Merry's recent activity

  1. Who here is a homeowner?

    ~life Ask (advice)
    After my lease is up in my current apartment, I am hoping to purchase a home somewhere in the US and am just now in the beginning stages. I'm not too far into my search but am generally looking...

    After my lease is up in my current apartment, I am hoping to purchase a home somewhere in the US and am just now in the beginning stages. I'm not too far into my search but am generally looking for 2-3 bedroom with 1.5 bath, a basement, and a decent backyard. My budget is <$250k and I am looking at east Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and maybe Michigan. Fortunately, I work from home and am not terribly dependent on being near a job, but unfortunately it seems like all houses have exploded in price the past 3 years in pretty much every area. It is crazy to look at a house that sold in 2019 for $100k being listed now at the top of my budget at $250k! It kind of makes me want to put in an offer at 65% of the listing price for some of these egregious increases. Especially as the higher interest rates making the house way more expensive than what they originally purchased at when the rates were at all time lows. It seems like the market for a $150k starter home is non-existent for most parts of the country these days.

    • Anyways, I was curious who here is a homeowner?

    • What is your experience like going from renting to buying, or if you were a homeowner and went back to renting?

    • What are some things you wish that you had known to do prior and what advice would you give yourself back then?

    • How long did you search and how long are you planning to stay in your home?

    • What do you think of the current market dynamics? Is there any hope for prices to come back down to Earth?

    • Any other thoughts you want to share?

    18 votes

  2. Headphone/Earbud recommendation - Is there one product that fits all my needs?

    ~tech Ask (recommendations)
    For the past week, I have been researching headphones/earbuds, buying them, and then cancelling the order immediately because I realized I was making a compromise on what I am wanting. Not a crazy...

    For the past week, I have been researching headphones/earbuds, buying them, and then cancelling the order immediately because I realized I was making a compromise on what I am wanting. Not a crazy amount of cancelled purchases, just maybe...three.

    Anyways, I am in the market for the holy grail of headphones or earbuds that fits my needs but I am thinking I might have to buy multiple for the different scenarios that I am looking for. Which are:

    • Preferably earbuds so I can take one out if I need to have an ear free for something.
    • Great mic quality - I want to be able to use these for work call and when I go outside to walk. Really need something that handles wind and background noise pretty well that doesn't leave the other person on the phone annoyed talking to me. I don't want to walk around with a boom mic in front of face though.
    • No preference on wired or wireless. If wired, I would like direct USB-C so I don't have to think about dongles or anything. I also read that mic quality degrades with Bluetooth? Not sure how accurate that is but the consensus I have read was that wired earbuds have better mics than Bluetooth. Wireless would be amazing if I knew that everything else worked well. I would take a short battery life to have top notch everything else.
    • Decent sound quality for music. I already have a pair of aftershokz that I use for working out so I'm not stranger to compromised sound quality. But when I go out on walks I want to listen to language podcasts so I can hear clearly.
    • Active noise cancelling - longshot but this would just be nice to have since I have gotten a taste for these with my Sony headphones.

    I would be interested to hear your product recommendations or solutions to my wants. I have a feeling that the perfect product doesn't exist but at the bare minimum I would take something that sounds decent and has a good mic that handles outdoor sounds well. ANC and wireless are optional but would be very amazing to have.

    I would be using these with a Samsung S22.

    9 votes

  3. Comment on Megathread for news/updates/discussion about Musk's takeover of Twitter – Part 3 in ~tech

    Merry
    Link Parent
    I deleted it the day Elon became CEO. Not that I was a particularly active user or anything but I did follow many Ukrainian news agencies and people so I have had to use other sources since then....

    I deleted it the day Elon became CEO. Not that I was a particularly active user or anything but I did follow many Ukrainian news agencies and people so I have had to use other sources since then. Telegram mostly

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Your successes in 2022 in ~talk

    Merry
    Link
    Got my 4th promotion at work in 5 years. I'm Mr. Manager now Almost completed my pilot's license Ended my relationship of 5 years with a woman Started learning Ukrainian and have studied and...
    • Got my 4th promotion at work in 5 years. I'm Mr. Manager now
    • Almost completed my pilot's license
    • Ended my relationship of 5 years with a woman
    • Started learning Ukrainian and have studied and practiced everyday for nearly 6 months.
    • Went to Ukraine and visited Lviv and Ternopil
    • Met an amazing woman there
    • Spent an amazing two weeks in Madrid together
    • Moved out of the suburbs in California to downtown Nashville. Now I am a lot closer to family and friends.
    • Lost a lot of weight and built a ton of muscle over the summer
    • Now have planned to bring the woman from Ukraine to stay with me in the US for a few months while we explore our relationship together. She will be here in two weeks!
    • Ended a step goal streak of 10,000 steps a day at a bit over 500 days

    Overall a good year that looks continue to 2023. I never have a hard, specific resolution each year, only "Be Better". It runs counter-productive to the typical SMART goals that you see all over the place, but genuinely, each day I try to live my best and do my best. Some days are better than others but if I can end the day satisfied, that is all I need. And I would say I ended 99% of my days satisfied last year.

    8 votes

  6. Comment on Two pro wrestlers developed ‘The Progressive Liberal’ to be the bad guy at matches. Then the atmosphere turned far darker. in ~sports

    Merry
    Link
    As I prepare to head back to my hometown, my friend sent me this story noting that it was in a neighboring town to mine. Good thing I swapped out my California license plate before going or I...

    As I prepare to head back to my hometown, my friend sent me this story noting that it was in a neighboring town to mine. Good thing I swapped out my California license plate before going or I suspect my car would be keyed at some point.

    3 votes

  9. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Merry
    Link Parent
    I have been talking to people in Ukraine for 4-5 months now, and taking tutoring sessions with someone in Kyiv for about 50-60 hours since August. It is definitely surreal to be here these days...

    I have been talking to people in Ukraine for 4-5 months now, and taking tutoring sessions with someone in Kyiv for about 50-60 hours since August. It is definitely surreal to be here these days and to see their response to the danger. I think at this point they feel if they have to stop what they are doing, then the Russians have beat them.

    Since I have been learning the language and following the country very closely since February, I knew I wanted to visit here more than any other place. The only experience or tie that I had was the people I have met these past few months.

    To be honest this is only my second international trip (last one was nearly 10 years ago) and this was my first solo international trip. Very few people know where I am but I made sure my itinerary was available to those people. Most other people think I am in Poland.

    3 votes

  10. Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk

    Merry
    Link
    I am a bit late to the topic but also this may be a bit crazy for some people, but I have spent the past 7 days in Ukraine, specifically between Lviv and Ternopil. I flew from Sam Francisco to...

    I am a bit late to the topic but also this may be a bit crazy for some people, but I have spent the past 7 days in Ukraine, specifically between Lviv and Ternopil. I flew from Sam Francisco to Zurich to Warsaw to Rzeszow. Stayed overnight in Rzeszow then took the train to Przemyśl then boarded the train to Lviv. Overall, a long two days of travel but very quick.

    The moment I unpacked my bags in Lviv, an air sirens went off, so I got a taste of Ukrainian life pretty quickly. Of course, I went to the shelter in my hotel and was the only one who actually went down there. I stayed for the entire hour. I met someone after the alarm and got a quick tour of the city across two days. This weekend, I traveled on an old Soviet-era train to Ternopil and met another friend and her friends. Very fun day as I spent the day going to different restaurants, walking around the lake and city, and having drinks with Ukrainians in a Mexican restaurant. The next day, I walked alone since my friends were at work. Scary part was an air sirens went off when I was very far away from any buildings and I wasn't sure where to go or what to do. No one else was concerned about the danger so I spent my time sitting outside watching the sky. Saw nothing. I returned to Lviv that day.

    Then today I spent time with a friend all day and bought a Ukrainian vyshyvanka, which I think I look quite dazzling in!) Long air sirens today though as I went to the shelter twice. Nothing happened here but there were apparently explosions in Ternopil.

    Tomorrow I take the bus direct to Warsaw where I will stay the night and return to the US on Wednesday. I am deeply saddened and feel like I am leaving a part of myself behind on this trip. I feel relatively safe and comfortable being here, and it has been a great opportunity for me to reinforce my love of the Ukrainian language and make my love of this country stronger.

    I will return here soon.

    5 votes

  11. Comment on Cheap, easy, and not-too-unhealthy homemade snacks? in ~food

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Try them with chili powder and a little cayenne pepper, and then toss them in lime juice. If you like the the chili-lime flavored cheetos, these are a great substitute!

    Try them with chili powder and a little cayenne pepper, and then toss them in lime juice. If you like the the chili-lime flavored cheetos, these are a great substitute!

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Steam Deck production update (it's good news) in ~games

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Civ V on a coast-to-coast flight with a big battery back up made the time melt away.

    Civ V on a coast-to-coast flight with a big battery back up made the time melt away.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    Merry
    Link Parent
    To me, it looks like a great game once it goes on sale after the bugs are fixed. <$20 and I will bite for it. I never played SR4 but I enjoyed SR3 a lot.

    To me, it looks like a great game once it goes on sale after the bugs are fixed. <$20 and I will bite for it. I never played SR4 but I enjoyed SR3 a lot.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Moondog - Do Your Thing (1979) in ~music

    Merry
    Link
    Moondog showed up on my Spotify Discover playlist this week and have found his music to be amazing. He had a fascinating life: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog

    Moondog showed up on my Spotify Discover playlist this week and have found his music to be amazing. He had a fascinating life:

    From the late 1940s until 1972, Moondog lived as a street musician and poet in New York City, playing in midtown Manhattan, eventually settling on the corner of 53rd or 54th Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan.[4] He was rarely if ever homeless, and maintained an apartment in upper Manhattan and had a country retreat in Candor, New York, to which he moved full-time in 1972.[9] He partially supported himself by selling copies of his poetry and his musical philosophy. In addition to his music and poetry, he was also known for the distinctive fanciful "Viking" cloak that he wore. Already bearded and long-haired, he added a Viking-style horned helmet to avoid the occasional comparisons of his appearance with that of Christ or a monk,[10] as he had rejected Christianity in his late teens. He developed a lifelong interest in Nordic mythology, and maintained an altar to Thor in his country home in Candor.[9]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moondog

    3 votes

  17. Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health

    Merry
    Link Parent
    That's pretty much it. Challenge yourself to run longer/or faster every now and then. But as long as you do it often, you will get better. Listen to your body, don't overdo it, and be patient...

    I need to figure out training and how best to build up endurance. I've been focusing on keeping my heart rate in the improving aerobic fitness area (allegedly according to my Polar monitor lol).

    That's pretty much it. Challenge yourself to run longer/or faster every now and then. But as long as you do it often, you will get better. Listen to your body, don't overdo it, and be patient during the plateaus.

    3 votes

  18. Comment on What's an underrated, cancelled, or largely forgotten show that you really love? in ~tv

    Merry
    Link Parent
    I'm rewatching Futurama now but in Ukrainian! It is probably one of the few shows I have seen rewatched once every two years. I enjoy the early episodes the best.

    I'm rewatching Futurama now but in Ukrainian! It is probably one of the few shows I have seen rewatched once every two years. I enjoy the early episodes the best.

  19. Comment on MoviePass to relaunch on Labor Day in beta form with pricing ranging from $10-$30 a month in ~movies

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Regal Unlimited too. I just cancelled my membership after a year though. Turns out I really don't enjoy watching movies as much as I thought I would. But it definitely took the pressure off of...

    They changed the business though. We got AMC A-List from it.

    Regal Unlimited too. I just cancelled my membership after a year though. Turns out I really don't enjoy watching movies as much as I thought I would. But it definitely took the pressure off of staying at a movie if I didn't like it. There have been a few times in the past year where I just got up and left if I wasn't feeling it.

    5 votes