drunken-serval's comments

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: FAA faces dilemma over 737 Max wiring flaw that Boeing missed

In the US, the NTSB does root-cause analysis and makes recommendations to the FAA.

There’s a separation of concerns. The NTSB is solely concerned with finding out what happened. The FBI handles criminal investigations. The FAA is concerned with running air traffic control, regulations, and research.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: Taika Waititi Slams Apple's MacBook Keyboards After Winning Oscar

I use a Mac for writing.

Scrivener and Microsoft Word are my primary tools. There is no Scrivener for linux and there is no acceptable alternative for native MS Word when it comes to working with publishers. That means macOS or Windows.

Here is why I use macOS over Windows:

- Windows version of Scrivener is missing a lot of features, some that I frequently use. (The Mac version of Word is also missing features, but not critical ones.)

- OS-integrated dictionary (three finger tap)

- OS-integrated dictation (tap fn twice to start, tap fn to stop) I use this to speak words I can't remember how to spell. I don't know if Dragon on Windows is usable like this.

- Preview (tap spacebar when any file is selected)

- OS configurable keyboard shortcuts. Any item in any application's menu bar can have a custom keyboard shortcut. I have green, red, and blue highlighting in Scrivener tied to keyboard shortcuts. This is a critical part of my editing workflow.

- Time Machine backup. Easy, seamless backup. If my computer goes down, I can be fully up and running on any Mac hardware with Catalina in two hours. I started using Time Machine in 2008. Since then, every new machine has been restored from a backup of an old one. I've never started with a clean Mac.

- Reliability. Only my linux servers have better uptime. Every single Mac I have is more reliable than any windows machine I've worked with.

- It Just Works. Actually, no it doesn't. There's fewer bugs but when you hit them, they are absolutely infuriating to workaround.

- Unix terminal. Built in to the operating system. Homebrew adds okay package management on top of that.

- Built in apps. macOS comes with significantly better default applications than Windows does. Preview alone is a thousand times better than anything I've seen on windows.

- App install/removal. Almost every Mac application uses one of three install methods. App store, disk image, or package. Removing an application is as simple as deleting the executable from /Applications. If you want the configuration gone too, you can remove its associated folders from /Library and ~/Library.

If I had to pick one thing, it would be Time Machine. It's easy to setup and forget it's there until you need it. Nothing else has saved me so much time and aggravation. It's allow me to effectively work on the same machine for twelve years while periodically upgrading the hardware and operating system.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: The One Notebook Habit (2018)

I’ll second this. For me, it even works with typing on a phone keyboard. If I type a note, I remember it better. I keep my phone next to my bed for recording ideas I have in the middle of the night.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: The One Notebook Habit (2018)

I do this with my iPad. There’s an option in the settings to create a note from the lock screen if you start writing on it with the pencil.

Now I’m not suggesting you go buy an iPad but if you already have it... it works well for this.

I use Apple Notes but there are plenty of other apps out there.

And if this sounds a little absurd, her chosen notebook weighs more than my iPad with its pencil and keyboard. My iPad is larger by one inch in height and width but also significantly thinner.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: Book Review: All Therapy Books

> I'm guessing CBT is probably not as effective if you're experiencing severe mental health problems

I'm bipolar. CBT is ineffective for problems that aren't resulting from bad thoughts. But it just as important as medication for my treatment plan.

CBT is absolutely critical to maintaining stability when I am rational. Stopping bad thoughts before they get time to spiral out of control significantly reduces the severity of my symptoms.

While CBT can't fight irrational thoughts resulting from my mood swings, it's taught me what I can and can't change. As a result, I know when to switch to a different coping skill to get through a bad day.

As far as in-person therapy goes, a therapist is a guide. They can point you in the right direction and provide a different perspective.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: We Only Hire the Trendiest (2016)

I've never mentioned my GPA to any job I've applied for. If they want that information, they can verify my degree while they do the background and credit checks.

When I worked on software for originating student loans, it was easy to pull that information from a web service we used.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: Psilocybin for major depression granted Breakthrough Therapy by FDA

I'm sure you mean well but I think there's a few things you're missing. Many people are getting diagnosed now instead of drinking to deal with their problems. Talking about mental health and seeking help is much more acceptable now than it has been before.

And here's a point of data for thought. I'm bipolar. In the United States, 2.8 out of every 100 people have the same diagnosis. Bipolar is highly genetic and largely incurable. Depression and anxiety disorders are far more common.

Yes, people can get anxious and depressed over life events but there are a great many people who truly need help because their problems don't have a known cause and there is no enemy to confront.

Perhaps the reason the current generations are "weaker" is we aren't hiding it anymore.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: Makesite.py – Simple, lightweight, and magic-free static site/blog generator

Or go to the dark side and install Wordpress.

It’s actually not as bad as I thought it would be. I modified one of the twenty-x themes that come with it and installed a few plugins to make a decent personal site. It took less time that it would have to create anything with remotely similar functionality.

I run it off a single vps that has no other purpose. If it gets hacked, nothing of value is lost. I can revoke the api keys for the external services I use and restore to a new server from my backups.

drunken-serval | 6 years ago | on: What I have learned from my suicidal patients

My experience tells me you’re are dangerously wrong to portray your experience with a single medication to be representative of anything.

I’m bipolar and spend a significant amount of time helping out in a support group for people with mental health issues. All of them have vastly different experiences. One medication I was on had terrible side effects while someone else was saved by it.

My current mix of medications would put some of the people I’ve helped immediately in the hospital. I myself have been sent to the ER by my psychiatrist due to a medication I was on.

Many psychiatric medications can’t be stopped without serious risks yet I’ve know people who have stopped all their medications and been fine. Others have permanent damage.

The only thing consistent with medication is that everyone is different.

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