u/desertforestcreature

We're really at the point, perhaps because of my advanced age, where it's easier to find what I have read than what I haven't. At least when it comes to online recommendations or Google searches.

When I have a bunch of books in my queue, I come across series that I haven't read and flag to save but I never do and then I finish my list and I have nothing to read. I'm kicking myself because there are some relatively recent and even completed fantasy and sci fi series that are highly rated and under my radar.

Not only have I read most of the big names and commonly suggested books, I find my taste is also to the more contemporary authors lately.

If you're willing to, would you please share your top 5 with the qualifier that it has been written in the last 10 years or so? Huge bonus points if it's a complete trilogy or series.

throw a guy a lifeline, my last two bedtimes have been sub par. Ive been rereading noble house to doze off.

worst device ive ever had. came clogged and burning plastic.

dispo would only exchange it for the same device/strain - even advised me to just bust it open to get the oil out lol (im sooner to just lose the $50 sunk cost than do that sticky messy endeavor)

steer clear

I just read the guilt post from yesterday. I have no guilt. NADA. But I wonder if more of you perhaps feel this one, I mean we are on an anonymous message board seeking some kind of social proof...

I think of another sentiment I deal with from time to time, more lately as I close a great swing of end-of-summer business.

So, I don't share what's going down in my career with anyone but my wife, my shrink, and my accountant. We fly entirely incognito. Cars are pre-2020 paid off. Rental house is nice but small. No real visible wealth of any kind. My wife's family is of very modest means. My family is covetous.

I have this amazing group of old friends. I'm in a cool group locally called millennial golf dads where we get fucked up on municipal golf courses. Fairly social life for my age group's common lived experience.

'I'm a tech contractor,' ... this is what I tell people I don't know and my friends already know I'm the peak white-collar tech bro of the group... but they have legit no idea of the scale involved. Especially in regards to like effort spent and struggle relative to the payoff.

I am definitely, unlike some of you, hugely avoidant of converting income into a permanently expensive life that then owns me. I'm all about freedom (another thing I'd love an outlet to discuss) - and I hope to sustain this for another 5-8 years and then just kinda stop grinding.

So yeah, it's bizarre to say, I feel some isolation. I do resonate with the burnout and the grind that most people feel. I never know how long this shit's gonna last so I'm like burning it at both ends (within a ~50 hour work week so it's not crazy it's just mentally exhausting).

I unloaded this on my psychiatrist yesterday, and she gave it a dope name so that's the thread title.

Hi all,

I'm going to take a contract in China that eclipses most of my USA work, so I'll move back out to my favorite Indochina timezone.

Spent 2017-2019 in BK (scuttled back to California in the Pandemic and haven't left yet), but my wife and I now have a toddler and another in the oven. I think we'll last about 3 years this go-around. Not a permanent thing for us, intending to permanently reside in the EU once our first hits gradeschool and my Italian citizenship gets approved.

I need a slower pace. I can't do BK or CM every day again. I've never been to Hua Hin and I don't much like the industrial side of Bangkok Bay.

I know it's retiree-heavy but, shit, I like golf too. Where are the young families living? I know there's a growing population. Any leads on schools and so on?

Thanks for any thoughts or advice in advance.

So I've been MnM beta-ing since the very first one. Hit 20 a few times on the opens. I got a key last week.

The experience on the closed server is not super great. The groups are mostly closed, people already seem to know each other. Very little LFGing happens. Run up to groups at Ashiras, in Wyrm, at Werebats etc and people often don't even respond if you ask 'need one?' ... and I'm playing an enchanter this time around, even if it's just 4 folks.

Furthermore, there's a high concentration of high levels. There's a seemingly robust commerce - items selling for 20g-50g? Astronomical prices. There's clearly tons of currency and items floating around - yet a near 0 culture of helping people. It can be tough to get a sow with 60 people standing at the bank. If you ask a 60 sham or druid doing their WTS's for buffs they ignore you.

Those buffs are more important when you've gotta solo and try to catch up.

This is super counter to all of the open betas I've been in so far. Last one I was handing out strong daggers to help the newbs, people giving out free backpacks, just establishing that culture of a social mmo.

If I was 60 on this server, had a plat or two and lots of spare gear, I'd be trying to help all the low & unaffiliated characters.

I think this server needs a wipe, or there needs to be a new server.

I've joined 2 guilds, one very big that came over from open beta, but even they are cliquey - if you're not the type to sit in a discord channel for a few hours it seems you can't get involved in playing. The second guild had one cool night then nobody logged in or used guildchat ever again.

Am I the last person left on earth that doesn't want to sit in discord all day? I spend my day doing zoom calls. The last thing I want to do is be in a voice chat when I wind down playing games. Makes me wonder.

Just my 2c but I really don't feel like leveling on this server. Disappointing cause I waited so long to get a key.