Kyle Armbruster

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• Commented on Murdoch-Microsoft deal in the works
  Thank you, nomnomdom, for your insightful post. I have said many times that just because one low-level sci-fi author can put food on the table while giving his books away for free doesn't mean that can happen with everything. For...
• Commented on Taste Test: natto, gooey fermented soy beans
  Did it come with the little packet of mustard and sauce (it's not just soy sauce in there)? If not, it's not really all that good. Put the karashi (Japanese mustard) on top of the natto in the styrofoam cup,...
• Commented on Taste Test: natto, gooey fermented soy beans
  Okay, here's my take on natto: 1) Buy organic. It has a much milder (less bitter) taste, and never smells so bad. 2) It is concentrated awesome. I hated it forever, but then my wife, who also didn't like it,...
• Commented on Getting meaningful things done using "fixed-schedule productivity"
  There is a cognitive style issue here. I actually did write my master's thesis in about 2 days. Obviously, I researched a lot before that, but the crafting and the major writing was completed in more or less a straight...
• Commented on Cop gets 7-day paid vacation for Tasering child
  America is over....
• Commented on College students arrested for not tipping
  Here in Japan, if it says ¥1000 on the menu, it says ¥1000 on the bill. Tax, paying the waitstaff, all of that is in the damned price. When I first came to Japan, I was surprised by the high...
• Commented on Mishap at the Electrical Substation
  Great post, Maggie! I've always wondered what goes on at those things. I knew they were for stepping up the voltage, but I didn't know about all the moving parts--or that arcs could fly!...
• Commented on Plaices of Death
  The fish is dead. Those are reflexes. Dead fish move for a long time. That is just a very fresh fish. The people aren't "torturing" it; it's dead. I am so tired of whiny city kids (mostly) freaking out every...
• Commented on Conservative children's book vilifies Nancy Pelosi
  I grew up heavily indoctrinated, which has produced an adult who believes absolutely that you must never lie to children, and that includes pretending to be surer than you are about something. Many times I think that parents, desperate for...
• Commented on Apple patents anti-user attention-complianceware
  Cory, did you even read the article? The inventors say the advertising would enable computers and other consumer electronics products to be offered to customers free or at a reduced price. In exchange, recipients would agree to view the ads....
• Commented on An evening of confusion with Dell customer service
  This, right here, is exactly why I will no longer deal with Dell. I ordered a Mini9 in February. They had a big banner on the site for a Back To School sale (I live in Japan; school starts in...
• Commented on Koalas may go extinct in 30 years
  So another organism has started to use resources that they used to have more access to, and they are stuck eating one nutrient-poor food. Yes, they are going to go extinct. Yes, it is because of us. No, it doesn't...
• Commented on "Sixth Sense Technology" Will Be Open Source
  I do not lack imagination. I can imagine myself trying to use such a device and then giving up very quickly, as it will likely slow things down, not speed them up. I said the same thing about the MS...
• Commented on Do you understand my first-grade child's homework?
  Math education in the US is a crime. I made it all the way to college before I found out I was good at math. I had to get materials to study for the GRE before I read actual, competent...
• Commented on "Sixth Sense Technology" Will Be Open Source
  Okay, I have to admit to being another hater, but I have another reason: All of this has to be set up and monitored by the user. For example, for it to give me toilet paper recommendations, I would have...
• Commented on To the anonymous gay teen who asked for help in a Boing Boing comment thread
  Thanks for your Christlike words of tolerance, but... This isn't a "decision" any more than it's a decision to have an arm. People are just born that way. I'm glad you agree that this kid's treatment is unfair and ill-advised,...
• Commented on What MP3 player should I buy?
  When I was a kid, I was only allowed to read books by Christian authors, even if they weren't about Jesus or whatever. They weren't usually as good as the books most people were reading, but it was important that...
• Commented on Tech support!
  I worked in tech support for a few years in college. I think the gender divide comes down to male ego. Everybody makes dumb mistakes, but a lot of guys just won't admit it to others or themselves that that...
• Commented on Fort Hood Shooter bought "cop killer" at "Guns Galore"
  I have never met an irresponsible gun owner, and where I'm from, everyone has guns. Obviously irresponsible and/or dangerous gun owners exist, but the vast, vast, vast majority are just like Xeni. So many times with people who are vehemently...
• Commented on What Role Should GM Food Play in the Future of Agriculture?
  Okay, I demand empirical evidence that I can't digest a GM tomato, for example. That is poppycock. It's beyond insane. It's religious, is what it is. It's like Muslims who say "do you know what happens if you don't cook...
• Commented on Bad Science Begets Ridiculous Results
  1) Oops, Maggie... Busted... 2) Dr. Ariely, if you're still reading, could you post the title of the article in question (the 10 Commandments one)? Your EBSCO list of articles goes on for 5 pages (wow!). I, for one, would...
• Commented on Thieves who stole from child get a public shaming
  Did anyone read TFA? These people found cards in Wal-Mart and used them. The cards had some female's name on them. They knew that the cards did not belong to them, and that someone had misplaced them, but it's not...
• Commented on Secret copyright treaty leaks. It's bad. Very bad.
  I voted for Obama, too, and I am still glad I did. But many of his supporters just projected their desires on him. He's a run-of-the-mill Democrat in a sexy new package. That's all. I knew that going in. That...
• Commented on The Secret of Liquid Smoke
  Yup. You can even make it yourself. I saw it on the Tee-Vee at some point, but I don't remember the show. My dad uses it for various things, and it's great....
• Commented on I Submit This Brief In Support of Why We Should Totally Get It On
  I have actually gotten letters like this, on a couple occasions, and they are not a turn on. They creep the fuck out of me. I'm a guy and I like girls, but I am scared by someone who not...
• Commented on Gadget Reviews: Akai Miniak, Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ and more
  I have quite a bit of M-Audio gear and it's never given me a lick of trouble in Windows or OSX. I recommend it to anyone who isn't above using operating systems that aren't cobbled together by hobbyists. "Doesn't work...
• Commented on Do chimps grieve?
  I'm certain that all animals have emotions. I am constantly baffled by why anyone would think this is not the case. Where the hell do they think we got them? We're not special because we have feelings; we're special because...
• Commented on Norman Rockwell, "King of Photoshop"
  Yeah, I don't really think it's fair to dismiss Rockwell as "corny" either. It's just the amount of time that has passed since those covers is just the right amount for us to find the values celebrated in them to...
• Commented on Dear Britain, please stop helping the fascists
  Alright, Antinous, I was going to pile on and accuse you of rabble-rousing as well, and then you said this: Pretending that fascism is impossible is what makes it possible. Talk to some Germans who lived in the 20s and...
• Commented on Taste test: Togarashi
  Heheh, shichimi is great stuff. I've gotten my parents hooked on it and House-brand Ra-yu (chili-infused soy oil), the kind with the ground chili in it. I have to send some of each to them in the states every few...