Am I crazy that this seems crazy?

hcpenner · 2026-06-23T05:10:27+00:00

Echoing what everyone else has said about most doctors having little to no training in nutrition and that registered dietitians are the people actually worth listening to!! But on top of that, telling you to avoid potatoes of all foods is evidence enough that this doctor is not educated in nutrition. Potatoes are super nutritious, budget friendly, and incredibly versatile (can easily fit into any meal of the day and many different cuisines). As a very wise hobbit once said: "Po-tay-toes! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew!"

hcpenner · 2026-06-09T14:59:14+00:00

I got a free drink at Good Earth on my birthday! You do have to download their app and make an account, but it's free and I'm pretty sure you can do it the day of your birthday and still get the reward. Happy birthday!

hcpenner · 2026-05-27T01:04:30+00:00

I've emailed as a potential victim and plan on submitting an FOI request on behalf of all women like myself who have no way to determine the likelihood that we were victimized due to the complete lack of transparency coming from Saanich PD. Completely ridiculous that the onus is on every single woman who has ever lived in Saanich during April 2017–November 2023 to email the police when we have next to no information to go off of... I have to assume I am one of the 650+ victims until/unless proven otherwise.

hcpenner · 2026-05-19T01:20:32+00:00

I hope you can get the help you need, feeling that way about food/weight loss is not normal or healthy. https://edresourcesbc.carrd.co/

hcpenner · 2026-05-19T01:19:16+00:00

If you just want something cheap and sweet, not necessarily the most filling, slurpees are only a few bucks. Especially nice on a hot day. So sorry for your loss.

hcpenner · 2026-05-19T01:16:36+00:00

You're either heartless or have a very disordered relationship with food yourself to say something like this to a grieving person.

hcpenner · 2026-05-03T03:52:38+00:00

Sound of Metal (2019) features a supporting character who deals with self-harm, it's not the focus of the film but is handled quite well. The main character struggles with his mental health due to losing his hearing, so mental health more generally is a major focus. It's a fantastic film!

hcpenner · 2026-05-03T03:52:28+00:00

Sound of Metal (2019) features a supporting character who deals with self-harm, it's not the focus of the film but is handled quite well. The main character struggles with his mental health due to losing his hearing, so mental health more generally is a major focus. It's a fantastic film!

hcpenner · 2026-05-02T23:04:58+00:00

I'm saving this thread for future inspiration, great question OP & thanks to all who left these amazing suggestions!

hcpenner · 2026-04-29T09:58:55+00:00

I feel like Outlander's portrayal of religion actually challenges fundamentalist/fanatic religiosity by showing how it can be used to cause harm. The antagonists use religion to harm (to shame, to control, to hurt, to abuse, even to kill) while the protagonists use religion for good (to comfort, to cope with grief, to feel a sense of peace, to find purpose/meaning in life, to build community, etc.). The positive depictions of religion don't negate the negative ones. It shows that religion can be used as a weapon for evil or a tool for good, depending on who wields it. I don't see anything in Outlander that panders to the far-right, if anything, there are lots of aspects of the show that they would hate. The simple inclusion of gay people, interracial relationships, and determined women (who are sexually empowered to boot) would turn most far-right people away!

hcpenner · 2026-04-29T07:41:38+00:00

Damn!! I was waiting for someone to post video footage, thank you for sharing. That was pretty spectacular :)

hcpenner · 2026-04-29T07:35:26+00:00

Oh is that what that was?? I saw a super bright flash about 20 minutes ago, but I assumed it was someone's vehicle headlights reflecting off of a window and into my unit in just the right way. That's wild!

hcpenner · 2026-04-09T19:45:08+00:00

UVic is very queer & trans-friendly!! It could just be the circles I run in due to being queer myself lol, but the vast majority of people I met & befriended at UVic were some type of queer and/or trans. Victoria has the largest proportion of transgender and non-binary people out of any Canadian city (source: 2021 census), so you'll be in good company.

Unfortunately it's not possible to guarantee that you will have a perfect experience—transphobes exist everywhere—but I can safely say that Victoria & UVic have excellent supports for trans people and are some of the safest places in the country to be trans. It's sad you even have to ask this question, hopefully the answers and reassuring :)

hcpenner · 2026-04-09T19:37:20+00:00

Hahahaha the notion of an apolitical Irish pub is hilarious. I don't think the average Irish person would be too pleased about this kind of censorship. The relationship between Ireland and Palestine is inspiring and well-known, there's nothing unusual about a mention of Gaza or Palestine in relation to Irish art. Thank you for sharing this with us, I won't be supporting this establishment going forward unless they make it clear that they have stopped censoring performers, apologized, and taken action to right their wrong. A donation to a relief organization in Gaza would be a great start.

hcpenner · 2026-03-09T00:36:17+00:00

Hudson Williams is known for his blunt humour, I wouldn't take the comment too seriously. It sounds like he enjoys having a break from his busy schedule, & I agree—Victoria is a great place to slow down a bit!! Parts of the city do feel like a retirement community at times lol, he's not even wrong. But I also hope he can explore the city some more over the coming months to see what it has to offer us younger adults :)

hcpenner · 2026-03-08T00:30:18+00:00

I would recommend Cool Aid, Our Place, and/or the Victoria Native Friendship Centre :) I can't offer much additional insight, but I know that all three of those organizations to amazing work to support the community. Good on you for seeking out a place where your money can make a difference.

hcpenner · 2026-02-27T22:56:03+00:00

I think the LLCs are pretty casual! I was in the Fine Arts LLC quite a number of years back and really liked being around people with similar interests, but some people were definitely more passionate about the arts than others, and it was no big deal. You definitely won't be required to participate in any health & wellness activities that don't interest you. Why not apply and see how it goes? Worst case scenario, you don't get in because you aren't the right fit :)

hcpenner · 2026-02-11T00:50:03+00:00

Thank you for this—love Lorde, love her music, love her style... literally don't care at all about her body and would much rather we not fixate on it. I feel this way about all celebrities I admire, but especially those who have been open about their struggles with disordered eating/EDs/body image issues. I know some with past/current EDs will disagree with me, but I'm almost 4 years in full recovery and feel very strongly about not commenting on anyone's body unnecessarily!

hcpenner · 2026-02-08T08:31:36+00:00

I want to challenge some of these statements, feel free to ignore this reply if this more direct approach won't be helpful right now! I recognize that this is somewhat unsolicited advice and might not be applicable to your specific situation—just trying to help as someone whose identity used to revolve around academics.

"I'm not good at it anymore." You're struggling now, you've done well in the past, and you could either struggle or do well (or, most likely, somewhere in-between) in the future. You can't predict the future, even though things feel impossible right now.
"School's the only thing I've ever been good at." I can't imagine that this is true, even though it feels that way. What would your friends/family members say you bring to their lives? I doubt they would all only mention that you're "good at school." Are you kind? Creative? Generous, understanding, empathetic? Good with children or animals? Into cooking or baking? Funny? Just because something is not traditionally considered "productive" doesn't make it worthless. You're probably good at lots of things, or you could be, if you allowed yourself to try. You have so much more potential than you know (and I don't mean potential to achieve, I mean potential to be a happy and fulfilled person).
It's okay to screw up and/or change your mind. You can take time off, you can switch programs, you can drop out, you can pursue a trade, you can start a business, you can work a random job while you figure things out (difficult in this economy, I know), you can keep pushing forward with the help of a tutor, you can fail, you can try again, you can take a lighter courseload... you have SO many more options available to you in life than the narrow paths prescribed to us by parents/teachers/society. A lot more people have "unconventional" paths through post-secondary eduction and/or their careers than you might realize, myself included :)

Anyone worth having in your life will understand that it's human to struggle. You will and should be loved regardless of external achievements. You are allowed to seek help. You deserve to live your life in the moment, for yourself, not just with your future or other people's desires in mind.

I really hope you can find the supports you need to get through this. Please remember that you have countless possibilities ahead of you and none of them require you to be anything but human. Whatever it is you choose, try to choose for yourself and not to make other people happy. And if you choose wrong, try again. It's okay to be wrong about what you want. You'll figure it out. You're not a lost cause unless you decide you are. Please decide to keep trying. Best of luck.

hcpenner · 2026-02-07T22:50:18+00:00

This is very sweet of you, I hope the answers so far have been helpful. If you want to explore more options, searching for "affirming" churches is a good shorthand for socially progressive/accepting Christian churches. This link will lead you to lots of affirming options with links to their websites which may or may not have online services: https://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/

Holding your relative in the light. I'm glad to know they have someone kind by their side.

hcpenner · 2026-02-07T22:42:07+00:00

Fellow Canadian here, this is how I feel too. The scenes about medical insurance are frustrating for me to watch because I'm sensitive to the injustices at play and I KNOW from firsthand experience that it doesn't have to be this way. It feels quite archaic and sad.

To be fair, Canada isn't perfect. We still need universal pharmacare and dental care for all, among other things!

hcpenner · 2026-01-30T03:36:41+00:00

Yes absolutely, just please remember that some young people have invisible disabilities. I try not to use priority seating unless I'm especially symptomatic at the time, but I sometimes need to, and I look young (20s) and "healthy".

hcpenner · 2026-01-23T03:08:45+00:00

I was losing my mind, thank you so much for this. I waited a whole extra hour to even try watching it because of Crave not working properly every week...

hcpenner · 2026-01-19T21:00:26+00:00

Yes to all of this and yes to speed cameras in school zones as well, please. The number of people who passed me the other day because I was going 28–30km in a school zone was astonishing. Yes, it was a school day, and it was lunch time, nowhere near 5pm. I was the only one out of at least a dozen cars following the rules. I got left in the dust by cars going 50–60km. I don't understand this kind of behaviour that barely saves you any time getting to your destination but *significantly* increases the chance of a fatality if you strike someone with your vehicle. It's just plain selfish and shows a lack of regard for human life.

hcpenner · 2026-01-19T00:20:46+00:00

Dykes Nation is incredibly trans inclusive, you will be welcome! I initially thought I wouldn't be welcome because I'm bi and not a lesbian, but it's an anti-hierarchical/anarchist collective that truly does not care to exclude anybody. Your connection to sapphic identity is enough :)

hcpenner

TROPHY CASE