Tom’s hardware is still good.

Technically that’s a Drain tech. A plumber will almost certainly tell you they don’t unclog drains (even though there is GREAT money in it, since no one wants to do it themselves, but will complain about the price anyway).

There’s a lot of different pay plans out there. No idea what roto rooter is paying their techs these days.

Pay is great in my opinion for apprentices but the hours are tough. You will definitely learn a shit load quickly if you pay attention, ask questions, and find a company/lead that doesn’t treat you like shit.

Galveston Island, TX for a family get together later this year. We just got back from Alaska and it was a pretty great trip.

I do think the government agencies need 3rd party auditing. Anyone who has worked for them or with them (private contractors) knows how much unchecked spending there is. “It’s not my money” attitude.

HOWEVER, how DOGE is going about it should be absolutely illegal. There needs to be checks and balances on both sides.

Doesn’t answer your questions but I also don’t think we just not look into the ridiculous amounts of money we spend on running the government either. Yeah, it takes a lot to run it but I know how much waste there is just in private companies too.

Good survey. Very relevant to what I’ve experienced so I hope my answers help you in your thesis. Good luck! 🍀

Right, it’s the intent and context of the word that could be offensive, not the word itself. Using substitutes doesn’t change how you’re conveying your emotions.

Besides, OP, do you think Jesus wasn’t swearing when he was overturning the money changers tables in the tabernacle? He was clearly PISSED. He was definitely rebuking them, same difference.

Swearing isn’t sinful, it’s what you’re cursing/being hateful about that could be.

Now, if you’re intentionally not swearing due to a personal choice or by virtue of being intentionally different to not be like the culture you’re in then that’s different.

Lol! You definitely win.

A few reasons I prefer the exclusive handheld game route.

1. Gets you away from your internet connected device. No distracting notifications coming in
2. It’s dedicated to it so it’s really good at it.
3. No battery life hit to your phone.
4. Higher learning curve (this goes to time filler which is what you wanted).
5. Sitting on the couch, playing it outside/while traveling is great with it.

Physical Games

Not sure what your personal in-person social circle looks like but playing physical games (board/card, etc) with people is great. Spent 2 weeks with family and we had a blast playing some games every night.

A few I really enjoyed:

• 5 Crowns
• Phase 10
• Cribbage (good grief the rules are nuts)
• Hues and Cues
• Organ Attack

3D Printing

A time sink hobby is 3D Printing. It’s a challenge enough, and can be so low cost per part, that it’s fun. Starting with a lower cost 3D printer means the cost of entry is not much. Once you get a printer dialed printing things for people and functional prints for home is great. You can also learn 3D Modeling enough to design your own prints. Definitely gonna take some time to do so.

Retro Gaming

If you like retro games setting up a retro handheld is a ton of fun and then playing the games is great too. Handhelds from Anbernic, Retroid, or Powkiddy is a low cost of entry and much higher quality than you think, and they can run up to PS1/N64/Dreamcast. Took me ~1 month to go from never having done one to having a great OS with a tailored UI (Anbernic RG40XXV running Knulli OS). Going over guides from Retro Game Corps (YouTube and website) was easy but took long enough to teach me a ton.

Gardening

Obviously depends on your personal circumstances but even if you’re in a city/apartment a lot of cities/towns have community gardens. Setting up a raised garden is pretty easy and doesn’t have to cost a ton. Maintaining it is a challenge based on your location and takes learning many different skills. We grow Lettuce, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Green Beans. We had no success with Tomatoes in our climate (although a lot of people have no issue growing them). We’ve had limited success with potatoes (another really easy to grow crop, that we suck at, lol).

Canning

My wife LOVES canning. That’s a massive rabbit hole in its own right. Cost of entry is decently mid due to having to buy canning supplies like the glass jars (called cans), lids, rings, canning pots, pressure cooker, etc. You’ll get incredible quality vegetables and fruits out of it and can can meats and other things. My wife has been canning for 5 years now and we don’t buy store bought canned vegetables and fruits anymore. You wont really save any costs but you will know exactly what you’re eating. Does take having access to fresh produce at local markets to make it as cheap as the grocery store.

Sit time doesn’t make a difference for my hair so it’s solely down to how much warm water I want and how tired I am (I’m an afternoon-evening showerer).

All of this has been solved in the last 5-10 years honestly. Thermoflask style bottles have gaskets that are easily removable and dishwasher safe. Brumate makes a strawed bottle that is magnetic, comes apart for cleaning, and is dishwasher safe. Yeti style have magnetic closers, are dishwasher safe, and easy to clean. Most of the really good ones are expensive but worth it.

Eh, we live in an arid climate and have a whole house humidifier which gets the air from the single digits to the 30s. We have another ultrasonic for the bedroom to keep the bloody noses down. It’s not that hard to find one that is easy to clean (has a large hand sized hole in the reservoir). Also, any spray like Scrubbing bubbles makes it super easy to clean to squeaky every 2 weeks. Who the hell would use vinegar, that would smell awful!

You’re missing that the wine industry kind of loves traditions. That’s mainly why we still have the bottle design we do.

lol, facts.

That’s a pretty good summary. It seems the most effective solution is just ditching the manual toothbrush for an automatic, that is going to brush much more effectively.

My asshole is definitely not a narcissist.

As soon as everything has reported (I don’t wait for it to come in the mail). We generally file as early as allowed. We’ve already gotten our Federal refund back. Now state, this one takes AGES, probably won’t see it till April sadly.

Cheers