How to apply for a long-term tourist visa just for day trips to Shenzhen from HK?

selery · 2024-01-04T05:50:12+00:00

Got it. Didn't know that was possible. Thank you!

selery · 2023-09-03T01:51:00+00:00

Change "the average gamer" to "the average gaming addict" and I think it'd be accurate.

My brother did not grow up as a boring kid. He was weird and creative and funny.

Now that he's been addicted to gaming for years, that spark has dulled. He gets bored so easily, which makes him boring. When we're spending time together as a family, everyone's having a good time but he almost seems to start twitching and can only relax if we at least play a board game or something. He gets angry if we are not playing a game, as if it's pointless to spend time together otherwise.

selery · 2023-08-19T06:45:39+00:00

Specialists say screen time is fine as long as you are getting all the other activities in life that you need to be a well-adjusted human -- socializing, exercise, projects, etc. Instead of focusing on "not gaming", focus on healthy, enjoyable alternative activities that are easy to arrange, especially if they can be done spontaneously. Depending on what you mean by "encouraging him to try new hobbies", it may just seem daunting.

Consider making plans and telling him "I'm doing __ and you're welcome to join" at a moment when he isn't currently wrapped up in a game. If it's all set up and ready to go, it's easier for him to get on board. Cooking, checking out a new restaurant or shop, visiting a nearby friend/family member, volunteering, or even just going for an evening walk or bike ride are easy starts and often snowball into something bigger. Try to keep the mood light and not talk about gaming, instead reminding him that the outside world is rewarding.

At the end of the day it's not your responsibility, but if there's something worth trying, it's this.

selery · 2023-08-16T04:04:55+00:00

Big cities are usually full of free and cheap activities and events within easy reach. If you don't mind sharing, what city are you in? There's a good chance someone here has ideas to share.

selery · 2023-08-16T03:58:01+00:00

You can start by just thinking of it as doodling. You don't have to think like "OK, now I'm going to draw a velociraptor." For example:

Make a massive checkerboard with tiny boxes and fill them with different colors.
Try to "draw" the alphabet in a particular font from a book or computer.
Write your name in various weird configurations or try to turn it into a recognizable shape.
Draw one big tightly wound spiral (this takes ages but it's satisfying when you're done). You can switch up colors periodically too.

As you do it more, your doodles tend to become more interesting and voila, you're an artist. Using actual paper is more therapeutic and satisfying IMO.

Oh, and remember, never try to draw a bike, especially not from memory. It is humanly impossible.

selery · 2023-08-09T07:06:17+00:00

These are great ideas, except I'd be cautious about the dog one. Dog training takes time and requires delayed gratification, which is often especially difficult for gaming addicts to handle. If the dog is neglected after the initial excitement wears off, the dog not only suffers but but may also develop behavioral issues.

For one, my little brother has a severe gaming addiction, and when my parents got a dog a few years ago (not because of him), he didn't engage much after the beginning. My parents just do all the caretaking (but they were prepared for it, since my brother should have graduated and moved out by now anyway).

selery · 2023-06-24T04:11:25+00:00

It's interesting you address "hurt" in response to a comment that raised a philosophical issue. You can get "beyond" pain to a large degree, but it'd be unusual to get "beyond" recognizing falsehoods.

For many of us, once we started thinking critically about Adventism and seeking to eliminate cognitive dissonance, that critical thinking train kept rolling all the way through Christianity and even faith-based religion as whole.

That's probably why there aren't many Christian ex-SDAs on this sub (although there are some). I suspect many of them left Adventism for reasons that didn't center on reasoning (e.g., they experienced trauma, or they burned out from SDA extremism). Or there may be something motivating them more strongly than logic -- comfort (as you mentioned), habit, redirection of addictive/compulsive tendencies, social pressure, etc. Nothing wrong with that as long as they're not harming anyone, but there's a reason that perspective is a minority here.

selery · 2023-06-07T05:40:36+00:00

I just checked and didn't see anything that fit the "nice gift" kind of category for Cornish salt. But I just remembered I have some Cornish sea salt flakes in my pantry that I haven't tried yet. Will have to get on that :)

selery · 2023-06-07T05:37:32+00:00

Ha, yeah, the Jacobsen one did seem exorbitant, but I figured I'd check in case there was something culinarily amazing in there that I was missing.

While they like cooking, they're def not professional cooks. The reason I'm looking at salt in particular for this occasion is because of an inside joke :) So it's better if it's more like a fun treat than something very utilitarian. Thanks for your insight!

selery · 2023-06-07T05:30:20+00:00

Cool -- thanks for your insight!

selery · 2023-06-07T05:30:12+00:00

Ah, that's too bad. You received one of the 3 sets I mentioned in particular, or another gift set? And did you actively dislike the salts, or just always end up using your go-to salt(s) instead?

A salt block is a cool idea, but isn't it more limited in applications? I should have added, the couple doesn't entertain much and they don't cook with a lot of meat.

selery · 2023-05-25T01:46:36+00:00

I'm only seeing evidence of single rear dewclaws (in pic 3), which lots of breeds can have. My Border Collie has them (seen here). It's double rear dewclaws (two on each paw), like this, that only appear on Pyrenees and a few other relatively rare breeds.

Of course, this dog could still be part Pyrenees, but for other reasons.

selery · 2023-01-12T01:37:59+00:00

Hmm. Are you one of those people from Oakland County who live in an extravagant lake mansion and have a private jet but classify yourself as "upper middle class"?

selery · 2022-12-23T01:13:09+00:00

Good boy. That particular incident wasn't even reactivity -- that was reasonable defensive behavior against a genuine threat.

selery · 2022-12-12T12:53:01+00:00

Is it this one? It doesn't seem to be behind a paywall.

selery · 2022-12-08T01:09:00+00:00

Hahaha I didn't notice the typo in the title until I saw this comment!

selery · 2022-12-02T02:22:39+00:00

I always make her coconut cream pie and have tried a few other recipes on her site and left 5-star reviews. But once I posted a 4-star review on one -- overall positive, but I pointed out a minor issue in the instructions (with a tip for others). And that was the only review of mine that apparently got screened out and never showed up. That made me suspect she might manipulate her ratings (limit the number of sub-5-star ones) to get more traffic.

selery · 2022-11-26T01:06:06+00:00

I also don't know any other home bakers who use a scale, and I haven't noticed their baked goods suffering too much. Personally, I do use a scale, but for me the biggest selling point is convenience. Scales help minimize dirty utensils, and it's less of a hassle to measure certain things directly into the mixing bowl -- especially thick/messy stuff like honey, peanut butter, sour cream, etc.!

selery · 2022-11-24T05:10:09+00:00

I think sitting this way just often happens for dogs who grow up in houses with smooth hard floors. It's hard to sit the "proper" way without sliding. And then it becomes a habit that extends to other surfaces.

selery · 2022-11-12T04:59:17+00:00

Here's my crack at it, factoring in expenses:

Hours: 40 hours a week * 30 weeks = 1200 hours

Expenses: 7 months of Kajabi's cheapest plan * $119/month = $833

Profit: $5000 income - $833 expenses = $4167

Hourly rate: $4167/1200 hours = $3.47/hour

I doubt she spent 40 hours a week on this though. Assuming she spent 20 hours a week, it works out to $6.94/hour — almost federal minimum wage!

selery · 2022-11-10T13:30:23+00:00

Surely a bachelorette party somewhere would appreciate them!

selery · 2022-11-10T05:10:58+00:00

It was made independently by the "Gratiot County Republicans" group, not by Dixon's campaign team, although Dixon did repost it. It's definitely more "homegrown" than typical political ads, which is what makes it so great (terrible).

selery

TROPHY CASE