Tricky thing is believing in something gives you commonality. Not believing in something really doesn’t.

“I don’t believe.”

“Me either.”

“Good talk. Same time next week?”

I wouldn’t call it ignorance. My bliss is based on considerable reading and contemplation. Way more than ought to be necessary, all things considered. I wish some of the understanding I’ve developed over the years would’ve been explained when I was young. There are things which, once explained, drive the logical mind to an inevitable conclusion.

I’ve been there. Posted my story, but I didn’t talk about the lifelong anxiety that comes with a lengthy layoff. Continually pursued higher pay at shittier jobs to try to get ahead of things for when the rug gets pulled out from under me again. It’s corrosive. Losing income and insurance when everyone is counting on you to provide makes you feel like your self-worth is completely tied to your job and ability to provide.

Which time?

First time happened after I’d been with my first real job for ten years because the business was changing and there wasn’t a role for me. I was out of work for 7 shitty months trying to have my own business starting from the few customers we had left when they let me go. It was right after I bought a house and had a baby. It was fucking awful.

Second time was after COVID. First we all took a 10% pay cut to avoid layoffs. Then two months later when federal assistance expired, they cut 1/3 of the company across the board. I’m a little fucking bitter about that to be honest, but I had a new remote job lined up within a couple of weeks that paid quite a bit better.

Last time was 5 months ago. Just got hired this week. Start next month. It sucked. Wiped out my whole retirement savings, so I get to start over at 51. But we made it through and potentially I won’t have to switch companies again.

I don’t remember after my first car. But I got a really big raise at work one year and bought the new Malibu the year it was redesigned. Black with leather interior. First song played:

Radar Love by Golden Earring

It’s a great fucking song to drive too fast to.

You can’t make a person understand anything. If the very simple explanation of “draft the unwilling and send them to die” doesn’t convince them, they don’t want to be convinced. I couldn’t name a single person who thinks that’s good, just maybe some folks who would say it’s sometimes a grim necessity. And I guess I’m in the latter camp, but shit would have to be dire.

I could list a bunch of movies but it’s easier to say anything scored by John Williams. Superman, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws. I never caught Close Encounters of the Third Kind but I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s good just on faith.

He scored some other things, but that’s what I remember off the top of my head.

The scariest threat in the event you’re affected by the data breach is if someone has enough information to open credit in your name. There’s a website you can look yourself up on. I have it in my pc I think, but not my phone. They have my name and ssn, but an old address that’s not valid any more. Maybe someone can link it. I’ll see if I can find it in the morning if no one does.

2FA is good to use when available.

That’s mainly it. It could be the most likely threat is to email you scary things to try to get you to click on the wrong thing. Or calling you up with the classic threat that the sheriff is on his way to arrest you now over some outstanding debt. I know wtf I’m doing with security and I’ve still fallen for a phishing scheme (caught it before any harm was some, but still clicked the damn email). My wife fell for the sheriff thing—sucks when they do find a blemish on your credit to really sell you on they are a real debt collector.

I really don’t think it’s generally accepted at all. It may work for some people, but is the rate higher than placebo? Are there studies? It’s nothing I’ve kept up to date on, but last I knew it was largely considered to be on the level of psychic readings as far as accepted science goes.

First, comparing yourself to others is a recipe for unhappiness. I guarantee unhappiness and ennui is part of every day American life as well. I’m living it. I don’t know why I get out of bed each day other than to provide for my family, and I’ve been out of work for 5 months. Feels like waiting around to die, honestly. Maybe you think being in America would solve your problems, but it just presents a different set.

Second, accept the things you can’t change. If you can’t fix something, let go of worrying about it. Easier said than done and beware of telling yourself you can’t change something when you can, but if there is something you can’t fix, let it be. I know you said you’ve gotten that advice already. It’s easy to hear but hard to accept.

Third, set yourself some achievable goals. If it’s exercise or reading a book or painting a picture. Especially if it’s a step toward fixing one of those things that’s big, but not impossible to change. I’ve seen people build houses with their own hands over several years - one piece at a time. I have a friend who is mid-40’s and getting her 4-year degree. One class per semester. She’s on class three now. Eventually she will get there. I’ve set some goals to improve my physical health. It’s a long fucking road. I lost 60 lbs. about 8 years ago. Gained it all back. Now it’s time to tackle it again.

Fourth, make yourself look for good things. It’s a beautiful sunny evening here after days of rain. I didn’t achieve much today, but I can appreciate the warmth on my skin and the blue and white sky. My wife is out of the house taking a crafting class with a friend and I’m happy for her because that doesn’t happen often. I have some interviews this week and maybe one will be the right fit. Whatever the good things are in your life, find them and spend a little time just appreciating them.

Good luck, my friend.

I found this very interesting. Thanks for adding all that.

Thanks for sharing. It’s important to get all our big feelings out when we’re frustrated about something.

Voyager is a PWA. It works on both Android and Apple, as well as computers.

https://wefwef.app/

Edit: I guess the url changed when the name changed to Voyager, but wefwef still works.

I know it’s confusing being new to Lemmy, but just relax. The information about a board is in the sidebar area, just like on Reddit.

This?

They would all ask everyone for their pronouns regardless of how evident their gender seems to be.

I could’ve written this. Same answers, same reasoning. Word for word.

Ultimately the reviewer should be paid for their efforts because honest reviews are their livelihood. Saying, “I liked this and if my review helped, buy through this link to support me for free,” is a fairly innocuous way.

Is it completely unproblematic? No, but earning money for your opinion is always going to be fraught.

If you’re using an app to help stop, you already have an answer and no word salad is going to tell us anything more than it tells you. I don’t care what kind of legal porn you watch or how often. What you shared doesn’t even say how much, just terms.

So you think you have a problem and… what? You want someone to talk you out of it? Not my place, but good luck negotiating this aspect of your life and hopefully you are satisfied by whatever conclusion you come to—every pun intended.

Probably be better off talking to a teacher once school starts. They are mandatory reporters if abuse is happening. Also there are tools at the school like counselors and potentially support groups that police probably won’t have.

I don’t recall when I first started using the internet. Late 80’s or very early 90’s. No WWW back then. It was all IRC and gopher and newsgroups and other things I don’t remember. I lived near MSU, so I could dial in for free because it was a local call.

And then once you got in, it was hard to find anything to actually do. It kinda felt like exploring Mars. But eventually I found things. Very exclusive club and very good times that I miss. No advertisements. No one trying to make a sale.