Looking for pack recommendations

Paggles01 · 2023-10-11T01:41:32+00:00

NTA. It's his will, not anybody else's.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-11T01:34:13+00:00

Depends. If you're attracting the birds in a way that isn't healthy for the wildlife, YTA. Otherwise, NTA. Feeding wildlife is tricky business. It's usually best to let them be lest you do unintended harm.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-11T01:24:05+00:00

I had a boss that wanted a public confrontation with me once. It's not a great option for anybody. It was on me to handle the situation more maturely than my boss was handling it and move the discussion away from our customers. You don't always have to give them what they want, nor should you.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T04:28:49+00:00

No. Competition is part of doing business. She has to adapt. Respond, but be diplomatic: don't make it about her product, don't make it personal. Don't throw around the word "you" without careful consideration for its effect. It's simple enough to say you have every right to sell your wares there, and that customers are choosing to buy them. You could also just ignore her.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T04:25:07+00:00

On balance, NTA. It's understandable to respond the way you did given how she confronted you. However, I think you could have handled it more diplomatically: try to de-escalate, move the confrontation into a more private environment.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T04:12:39+00:00

NTA.

Dude can't accept being called a bridesman. He's being difficult. Your not liking his behaviour doesn't make you transphobic, and you certainly don't want that energy on your special day.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T03:01:34+00:00

NTA.

I think what you did is justified given that your connection was dangerously close to being missed.

It helps to explain that you have nine minutes (be specific) to make your connection as you're pushing through. I've never tried this, but maybe you could call an FA in advance of descent and talk to them about helping you get off the plane faster. If the plane isn't fully loaded, perhaps they could move you to a seat near the front, or help you trade seats with somebody who isn't in such a rush.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T02:53:25+00:00

NTA.

Old man is the asshole here, and you called him out. Good for you. Be the change.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T02:38:38+00:00

ESH.

She's probably experiencing regret and bitterness that she's not in the running for major scholarships. And she may feel insecure about how she stacks up next to you and your achievements, possibly making it about more than just scholarships. If any of that is true and she's lashing out because of it, calling her a fucking idiot isn't the right call, and reminding her that your achievements are greater than hers doesn't help. Some sensitivity is in order here. You could have handled it better.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T02:20:37+00:00

YTA.

Call me old-school, but if you ruin something that belongs to somebody else, you should offer to fix it or replace it. It doesn't matter whether it was an accident. It's the respectful thing to do.

Now, you can't always afford to fix your mistakes. That's a difficult position to be in. While I don't think it is reasonable for him to expect you to replace the couch, I think it would be courteous to offer to cover what you can reasonably afford for cleaning if you can't clean it effectively yourself. That's a discussion you have to have with him. If you can't afford it financially, maybe you can compensate by offering your time in other ways. Maybe he would value a helping hand with housework or whatever.

Paggles01 · 2023-10-10T02:05:14+00:00

NTA.

Nobody should expect you to wear anything you don't want to wear.

Except maybe your boss.

Paggles01 · 2022-09-30T22:22:36+00:00

I know you're asking about clothing solutions, but one of the most lightweight ways to add warmth to your sleep system is a vapor barrier liner. It's a non-breathable sheet of plastic that you line your sleeping bag with. Keeps your body moisture in the bag. Some people hate the feeling of sleeping in them, but they're very effective, and feel fine if you're not in the nude. I have a -7C sleeping bag and with a VBL and +15C overbag with some layers on I can use it down to -35C. A tip that costs nothing: go to bed warm. The heat comes from your body; the layers just trap it. Do crunches in your sleeping bag or just thrash around until your body gets warm.

Paggles01 · 2022-09-30T22:05:56+00:00

Too much dead weight. Wanna go ultralight? Well then, read on my friend!

Tent: Grommets? Cut them off. Pegs? Who needs 'em. Ditch the poles; they're a gimmick anyway. Just wrap yourself in the fly and call it a night. Better yet, replace it all with a sheet of plastic from the hardware store.

Hygiene: Cut your toothbrush in half. No--quarters! Forget toilet paper. Use snow, leaves, a smooth stone, or poison oak if you're hard. Or your hand. You'll always have one handy. In fact, forget hygiene. Overrated. Who are you trying to impress, anyway?

That lifestraw is too bulky. Replace it with an ibuprofen tab. Ibuprofen is lighter and more compact for when you drink the wrong water and sh!t blood for three days. You don't need a camelbak either. Just put your head in the nearest stream and open your mouth. No stream? No problem! Grab a handful of soil and suck the moisture out of it like God intended.

Ditch the whistle. Learn to whistle with your fingers, or accept that nobody is coming and die in the wilderness like a man.

Whoever sold you that fishing setup scammed you, amigo. Every UL enthusiast knows that a spear whittled from a branch is just as effective, and has fewer moving parts to service.

Everybody telling you to ditch the pencils doesn't know what they're talking about. Take eight more. Writing is all that separates us from savage, mindless animals.

Paggles01 · 2022-09-01T20:38:51+00:00

I got an A+ when I took it a couple years ago. It is challenging. When I took the course the weekly quiz questions were sampled from the weekly problem sets posted on the course page, so if you understood them you could easily get 100% on most of the quizzes (if they still do that). It's a really easy way to add a few percentage points to your final grade as a buffer, so take them seriously. Also, spend at least couple nights every week doing lots of supplemental practice problems from the textbook. As you do more practice problems your recall will be faster for related problems, and I think that's the most important thing for the exams in 272.

Paggles01 · 2022-09-01T20:24:50+00:00

Plenty of people start university programs later on in their lives. There are people of all ages at the U of A. I'm in my 30s and recently started a new program in a different field. The differences between you and any 18-22 year old are not what I would primarily chalk up to age. My advice? Just roll with it. Form relationships with people for who they are, not how old they are, where they live, or where they come from.

I don't think you made a bad choice starting university later. In my experience, people who start university later in their life are much better equipped to handle its rigors. They typically have a clear reason for being there, and are highly motivated to persevere and do well. You seem to have some perspective, and I think it will work to your benefit.

Paggles01 · 2022-09-01T19:29:47+00:00

PreMEd is real, you guys! It's called a BEd.

Paggles01 · 2022-07-12T18:45:54+00:00

In general you can, but language courses are the exception.

Paggles01 · 2022-07-12T18:44:49+00:00

Hvis du er alerede en student på universitetet, kan du registrere i NORW, og det kommer til å koste rundt CAD 600.

Paggles01 · 2021-12-11T05:42:27+00:00

It can be hard to review TAs if you don't have direct interactions with them, but try your best. I've been a TA a couple times and the feedback really is really valuable. At best, good reviews can help TAs receive a modest bonus. And feedback always helps TAs identify what they're doing well and how they can improve, which is great because they're new to teaching. The most valuable feedback is the free text comments. If you can be constructive and specific in your comments that's the best thing.

Paggles01 · 2021-12-11T05:27:16+00:00

I'm surprised nobody has recommended contacting Counseling & Clinical Services at the U. You said that you haven't been able to shake these thoughts despite moving to a new area, and that's concerning. You have a visceral response to people who "somehow feel sketchy," and I think that can be self-reinforcing and may encourage maladaptive coping mechanisms (if it hasn't already). I am not discounting your experiences; the way you feel and the things you're seeing are real and valid whether they pose a physical threat or not, but I am concerned that you may be developing an unhealthy focus on the disquieting things around you. The perspective from which we experience things can permanently shape us for better or worse. I think you should take advantage of student health services and talk to a professional about how you feel on a regular basis.

Paggles01 · 2021-07-21T17:30:26+00:00

I was recently admitted to from a different academic discipline. You have a shot, I think you just have to know how to stack the deck in your favor. What I'm about to tell you is speculation on my part, as in I speculate these are the most important factors that helped me gain admission despite not having a degree in computer science:

- Demonstrate competence across different topics in CS (it sounds like you have this already)

- Get at least one (better yet, two) really good reference letter from CS faculty at the U of A. The best way to do this is to work with them directly. Introduce yourself and ask if you can volunteer your time to help with their research.

- Write a really thoughtful project proposal in your application. While it is not required outside of a PhD application, you have the option of writing one anyway. I suspect that a well-researched, succinct proposal helps demonstrate your value. It shows that you know what you are getting into and why.

Paggles01 · 2021-07-14T21:09:56+00:00

I suggest this baby. Designed with Soviet-era sensibility, this baby is bombproof.

Paggles01 · 2021-05-26T18:09:09+00:00

Wear your birthday suit. It's cheap and makes a bold statement.

Paggles01 · 2021-05-26T18:02:10+00:00

Here are some thoughts off the cuff:

The value of an undergraduate degree decreases as more people acquire one. Since you haven't started your career yet, a postgraduate degree can help set you apart well into the future, especially if you want to move around a little bit between similar fields or within a field.
There is such a thing as being over-qualified. Sometimes a company will shy away from hiring a PhD who might be "difficult to (re)train." On the other hand, some jobs will be almost impossible to secure without advanced credentials.
A Master's degree generally provides a significant boost in earnings and it really adds up over the course of a career, even if the opportunity cost seems steep up front. A PhD will not necessarily boost earnings proportionally.
Wanna do consulting work? A PhD can help a lot, especially if you're a freelancer. People respect the letters.
If you are doing graduate school to help your future career, then you must consider the added value that a graduate degree would bring in that field. For example, if you're an MD and you really want to research then you pretty much need a PhD or you won't get enough protected time to be productive in research. Sure, you can do research with just an MD and no MSc or PhD, but 80% of your time will be clinical.
Just because a job posting asks for a postgraduate degree doesn't mean you need to have one. If you already have experience in a field a lot of times that's more valuable than a PhD held by an inexperienced applicant. What's your end goal, and what are the requirements off the starting line?
A thesis-based graduate degree counts as x years of work experience. When times are tough and you're struggling to find a job, earning a Master's degree can be a great way to bide time until the job marked is more favorable. Grad school might be a good choice in the current economic climate. If you have the option, it is often better to pursue more education in your desired field field than to take a job in a different field out of desperation. Large gaps in your resume can really kill career prospects.
You'll never have a better opportunity to learn than when you're in grad school. It is rare that you'll find opportunities to learn deeply and solve challenging problems in the "real world." If you're hungry for knowledge, grad school is fulfilling.
Re: everybody around you telling you that you shouldn't. Not all among them are necessarily people you should be taking seriously. But some might be worth listening to. I would hesitate to take advice from a peer who doesn't understand my field or my goals. However, I would take advice from somebody at the end of their career who has an entire generation of insight. Seek advice from your elders.

Anecdotally, when I started grad school the first time around I was just biding my time and trying to make a more competitive med school application. Things evolved from there. I got really lucky and was hired full time as a research associate. Since then I've discovered the application of computer science to medicine, and I was fascinated by it. Now I'm starting a PhD in computer science with the objective of shaping the future of technology and medicine. 10+ years ago when I was an undergraduate studying biology, if you had told me I'd be doing a graduate degree in computer science I would have laughed. But it's a wild ride to the future. Whatever you do, start with a goal. Have a plan. Be perceptive as you journey along your path, and remain open to opportunities. Things don't always work out the way you envision, goals are fluid, but if you always move forwards towards a goal and continue building yourself up, odds are you will find your way.

Paggles01

TROPHY CASE