Zorind's recent activity

  1. Comment on The Oatmeal: A cartoonist's review of AI art in ~comics

    Zorind
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    I saw this today (from a post on Mastodon) and almost shared it here!

    I saw this today (from a post on Mastodon) and almost shared it here!

    7 votes

  2. Comment on AI slop is killing our channel in ~tech

    Zorind
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    A new kurzgesagt video, about how AI slop is "poisoning" the "library of human knowledge", and how it is affecting Kurzgesagt. Includes a bit at the end of how they'll be use AI (LLMs) going...

    A new kurzgesagt video, about how AI slop is "poisoning" the "library of human knowledge", and how it is affecting Kurzgesagt.

    Includes a bit at the end of how they'll be use AI (LLMs) going forward (and how they won't trust it for doing the research phase or for fact checking).

    Sources link from their description: https://sites.google.com/view/sources-aislop

    Sidebar: I used the title I saw, but anyone with edit privileges feel free to de-sensationalize it if you can think of a better one.

    19 votes

  4. Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 5 in ~sports.american_football

    Zorind
    Link
    For sure some crazy/unexpected games this week IMO. I wasn’t expecting the Broncos to beat the Eagles, and I don’t think really anyone else was. A crazy 4th quarter in that game. The Patriots...

    For sure some crazy/unexpected games this week IMO.

    I wasn’t expecting the Broncos to beat the Eagles, and I don’t think really anyone else was. A crazy 4th quarter in that game.

    The Patriots Bills game on Sunday night was wild and close, and then same thing last night with the Jaguars Chiefs game.

    Absolutely hilarious game-winning touchdown by the Jaguars.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Travel essentials: eight items to pack for your next trip – and what to leave at home in ~travel

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    Ok that sounds super interesting to me, but also not sure what you mean by tailnet? I’d love to be pointed at something if you’ve got docs. I’m a techy guy but I’m also very lazy and so haven’t...

    Ok that sounds super interesting to me, but also not sure what you mean by tailnet?

    I’d love to be pointed at something if you’ve got docs. I’m a techy guy but I’m also very lazy and so haven’t gotten around to ever setting up a pihole even though I’ve wanted to

    1 vote

  6. Comment on Swedish startup Saveggy launches pilot scheme for edible, plastic-free packaging for cucumbers – innovative solution made from just two ingredients: rapeseed oil and gluten-free oat oil in ~food

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    I think it might depend on the type of cucumber. My local grocery store (in Ohio, USA) sells “normal” cucumbers unwrapped, but sells English Cucumbers wrapped in plastic (sometimes in a two-pack,...

    I think it might depend on the type of cucumber. My local grocery store (in Ohio, USA) sells “normal” cucumbers unwrapped, but sells English Cucumbers wrapped in plastic (sometimes in a two-pack, where each individual cucumber is wrapped in plastic and then the two pack is also wrapped in plastic).

    The “normal” cucumbers are ‘American Garden Cucumbers’ from a cursory google search that are a little shorter and thicker, and apparently have a thicker skin.

    Whereas the “English” cucumbers are longer are skinner, and apparently are usually wrapped in plastic for protection and longevity because their skin is thinner.

    7 votes

  7. Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    Wait, so on a cable car, the “brakes” grip the cable and then cause the car to move? So basically the opposite of how a cars brakes work, where the brake applies pressure to stop? That’s neat!

    Wait, so on a cable car, the “brakes” grip the cable and then cause the car to move?

    So basically the opposite of how a cars brakes work, where the brake applies pressure to stop?

    That’s neat!

    7 votes

  8. Comment on What common misunderstanding do you want to clear up? in ~talk

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    Yeah, but Joe’s an asshole (/s). I do think that, as a programmer, when I see someone refer to “the devs” I often do initially think of the programmers themselves first, even if the comment is...

    Yeah, but Joe’s an asshole (/s).

    I do think that, as a programmer, when I see someone refer to “the devs” I often do initially think of the programmers themselves first, even if the comment is much more likely refer to the game development company as a whole.

    I’m sure there are people who mean it both ways, and sometimes, for smaller companies at least, there isn’t necessarily a huge difference between the devs (read: programmers/software developers) and the devs (read: everything else that has to get done). And even then, the fault of why the bug is still in the game could be on either side.

    Programming is hard, but prioritizing is harder.

    3 votes

  9. Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 4 in ~sports.american_football

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    I’m a pretty big fan of Baker, at least from when I’ve caught him playing last season and this season. I think the first 3 games this year all had him leading the Bucs to win in a 2 minute drill,...

    I’m a pretty big fan of Baker, at least from when I’ve caught him playing last season and this season.

    I think the first 3 games this year all had him leading the Bucs to win in a 2 minute drill, which, while not great, were absolutely a treat to watch as a mostly-neutral.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 4 in ~sports.american_football

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    I am also not a Rodgers fan, but him standing back during the rush-push, and then later throwing a block, were very funny to me.

    I am also not a Rodgers fan, but him standing back during the rush-push, and then later throwing a block, were very funny to me.

  11. Comment on What game is your personal "Silksong"? in ~games

    Zorind
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    BG3 was my first Larian game I actually played (I might’ve played one of the Divinity games for all of an hour, but at least a few years after it released). I bought it soon after launch, because...

    BG3 was my first Larian game I actually played (I might’ve played one of the Divinity games for all of an hour, but at least a few years after it released).

    I bought it soon after launch, because I was going through D&D withdrawal, and I’m so glad I did. I only played through it once (but that’s normal for me, I don’t really find myself wanting to play games again, even if they do have good replay-ability with new options - if the overall story is still largely the same, it can’t hold my interest.)

    It was so, so enjoyable, and filled that D&D itch I was having. I didn’t find issues with the inventory or hotbar, but I have played a fair bit of Guild Wars 2 and ESO which have similar styles of ability hotbars, or at least similar enough that it wasn’t a steep learning curve for me.

    6 votes

  12. Comment on What game is your personal "Silksong"? in ~games

    Zorind
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    I’ve played a few hours of it, I really should get back and finish it, huh. I was quite enjoying it, just took a week break and I’m really bad at picking up games after I’ve set them down.

    I’ve played a few hours of it, I really should get back and finish it, huh.

    I was quite enjoying it, just took a week break and I’m really bad at picking up games after I’ve set them down.

    5 votes

  13. Comment on Making DND maps in ~games.tabletop

    Zorind
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    I personally have used Dungeondraft (https://dungeondraft.net/) and supporting random Patreon’s with map packs (and Dungeondraft assets) for a month or two and grabbing from their backlog (usually...

    I personally have used Dungeondraft (https://dungeondraft.net/) and supporting random Patreon’s with map packs (and Dungeondraft assets) for a month or two and grabbing from their backlog (usually I support for more than 1 month so I don’t feel like I’m ripping them off, but also I think they know people will do that and factor it in to their tiers).

    Dungeondraft can be pretty quick for basic maps, but you can make “prettier” maps with fancier things with more time. I believe there’s also a way to export maps directly into a format that you can import in FoundryVTT with lighting and walls already set up, if that’s something you use, that could save some time too (it may require a plugin, or not work anymore - it’s been a few years since I’ve used it).

    The creators of Dungeondraft also have Wonderdraft for more “overworld”/large scale maps, but I haven’t used it.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    Have you played Firewatch? It sounds maybe very loosely similar in vibes based on your description, so if you have played Firewatch I’d be interested in how you thought they compared. I’m guessing...

    Have you played Firewatch? It sounds maybe very loosely similar in vibes based on your description, so if you have played Firewatch I’d be interested in how you thought they compared.

    I’m guessing Firewatch was much more linear, but I did enjoy it quite a bit.

    I’m not sure I’d play Voices of the Void, while it sounds neat, I’m very much not a fan of horror/suspense games.

    1 vote

  15. Comment on The perfect lighting in ~life.home_improvement

    Zorind
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    I really dislike Hue due to the whole needing an account thing, but I wanted some automated lights in the office. I say that about Hue, but then I’m hooked into Apple’s ecosystem already with a...

    I really dislike Hue due to the whole needing an account thing, but I wanted some automated lights in the office.

    I say that about Hue, but then I’m hooked into Apple’s ecosystem already with a HomePod mini, so I guess it’s not really the “having an account” thing, it’s the “having multiple accounts thing”.

    Anyway, my current setup is “dumb” bulbs in desk lamps/accent lights plugged into Eve home plugs (since I rent, there was no overhead lighting to contend with).

    I then have an Onvis Switch in a holder command stripped to the wall next to the light switch (which controls a floor lamp). So now, when I walk into the room, I turn on the switch for the floor lamp, and click the button for the desk lamps/accent lighting.

    It works out pretty well, I can control the lights from the Onvis switch or my phone or Siri.

    1 vote

  16. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    I am the kind of person that suffers from recency bias when it comes to which boss fights I enjoy, but (still in ACT 1 of Silksong), the boss I just beat has been the most enjoyable so far. Minor...

    I am the kind of person that suffers from recency bias when it comes to which boss fights I enjoy, but (still in ACT 1 of Silksong), the boss I just beat has been the most enjoyable so far.

    Minor ACT 1 spoilers (location and boss names)

    The boss at Bellhaven, Widow. The fight just felt like a “dance” to me, which I think mirrors what you were saying about “flow”. It took me probably an hour to beat, playing for 30 mins (maybe 5-8 attempts?) then took an overnight break because I tend that helps to cement fights in my mind. After that, I was able to consistently get to Phase 2 (probably another 5-8 attempts), and then the next day I beat Widow on the second attempt.

    The previous boss I fought, Sister Splinter, was also fun, but I think the adds she summoned kept it from feeling as flowy to me. I really suffer in fights with more than one enemy :(

    Currently trying to finish up in Hunters March and the Skull Tyrant before I move on to exploring the Sinners Road or Blasted Steps.

    I don’t think I’ll be able to beat the game, I figure I will get “skill issued” at some point like I did in the original HK, but I’m having fun exploring so far.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Why do some gamers invert their controls? Scientists now have answers, but they’re not what you think. in ~games

    Zorind
    Link Parent
    I’m right handed, but if I’m riding a bicycle and have to take a hand off the handlebars, I take my right hand off and leave my left hand on. For some reason, I’m more stable that way than if I...

    I’m right handed, but if I’m riding a bicycle and have to take a hand off the handlebars, I take my right hand off and leave my left hand on. For some reason, I’m more stable that way than if I leave my right hand on the handlebars.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on Why do some gamers invert their controls? Scientists now have answers, but they’re not what you think. in ~games

    Zorind
    Link
    Now I’d be interested to see if there’s a correlation with ADHD or not. I should also probably try to play “inverted”…I tend to be much worse at 3D mental manipulation than my wife (who has ADHD...

    They had to mentally rotate random shapes, take on the perspective of an ‘avatar’ object in a picture, determine which way something was tilted in differently tilted backgrounds, and overcome the typical ‘Simon effect’ where it’s harder to respond when a target is on the opposite v the same side of the screen as the response button

    …

    It turns out the most predictive out of all the factors we measured was how quickly gamers could mentally rotate things and ​​overcome the Simon effect. The faster they were, the less likely they were to invert.

    Now I’d be interested to see if there’s a correlation with ADHD or not. I should also probably try to play “inverted”…I tend to be much worse at 3D mental manipulation than my wife (who has ADHD and claims 3D-brain is her ADHD superpower).

    3 votes

  19. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    Zorind
    Link
    Motion City Soundtrack’s new album The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World dropped today, so I’m actively listening to it now (about halfway through, we’ll see if I remember to update this comment...

    Motion City Soundtrack’s new album The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World dropped today, so I’m actively listening to it now (about halfway through, we’ll see if I remember to update this comment when I’m done to add my favorite song from the album).

    It’s pretty good IMO, though I don’t know that they have any albums I dislike. There’s at least one song on each album I really like, and none I strongly dislike. I was gonna list my favorite from each album, but then I started looking and realized it’s more like 3-4 songs I really like from each album. So I might update this tonight from my computer rather than my phone with a list, hah.

    Though this is also the first full album they’ve released new since I started listening to them, so I’m probably not the best judge.

    1 vote

  20. Comment on Does anyone here enjoy a whisk(e)y ? in ~food

    Zorind
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    I do like Whiskey, but I’m in the US, so no real recs I can give. I’m also don’t buy anything too expensive (at least, not yet), and still have a bunch of Bulleit Bourbon leftover from my wedding,...

    I do like Whiskey, but I’m in the US, so no real recs I can give.

    I’m also don’t buy anything too expensive (at least, not yet), and still have a bunch of Bulleit Bourbon leftover from my wedding, so that tends to be my current drink of choice. I think I like Ryes more than bourbons, but Bulleit is a rye-heavy bourbon and I like it decently enough.

    I’ve been making “Sazeracs” with it recently, and they’ve turned out pretty decent.

    I have had an American Single Malt Whiskey from Stranahan’s in Colorado that was pretty good (100% barley mashbill, they claimed it’s similar to a Scotch but I certainly couldn’t tell you).

    3 votes