scarecrw's recent activity
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Comment on What words do you recommend? in ~talk
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
scarecrw LinkNot sure if this counts as a setting but site search shortcuts in browsers (I mostly use chrome so this works, but IIRC firefox and others support it as well). I have shortcuts set up for any...Not sure if this counts as a setting but site search shortcuts in browsers (I mostly use chrome so this works, but IIRC firefox and others support it as well).
I have shortcuts set up for any sites I regularly search (Wikipedia, Youtube, etc.) and the skipped steps of navigating to a site is remarkably handy. Type
Ctrl-t w bananaand I have the wikipedia page open. -
Comment on Kaiser says no limits on COVID vaccine for its patients in ~health
scarecrw LinkGood to hear. I've had good experiences getting Covid and flu shots through Kaiser in the past. That said, I actually got covid recently and after getting approved for paxlovid they wanted at...Good to hear. I've had good experiences getting Covid and flu shots through Kaiser in the past.
That said, I actually got covid recently and after getting approved for paxlovid they wanted at $1500 copay. Gave me a good laugh (which admittedly hurt quite a lot).
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Comment on Do we have enough NFL fans to warrant weekly discussions? in ~sports.american_football
scarecrw LinkCount me as interested. However, I'll likely comment as much as I do on most things, which is to say, not a lot.Count me as interested. However, I'll likely comment as much as I do on most things, which is to say, not a lot.
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Comment on Which other sites do you visit? in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentOn Wikipedia, I'll give a shout out to their mobile app being surprisingly good. It's got a daily "Which came first?" game, wiki pages for nearby locations, picture of the day, featured articles,...On Wikipedia, I'll give a shout out to their mobile app being surprisingly good. It's got a daily "Which came first?" game, wiki pages for nearby locations, picture of the day, featured articles, and suggestions based off of previously read articles. With so many apps being worse versions of websites just created to get more user data, it's pretty great to see one that actually is a better experience.
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Comment on What is the most insane, tedious, difficult, and/or noteworthy gaming achievement you have completed or given up on? in ~games
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Comment on As religion wanes, how do we replace it? in ~humanities
scarecrw LinkI'm as far from an answer here as anyone, but I'll throw in one point of discussion that I've given some thought to over the years: familial obligation. One separator between religion and other...I'm as far from an answer here as anyone, but I'll throw in one point of discussion that I've given some thought to over the years: familial obligation.
One separator between religion and other more intentionally constructed community structures is the expectations that ones children will be brought into the religion as they grow up. I'd go as far as saying that, for many people, their induction into a religion as a child is their strongest connection with it.
I grew up culturally Jewish, and attending Hebrew school or having a bar/bat-mitzvah was a shared experience that, while not chosen by the children themselves, gave many people a strong shared identity. This effect seemed to overpower any personal beliefs about faith, morality, or societal roles. It's always been strange for me to see, as many people I've known would outwardly espouse secular beliefs, make light of their own religion or religion in general, and then quietly accept that "well... of course I'll still marry someone of _______ faith and raise our children the same."
This expectation to pass down identity to future generations has been a key part of what as driven many, myself included, away from organized religion. It contains a fundamental disrespect for an individual's self-determination. This can be seen acutely in religions that bar the expression of different genders/sexualities, but also in many subtle ways when people will be pressured to make certain life choices about who they form relationships with, where they live, or what goals to set for themselves.
All the negatives aside, it truly seems hard to replace the ties that are formed by this early and persistent push towards associating with an identity. It doesn't always feel right, but forced interaction and social pressure do seem remarkably effective in building a sense of community and belonging.
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Comment on The Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest-selling gaming hardware in US history in ~games
scarecrw LinkI don't know if this is information anyone would have, but, at a demographic level, who's buying this? I haven't been in touch with the portable gaming scene since I had a gameboy color (which I...I don't know if this is information anyone would have, but, at a demographic level, who's buying this?
I haven't been in touch with the portable gaming scene since I had a gameboy color (which I admittedly kept playing until ~2013). I could see this being handy for people who travel a lot but other than that I feel so out of the target market I don't have a good sense of who uses this and how.
I'm always caught off-guard remembering how atypical some of my interactions with games and technology are, that the average age of people playing videogames is ~30, most people use a laptop instead of a desktop computer, and the most popular youtube device is a TV.
Answered my own questions a bit finding this report from 2021 about the original switch. It breaks down the age, but I'm still left wondering about use cases.
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Comment on What is your silly or (kinda) useless talent? in ~talk
scarecrw LinkI can do the wave with my eyebrows. I'm not sure how I learned, but I must have been quite young, as I remember being in 2nd or 3rd grade and having my sister gather her friends around at recess...I can do the wave with my eyebrows. I'm not sure how I learned, but I must have been quite young, as I remember being in 2nd or 3rd grade and having my sister gather her friends around at recess to have me show them.
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Comment on My classroom will be AI-free this fall in ~humanities
scarecrw Link ParentI know of at least one course already implementing a similar system. Their solution to scaling is similar to what you described but they used two slightly different approaches: It's TAs, rather...I know of at least one course already implementing a similar system. Their solution to scaling is similar to what you described but they used two slightly different approaches:
- It's TAs, rather than the professor, performing the oral exam
- The assignments are made up of multiple questions, and one question is selected to be tested, rather than randomly selecting the students
I think there's some resistance to this approach, due to the potential for human bias it presents. I agree this is possible, but I think we're overly cautious about human bias while ignoring systemic biases in the current approach. At the end of the day, an instructor's simple BS detector is a fairly accurate tool.
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Comment on Piano key dimensions are a math puzzle in ~design
scarecrw LinkWhat a great puzzle! These articles address the optimal solutions for both evenness and practicality of construction, but I wonder if there's a usability benefit possible to different sizings. I'm...What a great puzzle!
These articles address the optimal solutions for both evenness and practicality of construction, but I wonder if there's a usability benefit possible to different sizings. I'm just a beginner at piano, but I could imagine having wider d, g, and a keys could make fingerings easier than optimally even widths.
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Comment on GamerCard - Grab & Go Raspberry Pi gaming in ~games
scarecrw LinkSuper Cool! I've been considering buying a physical device for Pico-8 for a while, as I'd like some motivation for getting back into it. Unfortunately, as neat as this product looks, I'm not sold...Super Cool!
I've been considering buying a physical device for Pico-8 for a while, as I'd like some motivation for getting back into it. Unfortunately, as neat as this product looks, I'm not sold on the design matching my needs. It doesn't look comfortable to hold, and the input reminds me of the steam controller pads, which I loved, but were barely passable to use as d-pads/buttons. I'd love to see a review of it though, as I'm just going off of the quick snapshot given here.
Could be useful as a demo device or to show to others, as it's got that "whoa, cool!" factor, or for educational purposes as a device to fool around on (if it's durable enough).
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
scarecrw Link ParentAaron Chen is fantastic! I'll have to check out the NZ one, as I've finished up the Australian version.Aaron Chen is fantastic! I'll have to check out the NZ one, as I've finished up the Australian version.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
scarecrw LinkI was introduced last week to Guy Mont Spelling Bee, an Austrialian comedy panel show, and it's pretty great. I've enjoyed a lot of British panel shows, and this is very much in the same vein, but...I was introduced last week to Guy Mont Spelling Bee, an Austrialian comedy panel show, and it's pretty great. I've enjoyed a lot of British panel shows, and this is very much in the same vein, but with a different set of comedians and an excellent vibe. I would definitely recommend it to anyone into shows like Would I Lie To You or 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown.
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Comment on Looking for a low-profile desktop gaming PC in ~tech
scarecrw LinkI think a regular prebuilt on its side is probably the better choice (assuming you're not blocking airflow), but another option would be a 4u rack mount case. It's basically the exact size you're...I think a regular prebuilt on its side is probably the better choice (assuming you're not blocking airflow), but another option would be a 4u rack mount case.
It's basically the exact size you're looking for, and would be designed for airflow through the front and back. I don't think there are many companies selling them configured for gaming, though, so you'd probably need to add your own graphics card to an otherwise premade model.
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Comment on Anyone know the closest Canada has political commentary content like the US? in ~society
scarecrw LinkYou might check out the Beaverton podcast. While the publication is satire, their podcast actually does discuss real recent news. It's... podcast-y, so don't expect much deep diving research or...You might check out the Beaverton podcast. While the publication is satire, their podcast actually does discuss real recent news. It's... podcast-y, so don't expect much deep diving research or anything, it's basically just a bunch of comedians chatting about Canadian news. I personally enjoy it, though.
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Comment on 1-1 political conversations to help mend the political divide in ~society
scarecrw LinkI've been trying this for the last couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share my experience in case anyone else was holding out on giving it a go. My first match and I shared much of the same views....I've been trying this for the last couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share my experience in case anyone else was holding out on giving it a go.
My first match and I shared much of the same views. My understanding is that the app aims to match you with someone with whom you disagreed on some of the prompts at the beginning of the week. Unfortunately, since the prompts are short quotes, its easy to say "agree" or "disagree" but be talking about either the quote itself, the intention behind the quote, the broader article/essay the quote come from, etc. This meant that lots of our explanations started with "I put down agree, but what I meant was...".
My second match was substantially different, having a notably contrasting worldview to my own. They seemed very interested in the concept of "debate" as a rigorous method of getting at some truth or best decision, which I suspect motivated their decision to use the app. There were a few things on which we properly and decisively disagreed, but for the most part seemed to be able to take the best from each other's perspective.
I think the short quote format is interesting. It does allow you to potentially "agree" with someone on one point despite having conflicting perspectives on the broader topic. I suspect this is by design, as they included things like a quote from Obama criticizing "woke" perspectives and other seemingly discordant excerpts which give lots of room for interpretation. However, I'm still wary of encouraging people to discuss topics just based on short excerpts, as I think a lot of discourse could be improved if we push participants to delve into the complexity before taking a stance.
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Comment on Help with ants in the shower! in ~life.home_improvement
scarecrw Link ParentI'll second the use of ant bait. About once a year we get ants and use some of the liquid/gel bait and it works fantastic. I will note for OP, though, that when it works it will: attract a swarm...I'll second the use of ant bait. About once a year we get ants and use some of the liquid/gel bait and it works fantastic.
I will note for OP, though, that when it works it will:
- attract a swarm of ants to the bait for a period of time (~12 hours or so)
- likely leave a decent number of dead ants around the bait
So if that's not something you're comfortable with you may want to get someone to help apply it and clean up.
Last tip: put the bait on a piece of paper or cardboard. It's annoying to clean off of some surfaces, and that way you can just throw the whole thing out.
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Comment on Crypto's new bailout fund: your savings account in ~society
scarecrw (edited )LinkUgh, the path cryptocurrency has gone down has been so disappointing. I was probably just naive enough to not see the inevitable, but I remember in the early 2010s thinking cryptocurrency was such...Ugh, the path cryptocurrency has gone down has been so disappointing. I was probably just naive enough to not see the inevitable, but I remember in the early 2010s thinking cryptocurrency was such a fascinating concept. I was drawn into the ideas of radical decentralization and wresting control of commerce back into the hands of individuals. Now, every article I read is about people pushing to centralize exchanges and bring in government protection and I'm just screaming in my head that avoiding this was THE WHOLE POINT.
I'm wrong, though. The radical ideals were never the real point for many, regardless of what they may have claimed, and any opportunities that may have existed have been engulfed by capitalistic greed.
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Comment on Ben Caplan - The Flood (2025) in ~music
scarecrw LinkThanks for sharing this! I'm surprised I'd never heard of Ben Caplan before, but I'm very glad to have been introduced. I've been listening to Old Stock this past week and I'm now looking forward...Thanks for sharing this! I'm surprised I'd never heard of Ben Caplan before, but I'm very glad to have been introduced. I've been listening to Old Stock this past week and I'm now looking forward to his new album.
Yeah, whatever oversight committee sanctioned that should have tabled it and moved on.