u/dtsagdis

I had one of those moments this week that made me realize my biggest problem isn't getting leads, but it's keeping track of them.

I was cleaning up my inbox and found an email from someone who had asked me for a quote. I opened it thinking that I should probably check in with them. But the thing is, the email was from 5 months ago. I actually lost a lead, only because I didn’t answer to an email, and worst of all I forgot about it for almost half a year. I never replied after sending the quote, they never followed up either, and when I finally reached out just to apologize, they told me they'd already hired someone else a long time ago. I can't even blame them.

This is when I realised that my system is not working okay for me, and I don’t really pay attention to calendar reminders or notes I make for myself. I obviously started looking into how I can implement AI or like a digital assistant in my work, but I still need to work on my skills to do that easily. I ended up getting a trial with Flowii and stayed, as it makes my work easier. Its basically a CRM system with memory better than mine lol, telling me who I need to follow up with, timelines, etc. It probably has a lot of other functions but this was my need really so I use it for that mainly.

We used to spend a good sum of money each year on branded items or gift baskets, which most people didn't want. This year, we abandoned it and instead used digital charity ecards, each of which supported clean water initiatives in underprivileged areas.

I honestly thought there would be less interaction.
received more responses than in any prior year. A few customers inquired about the charity that supported it. According to one, it was the most considerate thing a supplier had ever given them.

I believe that a gesture that truly has meaning has a different impact than a generic present. won't return to the hampers

We're currently auditing our long-term archiving costs and looking for some architectural advice. Right now, we have about 4 PB of compliance data sitting on physical, aging magnetic tapes on-prem. It's deep cold storage, so reads are practically zero, but keeping the old hardware alive is getting expensive.

Moving all this to Azure Archive or AWS Glacier Deep Archive seems like the obvious choice for the long run. The catch is our local bandwidth. Trying to stream petabytes over our current pipe would drag down production for months.

Because a network migration is out of the question, I've been looking into physical mass-ingest alternatives. I was checking out how specialized operations like Tape Ark or physical bulk-ingest pipelines handle reading legacy media formats and uploading them directly to cloud buckets.

Has anyone used this kind of offline approach to completely decommission their on-prem tape setups? If you did it at this scale, did you hit any hidden formatting or index compilation issues once the data reached the cloud?

Something I keep coming back to in design is how rarely games meaningfully reward restraint. Almost every system we build is oriented around action and acquisition. Use this ability, collect that resource, unlock the next thing. The feedback loop almost always points in one direction.

But some of the most interesting design moments I can think of involve the decision to hold back. Not using your last save. Not spending currency you've been hoarding. Not attacking when you could. These feel weighty precisely because the game isn't telling you to do them. The tension comes from selfimposed restraint against a system that's actively nudging you to act.

What I'm wrestling with is whether restraint can be built into a ruleset in a way that feels earned rather than arbitrary. Not just punishing overuse, which is common enough, but creating genuine positive feedback for patience or inaction at the right moment.

Darkest Dungeon does something interesting here with stress and camping decisions. Some card games reward passing priority. But this design space feels largely underexplored.

Has anyone worked on systems that specifically reward or encourage restraint as a meaningful choice rather than just penalizing its opposite? Curious what mechanical approaches people have found actually work at the table or in playtesting.

trying to figure out if its realistic to run both through one fiber laser without constantly fighting settings or ruining material. we do mostly stainless but getting more aluminium jobs lately and buying two machines is not happening right now.

had a decent chat with the team at Macro Weld Pty Ltd about their laser setups and they reckon its doable with the right kw and gas setup but id rather hear from people actually doing it day to day. do you find youre compromising on cut quality on one or the other? or is the adjustment between materials not as painful as it sounds on paper

G'day crew.

Trying to get a loan sorted for a new (used) Prado because the old Falcon ain't gonna survive another wet season. But every lender I talk to seems to think I live on Mars. They keep asking for a "garaging address" and I'm like, mate, it's parked under a mango tree in the suburbs, that's my garage.

The real killer is the shipping. One dealer wanted to charge me $3k to get a car up from Adelaide, and the banks won't include that in the secured loan amount. So suddenly I need a massive deposit just to cover freight.

I just want a clean, simple car loan. Has anyone used a broker service like Financfy specifically for Darwin? Do they actually understand the extra costs we cop up here, or are they just set up for the eastern states? I'm sick of being told "we don't service NT" halfway through an application.

TL;DR: Need a 4WD loan, banks hate NT addresses, shipping is a rort. Help a local out.

i honestly never thought i’d own one. for the longest time it just felt unrealistic because of the cost and i kept telling myself i probably didn’t even have enough space anyway. i ended up getting a pilates reformer machine australia setup and i’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now and i’m kind of obsessed with it tbh. i still go to classes sometimes because i like the atmosphere and being corrected in real time, but it’s so nice being able to just jump on it at home for like 20–30 minutes whenever i actually have time instead of planning my whole day around a class

it’s also made me realize how much i actually enjoy pilates. i started just wanting to get stronger but now it’s become one of those things i actually look forward to instead of forcing myself to do

who has a reformer at home, do you find you actually use it as much as you thought you would? and do you still go to studio classes or mostly just stick to home now?

My 14 year old son (non-verbal, high support needs) had to go under full general anesthesia today for a major dental cleanup. He absolutely melts down with any medical staff, so it's the only way. Long story short, they ended up having to extract 2 of his permanent molars because the decay was just too far gone, plus they did a couple of deep fillings.

honestly, i am just so incredibly sad and depressed right now. He’s just a kid. I have terrible teeth myself and know how much it sucks, so seeing him go through this at his age is breaking my heart. I’m terrified of what his teeth will look like in ten years because getting him to cooperate with any doctor is an Olympic sport. We try to brush every single day but with his sensory issues, we clearly aren't getting in there good enough without professional tools. Not even sure why I’m typing this out. I guess the parent guilt is just eating me alive today and I feel like I failed him.

On the bright side, the doctor prescribed a small dose of liquid Versed to give him at home before we left. It was an absolute lifesaver. He walked into the clinic holding my hand instead of us having to physically wrestle him through the doors. So yeah, if your neurodivergent kid suffers from extreme medical phobia, pre-medication is definitely worth discussing with your doc.

My husband and I have lived in Calgary our whole lives. We thought we knew every neighborhood. So when someone suggested Discovery Ridge, we almost laughed like that far southwest? Isn't it just overpriced houses on a hill?

But we went anyway…

The moment we drove up, I felt stupid for dismissing it. The views of the foothills took my breath away and you can see for miles, and the sunsets are unreal. We walked along the ridge trails, spotted deer grazing steps from backyards, and heard nothing but birdsong. It felt like a mountain retreat, not a Calgary suburb

However, our agent was honest enough to show us the dark side of the area. He mentioned that many houses there were constructed in the late '90s and required complete renovation with all roofs needed to be replaced, old HVAC systems, as well as kitchen appliances should be replaced as well

This honesty was very important for us because he did not try to persuade us into making a deal. Instead, he helped us make the right choice. So, we tested the commute, contacted some of the neighbors, and purchased a home with good bones for renovation

Honestly speaking, I could not even imagine that I would live here. Right now, it seems like the only place where I could live. I started searching for other agents on the website of JD Real Estate because they have decent reviews and seem to find a house that suits your needs. Have you worked with them?

Cast iron on gas is a great combo honestly. Gas heats unevenly compared to electric, so you want something with decent thickness to even things out. Cast iron handles that well once it's properly heated.

For sizing, 10 inch is fine for one person or smaller meals, but 12 inch gives you more room if you're searing proteins or doing onepan stuff. I'd lean 12 inch if you're regularly cooking for two or doing anything where you need space to maneuver.

On brands: Lodge is the obvious starting point. Made in the US, reasonably priced, and the quality is consistent. It comes preseasoned which isn't perfect but it's workable, and it builds up well over time. A lot of people use them for years without issue. If you want to spend more, Smithey and Finex are smoother out of the box and feel more refined, but whether that's worth the price jump depends on how much you care about that.

One thing worth knowing: cast iron takes longer to heat up on gas than on electric, but once it's hot it stays hot. Give it a few extra minutes to come up to temp before you put anything in the pan. That alone fixes a lot of the uneven cooking complaints people have early on.

I'm 5 months pregnant and told my boss last month. he seemed fine with it, said congratulations etc. then last week my hours got cut from 38 to 16 per week. he said it's "due to a downturn in business."

but I checked with my colleagues and none of them had their hours cut. and they just hired a new person part time. so obviously it's not a downturn.

I've been at this company for 3 years. never had a bad review. never caused issues. now I'm stressed about money and wondering if I should just quit.

I know pregnancy discrimination is illegal but I'm scared to make a complaint while I'm still working there. what if they find another reason to fire me.

I was looking into my rights and found Sterling Legal who seem to handle employment law. but I don't even know where to start. do I go to Fair Work first or get a lawyer.

has anyone in darwin dealt with pregnancy discrimination at work. feeling so stressed and unsure what to do.

There's a design pattern I keep thinking about that almost nobody talks about. Most games are built around action loops where doing more is always better. Use the ability, explore the area, collect the resource. The reward structure constantly pushes players toward activity.

But restraint almost never gets rewarded in any meaningful way. Think about how rare it is for a game to genuinely incentivize holding back, waiting, or deliberately leaving something on the table. Not as a puzzle solution, but as a recurring strategic identity you can build around.

The few examples I can think of tend to be tactical games where overextension has real consequences, or card games where passing priority actually matters. But even there, restraint is usually just the absence of a mistake rather than a rewarded playstyle in its own right.

My question is whether that asymmetry is a fundamental design constraint or a habit we've collectively fallen into. Is there something about interactive systems that makes action naturally more satisfying to reward than inaction? Or have designers just not explored this space enough?

Curious if anyone has examples of games that genuinely crack this problem, or theories about why it's so hard to make restraint feel as satisfying as engagement

Where do you guys buy your paint by numbers? i'm trying to find good mini kits cuz the big ones take me forever (last mountain one dragged on for 2 months lol). I saw painting by numbers shop has some nice 6x6-8x8 inch mini kits starting around 19$. Sunset or wildflower themes look chill and perfect for quick evening sessions. Anyone tried their stuff or has recs for small kits? hows the paint quality on tiny canvases? Thinking of ordering one soon, would love your thoughts!

after months of high stress my immune system feels off with frequent colds and slow recovery i started taking dim supplements from berkeley formula which has a bioavailable blend including sulforaphane and vitamin d3 for better absorption. the research on estrogen metabolism and immune activation caught my interest but i am not sure how it fits long term.

has anyone used similar compounds for immune modulation and what markers improved for you? how do you track progress with something like this?

So I picked up a mobility chair a few months back and honestly it's been a frustrating experience. The seat height is completely off for me and after a while my back and legs are just wrecked. I'm 6'2" so finding something that actually fits has been harder than I expected.

I ended up browsing around and came across Top Gun Mobility which had a wider range of models than what I originally bought from. Some of the chairs there looked like they'd actually work for taller people, with adjustable options I hadn't seen elsewhere.

But here's where I'm stuck. I don't want to just buy again and guess wrong a second time. The specs online only tell you so much.

Has anyone dealt with sizing issues like this and found a chair that actually works long term? And do you usually go somewhere in person to test before committing?

I've been thinking lately about how the most popular destinations, while beautiful, can feel crowded and rushed. Places like Patagonia, Iceland, and the Pacific Northwest get welldeserved attention, but there's something different about stumbling onto a location that feels like it belongs just to you for that moment.

Last summer I wandered off a main trail in the Cascades and found a small unnamed lake tucked behind a ridge. No signs pointing to it, maybe three other people knew it existed. The water was impossibly clear and the silence was something I hadn't felt in years. It completely reset my perspective on why I spend time outside.

Curious what experiences others have had like this. Not necessarily remote expeditions requiring serious gear, but those quiet corners of the world, whether forests, coastlines, desert canyons, or mountain valleys, that surprised you precisely because they weren't on any highlight reel.

What region or landscape type tends to hide the best overlooked spots in your experience? And do you think keeping these places off social media actually helps preserve them, or does that feel like gatekeeping? Would love to hear where people are finding genuine solitude these days.

Something I keep noticing across strategy and RPG games is that resource management systems almost universally punish reckless spending, but rarely create meaningful consequences for playing too conservatively. Think about how many games let you reach the final boss with a full inventory of healing items you never touched, or end a strategy campaign with a massive currency surplus you saved "just in case." The system technically worked, but did you actually engage with it in any interesting way? The few games that do push back against hoarding tend to use time pressure or hard caps, but those feel external and arbitrary rather than something that grows naturally out of the ruleset itself. I'm curious whether design patterns exist that make cautious resource accumulation feel genuinely risky or costly without making the game feel punishing or unfair. Opportunity cost is the obvious answer, but most implementations I've seen feel too abstract to actually change player behavior. Does this connect to a deeper tension in game design where players need to feel secure enough to engage, but threatened enough to actually use the tools you give them? Would love to hear examples of games that handle this well, or interesting theoretical approaches people have thought through.

been on cpap for 2 years now. ahi went from 28 to 3. i wake up feeling human which i didnt think was possible at 34.

but travelling for work is killing me. lugging the machine through the airport. forgetting the water chamber in a hotel room once was enough.

my gp mentioned i should see an ent because my nose might be part of the problem. something about nasal valve collapse and deviated septum. apparently fixing that could lower the pressure i need or even get me off cpap entirely.

a mate at work saw someone in sydney for his breathing issues. said he had septoplasty and turbinate reduction and his sleep study numbers dropped by like 60%

im not expecting miracles but if i could travel without the machine id be so happy. has anyone here had nasal surgery and actually reduced your cpap usage? worth the recovery time?

One of the recurring challenges I keep running into when designing games is the problem of dominant strategies making player choices feel hollow. You want players to feel like their decisions matter, but if one option is clearly superior through basic analysis, the choice becomes an illusion rather than genuine engagement.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially in RPGs and strategy games where build variety is supposed to be a selling point. Theorycrafting communities will almost always converge on a meta, which is fine at high levels of play, but it tends to trickle down and flatten the experience for casual players too.

Some approaches I've considered: hiding information so players can't fully evaluate outcomes in advance, introducing situational variance so no single option dominates across all contexts, and building in tradeoffs where every strong option costs you something equally valuable.

But each of these has downsides. Hidden information can feel unfair. Situational design requires a lot of content. Tradeoffs can feel punishing rather than interesting.

How do you approach this in your own design work? Is a dominant strategy always a failure state, or can it coexist with meaningful choice if the game is structured well enough? Would love to hear how others have thought through this.

so i'm putting together a new off-grid setup in my 4WD and i want to run a coffee machine and some power tool chargers on the road. been doing a lot of research and stumbled across some of the builds where guys do seriously clean installs with like 2000W or 3000W inverters tucked into drawers or canopy setups and it got me thinking about actual day to day use.

for those of you running a big inverter, do you just leave it switched on the whole time you're driving so stuff charges automatically, or do you turn it off when you're not actively using it to avoid the standby drain?

my alternator should handle the extra load fine while the engine is running, that part doesn't really worry me. what i'm paranoid about is forgetting to flip it off when i pull into camp and then waking up to a dead house battery at 6am in the middle of nowhere lol

is that a realistic concern or am i overthinking it? curious what routines people have actually settled into after running these setups for a while