Subtracty

Cognitive dissonance. I feel like, at a certain age, most religious people are just unable to change their minds. It is incredible that the leader of their own religion is trying to teach them something, and they are deluded into thinking their "interpretation" (which isn't theirs at all, but was force fed to them) is the correct one.

It wasn't that long ago that the whole damn religious ceremony was performed in Latin. That way, no normal person had a chance of understanding what was going on. And they were entirely dependent on the priests and the pope's word. Back then, doubting the pope had consequences. Not that those were better times. It is just crazy to see how much this religion has changed.

It is a shame that this great ship will likely never get the chance to be revived and be the living history it deserves to be. She was the fastest ship across the Atlantic, but the amount of money required to upkeep an already rusted antique seems like a waste in a world with so many other problems. This is the type of stuff I wish eccentric billionaires would spend their money on. It will be a sad day when the ship is no longer looming on the pier, like some sort of ghost ship.

Anthropologie - very popular brand with some classics and some very bohemian/trendy dresses. Quality warning - usually cheaply made, I recommend reading reviews if the dresses are worth it because they can be pricey.

Madewell and J Crew - simple, preppy clothes not the best quality but they used to have great sales

Reformation - also very popular brand with lots of classic dresses in multiple patterns so you can find a style you like.

Aritzia - lots of classic styles in neutral and colorful fabrics.

Pretty sure all of the above stores are tied to fast fashion and slave labor/poverty wages etc. If that's something you are looking to avoid:

Avocado - smaller selection of classic clothes in simple colors that make it easy to pair pieces and put together outfits.

Elizabeth Suzann - well made staples, again less choice but will last longer and be a staple in your wardrobe.

Wolf and Badgar - not a brand but a site that aggregates and sells smaller designers clothing. Takes a bit more time to search through but they have some classics as well as crazy out there styles. You can sort by where the garment is made or other metrics like using ethically sourced materials and labor.

The Blue Grotto in Capri, or maybe some of the less famous grottos on the Mediterranean Coast. There is something so terrifying about being surrounded by rock formations, I'm not typically a claustrophobic person, but felt a visceral fear of being under that much rock with waves moving in and out of the cave. And yet the grotto is gorgeous because of the reflection of the light. The endless dark of the cave is lit by the most brilliant blue of the water.

I like to imagine the person who first discovers something like that, having to overcome the fear of the unknown and be rewarded with the best mother nature has to offer.

They act like they have to stay because there is no one younger to replace them, but they stifled the rise of anyone younger than them in order to hold onto that power. It is shameful how so many politicians refuse to give it up when it is clear that they have no regard for anyone's future but their grandchildren and great grandchildren being set for life because of their connections.

Yes, that's why I didn't want to rip and tear everything out the first year. Unfortunately, the previous owner of my home allowed a lot of very invasive things to grow like the Japanese Honeysuckle and tree of heaven. There is also pokeweed, which is native to the Southern US but is a nightmare plant that the Spotted Lantern Flies (another invasive killing trees) absolutely love so I have to dig those out.

My previous post made it sound like I am removing everything that isn't hyper local, but I don't have the time or energy for that. Would just settle for the aggressive things to finally die.

iNaturalist, as far as I know it is free or at least I have the free version and haven't been limited in the number of IDs I can request. They also have a feature where the IDs can be verified by other users to get more specific than the automated photo identification. And let me tell you, there are some plant/bug nerds that browse the app!

I wish this would happen to me, it seems like every time I look away the seeds of some invasive vine are taking root in my yard. I've tried planting natives, but for me at least they have taken some work to cultivate and maintain despite trying to find natives that are appropriate for my soil and sun situation. I'm hoping every year the natives will be able to strengthen and outcompete the invasives, but for now I am stuck digging up roots and tearing down whatever non natives I find.

I've spent the past few summers desperately trying to claw my lawn back from invasives. When we first bought our house I didn't want to remove anything until after a year to see what everything was, because I knew nothing about plants. I planted some natives in bare locations, but didn't realize just how crazy some of the vines and invasive species would be in claiming space.

I have an app on my phone for identifying plants. A few years ago, every ID said invasive from Asia or Europe. I cannot tell you how satisfying it is to see some native grasses and wildflowers finally taking hold in the areas that used to be Japanese Honeysuckle or pokeweed. But it was backbreaking, miserable work and I commend anyone who is fighting this fight.

Time helps. I am not a teacher, but I coach.

I feel like I wanted to be loved by my athletes or completely ignored by them when I started coaching. I didn't want anyone to dislike or doubt my abilities in any way. I went above and beyond to plan practices and be as legitimate as possible as a young coach close (enough) in age to the athletes. I needed firmly establish that I was an authority in the field and worth taking advice from.

I'll be honest, some of my interactions with athletes during covid broke me. We went remote when facilities and the world shut down. Which meant trying to run fitness classes over zoom for whoever still wanted them. When we returned to in person practice, the athletes just came back cynical and critical (the entire world was just proven to be a shit show, so I understand where they are coming from). I felt like I had to justify my strategy every few weeks, of they did not see immediate results, they just questioned the value in coming to practice.

It took time to build up a reputation with my athletes again. All i could do was continue to do the best job possible and trust my knowledge. We just celebrated having our first Olympian alumni, so things are going well! But not everyone has that same successful result, and want to blame someone for that. Some people will always think they are the smartest person in the room, and you can't change their way of thinking.

For those 5% of negative reviews, the best case scenario is that you did the best possible job you could. And in a few years, they self reflect and think about how critical they were of you when it really wasn't anything. Worst case scenario, they tell the story of their instructor, who was in some way incompetent, and everyone just smiles, nods, and gets on with their lives. The otherwise overwhelmingly positive reviews show us that you are preparing your students for whatever the next step is. Some students might not see the value of your work immediately, or 2 years down the road, or ever. Just because they can not see the value in your work does not mean the value was not their.

Playing Call of Duty World at War for the first time, if that counts as retro. I had always played co-op games with my brother, and when he was gone for a weekend, I decided to try and play for myself. Spent countless hours replaying missions until I finally beat the campaign. And if I remember correctly, it drops you straight into zombies with no warning. I remember it being way past my bedtime, sitting alone in the dark. I was absolutely terrified because I was genuinely shocked by the premise and maybe too young for something so scary. Didn't sleep at all that night.

They could have crafted a serviceable plot out of what the games provided....if they cared. It would never be The Last of Us, but the bar is set so low for things now. I would be perfectly fine with well written movies with B list actors. But that's the problem with these movies, no one cares enough, and all the money gets poured into getting recognizable actors to play parts that they aren't suited for.