MetaFilter

If you want a really different suggestion: buckwheat hull mattress. Substantially cooler than anything other than a hammock, but you have to like firm mattresses and they do have a (natural) scent that hopefully won't bother you. People swear by them for back pain, but that probably has more to do with moving to a firmer mattress than it is the buckwheat hull mattress specifically.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 6:04 PM on June 2, 2024

For me, Mage Wars is the ultimate riff on MTG. Cards are sleeved into binders that act as your Grimoire. Each card can only be used once and there an arena that is moved around that gives a more grounded feel and let's you do things like use telekinesis to throw a monster at another monster.

That said, none if the challengers in the ccg space ever come particularly close to scratching the magic itch. These days I prefer to play it with Forge, which supports playing in a… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 11:11 AM on May 20, 2024

Delete your activity history, folks. And not just in YouTube, google is tracking your searches across all of their products. YouTube also irritatingly tracks thumbnail views so if you even accidentally hovered your mouse over a thumbnail that's now feeding the algo.

If the algo has latched onto something weird/annoying then chances are something is in your history and you need to delete it.

https://myactivity.google.… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 11:59 PM on May 12, 2024

Nightbreed, although you should look it over first. It's probably on the edge.

ParaNorman / Coraline

Hocus Pocus, The Witches, and Bedknobs & Broomsticks are likely fine.

Maybe Fright Night, but possibly too violent.

Maybe Signs or The Innkeepers? Might just be boring for a young person, though.

The Changeling, The Devil's Backbone, and Tigers Are Not Afraid are… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 6:19 PM on April 22, 2024

They keep relocating Emerson because he clambers out of the beach zone so that he can molt in grassy parks and has also wandered into bike lanes and roadways. They're also pretty worried about an unleashed dog picking a fight or otherwise provoking him. Chek has a better article and plenty of good video for Emerson fans.

Here are some photos of Emerson that I found amusing that have been shared around the Victoria internet places.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:10 PM on April 17, 2024

Phooky, you might like Toriko. It's similar to Delicious in Dungeon (although much older). It's about super powered chefs and gourmands traveling a fantasy (SciFi? Alternate Reality?) world trying to assemble their perfect full course meals. It's kind of like if Anthony Bourdain was a Dragonball character. It might scratch the itch while you wait for more DiD.

If it is more the fantasy ecology that does it for you then you should definitely check out Scavengers Reign… [more]
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 10:00 PM on April 13, 2024

Yeah, RARBG is a victim of Russian/Ukraine conflict. The pirate community considers The Pirate Bay to be low quality and high risk at this point. It is not recommended as a public tracker anymore.

Piracy today, at least outside of niche and special interest, is usually done on demand via Stremio, Kodi, or similar. These applications then get hooked into torrents or debird to search and stream content on demand. Pirates usually prefer debird services to torrents now.… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 10:41 PM on April 3, 2024 marked best answer

Tsawwassen<>Swartz Bay will be *very* busy on a long weekend, but if you are walking or cycling on to the ferry then you will probably only have a 0-1 sailing wait unless a ferry breaks down or something. You won't have trouble taking your bike on a BC Transit bus.

Saltspring is nice, if very busy on spring/summer weekends (especially Saturday due to the market). If you bring your bike it is pretty easy to get to/from Ganges or the rest of the island. Just make sure you… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 9:36 PM on March 19, 2024

The DTMF theory is highly suspect. Far more likely the resident simply watched and memorized a code, but I would give that equal odds with the the resident coincidentally activating a delayed egress system when trying to exit. These buildings also frequently misuse bypass systems, so if someone told me the access control was disengaged at the time of egress I would believe that without batting an eye.

I can also confirm what neuron said about the codes being pasted right… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 1:55 PM on March 17, 2024

I prefer dried cherries to raisens or cranberries in most recipes, assuming they aren't sweetened dried cherries. For example, a stuffed squash.

I might try rehydrating and cooking them with some vinegar, brown, sugar and spices to make a ketchup type sauce if I had a lot I didn't know what to do with. Fruit ketchups are often surprisingly great. A bit labor intensive with the cooking, blending, and straining though
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:41 AM on March 16, 2024

Someone living in California should maybe think twice before posting their gotcha about "affordable" units as defined by the CMHC. That program has been rotten for at least a decade.

Regions like Vancouver, are in a bad place right now due to years of corruption in this industry. BC developers, government, and real estate have been using the system and programs to enrich themselves, launder money, and fuel speculation while draining well-meaning programs… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 10:09 PM on March 13, 2024

Watched this last year and I liked, but it never reaches the goopy and horny heights of classics like From Beyond or Society. That said, I don't think that it was trying to. I felt like this was trying for more of a '90s Erotic Thriller with a Lovecraftian twist than straight '80s horror schlock and stumbled in a few places because of it, maybe because that's new ground for Joe Lynch.

I am glad to see someone try to make something a little spicy. I'm getting sick of… [more]
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 12:39 AM on January 28, 2024

Try searching for non-foaming creams. I can't attest to the quality, but Billy Jealousy seems like they have a product that fits your description. They even call it a "shaving lubricant".

For what it is worth, you may have more luck looking at products targeted at people shaving their heads bald. I think those are usually much slicker and thin than face or leg creams.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 3:56 PM on January 18, 2024

It's a combination of the two cliches: "tears running down my face" and "chills running down my spine." We can't know exactly what Ochs intended by combining them without asking, but I find it hard to believe Ochs is unaware of the cliches or simply being lazy.

The song is from the point of view of a character that Ochs is skewering with the song, so it's likely intended as an insincere and confusing turn of phrase from the narrator. Ochs may be… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 10:40 PM on January 14, 2024 marked best answer

Synthesizer. Maybe something like the Medusa Black or a Torso T-1 midi controller (this is just a controller, you need to hook it up to other hardware or into a computer to use software synths).

Plenty of other options out there and also... modular, if you want to go really crazy. Synth hardware is probably the the buttoniest, knobiest, and fiddliest type of object you could ever get your hands on.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:08 PM on December 20, 2023

Coffee and Espresso machines. Braun did make one during Rams' tenure, but it allegedly doesn't make great coffee. Plenty of machines and related equipment with functional and minimal design in the coffee space, though. You might like what Fellow puts out. For actual espresso machines, I can't think of any that are particularly Rams-esque. I personally think lever style machines are the most beautiful. If you have a stupid amount of money to spend, there's the Manument Leva.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:21 PM on December 20, 2023

The commentary around this stuff is always so focused on fans and access to media. There is little commentary on the why of it. Suits aren't taking things away because they want to deny people and twirl their mustaches. It's because the streaming model doesn't work and has cannibalized the revenue streams and lifecycles of media.

These projects don't bring in anywhere near their production costs in new subscription numbers. They don't make money per stream. They don't… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 3:28 PM on December 4, 2023

For what it is worth, Muzak/Elevator music/Piped Music and Library Music is getting a kind of re-evaluation these days. I think a big part of it is that there is a category of music (and demand for it) that appeared in the streaming age of background music. Chill beats to study to, unobtrusive jazz while you cook, minimalist ambient piano while you drink tea and do the crossword, etc. Another aspect is hip hop and electronic music sampling and the last is record collectors finding value in the… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:59 PM on December 3, 2023

Another Obsidian user here. I tried dozens of note apps, writing apps, and personal wikis before finally landing on Obsidian. Nothing else comes close to it. Once you have learned to use it and customized it to suit your needs it is like unlocking a new part of your brain.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 9:06 AM on December 2, 2023

Agree with wenestvedt on using good quality blades. Plenty of guys are reluctant to get off of the cartridge razors, but going with an old fashioned safety razor gives you a lot more options in blades and it is so astronomically cheaper that it is no big deal to try different blades or change them as soon as they begin to dull.

Hot water, shaving soap, and a badger brush is also worlds away from shaving gels and foams from a can. Proraso cups are very good for the price… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 7:33 PM on November 22, 2023 marked best answer

I plan to keep watching this to see how it goes, but I'm not particularly hooked by the conspiracy thriller that has been playing out through the first two episodes. We know that Godzilla and other Kaiju exist in this, so having a narrative where characters uncover a conspiracy about the existence/cover-up of Kaiju mostly just feels like it is getting in the way of the good stuff.

I really enjoyed that bit in Tokyo with the evacuation procedure for the Kaiju warning.… [more]
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 7:40 PM on November 20, 2023

I thought The Escapist fell apart ages ago when they lost a lot of their creators over gamergate conflict.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:55 AM on November 7, 2023

Shaking my head at Pedro. What a frustrating climax, not that it was bad, but Pedro is the worst. I haven't wanted to shout at a horror movie like that in a long time.
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 11:27 PM on October 30, 2023

Worth mentioning that this is not quite a sequel to Terrified. It appears to be in the same world since The Rules and the exorcism tool also make an appearance, with more explanation, in Terrified. Demián Salomón is in both movies, but is playing different characters.
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 11:37 PM on October 30, 2023

I think Peanut butter on burgers is rooted in the diner tradition of having celebrity themed sandwiches. In this case, Elvis. I'm inclined to think most people will be disappointed that it isn't more interesting if they try it. It's really not very exciting. Have you had peanut butter toast? Do you think adding some savory meat to that would be bad? It's fine, underwhelming at worst.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 2:36 PM on October 22, 2023

I had it do The Lighthouse and the results were unhinged. A+
posted to MetaFilter Projects by forbiddencabinet at 11:25 PM on October 21, 2023

Creature Feature makes nothing but cheesy Halloween music. Sure to appeal to people that enjoy "This is Halloween" and want several albums worth of goth/rock/punk/cabaret-esque music to drunkenly song along to after carving pumpkins.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 5:09 PM on October 5, 2023

Famous hunter/outdoorsman/television personality Jim Shockey converted an old public school in Duncan, BC, Canada into a museum filled with an overwhelming amount of taxidermy. There are entire rooms filled entirely with animal skulls.

Educational value is a bit limited for it to be called a museum, in my opinion, but it does have a closet of animal furs/skins/hides specifically for leafing through and touching. Y'know, in case you wanted to touch a snow leopard pelt. To… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 10:48 PM on September 17, 2023

I know I am late to this party, but I want folks to know that anyone fascinated by how The X-Files mined conspiracy theories for ideas and in how conspiracy theory "culture" feeds back into other narratives should go read The Department of Truth.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 6:30 PM on September 11, 2023

All movies should be graded via the matrix table below. I will hear no arguments.

Fun-Smart | Thrilling-Smart | Tedious-Smart
Fun-Cozy | Thrilling-Cozy | Tedious-Cozy
Fun-Stupid | Thrilling-Stupid | Tedious-Stupid

What is an example of a Tedious-Cozy movie, you ask? The Yule Log is Tedious-Cozy.
posted to MetaTalk by forbiddencabinet at 2:16 PM on September 11, 2023

This is one of my favourite movies. Reconciling the friend you remember with who he has become. Loving the memory of someone who has since changed or maybe never was that memory. Being hurt in the ways only someone that knows you in the most intimate ways can hurt you. Getting swept up and falling into old patterns and dynamics. Hurting someone because you can't tell them you love them. Letting go of someone you you love because you have to.

It's so good. I take away… [more]
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 6:45 PM on September 6, 2023

Starfield is quite similar to Mass Effect Andromeda, which the internet panned at the release. It is definitely more open than Andromeda as far as factions and player choice goes, but it has the same feel right down to the clumsy menu juggling for space travel and scrambling for resources on different planets.

Andromeda had more interesting planets, for the most part. Most weren't explorable unless there was a colony/terraforming to do there. It was clear a person had… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 8:13 AM on September 1, 2023

Enshittification comes for all web services eventually. I hold out hope that the pendulum will eventually swing back towards openness and away from the increasingly balkanized and unsearchable web that we have today. The decline of search isn't just that Google has gotten worse (it has) it's also that so much of the Internet doesn't happen in the open anymore. The digital commons has been devoured.

I wonder what a search engine would look like that only included results… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 11:15 PM on August 28, 2023

I think you are better off doing a Static Site Generator and GitHub Pages kinda thing. You could still use the home computer to sync to to the GitHub repo and keep all your website development stuff, but doing it this way is easier to secure while also being a more modern approach to having a personal/vanity site. If the goal is to help your kid develop some skills then learning how to use GitHub and this kind of project structure will be very valuable.

A home server is… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 11:05 PM on August 23, 2023

JHarris, if I had a dollar for every time someone has showed me their enormous $100 before expansions board game about being a fantasy/scifi/horror character in a scenario and I looked at them with a confused face and suggested an RPG instead... well, I'd probably have enough to buy one of those bloated board games by now.

I find it surprising that it has taken the board game world so dang long to start exploring the medium more, but I guess it wasn't until the Internet… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 7:50 PM on August 15, 2023

Apple music is going to use ~40-70 MB per hour, depending on selected audio quality. (Assuming you are not streaming lossless. Lossless can get into the 100s of MB per hour.)

If you're the kind of person that regularly has music playing in the background as you go about your day (or while you work and commute) you can easily get to 1GB per day if you're doing that all through your mobile data plan.

Best practices for streaming is to always… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 10:25 PM on August 13, 2023

It has been perfectly serviceable so far, but after three episodes I already feel like I have seen everything it has to offer.

Strange Planet kind of reminds me of Winston Rowntree's PeopleWatching in its sincerity and observations, although not as smart and cutting. Strange Planet is a lot more gentle and cute and I think that is too its detriment (so far). It feels like it wants to be insightful about the absurdity of the modern life while also hitting typical adult… [more]
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 10:26 PM on August 12, 2023

Mid to late October is usually the beginning of the salmon run at Goldstream. That would be worth checking out if you haven't seen it before. Plenty of day hiking to do in that area as well.

As for tour operators, they usually operate into October and close up in November. For example, Maple Leaf Adventures has a tour of Desolation Sound that still has spots available. You'd have to be able to get to North Vancouver Island, though. A lot of these kinds of tours are out… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 10:23 PM on August 8, 2023

I'm no instrument maker, but wouldn't this open design lose a lot of the characteristic warmth and resonance of more classic piano designs? Not that a more unrestrained (to use their term) sound is necessarily undesirable. I'm just curious how a design like this would affect the timbre and other characteristics.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 11:15 PM on August 5, 2023

I saw John K. Samson a few years ago and it was a strange audience. Everyone clearly loved him from their formative years and would emotionally support heckle him when he was being self deprecating. At one point someone in the audience shouted out a marriage proposal and the crowd turned on them and, as a group, informed that person that he was already married to Christine Fellows.
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 5:34 PM on August 4, 2023

Better and gorier than expected, although the CGI is pretty dodgy. The dialogue is a little much at times, which is saying something because Stephanie Beatriz's character can't speak.

Unabashed b-movie vibes. It knows it is trash and it wallows in it. Reminds me of the short-lived Blood Drive show, although that had more grindhouse/exploitation vibes and this feels more like a live action cartoon.

Surprisingly good job at adapting Twisted Metal's… [more]
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 11:24 PM on July 27, 2023

Definitely not as insane as Blood Drive, but it has its moments. We can hope that if Twisted Metal is successful we might see the heights (lows?) of Blood Drive on a tv show again, but TM does have different sensibilities so even if it ups the bonkers factor it's going to be more like Shoot 'Em Up. It doesn't have b-horror in its heart like Blood Drive did.
posted to FanFare by forbiddencabinet at 2:30 PM on July 28, 2023

I feel like reclining is a much more natural human posture than sitting on a chair.

I converted a recliner into a reclining desk in February of this year and it has been life changing. My lower back and neck pain cleared up in a week or two.

I didn't have a bad setup at my office before this, either. My (former) work paid for all the ergo things. I'd always joked that I would prefer a recumbant desk over a sit/stand and when I got a new full… [more]
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 6:20 PM on July 26, 2023

https://obsidian.md/ It is by far the best note taking/bookmark/web clipping tool available right now.

There are multiple web clipper extensions and plugins that work with it. There is also a recipe grabber. That isn't exhaustive, either. There are more and something will probably agree with you.

That said, Obsidian may require more initial setup than you are willing to do. It's not too tough, especially if you're willing to pay for convenience… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 5:25 PM on July 26, 2023 marked best answer

I've done the winter season many times and I personally think it is the nicer time to go. That said, It will be very wet. Maybe not snowy, but there's a risk. If you have good rain/winter gear then it can still be pretty good for hiking even in the winter.

Wickaninish is very nice and the dining room is pretty spectacular during storms. If you're can get a room facing out over the rocks then you'll be in a good spot. It is also easy to find, so it's a very good choice… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 9:04 PM on July 24, 2023

On my android the emergency broadcast messages respect the do not distrub function. No sound or vibe, but if I look at the phone it is there.*

That said, these don't happen often. You can opt into text/email ones sent at the city level, but these provincial level ones using the EMS we see only a handful of times a year and usually just tests of the system.

There is some controversy about using this system for amber alerts. Some think child… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 12:40 AM on July 20, 2023

I will second The Host, Colossal and Big Man Japan. I can see why folks are suggesting Shin Godzilla, but I found it very frustrating so YMMV.

What to Do with the Dead Kaiju? Wasn't received very well, but I liked it. It's similar to Shin Godzilla in that it is about human (lack of) response to a crisis. It is more of a comedy where Shin Godzilla is very serious aside from the satirical elements. I don't think this has had a western release so might not be easily watched… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 5:57 PM on July 10, 2023

I use Obsidian for this.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 7:03 PM on July 7, 2023

Something more people should consider is Bandcamp. The cost of a streaming service will buy you 1-3 albums per month, which gets you DRM free files that you can do what you want with in addition to unlimited streaming via Bandcamps app. The app, by the way, has been getting some love lately in the form of feature updates and is worth revisiting if you wrote it off previously.

For anybody willing to run their own server (or pay for a hosted one) then Plex is actually… [more]
posted to Ask MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 5:45 PM on June 30, 2023

Wikipedia article for those that just want a quick overview
posted to MetaFilter by forbiddencabinet at 5:15 PM on June 23, 2023