As a former IT professional, I keep my computers running 24/7 because it's less stress on the hardware in the long run.

With that said, I leave Steam running as well, so my games get regular updates. Nothing more annoying than trying to play a game and finding out I need to wait for it to patch first.

Also, I know Steam schedules updates, but every time I sit down at my computer, I check for game updates and just manually push any that are there.

Maybe it's just PTSD from my IT professional days, but I don't like to leave patches hanging. It's kind of a long story, but over 20 years ago, a virus knocked out the computer networks on every US military base in the Pacific region of the world, except mine. Because I was the guy in charge of pushing updates and I had circumvented procedure to push a patch early. My base was the only unaffected one, and thanks to me, we stayed online and kept things running while every other base scrambled to recover.

Ever since then, an unpatched program or computer gives me an eye tick.

Sean Connery also wore a toupée ever since he was in his 20s. Dude went bald early and hid it from the world until he was an old man.

Ethanol: Renewable fuel blended into gasoline.

When I was living in Nebraska for a few years, I was surprised to find that Super Unleaded gasoline was always cheaper at the pump than regular Unleaded.

Turns out, since Nebraska's largest export is corn and corn products, they end up with tons of ethanol byproduct left over. So Super Unleaded, which has more ethanol than regular, is cheaper so they can get rid of it all. Supply and demand.

Metallica infamously got Napster (the original music download site) shut down, which empowered the RIAA (and later the MPAA) to go on an anti-piracy crusade, which locked down access to a lot of media.

Granted, the RIAA has been fighting that fight for decades, but it was the legal justification they needed (and public support from one particular band) to start targeting individual people to make examples of. I remember they sued some grandma who didn't know how computers work because her teen grandchild downloaded an MP3 to her computer. They put her in debt for the rest of her life. They went after children too.

And this was around the time that torrenting started, which was a convenient way to download data on the Internet without over-taxing a singular computer. But because media pirates were using the new format to share music and movies, the RIAA and MPAA targeted torrenting itself as a tool of piracy, which limited its use professionally. To this day, thanks to them, torrenting is pretty much exclusively viewed as a way to pirate illegal content.

Fuck Metallica.

I retired at 38 years old (20 years of military service, plus 100% disability got me there) and I pretty much just sit around my house all day now.

I spent 2 decades traveling the world and experiencing an extremely busy, productive life. Now I just wanna sit in my quiet, countryside home and enjoy some peace.

It's not that I can't get up and out of the house; I'm not that kind of disabled. I just enjoy focusing on myself for once. Investing in my own hobbies, not being at the beck and call of someone else. No deadlines, no alarms every morning, not worrying about making rent this month or feeding myself. It's wonderful.

Definitely the hard way. I tried to get a CPAP machine, but the VA kept telling me I was borderline and didn't require it. After 4 sleep studies in 3 years, I eventually got it. But I was already 100% when I retired, so it's not helping or hurting my rating.

I only expected to submit 2 VA disability claims when I retired; one for my legs and one for my back. But I sat down with a VA counselor before I retired and they spent 3 hours reviewing my medical records and talking over every single inch of my body. By the end, they had 33 claims written up, 30 of which the VA accepted. PTSD alone got me 70% and the other 29 claims inched me all the way to 100%.

For non-military folks, VA disability is not a straight addition equation. A 20% rating and a 20% rating don't equal a 40% overall rating.

There's some equation the VA uses that has diminishing returns on each rating. So two 20% ratings might only be a total of 25-30% overall disability.

Not to mention, sometimes the VA will accept a claim but give it a 0% rating, meaning it doesn't affect me at all, but it might be a problem later in my life. They're on my record so the VA will cover any issues related to it, but I don't get any further benefits because it's not currently impacting my life or health.

So making it to the coveted 100% rating is actually quite difficult. I got a nice boost with that one 70% rating, but the rest required piling on a bunch of smaller ratings to push me through the last 30%.

I matured physically while I was really young. I actually started shaving at 12 years old and never stopped. By my teen years, I could grow a thick, full Viking beard if I wanted to.

My last few years of elementary school, a lot of adults asked me if I was too old to be trick-or-treating. I had to quit before all my friends. Which sucks because Halloween is my favorite holiday and trick-or-treating was my favorite thing to do with friends every year.

Instead, some friends and I decided to "trick" for Halloween, since adults wouldn't "treat" me any more. Just harmless stuff, like hiding a speaker in the bushes and talking through a mic to spook people as they passed by. Or dressing up as one of the Halloween lawn decorations and jumping up as people approached the house.

Semi-related story, but I remember getting a haircut one year when I was younger. I was by myself and the barber kept trying to talk to me about current events, but I didn't know anything about them, so I had no comment. I could tell she was getting frustrated with the one-sided conversation, and eventually there was just an awkward silence between us for a while.

Finally, she piped up again and said, "So... are you starting college this year or do you have another year of high school?"

I had to inform her that I was about to start my last year of elementary school. I saw the light bulb moment on her face. She realized why I had no knowledge of current events; I was just a child. A very adult-looking child.

I joined the military while still a senior in high school. I left for basic training literally 2 weeks after graduating. I figured it'd be something cool to experience for a few years while I figured out what to do with my life.

Turns out the benefits were too good. I ended up staying for a full 20 years before qualifying for an official retirement and pension. I retired 4 years ago, at 38 years old, and have just been sitting around my house enjoying some solid "me" time.

Every time I think about going back into the workforce, I think about all the drama the civilian sector has to deal with. In the military, everything was organized. All your rules, procedures, protocols, etc. were written down and everyone had to follow them. We were all on the same page.

The civilian sector is a bit like the Wild West compared to that structure. Not to mention, I had job security while serving. I'd sign up for 4-6 years of service at a time and I literally had to be thrown in jail before I'd get "fired" during that time. Which gave me freedom to speak my mind at work more often. In the civilian sector, I have to watch my tongue at work.

So here I am, currently 42 years old, and I still don't know what to do with my life. I'm just living each day as it comes and going with the flow, investing my time in interests and hobbies. I have plans and projects in my life, and I'm slowly working toward personal goals. But do I have my whole life mapped out? Not in the slightest. Heck, I don't even know what I'm doing next week.

For a long time, I looked much older than I actually was. Throughout my teens, people confused me for a guy in my mid-late 20s. Which was great; nobody ever looked at me like a kid and it was easy to earn respect from people, as long as I showed confidence.

But then at some point, it flipped the other way. I kept getting older, but people thought I was younger than I was. Throughout my 30s, people still believed I was in my mid-late 20s.

I'm now in my early 40s and if asked, people usually guess I'm in my mid-30s (one guy recently guessed I was a "rugged 28"). Although I'm starting to get a little bit of salt and pepper in my hair now. If I grow out my beard, people will correctly guess I'm in my 40s, because my beard is more salt and pepper than my head hair, and my chin specifically is solid white now. I seem to be skipping the graying and going straight to white.

I contribute part of my looks to genetics. I was blessed with a mature, masculine appearance. I have a strong jaw and thick, dark facial hair that grows so fast, I used to shave twice a day to keep my 5-O'clock shadow in check. I also grew thick, dark hair across my entire body, literally head to toe. Definitely got some strong Norwegian blood in me.

I'm also pretty tall. At 15 years old, I grew a whole foot taller in a single summer! Which was hell on my legs. I was actually on crutches and in physical therapy for a while until I built up the muscles to support my suddenly large frame. But it really intimidated all my classmates when I went back to my jr. high school in the fall at a towering 6 feet tall.

But I also contribute part of my looks to a relatively healthy lifestyle. Not intentionally, but as a by-product of ADHD. I spent my childhood unable to sit still. I would practically burst into tears if someone made me sit for an hour, which was literally every school class I ever sat through.

In my free time, I ran everywhere, climbed everything I could (I grew up in a forested countryside and practically lived up in the trees), and in general, took part in every physical activity I could. Rock climbing, marathon biking, track team, soccer, etc. Anything to burn my seemingly endless energy. I ate upwards of 6 full-course meals a day throughout puberty and never gained a pound of weight. I had natural 8-pack abs without spending a day in the gym.

I was so active, I got super fit from just not being able to sit still, and I was burning calories so fast, I had an insatiable appetite with no consequences for stuffing my face all day long.

Then I joined the US military right out of high school and they kept up the physical fitness regime for the next 20 years I served. I was the only kid in my basic training group who didn't gain or lose a pound. Most people lose weight, because the training is the most extreme fitness they've ever endured in their lives. Some people actually gain weight because they start packing on muscles from all the exercise. I was already in peak physical condition, so no change for me.

So having a masculine face and muscular, tall body gave me a much more mature look for many years, and I believe the lifetime of fitness helped to keep me looking young and healthy, even as I'm aging and finally over the hill.

Although I got into a motorcycle accident about a decade ago and it messed up my legs bad enough, I almost got medically discharged from the military. I managed to finish my military career and retire, but only barely. My legs never properly healed, so I have regular pain now and can't be as active anymore. As such, I've actually been gaining weight since I retired 4 years ago, which may be why people think I look a bit closer to my actual age now. I'm not the super skinny fit guy I used to be anymore.

I was reading a recent study that says men go through two rapid physical aging phases late in life; one around 45 years old, and another at 60 years old. So it'll be interesting to see how I change in the next few years as I approach 45.

When I was a kid, I just had a mop of hair on my head that I did nothing with except maybe comb it to untangle after a shower. I looked exactly like Bastian from The NeverEnding Story (1984). You could hold up a photo of me as a kid and that actor, Barret Oliver, and you couldn't tell which was which. Every time I went to the barber, my mother just requested they trim it a bit. Or she would do it herself at home.

Sometime in 8th grade, I requested a buzz cut, just to change things up. I requested a #2 on the sides and a #4 on top, while keeping the bangs a bit longer than the rest. It was cool to get your tips frosted when I was a kid, but I was never brave enough to do it. But I kept my bangs long in that style anyway.

When I was in the military, I usually requested a #1 on the back and sides, #2 or #4 on top, leave the front bangs area just a smidge longer than the rest, and taper the neck.

Note: In the US military, your hair can't touch your ears at all. So most military people will also have the hair trimmed away from their ears. I was fortunate in that no hair grows within a half-inch of my ears, so as long as I kept it buzzed, I didn't need to request a trim around the ears.

As long as I knew my wife, she always requested I grow my hair out. But I kept telling her I was in the military and couldn't have long hair. About 6 years into our marriage, she showed me a picture of Chris Evans in his Captain America role and said, "See? He's in the military and his hair isn't buzzed short. Grow it like this!"

Unfortunately, my hairline was already starting to recede a bit by that point and my bangs were super thin, so I couldn't grow my hair exactly like his. But I grew out the top, parted it on my right side, and sort of combed it up and back to blend my thinning hairline into the rest of my hair. Then I put a bunch of product in my hair to hold it in place.

Your hair isn't allowed to be messy in the military, and I have a problem with cowlicks when my hair is short. My hair grows straight out of my head, so it's always poofy. If it's cut short, it's not gonna sit flat against my head. So I needed lots of product to basically glue it in place while it was combed and parted.

So my new barber request was #1 on the back and sides (all the way up to the side part on the right), taper the neck, and just a light trim on top. Then put a bunch of styling cream in it to hold. I found a brand called "Mitch construction paste" (and later, I switched to a new one called "Blind Barber") that held firmly, but didn't turn my hair all crispy and hard. I could still run my fingers through my hair, and if it started to get messy, I could just wet and re-style it.

Then I retired from the military 4 years ago and decided I needed to get away from a military-style haircut. It was my last chance to enjoy longer hair before I potentially went bald.

I had a helluva hard time growing out my hair; every time it'd get shaggy, my military discipline would kick in and I'd run to the barber to clean it up, which just cut me back into a military-style haircut again.

Eventually, I decided the only fix was to shave it all off and start fresh. It took me about 6 months to re-grow my hair from completely bald, but it's finally grown out and no longer looking like I'm in the military. I basically went back to the "Bastian" hairstyle, but I kept it parted on the right side and comb the bangs back and over.

Nowadays, I just ask the barber to trim my hair and taper the back. Super simple. I comb and style it myself, so I don't need anything fancy at the barber. I don't use product anymore, because I don't need to keep my hair in immaculate condition. If it's a bit messy, it just looks more like a civilian hairstyle.

But without product, my hair is extra poofy. I almost have an Einstein look going on. My dad's hair was like that at the end of his life, so I wouldn't be surprised if my hair also continues to get crazier as I age.

For my class's 10-year reunion, someone created a Facebook group to track down classmates and organize the reunion.

They ignored the best availability dates given by most members and instead planned the reunion around the dates requested by the popular kids from our class. Which most people couldn't attend. Then they picked an expensive venue and asked everyone to chip in money to cover the party reservation, even if they're not planning to attend.

Suffice to say, there was apparently a very poor turnout and whomever planned the event had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to cover the event themselves. They were still asking for donations to help out over a year later.

My 20-year reunion went a lot better and I actually showed up for that one.

[...] I have so many injuries from high risk sports a doctor said I’d technically qualify as disabled.

Nice! I'm actually 100% Permanent & Total Disabled according to the VA. Partly because of the motorcycle accident, but also a bunch of other minor injuries and such from my time in the military. It's what's allowed me to retire so young in my life; my disability pay from the military is twice as much as my pension, plus I get free medical and dental for the rest of my life.

I do miss the convenience of the buzz cut. Quick 5-minute shower, pass over my head with a towel, and I'm dry and ready for the day. No styling required.

With long hair, I need to do a thorough shampoo scrub, towel dry as best as I can, comb it, then potentially dampen and re-comb when it starts to dry and floof in certain cowlick areas. Or just put product in my hair to hold it down.

Having longer hair has added probably 10-15 minutes to my prep time every day. Not to mention, worrying about fixing it every time there's the slightest breeze. I miss being able to open my car windows or sunroof and not have my hair get messy and tangled. And I don't like wearing hats, so I don't have that to keep my hair contained.

But... while I'm still relatively young and decent looking, I'll suffer a bit longer. My hair is thinning and the buzz cut shows off my balding areas, so growing it out helps me to cover them up a little and look more youthful. Once I get old, bald, and ugly enough, I'll probably revert back to the buzz cut for the convenience. Same reason a lot of women cut their hair short as they get older; less hair to deal with.

I will say, my hair is soft and perfectly straight, but every hair that turns white becomes rough, scraggly, and twisted. At this rate, I may end up switching back to the buzz cut soon if my hair keeps turning white.

When I lived in Germany for a while, my wife and I took a train across the country one winter to Munich for the Christmas markets. We stayed in a hostel and walked the streets, enjoying the various stalls. I'd never heard of Glüwein before (hot, mulled, spiced red wine), but it was fantastic! It was an amazing experience and we didn't have to worry about parking lots or figuring out public transportation. Everything was within walking distance and we ended up touring all of Munich on foot.

I wish the US would get off its ass and get some high speed trains set up. We just need to keep oil and auto dealers out of the discussion because they keep shutting it down. Like Musk's "Hyperloop" project, which he proposed to stop legislation from approving high speed trains, but then intentionally did nothing with, so we just don't develop trains to replace his Tesla cars.

TL;DR: "Making democratic threats legible," i.e. spreading the word about how every action Trump takes is a threat to our democracy. It has been proven in several other countries run by authoritarian governments to be effective at stomping out fascism before it can take hold.

Saved you a click.

Nope, this is loss.

For anyone who doesn't want to do the conversion, that's 17 days.

The creator of Lower Decks wrote her a letter explaining how important her character was to him and she read the script and enjoyed it. She also asked if she could just go by Jolene in this, which he was cool with.

Saved you a click.

I knew a guy when I served in the US military who got caught cheating in a semi-related way. He got assigned to a base in a new state and his wife refused to relocate their whole family for the few years he'd be assigned there, so he went by himself, leaving his wife and kids in his home state.

Turns out, he was sexting one of his younger subordinates at work. One of his daughters found out when she tried to use an old tablet and found out his account was still synced to it. She saw all his texts updating in real time.

He was ultra-conservative and didn't believe in divorce, so he was doing everything he could to save his marriage. His wife forced him to install security cameras in every room of his apartment and banned him from going anywhere after work. She knew his schedule and expected him home immediately after work ended. He was basically on house arrest until his job was done and he could move home.

The last I heard, he told his wife the landlord needed to paint the walls, so he removed all the cameras, dunked them in the bathtub, then played dumb when none of them would work when he set them back up again. He was seen inviting young women over to his apartment after that. So, you know... he didn't learn his lesson.

Democrats aren't fighting him, the DNC (Democratic National Convention) is. The party doesn't want him as their representative, because he doesn't match their values. But he represents what the Democrat constituents actually want and the DNC fears losing control over their constituents, so they want to ensure he loses the race.

The DNC and the RNC basically want the same thing, except the Democratic Party is much more subtle about it. The US doesn't actually have a left-wing party. Both our major parties are right-wing by global standards. So any truly left-wing candidates scare them, and they'll fight tooth and nail to keep them out of elections.

Even Cuomo, who was completely stomped in the primaries, is still planning to run in the election as an independent. Their hope is that his run will split the party and make Mamdani lose. If the Democratic Party can't get their man in the election, then they'll throw the race and take everyone down with them.