CountVon

@CountVon@sh.itjust.works

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Review Thread⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I don’t dislike that art style in general, but to my mind it seems like a poor fit for a Dragon Age game. I guess they’re pivotinf strongly away from the series dark and gritty roots, which is unfortunate because I think that was one of its strong points.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Review Thread⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Watching Skill Up’s review now, and oof. That art style… that writing. Don’t know who they made this game for, but it’s definitely not me.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨After eating, when do you digest food the fastest, laying down, sitting or standing?⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  No, the opposite actually! Any amount of exercise will help with GI motility, but intense exercise causes the digestive system to slow down (source).

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨After eating, when do you digest food the fastest, laying down, sitting or standing?⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  None of the above. The correct answer is walking. Moving around helps kickstart the GI tract.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why does my beard grow back faster after shaving?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩:

  I don’t believe it actually does grow back faster, it just seems that way. The first inch or so gives the impression of growing back faster because the hairs are thicker at the base so they’re more visible and less prone to breakage.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is Ryze Mushroom Coffee Just Another Craze?⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Is there any benefit at all

  Maybe! There’s at least some scientific evidence that chemical compounds in mushrooms can have medicinal effects.

  Bias disclaimer: I put a lion’s mane mushroom tincture in my morning tea because it may have a neuroprotective effect (source). My father’s father had dementia, my father is currently in a home with profound dementia, the chances it’s going to happen to me are very high. It’ll be years before I know whether lion’s mane mushroom will do anything for me, but I’m willing to try anything as long as it’s affordable and has at least some plausible evidence behind it. This isn’t the only thing I’m doing of course, I’ve also overhauled my diet (MIND diet) and lost 30 pounds (obesity is correlated with dementia).

  why can’t you make it your self by pulverizing dried mushrooms of the same variety they use into powder and making the coffee yourself?

  You absolutely could. Or, you know, just eat some of the same mushrooms. The benefit to dried products like Ryze, or tinctures like the one I use, are that they’re more easily transportable and have a longer shelf life. I’ve cooked up fresh lion’s mane mushrooms several times, but not super often because they’re not in many stores in my area and tend to be pricey for the amount you get. I’ve also grown my own from a kit but that takes significant time and a little bit of daily attention to maintain optimal growing conditions. The tincture is convenient and relatively affordable as far as daily supplements go.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨I wonder what they smell like.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  They smell like plastic, metal, complex hydrocarbons, and death.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Why are weather apps so bad at telling you the current weather?⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  MinuteCast from AccuWeather does exactly this. It looks at your location, looks at radar data for storm systems approaching your location, and estimates when precipitation will start at your location and how intense it will be. It’s generally pretty accurate, with some limitations. It seems to be pretty good for consistent rainstorms but it can get tripped up by pop-up thunderstorms, where the radar track can go suddenly from no rain to downpour. It doesn’t make predictions more then 2-3 hours out because past that timeframe it’s not easy to predict if weather will continue on its current track or change direction. Even with the limitations, I use it all the time. Mostly to tell if I should take the dogs out right away, or if I should wait an hour or two.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan accused of being 'serial tax evaders' over online businesses including OnlyFans⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  The money came from products they sold online as well as their OnlyFans sites

  Why do these guys have OnlyFans revenue? I doubt they’re selling pics of themselves. Why would the models featured in those sites not cut out the Tate brothers and just deal with OnlyFans directly? The models provide the content, OnlyFans provides the platform… so what value do the Tate brothers provide? I have to imagine the answer to the first question is “threats” and the answer to the second is “nothing.” These guys are just digital pimps.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Are there any good casual/low-stress mobile games that aren't filled with microtransactions?⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I’m not sure it fits 100% with what you’re looking for, but I’ll take chance and recommend Slice & Dice (Google Play, Apple App Store). Free demo, no ads, single in-app purchase to unlock the full version. This game is easily the best value-for-dollar mobile game I’ve ever purchased.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Ironing⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Oh for sure, those are a communal resource.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is there a standard/preferred list order for non-alphanumeric characters?⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  There is a Unicode Technical Standard for this, called the Unicode Collation Algorithm. Whether everyone uses it, I can’t say. As it says on the linked page:

  Conformance to the Unicode Standard does not imply conformance to any UTS.

  So in other words it’s possible to conform to the Unicode Standard without adhering to the Unicode Collation Algorithm.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Live Nation/Ticket Master won't give you your tickets unless you install their app⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Jesus, what a bunch of needless “security”

  I disagree with this part. Ticket theft is an actual issue, there are lots of ways to get a copy of someone else’s barcode and either use it before they do or (more likely) sell it to someone else online. Their marketing talks up the increased security to distract from their true purpose, which is of course to find more ways to take more money from fans.

  This is all for personal data mining.

  TicketMaster might be selling user data, but I don’t think that’s their main aim. They want control of the resale market so they can take a cut when tickets are resold. Note how they don’t allow direct transfers between two mobile wallets, they only allow transfers using their app. That’s so they can monitor transfers. If they see someone transferring dozens or hundreds of tickets to many other TicketMaster users then that person is likely reselling and they can clamp down on their account. TicketMaster’s true intent is to force all resales onto their ticket marketplace, because that’s where they get to take a cut of resales.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Live Nation/Ticket Master won't give you your tickets unless you install their app⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Oh yes, I don’t mean to absolve them of any blame. They treated it as an expensive lesson, which is probably the best way for them to process it.

  Also while TicketMaster is going to sell this as being an “enhanced security” thing, it’s pretty obvious that increased security is only a side benefit for them. Their angle in this is getting more control over the tickets they sell. As long as there are many people who want to go than can physically fit in a venue, there will be a reselling market for event tickets. TicketMaster wants to take a cut of these downstream transactions.

  While the security of rotating barcodes does hinder outright scams, mobile wallets normally allow wallet users to transfer items like tickets to another user if the ticket issuer allows it. TicketMaster does not allow this for their tickets, of course, because it could allow someone to resell tickets while cutting TicketMaster out of the transaction. Currently TM allows transfers using their app, but I’m sure they monitor usage of the feature and clamp down on anyone transferring many tickets. In other words if you try to resell in bulk without using TicketMaster’s own platform (where they get to take a cut), they drop the hammer on you.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Live Nation/Ticket Master won't give you your tickets unless you install their app⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  The reason you can’t use screenshots or printouts is because they’re now using rotating barcodes. Much like the rotating codes in an authenticator app, the number values behind the barcode are changing on some regular cadence. Only the most recent barcode value is considered valid.

  The only other option is to use a mobile wallet, but that prevents me from sending my friends their tickets, since I purchased them all together.

  Some ticket sellers allow you to transfer tickets from one wallet to another wallet, but of course TicketMaster isn’t one of them because they’re fucking TicketMaster. What TicketMaster does allow is transfers from one TicketMaster account to another. Of course then everyone needs to have a TicketMaster account, needs to have the app, etc. It’s either that or leave all the tickets in your app or wallet and go in together. If you tell the door person “I have the tickets for these X people,” they’ll be able to handle that.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Live Nation/Ticket Master won't give you your tickets unless you install their app⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Yes because the security of barcodes and screenshotted tickets were such a huge problem before.

  I think what you just described is actually a problem. Friends of my parents were visiting somewhere, bought tickets to a show from a reseller, met up with the seller (normal looking guy, no red flags, gave some plausible story why he was selling) and paid cash for printed out tickets with barcodes. Printouts looked legit, dates on the printouts were correct, etc. Went to the doors, tried to scan their tickets, got told that unfortunately they’d just been scammed. Anecdotal, but I doubt they were the only ones. TicketMaster still sucks as an organization but the extra security of rotating barcodes does serve a legitimate purpose, just like the rotating security codes generated by an authenticator app.

  Airlines have recently been having problems with stowaways using screenshots of barcodes too. Such stowaways should get caught before departure by passenger headcounts, but clearly there are gaps or breakdowns in this procedure because some of these stowaways are getting caught at the destination. Others may have successfully flown for free. If it keeps happening I bet we’ll see the same rotating barcode value technology come to mobile boarding passes, if it hasn’t already.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨How does this math work?⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Summing a balance column is never correct. Take any example that doesn’t end in a zero balance and it’s easy to see that the results is meaningless: Image

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Screen time⁩ ⁨⁨8⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Image

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is Antivirus needed in 2024?⁩ ⁨⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I don’t think dedicated antivirus software is really required anymore. I haven’t run third-party AV software on any of my systems in the last decade.

  On Windows, the built-in Windows Defender is good enough for most use cases. When it first launched Defender had a pretty bad track record at stopping viruses, but now it routinely ranks at the top.

  On Linux, antivirus software has never really been required. One major exception I can think of would be if you’re running a file server or mail server that talks to OSX or Windows systems. Even then the AV software isn’t really there to protect the server, it’s there to make sure you don’t pass malware or viruses to those non-Linux clients.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨If a question is downvoted on !nostupidquestions, is the question too stupid or was it not stupid enough?⁩ ⁨⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  I didn’t say I’d downvote in those situations. I would guess that Rule 5 needs to exist for a reason. Without it the community could get overrun with ragebait posts. Personally I wouldn’t consider any of your examples questions to be ones that violate Rule 5, but I’m not a mod and I don’t make or enforce the rules. I also wouldn’t downvote such a question myself, but I would consider reporting it if it seemed like the OP was consistently trying to pull the conversation into fractious territory. Anyway, if we want to to discuss the rules and downvoting vs. reporting, that should probably go in a meta post.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨If a question is downvoted on !nostupidquestions, is the question too stupid or was it not stupid enough?⁩ ⁨⁨9⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Serious answer, the question might be one that broke on the community rules like Rule 5 (“No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda”) or Rule 6 (No meme or troll questions, except on Fridays) and voters are expressing their displeasure.

  Silly answer, the question wasn’t stupid. The name of the community is actually “No, Stupid Questions.” The missing comma is a typo.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Can you survive on pickles alone, for a while?⁩ ⁨⁨10⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Apparently the technical term is protein poisoning. Digesting protein creates urea, and the body needs at least some fat in order to convert to ammonia that can be excreted. It’s also called “mal be caribou” in French (caribou sickness, I think), which I find fascinating.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨he's self smarted⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  Worst case Ontario

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Poor doggo⁩ ⁨⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago⁩:

  That’s a badger.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What android phones do you recommend and why?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  You could install LineageOS on your existing phone instead of upgrading. The OnePlus 7 Pro is supported. The install process can be daunting depending on your technical skills, but it’s a one-time process since the phone gets updates over-the-air after the OS is installed.

  I did this with my OnePlus 6 a few months ago and the experience has been good. Switching to LineageOS bumped Android to version 13, whereas it was stuck on Android 11 on stock OnePlus firmware. I’m getting regular updates again, including open-source Android security patches. Not everything gets patched though, some of the core firmware is proprietary to OnePlus and that cannot be patched by anyone but them. It’s letting me extend the life of a phone still works well and has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Is there any way to open a pop can stealthily?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  Yes. Raise the tab just enough to equalise the pressure, then use your thumb to slowly open the can hole. This video gives a tutorial using a beer, but it’ll work for any aluminum drink can.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Unity issue an apology on Twitter for "confusion and angst" over the runtime fee policy.⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  The Unity execs thought they were being smooth criminals, instead they came in too rough and got busted.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The Expanse: A Telltale Series Redband Trailer⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  I hear you, normally I’d recommend books before adaptations so it feels weird to be doing otherwise here. In this particular case I think it makes sense though. The main character of the game ties directly to same character’s depiction in the TV show, while the book version of that character is actually three or four different characters.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The Expanse: A Telltale Series Redband Trailer⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah, that makes sense. I’m in the process of re-reading the whole series now. Currently on book 3, will take another crack at 7-9 once I read that far.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The Expanse: A Telltale Series Redband Trailer⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩:

  Do you like to read science fiction? If so, then I’d recommend the books. Would you prefer a TV show? Then I’d recommend the TV series. Both are pretty good, though the TV show makes a significant number of (mostly) warranted changes from the books.

  I would trust that the game does a solid enough job for newcomers to the series, but you’d likely get a lot more out of it if you’d seen the show and/or book. The main character in the game (Drummer) is a prominent side character in the TV show, and I believe the actor for that role is doing the voice over for the game. Which is awesome, she was one of my favorite characters from the show. I believe that character doesn’t map one-to-one onto any character in the books though, as the show condensed and combined a number of side characters. I felt that was an understandable change for the TV adaptation since the books had a fairly sprawling cast of side characters. Anyway, long story short, if you’re one the fence for book vs. show, I’d say watch the show since the game appears to match the show’s continuity.

  The game just released today and I haven’t played it yet. It’s also releasing in episodic fashion, as many Telltale games have done, so you’d only be able to play the first installment today. Reviewers have access to the first three, according to this review-in-progress, but as that reviewer points out:

  I’ve not yet finished all of the episodes, with only the first three available to review, but what I have played is exceedingly promising. At this point, my only question is whether the core mystery is satisfying and if the developers manage to stick the landing, which is impossible to answer without fully understanding the breadth and scope of the entire set of episodes.

  I love both the books and the show, and while I’m looking forward to the game I’ve decided to stay on the fence until all the episodes are available.