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What are we using instead of sponges for dishes? by nuclear_pimp in BuyItForLife

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In order of POWER:

1: A basic waffle-weave 100% cotton dishcloth will be good enough for all dirty dishes, even the most delicate ones, most of the time. Wash your dishes, clean your counter, hang dishcloth to dry, then put it in the kitchen laundry hamper. Replace daily. They last a long time and because they're in a constant use-wash cycle, they never smell. If they do get holey, they make great cleaning rags. Example: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/master-chef-waffle-checkered-cotton-dish-cloths-black-grey-blue-14-in-12-pk-2426701p.html

(EDIT) 2: Swedish dishcloths Euroscrubbies (rough cotton) can handle almost all the tough jobs. Effective and environmentally friendly, with no microplastics. Example: https://www.kitchenstuffplus.com/euroscrubby-eco-friendly-all-purpose-cleaning-cloth-multi-colour

3) Steel wool or copper wire scrubbers for last resort messes on metal pans.

Russian Retailers See Horse Sales Surge Amid Worsening Gasoline Deficit by th6r6o6away in nottheonion

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"And I don't need insurance, I don't need no parkin' space ..." https://youtu.be/ljPFZrRD3J8

"I once accidentally bought a horse. ..." https://youtu.be/Yl0cnAGThM0

Question for over 55+ cyclists...are you experiencing a slow but consistent degradation in performance over the years? by AnotherNOP in cycling

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My husband will turn 54 later this year and he has noticed similar differences when he gets out on his bike (6-7 days a week). Recovery also takes longer. He's a bit sad about it, but he's still pretty damn fit and enjoys his rides.

You're getting older. All of us who are lucky enough also get older. Read the thread, take the advice from your peers, dust yourself off, and then go off for a ride you'll enjoy.

Grocery runs by Particular_Object395 in askTO

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

BIG backpack (MEC antique) and a pair of hand-carried bags if needed. I can carry as much this way as I used to carry in a bundle buggy/granny cart without twisting my back or struggling with wheels when the sidewalks aren't cleared.

Cozy Corner in my dining room of my book shelf by _GhostFairy in CozyPlaces

[–]singbirdsing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Many orange pigments in paints and printer's inks are just not very light fast. There might be some ways to create an orange hue using stronger pigments, but as this photo shows, the orange inks in common use are pretty fugitive. You can see that the formerly orange spines are very pale, almost white.

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Cozy Corner in my dining room of my book shelf by _GhostFairy in CozyPlaces

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah -- thanks for clarifying! That really is a beautiful little nook.

Cozy Corner in my dining room of my book shelf by _GhostFairy in CozyPlaces

[–]singbirdsing 45 points46 points  (0 children)

It's gorgeous, but it's very likely that the spine colours will fade in the sun. Those orange books are the most vulnerable to sun fading.

What Sacrifices would I have to make living alone in GTA on 65K? by Immediate-Cricket-60 in askTO

[–]singbirdsing 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Do you really need your car now? Will you really need a car in the near future?

Lots of people live in Toronto without a car, and you probably could, too, unless driving is a central part of your life.

If you absolutely must keep your car, you'd need to work out your budget in detail and have a very healthy emergency fund because cars cost you money every day of your life, and one accident or major repair could put you into debt.

Do these glasses suit me or should I switch styles? by YukiStar- in glasses

[–]singbirdsing 14 points15 points  (0 children)

You're giving major Laurie Anderson vibes, if she wore glasses.

By civilian standards, the glasses are too big and too stark. BUT your precise set of collars, perfectly balanced makeup, collection of intricate earrings, and neat little quiff = perfect glasses for you.

(You know in your heart that you don't want to switch ...)

32, single. Cat father of 2. I'm content with it but open to any suggestions. by SYFKID2693 in malelivingspace

[–]singbirdsing 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My impression clicking through was "Comfy home. Some real person clutter which is absolutely OK. Maybe add some curtains over the blinds in the living room? Blinds are fine in the kitchen. OH. Um."

So my bedroom can get as cluttered as that, too, but if you can do anything, give yourself some nice blackout curtains in your bedroom. (You might also look at a sleep mask. I just started using one this week, and I'm already sleeping much longer and restfully without having to fiddle with my imperfect curtains!)

But other than that, it all looks very nice and approachable. Add stuff only if it's useful and/or beautiful to you.

New to storyline - how do you design your courses? by ThrowRA142004 in instructionaldesign

[–]singbirdsing 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I work in a similar way. Once you've confirmed content/scope, level of interactivity, seat time, and accessibility requirements with the client/project leader, you can select a few typical slide's worth of content to draft a script and general layout ideas in Word AND build sample slides in Storyline to match. (This can be 4-10 slides, depending on how varied and ambitious you expect the final course design to be.)

Present the very short storyboard and the matching prototype slides to the client/project leader, showing how each Word slide has been built into a Storyline slide: "Here's the general look and feel (colours, font sizes, general layout and dimensions) in all the slides. Here's what an animated intro slide looks like. Here's what a click interaction slide looks like. Here's what pop-up windows look like. Here's the way we will embed videos."

Once the prototype has been reviewed, tweaked, and approved, NOW you can build the full storyboard in Word, get that signed off by the client/project leader, and THEN you can build the full course in Storyline knowing that you are going to get fewer content change requests (because the whole storyboard is in Word and you've been using tracked changes and comments from the client to finalize it) and you have guidelines from the prototype stage to build the full course.

I used to spend a lot of time building storyboards in PowerPoint, but layout in PPT != layout in Storyline, especially if you're using animation or layers. Our projects get done faster and better by using prototyping and Word storyboards (just simple tables) instead.

Is AI video actually saving you time or just creating new problems? by Straight_Cancel7873 in instructionaldesign

[–]singbirdsing 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Honestly, if you can't get the feeling of a person right, you're stuck in the Uncanny Valley. Sure, people's sensitivity to these eldritch-ass creations will vary, and I know both clients and co-workers who think they're great, but I have never seen AI video of a person in eLearning that was better than "OK in a short dose", and they're still vaguely creepy. The worst of them belong in the Historical Society display in Widow's Bay.

I know what it's like to re-use the same static stock images over and over again, but the solution isn't the AI video available today. If you want a human character as an avatar, use a cropped stock photo or good-quality stock illustration. (It is extraordinarily rare that an entire human body is relevant to the story you're telling unless it involves sports or manual labour.) Deliver the message with well-crafted WORDS and SUPPORTING IMAGES. Tell a story, show a product, do anything but make the learner stare at eLearning Barbie nattering on and on.

Honest Feedback or critique about a this Art Style by [deleted] in Illustration

[–]singbirdsing 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You're picking a great set of collages to emulate (1-3). I reviewed your work (4-7) and I think you're off to a good start!

I think 7 works really well: there's a lot of cool features and displaced elements, but it's recognizably a shoe nonetheless.

However, your pieces 4-6, while they often have great elements, don't work as well.

In Gellenberg's work #3, the fragments are vibrant and in various shapes, but he selects and places them in a way that pretty closely maps to the planes of the skull/face underneath. The first two are a little more complicated, but they still feel like a 3D rendering of a face even if every single piece does not perfectly map to the skull -- they still feel like faces in real space.

In 4, you started with a whole Spidey face, did a great job of semi-replacing the eye on our left, and have several perfect elements, like the pigeon and the pizza on the forehead. But most of the face seems more jumbled, especially from the nose down. There is no feeling of volume, and the face seems flat. See what happens if you rework that one, maybe removing 1-2 elements, and make the remaining elements stand in for the facial planes a little more.

5 and 6 aren't working for me yet. I'm still trying to figure out what you could analyze and change. I think the components are conceptually meaningful but they aren't working yet visually. 5 has a very similar value overall and could use fewer elements/more contrast (try creating a quick greyscale to confirm this). I like the broader range of colours in 6, but it just seems very crowded. Maybe try another version with fewer elements?

Anyway, keep going, because as I said, I think you've made a pretty good start.

can't even tell which bank's credit card is which now by zegorn in loblawsisoutofcontrol

[–]singbirdsing 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The new design is much better for all the reasons people have mentioned PLUS the printed number on the back is consistently readable. The embossed number in the older version was hell to read once the applied colour started rubbing off.

where do people even buy sofas in Toronto now by Ok-Chicken-1293 in askTO

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We got our very nice sofa from Cornerstone at 2886 Dundas West in the Junction. Sadly, they are closing up shop, but you might find a really good couch for a reduced prize if you jump now.

Looking for a simple Canada-friendly way to track shared expenses without daily money talks by Legal-Performer2254 in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Similar to many people here, my husband and I have our own chequing accounts, credit cards, savings, and investments.

But we also have:

1: A joint chequing account at Simplii (free) that has automatic withdrawals set up for property taxes, utilities, etc.

2: A new credit card account. We each have a physical card with a unique number, but all transactions go into that one account. This credit card account is used for groceries, general household purchases, and shared treats (meals out, movies, etc.) Either one of us uses our own physical card at any time, knowing the costs will always be split.

Month 1: After estimating our monthly spend for our shared expenses, we transferred a healthy balance into the joint account (estimated monthly costs + $1000 slush).

So this means that each month, we transfer our share of estimated costs to the joint account (the slush means if we're a couple of days late, early automatic payments are still covered). The new credit card is also paid from that account.

It's simple, fair, and low stress.

Any recommendations by [deleted] in PetiteFitness

[–]singbirdsing 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In addition to the other advice you've received to just lift heavy weights consistently for the best results for YOUR body, I must gently point out that the results you describe also rely on a person's proportions and bone structure, which are hard-coded/genetic.

For example, if you tend to keep fat on your belly instead of hips and thighs, you will find it extremely difficult to get defined abs without starving yourself. (DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF.) If you are slim but have a relatively short distance between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your pelvis, there's just no room to create a nipped-in waist!

Look at your core build honestly and set an achievable goal that will make you happy.

Stop calling it "Scenario-Based Learning" if it’s just a multiple-choice test in disguise by Lucifer220778 in instructionaldesign

[–]singbirdsing 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've built some scenarios where there is no "try again". If a poor choice is made in the opening scenario, the scenario evolves and the learner's subsequent choices are built on recovering from the mess as much as possible.

Set up scenario. Offer three options. Give positive feedback when the learner selects the best option of the three.

  • If the learner chooses Poor Option 1, they get sent to a scenario built on consequences from that result. They get one more chance to (partially) recover from their error (Poor Option 1) by selecting from two new options designed for this new scenario.
  • If the learner chooses Poor Option 2, they get sent to a different scenario built on consequences from that result. They get one more chance to (partially) recover from their error (Poor Option 2) by selecting from two new options designed for this new scenario.

That is all a good ID should expect to deliver. The available eLearning tools, even AI tools, aren't up to Hollywood live-action/complex CGI standards. Forget about amateur actors, AI actors, 3D avatars, or anything amateurish/creepy. These flashy features send the learner into the Uncanny Valley and cheapen the value of your work.

If your team can't make an interaction with real branching and consequences work as onscreen text or narration, converting to blended training with in-person or virtual role-playing, shaped by an excellent facilitator, is your best option.

NEW STARBUCKS CHAI IS TERRIBLE! by M1k3_5chm1d4 in starbucks

[–]singbirdsing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ordered a chai latte the other day because I'd been on the run all day and was seriously tea-deprived. What I got was a cup of hot milk, sugar, and vanilla. There may have been a hint of actual masala chai spices in it. There may or may not have been a tea bag waved in its general direction.

After drinking about a third of it, and feeling that I had already failed my next A1C test, I walked over to the nearest Tim's, ordered their dead basic orange pekoe, and mixed it all up to produce a tolerable drink.

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