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doggoes kitties open thread

Merry Christmas, if you’re into that sort of thing!

Hope you all are having a lovely day today, whatever this day means to you (or doesn’t). Consider this an open thread, to discuss whatever, from presents to politics to cats to whatever holiday stress you might be feeling.

And here’s some stuff I found on the Twitter.

— David, who is hanging in there

https://twitter.com/awwcuteness/status/945193410662682624

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Moggie
Moggie
6 years ago

WWTH:

So yeah, it’s pretty damn obvious that a significant portion of the US workforce is too beaten down and/or brainwashed to fight back. Not really seeing how that’s a controversial statement.

See, for example, how many workers are anti-union.

As for “fun size candy bars”: whoever came up with this terminology was a marketing genius. I don’t know about you, but me, I think that less chocolate = less fun.

Moggie
Moggie
6 years ago

Article for doggie people: The dogs of Chernobyl

weirwoodtreehugger: chief manatee

Did anyone else see this from David’s Twitter sidebar?

CN: incest

https://twitter.com/TakedownMRAs/status/960442825019080704

It’s not so much the incest and the defense of it that’s disturbing. Although that’s plenty terrible in its own right. I’m horrified that the daughter was arrested. Given that she had the baby a year ago at age 19, meaning she was probably 18 when she got pregnant, it’s almost certain that the father was sexually abusing her long before she reached the age of consent. Why the fuck are they arresting the victim?

Moggie
Moggie
6 years ago

“Love child”? Jesus, Fox News!

Jenora Feuer
Jenora Feuer
6 years ago

@Surplus to Requirements:
That picture is of the current (fourth) Toronto City Hall, built in 1965 in the Modernist style and used in lots of movies and TV shows; Katamount and I were talking about the Old City Hall (the third one), built in 1899 in the Romanesque Revival style. Granted, the two are less than a block apart along Queen Street, providing some pretty severe architectural whiplash if you get your camera angles right.

Here’s an image from Wikipedia that shows both of them, Old City Hall on the right, and the current City Hall on the left, with Nathan Phillips Square in the front.
comment image

kupo
kupo
6 years ago

@WWTH
Saw that article and thought the same. She might legally be an adult but ffs she’s his daughter not his sister. There’s a huge power imbalance here.

Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
6 years ago

and the infection could eventually spread and eventually kill her.

I don’t think this is appropriate, if you don’t know about a situation.

Ray of Rays
Ray of Rays
6 years ago

@ WWTH

The troubling for me is that the woman in the anecdote reported being pleasantly surprised rather than insulted by this piddling raise. $1.50 a week would barely help people a hundred years ago. Let alone now. It’s terrifying that working class are this beaten down that people would be grateful to be treated like shit. I don’t know what else to call it besides Stockholm syndrome.

She may have been sarcastic.

CBS News’ David Begnaud spoke to Julia Ketchum, the secretary, on Saturday after Ryan’s tweet. She said she was “really surprised” that Ryan highlighted her comment.

“The paragraph above me, and the paragraph below my quote — those people got hundreds more and I got a $1.50 per paycheck more,” Ketchum said. “So it shows me he may not have read the whole article.”

mrex
mrex
6 years ago

@Valentin

“I don’t think this is appropriate, if you don’t know about a situation.”

I’m not quite sure what your problem with it is since I’m giving GENERAL information. Because if it is a bacterial infection, then it needs internal antibiotics (NOT anything topical like peroxide), because it’s been around for MONTHS. Because yeah, without antibiotics and over time, even a sinus infection can spread, and in the head, THAT’s BAD.

I’m hoping that there’s a lot she’s not telling us, and I’m completely off base.

@WWTH

I know you’re not rich and looking down your nose, that never was the issue. And I don’t disagree that it’s abusive on the part of employers to offer trinkets to manipulate people into working hard. But, honest question, why offer judgements on the employees, AT ALL? If people are happy with candy bars, how is it wrong? Am I reading you wrong?

Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
6 years ago
Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
6 years ago

Because yeah, without antibiotics and over time, even a sinus infection can spread, and in the head, THAT’s BAD.

it is not appropriate because it is about specific friend which is upsetting. we all have friends who are sick or have such disability they will not live for long time – and even if we know full story of our friends, I don’t want to talk or hear about if they will die, and they also don’t want to talk or hear. and if you don’t know person or situation – it will create unfair fear and unhappiness to tell this and achieve nothing else.

I know such things possible to be very serious. I am in merchant navy and I have medical trainings. I know small things can become serious. but there is scenarios in which we can talk about this – trainings or medical scenarios. not in personal scenarios because it is upsetting and you don’t know if it will be happen or if it is very unlikely, because you don’t know situation – and only this idea will cause people to worry. this is what I try to say.

weirwoodtreehugger: chief manatee

Ray of Rays,

Well, that’s a relief. I was so baffled!

Mrex,

Yes you are misreading me. I’m not actually being judgmental of employees here. I’m using the anecdote to illustrate that the US capitalistic culture has successfully conditioned workers to expect so little that many are grateful for scraps. I continue to be confused at how you seem to be convinced that we’re all secretly classist and out to judge working class people.

mrex
mrex
6 years ago

@Valentin

Ok. Sorry to hear about your friends. 🙁

IF it is a bacterial infection, it can be treated and cured, and VERY serious if not treated and cured, that was my only point.

mrex
mrex
6 years ago

@WWTH

“I continue to be confused at how you seem to be convinced that we’re all secretly classist and out to judge working class people.”

Because society is classist, and people internalize that shit?

It’s not that I think that “you all” are classist, it’s just that I don’t think that anyone (including me) is immune from it. And I apologize for ever saying anything different.

Glad to hear that you weren’t judging the employees. I wasn’t clear WHERE that judgement about “people eating it up” was going.

kupo
kupo
6 years ago

IF it is a bacterial infection, it can be treated and cured, and VERY serious if not treated and cured, that was my only point.

This isn’t a general topic that happened to come up. This is a very specific case and is regarding a close friend of a poster here. You’re not a doctor and even if you were, diagnosing something like this sight unseen is irresponsible at best. Saying something like “I advise your friend to get medical attention to that” is one thing but you’re telling someone that their friend might die. That’s very much uncalled for and upsetting for anyone to hear.

Alan Robertshaw
Alan Robertshaw
6 years ago

Just had occasion to look something up and thought it might be handy to share this. One of the best summaries of the Paradox of Tolerance I’ve read.

https://qz.com/1054694/a-philosophical-principle-coined-in-1945-could-be-a-key-us-defense-against-white-supremacists/

Might be handy for when you’re banging your head up against “But then we’d be as bad as them” types.

weirwoodtreehugger: chief manatee

Today in needlessly gendered products

http://www.businessinsider.com/pepsi-is-making-snacks-just-for-women-2018-2

“As you watch a lot of the young guys eat the chips, they love their Doritos, and they lick their fingers with great glee, and when they reach the bottom of the bag they pour the little broken pieces into their mouth, because they don’t want to lose that taste of the flavor, and the broken chips in the bottom,” Nooyi told Freakonomics.

She said: “Women I think would love to do the same, but they don’t. They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavor into their mouth.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. I always eat the crumbs at the bottom of the bag. I guess I’m womaning wrong.

Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
Valentin - Emigrantski Ragamuffin
6 years ago

Kupo! yes this is much more clearly what I tried to say. thank you))

and about classism – maybe some people here are working class? I mean, my job is manual job but skilled job. working class people also can have interest about politics.?

but for me, i dont even think this is about class. for me I understood what wwth said – because I also experienced same in my job. they crush people down so they feel so miserable that when we receive even something like bananas or fruits people become excited and say what wonderful company it is. because actually – they are correct. some companies even worse! they have no gym equipment or books to read. if your expectation already so small and you know also that other companies even worse – of course you will be excited for simple things like bananas or chocolates.

it is not about classism – it is about capitalism.

mrex
mrex
6 years ago

@Kupo

Yeah, well I’M worried and upset, it’s a worrying situation, so I’m not going to sugarcoat in order to 100% avoid alarming her. You guys act like I told her her friend was termanilly ill or something. But fair enough, I’m not diagnosing anything, and never was. She needs to be seen by a doctor.

kupo
kupo
6 years ago

@mrex
I didn’t say to sugar coat. But there’s a world of difference between telling someone you’re worried about their friend and telling them their friend is going to die due to their own inaction. You talk a lot about classism but how classist is it to assume everyone has reasonable access to see a doctor?

I’ve had a pharmacy rep accuse me of not loving my partner because I wanted to buy the OTC drugs he told me he’s used before that would help him with a chronic illness that he had been managing for years on his own rather than taking him to the doctor he couldn’t afford to see to get the Rx version.

I’ve had a doctor tell me I caused that same partner to get pulmonary edema by following a different doctor’s instructions not to give edema meds unless the edema in his feet was causing discomfort. Turns out it wasn’t pulmonary edema after all – that doctor acted on too little information and shamed me for following medical advice.

No one deserves to be made to feel like this. You cannot possibly be more worried about Z&T’s friend than they are. Z&T’s feelings about their dear friend are more important than your feelings about having read something that worries and upsets you.

Shadowplay
Shadowplay
6 years ago

Minor giggle for those of you who believe in karma:

There’s a case coming up in court about the environmental waivers needed for the orange one to build his wall. The judge slated to hear the case is the same one Trump insulted during the election (over the Trump U case).

Scildfreja Unnýðnes
Scildfreja Unnýðnes
6 years ago

I have been out awhile! busy busy, etc. I hope all are well.

@MissEB47, that is not a fun situation! You trust yourself, it sounds like. I like the idea of walking with someone else you know, as already suggested. See if they’re just as friendly with your dad or relation or friend or whatever. Not surefire, obviously, but a useful test. It is awful that you have to go through it :C I hope it clears up.

@Z&T, eep! Your poor friend! I hope that doctor visits were/are in short order after that. Blood is not supposed to come out of there like that! You should feel happy, though. You are reliable and close enough that she trusted you when she was afraid. That’s not small.

Let’s not dramatize it though, my ducks. It could be a horrible nasty infection, or it could just be a stubborn healing process. Heck, it could be dry air. We commit the sin of conjunction otherwise.

Over here? Politically fun stuff. Well, !!fun!!. The local provincial conservative party; the one that’s marching lockstep with Breitbart and Rebel Media (number 2 in the ‘right wing propaganda outlet supported by russian oligarchs’ list)? Last Friday had 2 resignations. One is a former minister who was found misappropriating government funds multiple times, and now has been found poaching on private land. Resigned, and oh my gosh he’s so sour about it! Whining about how nasty politics is. Doesn’t admit that it’s entirely of his own making.

There was a second resignation on Friday from Don MacIntyre (I think that is his name). The official line is “leaving politics to spend time with the family”, but The Internet Doesn’t Forget, you scumbag. For several hours there were a few news articles before they were removed from the internet by a court blackout, because he’s been accused of pedophilia with a minor. “Spending time with the family” indeed.

Meanwhile, Rebel Media now has Seb Gorka as a contributor. Yes, the Nazi who’s wanted for crimes in Hungary. That one. They seem to be turning the knob up to 11.

Sure wish it’d get less interesting around here!

mrex
mrex
6 years ago

@Kupo

I’m sorry to hear that a pharmacy rep and doctor shamed you. But I didn’t shame Z&T, she’s done nothing wrong, you’re putting shit in my mouth.

How classist is it to tell poor people to go to the dr? Well, I’m not rich, I have no medical insurance, and yet I still have to go to the doctor to get a proper diagnosis and get the proper antibiotic*. It’s just a fact of life.

*I have swallowed fish/black market antibiotics. Yay America the Greatest! \○/

Shadowplay
Shadowplay
6 years ago

Yon $1.50 secretary isn’t too pleased, just to put that idea to bed.

(Got it from David’s twitter, posting for those who don’t much twitter)

Mish of the Catlady Ascendancy
Mish of the Catlady Ascendancy
6 years ago

OMG those crisps for ladies… I will add them to my class on pointlessly gendered products, along with the bread, the pens, the cotton buds, the tissues ??
(couldn’t decide which emoji was more apt, so went with both).

Re the Paul Ryan tweet:

1. Of course the secretary wasn’t actually happy with her $1:50
2. Of course Ryan saw the other examples where people were getting a lot more than $1:50

He’s not hopelessly out of touch, nor is he stupid.

He chose to tweet the $1:50 anecdote because it’s really, really, insulting. He knows it’s a pathetic amount of money. Like Eddie said, that tweet was a “fuck you” to lower income earners.

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