(define-solver yak-solver () (wax-car (car-needs-waxing have-hose) (car-waxed) (car-needs-waxing)) (get-new-hose (have-ez-pass) (have-hose)) (borrow-ez-pass (return-mooshi-pillow) (have-ez-pass)) (fix-mooshi-pillow (have-yak) (return-mooshi-pillow)) (visit-zoo () (have-yak))) (multiple-value-bind (ok? actions) (yak-solver '(car-needs-waxing) '(car-waxed)) (assert ok?) (assert (equal actions '(VISIT-ZOO FIX-MOOSHI-PIL…
On Having Enough Socks (2019)
161–170 of 183 posts
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#162There's a few comments - seemingly from our American friends - that seem to suggest that left / right socks are a thing. I'm hoping I'm parsing those comments poorly, but ever since the revelation that Americans don't have kettles , I'm prepared for the worst. I got fed up with poor socks a few years ago and embarked on a project to try to find the best, or at least consistently decent, work socks. That's work in the…
Huh, sounds like people are yanking your chain? I have literally never heard of left and right socks and kettles - both electric and flat bottomed urns of metal - are commonplace.
Might be one of those regional thing.
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#163Earlier quoted context omitted.
Everyone in my (American) family drinks at least a cup, and often 3-5 cups of tea per day. This is considered a lot here. Tea drinking is so non-normalized that despite my entire family's love for tea, I was well into adulthood before I learned of electric kettles (from Tumblr) and introduced them to my family. They're easier to find these days but still rare. If you ask for a hot tea at a restaurant, you'll often ge…
You know, now that I think about it... it's probably not be true anymore, but I bet 3-4 decades ago having a dedicated "sun tea" pitcher rivaled or exceeded kettle ownership, in the US. ("sun tea" is made by sticking a big glass pitcher or jar outside on a warm sunny day, with water and teabags and maybe some citrus slices in it, and waiting for it to become something resembling tea, which you may drink at its natura…
Ooh sun tea is so good - it doesnt just resemble it, it can make for a tasty drink. Extraction is a function of temperature and time after all, and lower temperature extractions dissolve less of the more bitter chemicals in plants.
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it really so surprising that we don't (as a rule) have electric kettles? I think the reasons are pretty clear. First, Americans are mostly coffee drinkers, not tea drinkers. The coffeedrinkers are mostly using coffee machines that heat the water for you, so you don't need a kettle to do it. This is true from the low-end $30 drip machine to multi-thousand-dollar espresso machines. Second, America is on 110, not 220…
> Second, America is on 110 Kind of: 240V is fed into homes (along with a neutral), and gets split in half. Most receptacles are 120V for most appliances, because it gets the job done. There aren't many appliances that need more than that. The two main ones that do have 220V plugs are clothes dryers and kitchen ranges (hobs/ovens). If you want a kettle that boils faster change your NEMA 5 socket (and breaker) that do…
How would this boil water faster if it’s still the same wattage?
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#165There's a few comments - seemingly from our American friends - that seem to suggest that left / right socks are a thing. I'm hoping I'm parsing those comments poorly, but ever since the revelation that Americans don't have kettles , I'm prepared for the worst. I got fed up with poor socks a few years ago and embarked on a project to try to find the best, or at least consistently decent, work socks. That's work in the…
I buy all my socks from Muji.
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#166There's a few comments - seemingly from our American friends - that seem to suggest that left / right socks are a thing. I'm hoping I'm parsing those comments poorly, but ever since the revelation that Americans don't have kettles , I'm prepared for the worst. I got fed up with poor socks a few years ago and embarked on a project to try to find the best, or at least consistently decent, work socks. That's work in the…
Toe/tabi socks are amazing and not interchangeable left/right
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#167My wife and I used to spend a lots of time pairing socks for the family after laundry. We hated it. When my son started picking up clothes and socks for himself to ware everyday, he picked any two socks, no bother to pair at all. We tried several times teaching him to find matching socks but we failed.
Now everyone in the family wares unmatched socks… the little one changed our family :D I am wondering whether the kids will start pairing socks when he and his older sister grow up to teenagers and start paying attention to their appearances.
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
Kettles are not just for brewing tea. Whenever I need to boil large (quart or above) amounts of water (e.g. for pasta) I boil maybe 80 % in the electric kettle and the rest in the pot. Goes much faster.
At least in the US, I think that's only true for electrical resistance cooktops/hobs. For both natural-gas and inductive cooktops and 110V kettles, I find that the water boils much faster in the pot.
A combination is still faster than either in isolation!
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#169There's a few comments - seemingly from our American friends - that seem to suggest that left / right socks are a thing. I'm hoping I'm parsing those comments poorly, but ever since the revelation that Americans don't have kettles , I'm prepared for the worst. I got fed up with poor socks a few years ago and embarked on a project to try to find the best, or at least consistently decent, work socks. That's work in the…
> best socks
You want to check out backpacking gear review sites like Outdoor Gear Lab, Section Hiker, or for the most authoritative data, Backpacking Light ($).
In the mean time, try searching for Darn Tough, Silverlight Socks or Smartwool for boot socks.
The longstanding English manufacturer Bridgedale must have been taken over by MBAs recently because it is being marketed heavily. Their socks may be fine; I don't know.
Then there is Injinji, and other two-layer (inner and outer) and toe-separated sock systems more generally. I like Injinji's sport sock (once I got over the look of my feet in socks with five separate toes). Injinji has a range of socks made from different textiles.
All of these use wool/synthetic blends, with the synthetic usually some form of nylon. Silverlight's nylon is coated with silver for antimicrobial properties (reduced stink). I have just placed an order for a five-pack. (I also spend up to 10.5 hours a day on my feet in boots.)
For non-wool, thinner socks I use Drymax, which are aimed at the running/athletics crowd. I've found them very durable (used them quite a bit for tramping (NZ-ish for bushwalking/hiking) and very easy-care. They are not left-right differentiated though.
Re: On Having Enough Socks (2019)
#170There's a few comments - seemingly from our American friends - that seem to suggest that left / right socks are a thing. I'm hoping I'm parsing those comments poorly, but ever since the revelation that Americans don't have kettles , I'm prepared for the worst. I got fed up with poor socks a few years ago and embarked on a project to try to find the best, or at least consistently decent, work socks. That's work in the…
Huh, sounds like people are yanking your chain? I have literally never heard of left and right socks and kettles - both electric and flat bottomed urns of metal - are commonplace. Might be one of those regional thing.
Left-right differentiated socks are also commonplace, in athletic recreations like hiking and trailrunning.