kai_re's recent activity

  1. Comment on Repairing an LG OLED TV and alternative courses of action in ~tech

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I agree to check for a bad capacitor in your case. It's a common failure point and a fast, easy, cheap fix for especially TVs and monitors.

    I agree to check for a bad capacitor in your case. It's a common failure point and a fast, easy, cheap fix for especially TVs and monitors.

    8 votes

  2. Comment on Help with ants in the shower! in ~life.home_improvement

    kai_re
    Link
    I've dealt with a major ant infestation to the level of nightmares and horror movie material. My war was against odorous house ants (also often called sugar ants or moisture ants). I'll let you...

    I've dealt with a major ant infestation to the level of nightmares and horror movie material. My war was against odorous house ants (also often called sugar ants or moisture ants).

    I'll let you look them up if you want details but the notable things are: They're usually pretty dark, almost if not black. Maybe 3mm long at most but they can vary in size. When crushed, they release a somewhat sweet and rancid coconut scent. They love moisture and sugar. Something to note is their nests often have multiple queens and the workers can migrate in and out of other nests. So basically, every nest can be considered a satellite nest of another colony. Which means if you destroy a nest, they'll likely return in a few months and definitely next year.

    If you got odorous house ants:

    Firstly you should check outside your home and see if you got a ton of ants out there crawling on your walls and near your foundation. If yes, you need to bring the ambient ant population down before using Terro (or borax/sugar). Bait only works if it's among their main sources of food. Otherwise you'll just be feeding them. Ask me how I know 🥲 For me, I had an exterminator come by for a few months to bring down the pop outside (and inside...). Once you're population is manageable, you can put Terro every 6-10 feet around your house. If you do this in the spring, Terro alone can keep them in check for the rest of the year.

    Next, you need to find out how they're getting in - place your bait so they make a strong trail and find out where they're coming from. For indoor, my fav stuff is a syringe of Advion ant gel (neuro poison) - this stuff will kill the ants faster than Terro but it's more expensive and requires reapplication cuz they go through it so fast. I saw someone mentioned to let your bathroom dry out a bit - I agree if they just want your water. If you provide one steady water or food source at a time, scattered ants should become a few strong trails.

    Like others said, caulk their entrance, or use masking tape because they will likely find another entrance, and keep taping until they've stopped. Then u can caulk all 4 entrances at once instead of one at a time. Some areas, u might not want to caulk, like you don't want to seal the entire gap at the base of a toilet (if there's a leak, you'd want to know). In this case, u can tear up a cotton ball and stuff it in their entrances.

    Some general tips:

    • Put ant bait on a disposable surface (like a piece of cardboard as someone else has mentioned). I recommend first putting down some packing tape so it doesn't soak into the cardboard.
    • If the ants are spilling out of a faucet with no obvious trail coming up to it, it might be because the hole, where the water pipe comes out of the wall, is not sealed, i.e., bath faucet. Remove the faucet head to seal any gaps then put it back on.
    • Sugar ants seem to have a sort of max pathing distance. If they have to travel too far, they don't bother unless they're desperate. So if you've got a trail of ants going to your bait and it's really long, you can move the bait closer to their entrance so it's more out of your way and more efficient for them too. This also means you don't have to seal every gap in your house, just enough until the travel distance is no longer worth it to them.
    • You can "seed" bait stations - brush an ant to your bait. The second it touches bait, it'll forget about you, eat eat eat, then make a strong trail home. This really speeds things up.
    • If you don't have many ants, you might be able to place a cup of water with a tiny bit of dish soap and they'll drink, fall in, and drown.
    • If you decide to bait and not seal gaps, leave the ant poison out for the next brood. Because when you kill all the live ants with Terro or whatever poison u use, there's still that clutch of ant larvae that was almost hatched. They'll emerge and come for more.
    • If you don't seal their holes, they'll prob come back every few months. If you seal, you may not see them again for years.

    I haven't had to spray outside in years. Now we just put out Terro every spring. We rarely ever have ants inside anymore.

    I wish you luck.

  3. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (June 2025) in ~health.mental

    kai_re
    Link
    All things considered I'm doing well. And life has been improving albeit slowly. Very slowly. Burnout + cptsd + narcolepsy has been rough but since I've stopped working 6 months ago, I've been...

    All things considered I'm doing well. And life has been improving albeit slowly. Very slowly. Burnout + cptsd + narcolepsy has been rough but since I've stopped working 6 months ago, I've been able to spend what little energy I have to exercise more, cook sometimes, and try to rediscover joy. I've also started to physically recover from what long term stress has done to my body. Years of phys therapy graduated to strength training 3x a week + cardio. Last week I was able to hike through moderately difficult terrain and that is such a milestone considering a year ago there were days I could barely walk. I still struggle with back pain though, and can only be at a computer for a few hours a day if I spread it out. The computer has always been a huge part of my life, so it's hard. I lay on the couch instead, which can also hurt my back. Stupid back.. I mean.. my wonderful back is doing its best 💖 (my therapist has drilled into me to appreciate and love myself especially when it hurts). Grumble. Self hug.

    My burnout + exhaustion has led to me isolate over the years. Since I've recovered some, I've felt ready to slowly start rejoining the world of ppl. I've started using Bumble BFF to hopefully find friends. I've made one friend so far. Just trying ease back into it.

    My body is still in survival mode but it relaxes at times. I know this because my stomach is starting to hurt less. My hair has almost finished growing back in. It used to be long but I cut it so the lengths are a little more even. Sometimes I sleep ok (with help of meds, but even meds wasn't enough in the past). I've regained all the weight I mysteriously lost. Actually I weigh a little more - I even got some muscle now.

    Things are still hard sometimes, but progress is progress. Slow change is stable change. "Positive direction is perfection" is what a psychologist once told me. I'm grateful for having access to many years of therapy.

    5 votes

  4. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (June 2025) in ~health.mental

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I'm excited for you. Change is scary but it's a good thing. I've been recovering from burnout for 6 months and I'm still working on regaining my physical strength and mental fortitude. I've still...

    I'm just starting to unstick myself, and it's scary.

    I'm excited for you. Change is scary but it's a good thing. I've been recovering from burnout for 6 months and I'm still working on regaining my physical strength and mental fortitude. I've still got a ways to go so I don't have much to offer but I want to cheer you on and encourage you on rediscovering joy in your life without that constant stress from work. It's crazy how much life changes when the body can start to relax out of survival mode.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on What are the most iconic songs? in ~music

  6. Comment on How do you decide when to buy a new computer, smartphone, etc.? in ~tech

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I do exactly this. I upgraded my phone because security updates were running out, despite the phone itself still working fine. Otherwise, I'll keep using old stuff as long as it still works...

    No security updates or irreparable damage, whichever is closer.

    I do exactly this. I upgraded my phone because security updates were running out, despite the phone itself still working fine. Otherwise, I'll keep using old stuff as long as it still works reasonably well.

    5 votes

  7. Comment on Darude ‘Sandstorm’ played simultaneously on Finnish radio stations to celebrate 25th anniversary in ~music

    kai_re
    Link
    Kid me would not have imagined a world where adults would appreciate Sandstorm this much but here we are :D I heard Sandstorm the first time from an old flash animation from early 2000s by...

    Kid me would not have imagined a world where adults would appreciate Sandstorm this much but here we are :D

    I heard Sandstorm the first time from an old flash animation from early 2000s by ElfTrance ElfTrance - Evolution (youtube)

    Probably why it's my theme song for when I bite into something delicious for the first time.

    Sandstorm was also really fun on Infinite Jukebox! I couldn't find a link to that one, or any clones unfortunately.

    3 votes

  8. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (May 2025) in ~health.mental

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    Thank you for saying so! I always feel a little weird talking about narcolepsy because I so easily end up venting instead of writing with intent, but I'm glad it was successful to spread...

    Thank you for saying so! I always feel a little weird talking about narcolepsy because I so easily end up venting instead of writing with intent, but I'm glad it was successful to spread awareness. Maybe I will write about it more often.

    4 votes

  9. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (May 2025) in ~health.mental

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I appreciate your curiosity :3 Narcolepsy is a REM sleep disorder which means we don't get much rest when we're asleep. It appears different for each person but the main symptom is we're all...

    I appreciate your curiosity :3

    Narcolepsy is a REM sleep disorder which means we don't get much rest when we're asleep. It appears different for each person but the main symptom is we're all fuckin tired anywhere between sometimes to all the time. By tired, I mean if you've ever been up for days and felt the chest pressure where each breath felt heavy, or you wanted to move or talk but nothing comes out, the eyes are tired and dry, it's like that and more.

    It's a common theme among ppl with narcolepsy where we've been called lazy/undisciplined because we sleep in, fall asleep at our desk/meetings, or are forgetful, disorganized and unreliable. So when my medical insurance is dependent on my job (I worked in big tech), being authentic was a risky option. I felt it imperative I appeared competent and dependable. Which meant masking convincingly. Which made me more tired. So I masked harder. This was unsustainable.

    There are meds to help, but most only deal with symptoms and not the cause, e.g., stimulants to stay awake, but it doesn't cover the feeling of exhaustion, it just helps push through it. It gives me more energy to mask and pretend I'm not tired, which means acting interested and alert, fake smiling/facial expressions/body language. Forcing myself to speak when I don't want to and stay awake through sheer will (not always successful). It's very exhausting and feels fake no matter how much I actually want to be present.

    6 votes

  10. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (May 2025) in ~health.mental

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I don't think I have autism but I do have narcolepsy and I really felt these words: It's a positive feedback loop. Masking -> anxiety -> exhaustion -> my effect on others -> masking (repeat) which...

    I don't think I have autism but I do have narcolepsy and I really felt these words:

    Masking just leads to more anxiety while showing up authentically isn't necessarily better.

    It's a positive feedback loop. Masking -> anxiety -> exhaustion -> my effect on others -> masking (repeat) which continues to sap away energy. This made life incredibly difficult. It wasn't until I removed myself from the environments where masking felt necessary that I could begin to recover. I hope you find something that works for you too.

    advocate for my needs

    This was and still is hard for me at times, but this helped me a lot, too. I'm cheering for you.

    6 votes

  11. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (April 2025) in ~health.mental

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I know what this is like and I feel for you. Everything is harder without sleep. Hang in there and I hope you get some respite soon.

    I know what this is like and I feel for you. Everything is harder without sleep. Hang in there and I hope you get some respite soon.

    1 vote

  12. Comment on What have you been putting off/procrastinating about doing? in ~life

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    Thank you for the encouragement! You give me hope (and motivation), as I have a contact or 2 that can likely help me as well. Best of luck of your self employment journey :)

    Thank you for the encouragement! You give me hope (and motivation), as I have a contact or 2 that can likely help me as well. Best of luck of your self employment journey :)

    1 vote

  13. Comment on What have you been putting off/procrastinating about doing? in ~life

    kai_re
    Link
    I'm struggling to get through my entrepreneur training and figure out some sort of self employment. Since I got layed off, I haven't wanted to do anything. I read, nap, and grudgingly exercise,...

    I'm struggling to get through my entrepreneur training and figure out some sort of self employment. Since I got layed off, I haven't wanted to do anything. I read, nap, and grudgingly exercise, sometimes cook with the occasional video games, and that's about it. I'm so. burnt. out. I'm in a fortunate place that I've saved/ invested enough to feel safe for a long while, but I've nearly destroyed my mental and physical health doing so and it's been rough dealing with the fallout. For a while I could barely walk due to my body just flaring up. I didn't think stress could manifest physically until my hair started falling out in patches, like I had literal bald spots. The hardest part is the narcolepsy. I'm so fucking tired all the time and I had to put 110% of my energy into work. No energy left for life after work. The weekends weren't enough time to recover. I tried doing things or hanging out with ppl but it's so hard to pay attention or understand what ppl are talking about when my brain and body are so exhausted. Anyway, after 10+ years of my career, getting layed off was a blessing since I've been extremely frugal and invested well. Now I need to figure out how to make money via self employment so I can have an income without giving up every other aspect of my life. I guess I needed to vent. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. To anyone else out there powering through life despite disability, mental or medical condition, I send you my respect. I feel you, it's tough, sometimes it feels like it's not worth it and no one else understands. But you can do it, things will be better, and sometimes worse, but also better.

    4 votes

  14. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    Yeah! I'm so excited for the movie and also trying to look at the movie independently so I don't compare too harshly with the book. debatable spoiler I'm so curious what they're gonna do with...

    Yeah! I'm so excited for the movie and also trying to look at the movie independently so I don't compare too harshly with the book.

    debatable spoiler

    I'm so curious what they're gonna do with Rocky! I wonder how similar or far off my imagination is :D

    2 votes

  15. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~books

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I second Project Hail Mary and recommend going into it blind, e.g., don't read summaries or the blurb on the back cover :)

    I second Project Hail Mary and recommend going into it blind, e.g., don't read summaries or the blurb on the back cover :)

    5 votes

  16. Comment on What are some good stories told from non-human perspectives? in ~books

    kai_re
    Link
    Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a sci-fi book with perspectives from humans and also jumping spiders. This is the first book in a series and is excellent. Female spiders tend to be...

    Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a sci-fi book with perspectives from humans and also jumping spiders. This is the first book in a series and is excellent. Female spiders tend to be larger than males, which lends to further interesting perspectives from within a spider society. This book series has perspectives from AI, as well as alien and other intelligent animals too. I highly recommend the first 2 books! As a bonus, I am less creeped out by spiders and able to appreciate them more after having read them :3

    2 votes

  17. Comment on What is your strangely specific phobia? in ~talk

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    What if it's preshelled or shredded? Like crab or lobster bisque? I'm mostly ok with sea crustaceans. They aren't the same "dry and crispy" that freaks me out about dead land bugs. Tiny shrimp can...

    What if it's preshelled or shredded? Like crab or lobster bisque?

    I'm mostly ok with sea crustaceans. They aren't the same "dry and crispy" that freaks me out about dead land bugs. Tiny shrimp can get a little weird for me though. Especially mouthfuls of tiny shrimp - even if it tastes good.

  18. Comment on What is your strangely specific phobia? in ~talk

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    Me too. The disturbing part for me is I can imagine the texture if I were to crush them, so it's worse if they have an exoskeleton. If I am to pick one up, I need enough wadded up paper towel that...

    Me too. The disturbing part for me is I can imagine the texture if I were to crush them, so it's worse if they have an exoskeleton. If I am to pick one up, I need enough wadded up paper towel that I don't feel or hear anything crunch, or better yet, a vacuum. There's also something uncomfortable about seeing all the legs pulled in - mostly for spiders than other insects. My partner isn't phased by dead bugs and considers them "dirt". I wish I could see it the same way!

    5 votes

  19. Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes

    kai_re
    Link Parent
    I've been playing Marvel Rivals on PC with my partner. Less often, we'll play V Rising.

    I've been playing Marvel Rivals on PC with my partner. Less often, we'll play V Rising.

    1 vote

  20. Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes

    kai_re
    Link
    39/f/PNW, US I used to work in big tech but now my focus is recovering from burnout and rebuilding my physical strength. I have one cat and one partner and my main hobby is playing video games....

    39/f/PNW, US

    I used to work in big tech but now my focus is recovering from burnout and rebuilding my physical strength. I have one cat and one partner and my main hobby is playing video games. Once my burnout starts to resolve and my body calms down from long term effects of stress, I'll probably start to enjoy other things again.

    7 votes