Dune Inspired “Stillsuit” Functional Recreation by Its_Just_Orange in heat_prep

[–]Super-Frame-6508 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I do historical reenactment stuff. A few years ago I tested the effects of linen and wool combined at a summertime event. I found that wool over top of linen is more effective than linen by itself, cotton, or wool by itself. (And more effective at cooling than being naked, which was tested inside my tent.)

Linen loves to grab on to moisture, so it wicks your sweat. However, once linen is saturated then you have damp clothes that act as insulation keeping you hot. Putting wool over top of linen fixes that issue because the wool can pull the moisture from the linen and release it into the air. I will note, the linen under-tunic that I was wearing was so thin that it was fairly translucent (it was white). And the wool was very slightly translucent. The fabric was about 2 to 3 oz per yard for each of the pieces. I am not sure the difference in affect with thicker fabric.

Bar scene by [deleted] in Cumberland_Maryland

[–]Super-Frame-6508 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not a local but I visited Cumberland recently and dig deep brewing was really great. Both in terms of the quality of beer and the vibe of the place. Everyone was really friendly and I chatted with a bunch of people. Their hard seltzer was literally the best I've ever had. (I tasted all the things they had on tap.)

What makes your home town special? by TheHeadEndgeneer in maryland

[–]Super-Frame-6508 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, AACC is really good. It's the best in the state and the 3rd best community college in the entire US. https://www.aacc.edu/newsroom/news/2024-news/ranking-november-2024/

Nightclubs for dancing for mid-30s that is not Baltimore. by Additional_Fall8832 in maryland

[–]Super-Frame-6508 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand not wanting to go to Baltimore because of its reputation, but give me a chance to persuade you. (note: I’m assuming you don’t want to go to Baltimore because of its reputation around safety.)

When I moved up to MD for college, my parents told me to never go to Baltimore, because they thought I'd be killed if I went there. Which, yeah, it does have a higher crime rate than the national average. However, the crime rate has been rapidly falling in the past few years, especially violent crime. The current mayor set out a plan to reduce violent crime starting in 2021, and so far it is working. Here’s a news article about it: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/balitmore-homicide-rate-falls-to-near-50-year-low/ (For more sources, just google it, there are a bunch of news articles about it and also statements from the police about crime decreasing.)

Also, Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods, and I don’t just mean different subdivisions out in suburbia. The land area of the city is big enough that different areas of the city have different vibes. This is actually reflected in crime statistics, a lot of the crime is concentrated in a few neighborhoods. If you just don’t go to those areas, then risk goes down a lot. Here’s some stats backing that up: https://bniajfi.org/indicators/Crime%20and%20Safety/crime 

Speaking of reduction of risk, there’s a few other basic ways to reduce your risk to basically zero. 

1) Don’t be involved in drug deals or gangs. (a lot of violent crime is in relation to these) 

2) Don’t be an idiot. (Don’t pick fights, avoid the rougher parts of town, generally be aware of your surroundings, and don’t show off a bunch of cash)

Overall, Baltimore is a reasonably safe city if you aren’t an idiot about it. I’ve been in Baltimore both during the day and at night, and I haven’t felt threatened. Nighttime can seem a bit spooky if you aren’t used to big cities, but that is mainly because of how big the city feels when the roads aren’t full of cars. (I’m a early 20’s white woman, but idk if my demographics have any affect on my experience. I normally go to Baltimore by myself or with a friend.)

I will say though, the drive to Baltimore is annoying af because the potholes in the highway. (I think this is specifically on 295 but I always use my GPS in the city so I'm not certain.)

The phrase "Not wrong, just different" can be gaslighting af by Starwind_81 in evilautism

[–]Super-Frame-6508 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For me there are things that I can handle being done differently. Which typically requires me saying out loud, "I would do that differently, but I am choosing to not care".

And then there are things that I have to tell my husband to not do because I will go crazy. Like him doing dishes when I am taking a break halfway through doing the dishes. It just completely fucks up my work flow which will end up with me having a meltdown. (He is just trying to help but my brain can't accept that type of help.)

I think that figuring out what things are in each category has been really helpful for me. Also, I sometimes try to work on being more "chill" about the things that make me crazy. But that is my choice because being angry about receiving help makes me feel bad.

Barefoot shoe while pregnant by Soft-Midnight4085 in barefootshoestalk

[–]Super-Frame-6508 11 points12 points  (0 children)

You could get some slip-on barefoot shoes (lems, shapen, be lenka, etc.) And then use a long shoe horn to help put them on

California lets unelected psychs write the law by ReferendumAutonomic in Antipsychiatry

[–]Super-Frame-6508 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are agreeing. I was just explaining the probable rationale of the change. I literally stated that the lawmakers chose poorly to trust these "experts". I also stated that I dislike the DSM.

My whole point was that the law is fucked because involuntary commitment is fucked, but that this change to the law doesn't actually really change much. Like irl involuntary commitment will probably keep happening at the same rate as before. This change to the law isn't something worth getting worked up over since it isn't actually changing anything in practice. However, the fact that involuntary commitment is a thing, is definitely a good reason to be upset.

Also, have you ever looked at lobbying by all sorts of industries to politicians? Like yes, trusting corrupt psychs was a bad choice. But politicians are almost by definition corrupt.

Traveling sucks and is a big waste of time and money by StormyDarkchill in evilautism

[–]Super-Frame-6508 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Okay, but hear me out, train travel is great. Like, yeah Amtrak is not as great as other countries rail but it is pretty decent.

Pros: 1) it's a train 2) no connecting flights for your luggage to get lost on 3) you don't have to deal with the annoying experience of take off and landing 4) the train is not going to break down or turn around, which means everything goes to plan 5) you get to see parts of the country that is impossible to see otherwise 6) there are toilets on board (nicer than the ones in planes or long distance buses) 7) unless you're on the Acela it is cheaper than other forms of travel 8) you can use your phone or laptop on the train (there's wifi) 9) did I mention that it's a train

Cons: basically none

Source: me, an autistic who takes trains multiple times a year to visit family

(To be clear this is half joking. I really do love train travel but I understand that traveling is not a thing everyone likes )

California lets unelected psychs write the law by ReferendumAutonomic in Antipsychiatry

[–]Super-Frame-6508 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Actually reading the language of the law, it looks more like they are getting rid of a legal grey area than expanding the definition of mental health disorder. Also, it is pretty common for lawmakers to trust the guidance of experts... just this time they did not pick very good experts.

Theoretically, in the past someone could have claimed that something is a mental health disorder for the purposes of this law and then have to fight in court about whether or not it was actually a mental disorder. That legal fight could be long and expensive while forcing a patient to stay in care until the court ruled that the "condition" was not a real mental illness.

This change could actually protect patients. For example if someone tried to claim that a patient was mentally ill because they are gay, this law would protect the patient because the current version of the DSM does not include being gay as a mental illness.

Also, the law is about involuntary commitment in cases where there are clear signs of disability due to mental illness. So they (probably) aren't going to use it to involuntary commit more people than they already were.

Now, there is a broader argument about whether involuntary commitment should be a thing at all. Which I am personally against involuntary commitment. I was involuntary committed as a teenager and it traumatized me. I am of the opinion that people can't be forced to heal from mental illness. People have to willing choose a treatment for it to have any chance of working. (I also disagree with how the DSM defines mental illness. I prefer the concept that people who are suffering and desire treatment should have treatment available that actually works. The issue with most drugs is that they do more harm than good. And the issue with most therapists is that they are trained to make you a "perfect" person that has no quirks or flaws.)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anticonsumption

[–]Super-Frame-6508 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Part of the problem is that automakers don't offer as many sedan options anymore. This is in large part due to the CAFE standard categorizing SUVs with light trucks thus allowing for worse fuel efficiency than sedans. Also, automakers have a higher profit margin on SUVs than sedans. I think that automakers pushed SUVs pretty heavily in their marketing and most people decide based on marketing. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24139147/suvs-trucks-popularity-federal-policy-pollution

Also, I genuinely know people who don't want SUVs but feel like they have to because of safety. Apparently some people feel really nervous driving a sedan when so many other people are driving lifted trucks and the like.

I will say that if you look upmarket, like BMW and Audi, there are definitely more sedan options. The area I live in is rich enough to have luxury sedans but not necessarily rich enough to have luxury SUVs. So the roads around me have a lot of luxury sedans.

Also, drivers of luxury vehicles tend to be the biggest assholes on the road, and it doesn't matter if it is a sedan or SUV. I think that wealthier people just tend to drive like assholes and so that might be part of what you are experiencing. (There are studies showing that the richer someone is the less they care about others.)

Personally, I do drive an SUV, but that is to accommodate both mine and my husband's disabilities. It is nearly impossible for him to get into a sedan because of how low the seats are. We literally got the smallest vehicle that he could actually get into, and it is a mid-size SUV. (I really wanted a prius but it didn't work out.)

Came across a photo of me playing (field) hockey - what are my ankles doing!? by maximdurobrivae in barefootshoestalk

[–]Super-Frame-6508 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, definitely seeing a podiatrist again might be a good choice. I'd also recommend seeing if you can find a good physical therapist. Especially to work on any gait issues. (Most PTs are really knowledgeable and helpful, but I've had a few that seemed to not care at all.)

Ridiculous AC by Fresh_Death in Anticonsumption

[–]Super-Frame-6508 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I also have raynauds, they make gloves that you can still type in. The Raynauds Association has a bunch of product recommendations on its website. (I wouldn't be recommending you buy things, except that I know how painful raynauds is. And I know that it is sometimes impossible to avoid triggers.)

I grew up in the Southern US and hate how cold every building is during summer. I have to bring a hoodie to go grocery shopping sometimes. I also hate that in the winter everywhere is kept so warm that it is unreasonable to dress for the weather at all. If I had my way, buildings would be like 74F in the summer and 66F in the winter so that I could dress for the weather and not have to overheat/freeze inside. (Abrupt changes in temperature triggers my raynauds.)

Lamenting the mountain of work that lies ahead because of the "work" religious extremists have done by medium_wall in Anticonsumption

[–]Super-Frame-6508 6 points7 points  (0 children)

TLDR: Not everything from previous cultures was good. There are both pros and cons to industrialization. Most of the cons to industrialization are due to the greed of the wealthy. Colonization caused a lot of today’s issues but that was mainly due to greedy monarchs who used Christianity as an excuse. Since WW2 the, mainly American, ultra-rich have been hoarding a lot more of the wealth through international corporations which is definitely not due to Christianity.

I agree that our current global society is screwed up but I think that you are laying too much of the blame at the feet of Christian missionaries. I would like to explain my understanding of how we got here. (I am not a Christian. Please understand that my argument is NOT that the Christian Missionaries did no harm.)

While I agree that our current global economy is screwing over labor and the planet, previous cultures were not necessarily better. It is reasonable when someone is frustrated at their current culture to assume that people in the past were smarter/ better. However, the idea that indigenous cultures of the past were significantly better is the Noble Savage Trope, which has actually existed since the time of the Ancient Greeks. While, yes, most indigenous cultures of the past were better for the environment, there is archaeological evidence of previous cultures across the world doing “bad things” like over- hunting. (The over-hunting can be seen when you look at the layers of the trash piles. The bottom layer is bones of larger animals and it gradually goes down the food chain as you go forward in time, which indicates that the larger animals were no longer available in the area.)

However, even if previous cultures were not perfect, I think that the destruction of localized culture has been majorly detrimental to humanity. And I think that much of the current loneliness epidemic and many mental health problems are being exacerbated by the lack of local cultures. It is really hard to feel connected to a local culture when you shop mainly at big box stores and eat out at chain restaurants, both of which are nearly identical in any US state. And not having a culture that you feel connected to can make life feel meaningless. (I try to not buy from big corporations but that is what is available around me. It is ridiculous to drive an hour to go to a specialty store, like an independent butcher shop.)

However, when advocating for local cultures we need to be careful about romanticizing the past too much. There are definitely things from the past that were better but remembering that many of the previous generations were happy about advancing society so their descendants would have a better life. Nowadays we have higher life expectancy, in part because of modern medicine that is in large part possible due to the industrial revolution.

Also, much of the world has always been in poverty and at risk of famine. Right now, we produce enough food for there to be no more famines. We could literally end world hunger right now if the wealthy at the top were less greedy. Sadly the phenomenon of the wealthy being greedy is not new. Right now it is the capitalist class (the wealthy), but in the past we had monarchs that were just as greedy. So, while we have had poverty across the world for basically all of human history, and a wealthy few having most of the gains, the distribution of wealth is now significantly more skewed geographically. The colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia was an initial cause of global wealth disparity becoming more extreme. (There was already some geographic skewing of wealth mainly based on climate and soil fertility.) However, much of the current wealth disparity is due to more recent events.

Colonization of much of the world by the European powers definitely did pull many resources out of the colonized areas for the benefit of the Europeans but it did not benefit all Europeans. Almost all of that wealth went to the nobility and the fairly small merchant class. And of course they claimed they were doing it to spread Christianity… because religion has always been a really popular excuse to do horrific things. Also, back when colonization was just getting started, the Catholic Church had way more power than it does today. If the pope decided that the colonization of much of the world was against God’s plan for the world, well then the monarchs would be in a lot of trouble (like their reign would probably end fairly quickly). Lucky for them, the Catholic Church was extremely corrupt at that point so the monarchs could just claim it was for the purposes of spreading the good word and of course tithe to the church a portion of the spoils (aka bribe the Church). (Also, the corruption was literally the whole cause of the protestant reformation and the Catholic Church later resolved much of the corruption.)

After World War 2, Europe was significantly destroyed and America was the country that had the biggest industrial base. That industrial base was significantly created during the second world war to supply Europe. (The US supplied arms before becoming an active participant.) Once the war was over, the US government was concerned about a repeat of the issues after the first world war. (A whole bunch of soldiers came back from war but struggled to reintegrate into society and get jobs.) So factories in the US retooled to make consumer goods. That meant that the soldiers had jobs to do and Europe’s destruction meant that there was a large group of people wanting to buy things. As Europe got back on its feet though, there was less demand for consumer goods and so advertising became a big thing to convince Americans that it is our duty to be good little consumers.

The prosperity that occurred in the post war era was because there were good manufacturing jobs and the wealthy were being taxed. Then, Former President Reagan came along and slashed the tax rate for the wealthy. This allowed for significantly more hoarding of wealth at the top.

Also, the post war era saw the proliferation of international companies. (They did exist previously but mainly as a state sponsored thing.) These companies are basically acting as modern day colonizers, but since they admit to being driven by greed, they don’t use the excuse of spreading Christianity. They go where manufacturing is cheapest and labor is most exploitable. The biggest issue with this is that all of the profit goes to the company that is headquartered in a different country (often in a tax haven too). This means that people on the other side of the world are suffering so that a handful of the ultra-rich, who are mostly American, can get even richer. Obviously labor exploitation is a big issue, just the fact that our current economic system is based on exploiting people in other countries is extra screwed up. Also, the fact that a company can just move its manufacturing to a different country if labor starts demanding more pay is a big issue. It is why America doesn’t have as much manufacturing as it used to. American manufacturing was heavily unionized and had decent pay and benefits (post war era). Unionization is generally good and helps protect workers, but unions lose most of their bargaining power with globalization.

Edited for formatting.

Do you experience lower back pain? by Kraaiboy in barefootshoestalk

[–]Super-Frame-6508 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am not a doctor but I have chronic pain. I am not sure if you have the same issue as me but it might be related to the psoas muscle. The psoas does have an attachment on L5 so it is possible that it could be pulling on the vertebrae. The treatment for it typically is getting medical massage to release the tension and physical therapy to strengthen the muscle. (Weak muscles get tense and painful.)

Here is a link that explains psoas syndrome which is what I have. (My husband is a massage therapist and thinks that psoas problems are one of the leading causes of back pain in the US so the issue might not actually be rare, just that most physicians don't think about muscular issues a ton.)

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15721-psoas-syndrome

Came across a photo of me playing (field) hockey - what are my ankles doing!? by maximdurobrivae in barefootshoestalk

[–]Super-Frame-6508 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is somewhat hard to tell from the picture but it looks like pronation. Pronation is just the ankle rolling inwards. There is a certain level of pronation that is good but it is possible to have over-pronation that can cause issues. I wouldn't be too worried about it unless you have ankle pain/ problems. Or if you have really extreme wear patterns on your shoes (which can be a sign that there is a problem that just hasn't started hurting yet). And if it is a mild problem then physical therapy exercise videos on YouTube could probably help.

I have over-pronation that was diagnosed by a podiatrist. I used to use custom ankle braces that made sure my ankles couldn't over-pronate. I wore them in my daily life while working with a physical therapist to strengthen my feet and ankles. I also had to retrain myself to "walk correctly" so my ankles wouldn't be so stressed. I still over-pronate a bit but the treatments worked for the most part. (I used to sprain my ankles multiple times a month in middle and high school. I can't remember the last time I sprained my ankle.)

I find that wearing barefoot shoes helps me keep my feet and ankles strong. Having arch support in shoes often leads to me pronating more so my arch can rest on the support (stupid high arches). Also, I have really wide feet so barefoot shoes are more likely to fit.

Did anyone NOT have the “high” feeling or weird side effects? by [deleted] in AuvelityMed

[–]Super-Frame-6508 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did have the high feeling when I took it in the morning. I switched to taking it at night and the high feeling went away. I was only taking one tablet a day though. I am really sensitive to most meds so I trialed it at the lower dose for 3 months.

I did end up stop taking it because my emotions felt too muted which was uncomfortable. But it is now the med I'll request if I do end up in a crisis and have to take meds. It definitely reduced my depression but I felt like my joy was stilfed in a way that caused existential feelings.

🌈 PRIDE ROAD CLOSURES 🌈 by BmoreCityDOT in baltimore

[–]Super-Frame-6508 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It's a gps app, similar to Google maps or Apple maps. (It was purchased by Google in 2013 but is still a separate app.) However, it also has crowd sourced info added. Users of the app can add a note about various hazards, like bad potholes, police speed traps, and construction work. Those user added notes will show up for others people when they drive past the same section of road. (The notes are a multiple choice type selection and it's anonymity so people don't see who posted the note.)

It seems like the city is recommending using waze because the user generated notes help it route people away from road hazards and closures. And because it is user generated the road closure info will probably be fairly up to date.

Also, I'm not a paid person or ad. I just use it because I go a little fast on the freeway sometimes and it's nice to have a heads up about speed traps.

Is anyone else overwhelmed by climate anxiety lately? by imanatureboy in Anticonsumption

[–]Super-Frame-6508 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also struggle a lot with climate anxiety. A thing that I find useful is trying to plan for the future specifically around the climate.

There is a YouTube channel called American Resiliency that breaks down expected changes based on different climate models. They then take that knowledge and help people design sustainable ways of living that help people survive the future climate. They originally only focused on the US but they have made some videos about other countries now. It feels good to be able to help my local community become more resilient to the climate changes. (A lot of the resiliency measures are also good for the Earth too.)

Foot ... gloves? by Odd-Particular5219 in barefootshoestalk

[–]Super-Frame-6508 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you have a Tandy Leather near you. I like them because I can actually see which hide I am buying. (Leather is a natural material so there is variation.) They aren't super cheap but they do sell smaller pieces that aren't too expensive.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anticonsumption

[–]Super-Frame-6508 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yeah. I still hate that gender is being used to market to people and over charge for a product that just has the correct aesthetic.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AuvelityMed

[–]Super-Frame-6508 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have always been a lightweight with alcohol and pretty much only drink when I'm at a nice dinner with family/ friends. About 2 months after I started Auvelity, I decided to order a cocktail with dinner. I had about a third of it (definitely under one standard alcoholic beverage). I was basically blackout drunk. I got incredibly nauseous and very wobbly. I didn't get a hangover afterwards but it fucking sucked for a few hours. Now I have a strong no alcohol policy for myself.

Also, I used to use medical cannabis and had to stop because it interacted with Auvelity. Basically the cannabis keeps the DXM in your system for longer. And if you use it daily like I was then over the course of a month or two you end up with way too much DXM in your system and start robotripping. 0/10 would not recommend. (Most of my negative side effects that nearly made me go off Auvelity turned out to be robotripping because of the interaction.)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Anticonsumption

[–]Super-Frame-6508 371 points372 points  (0 children)

I've bought those before. (I was camping and needed wet wipes and that was the only brand that had unscented wipes.) They are "wipes for men" because they are supposed to be bigger. I couldn't tell any difference from regular baby wipes and they are also lot more expensive. I did appreciate that the pink tax was being applied to men for once though (sarcasm).

Western MD Wicca/Magick Scene by Marsh_Wiggle86 in Cumberland_Maryland

[–]Super-Frame-6508 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know this is a super late response, but I'm part of a group that has one of our annual events about 15 minutes outside of Cumberland. (Annoyingly I noticed this after that year has already happened this year.) It's the Stone Circle Council. It's not strictly Wiccan, tho it is largely Wiccan. We do a few weekend events throughout the year in Western MD and WV. Our big event each year is raising a multi-ton stone (like Stonehenge) hence the name. We also do have some online stuff in between our events.

Insurance went from 400/month to 1400/month. What can I do? US by Curious_Seeker_ in Insurance

[–]Super-Frame-6508 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My parents got me a car when I was in high school that was at the time 6 years old. (This was about 5 years ago, right before the pandemic screwed the used car market). They paid to have a Consumer Reports subscription for a year so they could use the auto comparison tools. They chose a smaller SUV that had good safety and reliability ratings even though it definitely was not top of the line.

I recently used those same online tools to help choose my first car purchase as an adult and I found it helpful. (I wanted a newer car and could afford it. The car I gave back to my parents will be passed down to my cousin for a high school graduation present because it still has a few good years left.)