Repose

The whole feminism vs MRA deal has been going on for a while. Both groups make good points and bad points. Biggest issue seems to be a number of them who take it to an extreme and are quite vocal about it. Men who hate women and feel entitled, and vice versa. Yet more chaos to divide men and women. I agree with other comments that the story in the picture isn't really known. Even then, people should be nice (and fair) to people, regardless of gender or whatever else. There is nothing wrong in this picture until someone takes any little detail they feel like focusing on to try and be offended about. Life is too short for such meaningless nonsense.

You have to wait for that initial magic to wear off before you can determine if there's anything worth keeping. When you can brush your teeth while she's on the toilet and she doesn't care about farting openly around you, that's when you know it's time to consider.

As far as I can tell, yes. If i've got the intended message behind this post right, some things take time. Life is a growing and learning process. A bit like a garden. It grows, some stuff is snipped and stripped away, it grows again, rinse and repeat. I'm not quite how I used to be, and I'm thankful to the Lord for what progress has been made, but I do still feel like I can improve further. I will never be perfect, though - I'm just a guy. All one can do is keep praying and keep learning. Stick to it, and you'll start to see changes eventually, even if it takes years.

When it comes to 13, I've seen pictures of people taking up 4 spaces, on center with the corners. When road conditions are not nominal and yet people speed and ride bumpers. It's bad enough when the roads are good, but it seems like it gets worse when the rain, snow, ice, or whatever else is present. When you can see someone pull out in your rear view mirror, and if you are both going the speed limit, then you'll stay the same distance, right? But no. They feel like they must be close to you, and so they speed up because the urge to get a whiff of your exhaust is simply too much to bear. When the school bus has the stop sign up but someone decides to ignore it anyway. The bigger the vehicle, the longer it takes to accelerate, and the longer it takes to stop. You see it more with cars, they think they can just slip in and out real easy - not to say it's impossible, but it seems like most forget about how bigger vehicles like semi trucks or buses work. Please do not try to slip by a truck or bus, not only because it's dangerous, but it must be really annoying for them to put on the brakes and then try to get back up to speed. Also, downhill and uphill. Too many people riding bumpers when it's harder to brake going downhill, and you kind of have to accelerate uphill. People should give people room in general.

One should mainly eat fruits and veggies, and I'd love to get to that point, but I have a hard time prying myself away from meat and grains. I really need to, though. Now, it's not that I don't love animals, but to me, animals are animals. They are not people. They can still feel fear and pain, so if I had to kill in order to eat, I'd try to be sneaky and aim for the head or heart, to make it swift. I've done research on survival, and trying to imagine myself in a survival situation, I'd stick to mainly flora and only eat fauna when a predator decides to pick a fight with me. No random bunnies or anything, but the odd boar or wolf that threatens me. I hear tales of hunters, too. Coyote season and you've got nutjobs on four-wheelers running them over and laughing about it. Trackers who could get a clean kill, but shoot a non-lethal area because apparently, looking at blood splatter and broken twigs is somehow super fun and not boring as can be. All the while, the animal is fleeing for it's life in fear and pain, eventually collapsing from exhaustion while the hunter is miles back staring at some dirt. There is a lack of mercy and an abundance of cruelty - even if "an animal is an animal," it still deserves respect.

When it comes to stuff like depression and anxiety, a healthy diet and regular exercise helps. It does not cure, per say, it only helps. You start to feel and have more energy naturally, which doesn't leave you super tired or sluggish. You become more familiar with and comfortable with your body too, especially when muscle begins to appear. Helps your confidence. I know that feeling, though. Someone asks if you want to lift an 80 lb. bar repeatedly and it just sounds... So tiresome. That's probably boring, what a waste of time, I just want to lay here and watch tv, man. It's true; it can be a bit boring, and when you're not used to it, it is rough at first. Definitely not fun at first. However, if you push yourself and stick to it, not only does it help, but it does eventually become fun. You don't have to get crazy about physical fitness, you don't need to be a powerlifter, but a few days out the week is good. You can even find ways of keeping it fun. I like listening to music, myself (something upbeat that gets the blood pumping). You have aerobics; going on jogs, punching a weight bag, dance... You don't have to join a gym or do it with a group, either.

Minimum wage service jobs are way more numerous. They aren't "college" jobs, where some pimple-faced kid itches his backside for 4 hours and gets a few pennies and he can get by all hunky dory. It's people trying to pay off debts, to cover cost of living, to support families. It's a job that bars you from working full time so they don't have to pay you as much or offer benefits. Let's take for example a fellow named Frank. He comes from a low-income family, that lives paycheck to paycheck. He really doesn't have money just laying around. Even a tech school might charge 20k in total. So he has to get a low-paying job, $9 and hour at about 16 hrs a week, IF he is hired. That's $144 a week, $576 a month, not accounting for taxes. That means he's going to have to work 40 months in total to fully afford school. Over 3 years of parttime work. He wouldn't be able to afford rent, so he's either stuck with mom and dad or the messy business of multiple roommates (which would make saving up nearly impossible). Getting a loan still means he would have a debt, with interest to boot. Sure, he could join the military and get it paid for, but why must one do so? One shouldn't have to put their life at risk just to try and go to school. I'm not fond of the idea of dying on behalf of some stupid banker, myself. If you graduate with a debt, you are barred from that diploma until it is payed off. Heck, if the previous year isn't payed for, a good number of them won't let the student continue taking courses until they are paid in full. Then many employers are super picky, even in service jobs. So you're over 18, with no degree, and aren't going to college? Dismissed. What, you don't have previous experience, when you can't gain experience if you are never hired anywhere? Dismissed. It's putting rubbish on a shelf, you long-neck twit, it's not rocket science. People act like being a waiter is a job for some stupid college kid when that's just not the case. Minimum wage barely covers the amount of gas you put into your car each month, much less food, rent, whatever else. Just because they did not or are not going to school does not mean that they should be treated like dregs. Mopping the floor isn't glamorous work, but someone has to do it. They all fulfill vital functions to society, important cogs in the machine, and yet "oh just get a better job, why not go to school, what do you mean 'people don't have money', blah blah". Outdated and ignorant ways of thinking from schmucks who have or had it easy. Maybe they aren't smart enough for schooling, for some jobs. Must they starve and struggle just because they aren't bright? Must they be regarded as of little worth when they're trying to make a living? I'm sorry for blabbering, but this just kind of sets me off.

I don't really dawdle with social media - unless you include this site and YouTube - so I guess I can't be super helpful. Isn't it a matter of different sites having different cultures, though? Birds of a feather flock together, as they say. Maybe you could find a different populated platform to use, one that posts more neutral art. I don't know of a site that lacks a negative rep, though. Deviant art and Tumblr are kind of... Yikes. Either that or block the artists that post that stuff. As for the desire to draw it, could it just be a desire to fit in? It's like if suddenly, wearing top hats became a big trend. You see her wearing one, him wearing one, that group over there donning them... And they get noticed because of it. You get the urge to wear a top hat, too. However, a trend is merely a trend. It lasts for a short while and fizzes out. Sure, some people will look at your homosexual depiction and like it, and then they'll move on. Now that it's out there on the web, though, that never leaves you. Even if you mainly draw flowers and animals, the thing most will focus on is that picture. Make art that lasts, that speaks to many human hearts and will continue to do so for some time. All those famous painters made timeless pieces. They did not paint two pretty anime boys mud wrestling in the nude. Though yes, of course, prayer is good as well.

If it was a false accusation, I can kind of understand being upset. It bothers me a bit when I'm just out for a walk, trying to lose weight and get aerobic exercise, when I come across a woman in front of her house watching her kids play in her yard. She notices a lone male on the sidewalk a block away and glares daggers at him. You keep walking forward, boom, you're a creep. You cross the street trying to assure her you mean no ill will, boom, you're a creep. You just turn around and walk the other way, boom, you're a creep. Nothing you do or say matters cause, to them, you're a creep. I don't care about your little no-neck brats, lady, I'm just walking here. I guess I can't blame parents, though; they're only looking out for their kids and rather reasonably at that, what with creeps being a very real threat. It does still hurt though, getting accused, I get it. It sounds like you tried to reconcile and they aren't keen on the idea. Leave the past in the past, I say. Block and/or delete them and then wipe your hands of the matter. If they are being unreasonable, then there's no sense in trying to reason with the unreasonable. Likewise, if they are/were being reasonable, then it's unwise and uncool to poke the hornet's nest. So, either way, just moving on seems best, near as I can tell.

People can be tricky. They twist their faces, avert their eyes just so. A woman doing this to a man? I'm sure most men have been there, with a woman trying to be tempting or aggressive. As it is with temptations, there's always that small pull, that little voice that urges you onwards - we all make mistakes, brother. I can even understand returning. When you feel down, it's like this feeling of unease, like you're standing on the edge of a steep cliff. Your blood within you writhes and itches, and you'd do anything and I mean ANYTHING, to try and get rid of it even for a little while, for any small or temporary comfort. That's why we have a comforter, though - If you feel the urge again, either for this or any other temptation, pray. Ask God for help. The comfort lasts longer, to boot. Then, I must ask... Have you forgiven this woman? Do you think you could? It sounds to me like she's still lingering in your mind, when you describe her as a trap, like you feel you might fall for her again. This is another area where prayer, asking God for the will to forgive her, could help. Try to think on her for a minute, to understand her side of it. Assess her, yourself, and the situation honestly. I would think, when you no longer think of her negatively and have forgiven her, then you would have little to nothing to fear from her. Finally, the key to any good relationship is open and honest communication. Convey to her that you wish to see if this child is truly yours, not out of a distrust of her, but more out of self-assurance. Even if it isn't yours, you can still wish her well. I don't really advocate for shotgun weddings, either; the way this girl sounds, I'd reckon it would only end poorly. Still, a kid is hardly so terrible; if the child is yours, then why not rejoice? I even know a guy who found out his daughter isn't actually his, and yet he still visits her and loves her dearly. How much more so when it's actual blood, when the child is yours? It is a beautiful thing, and running away from your child (if it is yours) would harm both you and the kid.

Perhaps reading Leviticus and learning about passover, and why Jesus is called The Lamb, might help.

Many things one can do. I don't think I'd personally wear ear plugs; I get paranoid about intruders. ASMR is one of those things you can listen to a bit of before bed. Some people find it relaxing while others can't stand it. One has to be a bit mindful, though. Many things labelled ASMR are little more than audio dramas; many of these are RP (roleplays) and use scenarios like vampires or lamia. Then, there are some forms of ASMR that are inappropriate. Another audio option is music before bed. Nothing too upbeat like EDM or eurobeat; music affects your heartrate, so slower, gentler music is preferable. I've heard of a phenomenon similar to ASMR involving a genre called "lowercase," which is sort of like minimalist ambience. Bust out some smooth jazz or orchestra, maybe some lounge, you get the idea. Don't have your eyes on a screen up to at least 2 hours before bed. Only eat small meals in the evening; eating a big meal close to bedtime interferes with sleep. I personally use a temperature resistant pillow, meaning it stays cool. It works great for me, since I get really hot at night - I'll even sleep with a fan on during winter, if it's not cold enough. Also, due to my body heat, I don't use a thick blanket. A comforter is hardly comforting to me. Try to use your bedroom only for sleep. That way, you can train your mind to associate the bedroom with sleep rather than much else.

People talk about sleep paralysis demons, but I've never encountered such a thing, near as I know; only the feeling of touch or voices near to when I'm waking up. The feeling of a hand and a voice whispering in my ear. Even had the freaky experience of feeling like there was a tongue in my mouth (and no, not my own, of course). It's really freaky and makes a person paranoid about sleeping, but still, I attribute such things merely to my disturbed sleep and tricks of the mind. A madman sees this or that, and though others might not see what they witness, they perceive it as real. Perception, the mind's influence over it, it's a very powerful and honestly fairly scary thing. I just try not to let the experiences bug me too much. They did the first time, and I lost more sleep than usual.

The vast majority of my extended family I haven't spoken to since I was still in elementary school. I know their names, but I do not know them. Lots of newer, younger ones who's names I don't know, even. I'm an uncle and i've never spoken to my nephews. Honestly? A part of me is hurt that the family isn't more normal (or what should be "normal"), but the other part is rather fine with it. You can't miss strangers, and at least I don't have people calling me up. If one actually did call me up, I'd figure they were after something rather than trying to get in touch. C'est la vie, I suppose. To me, if they're a negative person who either wishes you harm or to drag you into drama, avoid them. If they have no interest in you, as it is with me, give them the same treatment. Otherwise, if it is just a small conflict, one should not let that interfere with what should be a normal family. After all, that part of me is still hurt. Actions have consequences and affect everyone.

Turn them down, stating that you will give your parents your own present. If they wish to insist on their present, then they may give it and pay for it themselves. You have no obligation to supply the portion of coin for the gift they want. If they get upset, that's their problem. It may sound a bit heartless, but they are very rude in assuming you will pay, as well as harassing you for not immediately agreeing.

I like eggs, yes. My favorite way of having them is how my dad made them. Scrambled, with melted american cheese and bits of sausage and/or bacon mixed in. Just typing about it has made me somewhat hungry.

There was when King Saul visited a medium in order to contact Samuel, and Samuel did indeed appear, but this was yet another sin counted towards Saul. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.biblegateway.com/passage/%3fsearch=1%2bSamuel%2b28&version=NLT&interface=amp

I'd say I agree. Unless details like a potential charge is discussed beforehand, it's a favor. To do whatever it is and THEN demand a reward is both moronic and scummy. Though, if someone helped me out, I'd want to repay it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm looking forward to turkey. One of these years, though, I intend on trying a tofurky (a tofu turkey). I like tofu well enough already, but the other family members want turkey. Refuse to even try tofu.

I'm not so sure that's true. If one never faces the truth and the pain and loss that accompanies it, then they will never receive proper closure. They will not move on and it's not healthy. Love and gentleness still, of course, walking her through the relevant scriptures in an understanding way. Beyond that, I agree with everything else, particularly the phantom limb phenomenon. I'd think that sense that the lost one is there stems from a lack of closure.

Much of the OT is meant to be symbolism. The lamb of the passover being Jesus later on, the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt (sin, oppression, whatever terms you like) and into the promise land (salvation). It all adds up and stacks up into the NT, a "foundation" of sorts. A stepping stone to the understanding and fulfillment of the NT. Besides which, how is God having a country narcissistic? He's God. He made it. He made everything. He made you. Kind of a big deal. As a former atheist, I'm not certain I agree completely. After all, it's not just the question, but the manner in which the question is presented. If they ask it in a calm and civil manner, then it's only proper to respond in kind, calmly and with civility. If they're clearly aggressive or become aggressive, then yeah, there's no point in trying. Then yeah, most atheists tout the ideas of humanism or just personal moral tastes in general; I don't think that argument would be effective, not for everyone, at least. I think it best simply to live as an example, answering questions calmly and stepping away if it goes south. I don't even think a guy needs an answer to everything; people seem to respect it more when you can honestly answer "I don't know for certain, I'm just a guy".

Your faith is your shield, when it comes to the witchcraft. First and foremost. Unless you open yourself up to it, it's meaningless; just a bunch of nitwits blabbering about, really. I realize it might be compromising info to ask, but are you in witness protection, or going under an alias? If this cult's practices are illegal, then you may be able to seek both police help and protection. If it is not illegal, then an assumed identity is difficult indeed. Not impossible, though. If you don't use one already, you may wish to hook your devices up with a VPN, like NordVPN. Such a service makes it to where your online browsing can be shielded, especially with public wifi. This also puts a shade over your true location; a VPN can make you appear anywhere, from Canada to Ethiopia. This way, if they're trying to track you by digital means, they are less likely able to do so. Another fun side effect is access to restricted sites by region; say a Youtube video is blocked in your country, so you can just change countries and watch it then. If I were in those shoes... I'd probably pick up self-defense as well. Unarmed combat would be nice, since you can't always count on a weapon. If you're thinking about a melee weapon to use, study your local laws; many places don't have actual guidelines for anything other than guns, so stuff like bats, batons, knives, etc are a gamble. It would basically fall down to how the individual court feels about the use of said weapon. Can't forget mace or a tazer, either. When it comes to locks... Imagine if you will a wooden chest. On this chest is a titanium lock. Each spring of the lock is made at seperate levels of tension, making lockpicking difficult. So, what does a thief do?... He breaks the much softer, less time-consuming wood of the chest. You can fortify the locks, but without a fortified door as well, it don't mean much. Then you've got other entry points to consider, like windows and vents. Luckily, in the advent of technology, you do have security systems you can purchase that make much of the physical alteration needless. Though, fortifying everything does, at the very least, buy time until any potential intruder is actually able to intrude, if the fortification and security alarm doesn't scare them off outright. Beyond that, I guess it just falls down to specific details. I can't think of much else to say beyond this.

They've been together 7 years and aren't married? I mean, i'm all for people waiting a while for that "initial magic" to wear off to see if there's anything still there that's keeping the relationship going, but 7 years? My goodness. As others have said, none of us are perfect, and it's a common enough thing (despite how unfortunate that might be). That's not to say you shouldn't be upset that they weren't wed before conception, but still, this is not something that should cause a rift betwixt yourself, your daughter, and upcoming grandchild. If they've been together that long, they might as well be married anyway. At the very least, it's fortunate that the father is known. I've seen far too many kids of promiscuous parents find out years later that their dad is not their dad, or worse, that their true dad isn't known. If it's a fear of what others might say, then they clearly both lack forgiveness and also think too highly of themselves.

First, have faith in God. As scripture says, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. If it's a matter of protection, I don't see the harm in taking precautions. Have plans of action in place in case of a fire or other emergency. Maybe see if you can make friends with a neighbor who is able to fight, as cops often arrive after the crime, not during (in other words, a more nearby and quicker-to-appear defender). Self-defense might not be a bad idea, either. Just don't get too paranoid, alright? Life is too short to let fear dictate too much. I'd say it also helps to try and get out of your comfort zone, if it's something like a fear of other people in general. I was (and in many ways, still am) pretty reclusive when I was younger. I don't count myself a social sort, but getting out and about and speaking every now and then really helped me get over much of what might have been called "social anxiety" to some. Think of it like swimming lessons - Nobody starts out as Michael Phelps; they start out dipping their head underwater in order to get used to it. I just think it was a lack of experience and bit of bad experience growing up in school, rather than social anxiety. You can't trust everyone, of course, but that certainly doesn't mean everyone's out to get you.

Another thing I'd put forward is for claims to be investigated, even when they are levied against those you know or trust. There is a band called Korn I listened to often as a teenager. I was a huge fan. They released a song called "daddy" where the band's vocalist, Davis, recounted his own childhood sexual abuse. I wouldn't recommend seeking the song out, both just because of the content, and he also freaks out near the end and starts swearing. The freakout itself is rather disturbing to listen to as well. There is much more info in interviews about the song rather than the song itself anyway. When Davis was young, a female friend of his mother was the abuser. I can't remember for certain, but I believe the friend was his babysitter. Davis decided to go to his mother to get help and report the abuse, but she just laughed and said it wasn't possible. So the abuse continued, when it could've been stopped. That aside, you are brave to share this. A wound cannot be healed when it isn't addressed, and far too many go on too scared to share for a number of reasons. Having victims be unafraid to speak up and for those listening to acknowledge the claims, that helps.