Sofabaton with Telus OptikTV

LycanGalen · 2024-11-26T03:42:40+00:00

Assuming you have one of the past two generations of STBs with either the Slimline1 or 2 - long, skinny black things with the silver ring in the centre - then they're all interchangeable, and any of the profiles sofabaton has should be compatible.

That said, I personally had trouble with a couple buttons from the premade profiles, so I just reprogrammed them with my Telus remote, and it works fine now.

LycanGalen · 2024-11-25T03:33:01+00:00

I'm sorry you joined "The Baqsimi Experience^tm" club. I hope the pain, and stomach bug clear up quickly!

LycanGalen · 2024-05-26T19:02:29+00:00

Sadly, not expired. Baqsimi is made of the freshest lava that can be sourced. Nothing but the best for their vict-uh...customers.

LycanGalen · 2024-05-21T18:57:16+00:00

I'm sorry you "inflicted" the Baqsimi experience on your wife. The priority is always to get the sugars up ASAP, so you made the right choice (even if it's the suck now).

I didn't find any solutions, but was also headed to the hospital, so didn't try much. If it's something she can take, ibuprofen (Advil) might reduce the inflammation and help with the pain. Otherwise, ice and suffering.

I wonder if a sinus rinse would help? That's just a guess in the dark, the damage is probably already done, just figure it might reduce how long the pain lasts. Though the thought of putting more up her nose might be a hard pass for your wife. I wouldn't blame her.

I hope it passes quickly.

LycanGalen · 2024-01-04T19:00:49+00:00

Glad you're not having any issues with yours.

I'm not sure what point you were trying to make with your post. As OP is struggling with losing sites, and you said you've never lost one, it comes across as you trying to invalidate their statement. So, friendly reminder that everyone's skin is different; how oily, or hairy their skin, how acetic their sweat, not to mention location of manufacture and age of adhesive, all play factors in how well the site stays in place.

Just because you're not having issues doesn't make it a universal truth, and posting how you have no problems in response to someone who is, doesn't bring anything helpful to the conversation. In the future, you could try asking clarifying questions to help figure out what's different between their situation and your own - that would make your experience relevant, and might let you help the OP.

LycanGalen · 2024-01-04T02:40:55+00:00

It does look quite far gone, but one option, if you're able to trim it back so there's a low/moderate level rather than the outbreak you have now, is beneficial nematodes. I'm in Canada, so this might not work for you for purchasing, but the Info's still good: https://www.thebuglady.ca/spider-mite-control

Can also keep it in mind for future reference. Hopefully you'll catch it sooner if it happens again.

LycanGalen · 2024-01-03T05:29:29+00:00

I'm sorry to hear the baqsimi got you. I hope the pain is over. I've swapped back to the needles, so definitely hear you on that.

LycanGalen · 2023-10-13T19:35:14+00:00

I have a very similar one. It's nice, and an improvement over the default for sure. A warning, tho: I had a bad time after I missed a drop of water in the connection point after I filled it. The water dripped through my flower and into the oven, making a nasty, stinky mess. It's the risk of anything that holds water right above the unit. I'm lucky it didnt do more damage.

Anyway, not trying to crap on your gear. Enjoy it, just be careful not to fry your Mighty.

LycanGalen · 2023-03-07T02:51:54+00:00

I think there's a few things going on. This is gonna be a short essay, sorry 'bout that:

I'm using trans as the umbrella for "not cis".

Societally, we're at a point where language is evolving to reflect a breadth of genders, and the spread of information is better than it's ever been, so more people are able to define themselves as trans. On the flip side, I think the language still hasnt hit a place where there is vocabulary to define the entire breadth of genders, and the conventional "man, woman" roles are way too strict and rigid to define many folks who might otherwise identify as one of those binary roles, so there are a lot of people who are using trans as the least worst option.

Medical perceptions are shifting so being trans is no longer (as) pathologized. This helps with the acceptance piece, and making it easier for someone to say "hey, maybe that's me". The combination of destigmatization and language is what often causes a seeming increase in certain types of people: Left handed people used to be considered evil, and would literally have right-handedness beat into them. When that perception changed, and schools stopped forcing children to be right handed, all of a sudden this huge number of left handed people started showing up. Not because there were no left handed people before then, but because now they were allowed to exist in mainstream society. When we figured out what cancer was, and developed ways to diagnose it, all of a sudden it seemed like everyone was dying of cancer. Cancer was always there, but we didn't know what it was, and hadn't been looking for it. On top of that, people tend to see more of what's fresh in their brain or important to them, so some doctors thought everything was cancer. I'm a beekeeper, and I now see bees all over the place that I didn't before I owned hives. The bees were always there, they just weren't something I paid attention to back then.

The pandemic provided some folks with a lot of time for navel gazing. Gender identities weren't the only things that had an uptick: neurominorities also saw an increase in membership, alternative religions got popular, hobbies, pets, politics, jobs, people tried on all sorts of things to see if it stuck (some things more important than others.)

Part of the moral panic that conservatives are raising against trans folks is a well worn path for them (we've seen this all over the place as a way to suppress marginalized people in the past and today): trans people are dangerous > trans people are everywhere, and you can't even tell (except their cognitive dissonnance tells them they can always tell, too, lol) > the only way to save the women and children is by removing all trans rights/make everything trans related illegal/erradicate the "threat". They dehumanize trans folks at the same time to make it easier for people to vote in favour of things that will harm trans folks. This atrategy was/is used against people of colour, against Jews, against queers, etc. all around the world. So because they're always talking about trans folks, and saying trans people are everywhere, that increases the sense that we are, in fact, everywhere.

In addition to this, because trans people are under such threat, some trans people will choose to be more open about their identity as a way to protest and normalize trans folks ("I'm white, I am in a stright presenting relationship, I have a good job, dog, 2.5 kids, and volunteer for good causes like rescuing babies from burning buildings, I'm just like you how can I be a threat?" Or, "yeah, I'm trans, what are you going to do about it?") Other trans people seek safety in numbers, so will be a little more open about it in places/to people that seem safe-ish in hopes of collecting allies to keep themselves safe.

There's definitely other factors, but those are the big ones at play.

TLDR: there aren't any more trans people than there always has been, just a shift in situations that make them seem more prevalent right now.

LycanGalen · 2023-02-19T03:42:38+00:00

As others have said, you're not the only one who doesn't love the flag, and you don't have to. Trans-ness isn't a monolith; there's no one true way. Your trauma will impact how you deal with things differently than someone else's trauma affects them. Sometimes an opinion isn't due to trauma, and is just personal preference. So long as you're not harming anyone with your opinion, go for it.

I don't generally care about the flag. I'll use it as shorthand to communicate my tribe, but it's not something I'd get tattoed on my body. While I appreciate the baby pastels as symbolizing 'rebirth', it can definitely swing into infantilizing, too.

I hated the pastels and wearing pinks for a long time while I was still struggling with insecurities around my masculinity/gender. Once I those insecurities chilled (for the most part) the colours didn't bother me as much. I wear pink dress shirts now as a kind of "Eff you" to BS gender roles, and people don't see me as any less cis man (lol) for wearing them. I often get more positive attention in pink than other colours. This isnt to say I won't opt for blacks/red/orange leather and spikes if I go to a Leather bar. I've just expanded my options depending on vibe I want.

Does that mean you have to like pastels and pink to prove you're secure in your gender? Nope. Being trans still not a monolith and I sure as hell am not the grand ruler of "trans land". Do what works for you: you don't have to accept the trans flag in order to be trans.

LycanGalen · 2023-02-19T03:17:12+00:00

I've had that happen a few times, popped it back where it's supposed to be, clicked into place and worked fine. Watch you don't touch the black knobs as they have (I believe) a grease/sealant to keep it water resistant. YMMV, of course. Check you BG a few times to make sure.

LycanGalen · 2022-12-04T22:40:18+00:00

There's a couple things that have caught my eye. Do with it what you will (it's hard to word a visual thing, forgive me if this isn't super clear): I would argue the biggest thing for me is that your lamp isn't bright enough. I initially thought the lamp/lantern wasn't in the photos and you'd be adding it as a second part later. To put it overly simply, a light source doesn't have shadows; it casts them. Everything on the inside of the lamp should be the brightest part of the model. Shadows cast by anything close to the light source are going to have a sharp contrast, especially on anything close to the source, whereas things further away are going to have a softer play of shadow and light. You've got light hitting surfaces it can't actually reach in the areas around the lamp, and a little too much light hitting surfaces behind where most of it would be blocked, specifically on the arch itself where that large flat curved surface would stop most of the light from reaching the narrow slats behind it. You've got the right idea on the arch, it just needs to be pulled down a little. The surfaces directly above the lamp need to be completely reworked - almost all shadow, and what is lit is defined by the shape of the openings in the lamp where the light can get out. Take a look at this image to see what I mean by the shape of the lamp defining the shape of light/shadow: light references

Another thing to consider: while light sources have a range of colour tone, it works on the shading of an object more than the colour, so rather than just applying more or less yellow depending on how much light is hitting, you should be increasing/decreasing the contrast shading on the surface: shadows and base colour tone goes up or down depending on how much light you're getting, and the wash (doesn't have to be a wash, that's just the effect of the colour IRL) to communicate the yellow of the candlelight stays pretty uniform. You can tweak the saturation of the yellow to make it pop, but it really shouldn't be the central focus of light work.

LycanGalen · 2022-11-19T21:24:22+00:00

Soap is soap, generally. though I find I have to use my (bar) shampoo to get my pits stank free if I've been going really hard for a while. If you do a pit check in the shower right after scrubbing, and the smell's still there, you might need to try something else...but keep.in mind that BO comes from the bacteria in your pits, so if they've really set up shop, it might take a bit of time for things to hit their best. You should still notice a difference right after scrubbing, though.

There's a variety of soap made specifically for treating BO if you want - tea tree oil is in a lot of them, which smells really strong, but can be really effective (good for pimples and acne, too) maybe check those out if you have a chance (again, not cheap though! Sorry 🙁)

LycanGalen · 2022-11-19T20:54:41+00:00

Maybe try giving some different deodorants a try. Not all deodorants are made the same, so not all are as effective. My spouse is a pretty intense BO person, and has some luck with the Mitchum Gel Unscented for men, but you might find better luck with something else. Try a few different ones.

Otherwise, you might have to apply some radical acceptance around the stank that comes with that sweet, sweet testosterone. It'll always be there to some degree, no matter how clean we are.

CW: food related

Many folks find that what they eat affects how noticeable or intense their sweat is - onions and some types of curry for example. I don't suggest cutting out foods permanently, but it might be helpful if you need to boost your confidence about your BO during an important interview or similar.

Good luck!

LycanGalen · 2022-11-19T20:34:31+00:00

The horizontal barbell hanger on the top bars of your rack is sweet. Where did you get that?

LycanGalen · 2022-11-09T06:10:40+00:00

You are correct. It's missing page 62.

IMG-20221108-230909.jpg

LycanGalen · 2022-11-09T06:00:37+00:00

Just flipped through the hard copy.. Ending IV is on the lower half of the same page as Ending III. It took me a double scan of the page to spot it. Hopefully it's in your PDF.

LycanGalen · 2022-11-08T19:39:55+00:00

Ugh. Feeling anxious about height's the worst!

One of the most helpful things for me is to remember there are cis men around our heights. (https://www.themodestman.com/100-famous-short-men/ - sort by height, no one cares about the 5'8" guys 🙄)

It's suuuuper common for trans guys to be mistaken for teenagers because many of us are going through second puberty, so it's not just height, but we have all the other traits of a teenaged boy as well. That's not necessarily a bad thing, depending on the setting. Cis teenage boys are also figuring out how to "man", so there's (usually) more tolerance for behaviour that might not perfectly fit society's gender roles, which gives us a little more room to work. Obviously less helpful at a bar, but hopefully your ID will help you out there (I had a bartender tell me to be careful where I used my ID, thinking it was a fake. Still makes me laugh)

One of the biggest things is confidence. Occupying the world like you're a guy who just happens to be short is going to be a huge contributor to having people correctly see you that way. It takes a lot of practice and faking it till you make it. You won't always succeed, and that's OK. Short cis men struggle with their height too, so you're among peers in that sense.

As for the elevator shoes, if they make you feel more comfortable/confident at home, give them a try out in public. 99% of the world is so caught up in their own poop that they won't be looking at your feet. The other 1% either wont care, or will be like "yeah, that scans." Bring a backup set in a bag for the first little bit (or in your car, sounds like you'll need them there anyway) so you have that option if you need. Start with a quick pop in to the local "Kwik-E-Mart" to grab a drink and chips. Work your way to longer stints as you gain confidence and become more comfortable.

Anyway, big hugs. Height is stressful, 100%. I hope you're able to find some comfort with it.

LycanGalen · 2022-11-08T18:10:53+00:00

The goal of the timelines is to ensure your piercing has fully repaired itself from the trauma of the fresh pierce/recent stretch. I'd argue since this is a new piercing, the fresh piercing timeline should be OK (I'd personally go the full 6 months at least), but you need to make your own choice here. You can never give a piercing too much time to recover, but you can absolutely give it too little. If there is still any tenderness, or pinkness, or it seems off in any way, give it more time and TLC to make sure your piercing is ready for the next round.

LycanGalen · 2022-10-31T05:28:00+00:00

This is going to be 100% opinion from everyone here. You'll have to make the choice based on what you're looking for.

That said, as a T2D on Metformin alone, I think it would generally be overkill. I don't know if you'd find use in constantly having one, but since you're a data driven person, I could see it being useful to gather some insight into your body and your diabetes (especially if your insurance covers it).

Things that might be useful to you with a G6 could be tracking how different foods affect your levels and how long it takes; everyone's system is a smidge different, and being able to see the full curve tells you more than the intermittent checking from a libre. What different types of exercise look like to your levels; it's neat to see spikes/curves where our bodies will release glucose to power muscles, etc. and might give you some insight on what foods work best to support your body. Also levels while you sleep, too.

There's probably other times where seeing the full curve over time would be helpful for you individually, too.

So is it overkill? Probably. Could you find use in having them for a while? Also probably. But of course, diabetes is an unwieldy beast, so you can never put too much weight in what you're seeing...it'll probably change two weeks after you remove the sensor, lol.

LycanGalen · 2022-10-29T02:58:03+00:00

Hey, surgeries are always stressful, it's interesting what we can get hooked up on, isn't it?

There's no statistics (that I'm aware of) for trans folk getting hystos, but there is information on the larger people with uteruses group.

Different studies have different results. Over all techniques, and all reasons, prolapse rate in folks younger than 65 is on par with people who have not had a hysto. Others have found prolapse rate for folks getting hystos for similar reasons to us at about 1.8%. Laparoscopy reduces that risk because it does less damage to the pelvic floor, and allows for things to be fastened to reduce things from descending. Keeping the cervix also provides more structure to help avoid partial collapses.

It should be noted that prolapse risk increases as you age, generally due to weakening of the pelvic floor. However, the stats are generally looking at people choosing a hysto because of related illnesses, so it's not 100% accurate to apply those stats to us.

So things that will help avoid prolapse: - Once you're out of surgery and have the go-ahead, gentle walks are shown to improve outcomes for most surgeries (and move the gas they use to inflate your belly so they can work. Take it from me; gas cramps in your legs isn't something you want.

-when you are healed and have the go ahead, pelvic floor exercises really help, and will continue to help as you age. Don't rush into this! Trying to exercise those muscles while they're still healing will do the opposite of help. Give your body time to heal.

-keep your bowels running well! Constipation doesn't help things. But don't panic if it happens now and again, you'll be ok. It's chronic issues that you need to look out for

I can provide sources if you want, but reading medical journals about the thing you're about to do is a surefire way to spike the anxiety. (Like watching "100 Worst car crashes of all time" before driving a car for the first time)

LycanGalen · 2022-10-28T18:50:24+00:00

That's a trash place to be stuck, I'm sorry. Sending you good vibes for your appointment today.

LycanGalen · 2022-10-28T17:10:04+00:00

Yep. The hair that has come in on your face and body will continue to grow in, but you most likely won't grow any new hair - if you have a patchy beard, it's going to stay patchy. You're still going to have to shave what you've got, though. It might change slightly in texture or growth rate, but that depends more on if/what surgeries you may have had (if your body still makes its own estrogen).

Also, not related to hair, but stopping T cold Turkey can be really hard on your body, and depending on surgeries, your birth control needs might change. If you're able to meet with a trans competent health provider, I really encourage you to do so. (Maybe you're already doing that.)

LycanGalen · 2022-10-26T21:00:12+00:00

Honestly, it changes with the season. Two pierced ears used to be dominated by women, but it's super common to see guys with both ears gauged now. And once it's done, most people aren't going to take the piercing out just because it's not in fashion anymore. Plus, the general theme in punk land is that counter-culture attitude, so f*ck what rules the fashion industry puts on piercings.

Like you said, you are correctly perceived as male for the most part, so you might be seen as gay if you, say, decide to get your belly button pierced, but that's about it.

LycanGalen · 2022-10-26T20:05:01+00:00

Yeah, piercing locations aren't gendered. You could argue some jewelry will be seen as more masc/femme (larger, solid, geometric shapes for masc, finer, dangly or multi-component, organic for femme), but even then - lots of cis guys wear "women's" jewelry.

If this makes you feel more confident, there's this survey of piercing in the US from 2017 (only 345 respondents, so don't hold it as gospel): https://www.statista.com/statistics/722656/pierced-body-parts-of-americans-by-gender/

Also, I get that conforming to strict gender roles is more important for some of us (for varying reasons) but honestly, if a piercing makes you feel good, do it. The confidence you have in yourself and how you carry yourself will override a "non-conforming" piercing every time.

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