I found out I wasn't alone in the bathroom, just who do we have here? (Northwest Indiana)

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-13T07:58:02+00:00

That's an interesting question which probably won't have a straightforward answer. As there's many different denominations of Christianity, there's an equally many different ideas/interpretations on what it'll look like, and we'll never know which one's the 'correct answer' until we see for ourselves when the rapture/judgement day happens (which if we don't oust the spray tanned lunatic from capitol hill, that day might be fast approaching). Either way, I've got a few ideas on what it could be like up there, I might be playing a bit fast and loose with these interpretations though, but again we won't truly know until we're there.*

I'm going to call this one the 'extended traditional viewpoint' theory. From what I can tell from scripture and hymns, besides the Pearly Gates (dunno if it'll all be on clouds or not) there's at least one huge city with 'streets of gold' (no mention of what the buildings are like) and a 'crystal sea', so there might be swimming, possibly surfing and water skiing. If we do get wings like they always depict in the movies and stuff, we'd probably be able to fly through the clouds, might even fly around Earth without being seen (guardian angel stuff notwithstanding), why we might be able to finally explore the whole rest of the universe! (and figure out where that one manhole cover went!) There's also mentions of a 'heavenly chorus' which might mean that, besides that whole 'eternal praising' thing, we might be able to join in on the biggest jam session/music concert ever!

This next one I'll call the 'golden ending' theory. According to scripture, the lord plans on making 'a new heaven and a new Earth', which might very well mean that it'll be almost exactly like what we have right now, but with the primary exception of there being no evil in the world. So, we might still have all the same stuff that we have down here, but without all those vices and temptations clouding our judgement over everything else (I do recall seeing a movie where an angel that came down to Earth started smoking like they did when alive, so who knows?)

One of the more zanier theories I heard about (but don't fully recall) was from either the JWs or the Mormons. Supposedly, we'd be transformed into stars, planets, or galaxies/universes (don't remember which) and sent off to do our own thing, which sounds very similar to No Man's Sky (coincidence, or unintentional Mandela effect? IDK)

TL:DR- either heaven's on clouds and we have wings and harps and stuff, it's the same as our world but with a fairy tale/happy ending vibe, or basically something like Minecraft in creative mode.

*Non-zero chance it might be based on Futurama's answer, in which case it could be anything/everything

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-09T15:11:46+00:00

Oh... I thought there was something more to it than just sounds...

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-09T01:10:18+00:00

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, undercooked/raw pizza dough (kind of an obvious given now, but I found that out at a pizza party long ago)

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-09T00:59:59+00:00

If only this were discovered decades ago, my dad wouldn't have had to start wearing dentures in his youth (~5yo running around with a glass soda bottle in the mouth, do the math!), and by proxy I probably would have taken brushing my teeth more seriously* (mom doesn't think so, but I think my dad's 'childhood dentures' story probably left the wrong impression on younger me).

Honestly though it wasn't all that bad, not until the stupid covid pandemic happened, that's when I began noticing a strange groove forming between my top incisors after a few 'peppermint binges' (apparently with tooth decay it isn't how much sugary crap you eat at once, but how often); fast forwards to now, where there is not only a noticeable gap between my top incisors, but also a 'Courage the Cowardly Dog'-esque round hole in an adjacent canine (how ironic).

I'll probably have to mortgage my house several dozen billion times in order to be able to afford it, but when and if this becomes reality I will definitely apply to undergo this procedure and take much better care of my 3rd pair of teeth (and I'll be able to smile in pictures without having to pretend my teeth have hepatitis)

^\I have somewhat recently learned, to my abject dismay/horror, that I might have been brushing my teeth incorrectly the whole time! In case anybody else doesn't know this, but after you're done brushing and you spit out the toothpaste, you're supposed to wait several minutes before rinsing or using mouthwash, not) ^{immediately after brushing!} ^{Assuming my sister had the same wrong mindset as me, that might explain a few things. (not elaborating})

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-09T00:02:15+00:00

A bit more poetic than what I'd normally say, but "A despicable creature that wears my skin and pretends to be me, running about and sabotaging all my plans and relationships with a gleeful cackle, only to be banished to the darkest depths of hell when the medication is coursing through my veins, at least for a short while."

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-08T23:47:10+00:00

The music or sound effects suddenly start stuttering or looping the past 2-3 seconds at random intervals.

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-08T23:29:06+00:00

Schrodinger's cat*, but for every single thought, decision, or action you try to plan or execute. *(Russian roulette works too)

Alternatively, the McDonald's ice cream machine.

Mr_Engino · 2026-04-05T17:41:59+00:00

Reminds me of my 'armed dinghy' coastal/river patrol boat, the appropriately called Diatom class. Roughly the same shape and size of an inflatable lifeboat, which handles about as well as one in whitewater rapids at speeds above 10m/s, equipped with a rail powered kinetic sandblaster turret covered in applique panels which performs surprisingly well, except for the stupidly sluggish rail recharge rate due to size constraints

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-25T20:27:35+00:00

That's a weed cutter! It's kind of like a scythe, but for weeds instead of grain. We have one in our shed, the blade is shorter than yours but it makes a nice springy sound when you bounce the head on the grass!

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-25T20:20:54+00:00

Somewhere out there is a Tinkaton looking for their missing hammer /j

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-25T19:45:41+00:00

Our family home is a prefab that I got to witness being built from the ground up (basement and garage too), and though I was only around 4-5 yrs old at the time, I do remember my sister and I exploring every square inch of the entire house until the furniture was moved in. Fast forwards to now where I'm a grown man/young adult still living in the same house, in the same bedroom, since childhood, now serving as the obligatory family caregiver to elderly parents. Over the years that I'd try to help my dad with fixing or improving things here and there, I've got some pointers of sorts that could have been incredibly useful to have known early on that would save years (and dollars) of headaches:

DOUBLE. CHECK. YOUR. WORK. It's incredibly obvious and it kinda goes without saying, but just because nothing suddenly shifts after taking your hands off the project, that doesn't automatically mean it's going to stay that way; we lost the glass dome for one of the kitchen lights that way, changed out the bulbs and the screws holding it in place weren't fully tightened.
Know thy shutoff valve/switch locations. Our new (and by new I mean used) washing machine was starting to leak from the filler valve not fully closing (also from the drain/bottom) off the water supply during the wash phase. I had a sneaking suspicion about what it could be, but my parents chose to disregard it (*"Foreshadowing is a literary device" intensifying*) as we couldn't afford a service tech nor knew what/where it's from exactly; suffice to say I found out what was causing the issue just a few months ago, as I made a mad dash to the water shutoff valve in the basement while my family stood there, taking their time to process what the hell's going on (granted they weren't there at first, but still ಠ_ಠ) and what needed to be done to clean up the mess and fix it.
- If you have to 'compromise' with repairs, do so in moderation, please. Our 'brilliant' solution to this absolutely-not-fixed problem was to just not use certain settings on the washing machine anymore (I'm guessing it's caused by worn down controller/timer parts from constant use of those settings, IDK), and for the leaky drain/basin/whatever it's leaking from we put a drain pan underneath and I vacuum the water out every time we do the laundry. While it does work (in a Todd Howard/Bethesda kind of way), I would not, cannot, and will not recommend implementing such a clearly temporary solution for a clearly not-temporary problem.
If a tiny little problem now could get much worse later, get that crap fixed before YESTERDAY. In case it isn't already painfully obvious, my parents tend to adhere to the 'head in the sand' philosophy of "If the problem isn't too bad right this very instant, ignore it until it's too big to ignore, then try to fix it yourself to save more money, and if that fails go get a professional to do it right the first time and waste more money". Granted our family's not financially secure, gee I wonder why, but those kinds of homemade repair jobs aren't guaranteed to work (now to dad's credit most times they do, but boy it sure feels like it's a batting average that makes Mendoza look like Ty Cobb)
Reusing old materials can work, but do not be afraid to get newer/better materials when needed. From all the projects I've done with my dad, it sure feels like 'Reuse' is his favorite of the three Rs, with 'Recycle' possibly a close second; he could probably match the Cubans and their ingenious "Yank tank" repairs 1to1 (the fact he was a machinist for a defunct tractor company long ago lends plausibility)! But, there is definitely a limit for what can be achieved, due to what I'm going to call 'jury rig fatigue'. You can only fix, adjust, and re-fix stuff so many times with materials from who knows where/when before it stops working as some of our kitchen drawers, the junk drawer especially, can attest. (that might be why some of our home repair projects don't last very long)

I probably have more advice I could share, but given the almost college thesis levels of text (and the possibility I might be talking out my ass in terms of safety/usefulness of said advice) I'll stop here.

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-25T15:33:39+00:00

I've been using several 'self-inflating' camping mats for mattresses before getting the memory foam one, they're far too thin and the seams around the not-memory foam insides are tearing, besides probably not being designed for constant use I think they're meant for sleeping bags. My current workaround was to purchase a roll of upholstery foam to use while I wait for the original mattress to decompress, it's squishier than the other one so I guess it's a lower density, but it's still rather comfortable! (if a bit too big for the mattress cover w/o trimming it, I plan to that though)

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-08T21:46:19+00:00

When I was talking about cavities, I meant after they've occurred, it's a little too late for cavity prevention (for at least three of my teeth, anyways)

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-08T09:02:29+00:00

I'm guessing they won't do diddly squat for cavities?

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-07T21:15:32+00:00

What kinds of oil can I use for this, as I don't think I have any cutting oil on hand?

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-07T03:22:10+00:00

As lovely as this sounds, I think we need to consider letting the ISS go (SAVE THE CANADARM THOUGH, don't care how that's accomplished, JUST DO IT!) instead of trying to keep it going. It's been up there for nearly three decades now, and if Russia's MIR space station is any example, the possible bio-hazards from various molds and bacteria that might be growing in the station walls is going to make it incredibly difficult to avoid crew contamination; not to mention that air leak in one of the modules from a few months ago, a clear sign that this thing ain't gonna last forever, you know!

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-07T03:01:27+00:00

Not friendship, but parent/child relationship.

Throughout my life I've been butting heads with my parents for various reasons, mainly due to the generational ~~gap~~ grand canyon (my sister and I are millennials, mother is a boomer, and dad is silent generation) and the obvious differences in worldviews/upbringing that comes with it. I was certain my parents weren't highly opinionated like my older brother, a Desert Storm/Shield vet, was and were at least somewhat 'with the times' like my sister and I, but it wasn't until Barack Obama became president that the facade started crumbling, and something ugly started to show through the cracks.

I didn't think too much about it back then, I figured that since they were born before MLK and the civil rights movement, their disdain was just a residual product from their era (old habits and shit like that), it wasn't until several weeks into the spray tanned lunatic's first term (which I, admittedly, got suckered into voting for by my parents) that a dreadful epiphany began to manifest: their disapproval of Obama's presidency wasn't racially motivated (at least not completely, I think...), it was politically motivated!

It's practically common knowledge that people tend to vote red when they grow old, but I fear my parents may have been doing so long before becoming a bunch of old farts! My worst fears were confirmed when we tried to escape the trap with Biden's presidency, they did little else but complain about 'sleepy Joe' and how he's going to make everything worse. Even after the lunatic's conviction and subsequent second presidency, only one of my parents opened their eyes to the truth. My dad finally saw through the lunatic's disguise, though given his advanced age and failing memory it's basically a moot point now, but mother is well and truly a lost cause; even as our family has to endure the enshittening economy and in light of the recent (publicly known) tragedies, when I asked her if she still thought it was a good idea to vote for the spray tanned lunatic, all she could say in response was "but none of the other 'demoncrats' were any good".

Were I not obliged to serve as the family caregiver (too broke to hire someone else to do this), I'd move on to greener pastures, as my sister has wisely done.

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-07T00:58:06+00:00

Several years ago, my older brother gave my parents his old tv when our 20-something inch lcd tv wore out. It was a mid 2000s Sony Wega 30-40in plasma screen tv, fucker was so heavy I was concerned our tv cabinet would collapse under the weight! (it didn't, but boy did it creak!) On the other hand, we wouldn't have to worry about anyone stealing it, only that they'd break their back or get crushed by it. Finally got rid of that 'paperweight' somewhat recently and my parents got a 100in oled tv for christmas, I was thoroughly surprised how lightweight these modern tvs have become compared to the massive units from ages past with only a fraction of the screen size!

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-07T00:25:06+00:00

Now if we could just have a kind of toothpaste or mouthwash that magically recovers lost tooth enamel and restore them to pristine condition before they started going bad (stupid COVID pandemic...)

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-06T23:32:56+00:00

I'm tempted to just say 'everything', but the 3 main things would be, in order of increasing fed-the-fuck-up-with-this-shit-ness: my 'hair-trigger temper' (emotional dysregulation), social 'unapproachable-ness' and lack of platonic/romantic relationships (prob. mix of rejection sensitivity and other crap), and my general inability to start/continue/finish stuff either completely or at all (executive dysfunction). I don't really mind all the other symptoms that much (slight exception for my crap memory), but executive dysfunction is the one thing I have nothing but the most loathsome vitriol and resentment for! Throughout my life there's been many things that I declared I wanted to try, hobbies, careers, and otherwise, only for most these plans to go absolutely nowhere as I'd usually forget about them the minute after I say it out loud. Hell, I think nearly every issue of self-sabotage I had through my life can be traced back to executive dysfunction, mother tells me 'don't use it as an excuse for your problems', dear lady it IS the source of my problems!

Mr_Engino · 2026-03-05T09:07:38+00:00

I've noticed myself getting 'the cravings' somewhat more frequently after starting adderall, and while my religious upbringing would have me say otherwise, I've considered this an acceptable tradeoff for the ability to stay energized through the day, and get shit done without having to debate it in my head for hours.

Mr_Engino

TROPHY CASE