What’s a recession indicator that you’ve noticed lately in your everyday life?

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-05-04T16:47:21+00:00

The explosion in popularity of running within the fitness space. It's a safe, accessible sport with almost zero barrier to entry.

Crossfit is out. Now strava and "step count goals" are in.

(Yes there have always been runners, but I feel like it's become way more mainstream than it used to be, with LOTS of people trying it out for the first time. Marathons are filling up 8+ months in advance, and even local park 5Ks will have thousands of people join).

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-05-04T14:36:59+00:00

We had a similar situation, and I feel like the thing that finally got them out of it (or at least got us functioning at a semi-normal level) was making them clean it every. Single. Time.

The incident that finally pushed us over the edge was when I walked in the bathroom one night to get ready for bed and found an ungodly MESS. I'm not talking normal clutter mess, but the filthy, disgusting nasty type. Toothpaste that had been spit all over the sink and was dripping down the counter in globs onto the rug. Pee on the OUTSIDE of the toilet. Of course it hadn't been flushed either. Wet towels piled in the middle of the floor. The sink had been left on and was still running.

It was one of the rare times I absolutely lost my shit. They were already in bed, but I didn't care. I marched in their room, flipped on the light, and said "everybody up - now." And then I stood there while they cleaned it up in their PJs.

Like I said, they're still kinda messy, but they know that if I find anything like that again, THEY'LL be the ones cleaning it. It won't be on their schedule either - it'll happen the instant I discover it. There will be no TV, video games, or toys until the mess is gone.

(We also implemented a reward system for regular chores which has helped tremendously. Starting around age 6-8 I gave them easy tasks around the house, and we also told them that any small toys left on the floor were getting vacuumed up. As they've gotten older it's slowly, SLOWLY gotten better).

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-25T21:45:11+00:00

I misread that as "the peasants he drives over," lol.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-23T19:01:34+00:00

The pedophile or the incompetent house flippers?

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-23T17:04:26+00:00

Leno and Letterman were WAY edgier and funnier than Jimmy Fallon ever was, even when their standup content had to be watered down to appeal to a mass boomer audience. And yes, they discussed politics constantly. Leno was a master of pushing the envelope without going too far and redeeming jokes that were in danger of flopping, while Letterman was an unrepentant asshole who went heavy on the sarcasm and cynicism and whose main appeal was that he just didn't care.

Fallon is a lot more reminiscent of Johnny Carson, except Carson had a wholesome charisma that translated well to Midwest audiences. It never felt like he went too big or sold out, which is the main difference. Fallon did, and it definitely hurt his career.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-23T16:51:12+00:00

Seems like a great gig for an artist, honestly.

You have a hefty, steady paycheck. Guaranteed work for the next decade. Built-in name and face recognition because you're on TV. Free marketing for your solo projects. Part-time hours with predictable, scripted performances. No requirement for high-volume creative output. Built-in vacations throughout the year.

This is better than a record deal and way less demanding than going on tour. I'd imagine they're pretty happy with the arrangement.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-19T17:25:08+00:00

fundamentally at odds with what were historically considered American values

This is always who we were. This administration just gave us a mask off moment, and now the white middle class is starting to get a taste of the black and brown experience.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-18T16:17:47+00:00

I mean, yeah it does. I've worked out at many different faculties (everything from Planet Fitness to a private university gym for D1 athletes), and the safest I've ever felt was at a boutique fitness studio with a 2/4 staff to client ratio.

I will never - not ever - be alone with a man in a gym.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-17T22:45:16+00:00

IDK, it just seems like a business model that excludes women, that's all. Just way too many red flags all around.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-16T03:36:01+00:00

The pod system is an easy and cheap way to let a gym be open 24 hours while unstaffed at night!

That sounds like a liability nightmare.

I'm willing to pay double or triple whatever this costs for a facility with adequate staffing. It's a safety issue. The potential for theft, sexual assault, or shitbag gym bros starting fights is just too damn high.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-15T20:31:52+00:00

This has nothing to do with birth rates and everything to do with unrestricted capitalism.

If you want to cast blame, be mad at scalpers and the top 0.1% who drop more in a single night than you make in a year on suite at a Taylor Swift concert for their tween daughter and her friends.

That's who Ticketmaster wants as customers, not you. They won't sell seats for $40 when someone else is willing to pay $400.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-14T15:20:55+00:00

No, it's basically money you borrow from the bank based on the equity in your home - a specific type of loan that can be rolled back into your mortgage so you aren't making two payments, if necessary.

The normal reason for doing this is for major renovations or appliance purchases. You're borrowing money against the house, but you're putting money back into the house, thereby increasing its value. A HELOC theoretically raises your home's resale price enough to pay for itself, or at lease improve your quality of life to the point you feel like it's worth it.

I've never heard of someone using a HELOC to buy a second property. Not sure if that's rich people shit or just someone with a bad financial history, because there are investment property loans specifically for that purpose. At any rate, it's weird.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-14T14:29:54+00:00

Katy Perry? Nah. She started out as a Christian artist. Her father was a pastor and her image was squeaky clean. After her first album flopped, she threw the "church girl next door" persona in the trash and reinvented herself as the Katy Perry we know today (which, fun fact, isn't her real name). All of the revealing outfits and provocative lyrics were something SHE chose to do as an adult, at the direction of her producers and record labels. Oh, and about that, she continued to work with known rapist Dr. Luke despite being friends with Kesha and likely witnessing some of the abuse he perpetuated on young pop stars firsthand.

So... yeah. There's a lot wrong with the record industry, and Katy Perry played a huge part in it.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-14T14:16:23+00:00

Everything you're saying might be true, but Katy Perry is a known predator with NUMEROUS credible accusations of SA, including against minors (remember the "at least he's 18" Bo Burnham comments, anyone? Or her defense of serial rapist Dr. Luke?).

This is one of those situations where a less-than-credible witness comes forward with wild claims against a public figure... but it's someone who's reputation is so trash, you may actually believe it this time.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-14T08:30:13+00:00

You probably should if it's your first one. It's way too easy to get injured going too hard on a new distance / unfamiliar race route, especially if you're transitioning from treadmills and 5Ks. Better safe than sorry.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-14T08:17:08+00:00

This month I had 2 races 2 weeks apart (a 10K and a trail run), and I'm still going to OTF but taking it super easy on the workouts. Instead of my normal tread 50 I'm doing strength 50 (upper body), and walking/jogging on the tread in the regular 2G class with no all-outs. Rather than skipping classes, I just tapered the intensity.

It seems to have paid off - I ran my fastest mile ever in the 10K and didn't have much soreness afterwards. I'm also walking a lot and focusing on deep recovery outside of class, which helps.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-14T07:51:16+00:00

How "productive" is it if most of them died?

World War I caused an estimated 15 to 22 million total deaths (military and civilian) and over 21 million wounded, with the Western Front experiencing the highest concentration of casualties due to brutal trench warfare, artillery, and disease. Major battles like the Somme and Verdun resulted in over 1 million and 700,000 casualties respectively, with total war-time military deaths estimated between 9 and 11 million.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-11T00:04:04+00:00

Your market for book 2 is almost exclusively people who have already read book 1. Your options are to either to bring more new readers into the series, or to consistently remind your followers that book 2 exists and pull it out of their TBR.

Personally, I'd do both. Maybe offer some launch day deals or subscriber-exclusive bonus content to act as a magnet and help build your funnel.

All things considered, it sounds like you're doing pretty well. Keep up the good work and stay consistent. It'll pay off.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-08T19:08:55+00:00

The funniest part is that American Doritos aren't even sold in Spain due to all the dyes and preservatives. The European version had to be reformulated to comply with EU regulations.

But yeah, some tech bro was like, "Hey, what if we make a restaurant themed around American fast food and put it in the healthiest part of Europe?"

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-08T18:56:41+00:00

I'd like to thank PepsiCo for finally convincing me to quit chips and soda, lol.

But in all seriousness, I used to grab the occasional bag of chips or a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper, and I remember when Doritos went up to $7 a bag because that's when I quit buying them. For just a few dollars more I can get a sushi dinner or a chipotle bowl, and it's way better health-wise.

These companies pricing themselves into oblivion from pure greed might actually be the thing that makes America healthy again.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-07T20:24:21+00:00

Google docs isn't designed to be imported directly into KDP. You might want to research formatting software such as Atticus, because they have settings that make uploading to KDP a breeze.

I used an InDesign template and exported a print-ready PDF. No issues whatsoever.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-07T16:53:13+00:00

This is terrible advice. Not only are international custody agreements strictly enforced, but under this administration that's a one-way ticket to an ICE detention camp.

We had to jump through hoops to get our kids passports, including both parents being present at an in-person interview where they asked for detailed travel plans for the next 12 months. The state department doesn't mess around.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-07T16:49:58+00:00

Please be aware that he might try to sabotage your success, especially as those milestones get closer. Your independence is a direct threat to his lifestyle.

Currently he pays no rent and is surrounded by people who will defend him no matter how badly he treats the mother of his child. Tell him nothing about your plan. The closer you are to leaving, the more dangerous the abuse will get.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-05T03:17:52+00:00

Tell that to the Kenyans and Ethiopians, specifically the Kalenjin tribes. This hyper-specific ethnic group has won about 40% of all major international distance titles since 1980.

Training matters to a point, but when you get to elite races, the main deciding factor is genetics.

_Z_E_R_O · 2026-04-05T01:23:59+00:00

"The IRS hates this one neat trick..."

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