I’m really good at smelling food and when it’s about to go off. If my nose even picks up a hint of rot that’s all I can smell. It’s really bad right now because our fridge died so everything smells like carcass in the house right now (even though it’s gone).

Oh no that also could be it! I was one of the luckier ones that didn’t lose complete sense of smell, but it’s a lot different now. I wouldn’t be surprised if it did fuck with my taste too.

Listen, I understand where you’re coming from. But plant farming can be just as bad as animal farming. They cut down massive swaths of local wildlife, trees, flora, and use pesticides and other means that soak into the ground water and run off into lakes and streams. That affects literally everything too.

Yes, animal farming causes massive emissions. It’s filled with cruelty and waste. But so is plant farming. You can sustainably farm. But if you shop anywhere but your own back yard you’re contributing to that pollution. The produce we get at markets and stores comes from those big battery farms. Even farmer’s markets aren’t safe anymore - at least here the sellers are no longer small-time farmers. They’re resellers and from the big company owned farms that have more acres than workers. Because it’s too expensive for small time farmers to keep up with demand.

Vegan leather is so much worse for the enviroment than leather made from skin. Actual leather decomposes and becomes food for the earth. Vegan leather is usually made of plastic. The nail polish my spouse found recently is vegan - it’s made with plastics rather than biodegradable materials like beetle shells and plant-based colors.

There is no ethical consumption under capitalism. You are a part of this cycle too.

“Treat others the way you want to be treated” is such a core belief of mine. Im in my late 20s now and I’m more and more disheartened by how rare it is to meet people who believe it. Growing up I couldn’t understand. Now that I’m older I still have issues coming to terms with it. People suck and it sucks.

thank goodness!!!

reading this thread I’m glad I’m a removed in a relationship. my spouse is the best. i got so fucking lucky.

there’s a massive epidemic of loneliness out there. the loss of the free/cheap third spaces, lockdowns, and social media have made a fucking shitstorm. I’m scared for the generations below me just starting to enter the workforce. so many kids just unable to function properly.

i can’t solve it. but I’ve been putting my devices down more and (trying) to get out more. get more sunlight and fresh air, even if i just sit outside and watch the ducks. it’s hard out there. give yourself a break, okay? eat a snack and take a walk.

The prices plus the fact the “physical” games are just download codes (cartridges are not preloaded) really killed the hype for me. I was excited for the new Mario Kart. But $90 for a physical download code after the lackluster, unfinished feeling main titles (Animal Crossing especially) on the Switch has me kind of disgusted. The game “upgrades” also are a bummer. Mario Party Jamboree, while fun, also feels unfinished. A lot of Nintendo’s newer games do, save for Zelda.

I just hope Tomodachii 2 is available on Switch 1. If it’s not I’m just going to have to wait for a rip.

Yup pretty much. It’s… complicated if you really dive into it. I’m saying this as a trans person - there are biological differences between people. In literally everyone, though - it’s not just a sex thing. No two males, females, intersex, or otherwise are alike biologically. Everyone’s biological stats are different. Even twins are different.

These categories exist in science to easily communicate basic ideas based on medical observations. But once you get to the nitty-gritty of a person’s personal medical history it’s really hard to categorize certain things. You can have “true” females with more male hormones than “true” males and vice-versa. You can be born without any sex organs and still develop into an adult.

Bodies are weird. Medical science is very complicated and interesting. We really don’t know what we’re doing still or how a lot of our biology operates. Can you attribute someone’s sports prowess to their hormones? Maybe? I don’t know. I don’t think it matters in the grand scheme of things. I think someone’s determination to do something is a bigger indicator of how well they’ll do in the end.

Nothing’s certain in science. Disproving something is easy. Proving things is a lot harder lol.

Whatever the answer is, it’s going to take years if not decades. I wish I had the answers. I wish I had the power to make things right. I wish I could stop the suffering. All I can do is do what I can. For now, that’s surviving. For now, all I can do is continue to be kind to people and educate them when I can. Help them when I have the ability to.

My fellow disabled person, I see you. A murmur can become a tidal wave with time. We must stick together. We cannot lose hope. We must go on.

I finally made the jump. Hi all.