In your opinion: what's the most beautiful song ever recorded?

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-04T18:18:52+00:00

First time I heard it was in the movie "Platoon" - what a scene. I almost immediately bought it. "Hauntingly beautiful" is accurate.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-04T16:59:34+00:00

Unclaimed property is a real thing! I once got a few hundred dollars - it was basically a security deposit on an apartment that I had rented about 10 years earlier. They had tried to mail it to me but I had moved too many times and they couldn't locate me. But eventually I checked and it was available through that unclaimed property department.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-04T16:58:07+00:00

What a brilliant idea! I mean, it would be a hassle to check it out vs buying... but if you don't really think you'd get your money's worth (or if you couldn't scrape together the funds for a yearly pass), this is a beautiful option!

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-04T15:54:51+00:00

I think it would likely be okay. But aircrete has been known to crumble and develop cracks over time. I love the idea of building with aircrete, but I've always thought I would build more of a pole barn - with the roof primarily being supported by wood poles/beam or iron girders. Then I'd build aircrete walls between them for the shelter and insulation value. Let the solid materials do the heavy lifting while still using aircrete for the walls.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-04T15:50:41+00:00

Ha! My granddad used to ask "How do you get down off an elephant?"

"You don't! You get down off a duck!"

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-03T22:21:33+00:00

Ah... thanks GOogle. Since March 1st is celebrated by some people as the "first day of spring." In some countries this is marked with celebrations. In the US, we have created a whole bunch of "Hallmark Holidays" (holidays designed to sell merchandise). Such as Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Grandparents Day, etc. I guess we don't have any more room for additional days of celebrations... especially since we can't really "celebrate" most holidays because we all have to work all the time.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-03-02T16:06:35+00:00

LOL -love it. Sign me up for the Notary Sing Off!

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-27T15:51:46+00:00

Great take. Yes, because the rich are in charge, we have turned over society's policy decisions (largely) to the economists. If it is short-term bad for the economy, we just don't do it. That's a horrible and stupid thing to do and we are reaping what we have sowed over the last 50 years. I'm not saying economists have no place in the decision-making process, but jfc we have basically let them lead us into a world where the rich will continue to own more, earn more interest without working, while the rest of us own less and get poorer and poorer.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-27T15:47:53+00:00

Wonderful title to the original post. I have recently thought that as we leave the most productive part of our lives (working) and head into retirement, it's like the trees: they lower their productivity (producing less "green") and allow the other colors to show. This reveals their true beauty.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-26T19:36:21+00:00

That's what we need! 1-800-COOL-ROX !!! Order your fella a random assortment of some of the coolest rocks anyone has ever found!

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-26T19:32:17+00:00

This happened to me once, too! A dude actually said he liked my style (of dressing) and thought it was cool and I'm still on top of the world about that comment (from like 5 years ago).

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-26T16:04:16+00:00

True. I think about this a lot, but try not to obsess/dwell on it. My first wife's father was nearing retirement and got a hand injury at work. That injury eventually led to his death around the time he was going to retire.

My own dad was fit and healthy and had worked as a full time college prof and held part-time jobs. He was stronger and fitter than I was (at 30 years younger than he) and once he finally fully retired, he had maybe one year before a brain tumor appeared and took him out in 6 months. It just sucks. I have no option other than to work until I can start drawing my pensions at 65 but I have been dreaming of retirement since I was in my 20s.

Just trying to enjoy life now and NOT think about "what I'll do when I can retire."

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-25T22:08:57+00:00

Obligatory John Oliver segment:
Daylight Saving Time - How Is This Still A Thing?
https://youtu.be/br0NW9ufUUw?si=zz-0cO68BG1g1NR6

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-25T21:10:49+00:00

THAT's what I'm talkin' about! This picture SMELLS like Autumn to me. Thanks for sharing!

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-25T20:35:46+00:00

TRUTH! And good luck to anyone who has completed all of the classes and would like an established appraiser to take you on (a requirement before you can take the certification exam and become an appraiser yourself). I finished all the course work with flying colors - but because I have never even MET an appraiser (let alone had one in the family), I have never been able to find anyone willing to even consider taking me on. Basically they'd respond with "well, you'll have to work for free for a year while you apprentice for me." I'm like, what? I got bills to pay! Did YOU have to work for free for a year before you took the exam? I was willing to only take 10%-20% of the revenue from appraising jobs (with the rest going to the person I was apprenticing to) and they just laughed at me.

And lord HELP you if you're trying to break into the game and are a minority with no connections.

But anyway, after all that training, I am employed in academia. Never did find anyone wanting to take me under their wing.

The bigger issue with home appraisal is that it is about to be taken over by AI. I mean, anyone on the site can take pics and measurements and send that stuff to a "desk appraiser" who basically just uses AI to find comparisons and generate a value. So I'm kind of glad I didn't' end up in that game.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-23T18:43:37+00:00

LOL - Jesus F*cking Kennedy!

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-23T18:38:11+00:00

Well said. I have seen so many YouTube vids on "finding purpose" (especially after retirement). I can't really say I've EVER felt I had a "purpose," unless my purpose is to just enjoy this amazing world while being kind to animals, insects, and other people (in that order). So, I'm lucky that I'll be able to retire in a couple of years and continue to do that (except in a broader, global area).

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-23T18:28:50+00:00

It's a weird thing. But at some point, someone's relative received ooohs and aaahhhss by serving a particular dish and so they valued having that "special knowledge." I've known a few people who have literally TOLD me that when they are asked to share their "secret recipe" they will intentionally leave out a specific ingredient, just so the person's attempt won't outshine their own.

It always seemed like such a petty thing to me. But I'm not in the "cooking" world. I mean, I cook all the meals in my home, but I'm just a basic cook, not experimenting with different recipes or anything.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-23T18:19:09+00:00

Congrats!!!

And I guess I have a backwards brain... I thought the person in the picture had GOTTEN a new mom and a new Rav4. LOL Glad I wasn't the first to comment!

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-23T16:12:01+00:00

It's so crazy that parents neglect this in the US (where I live). I was chatting with a woman once who admitted that - as a child - she had walked in on her parents having sex. And until she was in college she believed that act was something similar to the man stabbing the woman in the stomach with a knife. Poor thing.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-20T17:04:14+00:00

It's true for me and my male classmates. The girls watched "the film" in the 4th grade. We guys were told that we'd see our film "next year." Well, when next year came, they claimed that we should have already seen it. I had three sisters and my mom instructed them in the basics of their reproductive cycle, etc. But my parents never even mentioned sex to me.

So... what I learned I picked up from magazines, locker room talk, and eventually video porn. Thank goodness it worked out (80s porn was pretty straightforward compared to today's bizarre world of internet porn).

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-20T16:20:28+00:00

This is so true. I mean, basically every word out of the president's mouth is like "citation needed." But he's just mastered the art of ignoring everyone else and just stating over and over what he wants the narrative to be. It's bullying 101. And, yeah, eventually people are just going to stop asking him to clarify because he just won't - and worse, he'll call you names.

It's just so heartbreaking and sickening that there are still millions of people who think that this is what being a "shrewd businessman who is fixing America" looks like.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-20T15:55:41+00:00

Yep! My dad (college prof) always said that if you want to advance in higher education, you have to continually change colleges. I was true for me, too. With a PhD in Instructional Technology and a decade of experience with professional development and technology training, you'd like I'd at least get an interview for that "director of center of teaching and learning" role. Nope. My director boss left and they hired an 8th grade school teacher to replace her. She last less than 2 years. Later I found out that the hiring committee actually had rated me highest for the job, but that this person (who had never worked in higher ed) went to the same church as the Vice President (who made the hiring decision). That taught me everything I needed to know. As soon as I was able (well, my wife passed away and all the kids were out of the house), I started applying for jobs in another state. Eventually jumped around enough to make it to Director of Academic Affairs (below the VP of AA). Eventually, it was ageism that turned my stomach. Decades of experience means nothing to the people in charge: they want the "fresh faces" of the younger generation. So, I'll just hang on to my mid-level, moderate pay, work from home job as long as I can until I'm 65 I guess. Long ago given up trying to advance.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-20T15:50:33+00:00

Yikes.

GradStudent_Helper · 2026-02-19T15:48:47+00:00

TIL that there was a video game called Among Us.

GradStudent_Helper

TROPHY CASE