u/Key_Prize_1317

I’m sorry for the repetitive “Should I learn to code” post. It’s just that most people asking have the intention of finding a job once they learn, but I just think it’s neat and want a new hobby. Is that silly of me? To spend so much time learning a skill like this just for fun?

Hey all! About to get my first MacBook in the mail and I’m excited to put Linux on it. I’m not completely inexperienced as I’ve put Bazzite on a handheld PC and recently put Mint XFCE on an old HP Stream 11 just to try it out.

I’ll soon have a MacBook Air 11”, early 2015, 8gb RAM and 128gb SSD.

If you had to recommend a distro for someone that’s new to linux but doesn’t mind tinkering around, what would it be? I’ll most likely go with Mint but I’d love to hear opinions from others who have first-hand experience.

I want to throw up just writing this. I’m so embarrassed and ashamed.

I am a stay at home dad with two kids under the age of four. I’ve got enough mental illnesses to make my chart look like the DSM-5’s table of contents. These have started my addiction, made it worse, and make it feel impossible for me to stop.

My screen time is at least ten hours a day. I stare at it on the couch while my kids entertain themselves or stand in front of the TV. I scroll instead of cleaning, so my house is genuinely dirty. Not messy, dirty. I feel like a rotten, hollow shell of a person. It started when I was younger because I was depressed and used it to cope, but now being on my phone makes me depressed. And my coping mechanism for being depressed? My phone.

I need this to stop. But how do I stop using something that’s necessary for day-to-day life?

I genuinely don’t think this is an issue of willpower for me. I’ve tried so many times to quit. I want to quit. But I just…can’t. Or maybe I’ve just convinced myself that I can’t try any harder, and I’m just too weak to quit. I don’t know.

I’ve tried everything. Putting my phone in grayscale. Making it look as boring as possible. Deleting all the apps. Paying for apps that claim to help lower your screen time. Using a computer program to literally delete the App Store from my phone. Switching between iOS and Android. Switching to a clunky qwerty keyboard phone. Switching to a literal t-9 flip phone then using a tablet for “just the important apps.” Giving my wife access to parental controls on my phone. Letting my wife take my phone to work with her.

Every. Single. Time. I undo what I’ve done. I swear to god, it’s like I’m a slave to this stupid black rectangle. I don’t think anything will break me out of the cycle besides being physically separated from my phone.

But my son’s school uses an app to communicate with the parents. My therapy appointments are telehealth via an app. I need to use my biometric passcode to log into my SSI account. I can’t feasibly stop using a smartphone altogether. But then what do I do?

I’m drowning.

Honestly I’m not sure if consumers can even get their hands on it yet, but I’ve seen it for sale in a few spots. I’m so tempted by the physical buttons. But I’ve never had an android ereader and I’ve only heard things about how it slows it down and drains battery.

I installed Adblock Guard in live container, but in order to work, I need to allow access to safari. But I can’t give permissions to an app that isn’t technically installed on my device. I tried using without allowing access but that didn’t work. Can someone clarify if there’s a way around this? Or do some apps just not work? Thanks for listening to a dumbass.

We got the first check yesterday. Obviously, I want to keep it inside a bank account and set up direct deposit, but I can’t get a clear answer on how to do this.

- I don’t need a dedicated account for backpay

- The info packet says to use a Rep Payee account UNLESS you’re the parent living with him, which I am. Then it said I can use a personal bank account. But since there’s 2 names on the check, most banks won’t deposit it into a personal account (from what I can find)

- And if I DO use a payee account, I need to bring proof of me being his payee to set it up. Except I don’t have any, besides the check being in my name (and his) and access to a payee profile on the SSA portal. Everywhere says it’ll be stated in the award of benefits letter, but absolutely nothing in there mentions my name. I asked my bank if the check would be enough proof and they said no, so how do I get proof?? The confirmation of benefits letter I can request from the portal doesn’t mention me either.

Please can someone make me feel less stupid?

Location: South Carolina

Method: AI only

Beginning in: April 2027

Race: White only

Hello! I am a trans man, married to a woman, and we are searching for a sperm donor to help us have our last baby. We have 2 donor-conceived children already, but our last donor retired. In-state meetup is absolutely required, but we’re such a rural place, it’s hard to find donors who aren’t 3+ hours away. I’m hoping someone here will be able to help us out.

Thank you for your time!

So, I’m not far into my journey. We haven’t even begun to delve into any specific trauma. But for the past three session, I seem to leave them in tears or disassociating. And I’ve done therapy before, over years and years of my life. That didn’t usually happen. But that was all traditional talk therapy.

We mainly talk about how my week went, checking in on my use of new skills, and practicing grounding. She’s definitely going slow with me I think. Since I started this whole thing about two months ago. Or maybe this is the regular timeline, I have no idea. I try not to look into the details of how EMDR works because then I’ll psychoanalyze all of if and make it harder.

But something about the way my therapist asks me questions, the way she somehow understands the way my brain works in ways I wasn’t even aware of, it catches me off guard. My walls crumble in front of her and that usually means I leave feeling distressed and raw.

Am I doing this right?? Because I figured this wouldn’t start happening until after we delved into the actually trauma part.

I’m planning on baby #3 soon and we already know we want to ditch the bucket seat. Our goal is to use a convertible car seat from birth and transfer baby to a bassinet stroller when we get out of the car. Has anyone done this? And what stroller would you recommend?

I spend 7 hours a day staring at my screen. Not it playing in the background or something, I mean my eyes are looking at my phone. I’m a stay at home dad and I’m missing years of my kids lives because I can’t stop myself. I feel like I’m going insane.

I’ve tried parental controls with the controls in the hands of my wife. I’ve switched to a flip phone. I downloaded different apps, tried screen covers to stop me from compulsively looking at my phone.

I’ve learned that if I have the ability to undo what I’ve done, I won’t stick with it. I can’t force myself to get off my phone unless I literally don’t have another option. I need something like when someone with a drug addiction is locked in a hospital to detox, where they literally can’t access drugs. But I don’t think something like that exists for phones.

I found a lockbox on Amazon. There are holes so I can answer calls or type on the keyboard, but I can’t see the screen otherwise. It’s battery powered and has a timer. Yes, there’s an emergency open mechanic, but it only allows you to do it five times per charge. So you’d have to let the battery die fully before doing it again, and this thing will stay charged for weeks. The only other option would be breaking it open.

I think this might work for me, but it feels ridiculous that I even need something like this to begin with. But do you think it’s worth a try?

I’m not some random person asking btw, I’m also diagnosed. But this is such a complicated disorder, and it can stem from so many different things. I’m…morbidly curious, for lack of a better term. Of course, spoiler anything that the rules suggest. I don’t know if this is a rude question to ask, and I really apologize if it is. I’ll add my own in the comments.

I have two young children who love when I read them books. They’ve exhausted their collection at home and it’s hard to get to the library with our tight work schedule. Would it be silly to get a color ereader so I can read them picture books that way?

I know I probably sound silly. But this feels like I’m navigating a maze while blind with my hands tied.

Applying for SSI on behalf of disabled minor child.

Scheduled first appointment in May, had it over the phone earlier this month. It was mainly repeating details we gave in the application form, then asking about income. I wasn’t requested to send any documents or anything. We got the letter confirming our application was filed a week ago.

Today, we got another letter saying they needed more info, and had an appointment date. Listed that we needed to have income and housing info ready.

This is just the financial side of the application, right? Since I already submitted all the details of the medical side (doctors, consent to view records, etc).

My first thought was that maybe they somehow already cleared us for the medical portion and were now moving on to finances as the final step. Which would be ridiculous because of the wait times. I think I just need someone to hit me with the truth stick.

I want to purchase a white version of the pro but I only see the black available, not even white as an out of stock option. But I’ve seen photos of a white device. Will there be a white version for sale soon?

Hello all. I’m curious about whether my niece is where she needs to be academically and I thought you guys would have some answers.

Is a seven year old expected to be able to read? Should they be able to write? What do you expect from your second grade or first grade students from an ELA standpoint?

Edit: Adding my niece’s skills because I forgot to mention them. She knows the alphabet and letter sounds, but can read maybe 5 words that I’ve noticed. She can write single words if I guide her. Is there anything I can do to help her?

I had an issue where, upon taking a short fall, my M12 HD backplate broke off and will no longer fasten correctly. I emailed support, frustrated that such a small fall could damage my controller. (To be fair, it’s likely that I just happened to lose the fall lottery and my controller hit the wrong spot at the wrong time. Shit happens.) They were kind and sympathetic, even when explaining that accidental damage isn’t covered by their warranty (which I figured). I felt like they actually listened to my issue and weren’t just blowing me off.

As a gesture of goodwill, they even gave me a discount if I wanted to buy a new pair of controllers. I was very pleased to do so!

I was simply diagnosed with autism with “extremely high camouflaging abilities as seen often with adults diagnosed later in life.”

I’ve had people ask what level I am, and I don’t know what to say. And for the record, I dislike the concept of levels in general, but it seems to be something doctors and others want to know.