Posts by wanderinghawk30

feralranger said:And yes, I am still breathing. You can find some flimsy, half-baked study to support just about anything, allowing any tabloid headline writer to scream, "Scientists prove X!" Then, just a few months later—either in the same rag or some other sensationalist outlet—you'll see different scientists claiming the exact opposite is true.

There are actual scientific studies (which I linked recently) that would make the same argument regarding homeopathy or organized religion; one might even argue that joining Jehovah's Witnesses would be more effective than running, assuming there were a single study that managed to group both together with comparable results. 🤷

Regardless, I am quite unconvinced that clinical depression is cured by a jog. While exercise is generally beneficial for your health—one could certainly argue it lowers the risk of various ailments, much like many other healthy habits—the idea that it actually "cures" them is something I simply don't buy...

Oh, absolutely. They’re out door-to-door every weekend, they've got their own little social circles, and plenty of time to gossip about the local drama... you won't find a better setup than that. 😁

Sal aside, nothing helped my depression except medication. Unfortunately, those meds lose their edge after a while, so I'm constantly adjusting the therapy. Sometimes it feels like I'm just pouring water into a leaky bucket, a cycle I'm stuck in for life. There are phases where I'm completely fed up with pharmacotherapy, and with doctors in general, but most of the time I manage to cooperate just enough to keep myself together.

rowdypanther12 said:It’s really prevalent, even in the upper grades 😁

What I’ve noticed in this subject is how parents step in to help kids hunt down shortcuts online—just looking for summaries or pre-packaged answers to whatever book they're supposed to be reading.

Glad the teacher catches on regularly. Last time, a bunch of them gave her the exact same answer to one question (Gulliver's Travels). It was completely wrong, just copied straight from some study guide site. 😁

Harold Perez2, don't think your questions are pointless. They aren't. Not at all. This kind of situation—where her emotional intimacy and physical state are both hitting a wall—is bound to leave a mark on your relationship.

Now, Eliza might be the cause, or she might not, but you absolutely need to talk to the doctor who prescribed it. Your partner is dealing with some seriously brutal physical issues; I doubt she’s finding it easy to function through any of this.

Is there anything else she can do to manage? Maybe some physical therapy to strengthen those back muscles, massages, swimming, or other ways to dull the pain that don't involve just pills? I know there are dedicated pain management clinics out there; she should probably look into one when the chronic pain flares up (assuming it's unpredictable).

Regardless, this silence between you two and your own frustration isn't healthy. Look, I get it—she’s struggling. But I don't think she should shut you out entirely, nor should you just retreat and play the martyr because her physical pain is overwhelming. You need tact, patience, and empathy, sure, but you also have to actually talk about things.
Communication is everything in a relationship, especially when things go south and problems start piling up.

Larry Walker24 and Richard Booth7 could have put it better.
Richard Booth7, I feel the exact same way as a parent. Kids who actually want to learn are being robbed of their education because this mandatory, one-size-fits-all schooling system makes it impossible.

Are they raising little delinquents at home? Then take your brat to school and deal with them yourself. Don't know how? Well, frankly, I don't give a damn! Figure it out! 😠 Does anyone bother to ask us how we’re supposed to manage when kids in standard classes can't learn basic life skills from PIP because the teachers are too busy babysitting monsters? No, nobody asks. Instead, the entire world—every professional and educator out there—has to be mobilized to deal with undisciplined idiots. All of society ends up following some useless, bullshit protocols just to clean up the mess left by people who didn't even learn basic common sense. And then, once they have kids of their own, they have no clue what to do with them (not that they’d know what to do with themselves).

Ugh... my blood pressure is hitting the ceiling now, and that's definitely not great for a high-risk pregnancy.

Anyway, (apologies to everyone here, but I’ll take a ban for swearing long before I’ll take an early trip to the delivery room), but seriously—eat shit, Department of Education!

Zoe (edit - zero points, just like those failed American reforms)

Larry Walker24 said:SCHOOLS ARE FINALLY GETTING TOUGH ON DISCIPLINE If kids don't listen after a warning, they're getting sent to mandatory counseling. And if parents try to block that? They’ll be reported to Child Protective Services.

Just another bureaucratic essay written the American way—full of holes and arbitrary interpretations.
Literally—just shouting into the void.

For starters, look at this: "...when it comes to professional treatment, 'other specialists' will be involved, meaning the school is obligated—according to the draft—to cooperate with necessary external agencies."
Which "external agencies" are we talking about? Who is rushing out to some remote rural schools that don't even have a full-time psychologist or a counselor who isn't working part-time (meaning 2 or 3 days a week depending on their workload)? How long does it take for a principal's memo to actually reach these "external agencies"? Think of all the wasted, stamped, signed paperwork just piling up on someone's desk or sitting in an overflowing inbox.

Zoe? The Department of Education? Are they supposed to be the help?
Who are you people trying to fool with these empty drafts and regulations?

Go ahead, let's celebrate the next round of "measures" they've announced (it only took them three years to dig this one out of the dust)🍿

Rebecca Carter8 said:Is a sense of humor an innate trait one is born with, or is it a skill that can be acquired through practice?
If it is indeed something that can be learned, where and by what means does one go about mastering it?

The funny people I know? They’ve got it built-in. It’s just part of who they are. It’s effortless—they aren't trying too hard, it just radiates from them naturally. 😍

As for the alternative... I have no idea where one would even go to "learn" that. All I know is that the people who force themselves to be witty or entertaining usually end up looking just pathetic and irritating. :/

Alex Robinson5 said:Well, calling *me* stubborn was certainly a choice. 👍

If I were to lay everything out, people following this sub would know exactly who I am—and I’d much rather stay anonymous... if that makes sense. 🙂
My situation is basically this: I'm trying to reach a certain milestone, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in my path—in all sorts of ways. My logic tells me it's just bad luck, but my gut tells me that even if I actually succeed, it won't be what I dreamed of... which might just lead to more disappointment and a deeper depression.

I suppose I got the answer I was looking for from the user above...

It really comes down to what you can stomach at any given moment. For me, giving up—even when my head was screaming that walking away was the smart move—always led straight to resentment. I had to go all in. I had to chase it, live it, and feel the sting before I could make a call. Peace only came once the choice was actually mine to make, once it was just a matter of whether I wanted to say yes or no. That's the only way I could finally close the book.

But everyone's wired differently. I had this relentless, exhausting need to prove myself. I kept pushing until I hit the wall I set for myself.
With the perspective I have now, I probably would've handled it differently.

Andrew Barrett4 said:Maybe we should ask the moderators which specific posts about living together were scrubbed?
And what about the ones on this subforum too?

A little while back, there were maybe three or four threads that were clearly just carbon copies of each other. In one of those threads, the clone apparently had a bit of a meltdown and typed everything out using nothing but the letter w. 😁

The clone ended up getting banned, the threads were locked, and then they were just wiped from existence.
Anyone else catch that happening?

I saw it. Unfortunately.

But I have to tell you, as much as it pains me to admit it, there are still people out there starting these ridiculous threads and hitting the wrong keys.
Typical forum chaos.

Haha... Oh yeah, he’s the perfect candidate for US Congress—young, full of potential, and raised with that classic "shut up, stay quiet, and let the institutions handle it" mindset. 🙏
I suppose the only real hurdle is tracking down his party membership card, though I’m sure his family will manage that given their rather creative relationship with statistics.

Angela White2 said:I’ve never been one for combat sports; there’s nothing about fighting that appeals to me, and I’d much rather avoid it entirely. Yet, the violence persists, and the panic is just mounting. I have no desire to engage in a fight with them—I just want this all to stop.

I hear you. I know that feeling well—not from my own experience, per se, but still... Look, martial arts isn't just about learning how to throw a punch. Above all, it’s about defense. But what I’d emphasize most is the sheer confidence built in those environments, especially when you find the right instructor. For young people lacking "backbone and grit," as you put it, the coach is everything.

When you work on your presence and self-assurance, your entire demeanor shifts. You start projecting an aura that tells potential aggressors you aren't some easy target.

That’s the real goal behind training. I don't know where you're located, but look for a local Krav Maga Club. Think of it as a journey of self-discovery, not just hitting a heavy bag—which, in the case of this specific discipline, isn't even really the point.

Some wise soul (Epicurus, perhaps) once noted: "Where I am, death is not. Where death is, I am not."

Death. It’s the oldest topic in the book—the obsession of every philosopher and artist throughout history. You can't really contemplate life without staring down the barrel of its end, its fleeting nature, and its ultimate fragility. How do you make peace with the inevitable? Most people fail miserably; only a few manage it. There’s a certain comfort in thinking of it like the time before we were born—I certainly don't remember it.