sparksbet's recent activity
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Comment on Pharmacogenetics personalised medicine: new frontier or nonsense? in ~health
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Comment on Pharmacogenetics personalised medicine: new frontier or nonsense? in ~health
sparksbet (edited )Link ParentSide-eying your doctor for this hard. 10mg is the usual starting dose in the US for adults on Adderall, based on the experiences of a number of friends, and 20mg is a pretty high dose that it's...20mg is the 'standard adult dose' so I get why he started me on it.
Side-eying your doctor for this hard. 10mg is the usual starting dose in the US for adults on Adderall, based on the experiences of a number of friends, and 20mg is a pretty high dose that it's more normal to titrate up to rather than starting with it. When I was on dextroamphetamine my psychiatrist started me on 5mg and I never needed more than that (since then I've switched to an equivalent dose of Vyvanse). Even my friend whose wildly incompetent psychiatrist prescribed her 20mg twice daily and caused her significant mental health problems as a result started at 10mg. Moreover, if it "hit you hard", a competent clinician should have asked you about that and adjusted your dose down if you were experiencing too many side effects.
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Comment on New AI data center in Utah will generate and consume more than twice the amount of power the entire state uses in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentThis is part of why the top-level comment brought up the fact that Utah is in the desert and gets a lot of sun, though. This doesn't completely solve the issue of batteries but it absolutely makes...I mostly have data for central Europe as that is where I reside, but in here we can pretty commonly get two weeks with minimum solar and wind and yet peak energy demand in the winter, no weather anomalies needed
This is part of why the top-level comment brought up the fact that Utah is in the desert and gets a lot of sun, though. This doesn't completely solve the issue of batteries but it absolutely makes the economics stacked more in favor of solar than they would be in central Europe, where both the weather and the latitude are less favorable for it, especially when it comes to the winter. I don't think it really makes sense to use values from central Europe for back-of-the-napkin math here as a result of that.
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Comment on California billionaire tax has signatures needed for ballot, backers say in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentIt's worth reading the part you quoted, because your response indicates you misunderstood it. It says "If SEIU is also using this measure as a negotiating tactic to get a more reasonable tax...It's worth reading the whole linked post if you haven't. The tax is completely unreasonable
It's worth reading the part you quoted, because your response indicates you misunderstood it. It says "If SEIU is also using this measure as a negotiating tactic to get a more reasonable tax adopted by the legislature or more expansion of healthcare labor protections instead" (emphasis mine). They're discussing if SEIU is pushing for this unreasonable tax as a tactic to get a different more reasonable tax adopted or other expansion of healthcare labor protections, much like how in 2014 they used an unreasonable ballot measure to get something else instead. While there's plenty of room to disagree with their opinion on this front, they aren't claiming the current ballot measure is reasonable.
Also, Gavin Newsom opposing something doesn't entail that it's a bad thing. I think the article and bits of other comments have addressed ways that the measure is poorly designed to an extent that I'm convinced it is true, but as far as convincing evidence goes, Gavin Newsom's position ain't it, given many of the other things he opposes.
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Comment on What are your go-to meals that you cook? in ~food
sparksbet Link Parentyeah I suspect the exact differences are more of an academic exercise rather than a large practical difference in this type of recipe. just felt like info-dumping lolyeah I suspect the exact differences are more of an academic exercise rather than a large practical difference in this type of recipe. just felt like info-dumping lol
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Comment on NHTSA tells US Congress: advanced impaired driving detection tech isn't ready in ~transport
sparksbet Link ParentI don't think this has been studied with coke or meth, but I do know that drivers with ADHD have an increased risk of serious transport accidents, probably due to increased distracted driving, and...I don't think this has been studied with coke or meth, but I do know that drivers with ADHD have an increased risk of serious transport accidents, probably due to increased distracted driving, and research has shown this risk is dramatically decreased when treated with stimulant medication. While these results obviously can't be generalized to the normal population taking recreational stimulants, I wouldn't be surprised if small enough doses of stimulants would even improve focus for neurotypical people.
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Comment on We must keep age verification from killing anonymity online in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentTo be fair, I've almost never been carded at all in Germany. The one time I was carded by a self-checkout, it was for an energy drink, and the clerk watching the self-checkouts bypassed it without...To be fair, I've almost never been carded at all in Germany. The one time I was carded by a self-checkout, it was for an energy drink, and the clerk watching the self-checkouts bypassed it without asking for my ID (presumably because I look old enough 😢). I haven't seen the attachments delphi describes tho.
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Comment on Iceland pushes Apple to add Icelandic language support in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentLuckily it seems like the comment labels have worked, at least. But yeah, same.Luckily it seems like the comment labels have worked, at least. But yeah, same.
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Comment on What are your go-to meals that you cook? in ~food
sparksbet Link ParentI didn't even know about the Australian one until I went to double check the UK traditional one and it's cursed. I suspect they were using UK traditional before and didn't want to change the 4:1...I didn't even know about the Australian one until I went to double check the UK traditional one and it's cursed. I suspect they were using UK traditional before and didn't want to change the 4:1 of teaspoons to tablespoons when they switched to metric? God weights and measures are bizarre.
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Comment on "Why was I invited to Beast Studios?" - A comprehensive investigative analysis of YouTube's biggest channel in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentAt some point, I think this is giving Mr Beast Industries way too much benefit of the doubt, or at least framing his failings in way too positively a way. I prefer how Dan phrased it in the linked...I'm willing to give Mr Beast the benefit of some doubt, that he's a (relatively) young person who suddenly found enormous success, immediately got surrounded by cult like worshippers and scammers and hangers-on, and basically is by now in way over his head on what to do about this empire / channel.
At some point, I think this is giving Mr Beast Industries way too much benefit of the doubt, or at least framing his failings in way too positively a way. I prefer how Dan phrased it in the linked video -- the way Beast Industries is run is reckless and incompetent. Things like safety and sexual harassment are only taken remotely seriously after they're already mired in litigation over them. Several of his controversies are over things that do not necessarily require business acumen to avoid them (e.g., Saudi Arabia).
I also think that this is insulting to Mr Beast when it comes to his actual business acumen. The success of Mr Beast wasn't an accident and Jimmy Donaldson was personally responsible for a lot of that -- he is a charismatic guy and has some skill and instinct for certain parts of business. His failures in other aspects of business are due to either a deliberate naivety or a refusal to hire people who know what they're doing, because he is not some innocent rube who is not capable of hiring people who are experienced in these aspects of business.
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Comment on What are your go-to meals that you cook? in ~food
sparksbet Link ParentWhile this is usually true, it depends heavily on which tablespoon and teaspoon you use. The metric tablespoon is 15mL and the metric teaspoon 5mL, which does work out to 1:3, and a US teaspoon is...1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
While this is usually true, it depends heavily on which tablespoon and teaspoon you use. The metric tablespoon is 15mL and the metric teaspoon 5mL, which does work out to 1:3, and a US teaspoon is defined as 1/3 of a tablespoon and the sizes are close enough to the metric ones for the difference to be small. However, the traditional UK tablespoon (which is very close to but slightly smaller than both the US and metric tablespoons) is 4 traditional UK teaspoons, making those traditional UK teaspoons quite a bit smaller than their US and metric counterparts. The Australian metric tablespoon is apparently 20mL, 5mL more than the international metric tablespoon, which means that since they use the same metric teaspoon, there are also 4 teaspoons in a tablespoon under that definition.
So converting recipes is fun!
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Comment on Iceland pushes Apple to add Icelandic language support in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentUnless the third-party sellers are smuggling the phones into the country somehow, it seems unlikely that Apple isn't doing something that legally would be considered doing business in Iceland,...Unless the third-party sellers are smuggling the phones into the country somehow, it seems unlikely that Apple isn't doing something that legally would be considered doing business in Iceland, even without first-party stores. Exporting your phones to Icelandic businesses would still count, I assume. But idk, honestly. I'm not sure if Iceland legally requires businesses to use Icelandic, but even if it does I doubt Apple lacks a physical presence there for that reason -- Iceland is a small and expensive country, so I think it's not that unusual for a given country not to have a direct presence there.
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Comment on Iceland pushes Apple to add Icelandic language support in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentTo balance things out, I saw it as much worse than @Flother did. Or at least my response to the initial comment would have been much less calm and respectfully worded than theirs and thus probably...To balance things out, I saw it as much worse than @Flother did. Or at least my response to the initial comment would have been much less calm and respectfully worded than theirs and thus probably inappropriate for Tildes, so I was glad that other users had already left sensible, measured responses to the absolutely gross attitude in the top-level comment so that I didn't rashly leave a much shorter and more hostile reply. The fact that the top-level comment has upvotes, much less people defending it from the most calm and reasonably phrased objection imaginable, reflects negatively on Tildes.
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Comment on New Steam Controller reportedly $99 in ~games
sparksbet Link ParentAh gotcha. Shame, I'd consider getting one if it were the other way around.Ah gotcha. Shame, I'd consider getting one if it were the other way around.
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Comment on New Steam Controller reportedly $99 in ~games
sparksbet Link ParentIf you pair that controller with your Switch, how does the orientation of the A B X Y buttons work? I'd kill for a controller that pairs with my Switch but lets me not have to battle my muscle...If you pair that controller with your Switch, how does the orientation of the A B X Y buttons work? I'd kill for a controller that pairs with my Switch but lets me not have to battle my muscle memory to not mix up the buttons from my normal PC gaming.
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Comment on Iceland pushes Apple to add Icelandic language support in ~humanities.languages
sparksbet Link ParentI'm not sure if physical presence really changes whether they're doing business in the country if they're selling their phones there still, though...I'm not sure if physical presence really changes whether they're doing business in the country if they're selling their phones there still, though...
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Comment on What is Mastodon for? in ~tech
sparksbet (edited )Link ParentThe word on the button was apparently originally "publish" and it changed across Mastodon because of HBomberguy who I don't think expected it to actually happen until it did. It was almost...They also have to know that nobody in their right mind would willingly use the term "toot" to describe a post.
The word on the button was apparently originally "publish" and it changed across Mastodon because of HBomberguy who I don't think expected it to actually happen until it did. It was almost certainly suggested because of its silliness in this respect.
I don't think Mastodon ever had much shot as a Twitter replacement but I'm not sure I really buy that it's a fundamental failure at the level you seem to think it is. It's just very much only really successful on a smaller scale and in a different context from something that truly intends to compete with Twitter.
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Comment on Why America is so much better than Europe at immigration in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentGermany recently defunded its integration courses, so I'm not particularly convinced the government cares whatsoever about actually integrating refugees rather than just punishing people for not...Germany recently defunded its integration courses, so I'm not particularly convinced the government cares whatsoever about actually integrating refugees rather than just punishing people for not being born in Germany.
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Comment on Why America is so much better than Europe at immigration in ~society
sparksbet Link ParentUS democrat politicians have definitely tried to crack down on their immigration policy in an attempt to appeal to conservative voters, though, even if it's not universal consensus among US...US democrat politicians have definitely tried to crack down on their immigration policy in an attempt to appeal to conservative voters, though, even if it's not universal consensus among US liberals as a voting bloc, though. I'm not really in the liberal political space enough to know whether they're explicitly calling for us to emulate countries like Denmark when it comes to immigration policy, but I think if that's ever the case, we should certainly pay attention to their failures. There's often an "everything is better in Western European social democracies and we should do exactly what they do" sentiment among US liberals, and while this is sometimes true, it's important to point out when this is not the case, be it about immigration or something else (I wouldn't want the US to emulate any of these countries when it comes to trans healthcare, for example).
Granted, I'm biased because I've experienced immigration in an EU country as an immigrant and watched the government make it worse in real time, so I think it's valuable to criticize their failings even without the comparison to the US. But ofc comparison to the US is kinda the center of this article.
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Comment on For $700 a month, sleeping pods make San Francisco more affordable, but at what cost in ~life
sparksbet (edited )Link ParentDorms at my university in Germany were all singles, and the other benefits of co-living you cite were all still pretty applicable. But dorms at universities there are also not mandatory and much...Dorms at my university in Germany were all singles, and the other benefits of co-living you cite were all still pretty applicable. But dorms at universities there are also not mandatory and much cheaper than local non-dorm housing, with the tradeoff that there's a waiting period to get in because they're pretty much always full. You were also allowed to use the communal kitchen to make your meals if you wanted, or to buy your meals at the university cafeterias, where you paid quite low prices per-meal rather than having an expensive pre-paid meal plan. Even before you factor in the differences in how tuition works, it served as a much more sensible budget option for students compared to dorms at the university I attended in the US, which required you to get an expensive meal plan if you lived there and cost enough more than local apartments that the university had to artificially force second-year students to live on campus by forbidding them from doing otherwise (my year at my US uni was the last one to only be required to live on campus for your first year, so it's fresh in my mind).
I also haven't spoken to my college roommate in the US since we lived together freshman year, because just being forced to share the same tiny room for a year doesn't automatically make you friends, and we had no other social connections. My social life in college was still great and my friends lived in other dorms. I think sharing apartments or dorm buildings does make sense at that stage in life, but I don't think being forced to share a bedroom actually improves things socially or culturally on the whole, it just lets the university house more people in the same amount of space.
Adderall is indeed composed of both isomers of amphetamine, but afaik the typical dosages don't wildly differ from pure dextroamphetamine. They are the same compound underlyingly, just two different isomers, which were explained to me by my psychiatrist as left- and right-handed versions of the molecule. The right-handed version is generally associated with most of the positive effects and the left-handed version with unwanted side effects, which is why the version with only the right-handed version is used (hence dextroamphetamine). Afaik Adderall has a 3:1 ratio of D-amphetamine to L-amphetamine.
My understanding is that Adderall is much more common and easier to get than dextroamphetamine in the US, which is why most of my friends with experience getting onto ADHD meds as adults have experience woth it rather than dextroamphetamine. The opposite was the case when I lived in Germany, which is why I started on dextroamphetamine myself rather than Adderall -- in Germany Adderall-equivalent is only available when compounded specifically and that isn't covered by health insurance afaik. Public health insurance in Germany also actually only covered dextroamphetamine itself for children, so when I switched to public health insurance I had to switch to Vyvanse anyway (and I was looking for something longer-acting at that point anyway, so it balanced out). I'm glad I started in Germany on 5mg though, because taking twice as much would've been completely unnecessary.