u/Soft-Livvi

Okay so this might sound obvious to some but I used to be a chronic book buyer. My Goodreads 'want to read' list was a mile long and my physical shelves were overflowing with unread potential. I felt guilty every time I looked at them. I knew I *should* read them. I just never did.

Then I started this one rule. I dont buy another book until I finish the last one I bought. Sounds simple right. It completely changed my perspective on buying books. Now when I see a cool new book I think do I really want to read this more than the one I just started. If the answer is no I save myself some money and some shelf space.

But here's the real kicker. It forces me to engage with the current book. I know that shiny new title isn't coming home until I commit. It's like a self imposed ban on novelty until I've earned it. And it works.

I'm actually finishing books now. Not just starting them. My 'read' count on Goodreads is finally going up. My shelves still have some backlog but it's dwindling. And I feel less overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices. Give it a shot if you're like me and your library is more aspirational than actual.

My husband and I just bought our first home a few months ago. It's a modest place with two bedrooms. One is ours and the other we set up as a guest room for when family visits. My mom decided to sell her house a few weeks ago and she's closing next month. She announced she's moving in with us for a while.

When we asked what 'a while' means she said until she finds something else she likes. She mentioned she's not actively looking for a new place right now and wants to take her time. This feels like an indefinite stay.

We love my mom but we just moved into our own space. We were really looking forward to having our privacy and establishing our own routine. We also planned on eventually using the guest room as a nursery down the line.

My husband is uncomfortable with this arrangement too. We haven't told her no directly because we don't want to hurt her feelings or make her feel like she has nowhere to go. She doesn't have a huge support system apart from us.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How do you set boundaries without causing a huge family drama? We want to help her but we also need our space.

I've been fortunate enough to build up a decent amount of capital. I've done all the 'right' things. Maxed out retirement accounts got some safe index funds. The usual advice. My net worth is growing steadily which is great. I should be happy right?

But I have this weird hang-up. There are causes and industries I deeply care about. Things I'd love to invest in or even start a business around. Think sustainable agriculture ethical fashion or community development projects. Things that actually align with my values.

Yet every time I think about putting serious money into these areas my brain just defaults to fear. It feels like a 'risky' or 'emotional' investment. Even if I've done the research and the business plan looks solid. I keep telling myself it's not as 'proven' as the S&P 500. I just freeze up.

It's like I've been conditioned to only see wealth building through a very narrow lens. The safe boring profitable path. I want to use my money to make a real impact not just accrue more zeroes in a bank account. But the jump from traditional investing to impact investing or entrepreneurship in a field you're passionate about feels huge. Almost paralyzing.

Has anyone else experienced this mental hurdle? How did you overcome it and start investing in things that truly excite you beyond just the financial return?

I've been thinking a lot about the qualifications for federal office lately. We often talk about things like age requirements or citizenship but not really about practical experience in public service. It seems like anyone can run for Congress or even president without ever having held a local office or worked in government in any capacity.

This isn't about specific skills but more about understanding how government actually functions at a grassroots level. If someone hasn't served on a city council or a state legislature or even a school board do they truly grasp the day-to-day realities of policy implementation? Or the impact these policies have on real communities?

I'm not suggesting a highly restrictive barrier. Maybe it could be something like two years of experience in an elected or appointed public service role at the local or state level. This would at least ensure a baseline understanding of public administration and accountability.

Would this help us elect more effective leaders? Or would it just create another gatekeeping mechanism that prevents new voices from entering politics? I'm curious what others think about this idea.

I have a green cheek conure named Percy. He's a pretty smart bird. He usually just chirps and whistles randomly. You know bird stuff. But lately something weird has been happening.

I often have classical music playing in the background while I work from home. Mostly Beethoven right now. Percy is usually just chilling on his perch or doing bird things. But then he started to make these really specific little calls. They're short and melodic. They sound a lot like he's actually trying to sing along with the music.

It's not just random squawks. He'll hit notes that are in the chord. Sometimes he'll do a little trill that almost sounds like an ornament. He really seems to be listening and responding.

My partner thinks I'm crazy. She says he's just making noise. But I swear he's improvising. He's adding his own little birdy counter-melodies. It's wild.

Has anyone else had a pet that seems to understand and interact with classical music?

I've been seeing 'goblin mode' pop up everywhere on my social feeds this past week. It felt like it died down a while ago after its initial viral moment. Now it's back and people are using it for all sorts of situations. Did something happen to make it trendy again or is it just a random resurgence?

https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/10/24126134/goblin-mode-reclaims-internet-slang-trending