I have a private parking spot off street in a city. I don’t like backing up towards the main road; since it has pedestrians and stuff. It’s a little harder to see.

So I back into the spot. It’s way easier than backing out - and pulling out is even easier. 

My work parking garage is already really tight. It’s another situation where backing in is easier than backing out - and driving forward our is even easier. So just some planning.

Do you find satisfaction in reciprocating?

Because if you’re anything like me - then giving is the gift. I’m someone that feels validated and valued when I bring someone joy. And if I’m given an experience that I can’t share, then I’m filled with a sense of guilt. If you feel similarly, you should communicate that to your partner.

And also, I’ve been in your position.

Assuredly, your partner would feel pressured to ‘enjoy herself’ and/or give equal feedback if you ‘must’ reciprocate.

That’s a vulnerable feeling and it can be awkward. If she doesn’t ‘get there’, she’d feel like she’s dismissing your effort. So she’s trying to focus on ‘getting there’ under pressure, which creates a negative thought loop that confirms her fears. It’s just easier to do something else.

You have a loving partner that’s worth appreciating. The way each of you show and receive appreciation is different. She’s telling you very clearly that she does not need to be shown in the way you want to. So I recommend finding something else.

Maybe you could cook up a nice breakfast, give her a foot rub, watch one of her TV shows, that kinda thing.

Strange New Worlds picks up as a spin-off of Discovery Season 2. If there’s one Nu Trek to watch, it’s this.

Discovery and SNW are prequels to TOS. However, Season 1 of Disco is very weak with the exception of one or two episodes. Season 2 is much better and you can probably start here. Then go into S3 or SNW.

Season 3 is where I believe Discovery really shines. It also changes setting entirely. 4 is good too.

Lower Decks takes places shortly after/around DS9/Voy era. So if you’re familiar with 90’s trek, this show is basically like home cooking. You can watch it anytime.

Picard Season 1 and 2 are bad. But if you think of it as non-canon Fan Fiction written by Patrick Stewart, it’s just kinda fun. Season 3 is the final season and is basically the show everyone actually wanted. It’s an epilogue to TNG. There’s a few references to Season 1 and 2, but you can Google the small gaps. You can watch it anytime.

Also, watch The Orville. It’s a love letter to Star Trek, has Trek writers, producers and actors. It’s starts as a dumb comedy that didn’t really know what it’s doing, but by episode 3 they start to find their footing.
Season 2 and 3 and pretty much perfect and IMO as good as the best of Trek. The show gets more serious and the humor takes a backseat to the human element.

Columbia House and BMG were record clubs in the 1990s. This was a subscription service that regularly sent music album CDs to your house. They advertised in mailings, TV, radio, etc. It was ubiquitous.

The catalog for available records was quite vast. 

In order to get new customers, these record clubs had a loss leader marketing approach. You would get 5-10 CDs for only a penny for signing up, and you are not charged for the first month. After, there is a hefty cost. The CDs are yours to keep, but you need to cancel the membership before the first payment is due.

Word spread pretty fast that the deal was legit. For many of us kids pre-internet piracy, Columbia House represents the biggest album haul of that era.

Yeah. What’s cool about guitar is that there’s really no wrong way to play it.

I’ve been playing for 15 years, and the way I pick is not going to be the same as the way my friends pick. Or, like - I have one friend whose left handed. But he doesn’t play a lefty guitar, he just plays upside down… without changing stringing (so his high notes are on top now). It’s weird, but he plays incredibly.

Ukelele has some drawbacks. It’s a comparatively thin sound that doesn’t work well as an accompaniment for a lot of singing. It’s also much harder to go from Uke to Guitar than Guitar to Uke. It’s a bigger climb if you feel the range isn’t enough.

A mini acoustic travel guitar could be a better alternative. Small fretboard so your hand doesn’t have to stretch as much.

You have some options.

Firstly, remember that learning music is basically learning a new language. So be patient.

Piano/keyboards are great because of low-cost of entry. You can find second-hand instruments in all sizes (25 key up to 88 keys) on Craigslist or Reverb for as low as $50. If it has MIDI or USB, you can hook it up to your computer and control endless downloadable virtual instruments - and/or record it easily to write songs.

It’s an ideal instrument to learn theory. I recommend getting a roll of masking tape and labeling all the keys until you memorize them.

Guitars are more fun, IMO. They’re portable. You don’t have to learn as much theory to get started and it’s certainly less formal. Some of the best guitarists around don’t really know what they’re doing - they’re just feeling. You don’t get a much of that with piano.

Guitar is all about awkward hand positions and building muscular memory around that. I never know what note I’m playing half the time when I play guitar - I just know the positioning.

The downsides is maintenance. Guitars require tuning before playing, changing strings periodically, etc. There is a higher cost of entry. A lot of new players buy terrible quality cheap guitars with unchanged strings and get discouraged by the poor sound and feel.

Ukeleles are generally cheaper and it’s easier to get a good sound. They work similar to guitar and you can figure out the basics fairly quickly.

In some cases, they never went away. In New England - especially northern parts of Maine and New Hampshire, there are communities that are plurality Francophone, and have been Americans for generations. 

I think one thing that people often don’t understand is that American English is highly influenced by the French language - accounting for 30% of all words. Words like Lieutenant are pronounced differently in British and American because of the French influence. Or the word “herb” - Americans don’t pronounce the H just like the French.

As far as cultural things, of course the US is known for its wine. Napa Valley is one of the best wine regions in the world. Those wines consistently beat French and Italian wines in international competitions. Finger Lakes, as well. American cheeses like cheddar are very popular. There are entire states known for this, like Vermont and Wisconsin. I think in terms of bread, you see more influence from Italian and German breadbakers then French.

That said, French influence is just one of many patches on the rich tapestry that is America. It was impactful, but the influence was definitely overshadowed by groups like Irish, Italian, Polish, Chinese, and African Slaves - whose descendants have created our greatest modern cultural exports.

There’s definitely a market for mobile PC gaming which is why the Steam Deck sells so well, as well as the new market of competitor products (Asus Rog Ally, for example).

That said, the vent location is a bit bizarre. Perhaps the manufacturer intended the laptop to be mounted or something… ?

Perhaps if it’s not too late, you can return the laptop when you get back from traveling.

Ah.

Well in that case…

I used to go fishing with my dad when I was younger, but as an adult I don’t think I have the heart to do it.

I don’t want to be the one to chose who lives and who dies. Even bugs, I have a hard time swatting flies. I try to capture them and let them outside. But some of the time, I kill them - and end up feeling really guilty after - sometimes for days.

When it comes to eating meat, I’d rather live in a world where meat is grown in a lab, rather than raised. I think stuff like Impossible Burgers have gone a long way in terms of reproducing flavor and texture… but not there yet.

I guess I reconcile the fact that the animal is dead before it gets to my plate/kitchen. Someone’s going to eat it. Why not me? Or I make up some funny idea like, “well - if this cow was human, they’d probably be an Andrew Tate listener - so screw ‘em!”

More often, I just try not to think about it and just enjoy what I’m eating.

I don’t know. Maybe my ethics will change one day to a point where I actually change my diet drastically. But knowing myself, it could take a health scare before I do that.

Suffering is a broad definition. One would argue that prematurely ending sentient life without their consent would fit that definition.

Often, it’s not suffering on an individual level - but the suffering of a species. Cows live in bondage and we benefit from their labor and chose to end their lives for our benefit.

Sometimes Vegans extend this philosophy to pets and service animals - even if they’re treated exceptionally well.

The point is that Veganism is less monolithic than folks tend to believe. A person’s diet can be deeply personal and it’s up to them to draw lines.

I’m a meat eater. I don’t have an issue eating cows. I don’t have an issue eating rabbits, which I know people also keep as pets. I don’t have an issue eating lobster - whereas they’re boiled alive. But I know I couldn’t eat a cat or dog. Realistically, I have trouble with veal. So ya know, where I draw the line might not be the same for other people. My diet is informed by my culture, health, experiences and personal feelings - as is everyone’s.

It depends on the definition of Veganism.

There’s is a popular school of thought that the diet‘s sole purpose to reduce suffering. If a living thing has no central nervous system (or brain), it has no thoughts and cannot experience pain or harm. It’s not much different than a fruit or vegetable. I know vegans that make exceptions for oysters - for example.

Others schools of thought are about avoiding animal products altogether, it doesn’t matter if it suffers or not - there’s no way to know. Therefore, it’s immoral to eat them if you can knowingly choose an alternative.

T’Pol would be the first Vulcan in Starfleet, no?

She started off as Vulcan High Command but officially joins Starfleet later on in ENT.

Besides the fact that the Prime Directive is violated constantly, what am I missing about it?

V’ger seems like a direct nod to Star Trek 1.

I mean, the fact that the Fediverse is not called The Federation is a missed opportunity.

If it was me, I’d probably pair it with a nice gift.

Maybe a pair of concert tickets to a band he really loves, or sports or something. Maybe a bottle of fancy scotch or wine. And write a short note, “a small token - I appreciate you, I love you, and I still can’t believe I’m so lucky as to have a great dad like you. Thank you for always being here”.

It’s not a eulogy, you don’t have to overthink it.

When you look at someone else’s life, you only see the Highlights Reel. You don’t hear about all the boring in between moments, their struggles with imposter syndrome and insecurities, their relational arguments or troubles with their family, all the BS.

Life isn’t about keeping up.

It’s a parlor trick, magically coming into existence for a fraction of a moment in this infiniteness of time and space. The best thing we can do is cherish the miracle and squeeze the most happiness for the time we have. It’s respecting life.

For some, that means service to others. For others, it’s patenting science projects. And then there’s those that find it in an honest job, being good to people they love, and exploring hobbies from time to time.

Happiness is definitely not a contest. Especially one that you put yourself through fully knowing you won’t win.

But if you feel like you need more value in your life, it’s never too late to do something new.

Yeah.

Helping when someone has a problem is a predisposition among all people. How we help - whether it’s active listening or task assistance is the question. Whether those tendencies are genetics or learned behavior is anyone’s guess. All I know is that it’s observable behavior. Enough to make a few silly standup comedy bits over.

Learning to not fix every problem is one of the most counterintuitive things a dude can do to better their relationships. 🤷

You should react, at least lol. But you need to consider that most folks aren’t looking for advice. Rather, they need a validation of their experience.

Better to say “Wow, that really sucks” or “That’s crazy!”.

Maybe ask a followup question the to show that you’re listening, “well, what happened after?” or “what are going to do next?” End with “Thanks for sharing that with me, I know it’s not easy”.

Do not say, “you should try X or Y” unless they explicitly ask.

It’s a weird concept for me, cause when my wife vents - I hear a problem and I want to offer solutions. But I gotta fight that instinct.

Same reason there are multiple phone companies. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Google Fi, Cricket Wireless, Mint Mobile, etc.

They all allow you to communicate with your friends no matter what provider they use. But the companies are all slightly different. You might choose one due to better coverage, or customer support, or corporate ethics, or simply cause a friend recommended it.

Phones are redundant. So if Verizon fails, you can always sign up for another provider and still talk to your friends. Or if you have a bad experience, you’re not stuck using something you hate.

Plus, if one company ruled all of phones, it would be a bad thing. Monopolies aren’t good.

Lemmy isn’t the only thing out there with ‘multiple websites’ online. Email - there is more than just gmail, outlook, yahoo, proton, etc.

It’s not confusing to you that there are multiple email companies, that all work together, right? You don’t need a gmail account to send a message to a gmail user.

So don’t think it Lemmy like a website owned by one company. It’s not. Just like nobody owns “email”. Think of it like a protocol.

But I get it. Lemmy is an emerging technology. People are expecting it to be new Reddit. And it is on the front end. But it’s closer to new email.

I would recommend most people to live away from their hometown if they get an opportunity to. It’s worth seeing and experiencing how other people live - and it’s worth getting out of your comfort zone. Are you going to learn, grow and be better as a result? As well, is your career going to be fostered as a result?

It’s quite a general question because I don’t know what your values are. I don’t know what you’re leaving behind or how you’re quantifying that. But the US isn’t a monolith in climate, landscape, politics, culture, people, government, etc. You can live in on a Hawaiian island or in the vast concrete jungle of New York City - be in the same country, but live polar opposite lives. Canada isn’t a monolith either, but it’s not as extreme.

If money is your motivation, do a cost benefit analysis with the region you want to live in.

If all else fails to provide answers, leave it to fate. Flip a coin.