Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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Xan
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by Xan »

I highly recommend getting one with an inverter. When you ask for 50% power on a traditional microwave, it runs full blast half the time and off half the time. With an inverter microwave, it gives you 50% power all the time. It makes the microwave much more capable of doing things like defrosting, or softening butter. Any time you need less than full blast it works HUGELY better.
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by Mountaineer »

dualstow wrote: Fri Jul 25, 2025 7:56 pm Aren’t cast iron pans amazing? 🍳
I feel like I spend too much time re-oiling them but I really love the way they cook, both on the stovetop and in the oven.
Agreed. We pretty much daily use a small skillet or a medium skillet that were my mother’s and grandmother’s. We also frequently use a Dutch oven that was given to us by a friend when her mother died. All are probably 75 to 100 years old and are still in excellent condition.
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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dualstow wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 10:28 am What do you cook with, Vin?
I like stainless steel, too.
I got rid of my Calphalon after destroying it.
My electric stove has been unplugged for 10 years.

Any "cooking" I do is in the microwave.

But I cannot think of the last day I made hot foot.

I spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. Rather be at these keyboards!
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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Smith1776 wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 2:56 pm I cook with my microwave. ;D
So I am not the ONLY one here who does so!
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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dualstow wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:16 pm
Smith1776 wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 2:56 pm I cook with my microwave. ;D
It actually does a decent job with potatoes and with broccoli. Or are you just heating up Taco Bell O0
Ours is getting senile though. And it’s a built-in. Not looking forward to replacing it.
I bought a brand new built-in used. However, it sits on top of my refrigerator.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by Mountaineer »

We also daily use a GE counter top microwave that is 20 or 25 years old. We got an Instant Vortex Plus air fryer, two trays vs basket, a year or two ago. We had no idea it would be so versatile, everything from chicken and fish to toast. We use it several times a day.
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

Mountaineer wrote: Sun Jul 27, 2025 5:57 am Agreed. We pretty much daily use a small skillet or a medium skillet that were my mother’s and grandmother’s. We also frequently use a Dutch oven that was given to us by a friend when her mother died. All are probably 75 to 100 years old and are still in excellent condition.
I don’t use the dutch oven as much as I should. I should whip it out this winter as it helps heat up the first floor. It’s great for chili and other stews, and potato leek soup.

I’d envisioned Smithers using an air fryer but I guess not O0
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

Smith1776 wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 2:56 pm I cook with my microwave. ;D
yankees60 wrote: Sun Jul 27, 2025 7:53 am I bought a brand new built-in used. However, it sits on top of my refrigerator.
So it’s brand new, but it’s used.
And it’s a built-in, but it’s not..in? ??? 😂
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

Xan wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 11:03 pm I highly recommend getting one with an inverter. When you ask for 50% power on a traditional microwave, it runs full blast half the time and off half the time. With an inverter microwave, it gives you 50% power all the time. It makes the microwave much more capable of doing things like defrosting, or softening butter. Any time you need less than full blast it works HUGELY better.
Good to know. Never even heard of that!
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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dualstow wrote: Sun Jul 27, 2025 7:35 pm
Smith1776 wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 2:56 pm I cook with my microwave. ;D
yankees60 wrote: Sun Jul 27, 2025 7:53 am I bought a brand new built-in used. However, it sits on top of my refrigerator.
So it’s brand new, but it’s used.
And it’s a built-in, but it’s not..in? ??? 😂
Someone bought it new to use it. But it was not the right fit. So I bought it from them.

Was it considered used since I bought it from them? Almost certain it was an open box. Yes. Sits on top of the refrigerator. I bought it at an excellent price.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

Ah, open box. 👍
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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dualstow wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 8:45 am Ah, open box. 👍
From a person like you. Not from a place like Amazon.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

July 29, 2010, Smithers
IMG_0186.jpeg
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by Smith1776 »

dualstow wrote: Tue Jul 29, 2025 8:41 pm July 29, 2010, Smithers

IMG_0186.jpeg
I wonder what I was doing on that day rather than buying Bitcoin...

That would have been summer break from college and I had gone back home. I think that summer I ended up working at a Best Buy in their computer department. I was making something like $11 CAD per hour at the time. Even with such a meager wage, if I had bought Bitcoin then I'd be set haha!
Currently paying homage to the Intel Celeron in my avatar—the processor that allowed a low-income family like mine to afford a computer in the '90s.
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

I haven’t verified this. I can only tell you that if it was made up, it was not made by me 😂
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by boglerdude »

Microsoft Defender keeps hammering my disk, scanning harddiskvolumeshadowcopy

Anybody shut it off? Windows 11 Home, Dell Inspiron 14 5430
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by boglerdude »

Sound right? Is it worth wasting disk space on these shadowcopies given the way SSDs fail? Anybody restored from a shadowcopy?


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Content edit1. "Suicidal empathy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZw9_tE7W3k
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

Damnit, that trampoline bunny(bunnies) video was AI? Yes it was.
I’m doomed.
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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dualstow wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 4:50 pm Damnit, that trampoline bunny(bunnies) video was AI? Yes it was.
I’m doomed.
I will discuss this here when I've not yet discussed it on Facebook.

People seem to come out of the woodwork (an exaggeration) to attack me whenever I post an image that they believe to be AI.

First of all, when I've done so I never thought that it was. And, second of all, if it is AI why the big deal? It's just an image depicting something? I'm not understanding how it is a tiny bit difference between someone painting the exact same image. A painting is not a photograph yet is it always accepted as an image.

I'm waiting to address this in person with one of my regular AI image detractors. I don't want to answer in Facebook to legions of Facebook AI haters.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

yankees60 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 8:06 pm
dualstow wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 4:50 pm Damnit, that trampoline bunny(bunnies) video was AI? Yes it was.
I’m doomed.

And, second of all, if it is AI why the big deal? It's just an image depicting something?
My wife said something similar, and in the case of fun stuff like this I agree.
Still, I dread the day when this truly becomes indistinguishable from reality, since it’s already being used in scams.
AI bunnies are ok.
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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dualstow wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 9:55 pm
yankees60 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 8:06 pm
dualstow wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 4:50 pm Damnit, that trampoline bunny(bunnies) video was AI? Yes it was.
I’m doomed.

And, second of all, if it is AI why the big deal? It's just an image depicting something?
My wife said something similar, and in the case of fun stuff like this I agree.
Still, I dread the day when this truly becomes indistinguishable from reality, since it’s already being used in scams.
AI bunnies are ok.
Yes, of course, deception is not condoned.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by Xan »

I'm not sure AI bunnies are okay. The whole reason the video is interesting is because it's fun to see bunnies actually doing that. If they weren't actually doing that, then... what's the point?
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

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Xan wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 8:37 am I'm not sure AI bunnies are okay. The whole reason the video is interesting is because it's fun to see bunnies actually doing that. If they weren't actually doing that, then... what's the point?
How is it different from watching them do it in cartoons?
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."
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Re: Daily "Check In" Thread For Us

Post by dualstow »

Xan wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 8:37 am I'm not sure AI bunnies are okay. The whole reason the video is interesting is because it's fun to see bunnies actually doing that. If they weren't actually doing that, then... what's the point?
Hmm. It’s entertainment. Not as satisfying as the real stuff - a crap story is judged less harshly when “based on real events”- but I would like to know whether I’m watching something real or staged.
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