Then I will conclude he was saying something he didn't mean and he didn't intend to put the savier-than-thou bias in and maybe when there's less impact from his body, his mind will whittle down what he means.

Also, people in France might not try and kill him--I have no idea what he's expecting from the French, so perhaps merely not murdering him will make them look really good. But he should be careful--there might be people who want to kill him, and they should be judged harshly as well, even a little more than the ones who would let him die but are only feeling a sense of ennui about it.

They're not as bad as the Asians, but they can still be pretty inscrutable. Proximity to a stiff upper lip, combined with a language they lie to you about. All those vowels don't actually sound all that different with all those accents. I think they substitute hand signals, like baseball. Fucking aigue.

Oh, and I pretty much always sleep in clothes, also chosen for, usually, interesting texture (wearing flannel PJs and a waffle knit top today. I could stand to get "sleep" socks by following the same pattern. Not necessarily the ones with traction, but any that are nice and curly soft on the inside would be blissy.

And if I get them in the right colour, they'll count towards Mission Pink. In order to accommodate such mission efficiently, I am going to commit to clearing out the "yeah, no, it totally buttons up in front" for shirts that are cut better, because that's the first place I'm butting out.

And I need to take a cold hard look at my heels. I'm just not wearing them--why do I have so many versions? I could never sustain the life for those shoes--it was a record of my unwillingness to say "no, fuck you, I'm wearing these shoes" to which I think I have come much closer recently.

Jilli, I have an ask and a say for your adorable husband (he doesn't lurk, right--you'll paraphrase to make me look better, because I can't resist that temptation for shit...anyway). How does a thing which must happen to him decently often (although it should happen twice as much, I wager. At least half.)...how does he handle that thing? The thing when someone says something of the ilk of "I think you have captured quite a bit of emotion in this" and it's not about the specifics--just when you tried to do something, were even willing to trade some other stuff off to get what you want--a complete stranger has noticed what you were doing, and they compliment you right on it.. I'm assuming "You laid my picture bare to the biggest insecurity, quavering there in the corner, and you're petting it and feeding it treats. Please never leave, strange person?"

I wish I could say that was about my ep recap. Despite last season's practice recap having been much fun, this one was more like dutiful. I had three hurry-ups hit the board and my email from Annalee *and* Charlie Jane. I didn't see a notice from my banking institutions of similarly hurried money, so they'd need to pass the task off to someone with a less west coast job and more willing to recap as they write, and also look up history (I got Family Guy wrong, though). Yeah, that's not about the recap, the "this thing" is. Just a comment, that touched me, on something I bewailed enough that I couldn't do, that my mother who doesn't pay much attention to my art other than she thinks I drop too many hobbies that make me happy, remembers the complaint. How can I put emotions in it??? I'm just drawing what's there! I can't *lie*.

My precision and ability to duplicate a face has diminished, because those lines are being used by emotion now.

Cool. Also, he was (adorably) nice about giving me general "from the ranks" helpful comments while I was still on LJ.

TNC also has killer book recs, and is basically one of the best thinkers who is writing right now. I've been reading him for most of the last half decade. Even when I go on news blackouts for the sake of my sanity, I make a TNC exception.

He sees and can capture in clear language so many different connections when he studies history, and is hugely intellectually curious, which is a fantastic combination.

He is very clear-eyed about the problems we have in this country. I can't begin to think of a writer less likely to spout nationalistic slogans (unironically).

Yeah, basically this.

I generally take meds, if I'm not feeling lazy I do a several part face washing thing, and sometimes remember to pop in my bite guard. Stick my phone on the charger with the alarm set, and pull up my sheet (must have sheet), and blanket and comforter (in winter). Usually wear a tshirt or something, but the only time I put on socks is the rare occasions when I wake up in the middle of the night freezing cold. Then I'll put on socks and a hat.

I've tried sleep masks but tend to unconsciously take them off in the night (I do it with the bite guard too--I have dreams about too much chewing gum in my mouth and take it out!). Side sleeper, though occasionally if I'm having trouble Falling asleep stomach.

R.E.M. called their first album Murmur, because Peter Buck and Michael Stipe bonded over that feeling of being a child and driving home with your parents late at night and being drowsy in the back seat, with just the dim light from the dashboard and the murmur of your parents voices.

I totally associate the sound of late night how's (chatter, chatter, audience laughter, little bit of music) with that comfort of knowing your parents are stil awake and can catch any monsters or fires or bad guys before they make it to you.

How do you go to sleep?

I turn quite a lot in bed, but always counter-clockwise, thanks to the Coriolis effect.

I learned long ago going to bed before I was already falling asleep results in lying awake getting angrier and more awake. Tee shirt, underpants, and socks. Feet get lotion, and socks keep them from drying out. I play those hey-wow, woo-woo Dan Gibson Solitudes music and nature sounds--rain puts me right on the edge of sleep, or surf. A little gentle melody helps. I have a shaku hatchi and fountain splash, waterfall, and rain collection that works nicely, too. Rigid biteplate, top sheet, thermal blanket and throw in all but the hottest weathers. If it's really cold I'll throw on long sleep pants and a long-sleeved henley, maybe another throw on the bed. I sleep on my left side, left arm under the sleeping pillow--either soft or flattish queen sized pillow, my neck cricks with too much height. Left leg straight, right knee up, huggy pillow snugged in tight.

I get up an hour before my rising time to take meds, and have another hour's sleep, on my right side, the mirror to how I slept all night. I don't move around in my sleep. My top sheet and blanket are tucked in at the foot.

And if I leave my bed unmade or undressed in the morning, I have to straighten and make it before I get in it at night.

I had no idea there were people who didn't use top sheets! Sleep has become a big issue for me in the last few weeks as I'm not getting any being all heavy with child. We also co-sleep with Shane, who is a wild sleeper. We upgraded (finally) to a king recently and it's helped some.

When I'm not pregnant, I sleep on my side or back with a flat pillow and I do a bit of focused breathing to help relax my mind. Try to empty my mind of thoughts and images and really concentrate on breathing deeply.

PG, I am sleeping with a big ass body pillow on my side, getting up a couple of times to pee in the night, and generally staying awake for at least an hour when I do wake up. Sigh. Nature is cruel with the sleep thing getting so bad right before it really goes haywire dealing with a newborn.

Oh, and we sleep with white noise, which we discovered helped Shane stay asleep when he was tiny and helped block outside noise. We live on a fairly busy street and wish we had discovered white noise years ago! It makes a big difference.

Stomach/side sleeper. Duvet, no top sheet. Soft, scrunchy pillow. Can't bear any kind of weight or restrictions. Must have fully empty bladder (several trips to bathroom before I fall asleep). Prefer a cool room. Still have my teddy bear, but I don't really sleep "with" it, but he's in the bed.

Side sleeper, hugging one pillow, with another pillow between my knees and a squishy pillow over my head (not the nose and mouth,though.)

When it's super-cold, we put on flannel sheets with a top sheet and the duvet, since I must sleep with the window cracked, even in subzero weather. Winter, I sleep in a tee or men's PJ top. If I am cold and wear socks to bed, I always kick them off in the night.

In the summer, I have the AC window unit on (I CANNOT sleep hot), and use a thin top sheet. DH still sleeps with the duvet in summer, but I sleep in a tank and panties, or just panties, or nude.

My ritual used to be taking my ambien and reading, but I am going to have to develop a new bedtime ritual.

In to my 20s, I would lie down on my back and never move again until morning. Now I usually fall asleep on my side and move around some. I always wear something, but it varies on the temperature. Top sheet, definitely, because I'd rather wash my sheets more often than my duvet cover. I'm currently wondering if my mouthguard makes me sleep less well, and if the benefit of not grinding my teeth down to nubs is worth it.

I'm currently wondering if my mouthguard makes me sleep less well, and if the benefit of not grinding my teeth down to nubs is worth

I have this question also. It does make me sleep less well, though. I don't wonder about it so much.