Agreed on constant tones. I have headphones that can block out the lawn equipment pretty good. The one neighbor has a service that comes and they’re gone in 15 minutes. 3 guys with leaf blowers at the end for 90 seconds and the headphones make them sound like they’re a few blocks away. The other neighbor is trigger happy and he likes to rev it up and down and my headphones can’t keep up. I shut the windows and gnash my teeth for the 15 minutes it takes him to blow his yard.

I’ve struggles with shots like these. How do you not let the sun overtake the background while showing the plant in such detail? Mine either have the plant in a silouette or the background completely white. In this shot, both seem to have good detail & coloring.

I would spend some time thinking about the core reason(s) for the behavior and take action on that. While getting started, an accountability buddy is a great resource, but comes with it’s own drawbacks.

Some questions to consider:

• do you put off doing something because the task is overwhelming?
• do you have a hard time starting but once you’ve started, you finish easily?
• do you get distracted away from the task after getting started?
• are the outcomes/goals of the task unclear?
• are there external influences affecting your ability to start or complete a task?
• do you lose track or forget about tasks?
• do you struggle with prioritization of tasks?

For example, I have a hard time starting (overwhelmed) and then have difficulty staying focused. I will break my tasks down into < 1 hour increments and schedule a time. At work, it’s on my calendar as a meeting. At home, it’s tied to an event (after dinner, after coming home, before showering, etc) and I’ll put a post it note where I’ll see it during that event. This works for me because when I’m planning a task, I think about the work as a problem for later, playing in to my procrastination. I tie the task to an event so that I don’t forget about it and have mentally reserved the time to do it. Finally, when I do the taks, I’ll do it in a place with few distractions. For example, I have a separate computer for gaming which is off unless I’m gaming. If I need to review documents or research something, I’ll print out the stuff and go somewhere like an empty conference room at work, a library or a park. For work, I’ll shut off the apps that nag at my attention or more recently use do not disturb mode. I’ll silence my phone or better, leave it somewhere else.

The proxy address is a real thing, specifically for expats who need a “local” address. From what i understand, they set up in a building and take up hundreds of “suite 123” addresses as if it’s a skyscraper, they filter out the pottery barn catalogs, scan & email correspondence and forward packages all for a small fee. IIRC, there’s one in Guam for US expats.

I started with Plex because it was an installable app on my NAS. It worked great with a Roku stick that was given to me. Same for a TV that had the Plex client. It works well for the others in the house. I got a Plex pass on sale a few years ago.

I’d like to switch to Jellyfin, but would need to find the client for 2 TVs and deal with the complaints if it doesn’t work exactly like Plex.

I heard that some countries charge a vehicle tax based on the weight of the vehicle. Some based on the number of cylinders.

One of the problems with removing the fuel tax is that affluent people will be able to avoid the additional registration tax by registering their vehicle in another state, such as where their summer home is. Having a gas tax allows taxes to go where the fuel is purchased and indirectly where the vehicle is using the roads. This doesn’t work for electric vehicles.

I’m surprised no politician suggested toll booths all over.

Check out the 6th frame again. That seems to be the author’s viewpoint.

In my interpretation, it’s less about “AI is bad” and more about an employer’s need to turn employees into mindless instruction-following drones. It overlaps a bit with Doctrow’s thought that your boss wants to replace you with AI not because it’s better or faster, but because you will tell her/him that they’re an idiot for doing something stupid.

TL;DR: humans have free will and were born to create and impart their ideas upon the world, not blindly follow instructions.

If you have the view that everyone is replaceable, it all comes into focus. How much would it cost to interview everyone in a department for value, then lay off 10%? How much would it cost to lay off the 10% most expensive employees? Executives will pick the 2nd because in this economy, you can just open the front door and dozens of candidates will flock in, competing with each other for the lowest salary. Win-win (not for you).

In an employee’s economy, firing a person then hiring them back is more expensive than in an employer’s economy.

These cameras are popping up all over my city, neighboring cities and even some local businesses. I don’t have the charisma to start a movement but would join one if it were available.

Ask them if their employer paid for their retirement (pension). Ask if they were repeatedly laid off because the work can be done [poorly] cheaper in another country. Ask if they were union.

Many companies used to be loyal to their employees and vice versa. That is all but gone now and the companies cry that nobody is loyal.

I thought it was, “feed a fever, starve a flu”, because you probably shouldn’t eat much when you can’t keep anything down.

Yes, often. Between being in the car a lot since RTO mandates and being alone in the house a lot and needing to have some noise to help me focus on the task at hand, the radio is on a lot.

I have the advantage of a great, local, non-profit radio station with real, local DJs that just talk normal. They play an abundance of local and emerging artists alongside classic artists. Since it’s non-profit, there are no commercials other than a “sponsored by” message from time to time.

I read a blog that said that this is the reason that some off the 1% are in favor of Universal Basic Income (UBI). If 99% of the workimg class are laid off and given government UBI checks (just enough to stay alive) that they can spend for the things they need,then that is as close to companiws being given government checks just because. After that, it becomes who can build the biggest company to take all of the money.

Ibfind it ironic that to put an animal out of it’s misery is called being “humane” though to do it to another person is called “homicide”.

I can find anything so long as I’m the one who pit it away. That bill that’s due tomorrow? Right on my desk in this pile, 4 pages down! The bag of cornmeal that we use once a year? Behind the zip lock bags! Unfortunately, we repainted a room and in the process reorganized the piles and now I can’t find anything.

Similarly, I’ve read people encouraging voting as a way to say that the post benefits the conversation. Down vote trolls, posts without adequate backing of ideas or actual dangerous comments and upvote posts that contribute, even if you disagree, then disagree as a reply.

For example, in a post, “a hotdog is a sandwich”, upvote a comment that says, “meat & bread = sandwich” then reply, “you are an idiot” (then expect a downvote because your comment doesn’t contribute.

There’s a lot to unpack here,but i feel like the suicide and medication are the most urgent.

I’m not familiar with the medical laws in every country, but in several countries, when you go for an annual physical, you get alone time with the doctor,even if you are a minor. That may be a good time to discuss the whole situation and get some advice from a medical professional. This could be as young as 13 in some countries.

Reminds me of the oatmeal comic

https://theoatmeal.com/pl/state_web_winter_2012/twinkies

every time a species gets upgraded on the endangered species list, we take away one horrible staple from the American diet.

I think the general point is that the financial hurt that I can put on a company is peanuts compared to someone with deep pockets (ie: shareholders & businesses). Even if I were to get all my friends, family and direct coworkers to alter a shopping behaviour, it’s unlikely to result in any change.

On the other hand, if I were to take that same group and be able to pressure my political representatives to do something about it (as we frequently see in California), then something may change. Similarly, me quitting my job out of disgust with a non-recycling policy won’t get any attention, but if I can get my union to take it up, then the company will listen.

TL;DR: a person can’t make change, a group of people can.

I used it this year to write my performance self-review. It successfully turned my usual rambling but valid accomplishments into management friendly synergistic paradigms, saving me the anguish of doing it myself.