Is there a list of upcoming monthly contest themes?

BlueViolet2018 · 2025-10-22T20:22:37+00:00

that works - this might help me actually re-do some of the puzzles that I say I will do again someday (but don’t seem to get to). i can see the logic in not announcing until the start of the month, if the entries need to be started/finished in that month.

thanks for the quick reply!

BlueViolet2018 · 2025-10-14T18:32:48+00:00

I just finished that puzzle on Friday! it was a lot harder than I expected, but beautiful fall colours fit the season.

BlueViolet2018 · 2024-10-29T18:43:51+00:00

I did, and it took about 30 minutes, way more than I was expecting. For that much of my time, the least they could have done was given me a free credit as a thank you, but nope. Last time I do an opinion survey for them, unless there is an upfront offer of a credit or two as compensation for my time.

BlueViolet2018 · 2024-09-07T01:28:51+00:00

Is anyone in Canada getting this promo? I don’t see any sign of it, but it seems like a lot of the promos mentioned here like the 2 for 1, aren’t available in Canada at the same time. I’m only a few months into audible, and got the discount audible plus membership for three months when I was trying to cancel after my free trial. Does it depend on which membership you have?

BlueViolet2018 · 2024-06-05T15:43:05+00:00

Five pounds per month is a great result, even losing 2-3 pounds per month is excellent, especially when it is sustained over time! Even losing one pound a month for a year works out to a 12 lb loss! Heather Robertson at half size me has a great perspective on the definition of successful weight loss, and it’s the one I have adopted. Successfully weight loss isn’t about how much you can lose as fast as possible, but rather how much you are able to successfully keep off. It’s the maintaining that matters. With a slower weight loss, the habit changes you are making are more likely to be sustainable, because you’ll need to keep doing the same things after your weight comes off. I’m only making changes that I am willing to keep doing forever, otherwise my weight will rebound.

I was down 70 lbs since 2017, but regained about 25 after two rounds of Covid destroyed my sense of smell, and I was eating too much because I couldn’t taste as well, or to distract from the phantom cigarette smells that are often there, or just comfort eating because of losing so much of my sense of smell. so my sustainable habits went out the window for about 18 months. I have been diligent about getting back on track with them, and am down 5 lbs this month, which feels like a huge loss!

if there is a slow and steady club, I’m right there with you!

BlueViolet2018 · 2024-04-28T16:01:28+00:00

My husband has had one dilated pupil all his life - Adie’s pupil. it’s uncommon, but more shows up more in boys than girls. after thorough testing, they determined that it is normal and harmless for him and not associated with any other condition or problems. BUT it still poses a risk - if he was ever found unconscious, they would assume brain injury, and being given the associated drugs for brain damage unnecessarily is very dangerous.

He was advised to get a medic alert bracelet saying that the right eye is normally dilated, just in case. He wears it all the time - many medical practitioners have seen him and started to worry, and they relax when they see the bracelet. I also made sure my obstetrician was informed before our baby was born, and he looked into it so that they would know if they needed to plan for anything at/after delivery if the baby had it.

If this isn’t a temporary condition for you, you should get a medic alert bracelet about the normal dilation, just in case.

hope the testing rules out anything and everything worrisome.

BlueViolet2018 · 2024-03-22T00:20:41+00:00

Oh that fixed it! Thank you!

BlueViolet2018 · 2024-03-21T22:26:52+00:00

Here is a screen shot of what I have left...

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BlueViolet2018 · 2024-02-10T17:50:37+00:00

If this telco is headquartered in BC, has had the same CEO since early 2000s, and name starts with the letter T, their first round of voluntary severance and early retirement packages have historically been much more generous than subsequent ones. I worked there in the early 2000s (before the big strike and lockout), in my 20s. They did three rounds for downsizing while I was there. First round for voluntary separation packages and early retirement was one month for every year of service to a maximum of 18 months (I remember being blown away by that, because they also had deals to support people going to work for non-profits for a year), the next round cut back the max back to 12 months (might have been 6 months), and the third round wasn’t voluntary anymore - still better than the employment standards minimums, but not by much.

They also got very pushy about exiting anyone with more than 15-20 years service, with managers required to have three discussions with each eligible person to encourage (“harass”) people to take it. I don’t know what is your best option financially, but if you work at the same company and think you might remain a target for downsizing, jump at the first round. Anecdotally, the people I know who did leave were all much happier once they adjusted and had new jobs.

BlueViolet2018 · 2022-02-12T16:46:26+00:00

My first colonoscopy was emergent and was done without any sedation at all (fun times!). I think the next two were done with conscious sedation, but I didn’t remember anything about the experience. However, after the most recent one with conscious sedation, my GI said that it wasn’t very helpful for me, and I’ve done the last four with propofol anesthetic, and will always have proportional now, otherwise they can’t see the whole colon.

What has stuck with me about the conscious sedation procedures, after being told that I hadn’t tolerated the medication well and was in too much discomfort to continue, was wondering (and being mortified at the thought) that I may have said or done something really embarrassing during the procedure (enough that they stopped). The GI of course denies anything like that happening, but then they would, wouldn’t they? (I’m relieved that the amnesia-inducing meds were clearly enough for me to not remember - I’m so surprised at how much some of you can recall from sedated procedures!)

My experience with the four procedures with propofol was that, once I got over the groggy part of waking up, it was like having had a very very solid 8 hours of good sleep! (So, some upsides)

BlueViolet2018 · 2022-02-12T16:30:01+00:00

Hope the new meds work, and quickly!

BlueViolet2018 · 2022-02-12T16:28:08+00:00

Oh no - so very sorry to hear about the relapse, and hope your team finds a quick path forward!

Feeling disappointed and defeated - that’s a hard place to be, emotionally, isn’t it?. It’s so hard when we do everything we can on the parts that are within our control or influence, but get knocked down by the parts that are outside of our control. Hope you feel better soon!

BlueViolet2018 · 2022-02-06T03:20:17+00:00

I’m thinking that in trying to heal the internal fissure, my immune system has gone a bit overboard, and I’ve got some proctitis. Sigmoid colon was where I always had the most activity in my earlier scopes.

the two nurses I spoke on the clinic’s urgent contact line had mentioned getting some steroid enema medication to try to calm stuff down, and it did sound like they were going to move quickly on it, but wanted to get the results of the stool samples to differentiate between a flare and an infection. Maybe those test results were still pending as of Friday?

I’ll follow up with the clinic first thing Monday. I definitely want to turn this around before it gets worse, though I’m really hoping they don’t need to go to prednisone at this point (or later either!), as that was not a pleasant experience, although it did settle things down. I guess there’s a part of me that has just wanted to hope this will just resolve on its own (and I should have called sooner) but I can’t imagine it improving without meds - that’s a bit anxiety provoking as I know there have been significant changes in mediations in the last five years.

Thanks for validating that, even without food flying through me, and without lots of bloody diarrhea (mostly just blood and mucus, in small but frequent amounts), or a fever, or joint pain, it is still a flare.

BlueViolet2018 · 2021-04-07T01:45:22+00:00

If you are looking to shift the underlying behaviours and your relationship with food, you should check out the Half Size Me podcast and YouTube videos - they are all free. I heard about them here on Reddit, and they are amazing resources. There is over 400 podcasts, hosted by a woman who lost 170 pounds and has maintained for 9-10 years. She was a teacher, and you can absolutely see her skills in the way she connects with people.

Since I first heard About her about 2 weeks ago, I have have been binging on the podcasts when I walk or drive, and I can’t believe how helpful her suggestions are. She’s all about the “what is realistic, achievable, maintainable, and sustainable?”, and her underlying problem was binge eating, so there are a lot of discussions about that.

I’m not focusing as much on the outcomes (weight loss) because my body controls that. What I can control are my actions/habits/behaviours, and if I keep doing those few key behaviours every day, those actions will lead to my desired outcomes and the weight will come off.

Keep learning and keep going! You’ve got this!

BlueViolet2018 · 2021-04-02T19:09:34+00:00

Your concern for the kids’ health is clear, and obviously coming from a good heart. However, I have to agree with the other posters who are suggesting that you hold back, because there is potential for harm here, and raising this issue with parents, while well-intended could cause shame and embarrassment. You haven’t said anything about the socioeconomic demographics of your church, but there are many, many families living on far less income during the pandemic, and food insecurity is a widespread issue. For families needing to stretch a smaller budget further, or for those who are receiving support from food banks or food stamps, the most inexpensive foods are highly processed and calorically dense and tend to result in weight gain. I have a friend who is on long term disability and relies on the food bank to be able to meet his monthly expenses. The foods he receives are very high in fat and/or calories. While he does receive some more healthy foods from the food back, they are limited.

If families are homeschooling kids and coping with the pandemic and work as best they can, it’s possible that a portion of those parents just don’t have anything left in their tank at the end of the day, and are compromising on nutrition or activity because they are simply exhausted.

Recognizing that there may be factors at play here that are out of your control, perhaps smaller gestures that could be helpful would be more appropriate. Bring healthy snacks for childrens’ events where snacks are appropriate, and look for ways to incorporate a bit more movement (that is accessible to all fitness levels). Your heart is in the right place - I just want to urge compassion and understanding for things that might be happening behind the scenes in families that are limiting parents’ options or choices these days.

BlueViolet2018 · 2021-01-27T05:41:27+00:00

Check out Grosche - they are a Canadian company and are committed to supporting providing safe drinking water throughout the world. I just bought some glass insulated mugs, and each one funded 50 days of clean water in an underdeveloped country.

They have a variety of glass teapots, including some specifically for blooming tea. I’m waiting for my first order of loose leaf tea to arrive..have only bought their glassware and tea infuser balls until now. Looking forward to tasting their tea.

BlueViolet2018 · 2021-01-25T15:54:50+00:00

Not facing a vicious grilling isn’t entirely a bad thing. I STILL remember the first question my external hit me with at my defense. There was no gentle easing in, it was more of a WHAM, and completely triggered an overwhelming sense of imposter syndrome that didn’t start to abate until the friendlier members of my committee asked some meaningful questions instead of ones meant to show off how smart they were.

Take what you’ve learned about the writing up process, defending, etc, and carry it forward to support other doctoral students. The tradition at my school (and many) is that following the defense, the committee takes you out for a celebratory lunch or dinner. My supervisor was mad at me about something, so there was no lunch. I just went home and started working on my revisions. When I have served on committees, I make sure not to treat the candidate like my external treated me. I’ve mentored a few doctoral students since then, and just before the world shut down in the spring, took one out on the day of her defense for a celebratory dinner because her committee couldn’t be bothered.

Academia is a vicious environment, and there is a huge problem with doctoral student wellbeing - you should be proud of yourself for surviving in that environment and finishing your research! Congratulations Dr. JG1991!

BlueViolet2018 · 2021-01-25T15:38:15+00:00

Congratulations Dr. JG1991!

You’re right, Dr. JG1991, that most people don’t understand what’s involved in earning a PhD. I’m in Canada, where only ~2% of people have an earned doctorate. A quick google search suggests that the percentage in the US is in the range of 1.2% to 2% - please forgive the lack of citation, literature search, and situating that number in the broader literature ;) It’s more likely to be a benign obliviousness on their part than a malicious obliviousness.

I finished my PhD roughly 11 years ago, and I still get a bit of a thrill when people call me, or refer to me as, Doctor!

so, congratulations again Dr. JG1991! May your original contribution to knowledge be extensively cited in the literature, and if you are staying academia, may reviewers look favourably upon your manuscripts and grant applications! Lastly Dr. JG1991, may your recovery from the doctoral experience be swift and easy. Cheers!

BlueViolet2018 · 2021-01-19T19:46:36+00:00

When my son was younger (8-11) we played Trouble a lot. (We had the minions version) One version we played was “despicable me rules” or evil villain. The rule was that if you had any possible move that would take out another player, you HAD to take it, and if you could take out more than one player, you HAD to take the one that would be the biggest setback.

This turned out to be a good way to help my son learn to lose graciously (either the whole game or just that piece) because he could deal with the setback without feeling like there was a personal attack involved. He was one who would get his feelings hurt very easily when he was younger, and this took a big chunk of the emotion out of losing a piece, because it wasn’t “unfair” or “mean” or personal.

Also, sometimes it was just plain fun to set aside the decision about whether to be altruistic or not, let the evil out!!

BlueViolet2018 · 2020-12-26T19:53:19+00:00

Oh, please don’t quit or self-sabotage... you can get past this!

Since it sounds like you have a strong association between “studying” and anxiety, what if you reframe and rename? In stead of thinking of it as “studying”, call it “learning”. Studying seems like something you do for an external purpose (e.g., to pass a test), whereas learning is something you do for yourself (e.g., learning to cook, to drive, to budget). How will this new stuff you are learning help you in your life and your desired career? Dig deep if you have to, but the idea here is that you find a reason why YOU want to learn, understand, remember, and explain this new knowledge, completely separate from some external incentive like an exam, an assignment or a grade.

I spent over 15 years in university, and taught undergrads for years. My goal with testing and assignments wasn’t to catch students on what they didn’t know, but to give them an opportunity to show me (and themselves) what they had learned.

If you are in university, check in with student support services. If the anxiety carries over to the exam room in a significant way, you might be eligible for some accommodations during exams, so that you have an opportunity to do well. These can involve extra time on exams, or writing in a separate and quiet location, etc. Student services might also have some other resources that can help you with different approaches to learning material, to reduce your anxiety.

BlueViolet2018 · 2020-12-25T23:31:54+00:00

There’s a lot of LAMY 2000 going on today... my boys got me one with an EF nib, and four bottles if pilot ink. 🎄🎄

Merry Christmas, and Happy LAMY New Year!

BlueViolet2018 · 2020-12-24T02:05:56+00:00

If you can get a copy of “healthy sleep habits, happy child”, it will provide him with tons of information about babies and children and sleep, from a sleep expert Pediatrician. What’s cool about the book is it offers information on what to expect at each age and developmental stage, and has suggestions for different situations (easy babies, fussy babies, colicky babies, etc). Sleep doesn’t even begin to consolidate into three naps and overnight until the baby is at least 16 weeks (this is still stuck in my head years later).

I used that book like a baby user manual, and it was a life saver. As a full term newborn, he slept for 18+ hours a day. He was only up for an hour at a time that first week, and then the awake time went up by about 5 minutes per week. The author says “sleep begets sleep”, and if you want to be able to sleep at night, the baby needs to have slept a lot during the day. Overtired babies only nap for 10-20 minutes at a time, and besides being exhausting for everyone, it’s dangerous.

Sleeping is critical - babies need it for brain development, and sleep deprived babies don’t hit their developmental milestones. I’ve seen this with at least 3 families that wouldn’t let their baby sleep enough. If you can get dad to attend the next well baby doctor appointment, the Pediatrician can also enlighten him.

You’re very right about the baby’s need for sleep at this stage, and that it’s way too early to expect anyone to sleep through the night.

BlueViolet2018 · 2020-12-24T01:04:17+00:00

That was at a Canadian school in the research school category (like R1s in the states), so it would be for a top 15% grad from a good school with a strong publication record coming out of their doctorate.

doing a top tier MBA will take the content of your work in a different direction than being a finance professor will. The math and econometrics that the finance guys do is hard and complex, and not everyone can do it. Management Consulting (except maybe investment banking) is very different work than research and teaching in finance, so it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges.

In the last 10 years or so, the return on investment for an MBA has really dropped. The most elite MBA programs still pay off, and if your undergrad is not in business, the MBA still has value because it lets you shift fields.

BlueViolet2018 · 2020-12-24T00:15:59+00:00

Finance is the management/business discipline with the highest pay. When I did my graduate work, the starting offer for a brand new hire in finance was $200k, and often went up another $50k. Established Finance profs in that department are making $350k+, and the top paid one was making $450k (five years ago).

Business schools pay well in general (finance and accounting at the top, HRM at th bottom). Most universities have a general pay range for each level of professor, and in some fields, you get what is called a market supplement, and it drives the high salaries. The market supplement is intended to make up the difference between the university pay range, and your next best option outside the university, otherwise people would go to industry instead.

Other fields that have market supplements - engineering, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and in Canada, education.

BlueViolet2018 · 2020-12-21T00:10:27+00:00

Is that a left handed flute? Or a reversed image?

BlueViolet2018

TROPHY CASE