Will psychedelics go corporate like cannabis? - "As billionaires start to invest in psychedelics, some longtime researchers in the field worry they'll just become another commodity." (via)
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How Games Can Better Accommodate Disabled Players [Waypoint] "Text size is so important, not just for people with less than 20/20 vision, but also anyone who doesn't have a huge TV, or isn't able to sit close to it. It's a classic example of something that is really tough to go back to and fix, but if you consider it early enough in development, it's free, it's just another design decision. Catering for colorblindness is a bit more complex, as it's a design job based on how a particular game mechanic works. But it's generally about just making sure you don't rely on color alone to communicate or differentiate. And if there's no alternative to color reliance, let people choose the colors that work best for them. Subtitles are used by so many people for so many reasons, from hearing loss to playing on public transport, from unpredictable audio mixes to hard-to-understand alien and robotic accents, to playing in a noisy room to when the baby is asleep, so you need the TV on mute." • The Problems With Illegible Text In Video Games And Some Solutions To Fix Them [Kotaku] "Joe Humfrey, art and code director at game development studio Inkle, believes that the primary goal in designing text for video games is "making sure every word is effortless to read." It turns out that making sure players can read and understand on-screen text is a more complicated task than you might think. You might not spend a lot of time actively thinking about fonts, how to design text or user interfaces, but they significantly impact how a you interact with a game. In fact, you've probably recognized and struggled with one form of badly-designed text that's common in a lot games: really small subtitles. "I could probably rant for an hour about how most console games have tiny tiny text, probably because the developers sit right next to their TVs so don't care. Please don't do that," Humfrey said in a recent GDC talk." • Subtitles: Increasing Game Accessibility, Comprehension [Gamasutra] I realized that it could be beneficial to everyone if there were some kind of guideline we could follow that would help when putting subtitles in our games. So, this article is meant as a means to highlight areas that we need to pay attention to when implementing subtitles within our games and also to potentially serve as the basis for a first-set of guidelines. Please note that this list may not be complete, but it's a start. 1. Use the right font 2. Large enough font 3. Consistent font size and in mixed case 4. Usable on various output devices 5. Try to keep the line length under control 6. Good space between words and lines 7. Can be switched on or off (at any time) 8. Separate button for control 9. User controlled speed 10. Selecting the right color (Different color to system font, They should have their own background, Differing colors between sentences when multiple characters are on-screen) 11. Ensure staggered subtitles if in conversation 12. Include captions and other relevant non-speech information where necessary 13. Always need to be within the safe caption area 14. Make sure the subtitles matches the speech 15. Careful when using unusual speech -- like slang 16. Ensure the quality is perfect • Games like 'Destiny' and 'Deus Ex' exclude deaf customers by flubbing a single, simple feature [Business Insider] "Most games have robust customization options, allowing you to adjust the brightness, volume, and difficulty level exactly to your individual tastes. But there's one simple feature a lot of games can't get quite right, and it's one that deaf gamers in particular need to fully enjoy a game: Subtitles. "We need everything that's spoken in the game captioned!" said Chris "Phoenix" Robinson in an email interview with Business Insider. "This is 2016 and gaming industries should've got it by now but it's like they keep forgetting deaf/hard-of-hearing gamers are buying their games too." Robinson, who's deaf in one ear and has severe hearing loss in the other, runs a Twitch channel called Deaf Gamers TV with Brandon "Zero" Chan, who is also deaf. "I feel [game developers] are slacking," said Robinson. "It's like subtitles/captioning is the last thing they care about." In games, just like in movies or television, a vast majority of the story's information is conveyed through dialogue. When you can't hear what a character is saying — or read it in subtitles — suddenly, the simple act of playing a game and understanding its plot become nearly impossible. And even when games do have subtitles, it's often incomplete."
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One of my cats, S, has become more and more affectionate with age. But one thing that hasn't really changed is that when he's got enough he doesn't just get up and leave, he almost makes a break for it. He'll get all close and purry but - regardless of whether I pet him or not - after only a few minutes he'll make a break for it as if something's after him--especially if he's lying on me or right next to me in bed. Any suggestions as to why?Both he and his brother T are 11 years old and I've had them for 7 years. Both indoor cats. They tolerate eachother with sporadic expressions of affection, usually begun by T and grudgingly accepted by S. S has always come for cuddles but has also been very independent. Lately, however, he's begun to follow me around and talk much more and louder, I think as a result of age. Seeing this change in him makes me want to make our cuddle time more relaxing for him but I don't know exactly what the problem is. They are my first pets.
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Can Android link your phone account to your other google accounts? eg if you log into another account using a mail app? Is there any way to stop this?I've always had multiple email accounts for different things, and most of them are google. Now i've got an android phone, trying to log in on firefox or other browsers to gmail triggers AppStore to try to install the app and brings up my phone google account, which i don't want linked to my other email accounts (all i use google for) because they're private and i don't want login pins and rubbish. Plus i just don't want all my stuff (finance, private, super private, work, dirty, youtube etc) all linked up. Can they track me via mail apps and see what gmail account i'm logging into?
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Investigating pathways to the alt-right is SPLC's exploration of the question, "what brings someone into the alt-right ecosystem?"
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Drunk Education, previously Drunk TED Talks presents a lecture by MeFi's own John Leavitt: The Only Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism [via mefi projects]
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I'm thinking about the logistics when it comes to charging stuff at international airports (anywhere not in the US). If I'm coming from stateside with US electronics the very least I would need is a socket converter right? Or would I also need a voltage transformer too? It seems kind of overkill though to me. Those things are big. Anyone with travel experience that can weigh in?
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How Dr. Harvey Karp revolutionized baby sleep and the empire that followed (SLNYT)
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Does boiling water actually do anything special besides evaporate? Or is it just a convenient eyeballing metric for temperature?For example, "boil, then reduce to a simmer."
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My cat may have just peed some blood. I'm stretched to my limit right now. Is there any possibility this isn't a big deal? Details inside.Three hours ago I heard a noise and discovered that my large, adult male cat had somehow slipped off his sunny perch on my porch and fallen about 10 feet to the ground below. I didn't see it happen so I don't know if he landed on his feet or what. I went down there to pick him up and he seemed not hurt but baffled -- like, "Hey, I was asleep in the sun and then all of a sudden I was here." I brought him inside. He's walking normally, sitting normally (not in "sick cat crouch") but does seem a little...tense. He used the litter box once: and peering into it afterward I saw a few bright red drops of blood. Not a schmear, or a stream. Distinct, separate drops. Later, he used the litter box again: a normal poop. Later, he used the litter box again: one red drop. I've examined the spots where he's been sitting inside the house -- no blood. So it's not, like, a scrape on his belly. He accepts my pets all over his body and doesn't appear to be in pain. Getting him to the vet right now is a dicey proposition as I'm dealing with another big deal right now. Also, I strongly believe there has been no blood in the litter box prior to a couple of hours ago, so I don't think this is some older issue I'm just now noticing. Any thoughts about what might be going on with him would be appreciated, or advice on how to proceed.
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Every workday on my way home, I go through a busy intersection in Torrance, California. There is always a panhandler standing on the concrete island next to the left turn lane with a cardboard sign. It is never the same panhandler twice. Why is that?It seems to me that a panhandler would pick a corner to panhandle that was some trade-off between (a) easy for them to get to, and (b) profitable, and keep coming back to the same spot. But maybe that particular corner is not so profitable? If so, why is there always someone there? Wouldn't word spread among the nearby panhandlers? Someone once told me that some residential drug rehabs that serve the homeless will drive a group of clients to distant, more prosperous locales in a van and drop them off to panhandle, then pick them up at night, and take a portion of their takings for room and board. This seems pretty exploitative if true -- but I don't know if it is just an urban legend or what. I suppose I could ask one of the panhandlers, but I think it would sound judgey and weird. You can't really ask a complete stranger to explain their behavior. Do you have any insight?
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Several years ago I read an article by some guy who talked about how he just stopped asking permission and started doing things -- going to work parties that weren't where he worked, or a bar mitzvah he wasn't invited to, and how he never got into trouble for it and was teaching his son to do the same. This amount of detail has proved to be impossible to google for. Does anyone remember it? It was roundly mocked by people who are not white men.
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I used to be able to pretty reliable find past tweets from particular users using the "searchterm from:username" format. Now I have to use Google search to find anything but very recent results. Have they started limiting historical access? Take @realDonaldTrump tweeting about Anna Wintour. "Wintour from:realDonaldTrump" returns nothing, when he's tweeted about her quite a few times.
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Just got a new job working from home and I'm super excited about it! I will have set hours (9a-6p, with an hour for lunch in there somewhere) so there is some imposed structure. Tell me what your experience is like working from home. What should I do to optimize this situation in terms of being productive personally, while taking advantage of the little bonuses that come from being home all day?Landed myself a work from home job! Super stoked because it's a more positive company, less stress, and willing to give time off. I will be starting next month, and my tasks will focus on taking phone calls, scheduling appointments, and entering appointment/client info the computer. I will have a set schedule (9-6 most likely, with an hour for lunch) as work hours so those aren't flexible. Equipment isn't set up yet, but I currently have a new Windows desktop, plus a Mac Air, and iPad/iPhone of my own so those will be available for use. I already have a dedicated office (with a nice office chair, but could be more organized overall...I share with the boyfriend) in the house that doesn't have a TV in it, so that won't be a distraction. From what I know so far, there will probably be some times throughout they day where the phone isn't ringing and I don't immediately have something work related happening in front of me. I'm definitely NOT planning on avoiding work I'm being paid to do...I just foresee some days being slower than others. For those of you working from home, what's it like? What are your tips/tricks/hacks to make the most of the situation? How do you organize/handle non-work tasks...do you throw laundry in between calls? Do something specific on your lunch break (with staying home and probably eating leftovers or sandwiches I won't use the full hour for eating)? Do a few exercises? Keep things organized? Help me make the most of this...I'd like to hear your experiences!
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When I'm having a conversation with someone about something I'm excited about - say, a book I just finished that I loved, or a place I'm stoked about visiting for the first time, etc - my nose inevitably starts running. Why?This runny nose problem does not happen happen in conversations in which I'm not particularly excited, or when I'm particularly excited but on my own. It doesn't seem to vary depending on who I'm talking to - an excited conversation with a coworker or acquaintance is no more like to cause a runny nose than a similar conversation with a close family member or friend. a) Why does this happen? b) As it is awkward and annoying, is there a way to make it stop?
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Last Sunday I sexted with this guy from Tinder. It's the first time I've done this. Now he starts texting me in the middle of the day with screenshots of sexual things I said. It really freaks me out like he's trying to control me or something. What should I do? Is this actually dangerous or am I freaking out over nothing?
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I've been recruited for a non-academic job at Stanford. I'd like to know the salary range for grade "I" jobs (that's "i" as in ice cream, not "l" as in lemon), but it looks like the salary ranges are only visible to people with a Stanford login. Would any Stanford employees be willing to look it up and share it here, or email me at stanfordquestion at gmail.com? It looks like it should be accessible through the button at the bottom of this page. Thanks. :)
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Seeking recipes that call for multiple types or preparations of garlicI put garlic in many/most of my dishes; it's great! But garlic can taste rather different depending on several factors, including at least: 1) How it's cooked and for how long/time of addition 2) How it is prepared - fresh (and how it's cut or smashed), minced from a jar, powdered, pickled, etc. 3) Variety: elephant, black etc., including garlic parts like scapes and ramps. I like pretty much any way of adding garlic, and sometimes e.g. add both early and late to a sauce. But I want more. Not more garlic: recipes that are simply heavy on the garlic are not what I'm looking for here. I want dishes that harness the above variety and use it to create an intentional multi-layered garlic experience. So: do you know of any recipes that call for multiple types of garlic? For example a soup that calls for minced garlic added at the start and mashed roasted garlic added at the end. No other restrictions I just want to revel in garlic. Thanks!
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Welcome to the Dads Inn! We hope you'll entrust your dad to us.
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I'm a 32 year old mom of 2, and I'm starting to notice more instances of having trouble word-finding. Should I be worried?I have a 6 year old and a 7 month old daughter who is adopted. My husband is a police officer, and I spend a lot of time taking care of both kids alone after long days at a high stress job where I am a supervisor. At my current job, there's a ton of changes going on and lots of big projects I am directly responsible for. The adoption of my daughter and the high stress of that situation along with the family drama that happens in family situations has all triggered my anxiety issues over the last year. I don't have diagnosed anxiety but it's incredibly clear to those close to me that it's a real issue. A few months ago, my only sister (38) was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer and is now being treated as a patient at my work place. Long story short: Over the last few months I've started having word finding issues. I'll be in the middle of a sentence and have to stop, pause, sometimes a long pause (15 seconds or more) before I remember the very common word I am searching for. For example, my son left his shoes in the living room last week. I said to him, "Hey, go get your shoes out of the - long pause- living room" and during the pause he asked me twice where I was telling him to get his shoes from. I'm normally incredibly sharp, so this is really concerning to me. I made an appointment to see a psychiatrist about my anxiety/slight depression issues I have going on, thinking they could possibly related but I'm not sure. When I search online, I basically find this to be a normal occurrence for those "aging" - but I'm on 32. Could these be related, or is this something I should be more concerned about and see my primary care doctor?
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We opened our women's clothing swap up to any gender, but now someone wants to bring their (male, cis, straight) partner and I don't now what to do.I really feel like I got beyond my depth and could use some help to think through how to honor our intentions as well as the invitation we made. Our women's clothing swap is traditionally a group of women. I wanted to invite a gay man who wears femme/women's clothes and makeup, believing it would be a space he'd enjoy. Plus he'd bring great stuff and take away great stuff. Win/win/win. I wanted to be inclusive of people who are interested in women's clothes but don't always have a chance to trade them in these kinds of events. So I added language to the invitation that anyone who wanted to swap women's clothes was welcome. I didn't think enough about the space that the guests appreciate -- a femme/female space, something that feels nurturing. We've held these a few times and they always have that great feeling that comes with women spending time together. If I could go back, I would add a line that we are holding a W/T/F--Women/Trans/Femme--space. My friend wrote on the event wall that she's bringing her partner, who's going to look for clothes and maybe even bring something. I've met him and he struck me as a cis man, definitely not giving a W/T/F vibe. I wrote her a message right after the post to confirm that he was welcome, and, this was specifically for people who are trading women's clothing. She was like "Yup! Got it!" Another friend saw the post and said having him here would disrupt the W/T/F space. I believe it should be up to people to decide their own interests, and if, knowing the space, he wants to be here, I want to include him. That was the spirit of the original invitation. And it's ridiculous to think I can know someone's identity from meeting them one time. I know nothing about him! I also want to be a good host and help the space be positive for the other guests. Personally, I don't want to have a man in the space if he's not actually interested in this -- if he's doing it as a performative thing, like, "Hey, look at these silly female things and isn't it hilarious how I'm crossing gender lines?" I honestly prefer not to have a strong masculine energy. The time to figure all this out and communicate it was FOR SURE before publishing the invite. But is there anything I can say at this point? I was thinking something like, "Please feel free to push back since I don't know your partner very well. In the past our swaps have been fun not only because of the clothes, but with the space the guests create together. If I could go back, I would change the event description to 'W/T/F' because that's really what we're going for. We should have figured this out and communicated it more in advance. So in that spirit, and since Partner seemed cis-male presenting the time we met, I wanted to check in a bit more. You know him so much better than I do. If supporting a restorative femme space is up his alley, he is certainly welcome to come. If it's more just a novelty or a one-time thing, it might not be the best fit this time around. In that case we will hope to see you both another time, maybe at an all-gender, all-clothes swap." Heinous dis-invitation? Reasonable question? Hateful expression that needs to lead me into some serious self-examination? I'm a straight cis woman and I'm on a journey when it comes to understanding, speaking about and relating with gender and sexuality spectrums, so I know there may be shortfalls here and I welcome if you can help me see them, if they're here.
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RIP Tim Bergling, Swedish DJ and producer better known as Avicii. Levels. Wake Me Up. True Stories - trailer.
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On this auspicious date in 2018, Matt Pike and Al Cisneros have reunited alongside Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder to birth a new Sleep LP, The Sciences (album stream). The record was teased less than 24 hours in advance, unless you count a cryptic Morse code message issued last year. Tracklist: The Sciences Marijuanaut's Theme Sonic Titan Antarcticans Thawed Giza Butler The Botanist
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A person keeps changing my preferred name in an email chain and I don't know how to correct it, firmly, politely and once and for all without distracting from the content of the conversation but before everyone else decides to use the wrong name for me, too. Not a gender issue, just a manners one.I have a common in the US woman's first name that comes with a variety of nicknames. Assume "Elizabeth"--I use the full fancy "Elizabeth" version professionally; my family and social circle through my family use the child's diminutive nickname "Lizzie". UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EVER DOES ANYONE CALL ME "LIZ" (except my ex-husband). I'm very good at correcting people in person but I'm stuck in an email chain for a volunteer gig (that I was brought into through a family member thus as "Lizzie") with someone who clearly thinks that no grown woman uses a child's nickname and keeps responding to things I sign as "Lizzie" with "Liz". I don't know when I will next be in the same room with this person and I need this to stop but I don't know who to handle this in a text, not personal, environment.
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"While feminist art critics have for decades pointed out the shortcomings of the 'male gaze,' the post-#MeToo reckoning with the art world's systemic sexism, its finger-on-the-scale preference for male genius, has given that critique a newly powerful force. And the question of the moment has become: Is it still an artistically justifiable pursuit for a man to paint a naked woman?" Images at the link show painted or sculpted nudity and may be nsfw. From the same issue: When a Feminist Artist's work is censored by a Feminist Gallery. Discusses Natalie Frank's recent series of paintings based on The Story of O. Ms. Frank's recent piece in ARTNews ("For Women Artists, the Art World Can Be a Minefield") disclosed her experiences as a professional artist with sexual harassment. More from Natalie Frank at ARTNews: - Natalie Frank at Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago - Into the Woods: Natalie Frank's Fairy Tales - Habitat: Natalie Frank
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