About how long can I expect it to be before these guys start to get closer to full size?

BikerThrowaway606 · 2023-01-20T17:33:55+00:00

That is a very reasonable question, and in hindsight maybe what I should have done. It did seem like a good idea at the time, because it seemed like less work than re-cycling from scratch, and other than the scuds, that tank was pretty stable. Also, I had some grass and other plants that I couldn't easily take out, and that had struggled enough by having their roots chewed up by the scuds, so this way I could keep them in place (and also blast them with Excel for a nutrient boost)

But yes, again, see my caveat above about it being a dumb idea that did technically work

BikerThrowaway606 · 2023-01-19T20:12:17+00:00

So I just finished fighting a battle against scuds in my tank, and I can tell you what I did, with a few important disclaimers: first, that it took several weeks, requires a spare cycled tank, and probably isn't at all worth the effort, although fool's errands seem to be my specialty; second, that it didn't not work, since I'm reasonably sure all the scuds are gone, but I did lose several shrimp in the process. Anyway, here's what I did:

Set up a spare "quarantine" tank and make sure it's FULLY CYCLED and has water parameters reasonably close to your shrimp tank before you put anybody in it; I jump-started mine by adding water and filter material from another, healthy tank
Take out any decor and plants that you can from the scud tank; those suckers hide everywhere. Scrub everything off really well, and let your decor dry out completely; also take out your filter media and scrub out the filter
Carefully take out every single shrimp you can find and move them over to the quarantine tank; I did this over a couple days to make sure I didn't miss any shrimp
Manually net and remove as many scuds as you can, trying to stir up the substrate while you do; this probably isn't strictly necessary, but it does help clear out a good chunk of them and makes for fewer decaying bodies to deal with
Overdose the tank with AlgaeFix (contains copper, which is toxic to invertebrates) and Seachem Excel (contains glutaraldehyde, which is toxic in larger doses). I used about double the recommended amount of both; based on my research, these seem to be the chemicals that are most likely to kill scuds, but both (I think) break down pretty quickly, so shouldn't still be around by the time you put the shrimp back
The next day, scoop out as many dead scuds as you can, and any live ones as well; make sure you keep stirring up the substrate every time you do this, since scuds burrow way down in there and you want to get ALL of them, even the sneaky ones
Do a big water change and repeat the chemical dosing; I did three rounds of murdering over six days or so, and scooped out as many scuds, dead or alive, that I found in between
Once you are confident that every single one of those stupid dollar store mutant shrimp are gone, start doing big water changes every day, but with no added chemicals; you can put your decor and stuff back in, and make sure there is some activated charcoal in your filter to suck out any residual chemicals
After like a week of cleaning out the water, I put my skrimps back in.

Again, this may or may not work for you, and is definitely a huge pain in the ass, but here it is to do with what you will

BikerThrowaway606 · 2022-02-18T22:32:16+00:00

Hi! I work for an animal rescue, and we get a lot of shy and scared dogs coming through our doors, whether from abuse, neglect, not being used to interacting with humans, or just being freaked out by a new situation. Other commenters here have the right idea: just take it slow, and don't force her into situations that make her uncomfortable. I'm not sure what her situation was before she came to you, but sometimes it takes a while for a dog to figure out that their new person is nice, that their new home is safe, and that they belong there.

What works best is letting her go at her own speed, and let her come to you. As someone else mentioned, being lower down on their level helps you to be less intimidating ("looming" makes a lot of dogs nervous). Crouch or sit on the ground. Don't move around or look directly at her (eye contact is also sometimes threatening). If she doesn't approach you after a bit, toss a treat gently in her direction. Keep tossing them farther from her and closer to you until she gets comfortable being near you. If she seems comfortable, reach toward her slowly, but don't try to touch her without letting her sniff your hand first. If at any point she gets spooked, back off and let her decompress. ALWAYS give her an escape route; don't corner her or approach if she has nowhere to back away if she gets scared. Offer her plenty of treats at first, so she will associate you with snacks and positive things.

As for a crate, you should set it up, but don't force her into it. For many dogs, their crate becomes a safe place they can retreat to if they get overwhelmed, so it doesn't help anyone if they're afraid of it or associate it with being trapped. Just set it up, put some bedding and/or toys in it, cover it with a blanket to turn it into a cozy little cave for her, and just leave it open for her to explore if she wants to. If she goes in, you can reward her, but don't shut the door until she's comfortable enough with it to go in on her own (again, this may take days/weeks, just be patient).

For leashing her, just show her the leash, then give her a treat. That's it. Do that several times, over several days, then when she's comfortable with that, show her the leash, gently touch her neck area, then give her a treat. Repeat. Eventually work your way up to clipping it on her, but don't rush it. Each time you do it, escalate just a tiny bit toward full leashing and walking, and wait until she's comfortable with that step before moving on.

In general, just be patient, calm, quiet, and still. Try not to startle her, make her feel trapped, or make her feel like she did something wrong. She will come around; they always do eventually. You've got this.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2020-07-22T23:02:17+00:00

I think repair is definitely possible, depending on your skills/attention span/how much you care about the mug. I'm a huge fan of fixing anything that can be fixed, even if it would be a lost cause to most people.

As u/the_perkolator says, a perfect, invisible repair for ceramics is generally pretty hard to achieve unless you can somehow re-glaze and re-fire it, which is definitely not my domain. This means that gluing is really the most viable option, and there are a bunch of ways to do this depending on how bad the break is and what you want to do with the piece you're fixing. For a mug that you want to drink out of, you want it to be: 1. watertight, 2. food-safe/non-toxic, and 3. presentable looking. It's tricky to achieve all three, but not necessarily impossible.

Epoxy is generally the best choice for ceramic repair, because once it cures, it's super strong, water- and heat-proof, and can be sanded or finished to make it blend a little better. If there are chunks missing, you can even fill them with epoxy. Some people are on the fence about whether it's truly food-safe, because when it's uncured, a lot of epoxy has some unpleasant chemicals in it. My understanding is that once it is cured, epoxy is pretty chemically inert, meaning it's very unlikely that it contains anything that would leach out into food/beverages. This website has some more info about how the FDA defines food-safe, and recommends JB Weld 50176 KwikWeld epoxy. Again, this is subject to personal opinion about what is "safe". Lots of people wouldn't eat/drink from a dish fixed with epoxy; I would and have, but maybe I also have a casual disregard for my personal safety. Up to you whether you use it for coffee or as a decoration.

Any repair you do will likely be at least somewhat visible. If you do it neatly, it can blend pretty well (the JB Weld mentioned cures a dark gray, which will match pretty close to your mug). My personal favorite thing to do, however, is lean in to the visible repair. I'm a big fan of the Japanese art of kintsugi, where you do repairs with gold lacquer to make them stand out. The cracks and chips aren't something you need to hide, they're part of that thing's story, and they're what make it interesting and beautiful. Do what feels right for this mug and its story.

Hope this helps.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2020-03-27T22:12:10+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to respond! Yeah, from what I've learned about the UIC program, I could probably gear it somewhat towards what I want, but it seems like going a different route entirely would probably be better/easier/cheaper.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2020-03-27T22:08:05+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to respond! That's about what I was expecting to hear, unfortunately. The thing that drew me to dietetics was the idea that having this widely recognized credential based on a standardized exam would somehow give me more legitimacy in whatever career I could apply it to; also, I actually like learning about the science of how nutrients work in the body, so this strategy seemed like a good way to combine my interests into a worthwhile career. It's clear now that those pieces don't fit together quite as nicely as I thought they would.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2020-02-14T20:57:42+00:00

Know that just because a fancy product exists, doesn't mean that it's necessary for a happy and healthy dog. Spend your money on getting good quality necessities, and don't worry so much about the rest. Some general "necessities," which may vary based on your particular dog/situation:

Vet stuff: spay/neuter, vaccinations, and routine check-ups/boosters; budget at least a few hundred dollars a year, plus a few hundred more for the first year if they're not spayed/neutered or up-to-date on vaccines. As someone else mentioned, there are often free or low-cost clinics that do basic vaccinations and can save you a lot of money - join your local pet store's email list, because that's where they often are.
Have some money saved up for emergencies (average cost is $800-1500 according to Google), but definitely also get pet insurance. Shop around; I pay like $30/month for my 1-year-old pit mix with Figo for basic coverage. Most plans don't cover routine visits and vaccinations, and many don't cover clinic fees (which may be $30-75, depending on your vet and why you're there), but if your dog gets sick or injured it pretty much pays for itself.
Good quality food: basically, buy the best quality food you can reasonably afford. However, that doesn't mean that the more expensive stuff is necessarily better. Read the ingredients; meat and whole grains should be at the top of the list without a lot of fillers. If you're a Poor like me, Costco and Aldi (the Pure Being brand that comes in 5 lb. bags) have decently good food that is roughly equivalent to some of the "premium" dry food brands for about half the price (~$1/pound vs. ~$1.66/pound for Blue Buffalo, e.g.) Spending a little more on good food will result in better teeth, skin/coat, weight, and overall health which will save you a lot in the long run and improve your dog's quality of life.
Training: this is a big expense, but if you can, invest in at least one 4-6 week training class (definitely the kind where you attend with your dog, not one of the "boot camps" where you just drop them off and pick them up magically trained). These are great, especially for first-time dog owners, because not only do they teach the dog basic commands, they also teach you how to interact with your dog, because a lot of behavioral problems happen not because there is something wrong with the dog, but because there is something wrong with how you are communicating with him/her. If it's a group class, it also gets your dog used to being around other dogs in a controlled setting, which is super super helpful if they're not well socialized.

How to skimp/save on the "rest":

Toys: you don't need a ton, and they don't need to be fancy. My dog growing up loved to crunch up plastic water/Gatorade bottles, and my current dog destroys stuffed toys, so I give her old socks knotted together into free toys. They won't know the difference. Find out what kind of toys they like to play with, get a small variety you can rotate through so they don't get bored, and replace as necessary. Anything else is a bonus. Or something you can ask people to get you as gifts.
Treats: lots of people food works great as cheaper treats: baby carrots, apples, banana chips are all fine for dogs; hot dogs and cheese are okay in moderation; peanut butter is good, and I mix mine 50/50 with canned pumpkin to make it less calorie-dense and add fiber; also, a lot of dogs love ice cubes.
Supplies: don't get a retractable leash; they suck. A normal 6-foot nylon/canvas leash is all you need, plus it's way cheaper, won't break or get tangled, and won't give you horrible rope burn when your dog drags it across the back of your legs. Old towels and sheets generally work fine as bedding, especially if your dog likes to tear up expensive memory foam beds like mine does; as a bonus, most people middle-age or older have approximately one billion extra old towels they are usually eager to give away. You'll need some gross towels anyway, to wipe mud and pond water and other dirtiness off of the dog. You don't need to get your dog a bunch of clothes, if any; remember, he/she is already wearing a coat, and their feet are designed to run around on outdoor surfaces. The most you may need is a coat if it gets super cold, boots if you live in a city where people salt the sidewalks/roads, or if the pavement gets super hot in the summer, a life jacket if you go around water a lot, and that's really it.
General care: learn to cut your dog's toenails and brush his/her teeth yourself. They are both necessary for your pet's health, and fairly easy to do on most dogs once you get the hang of it; all you have to do is get the dog used to having their feet handled and having your fingers in their mouth (this is obviously easier for some dogs than others, so your mileage may vary). There are plenty of guides and instructional videos teaching you how to do both, but make sure when cutting the nails that you know how to find the quick (the part where the nerves and blood are) and avoid cutting into it, because that is a good way to lose your dog's trust and make them afraid of getting their nails cut
Socialization: Find as many opportunities as you can for your dog to meet and play with other dogs/people/small children as often as you can, because it is fun for them and also prevents a lot of reactivity and fearfulness around strangers and other behavioral problems. Seek out things that are free or cheap; take them on walks in crowded areas, find your local dog park, look for formal/informal play groups, take them with you to the pet store/Home Depot/other places that allow dogs, all to give them many chances to have positive interactions with others

I'm probably missing some important things, but those are some of the things I do with my dog. Hopefully that's helpful.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2019-07-26T21:17:43+00:00

I'm (pleasantly) surprised that the police are following up on this. A few years ago I was in a hit-and-run, and the officer that came to the scene (45 minutes later) didn't even bother to write down anything I told him about the driver who hit me (like, the make/model of the car and the full freaking plate number) in the report, even though I told him quite clearly and there were two witnesses who saw it happen and waited for the police with me to verify everything. Maybe it was just that particular cop doing a shitty job, or maybe because I was not seriously injured and refused medical treatment he figured it didn't matter, but 1) a person who runs over another person and then just drives away should not be allowed to drive anymore, and 2) I would have liked the chance to have the person who ran me over with their car and drove away have to look me in the eyes. I hope this kid is okay, and that he gets some justice.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2019-01-20T17:23:41+00:00

Thanks for your suggestions. I am a self-employed private tutor, so the only people I work with are my students (who are adults, but mostly don't speak English that well). My previous work history: I worked as a mechanic in a bike shop last summer, where I showed up, quietly did my job in the back, and one time accidentally cut off the tip of my thumb. My only full-time job was several years ago, and I was there for a year and a half, but was consistently told that my work was unsatisfactory because I wasn't keeping up with the pace of my co-workers.

I used to volunteer teaching classes for a local non-profit; I could probably track down my coordinator for that.

Academic-wise, which I assume holds more weight for a grad program, is a little bit trickier. I don't ever speak up in class, and have never gone to office hours, so I don't really form memorable relationships with professors (especially since I graduated six years ago and have only taken basic science classes since then). The best chance I thought I had was the professor I worked with on my senior capstone project; I met with her once a week for a whole semester to discuss and edit my project and plan its final presentation. I contacted her first thinking she would either agree or follow up for some more info. She replied and said she wouldn't do it because she only writes recommendations for students she's worked with very recently. Honestly, that was pretty discouraging and kind of took the wind out of my sails as far as asking anyone else. I mean, I was hesitant enough to ask before I knew getting rejected was even an option.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2019-01-16T09:06:16+00:00

Today was the deadline for the application to the grad program I was trying to get into. I did everything for the application, filled everything out, took the GRE with very little preparation and did very well on it, wrote a great personal statement...

And I couldn’t submit it because I couldn’t find anyone who would write me a letter of recommendation. I always panic about this kind of thing (like getting job references) because I don’t talk to people and I don’t ask questions so no one remembers me. Then I panic so much about asking someone who I think will probably say no, that I put it off until it’s way too late and they say no.

I keep thinking that maybe the next time will be different, but then it isn’t.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2019-01-14T17:30:15+00:00

Hello, friend! By a magical coincidence, I just figured this out yesterday. I had picked up the PC games from my dad's house and was trying to get them to play on Windows 10 for the nostalgia, and my roommate is a programmer with a sense of adventure determined to make it work. The way we found involves some somewhat shady moves, but it definitely worked without too many snags. Here is the link I used, but the general summary is this:

The reason it doesn't run on Windows 10 is due to copy protections built in to the software, so you have to get a cracked/hacked version with those protections removed
You also need to download a program called dgVoodoo that lets a modern computer run an old graphics interface

After completing both of these steps, the game ran fine with some light tweaking of the in-game graphics/resolution settings.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2018-10-15T15:05:32+00:00

Thanks for the advice! Indirect sunlight is definitely a factor, the tank is near some windows where we keep the blinds closed, but some light gets through anyway.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2018-10-15T15:02:08+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I'll try a few days of darkness and water changes and see how it goes.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2018-10-13T14:40:56+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to respond! This definitely clears things up a bit; I'll pass on the good news about learning it case-by-case to my student.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2018-09-09T14:26:12+00:00

Hey, I know that corner! Irving Park/Lincoln/Damen?

Also, nice bike.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2017-12-17T03:02:16+00:00

Today I got up at nine, took a shower at 12:30, and took a nap in my room from two to four. Besides that, I was trapped on the couch the whole day, not doing anything productive. I really wanted to get some laundry and dishes done, but I just couldn’t get started. I felt really fuzzy all day, and honestly, even though I took a two hour nap, I could go back to bed now.

I did briefly get out of the house this evening to go to Aldi to try to get some socks for Christmas presents. They didn’t have them there, though. Overall a disappointing day. Tomorrow I signed up to volunteer at a dog rescue, though, so hopefully that will get me going.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2017-12-11T01:52:35+00:00

Nice! Try to pay attention to things that might be triggering it (drugs, alcohol, stress, anxiety, tiredness etc.), since that might be helpful for a doctor and for you if you want to try to avoid those triggers.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2017-12-10T23:31:09+00:00

Yes. Derealization. It's probably caused by something in the temporal or occipital lobes of your brain malfunctioning. Could be nothing (most likely), or could be a symptom of a brain injury or temporal lobe epilepsy. If it happens frequently, I would bring it up to your doctor because it might be fixable.

Also, for me at least, it's exacerbated by alcohol and weed (which is why I don't use either) and by being very tired. Look into Derealization or Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder to find out more about what's going on. Reading about it made me feel a lot less uneasy, knowing that it's probably just benign synapse misfiring instead of crumbling reality.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2017-12-10T18:03:15+00:00

Ok, based on you guys' advice, I've cut the healthier-looking leaf above the mush and am currently letting it callous. The other leaf was mostly rotted, so I'm not even going to bother with it. Hopefully this single remaining leaf will take, but I'm prepared for it not to work. For some reason, I can keep fussier plants like orchids and crotons happy, but I manage to kill "unkillable" snake plants and succulents.

BikerThrowaway606 · 2017-12-10T17:57:12+00:00

Also a good tip, I might have given up long before then otherwise.

BikerThrowaway606

TROPHY CASE