CanofWorms
11mo ago
I cannot speak to the efficacy of therapy. I myself have seen a therapist for the last year and a half and been involved in a men’s group for six months. I actually just quit doing my individual therapy, but will absolutely continue my men’s group.
My thoughts are that therapy really doesn’t work, but it offers at least some placebo effect. That is, it gives me some peace of mind that I’m doing something to try to fix my negative mental health. But I still have a deep rooted belief that therapy is not all that helpful. Which is interesting. Because when I posed this belief to my men’s group, all the men in the group strongly agreed that therapy was helpful to them. I, myself am not convinced. Really, the main reason I like men’s group therapy is that I get to shoot the shit with men for two hours a week without phones. The sessions are therapeutic, but I don’t feel like I take much with me out into the real world.
My opinion on SSRIs is that they also don’t work. At least not for me. But I do have good experience with other, stronger drugs, particularly those prescribed for bipolar or stronger mood disorders. You may consider giving those a try. And you don’t need to see an in-person psychiatrist for those. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a virtual doctor or nurse practitioner. Ive found this to be low to medium helpful.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Stalling out on the Count of Monte Cristo. I’m on page 640 out of 900 and I’m moving through it very slowly. It’s surprising to me. I’ve seen so many people recommend this as one of the greatest books of all time, and I just feel like…it isn’t? The first 180 pages of Dante’s false imprisonment and escape were enjoyable, but since then it’s been 500 pages of upper class French parlor room conversation and gossip. Now to be fair, the gossip, conversations, and side storylines are interesting, but I can’t help but feel that this book could have been half the length and double the entertainment.
Part of it is that it was released in chunks, something like 12 serialized releases. And it really reads that way. I’m going to finish it, but it’s been a bit of a slog.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Basil is indeed a sweeter bourbon, but that is my preferred taste. I don’t dislike bulleit, but if I’m going for something without the sweetness, I would tend toward whiskey.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Get at some Basil Hayden. Much better than Bulleit and only a little more expensive.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Cheers
CanofWorms
1yr ago
I have to say that I do not wish for Skookum to go kill himself in the Alaskan tundra, but I do find the evolution of “The Hock” highly entertaining. I only give him about a 10% chance of actually going through with his plan.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Is there a rationalist / TheMotte meet up in SF? I used to belong to one in DC but haven’t gotten back into it since I moved away.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
How was this? I’m an amateur card counter myself, always interested in hearing other peoples casino experiences.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Were you guys able to get there for the sunrise though? That's a pretty spectacular way to experience Machu Picchu.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Getting into a sport is more difficult than one would think. It really requires spending time consuming games, highlights, articles, podcasts, and talk radio. The age of my life where I was most into sports (especially baseball) was in college when I lived with three other guys who were also very into baseball. The TV stayed on MLB network or ESPN all day everyday.
For your purposes, I would start with watching the World Series on TV and getting an idea of who the biggest names are. If you want to take a deeper dive, you can listen to MLB podcasts or sports radio. If you’re really wed to literature (which I think is a poor way to learn about a sport), Michael Lewis’s Moneyball is a good, easy read.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Both are good, but the book is better. You get a lot more detail on the finance side, if you are into that. It’s probably Michael Lewis’s best book, or at least the one I would recommend to introduce you to his writing style.
This time round I found that the comedic parts of the film really did not work for me at all (surprising given the director's background) and the quirky editing choices were distracting more than anything
This is how I felt about Vice, Adam McKays biopic about Dick Cheney. McKay took the quirky, “wink at the camera” directorial choices from The Big Short and ratcheted them up to ten. Not a fan.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Do I need to post proof that I am in possession of a one-way plane ticket to Fairbanks?
I think that would be best.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
This is a solid book. I also recommend Peter Lynch’s One Up on Wall Street if you’re interested in more investment books.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
I used to lose my stuff all the time (and in fact, I still lose my wallet every couple years). But one thing I've done to mitigate this is to put my keys in the same place every time I get home. I have a hanger right next to my front door and I make sure I leave them there. So even though I continue to lose my wallet and employee badge, at least I'm not scrambling to look for my car keys.
Another thing that I've found is helpful is having weekly scheduled social events. I spend a lot of time working from home alone and I start to lose my sanity after a few days. I've made strides to have weekly scheduled activities on weeknights - same time/same day every week. I find the anticipation leading up to these events helps counteract the work fatigue/isolation.
I carry a large Hydroflask with me everywhere. I fill it up three or four times a day and really don't drink other liquids (except coffee). It keeps me hydrated and I never have to worry about buying drinks. Side note: I've also lost several Hydroflasks but I'm on a good streak now with my current one!
Groupon for oil changes. I've been doing this for years and it's a lot cheaper than your local Valvoline.
I use eBay to purchase used books. I like the act of having a physical book in my hand and Amazon has gotten very pricy. eBay seems to be the cheapest site to buy used books.
I like all of your suggestions as well. I haven't made the switch to a Tile tracker, but that's only because I haven't seen any good wallet/Tile tracker combo products out there.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
I used to subscribe to the Economist print version and I really liked it.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
I’m reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I was also attempting to listen to Watership Down on Audible, but for the second time in five years, found it wasn’t holding my attention. I think it’s a sign that this book is not for me.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
No problem, and good luck!
CanofWorms
1yr ago
I can tell you my experience as someone who has worked as an electrical engineer in the power industry. I left my first job (where I also put together electrical blueprints) to do consulting work. I found it to be very boring, slow, and unfulfilling. There was none of the excitement of watching my design actually getting built and none of the camaraderie you get when working with construction guys. I regretted my decision and ended up returning to my first company about three years after I had left.
One of the reasons I left in the first place was because I HAD to be in the office 8AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. This schedule, coupled with an hour commute each way, sucked the soul out of my body. I was too tired to do anything after work and during the weekend, I was so burnt out from the work week, I hardly left the house. This was always going to be unsustainable for me, even for as much as I enjoyed the work and the team atmosphere.
One of the conditions of my return to my company was the option to work from home two to three days a week. They begrudgingly agreed to this request and I’ve had a hybrid schedule ever since. And honestly, it’s fucking wonderful. I go into the office two days a week, get a ton of work done, hang out with my team, and show my face to let everyone know I’m still working. I work three days remotely, saving a ton on commuting expenses, food, and most importantly, my time. I’m able to do things on weeknights without feeling exhausted. I can run errands during the day instead of after work. It’s a complete game changer and I am super fortunate to be in this situation.
So for me, I’ve found a company with a perfect work schedule, great company culture, and reasonable pay. For you, I can only recommend doing some soul searching on remote work. For most people, it’s a benefit. But for some, the isolation is grueling. The other thing to think about is the company culture. If that is important to you, and you’re not a person who just wants to get his work done and get his paycheck, you might inquire about that from the new company.
Lastly, you’re getting a 40k raise. Even if you find the work is not what you signed up for, you can grind it out for two years, stack a lot of extra money, and figure it out after that.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
What kind of electrical engineering do you do?
Remote work is fantastic, but five days a week alone in your apartment can be a huge drag. Something to consider before going completely remote.
Also, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate company culture much more. Some companies really care about their employees. Some companies could give a shit. If that’s important to you, also something to think about.
I had a ton. I went into college with 8 AP tests and ended up taking 5 years to complete my EE degree (dicked around with different low div courses before settling on engineering my junior year).
I was on the quarter system so I don’t know how that compares to semesters. But EE required something like 180 units, and I had something like 250.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Interesting.
The NFPA used to publish a PDF version of the NEC that you could purchase. They stopped publishing it after the 2017 code because people were sharing it and distributing it without permission. So now, if you want to access an electronic version, you have to pay to access it on the NFPA website. It’s not nearly as user friendly as the 2017 PDF version but I understand why they made that decision. They were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars via pirating/unauthorized sharing.
With that said, it would be awesome to get another PDF version of the 2023 NEC. Interested to see how this lawsuit changes things.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
What are the implications of this ruling? I use the NFPA every day.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
True. Same thing for 2020. Trump and the republicans have continued to deny the validity of the 2020 election to this day and it’s become a loyalty test for the current Republican presidential candidates.
With the amount of money pouring into national races and federal elections every two years, it’s hard to avoid any election season.
CanofWorms
1yr ago
Yeah, I was very surprised on the lack of snow when I moved to DC. We always got nasty 35 degree rains which is about the most awful weather there is.
I also enjoyed National Harbor, but mostly for the MGM casino.
Bless me, I have finished The Count of Monte Cristo. I really admire the writing and vocabulary of Dumas (and, moreover, the anonymous translator), but I cannot in good conscience recommend this book. The imprisonment, escape, and discovery of the treasure are terrific, but the remaining 600 pages, comprised of palace intrigue, upper class French political and financial discussions, page-long descriptions of gardens, and all the rest make for a bit of a slog. I understand now why there are so many abridged versions of this book. I do like how the book ends, and I do like Dumas last sentence. He specifies two words that all humans should live their life by: Wait and Hope. Interesting bit of wisdom from the French master.
So. I am happy to be moving on. I have a handful of books that have been in my backlog. I plan to start with Dreamland which is a chronicle of the opioid epidemic. The opioid epidemic is a bit played out in the sense of literature and documentaries (it reminds me of the flood of books and movies about the Great Recession), but I always enjoy a good book about rich aristocrats taking advantage of the poor and vulnerable. Hoping it goes a bit faster than Monte Cristo!
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