Dirty dog lesson plans
Shareconomy
2014.11.19 02:19 bcolbe Shareconomy
A place to discuss the growing online sharing economy.
2024.05.19 01:48 merle-long-hair-pitt My RARE LONG HAIR MERLE PITTIE
 | Meet Ruby Red. She is the daughter to my male Dogo Argentino/Pitbull who was also merle in color and my female American pitbull terrier which happens to be reverse Brindle. They had a litter of 10 togeather. 6 where merle in color like dad and the other 4 where reverse Brindle like the mom. 2 of the merle puppies had longer hair. At first we where like that's weird. Lol. The older they got the hair grew longer. So I started to do some research on it. Because I know this family of dogs very well dating back to great grandparents of my male and female Aka mom and dad.. no where in the bloodline have I seen or heard of a long haired puppy from any litter. (That I know of). Turns out it's a super rare ressesive long hair gene and it makes your puppy super fluffy. Lol.. it's so adorable. We wasn't going to keep any of the puppies but we have fallen for this puppy and I think our minds have changed lol.. here she is. I do plan on making more videos and pictures of her as well.. hope u enjoy as much as my family does!! submitted by merle-long-hair-pitt to u/merle-long-hair-pitt [link] [comments] |
2024.05.19 01:39 Accomplished-Video92 The never ending debate - Prams
Dads of reddit, the wife and I are expecting our first child in September- boy. We are currently buying everything needed and our last big purchase is a pram. Now we've asked our friends and we can't get a straight answer so I pose the question to you all.
3 wheel vs 4 wheel
For context: 1) we walk our dogs 2-3 times a day for a minimum of 10km (6 mile) 1a) the walks are a mixture of grass, gravel and pavement - predominantly pavement 1b) the wife will be trying to do one walk a day herself so she's getting fresh air so she will have the pram, 2 dogs and the cat if he joins (the cat identifies as a dog.....) 2) when the boy is old enough we will start doing bush walks, beach walks etc 2a) the plan is to put him in a carry backpack for this, but as everyone keeps telling me and I keep reading...plans go quickly out the window 3) the pram will be used in food shops, malls etc so obviously I'll be running around like a race car driver if I'm left in charge, so what's best for handling 4) car space won't be a problem 5) i can't think of anything else but if there is anything else to consider please let me know.
Thanks in advance from NZ
View Poll
submitted by Accomplished-Video92 to daddit [link] [comments]
3 wheel vs 4 wheel
For context: 1) we walk our dogs 2-3 times a day for a minimum of 10km (6 mile) 1a) the walks are a mixture of grass, gravel and pavement - predominantly pavement 1b) the wife will be trying to do one walk a day herself so she's getting fresh air so she will have the pram, 2 dogs and the cat if he joins (the cat identifies as a dog.....) 2) when the boy is old enough we will start doing bush walks, beach walks etc 2a) the plan is to put him in a carry backpack for this, but as everyone keeps telling me and I keep reading...plans go quickly out the window 3) the pram will be used in food shops, malls etc so obviously I'll be running around like a race car driver if I'm left in charge, so what's best for handling 4) car space won't be a problem 5) i can't think of anything else but if there is anything else to consider please let me know.
Thanks in advance from NZ
View Poll
2024.05.19 01:38 Vheko WIBTAH For canceling a big trip with my father because of my mother?
My father and his partner both planned a big two week trip this June to Uganda for some volunteer-tourism thing. During this trip also falls my dad's birthday and fathers day. They've been planning this since Christmas.
My mother raised me. During the pandemic I moved back in with her (after dropping out of college) to help out with some family emergencies and family health issues. Then we got a dog during the pandemic. Recently, the dog got exited when she was taking him out, and he pulled her down. Now her knee is damaged with a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus damage.
I don't feel confident leaving my dog, and leaving my mom alone to take care of him, for two weeks. But, I also feel terrible having to cancel this trip with my dad.
I'm gonna take a guess, and say I've been the AH for being indecisive up till this point. But, I wanna hear some third party thoughts on what I should do.
submitted by Vheko to AITAH [link] [comments]
My mother raised me. During the pandemic I moved back in with her (after dropping out of college) to help out with some family emergencies and family health issues. Then we got a dog during the pandemic. Recently, the dog got exited when she was taking him out, and he pulled her down. Now her knee is damaged with a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus damage.
I don't feel confident leaving my dog, and leaving my mom alone to take care of him, for two weeks. But, I also feel terrible having to cancel this trip with my dad.
I'm gonna take a guess, and say I've been the AH for being indecisive up till this point. But, I wanna hear some third party thoughts on what I should do.
2024.05.19 01:36 Nausicasity SO pays for his dog to stay at BM house with his son
Looking for some perspective and advice (sorry super long!) I can see where different parties are coming from, but I think at this point we all need to move forward practically.
Context: SO got dog as a puppy off his sister who realised she didn't have capacity for her as a puppy (bulldog/staffy mix). At the time SO was living with BM and they had their son (my step son now 4). They were trying to make things work after the unexpected pregnancy and living together to co-parent but it ended up being off and on and things didn't work in the end.
After living togethenot living together and then living together again my SO ended up between places and not in a situation where he could have the dog. BM very graciously kept looking after the dog even though she has told me and others that it isn't ideal, and the deal is - my SO has to pay for all the dog expenses on top of normal child support. I get it, for a while my SO was in between places and the dog is his, he also put BM through a lot. I get why the arrangement was made to begin with. But now he is with me, he's doing really well and we have our own baby on the way (planned) and we are living in a house with a big yard. SO and I also have a little dog together and she gets along great with SO dog. We now get SO dog every other weekend with his son and also occasionally when a dog sitter is needed. It has been proposed that we maybe have dog for 2 weeks at a time and then BM would split payments with us. SO did ask BM if she wanted the dog but she said no, but whenever we try to do this transition there is an excuse or reason why we need to wait.
Some things I've observed and have been said to me/context of situation: A. Dog is my SOs dog first and foremost, his son has a bond with the dog but is four and so far from what I've witnessed isn't overly attached to her. When asked (and taking into account he's four and does change his mind every five seconds) he says he wouldn't mind the dog being at our house all the time ranging to he wouldn't mind if it was part time B. BM has back issues and can't excercise dog as much as is needed and has said this to me C. BM lives in not the best area, SO says he feels better knowing the dog is there as she is super sweet but such an aggressive bark and is big if there were ever any intruders they would probably be scared off. However I think that is BM perogative - she has security cameras installed and is an adult and has mentioned to me she wouldn't mind a smaller dog.
I am happy for us to take in the dog and also happy to do a trial period to ensure SS is going to be alright (lots of change recently for him! Dad was in unstable env and now stable plus new baby coming in 3 months - we are trying to keep things very consistent for him).
Mainly I think either we should keep the dog, or if BM decides she does want this dog as her dog, we shouldn't pay for the dog anymore. What are your alls thoughts?
submitted by Nausicasity to stepparents [link] [comments]
Context: SO got dog as a puppy off his sister who realised she didn't have capacity for her as a puppy (bulldog/staffy mix). At the time SO was living with BM and they had their son (my step son now 4). They were trying to make things work after the unexpected pregnancy and living together to co-parent but it ended up being off and on and things didn't work in the end.
After living togethenot living together and then living together again my SO ended up between places and not in a situation where he could have the dog. BM very graciously kept looking after the dog even though she has told me and others that it isn't ideal, and the deal is - my SO has to pay for all the dog expenses on top of normal child support. I get it, for a while my SO was in between places and the dog is his, he also put BM through a lot. I get why the arrangement was made to begin with. But now he is with me, he's doing really well and we have our own baby on the way (planned) and we are living in a house with a big yard. SO and I also have a little dog together and she gets along great with SO dog. We now get SO dog every other weekend with his son and also occasionally when a dog sitter is needed. It has been proposed that we maybe have dog for 2 weeks at a time and then BM would split payments with us. SO did ask BM if she wanted the dog but she said no, but whenever we try to do this transition there is an excuse or reason why we need to wait.
Some things I've observed and have been said to me/context of situation: A. Dog is my SOs dog first and foremost, his son has a bond with the dog but is four and so far from what I've witnessed isn't overly attached to her. When asked (and taking into account he's four and does change his mind every five seconds) he says he wouldn't mind the dog being at our house all the time ranging to he wouldn't mind if it was part time B. BM has back issues and can't excercise dog as much as is needed and has said this to me C. BM lives in not the best area, SO says he feels better knowing the dog is there as she is super sweet but such an aggressive bark and is big if there were ever any intruders they would probably be scared off. However I think that is BM perogative - she has security cameras installed and is an adult and has mentioned to me she wouldn't mind a smaller dog.
I am happy for us to take in the dog and also happy to do a trial period to ensure SS is going to be alright (lots of change recently for him! Dad was in unstable env and now stable plus new baby coming in 3 months - we are trying to keep things very consistent for him).
Mainly I think either we should keep the dog, or if BM decides she does want this dog as her dog, we shouldn't pay for the dog anymore. What are your alls thoughts?
2024.05.19 01:34 ausername- 34[M4F] USA/Online - Cinders seek to smolder once again.
I'm a bit of a burn out. Loneliness has exhausted me for the past few years and it's about all I can take just to keep going on. I'd really like to meet someone who makes me feel something again. Someone who makes me excited to be alive again. I want to meet someone who makes me beam from dawn to dusk just by their presence in my life.
I'm an internet hermit. I don't go out much, except to take care of my wonderful little corgi dog. He's basically my whole entire world. Don't worry about asking to see him, I was planning on showing him off to you anyway. I'm very proud of him and he's basically my literal son and actual child.
I play a lot of video games. You don't have to, but it'd be cool if you did. We could watch movies together and listen to music together, and just hang out together in Discord calls. I'm looking for someone who wants to spend a lot of time together.
I don't have much of a physical type, except for that I'm only attracted to thin and average girls. I don't mind a few pounds to lose, I've got a few myself (maybe we can motivate each other to live healthier?), but I don't find obesity attractive.
I'm very average myself, so if you're looking for tall and handsome, you'll want to look someplace else, but if you don't mind an average looking internet hermit, maybe I'm the guy for you?
submitted by ausername- to r4r [link] [comments]
I'm an internet hermit. I don't go out much, except to take care of my wonderful little corgi dog. He's basically my whole entire world. Don't worry about asking to see him, I was planning on showing him off to you anyway. I'm very proud of him and he's basically my literal son and actual child.
I play a lot of video games. You don't have to, but it'd be cool if you did. We could watch movies together and listen to music together, and just hang out together in Discord calls. I'm looking for someone who wants to spend a lot of time together.
I don't have much of a physical type, except for that I'm only attracted to thin and average girls. I don't mind a few pounds to lose, I've got a few myself (maybe we can motivate each other to live healthier?), but I don't find obesity attractive.
I'm very average myself, so if you're looking for tall and handsome, you'll want to look someplace else, but if you don't mind an average looking internet hermit, maybe I'm the guy for you?
2024.05.19 01:10 Lost_Attitude_3704 Can I slow down or is that unfair?
About 60 days ago my(32M) wife(30F) told me she wants a divorce. 5 yrs together, 2 married, no kids, a dog and a house.
I asked for couples counseling, trial separation, a reconsiation and another try. She maintained her position of "too little too late" and she wants to live another way. She wants change, and she's been depressed. We've triggered each other's wounds and fears in many ways. I haven't always been attentive to her emotional needs, I'm still growing on my own emotional capacity through 18 months of therapy. It just sucks because we have so much care for each other and work so well together still.
We saw a collaborative divorce attorney who walked us through the process, we agreed to some things in principle and the first step is to sell the house.
Since then, things have been very good between us, as we cohabitate, communicate well, still plan meals and shopping with each other. We are very considerate of each other, embrace every day, talk about deep feelings and goings on in our lives and even have gone out to dinner together a number of times through this.
Despite all of this she has barley wavered, so I realize there's little chance the outcome won't be divorce.
In the past 3 weeks she has been moving quickly towards selling our house, with the realtor agreed to and listing this week, about 60 days out from telling me she wanted to end things. She's been packing and boxing and moving things to her parents nearby.
I'm still adjusting to this. I told her I wouldn't fight it but now I'm struggling with this level of reality. It almost makes me sick to pack.
I don't want to lose her. My whole life has collapsed around me. I'll need to move states, change my life so drastically. I want to pump the brakes, take pause but she wants to get this part done ASAP. There's not another romantic partner in the picture, I think she just needs change and wants it fast.
Am I overstepping by slowing things down? What's a reasonable time to wait? Should I just push through to give her what she's asking for? Anything else I should consider here?
Thanks to anyone for the support.
submitted by Lost_Attitude_3704 to Divorce [link] [comments]
I asked for couples counseling, trial separation, a reconsiation and another try. She maintained her position of "too little too late" and she wants to live another way. She wants change, and she's been depressed. We've triggered each other's wounds and fears in many ways. I haven't always been attentive to her emotional needs, I'm still growing on my own emotional capacity through 18 months of therapy. It just sucks because we have so much care for each other and work so well together still.
We saw a collaborative divorce attorney who walked us through the process, we agreed to some things in principle and the first step is to sell the house.
Since then, things have been very good between us, as we cohabitate, communicate well, still plan meals and shopping with each other. We are very considerate of each other, embrace every day, talk about deep feelings and goings on in our lives and even have gone out to dinner together a number of times through this.
Despite all of this she has barley wavered, so I realize there's little chance the outcome won't be divorce.
In the past 3 weeks she has been moving quickly towards selling our house, with the realtor agreed to and listing this week, about 60 days out from telling me she wanted to end things. She's been packing and boxing and moving things to her parents nearby.
I'm still adjusting to this. I told her I wouldn't fight it but now I'm struggling with this level of reality. It almost makes me sick to pack.
I don't want to lose her. My whole life has collapsed around me. I'll need to move states, change my life so drastically. I want to pump the brakes, take pause but she wants to get this part done ASAP. There's not another romantic partner in the picture, I think she just needs change and wants it fast.
Am I overstepping by slowing things down? What's a reasonable time to wait? Should I just push through to give her what she's asking for? Anything else I should consider here?
Thanks to anyone for the support.
2024.05.19 00:57 honeypuppy Are Some Rationalists Dangerously Overconfident About AI?
AI has long been discussed in rationalist circles. There’s been a lot of focus on risks from artificial intelligence (particularly the idea that it might cause human extinction), but also the idea that artificial general intelligence might happen quite soon and subsequently transform society (e.g. supercharging economic growth in a technological singularity).
I’ve long found these arguments intriguing, and probably underrated by the public as a whole. I definitely don’t align myself with people like Steven Pinker who dismiss AI concerns entirely.
Nonetheless, I’ve noticed increasingly high confidence in beliefs of near-term transformative AI among rationalists. To be fair, it’s reasonable to update somewhat given recent advances like GPT-4. But among many, there is a belief that AI advances are the single most important thing happening right now. And among a minority, there are people with very extreme beliefs - such as quite high confidence that transformative AI is just a few years away, and/or that AI is very likely to kill us all.
My core arguments in this post are that firstly, from an “epistemic humility” or “outside view” perspective, we should be suspicious of confident views that the world is soon going to end (or change radically).
Secondly, the implications of the most radical views could cause people who hold them to inflict significant harm on themselves or others.
As a very prominent and very “doomy” rationalist, I worry that he may have convinced a fair number of people to share similar views, views which if taken seriously could hold its holders to feel depressed and/or make costly irrevocable decisions.
But though I think Yudkowsky deserves the most scrutiny, I don’t want to focus entirely on him.
Take Scott Alexander - he frames himself in the aforementioned link as “not as much of a doomer as some people”, yet gave a 33% probability (later adjusted downwards as a result of outside view considerations like those I raise in here) to “only” ~20%. While this leaves enough room for hope that it’s not as potentially dangerous a view as Yudkowsky’s, I agree with how the top Reddit comment in the original post said:
Other examples can be seen in (pseudo-)prediction markets popular with rationalists, such as Metaculus putting the median date of AGI at 2032, and Manifold Markets having a 17% chance of AI doom by 2100 (down from its peak of around 50% (!) in mid-2023).
But I think his case is increasingly weak the more radically immodest your views here. I’ll explain with the following analogy:
Suppose you were talking to someone who was highly confident in their new business idea. What is an appropriate use of a “modesty” argument cautioning against overconfidence?
A strong-form modesty argument would go something like “No new business idea could work, because if it could, someone would already have done it”. This is refuted by countless real-world examples, and I don’t think anyone actually believes in strong-form modesty.
A moderate-form modesty argument would go something like “Some new business ideas work, but most fail, even when their founders were quite confident in them. As an aspiring entrepreneur, you should think your chances of success in your new venture are similar to those of the reference class of aspiring entrepreneurs”.
The arguments against epistemic modesty in Inadequate Equilibria are mainly targeted against reasoning like this. And I think here there’s a case where we can have reasonable disagreement about the appropriate level of modesty. You may have some good reasons to believe that your idea is unusually good or that you are unusually likely to succeed as an entrepreneur. (Though a caveat: with too many degrees of freedom, I think you run the risk of leading yourself to whatever conclusion you like).
For the weak-form modesty argument, let’s further specify that your aspiring entrepreneur’s claim was “I’m over 90% confident that my business will make me the richest person in the world”.
To such a person, I would say: “Your claim is so incredibly unlikely a priori and so self-aggrandising that I feel comfortable in saying you’re overconfident without even needing to consider your arguments”.
That is basically what I feel about Eliezer Yudwosky and AI.
Let’s take a minute to consider what the implications are if Yudkowsky is correctly calibrated about his beliefs in AI. For a long time, he was one of the few people in the world to be seriously concerned about it, and even now, with many more people concerned about AI risk, he stands out as having some of the highest confidence in doom.
If he’s right, then he’s arguably the most important prophet in history. Countless people throughout history have tried forecasting boon or bust (and almost always been wrong). But on arguably the most important question in human history - when we will go extinct and why - Yudkowsky was among the very few people to see it and easily the most forceful.
Indeed, I’d say this is a much more immodest claim than claiming your business idea will make you the richest person in the world. The title of the richest person in the world has been shared by numerous people throughout history, but “the most accurate prophet of human extinction” is a title that can only ever be held by one person.
I think Scott Alexander’s essay Epistemic Learned Helplessness teaches a good lesson here. Argument convincingness isn’t necessarily strongly correlated with the truth of a claim. If someone gives you what appears to be a strong argument for something that appears crazy, you should nonetheless remain highly sceptical.
Yet I feel like Yudkowsky wants to appeal to “argument convincingness” because that’s what he’s good at. He has spent decades honing his skills arguing on the internet, and much less at acquiring traditional credentials and prestige. “Thinking on the object level” sounds like it’s about being serious and truth-seeking, but I think in practice it’s about privileging convincing-sounding arguments and being a good internet debater above all other evidence.
A further concern I have about “argument convincingness” for AI is that there’s almost certainly a large “motivation gap” in favour of the production of pro-AI-risk arguments compared to anti-AI-risk arguments, with the worriers spending considerably more time and effort than the detractors. As Philip Trammel points out in his post “But Have They Engaged with The Arguments?, this is true of almost any relatively fringe position. This can make the apparent balance of “argumentative evidence” misleading in those cases, with AI no exception.
Finally, Yudkowsky’s case for immodesty depends partly on alleging he has a good track record of applying immodesty to “beat the experts”. But his main examples (a lightbox experiment and the monetary policy of the Bank of Japan) I don’t find that impressive given he could cherry-pick. Here’s an article alleging that Yudkowsky’s predictions have frequently between egregiously wrong and here’s another arguing that his Bank of Japan position in particular didn’t ultimately pan out.
But I do still worry that the ability to contrast with super confident people like Yudkowsky lets the “not a total doomer” people off the hook a little too easily. I think it’s admirable that Scott Alexander seriously grappled with the fact that superforecasters disagreed with him and updated downwards based on that observation.
Still, let’s revisit the “aspiring entrepreneur” analogy - imagine they had instead said: “You know what, I’ve listened to your claims about modesty and agree that I’ve been overconfident. I now think there’s only a 20% chance that my business idea will make me the richest person in the world”.
Sure - they’ve moved in the right direction, but it’s easy to see that they’re still not doing modesty very well.
An anti-anti-AI risk argument Scott made (in MR Tries the Safe Uncertainly Fallacy) is that appealing to base rates leaves you vulnerable to “reference class tennis” where both sides can appeal to different reference classes, and the “only winning move is not to play”.
Yet in the case of our aspiring entrepreneur, I think the base rate argument of “extremely few people can become the richest person in the world” is very robust. If the entrepreneur tried to counter with “But I can come up with all sorts of other reference classes in which I come out more favourably! Reference class tennis! Engage with my object-level arguments!”, it would not be reasonable to throw up your hands and say “Well, I can’t come up with good counterarguments, so I guess you probably do have a 20% chance of becoming the richest person in the world then”.
I contend that “many people have predicted the end of the world and they’ve all been wrong” is another highly robust reference class. Yes, you can protest about “anthropic effects” or reasons why “this time is different”. And maybe the reasons why “this time is different” are indeed a lot better than usual. Still, I contend that you should start from a prior of overwhelming skepticism and only make small updates based on arguments you read. You should not go “I read these essays with convincing arguments about how we’re all going to die, I guess I just believe that now”.
I think this is good evidence for taking AI risk seriously. One important thing it does is raise AI risk out of the reference class of garden-variety doomsday predictions/crazy-sounding theories that have no expert backing.
However, I think it’s still only moderately good evidence.
Firstly, I think we should not consider it as an “expert consensus” nearly as strong as say, the expert consensus on climate change. There is nothing like an IPCC for AI, for example. This is not a mature, academically rigorous field. I don’t think we should update too strongly from AI experts spending a few minutes filling in a survey. (See for instance this comment about the survey, showing how non-robust the answers given are, indicating the responders aren’t thinking super hard about the questions).
Secondly, I believe forecasting AI risk is a multi-disciplinary skill. Consider for instance asking physicists to predict the chances of human extinction due to nuclear war in the 1930s. They would have an advantage in predicting nuclear capabilities, but after nuclear weapons were developed, the reasons we haven’t had a nuclear war yet have much more to do with international relations than nuclear physics.
And maybe AGI is so radically different from the AI that exists today that perhaps asking AI researchers now about AI risk might have been like asking 19th-century musket manufacturers about the risk from a hypothetical future “super weapon”.
I think an instructive analogy were the failed neo-Malthusian predictions of the 1960s and 1970s, such as The Population Bomb or The Limits to Growth. Although I’m unable to find clear evidence of this, my impression is that these beliefs were quite mainstream among the most “obvious” expert class of biologists (The Population Bomb author Paul Ehlrich had a PhD in biology), and the primary critics tended to be in other fields like economics (most notably Julian Simon). Biologists had insights, but they also had blind spots. Any “expert survey” that only interviewed biologists would have missed crucial insights from other disciplines.
Well, suppose you were overconfident about Clinton. You probably didn’t do anything differently in your life, and the only real cost of your overconfidence was being unusually surprised on election day 2016. Even one of the people who was that confident in Clinton didn’t suffer any worse consequences than eating a bug on national television.
But take someone who is ~90% confident that AI will radically transform or destroy society (“singularity or extinction by 2040") and seriously acts like it.
Given that, it seems apparently reasonable to be much more short-term focused. You might choose to stop saving for retirement. You might forgo education on the basis that it will be obsolete soon. These are actions that some people have previously taken, are considering taking or are actually taking because of expectations of AI progress.
At a societal level, high confidence in short-term transformative AI implies that almost all non-AI related long-term planning that humanity does is probably a waste. The most notable example would be climate change. If AI either kills us or radically speeds up scientific and economic growth by the middle of the century, then it seems pretty stupid to be worrying about climate change. Indeed, we’re probably underconsuming fossil fuels that could be used to improve the lives of people right now.
At its worst, there is the possibility of AI-risk-motivated terrorism. Here’s a twitter thread from Emil Torres talking about this, noticeably this tweet in particular about minutes from an AI safety workshop “sending bombs” to OpenAI and DeepMind.
To be fair, I think it’s highly likely the people writing that were trolling. Still - if you’re a cold-blooded utilitarian bullet-biter with short timelines and high p(doom), I could easily see you rationalising such actions.
I want to be super careful about this - I don’t want to come across as claiming that terrorism is a particularly likely consequence of “AI dooming”, nor do I want to risk raising the probability of it by discussing it too much and planting the seed of it in someone’s head. But a community that takes small risks seriously should be cognizant of the possibility. This is a concern that I think anyone with a large audience and relatively extreme views (about AI or anything) should take into account.
Since then I feel there’s a little bit of a vibe shift away from the most extreme scenarios (as exhibited in the Manifold extinction markets), as well as me personally probably overestimating how many people ever believed in them. I’ve found it hard to try to properly articulate the message: “You’re probably directionally correct relative to society as a whole, but some unspecified number of you have probably gone too far”.
Nonetheless, my main takeaways are:
submitted by honeypuppy to slatestarcodex [link] [comments]
I’ve long found these arguments intriguing, and probably underrated by the public as a whole. I definitely don’t align myself with people like Steven Pinker who dismiss AI concerns entirely.
Nonetheless, I’ve noticed increasingly high confidence in beliefs of near-term transformative AI among rationalists. To be fair, it’s reasonable to update somewhat given recent advances like GPT-4. But among many, there is a belief that AI advances are the single most important thing happening right now. And among a minority, there are people with very extreme beliefs - such as quite high confidence that transformative AI is just a few years away, and/or that AI is very likely to kill us all.
My core arguments in this post are that firstly, from an “epistemic humility” or “outside view” perspective, we should be suspicious of confident views that the world is soon going to end (or change radically).
Secondly, the implications of the most radical views could cause people who hold them to inflict significant harm on themselves or others.
Who Believes In “AI imminence”?
The single person I am most specifically critiquing is Eliezer Yudkowsky. Yudkowsky appears unwilling to give specific probabilities but writings like “Death With Dignity” has caused many including Scott Alexander to characterise him as believing that AI has a >90% chance of causing human extinction)As a very prominent and very “doomy” rationalist, I worry that he may have convinced a fair number of people to share similar views, views which if taken seriously could hold its holders to feel depressed and/or make costly irrevocable decisions.
But though I think Yudkowsky deserves the most scrutiny, I don’t want to focus entirely on him.
Take Scott Alexander - he frames himself in the aforementioned link as “not as much of a doomer as some people”, yet gave a 33% probability (later adjusted downwards as a result of outside view considerations like those I raise in here) to “only” ~20%. While this leaves enough room for hope that it’s not as potentially dangerous a view as Yudkowsky’s, I agree with how the top Reddit comment in the original post said:
Is AI risk the only field where someone can write an article about how they’re not (much) of a doomer when they think that the risk of catastrophe/disasteextinction is 33%?Beyond merely AI risk, claims about “transformative AI” date back to ideas about the “intelligent explosion” or “singularity” that are most popularly associated with Ray Kurzweil. A modern representation of this is Tom Davidson of Open Philanthropy, who wrote a report on takeoff speeds.
Other examples can be seen in (pseudo-)prediction markets popular with rationalists, such as Metaculus putting the median date of AGI at 2032, and Manifold Markets having a 17% chance of AI doom by 2100 (down from its peak of around 50% (!) in mid-2023).
Why Am I Sceptical?
My primary case for (moderate) scepticism is not about the object-level arguments around AI, but appealing to the “outside view”. My main arguments are:- Superforecasters and financial markets are not giving high credence to transformative AI. Both groups have good track records, so we should strongly consider deferring to their views.
- The transformative AI argument is "fishy" (to borrow Will MacAskill’s argument against “The Most Important Century”). It implies that not only we are at an unusually pivotal time in history (perhaps the most important decade, let alone century), but that consequently, rationalists are perhaps the most important prophets in history. When your claims are that extraordinary, it seems much more likely that they're mistaken.
- The “inside view” arguments do not seem very robust to me. That is, they are highly speculative arguments that are primarily discussed among an insular group of people in usually relatively informal settings. I think you should be wary of any argument that emerges via this process, even if you can’t point to any specific way in which they are wrong.
Why I’m Against Highly Immodest Epistemology
However, maybe appealing to the “outside view” is incorrect? Eliezer Yudkowsky wrote a book, Inadequate Equiibria, which in large part argued against what he saw as excessive use of the “outside view”. He advises:Try to spend most of your time thinking about the object level. If you’re spending more of your time thinking about your own reasoning ability and competence than you spend thinking about Japan’s interest rates and NGDP, or competing omega-6 vs. omega-3 metabolic pathways, you’re taking your eye off the ball.I think Yudkowsky makes a fair point about being excessively modest. If you are forever doubting your own reasoning to the extent that you think you should defer to the majority of Americans who are creationists, you’ve gone too far.
But I think his case is increasingly weak the more radically immodest your views here. I’ll explain with the following analogy:
Suppose you were talking to someone who was highly confident in their new business idea. What is an appropriate use of a “modesty” argument cautioning against overconfidence?
A strong-form modesty argument would go something like “No new business idea could work, because if it could, someone would already have done it”. This is refuted by countless real-world examples, and I don’t think anyone actually believes in strong-form modesty.
A moderate-form modesty argument would go something like “Some new business ideas work, but most fail, even when their founders were quite confident in them. As an aspiring entrepreneur, you should think your chances of success in your new venture are similar to those of the reference class of aspiring entrepreneurs”.
The arguments against epistemic modesty in Inadequate Equilibria are mainly targeted against reasoning like this. And I think here there’s a case where we can have reasonable disagreement about the appropriate level of modesty. You may have some good reasons to believe that your idea is unusually good or that you are unusually likely to succeed as an entrepreneur. (Though a caveat: with too many degrees of freedom, I think you run the risk of leading yourself to whatever conclusion you like).
For the weak-form modesty argument, let’s further specify that your aspiring entrepreneur’s claim was “I’m over 90% confident that my business will make me the richest person in the world”.
To such a person, I would say: “Your claim is so incredibly unlikely a priori and so self-aggrandising that I feel comfortable in saying you’re overconfident without even needing to consider your arguments”.
That is basically what I feel about Eliezer Yudwosky and AI.
Let’s take a minute to consider what the implications are if Yudkowsky is correctly calibrated about his beliefs in AI. For a long time, he was one of the few people in the world to be seriously concerned about it, and even now, with many more people concerned about AI risk, he stands out as having some of the highest confidence in doom.
If he’s right, then he’s arguably the most important prophet in history. Countless people throughout history have tried forecasting boon or bust (and almost always been wrong). But on arguably the most important question in human history - when we will go extinct and why - Yudkowsky was among the very few people to see it and easily the most forceful.
Indeed, I’d say this is a much more immodest claim than claiming your business idea will make you the richest person in the world. The title of the richest person in the world has been shared by numerous people throughout history, but “the most accurate prophet of human extinction” is a title that can only ever be held by one person.
I think Scott Alexander’s essay Epistemic Learned Helplessness teaches a good lesson here. Argument convincingness isn’t necessarily strongly correlated with the truth of a claim. If someone gives you what appears to be a strong argument for something that appears crazy, you should nonetheless remain highly sceptical.
Yet I feel like Yudkowsky wants to appeal to “argument convincingness” because that’s what he’s good at. He has spent decades honing his skills arguing on the internet, and much less at acquiring traditional credentials and prestige. “Thinking on the object level” sounds like it’s about being serious and truth-seeking, but I think in practice it’s about privileging convincing-sounding arguments and being a good internet debater above all other evidence.
A further concern I have about “argument convincingness” for AI is that there’s almost certainly a large “motivation gap” in favour of the production of pro-AI-risk arguments compared to anti-AI-risk arguments, with the worriers spending considerably more time and effort than the detractors. As Philip Trammel points out in his post “But Have They Engaged with The Arguments?, this is true of almost any relatively fringe position. This can make the apparent balance of “argumentative evidence” misleading in those cases, with AI no exception.
Finally, Yudkowsky’s case for immodesty depends partly on alleging he has a good track record of applying immodesty to “beat the experts”. But his main examples (a lightbox experiment and the monetary policy of the Bank of Japan) I don’t find that impressive given he could cherry-pick. Here’s an article alleging that Yudkowsky’s predictions have frequently between egregiously wrong and here’s another arguing that his Bank of Japan position in particular didn’t ultimately pan out.
Why I’m Also Sceptical of Moderately Immodest Epistemology
I think high-confidence predictions of doom (or utopia) are much more problematic than relatively moderate views - they are more likely to be wrong, and if taken seriously, more strongly imply that the believer should consider making radical, probably harmful life changes.But I do still worry that the ability to contrast with super confident people like Yudkowsky lets the “not a total doomer” people off the hook a little too easily. I think it’s admirable that Scott Alexander seriously grappled with the fact that superforecasters disagreed with him and updated downwards based on that observation.
Still, let’s revisit the “aspiring entrepreneur” analogy - imagine they had instead said: “You know what, I’ve listened to your claims about modesty and agree that I’ve been overconfident. I now think there’s only a 20% chance that my business idea will make me the richest person in the world”.
Sure - they’ve moved in the right direction, but it’s easy to see that they’re still not doing modesty very well.
An anti-anti-AI risk argument Scott made (in MR Tries the Safe Uncertainly Fallacy) is that appealing to base rates leaves you vulnerable to “reference class tennis” where both sides can appeal to different reference classes, and the “only winning move is not to play”.
Yet in the case of our aspiring entrepreneur, I think the base rate argument of “extremely few people can become the richest person in the world” is very robust. If the entrepreneur tried to counter with “But I can come up with all sorts of other reference classes in which I come out more favourably! Reference class tennis! Engage with my object-level arguments!”, it would not be reasonable to throw up your hands and say “Well, I can’t come up with good counterarguments, so I guess you probably do have a 20% chance of becoming the richest person in the world then”.
I contend that “many people have predicted the end of the world and they’ve all been wrong” is another highly robust reference class. Yes, you can protest about “anthropic effects” or reasons why “this time is different”. And maybe the reasons why “this time is different” are indeed a lot better than usual. Still, I contend that you should start from a prior of overwhelming skepticism and only make small updates based on arguments you read. You should not go “I read these essays with convincing arguments about how we’re all going to die, I guess I just believe that now”.
What Should We Make Of Surveys Of AI Experts?
Surveys done of AI experts, as well as opinions of well-regarded experts like Geoffrey Hinton and Stewart Russell, have shown significant concerns about AI risk (example).I think this is good evidence for taking AI risk seriously. One important thing it does is raise AI risk out of the reference class of garden-variety doomsday predictions/crazy-sounding theories that have no expert backing.
However, I think it’s still only moderately good evidence.
Firstly, I think we should not consider it as an “expert consensus” nearly as strong as say, the expert consensus on climate change. There is nothing like an IPCC for AI, for example. This is not a mature, academically rigorous field. I don’t think we should update too strongly from AI experts spending a few minutes filling in a survey. (See for instance this comment about the survey, showing how non-robust the answers given are, indicating the responders aren’t thinking super hard about the questions).
Secondly, I believe forecasting AI risk is a multi-disciplinary skill. Consider for instance asking physicists to predict the chances of human extinction due to nuclear war in the 1930s. They would have an advantage in predicting nuclear capabilities, but after nuclear weapons were developed, the reasons we haven’t had a nuclear war yet have much more to do with international relations than nuclear physics.
And maybe AGI is so radically different from the AI that exists today that perhaps asking AI researchers now about AI risk might have been like asking 19th-century musket manufacturers about the risk from a hypothetical future “super weapon”.
I think an instructive analogy were the failed neo-Malthusian predictions of the 1960s and 1970s, such as The Population Bomb or The Limits to Growth. Although I’m unable to find clear evidence of this, my impression is that these beliefs were quite mainstream among the most “obvious” expert class of biologists (The Population Bomb author Paul Ehlrich had a PhD in biology), and the primary critics tended to be in other fields like economics (most notably Julian Simon). Biologists had insights, but they also had blind spots. Any “expert survey” that only interviewed biologists would have missed crucial insights from other disciplines.
What Are The Potential Consequences Of Overconfidence?
People have overconfident beliefs all the time. Some people erroneously thought Hillary Clinton was ~99% likely to win the 2016 Presidential election. Does it matter that much if they’re overconfident about AI?Well, suppose you were overconfident about Clinton. You probably didn’t do anything differently in your life, and the only real cost of your overconfidence was being unusually surprised on election day 2016. Even one of the people who was that confident in Clinton didn’t suffer any worse consequences than eating a bug on national television.
But take someone who is ~90% confident that AI will radically transform or destroy society (“singularity or extinction by 2040") and seriously acts like it.
Given that, it seems apparently reasonable to be much more short-term focused. You might choose to stop saving for retirement. You might forgo education on the basis that it will be obsolete soon. These are actions that some people have previously taken, are considering taking or are actually taking because of expectations of AI progress.
At a societal level, high confidence in short-term transformative AI implies that almost all non-AI related long-term planning that humanity does is probably a waste. The most notable example would be climate change. If AI either kills us or radically speeds up scientific and economic growth by the middle of the century, then it seems pretty stupid to be worrying about climate change. Indeed, we’re probably underconsuming fossil fuels that could be used to improve the lives of people right now.
At its worst, there is the possibility of AI-risk-motivated terrorism. Here’s a twitter thread from Emil Torres talking about this, noticeably this tweet in particular about minutes from an AI safety workshop “sending bombs” to OpenAI and DeepMind.
To be fair, I think it’s highly likely the people writing that were trolling. Still - if you’re a cold-blooded utilitarian bullet-biter with short timelines and high p(doom), I could easily see you rationalising such actions.
I want to be super careful about this - I don’t want to come across as claiming that terrorism is a particularly likely consequence of “AI dooming”, nor do I want to risk raising the probability of it by discussing it too much and planting the seed of it in someone’s head. But a community that takes small risks seriously should be cognizant of the possibility. This is a concern that I think anyone with a large audience and relatively extreme views (about AI or anything) should take into account.
Conclusion
This post has been kicking around in draft form since around the release of GPT-4 a year ago. At that time, there were a lot of breathless takes on Twitter about how AGI was just around the corner, Yudkowsy was appearing on a lot of podcasts saying we were all going to die, and I started to feel like lots of people had gone a bit far off on the deep end.Since then I feel there’s a little bit of a vibe shift away from the most extreme scenarios (as exhibited in the Manifold extinction markets), as well as me personally probably overestimating how many people ever believed in them. I’ve found it hard to try to properly articulate the message: “You’re probably directionally correct relative to society as a whole, but some unspecified number of you have probably gone too far”.
Nonetheless, my main takeaways are:
- Eliezer Yudkowsky (these days) is probably causing harm, and people with moderate concerns about AI should distance themselves from him. Espousing views that we are all likely to die from AI should not be tolerated as a merely strong opinion, but as something that can cause meaningful harm to people who believe it. I feel this might actually be happening to some degree (I think it’s notable that e.g. the 80,000 Hours podcast has never interviewed him, despite interviewing plenty of other AI-risk-concerned people). But I would like to see more of a “Sister Souljah moment” where e.g. a prominent EA thought leader explicitly disavows him.
- Yudkowsky being the worst offender doesn't let everyone else off the hook. For instance, I think Scott Alexander is much better at taking modesty seriously, yet I don't think he takes it seriously enough.
- We should be generally suspicious of arguments for crazy-sounding things. I have not only become more suspicious of arguments about AI, but also other arguments relatively popular in rationalist or EA circles, but not so much outside it (think certain types of utilitarian arguments that imply that e.g. maybe insect welfare or the long-term future outweighs everything else). I appreciate that they might say something worth considering, and perhaps weak-form versions of them could be reasonable. But the heuristic of “You probably haven’t found the single most important thing ever” is something I think should be given more weight.
2024.05.19 00:57 chicknlil25 Food Help for an Allergic SDiT
Hi all,
Longtime lurker and rare commenter, but this is my first time making a post. Please be gentle, I bruise easily.
My soon to be 7-month-old PSDiT has a chicken allergy, that I figured out on my own. I generally love my vet but he was all "puppies don't have allergies". I slowly transitioned her away from the Purina Pro Plan Development Puppy Dry Dog Food - High Protein, Chicken & Rice and went instead to the Purina Pro Plan Development Puppy Dry Dog Food - Sensitive Skin & Stomach, Lamb & Oatmeal. The vet had said if I really felt the need to switch, the Salmon and Rice sensitive variety would be fine, but I was concerned about overdoing it with the fish, as I already give her salmon oil daily, and thus went the route of the lamb.
The allergic reactions have been almost entirely eliminated, which is fantastic, but she isn't as much of a fan of the lamb/oatmeal as she was of the chicken. To the extent that I'm not even needing the slow feeder for her because she's grazing over the course of a day. I've been experimenting with different other wet foods and treats, trying to find a really "high value" option that's healthy for her, but...no success.
I saw this thread about high value treats for an allergic dog, and I think here's some things I might be able to try there since I've got a small machine that can dehydrate, but I'm still worried about her getting enough food, nutrition in a day. I recently tried another wet food option (Instinct's adult Lamb) but I'm aware that there's less protein than in a puppy wet, and it isn't really making her want to inhale, either. Previous to this (and since I'd made the food switch) I was using a vegetarian wet from Evanger, but again, nothing that rocked her world.
Mostly looking for suggestions, ideas.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
-Ben and Donut
submitted by chicknlil25 to service_dogs [link] [comments]
Longtime lurker and rare commenter, but this is my first time making a post. Please be gentle, I bruise easily.
My soon to be 7-month-old PSDiT has a chicken allergy, that I figured out on my own. I generally love my vet but he was all "puppies don't have allergies". I slowly transitioned her away from the Purina Pro Plan Development Puppy Dry Dog Food - High Protein, Chicken & Rice and went instead to the Purina Pro Plan Development Puppy Dry Dog Food - Sensitive Skin & Stomach, Lamb & Oatmeal. The vet had said if I really felt the need to switch, the Salmon and Rice sensitive variety would be fine, but I was concerned about overdoing it with the fish, as I already give her salmon oil daily, and thus went the route of the lamb.
The allergic reactions have been almost entirely eliminated, which is fantastic, but she isn't as much of a fan of the lamb/oatmeal as she was of the chicken. To the extent that I'm not even needing the slow feeder for her because she's grazing over the course of a day. I've been experimenting with different other wet foods and treats, trying to find a really "high value" option that's healthy for her, but...no success.
I saw this thread about high value treats for an allergic dog, and I think here's some things I might be able to try there since I've got a small machine that can dehydrate, but I'm still worried about her getting enough food, nutrition in a day. I recently tried another wet food option (Instinct's adult Lamb) but I'm aware that there's less protein than in a puppy wet, and it isn't really making her want to inhale, either. Previous to this (and since I'd made the food switch) I was using a vegetarian wet from Evanger, but again, nothing that rocked her world.
Mostly looking for suggestions, ideas.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
-Ben and Donut
2024.05.19 00:56 Gal_Monday Cancellation penalty
At one point a year or so ago, VRBO asked to create a property identity for a property we used to live in and now rent out. (I think they found me on AirBnB.) We're not professional landlords, just random people who held onto our previous home in case we wanted to move back to that city. I rented the place out on Furnished Finder and put it on hold on VRBO for the very max days possible.
It must have come off hold, because then I got a notice that someone had auto-booked it for a 3-month period. !! I cancelled it immediately. This was for a couple months out, and I immediately cancelled it (approx 6-8 hours after booking) with an apologetic note to the guest, who responded graciously and did not seem upset.
I called VRBO seeing the "you might be charged a penalty" note, and explained the circumstances. They told me that since it was the first time and was so far in advance, the penalty could be reduced to I think it was $95 (it was definitely under $100). I figured "ugh, expensive lesson, but ok." Then they sent me an invoice for $785.
I have NEVER rented my property via VRBO. The guest forgave me and was only marginally inconvenienced with months yet to plan. I see now that this is their policy, but I wasn't tracking policy changes because I wasn't trying to use their platform. Plus, I keep going back to the fact that on the day of cancellation, I talked to someone who said the fee would be below $100 due to the circumstances.
In addition, I could have hosted the people if the current tenants had stuck to their original timeline, but they haven't, and local laws don't allow me to hold them to it even if I wanted to. So by VRBO's standards of it being out of one's control, I also feel I should qualify. I know AirBnB waives cancellations caused due to a guest overstay. However, my attempt to ask for a waiver didn't go anywhere.
It is all very frustrating, and I have not found it easy to communicate with their telephone help team.
Advice? Any tips to revolve this? What would happen if I were to just cancel my account and walk away?
submitted by Gal_Monday to vrbohosts [link] [comments]
It must have come off hold, because then I got a notice that someone had auto-booked it for a 3-month period. !! I cancelled it immediately. This was for a couple months out, and I immediately cancelled it (approx 6-8 hours after booking) with an apologetic note to the guest, who responded graciously and did not seem upset.
I called VRBO seeing the "you might be charged a penalty" note, and explained the circumstances. They told me that since it was the first time and was so far in advance, the penalty could be reduced to I think it was $95 (it was definitely under $100). I figured "ugh, expensive lesson, but ok." Then they sent me an invoice for $785.
I have NEVER rented my property via VRBO. The guest forgave me and was only marginally inconvenienced with months yet to plan. I see now that this is their policy, but I wasn't tracking policy changes because I wasn't trying to use their platform. Plus, I keep going back to the fact that on the day of cancellation, I talked to someone who said the fee would be below $100 due to the circumstances.
In addition, I could have hosted the people if the current tenants had stuck to their original timeline, but they haven't, and local laws don't allow me to hold them to it even if I wanted to. So by VRBO's standards of it being out of one's control, I also feel I should qualify. I know AirBnB waives cancellations caused due to a guest overstay. However, my attempt to ask for a waiver didn't go anywhere.
It is all very frustrating, and I have not found it easy to communicate with their telephone help team.
Advice? Any tips to revolve this? What would happen if I were to just cancel my account and walk away?
2024.05.19 00:56 TheMost_ut Isla Vista Shooting 10 years later...Elliot Rodgers' mother remembers the tragedy.
https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/2024/05/threat-assessment-mass-shooting-elliot-rodger-isla-vista-mothe?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
It's ten years since "Incel" Elliot Rodgers went on a shooting rampage and ultimately killed himself.
Chin, his mother, remembers the event and the warning signs that she herself didn't recognize.
The author has studied numerous mass shootings and makes a very important point: That these killers are not just monsters who suddenly erupt and go on a mass shooting. The same probably applies to family annihilators.
They are not inscrutable monsters who suddenly “snap” and attack impulsively, but instead are troubled people who spiral into crisis—and whose brewing plans for violence can be detected, explained, and potentially prevented.
The signs are there, we need to learn to see them. Hence, the lessons referred to in the title.
submitted by TheMost_ut to TrueCrimeDiscussion [link] [comments]
It's ten years since "Incel" Elliot Rodgers went on a shooting rampage and ultimately killed himself.
Chin, his mother, remembers the event and the warning signs that she herself didn't recognize.
The author has studied numerous mass shootings and makes a very important point: That these killers are not just monsters who suddenly erupt and go on a mass shooting. The same probably applies to family annihilators.
They are not inscrutable monsters who suddenly “snap” and attack impulsively, but instead are troubled people who spiral into crisis—and whose brewing plans for violence can be detected, explained, and potentially prevented.
The signs are there, we need to learn to see them. Hence, the lessons referred to in the title.
2024.05.19 00:56 OliveSmucker Is this what adulthood is?
Just worrying about finances?
I'm single, I live in a small apartment on my own. I worry about money a lot. I'm not some entry level job worker either.
Yet, every single month, I'm just sad looking at how much money I have left over after bills are paid. Knowing that I'll never be able to buy a house. Knowing that even if I wanted kids, I could never fucking afford kids. Hell, I can't even afford a cat or a dog (and take care of them properly).
This past month my account got hammered. A bill from a doc's visit 3 months ago finally came in the mail. I had to pay 430 bucks in dental bills for fillings and a crown. I had my 6-month car insurance bill come due (which I have the bare minimum liability only insurance for). I had to dip quite a bit into savings for this month.
Sure, there are ways I could have paid out less this month, pay my car insurance monthly, asked the dentist to only fill the worst cavities, do a payment plan on the doc visit bill. So I guess I'm grateful I have the money to pay all those in full.
But goddamn dude. I'm in my 30's and it doesn't feel like I'm making any progress in life. I don't have any hobbies anymore because everything is so goddamn expensive. I don't do anything. I'm at my computer on a weekend just browsing reddit because it's free and kills time.
Life is just work, sleep, eat, reddit and youtube on the weekends and that's fucking it. What kind of an existence is that.
submitted by OliveSmucker to TrueOffMyChest [link] [comments]
I'm single, I live in a small apartment on my own. I worry about money a lot. I'm not some entry level job worker either.
Yet, every single month, I'm just sad looking at how much money I have left over after bills are paid. Knowing that I'll never be able to buy a house. Knowing that even if I wanted kids, I could never fucking afford kids. Hell, I can't even afford a cat or a dog (and take care of them properly).
This past month my account got hammered. A bill from a doc's visit 3 months ago finally came in the mail. I had to pay 430 bucks in dental bills for fillings and a crown. I had my 6-month car insurance bill come due (which I have the bare minimum liability only insurance for). I had to dip quite a bit into savings for this month.
Sure, there are ways I could have paid out less this month, pay my car insurance monthly, asked the dentist to only fill the worst cavities, do a payment plan on the doc visit bill. So I guess I'm grateful I have the money to pay all those in full.
But goddamn dude. I'm in my 30's and it doesn't feel like I'm making any progress in life. I don't have any hobbies anymore because everything is so goddamn expensive. I don't do anything. I'm at my computer on a weekend just browsing reddit because it's free and kills time.
Life is just work, sleep, eat, reddit and youtube on the weekends and that's fucking it. What kind of an existence is that.
2024.05.19 00:51 TheTwoOneFive The 2 subway lines should be SEPTA's strongest asset but for reliability they've made it their weakest
Waiting now after the second SEPTA BSL train in a row didn't come. This is on top of one that didn't come on the way to Center City today. Not the first time I've dealt with this, but my frustration is just done with it.
Let's go beyond the basic "Septa police don't enforce smoking/loud music/etc bans on the subway", Septa likely knows their reliability here is dog shit, but we will never know, bc their reliability report lists the BSL/MFL on time percentage as "N/A". You cannot see any real-time subway "next to arrive" on apps. Most stations don't have it either, and they are still in beta testing for the few stations that have it. As far as I can tell, they don't actually report operational delays for them unless there is a distinct reason (e.g. "police activity").
I want to love these lines, but it feels like Septa doesn't even want to acknowledge that they have problems here and, unless I've missed something, has zero solutions to fix it.
Rant over, but am I the only one who feels this way about the subway lines?
submitted by TheTwoOneFive to philadelphia [link] [comments]
Let's go beyond the basic "Septa police don't enforce smoking/loud music/etc bans on the subway", Septa likely knows their reliability here is dog shit, but we will never know, bc their reliability report lists the BSL/MFL on time percentage as "N/A". You cannot see any real-time subway "next to arrive" on apps. Most stations don't have it either, and they are still in beta testing for the few stations that have it. As far as I can tell, they don't actually report operational delays for them unless there is a distinct reason (e.g. "police activity").
I want to love these lines, but it feels like Septa doesn't even want to acknowledge that they have problems here and, unless I've missed something, has zero solutions to fix it.
Rant over, but am I the only one who feels this way about the subway lines?
2024.05.19 00:50 mining_moron Beastiary of the Kyanah Homeworld: Part II -- Evolutionary History Road to Hope
- Previous posts, since the bulleted list was getting super unwieldy.
With the terrorbeasts gone (though not their relatives, the normal, flying wingbeasts), the early 19th Era saw the creatures of the Great Polar Plateau adapt to the changing landscape. A group of species which had evolved thorn-covered backs--essentially made from modified feathers--to protect themselves from the terrorbeasts, also went extinct, and many of the remaining grazers lost their heavy armor due to the sudden dearth of megacarnivores to necessitate it. The Kakenkortiors survived the mass extinction and continued to occupy their old niches, but by around 29-28 million years ago, one branch, known as the Tyorketforms, would shift to a more actively predatory niche, using enlarged dew claws to slash the tendons of prey to drop them to the ground; this branch would eventually lead to the domestic Tyorkets, common Kyanah pets in the modern era. Meanwhile, climatic shifts at the start of the mid 19th Era would lead to the Great Polar Plateau becoming warmer and wetter; the boreal savannas would give way to denser boreal scrublands. Through both speciation and migration, the smaller, armored grazers would be displaced by large unarmored browsers eating leaves and twigs and growing to much bigger sizes in the comparatively plant-dense nutrient-rich environment.
It was only natural that something would evolve to hunt these new browsers. Oddly enough, it would be the Kakenkortiors. The main line would go extinct around 9 million years ago, but long before that, they would produce one more notable sideline, the Ratoryinut, starting around 25 million years ago. Many of the early Ratoryinut would be much larger than both early Kakenkortiors and modern Kyanah, reaching average masses of 150-300 kilograms, depending on the species. Compared to early Kakenkortiors, they had a higher and proportionally slightly narrower, though still relatively broad, profile, with bulkier forelimbs and more dexterous forelimbs--an intermediate stage in developing opposable thumbs--with non-retractable claws, as well as losing their feather coating entirely. By 20-18 million years ago, the Ratoryinut would further split into the Ratorkortyot-forms and the ancestors of the Kyanahforms. The Ratorkortyot-forms (roughly "strong herald beast") would continue to grow in size, with the largest species reaching up to 500 kilograms by 10 million years ago, somewhat resembling large, reptilian bear-like forms with bare, greenish-brown scaly skin. They would also evolve a Parasaurolophus-like crest, which they would use to make loud and elaborate trumpeting noises to attract mates or scare rivals away from a kill, and, as the climate cooled in the mid-late 19th Era and they gravitated towards the poles, many evolved blubber deposits to replace the insulating role of their ancestors' feathers. Ratorkortyot-forms, including the eponymous Ratorkortyot, the most famous species, are still extant and where their ranges overlapped with prehistoric Kyanah, appear to have occasionally killed and eaten packless or young individuals, though the reverse was more common. Most Ratorkortyot-forms are now threatened by habitat destruction and pollution.
As for the Kyanahforms themselves, they took the opposite approach to hunting the soft browsing herbivores that were spreading throughout the boreal scrublands. They began steadily losing raw mass, but underwent a quantum leap in intelligence, with six-core brains rather than the four-core brains of most Walkers; the only other animals with six-core brains, before or since, were a few one-off species of social wingbeasts. Not coincidentally, the modern pack dynamics of modern Kyanah also emerged with early Kyanahforms by around 15 million years ago, with 4-6 adults bonding together for life, having children with each other, and cooperatively raising them to adulthood. It's believed that this pack dynamic evolved from simpler serial pair-bonding in Ratoryinuts and the earliest proto-Kyanahforms as a result of six-core brains enabling more complex social behavior, allowing such relationships to be stable. It also enabled reliable tool using and eventually tool manufacturing (modifying found objects to further enhance their utility), as the Kyanahforms were capable of bipedal movement--though early Kyanah forms still spent most of their time on four legs--and had developed opposable thumbs.
While one minor side-line, the arboreal Kyanahforms, continued to shrink further, taking up omnivorous behavior and living in the taller, shrub-like exoskeleton plant species, the main line continued to gradually optimize for attacking in packs and killing medium-large game on the ground. During the mid-late 19th Era cooling, they would take on migratory behavior, moving to the edge of the Great Polar Plateau in the winter to take advantage of the milder winds from the south, and back north in the summer to hunt the big-ticket game animals further into the plateau. The main line would eventually evolve into tkorks, the closest living relatives of Kyanah, who have been discussed elsewhere. The side-line that would become the true Kyanah diverged from tkorks around 5-6 million years ago, shortly after the evolution of the Tyotonikors (perhaps "strong leaf beast"). These were basically the final, logical conclusion of the trend of large generalist browsers, relying on raw mass rather than armor or numbers to deter predators; it was one of these species that would eventually become the domestic nyruds that are so important to the Kyanah. The largest species, the Tyotonikor, could reach heights of 1.8 meters, with a length of 7.6 meters and males averaging around 4-5 tons--one of the largest known animals in the history of the Kyanah homeworld, and the largest period since the 16th or 17th Era; it was hunted to extinction by prehistoric Kyanah around 8000 years ago. While other related species were not as large, even the smallest averaged 1.5 tons, 3 times bigger than the biggest carnivores in the Great Polar Plateau. With a long, whip-like tail, a wide and stocky frame, and a sturdy beak-like mouth capable of handling even the toughest leaves and twigs, the species under the Tyotonikor classification were quite formidable. Indeed, healthy adults had no natural predators...until the true Kyanah came along.
If it seems like Kyanah were optimized specifically to hunt and kill the giant Tyotonikors that no one else dared eat...well, they were. They shifted from a merely bipedal-capable form to obligate bipeds, enabling them to see over interfering shrubbery to better devise a plan of attack, and also be able to hold tools and weapons at all times. To maintain balance in a bipedal posture, their tails became longer and bulkier, enabling them to flail them around to keep balance, and also use them as a weapon. While their jaw size--and thus snout size--and bite force increased relative to predecessors to better penetrate the thick skin of Tyotonikors, their claws became somewhat shorter and stubbier, optimized more for gripping than piercing, making it easier to hold the sticks and rocks they were increasingly using as force multipliers. An increase in fast-twitch muscles in their legs enabled them to more easily catch fleeing Tyotonikors--which, despite their bulk, could be surprisingly fast, rather like Terran elephants, able to reach speeds above 30 kilometers per hour. The strong legs and gripping claws also made it more feasible to get onto the creatures and deliver devastating top attacks. Their skulls also broadened significantly to enable increased cranial capacity, which enabled them to form even more complex pack hunting strategies and even cooperate with other packs to take down especially large and dangerous prey; this would be a game changer, as tkorks and earlier Kyanahforms would almost always ignore or fight other packs instead of working together. Compared to the tkorks, true Kyanah are basically high-performance, high-maintenance creatures, relying on intelligently applying explosive bursts of strength and speed to quickly take down big-ticket prey, rather than stamina, low resource usage, and gradually accumulating smaller prey items. While having primarily evolved to fill the empty niche of preying on Tyotonikors, the various Kyanah species were more than capable of hunting any medium to large animal, both on and off the Great Polar Plateau, using their sophisticated tactics, high physical strength, and eventually primitive spears, axes, traps, and controlled use of fire. Meanwhile, most tkork species in modern times are endangered or extinct, except for those that have adapted to living in Kyanah cities and feeding off various urban critters and meat that has been thrown out or left unattended by the Kyanah themselves. Those tkork species have done very well for themselves, to the point of being a pest.
Proto-Kyanah would speciate several times, gradually expanding around the edges of the Great Northern Plateau by around 1 million years ago, with some species expanding to the poles and also to the more temperate latitudes by 750k years ago, though modern, main-line Kyanah did not spread off the Great Polar Plateau until around 100k years ago. Remains of the most far-flung Kyanah species, the Dunewalkers, have been discovered from the Shatter to the Western Sector, though they went extinct 84k years ago after the asteroid impact that created the Ikun Crater, which also reduced the main-line Kyanah population to a few thousand, though they, obviously, bounced back and then some. None of these other species remain; the last to go were the Kyanah Brutes, so-named because of their large stature (roughly on par with humans) and proportionally smaller brains compared to main-line Kyanah, dying out around 5500 years ago; it is possible that there were organized efforts by Kyanah proto-civilizations to eradicate the last of them, but also just as possible that the main-line Kyanah merely hunted their prey into extinction. Notably, main-line Kyanah have the largest cranial capacity of any of these species, with Dunewalkers being a close second; there is no evidence that any Kyanah species other than *the* Kyanah ever devised fully fledged language on their own, which made cooperation between multiple packs more frequent and reliable, and made teaching their young more efficient. The presence of bones from multiple species being found together indicates that main-line Kyanah occasionally included members of a couple of the more advanced Kyanah species, like Dunewalkers and Kyanah Brutes, into their own packs, and vice versa. While these species lack the genes associated with independently inventing complex languages, it's believed to be possible that they could be taught it to a limited degree, as they had similar vocalization structures, and even tkorks can be taught to understand simple words and phrases. The exact nature of this relationship, whether these other species were viewed as working animals, slaves, or fellow packmates, is unknown. While they likely interbred, it is also unknown if this led to fertile offspring--but probably not.
2024.05.19 00:44 softtechhubus Unlocking Passive Income Streams: Strategies for Financial Freedom
 | Unlocking Passive Income Streams: Strategies for Financial Freedom in 2024https://preview.redd.it/lmko4rpsj91d1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5199074a017b6d10c63705a11e1c2f6f9be4a12dIn today's fast-paced world, where job security is no longer a certainty and traditional employment models are evolving, the quest for financial freedom has become more crucial than ever. One of the most effective ways to achieve this goal is by establishing multiple streams of passive income – sources of revenue that require minimal effort to maintain once set up. This article delves into various strategies for earning passive income online, providing actionable steps for each method. Section 1: Understanding Passive IncomeWhat is Passive Income?Passive income refers to earnings generated from sources that do not require active involvement or labor once the initial effort has been put in. Unlike active income, which is earned through traditional employment or self-employment, passive income continues to flow in even when you're not actively working. This concept has gained immense popularity in recent years as more individuals seek ways to break free from the constraints of the 9-to-5 grind and achieve financial independence.Benefits of Passive IncomeThe allure of passive income lies in its ability to provide a consistent revenue stream with minimal ongoing effort. Here are some of the key benefits of building passive income sources:
Passive Income vs. Active IncomeWhile both passive and active income contribute to your overall financial well-being, they differ in several ways:
Section 2: Popular Passive Income StrategiesThere are numerous ways to generate passive income, ranging from traditional investment vehicles to modern online opportunities. Let's explore some of the most popular strategies:Subsection 2.1: Real Estate InvestmentsReal estate has long been a favored passive income source for many investors. By owning rental properties, you can generate a steady stream of rental income with minimal effort once the property is acquired and tenants are in place.DescriptionReal estate investments can take various forms, including:
Steps to Get StartedGetting started with real estate investments involves the following steps:
Subsection 2.2: Stock Market InvestmentsInvesting in the stock market is another popular way to generate passive income. By carefully selecting dividend-paying stocks or investing in index funds, you can earn regular income from your investments.DescriptionStock market investments for passive income can take the following forms:
Steps to Get StartedTo start investing in the stock market for passive income, follow these steps:
Subsection 2.3: Online BusinessesThe rise of the internet has opened up a world of opportunities for generating passive income through online businesses. From e-commerce to affiliate marketing, these ventures can be lucrative and scalable once established.DescriptionPopular online business models for passive income include:
Steps to Get StartedStarting an online business for passive income involves the following steps:
Section 3: Digital Products and CoursesIn the digital age, creating and selling digital products and online courses have become lucrative passive income streams. By leveraging your expertise and knowledge, you can create valuable resources that generate ongoing revenue with minimal ongoing effort.Subsection 3.1: Creating and Selling E-booksE-books have emerged as a popular and accessible way to share knowledge, expertise, or creative works while earning passive income. With the rise of self-publishing platforms and the growing popularity of e-readers, the e-book market has become a viable avenue for authors and subject matter experts.DescriptionE-books can cover a wide range of topics, including:
Steps to Get StartedTo start earning passive income through e-book sales, follow these steps:
Subsection 3.2: Developing Online CoursesIn today's knowledge-driven economy, sharing your expertise through online courses has become a lucrative passive income opportunity. With the rise of e-learning platforms and the increasing demand for remote education, creating and selling online courses can be a rewarding venture.DescriptionOnline courses can cover a wide range of topics, including:
Steps to Get StartedTo develop and sell online courses as a passive income stream, follow these steps:
Section 4: Automated Systems for Passive IncomeIn the digital age, leveraging automated systems and software tools has become a powerful way to generate passive income. By harnessing the power of technology, you can streamline processes, automate tasks, and create income-generating systems that operate with minimal ongoing effort.Subsection 4.1: Utilizing Software and ToolsThere are various software and tools available that can automate income-generating tasks, freeing up your time and enabling you to earn passive income more efficiently.DescriptionSome examples of automated systems and tools for passive income include:
Steps to Get StartedTo leverage automated systems and tools for passive income, follow these steps:
Section 5: Case Studies and Success StoriesTo illustrate the potential of passive income strategies and inspire you on your journey, let's explore some real-life case studies and success stories:Example 1: Real Estate Investor Achieves Financial FreedomSarah, a former corporate employee, had always dreamed of achieving financial freedom and escaping the 9-to-5 grind. After careful planning and research, she ventured into real estate investing by purchasing her first rental property. Over the years, Sarah reinvested her profits and expanded her portfolio, eventually owning multiple rental properties across different markets.Today, Sarah earns a substantial passive income from her real estate investments, allowing her to quit her corporate job and pursue her passions. She spends her time traveling, volunteering, and enjoying her newfound freedom while her properties generate steady rental income. Example 2: Online Entrepreneur Builds Multiple Income StreamsJohn, a tech-savvy entrepreneur, recognized the power of the internet and the potential for passive income. He started by creating and selling digital products, such as e-books and online courses, leveraging his expertise in web development and design.As his digital product sales grew, John reinvested his profits into building an e-commerce store, dropshipping products in high demand. He also ventured into affiliate marketing, promoting products and services through his website and social media channels. Today, John enjoys a lifestyle of financial freedom, earning passive income from his diverse online ventures. He can work from anywhere in the world, while his automated systems and established income streams continue to generate revenue. These success stories demonstrate that with dedication, strategic planning, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities, it is possible to achieve financial freedom through passive income streams. ConclusionIn the ever-changing landscape of the modern economy, diversifying your income sources and cultivating passive income streams has become increasingly crucial for achieving financial independence and freedom. From real estate investments and stock market opportunities to online businesses, digital products, and automated systems, the strategies outlined in this article provide a comprehensive guide to unlocking the potential of passive income.It's important to remember that building sustainable passive income streams requires initial effort, dedication, and a willingness to continuously learn and adapt. However, by taking the first step and consistently implementing the strategies that align with your goals and resources, you can gradually build a reliable foundation for passive income generation. Embrace the power of passive income, and embark on a journey towards financial freedom. The path may not be easy, but the rewards of achieving a lifestyle free from the constraints of traditional employment are well worth the effort. RecommendationLead-inIf you're looking for a streamlined and proven way to earn passive income, consider automated systems that leverage the power of technology and artificial intelligence.Product Recommendation: AMZ AutomatorOne such system is the AMZ Automator, a revolutionary platform that uses an AI system to generate commissions by uploading done-for-you books to Amazon Kindle. With AMZ Automator, you can tap into the lucrative world of passive income with minimal effort and no upfront costs.Brief DescriptionAMZ Automator eliminates the need for tech setup, manual work, or substantial investments. Its AI-powered system creates and uploads high-quality, ready-to-sell books to Amazon Kindle, enabling you to earn commissions with just a few clicks. The platform takes care of the entire process, from book creation to promotion and sales, allowing you to earn passive income while you sleep.Benefits
Call to ActionTake the first step towards financial freedom and unlock the power of passive income with AMZ Automator. Click here to learn more and start earning passive income today:Unlocking Passive Income Streams: Strategies for Financial Freedom in 2024 In today's fast-paced world, where job security is no longer a certainty and traditional employment models are evolving, the quest for financial freedom has become more crucial than ever. One of the most effective ways to achieve this goal is by establishing multiple streams of passive income – sources of revenue that require minimal effort to maintain once set up. This article delves into various strategies for earning passive income online, providing actionable steps for each method. Section 1: Understanding Passive IncomeWhat is Passive Income?Passive income refers to earnings generated from sources that do not require active involvement or labor once the initial effort has been put in. Unlike active income, which is earned through traditional employment or self-employment, passive income continues to flow in even when you're not actively working. This concept has gained immense popularity in recent years as more individuals seek ways to break free from the constraints of the 9-to-5 grind and achieve financial independence.Benefits of Passive IncomeThe allure of passive income lies in its ability to provide a consistent revenue stream with minimal ongoing effort. Here are some of the key benefits of building passive income sources:
Passive Income vs. Active IncomeWhile both passive and active income contribute to your overall financial well-being, they differ in several ways:
Section 2: Popular Passive Income StrategiesThere are numerous ways to generate passive income, ranging from traditional investment vehicles to modern online opportunities. Let's explore some of the most popular strategies:Subsection 2.1: Real Estate InvestmentsReal estate has long been a favored passive income source for many investors. By owning rental properties, you can generate a steady stream of rental income with minimal effort once the property is acquired and tenants are in place.DescriptionReal estate investments can take various forms, including:
Steps to Get StartedGetting started with real estate investments involves the following steps:
Subsection 2.2: Stock Market InvestmentsInvesting in the stock market is another popular way to generate passive income. By carefully selecting dividend-paying stocks or investing in index funds, you can earn regular income from your investments.DescriptionStock market investments for passive income can take the following forms:
Steps to Get StartedTo start investing in the stock market for passive income, follow these steps:
Subsection 2.3: Online BusinessesThe rise of the internet has opened up a world of opportunities for generating passive income through online businesses. From e-commerce to affiliate marketing, these ventures can be lucrative and scalable once established.DescriptionPopular online business models for passive income include:
Steps to Get StartedStarting an online business for passive income involves the following steps:
Section 3: Digital Products and CoursesIn the digital age, creating and selling digital products and online courses have become lucrative passive income streams. By leveraging your expertise and knowledge, you can create valuable resources that generate ongoing revenue with minimal ongoing effort.Subsection 3.1: Creating and Selling E-booksE-books have emerged as a popular and accessible way to share knowledge, expertise, or creative works while earning passive income. With the rise of self-publishing platforms and the growing popularity of e-readers, the e-book market has become a viable avenue for authors and subject matter experts.DescriptionE-books can cover a wide range of topics, including:
Steps to Get StartedTo start earning passive income through e-book sales, follow these steps:
Subsection 3.2: Developing Online CoursesIn today's knowledge-driven economy, sharing your expertise through online courses has become a lucrative passive income opportunity. With the rise of e-learning platforms and the increasing demand for remote education, creating and selling online courses can be a rewarding venture.DescriptionOnline courses can cover a wide range of topics, including:
Steps to Get StartedTo develop and sell online courses as a passive income stream, follow these steps:
Section 4: Automated Systems for Passive IncomeIn the digital age, leveraging automated systems and software tools has become a powerful way to generate passive income. By harnessing the power of technology, you can streamline processes, automate tasks, and create income-generating systems that operate with minimal ongoing effort.Subsection 4.1: Utilizing Software and ToolsThere are various software and tools available that can automate income-generating tasks, freeing up your time and enabling you to earn passive income more efficiently.DescriptionSome examples of automated systems and tools for passive income include:
Steps to Get StartedTo leverage automated systems and tools for passive income, follow these steps:
Section 5: Case Studies and Success StoriesTo illustrate the potential of passive income strategies and inspire you on your journey, let's explore some real-life case studies and success stories:Example 1: Real Estate Investor Achieves Financial FreedomSarah, a former corporate employee, had always dreamed of achieving financial freedom and escaping the 9-to-5 grind. After careful planning and research, she ventured into real estate investing by purchasing her first rental property. Over the years, Sarah reinvested her profits and expanded her portfolio, eventually owning multiple rental properties across different markets.Today, Sarah earns a substantial passive income from her real estate investments, allowing her to quit her corporate job and pursue her passions. She spends her time traveling, volunteering, and enjoying her newfound freedom while her properties generate steady rental income. Example 2: Online Entrepreneur Builds Multiple Income StreamsJohn, a tech-savvy entrepreneur, recognized the power of the internet and the potential for passive income. He started by creating and selling digital products, such as e-books and online courses, leveraging his expertise in web development and design.As his digital product sales grew, John reinvested his profits into building an e-commerce store, dropshipping products in high demand. He also ventured into affiliate marketing, promoting products and services through his website and social media channels. Today, John enjoys a lifestyle of financial freedom, earning passive income from his diverse online ventures. He can work from anywhere in the world, while his automated systems and established income streams continue to generate revenue. These success stories demonstrate that with dedication, strategic planning, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities, it is possible to achieve financial freedom through passive income streams. ConclusionIn the ever-changing landscape of the modern economy, diversifying your income sources and cultivating passive income streams has become increasingly crucial for achieving financial independence and freedom. From real estate investments and stock market opportunities to online businesses, digital products, and automated systems, the strategies outlined in this article provide a comprehensive guide to unlocking the potential of passive income.It's important to remember that building sustainable passive income streams requires initial effort, dedication, and a willingness to continuously learn and adapt. However, by taking the first step and consistently implementing the strategies that align with your goals and resources, you can gradually build a reliable foundation for passive income generation. Embrace the power of passive income, and embark on a journey towards financial freedom. The path may not be easy, but the rewards of achieving a lifestyle free from the constraints of traditional employment are well worth the effort. RecommendationLead-inIf you're looking for a streamlined and proven way to earn passive income, consider automated systems that leverage the power of technology and artificial intelligence.Product Recommendation: AMZ AutomatorOne such system is the AMZ Automator, a revolutionary platform that uses an AI system to generate commissions by uploading done-for-you books to Amazon Kindle. With AMZ Automator, you can tap into the lucrative world of passive income with minimal effort and no upfront costs.Brief DescriptionAMZ Automator eliminates the need for tech setup, manual work, or substantial investments. Its AI-powered system creates and uploads high-quality, ready-to-sell books to Amazon Kindle, enabling you to earn commissions with just a few clicks. The platform takes care of the entire process, from book creation to promotion and sales, allowing you to earn passive income while you sleep.Benefits
Call to ActionTake the first step towards financial freedom and unlock the power of passive income with AMZ Automator. Click here to learn more and start earning passive income today: |
2024.05.19 00:41 Powerful_Leopard_916 Planning to start the process of diagnosis, conservative treatment and eventual surgery
 | I’m in a pretty dark mental place at the moment which happens around this time every year as the weather gets warmer and I dread the decision of wearing shorts with my legs on display vs wearing jeans in 80+ degree weather while everyone with normal legs gets to enjoy the weather without having a panic attack about what to wear. submitted by Powerful_Leopard_916 to lipedema [link] [comments] Right now I’m close to my max weight if about 180 lbs. I’m 33 years old and I’m finding it so incredibly hard to maintain or lose weight, and I’m feeling puffier and lumpier than I ever have and also feel that there is a growing hormonal/cortisol issue making everything worse. I’m planning to research and ask for the appropriate lab work at my annual physical in a month or so that will kick start the process of me getting an official diagnosis so I can look into getting some conservative treatments covered by insurance (MLD, compression) I’m interested in surgery down the road but I am also considering having children in the next couple years so I feel like I’d rather wait until after I have kids to pursue surgery because I feel like pregnancy hormones will probably f*ck up my legs even more and I don’t want to waste money on surgery before having kids. I’ve also been making changes to my diet and trying to cut out alcohol as much as possible, maintain an anti inflammatory diet and prioritize sleep. I know a holistic approach is the only way to go about managing lipedema but I’m feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of getting an official diagnosis and fighting with insurance to help cover treatments. If anyone is in NYC and has had experience getting the proper bloodwork/labs/tests I’d appreciate any advice or lessons learned from your experiences. Thanks all ❤️ Sharing pics of the progression of my legs over the last 15 years or so. Last pic is today lying down in bed in shorts. I really hate my legs but trying not to let it define me or my mental health. |
2024.05.19 00:35 avammni Looking for a good US sabre club for adults
Hi all,
I'm planning a 1- to 2-week getaway somewhere in the US and thought it might be fun stay near a good fencing club. Ideally I'd like a club with a good number of adult sabre fencers, open fencing, and private lessons with a decent coach.
I'm open to anywhere in the US as long as it's a safe area. Please send me your recommendations. TIA!
submitted by avammni to Fencing [link] [comments]
I'm planning a 1- to 2-week getaway somewhere in the US and thought it might be fun stay near a good fencing club. Ideally I'd like a club with a good number of adult sabre fencers, open fencing, and private lessons with a decent coach.
I'm open to anywhere in the US as long as it's a safe area. Please send me your recommendations. TIA!
2024.05.19 00:29 Vegetable-Cod327 Food advice?
 | Okay this is my second post ever on Reddit so please let me know if I have done anything wrong and I will do my best to fix it! submitted by Vegetable-Cod327 to labrador [link] [comments] This is odie, a full blooded black lab. He turned 1 on may 6, 2024 he is exactly 80 pounds and he is the best boy ever! This is where my questions lay, I have never owned a large breed dog and I didn’t expect to anytime soon but I am not mad! I love this guy! I just do not know what to do diet wise. I already did tons of research on supplements and I have got that handled but when it comes to the dog food I am just so frazzled. Everything’s no this, yes that, yes this, no that! He came to us eating pedigree and I already knew off the bat that that was not a good choice, so I consulted with my local dog dietician and he suggested fromms large breed puppy until he was 2, so I bought that and have slowly weaned him off of the pedigree and onto that! Now I’m getting posts on my timelines that fromms is bad! I saw that a lot of people feed PURINA pro plan but I just don’t know so I am just asking for some sort of direction or advice. Should I feed raw? How do I even begin with that? Is there a specific YouTuber I could learn from or could I maybe learn from you? Thank you! |
2024.05.19 00:20 communalistwitch My cat got congestive heart failure and I don't know what to do
I just got her back from the hospital a few hours ago. Maybe instead of writing this post I should make the most of my time with her...
So my cat is a rescue, I've had her for over two years and then shelter said she was two at the time. She has a (likely congenital) heart murmur, along with some other health difficulties.
A few years ago we lost our family dog to congestive heart failure, due to dilated cardiomyopathy. The dog was also a rescue, with a high grade congenital heart murmur. Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the family dog's passing, and yesterday we noticed my cat was breathing kind of fast, with a weird crackly sound. We took her to her vet immediately, and got referred to a 24/7 vet hospital where they could keep an eye out on her overnight. They haven't echoed yet (since it's a stat holiday weekend here) but it's very likely due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Their first priority was to stabilize my girl and she's home now, with some meds to get her through the weekend before we go back to follow up, and then I have an option to get that echo to see what exactly is going on.
This is all right after she had a drastic and sudden personality change, where last week she randomly attacked my other cat, myself, and my boyfriend. She's normally a very sweet girl, and loves my other cat, so it's been a distressing week as we have had to move my other cat to my boyfriend's to keep them separated. We had these plans to slowly reintroduce, but with the heart failure I don't know how much time she has -- if it's only a few months like it was with my dog, is it right to stress her out through the reintroduction? I also don't know if I should go ahead with the echocardiogram. They're gonna have to sedate her for it, and she always reacts weirdly to that. My family has also been quite insensitive to the ordeal, telling me the vets only want my money and they don't care about my cat. It's just very overwhelming.
I don't know what to do. I wish I could at least have both my girls home, but it's very likely that they may never see each other again...
submitted by communalistwitch to CatAdvice [link] [comments]
So my cat is a rescue, I've had her for over two years and then shelter said she was two at the time. She has a (likely congenital) heart murmur, along with some other health difficulties.
A few years ago we lost our family dog to congestive heart failure, due to dilated cardiomyopathy. The dog was also a rescue, with a high grade congenital heart murmur. Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the family dog's passing, and yesterday we noticed my cat was breathing kind of fast, with a weird crackly sound. We took her to her vet immediately, and got referred to a 24/7 vet hospital where they could keep an eye out on her overnight. They haven't echoed yet (since it's a stat holiday weekend here) but it's very likely due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Their first priority was to stabilize my girl and she's home now, with some meds to get her through the weekend before we go back to follow up, and then I have an option to get that echo to see what exactly is going on.
This is all right after she had a drastic and sudden personality change, where last week she randomly attacked my other cat, myself, and my boyfriend. She's normally a very sweet girl, and loves my other cat, so it's been a distressing week as we have had to move my other cat to my boyfriend's to keep them separated. We had these plans to slowly reintroduce, but with the heart failure I don't know how much time she has -- if it's only a few months like it was with my dog, is it right to stress her out through the reintroduction? I also don't know if I should go ahead with the echocardiogram. They're gonna have to sedate her for it, and she always reacts weirdly to that. My family has also been quite insensitive to the ordeal, telling me the vets only want my money and they don't care about my cat. It's just very overwhelming.
I don't know what to do. I wish I could at least have both my girls home, but it's very likely that they may never see each other again...
2024.05.19 00:20 Naive_Possibility707 35M trying to make a new friend
Hello,
Here's my poor attempt to sell myself like a bad infomercial. My social circle is pretty much limited to people I work with or short conversations with customers. I live in the US on the East Coast but grew up on the West Coast. I have two high-energy dogs, an Australian shepherd mix and huskie mix. I have a 2 year old son. I do enjoy cooking and making new dishes, but I am by far the worst baker. My favorite TV show is the office, please don't say parks and rec is better. I've had many random jobs in the past, with even random stories to go along with. I'm a bit of a nerd, I have a comic collection and random Star Wars collectibles, but I'm not ashamed. I have a few tattoos that have no meaning at all, and I plan on getting more soon. My music taste is stuck in the early 2000s rock, punk, and screamo. I'm just trying to make a friend outside of work.
submitted by Naive_Possibility707 to textfriends [link] [comments]
Here's my poor attempt to sell myself like a bad infomercial. My social circle is pretty much limited to people I work with or short conversations with customers. I live in the US on the East Coast but grew up on the West Coast. I have two high-energy dogs, an Australian shepherd mix and huskie mix. I have a 2 year old son. I do enjoy cooking and making new dishes, but I am by far the worst baker. My favorite TV show is the office, please don't say parks and rec is better. I've had many random jobs in the past, with even random stories to go along with. I'm a bit of a nerd, I have a comic collection and random Star Wars collectibles, but I'm not ashamed. I have a few tattoos that have no meaning at all, and I plan on getting more soon. My music taste is stuck in the early 2000s rock, punk, and screamo. I'm just trying to make a friend outside of work.
2024.05.19 00:19 Naive_Possibility707 35M trying to make a new friend
Hello,
Here's my poor attempt to sell myself like a bad infomercial. My social circle is pretty much limited to people I work with or short conversations with customers. I live in the US on the East Coast but grew up on the West Coast. I have two high-energy dogs, an Australian shepherd mix and huskie mix. I have a 2 year old son. I do enjoy cooking and making new dishes, but I am by far the worst baker. My favorite TV show is the office, please don't say parks and rec is better. I've had many random jobs in the past, with even random stories to go along with. I'm a bit of a nerd, I have a comic collection and random Star Wars collectibles, but I'm not ashamed. I have a few tattoos that have no meaning at all, and I plan on getting more soon. My music taste is stuck in the early 2000s rock, punk, and screamo. I'm just trying to make a friend outside of work.
submitted by Naive_Possibility707 to Needafriend [link] [comments]
Here's my poor attempt to sell myself like a bad infomercial. My social circle is pretty much limited to people I work with or short conversations with customers. I live in the US on the East Coast but grew up on the West Coast. I have two high-energy dogs, an Australian shepherd mix and huskie mix. I have a 2 year old son. I do enjoy cooking and making new dishes, but I am by far the worst baker. My favorite TV show is the office, please don't say parks and rec is better. I've had many random jobs in the past, with even random stories to go along with. I'm a bit of a nerd, I have a comic collection and random Star Wars collectibles, but I'm not ashamed. I have a few tattoos that have no meaning at all, and I plan on getting more soon. My music taste is stuck in the early 2000s rock, punk, and screamo. I'm just trying to make a friend outside of work.
2024.05.19 00:19 Soft_Reserve7985 Angie
Apparently she didn’t learn her lesson after qt embarrassed her again this past week with sunny. I used to feel bad for her but not anymore she will never leave that kid alone no matter how dirty he does her it’s sad.
submitted by Soft_Reserve7985 to DailyRankingsDrama [link] [comments]
2024.05.19 00:19 Naive_Possibility707 35M trying to make a new friend
Hello,
Here's my poor attempt to sell myself like a bad infomercial. My social circle is pretty much limited to people I work with or short conversations with customers. I live in the US on the East Coast but grew up on the West Coast. I have two high-energy dogs, an Australian shepherd mix and huskie mix. I have a 2 year old son. I do enjoy cooking and making new dishes, but I am by far the worst baker. My favorite TV show is the office, please don't say parks and rec is better. I've had many random jobs in the past, with even random stories to go along with. I'm a bit of a nerd, I have a comic collection and random Star Wars collectibles, but I'm not ashamed. I have a few tattoos that have no meaning at all, and I plan on getting more soon. My music taste is stuck in the early 2000s rock, punk, and screamo. I'm just trying to make a friend outside of work.
submitted by Naive_Possibility707 to friendship [link] [comments]
Here's my poor attempt to sell myself like a bad infomercial. My social circle is pretty much limited to people I work with or short conversations with customers. I live in the US on the East Coast but grew up on the West Coast. I have two high-energy dogs, an Australian shepherd mix and huskie mix. I have a 2 year old son. I do enjoy cooking and making new dishes, but I am by far the worst baker. My favorite TV show is the office, please don't say parks and rec is better. I've had many random jobs in the past, with even random stories to go along with. I'm a bit of a nerd, I have a comic collection and random Star Wars collectibles, but I'm not ashamed. I have a few tattoos that have no meaning at all, and I plan on getting more soon. My music taste is stuck in the early 2000s rock, punk, and screamo. I'm just trying to make a friend outside of work.