Brinens and Things

Comments on my own posts:

[mild cw: amnesia, corporate bullshit] One year of lifelogging

[cw: venting, unsanitary, aging, (arguably) sexism] if you want something done right you have to do it yourself

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Comments on other people's posts:

[cw: food] [WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by maryellencarter) Tips on what flavourings to add to beans.

[cw: food, apocalypse] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by lydamorehouse) The practical usefulness of rotated stockpiles. [two comments]

[cw: abuse, kidnapping] [WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by alarajrogers) Not all magic portals lead somewhere good.

[Reddit; Wayback] (OP by /u/GoonieGangGeneral; in response to /u/ForbiddenText) Geometric Weather is a great weather app, once you know how to handle its quirks.

[WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by ms-demeanor) How to make a smart TV without the corporate bullshit.

[WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by tototavros) Advice on effective alarm clocks.

[cw: murder, amnesia] [WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by chongoblog; in response to maryellencarter) BBC Sherlock got pretty batshit in its later seasons.

[cw: heterosexism, cissexism] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by yvannairie) Queer people and oversharing (or possibly ""oversharing"").

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Links:

[Hackaday; Wayback] (by Lewin Day) A car transmission modelled in Lego.

[Commute Time Map] (by Geoapify) A map that shows which parts of your area you can reach within a given timeframe, using a given means of transportation.



There is a blanket [cw: illness] on the rest of this post.

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Comments on my own posts:

[none this time]

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Comments on other people's posts:

[arguably cw: poverty, apocalypse] [WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by marcusseldon; partly in response to eightyonekilograms and bambamramfan) If you're concerned your job will get automated out from under you one day, try to factor the eventual layoff into your finances now.

[WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by sizvideos) Omeo hands-free wheelchairs (steered by leaning) are very cool and very expensive.

[WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by voxette-vk) Are dishes put *up*, or put *away*?

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Links:

[mailbox.org; Wayback] My email provider is running a Christmas promotion offering new customers €6 of credit if they sign up by January 10th, enough for six months of the basic plan (which is plenty in my experience). I've been happy with them, and I would definitely recommend them over Google or an ISP email. (It's even better if you use a custom email domain so that you can easily switch to a new provider if you ever change your mind.)

[CellSol; Wayback] (h/t Hackaday): I'm not sure how practical this system is (maybe?), but if nothing else I love that a disaster-tolerant comms network has the motto--according to Wikipedia's translation--"get results, whether God likes it or not".

[Kiwix; Wayback] If you ever find yourself on one of those data plans with zero-rated WhatsApp and expensive everything-else, exploit some loopholes with the help of the iHarare WhatsApp bot!

Laugh rule: [Wikipedia; Wayback]

Iqaluit Public Transit used to offer bus service in the city, but the service was cancelled due to low ridership. Motor cars are increasing in number, to the extent of causing occasional traffic jams known locally as "the rush minute".

There is a blanket [cw: illness] on the rest of this post.

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Comments on my own posts:

[none this time]

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Comments on other people's posts:

[Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by yvannairie) In which we are all uncomfortable with the word "simp", though not all for the same initial reasons.

[cw: food, poison, medical stuff] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by mindstalk; partly in response to marycatelli) On drug-grapefruit interactions. [three comments]

[mild cw: war, apocalypse] [AO3; Wayback] (OP by nostalgebraist) Very belated Almost Nowhere reactionblogging.

[WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by invertedporcupine) What are the boundaries of "several"? Also, what are the boundaries of "the other day"?

[WordPress part 1 (Tumblr part 1); WordPress part 2 (Tumblr part 2)] (OP by voxette-vk; in response to rustingbridges) The etymology of the name "Ontario" makes it an especially bad choice to be stolen by a town in the California desert. [two or three comments, depending on how you count]

[cw: homophobia, discourse, amnesia, (arguably) politics] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by feotakahari; partly in response to wingedcatgirl) Can we *please* not double-down on that rotten-to-the-core "born this way" argument? Especially not in this Minitrue way? [two comments]

[cw: violence, amnesia] [AO3; Wayback] (OP by Benedict_SC) Even more belated The Bleeding Heart of the Oborozuka Vampire theorising, now that I speak Umineko and therefore have *some* idea of what is going on.

[WordPress (Tumblr)] (OP by dagny-hashtaggart) Jules Verne and teaboos. [two comments]

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Links:

Laugh rule:
[Rock Paper Shotgun; Wayback] (by Nate Crowley)

But for me, it was the classic multiplayer combat experience: radio silence on my side (except the occasional amiable Frenchman, mumbling in short bursts from the heart of a collapsing crisp factory), and a pitiless raptor squad of born killers on the other side, functioning with the lethal efficiency of a hive mind.

There is a blanket [cw: illness] on the rest of this post.

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Comments on my own posts:

[none suitable for this section]

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Comments on other people's posts:

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by maryellencarter) Ebook recs.

[Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by siderea) Circumventing phone-number-demanding online accounts by using VoIP numbers.

[mild cw: amnesia] [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by xenosagaepisodeone, though my post is more *inspired* by hers than actually responding to her) Tech-literacy and (supposed) digital natives.

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by nudityandnerdery) Fuck cloud dependence; also, tips on harm-reduction DIY smart TVs.

[cw: poison] [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by outofcontextdnd) A D&D item that on first glance looks useless, on second glance looks helpful, and on third glance looks dangerous.

[cw: food, dieting] [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by rustingbridges) Optimising your diet for nutrients you wouldn't otherwise get enough of. [four comments]

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Links:

Laugh rule:
[cw: hacking] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (by feotakahari) A rather meta scamming attempt.



There is a blanket [cw: illness] on the rest of this post.

( Read more... )

Comments on my own posts:

[cw: amnesia, poverty, anxiety, probably venting] The one about coping mechanisms [one comment, not counting the postscript]

[mild cw: death] I saw Spot click [two comments]

The one about changes to Flight Rising alchemy

Lifelogging

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Comments on other people's posts:

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by itsbenedict) Alexander Wales has written even more great stuff than previously believed! Over a million words more, in fact!

[Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by yvannairie) That feel when you check on someone you ghosted a while back, and they have not improved at all.

[cw: amnesia] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by contrarianarchon) The characteristics of different types of Tumblr linkrot.

[cw: illness] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by contrarianarchon) Adapting to both the pathogens and shops of a new home.

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Links:

(Tumblr *still* hasn't fixed the backwards post ordering.) [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by pedantricks, but read the whole thread; h/t fermatas-theorem) *Somebody* couldn't wait until 2021 and started doing earth-pod memes already.

(Ditto, although this thread doesn't actually lose much if you read it in reverse order.) [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by swordsdance, but read the whole thread; h/t itsbenedict) Birds wearing bells as hats.

[Tumblr; Wayback] (by evenstarsinthesky; h/t consumptive-sphinx) Creative [reusable shopping containers].

1. What is the best book you have ever read? Why did you like it?

*Ever*, I'm not sure.

The cached answer from back when I was often asked my favourite book is "Ella Enchanted". It's got tons of loophole exploitation! And people getting mind-controlled into being happy about their situation! And a *genuine* happy ending!


2. What is your favorite kind of weather? Why?

About 12°C, sunny, light breeze, leaves crunching under your feet, ragweed season over.

I can go outside, enjoy the fresh air, wear a turtleneck *and* my favourite jacket and be neither too warm nor too cold.


3. If you had $100,000, how would you spend it?

You know what, it *is* about time I wrote down the List. It'll help me make sure I'm keeping track of it all, compared to just having it in my head.

(all figures in CAD, translated where necessary)

i. Very extensive roof repairs (~$6,500 - $11,000, depending on quality and haggling)

ii. Partial dentures for Dad (~$2,000)

iii. One-month, three-person emergency fund (Brother has a full-time job and partially separate finances: he can take care of himself) ($3,750)

iv. Laptop for Mom (current laptop barely functions as a personal computer (plus it's hampering her ad-mining) but would make a fine prosthetic brain for the TV; current TV prosthetic brain barely functions as such but would make a fine short-term emergency spare) (~$400)

v. Three-month, three-person emergency fund ($7,500 if you already have a one-month)

vi. Dental checkups for me and Mom (~$350)

vii. Extensive porch repairs and handrail installation (don't have a price quote on this yet, maybe a few thousand)

viii. ~5- to 7-year-old Toyota Prius V (by far the most fuel-efficient of [non-luxury car models capable of driving 100mi to New York, fitting $800 of groceries inside, then driving 100mi back]) (~$14,000)

ix. [classified] ($3,700)

x. Six-month, three-person emergency fund ($11,250 if you already have a three-month)

xi. Fill out rest of RRSP (~$3,200)

xii. Replace upstairs hallway carpet (much of which is covered in permanent dog-urine stains), probably also have to replace parts of the floor underneath as some spots are suspiciously squishy (don't have a price quote on this yet)

xiii. New coat of paint for parts of house requiring protective paint coating (don't have a price quote on this yet)

xiv. Ask Dad if there are any other house repairs I've overlooked (don't have a price quote on this yet)

...let's see, what I am up to now? Around 60 - 70k? And the original 100k was probably meant to be USD, so I've still got about half left.

If I had 65k lying around because of extra *income*, I'd say that's enough for it to be worth my while to hire a U.S. tax specialist to fill out the Qualified Electing Fund paperwork on a bunch of VGRO. (The nice thing about those all-in-one funds is you only have to fill out one set of QEF paperwork (per year) for your entire portfolio.) But this is a lump sum, which means we're still bleeding money underneath (albeit less than before, what with the non-beater car), which means we're likely to need that 65k in the next five years, which means no stock market. I'll just add it to the same carefully-optimised† savings account as the emergency fund. (Between that and the emergency fund, it's over $200/month in interest!)


4. Did you ever meet a famous person?

Well, there's a surprisingly decent chance I've run into Justin Bieber at some point and not realised...

I mean, in general, I don't expect that I'd notice if someone I was meeting was famous. Didn't even realise for a while that the person I was chatting with in some blog comment threads a few years back was Ursula Vernon, and I can't blame prosopagnosia for that one.


5. Were you ever in a helicopter, limousine, racecar, hot-air balloon, submarine, horse-drawn carriage?

Only horse-drawn carriages.

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†About 2.8 - 3.3% interest, depending on which promotions are going on at the moment.

Comments on my own posts:

Not a comment exactly, but I found and edited in the context link I wanted for that post about dual-boot issues

[cw: illness, venting] The one about pollen allergies [two comments]

In which Brin learns to speak another dialect of Pokemon

[cw: abuse, self-harm] The one about catharsis

[cw: poverty] The one about Pokemon Go

Me, arguing with my new credit-card company about signup bonuses

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Comments on other people's posts:

[cw: death, asphyxiation] [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by exigencelost) What would breathing feel like if you didn't need air to live?

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by gasmaskaesthetic) Paper vs electronic paycheques. [three comments]

[cw: Christian fundamentalism] [Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by thedarlingone) Not sure *how* this feeds into Their plots, but it can't be good.

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by etirabys) How to ensure camera privacy.

[Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by thedarlingone) Video-game serial monogamy. [two comments, one of which is new]

[Dreamwidth; Wayback] (OP by sigmaleph) "Throuple"? Really?

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by quoms; in response to rustingbridges) The intricacies of rounded cash transactions. [three comments]

[mild cw: death, misgendering] [Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by transsexualite; in response to serinemolecule) Customer honorifics.

[Tumblr; Wayback] (OP by official-voice; in response to sigmaleph) There are even better 2020-vision jokes yet to come.

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Links:

Two laugh-rule entries:
[Twitter; Wayback doesn't seem to handle long Twitter threads well, though you can see some of it here] (by dsquareddigest; h/t Matt Levine)

as well as the PE ratio, block trading and the team, Goldman Sachs invented Europe.

[Bloomberg; Wayback crawling forbidden] (by Matt Levine)

True, there is some history of huge exogenous discoveries of precious metals causing monetary disruption, but the important thing to realize is that that was back when precious metals were money. Now bringing back a gajillion tons of gold from outer space would not increase the money supply, because the money supply is not linked to gold. It would just decrease the price of gold. It would be super disruptive to gold miners, sure! The rest of us would be fine.

[...]

Now if they find an asteroid that is made out of Bitcoin, that will be economically significant.

A couple weeks ago Runescape went back into not-working-on-Linux mode. I tried playing on Windows for a while, but it's *so* annoying having to switch operating systems for it. I hate having to choose, on a scale of *hours*, between "Runescape" and "everything else". I can't pop in for five minutes to check on something, I can't have stuff running in the background while I play, and I can't work on other things here and there on breaks. Probably nobody else pays close enough attention to notice (I haven't been making announcements, just quietly updating my Tumblr user profile with the current status), but my rate of Wordpress-archive formatting has definitely suffered. (admittedly I also worked more hours the past couple weeks, but still, I think the operating-system problem was a significant factor)

(Also, my Windows screen-brightness control is broken, and I have not figured out a way to fix it. I found a third-party screen dimmer that works, but sometimes the brightness Windows is stuck on is too *dim* for my current needs, and third-party screen *brightening* seems to be much harder. And it insists on reverting to UTC whenever I reboot, though if you check its timezone it still claims to be on Eastern time.)

I tried playing a couple more Linux-friendly games, seeing if I could coax my brain into phase with them, but I'm just not in the mood.

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The problem with the Runescape Linux client is that it was made for use on Ubuntu 14.04, and while they've made a few minor tweaks to it since then they've never gone back and really updated it to work properly on newer versions.

Last night, a thought occurred to me:

"Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I tried the overkill approach?"

So I tried the overkill approach: I made an Ubuntu 14.04 virtual machine and tried installing the client on *that*.

It...kind of actually works? After a couple initial tests to see how high-spec I could make the machine without it lagging my whole computer (conveniently, you can edit the specs of a machine *after* you make it; no need to start from scratch), I seem to have ended up with a machine that can run Runescape at 2 fps. And like, I spent *years* playing Runescape on a machine that got 2 fps, that is empirically a thing that I have been known to do. As I mentioned recently, I already don't do forms of gameplay that require fast reaction times.

(*Way* back in the day, I used to play Runescape on a machine that would freeze up for *several minutes* every time it had to load a new area of the map. I remember keeping a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by my laptop *specifically* for the purpose of having something to do while I waited for the map to load.)

I might try knocking the graphics quality down a bit more, see if that helps.