JCPhoenix

Congrats! I know what you mean about the imposter syndrome. I just started a new job, and was super worried. But having got here, seeing the work, doing it, I'm like, "why was I even worried?" I'm sure there'll be something new, but given that the "base job," is familiar, I have confidence I'll be OK. And I'm sure the same will apply to you.

Enjoy your time off. I took 4 weeks off. I miss it already 😭

I'm a week into the new job. And so far it's fine. In some ways, very different from my last job, but in other ways it's very familiar to me. So far, the work doesn't seem like anything crazy. It's mostly stuff I've done before.

I'm having to commute again, which kinda sucks, but at least the commute isn't any longer than what I used to do before I went full remote at previous job. At least by car. I still need to give public transit a try, though I have my suspicions that that'll be longer.

And at some point, probably soon, I'll be able to do a hybrid schedule, at least a couple days a week. So that'll be nice.

Not gonna lie, after a month off of work, it was tough to have to wake up early again and work! I need to win the lotto or something.

Getting used to living in my new city. After 3 weeks of living here, I'm still liking it. That said, I haven't gone out as much as I'd've liked because 1) I'm still trying to get things unpacked and situated, and 2) I'm a homebody hermit. Easier (and cheaper) to just stay home and chill.

Huh didn't know P1 and P2 were SMT games. Good to know. I've tried at least one entry in the SMT side and just could not get into it. Don't even remember which it was. I get they're both dungeon crawlers, but I don't think I'm a fan of the more old-school SMT-style games.

Maybe that'll be the reason I go back to visit: BBQ!

I've only played P3 Portable and Persona 4, on PSP and Vita respectively (though I also have these on Steam now). I have Persona 5 (also Steam), but I've yet to start it, since I have quite the backlog to get through. Including P3 and P4!

I got fairly far into P3P before stopping, while I didn't get as far into P4 before stopping, then restarting, then stopping again (though I got a little further than the first time). My last attempt must've been during the pandemic, so not that long ago. It's not necessarily that I didn't enjoy them; I just have a thing with JRPGs where I intend to take a short break...which often turns into years-long breaks.

P3P was more enjoyable than P4, IMO. P4 just seemed really slow at the start, while P3, I felt had much better pacing. If I'm remembering the correctly, the latter just dropped you straight in to the weirdness, and it just kept going, where I felt like P4 had more lulls in the action.

I don't mind the school stuff, though I'll admit it's not my favorite thing in the world. I do try to make an effort, rather than just breeze through it. I do hope to one day complete both of them and then get to P5. I very much enjoy their visual styles and music. I also like games that take place in the modern world, so the series is right up my alley.

For something like Civ or Stellaris, I'd count "completion" once I've won at least one game. Because, ideally, I've shown some mastery of knowledge, skills, and mechanics that allowed me to win. I don't need to play and win as each leader in Civ or every race/trait and combo in Stellaris to say I've completed it.

This is similar to how I'd view "completion" in open-ended games like Cities:Skylines or Banished. Having played a city or town for several hours, was I able to keep the residents alive, stabilize the city if there were any issues, and also grow and develop the settlement for a significant, though arbitrary, length of in-game time? If the answer is Yes to all of these, then I've "completed" the game. I've understood how things work in the game. Doesn't mean I have to understand every nuance or know every little trick. But I know enough that things are going well and largely continue to go well. And every time I start a new map, things tend to always go well.

Earlier this year, I stopped playing Eve Online for the nth time after mostly playing straight through since 2019. Because I viewed my time during this last 4-5yr stint as "complete." I achieved practically all the goals I set out to do: join a major alliance, join massive PVP fights, engage in smaller PVP fights, make money that I ever had before, buy and fly ships I'd never used before, learn how to explore and navigate wormholes, try out specific types of industry, play with IRL friends, own and run my/our own station, and more.

In all of these, "completion" obviously doesn't mean I'll never go back. There's always more to do, new things to see. But for now, I am satisfied with my progress, experience, and understanding. I'm no longer a noob.

The date of the symposium, by the way, is the anniversary of the signing of the Great Barrington Declaration. It’s also Rosh Hashanah, one of the High Holy Days of the Jewish calendar. Stanford says the “overlap” with the holiday is regrettable, but it hasn’t offered to reschedule.

Admittedly, I don't know much about of Judaism, but this seemed out of place. What's the significance of the signing of this declaration and start of the conference, with this holiday? That it'd be like the equivalent of hosting a conference on Christmas or Eid or something?

While I understand the needs for "academic freedom," the author is right:

No university claims to be open to the expression of any or all views, no matter how unorthodox or counterfactual; they make judgments about the propriety of viewpoints all the time; the level of discernment they practice is one way we judge them as serious educational establishments.

It's one thing to have heterodox views, perhaps because we don't yet fully understand something. But at this point in the pandemic, and what we know from past pandemics, this whole intentional widespread infection leading to herd immunity idea made no sense. It was misinformation during the height of the pandemic and it's still misinformation now.

Stanford should've said "No," and made these quacks have their conference at the local Super 8 hotel.

I'm a member of a big credit union in my old city, but I don't use it as my main bank. Honestly, I don't see that many benefits.

• When I was trying to finance a new car at the start of 2021, the credit union rates were actually higher than the big banks and way higher than even dealership financing; I went with the dealership financing (>4% vs 1.9%)
• Also, they wouldn't even give me a car loan because I lacked a history of a car loan. Admittedly, they weren't the only bank that denied me in this way.
• Savings accounts rates are like 1% versus like 4-4.5% at like Ally or Capital One. Probably because my credit union is still as a B&M bank, while the others are online.
• My CU talks up annual member dividends, but you have to have significant amounts of money in your accounts and/or various products with them, such as mortgages or loans, before you get anything.
• The online banking and app experience is pretty trash; takes (relatively) forever for balances to update after even doing things like savings to checking transfers or vice versa. This sometimes affects Zelle interbank transfers, as Zelle thinks there's not enough money in an account for a transfer, even though there is.
• Plus, they're Zelle transfers are sometimes slow as shit, sometimes taking 2-3days. I know Zelle isn't always instant, but it's annoying because Zelle is often billed as instant transfers.

So I just use my CU accounts as a sorts of savings. I squirrel money away in there, like $25/week for a rainy day of sorts, but that's about it.

I get much more utility and benefit out of my accounts at other non-CU banks.

I use it since I subscribe to Proton for email. It seems fine. I used to use Windscribe -- or rather still do since I have a lifetime subscription -- but I tend to alternate between the two services these days. Proton seems to have tons more servers though. I've torrented on both and have had no issues with either.

I finally moved! Made the 16hr journey from Kansas City to the Washington. DC. My dad and brother flew out last Thursday to help me load the truck and drive across the country. Got into town late Sunday and unloaded the truck on Monday. Still unpacking and setting things up, and of course getting my bearings, but so far it feels good. I will say that the drive through the Appalachians is stunning. Obviously not the Rockies, but in some ways, I think the Appalachians are more beautiful.

It was definitely a little sad leaving a city that I'd grown up in, that I'd been at for like 30yrs. As I passed through suburbs where I lived or went to school at, I was definitely tearing up a bit. I'd driven east out of the metro to visit St. Louis, Chicago, Columbus, and beyond many times over the years. But this time I wouldn't be coming back "home."

I was the last of my family to leave the area, and while I have a few friends there still, we've grown apart as we've gotten older as they've got their own families and such. As such, unless I move back, I'll probably never return. Or at least, very rarely.

Anyway, I still have like 10 days before I start my new job, so in the meantime, I'm just relaxing and enjoying it. Hopefully this move will be worth it. I think it will be.

I think the point is that even with caps on spending, it's still possible for people to fall into a financial hole. Even just looking at the prescription proposal, $2000 may not be a lot for some, but for others, that's a good chunk of change. And is that $2000 per person? Is there a limit for a family? Because if not, for a family of 4, $8000 is a lot.

And of course, this doesn't address the medical procedures themselves.

I'm explaining the other person's position as I've read it. To me, any step in the right direction, even if small, is a good thing. But I could see why others would be like "Come on, stop beating around the bush, M4A already!"

My buddies and I cracked up when we saw this. Probably my favorite meme from FFXIV yet.