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TIL That Reality TV Shows Try to Cast People with What is Known as Cluster B Personality Disorders | [Cluster B Personality Disorders](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personality_disorder#Cluster_B_.28dramatic.2C_emotional_or_erratic_disorders.29)
From the NYT article: ["It has been bred for years by casting directors screening for what are known as “Cluster B” personalities, those prone to histrionics, aggression, hypersexuality, drug abuse — and auditioning for reality-TV shows."](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/magazine/03Pinsky-t.html?pagewanted=3) | 59 | [
{
"body": "They try to cast people who are dramatic, erratic and emotional? I'm shocked! Shocked! Well, not that shocked.",
"score": 30
},
{
"body": "Sounds like a purely business decision. \nWho really wants to watch a well-balanced person debating on how we must respect everyone, and be nice all the time, when you can be entertained by a screaming crazy ____ who pissed everyone off, and doesnt give a damn? \n\nThe do-gooder nice guy gets boring and even annoying after a while, while the Cluster B personality guy...well you just KNOW that he/shes going to do something crazy/whacky and keep the viewers entertained.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": ">* a pervasive disregard for the law and the rights of others.\n\n>* extreme \"black and white\" thinking, instability in relationships, self-image, identity and behavior.\n\n>* pervasive attention-seeking behavior including inappropriate sexual seductiveness and shallow or exaggerated emotions.\n\n>* a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.\n\nSounds like my stepdad.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Good link. I know a psych major who would point out the people with narcissistic personality disorder on American Idol, back when we still watched the show.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I used LSD and shrooms a handful of times and now I have permanent hallucinations. AMA. | I used LSD 2 or 3 times and shrooms (self grown, golden teachers) twice. I didn't have any 'bad trips', in fact I just sat at home and quite enjoyed the experiences.
It wasn't until a week after the last time I used that I noticed something wasn't right. When I stare into space I can still see, what I can only describe as, mechanical snowflake kaleidoscopes, breathing walls, major floaters, halos, trails, and snow.
It has really messed with my perception of being able to see and causes a lot of anxiety. I actually though I was going insane/still tripping. I talked to a counselor and she had suggested it may be [HPPD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogen_persisting_perception_disorder) from the drugs. I talk to her occasionally for 'maintenance' to help with the anxiety that it has caused, but I don't take any medications.
Just some basic info: I'm 24 years old, started using psychedelics 18-22, I used to smoke pot heavily 17-22. I quit every mind-altering drug, with the exception of an occasional alcoholic beverage, as it makes the hallucinations worse. I don't know anyone else who has had to deal with this other than a few folks on the internet. I know that my results are not typical for psychedelic users, but I think people should be aware of what could happen. AMA!
**Edit:** Thank you all for your words and advice. I'm going to bed so I'll catch to your questions tomorrow.
| 57 | [
{
"body": "Ive never done LSD but have done shrooms around 20 times. I get mild HPPD in the form of movements seen out of the corner of my eyes and pattern shifting. I get no anxiety from it and i find it somewhat amusing. What you are describing does not sound like HPPD and sounds like a pyschiatric disorder. Use of hallucinigenic drugs can trigger schizophrenic breaks. As you have family history of schizophrenia and have debilitating anxiety (to the point where you would lock yourself in your room for a week), go see a psychiatrist and not a counselor. ",
"score": 45
},
{
"body": "Sassifrass. I know exactly what you're going through. I'm 25 and from the age of 19-21 took LSD about 20 times. The last time was a particularly strong dose, and I've had the effects you've described ever since. None of my friends understood what I was going through, and I couldn't concentrate long enough to not focus on my visuals/lingering effects (whatever you want to call them). \n\nI became slightly hermetic for months, not able to be socially normal. \n\nI'll tell you 2 very important things: \n\n1). Do not fear, they will go away. Not immediately, but they will continue to fade with time. Eventually, only a few states of mind will bring them back - for me, it's been stress and/or lack of sleep.\n\n2). With proper care, your brain will heal itself. (**I don't mean neurons will regenerate/ you'll be as good as new). I simply mean that you should do yourself a favor and exercise often and eat fresh/healthy foods. I started exercising daily (30-40 minute runs/jogs etc) and eating really healthy food, and within a few months I noticed a noticeable improvement in how I felt (physically/mentally/emotionally). Change your eating habits, eat fresh vegetables high in vitamins. Honestly, this helped me a lot, and maybe it'll help you too. ",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "You realize that this is just another hallucination right? we don't exist... you've been in a chemically induced coma for the past six years... wake up... wake up...",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "What you're seeing is pretty much generated by your brain. Think of the way people see faces where no face exists. You see a smiley face instead of 'front of car.' Well, it's the same thing. You look at blank wall and see pretty things because your mind remembers seeing those pretty things and thinks it would be a good idea to insert them there.\n\nThe technical term for it is hallucinogen persisting perception disorder.\n\nSeems to be pretty random as to why some trippers get it and some don't, but it has to do with the number/sensitivity/distribution of affected receptors (5HT serotonin receptors in the case of LSD) and physical wiring of the brain. Treatments include various drugs used in the treatment of depression. I also saw that someone had tried Provigil and it worked on them. Good luck.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "> I used LSD 2 or 3 times and shrooms (self grown, golden teachers) twice. I didn't have any 'bad trips', in fact I just sat at home and quite enjoyed the experiences.\n\nwhat do you mean 2 **or** 3 times? do you honestly not remember how many times you used LSD?",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Welcome to the club, man. I'm the exact same way except I'm only 18 (and still constantly smoking marijuana). The psychedelics affect some more than others - we are the unfortunate minority. The anxiety is the worst downside I see to it, and it's definitely the most noticeable by others. The best way I deal with it is to stop remembering I have the problem and to stop bringing it up it my own mind (though I still can't go a day where I don't think about it). Best of luck.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": " * Is there a single situation when your hallucination have been incredible intense? \n * Do they reflect your mood? Do your friends know? \n * Do you regret taking them? Kinda obvious I think. \n * What would you say to future hallucinogenic drug users?",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Breathing walls and floaters...Are these hallucinations particularly scary to you? What causes the anxiety you need help with if they're just visual distortions and you know what caused them?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Ahem.. well I have to at least offer the notion that perhaps you had your 3rd eye snapped open by the experience? Many people, who mystics might say had their 3rd eye opened by a traumatic or intense experience, describe imagery you saw as part of the larger dimensional reality. You may actually be seeing the 'real' environment that lies all around us.. a shadowy glimpse of the Matrix scaffolding ;-).\nThey say this effect does eventually fade away.. the Eye will close.\n\n\nOf course it could also just be that your particular brain structure/ chemistry was affected in an atypical way.. something involving longer term visual-center stimulation. There are always outliers\n\nEither way, unsolicited holograms are not too fun, no matter how fascinating. So I hope these effects subside for you.\n\nGood luck!",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "the best way to handle this is to brush it off every time you start seeing shit. the more you focus on it, the more it happens- trust me. I see tracers like once a week but i brush it off. if i worry about it, ill start seeing tracers all day and it usually just ends up freaking me out. Dont allow yourself time to stare at the walls and watch shit float around ... you are only ingraining the memories deeper into your mind. HPPD foshow",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Are you able to drive?\n\nIs it only when you stare into space, or do you see things all the time? Do people's faces look weird sometimes, etc?\n\nThanks for sharing, interesting stuff.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "So if you were to dose today do you think it would have the opposite effect and you would be 'sober'?\n\n\nThat fuckin blows my mind maaaaan ! ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Question: Since you're a chick...if you could make your brain/vision go back to normal, but you had to give one blowjob a day to stay normal, would you do it? ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I've done psychedelics 400+ times, and I've never had a flashback or a bad trip. I know one guy who went nuts doing too much acid, but he didn't have hallucinations. After four years in a hospital he spontaneously recovered.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I'm trying to teach myself violin, anyone have any tips or websites they can share? | I've been playing various instruments for about 3 years, (ukulele, guitar, bouzuki and a little keyboard) and about a week ago I found my dads old/never played violin and decided to give it a go. Anyone one have any tips?
edit 1: thanks to everyone whos helped so far, I'll be picking up the suzuki books tomorrow! | 5 | [
{
"body": "Oh wow that's quite a venture. I played violin in middle school and high school (like the good asian i was), but I took lessons, so I don't have any experience learning it myself. If you can, I'd say take a lesson or two so you at *least* have the proper form and such. Since the violin doesn't have frets, you can use stickers to mark where your fingers absolutely need to be to get the right note. Frets give you some leeway as to where to press, but without them, your fingers need to be pretty exact. Learning where your fingers go comes with repetition and practice. A lot of repetition and practice. It also helps if you have a good ear as to what's in tune and what isn't. \n\nAfter you learn what the open strings are and can produce decent sounds, I'd say go to scales. Learning where the fingers go is absolutely crucial. \n\nBest of luck to you, though! Hmm... I wonder if I retained any of my violin skills. I need to find my violin...",
"score": 5
}
] |
New to watching poker on TV and I have a few questions. | Are the players we see on TV really the best players? Or are they just the ones that have the personalities for TV? I use to shoot a lot of pool and the best players are not on TV.
Why the same 2 or 3 dealers on all the shows? Latino guy with glasses, girl with streaked hair and glasses, etc. Are they some how famous dealers?
Why would Phil Ivey skip a WPT event right in his home town? Isn't that like Tiger skipping a major?
| 5 | [
{
"body": "Some of the guys on TV are legit (Ivey, Benyamine, Dwan), but there are others out there that don't get much coverage. Of that less popular group Phil Galfond would be my favorite.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Help a newbie speed up a Python program | I've been messing around with a little chess program that I started to write a while ago. It's your run-of-the-mill minimax program.
It works, but I knew from the start that I'd have performance problems. I've been messing with cProfile trying to speed things up a bit, but to no avail. I can only run the program with a maximum search depth of 2 and even so it's still slow as hell.
Before dumping this little project in the garbage, I'd like to know if you guys can give me a couple of tips on how to improve overall performance or even the design.
The code is on http://bitbucket.org/itaborai83/chess/
To run the tests, "python run_tests.py"
To see the minimax executing, just run "python minmax_game.py" and it'll show the board as well as the minimax score found for each of the initial moves for each player.
I'd appreciate your help. | 8 | [
{
"body": "a few performance tricks:\n1) dump objects in favor of simple lists or arrays for your board representation. Board pieces should be values that are OR'd together, i.e. BLACK=1, WHITE=2, KING=4, QUEEN=8, etc.\n2) don't copy the board state -- your move generator (that generates possible board states for your minimax function) should be able to undo moves that were just made so that you only need one copy of the board in memory.\n3) Find an evaluation function and minimax code that you already know is fast. Why reinvent the wheel here?\n\nI've written a program called [Raven Checkers](http://code.google.com/p/raven-checkers/) that works with these ideas. \n\nGood luck.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "First, read bcorfman's message as he's spot on.\n\nSecond, realize that Python (my favorite language) is intrinsically slow. Nearly always, the speed of your programming language is irrelevant - hardware is cheap, human time is expensive! - but for certain applications, speed is very important, and a chess program is one of them. I'd imagine it'd be almost impossible to get good performance out of a Python chess program.\n\nThird, take a look at the literature - there are tons of great ideas there. The #1 idea you could consider looking at is the idea of a bit board (and after a quick glance at bcorfman's program, this would help him a lot, too!)\n\nThe basic idea is simple - 64 bits in a long word, 64 squares on a chess or checker board. So instead of maintaining an array with 64 squares in it, you keep one long word for each piece, each word containing a 1 for the piece position and 0 elsewhere.\n\nThen, when you need to do some calculation, you avoid looping through each square if at all possible - instead, you do bitwise binary operations on bitboards to get the result. \n\nRemember that bit boards are ridiculously cheap to store - keeping millions of them in memory is perfectly plausible. So if you can't see a way to do something without a loop, ask yourself if you can pre-compute a table of bit boards to do the work for you.\n\nThe big issue is going to be making sure that Python stores your 64-bit number internally as a single long word, and does all the bit operations using long word operations. Working this out is beyond the time I'm willing to spend on an article like this... :-D\n\nFinally, remember that one of Python's many great features is that it can be extended quickly and effectively in C or C++. Generally, it's not worth doing - in this case, it might be, because you have a single, fairly simple data structure that's a bottleneck. Consider creating a C++ class that simply represents the board state using bit boards, and calling it from Python.\n\nGood luck to you, and keep it up!",
"score": 3
}
] |
Help. Quitting Coffee/Tea/Caffeine but I need a substitute. What can I drink in the morning while I read email? | I'd prefer something warm or hot so it's slow to drink. I can nurse a large coffee for an hour.
I was thinking even instant cup-a-soup or something.
Ideas?
EDIT: Something other then a cold juice would be ideal. I'd probably just chug it. | 6 | [
{
"body": "Hot Cranberry Juice tends to be pretty nice to sip on. If it's real (100% as opposed to a lot of the from concentrate 20% brands) it's a bit sweet and a bit bitter, making it nice to sip on and keeps you from chugging.\n\nAlso quite healthy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry_juice",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Get any sort of herbal tea. Roobios is a good choice and there are a lot of teas labeled herbal, which are caffeine free. Roobios and herbal teas don't actually have tea leaves in them, they are just a mixture of various fruits, flowers, spices, etc.",
"score": 5
}
] |
Ex-Potheads of Reddit, I have a question... | Hello Reddit, I've been smoking grass for a very long time, say 5 or 6 years, and I haven't missed a day. Marijuana in the evening is such an ordinary part of my life that I can't imagine not having a joint, (or two, or three), before going to bed. Now my funding is getting cut for the next several months and I think its time to reduce my (admittedly excessive) smoking, and I think I'm going to do cold turkey for a couple months to "reset" the stone. So my questions, for an ex-pothead, (or ex-something or other I suppose), are the following:
1. How did you deal with the crushing boredom that is reality;
2. How did you manage to get to sleep without assistance, and;
3. How long is this going to hurt for....I'm on my first evening and it's already very difficult.
Thank you kindly.
Edit:
Wow, I forgot the demographic that I posed this question to. I kind of expected that you guys would swoosh me over to the cannabis thread. Your advice is very helpful, even the cheesy advice is useful right now.
A lot of you have told me to quit hanging around with my pot smoking friends, well I've sort of out grown them. One friend is really into the coke now, (among other things), one is really fucked up with social anxiety, (it is the weed, he smokes joints with his social anxiety therapy class), etc. etc. It's actually rediculous that I've continued to smoke as long and as much as I have in my field of work. But you are all right, it's time to kiss it goodbye for a while, and never get back into the "daily routine".
One last question, how many of you can still get high occasionally? Or is this an alcoholism type deal where most of you have just stayed away? | 28 | [
{
"body": "1) Reality isn't boring, some people are.\n2) Live life hard all day and sleep will come quickly.\n3) It doesn't hurt to quit pot, you've been listening to bureaucrats.",
"score": 28
},
{
"body": "I just want to jump in here to say the \"reality isn't boring\" folks need to be silenced in this thread. First, it is a cheesy thing to say. This is a stoner asking advice from ex-stoners - not your chance to regurgitate a sentence from your favorite douchey self help book. Second as an ex-everyday smoker, I think you must be slightly dishonest if you are saying this coming from a similar background or just lying about your background. I think most of the reason people get into a pot habit has to do with the little things that are so much more interesting while baked. So let's please stop using this thread as a platform. ",
"score": 21
},
{
"body": "Ok, so if you've been smoking weed for that long...reality might seem like a poor alternative. But as you get the bong resin out of your head it will get better. I've been sober for 13 years and I can tell you a few things. (I too smoked for years on end)\n\n1. You may miss it at first, but its not true that you never stop missing it. I don't miss it at all. Haven't for probably more than 10 years.\n2. The sleep will come over time, you've been using a sleep aid for 6 years...there will be natural consequences for that. Kinda can't get around that.\n3. You will need to change things about your life and what you do. Keeping the same life and just removing weed, doesn't work too well.\n4. Unfortunately, you won't be able to \"reset the stone.\" Within about 3 weeks of starting again it will be as though you never quit. \n5. It truly will get better, I promise. And life for me, is better without. I never ever thought I would say that. I loved weed. I mean I harold/kumar loved weed. But it is better. The only time I ever think of it is if someone in my life dies as the pain is nearly unbearable. \n\nGive it a real shot. Not just a few days and wuss out. You can quit it.\n\nSeriously though, do not (cannot stress that enough) replace it with another drug. You will find yourself way in deep in terms of addiction. I see it all the time in clients (I run a treatment center).",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Pot withdrawal is a lot more of a pain in the ass than most people want to admit. In my experience (over 10 years of smoking it) it is only the first day or so that is \"bad\" or withdrawaly. I found I needed to keep some pepto near by as my stomach gets easily upset.\n\nThe crushing boredom of reality I found I could cope with by a kind of reverse exploration. A long time ago I decided to do drugs so I could explore altered consciousness. At this point in my life I find that normal consciousness has it's own set of exploratory situations. So in other words for me being sober is as much of a trip as being high.\n\nFor sleep I recommend melatonin pills. It is a natural sleep aid that works great for me. I won't be able to help you with the vivid dreams though. When you get off pot expect your dreams to get kind of crazy. Mine are torturous and mean but that is just my psyche's way of saying it loves me. You might have it easier.\n\nIt's only a day or so that the withdrawal effects bother you. But the \"boredom\" feeling or feeling like something is missing from your life will never go away. At least not that I can tell. I once went three years without smoking it when I first moved to illinois. And whenever I would watch cartoons or play video games I missed my sweet sweet chiba.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "OK, I had to create an account to comment here. Are you guys serious? Taking a break or quitting is not that big of a deal. I have been smoking for almost 20 yrs. I have had to quit smoking a handful of times in my life for either a job interview(I don't trust the cleansers), money, or moving to a new area and not having a hook up. I had to quit smoking for a job for about 6 months, had to quit a few times for about a month or 2 when I knew i had to look for a job. Its not really a big deal. Just do what ya did when you were stoned. Don't think about it. There was life before weed and you said this was temp thing, to reset, you are gunna smoke again. Don't make a big deal about it. \nYou will get over the sleeping trouble. I suggest alcohol occasionally for this. You might have weird dreams you might not. I did a few times that I quit. It might suck for a few days. I think that how much it will really hurt is really up to you. I don't remember it really being all that bad. I think I got a little edgy occasionally about stuff that I would be a little more laid back about but I had a reason and a purpose when I quit so maybe that's why it never really bothered me. \nAll in all its just weed. It's not like its heroin, meth, or some other weird shit that really makes you hurt.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "1) man up and get a job.\n2) man up and get a job.\n3)it's going to hurt until you man up.\n\nseriously not smoking pot is not a big deal.\n\nI smoked heavily from 12 -17",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I used to smoke weed on a daily basis for a few years. It was so much fun at first. I used to get really giggly and anything that I did seemed to be much more fun. I loved the way music sounded. It felt like things just happened a little bit slower, and I felt like whenever I listened to music the groove got much deeper. Over time the effect that weed had on me changed. I would feel paranoid and anxious whenever I got high. Instead of getting giggly, I would get quiet. Social situations were never fun while I was high. I always would feel inhibited and I would just keep to myself. Sometimes I would think I have something to say or add to a conversation, but I would be stuck in my head, second guessing myself. I felt like it made me awkward. Eventually, all I would want to do while being high is play music. I really believe that you're a worse musician when you're high, I know many people might disagree. I guess after a while I just saw no positives from smoking weed. I just stopped all together. It wasn't that hard for me, since by the time I quiet, I no longer had many close friends that smoked. Smoking for me was something I did by myself, so I was never tempted to smoke because of people around me doing it. The first two or three days were tough. I was so used to coming home from work or class and lighting up a bowl. After that, I didn't miss it as much. Once a few weeks passed, I felt like my mind had become much clearer and sharper. People tend to not realize the harm that weed does, because it happens so gradually. Once you go from smoking all the time to not smoking at all, you'll notice the changes as your brain goes back to normal. Every now and then I'll smoke again. I have one friend that smokes, and sometimes we'll smoke together. I'll also smoke with my brother sometimes, since I rarely get to see him. I've smoked on maybe 3 occasions in the last six months. When I do smoke, I'll only take anywhere from 2 to 4 hits before I'm done. I'm more sensitive to it now and I only need a taste for it to kick in. I don't enjoy getting really high because that's when the paranoia/social anxiety comes back. In general I'm much happier as a non smoker and I would advise any heavy smoker to quit or at least take a break for a month or two. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Reply to this with an image. The one with the most votes gets printed out and put on my wall. Keep it SFW | I have a couple XKCD cartoons, zombie survival guide, time travel cheat sheet and courage wolf. Running out of ideas for stuff to put up. | 6 | [
{
"body": "If you can print [this](http://i.imgur.com/onvjI.jpg), i'm sure it would make quite an amazing poster for your wall.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "[Strongbad, suplexing a cougar, atop a mountain of skeletal remains, with a lightening background](http://imgur.com/K2I56.jpg)",
"score": 6
}
] |
DAE Hate Pancakes but Love Waffles? | I can't help but choke on pancakes; they're just too cakey and bland and not appealing. Waffles on the other hand, are pure awesomeness. | 47 | [
{
"body": "Waffles allow you to fill little pools of syrup in each divot. Pancakes the syrup falls off. Waffles > Pancakes",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Pancakes piss me off because they soak up all the syrup and store it...somewhere that is inaccessible to my taste buds. I'll drown a pancake in syrup, wait a bit, take a bite, and even though there is no longer liquid syrup present on/around the pancake (implying it must've been absorbed...) I TASTE NOTHING! Waffles at least have this seared protective layer that lets the syrup dance across the slightly crispy golden brown surface.",
"score": 9
}
] |
Amazon gave me $150. What should I buy? | Amazon recently gave me $150 store credit after I purchased a watch for my girlfriend. There's nothing I can think of that I really need or want. The only things I have in my cart are a pair of stainless steel chopsticks and a bamboo mat.
I need help. What would you buy? | 6 | [
{
"body": "how about a good book about food. \n\nhttp://www.amazon.com/Foodscapes-Towards-Deleuzian-Ethics-Consumption/dp/905972027X",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Nothing. You're obviously quite satisfied with the state of your worldly goods.\n\nProtect your state of grace and send the voucher to me. :)",
"score": 3
}
] |
Can anybody name some good documentaries on matter and the forces of nature? | After reading some great Q&A about light and the 4 known forces...I was wondering if anybody knows of any good documentaries from TV that illustrate particles, matter, energy, forces, etc.
Sorry if this is a VERY broad topic. I was hoping for something visual that explains the particles and matter we know and think we know, how they relate to each other, and how the 4 forces act upon them. | 23 | [
{
"body": "The Mechanical Universe. It's an old 80s series that teaches physics starting from Algebra and Vectors all the way to Quantum Mechanics. It's mindblowingly good, and its available for free online. The series may be old, but they use extremely clean and elegant CGI to explain the math.\n\nhttp://www.learner.org/resources/series42.html\n\nstart with episode 1 and start fast-forwarding until you start getting confused. Fundamental Forces of nature is episode 10.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "are you looking for something like this? [Physics 10 - Lecture 01: Atoms and Heat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ysbZ_j2xi0).. there's a whole series ([as a playlist](http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=095393D5B42B2266)) from Berkeley there on youtube. Hope this helps!",
"score": 3
}
] |
electric guitar equalization | so, i work a lot with electric guitar (in a post-rock/shoe-gaze sort of way) and i'm always fiddling with EQ (not dramatic EQ, just scoops here and roll offs there) but i am hardly ever satisfied with what i am left with.
having said that, i'd love to hear how fellow music makers, who work with electric guitar, shape the tone. i know, lots of things can be done, mic placement, room, amps, cabinets, mics (i prefer ribbon mics personally) but what i'm most interested now is with how one applies EQ. i'm looking for ideas so maybe screenshots of EQ curves would be helpful as well. | 9 | [
{
"body": "It's something that is best handled once the guitar is part of a mix. If you do it via software, you create a fairly dramatic boost/cut covering a very small frequency range, and you sweep it in real time. \n\nUsually, you can hear a frequency that is out of place. You find it. You cut it.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "when it comes to EQ i love my [FX B40](http://cachepe.samedaymusic.com/media/quality,85/brand,sameday/p502h-0a9445e52028fb854f9c07bb750359cd.jpg), i find it way better than any other eq pedals i've used. \n\nand personally, i love mids. treble and bass deppend on what i'm playing; so my eq curve is like a [sad face](http://imgur.com/AFcgA)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I have a couple 7-band graphic EQ pedals. As an experiment, on one of the pedals, I pushed every other slider all the way up, and the others all the way down. On a distorted guitar, it sounded freaky like it was in a bucket. I ran a bass through the other one with all the sliders in the opposite positions. The idea was for the frequencies to complement each other. We did a show like that and actually got some complements on the sound. Probably not something I'd do normally though.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Obviously, this might not work for everyone, but I usually end up doing the following to my overdriven tones:\n\n- Rhythm - 80hz HP, ~3db cut @ 800 (1 octave Q), ~10k LP.\n\n- Lead - 80hz HP, ~3db boost anywhere from 1.6k to 6.4k, depending on the sound I'm looking for. Usually a wider Q setting.\n\n- Clean tones get the rhythm treatment, plus a boost at 6.4k as a general rule.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Gay people of reddit: I'm 16, I'm gay, how do I meet people? | I've known I was gay for quite a while, but I've never acted upon it, being so young and being around judgemental teenagers, I've never really wanted to put myself out there. I'm still not openly gay, I keep it to myself mostly, though a few trusted friends know. I used a throw away account, just in case, sorry about the lack of creativity in the name.
I'm lonely, though, I keep seeing people get together, they're happy and I want in on that. Should I wait? Not subjigate myself to the abuse of a naive teenage populace? Even then, how? I'm sure they'll be people in my situation, but if I get it wrong I face ridicule.
What do you think, Reddit? | 3 | [
{
"body": "Are you in a major metropolitan area with an LGBT center?\n\nAre you at a high school that has a Gay/Straight Alliance or similar organization? ",
"score": 7
}
] |
Help me getting rid of 15kg. I try and i am failing. | I am 1.84m high, 96kg, 50 years. I go to the gym 4 times a week for a month now, i dont eat any junk food any more, zero on sodas (only zero-cal). At the gym i did start 100kcal cardio, up to 250kcal now, and a little bit machines for muscles. Still the same weigth, seems i cant get rid of even a single kg. Cant do any jogging (knees kaputt) but bycicle is ok. Any advice ?
| 4 | [
{
"body": "Well, perhaps your eating is a bit off... \nTry keeping a food diary for a week and find out how you are eating there. PM if you have any questions.\nDiet is everything when it comes to your body!",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "I'd stop zero-cal sodas too for a moment and see if it changes anything. Some studies tend to show that artificial sweeteners make you fat in twisted ways ([example](http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/15487/Aspartame/Beverages/Sweetener/dr-mark-hyman-ultrawellness-explores-link-artificial-sweeteners-obesity.html)). I remember also reading an article about how artificial sweeteners trigger cells responsible for producing hormone to process sugar as does real sugar, but I can't manage to find it. The conclusion of this study was that, as the sweetener triggered the cells' production, more sugar was extracted from the rest of the food than if only water was drunk with that meal.\n\n*I hope my english is good enough to explain what I read, it's not my first language*\n\nEdit: typo\n",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "4 weeks is probably not enough time for your body to adjust its weight. For me (age 31, 93 kg, 3-4 times a week, no change in diet) I didn't lose 1 kg for about 8 weeks (jogging) even though I increased my pace and distance. Around 8 weeks I started feeling more energetic all day and slowly the kg started dropping. \n\nDon't forget you can't drink alcohol at all on a diet.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "* Get rid of carbs, except for right after working out.\n* Don't count calories, eat the right stuff instead.\n* Cardio isn't very effective. It's probably futile for you.\n* Go for [Stronglifts](http://stronglifts.com/) or [Starting Strength](http://startingstrength.com/)\n\nThe dietary rules that are a part of the Stronglifts program make sense.\n\nWhat you need is a new lifestyle, not just a weight loss period. Don't focus on burning, specifically. Focus on getting healthy and getting comfortable with that lifestyle. Maintain and you will get there. It might take a while though, but that's how the cookie crumbles.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Another race that is equally as evolved as we are arrives here on earth. Could humans reproduce with them safely? | Say aliens from another planet landed on earth. They are similar to humans, but not exactly alike (maybe a different color, have tails, four arms, six eyes, two vaginas, etc). Speaking from an evolution standpoint, would they reproduce in a way that is similar to the way we do? Would it be possible to have a healthy cross-bred child? Could two species evolve similarly even though they are light years apart? | 3 | [
{
"body": "No. Think about it this way: We share 98% or so of our DNA with chimpanzees, and we can't reproduce with them.\n\nIf aliens arrived here, and IF they had DNA, the odds that it would be anything like our DNA is ridiculously low. For good reason. Our DNA is the result of random mutation and natural selection.\n\nThat natural selection is specific to our planet- and not just the current state of our planet, but its entire history up until now.\n\nSo even if Aliens had DNA, natural selection would have favored different qualities- starting billions of years ago, to the present day.\n\n---\n\nAlso, if these aliens had two vaginas as you suggested, you'd be only half the man they were used to.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "More than likely not. Humans and chimpanzees share about 95% of the same DNA but cannot breed. We even evolved on the same planet.\n \nThe truth of the matter is that intelligent life on other planets likely doesn't resemble life on our planet. For one thing, the development of self-awareness may be relatively rare. For another, it's simply an accident of the various extinction events, cycles of ice ages and continent shifts that make us the dominant species on Earth. Intelligent life on other planets could easily have evolved from species resembling reptiles or insects (or something altogether different).",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Well, no, unless their genetic makeup was basically the same or very similar, we couldn't cross-breed. That's why animals can't cross-breed either, unless they are a very closely related species (like various species in the genus *Equus*, ie horses/donkeys/zebras etc). Even then the hybrid offspring are likely to be sterile. \n\nBut it *is* an interesting thought game to wonder what an intelligent species would be like, and whether they would be anything like us, or anything like anything we have ever seen. To have any chance of looking similar, I suppose there would have to be a standard type of evolutionary process that included [bilateral symmetry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilateria) as an organisational plan, for a start. Maybe it's a mind-game version of the concept of [convergent evolution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_evolution), where different species have developed similar features, although the origin of those features has had a different evolutionary path. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "No, we are more closely related to cauliflower than we are to these aliens. There is no way we could successfully reproduce.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We share 99.4% of our genes with chimps, and we can't breed with them. We share 50% of our genes with bananas.\r\n\r\nSo having an alien species evolve separately from us on another planet means that there's pretty much zero chance that they'd be able to inter-breed with us. Basically, humans would have to evolve again on another planet, and that would be pretty much impossible.\r\n\r\nYou could still have sex with the aliens though. Hell, they don't even need to be humanoid.",
"score": 3
}
] |
So, we found a homeless person freezing outside a grocery store and took it home. | ...unfortunately, after a couple days he stopped eating the dry cat food and would only eat the expensive canned stuff, plus he was peeing behind all the furniture. I took him for a ride out into the countryside and let him out in the middle of some farmland. I'm sure he'll make a terrific barn bum for some lucky family.
I'm such a good person. | 51 | [
{
"body": "Pics! I've had my little hobo for almost three years now since we rescued him from the shelters. He's been getting alone with our other two resident bums but he's still a little nervous when strangers come over to our house and want to hold him. He was also a great replacement for our previous bum who we had to put down because of a broken leg. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "You're not supposed to feed it dry cat food! It's trying to nurse! Give it your nipple!\r\n\r\nEdit: RIP Peanut",
"score": 3
}
] |
What music player do you use? | I am partial to Winamp, but is there one you like better? Why?
I use Windows 7, and I am looking for something that supports 5.1.
EDIT: You will never sell me on iTunes, don't even try. I have an iPod that's a few years old...it'll be the last Apple product I ever buy. | 23 | [
{
"body": "I've been using Winamp ever since I got my first computer like 8 years ago. I don't see myself switching any time soon.",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "I use Itunes. I don't listen to a lot of music on the computer, it suits my needs and also lets me use the 30 gig Ipod my friend gave me. YAY! \n",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "I know you said no iTunes, but I'm just going to tell you that /I/ use iTunes. It's simple, it's pretty, and it does things the way I expect it to. The only thing winamp has going for it is the milk drop plugin. VLC is retarded for music since it doesn't store your library, although I do use it for all my video watching needs. I've only tried songbird a couple of times and all I remember about it is thinking \"meh\" and uninstalling. XBMC is flashy and neat. I might try that in the future.\n\nEdit: forgot to mention that iTunes shares playlists across your local network which is something I LOVE.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Zune player is pretty rad as long as you have a computer that can run it smoothly. Oh, and also if you have a Zune.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Foobar in Windows. MPD + Ario and MPC in Linux. I keybind MPC and use Ario as a general front end. I like Sonata too. I rolled with Amarok for some time, thinking that using MySQL as a database for my large music collection would save me time, but it didn't. Also, my music is on an external HDD, so speed is a bit limited by hardware in my situation.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "If I'm on Windows, I use foobar.\n\nIf I'm on Linux I use mpd to play the music and ncmpc for a console-based playlist manager.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Ok Philly. I live here. Now what? | Just moved here on saturday. Living in Center City, no vehicle, don't even own a bed yet... What do I need to see/do? I've been to Pat's, need to go to Geno's still. I'm still at tourist status.
(Oh and I'm broke. I don't think I get my first check til the end of the month)
Edit: Right, details would help. I'm 27, and just started grad work at Drexel. I'm pretty low key though... I do think I'll go to some pro games, I'd like to check out the Flyers, Eagles, and Phillies.
I should eventually go see the historical sites, and some museums. Hopefully in a week or so I won't be so broke.
To the poster that requested sex, sorry mang, I have boy parts. But if I find a girl willing to bang an internet stranger...well I probably won't tell you about her. | 9 | [
{
"body": "Welcome!\n\nLearn septa. Get hot, cheap center city pretzel factory pretzels at midnight. Skip Geno's, go to Tony Luke's and/or Jim's. \n\nI think Ikea is having a sale, for beds and such.\n\nPeople watch in Rittenhouse square.\n\nWhat are you into? What do you like? How old are you? Give us something to work with!",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Where in the city are you?\r\n In center city Sugar Mom's and Tattoo Mom's are both cheap fun places to get your drink on. In South Philly, I love The Dive or Ray's Happy Birthday for cheap drinks. The Royal and The Cantina are a little bit pricier (although still very reasonable) if you want some fancy grub with that beer. \r\n\r\n For cheap grocery shopping, you can't beat the Italian Market. It's an open air street market where you can buy produce for the price of a song. I've gotten flats of grapes for a dollar and mushrooms for .99 a pound! When you're flush again, you should definitely check out the shops that border the market's main drag. Crazy exotic spice stores, imported cheeses, and butchers that sell pheasants all await you! Bonus: This time of year someone is often roasting chestnuts over a trashcan fire!\r\n\r\n The Philadelphia Museum of Art is pay-as-you-wish the first Sunday of every month. When I was a broke college student I went a lot! It's really a great museum. I still haven't been to the Perelman building myself. Organize a field trip and I would totally go! Once you have cash again, the Mutter Museum and the Magic Gardens are must sees.\r\n\r\n As someone else mentioned, the Free Library has a great free author series. I've seen Dave Eggers, Chuck Palahniuk, Amy Sedaris, Jonathan Safran Foer, and lots more. And the main branch is such a lovely building it's a pleasure just to be in there.\r\n\r\n As far as pro sports go, I'm a one sport kind of girl, so I can only talk Phillies, but I can't recommend going to Citizen's Bank Park enough. Try to go on dollar dog night for maximum enjoyment. The park is gorgeous, the Phanatic is awesome, and the Phils are one of the best parts of summer. GO!\r\n\r\n Over the summer there's a lot of good free stuff at Penn's Landing, from free movies to free kayak rentals. There are free concerts series in both Rittenhouse and Liberty Lands Parks.\r\n\r\nLord, I could go on! If you tell us a little more about yourself we could get into more specific tastes. Do you like music? What kind? Science? Cooking? Drinking? Participating in sports? Crafts? ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Welcome. Now that you live here, never go to Pat's or Geno's again ... they are for tourists. There are better cheesesteaks to be had elsewhere in the city.\n\nPhiladelphia offers many free, high-quality cultural events. Avail yourself of them. The Free Library of Philadelphia hosts speakers (usually authors) for low or no admission charge; I saw Michael Palin and PJ O'Rourke there last year. Wagner Free Institute of Science, very cool natural science museum, is always free; they even offer a lecture series, also free. Philadelphia Museum of Art offers \"First Sunday of each month: Pay what you wish all day;\" considering PMA's world-class collection, that deal is unbelievably generous.\n\nFor your convenience:\n\n- [Free Library of Philadelphia: Author Events](http://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/calbydate.cfm?type=2)\n\n- [Wagner Free Institute of Science: Upcoming Events](http://wagnerfreeinstitute.org/news_upcoming_weeknights.shtml)\n\n- [Philadelphia Museum of Art: Sunday 'donation only'](http://www.philamuseum.org/visit/12-270.html)\n\nIf you intend to live in the city, don't bother getting a car -- parking is a hassle and the tickets add up quickly. Consider [Philly Car Share](http://phillycarshare.org/) instead. Their cars are virtually everywhere, so they're great for errands and short trips. Philly Car Share is generally cheaper than maintaining your own car (purchase, repairs, insurance), plus they have reserved parking spaces. You may also want to become familiar with Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise for extended trips. I use Hertz for anything over a few hours; their day-rate seems cheaper than PCS's day-rate but then I also exploit a AAA discount with Hertz.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Hang tight till you get your check yo. \n\nDon't worry about rushing to Pats and Ginos. Maybe take a stroll down South St starting at Front to see some stores and decently priced food/bars.\n\nIt's tough to explore in the winter. Keep your eye on craigslist.\n\nWhat sort of music do you like? Give us more info and we can send you places!",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Since you're broke, don't bother with south st. If you need some inexpensive food, head down to the Italian Market. It's on 9th St. between Christian and Washington. Another good place to get some inexpensive stuff is one of the many Asian Markets on Washington (6th, 11th and 16th St.) I don't know what you're looking for specifically. If you have any questions send my a message",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "FDR Skatepark on weekend mornings can be fun, even just to hang out and watch. Comcast HQ has a huge TV, you missed the holiday show, but the regular daily stuff is entertaining. Mutter Museum is pretty crazy, not sure if its free or not.... There's a gun club on 8th and ellsworth, not free or cheap but it is fun. You can always go and watch a horror movie at the 69th street cinema, the audience is almost always more fun than the movie.\n\nThere's a lot of fun stuff in West Philly, Dahlek on 47th and Baltimore is kind of a hipster hangoug, or let least it was before I stopped drinking 7 years ago. There's cafe's everywhere... 45th and Locust, 45h between Osage and Pine, 43rd and Baltimore, maybe 42nd and locust if the crack head owner is on the wagon, maybe 45th and chesnut... Lots of stuff around The Piazza near 2nd and green. I hear National Mechanics on 3rd between Chestnut and Market is pretty cool. I always liked The Khyber on 2nd and Chestnut, evidently the owner is a local socialite that married a Pathan and their crazy son just got arrested for terrorism related stuff.... Crazy convoluted story, excellent local music.\n\nSilk City was cool, it may or may not be open or still cool.\n\nReading Terminal Market is kind of cool, especially if you are looking to fulfill both eating and doing touristy shit when its the dead of winter. I suggest Nannee's Kitchen, they are awesome cooks.\n\n\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I was born in N.E. philly but moved to south jersey as a kid. I currently go to Drexel as an undergrad and I'm living near campus. Because of all this I know most of philly/subs fairly well so if you have any questions especially about drexel/university city area, downtown, or even places to venture in jersey let me know. I'm more than willing to help/meet up and show you around.\n\nOh and I'm a die hard philly sports fan, so any questions about the teams are more than welcomed.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Hey man. Welcome to Philly! There's a ton of fun stuff to do here. Some of it is even free. For instance, going to see the Liberty Bell? 100% free. You could wander around Old City/Society Hill and look at the old Philadelphia row homes, which is actually fun. Sometimes you find hidden gems like James Madison's old house, at 5th and Spruce or so. Go for a jog along boathouse row, go to the art museum, see the magical garden on South Street, and so on. Hope you enjoy your stay! ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Skip Pat's and Geno's. They're garbage. Tony Luke's is a must, though make sure it's the stand on Oregon cause that's the only place where they bake the rolls. Or \"whiz with\" or \"whiz wit\" if you want to sound like an asshole. If you don't work during the day or you have a random day off, head to John's Roast Pork off Weccacoe. It's only open till 2pm, but it's the best sandwiches in the city.\n\nGet familiar with Jose Garces. He's got 5 (maybe 6 now?) restaurants in the city and they're all fantastic. Distrito is my personal favorite. He's an iron chef now, however, so reservations may be hard to come by.\n\nSugar Moms is a fantastic bar and, despite the great jukebox and arcade machines, the hipster quotient is fairly tolerable. \n\nAs mentioned, pretzels are a must, as are italian hoagies and, when the weather warms up, water ice. \n\nGood Dog, right by the 16th and Chestnut stop, has one of the best burgers in the city and a great quiz night. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Fail Falafel. Tips Welcome. | I got a deep fryer for xmas, so I thought I'd try my hand at making falafel in it. I loosely followed [this recipe](http://video.about.com/mideastfood/Falafel.htm) I found on reddit. The falafel paste consistentsy looked good before I formed balls. The balls stuck together very well. I checked them after ~30 seconds of frying and they still had their shape.
Tragedy struck after ~4 minutes in the fryer, The balls were gone and the mashed up garbanzo beans had turned into a sediment at the bottom of the fryer. To say the least, I was disappointed. Where did I go wrong? | 4 | [
{
"body": "Try packing the balls tighter and/or mashing the mixture more. She used a hand blender, and if you don't get those fibers really small, they won't hold together as well.\n\nalso, I'll sometimes throw some egg into the mix, it's kind of cheating, but it doesn't affect the flavor.\n\nAnd if all of that doesn't work, just cook them in a pan with a small amount of oil, like you would with pancakes or something instead of deep frying.",
"score": 5
}
] |
DAE remember passwords more by touch than any other way? | Today I was using my G1 to log into a website I use all the time. I have never had a problem remembering my password for it, but I always log in from my laptop. I tried to type in the password on my phone, and I realized that I couldn't remember it. The keyboard felt completely different, and my muscle memory was useless. Has this happened to anyone else? | 159 | [
{
"body": "This doesn't happen to me because I have a specific method for making up my seemingly random passwords. My most complex and long passwords all have patterns. Sometimes they have rhyme and/or rhythm. For instance:\n\n8326T5ix#r$t796\n\nEighty-Three Twenty-Six,\nCapital T 5 Ix (said like icks),\nPound-r (Pounder) Cash-t (casht) Seven-Ninety-Six.\n\nIt's kind of hard to convey rhythm since I don't know how to use musical notation to depict that, but in any case I think it makes my point.\n\nI have a few passwords memorized like that, and it really works. It's kind of like how people remember phone numbers, or their credit card number(s); there's a certain rhythm to most of them that people just make up, and it works (usually). \n\n\n\n",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "I just got back from 25 days away from work. I sat down at my workstation and was like \"Oh crap, I've forgotten my PIN\". I realized that if I tried to think about it I would just get confused so I put my hand on the number pad and my fingers magically entered the correct 7 digit number.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "Actually, it's been proven that human brains respond faster to gestures than to memorization unless the memorization has replaced your natural reaction. In which case it's \"unnatural\".\n\nMy biggest problem is moving from one keyboard to another. The position is off and so would be my typing. When the cleaning guy at my office cleans my desk, I can always tell if he moved my keyboard or not because I can login, check my email and launch my daily websites while my monitors are still off.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I once switched a 2 with an \"S\" in a password which resulted in something like \"fi2herman\". Then one day I mistyped it, so I tried it really slowly and kept entering it in wrong, until I finally let my muscle memory type it in for me and realized I had been entering it wrong for 3 months.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "This is kind of a common crime where I live: two guys will get in your car and make you drive around town, all the while making cash withdrawls on ATMs using the victim's card. The thing is that the victims get so freaked out that sometimes they can't remember their passwords. So, in order to get their muscle memory to kick in, the criminals hand a cell phone to the victim and have them to punch in their password on the phone's keyboard.",
"score": 3
}
] |
hey Reddit, I am looking to get a new knife. Any suggestions? | I am looking to get a new knife for daily use and carry. I would like to have some sort of folding blade knife with a 3 inch blade. I am not a big fan of lockbacks knifes. I used to have a [gerber paraframe I](http://www.rei.com/product/700567) which I was fairly happy with although the blade dulled a bit quickly for my likings.
I want something rugged enough that it can take the beatings of moderate everyday use (and the occasional miss use) but I also don't want to spend too much money on it simply because I have to travel a lot and so there is a greater risk of it getting lost or stolen from my bag (cough cough thanks TSA).
What do people reccomend as far as brands and blade materials?
thanks all!
By the way, I live in NY so it would need to comply to all the local laws.
*Edit** I am looking to spend around $30 ideally with a hard limit around 50. | 8 | [
{
"body": "I have carried a CRKT M16-10KE daily for the last two to three years.\n\nI lost the first one I bought and promptly purchased an exact replacement.\n\nI have no complaints about it and I am a very picky s.o.b.\n\nYou can find them on ebay for under $50 shipped.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Female friend of 4 years says she wants to hook up. I've lost all focus. How do I handle? | **Summary: She's giving me a "dream" opportunity to relive a moment, but I'm not sure if I should contact her any more than I already have in order to increase my chances of this actually happening. I've also been really unfocused as a result, and need some advice about getting back on track.**
We've known each other since senior year in high school, and are both coming up on our last semesters in college (we go to different universities -- I stayed home, she went to another state). That summer, things culminated to a point where she invited me over to her house for a little makeout session (I didn't know it was happening until I got there). That was my first time making out, and I've always regretted that my inexperience and being surprised contributed to my lackluster performance.
Fast forward four years, and I've got a decent amount experience under my belt. Her and I have remained good friends throughout all this time, and over time -- mainly over the last couple weeks during this break -- I've noticed her growing warmer towards me. Whereas in the past she was pretty flaky, now she seems to text/call me more and responds to texts/calls pretty much when she can, says I should call her to come over to check out her new kitty, called me "boyfriend", etc.
Anyway, on New Years Eve, after some texting exchanges ("who are you gonna kiss at midnight?" being a topic ), she surprisingly came to the party I was at nearly 15-20 minutes before the dawn of the new decade, and we kissed at midnight. I suppose I still wasn't "getting it" at this point, but the next morning I woke up to texts that said "thanks for inviting me to the nerd party" and that she wanted to see how we've progressed since senior high school year, something that a "minimal midnight kiss" couldn't provide.
Ever since she said this, I've been pretty damn distracted and unproductive, as it's basically a dream come true. I knew that I had to get this done soon or else I'd be doomed for the rest of the week, so I tried to get in touch with her throughout the weekend.
On Friday, she got back to me a little too late. On Saturday night, she asked about my Sunday/Monday schedule, and said she'd get in touch with me Sunday morning. She didn't -- which was uncharacteristic given her recent behavior -- so I made contact with her, and after a call she said she'd call me back later (she seemed a little unhappy, most likely due to a situation with her family, which I'm genuinely worried about).
Now, I'm just not sure what to do. I'm interested in maximizing the probability that this will actually happen, or minimizing the amount of time I spend being unproductive & unfocused:
* Contact her today or within the next few days (she leaves at the end of the week) to see if she was indeed stressed/unhappy about something, and/or directly suggest when we should "hang out"? Since she suggested getting together, I don't feel like I'm being overly clingy/pushy, but the fact that this is a dream come true and that there is such little time left, I feel like I have to be a little more assertive than I would be normally.
* Don't contact her at all, and let her get in touch with me. I'll be unfocused, but would the lack of contact serve to help me? If this is the route I should take, what can I do to remain focused on the work I have to get done, and life in general?
Any help or advice is GREATLY appreciated. Please feel free to ask any questions.
**EDIT: Called not too long ago, looks like stuff will be happening tomorrow. Thanks for the helpful advice everyone! I'm going to look back on this and feel like an idiot.** | 12 | [
{
"body": "You call her today or tomorrow and set up a time to hang out. Fuck the other chit-chat first, setting up a time to meet is your first priority. You are not being clingy. You are not being pushy. You are being assertive by doing this.\n\nDO IT.",
"score": 14
}
] |
Hey Reddit - Anyone out there leading a double life? | Me, I am a project manager at a large technology company. I make 110-150k a year (depending on bonus). In my work-life, I am well respected, professional and very good at my job. I play sports, I hike, I am married, and I am slowly but surely pursuing my masters degree. By all accounts, I am an upstanding, clean-cut citizen.
My double life is this: Since high school, I have been a pretty regular drug user. I take just about any kind of pills I can get my hands on (although I usually don't come across them these days). I smoke weed, I drink, I used to do harder drugs on occasion, but was always cautious with things like coke for fear of getting out of hand. Basically, I like getting trashed. If anyone in my professional circle knew this, I can't even imagine... They would be shocked.
Anyway - there is my double life - what's yours?
NOTE: I am not trolling for people to tell me I need help or dispense advice. I am doing quite well for myself and am comfortable with my vices - I am just interested in other's stories, no need to comment on mine. | 38 | [
{
"body": ">but was always cautious with things like coke\n\nOne might say that you've been treading\n\n*takes off sunglasses*\n\na thin white line.",
"score": 81
},
{
"body": "I go to high school like a normal girl. I get moderately good grades. I'm usually pretty tired because only my two best friends know that I'm also a pop star. Living a double life can be pretty rough. My life would make one hell of a TV show.",
"score": 63
},
{
"body": "In one life, I'm Thomas A. Anderson, program writer for a respectable software company. I have a social security number, pay my taxes, and I help my landlady carry out her garbage. The other life is lived in computers, where I go by the hacker alias \"Neo\" and I am guilty of virtually every computer crime they have a law for.",
"score": 35
},
{
"body": "I am very nice and personable IRL.\n\nOn reddit, I am a sarcastic dick when I think people are being stupid and there's something liberating about it.",
"score": 33
},
{
"body": "A friend of mine married her first boyfriend - they met in college, both went to an ivy league law school, both had high powered lucrative careers, blah, blah, blah. They were together for 10 years. Then she found out that he was living a double life - by day he was an ultra-conservative overpaid corporate consultant, but by night he was \"Vanilla Jack\" and trolled the internet for prostitutes and porn. (His real name isn't Jack and he wasn't vanilla - he's kind of a perv, actually.) He would tell my friend he was going out of town on business then hole up for a few days with a hooker at a motel down the street from their apartment. To my friend's credit, she divorced him asap. The horrifying thing is the guy is now working for an uber-conservative think tank writing pious articles preaching, among other things, abstinence and \"family values.\"",
"score": 26
},
{
"body": "To everyone else I'm your Mormon poster boy. I attend meetings, never swear, drink, or do anything wrong. I'm at BYU, I have my Eagle Scout award and everyone thinks I'm going on a mission. \n\nIn reality, I jerk off to porn all the time, I'm doing extensive research into the Church when no one is around, and am planning the best way to tell my parents that on the inside I'm agnostic. I might die.",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "I have a similar situation. On the outset, I'm a female professional with a good job (not as good as yours) who only dates nice guys, and who won't even touch an alcoholic drink. I'm very conservative, quiet and kind. Often I spend time trying to help out friends with problems, giving them rides, or other similar things.\n\nOn the other side of that, my vice is sex. I have friends-with-benefits of both genders. I've had sex while drunk and sober, high, and altered in various other states. I've had sex in every single one of the wrong ways I could think of, and lived out all of my own fantasies and some of others. Let's just say when I come into work with a limp, claiming the bruises were from a biking accident is totally false.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "Nope. I'm definitely not Bruce Wayne, the billionaire playboy with a sexy physique who also isn't Batman. Just your common, average, everyday redditer: Wruce Bayne.",
"score": 16
},
{
"body": "I'm openly gay with family / friends / hobbies but at work I am a completely straight, quiet, person who likes golf.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "I think I might be one with a double life. \n\nYears ago I noticed that a deeply Christian person I worked with was the most successful in our company, his brightness an unwaivering faith made those around him, even those who weren't religious, happier and because he was so into his religious ccommunity and relationship with God, nobody could ever imagine him doing any wrong.\n\nThat's when I decided to pretend to be a Christian. It wasn't easy at first but you tell just one person that you volunteer at events for the church and within couple weeks everyone thinks you're an Angel. I lcan not do any wrong. I've move onto other jobs since then and have kept up this stand up Christian guy women want to take home to their parents for years. And it has definitely worked in my favour many times. \n\nI've never read the bible or been into a church. There's no such thing as God, I know this, but damn it's the easiest way to fool people into thinking you're a decent person. \n\n ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "> They would be shocked.\n\nShocked you never invited them out for an all nighter, shit. I remember constantly being surprised when learning who used and didn't, especially weed. Now I'm always surprised to find out when someone *doesn't* use a given vice. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I'm not here to tell you anything or give advice. I just want to know if the wife knows of this, and if so what's her opinion?",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "In one life I love my boyfriend, want to marry him and have his children, be happy and live on a farm. In my other life I believe I will never be good enough and I try to make him break up with me by being a complete bitch.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "There is an idea of me; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... I simply am not there. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Regular life: Meek and timid student who never had a girlfriend. Into computers, fiction. Quiet, doesn't like to party.\nOther life: I have a porn site. I film the videos myself. Gonzo, face never shown. I even use fake tattoos so that people wouldn't even remotely think about associating me with those videos. (Paranoid.)\n\nBy the way, it's still true that I never had a girlfriend - as in: a girl with whom I had a relationship and spontaneous sex. Also true that I don't like to party. I am completely emotionally unavailable for almost anyone. Probably schizoid. I just like the physical sensation of sex, and porn is just an excuse to obtain it without having to work. And money, of course. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "There's no problem with living a double life. It's the triple and quadruple lives that get you in the end.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "So you have a job, smoke weed and drink when your off work? That's your double life? I think I have a double life too.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Im a pretty big nerd but no one knows it. They think im this party hard guy but most of the time i just like to chill on reddit.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Everyone has a double life, some just don't act on it. There is always a variation between what you do in reality, and what you want to do or do in your head.... If that makes sense...",
"score": 3
}
] |
I feel so bad about everything these days | I don't even know where to start. So much is wrong with my life now, before too.
First of all is the big news I got today. A girl who I loved the second I saw her 15 years ago killed herself a few days ago. We hardly spoke and rarely saw each other this last decade, during which I fought depression, then life gave her a big helping of it too. Too much for her. For me I don't know, I just keep working now.
I'm in an increasingly loveless relationship with a girl who wants to start a family. She left a marriage to be with me, now I find myself staying with her just because of that but I'm not happy and she's not stupid, we just don't talk about it.
I hardly talk to my family anymore. I write them sometimes but I don't have the guts to read their replies.
All I have is my work which I relentlessly pour myself into virtually every waking minute.
I've been battling depression for the last 10 years and for much of that time depression won. How do I get out of this pit I'm in? I just want to be happy but I don't know where to go or what to do to achieve that. Every day I feel myself just fighting off and supressing all the thoughts I have more and more because I know where that leads.
I feel like I shouldn't even be posting because just acknowledging the darkness pulls me closer to it, I have to fight back the thoughts and deny it just to keep hold of myself and what life I've built since last time I let it in too far. | 8 | [
{
"body": "I don't know that denying it is your best strategy.\n \nThis has shaped you. It is *not* a given that it will win. Many of the victories over it will be small but they... build up. Like barnacles.\n \nYou don't mention if you have a professional trainer in your corner, or likeminded comrades, or chemical help. (If you had diabetes you wouldn't seriously have a problem with taking insulin and consulting a doctor.) In any case at least a little cognitive therapy will help, with practice. It really will.\n \nAs in, the worst may not happen - usually doesn't happen - might never happen. Everything changes. Your perspective is skewed at present, but it won't stay that way. Everybody plays the fool sometimes. Nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow. \n \nI'm not trying to be simplistic, but these reminders help me every day.",
"score": 3
}
] |
What's the one album you're most glad to have heard this past decade? | Rather than try for objectivity in picking a "best of the decade" or even a "what's your personal opinion on best of the decade", let's just do this. What is the one album you're most glad you heard this past decade and why?
Mine is Daft Punk's [Alive 2007](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alive_2007), because it introduced me to electronic music as well as Daft Punk in general, and because it's just the most [sheerly fun](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj9AYdsb5Kg) album I've heard in my entire life. | 21 | [
{
"body": "The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium\n\nat a time when it seemed like rocknroll was dying and the art of the album was also going the way of the dodo, this re-affirmed my faith.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "White Stripes, *Elephant*: I thought pop music was dead. Maybe it is, but at least it got me back into looking for decent non-classical music.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Probably *Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots*, because it was the first album I really listened to that required patience and an appreciation of melody rather than cheap thrills. It felt bland at first until I understood it and it opened me up for some pretty great stuff. *Return to Cookie Mountain* might be 2nd because, like so much great music I end up loving, I wasn't expecting it (or its sound) at all.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "The Strokes-Is This It.\nI relate a lot to their style, plus the transition between the 1st and 2nd track always gets me out of depression.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Radiohead - In Rainbows\n\nI've listened hundreds of times since it came out. I fall asleep to it often. I was also aware of Radiohead's previous work (of course) but it got me more interested in their entire discography. It has also influenced my guitar playing lately.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "As many top 10 lists as it has been on, Kid A was that one album that completely changed the way I listened to popular music. I grew up on classical music, both of my parents being professional classical musicians. Up until the point in which I listened to this album, popular music was completely separate in my mind from classical music. I hardly thought or felt much at all while listening to pop, it was basically a means of providing nothing more than an atmosphere... something to sit in the background. \n\nI remember being taken to another universe with my first listen to Kid A. It was completely unlike anything I had ever heard texture wise and structure wise. Each song flowed nearly seamlessly into the next, with aesthetic dynamics that would make Debussy stop and listen.\n\nTo this day, I listen to this album at least once a month. Downvote me if you will, but this album seriously changed me.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Honestly, it was from Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion that I began to check out indie labels and other bands away from the mainstream. It also opened up my eyes to Radiohead, Wilco, and the likes.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "**The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree**\n\nSolidified my interest in folk-rock and opened me up to a world of new music.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Modest Mouse - [Good News for People Who Love Bad News](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_News_for_People_Who_Love_Bad_News)",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "For me it's the Fleet Foxes 'Sun Giant'. Not normally something I would listen to, but I was just amazed at how good it was. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Oystein Baadsvik - Tuba Carnival (2003)\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0qIL2ie-VE\n\nHeard it in university and inspired me to compete in my school's concerto competition - I was the first tuba player to ever win. Practicing everyday isn't easy but this album keeps me goin.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Agalloch - The Mantle. \n\nAs I've seen many people suggest, it's best on a cold snowy day while driving. Actually, fuck that. It's black metal mixed with folk metal flowing with post-metal type composition with a hint of doom metal influence. It can be very heavy at times, but the variety of influences among their music works perfectly, at least to me. \n\nMONO's album You Are There is an easy second on my list, followed by Venetian Snares' album Rossz Csillag Allat Született.\n\nHave fun, get high.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Postal Service - Give up, A friend gave me this about 4 years ago thought I'd like it, been listening to it ever since. of my desert island top 5 that defo makes the list",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Bowerbirds, without any doubt; but they have 2 LPs and I can't tell which one I prefer:\n\nHymns for a Dark Horse (2007);\nUpper Air (2009)\n\nI rediscovered folk music with this band, and they really changed the way I think about music now. A small acoustic band playing meticulously crafted songs about birds and trees... I'm sure I'll still be listening to those albums in 25 years.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago. A stripped down, raw, emotional record. Justin Vernon's simple guitar and chilling harmonies gave me everything I was looking for in an age of heavy experimentation and sound evolution.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Worst Wii game ideas? | My friends and I came up with Wii Proctologist.. where you use the wii balance board to guide the camera in search of prostate cancer.
Other thoughts? | 8 | [
{
"body": "I have the Wii Price is Right (long story) and I can tell you that none of your ideas can even come close to the depths that have already been reached. THERE IS NO HOST.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Wii Celebrity deaths, where you get to pick the drugs and which celebrity can O.D. on (and it gives you the drug effects and reasons why to take it). Rated E for everyone",
"score": 3
}
] |
Anyone else see the super enthusiastic "cowbellist" in Boise State marching band? | On a somewhat sports note, I am not as upset that Florida didn't play TCU now - Tebow and the Gators would have eaten them alive. | 78 | [
{
"body": "This is mind boggling. How can you not be super psyched to play the cowbell? I'm thinking she had to have had a traumatic experience with cows and has a fear that the playing of the cowbell will attract the cows that murdered her stepfather. She may know that the fear is silly but all the same it is in the back of her mind. She knows that despite this nagging fear she has to soldier on and do her duty for the band, though that is not enough to make her play with any enthusiasm.",
"score": 10
}
] |
If you are a young closet skeptic of religion, you have nothing to gain from telling your parents your position. There are too many stories of people getting cut-off from their parents. | I see alot of younger people asking advice regarding revealing their atheism to their parents. Look, if your parents are very religious, it is not worth the risk. Telling your parents of your atheism can only hurt you. It's like renouncing your last name. Meanwhile you risk your financial dependence and even your sense of family. It happened to me, and it is mainly because my parents were so lonely after their five children left that they had to accept my atheism in order to reunite. It's sad as shit that religion can tear apart family but that's the way it is. | 16 | [
{
"body": "Hey. I told my parents earlier this very day I did not believe in their God. I am a teenager.\n\nMy father told me I'm going to hell, my mother is on the verge of crying, and they're discussing how to save me right now.\n\nHowever, I do not think they're going to disown me for my beliefs. :D",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "If you're thinking about coming out as an atheist to your religious parents, you should make your own decision. You know your own parents better than some random guy on the internet.\n\nSome people come out as an atheist, and their parents never speak to them again.\n\nI came out to my parents as an atheist, and we just don't talk about it. It's the elephant in the room, yeah, but I feel like I have a more honest, real relationship with my parents.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Keeping a secret of extreme personal importance from the people you love and care about is also a bad idea. \n\nCan / will feelings get hurt? Yes, possibly. Every decision we make has consequences and you have to understand and accept those consequences before you make any decision in life.\n\nJust don't do what I did and say you're an atheist around Christmas time. I don't recommend that timing at all.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "My ultra-fundie office mate told me yesterday that his youngest son has professed his newfound atheism. He's 12. I feel for the kid.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "In many cases, this is very true. As an older adult, with a life of your own, both you and they will be in better places for such news. As a dependent in a fundamentalist home, perhaps it is best to remain undetected, until such time.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I'v got a list of "to watch" shows. Can anyone tell me anything about them, and why/why not to watch them? | These are all of the shows that I am interested in, and I have no idea what to expect from them. I torrent quite frequently, and I love getting into new TV series. I am currently finishing up Burn Notice, and i'd like some opinion on these shows to know what I should start right away, and what to hold off on.
Chuck (seen 2 episodes, and not terribly impressed..but i'd like to continue)
Carnivale
Community
Accidently On Purpose
Rome
Breaking Bad
Greek
Dollhouse
Legend of the Seeker
Sons of Anarchy
| 7 | [
{
"body": "Community is comedy gold, especially in the later episodes. Dollhouse is admittedly hit-and-miss, but when it hits, it's beautiful television. Same goes for Chuck. And Accidentally on Purpose isn't really funny. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "In order:\n\nThe Wire ( I know its not on the list, but its a must see)\n\nRome\n\nBreaking Bad\n\nCarnivale\n\nSons of Anarchy\n\nDollhouse\n\nGreek\n\nChuck\n\nCommunity\n\nAccidently on Purpose\n\nLegend of the Seeker\n\nAnd truth be told, you can skip the last 2....",
"score": 3
}
] |
Need to get this off my chest/want your thoughts [kinda long] | Please read through the entire post before judging me. Also realize that I'm not crazy, but instead have a horrible habit of not thinking through things at all.
One night I was browsing around Facebook and came across the profile of a girl I had noticed in one of my classes. I never really worked up the courage to talk to her, but her AIM account was on her profile and I decided to have a little fun (maybe I have a sick twisted idea of fun, I don't know). So I IM'd her pretending I had the wrong screenname, and ended up weaseling my way into having a conversation with her. Completely anonymous, online. I ended up giving a fake first name and a fake story and everything.
I can't really explain why I did this. I guess maybe I thought that I really had no chance with her so just as a last resort for fun type thing, talk to her online just for kicks. The reason I used a fake name was that I really wasn't planning in getting anything out of this besides one conversation, so I figured using my real identity wasn't necessary. Yes I could have just IM'd her and started a legitimate conversation, asking a question about the class or something. *Anything* would be better than what I did here, but I guess I just don't think straight sometimes.
The conversation we had was funny, and she was a lot more into it than I expected. She ended up trying to guess who I was, searching for "me" (but remember, it's not me, it's my alter ego, who I'll now refer to as John) on facebook and telling John to reveal more about himself. We randomly talked about what were doing at the time, about her exams. It was a pretty interesting conversation actually. Being the typical user on the internet, just by a combination of the information she revealed to me, I could easily find her account on facebook, even if I didn't know who she was beforehand (just a warning to everyone out there, it takes very little to narrow down a profile search on facebook).
So I explained to her (innocently, at least tried to be) how I could get her facebook profile if I wanted to just by using some of the information she gave to me. She thought I was some sort of "corporate profile searcher" and I gave her tips on how to secure her account a bit. But now, I'm essentially required to reveal myself because I don't want to think that there's some crazy murderer out there who now knows who she is and is stalking her. So I told her I had been kidding around and that I actually go to her school, and was in one of her classes. I tried to explain myself (of course, this was nearly impossible to do, since everything I had done had made no fucking sense). She started prodding me into telling her who I really was, and wanted me to send her a friend request on facebook. I was pretty hesitant, and tried to explain that I did not expect things to go this route and I was just messing around, but again, I don't even know why I did this and I just wasn't thinking clearly. But I ended up revealing myself fully and apologizing.
But here's the thing: She was really nice about the whole thing. Hell, she even wanted to meet me that night but then withdrew the idea because it was really late (I had already left town anyway). I doubt she was fine with it all, and I'm sure she thought it was incredibly creepy, but I believe her when she says that all is forgiven. Hell, she even accepted the friend request I sent her. In fact, she was a really nice person overall, and was pretty funny too (during our little faux conversation).
So two questions:
**A)** I had another brief online conversation with her apologizing yet again, and then talking to her about classes and stuff. She wasn't nearly as into it when I was under the John persona, but she was still conversing. Call me crazy (I may very well be), and I can't believe I'm even considering this, but would asking this girl out be too much? I mean, I realize it's incredibly unfair to her to put her through all this, but part of me thinks she really didn't think much about it. Hell, part of me thinks she may actually accept! Maybe this ordeal could be one of those awkward situations that get swept under the rug? You know, like when you walked in on your parents having sex and never spoke about it. Or should I just push this whole thing behind me and never think about it again?
**B)** Kind of a curveball question, but here's a little aside: She mentioned that one of her roommates was with her during the conversation. Now, this is kind of thinking too far ahead obviously, but the fact that a third person knows about this is even more unnerving, because if I were to start hanging out with her, her roommate may tell people about this and that could be incredibly embarrassing...But then again, I don't know what kind of person her roommate is, don't know whether her roommate even remembers/cares, and hell, this question is kind of pointless if the answer to the first question is no (but I thought it's worth mentioning).
So...feel free to leave comments. I'll answer most questions. Also, please remind me how idiotic I am and feel free to question my sanity as much as you want. I realize how crazy this whole thing is and want some other people to chime in. | 6 | [
{
"body": "Okay what you did was kind of weird and stupid, we can agree on that.\n\nHowever you really need to just forget about it and move on. If you keep acting like it was some big deal that will define your relationship with her and keep apologizing she will just get sick of it and ignore you.\n\nThe fact that she didn't get creeped out is a very positive sign. What I would do and what I think your best bet is, is to basically never mention the facebook business again, sit beside her in that class someday, and chat a bit in person.\n\nIf that goes well, ask her out.\n\nJust wanted to add that your whole attitude bothers me a bit. You are putting her on a pedestal and supplicating, looking for her approval, worrying so much about what she thinks of you. It's not attractive and it's not productive. She's s just a person, one you barely know at that. If things fail, she won't be in your life, just like she wasn't previously and you were fine. Try to keep these things in mind.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "You're a bit of an idiot... but hey it worked for you!\n\nSounds like she doesn't mind what you did there with the whole fake persona thing so I wouldn't worry about it. If she sounds less interested in the conversations she had with you than with 'John', then I would hold off on asking her out. Just keep talking to her online every once in awhile, if you see her in the hallways just smile and wave.\n\nI feel that because you acted slightly creepy in the beginning, you should let her show interest before you push yourself onto her even further. \n\nIt really seems like she likes you though, just be patient!\n\nAnd don't worry about the roommate.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "You have an icebreaker. She thinks you are smart and you helped her secure her profile rather than taking advantage of it. NOW is the time. Say hey I really enjoyed our conversation and take it from there. If she asks why you did it resort to 80s movies... \"I did that stupid hacking before I knew you, before I knew me...' when the slow hand claps starts wait a beat until she goes into slow motion then kiss her.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I agree with the other users saying you have a good shot. First off, I wouldn't even worry about B because it's not that big a deal, just kind of funny (in an awkward/dorky way).\r\n\r\nAs for your description of the girl -- I think at the very least she's ok with you as a friend / acquaintance, at best she thinks you're funny/cute (in an awkward/dorky way) and somewhat weird (still in an awkward/dorky way). Don't directly ask her for a date, but ask if she wants to meet up sometime and hang out (might help if you have an activity in mind, such as grabbing ice cream / coffee, watching a movie on your laptop, playing DDR, or something).",
"score": 3
}
] |
How many PC games utilize the Xbox 360 controller? | I just bought Arkham Asylum (fantastic game btw), and feel that the experience could be much more enhanced were I to use the 360 controller.
But before I make a $50 investment, I want to know if other ported games are compatible with this controller as well. I know for Mass Effect, which was ported from the Xbox, is not.
Can I get an idea from you all? Should I, a passive gamer at best, invest in the PC 360 controller? Is there a website that lists the collection of games that can use the controller?
I do want to point out, that if proven true, I might seriously consider buying Assasin's Creed, PoP, and a couple other XBox games.
Edit: On amazon, one reviewer said that you can use the wired controller for the 360 itself, and then download the drivers from MS. Can anyone verify this claim?
Edit 2: I've been coming across old forums where they say that the Xbox controlller, when used on a PC sometimes loses its rumble feature. Does anyone have an update on this claim? I don't care if there is no rumble in games like Minesweeper, but I would like for the pad to rumble in games like Arkham Asylum. In other words, I'm looking for the "complete" xbox experience on my PC, if the game rumbles in the console, I want it to rumble on the PC.
I'm sorry for asking so many questions, its just that I'm stuck in the boonies right now and feel that finding the specific 360 controller for PC might be a little difficult. It would be much easier to come across an Xbox 360 controller and I just want to be sure that I am not losing any functionality.
UPDATE: Incase any one ever comes back and checks it out. I bought the wired xbox 360 controller (not the one specifically for the PC) and it works great on my computer running xp. A simple windows update was all it needed and I was good to go. Arkham Asylum is now so much fun with rumble, and the controls I feel to be tighter. Challenge mode is incredibly easy now.
I also bought Fallout 3 and Bioshock, both games which I would never have bought otherwise. | 18 | [
{
"body": "Every game that has the \"Games for Windows\" logo *AND* supports any controller, will support the 360 controller (without additional setup).\r\n\r\n",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "You can use the controller with ANY game.\n\nCheck this out\n\nhttp://www.redcl0ud.com/controlmk/index.html\n\nyou can have different profiles (control schemes) for every game\n\nI used to play Ragnarok Online with an Xbox 1 controller when the mouse/keyboard setup made me uncomfortable.\n\nHave a riot =]",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "Do not pay $50 for one\n\nAmazon has wired for $29 and wireless for $38. Walmart has an identical pricing system. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "> I do want to point out, that if proven true, I might seriously consider buying Assasin's Creed, PoP, and a couple other XBox games.\n\nYou can use a Xbox 360 controller with both of those games (I'm assuming the newest Prince of Persia, I don't know about the others). For most games (ME is one exception), if it's on both Xbox and PC, you can use the controller. It pretty much turns the game into the Xbox version. You'll see things like \"Press A to jump\" like you would normally see on the console version.\n\n> Edit: On amazon, one reviewer said that you can use the wired controller for the 360 itself, and then download the drivers from MS. Can anyone verify this claim?\n\nYes. It's the exact same controller. You don't even need to download anything, it installs automatically once you plug it in. You can also buy a receiver to use wireless controllers.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "PC games have crappier native controller support than you might expect. I know source games support it natively, but you'll need some kind of profiling software for most games.\n\nSee: [Xpadder](http://www.xpadder.com/)",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I bought one mostly for racing games. It works perfect for all of them. Might not help you, but for anyone else interested at least.",
"score": 5
}
] |
Women: Are bi men not okay, even when bi women are? | Here's the issue. I knew a woman who didn't consider herself bi, but liked to make out with other women. (Perhaps she's bi-lite.) She thought that was totally okay. She thought bi women were totally okay. But she couldn't understand men being bi. To her, that was unacceptable.
I also know a married couple who are swingers. The woman is openly bi. The man is a closet bi. (He plays on the side.) He says his wife would never accept his bisexuality (or "bi-curiousness").
What gives? Is there something that makes bi women okay, but bi men not okay? Does it make them less manly or something. Does it seem to be a threat to a heterosexual relationship, where a woman's bisexuality would not be?
Discuss.
--------
P.S.
I'm encouraging answers from everyone: bisexual, heterosexual, homosexual, male, female, etc. | 7 | [
{
"body": "My boyfriend is generally more attracted to dudes than ladies, and I'm totally cool with that as long as he retains an affinity for my boobs. I mean, I like both dudes and ladies too, I'd be a major hypocrite if I was bothered by it. So nope, 's all good.\n\nHowever, I do think that girls' sexuality tends to be more fluid than guys'. If a guy is gay or straight, they're generally very solidly gay or straight, while I know a lot of both straight and lesbian women that have that one other-gender 'exception' to their sexuality. Girls also, in my experience, tend to be more bi-curious than guys, although that might be more of a social stigma thing than a gender thing.",
"score": 3
}
] |
[Request] Choose my logo, please! | So as you may or may not know, I was the one picked to receive the free logo design as per [this thread](http://www.reddit.com/r/Favors/comments/aeded/a_logo_for_your_website/).
Since it was reddit who got me the logo, I would like your opinions on all of the mock ups done so far. The highest upvoted one wins. Downvotes simply won't be counted. [A link to my site so that you can see if it fits in.](http://dcosolutions.com/) **The logo that is chosen will be colorized as well according to him, so don't let the greyscale throw you off.**
If you don't like any of them, please suggest a design (or even make a mockup in mspaint if you want) and maybe that will come to the top.
Thank you so much for your support reddit! And a special thanks to [Dan Nisbet](http://dannisbet.com/portfolio/) | 4 | [
{
"body": "Thanks man :) \n\nSome of these logos more down the literal route and some go down a more abstract. In my process (at least) color is the last thing I usually apply, just so that we can concentrate on the design without being influenced by anything else yet. \n\nHopefully you all like what you see!",
"score": 3
}
] |
Just got back into WoW after a 2.5 year hiatus | I have noticed some really cool things:
1. Mounts at lvl 20 help m to move around faster.
2. Quest tracking is awesome. The mod for this is even more awesomer
3. The Random dungeon thing is completely cool. So easy to find a run now. The 5% anti noob buff is excellent.
4. These glyph things seem to rock.
It is definitely more casual friendly. I approve.
Is there anything else that is awesome that I havent mentioned yet being as I am in the low 20s? | 8 | [
{
"body": "Just started playing again after a slightly shorter hiatus myself.\n\n$ is easier to make now, or at least it feels that way.\n\nFor 1k gold you can buy dual specs that you can switch between in ~10 seconds.\n\nBadges makes gearing up in the end game much faster.\n\nPeople don't care as much about what class you use for tanks/heals as they used to. I don't pay any attention anymore, but I'm DPS :P\n\nOnce you get 1 character to 80, you can buy Bind on Account gear to give to your alts and it auto adjusts its stats to the level of the char wearing it. It also transforms to the proper type of gear when you go from mail -> plate, if your a warrior or similar class. It also gives an XP bonus of 10 or 15% I think.\n\nLeveling 70-80 was sooo much faster than I remember 50-60 or 60-70 when those were the caps.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Flying mounts at Lvl 60 to help you level faster from 60-80. \n\nEpics are the new blues. \n\nThere are probably some neat mods that you might want to check out depending on your class.",
"score": 3
}
] |
What is our collective fascination with Reality TV? Thoughts? | Frankl's Existential Vacuum? Social comparison theory? Oxytocin? I'd like to hear some thoughts on why we are so fascinated with other people's lives on TV. | 5 | [
{
"body": "Back in the ancestral savannah, it probably was very important to keep an eye on the the ever-shifting alliances of cooperation and mating. Much like we have evolved a taste for high-calorie fats and sugars, it seems that monitoring the tribe's social network (e.g., through gossip) is a rewarding activity in itself.\n\nIn the modern context, though, we've become very good at catering to our evolutionary pleasures: junk food is popular because it has been engineered to exploit our desire for fats and sugar. Reality TV seems to do the same trick: it appears to our primal brains as vital information of which we need to keep track (i.e., who's sleeping with whom, who's going to be backstabbed, who's trustworthy, who's a cheater etc.). I think Facebook appeals to the same need, but in a more relevant way to one's personal social sphere.\n\nThis is just conjecture off the top of my head without any data to back it up. A grain of salt is recommended, but do not exceed your recommended daily sodium intake.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I want to make mead. | I'm about to bust the kit out again, and I want to start with a mead. Three meads, to be exact.
1) Traditional mead: Honey, water, yeast.
2) Melomel: Honey, water, yeast, some seasonal fruit (maybe cranberries or cranberries & oranges?).
3) A hopped mead.
I'm not so sure how to approach #3. I'm also looking for tips on bottling without explosions and solid recipes.
Big questions: Can I do all three meads with one batch of traditional? Can I use the fruit as priming sugar, and can I use hops during bottle conditioning? | 3 | [
{
"body": "If you really want to make some mead, I could suggest a couple of recipes for you for some basic meads... You have to decide whether or not you want a dry, sweet or somewhere in between.\n\nWhat do you mean by a hopped mead? Do you mean a mead w/ just hops in it or maybe a braggot which has hops and malt in there?\n\nAs far as seasonal fruit, if you live in the northern hemisphere, cranberries and oranges are really in season at the moment. Apples are and you could use some nice juice and make an awesome cyser (mead + cider) if you want. If I had room for it, I would try and do that. \n\nBut putting that aside, if you want to use other fruit, I would suggest using fruit in your secondary to get a good fruity flavour to your mead. Plus you can just use the basic mead you made beforehand. If you want I have a little somewhere that states how much you should use for varying amounts of flavour.\n\nBut you should really use this [nutrient schedule](http://home.comcast.net/~mzapx1/FAQ/SNAddition.pdf) for your mead. It will cut down the fermentation time from like ~4 weeks to ~2. It is awesome. I wasn't using it at first but once I found it, I noticed my meads taking off a lot quicker and finishing sooner. This allowed me to bulk age it way sooner.\n\n>Can I use the fruit as priming sugar?\n\nI wouldn't suggest it. You never know much sugar is the fruit. You might end up with over/undercarbed stuff or just bottle bombs. \n\nAlso, I would suggest you do bulk aging of the meads for at least 6 months, a year would be preferable. One thing about mead is that it needs a lot of aging before that rocket fuel taste goes away. Bulk aging will give you a more even taste across all the bottles. If you do less bulk aging at the beginning and more bottle aging, you will find that bottles can vary WILDLY from each other.\n\nBut if you really want to get into mead making, I'd suggest getting [this book](http://www.amazon.com/Compleat-Meadmaker-Production-Award-winning-Variations/dp/0937381802/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262820283&sr=8-1-spell). It is basically mead making version of Joy of Homebrewing or similar. If you do follow the ones from Joy of Homebrewing, please do NOT follow Papazian's instructions on boiling honey. That takes a lot of flavour and aroma out. It makes me sad when people spend so much on honey and then waste it away by boiling and/or heating it. You can perfectly good (I would argue better) mead by not even heating the honey.\n\nA lot of people worry about honey being contaminated. Don't worry, honey naturally is bacteria-free and what not.\n\nFeel free to ask more questions. I love making mead.",
"score": 4
}
] |
I'm looking for some help on how to make beats and use Ableton somewhat proficiently. | Pretty self explanitory, I'm just looking for some pointers and tips on music creation. I've been playing around with Ableton but I still feel like I haven't gotten anywhere with it, and anytime I look up tutorials for it, I get pay-for ones.
You guys have any tips, links, samples or anything for me? Any help would be awesome.
Also, I'm looking into getting a drum pad and keyboard, any suggestions on good starter ones? | 5 | [
{
"body": "a good midi drum pad is the m-audio trigger finger for 100. next step is the akaMPD24 or 32 for $150,$250 respectively.\n\nfor keyboard, i use the axiom 61 for $250. its got sliders and knobs so you can automate effects and envelopes easily. it also has 8 pads that you can assign samples to.\n\nif you're looking to playback samples, i would recommend a small midi keyboard or one of the midi-drum pads. if you're trying to play your own piano parts get a keyboard.\n\nfor an all in one starter that will last serve you well as you get better i recommend the M-Audio Axiom. get the 25 if you want portability or 61 for more keys.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Probably the biggest thing is don't use the built in kits, they sound a bit garbage. Find samples online.\n\nIt would probably help if you told us what kind of music you're making.",
"score": 3
}
] |
AskReddit: Why do we have to sign receipts? | Whats the point of this? If we dispute something, will they show us the receipt/signature to prove that it is us? What if someone just forges it? | 5 | [
{
"body": "The only time it ever came up for me was when I was at a resort for a week. You charge everything to your room and sign for it. Checking out and the bill was about $1000 higher than it should have been. Someone had been charging stuff to our room. The signature was the only thing that proved it wasn't me.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Question for LGB Redditers: what is your experience of physical attraction to the same gender? | So there are a lot of components to attraction: personality, intellect, pheromones, physicality, etc. As a straight girl, a good portion of the physical aspect lies in a man's difference from me: he's bigger, stronger, more angular, has a deeper voice, body hair, manly smell, etc. I'm just wondering how LGB people experience this physical component without being comparative, or something along the lines of 'boobs: no big deal, I've got boobs too'. | 10 | [
{
"body": "Boobs are great! So I tend to like having an extra pair around I'm allowed to play with :p. I like a spectrum of female 'looks' but I guess I like that women are smaller than men, softer and curvier, have smaller hands, less body hair and smell nice. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I can find women of just about all shapes and sizes to be very attractive. I like 'em tall and feminine with fantastic legs, compact and butch, and anything in between. The only girl I ever fell in love with had incredible curves, a great smile, and was a hell of a lot of fun to be around (also very, very straight :( ). I can still do the comparative thing, with the added bonus of built-in knowledge of what to do with a vagina.\n\nThat and boobs are frigging awesome.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I'm incredibly picky about girls that I'm attracted to. Personality is definitely a huge aspect of it: I like a girl that I can sit down with and watch cartoons, but still be able to go shopping and bake and do my hair and nails with. I usually like different-looking girls (like a girl with blue hair or something)... and Asian girls. So I guess the physical aspect has a little something to do with it, but the personality is what really wins me over. HOWEVER, I've got a wonderful boyfriend right now, and he's perfect for me. So even though I can look around, I'm not really interested in anyone else but him. Sorry ladies!... and gentlemen.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "This ought to be a question for all redditors, regardless of sexual preference. What exactly attracts you to people in general? One of the reasons i like women is because they are **not** angular; the curves do it for me, and I have difficulty comprehending straight girls/gay guys attraction to 'manliness'. The other big thing is what i assume to be pheromones or other subtle chemical reaction that make me suddenly stupid and self-conscious whenever in close proximity to an attractive female.",
"score": 3
}
] |
To the Dawkins haters... why do you hate him so? | I've mentioned Dawkins a few times recently on facebook, and every time without fail I get two or three people saying that they think he's a bit of a wanker. When I ask why, they always seem to fall back on the argument that they "don't like his tone".
I really don't understand this. I enjoy his talks and find his books fascinating, and it is infruriating that the only thing people will say is that he's a twat because he's arrogant. This is from people who are atheists and don't seem to have any reason to disagree with what he says.
Do you think the same? | 31 | [
{
"body": "If you're going to trot out the arrogant atheist tag, you need to include Hitchens. He's a drunk, he's condescending, he rarely even addresses his opponents points during a debate... and pretty much the most entertaining atheist to watch! ",
"score": 34
},
{
"body": "I imagine I'll be downvoted to Hades on this, but here goes:\n\nI don't know if I'm representative of the group you described above or not, genesius. Either way, I will say that I really do like and respect most of what Dawkins has done in his field and for using that lifetime of professional knowledge, expertise, and wisdom to make a good case for the worldview it has conclusively led him to choose. \n\nI must also say that I now often find myself wincing at and/or generally avoiding Dawkins (and for that matter, Hitchens) interviews and clips because:\n\n1) While I think Dawkins and Hitchens are essentially right, they both tend to lose their cool or latch onto points of secondary importance in many interviews or debates which causes them to say things and do things that I don't care to spend my time defending. If they're knocked off-balance, or confronted with something patently-absurd, too often, they become *needlessly* antagonistic and/or attack their opponents or their worldviews in sometimes unbecoming ways to score some easy points.\n\n2) (more importantly) I prefer not to deal with Dawkins or Hitchens anymore with all their rough edges when someone like Sam Harris does a much better job of dispassionately and persuasively laying out the case for the same essential worldview for largely the same reasons. I would argue Harris makes essentially the same case in a much more watertight and methodical way than Dawkins or Hitchens, and I would argue he remains much more composed and sober in his analysis in interviews and [debates](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5afgu_hugh-hewitt-vs-sam-harris_tech) then either Dawkins or Hitchens.\n \ntl;dr: Sam Harris is better.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Well his totally unapologetic attitude gets my vote.\n\nNot all ideas are equal, memes battle each other out, sometimes it is confrontational. \n\nBeing polite is not the goal, Dawkins got a lot of people upset, but he got a lot people seriously thinking also. I believe that is the most important part.\n\nTo me if you don't agree with me but going out of your way to be agreeable, you are very condescending.",
"score": 7
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{
"body": "I am an atheist, and a fan of Dawkins and his wife Lalla Ward (who, of course, portrayed Romana on Dr. Who), but he does sometimes come off as a bit of a pedant. Also, I find little compelling or original about his writing (Selfish Gene excluded). I read God Delusion, and found nothing particularly interesting about it; no new ideas anyway. I don't mind listening to him speak, but don't go out of my way to seek out his talks online. He's a rather pedestrian thinker compared to Sagan, Gould, or my personal favorite, Loren Eiseley. He's sort of 'atheism for dummies.'",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "This is me on the far left http://imgur.com/zDA38.jpg when he came to the University of Oklahoma last spring. I think that he's personally great, but he undoubtedly cuts a controversial public figure.\n\nSimply put, my reasoning is this: Atheism does not need a Malcolm X. It needs a Martin Luther King.",
"score": 5
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{
"body": "Christian friends of mine describe him as being reductionist; i.e. he dismisses their treasured and poetic theologies without engaging them in real debate, simplifying the issue down to basic black & white points of view. His stance *is* quite aggressive; he's essentially putting the ball in the religionist's court - demanding that *they* be the ones who *prove* their ideas to be true ( rightly so in my opinion ), although it's a condescending move because all he's doing is very unsubtly highlighting the ridiculousness of religious beliefs. \n\nDawkins is committed to strict rationalism, he has a very disciplined and scientific approach to knowledge and truth. Most people can't cope with this level of rigour and ironically dismiss him as being dogmatic. I think the reason why Dawkins likes to emphasise how science can reveal the elegant beauty of the universe is because truth be told, maintaining a rationalist approach to life *does* make it difficult to ignore the *ugliness* of reality. From Dawkins point of view he probably sees no problem with a godless universe, he knows where to find beauty in it, but to most, just the *idea* of a godless universe is abhorrent, and thus in their minds so are his ideas. It's not Dawkins that people hate, really it's his ideas.\n ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Dawkins kind of comes off as the stereotypical ivory tower egghead sometimes. His idea to call atheists \"brights\", for instance- no Richard, no.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "They don't like him because he reminds them that they waste their lives worshipping an imaginary deity.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I haven't actually read much of Dawkin's writings on atheism or religion, but I did read his book The Selfish Gene a couple of years ago and it was excellent. If that book is any indication then he is a very smart man. The Dawkins haters have to at least acknowledge that...",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I don't hate Dawkins, in fact I've read a lot of his books and am pretty much a fan. A criticism I have is that he seems to be distracted by the real science by trying to convince people there is no god and that evolution is true. I love reading his biology books, and The God Delusion was very entertaining and educational, but it seems that his title is now \"Atheist\" rather than \"Scientist\". Obviously that's the route hes chosen to take but I think it gives less attention to his real accomplishments as a biologist. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Look, when Obama and Biden get behind closed doors, I'm sure they throw around a bunch of Bush and Cheney jokes and laugh and laugh. Maybe even Pelosi joins.\n\nBut you don't go out and talk like that in public, at least not in the case of politicians. The reason there were congressional rules to prevent (ostensibly) Joe Wilson from screaming in the middle of the speech is that two hundred years ago that started *fistfights*. Side note: It *does* start fist fights in other countries.\n\nSure, when I've had a bible-thumper fucking piss me off it's nice to kick back and watch a very intelligent biologist shoot high-calibur rifles at cattle. But I'm not who he's trying to convince. And the people he's trying to convince are being fucking shot at and shit on verbally. That's not how you talk to people. It's not about making \"apologies\" for religion. I don't think religion's special shouldn't be ridiculed or belittled. I think that ridiculing and belittling people is a generally poor way of going about being social for any reason, and *certainly* a poor way to go about trying to get someone around to your side.\n\nI should know. I've argued with people in a competitive sense for upwards of ten years now.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "He speaks about beliefs as though they are something you can reason about.\r\n\r\nPeople who are routinely left behind in the area of logical reason and debate know that they are. They know that if a point is made subject to logical reason and debate, then they effectively don't get to have an opinion anymore; they have to agree with the learned professor, keep quiet or look stupid.\r\n\r\nPut the two things together, and it is precisely Dawkins' approach of talking in a quiet, scholarly manner about religious belief which makes him threatening; he is taking away people's feeling that they can be comfortable believing what they wish to believe.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I think Dawkins is not very effective at converting people to atheism because he has a style which immediately puts theists on the defensive. Sam Harris, on the other hand, has arguments that are just as hard hitting but do not come across as negatively as Dawkins's. Unfortunately Dawkins is practically the poster-child for atheism and thus projects a negative view of atheism.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "He's British.\n\nI've noticed a tendency for Americans to automatically react negatively to British accents. This is why most British shows have more success in America by recasting and reshooting the entire series with American actors.\n\nIf you're American (and by the use of the term \"wanker\" I hazard that perhaps you are not), then you should keep this in mind.\n\nOther people are stuck in the idea that you \"shouldn't\" question religion, and that it's somehow impolite. Thus, anyone who is as open and honest as Dawkins will always be considered somehow rude, even when they are not.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I personally don't have problems with these points but here's my guess:\n\n* He's the archetypical academic, which comes off as being overly pedantic to some people\n* He doesn't leave room for compromise or vagueness when he's convinced that the probabilities speak in his favour\n* He'll often counter obviously ridiculous or *inexcusably* ignorant attacks/challenges/questions with a short, dismissive reply instead of pretending to stoop down to the opponent's level and engaging him/her there, which some people find arrogant\n* He's got a British public school accent and manner of speaking, which automatically makes an arrogant impression on many (especially certain Americans and \"colonials\")\n\nIt's a good thing that he's not the *only* prominent proponent of atheism, since his style may not be effective in all situations or with all audiences, but I think having someone like him is essentially important, and he should not artificially alter his mode since in my opinion he's being sincere.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "The condescending tone is what people hate. If you're atheist and hate him, it's because he makes religious people more biased against atheism. If you're religious and hate him, it's because he hurts your delicate sensibilities.\n\nEDIT: Stephen Fry is the ultimate atheist spokesman, because he's polite, hilarious, and he makes people feel guilty.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Why are so many religions misogynistic? | I've been exploring religion and spirituality a lot recently. One thing that I've noticed is a lot of religious people are very misogynistic, and will happily flame a woman for wanting to be equal in marriage, or something else that's just as rage-inducing in their eyes. This isn't a male-only thing, the women get in on it too.
Of course, most administrations don't out-and-out say women are inferior, probably because of all the bad publicity they would get. But their followers do.
Since most religious misogynists think of it as "natural order" and not misogyny, which is useless to me, I decided to ask you guys: why do religious people tend to be more misogynistic than non-religious people?
I do want to say, before you go off thinking I hate all religion, that I realize not *all* religions are misogynistic. Many actually do encourage civil rights. | 3 | [
{
"body": "[This article](http://discovermagazine.com/2005/aug/desert-people) explores this idea, among other observations about religions and cultures based on the ecology in which they were formed, which they divided into \"desert\" vs. \"forest.\" Most interestingly, it talks a bit about how the more female-centered \"forest\" polytheistic religions lost out to the more misogynistic \"desert\" religions, which grew into what are today the big 3 (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). It's sort of a Malcolm Gladwell \"stickiness\" + Jared Diamond \"environmental determinism\" fusion- interesting stuff if you have time to read it.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "**I think the bigger picture is that religion is fundamentally about controlling people**, and it's simply the case that the strong prey on the weak in order to bolster their feelings of superiority.\n\nWomen are---in general---physically weaker than men, so the obvious (and terrible) outcome is that men often oppress women; this is human nature, and we see women doing the same (oppressing their chilren and weaker females).\n\nThe bigger solution is to inculcate societal embarrassment for taking advantage of the weak; it's not really a gender issue.\n\nThat said, many many many times more boys than girls are subjected to, say, genital mutilation.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Misogyny exists everywhere, so religion reflects that. Same goes for homophobia, racism, and other bigoted attitudes. The thing is that religious people will amplify these attitudes, because it's what their religion advocates, and they will use their religion as an excuse when confronted about it. But it's not like there aren't misogynistic, homophobic, racist atheists. Just explore /r/atheism for a while and you will see it.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I spent a decade just going to the local cafe and staring out the window IAMA | I had a pretty isolated childhood and my parents passed away when I was seventeen (I was at home, drinking alone and couldn't really make sense of it until the next day.)
I just ended up going to the cafe all the time after that. When I say all the time, I mean *all the time*. I wanted to be around people, but didn't want to really interact with them or get to know them that well.
I get out more now, but I was thinking maybe I had learned something that might help someone else get out of a rut, too. | 45 | [
{
"body": "I'm definitely going out on a big limb here, but your mind sounds a bit like mine.\n\nThe theories on everything, noticing the minutiae of people's actions (all being in some way a reflection of that little bundle of thoughts in their head), getting lost in both thought and thoughtlessness for long stretches of time....it is all so familiar. I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't know where to start or end. Or maybe everyone is like this to an extent and I'm just getting excited over nothing.\n\nANYWAYS, I'd like to know what your social life is like. Long story short, I transferred schools and have been living alone for nearly two years, only seeing and talking to other people for maybe a weekend a month (when I visit my old school) or when I'm home on break. People have been more than friendly to me, and have gone out of their way to try to include me in things and introduce me to people, but I never follow up and purposely distance myself. I am a professional wallflower, I sit in the back corner of classrooms and don't say a word. Sometimes I'll realize it's been days since I've actually said something.\n\nI put myself in this position because I'm constantly anxious and always preoccupied with the 10000 ways something can go or has gone wrong. I'm a little bad and a little good at normal conversation because it is the furthest thing from my mind. If I have to talk about myself or come up with anything, it's a complete mess -- cue anxiety. If someone else is doing the talking, I am a question machine that apparently asks all the right questions. I can't get over how awkward I feel like I am, which makes me very anxious, which makes me feel more awkward....and so on.\n\nWith the way my thoughts take shape, I feel like this is inevitable and it is something I should embrace. It's hard though, especially (at least for some reason it seems) being a guy like this. When a girl is quiet and occasionally says strange things, you say aww; when a guy is the same way, you wonder what's wrong with him. :( \n\n",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Reading your story, your kind of remind me of a guy, who regularly came to the small cafe I worked at.\r\nHe'd be there pretty much every day, drinking beer and sitting on his place. All the regulars knew him, but nobody really talked to him. Even though I'm pretty sure that's the way he wanted it to be.\r\nI always treated him with the respect he deserves as a customer. But due to the size of the cafe and all the other people being friends in a special way, I wanted to know more. I couldn't relate to him, let alone know what his reasons were. Except for the one time (off duty) where a couple of friends were there and we had a great chat, it was only a: \"another beer please\" - \"that's 5\" - \"here\" - \"thanks\"..\r\nHaven't seen him in a while, because the cafe closed about 2 years ago and I moved to another town.\r\n\r\nI don't know if he had a story related to yours, or was just shutting down (AFAIK he was a Physicist) from all the thinking. But you would have had a place in my cafe - and my heart - too! People are what make a job in a cafe so interesting.\r\n\r\nNo questions, just wanted to wish you all the best!\r\nThanks for reading",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "How have you supported yourself all this time? \n\nWhat would you like to do/what are you doing now? \n\nAlso wanted to say that I understand how you felt re: being around people, but not really wanting to get to know them. When my mother died, I felt exactly the same way. I used to go out and sit in cafes and bars to just be around people who didn't know me or my mother. The rut is still with me in many ways. ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Of course, what is the most interesting thing you witnessed? Ever see a kind act that someone thought went unnoticed?",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Didn't the cafe owners ever kick you out for loitering? I mean, I sit in a Starbucks for 20 minutes and I'm getting yelled at.\nWhat part of Canada do you live in?",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Does any of that time seem wasted to you? Ten years is a good part of your life. I'm surprised you stayed stagnant and content with just daydreams. How many books did you read?",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My father died suddenly when I was 17. That was a few years ago, but I'm starting to feel more of the effects of it now. If my mother had died too, I can see how I might have responded the way you did.\n\nWhat do you think is bringing you out of the rut? How far out are you? You said the owner has psychiatric training; have you talked to her or anyone else who could help you think about yourself from an external perspective? Do you feel happy, fulfilled?",
"score": 3
}
] |
LGBT Reddit: Recommend me some LGBT movies. | Saw my first movie with a strong gay theme recently. [Bear Cub](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359045/) is a movie about a bear, who with the help of his bear friend community, raises he nephew. I was so surprised with the quality of this movie that I was hoping that others could recommend other quality LGBT movies. | 13 | [
{
"body": "* Hedwig and the Angry Inch\n* But I'm a Cheerleader\n* Mysterious skin\n* Taxi zum Klo (old and German, still a great watch)\n* Boys don't Cry\n* Brokeback Mountain",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "[But I'm a Cheerleader](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0179116/)\n\nNot Oscar quality, but the best LGBT themed movie I've seen. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "[The Birdcage](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115685/)\n\nA really good movie starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as a gay couple owning a gay nightclub, where Nathan Lane performs as a drag queen. After their son, played by Dan Futterman, proposes to his girlfriend, he invites her family over to meet his. The only problem is that she's the daughter of a diehard conservative Senator, which makes for lots of lulz.\n\nOne of my favorite LGBT movies. :-)",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I don't know what constitutes the official \"LGBT\" seal of approval, but I just saw A Single Man (still in theaters) and was quite surprised at the quality. So amazing yet incredibly depressing. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Everything by [Gregg Araki](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000777/) except for Smiley Face (Bad movie!!!).\r\n\r\nAlso, I just took a quick look through my movie archives, here are a few that stand out:\r\n\r\n* Amnesia - The James Brighton Enigma\r\n* Chuecatown\r\n* Clapham Junction\r\n* Echte Kerle (Regular Guys)\r\n* Red Without Blue\r\n* Lie Down With Dogs\r\n* Testosterone\r\n* The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green\r\n* The Torch Song Trilogy\r\n* Were the World Mine\r\n\r\nIf you want an invite to the site I use to obtain these, PM me.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "[Hedwig and the Angry Inch](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0248845/)\n\n[High Art](http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=high+art)\n\n[Ma vie en rose](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119590/)\n\n[Short Bus](http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=short+bus)]\n\n[Chutney Popcorn](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126240/)\n\n\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Does 1554 age well? :/ | Got a bottle of 1554 black ale from a friend for christmas... didn't crack into it yet, and noticed the bottle says on the side to drink it by 12/11/09...... any thoughts? Will it be considerably different than a fresh one? I do know of a bar across town I can get it on tap if I want to compare, I guess..
Thanks all | 8 | [
{
"body": "Not all beers age well. In fact some actually get worse. Russian River beers like Pliny the Elder and Blind Pig IPA even come with a disclaimer *not* to age them.\n\nIn general (there is no static rule AFAIK) it is the big, bold, high-alcohol beers like barleywines, imperial porters, and strong stouts that most benefit from being properly aged. I don't think a black ale like 1554 would really benefit. \n\nBesides, it is a normal offering from NB and available year round, so it is not like you won't get another chance to get your hands on one.",
"score": 7
}
] |
How secure is an encrypted disk image in OSX? | I was just curious how truly secure ones data would be with using an encrypted disk image. Would it be just as secure for your files as truecrypt would be for an entire hard drive? I am asking this question out of mere curiosity. | 9 | [
{
"body": "why is it assumed or implied that somebody asking this question is trying to hide porn or otherwise illegal material? Why isn't it just as likely that this person is inquiring for more legitimate purposes. \n\nI use the encrypted disk for work because I keep a copy of my work's website on my MBP for development. If anything happens to my laptop, I wanted to make sure that I wasn't losing the greatest asset our company has.\n\nI also use encrypted disk image on my personal account on my MBP because I don't want anyone to have access to my files should something happen to my laptop. ",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Technically it's not as secure as truecrypt, Apple's disk images only offer single cipher 128-bit or 256-bit AES, whereas truecrypt offers up to three different ciphers in a cascade (a 256-bit AES cipher, ciphered with 256-bit Twofish, ciphered with 256-bit Serpent, as one example), with a hash algorithm of your choice.\n\nThe [NSA allowed 192/256-bit AES on secret/top secret documents](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard#Security), so it should be fine for your.. needs.",
"score": 5
}
] |
We had the most offensive joke, what's your favorite SFW joke? | I'll share my current favorite.
A Native American man fell madly in love with the most beautiful woman in the village. He decides to prove his love to her by swimming across the largest lake in the area. This is a HUGE lake, a GREAT lake, as it were, and none of the villagers have ever swum it.
So, he trains in smaller lakes for weeks, and finally feels confident in attempting the great swim.
He begins, and swims better and stronger than he ever swam during training. However, a quarter of the way across the lake, he loses steam and drowns.
To honor of his memory, they named the lake after him. Lake Stupid.
Edit: Of course, my joke could center around anything, I just repeated it the way it was told to me. | 26 | [
{
"body": "Still my fave:\n\nA Polish farmer is ploughing his field when he hits an obstruction in the soil - a dirty old lamp. He picks it up and rubs it to clean it off, and a genie appears in a puff of smoke.\n\n\"Thank goodness you found my lamp I was getting bored,\" says the Genie. \"I will grant you any three wishes you desire.\"\n\nThe farmer thinks and thinks and finally says: \"I want the Mongols to invade Poland... and then go home.\"\n\nThe genie looks confused, but he shrugs, and snaps his fingers, and the Mongols invade. They rampage through the country, looting and pillaging... and then they go home.\n\n\"OK,\" says the genie, \"that was your first wish. What else do you want?\"\n\n\"I want the Mongols to invade Poland again... and then go home.\"\n\nThe genie sighs. \"Fine, it's your wish, I guess.\" He snaps his fingers again, and the Mongols return. They set the farmhouse on fire, and steal the chickens, and then they go home.\n\n\"And what is your final wish?\" asks the genie.\n\n\"I want the Mongols to invade Poland again, and then go home,\" says the farmer without hesitation.\n\nSo the Mongols invade once again, and steal everything that isn't nailed down. They steal the farmer's old wife, and his plough, and rough him up a bit, and then they leave.\n\nAs they are both standing in the smoking, ransacked ruins of the farmhouse, the genie says: \"OK, I have to know. What the hell was that about? You could have wished for anything in the whole world, and you had the Mongols invade your own country three times, and totally destroy it. Why?!\"\n\nThe farmer looks very pleased with himself. \"Well, you see, in order to invade us three times and go home, they had to go through Russia six times!\"\n\n",
"score": 39
},
{
"body": "A black man, a polish man, an irishman and a jew walk into a bar.\n\n\nWhat a wonderful example of racial harmony.\n\n\n\n",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "Once upon a time there was a man that loved tractors. He seriously loved the crap out of tractors. He lived on a huge farm with over twenty tractors, and on the farm he built a house shaped like a giant tractor. Inside the house he had tractor wallpaper on the walls, he had a huge bookshelf filled with books about tractors, and they were held in place by tractor bookends. He had framed pictures of tractors, and a whole room filled with small tractor figurines, he had a kettle shaped like a tractor, and his bed was kind of like one of those racing car beds that kids have sometimes, but shaped like a goddamned tractor. Seriously, this guy loved the shit out of tractors.\n\nAnyways, one day he's driving his favourite tractor around his farm, and he gets into an accident. Totally wrecks his tractor, huge explosion, and he nearly dies. Luckily a neighbour hears what's going on, and calls for an ambulance. The man was hospitalised for weeks, and lucky to even make it out with his life. As he's laying in his hospital bed, he realises that these tractors are dangerous. I mean, he's seriously traumatised, so he decides he doesn't like tractors any more.\n\nAs soon as he's discharged from the hospital, he starts to sell off all of his tractors and any tractor related memorabilia. He sells all of his tractors, all of his framed pictures of tractors, his tractor figurines, all of his tractor books and his tractor bookends, his tractor kettle and his tractor bed. He even demolishes his tractor house, because he's that scared of tractors he can't possibly stand to live in one.\n\nAnyways, a few months later he's down at the local pub having a few beers. Out of the corner, he sees a very attractive young lady, sitting by herself. He downs the rest of his drink and saunters up to her. \"Hi there\", he says. \"Can I buy you a drink?\" The young lady shakes her head, and says \"Sorry, but I was just about to leave. I thought I'd come in for a drink, but I can't stand it in here! There's too many people smoking in here, and the air's making me feel dizzy.\"\n\nThe man says \"Oh, there's too much smoke for you in here? That's no problem, I can help you out with that\", and walks into the centre of the room and starts breathing in. He breathes in, and in, breathing in all of the smoke in the pub into his lungs. He then strolls out of the pub, and breathes it all back out into the open country air. The young lady runs out after his and exclaims \"That was amazing! You got rid of all of the smoke! How the hell did you do that?\"\n\nThe man smiles and says \"I'm an ex-tractor fan.\"",
"score": 22
},
{
"body": "Simplest joke in the Universe:\n\nA guy goes to the doctor and says, \"It hurts when I do this.\"\n\nThe doctor replies, \"Well, don't do that.\"",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "Two goldfish are in a tank. One goldfish turns to the other and says \"do you know how to drive this thing?\"",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "So this man decides he has done nothing with his life and makes up his mind to join the Navy. He goes to the Navy recruit center to try and get a job. The only problem is that he doesn't have any skills when it comes to this sort of thing.\n\n\"So, what sort of skills can you bring to the table when it comes to the Navy?\"\n\n\"Well, not many. But I can build a kushmaker.\"\n\n\"What the hell is a kushmaker?\"\n\n\"I can show you but i'm going to need 100 men, 100 tons of steel and 100 tons of wood. Put me out on a boat in the ocean with these supplies and give me a week to make my masterpiece. Then I can present it to you.\"\n\nThe navy recruiter is skeptical, but intrigued.\n\n\"Okay, I will grant your wish.\"\n\n\"Perfect.\"\n\nSo the man and his supplies and his 100 men are put on a ship and put out in the middle of the ocean for one week. After this week, the Navy recruiter comes to the ship, banging on the hull.\n\n\"I wanna see the kushmaker! I wanna see the kushmaker!\"\n\n\"No, no. It isn't done yet. Give me another two days.\"\n\nSo the navy recruiter comes back in two days and asks again.\n\n\"I wanna see the kushmaker! I wanna see the kushmaker!\"\n\n\"It still isn't done yet! Come back in 5 hours!\"\n\nSo the Navy recruiter hangs around on the ship. He's starting to get impatient. After 5 hours he gets fed up and bangs on the hull's door.\n\n\"Come on! 5 hours, let's see this shit!\"\n\nSo the man throws open the doors of the hull to reveal a huge clusterfuck of wood and steel, thrown together completely randomly. It is fucking huge and ugly.\n\n\"What the hell is this shit?!\" Yells the Navy recruiter.\n\n\"I'll show you.\"\n\nSo the man snaps his fingers and all 100 men assemble and begin to push and pull the huge clump of shit towards the edge of the boat. They throw it off the edge and into the water.\n\n*KUUUUUUSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!*",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "A hamburger walks into a bar, orders some food, and the bartender says \"Sorry, we don't serve food here\".",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": ".... apologies in advance ....\n\n A bad conductor\nA man is working on the busses in the US collecting tickets. He rings the bell for the driver to set off when there's a woman not quite on the bus. The driver sets off, the woman falls from the bus and is killed.\n\nAt the trial the man is sent down for murder and seeing as its Texas he's sent to the electric chair.\n\nOn the day of his execution he's sat in the chair and the executioner grants him a final wish.\n\"Well\", says the man, \"is that your packed lunch over there?\"\"Yes\", answers the executioner.\"Can I have that green banana?\"The executioner gives the man his green banana and waits till he's eaten it.\n\nWhen the man's finished, the executioner flips the switch sending hundreds of thousands of volts through the man. When the smoke clears the man is still alive. The executioner can't believe it.\n\n\"Can I go then?\", the man asks.\"I suppose so\", says the executioner, \"that's never happened before\".\n\nThe man leaves and eventually gets a job with another bus company selling tickets. Again he rings the bell for the driver to go when people are still getting on. A man falls under the wheels and is killed.\n\nThe bloke is sent down for murder again and sent to the electric chair.The executioner is determined to do it right this time so rigs the chair up to the electric supply for the whole of Texas.\n\nThe bloke is again sat in the chair. \"What is your final wish?\" asks the executioner.\"Can I have that green banana in your packed lunch?\" says the condemned man. The executioner sighs and reluctantly gives up his banana. The bloke eats the banana all up and the executioner flips the switch.Millions of volts course through the chair blacking out Texas.\n\nWhen the smoke clears the man is still sat there smiling in the chair. The executioner can't believe it and lets the man go.\n\nWell, would you believe it, the bloke gets his job back on the buses. Once again he rings the bell whilst passengers are still getting on, this time killing three of them. He is sent to the electric chair yet again.The executioner rigs up all United States electricity supply to the chair, determined to get his man this time.\n\nThe man sits down in the chair smiling.\"What's your final wish?\", asks the executioner.\"Well\", says the man, \"Can I have that green banana out of your packed lunch?\"The executioner hands over his banana and the man eats it all, skin included. The executioner pulls the handle and a brazillion volts go through the chair.\n\nWhen the smoke rises the man is still sat there alive without even a burn mark.\n\n\"I give up\", says the executioner, \"I don't understand how you can still be alive after all that?\". He stroked his chin. \"It's something to do with that green banana isn't it\", he asked.\n\n\"Nahh\" said the bloke, \"I'm just a really bad conductor\"",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Sir, that might not be a SFW joke. Maybe a Native Americans would be offended by this, why does his race even matter, it could have been anyone. It really depends on where you work if that would be safe for work or not. But here's my joke. \n\nA man walks into a hospital with a banana up his nose, he asks the doctor \"Doc, what's wrong with me?\" The doctor replies \"You're not eating properly.\"",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "A panda bear walks into a bar. He orders a sandwich and a beer and downs them both. After he's finished he turns to the guy on the next stool and shoots him dead and starts to walk out. The bartender stops him and says, \"you can't just walk in here, have a meal, kill a guy then leave!\" \n\nThe panda bear replies, \"sure I can. Look me up in the encyclopedia\". \n\nSo the bartender whips out the encyclopedia and sure enough the entry for Panda Bear reads, \"Panda Bears: eats chutes and leaves\"",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Two muffins are sitting in an oven. One muffin looks at the other and says \"Is it getting hot in here?\" \nThe second muffin says \"Holy Crap! A talking muffin!\"",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "What do you call a dog with no legs? \n\nIt doesn't matter. It's not like he's going to come to you when you call it.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "A boy is walking home from school when he sees a pair of sparkly rainbow striped socks in a store window. They only cost 1 quarter. He runs home and yells to his dad, \"Dad! I need a quarter!\"\n\nHis dad tells him that he will give him a quarter if he helps his mom fix the toaster. So he does, gets his quarter, and when he's walking home from school the next day, he sees that the socks have gone up in price, they're now 50 cents.\n\nHe runs home. \"Dad! I need another quarter!\"\n\nThe dad agrees if he helps his sister fix the hair dryer.\nSo he helps his sister, gets the quarter, and when he's walking home from school the next day, the socks are 75 cents.\n\nHe runs home. \"Dad, I need another quarter, please, just one more!\"\nThe dad agrees. \"Only if you help me fix the tractor.\" \n\nSo they fix the tractor together, the dad gives him the quarter, and when he's walking home from school the next day, he buys the socks! He's so happy, he runs home, goes to his room, and starts to put on the socks.\n\nJust then, there is a knock on his door. It's his sister, in tears. \"Mom is dead! The toaster blew up and killed her!\"\nHe is very sad. Not only is his mom dead, but according to their religion, he cannot wear colors for an entire month. He sadly puts the socks away in a drawer.\nA month later, he is still sad for his mother, but he is exited that he gets to put on these beautiful socks!\n\nJust then, there is another knock on the door. It's his father, in tears. \"It's your sister! The hair dryer blew up and killed her!\"\nThe boy is now terribly depressed, because his mother and sister are dead, and he still cannot wear his socks for another month.\nAfter a month, he is still sad, but excited again that he will FINALLY be able to wear his socks. \n\nJust as he is beginning to put them on, there is a knock on the door.\nHe sighs, and opens it. There is a bear at the door, and guess what the bear says?\n\n\nNOTHING. Bears don't talk, silly!",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "My favourite at the moment:\n\nA tachyon walks into a bar. The bartender says, \"We don't serve your type in here\". The tachyon replies, \"You did tomorrow\".",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Why do seagulls fly over the Sea?\nBecause if they flew over the bay they'd be bagels!\n\nSometimes the corny ones are the best :)",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Three Redditors are carpooling together to a Reddit meetup - [MrGrimm](http://www.reddit.com/user/MrGrim), [watcher](http://www.reddit.com/user/watcher) and [OnOffStar](http://www.reddit.com/user/OnOffStar), who has kindly offered to drive. However, it doesn't take long before things fall apart - after watcher spends an hour extolling the virtues of proper exercise techniques and warning about the dangers of excessive push-ups, MrGrim turns to OnOffStar and casually asks, \"So when you gonna' let me tap that?\"\n\nSo now MrGrim and watcher find themselves abandoned in the middle of the desert. No food, no water, no internet connection! What's a Redditor to do‽\n\nThe two of them decide to start walking in one direction in hopes of reaching civilization, but it soon starts to seem hopeless. No other cars seem to be using this road, and as the sun reaches its apex above them and it starts getting *really* hot. At first, they start seeing the standard mirage (a pool of water just on the horizon), but after being in the blazing sun for a few hours, the heat starts getting to their heads, and their visions begin to multiply in cuils.\n\nI'm talking *really* weird stuff here - whales with muscular arms growing out of their sides, the sun transforming into a giant glowing envelope... really bizarre stuff. These two guys know they're doomed, but suddenly, out of the blue, MrGrim catches sight of something new on the horizon, something seemingly clearer than all of these other bizarre things, something... real?\n\n\"Hey, watcher,\" he gasps, mouth parched, \"Do you see that too?\"\n\nwatcher squints and gasps, \"Oh my god...\"\n\nMrGrim's eyes are failing him, and he begins to tear up, \"What *is* it, can you tell me? I can't make out what it is!\"\n\nwatcher holds his breath, not daring to jinx this vision from heaven that couldn't possibly be real, and yet...\n\n\"It looks... it looks... like a bacon tree...\"\n\nThese two internet junkies, now at the brink of death, suddenly have an epiphany - they have discovered the holy grail. Suddenly, the two break into a run - if they're going to die, they're going to die in a fatty, salty, blissful stupor. Each man knows that this vision is almost certainly another illusion, another mirage or a hallucination, but both are driven to believe, they *have* to believe that this is real. It would give purpose to their suffering, a *meaning* to their journey.\n\nAs they run, MrGrim starts to take the lead (as it happens, he was wearing his three wolf moon tee shirt), and soon enough he's well ahead of watcher. Soon, there's a good amount of distance between them, and in his exhausted state all watcher can do is watch in envy as MrGrim reaches the prize first.\n\n\"Ha!\" he yells out, \"Good news, everyone! It's real! It does exist! It-\"\n\nSuddenly, a loud *bang* echoes across the sweltering desert. watcher freezes as he watches MrGrim crumple to the ground. After a moment, he shakes away his shock and starts running to help his friend, but MrGrim waves him away, screaming like a madman.\n\n\"Run! Get out of here now! Save yourself!\"\n\n\"But why?\" watcher shouts, \"Let me help you!\"\n\n\"You don't understand!\" MrGrim yells back, \"It's not a bacon tree! It's a ham bush!\"\n\n.\n\nIt's work safe because your coworkers won't have a goddamn clue what you're talking about.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "There were three engineers in a car; an electrical engineer, a chemical engineer, and a Microsoft engineer.\n\nSuddenly, the car stops running and they pull off to the side of the road wondering what could be wrong.\n\nThe electrical engineer suggests stripping down the electronics of the car and trying to trace where a fault may have occurred.\n\nThe chemical engineer, not knowing much about cars, suggests maybe the fuel is becoming emulsified and getting blocked somewhere.\n\nThe Microsoft engineer, not knowing much about anything, came up with a suggestion. \"Why don't we close all the windows, get out, get back in, and open all the windows and see if it works?\"",
"score": 3
}
] |
20 y.o. Student, Totally Lost in Life and College: Any help? | Hey Reddit, I want to say thank you in advanced to anyone who has the courage and fortitude to brave this wall of text that I have created! Also, anything you all could contribute would help me immensely :)
Recently, I feel so lost as to what I should do with my life, and I could really use some help.
I'm in college now, only a community college, but its getting close to time for me to transfer to a 4 year university. Which leads to the question: What do I want to major in? To be honest, I don't have the slightest clue anymore.
For years, I wanted to be a psychologist, but after taking a few psychology courses, I realized it just wasn't my sort of thing.
History and Politics have always been some of my biggest passions. For the past few semesters, I have been thinking about double majoring in History and Politics. However, the more I research things, the more I think this is a bad idea. I would love to one day perhaps be a professor in History or Politics, but I am sure you all are no strangers to the fact that teaching in America isn't exactly the best paying job, and there is often a lack of resources and an overabundance of bad administration in schools across the nation. I have two professors I feel I have a close relationship with, and both of them have warned me to be careful with choosing education as a career: it really isn't everything they expected.
I don't really see any other major careers in history, and I've become very cynical about politics in America lately. Perhaps I should take a break from /politics ...
The one thing I know I would always enjoy is some kind of career in video games. I love video games with a passion (big surprise). However, I don't really have any technical knowledge to speak of when it comes to computers. I could see perhaps doing something in Marketing or Public Relations, though I must admit, I don't know much about these fields at the moment, or where to even begin. However, I been in several clans throughout my days of gaming, and I've been in charge of running community relations and recruiting in several, and LOVED it. Perhaps something in the story writing areas of video games, though I am sure there are millions of other gamers out there to compete with.
Other information ... I've been told that I am excellent writer (obviously this post isn't my greatest work, it was rushed, I will admit). I feel like I am a very creative person, and my parents and professors often say my speeches, reports, essays, and other writings are very well done. However, I don't really know anything about making writing any sort a career.
I know this is a terribly long post, and again I thank any of you who were gracious enough to read through this post. I really am desperate for some advice, anything you feel would be helpful would be momentously welcomed!
P.S. = If you guys like I could post some of my little tidbits of writing | 9 | [
{
"body": "Hmm.. do you have to decide your major straight away, or can you leave some options open? \r\n\r\nI wonder if it might be worth taking a break from studying for a semester or a year. If you're not really sure which direction you want to take, perhaps wait until you are certain. I think if I'd waited longer before starting uni, I'd have a much more interesting and suitable career. At 20, I didn't know what I really wanted, or what was practical. \r\n\r\nPsych, professor, history, politics, video games, marketing, PR, writing. You don't have to go to uni to learn about these things, or to practice writing etc. Better than starting a course you later discover you don't want to do, and then having to pay for it down the track. \r\n\r\nFYI, I started my degree majoring in Film, ended it in Creative Writing, and now wish I'd done Programming. Careerwise, I started working in call centres to get me through uni, and I'm still there > 10 years after getting my degree, and still paying off all that study.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I'm always disappointed when I read about people talking about teaching as a career. It always involves the shitty amount of pay you get. Maybe it's not the greatest pay, but you can live quite comfortably if you don't think you need an expensive car parked outside your outrageous mansion.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Have you visited the academic counselors at your school? Not sure if they would help but maybe they can show you a list of the majors that fall into your interest area. Good luck!",
"score": 3
}
] |
What should I do about this guy? | A co-worker (in an office in a different state) and I both really liked each other and when I found out I was relocating to that office, we were planning on dating. I found out a few weeks after Halloween that he had a girlfriend, never told me, still pretended to be very interested in me, and now supposedly is engaged. He is leaving the company but will still be in the area - I'm moving there on Friday. What should I do to let him know how I feel? | 5 | [
{
"body": "Invite his fiancee over for dinner. Kill her in the bathtub and cut out her vagina. Go to grocery store and purchase some spaghetti, tomato and basil pasta sauce, and bread crumbs. Invite him over for dinner and serve him some vagina parmesan, but tell him it is chicken parmesan. After he is through eating it, tell him the truth and laugh as he cries and vomits.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Tell him you respect his decision of keeping the fiancee a secret. Offer to join in a threesome with him and his fiancee as a token of your respect. Be exclusive to him, but allow him the freedom to bone other chicks. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE frequently have disturbing nightmares? | I am twenty years old and lead a fairly normal life. Granted, I've had more than my share of really traumatic things happen to me. For the past three years or so, every so often, I'll have an extended period of time where I only have nightmares. My routine/medications/etc. doesn't change when these nightmares occur, they just *happen*. Usually it'll be for a span of about two or more weeks, but they get so bad that I wake up sobbing or in a cold sweat. For example, the death of my dog was a very traumatic thing for me for reasons that I will not go into. Long story short, it put me in the psychiatric ward. One of my nightmares was that my mother was repeatedly killing my dog and that I had to hold him in my arms and watch him die over and over again. They're usually things of that notion, and always feel incredibly real... so for me, it felt like I was awake and I was experiencing that pain again for real. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, how do you get over it? [Just as a side note... Yes, I already talk to a therapist about this issue, and am already on medication for depression, but have been taking it for longer than my nightmares have been bothering me and it is not the cause of my nightmares.] | 5 | [
{
"body": "Not too frequently, maybe twice a month but when I do get them they are very disturbing. I had one last night actually and I think that is my only reason in responding to this post because it is still so fresh in my memory. \n\nSome kids from high school and I were hanging out and we were in a gang doing pointless stuff like graffiti and the like. Then when my siblings started being interested in joining gangs I wanted out. Turns out the only way out of the gang was through death. I ran away and got shot in the shoulder from the front but was able to make my escape in a car. Went to the hospital and got patched up and a was given a ton of oxy's. \n\nKnowing the gang would be hunting me and possibly my family I did the only thing I could do to protect my family, I hunted them back. I killed 5 people in the dream in horrible ways. I remember the feeling of sneaking up behind the first guy and kicking his knee in sideways so that he could not run. After that I proceeded to break his elbows and his other knee by hyper extending them. Then I moved on to gouging his eyes out with my thumbs and then used a knife to cut 2 vertical slits on either side of the guys esophagus, careful to leave the jugulars intact. I dug my fingers and thumb into these slits and tore the motherfuckers throat out and left him there to bleed out. \n\nThe second guy I knocked unconscious with a sledge hammer to the face but was careful not to kill him right away. Once he was immobile I proceeded to beat every fucking bone in his body to a pulp starting from the extremities and working my way to the core ensuring he felt as much of it as possible. \n\nThird guy I had a katana and immobilized him by slicing the muscles and ligaments at the backs of his legs and knees so he could not walk. Then I shoved the sword up his ass and watched the tip of the blade come out his shoulder.\n\nFourth guy I shot in the back at the base of the spine paralyzing him. Then I handcuffed his hands behind his back and laid his face first on the concrete. I then took my knife and cut the flesh around his ribs and then tore them out one by one starting at the bottom and working my way up as far as I could go.\n\nFifth guy I snuck up on with chloroform on a rag, once he was out I strapped his arms to the forks on a forklift and waited for him to come to, once he did I cut along either side of his face, severing the jaw muscles and then forced his lower jaw open and back making his mouth open like a snake. Then I cut a slit in his abdominal cavity, reached my arm in and grabbed his heart. As it was still beating I tore it out of him like I was gutting a duck, then shoved it into his gaping mouth and then rose the forks on the lift as high as they would go making it look like he was on a forklift crucifix. \n\nAnyways when I woke up my shoulder still hurt like a motherfucker from being shot and I instinctively reached over to the night stand where my painkillers should have been and was extremely confused to not find them there. I then jumped out of bed in a panic because I realized I had not showered and was sure there was blood all over the bed that would indicate me in the murders but there was none. Then the cobwebs of the dream started to lift and I realized that I had not in fact been shot nor had I ever been in a gang and I had thankfully not murdered anybody. \n\nSorry to type everything out I just had to vent as I still feel like I'm going to see these murders on the news tonight even though they never took place. But yeah those nightmares happen and feel very real unlike regular boring dreams. You have a therapist to talk to and I have reddit to vent to.",
"score": 3
}
] |
[8] What are your favorite artists/CD's to listen to while incredistoned? | I dont know what it is about them, but Deftones is the best band ever to listen to when high, atleast for me it is. Deftones best CD is their [Saturday Night Wrist album](http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D03F2A9E5274BF50&search_query=deftones+saturday+night+wrist)
I understand everyone is different about what they love when their high, so tell me what rocks your world when you listen to it | 13 | [
{
"body": "Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.\n\nFor something a bit less completely obvious, try some Led Zeppelin or Mars Volta.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Between the Buried and Me - I could go on and on about this band and how great it is in any state of mind, but when stoned I HAVE to listened to Colors, if I have the time the entire album\n\nThe Mars Volta - Hands down one of my favourite stoned bands\n\nAnimals As Leaders - Pure instrumental and some serious talent, some rifts like BTBAM so if you like them check these guys out",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Dammit! Every time somebody asks a question about music on reddit I try not to talk about Phish. I'm sorry to be that guy, the stereotypical smoking Phish fan, but my favorite album to listen to high is The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday. It tells the story about the world of Gamehenge, the evil King of Prussia Wilson, and the Lizard people's resistance against the evil king Wilson. I mean come on! He stole the Helping Friendly Book. \n\nThe whole album tells a story with narration and music and everything. It's incredible. I implore you to find it online. \n\nLook at me. I've gone and ranted about Phish again. Sorry to bring that 'round here. Hope y'all have fun now figuring out your favorite albums! ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I came to post Deftones as well! Other great bands to listen to are \nISIS http://www.myspace.com/isis\nMogwai http://www.myspace.com/mogwai\nKhoma http://www.myspace.com/khoma",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Listen to Dayvan cowboy by Boards of canada and send me a message from whatever distand world you end up on. \n\nAlso \"The last christmas on earth\" by the evangelicals. And anything by Hooverphonic or Air is always good. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "TOP 10 \r\n\r\n-Fuck Buttons\r\n\r\n-Dan Deacon\r\n\r\n-Between The Buried and Me\r\n\r\n-Angels & Airwaves (I know its kinda lame, but its like Blink-182 on shrooms)\r\n\r\n-Boyz Noize\r\n\r\n-The Bloody Beetroots\r\n\r\n-Godspeed You! Black Emperor \r\n\r\n-Ugly Casanova (or just Modest Mouse)\r\n\r\n-Animal Collective \r\n\r\n-Kid Cudi (for some reason he's just so believable when high)\r\n\r\n\r\n& maybe the Jonas Brothers...",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Fat Freddy's Drop is an essential on my High List. As is Elliott Smith, The Kinks, Kid Cudi (especially his song *Soundtrack To My Life*), The Distillers, Nirvana, and sometimes a bit of CCR.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "\\[7\\] [The Velvet Underground](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground), a psychedelic rock band from the sixties. A friend played [\"Heroin\"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xcwt9mSbYE) to me when we were blazing and I've been hooked ever since.",
"score": 3
}
] |
AskUbuntu: Anyone kind enough to help me change root password? | I have booted into single user mode, but it required a password. So, I tried using passwd, and I get an error.
I even tried using a LiveCD(and USB, and MicroSD) but none of them would load as my computer doesn't have an internal optical drive.
Any help would make me love you forever. | 5 | [
{
"body": "This is just a guess, but perhaps your root (/) filesystem is mounted read-only? As an example, if you type:\n\n mount\n\nYou'd see something like this:\n\n /dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (ro,noatime,user_xattr,errors=remount-ro)\n\nro at the beginning there means read only\nNormally, it'd look something like this:\n\n /dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,noatime,user_xattr,errors=remount-ro)\n\nrw for read-write\n\n sudo mount -o rw,remount /dev/sda1\n\n(replace sda1 with whichever partition you're using for /)\n\nAfterwards, try running\n\n sudo passwd\n\nagain (if you're already root you can skip typing sudo for the above commands).",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Apparently your error is due to your host name being unknown.\n\n root@(none)\n\nYou should have a file \n\n\n /etc/hostname\n\n\nThis file should have one word in it which will be the host name. If not, I guess you could simply make it and put in a suitable name (make it simple, no spaces etc.)\n\n gedit /etc/hostname\n\nlogout/login or probably restart\n\nNow, it looks like you might have a more serious problem with your installation.",
"score": 3
}
] |
When i was 17 my parents sent me away. AMA | So about three years ago i was sleeping in my room when two large men came in, asked me to put on my clothes, and took my out of my home for good. I had absolutely no idea what was going on, they drove me an hour north to the airport and we got on a plane to Minneapolis. There i met two other men (both football player size) who put me on another plane to Utah. Let me give you a little background..
I started doing drugs in junior high school like a lot of kids. I smoked a lot of weed and got drunk every once in a while. When i got in high school i pretty did the same thing until later on when i developed quite a taste for heroin. I don't live in a big city by any means, but there is a big city drug problem. Basacally i continued to do dope and methadone until i dropped out of high school and developed got into a lot of legal trouble. I wont disclose too much info other than the fact that i served 112 days in county jail for it. After i got out of jail i moved back in with my parents and continued to do dope. This is where the transporters come in. My parents are pretty good friends with a group of lawyers. They got the state to pay to give my custody to a rehab program and the program sent the transporters.
So..i went to Utah where i was placed in a Wilderness Rehab. Pretty remarkable experience. I stayed in the woods for 3 months with a group of 12 kids. when i was about to turn 18 (about a week before) my parents took very extreme measures. They didn't want me to come home and start doing drugs so they sent me to Western Samoa, where i couldn't leave without their consent until i was 21 (legally). I lived in a rehab there for about 9 months. I got to meet a lot of locals and do some pretty amazing things. They kept me there 4 months longer than they said they were going to and to be honest, most of the time it kinda sucked. They enforced the rules all too drastically and often. 3 or 4 times i was sent to another part of the island where i had to sit and sleep on a wooden floor for 3 days. it was called "basement".
Anyway, i came back from Samoa, traveled around a lot and just came back home a couple months ago. AMA!
btw heres some pictures from Samoa [1](http://imgur.com/H0tuq) [2](http://imgur.com/MBwv2) [3](http://imgur.com/uvy2S) and heres [me](http://imgur.com/axQN9) sitting on a rock. and heres some pictures from Utah [1](http://imgur.com/qX9Ch) [2](http://imgur.com/WR0e0) [3](http://imgur.com/P1VDQ)
EDIT: alright thanks a lot for the questions everyone i'm passing out. if you wanna learn a little more about the programs i went to (i hope i don't get in trouble for this somehow..) you i'll give you the links for the programs i went to. Thanks a bunch for the questions, I haven't talked about this stuff in a while and it was really productive.
[Second Nature Utah](http://adolescents.snwp.com/) [MyChoice Samoa](http://www.coralreefacademy.com/gallery.php) just so everyone is clear, these programs are nothing like the brochure and everyone pictured in the samoa site never attended the program, the pictures are not of the campus.
Thanks everyone G'night | 75 | [
{
"body": "Actually, it sounds like you've got pretty damn good parents. One day you might get to be a parent yourself and learn how hard it is.",
"score": 40
},
{
"body": "I got sent to one of these too when I was 16 and stayed there for about a year. Mine was a place called Mount Carmel Youth Ranch (http://www.mtcarmelyouthranch.com/). I like to compare it to the book/movie Holes, except at this place there was a HUGE emphasis on religious brainwashing/conditioning. The ranch owner had a near-death religious vision of seeing the Virgin Mary after having his skull caved in by a horse, and then founded the institution. His son is now a Carmelite Catholic priest in a cloistered monastery, and we were required to attend daily mass at his chapel. Most of the employees/volunteers at the ranch were discerning a religious vocation of being monks/priests. Shit still haunts me in my dreams and I'm still hugely ambivalent about the experience six fucking years later.",
"score": 21
},
{
"body": "Can you explain the legal issues of holding an 18 year old against his will in Samoa? You sound like the rare person that actually had a positive experience with one of these programs, but I wonder what would have happened if you got in touch with the US embassy.",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "Hey, dude! Ex program kid here too. When I relay my transport story in my mind it seems so surreal. One minute you're safe in your bed, and the next minute two big ass dudes are dragging you by your feet to their car. I almost yelled \"BOMB!\" in the airport, and looking back now, I feel like I should have. I went to Spring Creek Lodge in Montanna. \n\nTo those of you who think sending your kids to a program is a good idea, all I can say is this; I never met one kid who didn't fake their way through that program. I went through more mental abuse in that place than I've ever been through in my life. It's true that my parents didn't know this would happen, and they had the best in mind for me when they sent me... But, I think that in this society, people want the quick fix. My dad had to take out 2 loans to put me through that place, so I know he did it because he loves me. But I still know with absolute certainty that I would have come out alot better of an adult if I had just been able to learn from my mistakes in REAL LIFE like everybody else.\n\nIt's hard for some people who never went through this experience to understand, so I'll leave it at that. Almost everyone in this subreddit had the opportunity to fuck up, and learn from it without getting sent away from their familys and everything they love for 11+ months. (Remember, this isn't prison, we didn't break the law... rather, I should say we didn't do anything to merit being locked up.)\n\nTL;DR- I feel for you, program kid myself, fuck that place, blah blah blah.\n\nEdit: Oh, and hey OP, lets see if you get this one; DO YOU SELF CORRECT?! Haha. What level were you? I never got past level 3 in 11 months but I was just a hella rebellious kid =p Ended up getting kicked out for fighting, and I pissed in my night staffs coffee, had to talk to cops. Got snitched on obviously. Luckily my parents took me home and didn't send me to Jamaica. I've never cried or been more emotional than on the day when the program director said \"You're going home.\"",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "You look exactly as I imagined. That usually never happens. My questions: 1) Are you clean? 2) What's the most fucked up or degrading thing you did to secure a fix? 3) Do you and your parents get along now? 4) Do you think legalization of drugs in this country is a good idea? 5) What was your absolute favorite drug? 6) What state are you from? 7)What does your dad/mom do for a living? 7) Any younger bro/sis, and if so, what do you tell them about drugs? \n\n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "when the two large men came in, did you try to fight them? When you were outside, or at the airport, did you scream for help?",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Thanks for answering all the questions honestly & ego-free. It sounds like you have a clear view of yourself. Good way to approach life.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "How big was your dope habit? How many bags a day, did you IV or insuffilate?\n\nHave you ever tried or considered trying suboxone while you were addicted or now that your are back? Do you still get cravings (stupid question, ofc you do), but how do you cope with your cravings now? What sort of coping skills did they teach you while in Samoa / Wilderness rehab program?\n\nHave you \"slipped up\" and \"relapsed\" since you've returned? If so, was it with dope, prescription pills or some other substance? \n\nWhat was your favorate \"stamp\" ? Have you ever overdosed or been rushed to the hospital (back when you were still using)? \n\nWhat are you parent's feelings on how far you've progressed with you recovery? Do they trust you now or do they still give you the third degree whenever you leave the house to do something (even innocuous things like going to 711)? \n\nHave you contracted any blood-bourne diseases like Hep-C, HIV, etc? Are you currently on any prescription pills (anti-depressants, methadone, xanex (any benzodizapine), suboxone) to help keep you away from heroin?\n\nWhat is the slang for heroin in your area, (boy, diseal, etc) ? Did you cop off the streets? Have you ever tried to commit suicide by overdosing because you felt like you couldn't take the withdrawal / addiction cycle any longer? \n\nNow, in hindsight, do you think your parents were being TOO harsh on you or do you think their actions were the only real way that you would have ever defeated the addiction and have gotten free of \"the monkey on your back\" ? How much did all the treatment cost in total, and it wasn't covered by health insurance, was it? (it never is) \n\nThank you so much for sharing, please don't feel obligated to answer any of my questions that you deem are too personal or that were already asked in the thread. I understand how devastating addiction can be and sympathise, both first hand and by example from family members with similar problems. I sincerely wish the best for you and your family! Thank you for doing this AMA",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": ">i was sleeping in my room when two large men came in, asked me to put on my clothes, and took my out of my home for good. I had absolutely no idea what was going on, they drove me \r\n\r\nSounds kind of similar to an experience of a former friend of mine (I've lost touch with her -- don't know what happened, but I hope she's alright), except she got sent to Tranquility Bay ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranquility_Bay and more results on Google) for a much more minor offense. She told me a little bit about her experiences, but overall it really sucked.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": ">They didn't want me to come home and start doing drugs so they sent me to Western Samoa, where i couldn't leave without their consent until i was 21 (legally)\n\nI believe this might fall under deprivation of liberty or false imprisonment, which is a common-law felony.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "No wonder the USA still didn't ratify the 'Convention on the Rights of the Child'. In any european country the parents would be sent to prison after having their kid kidnapped like this.\nSending the kid abroad to some institution, that's insane.\n",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "So you were such a fuck-up heroin addict that your family and taxpayers paid for you to go on \"retreat\" in the mountains and then in the South Pacific for a full year. And kids that studied like they were supposed to ended up working to pay their bills. \n\nMaybe I should start shooting up. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "How long did it take you to become grateful for what they did? Cuz I gotta say, that's the most kickass parental intervention I've ever heard of. And what was so shitty about your life that you needed heroin to get away from it? ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Sounds like you're coming to terms with everything. With that kind of experience behind you, think of all the things that you can do now. I'm glad you made it. Good luck, and have a great life!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Yeah, I went to Aspen Ranch in Utah. The staff would often threaten the older kids who were just sitting around waiting to age out of the program that they could be sent to Samoa. I always wondered if that was more than an idle threat.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Which Reddit user has the most negative comment karma? | Noticed [JohnLocke](http://www.reddit.com/user/JohnLocke) has -152 comment karma. I don't even know how that's possible, but I'm suspecting there are others who are lower. Who are they? | 6 | [
{
"body": "I submit to you [LouF](http://www.reddit.com/user/LouF/?s=comments) Who is at a score of -6712 as of this moment.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "I saw some troll who had -3000 or something. You have to be dedicated to troll consistently for that long",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "there was this guy named devilsavacado who made a post bitching about being downvoted, calling his downvoters douchebags and 12 year olds. At one point he went from 3,000 to about -5,000 in a day as a result. For some reason the admins stepped in and gave him all his karma back",
"score": 3
}
] |
Ladies, when you're dancing at a club, how often do you notice that a guy you're dancing with develops an erection? | EDIT: oops, this is possibly NSWF, forgot to put in title, so I figure I'll put it on top here.
So I'm dancing with a friend (I consider her a good friend, never anything really sexual before this, she also has a boyfriend) at a club and pretty soon she's grinding on my meat harder than the guy at your local deli. She's pretty attractive, and needless to say, I get a little excited. I excuse myself to go to the bathroom and she gets distracted by some other friends and any more awkwardness is avoided.
Is it easy to tell? Do you enjoy it? I mean when my ex and I would go out I'm sure she could tell and enjoyed that I was enjoying myself, but what about friends or random guys you have no intention of hooking up with? | 8 | [
{
"body": "If she's grinding up against your junk how could she be bothered by an erection? She must know that's how it works.",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "I look for it, so I'd have to say I notice them on guys maybe 50% of the time. Then again, that's the point of the dancing, isn't it?",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "If I'm close enough to feel it i.e. touching that area with enough pressure, then I will notice. And if I'm in that circumstance it's probably a major turn on.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I fucked up. Negligent Discharge | I was always extremely careful when handling firearms. I have a sixth sense when it comes to safe muzzle direction. I always encourage everyone to do a safety check when I hand them a firearm, and my finger is never on the trigger until i'm ready to fire.
Well, yesterday I went out shooting my Glock 19 (my first pistol) for the first time in the hills. At the end of the day, we were all in the car and I was packing up. I took out my Glock, and noticed the trigger wasn't in the "safe" position so I intend to put it that way. I'm sitting in the seat I stick the pistol out the door and pull the trigger and fired a round still in the chamber.
I didn't know there was a round in the chamber, and I didn't check. It scared the shit outta me. Although everyone was ok, I can't stop thinking about what COULD have happened, had I been pointing the gun at the seat in front of me, at the floor, or at my legs.
I guess the positive side is that my mistake didn't hurt anybody and ensures that all three of us will ALWAYS check our firearms multiple times. Plus, here I am encouraging EVERYONE to always treat a gun as if it were loaded!!!!!!!!!
I feel like such a dick. Has anyone else ever accidentally fired a weapon?
Edit: I just signed up for a pistol class. Going to cost me $200 +200 rounds for punishment. | 100 | [
{
"body": "For what it's worth, it's a good thing that it's upset you so much and you're a stand up guy for owning up to it. I bet it's happened to a lot more guys than would ever tell the tale, even on the internet.",
"score": 72
},
{
"body": "In thirty-something years of shooting, I've had one ND, and it was about fifteen years ago.\n\nI had just cleaned my single-action Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Magnum. I oiled it, wiped it down with a dry rag, and proceeded to load it.\n\nI hate to digress about the workings of a single-action revolver, but I've known plenty of gun folk who don't know how they operate. Well, you bring the hammer to half-cock, open the loading gate, turn the cylinder to an empty chamber, and load a round. You repeat the turn-and-load process until the weapon is fully loaded, then you close the loading gate. You bring the hammer to full-cock and, holding the hammer back with your thumb, pull the trigger and lower the hammer.\n\nAnd it was at this point that my thumb slipped off of the hammer and I shot a hole about two feet in front of my boots. Turns out I hadn't wiped enough oil off of the hammer. In my defense, the hammer is knurled and holds oil. I knew that then, but I am now most keenly aware of it. Naturally, I had the gun pointed in a safe direction--the floor of my single-story apartment.\n\nAs an aside, it was that day that I came to directly understand why flash-bang grenades are effective. For about two seconds, I literally did know that the gun had gone off. I just knew something very bad had happened.\n\nIf you live in an apartment in Morrow, Georgia and you've always wondered why there's a .44 inch hole in your bedroom floor, well, that's my bad.\n\nOh, and I never oil the hammer anymore. That son of a bitch can rust.",
"score": 26
},
{
"body": "I've never had an ND but my partner did once and I got hit with parts of the jacket from a shattered 9mm round. Well, at least you followed the second universal weapon safety rule and had some sense of muzzle discipline. \r\n\r\nI bet you you'll buddy check your safe and clear from now on though ;p",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "That's the reason for the four rules of gun safety. You have to violate them all for somebody to get hurt. You successfully pointed the firearm in a safe direction where you had confirmed that if there were a round in the chamber, that nobody would get hurt. You didn't put your finger on the trigger until the muzzle was in a safe direction.\n\nOf course, you screwed the pooch on the most important rule of them all, every gun is loaded until YOU have personally verified it.",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "This thread seems like a good reason to post the 4 Firearm Safety Rules (as I learned them, anyway)\n\n1) All guns are always loaded\n\n2) Never allow the muzzle to cover anything you are not willing to shoot.\n\n3) Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are aligned on the target and you intend to shoot\n\n4) Be sure of your target. \n",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": ">I took out my Glock, and noticed the trigger wasn't in the \"safe\" position so I intend to put it that way. \r\n\r\nOkay what does this mean. I thought glocks had internal safeties and that the trigger was a two piece item that you had to be pulling back on for the gun to fire. I ask because i do not own a glock but am thinking of purchasing one and this comment confuses me a hint.\r\n\r\nIt might be a dumb question...but I have never owned a full size semi-automatic and you don't learn something unless you ask.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Don't feel like a dick. Feel like you learned something. Most people would never own up to this kind of mistake. I applaud you for making us all think about safety. ",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "I haven't accidentally fired one, but I do recall one occasion at the range when I repeatedly did the routine chamber check, only to find an actual round in there when I was \"sure\" the gun was empty. That alone made me feel a bit uneasy.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Woops! I guess that was your one f**k up. Bet you won't make that mistake again. I always tell people if you only remember one thing i tell you about gun safety remember this \"never put your finger inside the trigger guard untill you are aimed on your target and ready to fire\"",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "The only ND i've ever had was with a BB gun when I was a kid. I literally shot myself in the foot -- at least I didn't shoot my eye out.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I was at an all day high end training course and the instructor (25+ years experience with handguns) was teaching us about dry firing and he pointed the gun down range and pulled the trigger...BAM! He didn't realize he had a round in the chamber and the look of surprise and embarrassment was priceless. I always double and triple check now and treat EVERY gun like it's loaded because of that.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I haven't made a ND, but I've been hit by one. A friend had his pistols out for cleaning and I and another friend were standing around. The gun owning friend went to the bathroom and the other friend asked if he could hold one. The gun owner said sure and had him drop the magazine, but never checked the chamber. A minute or so passed and *BAM* I was slightly deafened by the surprise of the blast and then looked down to see my shoe was smoking. The .40 cal round struck the cement floor and slammed into my big toe, shattering the bone, but luckily it was already slowing down from striking the floor, so it stopped there. Since I didn't want to look at it, I remember asking my friend if my toe was still there; that's all I cared about at the time. Couldn't walk for months as the bone healed around the bullet first and then they later took the round out to let it finish healing solid. \n\nTook me forever before I could pick up a gun again. I own a bunch now, but ever still wary of a round in the chamber.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I didn't know people outside the military referred to unintended shots as NDs. I have never had one, but it does happen. Be happy nobody got hurt and don't do it again. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I feel you, I did this at a match with a .22. I had finished the run of bowling pins, went through the unload and show clear part, but didn't look. The round stuck in the chamber even after I racked it three times. Fired it down range, so no harm, but definitely showed me that I need to LOOK in the chamber. I was disqualified for the match. My first and only DQ.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Check out [this](http://negligentdischarge.com/leg.html) page about a guy's ordeal with a negligent discharge. Just take into consideration how much you'd have to go through over such mistakes and what this guy had to go through in terms of medical treatment and ordeals.\n\nBe safe with your firearm!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Actually I was on the internet trying to figure out why my sp2022 wasnt locking back on the last round. So after I reassemble the weapon I put the loaded mag back in. Then I realize I reassembled it wrong the slide and barrel were not aligned right. So I push the slide a little bit and line it up correctly. (That chambered a round). I see the hammer is back, instead of using the decocker. I just pulled the trigger like an idiot. It was so frigging loud and I was scared. I looked at my thighs and arms for a hole. Im wondering how my monitor is still working. My wife is yelling at me. So I finally find the hole in the wall. I run outside to make sure it didn't exit. I felt stunned for days and ashamed for longer.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Does anyone really know what Luck does in any
game that it has it as a stat? | I mean, I realized today that I have no idea what luck does when you play any rpg that might have it as a stat. Some games simply say that it improves chances of good things happening, such as TES, but how does it compute it? When making a game, what does luck actually do? Do you know? I sure wish I knew. Classes such as thiefs usually have high luck but it's never made a difference to me. Are there any games in which high luck actually makes a difference?
EDIT: Spelling | 11 | [
{
"body": "In some games I've played it increasing the probability of good drops or critical hits. I generally ignore it. I'm not throwing my stat points into a number that doesn't directly affect my other numbers!",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "Fallout 2: increases crit chance, dramatically so when you get the \"sniper\" perk (x/10 luck = 10*x% chance of crit).\n\nBut yeah, it's annoying. I'm okay with RPGs that force you to make strategic decisions at the beginning of the game (i.e., character creation), but it's too much when they don't explicitly lay out what the choices entail.\n\n",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "When I was a smuggler/spy on SWG I know I needed high luck. I think as a spy it gave me less of a chance of someone revealing me. I can't remember for sure.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Obviously it depends on game:\n\nLuck in TES:Oblivion acts like a boost to all your other stats. I think an additional 10 points of luck equates to the effects of having 3 additional points in all your other attributes (Strength, dexterity, etc.)\n\nLuck in the classic Might and Magic games was vital for thieves. High luck prevents traps from being sprung. It also indirectly affects your chance of survival when you're hit from an attack which can kill you while that character is unconscious.\n\nLuck in Demon's Souls affects drop rates, critical hits and reduces the likelihood of catching the Plague Status Effect, which is a pain to cure.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "In most games it does almost nothing. The problem with luck as apposed to strength is that it isn't straightforward or consistent from game to game. It is up to the individual programmers to determine what it will affect. In many games it will increase loot. \n\nIn Fallout 2 there are certain random encounters based on luck.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "FAQs told me that equipping the shitty high-Luck armor in Castlevania Symphony of the Night was a good way to get the Crissaegrim. I think it's kind of BS though because the only times I found it were without the high Luck modifiers.\n\nOh yeah, there was another use for high luck. I think with high luck you could somehow get hit by an enemy in the first room and get knocked past the Death screen so you keep all your equipment for the game. I could never pull that off though.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We use this guy's [luck chart](http://www.ambient.ca/cpunk/luck.html) whenever we play Cyberpunk 2020. You get luck cards each session based on your luck stat.\n\nEdit: Oh, everyone else is talking about video games, and here I am talking about tabletop. Oh well.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Ragnarok Online. Increase Critical rate. Perfect Dodge.\nAllods Online. Increases critical rate, decreases glancing blow.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Dear Redditors, what is your favorite chicken tortilla soup recipe? | There are tons of them on the internet, but I wanted your opinion as to which recipe might be better than another. Are the quick-made (i.e., <1hr boiling) soups inferior in quality to something cooked longer? | 4 | [
{
"body": "This is the one I use. There's no shredded chicken in it, but the you could add some easily. It's almost impossible to screw up and clears the sinuses real well. (Not to mention, everyone who tries it, loves it.)\n\n**Tortilla Soup** \n\nIngredients:\n\n- 2 large cans diced tomatoes\n\n- 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil\n\n- 6 cups chicken stock/broth \n\n- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin\n\n- 2 Tablespoons chili powder\n\n- 1 medium onion, chopped\n\n- 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic\n\n- 1 can enchilada sauce \n\n- 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies\n\n- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce\n\n- 1 small handful chopped cilantro\n\n- shredded cheddar cheese\n\n- corn or flours tortillas, cut in strips, (and toasted/fried if you like)\n\nDirections:\n\nSaute onions and garlic in a soup pot in oil for a minute or two.\n\nAdd everything except tortilla strips and cheese.\n\nSimmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla strips, cheese and additional cilantro.\n\n\n\n\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Ideas for intentionally obfuscating computer science course titles? | A new CS course entitled "... web development ...", "... applied networking ...", etc. is likely to get high enrollment at most universities because students typically complain that they want real-world skills to get a job instead of foundations, blah, blah, blah... but they aren't going to a trade school.
Say you had the option to set the title for a course on programming web applications, but wanted to have a small enrollment (changing the cap is not an option). What would you call the course to scare off all but the most dedicated students? Some cooked-up options are: "Event driven asynchronous client/server systems" or "foundations of software development for networked systems" ...
Profs tend to play these games all the time -- their pay is not based on enrollment. But, teaching a class is a good way to learn the material and get some free labor (however, having too many undedicated students takes up their time). Hence, the trickery. | 14 | [
{
"body": "Web Development\n\nA survey in the different technologies applying to web development. I will be asking very specific and obscure questions on the tests to make sure only people who aren't wasting my obviously very important time are in the class. Expect to get a pretty bad grade, even if you are a good student. Also I expect you to already know the material ahead of time. I expect that you should be able to finish every sentence I say in the class. If I am sick or doing research (expect this to happen often), I will set up a rotation in which the students will teach the class. An assistant professor will sit in and grade your lecture. The two tests in the class (a midterm and the final) will be worth 85% of your grade. 15% of the final grade will be unobtainable--Not that it is \"impossible\" to get in the sense that it is very difficult, but in the literal sense that the points will not be available.",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "Put the word Theory in it like: Theory of Web Development. This will scare everyone. Or Mathematics like Mathematical Theory of Web Development.\n\n",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "can you make the course hard enough that non-serious students withdraw in the first couple weeks? in the long run your course might get a reputation for being hard and registrants might self select a little more.\n\nas a side note, I am a student who is passionate about my education and I love a challenging course anyway. so it's win-win, if politics allow.",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "How about teaching the very best course you can to whichever students show up in your classroom? \n\nJust a thought... (from a senior lecturer)",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "encrypt the course name with [Blowfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowfish_%28cipher%29) or [Triple DES](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_DES) .",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "I wish someone had done this at my university. The biggest problem with CS courses at the university level seems to be that they cater to an incredibly low common denominator, owing largely to their high enrollment rates. \n\nRoutinely, when I come across something I don't understand, I can't get any support from staff because they're busy dealing with students who can just about figure out how to turn their PC on. I'd be OK if the only advice I got was \"Go read this\" or whatever, but I can't even get that because they're stretched to breaking point by students who took the course thinking it'd be the easy option.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Distributed Caches For Quartic Space Time Division Multiplexed Systems \r\n\r\nAdvanced Temporal Compiler Optimization Strategies With Non-Directed Hamiltonian Graphs And Butterworth Filters III\r\n\r\nCoherency Dynamics Analysis With Fourier Integrals Over Non-Euclidian Geometry\r\n\r\nStatic Cross Correlation Techniques For Z-Transform Wave Harmonic Integration With Non-Linear Differential Concorde Martingales\r\n\r\nWeb 3.0 And The Cosmological Constant: How They're Related\r\n\r\nXML Parsing Strategies With Riemann-Zeta Closed Contour Integrals And Laplace Analysis\r\n\r\nOptimizing JavaScript: A Quantum Theoretical Approach",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "> foundations of\n\nI don't think this one would \"scare of all but the most dedicated\". It smells of made-up educational bureaucratic bullshit.\n\nAnyways, I agree with harlanji's idea of making the course hard enough that non-serious students withdraw very early =)",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I think giving simple courses unnecessarily complex names forms a nice duality to the common practice of giving extremely advanced and dense technical books a title in the form of \"Introduction to X\". They are invariably 1500 pages and cover very complex stuff and start off with a sentence like:\n\n\"Let K be the non Abelian set of finite thingamajiggies. It is obvious that <huge formula>\"",
"score": 3
}
] |
What ideas/plots/themes do you have that you would love to see made into a film? | I'm an independent filmmaker and I'm starving. Give me some ideas and when I finish, the results shall be posted online and the inspirer(s) will receive a production credit. I love you Reddit :)
I specialize in dramatic and comedic shorts, but have made some pretty nice ventures into skate tapes and music videos; but anything is game :) | 16 | [
{
"body": "My idea would be to create a remake of The Matrix, as if it had been directed by the Coen Brothers instead of the Wachowski Brothers. It'd be a deadpan kind of situational drama with low-key existential comedic themes, highlighting depression, futility, and the ultimate pointlessness of life. \n\nThe movie stars a frumpy old IT guy (he'd look like Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt) who experiences the same things Neo did in the Matrix, up until the point where he is asked to pick the red or the blue pill. Wanting nothing to do with all of this conspiracy shit, he takes the blue pill and goes home to drink himself to sleep. Only after he wakes up, he realizes that the alcohol and the blue pill have interacted to negate the medicinal effect of the pill, and he has, in fact, remembered *everything* about what happened the previous day, instead of having his memory wiped, as was promised. \n\nHe tries to get in contact with Morpheus and the resistance, but all to no avail - and realizes that he is stuck living out the rest of his everyday life in the ordinary world, knowing fully well that it is all an illusion (or wondering if he just dreamed it all up completely. Or does it even matter?). Either way, his life continues to fall apart around him. He finds no satisfaction in food, sex, or any of the comforting pleasures of life, for all the while he knows that none of it is real. He develops a neurotic habit of attempting to answer any idle telephone or payphone in the hopes that Morpheus has decided to try to contact him again, only to be consistently disappointed by hearing just total strangers on the line. His wife divorces him, but he finds no will to fight the legal proceedings. He loses his job to a young immigrant from India - who he must spend a week training before quitting. Together, they must go around and make sure all of the firms computers are Y2K compliant, even though the protagonist insists that Y2K is perfectly harmless. Meanwhile he can't shake the feeling that there is a secret agent named Smith who follows him around everywhere.\n\nUltimately, the movie ends anticlimactically with him living out the rest of his days in solitude, repeating a \"Groundhog-day\"-ish quotidian routine - eating the same breakfast every day, watching the same TV schedule, etc - so as to drown out the \"Glitch in the Matrix\" feeling of \"Deja Vu\" by simply making daily repetition his norm. Although this seems neurotic, we end up realizing just how similar he is to ourselves, and learn something about the way we take comfort in our own routines in order to avoid coming face to face with our inevitable meaninglessness.\n\n",
"score": 21
},
{
"body": "It's a little vague, I know, but I'm personally a huge fan of unrelatable protagonists, such as in American Psycho and Dexter. Also, Nabokov is probably my favorite author ever, and Pale Fire and Lolita are both excellent examples of stories with completely unrelatable narrators.\n\nI believe the trick with those kinds of characters is to make them oddballs, but try your best to make the viewer/reader sympathize. Lolita is riddled with euphemisms and clever wordplay. Dexter has a family and does his evil deeds for \"good\" reasons. And Jason Bateman from American Psycho is just so damn charming and interesting.",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I always love when the 'bad guy' wins at the end, it's just not done a lot I find and it's always so good when it happens. All the luck to you!",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I always thought it would be funny if a movie ended with the twist that the half-insane protagonist actually had a friend/brother/etc with him the whole time. It would be a fun reversal of all those \"X never existed!!!\" stories.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "A plane full of Los Angeles gangsters (Crips or bloods, whichever Ice Cube and Snoop Dog don't object to portraying) crash lands in Korea. Various shenanigans ensue leading up to a war with north Korea in which their skills as gangsters are put to good (comedic) use to win the war for the democratic south. They in turn come to a realization that they need more democracy in LA so they go back and their leader runs for mayor and they all get jobs.\n\nThe title **SEOUL PLANE**",
"score": 3
}
] |
Reddit: What has been the best/worst/funniest experience in airport security? | I was coming back from Costa Rica last year, after Christmas. I had received a red, plastic ball, called the "[Ball of Whacks](http://creativewhack.com/product.php?productid=10)", which consisted of pieces held together by magnets. Going through security, the guy decided to take it out of my backpack and examine it, and it exploded into 30 parts onto the floor. Lots of laughs and a collaborative effort to get all the segments back ensued.
So, what memorable experiences have you had at security? (Good or Bad) | 3 | [
{
"body": "there were a bunch of police standing in the waiting to board area in a small airport, they were looking anxiously towards the plane i was waiting to get on. \n it was 6 am and i was very tired, i ask the security guy what the problem is, if they are checking the plane for a bomb or something and he says to me that he should hold me off the plane for making such a comment. his breath reeked of booze so i replied to him that maybe the airport officials would be interested in how much he had drank this morning. he walked away and in a bit a prisoner was led off the plane and the cops took him away. i flew home in relative peace. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Trying to convince my boyfriend that college is the best thing for me...is it? Help, redditors! | My boyfriend and I have been together for about 7 years(living together currently). We met right out of high school and were both content with puttering around for a while (I was naive/dumb/etc. and apathetic about a post-secondary education). For the past 5 years, I've had a growing itch for a college education, but I've always had an excuse not to go. I want this to be the year. I'm 26 and I'm feeling more than ever that I'll be stuck in an endless string of food service/temp work and I really, really do not want this. My boyfriend had a string of temp jobs until deciding on becoming a police officer. He's always had luck on his side and now he's got a job that he loves (and could retire from eventually if he wanted). The thing is, when I mentioned that I would like to also find a job I could love/possibly retire from, and that I would probably need college to do so, he became upset. He told me why he was upset:
* We'll barely see each other.
* I might not even get a job in whatever I decide to major in.
He used his friends as examples (a lot of them have college educations but either don't get jobs applying to their major or got a job they like by having friends on the inside). I, however, have friends who HAVE received jobs pertaining to their majors(though I still know a couple who don't). I feel college could really help me out. I've always done well with direction. I'm just not a very independent go-getter. I feel I need guidance(hah, which is why I'm here..).
* College graduates, how much did college help you get into the profession you are in today?
* Is it worth it?
* What major/s would be the most useless? The most useful?
Please note: I'm not totally naive. I understand that majoring in Art or Journalism for example, probably wouldn't get me very far in this type of economy (unless I was freaking awesome at it).. I appreciate any guidance you guys can give me. I need to know how to approach this..
| 7 | [
{
"body": "Students who have lived and worked in the world prior to college are usually very pragmatic and move through university directly into their field of choice. Start with a community college transfer program so you can keep costs down and get back into school at a btter pace than at a 4 year institution. During the first year there you can spend time figuring out what your goals and skills are. Know your local economy, if you plan to stay there, and see if there is an area that you can aim for. You will probably double your life time income potention by doing this. It will also give you more flexibility to change jobs over time. For many grads it is not the academic courses taken so much as the ways to think, study and apply organization to problem solving that get them jobs. \n\nYour boyfriend is not being supportive enough of your development and you might want to discuss this further with him to see what other concerns he might have. The two listed are pretty flimsy given this is a life decision of major import.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "He's possibly afraid of you becoming more successful than him. I'm in my third year of a five year program and opportunities are already opening up, you should definitely go for it! Choose a practical, versatile field which leads to many career paths if your preferences lend themselves to it.\n\nGood Luck!",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "You shouldn't have to convince him that YOU should go to college. I don't understand why this is even a question. If he were your husband and you shared an income/household, then you might hve to justify it... but just a boyfriend? Meh, tell him to fuck off if he doesn't like it. And just living together doesn't really count as sharing a household. \n\nIf you're going to a 4 year degree, you don't really have to worry too much about what you are going ot major in. The first 2 years are more or less the same for all majors... within reason. I mean, you don't go from art major to engineering without some serious math behind you. Other than that, just go to some community college and see what interests you. You really shouldn't choose your major based on what will get you a job. 4 years is too long to spend on something you might end up hating. \n\nIf you only want a better job, try going to a specialized technical school. Like learn to become a medical assistant or something. Might save you some time, but you'd be missing out on general learning and would be kind of limited in jobs choices.\n\n\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Just finished watching Enterprise and... (Spoilers Inside) | did Connor Trinneer kill Rick Berman's dog or something? In the last two episode they kill Trip's baby, his relationship with T'Pol and then him. All for seemingly no reason. After what I thought was a highly underrated run, the show seems to end with a bafflingly bad episode.
I'm assuming it has something to do with a surprise cancellation, but I was simply shocked at how the death of Trip was handled. It came completely out of nowhere and at the hands of enemies we've never seen before, in a situation that seems completely ludicrous and poorly explained (how did a bunch of two-bit thugs in a warp 2 vessel catch up to and board earth's flagship?), with very little reaction by a crew who are seen celebrating at the signing of the alliance in the very next scene. All tied in with some completely unrelated ethical issue being faced by Riker of all people.
There were some off episodes throughout the series, but none as absurdly bad as the final one. I think I prefer to think of it as a poorly written holodeck program and just toss it out of my mental canon. | 9 | [
{
"body": "I think it's covered in the EU canon that the holodeck program was inaccurate and the real history was covered up by Section 31.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "That finale was one of the shittiest endings to a series I've ever seen. There was an interview with Jolene Blalock (T'Pol) that ran in the Toronto Star around the time of the finale. She referred to the finale as \"appalling\". She was right on the money.\n\nQuite honestly, I bailed on *Enterprise* during the whole Xindi arc. I came back to catch the last few episodes. Even though I was not a tried-and-true-blue fan of *Enterprise*, I was disgusted to realize that its finale was basically a shitty, forgettable *Next Generation* episode. \n\nInsult to injury, not only did Trip die, but he died off-camera, didn't he? And for some reason the story took place a bunch of years after all the others?\n\nAmazingly, despite the fact that years have passed and my lack of commitment to that particular part of the Trek 'verse, the complete arrogant, lazy-writing fuck-uppery of the jokers in charge of the show can still angry up my blood years later.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "i couldn't watch enterprise because i kept expecting al to walk out and tell him what to do so he could make the next jump",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I really hated enterpise. I really hate it because it could have been a great show. They just needed to have lost of Andorians and green women, and a war with the Romulans. But the writers kept taking it on these wierd tangents.\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Reddit: Why do "duplicate" text messages occur? | This happens to me all the time but I don't know how common it is.. is it a characteristic of my provider, my location, or my phone itself even?
Sometimes I go through spells where I don't get any for weeks, but tonight as an example, I received an annoying duplicate for almost every single text I received. I haven't been able to find a good explanation for it.
My own plan doesn't charge me for received texts but I know that some people's actually do as of late, and if so, then this is a major problem.
Why/how do they happen, and are they going away anytime soon? :/
Thanks guys. | 3 | [
{
"body": "Data sent amongst mobile devices have an ID associated with each of them and when it is received by a station it should let that device know it doesn't need to send a repeat message. My guess is that the text was sent but no acknowledge was received from the base station until a repeat message was sent.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Are there any history professors on /r/history that can offer advice? | I'm looking for advice regarding becoming a history professor. I am currently at about 80 units into my undergraduate degree and want to continue on to get a Master's to be a history professor.
What did you do about work during grad school? Is it possible to get a job teaching history with JUST a Bachelor's? Any other general advice you'd give me?
For those who want to talk me out of history: I am aware I'm not likely to find a high paying job, but I want to enjoy my job. This is my qualm with working in other fields: I like the prospect of teaching a classroom full of budding thinkers.
EDIT (1/05/09 1:45 PST): Okay so it's become apparent that getting a Master's in History would be futile. I want to teach at a community college or do something equally satisfying. Any suggestions? I have had professors who had only a Master's, teaching at a community college (in San Diego). Is this one of those things where you can get in by knowing someone? To be honest, this whole advice thread has made me somewhat depressed about my future. | 11 | [
{
"body": "Before you do anything, you should read Thomas Benton's articles in the Chronicle of Education. He explains why practically no one should pursue a higher degree in the Humanities. That being said, some people like me simply love knowledge, and don't care about being in debt, unemployed, and over-educated. \r\n\r\nYou could teach at a high school with a bachelor's degree, but you might need education courses or some kind of teaching certificate. It's not as much fun as lecturing at university, however, becauase you can't swear. I always make sure to drop the F-bomb on the first day of class, just to let them know it's appropriate. \r\n\r\nIf you want to get along well in graduate school, it helps to start specializing in something as early as possible. Learn a language, a special skill in statistics, or read every available book about Napoleon, something like that. You want to present the image of a scholar, not a student. A scholar actively educates himself and is conducting research, hoping to publish something. A student is passive. \r\n\r\nThat being said, try to publish something. Anything. Start writing for your local newspaper. Start writing for local historical societies, or research something to present to a local historical society. \r\n\r\nAnything is possible. I wrote my first book as an undergraduate, and published it at 23. It wasn't great, it wasn't particularly long (only 128 pages), but it set me up for funding in graduate school, and it proved that I was serious about being an historian. \r\n\r\nIf you want to be a history professor, you need a Ph.D., not a Masters. The only thing you can do with a Masters is talk about your Masters while you are cleaning dishes. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "You might as well start planning on getting your PhD. You're very limited with just a masters, and pretty much worthless with just a bachelor's -- unless you get a teaching certificate and want to do high school or lower. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Anybody have any luck running BSD on a thumb
drive? | I'm a 'Nix noob whose DVR drive is damaged, so I'm relying on Unetbootin to experiment with distros, and I've always been curious about BSD. Just wondering if anybody knew which BSDs work well as live installs in a thumbdrive? I understand that some don't have live cds, and even then, some of those that do don't work on a thumbdrives. Trying to to keep track of them all is a bit confusing.
| 8 | [
{
"body": "ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/i386/ISO-IMAGES/8.0/8.0-RELEASE-i386-memstick.img\n\nftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/releases/amd64/ISO-IMAGES/8.0/8.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img\n\n-edit-\n\nLooks like you were looking for a live environment, not sure if these qualify. I think they're just the basic textmode installer.",
"score": 6
}
] |
Ladies & Gentlemen of Sexxit: What's your favorite lube? | Just curious. Have a pretty extensive collection but looking to expand. What your personal favorite? Any suggestions on flavor lubes?
::EDIT::
Extra credit to those who could name lubes without:
* Parabens
* Glycols
* Glycerin
* GSE
* Mineral Oil (liquid paraffin)
* Sodium Benzoate | 5 | [
{
"body": "Coconut Oil... solid at room temp, but body heat will melt it... very erotic, plus you can use it to sautee veggies.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Vaginal fluid followed by spit. For anal some Egyptian Magic which is free of everything that you listed. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
We need your help reddit! | Ok, so my friend and I are tired of the Christian fundamentalists protesting all over our small town of New Bern, North Carolina. We want to get a billboard in town that bears the famous "There's probably no god, now stop worrying and get on with your life." quote. The problem is, my friend and I are both college students with little income. Would anyone be willing to donate to our cause? Nothing is official yet. All I know so far is that it will cost us around $700 to get the billboard for one month.
*edit* I forgot to mention that my friend and I are both donating $50 to the cause. We'd do more but that's really all we can afford at the moment.
*edit 2* we have an email address set up for inquiries: [email protected] | 11 | [
{
"body": "Get help from the American Humanist Association or the Freedom from Religion Foundation. It will add to your legitimacy. \r\n\r\nRemember, we are a bunch of skeptics.",
"score": 4
}
] |
What gives you hope? | What things do you look forward to or believe in? Why do you get up everyday and live the life you're living? | 3 | [
{
"body": "I just read a great quote today, \"hope is that which you can keep when all else is lost.\"\n\nFrankly my life has gone to shit recently. I'm in love with a girl who left me years ago, and who is married to another man. I just racked up an insane amount of debt putting myself through law school, only to discover that I would rather take a bullet in the head than be a lawyer. Not that it matters because I can't find work anywhere. I'm losing my hair, I just had to move back in with my folks... The best thing I have going on in my life is a high Karma count on reddit (and don't think I don't know how sad that is).\n\n\nThe thing that stops me from putting a gun to my head every day is:\n#1) I don't have a gun.\n#2) I would never cause my family that kind of pain.\n#3) Hope that something better will come my way and flip my world right-side up again.\n\nI hope that I can fall in love again. I hope that some girl somewhere can love a bald man without feeling that she's settled in some fundamental way. \n\nI hope that I can find a job and a career that actually make me excited to go to work, so that I don't spend the next 40 years counting the days until I retire.\n\nI hope that tomorrow something unexpected and wonderful comes into my life that wakes me up from this nightmare I'm living in.\n",
"score": 3
}
] |
Is the Giving Tree really a critique of capitalism? | Most people think it's a simple allegory for childhood; I think it's an indictment of human society itself. It is not the selfishness of the boy that is at fault, but his ambition. The boy takes and takes and takes, but it is only so he can accumulate wealth and children. While he is young, the boy takes the occasional fruit from the tree, but the tree as a whole is intact and happy. It's not until he wishes to "go out into the world" that he becomes exploitative.
The "it's not about parenthood" theory's supported by the fact that he himself has kids, but his manipulative, self-seeking nature does not change. | 10 | [
{
"body": "But why should the tree be so naive? Shouldn't the tree say...look, boy...you're taking too much, and giving too little. If you want to truly prosper, surely you have to know that we must work together. \n\nNo, I say the tree has a responsibility to react to the boy's unending greed. The system must be balanced - the tree must take responsibility for it's own nature. If the boy is selfish, then the tree is irresponsible and self-destructive. ",
"score": 4
}
] |
Does anyone else feel like their marriage sex-life is suffering from being overworked, life events, etc? Also, how the hell do you go about fixing this? | My wife and I used to have sex all the damn time. Of course, this is a common story during the dating years, but the traditional joke is that all of that sex comes to a screeching halt once you get married. This isn't exactly true, but our sex life has definitely gotten more dull and less frequent. She's always tired from work and seems to have a low sex drive, i'm the type that will have sex at any time regardless of how tired or stressed I am. Any advice on the best strategy to try and reach a compromise? I realize discussing this is the best option,...but how do you start that conversation and what points should you make?
**EDIT 1** - Utilized some advice from this thread, had a nice little chat....fucked like wild animals last night. Three Cheers for Sweet Release. | 41 | [
{
"body": "As a 51 year old woman who has been married and divorced and raised two children and is now in a fulfilling relationship, it all boils down to this:\n\n__You both have to make sex a priority__. I didn't do this in my marriage, and it failed.\n\nYes, the sex drive is the first thing to go away for a woman when she gets tired/stressed/overworked/involved with babies. But the sex is what makes a relationship special and you have to find a way to be there for your partner. \n\nNot feeling horny? Don't push him away - you can still kiss him, touch him, talk dirty to him. Too dry and not getting aroused? That's what lube is for - sometimes I don't think I want sex, but once we get into it my libido suddenly kicks into gear because __I'm making love to my guy__.\n\nWhat most women don't realize, and what I only learned recently, is that for me, physically wanting sex doesn't always happen until I'm actually doing it. So you have to step up and do it even if you don't really feel like it, because you love him. The passion will follow.\n\nPS - if the guy is an asshole and isn't nice, sanitary, or reliable, this may not work. But my current boyfriend is a sweetie in all ways so love really does lead to passion for me. \n\nIt would be nice if I was horny more often, but this is how it is. Make it happen if it doesn't happen on its own.",
"score": 43
},
{
"body": "I completely understand. We finally resorted to putting our kids up for adoption. It worked out really well. Would do it again. A++",
"score": 26
},
{
"body": "Clandestine masturbation sessions that leave one depressingly cold and brackish around the crotch region?",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "[http://www.reddit.com/r/cannabis](http://www.reddit.com/r/cannabis) Not a joke. I mean this as a sincere medical suggestion. From personal experience.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "No clue. \n\nI do know as a wife/working person/etc I don't often have what I call headspace- me time, I guess? Time to do my thing and come around to wanting the other person? \n\nThe compromise seems to be either have sex when one partner doesn't want to or the not wanting to partner always getting bugged by the wants to partner.\n\nThis sex thing has never seemed very difficult before, and it's never seemed like such a big fucking deal. Everyone else is doing it! And having fun!",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Help her with chores. Do the dishes together. The more you help her with mundane tasks, the more often you will get laid.",
"score": 5
}
] |
IAmA Movie Theatre Manager, AMA | I will answer every question I can as long as it won't get me fired. Also, to open the questions a bit, I am familiar with both film and digital presentations, and been around for about 7 years. | 39 | [
{
"body": "Have you ever done coke off a movie canister? have you ever blown pot smoke into a projector fan? had sex in the balcony during a show? Ever mixed alcohol with a fountain drink? played porn on the screen after closing? ever filled the theater with about three hundred drunk people illegally for a midnight pre-show of the hulk? ever hooked up Halo to the screen? ever stole topless single frames of film and posted them in the box office to stare at while selling tickets to mouth breathers? just want to see if we have anything in common.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "Why are there seats in the very front of the theatre about ten feet from the screen that no one would ever want to sit in? I feel like those seats shouldn't even exist; it ruins the experience of the movie for anyone unfortunate enough to be stuck with one.",
"score": 15
},
{
"body": "Can you explain, conclusively, how theaters make money?\n\nI've heard variously that 100% of ticket revenue does not go to the theater itself but to the distributor, or to the chain, or both. I've heard that only concessions make money locally.\n",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Do you actively look for movie hoppers? If caught, could they mend the situation through the purchase of concessions? ",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "Do you ever give refunds to people who just don't like the movie? I'm sure you don't refund *everyone* who says they didn't like it, so if you do give refunds on occasion, what's the deciding factor? \r\n\r\n(I don't plan to abuse this knowledge - I've never walked out of a movie in my life. Just curious)",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Say that I wanted to watch a movie without paying. What are some ways this could be done. Hypothetically speaking, of course",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Have you ever caught anyone camming a film? Is this something which is actively looked for?\n\nA few times in my local theatre, I was approached for resting my head on my hand in a position which could be supporting a videocamera, and It's beginning to become annoying!",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "what's the theatre capacity? how many screens? how has the recession hit you guys?\n\nalso: worst customer story?",
"score": 3
}
] |
looking for data, anecdotal or not, on the 2c/mdma effect... | For example, does it allow you to roll more often? how much 2c is needed? does it matter when you take the 2c? Any other tips for supplements, recovery methods? | 5 | [
{
"body": "In my experience:\n\nYou can use 2C-I, 2C-E, 2C-D, 2C-C, or 2C-B. Do not attempt with the 2C-T-xs due to MAOI effects.\n\nA dose of a few mg 2-3 hours before rolling will not interfere with your roll at all (in fact, it will potentiate it slightly). The comedown is effectively gone as you slide back into a psychedelic afterglow. There are no gloomy Tuesdays.\n\nIt's brilliant. While the initial 2C-B trials were based on MDMA and then 2C-B, I find taking the 2C first and the MDMA when it starts to wear off is ideal. Instead of a threshold dose of a few mg you can also just do a full trip and take the MDMA at the end - don't stack peaks unless you want a rather intense experience.\n\nThis is by far the biggest influence. 5-HTP is pretty useless for the majority of people unless you have totally fucked your serotonin system by rolling frequently (ie placebo effect - the reason you feel fine after taking it is because you didn't need it in the first place). Kind of funny how the kids who roll once every 3 months use it and the weekend warriors never bother. Sigh.\n\nVitamin C has been shown to stop the death of serotonergic neurons via reuptake of dopamine oxidation products. It is the only vitamin with measurable data supporting its use - other antioxidants likely have a similar effect but do not have quantifiable support.\n\nIn short:\n\n- t=0h: Take a few mg of your chosen 2C and some vitamin C.\n- t=3h: Take your dose of MDMA (say 125 mg).\n- t=4.5h: Take your optional booster of MDMA (50mg).\n\nNo more redoses. Then more vitamin C before bed, and maybe a 5-HTP if you like. Good breakfast in the morning, and you'll be great.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "> Many of the reports that have come in over the years have mentioned the combination of MDMA and 2C-B. The most successful reports have followed a program in which the two drugs are not used at the same time, nor even too closely spaced. It appears that the optimum time for the 2C-B is at, or just before, the final baseline recovery of the MDMA. It is as if the mental and emotional discoveries can be mobilized, and something done about them. This combination has several enthusiastic advocates in the psychotherapy world, and should be the basis of careful research when these materials become legal, and accepted by the medical community.\n\nhttp://www.erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal020.shtml\n\nAssuming this is what you're talking about, the effect seems to be a little of from what you thought it would be.\nPersonally I haven't tried this but I'm fairly sure this combination will not allow you to \"roll more often\"\n5-htp is frequently referenced here as reducing the after effects of MDMA use but my assumption is that only rest can repair any physical stress caused by drug use.\nAlso, imo recovery methods become irrelevant if your drug use is moderate. Of course, everyone decides for themselves how to balance the fun and the perceived danger.\n\n*edit - formatting",
"score": 3
}
] |
How can I absolutely love IPAs because of the bitterness but absolutely hate coffee? | I love IPAs. The hoppier the better. I hate coffee. Even with lots of chocolate/milk/sugar I still can't drink it. Is the bitterness just different? | 3 | [
{
"body": "Have you tried *good* coffee?\n\nIf coffee needs stuff added to it, it's not good. Starbucks, for instance, pretty much requires a little cream unless you enjoy your coffee tasting like it was brewed with ash. Sugar, in my opinion, is never acceptable since it counteracts the bitterness (whereas cream can be used to counter oxidation, over-roasting, and poor brewing techniques).\n\nTry this, and if you still think coffee is gross, then maybe it's just not your, uh, cup of tea:\n\n* Go buy a canister of Illy coffee. This will be the most reliable entry into the world of good coffee, and although a little expensive ($12 - 14 for a canister), I find it completely worth it. \n* Clean your coffee maker. Running a little water and distilled vinegar through it works well (followed by just water). Getting out all the previously failed attempts of making good coffee will make sure you don't have off flavors imparted when brewing.\n* Filter your water. Using water from the tap introduces chemicals such as bleach and fluoride which causes off flavors in coffee.\n* Brew strong. Stronger than you think is reasonable. As the coffee brews, the water pulls out all the good oils and flavor fairly quickly. Once those flavors are extracted, further brewing pulls out bad flavors. Be sure you have enough grounds to last the full brew duration.\n\nNow, drink a cup of *that* coffee, no milk, no sugar. If the flavor is too strong for you, add milk. Coffee, like beer, takes getting used to. Your palette must learn what is good and what isn't. If it's too much, adding milk then dialing back with future cups will get you to the point where you can appreciate the flavors of the cup more.\n\nIf this works and you like coffee, then you can change the above methods to make it even better and appreciate different coffees.\n\nThe first thing I'd do from here to make the flavor even better is use a french press. That will give you more of the essential oils in your cup, which the coffee pot filter gets rid of. Note: using a french press means boiling your own water which means you must know the correct temperature at which coffee should be brewed. Do the research when you get there.\n\nWhen trying other brands of coffee that aren't packaged and ground as well as Illy, buy whole beans and grind your own. This and buying as fresh as possible reduces the chances of oxidation. Grinders can be bought for $15 and is fine for coffee brewing. If you get into making your own espresso, you need a more precise grind and must then get a mill (or buy it already milled). Grinding ends up with grains of a wide variety of sizes, milling ends up with grains all the same size (or very close to it).\n\nIn case you couldn't tell, I *love* coffee. :)",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Hop bitterness is a floral, herby, vegetal sort of bitterness. I find coffee bitterness to be a more acrid, burnt sort of bitterness. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
Hey, hockey reddit! What's the best way to learn about hockey? | I realize I'm in a pretty nice position as a Chicagoan to learn about hockey, but I could only start watching this year.
I know the basics, but can anyone give me an idea of what to watch for?
EDIT: Thanks for the advice guys. I do try to watch every hockey game that I can. I'd go to more wolves games if I had a car, but for now, watching Hawks games will have to do. | 10 | [
{
"body": "As fans, we spend a lot of time talking about the big things - big hits, big goals, big saves. They're awesome, don't get me wrong. \n\nBut if you wanna know about hockey, watch for the little things. And you're in luck, because Chicago is a GREAT place to watch for the little things now (arguably the best). \n\n**Positioning.** This is the \"biggest little thing,\" or the easiest thing to notice. \n\n* Does your D man cover the open man, or does he double cover someone? \n* Does he cover the open part of the net, or leave it way open? \n* Are forwards getting open, setting up plays, going to the open part of the net? \n* Is your goalie in the right position (Luongo often is, for example), or is he way outta place, praying for some reflexes (my own Toskalol, whose prayers constantly go unanswered) to bail him out (More successfully, brodeur is a great reflex goalie, as was Hasek)? \n\n**Stickhandling.** It's a beautiful thing to watch a defensman get suckered to the outside, as the shooter works his way in. \n\n**Playmaking** Figure out what players were trying to do. Great to watch with the Pens, Malkin, Crosby, and Gonchar are all really good at visualizing plays. Even the ones that get broken up by passes, you can appreciate. \n\nSometimes you have to look away from the puck, to see some of the best hockey action (easiest when the puck is along the boards, or action is in the neutral zone). \n\nAnd lastly, don't just say \"that was a great goal!\" Watch the replay (especially if you have a DVR) and figure out why the goal happened. Break down the \"big stuff\" and appreciate the little stuff. (If you're playing, make the best \"little stuff\" a part of your game. They're called \"good habits.\") \n\nGreatest. Game. Ever. I got excited thinking of examples I saw this week. ",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Something minor that could help. Buy a hockey video game and play it with the full rules on. You would be surprised how much the games teach a rookie fan. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Go see some Chicago Wolves games. \n\nThey are an AHL team, so it's gonna be a lot cheaper than the NHL, but it's still high level hockey, and you can get an idea of what's going on for cheaper, live. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "A good hockey player goes where the puck is. A great hockey player goes where the puck is going to be.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Just watch games. The rules can be learned by observation, and once you know how to follow the puck and are able to predict its path, you'll be well on your way to true hockey fandom. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Going to cheaper AHL games will allow you to learn about hockey without breaking your wallet. As a newcomer, going to live games will probably keep your attention better than watching on TV.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I just read "The Road". Recommend any other post-apocalyptic/survival style books? | First off, I'm new to /books, and this is my first post. Hi everyone!
The story presented in "The Road" was many things, but one of my favorite aspects was that of survival. What I'm looking for doesn't necessarily have to be a Pulitzer prize winner, just a story of survival. I read "Hatchet" when I was young; another example of what I'm looking for. Got any recommendations?
Edit: I went to Half-Price Books today and picked up "Alas, Babylon", "A Canticle for Leibowitz", and "I Am Legend". I was trying to find "World War Z", "The Postman", and "Oryx and Crake", but alas, they were not available. Thanks for the replies everyone! | 72 | [
{
"body": "*World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War* by Max Brooks\n\n*Alas, Babylon* by Pat Frank\n\n*Tunnel in the Sky* by Robert A. Heinlein\n\n*Lucifer's Hammer* by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle\n\n*Vampire Hunter D* by Hideyuki Kikuchi \n\n*A Canticle for Leibowitz* by Walter M. Miller, Jr",
"score": 18
},
{
"body": "A little past the whole survival thing, but Walter Miller Jr.'s \"A Canticle for Leibowitz\" takes a neat, but sad take on the world after the apocalypse.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "Alas, Babylon and Earth abides are great, but A Canticle for Liebowitz is epic, like The Road, it will haunt your soul.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "[Earth Abides](http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Abides-George-R-Stewart/dp/0345487133/) by George R. Stewart\n\n[The Long Loud Silence](http://www.amazon.com/long-loud-silence-Wilson-Tucker/dp/B0007FCRTK/) by Wilson Tucker\n\n[The Genocides](http://www.amazon.com/Genocides-Thomas-M-Disch/dp/0375705465/) by Thomas Disch\n\n[The Purple Cloud](http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cloud-Last-Man-Classic/dp/1449526241/) by M.P. Shiel\n\n[Out of the Mouth of the Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/Out-Mouth-Dragon-Mark-Geston/dp/0809532395/) by Mark Geston",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I posted the same question 2 months ago here are a shit load of suggestions \n\nhttp://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/9vopc/good_post_apocalyptic_books/",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "[Battle Royale](http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Royale-Novel-Koushun-Takami/dp/1421527723/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262670481&sr=1-1) is pretty fun.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Here's a list of post apocalyptic fiction. On some level, they are all survival narratives. Cormac McCarthy is an unparalleled writer. \n\nhttp://www.vtap.com/wikitap/_/WIKI8269659",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I've read a bunch of apocalypse/utopia/dystopias recently:\n\n* Infinite Jest: Crazy, sneaky dystopia! Government/science run amok!\n* Handmaid's Tale: Brilliant dystopia! Moral majority run amok!\n* World War Z: Kinda awesome, but dragged a little for me. Zombies!\n* Oryx & Crake: Amazing. A sorta companion book just came out. Bio-engineering!\n* The Great Romance: Fun \"lost\" New Zealand Utopia. Science is good!\n* A Scanner Darkly: Cyberish dystopia. Not my thing. Drugs and scramble suits! \n* Riddley Walker: Couldn't suffer through the made up language.\n* The Road. You know. No idea what happened! Liked the movie a lot.\n\nI'm totally coming back to this page for more reading suggestions.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I also recommend Alas, Babylon. if you want just survival (no post-apocalyptic) then you should try Life of Pi.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster if you're not specifically looking for wilderness survival. It has an urban setting.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "You could check out The Terror by Dan Simmons. \n\nFrom Wikipedia:\nThe novel is a fictionalized account of Franklin's lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror under Captain Sir John Franklin to the Arctic to force the Northwest Passage in 1845 - 1848. In the novel, while Franklin and his crew are plagued by starvation and scurvy and forced to contend with mutiny and cannibalism, they are stalked across the bleak Arctic landscape by a supernatural monster.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham\n\nI Am Legend, Richard Matheson\n\nBoth take pulp concepts (killer plants and vampires) and make them completely awesome. I Am Legend is particularly interesting on the physical and psychological survival of the last man alive.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Day of the Triffids is absolutely excellent. Apparently it was just made into a TV drama set in modern times (shown over Christmas but I didn't watch it). I'm not sure why they felt the need to update it as it never felt even slightly dated to me. Avoid the sequel written by his son though.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_of_the_Triffids\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Grass",
"score": 3
}
] |
I brush my teeth diligently and yet every time I go to the dentist I have a new cavity. What am I doing wrong, Reddit? | I brush my teeth at least twice a day every day.
I use mouthwash as well, and floss every so often.
I don't drink a ridiculous amount of pop or eat tons of sweets.
But I have to have a cavity filled almost every time I go to the dentist.
I don't get it. My sister eats nothing but sweets and brushes her teeth once a day tops and has had maybe two cavities in her lifetime.
Reddit, what am I doing wrong to my teeth to make them hurt me so? | 16 | [
{
"body": "Dentist here. I'm curious if you asked your dentist, and what they said. Here's how I explain it to my patients:\n\nTooth decay works when bacteria consume the sugar in your mouth and produce acid. This sugar can also come from starch as well. Basically pretty much any white food will do. So to get a cavity, you need sugar and bacteria. Here's the thing: It doesn't matter how much sugar you eat or drink but how often you do it. It takes 20 min. for bacteria to consume all the sugar in your mouth, all other things being equal (and I'll touch on that in a moment). That means acid is being produced for a good 20 min each and every single time sugar is introduced.\nSo, if you slowly munch or sip away at sugar containing things over long periods of time, like say eating a few mints or m&m's you can keep acid production constant for that whole time.\n\nWhat I meant by all things being equal, is that saliva is also important in preventing decay. It contains chemicals that help to neutralize some of the acid as well as washing away sugar. If you lack enough of the right chemicals in your saliva or don't have enough of it, you will be more cavity prone. Sadly this is not something we can reliably change at this time, so 'nuff said about that.\n\nBTW that acid production is concentrated wherever plaque happens to be, which is typically between the teeth or anywhere else you miss when brushing or flossing, and that is usually where the actual cavity appears.\nYou don't mention where the cavities are located: on the tops or chewing surfaces of the teeth or in between. Cavities in between can be prevented by flossing, those on the tops by brushing. Further, if all the cavities are on the tops and not in between at all, talk to your dentist about maybe sealing some of these teeth. \n\nSo how do you prevent more cavities? Here are some things to try. Step up the flossing to every time you brush. Do it *before* brushing, so you don't forget. \nLook into some kind of fluoride rinse for daily use. A lot of purified and bottled water has no fluoride in it -- if the purification process removes chlorine, it removes fluoride too.\nSugarless gum acts like a squeegee to get plaque and sugar off teeth, plus the sweeteners in them are actually toxic to the bacteria (not so much toxic to you fortunately).\nFinally, monitor sugar intake in terms of frequency not quantity.\n\nTL;DR\n\n3 F's to remember\n\nFloss\n\nFrequency of sugar\n\nFluoride\n\nHope this helps.",
"score": 48
},
{
"body": "Find a honest dentist. In a pay for service system your dentist does not make much money until he starts drilling, especially if you have dental insurance. Ever notice how many problems oil change places find when you take your car in for a simple service. Why? Because they don't make their money doing $20 oil changes.\n\nI had a similar experience with one dentist. It seemed like every time I went for a checkup he found a cavity. Based on some recommendations I switched dentists and suddenly my teeth were armor plated.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Find someone with great teeth and make out with them relentlessly. Hopefully their good bacteria will up and colonize in your mouth...",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "See a different dentist. I had that same problem and became suspicious so got a second opinion after dentist #1 tells me I have 2 cavities, dentist #2 says I don't. Switched dentists and haven't had one since... The dentist couldn't keep his dick in his pants and had 9 kids to feed. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "Some dentist lie get a second opinion. I had one dentist tell me I needed 3 fillings, got a second opinion and was told nothing was wrong...",
"score": 3
}
] |
Dear Ask Reddit: I have pretty much given up on life and am thinking about giving up on it. I just want to share my story a little and see if anyone can help. | So here goes. I have been a Redditor for almost a year and have seen people being helped a lot here so maybe you guys will share the wealth.
I lost my job last year, it wasn't the best job, but it paid the bills and I had a little left over for fun. Since then I have been trying out odd jobs here and there, mostly manual labor to make ends meet. It was shitty work, and my back is pretty much shot from it ( I am not the young buck I used to be).
Recently even those jobs are hard to come upon, its been over three weeks since I could find anything. My Christmas and new year was shitty, I lied to the few friends I had and told them I had a great time with some out of town friends and vici versa. I sat at home and read a novel.
I am pretty much flat broke, I have about $5.00 in change to my name and thats about it. I am over due on bills and more important rent. I am pretty much going to be evicted any-day soon. Even if I were to get a job tomorrow I will still be homeless pretty much.
I don't have any real friends I can talk to and I am going nuts. I have no idea what I can do. I am sitting here at the library, no internet at home and just the fact that the person looked my way and smiled made me forget my problems for a few minutes.
I have not had a good nights sleep in over a month, I just stay up all night worrying about what I can do to get out of this rut, but nothing works.
I don't really have much family, and the few relatives I have live really far away and I haven't seen them in over 14 years.
I am thinking of donating the few possessions I have left and either being homeless or just plain ending it. There is not much I have to look forward to.
Please excuse my English, it is not my native language, and I am having a hard time thinking rationally.
So if you have some kind words, a joke, shit even a spare dollar please send it my way and help me out. You can pretty much ask me anything, but personal questions. Even though I am willing to open up I live a very private life.
I don't think I am really a bad person, just came upon a series of crappy events that turned my life to shit. I consider you all to be my friends because hopping on Reddit is a breath of fresh air. So ask away and make me better please. And yes this is a throw away account.
EDIT: I have to call it for the night. Thanks for all the kind words and will try and get back on tomorrow.
| 22 | [
{
"body": "Hate to ask, but are you a citizen of the states? If so, you need to speak with a case manager or social worker. Depending on what state you live in, you might be able to get some help with cash assistance or TANF. \n\nI know you have your pride, but believe me you can't *eat* pride. I tried to and it tasted awful.\n\nAs far as jobs go, look into shipping and get your forklift operators license. Not as much heavy lifting with the license, and a decent wage.\n\n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "You sound like a thoughtful and caring person that the world would be worse off for if you left it. \nI'm sure there a many people who have been in your position and made it, so try and think positive. Speak to your landlord, explain your situation. It's very difficult to evict someone and I'm sure they would rather work something out rather than toss you, especially if you've been a good tenant up until this point.\n\nIf I had a few extra bucks I'd send them along, alas I don't. I've got time and compassion, so if you need an internet friend, fire away.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "This is heartbreaking. I have serious depression, but a lot of it comes from my poor past decisions. I feel what you feel. Life is seemingly not worth continuing, 85% of my day. But I live. Am I a coward? Yes. \n\nLife goes on despite the bad stuff. Words mean nothing, but little things keep us alive, I know that's what keeps me moving. Don't give up - there is always another option. Where do you live? ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "You must always remember you have a choice to live along with a choice to die. People that choose to die cannot live to regret it. ",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "You should consider signing up for the armed forces. They'll own your ass for four years, but you'll be in a much better financial position, and chicks dig a guy in uniform.\n\nSeriously, if nothing else, it will be an adventure.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Has anyone considered or been an egg donor? | I have good genes and wouldn't mind getting money for donating eggs. I am not religious though it would be a strange thought to know I might have biological offspring I know nothing about. How much money can you realistically get out of these services and how altering are the fertility drugs/hormones that they put you on? I really don't know much about it, but was hoping I could be enlightened here. | 12 | [
{
"body": "I donated my eggs to an infertile lesbian couple that I am friends with. The whole process took about 6 weeks from start to finish. It can take up to 10-12 weeks depending on when you go for your first appointment and where you are in your menstrual cycle.\n\nI was 24 and my friends were in their 40s. I'm also adopted so my view on family and genetics are somewhat colored by the fact that my family doesn't have the same DNA as I do and that has never mattered to me. I was young, healthy, and had no interest in having a child nor means to support one. My friends had tried with their own eggs and a sperm donor but it didn't work. We used an anonymous sperm donor.\n\nBecause we knew each other we had to go for counseling before hand. This was the worst part of the whole experience as the therapist told my friends to cut me out of their life afterward so there would be no chance I'd want their baby. My friends wrote letters to their doctors and the APA describing this overzealous therapist who was pushing her own issues onto our situation. The whole point was that we were friends!\n\nI was paid $5000 for the donation. Because I was adopted I could not donate anonymously to another couple. I would have been paid around $8000 if I could have done both donations.\n\nAs for the drugs - First you get a shot of estrogen to ramp up your production of eggs during that menstrual cycle. You usually release 1 egg each month and this treatment causes roughly 10-20 to be released. After 10 days you begin daily injections of estrogen for 2 weeks. I'm not good at giving myself needles so my roommate did it for me. By the 5th day I was fine with doing it myself. It's a very small needle and you barely feel it. The clinic was far from my house but there was an option to go in everyday and have the nurse give me the shot. The meds need to be refrigerated and you have to take the shot around the same time each day. I felt amazing while on the estrogen. I was superwoman - up early, super productive and felt beautiful, strong and powerful. It was an incredible high. \n\nI went for a gyno visit about every 3-4 days. Probably had about 10 over the 6 week period as they need to closely follow the egg production and make sure there aren't any issues. I also couldn't have sex while taking the fertility drugs for fear of becoming pregnant with a litter of children. (My boyfriend was super supportive during this time and it helped us grow closer as a couple.)\n\nOn my last gyno visit the eggs were the ready and I was given a shot of progesterone. 2 days later I went to have the eggs removed. My friends picked me up, drove me to the appointment and then took me home afterward. It's best to have someone with you as I was groggy from the anesthesia. It's a minor surgery and they knock you out pretty quickly. I had never been under anesthesia before so was a little nervous about that but it ended up being no big deal. The whole thing took about an hour.\n\nThe next day I had some spotting and was an emotional wreck. I went to work (wasn't in any pain) and had to find an address on a website to mail a letter. After 5 minutes of looking I got so upset that I went into the bathroom and sobbed hysterically for about 10 minutes. Then I was fine, went back to work, found what I was looking for and went about my day. The hormonal changes are real and I have never felt so weepy and sensitive as I did the day after the surgery. I'd suggest staying home for a day or 2 with a box of tissues, some chocolate and a good movie. Either that or don't mind weird looks from your co-workers when you sob over failing to find a postal address.\n\nThey took 10 eggs and 9 ended up being viable for implantation. They would have taken 20 if there were 2 couples involved which would have made for a slightly longer surgery. My friend had 3 implanted. One took and they had a beautiful baby girl 9 months later.\n\nIt was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. 4 years later we are still friends although life goes on and we are not nearly as close as we were but that had nothing to do with the donation. I get pictures and updates all the time. They are amazing parents who dote on their little girl and I'm proud to have been a part of helping them have a family.\n\nAny questions? feel free to ask.\n\n",
"score": 17
},
{
"body": "I'm thinking about it. I am in college and, well, poor. I mean, I'm generally okay with the idea that there are children out there that have my genes to an extent. Ionno. That doesn't really bother me because I realize that we share, like, 50%+ of our genes with a banana. ",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "I have thought about it, since I was only going to be having the 1 child and didn't see any reason why I couldn't help another couple try and get pregnant and was even selected by a couple (btw this is in NZ) and went through the physiology testing I was declined due to my battling with Post Natal Depression at the time. \nIt was sadening, as I really wanted to help these people and anyone else I could, which they said was a fantastic midset. BUT the drugs that they would use to make you ovulate more or at least release more eggs wouldn't have been good for me at the time, would have pushed me deeper into depression. Simply they said that it is the same as putting the body through the first trimester of pregnancy again. \nDue to needing to make you release more eggs, and also line up your cycle with the person who would be receiving the eggs. \n\nI don't know about what country you are in but here in NZ they wont look at you if you haven't already had children as there is a risk (for get the %) when they harvest the eggs that you can end up sterile. \nAlso we don't get paid for it here in NZ so it really is an outright gift, not that I think you're doing it for the money. \n\nI was gutted to say the least as the couple I had been talking to had pinned their hopes on me, because this was their last chance. And I don't carry any markers for genetic disorders, and fitted what they wanted in terms of physical appearance (dark hair, green eyes etc, which is odd as I have a blond blue eyed son - his father is dark haired and green eyed also) \n\nSo yeah that is my experience of how it is in NZ. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
DAE's urge to poop increase proportional to how close you are to your house? | Every time I am driving home and have to poop, I become less and less able to hold it as I get closer to my apartment. When I'm fumbling with my keys on my doorstep, I'm inches away from pooping myself. And there is no way for me to stop this phenomenon. | 3 | [
{
"body": "I get this as well, just as you reach the bowl and pull your pants down is the exact time you would have shat yourself had you been anywhere else because you could hold it no longer.",
"score": 3
}
] |
What is your favorite Battlestar Galactica character and why? | Of the new BSG series, who is/are your favorite character and who you do not like, why?
My choices are: Colonel Saul Tigh, Dr Gaius Baltar, Dr Sherman Cottle. | 7 | [
{
"body": "I agree, Dr. Cottle rocked. I especially like that despite his gruff demeanor, he was quite possibly the single most moral person in the entire fleet. Also, where the hell did he keep his stash of cigarettes?\r\n\r\nBy the end of it, I also came around to (mostly) liking Leoben. The thing is, as the series winds on, it starts looking more and more likely that he really does have the gift of prophecy and he *isn't* just fucking with people's heads. I was a little sorry he and Starbuck never really had a chance to be friends.\r\n\r\nAlso: LAMPKIN. I would watch an entire show about him.\r\n\r\nActually, now that I think about it, most of my favorite characters were secondary cast. I was also a big Cally fan. And for that matter, I thought Cally, Racetrack, and Kat were hotter than the three we were supposed to think were the hot ones.\r\n\r\nMaybe I'm just weird that way.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Baltar is my favorite, for the early comic relief, but I think the best character is Saul Tigh. The man goes through a hell of an arc during the course of the series. At the end of it, he's one of the most honorable men on the show (second only to Apollo, probably). He knows who he is and where is loyalties lie. That he's a cylon is just a bit of trivia. That's where he came from, but it doesn't define who he is.\n\n\"Be the man you wanna be, 'till the day you die.\"",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Baltar was by far my favorite for his character arc, his weakness, and his humor. I truly feel like there aren't enough weak of spirit characters in movies/TV especially SciFi where too many people are just emotionally superhuman and thus less interesting than they could be. Too often the \"weakness\" in a character is just a sham, in Baltar it really was a key part of the person. He reminds me of Falstaff in a way. There's a great comedic bit by Eddie Izzard about Shaggy and Scooby and Falstaff and it utterly hits the character of Baltar on the head. \nGranted I think the whole nubile cult was a bit too late in the story to work well, but it ended properly at least.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Helo is one of my favorites - he still does what he thinks is right even though everyone shit on him for it and wins everyone's respect in the end.\n\nI only just finished season 3 though, so my opinion could change.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Leoben. In the beginning of the series he was all evil robot Cylon bastard. But he develops these wonderful conversations and dialog with characters. Then you realize he is following this compulsion, this fascination with his spirituality and the mystery of Starbuck.\n\nThe clinching moment? When he runs away from Starbuck and her crashed viper... when his will and belief breaks in sorry little pieces.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Whats worse: elevator farting edition. | Whats worse: Stepping into an elevator that someone clearly just farted in, or being the one that let one out in an empty elevator and then having someone step in. | 3 | [
{
"body": "Walking in an elevator after smoking a joint and right before the door shuts two cops come in and stand next to you, staring, all the way up to the 80th floor.",
"score": 4
}
] |
To end our current wars, they must be made personal to the American public. | Most Americans are totally disconnected from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are being fought in distant lands, without any real back draft felt here at home. Because we have no draft, but an all volunteer army, the vast majority of mothers and fathers don't have to worry about their child being sent away to fight. Most Americans have nothing at stake to lose in these wars so they occupy a small dark corner of the mind, so to speak.
I believe if we are to get our of Iraq and Afghanistan, we cannot expect to do so by counting on any politicians. If we are to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, these wars must be made personal to the American people.
I believe the way to do this is through images. Intensely powerful images that show the horror of war. Graphic pictures of women weeping over dead children. Orphans weeping over dead parents. Maimed and disfigured children. Starving children. Grown men in tears. Bodies littered throughout the street. Families left out on the street in front of their destroyed homes. Not only this but images of the damages to our fellow Americans as well. American sons and daughters who have had limbs blown off and have been terribly burned and scarred. American sons and daughters who have been killed.
Images that are beyond uncomfortable to see. Images that are disturbing and horrifying. Images that will cause some to vomit, but will make everyone feel nauseous and sick inside. Images that show the inhumanity of war. Images that will make Americans raise the question, "Is it worth this?"
If only there were a way to broadcast this to the nation at large. Imagine the impact of a 60 Minutes special consisting of nothing but picture after picture of mothers and sons and daughters and fathers - rather than the generic dehumanized news blurb we typically hear of "6 insurgents were killed today". | 8 | [
{
"body": "I think many people are now realizing how personal this war is becoming. If they aren't now, they will in the next few decades to come of hyper inflation and the loss of their wealth. Face it: most people will only care if they are directly affected. ",
"score": 3
}
] |
HAE noticed the Mythbusters don't talk to each other anymore? | I know the premise is that Adam and Jamie test one myth while Kari, Grant and Tory test another. In earlier episodes they would discuss the results at the end of the show, but now it's like they never even see or talk to each other. They are never on screen together anymore. What's up with that? | 13 | [
{
"body": "I thought you were gonna say Adam and Jamie weren't talking to each other anymore... You had me worried for a second there!",
"score": 11
},
{
"body": "I have a belief that Adam & Jamie have a thinly veiled but very deep hatred for each other, it's just a vibe I get.",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Yeah, they used to be all together at first then split up, sometimes with related myths. I kind of miss the whole checking in on each other and status updates thing now that you mention it.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "That blond girl they sent to replace Kari while she's on maternity leave is just awful. She's really ditzy and doesn't contribute a lot to the content of the show. Kari on the other hand, is hot and smart.",
"score": 7
}
] |
Reddit - I need your help with a graphics card, please. | I consider myself fairly tech-savvy, but I've never been able to get my head around graphics cards.
I am looking to replace my Radeon 3600 in a Dell 540 at 350 watts (PSU). I've looked at various models of the 9800GX and HD4890 (both within my price range), but I think that both would put too great a load on my power supply.
I'm looking for advice on the card and power potential. I would be happy with a decent card, as I game occasionally, and am not looking for extreme graphics on the newest games, just something that will fit in the box without blowing out the power supply.
Any help would be appreciated.
If it makes any difference, I am running an Intel Quad Q8200 @2.34Ghz, 64-bit w/4GB RAM on Vista 64-bit. PCIx2, as I understand it. | 3 | [
{
"body": "You'd want at least a 450w to run those cards comfortably. A 350w would suffice but you'd be pushing it a bit.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Got into an argument with a rational conservative (!!), and don't quite know how to continue. Help? | So I got into an argument with a conservative who wasn't spouting fear-mongering hate speech (as is the usual fare in north-central TX), and now I'm not quite sure how to continue. His points, and I admit they're fair and well-made, are below:
"First, on taxes, I would ask exactly how much you'd have the top 5% pay? We already have a progressive tax system- as in, the top 5% not only pay more income taxes because they have more money, but they pay a vastly larger percentage of their income, sometimes up to 50%, to the government. That means 6 months out of every year, their hard-earned dollars are going straight to the government, whereas most in the lowest tax brackets pay little to nothing. So exactly how much more should the rich pay? 60%? 75%? And if they do, will that really make the poor any richer? Will it make you or me any richer? Of course not. Especially if the money's going into the hands of the absolute worst managers of money in this country- the U.S. Government.
Second, the idea that a public option would "compete" or drive down the price of private market insurance is a simple misunderstanding of economics and government. A "public option" would not drive down private insurance rates- it would completely eliminate private insurance altogether. Why? Because private insurance CAN'T compete with the government- they run on two different systems entirely. The private market measures profits in dollars, whereas Congress measures profits in terms of votes and special interest deals. Thus, not only is government a horrible mismanager of money, but because they run on taxpayer dollars- and collect them at will through their own power- they don't have to worry about making an actual monetary profit. They can be losing money and still function simply by putting it on the "taxpayer credit card" (i.e. the national debt) which is exactly what they're going to do. Private insurance won't be able to match the public "option", and if businesses buy into the public option to save money and increase profits, private insurance will fold like a cheap deck of cards, leaving the government option as the ONLY option.... See More
Thirdly, the notion that the government is well-run is laughable. And that's coming from a military veteran(currently still active Reserve) who knows scores of other military veterans and has dealt with government healthcare firsthand. It is by all accounts mediocre at best. I also know many local, state, and federal government workers who would gladly attest to my sentiment. Yes, they like that it's affordable, but they'll be the first to say it's nothing compared to the private healthcare industry in terms of quality of service. To your question on why government is assumed to be "bureaucratic and inefficient", I'd like to cite the bankruptcy of Social Security, the impending bankruptcy of Medicare, the tanking of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the largely wasteful, mismanaged, pork-laden, ineffective "stimulus" bill, and host of bureaucratically and inefficiently run government programs as Exhibits A thru Z and beyond.
On Republican Obstructionism: again, some of the very ideas you acknowledge as good and necessary have been proposed by Republicans. During the passing of the Stimulus package, it was proposed by some conservatives that a better use of the money to be used in the Stimulus package would be to divide it out into checks for ALL Americans. It'd work out to something like 3 to 4 thousand dollars per American. Not just taxpayers. EVERY American. That means you've suddenly got a savings account, your newborn suddenly has a college savings nestegg, your neighbor could invest in his new business plan or paid his rent to keep from foreclosing, etc. Such a plan would have been an ACTUAL stimulus injecting money into the economy directly and immediately, completely avoiding the high unemployment rates we're seeing now. But that idea didn't have any pork barrel or special interest incentives worked in, so naturally, it was scrapped. This is why the LAST place you want capitalists is in government office, because they go their to do nothing but make money for themselves, constituents be damned."
I want to do a good job arguing for healthcare reform in a way that doesn't make me sound like Micheal Moore. Please help?
Edit: interesting points, all (except the troll). Thanks! | 3 | [
{
"body": ">First, on taxes, I would ask exactly how much you'd have the top 5% pay? We already have a progressive tax system- as in, the top 5% not only pay more income taxes because they have more money, but they pay a vastly larger percentage of their income, sometimes up to 50%, to the government. That means 6 months out of every year, their hard-earned dollars are going straight to the government, whereas most in the lowest tax brackets pay little to nothing. So exactly how much more should the rich pay? 60%? 75%? And if they do, will that really make the poor any richer? Will it make you or me any richer? Of course not. Especially if the money's going into the hands of the absolute worst managers of money in this country- the U.S. Government.\n\nThe rich pay progressively more taxes because they get a progressively higher benefit from the government. The biggest government expenditures like transportation infrastructure and military defense almost exclusively benefit the rich!\n\nMost middle and lower class people just use the highway system for slightly more convenient travel on long road trips- not so much for their daily lives- whereas the ultra-rich use the road system to subsidize their own financial enterprises. Could any retail store in the country even operate today if their trucks couldn't deliver goods via the interstates? of course not. \n\nLikewise, what good do the armed forces do for you and me? Defending this country is great and all, but what do I lose if the government gets overthrown here? Nothing really, because I don't own any property! But the ultra rich are holding onto vast oceans of wealth using only tiny little pieces of paper. Pieces of paper which become useless if the government were to fall. \n\nNational defense doesn't really matter to us peasants- we're essentially servants for the rich at this point anyway. The benefits are wildly disproportional. That's why the taxes are wildly disproportional. \n\nAnd as for the US Government being the worst managers of money in the country? That's a fucking joke. I can't believe anyone could make that argument after the US Government just bailed out a huge portion of the private sector's financial market!!!! Not to mention a whole bunch of other private sector industries. The US manages money a lot better than the private sector these days. Why? Accountability and oversight.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "On that last point, basic macroeconomics says that direct spending probably results in a greater increase in GDP over a cut in taxes (or returning money to the citizens). The idea is that people will save, on average, a certain amount of additional income, and spend the rest. What they spend is then income for someone else, which is in turn split into savings and spending. If money is directly spent in a stimulus, the first round of spending is on the full amount, but if there is a tax cut the first round of spending has already had the savings portion cut out. \n\nTL;DR: It's better for the government to buy things for people than just to hand them money, because it is giving money to the producers *and* products to the consumers.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I feel so overwhelmed. My plans are to do it next week. | Heres some background about myself. About three years ago, I began to feel depressed. It wasn't so bad at first, but a year later, I started having suicidal thoughts. I've been depressed on and off since then, and recently began to seriously think about suicide. I'm only fifteen, but I feel like I can't handle stress and life.
* I've written down a quick list of things that were stressing me: School, particularly AP Chemistry. I probably have a D something in that class. I just received a test today and I got 11.5/70. I'm probably not trying hard enough, but I don't even like chemistry. I'm constantly pressured to do well in school and to get at least 4.0s. I know that I can't achieve that my whole high school life, but I feel the pressure from my mom. Also, things like piano, and tennis is also stressing me out. I'm not so good at tennis, and don't like it that much either, but my parents want me to have a good resume for college. The same for piano, but I like playing it, I just can't handle the testing part of it. Also, my dad is a huge jerk to my whole family being so inconsiderate to my mom and pretty much everyone. He has only recently gotten a low paying job after being unemployed for about four years.
* I'm not sure if I want to die or not. I currently am not very scared of death, as I know that I will feel nothing afterwards. My family is Catholic, but I no longer believe in it. I have to play a game of charades and pretend that I still believe in God.
* Since I decided to commit suicide a few weeks ago, I have stopped doing schoolwork, and am probably pretty behind. The semester ends in 2 weeks. I feel as if I have brought myself already to a place of no return. If I don't commit suicide, then I will be brought back to a life of pain and facing the consequences.
* I know that my family/friends will be terribly sad, but I don't know what I can do anymore. I think that if I tell this to my brother or parents, then it will change my whole life. People will become judgmental and I don't know what to do.
* There are so many things planned for later on in my life, but I'm not sure if I can live until then. I don't know if I can become even mildly successful later on in life. At least enough to do some of the things I dream of. | 20 | [
{
"body": "You have posted here because you want help to stop this from going any further. So let's see what can be done. You don't really want to die before you've had the chance to live more than 15 short years, I am sure of that. Some suggestions then. \n\n* Go as soon as possible to talk to a school counselor or a trusted teacher. Maybe even print out this post and show it to them if it's too hard to talk.\n\n* Have an honest and open talk with your mother, telling her how serious this is. \n\n* Talk to another relative with whom you have a good relationship, or maybe a family friend. \n\n* Keep talking to us here. A lot of us are parents. A lot of us can help you by being a sounding board for your problems. I would really like to see you strike up an internet friendship or two, with people who can give you perspective on your problems and be there for you. If you'd like that, I'm sure we can find people here who would be happy to help. ",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "Don't.\n\nIn the near future you will look back on this time in your life and wonder why you ever gave a shit to get so stressed out about such minor things (grades in high school). \n\nWhen you live in a bubble (all kids / teens at some point) and have nothing else going on THIS seems like the most important thing in the world. It's not. You will literally laugh when you think about how stupid this all was.\n\nThis isn't trying to downplay how you feel. There are a myriad of reasons different people get depressed and I'm not trying to marginalize how you feel. Just wanted to let you know that it's really not as horrible as you think as noted by your 'point of no return' comment.\n\nI'll let someone more experienced in these matters give you some advice on the other stuff. Just wanted to add my 2 cents.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "You clearly are seeking help. A lot of the time the way we were raised is an issue in that effort. The foremost thing you absolutely must realize is that you are more sacred than the beliefs of your family. You will give so much back to your family, your friends and us if you ask fro help. Throw away your plans of going out. Make changeside not suicide. There is an amazingly wonderful world outside the crap. is it a struggle? Hell, ya! But that's half the fun. Change that choice... and walk with us for a while. All of us on SW are going to be around for a good long time to come and we'll swap stories for years to come.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Thank you everyone. Last night, I talked to my brother about it, and made me feel so much better. I showed him this post, cause I couldn't say it in anyway. I cried, I hugged him, and I don't want to go just yet. This morning, we talked to my mom, and she was trying to be as understanding as she could. I just came home from a psychologist, and we're going to try and work our way through. I don't know if I would have still been alive by the time its my birthday in a little over a month if it wasn't for you guys. Thank you.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Hey there,\n\nI think I know what you feel like. I went through AP/IB too and it was the most stressful period of my whole life. When I remember those times where I stayed up and studied all night to be able to get higher grades I felt horrible too. At that point in my life I also felt like the *only* thing that mattered was school. This is what I get from your posts. You surround *everything* in life about grades, school and extra curriculars and you think that you will never be happy if you don't manage to do the things that are expected from you. I know all of these feelings so well... it's crazy how much I've felt like you. \n\nI can tell you how my life changed. After finishing IB/AP I went to college (and not an Ivy league college like it was expected from me). I still had this crazy drive to overachieve and I thought that this was the only way I could be happy. In reality however, I was depressed. I was sad and I felt like life was mundane and pointless. It was at that time when I met my boyfriend. He showed me that happiness is not about grades, nor having a 9.8 instead of a completely fine 7.3., and not even about money. Life is about happiness, and *believe me* happiness can be found in everything. \n\nYou think that school is *everything* because the other things aren't valued by your parents or your school, but in reality it's those things that really matter. I'm satisfied as long as I'm happy, so you need to find what makes you happy. Please, just hold on and you'll see that there is so much out there to live for. You can be the happiest person in life *even though* you didn't get the best grades in *high school*. \n\nYou're 15. Think of all the things you haven't done in life. All the experiences that are still out there. If you're gonna end your life now then you will never experience some of the coolest things ever. \n\nGood Luck. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "> I will be brought back to a life of pain and facing the consequences.\n\nI know you can do it. I know right now the semester looms and looks very important, but trust me, when you go on in life, these things will look very little to you. I've known kids that have practically failed entire semesters, and they're fine, they're even in college. You have nothing to worry about, since you sound like a very smart kid in the first place. \n\nIf you don't want to tell your parents, like redGPz said, you can go to one of your school counselors. I've never been able to discuss things like this with my parents, so I'll leave that advice to someone else.\n\nHey, I played piano too. For a long time, I didn't like it because the recitals would stress me out. Then I quit recitals. I just said I didn't want to do them, and wrote reviews about them instead. Then I stopped taking lessons, and guess what? Nowadays I play for fun. I know your parents may give you trouble about quitting something like that, but sometimes you have to do what you want.\n\nAnd I know you can become mildly successful. You can become very, very successful. Trust me, I can tell.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "My lab partner in AP Biology killed himself.\n\nThat was ten years ago. It still fucks with my head today. Actually, I welled up with tears when I read this.\n\nHis step dad was abusive. His real dad didn't live here. It screwed up his real dad very badly.\n\nYou aren't just making this decision for yourself, you will effect every being in that school. You will effect your teachers. You will forever be that kid who ruined the year. Don't do that.\n\nSo, please, please, I beg you, from the girl who may be your lab partner- Don't do it.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Why is video (non-youtube) choppy | Especially vimeo? I've stopped using Firefox and switched to Chromium so youtube stuff doesn't stutter -but why do other sites choke? | 7 | [
{
"body": "I've found that when I disabled my desktop effects video quality improved on the lesser sites. Also, you can download chrome for ubuntu.\nhttp://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/eula_dev.html?dl=unstable_i386_deb\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Because of flash and high quality content. Flash is CPU intensive, and the other video tools often use high quality video as a default. Switch YouTube to HD, you'll likely see the same kind of slowdown.",
"score": 3
}
] |
bedti[m]e. hope y'all enjoy =) | http://imgur.com/JjeNG.jpg
Just got home from work and thought I'd take some pictures while changing into my pj's.
Good Night GW =) | 6 | [
{
"body": "Totally meant to post these ones too. Sorry!\n\nhttp://imgur.com/W7ZDF.jpg\n\nhttp://imgur.com/6Ne20.jpg\n\nhttp://imgur.com/A6aoy.jpg",
"score": 5
}
] |
I think I might be in love with my best friend | To clear things up a bit I guess, I'm a gay male and my best friend is a female. I don't really know what to say, it's just weird that I feel this way about somebody who I'm not sexually attracted too.
I guess the problem is that really deep down sexually I feel like a bisexual girl. I mean socially or any other way I don't feel like a girl and know I won't get a sex change, and I also really don't find straight sex with a girl as a guy attractive. It really doesn't turn me on at all. So I feel like I'm left with these romantic feelings for people who I don't want to have sex with.
I don't even know what I'm going about, I'm drunk right now and in a weird mood, I just wish these stupid feelings would go away and leave me the fuck alone, I don't want to be this way around my best friend. I'm sorry I'm ranting and making no sense, I just needed to talk to somebody | 9 | [
{
"body": "I have problems like this too.. I dunno how to deal with them but I know what you mean. I'm sexually attracted to guys (and I didn't used to be), but the traditional romance and \"falling in love\" has never (and I mean never) happened to me with guys, only with women. It's like I'm straight... except for the sex part. I'm assuming/hoping that it's just some psychological block or inexperience, because it pisses me off. I try to myself that you can love someone but not want to have sex with them (much more difficult than it sounds). Like when straight guys get a \"man-crush\" on a guy. It doesn't mean they're gay necessarily. You can love your best friend without doing them. Your parents love you but you don't do them. I dunno if that's right or it helps, but that's what I got.\n",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Walk softly and carry a big fish...\n\nBut seriously, how long have you felt this way? If it has been like maybe only a little while, a couple months or something, I'd recommend against doing anything. If it's been years, then you're in dangerous waters, there son!\n\nIf you did go there, you might alienate a lot of people, and this would probably put a lot of stress on the relationship, which wouldn't be good in the most ideal of circumstances, let alone this one.\n\nSorry dude...",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Hmm... I felt the same way about one of my friends, and I felt the same way about myself for a while.\n\nThe girl I felt like I was in love with is really good-looking, and I love being around her. We spend a lot of time together, and she is one of the few people that really \"gets\" me. We know everything about each other, and, unsurprisingly, she was the first person I ever came out to.\n\nWe met freshman year, and, by sophomore year, we were really tight. She was going out with one of my friends, and they both knew I was gay, so he never had a problem with me talking her on walks late at night to talk, spend time alone with her, etc. In spite of this, I think he always wondered that I'd try something with her--before I came out to her, she was interested in me.\n\nAround halfway through sophomore year, I started to be really jealous of them. Like, wanting to break them up jealous. Which was odd for me because I'm not at all attracted to women, but I kept thinking, \"maybe it'll be different for her.\" I felt like I could make something work with her, and I felt like I could totally spend the rest of my life with her.\n\nSo one night at the end of the year, we were both pretty high and drunk, and we were taking a walk. It was very early in the morning and we started talking about my sexuality. She asked me, \"Are you really gay?\" and I started to respond in a non-committal way. Long story short, we ended up making out. I remember not enjoying it.\n\nThe next day, things sort of fell apart. She told her boyfriend, he got really mad and threatened me, blah blah blah. Totally ruined that friendship.\n\nAnyway, fast-forward about two years. I'm still very good friends with her. I'm not at all attracted to her now (not sure why I felt that way back then), but I think our kiss helped clear up some things. Like the fact that I never want to kiss a girl again. \n\nAnd the fact that I no longer feel like I'm attracted to her.\n\nSo, that being said, don't shut yourself completely off to her. Let her know how you feel. Be honest, and I'm sure she's not going to suddenly break off ties because she knows you might be interested. She might feel the same way, and then you're free to explore your sexuality a bit more (that is, if you want to). \n\nI think I'm trying to say that you should be honest with her. I don't think it's a good idea to withhold information from anyone you love, especially about loving them. She'll appreciate your honesty, and I think you two can effectively work through what you're feeling in a very constructive way.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I feel like I walk on eggshells so my boyfriend doesn't get turned off. | If I say the wrong thing these days, suddenly my boyfriend no longer feels into it and we stop in the middle of whatever we were doing. It's a point of no return - I can't make him want me again. He won't even kiss me after this. It seems like there is no way for me to know which things will make him like this - one day, he's turned on by me watching a .gif of porn which I showed him, and the next, I mention (No - I whispered it in his fucking ear, intending to turn him on) that I checked out a few nude pics online - to be honest, on r/GoneWild, and he became completely turned off, didn't want to do anything, why-don't-you-just-shove-me-off-and-get-on-with-your-life kind of feeling. It's insulting and hurts. Why is it not enough that I'm on top of him? I'm not ugly. What's the problem here? Is it just that he's too attuned to his body to keep going once he thinks of something he suddenly considers unsavory...?
Which is ridiculous. He's masturbated to porn before - I wasn't even masturbating, I was just looking around, as it were. Even if they were other males - it made me crazy horny for him, and I practically jumped on him when he got home. Except... it failed. I'm having serious "I'm not enough" issues right now. Besides this, most every time I initiate the sex, he can't finish. I don't understand. It's either sex on his terms - or not at all. This sort of thing has happened before, so I sometimes feel I'd rather be silent than risk ruining everything with a casual remark.
I must mention, normally he's very considerate of me, and always concerned whether I orgasm (which I do, most every time). | 21 | [
{
"body": "Sounds like he has the problem, not you, imo. With as much as you try to do for him, you could probably find a much more deserving guy",
"score": 20
},
{
"body": "It's called crazy-making. You should consider how much of your time you want to invest in this relationship before he breaks you down. He sounds like bad news.\n\nEdit: I just wanted to add, that it sounds like he has some problems that he needs to work out. Unless he's willing to be open and honest about it, I wouldn't waste my time with him. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "The difference I hear in your two stories is the intent. In the first example, you didn't intend to get him turned on, but in the second you did. A lot of guys, whether they know it or not, need to feel in control in a sexual experience. By intending to get him aroused you might be making him feel like you're in charge. The fact he can't finish most of the time when you initiate sex suggest the same to me. \n\nI think you're best bet is to stop initiating sex. Don't even try to turn him on. Let him come after you. Let him feel like he's earned the reward of your body. Allow him to be the man. Ask him for his help with something. Let him take the lead. ",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "my first best guess is that he's probably into porn 'way too much. some dudes can't handle porn and real relationships at the same time.\n\nthat or he's cheating on you for real.\n\neither way, it's not you, it's definitely him.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Talk to him about it during a completely non-sexual context.\n\nIf he won't talk about it... if he refuses to discuss things... then break up with him.\n\nMy wife has sexual problems she won't address... it sucks, and it doesn't get any better. If he can communicate, then maybe you can work out the issues, and maybe you can't, but if he won't communicate, then there is no chance, barring a solar eclipse that just magically fixes everything.\n\nSeriously, if you attempt, several times, and not right after failed sexual encounters, to talk about it, and he won't, then call it quits. Life is too short to deal with people who won't even TRY.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I feel like I walk on eggshells so my boyfriend doesn't get turned off. | If I say the wrong thing these days, suddenly my boyfriend no longer feels into it and we stop in the middle of whatever we were doing. It's a point of no return - I can't make him want me again. He won't even kiss me after this. It seems like there is no way for me to know which things will make him like this - one day, he's turned on by me watching a .gif of porn which I showed him, and the next, I mention (No - I whispered it in his fucking ear, intending to turn him on) that I checked out a few nude pics online - to be honest, on r/GoneWild, and he became completely turned off, didn't want to do anything, why-don't-you-just-shove-me-off-and-get-on-with-your-life kind of feeling. It's insulting and hurts. Why is it not enough that I'm on top of him? I'm not ugly. What's the problem here? Is it just that he's too attuned to his body to keep going once he thinks of something he suddenly considers unsavory...?
Which is ridiculous. He's masturbated to porn before - I wasn't even masturbating, I was just looking around, as it were. Even if they were other males - it made me crazy horny for him, and I practically jumped on him when he got home. Except... it failed. I'm having serious "I'm not enough" issues right now. Besides this, most every time I initiate the sex, he can't finish. I don't understand. It's either sex on his terms - or not at all. This sort of thing has happened before, so I sometimes feel I'd rather be silent than risk ruining everything with a casual remark.
I must mention, normally he's very considerate of me, and always concerned whether I orgasm (which I do, most every time).
Crossposted from r/sex. | 26 | [
{
"body": "From what you wrote it sounds to me like he's using it as a control behaviour, and it likely has nothing to do with sex at all. Some guys are very good at picking out your soft spot, and using that to make you feel worse about yourself. You say that he's very considerate of you, but you also say that he refuses to communicate with you when he decides that he's right- the two things are pretty non-compatible. Refusing to have sex with you except on his terms (which he won't explain, and keeps changing) is not only immature and damaging, but it doesn't speak well to what he may choose to control next. \n\nYou should be able to have a fulfilling sex life with your partner without being afraid. My guess is that he'll keep going with it until your self-esteem is completely destroyed or until he moves into other areas, so I'd run like the wind while you still can. You haven't done anything wrong, and you don't deserve that kind of abuse (and it is emotional abuse). ",
"score": 44
},
{
"body": "He punishes you harshly for saying the wrong things by mistake. His disapproval seems random. It's always on his terms. *You're starting to feel like you'd rather be silent than risk ruining everything*.\n\nIf this is a clear pattern it sounds to me like emotional abuse. I thought that already when I read the title. It's not that he is too attuned to his body or anything like that. He's got some issues and he's taking them out on you. You have to tell him you feel like this. He has to start working on it. Or you will become a very sad girl in time.",
"score": 31
},
{
"body": "It's hard to generalize, but to paraphrase a book title, it sounds like he's just not that into you. I've been in a relationship like that before, and heard similar complaints from other people- it usually means that there's some underlying emotional issues going on, and you'll probably need to have a sit-down talk with him before it's resolved (one way or another). Good luck!",
"score": 24
},
{
"body": "> It's either sex on his terms - or not at all.\n\nNooo! No part of every relationship should *ever* be \"on his terms or not at all.\" And you said this:\n\n> I'd rather be silent than risk ruining everything with a casual remark.\n\nWouldn't you want a partner to tell you if he felt this way about some aspect of your relationship? Wouldn't you want him to tell you if he felt like you refused to be enthusiastic about dates unless you chose the activities? Would you want your partner to feel like it was better to suffer in silence than risk your rage?\n\nFrom your description, I'd say there are two separate issues: one, your boyfriend refuses to be enthusiastic about sex unless it was his idea; two, your boyfriend *will not* have productive discussions about issues in your relationship because he doesn't even try to see things from your perspective.\n\nThe second one is deadly. Even if you could somehow get over the \"sex only on his terms\" problem, something else will come up. There will be some other aspect of your relationship that makes you unhappy, and it'll still be a struggle to talk about because your boyfriend doesn't listen to you. Of course I can't know you or your boyfriend, but based solely on what you've said in this thread, I think you should run and never look back. He's not a cool guy.",
"score": 13
},
{
"body": "After reading your post, I think I can tell what turns him on: *A woman who feels like she has to walk on egg shells and who is willing to tie herself up into a pretzel to make herself desirable to him.* You're dating a control freak and one who cannot appreciate your sexual liberty. Sex is possible with such a man, but never intimacy.\r\n\r\nTrust me and the other posters on here (especially lefragole): Today, it will be control issues about sex, tomorrow, it will be displeasure with your dress, your hair, your housekeeping. You won't be able to recognize yourself when he's through with you, and I bet he *still* won't be happy.",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Back in my younger years, I once acted like this with a girlfriend. Basically, I just lost all interest in sex with her (she had gained a lot of wait after we started dating), and made up any excuse I could get out of it. **\"Want? You don't like my tie? that's it I'm not in the mood!!!\"**\n\nYeah, it was an asshole way to act and hurt her feelings a lot. I remember once I got home from work, and she had bought toys and lingerie and made dinner and lit candles, and I just bitched at her something about I had a hard day at work and to leave me alone. She just cried. I felt like such as ass after that.\n\nI'm glad she dumped me.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "[Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder](http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Walking-Eggshells-Borderline-Personality/dp/157224108X)\n\nSometimes book titles say it all",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "It sounds like you've got a serious problem on your hands.. have you confronted him about his shifty behaviour and how it's affecting you and your feelings toward him?",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "Would you be happier with someone that just accepted you for you? Sit back for a minute and imagine a relationship with a guy that you can be yourself and he adores you for it. Imagine this new guy being turned on by you and actually cares about your feelings and wants to get you off. He wants to get you off because it makes you happy and it pleases him to bring you pleasure. This new guy never makes you feel like you're not good enough. \r\n\r\nImagine that....it could be yours. You don't have to be in a relationship that makes you unhappy. \r\n\r\nDo you want it? \r\n\r\nIf so, then make a sacrifice and let this jerk go. I'm sure he's got some wonderful qualities. Maybe he's really sweet or thoughtful, I don't know, but there is something keeping you there. \r\n\r\nAre his good qualties \"enough for you\" to stay and be unhappy with everything else?\r\n\r\nCan you see yourself feeling this way for the next 5 years? Would your life be worth waiting to feel happy or good enough? Would you wait a month to see if it changes? Would you wait a year? What about 20 years? Can you imagine feeling this way about the person you love for another 20 years. \r\n\r\nGTFO while you can. You deserve to be happy. ",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "My guess would be that he's even more insecure than you're feeling from being rejected.\n\nCommunication is key but if he won't talk to you then... I'd tell him that you need to have a conversation all the way through no matter how uncomfortable and let him know exactly how you feel. He should be allowed to respond, save the bickering for later.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "This does not sound like a sex issue whatsoever. This sounds like an emotional issue manifesting itself in your sexual relationship. To be blatantly truthful, it sounds like he is losing interest in the relationship.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I was in a relationship like this. It sucked big time, and after this little game started happening, worse problems arose, which aren't really worth bringing up. Be warned.\n\nPut your foot down, and stand up for yourself. Obviously you need to have a talk with him, but think about what you're going to say, and if you're going to give him any options (no matter what anyone says, you are the only judge on this) how long you're going to give him to improve before you call it done. Be firm about it. What he's doing is unfair, and it's not about sex. It's about control and emotions. \n\nPS. He sounds like a drama queen.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Jason Reitman's library is unfortunately comprised of three films. Does any other director come close to his style, and can you recommend their films? | I just got done watching [Thank You For Smoking](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427944/) for the third time, and I saw [Up In The Air](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138/) yesterday.
Both of these films are full of Reitman's excellently written main character narration, concerning the trivia of said character's daily life. These matter-of-fact revelations are always fascinating to me, and I'm wondering if there are any other movies which do this so well.
That is, take a character who has an interesting job or pasttime, and make it fascinating to the viewer in the way that Reitman does. | 6 | [
{
"body": "[In The Company Of Men](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119361/) might suit your tastes\r\n\r\n*edit: though maybe not, still, good flick.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I don't know about interesting jobs, but the characters in Freaks and Geeks inhabit a unique world. And it's very similar in tone.\n\nAlso, Boogie Nights.",
"score": 3
}
] |
I now officially hate Luke Wilson for his terrible AT&T commercials... | What a sell out. Even if the Dan Band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR9OXZWF65c is in his next movie, I will boycott it. Maybe. | 224 | [
{
"body": "I just hate that they keep playing up the \"surf and talk at the same time\" thing. Who cares? No one does that. \"We have the fastest 3G network.\" What does it matter if it's miniscule? I have a 9G network, but it's only in my upstairs closet. I guess that trumps your nation-wide 2G coverage.\n\nATT, it's simple: Get a bigger coverage area.",
"score": 64
},
{
"body": "Clearly the next move is for Verizon to hire Owen Wilson as their spokesman. \"Hi, I'm Owen Wilson. Lets say my star power represents the Verizon network. Then lets say my brother, Luke Wilson, his star power represents the AT&T network. Do you want Wedding Crashers, or Vacancy? I'm just sayin'...\"",
"score": 31
},
{
"body": "Not so upset with him...but AT&T is making Verizon look good with their thin logic. This could be the most disasterous campaign in Ad history.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"score": 26
},
{
"body": "How exactly does doing commercials make a celebrity a sell out?\n\nA celebrity's job is to act for money.....thats what hes doing....",
"score": 14
},
{
"body": "Verizon's been talking a lot about maps lately, so we're here to set the record straight... by talking about a completely different map than the one Verizon's talking about and hoping you don't notice the difference. ",
"score": 9
},
{
"body": "Luke - this is your father... You're wrong. \n\nI can browse the Internet, and talk on my Droid at the same time.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "Whenever I feel Luke Wilson hatred bubbling to the surface, I watch Idiocracy and everything feels better.",
"score": 5
},
{
"body": "you should be feeling bad for him. For an actor to go from movies to commercials that fast is generally a sign of not having work/needing money. I tell you what, he doesn't like it anymore than you do.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Just remind me which of the major companies just declared they couldn't sell any more of their flagship smartphone in New York City because their network couldn't handle it? Was it... was it AT&T? When it isn't AT&T anymore, then I'll listen.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "AT&T proudly displays their map of \"coverage\" (of course, not 3G coverage...) at their kiosks at the mall. They're assuming (correctly, I'm betting) that people will walk by and say \"hey, I remember that clever map ad... this must be the good one.\"\n\nIt's a clever way to turn a good argument against you on its head. Sort of like turning broccoli upside down and selling it as a broom.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Solution to every question/problem on here | * If you like a girl/guy talk to them. If you are friends but want to be more - show them you **like** them.
* If your relationship makes you unhappy more than it makes you happy for quite a while, and there is no thing or attitude you could change to make things better, then leave.
* If someone treats you badly or doesn't respect you, leave.
* If you are pining for someone, you need to get up, do other things and meet new people. Just because you had a bad experience with ONE person does not mean it will happen again; do not carry baggage from the past forward even one more day.
* There is no secret to life/love. Everyone is as clueless as everyone else in the beginning, its just that some people hide insecurity better than others. Improvement comes at the expense of hurt, that's the cost of entry to the relationship game.
* If your SO cheats on you then you have to either leave or genuinely forgive them. If you choose to stay, you have to dismiss it and not use it as a club for the rest of your time together.
* Everyone fucks up. Allow for that in others and forgive it in yourself.
* You can't choose who you fall for, or stop loving someone by act of will; it just takes time. Conversely, you can't make someone love you.
* If they hit you, they don't love you no matter what they say. Leave.
* If you need to take drugs or drink to be with someone leave.
* If you do long distance long enough sooner or later one of you will cheat.
* Avoid jealousy. If someone is with you, it's because they want to be. If they leave, its because they don't.
* Talk. Always let people know what you want, be it sexually, emotionally or even just what you want for dinner. Being in love doesn't make someone a mind reader.
* Be sane and demand sanity from your partners. 90% of the issues on here stem from crazy. Yes, we know the crazy ones are best in bed, but eventually that doesn't matter.
* Trust your intuition or gut feeling, if something seems wrong it probably is.
* It's not your partners 'job' to make you happy. No one is responsible for your happiness but you.
* Don't over-consider the opinions of others. No one knows the truth of your relationship as well as you.
* Beware, too, that many others have a personal agenda, which may not be in your best interests; the 'friend' who secretly wants to be with you, even the genuine friend who just misses you as a wingman, etc.
* Don't let external influences ruin your relationship. It really is the two of you against all else.
* If you decide to break up, do it. Don't be a jerk or asshole to them, hoping they will just crack and leave. You can never be mean enough to someone to make them leave, you just mess them up for later.
* Avoid being clingy. You don't have to be together all the time, maintain your own interests and don't neglect your friends.
* Once you have the girl/boy of your dreams do not become complacent, show them you love them every day and work at improving yourself in every way, so they can constantly fall in love with a better you.
* If you have a need to know something in your relationship, ask your partner! You can learn a lot about someone by talking to them.
And one I've been asked to add as its served me well so far in life;
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ahsav/reddit_how_many_of_you_sleep_in_the_nude/c0hmlwm
**EDIT: this isn't a locked down list, as suggestions come that are better than the above, I will fix this first draft...**
| 395 | [
{
"body": "I think most of the time people just want someone to listen to them or reaffirm what they should think. what you are saying isn't wrong, but its hard for a lot of people to swallow and it helps to write out paragraphs of context and description, even when they know what needs to be done. ",
"score": 84
},
{
"body": "If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. \n\n--M. Aurelius",
"score": 35
},
{
"body": "> If you are unhappy in your relationship leave.\n\nNo attempts to work out any issues then? This is the kind of thing I hate about most blanket statements about relationship advice. There are only a few of these that I would actually agree with virtually 100% of the time.",
"score": 24
},
{
"body": "> Don't let external influences ruin your relationship. It really is the two of you against all else.\n\n^ This. I won't make that mistake twice.",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "Ahh... my husband, he's a funny cunt isn't he? Upvoted for this one: Be sane and demand sanity from your partners. 90% of the issues on here stem from crazy, yes we know the crazy ones are best in bed but eventually that doesn't matter... I think he was referring to me. \n\nEDIT: oh, and BTW, we didn't spend xmas or new years eve together. A little sad yes, but dates that are mostly over rated, they don't mean so much when you're a bit older unless you have small children. We only have dogs... they have no concept of time. Whether I have been gone 10 minutes or 2 weeks, its all the same to them. \n\njump jump lick lick jump jump lick lick * sighs *",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "> There is no secret to life/love everyone is as clueless as everyone else its just that some people hide insecurity better than others.\n\nThat's not true. You forget how clueless you were when you were just getting started. I feel pretty clueless, but at least I feel like I have some idea of how to arrange a date, when it's appropriate to kiss, etc. It's not a big deal once you learn it, but don't forget that it's a big deal before you do.",
"score": 7
},
{
"body": "I was just talking with someone about this last night, how my answer to many questions on here is: \"Don't ask us. Ask him/her yourself.\"\n\nFor example:\n\n\"My girlfriend wants to go to dinner with another guy. Does she want to break up with me?\" \"Don't ask us. Ask her yourself.\"\n\n\"How soon is too soon to have sex with my boyfriend?\" \"Don't ask us. Ask him yourself.\"\n\nEtc etc etc",
"score": 6
}
] |
I'm going to Tokyo for a week in February, what's the weirdest stuff i'm going to find in vending machines? | I've heard all the rumours; used panties, live crayfish, 3 piece suits etc. But realistically what's the coolest stuff that's out there? | 7 | [
{
"body": "Used Panties. There was a magazine sold through J List about swimsuits, and it comes with used panties worn in the photos in the magazine. There's vending machines for rice as well.",
"score": 6
}
] |
I'm spending the night at work right now... | She is amazing, and I can tell you why.
She befriended me when I was coming down off a VERY bad marriage. She made friends with my (then baby) daughter, and she embraced my interests, as I did hers. Our friendship evolved into a fantastic love, and we now have a wonderful child.
I proposed to her about 3 weeks ago. She said yes. Since then, she has been distant and foreign. I cannot seem to make her happy (only occasional smiles), and she is often annoyed with me over things that were never an issue in the past.
Today, she told me that she feels like I treat her poorly and that she does not feel respected. I do not want her to feel that way. But she refused to talk to me when I brought it up, and she just answered my questions with sarcastic quips that were intended to hurt. And they did hurt.
I am not perfect by ANY stretch. I am bad with money, I am a procrastinator, and I gave in to temptation on Facebook and had a text-based tryst with a former crush (never met, but wrote a few suggestive emails that my current GF found). After that point, I had to reflect on myself and take a serious look at where I was and why I was there. I knew damned well that my GF was (and is) the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I threw it away. but I love her - I really do.
I still struggle with that whole situation (wondering why I ever did it in the first place), and I have been TOTALLY honest with her about everything before and since. She has told me on many occasions that she is past it. I think that she's only half telling the truth.
She is witty, smart, professional, attractive, sexy, and humble. She is everything I have ever wanted in a woman. She laughs at my jokes (still), she likes eating ice cream with magic shell when we watch 30 Rock together on the couch, and she has no problems with my love of video games.
I'm 39. She's 37.
I'm at work because I do not want to say things that will make it worse. She's at home with our son - hopefully sleeping, but I have no idea.
I left the house telling her "you know how to contact me if you want to talk". She said she didn't want to talk.
I feel horrible. | 7 | [
{
"body": "Go back.\n\nDo. Not. Walk. Out. On. Your. Family.\n\nIf she's so great, then you walk back, and you apologize. It doesn't even matter what you did, you apologize for it, and for walking away. She's obviously unhappy, and you decided to take your ball and go away? Tell her you love her over and over again, and that you're sorry, and you won't ever leave her side again. Because right now I'm not seeing a whole lot of difference between your \"tryst\" and what you're doing right now. Both completely disrespect her.\n\nIf she doesn't want to talk. Fine. Apologize again, and just sit there with her. Wait for her to be ready. If she's worth it. It sounds like she is. Professing love and saying you're sorry will not make it worse, it never will. And stay with her until you are forced to leave because you might get fired (and take a sick day tomorrow if you can), or until you talk.\n\nThis is probably the worst place you can be, as it's just another way to hide.",
"score": 19
},
{
"body": "You're reinforcing everything she's thinking about you by having left. Go home and just be there. She'll come around and talk eventually.",
"score": 7
}
] |
Way too good for me. How to deal with it? | Has anyone ever been, or currently is, in a relationship with someone you know who can do MUCH better than you?
Basically, how do I stop thinking he's way too good for me and get over the fear that he'd eventually come to his senses and find a more compatible woman?
I'm a late 20's female who's never been in a relationship before. It's true. I've gone on dates and etc, but I am VERY reluctant in forming bonds of any type. Now I'm experiencing these emotions I have never had before and of course it's directed at someone totally out of my league.
Is it normal to feel this way in the beginning? Anyone with more experience with handling emotions tied to relationships would be wonderful. | 4 | [
{
"body": "Is he happy? Are you happy? If you answer yes to both, then you're fine. If one of them is no then eventually one of you will move on, but it won't because you were out of his \"league.\" There is no league.\n\nIf you want a second opinion,\nhttp://twitter.com/shitmydadsays/status/4811790555\n(will need to be slightly adjusted for females, but same idea...)",
"score": 12
},
{
"body": "All the best relationships work because both of you think the person you are with is better than you. There are no 'levels' there is no 'league' just people you love and admire who love and admire you too. What you are feeling is insecure, get over it as quickly as you can and enjoy the ride.",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "I'm kind of in the same situation as you. I'm constantly thinking my man can do much better than me, I just don't understand why the hell he's with me, and am thinking this must be some kind of dream because he's just too wonderful to be true.\n\nThankfully, he doesn't think that way. And it shows. You know, when he ditches something else just to be with you, when his face lights up upon seeing you, the way he looks at you with loving eyes, the way he laughs at your jokes, how he's always looking to spend more time with you because he loves it... Yeah, actions speak much louder than words. The fact that you're having these thoughts doesn't mean he's having them as well. Look at what he IS doing, not what he could be doing.\n\nAlso, insecurities like this are a real turn-off. So try and deal with them in the most mature way possible (i.e. do not become clingy, possesive, jealous, etc.), and you'll be fine. There's a reason he's with you, and about 95% of the time, the reason is that he actually wants to.",
"score": 5
}
] |
So I've got this bottle of Sriracha... | I've heard it hailed as the sauce to end all sauce, so I picked up a bottle. I have to admit, it's quite delicious, but I'm in general new to spicy foods so I'm a bit lost. I've had it on scrambled eggs, chicken, my finger, y'know, the basics. I'm looking to do some cooking with it, but I'm also new to cooking in general and was never exposed to much spicy food growing up, so I can't really think of anything.
What's your favorite use, meal, snack or otherwise? | 37 | [
{
"body": "I'm probably going to get downvoted for this, but here goes anyway. \n\nTheir [Chili Garlic Sauce](http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/garlic.htm) that comes in a Jar is far more flavorful and a superior condiment. Before you downvote me, pick some up and try it out for yourself.\n\nOn topic: I mix it with Mayo for sandwiches and dressings for salads. What's so great about Sriracha is the pepper fruitiness that you don't find in other \"hot sauces.\"\n\nEdit: You've done a cynical guy very proud, cookit. Thanks for being cool.",
"score": 39
},
{
"body": "This is great, because I just made my favorite sriracha recipe last night for dinner so it fresh in my head. This recipe is an adaption from a meal i ate at Pei Wei. It is vegetarian, but meat can be added in place of tofu. Dont take the volumes I give as law, make it to taste. The dish has three components, the sauce, the veggies, the carbs and the protein the Ill start with the sauce;\n\n* 1 part sriracha (1/4 cup makes about 4-6 servings)\n* 1 part soy sauce\n* the juice of 1 lime\n* a teaspoon of dark sesame oil\n* 1 tbsp golden mountain or maggi sauce (not critical if you dont have it)\n* 1-2 tbsp of palm sugar (any sweetener can be substituted)\n* 1-2 tbsp of rice vinegar \n\nWhisk the sauce together and season to taste. If you want a slightly thicker sauce add some corn starch when the sauce is still cold. Now onto the carbs. I usually use rice ovulates (Japanese/Korean rice cakes) which I obtain from my local Asian market, however rice noodles or rice will do fine. Prepare the carbs however appropriate. Now for the veggies;\n\n* 3 stalks of celery, julienned\n* 2 carrots, julienned\n* 1 large shallot chopped\n* 1/2 onion chopped\n* 5-8 cloves of garlic chopped\n* 1-10 chillies\n\nStirfry veggies in a wok style pan on high heat (be careful not to let the garlic burn) for a few min in a 50/50 mixture of vegetable oil and sesame oil. Add the protein and fry until cooked (i use tofu or sietan). Add the previously cooked carb component and sauce. Turn down the heat and stir trying to coat everything in the wok with the sauce. If there is not enough sauce add some of the water you cooked your carbs in. Serve and enjoy. Like I said before make sure to adapt you sauce to your own taste. The goal is to balance spicy/sour/sweet/salty in a way that you like. Serve and enjoy!\n\nNote: If you do use tofu slice it in 1/8-1/4 in thick slices and fry in a covered pan over high heat in a combination of vegetable and sesame oil. Any other protein can probably be cooked with the veggies in the wok.\n",
"score": 10
},
{
"body": "Put it in the sauce when you make a homemade pizza. Also goes great in spaghetti sauce...basically add it to anything with tomato in it. \n\nAlso mixing it with mayo is an awesome sandwich spread...and awesome dip for fries. ",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "[Check out this recipie](http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/sriracha-chicken-wings-recipe/)\n\nI made this last night. pretty easy, and delicious, and has sriracha!",
"score": 8
},
{
"body": "Fried rice.\n\nAdd some oil to a deep pan, and sweat some onions and garlic if you'd like. Add some cooked rice in, crack an egg or two, stir it around. Then put in whatever you have lying around in. When my fridge is exceptionally empty, I just put in chopped hot dogs. But any other kind of meat is fine, shrimp even. It's a great dish to kind of clean the fridge. Oh peas are good too. Add some sriracha sauce in at the end.\n\nMy favourite sauce: sriracha, sugar, and lemon. Greatest dipping sauce ever. I eat it mostly with seafood. Plain boiled shrimp, lobster, or crab dipped in this is heavenly. I also eat it with dried squid, but I'm sure it goes well with regular squid. But honestly, this sauce mixture is the greatest. At least once a week, I'll have a craving for this. \n\nIt's also a standard to put into Pho. I put sriracha and hoisin sauce in my Pho.:)",
"score": 6
},
{
"body": "I put it on everything. Absolutely everything. As a broke college student, it makes my instant mac and cheese awesome.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "In my experience it can be added to almost anything for serious spice factor. As a college student one bottle of sriracha works really well for anything from spaghetti sauces, chili, some soups (clam chowder is a nice surprise), stir fry veggies w/ or w/o meat, sandwiches, burritos, pre mixed salsa that store makes taste like shit.... etc etc \n\nSummary: It works well on anything that would benefit from spice. Be creative.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "We tried this recipe for [Sriracha chicken wings](http://www.whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/sriracha-chicken-wings-recipe) on New Years. They were delicious.\r\n",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "Mix some ranch and sriracha, but instead of using it as a dipping sauce, spread it thinly on a pizza crust and top with chicken, onions, peppers, and mozzarella.",
"score": 3
}
] |
Does anyone know why my core 2 and 3 temperatures are stuck at 35C? | After I switched from the stock Intel cooler to a water cooling setup the temperatures for core 2 and 3 are reading at a constant 35C.
Does anyone know what is causing this problem or a possible solution?
Here is a picture of cpuz, core temp, real temp and speedfan running
http://i.imgur.com/z9SWV.png
Thanks
**Edit:** when I mounted the waterblock I accidentally overtightened it and bent the motherboard, before that it was reading fine. Could I have accidentally crushed the sensors?
**EditII:** Thanks for the great advise, I have done everything possible to get the temperatures to change with no result. I can get a good enough reading from the first 2 cores. | 5 | [
{
"body": "core 2 quad processors sometimes have faulty temperature sensors that get stuck. I wouldn't worry about it, the other cores reflect those cores temps to a few degrees. ",
"score": 7
}
] |
DAE stand up to wipe their ass? | With the recent DAEs about pooping, I am wondering what the ratio of standing wipers to sitting wipers is. I read a [story on Deadspin](http://deadspin.com/5424415/sitters-vs-standers--the-great-wipe-hope) recently about this, and it has piqued my interest more than thinking about wiping your ass should. | 5 | [
{
"body": "lean to the side while sitting, gives the benefit of access obtained from standing, while remaining in a comfortable seating position.",
"score": 4
},
{
"body": "I am asspidextrous. I usually sit for the first and second wipe then stand to finish it off. I like standing at the end since it provides me a good view of the TP so I know when I have finished.\n\nAs an aside, I spent 6 weeks in Indonesia when I was in college. Their \"toilets\" are usually in the floor so you poop in the squat position. Best poops I have ever had. The nice thing is that you have water to splash with instead of TP which makes it more like a bidet. The only \"problem\" is that I had to remove my shorts and underwear before going which slowed down the process. You also have to remember that the left hand is used for splashing your pooper and therefore by cultural tradition should never be used to hand anything to someone.\n\n[Here is a picture of a typical set up.](http://img5.travelblog.org/Photos/95996/365789/t/3360574-Indo-toilet--Mandi-shower-1.jpg) You scoop up the water with the ladle and then splash it on your starfish with your left hand.",
"score": 3
},
{
"body": "I used to stand up until I lived in a dorm in college with communal bathrooms and I thought that it'd look weird to anyone who might walk in (do two standing feet look different from two sitting feet? I've no idea, but that was the motivation.)\n\nThe very idea of sitting and wiping didn't occur to me until I saw James Van Der Beek (of *Dawson's Creek* fame, doing it in *Rules of Attraction*.",
"score": 3
}
] |
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