@commonst@vivaldi.net avatar

commonst

@[email protected]

Social history loving locavore tech geek. Cooks, sews, knits, crochets, wrangles robots. Currently obsessed with Korean dramas, music, and language.

#foodhistory #history #robotics #crochet #knit #victorianbritain #cooking #Kdrama #kpop

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@commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

Hector does not appreciate that treats are in a puzzle feeder he can't figure out.

A brown tabby sits inside the centre of a circular trapped ball toy next to a UFO shaped puzzle feeder. He looks decidedly pissed off.
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@commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

Molly and Hector have been enjoying the holidays.

A calico tabby and a brown tabby loaf together on an armchair covered in a light blue blanket.
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@commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

Pandemic tree got upstairs and assembled, but we haven't had the energy or motivation to drag out the decorations and put them on. It's been too hectic a year, and Christmas feels like work. Our theme for the holiday break is rest and recover, so the tree will stay where it is til someone feels motivated enough to pack it up and put it away.

Hector has enjoyed clamboring around it like a cat determined to destroy ornaments even when they aren't there, although he has been so hyper I haven't been able to get a photo of it.

however you are (or aren't) doing it.

A 2 dimensional wooden tree made out of plywood, with holes drilled along the branches for ornaments, stands bare and lonely in front of a wooden dining table stacked with games and a speaker.
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@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

Samsung Galaxy phones appear to be far less desirable to thieves than iPhones, prompting some to give robbery victims their devices back. 😅 https://www.androidauthority.com/thieves-returning-android-phones-3616921/

commonst ,
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@nixCraft lol! As the owner of a Galaxy phone I feel both attacked and relieved.

@briankrebs@infosec.exchange avatar briankrebs , to random

Anyone know what to do with 20 lbs of green tomatoes? I guess we can still broil them and turn them into green salsa. We're supposed to get a freeze overnight soon, and so furiously picked the unripe fruit. But now I'm looking at this pile thinking, this is nuts.

commonst ,
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@briankrebs green tomato pickle? I don't have a recipe, but some of my family used to make that a lot. It is quite good.

@nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

So, do all Android phones come with the Gemini app pre installed, like YouTube and Maps?

No wonder Google says its AI is getting popular. They've added it everywhere, including search engines, and forced users to use it without providing an option to disable it.

This is what a monopoly is all about. Sadly, nobody is going to stop them. They have already killed competition and the independent web, and most of their users have no idea how information reaches them or if it is even accurate

commonst ,
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@nixCraft I went in and disabled it. I don't want this. Any time I have seen an AI result it's because it is built into something and I have tripped over it, and it has been utterly useless.

If a company has to force people to use a product, the product is, most likely, complete crap.

@JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange avatar JessTheUnstill , to random

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    commonst ,
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    @JessTheUnstill as the woman on the team who writes the processes and constantly reminds the men that not only do the processes exist but so does documentation for it... I feel this deeply.

    @commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

    Awake because the time change has the kittens convinced breakfast is late. 🫩

    @Alice@beige.party avatar Alice , to random

    People will say things like "it's selfish to not want to have kids!" and then immediately follow it up with "Who is going to take care of you when you get old?" as if they don’t know what the word selfish means.

    commonst ,
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    @Alice omg yes

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

    You know you are poor when an AWS outage doesn't affect you because you can still easily use your bed, kitchen appliances to make a cup of tea or joe (or heat food), use the toilet, and open any door in your home. See? Being poor is not so bad. Lmao.

    PS: yes it is real https://www.cnet.com/health/sleep/owners-of-luxury-smart-beds-literally-lost-sleep-due-to-aws-outage/

    Headline for CNET reads: Owners of Luxury Smart Beds Literally Lost Sleep Due to AWS Outage The Amazon Web Services outage affected websites from Roblox to Reddit, but for some smart bed-accessory owners, it posed more physical issues.
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    commonst ,
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    @nixCraft not so much poor as worked as a software tester long enough to not trust smart items because I can think of so many ways to break them... 😅

    @commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

    My day off is going well so far.

    A brown tabby cat sleeps curled up next to the leg of someone wearing grey trackpants.
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    @commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

    Hector asleep on my lap is a miracle. He isn't usually a lapcat.

    A brown tabby sleeps peacefully on grey sweatpant clad legs.
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    commonst OP ,
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    What's really fun is watching him relax and stretch out as he sleeps.

    commonst OP ,
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    He is almost at my ankles now.

    Related, I can no longer feel my legs. But I don't have the heart to wake him.

    @commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

    Is it better or worse to survive a round of layoffs?

    I mean, on one hand you still have a paycheque.

    On the other, you get to sit in an office where you don't see the people you are used to seeing, can't use the workflows you are used to using, don't have the resources you are used to accessing...

    It's on my mind a lot this week.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    Fuck, I miss Bed Bath and Beyond

    commonst ,
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    @mcc I need a new lunch box. I can't find anything remotely like what I want. Bed Bath and Beyond, or even Kitchens Plus, would have had it. Then again, I am still trying to figure out how to replace items I once bought at Zellers or BiWay.

    commonst ,
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    @mcc when it was good it was great.

    @commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

    I am so tired this weekend I have screwed up not just one but two recipes, and borked my entire meal plan. Partner to the rescue, but I am fearing the burnout and related health problems are so much worse than I thought. I do not screw up many recipes, and never to the point where I can't turn things around on my own. Time to do some serious stress mitigation now, just in time for impending deadline at work. 😬

    commonst OP ,
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    Me: we have some figs, let's do figs for dessert. I think I can manage to not screw up figs. It's just put them on a plate.

    Also me: clears dinner plates, puts in dishwasher, wanders back out empty handed.

    Partner: um. I hate to say this. But... you screwed up the figs. They're still in the fridge.

    Me: 🤦‍♀️

    commonst OP ,
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    Me: I am going to go for a walk and try to relax and clear my head.

    Partner: maybe you should tie a string to the house so you can find your way back. Or take breadcrumbs?

    Me: Fair. I will take my phone.

    @commonst@vivaldi.net avatar commonst , to random

    Me: all right, I have gotten chores caught up, time to sit down and catch up on .

    goes to Viki

    Viki: we are sorry, something unexpected has happened. Try again later.

    Me: 🫠

    (Sadly, I am a software tester. This means I must now try everything possible to figure this out and try to get around it for professional reasons.)

    commonst OP ,
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    Me: I am seeing 500 errors in the console, and it only seems to be Viki having issues, so they must be experiencing a server error. I need to update PC anyhow, so let me do that then I can watch Netflix.

    updates PC, cat curls up on chair with me and falls asleep, I reboot PC

    Bluetooth speaker across the room needs to reconnect.

    Which means getting up.

    looks at sleeping cat

    Damn it!

    commonst OP ,
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    tries Viki on phone

    That works?

    Ok, slightly awkward, but cat can sleep amd I can watch the video I want, so... win? 🤷‍♀️

    commonst OP ,
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    Cat buggered off so I can get up and stare at console messages more closely. Looks like what I read as a 500 error from a distamve is actually a CORS error, which seems to be something API related and Viki side.

    I know Viki did some maintenance recently, so I suspect I have just been hit with something related to that. Trying a different browser doesn't work. I am technically using an OS/browser combo they don't support (Ubuntu/Vivaldi), so maybe I am caught in some unholy updated service hell?

    Any other techies got any hints/tips? Dongle has been suggested for casting from phone, but not sure that will work with my dumb TV/Ubuntu box setup.

    commonst OP ,
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    Some searching shows that Chromecast does seem to work on dumb TVs (yes, I am behind on TV tech by probably decades), so an option. But I still hope Viki will resolve itself or a less purchasey Googley option is available.

    commonst OP ,
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    I can log in on ye olde Windows laptop using Vivaldi, so hooking that up to the TV is a slightly awkward but possible option. Just... Windows. Ugh.

    commonst OP ,
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    In a fit of pique I try logging in one more time on the Ubuntu box (look, I am a software tester, we do illogical shit on the web ALL THE TIME)...

    And it works.

    Yeah. Maybe I should try to be less professional and just wander away and not spend time on these things. 🤦‍♀️

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    I don't understand my SIN

    commonst ,
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    @mcc that doesn't seem right. I hate to say this, could it be too new to work? Like maybe the system hasn't caught up to your citizenship? Wheels can turn slow in Canadian beauracracy.

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

    What is the biggest bait and switch tactic you have seen in the tech industry?

    commonst ,
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    @nixCraft this is your job description, this is your pay, you have the job, now go above and beyond or we will call you a slacker for doing what we just agreed to.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    Canadians, how do you feel about this?

    https://globalnews.ca/news/11347976/carney-ukraine-2/

    (Reply via DM is fine with me if you have an opinion you don't want to post publicly.)

    When asked what kind of security guarantees Canada could provide to Ukraine, Carney said Ukraine’s own military must be supported but that more than that will be required. “I would not exclude the presence of troops,” he said.
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    commonst ,
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    @mcc I feel like we are moving from being peacekeepers to being muscle, and that isn't a comfortable move.

    commonst ,
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    @mcc @virtuous_sloth he could have used a lot of wording here. He could have said peacekeeping. But he didn't. The phrasing getting used is what is making me feel uneasy.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    Hey so guess who has blue hair, pronouns, and as of exactly 39 minutes ago Canadian citizenship

    A picture of me in front of the building where they turn you into a Canadian
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    commonst ,
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    @mcc hello fellow Canadian! Sorry for taking so long for congratulations, eh? 🙂

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , (edited ) to random

    Poll: Why do you use mastodon social media?

    commonst ,
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    @nixCraft good conversation with people I wouldn't have met otherwise.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    Today I'm gonna do the thing… I'm gonna do it

    commonst ,
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    @mcc you can do the thing. And you can do it as well as you need to.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    Is shutdown -r now still how you reboot a linux box or is there some new systemd command for it

    commonst ,
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    @mcc I use shutdown now with no r, and now I am wondering what I am doing wrong.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    That… seems… bad

    Is it safe to go outdoors right now if I wear my N95?

    Toronto - Air Quality Health Index Observed conditions 10+ - Very High Risk
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    commonst ,
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    @mcc I am in Waterloo Region which is slightly better AQI, but I have really bad lungs, and my KN95 is doing ok.

    @JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange avatar JessTheUnstill , (edited ) to random

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    commonst ,
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    @JessTheUnstill 1. But it is large.

    @mcc@mastodon.social avatar mcc , to random

    Is it wrong to describe a tv show in 2025 as being "on the air" because the show is actually streaming, or is it correct because the final network hop to the Apple TV happens over wifi

    commonst ,
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    @mcc it's like dialling a phone number, or sve using a floppy disk icon... an anachronism that will stick around long after the actual item is gone from general conciousness.

    @kenSwinson@indieweb.social avatar kenSwinson , to random

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    commonst ,
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    @kenSwinson as a Canafian, I like! Nice design.

    @molly0xfff@hachyderm.io avatar molly0xfff , to random

    get library cards and use them often (online e-book and audiobook rentals count!). sign up to volunteer at your local library. donate money to your library’s general fund. run for a spot on the library board.

    join and participate in your local “friends of the library” group. donate books (if your library accepts book donations). set up your own little free library. vote for library funding when it’s on your local ballot.

    commonst ,
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    @molly0xfff I just discovered I can read Korean magazines online thanks to my library app, which will help me learn Korean! Thank you for reminding me to check what they have, this is going to be super useful!

    @JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange avatar JessTheUnstill , to random

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    commonst ,
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    @JessTheUnstill I have social anxiety. WFH was amazing for me. RTO is a massive adjustment in self care on top of all the additional work. Ngl, I am struggling.

    @coffeegeek@flipboard.social avatar coffeegeek , to random

    Late night hot take for Canadians.

    "Freedom Booze" = funny, ironic.
    "Canadiano" = kinda dumb.

    "Freedom Booze" is clever and ironic. It humourously mocks the brief "freedom fries" era in the U.S., playfully calling any non-American booze "freedom booze."

    On the other hand, "Canadiano" (renaming the americano) feels misguided. It's like doing the very thing we once mocked — renaming something just for the sake of nationalism. Canadians, we’re better than that!

    commonst ,
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    @coffeegeek a lot of us aren't better than that though. We need to face the growing nationalism and smack it down, and stop with the idea that we are better than the US. We are too influenced by them, and we have the very real possibility of doing the same things.

    That said, isn't the name Americano to make fun of Americans watering down espresso? Or is that a myth?

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

    What age were you when you first learned to code and wrote your first program?

    commonst ,
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    @nixCraft 14. Back when we had a top of the line Radio Shack Colour Computer 2 that required coding in BASIC!

    commonst ,
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    @ChaosCoati@midwest.social avatar ChaosCoati those are awesome!

    @aeva@mastodon.gamedev.place avatar aeva , (edited ) to random

    anyone know how to send a fax 😅

    EDIT: I do not have a fax machine and I doubt I have access to one.

    EDIT2: I now have access to a fax machine. Ty everyone.

    EDIT3: fax faxed 😎📠

    commonst ,
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    @aeva it's been a while...

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

    I clicked allow all cookies. What happens next? Wrong answers only. 😮

    commonst ,
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    @nixCraft you get sent an assortment of biscuits on a regular badis.

    @nixCraft@mastodon.social avatar nixCraft , to random

    users right now 🐧

    This meme, from a Linux user's perspective, pokes fun at the recent Windows BSOD caused by CrowdStrike during a major outage.
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    commonst ,
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    @nixCraft I am so glad I use Linux at work right now. So glad.

    @coffeegeek@flipboard.social avatar coffeegeek , to espresso group

    Yup. It's real. And it is gorgeous.

    cc @espresso

    Synesso ES1 Home Espresso Machine
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    commonst ,
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