If you see me somewhere please let me know. I’ve no idea where I went.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 2nd, 2023

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  • Check the employee handbook for details and definitions to see how they view PTO, etc. When I was originally hired they said my salary was calculated based on a 45-hour work week. While I usually fall an hour short, I do tend to work through my lunches (eat at my desk as I catch up on email or other lighter work) and there are a couple late nights or weekend events each year that balance that out.

    Now: if I work a weekend event, I am told to take the equivalent time off elsewhere. That’s fair, and it’s nice to have the time back. If I have a dentist appointment or something, I can just go and come back. If I have to do an errand while shops are open, I can do that. As long as my work gets done it’s all good.

    For day to day, I tend to show up & leave at the same time. They like that since it’s predictable for them. I’m usually a few minutes early and go home when I reach a stopping point. I found a vintage talking clock from the late 80s that still works and have it on my desk. I originally got it to annoy my office-mate but she thinks it’s funny and it actually reminds us to head home on time. Setting a recurring alarm to remind you it’s quitting time might help.

    Overall I find salaried work more laid back, and setting your own routine helps keep a little structure for peace of mind. Just communicate to your supervisor about your comings & goings so they know how to plan.


  • Atheism is the rejection of an assertion that there is a god or gods. If any theists were able to prove the existence of a god, an atheist would (hopefully) change their mind. Rejecting all gods until their existence can be proven is hardly inconsistent.

    I reject as true books that say the X-Men exist. Those are first hand sources, but that does not mean the stories they contain are true, even though they are more morally consistent than most popular religious texts. I have not read the X-Men but that is no reason to assume they are true.

    Extraordinary assertions such as a devine being existing require extraordinary proof. No religions have managed to provide more than heresay, anecdotal evidence, and assumption to support their claoms. Religious reasoning is as best motivated, and hardly consistent itself.

    My opinion is based on how world religions are used by their followers and those in power. All I see is religion used as a tools to control, intimidate, otherise, and war with any group considered “not us” - no matter the religion. I have read summaries of the Bible, Quaran, and Book of Mormon. There is nothing of note in any of them. Any possible good advice or dictate has long since been rephrased, refined, and adopted by society. The beauty of a thing is in its utility, and the use I see religion put to buy those in power is ugly. I want nothing to do with poisonous dogma, and instead choose to try making life better for those around me by direct action. Not by wishing for a god to do so, or wasting this precious life gambling that their might be something better after it ends.


  • I don’t have to read a religious text to know it’s not true, and though you may have been lucky enough to grow up untainted by society, these books have not. The issue with going to sources so entrenched in studying religious text is that they are already tainted by the need to keep the text alive. Should they cast any doubt at all their livelihood will vanish.

    No religion has ever offered verifiable proof of any supernatural claim. Once they do I will pay attention.


  • Apologies for my assumption of your holy book of choice. You realise the Qur’an is the “sequel” to the Bible, which was itself derivative of the Torah, which was based on more ancient myths, etc etc. All of them passed down verbally for generations before written, all of them changed to suit the storytellers’ needs, and all of them FAR from flawless. Historical and scientific inaccuracies aside, none of them are even internally consistent. I have difficulty believing you have applied objective, critical thought to any religious text.


  • It sounds like you are firmly entrenched in your religion. I’m glad you enjoy reading Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, but it turns out people tend to skew in one of two directions: those without a propensity for analytical thought tend to skew religious - for example, the children in the study you cite - and those who think critically reject religion. There’s even a paper on this.

    If your religion brings you happiness and peace, more power to you. However, I would encourage you to rethink your ideas on logic and science illiteracy. Consider that it might actually be very difficult in a world & countless communities built around religion for someone to break away from that social norm, analyse religion objectively, and reject an idea that cannot be proven.


  • Thank you for introducing me to a new (to me) band! Yeah, life can be kind of a roller coaster, and everyone’s interests ebb and flow (as you’ve discovered with yourself and your bandmates). Sadly we only have so much energy to roll with it, and I’m sorry you’re at a low energy area right now. Those suck, and it is VERY difficult to battle inertia and muscle back into the fray.

    Art is kinda cruel in the way that it makes you choose - familiar and possibly uninspiring, or new and possibly a frustrating dead end. The reason I mentioned the M8 was largely due to its pocketability. It’s not much bigger than a large smartphone but it’s a whole production device with instant-on and a sensible design. Work on stuff during lunch, at the park, on the bus, etc. But there is a learning curve, so spending a lot of energy you might not have may get frustrating if it doesn’t click right away.

    One thing you might try is suggesting gentle deadlines or challenges for yourself and your bandmates - like write a catchy 10-second jingle by the end of the week. Or parody the chorus of an existing song by the end of your next phone call. A deadline for something silly is easier to meet, and you all would have created something and had a little fun.

    There are a lot of amazing people here suggesting different things you can do, and I notice a lot of their ideas are creative activities. I think you can land on any of those and find satisfaction. There’s no high like creation. No matter what, remember that things always change. If you’re at a low point, it can’t last forever, especially if you keep powering through it. You’ll come out ahead.







  • Thank you but I dont have the patience to write a book! You can usually find DIY books used. Flip through the chapters to see if it explains things in a way that works for you.

    Black & Decker released a book on DIY home repair with easy to follow steps & photos, broken down by the type of repair (structure, plumbing, electric). There’s also a bunch of websites like thisoldhouse.com with DIY tips and walkthroughs.

    You used to be able to find Haynes repair manuals for most cars & trucks, but vehicles are so computerised these days I’m not sure if they still do. Your car’s owner’s manual should have all the basic information in it for regular maintenance, and YouTube is a good source for car repair videos. If you have the money, most technical colleges hold classes on car repair that cost less than a couple trips to a mechanic.

    Power tools and sewing machines are cheap on the used market if you’re patient. A lot of people these days just dont bother with them, so if a family member dies their adult children just get rid of that stuff. Learning to sew a basic straight stitch is easy on YouTube and there are online Singer sewing machine groups that are very helpful for machine repair and maintenance. Find an all-metal vintage Singer, like a Model 15 or 99. These things were built like tanks and are easy to keep running with regular oiling & use. You van make and repair clothing, bags & accessories, and anything you want. With the right needle you can sew leather as well. Hand-sewing is a great skill for minor repairs and popped buttons.

    Basic soldering is also very straightforward, and you can get a decent kit for around US$20 or so. YouTube has lots of videos that walk you through the process, and there is no end to broken electronics to practise on.

    If these’s a maker group in your area, find them and see what’s up. They can dial you in to all sorts of good info.


  • Learn to repair a variety of things - sewing, soldering, basic woodworking and construction. Discover how things work so you can troubleshoot and assess if something is repairable. There are tonnes of books out there and plenty of YouTube videos.

    Buy used. Broken, if you think you can fix it. Dumpster dive. Thrift everything, especially clothing. Hit estate sales for tools and other things people don’t get rid of when they are alive. Keep a list of things so you don’t forget what you need to buy.

    Use your skills to help friends and neighbors to fix or find things they need. Often they have a different skillset and will help you with things you might need in the future. It doesn’t hurt to have a network.

    Don’t be afraid to ask about pricing and haggle a bit, but always be polite and know when to compromise or back down. If you see something has sold for a low price online, odds are it will sell again for that if you are patient and keep watch. Bide your time.

    Don’t get sucked into trends. Used books read the same, decades old video games play the same even if you get them free on their 10-year anniversary promotion.

    All that said, if you must buy, go for quality. Something you use every day is worth paying extra for higher quality, and sometimes quality means excellent customer support or a robust warranty. Quality tools make your job easier, but even cheap hand tools can be worth it if you only need them occasionally.

    That’s it, I can’t think of a cool way to close this. This is just how I manage to do okay without spending a bunch of my hard earned money.


  • Honestly something I got for my partner - a silicone microwave popcorn bowl kinda like this one. I stumbled across it at Goodwill, still brand new.

    It’s a medium sized, black silicone bowl with a vented cover - fill a recessed space in the bottom with normal popcorn and microwave for a few minutes.

    No extra packaging, no grease, easy cleanup, and you can use cheap (or super nice) popcorn as you like. And it collapses down for storage.


  • I haven’t seen anybody mention failing systems. These consoles are all old enough that some TLC may be required soon to replace failing capacitors, etc. If you’re good with that and the (light) headaches involved in connecting old consoles to new TVs, there are solid recommendations in this discussion.

    If you’re okay with emulation, the Anbernic RG351MP (or the newer 353) will play games from Atari 2600 through PlayStation 1, including arcade machines and old DOS games. The Anbernic hardware is very nice and exceptionally portable.

    Steam Deck and Nintendo New 3DS are also phenomenal emulators for old games, but require some setup.


    • USB power bank
    • multi-tip charging/data cable (C/micro-B/Lightning)
    • bandages
    • ibuprofen
    • nail trimmer
    • small Maglite
    • tiny tin of petroleum jelly (I dont like chap-skick)
    • reusable silverware + chopsticks
    • iPad Pro 10.5 & pencil
    • Samsung Note 8 +512GB card (for music, podcasts, notes, OTG storage)
    • headphones (Moondrop Chu2)
    • pen & pencil
    • sewing kit in a tiny mint tin
    • Dirtywave M8 music tracker (my current obsession)
    • Leatherman Juice Pro + Victorinox eyeglass screwdriver
    • Leatherman Squirt S4
    • cotton bandana & eyeglass cloth
    • combination USB-A/C microSD card reader
    • elastic band(s)
    • OM System LS-P5 field recorder
    • aux cable

    I’m sure there’s more I’ve forgotten but there is a cat on me so I am unable to move until he leaves. Sorry, I dont make the rules.