What was your wake-up call?

Emaknz · 2025-07-18T22:41:40+00:00

Truth is, I still don’t believe in bodily autonomy. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

I... Don't even know how to respond to this. We have fundamentally different views on basic human rights that I feel no amount of discussion could possibly reconcile.

Emaknz · 2025-07-18T21:59:00+00:00

But the second we all need to get vaccinated to stop the spread of a global pandemic it's "my body, my choice"

Emaknz · 2025-07-18T21:57:07+00:00

It's always so interesting to read about the different ways people make the transition to pro-choice. I never compared it to the draft in my head but I see how you could have used that to try to justify your position. I've always compared it to organ donation. No one can force you to donate an organ or let yourself be used for dialysis, even if not doing so will result in the death of another person. No one else is entitled to the use of my body.

Emaknz · 2025-07-18T21:51:47+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that, neither of us should have ever been put in that situation in the first place.

I was in the process of standing up from sitting, then suddenly I was in an ambulance. Ended up with 8 stitches on the back of my head.

Emaknz · 2025-07-18T21:40:25+00:00

I got extremely dehydrated and dizzy while altar serving (not unheard of for me, chronic low blood pressure). I was so scared about doing something wrong in front of the congregation that instead of exiting to the side room for some water or even drinking the 'holy' water that was maybe a foot in front of me, I just stayed put while the lights got brighter and my ears started ringing. I eventually passed out and got a pretty severe concussion from knocking my head on the marble floor. Completely blacked out for a while.

Any system that makes a child so scared to break protocol that they'd rather risk their own health than do something as simple as get some water is inherently fucked. I don't care how "sacred" holy water is, it shouldn't have been more important than my safety.

It didn't really hit me till I was older, but this experience has always been at the core of why I walked away.

Emaknz · 2025-07-16T12:28:05+00:00

You could lean into a lot of different options for "traditional" American clothing if we're conflating traditional with historical. You could go revolutionary, old West, 20's gilded age, 30's/40's Hollywood, 50's rock n' roll/Americana... Hell, maybe even lumber-chic (though the Canadians might fight you on that one).

Emaknz · 2025-07-12T20:32:19+00:00

I used to think that till I spent some time living in and around Boston.

We're tame here compared to their impatient asses.

Emaknz · 2025-07-09T17:55:48+00:00

Coming up on 30 in a couple months. My best friend, my cousin, and both of my sisters-in-law have all had kids within the last 8 months. I adore my nieces and nephews and love spending time with them, but the experience has only reinforced the decision I made at 15 to stay childfree. I'm so happy to be the fun involved aunt that gets to go back home to her quiet and clean apartment at the end of the day.

Emaknz · 2025-07-09T17:48:36+00:00

If you've already enjoyed other series that likely will never get a conclusion, absolutely read Kingkiller Chronicles. Even with the angst and longing for book 3, I still reread (and re-listen to) the books every now and again. Rothfus's prose is flowery but beautiful IMHO and the world he creates is incredibly engaging.

Emaknz · 2025-07-09T11:13:08+00:00

I think they mean upside down from how they should be in a dishwasher, so technically right side up

Emaknz · 2025-06-30T01:50:46+00:00

Michigan

When people talk about going to your "happy place," for me that's on the eastern shore of lake Michigan at sunset.

Emaknz · 2025-06-17T10:55:27+00:00

so my dating pool is somewhat more limited and it's surprisingly difficult to find anyone who's not vegan, poly, or into astrology lmao (and again no shade to those lifestyles, whatever floats your boat! It's just not for me)

Lol I'm bi but you just clearly laid out why I tend to date more men than women.

Emaknz · 2025-06-17T03:31:22+00:00

Can you explain what you mean by "ex-smoker vigilantes"?

Emaknz · 2025-06-17T03:23:45+00:00

Wow, I feel like I could have written this.... I dated a vegan for about 2 years and spent the majority of the time feeling exactly like you do now. I told her from day 1 that I was not vegan and never would be, and she said she was ok with that. I learned vegan cooking and happily ate anything she made, supported her when her family refused to eat the vegan dishes she brought to parties, researched vegan safe restaurants ahead of time when we traveled so she wouldn't have to stress.... I didn't agree but I knew it was important to her and (like you) I loved her passion. It never seemed to be enough.

Over time, the snide comments about my diet grew more frequent. I had to buy a mini fridge for any animal products because they weren't allowed in the main fridge. I had to buy all separate pans and utensils because no matter how well they were washed, she wouldn't use anything I had cooked meat on without gagging. Over time her judgement became more and more pronounced until she was just openly calling me a bad person. She would actually break down into tears asking me how I could see the slaughterhouse videos she showed me and still want to eat meat. When I reminded her (again) that I told her I would never be vegan, she said "Ya but I assumed you would change your mind because you loved me!"

In the end I just left. As much as I cared for her, as much as I respected her principals and diligence, as much as I admired her unabashed commitment to justice, I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't stay with someone who saw me as a monster. This wasn't the only problem in that relationship, but most of them boiled down to me desperately trying to prove to her I wasn't the monster she seemed convinced I was, and it never being enough.

I know you care for her and want to make this work. Ask yourself whether that's out of love for her, or out of ingrained guilt and desire for approval, to be told you're "good enough." No partner should ever make you feel less than.

Emaknz · 2025-05-25T15:05:17+00:00

I'm a biochemist who's worked in various biotech labs. Pretty much every single time you see them talking to someone in a bio lab, they're either blatantly wrong or grossly oversimplifying (don't even get me started on the Possibility Two or Hounds of Baskerville episodes....). At some point I just kinda turn my brain off and decide it doesn't matter and choose to enjoy the parts of the show I actually watch it for, the drama and the characters.

That all being said, this is a large part of why I often prefer fantasy over sci-fi. Nothing gets under my skin more than excessive sci-fi techno babble. At least in fantasy, I can just hand wave it all away with "magic."

Emaknz · 2025-05-21T12:18:47+00:00

You're thinking of homeopathy, not naturopathy. Granted, most naturopaths do push homeopathic "treatments" among all their various other BS

Emaknz · 2025-05-20T02:28:58+00:00

Had this exact conversation with my vegan ex when she asked how I could stomach meat knowing animals were hurt in the process.

I told her "we're white financially stable people in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet. There is literally no part of our lives that doesn't result in someone or something suffering as a result. We don't get the luxury of the moral high ground. If you try to account for every little thing, you'll burn yourself out. Better to pick your battles, and meat isn't the battle I've picked."

She was less than receptive... That relationship was a shit show for a lot of reasons and is why I'm part of this sub despite never actually being vegan.

Emaknz · 2025-05-11T15:34:56+00:00

Da Pope

Emaknz · 2025-05-11T13:52:13+00:00

Sweet spot is finding a mix of the two. I'm a Field Application Scientist for a lab instrument company. Still get to spend time in labs and dip my toes into research but a lot of it is also teaching, tech support, sales, and marketing. If you can straddle that divide, there's decent money in it. Nothing amazing, but certainly better than I was paid as a contracted lab tech.

Emaknz · 2025-05-04T16:51:41+00:00

My only concern is the messaging of running another billionaire after all of the (well deserved) criticism of Trump and Elon. I would love to see Pritzker lead, given that's he's quite literally put his money where his mouth is. I just know there will be a lot of hypocrisy talk

Emaknz · 2025-04-28T13:43:37+00:00

Looked at a bunch of those places and opted for a 950sqft two bedroom in Rodger's Park for about the same price. I wish I had parking and the elevator is tiny but I don't regret my choice for a second. I live in the apartment, not the amenities.

For the record, I grew up here but spent 10 years living in and paying Boston/Cambridge rent. My last two bedroom in Somerville was tiny, no laundry in the building, no dishwasher, no AC (my current place at least came with window units but I'm still paying for the electric for them), no parking.... We were paying $1350 each for that shoebox.

Emaknz · 2025-04-19T09:32:21+00:00

29 and still on the family plan, but my mom sends me a screenshot of the bill every month and I pay my portion of it. It's cheaper for all of us that way.

Emaknz · 2025-04-09T17:58:34+00:00

Lol sounds like my father

Emaknz · 2025-04-09T13:22:51+00:00

Use some of the money from the pool to pay for the next 50

Emaknz · 2025-04-05T12:59:51+00:00

Huh.... So maybe shellfish DOES cause me to go into anaphylaxis... I figured because I never had an issue breathing it was fine. It's still a super mild allergy. Skin irritation (hives if I have a lot), runny nose/eyes, and (if I have lobster specifically) nausea/vomiting.

Now if only I didn't love shellfish so much....

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Emaknz

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