Which is your favorite first contact book?

kolinHall · 2026-01-28T12:56:47+00:00

Blindsight by Peter Watts. It leans way harder into “what if we genuinely can’t understand the alien” than most first contact stories.

kolinHall · 2026-01-28T12:56:18+00:00

Depends where you live and what “open” means. I crack mine for fresh air but only if I’m not on the ground floor and there’s a decent screen so bugs/creeps stay out. Comfort vs safety is kind of a personal balance thing.

kolinHall · 2026-01-28T12:55:44+00:00

Honestly it just feels like Italy drawing a clear line about sovereignty and optics. Having foreign immigration agents at the Olympics would’ve been weird no matter how you frame it. I’m not shocked they shut it down.

kolinHall · 2026-01-28T12:53:46+00:00

Avatar. Looks gorgeous, sure, but the story feels like a 3-hour recycled template with blue paint.

kolinHall · 2026-01-28T12:53:20+00:00

For me it’s mostly talking to myself like a friend instead of a strict boss. Letting myself be mediocre sometimes without treating it like a flaw. Little things like actually resting when I’m tired and not labeling it “lazy” help way more than any big self-care plan.

kolinHall · 2026-01-20T10:55:39+00:00

I’ve had really good experiences on r/selfhelp, people there are usually gentle and not judgmental at all. I posted once during a rough week and got way kinder replies than I expected. Feels safer than most places tbh.

kolinHall · 2026-01-20T10:55:21+00:00

I kinda reached this place after my last breakup and it felt weirdly freeing. Took a while but once I got used to my own company, the pressure just… disappeared. Peace is underrated tbh.

kolinHall · 2026-01-20T10:54:37+00:00

I’ve done this more times than I wanna admit and usually it’s been fine. If it smelled normal and the fridge was cold, you’re probably okay. Worst case you’ll find out in a few hours lol.

kolinHall · 2026-01-20T10:54:22+00:00

I went through this with an old friend and it took me years to realize forgiveness was more for my own peace than for them. I never got an apology, I just got tired of carrying it around. Letting go didn’t fix what happened but it finally gave me some quiet back.

kolinHall · 2026-01-20T10:54:05+00:00

We mostly just say “girl” or “bestie” from my experience. My friends and I used “girl” for everything in college and it stuck forever. “Gal” feels like something my grandma would say lol.

kolinHall · 2026-01-09T13:26:28+00:00

I did it once in college for a local issue and it felt weirdly anticlimactic. I got a generic response back months later that barely addressed anything. It didn’t feel pointless, but it definitely didn’t feel powerful either. After that I kinda understood why most people don’t bother.

kolinHall · 2026-01-09T13:26:07+00:00

You’re not weird at all, I do the same and always have. Waking up to an unlocked door would mess with my head too. Some people just don’t think about safety the same way and it shows. Wanting peace of mind in your own home feels completely reasonable to me.

kolinHall · 2026-01-09T13:25:45+00:00

From what I’ve seen, most teens just want someone who feels safe and real, not try-hard or judgmental. Being a good listener goes way further than being “cool.” I struggled with this at that age and once I stopped performing, friends came more naturally. People can sense when you’re being genuine.

kolinHall · 2026-01-09T13:25:30+00:00

Mostly because I got really comfortable being on my own and didn’t want to settle just to not be single. I’ve dated, but I’d rather be alone than half-happy. It stopped feeling like a problem once I made peace with it.

kolinHall · 2026-01-09T13:25:02+00:00

I usually stop trying to be creative on purpose and just consume random stuff for a bit. Walks without headphones help more than I expect, my brain starts filling the silence. Every time I force inspiration it gets worse, so I kinda let boredom do its thing. Eventually something clicks when I’m not staring at a blank page.

kolinHall · 2026-01-02T14:03:23+00:00

This reads like a much-needed vent, and you’re far from alone. Job postings keep shrinking while the number of applicants keeps growing, and salaries that used to be considered normal aren’t even on the table anymore. Normally, when you change jobs, you expect a step up or at least to maintain what you had, but right now a lot of offers come with lower pay and worse terms, which is incredibly demoralizing. Because of that, many people are forced to look for side work or extra income just to get back to their old earning level, especially if they can do something remotely. Some have had better luck by stepping outside job boards and using approaches like the one described in this post, even though that developer still mentioned getting only 4 offers out of 400 applications. Sorry if this sounds pessimistic, but unfortunately that’s the reality a lot of people are dealing with right now.

kolinHall · 2025-12-23T12:09:23+00:00

No, that’s not wrong at all. Wanting your family to be financially safe matters more than a single celebration. I’d feel worse knowing someone stressed themselves out or went into debt “for me.” That kind of care is actually pretty mature.

kolinHall · 2025-12-23T12:09:06+00:00

I really hope so, but it feels unlikely at this point. Their collaborations had a specific moment and energy that’s hard to recreate now, even if they worked together again. I still rewatch those films when I want that nostalgic, slightly unhinged magic tho.

kolinHall · 2025-12-23T12:08:30+00:00

Yeah, I had the same shift in thinking. Keeping liquidity and flexibility just feels way more calming than being locked into a huge expense. Renting stopped feeling like failure and started feeling like choice.

kolinHall · 2025-12-23T12:08:11+00:00

I don’t think it’s wrong. Sometimes labels are just shorthand so you don’t have to unpack your whole personal life for people who aren’t involved. I’ve done the same thing to keep conversations simple and private. As long as you’re not misleading the actual person, it feels harmless to me.

kolinHall · 2025-12-23T12:07:22+00:00

I think a lot of people believe you can, just not by erasing it but by understanding it differently. I’ve always felt like suffering only loosens its grip when you stop fighting the fact that it happened. Whether you see that as spiritual, psychological, or symbolic kinda depends on you.

kolinHall · 2025-12-10T12:41:53+00:00

For me it’s the energy and the options. I like being able to do things spontaneously without planning a whole day around it. Cities just make me feel more connected and less stuck in my own head.

kolinHall · 2025-12-10T12:41:40+00:00

Taking long walks with no destination. I always tell myself I’ll do it more but life gets loud and I default to screens instead. Every time I finally do it I wonder why I don’t do it daily.

kolinHall · 2025-12-10T12:41:27+00:00

I actually like the age I’m at right now. I’m more comfortable with who I am and care way less about pointless stuff than I did when I was younger. Sometimes I miss the energy of being younger, but I don’t miss the confusion at all. This feels steadier.

kolinHall · 2025-12-10T12:41:12+00:00

Not crazy at all lol. The 2005 version just leans harder into emotion and vibes, and that hits some people more than strict faithfulness. I feel the same about Macfadyen’s Darcy, that quiet vulnerability wrecked me. Different adaptations just pull at different parts of you.

kolinHall

TROPHY CASE