dirthawker's recent activity
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Comment on Do you think you're special? in ~talk
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Comment on What's the oldest piece of clothing you own and still wear? in ~life.style
dirthawker LinkI have an Apple sweatshirt. I think they threw it in as a freebie when my dad bought me a (vanilla) Mac for university in 1984. I don't wear it too often anymore, but apart from my mom's hats from...I have an Apple sweatshirt. I think they threw it in as a freebie when my dad bought me a (vanilla) Mac for university in 1984. I don't wear it too often anymore, but apart from my mom's hats from the 50s, that's probably the oldest article of clothing I own.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 14 in ~society
dirthawker LinkUSPS attempts to reject an entire county's ballots because of a .35mm difference in spacing "Leon County, Florida’s mail ballot envelope design placed the words “return service requested” 0.236...USPS attempts to reject an entire county's ballots because of a .35mm difference in spacing
"Leon County, Florida’s mail ballot envelope design placed the words “return service requested” 0.236 inches away from its election office’s return address, when it was supposed to be a quarter-inch, leading the USPS to reject it." Leon County, FL also happens to be over 30% African American, over 40% non-white and has historically voted Democrat.
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Comment on Best options for domain registrar and static site hosting in 2026? in ~comp
dirthawker Link ParentYeah, it's a very cool feature. I make changes to my website files on Github and have 11ty talking with Cloudflare to generate the site and upload it. It's very seamless.Yeah, it's a very cool feature. I make changes to my website files on Github and have 11ty talking with Cloudflare to generate the site and upload it. It's very seamless.
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Comment on Best options for domain registrar and static site hosting in 2026? in ~comp
dirthawker Link ParentI have a small static personal website that I just moved to Cloudflare a month ago (my ISP is migrating out of hosting.) The hosting is free. (I believe they have limits on file size more than...I have a small static personal website that I just moved to Cloudflare a month ago (my ISP is migrating out of hosting.) The hosting is free. (I believe they have limits on file size more than total site size.) My site has .com and .net domains. The .com is with Namecheap and the .net was with the ISP. I made Cloudflare the registrar for the .net and their renewal price is less than $12/ year, which is several bucks cheaper than Namecheap for the .com domain. I'm tempted to move the .com as well, but part of my brain says not to put all my eggs in a Cloudflare basket. At the same time, it's a small, static personal website, and if it goes down for a few days, not even I will care that much.
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Comment on Share your favourite dal recipe! in ~food
dirthawker LinkI make Chef John's lentil curry a lot. I do not do the roti (it's very hard to get right IMO and I have enough Asian groceries that sell frozen roti). I don't use as much water as he asks for --...I make Chef John's lentil curry a lot. I do not do the roti (it's very hard to get right IMO and I have enough Asian groceries that sell frozen roti). I don't use as much water as he asks for -- sorry I can't give an exact amount because I've always just eyed it. I'll throw in a protein and a veg into the curry and cook it all together, nice 1 pot meal.
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Comment on Has anyone tried making their own font? in ~design
dirthawker (edited )LinkA few years ago I used FontForge to recreate (as close as I could) a typeface called Aldine, which I found in this Atlas Obscura post. If you like it I have it for download on my personal website....A few years ago I used FontForge to recreate (as close as I could) a typeface called Aldine, which I found in this Atlas Obscura post. If you like it I have it for download on my personal website.
If I recall correctly I created individual jpgs of each letter and used them as a background as I drew the shapes. Fontforge is like a typical draw program where you have points and pull handles to define curves. I don't think it took me terribly long, maybe a week or two in spare time. I did have to make up some stuff as I went along because the sample didn't contain numbers or punctuation apart from , and .
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Comment on What is the oldest file you still have? in ~tech
dirthawker LinkI wrote a fair amount of fiction stories in the 90s to about 2005. The oldest files I have are from 1993. I admit I don't know why I keep them except for sentiment, and honestly I would probably...I wrote a fair amount of fiction stories in the 90s to about 2005. The oldest files I have are from 1993. I admit I don't know why I keep them except for sentiment, and honestly I would probably be a bit embarrassed by some of it at this point -- if I bothered re-reading it, which I probably won't.
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
dirthawker Link ParentThanks but that's not it. The dialogue is too significant. The part I'm thinking of was about the smoothness of the cache walls. You know, boring engineering stuff that can get cut without anyone...Thanks but that's not it. The dialogue is too significant. The part I'm thinking of was about the smoothness of the cache walls. You know, boring engineering stuff that can get cut without anyone really caring (except me apparently lol)
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Comment on What is your Mandela effect moment? in ~movies
dirthawker Link ParentJFC, thank you. I could not for the life of me figure out how I hallucinated that.JFC, thank you. I could not for the life of me figure out how I hallucinated that.
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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.
I think I am special in a few ways (mostly in the "ahead of my time" arena) but IMO it's just a factoid about me. I don't need or demand special treatment for being who I am.