Dark Shadow's Surprisingly Well-Lit Random Banter #217

[Amidus Drexel]

Do I even post in here often enough to be called a regular anymore?

Geeeeeeez. I like poutine as much as the next Canadian (maybe more), but my limits are like, a small pie tin worth. That there is like... 4 people worth.
(Also, I'm not a huge fan of ketchup...)

That's okay, there's plenty of us Americans here who have experience with large portion sizes.

Nothing, I actually like ketchup and fries. Though being from Pittsburgh, I can only eat Heinz ketchup. Any other brand tastes off to me. Also learned a lot from this thread about potatoes and tomatoes which is cool.

Can confirm, Heinz is the best ketchup. Everything else is too sweet or tastes like tomato paste.

--
ION:
THINGS
STUFF
YEAH

Been busy. Honestly, I miss working full-time. I've worked almost every day this week (we're short-staffed, so I can pretty much come in whenever I want and work, as long as I also work my regular schedule), and I really feel better for it - don't know if it's because I'm bored at home and just need something to do, or if I feel better because I know I'll have more money at the end of the month.

I've found this cajun place downtown with amazing food (and amazing drinks! - probably the best old fashioned I've ever had), but they're so expensive. I understand being a couple hundred miles from the coast would make shrimp more expensive, but you can get crawfish around here, dammit. \shakes fist

I've beaten BotW. I'm basically just seeing how close to 100% I feel like getting before I get bored now. Honestly, that consumes most of my free time. That and webcomics. And picking up extra shifts.

An old friend's gonna be visiting next week. We'll probably grab some folks and go party. That should be fun.

I need to try to get myself around the house during the day so I can write some more music. And cook. I should cook more. Though in all honesty I don't really make much of a variety when left to my own devices. I'm generally pretty content to just cook some bratwurst and have that for dinner. Or maybe rice. Goodness knows, I've got enough rice.

[LaZodiac]

Geeeeeeez. I like poutine as much as the next Canadian (maybe more), but my limits are like, a small pie tin worth. That there is like... 4 people worth.
(Also, I'm not a huge fan of ketchup...)

While that's not a direct picture from my Mom's bar (and involves some chicken swarma as well) I will say that this is the average size for a poutine up in my neck of Canada, if you're intending it as a meal and not a side dish. For a single person.

[enderlord99]

Homestuck thingamajig:

Spoiler: Speculation regarding "troll romance"

Show

Is it possible that the main component of kismesitude is not actually hate in general, but instead is specifically envy?

[DataNinja]

That's okay, there's plenty of us Americans here who have experience with large portion sizes.

So I've noticed. Every time I visit the States, I need to remember to order at least one portion size smaller.

While that's not a direct picture from my Mom's bar (and involves some chicken swarma as well) I will say that this is the average size for a poutine up in my neck of Canada, if you're intending it as a meal and not a side dish. For a single person.

I mean, I get that I have a stomach about roughly the size of a walnut, but I have no idea how anyone could eat that much poutine as one person. I can barely force myself to finish one bowl of poutine, and that'll make me feel full for at least half the day. Clearly your neck of Canada has stomachs up to that neck.

[WarKitty]

Why anyone would want to cause themself to die...?

I think the question is why anyone would want to eat enough tomato leaves in the first place in order to find out it can be dangerous.

[enderlord99]

What was that band that wrote something about Byzantium? I think they had "Playgrounds" in their name{.}

[factotum]

Can confirm, Heinz is the best ketchup. Everything else is too sweet or tastes like tomato paste.

So, it's a problem for you that tomato ketchup tastes too much like tomato?

[Amidus Drexel]

So I've noticed. Every time I visit the States, I need to remember to order at least one portion size smaller.

You've just gotta go into it with the knowledge that you're really eating like, 1.5 meals, and then it's all good. Helps for skipping breakfast or lunch and the like.

So, it's a problem for you that tomato ketchup tastes too much like tomato?

In a manner of speaking, yes. If I wanted it to taste exactly like tomatoes, I'd put tomatoes on instead, you know? Ketchup's got a distinct flavor that goes better with some foods than its constituent parts.

In the same vein, there's plenty of food I'd enjoy mayonnaise on that I probably wouldn't put egg on. Ditto for mustard and mustard seeds.

[WarKitty]

You've just gotta go into it with the knowledge that you're really eating like, 1.5 meals, and then it's all good. Helps for skipping breakfast or lunch and the like.

I think we're also developing an expectation at restaurants that you're going to take food home with you.

[DataNinja]

You've just gotta go into it with the knowledge that you're really eating like, 1.5 meals, and then it's all good. Helps for skipping breakfast or lunch and the like.

That doesn't help when I walk into a coffee shop and ask for a 'Medium', and get something that's like, the Canadian Extra-Large. (I know it's an exaggeration, but, seriously, I've had to stop asking for sizes, and just go with "your smallest size", just to make sure I end up with a reasonable amount of drink. )

Also, 1.5 meals for a 'regular person', is probably, like, 2 or 3 meals for me. I don't eat a lot.

I think we're also developing an expectation at restaurants that you're going to take food home with you.

I suppose I never really considered that. Especially given that I'm usually travelling whenever I eat out.

[Amidus Drexel]

I think we're also developing an expectation at restaurants that you're going to take food home with you.

You know, I can see that. I just usually don't - I was trained from an early age to finish all of my food, and I rarely have leftovers worth taking home. (I've been trying to unlearn that for a while now, without much success - so I just skip meals instead).

That doesn't help when I walk into a coffee shop and ask for a 'Medium', and get something that's like, the Canadian Extra-Large. (I know it's an exaggeration, but, seriously, I've had to stop asking for sizes, and just go with "your smallest size", just to make sure I end up with a reasonable amount of drink. )

Also, 1.5 meals for a 'regular person', is probably, like, 2 or 3 meals for me. I don't eat a lot.

I've never run into this problem - if anything, I'm used to ordering coffee and not getting enough.
Usually a medium is around 12 ounces, right? That's a reasonable amount of coffee. Hell, even McDonalds has relatively normal cup sizes for coffee (unlike their fountain drink sizes, for which the small is something like 16 ounces).

EAT MOAR
All I'm hearing is that you only need to eat one meal/day.

[DataNinja]

You know, I can see that. I just usually don't - I was trained from an early age to finish all of my food, and I rarely have leftovers worth taking home.

Likewise.

I've never run into this problem - if anything, I'm used to ordering coffee

Okay, full disclosure, I don't actually drink coffee. But, hot chocolate sizes are generally similar.

and not getting enough.
Usually a medium is around 12 ounces, right? That's a reasonable amount of coffee. Hell, even McDonalds has relatively normal cup sizes for coffee (unlike their fountain drink sizes, for which the small is something like 16 ounces).

...I work at McDonalds, and I still couldn't tell you. I am terrible with ounces. I mainly just drink water and milk, which are all measured in litres.

EAT MOAR

So says everyone else.

All I'm hearing is that you only need to eat one meal/day.

Funny you should say that...
(I do tend to really only eat dinner, especially if other people aren't around. I might have, like, one bun around breakfast time, and then I don't get hungry again until dinner. I know I should eat, but I just don't feel the need to. I will occasionally force myself to eat, though.)

[Algeh]

I suppose I never really considered that. Especially given that I'm usually travelling whenever I eat out.

This is one of the most frustrating things when I'm staying in a hotel without a fridge and microwave. I'm eating all my meals out and end up wasting so much food because restaurant meals should really be two meals but I have no way to save one.

When possible, I tend to go to grocery stores with hot delis instead when traveling so the food is sold by weight and I can get one meal's worth at a time, but it's hit or miss what's near whatever convention hotel I'm at that weekend. (Also, that's not really the same "dining experience", but I generally don't care about that and am just trying to grab something to eat before I need to be back at the con again.)

Okay, full disclosure, I don't actually drink coffee. But, hot chocolate sizes are generally similar.

I remember the first time I went to a Sonic, and ordered a Large milkshake. That was an entire vat of milkshake. (I think it was either 32 or 44 ounces, definitely more milkshake than one person needs.) Most other fast food places have a smaller sizing chart for their milkshakes than their fountain beverages, but apparently Sonic uses a common set of cup sizes across beverage types.

To their credit, they do offer both "small" and "mini" sizes if you actually want a reasonable amount of milkshake.

Plain coffee, on the other hand, I've never seen come in fountain drink sizes anywhere. (I guess I've never tried ordering coffee at Sonic, but I suspect even they have different cups for coffee.) Coffee is one of the few non-water things I might actually want 32 ounces of, yet it tends to come in much smaller cups than the sugar-beverages.

I don't think I could drink as much really sweet hot chocolate as I do coffee, though. I would have given it a solid effort as a kid, but now that much sugar seems overwhelming. (When I make hot chocolate at home, I often make around 20 ounces, but I also use about an equal ratio of sugar and cocoa powder, so it's a lot less sweet than out someplace.)

[Aegis J Hyena]

https://arstechnica.com/information-...irst-appeared/

Yikes.

[Algeh]

In the "things I find personally amusing" department, there's currently a thread over in Media Discussions called "The best superhero is actually..."

I've taken to reading it and the following thread title as a combined title.

Thus, it currently reads "The best superhero is actually...Ducktales (2017)" and usually has an assertion of about that level of grammatic plausibility but that varies as the thread orders change.

This little game is amusing me far more than it should.

[factotum]

That sounds like the game you can play in X3--the computer announces when you target something or when you pick up some floating cargo, and it will always stop what it's currently saying in each case, so it's entirely possible to arrange things so it says "Cargo bay contains...Solar Power Plant" or something like that.

[Florian]

I. Am. Annoyed.

Last sunday was major election day and since the results are known, people tend to overreact or run amok. Its totally weird when "I" have to be the voice of reason.....

[enderlord99]

I just remembered out of nowhere an experiment I did in elementary school.

Long story short, yeast really likes Sweet N Low.

[Qwertystop]

Finally reading Stranger in a Strange Land.

It gets... really... off, at about the two-thirds mark. Last section of Part Three, uncut edition. After the carnies, up to the monkeys.

That's not just me, right?

[Feytalist]

https://arstechnica.com/information-...irst-appeared/

Yikes.

Yup. My company sent out a bunch of emails to the effect of "if you have it installed, contact IT right now".

Personally, ever since it broke my home PC's registry 3 years ago, I haven't touched the program since. And doubt I ever will again. Pointless thing.

Finally reading Stranger in a Strange Land.

It gets... really... off, at about the two-thirds mark. Last section of Part Three, uncut edition. After the carnies, up to the monkeys.

That's not just me, right?

It's been an age since I read it, so can't remember for certain. But it's Heinlein... I wouldn't be surprised

Anyway, old-school SF like that had a tendency to be... weird.

[FinnLassie]

Finally grabbed myself from the collar and bought my phone a proper 9H classified screen protector. I've already managed to get a couple of small scratches on it, but... this'll protect it from further destruction.

Now I need to find a new phone cover since my old one is a bit too snug. It's a really lovely wooden (cherry tree) one with a proper tall ship engraved in it. So pretty, but I suppose it's time for a change. Looking for a robust one that'll accomodate my phone properly... hmmm...

[Feytalist]

Finally grabbed myself from the collar and bought my phone a proper 9H classified screen protector. I've already managed to get a couple of small scratches on it, but... this'll protect it from further destruction.

Now I need to find a new phone cover since my old one is a bit too snug. It's a really lovely wooden (cherry tree) one with a proper tall ship engraved in it. So pretty, but I suppose it's time for a change. Looking for a robust one that'll accomodate my phone properly... hmmm...

I haven't had a screen protector or case in like 4 years... all my phones turned out just fine couple of nicks on the cases, but no scratches or anything on the screens. Guess I'm just good with my gadgets. (Now watch as I drop my phone onto pavement like tomorrow... )

[FinnLassie]

I haven't had a screen protector or case in like 4 years... all my phones turned out just fine couple of nicks on the cases, but no scratches or anything on the screens. Guess I'm just good with my gadgets. (Now watch as I drop my phone onto pavement like tomorrow... )

My previous Galaxy S2 and S5 had no scratches or anything, apart from my S5's LCD going bust when I was in Spain at the end of winter... (Spanish Paladin probably remembers the difficulty it brought )

Galaxy A5, I dunno, this has had so many issues in terms of screen durability. Ok, my friend dropped it and shattered the glass (and rightfully paid for the repairs), but it seems to get scratches from the slightest contact to anything. I've used it in exactly the same way as I did with my previous phones... Ugh. Considering going back to my S5 when I have the money to get the LCD changed. (bought a new phone with the insurance money, probably should've just fixed my beloved S5).

[Feytalist]

Galaxy A5, I dunno, this has had so many issues in terms of screen durability. Ok, my friend dropped it and shattered the glass (and rightfully paid for the repairs), but it seems to get scratches from the slightest contact to anything. I've used it in exactly the same way as I did with my previous phones... Ugh. Considering going back to my S5 when I have the money to get the LCD changed. (bought a new phone with the insurance money, probably should've just fixed my beloved S5).

Oh hey I had/have an A5 (got the updated version, I didn't even know they did that). Smallest one I could get! These modern smartphones are huge, I mean I just want to fit it in my jeans pocket, is that too much to ask. Didn't really notice it being flimsier or softer than my other ones, but like I said, I guess I just don't drop stuff

[FinnLassie]

Oh hey I had/have an A5 (got the updated version, I didn't even know they did that). Smallest one I could get! These modern smartphones are huge, I mean I just want to fit it in my jeans pocket, is that too much to ask. Didn't really notice it being flimsier or softer than my other ones, but like I said, I guess I just don't drop stuff

That's exactly the reason I got the new A5 - its specs are rather alright and it's small. I'm horrified of the new, bigger phones. Especially since some are like, derp durp let's make this phone very very thin and very very big. I don't need to herd freaking sheep on the phone, no need to have too much area.

Well, that and how A5 has the option to add your own SD card. Removing that feature in newer phones is driving me mad.

Reason why I want to fix my S5 is because it just felt sturdier and also has the ability to remove the battery by yourself. I don't like how they're stuck away in the new phones.

[factotum]

At a rough estimate, I've had my Nokia e63 for about seven years now. Just sayin'.

[DataNinja]

At a rough estimate, I've had my Nokia e63 for about seven years now. Just sayin'.

I mean, as someone who had a Nokia, those things are made of Indestructium. The only reason I needed to replace mine was because it had some technical fault that caused the ringer to not work (kinda a fatal flaw for a phone ).

Any non-smartphone brick is pretty good for longevity, though.

[Knaight]

Any non-smartphone brick is pretty good for longevity, though.

I've got one that's fallen on concrete dozens of times*, and it's totally fine.

*It's a combination of bad computer posture and a concrete floor that leads to the phone sliding out of the pocket and falling three feet onto concrete annoyingly often.

[LaZodiac]

I'm actually also in the market for a new phone, does anyone have any recomendations?

[DataNinja]

I'm actually also in the market for a new phone, does anyone have any recomendations?

Unless you're in the market for a brick that can call and text, I'm afraid not.