patience_limited's recent activity
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Comment on A rare “Polar Express” winter pattern is forecast over the United States and Canada, following a Polar Vortex split in ~enviro
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Comment on A rare “Polar Express” winter pattern is forecast over the United States and Canada, following a Polar Vortex split in ~enviro
patience_limited LinkFrom the article: I've posted from this source for the excellent graphics and animations so you can see the full magnitude and impacts of this weather anomaly. North American winter will have...From the article:
The recent Stratospheric Warming event is starting to impact global weather development. We already see colder air entering North America, but now a Polar Vortex split is forecast at lower levels of the stratosphere. This will bring a “Polar Express” weather pattern across the United States and Canada deep into the month, with multiple waves of cold air.
A “Polar Express” pattern is essentially a sequence of consecutive cold air events, with possible brief breaks. This usually requires a Polar Vortex core to provide a steady northerly flow over North America.
I've posted from this source for the excellent graphics and animations so you can see the full magnitude and impacts of this weather anomaly. North American winter will have extra seriousness for at least the next month, while Europe gets some temperature moderation and loss of snowfall.
I'm waiting for the shrill bleats of "this freeze means climate change isn't real, let's burn more oil" in the U.S. Meanwhile, I'm expecting another two feet of snow locally next week. Time for a mental health thread post.
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A rare “Polar Express” winter pattern is forecast over the United States and Canada, following a Polar Vortex split
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Comment on US President Donald Trump has granted clemency to more than 1,800 people – and some have been arrested again in ~society
patience_limited (edited )LinkHere's a very special one, mentioned briefly in the Guardian article: Eli Weinstein’s Second Chances: Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of a fraudster. Within months, he was back in...Here's a very special one, mentioned briefly in the Guardian article: Eli Weinstein’s Second Chances: Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of a fraudster. Within months, he was back in business
It's a long read, but emblematic of the scale and magnitude of the evil some of the people pardoned have been found guilty of, and how likely they'd be to reoffend. The insider access and favors traded make it very clear that we're living in a kleptocracy. We're led by thieves, rapists, and murderers.
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Comment on Offbeat Fridays – The thread where offbeat headlines become front page news in ~news
patience_limited LinkToday's theme seems to be statuary: Donald Trump wax statue pulled from museum after being punched too many times A Bronze Statue of RoboCop Finally Stands Tall in DetroitToday's theme seems to be statuary:
Donald Trump wax statue pulled from museum after being punched too many times
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Comment on US shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday in ~finance
patience_limited Link ParentI've been disappointed with women's clothing quality at Costco in the last few years - more poorly made synthetic fabrics, fewer and uglier styles and colors. I used to have more success with the...I've been disappointed with women's clothing quality at Costco in the last few years - more poorly made synthetic fabrics, fewer and uglier styles and colors. I used to have more success with the men's basics, which are generally made of tougher fabrics with better quality fasteners and sewing. But the cuts and colors aren't what I need anymore.
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Comment on US shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday in ~finance
patience_limited (edited )Link ParentI was again shocked to find that even the premium lines of Levi's are now 20% polyester. I don't mind a small amount of elastane (like 2%) for comfort, but any synthetic content increases...I was again shocked to find that even the premium lines of Levi's are now 20% polyester. I don't mind a small amount of elastane (like 2%) for comfort, but any synthetic content increases pollution, decreases warm weather wearability, and reduces durability.
Uniqlo sells more affordable high-cotton denim, though I can't vouch for the labor standards and sustainability of manufacture. It wears like Levi's used to.
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Comment on Non-metal spoons for dining? in ~food
patience_limited LinkSeconding the Chinese ceramic soup spoons (example from Amazon: https://a.co/d/aa3Vwcn) - they don't hold heat the way European metal soup spoons do, they're easier to blow on to cool them, and...Seconding the Chinese ceramic soup spoons (example from Amazon: https://a.co/d/aa3Vwcn) - they don't hold heat the way European metal soup spoons do, they're easier to blow on to cool them, and they don't add off flavors when sitting in the bowl. They're better for fishing out chunky vegetables or pieces of tofu/meat.
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Comment on US shoppers, drawn by steep discounts, power through Black Friday in ~finance
patience_limited (edited )LinkThe Indivisible group is promoting Black Friday through Cyber Monday boycotts of Amazon, Home Depot, and Target, so those sales are off the table for me. I have an actual need for clothes that...The Indivisible group is promoting Black Friday through Cyber Monday boycotts of Amazon, Home Depot, and Target, so those sales are off the table for me.
I have an actual need for clothes that fit, because reasons. It's been a while since I've last shopped retail, and it was pretty shocking to see that clothes at 40 - 50% off still cost more than full prices in 2021. Presumably inflation + tariffs. Overall the offerings are worse quality, from countries with even more questionable labor supply chains than China, and in uglier styles (looking at you, REI, Uniqlo, Zara, Banana Republic, Madewell, Everlane, Quince...). Back to the thrift and resale stores I went.
I know a number of people who are just using the sales to stock up on routine staple consumables, replacements for dead/obsolete electronics, and kid's gifts, not luxury or genuinely frivolous purchases. They're shuffling their regular consumption around for discounts, and the drop-off will be steep when normal pricing resumes.
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Comment on Advice request: potentially adopting a cat in ~life.pets
patience_limited (edited )Link ParentCat games: Hide-and-stalk: Cats are ambush predators and don't do as well with long chases of a feather on a string. A blanket draped over a chair or footstool makes a perfect hunting blind as far...Cat games:
Hide-and-stalk:
Cats are ambush predators and don't do as well with long chases of a feather on a string. A blanket draped over a chair or footstool makes a perfect hunting blind as far as an indoor cat is concerned. Make a feather toy or laser dot act like a wounded bird or small mammal (short hops, erratic skitters), and the cat will be ecstatic to leap out of hiding and chase it. After a little bit of tug-of-war, let the cat "kill" and "eat" its prey. (Laser pointers can be frustrating to the cat if the chase doesn't end with something fun to chew on or a treat).Fetch:
Yes, there are cats that like to play fetch, especially when they're trained with a treat reward for bringing a milk jug ring or toy back to you. You can eventually replace the treat with praise and petting.Cat TV:
Some cats are content to watch birds, fish, or small mammals on screen. You'd think they'd get frustrated by the lack of smells and interaction, but there's no predicting what they'll find engaging. Our pair will watch nature documentaries with us, including running away from images of wild canines. The younger male cat will investigate the back of the TV panel to see if he can get into the picture.Shoulder-surfing:
Again, not every cat enjoys this, and it's best if their nails are trimmed or they're very careful. But one of our cat's favorite activities is shoulder-riding - up and down stairs, perching to observe weird human stuff (especially in the kitchen), having an elevation to jump to higher perches from...Leash walking:
Advanced activity, best started with a kitten. First you have to get the cat to tolerate wearing a harness, second is avoiding panic when they're in the Big Room. Very gradual exposure, learning to heel, tolerating attention from strange humans, not tangling the leash in underbrush... it's a long journey.Grooming:
One of our cats loves to play with the slicker brush, rubbing her face against the bristles and then letting us groom her for half an hour or more. Also helps keep shed hair to a minimum around the house. The other cat is a little too sensitive to tolerate being brushed for long. -
Comment on US Food and Drug Administration official threatens crackdown on vaccine approvals in ~health
patience_limited LinkShame that active viral infections cause thousands of cases of myocarditis/pericarditis/endocarditis and hundreds of deaths in the U.S. annually, and COVID-19 is no exception. There's a serious...Shame that active viral infections cause thousands of cases of myocarditis/pericarditis/endocarditis and hundreds of deaths in the U.S. annually, and COVID-19 is no exception.
There's a serious rewrite of history going on here, because during the pandemic, hundreds of unvaccinated children died from COVID-19, whether due to respiratory distress from preexisting asthma, multi-system inflammatory disease, myocarditis/pericarditis, or other complications. Thousands more developed long COVID. All the evidence is that vaccination is far safer than non-vaccinated status regardless of age, and that prior COVID-19 infection predisposes to worse outcomes (including from subsequent vaccination).
All that being said, there is evidence of a dose-dependent risk of myocarditis, highest in adolescent males at around age 16-19 receiving mRNA vaccines. In the interest of safety, dosage should be adjusted by body weight. That's not an argument for the hysteria that's being promoted by the RFK cohort, though.
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Comment on Advice request: potentially adopting a cat in ~life.pets
patience_limited (edited )Link ParentFor extra fun, hide your cat toys in a bag of mixed catnip, silvervine, and valerian root* (Meowy Jane's is a good source). When your cat gets bored with the current toys, pull out the scented...For extra fun, hide your cat toys in a bag of mixed catnip, silvervine, and valerian root* (Meowy Jane's is a good source). When your cat gets bored with the current toys, pull out the scented ones and they'll have a blast again.
*Not all cats respond to catnip, but that mix covers the happiness needs of every cat I've ever seen exposed to it. It's good for scenting designated scratching posts/scratchers as well.
Treat puzzles are another great way to keep a cat entertained; simplest is a box with mouse-sized round hole cutouts where the cat can use their hunting instincts to winkle out the treats with a paw. However, one of our pair is a topology wizard who figured out that turning the box over and over releases the treats... YMMV.
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Comment on Advice request: potentially adopting a cat in ~life.pets
patience_limited (edited )LinkThere's a lot of good advice in the other comments, but we've lived with cats for many years, and my observation is that you may not want to adopt a single cat from a clowder that's lived together...There's a lot of good advice in the other comments, but we've lived with cats for many years, and my observation is that you may not want to adopt a single cat from a clowder that's lived together since kittenhood. Contrary to popular belief, cats do form social bonds with each other.
You should probably spend some time watching the three cats - do they groom one another, sleep curled together, engage in chase games or share a toy when playing? If so, separating those cats is going to be traumatic and challenging. We've had cats go into deep depressions (withdrawal, loss of appetite and grooming, cessation of litter box use, illness) or start acting out (loud calling, scratching at doors and furniture, sudden aggression) on separation or death of a "bonded" partner cat.
If one of the cats you're thinking of adopting is more solitary, sleeping and playing alone most of the time, or bullied by the larger cats and defensive of its territory, that's the cat who'll be happiest to have its own space and most likely to adapt well to its new home.
Alternatively, if two of the three are very obviously bonded to each other, consider adopting the pair. They'll adapt more easily to an unfamiliar home, be able to keep each other entertained and exercised when you can't drop everything to devote time to them, and generally behave better. The more social cats are with each other, the more likely they are to recognize their humans as extensions of their family.
Practical details:
The correct number of litter boxes for N cats is N + 1. They like alternatives, and prefer not to urinate/defecate in the same place if you can't clean more than once daily. There are aesthetic solutions if your apartment doesn't have out of the way places to hide a litter box. Febreze or other odor-control bathroom pucks keep unwanted aromas under control.
These detachable window shelves are perfect for apartments - paintable/stainable, sturdy enough that they're stable and the cat won't be anxious about using them, not damaging to the window ledge or wall, and with a washable cover.
High perches and safe places... In a state of nature, cats are in the middle of the food chain. They need to reach high places where they can observe while feeling safe from ground predators. Provide a cat tree with perches near ceiling height (maybe near a living room window where the cat can see outside or watch the humans by choice), and/or climbing paths to the top of bookcases and cabinets. A cat cubby in the back of an accessible closet is helpful too, as a hiding place from unwanted noisy visitors.
If your cat will be a solitary and can't sleep with you, get them a cuddly donut bed and put it in a sheltered spot.
Training a cat: They generally respond poorly to negative reinforcement. That whole "middle of the of food chain" thing means that fear and distress will cause them to run away and distrust you instead of learning what you want them to. No water spray bottles, no yelling or swatting. You can get a lot more mileage out of strategically applied treats, routines, and careful reinforcement of the behaviour you want, e.g. the food bowl is the only source of food, food only happens at specific times, coming when called by name gets a treat, the vet means Churu (very special treat), etc. Cat gets on the table or counter, pick them up and set them gently on the floor, as many times as it takes. Scratches furniture, pick them up and set them by the scratcher, scratch a couple of times with fingernails, leave treats and catnip at the scratcher, repeat as needed. (One of our cats learned to do these things for attention, and we've now learned to lavish her with attention before she acts out. Training can be a two-way street. 🤷♀️)
Allergies: Spouse is moderately allergic, which is the only reason we looked for a specific breed when adopting our rescues. The amount of allergen in cat saliva and dander varies - some breeds are lower allergenicity, and there's some evidence that cats with lighter coat colors tend to produce less allergen than cats with darker coat colors. It's not guaranteed, but most cat-allergic people develop some tolerance with exposure, and spouse takes daily antihistamines for other allergies anyway. He's been fine with our pair.
Diet: Make any changes slowly, by mixing a small amount of new food with existing and gradually increasing over the course of a week or more. Cats can have allergies, too, so watch for increased vomiting, diarrhea, or scratching. Indoor cats should get indoor-formulated food, plus a wheatgrass planting to chomp on. This will protect other houseplants if you have them. [If you do have houseplants, check for pet safety!] Most health food or grocery stores sell wheatgrass/oatgrass in small planters for a modest cost, or you can grow your own. Wet food, though expensive, is preferable to dry (we feed about 50% of calories from each). Dry foods have higher carbohydrate content and calorie density, and aren't as satiating, which contributes to obesity in more sedentary indoor cats. Obesity is even more dangerous to cats than humans, quickly causing diabetes and liver/kidney damage. Do not get raw/uncooked cat foods, especially in the U.S. where Salmonella and Listeria are pervasive in the food supply.
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Comment on What are the simple things in your life that you are thankful for? in ~life
patience_limited Link ParentI'm grateful to have read enough Pratchett to get those "best in life" things. 😏I'm grateful to have read enough Pratchett to get those "best in life" things. 😏
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Comment on Why humanity needs a Lunar seed vault in ~space
patience_limited Link ParentPart of the point of the seed archive is to maintain a diverse gene library of traits that might be desirable in future crop plant breeding. The article notes the wide range of strains saved are...Part of the point of the seed archive is to maintain a diverse gene library of traits that might be desirable in future crop plant breeding. The article notes the wide range of strains saved are for things like pest and disease resistance and climate tolerance.
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Comment on Letters from an American November 26, 2025 - The historical origin of the US Federal Thanksgiving holiday in ~humanities.history
patience_limited Link ParentI'm a free subscriber to this newsletter, the link is to a free article and does not contribute to Substack's revenues, and I've encouraged the author to publish elsewhere. It's hard to argue with...I'm a free subscriber to this newsletter, the link is to a free article and does not contribute to Substack's revenues, and I've encouraged the author to publish elsewhere.
It's hard to argue with network effects for authors who depend on publication revenue. Even Cory Doctorow uses Substack. As much as I'd like to maintain ideological purity here, I'd rather be able to link important content from whatever source is available while minimizing harms.
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Comment on There may not be a safe off-ramp for some taking GLP-1 drugs, study suggests in ~health
patience_limited Link ParentSarcopenia (muscle loss) happens in the context of weight loss by any method, if it isn't supplemented with aerobic and resistance training exercise plus a very high protein intake. GLP-1 agonist...Sarcopenia (muscle loss) happens in the context of weight loss by any method, if it isn't supplemented with aerobic and resistance training exercise plus a very high protein intake.
GLP-1 agonist drugs aren't magic in this regard, either positively or negatively. Yes, there's research on combining them with medications to prevent muscle loss, but ultimately I'd agree with you that there needs to be wholesale lifestyle modification and counseling for healthy long-term maintenance. It's just that the research shows relatively few, very highly motivated people can maintain those restrictions in the face of all the detrimental highly palatable foods available, time constraints, and other limiting health conditions.
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Comment on There may not be a safe off-ramp for some taking GLP-1 drugs, study suggests in ~health
patience_limited Link ParentGLP-1 agonists probably aren't curative or able to slow existing neurodegeneration, but they might be long-term preventatives if started before the damage becomes symptomatic. Hypertension and...GLP-1 agonists probably aren't curative or able to slow existing neurodegeneration, but they might be long-term preventatives if started before the damage becomes symptomatic. Hypertension and hyperglycemia are risk factors for Alzheimer's that are known to be reduced via weight loss and glycemic control.
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Comment on There may not be a safe off-ramp for some taking GLP-1 drugs, study suggests in ~health
patience_limited (edited )LinkI've posted about this before, but appetite mechanisms are set hard at a physiological level and weight tends to rebound regardless of how you lose it. Cautionary tale: As someone who did all the...I've posted about this before, but appetite mechanisms are set hard at a physiological level and weight tends to rebound regardless of how you lose it.
Cautionary tale:
As someone who did all the "right" things - exercise, healthy diet, etc. and gained weight when my ability to exercise declined, I started taking a GLP-1 agonist knowing it was likely to be a permanent medication add. In no way did I "expect the drug to do all the work".I've achieved a healthy BMI, and I'm still losing weight. What I'm most concerned about now is that there's little information on tapering the dosage so that I have enough appetite to maintain my goal and enough energy to exercise at something closer to my former intensity. Since I'm using compounded semaglutide, not prefilled syringes, I've attained the desired results at half (1.25 mg) the typical dosage (2.4 mg). I'm one of the lucky (?) strong responders. And yet there's no data on how quickly or how much I can reduce the dosage, and what effects besides weight gain might occur. It's going to be a process of experiment and guesswork.
My weightlifting benchmarks are down about 10 - 15% from the start of GLP-1 use, not terrible for a 30% bodyweight loss over 11 months. The problem is, I literally can't consume enough protein to ramp up again. More than 3x/week 30 min. cardio or HIIT is exhausting beyond measure, and I'd like to get back to 4 - 5x again - that's not going to happen if I can't eat more.
I've tried to make an informed choice about my health. I generally feel good at my current weight, and my cardiovascular risk factors are now normal or better. I understand that the existing incentives in healthcare and drug sales may not be working entirely to my benefit. It's certainly not in the drug maker's interest to sell less medication. There is data on longer term safety for semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonist drugs in Type II diabetes treatment, and more limited data on weight loss-only patients. Again, I expect that I'll be taking some dosage of semaglutide indefinitely, and it's already substantially lower than studied.
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Comment on Letters from an American November 26, 2025 - The historical origin of the US Federal Thanksgiving holiday in ~humanities.history
patience_limited LinkFrom the article: I certainly didn't learn this tidbit in U.S. History classes. As far as I'm concerned, a thanksgiving for the Union victory over Confederate slaveholding states in the U.S. Civil...From the article:
In 1860, northerners elected Abraham Lincoln to the presidency to stop rich southern enslavers from taking over the government and using it to cement their own wealth and power. As soon as he was elected, southern leaders pulled their states out of the Union to set up their own country. After the firing on Fort Sumter, Lincoln and the fledgling Republican Party set out to end the slaveholders’ rebellion.
The early years of the war did not go well for the U.S. By the end of 1862, the armies still held, but people on the home front were losing faith. Leaders recognized the need both to acknowledge the suffering and to keep Americans loyal to the cause. In November and December, seventeen state governors declared state thanksgiving holidays.
New York governor Edwin Morgan’s widely reprinted proclamation about the holiday reflected that the previous year “is numbered among the dark periods of history, and its sorrowful records are graven on many hearthstones.” But this was nonetheless a time for giving thanks, he wrote, because “the precious blood shed in the cause of our country will hallow and strengthen our love and our reverence for it and its institutions…. Our Government and institutions placed in jeopardy have brought us to a more just appreciation of their value.”
The next year, Lincoln got ahead of the state proclamations. On July 15 he declared a national day of Thanksgiving, and the relief in his proclamation was almost palpable. After two years of disasters, the Union army was finally winning. Bloody, yes; battered, yes; but winning. At Gettysburg in early July, Union troops had sent Confederates reeling back southward. Then, on July 4, Vicksburg had finally fallen to U. S. Grant’s army. The military tide was turning.
President Lincoln set Thursday, August 6, 1863, for the national day of Thanksgiving. On that day, ministers across the country listed the signal victories of the U.S. Army and Navy in the past year and reassured their congregations that it was only a matter of time until the United States government put down the southern rebellion. Their predictions acknowledged the dead and reinforced the idea that their sacrifice had not been in vain.
In October 1863, President Lincoln declared a second national day of Thanksgiving. In the past year, he declared, the nation had been blessed.
In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, he wrote, Americans had maintained their laws and their institutions and had kept foreign countries from meddling with their nation. They had paid for the war as they went, refusing to permit the destruction to wreck the economy. Instead, as they funded the war, they had also advanced farming, industry, mining, and shipping. Immigrants had poured into the country to replace men lost on the battlefield, and the economy was booming. And Lincoln had recently promised that the government would end slavery once and for all. The country, he predicted, “with a large increase of freedom,” would survive, stronger and more prosperous than ever. The president invited Americans “in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands” to observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving.
I certainly didn't learn this tidbit in U.S. History classes. As far as I'm concerned, a thanksgiving for the Union victory over Confederate slaveholding states in the U.S. Civil War is a far better reason to celebrate (and mourn) the holiday than the sanitized happy prologue to the genocide of Indigenous people that we learned about instead. Hopefully, we can avoid another round of the same evil.
Happy U.S. Thanksgiving to all who celebrate.
Snow is nice until you get half a meter in a week and the sand trucks and plows can't keep up. The roads turn to ice rinks, and even very experienced drivers wind up in the ditches.
Airports shut down, grocery store shelves and cases start to empty, and people start having trouble paying their heating bills. Farmers where I live will lose perennial trees and vines that can't tolerate extended time at temperatures below -20 °C. It takes years to come back from that, if the farms survive (considering that the Trump administration has already politicized agricultural disaster relief and denied/delayed the payments for the catastrophic late spring frost, it's gotten less likely they'll make it).