I do agree. You can’t run the world economy like a pyramid scheme. Not sure there are “too many people” or just technology lag, and I don’t believe EVERYTHING is zero sum (we have increased efficiency in a lot of ways, and solar energy & nuclear don’t seem like they use as many resources as they provide) but easier on the earth if we don’t have as many.

I am not sure it’s even an unpopular opinion, though.

That sounds pretty good to me. Though I would prefer crushed peppers, jalapenos, or Salsa Yucateca, Tabasco is a little too sour. Why do you care? Are you literally gatekeeping her pizza?

I agree with knives, love them.

Natural fermentation is a technology I love, that is pretty ancient. The way I make bread, it’s leavened the same way as almost 15,000 years ago. Beer is like that too - it’s commercial now but you can achieve it at home without the industrial tech.

Windshield wipers are so clever.

As others have explained, waking up at the wrong point in a sleep cycle feels crappy. But also as the night turns to morning, your sleep cycles change and sleep becomes lighter - waking up is a process, not a moment. So get up when you wake up naturally and you should be good, but also keeping to a schedule helps, so if you are naturally waking up at 7am or whatever, going past that time can interfere with, well, falling awake.

I get you though - so often I feel like sleep is so close by I just want to go back.

My husband handles this with coffee, he gets up, makes coffee, drinks it in bed (while I sleep through all this) and then either feels awake, or, if he does go back to sleep the caffeine helps him wake back up, like a coffee nap. I can’t do that, prefer to wake up then coffee a few hours later, but it works for him.

Kids are so much nicer than when I was in school. Not perfect, obviously, but really just so much nicer to each other.

You are suffering exhaustion as a symptom of your depression? That is what this post sounds like.

Not sure we can help with that.

When I have exhaustion from overwork and cannot immediately adjust my circumstances, giving up (acceptance of what is going on) and more exercise, even if it means less sleep time available, has been the most helpful but it’s a short term strategy. The exercise improves my sleep and raises my spirits.

Then eventually the stress ends and I get a migraine :( and then back to my normal.

But I have never suffered depression.

I bring a picture of myself with the haircut I want.

Husband says tight fade, zero to very short on top and that gets him what he wants, he goes to the same barber lady all the time, she doesn’t speak English and he doesn’t speak Spanish but they still manage to communicate the haircut information.

I wonder though. Two things - one, I think you probably look better than you think, if you dance and go to the gym I’m sure you are already in good shape and not too skinny. You probably look better than you think, it’s normal to see yourself with a hypercritical eye, try to look in the mirror and pretend it’s someone else. And as someone else mentioned, ask for feedback from your friends, who see you more objectively.

Two - what kind of looks, that you think are so far off from yours? I mean, if you are finding plenty of women who meet your standards, maybe this is a misapprehension and you are not as picky as you think, nor as far apart in looks from those you find attractive . If you have impossible standards, that’s certainly something to work on, but maybe you are just thinking about this in a way that makes it feel impossible when it’s not.

It can never hurt to take a step away for awhile and just work on yourself though. Be a person who you like, keep doing the things you love and enjoy them, let go of trying to date for a time, be nice to yourself.

You have the stats of one of the most attractive skinny guys I’ve been with. I was also way skinny at that point in my life (5’9" 115lb - I am 150 now at midlife and people seem to see even this as thin somehow, I don’t understand it), which made things a little awkward but I really think very tall and skinny is one of the ideal body types for a man, and you are so tall I think most women would perceive you as ‘bigger than them’ even if you are close in mass.

Also the best lover I ever had was a guy a couple inches shorter than me and whip lean and not even socially ‘normal’. Husband now is my height, strong as fuck and padded, and like OP seems to fear being ‘skinny’, as a lady this is an almost incomprehensible fear, I have feared being fat always but skinny is fine.

Maybe because ‘bird feeder’ implies they are trying to feed birds?

I really hated the possums in my old neighborhood because they would always crawl into the soffit and have babies, destroy things I could not afford to fix, and poop stinky poop in my attic. But in my new slightly bougier neighborhood the possums are so cute and just run around eating bugs. Rats I can’t bring myself to hate, and squirrels just seem like cute fluffy rats. So I can’t hate them but goddam it I have never harvested even one fully ripe tomato because they destroy them. I do hate that.

I think of it as a flavored seltzer.

Aspartame is the sweet flavor and unspecified “natural flavors” do the rest.

I don’t drink it often anymore, but it’s great for a no calorie treat. No it won’t give you diabetes but you shouldn’t drink it instead of water. It isn’t water.

I was vegetarian for about 20 years and never really missed meat (feel like for most people, giving up meat only means giving up 4 things - pigs, cows, chickens, and fishes), but vegan I couldn’t do. Cheese. And mayo and eggs. I joke with my vegan daughter that the vegan versions are made from xanthan gum and wishes. But yeah things like chicken nuggets? Processed meat things I can’t tell the difference and for some items do like the veggie or vegan versions much better - burgers in particular, I love all sorts of veggie burgers but hate hamburgers. Order black bean burger with bacon and cheese at my work cafe and nobody bats an eye so I’m not the only one.

Healthier as an omnivore, I’m sure that’s different for different people, but for me personally it is working better.

This helps. First, I think work on your own self confidence. A dancer’s build is an ideal body type for a whole bunch of people. If you feel like more definition in your arms would help YOU (I don’t think it’s the sticking point looks wise but might help you see your own hotness), do push ups, and weighted squats and lunges will help with the dancing, skinny is the easiest body type to get into shape, such a small adjustment.

On the flirting, yes obvious is good, and funny, remember you are just practicing here and enjoy yourself. Subtle is likely to be missed.

On your actual question, I am older so have been through dry spells and remember feeling frustrated way more than bitter. Build a good life you enjoy, and it may be attractive to others, or perhaps not, but either way you will have a good time. I don’t mean there aren’t external forces, but your own attitude and actions are what you have the most control over.

Cheese is an absolute pinnacle achievement of humanity. It’s delicious.

Not really, no. Was an anorexic teen, so kind of like you but in the other direction, then so poor we just ate what we could, at this point in my life I am at a healthy weight and can certainly tell physical hunger from wanting to eat, and can tell the difference between not hungry and lack of appetite from anxiety around eating (the latter is very infrequent now). May have broken it in all the years I had water when hungry.

I don’t have a repetitive diet though, and don’t do endurance sport so maybe don’t have the specific cravings. And try not to ever eat too much. And women in general do carry more reserves even when lean, I don’t know if that makes a difference.

“I’m not so into skinny guys” sounds like an excuse, if you are getting it a lot I think there is something else going on here, not all women even have a type and some surely like skinny guys, some of the hottest men I’ve been with were so skinny, it can be a very attractive look on a man.

Since you say it’s your own standards, what do you mean? Do you think you are sort of batting out of your league looks-wise? You are already dancing so your body is probably in good shape, is there anything else that makes you think you are not physically attractive? May I ask how old you are?

You are outgoing and social, perhaps try practicing flirting? Like, without trying to take it any further?

Ok I read this and did like it quite a bit but don’t think this author has ever met a living woman. The action was great and the characters mostly also, the men and vampires, but oh, painful to read the female characters. Always mothering, or falling apart, or providing a drink, administrative assistant.

Overall though - enjoyed it and thank you!

Best: kit-kats, twix, heath bar, and the wee chocolates dark/light/crunch mix assortment.

Worst: banana laffy taffy, smarties

Also I freaking love black licorice and my kids do too but would never, ever dare hand it out, absolutely a trick not a treat for most kids.

Ten Thousand Years Won’t Save Your Life by the band Hammock is like this, I wouldn’t call it alternative, but wow, it opens up, takes you on a trip, gently sets you down.

I wear the acoustic earplugs to concerts now, or at festivals stay far from the speakers. But I’m not sure. Maybe yes if the acoustics allowed for the sound to be more evenly distributed over the crowd.

Those earplugs made for concerts are great, they literally turn down the volume but the music sounds good not muted.