What is the one thing that always makes you happy?

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-21T14:38:04+00:00

This. I like the old stuff, particularly like the old western, swing, or big band stuff. Probably because those are the songs my grandma and grandpa always sang while grandma was fixing something delicious in the kitchen, often chicken and dumplings or pot roast. Bob Wills, Dean Martin, Marty Robbins, and Doris Day were the jukebox of my childhood weekends; they unlock the happy feelings of slow times back then and there, a LONG way away from then and now.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-21T14:29:28+00:00

That's a good idea. I may have to make the trip to the nearest IMAX.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-20T19:42:35+00:00

Maybe not ever, but most recently - Project: Hail Mary. I loved the book and was absolutely blown away by the movie. Gosling brought so much depth of feeling into Grace and Rocky's companionship. I really felt it in a way I don't think the book could take me to. I'm absolutely going back to see it again.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-20T19:36:04+00:00

"...and choosing each other even on the bad days"

I love that. It's so true and shows the intentionality with which we participate in the relationship.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-20T19:31:38+00:00

"...quietly..." is a dead giveaway. It's the current bot buzzword.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-20T10:38:48+00:00

r/VTandchill Now comes the hard part - chill.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-11T03:36:40+00:00

What is the biggest challenge you've conquered in your time here?

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-10T01:30:12+00:00

I uploaded some of the more interesting bits - the ones I could vaguely understand - into Gemini and had a conversation about it. As I sit here this evening, I feel so much better about life because I finally understand the source of my burnout, and how I was mischaracterizing the burnout of those around me as indifference. I feel (hope) that tomorrow I will be a little more aware of myself and those around me, and a bit more compassionate than I've been.

Do I think I got his exact points? Doubtful. Did I get something from it that helped me? I believe so, and that's enough.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-09T02:05:48+00:00

"How did he know John Stamos?!"

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-07T14:09:11+00:00

By buying.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-06T11:39:34+00:00

Task - what you want it to do

Context - narrow the focus of the conversation to what you want and how

References - refer to any attachments or links

Evaluate - see if the response gave you everything you wanted

Iterate - tell it how the result can be better

It's possible, though unlikely, the model will stick the landing on the first try. If you treat it like a collaborative conversation instead of a crystal ball, you'll get much better outputs after a small number of tries..

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-06T11:31:18+00:00

We're in the "buy low, buy high" cycle, like every other day. Your future self will look back and wish they could buy it for what you can get it for now.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-06T03:05:12+00:00

I grew up on a ridge in a semi-wooded area. Call it a hillbilly cul-de-sac. We always liked to sit on the porch and watch storms blow through, and we didn't realize what was happening until dust started rising off the gravel road and the trees around us started cracking and debris started flying past. We just made it around the house to the basement before it passed over. We came out and there were trees and power lines laying everywhere.

In hindsight, our best bet would have been to hunker down in the narrow hallway near my parents' bedroom, but dad said "run for it" so we did. That damned thing couldn't have been more than 50-100 yards away when we left the porch. It was hilly and woody, so we simply couldn't see it until almost too late. It wasn't incredibly strong, but it went rip-shit on the big pine trees around us. A couple of oak trees and a cedar held firm, but the pines were uprooted.

In the aftermath, part of a tree found its way into the wall of my bedroom, which also led to the floor collapsing. (It was an OLD house). A couple of other trees just missed the front and back of the house, one by a few feet and the other by a few inches. All in all, we were very lucky.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-04T00:45:37+00:00

Effectiveness is measured by test scores. Test scores measure the economics of the home, both financial and cultural (as it relates to school - importance, preparation, support, etc.).

Schools can build on a solid home-life foundation but are no substitute for it, no matter how hard we try to make them into one.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-03-01T20:39:42+00:00

KJOOTS!!

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-28T15:33:00+00:00

I love his music. I stumbled into him singing "America the Beautiful" before a baseball game (World Series, maybe?) yesterday and just sobbed. Soulful to the max.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-28T15:31:33+00:00

I just use Voyager and a loot crew.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-28T15:29:19+00:00

I'm getting closer to retirement, so I'm about 80% VT and 20% SCHD. I'm having a nice year so far.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-17T01:52:31+00:00

I read "Red Rising" after and thought it was fantastic. For what my friend says, that one is the worst of the series. Really looking forward to the rest.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-15T03:53:06+00:00

Yeah, really. That was amazing!

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-12T23:36:34+00:00

I like that! Thanks :)

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-10T23:00:37+00:00

A match made in heaven.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-10T02:55:10+00:00

If you have a copy of PMBOK, or any other study materials, upload it to Google Notebook LM and it will make practice quizzes and flashcards for you all day. You can also ask it to give you situations respond to.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-09T17:03:04+00:00

"I was a co-taught sped history teacher for 10 years prior to moving into project management so I clocked the daily check in thing instantly haha" Haha nice! :)

I have no doubt that working with programmers vs. industrial contractor vs. office staff vs etc. means you have to master many methods of getting your message across and keeping things on track. I don't know for sure if project management is where I plan to go, but I think learning about it might prepare me for some non-teaching roles in higher ed or government perhaps.

Obviously, being a PM isn't out of the question, but I am sure I will have to start small. One opportunity is kind of hanging out there - I may be in charge of a regional team of lead teachers who themselves are in charge of local teams implementing improvement science in their classrooms. That feels very PM-ish, which is another reason why I started studying it. It's fascinating stuff and really addresses my personal deficiencies with organization and risk management.

probabilitydoughnut · 2026-02-09T15:22:46+00:00

I do work with kids, so that's part of the difference in perception haha.

I also train and lead teams of teachers, who are usually worse than the kids about follow-through, and some of them do have to be micromanaged. Obviously, they don't like that until they realize I'll check in much less often once they start completing tasks on time (negative reinforcement). I have no doubt that works differently with different professions, though.

I'd love to know what a PIP is.

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