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Joined 16 days ago
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Cake day: April 2nd, 2025

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  • IMHO, two hours is not nearly enough to get a feel for a game. At least, not for the sorts of games I tend to play. I spend longer than that just working through initial technical issues, configuration, and (in games that have one) the character generator.

    I have to conclude that Steam’s return window is either intended to be just enough to see if you can get it running, or as much as Valve could talk publishers into tolerating.









  • From a Kirkland, Washington, USA health hazards sheet that I found in a quick search:

    TIPS TO REDUCE EXPOSURES TO BISPHENOLS IN RECEIPTS:

    • DO NOT compost or recycle receipts and other thermal paper. BPA & BPS residues from receipts will contaminate recycled paper.
    • Minimize receipt collection by declining receipts at gas pumps, ATMs and other machines when possible.
    • Never give a child a receipt to hold or play with.
    • After handling a receipt, wash hands before preparing and eating food.
    • Do not use alcohol-based hand cleaners after handling receipts. A recent study showed that these products can increase the skin’s BPA absorption.
    • Take advantage of store services that email or archive paperless purchase records.
    • Store receipts separately in an envelope in a wallet or purse.

    HAZARDS FOUND IN LABORATORY TESTS INCLUDE:

    • Obesity
    • Diabetes
    • Early Puberty
    • Cardiovascular system disorders
    • Abnormal reproductive system development
    • Hormone abnormalities in children
    • Susceptibility to various cancers
    • Resistance to chemotherapy
    • Diminished intellectual capacity





  • I often sit at a desk all day and all evening. I find that these things help:

    • Good chair. Height adjusted for my keyboard/mouse height. Upright back. Lumbar support. Comfortable-but-supportive seat.
    • Good posture (when I remember to pay attention to it).
    • Split, tented keyboard. Mechanical switches that don’t require too much pressure.
    • Good display. IPS panel. Light anti-glare surface. Backlight that actually dims the light source, either without pulse-width modulation, or with PWM at such high frequency that it cannot induce flicker fatigue. Brightness turned down much lower than the default. Calibrated at that brightness setting, optionally to a slightly warm color temperature.
    • Muted room lighting. Nothing behind me bright enough to reflect much on the screen.
    • Comfortable clothes.
    • Cup of water. Regular trips to the kitchen to keep it filled.
    • Frequent short breaks. Start the laundry. Get a snack. Look at objects outside. Wash a dish. Bring in the mail. Make the bed.
    • Exercise. At least 10 minutes daily; preferably 30 minutes or more. Stretches. Squats. Rhythm games that require full-body movement.




  • Diablo Canyon, California’s sole remaining nuclear power plant, has been left for dead on more than a few occasions over the last decade or so, and is currently slated to begin a lengthy decommissioning process in 2029.

    So this AI is apparently not operating a nuclear plant, which would be concerning.

    For now, the artificial intelligence tool named Neutron Enterprise is just meant to help workers at the plant navigate extensive technical reports and regulations — millions of pages of intricate documents from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that go back decades — while they operate and maintain the facility.

    Ah, that makes more sense. I hope it doesn’t end up leading humans away from correct understanding of safety regulations.