Choo choo! All aboard the Complain Train!

[Dirty Hipsters]

The worst? Well...I wonder in the days when vinyl was cutting edge if people were nostalgic for using wax tubes or whatever.

There is functionally no difference between vinyl and wax tubes, other than the materials being used. They function the exact same way, a needle riding in a groove. Really the only difference is vinyl being more convenient to store, but also overall worse for the health of the planet because it's not biodegradable and not really recyclable either, but also very easy to break and ruin.

 

[Thaluikhain]

There is functionally no difference between vinyl and wax tubes, other than the materials being used. They function the exact same way, a needle riding in a groove. Really the only difference is vinyl being more convenient to store, but also overall worse for the health of the planet because it's not biodegradable and not really recyclable either, but also very easy to break and ruin.

Huh, didn't know that. That may or may not ruin my point.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Huh, didn't know that. That may or may not ruin my point.

A vinyl record player is basically just a gramophone, but run on electricity rather than mechanical energy, and a gramophone is basically just an upgraded version of the phonograph that was invented by Thomas Edison, just using shellac disks instead of wax cylinders.

Phonograph vs Gramophone: Difference Explained

The story goes back to the day when I came across a YouTube video where the host was narrating the history of record players and ... Read More

turntabletrends.com

Obviously a vinyl record player is more technologically advanced but the basic tech of reading sound recorded in a grove using a needle is the same.

 

[Thaluikhain]

A vinyl record player is basically just a gramophone, but run on electricity rather than mechanical energy, and a gramophone is basically just an upgraded version of the phonograph that was invented by Thomas Edison, just using shellac disks instead of wax cylinders.

Phonograph vs Gramophone: Difference Explained

The story goes back to the day when I came across a YouTube video where the host was narrating the history of record players and ... Read More

turntabletrends.com

Obviously a vinyl record player is more technologically advanced but the basic tech of reading sound recorded in a grove using a needle is the same.

I thought they'd greatly improved the technology when they changed materials as well.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I thought they'd greatly improved the technology when they changed materials as well.

Not really? I mean there are significant improvements and design changes, but it's kind of like the difference between CD players and Blu-Ray disk players, the underlying tech is the same.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Fucking THIS. It's especially true of electric cars because Tesla did it so now they have to do it as well.

A significant part of the reason that I bought my Mazda is the "commander knob" that you use to control all the navigation and infotainment stuff while driving so that you don't have to take your eyes off the road.

View attachment 11731

The car also has a touch screen and I literally never use it because I prefer the knob and buttons.

Is that on the center console, and does it essentially replace buttons on the steering wheel for that stuff?

My mom recently commented offhandedly that she thinks I'm autistic. I'm 44; she could have shared that sentiment by now. Then today, my cousin texted to say she thinks we're both "on the spectrum." Gee, thanks? Given the coincidence, I texted an ex, a woman I dated for about 5 years who arguably knows me better than anyone and is still a really good friend to relay these statements, and get her thoughts. She normally responds within an hour or so; nope, she responded in less than a minute that she agrees I'm "on the spectrum." WTF?!? I asked her why she thought so, and again within a minute, her response, verbatim: "Ummm it's been a while, but definitely the way you dress, the way you eat and everything you like and think and do."

Thank God she's not a psychologist; her tact fucking sucks. This was mild therapy, not triage; she could have picked anyone one of those things and let me ruminate, but instead dropped my entire identity in my lap as evidence. I'm not normally self-conscious; now, I don't think I could tie my shoes without wondering who's been passing judgement or diagnosing me from afar.

Also, now curious if I actually AM "on the spectrum." One person is an opinion, but several is evidence of a quorum.

Don’t sweat it. Most people are “on the spectrum” these days thanks to all the hormones and other garbage in processed food we grew up eating. The best part is the worst of it also happens to be the stuff most heavily marketed to kids. Gee, it almost feels like it’s by design to screw up future generations *just enough* to be suggested various pharmaceuticals to *help improve* their situation in life down the road, instead of you know, encouraging healthy eating habits and stuff like that from the fucking beginning. OTOH we have pesticides and microplastics in nearly everything else that’s actually grown anyways, and most parents back then with busy lives especially weren’t up on “doing research” or privy to organic eats. They basically just took the clever marketing dodos’ word for it and ignored the fine print on cereal boxes.

Good one, shameless capitalists; I see what you did there.


Whenever life’s bs has me down in terms of “afflictions” accumulated during our “advanced state” in the human condition, I always recall the catch-all statement that “life is a sexually transmitted disease”. It always gets at least a grin out of me.


Back OT, when cooking instructions are wrong. Frozen broccoli has something like, “add a tablespoon of water to half a bag and then microwave on high for 8 minutes.” Great, so that way half of it gets burnt into the consistency of a leather shoelace. No, fuck that. I’m running filtered water over every piece in the pot til there’s nearly a half inch of it, which gets it steamy and tender.

Those oatmeal cups to-go are also suspect. Adding “a third cup or so that the oats are covered” sounds better than the broccoli, but at the suggested time of 30-45 seconds, I just did 48 and it still leaves it looking about as “done” as if normal measured oats were cooked that long.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Is that on the center console, and does it essentially replace buttons on the steering wheel for that stuff?

Yeah, it's on the center console.



No it doesn't replace the buttons on the steering wheel, those are there as well. So you still have volume control, skip forward and back, and stuff like that on the wheel. The knob and buttons on the center console are basically just used to navigate the touch screen (or if you connect your phone, for using android auto or apple carplay) without having to actually use the touch screen (the knob rotates, but it also has 4 directional tilt, and click).

 

[Thaluikhain]

Don’t sweat it. Most people are “on the spectrum” these days thanks to all the hormones and other garbage in processed food we grew up eating. The best part is the worst of it also happens to be the stuff most heavily marketed to kids. Gee, it almost feels like it’s by design to screw up future generations *just enough* to be suggested various pharmaceuticals to *help improve* their situation in life down the road, instead of you know, encouraging healthy eating habits and stuff like that from the fucking beginning. OTOH we have pesticides and microplastics in nearly everything else that’s actually grown anyways, and most parents back then with busy lives especially weren’t up on “doing research” or privy to organic eats. They basically just took the clever marketing dodos’ word for it and ignored the fine print on cereal boxes.

Citation needed on autism being caused by processed food. Also citation needed on processed foods being deliberately bad so that the (often unrelated) pharmaceutical companies can benefit. But less needed on the second.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Citation needed on autism being caused by processed food. Also citation needed on processed foods being deliberately bad so that the (often unrelated) pharmaceutical companies can benefit. But less needed on the second.

Processing Risk

Could eating processed foods while pregnant increase the likelihood of childhood autism? Recent findings by UCF researchers suggest yes.

www.ucf.edu

Although pesticides may also contribute -

Why Is Autism Increasing Dramatically?

ASD includes a broad spectrum of disorders that affects social skills, speech, movement, learning, cognition, mood and behavior. Rates of autism are increasing dramatically because of increased awareness and screening, better access to healthcare and broadened diagnostic criteria.

www.medicinenet.com

While a primary factor may be genetic mutation, studies suggest a causation with pesticides, which in many cases are residually ingested on a daily basis.

Occupational Pesticide Exposure, Impaired DNA Repair, and Diseases - PMC

Pesticides are a mixture of chemical substances used to kill pests. Apart from their toxicity to pests, thy affect nontarget organisms. They also generate free radicals producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can disturb cellular pathways by ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Maybe not directly, but it is at the very least a happy accident that our bodies are typically polluted enough to eventually cause health problems which within the U.S. medical industry is often addressed with prescription drugs. It’s a vicious cycle where often the most effective solution, while typically not nearly as easy or convenient, is adopting a better diet along with exercise.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

You know what really drives home how much life sucks lately? Sleeping on your mattress on the floor.

Already put a down payment on a new bed frame, but having to do a full squat just to get out of bed feels wrong.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Processing Risk

Could eating processed foods while pregnant increase the likelihood of childhood autism? Recent findings by UCF researchers suggest yes.

www.ucf.edu

Although pesticides may also contribute -

Why Is Autism Increasing Dramatically?

ASD includes a broad spectrum of disorders that affects social skills, speech, movement, learning, cognition, mood and behavior. Rates of autism are increasing dramatically because of increased awareness and screening, better access to healthcare and broadened diagnostic criteria.

www.medicinenet.com

While a primary factor may be genetic mutation, studies suggest a causation with pesticides, which in many cases are residually ingested on a daily basis.

Occupational Pesticide Exposure, Impaired DNA Repair, and Diseases - PMC

Pesticides are a mixture of chemical substances used to kill pests. Apart from their toxicity to pests, thy affect nontarget organisms. They also generate free radicals producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can disturb cellular pathways by ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The first of those articles links to another from the same site that says more research is needed, and the second includes "Although the number of children diagnosed with autism has steadily increased over the last few years, this is not because more children develop autism now than before." All sorts of claims about autism are made, maybe there's truth in this one, but I'll wait and see.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

It's amazing how much worse zero calorie sweeteners taste than real sugar.

 

[Thaluikhain]

It's amazing how much worse zero calorie sweeteners taste than real sugar.

And the aftertaste...bleh. They made a joke about that in the Muppets CD-Rom in 1996.

 

[Chimpzy]

It's amazing how much worse zero calorie sweeteners taste than real sugar.

It has always bemused me when someone says Coke Zero tastes the same as regular Coke*

It. Does. Not.

* fyi, here in Euroland all Coke is like Mexican Coke i.e. sweetened with white sugar

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

There's a wildfire near my house right now.

The wind is currently blowing away from my neighborhood, so I actually don't even smell smoke right now, but I can see the giant column of smoke from my office window, and there's neighborhoods in the opposite direction from me who have been given the order to evacuate, and more with evacuation warnings.

Wish me luck.

Edit: So far the wild fire is moving away from homes and into the nature preserve that my neighborhood buts up against. So far about 5,500 acres burned but at least it's all moving away from me. Hopefully the wind direction doesn't change during the night. Currently the fire is still 0% contained.

 

[Xprimentyl]

There's a wildfire near my house right now.

The wind is currently blowing away from my neighborhood, so I actually don't even smell smoke right now, but I can see the giant column of smoke from my office window, and there's neighborhoods in the opposite direction from me who have been given the order to evacuate, and more with evacuation warnings.

Wish me luck.

Edit: So far the wild fire is moving away from homes and into the nature preserve that my neighborhood buts up against. So far about 5,500 acres burned but at least it's all moving away from me. Hopefully the wind direction doesn't change during the night. Currently the fire is still 0% contained.

Wow, stay safe and best of luck. 0% containment is scary.

 

[Chimpzy]

There's a wildfire near my house right now.

The wind is currently blowing away from my neighborhood, so I actually don't even smell smoke right now, but I can see the giant column of smoke from my office window, and there's neighborhoods in the opposite direction from me who have been given the order to evacuate, and more with evacuation warnings.

Wish me luck.

Edit: So far the wild fire is moving away from homes and into the nature preserve that my neighborhood buts up against. So far about 5,500 acres burned but at least it's all moving away from me. Hopefully the wind direction doesn't change during the night. Currently the fire is still 0% contained.

Ooof, that sounds terrifying. Hope things turn out well

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ouch, nasty. Do you have the weird glow at night, like it's sunrise in the wrong direction?

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Update on the fire:

It's at about 9,500 acres burned now, and the number of areas with evacuation warnings has doubled, but the wind direction held throughout the night and the fire is moving away from my direction. I can see the giant column of smoke from my window still, but actually the sky above my neighborhood is almost completely clear of smoke so it's all getting blown away, whereas yesterday the smoke was hanging directly over my neighborhood and making the light glow orange.

I had a go-bag packed yesterday just in case I would need to evac, but it's looking less and less like that will be necessary as long as the winds don't change.

Edit:

Update 2: The fire is now at 19,000 acres burned, but still heading away from me. The number of evacuation orders has tripled, but I'm still in the clear. I do see some of the fire that has crept a little closer to my neighborhood but I've been seeing planes flying around dumping red fire retardant on it, so they're clearly focusing on making sure the fire doesn't head toward homes and stays in the nature preserve area.

 

[Kyrian007]

Update on the fire:

It's at about 9,500 acres burned now, and the number of areas with evacuation warnings has doubled, but the wind direction held throughout the night and the fire is moving away from my direction. I can see the giant column of smoke from my window still, but actually the sky above my neighborhood is almost completely clear of smoke so it's all getting blown away, whereas yesterday the smoke was hanging directly over my neighborhood and making the light glow orange.

I had a go-bag packed yesterday just in case I would need to evac, but it's looking less and less like that will be necessary as long as the winds don't change.

Edit:

Update 2: The fire is now at 19,000 acres burned, but still heading away from me. The number of evacuation orders has tripled, but I'm still in the clear. I do see some of the fire that has crept a little closer to my neighborhood but I've been seeing planes flying around dumping red fire retardant on it, so they're clearly focusing on making sure the fire doesn't head toward homes and stays in the nature preserve area.

Stay safe, wind is a pretty fickle mistress.