smithsonian's recent activity
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Comment on Parenthood venting thread in ~talk
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Comment on Parenthood venting thread in ~talk
smithsonian LinkMan, the 6-month through ~12-month age period really and truly almost broke us, and that time is a big part of what cemented us as being one-and-done. Most of that period was spent trying to get a...Man, the 6-month through ~12-month age period really and truly almost broke us, and that time is a big part of what cemented us as being one-and-done.
Most of that period was spent trying to get a handle on colic (which I'm not certain we ever truly did)... experimenting with different treatments (OTC anti-gas drops, probiotics, prescription antacid), different diet restrictions for my partner, different types of formula, etc., but the only thing that seemed to make any difference was my partner cutting out dairy from her diet.
Which was all well and good, until she got prescribed an antibiotic treatment and learned she is allergic to that kind of antibiotic and had to spend a few nights in the hospital to make sure she didn't spontaneously bleed out due to low platelets, and was put on a steroid treatment that seriously impeded her breast milk production (that had already been struggling to keep up).
Some types of formula were definitely better than others (I learned so much about formula and breast milk during this time!) but our son was always much more colicky on any formula.
My theory about colic treatments
I'm about 75% certain that all of the things they recommend trying for colic are for just two things: placebo for the parents (so they don't feel like they aren't doing anything while their children are obviously distressed) and ways to "run out the clock" until the child matures enough that it naturally resolves.
And, of course, during that time we also had the pleasure of the constant stream of illnesses brought home from daycare and shared with us.
Our son is five, now. I won't say "things will get easier," because I don't really think they definitely do. I will say "things will get different," though: as they get older, certain things stop being a problem and new, exciting, different things become problems! This usually happens right around the time you start getting into a groove and thinking "hey, maybe we actually got this figured out!"
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Comment on Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (April 2024) — Version 1.0 is out for Android! in ~tildes
smithsonian LinkI think I figured out the cause of a small cosmetic bug: the text of comments that have a horizontal line are a slightly different (darker) shade in dark mode. An easy way to find examples of this...I think I figured out the cause of a small cosmetic bug: the text of comments that have a horizontal line are a slightly different (darker) shade in dark mode.
An easy way to find examples of this would be to look at many of @nacho's comments. It's hard to notice the difference in their own, but the difference is more clear when seen in a chain of comments.
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Comment on Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (March 2024) in ~tildes
smithsonian Link ParentCongrats on the 1.0 release! Happy to see a donation option, as well!Congrats on the 1.0 release!
Happy to see a donation option, as well!
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Comment on Anyone know what these LEDs in the center of my ceiling track lights are? in ~life.home_improvement
smithsonian LinkThey appear to just be LED bulbs. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-3-Light-Brushed-Nickel-Semi-Flush-Mount-Directional-Light-Fixture-EC554SBA/202051195 There are a couple of Q&A that...They appear to just be LED bulbs.
There are a couple of Q&A that mention the blue LEDs in the center, so they appear to be part of the design.
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Comment on Is a NAS for me? in ~tech
smithsonian LinkI started out by getting a Synology DiskStation DS220+ about 2.5 years ago to primarily serve as storage for my Plex library and act as my Plex server. (Note: the DS220+ has been replaced by the...I started out by getting a Synology DiskStation DS220+ about 2.5 years ago to primarily serve as storage for my Plex library and act as my Plex server. (Note: the DS220+ has been replaced by the DS223+, which is essentially the same thing but with a better CPU).
The buy-in cost was $300, plus another $250 for two 6 TB Seagate IronWolf NAS drives, and $100 for a 4 GB RAM upgrade (so I could run more Docker containers).
(I recently just upgraded to the DS423+ so I could take advantage of using M.2 SSD for a cache pool, the upgraded CPU, and two extra drive bays.)
You can absolutely achieve the same functionality for cheaper, but truly the Synology is quite easy to use, extremely versatile, and can do a lot. And Synology support is also top tier: I had some RAM sectors go bad about 3 months after my 2 year warranty expired but they still RMA'd my device and replaced it with a new one.
I can't really say what the NAS can do that the Pi cannot, but a lot of the NAS features are quite easy to set up and use with the Synology, and being and to easily set up and run Docker containers means you have a lot of options for anything that isn't already built-in.
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Comment on How do you keep your home smelling nice? in ~life.home_improvement
smithsonian Link ParentTo add on this: my Nest thermostat has the option to have the furnace fan run [15|30|45] minutes every hour, which not only helps to circulate air through all of the rooms, but also runs more air...You have to think about how air circulates in your home
To add on this: my Nest thermostat has the option to have the furnace fan run
[15|30|45] minutes every hour, which not only helps to circulate air through all of the rooms, but also runs more air through the furnace filter to remove dust and other particulate. -
Comment on Rimworld - Anomaly expansion and update 1.5 announced in ~games
smithsonian Link ParentThey often do, but the problem is that most things in games cannot simply be easily multithreaded. The Factorio devs have written a ton about their efforts to improve performance, and address the...Why don't programmers multithread?
They often do, but the problem is that most things in games cannot simply be easily multithreaded.
The Factorio devs have written a ton about their efforts to improve performance, and address the question about multithreading really well. The biggest problem is that stuff that's deterministic generally can't be multithreaded because it all relies on other computations being completed.
And, not to burst your bubble, but they've only multithreaded certain types of drawing, so I doubt you're going to see major improvements in late game colonies with a couple dozen pawns. I really doubt that's where the main bottleneck is in late game colonies.
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Comment on Are Swedish dishcloths more environment-friendly than paper towels? We investigate. in ~enviro
smithsonian Link ParentThere are a small subset of compostable bags that can easily break down in a normal home compost. You want to look for the TUV Home compositing certification. I've used them before and can confirm...There are a small subset of compostable bags that can easily break down in a normal home compost. You want to look for the TUV Home compositing certification.
I've used them before and can confirm they break down readily in my tumbler in a few months, while ones that weren't home composting certified remained for much longer.
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Comment on A Max password-sharing crackdown is coming in ~tv
smithsonian Link ParentStrange New Worlds, hands down. It really captures the things that made the original shows great. The Lower Decks is great, but I think it's much easier to appreciate it if you're more versed in...Strange New Worlds, hands down. It really captures the things that made the original shows great.
The Lower Decks is great, but I think it's much easier to appreciate it if you're more versed in the Trek universe already.
Prodigy (which is now on Netflix) is also really great, and an excellent gateway drug. It was marketed more towards kids, but it isn't a kids show. The second half of the first season really hits.
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Comment on Disney to take $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games, work with Fortnite maker on new content in ~games
smithsonian Link ParentI've been playing it for a year, now, and Dreamlight Valley is actually really good on microtransactions. They're actually pretty generous with giving users ways to get free Moonstones (the...I've been playing it for a year, now, and Dreamlight Valley is actually really good on microtransactions. They're actually pretty generous with giving users ways to get free Moonstones (the premium currency), and Moonstone are only used to buy cosmetic items (so no using it to speed up progression).
The community has also been really satisfied with the size and scope of the first paid expansion, and there are still more free content updates planned.
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Comment on Your appendix is not, in fact, useless. This anatomy professor explains. in ~health
smithsonian Link ParentWhile avoiding surgery is always preferable, one instance of appendicitis more often than not means it will occur again. I had my appendix flare up while I was on vacation overseas in Germany....Hopefully I'll be able to ask about antibiotics alternatives to cutting it off, if I ever get appendicitis.
While avoiding surgery is always preferable, one instance of appendicitis more often than not means it will occur again.
I had my appendix flare up while I was on vacation overseas in Germany. They did blood tests to check white blood cell count and ultrasound to check that it was inflamed, but since it hadn't ruptured and the pain was relatively mild, opted to wait and see. I spent the night in the hospital, they did more tests the next day, and things looked and felt better so they released me.
And, about a year and a half later, it happened again. Since it got better on its own the last time, I didn't go to the hospital right away. That ended up being a mistake, though, because my appendix ended up perforating and I spent four nights in the hospital (instead of just having an outpatient appendectomy and sleeping in your own bed that night).
So I guess I wouldn't recommend kicking the can down the road, since they're still going to want to keep you in the hospital while giving you the antibiotics in case your appendix does rupture... and then you're going to be in for a longer stay and recovery.
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Comment on What is a scam that more people should be aware of? in ~life
smithsonian Link ParentI've really enjoyed Google's Play Pass for this reason. By design, it seems to weed out the infinite micro-transaction games and low effort ad-delivery platforms disguised as games. For $30/year,...I've really enjoyed Google's Play Pass for this reason. By design, it seems to weed out the infinite micro-transaction games and low effort ad-delivery platforms disguised as games.
For $30/year, I definitely feel like I get my money's worth out of it between myself and my son.
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Comment on I got a spam call and the automated voice that requests their reasoning for calling was my voice AI generated in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentWow... so obvious that it was almost physically painful to see I somehow missed that, lol. And your call screen voice sounds identical to mine.Share button
Wow... so obvious that it was almost physically painful to see I somehow missed that, lol.
And your call screen voice sounds identical to mine.
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Comment on I got a spam call and the automated voice that requests their reasoning for calling was my voice AI generated in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentMy partner and I both have Pixel phones (since the first- and second-gen Pixels, respectively) and the Call Screening voice is identical on both of our phones (despite us having very distinctly...My partner and I both have Pixel phones (since the first- and second-gen Pixels, respectively) and the Call Screening voice is identical on both of our phones (despite us having very distinctly different voices).
The voice was likely trained on a large dataset of men, resulting in a voice that is pretty representative of the average American male's voice.
I'm betting that the people who think that the call screening voice is mimicking their own just have a generic male voice with no strong regional accent.
Side note: I tried to record the audio transcript of a recent call screening via the built-in screen recording function but, no matter what I did, it wouldn't actually record the audio. It must be treating the audio payback the same as phone call audio, which it doesn't let you record by default.
I'm not sure if there's a way around this, or if any call recording apps would be able to capture it, but being able to capture the audio natively would be ideal for making sure there is clean audio for comparison.
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Comment on How many of you wouldn't be alive if it weren't for modern medicine? in ~talk
smithsonian LinkI had appendicitis and my appendix had perforated, so I'd be dead without that appendectomy.I had appendicitis and my appendix had perforated, so I'd be dead without that appendectomy.
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Comment on Exodus (from the original development team behind Mass Effect) | Reveal trailer in ~games
smithsonian Link ParentI don't think that's what they're saying. I think it just means that humanity discovers the galaxy is a hostile place once they set out to find a new home.Humanity escaped, not to another star system, but a completely different galaxy?
I don't think that's what they're saying. I think it just means that humanity discovers the galaxy is a hostile place once they set out to find a new home.
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Comment on Contact lenses to USA without a current prescription? in ~health
smithsonian LinkYou can try Fresh Lens; I used them when I was on a tighter budget and didn't have vision coverage. Back when I used them the first time, they requested prescription verification, so I literally...You can try Fresh Lens; I used them when I was on a tighter budget and didn't have vision coverage.
Back when I used them the first time, they requested prescription verification, so I literally searched Google Images for a contact lens prescription, printed it out and filled it out, took a picture and sent it to them, and they shipped my order (and never asked for a new prescription in the years that followed).
They recently shut down and then restarted about six months later, so I'm not sure if they finally got a wrist slapping for being too loose with prescription verification, but I saw that they now have an option to do an eye test online for $15 (or free on orders of $200 or more). Might be worth a shot.
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Comment on Doctor Who Special “The Star Beast” - Discussion Thread in ~tv
smithsonian Link ParentWhy is this change attributed to Disney? Disney only acquired the streaming rights to new episodes; I'm not sure it would give them a say in production numbering. I know hating on Disney is in...Upsetting "Series 14"->"Season 1" Disney shenanigans aside
Why is this change attributed to Disney? Disney only acquired the streaming rights to new episodes; I'm not sure it would give them a say in production numbering.
I know hating on Disney is in vogue, right now, but I could see why they would make this change even if Disney wasn't involved: a reset in the show's production numbers makes sense with Bad Wolf Productions taking over creative control and production from the BBC as a way of signaling a new era of the show.
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Comment on Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (December 2023) in ~tildes
smithsonian LinkBeing able to see reply notifications (or even just having an indicator that there were unread notifications) was the one big thing the app was missing at release, so I'm incredibly happy to see...Being able to see reply notifications (or even just having an indicator that there were unread notifications) was the one big thing the app was missing at release, so I'm incredibly happy to see that included!
I think the biggest feature of the app that I've come to love is being able to double-tap to vote on posts/comments. It's such a small thing, but it's something I found myself trying to do while using Tildes in a browser (to apply a lable or check for replies). It's something that wouldn't make sense for Deimos to implement at a site-wide level but feels so intuitive in a mobile app, and it's these little features—things that I don't even know I want, yet!—that I'm most looking forward to seeing come to the app.
I'm sure you already have a list of all the features of the site that you're still missing, but as far as the next feature that should be added, it's probably a toss-up between labels or viewing user profiles. Labels seem more beneficial to Tildes by improving user contributions via the app, but I could see an argument being made for adding the latter, first, as well.
Yeah, I think that's the point where the parenting journey starts to become so much more rewarding. I also thought of the first year or so as basically being like boot camp with the baby as the drill instructor: overworking you with constant (often nonsensical and contradictory) orders, only letting you get the minimum amount of sleep (or slightly less), and essentially breaking your spirit so they can rebuild you.
After that point, though, it gets a lot more rewarding as you start to see them figuring things out, start making sense of the world, and begin to explore it more.
The chronic sleep deprivation of the first year is really the worst part. Once you both start getting some solid nights of sleep, everything becomes infinitely more manageable.
Some sleep tips we found through trial and error during our torturous stint:
Swaddles and white noise (or, more specifically, pink noise) were our life savers.
As he got older (6-12mo), we also started to find that our son needed to be swaddled to fall asleep, but loosening up the swaddle after he fell asleep led to him sleeping better/longer (which made manually swaddling with muslin blankets much better than the zipper/velcro sleep sacks we started using).
I felt like pink noise was more effective than white nose, but maybe it was just slightly more pleasing for me. But you may need to play the noise louder than think; being immersed in a fluid-filled sac inside another living being is actually pretty loud.