You mean there’s a sucker reborn every day!

I suppose that is true of everything in the world though. Cars jump to mind pretty quickly.

I’m curious how SMRs will end up affecting overall cost of nuclear as well. Once we get into a unit that can be mass produced rather than tailor making each site, I could see the line going down at least a bit and would also allow us to keep pushing those boundaries.

You are definitely being downvoted here by men who realize that they’ve used females as a noun and don’t want to admit why that was wrong. I’m sure I will be downvoted too, so let’s be friends!

I’m sorry, but I this just isn’t true. Calling women females is definitely an incel thing (although admittedly has come more into mainstream (male) lexicon because of the algorithms).

Female/male is an adjective. Woman/man is a noun. A woman is female (not in a TERF way, lol), but she isn’t a female any more than she is a short.

While I’ve not done a deep dive into the origins, incels pushed the female thing it seems largely because they don’t see women as human and want to make them sound like they’re a different species. It might have even started off from incels calling women “the female species” because that’s a term I’ve definitely seen before in those communities.

I’m not sure he misses out on sexual relationships at all though. Strap ons are a thing, and can be very effective (ask a lesbian, or a trans man!) and there are LOTS of ways to have sex that don’t involve the traditional act people tend to reduce it down to.

Also, disabled people also have sex. The idea that they don’t is ableist AF.

I’m in this boat too. Most of my online friends I only really get to talk to via discord. Not sure what I’m gonna do, because they won’t end up budging.

I love pineapple on pizza and I almost reflexively down voted this… I should probably look at that in myself.

Wait - that’s a monthly cost? Are you in the US? $35/month is definitely not possible in any US state unless you’re supplementing with another food source. Even if all you eat is a box of pasta and can of sauce a day I’d be shocked if you could stay at $35 and definitely that’s nutritionally questionable.

I started learning violin almost 3 years ago. I take lessons. I still suck a lot but I keep going because I do enjoy learning, even if it’s often frustrating. I have absolutely no musical background and was actively encouraged not to pursue an instrument when I was young because of the expense, so I guess it’s also a way to reclaim my childhood.

Much easier for men to blame women than acknowledge that patriarchy is bad for them too

Several people mentioned chickens but I think bees are also a good choice, especially if you are growing food. Honey is already an expensive item, and I feel like you could barter with it pretty easily since everyone else will have chickens. Sweet treats during a depression are hard to come by.

Community is definitely the correct answer. Realistically, the end of the world won’t be the end of the world forever. Get to know your neighbors and diversify what you can provide based on what they can provide. If they’ve got chickens, focus on something else you can provide, like veggies or woodworking. Rugged individualism isn’t all it’s cut out to be.

This is also good advice for non-end of the world stuff. Maybe a tornado leaves you without power for a week. Interconnected communities recover faster.

This is such an important distinction, tbh

Woah, hey now. I doubt she’s got the depth or the warmth to be called that!

I can only speak for my own experience, but here’s what I’ve been doing.

I have had an interest in the violin since I was in middle school. Back then my parents couldn’t afford to get me one, much less lessons. I tried twice as a adult to pick it up on my own (renting an instrument and watching videos on YouTube) but both times I couldn’t stick with it and ended up returning the instrument. I eventually bought one secondhand and told myself I’d learn at some point. But after the times with the rental I couldn’t bring myself to try. I knew how bad I’d been at it before. Then, about 2.5 years ago, I got a raise at work and decided I’d try again, paying for lessons this time. My instructor and I worked out a system for me. I never ever touch the violin when I don’t want to. I’m still not good at playing it! But I still LOVE playing it when I do. Over the last two years I learned that it was never the fact that I sucked that tore me away from the violin. It was that I had framed it as a task I HAD to do to get better. And I would grow to hate picking it up and so eventually just give up. Now though, I practice just about every day that I’m home for, but if I look at it and feel dread, I just don’t. I circle back a few hours later and try again. Usually it’s passed, sometime not. I don’t question it any more.

Honestly I’m at the point now where I could probably stop frequent lessons and still grow and learn from YouTube and the occasional one off lesson, but I like the motivation my teacher gives me. I still have an insane amount of way to go to be what I’d call good at playing, but it’s still fun!

Over the last couple years I’ve been trying this with all my interests. I sew now! I’m getting marginally better with every dumb project. When I look at it and I feel dread (real dread, not indifference) then I pass it over for the hour, or day. If I’m indifferent, I push myself to do 3 minutes of something. 3 minutes is a good start. No timer though. Just not the time on my phone and start. I’ve never even looked at my phone within those 3 minutes. And usually after getting started I am invested in continuing.

The hard part about all this is that is requires you to be disciplined and honest with yourself. Some days you’ll fail at that (I certainly do!) but it does get easier over the long term (although you’ll fall off after months of solid progress and have to get back to it after, and that will suck). Most people don’t take the time to really think about their own emotional state and this requires (not recommends, REQUIRES) you to do that.

Good luck. You’re going to have good days and bad days, but as long as you keep working, your skills (for your hobby and for your understanding of yourself) will grow and grow! I hate to prove all those therapists out there right, but it actually is kinda rewarding.

Hobbies are great ways to find the friends! If it’s a hobby that requires you to buy stuff, just start asking the staff at the store for recommendations for groups that you might be able to join. Check Facebook or Twitter for people (in your area or just in general) that are already in said hobby. You stand to make friends AND get better at said hobby. Win win.

I get it. When you’re a kid, friends come from being locked up in the same building all day. As an adult the options are work or community (religious house, community center, or hobby specific spaces). It is harder because you only spend a similar amount of time as you did at school in one of those and it’s the least fun one. But it can be done! It just takes time. I guess that advice goes for hobbies and for friendships.

I was wondering how far I’d have to scroll to find a The Good Place reference. Thank you for your contribution.

This is probably the “right” answer if you are morally bothered by your job but not able to just quit. That and continuing to look for something else in the meantime.

Congratulations! I hope your new job is rewarding and long lasting!