Last two places I worked we used HireRight to run background checks on all new hires. I have my own document. I worked in Cyber; one company was data analytics, the other was finance.

The service will take the information you submitted at application and verifiy if it is true. They literally call former employers and the schools you list (college only). They run a public records check and when its all done, it goes to the HR goons. I never saw the reports except my own. Each one costs about $600. There are always some minor discrepancies, the company will add a note; if there are little ones, they will note and advise that there is nothing concerning. I never had one come back bad. A different leader did, and it just means that they have a conversation with the candidate and let them explain.

On mine, I had some criminal history hits for a different person with the same name as me. They were in states where I did not live and it was pretty clear it was someone else. They also did a credit report.

So they are real and they do happen. They are VERY thorough. They are also expensive and most places dont want to pay for them. I had it done as I was a senior director in cyber security. I doubt all parts of the workforce have it done.

No, I just got regular fired.

My wife is very protective of me for some odd reason. She likes to joke about how I should watch out for nets (I’m a fish?). If I don’t turn up somewhere she’ll call me in less than an hour. We both work from home (when I’m employed that is) so we’re always around each other. It’s rare that I go anywhere unless I have to travel for work, and that has typically not been a lot.

I also have a home automation platform where I do location tracking and plot us on a map. If I were to fall off, it’d be pretty noticeable.

I’m guessing if anyone were to snatch me, they’d get an hour head start before wifey started chasing them down with a shotgun. Kinda nice to think that someone is looking out for me. I guess all that box chowing has paid off.

Before it was lead, chromium and Christ knows what since there was little visibility and less oversight.

Now we have inexpensive, easy to install reverse osmosis that is within reach of nearly any person who isn’t destitute. During the lead days, it was out of reach for nearly everyone due to size, relative complexity, cost and general availability.

Today we have test kits for many type of pollutants and the water authorities have mandated reporting for water quality.

When I was a kid 30 years ago, we lived in the country and drank shit water from a well out in the country. Tasted and smelled like sulfur. We also had a neighbor who owned property with nothing on it but what looked like a cistern cap (underground water tank). Every so often a tanker truck would show up and leave shortly thereafter. We never knew what the hell that tanker was putting into the cistern or if there was even one down there. It could have very well just been a cap that led right into the damn dirt. Every person in my immediate family has endocrine/thyroid problems, none of the extended family does. Was it the mystery truck that was dumping fucky chemicals right into the ground? I will never know, but if we had reverse osmosis back then, none of us would be at the fucking doctor as much as we are. Hormone replacement as a 35 year old man is some shit. Hashimodos is a pain in the dick.

My kids grew up drinking nothing but purified water. If the local water authority was lying and producing shit, at least I’ve been able to add a layer of protection all for about $250 and an hour of my time to set it up.’

I’m voting for better now, shittier then.

Also: https://sls.eff.org/

Why would he care? Who is going to do anything to him? Dude did Nazi salutes on stage, ain’t shit happen but offense.

Could he just perhaps pull a reverse card and go un-crazy? Do something useful instead of just making everything worse?

Huh? Richest dude on the planet did and nothing bad has happened to him. Sadly, it appears to be 100% ok to go full Hitler anymore.

If only these people would go FULL Hitler and finish themselves off (sooner rather than later).

Or press the +30 button and bask in the glory of food cooked for 39 seconds.

Soooo, when in Rome?

Perplexity says:

The priest cannot be left alone with the child (or there is some risk).

Not bad, and it solved it correctly.

Back in grad school, but in NYC for some reason. Doing a shitty job, fucking up assignments that are 3rd grader level math. I’m doing it all on paper which I never did and then lost my entire brief bag when it somehow fell off a bus I was riding. Called wife to tell her that I couldn’t do it anymore, lost all my notes, papers, assignments and would not be able to recover it all to pass semester.

Grad school was more than 15 years ago. I was in NYC somewhat recently and did go to the wrong address for a meeting and was late as a consequence.

Nfi.

Thing is, I would like to have some time for this. However, I just can’t prioritize it above the responsibilities of life. If I don’t play a game, there is no real impact beyond a little disappointment. If I don’t handle the other stuff, there are real and immediate (often expensive) consequences.

I believe that every person should have a hobby that enriches their life. However, I also feel like that enrichment demands some effort. Things like painting, playing an instrument, sculpting, demand effort but provide reward in equal measure over time. Not just for the individual, but for others who also get to experience the results.

Playing a game is an indulgence; its like a movie or show that you participate in. The end result is an experience for the player alone.

I don’t see life enrichment by pursuit of arts and crafts as the same as consuming a game. I truly believe that you must move beyond playing games and that adults who do not pursue beyond are experiencing arrested development. Games are fun, but if you stop there, you miss so much. That’s why I don’t prioritize them and I find it fascinating that saying something as noncontroversial like “you should stop gaming at a certain age” really touches a nerve with so many people.

I switched to books. Portable, cheap, can start/stop any time. Can read in down moments, can listen on long car rides.

I started playing Outer Wilds. I just don’t have the time to prioritize it to the point where I can enjoy it.

I haven’t played a game for more than 30 minutes in years.

Once you have a big boy job, responsibilities, and a family (if you choose to do so) game time ends up being really low on the list of priorities.

I’m sure many will disagree, but you just can’t devote time to such things once you are an adult. You have to outgrow such indulgences or life will smack you in the dick. If your car is broken, the dishwasher is being an asshole, you need to refinance, the kids have music lessons, the dog is old and needs to go to the vet (again), your mom needs someone to replace her hose faucet, you just can’t sit around dicking around with a game.

Best: distant cousins fancy wedding at a seaside place somewhere in Massachusetts. Been a while. Wedding was expensive, but not long. Reception was at a yacht club right on the ocean. So beautiful, food was fantastic, they had a wide variety of desserts, not just wedding cake, fun DJ, coffee cart with everything you could want. I was awkward 19 year old and some pretty girl wanted to dance with me which NEVER happens. Was a nice confidence lift–until dancing because I dance like a complete imbecile. Still worth it.

Worst was high school friends wedding, not long after high school graduation. They were young. Married in tired old church a mile from where we went to school (rural, poor). Was summer, no ac because poor. Reception was in bingo hall/basketball gym next door to church where we had junior high dances. Food was mad gross, came from nasty restaurant down the street. Just country slop. Tables were literally folding tables with a sheet of white paper on them and a tiny bit of confetti. No flowers, no other decorations. They did have a plastic disposable cup of mixed nuts. Cup was the size of a salsa side. My brother sat down, ate the whole thing in one mouthful so that was that. He also used the disposable cameras left (no photographer) to take a pixture of his ass. DJ was a relative who played garbage music that was just what he (in his late 50s) liked so it was ass. His setup was old and sounded like shit, did not help that the space was tile floor and cinderblock walls so it was an echoy mess. Then he got super drunk less than an hour in and left–took his shitty equipment with him. Bride is pissed (but it was her uncle) so someone found a boombox and put the bingo announcer microphone in front of it. It sounded just like you would think. I left at that point, had enough. They’re still married, she’s still a shrew, hes OK i guess but never understood that relationship. I’m pretty sure there is a dom/sub sex thing going on, she’s the dom (frequently wearing tall black leather boots even when its hot out or would seem out of place). To each their own, they’ve been married for 30 years, so something is working.

I think this is far more important than people realize. Your gut is your 2nd brain.
This was posted a few days ago: https://undark.org/2025/06/24/mental-illness-ketogenic-diet/

Short version is that diet controls are able to provide very large improvements for schizophrenia. That is huge.

Also, being able to regulate emotions is a big deal, but most people have no idea how to even begin. Mr Rogers talked about it a lot. He was wise. I found a LOT of insight from the book Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright. It talks about the evolutionary aspects of emotions as well as some cognitive theory like modular theory of mind: https://exploringkodawari.blog/modular-theory-of-mind/

There is a lot that most adults just do not know about how they think and feel. They are not at all aware of their emotional states and the cause and effect relationship between external inputs and the emotions that result. To me, this sort of information should be taught to children and all the way through their schooling. I think we would have a lot fewer people who are a tangled up mess as adults.

I have found that my own life has improved greatly by seeking answers to these questions. You’re never really in control of your emotions, but once you are aware of them, they won’t control you anymore.

I need this ducky. I need it so bad. Its not fair that I don’t have a ducky of my own.

Stop this. This is how poison like Malort is made. We dont need to create its successor.

It is evidence of how bad life used to be. If that shit was the treat, what was normal food like?!

Those Choceur bars are pretty good. My favorite treat are Droste pastilles but the aldi bars will do.