eledrave's recent activity
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Comment on What small questions do you have that aren’t worth a full topic on their own? in ~talk
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Comment on Pool care help in ~life.home_improvement
eledrave Link ParentI second this. Had bad issues and once the green algae really kicked in, no amount of shock and chlorine seemed to help. Swamp Treat (also on Amazon as Green Treat from United Chemicals) helped...I second this. Had bad issues and once the green algae really kicked in, no amount of shock and chlorine seemed to help. Swamp Treat (also on Amazon as Green Treat from United Chemicals) helped more than any other algaecide. The flocculant was amazing though. Mix, circulate, then let it sit overnight without the filter on. The green algae all sunk to the bottom and could be vacuumed up. The pool went from cloudy and green to clear the very next day. But the vacuuming was slow and tedious so as not to stir it all up again.
https://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/blog/guide-to-pool-flocculants
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Comment on Does anyone have any advice for new dads? in ~life.men
eledrave LinkThey remember so very little of their younger years. But they'll remember that one time you yelled, flipped out, grabbed them, whatever. Be kind. Be patient. Nothing is as important as they are....They remember so very little of their younger years. But they'll remember that one time you yelled, flipped out, grabbed them, whatever. Be kind. Be patient. Nothing is as important as they are. That said, they'll be fine if you leave them with a sitter and take time to be a good partner/spouse as well, even if they cry about it.
Be there for them. "Quality time" is not as important as "time". Be there for them and they'll come to you when they need help.
Your reaction at times might be "I told you so" or "why the heck did you do that?" Instead make your first reaction be a hug, "Are you ok?", or "What can I do to help?" There's time later for a lecture.
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Comment on Kagi Smallweb [a website where each visit shows a random indie/small website, e.g. personal blogs] in ~tech
eledrave Link ParentYou can simply make sure never to couple the two distinct pieces of information. You have to trust that they are doing it right, but it's easy. Years ago I wrote voting software and it was easy....You can simply make sure never to couple the two distinct pieces of information. You have to trust that they are doing it right, but it's easy.
Years ago I wrote voting software and it was easy. When you login and vote, we recorded that you voted. That's it. The part that actually records the vote is separate.
Similarly, they can allow you to login, record that you searched so they can keep count, but not actually record your search. But yes, you have to trust that the information is kept separate.
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Comment on Does Linux From Scratch actually teach you anything? in ~comp
eledrave Link ParentWhat redshift said! I did it once and the learning happened between the lines, during compile time. What's that flag do? What does that package do? Oh, that failed; there's a newer/older version...What redshift said!
I did it once and the learning happened between the lines, during compile time. What's that flag do? What does that package do? Oh, that failed; there's a newer/older version needed.
A lot of googling while compiling. -
Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
eledrave Link ParentYou've probably seen this, but for anyone else: https://www.nand2tetris.org/ It takes you from the simple logic gate through a simple computer. I haven't tried it but I've heard good things.You've probably seen this, but for anyone else: https://www.nand2tetris.org/
It takes you from the simple logic gate through a simple computer. I haven't tried it but I've heard good things.
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Comment on What are some things you do "the old fashioned way," which might come with unexpected benefits over the modern, "improved" way of doing things? in ~talk
eledrave Link ParentI heard that putting mostly clean dishes in the dishwasher means that the water is clean, so the sensors tell the dishwasher to stop cleaning before it's really had the chance to fully clean or...I heard that putting mostly clean dishes in the dishwasher means that the water is clean, so the sensors tell the dishwasher to stop cleaning before it's really had the chance to fully clean or disinfect the dishes. Whereas leaving them dirty means the dishwasher has a chance to fully do the job (i.e. scrub longer for those that aren't as clean, heat longer to disinfect, etc.) I don't know if it's true, but that's what I heard.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~talk
eledrave LinkI'll throw my two cents in. A) There's no alien life on Earth. Never was. Likely never will be. B) There's almost certainly other life in the universe. I don't recall the math behind it, but the...I'll throw my two cents in.
A) There's no alien life on Earth. Never was. Likely never will be.
B) There's almost certainly other life in the universe. I don't recall the math behind it, but the shear size and time span of the universe makes it almost certain.
C) It's incredibly unlikely that the other life will make its way to us or even communicate in any way that we would notice.All the stories from "credible" sources are just plain old examples of: the human mind's desire to explain everything in terms it knows and everything else goes into a bucket of aliens or god.
I think the most egregious examples are most likely people who want to believe aliens are here and twist the facts to fit that narrative, explaining away most of the arguments against it. Even the stories that supposedly have sensor facts behind them are likely just unexplained phenomena that we don't understand or can't explain. Very unlikely to be aliens though. There's still much that we don't know about physics, life, and our own planet.
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Comment on USA urged to reveal UFO evidence after claim that it has intact alien vehicles in ~space
eledrave Link ParentI agree with you completely, but because you said it, I had to look it up... ;) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_R._GintherI agree with you completely, but because you said it, I had to look it up... ;)
Joan R. Ginther is an American lottery winner. On four occasions between 1993 and 2010 she collected winnings in excess of US$2 million in state lotteries, to a grand total of US$20.4 million.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
eledrave LinkBoard games: Lost Cities and Patchwork Both are two player board games, which can be hard to find. They're great. They're easy and quick to learn. Game play is less than 30 minutes. Sometimes...Board games: Lost Cities and Patchwork
Both are two player board games, which can be hard to find. They're great. They're easy and quick to learn. Game play is less than 30 minutes.
Sometimes games are complicated and take a few runs before you get the moves down and can start thinking of strategies. But they're both easy enough that you'll start seeing nuances the second time you play.
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Comment on The jock/nerd/prep/goth test in ~life
eledrave LinkYou are 19.1% Goth, 60% Nerd, placing you in the True Nerd category. I feel some strange sense of pride in that.You are 19.1% Goth, 60% Nerd, placing you in the True Nerd category.
I feel some strange sense of pride in that.
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Comment on How can I push/inspire myself to learn JavaScript and Node? in ~comp
eledrave Link ParentThank you. I'm going to steal and modify your quote in the future. "That's the problem with modern webdev: being gaslit into thinking the unintuitive reasoning behind [latest popular thing] is...Thank you. I'm going to steal and modify your quote in the future. "That's the problem with modern webdev: being gaslit into thinking the unintuitive reasoning behind [latest popular thing] is "correct" in any way."
I rarely contribute to conversations online about web development, despite having over 30 years of development experience and over 20 on the web, because you can't win arguing against whatever the latest hyped framework is.
My advice is to learn how the web works. HTTP. Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (as it applies to browser interaction). The rest is just today's fashion.
Those frameworks all make the easy stuff easier and the hard stuff harder. There will always be workarounds using them. They are all compromises. If you're doing the same easy stuff all the time, fine, learn them and use them daily. Next week, learn the next one. But you'll never go wrong learning the basics in depth.
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Comment on Sex, longing, ambivalence, purpose in ~talk
eledrave LinkTrivial responses to your lengthy anecdotes: 1 - "Why bother?" Coming from someone over 50 who has been married, divorced, and in love a few times. Every one is better than the last. It's...Trivial responses to your lengthy anecdotes:
1 - "Why bother?" Coming from someone over 50 who has been married, divorced, and in love a few times. Every one is better than the last. It's surprising. But we learn and grow. As long as you're honest with yourself, you won't settle for those things that disappointed you previously and each relationship will get better as you learn what you really want.
2 - I've been in a similar situation. I was able to say "no" and I'm glad of it. Don't regret what happened before. It was a learning experience. It sounds like this is an undetermined relationship, initially friends, then awkward lovers. Now it sounds like you aren't sure what you want from it. You don't need to determine the future, but you need to communicate honestly. Tell them if you want more. Tell them if it's just sex, and if it is, have fun with that knowledge and conversation behind you. Set expectations clearly. Communication is the basis of all good relationships.
3 - There's a lot here. To take three. First, don't regret the "yes". It was honest and you followed it up with clarification, even if it wasn't entirely clear in your own head. If it is a problem, then it's on them. But it sounds like you spend a lot of time "in your head." And that can be educational, but also depressive. You did your best. Second, you don't want to hurt anyone. Good. Be honest and open as you have been. But you can't spend your whole life walking on eggshells around others. Communicate as best you can. But don't take responsibility for how others interpret events and statements if you've done your best. Third, I've been hyper-focused on sex. It hurt relationships. I've also been in a relationship that was so good in every other way that sex was an after-thought. That was wonderful, and when the sex happened, it was wonderful too. I'd say, it's an important part of a relationship but don't stress over your current "apathy", that may change.
I'll also throw the caveat that I don't know your full situation and any possible past trauma. Consider therapy and don't take advice from strangers on the internet.
I've spent a lot of time in my life replaying past encounters, relationships, and experiences, second guessing my actions and words. I get in my head and stress about things. I'm now old enough to be more aware of it and able to recognize it better. It still happens, but I see it happening and can set those thoughts aside. I don't know how to instruct someone else to do it though. In some ways it comes down to internalizing those trivial quotes you see on posters. That probably just comes with time.
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Comment on Are billionaires a market failure? And if not market, are they social failure? in ~finance
eledrave LinkI feel like option 2 is the most likely. Almost everything we can categorize and discuss is a spectrum. People like to say that something is A or B. But there's few cases where that's true;...I feel like option 2 is the most likely. Almost everything we can categorize and discuss is a spectrum. People like to say that something is A or B. But there's few cases where that's true; there's degrees to almost everything. Complete capitalism, probably bad. Total governmental regulation, probably bad. But somewhere in-between is a sweet spot where the country/earth can be sustained, people can be cared for, business owners can get rich, etc. It's just been unconstrained. Time to swing the pendulum back a bit to even things out.
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Comment on What have you learned from going through a breakup? in ~talk
eledrave Link ParentI was recently divorced when we got together. Kids were with me one week then with their mom. One big motivator was a lack of "me" time. The children were my focus when I had them. She was my...I was recently divorced when we got together. Kids were with me one week then with their mom. One big motivator was a lack of "me" time. The children were my focus when I had them. She was my focus the other week. Couple that with some money worries and my anxiety sky-rocketed.
Sometimes you hear people say "I need to find myself," or something along those lines. This was one of those situations. She was great. She did not get in the way. It's cliché, but "It's me, not you," is real.
Anyhow, my point was largely that the action of breaking up with someone can be empowering. As a more introverted and socially anxious person, it's not an easy thing to do. And it hadn't even occurred to me that I had never done it. It's made me stronger.
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Comment on What have you learned from going through a breakup? in ~talk
eledrave LinkAt 47 years old I broke up with a wonderful woman. I needed to focus on my children and myself. It was difficult. I realized afterward that I had never really broken up with someone before that....At 47 years old I broke up with a wonderful woman. I needed to focus on my children and myself. It was difficult. I realized afterward that I had never really broken up with someone before that. I'd had relationships that slowly degraded, but the other person had always initiated the breakup. I had always been the one being dumped.
I'd felt that any relationship could be made to work if both people committed to it. That may be true. But it may not be healthy. Periodically I miss her and wonder if I'll ever find another like her. But it is obvious to me that I made the right decision for my family and personal mental well-being at the time.
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Comment on What have you learned from being a parent? in ~talk
eledrave LinkOne moment that stands out to me after all these years was when I had yelled at my son to stop doing something a bunch of times. A bit later, he got hurt and was crying. I started in with the "I...One moment that stands out to me after all these years was when I had yelled at my son to stop doing something a bunch of times. A bit later, he got hurt and was crying. I started in with the "I told you so" stuff. He shouted at me "Can't you just be there for me instead of yelling at me!"
That one moment changed me. There's a time for the lectures and lessons. When your kid is hurt and crying is not that time.
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Comment on Fortnightly Programming Q&A Thread in ~comp
eledrave Link ParentDespite what you see posted, there are far more jobs doing those CRUD (Create/Read/Update/Delete for anyone unfamiliar) apps than there are doing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and similar fancy...Despite what you see posted, there are far more jobs doing those CRUD (Create/Read/Update/Delete for anyone unfamiliar) apps than there are doing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and similar fancy stuff. There are millions of boring CRUD jobs at large and small companies. But they're boring so you don't read about them. Most of these jobs will have minimal need for advanced algorithms or math. There are libraries for that.
When people hear about Software Developers making $250k a year, they don't realize that there are far more jobs making $60k a year doing CRUD work for internal clients. They're often hard to find. For instance, a place I worked wouldn't post on sites like Indeed so it was only posted on the company website. We'd see 15 resumes trickle in over a few months. We'd hire based on stated skills, enthusiasm, and the ability to answer basic questions during an interview. We knew it was a stepping stone for many, though some people would stay for the good work environment.
Regarding interviews, I've only participated in one interview where you actually had to build something and they could use any resources available. And only one other where I had to do anything on a whiteboard. All the others I've been in are just conversations.
I guess my point is that you shouldn't think that what you read is truly representative. Maybe at the big names, but not everywhere.
Follow the typical advice. Build something you can show off. Have a website you can point to. Be honest about what you can do. Show interest and enthusiasm. There are places willing to take a risk on someone without the deep skills.
If you aren't in a rush, use each interview as an opportunity to learn and then build stuff between interviews. If they ask you about sorting algorithms during interview 1, add a page to your website that shows the relative speed of a few different sorting algorithms in JavaScript. During interview 2 they ask you about your experience with MySQL database, so add a page where you do a bunch of database stuff. After 10 interviews, you'll have 10 or more new pages with examples of things you've done and you'll have learned a lot. When those questions come up in future interviews, now you can say you've worked with that thing; maybe not in a professional setting, but it's a start.
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Comment on Tyre Extinguishers – deflating SUV tyres as a form of climate action in ~enviro
eledrave LinkWhen I first saw this in a twitter thread a week or two ago, the guy pointed out the stupidity of it. To paraphrase, "Great environmentalism, now I have to call a tow truck that gets 4 miles to...When I first saw this in a twitter thread a week or two ago, the guy pointed out the stupidity of it. To paraphrase, "Great environmentalism, now I have to call a tow truck that gets 4 miles to the gallon to come down and deal with it."
Not everyone that drives a giant SUV is looking for a status symbol. My friend has a Chevy Suburban, 4 kids, goes skiing, pulls a camper, pulls a work trailer, etc.
This is just vandalism and they should be caught and fined.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~health
eledrave LinkThanks for posting this. I've only donated once since the pandemic started. They've been sending me emails telling me the supply is critically low, but honestly it's a "boy who cried wolf"...Thanks for posting this. I've only donated once since the pandemic started. They've been sending me emails telling me the supply is critically low, but honestly it's a "boy who cried wolf" scenario because they've spammed me constantly for years, so now I just ignore them. At least this has made me aware it's a real problem, not their standard annoying email.
I like being inside. I paid a lot for my house and making it the way I like. But when I look outside and it's sunny and warm, I feel like I'm missing something; like I should be out there doing something, even though I don't want to be.
In the winter I really enjoy my space. I love standing in the warm house looking out at the dark cold sky and feeling safe.