GobiasIndustries's recent activity
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Comment on Why America is slipping in the Olympics in ~sports
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Comment on What science says we’ve been getting wrong about exercise in ~health
GobiasIndustries Link ParentI think the problem is that people don't want boring solutions that involve consistently putting in a bit of work for a long time before starting to see results. Even when people aren't explicitly...I think the problem is that people don't want boring solutions that involve consistently putting in a bit of work for a long time before starting to see results.
Even when people aren't explicitly looking for shortcuts or trying to make sweeping lifestyle changes all at once, they're still looking for "the best" routine that somehow produces instant results with as little change to their status quo as possible. For a lot of people who are looking for any excuse to avoid accepting accountability, if they can't get that, why bother trying at all?
There's already so much misinformation in the health and fitness industry that it's no wonder why people get paralyzed with indecision before trying anything. I'd love to assume that common sense should dictate that any choice to eat a healthy thing or to do any sort of exercise, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. It turns out that that's the incredibly boring secret that the wellness industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars trying to keep you from realizing.
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Comment on How many Hosers are there on Tildes? in ~talk
GobiasIndustries Link ParentConsidering how hard it is to bring fresh food that far North, you have to calibrate your expectations for price and quality accordingly. There's a wide variety of cuisines to choose from, but the...Considering how hard it is to bring fresh food that far North, you have to calibrate your expectations for price and quality accordingly.
There's a wide variety of cuisines to choose from, but the best I can say for most of the food I had is "It's impressive that they managed to get the ingredients for this from so far away". Not to say the food was bad, but the prices reflect the cost of shipping almost everything in from Edmonton or further. One standout was the Mexican place in the legislative assembly building. Definitely worth checking out both the assembly and the restaurant.
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Comment on How many Hosers are there on Tildes? in ~talk
GobiasIndustries Link ParentIt's just one possible explanation for the term. It was widely popularized by the SCTV sketch comedy characters, Bob & Doug McKenzie, who parodied a certain flavour of Southern Ontario working...It's just one possible explanation for the term. It was widely popularized by the SCTV sketch comedy characters, Bob & Doug McKenzie, who parodied a certain flavour of Southern Ontario working class Canadian in the 1980s.
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Comment on How many Hosers are there on Tildes? in ~talk
GobiasIndustries Link ParentLegend has it that before the Zamboni was invented, the losing hockey team had to hose down the ice to resurface it after the game. Hence the term 'Hoser' as an appropriately self-effacing way for...Legend has it that before the Zamboni was invented, the losing hockey team had to hose down the ice to resurface it after the game. Hence the term 'Hoser' as an appropriately self-effacing way for Canadians to talk about themselves.
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Comment on How many Hosers are there on Tildes? in ~talk
GobiasIndustries LinkGood day, eh? Born and raised in Ottawa, but have been living in Vancouver for the past 15 years. I actually arrived here the day after our last hockey riot. I've made a point of travelling within...Good day, eh?
Born and raised in Ottawa, but have been living in Vancouver for the past 15 years. I actually arrived here the day after our last hockey riot.
I've made a point of travelling within Canada way more in the past few years. Initially because of the pandemic, but carrying on because of, well, you know. I managed to visit places in 6 different provinces/territories last year not including BC.
The biggest surprise of the year was how multicultural Yellowknife is. Beyond the various First Nations and Inuit groups, there are big Filipino, Indian, African, Vietnamese, and Chinese communities along with a United Nations of young people on working holiday visas. I think I spoke to people from at least 10 different countries over the week. That's pretty impressive for a town of about 25,000 people.
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Comment on List animals until failure in ~games
GobiasIndustries Link ParentThere's also a really good chance that I'm misremembering what knocked 'Dog' off the board for me. It was a very intense situation with animal names flying all over the place.There's also a really good chance that I'm misremembering what knocked 'Dog' off the board for me. It was a very intense situation with animal names flying all over the place.
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Comment on List animals until failure in ~games
GobiasIndustries LinkI got 85, but I'd be interested to see which animals were the most commonly found in the first five spots, the animals with the best brand recognition, if you will. Mine were: Cat Dog Elephant Cow...I got 85, but I'd be interested to see which animals were the most commonly found in the first five spots, the animals with the best brand recognition, if you will. Mine were:
- Cat
- Dog
- Elephant
- Cow
- Chicken
I'm not sure how Elephant became the third animal I thought of, but I'd try to stay in one 'category' until something made me switch lanes. The stream of consciousness went something like:
- Pets,
- Livestock/seafood until I hit 'Shark',
- Dangerous animals, until I hit 'Coyote', which reminded me of 'Dingo' (eliminating 'Dog' from my list)
- Australian animals, which obviously led to
- Venomous animals,
- Insects, followed by
- Big animals
Ending with whatever else I could think of and forgetting to back to the 'cold animals' tangent I wanted to go down after listing 'Polar Bear'.
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Comment on What healthy habit has made a difference for you? in ~health
GobiasIndustries LinkBeing more aware of my inner monologue and how I look at myself has slowly but surely changed all of the assumptions I've made about myself that may have been true 20 or 40 years ago, but I never...Being more aware of my inner monologue and how I look at myself has slowly but surely changed all of the assumptions I've made about myself that may have been true 20 or 40 years ago, but I never bothered to review.
I won't say that negative self talk was an easy habit to break and that just rephrasing "I can't do X" into "I'd like to learn how to do X, even if I'm not good at it at first" fixed all my problems. It took years of frustration and discomfort followed by a lot of work actually doing the things that I had convinced myself weren't worth trying.
Sometimes it meant asking myself uncomfortable questions to get to the heart of the matter and properly name whatever was holding me back. Once it had a name, it could be deconstructed and overcame.
For example: I'm a recent-ish career changer, I've never worked in corporate environments before and although my past career gave me a lot of valuable experience I felt intimidated, out of my depth, and not taken seriously.
I left this as vague feelings of "I don't belong behind a desk" or "I suck at my job" until I realized exactly why: I usually know the right decisions to make, but don't have the language and tools to back it up with evidence. Once I knew that, I started learning the language and skills. Now I dont suck at my job, I'm someone with a ton of real world experience learning how to apply it to anything.
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Comment on Massive winter storm expected to dump snow and ice across United States in ~enviro
GobiasIndustries Link ParentTo be fair, the rest of Canada has always taken any opportunity to make fun of Toronto and you can only make so many jokes about the Leafs. Vancouver drivers get a lot of flak when we have to deal...To be fair, the rest of Canada has always taken any opportunity to make fun of Toronto and you can only make so many jokes about the Leafs.
Vancouver drivers get a lot of flak when we have to deal with half a cm of snow as well. There's no point in maintaining a fleet of snowplows when snow stays on the ground for maybe two days out of the year.
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Comment on No knives, only cook knives in ~hobbies
GobiasIndustries Link ParentIt's like any other tool or accessory, a good knife can make cutting safer, more comfortable, and easier but it's no substitute for skill and technique. There's no guarantee that a more expensive...I'm flabbergasted that people will pay so much for a kitchen knife. I think pretty much any cheap chef's knife you can buy will be pretty decent? I wonder if it's some kind of fad or bubble. But, hey, reuse is good, so why not.
It's like any other tool or accessory, a good knife can make cutting safer, more comfortable, and easier but it's no substitute for skill and technique. There's no guarantee that a more expensive knife will help you produce better tasting food. Expensive doesn't always mean good either, chef's knives are just as vulnerable to marketing and brand recognition as any other product. There are a lot of brands that go for style over substance.
I'm no photographer. If you gave me the most expensive gear, I might be able to take slightly nicer pictures than I could using only my phone, but the best lenses in the world won't make up for my lack of fundamentals. On the other hand, a decent photographer would be able to take even sub-par equipment and take a photo that's at the very least technically proficient. Give them the best gear, and they'll know exactly how to get the most out of it. Cooking is the same way.
I've been cooking for about 30 years and have knives that cost anywhere from $80 to $1,700. The $80 one has been with me since school and if I had to guess, I've spent at least 20,000 hours with it. Most of my other knives can hold a sharper edge and I'll use them when I really need that little extra bit of precision, but the $80 knife is basically an extension of my arm at this point.
I guess the moral of the story is that the quality of the knife matters, but not nearly as much as the price tag can suggest.
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Comment on An acquired taste - Gourmet magazine relaunching as worker-owned cooperative after Condé-Nast lets trademark elapse in ~food
GobiasIndustries LinkWow, count me as cautiously optimistic for this! I was just mourning the loss of Lucky Peach, another iconic food magazine started by David Chang while he was starting to build his brand/empire,...Wow, count me as cautiously optimistic for this! I was just mourning the loss of Lucky Peach, another iconic food magazine started by David Chang while he was starting to build his brand/empire, and just the feeling of excitement that used to come when a new issue of any magazine would show up in my mailbox.
I was a Gourmet subscriber right up until the end of their original run, but as a young, broke culinary student it was clear that I wasn't the demographic they were writing for. Like @patience_limited mentioned, Gourmet's audience leaned more towards "wealthy foodie" and most of the content didn't resonate with me. Lucky Peach on the other hand, had more of an independent, DIY, almost punk vibe to it when it was first introduced and was written for industry professionals first and foremost. For a little while in the early 2010's, it felt like every professional kitchen had at least one subscriber and the day that they brought the latest issue into work to share with the brigade was an event.
Reading Gourmet felt more like aspirational fantasy with guides to dining out in all the places that I'd never be able to afford while Lucky Peach gave me stories and articles that were way more practical. The original Gourmet might have written a story about ramen by giving you reviews of some Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo, but Lucky Peach would have had a centerfold with a hand-drawn map of Japan explaining the differences in regional ramen styles and interviewed a few working chefs in the kinds of hole-in-the-wall places that weren't on Michelin's radar yet, for example. I'm excited to see where the newly revived Gourmet lands on that spectrum.
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Comment on US households using Ozempic spend less on groceries in ~health
GobiasIndustries Link ParentI always have to remind myself that even though I've got my own hang-ups about food, I'll never really be able to understand what it's like to look at food as a source of comfort. If anything, my...I always have to remind myself that even though I've got my own hang-ups about food, I'll never really be able to understand what it's like to look at food as a source of comfort. If anything, my former career as a chef makes food more of a source of stress and something that's only meant for paying customers.
You're right that it takes permanent lifestyle changes to keep the weight off permanently, but beyond just being overwhelmed trying to learn what a healthy diet and activity level looks like, the root issue might come down to a deeper relationship with food and how someone copes with stress, likes to show or be shown love, etc.
With so much conflicting information and downright misinformation in the health and fitness industry, it's easy to see why nobody wants to listen to boring advice like "just do a bit of activity every day and try to eat healthy most of the time" and chases the quick fixes instead. It's easy for me to say that, but how does someone who might have been surrounded by disordered eating their whole life learn those things on their own?
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Comment on Regarding travel agency exoticca.com in ~travel
GobiasIndustries Link ParentDocument every conversation you've had with them and get it ready to send to your credit card company's fraud department. Their legal department has way more oomph behind it than you do. If you...Document every conversation you've had with them and get it ready to send to your credit card company's fraud department. Their legal department has way more oomph behind it than you do.
If you didn't buy this trip with a credit card, you've probably got a much harder road ahead of you and you might have to chalk it up to a very costly lesson.
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Comment on The "why does this movie exist" scene in ~movies
GobiasIndustries LinkThe "I've had it with these motherfuckin' snakes on this motherfuckin' plane!" line from Snakes on a Plane feels like it fits here just because you can't make a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson...The "I've had it with these motherfuckin' snakes on this motherfuckin' plane!" line from Snakes on a Plane feels like it fits here just because you can't make a movie starring Samuel L. Jackson called Snakes on a Plane and not have him say that.
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Comment on Regarding travel agency exoticca.com in ~travel
GobiasIndustries Link ParentVery valid take, and I didn't mean to simplify my position down to "spending more money = better trip" since everyone travels differently. The underlying idea is to not cut corners on the the...Very valid take, and I didn't mean to simplify my position down to "spending more money = better trip" since everyone travels differently.
The underlying idea is to not cut corners on the the things that can make or break your trip. If the cheaper, slower option gives the experience you want, then choose it. Don't gravitate to the cheapest option if you need reliability.
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Comment on Regarding travel agency exoticca.com in ~travel
GobiasIndustries Link ParentA rule of thumb to go by when travelling: you're most vulnerable to getting scammed when you're too: Drunk, Horny, or Cheap The first two are easily avoided, assuming that you don't go looking for...A rule of thumb to go by when travelling: you're most vulnerable to getting scammed when you're too:
- Drunk,
- Horny, or
- Cheap
The first two are easily avoided, assuming that you don't go looking for them, but a lot of people fall prey to the last one.
There are a lot of ways to hamstring your trip in the interest of pinching pennies. While it's important to find good prices for things, don't skimp on things that will actually matter on your trip like taking a cheaper, slower train to another city that saves you $20, but you lose 3 hours of exploring time for example.
Don't forget to budget for food if you haven't taken it into consideration. You can eat well at even a shoestring budget, convenience store food is famously good for the price and grocery stores always make for an interesting visit and help keep you from eating at restaurants for every meal, which adds up fast. Without having been to Japan in about 5 years, I'd plan for $25 per person per day at the low end. You could also spend that on a bite of sashimi if you were so inclined.
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Comment on Regarding travel agency exoticca.com in ~travel
GobiasIndustries LinkI would suggest not using a travel agency at all and making your own arrangements directly through a hotel/airline whenever possible. Even as a novice traveller and assuming no other special...I would suggest not using a travel agency at all and making your own arrangements directly through a hotel/airline whenever possible. Even as a novice traveller and assuming no other special circumstances since you didn't mention any, Japan is a pretty straightforward place to plan a trip to on your own. Even if you don't speak the language, booking flights, hotels, and navigating the train system are all possible in English.
You didn't mention how experienced the two of you are as travellers. If you've never planned a big international trip, it can be daunting for sure. As long as you have the time, it's worth making your own arrangements though. The biggest risk you run into when you introduce any discount third party into your plans is if there's any mistake or hiccup whatsoever, the agency will pass the buck to the hotel/airline, who will pass it right back to the agency, leaving you stranded in the meantime.
The travel boards on Reddit are full of stories of people who tried to save a few bucks on their plans, only to find out that there's no reservation in the hotel's system and the company they made the reservation through won't do anything for them. Even if booking through a hotel costs a bit more, knowing that there's no chance of being stranded after your transpacific flight is pretty valuable.
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Comment on Avengers: Doomsday | X-Men teaser in ~movies
GobiasIndustries Link ParentIf they follow the Endgame model, half the movie will be a fight scene where 40 characters each get a moment to do something cool and that'll be it. The next Avengers movie will apparently be...If they follow the Endgame model, half the movie will be a fight scene where 40 characters each get a moment to do something cool and that'll be it.
The next Avengers movie will apparently be based on Secret Wars which lends itself to that format pretty well since the premise is essentially an omnipotent being captures all the Marvel heroes and villains, traps them in a place called "Battleworld" and makes them fight for... reasons.
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Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
GobiasIndustries Link ParentShe's torn. On the one hand (no pun intended), they're incredibly comfortable. On the other, it rarely gets cold enough to justify heavy-duty mittens around us and I kind of want to see if I can...She's torn. On the one hand (no pun intended), they're incredibly comfortable. On the other, it rarely gets cold enough to justify heavy-duty mittens around us and I kind of want to see if I can learn anything else about them before she does anything to them.
I think that winter sports are just the easiest ones to spot the class inequality that's inherent to the highest levels of any sport.
The high cost and exclusivity of skiing being a good thing depends on how you look at it. Is skiing a vacation activity or a sport? Should a ski resort cater to locals or to outsiders? Most importantly, why is skiing so expensive and who benefits from the high cost? It certainly isn't skiers or employees of the resorts. Is a ski pass $250 because the resort is trying to protect the ecosystem and give their staff a living wage or is it just because they know that you'll pay that much?
As for why we should care when we have bigger problems? At the risk of oversimplifying things and coming across as an idealist, sports used to teach you how to lose with dignity, how to work with people you may not like, how to face adversity, and how to win with grace. Not to mention the whole host of health benefits from making exercise a regular part of your life. Maybe more sports would eventually help smooth some of those out.