I decided not to confess to a coworker because I had learned that lesson the hard way at a previous job. I figured it would be better to not mix work and dating. Unfortunately as time went on I grew infatuated with this coworker and it took a combination of meditation, medication, and real intense personal work to realize that my infatuation was really just my mind's way of trying to distract me from my own anxiety and depression. So I focused on that and ended up getting a better job and meeting someone who was such a significantly better match for me.

Okay

Bush should be in jail for Iraq.

Regarding Afghanistan, we should have focused exclusively on counter-insurgency and let the Loya Jirga do its thing without US interference.

I broke up with my first girlfriend years ago because "there was no spark". In truth I went on my senior cruise, reconnected with a childhood friend I hadn't seen in years, developed a massive crush on her, and though I did not intend to pursue anything romantically with her as she was already dating someone else, I realized that I had never been attracted to my gf in the first place. I regret that I broke her heart and wish I would have had this realization to begin with, but that's youth. I wanted more for my life, and I got it. She did too, and much faster. She ended up meeting her soulmate within a year of us breaking up and they have a beautiful daughter together.

okay but on the other hand
have you tried ice cream???

Russia has been a third world nation since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Politicians just like to use the Russian boogeyman to scare people who remember the Cold War. Putin may be a monster, but China is the real threat.

This comic makes no sense. The guy isn’t wearing pants.

I save them up to make a broth for soups

A few things:

1. Writing down five things I'm grateful for. Actually I was doing this every day earlier this year when I was depressed. Don't just bullshit it. Write down what you're looking forward to that day, or things that you are appreciating. It will encourage you to appreciate more, to slow the fuck down and live a peaceful life.

2. Blogging/Journaling. I have been blogging on a wordpress blog but haven't shared the URL with anyone, not even my spouse. It's so helpful just to organize my thoughts and is helping me get in touch with my emotions instead of suppressing them.

3. Two lists. I keep two lists that I refer to frequently. One is my to-do list, which I have organized in Notion. When I can see that I am getting shit done, and more importantly, I have a system for prioritizing what shit gets done, I feel better about my life. The other and arguably more important list is my anti-productivity list. My just for me list. My shit I like to do list. Take out the feelings of your parents, your partner, your friends. Be selfish for a damn minute. Write down the things that truly make you happy. And make sure you do something on that list at a minimum once a week.

For me some of those things include:

1. Long showers during the spring time with the windows/doors open so a breeze can come in.
2. Smoking a cigar in the bathtub with a glass of scotch.
3. Watching Studio Ghibli movies.
4. Watching my favorite movies in general. "Midnight In Paris", "Lady and the Tramp", "Lloyd's of London", "Jab Tak Hai Jaan".
5. Going home to visit with my relatives.
6. Chinese hot pot
7. Going to the movie theater
8. Creative writing like I did as a kid. No pressure to produce anything great. Just write and tap into that joyful creativity.
9. Going to a craft beer brewery
10. Getting a massage
11. Playing MTG with my cousin and brother
12. Playing Kingdom Hearts
13. Cooking some comfort food
14. A nice road trip with the windows rolled down and no destination in mind.

4. Meditate. Look I'm not a crunchy person. But just focusing on box breathing / basic breath work at the end of every day has helped me tremendously. I think everyone should do it. It is physically proven that deep breathing done in the right way physically calms you down.

I was curious about the Musk experiment, but I think he's proven himself to be an idiot now. How did SpaceX do so well?

I don't know that we're watching the internet collapse. I think we are witnessing tech companies respond to growing financial pressure by accelerating their monetization plans, and it's blowing up in their faces. The result will be the reinvention of the web. I don't necessarily know if decentralized apps are going to take off, but I do think the internet will shift towards smaller (possibly open source) sites in retaliation.

I don't reveal my privacy secrets on Lemmy.