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[ankhtahr]

Oh right that makes sense. I had misunderstood.

You said that this was "a bit more" than you'd usually have. How much more? If you're regularly consuming more than 500mg of caffeine a day you're really putting your health at risk.

Well, it was two teaspoons more than usual, and it was two teaspoons of the powder with more caffeine than the other. So the amount of caffeine I usually put into my cocoa (and not every day) is about 350mg.

[Barmymoo]

Out of interest, why do you add caffeine?

[ankhtahr]

Because I tend to have big difficulties getting out of bed and out of the house. There are many, many days where I lie in bed for several hours before being able to get up, get ready and go to university, so this cocoa with caffeine gives me the sugar and thus energy to get me up and running. I don't need it, and it's not caused by being addicted to caffeine, I've only done this a few times so far. I should better see how far I can reduce the dosage and still have enough energy to get up, before I really need this jumpstart due to caffeinism.

[Barmymoo]

I'm just concerned that what you're using as a short-term solution will turn out to be a long-term cause of the problem you're trying to fix. As Aimless says, it is probably really messing with your sleep patterns and if part of the issue is mental-health related then it won't be helping there either.

I don't want to sound nagging or critical but I am concerned about you. Caffeine is a drug and you're essentially self-medicating in a potentially dangerous way. Do you envisage a point at which your life circumstances will have changed such that you don't need to use caffeine in this way? If not, is there anything you can do to try and engineer that change? Even things that you really don't want to have to do, or aren't sure you'd be able to do.

[Pilchard123]

You can stop at any time, hm?

[Masterpiece]

The only addiction I have is probably to alcohol. I've never allowed myself to get addicted to coffee (and while I have a soda stream machine at home, I don't have a coffee maker). I could see myself being a weed smoker, but then I've never for the life of it figured out how to buy drugs, so I never had the opportunity. I do partake in it sometimes with friends, but that doesn't happen often enough to warrant an addiction label. I don't enjoy the taste of cigarettes and get a nicotine flash too quickly, but then I do smoke every once in a while out of stupidity.

But alcohol is a problem, since it also is arguably the most dangerous drug and I've been known to become an idiot after drinking. I've made a lot of horrible decisions while drunk and have started or exacerbated many an argument while under the influence. In fact, all the fights I've had with people from Munich started when I was drunk. I don't drink on my own and since I don't get out very often I get drunk because of lowered tolerance. Over the years I've come to accept that I'm no longer sixteen year old Masterpiece who could drink a bottle of tequila and live to two the tale, but I still manage to shoot overboard most of the time I'm out drinking (which almost always happens when I'm out with friends).

I lose my inhibitions quickly and get very amused at things. I also lose a lot of self-control, and that will mean that, either the dam breaks and I get very very sad very quickly, or I will become a sensitive pissy idiot, ready to start a fight. In bad situations I get so angry that I turn literally deaf from rage, an in good moments, I have left venues so I can regain control over myself. Other times I haven't been that lucky.

Now that summer is here, my annual summer vacation at our summer house in Turkey is imminent. It means I'll get to be the driver of the family again and gives me a reason to practice abstinence. I always welcome this time. It's like I find an excuse not to drink that I don't have otherwise. And not drinking is absolutely no problem at all. What I find annoying are the friends and acquaintances that will always try to persuade you to drink otherwise. A common thing I hear in such instances is "oh one drink is okay". It really isn't in my opinion. Why do people actively want to make me risk my life so I can indulge in my only vice?


/rant. Sorry.

[BeoPuppy]

Ditch all bitches who try to pressure you into something. For whom are you drinking then, other than for someone else who is not going to have to live with any of the consequences.

[Pilchard123]

Have you told them what you just told us?

[Loki]

When I get drunk, I find myself incredibly funny and it numbs whatever sadness troubles me at the moment. Like I am watching a show with only a passing interest in the troubled protagonist on screen, while goofing off with my friends. So generally speaking, I am not particularly unpleasant to be around while drunk (I hope).

I also usually get drunk really fast, although I recently discovered I can hold a lot more alcohol than I thought.

[Welu]

Today at my new job I managed to finish an hour earlier than the previous two days and without any big panic moments. I'm actually not sure what time I'm expected to stay to so I tidied the office for fifteen minutes and intended to do some paperwork but I couldn't find what I needed in the filing cabinet. Anything else I know how to do requires logins which I don't have yet and the only thing that doesn't require a login, there was a note specifically telling me not to do it.

Also been doing double shifts this weekend but my manager forgot to put me on this week's rota. Usually I'd be more pissed but I can't wait to have a couple days off.

[Akima]

Ditch all bitches who try to pressure you into something.

This, basically. I am not much of a drinker, and I have sometimes had similar problems with people urging alcohol on me.

Have you told them what you just told us?

Should he have to? Why isn't a simple "No, thank you" enough? Isn't it a bit of a dick move to demand justifications? Technically I should abstain from all "intoxicants", but should I have to discuss that, or the fact that I'm not completely rigid about it, with random acquaintances in a bar?

[ankhtahr]

May, I definitely appreciate your worries. I won't need this for quite a while after next week, because the lectures will end then. I can't guarantee for the time after that, but I'll definitely try my best without caffeine.

In other news: I just got told that I have the voice of a audiobook narrator. Don't know about this, and the person who told me that is austrian, so it might just be that she's not used to german without an austrian accent, but I like to hear that. Some people here heard me on mumble (and one even in person). What would you say about my voice? I was already considering starting a podcast one day, so it'd be nice to have some feedback.

[Loki]

Huh. Am I really the only one who met you in person?

[ankhtahr]

Yes, yes you are. You should feel honored! 

[BeoPuppy]

I'm in Germany. There was noise outside.

[ankhtahr]

fucking people sounding their fucking horns at fucking 1 am. stupid fucking world championship. Masterpiece put it well:

[tweet]488444560167944192[/tweet]

[Masterpiece]

Have you told them what you just told us?

You know what, I did. They still do it though.

[bainidhe_dub]

Maybe just come up with a one- or two-line answer - "I'm not drinking right now. I don't like what it does to my mood." - and stick with it whenever anyone tries to push you. You don't owe anyone an explanation, but people should be able to remember when they get the same response every time.

[tragic_pizza]

When people used to ask me for legal advice, I would say "in my opinion as someone with a law degree, you should... go ask a real lawyer". Now if people ask me for pregnancy advice, assuming they are just my friends and not my mentor's caseload women, I say "ask your midwife". It's like taxis. If you don't prebook, you're not insured.

One of the things about being a part-time preacher is, no one ever asks me for free theological advice.

GIVING me free theological advice, on the other hand...

[Loki]

Good day.


Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

[Loki]

Yes, yes you are. You should feel honored! 

Now that I think about it, so should you - you are, after all, also the first forumite I met in real life.

As for your voice, I honestly have no idea :/ Sorry.

[BeoPuppy]

Good day.


Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

You never get asked this when wearing a certain CoF shirt. Thank the lord.

[Thrillho]

Should he have to? Why isn't a simple "No, thank you" enough? Isn't it a bit of a dick move to demand justifications? Technically I should abstain from all "intoxicants", but should I have to discuss that, or the fact that I'm not completely rigid about it, with random acquaintances in a bar?

This is why I was teetotal for years. I got drunk off my ass as a teenager once and decided I didn't like it and spent the next few years being constantly pressurised by people who demanded that I drink.

I started drinking again when I was at university and someone actually bothered to politely ask me 'would you like a drink?' instead of trying to bully me into it and say that I had to drink because it was a party. Being finally given the choice was enough to get me to try it again.

[tragic_pizza]

Good day.


Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

More like, "If you don't agree with me on Issue X, you aren't a True Christian^tm!"

[idontunderstand]

"I don't drink. Boxers don't drink." Always worked fine for me (even when it wasn't true).

[Lupercal]

May, I definitely appreciate your worries. I won't need this for quite a while after next week, because the lectures will end then. I can't guarantee for the time after that, but I'll definitely try my best without caffeine.

In other news: I just got told that I have the voice of a audiobook narrator. Don't know about this, and the person who told me that is austrian, so it might just be that she's not used to german without an austrian accent, but I like to hear that. Some people here heard me on mumble (and one even in person). What would you say about my voice? I was already considering starting a podcast one day, so it'd be nice to have some feedback.

If you want to try narration, try https://librivox.org/ - you can volunteer to narrate an audiobook.

And in a very selfish way I think I have similar feelings towards drinking that a lot of people here do. My greed has gotten in the way of me having a pleasant time before - ie, drinking too much and then constantly being reminded later on of the shit I got up to and having to laugh it off every time like it was a fun time. It wasn't fun. I'm painfully embarrassed about it. Everybody makes mistakes I suppose, but I feel like at 23 I'm 'done' with going 'on the lash'. Weirdly once I got a full time job after university the number of times I went drinking dramatically decreased, and I chose the people I went to a bar with wisely. Also, when you're going out with work colleagues...you don't want to get shitfaced. I guess only now do I realise that drinking can actually be quite dangerous for me. I'd rather just have a good time.

[GarandMarine]

Good day.


Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

No. But do you have a second to hear the good news about C'Thulu, the sleeper who shall awaken?

[cesium133]

Good day.


Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

No, but I have accepted him as my gardener. 

[ev4n]

As someone who has never had more than 2 drinks in one day, and not more than 1 until I was in my 40s, I'm a bit surprised at all these people being submitted to pressure to drink.  I never really felt that, or if I did, I probably dropped those people so fast I've forgotten, since I have a few too many alcoholics in my family to stand for peer pressure of that sort.

[Thrillho]

I just won a tiny amount of money in the office World Cup prediction pool, because I am a badass motherfucker and absolute jammy sod.

[Barmymoo]

I've already accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and saviour, and those people make me want to convert back. Street evangelism is just about the most pointless thing - I don't believe anyone has ever had a spontaneous spiritual epiphany due to being accosted by a stranger while doing the weekly shop.

[ev4n]

I just won a tiny amount of money in the office World Cup prediction pool, because I am a badass motherfucker and absolute jammy sod.

Yup won a gift card at work as well.  /hifive

[jwhouk]

Good day.
Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

No, but I have accepted him as my gardener. 

Actually, he got out of the gardening business after that one really bad night he had with olive trees.

[Pilchard123]

Nexus 7 for half price. Not bad.

[tragic_pizza]

I've already accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and saviour, and those people make me want to convert back. Street evangelism is just about the most pointless thing - I don't believe anyone has ever had a spontaneous spiritual epiphany due to being accosted by a stranger while doing the weekly shop.

This is especially true of the kind of "street evangelism" I see at colleges and universities, where some moron with a sign listing "Abominations" yammers for hours about who is going to Hell.

I qualify for a window seat on the bus to Perdition on several levels.

[Akima]

Good day. Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?

I confess that I have occasionally pretended that I don't speak English to avoid such people.

[Masterpiece]

I always say, "sorry my hands are full" and ostentatiously put my hands in my pockets when someone attempts to give me fliers.

I've had a time where Mormons were in my siren kitchen, but that story is too long to tell while mobile.

[Redball]

You prepare breakfast for your Sirens? Do they sing for their supper?

[cesium133]

I've already accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and saviour, and those people make me want to convert back. Street evangelism is just about the most pointless thing - I don't believe anyone has ever had a spontaneous spiritual epiphany due to being accosted by a stranger while doing the weekly shop.

This is especially true of the kind of "street evangelism" I see at colleges and universities, where some moron with a sign listing "Abominations" yammers for hours about who is going to Hell.

I qualify for a window seat on the bus to Perdition on several levels.

Here we're not very far from the home base of the Westboro Baptist kooks, so they show up at the university every once in a while. Over time I've gradually learned to avoid the South Oval.

[GarandMarine]

I'm in transit back to free skies as of Tuesday! As they used to say, go west young man!

[Aimless]

I always say, "sorry my hands are full" and ostentatiously put my hands in my pockets when someone attempts to give me fliers.

I can usually escape with a friendly but firm, "NO thank you," but when it's Medecins Sans Frontieres I cover my face and run

However, on occasion I have let various evangelically inclined people speak with me. My favourite was a gigantic man, who must have been in 40s but with the energy of a 20-y-o, who chatted with me about faith in general for a few minutes while we waited for the train. It was pleasant! We concluded that he consciously placed his faith in God and the Bible while I saw little reason to do so, choosing instead to invest my faith in principles and in people. Neither of our lives were particularly devoid of that sense of awe and wonder and peace and love on which the human heart thrives

Because I tend to have big difficulties getting out of bed and out of the house. There are many, many days where I lie in bed for several hours before being able to get up, get ready and go to university

That sort of thing is certainly multifactorial, but, believe it or not, it's also a common sign of inappropriate caffeine-use and associated sleep-ruining behaviors. After a few weeks of regular caffeine-consumption, the real benefits become less noticeable, while the impact on sleep-quality (along with all the other charming effects such as reflux, stomach discomfort, palpitations, etc) becomes more pronounced for many/most people. Beyond that point, the perceived benefits amount to little more than the caffeine compensating--to a small extent--for the negative effects it has caused in the first place. It's like an inadequate apology after the damage has already been done

I love coffee but I have to periodically stop drinking it completely in order to recover from its effects on my sleep. I then go through a period of great well-being upon which I foolishly resume drinking coffee--just one cup, okay just two cups but only before lunch, okay one more after lunch but only for social reasons--and back I go again to square one. Devil-drug

[Papersatan]

Wrote a thank you email to that prof for the interview and included a link to a book I mentioned I was reading.

He replied:  "Also: you're now on the hook to guest teach this two volume Language and Power book in SI658 someday when I teach it again."

As with most of his communications I am not sure how serious he is, but I guess that means I need to finish the book.  :s  It's interesting, but dense, so I've been putting it off.  I think this will give me the sense of panic I need to hop to it. Because what I know of him, and what he knows of my interests and thinks of my skills, he could very well be serious.

[GarandMarine]

I've been cleaning so much the last couple days that wild animals came to help and performed an improvised musical routine... and I don't know how this annoying guy got my number but he won't stop texting! I think his name's Prince something or another... weird name right? Then Disney's lawyers showed up with a C&D. They took all my video footage, but I get to keep the tiara one of the deer gave me!

So basically what I'm saying is it's been a day.

[The Seldom Killer]

Pedalcar racing today and because it was so brutally hot I spent all of my racing stints with my jersey undone. Just went to get showered after getting home and discovered I have a big V shaped sunburn on my chest.

Classy.

[GarandMarine]

Your love of cleavage baring tops has been your undoing TSK!

[Patrick]

On Thursday night, my good friend Brandon broke his ankle (simply by stepping backwards the wrong way, scary!) and now he can't get up the stairs to his 2nd floor apartment. So now I'm housesitting and taking care of his cat and parakeet! The cat's name is Kitcheri, the parakeet's name is The Admiral. Kitcheri is adorable and sweet, The Admiral is kinda a dick and he doesn't like me trying to feed him (or rather, he probably thinks I'm trying to steal his scraps and doesn't realize I'm replenishing his food and water, the stupid little shit).

[GarandMarine]

The Admiral sounds like a real Admiral I know...

[GarandMarine]

LIGHTS! LIGHTS! LIGHTS! TIME ON DECK IS 0404! GET ON MY RED LINE! THREE TWO ONE YOU ARE.....

I'm up, eating and getting through my basics. Across from me is a 10 hour drive to Indiana. I am prepared. Let us begin. I follow an American call from long before me and mine came to this country "Go west young man".

Ittekimasu!

Bad ass as that sounds, it's more like this:

[GarandMarine]

 Woo made it to Indy and cut 90 minutes off my estimated time despite fuck loads of construction

[dr. nervioso]

Wooo!me and GM are in the same state(for now)
But yeah, the construction around I65 can be awful. It seems like something in central Indiana needs a massive construction project.