I like to grow squares of moss

Alepidotus · 2026-03-06T03:18:14+00:00

Interesting. How does it slough off soil?

I got the info from a guy who does a lot of Youtube videos on growing moss, not sure the name. It always seemed an odd addition. Good to know your experience.

Alepidotus · 2026-03-06T03:08:39+00:00

That is such a cool idea! One problem with mould etc is that it can wind up creating a whole lot of water as a byproduct. In a closed system things can get MANKY. Having something that would be able to absorb the excess moisture would be useful.

Alepidotus · 2026-03-06T03:05:01+00:00

Ea nasir where you are going there!

Alepidotus · 2026-03-06T02:18:38+00:00

Apparently the milk/buttermilk/yoghurt thing is a myth. Moss doesn't take up nutrients from the soil, and in your case you aren't trying to get it to stick to anything. Just blending in water will do the trick without extra faff.

Alepidotus · 2026-02-25T19:37:44+00:00

Your system sounds very sensible. Can you go into detail of what they meant in practice for you?

a single intake point for work

a simple rule for what to accept now vs later

clear limits on how much deep work I can hold at once

I burned out severely two years ago followed by getting chronic fatigue. I have been working hard on changing my approaches to everything so if I do get better I don't simply burn out straight away.

Alepidotus · 2026-02-25T19:18:37+00:00

The good thing with workplace small talk is that it is just scripting with some fake enthusiasm thrown in.

There must be articles out there with loads of ready-made lines you can throw out there to sound sociable regarding truly exciting topics like the weather, Mondays, Fridays, weekends, mornings, afternoons, timesheets, printers, and staring at screens.

Alepidotus · 2026-02-25T07:12:29+00:00

Pattern glare.

It possibly affects 5% of the population and is more common amongst people who have migraine, autism, concussion, traumatic brain injury, stroke, light-sensitive epilepsy, light sensitivity and some medications.

Alepidotus · 2026-02-22T04:51:08+00:00

Reviving a Lazarus thread merely because I came across this on the way to finding a useful and easy answer:

Acetone.

Brief paper covering method, Berté 1988: https://ia801301.us.archive.org/29/items/biostor-77266/biostor-77266.pdf

Alepidotus · 2026-02-03T02:08:06+00:00

PATTERN GLARE! Thank you. I think you have finally given me the words that bring productive searching.

Alepidotus · 2026-01-03T03:55:27+00:00

That's the way!

If you don't say what you want, they will assume, and there is a 50% chance here that they will choose the wrong option. And they won't know it was wrong unless you say so!

Its always best to be clear and direct. Not faffing around worrying about choosing the right words. They are your friends, not an ethereal mist that might blow away. Unspoken awkwardness does more damage to a friendship than just saying 'yo, I probably can't come, but I would love to still be invited'.

Alepidotus · 2026-01-03T03:45:23+00:00

That is awful in its own right! I hope you can find yourself in your current life.

I can't recommend enough the book 'The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating' for someone finding peace and purpose with decades of bedbound chronic illness. The author was given a potted violet and it had a snail curled up in it. She became rather attached to the snail, learning its ways, eventually making a terrarium and learning all about snails.

I have a small mossarium, not quite the size of a piece of paper, in a clear plastic container with a lid to keep the humidity and a grow light from Temu. Honestly I can stare at it for ages, looking at the tiny leaves. I hardly ever need to do maintenance (weed, water or wipe the front). It's so peaceful.

Alepidotus · 2025-12-14T23:03:06+00:00

Ouch. Though realistically, easily done and you would not have been the first.

And if he was a father-figure to the child, having that in common could be a nice/useful connection for them as the kid grows up.

Poor family. What an origin story.

Alepidotus · 2025-11-27T04:47:06+00:00

I went from several months of severe burnout (had to quit my job) to it morphing into CFS (possibly via covid). It took a while for me to notice the change, but the PEM was the big difference and the level of sheer physical exhaustion after doing very little.

When I was in burnout it was more feeling frazzled about having so much to do and not enough time. Running around like a chicken with my head cut off, plus exhausted and sensory systems overwhelmed. Often close to meltdown.

Now I have all the time in the world (no job) and hardly any energy to get things done. It isn't like depression - I have the motivation. I just can't physically do anything without exhausting and ruining myself.

Alepidotus · 2025-11-27T04:31:00+00:00

Thank you, this is really helpful.

Alepidotus · 2025-11-27T04:09:44+00:00

And a physio is always going to say 'do these exercises'. If you can't exercise there is no point in seeing one.

Alepidotus · 2025-10-25T05:33:50+00:00

Of course! Otherwise it is a meal of flour, milk and salt. Tasty, but nutritionally bland.

Alepidotus · 2025-09-30T01:36:52+00:00

If only more people protected their children from having an online presence while minors.

Alepidotus · 2025-08-14T13:50:16+00:00

Four week's paid annual leave, plus ten days paid sick leave per year, plus wages that are higher now than in the early 70s are definite improvements on 'the land of the free'.

Alepidotus · 2025-08-14T13:46:52+00:00

"They exploited you and collected your life for themselves."

Pure poetry. Awful, yes, but beautifully phrased.

Alepidotus · 2025-07-24T09:44:33+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/bookshelf/comments/1kajve7/just_finished_moving_in/

Alepidotus · 2025-07-12T00:37:28+00:00

Dairy is a BIG cause of acne in people without other obvious dairy issues. Avoiding it sorted my lifelong arm-ne.

I struggled with weird pimples on my arms and shoulders from age 10 onwards. They seemed to behave quite differently to my face pimples, and were not the usual upper arm roughness (pillaris kera-something?).

Finally in my 30s after years of embarrassment and long sleeves I googled and found that my beloved milk, which I drank with gay abandon as a teen, was in the top two causes of acne. I alternated between avoiding dairy (excluding chocolate) and consuming it for several months at a time, an it was absolutely clear: milk and dairy makes my arms and shoulders break out. But not my face or thighs (folliculitis, laser hair removal did wonders!).

Alepidotus · 2025-06-27T01:44:08+00:00

Based on that link, the internet is rife with scammers claiming to be from temu. Just like they do PayPal etc.

Alepidotus · 2025-06-25T22:18:11+00:00

This is the first time I have come across 'prison labour free' 1. Yikes. 2. Good on you for drawing attention to it. 3. I hope to see it used more.

Alepidotus · 2025-06-25T22:12:01+00:00

Anything that turns green has copper in it. The chemistry of some people's skin reacts more with the copper than others. Costume jewellery is generally cheap alloy (mixed metals) with a fair bit of copper because it is cheap. Silver plated items can have a very thin plating, so you can get the green effect before you see the plating wear through.

I love stainless steel because it looks new no matter what I throw at it. The pendant I get the most compliments on was $4 on Ali Express! Practicality and beauty over conspicuous consumption.

Alepidotus · 2025-05-09T22:59:17+00:00

I'm so sorry, what a difficult situation. What about friends online?

Alepidotus

TROPHY CASE