"The first thing that they said to me was, 'Oh, you're going to have to pay a 30-some-dollar NSF fee for this bill not going through," said Martin.

This is the kind of shit that feeds into the privatization crowd's agenda. The same thing or worse would likely happen if this were a private business, but it will nonetheless work as fine ammo for people shouting about government red tape.

A tiny bit of customer-service training could have turned a negative story into a positive outcome had they immediately reverted that NSF fee and done something else to make the situation right (like a sizable credit on her account for the trouble).

I don't remember where I first read it, but there's a concept in business where a problem can become an opportunity to make a positive impression on a customer. If you consistently shop at the same store and have no issues, you'll be happy but won't think much of it. If one day they screw up your order and then go above and beyond to make the situation right - that's what's going to make a real impression. It's that interaction that you're going to share with your friends or maybe even write a review about. If the business treats you well, you're going to likely leave with a more favorable impression than if they had never made a mistake in the first place. If they don't, you're never going to shop there again.

Obviously in this case the customer is dealing with a monopoly and has no choice in the matter, but government workers should be trained to a better standard about these things. People need to see that a government monopoly for something like this is in their best interests. Stories like this tell a very different tale. I guarantee a private monopoly would be much worse, but since at least the 80s the right has pushed a concentrated agenda that government = inefficient and outliers like this feed into that.

Weird! Thanks for letting me know. I guess that's what I get for using an app (Sync) that the developer abandons for months at a time.

5. Go straight to jail.

Edit: No idea what's up with the formatting. In my app this shows as step 5 but it seems to render as step 1. Is the Lemmy DB done in CSS?

I mentioned this in my own top-level comment, but I just use different browsers for work and personal. Firefox for work, and my distro's fork for personal. That keeps those nicely separate.

I use them instead of virtual desktops - each with a specific hotkey, and some with customized pinned apps.

I have ...

General: Email, shopping, etc.

Gaming

Media

Two Work activities - a primary, and a secondary for when I need to compartmentalize different ongoing tasks

Other - for anything transitory that doesn't fit in the others.

I realize this could largely be done with virtual desktops, though I don't think you can have a different pinned app loadout for each?

The downside to setting things up this way is when I restart my computer, it seems to randomly decide which browser windows go in each activity. Also, with apps that I use across them (like Notion), I have to go hunting for which activity it opened in. To get around the issue of splitting Firefox across different profiles, I just use two browsers. Firefox for work, and Firedragon for personal stuff. They share the same external password manager, so it's pretty seamless.

You're welcome, and good luck!

Obviously I could be misreading it myself given that I'm only experiencing the circumstances via your post, but what seems to give away that he's into you is just how you describe your interactions with him. The making eyes from across the room, gravitating toward you, paying special attention (especially offering to drive you home) - those are all pretty good signs, especially when taken together.

And yeah, I think it was mostly the use of the word "protect" that made me second guess his personality. He could just have a weird way of talking, but that wording puts my guard up a little. That isn't to say that he's a weirdo, but it certainly makes it worth approaching with a bit of caution - especially given the big age gap. Maybe he doesn't necessarily chase younger women and he's just enamored by you in particular. But, there are a looooot of older guys out there who prey on younger women because they feel that they can control them.

Also, you said you're "not expecting anything serious." Be careful there as well - he very well may have something different in mind. It's a big age gap that I'd generally advise against for lots of reasons, and different life stages is a big part of that. He could be looking to settle down, start a family, etc. If you were in your early 20s I'd say run, but being that you're both full adults and you might be ultimately looking for the same things, you do you. That is, as long as you're not getting any red flags. Maybe a coffee date or whatever wouldn't be a bad idea to see what vibes you're getting from him in a different setting.

Again though, I'm a total outsider so take this all with a big grain of salt and go with your own gut.

Normally I'd say you're both adults and he's pretty clearly into you, so shoot your shot. Buuuuut ... What was with that driving you home "to protect you"? That feels like at least a yellow flag to me, for potentially controlling behavior. I'd try to get a better read on that before jumping into anything.

Avoid hoarding? Let's just say I bring a real "gotta catch em all" energy to the trackers.

I've never gotten around to actually reading up on this, but I've always suspected it has to do with the frequency of gratification. In real life you could study for 8 hours and, while you'll learn a lot, you don't get that dopamine (or whatever) hit until you complete the test, succeed at the project, etc. Games, however, are constructed so that you get little rewards at regular intervals to keep you hooked, like levels, new gear, etc. Some, particularly a lot of mobile games, obviously prey on susceptible people with that loop, but even "regular" games can get pretty addictive with that sort of progression.

(I'm far from anti-gaming. It's my main hobby. This is just my guess at how the psychology behind it works.)

The flying super-sheep were hilarious, but everything with Hughie's dad was heartbreaking. Well, watching him freak out and return to corporeal form while standing in that dude was also hilarious, but at that point it was inevitable that it was gonna end badly.

Great episode, in part due to how off the rails it was.

That Costco employee knew exactly what they were doing when they placed that sign there, and I commend them for it.

This would be a pretty interesting way of finding out.

I was really expecting to see Saddam Hussein somewhere in this picture. I admit, I looked pretty hard.

Ya know what? I'm happy for them.

Just chiming in to say I've also run into this a few weeks ago. If I recall correctly, I don't think it happens all the time either.

Super cute, though the music sounded weirdly ominous to me. It sounded less baby otter playing with toys and more baby Cthulhu playing with humans as toys.

Ah! Glad to hear that. Yeah, starting new meds can be rough for the first while. Especially if you're experiencing side effects (which in my experience at least vastly diminished over time). Good luck, and I hope you're able to start getting some better sleep. That'll make a huge difference once possible.

If you can't sleep and are trying to kill time anyway, why not look into something like mindfulness meditation? It might help you keep some of those anxious thoughts in check to the point where you can actually focus on something to take your mind off of whatever is causing your issues.

I'm sure it's not for everyone, but it helped me a lot when I was at my worst.

Also, you indicate that your anxiety and depression are due to some personal issues (which it sounds like will no longer be an issue in a month). If I'm understanding that correctly, that sucks for the time being but I'm glad to hear it has an expiration date. If those are feelings you deal with chronically, however, and you have the means to do so, I highly suggest trying to find professional help. The right meds can make an absolute world of difference, and talk therapy can help you straighten out how you approach those feelings.

Whatever route you take, I hope this passes for you soon and you start to feel so much better. Those feelings suck, but life can absolutely get better.

I think this might fall under "cruel and unusual punishment" for his cellmate. Imagine having to live in a tiny room with this blowhard.