tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.comments2020-06-28T17:15:16.013-07:00The Collapsing Wave FunctionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-13077937056887330452020-06-28T17:15:16.013-07:002020-06-28T17:15:16.013-07:00Why be there if not to have sex? Being able to be ...Why be there if not to have sex? Being able to be naked in the company of other people is a pretty good reason IMO. You don't have to imitate other people in the gay community. Being single and not having sex isn't the worst thing in the world.<br /><br />Enjoy being 43.naturgesetzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15268507379933286863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-51331716111434963342020-04-16T10:58:23.665-07:002020-04-16T10:58:23.665-07:00It's not the point of your post, but the love ...It's not the point of your post, but the love note from Tommy to Buzz fascinates me. What happened during the times they spent together?Why did he write it when he did, not at the end of the summer? Was one of them going to go to college? Had Buzz become engaged? Was the love uneven and it took Tommy nine months to work up the nerve to write? It looks as if he added "All my" and "Your" after he had written the rest of the note. Buzz kept it.<br /><br />naturgesetzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15268507379933286863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-8683834069372269672018-08-01T09:42:16.063-07:002018-08-01T09:42:16.063-07:00Oh, I know the buses are actually pretty good. Th...Oh, I know the buses are actually pretty good. The Metro and BigBlue systems get a far worse rap than they deserve. I just would have preferred being in walking distance. For me, that means 30 minutes or less, really, so about a mile and a half max. It's not a "need", but something I'd prefer if I have the option.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-42710237557359514722018-07-30T18:16:00.071-07:002018-07-30T18:16:00.071-07:00If you're in Westwood and basically south of c...If you're in Westwood and basically south of campus (or near in and west of campus) "the bus" turns out to be a better option than you might think. A BruinGo pass only costs $33 a term and lets you ride on any Big Blue Bus. And most of their lines terminate at one or another UCLA stop. That means a high enough frequency of buses that you don't really have to schedule -- you can just head to a stop and one will be along soon enough. (The 10/710 combo on Wilshire is similar on paper but has disadvantages in practice.)<br /><br />There's also the UCLA shuttle lines, which work OK if you're within walking distance of Wilshire and Westwood Blvd. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-38694064987150126002018-07-19T11:28:51.870-07:002018-07-19T11:28:51.870-07:00The problem with those places is that they're ...The problem with those places is that they're not walking distance to campus, which means either buses or driving (and parking is a nightmare). Plenty of people do so, obviously, but having become accustomed to being able to walk most places, I'd rather be in the village itself.<br /><br />Posting an update in a moment here that is relevant...Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-8543439317423393702018-07-11T14:29:23.566-07:002018-07-11T14:29:23.566-07:00Since you're still looking for a place to live...Since you're still looking for a place to live, have you considered a more grad-student-like lifestyle option? I know that formally speaking you'll be in the undergraduate program, but unless you picture yourself socializing with a lot of drunk 22 year olds for the next few years, living in close might not be the best option. Older students tend to think of Westwood itself as both overpriced apartment-wise, and not that great generally. For socializing, grad students are probably a more natural group. <br /><br />There's no one place where grad students live, of course. I know Brentwood south of Wilshire is popular, and so is Palms. If you're thinking of shared arrangements as one option there are probably message boards for that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-91336576311647410542018-01-15T18:19:00.853-08:002018-01-15T18:19:00.853-08:00Yeah, I'm fighting down nerves doing this, but...Yeah, I'm fighting down nerves doing this, but as I said, I'm way ahead of "targets".<br /><br />The big deal is school. I mean, I hope I get scholarships and funding, but if I don't, then I'll be spending tens of thousands of dollars a year; the amount I'm setting aside now would just becoming out of that, so it's not going to make much of a difference (I'll lose a couple grand in interest, but that's it). If I do get the scholarships, then I'm *really* ahead on funding and it doesn't matter if I stop for a few months anyway.<br /><br />This isn't the long-term plan, just a temporary thing. And as I said, I'm still getting the 6% from work, so it's not like nothing is going in.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-47556059371364327602018-01-15T16:44:59.395-08:002018-01-15T16:44:59.395-08:00I always find it scary when someone considers stop...I always find it scary when someone considers stopping contributions to their retirement plan. At $700 biweekly, you'll have enough to pay the $3700 in 12 weeks. Then you'll be setting $18,400 aside per year for what are apparently as yet unincurred expenses. If you really expect those future expenses to be that much, I suppose it makes sense, especially if you expect them to come when your earnings are reduced by your going part time. But as you realize, you never get what your retirement contributions would have earned. So I hope you'll keep the goal of resuming voluntary retirement contributions very much in mind.<br /><br />I'm a retired federal employee, with a pension of about $35,000 per year, plus an annuity that is currently giving me $10,000 yearly. I also have an IRA which I rolled over from my "401k." I've been taking $5,000 yearly from it. I can live wll enough on that, but a major expense, such as needing to replace my 1997 car or a major repair to my house, would mean giving up my symphony concerts and my bi-monthly restaurant dinners, and my yacht club membership — not poverty by a long shot, but a real change in lifestyle. If the government had made the "401k" available 20 years earlier and I had participated all along, there would be a lot more in my IRA now, and I could afford to travel, and still not worry about being hit by large expenses.<br /><br />It's true that almost nobody ever thinks he has enough, but it's still prudent to set aside what you can when you can.<br /><br />Good luck in all you've planned.naturgesetzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15268507379933286863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-9601988269908279242017-10-19T11:53:23.436-07:002017-10-19T11:53:23.436-07:00Sorry to hear about cute guy ...
Inside baseball:...Sorry to hear about cute guy ...<br /><br />Inside baseball: avoid intercapping "Caltech"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-89981285680924395592016-02-19T08:19:01.655-08:002016-02-19T08:19:01.655-08:00I'm not looking for a big fitness push, just s...I'm not looking for a big fitness push, just something sustainable. I don't ever expect (or honestly want) 6-pack abs or something, nor do I have unrealistic expectations of what can be accomplished. But 10-20 minutes of something is better than no minutes of anything.<br /><br />I'm not a huge must-have-variety kind of person. I'm not really a foodie. Pastas are fine, and I make my own sauces and such, so I already do those fairly often. I also do stir-frys fairly often (the rice is what takes the longest) and pre-made soups and such from the store (Pavilions actually has decent jambalaya). I was just wondering if anyone had other ideas.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-42009144596221842292016-02-17T02:17:19.412-08:002016-02-17T02:17:19.412-08:00WRT exercise, you sound busy enough that any kind ...WRT exercise, you sound busy enough that any kind of big fitness push right now isn't likely to be successful. And it sounds like even getting to a gym would likely take up too much time. There are plenty of 20 minute high-intensity workouts that don't require much in the way of equipment (some just use resistance bands). That you could fit in 3 times a week, say. But as with most of that sort of thing the primary barrier is psychological -- there's a thing you can do quickly that will work but because it's quick it's hard and you won't want to. I've had much more luck getting myself to do lower-intensity exercise when it just fades into the background of my daily pattern. The harder stuff is too tempting to skip, or quit. <br /><br />As for Sunday meals, a big factor is how important variety is. Cooking in advance will save much more time if you're willing to eat the same meal two or three times. If you have lots of freezer space you can stagger it over a longer period (a month rather than a week, say).<br /><br />But a lot of the stuff you can fix yourself that way you can also buy, unless you're really trying to save money. A lot of the frozen stuff at Trader Joe's, for example, is quite good as long as you "revive" it well, which usually means the stove or oven instead of the microwave. If you have a couple podcasts you like listening to, cooking dinner for 10-15 minutes can come to seem like not much of a time commitment. And pasta is generally quite easy, often doesn't require any refrigeration even, and there are lots of different "sauce paradigms", so that can be a quick rotating staple. (I have no idea if your taste is anything like mine but I could list a couple example meals if it might help.) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-6969393760346985192015-09-09T08:59:50.641-07:002015-09-09T08:59:50.641-07:0010/10 on the quiz, so, I guess that answers that q...10/10 on the quiz, so, I guess that answers that question...Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-2874723431884500502015-09-06T15:02:57.806-07:002015-09-06T15:02:57.806-07:00So far, pretty good. Putting up a post now.So far, pretty good. Putting up a post now.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-32230220439885218762015-09-06T00:52:09.872-07:002015-09-06T00:52:09.872-07:00How is class going?How is class going?Skefnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-50957905537780451622015-01-13T07:41:50.919-08:002015-01-13T07:41:50.919-08:00Took the first one a couple hours ago. I'm no...Took the first one a couple hours ago. I'm not dead yet!<br /><br />Boy did that shot do a number on my arm, though. I didn't stop tingling/hurting until after the hike, so that's like 8 hours' worth.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-35388800912925917182015-01-12T17:45:57.250-08:002015-01-12T17:45:57.250-08:00Here's hoping the pills and shots do their job...Here's hoping the pills and shots do their jobs, and that L manages to keep it together until he gets into his new place.naturgesetzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15268507379933286863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-10564620270225457162015-01-05T21:27:54.173-08:002015-01-05T21:27:54.173-08:00... Minor correction to myself. the correct numbe...... Minor correction to myself. the correct number is about 1 out of every 120 MSM. I did a division when I shouldn't have. That's still pretty frightening.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-66684290963781405682015-01-05T16:35:25.332-08:002015-01-05T16:35:25.332-08:00Drawbacks are part of what I'm looking into. ...Drawbacks are part of what I'm looking into. The main potential side effect is kidney damage, but that's apparently really rare. Most of the side-effects are short-term as the body adjusts and go away after a week or to (things like light nausea or loss of appetite).<br /><br />As for how my behavior will change - I don't know. I'll let you know if it does when I'm on it :) But at least theoretically, removing some of the anxiety about what could go wrong or happen will allow me to be more willing.<br /><br />Theoretically, daily PrEP + condoms makes HIV transmission via anal sex almost impossible; less-than-daily or without condoms (or with condoms breaking or such) still keeps it over 90%. Oral transmission is pretty low anyway, so PrEP knocks that down a lot as well. I don't generally like anal sex and have always used condoms when I've done it, but even knocking a few percent off of "safer sex" and a whole lot off of "oops" or condom tears seems pretty much worth it to me.<br /><br />This article sums up my feelings pretty well: http://lgbtweekly.com/2014/11/26/what-i-did-for-prevention-on-sex-love-condoms-and-prep/<br /><br />"PrEP scares people. And for good reason. There are legitimate concerns regarding the side effects, public health ramifications, the stigma of HIV, access to insurance, primary care doctor education – the list goes on. Notice one of the legitimate concerns I did not list was PrEP’s efficacy. I am willing to have an open, nuanced conversation about almost any aspect of PrEP including conjecture about how it will affect peoples’ lives. But we can’t have that conversation if we don’t acknowledge one truth: PrEP, when taken every day, is extremely effective at preventing the acquisition of HIV."<br /><br />This year, one out of 50 gay men will be diagnosed with HIV for the first time, often after having had sex with someone they didn't know was infected and often after further had sex with people without knowing they themselves were infected. That's frightening. Go to any bar, look around, and one of the people in the room - or more - will be hit.<br /><br />I don't want to be that person, and this seems the best way (for now) to do so. Who knows; maybe in 3-5 years that HIV vaccine will be shown to be as or more effective, and I can switch. But we are here and it is now. PrEP doesn't need to be a life-long choice - just until something better comes along.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-37698043312107421662015-01-05T15:36:28.575-08:002015-01-05T15:36:28.575-08:00Please pardon my ignorance, but other than the cos...Please pardon my ignorance, but other than the cost, what are the drawbacks to being on PrEP? Once you're on it, how do you expect your behavior to change?<br /><br />Speaking for my (disease phobic) self, I think I'd be just as fearful whether I was on PrEP or not.TwoLiveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05801244463128618355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-43593581925152686762014-12-08T11:39:47.004-08:002014-12-08T11:39:47.004-08:00He's actually intelligent, amusing, and knows ...He's actually intelligent, amusing, and knows a lot about a lot of things. When he's not using people or being manipulative (which used to be rare but is unfortunately happening more and more), he's not bad.<br /><br />The sad part is that his self-esteem is so tied to being the Authority and being in the upper class of society; he's got plenty of good qualities he should focus on instead, but he can't/won't. And now he's locked in a too-afraid-to-do-anything therefore more-bad-things-happen loop. That, combined with grasping at the last shreds of the aforementioned self-esteem and he's just destroying everything around him.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-6085761033987256422014-12-07T20:13:16.979-08:002014-12-07T20:13:16.979-08:00Conversations like the above make me wonder what t...Conversations like the above make me wonder what the upside is to remaining friends with L.TwoLiveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05801244463128618355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-37468443542599710072014-11-13T09:20:40.856-08:002014-11-13T09:20:40.856-08:00Well, we'll see about the boxes. You may be r...Well, we'll see about the boxes. You may be right - a coworker/friend said basically the same thing.<br /><br />I lost a little more of my "feeling guilty" about his situation today. I sent him another roommate possibility, and he started questioning how far it was from his current place. My "you don't really have the option to be picky" reply was probably a bit terse, but seriously.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-22232289430699398442014-11-12T15:38:56.987-08:002014-11-12T15:38:56.987-08:00One of most useful lessons I've learned as a p...One of most useful lessons I've learned as a parent is that offering too much help, or being too supportive, can be crippling. My 15yo daughter tells me how grateful she is that I encourage her to be independent. She says all her friends with doting parents can't cope with anything.<br /><br />L will continue with his tried and true ways until they simply don't work any more. Once he's homeless, truly homeless, THEN he might be more motivated to get his life in order. Until then, he'll take every handout he's offered, just so he won't have to change.<br /><br />I wouldn't even offer to store his boxes for him. That's likely to turn into a nightmare too. They'll either be there for months (or years) and/or he'll want you to ship them back East at your expense. And/or he'll be stopping by to get things every other day. Do you really want to give him an excuse to hang out at your place all the time?TwoLiveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05801244463128618355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-19186241954321761112014-09-16T13:04:17.797-07:002014-09-16T13:04:17.797-07:00I guess "small" would be a better word t...I guess "small" would be a better word than "low", then. Doctors, personal trainers, etc. can make excuses in terms of "efficiency" too easily ... a lot of the biological processes have energy requirements with a pretty clear lower bound. <br /><br />And I guess that might help explain how hard it is for you to put on muscle. Exercise can increase things like lung capacity, of course, but there might be all sorts of other metabolic bottlenecks for muscle development. If you only have a very small amount of tissue devoted to X (as evidenced by how little energy is taken up by that process, as evidenced by how little energy you need as a whole), there might be no clear way of increasing your capacity for X. Skefnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3855123529142458980.post-65737903691949734102014-09-15T21:51:19.825-07:002014-09-15T21:51:19.825-07:00Actually, I tend to have a fast metabolism; my las...Actually, I tend to have a fast metabolism; my last doctor figured I was simply more efficient at calorie use. My heart rate is faster than most people (I average about 90 bpm; my mom sits at about 110, so it's genetic), but I also have larger "normal" body temperature swings. On the other hand, without 10 hours of sleep at night most nights, I'm a wreck. So, I'm all screwed up :)<br /><br />But yeah, that seems to be the range to keep from adding weight; I can indulge once or twice a week with no long-term effects (especially if I'm hiking or working out), but no more than that. And I really can't go below (or even be on the low end multiple days in a row). I typically plan around 1500 and flex a bit around that.Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15289493499922076048noreply@blogger.com