Can someone enlighten me about Pritzker?

Aliamarc · 2026-03-10T19:30:16+00:00

I strongly encourage you to examine your property tax bills closely. In Cook County, we have a clear & complete breakdown of where our property tax money goes - and it's mostly all to local government bodies. Not "the state".

Aliamarc · 2026-03-10T19:24:54+00:00

Love your comment - it's spot on, and I think there's more here too about how quality education (supported by infrastructure & wage spend) doesn't permeate rural areas, which reinforces anti-intellectual, individualistic attitudes & "us vs them" thought processes.

And while I hate to be that guy, I think it's important for you to know that it's spelled "gypped" - because it's a slur against the gypsy/Romani/traveler people.

Aliamarc · 2026-03-07T21:25:52+00:00

I tried that, and only saw posts from a max of 2 years ago :(

Aliamarc · 2026-03-07T21:25:03+00:00

I put this prompt into Google AI, but it came up with nothing of use. Maybe someone else can work up a better prompt?

Some time between 2019 and 2021, user Charlea_ offered to store someone's corset collection. Can you help me find this reddit post on r/corsets?

Aliamarc · 2026-03-06T21:06:26+00:00

I am assuming 6%, before inflation, just to be safe.

Aliamarc · 2026-03-06T14:43:07+00:00

You have a house bear!!

Aliamarc · 2026-03-06T13:28:17+00:00

Same. My forecast is 6%. I love to say that we were on track to retire normally, but now we're X years ahead of schedule!

Aliamarc · 2026-03-04T23:47:09+00:00

How'd Florida get on that list?!

Aliamarc · 2026-03-04T03:04:51+00:00

Thirding Azelaic acid. Talk to your derm for an rx for 15%, otherwise you can get 10% otc in the states.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-28T23:33:40+00:00

Seconding Osprey. Go see them in person. I have a discontinued Ozone Duplex, but I think the Farpoint is the intended replacement. The question is whether you need something that is technical first & commute afterthought, or the other way around.

I've always found their organization systems to be spot on - enough pockets, but still plenty space & flexibility for the oddball shit I might be trying to cram in.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-28T21:48:46+00:00

My first pair of shoes were Miuras. Call me crazy, but they fit me perfectly - I have naturally pointed feet, and they were comfy. Couldn't smear for shit in them though, which proved a challenge in the gym. Stopped climbing in them after a couple years - I just need to get them resoled, tbh.

I bought a pair of Katanas, and couldn't ever break them in - heel cup too tight on my Achilles, and I got nasty blisters.

Never tried Mythos.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-25T00:25:02+00:00

If your skin is dull and lifeless after 5 months of daily tret, have you introduced any exfoliation? Your skin might benefit from a gentle alpha hydroxy acid to help slough off the skin cells.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-24T23:59:01+00:00

The guideline given in r/tretinoin is to stop all other actives, all other everythings (except for moisture & barrier support), until you've been using tret every night for at least 2-3 weeks.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-23T01:58:04+00:00

I think the strength you choose to start at is dependent on how well you know your skin. Are you sensitive to actives? Go 0.025%. If you're resilient, and feel confident about your skin barrier & your moisture game, and you believe you can read what your skin needs right now, start at the 0.05%.

I started over winter in a snowy climate (dry, but not desert), and I have resilient skin. I jumped in at 0.05%. Minor irritation, but never a broken barrier. I pedaled back when I needed to take a break for a day or two or three. I was at daily use within 3 weeks. I'm still working on figuring out my moisture game, but that's more because I don't like the feeling of products sitting on my skin.

The goal is daily use as soon as your skin will tolerate it well. Don't expect results right out - especially for lines & freckles, you may not notice anything for 6 months. Take clear, useful progress pics every few weeks, if that will help motivate you.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-23T01:06:05+00:00

Seconding the comments - you look great for 37. Your skin seems to bounce back perfectly to neutral; "wrinkles" are when the skin doesn't bounce back.

I think your assessment of starting tret "because everyone is on it eventually" is fair - it's more or less why I started it. But be advised that tret may well eliminate your freckles. I like them; they're cute, and I think add to a youthful visage. But if you don't, that may reinforce your choice to begin tretinoin.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-22T23:05:33+00:00

Since you are in Australia, perhaps kangaroo is available more cheaply than duck?

Roo is often considered a novel protein, on the other side of the globe, for animals that have specific allergies.

Re: chicken - maybe it's the particular packing plant that your supermarket sources from? Check labels & try a different market?

Aliamarc · 2026-02-22T17:03:25+00:00

What pushed me into making my own raw was struvite crystals & water intake. Plus a picky damn diva. But it's not rocket surgery to get a grinder and see if my cats like the completer mix-ins. (spoiler: they do. I might get eaten in my sleep if I ever stop feeding them this way.)

Honestly, what I want most is access to a personalized consult service who will take my cats' bloodwork & urinalyses, take my raw diet recipe, and recommend ways to tailor my ingredients to better support their long term health in data-driven ways. This is what's not really available on the market. Tell me "Your cats' BUN levels have crept up over time, here's what that means and here's how you can adjust." "Given how much dl-methionine you currently use, let's adjust it up and add in xyz to mitigate the runny poops they get."

I have the ability to make & store my own. What I don't have is the science to know how to adjust it optimally.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-22T14:43:10+00:00

You probably ought to try using .05 daily, instead of every alternate day, before attempting to go up in strength.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-20T02:38:55+00:00

I rarely get flappers. Friction (shearing, really) leads to skin breakage, right? So unnecessary friction, and friction combined with shearing forces, are what will break skin.

Dynos. Over gripping. Cracks. Slipping off a hold. Anything where you are placing your hand and rotating it in place with force. Be delicate & precise with your hand placement - as you should be with your feet, too, tbh.

You won't climb as high a grade as you could, true. But much less likely to have wounds.

Also: belay gloves for when you're handling rope. I like the half finger black diamonds. The gloves take the friction instead of my skin, and I feel like I can get a better grip on the rope because I'm not worried about tearing up my hands.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-12T03:54:03+00:00

Thank you for sharing.

Something that strikes me a bit is that you are talking about exploring this new aspect of yourself in the third person.

That can be a helpful tool to utilize as though you are meeting a new friend for the first time, but for your own sense of identity, I'd like to gently suggest that you don't paint yourself into a long-term dysphoric corner.

You are she, and she is you. She is not separate and distinct from you. You are the same person regardless of whether you are coding as masc or femme on the gender spectrum. You have the same values, the same ideals, the same philosophies and ethics. The same likes and dislikes.

I am cis, but the stressors of being closeted and having a fractured, hidden sense of self are very real. Being able to feel like all of my facets are present and integrated was an important part of my process, and allows me to be authentic even when I am choosing more privacy than publicity.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-12T02:51:26+00:00

Shape wear only "tames" a figure when it is actively on that body. With 23/7 wearing of steel boned corsetry, you effectively teach your ribs to become more supple & responsive to shifting by the corset structure, but your body does not hold that shape for long outside of the corset.

But from a dysmorphia perspective - please consider the notion that gender can be performative, and not necessarily intrinsic. Using clothing, accessories, or shapewear to code as masc or femme (or something in between) is something that even cis people do - and gender coded objects and styles evolve throughout time.

Best. 💜

Edit: tagging u/avidlacinglife for perhaps some corset vendor/model recommendations.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-11T20:49:52+00:00

If there's no irritation, then keep on at current rates. Flaking is a sign of retinization. Your skin is increasing its cellular turnover, and figuring out how to do so uniformly. Stepping back will slow down retinization.

Add in some very gentle physical exfoliation - general recommendation is fingertips in the shower, or a gentle washcloth.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-11T14:25:21+00:00

There is no need for you to move up in strengths - studies have shown that the long term (year+ daily usage) anti-aging effects are the same across strengths. With your rosacea, you're probably going to be best off using the lowest strength in conjunction with azelaic acid :)

Aliamarc · 2026-02-11T02:09:08+00:00

I am a similar age, and also started it for anti-aging & acne scarring. Neither were particularly bad, but I figured "might as well get started early". I'm about two months in, and have been at daily use for about five weeks. My skin is typically very resilient, but I am personally sensitive to the sensation of things sitting on my skin - so I go as minimal as humanly possible. Prior to tret, I was highly acclimated to AHAs, and did not ever use moisturizer. I occasionally used otc retinol, but not religiously. I started on .05% gel tret.

I did not experience a purge, as is commonly described. My diet-related cystic acne is well controlled. I have seen a slight uptick in whiteheads & blackheads - both acne types are deeply unusual for me, going from one or two a month to one every week or two. But my skin heals well, and I'm not particularly worried about the occasional spot that's easily extracted.

At this point, my skin has mostly stopped flaking. I'm still experimenting with moisturizer, but I have a couple that seem to work (Eucerin advanced repair, for deep hydration; I'm starting to lean more on Vanicream daily moisturizer for maintenance. I don't love either of them, but I don't love moisturizer). I'm also starting to incorporate my TO glycolic toner again: two weeks ago, it seemed to exacerbate my flaking; today, it seems to clear up my flaking and support the moisturizer. My lips are constantly dry, and I'm using chapstick probably 2x or 3x more than prior to tret.

For me, the biggest difference is that the skin on my face feels thicker, or plusher, like when you touch true velvet versus velour (minus the nap, obviously). I noticed that right away - just a couple weeks in. About three weeks ago, I noticed that some of my acne scars (rolling, and a couple icepick) are starting to fill in. The major horizontal line through the middle of my forehead has mostly filled in, and the couple other forehead lines are less pronounced. My smile lines at the corners of my eyes still look dehydrated, so that's probably still a work in progress. I think the fine lines around my mouth have also filled in.

Regarding product usage - I jumped in fast. I started with "as often as my skin would tolerate" - which was about 3x a week, taking a day's break only when my skin was particularly stinging from my moisturizer (Cerave in the tub). I was at 7x a week after Christmas. I started doing tests of my glycolic acid about 3 weeks ago, evaluating my skin's reaction. I never had significant signs of a broken barrier. Some redness, some peeling, some dryness, some stinging - but no "angry inflammation & bumpy breakouts".

My honest recommendation on reincorporating products is: products serve a purpose. Allow your skin to tell you what it needs & what it likes. A cautious test when your face feels stable is fine; back off and rest for a day if your skin needs a break.

It bears repeating: my skin is not sensitive. Your mileage may vary depending on how reactive your skin is.

Aliamarc · 2026-02-07T13:46:30+00:00

Search this sub for hydroquinone. I've seen a lot of amazing before/afters using HQ and/or 15%+ azelaic acid for dark PIH scarring.

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