sparksbet's recent activity

  1. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    Oh, I still drink tons of diet soda lol! But the caffeine in soda wasn't enough to really do much for me back then, and honestly even these days it's not much of an issue.

    Oh, I still drink tons of diet soda lol! But the caffeine in soda wasn't enough to really do much for me back then, and honestly even these days it's not much of an issue.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Megathread: April Fools' Day 2025 on the internet in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    Literally came to the thread to post this 😂 One of the top comments says "The gulf between James Hoffman and Hames Joffman is increasingly diminishing" and I can't say I disagree.

    Literally came to the thread to post this 😂 One of the top comments says "The gulf between James Hoffman and Hames Joffman is increasingly diminishing" and I can't say I disagree.

    7 votes

  3. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    Well, caffeine straight-up is a stimulant, after all. A much weaker one with some differences in how it works when compared to the ones used to treat ADHD, but I think it makes sense that their...

    Well, caffeine straight-up is a stimulant, after all. A much weaker one with some differences in how it works when compared to the ones used to treat ADHD, but I think it makes sense that their effects would be similar. My college friends are shocked that I don't drink like 4-5 coffees a day anymore but in retrospect it was definitely a form of not-super-effective self-medication.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Minecraft is the world's best-selling computer game – the psychology behind why children are hooked on the game in ~games

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    ah fair enough, I was already aware of Sci-Hub but I've usually only put the effort in for stuff in my own field rather than articles I randomly come across. Maybe I'll go look for it there when I...

    ah fair enough, I was already aware of Sci-Hub but I've usually only put the effort in for stuff in my own field rather than articles I randomly come across. Maybe I'll go look for it there when I have free time later though.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Do you have games that you play (almost) exclusively? in ~games

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    I tried to deliberately avoid spoiling this in my comment, fwiw. I think discovering this yourself is a more fun experience.

    I tried to deliberately avoid spoiling this in my comment, fwiw. I think discovering this yourself is a more fun experience.

  7. Comment on Minecraft is the world's best-selling computer game – the psychology behind why children are hooked on the game in ~games

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    The actual study is paywalled, which is annoying, as I wonder if this is just a reflection of the larger "girls don't play videogames" issue that's been around for a while. 1 in 3 girls is still...

    The actual study is paywalled, which is annoying, as I wonder if this is just a reflection of the larger "girls don't play videogames" issue that's been around for a while. 1 in 3 girls is still pretty wildly popular for any particular game, and I wonder if the difference is purely in that more girls don't play any videogames at all, rather than being Minecraft specific. The abstract also mentions that they look into gendered aspects of the game and its marketing, which sounds interesting enough that I'm frustrated I can't actually read the study.

    11 votes

  8. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    Coffee does sometimes make me very sleepy -- a morning coffee is usually fine (and I drank a lot of coffee before I was on stimulants) but I would frequently have my intense afternoon nap right...

    Coffee does sometimes make me very sleepy -- a morning coffee is usually fine (and I drank a lot of coffee before I was on stimulants) but I would frequently have my intense afternoon nap right after a cup of coffee. My suspicion is that the small degree to which it alleviated some of my other ADHD symptoms made it relaxing in that context.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    hm I haven't really looked but that's a good idea! Worst case that's something I can ask for some in a future care package, since a shaker is a reasonable size and weight for that, but I also...

    hm I haven't really looked but that's a good idea! Worst case that's something I can ask for some in a future care package, since a shaker is a reasonable size and weight for that, but I also suspect it might be possible to find here if I look a little.

  10. Comment on Do you have games that you play (almost) exclusively? in ~games

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    You start with it (at least once you get to the ship), the game doesn't have any unlockables like that. You have everything you'll have by the end of the game (or the ability to get to it quickly...

    You start with it (at least once you get to the ship), the game doesn't have any unlockables like that. You have everything you'll have by the end of the game (or the ability to get to it quickly in the ship) as soon as you first blast off. To use autopilot, you first need to lock onto something using either left click on mouse or L3 on controller iirc. I think a prompt should come up at that point telling you what button is the autopilot. The autopilot is still a bit simple, so it won't completely replace manual flying, but it should still help a lot while you get the hang of things.

    Keep not googling anything btw. It really benefits from the spoiler-free treatment.

    4 votes

  11. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    ooh I already like white cheddar popcorn plain, so I bet that slaps. Unfortunately I haven't found it here in Germany, but I'll try this out next time I'm in the states.

    ooh I already like white cheddar popcorn plain, so I bet that slaps. Unfortunately I haven't found it here in Germany, but I'll try this out next time I'm in the states.

    1 vote

  12. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    Lao Gan Ma actually sells a lot of products! The chili crisp is the most popular in the US (and I think probably elsewhere abroad), but the business got big on the back of their original...

    Lao Gan Ma actually sells a lot of products! The chili crisp is the most popular in the US (and I think probably elsewhere abroad), but the business got big on the back of their original Guizhou-style chili oil with black fermented soybeans, which is still their most popular product in China. They sell a ton of Guizhou-style chili oil-based products! Chinese Cooking Demystified has a good video where they cover the history and culinary origins of Lao Gan Ma and give a rather authentic (but high-effort) recipe for homemade Guizhou chili crisp, as well as a video where they go through every single Lao Gan Ma product, including descriptions of how they're used and ratings on how well they go over the rice.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    Lao Gan Ma is a legit Chinese brand and their chili crisp is solid. Other brands are probably fine (I haven't tried them and we probably have different ones available anyway) but I can't imagine...

    Lao Gan Ma is a legit Chinese brand and their chili crisp is solid. Other brands are probably fine (I haven't tried them and we probably have different ones available anyway) but I can't imagine anywhere with multiple brands of chili crisp doesn't have Lao Gan Ma anyway. Brian David Gilbert actually has a video making popcorn using Lao Gan Ma chili crisp as the seasoning!

    3 votes

  14. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    As an addendum, I am an evangelist for making popcorn in a wok. I think it's legitimately the best vessel for it. The shape of a wok, with the small bottom and large sloping sides, makes it super...

    As an addendum, I am an evangelist for making popcorn in a wok. I think it's legitimately the best vessel for it.

    The shape of a wok, with the small bottom and large sloping sides, makes it super easy for popped kernels to be removed from the heat when you shake it, making it easier to pop almost every kernel without burning the popcorn. My parents had one of those stovetop contraptions specifically for popcorn with a crank to circulate the kernels, but a wok is just as good for the specific task and is also useful for other stuff. Plus, a carbon steel wok heats up faster and is easier to clean.

    And, conveniently, if you're someone who wants to use a wok for other cooking, making popcorn in it is actually super good for the wok itself! The popping kernels leave a relatively even, thin coating of oil which really helps build up layers of seasoning. Grace Young's cookbook Stir-frying to the Sky's Edge actually explicitly recommends this and says she does this whenever she's going to gift a wok to a friend so that it starts with a nice seasoning layer.

    4 votes

  15. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    iirc there are some indications that ADHD may be related to some sleep disorders, actually! There's obviously a lot we don't know but sleep issues are not uncommon among people with ADHD. Luckily...

    Sleep and ADHD feels like a mismatch made in hell.

    iirc there are some indications that ADHD may be related to some sleep disorders, actually! There's obviously a lot we don't know but sleep issues are not uncommon among people with ADHD. Luckily for me, I got the "sleeps too much" variety -- I've considered going for a sleep study or something to look into it independently before, but apparently the treatment for the "sleeps too much" kind is also just stimulants, which I've already got, so I haven't bothered. I actually had someone on reddit suggest ADHD long before my diagnosis when I mentioned constantly struggling to resist long midday naps.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    I think this depends a lot on the individual's skin and hair type, not just the particular shampoo and conditioner. I know for some people with oily hair, washing every day can counterintuitively...

    I think the people who say that shampoo dries your scalp and hair either ignore conditioner or have never found a good quality shampoo and conditioner combo.

    I think this depends a lot on the individual's skin and hair type, not just the particular shampoo and conditioner. I know for some people with oily hair, washing every day can counterintuitively contribute to more oil because your scalp is trying to make up for lost oils. But it varies so much from person to person that it's hard to make any big generalizations.

    I don't really like showering every day more generally, so I just wash my hair whenever I shower and that works out for me.

    5 votes

  17. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    My sister has the same machine as you, I think, and it can make some pretty good coffee! If your beans taste super bitter when you switch to a new blend, it's often worth tweaking your grind...

    My sister has the same machine as you, I think, and it can make some pretty good coffee!

    If your beans taste super bitter when you switch to a new blend, it's often worth tweaking your grind setting -- though if you're already grinding coarse and it tastes bitter it's probably not too far off. Different beans sometimes need slightly different tweaks on that front.

    I also definitely recommend seeking out a local specialty roaster if you enjoy experiencing the different flavors of your espressos. An Americano definitely gives you enough of the flavor from the beans that it'll be worth it to try something nice. I'm more of a cappuccino person and that's a bit more forgiving, but it also means I get less of the unique flavors bc some of it is disguised by the milk. Probably for this reason, I get more of the flavor of a specific blend when I do pourover, since I don't add as much milk to that.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    You'll probably get about as many opinions about specific beans for espresso as you will espresso fans, but now I'm obligated to ask what your setup is lol

    You'll probably get about as many opinions about specific beans for espresso as you will espresso fans, but now I'm obligated to ask what your setup is lol

    2 votes

  19. Comment on What's an atypical thing you do that you'd recommend to others? in ~talk

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    I have to take medication first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then wait at least 30 minutes before eating anything. Atm my cats wake me up at 7am for their breakfast, despite the...

    I have to take medication first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then wait at least 30 minutes before eating anything. Atm my cats wake me up at 7am for their breakfast, despite the fact that I'm currently unemployed and otherwise would not be up so early otherwise, so after I feed them I take my meds and go back to bed. I think I may try starting a breakfast habit when I properly wake up later! I like eggs and they're luckily not as expensive here as in the states, and they're perfect for breakfast.

    3 votes

  20. Comment on What does a newcomer moving to your town/city/state/country need to know? in ~life

    sparksbet
    Link Parent
    My parents even sent me a bottle here in Berlin! I haven't figured out how to use it yet though, since I don't have a grill here.

    My parents even sent me a bottle here in Berlin! I haven't figured out how to use it yet though, since I don't have a grill here.

    1 vote