My first temptation was to say that it might be an age thing, but then I know many people my age who still don’t care about plants.

For me, it’s like a switch flipped one day. When I was younger, I just didn’t really care, and the few times I was given a plant, it did not end well. Figured that I just had a brown thumb.

But, maybe 10-some-odd years ago, I got a peace lily, and, by then, something had changed. I wanted to see this plant thrive, and it brought me just a little bit of satisfaction to see it doing well. It doesn’t hurt that peace lilies will tell you when they need watered, and, as such are pretty easy to keep.

I’m still not the best plant dad, but I’d since gone on to buy about a dozen more and appreciate the bit of greenery around the house.

I’ll have to buy the White Album again…

I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I’m 25 years into my career and I’ve only just started to put this into practice. (I say “slightly” because, hey, I’ve been doing this without any advice or mentorship, and, maybe, one can be forgiven for not finding this stuff self-obvious…)

Took a new position and got tired of people scheduling my lunch four out of five days a week. In addition to the meetings before and after, it often meant most of my day in meetings without a break.

So, I threw a tentative meeting for that time slot and the number of lunchtime meetings cratered. Somehow, folks were able to figure out another time or solve it without a meeting. Only twice in four months have I been asked if that “meeting” could be moved.

Needless to say, I’m a convert and would wholeheartedly recommend the practice—of scheduling a self-meeting, for any purpose, be it lunch or even just productive time—to folks well before they hit 25 years.

Hard agree. I played through the opening twice in my first sitting. Died both times. Put it down for a year and a half.

Finally decided to try again and picked it back up. Passed the opening sequence and got into the game proper. And, I can say that I had a pretty good time—excepting a key, bullshit timed mission that I barely passed.

They really did not need to gatekeep the game behind the poor design of the opening.

With how well the “every accusation is a confession” adage seems to hold up, I’m pretty darned sure that lizard people are real at this point.

I was put in mind of my favorite episode: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happiness_Patrol.

Maybe not a direct match for the camera bit, but probably the kind of culture they’re trying to create.

Those NextDoor posts are something else.

In my area, they tend to take on racist undertones. But, there are also posts of equal-opportunity fearmongering, wherein strange cars, teenagers with clipboards, or nicely-dressed middle-aged ladies taking pictures of houses are suspected of casing the joint for later break-in, accompanied by the usual question: Should I call the police?

Folks really are that fearful, and it’s a sad state of affairs.

“My, I bet you monsters lead interesting lives. I said to my girlfriend just the other day - Gee, I’ll bet monsters are interesting, I said. And I’ll bet you meet a lot of interesting people, too. I’m always interested in meeting interesting people. Now let’s dip our patties in the water!”

…so far.

Taxi!

Divorce? People have been murdered for less…

Joke aside, it’s definitely Breezewood.

I’ve been passing through that location for the last 30+ years, and there are unmistakable signs in this picture. It’s a very old one though, as most of these businesses are no longer there.

I’m happy to see someone else mention Murakami.

I went on tear in university—a long time ago now—reading everything that had been translated to English by then. And, while they had the most bizarro plots, I found them to be the most compelling reads, wanting to read more and more, until I ran out of things to read.

He definitely deserves a place on this list.

This is only really an argument against taking religious texts literally which most people don’t actually do.

Tell that to the people who think I should be killed (or, at best, jailed and/or sent through re-education) for being a man lying with a man… because they definitely take that part literally (whilst otherwise getting tattoos, eating shrimp cocktail, and sacrificing their children to Molech).

I’m cool with people having a relationship with the universe. Call it “God” if you must. But, that relationship is definitely personal.

“It is God…”

I’m curious: Which station was this?

Oh, I bet that “reason” is to achieve some kind of mythical “purity”, as though such a thing was even desirable…

Well, at least you got one thing right: I’m very much entitled to my opinion. And, I opine that I don’t want to live the same, boring, homogenous, inbred, weak life as everyone else. If you think that’s what you need to be happy, happy trails and good fucking luck. 🫡

Really? As a weirdo, I’m not sure I agree with that.

You say “weirdo” as if that’s a bad thing…

Bold of you to assume that I have family that I want to keep in touch with. Entire family tree is twisted and gnarled, and full of white-trash sociopaths and narcissists.

For the one remaining person I might keep in touch with, it’s a text message at holidays.