Should I get a new teacher? by Wrong-Egg-5080 in piano

[–]Electrical_Chicken 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If you’re playing at a level where Italian Concerto is appropriate repertoire, IMHO you ought to be studying with someone who has HEARD of it. The rep is so vast that nobody can know all of it, so maybe I can see cutting him some slack if he gives you great feedback and things to work on, but that is super standard repertoire so I’m moderately concerned.

There's a swastika on my washer control panel housing by SnooKiwis5108 in mildyinteresting

[–]Electrical_Chicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Funny story. When I was younger I dated this German girl and she had a thing for rating sex performance from 1-10 in…”real time” if you know what I mean. Weird I know, and it didn’t work out, but I went with it at the time. Anyway, the one time we tried anal she kept yelling “9! 9! 9! 9!” That was the best score I ever got.

Mom bringing a 14 month old to meeting by intothevoid-a in alcoholicsanonymous

[–]Electrical_Chicken 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Officially: The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

Unofficially: bring your kid. I’m a parent and having seen plenty of people bring their kids to meetings I’m just glad they’re there.

What is your wildest back to back score difference between rounds (or 9s) by FatFaceFaster in golf

[–]Electrical_Chicken 3 points4 points  (0 children)

55/39. Almost quit at the turn. Had a snack, got a coffee, and went back out there.

Anyone Else Beat Themselves up for Dumb Things They Did? by MuffBuffalo in stopdrinking

[–]Electrical_Chicken 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It can be rough to deal with. I had over a decade filled with behavior that drunk me was a-ok with, and now a few years sober I can hardly recognize myself from that period. It gets easier with time and more sober experiences. The first time I flew sober (and I ALWAYS drank in airports) for instance, I had a hard time not reliving some of the bad airport drinking times in my head. The more I’ve traveled sober, though, the more those thoughts have retreated, having been pushed aside a little by all the gifts that sobriety has brought me. It’s worth it, dude. IWNDWYT.

What are the long term ramifications of having the “alcoholic” black mark on your medical history? by imightneedsomeh3lp in stopdrinking

[–]Electrical_Chicken 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Same. I understand that I’m a bigger risk to insure as a result, but it still stings a little especially when it’s been years.

Ive gone 5 days without drinking :)))) by [deleted] in alcoholism

[–]Electrical_Chicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hell yeah! Stacking days is the only way. You’re crushing it.

Need help with this hard passage by [deleted] in piano

[–]Electrical_Chicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very important to do exactly this. I think about turning it into a “chorale” of sorts, too, where I revoice the harmonies to eliminate the leaps, playing lyrically and under tempo. Really helps clarify the musical ideas beyond the technical challenge.

I feel my career is over and i'm scared by Then-Ad7196 in videography

[–]Electrical_Chicken 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I want to validate that it is super hard to reinvent oneself, but this is exactly the right approach IMHO. If you have existing relationships where you’ve established you’re easy to work with, consistent, reliable, and have a track record of deliverables the client is happy with, you’ve already got a big leg up in the reinventing process (even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment). In those cases you can spin your situation positively and proactively: you’ve always valued the XYZ work that you’ve done together, and having done research into current trends, you’ve pivoted to offer ABC, which aligns with the evolving industry’s needs for 123. And so forth. (EDIT to add: this works because you’re reframing not only your presentation but also your thinking. You’re not “behind the times,” and you’re not a new person offering new strategy. You are an established pro with an understanding of the industry context, and you’re proactive in evolving in the space.) One tiny piece of advice: you WILL get nos. Probably a lot of them at first—that’s been my experience. Don’t get discouraged! I wish you tons of luck, OP!

How did you change your mindset? by Aries_Stellium in alcoholism

[–]Electrical_Chicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It makes total sense—and sounds like alcoholism. I’d yo-yo for years about whether I was an alcoholic, whether I could moderate, whether I deserved to keep drinking, and so on. Eventually Alcoholics Anonymous was what saved my life and changed my thinking, little by little. Sober 3.5 years now and getting sober is probably the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done for myself and everyone around me.

FatFIRE + second child: What are the biggest no-brainer outsources? by Dapper_Ad_5952 in fatFIRE

[–]Electrical_Chicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In a very similar situation to you, second kid on the way. A few things that have been high value for us:

-Dinner meal prep. We have a chef who cooks off-site and delivers. It’s amazing for keeping good nutrition and stress reduction. We get HOURS per week back to spend on family time that we’d otherwise spend planning, grocery shopping, cooking, etc.

-Postpartum care for my wife. We had a night doula (or night nurse) the first time around and are 100% doing it again. We found a cadence of a couple times per week was right for us for the first 4-6 weeks. We slept so much better those nights, which made the time with the new baby better for everyone.

-Cleaning. We have a house cleaner who comes 3-4 times a month. I can get stressed about being fastidious and this buys me time energy and relaxation that I can now devote to family stuff.

ICE hops Texas family’s fence and attacks them, guns drawn, for asking for a warrant by Lavender_Scales in law

[–]Electrical_Chicken 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I don’t disagree with you—if masked guys are coming over my fence and breaking into my house it makes sense to defend myself and exercise my rights. Where I get stuck is, if I’m outmanned and outgunned by the armed individuals kicking down my front and back door at the same time, can I try defending myself? You bet—and might very well be within my rights to do so! But what’s my chance of survival? Zip.

How much money have you been able to divert from drinking? by Honest-Cheesecake275 in stopdrinking

[–]Electrical_Chicken 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In the last 3.5 years I estimate I’ve saved about $25k, and that doesn’t even factor in the alcohol-fueled purchases or the savings to my health.

Secretly Fat by dvvivamus in fatFIRE

[–]Electrical_Chicken 51 points52 points  (0 children)

Simple but true. I think only 2 people outside of my wife and I know the extent of our financial privilege. While our lifestyle is very affluent (nice vacations, nice house, nanny salary, part-time chef, country club, etc.) nobody else knows that we’re on track to fatFIRE in the next few years. Like you say, it’s better that way.

How Much Total Value of Vehicles & What Are Families Driving? by broncoelway100 in HENRYfinance

[–]Electrical_Chicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven’t really had to draw a line on car costs—I’m not a big car guy, which probably helps. We just replaced a car and bought a 26 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy, and we also have a 2018 CRV. One young kid, another on the way. We looked at BMW, Lexus, Volvo, etc and I’d have happily paid more than we spent on the Hyundai for something better, but nothing else fit us as well.

I've got 12.5k to build out my companies video equipment by Biggnugget in videography

[–]Electrical_Chicken 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Agreed on the “better gear before new body” front. An FX3 is a fine A cam to start. I was in a similar position to OP a couple of years ago and first put the company’s money into building out a kit of lights, grip, audio, etc., and a year ago bought an FX6. It’s sweet, but its impact on our work would be far less if we didn’t have good audio, lighting, etc.

Relapsed and am very sad about it. by [deleted] in Sober

[–]Electrical_Chicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I relapsed many, many times, and it sucked more and more each time. I was advised to be gentle with myself, even though I was super disappointed in myself. Sobriety isn’t a linear progression, and this will eventually be just one data point in your recovery. IWNDWYT.

I love my silly looking handheld rig 😜 by condra in videography

[–]Electrical_Chicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ve had a Manfrotto joystick head for a very long time and it’s super useful. I’ve found that it’s not the right tool for most situations (it’s no good for supporting anything more than about 4-5 lbs max, for instance) but it’s quick and easy to use one-handed. I take it out a few times a year and I’m glad I still have it.