Actually that’s always been the case. ‘A’ is the feminine ending in Latin, which is the root of a bunch of European languages and seeped into the rest (including English) substantially.

I have an open marriage. I have never sexted anyone. To be fair it’s partly bc I don’t get the appeal, but even if I did, there is no way in fuck I’m making that kind of digital content about myself. And while my career choice dictates some discretion, it’s nowhere near the stakes of being a politician. I honestly…

Totally on the distance! For that Yellowstone trip hubby really wanted to drive... from Rhode Island. We only had a week. I was like, dude... please go look at google maps again while I book this flight to Denver. When we got to the park he wanted to touch the bison and when we were hiking refused to make noise with…

Haha. As an American who’s lived in Holland this doesn’t surprise me at all. They don’t have anything approaching what we’d think of as ‘real’ nature - the few parks they have are reconstituted with imported species, and their wildlife is limited to rabbits, hedgehogs, some smallish deer, and, like, birds. It’s very…

Actually.. I don’t think they’re under all that much pressure to keep people safe. I’m not a ranger or anything but worked summers at a couple of parks when I was younger. The attitude is more that you can give people information, but ultimately visitors are responsible for their own lives - you simply can’t protect…

Eh, as a former competitive swimmer (like from age 4 through college)... swim teams pee in the pool constantly. Like right now there are definitely multiple swimmers all over the world pissing between intervals. Peeing in a wetsuit is, whatever.

Seconded on the alcoholism - all of these actions sound like he was shitfaced. Which is not an excuse at all, he’s still a terrible terrible human.

Jesus Christ. I am so, so sorry that happened to you. Obviously I don’t know your current circumstances but if it were me I’d permanently cut contact if possible. I did it with my mom and, later, another sister (who’s actually not a bad person but my mom brainwashed her into thinking I’m just awful, and she started…

wow, that’s seriously pretty f’d up. I feel like 10 is... idk, way too old to be doing that, and concerning beyond what you experienced as a kid (and I’m not aiming to minimize your trauma at all, just taking a slightly different tack..) — What’s he like now? I have a little sister with some sociopathic tendencies…

Yeah I don’t think you’re supposed to like the Bell Jar. It’s more an effort to draw you into the author’s pain, which kind of sucks as a reader.

I feel weird about this. On the one hand, I think Dunst’s character in Melancholia was the most accurate depiction of depression I’ve ever seen; on the other, that was directed by Van Trier, whom I find otherwise (Nymphomania etc) horrifically misogynist. Dunst has talked about her own depression, but that won’t…

Aaaand now I think I have no other (better) choice than to go back to being vegan. Trouble is, I can’t stand most vegans. So I guess I’ll be in the closet, or something. Ugh.

Wanting police officers to go home safely and wanting POC to not be shot without justification / cause are not mutually exclusive causes.

Thanks for the reply! I don’t know that my granddad was that bad, abuse-wise. But idk....he definitely is a drunk, and def hit his kids, and my dad (the oldest) took a lot of shit and protected his younger siblings. We’ve never talked about him hitting grandmom but I’d be surprised if he didn’t, thinking about it. But…

Yes, good analogy! Doesn’t resonate with me exactly, as my mom was more of the ‘go get drunk I don’t care’ type, but I see how that would be more of a ‘normal’ experience. Seriously, not being snarky :)

Mine had her seven in ten years! And then the miscarriage and she was done. I think with her it was a very legitimate love of motherhood and babies - she really really loves babies - but also a slowly growing realization that she gave up any other potential ambitions. She’s 85 now and for the last 6 years or so her…

Yes, because the BVM is so much more accessible and friendly! Like of course all the power comes from God, but it’s way more pleasant to talk to his uber-compassionate chosen virgin-mother lady who won’t yell at you.

I advocated for the power of the Virgin and intercession upthread, but yes, fear of hell is also very major thing. If you’re raised that way, then you believe in the rules - do a mortal sin and don’t confess it (to a Catholic priest who then absolves you) before you die? Yeah, straight to hell. If you believe in that,…

It’s because of the Virgin Mary. I’m not being sarcastic. It’s the only Christian faith (except Anglicans, I think (?)) where instead of talking to Jesus or God, who can both be pretty judgmental and scary (see Old Testament, Last Judgment) you can send your prayers to a lady who’s literally never anything but nice…

Ok, thanks for this - I’ll pursue it. Give your swimmers a fun set for me :)