the_eon's recent activity
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Comment on What toothpaste do you use? in ~life.style
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Comment on When electric vehicle startups shut down, will their cars still work? in ~transport
the_eon LinkFisker is another example of this. The real issue with most EV cars is that you're reliant on software to do a lot of the work in making the car run. If the software has issues with core systems,...Fisker is another example of this. The real issue with most EV cars is that you're reliant on software to do a lot of the work in making the car run. If the software has issues with core systems, and no one is updating it, your car is either bricked or dangerous to drive. And any custom components for your car that need replacing probably can't get replaced, although to other commentators points you could probably at least focus on as many "common" parts as possible, but you'll always have some parts that just won't be produced anymore.
It's a shame because I was considering buying a Fisker post-bankruptcy at dirt cheap prices but without software updates it is not necessarily safe to drive, and without key parts being produced I could be screwed if it breaks in just the right way.
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Comment on What toothpaste do you use? in ~life.style
the_eon LinkLike a few others here, I use nhap (nano hydroxyapatite). It's hard to find a good supplier in the USA which has flavors that aren't awful, but after years of having switched away from fluoride...Like a few others here, I use nhap (nano hydroxyapatite). It's hard to find a good supplier in the USA which has flavors that aren't awful, but after years of having switched away from fluoride I've had no cavities or other dental issues. I use Boka, but I've tried Bite but they sell tablets which just aren't my thing texturally.
Interestingly, hydroxyapatite was invented by NASA scientists: https://www.nasa.gov/general/tech-today-semiconductor-research-leads-to-revolution-in-dental-care/
That particular article is more of a brief snippet, but I've heard from other sources (can't vouch for the accuracy of them) that the reason it didn't take off in the USA is because existing toothpaste companies had a "fluoride mafia" going on and alternatives to fluoride were prevented from reaching market. That's when they decided to sell the patent to a Japanese company.
Whether that bit is true, it's a fact that nhap is just as effective as fluoride but also carries less risk. For example, you should never swallow fluoride toothpaste, and even just using too much when brushing can cause cosmetic issues with your teeth, such as fluorosis. Those same risks don't exist with nhap toothpaste.
So especially for children I would highly recommend nhap toothpaste, but my personal opinion is that it's better than all fluoride toothpaste if you can find a brand and flavor that you don't dislike.
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Comment on My boss is being accused of sexual misconduct and I don't know what to do in ~life
the_eon LinkI would say that you need to try to remain as objective about the situation as you can. You can support your boss without refuting or minimizing the allegations against them. Unless you have...I would say that you need to try to remain as objective about the situation as you can. You can support your boss without refuting or minimizing the allegations against them. Unless you have access to firsthand information that refutes a particular claim, I would advise keeping an open mind.
Almost every one of the most heinous criminals in history have at least one person that they treated with extreme kindness. I'm not saying you should immediately believe any claims you hear, but if someone has reasonable evidence to support their claims... Your boss might be a bad person who's just really kind to you. Maybe kind to a whole group of people. Maybe kind to almost everyone. But also possibly really awful to some.
I don't have anyone close to me that's been accused of anything of the same magnitude as this, but I've definitely found out that sometimes you only get to see one side of a person. Sometimes you're unlucky and it's the bad side. Other times, it's the good side.
Ultimately I'm just trying to say that if this is true, don't try to run mental circles around yourself in pursuit of explanations that lessen the gravity of their wrongdoings. You can still want to have a positive relationship with someone while condemning their actions. But you also don't need to go to an extreme and like cut them out of your life immediately before there's been a chance to hear both sides and make a fair judgement.
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Comment on California gas tax revenue will drop by $6 billion, threatening roads in ~transport
the_eon LinkReally just make utility companies pay for it. PG&E on its own has made over $1.5B in net income for the first 3 quarters of 2023; that's the amount left over after all costs, expenses, taxes,...Really just make utility companies pay for it. PG&E on its own has made over $1.5B in net income for the first 3 quarters of 2023; that's the amount left over after all costs, expenses, taxes, etc. Probably will be around $2B once the year is closed out. And again, that's just one utility company.
Additionally, California just allowed utility companies to fuck over people that have their own solar panels with NEM 3. Previously, if I took 1 kWh from the grid I might pay $1.00 (just to make the math simple). If I generated an extra 1 kWh and pg&e took that to give to someone else, they would pay me $1.00. Keep in mind, that dollar is only for energy production; I still pay separate fees for the infrastructure and maintenance and all that. With NEM 3 though, I would only get $0.25 for that 1 kWh and pg&e would pocket the remaining $0.75 as pure profit.
California should just take that 75% tax for themselves, on top of taking more in taxes from the utility companies. It would be trivial to make up $4B from utility companies, and that's just one industry which has plenty of excess that could be taxed to prevent further burdens to regular citizens.
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Comment on If you had up to $55k to purchase an electric vehicle (new/used) with a range of a least 250 miles, what would you buy? in ~transport
the_eon Link ParentWe have a 2021 Tesla Model Y and one time (literally only once in nearly 3 years), we could not get into our car because of the hyper-reliance on software. The car went into "deep sleep" mode...The degree of reliance you have on their software, given its history, is a big risk IMO.
We have a 2021 Tesla Model Y and one time (literally only once in nearly 3 years), we could not get into our car because of the hyper-reliance on software. The car went into "deep sleep" mode overnight and the next day we couldn't get it to "wake up".
There is no physical way to get into the car (no intended method for regular use anyway), so if your car won't wake up when you want to get into it, you can't get into it. Even if we did jimmy the door open, there would be no way to turn the car on without calling for assistance. It's a double edged feature though, because they were able to resolve the issue remotely over the phone with us.
Another thing to consider is that Tesla uses very "unique" parts. We live in a place with a lot of road debris and we had to get our tires replaced on 3 separate occasions. One time, Tesla sent someone out the next day to our house to change it. The other two times there was a shortage of the specific size of tire that fit in our car and so we had to call a bunch of places to try and find someone that would work and it was a nightmare. Each time we had to find a different place to get new tires.
It's a great ride, very smooth, very quiet, but when shit happens it's very hit or miss with the resolution. Honestly, I'd rather buy into a brand that has better overall repairability.
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Comment on The solar-panel backlash is here in ~enviro
the_eon Link ParentIf you've seen what California utility companies got away with in their new net energy metering (NEM) v3 rules, what you're missing is that these private companies were getting pissy about a...If you've seen what California utility companies got away with in their new net energy metering (NEM) v3 rules, what you're missing is that these private companies were getting pissy about a reduction in profit margins.
I'm not sure about elsewhere, but California was paying 1:1, so if it costs 0.30 at mid peak for 1 kWh, you either pay that much to take it from the utility company or you get paid that much to give it to them. With NEM v3 you get paid 25% of the going rate, so if the rate was 0.30 then you're only getting 0.08 back.
And I've heard about laws being discussed that would effectively make it illegal for renters to have direct access to solar. Literally give control over solar energy production to the utility company even if the landlord owns the solar panels.
Solar is great and helps the grid, but private utility companies don't want to share their profits even if it benefits a city, State, or the entire nation.
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Comment on For those who have tried YubiKey for personal use, is it worth it? in ~tech
the_eon LinkCompared to typical passwords, passkeys such as yubikey are significantly better. More secure, no need to enforce rotation, typically faster. But in the case of something like yubikey it is a...Compared to typical passwords, passkeys such as yubikey are significantly better. More secure, no need to enforce rotation, typically faster. But in the case of something like yubikey it is a physical device, so now you need to carry around this physical thing on you.
Now 2 reasons I still use a yubikey despite this need to carry it around with me:
- If you don't have it on you, you can typically use 2fa to still log in, eg password plus text code.
- The cases where you don't have the physical key with you are no more annoying or time consuming than if you didn't have a yubikey at all.
However, if you use a single yubikey for everything, it's kind of like using the same password for everything. If someone gets your key, they get access to everything. So losing the key can be devastating and require a lot of time to fix.
But more and more, digital passkeys after becoming a thing. Like Windows can act as a passkey device. Some password managers, eg Dashlane, can also provide digital passkeys. Harder to steal/lose, typically, but with the trade off that if you aren't on your device, you can't easily (if at all) access them.
Personally, I love the nfc+usb-c yubikey, and I love that it's physical because I work from home so I don't typically need to bring it to other places. I also have a separate one just for work so I don't risk losing both personal and work access to things if I take a single key somewhere.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this month? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
the_eon Link ParentI started watching the new season of Mushoku Tensei and then read the manga to see where it was going because it started off well enough and then, I felt, took a real turn for the worse rather...I started watching the new season of Mushoku Tensei and then read the manga to see where it was going because it started off well enough and then, I felt, took a real turn for the worse rather quickly (episode 3, I think). I then dropped the season from my watchlist.
If you're interested in why, slight spoilers...
This entire season will become dedicated to him trying to cure his erectile dysfunction. Although the root cause is obviously his heartbreak from Eris leaving him suddenly, they don't really address that specific issue. He's literally trying to find someone who will give him a boner who he can then have sex with. He does eventually work through what happened with Eris, but it feels rushed and secondary to him finding someone that can give him an erection.
He goes to a school of magic to find the person who will supposedly cure his ED and instead of actually learning more about magic or discovering more about the gods or Orsted or anything, the entire thing becomes a high school slice of life romcom in a fantasy setting. He's better and stronger than literally everyone at the school and is allowed to just do whatever and ignore classes.
He does eventually progress the story, but it again feels secondary to the romcom high school slice of life adventure that the manga had become.
It's disappointing because the first season absolutely killed it. Not a prototypical isekai, even though some of the usual tropes existed. It stood on its own with a good plotline, great pacing, stellar action, and engaging character development. Season 2, based on what the manga does, will throw out all of that to become a generic isekai romcom, and that's incredibly sad in my opinion.
Loving JJK though. And although it's not executed quite as well as other similar anime, LasTame has been unexpectedly fun to watch.
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Comment on Baldur’s Gate 3 could have saved Google Stadia in ~games
the_eon Link ParentI think a better avenue for success would be to have done what GeForce Now did: offer access to games you own on other popular game aggregators as long as you pay a monthly fee. The two products...I think a better avenue for success would be to have done what GeForce Now did: offer access to games you own on other popular game aggregators as long as you pay a monthly fee.
The two products are so similar in my mind. I don't know if GeForce Now got rid of their custom hardware requirement, but they both offered you a chance to play games running on their top tier hardware, streamed right to your TV, for a monthly fee.
In fact, for GeForce Now it's a requirement to be a subscriber and there's no option to buy direct. Imagine if Google let you choose to buy games direct so you didn't need a subscription or you could pay a monthly fee and get access to any Stadia supported games you owned on eg Steam or you could do both.
The reason they didn't pursue that path seems simple: even before it launched they probably had signed its death certificate. I doubt even a modicum of effort went into making stadia successful after the initial launch. What a shame, because honestly the hardware execution was so damn good considering the (eventually) low entry cost.
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Comment on Baldur’s Gate 3 could have saved Google Stadia in ~games
the_eon Link ParentI got a Google Stadia controller and Chromecast as part of a deal when I was buying, I think, a phone way back just before Stadia launched. I thought it would be awesome if they could figure out...I got a Google Stadia controller and Chromecast as part of a deal when I was buying, I think, a phone way back just before Stadia launched. I thought it would be awesome if they could figure out the potential issue with input lag. After all, every button press was being sent to a server not in your house for processing, so every millisecond was critical.
Shockingly, they did it. The input lag was practically non-existent, at least for me. And when they started supporting existing Chromecast devices, I suddenly had two TVs I could stream games to. Eventually you wouldn't need a Chromecast at all.
Honestly, I started to prefer the Chromecast for gaming whenever a game was supported by it. However, a lack of trust in Google is precisely why I paid for a monthly subscription and only played the "free" games the came with it. I was unsure what would happen to any purchased games if Google decided to pull the plug eventually, which became a bigger fear as they stopped investing in their own game development.
Ultimately they pulled the plug, and while I think it was a fairly rare instance of them going above and beyond to compensate people, it wasn't shocking to me. It was simply disappointing. And it validated my decision to never buy games from them directly.
Certainly better education in how you could use the Stadia with little to no upfront or monthly cost would have been great. But I think that gamers can be a rather discerning crowd. Like you, my own experience and what I've heard of others was primarily that no one trusted Google enough to invest deeply or long-term in the ecosystem because of the looming threat of it going away suddenly. And that's exactly what happened. Even though Google could have easily made up for any losses with its other cash cows without breaking a sweat, Google has an unfortunate tendency to give everything a set amount of time to become profitable on its own. And either you need to be bringing customers into the Google ecosystem as a whole (like Gmail or Maps) or you need to be generating enough revenue to sustain your own existence (like Reader or Domains). It's sad, really
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Comment on What do you recommend for sunscreen? in ~health
the_eon Link ParentOoooh, interesting. While most of the literature I've seen doesn't specify, one of the articles I was reading mentioned titanium dioxide macroparticulates. And I notice your references mention...Ooooh, interesting. While most of the literature I've seen doesn't specify, one of the articles I was reading mentioned titanium dioxide macroparticulates. And I notice your references mention "micronized" and "nanoparticles". I wonder if the mechanism by which this compound works depends on something like eg how it's processed. Maybe originally it had a primarily reflective property and then it became more absorbent as processing it became more advanced? Just a curiosity, but it's great to know that even mineral sunscreen has at least a component of absorption, as I do believe that's a more effective system.
Thanks for the knowledge!
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Comment on What do you recommend for sunscreen? in ~health
the_eon Link ParentI did leave open the possibility of mineral sunscreens that do work and have little to no white cast, I only said this in a statement where I compared its effectiveness to those mineral sunscreens...I did leave open the possibility of mineral sunscreens that do work and have little to no white cast, I only said this in a statement where I compared its effectiveness to those mineral sunscreens which do have noticeable white cast. All the literature I've seen basically states that the most effective version of mineral sunscreen uses the macroparticulate form which undeniably leaves behind some degree of white cast.
Also, a discontinued product isn't very compelling as a counter argument, at least to me. I imagine they must have an updated version that is also "invisible" and not discontinued. But I'd be interested to know how they remove the inevitable white cast of using titanium dioxide, and whether or not their solution reduces the overall effectiveness of it. It's not exactly a secret that many sunscreens do not perform as well as advertised.
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Comment on What do you recommend for sunscreen? in ~health
the_eon Link ParentDo you have any references for how titanium dioxide actually works as a UV filter? Literally all literature I can find remarks that it "reflects" (their word, not mine) UV rays. I would love to...Do you have any references for how titanium dioxide actually works as a UV filter? Literally all literature I can find remarks that it "reflects" (their word, not mine) UV rays. I would love to know if the general literature is just over simplifying the process.
And yeah, I love my chemical sunscreen for my face and neck. It's been a real game changer for me, as I burn super easily, but I find that most mineral sunscreen is actually just really hard to get good coverage with and the chemical ones spread much more effectively.
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Comment on What do you recommend for sunscreen? in ~health
the_eon LinkJust wanted to chime in on a general discussion of mineral vs chemical sunscreens. If you are going to be in water, specifically a body of water that contains marine life, chemical sunscreens are...Just wanted to chime in on a general discussion of mineral vs chemical sunscreens.
If you are going to be in water, specifically a body of water that contains marine life, chemical sunscreens are more likely to be harmful. While it's also true plenty of mineral sunscreens were banned from places like Hawaii due to their negative effect on marine life, ultimately the active ingredients in chemical sunscreens are the cause of the harm, so you can't really escape that side effect. Now I haven't researched every single chemical sunscreen active ingredient so I'm just saying check beforehand if you plan to eg use a chemical sunscreen when going surfing at the beach.
Also know that chemical sunscreens are the only way you can fully avoid white cast on your skin. Chemical sunscreen absorbs into the skin and then any UV rays that hit your skin are converted to heat rather than being absorbed by you. The heat isn't significant though, at jest not in my personal experience. Also bear in mind that because these are intended to be absorbed into the skin, they will the bloodstream. However, most (maybe all?) commercial chemical sunscreens have their active ingredients present in such small quantities that it's not a health risk, so although I'm highlighting this fact I'm also saying no one should be alarmed by this outright. If the concept seems scary, feel free to look at the research, but ultimately the stuff available from reputable companies is well within what's considered a safe dose, even if you're applying once or twice a day almost every day.
Mineral sunscreens work by reflecting UV rays away from the skin. So, fundamentally, you're putting something over your skin, which isn't intended to be absorbed, and having the active ingredients reflect harmful UV radiation away. You will always get a white cast or similar using this approach. I'm not aware of any other color or transparency that works as great in a mineral sunscreen as the white (I think it's usually zinc oxide and titanium dioxide?) does. But it's cheaper, typically better for marine life (since it doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream), and is widely available all over the world.
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Comment on How did you decide about marriage? in ~talk
the_eon LinkI was engaged twice, to two different people, who I had known for very different lengths of time. The first time, we met in college and it was a couple years before I thought I was certain that I...I was engaged twice, to two different people, who I had known for very different lengths of time.
The first time, we met in college and it was a couple years before I thought I was certain that I wanted to marry her. But we were together for like 7 years and I had not formally proposed yet and didn't really have any plans to do so. Then she basically bargained with me to propose and we started our wedding planning shortly after. I was slow to commit to anything during the planning process. Ultimately we separated after about 8 years together, before getting married, though we did lose the deposit for the venue.
The second time, I had known her for a few weeks before I thought I was certain I wanted to marry her. And there was a study, I believe, that showed that men actually fall in love faster than women on average. But I was in my late 20s and we moved in together rather quickly and we were both mature enough and comfortable in our identities that we could focus on truly fostering and evaluating a long term relationship in a relatively short amount of time. I proposed about a year after we met and we were married about a year after that. We've been married for a number of years now and plan to remain that way for the rest of our lives.
For me, personally, I notice that my friends who get married later in life (late 20s and beyond) tend to get married faster (if they want to be married at all) and stay together longer and more happily. I can't say there's a statistical correlation there, it's just anecdotal evidence, but I think there's something to be said for waiting until you're older to make such commitments.
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Comment on Sequence Diagrams in MermaidJS in ~comp
the_eon LinkI love the integration with markdown, but I have to say that I think I still prefer D2. The syntax in D2 is far more consistent across the board and, in my opinion, is easier to learn and use....I love the integration with markdown, but I have to say that I think I still prefer D2. The syntax in D2 is far more consistent across the board and, in my opinion, is easier to learn and use. Mermaid has some awesome graph types (e.g. quadrant chats and git commit flows) that I don't think D2 supports, so I'd probably use it for those cases if I needed them.
Overall, great to have another diagramming tool. They make documentation so much easier and higher quality when you can convert relatively simple text to visual diagrams.
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Comment on How America fell out of love with ice cream in ~food
the_eon Link ParentI'm super late to the party, but you can definitely get close to soft serve if you "re churn" your ice cream. The instructions even tell you to do this if you want softer, creamier ice cream....I'm super late to the party, but you can definitely get close to soft serve if you "re churn" your ice cream. The instructions even tell you to do this if you want softer, creamier ice cream.
Although everyone says at least 24 hours, it actually heavily depends on your ingredients. You can get away with 12 hours at a minimum depending on your ingredients and how cold your freezer is/how quickly you can get the ingredients to freeze thoroughly. I've done ice cream, milkshakes, and even Italian ice in under 24 hours with great results.
Typically, you do a "first pass". Then you add your mix-ins. If you don't have any mix-ins, you should almost definitely re-churn. Once you've done two passes, you're usually good, although sometimes another churn is needed depending on what's in your ice cream base.
Personally, the only downside is that you need a ton of their special pint cups because you'll be wanting to have multiple bases queued up. Although this also leads to reduced freezer space. But worth it for my family haha
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Comment on Chefs of Tildes, what’s one simple cooking trick that can vastly improve the flavour of a dish? in ~food
the_eon Link ParentThey do help flavor "pop" in ways similar to msg, to my knowledge, but I'm not an expert on this haha. I haven't tried to use them individually, only in the "super salt" mixture, and it definitely...They do help flavor "pop" in ways similar to msg, to my knowledge, but I'm not an expert on this haha. I haven't tried to use them individually, only in the "super salt" mixture, and it definitely adds that little bit of extra flavor pop. Not a ton, but definitely noticeable.
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Comment on Chefs of Tildes, what’s one simple cooking trick that can vastly improve the flavour of a dish? in ~food
the_eon Link ParentTo jump on the msg thing, I always have a container of premixed salt and msg in the kitchen that I simply replace regular salt usage with when seasoning. Additionally, if you can find the two...To jump on the msg thing, I always have a container of premixed salt and msg in the kitchen that I simply replace regular salt usage with when seasoning. Additionally, if you can find the two "secret ingredients", you can make super salt for big flavor boosts:
Super salt" is a mixture of 9 parts salt, to one part MSG and 0.1 parts disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
It really kicks up that umami flavor to another level.
I in no way presume there's a "fluoride mafia", it's just what others had written, which is why I quote it. But it's also true that a lot of industries have a few large corporations that own most of the market and so they tend to push out competition that could harm their profit margins, so that's a more likely reasoning.