@SRLevine@urbanists.social
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

SRLevine

@SRLevine@urbanists.social

Professional chemist. Amateur baker. Bike commuter.

Favorite stars don't cost money and can make someone smile (or at least feel seen) so I use them often. I'm not being weird at you specifically, I'm being weird at everyone...

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SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

There was a thread elsewhere about how the CA written driver's test had gotten harder since they switched something in the last couple of years. One person was complaining that their elderly mother was having trouble with it.

I read the handbook. After 2 practice tests I have 19/20 (I estimated the wrong distance at which to lower your high beams, probably because no one ever seems to turn theirs off). These are not tricky questions.

I'm now worried about that person's mother driving...

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

CA driver's handbook problems so far

  1. you signal for a turn 100 ft before you turn, but you may drive in the bike lane for 200 ft before you turn, which means you will never be prosecuted for driving in a bike lane because "I was going to turn in 150 ft" is a valid excuse

  2. people on bicycles are explicitly not pedestrians or "vulnerable road users", the later is a category for people with disabilities, including those on assistive trikes and quads

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

I was wondering why the person being interviewed on the radio was all in on smartphones causing anxiety among kids. It was Jonathan Haidt, who has a bunch of fairly narrow* takes and thinks telling people to not give their kids smart phones will get kids to play more.

There are a lack of safe places for kids to play (and I'm not talking about stranger danger!) and he doesn't get that. Thanks to @Andres4NY I think who brought it up last week.

*I'm being polite, bad might be a better term.

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

Compared to yesterday you can see how much the lower sugar amount (in this case half of what was in yesterday's cookies) really changes how cookies bake. They don't spread out nearly as much.

The only other difference in the dough was coconut oil in place of butter (which I realized just now I forgot to add a little water to, oops, these might be a little dry) and nuts.

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

I'm literally unable to stop laughing. WTF is with all of these bathrooms? Do we need a new bingo square?

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

I always forget how much cookies with more sugar than my usual ones spread. This was a tight fit on a half sheet pan!

Also: my apartment smells amzaing right now and you should all be jealous.

moira, to baking
@moira@mastodon.murkworks.net avatar

so thanks to the lunacy of american traditional i can provide this horrible data:

1/12 tsp ≈ 1 pinch plus one drop

which is to say 1/16th + 1/64th teaspoons

(round 'em a little to make up the shortfall)

which is to say can we please be metric now please i'm begging you save me from this bullshit xD

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@moira I used to love reading all of the wacky conversion charts in the back of composition books. I mentioned it to my mom once when I was a kid and she went "that's not weird, we used to use some of those measurements at work".

She was a pharmacist!

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@moira My kitchen scale has both as unit options and while I understand the need/use for a the mass option, the "fluid ounces" measured on a balance is just a head scratcher. Does it assume everything has the density of water? I'm so confused...

moira, to baking
@moira@mastodon.murkworks.net avatar

i am measuring FLOUR by the TEASPOON

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@moira I bake a decent amount and absolutely do not have measuring spoons that small. Who even sells a 1/12th teaspoon anyway?

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@moira I don't even have an eighth! My set (which I've owned for years and years now) is 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1 tablespoon. I'm kinda jealous of your 1/8 for when I cut a recipe down and have to eyeball less than 1/4 though...

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@sollat @moira You mean you don't own one of those measuring spoon sets with dash/pinch/smidgen/hint etc? I've always thought they were both cute and slightly too twee for my kitchen.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@moira @sollat Just be happy it wasn't a "glass of vinegar" which was a specific glass in my grandmother's kitchen. And no one was ever able to duplicate that particular family recipe.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@moira @sollat Do it! Get a kitchen scale! It will change your (baking) life.

Also: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/tablecraft-h723-4-piece-stainless-steel-spice-measuring-spoon-set/808H723.html

(apparently some sets have an even smaller one labeled drop)

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@sollat @moira @StaceyCornelius F your 20, I always estimate 10 🤣

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

How to throw a giant nerd right out of your story: mention that the university library uses the Dewey Decimal System.

Not going to finish that one.

grrrr_shark, (edited ) to random
@grrrr_shark@supervolcano.angryshark.eu avatar

EDIT: It is now too late. Thank you for your service.

WAS:
Someone stop me from buying a Steam Deck.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@grrrr_shark I feel like this is the wrong forum to find anyone to tell you not to do something dorky...

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

Me: huh, that's a weird looking photo, do I follow this person?

Nope, it was the alt4me tag!

Got to see some weird freakin' art this morning. (I'll boost if the alt text gets put on the image)

pinskal, (edited ) to Artist
@pinskal@sfba.social avatar

Sculptor Johnson Tsang

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@pinskal
A sculpture of a human head, right above the eyes, about where the eyebrows would be the head opens up to a hole. There are a pair of hands hold the hole open from the inside. The hole is slightly wider than the head. The entire sculpture is made of the same off-white material, with visible shadows, but no change in color.

(sorry, not the most poetic, that's a really evocative sculpture though!)

pinskal, (edited ) to Artist
@pinskal@sfba.social avatar

StreetArtwork by Muraleslian.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@pinskal

A very realistic mural, except for the scale (about 1 story high) of a pair of hands sculpting clay on a potter's wheel. The sculptor appears to be making a large cup or vase of grey clay, which and partially covers their hands.

sidereal, (edited ) to random
@sidereal@kolektiva.social avatar

Seriously, why are we subsidizing e-bikes now, when we have never subsidized regular bikes, which are cheaper and have an even lower environmental impact?

I'm not even against e-bike subsidies I just think it's WEIRD how I have never heard anyone mentioning subsidizing a regular bike purchase.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@sidereal As much as I might wish we subsidized regular cycles, I understand why it's e-bike specific. The sort of person who already road a bike as a substitute for car trips (you and I and half of fedi) doesn't necessarily need to be incentivized to avoid using a car.
Bikes as a valid car alternative for people who weren't already inclined that way need a subsidy because ebikes, which most people want/need do cost more.
I'd rather ebike subsidies than e-car ones any day.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@sidereal That's certainly true and I'd love to see them all get free bikes, however from a totally cold hearted environmental perspective, they aren't currently causing emissions by driving so giving them bikes, (while I'd argue it's an unqualified good thing in and of itself), doesn't make an environmental impact as reducing car trips by people who have cars.

1/2

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@sidereal The question is why are we subsidizing e-bikes, are we doing it for getting underprivileged people transportation (in which case all bikes that aren't "high performance machines" should be free) or are we doing it to lower emissions and try to mitigate climate change?

Two different goals and the US has gone for the second rather than the first (or both, which would be an ideal world).

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@inquiline @sidereal So this probably says terrible things about me as a person, but I'm not optimistic about improved infrastructure happening in the US until enough people have e-bikes and realize they don't have good/safe places to ride them and those people increase the size of the "middle class person riding a bike for transportation" lobby.

Because the "hippies and anarchists who ride bikes" + the "low income people who can't afford cars" demographics aren't being listened to.

SRLevine,
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

@sidereal @inquiline :blobFacePalm: I'm hopeful that even if they get sold that way the people riding them will realize very fast (pun not intended, but I'm leaving it) that speed isn't going to protect them while riding.

SRLevine, to random
@SRLevine@urbanists.social avatar

"Physicians interviewed in the report and those interviewed separately by NPR agreed that women's health and their lives were being put at risk because of the abortion ban, especially Black and low-income women."

There is a major report about the change in pregnancy care (post abortion ban) in Louisiana that NPR was given early access to and it's pretty disturbing (it was the first news segment I was really awake for this morning).

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/19/1239376395/louisiana-abortion-ban-dangerously-disrupting-pregnancy-miscarriage-care

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