sajoarn's recent activity
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Comment on Quizzle – Can you guess the word in fewer than twenty questions? in ~games
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Comment on Gardeners of the northern hemisphere, how did it go this year? in ~hobbies
sajoarn LinkOverall, my garden did fantastic this year! The good: The tomatoes that happened to be hit by an automatic lawn sprinkler every other day did significantly better than the plants that relied on me...Overall, my garden did fantastic this year!
The good:
- The tomatoes that happened to be hit by an automatic lawn sprinkler every other day did significantly better than the plants that relied on me watering by hand.
- a deer fence was a life saver. Last year my plants were eaten down to the ground, so this year I put on a fabric fence on one set of crops and a metal fence around the other. Both protected the plants, but the fabric one made it easier to harvest, so I'll probably do that next year for everything.
- I used shaker fertilizer instead of the kind you mix into a watering can. It worked great, probably because it wasn't as dependent on me remembering to add it when watering.
The bad:
- the Roma tomatoes had a huge problem with pests and rot, while the cherry and heirloom tomatoes right next to them were fine. I probably won't plant them again.
- the jalapenos and basil were stunted, I think because they were on the more shaded side of my house. Next year I'll plant them on the sunny side and see how it goes.
- Mice ate all of my strawberries. ALL of them!
- I had too many tomatoes. I didn't expect that to be a problem. I probably will only do 10 plants instead of the 20 I did this year.
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Comment on Looking for a recommendation similar to Uprooted by Naomi Novik in ~books
sajoarn LinkI can't comment on all of the points of quality you're looking for because I've gone through dozens to hundreds of books since I've read these so I don't remember the details particularly well....I can't comment on all of the points of quality you're looking for because I've gone through dozens to hundreds of books since I've read these so I don't remember the details particularly well. But the books I've read that I group together with Uprooted (which I also barely remember besides a general feel):
- The Vine Witch
- The Paper Magician
- The Keeper of Enchanted Rooms
- Ms. Percy's Pocket Guide
- The Night Circus
- Shades of Magic
Though these might include more overt romance than what's in Uprooted.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
sajoarn LinkI use Google Photos which allows the generation of hyperlinks that I can text or email to family. The best use is sharing videos which is difficult to do via SMS or email due to file size. Google...I use Google Photos which allows the generation of hyperlinks that I can text or email to family. The best use is sharing videos which is difficult to do via SMS or email due to file size.
Google doesn't have the best track record for privacy so that might not be the solution you're looking for. I imagine most cloud based photo solutions will have a similar feature.
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
sajoarn Link ParentThat sounds super cool! Where do you get antique negatives? I've always loved the look of old photography but I don't even know where to find non-famous examples.That sounds super cool! Where do you get antique negatives? I've always loved the look of old photography but I don't even know where to find non-famous examples.
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Comment on Men took over a job fair intended for women and nonbinary tech workers in ~tech
sajoarn LinkI think this is likely to be a recurring problem in STEM fields as time goes on and women and LGBTQ movements gain majority support. Women and LGBTQ people are still in the minority in STEM...I think this is likely to be a recurring problem in STEM fields as time goes on and women and LGBTQ movements gain majority support. Women and LGBTQ people are still in the minority in STEM fields. If say 25% are the demographic aimed to be recognized, and 100% of people in the industry support the recognition and are willing to attend events that accomplish that, then of course 75% of attendees of the event aren't going to be in the targeted demographic.
It's a tricky problem to handle on the other side. Gender is a protected class. You can't exclude men just for being men, especially when they are trying to be allies.
My friends and I ran into a similar issue at college when we formed a chapter of the Women in Engineering subgroup of IEEE. As soon as the greater IEEE section heard about it, men started wanting to join our group. The primary reasons seemed to be: 1) the main IEEE clubroom was too crowded and 2) they wanted a girlfriend. We even had one guy running for president of the club because he thought it would be funny to have a male president in a women's org. (In a shock to nobody, he didn't win). During my time in the group, none of the men who joined lasted long, and they eventually just stopped showing up, which is kind of sad in its own way.
In the years since we graduated, apparently there have been a handful of men join and stick around for the right reasons. I think it's a trend in the right direction and I'm hopeful that the culture shift of being more accepting and supportive continues.
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Comment on Men took over a job fair intended for women and nonbinary tech workers in ~tech
sajoarn Link ParentIt depends on the event and whether the fee is intended to be paid by a company or an individual. I've been to conferences that were about $50 per day, and I've been to ones that were $300 per day.It depends on the event and whether the fee is intended to be paid by a company or an individual. I've been to conferences that were about $50 per day, and I've been to ones that were $300 per day.
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Comment on Microsoft might want to be making Windows 12 a subscription OS, suggests leak in ~tech
sajoarn Link ParentThat is my view as well. People have a major resistance to paying subscriptions for hardware. For example, the extreme backlash BMW received for attempting to make their heated seats a...That is my view as well. People have a major resistance to paying subscriptions for hardware. For example, the extreme backlash BMW received for attempting to make their heated seats a subscription service. They ended up going back on it because people just aren't willing to pay a monthly fee to use a physical thing they already have in their possession.
Operating systems are required for hardware to function. I can't see people willing to pay a monthly fee to use their own computer. Businesses already pay for recurring support packages and probably would put up with it, but if an average consumer has the choice between a $XX or $XXX per year for the privilege of using Windows when they wouldn't have to for a Chromebook, an iPad, or a Mac why would they buy a PC?
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Comment on Timasomo 2023: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
sajoarn LinkThis sounds fun! I'm going to use it as an incentive to finally finish a project that's been languishing in my laundry room for months. It's a stained glass window memorial for my dad's parrot...This sounds fun! I'm going to use it as an incentive to finally finish a project that's been languishing in my laundry room for months. It's a stained glass window memorial for my dad's parrot that passed away earlier this year. I have all the glass cut but still need to grind and assemble the thing. Hopefully since it's a small, manageable chunk of work, I can finish it by the end of the month.
As a stretch goal, I'll try putting together custom climate sensors for each room in my house. I've wanted to do that project for years but just never can find the time. The biggest hurdle there is figuring out how to use a 3D printer to make cases for whatever soldering-induced crime-against-electronics I wind up with.
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Comment on When you show the engineer and it works in ~engineering
sajoarn LinkWhen I was working help desk, we called it the "tech aura". Where as soon as we show up, all the user's issues suddenly can't be reproduced.When I was working help desk, we called it the "tech aura". Where as soon as we show up, all the user's issues suddenly can't be reproduced.
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Has modern pop music lost its generational aspect?
"Generational" might not be the correct word. What I mean is that pop1 music from the 20th century transitioned from one style to another in a way where decades could have pretty distinctive...
"Generational" might not be the correct word. What I mean is that pop1 music from the 20th century transitioned from one style to another in a way where decades could have pretty distinctive sounds. 50s music was different than 60s was different than 70s was different than 80s. What I'm wondering: what is your perspective on pop music style change from 2000s to 2010s to today?2 Has it changed or does it sound the same as it did 10-20 years ago?
The reason I ask is that I listened to a pop station recently and it seems barely different than when I was in high school pre-2010. Taylor Swift is still incredibly popular, and listening casually to other songs, I had no guess on what year they were actually produced. It could have been 2012 or it could have been last year. I don't know if I'm just getting old and I've lost my ability to keep up on the nuance of current trends or if it's that pop music has stagnated the same way Hollywood movies have - art that is analyzed and meticulously designed to appeal to the widest audience possible.
[1] - I'm defining "pop" as Billboard Top 40 or equivalent.
[2] - I think this only applies to "pop" songs. I haven't noticed the same trend in sub genres such as country, rap, latin, or metal. I am also sure the extent of style variation over time depends on the country.
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Comment on Does anyone have experience transforming their boring lawns into more eco-friendly alternatives? in ~life.home_improvement
sajoarn LinkDoes anyone have experience with sand-based yards? I want a natural lawn, but nothing I overseed (grass + clover) seem to actually sprout. I don't live in a desert (zone 4 here), so it's not a...Does anyone have experience with sand-based yards? I want a natural lawn, but nothing I overseed (grass + clover) seem to actually sprout. I don't live in a desert (zone 4 here), so it's not a common enough problem that I've found good drought-happy grasses or ground cover in my local stores. My neighbors all just seem to brute force Kentucky bluegrass by watering and fertilizing the every living daylight out of it. It seems so wasteful to me. Is that really the only option besides bare dirt/sand?
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Comment on Does anyone have experience transforming their boring lawns into more eco-friendly alternatives? in ~life.home_improvement
sajoarn Link Parent...how do you know? :) Did you actually buy or manage to avoid the crazy neighbor experience? If you did buy, did you just do a natural lawn anyway?The seller might be selling because they're getting harassed like crazy by that guy.
ask me how I know......how do you know? :)
Did you actually buy or manage to avoid the crazy neighbor experience? If you did buy, did you just do a natural lawn anyway?
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Comment on Every time you click this link, it will send you to a random Web 1.0 website in ~tech
sajoarn Link ParentThis is actually really neat! It's like peak Web 1.0 for me. Just a cool world building project some guy decided to share with the world.This is actually really neat! It's like peak Web 1.0 for me. Just a cool world building project some guy decided to share with the world.
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Comment on In Hollywood, the strikes are just part of the problem in ~movies
sajoarn Link ParentI predict that the various "AI" (I hate that term) will turn movie and tv productions more and more indie if the technology progresses and isn't neutered due to copy right infringing data sets....AI is here to stay but we have no idea what it will look like.
I predict that the various "AI" (I hate that term) will turn movie and tv productions more and more indie if the technology progresses and isn't neutered due to copy right infringing data sets. Just like how improvement and low cost of video game engines allow a single person to make an expansive and fun game of the same quality as a AAA studio. I honestly can't wait for one-man studios to be able to produce a feature length movie. They will be able to control all aspects of their vision instead of having to worry about things like "how will this be received in China?".
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Comment on Can I just say that the 'label' function on this site is magnificent? in ~tildes
sajoarn Link ParentOh, I didn't know that! I didn't think of that since I didn't think the comment itself was malicious, just not worthy of it's label. I will make sure I do in the future.Oh, I didn't know that! I didn't think of that since I didn't think the comment itself was malicious, just not worthy of it's label. I will make sure I do in the future.
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Comment on Can I just say that the 'label' function on this site is magnificent? in ~tildes
sajoarn (edited )Link ParentSo far in my short time here I've seen one instance of "abuse" where apparently at least four people marked a single sentence comment as exemplary as a kind of super-vote. It was a morally...So far in my short time here I've seen one instance of "abuse" where apparently at least four people marked a single sentence comment as exemplary as a kind of super-vote. It was a morally superior popular opinion which is all well and good, but the comment didn't spark debate and was what I consider low hanging fruit. I think it cheapens other exemplary comments that actually are insightful or detailed.
I wish there was a way to counter mark exemplary or at least a character minimum requirement so it doesn't devolve into the equivalent of reddit gold on low effort comments.
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Comment on What's something you want to understand the appeal of? in ~talk
sajoarn Link ParentThank you for the insight! When I say "solved" I was thinking in a computational sense. I followed a little bit of the Hans Nieman cheating drama that happened a while ago and it seemed like one...Thank you for the insight!
When I say "solved" I was thinking in a computational sense. I followed a little bit of the Hans Nieman cheating drama that happened a while ago and it seemed like one of the reasons they suspected him was because his moves followed a computer model too closely. Doesn't that mean the computer has the "right" move throughout the entire game? Or is that only true at the end of the game?
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Comment on What's something you want to understand the appeal of? in ~talk
sajoarn Link ParentI can't stand reality tv myself, but a podcast I listened to has two hosts that love it. The way they put it makes it seem like they enjoy the storylines created in the shows, exactly the same way...I can't stand reality tv myself, but a podcast I listened to has two hosts that love it.
The way they put it makes it seem like they enjoy the storylines created in the shows, exactly the same way I think most people enjoy fictional television. For example: drama between two housewives when so and so is found to be being inappropriate with another woman's husband. It's kind of the appeal of watching catastrophic failures: you can't look away from the car crash. It not being truly "real" isn't necessarily a downside since story/drama arcs can have a resolution, and the severity of the actions might not be as serious as portrayed in the show. But the fact that it is "reality" and has a hint of truth makes it more compelling than a pre-determined fictional story arc. If the stars of the show are also rich or famous, it ups the stakes and widens the range of possible "stories."
At least that's what I gather. Hopefully someone who likes reality tv can chime in.
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Comment on What's something you want to understand the appeal of? in ~talk
sajoarn Link ParentI can't answer for myself, but I have some friends who love fan culture. What I've gathered from them is that the main appeal is a kind of externalized excitement. They themselves love the thing...I can't answer for myself, but I have some friends who love fan culture. What I've gathered from them is that the main appeal is a kind of externalized excitement. They themselves love the thing (Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, what have you), and they really enjoy being in an environment where others echo the same level of passion. When I asked a friend about why she loved midnight showings of movies, she said her favorite part was hearing the gasps or other reactions in the same way she reacted when she read the books the first time.
I tend to think of it like live sporting matches. The quality of the game is sometimes secondary. Being around others who carry the same excitement is part of the experience.
I have another friend who was a fanfic writer. She loved exploring the existing world in characters with thought experiments of "what might have happened if..." Getting feedback from others who read her work helped her get a sense of actually contributing to expanding and spreading the lore as well as being around others who felt the same way and enjoyed the same thing.
I think liking similar topics is a huge part of how friendships form, and fandoms isolate that single aspect of friendship and amplifies it.
My only main feedback was that I asked if it was larger than a breadbox. It said no, but I believe the answer should have been "maybe".
spoiler
Pretty much all beach towels, and many bath towels are larger than a breadbox even when folded.