doors_cannot_stop_me's recent activity

  1. Comment on What lesser-known sci-fi reads do you recommend? in ~books

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    I came here to mention this, and I just wanted to add on (I hope you don't mind) - This is hard sci-fi, but also has a vampire in it. Those two facts together make me very happy for some reason

    I came here to mention this, and I just wanted to add on (I hope you don't mind) -

    This is hard sci-fi, but also has a vampire in it. Those two facts together make me very happy for some reason

    5 votes

  2. Comment on Looking for an effective self-block application for Android in ~tech

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link
    I understand that you're looking for a denial app to halt unwanted behavior, but have you considered the inverse? Like an app that incentivizes a desired behavior pattern? I assume there are...

    I understand that you're looking for a denial app to halt unwanted behavior, but have you considered the inverse? Like an app that incentivizes a desired behavior pattern?

    I assume there are others, but a lot of people seem to like Focus Friend for this. It's a little game that only gives "progress" (make the number go up!) when you aren't using distracting apps. I didn't find it particularly compelling for my brain, but a lot of people do. I've had success with similar methods in other realms, i.e. games that give progress in exchange for steps have gotten me out of bed many mornings for a walk that I otherwise would have skipped.

    I only mention this because I personally find that being told "no" and having someone (including myself) try to stop me just makes beating the restriction the new game - one that I usually win eventually. But when I'm instead told "I bet you can't (do the desired behavior)" and I get rewarded if I manage to do it, the game becomes beating their expectations - which I also can accomplish. It aligns what I know I want to have as a result (call it intellect or superego if you wish) with what I want to do out of stubbornness/competitiveness (call it emotion or id if you wish).

    Just an idea if you hadn't tried it from this angle. Certainly not for everyone. Good luck, I know this struggle!

    10 votes

  3. Comment on How often are you eating plant based meals? in ~food

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link
    I'm trying to reduce my risk of heart disease (probably a bit late to that, but better late than never), so I'm eating more meals with less or no meat. Lots of days I have hummus for breakfast and...

    I'm trying to reduce my risk of heart disease (probably a bit late to that, but better late than never), so I'm eating more meals with less or no meat. Lots of days I have hummus for breakfast and oatmeal (with lots of mix-ins) for lunch, or Aldi's vegan/vegetarian pouch meals, or pasta. Still getting a lot (probably too much) dairy, but cheese is my biggest vice and I'll probably take it to the grave.

    Anyway, I find it pretty easy to give up meat in lots of things. I don't even really like the texture of "real" meats (steak, grilled chicken), much preferring processed meats (bologna, deli meat, ground meats), so switching from those to veggie based subs like Beyond or Impossible is no big deal to me, or just eating more beans instead (I love a bean burrito smothered in cheese, I don't even really miss taco meats when they're not around).

    All that said, I still regularly eat meat. Just less now, and the alternatives are nice, too.

    2 votes

  4. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

  5. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    Aww, thanks! Also, I'm very much team snake rake.

    Aww, thanks! Also, I'm very much team snake rake.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    I had heard about the provisional patent thing, but didn't realize it could be so cheap. That's awesome.

    I had heard about the provisional patent thing, but didn't realize it could be so cheap. That's awesome.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

  8. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the details on this, I kinda had the right idea about them. I should really figure out the attorney situation, too.

    Thanks for the details on this, I kinda had the right idea about them. I should really figure out the attorney situation, too.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Being well prepared makes me feel 😌 in ~life

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link
    Hello fellow too-many-things carrier! I also wear dailies and keep spares in my vicinity. I also carry, just, so much stuff. I even have a tool kit (screwdrivers, pliers, scissors, pry bar, tape...

    Hello fellow too-many-things carrier! I also wear dailies and keep spares in my vicinity. I also carry, just, so much stuff. I even have a tool kit (screwdrivers, pliers, scissors, pry bar, tape measure, pocket-sized pinning kit) that's all TSA-safe that I take with me on vacations, just in case I need to rekey someone's locks in another state. Insane? Possibly.

    On my last vacation, my dear tiny nephew asked, "Why do you have a purse?" when he saw my sling bag, and I explained that I carry tools so I can help people. Then, when I was at the park with him and the rest of the family hundreds of miles from home and saw that some of the playground equipment had loose screws, I just whipped out my pliers and fixed it. He asked, "Why do you just have pliers with you?" And I reminded him that it lets me help, and told him that I like to leave things better than I found them. I like to think that he took something from that, but who knows. I, however, definitely got something in the deal: sweet, sweet justification.

    It's a great feeling.

    17 votes

  10. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    It's a physical product that would be trivial to replicate, but from my (admittedly inexpert) research there aren't any patents for something quite like it. Fortunately, the customer base is niche...

    It's a physical product that would be trivial to replicate, but from my (admittedly inexpert) research there aren't any patents for something quite like it. Fortunately, the customer base is niche enough that it might not be advantageous for a large player to steal it, and I have a unique level of access to the customer base and my distribution channel that means it will mostly go from my hands to the customer's without much travel or advertising needed. I don't need a huge customer base for my own definition of success, so I think I can get where I want to be faster than anyone is likely to find out about it and copy it. Plus, there's a ton of distribution loyalty in my line of work, so I'd make sales even if a cheap alternative arose. The only reason I'm even considering a patent is to give myself the opportunity to sell said patent later if I wanted to get out of the manufacturing part of the business and focus on other projects.

    3 votes

  11. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    That's some sound advice. I've seen it in other people's businesses, but I will definitely try to keep my eagerness in check when/if large deals appear. Thanks!

    That's some sound advice. I've seen it in other people's businesses, but I will definitely try to keep my eagerness in check when/if large deals appear. Thanks!

  12. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    I will definitely need to do that. I have a good friend that's a CPA, maybe he can advise me. Thanks!

    I will definitely need to do that. I have a good friend that's a CPA, maybe he can advise me. Thanks!

    1 vote

  13. Comment on I'm starting a small business: any advice? in ~finance

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    Holy cow thanks for all the info! I hadn't heard of this, I'll have to look into it. Otherwise, this list looks much like my own, so I'm glad to see I'm on somewhat the right track. That's a good...

    Holy cow thanks for all the info!

    it's crucial to have an operating agreement

    I hadn't heard of this, I'll have to look into it. Otherwise, this list looks much like my own, so I'm glad to see I'm on somewhat the right track.

    note about registered agents... Pick someone with a good reputation, not the cheapest option.

    That's a good heads up. I'm actually planning to meet with a local small business development organization, I'll have to see if they can give me recommendations.

    Thank you, and good luck with your new business!

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    <noise>Morgoth's kink would be a great band name</noise>

    <noise>Morgoth's kink would be a great band name</noise>

    8 votes

  15. Comment on I love Tildes in ~tildes

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    Nope, but I sure do want a full-size set of irons of my own someday. I have a tiny halligan for fun.

    Nope, but I sure do want a full-size set of irons of my own someday. I have a tiny halligan for fun.

    4 votes

  16. I'm starting a small business: any advice?

    ~finance Ask (advice)
    Hi all! I'm starting a (very) small business in the near future, and I am looking for some advice (or just encouragement or reality checks, anything helps). For clarity, I'm in the US and want to...

    Hi all! I'm starting a (very) small business in the near future, and I am looking for some advice (or just encouragement or reality checks, anything helps). For clarity, I'm in the US and want to make/sell products of my own design without screwing myself over through lack of planning.

    More details for those who want them

    I've come up with a primary product idea, and the first prototypes have been made and are being tested by trusted friends in my industry. I work for a company who is willing to buy the finished product from me and market/sell it as a distributor, and there is already precedent for employees having exactly this relationship with my employer, where they make things "off the clock" and sell them to the company for distribution.

    My main concerns are:

    1. Liability - I don't want to get sued and lose my house. I plan to make my business an LLC to help with this.
    2. Privacy - I would rather not have my personal address out there for anyone to find if they decide they don't like my product. I've heard that paying a company to be my registered agent can help with this, but I don't know how easy/safe/expensive this is.
    3. Financial sustainability - I don't want to lock myself into really expensive overhead issues by having other companies handle administrative tasks (like getting my tax ID and filing my LLC application) that are easy enough for me to do myself, however -
    4. Time investment sustainability - I don't want to spend so much time chasing down paperwork issues that I come to hate/not have time for making my products.
    5. Keeping options open - I'm not sure at this stage if I will end up continuing to make these products myself long-term, or if I will eventually try to sell the product design to a third party. I already have a third party in mind, and I think I have a good chance of getting them on board if I choose to. I've assumed that I'll need to patent my product to have even a chance of selling the idea later, but -
    6. Patents - they're expensive! Or so I've heard. Is it really that bad, and do I have to deal with a lawyer? Are there lower cost resources that won't end up stealing my idea or giving me a pittance in exchange for it? I'm new and dumb and exactly the kind of first-timer that I can imagine getting a lump-sum that feels very high, only to find that I undervalued my product. Or, on the other hand, I could over-value the idea to the point that I foolishly turn down a good offer and never get it sold.

    I also plan to make additional products that don't pertain to my industry in the same way, which I might sell on etsy or something. I've done this a bit before, and it went just fine. This is just the first time that I've had the potential to make enough money to matter for tax purposes, and the first time that I'm selling a tool that costs enough and could be distributed widely enough for there to be an increased chance of someone becoming upset if they break something with it and try to sue me or some such nonsense.

    Has anyone here ever tried to start a small business like this? Or interacted with the US patent system?

    Any advice or anecdotes are welcome!

    28 votes

  17. Comment on I love Tildes in ~tildes

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    First of all, cheese is love, cheese is life. I'm eating beer cheese as I write this. Second, I'd never heard of DOORS, but yeah, I think that would definitely stop me. I'm in the physical...

    First of all, cheese is love, cheese is life. I'm eating beer cheese as I write this.

    Second, I'd never heard of DOORS, but yeah, I think that would definitely stop me. I'm in the physical security industry and sometimes train people to break into stuff. It's a career that's opened a lot of doors for me.

    I'll see myself out.

    9 votes

  18. Comment on I love Tildes in ~tildes

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    Thank you! I always appreciate your calm and caring comments when they pop up. You're a good bean.

    Thank you! I always appreciate your calm and caring comments when they pop up. You're a good bean.

    6 votes

  19. Comment on I love Tildes in ~tildes

    doors_cannot_stop_me
    Link Parent
    Couldn't agree more! And re: my username, thanks! It amuses me given my career choices.

    Couldn't agree more! And re: my username, thanks! It amuses me given my career choices.

    3 votes

  20. I love Tildes

    ~tildes Ask
    I hope this doesn't come off as glib, or sarcastic, or any of several other negative things that I tend to be in real life, but I truly like and enjoy this community. I love that it's full of...

    I hope this doesn't come off as glib, or sarcastic, or any of several other negative things that I tend to be in real life, but I truly like and enjoy this community. I love that it's full of people (and that could be the whole sentence right there!) who love it enough to want it not to change, and people who love it enough to want to see it improve. I love our conversations and our characters. I love the quirks.

    Anyway, given the recent announcement, I've had a vibe that kinda feels like when you're at a family gathering where several members are ill-at-ease with each other and sometimes awkward, with simmering resentments over wounds old and new, but then someone shares news with the family that brings everyone together in a moment of almost-stunned silence. And after that moment, after some heartfelt words are shared and hugs are given, people kind of relax. They laugh together. They don't exactly forget their problems, but they aren't really thinking about them for just a night. They drink and reminisce.

    Anyway, if that feeling describes at all how you're feeling, too, then this is a place for unabashed, unironic, caveat-free positivity about this place we sometimes call home. There are plenty of other things to discuss, of course. This isn't a "love it or leave" thread. Just a place to set aside negativity for a moment and just... commune with each other over our shared care for this space.

    I love you all (yes, even you) and appreciate what we're building here every day.

    Ok bye, back to lurking for me I couldn't resist, guess I'll lurk later

    127 votes