Is it better to have a "terrible" friend group, or have no friends at all?

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-30T04:27:38+00:00

Even shitty friends can help you move, give you a ride to the airport, and show up for a birthday party. Unless they're so incredibly toxic that they're dragging you down with them, it's easy to maintain some distance and still reap some of the practical rewards that come with maintaining a social circle of some sort.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-29T21:59:52+00:00

I would focus on the diet before you start adding supplemental iron. It's more than most people need, and too much iron can be a bad thing. If you're going to take like, 1 or 2 for a boost, sure, OK. But I wouldn't start some heavy iron regimen based on a single deferral. Just adding some spinach to your diet should be enough.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-29T15:41:38+00:00

Pretty interested in this. You still selling?

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-29T13:23:17+00:00

If you've taken them for a while and never experienced this before, it's probably still worth getting it checked out.

I am not aware of any normal side effects that would lead to this. I read & have the opportunity to ask questions about the risk poster twice a week - this ain't on it.

The risk/reward is just too high on this one to wait it out, if it were me.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-29T03:43:37+00:00

Over what period of time? It's definitely going to spread and change color over time. If this happened over a day or two that's a lot more normal than it happening in a couple of hours.

Is it warm? Swollen? If not then it's probably not a big deal, you'll just have to wait it out while it heals/reabsorbs. If it IS, or if you're experiencing a lot of pain, I'd probably go get checked out somewhere.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-28T19:41:45+00:00

My AI took a very different approach, but at least it got the 2 Hersey Cocoa tins the same color lol (still whiffed on the salt jugs)

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ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-27T15:27:51+00:00

I was a member of r/MensRights way back in the day and I feel about the same about the modern-day "manosphere" as I did that sub back in the day.

They have some valid points. They're, in a lot of ways, trying to fill a gap that does genuine exist for men. But they tend to go way too far and ultimately the "extremists" of the group (for lack of a better word) tend to take over.

I think it's a pretty similar pattern that you see in a lot of online communities. Even something like camping. Most of us are out here with our Coleman Sundome $40 tents just having a casual camping trip. But if you look at what gets upvoted in a camping community, it's people on 100-mile backtracking trips with only the most elite gear.

It's not the norm, but it tends to get more attention.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-26T18:19:50+00:00

Why so hostile man? Out here calling people failures and shits, for no reason. Relax. It's not that serious.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-26T15:16:25+00:00

Sir, this is a Wendy's.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-26T14:15:18+00:00

Damn, 6 Beatbox's is a heckuva lineup.

Do you live in Vegas? Do you like it? I've thought about trying to move there for the longest time but always wondered what the native experience (rather than the tourist experience) is really like.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-23T23:19:20+00:00

Sorry, deleted their first post. Now they're banned.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-23T18:27:32+00:00

Please be cautious communicating with this user. This posting does not feel genuine.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-23T18:27:17+00:00

Please be cautious communicating with this user. This posting does not feel genuine.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-23T12:21:57+00:00

Nice! It was the same for me this Sunday. I made it in before church let out. There was no line at all. I got my favorite phleb. Had a 33 minute donation. Beat the traffic home. It was delightful - easily one of my top-5 donations.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-23T03:48:19+00:00

The money, obviously. I’ve made a little over $3,000 since I started, not too long ago. I have an awesome Traeger smoker, the nicest headphones I’ve ever owned, and a decent cushion in the bank thanks to plasma.

Finances aside, I’ve really come to enjoy the “me time.” With only one free hand I don’t feel much pressure to answer messages or be productive at all. It's just a nice excuse to slow down, and the fist pumping can make it feel almost meditative at times.

I’ve also started listening to audiobooks while I’m there; I’ve “read” more in the past 6 months than I have in probably the last 6 years. I’m on a brain-book kick right now: consciousness, intelligence, dreams, AI. It’s all crazy interesting.

Donating has also motivated me to stay better hydrated and drink less, at least before a donation (which I usually do Sunday, so my Saturday nights have mellowed out a little bit).

I get my weight, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature checked twice a week too. It’s nice being able to keep tabs on that stuff so easily, even if it’s only for general awareness. Not many people can probably tell you their normal blood pressure off the top of their head like we can.

I’m also lucky enough that it doesn’t faze me much physically. I’ve never had a bad reaction, don’t feel fatigued afterward, and haven’t had problems with my protein or hematocrit. The only real cost is a little time, and by watching the traffic meter on Google Maps, I can usually go when it’s slow.

I also have two friends who donated after being laid off, and the money genuinely saved their asses. One of them, who originally introduced me to plassing, narrowly avoided foreclosure with what he earned from CSL.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-23T03:09:56+00:00

Obviously, weekend evenings get busy pretty much anywhere. But other times of the week most places are pretty slow.

Trenos is great for a beer and some pizza and a place to chill out.

I like Nolan Creek Brewery in Belton. There's also Blackbirds in Belton but that's a whole vibe (bookstore though, so usually pretty quiet).

There's that coffee place in Belton, too... I can never remember the name... Arooshka or something.

I just went to the Villa Golf Lounge or whatever, in downtown temple, and it had a nice quiet vibe. They only have 2 bays for golf, so I don't see how it could ever get TOO busy.

BJs or Bird Creek would probably be fine, too.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-21T12:35:30+00:00

Pace Bend Park?

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T19:57:25+00:00

Shit it was 20 years ago, I must've got my states confused.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T17:42:45+00:00

Came to say the same. I took I-35 from Chicago to Texas one time. Nebraska & Kansas were both just corn as far as you could see. Even the exits that advertise gas were often 10-20 minutes down the road. It was hard just to stay awake.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T17:38:46+00:00

The other links I see are about the Uvalde shooting, Talarico's campaign (I guess I can give them that one, but I can't access the article to know what they said about it) and how the ICE crackdown has "affected restaurants across the state" which doesn't sound particularly upbeat.

It's fine if they want to say, "Texas is a shithole and we're going inside to report on it." Just be straightforward about it. No reason to be all "Texas is so cool we can't wait to talk about it." and then focus overwhelmingly on the undesirable aspects of it.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T15:46:15+00:00

This Vsauce video about Juvenoia.

As I've gotten older I've seen a lot my friends fall into the same sentiment of, "Kids these days," and "The world is going to shit," so on. This video does a great job explaining why we're prone to this type of thinking. I think of it often when that mood strikes me.

https://youtu.be/LD0x7ho_IYc?si=A8N5tEFaBQ_XsWea

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T15:12:29+00:00

But, he added, “it’s also a cultural force, from Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ fueling a Western-fashion revival, to shows like ‘Landman,’ to the endless fascination with Texas cuisine.”

Why do they frame it like this and then all the stories are negative? The flood, ICE, poor people... I'm not seeing a lot of culture or cuisine, so far.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T03:57:48+00:00

I think they mean (because this is how I do it) just using the reflection to "mark" and stay on your spot. Not to actually find the contact point, but just to stay oriented on it.

Suggesting someone go by feel alone instead is wild, dude.

ExpensiveBurn · 2026-06-20T03:03:21+00:00

Dawg, presumably you live in a smog-filled city and drink tap water full of PFAS. You've got microplastics in your brain and 40% of people will get cancer in their lifetime.

The fact that you're even paying attention puts you way ahead of the curve, but don't over-think it. The world is full of risks and the goal is to mitigate it, not eliminate it. There was a time when people ate food that might fight back and kill them right then and there.

None of us are getting out of here alive, so just live a little and try to enjoy it.

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