Curious_Canid
@Curious_Canid@lemmy.ca
I am owned by several dogs and cats. I have been playing non-computer roleplaying games for almost five decades. I am interested in all kinds of gadgets, particularly knives, flashlights, and pens.
- Comment on I don't have a purpose in life and feel like a robot. This cannot be good for my mental health, but I don't know how or what to change. How do I change? 1 week ago:
I don’t have a general answer for you, but I did want to say that you should not rule out depression as a major component of what’s going on with you. I have a genetically-based cyclic depression that’s been with me more than four decades. Despite that, I have managed to remain employed. It has sometimes been very difficult, but it is possible to remain somewhat functional even when severely depressed. I have had to change jobs a few times because of it, but I’ve been able to make a steady living.
Depression can leave you with very little energy or volition, but very little is different from none. The worse it gets, the more you have to focus on your most critical necessities, which is not pleasant, but it can keep you going. Small victories like that can actually help counteract it. I think a lot of depression is “living to fight another day”.
If you do have depression, there are many things you can try. Therapy, medication, exercise, meditation, mindfullness, support groups, volunteering, hobbies, etc. Start by talking with a doctor.
I wish you the best!
- Comment on Should we create a new political party in the US, specifically for shitting on the rich? 2 weeks ago:
I don’t think we’re going to gain any traction until we override Citizens United and make bribing public officials illegal again. That would allow us to take back the legislative process and begin passing bills that the super rich are not going to like.
- Comment on Why does it seem most people, mainly conservatives, against Trans people? Unless I am wrong I never heard of one shooting up a school church or whatever. The ones I have met have been pretty cool. 4 weeks ago:
“Religion” is too broad a term. Conservatives like to call what they practice Christianity, although it would have appalled Christ. They also like to represent themselves as the mainstream of Christianity, but they are very much in the minority. They just get on the news more often.
- Comment on Is "Red Storm Rising" by Tom Clancy considered a good book? 5 weeks ago:
I don’t think it is generally considered a good book, but I’m sure it depends on who you ask. I thought it had some interesting ideas, but was pretty weak overall.
- Comment on US Elections question: Bernie Sanders said that the Democrats abandoned the working class, and the working class abandoned them. How is this true? 1 month ago:
Neither side has been willing to change, or even talk about, the shift of wealth that has left most people barely able to get by. Working people get less and less reward for their efforts and the difference all goes to the owners. I think that is at least one aspect of Bernie’s complaint about the Democrats.
- Comment on Where does a man get a proper shoe horn that will not break 1 month ago:
Possibly, but life is full of risks.
- Comment on Where does a man get a proper shoe horn that will not break 1 month ago:
What you really need is a carbon fiber shoehorn. If you do manage to deform it the thing will go right back to its original shape.
- Comment on What kind of person am I if I decide to stay in a job, even if my supervisors work against me? 1 month ago:
I understand the desire to get even, but it isn’t likely to happen and it isn’t likely to be satisfying, even if you succeed. You should focus on things that will make your life better and not things that will make someone else’s life worse, even if they richly deserve it.
You are going to have to make some compromises. You are currently putting up with a situation you don’t like, in exchange for the salary, side benefits, and location. That’s isn’t necessarily a bad tradeoff, but it is not likely to be a good long-term situation. Once management decides they have a problem with you, things are going to get worse sooner or later. It will be better for you if you leave rather than being forced out.
You need to make some decisions about which of the things you like about your situation you would be willing to give up for a better job. That will tell you what to do next. Maybe the answer is to hold out for a better position within your current organization, although the chances don’t sound good. You may need to take a salary cut to find a local position that’s better for you. You may need to move. You may even need to change careers entirely.
The key is to make your own decisions and not allow others to force them on you. There are a lot of factors you can’t control. Focus on the ones you can. And don’t stay in a bad situation with the hope that everything will work out the way you want it to.
- Comment on Why is Kamala Harris being held at such a higher standard than Trump this election? 3 months ago:
The right wing has been actively working to undermine our educational system since the early 80’s. A poorly educated populace, particularly one without critical thinking skills, is much easier to manipulate. After four decades of underfunding, restrictive policies, and anti-intellectual propaganda, those efforts are really paying off.
Newt Gingrich and his co-conspirators have been waging war against the people of this country since Reagan was elected. And they are now dangerously close to winning that war.
- Comment on What kind of laptop charger do I need for my laptop 4 months ago:
Dell did some non-standard trickery to allow more than 100W charging through a USB C connector. If it’s one of those laptops it will only charge over 100W with a Dell USB charger.
- Comment on On Bears 4 months ago:
My sister lives in Alaska. The locals say that you can tell if you’re in grizzly territory by checking any bear poop you find. If it contains bells and smell like bear spray, you know there are grizzlies nearby.
- Comment on On Bears 4 months ago:
Polar bears will most likely hunt you, even if they don’t immediately attack. They are terrifyingly good at it.
- Comment on Where can I find rings with extremely rounded edges and half cylinders stacked above a flat band? 4 months ago:
My thought was than an inset, taken as a whole circle, could be referred to as a cylinder. Like you, I couldn’t really make sense of the description and was trying to interpret it. Based on the response above I was way off.
- Comment on Where can I find rings with extremely rounded edges and half cylinders stacked above a flat band? 4 months ago:
I think I understand now, but I’ve never seen a ring like that.
- Comment on Where can I find rings with extremely rounded edges and half cylinders stacked above a flat band? 4 months ago:
I think I understand. When you talk about cylinders on top of the ring you’re referring to what are basically stripes inset into the surface of the ring. Do I have that right?
It sounds like you’re looking for something similar to this, with more rounded edges: i.etsystatic.com/…/icm_fullxfull.662727769_1ui1u9…
I had that one custom made for me by a maker on Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/titaniumknights?ref=profile_hea…
I don’t know whether they could make what you need, but it is a place to start.
Best of luck!
- Comment on Why are weather apps so bad at telling you the current weather? 4 months ago:
NWS is a great resource, but there are a startling number of other organizations that collect weather data.
- Comment on Why are weather apps so bad at telling you the current weather? 4 months ago:
I appreciate that. :-D
- Comment on Why are weather apps so bad at telling you the current weather? 4 months ago:
I appreciate the suggestion. I have thought about it, but part of what I wanted, like the original poster, was more localized information. NWS is great for overall data, but it doesn’t get down to precise locations.
- Comment on Why are weather apps so bad at telling you the current weather? 4 months ago:
Oh, yeah. Not only did they take it away from all Android users, they also killed the API that let other apps access it. I wrote an open-source tool that made Dark Sky data available to Wear OS watch faces. It worked beautifully for several years, until Apple killed it.
The worst of it is that was my second attempt. An earlier version of the same tool worked with Weather Underground data. Then IBM bought it, changed the API completely, and priced it so that only business could afford it.
I haven’t had the heart to try a third time.
- Comment on What are good options for fans (tower, standing, etc.) 4 months ago:
And people often don’t appreciate that a Vornado doesn’t need to oscillate. The air stream they generate will get all the air in a room moving without tilting or turning.
- Comment on How do Texas residents afford electricity? 5 months ago:
Energy pricing in Texas is managed for the benefit of the utilities, not their customers. Some of the people on non-fixed plans who got charged insane amounts just went bankrupt.
Texas is a nearly perfect example of how the Republicans think everything should work.
- Comment on Pros / cons of riding a bike? 6 months ago:
My city plows the bike paths at the same time it plows the emergency routes. We’re in Wisconsin, but a startling number of people still commute by bike all year long.
- Comment on Let's goooooooo 6 months ago:
If you get quantum foam you must be pouring it too fast.
- Comment on Let's goooooooo 7 months ago:
And this does not take into account quantum foam.
- Comment on Honestly 7 months ago:
From an old New Yorker cartoon… Dog: Humans are so cute when they try to understand quantum mechanics!
- Comment on Honestly 7 months ago:
That’s been working well for me through several generations of dogs. Not only do they understand a lot of English pretty well, they also seem to like being spoken too.
- Comment on [deleted] 9 months ago:
I tend to agree with you, but as someone who has been on both sides of interviews, sometimes what nice things they say about you can provide useful information.
At many companies, the hiring process is designed to identify people who are capable, but also highly willing to be exploited. There are also a few companies that use their decent treatment of employees as a hiring tool, and rightfully so.
Capitalism, especially late stage capitalism, works strongly against the interests of individuals who are not billionaires in every aspect of life. Hiring is just another of those areas. Unions are pretty much the only tool within the system that can help non-billionaires.
- Comment on What's the best way to protect outdoor faucets in the winter? 11 months ago:
The advice about turning off the water from inside is the best solution. Having said that, I don’t always do it. The weather has been so variable over the last few years that turning the water on and off got to be a hassle. I do shut if off when we hit the main stretch of winter, but I use covers to guard against the unseasonable freezes that happen on either side of that. I have not had any problems over several years of this, so I think I can say that they work.
- Comment on What is an average person living in the US supposed to do about corporations raising prices? 11 months ago:
Unions are a very good answer to this. They aren’t a complete solution, but they are a big step in the right direction. And they’re something almost everyone can do.
- Comment on How Can I Make this Legless Bed Rise 2-inches? 1 year ago:
For this purpose, I’d recommend something more like this: Leptop Desk Folding Bed Tray
That will sit on the bed, instead of under it, but will raise the surface up to whatever height is needed.
