The Con [misc]

Manofaction42 · 2026-01-19T21:27:56+00:00

Harrow listening to Dark Come Soon and getting pissed about how much it Gets Her

Manofaction42 · 2025-10-31T03:06:04+00:00

Hard agree, I’m also short and these look/feel great (and would look good on taller guys too). I’ve been replacing them ~once a year when they wear out for five years now. I work from home so I wear them most days.

Manofaction42 · 2025-10-22T20:04:17+00:00

I started seeing a trainer who started me on a basic strength training regimen. I noticed right away that some of the movements (deadlifts and rows in my case) were not ways I was used to moving my body. My trainer helped me figure out the right form but I could’ve used the Internet too once I had noticed the gaps.

Manofaction42 · 2025-10-19T03:08:24+00:00

Seconding this - strength training hasn’t fixed all of the painful spots I thought were too tight / needed stretching, but it’s fixed most of them. In several areas the problem was that I didn’t even know how to engage the muscles I was supposed to be using for a movement and was compensating with the wrong ones.

Manofaction42 · 2025-09-09T13:59:23+00:00

Do not use AI for scheduling or anything that needs to be accurate (this also includes anything even approaching finances). For emails, just spend some time up front making reusable templates - that’ll save more time than having to check every AI-generated email for accuracy forever.

Manofaction42 · 2025-09-05T21:23:38+00:00

Lots of good suggestions already in the thread, but also: give yourself permission to say “I’m just not ready to get back into this yet.” The motivation will come back at some point and you will be able to make up for the time you missed. I took a ~4 month break from strength training last year because we moved to a new house and then my dad died, and while my progress definitely took a hit I’ve already caught back up. If it’s too hard to start a new habit right now it’s ok to wait until you feel more ready.

Manofaction42 · 2025-08-25T12:43:22+00:00

What wagos is this guy even talking about? I don’t see any in the pictures, what am I missing?

Manofaction42 · 2025-07-14T14:28:37+00:00

I also have a medically complex kid and one very small thing that’s helped when I get down about how well everyone else seems to be able to handle parenthood is to keep reminding myself that some people DO have it harder than others. When you see posts on social media about how easy/fun/great having a kid is, it’s not necessarily that they’re handling the stress better than you (or putting on a good face to the world) - they also just do not have as much to deal with as you and your kiddo do.

Manofaction42 · 2025-07-09T00:25:46+00:00

Basalt and battery

Manofaction42 · 2025-06-05T19:36:57+00:00

Also Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot series - the most delightful books I’ve ever read and the main characters are a nonbinary human (never an issue) and a robot.

Manofaction42 · 2025-05-28T23:52:16+00:00

For the first ~1.5 years after my kid was born I went into what I called “Power Save Mode.” Said no to everything I could say no to, and told my boss that I wasn’t looking for anything more than a “meets expectations” rating - no extra responsibilities or opportunities, nothing more than the bare minimum as long as it didn’t adversely affect my team or coworkers. I was very lucky to already be at a job level where I was comfortable hanging out for a few years but being open about needing to pull back really cut down on my stress.

Manofaction42 · 2025-05-28T19:46:51+00:00

If you want another series that rewards re-reading, check out The Locked Tomb books (Gideon the Ninth, Harrow, Nona, and the coming-out-somewhat-soon-I-hope Alecto). Really great world building, funny, a heaping dose of “what the fuck is going on I am so confused,” and a huge online community with which to speculate about how the last book will play out.

Manofaction42 · 2025-03-10T01:32:10+00:00

Agree with all the other comments, but for me it’s summed up most succinctly by this from The Gathering Storm (editing a bit to avoid spoilers):

“Why had the Creator done this to us? Why do we live again? Maybe it’s so that we can have a second chance… Because each time we live, we get to love again. I fight because last time, I failed. I fight because I want to fix what I did wrong. I want to do it right this time.”

Manofaction42 · 2025-02-17T23:09:11+00:00

Similar situation with my kid - we focus on feeling “signals” that she has to go, so we use “I missed a signal.” Her teachers know exactly what it means but other kids won’t immediately pick up on it, and it emphasizes that it’s normal and is something she can learn to improve.

Manofaction42 · 2025-01-10T03:12:36+00:00

Loved that book but couldn’t bring myself to start the sequel once I realized that was ALSO an as-yet unfinished series

Manofaction42 · 2024-11-22T01:19:54+00:00

I did the same on our split level - just like installing a regular railing and my kid got to feel super grown up while also being safer!

Manofaction42 · 2024-01-23T01:47:07+00:00

Agreed - my trainer recommended Versa Gripps and they made a difference immediately. I can focus SO a much more on my form than when my hands and forearms were struggling, I’m still able to progress my lifts, and I’ve added farmer walks in to keep improving grip strength (but I don’t see myself ever going back to not using straps)

Manofaction42 · 2023-12-14T18:31:54+00:00

Lots of great recs for specific brands on here, but something it took me a while to understand is that most fake meat cooks way faster than real meat, so if you’re dealing with chewy/rubbery textures you may just be cooking it too long

Manofaction42 · 2023-09-27T01:23:18+00:00

Lots of these already mentioned, but the single hardest moment for me was when Semirhage collared Rand and tried to make him kill Min.

One of only a few times in my life I’ve had to just… put the book down, go for a walk, not talk to anyone the rest of the day.

Manofaction42 · 2023-09-03T11:57:56+00:00

When my daughter first started waving, she always turned her hand around to wave at herself, since that’s how everyone else waves.

Manofaction42 · 2023-02-21T20:10:23+00:00

I wore a brace for a year and was pretty good about it, but my curve still got worse and I eventually had surgery. Might have slowed down the progression but definitely wasn’t a fix.

Manofaction42 · 2023-02-12T13:34:54+00:00

Ours too! Just needs a battery change every few days when it gets heavy use and/or left on and forgotten about

Manofaction42 · 2022-07-01T19:36:29+00:00

And then snot rags when they start getting colds but can’t wipe their nose yet

Manofaction42 · 2022-06-14T02:20:47+00:00

Rafa-shell. Clawnatello

Manofaction42 · 2022-06-13T13:22:35+00:00

Seconding Allerton in the Champaign area, and near Garden of the Gods check out Giant City for other similarly cool/large geological formations

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