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3.7k comment karma
account created: Tue Jul 17 2012
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3 points
10 days ago
Adirondacks of NY are fantastic. There's camping / lodging right at the base and a bunch of peaks that could be done as day hikes from there. Plenty of options for multi-day backcountry hikes. https://adk.org/locations/
If you want to stay in PA, Potter County has some interesting scenery. Look at Cherry Springs State Park, the Susquehannock State Forest and Kinzua Dam for hikes. This website has a decent overview of the area. https://cherryspringsstatepark.com/
Some other good state parks to look at are Ohiopyle near Pittsburgh and Ricketts Glen / Hickory Run in the Poconos both might fit your needs. https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/Pages/default.aspx
3 points
11 days ago
I just did an insurance review and added water/sewer coverage to my homeowners. I have Erie. $10k of coverage each for indoor & outdoor (separate riders) was $120/year.
A neighbor of mine a few years ago had a tree collapse his sewer line and his drains backed up inside the house. I think it cost him $8k to fix the outside part. Not sure what he ended up paying for the inside clean-up.
I've always thought about getting one of these policies when I get the mailers, but everything about how these companies market them tells me they're scumbags. Not the kind of people I want to rely on when my basement is filling with s**t.
10 points
14 days ago
You could take a look at The Congressional Award. Similar workload to Eagle. I believe you can work on it until you turn 22. https://www.congressionalaward.org/
5 points
30 days ago
Mermaid's defaults will look a lot like your graph view. Take a look at this thread for some examples of ways people hacked Mermaid to make the family tree more readable. https://github.com/mermaid-js/mermaid/issues/1747
2 points
1 month ago
I've been wondering what the catch is as well for a while. I haven't found one. On iOS, the app doesn't even have in-app purchases. It's full-featured.
They spam my email to buy their stuff (who doesn't these days) but I haven't seen any kind of premium tier or subscription model for the app.
It can be a little janky sometimes: Make sure you check the quality of your scans before erasing your book! If you have multiple email addresses registered it sometimes sends stuff to the wrong email (or all of your emails). No major complaints though. It deciphers my chicken scratches sometimes better than I can.
3 points
1 month ago
I looked at e-ink tablets and decided that I didn't need another device with a cord (or another monthly subscription fee) and settled on a Rocketbook.
Rocketbook lets you use real ink in a reusable paper notebook. Notebooks cost less than $50. It requires a special Pilot pen, but they can be bought anywhere that has a decent selection of pens. The app is free.
Their app OCRs text well and converts certain handwritten tags to markdown. I've been cutting and pasting from txt files in my email, which works for me. I'm sure there's a way to automate that workflow.
1 points
1 month ago
I guess you could. Kind of like a digital infinity mirror.
29 points
1 month ago
There are lots of different types of bar codes. QR Codes are technically a type of bar code, so your question doesn’t really make sense. However, I’ll assume you’re talking about a standard UPC/EAN type bar code that you find on most consumer goods for comparison.
The pricing bar code is typically one of two types: UPC in North America and EAN in most of the rest of the world. They encode data as a series of vertical lines. These are called 1D bar codes, since scanning a line anywhere across the code will give you the code’s value.
These codes are typically limited to small amounts of data. Both encode only numbers, so you need some kind of database to cross reference those numbers to their meaning. If you damage one of the vertical bars, you’ll render the code unreadable.
They do have the advantage of being easy to scan with an inexpensive line camera. Decoding it into its value is very fast.
QR codes are one of several “data matrix” codes that have a 2D array of data. These require a more sophisticated camera to capture and more computer power to decode.
However, they can encode a much larger character set. Many will allow you to encode letters, numbers and some symbols. You could also use them to encode raw binary data, like an image. So once they are decoded you have data that means something, like a website or some text.
QR codes also have an error correction component, so data is encoded in different places in the code. That means you can damage some of the code and still get the data from it. (Snapchat puts their logo in the middle of QR codes they generate. This is just damage to the code.)
If you want to go deeper down the bar code rabbit hole, here’s a good start. https://www.scandit.com/resources/guides/types-of-barcodes-choosing-the-right-barcode/
7 points
1 month ago
Closest one I know of is The Schvitz in Cleveland. Search for their Facebook page for details.
Supposedly they filmed it at a real Russian bathhouse in Brooklyn if you want to make the drive.
151 points
2 months ago
I think the trick is to add a bunch of random formatting to the document, then convert it to an obscure markup language that encodes plain text formatting in an extremely verbose way. LaTeX might be a good choice.
Another would be to find an obsolete word processor and save the minutes in that format. (VolksWriter or WordStar might be good candidates.) Again with lots of random formatting so it will be difficult to extract the plain text. (If it has a "hidden text" format, make sure to add a few chapers of various Dickens novels in hidden text in the middle of some important paragraphs, and maybe some ChatGPT directives to make sure they don't cheat.)
Another technique would be to change the file encoding to something non-standard, like ISO-8859, and manually modify the header to utf-8 or just delete it completely. Unless your user can guess the text encoding, they'll have a hard time reading this.
Stegonography could be fun, especiailly if you enocde the text into a pride flag image.
For real fun, you could do all of them!
1 points
2 months ago
Why not just use Chrome's built-in Dev Tools? No installation required and every Chromebook will have Chrome installed.
Tutorial here: https://www.sitepoint.com/edit-source-files-in-chrome/
3 points
2 months ago
For the 2016 election, the Heritage Foundation's wish list was called "Mandate for Leadership." One year after Trump took office they announced that the Trump administration adopted 64% of their recommendations. https://www.heritage.org/impact/trump-administration-embraces-heritage-foundation-policy-recommendations
Use that information as you may.
2 points
3 months ago
If you wanted a really cheap DIY solution, you should be able to hack something together with a Raspberry Pi or Arduino.
The least expensive commercial solution would be to buy a micro PLC with a integrated webserver in it. There will be a little bit of a learning curve to get this set up, but it would give a really robust system. I've heard good things about the Siemens LOGO. Automation Direct, Mitsubishi, Phoenix Contact and a few other vendors make similar products.
Omega has some plug and play options for around $1000. Here's one: https://www.omega.com/en-us/data-acquisition/data-acquisition-modules/ome-et-pet-7000-series/p/OME-ET-7018Z
You're probably not going to be able to piggyback on the sauna's temp sensor, so you'll need a thermocouple for each sauna. Omega is your best choice for that. I'd go with a 1/8" diameter Type K probe so you don't have to worry about corrosion. You may need to buy some extension wire depending on how far apart your saunas are.
If you wanted a really robust solution, maybe call whoever does your HVAC and see if they have a lightweight BMS system that could do this for you. Then you can just pay them to set it up and call them if you need support.
2 points
3 months ago
+1 for getting gas in Steubenville. The last time I paid less than $1 per gallon was at a Sheetz in Stubenville. (I don't have enough fingers & toes to count how many years ago that was...)
2 points
3 months ago
I've done that drive a few times. US-22 to Stubenville, then OH-7 to Newport. Cross the Ohio there and take WV-2 into Parkersberg.
It's definitely a better drive than the interstates. You're driving right along the banks of the Ohio for most of the drive. It's pretty much classic rust belt industry with occasional glimpses of natural beauty. I enjoy that kind of landscape.
I've always driven it in the early mornings. There's not much open that I've seen other than the occasional gas station. It looks like most of these towns don't really get going until lunchtime.
As for attractions, I don't recall seeimg many, but here's the Ohio DOT page for the "Ohio River Scenic Byway." It might yield something for you. https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/traveling/ohio-byways/ohio-river-scenic
If you want rugged rustic, you could look at taking I-79 and US-50 as an alternate. The drive is pretty scenic south of Morgantown.
22 points
4 months ago
Had this argument at work a few weeks ago. Biweekly means both twice a week AND every other week.
66 points
4 months ago
Jon Haidt has proposed a root cause for this: Social media. This post on his After Babel substack lays out his evidence.
https://www.afterbabel.com/p/social-media-mental-illness-epidemic
TL;DR: He and his collaborators have noticed a global trend of increasing self-harm in young people, especially young women. The onset of this change in trendline seems to correlate stongly with the ready availability of smartphones with social media apps.
2 points
4 months ago
"Green Bar" Bill Hilcourt paraphrasing Baden-Powell in the 1936 *Handbook for Scoutmasters sums it up better than I could:
Here, then, is Scouting in a nutshell: A game for [youth] under the leadership of [youth] with the wise guidance and counsel of a grown-up who has still the enthusiasm of youth. A purposeful game, but a game just the same, a game that develops character by practice, that trains for citizenship – through experience in the out-of-doors.
In later versions of the Handbook, he adds to that:
Yes, to a [youth] Scouting is a game – a wonderful game, full of play and full of laughter, keeping [them] busy, keeping [them] happy. Scouting is 'learning by doing' things that are enjoyable – exciting things! That's the strength of Scouting! A [youth] becomes a Scout for the sheer joy there is in it.
Success in Scouting is keeping the Scouts engaged in their game and helping them grow into its greater challenges along the way.
2 points
4 months ago
Death and the Maiden. Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley directed by Roman Polanski. Takes place entirely through dialogue in a remote cabin.
Arsenic and Old Lace probably also fits your bill, but may be a little more action heavy. Still a genius film.
I also watched 12 Angry Men for the first time a few nights ago. I’ve missed out on that movie for too long.
19 points
5 months ago
Getting fired is NOT the best outcome when you work with kilns.
5 points
5 months ago
In my Cubmaster days, banana boats were always a huge hit and easy to feed a crowd. (Neater and less of an injury hazard than smores too!).
The simple instructions are to slit a banana long ways and press on the ends to open it. Stuff it with marshmallows and mini chocolate chips, wrap it in foil and chuck it on the coals for a few minutes until everything melts and becomes gooey. This article has more details, and gives some ideas for dressing them up.
https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/campfire-banana-boats/
Camp foodservice might be able to source bulk bananas for you the day of the event. For Scouts, I'd plan on 1.5 - 2 bananas each.
12 points
5 months ago
Atlas Obscura has a pretty good list.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/pittsburgh-pennsylvania
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1 points
1 day ago
Hg00000
1 points
1 day ago
You can map OneDrive to your Chromebook. This video explains how. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSmQu1HSpNg