DO whatever makes you feel better is not bad advice. Some of these studies have overarching trends that I do believe - caffeine and Adderall are protective to your brain, a little bit of speed keeps the brain healthy.

Alcohol and Benadryl are risky over time, so a habit of downers is detrimental to the brain over time.

Logically this makes sense. I think to some extent it’s just metabolism/weight, staying lean is healthier all round but there does seem to be a pattern of results showing a habit of doing a little bit of stimulants is good for you.

It is kind of tough to make friends as an adult. My kids tease me that I have a husband and relatives and coworkers but not friends. That’s not quite true, I keep up with one former coworker by text and occasional visit, and a couple of coworkers are friends, like we go to concerts together, they come for Thanksgiving. But really, two “sticky” people in so many years and one of them is just really good at making friends, that’s not me, he collects people. I do have an enormous family though, and only so much bandwidth.

Are you lonely in fact, or just feel some sort of pressure to have a large group of friends? To me it sounds exhausting, I am happy with having a very small set. Friends who come from former lovers are real friends, I don’t think you need to qualify that. If you feel understimulated but not lonely, just saying yes to things and extending some offers works pretty well. 5 people is a good gathering as long as it’s what you were expecting, though I do think 30 would have been fun in a different way (we have a massive chaotic Thanksgiving here and I love it) and understand that’s disappointing.

I think we each have some limited capacity for close relationships, I really had only one close friend from middle school and one more from high school, and now a husband, my attention seems to be good for one close relationship only and I’m ok with it.

ETA: the one event I can reliably get coworkers to is a happy hour after work on a Friday. My house is near the office so we have had them here, I can even get them to invite their spouses and girlfriend/boyfriend/close friend to those. Partly because I make absolutely delicious drinks and they know that, but also the convenience.

Holy crap, I looked at Art Masters Jewelry and eew. They are all clunky overdone nigh unwearable, some of the black ones might be good for a dramatic goth look - they look like costume jewelry but are priced like real jewelry though . So ugly.

Perhaps this is why you don’t make children with your sister, who is also your aunt? The kid behind him, she is like a snake but the baby on the dads lap has no legs.

White kids are often blonde even if they won’t be as adults. All mine were at least for awhile, all have medium or dark brown hair now. All born with blue eyes too, but half changed to brown later. Not sure why, but it’s normal.

I have a large family, always wanted kids, but seriously do not understand people who need everyone else to do the same thing they do. Like, what the actual fuck? If someone doesn’t want kids how is that my business? It’s like they don’t have confidence in themselves and need the whole world to agree with them. Just live your life, it doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing.

That picture doesn’t make sense though, unless she had 3 sets of twins some of those kids would be older, and as the billboards here used to say “two years apart is baby smart”, it is easier on your body if you give yourself time to recover. Three sets of twins back to back, your womb would prolapse.

Obligatory FUCK TICKETMASTER!

As people have already noted, the $20-$25 shows were different than a modern arena show, I saw Soundgarden with Voivod for $25ish at a local outdoor small venue in the 1990s, and have seen other acts there recently for between $50-$75 (the Alabama Shakes, Cimafunk), that seems like normal inflation.

Arena shows I honestly don’t remember what we paid for tickets to see big bands, but I sure remember general admission, running to get to the front, not being able to move once there, and the random groping that always happened. I don’t go much to big shows now (or even back then) and have never been to a stadium show.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable for artists to make money on performance, rather than on sales of recorded music. Not sure what the value of a show like that is, but probably more than it was back when tours were done to promote album sales.

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!

It did this for me until I hit 30, then it just made me up up up and not hungry, now past 50 it feels smooth and I can eat but can’t have it in the evening because it will keep me from getting sleepy!

Caffeine & Daily Exercise & a job that is flexible about how we do things. I have only worked at startups and places that change systems a lot, that seems to suit my nature better somehow.

But my favorite T-shirt says

Whiskey and Yoga

I got:

Women are my favorite guy

Women are born with pain built in

For men:

Men are the answer

Men are either good at bowling

I think any story that has so much inner dialogue, thinking, tripping, and goes on for 6 volumes is impossible to communicate in the medium of film, but I loved these movies just because they were visually stunning, and the story kept my interest. I don’t think you will feel like your time was wasted, just accept the film is its own thing, and be entertained.

Dial 0 to reach the operator!

You sold me, I am getting a used copy of this book.

Mine was easy too, no hot flashes or anything, don’t even know when it happened since I had the IUD. but got the MHT, low dose estrogen & progesterone, because I was getting bladder infections and worried about osteoporosis (family history) realized I did have some symptoms because my balance came back (standing in one foot balance not like mental balance) and my thinking cleared up some, I was foggy but just figured it was normal. I freaking love this routine except for the fact that it’s made me medium sized rather than slender, which is a mindfuck - I feel really good otherwise, both in body and mind. And the weight gain increased my bone mass so I can’t even lose it.

I think it’s 50% of women get symptoms like hot flashes - that’s a big chunk but certainly not everyone.

It hurts. Some Gynecologists will offer anaesthesia, mine is more a “suck it up buttercup” lady but does tell the nurse to hold your hand. The worst part was definitely the depth sounding. Once that’s done, it goes in, some cramping, and as I noted, the first one I had the light spotting for nearly a year. I had already had kids, but my daughters reported similar experiences. They didn’t have the year of spotting but a couple months of spotting then nothing.

One or two days of pain for six years of no periods and no pregnancies is a good deal I think. If you don’t have sex with men I still think it’s a good enough tradeoff for no periods. I left the last one in until my doctor was sure I was through menopause, that made it so easy.

Birth control pills made my migraines so much worse, and raised my blood pressure. The hormonal IUD did neither of those.

No - using the pill continuously works as well as taking the week off.

The Mirena IUD was (after a solid year of spotting) 5 years of no periods. I got it replaced, 6 more years no periods. That is 11 years no periods. Also the best birth control known to science right now, smaller failure rate than getting tubes tied or vasectomy. And none of the side effects I got with the pill.

Not the copper IUD, that was a nightmare. 2 weeks bleeding, heavily like Carrie, one week off, repeat. Got so anemic I couldn’t go up stairs without panting. Terrible side effects with that one.

That is more calories than I can eat in an entire day to maintain my current weight. Just looking at it gives me anxiety.

I do think at some point you really can’t call them shorts. Some of the “shorts” men wear are more like wide leg capri pants.