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Reddit: This keeps getting into my water. How do I make it stop?
[This little mischevious furry](http://i.imgur.com/kwbhFl.jpg) keeps getting into my water. Nothing I do seems to make him stop. Does this happen to anyone with their cats? I am having issues trying to stop him from drinking water from my glass. In fact my table is bare because an hour previous to the picture being taken he dropped water on my desk and I had to hang the table cloth to dry. I have tried everything but he refuses to drink from his bowl. I have offered him many options: plastic bowls, glass bowls, stainless steel bowls, poured lukewarm water into his bowl, poured cold water, put ice into the water. Nothing stops him from preferring to drink from my glass. Before anyone mentions - I wash his bowls constantly and they get re-filled every other hour (I rinse the bowl each time before refilling). I have also kept several bowls of water around the house for his convenience yet he will still prefer to drink from my glass. **TL;DR:** when I'm home the cat will refuse to drink from his bowl and attacks my glass of water instead. Any suggestions in how to make him stop?
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[ { "body": "Get him his own glass. That's what we did for The Moose and he was super happy. Add ice for even more love. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Normally I lurk without feeling the need to post, but this one got me.\nMy cat does the exact same thing, and I suspect it's because she figures herself a human. She'll even attempt to drink from the sink. And, if she doesn't like whatever is inside the glass she attempts to drink from, she'll knock it over on purpose. I have NO idea how to stop it. I just started placing her infront of one of her many water dishes or bowls whenever she attempts to drink from my glass.\n\nI can't keep glasses unattended anymore. They either end up having a cat head in them, or spilled on something. \n\nEDIT: I'm an idiot.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The cat thinks you're a pushover.\n\nYou know how cats mark their territory? Well, you need to show him who's boss and piss in that cup.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "just do the ole spray bottle trick. Keep a botle around, whenever he goes fro a glass give him a spray. he learns quick i bet.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Get a water fountain? I had a similar problem w/ my cat drinking from the sink, seemed to have fixed the problem. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "your problem is you are trying to make the cat adapt to your situation. not going to work, its a cat. mine does the same thing so I gave her own glass, whatever. now, instead of a cup i put what i want to drink in a water bottle.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Get spill-proof toddler cups! Also the suggestion of a water fountain is a good one. We got one for our cats and they love it. You can also return it if he doesn't like it.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "My kitty does the same thing. She does this with water, milk, and sometimes tea. I've just gotten used to it. She'll drink from her bowl when I'm not around, or from the toilet. I have to drink my glass of water really quickly before she can stick her head in there. Sometimes she just wants a little bit, so I let her have it. She sticks her paw gingerly into the water and licks it off her paw. Other times she just sticks her head in. That's just the way cats are, I guess.\n\nSolutions? Drink from a water bottle. Also the idea of putting hot sauce on the rim of your glass was a good one. The cat shouldn't be stupid enough to try licking it if they can smell the hot sauce. Or get an empty spray bottle and fill it with water, then spritz him ever time he goes for your glass. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. I've had moderate success training my cat not to do some things, but she's like a stubborn, messy roommate.\n\nC'est la vie. I wouldn't have her any other way.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Cats like *very* fresh water. No, I have no idea why. But water in the cat bowl, even if the bowl's antiseptically clean, is not gonna do.\n\nMaybe it's the oxygenation?\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "A lot of cats don't like stagnant water, especially if they have already drank out of it once. Plus, they sometimes have a hard time seeing where the water line is in a dish.\n\nI got one of the dome fountains for less than 40 bucks. The water lasts almost a week in a pinch, but I usually clean it out after 3 or 4 days. The cats love it. One drinks the water off of the dome and one uses its paw on one of the bumps in the dish part. Won't totally keep the cat out of your glass, but it will give it a good water source because the fountain/dome keeps the water oxygenated, cool and fresh.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "My cat does this too. It's an ongoing battle. I thought it was because I used a better quality water for myself. Maybe it's because they trust stuff more if they see you drinking/eating it.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "My cat did this, and still does sometimes. Oddly, she looks the same as your cat. She's not really pushy about it though but will do it if you're vigilant. \n\nWhat we ended up doing is using cups with lids, not leaving glasses untended, and drinking a lot of things that weren't water (the cat wouldn't mess with Sprite, for example). Eventually she just stopped looking in cups. \n\nIf you give it long enough (looooooong) most cats will just forget if you've been denying them the opportunity to practice that behavior.\n\nWe also use one of those water fountain things for the cat. She completely ignored it during the time we had a live christmas tree just to drink out of the tree water. *Shrug*", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I fixed this problem for my cat. \n\nI learned that many cats hate plastic bowls (they retain bacteria or something) and some also hate tap water (chlorine and/or fluoride or something.) \n\nI switched to a glass water bowl and mineral water and now my cat has no problem. I just swap out the bowl with a clean one every other day or so.\n\nHe usually prefers to drink from a glass water bowl that's outside (finicky bastard.) \n\nTry that. \n", "score": 3 } ]
Reddit, what is the scariest thing you've ever done?
I went cliff-diving for the first time today. It was about a 45 foot drop into water below... Easily the scariest thing I've ever done. I remember my mind going blank when I jumped off the ledge, and it felt like time stopped. I stayed full of adrenaline for about 5 minutes afterward. What about everybody else?
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[ { "body": "I took glow in the dark spray paint and spray painted \"Dave?\" (my father's name) in big letters on one of his walls before he went to bed. He woke up in the middle of the night FREAKING out tapping his wife KIERA KIERA KIERA PLEASE TELL ME YOU SEE THAT. I told her before hand so she said no and he was freaking out. He woke up and wasn't even talking (you couldn't see it in the light). I washed it off and never told him :)\n\nEdit: haha I didn't read the description but I'll leave this here.", "score": 24 }, { "body": "Getting photographed naked, breaking up with the photographer, and later finding out that he had sold the pictures to a porn site.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "I went primitive camping in a blizzard. Nothing but the clothes on my back, a belt knife, flint, and a pot to boil snow in. Built a lean-to from a downed tree, cut 5ft of boughs, collected about a cord of wood and made a parallel fire just before night fell. But it was soooooo warm during the night that I slept in past dawn :D\n\nPics or it didn't happen: http://calitude.imgur.com/public\n\nEDIT: This was before all that bear Grylls bullshit.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "When I was sixteen, I was driving home sweaty and exhausted from a hockey game a couple miles away from my house, I was doing about seventy on the local highway. An asshole in a red corvette passes me, changes into my lane. \n\nForty or so feet ahead of me, the hub cap comes off this asshole and starts bouncing towards my car.\n\nIn a split second of clarity I think, \"Shit. That thing is bouncing high enough to come through my windshield.\"\n\nAnd so, (and this is a moment that I've replayed in my head over and over,) I panic and jerk the wheel to the right to quickly change lanes. I jerk the wheel a little too hard. \n\nMy stomach drops, in the way it does when you're hydroplaning or you're looking down from a very high ledge. My car is now making crazy, howling-fantods-inducing skidding noises a la the Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift™. So, naturally, I freak out a second time and jerk the wheel back to the left.\n\nFor a moment, my heart leaps; the skidding stops, the car turns to face the right direction. But the car overcorrects, and I'm now headed straight towards the grassy valley that served as the median of this four-lane highway.\n\nIt occurs to me at this point that out of the thousands of times I've driven this road, that I chose this particular time to abstain from wearing my seatbelt. \n\nIn retrospect, I'm impressed by the amount of calm my brain managed. That cliche about time slowing down? It really happens. I thought objectively for a moment about putting my seat belt on, but decided that I didn't have time. I remember thinking, *okay, this is it*. In my mind I ran through names. *I love you mom, dad, sisters, girlfriend, best friends, everyone.* I adjusted myself in my seat, took an iron grip on steering wheel, pressed my feet against the floor, and flexed every muscles I knew how to flex as I braced myself for the grassy divet that inched closer to me. Four years later, I can still see, with perfect clarity, the image of my hands on the steering wheel of my tiny Corolla's dashboard.\n\nThe *noise* was the part that I least expected. Car accidents are LOUD. For an instant, I was frozen, my eardrums reverberating with the sounds of metal and glass. (Afterwards, I note that the sound of the airbag was conspicuously absent.) \n\nThen, sunlight. I had crashed somewhat diagonally into the bottom of the median, and the car had flipped itself clockwise ninety-degrees. As it rolls I am literally and violently flung about thirty feet into the air through a shower of glass, having been ejected through the side-window. I turn my head and see the humbling sight of my car do another two somersaults along the grass, shooting CDs and my hockey stuff (which was in an open bag, to air out) everywhere.\n\nOn the ground, I am in shock. *I am alive.* Although surprisingly, this realization, far from being a happy one, causes me to experience a weird, wry let-down feeling, instead. Remarkably, nothing hurts. (I am told, and also feel very quickly later, this is temporary anesthesia is due to the phenomenon known simply as shock.) I try to stand but as soon as I get to my feet I cough up a lot of blood and get dizzy. I fall to my knees. Then the ground.\n\nLongest five minutes of my life was hearing cars drive past, waiting for someone to stop. \n\nFinally a lady stops and does that hilarious \"Hello!! Can I Help You??\" thing that they tell you to do in instructional videos in health class. Next guy to stop is a cop. He looks over me, and I can see the reflection of my bloody face in his sunglasses.\n\nI thought I was gonna die, which wasn't helped by the fact that upon asking the paramedic \"Am I gonna be okay?\" he said frankly, \"No idea\". But anyway, I turned out fine. They airlifted me to a hospital (which was also very very loud), and I had a fractured vertebra that didn't even need surgery. They say with kids, as long as all the parts are there, you heal up just fine. I was released in a couple days with a brace and a lot of painkillers. \n\n\ntl;dr. Flew out of a car going 70 mph with no seatbelt. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Drove home from work at 12:40 am in a VW bug during a snow storm. 4 inches were already accumulated and it was coming down hard. I went so slow and my car still swerved here and there and made turns like I was drunk and slid when I pressed the break. It was a long and tense drive. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I went gliding. \n\nIt's not exactly base-jumping off the statue of liberty, but I'm **deathly** afraid of flying and petrified by heights. I'm glad I did it though. It just means one less weakness for my many enemies to use against me.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Trying out for Do You Think You Can Dance with my friend as a joke with nothing planned and getting a callback.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Skydiving comes to mind first. I have a fairly healthy fear of heights, but I was invited to go by a girl that I really liked, so I did it.\r\n\r\nI thought I was going to pass out once the plane started climbing. Looking out the side made me want to re-consider my options. I took one look at her though, she smiled like only she could, and I instantly got a shot of bravery and we jumped. Once in free-fall I wasn't scared anymore, it felt great.\r\n\r\nThis, once again, proves that men will do anything for sex, or even the possibility of sex. And yes I got some, we were actually together for about a year after that, I think.", "score": 3 } ]
I need help preserving some old ww2 photos
My Grandfather was a recon pilot in the Pacific during the war. He has about 100+ pictures of everything you can imagine from Nagasaki after the bombing to strafe attacks on trains. The thing is these pictures are fading bad and i want to preserve them somehow. I would love to be able to get a digital copy of them but I doubt scanning would be a good idea. Anyone have any ideas?
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[ { "body": "I work for one of the largest private militeria museums in the US. First, let me be greedy and say that we would *love* to get a hold of these, and would be happy to produce and clean up digital copies for you.\n\nBut, back to the actual topic, you're going to want to get some kind of archival storage for them. Individually polyethylene bagging them is probably a good idea. Keep in mind, I'm the technical chief for the museum, not the curator. All of this is knowledge I've accrued in my time working there. But, store them individually, archival bags, and store them somewhere in a controlled environment. In other words, keep them in the house. It would be even better to have a humidifier in there with them too, but I'm trying to be realistic.\n\nThese are real treasures, so it's great that you're trying to treat them as such. ", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Flat bed and some skill with photoshop is your best bet, something like an epson v500 would be a good scanner. second best would be a copy stand and a digital slr and a macro or other flat field lens.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "There is some good advice here. I work in an archives so this is something I know a little about. Here are my suggestions:\n\nKeep originals away from light, especially sunlight. Scanning them once is a negligible exposure to light that results in the ability to produce surrogate copies for display while allowing the originals to be stored archivally (see below). When scanning, use the [NARA guidelines](http://www.archives.gov/preservation/technical/guidelines.html) to determine the appropriate resolution. Resolution tables are on page 52. \n\nPut the photographs in archival storage pouches, acid and lignin-free paper or polyethylene/polypropylene (NEVER anything like PVC/poly-vinyl chloride) plastic sleeves. Try to get sleeves/envelopes that are as close in size to the originals as possible. Put those sleeves in acid and lignin free envelopes in acid and lignin free archival boxes. Some sources of archival storage supplies are [Brodart](http://www.brodart.com/) and [Carr-McLean](http://www.carrmclean.ca/).\n\nAs these guys said, keep them in as controlled an environment as possible. 18-20 degrees, 35-45 % relative humidity is the ideal, but no matter what the conditions, the important thing is to avoid rapid fluctuations in temp. and humidity. Such fluctuations will cause the paper backing of the image to warp and buckle, which will eventually cause the emulsion to crack and separate. So don't put them in your basement, your attic, or on an outside wall. A good place is a linen closet near the centre of your house. \n\nFinally, don't let anyone touch the emulsion (image) with their fingers. People oil is very bad for documents and images. If you can, get some lintless white cotton gloves to use when handling the photographs.\n\nHope this helps!", "score": 3 } ]
Did anyone else not see a single bra-color (colour) status post on facebook?
I can imagine that it's obnoxious, and from the the amount of complaining I"ve seen from the past few days, fairly big. I have several hundred female friends (granted, most at the University of Alabama, hence why they would not be paying attention to this fad) but I haven't seen a single one.
5
[ { "body": "I don't pay attention to my facebook feed. I just sit, waiting for the notification box to turn red...", "score": 6 } ]
Dear people who aren't geared/skilled enough to play (not trolling I promise):
I understand that you aren't geared enough to play, and I understand that you don't have the time to devote your entire life to the game. But honestly, when other peoples fun depends on how well you can play I feel that it's just polite to understand the mechanics of *at least* your class/role. I'm sick of being put into random HCs with people who don't know how to play, just like you're sick of being put into pugs with the community who does know how to play - the majority of us aren't actually that bad, and the help that we're giving is exactly that HELP, not some offensive attack on your skill as a human being, so stop taking it like it is. I can live with people who are terribly geared, that isn't a problem. I'm a good enough healer that you could come in in blue and un-gemmed gear and I can still have a relaxing time. I don't appreciate people who enter the fights (regardless of their gear) and not pull their wight or get decent DPS/general contribution to a fight. Understanding basic mechanics of the game is actually a piece of piss, these include not running into battle while your healer is out of mana, and not pulling if you aren't the tank. The more involved things in the game aren't so easy to grasp, but they're honestly *not* that hard. Things like tactics for fights, if you're in blues then tactics are key(!). If you don't know them, then ask, dont wait till everyone is dead before you pipe up with the oh so classic line "never been here sry". Knowing the gear that you should be wearing is also really easy, if you're unsure then go back to the character creation screen and remodel your class, there it will tell you the stats that you should prioritise. The WoW armory even tells you these days what a good upgrade is. At the end of the day, you're not the only person here for fun, that's the aim of everyone in the game. Some people just get the fun from the nitty-gritty parts of the game, if we're being polite enough to give you advice, please appreciate it, and not throw it back in our faces. NB: if you meet some of the assholes in-game, then ignore them, don't classify all of the people who are better than you as assholes based on a minority sample. There are asshole's in all walks of life, orange/purple/blue/green gear. We *all* pay our £10/month.
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[ { "body": "Dear people for whom heroics are serious business:\n\nA significant chunk of the casual WoW population, when they hit 80, didn't get on the instance treadmill like everyone else. Rather than seeing gearing up for raids as the core of the end-game they focused on things like exploring, grinding reputation and achievements. What instances they did finish were generally 5-mans and raids from the previous expansion that they massively out-leveled.\n\nWith the release of 3.3 and the dungeon finder, many of these people have been exposed for the first time to an entirely new aspect of the game that requires a completely different set of skills.\n\nUnfortunately they were thrown into this new side of the game opposite a population of jaded players who have run these same instances a hundred times each, and all just want to get through them with a minimum of effort, player interaction or (dare I say it) fun. These people seem to take it as a personal insult that other players don't value the ability to maximise DPS as much as they do.\n\nWhat the players new to this style of gaming could use is helpful advice, maybe an offer to send them the URL of a good site for tuning their class, advice they may ignore because this isn't really what they wanted to get out of the game after all. What they get is stony silence after which their party-mates go and whine about them in forums, and occasional direct abuse that puts them off experiencing an entire facet of the game.\n\nPeople who don't know what they're doing are rarely a big deal. A decent group can carry inexperienced players through any non-ICC heroic except maybe Oculus and barely notice the difference. I'm far more annoyed by the know-it-all DPS who for the whole instance only says \"chain pull plz\" and \"gogogogogogo\", and run ahead because the tank isn't pulling fast enough for them.\n\nI've got a really good formula for doing heroics: I leave recount closed and spend most of the run wishing something would go wrong enough to make it interesting.\n\n", "score": 18 }, { "body": "I hate people who just parrot Recount data. Are we having some kind of difficulty clearing the instance? No? Then shut the fuck up.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "I agree, and to people who are too geared/skilled to play with noob dps (I healadin and have to deal with bitchy hunters/shams/rogues all the time) I say \"If you're so leet, find a guild on your server who wants to put up with you and grind with them. Better yet, quit fucking around in randoms and raid.\"\n\n\n\nedit: I should elaborate, I don't mind horribly unskilled people as long as they aren't too stupid to take advice to play better, and I certainly don't mind ungeared people unless its like heroic HoR and we literally can not churn out enough DPS to beat it. However, I will not tolerate people too stupid to be able to be taught to play, nor can I tolerate people who are too good to play with ungeared/ignorant players. You weren't born knowing how to range DPS either, someone taught you or at least told you waht elitistjerks.com was.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "My experience is this: you are playing a video game. Most of the people are not going to read the instruction manual. I didn't. I figured out the game mechanics on my own. I cut people slack. Especially when it's likely the kid on the other end might be some 10 year old. So.... here's your solution since you seem to be getting emotional about this particular video game: create your own guild. screen your members and don't play with people that you didn't screen. then, if your going to get emotional, you can cry on your members shoulders.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "> I don't appreciate people who enter the fights (regardless of their gear)\n> and not pull their wight or get decent DPS/general contribution to a fight.\n\nPlease, elaborate.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I agree totally. I am always willing to help people with less gear or skill as long as they are not complete dicks. You may not want to spend every waking moment thinking about this game but you SHOULD know what gear, talents, and skills are good for your class. Be prepared to get yelled at when you take a strength ring on a hunter, or a fast off hand as an enhancement shaman. That is not people being elitest, its you being unfair to other people who KNOW their class and were probably running the instance for that drop you took.\n\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Same goes to the elitists who go \"Gearscore or get out!\"\n\nI am annoyed with constantly seeing pick up groups for easy instances where shit like 2600 - 3000 gearscore is the minimum requirement. Do you seriously need 2900GS just to do Trial of the Crusader (10 player)??? I recall the requirements not being *that* high. I healed the first 3 bosses no deaths with 2350GS just fine.\n\nIts more of the case that gearscore has messed up progression entirely in this game. How the hell do we get some bloody gear if we're being votekicked from HCs or refused for raids for not having a magical number of gearscore? Especially when said requirements are made steep because some elitist idiot wants a quick run or wants to be carried.", "score": 4 } ]
What is your favourite Dylan song?
I may be not one of those hardcore Dylan fans, but admire him greatly nevertheless. I wonder what is reddit's favourite. Personally I change songs almost weekly. Currently it's Queen Jane approximately, but I would like to hear your view. Vote this up if you like his music!
7
[ { "body": "Currently it's *Man In Me* but I did just re-watch *The Big Lebowski*\n\nUsually it's *Most Of The Time*", "score": 3 } ]
This is the last post, I promise.
I won't kill myself; I'm too afraid. You had better things to do than try to talk some stupid loser out of killing himself so sorry I took your attention from more important stuff. I could still use advice though, if you don't hate me now. There's two tests this week and I didn't study, so I'll likely fail this year completely. Then there's not taking my meds for a while and I'm not sure what to do now and if just starting taking them again without telling anyone what happened is a good idea. I also still feel really lonely, and I only have one person I'm talking to, so I don't want to bother him too much. If anyone could talk to me, even for just a couple of minutes a day, it would help me. Hope I didn't annoy you too much.
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[ { "body": "We don't expect that overcoming suicidal thoughts will be easy or have a fast-fix. We have known you for a long time now, and want you to feel comfortable coming here as often as you need. You stick with us, because we are sticking with you. Maybe you could check out the [IRC chat channel](http://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/comments/an1ma/lets_make_an_irc_channel/) that sje46 started, or people always respond with their AIM screen names etc so I'm sure they will again. \n\nIt would be nice if you didn't make this your last post, though. We still want to hear how you're going. We do care about you a whole lot and you are part of this community.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Like redGPz said, the [IRC](http://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/comments/an1ma/lets_make_an_irc_channel/) channel has people who are willing to talk to you. I certainly don't find you annoying and I'm willing to pm you my MSN address if you'd like to talk one-on-one.\n\nGoing on and off meds is probably not a great idea. Talk to the doctor who prescribed them to you.\n\nYou still have time to study. Put all your free time into it and you've still got a chance. Even if you do fail, it's alright. You can always retake the courses and if money is an issue than there's always grants you can apply for.\n\nLet me know if I can do anything.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Sorry, I only just now saw this post. As far as psych stuff, you had mentioned some sort of psych therapy that while you were on it had seemed to help you. Maybe you should go back on that?\n\nAs far as the meds, I'd suggest making sure the jumps in taking/not taking it is something your doc/psych is aware of, at least.\n\nAs far as the tests... In what subjects? I mean, IIRC you're a sociology student, so not sure I could help, but if there's anything that I could help you study for...\n\nAnd I'll talk to you. I've talked to you before and you don't bother me.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "You're always welcome here, so please don't stop posting. I'm very glad that you are still with us. \n\nIs there any chance that you can talk to the school about your problem and get an arrangement about your tests? Some schools are very accommodating that way, and it would be a shame to lose your whole year if you don't have to.\n\nAs far as the meds- it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor about the gap, but you should be able to taper the mirtazapine up safely. I'm not sure what dosage you were on- people usually start at 15 mg and go up from there to whatever their recommended dosage is, and if that's the case with you, then I would take the 15 mg for at least a week (2 if you're having side effects), and then go up 15 again, and repeat until you're at your prescribed dosage. It is a good idea to check in with your doctor though, as the break is an important part of your history. \n\nGood luck- I really hope that things work out well for you, and I'm glad that you're still here. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "This is why this place exists. You don't have to apologize and you don't have to promise not to post here in the future.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "> If anyone could talk to me, even for just a couple of minutes a day, it would help me.\n\nEDIT: Thanks for responding.\n\nAt minimum, consider it an opportunity to learn that it takes someone to go first in friendship. even if it doesn't satisfy you, it is worth the effort.\n\nand you should always come back here if you need.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Sounds like you might by in the wrong path in life? Would you be happy in a less challenging career or path? Maybe something simple would satisfy you?", "score": 3 } ]
Authenticating to Reddit API
Hey Reddit Dev people. Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this, but I'm just getting this started and don't know the meta side of Reddit too well yet. I'm looking to create a Reddit inbox notifier for the Mac, ideally as a menu bar item. I see that you can access http://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/.json or .xml to view inbox data. My question is if there's a good way to programmatically log in to Reddit and fetch this while logged in. I suppose I can always use WebKit and scrape the loginbox, but I was hoping for something a bit more elegant.
11
[ { "body": "> Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this\n\nNope, this is the place. Welcome!\n\n> I'm looking to create a Reddit inbox notifier for the Mac, ideally as a menu bar item\n\nSweet! I've been using RSSmenu to simulate that, but a real app would be cool\n\n> I see that you can access http://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/.json\n\nYou should also know that you can hit http://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/.json?mark=false to keep from marking them all as \"read\" periodically\n\nLook at [api.py](http://code.reddit.com/browser/r2/r2/controllers/api.py#L277), but basically you'll need to hit `/api/login/username` with `username` and `password` in the POST data, and observe the `Set-Cookie` header that comes back (I think the cookie is the `reddit_session` cookie, but double-check me). Use that cookie to make the further API calls (like the `inbox.json` query). Those cookies are good for at least a few days in the general case. (If we 403 when hitting the inbox when you're using a cached session, make up to 1 re-requests to `/api/login/username` in case the key has expired.). Then make the `inbox.json` request with the session-cookie attached, and huzzah!", "score": 9 } ]
Glamour quietly features a plus-sized model...Better than V's Curves Ahead?
I admit, I subscribe to Glamour. In the recent issue, there's a fashion spread featuring nude-toned clothing worn beautifully by a "plus-sized" model. [Crystal Renn](http://www.glamour.com/fashion/2010/01/youd-look-even-better-naked#slide=2) What do you think of this, 2x? I recall a lot of you saying that V's "Curves Ahead" was a step in the right direction, but kind of missed the point. In my opinion, I think Glamour took an even bigger step by including this model in their magazine, just like any other. There aren't any big "Look! A big girl is in our magazine!!" headlines or advertisements... just another spread, quietly tucked between others with more traditional models. Edit: I agree that she is normal looking, not a woman you might typically imagine with the "plus sized" label. But, she is plus sized according to the fashion industry, and she definitely stood out among the much thinner models. It was refreshing to see another body type represented.
42
[ { "body": ">just another spread, quietly tucked between others with more traditional models.\n\nGood that is how it should be. Now they need to add some in-between models. \n\nIt's always the extreme. Size 16 or size 0.\n\nThose photos are stunning. They are not trying to show off the fact that she's got some pudge. It's just a sexy women posing in glamorous clothes.", "score": 26 }, { "body": "I agree. *Glamour* took a more enlightened approach and, through its subtly, makes a bolder statement.", "score": 16 }, { "body": "My boyfriend just said something interesting after I showed him this...\n\nHim: \"You know, most of these women are chosen by male fashion directors who... don't like women.\"\n\nMe: \"And women who don't like women.\"\n\nHim: \"I bet that if you got some straight guys in there, you'd see a lot more women with curves.\"", "score": 12 }, { "body": "How in the fuck is she \"plus sized\"? She doesn't look much bigger than me (braces self for \"GTFO the interwebs, fatty!\" jokes). Not that I'm complaining, I just find it irritating to be called \"plus sized\" when I can't buy clothes in \"plus sized\" clothing departments. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I also subscribe to Glamour. They've said in the past that they try to use plus-sized models as often as possible, but that the reality is that most clothing for magazines to use usually only comes in sample size (ie size 0-4) which makes it difficult.\n\nI think it's great that they're doing it and not making a big deal out of it. I love seeing different types of women in magazines. One of the reasons I dropped my subscription to Cosmo is that I was sick of all the women looking exactly the same!! Some physical diversity would be nice, whether it's size, race/ethnicity, heck even hair colour!", "score": 8 }, { "body": "It is a nice change of pace, but when I think plus size, I think size 20+. Plus size on the streets, not plus size by catwalk standards. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "BTW, she also did an editorial for Elle Canda which was treated the same way: http://www.magxone.com/elle/crystal-renn-elle-canada-january-2010/\n\nI think she looks even hotter here...", "score": 3 } ]
Hey Reddit, where ya goin?
Whenever I'm walking down the sidewalk, I always want to ask the other people on the street "Hey, where ya goin'?" But I think strangers might find that a little creepy. So, I'll ask you. The next time you leave your house, where will you be heading?
26
[ { "body": "In about 3 hours I will be going to meet my son for dinner in a small Thai restaurant that we love :-) Cheap and cheerful meals. Fantastic!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The next time I leave my house (dorm) will probably be tomorrow morning when I head out to get a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I'm going to continue sitting in this chair and switching my monitor's source input between my computer and my PS3 because it's Saturday night and I suck.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Work. Sigh...\n\nThat is a little weird, I do have to say. I wish it wasn't, because that's pretty cool.", "score": 3 } ]
The perfect bowl [10]
ok, here is my description of the technically best bowl I have winessed. it happened to me not 30 minutes ago. backstory on the pipe: I got this pipe a few days ago, and it's just a regular spoon, with an overly pyramida and steep bowl, in a petty deep head, that has a larger hole at the bottom. I got screens and put on in there. I then realized that hey, ther's a screen, so I can put shake in. I then ground up a 1g amount of the kb I have, and then went out. I found a good spot, filled the screened bowl up to the top, and then packed it down added some more, packed it again, cleane dup. I then lit the bow 1, count them 1, times, and without touching flame to weed, I used th heat to set it ablaze. This fused with the ground up weed to create a super cherry, that I could see moving throughout the bowl, and then it cherryied up the entire bowl. I did not have to re-lite more that than original one time. It was great, I <3 bowl screens, and I LOVE MARIJUANA!!!!!
3
[ { "body": "dude i love when that happens! one time here my roommate lit our big party bowl and the cherry came up in the form of a smiley face...it was epic ", "score": 4 } ]
Reddit, In six months I'm going to try and move to Austin TX. I have two years experience as a game artist, but no studio's are hiring. How should I go about trying to find employment where I can utilize my 2d/3d art?
My qualifications are limited mostly to Photoshop, layout, game design, game art, film art, and some compositing. I've tried my hand at graphic design, but I have limited html/css knowledge. here's a link to my portfolio, highlighting some of my skills http://www.comicspace.com/pencilninja/comics.php?action=gallery&comic_id=10553 and I have one released title on the xbox (BCFX) and two for the PC
4
[ { "body": "There's a WEALTH of studios in the Austin area. Have you applied to them, whether or not there's a current posted available position?\n\nAs your attourney, I'd advise you secure your own webspace and not host your portfolio on \"ComicSpace\". It's pretty unreasonably slow for me, and I'm having a hard time navigating. There's no way this presents your work in the best possible light. Were I a potential employer, I'd ding you for that. \n\nIs the \"No one is hiring\" angle the ONLY reason you're looking outside of the game industry? Or are you uninterested in continuing to work in games? \n\nI'm interested in hearing how you fare, because I maintain a lingering fear of being unemployable outside of the games industry, so keep us appraised!\n", "score": 3 } ]
CORRECTION: The Canadian Census is not trying to exclude anyone, non-religious or otherwise
I'm posting this just in case for the people who only read the headline or took the article at face value. [As they note in their analysis series](http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/census01/products/analytic/companion/rel/pdf/96F0030XIE2001015.pdf), StatsCan is asking for people to note their religious affiliation, not their religious beliefs and it is erroneous to interpret that data as in regards to spiritual beliefs. There are separate surveys done for that and the census question is designed to better gauge the trends of religion in Canada rather than taking a snapshot of them at one particular moment since this is much more precise way to view the evolution of demographic changes within the country. I'll also quickly note that Statistics Canada is considered to be the [best statistical office in the world](http://www.sshrc.ca/SITE/apply-demande/background-renseignements/ciss_about-icss_sujet-eng.aspx) filled with the foremost experts in Canada and the world (I have a friend from Italy who I met because after getting his doctorate in statistics, he came here to Canada to get to work with StatsCan for a few months), so not only would they be the least likely statistical office to make such a mistake but the sterling reputation which they would undoubtedly want to maintain would bolster their attempts to be as accurate and unerring as possible. Edit: I will also add that there is not one single academic or expert in any fields of statistics, demographics, history, etc... that has an issue with the census, the only complaints are done by advocacy groups pushing their beliefs and none of those groups have provided an expert to back up their spurious claims. **tl;dr: the census asks for religious affiliation, other surveys from Statistics Canada ask about religious beliefs, if you use the census to measure religious beliefs, then you're doing it wrong.**
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[ { "body": "Do you note, though, that the census question has historically included a category for no-religion, as you can see in past results?\n\nWhy the change? If they truly want a long-term demographic picture, then they need to maintain the same standard throughout. If they go without a category for no religion, then they're consciously breaking the chain with past censuses (spell check says censuses rather than censii ... hm).", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Well, this is what was posted:\n\n>22. What is this person’s religion?\nIndicate a specific denomination or religion *even if this person is not currently a practising member of that group*. For example, Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, United Church, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Islam, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, etc.\nSpecify one denomination or religion only __________\nNo religion ________\n\nI don't see that distinction between \"religion\" and \"religious affiliation\". In fact, the statement \"even if this person is not currently a practising member of that group\" seems to contradict your thesis directly. Are you saying that question is made up?", "score": 4 } ]
I had sex with a legal prostitute in Australia for the first time last night. I am 19 years old. AMA.
Title says it all.The story (just to answer a few questions before they come up) is this: I was in the city, had just finished a nice night out drinking with friends and picking up girls in clubs. Walked down the main street looking for someone with a lighter to light up a nice J to wind down, the guy knew I was lighting up and asked if he could have some. He seemed normal and seeing as I was in a generous mood I said yes. We sat down and talked for hours and became close friends over greasy fast food. He told me he wanted to get laid tonight at all costs and wanted me to come along as his personal guest for my generosity. He paid for a taxi to take us to a nearby brothel and paid for room hire for me for 3/4 an hour. I'm 19 so of course ive never done anything of this magnitude before (hadn't even been to a strip club at this point...yet here I am...some guy from nepal about to pay for me to have sex with some woman ive never met) after about half an hour I picked a girl. The experience was pretty incredible, im not going to lie. I expected it to be soul-scarring and coldly mechanical, perhaps it was just the girl but it was somehow different. I know there's a general rule against kissing prostitutes (the girl I was with said that I could do that among other things for an extra $50) I didn't have the money, but we still kissed. Alot. It was a very strange experience. I know the girl I was with was only doing her job...but she seemed to enjoy it...and beyond what she would be required to pretend to be. So much so that she stayed an extra 20 minutes so I was with her for a little over an hour, no extra charge, even though it landed her in hot water with the manager. Some other odd things happened during, and after she took me out the back to talk to me, which again, she wasn't being paid for. When I finally got out an hour and a half later my new friend was nowhere to be seen. All in all it was enjoyable but surprising experience. Anyway, AMA fire away! EDIT: Formatting and shiz.
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[ { "body": "My friend used to work in a bar in Blacktown (outskirts of Sydney) which happened to be right across from a brothel. My favourite ever thing seeing there was a guy in dirty sweat pants with no shirt running across the street, slamming a tener on the bar and saying \"give me a fucking VB and hurry up, I've paid for the hour\". He skulls it in 3 gulps and sprints back across the street. He didn't tip either.\r\n\r\n", "score": 30 }, { "body": "How stereotypical was her? You know, the clothes, to much make up, high heels. How about the rest of the girls, or staff.\nP.S. if I was the owner of a brothel I would wear flamboyant purple suits for the lulz.", "score": 11 }, { "body": "How attractive was the girl and the other girls in there?\n\nWere you scared of getting any STD's? Did you use protection?", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Dude, I lost my virginity to a prostitute in Australia when I was 14. I went to misties in sydney, you?", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Where are you from? If you were from out of town, was it weird to know that the police would not break down the door or that the service you partook in was perfectly legal?\n\nNote: I'm Australian and live in a city where brothels are licensed (and hence legal) although street prostitution is not. It always amazes me when I hear that it is illegal in the US and many other countries.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Ah the old Nepalese bait and switch. Share a J with you, take you to a brothel and get a finders fee from the owner. You get laid, he gets paid. Win-Win!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Legal hookers **and** weed in AU?\n\nI think half of the US redditors are heading to the airport right now.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "So the moral of the story is that if i want to get laid; I should smoke up shady looking foreigners i meet on the streets?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Awesome! I am thinking of going to a brothel for my birthday which is soon. My mates have even said they would pay for it as a birthday gift. I live in Brisbane aswell and Wooloongabba would be the first place I would start looking.\n\nI am curious about the process. Could you give me a run down of how it all goes?\n\nFrom what I have gleamed from websites/movies/tv shows you walk in, talk to a 'receptionist' and pay. Then you walk into another room where you pick your girl. Then you move into the room where you begin the transaction. Do you have to shower or clean yourself on the premises?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "What kind of safety procedures do brothels there have for both workers and clients? Do you both get tested? Do the employees get tested daily? How is the environment walking in? Is it awkward? Welcoming? Intimidating?", "score": 3 } ]
This looks like fun. My first attempt - Fish neckalce kingdom...
You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi! You: Hello You: Would you like to play a game You: ? Stranger: sure! You: You are standing in the middle of a cave. In front of you is a lit torch, to your right is a passage way. Stranger: ok You: You took to long. A Giant bat swoops by, picks you up, and smashes you against a rock. You are now dead. You: Would you like to retry? Stranger: yes! You: You are standing in the middle of a cave. In front of you is a lit torch, to your right is a passage way. Stranger: alright! You: You took to long. A Giant bat swoops by, picks you up, and smashes you against a rock. You are now dead. You: Would you like to retry? Stranger: DAMNIT! Stranger: yes You: You are standing in the middle of a cave. In front of you is a lit torch, to your right is a passage way. Stranger: grab the torch run down the passage way Stranger: go Stranger: go Stranger: go You: You are now running down the passage way. You pass by a corpse holding a map. Stranger: punch it in the face Stranger: steal the map You: You punch the corpse in the face. You now have a map and a skull Stranger: wear the skull as a hat Stranger: read the map You: As you wear your skull cap proudly you inspect the map. You notice that ahead of you are three choices with a large red x on the right passage Stranger: go to it You: You take the right passage. You are now in a room with a large lake and a small hut with a light flickering from the window. Stranger: break the window and go in the hut You: You break the window. The person inside looks angry but offer you some soup. Stranger: EAT THE SOUP. high five the person You: The person is now not angry and high fives you back. He points at the map and your skull and asks where you found it Stranger: tell him the TRUTH! You: You tell him the TRUTH. He now looks angry again and says, "That was my son. You killed him!". He picks up a pitchfork and proceeds to walk towards you Stranger: throw the skull at his stupid face!! You: You throw his son's skull at his face. It strikes him in the face. He is now bleeding but still walks towards you Stranger: tell him sorry. but firmly remove the pitchfork from him and offer him a bandaid You: You now have 1 pitchfork You: You bandage up the man You: He asks if you would like to go swimming in the lake Stranger: yes sir You: You are now swimming in the lake. You see something shining at the bottom. To your right is another passage way Stranger: get the shiny thing. obvs You: You attempt to swim to the bottom but it is too far for you to swim. You: You are now swimming in the lake. You see something shining at the bottom. To your right is another passage way Stranger: get it with the pitch fork You: You swim down and reach with the pitchfork. You got it! You swim to the top to investigate your new found item. You: You have 1 necklace Stranger: YES! wear it You: You put on the necklace and start to feel strange. Your swimming friend screams and gets out of the lake and runs down the passageway. You look at your hands and now have fins. Stranger: I'm totally chill with that. You: You are now swimming in the lake alone. To your right is a passageway. Stranger: go to it You: You are now walking down the passage way. You start to see a light at the end of the tunnel and can hear voices. Stranger: go to them!!! You: As you approach the voices you notice that a group of 10 people, including the friend who ran away, all have pitchforks and are coming towards you. To your left is a lever. Stranger: pull it! or what ever you do with levers... You: You pull the lever and the wall to your right collapses. The people are coming closer now You: There is now a passage way to your right Stranger: go to the passage way You: You start to walk down the passage way as the group of 10 people start to chase you. You start to see light at the end of the tunnel Stranger: RUN TO THE LIGHT!! RUN! You: You start running as fast as your flippers can take you. To your surprise you can now run much faster then you could before. You reach the end of the tunnel and see a small town Stranger: go into the small town You: As you start to make your way into the small town you start seeing people look at you strange. Mother's clutch their children as you walk on by. In front of you is a brick walkway to a castle. To your right is a blacksmiths. To your left is a bank. Behind you you can hear 10 people with pitchforks approaching Stranger: go to the black smith and have him make me A WEAPON! You: As you approach the blacksmith he asks if you have anything of value you could trade for a weapon Stranger: the magic neacklace. obvs You: You take off the necklace and give it to the man. He inspects it, puts it on, and starts to turn into a fish man. Just then 10 people enter the building and start chasing the blacksmith. The blacksmith runs out of the building. To your right is a hutch. To your left is a wall filled with swords, shields and daggers, in front of you is a key on a table. Stranger: take the key. and a sword. and a shield. can I do that? if not, just the key. You: You have 1 key You: You have 1 sword You: You have 1 shield Stranger: awesome You: To your right is a hutch. To your left is a wall filled with swords, shields and daggers, in front of you is a table. Stranger: go to the hutch You: You try and open the hutch but realize it is locked Stranger: use the key! You: You use the key. You: Opening the hutch you find a crown with the most sparkling jewels you have ever seen. Stranger: take them. You: You have 1 crown You: To your right is a hutch. To your left is a wall filled with swords, shields and daggers, in front of you is a table, and behind you is the door outside. Stranger: go out side. and to the castle! You: You start heading to the castle with sword and shield in hand. Your appearance has turned back to normal. As you approach the castle there is a gate with guards. "Who goes" they ask. Stranger: stab him You: You stab the guard and the other guard pulls his sword out. "You will pay dearly for that" he says. Stranger: use my sheild! You: You block his advance and now have a chance to strike. You: You notice the guard you struck down has something in his pocket Your conversational partner has disconnected. :(
15
[ { "body": "hope i'm not being a dousche but i found it a bit linear - like - being told there is something shiny at the bottom of the lake makes the next few moves obvious, being told there's a lever to his left doesn't give him many options but to pull the lever, and he should have to search the guard instead of being told flat out that there's something in his pocket. although maybe it has to be linear if the stranger isn't really familiar with this sort of thing idk. not bad for a first attempt though.", "score": 3 } ]
What was your first word?
Mine was "caw", because I would listen to the crows perched on a tree limb outside the window of my room.
9
[ { "body": "A friend of mine was one of those kids who didn't talk until she was 3, and her parents were pretty worried about it. They were considering getting her tested for learning disabilities until one day she just said \"I want a cookie.\" She's at Harvard now, but she's also a fat person.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "\"Money\".\n\nApparently I was trying to say \"mommy\", but failed miserably. For the next 20 years my dad referred to my mum as \"money\", much to her dismay.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Eli!\n\nI was a devious little kid. Apparently I knew how to talk and just refused to around adults. One day, the neighbor's cat escaped, and my mom was helping to find him, yelling \"Eli, come here!\" And I started helping by yelling that too! :3", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I'm glad you asked this, I have a theory that people's first words very indicative of their personalities. \n\nMine was \"Daddy\" (not Da-Da) and I'm a total daddy's girl.\nMy cousin's was \"Starbucks\" and he's a total brat.\nMy boyfriend's was \"apple\" and he's the man.\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "'Kukka kaatuu' - which means 'the flower is falling'\n\nAccording to mom I was going for 'kukko kiekuu', which is onomatopoeic for rooster's crow in finnish :)", "score": 3 } ]
I am an Atheist... and I owe it to another atheist who ridiculed me.
As a disclaimer, this was a long time ago. I was a freshman in high school and a dreadfully ignorant kid. I was raised by an extremely Christian family. I was sent to christian camps, church, and a christian school. At one of the camps, in my naivety, I was practically indoctrinated with the 'Young Earth' creationist theory... and I fucking believed it too. I never tell anyone this because I am so embarrassed by it today, offended even. I was pretty much everything /r/atheism despises. So, what happened? In my undeniable stupor, I decided that I had the intelligence and knowledge to defend this position to an Atheist classmate. (This was a christian school... so he was definitely on top of his game in regards to his debating skills). The encounter went along theses lines. **Me**: I believe the earth is 6000 years old and dinosaurs walked the earth with humans. **Atheist**: LOLOLOLOL..."Catches breath"...LOLOLOLOL. I'm not going to take you through the rest of the debate, but, needless to say, the guy viewed me as an idiot. He stomped allover my religion, insulted my intelligence, and crushed me on every debate tactic I could muster. After the debate, I started to read books, lots of books. I educated myself, learned how to be a skeptic. And in time, I rejected religion and God entirely. It is almost revolting to me to think about how ignorant I was. As a result of this 'conversion', I am on a collegiate debate team, I am an ardent Atheist, and I learn at every chance I get. I can honestly say that if it weren't for me being converted to an Atheist, I would be a total idiot by the standards I hold myself to today. My eternal hero is the boy who had the balls to tear me limb from limb, to insult my beliefs, to mock me as a person, to insinuate my stupidity, and, most importantly, give me the motivation to examine and scrutinize my beliefs so my ignorant eyes could finally be opened. I owe my knowledge, my motivation, and most of who I am today to that one asshole atheist who took the time to assert his superiority. Gentlemen, I only changed because this boy mocked me... mercilessly. So, as thanks to his commitment... I debate the theists at every opportunity, and you all should too. Its the only way to change them. The only way to save them.
651
[ { "body": "While he may have been the catalyst, you ought to give yourself a bit more credit - many of the deeply religious people I know are so entrenched that no matter how much someone debates with them or show them the idiocy of their wacky beliefs, they wouldn't be able to take the step to actually see if they are wrong. Do you recall why you were willing to research this at the time, rather than just pass off his opinions as \"satan trying to lead me astray\" (a defense I've heard a time or two)?", "score": 237 }, { "body": "I was never an ardent Christian but I was pretty religious and attended mass on a regular basis. Eventually that sort of waned and I called myself agnostic but I was basically torn on the issue. For a while I dabbled with some New Age bullshit.\n\nAbout five years ago I stumbled across Matt Dillahunty's [\"The Atheist Experience\"](http://www.atheist-experience.com/) show. A few short email exchanges with Matt and the remnants of my belief were completely eviscerated by Matt's direct and probing questions. Using the socratic method he obliterated every single counterpoint I raised.", "score": 60 }, { "body": "And this is why things like the Irish Blasphemy law and calls to respect religious ideas (as opposed to the people who might hold them) are so pernicious. Allowing (nay - legislating) equal rights to ideas no matter how ridiculous is down right evil and makes a mockery of real transgressions against actual living humans' welfare and rights.\n\nSo I applaud your argumentative school foe, and I applaud you for bettering your understanding of the arguments. The fact that you came out of your inquiry as a fighting Atheist is a bonus, but to be honest, if you had just educated yourself and kept a modified and more reality based belief (yeah - I know. *snicker*) that would have been fine too.", "score": 50 }, { "body": "Why do you capitalize \"atheist\"? It's just an adjective, not a proper name. Also, it gives ammunition to those who seek to portray atheism as a religion or other monolithic power-structure, with minions and an agenda...", "score": 16 }, { "body": "Chaseoc,\n\nI don not know you. I will almost certainly never meet you (living, I suspect, approximately half a metric world away).\n\nYou were, according to your claim, \"dreadfully ignorant\", \"everything ... despise[d]\".\n\nYou are now in collegiate debating and you \"learn at every chance [you] get\". And you even put this down to a (shall we say, incredibly harsh) learning experience.\n\nSir, even if you *weren't* an atheist, but still had these attitudes: it would be an utter honour to know you. It would be a kindness to shake your hand and a pleasure to buy you a drink. You are *very* much the kind of person I wish some of my in-laws and co-workers were.\n\nI do not know you personally. I wish I did.", "score": 16 }, { "body": "I tend to attribute my current intelligence that I have won for myself as a *direct* result of Richard Dawkins. I was raised as Methodist with a hint of Roman Catholicism--the former was my early childhood and the latter was during my teenage years. I used to pray, go to church, the typical \"kind of\" religious behavior, but it never seemed to fit with my world-view perspective. When I read Richard Dawkins' book, \"The God Delusion,\" it completely altered my life. Everything I kind of felt in my conscience aligned with Richard's perspective. Once I became an atheist, my skepticism, critical thinking skills, and world-view perspective completely changed after that point.\n\nBecause of atheism, I set myself to a certain standard to information that I integrate into my perception of the universe and eventually led me to want to become a scientist.\n\nI'm a scientist because I'm an atheist.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "This resonates closely with me. There is a explanation about the nature of knowledge. It was described as toothpaste coming out of a toothpaste container. Its very, very, hard to get it back in. Once your eyes have been opened, be it from a gentle squeeze, or the rapid spill of information that comes from a aggressive hit, Once it's out, it's out. ", "score": 13 }, { "body": "This is very similar to what happened to me, except I wasn't ridiculed mercilessly. My doubts started in my Bio class junior year of high school. My teacher patiently waited as I rudely tried to debate him in the middle of one of his lectures. It's probably one of the most embarrassing days of my life as I think back on it. I know that his and many of my classmates' respect for me diminished considerably that day. I think I could feel it then, too, so, like the OP, I started reading. And while the arguments I read sounded convincing, as soon as I presented them to anyone who knew what they were talking about, they were shot down quickly and easily. I found so many more answers in science and atheism than I found in Christianity, a result that I was very much not expecting. I ultimately rejected the church and, years later, wrote an apology to my biology teacher. He never responded, but I could tell that some of his respect for me had returned when we next met. It was a good feeling.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "So did you tell the guy who owned you in the debate how he has changed you for the better? I'm sure he would be happy to know.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I'm glad that you are now on our team, but I just want to point out that this method won't work on everyone. I also don't see why conversion should be a goal. The only things I really care about are coexistence and the separation of church and state. After that, people can believe whatever they want for all I care, whatever makes them happy and isn't infringing on the rights of others. I mean having more atheists in the world is great, but I think this approach is we lead to one of those becoming-your-own-worst-enemy events. I mean, those last two sentences are kinda extreme. ", "score": 10 }, { "body": "You had an atheist at your christian school??! Lucky. One guy at my school was agnostic but never stuck his neck out (at least not until after graduation). I had to wait until university to get adequately ridiculed...", "score": 10 }, { "body": "It's always puzzled me why Atheists in general are so scared to proselytise scepticism and science, as if somehow if we start doing what Theists do that makes us \"bad\". Well guess what, the reason why religion is so entrenched in society is because people like us are rarely pro-active in getting people to \"convert\". From a purely secular moral perspective, one can easily make the case that it's better for people in general to not believe in the Bible/Quran, filled as they are will all sort of bigotry, so I fail to see what the big deal is regarding proselytising for Atheism.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "> After the debate, I started to read books, lots of books.\n\nUnfortunately, this probably doesn't happen with many other people.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "My skepticism started the same way. I debated tried to convert atheists on a message board and needless to say, I was torn to shreds and left for dead. That experience, to use a Christian analogy, planted a seed that sprouted a year after, when I began to question everything about religion. I wish I could find out who it was that steam rolled me so that I could send them a gift basket. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Similar story to mine. Being mocked caused me to try to defend my position, which meant I started checking things, looking for evidence to back up my belief... Obviously that didn't work as I thought it would at the time.\n\nI don't think that mocking works for everyone, in fact for the majority it's probably the wrong tactic. But for someone like me, and it seems quite a few people here, it has worked. Many of us here don't like pussy-footing around issues and being vague and nebulous, we like to have heated arguments but at the same time be able to spin on a dime and say \"I was wrong, thanks for that\".", "score": 5 }, { "body": ">I never tell anyone this because I am so embarrassed by it today, offended even.\n\nYou shouldn't be. Being open and honest shows would be atheists that it is possible to drop their superstitions. \n\n", "score": 5 }, { "body": "yeah, I'd say you're fairly atypical then. Most people will actually become even more adamant about their position the more you argue with them against it. ESPECIALLY in regards to things that are difficult or impossible to prove in a concrete easy to understand way. Even when it is something that you would think is blatantly obvious, stubborn folks will only close their eyes tighter the harder you attempt to show them \"the light\" (so to speak).", "score": 4 }, { "body": "> and I fucking believed it too. I never tell anyone this because I am so embarrassed by it today, offended even. I was pretty much everything /r/atheism despises.\n\nWhat you describe is ignorance (perhaps combined with a dose of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which is something we pretty much all do to some extent)\n\nI don't despise mere ignorance. \n\nWhen exposed to information, you didn't ignore it, you went and did some reading - you were willing to investigate and perhaps correct your ignorance.\n\nIn short, your behaviour sounds like the *opposite* of what I despise. \n\nThanks for posting\n\n(and why do I always write html code for formatting when I comment on reddit? I'm such a moron)", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit here. Most theists would have gone to their pastor after such an argument who would have answered their questions with religious bs. \n\nI think it takes a certain personality type to go from very religious to atheist; one which favors logic and asks questions.\n\n>I debate the theists at every opportunity, and you all should too. Its the only way to change them. The only way to save them.\n\nI do disagree with this though. A little after I first turned atheist, I too was eager to argue with a theist, having my newly earned arguments. I would have many religious debates and I always enjoyed them.\n\n\n\nAfter a little while I learned that it just isn't worth it.\n\n\n\nReligious people tend to get hurt when you attack their beliefs. They often end up becoming defensive causing nothing but resentment towards you. In the end the religious person is no less of a believer and just dislikes you a little more.\n\n\nYou should really read the book *How to Win Friends and Influence People*. \n\n\nIt will make you feel like a huge jackass.\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Well done but I disagree with the 'to save them' part. You'd be guilty of the same thing they are doing then. IF they keep their views to themselves and their beliefs in no way influence their actions in public (political or otherwise) I don't see any need to educate them on the issue if they don't want to learn about atheism.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I know you didn't want to go into the debate, but was there a specific point he made, or was it just the cumulation of all the points?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "One day after several years' carefully-silent disbelief, someone I know called religion a \"mind-virus,\" and asked me if I knew what he meant.\n\nThat wasn't the first time I'd contemplated it, but it was the first time I'd thought \"...So I'm *not* crazy?\"\n\nSince then, I've found many more people with the same (lack of unnecessary) beliefs as I. Maybe we're all crazy, but not on this topic.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "there is a huge difference between being stupid and being ignorant ... you were never stupid, you were taught a heap of untruths in your childhood, and when those untruths were challenged, you did your own research, and changed your views in the light of new evidence, that is not stupidity!\r\n\r\nyou give this one person a lot of credit for mocking you so harshly, but i think you already had the necessary scientific mind to be able to respond to a more respectful challenge to your beliefs, i really don't think the mocking was necessary, and a lot of religious believers will respond in the opposite way to being ridiculed, they will retreat further into their religion to protect themselves against the harsh attacks of infidels\r\n\r\nit is a good thing to challenge ignorant and irrational beliefs, but it can be done with respectful debate, with compassion and understanding for why the person holds those beliefs", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The last step in my transition to atheism was done thanks to [transition to atheism](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0WwZc-Vz7Y) by TheraminTrees. That simple \"Why you believe?\" did it. \n\n[Open-mindedness](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI) by QualiaSoup is the clip that got me interested in reasearching the atheist point of view. \n\nMy point is that ridicule might work for some, for me it wasn't all that effective. I've always liked listening to Carl Sagan, Neil Tyson and Richard Feynman rather than listeing to Richard Dawkins.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Thanks for posting this.\n\nThe same thing happened to me! I found irreducible complexity and figured I had him. Nope ...", "score": 3 }, { "body": "This post has helped restore faith in my method of dealing with certain people. Most people call me more or less a jerk for challenging people on issues I feel strongly about, to which try to explain that sometimes, people need a swift kick up the ass. I personally love being confronted on issues I hold, and have managed to grow and learn a lot from debating with people.\r\n\r\nSo thanks for sharing. My eyes hurt from looking at this screen too long.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "It is not so much that believing in God is wacky. The wacky part is that everyone thinks that their religion is the one that has it right.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I went to a coworker's party in 2000 (DC area) and had a conversation with his father where I tried to be polite about his version of christianity when he started making fun of Mormans and Catholics...and I described all religion as an 'interesting intellectually curiosity in this modern era'. He responded, \"Ha, you're at the wrong house\" and proceeded to block my access to the alcohol for the rest of the night (even when they were for other people). Hate is a big indicator to me of when some religion is 'doing it wrong'.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "You weren't \"converted\" to atheism, because it's not a belief system. I try not to use any language that portrays non belief as a 1:1 replacement for religion. Just as the theory of evolution isn't \"Darwinism\" since we don't worship Darwin, atheism isn't something one is converted to.", "score": 3 } ]
Hello, Reddit. I need some (probably psychological) help.
Ever since 6th grade, I used to steal a few dollars here and there from my parents to buy candy and junk at school. You know, I saw all of the kids having candy and I, being the loner I was, wanted to have that candy too and so I could be like "hey man I got this stuff too want some just be my friend" kind of hoo-ah. Fast-forward 6 years, I now steal more and more just to support my eating habit. Not only that, I steal to shop, steal to buy stuff for school, steal to do just about anything. It is very hard for me to ask money from my parents. I don't know why. The stealing got me into junk foods, the junk foods got me into overeating, and the overeating got me to where I am (balding 250 lb pale person). I am really ashamed of what I have become and am scared that this has gone waaaay too far. I don't know how to change, though. Do I need to go to a psychiatrist to get some help? Or can someone talk to me and explain to me what is going on and guide me a little bit? Also, I'm sure that everyone who reads this will downvote it into oblivion, and I won't even argue that this is the very least I deserve. But all I ask, is just some help. Why am I still stealing? What can I do to stop this? Does this stem from my overeating habits? Why can't I stop?
84
[ { "body": "first, I want you to know that asking this question was BRAVE. it's embarassing to admit that you have problems, do things you're not proud of. just taking this step required courage, and you have that. you should seriously take a moment to recognize that.\n\nnow, do you need help. yes. you have a couple of issues going on, clearly. as stated elsewhere, the root of what's wrong is how you see yourself, and that's the hardest thing to change. stopping stealing and stopping abusing your body (with crap food) isn't easy, but much easier when you figure out why you're doing thigns that are bad for you and realize and believe that you want to treat your life better. this can be done. not only can it be done, YOU are able to do it. it won't be easy and it won't happen tomorrow, but it can happen. \n\nI'm twenty years older than you and I've been a compulsive junk food eater since my teens. I'm only now starting to address this and it is fucking hard, but slowly I'm getting on top of it. YOU CAN TOO.\n\npeople will tell you just to stop. or to exercise. all this is right, but it's not the full plan. the challenge is changing how you feel and most likely you'll need to get help. frankly, I wouldn't even think twice: find someone to help you. if you can get a shrink/therapist -- great. sometimes that's hard or expensive. but you need to stop thinking you can do this alone. and you need to stop hiding the problem. you need to tell people you trust about it and ask for help from them. if your parents seem like they can deal with this, tell them -- be open and honest and tell them you want help and want to change (if that's true).\n\nthe reason you give up the next day is because it's so hard and so much easier (and, in a sick way, more satisfying) not to change.\n\nI don't think you even need to tell them about the stealing (they probably already know, anyhow). if you think this is true, tell them you're unhappy with how you're acting and how you're living your life and you want to be happy, that you know it will take work and time, and that you need someone to help you, a professional would be best. if they have the resources, they can help you find that person and perhaps pay for counseling. \n\nhere's what helped me. one day I was so unhappy I wondered if I wanted to live. certainly, I didn't want to live like I was living. I said this to myself: I don't want to be in six months in the same place I am now. I decided that if I could improve just a little, tiny bit every day (or even every other day), then six months from now those little bits would add up to something real. don't expect to change from day to day or week to week, think month to month. \n\nand you will fuck up. and you will fail. the question is, will you find the courage to try again even if you do fail? you've already shown you have courage, you just need to believe that you can get back up if you fall down.\n\nyou're young and you've got a long, long future ahead of you. you can do anything. you can change your ways so that one day you'll look back and be amazed at your progress! it IS possible.\n\nI strongly encourage you to find a way to get someone who can help you, even if it's a shrink-in-training at a clinic for free. and remember, this is going to take months but slowly you'll start to understand yourself and why you're doing thing that you know actually hurt you.\n\nthe stealing, the eating -- it's all a reaction to something inside you that's not yet clear. but it can be figured out with help by you. a shrink won't fix you, but a good one will help you figure out how to fix yourself (and will support you and encourage you). \n\nas for medication, some people really do benefit from it and you might. but there is no magic bullet. do NOT think a pill will fix you, it won't. there may be meds that make you feel 10% better and that might be a great help, help enough to let you concentrate on the 90%. \n\nbe brave. be honest. ask for help. if it doesn't come to you, go find it. you can do this.", "score": 84 }, { "body": "People have already given you a lot of good advice here, but I thought I'd add a few things. \r\n\r\nKleptomania and binge-eating are both [impulse control disorders](http://www.impulsecontroldisorders.org/). It's *possible* that you steal and eat because you feel bad about yourself, but it's just as likely that you now feel bad about yourself because you feel like you cannot control your stealing and eating. Although it might seem weird to say it, both the stealing and the binge eating are coping mechanisms - they are compulsions that you feel compelled to do in order to make some thought or feeling go away. Everyone has their own coping mechanisms, and some of them are more 'adaptive' than others. The fact that these particular behaviors are the ones that you have is likely due to a combination of your genetics, brain chemistry, and personal history (e.g., lots and lots of people try stealing at least once in their lives, but they don't like the feeling, so they don't keep doing it; but the feeling it gave you made you feel better, at least temporarily, so naturally you kept doing it).\r\n\r\nAs other people have noted, impulse control disorders appear to be related to lowered levels of serotonin, which we think is also the case in disorders like OCD, so medications that are helpful for OCD (such as the SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can be helpful. For medication, you would want to see a psychiatrist.\r\n\r\nImpulse control disorders can also be treated in therapy (and therapy plus meds is often better than either alone). It may sound scary or shameful to go talk to some stranger about stealing and overeating, but it's likely that you'll find the therapy process itself to be a little awkward but a lot more relieving. Maybe if I describe what therapy might be like it might help. (I've worked with a number of individuals --mostly teenagers, since my training is mostly with kids -- with kleptomania.)\r\n\r\nAfter getting a thorough history and setting goals to work on together with you, the therapist will probably have you keep a records of your stealing behavior - such as when you steal, how often you stole each day/week, what you stole, what you were thinking/feeling before and after you stole, etc. You might keep these records for a few weeks before even doing anything that seems like \"treatment\", so that you and the therapist can get a good idea of what your baseline level of stealing is and what patterns surround the stealing (e.g., are you bored? upset? nervous? etc). This is called doing a [behavior analysis](http://changingminds.org/disciplines/hr/performance_management/abc_analysis.htm).\r\n\r\nOnce you know the *antecedents* of the stealing behavior, you work with the therapist to figure out a *competing behavior* to do instead of stealing. For example, with teenagers, I have brainstormed with them lists of about 10-15 *other* behaviors they could do when they are in situations where they would normally steal (these are called competing behaviors because they *compete* with the original behavior of stealing). Then, they agree to try three things from their list, and if they are still feeling the same way, they can go ahead and steal, since that is a reliable behavior that works to reduce whatever unpleasant feeling caused the stealing in the first place. \r\n\r\nIf the competing behavior prevented the stealing, then they try that again next time. If none of the behaviors they tried worked, then we go back to the drawing board until we find competing behaviors that work reliably. All this time, you're recording data about stealing, too, to see if the behavior is going down. I try to make this whole process as fun as possible - you can be really creative in the stuff you try as your competing behaviors, for example. It doesn't have to - and shouldn't - be some big deal just because the behavior is \"supposed\" to be \"shameful.\" It should just feel like trying to change a habit that you don't want to do any more.\r\n\r\nOnce you have some reliable competing behaviors that work, your therapist might have you *deliberately* put yourself in situations that used to always trigger stealing, and have you practice doing your alternate behavior instead (this is a variation of [exposure and response prevention](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_and_response_prevention) - you are being *exposed* to the situation while your *usual response* is prevented). Eventually, you will have trained yourself to do the new behavior in those situations, while the association between those situations and the old behavior (stealing) gets weaker and weaker. \r\n\r\nThe same sort of techniques can be used for other impulse control problems, like overeating. You might tackle both problems together, or one at a time, depending on your needs. After you go through a (usually weekly) course therapy, you might go back every now and then for \"booster sessions\", because sometimes when you're stressed the behaviors might pop back up again briefly. But you'll already know the whole process, and at that point the therapist will just be like a coach who supports you in incorporating those techniques into your life again.\r\n\r\nSo, go talk to a psychologist and a psychiatrist (usually, people go to a psychologist first, and can then get a referral to a psychiatrist from their psychologist). **DO NOT be ashamed of yourself or feel like you 'deserve' shame. You have something that you want to change about yourself, and you're looking for support to make this change.**", "score": 30 }, { "body": "X. Redditors shall provide unqualified advice to those who ask for it, as long as the situation is intriguing enough to hold their attention.", "score": 27 }, { "body": "Yeah. Go see both a therapist & a physical trainer. Sometimes you have to work both the body & the mind.\n\nI'm not a therapist, but I expect you steal AND overeat for the same reason. Because you feel shitty about yourself. Both give you an immediate rush & satisfaction.\n\nIn addition to the therapist & physical trainer, try to **think of something you can do that would make you proud of yourself and do it.**", "score": 7 }, { "body": "A psychiatrist can diagnose any clinical conditions you may have (which can be helpful) and offer medications and medical opinions on them (also can very helpful for some).\n\nA psychologist or therapist can help get to the root of why you are doing these things and tools to fill those needs and address the issues around low self esteem (also very helpful).\n\nA support group targeted to people with an eating disorder like yours can help minimize social isolation, give you a support net work around dealing with the over eating, help you brain storm other coping skills and get you in touch with other people in the same position you are in (also uber helpful). \n\nAll are worth considering. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Asking for help is definitely key. Like with any addiction though, you **really** have to want to change, and **really** be willing to accept help. I mean *really*.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I sincerely hope these answers help you. I don't have much to add, just this general piece of advise I've come to respect.\n\n*Always remember, it is **not stupid** to ask, but it is **stupid not** to ask\"\n\nJust my two cents...", "score": 3 } ]
[6] Why are people so angry all the time?
[I was reading this comment in /r/MensRights.](http://www.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/anolx/where_is_the_compassion_for_men_who_get_saddled/c0iians?context=1) In the first four lines he makes some valid points without being very aggressive. He makes his point, but for some reason he feels the need to go on. Then he says this: >I like how you're absolutely dedicated to being as irrational and hate-filled as you possibly can be. This sentence is just so aggressive. He sounds so bitter and angry at this person that he has never met in his life. I read that sentence with such an angry tone and it fills me with negative feelings. Why does he feel the need to include that last sentence? All it does is induce negative feelings in himself, the other commenter, and anybody who reads the comment. tl;dr: Why can't we all just be nicer and happier? Why do many people insist on getting angry all the time?
4
[ { "body": "People get habituated to their emotional states, its a chemical rush that has a neural pathway that gets strengthened over time, by both behavior and habit. As a result, people often reap what they sow; a happy person gets happier the longer they go on being happy, and the same is true for an angry/sad/scared person. Think of your mind as a garden, and the emotions/thoughts as seeds. What you water the most will grow.", "score": 10 }, { "body": ">All it does is induce negative feelings in himself, the other commenter, and anybody who reads the comment.\n\nTruth. But the reason that people basically disregard all of that and get angry and let themselves act that way is selfishness, plain and simple. It's because most people make everything in life all about themselves. And if it's all about you, than it's pretty easy to get hurt and get angry when things don't go your way.", "score": 5 } ]
Wife left me and my daughter to "take a break for the summer."
My wife (not officially married but together for 6 years with a 4 year old daughter) left me to "take a break until summer is over then get back together." She said she has never had a chance to be single and live by herself her entire life and wants to try it out and get back together after summer is over. The relationship has been off and on a few times but this time I thought we were doing great for the time we were together. I lost my job in Nobember and did not get a new one until January 4th. (our daughters birthday) During that time her grandmother moved in next to her mother and she would go over there every day when she woke up and would not come home until the afternoon. I accepted it for a few weeks but when it continued to happen every day I got upset and we had an argument about her not spending time in our apartment as a family and spending too much time away from home. She would take our daughter with her sometimes but it didn't feel like we had a family anymore. Now lets introduce her cousin. Her cousin is around the same age as she is and is not a great role model to hang around. She has been a stripper a few times and is constantly dating multiple guys at the same time and has even been flown to a different state to sleep with a married guy while his wife was out on business trips. She goes to bars at least 4 times a week and meet guys at the bar and take them back home and well you know. Well when the grandmother moved up here the cousin would be over there alot also and I guess my wife got jealous of her being able to do what she wanted when she wanted while she had a family and had to stay faithful to me. One of the times we broke up she hung out with this cousin and did the smae thing - meeting guys and sleeping wih them and even one of the guys roommates the same night. She slept with 7 guys in the period of 2 months. When she came crying to me wanting to get back together I made her promise she is in it forever and is ready to be a wife and a mother. She made that promise and we were happy and had a great relationship until she starting seeing her cousin again at her grandmother's new house. She keeps promising me she is not going to sleep with other guys all summer long and is just seeing guys to be friends. We talk daily and text daily and she keeps telling me how much she loves me and keeps telling me to wait until summer is over and we will be a family again. She moved out on December 30th 2009 and moved in with her parents. They live 1 mile from me and I take our daughter over there every night because I have to get up at 4 am for my new job and our daughter stays there until I get off work. So I have our daughter from the time I get off work until 9 PM and all of the time and overnight on weekends. Her parents take care of our daughter while she is over there and my now exwife does whatever she wants to do. She is constantly going out with a guy "friend" and tells me they haven't done anything but kiss twice because he made the move but she loves me and would not sleep with him or anyone else. When she is out at the bars she never returns my texts or calls and I have a feeling she is taking guys over to her cousins and sleeping with them but she keeps swearing she is not. I love her with all of my heart and think she is just going through a "phase" and will come back to me and we will have a family again. But when I ask her she keeps promising she is not sleeping with anyone and cries to me to wait for her. Her mother has enrolled her in section 8 to get her an apartment and she is trying to get on disability for socialphobia. She is afraid of going to public places alone and cannot get a job. So she thinks she is going to get section 8 and pay bills with her disability check and be able to live alone until summer is over. I cannot let her go and cry every night and day when I go to sleep in an empty home and feel sorry for my daughter. Do you think she is telling me the truth? Any suggestions? I have tried dating while we were broke up before but when I am with other women I can only think of her and it drives me insane so I can't date other people. And just tonight she told me she is going to her mothers to go to sleep and will not answer me and I see on her cousin's facebook that her cousin is having a party at her house...
9
[ { "body": "She broke up with you before to go on a banging spree, comes back crying \"I'll never do it again\" and you believed it... Now she's doing it again and you're confused by all of this? Read your own story man... \n\n> I made her promise she is in it forever and is ready to be a wife and a mother.\n\nShe doesn't give a shit about that promise and again you're letting her walk all over you. So the obvious answer is to regrow your own testicles, take your daughter and tell her to fuck off. At least then your word means something. Don't make people promise shit if you're too much of a pussy to hold them accountable!\n\nOh right! She just might come back. Sure, it's a possibility when she needs something or lonely. But it won't be because she loves you. And if she does come back she's just going to repeat this same shit. Every time whore-cousin comes back into town and drags her skank ass to a club and some guy hits on her she'll just think \"hmmm... maybe i'll go on another 'break' so i can fuck him too\".\n\nTake control of your life again and stop letting her get away with this. Hell doing this has a better chance of getting her back than you're current route... and even then I wouldn't touch her again. If she fucked 7 guys in 2 months last time, I gotta think she'll out-do herself this time because the end of summer is a longggg time away.", "score": 21 }, { "body": "sorry to hear you have a kid with her, she is walking all over you and you need to tell her to grow up and be a mother or leave. ", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Well I went over there and talked to her, she swore she didn't fuck him then cried and said she did but then said she wanted to fuck me today and she was never going to see him again. I said she abandoned her family and I was finished bowing down to her and changing every part of me to make her happy and while she is out fucking everyone she can I will be taking care of our daughter. Then she told me I messed everything up by coming over to her parents house looking for her and they will not let her come over here anymore, wow how stupid I was. I told he she messed it all up by leaving and breaking a promise to me and her daughter and I wouldn't sleep with her anyway after all of the lies and betrayals. So its all over and I am alone.", "score": 8 }, { "body": ">think she is just going through a \"phase\" and will come back to me\n\nIsn't this her second one? It's not just a phase if she keeps repeating it. Sounds like she plans on doing this over and over again. You're getting used, and I think you need to get out. Your daughter deserves a faithful mother who isn't going to teach her to be a whore, and you deserve a faithful wife who isn't going to act like an 18 year old. Best of luck.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Because you two have a child, I believe this woman is a monster and an unfit parent. Not sure what you should do with that, but it needs to be said.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "\"She said she has never had a chance to be single and live by herself her entire life and wants to try it out and get back together after summer is over.\" OUCH!!!!\n\nBeen there...she's banging every guy with a pulse. What's that saying...if thing's are meant to be, we'll end up together; if i come back to you then things didn't work out the way i wanted.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Consider this:\n\nYour daughter's most readily available female role models are your mother and her cousin.\n\nDo you want her to spend a lot of time around that?", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Hey redditors, it me again. I went to her parents house to get it over with and her mom told me she left with the \"friend\" last night and has not come home yet. She texted me and said she will be home in a little bit. Then called me and said she spent the night at his house but did not do anything. How does she think I would believe that? What is wrong with the woman I fell in love with?", "score": 4 }, { "body": "She's using you. You're her backup. She's really messed you up, plus there's a kid. You need to get the hell out of there. Seriously. You won't be able to sleep until you can make your own life. Do not leave your child with these people, they're enabling their own daughter and they'll mess your kid up too. I can't believe I'm saying this, but see a lawyer about custody of your child. You don't have to take action on this (please don't) but start gathering evidence in case you need it. A lawyer will be able to tell you what evidence you'll need to take to a court. And it sounds like it could get messy enough for that. \n\nIt's not her cousin's fault or her grandmothers. Stop blaming them. You sound young, but if your girlfriend is old enough to be in a long term relationship and have a baby, she's old enough to live with her decisions. Be safe - wear a condom (unless you want 2 kids with her). Do not talk trash about the mother. Ever. Your daughter will love you for it. Maybe your 'wife' needs more constructive relationships - going to school, working or volunteering instead of staying in the apartment all day. I've never heard of socialphobia before, but I know that once you've got a place you go to regularly, you start making friends there. It's hard, but do-able. And while I'm sure it's a legitimate social disorder, if she's able to go to bars & parties, I bet with the support (not coddling) of her family she could handle a part time job.\n\nIn all honesty it sounds like she needs to grow up, and you can't do that for her. Don't wait, take your kid and get out of there. She's made her choice and it's not you. Sorry dude, good luck. ", "score": 3 } ]
Reddit, I am looking for a certain interactive web thing that I saw here a few months back...help please.
This was a realtime, in browser 3d applet of sorts. It featured a small hill with a tree. the user could pan around the tree a full 360 degrees. One could also enter different seasons through portal-like windows. any idea where I could find this? google gave me nothing. thanks in advance.
6
[ { "body": "The google image search to use was -- seasons interactive portals. It was the second result. Google is my bitch.", "score": 3 } ]
IAmA massage parlour 'attendant' AMA
I'm paying my way through University one HJ at a time. I never talk about it, but I'd like to. Sorry but I'm super busy with school. I may answer some questions later. Cheers! N.B.: If you happen to know me, please respect my anonymity and that of my employer!
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[ { "body": "Do you have a time limit on how long you will do the rub and tug? If the guy is taking forever and you can tell he isn't going to finish, do you have a polite way of stopping? ", "score": 40 }, { "body": "OK, OK, this is a weird question but I think a very interesting one:\n\n\nHave you learned to recognize the signs of any penile medical problems? If yes; have you ever referred a client to a doctor?", "score": 37 }, { "body": "Sorry if I am slow on the take here...\r\n\r\nYou work in a massage parlor and jerk guys off?\r\nAnd those guys become regular customers?\r\nDo you do more with soem guys?\r\nIs there like a mutual understanding or secret handshake?\r\nOr is it...\"want me to blow you for $50?\" or something'?\r\nThats the business model?\r\nI am not knocking it, just trying to understand.", "score": 22 }, { "body": "What is the procedure to request a \"happy ending\"? I have been to one place where she just did it. I went to the place because my back was hurting. The hand job was a complete surprise. I went to another place where the lady told me a tip would \"really appreciated\" then she gave a massage and that was it. ", "score": 20 }, { "body": "* What was your first shift like? What were your thoughts? Did anyone have to help guide you or \"hold your hand\" during your first couple clients or did it all come naturally?\n\n* Do any clients actually come in for a \"legitimate\" massage?\n* Describe your clientele - businessmen? odd/creepy guys?\n* What tricks have you learned over the course of your career?", "score": 13 }, { "body": "* Have you ever had any female clients come in?\n\n* Are any of the other girls there against their will?\n\n* Have you ever given a HJ to anyone famous?", "score": 9 }, { "body": "What on earth do you say when you're doing it? Small talk? The weather? \n\nI always feel terribly awkward when I'm getting a massage, and I don't even get the kind with the happy endings. Like, should I make noise? Or, why do they always ask me questions about my workplace, family, etc? That just seems so awkward and forced to me. I can't imagine what I'd find to talk about if I knew my masseuse was going to get me off afterwards.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "how do you know your client wants a handjob? does every client expect a handjob? what percentage would you estimate of sessions that end in a handjob? is this practice illegal in your country, state/province, county, or city? do you ever worry about an undercover cop coming in and raiding the place? any complaints? do you have regular clients that ask for you? are you asian?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Have you ever considered stripping, etc. as an alternative? I imagine probably around the same pay, and if you're already getting naked might as well do it without having to jerk some guy off. Just curious because I've always said that if ever I decide to go back to school, I'd probably strip my way through university.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "You mentioned that a large portion of the clients are \"married men desiring some attention.\"\n\n As a straight woman who stands a fair chance(?) of being married in the future, how do you feel about that?\n\nDo you think these men patronize the massage parlor because they don't see it as really cheating? Obviously they are lacking something in their relationship....\n\nOr are they? Is this a 'normal' behaviour for a significant number of married men?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "OK, kind of a weird question. I really enjoy cuddling in a non-sexual/semi-sexual way with girls, but in between girlfriends, it can be hard to obtain said cuddles.\n\nWhat would you do if a guy walked in and just wanted to cuddle with you for half an hour? ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "No one asked, but once a Muslim man came into my work and asked if I would agree to a temporary marriage that would last only the duration of the session. Has any decent Muslim heard about this type of \"loophole\"? It sounds like bunk to me...but of course I obliged him. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Some questions for the heck of it:\n\n* oldest & youngest customer (estimating of course) you have seen?\n* weirdest client or moment on the job?\n* largest & smallest tug meat you have encountered on the job?\n* do you ever get aroused by any clients?\n* have you ever felt unsafe or in danger while work?\n* have women ever come in for a \"rub\" (counter clock-wise swirl!)?", "score": 3 } ]
Last night I ate at a very nice, but inexpensive restaurant. Do you have a suggestion for a restaurant that is inexpensive, and has become a "Best Kept Secret" for dining with friends?
Last night I ate at a very nice, but inexpensive restaurant. Do you have a suggestion for a restaurant that is inexpensive, and has become a "Best Kept Secret" for dining with friends? Edit: The place is called Brickhouse Bakery. It's in Glen Ellyn near the corner of Park, and Roosevelt RD. Sort of an ex-pizza parlor that now has an actual chef, and real food. Sounds boring ,but I'd try the Spaghetti and meatballs, as every aspect of the dish has been carefully produced, and the sauce is the best I've tasted. I live in the next town, but work in the city, so I will be trying all your suggestions. Thanks! Edit2: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the desserts are maybe the main attraction. Very Very special!
12
[ { "body": "Crisp in Lakeview is crazy good. I found out about it a week before I moved out of the neighborhood. Its pretty much the only reason I roll back there now.\n\n", "score": 4 } ]
What are your current religious beliefs now that you have left the church?
After I left the church I became an atheist. I came to the realization that Joseph Smith was a lying, horny, con man and that the LDS church was created to satisfy Smith's ego, libido, and to fill his wallet. I remain unconvinced of any other religion's claims to truth and have not heard a convincing argument in favor of god's existance. I have encountered a few exmormons who are now members of some other christian church, but by far most exmormons I have met have been atheists. After you left the church did you join another church and do you still believe in god?
13
[ { "body": "Atheist. It was discoveries about the world that led me to rejecting Mormonism, and not what I now realize as the obviousness about how fake Mormonism is. What I mean is, I had never learned about evolution though I never denied it, it just wasn't apart of anything for me. Now in Mormonism the members who are smart enough to not reject something with such overwhelming evidence try and incorporate it into their belief system \"Of course god's creation would be based in science!\" yet they still aren't really thinking about what that suggests. We are apes, and so they then believe there is a continuum of god-apes that have powers beyond what we can see, it is beyond ridiculous and arrogant. I'm more of a \"militant atheist\" or \"new atheist\" or whatever... just because I'm more concerned with people being able to reason and think logically above all else. Not live in denial with half-truths and constant justifications.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I can't imagine going from one farce right into another one... that just doesn't make any sense to me. When researching the problems with Mormonism I also went ahead and looked into Christianities problems too. Basically, both are ridiculous. Buddhism has some decent beliefs and features but it does have the nutty side as well... that said its probably a lot easier to be both an atheist and recreational Buddhist than an atheist and a Christian, Muslim, etc.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Personally, I went atheist before leaving mormonism. Once I realized there was no God, It didn't take long to shake off mormonism, but I had to investigate further... I guess I was hoping I would find something in mormon history that would stand up to skepticism and prove to me I was wrong about God. But I never found it, and walked away from the church.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I'm also an atheist. I wasn't born into the church, I converted, picking up the zeal of a recent convert on my way. I felt good about the whole thing, but I picked up a laissez-faire, \"let others do what they want to do as long as they don't interfere with us\" vibe from the church that I now realize was wholly undeserved. That little fairy tale came crashing down on my during the Proposition 8 debacle last election season, and it never recovered. A couple friends who were eager to get me out of the church sent me some documentaries by Richard Dawkins and such and I immediately saw the logic in all of them and decided not to live my life in chains anymore.\n\nI was a slave, why would I trade one master for another?", "score": 3 } ]
How do you started? plus other stuff...
Hi, I've been toying with the idea of writing, just as a hobby for now, I've always been fascinated by storytelling and after finishing "The Stand" I was blown away with the fact that a novel moved and excited me more than any comic or manga I've read so far, also around 2 years ago I posted a very short description of a dream I had in 4chan's /r9k/ and many people seemed to like it very much, (I believe is kind of cheesy but if anyone wants to read it I will post it here), so I think I'm not that bad. My main question would be: what kind of writing work should I start doing to become a decent writer?. should I try to make essays, short stories, poetry * ugh.. * or should I do like the guys at nanowrimo suggest (try to finish a novel in 30 days no matter how bad it's, just for the sake of finishing something)?. by the way I recently picked up "The Romantic manifesto" by Ayn Rand , hoping that it helps me a little bit with my own stuff, also this is a fat chance but I remember reading a short sci-fi story in a magazine for runners some months ago, it was about a retired old athlete how is given the opportunity to become a "star" again if he decides to start a experimental treatment that will rejuvenate his muscles and tendons for a short time but with the trade off of becoming even more senile when the effect of the treatment passes... it was very good story, very gattacca-like but I never was able to find the magazine again (I only read it once in my gym, but it seems someone else decided to keep it for his/her self). PD: Sorry for my english, I'm a native spanish speaker and Thanks in advance....
3
[ { "body": "The biggest part of starting out would be doing anything consistently. Sit down and write everyday; it doesn't matter as much what you write early on, as long as you're doing the work on a daily basis. It can be a novel or short stories or essays, and early on, it will in all likelihood be pretty terrible. That's not your fault. Almost everyone's work is subpar in the beginning. But it's a start. Focus on the writing. Writing gets better with time. The more you write, the more you'll start to see how a story of any length is constructed, and you'll be able to make better decisions as you write. So, basically, sit down and write every single day without fail. Start with 500 words or so (or whatever makes you comfortable) and gradually increase it until you hit a comfortable daily level. That's about all the advice I have. Oh yeah, read a lot as well. Anything and everything you can get your hands on.", "score": 3 } ]
Dear Reddit: I'd like to make the world a better place and I have about $100,000 to spend on my future. What should I do?
Here's the deal: a few years ago one of my parents passed away and left me and my siblings about $100,000, each. I've been doing my own thing for a few years, just kinda sitting on the money, and now, I'm in my mid-twenties free to do pretty much whatever I want. In theory, I could go back to school (I have a Bachelor's degree from a decent state school), start a business, start a foundation, or anything, really. Here's the caveat, though: I'm not trying to get rich. So, no business school for me. I just want to spend my life working to make society a better place. Any suggestions? (Other than giving YOU the money.)
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[ { "body": "Invest the money so that you don't have to work for a salary and donate time to charities or use your time running one.\n\nOr buy properties, renovate and upsell them to generate money while doing the charity thing.\n\nThere's no need to get rich, but to have that investment generating money for you gives you something more valuable - time!", "score": 9 } ]
Dear Reddit, do you get Movie High too?
Recently it's been Up in the Air and 500 Days of Summer, but every once in a blue moon, after a movie that strikes a chord with me, while the credits roll I am left in the seat mentally squirming about in a state of heightened emotional static. I say static because it's always hard to pinpoint exactly which emotions I'm experience, but it's rather more an elevated sense of awareness in all aspects of my life, the relations loosely tied and firmly anchored to it, as well as the whole world that encompasses it. So I call it a Movie High. The closest thing I can come up with is the feeling you get right after midnight on New Years Eve. You know, a fresh start from a fresh ending. Also, during a Movie High, I often make resolutions. Oh, and it goes away after a good nights sleep. Am I the only one this happens to? EDIT: Several Grammatical Errors.
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[ { "body": "I saw Avatar by myself after having already seen it twice with other people. For a few days afterward I was overcome by how boring and lifeless the world is because of technology and our destruction of our planet and how I can't even see stars at night because of the smog. Then I went to Breckenridge for 4 days and now Im high on life :)", "score": 6 } ]
AskFrugal: I need some new pots/pans. I have crappy teflon coated bullshit, and I want some real pans. Asking r/frugal since I know you guys will find the nexus of quality/price.
Amazon links would be greatly appreciated as well :) edit: thanks for the feedback so far, guys. All great.
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[ { "body": "[Cast Iron Skillet](http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1263102097&sr=8-1&condition=used)\nRead up on how to season cast iron and you will not need to get another pan in your life, or your children's lives. This is also the second cheapest skillet on amazon, the only more expensive one is [crap](http://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Nonstick-Inch-Fry-Savezone/dp/B002PEPVTO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1263102284&sr=1-3) covered in teflon. This skillet is also likely the best skillet you will ever own. \nSeasoned cast iron is:\n* non-stick\n* metal utensil safe\n* nutritious (it adds iron to anything cooked in it. Great for anemia)\n* tasty (technically it is not tasty itself, but rather it adds it's flavor to the food)\n* Even heat (it does not respond as fast as other metals such as copper, so it will take 30 seconds to a minute to heat up, but it doesn't get hot-spots like aluminum)\n* durable\n* a great defensive weapon (or offensive in a pinch)\n* oven safe (great for dishes which say, fry then bake)\n\n*edit for link syntax", "score": 29 }, { "body": "Cast iron or uncoated stainless steel.\n\nWith luck, you can find them in your local second-hand stores for a few bucks each. They'll last you if you treat them right, and utilizing cooking techniques such as deglazing, your meals will be better as well.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "[$119 from amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-Classic-Stainless-Steel-10-Piece-Cookware/dp/B00008CM68) if you've got a tjmaxx close by they've got it for $99. \n\nNO sticking. No worries about teflon, etc. \n\nMake oatmeal, pasta, grits, soups, etc, and nothing sticks. \n\nEggs might stick a little (if you are new at cooking on stainless cookware), but i bought a separate 8\" teflon-coated omelette pan just for sunny side up eggs. \n\nOnce you learn \"hot pan/cold oil) you'll be golden, and can cook anything on these.\n\nThese are the best buy in pots/pans. \n\nThe handles do not get hot (unless you go from stovetop to oven) then you'll need mitts.\n\nI've had these for about 4 months? And am extremely satisfied with them. I guess you can spend more coin on better brand name pots/pans but why?\n\nYes, you might not use all these pans, and i thought of just buying separate pans for what i needed, but the stores price the separate pieces in such a way, that you spend way more than this set costs.\n\nAlso, take into account that yes, you can scavenge for pans here, and there, but how MUCH time are you WASTING doing this? \n\nGranted, to some people it might be fun to search for a deal, but if you've got a regular job i'm sure you have better things to do than to go to thrift stores/estate sales/garage sales.\n\nI am a cheapskate, but when it comes to pots/pans/silverware/dishes/etc. I would rather buy new, and pay a little more. Enjoy the convenience of Amazon, or pick it up at the local TJmaxx,.\n\nI believe Macy's also has this set for $99.\n\nDon't buy into the \"anodized stuff, or the super duty teflon\" the stuff will come off, will get into your food, and eventually into your system.\nThis cookware is stainless, craftsmanship is excellent. Really it is a no brainer. Just look at the reviews on the Amazon page i linked at the top.\n", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I have a cabinet full of nonstick pans. I never paid anything for them, I was given different cookware each time I moved, then again for wedding presents (I guess you could say I paid for them with the cost of the wedding). I too hate the teflon/nonstick coating. You have to always be so super careful with them. If you get them too hot, the nonstick can peel. I had one pan I accidentally left boiling water on the stove for too long (got distracted). When I came back, the teflon had all boiled off the bottom of the pan and it was just the aluminum.\n\nAnyways, your two choices are cast iron and stainless steel. Cast iron takes a lot longer to heat up, but then remains constant once it is. Stainless steel cooks very similar to the non-stick. Both can take lots of abuse and lasts pretty much forever. My goal is to slowly replace my pans with stainless steel.\n\nGenerally speaking, cast iron is good for your skillet setups and stainless steel is good for your pasta/sauces/soups. There are different seasoning and cleaning techniques to both (on stainless, you let your food sit until it goes solid, then it separates easily). \n\nThe main trick with either pan is to heat the pan before putting the food on. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "- I got all my stainless steel cookware \"Made in Belgium\" at Goodwill.\n\n- Cast iron skillet at Value Village = $12.00\n\n- Bought the \"display\" toaster oven at Fred Meyer for $25.00. Original price = $85.00\n\n- Got some Martha Stewart non-stick cookware at Grocery Outlet brand new for $2 a piece.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "You can get by with just three pans in your kitchen though four would be better. Buy them separately or you will be buying \"pans\" you don't need. 1. A tall stainless eight quart or so stock pot, usually handles on boths sides, for large volume items or cooking spaghetti, steaming clams et cetera. 2) a stainless steel sauce pot, hold about two to four quarts, one handle (foot on bottom, which is about a 1/4 of extra metal clad to to the bottom for even heating.) A stainless steel sautee pan (frying pan) 12\" or 10, also with a foot. And a cast iron skillet, either pre-seasoned or season it yourself. Get lids for all if possible, thought for the cast iron skillet it is not necessary. NO wooden or plastic handle. Ever. Such handles melt in ovens and over open fires.\n\nI haunt garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, and wholesale restaurant supply houses. Don't buy enamel, it chips then rusts very quickly. Aluminium is acceptable if it is exactly what you want and nearly free. But it can warp and is not good for acidic foods. \n\nNext a dutch oven with lid. I do have one expensive annozided surface pan, for fish and omlettes. Don't use it too often. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I love my two carbon steel woks I found at goodwill. You can do almost anything with them. Get a cover and a rack, too - that increases their usability greatly for steaming / frying, etc.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Marshall's, TJMaxx, Tuesday Morning stores...they get some really high quality cookware for a a decent price. I recommend getting a big Le Creuset or Staub enameled cast iron dutch oven. You can use one of those for pretty much any cooking you need to do. They go from stovetop to the oven. They are pricey to begin with, but will last a lifetime.\r\n\r\nAlso, I agree that Goodwill is a good choice. I have got several very nice vintage pieces---a Le Creuset saucepan, some Belgian enameled cast iron skillets, ceramic cake pans, Pampered Chef stuff. You've got to go often to find the good stuff, but when you do find it, it's like hitting the jackpot.", "score": 3 } ]
What are some cool restaurant/bar names?
My boss is a great cook and is looking to quit his current job and open up a restaurant/bar here in town. He is still trying to figure out a name. He will be opening his place in [Aggieville](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aggieville) and my co-workers and I have been trying to think up a cool name for it. Reddit, what are some cool names you can think up? It will be mostly college students -- and drunk ones at that -- who would come to this place, so anything "college-experience" related would be a bonus. My idea was "Sloppy Seconds", which I think is a great name, but probably wouldn't be the best. As requested: His first name is Dave, and he was originally thinking of calling his place *Bolltron's*. Bolltron is a play on his last name and is his handle for anything online that he does. As far as food goes, think bar food. I haven't discussed his menu in detail with him, but I know he's gonna have sliders/burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, etc etc. Aggieville itself is literally right across the street from campus and is kinda famous --or even infamous, perhaps -- locally as a place for students to go out and party.
4
[ { "body": "The Library (\"Mom, I'm at the library tonight.\") or maybe the Study Group (\"Dad, I'm meeting my friends in the Study Group.\") or maybe I'm At Work. Keep on keeping on.", "score": 3 } ]
Do you feel it's normal to have homicidal fantasies or does it make you a bad person?
I expect this thread to be populated with throwaway accounts... *Addendum: how regularly do you have these feelings? At some point or another I have imagined killing everyone I know, albeit some scenarios more thought out than others.
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[ { "body": "i think it is a normal thing to fatasize about all sorts of taboo things. fixating, obsessing and acting is where it gets messy.", "score": 4 } ]
Help me understand the definition of ΔH
Suppose that I have a reaction of this form: aA + bB -> cC + dD ΔH = X kj/mol Does that means that for every `a` moles of `A` consumed, `X` kj of heat will be absorbed from the environment? Or does it mean that for every 1 mol of `A` consumed, `X` kj of heat will be absorbed? Please note that I am making a distinction between `a` and `A`. `a` is a coefficient, and `A` is a reactant. Same with `b` and `B`, `c` and `C`, and `d` and `D`. Thanks! *Edit: My question has been answered.*
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[ { "body": "Basically when you write this:\r\n\r\n aA + bB -> cC + dD\r\n ΔH = X kJ/mol\r\n\r\nWhat it means is this:\r\n\r\n aA + bB + X kJ -> cC + dD\r\n\r\nThat means, for a moles of A to react with b moles of B, X kJ of *energy* must be absorbed from the environment, usually in the form of heat. If X is negative, it can be rewritten thusly:\r\n\r\n aA + bB -> cC + dD + X kJ\r\n\r\nWhich means when a moles of A reacts with b moles of B, X kJ of energy is given off (usually as heat).", "score": 5 } ]
my first real program.. a Ubuntu/Linux gnome system-tray reddit envelope checker!
I made my first fully functional 'real' python program, and thought I'd share it with you! It sits in the system tray as an icon (either orangered or gray), and it requires python-wxtools. It **does** require that you fill in your reddit username and password in the script itself. Only tested on Gnome, under Ubuntu 9.10, it first checks for messages at the initial startup, then every fifteen minutes. The fifteen minutes can be changed inside the script (commented). Screenshots: [no mail](http://i.imgur.com/tswHC.png) - [new mail](http://i.imgur.com/0gq2y.png) [Link to program](http://spotlight.hopto.org/reddit.tar.gz), it includes the two small necessary graphic files (from Evolution), and also the existing ruby script from which I wanted to test python. No license, it's had some bits taken from a tutorial, notably [Codeboje.de](http://codeboje.de/MailSneaker-Part-3-SystemTrayTaskBar-Icons-with-Python-and-wxPython/). Don't hesitate to give feedback or make new suggestions, I'm new to python and would appreciate it!
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[ { "body": "Okay, here are my suggestions:\n\n* Hard-coding your password in a text file is insecure. You could use the [Python keyring library](http://pypi.python.org/pypi/keyring) to securely ask the user for their password when the app runs. Then, if they choose so, it will securely remember that password for future runs.\n\n* Your indentation is a mix of tabs and spaces which is bad for a number of reasons. There are also a lot of trailing spaces at the end of lines. Check out [pep8.py](http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pep8/) for cleaning up your code formatting.\n\n* Your tarball is what's known as a \"tarbomb\" -- it dumps a bunch of files into the current directory when untarred, potentially overwriting existing files with the same names. The preferred etiquette for tarballs is to have it extract a single directory with a fairly unique name, like \"reddit-notifier\", which then contains all of the files.\n\nOther than that, good work! I think mikm also had good suggestions.\n", "score": 30 }, { "body": "One suggestion would be to learn about JSON. It'll let you do more powerful things with your app. You can pull in the inbox contents with the URL `http://www.reddit.com/message/inbox/.json?mark=false`. This could let you do things like give a count of how many new messages a person has, differentiate between replies and private messages, etc.\n\nOne idea worth investigating is sending a notification if a new message comes in. Another is to see if you can tie into the indicator applet API instead of making your own systray icon. The indicator applet is the \"way of the future\".", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Cool, glad you wrote something useful (more than I can say). It looks good.\n\nThe next step is to open a launchpad account and get a repo up and running. Ohh yea, and move the configuration settings from the script to a file stored somewhere like ~/.reddit-notify.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Nice work dude.\n\nMe and some guys did something similar a year ago:\n\nhttp://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/7xl5w/i_wrote_a_tiny_python_app_that_puts_an_icon_in/\n\nIt was forked several times and the \"best\" version is this one:\n\nhttp://github.com/davekeogh/reddit_monitor\n\nAnd is slightly maturer already supporting Gnome keyring and not marking the messages as read when the icon detects new messages.\n", "score": 4 } ]
[1] My favorite threesomes always include Mary Jane.
what are your favorite Mary Jane code words or jokes? I like to also indicate whether I am driving Mary around or where we might hang out for our smoking hot date.
4
[ { "body": "[2] my siblings and i would ask each other, \"do you wanna get a headache?\" in the voice of towelie when we were all living at our parents' house.\n\nwait, did i miss something? i've had a headache for the past two hours.", "score": 3 } ]
Ex-'loser' meets girl, is confused and uneducated on what to do.
Backstory: A year ago I was a complete loser with somewhat severe people issues(I guess I was afraid of people, had horrible self-esteem etc) until one day a girl decided I should go out with her, which led to 2009 being the decidedly most awesome year of my life thus far (I am now 21). Fast forward 10 months and I am interested in a girl, which leads to several problems. First off, I have never ever told a girl I like her and so I have no idea how to show I am interested. Whenever I'm with her I get somewhat befuddled and don't know quite what to say, which is somewhat different than my normal self where I am quite quick to come with 'clever' remarks etc. My idea was first to just say it, but I don't know how I feel about that, I have no clue regarding whether she is interested, she'll invite me to come to things, she'll invite me to her house when other people are there etc but those are things I do to my friends aswell. There's also the slight problem of one of my best friends possibly being interested in her aswell, he wont tell me, nor will I tell him but I keep seeing signs that he is interested in her, she doesn't really seem to reciprocate him but yeah. Being that this is all rather new to me I am completely dumbfounded as to what I am supposed to do. What would be 'kosher' to do in this situation? Do I just go for it and risk it? Do I ask him if he has feelings for her? Should that stop me? Do I 'feel' the water out? Thank you in advance reddit!
3
[ { "body": "Learn a bunch of pick up lines.\n\nSay as many of them as you can, as quickly as you can. Stop for **nothing and no one.** Here's one of my personal favorites:\n\n\"I find the most erotic part of the woman is the boobies.\"", "score": 3 } ]
Hey Foodit! What's your favorite regional dessert?
I'm working on dessert cookbook, and I want to include a regional Americana chapter. So what is your favorite local dessert that the rest of us might not know about? If you want to include a recipe, awesome, but by no means is that necessary. I just want to make sure to include as many parts of country as possible. Your help is much appreciated! edit: I'm not a professional baker/cook. I just love to bake and just wanted to put this together, mostly for my own enjoyment.
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[ { "body": "St. Louis here; [gooey butter cake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooey_butter_cake) is a local favorite.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You can't talk about Australian desserts without mentioning the Pavlova.\n\nA meringue shell, filled with cream and covered in fresh fruit.\n\n http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z5/Koalagrey/pavlova1.jpg", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Don't know if it originated here, but growing up in the Philly area we nommed on [Monkey Bread](http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/monkey-bread-recipe.html) every Christmas! \n\nThe best recipe starts with making your own sweet dough, but my grandmother used tinned biscuit dough (Pillsbury) as a shortcut – roll that in butter, cinnamon and sugar then half bake so the inside pieces are gooey but the outside is all melty... oh man. ", "score": 3 } ]
I've been listening to Audiobooks on my iPhone lately and can't get the "Remember Playback Position" feature to work consistently. Anyone have any luck with it?
It's annoying scrubbing through tracks trying to find where I was. Is there a better solution than writing down the where I am in the Notes app?
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[ { "body": "if you right click a song in itunes, go to get info, then options and click \"remember playback position\", sync the song to the iphone (probably what you tried, based on the post's title) then it just works. i did it today with the new john hodgman audiobook and it worked like a charm. played it for a bit, then played some music, went back and it picked up right at my spot.", "score": 6 } ]
The problem with Christian Apologetics.....
Hey everyone, so first of all, I want to thank everyone in the /r/atheism for the fun times we've had so far. So just to put this up front, I'm a Christian, but one who tries to be well informed, reasonable, and doing my darnedest (though admittedly often failing) to live what I say. Anyway, I recently attended the American Apologetics Conference in Charlotte, NC. For those unaware of what Apologetics is, its' basically giving reasons for why Christianity is true. The thing that really stuck out to me was how many people there were getting sucked into all kinds of COLOSSALLY bad thinking, about topics ranging from evolution/creation to ethical reasoning. As an amateur apologist myself I was shocked, since I don't really see things like Creation/Evolution as particularly consequential for Christianity. Even Augustine, writing over a thousand years before Darwin concluded of Genesis 1: "Perhaps Sacred Scripture in its customary style is speaking with the limitations of human language in addressing men of limited understanding. … The narrative of the inspired writer brings the matter down to the capacity of children." Anyway, this post is sorta a cross between an apology on behalf of Christianity for so-called thinking Christians that confront you, Atheists with poor reasoning, as well as a question as to what your thoughts on Christian Apologetics (if you've encountered it) is! Looking forward to your opinions!
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[ { "body": "Symec,\r\nHere's the problem with Christian apologetics, as I see it. If you ask a historian what happened at the Battle of Thermopylae, he will tell you what he knows, based on written accounts, geography, relics, and whether the written accounts handed down by authors like Herodotus are contradicted either by other accounts or by logic. \r\nIf any historian found an account of the battle which stated that Xerxes was 9 feet tall, and he rode into battle on a giant scorpion, the historian would immediately set that account aside as a legend. \r\nWhy? \r\nHistorians, unlike scientists trying to establish a control group, can't repeat an event. They can only give the most likely explanation for what has happened. \r\nGiant scorpions large enough to support a 9-foot tall king? They can't happen. A giant scorpion of this size would be the LEAST likely explanation for what happened during the battle. It would be a miracle. \r\nA miracle, by definition, is that which cannot happen. \r\nHistorians, by definition, rank explanations for events from the most likely to the least likely. \r\n\"A Miracle\" will never be an acceptable answer to a legit historian. \r\nChristian Apologists pose as historians, but while trying to move the least likely explanation for events (or non-events) into the place rightfully claimed by the most likely explanation. \r\n\r\nThe next time you attend a seminar given by Christian apologists, ask yourself if the process they're using could ever make you believe that the prophet Muhammad flew to Medina in one night on the back of a winged horse that had the face of a man. \r\n\r\nThere isn't a single person on earth who has ever flown on a winged horse. Therefore, the odds against someone doing so are greater than 6 billion (people on earth) to 1. \r\nA winged horse is the LEAST likely explanation for whatever did (or didn't) happen in Medina. \r\n\r\nApply as necessary to walking across the Red Sea, healings, floating axe heads, walking on water, resurrections of the dead, etc. Continue to take 'em on faith if you'd like, but there's no sense in trying to apply a pseudo-historical method to the subject. \r\nThose things simply can't happen. ", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Beware, you seem to be going down the path of logic and reason.\nYou'll be one of us soon enough sir.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "\"many people there were getting sucked into all kinds of COLOSSALLY bad thinking\"\n\n... if they were getting sucked into proper lines of thought, they would stop being Christians. So, thus, colossally bad thinking is a requirement in order for them to remain Christians.", "score": 5 }, { "body": ">since I don't really see things like Creation/Evolution as particularly consequential for Christianity.\r\n\r\nChristianity **MUST** have creation week. With evolution there is no Adam. No Adam, no original sin. No original sin, no need for redemption. No need for redemption, no need for a redeemer.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I think you answered your own question...\r\n\r\n> **trying** to give reasons for why Christianity is true.\r\n\r\nTo quote Yoda, \"Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try\"\r\n\r\nAnother valid quote from the same source, \"You must unlearn what you have learned.\"", "score": 3 }, { "body": "To me, the problem with Christian apologetics is that its primary purpose is to shore up Christians' faith against skeptics and critics -- to preach to the converted. But lots of Christians mistakenly think other people will find its lame arguments as convincing as they themselves find them, so they go out on debate boards and such and present those lame arguments, and find out that they're lame.", "score": 3 } ]
The Traveller's Dilemma : a dilemma for the foundations of game theory? Repost from /r/PhilosophyofScience.
*Originally posted in [/r/PhilosophyofScience](http://www.reddit.com/r/PhilosophyofScience/)*. [Game theory](http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/game-theory/) has had some [limited success as a descriptive theory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory#Application_and_challenges) in economics, biology, computer science and even philosophy. One of the cornerstones of game theory analysis is the [Nash equilibrium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_equilibrium), a state of the game where no player can improve his/her outcome by changing his/her strategy without causing an opportunity for a better outcome for other players by changing strategy. (Yes Nash was that guy that the movie [A Beautiful Mind](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268978/) was based on). Games may have multiple Nash equilibria and it is generally agreed by theorists that the best outcome for all players, if one exists, must be a Nash equilibrium. Nash himself believed that even though in practice, equilibria of games might not be achieved, they will always tend toward an equilibrium point as games are repeated. Conditions for this to occur include the requirement that all players are "rational" and that all players have perfect information about payoffs and possible moves. **This assumption/definition of rationality is where the trouble for game theory begins.** One of the problems with these assumptions lies in human psychology. Consider what is known as the [ultimatum game](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimatum_game) between two players. A fixed amount of money is to be shared among two players. One player is selected to make an offer about how much he will keep and how much he will give to the other player. The other player then has the option to accept or reject the offer. If he rejects the offer, both players get nothing. If he accepts the offer, the players get the agreed amount. In a one-off application of the game, it is "Nash-optimal" for the second player to accept any non-zero amount the other player offers. However this is [not what happens in practice](http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=286428). The average offer is 40% of the total and 16% of all offers are rejected. **But disagreement with experiment is only the start of the problems for the Nash equilibrium concept**. Consider the game called the **[traveller's dilemma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveler's_dilemma)**. A referee asks two players to write down any dollar integer between 2 and 100 without conferring with each other. If both write the same number the referee will pay each of them that amount. But if they write different numbers, he will pay both of them the lower number along with a bonus and a penalty. The person who wrote the lower number will get $2 more and the one who wrote the higher number will get $2 less. For instance, if Player 1 writes 46 and Player 2 writes 89, Player 1 will get $48 and Player 2 will get $44. (For a more extensive and informal discussion of the game and its consequences see [this blog post](http://blog.adamnash.com/2007/11/13/the-travelers-dilemma-irrational-choices-altriuism-or-implicit-collusion/). To try a simulation of the game yourself [go here](http://veconlab.econ.virginia.edu/tddemo.htm)). There is one unique Nash equilibrium for this game - both players write down $2. Yet this seems to defy all common sense. They could have both offered much larger numbers and both have been much better off. In fact this is **[what happens in live experiments](http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5in3UhbNXiJNmM5MTg1NWEtMjc2Ny00NDRjLTk2NDAtNjNmYmIyODg3MWZk&hl=en)**. According to the theorists, this implies that humans are simply *not rational*. (For a detailed description of the problem and proposed resolutions, see **[this seminal paper on the problem](http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5in3UhbNXiJNjVkMWUyZjQtOWE4Ni00MmRiLTlmN2YtMmRhOGU2YzFhNDEz&hl=en)**). [Douglas Hofstadter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hofstadter) (author of *[Godel, Escher, Bach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach)*) proposed a new definition of rationality he called [superrationality](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superrationality) whereby each player knows not only that his behavior is rational, but that the behavior of all players is rational, and all players know that all players are rational, and all players know that all players know that all players are rational, and so on. Hofstadter reasons based on this assumption, that superrational players would for example, agree to collude and keep silent in the [Prisoner's Dilemma](http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/prisoner-dilemma/) game (in which the unique Nash equilibrium suggests that both players should confess). In my mind, if game theory analysis can yield results so plainly counter-intutive as that of the traveller's dilemma, what confidence can be had in equilibria analysis of more complicated games? Is the game theory definition of *rational* - naively and selfishly trying to best an opponent to improve one's own localised outcome - in any sense valid? What do our readers think?
45
[ { "body": "The problem with applying game theory in practice isn't that people aren't \"rational\", it's that they value things that game theorists think they \"shouldn't\" value. \n\nFor example, a player that puts a significant value on the fairness of the outcome will rationally reject ultimatums that are too low. Similarly, people that have non-linear value curves for outcomes (which most people seem to) will reject choosing low values in the traveller's dilemma game because those values aren't worth fighting over. It's a totally rational approach, it's just not simplistic.\n\nSo game theory has a lot of relevance to the real world, but you have to accurately assess people's value systems, which is really hard. \n\nAnother example is the prisoner's dilemma... it's indeed a powerful conundrum, but people defect less frequently than theory would suggest if for no other reason than that they value their integrity and solidarity with the other person by a significant and non-zero amount.\n\nSimilarly, Scrooge economists that say gift giving destroys value tend to be forgetting that the giver gets value back from the act of choosing and giving the gift. Indeed, from personal experience, usually that value is higher than the entire value of the gift to either party in a purely economic sense. ", "score": 27 }, { "body": "I think you might find a solution by recognizing that there are actually 3 players in this game. There is also the additional Rule Maker, or Prison/Money Provider. Without him, the game would never be played. Its a bit silly to start a travellers dilemma with only your own money. This third player is essential.\n\nThat being said, one might choose not to gain more money than the other player, but to maximize the losses of the Rule Maker. In that case, $100 would be the rational choice, costing the Rule Maker $200. Any other choice would cost him less.\n\nThe problem with the Nash equilibrium lies with the superegoistic way it is interpreted. When the other player wins more than you do, you lose. By introducing another player (Rule Maker), who is now the new 'man to beat' i think this might be solved.\n\nWe are only left with the challenge to determine for which of the two other players the gain should be minimized... That would be a social choice i guess; the reason why people are willing to put some money in other people's expired parking meters, costing them money, but preventing the Parking Ticket Makers to gain a lot more. The Parket Ticket Makers are the greater and shared enemy.\n", "score": 9 }, { "body": "You miss the second, more rational point of equilibrium: both participants choose $100 which is the better choice, the $2 point being the best choice ONLY for the most irrational actor intent on \"getting more than the other guy\" even at a cost to himself (and here's the important bit) *knowing* that he could earn 50 times as much if he lets the other guy earn the same amount as he does. In economics terms this requires an absolute and fundamental mercantilist view.\n\nEither someone has to be so incredibly fucking irrational that he borders on the fanatic to the point of psychosis or you didn't state the all the terms of the basic proposal.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "People are typically \"rational,\" but their incentives aren't just limited to money. People are influenced by so many things other than money, whether it be trust, or friendship, or vengeance or the desire to see others happy. In all these games, when played out in real life, the Players have numerous drivers in their decisions, many of them are incredibly hard or impossible to quantify.\n\nAn extreme example, you could have a game where Player 1 would have an opportunity to win $5, but Player 2 would lose his job and get shot in the leg. In a strictly monetary sense, Player 1 should take the $5, but taking everything else into account, there's no way it's worth it. You need to measure in terms of overall utility, and that's a lot harder than just looking at dollar amounts.", "score": 3 } ]
I want to avoid motherboards with bad capacitors. How do I pick one out?
I got burned in the past from cheap boards that used bad caps. Random reboots, freezes, etc. (Yes, ECS, you suck.) How can I avoid this in the future?
25
[ { "body": "Chances are your last board was afflicted with [Capacitor Plague.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague).\n\nThis shouldn't be an issue anymore. ", "score": 30 }, { "body": "Go for a good well known mobo manufacturer for a start (Asus, Gigabyte etc). Within their range they will have a premium offering which will feature \"solid state\" capacitors as opposed to the electrolytic variety, although these (SSC) are migrating downwards in most ranges these days.\n\nType to look for: conductive polymer aluminum solid capacitors", "score": 15 }, { "body": "The whole \"bad capacitor\" thing is way behind us. Don't worry about it in any post-2009 motherboard.", "score": 4 } ]
[AskReddit] What's your favo(u)rite key on your computer's keyboard?
One of my friends on Facebook asked this a few days ago, and got some real interesting responses.. Have a crack at it, Reddit. By the way, my fave keys are [ and ]. They conceal all :)
10
[ { "body": "The Windows button. Accidentally pressing it while I'm in a video game pulls me back to the desktop. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "the Billy Mays key (aka caps lock)\n\nif u have the link to this pic please post it. it is fucking awesome!", "score": 3 } ]
I have a ballot in my hand asking me whether or not to raise taxes to cover state budget shortfalls. What do you think?
Oregon Measure 66 raises personal income tax by 1.8% on people earning +$125K. Measure 67 increases corporate minimum tax from $10 to $150, raises tax rates by 1.3% on "some" businesses (whatever that means) and increases some other filing fees. The $10 minimum tax is a holdover from the 30s. a short article on it: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/856656.html official information: http://www.oregonballot.org/measures.htm I'm inclined to go for measure 66 but 67 worries me as far as squeezing entreprenuership and local businesses.
15
[ { "body": "The purpose of taxes is to fund the functions of the government. If you want your government to keep doing the things it's doing then vote yes. Otherwise, be okay with the cutting of government spending and programs (education, why is it always education?).\n\nPersonally, I would vote yes, I love me some taxes.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "How's your state using its resources? If you're happy with how your state spends its money, then give it what it says it needs. Otherwise, cut it off and demand better spending. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I think one of the issues with these measures was including it in the 2009 tax year so small businesses will have to pay this tax season money they had not expected to. I was also concerned about these measures so I asked my CPA how badly these taxes would hurt small businesses (this is a small town about 25 miles West of Portland. The population here is lower than the number of students enrolled at PSU and it is notoriously difficult to keep a small business running here.) He said he calculated what the taxes would be for a few concerned local business owners and all of them would be completely fine and none of them would have to lay off a single employee nor would they go under from the weight of these new taxes. This is because the tax increase is so small. Moreover our schools could really use the money. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Under current law, corporations conducting business in Oregon pay $10 minimum tax; tax has not changed since 1931. Some corporations pay a profits tax of 6.6%. All other businesses pay no minimum or profits tax. Beginning in tax year 2009, the Measure increases $10 minimum corporate tax to $150; some corporations with over $500,000 in Oregon revenues will pay minimum tax of approximately 0.1% of Oregon revenues. Limits tax to $150 for S corporations and partnerships. Sole proprietors are not impacted by this measure. Raises tax rate some corporations pay on profits by 1.3 percentage points until 2011; increase then drops to 1 percentage point and as of 2013, applies only to profits over $10 million. Corporations pay minimum tax or profits tax, not both. Increases filing fees by $50 for Oregon businesses, by $225 for out of state businesses. Raises estimated $255 million to provide funds currently budgeted for education, health care, public safety, other services. Because some state money brings in federal matching funds, Oregon will likely receive more federal money if measure passes than if the Measure fails. Other provisions.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You're opposed to 67 but not 66?\n\nWho do you think many \"people earning +$125k\" are? Small business owners that have to file their business income as their personal income.", "score": 4 } ]
Any advice on how to deal with a sort of periodic depression?
Hey Reddit, As you can tell, this is obviously a throwaway account. So here's my situation: every so often, I sink into a really bad depression. I feel like my case is a little different because it's not all the time. I feel fine the rest of the time. I could go for around 3 weeks feeling fine before a bout of depression, sometimes shorter as in 3 or 4 days. These spells usually last anywhere from 2 days to a week. I can usually feel it coming on; I can feel one coming now so I figured I might come to Reddit for advice (you guys are pretty good at giving it). When I do fall into one of these spells, I become rather useless as a human being: I don't want to see anyone, I lose all motivation to do anything, it becomes hard just getting out of bed, I cry for no reason, I feel like life is completely pointless, etc. I wouldn't say I'm bipolar, since I don't ever really experience any highs when I'm not depressed. I just feel normal. I've gotten pretty good at living with it by now. I'd say this has been going on for around 7 years or so, starting in high school. At the time, I thought it was just part of growing up. I thought all teenagers got depressed occasionally. But now that I'm older and have more responsibilities, it really is a pain to deal with, and I realize that this really isn't normal. I'm pretty good at keeping a level head about it. I realize that it has nothing to do with the quality of my life (which I can't complain about) and that every once in a while it's just harder for me to function in the world. I know there are other similar threads about depressed people asking about how they can feel better, but I think my situation is different enough to merit a new thread. Since I usually can feel when they're about to start (as I do now), I was wondering if you guys had any advice as to how to prevent them. What do you think I should do when I feel myself declining? How can I keep these at bay, or at least decrease their frequency? Has anybody experienced something similar? Any and all input is appreciated. Thanks guys :) tl;dr: get depressed periodically, need advice on how to prevent it when I feel it beginning.
4
[ { "body": "Oh, that's easy! Do what I do and simply be depressed all the time. Then you won't have to deal with those emotional ups and downs.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I have similar problems over five years, and my psychologist diagnosed me with Dysthymia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysthymia): a low-grade but long-term depression. I didn't opt for treatment though because I felt that talking about my problem made it worse. Instead I have found some peace with Mindfulness Meditation. I highly recommend \"The Mindful Way through Depression\" by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn. One of the most important things I got from the book, was trying actively to stop being depressed just makes you more depressed. Acceptance and non-striving breaks can break this cycle.", "score": 3 } ]
Tree people, what songs in your music collection play out to 4:20?
I just realized that I have dozens and dozens, one of which is [Ice Cube - Today Was A Good Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CPlF-IEkXQ)
12
[ { "body": "\"Come To Daddy (Pappy Mix)\"\tAphex Twin\n\n\"Intervention\"\tArcade Fire\n\n\"Come Together\"\tThe Beatles\n\n\"You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)\"\tThe Beatles\n\n\"Back Where I Started\"\tThe Derek Trucks Band\n\n\"Scarlet Begonias\"\tGrateful Dead\n\n\"Money Money (Live)\"\tGrateful Dead\n\n\"The Ocean\"\tLed Zeppelin\n\n\"This Is The New Shit\"\tMarilyn Manson\n\n\"Human\"\tMetallica\n\n\"Screenager\"\tMuse\n\n\"Sit down. Stand up. (Snakes & Ladders.)\"\tRadiohead\n\n\"Lucky\"\tRadiohead\n\n\"Organic Anti-Beat Box Band\"\tRed Hot Chili Peppers\n\n\"Tearjerker\"\tRed Hot Chili Peppers\n\n\"Strip My Mind\"\tRed Hot Chili Peppers\n\n\"Cool, Calm & Collected\t\"The Rolling Stones\n\n\"Limelight\"\tRush\n\n\"Hannibal\"\tSantana\n\n\"Mind Eraser, No Chaser\"\tThem Crooked Vultures\n\n\"I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)\"\tThe White Stripes\n\n\"A Martyr For My Love For You\"\tThe White Stripes\n\n\"My Head's In Mississippi\"\tZZ Top\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "[Mr. Bungle - Ma Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQKnjZHJ38k), best 'holy shit I'm really stoned' song ever.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "[8] I have 13 songs in my music collection that are 4:20 seconds. They bring me pride and I would love to share them with you, trees. :)\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n* Sound Of A Gun - Audioslave - Revelations\r\n\r\n* Pink - Boris - Pink\r\n\r\n* Maps - Emancipator - Soon It Will Be Cold Enough\r\n\r\n* Doomsday - June Of 44 - Four Great Points\r\n\r\n* Colony Of Birchmen - Mastodon - Blood Mountain\r\n\r\n* **Suffer In Truth - Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve**\r\n\r\n* Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica\r\n\r\n* Screenager - Muse - Origin Of Symmetry\r\n\r\n* Summer Gypsy - Nujabes - Metaphorical Music\r\n\r\n* One Day All This Could Be Yours - Oceansize - Effloresce\r\n\r\n* Sit Down. Stand Up. (Snakes & Ladders.) - Radiohead - Hail To The Thief\r\n\r\n* Lucky - Radiohead - OK Computer\r\n\r\n* Schizophrenic Prayer - Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nEnjoy.\r\n\r\n\r\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Incubus - Here In My Room\n\nIncubus - Leech\n\nMatisyahu - Fire And Heights\n\nMetallica - Human\n\nModest Mouse - Gravity Rides Everything\n\nOzzy Osbourne - Time After Time\n\nThe Cruel Sea - Seaman's Lament\n\nThe Flaming Lips - It's Summertime\n\nThe Frames - The Cost\n\nThe Fugees - Fu-Gee-La\n\nThe Pineapple Thief - My Bleeding Hand\n\nThe White Stripes - A Martyr For My Love For You\n\nThe White Stripes - I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)\n\nTom Waits - Blind Love\n\nVan Morrison - Have I Told You Lately\n\nZiggy Marley - Keep On Dreaming\n\nZiggy Marley And The Melody Makers - All You Got\n\nEDIT - Formatting (And I ended up giving up on formatting it right)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "* [Incubus - Psychopsilocybin](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sESRg-f9MkU)\n* [Led Zeppelin - Bring It on Home](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz4gRjI-HRA)\n* [Nebula - The Eagle Has Landed](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqSn6r8Lpjc)\n", "score": 3 } ]
Should atheists stay out of the christian subreddit?
Even though I'm neither a Christian nor an atheist I follow both the Christian and the Atheist subreddit. I, myself, have become dismayed at the fact that the Christian subreddit has become little more than a Christian bashing ground for atheists. The Christian subreddit was made so Christians could have a place to come and discuss their views, not so they could have a place to be bashed. The nerve was building up inside me to post a comment and complain about this with the other people who have done so recently until I read that Ireland has passed an anti-blasphemy law. That got me to thinking about how many atheists and other non-Christians have been silenced, ostracized, jailed and even killed over the past 1500+ years for speaking against Christianity. This made me realize that atheist criticizing Christianity in the Christian subreddit or anywhere else is just Christians getting and extremely diluted taste of their own medicine. Why should you have my sympathy for having to experience an inkling of what you've done to so many others for so long?
4
[ { "body": "> The Christian subreddit was made so Christians could have a place to come and discuss their views\n\nI think of it more as a place for all people, Christian and non-Christian to come and discuss the topic of Christianity; I view /r/atheism in the same way, a place for atheists and non-atheists to come and discuss atheism. ", "score": 27 }, { "body": "> Should atheists stay out of the christian subreddit?\n\nNo. Both sub-Reddit's have much to learn from each other. As an ex-Christian who didn't break free until early adulthood, it is interesting for me to keep my finger on the pulse of Christianity. I also like to offer my opinions to others who I feel might benefit from my experience.\n\nMost such discussions I've seen have been quite civil. I understand that some Christians might not feel entirely comfortable in such an open forum - but I'm not really sympathetic. I think there are better places to go if \"staying comfortably within a Christian-only community\" is your goal.\n\n> until I read that Ireland has passed an anti-blasphemy law ... atheist[s] criticizing Christianity in the Christian subreddit ... is just Christians getting and extremely diluted taste of their own medicine\n\nI strongly disagree with this sentiment. I am not interested in giving anybody a \"taste of their own medicine.\"\n\nHowever, such anti-blasphemy laws convince me of how important an open forum with diverse opinions is. It makes me want to state my above position (that atheists should *not* stay out of the Christian sub-Reddit) even more vehemently.", "score": 17 }, { "body": "No. Should atheists stay out of church?\n\nI welcome respectful atheists to this subreddit. In fact, I think their prodding inquiries make this a better place. JS Mill understood the value of discussion and I enjoy answering questions and being forced to understand where I get my beliefs and assumptions from.\n\nAs long as people stay respectful than it does not matter who is here. ", "score": 14 }, { "body": "I think your description of /r/Christianity being a bashing ground is unjust.\n\nI think the problem simply is that religion holds a lot of emotional value and is still considered by many - generally those who *are* religious - deserving of special treatment and protections.\n\nMost atheists in /r/Christianity that I've seen are **not** just rude and aggressive. Those who are are generally downvoted very rapidly - no doubt by posters on both sides of the debate.\n\nThere remain those atheists who come here for discussion but criticise Christianity. Well I say this is fair. Nothing should be granted immunity to criticism, religion included. This is a section of the forum dedicated to discussion of the topic of Christianity. That should of course *include* discussion from multiple viewpoints.", "score": 7 }, { "body": ">This made me realize that atheist criticizing Christianity in the Christian subreddit or anywhere else is just Christians getting and extremely diluted taste of their own medicine.\n\nThroughout history there have always been groups of people oppressing one another. Should blacks be allowed to pick on whites here because our ancestors enslaved them? Should jews get to pick on germans here? ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I tend to stay clear of /r/christianity and the only reason I am here commenting is that you (OP) posted a cross-link here from /r/atheism.\n\nThat said, historically and as a group in power, Christians have done terrible things in the name of their God. Not because they are Christians, but because they were the majority and in power and commanding armies. There is nothing like the fire of righteousness to justify atrocities. This goes for all religious powers - it is just that this is the Christianity sub-reddit.\n\nSo they need to suck up the historical facts and guard against their own kind trying to repeat the same. Speak up and let those vocal minority amongst you know that they do not speak for you!\n\nAnd as soon as atheists organise a pogrom against religious believers I will stand by your side. And no. Stalin and Mao et al did not do what they did because of their disbelief in gods. They did it because organised religion was a threat to their power.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I don't think atheists are out to bash Christians. We challenge Christianity (as with any other religion) because there is no evidence or reason to believe religious claims. I welcome anyone to challenge me on my beliefs. Why? Because I want to be well informed and make good decisions about what I hold to be true. Doesn't everybody?\n\nEDIT: **Shouldn't** everybody?", "score": 5 }, { "body": "If Christians - or anyone else - want a private, membership-controlled club, reddit is not the place for it. End of.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I don't have a problem with atheists visiting the /r/Christianity. I don't even mind them participating. I do mind trolls who have nothing constructive to say and only seem to get off from saying derogatory or inflammatory things. We get you don't believe in God. Try to say something interesting once in a while. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "No. If we can discuss things respectfully without mocking each other then I say they're welcome here.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I think the interesting thing is that there's a real dearth of Christians coming over to the atheist subreddit and giving us a hard time.", "score": 3 } ]
Anyone have DamnInteresting.com in their bookmarks? Please join me in helping them.
Browsing the [famous redditors](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/anp4f/any_famous_redditors/c0iig3c) thread I noticed Alan Bellows of [Damn Interesting](http://www.damninteresting.com/) note that the lack of updates was due to adverse personal and financial circumstances. Whilst I cannot help with the personal, I've decided to buy his book as a small contribution to the financial. This is thanks for many a wasted hour reading his, well, damn interesting articles. If you've ever enjoyed his site (which is not supported by advertising) please join me in expressing thanks for his work. [Damn Interesting book](http://www.damninteresting.com/the-damn-interesting-book) [Damn Interesting store](http://www.cafepress.co.uk/damninteresting) [Donation page](http://www.damninteresting.com/help-with-hosting-fees)
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[ { "body": "DI; The only site that had some truly interesting material online.\r\n\r\nGood luck on ya Alan, and please come back.\r\n", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Damn Interesting is the most consistently awesome site I've seen. I'll have to buy the book, I'm sure it's also damn interesting.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I don't want to be a jerk but if he needs money, donations would be the most impact for him. Buying his book is great for long term success but he probably only gets $1 or so from your purchase, if that. Take into consideration the accounting involved and he might see that dollar in a few months.\n\nDonating would make the biggest immediate impact.", "score": 4 } ]
My boyfriend and I broke up last night.
Wasn't sure if I should have put this under self or AR, since I'm kind of asking others if they've experienced the same feelings as me. I just needed to write this out as a catharsis. We had a rocky 6 months and although we had some good times, I think in the end, we both knew it couldn't last. There are no hard feelings on my end, and I hope that there are none on his. The only thing that keeps running through my head is the movie Where The Wild Things Are. Those monsters wanted so badly to be happy, but even though they tried their hardest, they failed. "Happiness isn't always the best way to be happy." So, I guess this is a triple request of some kind. Give me advice as to how to look at the brighter things in life (even though I will be happier, I am still sad right now), cheer me up by telling me jokes, and let me know if you've ever felt this way yourself about past relationships and what happened to them. Cheers~ **Edit:** Sorry, I never really explained why it was like that movie. Basically, we had great times when we were together, but when we wouldn't talk for a day or so, something would get one of us ticked off and we'd have an argument over something trivial. These arguments were pretty cyclical, maybe once every two weeks. Horrid, I know, since I am not the arguing type. We'd always end up trying to make up because we enjoyed each other's company and it'd be good again for another week or so, until it would happen again. Anyway, thanks for your comments so far. I really do appreciate it. Please feel free to send me more funny and happy videos/pictures/links.
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[ { "body": "I couldn't help but read your overview as sparse as it was and learn that you work in an optometrist's office. \n\nIronic you would ask for help to \"see\" the brighter side of this ;-D\n\nbut in all honesty (and in no way was the above spiteful, it was my sad sad attempt at a joke) you are doing fine as they come from a break-up if not better.\n\nLet me share my story with you (take from it what you will):\n\nIt was senior year of high school. I was a wide-eyed believer of love and romance to the highest degree, and to some extent still am (maybe a bit more closeted and reserved). My best friend had met a girl by happenstance. She had come to our campus accompanying her best friend who was there to see her boyfriend. My best bud introduced himself and welcomed them and made rapport- got her number and had progressed to nightly conversations. \n\nThen one night as is usual for he and I to do at boarding school was to sneak off and go to the nearby Denny's and eat and talk about life, love, and everything else. I was dressed and ready to go, so I popped over to his room to hurry him up. He was on the phone. \n\n\"DD, hurry your butt up man, Im getting hungry.\"\n\n\"Here, take the phone and talk\" \n\nI grab the phone. \n\n\"Hello?\" I meekly said. \n\n\"Hiiiiiiiii\" The voice over the phone sounded. \n\nI fell in love instantly with her innocent, cheery, and soft voice. I fell in love with her- I didn't care what this girl looked like. I just knew I had found someone I liked. I am not one to fall for a girl like that. But I did, and I knew it was something to pursue.\n\nDD and the surroundings disappeared and the next 15 minutes on the phone were like an eternity. DD (his nickname) is a smart guy when it comes to relationships and connections. He knew what was brewing between her and I instantly. He also knows me very well, if not best amongst my friends. He gave me her number as I was too caught up with her to even think about what would happen after the phone clicked off.\n\nThe first call a few days later and its quite late at night. I don't know why, but from impulse I dialed at such an odd hour and it rang...rang...rang a little more. Answer. The awkwardness of \"who's this\" passed away as I reminded her of who it was calling.\n\n\"Wow, you know I never answer my phone, it was by chance I was by it when you called.\"\n\nThree hours later I am in bed filled with bliss. The conversation held many things about what we like, our future dreams, our peculiarities, and most importantly if I could continue to contact her. She agreed just as excitedly. Conversations henceforth came and went, and most of my day revolved around hoping to talk to her. I mustered the courage during one of the conversations and I asked her out when I got back to town from Thanksgiving break. She agreed again.\n\nOur first date was magical as we spent it in downtown Disney going to a lovely restaurant, saw a movie, walked around the Christmas light decorated trees, and held hands. She also was a sight in person. A beautiful, petite, and doe-eyed girl with gorgeous black hair. Though, her looks were just icing on the cake compared to the rest of her that I had already fallen for. \n\nOur relationship quickly grew, and I enjoyed every moment of it. She stole the first kiss and I had never been happier that someone surprised me with such initiative. Dropping her off late at night I held the off to kiss her on the first actual date. I wanted to be a gentleman to her. She motioned to open the door, but it was a fake-out I learned as she turned quickly around and landed her lips on mine. I thought amusingly to myself \"sometimes, a man really does not need to assert himself and be the initiator in relationships...I dig it.\"\n\nThe bumps of the relationship came along as we left for college. Our friends who were in relationships were crumbling as many of them decided to break it off and not deal with a long distance relationship. The worry hit homefront. We discussed it, and we both concluded that though it would be a challenge, we were going to stay together.\n\nCollege was a culture shock to our relationship. I longed for the brotherhood I had at boarding school, so I tried to develop friendships with guys at college. That was going well, but the more time I spent with the guys, the more time I lost with her. I no longer talked on the phone with her as much as I would always be tired from the days activities, and when she would call, I would be too busy doing something else. \n\nBy the time I realized my mistakes, it was too late. She was busy trying to make her friends, and the tables were turned. Now I felt what she had felt.\n\nThe relationship pushed on as we both were too in love and too stubborn to give up on each other. It had gotten to a point where we would make mistakes, realize them, the tables would turn, and in this vicious cycle, continuously one up each other. We broke up and got back together a couple times then. We had come to the realization that the relationship was a failing one. But...the feelings were too strong to stay committed to leaving each other. The pain our stubbornness caused was tremendous. \n\nNearing the end whilst broken up, I decided I had always been a relationship kind of guy and must now seek to be a vile man-whore of sorts to one part explore and one part to cope. Sow my oats so to speak. I did so, and quite well. But the emptiness was daunting. I wanted her back. Very much so. I ached for her, and the pangs within my chest resounded throughout me to the tune of her name. \n\nShe felt the same I learned, but only by then my mistakes had taken its toll. She knew of my deeds and was hurt. She also had started to develop feelings for another guy at her college. She, too, was trying to cope. She was torn between us. In many ways, I was and am the sorry excuse of an ex-boyfriend who wants back to her friends. They despised me, though I've never met or spoke with them. They only heard of me when the going was bad.\n\nI decided to call quits. To let her go free and to heal myself. A month goes by and I am doing better. But...out of nowhere in the middle of the night I get a call. Her name on the caller ID flashes across my vision. I panic thinking she may be in trouble and needs help. I answer. She is trashed and crying. I panic even more and try to find out if she is hurt and needs help. I probably sounded like a 911 dispatcher. No, she's not hurt...physically at least. She wails over the phone wanting me back and I thought my emotions were settled...wrong I was. The rush of emotion for her flooded my body. I was angry and in love at the same time. We talk and I coax her to get to bed and sleep. I promise her we will talk tomorrow.\n\nTomorrow came. We talked and it genuinely seemed as though there is hope. I am mixed about everything, however. There just seems to be something wrong here- something wrong with her. We had always skyped before or used facebook to supplement our contacting each other. However, she explicitly told me not to skype her and made the excuse that it no longer works on her computer. For facebook she said not to post on her wall because her family is lurking. Her family had been there during our relationship. I saw the warning signs, but I had to see this through. I needed closure- whether it hurt or hurt even more. The next few nights we continue to talk and build up rapport again. Progress was good, but still I felt worried within.\n\nOne of those nights I look on her facebook to post a wall comment, and I see that her relationship status shows \"in a relationship with X\" I was crushed. I thought my emotions were dissolved earlier, and then she calls and brings them back all to me just crush them here. \n\nI called her and I confronted her about it. She meekly tells me that it would not work out, though she wishes it would, due to the distance. I wish her a good life and hang up. That was all I could do.\n\nThat was the day I kicked a girl to the curb like a bad addiction, walked away, and have yet to ever look back. I picked up a cigarette, lit it up, and exhaled to the condemning thought that I was love's fool. I took another drag and relished in the fact that I have just grown a little bit in the journey of life, and I would not trade anything to go back and change my role as the fool.", "score": 4 } ]
I've been hospitalized 3 times with bipolar I disorder and have taken most pills in the book. Now I'm 23 and a Chem. Engineering grad student. AMA
Three hospitalizations: 1) I was 16, in high school, diagnosed as having major depressive disorder. 2) I was 18, diagnosed as bipolar after a manic episode. 3) I was 21, hospitalized for another manic episode the week before grad school began. I go to Northwestern University now, majoring in Chem. and Bio. Engineering. I thought this may help anyone out there who's in any related situation, because I know how it feels to get into a real dark spot and think that you'll never get out. I know things about grad school too :)
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[ { "body": "Hey. I'm pretty damn sure I'm bipolar. Most of the time, I'm pretty depressed. You know, always irritated, sad, not finding much lasting joy in a lot of things, that sort of stuff. Then, I can occasionally be really happy, really outgoing, do all sorts of stuff, be peppy, and shit. Last couple months, I was suicidal a lot. In addition, I often have mood swings that are crazy. I can go from being in a relatively good mood, to being total shit. Or, from relatively good mood, to screaming my head off at someone for no reason at all. I mean, I just blow up. I scream, shout, throw things, occasionally throw a punch. I've always been a bit... eccentric, but it's gotten much worse the past couple years. Does this sound like BPD to you? \n\nThanks for any and all help. I'm happy to hear you're better now.", "score": 3 } ]
Things you notice in movies that make you feel like a colossal nerd
I had this realization today after re-watching 40 Year Old Virgin. During the video game scene when Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen are playing on his N64, they are both holding the controllers completely wrong. Noticing that made me kind of wince somewhat due to the nerdiness factor that it takes for one to catch this.
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[ { "body": "In the first Charlie's Angels movie there's a scene where Drew Barrymore falls off a balcony/down a cliff wearing nothing but a towel on. When she stops rolling, she goes to the nearest house for help. She walks up to the sliding glass back door and accosts two 7 - 10 year old boys playing Final Fantasy 8. With two controllers. And only Squall in the party, fighting the T-Rex in Balamb Garden at the beginning of the game. I bet those noobs didn't even have 100 Sleep spells on his sword, how were they planning on winning that fight?", "score": 42 }, { "body": "not a movie, but there's an episode of Heroes where Hiro mentions \"crono and marle.\" The nerdgasm tingle that sent down my spine made me feel like a pretty colossal nerd\n.", "score": 20 }, { "body": "Was watching \"Blood Diamond\" with family during christmas. There was a scene where there is much chaos and people are being murdered on screen in riots in the streets of some war-torn african nation. My aunt, who is considerably sensitive said \"Wow\" to all the carnage going on. I responded with surprise \"I know, right!? Such high production value!\". Everyone was stunned at me for being such a colossal desensitized film nerd.", "score": 18 }, { "body": "My nerd-rage meter goes crazy in 'Enemy of the State' when the FBI agents simply 'spin' a CCTV camera image around to get a better shot.", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Grandma's Boy: In the beginning when one guy (the one who likes the whores) pulls the main character's controller plug to get an advantage.. an xbox would have a message pop up on screen about that and he'd have noticed right away.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "IPv4 addresses that have impossible values for the octets. In *Big Mommas House 2* (don't ask me why I even watched that), an agent \"hacks\" into a machine with an attached webcam so he can spy on a meeting. When he typed in the IP address, one of the octets had a value of **258** (or something in the 256 - 260 range).", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Iron Man. Scene where he gets thrown off of the jet and takes out a wing of one of the F-22's. \n\nSo you have a fighter plane that is missing a wing, and the thing rolls out of control *IN THE WRONG DIRECTION*. \n\nI was an aerospace engineering student at the time, so yeah, that got to me. But the control surfaces test scene was pure porn for me, though. ", "score": 9 }, { "body": "The [Wilhelm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_scream). I think it's more that I deliberately wait for it to occur.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "In that scene in 40 Year Old Virgin, it wasn't that they were holding the controllers wrong that bothered me, it was that the game they were playing was Mortal Kombat: Deception, a game that was never released on the N64.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "confession... that is how I hold a 64 controller too. Always have and always catch shit. It's not like I suck either, I will lay waste to anyone in the facility with remote mines. I just got big hands, what can I say. I noticed it too in the movie and, yes, that makes us both dorks.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "How about any instance in any TV series or movies where they do anything with a computer? There are a few exceptions to the rule, but they are rare.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Most of the times in movies or television when a character looks through a scope I twitch my LMB finger to take the shot.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "There's an episode of \"How I Met Your Mother\" where Marshall and Ted are playing something on an Xbox 360...and Ted doesn't even have a battery pack in his controller. Lies.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The one that really got to me was on Rumble in the Bronx where Jackie Chan gives the kid a Game Gear and later it shows him playing it without a game in the cartridge slot. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Damn near every movie that has someone playing a video game does something that I think everyone who doesn't ever play video games does when they play for the first time. That thing is leaning back and forth and jerking the controller around as if that affects the game. I used to do this when I first started playing Nintendo many many years ago (Captain Skyhawk to be precise)", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Not video game related. In Jurassic Park, Dern's character asks \"how do you stop mitosis?\" During the walk-through after arriving on the island. Worse then just catching the mistake, I genuinely felt anger towards the 17 year old movie writing. Nerd rage.... ", "score": 4 } ]
I met a girl on Omegle and fell in love. How should we break it to her parents?
Details: I live in Canada, am 20 years old, she lives in Texas and is just turning 18. We met on omegle one night in mid-october, and ended up talking for 4 straight ours. At the end we decided to exchange msn addresses, and ever since then we have been talking every day, always at least 3 hours, occasionally as many as 8 hours in a day. We've exchanged many pictures, done webcam chatting, all that business. At this point, we are infatuated with each other. We have dreams about each other and during the day we think about each other to the point of being distracted. Anyway, the latest and largest problem is this: I am planning on traveling to see her this summer, and we are both at a loss for how to explain this to her parents. I don't want to sneak around behind their backs, and I can't think of any way to break it to them and have them be okay with it. I need ideas, reddit! I need to get her parents to trust me, at least enough trust to let me take their daughter on a date or two, so they know I'm not some crazy kidnapping rapist-murderer. I know that if I was in the father's position I would never let my daughter go on a date with a guy from another country she met on the internet. I'm sure my fellow redditors might have an idea. Anyone been in a similar situation? **2016 (6 years later) EDIT:** I'm actually still getting people occasionally contacting me about this, so here's an update: We never ended up meeting in person. She sort of... changed, I guess, slowly over the course of a few months. The fun and optimistic girl I'd initially met became really anxious, depressed, and just a real downer. Every time we talked, she would dominate the conversation with endless complaining about every last aspect of her life, telling me how she broke down into tears at the mall when shirts or something were out of stock, or when she took a wrong turn while driving somewhere, stuff like that. After a while it got to the point that I started to dread when she signed on, because every single conversation went the same way. I tried to tell her about how I felt a few times, every time she ignored it (or complained about me complaining). I stuck around for longer than I should have, probably because I hoped things would go back to the way that they were, and also because she would frequently take lots of sexy photos of herself in her underwear and send them to me (it was pretty great - she was hot). But finally when I could not stand it any longer, I wrote out a lengthy message explaining I was sorry about how life was treating her, and that I cared a great deal about her, but I could not handle her attitude anymore She signed off immediately, I assume blocked me, and we have not spoken since (that was 3-4 years ago now). It was pretty upsetting at the time because I did care an awful lot about her. But it was definitely for the best because she was having a negative impact on my happiness. I occasionally hope she'll try to contact me so that I can know whether or not she ended up being alright, perhaps even chat occasionally, but so far nothing. Admittedly though, I think about it less and less with each passing year.
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[ { "body": "First of all, Canada hardly counts as another country. :-)\n\nSecond, while meeting on Omegle is kind of new and different, meeting on the internet in general is old hat.\n\nDon't stress these angles too much.\n\nI assume she will be 18 when you visit this summer...her dad won't have a whole lot of say in who she sees. He can make life for her unpleasant, for sure, but she'll be an adult and can do what she wants.\n\nSo, do what FalcorTheDog says. Really, you're just meeting the parents of a girl you're interested in, which is stressful enough. You'll just be visiting the town and staying in a hotel or whatever instead of being a local. I'd recommend bringing small gifts, maybe something unique to your hometown...that seems to break the ice, especially with mothers. Your situation is pretty nice, too, in that you have a built-in excuse for spending a lot of time with her (she's showing you around town).", "score": 13 }, { "body": "Does nobody else find it odd that she hasn't already told her parents about him? If they don't know you exist yet, it's going to be a punch in the face to them. Let her tell them. They're her parents, that's her job. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "If you have free long distance calling ( like I do ), call her parents up and talk to them. Let them see you on webcam as well. \n\nI was 18 ( a couple days away from 19, mind you ) when I met my current boyfriend in person. We had met online 6 months prior. My parents ( especially my dad ) were wary because he was a stranger. ( I'm in Canada and he's about 3000 miles away in the USA ) They allowed him to fly out and stay for a week AFTER they saw pictures/talked to him. I also had been calling him almost every day for about 6 months prior to the visit. They believed in my own judgement too.\n\nMy parents ended up liking him and he's been out a few times since. If you're sincere about caring for her, make it clear to her dad that you respect her. That's my dad's biggest concern right now.\n\n\nTL;DR - Talk to her parents on the phone and/or go on webcam to at least get the whole, 'He's a 40 year old pedophile' thing out of the way. Wait until she's 18 to try and see her.\n\n", "score": 3 } ]
Reddit, I have been an atheist for as long as I can remember. I have some questions.
I have a couple questions, and have some arguments I was hoping you could help me strengthen. Let me start off by explain that my dad is an atheist, and my mom is Christian. I have never gone to church, nor have i ever wanted to. I have always had a choice on whether or not I wanted religion in my life, When I was young I decided against it because it sounded horrible listening to a guy talk for hours. Going through elementary school was hard, many kids we appalled to learn that I didn't believe in god, and as a child I wasn't really able to argue very well. I'm now a junior in high school, and am very good at getting my point across. Obviously its hard to change the thoughts of brainwashed Mormons but why can you really do? Here are some questions that i have always had about religion. Is there anything I am missing from religion? Is a spiritual high really so amazing? How can I use the child indoctrination argument, without it easily being turned around on me? How can I show that it was my choice to be an atheist and not my fathers?
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[ { "body": "Im somewhat like you, in that I don't ever remember having any belief in the supernatural. My father was a closeted atheist, and my mom a protestant. I was taken to church weekly until I was eighteen, but I always hated it. My only sibling and I both came out atheists. I personally believe that some of us are just not wired for faith. After years of research into various religions, the underlaying mythology, and some psychology, I have come to the same conclusion I reached at age 5; religion is silly. All that you are missing is a willingness to believe that which logic will tell you is patently false. As for childhood indoctrination, perhaps you should avoid that argument, giving your background. I usually tell people that I simply don't believe in the supernatural, and leave it at that.", "score": 3 }, { "body": ">Is there anything I am missing from religion? Is a spiritual high really so amazing?\n\nIt's a double-edged sword. The community can be nice if you are with them, but painful when you leave the church and become a pariah. Not worth it at all. As for the enjoyment of the mystery of God, it seems great when you are in it, but rather silly when you look back and see all that time you wasted really thinking that you were apart of a make-believe construct. \n\n>How can I show that it was my choice to be an atheist and not my fathers?\n\nHave strong arguments. The child indoctrination argument is only effective if your arguments are weak. \n\n", "score": 3 } ]
Hey Reddit, my apartment was just robbed. Any advice?
We left to go out for dinner with my family and when we got back our 2nd floor apartment sliding glass balcony door had been pried open and then lifted out of its deadbolt. Both of our cellphones (and my backup phone) were stolen and we have no landline. Had to ask the neighbours for a phone so we could call the police. So between my girlfriend and myself all we lost was 2 laptops, some jewelry, and her purse. Unfortunately her purse had just about every important thing you could imagine other than SIN. That means car keys, apartment keys, driver's licence, etc. I'm hoping that some helpful redditors might be able to point out anything we have forgotten to do or should still do. Things we've already done: * Called police and they have been and done their thing * Called credit card company (luckily it hadn't been used) * Called landlord * Maintenance guy changed our locks * Took her car to a friends place so that it isn't at the building * Bought some pay as you go phones (which can't be activated because visa is down) * Changed all of our passwords for email and everything else we could think of * Made a list of everything we could think of that was stolen and are hunting down reciepts (unfortunately she kept all of her important reciepts in her laptop bag so we will have to hope the store has a record of the purchase) * Calling insurance company on monday * Going to DMV on monday * Calling the companies that do credit checks and stuff tomorrow to have them put a special call notice thing on her drivers licence (suggested by police) * Comforted our cat which thankfully didn't run away during the time the door was left open. * Made a wooden bar for the door to keep it from being lifted open in the future.
6
[ { "body": "Record all serial numbers of electronic devices, email to yourself, do this for all new products. When police bust a burglar they often find things they KNOW are stolen but can't take without proof. If you have serial numbers that match stuff found in someone's possession, the police will love you for helping add another year or two to the offender's record (while you get back your gear).\n\nActually, better do that for the new DVD player now. It's easier and cheaper than insurance.", "score": 3 } ]
DAE hate walking past the already seated first class passengers as you board a plane?
they seem to have nothing better to do before takeoff than watch the coach passengers stumble through the aisle.
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[ { "body": "On a similar note, it irritates me that airlines don't seat the plane from the rear. If you seat people in the back of the craft first, it makes it easier for everyone to get to their seats and stow their luggage.", "score": 4 } ]
AskReddit seems to be all about shitty things that have happened to people. What's the most awesome thing that's ever happened to you?
Also acceptable would be those who have awesome families (as opposed to abusive fathers, uber Christian moms), had a mishap turn out well, or got into a *notably* good relationship (something very interesting, not just "we love each other a lot" - although good for you if you do).
8
[ { "body": "There was one day last semester when the whole day went perfectly. As soon as I arrived I found a parking space-- at my school you have to wait in line inside the parking garage for at least 15-20 minutes. Then I found out 2 out of 3 classes were canceled. I felt overjoyed from both events and proceeded to the library to catch up on some homework/internet browsing. I met my friend there who also had his class canceled (this is when swine flu was a big deal) and we went to the nearest park and smoked some weed. On the way back we stopped by In-N-Out and I got myself a double double animal style and a neapolitan shake. Combined with the awesome mood I was in and the weed, the burger and shake was easily the best tasting meal I had in a long while. \n\nAfter eating, we went outside for an after-meal cigarette. Then a very attractive girl asked us for a light. We engaged in conversation and I would have asked for her number, but I had a girlfriend back then so I helped my friend get her number. They were obviously somewhat interested in each other, but neither were making a move. So I suggested they hang out sometime and she asked him if he wanted her number. This was the first number he had gotten from a girl and he was so happy that he handed the rest of his weed over to me (about an ounce) claiming he was going straight edge for this girl. \n\nAfter class I went home and invited a few of my friends to come share my newly acquired weed. We went to the beach and smoked weed watching the sun go down and played guitar around a bon-fire until the cops came and told us to put it out and go home because the beach was closed (I was not aware that beaches close prior to this event). \n\nMy roommate was my then girlfriend and she was gone for the weekend, so I hosted a lan-party. We played TF2 until the sun came back up. \n\nTHE END", "score": 13 }, { "body": "When I was in middle school, I entered a \"design your own pop-tart\" contest in Nickelodeon magazine. I ended up winning 12 boxes of pop-tarts. \n\nIt was magical.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Recently, I happened to buy concert tickets on the same day that the website was running a contest which you had to purchase tickets to enter. I didn't even really realize I was entered until I got a random phone call later telling me that I won. Now, I can get two free tickets to all the concerts I want at this specific venue for the rest of 2010. I go to a ton of concerts, so this is seriously effing awesome for me. ", "score": 3 } ]
I have a problem with blank, what do I do?
So, I woke up this morning only to find myself blanked out on blank. I started worrying about blank and now I have no idea what to do. Please help ASAP so I can start worrying about other blanks of my life.
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[ { "body": "Well, first of all, blank the blanks that blank you. Then, start blanking everything around you, I mean just 360-degree pure rage-fueled blanking, till your blank is sore. It's up to you after that; I usually black out after blanking blanks like that. If I may suggest something, however, don't ever blank the blanks. It's just not cool.", "score": 3 } ]
What's the deal on pickups?
Due to the seeming popularity of Rondo guitars, I picked up an Agile AL-2000 ([link](http://www.rondomusic.com/electricguitar-ss9.html)) which I am more than pleased with. The guitar plays just as well as some of the high end guitars that I've seen. However, with the stock pickups I think it's lacking that tenacity in sound that I know guitars are capable of. * Will new pickups make a big difference? * Do you have any suggestions of good pickups for someone on a budget? * Would I be able to replace them by myself? Thanks in advance.
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[ { "body": "Right so it's a Les Paul type guitar. \n\nMy recommendation is get something with AlNiCo magnets. If you're on a budget search in this order, from low to high ;) \n\n * Guitar Fetish\n * Gibson Burstbuckers/490-498 set/Classic 57s from eBay\n * Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates/Seth Lover\n * Bareknuckle or Throbak pickups\n\nThe last are boutique, excellent pickups but probably overkill in terms of cost versus your guitar. I personally recommend going the Gibson or Seymour Duncan route, particularly from eBay. Buying secondhand is a good thing too, they don't sound any worse. The Guitar Fetish pups are supposedly quite good too, they're certainly made from the right recipes.\n\nAs far as installing them, if you have a 30W soldering iron and some experience soldering it will be no trouble. It'll take you longer to change the strings and decide on pickup height afterwards. However if you're not comfortable soldering I'd get someone else to do it as the biggest mistake made when installing pickups is overheating volume pots when earthing the pickup cable on the casing. You can easily nuke a pot and leave yourself unable to play until you get a new one.\n\nIf you have any questions or just want some more guidance just let me know, I'm a fiend for this stuff. Don't be afraid to keep asking, it's better that you get the full picture in your head.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "A new amplifier makes the most noticable difference in sound but new pickups can also make a considerable difference. ", "score": 3 } ]
I just watched The Road, and now I might kill myself.
Most depressing movie ever. The entire movie my stomach was in knots, why go on? what's the point? ugh... I guess it makes me so depressed because that is what would happen if the world was ending.
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[ { "body": "Oh, come on. It's a parable.\n\nI can't shake the feeling that there's a good chance that's where we're heading though. I watched it hoping it would put things in perspective for me but all I think it really did was give vision to my fears though.\n\nFor most depressing movie ever, I'm going to have to nominate *Requiem for a Dream* though.", "score": 39 }, { "body": "Am I the only one that thinks this is an uplifting tale about the power of a father's love for his son? Sure the setting is a hard downer, but the theme throughout is about the persistence of love. The Man does anything he can to keep the boy alive and teach him values that matter in a world that doesn't necessarily share those values. \n\nWhen my wife and I saw the movie, after it was over we immediately wanted to go back in and watch it again (and we've given away a half dozen copies of the book to our friends). But then our favorite television show is still the first season of Millennium, so maybe we're broken.", "score": 25 }, { "body": "The day after I saw The Road I went to the store and bought about $200+ of groceries. Wasn't on purpose but I can't help but think my mind was pulled in that direction.", "score": 19 }, { "body": "I saw it on December 31, and it's haunted me since then. I was walking through a Best Buy recently, and I thought: *None of this will matter when it happens.*\n\nYep. Pretty bleak. Fucking well done, though.", "score": 15 }, { "body": "Having read the book, there was no way in hell I was going to see the movie. We are all pretty fucked if/when this happens. ", "score": 9 }, { "body": "God damned it. After reading the book I went into an actual depression. I was planning to see the movie today 'cause \"there's no way it can be as bad\". Guess I won't be doing that now.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "don't kill yourself, at least until the next McCarthy book has been adapted to the screen. Blood Meridian is being made, has been made or is in the can waiting to be shown. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0983189/\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Meridian\n\ni suggest not waiting and getting the book, my favorite book of McCarthy's so far i think.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I just read the book...dear fucking sweet god. \n\nThere's this one line, from when the boy is ill (haven't seen the movie)\n\nDo you think that your fathers are watching? That they weigh you in their ledgerbook? There is no book and your fathers are dead in the ground.\n\nCold.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I've only read the book, but it's not quite what would happen if the world was ending. Just as some authors write about wizards and elves, and some authors write about spaceships, McCarthy writes about hard men walking bleak landscapes where strangers are likely to kill them. In The Road, he has pushed bleakness into the realm of fantasy by creating a world where nothing at all lives but his two protagonists and the dying or murderous humans they encounter.\n\nIn reality, if there are dead trees, there will be grubs and insects eating the wood, and if there are dead humans, or living humans leaving shit, there will be flies, and if there are insects, there will be birds eating them, and feral cats eating the birds, and coyotes eating the cats. If there is enough sunlight to scan distant cities with binoculars, there will be enough for plants adapted to living in dense forests. There will be mosses, lichens, beetles, earthworms, and crows. McCarthy has excluded all these creatures for purely literary reasons -- he wants to imagine the effect of their absence on the human soul. And in that sense it's an optimistic book because some people retain their goodness.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Just saw it last night and I've never seen a more bleak post-apocalyptic scenario. I've never seen one portrayed as so utterly hopeless. \n\nSPOILER:\n\nEven the end, though it seems happy...you know they'll still be no better off. All it takes is being caught unawares even once. \n", "score": 3 } ]
I Suspect My Mother Is A Sociopath
I am not a psychologist but have long had a passion for it as a hobby. I just love reading what psychologists have to say about why people behave as they do, think as they do. Anyway, after a deep late-night conversation with a friend I recently re-read Marta Stout's 'The Sociopath Next Door' and was upset to find that my friend seems to be right - my mother is likely a sociopath. As long as I can remember my mother has treated me like I am incompetent. It would be one thing if I were, but I am a college graduate and mother and in a monogamous, long-term relationship. Not a total loser, I don't think. And yet I cannot seem to even do simple tasks right, like coating a cakepan or cleaning up after my son's lunch. During a recent conversation about some difficulties I am having (my fiance' was recently fired and my son and I are currently living with her) I was told cooly that she "thought eventually you'd grow out of some of the dumb shit you do." She dressed me down at length in front of her husband, who is not my father and did not raise me. This is not the 1st time that has happened and is, to say the least, humiliating. And yet, somehow, I am always told how 'cool' she is, I suppose because she swears and tells jokes. It's all an act. Her couches are more important to her than her grandson. Just the other day, she moved his rocking horse from near a small table to in front of a plate glass door, so he "wouldn't hurt the table." Yeah, because babies are so immune to broken glass. Or what about this week when he was annoying her while she was cutting some bread and she said, no amusement in her voice, "If you make me cut myself, I'll hit you." But it's all so subtle that for a long time I thought it must be me. She's probably right, I probably just suck and am unobservant and irresponsible and whatever.... But the thing is, according to Dr. Stout: "If you find yourself often pitying someone who consistently hurts you or other people, and who actively campaigns for your sympathy, the chances are close to 100% that you are dealing with a sociopath." I have spent my life listening to how awful her childhood was. How badly her mother tortured her and took advantage of her and robbed her of her childhood. Not to say none of this is true. My grandmother was always sweet to me but I have had glimpses of something altogether different. Also my mother has a pretty serious heart condition that she will bring up for no reason and go on and on and on about. All the while playing off all this exposition as if she is a real trooper, some kind of little heroine. Mainly for not treating us as badly as her mother treated her. At least she has something to complain about that isn't so subtle it sounds nuts. And it isn't just us, her children, either. I grew up fascinated and confused by how she could carry on an hours-long conversation with someone, laughing and telling stories, seemingly listening, then afterwards in private dress them down so badly I wondered whether they were friends or not after all. Kids don't understand or even conceive of these things, and now as an adult I am wondering if there is something more wrong here than I would like to think about. Oh, and I forgot to mention how she surrounds herself with cats whom she only loves if she isn't pissed off or doing something more important, or the creeeeeeeepy smile she has sometimes, which appears to be a nice grin - teeth, crinkled eyes, all that - but which forms too quickly and doesn't reach the middle of her eyes, somehow. Anyway I apologize for the rambling, was just wondering if anyone knew much about sociopaths. I know it is somewhat genetic, but I at least seem to have escaped that fate. She's never made sense to me and I always thought it was me who was wrong, have tried to make her happy and failed, then rationalized it and tried again. If anyone can help me, give some insight, I would be eternally grateful.
9
[ { "body": "Your mother might be what professionals call \"A health threatening person\" - the term sociopath and psycopath are both very difficult terms. People expect all sociopaths to be fullblown killers. This is offcourse not the case. \n\nIf your mother hurts you - reduce your time with her gradually to the point where you do not meet with her anymore. It feels like shit but it will make your life much better in time. \n\nWhy worry about her diagnosis? Look at your own life and decide if she is a positive or negative force in it. Then act. Do it for your spouse and your children. \n\nYou are a grown person now. \n\nBest of luck. ", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Sounds like my father. Does your mother 'consume' friends as well? People totally love her at first, but never want to see her again after a while?\n\nYour story sounds very familiar to me. When you spoke of the creepy smile, I saw my father's face. The smile of a true narcissist / sadist is quite creepy indeed. It's a smile from a parallel universe, where the sociopath is the evil emperor of his / her own world, where (s)he is a godlike and perfect being, the center of all that exists and the meaning of all life.\n\nI haven't seen my father since my second son was born (because I felt I couldn't keep that from him, despite of what he is) and I never want to see my father again, because I feel so much better in general when he's not around. He used to \tsuck the energy from me like a vampire. At a certain point in time, I came to the realization that all the love he has is directed at himself.\n\nAt the age of seven, I was put in a special boarding school because my behaviour indicated a 'very heavy case of ADHD'. After that, there have been (far too) many years of medication like Ritalin and Amphetamine, specialists, etcetera ... horrible. \n\nYears later, after having received my bachelor, I'm running my own company with success, a completely impossible feat for someone truly 'ADHD'. I don't smoke or drink, I meditate and I'm a vegetarian. There are ups and downs of course, and I sometimes argue with my wife like anyone else, but I'm happy with my life in general and I love what I do.\n\nIn my early years, in the field of psychology, children were observed as separate entities, while today the home situation is much better taken into account. I suspect that my behaviour and poor concentration had everything to do with a home situation that just never felt safe. There was always a threat in the air of a completely unpredictable and unjust outburst of aggression for whatever reason he could come up with. This has been blocking my thoughts and dreams for a long time.\n\nI remember this time when my father forced me, a thirteen year old boy, out of bed in the middle of the winter while I was really sick. Most memorable to me was the pleasure he seemed to take out of it.\n\nMy father too was severely mentally and physically abused in his childhood. What I suspect (but this is speculation) is that, at a very young age, he decided al his feelings were irrelevant and should be ignored and discarded. By consistently ignoring his own emotions, his [EQ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_quotient) has dropped far below average. But I'm not a psychologist either though, it's purely amateur speculation.\n\nFor a long time, in our family this was used as an excuse for his behaviour. We set our own feelings aside and pitied him. At a certain moment I decided that a bad childhood is a poor excuse to treat your own family badly every single day. I decided I had feeling too that needed be respected.\n\nBecause a family is so complex in many ways, it took many years to realize what the culprit in our family life was. Then it took a lot more time to come to the realization that my father would never change, would never develop honest self-criticism (strategic self-criticism is no problem with him), and would never honestly regret anything he ever did. What we were so much craving for was simply unattainable. We would have to adapt to him, and to me that was simply unacceptable. I'm glad for my mother at least that they're divorced now. He is almost done consuming his second wife now, after which he'll probably happily go on hunting for another life to destroy. Sorry about my cynical tone, I just don't think about him with much affection.\n\n[This is a great article I've recently read](http://www.robertmatthews.org/psychopath_articles.html), about socialized sociopaths, the ones that manage to keep up appearances and lead a relatively normal life. It was a feast or recognition.\n\nSorry for my rambling too because it doesn't serve as much of an advice in any way, it was comforting for me to write it down though. Please feel free to ask me any questions ;-)", "score": 5 }, { "body": ">She dressed me down at length in front of her husband\n\nCruel, but not sociopathic.\n\n>then afterwards in private dress them down so badly I wondered whether they were friends or not after all.\n\nI think every mom does that.\n\n>As long as I can remember my mother has treated me like I am incompetent. \n\nA lot of moms are crticial of their children.\n\n>\"If you make me cut myself, I'll hit you.\"\n\nSo? Plenty of parents/grandparents think hitting a child can be a good deterrent.\n\n>he creeeeeeeepy smile she has sometimes, which appears to be a nice grin - teeth, crinkled eyes, all that - but which forms too quickly and doesn't reach the middle of her eyes, somehow.\n\n...\n\nI don't know much about sociopaths, but if your mom from that description is a sociopath, that'd be lame.\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I don't think you're capable of making a reasonable judgment in this scenario. It seems like your own feelings in this are really clouding your judgment. You're really just interpreting her tone and priorities neither of which strike me as indicative of sociopathic behavior. Also your description completely lacks any manipulative behavior which I think is a hallmark characteristic of a sociopath.\n\nMaybe she's strange, cruel and detached but not a sociopath.", "score": 4 } ]
Please help me find this story!
So, I think this story was scifi, but I could be wrong. It at least falls into the apocalypse category. Basically, this guy wakes up in a phone booth (I think--maybe a hotel room?) that is entirely underground. He starts making calls because the phone is still working and gets in touch with a woman, foreign I think, who is also trapped. In the end it turns out that he is the bad guy. He bombed a hotel or something and lost his memory. I really have no idea where I read this but it really stuck in my memory and I'd like to find it again. Thanks for any help you can give!
11
[ { "body": "Glad you found it, but when you're done you should also check out that Bradbury story from the Martian Chronicles about the last man on Mars who makes phone calls until he finds the last woman on Mars. I think I remembered that right.", "score": 3 } ]
On the N64 experiment (or: Why does everything seem so absurd?)
I'm writing to the treeple completely and totally sober (I know, right?), but with a curious question. Two, actually. When baked, does everything seem much more absurd to you? As if the entirety of man's struggle and strife amounts to little more than children wiggling their genitals at one another (they don't know what they're really good for, but they know it's fun so they do it anyway). And if it does feel this way, what to make of it? Am I to conclude that my feelings on this matter are one of just drug-induced alternative consciousness; not to be taken literally but absorbed into the tapestry of my worldview, though in a minor way only? I mention this because of my [N64 post](http://www.reddit.com/r/trees/comments/akwdz/i_just_found_my_n64_which_games_should_i_play/). I was quite excited with the prospect of playing some of my favorite games from the past. Unfortunately I had forgotten about how the green, leafy goodness has the tendency to amplify the artifice in the world. When I watch TV or movies when stoned, I almost can't help but see how silly the whole thing is, even when they are serious works of art. I see them as people who are reading lines someone wrote, standing on a soundstage or pre-determined location, and I can even see the camera and crew just out of reach of the frame. How strange that so many people, and so much money, would combine together to make such a thing. And so too with the N64. Even more so, because the blocky graphics and poor resolution on even a great game like Ocarina of Time make things seem out of sorts. It was so difficult to concentrate when I was constantly focused on the artificiality of it. But this also extends into the world itself. Not just entertainment, but humanity. Human beings seem, to sum it up in a word, absurd when I'm stoned. It appears to me that we're scurrying about in a vain attempt to find meaning and purpose and in doing so conform to these odd social conventions and dogmas. We all pretend we're independent thinkers and open-minded individuals, but none of us truly are. Through the green goggles, the entirety of our output gives me pause. While it's wondrous what we've done with the 3 pounds of meat sitting between our ears, it too seems absurd. It's a feeling that's difficult to describe, because the answers to this would be along the lines of "What's absurd about a tree?" or "What's absurd about love, about progress, about making our world better?" Unfortunately, despite my wide and varied ways of description, words fail me. But perhaps those of you that have felt the same as I felt could give me your input. So we return to my original questions: When stoned, does everything seem absurd to you? If it does, what does that really mean? Perhaps the answer is, "Nothing at all."
21
[ { "body": "I totally know what you mean man. I get that same feeling, though it is really hard to put into words. I personally can't watch some of my favorite TV shows when I'm high because I can't enjoy them as much. Everything is so fake and scripted that it loses some of the magic behind it. \n\nI guess I really have no answer for you, but you aren't alone.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I can definitely relate, though I'm not really bothered by this effect. Often times I'll find myself mildly distracted, if not amused, by my awareness of film / tv sets. It's not only recognizing them as sets, but also being able to spot where they begin and end. For example, the illusion of a complete hospital dissolves into the awareness that it's just a small corridor. The use of makeup on actors and actresses is also more apparent. It's crazy to see just how much blush they put on people's cheeks. \n\nIf anything, it makes me question why these situations seem more realistic when I'm sober. ", "score": 5 } ]
just watched [5] Avatar in 3D, but before the show was a 5 minute long song and video about soldiers dieing for liberty and justice.
Sorry for the longish post there is some detail required because the whole scene was too classic... It felt like I was in the theater for the film "Goebbels" was producing in Inglorious Bastards. Well the commercials (read propaganda) they aired to the Saturday night crowd started with a Fox News debate they are going to show on the Big Screen starring clowns of Faux News. So not only will you get the PR before the film you can actually pay to see a full two hours of it. Then they aired a commercial for a new series about race car drivers in the South and Rush Limbaugh and other "patriots" are trying to paint a picture of it being like a Gladiator Colosseum and we are the great empire. Then a 5 minute join the National Guard video showing mild combat and a choir singing with pride about soldiers who are strong, proud, brave men dieing because they love freedom so much. It was a great juxtaposition to sing about dieing for liberty though all I could think about was the hundreds of thousands of all ages that we are killing. They aren't getting a trial, just a sentense. They are getting no sense of liberty. We're just targeting them as if they've all been found guilty of 9/11 by association and we're sending soldiers in to die and kill for vengeance. Not to mention the profits the private contractors are making for the killing, while they also never will see a trial for their murders. Then I watched Avatar which is about that exact thing.
33
[ { "body": "I don't mean to detract from your message, but how was Avatar(while high)? I've been meaning to get ripped and go and see it.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "The national guard propaganda gets me pissed off every time. Just tell theater management you won't be back.", "score": 6 } ]
Dear Reddit, I have a pathetic life and I need your sincere help.
Dear redditors, you guys are very amazing I have seen life changing stories here. I am a student from India. I am 24 years old. I was very proud from child hood and did not really care for anybody. I lost all of my friends with my carelessness and chased behind being successful. now that I have achieved something worthwhile in my life. I turn back and see I have no friends left ( Not even one) . I do not have a single picture of me having fun with my classmates or anybody other than family. I have done things that lot of people would think are very lame and stupid. Did not really care about anybody and now I feel very sad and low all the time . I could not share and thing personal with anybody. I get scared at nights that i will die alone with out any good friends in life. do think I can still make some friends?. I tried to contact lot of my classmates and roommates but nobody answers me back and nobody really cares to reply me on facebook. I think I have a very disgusting life. I also cried sometimes of this fact. please help me how to over come thing. I sincerely regret for what I have done and since I cannot change past please tell how should I change my attitude for the future. how to make some good friends. If this continues like this I am sure of jumping down a building or a bridge. Please give me some advice as what I should do. Thanks for your time in reading this. Sincerely...... EDIT:: please donot downvote all i need is help and valuable advice. I do not need any comment karma or any popularity, although my real life karma is already fucked up. EDIT: I was all drunk and went to a sleep , Just came to see all of your comments. I am very touched by your concerns. thanks guys. let me go through all your advice and answer them. EDIT: Thanks guys, if a lot you can think there is still a lot of world to see and lot of people to meet , I have decided to follow my own path to discover it. EDIT: thankyou all. I have decided to join a gym/club nearby. I have taken a pass and I am meeting my personal trainer today. I belive some exercise should get my mind of these things. REDDIT YOU ARE LIKE MAGIC BLACK BOX. YOU ARE AMAZING.THANKS FOR THE ADVICE.
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[ { "body": "Fellow Indian here. \n\n1) Pick an instrument, go for music classes. Good way to meet people. Who knows, maybe you could even start a band with people you meet there. There would be a welcoming local music scene wherever you are. Most of the metros in India have a very closely knit local rock scene . This was one of the ways I met many of the friends I have today.\n\n2) You're not alone. Plenty of people go through the exact same situation. Quit blaming yourself.\n\n3) There are plenty of local NGOs in most Indian metros, volunteer on weekends at these places. Again, a nice way to meet a lot of decent people. Plus the satisfaction from helping the underprivileged will go a long way in boosting your self esteem and happiness.\n\n4) There will most definitely be a point in your life when you'd look back at this phase from a better place, with friends and a happier life. It's just a question of weathering the storm. ", "score": 79 }, { "body": "to begin with, your story is not unique. the same thing happens to just about everyone around their mid-twenties, regardless of what your history is. life has changed, you cannot rely on places like schools to be introduced to people. you must learn to adapt to it.\n\nremember when you first got to college, you had a fresh slate, no one knew anything about you? it was an opportunity to reinvent yourself. now, as it sounds like you are leaving college, is another opportunity, but the rules are different. go to a bar, a concert, a soccer (football?) match, when i was in india, i met cool people trying to buy pot. you might wanna look into that for the depression as well.\n\n", "score": 66 }, { "body": "\"Learn from the past, Live for the future and Don't be a slave to no computer.\"\n-Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel.\n\n", "score": 38 }, { "body": "I think that a lot of people worry about this kind of thing after school. I'm 25, and recently moved across the country to a place where I don't know anyone. It's not easy, but it's never too late to put yourself out there and start meeting new people. Join a meetup group or a book club. Or just start hanging out with people you work with if there's anyone there around your age.\n\nAs far as your past regrets, I think it's just a good idea to learn from the mistakes you've already made. When you start making new friends, don't be careless with them. Make sure they know that their friendship is appreciated, and they will respond in kind. Good luck to you :)", "score": 12 }, { "body": "what have you done? if there were really bad thing that you sincerely sorry about, apologize. on the other hand, did you share interests with those people? I guess not, so why do you care?\nOther than that, since you seem to be somewhat successful, I believe you don't feel challenged enough, so challenge yourself. These emotions of loneliness are just a way for you to express your general dissatisfaction. Live up to your responsibility of giving purpose to your own life!", "score": 11 }, { "body": "1. click\n2. read\n3. internalize\n4. profit\n\n\n\nhttp://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends\n\nhttp://www.succeedsocially.com/sociallife\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People\n\n\n\n", "score": 11 }, { "body": "This is quite funny only for the reason that it's exactly the opposite of my life. I have a ton of friends however professional 'success' eludes me because I choose to elude success (even though I want it). I'm dissatisfied with the process of gaining success even though I feel I could have it easily with my abilities.\n\nHow I've made friends; care about everyone that crosses your path and show it in a small way. Ask how their day is going before putting your order in for food, or the checkout register. (if it's not a hectic day) Gauge whether they just want to get back to the grind or are genuinely glad someone responded to them as a human instead of a register jockey whose unquestionably at your service. Typically, they'll be appreciative of your efforts. In the workplace, consider the responses you like *most* when meeting people and behave the same way. Without exception, you'll find the friends who have common values very fast.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I am not from India but I think I can help you. You should try to get in touch with that little girl you were friends with when you were little, Latika. She is most likely married to a rich criminal boss. \r\n\r\nTry and visit her or use your call center database skillz to find her phone number. If you cannot get to her, try to get on television somehow and hope that she sees you.\r\n\r\nI think you will find her and after you find her you will be surrounded by a bunch of strangers and you will start doing a synchronized dance. Godspeed.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "do you have any hobbies or interests? they can lead to people with similar interests and friendship\nif you have success with women, try cultivating friends instead of 'hook ups' or lovers, friends gather more friends.\nparlay your success with getting women into getting friends. guys can be approached, talked to and met much the same way you meet women. \n\nfriends are very important. value them. and be a valuable friend", "score": 9 }, { "body": "What a great revelation you are having. You could have grown old and died before having realized this. You're only 24. That is awesome.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "When you contact past friends on facebook or whatever, make sure you mention that you have realised you treated them badly in the past and would like to apologise, and if they'd like to, be friends again. \n\nI had a friend that I had stopped talking to because she was nasty to me in the past, and she contacted me on facebook without explaining or apologising or anything, and I told her to get bent. Then when she apologised and explained that she realised now that what she had done was wrong, and a lot of it stemmed from her insecurities and personal problems. She had done some personal work and and wanted to make the past up to me now. After she sent this message we had a good talk and now we're friends again :)", "score": 5 }, { "body": "1. Re-invent yourself. Go to another city or something.\n\n2. Get a job there. At a large company.\n\n3. Dedicate yourself fully to the job. This is important. If you dedicate yourself to finding friends, you will over-compensate and appear creepy to any potential friends.\n\n4. Find some kind of a hobby you can do on the side and attend meetings. Your local skeptics society or book club. Some more culture-oriented bars also work. Meet people, but make sure your job stays more important.\n\n5. After 6-12 months you should have the beginnings of a career as well as several friends.\n\nThere are basically three principles at work here:\n\n1. New environment where you can start fresh.\n\n2. Meeting lots of people again and again, but only for fairly short periods of time. (Getting too intimate with people too quickly is creepy. Being in the same room with someone for 1 hour each week makes you look familiar to them after a couple of weeks.)\n\n3. Dedicating yourself to the job keeps your mind busy and stable while you expose yourself to your new friends for short periods on a regular basis.\n\nThis worked for me.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "My first sexual experience involved a Gatorade bottle. I hope that makes you feel less disgusting by comparison.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "If your past is haunting you that much, go to therapy. It helps. If you won't go to therapy, try righting your past wrongs in any way you can. Did you hurt someone? Apologize, and mean it. Make their life better somehow. Maybe through improving someone else's life you'll improve yours.", "score": 4 }, { "body": ">I sincerely regret for what I have done and since I cannot change past...\n\nIt sounds like your past is weighing you down. Whatever you've done, it probably wasn't as bad as you think, and you were young. You're allowed to make mistakes when you're young and stupid. You can't change the past, but you can change how you treat other people, starting from now. If something is really bothering you from the past, try to make amends as best you can. If you can't do it directly to the person you harmed, do it indirectly, by making a good, worthy donation to charity, or do some volunteer work. If you do good things, you will feel better about yourself. If you force yourself to start giving to others of your time, your money, your kindness you will find that others start giving back to you. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "they key to attracting other people is to be confident in yourself and the fact that you have something to put to the table. Because you do. You might want to analyze why you think you've turned off people before. Have you been acting high and mighty? Better than others? Have you been generous or posessive? Are you willing to have fun? Fun people are fun to be around. Don't be afraid of spontaneously changing your schedule and doing something new. \nDon't sulk... go get 'em tiger.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Wanna be friends? \n\nI really don't have any good advice for you, but I was in the exact same boat as you, am only two years older than you and found it much harder than you to make any kind of a social connection. Even my so called best friends are distant. I had to break up with my girlfriend, who I thought would be by my side forever. I was not getting any good job. Nobody trusted me. So, there was no initiation of a friendly relation whatsoever from my side for the fear of rejection. I was totally depressed and could not bear the pressure and returned to India. Most people considered me a failure. \n\nThe one thing I had going for me was, there were a couple of people who still believed in me, who offered me a job. It changed me a lot. I won't say I am doing exceptionally well these days, but I was slightly able to put behind my suicidal feelings and erase the depressional episodes from my stay in the States. \n\nMy take on it was: \n\n* hang on tight, you are too young to give up or give in. \n* there is plenty of life, other than your old friends. \n* if you have a good job, maintain it and use this as an opportunity to travel places, even if it is a local attraction. \n* trust me being alone for sometime in your life helps you grow a lot. \n* *edit*: meet people. :) random people. \n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "At 24, you still have a good 50-60 years of your life left (maybe more). That means that the 5 or 6 years of your adult life so far are only a tiny fraction.\n\nOne of the interesting things about being an adult is that nobody cares what cool or embarrassing things you did in school anymore. This can be either a blessing or a curse, depending how cool or embarassing your adolescence was. \n\nBut the important thing is that **THE WORLD DOES NOT HATE YOU**, or hold a grudge against you, or think you're lame, or stupid or any of it. The world doesn't even know who you are.\n\nNow, it might seem like the friends you've lost are the whole world, but they are not. There are about six billion more of us who don't know a thing about you. If you have learned the hard way how to be a better friend, and how not to be a bad friend, then it stands to reason that you may be able to make friends at a better rate than someone who never learned those lessons.\n\nMoreover, and this is probably hard to believe at this point, in a few years whatever you did will probably have blown over and nobody will care. One of the funny things in life is that you can bump into someone that you knew 20 or 40 years ago and start talking to them and it's like it was yesterday, except nobody really cares about the bad stuff. People really do look back and laugh, to a remarkable degree.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Try at the beginning to share personal information anonymously, where people can reply but nobody can identify you personally. Tell them what you have done in the past that has made you so ashamed. See what other people think of what you have done.\n\nNext, recognize that your past haunts you. When you try to meet new people, they can tell that you feel something wrong. In your case, it is guilt for how you have behaved in the past. Confront it. In your head, live through how you used to behave. Live through it, as painful as it may be, in your head. Endure.\n\nDo not wallow in your guilt. Your guilt is a stone around your neck, dragging you down. Once you have confronted your past behavior, and understood it for what it is, and how it has made you how you are today, cast it off. Do not forget it, but do not let it change who you are now.\n\nDecide who you want to be. Act that way. Then go out and meet people who share interests with you. Empathize with other people. Try to understand them. Give them thoughtful insights into their own lives, without thinking of your own. You will make friends through empathy, and in time you will feel worthy enough to forgive yourself and apologize to others.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Woa woa. Your smart, educated, have money, get women, and you don't have any male friends. Well shit you sound like a great wingman, let's have a blast and develope a great friendship! As long as they are not fat chicks lol jk, fat chicks need love too. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "If you want to make friends, then you start with family. But first things first, stop Facebook. Its a lazy mans way of having friends.\n\nI good idea to have friends is to contact ur cousins and arrange a small gathering. Tell them that they are welcome to bring friends, the more the merrier. Its a good chance for you to meet new people, just talk to anyone you see. You may feel that they are staying in groups, but since you have no problems sending a Hi to anyone on facebook, it shouldnt be a problem to do in the real world. Just tell yourself, whats the worst that can happen.\n\nAnother thing that you can do is to mix with your coworkers. Just say to one of them, Male or Female, would you like to grab a coffee tomorrow morning before work? Make it casual, even of they say no, just say its ok, i hope we do it another time. Try twice, if you still get no then its ok.\n\nFinding friends is about mixing with people as much as possible, you are bound to find someone. \n\nA good idea is to do some voluntary work, its one place where you can meet people that gather for a good cause. You will often meet kind hearted people there.\n\nAnother idea is to call one of your coworkers in the evening and just say are you free? would u like to meet and have a walk/dinner/drink in 30Mins?\n\nIf i have one piece of advice for you, it would be this. Say yes. I am still doing it. Whenever someone approaches you and asks whether you want to go out, meet somewhere, offer help, just say yes then think about it later.\n\nI hope you all the best my friend. Reply back if you need any help in anything.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I can't really offer you any advice other than perhaps to take up a new hobby, get out there and meet new people; it's never too late in life to make new friends, particularly if you mix with people with similar interests to yourself.\n\nSorry I can't be of more help, but have an upvote so hopefully this post will become more visible to people who will be able to give you the advice you need.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Also a fellow Indian.\n\nI have moved a lot and as a result have lost close contact with many friends, but have also made many good friends in the process. You simply need something that will serve as common ground to bond with people on.\n\ntat _vam_asi's comments are good and his name has inspired me to recommend that along with other pursuits, you may want to take up the study of vedanta. I was born in India, but move to the US when I was 4, so I have an American accent and many American ideals, but I also retain many roots to my culture (I speak/understand Hindi, Punjabi, and Tamil; weird mix I know). The deepest of those roots are probably the ones of sruti and smriti, the knowledge and slokas passed down to me by my family, gurus, Upanishads, and Geeta, etc. \n\nThus,\n\n1) Join a local Indian Vedanta study class, such as Chinmaya mission, and you will likely meet many people who have a similar background as you.\n\n2) Hell, you could even try to find a local Antakshari or Indian dance group and talk to them; most people are very open and friendly, and as long as you don't give off a creepy \"I need friends\" vibe, they'll love to hang out with you.\n\n3) I love Mixed Martial Arts and go to a jujitsu class at my school (UT Dallas) 3-4 times a week. Strangely enough, I've found that you never get to know someone the way you do when you fight them; when you are both trying to test your skills in combat against each other and are devoid of any anger or hate when doing so, you seem to catch a glimpse of their souls. And besides, why jump off a bridge when you could BREAK ONE DOWN WITH YOUR FIST. Just playing, but seriously, jujitsu will keep you both physically and mentally strong and can help you gain both self confidence and sweet ass kicking skills.\n\n3) Hit the gym, the boost in energy and endorphins, along with the gain in overall health will help you excel in all of your daily activities and just plain feel better. Also, chicks dig a 6 pack.\n\n4) As tat_vam_asi said, you'll look back on this as a turning point in your life. If you've hit rock bottom now, you've got nothing to lose and nowhere to go but up. Trust me, I've been in a similar place and it helped me completely restructure my thinking and my actions while simultaneously granting me a more expansive perspective on life.\n\nGood luck with your future endeavors, and I hope one day you will have the confidence of John Abraham, body of Shah Rukh Khan (in Om Shanti Om) and a wife like Priyanka Chopra. Additionally, I hope that one day you will look back on this and say, \"man my life used to suck, but now I'm healthy, learned, and can MAKE A STATUE TAP OUT!\" \n\nP.S. if you feel like your Karma sucks, live the rest of this life showing goodwill to others and hopefully your luck will change in your next birth!", "score": 3 } ]
In tears, my girlfriend just told me that she's been unfaithful. She's really broken up about it, but for some reason I don't care. Is that bad?
We had been dating for about a month when both of our respective schools went on winter break. Our relationship had grown quickly, and neither of us realized just how fragile it was when we went our separate ways. I went to Omaha, she went to Cleveland. We knew it would be a long time until we were both back in Chicago so I purchased a train ticket to Cleveland for January 11th. After three weeks apart our phone calls had become strained, neither of us seemed to know what had happened. We both expressed our desire to "go back to how it used to be." A relationship grows from shared experiences, and we had little. Our few shared experiences were largely physical so, having removed the key component to our relationship, it seemed to crumble, and neither of us knew why. At some point this became apparent to me and, after an unpleasant phone conversation I suggested that we take a break until my previously scheduled visit to Cleveland (which was one week later.) I felt that she would benefit from some distance on my part. I felt that it was imperative that I suggest the break before the idea even came into her mind. The next day she texted me something along the lines of "I dont think I can do this, all I want is to hear your voice." I didn't reply. Two days after that she sent me a facebook message, "Love you." At first I didn't reply, but the next day I sent her a link to a movie I that I made for her - http://vimeo.com/8619212 (wherein I draw the first letters of our names with a heart between them.) I thought that this would help reassure her, let her know that I still cared and wasn't treating the 'break' lightly. I didn't hear back from her until two days later. Tonight actually. She was in tears. Apparently she hadn't seen the video soon enough, and had thought that my lack of reply meant that we were over. Lonely, depressed, etc, she went to a guy-friend... and apparently slept with him. So- this is where the guy in the movie freaks out and punches a hole in the wall, or screams into a pillow, or drinks whiskey. Yet I feel pretty ok. Thoughts? Edit: To be clear, one of the 'rules' of the break were that we wouldn't talk (due to the break's necessarily short length [I was still going to visit her in a week]), and I thought it better to have her annoyed with my distance than fed up with my closeness. It takes WAY more for a girl (of her confidence level) to break up with someone due to distance than it does for closeness, and at that point I was worried that I was too close (I realize that this may sound like petty games, but in my experience younger women need a certain amount of 'leg-room')
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[ { "body": "Sounds like you are mature enough to realize how little this resembles cheating. She told you immediately, I wouldn't stress it considering this is a new relationship and the weird circumstances you described. Get to know her better, see what's up.\n\nGood luck. ", "score": 52 }, { "body": "Dude, you obviously have no clue what a \"relationship\" is. You don't start tossing about the L-word with someone you've been with for a month, and if you do you really should be translating it to \"I'm obsessed with you\" or \"I'm infatuated with you\". And what's up with the passive aggressive bullshit of not replying to her message? And what's up with trying to have a long distance relationship? Don't you believe you deserve someone who is there for you?\n\nI'm not trying to be brutal in saying this. You will be spending some time in therapy to deal with the underlying issues that cause you to behave as you are. Might as well get started now. Either that or wait until your 40 and you have a string of failed relationships in your wake.", "score": 36 }, { "body": "Well, she didn't cheat on you first of all. A \"break\" typically means you see or hook up with other people while you're not together, what exactly were you expecting when you said this to her? On top of that you completely ignored her for a few days after you said you wanted a break. You really shouldn't care, because you put her in this situation. If you want to pursue a relationship put this behind you, she had no idea what your intentions were, and assumed any relationship was over.", "score": 15 }, { "body": "This short episode could be telling you what the rest of the relationship is going to be like. I'm not saying getting cheated on all the time, but your relationship may end up getting strained *every* time you aren't together. It may lead to y'all going on a \"break\" on every break. I know this from a years long experience, and it's not fun.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "There's nothing wrong with you. While I cannot offer much advice I can say that your emotions are uncontrollable and wholly yours. Good luck.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "You're probably recognizing that you hadn't created the emotional bond because of the lack of shared emotional experience.\n\nCheating is shitty, but this is barely cheating, and it's pretty great that you're so level-headed about it.\n\nAt this point, it's a matter of talking about what your relationship is, where you want it to go, where it CAN go, etc. I wouldn't worry about it, but I would definitely ask her what she wants, and ask her if at the present moment she wants you to start seeing other people.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "If watching all that Friends malarkey taught me anything - You were on a break, it doesn't matter what she did...", "score": 4 }, { "body": "If you feel fine, good. It's better to feel okay about any situation over angry.I would be upset. But that's just me. If I had my choice I'd choose to be pretty okay.", "score": 3 } ]
Alright designers, what do your business cards look like? That is, if you even use them.
I've seen several blog posts of interesting business cards and I've seen a few famous designers' cards, but I was wondering what my fellow redditors' cards look like. I'm also posting this to see how many of you actually have business cards, I know it's common for (freelance) artists to make a post cards every few months with a piece of recent work and send them to any contacts they might have, but that (I believe) is more of an illustrator's practice. Also here is my favorite business card, even though it doesn't belong to a designer: http://imgur.com/qf2pP.jpg And then one of my favorites by a designer, for it's simplicity, Paul Rand's: http://imgur.com/3wbP9.jpg
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[ { "body": "[front & back](http://neatfocus.com/bcards.jpg). The cards used to match the design of my portfolio (the dirty/pixelated turning into simple whites/blues) but I've let go of that.\n\nAlso, I rarely hand out or receive business cards anymore.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "[You'll understand if you are from the Bay Area](http://www.monsieurlee.com/)\r\n\r\nThe physical card has an extra line under the email with my #", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Here's my [card](http://www.flickr.com/photos/irelandesign/4111026004/sizes/l/), and no I hardly ever use them haha.\n", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Here's mine:\n\n<img src=\"http://imgur.com/MmL2N.jpg\" alt=\"Hosted by imgur.com\" />\n\nAnd yes, I am that html retarded. \nAnd no, I can't bring people back from the dead.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "They say a computer programmer only needs two business cards, one to give to his wife and one to give to his Mom, so she can hang it on the fridge.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISYzA36-ZY\n\nedit: this might not work, im in france and their youtube is different?", "score": 4 }, { "body": "[here is mine](http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/6104/bizcard5.jpg) Printed, it has rounded corners and obviously a real phone number.", "score": 4 } ]
I drift off into alternate realities, Am i crazy?
Hey reddit, i have a problem. I have always been introverted and liked being by myself and just thinking about things. Ever since i could remember, i would create "false realities" in my mind and literally pace my room for hours. It was like my reality was a reality i could make up and i liked. In one alternate reality i am extremely rich and successful, in another i would be going through my own life problems but in a mind of a more socially capable person. I am 20 now and i dont know if this normal. I am not hindered in any way socially or mentally. I live a pretty normal life other than this. * EDIT: I am consciously aware when i do this, It usually occurs when i am bored someday. Could someone with a psychology/psychiatric background post your thoughts. * EDIT2: I see posts about an evolved form of daydreaming and i think this fits what i feel about it. I have played out so many versions of life events and possible life events. The weird thing is, everything in my "Daydream" has to be plausible. For example, if in one daydream i was a millionaire, It wouldnt be good enough just to have the money, i would need to make up an explanation of how i got the money and became who i was in the daydream. * EDIT3: Okay so i have said nothing about any religious/philosophical views i may have. And a fellow redditor brought up 'the human condition'. This is absolutely amazing, ITS EXACTLY HOW I THINK! I watched a BBC documentary which turned me into an atheist. It was about the evolution of humans out of Africa and into the rest of the world, with culture determining prominent racial differences. Ever since i watched this documentary series, i have felt, lost. I have non stop thoughts about life in general, sometimes i talk to my friends about it who act weird when i ask them their perspective as an individual on life. * EDIT4: Active Imagination!!! I finally have a name to put on what ive spent so much time doing. I see kids do this all the time, i just may have not stopped. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_imagination * EDIT5: > Carl Jung developed this technique as one of several that would define his distinctive contribution to the practice of psychotherapy. Active imagination is a method for visualizing unconscious issues by letting them act themselves out. Active imagination can be done by visualization (which is how Jung himself did it), which can be considered similar in technique at least to shamanic journeying. Active imagination can also be done by automatic writing, or by artistic activities such as dance, music, painting, sculpting, ceramics, crafts, etc. Doing Active imagination permits the thoughtforms of the unconscious, or inner 'self', and of the totality of the psyche, to act out whatever messages they are trying to communicate to the conscious mind. Could someone with similar experiences state if you are creative? As in musically or any other art forms. I havent really played piano that often but i somehow am able to play a pretty good tune if i just sit down and let my mind do the work. Its like im not trying to play, i just do. I dont know how to word it. Is it possible that this means the barrier between unconscious and conscious is torn down when i visualize
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[ { "body": "If you're crazy, I'm crazy too. When I have nothing better to do, I enjoy thinking about situations from the fantastic to the downright macabre - I've gone through planning exactly what I'd do if I suddenly won a million dollars, for what I'd do if my entire family gets slaughtered by ninjas, for what my life would've been like if I was born a different ethnicity.\n\nFantasy is part of a healthy brain - as long as you always return to the \"real world\", I'd day there's no problem letting your imagination fly.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Why waste time and energy questioning it? Instead, try writing up your alternate realities to see if others might like them too. I did, and they do (I even make money off them now).", "score": 3 } ]
DAE negatively associate names with people from your past?
I knew this kid in grade school that crapped his pants (Franky) in school and another girl that was a huge biotch, plus smelled like B.O. and almonds all the time (Tabatha). Now whenever someone mentions the names they tainted for me, I cringe. Edit: Oh also the kid who used to whisper-sing into my ear "I want to sex you up." Yeah, I'm talking about you, Ryan.
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[ { "body": "I've never met a Kelly that was worth the air it took to keep it alive. I also do not approve of Jessicas or Justins.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I will never, ever, name my kid George. Same goes for Travis, and I used to like that name. Or Rebecca, or Tiffany, and Sarah, and....", "score": 5 }, { "body": "When I was in kindergarten, we were all sitting on the floor for storytime, when something terrible happened.\n\nNow, this was kindergarten, so most kids didn't really have much control over their bladders, spots of piss on the floor at the end of the day were a regular occurrence. \n\nOur class was all kinds of diverse: poor, rich; fat, skinny; cute, ugly; smelly kids, not smelly kids.\n\nThen there was **Katrina**, childhood obesity personified. \nNot only was she obese, she had bright orange hair, and her mom always dressed her in skin-tight pink-purple clothes which made her look like a big plum. I can only imagine the amount of disgusting smegma-like cottage cheese in between those folds of fat. I doubt she was bathed more than once a week.\n\nSo there I am, listening intently to Peter Rabbit's shenanigans when I hear the entire class go \"UUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH\", I don't know what the fuck is going on, until I realize they are all looking at Katrina.\n\nThere she was, sitting on the floor. With a **massive** pile of shit between her legs.\n\nShit which somehow came *out* of her shorts.\n\nI'm still perplexed how that happened, but I assume that vile stank snake pounded its way through her short-shorts, out one leg, and onto the floor, sitting there like soft serve ice cream on a plate.\n\nI don't remember what happened after that. I can only imagine that us other kids were corralled into the corner while hazmat crews sprayed down Katrina. \n\nIt's still impossible for me to look any girl named Katrina in the eyes, without thinking maybe.... JUST MAYBE, this is the girl. The girl that exploded her bowels onto the floor in kindergarten.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "All Vikkis I run into have to prove that they're not a crazy ass bitch that threaten to knife themselves over being banned from a forum.", "score": 3 } ]
Do you like Wolfmother or Pink Floyd better and why?
Personally, I gotta go for Wolfmother. As much as Floyd rocks (and they truly do) I love the wild riffs and thumping bass of Wolfmother. The first time I heard them and was trying to get a friend to check them out I told her they were like a mix of Steppenwolf and Zeppelin.
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[ { "body": "I find it difficult to say that I like an immitation better than the original. However, Wolfmother is quite interesting. Also note that Wolfmother sometimes contains riffs from Black Sabbath as well.", "score": 3 } ]
A request to the men of GW: A little more ass please?
I love seeing cock, but GW has had a lack of sexy male butts lately. Would anyone be willing to fulfill this request?
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[ { "body": "I made a [video](http://www.yuvutu.com/index.php?name=Video&op=view&video_id=419673) which is basically almost entirely my ass in and out of various types of underwear... I'll take some new pics for GW when i get a chance too ;) any requests? how does sir like his ass presented?", "score": 3 } ]
What's so great about college?
I keep hearing people describe college as the best years of their life. I just started my second quarter at a "pretty good" college and so far it's not that great... I feel like I'm missing out on something. I'm a somewhat introverted type but not asocial. I've been to a few parties and they haven't been spectacular, just loud music and food and alcohol, which isn't really my thing. I've met some people, mostly through classes, and we're friendly but not friends. I like college, the freedoms and the learning opportunities are a vast improvement over high school, but if life after this only gets worse I'm not feeling very inclined to continue it. What am I doing wrong?
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[ { "body": "\"Put up or shut up\" comes to mind. It's not college, it's you. Somehow you keep expecting college to be great, but you describe some of the most advantageous times as \"not my thing.\" \n\nAny activity is what you make of it. College allows you the free time and the people, but you have to put the effort into making it great.\n\nGet to know the area; get to know the people and organizations. Once you know what you have to work with it's easier to get some fun times going. Join or start a club, get to know some interesting people, go to the dangerous parties (i.e. the you-know-you-need-to-get-out before the cops bust it up type).\n\nAlso, give it time. My best time didn't start until Junior or Senior year. By then I had many friends and tons of acquaintances. Connections help a lot.", "score": 13 }, { "body": "college = life experiences about living on your own as an 'adult' forming relationships, etc... oh yeah, learning as well.\n\nalso, experimenting with drugs, sex and etc...\n\njoin some clubs or groups with interests you share.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong? You said at the end: \"I like college, the freedoms and the learning opportunities are a vast improvement over high school...\"\n\nLife after college isn't an automatic down hill, you make the best of your life given your circumstances. \n\nIt's the second quarter, give it more time and I'm sure you'll get a chance to bump into more people with similar interest etc.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Ok, first off, don't think of college as the best years or your life. That is a terrible thing to believe, and false expectations have a way of fulfilling themselves.\n\nNow here is why college is great from my point of view. For the first time in your life you're surrounded by like-minded people, and there are enough of them that you get to pick which ones you want to be friends with. In high school you were pretty much stuck with a few hundred or thousand (at best) kids... at college you have far more possible friends and a much better chance to find ones that you click with. \n\nFurthermore, it is a period of mass de-inhibition. You don't have anyone to answer to, access to experimentation, and myriad opportunities that did not present themselves earlier in life. Basically you're in a mass of people who just got cut loose in the candy store. \n\nThe beautiful part of college in my opinion is meeting people that you actually like, not just the ones that you've been stuck with. And don't be fooled, learning how to socialize well is just as important to your education and future career as any single class you'll take at school. \n\nLong story short, get out there and meet the people that you will one day love and count among your siblings. (My recommendation: try the next dorm room down, thats how I met my best friend)", "score": 3 } ]
Praetorian Prefect | JUNOS (Juniper) Flaw Exposes Core Routers to Kernel Crash
A report has been received from Juniper at 4:25pm under bulletin PSN-2010-01-623 that a crafted malformed TCP field option in the TCP header of a packet will cause the JUNOS kernel to core (crash). In other words the kernel on the network device (gateway router) will crash and reboot if a packet containing this crafted option is received on a listening TCP port. The JUNOS firewall filter is unable to filter a TCP packet with this issue. Juniper claims this issue as exploit was identified during investigation of a vendor interoperability issue. There is talk that backbone Internet providers have been quickly patching this issue since yesterday night.
7
[ { "body": "This seems like something to get worked up about, until you realize this fact-\n\n***If you’ve installed a device with a JUNOS release version released later then 1/28/09, this issue is already corrected.***\n\nI'm sorry, but anyone running software that old needs to get it updated- lots has happened/gotten fixed/changed in a year's span of time.", "score": 3 } ]
Are there any other ladies with a male best friend?
I am a girl and have a best friend who is a guy, and I have just tonight been accused of 'cock-blocking.' Except it was phrased in such a way that I was doing said 'cock-blocking' so my friend was all for me. This is not true, as I have simply been looking out for my friend who is only recently done with a nasty break up. I am in a serious relationship (5+ years), and all of us (my boyfriend, best friend, and I) understand this. I just want to vent, and am curious if anybody else has encountered this problem so I can be reassured this isn't that strange of a situation. Sorry, I'm sort of disappointed in people right now, sad and tired. **Edit:** I have to point out that my best friend was also one of my roommates for awhile...I've moved very far away recently, so he isn't anymore. I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever actively cock-blocked him. In fact, I've encouraged him to go out and date people and things like that. I was accused of this by another guy, in the case of a girl who is a mutual good friend who was interested in my guy friend. I've asked her since I posted this, and she doesn't think I ever did either (and I trust her). I'm not sure if my accuser had certain actions in mind because he didn't say anything to me directly, or if it was my very presence that made him think this. I apologize for not offering specifics last night, but I'm going to go ahead and say I didn't do any cock-blocking. More than anything else, I'm curious if anyone has ever had a relationship entirely misconstrued from someone outside of it. Also, sorry about the misleading title (I'd go back and change it if I could). **Edit 2:** I've copy and pasted this from a comment (in a reply to zombieaynrand) below so you don't have to go all the way down there to have it cleared up a bit more... The girl in question at the moment is a kick-ass catch, and he was crazy to pass up on anything more than friendship with her, although I do see his point of view. He isn't a casual fling type of guy, and she also moved away recently. He didn't want to start something that he didn't think would last after she left. So, he wasn't going for the girl for his own reasons, and maybe his reluctance was interpreted to somehow have been my doing. Hmmmm...that did not occur to me before. Thanks for leading me to that even if you didn't mean to! I don't know why I didn't think of that before, but that's how it goes sometimes.
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[ { "body": "One of my 3 closest friends is a man (I don't think that I could choose only one of them as a 'best' friend), and we've been friends for 31 years now. We were often accused of cockblocking each other out of jealousy by outsiders when we were younger, when in fact we were looking out for each other. The important thing isn't what other people think, but what you and your friend know. A lot of people just aren't mature enough to realize that men and women can actually be friends, so they impute a sexual motive to everything. Ignore them, and just be your guy's friend. If he's got a problem with it, let him tell you and vice versa, but listening to other people isn't going to be really useful. If they press you on it, just say \"think what you want\", and drop the subject. ", "score": 9 }, { "body": "no male best friend, but pretty much all my friends (with one or two exceptions) are male. back in high school / some college, lots of people thought i was dating some of them (which i certainly was not!). so i kind of understand!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "You need to be more clear on what exactly happened. Did you \"cock-block\" him? It sounds like you did, but you believed you were doing so for his own good (because you think he's on the rebound and may not be thinking things through). Is that what happened? Even if he's wrong about your reasons for doing it, he still might have reason to be angry at you for ruining his chances. But it seems clear that he thinks you were jealous of him showing attention to another girl, which is why you cock-blocked him. You should probably talk through that with him, so he knows your reasons. \n\nI don't think it's that strange of a situation though. ", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I was going to say my twin brother, but after reading the description that no longer fits..\n\nPeople have asked us if we were married though (same last name). At the age of 16. It's always great fun telling people we're twins. (Shocked look - eyes switching back and forth between us, trying to see if we look alike.)", "score": 5 }, { "body": "> Except it was phrased in such a way that I was doing said 'cock-blocking' so my friend was all for me.\n\nI'm unclear if you were cock blocking him somehow? or not?\n\nI have a female best friend. In fact the majority of my close friends are female, and if anything a female friend is an anti-cockblock. If you see 2 guys in a bar you know in an instant that they're most likely trying to pick up so when they come and talk to girls they are already on the defensive. When a guy is with a girl, other girls don't know what the deal is. It's worked for me anyways. \n\nIt's great that you're looking out for him but just be aware that what you think is a good enough woman for him may be different to what he wants. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I've pretty much had a male best friend all my adult life, and got married to someone else. Then the best friend (due to a bunch of odd circumstances) moved in, romantic feelings developed fast, and now I'm married to two men, both of whom I love very dearly.\n\nI'd say to beware of cock-blocking in certain respects -- even if you're introducing him to women, if he's getting serious about one, do you put her down or otherwise act unsupportive? Do you understand if in the throes of initial passion in a relationship he kind of ignores you (this happens with both sexes with their friends in new relationships)? If you're acting supportive in these areas, then you're doing well -- but cock-blocking doesn't always refer to actively saying \"don't go out with her.\"", "score": 3 }, { "body": "One of my best friends is a dude and I've done a lot more cock-enabling than cock-blocking on his behalf. ", "score": 3 } ]
Should an Atheist be more active in the effort to "deconvert" religious?
A benefit for spreading atheism may open the eyes up of those who do horrible things in the name of religion. I think we naturally want people to have similar views as each other. But I feel like atheists don't really have that drive because many times adapting to an atheist mind-set invites a kind of pessimistic view of life. It certainly has taken a toll on me and I often feel like spreading and relying on the "good" for a christian is the equivalent of relying on cynicism as an atheist. This would hamper the capability of spreading the understanding of atheism to the masses. I guess my problem is that I am not comfortable trying to de-convert people. Atheism in some ways has given me a view of "granduer" under its belief but sometimes I wish I were an idiot simpleton only capable of seeing the world in black and white. I don't know if I would want it for other people. Examining the nature of good and bad so thoroughly that it dissipates has only made me more tolerant to ambiguity so that frustration is an easier to pill to swallow. But I guess I kind of miss being around people who believe that there is some type of caretaker, a preschool teacher who is alert while my comrades and I nap. I doubt there is any case in history where intelligence can be positively linked to happiness.
8
[ { "body": "I used to be happy and content and smug with having kicked the God habit: I could stop avoiding pork and looking over my shoulder to see if an invisible deity was watching me do something forbidding. It was liberating to me personally, but it was personal and I saw no urgent need to push my worldview on anyone else.\n\nThen came George W. Bush.\n\nMany will agree with me that GWB is the worst President America has ever had the misfortune to be afflicted with. In his time in office, GWB made the whole world more hostile, less safe and poorer. His (unconstitutional) faith-based initiatives included a reduction in sex ed, an abstinence-only model for birth control, denying condoms to the poor, overpopulated and AIDS-plagued countries of the Third World, and attempts to ban abortion.\n\nI was horrified in 2004 when those chumps re-elected him!\n\nWhy? A good part of the vote was \"so gays can't marry.\" So help me God (not)! People voted for this guy so he would continue to support their Christian beliefs. And the world became more violent, more hostile and poorer.\n\nNow I see an active role in the spread of atheism as a personal survival strategy. I'm not sure how much more fundamental religiosity our world can survive. And make no mistake: Those nice, friendly, moderate well-meaning Christians next door are part of the foundation of the rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth radical fundamentalists with money and political power further up.\n\nI hate to sound just like the folks on the other side, but: Each heart you win makes the world a better place.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "I don't actively proselytize but if anyone starts a discussion with me about beliefs (in an attempt to convert me), they're fair game.", "score": 8 } ]
Do you think it would actually be constitutional if, say, legislation prevented parents from teaching religion to their children?
I'm looking over the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms here (sorry Yanks, Aussies, Euros, etc., I have to work with what I know), and I'm almost wondering if you could get away with legislation that actually *prevents* one from teaching another religion before the individual reaches an age of majority. An individual has a fundamental freedom of "conscience and religion" - but they also have a freedom of "thought, belief, opinion and expression", and I think it's entirely arguable that a child would not be able to experience this freedom if they are indoctrinated into a religion at an age where they are not able to competently discern the information they are being given. And this robs them of a Constitutionally supported right. You have the right to your own freedom of religion, absolutely. But I'm not sure if you could say that it follows that you have the right to push your religion on your children without their consent. Damned if I know how you'd police this, and frankly I'm only thinking hypothetically. But I've never considered that a Charter freedom might actually protect one *from* religion.
3
[ { "body": "Once you start banning people's religions then what else is next? Should all anti-social, racist, militaristic, right-wing, bigoted teachings be banned too? And given that there are likely more religions in power than atheists, do you not think it more likely that atheism would be banned?\n\nAlso, there are basic human rights, that include raising children the way they want. They can change their minds later but it is not up to the state to decide what is right and what is wrong.\n\n[Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article:26.3](http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a26)\n(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.\n\n[Universal Declaration of Human Rights - Article:18](http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a18)\nEveryone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.", "score": 5 } ]
IAmA Girl who is in an incestuous relationship with my brother, and have been for most of my life. AMAA
Just nothing personally identifiable. There won't be any pics of either of us, because we (obviously) can't afford this to get traced to us in real life and get to our family. Edit: It's gettin' late, Reddit, so I'm going to be heading to bed (alone :( . ) I'll see you all tomorrow, and resume answering your questions. Double Edit: Oh I almost forgot, thanks to everyone for not being total pricks about this. Nobody really seemed give me any shit about it, and I expected I would get quite a bit.
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[ { "body": "Most of your life? How old are you two now? How old were you when this started? What is the age difference? \n\nHow did it start? Who initiated? \n\nAre you full on siblings (pardon the pun) or step-siblings?\n\nAre you living together? Is there a precedent for this your family history?\n\n", "score": 27 }, { "body": "I see in other comments that you're planning on moving in together after he breaks up with his current girlfriend. Are you afraid that the two of you living together will raise suspicions?\n\nGiving you guys the benefit of the doubt, and say you guys live happily ever after for the rest of your lives, how will you explain two seemingly celibate siblings living together well into their 70s to other family? I guess it's not without precedent, but certainly outside of the norm.\n\nDo you fantasize about dropping off your family's radar completely and starting over in a new city, where you don't have to be secretive?", "score": 27 }, { "body": "Do you think age of consent laws exist for a reason? Maybe because children of a certain age aren't physically and, more importantly, mentally prepared for a sexual relationship and it's repercussions? Is it possible that this act of statutory rape was firmly imprinted upon your young, impressionable mind and has left your romantic perspective severely skewed? Is what you call love simply a mental construct to rationalise the childhood event over which you've been obsessing? I mean this in the nicest possible way; I think you should confide in a counsellor or psychiatrist for advice.", "score": 23 }, { "body": "Thanks a lot - I now have an odd acceptance for sibling relationships, that I can never tell anyone.", "score": 18 }, { "body": "Seeing as you said you're on birth control and don't ever plan on having kids, I don't have a question. \n \nI wish you the best and hope that you and your brother can find a way to live happily with each other. Good luck.", "score": 13 }, { "body": "just one question.. if you never have really dated anyone else or even had sex with anyone other than your brother, how do you really know its love with him? Don't think i'm doubting whats going on.. because to be frank, whatever happens YOU happy, thats all that matters.\n\nBut if you haven't even seen what else is out there, aren't you kind of robbing yourself?", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Do you intend to tell your parents or any of your friends at some point? Because, you know, people might find it weird if brother and sister continue to live together for the rest of their lives and have seemingly completely 'given up' on finding a partner.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "You're in love with your own brother...?\n\nEdit: See name. Arrested Development reference, people. Come on!", "score": 5 }, { "body": "how much of a factor is it that he's your brother? if you could snap your fingers and magically make him not related to you but still the same person would you? is the fact that you grew up together, with him being a (apparently) good older brother i.e. protective, supporting, caring, etc. significant?\n\nsemi related aside: i've enjoyed a lot of brother/sister incest erotica but not because of the familial relationship but because most of it seems to focus on the relationship between two people and how they love each other. the fact that they have the same last name, for me, is kinda irrelevant. (disclaimer: i have NO interest in anybody i'm related to sexually.)", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Consider moving to Belgium, or maybe another country, were incest is legal and you two to marry?\n\nWas there any shame, guilt, or negative feelings with your relationship at any point in time?\n\nAre you two the only sibling in the family? If so, do you think that because there was only the two of your is the cause of your feelings that you don't want to share him?\n\nBeing older, do you feel protective over him?\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "No questions just wanted to add a thumbs up from me and my wife. Doesn't matter who you are with as long as you are happy.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Two questions\n\nWhat would you do, if you found out that he has no real intention of leaving his current gf for you, or ever being with you exclusively in general?\n\nand a more light hearted one\n\nDo you ever intentionally seek out media like movies or manga with incestuous themes? \nOldboy or angel sanctuary for example ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "do you think you had a strong sex drive at that age? Had you masturbated on your own? \n\nBecause if you didn't have much of a sex drive, it sounds like your brother obviously did (and most boys do at that age), do you think its possible he may have taken advantage of you? ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I've read that there's very little difference between an incestuous relationship and a normal one, but the psychological relationship often makes it hard to stomach. Like, living with someone for that long, seeing them as a sibling - your genetics start to realize you aren't a match, and you wouldn't make a good couple. Was there ever any revulsion, be it sexual or romantic? Ever any shame?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I don't really have any questions, as most have already been answered, and I must say, this has made a very compelling read.\n\nI would just like to say that I wish you and your brother the best of luck, and hope you are both happy!", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Before the sex happened, what was your relationship like? Did you have the typical sibling conflicts, like other families, or were you nicer to each other than, say, me and my brothers (we used to beat each other up. a lot. until they got old enough that it's no longer ok to fight their sister.)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I know I'm a few days late and only stumbled on this because I was reading about bozarking (hehe) but I have to chime in. First of all, I am surprised that I don't find this disgusting, but I also have no siblings so I think that natural taboo thing doesn't apply to me.\n\nBut really, it's quite clear that you need to experience more of the world. I think you are caught in the comfort of what you have come to experience and that you are justifying your abnormal behavior for fear of other things. No desire for other males sounds strange considering you say you are a sexual person. No interest in relationships? No experience with other guys? Have you ever even kissed another man?\n\nIt's obvious that this isn't healthy and I think a psychologist would be a great person to confide in. I'm not trying to be mean, and I don't even think that I have an opinion about your lifestyle other than it is odd and obviously socially shunned. \n\nReally... if nothing else... go fuck someone else. I find this very similar to friends that were virgins and could never rid themselves of the toxic relationship they were involved in just because of their lack of intimacy outside of it. Fucking other people does wonders for self-exploration and introspection.\n\nPerhaps you think about it and realize the taboo and it becomes more exciting and therefore why you keep doing it? (For instance, people who cheat on their significant other continue to do it because they like the thrill as opposed to the actual person.) Do you EVER have feelings of \"this is weird\" or \"I am fucking crazy\" or regret/angst? Even if they pop up for 2 seconds in your head, it may be telling... humans are capable of amazing self-deception. I would bet this is a clear case.\n\nEither way, good luck to you. My advice probably will fall on deaf ears, but seriously, experiencing more of the world to find out that you REALLY have what you want would be the best thing for both of you.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "How do you think things would pan out if either of you started to see other people? Would he be jealous, or would you? Would it ruin the family relationship you have with him? As far as emotional issues go, I think it would be like sleeping with friends- you risk the relationship by letting it get romantic/sexual. I've never considered doing something like this myself... never will... but it's interesting to hear about how it affects others.", "score": 3 } ]
So, my manager yelled at me today for taking half of a $2.00 tip...
Here's the story: I work for Domino's Pizza as a delivery driver. I made $73 in tips tonight from delivers, plus $1 from a carry-out order, which brought my total to $74. My manager counts my money, gives me what's mine, and sends me on my way to go clean the store. About 30 minutes later he says he wants to talk to me. I can tell he isn't happy when I see the look on his face. He then proceeds to ask me why would I take 33% of the daily tips from the carry-out orders. I was slightly confused because 33% is a lot, considering we usually have a decent amount of tips from carry-outs. He then proceeds to give me statistics on how much money he makes and how much those $3 would have added to his salary. He asked me "Why did you take half of that $2.00 tip?" I told him that I also helped make the pizzas, and I did the whole money transaction and brought them their pizzas. My manager continues to go on about how much these tips from the carry-outs are important to the managers that work inside, which I FULLY understand, and that the managers never ask the delivery drivers for part of their tips. Now, I don't give a shit about $1. I will gladly give anyone a dollar if they need it or ask for it. But the fact that my manager took me aside and yelled at me for taking $1 really gets to me. You may ask yourself this question, "Hey bargainmusic, why DID you take that $1 when you made $73 in tips from delivering pizzas?" Well, this is the second Domino's Pizza I have worked at, and from what I have heard from other employees of mine that have worked at other Domino's is that whoever takes a carry-out order and checks out a carry-out order, gets to split the tip. About 99.99% of the time I give the people who made the pizzas the tip from the carry-out because they did most of the work. And since my manager and I both made the pizzas, I figured it would be okay for me to take half of the $2.00 the carry-out order left. Again, I'm not pissed about the $1, I'm more pissed about how my manager went about confronting me. He was a real dick to me over $1 which got on my nerves. Am I wrong?
12
[ { "body": "I don't give tips for carryouts.\n\nYou guys have done nothing extra for me that deserves a tip. I don't tip other fast food places, why should I tip you for picking up my pizza.", "score": 26 }, { "body": "If you're up for it, you should yell at him for keeping the other dollar. And every other dollar he ever kept as an employer.\n\nhttp://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.htm (@Retention of Tips)", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Depending on where you live, it might be completely illegal for your manager to take a share of tips. In California, and in several other states, it is expressly forbidden for managers or owners to keep any part of a shared pool of tips or to be 'tipped out' by other staff. Doesn't matter if they make the pizzas, serve the pizzas, whatever, they're still managers.\n", "score": 6 }, { "body": "you are wrong for trying to rationalize the thoughts of a idiot. My advice would be to still put forth what you consider to be quality work but dont get caught up in the drama of a idiotic place like that.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "It sounds like he was upset with how much you made in tips but did not channel his anger and frustration in an appropriate manner. It is not about that $1 carry out tip, he just resents you for making more than he does. Remind him how much your car depreciates with all the trips you are making and about the cost of gas, maybe that will shut him up. Fast food industry is ridden with unstable people and all sorts of passive aggressive shit, especially from older shitheads for whom it is the only career option. Hang in there.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Used to work at a pizza joint - I made so damn much money driving I didn't give a shit about the inside tips - I felt bad for the cooks/inside people and just let em have it. But yea, standard was to split them.\n\nHowever, your manager was a giant douche about the way he went about it.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "To all the people saying the manager is doing something illegal, you are wrong. You are misreading the law. There seems to be a lot of confusion on this issue.\r\n\r\n(YMMV) But in general, managers/management may not hold tips as a credit against wages owed to an employee. \r\n\r\nExample, you and your manager are working the bar on a Friday night. Both of you have separate tip jars. The manager is allowed to collect their own tips. Even further, lets say all of the bar tips at the bar go into one jar and the tips are split. If the manager is working behind the bar and making drinks, they can legally collect their portion (1/2, 1/3) of the tips from the tip jar.\r\n\r\nWhat a manager cannot do is take that tip money and use it to calculate any change base pay based on the tipping. Employees can usually pool tip money, but usually cannot be forced to pool tip money by a manager.\r\n\r\nBut if the manager is working in the capacity to collect tips, then they can and should get a portion of the tip money.\r\n\r\nIf the manager is back sitting on their ass, I don't think they should get a dime. But I know a lot of managers, especially in bars and restaurants who cover several shifts in a week for employees that are sick, need a day off, vacation, etc.\r\n\r\nI had a great manager who often worked shifts behind the bar because someone couldn't come in. She busted her ass like all the other staff and she deserved those tips. I think Reddit needs to calm the fuck down with the automatic management == evil. 90% of you will one day BE management.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Your manager is a dick.\n\nI am an overtipped, I was blitzed outta my mind one night and called in to get a pizza delivered, well I guess the place was closing in 10 minutes but the driver decided to do deliver it anyways (It was a wednesday night or something, but it was after midnight so technically it was thursday) I gave the driver a $60 tip for a $40 order. He thought it was a joke, I told him it wasn't and that I was hungry. He nodded his head, and I winked and we went our ways.\n\nPizza was delicious.", "score": 3 } ]
Whats the most weed you have ever smoked? What events lead to it, and what events did it lead to?
Me: An eighth to myself in one night. The most I've ever seen is someone smoke a quarter of schwag to themselves through the course of 3 hours.
10
[ { "body": "Well, I smoke all day, every single day and have for over 20 years. With the exception of a dry day or two. ALL of 1999 I smoked...I mean NO dry days and made a point to do so.\n\nThat aside I smoking 1gr joints in Amsterdam as that is what I was buying and figured I would roll the whole thing up and then move on to the net coffeeshop. I visited many shops each day so I probably smoked 1/8th a day minimum, plus ate space cakes and I had SHITLOADS of hash, I threw chunks into bowls, and bongs as I went also. Right now while typing this I smoked a bud about this size of a thumb while I watched my freshly maade has drying across the room.\n\nOh, and I am a corporate executive working for a HUGE software company and make about $80k a year working 9-12 hour days. WTF?? When am I going to become a loser like those kids in the commercials from the 80's that were supposed to scare me?\n", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I went through a half ounce with 3 friends one night. Blunts, spliffs, etc... You just kind of stop getting stoned after a while though.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Before I moved halfway across the country, three friends and I decided to make some brownies and go to this great theme park which is about an hour's drive from us. The night prior, we made some pot oil (I was very exacting about it, making sure not to heat it too much and thus break down the THC bonds) and then cooked the brownies. We didn't even get rid of the excess weed, just dumped that into the batch as well. After confirming all was well, we set them in the fridge and the next day made our way to the park.\n\nKnowing how long it would take based on prior experience, I had everyone chow down on them about 20 minutes before we arrived to coincide with us entering the park. It worked out beautifully, and after we went in we were completely stoned off our collective asses. This is what happens when you use a lot of weed in a small batch of brownies.\n\nThe two most memorable experiences will forever be cemented in my memory:\n\nOne is the first roller coaster we went on, which is one of the tallest in the country (does not go upside down, though, as those rides made me terribly sick). On the first hill going down, I had the unique and wonderful sensation of being completely weightless.\n\nThe other was this ride in which we all got into this rounded tram ride (kind of shaped like the teacups at Disneyworld), which then descended into a dark tunnel. In there lights and sounds began to flash while we rocketed along, the cart rotating every which way.\n\nI got a sudden bright idea and began to sing the tunnel song from Willy Wonka, very creepily. \"There's no earthly way of knooowing...which direction we are gooooing...\"\n\nI heard my one friend -- a big guy at 6'5\" and 300 lbs -- start making these high pitched noises which I heard as laughter, so I kept going, singing louder and louder. \"LOOK, NOT A SPEC OF LIGHT IS SHOWING, SO THE DANGER MUST BE GROWING!\"\n\nAnd ended it all with the deranged laugh/scream like in the film.\n\nEventually the ride ended and we stumbled out. My friend was wiping at his eyes and I asked what's wrong.\n\n\"Dude, why did you FREAK ME OUT like that?\" He had been crying, not laughing, the entire time.\n\nI just kind of stared at him, shrugged, and went, \"Ooops....so does anyone want any cheese fries?\"", "score": 6 }, { "body": "my husband, and best friend, and best friend's partner, and i, went on vacation for a week. well, five days. we had two ounces of weed (each couple brought an ounce) and try as we did, we couldnt smoke it all. but damn did we ever try! :D", "score": 5 }, { "body": "on 9/11 we smoked a nine gram blunt, waited the amount of time until the second tower was hit, and then an eleven gram blunt.\n\nnamed weed.\ncrystally weed.\n\nEDIT: the *anniversary* of 9/11, not the actual day ^_^\n", "score": 5 }, { "body": "i've been a heavy smoker for almost a decade. when i was ~17 my friends and I would hang out in one specific friends basement and smoke almost every night. We were getting a bunch of brown frown on the cheap so we could all get high (we had like 10+ kids there most nights.) One night i dropped an oz on the table and every one pulled out a handfull and started deseed/stemming and once it was done it got all passed back to me. I rolled this into a single huge joint. we passed it around the room several times and then some douche (who is a much bigger douche now than then) pulled hard as he could and moved the joint away to start coughing. He immediately puked all over some hitting the paper of the joint. yes then we re-rolled without the puke paper and finished smoking.\n\nThe next night we had just a select few people and i rolled the same amount into a cone and all the cool people (being me and two others) pinged that bitch in a tight circle until it was gone. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Me and my buddys had 8 blunts on the way to see the opening of pineapple express. Damn that movie was good..I think...", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I personally smoked a 1/4 o to myself on new years. before hand I rolled a 1g j, a 2g j, and a 3g cross j, and then at the party, I hit a bong, a blunt, and a couple other peoples j's.\n\neffect: I was siting in a chair, deadmau5; strobe, came on, and I started dancing with my head, just moving it and my upper body around. I was high as fuck.", "score": 3 } ]
Reddit, what helps you fall asleep at night?
It's 4 in the morning. I can never fall asleep before 4 or 5am every day, regardless of how tired I am or how long I have been up. Any tips to help me sleep at night? Thanks!
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[ { "body": "I just read till i can't keep my eyes open and then fall asleep. Usually no more then a 1/2 hour - 1 hour.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Sheer exhaustion. I have a bad habit of pushing myself until I just give out, but it's gotten me this far.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "My doctor suggested I go for a semi-long walk before bed. Not gonna happen during the winter here in the north east. Other tips I've read online include:\r\n\r\n* Don't eat before bed time. How long, who knows. I wouldn't go to bed starving either, so just be content.\r\n* If you're a smoker don't smoke before bed.\r\n* Try to avoid drinking fluids. Caffinated or not, if you don't fall right to sleep, it might just pass right through you and you'll have to make a pit stop in the middle of the night. The idea is not to get out of bed once you're already in it.\r\n\r\nSomeone suggested the scent of lavender to me, it's suppose to relax you. She told me to get like those scented spray bottles, I think Fabreeze or something like that. Spray it on the pillow. I haven't tried this one yet, too \"fairy dust\"-ish for my taste.\r\n\r\nLike you, lately I've been finding it harder to fall asleep before 5am. Mostly the trouble is me just simply calling it quits and hitting the sack instead of staying up trawling Reddit. You just have to call it quits at some point and force yourself off the computer.", "score": 3 } ]
Why do I have to be so self-aware?
I am. I so am, it's unbelievable. It feels real. I.... am! I breathe. I can see, think, smell, appreciate my surroundings. I feel incredibly alive. I am a being. I exist! And it *sucks*! Do you know why? Because one day I'll be dead, and that will be it. Why do we have to be so self-aware? We are amazingly complex, carbon-based machines (complex from our own human point of view anyway). Why can't we be like other kinds of machines... the kind that also react to their environment (like the roomba vaccuum cleaner, or the accelerometers in a phone), but don't give a rat's ass on their existence? Or maybe they are programmed for self-preservation, but it's just that. A simple program. They'll never *feel* the way we do. I pinch myself, I feel it. But it's not my body simply signaling an event. I *freaking feel it*! Or if I feel too cold, it's not like I see a sensor in a screen going *beep, beep, too cold!*. Nope, I feel it, and it feels real. I am real!!! But I'll die, who knows when... car crash, heart attack during the best masturbation session ever or natural causes when I'm 93... who cares, I'll freaking die! I'd rather not be this conscious if that's our final destination. But I can't avoid it. Why has evolution taken us through the route of self-awareness? Have you ever felt so alive it hurts, Reddit? How do you cope with it? What sense do you make of it?
39
[ { "body": "I'd challenge you by asking; with such an apparent bleak outlook on life, how can you be so arrogant to assume that you are indeed so self aware? \n\nFor such a deep sense of self awareness you sure come off as having a low level of conscious thought about grand scheme of things.\n\nTheres nothing for me to cope with because im self aware enough not to forget how insignificant i really am. I will die one day yes, but the actions I take in life and the experience I get out of it will be my legacy for those who will remember me.\n\nGetting past the quantum levels and into energy; I'd like to beleive that consciousness is the energy that everything founded on, and that everything basically is an expression of that universal energy. What point would there be for a universe to exists if there was nothing capable of experiencing it?\n\nLook at the paterns in life...its basically a circle within a circle; neither with begining nor end. We are made up of the same stuff everything else is made up of, because we are nothing more or less than the universe experiencing itself.\n\nWe tend to live our lives thinking we're jane doe and joe the plumber and get so caught up in the experience that we forget the one unifying thing between us all; is that were a conscious entity having an experience.\n\nI could go on...but you're sure you are so self-aware.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Yeah, feeling so alive it hurts...\n\nI guess human is just the species that needs and uses self-awareness to detect our social surroundings in order to gain a sense of existence, consciously or subconsciously, just to know we're not a null. That might also explain why a lone human lost in a jungle develops psychological problems.\n\nTo cope with that: hmm, do you know how ballet dancers manage not to faint/fall after many many turns, or public speakers manage to control stage fright and deliver the perfect performance? they pick a focus, so maybe try to pick a focus on something you enjoy and then throw yourself at it - keeping busy with something you like, the sense of achievement from it would help you rise above it.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Some sort of consciousness is probably a somewhat inevitable result of an incredibly complex organic network. I don't think its a stretch to say that a dog, or a pig, or a monkey or a dolphin or even a rat is conscious, but they have different levels of consciousness. I was looking at my dog the other day and when I turned on the lights I saw him momentarily squinting his eyes in discomfort at the bright light, and I recognized that behavior as the exact same thing I do when I walk out of a dark building into bright sunlight. At that moment, it was impossible to deny that he, and thus any animal \"more intelligent\" and probably most \"less intelligent\" had some sort of consciousness. It's not the easiest thing to explain. The real question, I think, is whether or not all networks with as many connections as the human brain exhibit consciousness, and if they do if we could recognize it as such. If the internet was conscious, how would we know? Do slower or faster packet speeds mean the internet-mind is depressed or happy? Do we have any way of interpreting non-organic consciousness? The primary goals of organic consciousness are simple: avoid pain, make children, be comfortable. What would be the goal of a massive computer network, assuming it could achieve consciousness? What is \"comfortable\" to an electronic entity? What is \"pain\"? Does the internet hurt when I pull out the Ethernet cord to my laptop, or if a server farm goes down?", "score": 5 }, { "body": "What you need is god, then it all becomes so clear and there is no death so everyone is always happy at funerals because.........oh ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "ah, but you wont be self-aware when you're dead, so why fear death? there will be nothing to experience it", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I'll bite.\n\nWhy the hell not?\n\n> I think therefore I am\n\nJust make the most of your time alive and if it really freaks you out that you won't be alive one day, go out and create a legacy for yourself so you will be remembered. Even if that only means changing one person's life in a memorable way. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "What do you mean when you say \"myself\"? Where is the pointed to referent for \"I\"? Meditate upon the thing that is feeling these objects you call sensations. Elusive, isn't it.\n\nRather than fear my death, I recognize that I am stellar residue that perceives. Partially burnt hydrogen that thinks about what it has perceived. \"A way for the universe to know itself,\" -C. Sagan. \n\n\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "So metaphysics aint yer strong point, thats ok. Roll the roulette wheel of life and drop some acid. Good luck sir.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "have you ever tried to meditate? you will be surprise how unaware we all are. even thou if might feel like your so alive it hurts, really we are all just swimming around in our own delusions. your self-awareness is the greatest gift of all, its the reason we are alive, to use a religious analogy its your soul. through self-awareness we are given a chance to see and understand, not only the world around us, but we have a chance to understand ourselves. It is amazing what you will find out about the universe and your own being by being self-aware. \n\ntry learning to meditate to help \"cope\" with it... I used drugs for years to cope with it, and they work, but at some point doing too much drugs is bad for your life. m-kay? ", "score": 3 } ]
Storesonline, a company that rips people off for thousands of dollars selling bogus business software through free lunch/dinner meetings is holding a meeting in my area. Should I crash it?
Storesonline is well known for their scam. They hold meetings in an area which consist of a free lunch/dinner and a free gift (time shares, anyone?) and for an hour or two they try and sell their bogus business hosting service for literally thousands of dollars. You might ask who would fall for such a ridiculous scam, but apparently a lot of people do. Check this site out: http://www.storesonline-reviews.com/storesonline-review-part-1. Should I attend the meeting, and crash it by yelling at the top of my lungs how it's just a scam, or something along those lines?
13
[ { "body": "Even better might be for you to gather a few bucks up and print out [copies of this article](http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?id=23550). I suggest this one, because it's directly from a government page instead of just any old consumer report site. \nDon't just give them a URL they may or may not check. Give them two or three pages outside the event that they'll inevitably read whilst waiting for the speaker to begin.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Yes. Crash that fucker up proper. Make sure you're drunk, and don't forget to get some air horns. YOU ARE A WARRIOR FOR JUSTICE.\n\nEDIT: You should also wear a cape. (obviously)", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Just find a way to distribute that URL to everyone there and let them make up their own minds.\n\nFlyers on car windshields should do the job. Or chalk on the sidewalk.", "score": 3 } ]
Hi Reddit. Want a free ticket to the Big Day Out? My band can give you one. (Yes, this is legit)
Ahoy Redditors, As you may or may not know, the Australia wide Big Day Out festival is happening later this month. Acts such as Muse, Powderfinger, Mars Volta, Lily Allen, Groove Armada, Dizzee Rascal and Passion Pit are playing (full line up on www.bigdayout.com). My band is also playing at these festivals and basically have some free tickets to a few of the shows that we are unable to find people for. So, we figured we'd ask you, Reddit! I suppose all we really want in return would be to help us promote our band. Being a band consisting of Redditors, you guys might be able to help us a bit more. Especially interstate and maybe overseas too, as we are located in Brisbane, Australia, and have little fan base outside of our city. Our band is called [Teleprompter](http://www.myspace.com/telepromptertheband), and we're a 4 piece indie/punk band. We just won a nationwide competition to play at all the Australian BDO shows. We've just put a new single up on our myspace too, so if you'd like to have a listen and maybe let us know what you thought, it would be much appreciated. (note: we're getting these tickets to give out to our friends from our touring company, so we're not exactly running a competition or anything, basically we just want to make sure they get used.) If you want a ticket, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me a message. Basically we get given the tickets the morning of the show and can get them to you prior to when we go in. We'll grab your contact details and get in touch. One condition we'd ask is that you do watch us play at the festival, obviously. Also maybe have a listen to our music and tell us what you liked about it. That might put you in our good books! *Gold Coast (17/1) - All gone *Sydney (22/1) - 1 left *Melbourne (26/1) - 2 left *Adelaide (29/1) - 2 left *Perth (31/1) - 2 left Any queries, feel free to ask. We're not sure how popular free tickets would be (heh.) and therefore haven't quite come up with a selection criteria if we're awash with requests, but hey, it beats buying one, right? (note: I did not submit this to the Music reddit or the Australia reddit because I figured some people might not be subscribed to those and we didn't want anyone to miss out)
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[ { "body": "Melbourne x 2 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE \r\n\r\nI spent to much money entertaining some mates who came to stay with me over NYE and cant really afford to go to BDO\r\n\r\noh and congrats on winning the comp!", "score": 3 } ]
Dear Reddit: WTF are those squiggly lines on the streets of London for?
I've been living in East London (Mile End) for the past few days and I've seen some squiggly lines on the street, and I can't for the life of me figure out what they're supposed to mean. Can any Londoners give me the info? [This is an example, I assume from Central.](http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/lmedear2/1/1229467440/zh.jpg/tpod.html)
6
[ { "body": "167: You MUST NOT park on a crossing or in the area covered by the zig-zag lines. You MUST NOT overtake the moving vehicle nearest the crossing or the vehicle nearest the crossing which has stopped to give way to pedestrians. \n\nhttp://www.2pass.co.uk/crossing.htm\n\nIt's for pedestrian crossings.", "score": 18 }, { "body": "They're called \"wanking lines\".\n\nIt's legal to masturbate in your car as long as you are between the squiggly lines.\n\n\n", "score": 3 } ]
[8]Lift Off Was Commenced When My Friend And I Each Took A Heroic Hit From My Gravity Bong.
Before I explain the event, I will explain my gravity bong setup. The gravity bong is made up of 4 pieces. 7 if you count the amount of parts the [Bud Bomb](http://www.grasscity.com/the-bud-bomb.html) can be fully disassembled into. A bud bomb is a very unique metallic smoking utensil. The weed is put in the cap of the Bud Bomb and then screwed onto the main piece of the Bud Bomb. The smoke travels through a spiral that removes ash and cools before reaching the mouth. Look at the Grass City link provided above for more information. The second part the gravity bong is the white plastic lid of a 2-liter container of grape juice with an airtight hole melted into it which the Bud Bomb is inserted into. This cap is then screwed onto the container of grape juice with the label stripped off and very bottom part neatly cut off. The last piece is the dark orange 1-gallon plastic bucket with a metal handle wrapped with a loose plastic grip. In order to cool the smoke before letting its presence grace our lungs, snow from outside my house was retrieved using the bucket. With the bucket packed tight with the fluffiest snow man could ask for, being more beautiful than any I've seen before, I proceeded to fill the bucket by adding water from my bathtub's dispenser. The fun initiated after the setup was ready. At the final moments of 4:19, I skilfully began the ritual by filling the gravity bong with smoke. When 4:20 hit, my friend began to inhale the chilled tasty smoke. He made sure to save half of it for myself. I quickly welcomed the delightful chilled love interest into my lungs. After I was done coughing, my friend [The Andy](http://reddit.com/user/The_Andy) and myself smiled together. As we stood there, we suddenly exclaimed "Go Team Venture!" while touching the fingertips of our peace signs.
11
[ { "body": "[10] ALRIGHT, THE GRAVITY BONG HITS WERE SMOOTH. THE SNOW AIDED GREATLY. WE HAD TO CRAWL UNDER THE TABLE IT WAS ON TO JUST TAKE A HIT. AND THIS CONTINUED FOR AN INDETERMINABLE AMOUNT OF TIME UNTIL 4:1X ARRIVED. WE SMOKED AN INDETERMINABLE AMOUNT OF WEED UNTIL I GOT MOTION SICKNESS FROM ASTRAL PROJECTION. I FEEL NOTHING BUT THE BROLOVE TO ALL THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO SMOKE DANK TREES. BROLOVE TO ALL.", "score": 3 } ]
Dear Reddit, why don't the Democrats raise the tax rate on the rich?
I don't get it. I was always under the impression the Democrats were the party of the poor and disenfranchised. They fought for years against Bush's tax cuts for the rich, yet when they get their chance to dance, they don't raise taxes on the rich one cent. Please offer your best explanations of this phenomenon.
5
[ { "body": "rates should be the same accross the board. Just because someone makes more money they should not be unfairly treated. Fair treatment for all. but that would make to much sense. Politicians can't make sense. Even when they do they turn around and contridict themselves.", "score": 3 } ]
Hey Reddit, what is the scariest movie ever?
I think for me it may be Event Horizon, or The Shining... but they don't TRULY scare me. I have never actually been 'scared' by a movie. Help scare the shit out of me, please. EDIT: Looks like I'll be checking out 'kids'
28
[ { "body": "I saw Stephen King's It (and the sequel) as a child. Anyone else forever scared/hateful of clowns thereafter?", "score": 9 }, { "body": "[The Descent](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_descent). The idea of being trapped in a cave until I'm eaten by a creepy troglodyte or turn into one... let's face it that's freaky. Not to mention, this is the only horror movie I've watched (and I've watched a lot) where I felt the need to pause and hold my cat for comfort. ", "score": 8 }, { "body": "*The Exorcist,* not only because it's disturbing, but because of the over-the-top scary influence it had in our culture in real life.\n\nThere are scarier movies in the 'spine tingling' sense, but few have had such a deep and *truly* scary impact on our society as *The Exorcist* continues to have after all these years.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "You're my movie-friend for liking Event Horizon and The Shining.\n\nMy personal guilty pleasures for horror movies are [The House on Haunted Hill](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3b8v77Vz2M) and [The Exorcism of Emily Rose.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0I3SAizRbk)\n\nAlso, Ghost Ship is a bad horror movie worth the opening. In fact, just have [the opening.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om_o4YcCqWk#t=2m30s)", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Paranormal Activity creeps me out more than anything else I've seen. Even when I saw it a second and third time it made my skin crawl.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Scary movies aren't meant to scare you, they are meant to startle you.\n\nHowever, one movie i remember having a different type of intensity was [Open Water](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374102/) so maybe that will scare you", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The Shining. When watching it, there's nothing particularly that really freaks me out (except for the murdered twins) but when I go to sleep later that night I get some of the worst night terrors of my life. Every single time I watch this! :[\n\nDamn you, Kubrick! ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "[The Exorcist](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/).\r\n\r\nI remember trying to watch it alone one night and I got no further than the scene where the girl pees on the staircase.\r\n\r\n\r\nAlthough I did up-vote Event Horizon; a close second.\r\n\r\nPS: and most scary movies just make me yawn.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "For me it's the 28 Days/ Weeks Later movies.\n\nI know there have been scarier movies made, but those movies really get me. \n\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Alien. Not the sequels (most of which were decent movies, but just not very scary), but the original. Poltergeist (the original) was another good one.\n\nUnfortunately, like any movie, once you've seen it a few times you're able to anticipate when the scary moments are coming.\n\nEdit: Shining was a great movie, but the book was far scarier. Event Horizon is one of my favorites.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Okay. There's a difference between scared and horrified. 'Scared' lasts until the movie is over. 'Horrified' lasts the rest of your life, if it's done right.\n\nWith that in mind, here's a list from (roughly) least to most horrifying:\n\n- Open Water\n\n- Seven\n\n- Audition\n\n- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer\n\n- Inside\n\n- Martyrs\n\n- Irreversible\n\n- Aftermath\n\nGood luck...", "score": 3 } ]
I was convicted of sexual assault for getting a BJ from a 17 year old. I'm 20 - HELP ME REDDIT!
EDIT: ARRESTED, not convicted! I am a 20-year-old resident of Wisconsin. I have been arrested for sexual assault for receiving oral sex as well as alleged further sexual intercourse, and I desperately need any advice. This is a repost on a trash account. Here's the story: My friend's younger sister (17) and I had been flirting via text messages for awhile. She invited me over to her house and we watched a movie. She told me she wanted to perform oral sex on me, and I allowed her to. Meanwhile, her parents were unexpectedly coming home early; needless to say, they caught us. The father called the police, and I was arrested for Sexual Assault of a 16+ year-old (Wisconsin law). This crime is a class A misdemeanor with a penalty of up to $10,000 and 9 months in jail. I don't have very much money, and I don't want this to ruin my life! I am very scared, and I could really use some help. I posted on a trash account to avoid any admission of guilt.
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[ { "body": "I don't know what to tell you, other than \"if they are under 18, don't go near them\". Don't even let them touch you.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Just an idea...\n\nWould it not be possible that if people you know use reddit, or know of reddit, that they might recognize the details of your story. More or less making this trash account an admission of guilt? Especially if somebody wanted to get law enforcement involved in figuring out who posted this.\n\nI mean, sure it's a long shot, but it's just a though.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "LOL it's you again. Remember what we told you in the previous post?\n\nTALK TO A LAWYER AND DELETE THIS POST.\n\ngeez, are you stupid? Last time you posted your real name and admitted to a felony, and now you want to do it again?\n\nEDIT: To show you how serious this is, I want you to know that you're on [google cache](http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:IChIAK-ErjkJ:www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ans1u/i_was_arrested_for_sexual_assault_for_getting_a/%3Fsort%3Dhot+site:www.reddit.com+alexwylerftw&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) now with your real name and admission of guilt.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "No matter what - get a lawyer. Don't admit anything unless advised to by your lawyer. Don't talk to the police unless your lawyer says so. \r\n\r\nIf you don't have the money to hire a lawyer, get it. Use your credit card, ask your parents, ask your friends, earn it, sell your stuff. \r\n\r\nOh, and obviously the alleged victim's parents are assholes. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "some actual info on Wisconsin law\n\nhttp://www.vanwagnerwood.com/CM/Custom/Sex-Minor-Crime.asp\n\nget thee to a lawyer\n\n", "score": 3 } ]
Dear reddit.If you were given an envelope that contained the date and time of your death,would you open it?
An envelope that told you when you're gonna die!Scary. Would you open it and try and chance fate or just be too scared?
71
[ { "body": "I open the envelope. December 28th, 2019. Four pm. No cause listed. Just a date and a time in comic sans font. The second to last fuck you from death. \n\nA month goes by. Two. I frame the card, hang it on my wall. Fuck death right back. I say it doesn't get to me.\n\nIt gets to me. Sometimes at night, I'll just find myself staring at that card. Not on purpose. I'll start looking out the window and I won't even notice what I'm doing. And there it will be. It stares back.\n\nI start to take risks. I buy a motorcycle. I drive too fast. I buy a nice big revolver, like I've seen in those western movies. Thats actually all I tell the guy behind the counter; \"Something Clint Eastwood would kill people six at a time with\". \n\nI take it home. I put in one bullet. I spin the thing as hard as I can. No use in cheating. I take a shot of vodka. I hold the thing to my head and pull the trigger.\n\nI need to know if knowing when you die means you are invincible til then. Click.\n\nAnother shot. Another Click.\n\nI'm looking at the note again. Click.\n\nWhat does three put me at? I figure it should be enough to be sure. But then I figure I'm just being a pussy. But then I just open it anyway. \n\nThe next click would have been followed by a boom. Huh. Shit. I finish the bottle of vodka.\n\nI figure if I can beat the date, I have to start now. Be healthy. Avoid injuries that might become complicated enough to take me out. Then I figure, if I can't, I should risk it all. I can't make up my mind. I spend years not being able to make up my mind.\n\nDecember 20th, 2019. Its a christmas like there never was one. I go fifteen thousand dollars in debt buying everyone presents. My will is in order. On the 21st, I get together all the homeless people on my block and treat them to a four star dinner at a local restaurant. The staff didn't know what to do. \n\nDecember 28th. I'm back looking at the index card. I pull out the revolver. I've kept it in my desk all along. It's early; the sun isn't up yet. Click. Comic sans. Fucking comic sans. Click. I've never noticed, but the lower case p in comic sans has a little tick on the lower right. Click. I stand up and look closer at it. I take it off the wall, out of its frame. Son of a bitch. The stem of the p is a smudge, a cruel printer error. \n\nIt startles me. All at the same time, I want to get the hell away from the card, like it is a beacon for death. But I also want to check the time. What if it's 4:05? I drop the gun. BANG. \n\nI freeze. Did it hit me? I don't feel anything. I guess it -- and then my gut feels like ice. And then like fire. When did I sit down? I don't feel so good. The clock says 3:46am. \n\nAll that time wondering if death would come to me before its appointment, and now I want it to. I know it won't.\n\nFucking comic sans.", "score": 349 }, { "body": "Nope. My personality doesn't allow me to do anything useful with this information. I'd just freak out when I realized I had another deadline to meet.", "score": 32 }, { "body": "I'd open it and then prove it wrong. Not by living past the expiration date, but by killing myself. That'll show 'em.", "score": 22 }, { "body": "yes. I would want to know. \n\nIf only just so I can prepare my finances so the government doesnt get any of it (after I die). I would also take out as many loans as I could and max out my credit cards.... convert it all to cash, then physically give it to my relatives. And when i die... my creditors can go suck a big cock trying to get their money back.\n\nEdit: and tell off my boss & burn down my workplace.", "score": 17 }, { "body": "What's weird is, knowing the date and time of your death would affect your behavior and probably change the date and time of your death. Thus, the paper in the envelope would change once observed, like some form of quantum death envelope.", "score": 14 }, { "body": "You want a mindfuck?\r\n\r\nWhat if you open it and the date is 2000 years into the future?\r\n\r\nOR\r\n\r\nWhat if you open it and the date is in the past? ", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Nope. I'd burn that shit. I'm not afraid of dying but i don't want the sense of impending doom hanging over me.", "score": 10 }, { "body": "definitely, so I would know if I had time to invest in badassery.\n\nIf the span was too short, I'd do crack! :D", "score": 8 }, { "body": "In a hypothetical universe where my actions have no consequences on such an event, I definitely would.\n\nIt would be comforting.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Hell yes! For multiple reasons:\n\n1. You won't make it out of this life alive anyway, so why not\n\n2. You may be informed of something big that could *potentially* save the life of another (e.g. my children)\n\n3. I could risk my investments more for bigger short term gains, provide a better immediate nest egg for my children\n\n4. It might actually prompt speed in resolution of something such as a cure for a deadly disease...deathclock is ticking gang, let's see what we can do\n\n5. I would have time to get my body signed up for plastination and go tour with Body Worlds...you can all admire my majestic junk every day that way\n\n6. It would give me the opportunity to royally fuck with things I hate such as credit card and insurance companies\n\n7. I could become a super villain with the understanding that I wont rot in jail\n\n8. My life insurance could support a business idea I started that someone else could see through to success\n\n9. It would prompt you to finally live life not just go through it\n\n10. I could finally nail the hottest, nastiest stripper and not care if I got something from her/them...wait...them, it would have to be plural", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Yeah, I wanna know whether it's really worth it to bust ass for retirement or should I just get my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Yes. But unfortunately I'd never get to see what was printed on the paper inside, as the envelope would explode, killing me.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I'd open it. Would live my life to full extent. Then a few days/weeks before I am supposed to die, I'd kill myself, hoping to cause the destruction of the world:)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I don't think I could stop myself from opening it, just because of my curious/anxious personality. But I think I would be much unhappier knowing this information, even if it was a date far in the future.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "of course. why wouldn't you? i'd want to know so i could live my life to the fullest up until that point...especially if it was only a few years from now", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I sense a paradox within this. \nIf you open the envelope, the time of death you see will become significantly closer to the present, because you will do stupid stuff, knowing you won't die until the time presented. However, if you leave it closed, the message inside will be a much later date, as you won't do all the crazy stuff you would if you knew the exact date and time... hmmm?", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yes. I would most certainly open it. Why wouldn't you? Think about this logically. If the envelope stated the date and time of your death and was, theoretically, correct, you could do all the things you were afraid to do. I would jump off the tallest building or get into a fight with a polar bear.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "\"I was thinking about death and all. About seeing how you're gonna die. I mean, on one hand, if dying was all you thought about, it could kind of screw you up. But it could kind of help you, couldn't it? Because you'd know that everything else you can survive. \" -Big Fish", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I'd absolutely open it.\n\nI need to know exactly how much time I have to take over the world and exterminate all the furries.", "score": 3 } ]
Hey Reddit, What are your most-frequented websites? Copy/Paste your Toolbar Bookmarks or Speed Dial here.
What are your most-frequented websites besides Reddit that you visit on a daily basis? They don't have to be your favorites, witty or the ones that're front-paged here frequently; just the stuff in your bookmarks toolbar or speed dial for the rest of us to discover on a lazy sunday. For example, I don't have xkcd bookmarked in my toolbar, because I find it here anyway. Please let this be an honest picture of what you frequent and don't add or subtract sites/blogs based on what might please other redditors and get you upvotes. I have just pasted all my toolbar bookmarks *minus the personal blog/banking links* (the ones at the end may be NSFW). **Please upvote/downvote this story based on whether you want to see other redditors' frequented sites and not what is on this list.** http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ http://www.techmeme.com/ http://lifehacker.com/ http://reddit.com/ http://www.cricinfo.com/ http://omegle.com/ http://www.engadget.com/ http://www.nytimes.com/ http://popurls.com/ http://www.bitmetv.org/browse.php http://www.geni.com/home http://shirt.woot.com/ http://mashable.com/ http://www.filehippo.com/ http://www.metafilter.com/ http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ http://www.qdb.us/top http://filesharingtalk.com/vb3/what-trackers-offer/ http://www.sonofshun.com/forums/show_torrents.php http://www.cinematical.com/ http://www.hundredpushups.com/ http://www.demonoid.com/ http://filesharefreak.com/ http://torrentfreak.com/ http://www.torrentleech.org/browse.php http://interbridge.com/lineups.html http://www.mydigitallife.info/ http://www.puretna.com/ http://www.cheggit.net/ http://softcoreheaven.blogspot.com/ http://forum.oneclickchicks.com/ http://www.gutteruncensored.com/ http://www.fleshbot.com/
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[ { "body": "http://reader.google.com\n\nAlmost every site I read regularly has an RSS feed, so why bother actively checking the sites myself?", "score": 48 }, { "body": "My Opera Personal Bar:\r\n\r\nGmail\r\n\r\nGoogle Apps Mail\r\n\r\nReddit\r\n\r\n[nfldailydose.com](http://nfldailydose.com)\r\n\r\nnfldailydose.com (admin login page)\r\n\r\nYahoo Fantasy Football\r\n\r\n[NFL.com](http://nfl.com)\r\n\r\nMint (Site Analytics)\r\n\r\nJIRA (Work - bug tracker)\r\n\r\nWiki (Work)\r\n\r\nGoogle Reader\r\n\r\n[Flickr](http://flickr.com)\r\n\r\nTr.im bookmarklet\r\n\r\n[Environment Canada](http://text.www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?\r\nsk-40&unit=m)\r\n\r\n[Get Clicky](http://getclicky.com)\r\n\r\nShare on Tumblr bookmarklet\r\n\r\n[SI - NFL homepage](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/)\r\n\r\n[Google Analytics](http://google.com/analytics)\r\n\r\nDNS Flush tool (work)\r\n\r\n[network-tools.com](http://network-tools.com) (work)\r\n\r\n[teuxdeux.com](http://teuxdeux.com)\r\n\r\n[Google Voice](http://google.com/voice)", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Torrents\n\n* http://baconbits.org/\n\n* http://tvtorrents.com/\n\n* http://what.cd/index.php\n\n* http://www.bitgamer.com/index.php\n\n* http://animebyt.es/\n\n* http://www.revolutiontt.net/browse.php\n\n\nMisc\n\n* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47UplyBQK4Y\n\n* power bill\n\n* dyndns\n\n* http://eclipse.speedsubs.org/\n\n* online banking\n\n\n* http://www.cheapassgamer.com/\n\n* http://ninjavideo.net/\n\n* http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming\n\n* http://www.reddit.com/\n\n\n* http://192.168.1.1/\n\nEDIT: ARR!\n", "score": 4 }, { "body": "About filehippo: isn't there an app that will also download and update the programs you select after running the updatechecker? I feel reluctant to individually download and install all those updates...", "score": 3 }, { "body": "My daily loadout, I'm a SCAD student so you can see the mix between my nerd and art/design roots in most of the sites:\n\nhttp://ffffound.com/\n\nhttp://www.npr.org/\n\nhttp://www.notcot.org/\n\nhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/\n\nhttp://www.clusterflock.org/\n\nhttp://www.wired.com/underwire/\n\nhttp://offworld.com/\n\nhttp://thepiratebay.org/\n\nhttp://mashable.com/\n\nhttp://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox\n\nhttp://www.tumblr.com/dashboard\n\nhttp://twitter.com/home\n\nhttp://www.engadget.com/\n\nhttp://www.demonoid.com/\n\nhttp://www.facebook.com/\n\nhttp://kotaku.com/\n\nhttp://toplessrobot.com/\n\nhttp://flickr.com/\n\nhttp://www.boingboing.net/\n\nhttp://slashfilm.com/\n\nhttp://www.reddit.com/\n\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "threads like this make me realize i don't spend *near* as much time browsing the internet as i thought.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "* Bookmarks Toolbar\n* http://www.arenafan.com/\n* http://espn.go.com/\n* http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp\n* http://www.pgatour.com/r/leaderboard/\n* http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/scoreboard\n* http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=25\n* http://www.nascar.com/\n* http://www.xmradio.com/sports/index.xmc\n* --------------------\n* http://www.google.com/\n* http://www.digg.com/\n* http://www.reddit.com/r/all/\n* http://www.fark.com/\n* --------------------\n* http://www.cfnews13.com/\n* http://www.orlandosentinel.com/\n* http://www.local6.com/index.html\n* http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/\n* http://www.npr.org/\n* http://www.upi.com/\n* http://www.time.com/time/\n* http://www.newsweek.com/\n* http://slashdot.org/\n* http://consumerist.com/\n* http://lifehacker.com/\n* --------------------\n* http://www.imdb.com/\n* http://www.pollstar.com/\n* http://www.last.fm/user/420greg/\n* http://www.dimeadozen.org/\n* http://www.socialdistortion.com/\n* http://www.setlist.fm/\n* http://www.fmqb.com/\n* http://grace.reciva.com/\n* http://www.monsters.fm/main.html\n* --------------------\n* http://www.channelsurfing.net/\n* http://www.atdhe.net/\n* http://www.justin.tv/poker24h7d\n* http://www.youtube.com/\n* http://www.liveleak.com/browse?all&featured=1&page=1\n* http://mail.google.com/http://orlando.craigslist.org/\n* http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/index.php\n* http://www.wikipedia.org/\n* http://www.dbstalk.com/\n* http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/\n* http://www.amazon.com/\n* http://www.ebay.com/\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I don't have an addon that records my most frequent visits, or one that acts like a bookmarker (and I rarely use bookmarks), so I did this: \n\nhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/Serpent7/mostfreq.png\n\n:)", "score": 3 } ]
I just saved $170 off the cost of an EEPROM programmer by shopping on eBay--my new project/hobby couldn't start off with a better investment!
I'm so excited! I've never so much as soldered before and I'm already buried waist deep in datasheets and technical diagrams for a project I'd like to build and maybe make some money off of. I haven't invested any money into it until now. Compare $28 out the door on ebay to $200 + shipping on the manufacturer's website. It's sold as is without a power adapter, but it's not that complicated a device so if it is broken it should be easy to fix.
9
[ { "body": "Try making some kind of passive circuits before you start doing microprocessors. Maybe a led, with a couple of flip flops, so when you press a button, you toggle its state. Something simple like that, but that might give you a feeling of how circuits work (spoiler: they do not always work like you think they would).\r\n\r\nI code microprocessors for a living, and many of the quirks I have are due to me not fully understanding the hardware I work with. Things like pullup or pulldown resistors are not obvious to beginners on why they work, and driving yourself down the path of micros can be an annoying experience if you do not grasp basic electronic concepts.", "score": 5 } ]
Blind redditors (I know it sound like an oxymoron, but I know your out there), I want to know your POV/ how you experience reddit?
I know i forgot the S About two years lost my vision for almost six months. I know it's not nearly in the same ballpark, but I've had a taste of what you feel. I had just been introduced to reddit within the last year of issue.As frustrating as ut was, the only way for me to see what was going on in the world. was to have a friend read the headlines on 3 or 4 sites a day. Do you use a some sort of braile interface or a reader? Thank you! Edit: The circumstances of my my vision loss is due to (a mild form of) multiple sclerosis. I experience "exacerbations" every so often, which sometimes lead to blurry vision at best to temporary total blindness at the worst.don
28
[ { "body": "I'm new here and was very much tempted to type \"Amdksl aowd opa@#@ ap ;l /z as,dm nw!~1-aldm\", but thought better of it at the last instant.", "score": 23 }, { "body": "http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/a00dn/i_am_totally_blind_ama/\nand\nhttp://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9l7wd/i_am_blind_ama/", "score": 8 }, { "body": "My wife is totally blind. She's not into Reddit, but she spends lots of time on Facebook, LiveJournal, and plenty of other similar sites.\n\nThe first thing you should do is join a national organization of blind people, so that instead of asking random people on Reddit for help, you can meet other people with all degrees of blindness in person, play with all of their assistive technology, ask them how they get by in life, and have access to all sorts of training, scholarships, and support organizations. Since I'm assuming you're somewhat young, you would probably prefer the National Federation of the Blind: nfb.org - the other organization (ACB) has a more elderly population. They're both great, though.\n\nNext, contact your state's department of rehabilitation. You may qualify for free assistive technology, paid for by the state. My wife was given free computers, braille embossers, and scanners up until the point where she finished college and got a job.\n\nFinally, the specific answer to your question: to browse the web, you want a screen reader. It's software that runs on your computer that reads the screen to you using text-to-speech, giving you lots of keyboard shortcuts to navigate around the screen, spell words, find things, and do almost anything you'd normally do with your eyes or with the mouse.\n\nThe most popular screen reader for Windows is JAWS. If you like Macs, just get Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and turn on the built-in VoiceOver.\n\nSome blind people use braille displays, but braille is great for reading but inefficient for interactive computer use because you have to keep moving your fingers between the keyboard and the display. It's far more productive to type with your fingers and listen to the feedback via speech.\n\nWith practice, you'll be able to speed up the speech to double or triple speed, so you can \"read\" almost as fast as a sighted person.\n\nFeel free to send me a private message if you have more questions.\n", "score": 6 } ]
What is bollywood's greatest movie?
I'd like to watch a few bollywood movies for a change. What are the best ones? (you can suggest several if you'd like, bonus points if you say why you like them)
5
[ { "body": "[Dil Se](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dil_Se) (1998) is a bit of a \"must see\" Bollywood classic, if for nothing else but the epic [dance routine on a moving train](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2gW3zwMMQ \"youtube - Chaiyya Chaiyya\").", "score": 4 }, { "body": "My Girlfriend says DDLJ ... Diwhale Dihania le Jayenge... is the all time best Bollywood movie! It has it all action, adventure, drunken college fun, romance, singing, festivities, SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) and Kajol in all their glory!!! This was the first Bollywood movie I ever saw and has since been the bar that none have passed let alone equaled. It's as classic and as cheesy as the Breakfast Club was for us, it's 80's to the max and you'll love ever moment even the hilarious fight scene at the end. You'll be rooting for their forbidden romance to succeed though thick and thin and even drunk serenades. ", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The best/only original Director working in bollywood currently is Anurag Kashyap. Watch his 2009 release - [Dev.D](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327035/) Arguably the best Bollywood movie in recent times.", "score": 3 } ]
IAmA teen that beat brain cancer. AMA
Hey guys. First real post here. I just thought people would like to know what it's like for a kid that had to go through shit like surgery, chemo and radiation therapy at the age of 12 to get rid of a golfball sized brain tumour. Just in case you're wondering, the tumour was a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal brain tumor. I was one of the only kids to make it through the clinical trial without needing a feeding tube or having problems. PS: I'm 16 now. AMA. EDIT: forgot to say i finished treatment in '06. in remission for another year or two.
78
[ { "body": "How was it discovered that you had a tumor? I feel like most doctors would overlook a brain tumor for kid who's 12.", "score": 21 }, { "body": "Awesome. A good friend of mine died of cancer last year, so it's good to know the treatment works for some. I hope it stays the heck out of your life, and good luck with everything.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Congratulations! I have a few more specific questions, feel free not to answer if you don't feel like it.\n\nDid you take temozolomide? If you did, what was your regime? If you didn't, what chemo was avalaible 4 years a go?\n\nHow were the convulsions treated?\n\nDid you lose your ability to walk due to corticosteroids like dexamethasone fucking with your limbs? Were there any 'omg edema' scares?\n\nHow are your cognitive abilities? (I can tell you can read and write atleast)", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Does anybody else in your family have brain cancer or any other cancer?\n\nWhat's a supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal brain tumor?", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Congratulations. As somebody who just had their uncle die this morning because of brain cancer, I know what a tortuous process it is. You must have been one brave little kid.", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I'm glad that you made it. One of my daughters had cancer when she was 8 (she's fine now), and most of our friends with brain cancer didn't make it. \n\nI was always taken aback on the pediatric cancer ward at just how amazingly brave kids are- as a parent the whole experience just boggles your mind, but the kids that I know who've survived it are incredibly special people. I wish you lots of luck in the years ahead. \n\nHave you ever been involved with any of the cancer camps or programs for survivors? My daughter goes to a camp every year, and it's definitely the highlight of her year. I think that it helps that she now has piles of friends who she can complain to about her yearly \ncheckups :-)\n\n", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I discovered that I had a bone tumour (in my hip) at age 14 (17 now). Luckily I didn't need to get chemo and had a successful surgery. I had a year of physical therapy after that too. I believe I had it much easier than you though. Kudos for sticking through it! Now you gotta make sure you make the most of life.", "score": 3 } ]
In your opinion: Did Google Wave turned out to be a disappointment?
I registered for one and have not opened it since then. My excitement turned to annoyance. ***Note*** I see the need to edit the title because of [grammar issue](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ansvm/in_your_opinion_did_google_wave_turned_out_to_be/c0iixyj), but for some reason, I cannot find a way to do so.
24
[ { "body": "I for one am not disappointed, since I have no clue what to do with it. Let's all continue this discussion *in real-time* over at Google Wave.", "score": 41 }, { "body": "I think it goes like that: \n1. Get invite \n2. Try to do stuff \n3. Discover rickroll and pirate bots \n4. Play with them for thirty minutes \n5. Never use it again", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I use it every day. My classmates and I all work on completing the objectives to our classes online (We are only tested on these objectives). Makes studying easier and saves lots of time. ", "score": 9 }, { "body": "I think the problem at the moment is that the thing is a bit of a catch-22; I find Wave useful when on with someone who understands what to do. \n\nOnce (if?) they reach a critical mass of users it'll work really well. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I quite like it. I have about 10 or so friends who regularly check it too, so we tend to use it as a kind of forum/group chat thing where we can share links, stories, organise games on stuff like tf2, or just post useless updates on what we're doing or bitch about stuff (so a bit like twitter I guess, except I like using it).", "score": 6 } ]
I need help with a mysterious health problem. Bouts of dizziness and nausea 4-5 times a day.
I'm a 34 years old male. For the last three months I've been tortured with dizziness, nausea and instability in walk for at least 4 to 5 times a day. In between I feel sometimes better, sometimes worse. When it starts it feels as if I were standing on a vibrating plate. I don't feel vibrations, but my vision gets blurry. Then I feel a pressure in my head and nausea follows shortly after. I've had vertigo for 19 years now, but this is different. My head is not spinning now and with vertigo antihistamines usually help. I have no pains and so far I've excluded following causes: * sinusitis (came and went) * blood pressure (same whether high or low) * blood sugar (same as pressure) * anxiety (I have that and I tried inducing it on purpose, but no nausea) * medication (tried two periods without it, nausea still there) * heart problems (had coronarography, everything is clean) * other psychiatric problems (I have bipolar, saw a psych, she says it isn't that) * neurological problems (saw a neurologist - couldn't find anything specific) * inner ear problems (saw an ORL specialist, they say it's not extrapyramidal, although I have my doubts here) * lyme disease tests came back negative * allergies (antihistamines don't help, I changed three living spaces -two apartments and the hospital - and it's still the same) The only thing left that I can think of is an infected tooth that is being treated for three months now, which is roughly the time my dizzy spells started. Any additional ideas of what could be wrong will be much appreciated. EDIT: I would like to thank kindly all of you for your suggestions and humour. They're much appreciated. You're great.
8
[ { "body": "Perhaps [Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BPPV)\n\nSymptoms:\n \n* Vertigo: Spinning dizziness which is not light headed or off balance.\n\n* Short duration (Paroxysmal): Lasts only seconds to minutes\n\n* Positional in onset: Only can be induced by a change in position.\n\n* Nausea is often associated\n\n* Visual disturbance: It may be difficult to read or see during an attack due to the associated \nnystagmus.\n\n* Pre-Syncope (feeling faint) or Syncope (fainting) is unusual.\n\n* Emesis (Vomiting) is uncommon but possible.\n", "score": 3 } ]
How do you deal with this argument?
So, I was talking to someone I know this week and he said that he would never vote a gay person in office. When I asked why, he said it was because they would advance the "homosexual agenda" of more rights for homosexuals. He was apparently referring to same-sex marriage. I tried to explain that right now, same-sex couples don't have the same rights as heterosexual couples. They want and should have the same (equal) rights as heterosexual couples, which I guess does mean more rights than what they have now, but he kept trying to make it sound like they wanted more rights than heterosexual couples have. He wouldn't listen to anything I said and walked off looking smug. I guess my question really is, how do you deal with these people? Do you be polite and ignore them or do you try to explain it to them?
15
[ { "body": "They're lost causes in my opinion. Wait for enough of them to die off that they're in the minority. There are still white supremacists today, but they get ridiculed by the mainstream majority... gay rights will be in a similar place one day, I believe.", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Maybe just take a picture of the guy. Treat it as a rare opportunity to observe an endangered species in the wild.\n\nOr, more seriously, you could try making it personal. Assuming you're gay, ask him why you personally don't deserve the basic civil rights that he enjoys. It's much easier to talk trash about \"the gays\" as a group than about you in particular.", "score": 8 }, { "body": "You did your best and tried to give him a well-reasoned argument. If he chose to ignore it, or couldn't bring himself to be swayed by it, then frankly I think it's not worth trying to convince him. \n\nThese are the kind of people you just have to ignore, I think. It's not worth wasting time and effort in trying to get them to understand things from a point of view different than their own.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "They are afraid. Afraid that laws will force them to marry gays within their church or haul their asses into court for making bigoted remarks. It is the fear, not the logic, that must be addressed.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The arguement I usually use is that it isn't JUST the right for gay men to marry other men or gay women to marry other women. It's the right for ANY man to marry another man and any woman to marry another woman. And yes, while I realize that most people believe it's \"special\" rights because only homosexuals will get any real use out of it, it's not true. Right now, there are plenty of people, gay and straight, that are marrying someone they are not in love with or even attracted to just for the thousands of rights that marriage affords them. By banning same sex marriage, you're removing the option of two straight men or two straight women of marrying each other just for the benefits. And beyond that, it does technically create seperate classes of people by making it so that only men can marry women and women can marry men. But who am I kidding, everyone I say this too usually tells me that that's stupid and not even the point. So... I just smile and don't engage them, at all. It's not worth my time and the headache I'm going to get from them not listening anyways. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I tend to think that arguing with those people is pointless, and is only going to upset you. I just make my position very clear, and refuse to discuss it further. ", "score": 4 }, { "body": "This doesn't just happen to gays, it basically happens to just about everyone who hasn't historically been in power: the \"special rights\" bollocks.\n\nSimply put, however, apropos marriage, you are not asking for special rights- just the same right everyone else has. If your friend suddenly came out as gay and wanted to marry another man, lo and behold he has that right too.\n\nA really popular one is to say that we're trying to get special rights with hate crimes laws and employment discrimination acts.\n\nWhat I don't understand is how such things are 'special rights'. If one is brutally assaulted or murdered for being a straight white cis male, then the perpetrators can be charged with a hate crime provided proof could be furnished (which is the burden in *all* such cases). If one is fired from his job on the spot for no other reason than being a straight white cis male, they too can seek redress under such laws.\n\nThe only reason the rights appear \"special\" is precisely the same reason they're needed. Such things almost never happen to them, but they do happen to others with, at times, alarming frequency. Transgender people still face a great deal of employment discrimination, for example. Technically if a person were fired simply for being cis, that could be prosecuted, but really how many times is *that* going to happen?\n\nThe best way to turn this around on such people is to ask them why *they* want special rights for themselves but not others. That is, after all, in effect what it is they're asking for. They want the right to not be fired due to the colour of their skin, to have a fair shake at being hired, to be able to use the right gendered facilities, to have the law acknowledge when a political crime has been committed against them, or indeed to marry a person of their choosing. So why deny it to us?", "score": 4 }, { "body": "We need to learn when we aren't arguing facts and evidence and just refuse to debate with someone who isn't debating in the first place.", "score": 3 } ]
Foodit: Naan in a conventional oven?
So I've seen a few recipes and videos of how to make naan without a tandoor oven. Has anyone actually tried it, and how does it turn out? Any special tips or tricks?
29
[ { "body": "Use this: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/05/22/naan-bread/\n\nUsing a pizza stone makes all the difference, here's some I did last night:http://imgur.com/Acors\n\nAnother thing that seems to help for some reason is wetting your hands and thus the naans before they hit the stone. As you can see from the pic, I Like them a bit charred, but you can modify this to suit your preference. They take about 2 minutes in the oven as I do them,, and puff up into balls. ", "score": 18 }, { "body": "Heston Blumenthal's take on making naan at home without a tandoor:\n\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmrgCc7Fswk", "score": 9 }, { "body": "I have had success on a stone in a super hot oven and on a cast iron on the stove. \n\nThe stone in the oven method produces the better product. Unfortunately tossing dough into a really hot oven and then flipping said dough about half way through tends to get a bit dangerous. I burn myself regularly when I use this method. The cast iron on the stove is almost as good tasting, but it doesn't have as many safety issues. \n\nIf you freeze/fridge the leftover dough the stove method is really nice becuase you can have fresh naan in just a couple of minutes. The stove method can make a lot more in a smaller amount of time, as I can fit three or four on a large stone, so I still use it when I need a lot of naan for company (or leftovers).", "score": 5 } ]
Why does Steam put me in empty maps?
I use the steam server list, filter it for latency, not being full and not being empty. I pick a map which steam tells me has (for example) 20 players. Once it loads and I enter there are absolutely ZERO players! WTF?
10
[ { "body": "That could be a server that faked player numbers, which is possible, because admins want to get more players. Fortunately, a recent update introduced server blacklisting, and others can share blacklisted server lists with you using a text file. I don't have any of that though.", "score": 15 }, { "body": "One common mistake is not refreshing the server list. It shows the player counts as of the last time you refreshed the list, but the numbers could be all wrong depending on how long ago that was.", "score": 5 } ]
My ring finger is completely numb and kinda cold. What the hell?
No other symptoms, just started suddenly about 30 minutes ago and isn't getting any better. Should I amputate, go to the doctor, or ignore it?
7
[ { "body": "If you are resting on your elbows at all, even if you just have your own forearm propped up on an armrest, you may be pinching nerves in your elbow that create this sensation. This happened to to my left pinky and ring finger about a month ago. Even after i stopped using that elbow (putting any weight on it, i mean), it lasted a few more days before entirely disappearing. ", "score": 6 }, { "body": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynaud%27s_phenomenon\n\ni had thought i might have had this Raynaud's syndrome, i had been forced to quit smoking and soon after i got these symtoms. the doctor said it could be this Raynaud's syndrome and said there was nothing he could do. feeling came back after a bit. hearing from a Dr. that there is nothing he can do even if it is just a numbness is still unsettling. hope you get better. ", "score": 4 } ]
DAE feel emotionally attached to their "Top 25 Most Played" iTunes playlist to the point where the songs become like the soundtrack to your life at the time?
There are certain songs I'm really attached to, and listen to *all the time*. I've been listening to [Momma Sed by Puscifer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR3ccmWmLhk) nearly every day for close to two years. That and a few other gems from my iTunes are almost a must-have feature of the everyday. Reddit, if you do this, please share a few of the songs that are making up your soundtrack lately!
3
[ { "body": "Yep. Sometimes if I have a particularly awesome period in my life I'll save my top 25 from that time in a separate playlist (e.g. \"Summer 2009\"). When I listen to it in the future it brings back strong memories of that period, makes me remember things I wouldn't have otherwise. It's kind of like \"scent memory\"- it evokes the emotion you felt at the time. Cool stuff.", "score": 3 } ]
DAE think QI is one of the best TV shows?
What QI is for anyone that hasn't seen it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QI (question inspired by DamnInteresting http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/anp4f/any_famous_redditors/c0iig3c)
8
[ { "body": "Best thing on TV, no question. One of the few comedy shows that's actually funny. Everything interesting that I know is from there. And its further evidence of Stephen Fry's godliness.", "score": 6 }, { "body": "It's good indeed. Stephen Fry gets a lot of love for some reason. I find him a bit uppity myself, but I do like him a lot more than most people on TV these days. His work with Hugh Laurie was fantastic.", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I love the theme tune. \r\n\r\nAlso, DAE hate it when Jo Brand is on there? She makes jokes exclusively about her own fatness.", "score": 3 } ]
[Last November, He touched us by sending us a message](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragekage2009/4262588276/)
My boyfriend and I were making spaghetti last November. We were shocked and amazed when he accidentally spilled the noodles all over the counter. What we saw on the counter was in no way, less than a miracle only He could have presented us with. What does this mean? What is He trying to tell us? We feel extremely blessed and touched by His noodly appendage. [A Close-up](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragekage2009/4261836939/) [Top View](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragekage2009/4262589924/) Edit: damn formatting. I'm still learning. Forgive me. ;) Here's the [original](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragekage2009/4262588276/)
7
[ { "body": "Although I am but a servant of his/her noodlieness, I feel you have been given a message that must be heeded:\r\n\r\n**Never serve Stove top with instant mashed potatos**", "score": 3 } ]
D5000 vs D90 in image quality.
I did all the research on which camera i was going to buy and decided on the D5000. Then yesterday I went in to actually hold the camera and see how it felt in my hands. The D90 was the most comfortable. So now im thinking maybe I should just go with what feels comfortable. I'll have to save a little more but that's fine by me. What have your experience been between the image quality of D5000 vs D90? Thanks for any response. Epilogue: I got my refurbish D5000 today for $524 from adorama.com. Going to be playing around and learning all weekend. Thanks again.
8
[ { "body": "It largely goes uncommented-on, but the D90 display is\ninsane. Not all 3\" displays are created equal, and the D90 has a full 720p HD television on the back.\n\nWhat this means is that you can check focus at a glance, and really see what the photos are going to look like at home. Additionally, much more fits on screen, and menus are more readable.\n\nSome people will tell you that the top grey LCD is vestigial and obsolete, but I like it for working in darker settings (clubs, etc) because it doesn't screw up my night vision like the bright full-color displays.\n\nAdditionally, the viewfinder of the D90 is larger and much more pleasant to look through, especially for those of us who wear glasses.\n\nI love my D90 and would only really trade it for a D700 (if I had the cash). The D90 gives you more external controls than the 5000, which makes it quicker to change settings\non the fly.\n\nConversely, the 5000's articulated screen makes it easier to shoot in Live View mode, especially video.\n\nIf I had to make the choice again, I would still get a D90. However if you really don't have the budget, the D5000 is a great camera too. \n-----\n**EDIT:** For those not familiar with HD resolutions here you go:\n\n1280 x 720: 720p HD resolution, many lower-end HD televisions, D90 screen.\n\n1280 x 768: WXGA, the resolution of my 14\" Compaq notebook monitor.\n\n1024 x 600: WSVGA, a very common resolution for 9-10\" Netbook monitors.\n\n\nWhat this means is that the D90 has a 3\" screen with almost as many pixels as many midsize notebook computer screens, and significantly more display real estate than most netbook computers.", "score": 9 }, { "body": "The D90 also supports lenses without built-in focusing motors, meaning you'll be able to use older and cheaper AF lenses. Return the D5000, get the D90.", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I am very happy with my D90, but maybe this review (which compares to the D90) might help.\n\n\n[http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/](http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond5000/)", "score": 3 }, { "body": "They definitely use the same sensor (also the same as the more expensive D300). The main diference is the lack of an AF motor in the D5000 - which means you're stuck with manual focus if you want to use certain lenses. Also the D5000 has an articulated display which can come in handy in certain situations - but the D90's display has much better image quality. There are also some other minor features on the D90 - extra buttons and a top LCD display that give you more control and make things faster and easier - but if you've never owned a DSLR before you probably won't miss them.\n\nI own the D90, feel free to check out some of my pictures [here](http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomb0y/sets/72157618016284625/).\n\nEDIT: link fail.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I have the D5000 and in retrospect I should have bought the D90 instead, lens options would make up the price difference in and of itself. \n\nAlso my stupid D5000 has been out of commission for the past couple of months thanks to their faulty connection mentioned in their service advisory but I bought it before going on a one year around-the-world trip so it's been a hassle figuring out the best way to get it fixed. [/rant]", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I really enjoy the D90. It has an excellent balance of auto functions and pro tools to allow you to cover many types of photos. Sometimes you just want to capture a memory. The auto mode works surprisingly well. The A and S mode as well as P provide great customizability.\n\nI just picked up a SB-600 and the wireless speedlight function is amazing and has really helped me be more creative with my lighting.\n\nI liked it so much I bought a second. I was considering the 300S and although it is sturdier it was not worth double the cost. Kenrockwell.com actually recommends the D40. You can also read reviews at nikonians.com", "score": 3 }, { "body": "IQ is the same. Buy the D90. You get a larger, better viewfinder, more external controls, and Nikon's creative lighting system. If those aren't worth having for you then don't buy the D5000, buy the D3000.", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I've owned a d5000 since it first came out in May. It is my first dslr. I love it love it love it. It is a magic camera. I found the small size to be worth trading for the more external controls, etc. some have mentioned here about the d90. I would totally recommend this camera above a d90 to anyone else like me who wants to learn how to shoot with a dslr. I imagine I'll be ready for a big, button-filled monster in another year or so (or whenever Nikon makes a camera that will shoot 1080 30P video) but I wouldn't have wanted to start with one.\n\nOh and I just bought my first prime, a 50 f1.4 and it is a magic lens. ", "score": 3 } ]