I’m wondering how much of it is the distraction factor? In an effort to keep my weight in check, I’ve shifted to biking as my main form of transportation to get around the city. I live an area of higher elevation, so pretty much anytime I go anywhere over a mile or so away, I’m in for a serious hill climb on the way home. I listen to a lot of music, and one thing I’ve noticed is that it distracts me from noticing the effort, especially on the long, steep grinding hill home. I’ll be rocking out, and next thing I know I’m at the top. Maybe having a vibrator jiggling your leg tendon is doing more or less the same thing by distracting you from muscular strain, etc.?

Good way to prevent cheating.

particularly Americans, apparantly are on first-name basis with parents… like either because they are very close, or very distant…

American here - I’ve known a couple of people that used their parents’ first names, but it’s pretty rare. I’m no/low contact with my father, and I’ve thought of just using his first name because I don’t feel like he deserves to be called “dad,” but I’ve called him dad my whole live and I think it would just feel weird to call him by his first name.

Caffeine was the hardest addiction for me to kick, and we are wired for sugar addiction. Sugar triggers an insulin spike, which is the fat storing hormone. In the late summer and fall, when fruit ripens, our genes caused our ancestors to gorge on fruit and store fat for the long, hard winter ahead. Now that we live in abundance, with a surplus of calories available everywhere we turn, this storage of fat for the winter is unnecessary. Worse, food companies recognize that we are wired to want sugar, so they add sugar to virtually everything to make it more addictive. This is why I minimize the highly processed foods I consume and when I consider any food with a nutrition label I look and see if there are added sugars (which there almost always are.)

I tried LSA and it just made me sleepy. Maybe my does was too low?

The wife looks much less pleased with the situation.

I talk to cats as well. They may not understand everything you say, but they know that your talking specifically to them and they can understand some things like praise or rebukement by tone and inflection. They also probably pick up common words, and they regularly talk back when you pause for a response. They’re living, thinking beings that operate at a higher level than many people realize.

Cancel culture pushed by the most fragile snowflakes.

The people here, and the vibe, is nicer. It’s like reddit was 15 years ago. Reddit has just gotten worse over the years as it became more popular, and especially after went public. Many subreddits are plagued with engagement bots that ping you with lame questions to get you to respond. Post a comment even slightly controversial and you get reported and banned, even if it wasn’t malicious. I just got tired of the shit show. I do miss the more robust traffic for niche subjects that reddit has, but not enough for me to go back.

And this is safer than “air dicking”.

Yeah, San Diego, but I’ve lived in other cities with decent music scenes as well. Most major cities I’ve lived in have had a decent music scene.

This is the way. I’ve seen so many great bands at clubs before they blew up. Why spend hundreds of dollars to see a show produced for mass consumption at a stadium when you can drop $20 and see a hungry up-and-comer pour out their heart and soul to a hundred people. It’s a way better experience.

As opposed violently attacking a neighboring country?

I’m an attorney and I’ve met more than a few with “Dark Triad” (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) personality traits.

A beard is like makeup for men. If done correctly, your short, neatly trimmed beard can highlight and strengthen your jawline and provide a contrast to emphasize hollow cheeks/cheek bones.

I bought a Kobo as well, after having a ton of DRM issues with books I’ve bought on kindle. I love the Kobo!

I recently picked up a sewing machine at a garage sale for $40 and it has been a game changer for me and has really upped my look. All my clothes are now tailored to fit my body, and it makes a huge difference. I’m a middle-age man, but am very fit. However, most off the rack clothing is cut for the average American male physique, which means that shirts that fit me in the shoulders generally have tons of extra fabric around the mid section. Now, every short sleeve shirt I buy gets “the treatment”. I take up the sleeves to mid-bicep (because showing bicep is the male equivalent to showing cleavage), take them in to hug my biceps, and then taper the shirt to the waist to show off my trim waistline and emphasize my shoulder to waist ratio. Quite honestly, it’s amazing how much more attention I get based upon that one simple change.

The world is not well-equipped for dealing with people like this. He’s clearly a cluster B personality type, and desperate for attention. Good attention, bad attention, it doesn’t matter. This is reactive abuse, as he’s trying to provoke her to get a reaction. It may sound lame, but the best way to deal with this type of person is to completely ignore them. He is a child begging for attention. Don’t give it to him. Whatever he does should be viewed as trivial and be ignored. As he continues his concerted efforts and gets absolutely no reward for it, it will make him feel insignificant and he’ll eventually look for his thrill elsewhere.

Absolutely yes, meds can impact dreaming and the nature of dreams. I don’t know what meds you are on, but prazosin is a blood pressure drug that is given off label to help people with PTSD. It increases REM sleep, which is when your mind works through issues you’re dealing with, and prazosin basically helps people work through their trauma. In my experience, my REM sleep approximately doubled, and my dreams took on a much more positive spin. Instead of being powerless in my dreams, I became much more of an active participant, “hitting back” when appropriate. It’s a great drug!

It’s definitely a cycle, and unfortunately we’re getting really close to the end of one world order and the birth of a new one.