Just a heads up, a lot of wildlife use leaves to survive through Winter. Like Lightning Bugs. Helps the little ones out if ya keep the leaves where they are so they have a place to survive. Along with other benefits to a healthy ecosystem.

And Lightning Bugs need all the help they can get.

"Mancy"

God I love the internet. In a single comment we jumped from "alien robot insect" to "engine module" lol. Like jumpin from mysticism to aeronautics instantly.

Which is precisely why I don't cross. Predictable traffic is safe traffic. And I predict not everyone will stop. So I play it safe lol.

Yeah I never rely on these for people to stop. It inevitably ends with someone in a car stopping, me shaking my head "nope", them shrugging "wtf", then driving off with people behind em pissed. I just wait til it's clear. Been doin it 32yrs and seems to work fine.

Tends to fuck up plants and wildlife

No problem. I'm a control freak as well so I know the feeling. Took years to acknowledge I like control and to be okay with that but still be mindful and accept when things are out of my control. Or suddenly change from being in my control to suddenly not.

Video games are a great way to live a "power fantasy" in a harmless way. Especially as a kid where you have little control. Too young to be right but too old to be wrong haha.

One thing I recommend is trying to teach em to go with the flow. Don't get too attached to how you think something will go. Offer alternatives before an event is set in motion. Goin to get ice-cream? Ask em what they're gonna get. "Chocolate!" "Ooo, chocolate is good. And if they don't have chocolate?" Make em acknowledge the possibility of having to change their plan based on outside variables they can't control.

Not everytime cause you don't wanna overanalyze every possibility. But it helps with kids not getting too worked up and confused when life changes as rapidly as it does at times.

It's a psychological tangle of wires imo. A major appeal of gaming is control. You press the button and it responds to that command immediately. Makes monkey brain feel good in a world of little control.

But having total control also means you're responsible for any fuck ups like not parrying at the right time and dyin like ass. It causes an immediate self-reflection that causes some to be embarrassed, frustrated, angry, deflect...ect. And some respond to these emotions with anger.

Adults do it all the time in real life but they don't realize it's the same as "gamer rage". How many times have you seen a full grown adult do somethin stupid, embarrassing, or frustrating and lose their mind? Stub their toe and get angry at the wall despite THEM being the only thing in motion. Not the fuckin wall.

People get very angry when forced to reconcile they don't have as much control as they thought, have control and still fucked it up, or just plain made a mistake. Learning how to reflect on oneself can be difficult when you're young. But it's important to do so. Or you'll become that dude that freaks out anytime you make a tiny mistake or miscalculation. Or worse, deflect and project it onto others and become an insufferable narcissist.

Edit- sorry I love video games and psychology and have seen this shit in online gaming for decades lol. People snapping Wii remotes in half cause they fucked up jumped into spikes and blame Mario.

Sorry to hear it. My father was the kind to take me to bars as a kid to flirt with bartenders and say shit like "woof, look at the tits on her". So I know the types. Took me a long time to shake it off and speak up about it. It sounds like it really bothers him too. I hope he finds a way to broach the subject someday but I know not every battle is worth fighting.

Because they believe others feel the same but are too afraid to say it. That's what people meant when they talked about Trump and the GOP emboldening these kinda people. They genuinely believe everyone WANTS to say it out loud but are afraid people will "be a bummer a bout it".

Everyone has dealt with people like this. As a Virginian and a male I certainly have. I've had men come say some sexist shit to me only to act all pissy the moment I tell em I won't have that kinda talk around me. Same with racists. Come up and say some shit just to get all butthurt when they realize I'm not a racist fuckstick just cause I'm Virginian.

These people wait til they feel safe then show their true colors. Not cause they believe they're wrong. But cause they believe YOU will think it's wrong and make a thing out of it. Which I will til the day I die.

Make a mean milkshake though. And you get the extra bit in the metal cup too.

Workin a half day, then some errands while it's a lil warm out. Picked up Dead Space remake last night and eagerly awaiting night time to play again. It's fantastic so far.

"You're welcome"

Been living on Meadow for 2yrs, near Maymont. And people speed down Meadow CONSTANTLY. Right passed the police department. Never seen anyone pulled over or cops by the school watchin for people speeding. Maybe the Richnond police should start enforcing some fuckin traffic. Cause people tear ass through this city.

I dunno. Maybe I'm bein ignorant and that wouldn't help. But damn I hate riding my bike around here sometimes. People drive like assholes and just blow down the street every night near my place. Sorry for the venting. Just frustrating man. Got kids all around my place playin outside. Fear the day I hear one of em get killed by a car flying down the road.

There's a small plane flying over Byrd Park and I have no idea how they're managing the fog lol unless they're above it.

With 10 cities worth of garbage dumped on top to blow around in the wind.

Yeah they're old school as hell lol I didn't realize it was straight up D&D. Thought it was just inspired by and similar to it. Nope. I've learned many a lesson by dying like shit lol.

I got a big ass robe and bought myself Baldurs Gate 1/2 EE. Game is...most unforgiving.

"How thin would you like that?"

"HUH!?"

:l

Hell yeah, Turok is sick. Turok 2 is one of my favorite games ever. Such a strange game lol.

Nah man. Sucks to have to wake up and drag yourself into work. It's cold as shit and Christmas Eve on a Saturday. Not everyone celebrates but many do and workin on Christmas is like cartoonishly shitty. I'm sure people can find somethin to do for a day who don't celebrate.

I've worked the Christmas Eve shift at cafes that are open til noon on holidays and it's shitty. Everyone is with family or friends or just hangin out while you're workin you're ass off so people can have coffee or a bagel.

WAP

Oh I'm sure, it's fucked outside. Worked in restaurants for over a decade so this is the first time I've had weekend/holidays off. I was feelin for the folks that had to go to work today.

Hope he gets off early and y'all have a lovely Christmas 🤗

Just hangin and playin some games, family stuff tomorrow. Get to see my best bud so that's wonderful.

Also fuck the restaurants/cafes open today. It's Christmas Eve on a Saturday. Let your people enjoy it. Coffee places doin half days. Shit sucks. F for those who had to crawl to work this frigid morning.

"You can beat the rap but you can't beat the ride"

A lot