sparkle's recent activity
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Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health
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Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health
sparkle Link ParentYeah, I'm realizing now reading the other comments that people can develop it post-adolescence which honestly was news to me - I thought it only went away or got worse in adolescence and was...Yeah, I'm realizing now reading the other comments that people can develop it post-adolescence which honestly was news to me - I thought it only went away or got worse in adolescence and was unaware it could be acquired later in life. I know I would be looking for a way to fix things if I was suddenly intolerant to beans or potatoes (my two favourite foods)
Many people consider drinking milk to be a serious ritual.
My figure skating coach recently told me that she drinks half a litre of milk every night before bed which was in the back of my mind when writing my original comment. Just one of those things that is difficult for me to comprehend, I suppose.
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Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health
sparkle Link ParentThat's a good point, I don't eat out very often and when I do, I'm not regularly checking for lactose beyond just skipping cheese and sweet stuff. Mine isn't severe enough for small amounts to...That's a good point, I don't eat out very often and when I do, I'm not regularly checking for lactose beyond just skipping cheese and sweet stuff. Mine isn't severe enough for small amounts to tear me up so maybe I've just always been lucky or assumed it was something else causing me some gastrointestinal distress. My wife is also lactose intolerant so we don't have problems at home either usually (except on the rare occasion we want to make ice cream, typically in the middle of winter for whatever reason).
I guess avoiding lactose stuff has just become so natural to me that I don't see why people put it in everything, other than it just being a part of the culture. I do get irrationally angry at seeing Asian cuisines recently adding cheese to everything though. I went out for Korean BBQ with friends that I was visiting in LA once and there was just a huge tray of melted bubbling cheese and corn in front of me the entire night. Was really rather disgusting to me but at least the rest was non-cheese lol
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Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health
sparkle Link ParentAh you hit an interesting point. I developed a fairly severe distaste for sugar at a very young age to the point I became fairly repulsed by most candy and cake things (I also have autism related...Ah you hit an interesting point. I developed a fairly severe distaste for sugar at a very young age to the point I became fairly repulsed by most candy and cake things (I also have autism related sensory issues, especially around anything sticky so that might be part of it too?). So I naturally avoid almost everything you listed or I opt for less sweeter varieties if they're available.
Almost sounds like big dairy and big sugar have been hanging out together...
But to the credit of everybody else, I guess I just sometimes forget other people like other things lol. If I suddenly developed a bean intolerance (one of my favourite foods), I'd probably also want to fix it or at least make them tolerable again.
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Comment on I fixed my lactose intolerance -- by chugging all the lactose in ~health
sparkle LinkI can handle small amounts of lactose in cheese and yogurt (that I make myself so I can hella strain it) but actual liquid milk still makes me vomit. The rest of dairy products just come out the...I can handle small amounts of lactose in cheese and yogurt (that I make myself so I can hella strain it) but actual liquid milk still makes me vomit. The rest of dairy products just come out the uhh. other chute.
I've avoided clicking this video on my feed for awhile because I expected it to literally be milk chugging, like the scene in Anchorman which still makes me gag. So I'm quite relieved to hear it's just milk powder but still. Hrchhh.
That being said, I'm fine with my lactose intolerance. I'm genuinely curious why in North America is it considered a thing that needs to be cured? I know one reasoning is because some medicines contain lactose and that can be problematic for lactose intolerant patients, which is understandable. But all too often, when I tell people I'm quite heavily lactose intolerant, they start telling me about their lactose intolerant cousin who takes lactaid and how I'm missing out on so much. So I guess I get the vibe that it's a FOMO thing or a desire to not be seen as different?
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Comment on Around the world in 80 days ... sustainably in ~talk
sparkle Link ParentIf I recall, Jean-Luc Picard was named after Jacques Piccard, who was Bertrand's fatherIf I recall, Jean-Luc Picard was named after Jacques Piccard, who was Bertrand's father
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Comment on What are some of your favorite stews/soups? in ~food
sparkle Link ParentRegarding grains of paradise, I did find this comment from Alton Brown's apple pie recipe So barring buying them online, perhaps you could blend black pepper, smidge of lemon zest, and cardamom?...Regarding grains of paradise, I did find this comment from Alton Brown's apple pie recipe
Note regarding Grains of Paradise: Aframomum melegueta is a cousin of ginger and its seeds are known as "grains of paradise." I have absolutely no idea why this spice is not more popular, because when crushed, the seeds deliver a spectacular complexity, a mingling of black pepper, lemon, cardamom, and something that reminds me of brown butter. Although GoP is welcomed on many a meat dish, it's on fruit that I really read the magic. This pie, is not this pie without this spice. You won't find it at the mega mart but it can be found online from sources such as spicehouse.com.
So barring buying them online, perhaps you could blend black pepper, smidge of lemon zest, and cardamom? I've personally been finding interesting uses for cardamom lately, particularly in savory baked goods and even hybrid ones like coffee cake.
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Comment on CGA-2025-10 🕹️⏰ 🗺️ 🐸 REMOVE CARTRIDGE ⏏️ Chrono Trigger in ~games
sparkle Link ParentIf it makes you feel better, I only had OTA channels growing up and was strictly limited to 1 hour per day of TV time on a CRT. I still had glasses starting at age 6 so maybe it's just bad...If it makes you feel better, I only had OTA channels growing up and was strictly limited to 1 hour per day of TV time on a CRT. I still had glasses starting at age 6 so maybe it's just bad genetics and not the CRT
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
sparkle Link ParentThanks! Getting a bit of Ayreon vibes from it - I do enjoy a good story told through songThanks! Getting a bit of Ayreon vibes from it - I do enjoy a good story told through song
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Comment on OpenAI’s H1 2025: $4.3b in income, $13.5b in loss in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentMy organization has internal documentation spread across so many areas. GitHub, confluence, Jira, backstage, inherited wikis from acquisitions, Jim's "don't delete, impt docs" folder, etc. I'm...My organization has internal documentation spread across so many areas. GitHub, confluence, Jira, backstage, inherited wikis from acquisitions, Jim's "don't delete, impt docs" folder, etc. I'm half tempted to join our hackathon this year just to pitch a documentation oriented LLM to help organize all this. Sadly the hackathon will mostly be about "how can we use AI to
gougebenefit customers". I guess this still falls under that umbrella lol, just not in the way management wantsnot just organization but, like you said, keeping it up to date as well! GitHub is actually pretty good at automatically updating documentation when setup right, but the rest are just generally unmaintained and unhelpful.
Nobody wants to do the work to update and maintain it because we're all overworked (partially because of poor documentation) so an LLM would be an excellent tool in this situation
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
sparkle Link ParentThis is really interesting because me, a usually pretty hardcore heavy/death metal head, found myself listening to lots of Bach and Strauss this week. And crocheting to it, just vibing and...This is really interesting because me, a usually pretty hardcore heavy/death metal head, found myself listening to lots of Bach and Strauss this week. And crocheting to it, just vibing and listening. It's been nice, though I still lean towards death metal for work lol
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Comment on It's impossible to evaluate your sleep with only one number in ~health
sparkle Link ParentMy experience mirrors yours - though my device is going on 8 years now and the heart rate tracking is showing its age. In the winter it will often get stuck at 140bpm during a run - slowing down...My experience mirrors yours - though my device is going on 8 years now and the heart rate tracking is showing its age. In the winter it will often get stuck at 140bpm during a run - slowing down or speeding up doesn't change it at all, only stopping will actually see a change. It also doesn't correctly register the beginning of a run, showing a near 50bpm instant increase, sustained for 2 minutes, then drops down to 75bpm. Seems like a software problem that probably won't be addressed due to its age.
When I got COVID a few years ago, my resting heart rate was about 15-20bpm above average even a day before I started showing symptoms and carried through the week. So at least that worked well.
All in all, I've been quite happy with it - 8 years is a long time in today's quick fashion and vapid tech world.
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Comment on It's impossible to evaluate your sleep with only one number in ~health
sparkle Link ParentThis is my problem with the "body battery" Garmin recently added. My watch isn't compatible thankfully, but my wife's is and she's constantly going on about how it says her body battery is low but...This is my problem with the "body battery" Garmin recently added. My watch isn't compatible thankfully, but my wife's is and she's constantly going on about how it says her body battery is low but I ask her how she feels and usually she feels just fine. But for some reason she wants to believe the Garmin knows something she doesn't or it's tracking a trend she can't see, etc. It just feels more gimmicky to me than anything and I don't know that I trust it.
I also don't really trust my sleep tracker because I know I have sleep issues and it will often state I had a great 8 hours of sleep when in reality I know I was awake for 3 of those hours. Other times it will do the opposite.
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Comment on CGA-2025-10 🕹️⏰ 🗺️ 🐸 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Chrono Trigger in ~games
sparkle Link ParentBoth are sort of tie-ins to Chrono Cross, though if you want to play more Chrono Trigger, it's a decent stand alone. All of Chrono Cross is well entrenched in my mind though, so I don't have a...Both are sort of tie-ins to Chrono Cross, though if you want to play more Chrono Trigger, it's a decent stand alone. All of Chrono Cross is well entrenched in my mind though, so I don't have a good objective opinion on if it's enjoyable without playing/liking/knowing anything about Chrono Cross :/
It's definitely fun, though I personally wouldn't play it right after playing Chrono Trigger just because the whiplash in quality is too jarring for me. I need some buffer space lol
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Comment on Elon Musk plans to take on Wikipedia with 'Grokipedia' in ~tech
sparkle Link ParentI like that the "four angels standing on the four corners of the earth" as evidence for a flat earth is dismissed by "being a figure of speech", yet the same logic cannot be applied to the...I like that the "four angels standing on the four corners of the earth" as evidence for a flat earth is dismissed by "being a figure of speech", yet the same logic cannot be applied to the creation story in Genesis, that each "day" is a figure of speech.
Cherry picking season is over, go home Conservapedia.
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Comment on CGA-2025-10 🕹️⏰ 🗺️ 🐸 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 Chrono Trigger in ~games
sparkle LinkChrono Trigger/Cross are my two favourite games of all time and I've played both extensively over the years - easily double digits of playthroughs on both and countless hundreds of hours well...Chrono Trigger/Cross are my two favourite games of all time and I've played both extensively over the years - easily double digits of playthroughs on both and countless hundreds of hours well spent.
For those are emulating on x86/ARM and get hooked - maybe afterwards give some of the custom ROM hacks a shot? There are some fantastic ones out there - Crimson Echoes and Flames of Eternity are full-fledged fan sequels and there a variety of difficulty/QOL/de-specialized ROM hacks out there as well.
I had initially turned away from them because I didn't want to taint my memory of CT, but then I picked up Crimson Echoes one day and quite thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Comment on Why do some gamers invert their controls? Scientists now have answers, but they’re not what you think. in ~games
sparkle Link ParentThat's a very interesting observation - I am also somewhat ambidextrous (I eat with my left hand usually, wristwatch on right hand, some sports with left hand, etc) but I am such an inverted gamer...That's a very interesting observation - I am also somewhat ambidextrous (I eat with my left hand usually, wristwatch on right hand, some sports with left hand, etc) but I am such an inverted gamer to the point I won't play a game if it's not available in inverted (thankfully it's usually doable via emulation/remapping these days). Many panicky moments switching Halo 3 to inverted when playing on a default profile...
I remember at one point watching some shooter at a relatives house and was given a controller to play multiplayer with the rest. I got about three steps in, couldn't figure out how to switch to inverted, fell off a cliff because I kept pointing the camera up, and very quickly gave up. I just could not comprehend doing it any other way.
I always felt it was more a spatial awareness thing as tilting the camera on a non-inverted setup triggered a near visceral feeling inside my brain. I also have lots of other various sensory issues so I figured the two went hand in hand lol. I'm also very stubborn so that could be a factor too haha
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
sparkle Link ParentSoya 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...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.
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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?
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Comment on <deleted topic> 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.
I do recall the Got Milk stuff and also all the calcium stuff. Teachers would tell me I'll have brittle bones or break my arm more easily if I didn't drink my milk but I was like "but it makes me feel sick... I don't want to drink it"
Meanwhile, I've gone nearly 40 years without drinking milk and have yet to break a bone ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Of course, having said that, I'll likely break something shoveling snow this weekend...