u/gentlegiant_89

I'm in my mid-30's, grew up in a major North American city with a sizeable Jewish populace- big melting pot place.

Fortunately, I've never incurred any physical harm due to my religion, but since I was goddamn single-digit years-old, it's been nothing but a damned barrage of jokes, snide remarks, if not downright overt hate (which I'd have 'access' to due to not having a typically Jewish surname).

And I'm just so fucking exhausted from having to have my guard perpetually up, always worrying that I might've said or done something to "expose" myself.

I'm ashamed to admit that due to things I witnessed/experienced growing up, that I quickly learned to hide that part of my identity, which really has made me hate myself since I "grew up", because the majority of my family was exterminated for being Jewish... I, fortunately, don't live in a place or time where I can be killed just for being a Jew... as much as so many seem to wish they lived in such times... so why do I hide it so much? Because some stupid fucking kids growing up repeated the drivel they heard at home from their parents and grandparents who were taught to blindly hate us, despite next to no first-hand interactions with us? It's crazy how these childhood experiences form you potentially for a lifetime.

It hurts so much knowing that I let them "win", allowing them to subvert my Jewishness because they're just regurgitating what they'd heard... while my family literally paid the ultimate price for being Jewish... and I dare to hide it because of some punks...

But it's so prevalent and I've observed it continually and in all areas in my nearly four decades alive. It's so deeply interwoven into society, even just stuff like "he Jewed me", or referring to someone as "that Jew", not to mention all the stuff about our penny-pinching habits, cheapness, and so on, while I'll tell you this much... most of my most generous friends are Jews, while others, from these countries who love to hate on us, have unashamedly shown the most overt displays of cheapness I've ever seen... certain Western and Southern European countries, or "North Americans", and so on... And imagine hating on an entire group because they're studied, like to stick/work together, maintain strong family values, and so on... how bloody twisted have you got to be to hate on that?

I'm so deeply convinced that the vast majority are so perturbed by our existence that given the option, they'd rather we all ceased to exist. The barely 1% of the world population which we make up is such a thorn in their side that it causes this deep seething hatred.

I know it's a very first world, privileged, problem for me, who's never suffered any physical harm for being a Jew, to feel so deflated about this... but mental stuff can be every bit as taxing as physical, if not more, especially after decades. I just don't want to have to keep my guard constantly up for fear that if I reveal this "terrible secret", who knows what confrontation could arise. Some of the stories I could tell you...

Edit: and I wanted to add... with this current war... my gosh, the haters are now out in full force, in troves, exercising their plain old JEW hatred (not hate for Israel/Zionism) proudly, openly, brazenly... the only thing keeping them from presenting as full-fledged antisemites being that they hide behind this ultra thin veil of anti-Zionism... but anyone with half a brain knows it's not the country they're after, but the entire damn religion. These peabrains couldn't grasp how one could be from country x, y, or z AND be Jewish at the same time for so long, yet suddenly they can distinguish and maintain it's the country not the religion they're against- my ass... Have the guts to say you hate us... say it with conviction, don't obscure your hate by your all of the sudden exemplary moral compass- you couldn't care less for those on "the other side" in this conflict we're entangled in... hate us loud and proud... what, you're willing to be loud about your hate for Israel but won't outright say you're so passionate about that for fear of being labeled an antisemite or something? All of the sudden you're hiding your true hatred? I respect those who hate openly more than those who conceal it behind this facade of seeking justice... These people are worse than those who hop on and off social justice causes at will. What a great excuse this war/conflict is for the Jew haters of the world, they're having a field day...

Life is funny. I used to think of trem as a boring effect- "it's just the volume turning up and down", lolz.

But the past couple of years, I've been making HEAVY use of my Flint's trem side, particularly the tube and harmonic modes. I love how throbby and univibey the harmonic mode can sound, and how round and warm the tube one is. Honestly such a great pedal, truly indispensable for all the ground it covers. Anyways, I'd say trem is now among my most-used effects, I can't get enough of it.

But more than a decade with it, I'm just interesting in exploring what else is out there, and I don't even mind getting two separate reverb pedals if I have to; one for the harmonic thing, the other for the tube/optical sound.

Keen to know what your suggestions are! Hit me: the greatest tremolo pedals you've ever heard/played!

Also, maybe silly question, can pedals ever possibly compete with a dedicated amp-top tremolo unit or amp trem? I personally haven't the golden ears required to pick it apart like that- my Flint, to my busted ears, sounds every bit as good as any amp with trem I've heard. Maybe I haven't listened closely enough tho- I know dudes swear by amp trems, would love to know what you're hearing there that lacks in the pedals!

I'm OBSESSED with whatever the vibe/mood/sound of Nelly Furtado's I'm Like A Bird features, particularly that opening string section. I wonder if it's an actual string section or perhaps Mellotron strings, as it has a somewhat haunting vibe to it like a Mellotron, but not as 'gritty' as those typically are.

Anyways, would love more of this kind of vibe, any genre. I love string sections/breaks. Such a mood/vibe!

I don’t know a thing about building pedals but have every intention of learning and getting into it soon.

I was just wondering, which components in a pedal are responsible for a pedals “feel” and dynamic? For example, I’d love to build an OCD-feeling pedal but with much less gain on tap; gain similar to Lightspeed. Kind of want to do a “best of both worlds” with those two circuits.

A few years back, I unfortunately can't recall exactly when, I had some work in Erie and recall buying a couple baskets of fresh Niagara peaches from a road-side vendor when you turn off the QEW to cut across to Erie. These were the best damned peaches I've ever had, and peach (along with mango) is my favourite fruit- they were absolute juice gushers, so moist and insanely flavourful. Just recalling them has me wanting to make the drive just to pick up a case or two, as they were worlds better than grocery store peaches here in Toronto. I'm just wondering though, is now prime time for them, or am I too late? I'd love to know your fav spots for peaches in that area, and generally cool spots to check out!

For the past 15 years, I've worked as a freelancer in a cut-throat creative industry. There were some great years, but overall, it's no longer feasible for me to remain in due to a few different reasons. Throughout the years, I've repeatedly been told by several people how they could see me killing it in sales, and it got me to thinking of giving it a shot recently. I am incredibly great with and convincing to people, and study whatever I'm dealing with/selling about as thoroughly as possible, short of knowing the molecular makeup. Above all, though, I'm just a huge people person- I'm endlessly curious about whoever I interact with, am known to put others at ease, and am highly convincing.

I guess "sales" were a big part of my 15 year career, as without them, I wouldn't have ever gotten any clients (and my clients included major record labels, major print publications, ad agencies, clothing and beauty brands, ad agencies, etc.), not to mention a +/- 10 year side-hustle wherein I was much more directly doing sales buying, selling, and trading high-end commodities where I had to be incredibly persuasive and personable to close deals. So while I never had any classical sales experience, didn't digest any courses/books/etc. on the subject, I guess I've in some manner accrued some kind of sales experience- would that be valid enough to cite on a resume, and would some of the other skills I would've built in my 15 year career be transferable/worth citing?

The truth is, I've just found that I work/perform much better when I'm given instructions/targets and am somewhat apart of something larger/a team rather than just being entirely solo.

So while maybe I've some sales experience, the fact it was all accrued as a lone-wolf over all this time feels like it's somehow not valid and that I'm starting from scratch. Hence my titular question of how do I "officially" get into a sales career, ideally i a high-yield category, i.e. enterprise, tech, medical, etc.

I'm in my mid-30's, but highly, highly, motivated and frankly super excited for wherever this next chapter of my life leads me.

I've had an... extremely... rough few years. One reality I struggled to face/admit to myself for a long time, despite certain diagnoses, is that I'm handicapped. Due to a handful of issues, I cannot stand on my feet for very long without falling into excruciating pain. Beyond that, I've no higher education, so no "paper" to show. I have worked for 15 years in a creative field primarily as a freelancer, so not sure what desirable/transferable skills any potential employer might see. I am, however, great with people, excel at communicating, and become fiercely proficient at anything I apply myself to in short order.

So with all that said, I'm just wondering what job options there might be for someone in my position, because it's been pretty bleak for some time now and I desperately need work/income. I'm ready, able, and willing to do anything which accounts for my condition and would accept me.

Born and raised and currently still living in Toronto, it's far beyond sustainable for me/us anymore, but beyond that, has morphed into something I no longer care to put up the fight to stay here for. There's really no reason for me/us to be here anymore- I'm not in school, I'm not here for work, don't go out so night life, club scene, etc. is irrelevant to me, not into sports leagues, etc. I just want a way more slowed, peaceful, pace of life moving forward- I'm so beyond done with this.

I'm wondering what some much more affordable cities/towns, ideally within a couple of hours of Toronto, worth checking out might be. Maybe I'm searching for something that doesn't exist, but I'd love it to be a scenic, romantic, type of spot with a nice atmosphere. Most importantly, it needs to have a good/great hospital near.

Does anything spring to mind?

I've said this for years, but again yesterday, when shopping for some jeans, had it reaffirmed yet again: clothing choices for us really big, 4XL & up, guys truly are abysmal and a mere afterthought for the companies who make it.

Certain items, they'll just take a standard M or L pattern and simply x-it however many times, without consideration for the ways in which bigger bodies disperse fat in different ways.

Pants especially are a crapshoot... even within the same manufacturer (i.e. Britches here in Canada), there is so much deviation from year to year among their staple models, which makes no sense to me- like, you guys had it down, then kept messing with it... different (worse) materials, totally different cut now... Pants really are problematic... they can be good in the waist, too long in the crotch (bunching up at the bottom of the crotch), bursting tight in the thighs, then like parachute pants from the knee-down. Other companies might have the taper from the knee-down figured out, but then you've still got your Christmas hams bursting out, then these will be low in the rear, etc.

And I guess this afflicts all clothing in general, not just plus-size, but the deviation from one manufacturer to the next is staggering... for example, I've always found Levi's products to run multiple sizes too small- I'm usually a 5xl in most everyones tops, but with them, I swear would need a 7xl. Their jeans also, they don't translate well over the plus size, as enough consideration isn't given to the changes which need to be made when upsizing so much. Just yesterday, the jeans I hoped to buy in a 30 length fit like a 34 length (in addition to other issues). Sizing is all over the place... in XT stuff, you look like you've melted, B stuff might be too short... haha.

It's funny, because even the companies which seem to tailor exclusively to the plus-size client base, often in-house brands at big & tall stores, still struggle to get it perfect after so many years. My one bit of advice is, when you do find that (relatively speaking) perfect-fitting pair of pants or a shirt or whatever, do whatever you can to buy multiples.

Oh, and lastly, I feel like these brands have too much of a narrow view of how big guys would like to dress... it's either those douchey Robert Graham/Ed Hardy type button-up shirts in all kinds of gaudy patterns or way over-priced Tommy Bahamas shirts or fratboy graphic tees or some limited "athletic wear" Reebok or whatever. Then there's the Ralph Lauren stuff, which is probably what I own most of when it comes to button-up shirts, hoodies, etc. I like the quality, though it's changed a bit over the years, but don't always want to have to spend $120-150+ on a single shirt. Never liked the fit of their bottoms though.

Anyways, just a vent... if I had the means, I'd so love to start a brand actually catered to the various different physiques which exist in the "big guy" sphere, as I'm acutely aware of how there's no "once size fits all", which it feels like these companies wish to relegate us to.