lebski's recent activity
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Comment on What’s something that you weren’t supposed to see/hear, but did? in ~talk
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Comment on Slugs - how are you coping? in ~life.home_improvement
lebski LinkOur new garden doesn't suffer anywhere near as badly as my old house, or the allotment I used to have. Something must be eating them here, there's a lot of wildlife and wetlands so I suppose the...Our new garden doesn't suffer anywhere near as badly as my old house, or the allotment I used to have. Something must be eating them here, there's a lot of wildlife and wetlands so I suppose the ecosystem is a bit more balanced than in the city. Or it's something else completely! Which is not to say they aren't a problem of course...
The absolute best way to deal with slugs is to go out just after dark with a head torch and a pair of scissors. Just cut them up. You can get hundreds on the first couple of nights. I usually found that by night 3 the numbers were dropping. After 4 or 5 nights the population is back under control for a few months.
Besides that I also tend to grow a lot of things in pots and plant them out once they are a bit more established. That's something I got into the habit of with the allotment as it made it easier to look after seedlings at home then plant them out. It does take a bit more effort than direct sowing but it's so much more reliable. I also notice that my polytunnel suffers less from pests that the beds outside although part of that is probably due to how much stronger everything grows in there. Slugs prefer weaker plants.
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Comment on AlbumLove (November 2023): 1990-1994 in ~music
lebski Link ParentThat's a fun album, thanks for linking it. There are some very very Mike Oldfield melodies and harmonies (and electric guitar!) but with some fun interesting ideas. I've only listened to tubular...That's a fun album, thanks for linking it. There are some very very Mike Oldfield melodies and harmonies (and electric guitar!) but with some fun interesting ideas. I've only listened to tubular bells and its sequel which was incredibly popular for a brief period when I was a kid.
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Comment on YouTube is now rolling out disabling videos after detecting adblockers in ~tech
lebski Link ParentI suspect they would be happy with getting the numbers low enough to not be worth their time. Off-topic but are you the same joelthelion from reddit as of 17(ish) years ago? It's one of those...I suspect they would be happy with getting the numbers low enough to not be worth their time.
Off-topic but are you the same joelthelion from reddit as of 17(ish) years ago? It's one of those usernames that stuck with me for some reason!
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Comment on Why it’s time to stop worrying about the decline of the English language in ~humanities.languages
lebski Link ParentI think it's better to look at all the reasons English has become successful rather than trying to find a single most dominant reason. I'd say: The period of British global power / colonisation...I think it's better to look at all the reasons English has become successful rather than trying to find a single most dominant reason. I'd say:
- The period of British global power / colonisation (although I don't think it's a given that this leads to language adoption - when the French ruled England I think only the upper classes spoke French).
- The British period immediately joined into an American period of power leading to a prolonged period for adoption.
- Both the British and American periods were / are also accompanied by periods of high cultural output.
- Increasing globalisation during this time that lead to both an increased need for a common language and a much increased ability for it to spread (mass media and the internet particularly here although starting much earlier with the printing press presumably.)
- It's not a fussy language, bad English is often completely understandable in a way in which something like French doesn't appear to be.
There are probably loads more reasons too.
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Comment on Why it’s time to stop worrying about the decline of the English language in ~humanities.languages
lebski Link ParentI think sometimes it's almost could-a or could-duh. Which is closer to "could of" but isn't really have or of. If we are being honest sausage batch is probably going to cause more confusion that..."Could of" actually can't be said in my native accent, it just doesn't work with how we talk. But it does just five miles down the road where they use it as common as much.
I think sometimes it's almost could-a or could-duh. Which is closer to "could of" but isn't really have or of.
If we are being honest sausage batch is probably going to cause more confusion that could of!
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Comment on How to get the best sleep of your life: Six secrets from research in ~health
lebski Link ParentThe desire for time to yourself / recreation time actually starts to become an almost physical need like sleep when you're sufficiently starved of it. It's definitely something I've gone through...The desire for time to yourself / recreation time actually starts to become an almost physical need like sleep when you're sufficiently starved of it. It's definitely something I've gone through and seen from others with when having kids. You sit there absolutely exhausted but you can't bring yourself to go to sleep and start the grind again the next day.
We send our kids into their bedrooms at around 8 even if that's too early for the oldest to sleep - we just need to start quiet time early enough to have some rest. That doesn't work so well with babies but that period does eventually end.
Kids totally killed my ability to sleep well though - 8 years of being woken up in the night has made me such a light sleeper. We've had almost a year of our youngest sleeping through now (mostly) but it's not recovered yet. Of course it might be unrelated, who knows.
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Comment on Who are your go to modern or forgotten folk artists, or acoustic artists? in ~music
lebski Link ParentAgreed, Johnny Flynn is great! If you are in the UK you might have heard Johnny Flynn as he wrote the theme song to the detectorists - which is such a beautiful song and one of my favourites to...Agreed, Johnny Flynn is great! If you are in the UK you might have heard Johnny Flynn as he wrote the theme song to the detectorists - which is such a beautiful song and one of my favourites to play / sing. Incidentally the detectorists is also one of my favourite TV shows.
A few other folk(ish) suggestions. Ben Howard - maybe more alt than folk but check out old pine for a more folky song. Also Tunng - a bit out there maybe folktronica? Absolutely fantastic band though with some stunning albums.
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Comment on Chick-fil-A plans UK restaurants opening after previously facing backlash from LGBTQ+ rights activists in ~food
lebski Link ParentThis isn't particularly relevant but it amused me, for context I'm British. I read "fil-a" as fil-ahh, I then read "fill-et" using the French pronunciation for "et" and managed to take the exact...This isn't particularly relevant but it amused me, for context I'm British.
I read "fil-a" as fil-ahh, I then read "fill-et" using the French pronunciation for "et" and managed to take the exact opposite of your meaning from both words.
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Comment on What are some foods you really like, from countries not well known for great cuisine? in ~food
lebski Link ParentGreek olives and olive oil are the best I've ever had. Ideally it should be sold to you in whatever random plastic bottle they had lying around when they pressed it. I have loved the food in...Greek olives and olive oil are the best I've ever had. Ideally it should be sold to you in whatever random plastic bottle they had lying around when they pressed it.
I have loved the food in Greece. Like you say though it's all about the quality of the ingredients.
Oh and lamb kleftiko, we went back to the same restaurant 3 times one holiday as it was so good.
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Comment on What are you looking forward to right now? in ~talk
lebski Link ParentSlow down and you'll be able to run it. In fact, generally slowing down is the correct advice with running. Doubly so for beginners - almost everyone starts off trying to run too fast. Most of...My current goal is 10k which I feel pretty confident I can do
5k in about 30 minutes
Slow down and you'll be able to run it. In fact, generally slowing down is the correct advice with running. Doubly so for beginners - almost everyone starts off trying to run too fast. Most of your training should be slow.
This happened to someone on my team at Nokia. He got an email about the Microsoft acquisition of Nokia a few months before it was announced.
Amazingly he had the presence of mind to not say anything to anyone around him, he replied to the email saying what had happened. A few hours later a lawyer arrived from the London office with a NDA / various other legal stuff to sign. He did that and had to keep it secret from everyone until it eventually happened. Absolutely brutal!