PorradaVFR

Dude. 1/2 size larger maybe?

I kid but seriously. I once made the mistake of getting new shoes RIGHT before a convention where I was on my feet for 8-10 hours a day and no time to get different ones. They were too tight and that pressure caused me pain for years.

Nearly?!? I mean sure a furnace or a steam roller or a nuclear blast might do it but….putting on shoes?

That’s the argument as I understand it - they hope to generate sympathy from the public and I assume legal system…”looks at that frail, harmless old man”. It’s a charade that I experienced while in a jury pool - defendant was in a wheelchair and looked like a weak, sick elderly man…accused of stabbing and nearly killing a much younger, healthy woman. I doubt she just stood there as he slowly rolled up.

Man I don’t know…I wouldn’t bail, maybe it is solely a living, but consider if you’re being seen as a paycheck and nothing more.

I guess be up front and say you’re conflicted and see the response. No reason not to enjoy dinner and a chat. Maybe a one-off and an anecdote or maybe more. Good luck either way.

If that’s how you met and is only basis of interacting …. eeek, more red flags than a parade in Beijing. If you are in a healthy relationship and they happen to do OF as a money maker and you both are cool with it, that’s different.

You’re paying for labor. If you’re the cheapest option retention will be poor, knowledge and experience will leave and your business will (and should) suffer.

Penny wise, pound foolish.

The plastic drain cleaners at home improvement stores with the Velcro tips work really well. They’re like 2’ long but in my experience cleaning the wife and kids long hair out of the bath drain has show that to be plenty.

The added fact that I have basically no hair on my head also makes be a tad bitter about always being the “handyman” guy of our family. :p

My man!

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

indeed. Inside canned food, there are dead corpses of bacteria only,

Well, not just that right? I mean some tuna or Spam makes it in as well surely.

I’ve never seen one outside of a hotel before. Is it behind the fire?

I’m by no means a laserologist but my layperson understanding is that laser colors are achieved through different means of generating the laser - using various gases etc. So a red or green laser have different properties. Now there may be a way to achieve colors optically and the light itself being consistent but from the bit I recall green ones took quite a bit more power to generate than red so I think would be hotter.

….or I’m WAYYYYY off. 🥸😜

Ouch.

Just wanted to remove any potential ambiguity as some might think it a love song. ;)

Starfuckers is, I believe, about her. It’s….not complimentary.

I mean go anyway, if your online people won’t or can’t. At the least you do something or see something you like or might like (like an art museum, or cool park or event) and while there you’ll be around like minded people and maybe click.

Worst case you saw that new place, discovered that thing or enjoyed a familiar event.

You have to keep putting yourself out there, hard as it is and frustrating and disappointing as it may be. Why? Because that’s where what you want is.

When you do find it it will have been worth it.

I wish it was easier and that you were not struggling. Takes a tough soul to do so and admitting its hard takes guts. Give yourself credit for trying like hell.

I don’t have any lightning bolt insights to share. Honestly it sounds like you’re doing a lot of what I might suggest - sharing something you enjoy with like minded others and being engaged in that community to try to make connections. Maybe you’re sensing more isolation than is really there?

Have you tired things like hiking or other sorts of outdoor activities offline where you might meet people? Local library events? Stuff like that?

Your post touched me enough to respond, so yeah man even this total stranger gives a crap. It’s hard to see that maybe, but I think most people would react positively if they thought others were receptive.

Basically if you put up a wall because you expect things to go poorly they put up theirs and it’s hard to connect so it’s a spiral. It took me a long time to realize that a simple gesture like “hey man cool T-shirt” to a stranger at work has helped me make connections. You share the game interest with them, bounce off that with a compliment or recognition and you’ll find they may reciprocate.

You’re guarding yourself, I get it…but the wall you build to shield yourself keeps others away as much as it keeps you in.

I hope this rambling makes some sense.

Interacting is hard and people can be awful, especially online. (As you well know). Try to find the positive attributes you can focus more on - cool names, clever comments, good play, indeed even them showing a good attitude.

Cop to tending to sound negative - honestly might help a lot. “You may think this sounds critical but I’m trying to help” - set some context since it’s easy to misunderstand without interacting in person.

As trite as this may sound don’t give up on the things that bring you a measure of joy.

Good luck, I hope you know folks DO give a crap.

When I feel pessimistic about the world it’s kids like this that give me hope. Great story!

Very cool. My paternal grandfather was from there and I’ve never been. Looks like a stunning place.