuck with me. I don't remember...The Sheep Look Up was going to be my recommendation. It's dated and a bit racist stereotyped, and a bit hippie-ish, but the whole crumbling of society part really stuck with me. I don't remember Stand On Zanzibar nearly as well as Sheep.
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 3/8/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker (edited )Link ParentI had another fig coming ripe, gave it the poke, and no sap came out yesterday or the day before. I pulled it this morning and it still smells like nothing. I can feel the skin is more delicate -...I had another fig coming ripe, gave it the poke, and no sap came out yesterday or the day before. I pulled it this morning and it still smells like nothing. I can feel the skin is more delicate - it does have a crack, and when I pulled it I broke some skin at the neck. Has the bag of jelly feel. I'll try eating it tomorrow. IDK -- maybe this tree just grows enormous bland figs, which would be rather disappointing. :/ Hope your tree is better!
Edit: eating it right now: still not a lot of smell but much, much sweeter and has definite figgy flavor
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 3/8/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker Link ParentYou're welcome and good luck! We're learning it together. I left the fig on the counter for 2 days and I think it did get very slightly more scent. But overall it was fairly band just slightly...You're welcome and good luck! We're learning it together.
I left the fig on the counter for 2 days and I think it did get very slightly more scent. But overall it was fairly band just slightly sweet. I have another one ripening soon. They're weird, they'll sit there looking green and a bit over walnut size for weeks and weeks, like they went into stasis, then suddenly they get fat and start changing color. In a few the days they're suddenly huge.
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 3/8/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker (edited )Link ParentI'm new to all this. On Reddit r/figs I was pointed to a video where a guy would take a needle and poke the stem (not too deep) just above where the fig neck is attached. If sap comes out the fig...I'm new to all this. On Reddit r/figs I was pointed to a video where a guy would take a needle and poke the stem (not too deep) just above where the fig neck is attached. If sap comes out the fig isn't ready. I can't find the video in my watch history but I'll look further and post it here when I have it.
The neck of the fig should be soft. A lot of folks on r/figs say to wait until the skin is cracking a bit. IMO that seems a bit overripe, but what do I know.
Edit: here's the videos. Millennial gardener and Ross were the 2 names to search for on Youtube.
Comment on my thread:
"The neck of the fig should be soft. The fig should be drooping down and also feel soft like a bag of jelly, maybe have some cracking or wrinkles. You can also prick the neck with a needle to see if sap is still flowing before picking it. You wouldn't do it for every fig obviously, but just so you get more experience in picking them. You definitely don't pick a hard fig, and if you picked it and there is sap oozing out it was definitely early and not going to taste the best.See this for drooping:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-lVKT47QjUSee this for needle test:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6tLgtYzmXAOverall:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPCehRibvU
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 3/8/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker LinkI just harvested the first viable fig off the tree that was here when we moved in last year. I've been learning that we have fig flies which lay their eggs in your figs and ruin them, and about...I just harvested the first viable fig off the tree that was here when we moved in last year. I've been learning that we have fig flies which lay their eggs in your figs and ruin them, and about fig mites which can carry a disease... About 2 months ago a couple ripened but had already been damaged by the fly. I bought 100 tulle bags and started bagging them.. bought another 100...and another. I think I won't need any more as the tree is finally slowing down growing lil baby figs.
Anyway, I have this fig now, it's a monster at 129g, and I'm hoping it will taste okay when I open it tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous because I've read it should smell good, but it barely has any odor at all.
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Comment on What’s a must-buy item you get when traveling internationally? in ~travel
dirthawker Link ParentAt that size they'll have something to pass onto the grandkids.At that size they'll have something to pass onto the grandkids.
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Comment on What’s a must-buy item you get when traveling internationally? in ~travel
dirthawker Link ParentI'm surprised you can't get Marmite in Canada. I've bought it in the US for decades. (Haven't shopped for it recently though, but I do see Vegemite more often than Marmite these days.)I'm surprised you can't get Marmite in Canada. I've bought it in the US for decades. (Haven't shopped for it recently though, but I do see Vegemite more often than Marmite these days.)
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Comment on Your cookware got worse on purpose: who owns Pyrex and All-Clad now in ~food
dirthawker Link ParentI have a stainless steel pot from them (3qt I think?) which has been my only pot of that size for 16 years. (I have a much larger stockpot and a much smaller sauce pot which only see occasional...I have a stainless steel pot from them (3qt I think?) which has been my only pot of that size for 16 years. (I have a much larger stockpot and a much smaller sauce pot which only see occasional use.) Still looks darned good.
Kind of bummed to read about Our Place. I got one last year because I follow Kenji Lopez Alt and really like it for its ability to put a good crust on things without sticking. We'll just have to see how long it lasts.
I bought a deBuyer Mineral B carbon steel but it was very, very heavy, and I discovered after purchase it's not really oven safe (10 minutes at 400, they claim). Got a Vollrath instead and am pretty happy with it.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
dirthawker LinkMore like the last couple weeks, but I've learned a little bit about mortise locks. Our new house is from 1920 and there are a few doors with that old hardware. One of them had a somewhat jiggly...More like the last couple weeks, but I've learned a little bit about mortise locks. Our new house is from 1920 and there are a few doors with that old hardware. One of them had a somewhat jiggly knob, and one had a wildly jiggly knob and the latch wasn't springing back as it should. I was donating some stuff to a Habitat ReStore and happened to notice several bins of mortise locks. Found one of the right size that wasn't too rusty, paid a whole $10 bucks, took it home. Took it apart, cleaned it, put it back together with an understanding of how they work (not complicated at all), and replaced the one with the non springy latch. Found a spring and replaced it so now I have a spare. Designed and 3D printed a little gasket to fix the jiggly knobs. Twas fun!
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
dirthawker Link ParentI'm going to have the unpopular opinion -- I read the first book and found it boring. I've played my fair share of these kinds of games, complete with smartass dialogue, so none of the fighting...I'm going to have the unpopular opinion -- I read the first book and found it boring. I've played my fair share of these kinds of games, complete with smartass dialogue, so none of the fighting aspects seemed particularly new or interesting. I did like the mashup with reality TV/likes/followers/postgame interviews, and Carl's keeping his humanity. The fighting stuff could have been cut down to a half or a third its length IMO.
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Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
dirthawker Link ParentAlso my understanding is that dishwasher detergents are a lot more harsh than the kind you use at the sink, plus dishwashers get the water directly from the hot water line. I'm lazy with my...Also my understanding is that dishwasher detergents are a lot more harsh than the kind you use at the sink, plus dishwashers get the water directly from the hot water line. I'm lazy with my (steel) chef knives, so I've seen after 10-20 dishwasher cycles they develop small rust-like spots. So I suspect some damage is going to happen to the CI.
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Comment on So I fell for a phishing in ~comp
dirthawker Link ParentI have some history of studying spammers and scammers going back to the early 2000s, so I like to think of myself as pretty savvy. But I got super close to being had last year. Someone called up...I have some history of studying spammers and scammers going back to the early 2000s, so I like to think of myself as pretty savvy. But I got super close to being had last year. Someone called up spoofing a phone number of my HMO and asking about my surgery. It had to have been sheer coincidence I had recently had a procedure done that would be considered a surgery, so I assumed it was about that. I answered an awful lot of questions. My spidey sense went off when he gave a wrong date for the procedure, and full alarm bells rang when he started talking about the FDA. Told them I was busy and had to go. I got phone calls for the next 3-4 weeks, multiple times a day, spoofing different locations of the HMO, and they gave up after that. Don't kick yourself. It's just a shame that scammers have destroyed our ability to trust the institutions we use.
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Comment on "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster (1909) in ~books
dirthawker LinkThat's one of my favorite classics. It's very spot on about technology's effect on society. Another prescient aspect was how people were endlessly commenting on other people's comments about an...That's one of my favorite classics. It's very spot on about technology's effect on society. Another prescient aspect was how people were endlessly commenting on other people's comments about an event rather than the event itself.
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Comment on When did you realize you were different? in ~talk
dirthawker Link ParentMy mom was a SAHM as well and was tutoring us from a young age. She would take us to the county's educational resource center and check out materials for us. We had a large set of illustrated...My mom was a SAHM as well and was tutoring us from a young age. She would take us to the county's educational resource center and check out materials for us. We had a large set of illustrated children's encyclopedias that I loved reading, and I remember being thoroughly impressed at her ability to draw a perfect circle to make a clock. But yeah it all evens out later on.
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Comment on When did you realize you were different? in ~talk
dirthawker LinkBeing Asian in a very white town, it was made clear to me that I was different. I also came into kindergarten with a large vocabulary (I managed to make a girl cry by remarking she knew how to...Being Asian in a very white town, it was made clear to me that I was different. I also came into kindergarten with a large vocabulary (I managed to make a girl cry by remarking she knew how to write in "cursive," but she thought "cursive" was something bad probably having to do with cursing) and was deemed gifted by first grade. I may have been borderline autistic or neurodivergent; I often felt like I was in my own channel and was always surprised when someone told me that whatever X I was into was weird. All that was pretty much over by university, though, when I was like every other college student cramming for tests and drinking lots of coffee.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
dirthawker Link ParentI can definitely understand the overwhelming part. Cardamom is perfumey and pungent, especially if you're taking them from the pod and grinding fresh. In my googling I found several...I can definitely understand the overwhelming part. Cardamom is perfumey and pungent, especially if you're taking them from the pod and grinding fresh.
In my googling I found several recommendations for this recipe specifically. I didn't think it was too cardamom-y.
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Comment on What have you been eating, drinking, and cooking? in ~food
dirthawker (edited )LinkI've been on a baking tear all week. No especial reason (though I could probably make something up like we came to the end of a heatwave and now everything is back in the 50s again.) Made Hokkaido...I've been on a baking tear all week. No especial reason (though I could probably make something up like we came to the end of a heatwave and now everything is back in the 50s again.) Made Hokkaido milk bread (ok), Swedish cardamom buns (fab), and now I'm in the middle of burger buns for Memorial Day.
We moved to a house with a gigantic Viking Pro stove which has a grill built in so I'm going to try making the burgers on that.
JFC, thank you. I could not for the life of me figure out how I hallucinated that.