Frankly, this is the best outcome. Going and winning a decent amount your very first time is a huge risk for developing a gambling problem, because your monkey brain goes “It happened once, so it can totally happen again”. Doubly so when you’re young and your ‘decent amount’ is lower than it might be otherwise.

It could, sure, but the actual probability doesn’t line up with your probabilistic fluke, and that’s a hard thing to overcome for a lot of folks.

Never got to a point where it was a survival threat (very lucky in that regard), but that $300 I won when I was 19 was the most expensive money I’ve ever made.

You’re getting downvoted, but every party needs one at least soberish person when shit hits the fan.

Source:
-Former teen who had to clear out the particularly wasted folks and direct emergency services to the party spot when some girl drank too much, rolled off a small cliff, and smacked her head on a rock. Sucked for me, but could’ve sucked much worse (popular line when she’d convulse a little after we got her up was ‘dude, she’s just faking it for attention’. Yeah, maybe - or maybe she just fucking dies surrounded by drunk dicks tossing Axe cans into campfires).

-Parent of another former teen who, just as begrudgingly, has helped their friends avoid hospitals, jails, and the grave for reasons of adolescent stupidity.

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It really depends. Apologies can be a tricky business, but tossing them out can help bring the temperature down to move forward. Sometimes you have to read between the lines to determine whether it’s useful or not, or what exactly they want an apology for (it’s not always what you’d think at first).

Looking at your example in the end, I’d take the following tack - “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. When I’m here, I try to stay really focused on what I need to do. If I’m not super responsive or don’t notice you right away, it’s because I’m concentrating on something else. It doesn’t mean that I am deliberately ignoring you, or think badly of you. [If you can muster it/can honestly say something nice about them, do it. It helps. Has to be genuine though.] I hope you understand.”

Might calm things down, might not. But I’ve had folks respond to this approach before (when they just want to feel acknowledged, which is where most ‘y u ignoring me’ reactions come from).

Nope, she tunes out when I start talking about federated services. Just not something that captures her interest/she gives any real thought about.

Count from 1 to 10, then 10 to 1. With each number, relax your body a little more. When the mind strays, bring it back to counting. Repeat until unconscious.

If that isn’t working at all, get up, go to another room, play soft music at low volume on headphones, and depending on the circumstances read a book, jot stuff down, or just contemplate stuff. Chill until sleepy, then either go back to bed or just curl up where you are.

Worst I hurt myself: Older, much larger cousin broke my leg by landing on it in a bouncy castle.

Injury that pissed me off the most: At 13, I loved jiujitsu and rock climbing above all else. At my last jiujitsu class before going to California to, among other things, go bouldering in Joshua Tree, I sliced my heel badly on the metal bottom of the dojo door that had about an inch and a half of clearance from the floor.

Shoes in general, let alone those super-tight climbing shoes, were out of the question for two weeks. I’m still mad. Of all the ways I could’ve got hurt, it was the fucking door on the way out that took me down.

Primarily the audience. The artist can approach a project with a certain set of ideas, precepts, and motivations, and attempt to communicate something, but the interpretations of the audience supercede that IMO.

That said, different levels of engagement inform different interpretations. For instance, there’re folks who watched Starship Troopers that didn’t understand it was satire until they listened to the director’s commentary. Knowing this does impact an audience’s interpretation when engaging with the work - all of a sudden, certain things lend themselves to closer consideration. But the audience still brings their own experiences, sociocultural context, and ideas to a work of art. Over time, it is the audience’s interpretations that carry on as people share that experience.

Ideally, a work stands on its own without reference to paratext/the creator’s claims. But those can play a part in informing your own interpretation.

Canada, various provinces - either weed whacker or whipper-snipper.

Scott calls it a trimmer sometimes, but Scott’s a dick and we hate him.

Whenever I see someone with sunglasses inside, I always chalk it up to a) not being arsed to remove them, b) light-sensitivity due to migraine/hangover, or c) being on some sort of drug (sunglasses = invisibility cloak/comfort blanket for some folks).

All of these are totally valid. Douchey is as douchey does, if folks are acting polite/keeping to themselves I don’t judge.

It’s not the worst idea, though of course you’d need to figure out if taking a job in another city is worth maybe having to move your family/your wife having to transfer or find a new role herself.

Don’t limit yourself to this, but something to think about re: searching: What private labs operate in your part of Canada (Lifelabs, Dynacare, etc.)? Who holds the contracts for hospital lab sample/supply transportation (this can be tricky to suss out, but if you find yourself near hospitals at all, think about the branding on courier vans you see)? Etc.

I see you’re at lemmy.ca - are you a Canadian? If so, and you don’t mind sharing, where in the country do you live?

Your experience makes me think something re: logistics operations in the medical industry could be of interest, and I see postings from time to time. But availability really hinges on where you are. Won’t lie, they are stressful jobs, but compensation and benefits can be good, and there’s some opportunity to cut your teeth on projects like route optimization and/or get paid PM training.

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I second mycoboutique, it is cute as fuck.

45 and flight?

The U.S. has some cool shit to see as a tourist - even aside from the obvious stuff (example: I really, really wanted to check out Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo Texas. It’s literally just a bunch of Cadillacs half-buried and absolutely crusted in spray paint).

But yeah, right now even the legit draws for tourism aren’t worth it. And there’s a scarily good chance it never will be again.

If it helps, I got your joke and commend you for it.

In these high tension times, I almost think we need a “this is a joke, please re-read if angry” tag that isn’t /s or JK.

👍

sh.it.heads: “We’re number 5! We’re number 5!”

(me. I’m probably the only one chanting at this fact)

How many of those nations even have standing militaries?

Last I checked, all of them except Iceland. However, your point stands - the U.S. accounts for well over half of total NATO defence expenditure.