AbstracTyler's recent activity

  1. Comment on What are you doing to reduce your impact? in ~enviro

    AbstracTyler
    Link
    My girlfriend and I just found a service where you buy shampoo and soap, and I'm assuming they have other products, in stainless steel bottles instead of plastic. You swap out the old empties with...

    My girlfriend and I just found a service where you buy shampoo and soap, and I'm assuming they have other products, in stainless steel bottles instead of plastic. You swap out the old empties with new full bottles, and they clean and reuse the old bottles. Pretty cool, and a good way to eliminate single use plastics from your life.

    Two days a week meat free. I'm a type 1 diabetic and already have to eliminate a lot of foods from my diet, especially processed carbohydrates and to a lesser extent carbohydrates in general. So for me to completely eliminate meat is going to be a tough one. Further, I can cut back on the more egregious meats (beef, pork, etc).

    Less travel on planes, not that I was ever a big flyer.

    Advocacy- actually taking actions to try to get democrats elected to office, so that we can put forward some legislation that tackles this ridiculously hard problem of climate change. Apparently the republican party has become a party of science deniers. I'm canvassing this sunday for three democratic candidates in my purple state of Missouri.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk in ~life

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    Thank you for this reply, sincerely.

    Thank you for this reply, sincerely.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk in ~life

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    This was an attempt to talk about lessening the risk of unionizing. And yes, I would. I would love to unionize.

    This was an attempt to talk about lessening the risk of unionizing. And yes, I would. I would love to unionize.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk in ~life

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    The hope is that those same people would also be helping us in industry A to unionize. But, sure. Ok. Bad idea. I didn't shoulder enough risk for you, when the entire point of this post was to try...

    The hope is that those same people would also be helping us in industry A to unionize. But, sure. Ok. Bad idea. I didn't shoulder enough risk for you, when the entire point of this post was to try to minimize risk so that it would be more likely for people to actually attempt to unionize in the first place! Sure, great.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk in ~life

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    I am imagining a scenario in which I too would be working for other people's industries to unionize, thereby putting myself at as much risk. I don't understand how you don't understand this.

    I am imagining a scenario in which I too would be working for other people's industries to unionize, thereby putting myself at as much risk. I don't understand how you don't understand this.

  6. Comment on How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk in ~life

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    You have misunderstood me. I am saying that I, as a worker in industry A, would not try to recruit my fellow A industry workers into a union, but rather I would attempt to organize workers in...

    You have misunderstood me.

    I am saying that I, as a worker in industry A, would not try to recruit my fellow A industry workers into a union, but rather I would attempt to organize workers in industry B, because if industry B management came to wreak some consequences down on the organizer of their union, they would be met with me, someone they have no influence or power over.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk in ~life

  8. How to support a Unionizing effort without putting oneself at risk

    ~life Ask
    I've been thinking about this for a while; working conditions in the U.S.A., stagnant wages, the growing power of the corporation, and the waning power of the worker. It seems to me that to speak...

    I've been thinking about this for a while; working conditions in the U.S.A., stagnant wages, the growing power of the corporation, and the waning power of the worker. It seems to me that to speak of unionizing in the workplace is so taboo, so fraught with risk of retaliation from the employer, that we need to do something different.

    What if we took an active role in speaking about, supporting, and encouraging people of a completely different industry to our own to unionize? If the employers come down on the leaders, well hey, they don't work in that field.

    So, what do you think?

    23 votes

  9. Comment on Have your political views changed as you've grown older? in ~talk

    AbstracTyler
    Link
    When I was younger I considered myself to be conservative. Like any young person, I really had not done any soul searching, or evaluation of my own for these beliefs I held, and so brandished them...

    When I was younger I considered myself to be conservative. Like any young person, I really had not done any soul searching, or evaluation of my own for these beliefs I held, and so brandished them like an identity.

    I was young when W. took us to war with Iraq, and I loved it. I thought it was so badass that the American military was going to go over there and kick ass. I didn't know why they were going, why we were at war. I knew it had something to do with 9/11.

    I have since evaluated my beliefs and values, and I have come around to a more progressive stance on politics. I think that military intervention is necessary in some contexts, but as a last resort. I think that the American military intervention should probably have some sort of consistent application, but I'm sure the people in the Pentagon know much more than I do about world threats, so I leave it to them. I think that corruption can be a player in when/where we use military might, so I think that's an important issue to watch closely; who has the most to gain from military conflict? Were those people able to have any outside influence on the decision to get into conflict?

    Healthcare and general human wellbeing are important things for me. Somehow those values are only espoused, in general, by one wing of the mainstream political spectrum in America. Left. And so, that's where my votes go. More inclusive healthcare, ideally universal, making public education free up through the Bachelors degree, campaign finance reform, separation of church and state, expanding personal liberties (ending the war on drugs). Oh, also, climate change. I believe in science, so there's that.

    3 votes

  10. Comment on Are you satisfied in your career choice? in ~life

    AbstracTyler
    Link
    I would say that my career has its moments. I have the opportunity to spend an hour to an hour and a half with my clients, and if they want to talk, I can have amazing conversations with them. Not...

    I would say that my career has its moments. I have the opportunity to spend an hour to an hour and a half with my clients, and if they want to talk, I can have amazing conversations with them. Not everyone wants to talk though, so it varies by the hour. Long term, this is not a sustainable career. There's the physical fatigue, burnout, arthritis, etc. And the fact that there's not really much room for growth and development.

    Massage Therapist here.

    6 votes

  11. Comment on For those willing to comment, how has medication affected your mental health? in ~health

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    Yes. Definitely considering it. I've had treatment in the past; a CBT program which was awesome in teaching me coping mechanisms and cognitive skills to recognize my problems before they fully...

    Yes. Definitely considering it. I've had treatment in the past; a CBT program which was awesome in teaching me coping mechanisms and cognitive skills to recognize my problems before they fully blossomed. But yeah, considering medication.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on For those willing to comment, how has medication affected your mental health? in ~health

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    This is a pretty awesome story. I'm glad your life has changed so much for the better!

    This is a pretty awesome story. I'm glad your life has changed so much for the better!

    3 votes

  13. Comment on For those willing to comment, how has medication affected your mental health? in ~health

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    Just curious why you don't listen to podcasts. Anyway, what did you think about those articles that you read? And, what articles?

    Just curious why you don't listen to podcasts. Anyway, what did you think about those articles that you read? And, what articles?

    2 votes

  14. Comment on For those willing to comment, how has medication affected your mental health? in ~health

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    This is kind of where I see myself. I got into a CBT program when I found myself driving to work, wishing that a semi would ram my vehicle off the road and just put an end to it. I would argue...

    This is kind of where I see myself. I got into a CBT program when I found myself driving to work, wishing that a semi would ram my vehicle off the road and just put an end to it. I would argue that my state of mind was a result of the circumstances I found myself in. Hard work rewarded with very little compensation, lack of opportunity for growth and development, etc. And when I took time off work to focus on my mental health, surprise surprise, it improved.

    I just wonder what can even happen to change this situation. Part of me thinks of it as an effect of policy decisions. With a greater social safety net, things would be better. Have you listened to the Freakonomics podcast episode on the happiest nations on earth? It's pretty interesting.

    2 votes

  15. Comment on For those willing to comment, how has medication affected your mental health? in ~health

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    Is Ketamine legal in the U.S.? How does one go about this type of treatment?

    Is Ketamine legal in the U.S.? How does one go about this type of treatment?

    1 vote

  16. For those willing to comment, how has medication affected your mental health?

    ~health Text 58 words
    Specifically I'm curious about how your lives have changed with the introduction of medications to assist with mental illness. I realize there is still some stigma associated with mental illness...

    Specifically I'm curious about how your lives have changed with the introduction of medications to assist with mental illness. I realize there is still some stigma associated with mental illness and health issues, but if we talk about it, then hopefully that stigma can erode away, and more people will seek the help they need.

    Thanks for commenting!

    12 votes

  17. Comment on Does anyone else feel like people are unreasonably impatient? in ~talk

    AbstracTyler
    Link
    I have a couple of examples of this kind of attitude as well. I was the first in line at a cafeteria in Yosemite valley, and someone walked up and stood in front of me. I didn't mind a lot because...

    I have a couple of examples of this kind of attitude as well. I was the first in line at a cafeteria in Yosemite valley, and someone walked up and stood in front of me. I didn't mind a lot because what is the difference between being first in line or second? Not much. But he eventually looked at me and asked, "Are you standing in line?" and I said yes, and he walked back. Just weird.

    Another one, I was in the airport in one of those snack shacks, buying two packs of cough drops. I was standing behind a man who was trying to buy his things, and some woman came up to me and asked me if I was in line, and when I said yes, she got haughty. Like I get it if you're in a hurry because you're going to miss your flight, tell me and I'll happily let you in front of me. But even to ask in the first place if I'm standing in line . . . as I'm literally just standing there, in line, with a blank look on my face, is strange to me. What else would I be doing? There's no alternative that I could be doing that would make any sense.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on What are your top five favorite podcasts? I'm looking to broaden my podcast horizons in ~talk

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    TotalBiscuit was a unique voice in a world in need of unique voices. One thing I'll say about his life is that he made such an impact in so short a time . . . very few people can say that about...

    TotalBiscuit was a unique voice in a world in need of unique voices. One thing I'll say about his life is that he made such an impact in so short a time . . . very few people can say that about their own lives.

    4 votes

  19. Comment on What are your top five favorite podcasts? I'm looking to broaden my podcast horizons in ~talk

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    This is a fair response. Thank you!

    This is a fair response. Thank you!

    2 votes

  20. Comment on What are your top five favorite podcasts? I'm looking to broaden my podcast horizons in ~talk

    AbstracTyler
    Link Parent
    Fair questions, I appreciate the thoughtful response. My interests range from the arts (painting, writing, sculpture, etc) to woodworking, architecture, video games, comedy, serial killers (Last...

    Fair questions, I appreciate the thoughtful response.

    My interests range from the arts (painting, writing, sculpture, etc) to woodworking, architecture, video games, comedy, serial killers (Last Podcast on the Left is one of my favorites, as another Tildesner mentioned) literature. The list just goes on and on. Really I want to know what it is that you're interested in, so I can sample them and see if it might be a good fit for me and my listening time. I have about an hour a day to devote to listening to podcasts. Sometimes I listen for much longer, or not at all. I don't mind if the creators dump hours a day on me; I may only choose to listen to a small fraction of that. To be helpful though, I would say that I like to put on a podcast and just let it play for a while. The shorter form ones are less convenient. So, longer ones are preferred.

    Again, thank you.

    2 votes