sparkle's recent activity
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Comment on Owners mourn spoiled food after firmware update bricks Samsung smart fridges in ~tech
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Comment on Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ finally breaks Mariah Carey’s all-time record for weeks at US no. 1, eclipsing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ in ~music
sparkle Link ParentThe mullet escalated things substantially. Only Jagr had him beat in the 90s Unrelated but my wife keeps (jokingly) threatening to leave if I ever cut my hair to a mullet. "Joey makes it look...The mullet escalated things substantially. Only Jagr had him beat in the 90s
Unrelated but my wife keeps (jokingly) threatening to leave if I ever cut my hair to a mullet. "Joey makes it look cool!" never works with her :( doesn't help that she's a Jesse stan
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Comment on Owners mourn spoiled food after firmware update bricks Samsung smart fridges in ~tech
sparkle (edited )Link ParentThere was a OneUI update a few months ago that arbitrarily wiped do not disturb settings. So while my schedule was still being followed, all of my exceptions were ignored, despite being present in...There was a OneUI update a few months ago that arbitrarily wiped do not disturb settings. So while my schedule was still being followed, all of my exceptions were ignored, despite being present in the UI. This caused me to miss some important PagerDuty notifications when on-call for work. I only figured it out because removing and re-adding the exception suddenly made it work again
I will never own a Samsung anything for my personal use, that's for sure. I already disliked their TVs, monitors, appliances, and components - never tried one of their phones before so thought I would give it a shot when offered at work. Never again (there are a myriad of reasons besides just bad updates)
Also their shady business practices are nothing to scoff at - but what major manufacturer isn't covered head to toe in blood, holding a bag of cash marked "
bribedonation"? -
Comment on Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ finally breaks Mariah Carey’s all-time record for weeks at US no. 1, eclipsing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ in ~music
sparkle Link ParentUncle Joey is an honourary Canadian! Tate McRae is as Canadian as Justin Bieber, William Shatner, Jim Carrey, Wayne Gretzky, etc. - read into that what you will. I also don't know any of her song...Uncle Joey is an honourary Canadian!
Tate McRae is as Canadian as Justin Bieber, William Shatner, Jim Carrey, Wayne Gretzky, etc. - read into that what you will. I also don't know any of her song titles, but I do recognize her voice at least
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Comment on Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ finally breaks Mariah Carey’s all-time record for weeks at US no. 1, eclipsing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ in ~music
sparkle Link ParentWhat's even crazier is that my wife likes to listen to the radio in the car and when I'm riding with her, I've also never heard this played on the pop stations she likes. To be fair, we are in...What's even crazier is that my wife likes to listen to the radio in the car and when I'm riding with her, I've also never heard this played on the pop stations she likes. To be fair, we are in Canada though and they tend to favour Canadian artists. Which is currently how many Tate McRae songs they can cram into an hour. But there's still lots from Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, etc. so I'm kinda surprised it's not been on there before.
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Comment on There's a new "Google Jail" for independent wikis in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentI love this! There's so many hilariously (hopefully intentionally) bad websites out there that, for better or worse, never see the light of day. So many gems in here, thanks for the link!I love this! There's so many hilariously (hopefully intentionally) bad websites out there that, for better or worse, never see the light of day. So many gems in here, thanks for the link!
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Comment on There's a new "Google Jail" for independent wikis in ~tech
sparkle (edited )Link ParentTime to bring back webrings! I'm only half joking - I've seen it on a few amateur retro style websites but the links almost always go to sites run by the same author. Actual webrings would be a...Traditional link building strategies still work.
Time to bring back webrings!
I'm only half joking - I've seen it on a few amateur retro style websites but the links almost always go to sites run by the same author. Actual webrings would be a real delight in the age of extreme SEO
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Comment on Does the dryer shrink your clothes? in ~life
sparkle LinkDIY appliance repair person here who's fixed a few dryers/washers in the past, it's possible the thermistor is stuck/failing/malfunctioning and causing the control board to always run on high...DIY appliance repair person here who's fixed a few dryers/washers in the past, it's possible the thermistor is stuck/failing/malfunctioning and causing the control board to always run on high heat, leading to shrunken clothes.
What kind of dryer do you have? A thermistor is usually a pretty cheap part to replace and worth starting there since it doesn't sound like it's always been this way, thus most likely an issue with the dryer itself.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
sparkle LinkRecently finished the first three Culture books. After Use of Weapons I needed a break from this particular brand of intellectual/political sci-fi and picked up Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of...Recently finished the first three Culture books.
- Consider Phlebas
- I actually really enjoyed this one. It was a nice introduction to the Culture and Banks's style of writing and penchant for... grossness lol. Less political than the others and a bit rough in places, but still quite enjoyable
- Player of Games
- I think most people are familiar with this one. I did enjoy it more than Consider Phlebas though at times it was a bit slow. Still, I enjoyed the premise of god-tier e-sports and the cultural significance of a game to the Empire.
- Use of Weapons
- This one was a struggle. I found the opposing time narratives very jarring and hard to keep track of. It made sense in the end and I did like the ending, but the journey there was more of a battle than it should have been. And to think this was the heavily edited version - Banks said his original version had multiple time streams and you had to think in six dimensions for it to make sense. Probably talking it up a bit, but still - it shows in the final product.
After Use of Weapons I needed a break from this particular brand of intellectual/political sci-fi and picked up Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time quadrology. Currently about halfway through the second book, Children of Ruin.
Children of Time was a fantastic read, though definitely not for arachnophobes. I wasn't really a fan of the ending though for a few reasons that I won't spoil here. However, Children of Ruin maybe makes up for it, at least that's the vibe I get, so we shall see! I'm enjoying the second book, though it was a bit slow to start and I'm a bit confused on the timeline within the universe, but I'm sure it'll become apparent at some point.
- Consider Phlebas
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Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies
sparkle Link ParentHah, you're objectively right. I used the wrong word there - it was late (I think) and I was annoyed at having to remember how disappointed I was in TRoS. It sounded angrier in my head which is...Hah, you're objectively right. I used the wrong word there - it was late (I think) and I was annoyed at having to remember how disappointed I was in TRoS. It sounded angrier in my head which is probably why I used it. Or it was left over from the essay I had originally typed, only to be replaced with the now posted few lines
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Comment on Anyone have a pebble? in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentI still have mine too! Sadly, I discovered the hard way that it's not up to the rigors of high altitude skiing so it died. Was going to replace it with a Time 2 when that all fell apart. At least...I still have mine too! Sadly, I discovered the hard way that it's not up to the rigors of high altitude skiing so it died. Was going to replace it with a Time 2 when that all fell apart. At least I got my money back! I also couldn't find any replacement batteries, which I think was the main issue with it. Still was the coolest watch I've had.
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Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies
sparkle Link ParentI'm with you on Ben Stiller - I hate all of the Focker movies and most everything else with him. Secret Life of Walter Mitty gets a pass though but pretty much everything else I've always felt so...I'm with you on Ben Stiller - I hate all of the Focker movies and most everything else with him. Secret Life of Walter Mitty gets a pass though but pretty much everything else I've always felt so uncomfortable watching him.
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Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies
sparkle Link ParentAt this point, I can't even give a "yeah that's a fair point" to all the "this is Star Wars for a new generation" apologists. It's just unobjectively a horrible film. I actually watched it twice,...At this point, I can't even give a "yeah that's a fair point" to all the "this is Star Wars for a new generation" apologists. It's just unobjectively a horrible film. I actually watched it twice, for some unknown reason, and I can't tell you anything about it. It's just a void in my memory. Maybe I'll watch it again when I need to forget something, make it my own personal Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Lacuna machine.
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Comment on The latest weird thing to play Doom is the mapped-out brain of a fruit fly in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentYou might like Permutation City by Greg Egan - it deals with basically this, in a slightly more esoteric and philosophical wayYou might like Permutation City by Greg Egan - it deals with basically this, in a slightly more esoteric and philosophical way
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Comment on Insomnium – Arch Of The Sky (2026) in ~music
sparkle LinkI'm glad the comments are ripping Ullaeus for using such shitty AI. Hopefully he gets the message. Though I don't know how much influence the band has on the visuals - maybe Insomnium was cool...I'm glad the comments are ripping Ullaeus for using such shitty AI. Hopefully he gets the message. Though I don't know how much influence the band has on the visuals - maybe Insomnium was cool with Ullaeus using them or asked him to or wanted to save a buck. First time I've seen such heavy usage of AI in a metal video, it just feels wrong to me
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Comment on What's a show you love that's from before your time? in ~tv
sparkle LinkHogan's Heroes! My dad and I would watch episodes on TV Land, as he grew up watching it. It's such a goofy show with some heartfelt moments. And a great reminder that Nazis sucked then and Nazis...Hogan's Heroes! My dad and I would watch episodes on TV Land, as he grew up watching it. It's such a goofy show with some heartfelt moments. And a great reminder that Nazis sucked then and Nazis still suck now. Also, I worked with a guy who was an exact doppelganger of Kinchloe, except he was a Navy man and not Army.
Gilligan's Island and Star Trek were of course in the same vein, but Hogan's Heroes has a special place in my heart.
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Comment on Post-tooth extraction diets! in ~food
sparkle LinkNot a tooth removal, but I had a double gum transplant last year with similar restrictions and I found I really loved rice pudding and congee/jook/okayu/lugaw. Fairly nutritious, delicious, hard...Not a tooth removal, but I had a double gum transplant last year with similar restrictions and I found I really loved rice pudding and congee/jook/okayu/lugaw. Fairly nutritious, delicious, hard to get tired of and I still like both of them even after eating them for several weeks straight!
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Comment on How to spot a psychopath: ‘It’s like the difference between a domestic cat and a wild cat’ in ~science
sparkle Link ParentI feel this wholeheartedly. My abuser was just my housemate of ten years, not a romantic partner. For the first six years we were best friends pretty much. Then after Trump was elected I think he...I feel this wholeheartedly. My abuser was just my housemate of ten years, not a romantic partner. For the first six years we were best friends pretty much. Then after Trump was elected I think he saw that the person he had been repressing was accepted by the larger world and he could take off the mask. There were signs beforehand that I ignored/missed but now that I know them, I see them everywhere.
The last four years were a living, scarring hell for me - I tried getting out several times but didn't have the financial means to escape. Eventually I did get the opportunity during COVID - I'm in a much better place now and he's still the same as far as I know so I guess I won?
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Comment on What workplace absurdity are you forced to live with? in ~life
sparkle LinkMy company refuses to admit mistakes. They expanded too fast a few years ago, laid off a bunch to pay for the new acquisitions, realized they had overexpanded and then tried to hire cheap labour...My company refuses to admit mistakes. They expanded too fast a few years ago, laid off a bunch to pay for the new acquisitions, realized they had overexpanded and then tried to hire cheap labour to help with the load.
To make matters worse, once AI was available to us, this team started using AI to basically make all their decisions. After a 200% increase in infrastructure related major incidents over a 6 month period, they finally fired over half the team. Apparently, they were just ticking check boxes and not actually reading what changes were being done, resulting in major outages.
But still, leadership refuses to admit that letting good talent go in the name of saving a few bucks was worth it. We have multiple single points of failure in numerous places now and are a wolf's breath from falling over.
The best part is that because these incidents caused a major loss of revenue, leadership said no raises and no new hires this year. Which has also resulted in a huge turn over and they're basically just banking on a sink or swim strategy at this point, as far as I can tell.
Nothing I can do about it internally - I've made many recommendations that go ignored or are deemed unimportant. We're losing customers constantly and they want to keep adding AI to crap that doesn't need it instead of investing in the human resources that build the applications and support customers.
At this point I'm not entirely sure our private equity overlords even want us to succeed. Wouldn't be surprised if the plan is to drive us into the ground and somehow make themselves richer and hand out a few golden parachutes for leadership.
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Comment on Once used to waterproof boats, this smoky plant byproduct is now used to flavour everything from schnapps to bread in Finland. But how does pine tar taste? in ~food
sparkle LinkWhat do you expect from the land that (possibly) brought us salmiakki? Which, as far as I can tell, also had its origins in 1930s pharmacies, just like terva. I do quite enjoy salmiakki and am...What do you expect from the land that (possibly) brought us salmiakki? Which, as far as I can tell, also had its origins in 1930s pharmacies, just like terva.
I do quite enjoy salmiakki and am planning a trip to Finland in winter 2028 so I might seek out some terva - sounds like a unique experience!
Are used appliances not a thing any more? About ten years ago, our dryer died and we went to a used appliance shop, paid maybe $100 for a new old one of about the same vintage and it worked like a charm. Not the most efficient of course, but that can be offset by line drying clothes.