Also ich habe das in mehreren erlebt. In kleinen Saunen in kommunalen Schwimmbädern und auch in großen Saunalandschaften. Offiziell steht manchmal ein Schild da, dass Smartphones verboten sind, aber niemand unternimmt etwas.

Ich war seit Jahren nicht mehr in der Sauna deswegen. Jeder hat sein Handy draußen und man weiß nicht, wer einen filmt. Und das eine Mal, als ich einen Typen beim filmen erwischt habe, hatte er das Handy natürlich weggelegt als ich mit dem Mitarbeiter zurückkam und der Mitarbeiter hat nur mit den Schultern gezuckt und nichts gemacht.

I’m sure they will find a way to explain it as a genius 5D chess move to “troll the libs”.

My understanding is that bipolar people are swinging between depression and a manic state. Also these state last usually several days. My mother has a bunch of other symptoms of NPD, not just that one.

My mother is very similar and I’m pretty sure she’s a narcissist. She could also switch between “Have fun at the playground my darling! I’ll have your favorite dinner ready when you come back!” to “Why did you come back?? I’m sick of you! Get lost and don’tcome back! Having children was the worst mistake of my life!” within an afternoon.

So no, it’s not normal.

She often overstepped the guests’ boundaries. For exampled she pressured Mariah Carey into drinking alcohol as a toast to “not being pregnant” in order to force her to admit she was pregnant. Carey later said she didn’t want to discuss her pregnancy due to a history of miscarriages. She also got really aggressive towards a guest for not having been invited to her birthday party. That’s just her on-camera behavior. There are numerous stories of her being an asshole to basically everyone behind the scenes.

It’s partially general advise for taking care of yourself (stay fit, use make-up (just don’t call it that), choose clothes that fit you) packaged inside a large pile of bullshit, pseudo-science and grifters trying to sell you normal items for 30x the price. The parts that are legit can be learned from other sources that aren’t selling you an ideology. Go to medical professionals for advise on nutrition and working out, just buy normal makeup and get fashion advise from fashion content.

The parts that aren’t legit like bone smashing can be really harmful.

I think part of the reason is that Harry Potter is one of the more interactive Fandoms. The world in Ender’s Game is more or less closed. The story is finished, the world isn’t too big.

Harry Potter on the other hand (much like e.g. Star Trek) is way more inviting to be interactive: Which house are you, what would be your favorite class, what might the other schools look like etc. It is (by design or not) built to invite engagement and also very marketable. The special foods, the shops, all the gimicky in-world-items, the classes…

You get people so invested into this world beyond the books because there are so many details that are marketable. Other fantasy or SciFi worlds just aren’t full of fun little items you can sell. In that regard Harry Potter is more like those kids shows that are made to sell toy lines.

So most people are way more emotionally attached to the stories. It wasn’t just the books and a Halloween costume. It was years of choosing your house, learning about potions, discussing brooms, trying to cook the food, etc.

Spring has begun

English starts in 3rd grade here and a second language like French or Spanish usually in 5th grade. Starting to learn foreign languages in high school is wild.

Lineage OS on a Pixel 4.

When I was in third or fourth grade, we had to take a swimming test for a badge in sports class. Basically you had to prove you can swim for a certain time, jump into the water and dive. If you got the badge, you could attach it to your swim suit to show you can swim in deep water.

I had no problem with the swimming and jumping, but then came the diving. The poolwater was heavily clorinated and it hurt my eyes. I usually wore goggles, however the teacher decided that we weren’t allowed goggles for the test. We had to dive for a ring. I remember being above the ring, going down, but then I couldn’t find it. Due to the chlorine I couldn’t open my eyes and I searched the ground with my hands. Eventually I was out of breath and had to go up again. The teacher said that I had failed the test because I couldn’t bring the ring back up, even though it was clear that I was able to dive and stay under water for a long time. I never got that badge. I’m not sure why, I think I could have redone the test in a swimming class outside of school, but my parents never cared to sign me up because ultimately the badge wasn’t that important.

I’m still a bit mad because I feel like I should have been allowed goggles in such a heavily chlorinated pool.

I love it when companies do that. I have a couple of cosmetics products with such an explanation. I have very sensitive skin and this makes it easier to decide if I can use it.

I’m not an expert, just a depressed person myself. I guess you already know that what your mother tells you is wrong, but just in case here’s what my doctor told me:

The point of antidepressants is to get your messed up brain chemistry going again and to a level where you can start with other therapy methods. Basically get you in a position where you can work on your problems. Once you are getting better and you start being able to think more clearly again (for lack of a better term), you should eventually phase them out.

While I get what you mean and the person you are replying to was very flippant about it, there are studies that show moderate exercise outdoors (going for a walk) to be as effective as chemical antidepressants.

I am currently in a deep depression and on SSRIs and my doctor told me about those studies. Yes it’s hard to get outside, but the positive effects of sunlight + moving your body on depressed people are scientifically proven. And it can be helpful to know that going for a walk is actually useful and not a waste of time. It won’t cure a depression, but the positive effects shouldn’t be dismissed either.

The laws would have to be adjusted in a world where vigilantes exist. This is actually a plotpoint in several vigilante stories. Either the (super)hero catches someone and they can’t go to prison or the laws have to change in a society where superpowers exist.

It’s not exactly a criticism. I personally have never met an american who was outright rude, just really oblivious of their surroundings. One of my american friends (who is a rather quiet person and feels much more at home here) told me that the US always feels very loud due to advertisements, music, TV being everywhere and you get used to having to speak very loudly just to be heard.

Americans talk loudly and tend to be less mindful of the area around them. There’s this tendency to take up more space. Not necessarily in the sense of putting your bag on the seat but just big arm movements when talking, leaning, stretching legs. Not that every American I met did that, but enough to be noticeable. At least here in Germany people on average try to take up less space when in public.

There’s just this general air of “confidently doing something without knowing what they’re doing”. Other tourists tend to be more careful, ask how to do something or show they are insecure about how things work in a foreign country.

Americans just tend to take up more space. With their body language, their voice… I’ve met quite a few through language exchange groups and like 80% of the time you can tell their nationality before you talk to them.

Edit: Also let’s not forget american friendliness and enthusiasm. Often they are like 50% more enthusiastic about a situation then what feels appropriate. Be it thanking someone or being amazed by something.

I went to the cheese museum in Gouda last year and they explained that according to the current theory our ancestors discovered butter and cheese by hanging pouches of milk on their horses or cattle while traveling. The movement would turn the milk into butter and, if they used pouches made of animal stomach, the bacteria would turn the milk into cheese. So this is more or less the method by which we discovered butter in the first place.

I’m 40 (1985). I’ve had my experiences with older guys hitting on me when I was your age. I can tell you that, in my experience, the reason why men like that won’t date in their own age group is because women their age see the red flags more clearly or won’t put up with their bullshit.

Here are some things he might do to look out for: Does he try to impress you with things that are achievements for your age group but should be normal for his? Having a car, having their own apartment, having money to take you out etc. Maybe he’ll offer to drive you places or stay at his place to get away from your parents.

Does he comment a lot on your age and experience level. Things like “Have you already done (alcohol, sex…)”, “I’ve done XYZ, but you wouldn’t know about it”. Or does he act overly impressed by you ‘already’ knowing something, like music from his teenage years, having a job or just some common knowledge he thinks is “adult”, maybe about cars or jobs. Basically, does he act like you are special, more mature for your age or does he talk about your age a lot.

Even if he doesn’t do any of these things, I’d advice you against it. The age gap is too big. The world of an 18 year old who just got out of school is just very different from a 33 year old who is working a job. Having a few hobbies or music taste in common isn’t the same as being in the same place in life.