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Pyrenees Traverse
  • Please continue to post. If it helps, I am SO jealous.

  • What would your last words be?
  • 🎶Exit light

    Enter night

    Take my hand

    We’re off to never never land…🎶

  • What would your last words be?
  • Permanently Deleted

  • Galen Weston calls Loblaw boycott 'misguided criticism', says grocer not responsible for higher prices
  • Luckily, this is still a free country and we don’t need a reason for shopping elsewhere.

    When Pierre Poilievre is elected with his Loblaws lobbyist employee, he might force us to shop at Loblaws. For freedom.

  • 'Deeply unhappy' grocery shoppers plan to boycott Loblaw-owned stores in May
  • And, if they do end up with excess profits, they pay it back to Co-op members.

  • What happened to "You're welcome!" as a response to "Thank You"? It's not even included in the canned answers on an apple watch. Have we as a society abandoned it?
  • Or, simply: noblesse oblige.

    Actually, this might be the absolutely most obnoxious possibly response, especially in English. I’ve heard it used unironically in French, and I think I recall hearing it used sardonically in English. Anyone else?

  • What's your favorite Bob Dylan song?
  • Tweeter and the Monkey Man

  • Favorite Aliexpress Goods?
  • I got a bell, a front light and a back light. Not expensive at all, and exactly the style I wanted.

  • Consumers may grumble, but these oligopolies are great for investors
  • The image reminds me the RBC just bought HSBC, reducing our options and tightening the oligopoly. I was a customer of HSBC, but I’m not grumbling about RBC because I switched to another smaller bank. I’m not willing to fund their executive bonuses.

  • Alestorm - The Last Saskatchewan Pirate (Cover)
  • I’ll take your word for it. The name captain tractor is in the song, which is what created my confusion, but it’s not really proof one way or the other.

  • Alestorm - The Last Saskatchewan Pirate (Cover)
  • I saw The Arrogant Worms perform this song live. Their version was the first I heard, but I think this is the original: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8G_L9tXEwmc

  • SWIFT planning launch of new central bank digital currency platform in 12-24 months
  • That’s interesting. I don’t really understand the bénef of a central bank digital currency. However, I could see some real improvements from stocks being tokenized.

  • Removed
    Do you think this will work?
  • I guess this needed more commentary. I put this up to be mercilessly mocked. I didn’t mean to trigger you and draw the mockery to myself.

    This absolutely brainless announcement was in our bulletin today. The biggest questions that occur to me are:

    Will this attract the youth? I taught early morning seminary for a bit. I’ll tell you that I really doubt the kids are going to want an extra meeting on Sunday evening, especially when it’s just to pressure them into serving a mission.

    What participation do they actually expect from the youth? They clearly believe they already have all the answers.

    How will this prepare kids for a mission? Nothing about life skills and everything about duty. It sets missionaries up for a huge shock.

    Finally, do they expect kids to want to do this, or are they subtly instructing parents to require their kids to attend and, by extension, serve a mission? Where is agency?

    Anyway, just a few of my cynical reactions to being exposed to the “gospel.” Feel free to add your own or to totally ignore my post. Personally, I’d like to see more content here.

  • Removed
    Do you think this will work?
  • PIMO. Thanks for checking.

  • The biggest lie in Mormonism

    “Men are that they might have joy.”

    Have you ever noticed that when you’re enjoying yourself, it’s probably a sin?

    Sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll… Normal things that normal people enjoy, alcohol in moderation, R-rated movies, chatting with friends at the pub, having a hobby, women having a career.

    And Mormons are told that we’re never doing enough church stuff. Read scriptures more, pray more, fast more, do more family history, go to the temple more, spend more time in your calling, more home and visiting teaching. It’s not only exhausting, it’s dour.

    8
    Would you rather feel low-key dissatisfied

    With your life, or artificially happy, knowing it’s temporary?

    To be clear, this post is semi-autobiographical. My life’s not bad, just kind of dull. Recreational cannabis use is legal. Am I wrong to enjoy it? Should I focus on improving my life instead of getting high?

    13
    I went to church stoned today

    Recreational cannabis use is legal here. I took some before church, hoping to make the two hours more enjoyable.

    When I walked into the chapel, I felt happy and relaxed and really good. That’s when I realized how I’m supposed to feel at church, and the fact that I never have.

    0
    Utahns should get the COVID vaccine
    mas.to sltrib (@sltrib@mas.to)

    State health officials said Utahns should get vaccinated “now” to protect themselves as cases rise. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/12/01/utah-has-very-high-covid-19-levels/

    Just like the prophet asked them to. But Mormons don’t follow the prophet when his words conflict with their personal politics.

    My dad has COVID for the second time and it’s been quite serious both times. I’m almost sure he got it from church. It’s not right to throw away this life because you believe the next life will be better.

    2
    Return to Innocence - Enigma [1994]
    m.youtube.com Enigma - Return To Innocence (Official Video)

    Listen to more from Enigma: https://Enigma.lnk.to/EssentialsFollow Enigma:► Website: http://www.enigmaspace.com/► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Enigma► ...

    Enigma - Return To Innocence (Official Video)

    I think I remember this song. It seems familiar. YouTube recommended it based on other songs I was listening to. It was clearly popular. Do you remember it? What do you associate it with?

    5
    I won’t go back to Elders quorum after today

    I haven’t been for a couple weeks. In that time, an older couple moved in. They have some peculiar ideas. The EQP and another older member already have a penchant for sharing deep doctrine. Today, the EQP and new guy chased each other down a couple rabbit holes (Jewish tradition and whether or not the elements have a spirit and intelligence) and it’s all literal with these people. There was some grumbling in the back row that “I don’t come to church for this stuff.” So the long-time ward member pipes up, says that “none of this has any bearing on our salvation,” and walks out.

    The drama made it more interesting than usual. But I’m losing patience with the holier-than-thou know-it-alls. I’ll attend Sunday School to spend time with the wife, but I’m done with Elders Quorum.

    I’m interested to see how Sunday School goes with this new couple attending. My wife might just lose patience, too. Here’s hoping.

    5
    Trip report

    I recently travelled to East Asia for two weeks. I wanted to share a couple things I learned.

    Things I packed that I didn't use:

    • dress pants/trouser, instead I wore my button-down shirt with khakis.
    • shorts, I just don't wear shorts, even on a warm sunny day. I wore lose-fitting long pants instead

    Things I was glad I packed:

    • two wallets. I had a passport wallet with large bills and a backup credit card. This usually stayed safe in my one-bag in the hotel room. I also had a slim wallet for a credit card, a transit card, a hotel room key and local cash.
    • swimsuit. I brought a speedo and a small micro-fibre towel (that I didn't need) and Swedish-style goggles. I only swam once, but it was nice that I could. I forgot my swimcap, which is required in Asia.
    • first aid kit. I had polysporin, hydracortizone, vaseline, bandages, Advil, tylenol and an antihistamine, all of which I used. I also had gauze, antiseptic wipes, antibacterial medication and rehydration salts, none of which I used, but which didn't take much space.
    • travel router. Once I connected to hotel wifi, all the family's devices worked as though they were at home (because I gave it the same name as our home network). It even had a VPN, which felt safer and sometimes bypassed site blocking.
    • international multi-plug with USB ports. Great for charging up to five devices, in any country.

    Things I wished I had:

    • SIM tool. Buying a cheap data-only SIM card is awesome. Having a SIM tool becomes important. A paperclip could work, but I didn't have one, either.
    • shoulder bag. I used a small backpack as a daybag and I looked like a tourist. (That, and being white in touristy spots.)

    What made people mad:

    • My extended family got so mad about my carry-on sized, backpack-shaped one-bag. They were mad it didn't have wheels and a handle, mad that I was carrying it on my back, and mad that I didn't pack more stuff. Maybe it made them feel stupid? Especially when I could manage my own bags and help with theirs. It's so irrational.
    • I was mad when someone threw away my disposable water bottle. And when I left my first aid kit in my one-bag instead of keeping it in my daybag. So much, that I made a list of things I wanted to bring with me in my daybag every day.

    Day bag:

    • jacket, hat, sunglasses
    • wallet, with enough cash for the day and a transit card
    • first aid kit, feminine hygiene
    • hand sanitizer
    • tissues
    • water bottle
    • phone charger / power bank
    • guide book and map, but these are both on my phone

    Thoughts? Questions?

    2
    Am I in the temple of God or an expensive hotel lobby?

    What do you think? Temple of the one true living God? Or hotel lobby?

    If you need a hint, I don’t hold a current temple recommend.

    8
    My Home Server software stack

    I'm writing this partly because I think others might be interested, partly because I want to know what others think of my setup, and partly because I'm going to upgrade my hardware and need to review my setup so that I can re-create it on the newer hardware.

    I have an old 2009 iMac at home that wasn't being used anymore, so I installed Ubuntu server 2022.04 LTS. I have two printers, so I installed the CUPS manager, which allows my to print wirelessly from iPad, iPhones and my MacBook Air. For media, I run PlexMediaServer (video) and Navidrome. For content, I run Transmission, which I can manage from a web browser. For e-books, I use calibre which I access via a web browser (on my iPhone or a Kobo). For coding, I've installed Nginx, MariaDB and PHP.

    My router has a built-in VPN, but I'd like to install WireGuard on the server. I'd also like to be able to collect and manage my family's photos. For now, I use MacOS Photos, but since we rarely plug our phones into the computer to sync them, they are usually only backed up to iCloud.

    What else should I consider?

    16
    What makes your life well-lived?

    When you get to the end of your life, old and tired, and you look back on all the things you did and time you spent, what will make you say: yes, I did well and it was all worth it?

    Put another way, if you have an extra hour tomorrow with nothing planned, what could you do with yourself to later say: I’m glad I did that? What if you have an unplanned day? Or a week? Does how you use that time change? Would the choice of how to use that time be more or less deliberate, depending on how long you have? Does that choice define you as a person?

    56
    Is the purpose of life to be happy?

    When I’m unhappy, I feel like I’m doing life wrong. I’d rather be happy. But is happiness the point of life, or is there more to it? If I pursue happiness, mine first then for those around me, is that selfish? But if there’s a bigger purpose, then what about people with Alzheimer’s or dementia who can’t recall recent experiences or make plans?

    105
    Costcos of the World
    www.visualcapitalist.com Visualizing the Number of Costco Stores, by Country

    This graphic breaks down the number of Costco stores globally, providing insight into the retailer's global presence.

    Visualizing the Number of Costco Stores, by Country

    Some of these numbers are shocking. Who knew that Taiwan has 14 Costcos, whereas France only has 2 and New Zealand only 1?

    0
    Testimony meeting today

    They bishopric member who was conducting today opened with his testimony. A long-time friend of his recently left the church. That bothered him, but he listened to a podcast (the guest was Don Bradley?) and he’s comforted to know that there are good answers to the difficult questions. My wife murmured her agreement. She doesn’t want to know what the tough questions are, much less the answers, she’s just glad to know that there are answers.

    The worst quote: “Everyone who leaves the church and is honestly seeking the truth, eventually returns.” It starts from the assumption that the church is true and arrives at the judgement that anyone who doesn’t accept the teachings of the church must not be sincerely seeking truth.

    3
    Facts don’t matter
    www.experimental-history.com You can't reach the brain through the ears

    Why do we have to learn everything the hard way?

    You can't reach the brain through the ears

    You can’t convince anyone by explaining the facts. Psychologist Adam MASTROIANNI wrote an insightful and entertaining piece about why that’s the case.

    We can’t de-convert our family and friends, just like they can’t re-convert us. Missionary work is a waste of time, except for the experience of the missionary. And hypocrisy in leaders is what will destroy the Church.

    Our deeply-held beliefs, in the castle’s keep (in the author’s analogy) remind me of this XKCD: https://xkcd.com/2347/ represented by the “random package” near the bottom.

    1
    Reel Big Fish - The Setup

    I think the singer is really talented and this song is a good example. That’s not to diminish the ability of the rest of the band.

    0
    Space-saving tips?

    I packed my Farpoint 40 for two weeks in Alaska. It was more full than I would like. In order to fit my dress shoes, I put three pairs of socks (rolled) in each shoe.

    What do you do to save space?

    1
    Mustard Plug - Miss Michigan

    One of my favourites.

    0
    Empty parking lot

    I’ll be teaching elders quorum today. The GC talk is boring and participation is always the same handful of people. But I don’t mind standing in front to guide the conversation. I mentioned to my wife that there probably won’t be many families in attendance because it’s summer.

    She said: even less during second hour. She had to go out to the car last week and the parking lot was almost empty. A lot of families are leaving after sacrement.

    I don’t know if it means anything. It’s anecdotal, but church is boring and when the weather is nice, even the believers know there are better ways to spend a Sunday.

    0
    Agency at FSY

    Two of my kids went to FSY this past week. Overall, it was a mixed bag with some fun games and good food, but too much church stuff (according to them).

    Before they went, they asked me: what if we don’t want to do some of the stuff? I told them to use the phrase: I have my agency. And if someone insists, to say: that sounds like Satan’s plan.

    Today I picked them up. With his humour, my boy told me: they taught us about agency. They said: sometimes your parents don’t give you agency, but they still love you. Then they didn’t give us agency for the rest of the week.

    It highlights in my mind how un-self-aware Mormons are, and how deep down we know that this stuff is boring and annoying and very few people would choose to do it. If it weren’t, we could just invite people without applying huge pressure. But everything in the church is accompanied by social pressure.

    0
    investorsexchange investorsexchange @lemmy.ca

    Whether 'tis nobler to grow wealth and gain

    The finer things in life, or to undertake

    A change of sex against a sea of doubters

    And by opposing, gain pride. To be a man,

    And face the trials of a fluctuating market,

    Or become a woman, and embrace

    The beauty and the freedom of another self.

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