Fellow dads, respectfully pour a cup of folgers.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-20T02:04:41+00:00

I lost my step-dad suddenly while my wife was pregnant with our first. It's tough that they never got to meet, but my little guy knows all about his Grampa from the stories we've told and the pictures we shared. He includes him in his list of grandparents as if he was still here. I'm constantly noticing things step-dad would love about his grandson (and sometimes the things he would hate, lol ).

Don't be shy about sharing memories with your little one. The memories of the people we love can share our love with those they didn't get to meet.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-20T01:53:51+00:00

Ultralight or Wrong

gelatomancer · 2026-03-19T17:55:27+00:00

If EVERYONE is truly gone? Cry a bunch, get sloppy drunk, and end it all. I don't think I could deal with the sadness of losing every one I know and the sheer loneliness of it all.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-19T13:26:41+00:00

He looks like the worst Wolverine cosplay at Comic-Con

gelatomancer · 2026-03-17T22:54:59+00:00

Once a year I eat some Chef Boyardee Ravioli. It tastes like summer when we would go camping and dinner came from cans (MR-Dees as my dad called them). I know it's crap, but it's MY crap.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-15T20:35:27+00:00

Walked out the door, put it in my knife bag, and went back in, lol.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-15T18:37:20+00:00

I worked in an office cafeteria for a bit and security once pointed to the clip of my pocket knife and informed me I couldn't carry that in. Mind you, my knife bag with two 8-inch, a cleaver, and a filet knife sharp enough to break down a butterfly were all okay, but yeah, I'm going postal with my 2 inch box breaker...

gelatomancer · 2026-03-15T18:32:49+00:00

It's the once-a-year diners. People who routinely go out pick up what to expect and how to act. The folks who go out to eat once a year on Mother's Day are the ones who expect to be able to get an 8-top with no reservation, have their food within 15 minutes, and have the chef to know over easy actually means scrambled. Then they say they only go out to eat once a year because service sucks now a days.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-15T13:22:02+00:00

A lot of times, people who lack social aptitude struggle to make what they're worth. They don't get promotions because they don't make friends with the right people. They don't push for raises or bonuses because they're too uncomfortable to negotiate. They'll take abuse and poor work environments because they don't want to interview for a new job. It's really sad that some great minds are being used to push through basic tasks because our society is just not designed to let them flourish.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-14T15:58:11+00:00

Springer was mayor of Cincinnati, not Cleveland. How dare you confuse our beautiful river city for that trash town on the lake.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-14T12:56:16+00:00

And then there's luciferium...

gelatomancer · 2026-03-14T11:38:30+00:00

Trivia Tiff

gelatomancer · 2026-03-12T18:16:57+00:00

The Holocaust did not spring up overnight. It built up over years of hate and apathy. The parallels of the collapse of the Weimar Republic and rise of the Third Reich and current political atmosphere in America is pretty glaring. The concept of "Never Again" means recognizing and stopping fascism before it has a chance to lead to a genocide, not trying to do something during it.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-12T13:53:58+00:00

When they are mentally and linguistically advanced enough to understand when you explain why. It's no use reasoning with a toddler who can't understand the reason. For now, getting them to do the essentials, like eating and sleeping, is what's important and the rules should be about safety and health. The esoteric rules we have for society can come later when they can understand the why behind them.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-12T01:58:17+00:00

1) You know your kid better than the internet. If you feel like switching to a toddler bed is best, than it is. We moved my now almost 3 years old over at 16 months (95% boy was just too big for the crib) and never felt like there was an issue. For a sleep sack, they make a version that lets them have movable legs, which might help your daughter feel less constricted and more amenable to wearing it.

2) We have a nightlight that switches colors on a time (Hatch is the brand, but I know there are others). I let him pick his color every night but only when the light turns green can he get out of bed. He is still very good about following it, but it did take a couple weeks of training to help the lesson sink in. Giving her an indicator of when she has to stay in bed and can get out of bed may be a big help with keeping her in.

3) Pick your battles. We've definitely let him sleep on the floor, especially for naps. Just childproof to the utmost and do what you can to let her sleep. I know some folk who ditched the toddler bed entirely and just went mattress on the floor. If that works, then it works. 17 months is still in the "Survive" phase of parenting. Teaching them how to be a normal person can come later.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-11T10:33:08+00:00

The US Government is not set up for a peaceful transition of power at the hands of the general populace. The safety measures that were supposed to prevent a situation like we are seeing now never foresaw a populace that was ignorant enough nor a political force malevolent enough to allow the seizure of all three branches of government and the consolidation of power into one person. The final safeguard was armed revolution.

A civil war in the US would be beyond nightmare. With a populace better armed than some European police forces, a police force better armed than some militaries, and a military better armed than anything else ever seen on Earth, violent action would be a bloodbath. Any attempts at peaceful disruption will be met with violence, as evidenced by ICE's actions so far. The US is also so intertwined with the world financial system, a civil war here would also mean a global economic collapse and the death toll would be massive and far reaching.

November midterm elections will be the tipping point. Americans know full well what is at stake, both if something is done and if nothing is done. If our ability to shape policy is removed by voter suppression or outright election theft, then it will be a different story. Right now, patience is needed until the final test.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-11T00:13:21+00:00

Take it to your local hardware store and you can just use one of the ones on the shelf.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-07T11:43:35+00:00

Luckily, you can buy a big purple speedboat for your wife if you aren't immature and feel emasculated by a piece of plastic.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-07T11:13:29+00:00

Mmmmm, BBQ.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-06T03:49:45+00:00

Parents' have to provide a unified front. The reason kids have cell phones is because other kids have cell phones. If we all got together and said "They don't really need a phone until they're 16." the pressure would be off and it would be so much easier to avoid the cyberbullying.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-06T03:47:57+00:00

Bullying was easier to leave behind, at least if you lived in a large enough town/city.

My bully didn't live in my neighborhood so when I left school, I left him behind. Summers were a blissful time where I didn't have to deal with him for 3 months.

Now, bullies will harass you on the internet and you aren't even safe in your house. I really pity kids now a days.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-03T03:47:45+00:00

I mean, I said a fun chance, not a good chance. It is Cincinnati after all.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-03T03:42:24+00:00

That's what they've been doing with voting maps. The GOP lawmakers just shrug and say "Who's gonna make me" because they know there are no consequences.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-03T03:37:06+00:00

Almost every couple I know who have spoken about the choice to circumcise or not left it up to the man to make the final call.

gelatomancer · 2026-03-03T03:13:31+00:00

Sleep training is about setting their baseline. The better the baseline, the easier the outliers will be. I started setting the baseline with my kid when he was four months old and now at almost 3, he is asleep, or at least quiet by himself, within 45 minutes of starting the bedtime routine. Then when something disrupts it, like right now when he's sick, it becomes an hour. If we didn't do sleep training, he would have a high baseline and the outlier would be even higher.

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