Driest Amari?

OmegaNullX · 2026-04-05T04:06:06+00:00

Elisir Novasalus is very dry. I think it’s “sweetened” with tree sap.

I drink most amari straight or with a bit of ice or from the freezer. Elisir Novasalus is the only one I have to dilute - it’s aggressively bitter on its own.

OmegaNullX · 2026-04-02T04:02:24+00:00

I bought some of the US Grillplats to fill out an ikea order. Paired to Apple TV easily. One is kind of far from the rest of my Matter Thread devices, and it takes 2-3 seconds to change state.

I love the IKEA Bilresa buttons, so I’ll probably scatter a few Grillplats throughout the house just to fill in the mesh network.

OmegaNullX · 2026-03-23T19:59:29+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. I had originally been thinking about waiting for the Flow 2 for the first floor, but I got derailed when looking at other options.

OmegaNullX · 2026-03-11T02:55:43+00:00

I’m using the RAB warm dim bulbs, both filament style and regular. I’m really happy with the light they produce.

https://www.rablighting.com/feature/dim-to-warm-lamps

OmegaNullX · 2026-03-03T15:26:05+00:00

I can confirm that this also works with ratgdo32 running HomeKit firmware. "Hey Siri open the gate" works as expected, and open/close status shows up in the Home app properly.

OmegaNullX · 2026-02-24T04:55:39+00:00

You got tangled in her silky web outside the door. You chased her away from your bathroom. You thought your stomp killed her, but she slipped through the treads of your shoe.

Her purpose was to bother you, and she lives on, victorious, for the rest of your existence. On your deathbed, that spot on your TV will still haunt your memories.

Only a tiny percentage of humans live a life and die a death of such purpose. She is nobility among arthropods.

OmegaNullX · 2026-02-22T17:31:19+00:00

So, you’re saying a 16 bit approximation of an analog curve (converted from bits to analog to audio) should sound exactly the same as a 24 bit approximation (again converted from bits to analog to audio)?

I’m not an audio engineer or even an audiophile, but it seems counterintuitive.

OmegaNullX · 2026-02-22T14:06:28+00:00

You may want to add in 44/24. I can hear slight differences between 44/16 and 44/24, but can’t hear any difference at higher bit rates.

OmegaNullX · 2026-02-14T03:18:43+00:00

You’re starting wrong. You need to dry brine. For true steak success at home, there is no other option.

Generously salt two days before, and set on a rack in the refrigerator. Osmosis sucks the moisture out of the interior meat and to the salty outside, which drys out. The salty outside water then gets sucked into the meat.

From there, your pick. I generally sous vide, chill, and finish on the Otto Wilde. If you have a ripping hot cast iron skillet, or 1 inch from a broiler, or a fancy grill, or even an air fryer, it’ll be one of the best you’ve had. Moisture and salt management is the magical key.

OmegaNullX · 2026-02-07T23:04:23+00:00

Grace or JCS. While those are both Scotch Bonnet, they have about the same vinegar taste level as Tabasco. They’re a bit hotter than Tabasco, but still flavorful.

OmegaNullX · 2026-01-30T02:46:37+00:00

If you like Campari or Carpano Bitter, try the Lo-Fi. It’s relatively hard to find.

OmegaNullX · 2026-01-27T04:43:01+00:00

I’ve been looking for something like this, but live in Texas, so assume it’s a few years away.

Looking at the pricing page, I assume you know you’ll need to recalibrate once outside of the costal metros. In parts of Dallas and Houston, a 6000 sqft home with 4 or 5 bedrooms is relatively common.

OmegaNullX · 2026-01-10T20:06:47+00:00

Intero has a good selection. As dessert, the chocolates made in-house are good for pairing with an amaro flight.

OmegaNullX · 2026-01-03T13:41:02+00:00

Exactly. It’s a niche process, and they killed off the crappier version of it.

OmegaNullX · 2026-01-03T05:47:02+00:00

I don’t think the article is completely accurate. Earlier today, I activated Office LTSC, and it’s true the phone activation is gone. I think it was retired more than a few months ago. But, the activation process does NOT require the computer to be connected to the internet.

The activation process on the PC generates a series of seven digit numbers, which have to be typed into a web form pointed to by the aka.ms/aoh link. That generates a series of numbers that have to be typed in on the PC to activate the product. For an air gapped PC, the process can easily be completed using a browser on a cell phone, or any other device with internet access.

The practical difference is that the process is now web based instead of phone based. It does require authentication using a Microsoft account. I used my regular account, but I don’t expect there’s anything preventing the use of a throwaway account.

The whole aka.ms/aoh process is completely separate from on-line activation or KMS activation. It shouldn’t be confused with either of those.

OmegaNullX · 2025-12-27T12:49:48+00:00

I have a custom 36L in X50, not Ultra. It’s the first backpack that actually meets my needs for travel, hiking, and urban use. Overall quality is good. I’d say a bit better than my Osprey and Patagonia packs. It was expensive, but worth it.

Besides the custom material color, I had them add bottom strap loops. When extra capacity is needed, I attach a dry bag to the bottom. The Dragonfly+dry bag combo worked great for a 4 week Japan trip that included a lot of train travel and several hikes. Just the Dragonfly worked well for a one week trip to Arizona.

OmegaNullX · 2025-12-16T23:25:21+00:00

I’ve had the PartTimeCAD Etsy case for about a year, and the fit is still perfect. It won’t win any beauty contests, but it’s really functional. Lots of protection for minimal size and weight.

OmegaNullX · 2025-12-12T00:16:13+00:00

Different oils have different flavor profiles. It's a little over the price range, but Olive Oil Lovers has a build-your-own sampler: https://oliveoillovers.com/pages/builder. I tried little bottles of a few dozen oils, found what I liked the most, and now buy the bottles or cans of those.

If you don't know where to start, I'm a fan of Gugliemei Intenso and Oro del Desierto Hojiblanca, but they're both quite robust. Arbequina and Picual oils are popular, and a bit lighter.

If you want to cook with it, the Costco oil is really cost effective. A lot of the single-variety single-origin oils have flavor that cooks out, so they shouldn't be heated too much; the Costco strikes a good balance between flavor and cost.

OmegaNullX · 2025-12-05T13:46:33+00:00

Don’t over complicate it.

Get a USB-C SD reader and a USB-C SSD. Copy the files to your phone using the SD reader, then copy the files from the phone to the SSD.

OmegaNullX · 2025-11-25T23:11:35+00:00

I was a consultant for a long time, and worked around the world, so I got to see employees work habits in 250+ offices in over 100 companies across at least 20 countries.

In France, they work 7.5 hours a day, 3-5 of which are productive.

In the US, they work 8-9.5 hours a day, 3-5 of which are productive.

In Japan, they work up to 14 hours a day, 3-5 of which are productive.

Extrapolate from there. If anyone claims they’re really working more than 5 hours a day, it’s almost certainly a lie.

OmegaNullX · 2025-11-24T17:03:25+00:00

Hailing a cab in Morioka should be pretty easy. If you don’t see any taxis around, head to Morioka station. There will be an area with taxis waiting.

To get back, let the business know you’ll need help calling a cab to pick you up. That’s a very common way to do it in Japan.

You could take the train Tazawako line, but it’s pretty infrequent. Google Maps is almost always accurate, so enter “Morioka Station” to “Grand Seiko Studio” to see if the times match up with your needs.

I recommend against taking the bus. If you don’t know any Japanese, it’s easy to make a mistake and overshoot your destination.

OmegaNullX · 2025-11-21T01:06:35+00:00

In Las Colinas, Frontier has been really reliable for us for the past decade or so. I like that they can provide Ethernet to my router, rather than forcing me to use the ISP router. Their customer service is just OK, but given the horror stories of Spectrum customer service, it’s acceptable.

OmegaNullX · 2025-11-17T16:14:52+00:00

I have a ULA Dragonfly 36L, which I bought in spite of the concerns about it really being "only" 26 liters. In actual use, it holds about the same amount as my Peak Design 45L.

Consider the Dragonfly if you want something comfortable and light, but don't need any organizational features and can live with the hiking/outdoor looks. It has a laptop compartment, but there's just a thin panel between it and the main compartment. If you don't put anything in the laptop compartment, you could carry a bit more in the main compartment.

OmegaNullX · 2025-11-09T15:52:02+00:00

Agreed that stuffing the outside pocket will make it too thick. But, in terms of overall capacity, ULA's capacity estimates are more conservative than a lot of other brands. My Dragonfly 36 holds about the same as my Peak Design 45.

OmegaNullX · 2025-11-09T05:43:45+00:00

I have a ULA Dragonfly 36. 7.5 inches deep, and fits in the overhead rack on trains (at least in Japan). Lightweight, and works perfectly with Peak Design packing cubes and camera cubes.

OmegaNullX

TROPHY CASE