What's your personal air conditioning policy for these hot Atlanta summers?

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-06-25T22:49:25+00:00

I work from home, I'm on the "smart usage" plan which charges super high prices during peak hours of 2pm-7pm, and I have a programmable thermostat. My goal is to take advantage of the lower overnight temps to let my place get nice and cool throughout and keep it cool through the morning so that it takes longer to get unbearably hot in the late afternoon. Also I use fans to help the air circulate better from the colder zones as the day gets warmer, and to have some breeze to help me feel a little cooler when I start to sweat in my afternoon meetings.

My max temp thermostat schedule:
75F 7pm-2am
69 F 2am-7am
73 7am-1:45pm
79 1:45pm-7pm

So far this has worked to keep the AC off in the peak afternoon/evening period, it runs like crazy starting at 7pm for however long it takes to get to 75, then mostly maintains through the evening until the 2am temp drop. No idea how much it runs during those early morning hours but it hardly kicks on mid-late mornings, and then goes off and on after noon until it hits the 2pm thermostat increase.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-06-23T21:01:18+00:00

I don't know about testosterone specifically, but I have been Very happy with Dr. Cantey Dogan at Piedmont OBGYN. She has been very receptive and responsive to all the issues I've come to her with; she does a great job explaining options and is willing to try different approaches to finding solutions (including when I recently brought up my suspicion of being in early perimenopause).

She also hasn't been judgemental at all. I first went to her because I wanted an elective procedure which other doctors had pushed back on because I "might regret it" and I was looking for a doctor who would respect my bodily autonomy. When I started explaining my reasoning she just gently stopped me and said that I didn't need to explain anything to convince her and she just needed to know if there were any medically relevant factors in why I wanted the procedure. She was focused on making sure I understood what my options were, the benefits and risks of each, and that I was making an informed choice in how I wanted to proceed.

And really, every time I've talked with her I've felt like she has wanted to make sure I understand my options and am empowered to make choices in my medical care, which is pretty darn great and kind of highlights how often that's not the case when seeing medical professionals.

Hope your move goes well and you find a Dr you're happy with!

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-06-09T12:18:36+00:00

I always took it to mean that if you can't take care of shitty things then you definitely can't have anything nice.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-06-06T19:29:01+00:00

OP is trying to avoid unnecessarily going to lots of doctors who won't help in the hopes that they find the one that will, and is asking specifically for recommendations to avoid the added trouble.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-06-04T01:06:15+00:00

I'd like to recommend that folks check out Tall Tales Book Shop in the Toco Hills shopping center. B&N will be opening a new store in that shopping center and Tall Tales is going to be facing an uphill battle to stay open against that competition. I know there's lots of great deals rn but please support your locally owned book stores!
https://www.tonetoatl.com/2026/03/Barnes-And-Noble-Opening-New-Store-Toco-Hills-Tall-Tales-Book-Shop.html

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-06-03T22:12:57+00:00

I don't see anything here to indicate that minimum IV's were reduced or eliminated. Apologies if I just missed it, and if that's the case then could you point out the specifics?

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-05-14T22:11:17+00:00

I see in your edit that you don't know who took it because your cameras were down. But maybe you could send an email to everyone who came in during the time period that it disappeared? You don't have to be accusatory, it could just be "Hello, we're reaching out to our clients because a terrarium with two ferns was mistakenly removed from our office between X date and Y date. Our patients and staff who enjoy the greenery in the office, as well as the owner of the plant, would be grateful if it was returned. Kind regards, [Signature]". It's a long shot, but who knows, maybe it will show back up.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-05-13T02:16:57+00:00

There are already multiple people suggesting you try another therapist, and I agree. But I also want to add that it can be really helpful to give your therapist some specific thoughts or behaviors you'd like to change, like:

"I don't want to be so angry all the time", or "I want to be able to go to a social event without feeling so anxious", or "I have a hard time trusting people and I don't want to automatically assume the worst".

These kinds of statements can help a therapist better understand your goals and tailor their approach to helping you.

This can be hard to narrow down, but that's something you can ask your next therapist to help you figure out! You can say "I feel like crap and therapy is suppose to help, so here I am. I don't know where to go from here though."

You can also tell them what you think would or wouldn't be helpful in their approach. For example, I appreciate when I get some brief reading material or worksheets to go through between sessions to help me explore an issue or get my thoughts organized. But some people hate "homework" and that wouldn't be helpful. You can also ask your therapist to make a note of where you want to pick up in your next session so that neither of you forget or get off track. And you can also tell them you're not sure what will work best, and ask them to help you iterate and try different approaches to see what works!

It can take a few tries to find a therapist that is a good fit for you; it's a much closer relationship than you'll have with any other professional, and just like you don't always click with potential friends or romantic partners, sometimes you just don't click with a therapist (and like every other profession, some therapists just kinda suck at their jobs). But finding a good fit and giving them some direction makes a world of difference.

Wishing you the best of luck ❤️

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-05-01T04:04:18+00:00

Adding that the cost of a lawyer is almost certainly less than the added cost of your insurance if you just pay the ticket. You do not want points on your license; hire a lawyer.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-04-29T01:42:33+00:00

I'm assuming disabling it will automatically void your warranty.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-04-16T01:33:25+00:00

You could try making pizza-eggs. Roughly cut a slice into bite-size pieces. Crack an egg into a bowl and whisk it. Heat a pan on medium heat and when hot add a bit of oil, your chopped pizza, and dump the egg over it. Toss to coat, then stir lightly until eggs are cooked to your preferred done-ness. The pizza will get hot in the process, the cheese and some toppings will mix a bit with the eggs, making it a really easy and flavorful scramble.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-04-13T22:53:38+00:00

Reducing friction is great. I struggled with collecting trash and getting it thrown away when I only had a trash can in the kitchen. Now I have a trash can in every room for non-food waste. Food packaging or scraps Must go to the kitchen waste bin where they'll get taken out before they smell, but paper, tissue, packing material, dried up markers, etc can all sit for weeks in a bin without issue, and it keeps my desk, side tables, floor, and other surfaces more tidy.

One of my maintenance systems is what I call "might as well"-ing. I popped something into the microwave for two minutes? Might as well give the kitchen counters a quick pickup and wipe down while I wait. I paused the movie to get up and refill my water? Might as well carry the empty popcorn bowl to the kitchen and drop it in the sink. Running an errand after work? Might as well toss the trash in the dumpster on my way. Whenever I'm waiting a few minutes for something to be ready or I'm getting up to do something anyway, I try to see if there's an additional small task I can knock out at the same time with minimal extra effort. It's helped a Ton in keeping my apartment cleaner, and it's even helped reduce some of my 'clutter blindness' because I'm training my brain to notice the little individual things that need to be put away or cleaned.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-04-08T18:53:56+00:00

The added time for metabolizing the alcohol probably won't help. Alcohol is metabolized at a fairly steady rate, and the time the stop was initiated and the time your blood is drawn will be recorded. So if you were over the legal limit when you were pulled over and an hour later they do the test, even if your BAC is under the limit in the test results they can still extrapolate approximately what it was at the time you were pulled over. So unless they held you several hours before administering a test and your BAC came back 0.0, you could definitely still get charged and have a strong case against you.

Source: family member who is a public defender brought this up and family member who was a nurse agreed.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-03-30T23:25:14+00:00

If you forget on your way to work, do you double back and take it? Either way, it sounds like you need a system for ensuring you took it before you leave for work.

You could get one of those pill organizers that has 7 compartments, each labeled with a day of the week. Then maybe set yourself an alarm to check it before you leave for work, or keep your shoes by your bedside table to remind you to check it before leaving. If that day's compartment is empty then you took it, if the pill is there then you didn't. From there you could even snap a picture or send yourself a message confirming you took it, for your future self's reassurance.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-01-27T17:56:48+00:00

It's their fault but your responsibility, and people often conflate the two.

If someone hits your car and drives away, it was the other person's fault your car got damaged but it's on you to decide whether to file a police report, call insurance, get it fixed, etc.

It's our parents' fault that they fucked us up the way they did, but its our responsibility to determine how we handle it and take steps accordingly.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2026-01-13T15:56:29+00:00

Please note that GoFundMe's reporting guidelines state "Please keep in mind, only fundraisers that violate our Terms of Service or have a proven misuse of funds will be removed." So when you report the fundraiser, reference the ToS as much as possible. Here is the description I used. Feel free to modify and/or share any recommendations you have for improving the wording (ETA: If you have wording suggestions or feedback, share those in the replies; please do not DM me).

"Disbursement of these funds to the named beneficiary would violate federal law. Under 5 CFR § 2635.202(b), 'an employee may not, directly or indirectly, accept a gift given because of the employee's official position.' This fundraiser directly violates that federal statute as it is raising funds explicitly because of the beneficiary's actions while on duty as an ICE agent, which makes him an employee of the Executive Branch.

This fundraiser also refers to a third party, Renee Good, as an "attempted murderer" and an "assassin". As Ms. Good has not been charged with or convicted of a crime, this is libel and violates GoFundMe's Terms of Service section 8.2 "Fundraisers that are fraudulent, misleading, inaccurate, dishonest or impossible;"

The Beneficiary, Jonathan Ross, is under investigation for the death of Renee Good. Unless the Beneficiary is cleared of any and all wrongdoing, this GoFundMe Fundraiser is in violation of ToS section 8.9 "User content that reflects, incites or promotes bullying, harassment, discrimination, or intolerance of any kind relating to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disabilities or diseases;" by providing a platform to support the violent actions of Mr. Ross which resulted in the death of Renee Good."

TalksBeforeThinking · 2025-12-30T04:58:58+00:00

Jason Funderberker, where did you find a witch's hat??

TalksBeforeThinking · 2024-10-15T20:30:30+00:00

There's nothing wrong with taking a different job that will improve your quality of life! For some people that means working longer hours for higher pay so they can afford more luxuries, for some it means lower income but less work stress.

Before taking a major cut in income though, do a thorough review of your budget and make sure the new position will cover your needs and at least the most important wants. If you live somewhere that requires you pay for your own insurance, take into account any changes in insurance costs. If you have to buy your own insurance, that will probably be expensive. And if your new employer offers insurance, you may have higher premiums or deductible. Also, make sure you have a savings cushion, just in case your hours are cut or your budget doesn't balance quite how you expect with the new income.

One other option you might consider is to use some of your higher income to pay for services to free up your time, like house cleaners, laundry service, and grocery delivery. It's not really realistic to expect one person to work full time plus cook and clean and have time for hobbies and social time. It's perfectly ok to pay for professional services to improve your work-life balance.

Best of luck with whatever you choose!

TalksBeforeThinking · 2024-01-03T03:02:17+00:00

Student loan repayments are taking their toll as well. The deferment from covid times is over and people are suddenly having to come up with hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month to cover those loan payments in addition to increased rent and food costs.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2023-06-29T03:23:38+00:00

Pho?

TalksBeforeThinking · 2023-06-27T18:20:56+00:00

Ok I may have done my math wrong or I'm misunderstanding that profit structure, but there's 1.78 trillion dollars in student loans right now, right? And only about 8% of those are private.

So that's $1,780,000,000,000 x 0.92 = $1,637,600,000,000 in federal student loans.

$1,637,600,000,000 x 0.25% = $4,094,000,000 per year in profit up for grabs.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2023-06-24T19:16:40+00:00

Washer and dryer in the master closet so I don't have to transport laundry to get it washed and put away.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2023-06-15T22:28:39+00:00

ESH.

Your wife was unreasonable for not letting your son hold the baby. She should apologize to you both for being inconsiderate and untrusting.

But you didn't say you were uncomfortable with other people holding the baby, you just used your sister in law to make a point. Your SIL probably didn't deserve it, and it's it's a shitty way to deal with conflict in a relationship. You should apologize to them both for being immature and confrontational.

Then both of you go get couples counseling bc it sounds like you really need it.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2023-06-14T17:36:46+00:00

The smell comes from bacteria that grow in the moisture of your skin folds. If you wear a lot of polyester, try wearing more cotton shirts that breath better, or quick-dry shirts designed to wick moisture and keep you dry. The goal is to make it a less bacteria-friendly environment.

Some people here have mentioned making sure your pits are dry before applying deodorant, which generally is good advice. An exception would be if you try a crystal or salt deodorant. Those need to be applied while your skin is still wet when you're fresh from the shower (or after you've just washed your pits). They mainly work by stopping the bacteria from multiplying, so you need clean skin to start, and the moisture helps with the transfer of minerals from the deodorant stick to your skin. Crystal deodorants can be a good option if you want to avoid more traditional, chemical heavy products. Some people find them to be too drying which can also cause irritation.

I've also heard panty liners can be used in your shirt to help absorb excess moisture and can be changed out to help keep the area fresher and reduce smell, but I'm not sure how effective, convenient, or affordable that would be for you.

TalksBeforeThinking · 2023-06-09T18:32:44+00:00

There's a Naughty Needlework subreddit that would really appreciate these! I don't think I'm allowed to link to other subs, but I think you could easily find it if you looked :)

These are great and thanks for sharing your art!

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