Also me: QualifiedKitten@kbin.social

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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: July 3rd, 2023

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  • A few years ago, I found myself wondering if my cat wanted a buddy, so I signed up with the local shelter to foster, figuring if it didn’t work out, I’d have an easy “out” to find the new cat another home. I actually wound up fostering a few litters of kittens before adopting a second cat, and have also continued fostering.

    If you decide to adopt or foster, be prepared for the first few weeks to be challenging. Read up on Jackson Galaxy’s guide to cat introductions, and move slowly from step to step. The guide is in 5 parts, here’s part 1: https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blogs/news/cat-introductions-part-1-before-the-introduction

    Some cats accept new cats within days, others may take weeks or longer. My oldest is always super pissed off for the first few days, but we usually reach “Eat, Play, Love” around 2 weeks.








  • Definitely in agreement that the cost of caffeine is a non-factor in the cost of energy drinks vs. other soft drinks.

    I don’t believe Sigma Aldrich sells to the general public though, do they?

    Personally, I prefer the loose powder vs. preportioned capsules or pills, since it allows me easier control over the dose. When I use caffeine powder, I usually mix it into a drink and just sip on it, rather than take it all at once. Sometimes I just want some herbal tea or a sparkling water with a little extra caffeine… I want the caffeine of coffee or energy drinks, but I don’t want the flavor. Way back in the day, I’d add about 200mg caffeine to a 1L bottle of water and sip on that until it was about halfway gone, then top it off with more water to dilute the remaining caffeine.


  • If you can get ahold of it, yes, very cheap. The problem is that a little goes a very long way, so it’s not so easy to get a hold of anymore, at least in the US.

    It was probably 10 years ago that I discovered that I could buy a 500g bag of pure caffeine powder for about $20, plus a milligram scale for another $20. I was drinking quite a bit of sugar free Red Bull at the time, and had been ordering them by the case ($50ish?) to save a little money, so it was a no brainer for me to switch to caffeine powder. Break even point was maybe 2 weeks worth of caffeinated beverages.

    The bad news is a few people OD’d on caffeine powder around that time (completely unrelated to me), so it was pretty much banned. The good news is that 500g is a fucking shit load of caffeine. I often get my caffeine from more traditional sources now (coffee, tea), so that bag may end up lasting me the rest of my life.

    For some additional context, a 250mL (8.4 oz) can of Red Bull contains 80mg caffeine, while a 1/16 teaspoon (~0.3mL) scoop of pure caffeine powder is about 200mg. That works out to less than 0.5¢ ($0.005) of caffeine per Red Bull, and I’m not even getting wholesale pricing.



  • I’d have to say shells, particularly the “shells & cheese” size. I always have quite a few shells stick together and end up undercooked, and I don’t really encounter that challenge with other shapes.

    I actually like orzo a lot, but I’ve always had it in dishes where it behaves like (and is possibly mixed with) rice. I think it adds a nice (creamy?) balance to some other carby things, such as a veggies. Trader Joe’s sells one that really like that has orzo mixed with spinach, sundried tomatoes, and feta(?) cheese.



  • None of these have Jan 1 as the start date, but…

    • I’m getting laid off, so getting a new job is top priority.
    • Continue improving my physical fitness by being more consistent in my running and strength training. I cancelled my gym membership a little over a year ago, and have been struggling with consistency ever since.
      Running outside is so much more enjoyable than running on a treadmill, but I struggle to get myself moving when it’s too cold/wet/dark/hot/sunny outside.
    • I deleted Windows and installed Linux Mint on my “primary” laptop, and it’s good enough for my basic needs, but I want to spend some time getting more comfortable with more complicated things, as I’ve already run into a few tasks that I had to either give up on or switch to a different device for.





  • I wouldn’t say this is my favorite TV episode ever, but my favorite episode from a specific show that I don’t see mentioned elsewhere: Corporate “Natural Beauty” (Season 2, Episode 3). It pokes fun at the different expectations, etc., that men and women face, particularly in the workplace.

    The opening scene shows the female character going through her long morning routine, with occasional cuts to the male character repeatedly hitting the snooze button before rolling out of bed and spending 30 seconds getting dressed. When they each arrive at the office, he’s complimented on his appearance, and she’s told that she looks tired.