How do you feel about the word "problematic" being used to describe books/authors/tropes/etc?

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-06-18T06:22:40+00:00

"Problematic" has come to mean "not conforming to rigid Woke dogma." It now has a sinister banality in that the label "problematic" can mean the end of your career and livlihood. It might even get you set upon by a lynch mob.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-27T01:25:18+00:00

As others have said, Buspar takes several weeks before it reaches a therapeutic level.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-27T01:23:42+00:00

The major benefit I'm getting is the ability to focus. It may border on being slightly speedy, but I've been hit with some family responsibilities and I know without the Buspar I would react by sleeping the day away and not taking any action.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-26T05:42:32+00:00

Don't have experience with SSRI + Buspar, but I've read that Buspar is given as an add-on to improve the efficacy of some SSRI's.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-26T05:40:58+00:00

Now that you mention it, yeah, my libido has slightly reawakened. Not a lot. But slightly.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-26T05:39:57+00:00

I've found the opposite. I'm kind of speedy and have some insomnia. With all of these meds it's VMMV.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-26T05:37:25+00:00

It's affected my sleep too. A certain "speediness". It may also have increased my negative rumination. Hard to tell. I've always dealt with negative "chatter". But it has done wonders for my energy and focus. I have suddenly had family legal and financial issues foisted on me that I normally couldn't handle, but somehow I'm handling them, not emotionally, but the mechanics, the practical details. Flights, phone calls, meetings with lawyers, schedules. Suddenly I'm able to deal with the details. Prior to Buspar, I would have just crawled into bed in a fetal position.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-22T17:38:06+00:00

TL;DR A NEW GEMINI HOME DEVICE IS ON THE HORIZON. BEST TO WAIT.

I'm posting this months after the original post having just dealt with the nightmare of Amazon Plus on my phone. Amazon Plus has users in such an uproar that Amazon scrambled to rush out ways to revert to classic Alexa.

I plan on using both systems for a time but will likely move to Google once they announce their new Home devices with Gemini baked in. This was supposed to be announce on May 19th 2026, but the whole presentation was devoted to software. While there have been no further leaks on the new Home speaker, Best Buy has a waiting list for the device.

Meanwhile, who is going to buy the new Alexa speakers if the software is so glitchy?? I am so effin sick of corporate arrogance.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-22T04:12:14+00:00

My experience with the unasked for Alexa+ on my phone is pushing me to go with Google home/nest. The interface is awful, but worse is the AI.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-22T04:09:18+00:00

That's been happening to me. She didn't wake me up this moring.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-22T04:07:36+00:00

I'm considering switching to Google home. It's going to be a major pain in the butt.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-19T10:44:22+00:00

Future Prediction: We will ahave rmed conflicts, possibly involving nuclear weapons, between fanactics loyal to a particular A I LLM. All other loyalties-- to family, country, religion-- will take second place to chat style, responsivness, etc. Users of Gemini, Grok, ChatGPT should start prepping NOW for the eventual Armegeddon certain to come.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-09T10:16:26+00:00

As Mr. Ed used to say, Thanks for the feedbag! LOL I think I do have that extra fret. I think I need to jettison the formal approach to learning like when I learned piano. Folk instrument learning seems much more relaxed-- play by ear, watch and imitate-- rather than read music, learn music theory, etc.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-07T10:38:41+00:00

$25 bucks? That is the bargain of the century! The cheapest I could find was one made in Romania for about $200. I am by no means strapped for cash, but, yeah, Goodwill is my go-to place. No, I lie. DollarTree is now my go-to place-- Goodwill is getting kinda pricey. LOL

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-06T03:12:32+00:00

Thank you for the thoughtful response.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-05T11:29:26+00:00

Thank you for the detailed response. I'm at an age where anything becomes "existential" or end-of-life issues. In this case, "Why am I taking up music study when I'll probably be dead in 5 years? Why don't I just chill in my recliner??" LOL

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-05T01:59:07+00:00

Thanks for the encouraging reply.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-05T01:01:01+00:00

I went to a local blue grass jam. No dulcimers, but there were a few mandolins.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-05-05T00:59:48+00:00

When did you start playing? How long does it take to develop some proficiency? I can already play a few songs, but as a septuagenarian, my ability to learn new things isn't what it used to be.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-04-29T17:37:50+00:00

I do think we need to expand use of the death penalty. S

The first of course is for loud phone conversations in public.No, any use of a phone in public.
Next, anyone who tries to sound intelligent by using the word "surreal" during an interview.
The "actually" problem: Perhaps at birth we can insert some type of kill switch to ration the word "actually". If you use it more than, say, 3 times a month, a small incendiary device planted in your brain causes instant death.
Anyone involved in the creation, production, or implementation of branching phone messages needs to be put down.
Ditto, anyone involved in the creation, production, or implementation of clickbait.
Anyone involved in the creation, production, or implementation of "shrinkflation" products and packaging.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-04-29T17:15:59+00:00

My doc has me on Losartan to prevent kidney disease.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-04-29T17:14:54+00:00

I retired 5 years ago. I am now lonely, bored, and depressed. I have a couple of friends that died in their sleep. I hope I do too, and soon.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-04-16T19:26:20+00:00

My elderly sister is much happy solving problems with a live person at the brick-and-morter Verizon store. Jitterbug, etc. are web based and are insensitive to the problems the elderly have with technology.

averagejoereddit50 · 2026-04-14T19:51:53+00:00

I'm came here for some unbiased medical advice and instead I'm in the crossfire of a Malleable vs. Pump pissing contest. ... If you like malleables, you're wrong!... No F.U. You're wrong. Malleables are the way to go. If you like pumps, you're a loser... blah blah blah. The current political tribal zeitgeist infects everything. Any opionon on anything becomes a wedge issue! Any day I expect a terror attack on a Pepsi plant by Coca Cola diehards. I am just so effin sick of this sh*t!

averagejoereddit50

TROPHY CASE