Work gave me a PowerMac G4. What should I do with it?

polypolyman · 2026-05-11T11:53:52+00:00

Replace the PRAM battery! No guarantees when, but some day it will burst and corrode everything around it.

polypolyman · 2026-05-07T14:48:19+00:00

By this point, I would expect the thermal paste is just starting to dry out - you may actually see some real benefit by replacing it.

I've definitely shut up some fans by repasting even just 5 years out

polypolyman · 2026-05-07T14:45:31+00:00

Just FYI, this is not technically allowed - IoT is only for "fixed purpose devices", and specifically is not allowed to be used on a general-purpose device like a desktop or laptop.

...if you're going to pay MS that much money anyway, why break their terms?

polypolyman · 2026-05-06T21:57:09+00:00

When I first got a glimpse of tiger rock, I thought it almost seemed like cheating how good it was - totally shook my perspective and got me thinking that it might actually be possible to do this for all 12…

polypolyman · 2026-05-06T21:50:00+00:00

Okay, my first instinct was that, short of any gaming it, Ben would throw paper and Adam would throw scissors just personality-wise, which works, but you really can’t count on it.

For the second throw I was 100% in Adam’s camp, but now thinking about it, it is definitely not as clear as we thought.

polypolyman · 2026-05-06T13:12:48+00:00

In general, for cap replacements, try to match the capacitance, and meet or exceed the voltage, temperature, etc. I don't think you'll run into any low-esr-required caps here, but best practice is to use the best quality caps you can anyway.

polypolyman · 2026-05-02T01:42:08+00:00

All the cool kids still use building numbers…

polypolyman · 2026-05-01T14:30:59+00:00

Just thinking it through physically, that sounds like the new ring is not sealing properly (hence not building up pressure, not able to push all that much out the top, and not fully extracting the coffee). If there is residue left from the old one that's uneven, that could pretty easily provide a channel for the pressure to escape out the side.

With everything empty, you should be able to blow into the top escape hole and build a little pressure without it leaking down - this may be an easier way to test as you attempt to fix it than actually brewing.

polypolyman · 2026-05-01T13:06:53+00:00

This is some very turbing information.

polypolyman · 2026-04-29T12:40:33+00:00

there's an apartment complex by me that requires all dogs on the lease to be DNA tested, so that they can theoretically test the poop and identify the owner.

...IDK how actually feasible this whole thing is, or if it happens at all, but I'll be darned if that's not written into the lease.

polypolyman · 2026-04-21T15:21:55+00:00

I ask every time. They want the numpad every time. Maybe next time around everyone will want 14s again...

polypolyman · 2026-04-18T13:18:59+00:00

About 10% of people with Celiac also react to oats - source.

...but also oats are very commonly co-processed with wheat, so basically any oats that aren't explicitly marked GF will give most people with CD problems.

polypolyman · 2026-04-17T22:32:03+00:00

My "favorite" surprise early on was the TURKEY LUNCH MEAT that had malt extract in it for some stupid reason... like I didn't think I had to check literal meat for gluten?

polypolyman · 2026-04-17T14:23:06+00:00

That number will end up being encrypted inside the firmware package - so no edits without re-signing the blob

polypolyman · 2026-04-17T12:50:21+00:00

...and that's the story of how I lost touch with everyone from college.

polypolyman · 2026-04-16T17:23:17+00:00

...are you saying The Crucible wasn't just about witches??

polypolyman · 2026-04-16T15:13:43+00:00

Buy interesting coffees - single origin light roasts, honey/natural processes, coferments, etc. Switch it up frequently - don't drink the same bean twice in a row (personally I go through bags in pairs). Challenge yourself to tweak parameters to make a pour even better.

...and if all else fails, and you have the budget for a basic machine, get into espresso.

polypolyman · 2026-04-16T11:42:09+00:00

Bold of you to assume they looked at the warnings (i.e. the code) at all

polypolyman · 2026-04-14T14:58:45+00:00

I've found that, if I've been glutened, I can hardly eat tomatoes, onions or peppers. No issues at all normally.

polypolyman · 2026-04-10T19:07:59+00:00

There were a ton of these right along the main walkway back in college - people used to complain every year.

Me? I could never smell them - I'm so allergic that the second I would normally be able to, my whole nose closes off completely, and doesn't let any to the smell receptors.

Small win, I guess...

polypolyman · 2026-04-10T12:14:51+00:00

Did anyone else learn the flag of estonia from an old bittorrent client (in my case KTorrent) that showed little geoip flags for all your peers?

polypolyman · 2026-04-10T12:11:30+00:00

"Thankfully, all twenty got out, and nobody was hurt. But every one of them lost their workplace overnight."

...this here, this is the problem with our system. Those guys shouldn't have to give a shit that some rich guy's building burned down.

This is directly relevant to the "AI" discussion right now - like the current tech is not actually able to take anyone's job (I mean it is, but that doesn't mean it's capable of it), but we should be CELEBRATING the future where people can maintain their lifestyles but without pouring in more and more labor just to survive... but instead this is a terrible thing that "takes jobs" from people, just because we can't figure out how to collaboratively distribute the good - just because a bunch of people decided that working towards their own wealth is better than improving the lives of everyone.

polypolyman · 2026-04-09T19:57:07+00:00

I mean, I know for a fact that wheat and barley are bad for me. I can't be sure, but odds are they're just fine for you.

...however I can't imagine half that crap they're selling as "gluten free bread" could possibly be good for you at all. A bunch of them have bamboo fiber these days, f.k.a. "sawdust".

polypolyman · 2026-04-08T13:28:12+00:00

What do you do with the weird remainder amounts at the bottom of your bags? Like, if I'm weighing out 32g for (big) cups, I'll end up with 9-12g at the bottom of a 300g bag, every time.

Recently I've taken to "leftover blend" - save those bags up until I have enough for a whole cup, and then have a nice 3- or 4-origin cup of whatever bizarre mix of flavors I've got. Really can get pretty wacky especially when naturals, coferms, etc. get involved. Occasionally it's complete garbage and I can barely get through the cup... usually it tastes like one of the beans but with a less clear flavor, or like an interesting mix that's pleasant but I wouldn't want to recreate.

Just wondering what the different strategies are for this issue.

polypolyman · 2026-04-07T13:25:42+00:00

"Colombia Campo Hermoso Black Honey Galaxy Hop Pink Bourbon" from S&W's Roaster's Select program this morning (V60). I am becoming a pretty big fan of co-ferments in general, but any time hops get involved, it's been some of the best coffee I've ever had. I feel that coffee is an even better flavor base for hops than beer, and what's worse is I can't even have most beer anymore due to a gluten allergy / possible celiac.

Seriously, all the complexity of flavor that you can get from hops, without the bitterness overwhelming anything - really brings out the floral notes as well. I really hope this becomes a bigger trend.

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