sparkle's recent activity
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Comment on Running ethernet in new home in ~life.home_improvement
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Comment on Are modern iPhones unusable without a case? in ~comp
sparkle I was recently given a Samsung A16 for work and I regret not asking how big it was (my options were that or an iPhone 14). I still use a Pixel 4 as a personal device and I love the smaller size of...I was recently given a Samsung A16 for work and I regret not asking how big it was (my options were that or an iPhone 14). I still use a Pixel 4 as a personal device and I love the smaller size of it. I don't consider myself to have small hands but the Samsung is just massive! It's impossible for my thumb to move from the bottom to the top of the phone from my default holding position, who even is the target audience anymore? Just general consensus that bigger is better?
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Comment on Recommend me a racing/driving game on PC in ~games
sparkle I haven't played 1 but have probably 20-30 hours on 2 and based on what I've read here, upgrades are entirely earned via races in 2, no money involved. Vehicles are less bulky and more streamlined...I haven't played 1 but have probably 20-30 hours on 2 and based on what I've read here, upgrades are entirely earned via races in 2, no money involved. Vehicles are less bulky and more streamlined (possibly). Controls I don't know about but I do like the simplicity of 2 on controller - accelerate, brake, steer, side-steer/flight on right stick, two boost buttons and that's it.
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Comment on Larry Ellison wants to put all US data in one big AI system in ~tech
sparkle Isn't that the plot of Person of Interest? A "jailbreak" (backdoor) in an AI that spits out SSN of people in danger but not considered relevant to national security?Isn't that the plot of Person of Interest? A "jailbreak" (backdoor) in an AI that spits out SSN of people in danger but not considered relevant to national security?
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Comment on Inside inventor Simone Giertz’s small Los Angeles home, 58sqm/630sqft in ~design
sparkle Can I ask what design software you used? I'm very much a "measure everything and visualize before buying" person and after five years in my place, still haven't bought much furniture beyond beds,...Can I ask what design software you used? I'm very much a "measure everything and visualize before buying" person and after five years in my place, still haven't bought much furniture beyond beds, a few tables, and a single couch primarily because I hate putting something together and realizing I didn't account for something that could have been prevented by simply planning it out better.
Love the place (though personally, the exercise equipment in the middle would become a trip hazard for me lol), it's a very creative use of a small space. I also enjoy designing small spaces and eventually want to turn the basement into a fully featured small space/hobby workshop that can be used as guest housing or just simply escaping lol.
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Comment on a/s/l? Tildes user survey question. in ~tildes
sparkle Bush rave? I've lived in MB for five years now and never heard of these :) though I guess we're not really Western Canada and I also don't seek out raves due to sensory issues (but I still wanna...Bush rave? I've lived in MB for five years now and never heard of these :) though I guess we're not really Western Canada and I also don't seek out raves due to sensory issues (but I still wanna go to them sometimes)
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Comment on As Internet enshittification marches on, here are some of the worst offenders in ~tech
sparkle They're headed that way though. Sure the "quests" aka ads are hideable for now, but eventually they'll remove that option "accidentally", walk it back after backlash, and then eventually bake the...They're headed that way though. Sure the "quests" aka ads are hideable for now, but eventually they'll remove that option "accidentally", walk it back after backlash, and then eventually bake the ads in some other way.
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Comment on Can you recommend tv shows with themes of grit, endurance, survival under hostile circumstances? in ~tv
sparkle I'd like to toss The 100 in here, yes it's a CW show and the first season is really low budget teen angst, but it gets really good from there. Definitely a lot of grit, endurance, and survival in...I'd like to toss The 100 in here, yes it's a CW show and the first season is really low budget teen angst, but it gets really good from there. Definitely a lot of grit, endurance, and survival in there. The ending is controversial to say the least but meh if you don't get too heavily invested in it, it's not that bad really.
The spoiler free synopsis is "Humanity lives in one big space station after the earth is rendered uninhabitable by nuclear war. 100 delinquent teenagers are sentenced to go down to earth after a century and see if things are safe. Lord of the Flies meets Fallout"
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
sparkle I have this exact same problem and while I've stared at it through countless kilometres of jogging, wondering how to design a custom 3D print or something, I have yet to actually do anything to...I have this exact same problem and while I've stared at it through countless kilometres of jogging, wondering how to design a custom 3D print or something, I have yet to actually do anything to fix it.
However! I did just have a thought while reading this and perhaps a universal/adjustable bicycle water bottle cage might be something you could look into? I imagine there has to be something out there that can clip onto a support bar on the treadmill and hold your water bottle in an easy to retrieve manner.
There probably actually are proper products, maybe like silicone squishy coozies, to help fill the void and reduce rattle but I can't think of any terms for a search.
Honorable intrusive thoughts suggestion: get a giant hamster water bottle, hang from ceiling.
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Comment on Recent Star Trek literature reading order flow chart in ~books
sparkle This was how I felt 25 years ago at the state of Star Trek literature. A lot of fascinating concepts but I just couldn't get into it because everything lacked flow and connection. And there were...With this many books, it seems not even worth starting because I can't imagine there would be much central plotting or quality control.
This was how I felt 25 years ago at the state of Star Trek literature. A lot of fascinating concepts but I just couldn't get into it because everything lacked flow and connection. And there were also some ridiculous inclusions into canon (iirc, back then all Star Trek media was considered canon) like the X-Men crossover series.
I also felt that they were too hung up on working existing characters into everything. My favourite Star Wars EU books were the ones that made the universe feel lived in by creating lovable characters that weren't featured predominantly in the movies, like the Rogue Squadron series. I feel like I do recall a few Star Trek books that did that, but they were too far detached from the universe that it felt like a whole other media franchise.
Anyway, I might look through some of these. I have always wanted to read some expanded universe stuff for Star Trek (and Stargate!) but never had a good starting point.
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Comment on Arch Enemy – Liars & Thieves (2024) in ~music
sparkle Thought for a second the new album dropped a month early and I briefly got very excited :) Nevertheless, eagerly looking forward to bingeing Blood Dynasty on repeat for a few weeks soon!Thought for a second the new album dropped a month early and I briefly got very excited :)
Nevertheless, eagerly looking forward to bingeing Blood Dynasty on repeat for a few weeks soon!
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Comment on TimeGuessr in ~games
sparkle (edited )LinkCool concept but the year slider is not very obvious nor easy to use on mobile :/ An input box or list would maybe be easier. Also I despise the UI of any embedded map, but this isn't the worst...Cool concept but the year slider is not very obvious nor easy to use on mobile :/ An input box or list would maybe be easier.
Also I despise the UI of any embedded map, but this isn't the worst I've used. Being able to tap on the image and flip back and forth is great, so long as you don't have clumsy fingers that pinch the wrong places lol
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Comment on A shower thought on cameras in ~talk
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Comment on What are your favourite things to mix with natural yogurt? in ~food
sparkle I've been making yogurt at home for years as it's pretty easy, significantly cheaper, and healthier. There's so many ways to serve it up! Making it yourself isn't always feasible, but the...I've been making yogurt at home for years as it's pretty easy, significantly cheaper, and healthier. There's so many ways to serve it up! Making it yourself isn't always feasible, but the following should work for any unflavored yogurt.
Some toppings I enjoy are basically any dried fruit as I'm not a big fan of most fresh fruits. However, I do enjoy berries so I love picking raspberries/strawberries from the garden in the summer for my yogurt :)
Hemp seeds are a great protein boost! I also like mixing in a little cooked buckwheat too for a slightly more savory yogurt. Don't be afraid to add a little salt! Never been a big fan of granola or oats in my yogurt. You can also mix hemp seeds with other seeds, nuts, and dried fruits. I like them all so no real combinations to recommend, just whatever I have on hand.
Of course time is often of the essence, so I sometimes find myself just doing a scoop of protein powder, a little extra whey liquid that I keep when making the yogurt, and some maple syrup to make a quick meal.
For a dessert yogurt, I find I just like a very small amount of vanilla tincture (also homemade but any extract will probably work) with some maple syrup for a hint of sweetness without being too overpowering.
Bonus that since I make my yogurt with whole milk, it's a fantastic sour cream replacement! I use it in burritos, chilis, etc.
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Comment on Why gen Z is drinking less in ~health
sparkle I don't drink anymore but I sometimes glance at the drink menu, at most sit down restaurants here in the Canadian prairies (lower CoL than either coast) you're usually looking at 6$ for a domestic...I don't drink anymore but I sometimes glance at the drink menu, at most sit down restaurants here in the Canadian prairies (lower CoL than either coast) you're usually looking at 6$ for a domestic beer, 8-10$ for imports, 10-12$ for a "simple cocktail" (old fashioned, margarita, whiskey sour, etc), 14-20$ for more complex cocktails like signature drinks, seasonal flavours, etc.
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Comment on What’s something you’re personally proud of from this year? in ~life
sparkle (edited )LinkWell nobody but me has known I had a problem so I've had nobody to tell, but I'm pretty proud that I've been (99.9%) sober from alcohol the entire year for the first time in probably a decade....Well nobody but me has known I had a problem so I've had nobody to tell, but I'm pretty proud that I've been (99.9%) sober from alcohol the entire year for the first time in probably a decade. Lost a good bit of weight and been exercising and generally feeling a lot better, feels like it's been one of my better decisions in a long line of bad decisions.
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Comment on What is the best modern-ish OS to install on older computers? (Parameters within) in ~comp
sparkle I was also going to suggest KolibriOS for Computer 1 - it only needs 8MB of RAM and can run on any i586 machine. Would also be able to support modern components like USB and Ethernet. Though not...I was also going to suggest KolibriOS for Computer 1 - it only needs 8MB of RAM and can run on any i586 machine. Would also be able to support modern components like USB and Ethernet. Though not entirely sure if it could handle a PCI USB expansion card (the machine might have USB 1.0/1.1 but didn't want to make any assumptions), but worth a shot.
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Comment on Are ‘ghost engineers’ real? Seeking Silicon Valley’s least productive coders. in ~tech
sparkle Thanks, you've finally explained why so many of my colleagues are contractors but have been with the company for 5+ years. That always made me scratch my head (UK based company). I also have a...This is probably a main reason why my company usually uses contractor-to-hire - contractors can be fired without cause.
Thanks, you've finally explained why so many of my colleagues are contractors but have been with the company for 5+ years. That always made me scratch my head (UK based company).
I also have a "vampire engineer" on my team who saves me about 5 hours a week in busy work (that I could honestly have automated if I had the time) but creates about 10 hours a week of work for me to fix his shit, re-explain something that he should know because I literally gave him the documentation three weeks ago, or asks so many questions that it's easier for me to just do it because it takes more time to explain than to just do it and he doesn't seem to learn anyway.
Management is well aware and have given him chance after chance but since he's not a contractor, very difficult to fire. I do try to have some empathy since he's young (Gen Z young), English isn't his first language, and I was once fired for asking too many questions at a job where I had zero knowledge of the products, but I at least made improvements and learned. Haven't seen much of either from him.
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Comment on Portland Airport grows with expansive mass timber roof canopy in ~transport
sparkle Yeah, that sounds about right. Most of my family is from Portland and they'd never mentioned the carpet before and we've all flown in and out of PDX many times over the years. Though we did have...Yeah, that sounds about right. Most of my family is from Portland and they'd never mentioned the carpet before and we've all flown in and out of PDX many times over the years. Though we did have quite a lull from about 2005-2015 (when my grandfather was having some health issues) so if it reached peak during then, definitely would have missed it lol
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Comment on Portland Airport grows with expansive mass timber roof canopy in ~transport
sparkle I was just there a few weeks ago visiting family, heard from some locals that the company had pulled out some of the famous carpet and it caused quite an uproar, such that they found a fabric...I was just there a few weeks ago visiting family, heard from some locals that the company had pulled out some of the famous carpet and it caused quite an uproar, such that they found a fabric printer to recreate it.
Not sure if that was during the construction of the timber terminal or a different renovation, but thought it was a funny bit of Portland trivia I didn't know
(My experience comes from semi-professional installs, a few residentials, and my own 1977 Canadian home)
Another for Cat6 - I actually ran Cat6A plenum rated because I wasn't sure of the building codes here (new country and all for me). Overkill but honestly, price difference wasn't too much.
Basement/crawlspace is gold for getting access. It should be fairly obvious where the baseplates are (a lot of nails in a straight row). Barring that, attic access to the tops of walls is also pretty good. I have a few that I ran behind my baseboards because I didn't realize it was pretty much impossible to access the exterior walls from the basement.
For the upstairs, try to identify an existing cable drop for coax or telephone. Use those to help by either using them as fish lines or attach fish lines to them. There may be other utilities you can follow too, though if following power try not to run parallel if possible or at least keep it 6" away.
Finally, run everything twice! You never know when you'll need to expand capacity or one of them fails, future you will be grateful (if you plan to stay there for a long time).