• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

ProTips for Life - Things everyone should know.

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Lol that reminds me of this big black dude that transferred to our school in 5th grade. He was 13 and like 6 feet tall. He'd bully everybody and when he hit you with one of the giant deflated bouncy balls it stung like fuck.
We used to make plans on how we would deal with him at recess. Mainly involved jumping on him and trying to knock him into the corner that was lower than the rest of the playground and smelled like piss.
I still have those plans stashed away somewhere.

My neighborhood "clique" were all a few years younger than him and we had a plan to where we'd shout this nickname we made up to mock him as he walked down the street, because he'd always chase after us, but we'd lure him down this little side pathway and then trip him with a jump rope tied between two fence posts and then have 6 people jump out and roll on him. But ultimately we decided against it because he also had bully parents so we knew the dad would retaliate too if we beat him up. And believe me this bully was bad enough to get rolled on. He almost drowned me, he sent another friend to the ER by throwing an ice ball in the winter full strength at his face, he beat up a girl and left a scar on her arm, he was bad. But their family was also the type that if you got even they'd take it up World War 3 level and probably throw bricks through our windows, so instead of doing that plot where we lured him and jumped him we just taunted him with words.
 

DrJohnGalt

Banned
Some good advice already; here are a few random things I live by (some new, some already touched on). Remember, not everything will be good for everybody here.

  • If you can avoid it, don't put more more on a credit card than you can pay off each month. That extra interest is killer!
  • If you do use a card, shop around for the best rates and/or rewards program.
  • Don't be afraid to re-negotiate your loans/contracts. Everything from a home refi to getting new pricing/services that may not have been available when you signed up for things like cable or internet.
  • If you're in collections, give them as little information as possible. And don't be afraid to ask for a settlement; most creditors will take a big chunk of the bill off if you pay in full.
  • Get everything in writing. And keep it where you can find it if you need it.
  • Always put some money from each check into savings. If you have a hard time forcing yourself to stop spending, set up a direct deposit to a retirement/saving fund so you never see the money in your disposable income account in the first place.
  • Diversify your investments.
  • Make a shopping list before you go to the store.
  • Cook your own food. Don't order out. You'll save a ton of money and probably eat better.
  • Find a few types of food and stick to them. It's boring, yes, but it's better on your body, it saves a lot of money, it makes shopping easier, and you cut down on prep time. (I know, it's a bit harder to do when you have kids).
  • Make sure you eat plenty of leafy greens and drink plenty of water. Try to cut out processed foods.
  • Make sure you're financially secure before you have kids.
  • If you're overweight, give fitness a chance. After high school I was comfortably overweight for about 20 years and thought I was happy. Then I started working out, dropped 50 lbs and not only felt better physically, I felt better mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. But kicking that food dependence/addiction was a real big thing to initially overcome.
  • Don't be afraid to cut out the negative people in your life, even if they are long-time friends or family. You can only do so much to support a person, and if that person isn't even willing to help themselves (or doesn't want to be helped), just let them go. It might hurt, but you'll be better off.
  • Be careful when offering advice. I've learned to relate my own personal experiences if I see somebody making a mistake I've already made, but most people don't want to hear it and won't learn until they make the mistake themselves. Some still won't learn even after they make the mistake.
  • Listen more than you speak.
  • Be careful with your personal info. Watch yourself online. Shred your paper trash. Use a VPN. Don't answer calls or respond to emails unless you initiated the conversation. Don't overshare on social media (don't brag about new stuff you just bought or share when you'll be away from the house).
  • If you make a mess, clean it up right away.
  • Don't throw boxes for electronics or big-ticket items in the trash at your curb.
  • Get a camera to watch the front of your house as well as any entryways.
  • If you have a dog, walk it at least a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening.
  • Change your smoke detector batteries regularly. And do fire drills - time yourself and your entire family. Make sure you have proper fire extinguishers in the house. And don't forget things like carbon monoxide detectors and first aid kits.
  • Have enough extra food and storage supplies to last a few weeks without power.
  • Look up and participate in local CERT classes (they are usually free).
  • Don't just look; observe.
  • Be situationally aware of your surroundings. Count heads, know where the exits are, establish a baseline and notice when something is "off".
  • This also includes when you drive. Know where the other cars are around you and quickly classify each driver type.
  • Put down your phone. This is a good rule in general, but it's especially key when talking to somebody in person, or walking, or driving.
  • Learn how to handle and shoot a firearm, even if you don't even plan on owning one.
  • If you do carry, keep it concealed. Don't skimp on the basics (trigger discipline, muzzle awareness, etc). Practice drawing from concealment (because marksmanship - ie shooting at a stationary paper target - isn't worth much at all when it comes down to it.
  • Don't be that idiot with a gun or a wannabe hero that makes responsible gun owners look bad.
  • Don't be too proud to walk away from a confrontation.
  • Find your grit and build your willpower.
  • Take cold showers.
  • Start intermittent fasting (maybe make every other day liquid-only).
  • Wake up at the same time each day regardless of when you went to sleep the evening before.
  • Get a routine and stick to it. This includes stuff I mentioned earlier like daily exercise, eating the same foods, waking up at the same time, etc. Not only is it good to keep your life in order, it's great if you've got personal problems (mental or emotional, etc) issues or addiction issues.
  • Meditate. Pray. Disconnect. Whatever you call it, give yourself some quiet time without the electronics or distractions or human interactions.
  • Learn how to breathe properly. Most people tend to gulp jagged, shallow breaths. Fully inhale and exhale front to back, not top to bottom.
  • Don't brag. Don't be envious.
  • Congratulate people for a job well-done and be genuinely happy for them. And even if you're not at the moment, act like it; pretty soon you'll realize how petty it is to not be happy for somebody, even if they got something you wanted.
  • Try to have a positive outlook; it's contagious and being happy seems to attract happiness.
  • Keep gossip to a minimum.
  • Compliment people. Not the creepy "nice tits" stuff, but even just noticing something like a new shirt or haircut is a compliment to most people. Also don't be afraid to compliment other guys if you are a guy.
  • Keep a good posture. You'd be surprised how it affects a person psychologically and how it changes other peoples' perceptions of you.
  • Same with dressing nice. Dress nice. Does't have to be biz professional all the time, but clean, unwrinkled clothes that fit properly go a long way to make a good impression (and much like posture, there are psychological benefits).
  • Be hygienic. And take pride in your appearance (aside from the clothing). Cut and clean your nails. Use deodorant. Keep your breath fresh and your hair trimmed.
  • Brush your teeth after every meal. Floss daily.
  • Don't worry so much about how other people live their lives if it doesn't affect you.
  • Don't try to be perfect. Admit (to yourself at least) your flaws, shortcomings, and biases.
  • Don't take all the advice you read online.
I know a lot of this is easier said than done, but start working on a little at a time to change your life. Don't try to do everything at once.
 
Last edited:

Gargus

Banned
If you drill a hole take a post a note and fold it in half so that it's in the shape of a V and stick it to the wall under where you're going to drill so it's like a tiny shelf. Drill your hole and all the mess with fall on it and you just pull it off, fold it in half and throw it away. No mess to clean up.

Wipe your garage doors down with some armor all at the start of each season and you can keep them from fading out for another 10 or more years.

Once every 2 years go to all of your water shut off valves and open them up all the way and put a dab of plumber's grease or silicon greases on the stem and close and open them 2 or 3 times to work it in and you wont find you get a stuck valve when an emergency occurs.

Connecting the hot and cold lines on the top of your water heater with a copper wire can help reduce electrolysis. Also replacing your water heaters sacrificial rod aka anode rod every 5 years can add 6 or more years of life to your water heater. As well as every 2 years draining off some water from your water heaters bottom spicket.

Putting batteries and medication in a fridge will help them keep their potency longer due to decreased molecular activity.

Every spring spray a can of frost king ac coil cleaner acf19 on your air conditioners outside condenser coils and fins on the side of your house, wait 3 minutes and hose it off. This will make your ac more efficient and make it last much longer as this is where your ac unit sheds the systems heat from. The cleaner it is the easier it can shed heat/energy.

Using cold water in your coffee maker will make the coffee taste better and if you a coffee that tastes bitter out a small pinch of salt in the grounds to get rid of it.

If you buy a new TV always Google your TV model number for calibrations in the settings because chances are if you never set them the factory settings are shit.

If you have to go out and do multiple errands always think of doing them from right to left so you make the least amount of left turns as possible and saving yourself dozens of hours over the course of a year.
 

Ownage

Member
This is some cold blooded advice, but it's served me well, especially after years of pain and divorce.

Learn what narcissistic and borderline personality disorders are, and what they and bipolar behavior look like. Learn which sex is more prone to narcissistic behavior and which is more prone to BPD. Steer clear of these people. Doesn't matter if they're your parents, spouse, significant other. They're trouble and will only slow you and bring you grief.

Conversely, seek those who wish to spend time with you, value you and ask little to nothing of you but want you in their lives. You may only find 1, 2 or 3 people total like this in your life. This is normal. Use these feelings to find other like minds, and grow this network throughout your life. You will find happiness, warmth and joy along this path.
 

TindalosPup

Member
Learn what narcissistic and borderline personality disorders are, and what they and bipolar behavior look like. Learn which sex is more prone to narcissistic behavior and which is more prone to BPD. Steer clear of these people.

This is cold, perhaps good advice in certain circumstances, but a bit misleading. If you aren't in the line of psychology, psychiatry, counseling, or therapy for work, if it's not your profession, you will misdiagnose.

The only reason I say anything is because at one point, I thought I had Borderline Personality Disorder. Going to therapy proved that not to be the case, and helped me work on the things that I thought were the signs of the disorder. I can't imagine how rough it would be if people just left me because they assumed I did.

It's also important to remember that people with these afflictions suffer, too. If they've willingly crossed a line with you drop them if that's what you think is needed. But you really shouldn't abandon loved ones, if you love them you're lying to them and to yourself doing that.
 

Ownage

Member
This is cold, perhaps good advice in certain circumstances, but a bit misleading. If you aren't in the line of psychology, psychiatry, counseling, or therapy for work, if it's not your profession, you will misdiagnose.

The only reason I say anything is because at one point, I thought I had Borderline Personality Disorder. Going to therapy proved that not to be the case, and helped me work on the things that I thought were the signs of the disorder. I can't imagine how rough it would be if people just left me because they assumed I did.

It's also important to remember that people with these afflictions suffer, too. If they've willingly crossed a line with you drop them if that's what you think is needed. But you really shouldn't abandon loved ones, if you love them you're lying to them and to yourself doing that.
It's each person's choice whether they want the influence of BPD or NPD in their life. Yes, bipolar people suffer as well, but the onus is on them to seek help. As many go untreated, for those that don't suffer, it's wise to steer clear.

As physicians say, heal thyself first. Protect yourself first, and once you're armored with knowledge, self worth and self understanding, then one can help others through love and compassion.
 
Last edited:
If you get denied medical procedures after your doctor has appealed, check to see if you already met your out of pocket costs. If so, continue doing PT, wait until it's the new year, and appeal again. If your insurance suddenly approves the same procedure that they previously denied, sue the fuck out of those greedy motherfuckers.
 
H

hariseldon

Unconfirmed Member
Mental health advice these days is tailored mostly to women (e.g. talking through feelings etc.) but is thrust upon men even though it’s not how we deal with these things. Ignore such advice that encourages you to wallow in feelings.

My advice is to find something that gives you purpose. Something that makes you want to wake up in the morning so you can keep doing it. For me, I’m an engineer and I love what I do. I don’t dread going to work because it’s not a chore — I design something, it gets excavated to my design, and I get to see the end result and say “I designed that”. I get paid well for it too which is a bonus. You say you’re going to uni but whether that is a good thing depends entirely on what you’re doing. Most subjects in the arts and humanities will put you deep in the debt hole and will give you a lifetime of financial stress likely while working a dead end job in an unrelated field. If you’re doing a novelty subject, you’re better off switching to something in STEM or health (if possible) or learning a trade. There is absolutely no shame in becoming an electrician or plumber. In fact, I’d be more proud of my kid if he learned a trade than if he got a participation degree. Uni is not the be all and end all, no matter what anyone says.

Family is the other big factor. As a man, you are hardwired to provide for others. This is where much of your motivation comes from. Find yourself a good woman and work towards building a future together. If you have a long term vision and can see how all the small things along the way fit in, it can provide a lot of motivation to keep going and push through the difficult times. I have known people who lived through severe trauma (one was repeatedly and violently gang raped at school over a period of three years) and the best way for them to deal with their trauma was by living for others. There is a great sense of satisfaction in being a provider.

Also the fact that you can recognise and appreciate how lucky you are to “live like a king” despite your own personal adversity will help you go a long way in life. Never stop being thankful for the good things in your life, no matter how many troubles come your way.

Funny thing, what you said there matches how I got my shit together 1000%. Lots of truth right there, should be compulsory reading for all men.
 

Ownage

Member
Working hard when you’re young allows you to take it a lot easier when you’re older.
Plus it helps define your limits as to what you can and cannot do, tolerate or desire. If you've worked hard, you can be proud of it. Nobody can take away your wisdom and earnings, or push you around. This applies to lifting, studying or networking.
 
You have to remember that while there are many things you can't control in life, you can control how you react. This has been the single most important thing for me to remember throughout life.

Honestly one of the most important things I've learned as well. It has helped a great deal in my overall day to day outlook on life. Possibly the greatest generalized bit of "advice" so far in this thread.
 
Last edited:

Tesseract

Banned
also good to remember that you cannot always control how you react, this is evident when people go into psychosis and the like, flight / fright / fight, so on

by all means enjoy the illusion, we all do for one reason or another
 

jadedm17

Member
15. You pay for what you get. Always.

This is the big one that took me far too long to learn, I don't know why no one hammered this home more before I turned 30? I'm 32 now and I'd say it was around 28 or so I started to really understand that.

Extension : Time is money. The more time - or effort - put makes a better product too; I'm fine with store bought sour mix now and then but if you actually time to the time to make sour mix then your drink will reward you for it.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
For those of you who are looking to buy a home, mortgages are daunting.

Always ask a mortgage broker for advice. Never do a mortgage on your own.

To qualify for as high of a mortgage as possible, it's all about disposable cash flow. So try to have a little loans as possible. If it means you have to pay off a loan early, do it. For example you got this:
- Car loan ($500/mth)
- Student loan ($200/mth)
- Credit card balance ($100/mth)

To the bank, that's $800/mth you got locked up in existing debts. Look at how much balance there is in each and if you have to bite the bullet, pay one off in full if you can. This will free up monthly cash flow and your mortgage will get approved higher.


Never get a mortgage one on one with your bank
Shop around and get a mortgage broker to do the dirty for you finding the best rates. The bank pays them a cut, you don't. Don't just stick with your normal bank "just because". I have never got a mortgage with my normal bank because they've some reason never offered the best rates.

A mortgage broker should also pay any appraisal fees for you. If you buy a property and it requires an appraiser (which costs about $300), a good mortgage broker will cover it if you go through them. I have never paid an appraisal fee ever for any property I've bought. What will be required is you pay for it first, then your broker guy will pay you back after the deal is done (so you don't backstab him at the last minute).


Costs
There's more than just the % rate you see.

There's other shit like terms, how many years, variable or fixed, and extremely important.... break up fees. The standard I believe is 3 months interest. Not the end of the world. But some low rate mortgages have high break up fees where they tale the differential in rates and grill you. If you move a mortgage to another one, that's "porting". The fees can be high too.

Mortgage payments are one part equity and one part interest. depending on the place a d plan, it might skew a little more or less to principal equity or interest. Try to get ones that skew payments to equity first as front loaded. This is important because i you even run into money and want to pay it off faster, you've already banked more equity to begin with so your balance is smaller if you pay them the principal and 3 months interest penalty.

At the end of the day you want:

- Low rate to begin with
- Low break up fees
- Zero fee to change mortgage if you stick with the existing bank. Don't get grilled for a $200 fee or anything stupid if you change a mortgage with the same place. They should waive the fee. Don't let the idiot junior person "follow the rules". Elevate it to the manager to waive the fee if you need to


Years
How long the mortgage is amortized over is a real killer on how much interest you pay after all is said and done. The standard is 25 years I think. If you think you can float it, see if a 20 year works (or even less if you can do it). Try to avoid 30 year unless you are desperate. The difference in interest you pay between a 25 year and a 30 year is a lot even though it only seems to be an extra 5 years.

The lower the years you can pay it off the cheaper it ultimately is. But of you stretch it out forever, you re paying a shit load more interest.


Variable or Fixed?
I've always done variable and it's worked 90% of the time. Only a small amount of time has there been a time I should have locked in a fixed.

Never the less, it's one part costs, and one part predictability. Variable rates go up or down a quarter point when the banks change rates. A fixed rate stays the same for the period you agreed to, so the payments are the same. A variable rate mortgage has your payments going up or down.

Fixed is better if you get a great rate and want a predictable payment. But if rates are high and you have flexibility, a variable is likely better as the rates are usually a bit better.


Payment Frequency
Every mortgage let's you choose.... monthly, weekly, twice a month, every two weeks.

Assuming you aren't totally cash crunched, always choose the fastest payment so your overall mortgage is lowest with the least interest paid.

I believe weekly is the best, but most people don't do that as people usually get paid every two weeks. So a good ,one to pick is every two weeks. So you'll do 26 payments a year. If you do twice a month, that's 24 payments. Doesn't sound like a lot, but doing every two weeks (accelerated bi-weekly) will likely cut your mortgage down a few years and save you $10,000s of interest (depending how big your starting mortgage is).



Open or Closed
These are features every mortgage has, but you got to chose which kind you want. This has to do with how much extra money you can contribute (above your scheduled payments) to pay off the mortgage.

An open one means you can literally pay it off in full tomorrow or in 5 years if you want. These kinds of mortgages are good for people with lots of money or need a short term mortgage knowing they can pay it off faster than usual. The drawback is the rate is a bit higher.

A closed one means the bank will give you a limit on how much more your can contribute per year. The standard I've seen is 15%. So even in a closed one you got an opportunity to pay off your mortgage 15% of the principal every year (above your normal payments). This kind of mortgae has a slightly lower rate, but you are limited in how much/fast you can pay it all off. This is the usual mortgage people get because most people don't have so much money floating around to pay off a bonus 15% of it per year.


Play with the tools
Every bank should have some mortgage calculator and payment schedule tool to dabble with online. Just mess around with it.
 
Last edited:

Papa

Banned
For those of you who are looking to buy home, mortgages are daunting.

Always ask a mortgage broker for advice. Never do a mortgage on your own.

To qualify for as high of a mortgage as possible, it's all about disposable cash flow. So try to have a little loans as possible. If it means you have to pay off a loan early, do it. For example you got this:
- Car loan ($500/mth)
- Student loan ($200/mth)
- Credit card balance ($100/mth)

To the bank, that's $800/mth you got locked up in existing debts. Look at how much balance there is in each and if you have to bite the bullet, pay one off in full if you can. This will free up monthly cash flow and your mortgage will get approved higher.


Costs
There's more than just the % rate you see.

There's other shit like terms, how many years, variable or fixed, and extremely important.... break up fees. The standard I believe is 3 months interest. Not the end of the world. But some low rate mortgages have high break up fees where they tale the differential in rates and grill you. If you move a mortgage to another one, that's "porting". The fees can be high too.

Mortgage payments are one part equity and one part interest. depending on the place a d plan, it might skew a little more or less to principal equity or interest. Try to get ones that skew payments to equity first as front loaded. This is important because i you even run into money and want to pay it off faster, you've already banked more equity to begin with so your balance is smaller if you pay them the principal and 3 months interest penalty.

At the end of the day you want:

- Low rate to begin with
- Low break up fees
- Zero fee to change mortgage if you stick with the existing bank. Don't get grilled for a $200 fee or anything stupid if you change a mortgage with the same place. They should waive the fee. Don't let the idiot junior person "follow the rules". Elevate it to the manager to waive the fee if you need to


Variable or Fixed?
I've always done variable and it's worked 90% of the time. Only a small amount of time has there been a time I should have locked in a fixed.

Never the less, it's one part costs, and one part predictability. Variable rates go up or down a quarter point when the banks change rates. A fixed rate stays the same for the period you agreed to, so the payments are the same. A variable rate mortgage has your payments going up or down.

Fixed is better if you get a great rate and want a predictable payment. But if rates are high and you have flexibility, a variable is likely better as the rates are usually a bit better.


Payment Frequency
Every mortgage let's you choose.... monthly, weekly, twice a month, every two weeks.

Assuming you aren't totally cash crunched, always choose the fastest payment so your overall mortgage is lowest with the least interest paid.

I believe weekly is the best, but most people don't do that as people usually get paid every two weeks. So a good ,one to pick is every two weeks. So you'll do 26 payments a year. If you do twice a month, that's 24 payments. Doesn't sound like a lot, but doing every two weeks (accelerated bi-weekly) will likely cut your mortgage down a few years and save you $10,000s of interest (depending how big your starting mortgage is).


Play with the tools
Every bank should have some mortgage calculator and payment schedule tool to dabble with online. Just mess around with it.

Generally speaking, the loans should be paid off in descending order of interest rate. This means the credit card should be paid off as a priority. It doesn’t matter if it’s only $100 on the credit card and $100,000 on the student loan — you pay the credit card off first because it has the higher interest rate.

I would also dissuade people from maxing out their home loans just because they can. Live within your means.
 

bitbydeath

Member
first paragraph is truth

i said this before in another thread but again:

school bully in 5th grade sucker punched me so i tackled him and punched out most of his teeth, kicked dirt and leaves all over him, dragged him by his left ankle 10 feet or so to a puddle of water (was gonna drown him but a teacher stopped me)

story became legend in my class until the end of high school and i was never bullied again

I prefer the no bruises approach of twisting their arm behind their back and making them apologise. Less trouble that way.
 

Ownage

Member
Generally speaking, the loans should be paid off in descending order of interest rate. This means the credit card should be paid off as a priority. It doesn’t matter if it’s only $100 on the credit card and $100,000 on the student loan — you pay the credit card off first because it has the higher interest rate.

I would also dissuade people from maxing out their home loans just because they can. Live within your means.
On the other end, renting is not a bad thing. Don't get yourself locked into a space, place or lifestyle in which becomes an albatross. Renting buys you flexibility in time and space.

And for the dating gentlemen, any woman who judges you because you rent and don't own, you really don't need them around.
 

It's Jeff

Banned
I'll give three that have made the later years of my life considerably more enjoyable than the early.

1. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Yeah, I was raised to be a tough guy, pray for a stronger back, self-made and all that. If I can't make it on my own, I don't want to make it at all stuff. Fact is, moving a 150 pound dresser up the stairs is a lot easier with more sets of hands and most importantly, people want to help. It gives their own lives joy and meaning - so don't rob them of the opportunity.

2. Go ahead an take a look at the pets at the animal shelter. Lots of great dogs and cats there.

3. My pop lived his life the ideal American way. Started from nothing, enlisted in the Air Force, married a Korean woman. Went officer at her request amid his many protests. Kept going to school. Earned six engineering degrees. Made a mint in the private sector after 25 years of service. Bought two parcels of land in the mountains and had plans with my mother to build a house there after retirement. With a year and a half to go, diagnosed with mesothelioma. Within 7 months, he was gone. Rough couple of months for all of us at the end there.

So here's the thing. You can do everything right and still be cheated of your goals. He and my mother lived so frugally and fought so hard planning for life instead of living it. It's smart to plan wisely for the future, and that shouldn't be discarded. My mother is still furious about this 20 years later. No matter your struggle, find a way to get the good coffee sometimes instead of the cheap stuff. Take a weekend and get out with the friends or family. You can't control when the bad shit happens so make sure you did your share of living along the way.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
On the other end, renting is not a bad thing. Don't get yourself locked into a space, place or lifestyle in which becomes an albatross. Renting buys you flexibility in time and space.

And for the dating gentlemen, any woman who judges you because you rent and don't own, you really don't need them around.
Renting can be good too.

I'm too lazy to add to my post regarding homeownership costs............ property taxes, repairs, land transfer taxes, etc....
 
I'll give three that have made the later years of my life considerably more enjoyable than the early.

1. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Yeah, I was raised to be a tough guy, pray for a stronger back, self-made and all that. If I can't make it on my own, I don't want to make it at all stuff. Fact is, moving a 150 pound dresser up the stairs is a lot easier with more sets of hands and most importantly, people want to help. It gives their own lives joy and meaning - so don't rob them of the opportunity.

2. Go ahead an take a look at the pets at the animal shelter. Lots of great dogs and cats there.

3. My pop lived his life the ideal American way. Started from nothing, enlisted in the Air Force, married a Korean woman. Went officer at her request amid his many protests. Kept going to school. Earned six engineering degrees. Made a mint in the private sector after 25 years of service. Bought two parcels of land in the mountains and had plans with my mother to build a house there after retirement. With a year and a half to go, diagnosed with mesothelioma. Within 7 months, he was gone. Rough couple of months for all of us at the end there.

So here's the thing. You can do everything right and still be cheated of your goals. He and my mother lived so frugally and fought so hard planning for life instead of living it. It's smart to plan wisely for the future, and that shouldn't be discarded. My mother is still furious about this 20 years later. No matter your struggle, find a way to get the good coffee sometimes instead of the cheap stuff. Take a weekend and get out with the friends or family. You can't control when the bad shit happens so make sure you did your share of living along the way.

Yeah. Especially rule number one at work.

You can never work hard enough to make up the work of multiple people, so don't settle for that. Rather, make use of people. See ahead and implement plans, don't be reactive. I've seen far too many workaholics fall for the trap.
 
Last edited:

It's Jeff

Banned
Yeah. Especially rule number one at work.

You can never work hard enough to make up the work of multiple people, so don't settle for that. Rather, make use of people. See ahead and implement plans, don't be reactive. I've seen far too many workaholics fall for the trap.

Shit, employers never appreciate it anyway. If you can do the work of two or three people, you will soon enough. And you'll never get paid twice or three times as much for doing it.
 
M

Macapala

Unconfirmed Member
Use your fucking common sense. It's amazing how far a little bit of common sense will get you.
 

Tesseract

Banned
It's good for you that the christian family thing works for you.
Don't suppose it does for everybody else, though.

with the exception of lawful brotherhoods that succeed (or fail) by merit, with rigorous oversight and restriction, such as police or military forces, american alphabet agencies, so on, i stand by what i said and will probably take those opinions to the grave

you do you, tho

obv my advice is my own, i'm not trying to forge and force iron will consensus on anyone
 
Last edited:

MilkyJoe

Member
I live by three rules ;

1) It is better to have and not need than to need and not have.

2) Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

3) Never trust a priest with a hardon.

edit. make that 4

4) Never pass up an opportunity to take a piss.
 
Last edited:

jufonuk

not tag worthy
Live within your means.
see the world or become a tourist in your city.
Take time for yourself.
work to live not live to work.
 
Last edited:

lil puff

Member
Live within your means.
see the world or become a tourist in your city.
Take time for yourself.
work to live not live to work.
Mine is similar. I was thinking about it last Black Friday weekend.
If you live check to check, or your savings cannot handle a sudden financial upset.

Maybe don't go out and blow 1000s on Black Friday and other Holidays.

Save up, and then you can do the things suggested in the quote.

Life is short.
 

Ownage

Member
The girl of your dreams is never going to just come to you. If you want someone, you got to put in the effort for it.
And, she doesn't exist. Find a 75% girl and optimize over time. A bespoke, custom-made partner > off the rack perfection. Lord knows she's going to do that to you too.

Liberal girls are more likely to put out if they're having fun. Conservative girls will also put out, but only after you jump through their hoops and regulations. Comparing sex between conservative girls and liberals, conservatives go deeper and linger in the kink zone as taboo turns them on. Liberals have seen it, done it and moved on. One is frequency, the other is quality. Buyers choice.

Pro-tip: meet girls at church or a community group. Just the fact that they show up demonstrates they desire to socialize and will get you off your ass after that CoD:MW binge session. This is a good thing, you lazy numb nuts. Trust me, takes one to know one. ;)
 
Last edited:

BigBooper

Member
Don't be that dude who stands in the stall and pisses all over the seat. Assholes who do this should lose their dick privileges.
Something else I've seen a lot of lately is dudes leaning into the urinal, leaning against it with their legs. I admire their concern for not peeing on the floor, or not wanting other dudes to see their peepee, but that thing is coated in piss.
 

Cybrwzrd

Banned
Something else I've seen a lot of lately is dudes leaning into the urinal, leaning against it with their legs. I admire their concern for not peeing on the floor, or not wanting other dudes to see their peepee, but that thing is coated in piss.

If your dick is so tiny that you are embarrassed of other guys seeing it then you are in the wrong bathroom.
 

lil puff

Member
One time I was using the urinal and suddenly I heard this dude do like 5 courtesy flushes.

I was like damn dude LOL

Tip. Don't courtesy flush. It doesn't work and you look/sound like a paranoid freak. You can hear the flush in the office hallway btw, so it's counter intuitive.
 
H

hariseldon

Unconfirmed Member
The most important life tip of all: Vicks vapourub is great for colds. It is not however something you should ever apply to your balls.
 

drganon

Member
When ordering food online, make sure you select honey mustard and not accidentally honey to go with your chicken nuggets.
 

lil puff

Member
When ordering food online, make sure you select honey mustard and not accidentally honey to go with your chicken nuggets.
hmm

I actually love honey with McNuggets.

In store, when I ask for honey, they always give me honey mustard. Every single time.
Like you work there and don't know the difference?
 
Top Bottom