Random Thoughts That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread Go Here

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Fuck this weather. I'm moving to Texas.

Uh, it's going to be 34 with a layer of ice falling on the city tomorrow

SI

[sabotai]

For me, I've decided the Eureka, California is the place to be for weather in the US. Their avg low for Jan. is 42 degrees (record low: 20), their avg high for Aug is 65 degrees (record high for the year: 88). A little more rainy than the national average (said to have "rainy winters" but dry summers), but I'd be more than willing to put up with a bit more rain if it meant no more arctic blasts in the winter or 100+ degree heatwaves in the summer.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Uh, it's going to be 34 with a layer of ice falling on the city tomorrow

SI

The wind chill is -20 to -40 here, and it's gonna be 70 around Dallas later this week. And there's no state income tax. PACKING.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

The wind chill is -20 to -40 here, and it's gonna be 70 around Dallas later this week. And there's no state income tax. PACKING.

We were 72 yesterday, in the 60s today, and 62/74 for Thurs/Fri so it's nice there rest of the week. There's the 8 months of summer to contend with but I'll take that over the winter up north.

As for the state income tax, our property taxes suck, tho, if you own a house. If you rent, not as big of a deal. The 47th best public school system in the country or whatever doesn't pay for itself.

SI

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

As for the state income tax, our property taxes suck, tho, if you own a house. If you rent, not as big of a deal. The 47th best public school system in the country or whatever doesn't pay for itself.

SI

LOL

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by sabotai

For me, I've decided the Eureka, California is the place to be for weather in the US. Their avg low for Jan. is 42 degrees (record low: 20), their avg high for Aug is 65 degrees (record high for the year: 88). A little more rainy than the national average (said to have "rainy winters" but dry summers), but I'd be more than willing to put up with a bit more rain if it meant no more arctic blasts in the winter or 100+ degree heatwaves in the summer.

this probably belongs in the Random Tangents That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread thread, but Eureka by William Diehl is one of my favorite books

[thesloppy]

Eureka is a great place.......to get robbed, raped, and/or have your car stolen.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Eureka is a great place.......to get robbed, raped, and/or have your car stolen.

Hmmm...

*does some googling...*

Eureka CA crime rates and statistics - NeighborhoodScout

"With a crime rate of 77 per one thousand residents, Eureka has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 13. Within California, more than 99% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Eureka."


Son of a bitch! *sigh*. The search continues...

[cuervo72]

Heh. Pam is getting thinner, isn't she.

[JonInMiddleGA]

So help me, I believe it'll eventually be something related to trying to buy fast food that lands me in prison.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

So help me, I believe it'll eventually be something related to trying to buy fast food that lands me in prison.

I find that fast food is all about proper expectations both from the food and the service

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I find that fast food is all about proper expectations both from the food and the service

I don't find anything unreasonable about expecting to be waited on IN AN EMPTY STORE (save for one elderly lady trying -- and failing -- to get a little snack parfait) within 16 minutes.

Nor about expecting something a little better than having the same vacant-eyed little chica walk away from the counter no less than three times without so much as an f.u.

So help me, it's as close to murdering someone as I ever need to get.

[sterlingice]

You lost me at "empty fast food place", save for the drinking hours after midnight. Can't help you there- that's just sad

SI

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Son of a bitch! *sigh*. The search continues...

In sorta that region & size of town, I'll push you towards Ashland, OR. There's a lake and a mountain within 30 minutes, all those small town charms, and the town's industry/income is centered around a state University and a Shakespeare festival, rather than methamphetamine and truck-stops (like most of the region).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

You lost me at "empty fast food place", save for the drinking hours after midnight. Can't help you there- that's just sad

Usually it's not empty at 10p but, well, they've mentioned the "s" word locally today so everybody was at Walmart buying milk & bread

[cartman]

The bearded guy in the Vonage commercials really freaks me out.

[Grover]

I have selective eating disorder. I've had it since I was five. I've just gotten off my chest on facebook and feel like keeping some momentum going with it.

I'm tired of telling people I'm allergic to this, or I'm a vegetarian or whatever else excuse I can come up with. This has hurt me throughout life. Even with counseling and therapy. It's hurt me with friends. I'm 30 and have never ordered anything in a restaurant. In relationships, I've been dumped because I couldn't take a girl out to dinner (I guess that's somewhat shallow on her end). It's hurt me in work situations such as company parties (not going out to dinners, etc).

It is something I've learned to deal with on my own. I've got a very narrow and selective amount of things I will eat, but I've been very hesitant to ever come out about it. It's freakish and isn't the typical "eating disorder" that any of us ever picture. I was 27 before I tried pizza, or cucumbers. Seriously. I didn't like pizza, but that's okay.

But really, I just wanted to get this off my chest and this was an appropriate place in this forum.

Thanks for reading, if you did.

[terpkristin]

I'm doing everything I can to avoid getting sucked into Hearthstone and people I know on the internet and in real life aren't helping me.

So tell me, my FOFC friends, what I need to know about why it's going to be evil and I'm best staying away.

/tk

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

In sorta that region & size of town, I'll push you towards Ashland, OR. There's a lake and a mountain within 30 minutes, all those small town charms, and the town's industry/income is centered around a state University and a Shakespeare festival, rather than methamphetamine and truck-stops (like most of the region).

Looking at the weather, it's not that much different than here, just half the precip and it actually has terrain. So, it's a major step up from Jersey.

Looking at the coast, there's Brookings with similar weather as Eureka, but by your comment, I'm guessing that town has a meth and truck stop based economy?

Outside the US, Quito, Ecuador looks perfect. It's in the 60s year round. But, it has a ton of crime...

So far the best fit I've found with good weather and low crime is Kunming, China. I'm hoping to find someplace closer.

EDIT: What I'd really like to do is live my life as a vagabond, but I doubt I'll do that. A warm shower and a nice comfy bed are two necessities. If I had a decent income and a job that was location-free....

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I'm doing everything I can to avoid getting sucked into Hearthstone and people I know on the internet and in real life aren't helping me. So tell me, my FOFC friends, what I need to know about why it's going to be evil and I'm best staying away.

My son has been playing for two weeks, has only touched his Xbox twice since picking it up. If that doesn't tell you something about the addictive possibilities I'm not sure what will.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Grover

I have selective eating disorder. I've had it since I was five. I've just gotten off my chest on facebook and feel like keeping some momentum going with it.

I'm tired of telling people I'm allergic to this, or I'm a vegetarian or whatever else excuse I can come up with. This has hurt me throughout life. Even with counseling and therapy. It's hurt me with friends. I'm 30 and have never ordered anything in a restaurant. In relationships, I've been dumped because I couldn't take a girl out to dinner (I guess that's somewhat shallow on her end). It's hurt me in work situations such as company parties (not going out to dinners, etc).

It is something I've learned to deal with on my own. I've got a very narrow and selective amount of things I will eat, but I've been very hesitant to ever come out about it. It's freakish and isn't the typical "eating disorder" that any of us ever picture. I was 27 before I tried pizza, or cucumbers. Seriously. I didn't like pizza, but that's okay.

But really, I just wanted to get this off my chest and this was an appropriate place in this forum.

Thanks for reading, if you did.

Is it a thing where you don't like a lot of foods or is it a psychological thing where you don't want to try a lot of foods?

[Radii]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I'm doing everything I can to avoid getting sucked into Hearthstone and people I know on the internet and in real life aren't helping me.

So tell me, my FOFC friends, what I need to know about why it's going to be evil and I'm best staying away.

Huh, I thoroughly enjoy Hearthstone and have been playing since early December, but it doesn't seem like a game that could possibly suck me in to the point of becoming a timesink. I never cared for Magic though, to me its somewhere I can play 3-5 games in a night, spend an hour or so, and be done/happy, unless I really get into an arena run or something where I might play a whole arena if I'm doing well.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Is it a thing where you don't like a lot of foods or is it a psychological thing where you don't want to try a lot of foods?

A bit of the latter. I want to try foods, but there is an extreme mental block that causes high anxiety. A lot of times when I try something new my body's immediate reaction is to vomit it back up.

[Suicane75]

Gotcha. Tried therapy?

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Gotcha. Tried therapy?

Indeed, and counseling.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by Grover

Indeed, and counseling.

So what do you like? Maybe it'd be fruitful to take what you know and enjoy, and branch out from there in small ways. (Then again, it's your life; you may have tried this before. Feel free to ignore.)

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Grover

A bit of the latter. I want to try foods, but there is an extreme mental block that causes high anxiety. A lot of times when I try something new my body's immediate reaction is to vomit it back up.

Not sure you can quantify this, but how much of the anxiety was the food/tasting, and how much was "hiding" this secret from the people you were out with? Maybe now that it's out in the open, and people understand it and are (hopefully) supportive, you've removed the bigger of the two obstacles?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Grover -- fwiw, I think you'll find that the FOFC has your back on this one.

May not help, but it certainly won't hurt.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by britrock88

So what do you like? Maybe it'd be fruitful to take what you know and enjoy, and branch out from there in small ways. (Then again, it's your life; you may have tried this before. Feel free to ignore.)

I was wondering this also. Which are the foods that you can eat?

[Lathum]

Have you considered hypnosis?

[Lathum]

fwiw I experience similar, but certainly not on the scale you are describing. I can't bring myself to eat meat, stoped when I was 14 and the thought of it grosses me out. Not because it is an animal, or any moral belief, I just can't bring myself to put it in my mouth and chew.

[MacroGuru]

Just saw the new Head and Shoulders stuff on Youtube with Brett Keisel...The guy is great!

[JonInMiddleGA]

The level of sophistication some newspapers display when it comes to their paywall technology is pretty comical.

If you're actually serious about it, you might want something a little tougher to defeat than a pop-over ad. Those vanish pretty quickly with something like the element hiding helper.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The level of sophistication some newspapers display when it comes to their paywall technology is pretty comical.

If you're actually serious about it, you might want something a little tougher to defeat than a pop-over ad. Those vanish pretty quickly with something like the element hiding helper.

The Seattle times is a prime offender of this

[JonInMiddleGA]

Got a very thoughtful gift from an old friend* tonight: a "vape kit", aka one of those fancier model electronic cigarette things.

Will be an interesting experiment for a steady 2-pack-a-day guy, both in terms of nicotine and in terms of user friendliness. We shall see how it goes, I'm game to at least give 'em a try.

*he's a recent convert, in order to keep the doctor off his ass so much after suffering a damned near fatal heart attack a couple of months ago.

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The level of sophistication some newspapers display when it comes to their paywall technology is pretty comical.

If you're actually serious about it, you might want something a little tougher to defeat than a pop-over ad. Those vanish pretty quickly with something like the element hiding helper.

You can just Google the article and boom, it will come up. The WSJ is good for this. Or clear your cookies/browser and you're good to go.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Not sure you can quantify this, but how much of the anxiety was the food/tasting, and how much was "hiding" this secret from the people you were out with? Maybe now that it's out in the open, and people understand it and are (hopefully) supportive, you've removed the bigger of the two obstacles?

Actually a combination of the two. I could be home alone, make something different to try and then agonize over it while it's sitting in front of me before throwing the entire meal away.

So what do you like? Maybe it'd be fruitful to take what you know and enjoy, and branch out from there in small ways. (Then again, it's your life; you may have tried this before. Feel free to ignore.)

Fairly bland. Breakfast cereals, waffles, pancakes. I like fruits, so that's the biggest positive. Macaroni and Cheese from a box has been my staple dinner for 25 years. I'm sure my insides are stained yellow-orange at this point. Only from a box and only from a certain brand. French fries, and unfortunately sweets and junk food. Comfort foods, really.

Grover -- fwiw, I think you'll find that the FOFC has your back on this one.

May not help, but it certainly won't hurt.

Thanks Jon and everybody else here for that matter. You're all good people.

[Logan]

With what type of therapist were you working with, Grover?

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Logan

With what type of therapist were you working with, Grover?

Folks who specifically work with eating disorders.

[korme]

re: Grover

Did your family make dinner often when growing up? If so, how was that? Did you not eat sometimes?

[Grover]

Originally Posted by korme

re: Grover

Did your family make dinner often when growing up? If so, how was that? Did you not eat sometimes?

I grew up in a single parent household. My mother certainly enabled the behavior to an extent. Any meals she would make, I would sit in front of the plate for hours, not moving refusing to eat.

One of my biggest memories was going out to dinner with my grandparents, I was probably 8 or 9. I would never order anything except for chocolate milk (this was my decision), but people would stare at us like they purposely weren't feeding me. It was so bad that it got to the point where my grandfather said something to everyone about how rude they were being and to mind their own business.

That's where having trouble eating in front of others came in.

It doesn't help that my boss continually harasses me about the way I eat, or why I don't eat at lunch, etc. But hey, it is what it is.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Grover

Folks who specifically work with eating disorders.

Gotcha. I don't know much about eating disorder therapy so excuse my ignorance if this is something that would be considered a standard thing to look out for. But when you described your condition, it reminded me just a bit of what was happening with my oldest niece when she was about 4-5 years old (she's turning 9 this year).

She would first complain about, and then eventually freak out about, really small things. Like if she stepped in a drop of water in the kitchen, she acted like her sock was completely soaked and that she needed to change it, and then her foot needed to be thoroughly dried before putting on another one. Or a shirt she was wearing, the neck might be too tight...and even though maybe you could see it being a little more narrow than normal, she would act like it was choking the life out of her. First my sister and brother in law thought she was just being a brat about things (even though she was really a great, sweet kid in all other respects) but finally told a doctor about it, and a couple doctors down the road found out that this is a legitimate condition (which I'm blanking on the name of course) in how people perceive and feel different things. So in that example, to her it really did feel like something was strangling her just as if her sister actually put her hands around her neck, whereas if another kid was wearing the same shirt, they might just pull it once if it was a little uncomfortable and then go about their day.

She began working with an occupational therapist (again, I believe that was the right specialist) and she got a lot better in a short time, and with continued therapy, has kept on getting better to where it happens very infrequently and to a much lesser degree than when she was younger.

The situations aren't the same obviously but it might be an avenue to consider if you haven't already. To my knowledge, occupational therapy is aimed at helping people find ways to go about accomplishing everyday tasks that most take for granted.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Y'know, I've definitely heard worse ideas that what Logan just mentioned.

It fits well with what I was thinking but couldn't find the right way to phrase. Maybe approaching this from a "limit the impact" angle instead of a complete "make this go away" angle could produce benefits. Don't let perfect become the enemy of good (or even "better") sort of thing.

Someone who works from an occupational therapy approach might have a different insight than someone who works on eating disorders regularly. Might be worth some exploration IMO.

[Grover]

Originally Posted by Logan

Gotcha. I don't know much about eating disorder therapy so excuse my ignorance if this is something that would be considered a standard thing to look out for. But when you described your condition, it reminded me just a bit of what was happening with my oldest niece when she was about 4-5 years old (she's turning 9 this year).

She would first complain about, and then eventually freak out about, really small things. Like if she stepped in a drop of water in the kitchen, she acted like her sock was completely soaked and that she needed to change it, and then her foot needed to be thoroughly dried before putting on another one. Or a shirt she was wearing, the neck might be too tight...and even though maybe you could see it being a little more narrow than normal, she would act like it was choking the life out of her. First my sister and brother in law thought she was just being a brat about things (even though she was really a great, sweet kid in all other respects) but finally told a doctor about it, and a couple doctors down the road found out that this is a legitimate condition (which I'm blanking on the name of course) in how people perceive and feel different things. So in that example, to her it really did feel like something was strangling her just as if her sister actually put her hands around her neck, whereas if another kid was wearing the same shirt, they might just pull it once if it was a little uncomfortable and then go about their day.

She began working with an occupational therapist (again, I believe that was the right specialist) and she got a lot better in a short time, and with continued therapy, has kept on getting better to where it happens very infrequently and to a much lesser degree than when she was younger.

The situations aren't the same obviously but it might be an avenue to consider if you haven't already. To my knowledge, occupational therapy is aimed at helping people find ways to go about accomplishing everyday tasks that most take for granted.

Thanks for the story. That sounds absolutely awful for your niece to go through, glad she's gotten the help she needs to live with her disorder(?).

It's something I haven't looked in to yet. It's weird to say that it doesn't affect my every day life, even though I know it does. I am quite comfortable with the foods I eat, even if I hate the limitations at the same time.

I kind of get the mentality to reinforce the way I do things when people pick at me for the way I eat. Like I said, I get it from my boss all the time and it's one reason I'm looking for new employment, but that's neither here nor there.

The most frustrating aspect for me is going through swings of wanting to change and not wanting to change. I'm very lucky to have a supportive girlfriend who wants the best for me and isn't forcing me to try new things or put me in uncomfortable situations regarding food.

I also know that with therapy, you have to want it to work for it to actually have results. Just like with anything else. Wanting to quit smoking or whatever vice people have. They have to want to make the change. And I'm not sure I'll ever be 100% on making that change.

[Logan]

Putting on my amateur hat again...I'm guessing you're not 100% on wanting to change because there's something deep inside of you that is preventing you from feeling away. To me, uncontrollably throwing up food that you're making yourself try is a real big red flag...that's a physical reaction to an emotional decision and that doesn't seem to be something you want to carry around.

My advice would be to not even get as far as deciding if you're "100% ready to change" but first just find someone along those lines to talk to, explain what you're dealing with, and see what they say. Then decide what your level of commitment would be. Maybe they say something to you that opens your eyes, and you never would have known about it if you first required yourself to be fully committed to the process.

And as a PS...my niece wasn't dealing with those issues (or at least acting out on them) every day. Maybe it would flare up once a week or so? Only saying that so you understand that this wasn't a daily pattern that needed to be broken.

Thanks for the well wishes for my niece and good luck to you.

[henry296]

My daughter (6 years old) has some similar issues which was diagnosed as Sensory disorder which is probably what Logan's niece was diagnosed with. She also has a limited diet and did Occupational Therapy which has helped prevent some of the reactions to food, but she still doesn't try many new things very often. She also has Macaroni and Cheese many nights for dinner.

[Suicane75]

The Olympic thread and my thoughts on it, had me thinking in another direction about life and what not.

I'm 38. I'm trying to decipher whether or not it's age or the age we live in that's catching up to me. During the 84 Olympics I was 9 years old, the Olympics had all the kids on my block amped up. That whole summer we would race around the block timing ourselves. We did the same with bikes. We would create events even. Do kids still do that sort of thing? Am I just turning into one of those "get off my lawn" guys now that I'm older?

It's hard to reconcile that I'm doing the same thing my mother did before me and my grandmother did before her, spouting how it was better when. Thing is, I truly believe that I'm right and they're wrong. I don't think it was better in their day, well maybe my mothers day, I'd love to have been a teenager in the 70's. But social mores and what not. I don't have a problem with sex or porn or what curse words people use or what extreme kinks are out there, I'd have loved if someone had set me down when I was 10 years old and explained all the shit to me that I didn't figure out till I was in my 20's. But it just seems that kids these days aren't being taught responsibly. Left to their own devices with their phones and computers, I imagine that a 12 year old can easily find all the filthy porn I can find and that there just aren't enough good parents out there to keep them from being hardened and becoming detached from the world as I knew it. I feel like the age of a persons innocence is becoming shorter and shorter. The digital age came too quick and nobody was properly prepared. We have this wonderous technology at our fingertips and the dumbest generation is using it. Kids who grew up on the internet are having kids and they're all so dumb. At some point we're going to be so deep into the matrix that our doom, from our own hands, will become inevitable.

Shit, this should go in the drunk guy thread maybe. Bleh.

[terpkristin]

I need to go to the dentist. I am super-afraid of the dentist. It's been a very long time since I was at the dentist, so even if I didn't have something I think is wrong, it would suck.

And I'm allergic to Valium. Why oh why can't they just knock me out for this stuff.

/tk

[cartman]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

I need to go to the dentist. I am super-afraid of the dentist. It's been a very long time since I was at the dentist, so even if I didn't have something I think is wrong, it would suck.

And I'm allergic to Valium. Why oh why can't they just knock me out for this stuff.

/tk

There are some dentists that will give you nitrous oxide.

[NobodyHere]

I recommend just being drunk, you won't feel a thing if you drink enough and you just might enjoy the experience.