Wren

That’s so sweet. The time we have with our loved ones really is a gift

There’s nothing ‘mildly infuriating’ about this – this is full blown infuriating. Enraging.

Hope you find something better soon

Love wins 🏳️‍🌈

Why have I never thought of this? I use MSG everywhere I can and this never occurred to me - thank you!

Yep, loaning physical media with software isn’t a thing anymore for that exact reason. Any software or digital platform we offer (ancestry, language learning, ebooks, etc) we either have a ‘one copy one user’ licence which essentially functions like a physical copy, we’re directly paying for each time something is accessed, or we have a subscription specifically made for libraries. We can loan out things like Kindles loaded with ebooks that we’ve purchased, but there’s still a grey area with loaning out a tablet that has the major streaming services installed (with accounts paid for by the library), so we haven’t gone down that route yet

Lmao thanks, yeah I like variety haha

I mean I like them, so I’m gonna say yes haha

Sorry you had a terrible sound engineer that night though :/

Thanks I’ll check it out!

Same! I was lucky enough to get a limited edition one of Peach too. And this one, all their designs are so cool

Sleep Token - This place will become your tomb (2021) / This eden (2023)

Grim Salvo - MILDRED (2022)

Tame Impala - The Slow rush (2020)

Spiritbox - Eternal blue (2021)

Bad Omens - THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND (2022)

Can I include EP’s? If so, Lorna Shore - … And I return to nothingness (2021)

Black Tiger Sex Machine - Once upon a time in cyberworld (2022)

Apashe - Renaissance (2020)

Florence + The Machine - Dance fever (2022)

Hozier - Unreal unearth (2023)

I’m sure there’s more

It’s definitely survivorship bias and likely that the barrier for entry is a lot lower now, so only ‘better’ music would be made (ie record companies doing risk assessment and deciding what would be more likely to sell) / your average person can make music now relatively easily, which I suppose technically ‘dilutes’ the overall ‘quality’ of music today - take your pick

Ooo another Larkin Poe fan in the wild! Literally wearing one of their shirts right this minute

Definitely varies for people, and there is actually a book coming out soon called “The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center” that you might find an interesting read.

For me, my fiancée is my best friend. Sure we’ve both had best friends before, but the connection was instant and way more intense than with anyone else for both of us. What makes our relationship different than a friendship is that we want to build a life together, we’re a team, we’re each eachother’s top priority, and, yes like most relationships there’s a physical aspect to it, amongst other things. The phrase ‘she’s my person’ really encompasses what it feels like, personally anyway.

If somethings right, you’ll feel it. When you find someone that sparks a connection beyond just friends, you’ll know. And if that never happens, don’t be too hard on yourself and start thinking there’s something wrong with you. Being neurodivergent and on the asexual / aromantic spectrum can make these questions harder, if they apply. Just do what feels right and don’t over think it too much. Easier said than done, I know

Oh, good shout! That one looks 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

I personally love it, and yes it can with a dock similar to the Switch’s. It’s ran every game I’ve thrown at it, and I’ve an original 2021 version. There’s a few quirks, like the joysticks will sometimes just decide to not do a random direction, but recalibrating is easy. Obviously the resolution quality isn’t as stellar as if you were running a pc meant output to a monitor, but on the built in screen everything is crispy. It’s decently heavy though, so my baby wrists get tired after a while. But yeah it’s great, playing whatever wherever is pretty ace.

I do not

Anecdotally, I have an Aya Neo. I know a few people with a few of the others brands. There’s a decently sized Aya Neo Discord that I’m part of, and I would assume the other brands have something similar. There’s definitely use of non-Steam handhelds, or there wouldn’t be a growing market for them.

There’s quite a few. Steam deck and Asus, as you mentioned, but there’s also AyaNeo, GPD, OneXPlayer, Aokzoe, Lenovo, etc. And many of these brands have several different models, if you’re counting individual products.

I struggle with a lot of sounds, having a sensory processing disorder, the list of which is far too long to write out here. So I totally understand the frustration and how rage inducing it is, you are definitely not alone. Especially when people don’t understand it’s not a patience issue, it’s a ‘my brain isn’t wired the same way as yours and it genuinely cannot be fixed’ issue.

Other people have mentioned therapy, which is definitely a good idea. They can help you find ways to channel the energy into something else, or help you find the root cause (if it’s a children-specific thing, and not just a general sensory issue), or teach you good cognitive behavioral therapy practices.

In the interim, since finding a good therapist for you can take a lot of time, I would definitely recommend some form of earplugs. Mine have saved me and my sanity so so so many times. If I can recommend a particular pair, I would suggest the Loop Switch, since they let you adjust the sound reduction levels on the fly - but any brand / even the foam tip ones (as long as they fit you properly!) can help immeasurably. For me, just knowing I have earplugs with me helps dealing with these sounds, even if I don’t wind up using them, just knowing the option is there. Some form of stress ball or those grip / forearm strengtheners might also be of use for you? It can be a good distraction, as well as allowing yourself to let off some of the steam in a relatively healthy and inconspicuous manner.

And kudos for knowing this is a problem for you, and looking for help on how to improve it. I hope you’re able to make progress you want, one way or another. Good luck, OP - we’re rooting for you

Hahhahaha I love it

Oof.

I hope it works out!