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Cake day: June 13th, 2023

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  • Years ago, when I was super into manga and anime, I tried to get into One Piece because of how popular it was getting (it was still finding its footing in the US but it was huge in Japan). I read the first few volumes of the manga and watched the first dozen or so anime episodes. It was well made but nothing about it grabbed me in a way that made me the least bit excited to continue (or even understand its wild popularity), especially compared to other shonen series at the time. The plot didn’t immediately hook me, and I guess neither the characters nor the premise/setting were interesting enough to keep me going until it did. Given how long the series has gone on for, I’m relieved I never got into it.

    Anyone else struggle to find One Piece enjoyable?






  • I definitely read “horses” until I got to the part where all three of them have “horses” even though only one of them was interested in them, and that’s when I realized my brain had added in the “r” because horse people obviously exist, but hose people?


  • My amateur-ecologist thoughts:

    I had the same reaction reading this; all my life I’ve been told to remove all standing water no matter what. It’s really unfortunate that we drain swamps, remove pools and puddles, and populate ponds with introduced fish species just to reduce mosquito numbers, because we’re destroying critical habitat and watering holes for so many species in the process. Unlike most wanton environmental destruction it’s at least for a good reason (from a anthropocentric point of view anyway), but it would be better to try and reduce mosquito populations in less invasive ways.

    I posted in another thread for this article that (in my experience) salamander larvae will annihilate any and all mosquito populations before they can get established. They’re voracious little critters, to the point of frequently turning to cannibalism, because they’re racing the clock to grow and metamorphosize before their pool dries up in summer or freezes in autumn (depending on climate). Mosquito larvae are sitting ducks to salamander larvae, and given a healthy salamander population are unlikely to make it to adulthood before getting devoured.

    In many areas salamander populations (as well as other amphibians) are struggling because the fish introduced to their breeding ponds (for recreational fishing, mosquito control, or just aesthetics) will often eat their larval forms. It seems like a potential win-win to use salamander population support as a means of mosquito suppression.




  • You’re taking the meme way too seriously. For one, drugs aren’t a standard treatment for ODD. From the Mayo Clinic:

    Treatment for oppositional defiant disorder primarily involves family-based interventions. But treatment may include other types of talk therapy and training for your child — as well as for parents. […] Medicines alone generally aren’t used for ODD unless your child also has another mental health condition.



  • I posted this in another thread for this meme:

    Fun meme and all, but I somehow doubt the author has much experience working with children. Some kids are genuinely little terrors, in that everybody around them tends to have a bad time in their presence (adults, peers, and usually, the kid themselves). “We live in a society” and all that, so not being able to function within that society (especially as a minor since they don’t even have the option of living off-grid in the woods as a hermit) is, sorry to say, a problem.

    This is also a gross misrepresentation of ODD as defined by the DSM; here’s a snippet of the diagnostic requirements (emphasis mine):

    A pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or vindictiveness lasting at least 6 months as evidenced by at least four symptoms of the following categories, and exhibited during interaction with at least one individual who is not a sibling:

    Angry/Irritable Mood

    1. Often loses temper
    2. Is often touchy or easily annoyed
    3. Is often angry and resentful

    Argumentative/Defiant Behavior

    1. Often argues with authority figures or, for children and adolescents, with adults
    2. Often actively defies or refuses to comply with requests from authority figures or with rules
    3. Often deliberately annoys others
    4. Often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior

    Vindictiveness

    1. Has been spiteful or vindictive at least twice within the past 6 months

    There’s also additional qualifiers such as for frequency (they’re not pathologizing having a bad day or two).

    So no, your “eat the rich” and “ACAB” laptop stickers are not going to get you slapped with an ODD diagnosis.



  • I have been really disappointed by the times I’ve ordered from a shop online (even one that came highly recommended on forums) that I hadn’t previously visited in person. So now I default to a shop that I stopped by on a trip to Chicago once: https://www.coffeeandtea.com/. They have a good supply of the basics (eg English breakfast tea) that are decent quality and very well priced, perfect for everyday tea. For special occasion teas, I was very impressed by a place in Portland, OR I visited: https://thejasminepearl.com/. A lot more expensive but quality to match.

    Nowadays I try to make a habit of stopping by tea shops when visiting new cities, and taking note of which specialty teas each has, their price points, etc. I’ve about five or so that I rotate ordering from at this point.




  • I would somewhat disagree with Subnautica. There are lots of different settings you can tweak to make the game harder or more survival-oriented that might warrant a replay (although probably only one) if your first play-through was on a simpler/easier mode. Plus there are the creation modes where you can create your own base without restrictions, which sort of counts as replay? Mostly though the setting in Subnautica is quite unique, and short of playing Below Zero you won’t be able to find that vibe anywhere without playing the game again. However as a story-oriented game I’d agree it has lower-than-average replay value.