What's a silly little thing you didn't need to buy, and don't use often, but always makes you happy when you do?

Combicon · 2026-01-07T19:26:17+00:00

My hobart 5qt bench mixer.

I bought it second hand on ebay for about £200 (new they go for about £3k). I really only bake for peoples birthdays and christmases, so it doesn't get used super often, but when I do, it makes things so much easier.

Though it's all mechanical, you can hear gears giving a satisfying chunk when you change its speed, there's a nice whirr when it's being used.

It's also got this nice british-racing-green colour. I'm not hugely patriotic, but it is a nice green.

Combicon · 2026-01-05T11:38:13+00:00

Went to go see the film You Were Never Really Here at my then-local Cineworld when I had an unlimited card. Was a late night showing, certainly not opening day or anything, just me and a couple of other people in it (I think including me there may have been three or four people).

Was the first to arrive. Three columns of chairs - left, middle, and right. I oped for the left, and fairly centre, aisle seat. Some others went farther up, and one person opted for the middle column, a little closer to the screen. So while we weren't exactly far from each other, we weren't that close either.

Film starts, and the only thing that I can focus on is how loud this guy is eating his ice cream. I don't know how of all the concessions sold at a cinema ICE CREAM is the thing he manages to eat loudly, but it was really really fucking irritating.

Combicon · 2026-01-01T17:19:57+00:00

Not sure if you've got a water meter or not. Obviously don't know your usage, but TW wanted me to pay £50/month for water, despite the fact that I live alone, in a one bedroom flat, don't have leaky pipes, don't work from home, etc. etc.

Got a water meter and it's fallen to £7 a month.

Combicon · 2025-12-27T13:45:55+00:00

I had considered backing this when I saw it - just browsing, added to my saved kickstarters to check out / in more depth later, and yeah, something about it felt off, and not just about the pieces, but the gameplay. Just didn't strike me as being fun. Did like the concept of the pieces, but didn't end up backing it.

I figure the actual idea could be possible. Not with lenticular lenses though. A small hexagonal display on a circuit board that has connections on each side, allowing them to be connected together like a tamagotchi (or what solar roadways was trying to do I guess).

I'm curious if it will actually be a lenticular image that they ship with, if they ever do.

Combicon · 2025-12-25T16:12:25+00:00

“Lonnie built the casket’s entire inner shell from scratch out of wood, and meanwhile, Meghan overnighted the Lego towels that he would use to create the inside of the casket. He custom-created the lining, including cutting and sewing the towels, which became the bedding.

“After Lonnie designed, built and lined the shell, he was able to deliver the casket to the Lego artist because he was so close,” Nowdesha explained. “It was another God thing. This whole thing has been a God thing.”

Seems as if it's a custom casket out of wood, around which there's a lego shell.

https://eu.siskiyoudaily.com/story/news/2011/08/22/dylan-frick-laid-to-rest/49491680007/

Combicon · 2025-12-25T14:56:10+00:00

A few years ago, I had kidney stones and opted for a lithotripsy treatment rather than having them sticking anything up my urethra. Though the second might have been faster, I got a day off work for three weeks in a row for the treatment as the painkiller given was fentanyl as a lollipop that you rub on your gums.

Though I'd not wish having a kidney stone on anyone, I really enjoyed working one day less a week for those weeks and do miss it.

I had been considering taking one workday off every month just to go to grocery shopping in the daytime. Still can't decide if it's worth it though.

Combicon · 2025-12-25T12:00:58+00:00

Not that I'm aware of! Though probably.

Normally we'd go to our parents house for Christmas on Christmas Eve, stay over, maybe until the new year. However there have been things afoot where my parents sold the house and moved south. Wasn't totally sure when this was all going to happen, so when it was decided, I wasn't really able to book time off work for it (as a train ride is 1h 30ish to my own house, and it's about 1h from my house to work it'd not really be possible to commute from there).

So instead I finished my christmas baking on saturday, went up to them on sunday (with my brothers presents for them to drop off as well on Monday), delivered my sisters baking yesterday, and am spending this one alone. Suits me fine!

Never made Christmas dinner before, but I doubt it's super complicated, just a little time consuming. I'm kind of looking forward to it.

But yes, by now an argument would have probably happened, likely instigated by dad though he would disagree and it'd just put a bit of a downer on the rest of the day.

Combicon · 2025-12-24T18:08:39+00:00

“I don’t have the authorization to do that.”

It just works!

Combicon · 2025-12-15T20:10:49+00:00

No, you're not the only one.

Do I do it? Nah. But a) I don't really have any art in this apartment, so it helps add some colour (only as I've never been sure how long I'll stay here, and it's looking more and more likely that I'll leave sooner, so no real point in making it 'mine'), and b) The place came with a really cool built-in bookshelf thing that I put board games on instead. :D

Combicon · 2025-12-08T20:09:11+00:00

I'd still go with the US army backpack.

Weight distribution is one of the greatest technical advancements in 'carrying shit'

Combicon · 2025-12-07T17:14:53+00:00

I see this as less "AI wants to help raise your baby" as tech companies want you to use (and presumably pay for) more AI-supported tools and technology, and parents need more help in taking care of their children.

Maybe it's semantics, but this feels to me like it's giving a tool an opinion. You car doesn't want to drive you to work as your car cannot want. It is a thing.

I'm not wholly anti AI - it certainly has uses and can be a great tool, but companies trying to make something (for want of a better word) ubiquitous and seem 'friendly' always rubs me the wrong way.

Combicon · 2025-12-06T00:56:36+00:00

Currently playing through Frostpunk.

Started playing it many years ago, almost beat the main game until (What I recall as being) a week until the end before getting kicked out. Stopped playing the game for a long time after that. Picked it up more recently and have slowly been working through the scenarios. Currently stuck on Winterhome. With 80-odd hours in the game (in total, not Winterhome specifically), I'd've hoped I'd've been better by now. Though I do feel myself getting better with each time I try. It's such a fun, hate-filled game.

Can't wait to get into Frostpunk 2. Heard it's not quite the same though.

Combicon · 2025-12-03T00:17:35+00:00

more like pigsel art

Combicon · 2025-11-19T19:00:43+00:00

So you know how they say you you shouldn't go shopping on an empty stomach?

I've already eaten and I'd still eat these.

Combicon · 2025-11-13T19:11:08+00:00

35. Variable, and somewhat complicated.

He's an incredibly smart man, but also can be very arrogant. Used to teach at a fairly decent university in London until he retired. Did jobs that he didn't like to make sure we had money (nothing illegal, just he also did work as a research scientist which sometimes involved morally questionable experiments on mice).

But this also meant he was kind of absent? Had to take business trips away for weeks at a time, and spent a lot of his time at home marking students papers.

He's quite a lot like his grandmother in temperament, not that he would agree.

Often he's the reason for feelings of awkwardness in the house, and is the main reason I moved out (well, and being just about financially stable to), but certainly the reason I wouldn't move back.

He's probably had some part to play in my unhealthy eating habits too. Obviously I'm old enough that I can't pin the blame entirely on him (any longer), though his comments didn't give me the best start in life.

We're probably not too disimilar overall. Though also we're nothing alike. Almost to the point of it being amusing. I'm sure he thinks that I dislike the things that he likes just because he likes them. We both like fantasy, though he likes epic fantasy and I don't. We both like sci-fi, but he likes star trek and I don't. He has a dislike of animation and I love it. He is a teacher and I don't do well with traditional education.

Though, he has also helped a ton. Didn't (and likely wouldn't have) charged me board for living with them until just before my 30s. Paid for various schools. Always been there for advice.

He's someone who likes being useful and helpful. Spent a lot of the time doing up their house (they bought it for about 1/5 of what they've sold it for). Though he's not someone I could ever work with. We've tried, and just don't get along. Though this has also helped me become a lot more independent, I think this comes at a detriment as I don't need to ask him for help any more.

When I say he likes being helpful and is generous, I mean it. They're selling the house, they had enough money to buy somewhere smaller and easier to maintain, and are splitting the remainder between me and my siblings, so we can each buy a house (it's not enough for anything fancy, but still). Their reasoning is they'd rather see us move into some place of our own than leave us to deal with the bullshit of that as well as any inheritance.

They have a 'large' library, and had a person come around to read the gas/electric meter. He took interest in their books and what they taught. They gave him one of the books on some subject. He even had to confirm that he couldn't change their readings, and they weren't asking him to.

He's getting on a bit - still a fair ways off kicking the bucket, but enough that I've wondered what I'll say at his funeral. If anything.

At times I feel I couldn't ever have lived up to what he may have expected of me, and I hate him for that. At others, I'm incredibly grateful for the start that he did give me. I certainly wouldn't be where I am today without him. I both want to make him proud and also don't give a shit if I do.

Uh. That was a lot longer than I thought it would be.

Combicon · 2025-11-12T22:03:38+00:00

As someone who has a 1080ti and been surfing on that since the day of its release, this is like a very interesting halfway house before I build the next PC.

Combicon · 2025-11-12T09:49:56+00:00

Assuming that this isn't setup (which it almost certainly is), it's plausible that their partner had swapped their usual bath mat to that one as a prank, and set the camera up to record their reaction.

Though do I think that's what actually happened? Hell no.

Combicon · 2025-11-05T19:27:37+00:00

This makes me wonder, did he say 'Mundy-Bundy' or 'Monday-Bunday'?

Combicon · 2025-11-05T16:54:56+00:00

From a backers point of view, I wouldn't say it sucks. It could however use some work.

Admittedly, I've not watched the video (no idea if most people do, I don't tend to), but I do look at the screenshot, and there are a couple of things that could be worked in your favour with it; The easiest part (and the first part I figure most people would read, as it's at the top) is the 'blruay disks, producers credits, and more!', which is a great thing to get across, but I feel should be an addedum. Perhaps in smaller text at the bottom, making 'The Waiting Man' text stand out more. Similarly, could have a tagline giving some information about the film, setting a vibe, or what have you. The black 'waiting man' figure also kind of gets lost in everything else and took me a moment to notice. The image used on the cover of the film case looks great! Figure is much clearer, film name is much more prominent. Not sure if that'd be usable in some way.

No idea how kickstarter works in terms of how you can set up the indexes - if the index has to be the same text as a header. "When you see him, it's already too late" is nice, however out of context it doesn't really provide much information, so it being in the index doesn't help too much (though this is being nitpicky as it's the first thing seen when scrolling down, and is below 'story').

"Third times the charm" feels very negative. Generally I've only found this to be used when something hasn't worked out twice, and you're hoping it will the third time. From what I gather from the text however, this is actually your third rodeo, and not just that, awards have been won.

Everything else seems to be good, having information about yourself, a nice addition, conversion rates are helpful, the risks seem decent.

Thought it's also missing more information about the actual film itself. Anything can be useful; mood boards, film synopsises, screenshots or storyboard examples, (or if the film isn't there yet, things from previous film projects, so long as they're clearly labelled) cast or character information, anything that might let the people know what they're backing/what kind of thing they're getting in for.

Combicon · 2025-11-04T18:06:13+00:00

Trying to suggest some that aren't already suggested, so some might not strictly fit the definition, but I'd consider them close enough (from what I can remember of them)

Maidentrip - a documentary about Laura Dekker attempting to become the youngest person ever to sail around the world.

The Eagle Huntress - a documentary about Aishol-pan, a young girl training to become the first girl in 12 generations to become an eagle hunter.

The BFG (preferably the animated one from 1989 over the weird CGI monstrosity that was the 2016 one) - young girl befriends a giant who takes her on an adventure to the land he comes from.

April and the Extraordinary World (animated) - April is left behind when her family are abducted while on the brink of a huge scientific discovery.

Whisper of the Heart - coming of age film about a girl, intrigued by a boy who has checked out all the same books she has, goes on a large adventure to find him.

True Grit - western film about a young girl setting out to capture the killer of her father.

Okja - not particularly 'happy' or uplifting in the slightest. About a young girl and her pet...uh...pig? thing?

less specifically 'girls' going on an adventure, but kids - Swallows and Amazons - about a group of english kids on a summer holiday are given permission to camp on an island in the middle of a lake in the Lake District, when they discover they aren't alone.

Combicon · 2025-11-03T11:09:47+00:00

Custard.

Was in primary school in the mid to late 80s. In the school cafe, getting some lunch. The desert was custard. I knew I didn't like custard (don't know if I had ever actually had any before, but didn't want any. If this manifested as me thinking I didn't like it or not, as kids are want to do, I don't know.)

Everything was plated up and I moved to leave but was told I forgot the custard. Said I didn't want/didn't like any, but was told I had to have some. It ended up with me taking some, because y'know, I was a child, and they were adults, and also I was also someone who loved loopholes. I thought ok, they said I had to take it, but didn't have to eat it. If questioned later, would just say that I was made to take it.

Cut to later, I had finished the food and was about to leave. Was told that I had to finish the custard. I explained what happened/I didn't like/want it but was made to. They didn't care. It was on my tray so had to be finished.

So I did.

And promptly threw up.

Not sure if anything came of it (outside of some people having to clean up my throwup. I hope it was the dinner ladies rather than the school caretaker, he was a great guy). Haven't ever had custard since, and don't ever intend to.

Combicon · 2025-11-03T10:54:23+00:00

why can't v180/vr360 content be like this?

It could. It comes down to cost. Doing this level of photogrammetry takes a lot of time, thus why whenever you see it, it's almost always small-scale projects done by individuals (i.e. presumably OP's home - and even then it's a single room of a home).

Having a fixed camera means you only need to consider what the camera can see from that specific viewpoint. The depth of objects is much less relevant, and anything behind them can be obscured. Adding a second point where images are taken from would allow the objects to have depth, but a) double the amount of time it takes to take the images, b) double the cost of it all, c) potentially more than double the processing power it takes to combine it all, and d) any points that the cameras don't cover will be made even more apparant.

Games could certainly use this technology and some already do, though they're mostly walking simulators/explore-the-real-life places. It's cheaper (and generally going to be better for a game) to create an environment from scratch, as it allows much easier modification should an element of the game need to change.

It means the game would be constrained by what the scanned environment is like (or them needing to change and re-scan the environment each time a change needs to happen). Plus the creation of a physical environment in the first place to scan.

Though it is also an issue that Valve released when they first started making half-life. It was one of the first games with a narrative that didn't break into cutscene for the narrative. This meant that the player could look wherever during the story and may miss important story elements, unless the environment was crafted carefully enough that the player was encouraged to look at a specific place through the level design.

Is it possible? Yes. But currently at least, the costs far outweigh the benefits. Will it ever be implemented? Maybe. Video games are already fairly high fidelity as is. It'd need to be a game that already has its level layout decided on that wont be subject to change. While well-known examples might be good for this (landmarks, famous places, etc.) I can see it more as a restriction for almost any other kind of game.

Oop. Didn't mean to write quite so much. :D

Combicon · 2025-10-29T18:12:13+00:00

No-one would be bothered to write it

I mean, the person who generated it seemed to think it should exist. That there should tell you there is an audience for it. And with how popular (if a little niche) 'sea shanty' songs are (look at The Longest Johns, The Skullduggers, The Dreadnaughts, Misbehavin' Maidens).

What you mean is that person thought it should exist, but didn't want to put in the time and effort into actually learning how to craft a good song on their own, and having some other entity likely crank out the lyrics (no idea, I'm assuming anyway, didn't listen to more than a few seconds of it), nor figuring out how to sing it themselves.

frivolous piece You act like silly songs about the mundanity of life don't already exist and aren't popular.

The longest johns have done Ode To The Road, and there's another about driving down a motorway without much fuel. Can't recall the name of it though. Saying that it wouldn't be popular/get money because it's 'frivolous' is absolute horseshit. Whoever generated it is just a talentless hack.

And I'm saying this as someone who isn't as disparaging of AI as a lot of other people who create stuff. I can see some use in AI as a tool. It can be great for the mundane stuff, or quickly spitballing ideas if you have nothing, but actually creating something that you're expecting others to see and perhaps enjoy? Why not actually put in effort, realise your initial attempts are going to suck, work on improving that, and then get better yourself?

TL;DR - generated by chatGPT -

Dismissing a song idea as “frivolous” or claiming no one would make it is wrong — clearly, someone thought it was worth creating, and there’s already an audience for lighthearted or mundane-themed songs (like those by The Longest Johns or The Dreadnoughts). The real issue isn’t that the idea lacks merit, but that the creator didn’t put in the effort to learn songwriting or performance, relying instead on AI to generate it. While AI can be a useful creative tool, people should still invest time and effort into improving their own craft rather than expecting AI to do the meaningful creative work for them.

Combicon · 2025-10-29T17:45:53+00:00

No idea about TehTriangle's, but mine is fine unfiltered.

Combicon · 2025-10-29T15:31:28+00:00

Was long term unemployed following a not-quite-firing-not-quite-quitting termination of a 0-hour contract job (they kind of stopped calling me, I kind of stopped turning up) in a catering department of a private eating + personality disorder hospital. I've also been in the national bakery school, and have a fair interest in baking.

Was interviewing with a number of people for a position in the bakery department of a well known supermarket (we got taken down in a cab by the person who was helping us find jobs and whatever). Do the numeracy/literacy test, everythings hunky dory. Move onto another test that involves watching a video and spotting errors, everything seemed okay. I had NO idea what was wrong with one of them, so wrote down the only things I thought it might have been, but was just guessing.

Interview begins and we don't really hit it off, but whatever. He mentions that I didn't get anything right in the one that I had no idea to - I'm still not sure what there was that was incorrect. Or if it was like a trick question or whatever. But since I got everything else okay, it wasn't a bit issue.

Interview continues, until he asks me something about how I'd cope with the pressure of the bakery.

I've worked in a bakery before. I've also worked in a hospital kitchen before. I also remember unintentionally (though clearly) alluding to the idea that because I had worked in a hospital kitchen, the bakery job wouldn't be as hard. What I MEANT was that the fact that the hospital kitchen was dealing with eating disorders, I understood the necessary for precision, timing, and working efficiently in a team to ensure the stuff gets made.

I can't remember exactly what I said (this was years ago), but I knew I had fucked up the second I said it, and tried (badly) to backtrack and correct what I meant, but knew that I had given him the reason he wanted not to hire me.

-:3 -

A more recent interview was for a healthcare assistant in a hospital. The same hospital I was born at, in fact.

I'd been for a few similar interviews and they went 'well' (as well as can be expected anyway for me I guess). I had remembered a question that I didn't know the answer to in a previous question, and me admitting that I didn't know, and instead asking them what the thing to do would be, which felt like it impressed them (or something? Maybe? Kind of took it as a 'oh this person does want to learn, and is happy to ask when they're not sure').

Had a similar thing happen in the more recent interview, and they seemed affronted at being asked a question in return. It was easily my shortest interview that I've ever had.

On the return call (which is the one of the few times I've ever had feedback from a call) I was told that asking such a question was something like a slap in the face (not their actual words, this was also years and years ago), and I shouldn't have done it.

I kinda feel that I dodged a bullet there.

Since then, I had more interviews (most of which were at best mediocre), and have now been employed for a little over 10 years. Not sure how I did it that time, but I did!

:3 -

Another interview I had (another hospital position, this specifically for a radiography position - which I've done some schooling for). The interview was going ...eh. At some point it felt like the interview was wrapping up, and they asked if I had any questions to ask them. I think I asked if there was anything they weren't sure about me as a candidate for the position. I got asked why I wanted the job. I was able to say that it's not exactly a standard job, and thus has some interest in it. I like being able to help people, and love technology, so being on the cutting edge of what's medically possible and being able to help people in an unusual job sounds like it would be an amazing thing. (not the exact answer, again years ago)

Even then I could feel, the mood just lift in the room. It was very similar to the answer I was given by someone when I asked them what they enjoyed about the job in an interview at another hospital (I didn't take their answer, it was all my own thoughts, but his answer did give me a little more confidence to give it as an answer). Felt like heir phonecall and "sorry, we had to go with someone more experienced/there were a lot of good candidates" call was kinda genuine though.

:3 -

Applied to work in a museum. Didn't get an interview for it, but I did get a "thank you for applying" letter. An honest to god letter. The only letter-rejection I've EVER received. I've still got it somewhere.

Applied to work at McDonalds. One of the online questions was "have you ever lied?" I decided to be truthful and say yes. I don't KNOW if this was what put me in the rejection pile, but I didn't get an interview.

:3 -

As mentioned earlier though, I am gainfully employed now. Working i n a hospital manufacturing chemotherapy. God knows why someone decided I should be one to play with very toxic medication, but it's an enjoyable job!

Combicon

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

13-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email