I’ve been trying to find some excuses to be optimistic. Here’s a few potential silver linings:

1. If Trump/Project 2025 manages to accomplish their goal of tearing down the federal government, people will suffer immediately, including republicans, when they lose their Medicare, social security, access to healthcare, free education (daycare), prices go up, wages stay stagnant, unemployment and underemployment skyrocket, etc. This could open up a window in 2028 or 2032 where these programs need to be replaced, and it can be with non-halfassed universal systems like single-payer health insurance, UBI, etc. All the big brain swing voters might even be desperate and angry enough to actually pay attention and support them.

2. I hope 2024 demonstrated the importance of having primaries and participating in them. We might look forward to increased turnout in 2026 and 2028 primaries. If people want to nominate a left-leaning Democrat, primary turnout needs to be overwhelming. Unfortunately they might need to see centrists get wrecked a few more times. It’s possible that a third party rises out of this eventually, but more likely a progressive Democrat will eventually get a chance to run. In any case, sitting on your hands and whining about the system is not effective.

Do these help during the next 4 years? Not really, but go vote in the fucking primary in 2026 and nominate congressional candidates who want to talk about progressive policies. A little bit of hope goes a long way. Moderates don’t offer hope. 2016-2020 felt bearable because I thought Sanders would have a chance in 2020. I need some hope for 2028.

Also vote in your local elections in 2025 and 2027 too.

Well I did say they are dumb AF.

Hope there will be a legitimate election in 2028, and show up to the fucking primary before it and in 2026.

I think Trump won because of the economy. Yes, he has a rabid base that really does want his fascism, but the voters who pushed him over the edge are ones suffering because inflation and the wealth gap that has just been allowed to increase unimpeded. Those voters don’t want fascism - they’re just dumb AF and don’t pay attention. They just voted for “change.”

These problems will only increase over the next 4 years, so there will be another opportunity defy the status quo in 2028. We had a chance and failed to do in 2016. We came closer in 2020. We didn’t have a real primary in 2024. When we get to 2028, it’s time to fucking do it.

We’re buying each other a new bed, I hope. The gift that keeps on giving. (The shit we have now is horrible.) You could go for something that enhances your home life together.

I used to go into Bed Bad and Beyond when I couldn’t think of anything, and walk out with a bag full of small things she wouldn’t normally go looking for herself. Neck warmers, fuzzy socks, bath bombs, candles, that sort of thing. If your trip is the big gift, you could do a basket (or stocking) of smaller cozy stuff.

I have nipples, Greg.

Someone’s got a bad case of the Tuesdays.

I’m using part of this comment to inform my monitor purchases for the rest of my life.

At my last office job, years ago when I was young and lived with my parents and had very few financial obligations, I would always ask to clock out and leave whenever I ran out of work to do for the day. It was always busy mornings and slow afternoons. My boss thought I was insane for not wanting to get paid to sit there and fuck around on Facebook (her exact words.) But to me it was worth losing $30-60 to gain back 3-6 hours of my personal life every week.

The boss and most co-workers were great, and the work wasn’t even bad when it was busy, but just physically being present there was soul-crushing.

0.00m 69yo

Do you know if people still play galactic starfighter (GSF) in SWTOR? Or if it’s gotten any updates? It became my favorite thing to do in game, but it wasn’t very popular, and last time I tried I sat in queue for a while before giving up. (I liked Squadrons but that also tapered off quickly.)

The rest of the game is great too. I treat it like FFXIV - play every now and then to catch up on the story, though it’s been a while since I’ve played SWTOR. I don’t know if I agree the story content is better than FFXIV (after ARR at least - especially Shadowbringers and Endwalker), but I can see why some people would like it more. It’s consistently good from start to finish. Anyone who likes Star Wars and gaming is missing out on a huge variety of stories and fun if they don’t play it.

Anyway, might need to give it a go again.

I tried. Damn this accursed battery!

1. You are human. Accept that imperfection is a built-in feature. No one is going make 100% of people happy. It’s not possible.

2. 95% is great. Your lessons are more successful than most, I reckon. You know if you’re doing a good job or not. You’re the expert here - not the 5%.

3. You have to accept that you can’t control how other people feel, how things affect them, or how they behave. Your lessons may just not reach certain types, and that is probably not your fault. It may not be their fault either, but they may not understand that.

4. Students (especially teenagers and often college-age) often think they know the one right way that everything should be done. They’ll find out eventually, hopefully, that their views aren’t infallible, or they’ll grow up to be insufferable. Many students are also just vindictive in reviews if they find out a class isn’t as easy as they expected or if they got a bad grade when they didn’t study. The possibilities are so endless that you’ll just drive yourself insane if you try to take every criticism at face value, when they may well be mostly fiction. (Your being upset by the negative reviews may be their intention.)

Look at other reviews of other instructors, teachers, professors, etc. and you’ll see a pattern. Grade yourself on a curve.

I saw two artistic swim teams in a row use Eminem’s Lose Yourself.

I always look elsewhere and use Amazon as a last resort, especially for expensive or easily scammed stuff like PC parts. I prefer B&H for that in the US. They ship free and faster anyway over $50. And I save time by not needing to inspect everything to see if it’s used or counterfeit.

I really just hate the marketplace models Amazon and Newegg use.

I’ve been playing Dying Light (1) on PC for the first time. I really like it, but I’m questioning whether I want to play a high-stress game where I’m constantly looking over my shoulder right now.

Debating getting RDR1 on Switch instead, or waiting to see if it ever comes out on PC. Have any of you played it on Switch? and is it a good experience? RDR2 has been in my Steam library for about a year but I’m holding off till I play the first game.

Barbed, for everyone’s horror.

This is such a wild departure from real beauty pageants, which have always been known for pushing realistic beauty standards and for making normal women feel good about their bodies.

I’ve always been a PC+Nintendo person. I get mostly just Nintendo’s games (Mario Kart, Smash, Zelda, Metroid, Splatoon, etc.) and some party games on console, and everything else on PC.

There’s not been a time in my life when I haven’t had the first-party Nintendo lineup since the NES came out when I was like 8. Since most non-Nintendo games seem to eventually make their way to PC these days, they complement each other nicely.

Whenever I see questions like this, I know there are going to be a lot of answers about how bad this or that jewelry is, or how traditional rings are evil or a waste of money, or whatever. Luckily I don’t see any anti-marriage replies yet. In any case it’s a good idea to not preemptively use logic and morals to override what your future wife will want and feel.

But this is the right answer. I think if you’re going to get married, it’s good to be at a point in your relationship where you’re talking about these things and you can just choose ring together, or at least discuss if she wants you to be the one who selects it, or if she doesn’t want diamonds, or how much to spend, and whatever else. You should be as confident in choosing a ring you know she’ll like as you are in marrying the person. The best way to do that is to communicate and do it together.

It’s just not the same…