sparkle's recent activity
-
Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
-
Comment on Finns trying to enjoy beaches and parks during their all-too-brief summers have been vexed by legions of geese and their droppings – the smelly mess has resisted even the most innovative solutions in ~enviro
sparkle LinkI don't know that we actually do anything in my part of Canada in the summer. They're just ever present and we accept that they live here in the summer and leave in the winter. They poop...I don't know that we actually do anything in my part of Canada in the summer. They're just ever present and we accept that they live here in the summer and leave in the winter. They poop everywhere and hiss at the lightest infraction just like the PCs. It's a part of life, you learn very quickly to identify their poop and dodge it. Granted, some of our beaches are more rocky than sandy so poop is easier to clean. Canadian geese also eat a lot of grass and tend to avoid areas without ample supplies of grass. It sounds like the barnacle geese feed on... barnacles so are more present at Finnish beaches.
I do imagine that our water treatment plants and other infrastructure are designed to handle it though, so I can understand why the Finns would be upset if it's posing a health hazard as well.
As an aside, does the pooper scooper described in the article sound a lot like a nut roller like one of these?
-
Comment on ‘Being short is a curse’: the men paying thousands to get their legs broken – and lengthened in ~life.men
sparkle Link ParentMy best guy friend couldn't make it to my wedding (middle of COVID) so my best gal pal was my best woman at my wedding. She's part of our story anyway so it really worked out better anyway. I've...Be willing to have female friends (the absolute best wingmen on Earth).
My best guy friend couldn't make it to my wedding (middle of COVID) so my best gal pal was my best woman at my wedding. She's part of our story anyway so it really worked out better anyway.
I've always had close female friends so I consider myself lucky to a) have them and b) to be married to somebody who doesn't mind and doesn't get jealous. I feel like too often social media and reality trash emphasize that jealousy is the default state and that just sucks for everybody involved. Lack of trust erodes reality faster than anything.
-
Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
sparkle LinkBought a '93? Jeep Cherokee off a family friend for 1000$, completely manual everything and a total tank. Unfortunately I was addled by dumb teenager brain and wanted to show off at one point, so...Bought a '93? Jeep Cherokee off a family friend for 1000$, completely manual everything and a total tank. Unfortunately I was addled by dumb teenager brain and wanted to show off at one point, so I tried going through a sizeable mud puddle after a heavy rain and managed to roll it on a back country road.
Thankfully wasn't hurt, the car was even in pretty good shape, just a mildly crushed roof. Really considered turning it into a convertible. Managed to get 500$ for it as scrap metal so not a terrible loss, but damn that was a good three years we had together.
Now I'm mostly car free as I live in a fairly walkable/bikeable city. Being able to walk to the grocery store or bike to boulangerie is really fantastic, aside from the whole six months of winter
-
Comment on What happened to your first car? in ~transport
sparkle Link ParentWow, having a car at 5! I think I was still mastering pooping then. Poor reading comprehension jokes aside, I remember one time in university when I was designated driver and my rich drunk friend...Wow, having a car at 5! I think I was still mastering pooping then.
Poor reading comprehension jokes aside, I remember one time in university when I was designated driver and my rich drunk friend let me drive the brand new 325i her parents bought her and it was an absolute dreeeeeam. Of course years later, I learned the cars aren't particularly expensive, it's the maintenance that gets you... But damn is it a fantastic car
-
Comment on Pebble recovers original trademark in ~tech
sparkle LinkJust got this update in my email and thought I'd share as I know there are a few around here that like Pebble watches and a couple still sporting the originals! I wish I was but unfortunately a...Just got this update in my email and thought I'd share as I know there are a few around here that like Pebble watches and a couple still sporting the originals! I wish I was but unfortunately a skiing trip ruined my Pebble Time :(
It's a small thing but it's kinda nice to see a door to the past reopen a bit in a legally binding way.
-
Pebble recovers original trademark
31 votes -
Comment on Sleep discipline in ~life
sparkle Link ParentI will second reading. I used to just kinda doom scroll reddit before bed until I got bored enough to try and maybe sleep. It was not a very useful system. After quitting reddit due to the API...I will second reading. I used to just kinda doom scroll reddit before bed until I got bored enough to try and maybe sleep. It was not a very useful system. After quitting reddit due to the API fiasco, I picked up reading in bed. Almost always I am asleep within 20-30 minutes. I'm also using a Kindle Paperwhite which is fantastic for night time reading!
The only problem is now I've somewhat Pavloved myself into thinking that reading=sleeping... But then again not always a bad thing since naps are quite nice
-
Comment on What silly complaints would your pets try to report? in ~life.pets
sparkle LinkMy resident trip hazard would like to complain that he is in not, in fact, a trip hazard but rather that the bipedal mammals walking are not attentive enough. This has nothing to do with said trip...My resident trip hazard would like to complain that he is in not, in fact, a trip hazard but rather that the bipedal mammals walking are not attentive enough.
This has nothing to do with said trip hazard possessing the survival skills of a flightless potato during a famine.
Nor is it because of the trip hazard's desire to be near the humans but not actually touching, just very close, so that they don't notice he's there until they take a step backward and are met with blood curdling yowls.
And certainly running into the human's foot as they are walking is totally normal cat behaviour and the human should adjust in such a manner that they do not stumble and fall instead of the trip hazard simply choosing better trajectories.
-
Comment on Low-end Linux tablet recommendations in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentOne day! If I ever come across anything I'll be sure to let you know :)One day! If I ever come across anything I'll be sure to let you know :)
-
Comment on Low-end Linux tablet recommendations in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentI actually do have KOReader but either the screen size of the Paperwhite 2 is too small or I'm a dunce who doesn't know how to use it because two column PDFs are still difficult to read :/I actually do have KOReader but either the screen size of the Paperwhite 2 is too small or I'm a dunce who doesn't know how to use it because two column PDFs are still difficult to read :/
-
Comment on Low-end Linux tablet recommendations in ~tech
sparkle LinkSorry to ghost everybody but I wound up having to take my cat to the emergency vet. Which also means I won't be buying myself anything soon... Thanks for all the responses! I think I'll probably...Sorry to ghost everybody but I wound up having to take my cat to the emergency vet. Which also means I won't be buying myself anything soon... Thanks for all the responses! I think I'll probably look into getting a used Surface as I didn't realize the prices were that low
-
Low-end Linux tablet recommendations
I love reading but lately I've found myself having to sit in front of my 2k monitor to read PDFs because they're technical documents and render poorly on my Kindle, even with using various tools...
I love reading but lately I've found myself having to sit in front of my 2k monitor to read PDFs because they're technical documents and render poorly on my Kindle, even with using various tools to optimize.
I've been considering getting a tablet primarily for this purpose. My main requirement is that I really don't want Android or iOS devices, leaving me with either purpose built Linux tablets or Windows tablets that I can replace with Linux. I really don't need much -
- Fast enough that there's no significant lag between page turns/scrolls
- 8"+ screen size
- Video watching isn't necessary but a nice bonus
- Wifi isn't absolutely necessary as long as there is an easy way of getting files on the device (USB transfer, SD card, external adapter, etc)
- SD card storage would be nice but I can also make due with just internal flash
- Keyboard is also optional - I wouldn't mind being able to run an IDE and connect to my gitlab instance for some simple coding on the fly or SSH into my homelab
- Cameras are largely unnecessary
- Decent battery life or the ability to upgrade down the road
- Looking for something around 500$ CAD (362-ish USD, 312€, 269£)
I've been eyeing the PineTab2 as it meets most of the requirements but reviews seem to be mixed on its usability. So I thought I would ask here if anybody has had similar requirements and found something that works for them. Or if the PineTab2 software has significantly improved - this reddit post seems to indicate that it is in a decent state now.
If nothing like this exists, I suppose I could settle for an Android device provided it can easily take a custom ROM and be de-googled. I would just prefer Linux as I know it quite well and I much prefer the freedom of it. I've also used a touch screen monitor with Plasma on my Arch laptop and been pleasantly surprised at the experience - the hardware is just a bit too clunky to reliably read with.
24 votes -
Comment on Just did my first tech repair! in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentMy dad's advice for this was always "if you put something back together and have a screw left over but it works, you didn't need that screw in the first place" Of course, now I do know in a lot of...My dad's advice for this was always "if you put something back together and have a screw left over but it works, you didn't need that screw in the first place"
Of course, now I do know in a lot of cases you DO need said screw, but in some cases it really is fairly unnecessary
-
Comment on Satisfactory | 1.1 launch trailer in ~games
sparkle Link ParentI recently heard about a game that was pitching itself as Starfield + Satisfactory + No Man's Sky, with more emphasis on the satisfactory side of things. It did leave me wishing Satisfactory had...I recently heard about a game that was pitching itself as Starfield + Satisfactory + No Man's Sky, with more emphasis on the satisfactory side of things. It did leave me wishing Satisfactory had planets to explore and ship stuff between, hoping we get that and more lore in future expansions. In fact, that was one of the first things my friend asked when I got her started on the game - "are the other starting areas like other planets or something?" "No and I really wish they were but with a hypertube cannon you can fly between starting zones very quickly at least..."
-
Comment on What are your favorite recipes for salad dressing in ~food
sparkle LinkI've been enjoying variations of this Caesar salad dressing for awhile. Table side prep purists look away! Usually just zazz it up with additions like more garlic roasted garlic romano or pecorino...I've been enjoying variations of this Caesar salad dressing for awhile. Table side prep purists look away!
Usually just zazz it up with additions like
- more garlic
- roasted garlic
- romano or pecorino instead of parmiggiano
- dried herbs (it usually goes in a chicken salad, after all)
- different mustard varieties (I have a honey balsamic Dijon mustard that hits really well in this)
Now that I've made it enough times I can eyeball it pretty well and it comes together faster than it takes me to put all the ingredients back up, great for a quick sous vide Caesar salad night!
-
Comment on The AI data center race is getting way more complicated in ~tech
sparkle (edited )Link ParentEdit: just realized I completely misread. The racks demand 1-MW, not that they were producing 1-MW, oops. But the comment is still kind of relevant as yes, 50-kw takes up about an average sized...Edit: just realized I completely misread. The racks demand 1-MW, not that they were producing 1-MW, oops. But the comment is still kind of relevant as yes, 50-kw takes up about an average sized tiny house. Scale that up by 20 for just 1-MW. Multiply by aisles, like you said, and my Satisfactory nuclear power setup might not even be enough.
Original comment:
Wow that's nuts. I used to work in broadcast engineering as a junior technician 15 years ago and we had a 50kw digital transmitter (Thales, I believe?) that took up four full sized deep racks. Twice because redundancy for 8 massive racks. Obviously half was for transmitter equipment, the other half for power. And since it was too expensive to remove, they also had the old 20kw analog transmitter in a nearby room that was almost as big, analog transmissions having ceased just two years earlier.I know it's not exactly the same, but thinking about how insanely dangerous those 50kw cabinets were without the proper precautions, near 1-MW cabinets is terrifying lol.
Loved that job, but the station owners were complete and utter assholes who wouldn't pay a living wage, among many many other ongoing issues. At least I did gain lots of valuable knowledge and advice from my peers that have gone a long way in my professional life.
-
Comment on Victories and challenges: An A[u]DHD community and support fortnightly thread #1 in ~health.mental
sparkle (edited )Link ParentDisclaimer: this is all a bit fuzzy so there are likely gaps/inaccuracies. There was a lot of unrelated trauma around this time mucking things up. Back in like, '97, '98 maybe? my parents took me...Disclaimer: this is all a bit fuzzy so there are likely gaps/inaccuracies. There was a lot of unrelated trauma around this time mucking things up.
Back in like, '97, '98 maybe? my parents took me to a study that was looking to image and map various brain patterns of ADD/ADHD kids (back when those were considered two separate things). Growing up poor in America, this was also the only way we could afford to get a diagnosis/medication as it was quite expensive for my older sister to get diagnosed and medicated.
Anyway the short of it is I had to do a full ADHD assessment that basically said "yes, Sparkle has ADHD" but then the study said my brainwave patterns (I was only ever hooked up to an EEG, never an MRI and I never saw the results so I couldn't provide any insight there) didn't match others in the study so I must not have ADHD or at the least I might just have ADD (my sister was diagnosed ADHD a year or two before this, if I recall. and again, back then they were thought of as two different things). So I went through all of my childhood misdiagnosed and untreated. It's not really clear to me why we stopped seeking treatment, even with a potentially ADD diagnosis, but I would guess it was just money and a "well it's not hyperactivity so we can manage it with love" mindset maybe. It was all really weird to me and I didn't quite understand, but eh, it was the 90s.
Ten or so years later, I was formally assessed and diagnosed ADHD by my also ADHD doctor, but even then it just didn't quite match still. Some behaviours just didn't quite line up and the medication (Adderall for me) helped immensely with focus and executive function, but it left me in a constant state of being overwhelmed which usually resulted in lots of meltdowns. Eventually I got off medication and learned a lot of coping and masking skills.
15 years later and I'm waiting on a formal autism assessment (my province has TWO psychiatrists able to provide a proper assessment and the waiting list is looooong). I'm fairly certain I do have autism based on everything I've been reading (and it runs deeply on both sides of my family, genetics being a large factor), so I think that my slightly anecdotal and somewhat empirical childhood experience lends some credence to them being two separate things.
-
Comment on Smoke to pour into the US as Canada wildfires force province’s largest evacuation in ‘living memory’ in ~enviro
sparkle (edited )Link Parenthttps://firesmoke.ca is also a handy resource for seeing smoke/wind forecasts from BlueSky (not the twitter alternative). Covers most of the US and Canada. Each province also hosts a fire page...https://firesmoke.ca is also a handy resource for seeing smoke/wind forecasts from BlueSky (not the twitter alternative). Covers most of the US and Canada. Each province also hosts a fire page with fire size, borders, and usually updates. Here's some links (omitting northern territories and maritimes as they aren't on fire. yet...)-
I'm relatively near some of the fires (hundreds of km vs thousands, for a sense of scale) Edit: while assembling the above information, realized the closest one is under control so yay! Definitely a bit scary because this is just the start of the season, last time it was this bad it was early August after an extremely dry summer (no measurable rain for the entire month of July and two days of rain in June).
Also, interesting idea on the air purifier. We used to dry herbs in a similar way except instead of a cube, we did them in a stack with herbs in between each filter, then ran the fan for 12-24 hours. So I guess you could still do the same and purify the air (and make it smell nice. But probably don't do that since it would obstruct air flow...)
-
Comment on Non-engineers AI coding & corporate compliance? in ~comp
sparkle Link ParentAh yeah I never copy paste directly from the prompt, I use it more like using a calculator to check my math answers and occasionally for consultation and troubleshooting. We do have licensing with...Ah yeah I never copy paste directly from the prompt, I use it more like using a calculator to check my math answers and occasionally for consultation and troubleshooting. We do have licensing with co-pilot but that hasn't been rolled out to everybody just yet. Also my code technically isn't customer facing - mostly internal automation tools and infrastructure as code stuff. Not sure if legally there is a distinction there.
My work laptop does have a 6GB (?) Nvidia A1000 GPU so I'm hoping I can get permission to run a local LLM off it. Barring that, I've been meaning to take another crack at getting GPU passthru working in proxmox on my homelab...
Soya wadi look kinda like TVP, you should be able to use them in anything that calls for that. I imagine a very delicious butter soya wadi could come from that. Or maybe a Japanese curry.
If you wanted something not soy, this recipe is my absolute favourite meat replacement. It does take some effort and requires a food processor (or maybe if you did it by hand you could skip 26lb bow arms and go even higher cuz it would be a workout!)
I've made it dozens of times and always been impressed with how meaty it comes out. I've used it in stir fries, bbq, salads, rice bowls, even as a shredded pork substitute for Cuban sandwiches. They're also just great snacks too.