[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 10 December 2024 - 01:36 PM, said:

Tsundoku, on 10 December 2024 - 01:23 PM, said:

Briar King, on 09 December 2024 - 10:58 PM, said:

Man I'm starting to wonder if my methhead drones are in fact not methhead drones and connected to whatever the fuck is happening up in New Jersey..

I know the police drones are flying to not only because I've been dive bombed on but I've watched them go to the methhead trails and cut their lights to dive bomb them but for months I've seen the 2 different groups in the air at the same time. The flight and overall behavior/patterns between them are totally different. The "methhead" drones are flying around what would have been that damn solar farm. Weird shit is going on around here I think.

Jeepers, looks like a job for the Hardy Boys.
Mystery at Old Man Jenkins' Solar Farm.

"Waddaya think Scoob? Should we go light up the scene and see what we can smoke i mean scope out?"
"Rug-roh Raggy."

[Cause]

I have a group of friends that including me is four people. Its really the only group that I have in my life that still does birthday presents. Even now that we are separated over 3 continents we have kept the tradition. I am home in SA for a change so 3 of us are together in person and it was great to see my friends and family in and celebrate my birthday together for a change.

However when they gave me my birthday present this year they gave me cash in Rand. I don't want to feel ungrateful but I found myself quite disappointed last night as they gave it to me. As we get older we do become harder to buy presents for because if we want something chances are we buy it for ourselves. Cash however just felt so lazy, they know I don't need local currency because I have been here for ten days already and can just buy anything on my card. Ill just spend the money on restaurants and groceries during my holiday and a month from now wont be able to say what I got got for my birthday. What really strikes me as ridiculous is my friends birthday is tomorrow and he actually asked for a gift card because he wants to buy an apple watch with the money. So now I'm literally about to take a third of my present and hand it right back to the person who gave it to me as his gift a day later.

I feel a little childish feeling this way but I feel so disappointed at the seeming lackluster effort. A giftcard for one of my hobbies, taking me on an experience here in SA. Its true, we all have money as adults, its the thought I would have valued more.

[Mezla PigDog]

Cause, I'd be happy people who aren't your family want to mark your birthday beyond the age of 35*. It's fine to be a little bummed about a crap gift, but focus on the positives.

*sorry if you aren't beyond 35 yet. Even so, you've had a good run and people still turned out for your birthday!

[Macros]

Good to see Fifa have changed and don't kowtow to the money anymore.............oh wait

[JPK]

Mezla PigDog, on 11 December 2024 - 04:07 PM, said:

Cause, I'd be happy people who aren't your family want to mark your birthday beyond the age of 35*. It's fine to be a little bummed about a crap gift, but focus on the positives.

*sorry if you aren't beyond 35 yet. Even so, you've had a good run and people still turned out for your birthday!

No joke here. Pretty much the only birthday acknowledgement I get these days are from my daughters and from Tsundoku/Sombra.

[QuickTidal]

JPK, on 11 December 2024 - 04:55 PM, said:

Mezla PigDog, on 11 December 2024 - 04:07 PM, said:

Cause, I'd be happy people who aren't your family want to mark your birthday beyond the age of 35*. It's fine to be a little bummed about a crap gift, but focus on the positives.

*sorry if you aren't beyond 35 yet. Even so, you've had a good run and people still turned out for your birthday!

No joke here. Pretty much the only birthday acknowledgement I get these days are from my daughters and from Tsundoku/Sombra.

He has never missed my birthday in all the years I've been here, even when I was absent he left the message.


I think it shows his tremendous character.

[worry]

Yeah he's a character all right...

[Tiste Simeon]

Macros, on 11 December 2024 - 04:31 PM, said:

Good to see Fifa have changed and don't kowtow to the money anymore.............oh wait

It's disgraceful. Another WC I shall be missing no doubt.

[QuickTidal]

Father-in-law update.


Okay, so now he has an actual discharge date from the hospital. Dec. 19th. Which is good, we are living at his place right now while the kids finish the term at school in the city and we will be properly leaving to live in the new house on the 20th, so a single day of overlap with him at home.


The problem is now this. As predicted he is fighting against every recommendation, for equipment (bath seat, better railings in the house, better no-slip stairs) and for personal rehab (ppl coming to the house, or even him going to outpatient)...he keeps saying he doesn't need the equipment, and about outpatient rehab "Well, let's juts see how things go"....which translates to "I don't want to do it, and I want to go back to my life as it was".


Now, my sis-in-law who fights me on everything is still being weirdly obstinate in defending him. I said "I fear the uphill battle getting him to do the things he needs to do to make sure he rehabs well and this does';mt happen again in six months. You all need to have an intervention with him about that" and then added "Wife and I will not be close enough to help him on the fly (we were 15-20 min from him while we lived in the city) anymore, he needs to make sure he's more self-sufficient" To which she replied "He needs to Reno the condo (the condo we lived in till recently), and sell it, and then sell his house (the rambling brownstone that is no use to an elderly person with mobility issues) and move to a bungalow.

Now you will see the disconnect there. I'm suggesting short term pushes for self sufficiency (rehab, and equipment being pushed on him even if he doesn't like it) so that he can live his life without fear he's going to fall again (there's a wrinkle here too; he admitted under duress last week that he was diagnosed with a neuro disorder 10 years ago that results I his falling, neuropathy in his limbs ect and never told a soul)....and her solution is to renovate the condo (tearing up the carpet, fix and repaint walls, fixtures, and some tiles and whatnot) and then set it (who knows what timeframe that is), then sell his existing house (I don't think I can properly explain to anyone who cluttered that house is and how long it would take for it to be packed up....it was suggested that he go through and tag must have items to move, and the rest is auctioned in home) and find a bungalow he can move around in (he's already been shown 3 and turned his nose up at them for stupid reasons; "I don't need kitchen fixtures in the basement, I'm not going to rent it"....which....just don't use them then man? Like jeezus) to move to. All of that is six months to a year AT BEST, and that's IF all of that goes off without a hitch....during which time this man will fall back into all his old routines...


Another new facet of this. I have spoken with my brother-in-law about this (his son and eldest) and asked what he thought about it all. He said "Well, he's 78 years old, if he wants to sit in the back room, listening to his music, drinking his scotch and rotting, I don't know that any of us should gainsay him. If that' what hen wats to do with his remaining years, let him. I'm okay with that." And you know what? I agreed....it's his life. He's lost his wife, his dogs, and his parents...he has health problems and weight problems. So I get that vibe and my BIL is right to say that....the problem is the girls. My wife and her sister lost their mom a mere 6 years ago, so the not on of letting their dad rot himself into an early grave does not appeal to them....I will add into this that though I agree with my BIL in letting him do what he wants to do at his age...the effect this will have on my wife (and my kids) would be disastrous, so it's in the best interest of all to force the rehab on him so he can stick around and get well.

I don't think there is an easy solution to this...but I DO think that my sister-in-law is the squeaky wheel....she wants him to be okay and thinks she can will it to happen while also letting him reject the things he wants to reject.

The other option is for her to take up the mantle to Reno the condo and sell it, sell the house, and find a place for her dad....NONE of which she will do because she will say she doesn't have time (this is her excuse over doing ANYTHING for the family that requires more than passing effort)...but also likes to stand by and rant about what NEEDS to be done to combat my suggestions (which would bring her into conflict with her dad; this is a theme with her she does this with her eldest daughter who she lets get away with EVERYTHING because she'd rather that then be forced to have the fight with her 10 year old...if things with her daughter get tense over not letting her do something, she buckles and allows it to avoid the fight)...it's irritating.


I truly just want what's best for my FIL, but man he puts up every single roadblock he can think of to get well and become as self sufficient as he was a decade ago.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 12 December 2024 - 05:58 PM

[Cause]

QuickTidal, on 12 December 2024 - 05:52 PM, said:

The problem is now this. As predicted he is fighting against every recommendation, for equipment (bath seat, better railings in the house, better no-slip stairs) and for personal rehab (ppl coming to the house, or even him going to outpatient)...he keeps saying he doesn't need the equipment, and about outpatient rehab "Well, let's juts see how things go"....which translates to "I don't want to do it, and I want to go back to my life as it was".

Sadly this is a universal human condition for some reason. My grandmother sat in a prison of silence for years because she refused to admit that she was going deaf and needed hearing aids for years. I dont know if its a belief that by denying it they are denying aging or if it was just a strange kind of vanity. She lost the ability to communicate effectively and lost the ability to enjoy TV which was one of her only remaining sources of entertainment.

She did finally accept it but lost out on years of quality of life improvements. I wish I had some good advice for you but sadly I also think its very hard for the elderly to take advice from their children as well. Professional counseling may be an option?

Also on some level you may just have to let him learn the hard way unfortunately. Its impossible to help people against their will.

[QuickTidal]

Cause, on 13 December 2024 - 12:08 PM, said:

Also on some level you may just have to let him learn the hard way unfortunately. Its impossible to help people against their will.

I think you're right and I think this is what will happen...my job will be to mitigate the emotional upset it will cause my wife, as she is terrified of losing her dad so close to losing her mom...but I truly think his plan is just to drink himself into an early grave.

[amphibian]

QuickTidal, on 12 December 2024 - 05:52 PM, said:

Father-in-law update.


Okay, so now he has an actual discharge date from the hospital. Dec. 19th. Which is good, we are living at his place right now while the kids finish the term at school in the city and we will be properly leaving to live in the new house on the 20th, so a single day of overlap with him at home.


The problem is now this. As predicted he is fighting against every recommendation, for equipment (bath seat, better railings in the house, better no-slip stairs) and for personal rehab (ppl coming to the house, or even him going to outpatient)...he keeps saying he doesn't need the equipment, and about outpatient rehab "Well, let's juts see how things go"....which translates to "I don't want to do it, and I want to go back to my life as it was".


Now, my sis-in-law who fights me on everything is still being weirdly obstinate in defending him. I said "I fear the uphill battle getting him to do the things he needs to do to make sure he rehabs well and this does';mt happen again in six months. You all need to have an intervention with him about that" and then added "Wife and I will not be close enough to help him on the fly (we were 15-20 min from him while we lived in the city) anymore, he needs to make sure he's more self-sufficient" To which she replied "He needs to Reno the condo (the condo we lived in till recently), and sell it, and then sell his house (the rambling brownstone that is no use to an elderly person with mobility issues) and move to a bungalow.

Now you will see the disconnect there. I'm suggesting short term pushes for self sufficiency (rehab, and equipment being pushed on him even if he doesn't like it) so that he can live his life without fear he's going to fall again (there's a wrinkle here too; he admitted under duress last week that he was diagnosed with a neuro disorder 10 years ago that results I his falling, neuropathy in his limbs ect and never told a soul)....and her solution is to renovate the condo (tearing up the carpet, fix and repaint walls, fixtures, and some tiles and whatnot) and then set it (who knows what timeframe that is), then sell his existing house (I don't think I can properly explain to anyone who cluttered that house is and how long it would take for it to be packed up....it was suggested that he go through and tag must have items to move, and the rest is auctioned in home) and find a bungalow he can move around in (he's already been shown 3 and turned his nose up at them for stupid reasons; "I don't need kitchen fixtures in the basement, I'm not going to rent it"....which....just don't use them then man? Like jeezus) to move to. All of that is six months to a year AT BEST, and that's IF all of that goes off without a hitch....during which time this man will fall back into all his old routines...


Another new facet of this. I have spoken with my brother-in-law about this (his son and eldest) and asked what he thought about it all. He said "Well, he's 78 years old, if he wants to sit in the back room, listening to his music, drinking his scotch and rotting, I don't know that any of us should gainsay him. If that' what hen wats to do with his remaining years, let him. I'm okay with that." And you know what? I agreed....it's his life. He's lost his wife, his dogs, and his parents...he has health problems and weight problems. So I get that vibe and my BIL is right to say that....the problem is the girls. My wife and her sister lost their mom a mere 6 years ago, so the not on of letting their dad rot himself into an early grave does not appeal to them....I will add into this that though I agree with my BIL in letting him do what he wants to do at his age...the effect this will have on my wife (and my kids) would be disastrous, so it's in the best interest of all to force the rehab on him so he can stick around and get well.

I don't think there is an easy solution to this...but I DO think that my sister-in-law is the squeaky wheel....she wants him to be okay and thinks she can will it to happen while also letting him reject the things he wants to reject.

The other option is for her to take up the mantle to Reno the condo and sell it, sell the house, and find a place for her dad....NONE of which she will do because she will say she doesn't have time (this is her excuse over doing ANYTHING for the family that requires more than passing effort)...but also likes to stand by and rant about what NEEDS to be done to combat my suggestions (which would bring her into conflict with her dad; this is a theme with her she does this with her eldest daughter who she lets get away with EVERYTHING because she'd rather that then be forced to have the fight with her 10 year old...if things with her daughter get tense over not letting her do something, she buckles and allows it to avoid the fight)...it's irritating.


I truly just want what's best for my FIL, but man he puts up every single roadblock he can think of to get well and become as self sufficient as he was a decade ago.

First, kudos to you for the communication between parties, digging enough to find the truth about the hidden condition, and knowing what's achievable and what's not in the time frames. That's a legit huge set of things you've done.

Second, if your wife has access to his money, I'd just install a bath seat, non slip stickers in the bath, a toilet grab bar, non slip stairs, and other smaller mods that absolutely should be there to avoid the worst falls (usually in the bathroom). The rest, let the family slowly with it out with hopefully not this much dysfunction. I'm saying "just do it" for the smaller vital stuff because it's a lot harder to argue against stuff that's already in. If he wants to take out the bath seat, fine, but I'm doubting he'll rip up the non slip stairs stuff etc.

What helped my mother with her siblings communication and general what is going to happen to my grandmother was a shared spreadsheet that had short term things that were listed (these small home mods, services), medium term (maybe house renovations, house hunting), long term (actually moving house to a better place, asset management, furniture redistribution etc). Then assign who is responsible.

It becomes like a chore chart and cuts down on the endless repetition of we should do this without action a bit. Won't solve everything, yet it'll take some of the edge off.

Cheers to a smooth move of your own too.

[Cause]

amphibian, on 13 December 2024 - 12:53 PM, said:

Second, if your wife has access to his money, I'd just install a bath seat, non slip stickers in the bath, a toilet grab bar, non slip stairs, and other smaller mods that absolutely should be there to avoid the worst falls (usually in the bathroom). The rest, let the family slowly with it out with hopefully not this much dysfunction. I'm saying "just do it" for the smaller vital stuff because it's a lot harder to argue against stuff that's already in. If he wants to take out the bath seat, fine, but I'm doubting he'll rip up the non slip stairs stuff etc.

This! He may complain he doesn't want it, he may not use it at first but if he finds a bath seat already installed its very unlikely he will make an effort to uninstall it. You cant help people against their will I said and I stand by it, but you can lower the barrier to acceptance.

Also I don't know if its a possibility but would he accept a new dog? Could he look after one? Obviously there is a lot to consider but having a companion like a dog I think can really help the elderly. Helps with loneliness, gives them something to do, a reason to get up in the morning, promotes walking. People with dogs live longer, they are fucking magic. If he says he doesn't want a dog because he is heartsore about his last dogs but can look after a dog it may be worth trying to surprise him with a dog from a shelter. People change their mind quickly and if its a shelter dog and you have to surrender it a few weeks later you gave the dog a chance and didn't hurt anyone.

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 13 December 2024 - 12:53 PM, said:

Second, if your wife has access to his money, I'd just install a bath seat, non slip stickers in the bath, a toilet grab bar, non slip stairs, and other smaller mods that absolutely should be there to avoid the worst falls (usually in the bathroom). The rest, let the family slowly with it out with hopefully not this much dysfunction. I'm saying "just do it" for the smaller vital stuff because it's a lot harder to argue against stuff that's already in. If he wants to take out the bath seat, fine, but I'm doubting he'll rip up the non slip stairs stuff etc.

Yeah, those are good ideas for sure. Amusingly, the bath seat exists in the house already it turns out...it's in the spare room my kids sleep in and I saw it last night under a pile of other junk...it's from when his wife was terminally ill and he just never returned it to the vendor...so that's an easy change we can make, and yeah the rest of the small stuff we should just DO and he can argue from the other side. The grab bar also exists form that time....the no slip stair panels are the things we will need to put in without asking him. I'll get the wife to order them.

amphibian, on 13 December 2024 - 12:53 PM, said:

What helped my mother with her siblings communication and general what is going to happen to my grandmother was a shared spreadsheet that had short term things that were listed (these small home mods, services), medium term (maybe house renovations, house hunting), long term (actually moving house to a better place, asset management, furniture redistribution etc). Then assign who is responsible.

It becomes like a chore chart and cuts down on the endless repetition of we should do this without action a bit. Won't solve everything, yet it'll take some of the edge off.

That's a really good idea. I'll suggest that as well. It would be a good way to keep track of what needs done and then each sibling can quarterback making sure it's been done or is getting done.

Thanks Amph, all great suggestions.

Cause, on 13 December 2024 - 01:15 PM, said:

Also I don't know if its a possibility but would he accept a new dog? Could he look after one? Obviously there is a lot to consider but having a companion like a dog I think can really help the elderly. Helps with loneliness, gives them something to do, a reason to get up in the morning, promotes walking. People with dogs live longer, they are fucking magic. If he says he doesn't want a dog because he is heartsore about his last dogs but can look after a dog it may be worth trying to surprise him with a dog from a shelter. People change their mind quickly and if its a shelter dog and you have to surrender it a few weeks later you gave the dog a chance and didn't hurt anyone.

He's been rejecting the notion of other dog ever since his last passed (he's had dogs his whole life, they had three when I first met my wife) as he thinks it's cruel to get one knowing he can't move about well or walk them, or manage them in that big rambling house...BUT once he moves to a bungalow I feel like those problems would go away and yes a dog would go a LONG way to helping him...so I think that's worth mentioning to my wife as well for a long term goal for him after we get him moved.

Thanks all!

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

QuickTidal, on 13 December 2024 - 02:30 PM, said:

He's been rejecting the notion of other dog ever since his last passed (he's had dogs his whole life, they had three when I first met my wife) as he thinks it's cruel to get one knowing he can't move about well or walk them, or manage them in that big rambling house...BUT once he moves to a bungalow I feel like those problems would go away and yes a dog would go a LONG way to helping him...so I think that's worth mentioning to my wife as well for a long term goal for him after we get him moved.

Thanks all!

He could have a robot walk the dog.

And make sure FIL comports himself like a good boy... First rule of robobutlerotics: no harm to humans (including from themselves)!

[Edit: behold... the glorious future is now!

Spoiler

Meet Loomo Puppy - a dog walking robot that automatically walks your dogs while you are busy. You can create walking routes on app and track your dog through GPS. The dog-facial recognition capabilities allow you to interact with your best friend. Pre-orders begin on April 31st 2018. : r/robotics

... and started a few years ago! ]

This post has been edited by Abyss: 25 December 2024 - 04:53 AM
Reason for edit: Too big fucking picture fuck

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Back when I was having nausea a few weeks ago (probably from eating that flesh-eating bacteria), I took some sugar-free tums (calcium carbonate), even though I knew they might increase my risk of developing kidney stones again. Apparently they can form in a few weeks.

Then yesterday it felt like I might have been pissing out kidney stones, so I decided to have a lot more apple cider vinegar than usual. The probiotic kind (with the still-living Mother inside). Not a huge amount though---just three extra tablespoons and a bit of a longer pour over my dried vegetables than usual.

Perhaps all that's just a coincidence, but I woke up at 2:30 AM (this gets a bit gross---and long---so I'll spoiler)

Spoiler

bloated, belching up foul-tasting gas, and feeling nauseaous. Got up and pooped a little, let my stomach settle. Slept well enough for a while to not remember how well I slept, woke to my alarm... still belching up gas and feeling nauseous. Did red light therapy on my abdomen and waited for the nausea to subside before eating my breakfast edamame---first without the olive oil, to make it easier to digest. Seemed to be keeping it down well so added olive oil. Had a large but otherwise normal-seeming bowel movement. Still belching and a little nauseous at that point but not too bad. Ate some roasted almonds and psyllium powder.

Then about an hour later the nausea got a lot worse. Didn't want to re-swallow the stomach acid coming up into my mouth so I was spitting it out into the sink. Finally it got so bad I went over to the toilet and vomitted out both my second breakfast and my first... but some of it got on the front of the toilet and the floor, so then while still nauseaous and belching I was cleaning it up.

Up to that point I was guessing it was just my body reacting to getting too much of those supposedly beneficial apple cider vinegar bacteria at once. But then I defecated again and my stools were pencil-thin, which is often a sign of constipation. So the gas and nausea could actually be from constipation causing food to ferment in my intestines and preventing new food from fitting down in there.

Decided to take some oral colase just in case. Almost 30 minutes later had diarrhea, which couldn't be from colase because when orally administered it takes much longer than that to work (though if anally administered it does typically work in 15-30 minutes or so iirc).

Then I became very nauseaous again, tried spitting acid out into the sink but again it got to be too much so I flushed the diarrhea and vomitted a bit. Didn't see the pills. Checked the time---it was almost exactly 30 minutes since I'd taken them. Apparently it usually takes pills about 30 minutes to dissolve and many doctors recommend retaking medication if vomitted within 30 minutes (depending on the risks of not taking it and the risks from taking too much). One small study at a pediatric hospital apparently found 60% of doctors there would readminister medication if vomitted within 30 minutes. But since the oral colase typically acts in 6 to 12 hours by that point it seemed there was more risk of it interfering with my sleep so I decided not to retake---I'll probably take two right before bed.

However, if it's being caused by constipation, that could actually be caused by the excessive apple cider vinegar---studies have demonstrated that it delays gastric emptying (and medical experts conclude from that that it can cause constipation, backlogs in the small intestine from food exiting the stomach too slowly).

I'm reminded yet again of one of my favorite T. S. Eliot quotes:

Quote

From wrong to wrong the exasperated spirit
Moves, unless restored by that refining fiarrhea
Where you must move in measure, like a dancer

(he actually uses the word "Proceeds" instead of "Moves"; but I like my version better... and in this context it's more appropriate (if only because of the pun))

But wait, there's more... the constipation could also be being caused by... a big-ass kidney stone that's yet to pass. Or sundry other nasty shit (of more metaphorical varieties).

Apparently iirc (stupid Google search is making it difficult to find again) one small study found that something like 8 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar had no adverse effects so it might have had nothing to do with it. Or might have exacerbated other factors. Or perhaps the study didn't use probiotic ACV and that makes a difference....


OTOH ultimately what's been messing with my psychological groove more (symptoms of illness prompt me to go more into mindfulness and equanimity mode, so I can be pretty tranquil while puking my guts out) is how shitty AI search and AI tech support are, and more terrible news:

Quote

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims he won't restrict access to vaccines if confirmed to lead U.S. health policy, but his right-hand man has other ideas.

Kennedy's personal attorney Aaron Siri, who has been helping Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of health and human services interview candidates for top health jobs, has sued the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval for the polio vaccine

[...] Kennedy wants Siri to join him as the HHS's general counsel [...] He has also petitioned FDA regulators to "pause distribution" of 13 other vaccines, including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus and diphtheria.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Lawyer Aaron Siri Wants to Scrap the Polio Vaccine

And Trump finally managed to shock me again, in a terrible way:

Quote

"I've studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it. The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen."

Oh ffs... one of the few areas where his evil venality and desire to slash government regulations (that don't benefit him or his cronies or his bigotries) could actually be a force for good in the long run (to the farther shore I now doubt most of us will reach---most of us are more likely to be under the waves... though Nicodimas may be safe in some underwater bunker?). On the brighter side though he'll probably let Elon Musk and his other cronies persuade him otherwise, at least when it benefits them (or other people paying Trump off sufficiently).

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 14 December 2024 - 05:16 PM

[Mezla PigDog]

Mezla PigDog, on 21 November 2024 - 10:01 PM, said:

0 degrees C outside (I put the C in for the heathens) so obviously the bloody boiler has packed in.

The goddamned washing machine has packed in. We had to get a new dishwasher in June. And a new car in July.

[amphibian]

Azath Vitr (D, on 13 December 2024 - 03:29 PM, said:

He could have a robot walk the dog.

And make sure FIL comports himself like a good boy... First rule of robobutlerotics: no harm to humans (including from themselves)!

[Edit: behold... the glorious future is now!

Spoiler

Meet Loomo Puppy - a dog walking robot that automatically walks your dogs while you are busy. You can create walking routes on app and track your dog through GPS. The dog-facial recognition capabilities allow you to interact with your best friend. Pre-orders begin on April 31st 2018. : r/robotics

... and started a few years ago! ]

This is the broken clock being right - there's real research that shows these robot pets have actual value in achieving better health outcomes for our elders. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC8082946/

NY is exploring the value of this in nursing homes now.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

amphibian, on 14 December 2024 - 11:57 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 13 December 2024 - 03:29 PM, said:

He could have a robot walk the dog.

And make sure FIL comports himself like a good boy... First rule of robobutlerotics: no harm to humans (including from themselves)!

[Edit: behold... the glorious future is now!

Spoiler

Meet Loomo Puppy - a dog walking robot that automatically walks your dogs while you are busy. You can create walking routes on app and track your dog through GPS. The dog-facial recognition capabilities allow you to interact with your best friend. Pre-orders begin on April 31st 2018. : r/robotics

... and started a few years ago! ]

This is the broken clock being right - there's real research that shows these robot pets have actual value in achieving better health outcomes for our elders. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm...les/PMC8082946/

NY is exploring the value of this in nursing homes now.

Nah... I specifically didn't mention robot pets because the responsibility of having a living pet you need to take care of (or it will die... and complain, and poop all over the place) can give retired people a reason to live... and take care of themselves. OTOH since apparently part of his justification for not wanting a dog is that he doesn't think he'll outlive it---well, you could also vow to take in the dog after his death. (And build a special dog-house out of his corpse... or give the dog a robot version of Father-In-Law, infused with his scent.)

I've seriously considered getting a robot cat for myself... pretty sure I will eventually. Unless I get a new living cat that doesn't get along with robot cats (... unless they also dispense treats, perhaps?...).

This post has been edited by Abyss: 25 December 2024 - 04:52 AM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

To be clear, I do generally support providing elderly people with robot pets. But QuickTidal seemed to specifically want to give FIL a dog so that caring for that dog would motivate him to take care of himself. Granted, there are various ways that a robo-dog could be designed so that it needs to be taken care of, perhaps in a gamified way---put "food" in its bowl or it will get hungry and yowl pitiously at you, and eventually "die"? take it for a walk, or it will start leaving malodorous pellets of "poop" by your favorite chair?---teach it tricks?---train it to chase teenagers off your lawn, and battle other robot dogs?---but so long as he's not so far gone that he doesn't understand it's a robot, it seems unlikely to be quite as motivating as a living dog (if he can manage one).

Another possibility is using augmented reality to enhance the realism of the robo-dog. (And its poop...) With the robot providing the tactile element that would otherwise be lacking. (So long as the headset doesn't increase his risk of falling...)

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 15 December 2024 - 02:17 PM