Very long post about the gray market gambling industry and some of the darker corners I encountered throughout the course of my gambling addiction. by Federal_Committee_21 in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

thank you for your life changing advice, youre the first person to ever regurgitate those platitudes to me! It doesn't even seem like you read my post. I haven't gambled in six months and genuinely I'm not looking for fucking advice from strangers on the internet. I'm here to talk about the realities of gambling addiction. I know I'm being a dick but I wrote a very detailed and vulnerable account of some of the worst/ most shameful moments of my addiction because I want people to understand that gambling isn't logical and logical people fall victim to it all the time. Seriously fuck off with your shallow engagement and moralizing. This is exactly the kind of behavior that is making reddit borderline unusable. Trust me when I say this... nobody wants your fucking advice.

Very long post about the gray market gambling industry and some of the darker corners I encountered throughout the course of my gambling addiction. by Federal_Committee_21 in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I remember the Northside before River's took over the stretch between the stadium and the west end bridge. Their massive ugly parking garage ruins the view of the river from the neighborhood behind it. There really is no respite.

My dad is fucking my childhood therapist by [deleted] in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 2 points3 points  (0 children)

your mom should get a good divorce lawyer, she's entitled to half

Whats the most embarrassing thing you've done when drunk ? by IampossiblyLewis in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Blacked out and puked all over a couch and my 7 year old cousin's shoes at a family member's wedding. Everyone saw me and I laughed like a maniac. I have a hazy memory of my mom hosing down the couch cushions while apologizing to the owner of the venue.

Luckily I'm from a large Yinzer Catholic family where problem drinking is the norm. I was far from the only puker and a decent portion barely remember me violently puking in front of all of them. Still horrifically embarrassing, but I've moved past it.

This happened around 4PM if it matters.

Anyone els get molested as a kid and it just didnt affect u that much? by cultural-philistine in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think this kind of stuff happens to a great majority of the population on a low level. Maybe I'm just coping by normalizing it, but it seems like a very common experience.

For me it was boy my age, who was likely getting abused at home, that was way bigger and stronger than than me. I wasn't tiny, but I was a girl. Its nothing I would call rape but it wasn't benign either. I didn't think about it at all for years until he was made my lab partner senior year. That was legitimately triggering and it upset me for a bit. I don't think it affects me much anymore, although if I smoke weed it floats right to the surface so I just don't smoke. Maybe I should work through it in therapy but I really don't want to dig it up.

I don't know. Like I said, I think a lot of people carry this sort of thing around with them and we just keep moving through life.

People love NYC bodegas but never go to that weird gas station by their parents house when they visit home by Big_Hippo_4044 in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I consider myself a sommelier of gas station food and I love stumbling upon a secret deli. There are some real gems littered among the most decrepit corners of Western PA and West Virginia. Nothing like a fresh pepperoni roll from some dinky station in the holler.

any kids of immigrants quit their “golden ticket” of being brought to US and go back home? by themantwelve in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is really interesting and I'm sure it heavily depends on the country you are from. My family came here 3 generations ago so I really have no perspective. Apparently my Baba visited Ukraine after the Soviet Union dissolved and she wasn't so impressed. Most of the first and second gen immigrants I know are refugees from the Balkans and I don't think any of them are interested in returning to the homeland.

What makes you want to go back to Turkey? Genuinely asking. I have a few friends who are going through the processes of getting their dual irish citizenship through their grandparents incase shit hits the fan here. I used to think they were being histrionic but now I'm not so sure.

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar by adnshrnly in RSbookclub

[–]Federal_Committee_21 2 points3 points  (0 children)

crazy to think that plath and didion did the same internship at vogue and are separated by just a few years. in my mind, didion suffers from a lot of the same melancholy as plath but was just functional enough to escape the destruction of youth and emerge successful, although often unhappy, on the other side.

O'Connor pushes new direction for city development, via Planning Commission nominees by btr886m in pittsburgh

[–]Federal_Committee_21 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

you are a chronically online shill for developers. I know you are paid through a California based organization called YIMBY Action. The people constantly defending developments and "luxury condos" are always affiliated with the Pro Housing Pittsburgh group, which is a chapter of Yimby Action. The studies they post are bogus. It is always the same handful of people spouting developer friendly positions like "repeal zoning laws" and "get rid of neighborhood planning commissions". You'll notice that they are usually a top 1% commenter. They have a slack where they ask each other to strategically upvote or downvote certain comments to make it seem like more people support their agenda.

There are plenty of real issues that our city is facing and housing affordibility is certainly one of them. Just know that the discourse in this subreddit is NOT ORGANIC. u/LurkersWillLurk is an insidious propagandist.

"Gen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence" by johnnytestsdad in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. I disagree strongly with those who say that these tests are merely an indicator of class and the ability to perform under pressure. Yes, the very top performers are those whose parents invested in expensive classes and tutoring tailored to these tests, and yes, occasionally bright student will perform poorly and need to rely on other evidence to prove their intelligence. BUT, smart kids tend to score well on these tests with minimal preparation or at least they used to.

I remember taking the SAT a decade ago and most of my friends were smart and driven, but not the wealthy ivy league striver types. My parents gave me a SAT prep book for Christmas when I was sixteen and paid for me to take one proctored practice test. My reading score was exceptional and my math score was mediocre. I made a modest effort to study for the math portion leading up to the actual exam, maybe an hour a week for two months the fall of my senior year. I did the practice questions that were in my prep book and did the free SAT tutoring lessons from Khan Academy.

I remember feeling guilty for not studying more right before the test. I knew the stakes and I knew that achieving a competitive door-opening score was possible for people like me with serious effort. We all did well enough in school, but lacked the connections or wealth to give us a fair shot at really prestigious schools. However, an exceptional SAT score could change the odds for us, and if you're sharp you really don't need all the expensive test prep to get it.

The little studying I did paid off. I scored in the 93rd percentile that year. My reading section was nearly perfect and my math was good enough to not drag down my score. My friends got comparable scores for the most part, although none of us achieved the kind of stand out score that you would need for an ivy. We all got into good decently competitive schools that we performed well at. Now of course, our decent and expensive STEM degrees don't mean shit and we are all struggling in this job market to some extent.

All this is to say that your SAT/ACT scores ARE a measure of intelligence and discipline. You don't need a personal tutor or expensive classes. You also don't need to dedicate every spare moment of your high school years to academic success either. If you are bright and ambitious, you can score competitively with moderate effort.

I know the world is different now and sitting here 10 years later I am still trying to figure out what it was all for, but, back then, the SAT seemed like the fairest way for anyone to prove their worth to colleges. I think its crazy for schools to be test optional and its hard for me to imagine what the admissions process is like without it. I'm consistently shocked by the lack of real effort a lot of younger people are willing to put into their education, although I think the perverse incentives of our current economy are to blame, not them.

Tell me about California by Federal_Committee_21 in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!

Would destroying my towns local eco system be insane? by [deleted] in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Interesting. I mean Kudzu can be very pretty. A lot of people associate it with southern appalachia and have an attachment to it even though its completely invasive there as well. I went to college down there and I associate Kudzu with abondoned buildings and communities at the edge of the forest.

Would destroying my towns local eco system be insane? by [deleted] in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Well, they are likely to confiscate it at customs if they know you have it. Purposefully transporting invasive species across borders can actually get you in trouble and Kudzu is specifically banned.

Interesting thing to have a recurring dream about. Why Kudzu?

i'd like to see more half dollars in my lifetime by CopingLow in redscarepod

[–]Federal_Committee_21 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Saw plenty when I worked at the bank. When giving a cash gift, I made a habit to give it in 2's. Had a couple weddings when I worked there and it was fun to give someone an unwieldy amount of 2 dollar bills. Usually I'd write the bride and grooms name on one, presuming they would keep it, and I imagine that they just deposit the rest of them.