dirthawker's recent activity
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Comment on "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster (1909) in ~books
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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.
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Comment on TSA announces TSA Gold+ in ~transport
dirthawker Link ParentI hear yaI hear ya
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Comment on TSA announces TSA Gold+ in ~transport
dirthawker LinkI haven't looked at the website linked, but for what it's worth, SFO doesn't experience TSA based delays during government shutdowns. SFO opted into the Screening Partnership Program - they hire a...I haven't looked at the website linked, but for what it's worth, SFO doesn't experience TSA based delays during government shutdowns. SFO opted into the Screening Partnership Program - they hire a private company employing people screened by TSA and trained to TSA standards. The SPP was created by Congress when they created TSA. So this TSA Gold seems redundant?
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
dirthawker Link ParentHaha, bird abatement means getting rid of pest birds. The manufacturer gets to not have pigeons pooping on their products and making nests in their facility, and we're paid to take raptor food....Haha, bird abatement means getting rid of pest birds. The manufacturer gets to not have pigeons pooping on their products and making nests in their facility, and we're paid to take raptor food. The only thing my boss needs to pay for are meds to treat the pigeons for diseases and parasites they may carry.
A lot of falconers do raise pigeons, (or quail, or mice, w/e) to have a steady food supply. These do mate and make more of themselves, but you're also buying food for them. If you have a business where you use your raptors for abatement (flying them around to deter the target birds, typically gulls which are a protected species), you might own somewhere between 3 and 10 of them, so that can mean needing quite a lot of food. (They don't eat the target birds because a) as mentioned, disease, b) protected species and c) once your raptor is no longer hungry it doesn't feel the need to chase stuff.) So free pigeons are an absolute boon.
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 3/5/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker Link ParentThanks, that's a pretty darned good lifespan. I've decided to line the box with grow bag material for heat protection. I think it's got enough thickness that it won't prevent water from...Thanks, that's a pretty darned good lifespan. I've decided to line the box with grow bag material for heat protection. I think it's got enough thickness that it won't prevent water from evaporating as plastic might.
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
dirthawker (edited )Link ParentThis was a manufacturing facility (2 sites) and their corporate office. Factory floors have very high ceilings so a building might have 2 levels but it's more like 3 - 4 normal stories. So it's a...This was a manufacturing facility (2 sites) and their corporate office. Factory floors have very high ceilings so a building might have 2 levels but it's more like 3 - 4 normal stories. So it's a little hard for me to estimate height. The traps at the main factory were accessed by a combination of stairs and ladders, and we had 3 or 4 separate locations for traps there, so 3 or 4 sets of stairs/ladders. I do remember the highest spot there was up 6 flights of stairs of 11 steps each plus one more flight of ~10.
The other factory had just one trap accessed by a ladder that was definitely the height of a 3 story building -- it was so long, it was split with a little platform halfway up so you could take a breather lol.
The corporate office was 4 stories and was all stairs and just one short ladder (ceiling height there was also high, but not like the factory -- maybe 10-12'). We were not allowed to use any elevators. Also keep in mind I was lugging about 20 pounds of stuff going up, and could be laden with up to 25 pigeons going down.
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
dirthawker Link ParentI let the Cooper's hawks and the first merlin go. I kept the second merlin and flew her a few months for fun before letting her go (I had always flown hawks, not falcons. It's a different style,...I let the Cooper's hawks and the first merlin go. I kept the second merlin and flew her a few months for fun before letting her go (I had always flown hawks, not falcons. It's a different style, so it was a learning experience for me). The pigeons mostly went to my employer to feed his own falcons. I didn't have a pigeon loft to do a proper quarantine to make them safe as raptor food (my employer did). I released a few, but you know they'll just find their way back to the trap aka the great source of food.
The duck had a husband who was either too smart or too big to get into the trap, and would dutifully stand nearby while I released the wife.
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Comment on What was the best job you ever had? in ~life
dirthawker LinkI have a bachelor's in computer science and my career arc was IT, network administration, and database development/management along with coding statistical reports. The bestest job I had was after...I have a bachelor's in computer science and my career arc was IT, network administration, and database development/management along with coding statistical reports.
The bestest job I had was after I left all that. I did bird abatement. This mostly consisted of climbing a lot of stairs and ladders, sometimes 3 stories' worth, to get to the roof of a building while lugging 1.5 gallons of water and a sack of pigeon food. We had traps up there and the job was to take out any trapped pigeons and refresh the food and water. I'd document any problems and tell my employer about them.
It was entirely physical and I could work pretty much anytime I wanted (after sunset was best for having relatively calm birds, though). A workday ran about 3 hours, driving to 3 different locations and visiting a total of 8 traps, and I'd go about every 5 days. I got in very good shape and mostly got over a fear of heights. It wasn't a lot of money since it wasn't a lot of work, but the hourly rate was not that much less than my previous jobs that required a lot more brain and significantly more stress.
In the 3 or 4 years I did that job, I also got to release 3 Cooper's hawks, 2 merlins, and one very persistent duck multiple times as she discovered pigeon food tasted pretty good. I got to see the full moon on a regular basis, and had one wild night with storms and lightning. Being on top of a building in that is pretty exciting. You try to avoid being the tallest thing around.
I had to leave that job because my mom had a bad fall at home which eventually led to her death several months later. I did try to get the job back but by then my employer's kid was working in the area so he had more reason to be here and covered the sites I had been doing. I wouldn't say it was a dream job but getting paid to do something easy and fun is pretty close.
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 3/5/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker LinkI bought a galvanized steel planter box to put flowers in. Do I need to put a liner inside it to protect the steel from the dirt and/or the plant roots from heat (the planter will be facing...I bought a galvanized steel planter box to put flowers in. Do I need to put a liner inside it to protect the steel from the dirt and/or the plant roots from heat (the planter will be facing south)? If so, what material should I use?
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Comment on Have you played with bubbles recently? in ~talk
dirthawker Link ParentThis was the reddit thread -
Comment on Am I German or autistic? in ~health.mental
dirthawker LinkExactly 36% each. "Neither" and nothing about the other 28%. Am I the ubermensch?Exactly 36% each. "Neither" and nothing about the other 28%. Am I the ubermensch?
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Comment on Can we talk about rice cookers? in ~food
dirthawker Link ParentI also rinse my rice in a strainer. I used to do it in the pot, but got annoyed with losing a few grains when tipping the water out so switched to a strainer a few years ago. That said, my Zoji is...I also rinse my rice in a strainer. I used to do it in the pot, but got annoyed with losing a few grains when tipping the water out so switched to a strainer a few years ago. That said, my Zoji is 10 years old now and its pot is entirely unscathed.
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools' Day 2026 on the internet in ~talk
dirthawker (edited )Link ParentThat's the only one I'm not understanding -- am I supposed to wait for it to age or something? Oh, nvm, I did have to wait.That's the only one I'm not understanding -- am I supposed to wait for it to age or something?
Oh, nvm, I did have to wait.
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools' Day 2026 on the internet in ~talk
dirthawker Link ParentI'm definitely adding this one to my regular games. Thanks!I'm definitely adding this one to my regular games. Thanks!
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 30/3/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker Link ParentI've had a lot of luck with beer traps for slugs. Admittedly the resulting slug soup is nasty but yeah, they really like beer.I've had a lot of luck with beer traps for slugs. Admittedly the resulting slug soup is nasty but yeah, they really like beer.
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Comment on Tildes Gardening Group: Week 30/3/26 in ~hobbies
dirthawker (edited )LinkI moved into a new house late last year and am slowly bending the garden into what I want. The previous owners were, I think, people who liked plants well enough, but not actual gardening. The...I moved into a new house late last year and am slowly bending the garden into what I want. The previous owners were, I think, people who liked plants well enough, but not actual gardening. The front is all succulents surrounded by an ocean of volcanic rock and 1" pebble "mulch" holding down thick layers of weed barrier. I guess for what it is, it looks tidy and decent, just personally not my taste. Also trying to figure out how to weed this rock stuff; fortunately weeds don't root well but they definitely do find enough purchase to sprout. For my part I planted a very tiny Ceanothus (I'm trying to grow more native plants) which is now looking happy and growing rapidly. Also brought over from the old place a tiny succulent that is non-native but endemic in the area of California I grew up -- Drosanthemum floribundum. It does well with little water and lots of sun.
In the backyard is one section that was entirely 2-4" white smooth rocks over more barrier and more succulents (both planted and in pots), one section that is proper dirt and no weed barrier with a bunch of pretty flowering shrubs and a bougainvillea, and in a planter by itself a wildly overgrown fig tree. Oh, and one small section that was nothing but 5" of rubber mulch. I took out that out right away, and put in a long-suffering Ceanothus from my old place.
Took out a couple of the succulents and planted a Meyer lemon, an Italian bay (Laurus nobilis) and a rosemary; the latter two I'd started at the old place. Installed 2 3x3' raised beds and put in them garlic, chives, green onions, thyme, lemongrass, and turmeric from the old place. Recently transplanted in my tomato starts. I need all my culinaries :) For all this had to move a lot of the white rocks around, but just don't really know what to do with them. I don't like them much, but taking them out is going to mean a lot of additional work, so for the moment they're staying.
Raised bed dirt is freakin' expensive, but I must say when I popped those garlic plants in they went from spindly to Schwarzenegger-buff in a matter of weeks. The thyme, which was always struggling, also expanded and is currently flowering, which it had never done in the 3 years I've had it.
The flower bed (the one without the barrier) spontaneously sprouted a California poppy, which delights me. The bougainvillea's trellis had collapsed, and I replaced it; now it's starting to flower.
The fig I pruned hard, taking it from about 7 trunks down to 3 and topping them at a mostly-harvestable height. In a very short time (about
57 weeks?) it has about 15-20 figs started and is leafing out nicely.I took a bunch of the potted succulents and one flowering shrub back to the old place as garden decor for the eventual sale. It was a perfect way to get rid of plants I don't want. Honestly I am very averse throwing plants away even when I don't like them.
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.