sparksbet's recent activity
-
Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (January 2026) in ~health.mental
-
Comment on Cory Doctorow | AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage. in ~tech
sparksbet Link ParentThis mischaracterizes what I said and deliberately pinging me while doing so is rude af.I do not agree with @sparksbet's comment that only the popular, misleading definition is okay to use
This mischaracterizes what I said and deliberately pinging me while doing so is rude af.
-
Comment on Massive winter storm expected to dump snow and ice across United States in ~enviro
sparksbet Link ParentThe current conversation is about the weather, so to insist you're not talking about the weather is to ignore the context of the conversation so thoroughly as to be actively unhelpful. The topic...The current conversation is about the weather, so to insist you're not talking about the weather is to ignore the context of the conversation so thoroughly as to be actively unhelpful. The topic was "what did a particular person mean when they used the word 'the north' in this conversation (which is about the weather)". Responding with a definition of 'the north' that is irrelevant to the weather is thus not helpful (and is also pretty patronizing to assume others don't know, frankly).
-
Comment on A global explosion of absurdly spicy foods in ~food
sparksbet Link ParentDespite the name, it actually contains no fish products at all. There's a old wives tale that it was invented because someone returned to Sichuan from somewhere coastal and was trying to replicate...Despite the name, it actually contains no fish products at all. There's a old wives tale that it was invented because someone returned to Sichuan from somewhere coastal and was trying to replicate the flavor of fish, but that's certainly not true (though it is funny).
Chinese Cooking Demystified has a good video on how to make yuxiang anything, and they also mention some tweaks/changes to their sauce recipe in their recipe for yuxiang omelette in this later video with some spicy sichuanese dishes. These are what have gotten me as close as possible, but getting it quite right consistently is something I'm not fantastic at. So far I think I prefer cooking with the laoganma pickled chilis to using sichuan doubanjiang, but I suspect this ingredient is the biggest difference between my recipe and a restaurant's aside from just technique.
And I have zero desire to cook eggplant myself at home bc it was annoying af the one time I tried it, so I usually use it for just whatever stir fry I'm feeling at the moment, rather than anything traditional.
-
Comment on Massive winter storm expected to dump snow and ice across United States in ~enviro
sparksbet Link ParentI extremely doubt that the Mason-Dixon line is actually remotely relevant to "where doesn't get real thunderstorms", since weather does not give a rat's ass about Civil War-era political...I extremely doubt that the Mason-Dixon line is actually remotely relevant to "where doesn't get real thunderstorms", since weather does not give a rat's ass about Civil War-era political divisions.
Certainly the type of storm described upthread (hydroplaning included) happened frequently during the late summer storm season growing up in NE Ohio. Almost definitely not as frequently as in Florida, ofc, but we would absolutely get big storms like that during summer tornado season usually at least once a year. Ofc in that area during winter we'd be getting similar precipitation as snow due to the temperature difference there, whereas somewhere warmer like Florida presumably still gets it as rain.
It's just not super clear which parts of the US they mean when they're talking about rain never being more than a drizzle, and people here are curious. It definitely just isn't true of "anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line", so more specificity is needed.
-
Comment on US Medicaid will only pay for costly new sickle cell treatment if it works in ~health
sparksbet Link ParentOh wow I misunderstood the title exactly how all_summer_beauty did, this is way better news than I thought it was if this is your title suggestion!Oh wow I misunderstood the title exactly how all_summer_beauty did, this is way better news than I thought it was if this is your title suggestion!
-
Comment on What are your favorite home remedies or comforts when you're sick? in ~health
sparksbet Link Parent"Folk remedy" would probably be the term in English off the top of my head. I haven't tried gargling with alcohol, but I have tried it with saltwater for canker sores, and it definitely does help..."Folk remedy" would probably be the term in English off the top of my head.
I haven't tried gargling with alcohol, but I have tried it with saltwater for canker sores, and it definitely does help for those.
-
Comment on As Hitman 3 turns five years old, we surely have enough hindsight to declare it – this is one of the greatest of all time, right? in ~games
sparksbet Link ParentThe main way to buy the games atm is to buy the World of Assassination trilogy, which does indeed combine Hitman 1, 2, and 3. They're not very different in terms of their fundamentals and are all...The main way to buy the games atm is to buy the World of Assassination trilogy, which does indeed combine Hitman 1, 2, and 3. They're not very different in terms of their fundamentals and are all pretty high-quality imo, but 3 is definitely the best one in terms of the details and polish. The fundamental formula doesn't change though, and the first real level of Hitman 1 (Paris) is very good, so you'll still be able to tell whether the fundamental formula works for you from that. If you're the type of player who likes exploration and figuring things out yourself (which tends to be where Hitman games shine), turn off Mission Stories, but they can be useful if you're the type to struggle with figuring out where to start.
-
Comment on What are your favorite home remedies or comforts when you're sick? in ~health
sparksbet Link ParentVery hot baths (as well as jacuzzis and saunas) can be dangerous if you have heart problems iirc, but afaik the biggest risk in a hot bath or jacuzzi is that you faint from the heat or simply fall...Very hot baths (as well as jacuzzis and saunas) can be dangerous if you have heart problems iirc, but afaik the biggest risk in a hot bath or jacuzzi is that you faint from the heat or simply fall asleep and thus end up drowning. But to my knowledge there isn't any particular difference between a very hot bath and a jacuzzi on that front.
I've developed an addiction to hot baths this winter, though probably not as hot as yours. Skin dryness is the biggest practical concern for hot baths for most people, tbh, so lotion up well afterwards ig. I recently bought bath oil for the first time and highly recommend trying it sometime. It really made the whole experience very luxurious.
-
Comment on What are your favorite home remedies or comforts when you're sick? in ~health
sparksbet Link ParentIf you have a vietnamese place near you, pho is the perfect noodle soup when you're sick. If you need to clear your sinuses, add fresh chili and lime, and get a lemongrass tea to drink. I breathed...If you have a vietnamese place near you, pho is the perfect noodle soup when you're sick. If you need to clear your sinuses, add fresh chili and lime, and get a lemongrass tea to drink. I breathed so good after that the last time I tried it.
-
Comment on What are your favorite home remedies or comforts when you're sick? in ~health
sparksbet Link Parentoh god I have so much nostalgia for those from when I was a kid...oh god I have so much nostalgia for those from when I was a kid...
-
Comment on Why America needs fewer bus stops in ~transport
sparksbet Link Parentto be clear, busses here in Germany also don't stop if no one has pressed the stop button and there's no one waiting (in contrast to trains and trams, which stop at every stop). My current usual...to be clear, busses here in Germany also don't stop if no one has pressed the stop button and there's no one waiting (in contrast to trains and trams, which stop at every stop). My current usual route has several such "ephemeral" stops (despite even being solidly urban). I presume this behavior is common to busses internationally.
-
Comment on Tildes Minecraft Weekly in ~games
sparksbet Link ParentAs someone who doesn't have anything configured to auto-hold a certain input and doesn't want to figure that out, a fully passive farm would also mean I can actually get anything out of it.As someone who doesn't have anything configured to auto-hold a certain input and doesn't want to figure that out, a fully passive farm would also mean I can actually get anything out of it.
-
Comment on Cory Doctorow | AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage. in ~tech
sparksbet (edited )Link ParentI think the piece of the puzzle you're missing is that Disney can already pretty much violate smaller creators' copyright with impunity because they're so much larger and richer than them. They...I think the piece of the puzzle you're missing is that Disney can already pretty much violate smaller creators' copyright with impunity because they're so much larger and richer than them. They don't do so as blatantly as selling Silksong plushies because that would be bad publicity and the legal trouble would not be worth what they'd make from it, but I think it's extremely naive to think IP law could actually prevent Disney from doing irreparable damage to anyone who isn't nearly as big as them. And that's ignoring the fact that Disney can also afford to have a vice grip on their own IP, using cease and desists and their ample funds for lawsuits to threaten anyone who uses their IP, even transformatively in obvious fair use cases, sometimes even based on a passing resemblance rather than any actual infringement, into shutting down. And this is something they and other large IP holder do constantly do. IP law "preventing lawsuits before they even start" is a huge part of how large IP holders wield copyright in ways that stifle independent creativity, because whether they're right doesn't matter. They have the power to destroy you, smaller creative, if you don't comply.
And, of course, "abolish copyright" is not the only option when it comes to weakening current IP laws. There are plenty of positions to hold between "current IP law is fine" and a total free-for-all that would be undoubtedly an improvement on the status quo for creativity. Current copyright laws don't actually do much to protect small creatives, and there is zero evidence that stricter copyright laws, especially those of the kind people advocate for to stick it to AI companies, which often involve allowing copyright on ideas or common elements of style, would do anything but stifle creative freedom for those not rich enough to be above the law.
I don't really understand your fire hose metaphor, because it's unclear to me what all these dangers you describe are supposed to represent in it. I don't think it makes sense to claim that stricter copyright laws force Disney to care about... honestly, almost anything. Disney wants stricter copyright laws because it makes them even more powerful and gives them even more control than they already have. It doesn't actually do much if anything to force them to change their behavior. Stricter copyright laws certainly don't make Disney "turn down the firehose". They give Disney more power to arbitrarily turn off other people's hoses.
-
Comment on A global explosion of absurdly spicy foods in ~food
sparksbet Link Parentthey definitely do have their own flavor as well, it's kinda citrus-y almost imothey definitely do have their own flavor as well, it's kinda citrus-y almost imo
-
Comment on A global explosion of absurdly spicy foods in ~food
sparksbet Link ParentWok hei has to do with the method of stir frying over veur high heat that is indeed hard to impossible to replicate at home, but it's different from what I mean here. 鱼香 is a particular flavor...Wok hei has to do with the method of stir frying over veur high heat that is indeed hard to impossible to replicate at home, but it's different from what I mean here. 鱼香 is a particular flavor profile/sauce used in several dishes (pork slivers and eggplant being the most common afaik) and while the approximation I can make at home is tasty, it doesn't ever taste quite the same as at a restaurant. It's possible that's because of wok hei but I think it's more likely an issue with my ingredients and ratios not being the same.
-
Comment on As Hitman 3 turns five years old, we surely have enough hindsight to declare it – this is one of the greatest of all time, right? in ~games
sparksbet Link ParentNowadays it's pretty easy to just buy World of Assassination, isn't it? There are some DLC packs you could get alongside it or separately but afaik the entirety of the Hitman 3 base game itself is...Nowadays it's pretty easy to just buy World of Assassination, isn't it? There are some DLC packs you could get alongside it or separately but afaik the entirety of the Hitman 3 base game itself is included without those.
Incidentally, it's on sale on Steam right now.
-
Comment on A global explosion of absurdly spicy foods in ~food
sparksbet Link ParentI similarly don't have the same spice tolerance problems with Sichuan peppercorns as with chilis, where I need to build up a tolerance to handle spicier food, and they're definitely a unique...I similarly don't have the same spice tolerance problems with Sichuan peppercorns as with chilis, where I need to build up a tolerance to handle spicier food, and they're definitely a unique sensation. That said, I think it'd be hard to find a Sichuanese dish that is mala but not also hot from chilis.
-
Comment on A global explosion of absurdly spicy foods in ~food
sparksbet Link ParentYeah, the article itself even says that Sichuanese cuisine is super widely popular within China itself. In my experience outside China, anywhere with even a small Chinatown will doubtless have at...Yeah, the article itself even says that Sichuanese cuisine is super widely popular within China itself. In my experience outside China, anywhere with even a small Chinatown will doubtless have at least one Sichuanese place. As someone who's in love with 鱼香 and can only imperfectly recreate it at home, I'm certainly not complaining about its existing (and apparently rising) popularity!
-
Comment on A global explosion of absurdly spicy foods in ~food
sparksbet (edited )Link ParentTo be clear, Sichuanese (and Hunanese) food is spicy. While Sichuan peppercorn gets its name from being the region's signature thing, food from those provinces also generally contains plenty of...To be clear, Sichuanese (and Hunanese) food is spicy. While Sichuan peppercorn gets its name from being the region's signature thing, food from those provinces also generally contains plenty of chili (fresh, dried, pickled, chili paste, you name it). Sichuan peppercorn definitely contributes to the eating experience in many dishes, but there are plenty of Sichuanese dishes that don't contain it. An extra-spicy hot pot will definitely contain lots of stuff that contributes to a Scoville rating in addition to any Sichuan peppercorn.
I'm so overwhelmed. I need to get ready to move, and everything involved in that process is so overwhelming and I feel like I don't know where to start any of it. I feel lonely as fuck but don't have the energy to initiate conversations with online friends, much less meetups with in-person friends. I'm stuck waiting on the German government to give me my unemployment benefits and if they don't by March I'm not sure what to do, as even with family help, my family can't afford to pay my rent for the rest of my lease either. I'm leaving in a couple months and I'm still not 100% sure I won't have to re-home my cats (though with some help from my roommate it looks better than it did at first that I'll get to keep them and bring them with me). I'm constantly stuck in a state of overwhelmed, shaking anxiety that varies only in intensity and I don't know how to get through this. I know I can, but I'm just so overwhelmed. I need a boss or something to just tell me what to do. I need a project manager for my move or something. I'm so tired and anxious and scared and I just want to skip to the end.