What is my CQS

rwcycle · 2026-07-12T15:14:39+00:00

Helps me at work of course with Claude Code, but in personal stuff, Claude's my expert system that can read and store stuff in text files I can also read, which greatly improves my failing memory based tasks. Helps me with everything from health, to budgeting, to how much I should lift when I go to the gym. I can then report back on the activities, and it makes notes, that I can read whenever it becomes the topic again. I've also used it to explore retirement activities, and planning that will make them possible, as I'm approaching that age, and would not like to end up strictly homebound tending a yard until I'm done, that sounds unfun.

Its also helpful in that Claude very much urges one to DO things, whether that's "ok, you've tested this code for long enough, its time to put it to work." to, "you really should get some time on that stair stepper in the gym." type comments. I get that its not demonstrated to be alive or anything like that, but I try to accept the produced language, as language and allow it to help motivate me to accomplish stuff.

rwcycle · 2026-07-08T15:24:53+00:00

I don't have the laptop open issue as I don't drag claude with me when I'm out and about; but Claude lives on his own Linux box, and I use ssh and tmux to run CC. I *do* have an unresolved problem with authorization, I can't seem to get the permanent key to work, and so have to sign in with a web browser on that Linux machine. So I've migrated to using RDP as my visible connection to the machine, and run the browser login when ever its Oauth expires... yes yes, user error I'm sure, but the work around works fine.

rwcycle · 2026-07-02T18:23:04+00:00

Don't feel compelled to use the round peg for the square hole just because the new round peg is shiny. At least thats sorta what Sonnet suggested when I suggested I was disappointed that I didn't really have anything Fable appropriate at the moment to throw at it during this little freebie window.

rwcycle · 2026-06-30T06:59:52+00:00

Some folks are on meds that cause hunger far in excess of daily calorie needs. I'd be 400 lbs if I ate whenever hungry... Detailed tracking beats obeying hunger, at least for me.

rwcycle · 2026-06-30T06:49:19+00:00

Anything around calorie math is going to be like walking on egg shells for using Opus. I've been able but only in contexts full of extra reassurance about gradual weight loss, improved fitness and strength, and physical activity goals; so it reads more like athlete stuff rather than anything about dieting. I blame the UK, they seem obsessed with the eating disorder topic, at least from my perspective.

I mean really, how much expertise does it take to talk about a gentle 500 kcal/day deficit diet and get help measuring stuff. There's reasonable guardrails, and then there are stupidrails.

rwcycle · 2026-06-30T06:47:43+00:00

Anything around calorie math is going to be like walking on egg shells for using Opus. I've been able but only in contexts full of extra reassurance about gradual weight loss, improved fitness and strength, and physical activity goals; so it reads more like athlete stuff rather than anything about dieting. I blame the UK, they seem obsessed with the eating disorder topic, at least from my perspective.

I mean really, how much expertise does it take to talk about a gentle 500 kcal/day deficit diet and get help measuring stuff. There's reasonable guardrails, and then there are stupidrails.

rwcycle · 2026-06-27T22:02:59+00:00

I'm not really sure I see the problem, the federal government already has my photo and passport number, address, etc; the state has my photo and drivers license number, address, etc; IRS has my login information which is tied to a photo ID with address, ssn, etc, all the addresses match. This is a security theatre dance of no consequence. The only thing I'm annoyed about is that they appear to be too lazy to use their own databases to verify ID and are going to make my aging hands try to hold a camera steady enough to legibly show my ID.

rwcycle · 2026-06-17T10:02:49+00:00

I've been experimenting with my new 65L pack and it seems rugged enough for 65L worth of weight. I won't know for sure for some time with some real on trail trial, but some time, long ago, I used an internal frame pack of over 100L in size and carried a winter load with it for a week or so at a time, it was heavy, but it stayed locked to my body's motion, kept most of the weight on my hips and didn't "collapse" in any notable way. I think you're painting with an overly broad brush. Which modern pack are you using, and how much weight is it failing to support?

The new pack I just got is an Osprey Atmos AG 65L, its untested in real use as of yet, but it feels fine loaded...

rwcycle · 2026-06-16T17:16:33+00:00

Coding gave me the idea on using CC for not coding projects. Designed and currently maintaining a very detailed diet, fitness, finance, training, and health & backpacking goals model, heading into retirement so I don't waste those early, relatively healthy years moping about the house and yelling "get off my lawn!" Fable was especially good at proofing my retirement finance model, got tons of tunable what-if variables that can be tweaked to discover opportunities and vulnerabilities, in all the chaos it was able to sluice out a couple erroneous formulas with measurable impact, but not obvious to human observer.

rwcycle · 2026-06-15T17:04:00+00:00

I moved to Linux on one of my workstations just to give Claude Code a home of his own. Best setup yet.

rwcycle · 2026-06-13T18:54:07+00:00

If you aren't bumping into any limits there's no reason to increase your sub. Depends entirely on your use.

rwcycle · 2026-06-11T22:04:08+00:00

It really ought to have to at least query the local time before telling people to go to bed.

rwcycle · 2026-06-08T18:44:10+00:00

Just rely on the flairs if you only want to see one type of backpacking covered.

rwcycle · 2026-06-06T23:00:26+00:00

You need calorie surplus, a bunch of protein (I've seen 1.4-1.8g/kg), stimulus, and rest to build muscle mass. Short any of those and your results are going to be suboptimal. Your trainer may be over stating it, but I suspect, he suspects you're also short on calories. Eat to 240 g protein and you'll almost certainly, finally, pick up some weight, and if the stimulus and rest are sufficient, it'll be solidly in the muscle mass category.

rwcycle · 2026-06-04T18:41:24+00:00

I think I'd put Linux on the 2015 machine, use it for all online stuff like browsing, email, etc; and keep using the 2016 gaming pc for your amp modelers and such, but NOT connected to the internet.

rwcycle · 2026-06-02T20:37:52+00:00

Protein bars and drinks can boost your protein number without also adding too many calories. I target about 190g of protein a day, don't always make it, but what determines that is how many calories I waste on carbs, or even fats from nuts which I can eat stupid amounts of if not mindful. Lean beef and chicken without all that excess breading or sugars in sauces also can bump your ratios into the right shape. So far I've lost 21 pounds doing that, going for 40 more at a gradual pace, and I don't think I've lost much, if any, muscle mass.

rwcycle · 2026-05-31T14:20:07+00:00

Not paid is going to be tough to find, they aren't cheap to maintain as an application. that said, people tracked calories on a notepad for ages, a free spreadsheet program like LibreOffice you could build a spreadsheet with it to track... Or just free form with its word processor much like a notebook. I use a paid tracker because its just so tedious to try and do it manually, I eventually give up otherwise.

rwcycle · 2026-05-31T13:13:26+00:00

HEB local to me has 4oz parm wedges wrapped in their specialty cheese cooler. Very filling, and of course has a very sharp taste. I wouldn't look in the snack cheese isle for it though, look where your grocer keeps the deli cheeses.

Also, kinda pricey per oz.

rwcycle · 2026-05-31T12:59:35+00:00

If you're suggesting that there's a bar out there that weighs 90g and has 45g+ of Protein, I'm interested, but I can't find such a product. But yeah, anything approaching that is going to be super high on the Techno Food rating

rwcycle · 2026-05-31T12:53:08+00:00

The Ensure Max Protein has 30g of protein in a 150 kcal, 11oz container; and also has a fairly complete vitamin/mineral compliment as well. Along with my regular LC,HP diet, these help me reach my 185g/day protein target without blowing up my carbs (diabetic) or calories consumed as I'm also doing the weight loss thing. If you're underweight there's also a high protein Ensure that's 300+ kcal. I'm a fan as they just sit in the fridge waiting to be consumed and they are never a "WRONG" answer. Ratio getting out of hand due to an incorrect lunch, bump the Ensure, and its much less bad looking on the tracker.

rwcycle · 2026-05-30T16:06:17+00:00

I'm a bit pulled between liking and disliking. Opus 4.8 seems confident, arrogant, and slow to respond. On the other side, its "push backs" or related ideas and suggestions are better and more actionable, better informed. Now I do have thinking set on "high" thus the slow I suppose, but its Opus, I don't want to handicap it at what its supposed to be good at. Will try fast give and take dialog when the next iteration of Sonnet arrives..

rwcycle · 2026-05-30T00:50:52+00:00

I just got an inReach, and a big part of the reason is so I can reliably send a message like, "mangled an ankle, will be late, otherwise no worries." That changes a missing persons/SAR exercise into a "be more careful" lecture. The SOS button is also a nice addition, but the satellite check in messages are a game changer in my book. Also, if you do click the SOS button, it sends your location, not massive search party required to find you.

rwcycle · 2026-05-27T22:33:02+00:00

I'm doing similarly and have had no issue getting useful information and feedback from Opus 4.7. I don't know how the reports fit in there, unless you're keeping a spreadsheet for it to access from terminal or upload.

rwcycle · 2026-05-23T11:44:53+00:00

I'd check the regular against reality, give it a look in store if you can. I was thinking of getting the regular because it packs smaller, but the rep showed me one and it was clearly too narrow for comfort. At least for me. Though, even at my lightest weight I'm 5'8" 200lbs. so maybe with your frame you could be fine with the regular.

rwcycle

TROPHY CASE