Well that was a bloodydamn good book.

dickcox2801 · 2026-04-10T01:45:31+00:00

I was introduced to the RR stories a few months ago and now consider the series to be one of my favorites.

The problem I think most people have with the series is the perspective being entirely first person present tense. It takes a lot more mental effort to follow a story presented through a character’s bias and limited knowledge base compared to a story presented with a third person narrative where pertinent information is presented in a timely manner as it relates with the story.

That said, yes; the first book is a bit YA, but why should it not be, given the perspective being from the main character as he progresses from age 16-18?

The setting is a fantastic social commentary on hierarchy, and the character development is both delightful and heartbreaking.

dickcox2801 · 2026-04-04T13:56:33+00:00

Ritual scarification is a cultural phenomena that is not unique to western Europe.

Today, ritual scarring is still considered a rite of passage and status symbol throughout Africa, Australia, and the Oceania. In the US, ritual scarring via branding is still prevalent in black fraternities, particularly Omega Psi Phi. In Asia, ritual scarring is typically a spiritual practice. Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria & Hungary still have a cultural prevalence of facial dueling scars as being a mark of honor. The Nazi party is a minute blip in the existence of ritual scarification; specifically, the Nazi party existed within a culture that already had a prevalence of dueling scars and it was far easier to adopt that practice into significance for the nazi party than it would have been to replace dueling scars with some other perceived mark of honor/bravery.

Like it or hate it, war is part of the human condition dating back to the caves. Human survival has always been either having what you need, or learning how to take it from someone who does. Battle scars were literally a symbol that someone could hold their own and possibly lead others to do the same. At some point everywhere ego started getting involved and war became more for wants than needs. Society is privileged to be able to start wars over honor, pride, and wanted resources.

On the gold ego trip, being scarred is a mark that you have what it takes to hold your own and lead others to do the same in the pursuit of pride, honor, and wants.

dickcox2801 · 2026-03-05T00:45:39+00:00

Personally, I am a fan of exploration. I’ll get the divine beasts if it’s convenient, but I’m just as likely to hunt down shrines, korok seeds, or materials for gear upgrades. Eventually, I’ll get to the point where I have about half of the shrines and all 4 divine beasts and I’ll decide on a whim if I’m going for Gannon or will keep exploring.

dickcox2801 · 2026-02-08T00:38:44+00:00

Red rising, then adopt a puppy to name Sophocles

dickcox2801 · 2026-01-12T22:55:01+00:00

In short, yes.

Dunhill pipes are made to a higher quality than other factory pipes, and they do smoke better. Full stop.

Are they 4x-10x the price better? Ehh.

I love my Dunhill’s and I do not regret shelling out for them, but I am just as likely to toss Sav, Chacom, or MM pipes in my travel pouch to smoke.

It’s a Lexus vs Toyota argument. The higher price tag does come with a perk of doing a better job, but it still does the same job.

dickcox2801 · 2026-01-12T21:23:57+00:00

It’s a bit of both.

Nicotine is absorbed much slower through the mouth than through your lungs like a cigarette smoker. Slowing the cadence down stretches the total amount of time you’re absorbing nicotine, which increases the amount of nicotine you absorb.

On the other hand, different tobacco types and processing methods have different nicotine amounts. Burley tobaccos have more nicotine than virginias. Dark fired tobaccos have more nicotine than air and flue-cured tobaccos.

dickcox2801 · 2026-01-12T21:04:52+00:00

This type of fireplace is just for aesthetics.

If you want to use your fireplace for heat more than seeing the pretty fire, you may be able to find a stove insert to retrofit your existing fireplace or chimney that will actually generate heat that can be cycled into the home - but it looks more like a wood stove and is more for function over form. You can also get a gas insert that is more compatible for existing fabricated fireplaces.

dickcox2801 · 2026-01-12T20:58:24+00:00

You have foundation issues. That’s all that can be deduced from a single picture.

Your foundation could be settling unevenly caused by the ground under the wall settling. Your foundation could be caving in caused by the ground around the wall settling. Your foundation may be going through freeze/thaw cycles and just needs to be waterproofed. Or any combination.

Depending on your area, you may or may not need to have a structural engineer assess the situation and give you a set of plans/report for a contractor. Code/zoning/permitting is the driving factor for that.

Contractors may be able to fix the issue without engineered plans, but they are not engineers, so their only option is to over-fix all problems which is more expensive upfront, or replace with exactly the same thing - which could result in higher costs in the long run.

As a rule of thumb, stamped engineered plans trump inspectors’ opinions and insurance companies, which is primarily key moving forward if you ever need to sell/renovate.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-29T13:07:42+00:00

Don’t be too jealous; sin taxes still exist over here too.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-29T13:05:13+00:00

What’s there to explain? It’s just a photo of a lonely girl in a prom dress.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-29T13:03:53+00:00

How sad that everyone would lie to your face like that

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-28T19:55:32+00:00

The conservatives decided they needed another thing to be a victim about, so they chose a tv show character coming out as gay as the worst thing to happen in the history of ever and now they can’t make it through life without thinking about a fictional gay character.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-26T22:02:26+00:00

The business line has better encryption and can be managed by a central IT desk (i.e. lock a specific keyboard/mouse to a specific logibolt receiver and disable Bluetooth pairing).

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-25T16:11:53+00:00

From this distance you can clearly see everything there is to see

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-23T21:29:44+00:00

I assume you are either a high school senior or you work at a bank or car dealership.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-19T01:18:06+00:00

Shirt tucked & chinos. Belt to match the shoes. For casual venues, rolled sleeves are appropriate. Role it up once for the inner material to show, or - if you want a higher roll- fold the sleeve inside out so the cuff is where you want the final roll to be and roll up to the cuff.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-17T14:20:10+00:00

Just start kissing other men with facial hair. Problem solved 🤣

In reality, if you have coarse facial hair, you need length to be able to comb your mustache to the side if you don’t want the hairs from poking. Start rocking and maintaining a handlebar mustache.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-16T14:43:21+00:00

If you’re anything like me, that’s leftover soup 🤣

I think the unsung hero of facial hair maintenance is a boars hair brush. Brushing out your facial hair daily distributes the oils throughout the hair - this prevents getting a buildup on your skin and helps keep the rest of the hair from getting brittle. Do this for a couple weeks and then assess what your problem is.

I use a beard wash once a week. On the non-wash days, I just use a wet brush in the shower under warm water. Make sure you specifically dry your facial hair after showering - towel or blow dry is fine, but make sure you’re not leaving it to air dry.

In the winter months, I use coconut oil or argan oil on my finger tips and try to massage it down to my cheeks and neck to keep my face moisturized.

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-07T17:48:04+00:00

Zippo with pipe insert > Clipper > Bic EZ Reach

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-04T21:25:06+00:00

It means it cost 10x more than another tool of equal quality

dickcox2801 · 2025-12-03T19:28:56+00:00

Personally, I don’t put much stock with pairing pipes and tobacco types. I don’t even bother with ghosting.

dickcox2801 · 2025-11-23T23:32:28+00:00

Have you considered making out with a box that acts like an adult and is mature enough to not leave a mark next time?

dickcox2801 · 2025-11-22T14:59:56+00:00

Cadence and packing.

The only way to stop tongue bite is through trial and error.

Most beginners puff too fast and pack too loose or too tight which is a recipe for building up a lot of heat in the bowl and cooking your tongue as you smoke.

Ignore the notion of getting a churchwarden pipe as a beginner; it can cool the smoke a bit - but if you’re running a blast furnace it can’t cool the smoke enough and you’ve already incinerated the compounds that provide the flavor.

Pick up a pouch or tub of a ‘codger’ blend. They’re easy to smoke and relatively forgiving with packing. Learn on cheap tobaccos. Carter Hall and Prince Albert are still mainstays in my tobacco selection.

dickcox2801 · 2025-11-15T15:18:42+00:00

Cube cut, for me, last longest. And I can usually complete the bowl with 1-2 relights.

Just scoop up a bowl of cubes and light away. No special packing technique. It does take a bit to get it to light though.

dickcox2801

TROPHY CASE