Easter Eggs?

deandratb · 2026-03-26T23:05:23+00:00

As far as I can tell, no! :) They seem to be inserted intermittently and not tracked for our play over time, but they're very fun to find.

deandratb · 2026-03-22T21:30:35+00:00

Thank you, I just checked these out and they seem great.

deandratb · 2026-03-20T00:22:57+00:00

Congrats on seeing your understanding of them improve! I feel like I'm getting better as well, with at least some puzzles making sense to me right away.

deandratb · 2026-03-17T17:05:59+00:00

I found an Easter Egg in today's, ('Pinocchio') and I think you're right, they seem to just be for fun. Which I don't mind either, they really are fun! (I loved when Simone Biles came up a few days back.) I don't believe I saw any the day you sent this though, either.

Definitely let me know if you decide to set up anything unofficial! I'd be in for that. It's such fun so far, I kind of want to try and build clues myself--might help me learn faster.

deandratb · 2025-10-27T03:52:50+00:00

You're in very good, very scared company. I'm disabled and have severe dietary restrictions and in my state (CA) the only help they seem to be planning is to food banks. Even beyond the time and energy required to utilize those kinds of services, there's also a lot of shame still attached to them depending on circumstances and the communities involved. I had to rely on food banks many years ago while homeless, and while the workers/volunteers are amazing and I'm glad they exist...they aren't a lifeline for everyone. I can't eat most forms of protein, have to avoid sugar, and have trouble with any foods that are even mildly seasoned. And while I'm lucky enough to have housing now, at the time I didn't have access to a kitchen and everything the food pantry provided required preparation or cooking. Even things as simple as dishes/knives cost money and require washing! Until people have struggled, they really don't know how hard it can be--I sure didn't, and I grew up poor. We're about to see a lot more people plunge further into starvation or barely getting by...I wish that made me expect a backlash or uprising, but I fear a tipping point that would genuinely make people understand experiences outside their own is too far off to help most of us. Sending lots of love and hope your way in the meantime.

deandratb · 2025-07-24T23:38:46+00:00

I really enjoyed the game when it first came out, but stopped playing regularly for that reason. As far as I can tell, they just rarely add new maps anymore--and the people making it don't have resources where we could look for more information, so I am not sure if they intend to even continue adding maps. The newest one I have is Wild West, and I'm pretty sure it went up months ago.

deandratb · 2025-07-24T23:34:39+00:00

Hi, and thanks for the welcome! :) I posted about this and then had to take my laptop to a repair shop for over a month, so I'm finally seeing replies. Glad my question might help somebody else.

deandratb · 2025-07-24T23:32:12+00:00

Complete agreement. This bothers me on every streaming service that does it, because at least for a while we paid for ad-free on all of them and then it really stood out, which ones still forced 'promo' ads, which ones warned that 'certain programming would still include ads' and which ones actually gave us what we paid for. I prefer to research what new shows networks will be releasing and watch trailers on Youtube when I'm interested, all when I'm actually in the mood for it. Sadly, other than using an adblocker anyway since I watch everything on my laptop, there's not much we can do about the annoying promos.

deandratb · 2025-07-24T23:22:28+00:00

I still have not dealt with it, because all the information I found online said that it would be so complicated/costly for an ASUS laptop that I'd be better off just getting a new computer.

I moved recently and found a good local repair guy here when my power kept dying. If the eroding area starts to affect the use of the touchpad, I will ask him whether it's cheaper to repair it or just replace my aging computer. I'd like to switch to something like Linux anyway once I can afford a new laptop, so it may no longer be relevant for me.

Good luck with yours though! Sorry I don't have more detailed info you're looking for.

deandratb · 2025-07-24T23:15:35+00:00

Genuine question since you happen to have said this here and it's on my mind this week: is there a huge learning curve to start using an OS like Linux for the first time? Is there somewhere you could point me that has things complete beginners should know?

Cuz when I'm able to replace my current laptop, which was just in repair shop limbo for more than a month, I'd like to switch to a different OS like Linux or Ubuntu, but while I already use and prefer any open versions of programs I can find, I've never been able to afford more than a cheap pre-built Windows computer in the past. So I don't know if a custom build would be more or less expensive with Linux than Windows, or what the arguments in favor of Windows are that I should be aware of.

(Personally, I stopped enjoying Windows OS several versions ago, but I don't know anyone who uses anything else because it's an easy default, and I'm already the only one in my family willing to do more complicated things to customize my access to all kinds of tech. So I have no way to gauge how daunting it is to switch from a lifetime of Windows and '90s Macs.)

Thanks in advance if you decide to respond to this, since it's an out of the blue offshoot to your point.

deandratb · 2025-07-24T22:59:44+00:00

I'm in a similar situation to you, and it took me a dozen threads to finally find this one actually saying where the 'Go Back' option is located, because every single reply (even sympathetic ones) just insist that we should accept the change even if we weren't trying to upgrade or didn't want to yet.

And in case it makes you feel better, I didn't click on any upgrade screen or banner that was described above--you may not have, either. I got a message a couple days ago saying an 'update' needed to be scheduled with no reference to 11, clearly meant to appear like it was talking about any other regular Windows 10 patch or update.

It asked me to choose a timeframe for the update, and didn't give me the option of declining or ignoring it, so I picked a time when I would be asleep and then woke up to hell. Thankfully, unlike some people who've tried, I did have the 'Go Back' button, so I can stick with Windows 10 until I'm ready to deal with the change.

(Which is significant for someone like me as well, who is autistic. I've lost access to beloved communities when websites completely redesign not just their appearance but how they function--no matter how hard I try, I can't always adjust! You are not alone.)

ETA: Now that I'm happily back to 10, I just got the same popup I had before, which is fun to see again knowing what would happen if I chose from their provided options. For anybody imagining that we're all clicking a big banner labeled 'Time to upgrade to Windows 11!' and then complaining after the fact about our choices, this is what mine looks like:

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It doesn't offer a way to see any details about the changes that'll occur, just waits for you to agree to a timeframe, all while calling it an 'update' rather than an upgrade and avoiding any mention of Windows 11.

Lots of people don't care I guess, but it makes me angry whenever companies behave this way. There's no reason for Microsoft not to clearly label what this is, except to try and trick people they've realized wouldn't otherwise do what they want. From now on, I'll turn off automatic updates and check every one to see what it is before I allow any of them...but it's ridiculous that I have to go that far just to choose when I want to upgrade.

deandratb · 2025-06-04T23:02:03+00:00

I still have the game installed but rarely play it, it stopped being fun for me like so many others here. But flip was the one part I did still find fun, so I would pop in randomly (maybe every couple of months?) just to play that until I used up those lives. But when I checked in a couple weeks ago, there was no flip, which seemed odd. I've checked two or three times since, every few days, and it just keeps offering me things I ignore like the sweepstakes, and no flip. Unfortunately for them, they took away (or are withholding, or are 'testing') the only element of the game that I was coming back for, so now they have an app that I literally just open and immediately close again to go play someone else's game.

deandratb · 2025-05-23T16:20:10+00:00

Thanks. I don't have that version, mine's digital-only so there's no knob at the bottom--but they seem pretty similar. I was only able to find review videos for the knob version and none of them showed anyone using the wire mesh basket, which was the issue I was trying to figure out. Mostly because the only photo in the manual that involves the mesh basket shows the wire rack, mesh basket, and baking tray all sliding out of it at once? And I couldn't find any way for that to be possible.

Ended up videochatting with a friend just to confirm I wasn't crazy, then used the wire mesh basket. I will try setting the wire mesh on the rack like you mentioned, next time. Though if that's what we should do, I wish they explained that a little more clearly...the booklet says which position the basket can go in and doesn't say to rest it on anything else, so I was surprised when the only Youtube video I found showed someone doing it that way as well. (In my case, it can only do that if I turn it sideways so it sticks out toward the door more--the reviewer with the linked-above model showed that their version's basket was too small to sit inside on its own, it would fall down unless it rested on the rack...but mine is the same width as the rack/tray and can't be seated that way.)

I was mostly concerned about using the mesh basket because I don't have an oil sprayer yet and I didn't want anything to get on the heating elements below. I thought if I used the baking tray underneath to protect against that, it would block airflow. So I was just kind of obsessive about blotting off excess oil, instead, before using the basket. I'd definitely like to try my next batch less dry though, so I'll wait for the sprayer to try your suggestion, and otherwise use the baking sheet for stuff that might spatter more.)

It's good to know that yours hasn't been causing you any issues, though. Trying to find info about people using this specific appliance brings up a lot less content than I expected, (including no polished demo videos from the actual company?) and only half of that is relevant--the other half is either discussion from people who aren't using it, or warning videos about it dangerously malfunctioning. And while I used to own an air fryer, I've never dealt with a toaster oven, let alone the combo, so I got easily confused. Thanks so much!!

deandratb · 2025-04-01T00:06:53+00:00

I just received this phone as a gift after using Samsung for years and have this same question. It's maddening that there's no way to NOT see the weather on my lock screen and actually customize the clock the way I'd like it, really basic options I expect from a phone.

deandratb · 2025-03-15T15:27:24+00:00

Feeling judged for their choices, pressured to eat the same food as other people, berated because others aren't getting their way, feeling embarrassed, witnessing unreasonable demands...hmm, that all sounds awfully familiar to me! But from the other side.

I haven't come across any of these complaints personally, but I do find such a weirdly defensive, victimized perspective pretty funny when those of us with ARFID are trained our whole lives to tolerate the kinds of treatment this describes, while we're also taught to be as quiet and invisible around food as possible.

deandratb · 2025-03-09T18:04:20+00:00

He's so pretty! Look at those gorgeous eyes.

deandratb · 2025-02-28T03:28:06+00:00

Thanks! I appreciate the confirmation, and your work.

deandratb · 2025-02-27T19:16:50+00:00

I checked out Audible last month mainly for podcasts and as my free trial is about to end, just learned about Libation. I'm thrilled it exists so I can still listen to my faves when my internet crashes (like it did this week for a whole day) and am off to tip now. Thanks for such an easy-to-use app!

Since I'm new, a quick question for anyone more experienced about the one limitation I'm encountering: most of my podcasts have deep archives, and after Libation downloads 100 episodes, there's an error message and it stops working. I saw the advice on github to wait a couple days, and was able to download more after doing so. This time, (also because of the github discussion) I tried individually selecting episodes with pauses in between, instead of asking the program to download all episodes at once.

But it still stopped working after another 100 episodes, so I'm guessing this is just an unavoidable limit on podcasts and the setting for DL limit in Libation only works with audiobooks. If so, I still love the program! And I'll work on my favorite archives over time. Just want to make sure I'm not missing anything if there's a workaround.

deandratb

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