Activity from Shepherd
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Are Dysons worth it vs. knockoffs?
The Great Enshittification of Everything means I can't trust internet reviews any more. Real humans: will a half-cost Dyson knock-off cordless vac meet our needs?
Movie: I Trapped the Devil
A man descends into paranoia after trapping what he believes to be the devil in his basement, but things take a dark turn when his family unexpectedly arrive for Christmas.
Chana Tower has frogs, snails, mushrooms and adventure
Movie: YellowBrickRoad
1940: the entire population of Friar, New Hampshire walked up a winding mountain trail, leaving everything behind. 2008: the first official expedition into the wilderness attempts to solve the mystery of the lost citizens of Friar.
What exactly does professional bookkeeping do for a small non-profit?
As a non-accounting person, I'm vaguely aware that accounting can be complicated. Since starting in my ED role about two months ago, though, I'm not sure that our operation is complicated enough to warrant what we spend for a large external accounting firm. This is not related to auditing, which is done separately.
Many more details about our specific circumstances inside.
We cherished the girls, grog and laughter
The Poetry of Actor William Smith. You may be familiar with William Smith as a "that guy" from hundreds and hundreds of movie performances, usually the heavy, such as bare-knuckle brawler Jack Wilson in 1980's Any Which Way You Can. But his poetic contributions have gone largely unnoticed, and courtesy of his still-up website -- Williams passed in 2021 -- you can read poems like The Reaper or thrill to these poems read in Williams' own roadworn voice.
Google Workspace wizard, Sheets in particular
Movie: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries.
Lil Jon has a guided meditation YouTube stream
10 different 10-minute guided mediations by crunk progenitor Lil Jon. Lil Jon is very serious about meditation, and sharing its benefits. These 10 guided mediations include ones focusing on boosting focus, gratitude, grief, deep sleep, and much more.
Movie: Lovely, Dark, and Deep
Lennon, a new back-country ranger, travels alone through the dangerous wilderness, hoping to uncover the origins of a tragedy that has haunted her since she was a child.
Rules-lite and ready to fight (or not)
What are some of your favourite micro-TTRPGs from the last several years?
Lo-fi beats to smash Tokyo to
The Godzilla Meditation Series, lightly animated stills from kaiju movies with ambient music. From Kaijutopia.
Paid search engines: do they work and are they worth it?
I'm trying to fully extricate myself from the Googlesphere personally. I know engines like DuckDuckGo and Bing (ugh) exist, but does anyone have experience with paid search engines they could share?
Movie: Magic
A ventriloquist is at the mercy of his vicious dummy while he tries to renew a romance with his high school sweetheart.
Best KeePass for PC + iOS?
I use KeePassXC on the PC and would like to use it on my iPhone and iPad. There are lots of options.
Can I make and sell t-shirts completely anonymously?
I have a pretty great idea for a shirt/other clothing, but it gets into light satire/trademark infringement with a company I have some friends that work for, who may not take it in the spirit intended. Is there a way to make/sell shirts with no trace back to me?
All the Garbage I Found on Substack
Movie: The Predator
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race. This is the one you power through between Predators and Prey.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Beyond Logic
Maybe the real legacy was the friends we made along the way. Well, everyone but Tim. Nobody likes Tim. You know what people like? Monsters.
Movie: Alien vs. Predator
Ehhh, what the heck, let's toss AvP:Requiem in here too. It's not like these movies are so good (or bad) that anyone is going to get super upset that Requiem doesn't have its own Fanfare thread.
Reacher: New York's Finest
Herc from the Wire is noble. Reacher has a stationary murder bus. The T1000 is grouchy. Everyone has guns.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Axis Mundi
Shaw and May search for Cate and make a startling discovery. Kentaro struggles with his loss.
From Backderf to Munch; Crumb to Pollack; Kirby to Xbox
Trouble swallowing leading to chest pains?
This evening, I was having a pretty normal dinner with my wife when I had some trouble swallowing, followed by what felt like all the muscles around my chest contracting, like I was being squeezed like a clamp; it was at the point where I couldn't breathe for about 30 seconds before it eased up and I could breathe again.
What's up?
Every Chip Stand is a project to illustrate every chip truck in Ontario.
"The chip stand differentiates us from our American neighbours. It is not a food truck. It is not a diner. The very nature of the chip stand is defined by it being a combination of both." Every Chip Stand, by illustrators Chantal Bennett, is an attempt to illustrate every chip stand in Ontario and some neighbouring provinces, "thus chronicling the visual history of these structures that are slowly being replaced by professional food trailers and trucks."
This past summer, I took on a fill-in show at our...
Jazz! This past summer, I took on a fill-in show at our local campus/community radio station. A traditional jazz show, but I decided to only ever say the station's call letters, frequency, and the word "jazz". Over and over and over again.
What's a cost-effective projector for across the street?
The building across the street from my study window is a huge, blank vinyl wall and (with permission) I'd like to project old-timey cartoons across the street for Hallowe'en.
Bwah ha ha ha ha
Keith Giffen, legendary comics writer/artist (Ambush Bug, Justice League International, Legion of Super-Heroes, Trencher, the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle, and much, much more) has passed away at 70, and left a final Facebook post for the ages.
He will be fondly remembered and sorely missed.
Psi Cops: Psi Cops
The first Adult Swim Canada animated show. Incredibly dumb cops investigate paranormal phenomena, supported by varyingly competent colleagues. Everyone talks fast -- kind of Archer cadence, but more blunt force idiocy than rapier wit. The animation style is a very odd semi-rotoscoped thing. Trailer here.
A B.C. study gives cash to unhoused people, with positive results
"The cash transfer is such a no-brainer. But nobody is willing to try it:" Dr. Jiaying Zhao, an associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, was part of a team that gave 50 unhoused people in Vancouver $7,500 and then followed them for a year.
A highly specific shopping list for a booking calendar
I'm willing to pay for software that will let me run a public booking calendar, but with some fairly specific requirements...
Movie: Corner Office
As Orson, The Authority's newest employee, finds himself trapped in the absurdities of corporate life, his alienation deepens when he discovers a room he's told doesn't exist.
Why do you **love** your job?
I've got a job that I should love on paper, but frequently... don't. Hearing from people who love their jobs, and what about the jobs they love, might help me look at where I'm at with fresh eyes and find new joy.
Help me name a cursed sword!
I'm embarking on a D&D game where I'm inverting the "person with a cursed sword" trope by having the character be the cursed sword, with an endless succession of doomed schmoes picking it up. Not too on the nose (Bloodthirster, Skullcracker), but not just goofy (Killbot, Swordy McSwordface).
Service/people to help plan garage reno
I have a very old garage, zoning-grandfathered to the property line. I'd like to fix it up, but could use help with ideas and planning; possibly later drawings. What should I look for?
Podcast recommendations: debunky, chatty, science-y edition
I love Maintenance Phase and If Books Could Kill and would like more podcasts like this.
Low-cost platform for rolling conversations + filesharing?
I'm part of a pan-university consortium setting up a series of events across Canada. We'd like to find a way to have Teams or Slack-style chat, as well as sharing files and resources, and create a standalone presence for it. What do you recommend?
Can you recommend a generator-free PA suitable for outdoor events?
I feel like there should be good options in 2023 for something that runs off a rechargeable battery/pack, and is loud enough to cover a gathering of about 100-150 people in a small outdoor park. Do you have direct experience with a unit you'd recommend?
What is the best Canadian jazz of the last 10 years?
Canadian* jazz, 2013-2023, hit me.
Parents of college-aged MeFitelings, share your recruitment stories
My institution is looking at adjusting our approach to admissions, and rethinking the personal statement component. If you are somebody who is or has recently applied to college, or a close friend or relative of same, I'd love to hear about the best and worst "beyond grades" admissions tools you've seen.
Philanthropy’s equivalent of “All Lives Matter”
Non-profit writer/speaker/thinker Vu Le discusses a recent joint statement by philanthropic leaders "protecting pluralism." Vu Le previously and even more previously.
Shoulda done an AskMe
How are spammers getting images past my no-image default?
I use Thunderbird as my PC mail client. It doesn't allow images to load by default, and I have to allow image loading to let images into my browser. Recently, a lot of spam images have started appearing in my email, with no option to block the remote source. How do I stop this?
Signing into Windows 10 post-offline install
I have built "around" an old PC using a mix of new and salvaged parts, and thought I'd install Windows 10 "clean". I built on a workbench and didn't connect to the Internet while doing the initial Windows install, and now it's asking for a product key.
Gary and His Demons: Gary and his Demons - Season 1
Burdened by his "Chosen One" status and backed by a team of specialists he can't relate to, Gary the demon hunter struggles to keep interest in the Earth-saving duty he never asked for and doesn't want.
Ads that feature many people talking, one after the other
It feels like a very common ad archetype, but I'm having a devil of a time tracking them down. Can you help me find ads like this one, but without the preamble, where it's just various people saying stuff, on camera, one after the other, usually with a very similar setting or backdrop.
I don't know how to find a person/company to develop an app
I'm exploring an idea of an app for work that is beyond my ability to create, but also seems much simpler than the kinds of things companies build. How do I find a right-sized app developer?
Is there a way to find out who made a YouTube mix?
I happened to click on a generically named "My Mix" playlist on YouTube today and it is uncannily 75% exactly music that matches my esoteric tastes, and 25% stuff I don't know but really like. Is there any way to find the mix "author" and see if they have created more mixes?
What tool(s) do I need to make a Goban/Baduk board?
I have what I need to cut and join wood to make a base (circular saw, table saw, mitre saw, biscuit joiner, plane). I have a Dremel Advantage (which I have no experience with; I've only ever used it with grinder wheels to cut off protruding screws/nails; it's long since discontinued, and apparently not compatible with the Dremel plunge router attachment). I'm capable of rough woodworking, and would like to make a Go board by cutting very straight grooves in wood in a grid, then filling them with a compound, then sanding and varnishing. What is best?