@John@socks.masto.host
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

John

@John@socks.masto.host

I am retired in Southern California after working on the computational side of chemistry, medical electronics, environmental monitoring, motion pictures, and even some web commerce.

I am interested in hiking and the outdoors, exercise physiology (especially for someone in my age group), gardening, and old man projects in general.

Posts auto-delete after two months.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

It's not dangerous to share this in a like-minded audience, but here goes..

Only two kinds of people support Trump:

  1. people with the same criminal mindset

  2. people who don't know what's going on

Dylan, to random
@Dylan@weird.autos avatar

🚨Miata Update🚨

Today they’re polishing it and then it’s going through the final QA stages.

“Should be ready in a day or two.”

Looks like no rain for the next week 🥹

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@Dylan awesome. Congratulations and have a great first drive.

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@Dylan speaking of first drives, I took the Miata down to test drive the Prius Prime. I did not love it. That surprised me, actually. Possibly the transition from the stick shift to the hybrid was too abrupt.

Or looking back perhaps the whole problem was that the car had 4 miles on it. Brand new tires may have contributed to the "not connected to the road" feel.

I really have until June. I'll try to find a demo car a little more worn in.

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@Dylan after that drive I did consider the vanilla Prius.

I just took it around a couple blocks and didn't really mash it. I was probably in eco mode? It just seemed like a car, and the general feel was that it had too much power steering.

(The computer screen rear view mirror was freaky, cool. Much better than the limited visibility out the small back window.)

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

"Huy Fong’s Ex-Supplier Makes Its Own Sriracha—But Is It Good?"

One secret to Vietnamese food is that there is a little sugar in things that you might not expect to have sugar, like the dipping sauce for your egg rolls(*). The same is true of Huy Fong Sriracha. It is a chili sauce that has both more sugar and more garlic than you might expect.

    • if you make the dipping sauce yourself you use bottled fish sauce, a little lemon juice, a little sugar, water, a little 🌶️

https://thetakeout.com/huy-fong-sriracha-new-recipe-vs-underwood-hot-review-1851318284

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@ai6yr to each their own preferences, but the two sauces do list vinegar and garlic in different orders. I believe the rule is biggest ingredient first.

I thought in an earlier iteration I checked this and the sugar was absent/lower in the Underwood sauce. Maybe they have reformulated a bit.

As it stands now though, less garlic.

Chili sugar water salt acetic acid garlic

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@ai6yr I guess they have been doing some changes. Here is the full version of label I showed.

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@ai6yr having some bibimbap could be handy though.

It really is funny how these two old men are at war now. Choose your fighter.

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

Thinking about handing down my Subaru Outback and becoming a Prius* guy again.

It is a reduction in ability but it might fit my current actual lifestyle better**.

    • had 2005 Prius, considering 2024 Prime SE

** - Prius and Miata as 2 car solution. Hyde and Jekyll?

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

I wonder what this is, near downtown LA.

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

It was a fire.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/firefighters-battle-large-commercial-fire-in-downtown-los-angeles/

glennf, to random
@glennf@twit.social avatar

Just discovered my toaster oven has a subscription! I have to pay for electricity every month to use it! This is a travesty.

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@MsMerope @ai6yr it is easy to make fun, but it is pretty sad, isn't it. To think $12.99 is a low price for home cooking you have to not be cooking very much.

I wonder if the designers themselves were that detached or if they are just hoping they can take advantage of those who are.

BakerRL75, to random
@BakerRL75@m.ai6yr.org avatar

From Los Angeles Times: After winter storms, California can expect a late start to the wildfire season

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-03-08/california-can-expect-a-late-start-to-the-wildfire-season

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@BakerRL75 it's true. We have both rain damage and a letter from the city setting a deadline for brush clearing.

I should probably get down the slope and try giving everything a first pass.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

What is a Scientific Fact, that while you know it has been proven true, still seems impossible?

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@RickiTarr I have a hard time accepting the scientific solution to the Monty Hall problem.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

Population really makes a difference.

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

The wave of COVID we had in early 2024 seems to have faded here in LA.

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

My mom asked me to take the remaining avocados off the tree. The avocado is one of the trickiest fruits to harvest. The fruit is the same color as the leaves. It becomes an eye test. Sometimes you see a fruit that has been hanging in front of your forehead for the last 10 minutes while you work.

I think the rule is that no matter how many you pick, there are more.

douglasvb, to Costco
@douglasvb@mastodon.social avatar

At today they were advertising bars for sale right at the entrance. The woman with the clicker checking membership cards had a sign advertising them for sale for something like $2500 or $2900 per ounce.

I believe these are the bars they're selling.

https://www.costco.com/1-oz-gold-bar-pamp-suisse-lady-fortuna-veriscan-new-in-assay.product.4000186760.html

How would one redeem that for cash later? Would you get something like 80% of face value?

Who is buying these?!

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@douglasvb @ai6yr a lot of people apparently!

"Costco sold $100 million worth of gold bars in its first quarter"

I posted that story when it made first rounds in December. It was pretty shocking to me as well.

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/12/15/costco-sold-100-million-worth-of-gold-bars-in-its-first-quarter.html

ai6yr, to random

Hmm... attempt to haul a free compost bin through a driving rainstorm with the bicycle cargo trailer--strapping the thing onto the small trailer, somehow--or drive two blocks with fossil fuel burning truck. 🤔

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@ai6yr it sounds like taking the bicycle is risking life and limb, while taking the truck in the long run makes no difference.

Sorry.

As someone who has also "piloted" low carbon lifestyles I look back and think that the problem is not that they are impossible, the problem is that human nature runs in the other direction.

Uptake will remain below 5%.

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@dr2chase @ai6yr are you thinking about the other people in those two blocks, the people who haven't replaced their windshield wipers, and maybe are dialing their phone at the same time?

_, to random
@_@xoxo.zone avatar

My Apple Car theory: Apple was taken in by Musk’s hyperbolic claims that truly full self-driving was imminent and thought they could jump in and advance that timeline.

It took doing the work themselves to realize how far away we really are (and how full of crap Musk is).

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@_ now do VR ;-)

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

On a lighter note, has anyone else noticed a tsunami of "please rate our service" emails? They seem legitimate, even if misguided. Get a car service, get an email. Buy something online or in person, get an email.

One followed up with "we noticed you haven't taken our survey," and then "last chance to take our survey."

The saddest was when I paid my home insurance and I got an email saying "hey, we noticed you paid your insurance how about taking our survey?"

Do they think this engenders love?

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

Perhaps, like grander forms of technology (AI), email surveys are just a tool they have, so they can't stop using them.

The temptation is too great.

And the recognition that they are just annoying people is not there.

John, to random
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

Reading about Kara Swisher's Burn Book .. I'm not one to really believe in "generations" but I wonder if there is something to it specifically in tech.

The first rich men, perhaps everyone preceding Bill Gates, got into it without the expectation of great riches. That includes the two Steves at Apple. They certainly didn't expect billions.

But for the generation after, who modeled themselves more of Gates, and more on Jobs then Wozniak, things were different.

It was less a technical quest.

ai6yr, to hamradio

Hmm... need to build myself (another) standing table + ham radio rack, and just realized this might be an opportunity to use the Ikea LACK table/19 inch rack 🤔 (instead of raw lumber and building essentially same thing) -- will bolt a couple to the top of a desk, after cutting the legs down to preferred size. #hamradio #rack

John,
@John@socks.masto.host avatar

@ai6yr @thisonegoesto11

The Lack, what can't it do!

https://all3dp.com/2/ikea-3d-printer-enclosure-tutorial/

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • JUstTest
  • kavyap
  • DreamBathrooms
  • thenastyranch
  • magazineikmin
  • tacticalgear
  • cubers
  • Youngstown
  • mdbf
  • slotface
  • rosin
  • osvaldo12
  • ngwrru68w68
  • GTA5RPClips
  • provamag3
  • InstantRegret
  • everett
  • Durango
  • cisconetworking
  • khanakhh
  • ethstaker
  • tester
  • anitta
  • Leos
  • normalnudes
  • modclub
  • megavids
  • lostlight
  • All magazines
    •