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Goodbye 2016, you bastard! A New Year’s open thread

I can has 2017?

Well, 2016, it’s been fun — by which I of course mean the complete opposite of fun. So here’s an open thread to say good riddance to 2016. And to look forward with trepidation but perhaps also a little hope to 2017. No trolls, Trump fans, MRAs, etc.

If you’re going out, be safe. If you’re staying in, curl up with this lovely Dumpster Fireplace to celebrate the end of this dumpster fire of a year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCLXGkYg9uY

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Moggie
Moggie
7 years ago

Here we go with 2017. At least 35 people have been shot dead by a gunman dressed as Santa in a nightclub in Istanbul.

Dalillama: Shepherd of Demonic Crocodiles.
Dalillama: Shepherd of Demonic Crocodiles.
7 years ago

I’m spending New Year’s Eve preparing greasy food for drunk noisy strangers, same as any Saturday night.

It’s been a hell of a ride this year; I’ve been knocked down and torn up (literally; watch for cyclists when you open car doors, folks), lost too many friends far too early, and watched the country I live in embrace fascism.

On the upside, I started transitioning, which has done me a power of good, and I’ve fallen head over heels for someone who feels the same (hi Axe)*, so there’s definitely good points.

*seems to be going around, congratulations Joe.

Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
7 years ago

@Moggie
Dammit

@Dali

hi Axe

Hi yourself, darlin *smooches*

Mish of the Catlady Ascendancy
Mish of the Catlady Ascendancy
7 years ago

Aha! Axe, I thought it was Dalillama, but didn’t want to presume 😀
Whoo-hoo, you two! Hey, is that the second mammoth match?

eta: to paraphrase a certain explorer, I’m, um, off to ryeash’s new tumblr and I may be some time…

BritterSweet
7 years ago

On New Years 2016, I had a fever and tried to make ozoni soup only to find bugs in it. I wondered if that was a bad sign, and it may or may not have been a coincidence. Right now it’s still the 31st, so here’s crossing my fingers for the next coming year. How will the soup turn out this time?

Hippodameia
Hippodameia
7 years ago

Well, this year I quit a job I hated and managed to find a better one. The asshat who pushed me out got pushed out himself about five months later, and the asshat’s boss is now on paid administrative leave for “personal reasons.” So, revenge is sweet.

May the new year be better for everyone.

Bina
Bina
7 years ago

Still about 30 minutes of 2016 to go for me, but Happy New Year to everyone already in it!

I get to close out this one on an optimistic note by saying that I had a health scare that turned out benign (something that could have been breast cancer but wasn’t, thanks to a timely mammogram and quick follow-up treatment, including a lumpectomy). 2016 will go down for me personally as the year I looked the ghost of cancer in the face, gave it the finger, and watched the spectre retreat.

As for the future? I don’t know what’s in store for me personally, but I suspect Canada will have to brace for a lot more future refugees, and not all will be from Syria. Fascism is another spectre we’ll have to be giving the finger to in the year to come…

Fabe
Fabe
7 years ago

I’m spending my new years eve playing some XCOM:Enemy within and tomorrow I’m going to be board-gaming with some friends. Oh for you Guns of Icarus players here ,the Gun of Icarus:Alliance DLC/expansion just went up for pre-sale on steam.

Kat
Kat
7 years ago

This year has been a difficult one. And DJT looks set to be the president.

I’m going to do my usual: forge ahead.

Congratulations to all those who have done well in 2016. To those who haven’t, I wish better luck for you in the New Year.

Stay strong, Mammotheers. And have fun.

Happy 2017!

Lucrece
Lucrece
7 years ago

Mammotheers – thank you for the company this past year! It’s already 2017 in Australia – in fact, it’s 3:45 pm! But I wish you strength and love and grace in the new year, in whatever way you can find it. Be kind to yourselves and each other. Maintain the rage!

Dan Kasteray
Dan Kasteray
7 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4bgI9tv9nw

Because for New Years I love sharing mind warping videos.

Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
7 years ago

@Mish

Hey, is that the second mammoth match?

Since I started lurking last autumn? I think so. Ever? I’m too new to say. The Beforetimes are a mystery…

ryeash
7 years ago

@Mish

^_^ There aren’t a whole bunch of pics, but I’ll add more in the future. My partner’s mother is better for taking pics so I nabbed most of those off of her Facebooks.

TreePerson
TreePerson
7 years ago

Well thats one terrible year dead and buried,
now if only an unfortunate accident would befall 2017 before it can do anymore damage.

Bethd
Bethd
7 years ago

Does anyone have any good links on Putin and exactly what he’s done that is horrible? My father keeps attacking me for not supporting the leadership combo of Trump/Putin and I can only give him vague reasons why I find Putin terrifying.

Mea
Mea
7 years ago

Happy New Year everyone.

Let’s be careful out there.

dontgiveahoot
dontgiveahoot
7 years ago

Hey, slightly off topic, but have you heard of the telomeres guy? He’s been more or less dominating the r/niceguys reddit because he genuinely believes that it should be made illegal for men under the age of 35 to have sex (coincidentally, he himself is 37 and laments he has not had sex in five years) and that millennial women are bigots for not dating him, because telomeres. It culminated in the police having to tell him off for creeping on a teenage barista.

Victorious Parasol
Victorious Parasol
7 years ago

Happy New Year, everybody!

TreePerson
TreePerson
7 years ago

@Bethd
Well there is the whole Crimea fiasco which involves Russia invading a sovereign nation and shooting down a civilian airliner both have a fair amount of evidence backing them up including Putin admitting Russian troops invaded the Ukraine (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30064374) and the Russians faking a photo of the airliner being shot down by a Ukrainian fighter (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30064374).

The ban on “gay propaganda” meaning pride events and public displays of affection at minimum (this one Putin is actually proud of).

And that is just stuff Putin did over a year ago.

Dalillama: Shepherd of Demonic Crocodiles.
Dalillama: Shepherd of Demonic Crocodiles.
7 years ago

@dontgiveahoot
He was mentioned in the Memeday thread.

@Bethd
here’s one. I could look for more when I’m not at work, but if your dad likes Trump/Putin because of their ‘leadership’ he’s probably a hopeless case.

Ooglyboggles
Ooglyboggles
7 years ago

@Dalillama&Axe
Well congratulations to you both! That’s certainly something worth smiling about and congrats to you Dalil for your transition.

@Bethd
A few I found.
http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-shocking/10-most-shocking-things-putin-is-responsible-for/

http://www.businessinsider.com/vladimir-putin-history-russia-2012-3
@dontgiveahoot
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/aging-too-much-telomerase-can-be-as-bad-as-too-little/
Article in question
https://imgur.com/a/243Vb#omhRU7u
Person in question
Relevant text in quote.

In fact, increasing telomerase levels ought to lengthen telomeres but in the case of cancer, too much telomerase can be just as bad as too little telomeres. Too much telomerase can help confer immortality onto cancer cells and actually increase the likelihood of cancer, whereas too little telomerase can also increase cancer by depleting the healthy regenerative potential of the body. To reduce the risk of cancer we need an ideal level of telomerase, with not a whole lot of room for error. This clarifies that “telomerase shots” are not the magical anti-aging potion that Faust and so many other humans have sought throughout history.

The rest is different possibilities regarding premature aging, stuff that might have hit a soft spot with Mr. Telomore. Though the part regarding stresses might have gone over his head.

How does one translate from telomeres and cancer to women not wanting to slam their clam on him is anyone’s guess.
@Kat
Keep on keeping on.
@Fabe
I hope you manage to get xcom2 on the cheap side, that game is just the bomb, it’s like everything I liked in xcom 1 and more, just so much mods and mass effect models and voice boxes and /fangasms. On another note thanks for the Guns of Icarus rec, thank goodness for a wonking 75% off.
@Hippodameia
The spirits of schauenfreude smile on you. Seriously though congrats on finding a new job and getting sweet sweet payback on that jerk.

Side note; Still regret not shouting in ex roomie’s face about how “I should respect both sides of the same wing” when he defends someone who executes people for disagreeing and supports people who want everyone not white to die, not to mention not chewing off another ex friend enough on how all three branches are going to do terrible shit and his conservative ass naivite should quietly shove off.

I have a terrible track record with friends I meet in person. I swear it feels like only a matter of time before I find out a new person I meet is fine with x crime against humanity. Then comes me with negotiation/avoiding topic before the bad piles on like really smelly laundry. If not fascism/police state, it’s believing hayek is anything other than a selfish stupid prick. If not libertarianism it’s military fetishism. If not military worship it’s not seeing anyone not het/christian as a person. If not that it’s something else, always something else. Is it me? Am I just asking too much of people and lower my expectations/standards or something?

Otrame
Otrame
7 years ago

On the way to first sleep in 2017.

Personally, the year was sort of a roller coaster. My brother died in an accident, but my son, who came home from 2 tours in Iraq with some moderate PTSD, and some other issues, has slowly but surely gotten better and now has a new job that seems to be working for him and that means he and his wife are both working at the same time for the first time in about 4 years. My eldest has finished culinary school in the UK and he and his wife will be coming home this year (assuming they can get her a green card). Personally, my life is doing okay.

I am very much afraid that we are going to find out, once again, what happens to economies where greed is allowed to run riot. I’m also a little trepidateous because I am on Medicare and will be on Social Security some time in the next couple of years.

But I can hope for the best and I do. To all of you, may you have the best possible year for 2017.

Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
Axecalibur: Middle Name Danger
7 years ago

@Oogly

I swear it feels like only a matter of time before I find out a new person I meet is fine with x crime against humanity

Well, I only have 2 friends. 1 of them is a dog. Actually kinda scared of making new friends for this exact reason

Am I just asking too much of people and lower my expectations/standards or something?

No. Absolutely not. You have those standards, cos you care. It’s who you are. You expect a certain level of basic decency from yourself and the people you choose to associate with. You’re not going to stop caring, to lower your standards for yourself, so you have no need to let anyone else off the hook either. Besides, 2017 ain’t the year to start just accepting toxic assholes into your life. Especially not without a fight

@Otrame
Roller coaster indeed. Sorry for your loss, and congratulations for your many gains

Kat
Kat
7 years ago

@Ooglyboggles

Am I just asking too much of people and lower my expectations/standards or something?

It’s okay to have jerks as acquaintances. Which is good, because it’s gonna happen.

But before you turn an acquaintance into a close friend, see if you two resonate. You’ll know it when it happens. When you resonate with another person, you don’t worry that they’ll betray you. They’ll be a little bit jerky once in a while, but they’ll know how to knock it off. They might even apologize.

You might want to check out a group or two. There you can observe people without any expectations of friendship.

Good luck!

Viscaria, product of 20,000 evolution
Viscaria, product of 20,000 evolution
7 years ago

❤❤❤ WHTM lurve connections are the best ❤❤❤