This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
This is the lounge. You can discuss anything you want, but you will do it kindly.
Status: Heavily Moderated; Previous thread
Dalillama, You should, in my opinion, give some thought to the actual physical process of moving. It sounds like the usual approach, leaving yer door open whilst things are carried to the also-open truck may be unwise: The feckwit “neighbors” sound like the kind of people who would see that as an ah, “open” invitation to sabotage (break/damage) yer belongings or the apartment you are leaving, and/or steal, and/or to harass the people involved.
And whilst this sounds paranoid, also give some thought to reducing the risk the feckwit “neighbors” don’t find out where you’ve moved to (even if it is as crude as following the truck).
I have no advice at all here on what steps to take (or avoid), and I hope I have not unduly alarmed you, but based on yer descriptions I suspect I would be concerned if I were in a similar situation.
Thanks for the support, everyone. We’re actually looking into the possibility of crashing with friends for the next couple weeks, just to be elsewhere.
blf
We’re going to try to have lots of people around helping, and we haven’t got a lot of bulky stuff, so it shouldn’t take many trips. Anytime the door’s open, the stairs will be occupied by people hauling things. We’re not going to be moving very far, which is a potential issue, but they drive everywhere afaict, so there’s not actually much chance of running into them on the street.
Hail to the Horde!
Could someone here with the requisite experience/expertise point me at a good introductory text to Anthropology in general? I’ve read Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel and I can see I have
gapschasms in my grasp of the subject.Much thanks in advance,
A Humble Hordeling.
jrfdeux
Hail!
Do you want social anthropology, physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology or one of the other anthropologies (incl. archaeology)? :)
Actually, I’d have to think on that a bit because I remember reading some good texts in uni, but alas, I have not kept up with the field. So I will probably filch whatever titles anyone else offers you.
It’s raining, it’s pouring, the Resident Felines are Not Amused.
At least Shadow has gotten over her usual first response to rain, which is to head straight under the Younger Daughter’s bed, wailing in her best tortiemese voice that the sky is falling, the monsters are coming, it’s the end of the world, and so on. Don’t even get me started on thunderstorms – one of those will keep her upset and jumpy for days afterwards.
Patches, on the other hand, after going out and wandering around in the wet a few times, is napping on the couch.
Me, I’m going to crawl under the covers and read in bed for a while. I might even take a nap myself. I’ll refill the hugs basket first; apply as needed.
Anne
Some hot tea, before you crawl under again?
Oy.
So while dealing with a rent increase of almost $200 next month, I jump into Ferguson on Thunderdome that feels like I’m going in circles because I thought I made myself clear but apparently not, read this triggering and true IME article on Cracked and read the joy of being right about institutionalized sexism at the CBC after getting shit for be so harsh or whatever on them during the last thread.
Oh and it’s “that time of the month” so while I stand by what I’ve said I’m having an even harding time formulating comments than usual (classism issues, low self-esteem etc being the usual) and am just exasperated after spending so much I shouldn’t have on them apparently.
Because I’m fucking brilliant like that.
———
Dalillama, Schmott Guy: I’m sorry about your asshole neighbors and am glad to hear you’ve found a place.
To everyone, I’m sorry I’ve been sporadic and I’m sure my own housing issues plays a part in remembering Dalillama’s but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel for ya or am ignoring you. *hugs* for everyone.
Now I’m going to go collapse into a book because fuck my life and my own damn stupidity.
Dalillama
Glad to hear you’ve found a new place. Here are some hugs in a jar to open for your housewarming.
[====]
| |
|____|
Well, it almost looks like a jar.
____
Mind if I vent?
Sunday morning I went to the parents’ for a post-turkey day dinner (little brother had spent actual turkey day with in-laws). I have felt myself emotionally unhinging for a few months now, but something just triggered a big ol meltdown Sunday morning. I mean crying like a baby sort of stuff, over my own stuff (unmarried, no kids, no respect from the married/kidded people*, etc). Well, Mom reacts by putting on her best snarky martyr voice “Well, I’m so sorry that I did such a poor job raising you…” And I lost it. I shouted how it wasn’t about her (peppered with some profanity), and she got more angry at that, throwing kitchen utensils and slamming doors. I started to leave, was pulling out of the driveway when Dad (poor Dad), came out and asked me to stay. “How can I have any fun if you’re not here?” So I stayed.
But the more I think about it, the pissier I get. Not only was she incapable of showing a little compassion; not only was she incapable of simply shutting up while I freaked out; but she was actually busy formulating in her head a way to make my misery an attack on poor, long-suffering Mom. She probably didn’t hear me at all.
*When folks actually invite me to something separately from my parents (like I’m an autonomous entity all my own), they never invite me to bring my Honey. Cuz I’m just the spinster sister, I guess.
Anyway, thanks for letting me vent that crap here.
Anne, #5,
I’m up here in the San Bernardino Mts. and the skies have opened! It is pouring. I’m SOOO glad I live on the top of a mountain… At least it won’t slide down on me. Seems California only does extremes. I’m really enjoying the wet. The doggies are only going out when they can’t avoid it any longer.
Hi rq!
I’d love a text that did a general survey of anthropology as a whole, and then perhaps something in the realm of social anthropology to start. I have it in my head to go back for a second masters degree late next year, and getting back into reading texts isn’t a bad thing to do, particularly if I’ve developed an interest that needs slaking.
In the meantime I’ll stick to X-Men comics because I can. :-) And thanks in advance for any advice you can give!
CaitieCat:
Hurray!
–
*hugs* for Morgan!?. I’m sorry about your assholey inlaws.
Fuck ’em.
Sideways.
–
*hugs* for 2kittehs.
Unfortunately, I have no helpful suggestions to offer.
–
*waving at Pteryxx*
–
Lynna:
and
Tony!:
Yes.
And…oh, so very yes.
–
*handing blf a Beverage (temperature and alcohol content to be determined by end-user)*
I am sorry about your pointy-haired affliction.
Have you considered *napalm!*?
–
*scritches* for WMDKitty.
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A. Noyd, what about, “from [Redacted], in Africa”?
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*hugs* and sympathies for Dalillama & L.
Fuck your neighbors, sideways and running.
Do I understand, though, that you have confirmation on Acquisition of New Digs?
–
*hugs* and encouragement for bassmike.
–
501
JAL
Ugh, asshole landlords and their rent hikes. *hugs*
awakeinmo
*hugs* Asshole family also suck. At our thanksgiving dinner, mom told a ‘funny’ story involving a trans woman in her dance group while L and I bit our tongues to keep it from turning into a fight.
all: we’re still waiting on final final confirmation; nothing should be able to derail it at this point, but I’m still utterly terrified that something will… Especially since we had to give notice here to get the referral, so if anything did happen, we’d be fucked.
Dalillama
I hope you can make it to the 12th okay. I doubt it would make you safer to be arrested, especially if the police are likely to arrest everyone and take you in and lock you up together.
Could you go down to your local precinct and ask for advice? Or contact your local politicians (council rep or state rep) and tell them you’re having a neighborhood safety issue and the police have not been helpful so far? Someone cares; you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.
Your stupid landlord doesn’t really know what is going to happen next. Serves them right.
Seconding blf’s thought that the neighbors are likely to be the type to fuck with your moving, either damaging things or stealing them. Have someone watch the truck the whole time.
Stay safe!
Lynna
There are a lot of black fraternal organizations. There has been a great need for them because of the sorry history of white power in this country. When you say it “Seems really weird to segregate police officers that way,” think of it as another scale falling from your eyes. The black experience has been a long long story of separate and injust, and it hasn’t nearly ended yet.
awakeinmo
Do you get to take your Honey sometimes anyway?
* ** *
I get to go back to work tomorrow, finally. The oral surgeon had no idea what my plan administrators wanted the release note to say. I didn’t know. Took three tries to get it right.
* ** *
Im’a stuff as many hugs as I can into the USB port here. Everybody who wants some take some. Also cookies and mulled wine. Penzey’s mulling spices! Box wine! Enough for all!
Hoo Boy!!!
I have about 35 trees on my little piece of the mountain. It is raining so hard that they are dropping branches all over the place! Wowie zowie!
In reference to comment #449 on the previous page of the Lounge thread, and to several comments following that, including #11 on this page (from cicely), not everyone is happy with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I knew that, of course, but I didn’t realize how much rightwing hatred is aimed at her.
Link.
Wilbefort
So far, not if the invite comes from the little brother’s “in-law” family. I don’t know them very well, and would feel rude inviting Honey to something without their express approval. Sometimes I do get to bring Honey to things… It is understood that Honey comes to my birthday celebrations. But it’s rather a sticky situation all around and I’m rather ashamed to give more detail than that.
Wilbefort @13:
Yes, I agree. Part of the shock is in realizing that black police officers had to form their own associations if they were to have any leverage at all in how things were done, and in protecting themselves. And, of course, white associations did not accept black members.
The statements that were issued from the white police officers’ association in Ferguson were horrible: one-sided, fact-free or fact-spinning crap. Those white officers had no black officers in their association to temper that shit. Apparently, the white officers do not associate with black officers unless they have to do so. The separate setup is helping to prolong the prejudice of those white officers, helping to strengthen the bubble in which they prefer to live. For example:
Chris Hayes discusses police testimony and its unreliability: Link.
More on St. Louis Police Officers Association: Link.
Their spokesman, Jeff Roorda, is a piece of work. He’s against body cameras. He has been caught and reprimanded before for falsifying police reports. He has a history of protecting crooked cops. Raw Story link.
Jeff Roorda went on CNN and said that law enforcement does not need to be changed in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing: “[…] it’s not a problem with the police.”
School Board members in Texas are in the news again. It’s never good. This time, one of them posted an image of a KKK guy in full, white-hooded regalia, withe the words “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” over the image.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/hooks-school-board-kkk-christmas-facebook
*hugs* for JAL and awakeinmo (Buy a herd of cats and threaten to bring them in lieu of your Honey and/or if/when they act like assholes towards her. Feral cats. “These cats are my family, and I cannot leave them alone!” Although I have the feeling they would prefer the spinster-cat-lady to awakeinmo-with-Honey. :( If I’m catching the right vibe, here.)
rq
If by vibe you mean…Honey is a boy (I’m a girl), so it’s (on the surface) a pretty standard old-fashioned relationship.
I do like the idea of the feral cats, however, and will use it for family functions anyway (with your permission).
Okay, I feel really dishonest and have to say it out loud:
Honey is not as …unmarried as I am.
That’s why it’s a sticky wicket.
I’m sorry for not admitting it sooner. It is nothing like the real awfulness and bigotry some folks have to deal with with their families and relationships, and I felt terrible for letting the conversation head in that direction. To everyone–I sincerely apologize for that.
Police reports and police testimony look really bad in the case of the Tamir Rice shooting.
The version the Police Officers told:
1. Police said that Tamir Rice was seated at a table with other people.
2. Police said that as they pulled up, they saw Tamir Rice grab the gun and put it in his waistband.
3. Police said they got out of the car and told Tamir Rice three times to put his hands up but he refused.
4. Police said that Tamir Rice then reached into his waistband and pulled out the gun, and was then shot and killed by Officer Timothy Loehmann.
5. Timothy Loehmann was described as a rookie.
The above five lies are proven wrong by video of the shooting and by other facts:
1. Tamir Rice as not seated at a table with other people.
2. Tamir Rice does not appear to grab the gun and put it in his waistband.
3. Police shot and killed Tamir in less than two seconds and could not have told him to put his hands up three times.
4. Tamir Rice absolutely does not pull the air gun out of his waistband and brandish it in any way. This fact is so crucial.
5. Timothy Loehmann was not a rookie, but had been an officer for over two years.
To follow up, the police started a campaign of character assassination. The 12 year old kid didn’t give them much to go on, so they disparaged the character of the kid’s parents.
Most of the info above is taken from a Daily Kos article.
This is a very small gripe, but I am irritated that Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” has appeared on my Christmas Pandora station.
This is not a Christmas song. It does not belong on a “Christmas music” songlist.
*shakes cane at the whippersnappers on her lawn*
awakeinmo, you could tell your family that the feral cats are necessary to your psychological well-being? Ooh, I know, you could sponsor some ferals and carry pictures with you, and threaten to bring them! I’m sorry your family are so nasty about your Honey. And I know what you mean about guilt-tripping parents; my Aged Mum is a champion at that, although she’s let up on me a little since my dad died.
Tea is good. More tea, I need more tea.
awakeinmo, [hugs].
awakeinmo
Well, I got that one wrong. I sort of assumed because of the family no-no, sorry about that one from me. :( I didn’t mean to pressure you into confessing what you may not feel comfortable confessing. :( *hugs* if you still want them, and if your Honey is more married than you, well, he’s still your Honey, and whatever happens, I hope you are okay with it and that he makes you happy in every way he possibly can.
But yes, you may use the feral cats. You need one of those wallet photo plastic coverings, the ones that come tumbling out in a long row of photos, for all of them. For those times when you can’t put all the carriers in you – NO, you don’t even NEED carriers for all those cats! So many ways this could be fun…
rq
Please don’t apologize. You were offering support (and very good ideas). I just felt awful thinking of how I might have mislead folks with my cryptic talk. The no-no-ness of it is my own fault, and not a case of undeserved scorn. I just wanted to make that clear.
Anne
Thanks. Your simple [hugs] made me kinda cry. In a good way.
awakeinmo
I had a honey who was also not as unmarried as I was. It’s in the past, but no regrets. Reaching for love and happiness when mainstream culture doesn’t understand and doesn’t support the full range of relationships that exist can be hard. No demerits for not wanting or needing to talk about it. It’s your life, it’s personal, you reveal what you want and what you feel safe with. There is no shame in needing to be safe. [[moar hugs]]
* ** *
Sometimes you just need to say Fuck them all.
Wilbefort
Thank you.
I wish I could cook for the Horde. Tonight’s repast in honor of the downpour is a pot roast. Dredged boneless chuck roast in seasoned flour and browned in a bit of bacon grease. Added equal parts hearty red wine and beef stock, a rough chopped onion, a few cloves of minced garlic, 2 bay leaves, some ground pepper and about a teaspoon of ground cloves. That will braise for about 2 hours. I’ll add red potatoes, rutabaga and carrots when the meat is done and cook for about another half hour. Will be served with toasted sourdough garlic bread and more of that hearty red wine. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.
Serve with copious quantities of warm fuzzies.
Mike Luckovich hits it out of the park again.
Morgan,
Oh, I’d love some pot roast! Sounds doubly delicious with the sourdough bread!
I will be ecstatic when someone finally invents and perfects transporter technology. Then I really will be able to send food via USB. Of course I’ll probably be dust by the time that useful bit of machinery gets functional. Oh well.
Azkyroth,
Yuk, yuk, yuk. Each to their own seasonings.
awakeinmo #21
I’ve been there before as well. *hugs*
cicely, hugs back, thank you!
awakeinmo, lots of hugs. That sucks. :(
Seconded. With a megaphone and everything.
Dalillama, 2kittehs,
Thanks. I don’t know why I’m surprised at the gentle support in here. Y’all are really amazing people, and I feel privileged to be a part of it.
Now I’m going to eat pie.
Nite all.
They did indeed egg us. and throw more used cat litter on our door/doorstep, and filled our mailbox with same.
Dalillama
Would it be totally useless to talk to the landlord or building manager? I know you talked to them before, and they didn’t do anything, but maybe now that it’s their property getting vandalized they might care?
I’m so sorry you’re in this situation.
It’s hard for me to convince myself that this will change anything, or to muster the spoons to contact them again, although I know that I probably should, just to have a paper trail if nothing else.
Dalillama:
That really sucks. The only way I can think of to offer help is, maybe I could draft up an email for you to edit and send? If it’d help, that is.
Portia
If you think it might help.
Dalillama;
Oh, not because of lawyering skills. You are much better with words than I am. I just meant because I find that writing those things out is sometimes the stressful part when I’m stressed out about sending an email like that.
I sent you an email
got it
Anne (#5) [#505]
My mother’s resident feline likes to spend as much time outside as possible, but doesn’t much care for rain. So she’ll go to one door, see that it’s raining, turn around, and go to the other door just in case the weather out that one is any better.
~*~*~*~*~*~
cicley (#11) [#511]
Yeah, that’s the ticket! I knew there was at least one pithy way to signal when information is deliberately withheld, but couldn’t think of any for the life of me.
Good morning
Somehow, when I listened to the weather forecast yesterday in the afternoon they conveniently forgot to mention the 10cm of snow that would be falling during the night.
I suppose they didn’t want to spoil the surprise o.O
No, I’m not one of the “Help, snow, the worlld is ending” people, but I would have liked to get up half an hour earlier.
awakeinmo
Hugs for you and Honey. Take care of the two of you and urgh, mothers.
My biggest aim in life is that once my children won’t habe to complain about me like that.
++++
*nomnomnom*
I mean, it’s breakfast time here, but I’d have 2kitteh’s roast for breakfast, too!
Dalillama
Well, shee-it. I’m gald you ahve somewhere to stay for the couple of weeks until you move, because that’s beyond BEYOND any kind of human decency. Seriously, and the cops won’t listen?? Jeezus H and all his brothers too.
I would second talking to the landlord / owner, for the paper trail. Even though that sucks and I bet you just can’t get away from them all fast enough.
Good luck with letters, etc.! *hugs*
Morgan
Mmmmm, that sounds like a perfect breakfast!!! :)
rq
Unfortunately we don’t; no one who we’ve asked has any spare space.
Oh, sorry, Dalillama, I thought you mentioned upthread that you will be staying elsewhere for a short while. And I see I misread the possibility as something definite. :( So sorry about that, that sucks even worse. :( *hugs*
My reading comprehension seems to be off lately.
awakeinmo, I’d be right behind you on the honey-isn’t-unmarried front. MyMouse, my primary partner, is legally married for 25+ yrs to a lovely man with whom I’m friends. She and I have been together eight years. She also has another partner, and WolfBoy (MM’s husband) has somewhere between 3 and 5 casual gfs at a time, in addition to his other primary, DownOneOrganGirl (who’s also happily married to her own longtime husband).
So just in what I consider my family of primary partners, there are six of us, and a group of maybe eight or nine various people, of whom five are married to somebody.
Point is, you’ll never get judged by me for an unconventional take on morality of sex. :)
Honestly, poly is so natural for me, I’m known for shaking my head and saying “mono people are WEIRD!” while watching TV and seeing the odd twists of a culture in which touching other people for mutual pleasure is considered a break-up offence. I never get that. Sex is a pretty much fully renewable resource; if I have sex with Person A, then I’ve taken nothing but time from Person B, a partner of mine, no? So I watch a mystery or drama, for example, and get to the part where some person wants to literally KILL another person for mutual and consensual sexy times with someone who isn’t the about-to-be killer…to me, that’s a really weird response, in quality, not degree.
But I digress.
Chronically, actually. I should get that on a T-shirt: “I digress.”
Once again that’s to all of you for your support. The Horde are the most supportive group of people I know.
Dalillama I’ll be thinking about you until 12th. This doesn’t imply that I’ll stop thinking about you then!
rq big Ani Difranco fan here. I just have difficulty catching her live as she never plays anywhere near here. I wish she would. She is another person that has influenced by feminist views.
My daughter’s potty training is still a work in progress…..
bassmike
Does she still play?? I’d love it if she came over this side of the world!
Also, the potty-training. We’ve had a bout of regression past couple ofdays, too. Don’t know what it is, but it will get better. And for you, too!
*hugs*
CaitieCat
May I suggest ‘chronically digressing’?
I call this a win: a while ago, we bought snowpants for Eldest and Middle Child, with the idea that they would fit for two years. Which means this year is, technically, time for new ones. However, it appears that we will be getting a third year out of those purchases. WIN!
rq she has a new album – Allergic to water – out now. She does come to Europe every three or four years. I’ve seen her in Manchester loads of times. But it’s not the easiest place to get to from here! Not sure if Latvia is on her itinerary, but it’s always worth checking.
bassmike
Even something in the UK would be worth planning ahead for, or she might try Tallinn (they seem to attract more of the big names). I’m going to keep an eye out from now on.
[TW: rant on advocating for domestic violence to follow]
.
.
.
I hate people who try to rationalize violence against women.
Hate.
Prominent Latvian psychotherapist (kind of a celebrity therapist) writes blog post wailing about how violence against women was the best thing invented, and that modern men have a hard time keeping women in line because they’re not allowed to slap them around anymore. This was not satire.
People have defended him saying it’s all metaphorical, but there’s nothing much metaphorical in the article. Others have said what else is a man to do if he’s having trouble at work, and can only express himself with violence? Others moan about how women have raised a generation of weaklings and have masculinized themselves, so what do they expect? Let a Man be a Hero and Hunt that Mammoth and come home to a woman’s warm breasts!!! *retch*
At least maybe this time they’ll take away his therapist certificate away. They’ve already convened the ethics board.
Most of all, I hate how he is being publicized as being provocative and a deep thinker. He’s not. He’s an asshole on a power-trip and a very specific, unequal world-view based somehow on Greek mythology (like they knew everything about the psyche). I hope he is discredited once and for all.
(On the plus side, the Latvian Association of Psychotherapists or however they translate themselves has come out with a very good, very quick statement – but the downside, obviously, is that he’s been practicing for years, and has already done who-knows-how-much harm to victims of domestic violence. He also happens to teach at one of the universities. *shudder* Rape culture and patriarchy at work – and Husband tries to tell me that Latvia is sexism-free. We had a woman president, for fucks’ sakes, and our current prime minister is a woman! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.)
[/rant]
Is there a shitlist type funtion on wordpress? Needing to rid myself of the tedium of Avicenna’s constand slymepit infestations.
Rachel Maddow covered the botched grand jury instructions that likely led, in part, to a lack of an indictment of Officer Wilson. Link. I think Rachel’s presentation is the clearest, but you have to watch the video to get it.
And here is the Think Progress article describing how the mistake by the prosecutor’s office skewed the law in Darren Wilson’s favor. Excerpt below:
The case of the incorrect instructions has been discussed before on Pharyngula, but I felt like it needed a bigger spotlight.
rq @58
That is so disgusting and disheartening. I will never understand people who believe that lack of compassion and excessive violence are positive traits in men. Or any human. I hope the psychotherapist has more critics than defenders, but in this world, I won’t be surprised if that isn’t the case.
Pakistan has also had a female prime minister, and I don’t believe many people would consider them sexism-free, especially after the heavily publicized shooting of Malala Yousafzai.
rq, I see a marketing opportunity! Men want to come home to a woman’s warm breasts? How about a heating pad/cushion shaped like boobs? Or a padded boobs-shaped cover for the heating pad or hot water bottle they already own? With Velcro straps so the poor exhausted man could just wrap the thing around himself.
Yeah, ewwwww!
The world is kinda scary.
Russian Jet Fighter Nearly Collides With NATO F-16 Over Norway
Dalillama
So sorry about the egging! What a bunch of asshats!
Giliell
Yea. Mothers. I need to realize that she just can’t give me what I want from her.
CaitieCat
Thanks for the support. Digress all you like. I like reading your posts.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UK government to introduce loans for 1-year masters courses in 2016 – so so so excited, maybe maybe just maybe DaughterSpawn will be able to do some postgrad study after all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t quite believe it yet. Is it really possible? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30293964
Sorry, still twitching. Bushels of hugs to the Horde, especially Dalillama and morgan and awakeinmo and Giliell and bassmike and rq and carlie and cicely and, well, actually a great many of you.
My appreciation to the informed and articulate people in the Jerry Coyne / evo-phrenology thread.
Roll on the 12th, and I really really hope that works out.
By “the 12th” I refer to Dalillama’s moving day, of course.
*hugs* for JAL.
–
*extra hugs* for awakeinmo.
I think it’s the cultural assumption that, until you are Married With Kids Of Your Own, you cannot possibly be “grown up”, and therefore don’t ‘deserve’ the respect/treatment due an adult.
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Additional *hugs*, moral support, and solidarity for Dalillama & L.
I would think that at the very least, the landlord would take umbrage at the vandalism of hir property.
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A. Noyd:
And so the Pharyngula Hivemind once again proves its worth!
:D
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*hugs* for rq. I greatly admire the eloquence of your rantly wrath.
–
*returnhug* for opposablethumbs, and I’ll join you in hoping for DaughterSpawn’s future postgrad studies.
:)
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Dalillama, One of my concerns — besides theft or damaging your property, or harassment on moving day — is that the “neighbors” will VANDALIZE the apartment you are leaving. Without some solid proof you didn’t do / cause the damage, chances are quite good the landlord will charge you for damages. That would be the “neighbors” intent, to “punish” you (for various imagined “offenses”).
The obvious time to vandalize would be after you’ve vacated, but in reality, anytime when no-one is there would work. I suggest getting some very solid proof of the condition of apartment; e.g., good date-stamped photographs taken every day, starting NOW, with a final set showing the emptied apartment. Download them to somewhat safe (i.e., not (only) to a computer in the apartment), and maybe tell the landlord of this concern and what you doing. (Make clear that you will pay or whatever for any damage you have caused — include a “preliminary, to be confirmed” list (along with a copy of the first set of photographs?).) This would be part of the paper-trail you mentioned earlier.
This is a follow up to comment #17.
Whoops, messed up my block quoting tags in comment 69. The last paragraph should not be block quoted. That’s me adding my two cents.
After President Obama gave the speech outlining his immigration reform measures, Michele Bachmann made a speech. She said, among other things:
She was speaking to Fox News Viewers.
It’s a good sign that there was not a big rally. There was a press conference with, basically, no audience. Ted Cruz, Steve King, and Michelle Bachmann spoke to about 40 protestors.
Oh, how I do love this failure of the Tea Party faithful to respond to Bachmann. Five years ago, Bachmann called for massive rallies and protests on another harebrained issue (to stop Obama from “taking away my health care”) and the Koch brothers paid to have busloads of protestors show up. This time, the Koch brothers did not spend the cash, and no one came on their own. Kind of a sharp contrast to the nationwide protests over the killing of Michael Brown.
Link.
rq
Yeah, women need to be kept in line. Because we can’t be having with them being independent people.
Last weekend an Austrian newspaper published an article where the journalist said that of course you needed violence to raise children, describing exactly how he violently punished his son (whom he first described as kind of a child prodigy, and really, if you need violence to deal with such a near perfect child, imagine what people with ordinary children need to do!). Although the article was redacted, the damage was done, of course.
+++
Well, I just ordered the family christmas present.
Better said I spent my savings of the last 2 years and got a camera, an EOS 70D.
I feel kind of giddy
Chris Hayes tried mightily to cover the Ferguson-related protests and to negate the false conclusions coming from the rightwing. The rightwing press is assuming that the grand jury decided that Officer Wilson is innocent, and that witnesses who said Brown had his hands up were lying. This is not at all what the grand jury decision means.
Link.
We see Hayes take down Bill O’Reilly and others. Awesome job on the part of Hayes. For me, the most interesting part starts at about 3:00 minutes into the video.
No indicment in the case of Eric Garner.
Fuck that injustice system
cicely
Thanks! Hugz back atcha.
Thank you, cicely! :-)
*hugs* for cicely
I took my frustration out on the chicken fillets, and probably shouldn’t have. I mean, there’s ‘tenderizing’ and then there’s ‘reducing to a pulp’. … It was still delicious.
I would have thought a whole, live, sometimes-flying chicken would be a somewhat more effective mode of transport. How many frustrations can a chicken curry?
Giliell @74, there’s new video that shows events after the choking of Eric Garner. Officers did not attempt resuscitation. See Daily Kos link and scroll down for the last video.
Other unjustified violence by police officers has resurfaced again. This is in reference to an incident in Detroit:
Daily Kos link.
Global Grind link.
Lynna
re: not attempting resuscitation
That is disgusting. Absolutely. And it’s all on video, and no indictment.
So what exactly are bodycams supposed to solve, in the end?
More on what went wrong with the grand jury process in the Eric Garner case (see comments #74, 79, and 81) — you’re going to feel like you heard this before. It’s remarkably similar to what went wrong in the Michael Brown case.
Think Progress link.
rq @81, it is not only disgusting, but heart wrenching to watch the minutes tick by on the video that shows cops did not attempt to resuscitate Eric Garner. But it was a civilian doing the videotaping, and as comment #80 shows, police often confiscate and erase civilian video. Might not be so easy to delete all the video if all those officers were wearing body cameras.
Lynna @73
Thank you for the Hayes link.
I feel discouraged about the world today.
Lynna
In the Later This Morning thread I just put up a link about how the civilian doing the videotaping was charged (he says it was a set-up) on a gun charge a few months later, as retaliation for filming. Guess what, he got charged! While Panteleo walks free.
And yes, more video is more material to get rid of, but then it comes down to who owns the servers and who’s doing the sorting at the end of the day. Who decides what is relevant and what is not. So it’s a toss-up as to how much the bodycams will help – some, for sure, but it really depends on implementation.
Lynna:
A body camera vendor linked in the Good Morning America thread also gives the stored recordings to the police department using the body cams. So they’d erase (quote ‘malfunctions’ unquote) anything incriminating, while retaining control over footage that could be used to exonerate officers or make the suspects and targets look bad. No batteries in the camera? Forgot to turn the bodycam on? Cameras in the cop car somehow failed to show what happened to the handcuffed suspect between being fine and being dead? All that has happened before.
And any of these things should be grounds for the cop in question to do time in prison and be permanently forbidden to work in law enforcement.
rq
I don’t think the bodycams will solve the problem, but having video evidence of so many of these incidences helps make it difficult for people to deny that it happens and happens a lot.
One of my coworkers was very defensive of the cops in response to the first week or so of the Ferguson protests back in August, but after seeing several videos of similar incidences, he changed his tune. My greatest hope for the bodycams is that they can change more minds of the oblivious, privileged white people who don’t want to look outside of their own experiences with the police. And maybe someday the cops will also watch their behavior with the knowledge that they are on camera, but I’m not holding my breath for that one.
But it’s possible that I’m being too optimistic. :(
toska
I hope you’re not being too optimistic. That’s a depressing thought.
re: bodycams in Ferguson and everywhere else.
There was a story about a cop whose bodycam kept malfunctioning every time a disputed event occurred, up to and including him beating up an unarmed, innocent man. Will have to see if that story floats up again.
(Dalillama, I agree.)
I’m going to join Portia in feeling discouraged about the world today.
Thanks to several people up-thread who alerted me to the fact that police alter or erase body camera footage as well. Okay, not “thanks” so much as “yes I needed to know that, but I’ve had about as much as I can take today.”
As for cops targeting civilians for harassment after they videotape an incident … well FFS, that’s a police state tactic.
Mmph.
Officer who fatally shot Tamir Rice judged unfit for duty by police in 2012:
Bah and humbug.
toska, It’s my (admittedly vague) understanding that, in the UK, after initially being resisted, bodycams are now fairly popular with the
policegoons. In addition to backing-up their side when they aren’t lying, it also helps to calm things down: Apparently, what they do is show, on-the-spot, what the bodycam recorded to the individuals being a bit, ah, “troublesome”.There is one huge difference with USAlienstani: The UK’s goons, whilst still goons and mostly shielded by the criminal injustice system, don’t carry guns (albeit many(?) do carry Tasers nowadays).
And yes, the UK goonery is racist; famously, London’s goon tribe (“the Met”) was judged to be “institutionally racist”.
I have no idea how often there are “malfunctioning” cameras, “dead” batteries, and so on, or what happens to the stored video (or where it is stored). And there is an obvious potential for soliciting bribes to not report what the bodycam recorded.
We really need the Commune. If for nothing else, at least as a safe refuge from the insanity of this world. Either that or we need to greatly augment the square footage of the Lounge to accommodate more weary folks. It is hard work for me to stave off the constantly snarling black dog… It is getting harder.
blf
I don’t have the link handy at the moment (but could provide one later if requested), but a US police department (Riverside, CA, I believe) started using bodycams, and complaints against the police went down A LOT (I think it was around 80%). No one knows yet if it is because police behave better when they’re wearing a cam, troublesome citizens lie less if they know there’s a cam, or mostly likely, some mixture of both those factors. Either way, it seems like the cams are beneficial to both police and citizens, if this one police station is representative (it’s a small sample size, but it’s what we’ve got at the moment). I’d say it’s definitely worth a shot. Glad to hear it improved things in the UK.
More American religious rightwing dunderheads are traveling abroad to promote anti-gay attitudes and legislation:
Americans For Truth About Homosexuality’s Peter LaBarbera made an appearance at the conference last year. He said, in part:
Right Wing Watch link.
In re: my #86, that’s totally separate from any charges/penalties for misconduct that occurred during the ‘malfunction’. The mere fact of being shown to be on duty with a non functional body cam should, in and of itself, be a penal offence.
blf
It is imperative, if body cameras are to do any good, that the video should be stored and kept by an agency other than the police force.
Morgan#94
I agree wholeheartedly.
Morgan
I would be glad to join the Commune with you! Unfortunately, I don’t think it’ll help with my outlook on the world, as I know I’ll never stop caring about those outside the Commune.
I hope your black dog backs off with the snarling. The snarls of the black dog are filthy lies, but it can be hard not to believe them. *hugs if you want them*
This is sort of funny in a tragicomic way:
Oh, those lesbian judges. If only we had some test to determine lesbianism, then we could kick them off the bench. /snark
Link.
Toska #98,
Unfortunately you are so correct. Sort of like “you can run but you can’t hide.” Those of us who care deeply and honestly about the citizenry of the world will continue to care, and empathize, and hurt, regardless of where we are. But The Commune is a temporarily soothing utopian idea.
All hugs gratefully accepted and returned tenfold.
Home grown anti-gay rhetoric that stays in the USA can be found in our churches. This is one of the latest calls for violence:
That is Faithful Word Baptist Church Pastor Steven Anderson of Tempe, Arizona speaking, same guy who prayed for President Obama’s death. And the same guy who forbids female congregants to utter even one word in church — they can’t even say “amen.”
This dunderhead produces YouTube videos as well. He has a cult-like following and I think his calls for violence could prompt some sheeple to try to kill gay people, and to try to kill them in a hurry because, you know, get it done before Christmas.
New Civil Rights Movement link.
Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Main, and North Carolina. What do these states have in common today?
They are all suing the Obama administration over President Obama’s recent executive actions related to immigration. I put Texas first because it was Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot who actually filed the suit, and he was a primary organizer that brought the other states along for the ride.
[headdesk]
MODERATOR FUCKIGN NOTE ON THE FUCKING LBERTARINA THREAD BEFORE I COMPELTELOY BSOD OUT HERE
Azkyroth
*hugs* Seriously, Owlmirror is way the fuck out of line over there.
i don’t understand how my being briefly rude to a libertarian troll became such an issue anyway. maybe they’ll be all full up on feeling superior, though….
Azkyroth:
Sorry you had to deal with that, seems like Owlmirror’s response was way out of proportion. *hugs*
Lynna @102:
I just saw the news on that and was about to link to it here. May I join you in the headdesking?
Morgan @94:
Sorry about the black dog snarling at your back. Hugs.
I completely agree with you on the Commune.
Google gets rid of ‘CAPTCHA’ , replaces it with “I’m not a robot”
Here’s the video explaining the change
I am profoundly embarrassed to have to ask, but I have $150 to my name right now and I have $200 unpaid bills, plus I have to keep myself fed through the end of the year. I was doing okay with my budget, but then some unexpected bills and expenses landed.
I am thus reluctantly raising the Hordefund banner for myself. :(
*hugs* for Morgan!?, and the back o’ me hand to the Black Dog.
–
*also hugs* for Azkyroth.
–
Feel free to paypal donations to me on behalf of Esteleth at bravoportia and the Jee maley thingy. Those who’ve got my mailing address, go ahead and use it if you’d like to contribute but don’t paypal.
Oy. I started arguing with racists on a lawyer listserv. About Michael Brown. Didnt take long for the T-word to come out. I quit.
I just wanted to say that I am not ignoring the Horde signals, but right now it’s taking everything we’ve got and then some to keep Aged Mum afloat. As soon as she’s financially stable and I get our budget sorted out, I hope I’ll be able to chip in.
You’re a good and caring group.
Please tell me if this is a stupid idea. When the Hordefund signal goes up it may or may not be possible for folks to contribute. But the needs are always immediate and there is no way to know if the needs will be met. But what if we set up a little contribution system. What if I tell my bank to send $XX every month to the Horde fund? Would the bookkeeping be onerous? Would the legalities be a pain in the ass? Does anyone want to be responsible for the record keeping? Does this have an ice cube’s chance in hell of being feasible, or am I nuts?
To my mind, Morgan, this could be workable. Basically, if we set up a PayPal account and give a trusted Horde member (or two, or three) access to this account, we could use this as a generalized Hordefund.
I would rather send money as needed. This month I had some expenses, so I have to see what the EOM totals look like. One recent month, a whole paycheck was chewed up and spit out with medical bills. No donations for a couple of months.
I believe the HordeFund would fall under the great grey economy out there that operates off the books. It is a multi-billion dollar economy that has developed, as all grey economies do, out of need. And it operates primarily on trust. Cheesus… what a concept. I think it could work. Input please.
Thanks to a few generous donations, Esteleth needs only $50 more to meet the minimum needed of $200. Thanks everyone.
Jebus, don’t even get a chance to balance the books. And it’s time for the Redhead’s dinner, *sigh*.
Portia @119
Excellent news! I’m having issues with my paypal account, so I’m not sure if it’s going to work out this time [grumbles]. Hopefully I’ll have it sorted out soon enough. Or at least by next time the signal is raised.
Luke:
Stop being such a fucknut.
We’ve met the threshold for meeting Esteleth’s needs.
Thanks for coming through again Horde.
I hate what Dalillama is going through. The idea that people can’t realize their neighbors are people, too? Horrible.
I have a few more hugs for those who need them.
Personally, I lost my mother 3 years ago yesterday (12/2). I made what was probably my best roast beef, potatoes and carrots ever in my mom’s honor — I took it as her favorite meal. I am not sure now, what might be best to watch. Movies include Hatari!, The Quiet Man, Kelly’s Heroes, My cousin Vinny, and El Dorado. TV Shows include Rockford Files, M*A*S*H, and The Closer. Any suggestions?
ajb47
I hope you are ok. *hugs*
I vote My Cousin Vinny. I love it :)
–
Anyone seen Tony! lately?
I’m mostly OK, Portia. And My Cousin Vinny is winning on my FB, too. Which includes family and loooong time friends.
And at my time zone, Tony! has a post on December 3, — 6:53 in the Lounge. # 109, though if this is the second page, that might be 609.
I just remembered I saw Tony earlier today.
It’s time for me to sleep.
Good night Portia.
PS. there is a spider genus with your name that has very advanced hunting techiques, despite a very small brain size. Peter Watts used the Portia spider brain as an example of clever brain wiring in his latest SF novel Echopraxia.
Portia (genus) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portia_(genus)
Good morning
Ahhh, swimming and sauna. I feel good and my face is the colour of ripe rhaspberries
ajb
*hugs*
My grandpa died 4 years ago this week and I’m like “how can it be 4 years already?!!!” and “those 4 years, so much happened in that time”
esteleth
Sorry you’re in financial woes.
I can’t give anything right now (I need to shift money), but let me know if you still need something in a few days.
+++
Oh fuck.
Two of my best friends had a serious fight. I don’t know what they fought about (I know he can be an asshole and she a stubborn mule) but I really don’t want them to “break up”, after all he’s #1’s godfather and she’s the little one’s godmother and my life’s too complicated anyway
birgerjohansson
I was trying to decide what to do with spider information, and I’ve decided I think that’s neat :)
Signed on this morning to see the ESA shirt thread is very popular all of a sudden. Without even clicking on it, how accurate would it be to say some asshat jumpstarted it by posting something ridiculous?
Giliell
Ugh, that’s no fun. I hope your friends sort it out :(
Portia,
that clade of spiders are sometimes referred to eight-legged cats because of their cunning. Apparently the tiny neurological circuits are very sophisticated (the brain makes up for lack of size by taking a long time to work out plans, then acting very quickly with a tactic suited for the situation).
Lady Gaga reveals she was raped as a teenager: ‘I don’t want to be defined by it’ http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/lady-gaga-reveals-she-was-raped-as-a-teenager-i-dont-want-to-be-defined-by-it/
Saad
You win a cookie!
Portia
No, no fun. I see one of them tonight, I think we’ll talk then.
++++
Also, my shitty BIL has decided to participate in the gift “under the conditions that it doesn’t cost more and is a one time thing”
I’m very tempted to say “go fuck yourself”
Something nice: Woman with big baby belly tells anti-abortion protesters off.
warning: rant about racism
The response to the Eric Garner decision from conservatives and racists (redundant, but you get me) is particularly infuriating because they get to say “Well, it was different, this guy actually shouldn’t have been killed, unlike Michael Brown, who did X, Y, and Z, and was clearly a thug.” When what the Eric Garner decision shows is the opposite of what they’d like to acknowledge: it doesn’t matter what a black man does, he will be killed regardless. It wouldn’t have mattered what Michael Brown did, he would have been killed when Darren Wilson decided he deserved to die. It doesn’t matter if a black man is a paragon of white-society virtue. It’s so infuriating to me that they are finding ways to use the injustice and tragedy of one black man’s death to further justify the lack of consequences for the death of another.
/rant over.
Portia et al, the Hordefund idea is marvellous.
On a lighter side:
-Morality: Trolley Problem http://xkcd.com/1455/
The Onion: “Mellowing Jihadist Not As Enraged By Western Culture As He Used To Be http://www.theonion.com/articles/mellowing-jihadist-not-as-enraged-by-western-cultu,37482/
-Market forces: Bond villain Max Zorin decides it is time to downsize his team, now that the work is nearly finished. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-FvdszohE
(BTW I just realised Roger Moore is born on the same day 1927 as my mom. And both are born during the time of the historical meeting in Switzerland when Heisenberg, Einstein et al hammered out the outline of the quantum physic “standard model”)
Portia
I’m with you. in the case of Tamir Rice I’ve seen people bring up his parents’ police records as if those mattered one shit.
Oh wait, Mike Brown wasn’t a perfect little angel? Who cares? What would white people say if their not quite perfect little angels were regularly shot?
Portia, I found this at Slate:
Broken Windows Policing Doesn’t Work. It also may have killed Eric Garner. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2014/12/broken_windows_policing_doesn_t_work_it_also_may_have_killed_eric_garner.html
I will be very, very shocked if in a couple of months we hear the officer who murdered Tamir Rice is going to be on trial. You know they’re preparing their lies as we speak.
Thanks for the link, birgerjohansson.
Good morning, Tony. I hope your desk survived all the headdesking you and I engaged in yesterday. If not, repair it. I’m sure there will be more today.
Giliell @136, Thanks for posting that link. The pregnant woman telling off the abortion protestors was magnificent. I liked her references to her neighborhood, the details she used. Powerful.
*sigh* My daughter is unwell again. Rather worrying.
I’m not having the best of times at the moment…..back to the pillow fort I think.
I’ll leave the *hugs* here.
Sorry to hear that bassmike.
I’ll slide some supplies under the side of a blanket.
*hugs*
Maddow link.
Paul Butler, former federal prosecutor, now a professor at Georgetown Law, talks with Rachel Maddow about Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement of a Department of Justice investigation into the death of Eric Garner by police chokehold.
Politico link.
More on the differences between white police officers and black police officers in St. Louis (See comments #13, 17 and 69 for part of the previous discussion):
Link.
I guess he’s faking this “being dead” thing, too
+++
bassmike
*hugs*
+++
Well, the Cinnamon Waffer Battle 2014 can begin
Ingredients:
1 kg butter
1.2 kg sugar
16 eggs
2 kg flour
10 tbsp rum
1 kg almonds
100g cinnamon
If you want to make them in usual household quantities…
Beat 250 g butter with 300g sugar and 4 eggs fluffy
add 500g flour, 130g ground almonds, 2 tbs rum, 2tbs cinnamon
You need a waffer iron, one where you can make very thin waffers with, like for ice cream cones.
Put a teaspoon (or some more, depending on the size of your iron) of dough on iron and bake.
Do NOT eat all of them while they’re still hot
I need a smile…
Turtle Wiggle
That aughtta do it.
bassmike, if you want to talk privately, the link in my nym will lead you to a contact that works. :)
No offence taken if you don’t, either, OK? *hugs* offered either way.
Evil. Pure evil.
–
How can I convince gmail that Pharygula subscriptions are not spam? : ( I tried to whitelist the url but it’s not working.
Giliell #140:
“That’s different.”
*hugs* for all in need of same. bassmike, the pillow fort is always open, and there are cookies.
There must be something going around – I’m fighting the big black cloud again too. Monday next is the fifth anniversary of my dad’s death, so Aged Mum is wanting a lot of emotional support from me. It’s also my sixtieth birthday, so I am dealing with that nagging certainty that I’ve made a complete mess of my life, my husband’s and daughters’ to boot, and there is no hope of future improvement, ever. I’m going to shut up now because nobody needs any more whining from me, but please know that I’m here, I read, and I care about all of you.
Anne:
So much *hugs* and support, as much as you’d like. You can email me if you’d like to vent, or do so here, too. It’s ok to talk about it, that’s what we’re all here for.
Thanks, Portia, I’ll keep that in mind. I tend to get into self-blaming spirals of doom if I think too much, and I’m trying not to do that anymore.
Anne:
I echo with my tiny voice what Portia wrote at 156. I’ve received so much help from the Horde and I think it would be an injustice if any hordeling felt they couldn’t share their pain here. Remember that here you’re whining with the best. :)
Arrrgh… idiots on facebook again. A friend of mine posted an article supporting Ferguson protesters, and this asshole shows up in comments:
Seeing red was not how I intended to start the day . . .
I would point out how stupid he is, but I know him in meatspace and already know he is a bigot and not worth engaging. The first time I talked to him, he told me all about how Mexicans are ruining the Spanish language, and he later tried to tell me that Russia’s anti-homosexuality laws are basically just public decency laws. So I know I’ll end up in a rage if I try to talk to him about this one.
*hugs* to Anne, bassmike, and everyone struggling with their black dogs/clouds/etc. I had a terrible time with mine last week, but I’ve started to get a handle on it and have lots of hugs to spare.
Anne
*hugs*
That’s the monkey brain, don’t listen! (that’s what I dubbed it, though I’m sure no non-human monkey ever managed to be nasty to itself)
*hugs* for ajb47.
I recommend Galaxy Quest.
–
bassmike, I’m sorry your daughter is unwell again.
*hugs*
Hopefully it’s not serious, and will soon pass.
–
*hugs* and comfort and sympathy for Anne.
I’m having a bit of Localized Overcast, myself—and part of it bears a more-than-casual resemblance to the Big Black Cloud that is troubling you. The other front to my storm system is the currently shitty state of USAian society-and-culture, so I figure that this front is plenty big enough to be afflicting all of us.
I expect (actual, physical) turds to start precipitating out any time.
And with that, take it awaaaaay, Monty Python!
–
jrfdeux:
Well said!
:D
–
Ha!
*splut!*
“It’s a bird!”
“It’s a plane!”
“No! It’s the !
–
Anne @155:
No need to shut up. This is exactly the place for expressing your thoughts. We care about you too.
*hugs* for bassmike and Anne and toska and anyone else who needs one from the sack
I was feeling all better day before yesterday, then yesterday got me down (they did revoke that therapist’s certificate, though he’s still allowed to practice, so I have no idea how taht works – and of course he called it a secret meeting and an irrational move, and probably will eventually upgrade to witchhunt and lynching), and today has been… kind of mid-road. More tired than anything else.
Just finished a couple of pans of christmas spice cookies, if anyone wants some. They’re warm and crunchy and some even have dried fruits and nuts on them.
cicely
Don’t say that about the turds, considering recent accidents from both Youngest and Middle Child, I’d rather escape the overhead bits!!!!!
rq, you are indeed fortunate!
Since you do not live in USAia, you are not eligible to be (directly) targeted by the droppings of the low-flying-and-distinctly-incontinent .
–
Is there enough for the cookie monster at yer work?
cicely
Well, then thank goodness you have someone like me adding links to the Later This Morning thread from the sidelines! I’ll bring some sturdy umbrellas.
Over on The Concourse (a blog at Gawker media) there’s an article titled “The American Justice System Is Not Broken.”
It’s not a screed about how those uppity brown people deserve what they’re getting. It’s a dismal, stomach-turning essay about how the justice system in the US is doing exactly what it is designed for: “It processes black and brown bodies into white power.”
:-(
blf
These ones I’m not bringing to work on an unofficial basis. Tomorrow, the Cookie Monster at work will get some, as there is official doings afoot, and I have promised to bring some. Untampered with.
I will, in the meantime, leave the maggoty pistachios out. I have noticed the Cookie Monster isn’t just a cookie monster, but an All-Unhidden-Food Monster.
jrfdeux
Mind putting that up on Later This Morning? I can’t access it from work (it’s classified as “Entertainment/Social Media” :P ).
Cupcakes with superglue frosting.
(That’s probably a bit too dangerous, but it might be hilarious, as well as making the point…)
rq
Oh, dear.
Maybe the Cookie Monster is actually hungry.
Bill Donahue of the Catholic League sort of compared christians in the USA to victims of ISIS, and he also broke everyone’s irony meter.
Right Wing Watch link.
More friggin’ Nazi comparisons:
Dafuq? Lapin and Beck sure cooked up a mess there. It’s hard to even sort out the many tangled threads of pseudo-fact and delusion.
Link.
rq, I’d be happy to!
Uh…what’s “Later this Morning”? :-)
Lynna, OM, that is priceless.
Has the man no introspection at all?
As is his wont, Ted Nugent adds to the disinformation overload:
That last sentence is certainly false, since Ted did make that up. Sharpton has not been appointed by Obama to some kind of Race Relations Czar position.
Link.
Lynna, #176
After reading that, I don’t know what’s real anymore.
jrfdeux
PZ’s current Ferguson Etc. thread. Here, though if you search ‘Later This Morning’ it’s the first thing that pops up. :)
jrfdeux @177:
Rq is referring to the Later this morning in America thread (the successor of the ‘Good Morning America’ thread where people* have posted links relevant to racism, police brutality, Ferguson and more).
*rq being the biggest contributor of the information linked on that thread.
rq @181:
Jinx!
Lynna
Perhaps Obama should create a position like that just for Sharpton. Complete with sword-wielding honour guard and a lot of fancy uniforms. Black men only, of course. And a token women. But no white people!!!
Larry McQuilliams, the guy who shot up a bunch of buildings recently in Austin Texas, turns out to be a “terrorist” all right, a christian terrorist, a white supremacist terrorist. McQuilliams fired more than 100 rounds before police took him out, and according to maps and other materials found in his vehicle he had plans to do a lot more damage.
I don’t see coverage in rightwing news sources that describes McQuilliams’ christian, white-supremacist dogma. I wonder why.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/12/04/3599271/austin-shooter-christian-extremism/
general *hugs*, particularly to anne and bassmike
Fucking worthless management company has literally no one that I can contact other than the local manager and the receptionist at the main office. I’ve been given the email address of the area manager, but that individual has not responded in any way to any of the emails I’ve sent. Furthermore, there isn’t actually any government agency where I can submit a complaint against the company as a whole, AFAICT. I called the Housing Authority and was directed to a group called the Oregon Coalition of Tenants, who aren’t answering their phone.
rq: Done!
Tony!: Merci!
St Louis police rebuked for Facebook warning after Tamir Rice shooting:
Hey, fecking idiot, the goon shot the kid whilst still getting out of the goon car two fecking seconds after the goon car arrived on scene. There’s no fecking way the goon made a request, or gave the kid a chance to respond, before shooting him down.
The fecking goon shot the kid for sport! And then watched him die, making no attempt at resuscitation. All with the full approval of the USAlienstani criminal injustice system. Who are being supplied with military hardware so the goons can move from individualized hunting to the sort of mass “hunts” done for Bison and First Nations.
Dalillama, This isn’t any help, but I once had to deal with a management company for a place I had left that was excessively tardy in refunding my damages deposit. The local office ignored all my letters.
So I looked through my files and found a letter from some accountant-type at the main office. (Apparently, the local office was also tardy in forwarding on the annual rent increase, making the main office think I wasn’t paying the correct amount.) I wrote directly to that person, something like:
Several days later (about as long as it would take the post (mail) to arrive), I got a phone call from the local manager, apologizing for the delay (with a dubious excuse), and inviting me to the office to obtain the cheque in person that very day.
The funny-ish thing was the accountant-type I had written to had never before been contacted by me, and so very probably didn’t do much of anything with the earlier problem. I was, well, lying on that specific point…
blf
Care to post that up in ‘Later This Morning’? :)
jrfdeux
De rien and merci to you too!
Dalillama
This isn’t in any way related to your impending move, in that it won’t decrease/ruin your chances of getting the new place… is it???
*hugs* and good luck with the communications. :(
Tony
What can I say but great minds think alike!
+++
e.g., die?
Because they won’t be given any chance for any other kind of reaction (if they’re black)? They’re really speaking to the parents of white kids, here. I’m pretty sure all black kids know the right moves anyway, which are, as it turns out, worthless. Worthless. Worthless.
Rape apologist George Will has been invited to be the commencement speaker at Michigan State University.
Petition to MSU:
“Don’t allow rape apologist George Will to address your students at graduation.”
I don’t know if anyone was present at (virtually or physically) any of the protests last night after the grand jury’s non-indictment of Daniel Pantaleo…or anyone’s even interested, but just in case…
I just saw a tumblr listing a whole bunch of actions for this evening (in many cities around the country)
http://fergusonresponse.tumblr.com/
Also, last night I found two people doing livestreaming of NYC protests. Apparently, they have been doing this regularly since Ferguson. Here are the links to them.
James from the Internet
http://new.livestream.com/JamesFromTheInternet/events/3634145
Unedited Camera
http://www.ustream.tv/uneditedcamera
In NYC, I guess the protest will start at 6pm in Foley Square. James from the Internet said he will be there. Not sure about unedited camera.
hmmm, everything smells nice
+++
Well, as supposed the actual issue my friends fought about is trivial. Unfortunately the guy friend is one of those people who deal with hurt and pain by spreading it as far as possible, so I suppose the female friend was “the horse that got kicked”*
*German expression that means you’re kind of a scapegoat
rq
You need to get yourself some of these
Mes amis,
Maintenant, une leçon de français:
“Je ne suis pas poulet. Je suis une homme/femme.”
Repetez.
Merci!
My throat has been sore for three days.
whinnnne
Sacre bleu! Correction!
“Je ne suis pas poulet. Je suis une homme/un femme.”
Je suis désolé. Merci!
jrfdeux
I have a French lesson for you, too.
Trick question: which one’s the real French? ;)
Portia
Warm tea and lozenges. :)
With occasional shots.
Because alcohol disinfects.
Unless that was intended it’s a funny correction *gg*
Moi? Je suis fatigué. Je vais a coucer toute suite.
Giliell
… coucher ou accoucher??? ;)
Je ne sais pas.
Dormir, caga a dios, no puedo recordar esta lengua del diabolo.
rq
thank you.
does that mean I can skip out on the gym tonight? and baby myself?
:)
bassmike
hugs
Anne
If venting will help, then please do. We’re here for ya. hug.
Giliell
coucher = sleep
accoucher = give birth
;)
(Je vais coucher, the ‘a’ in front made me think of the second option. :) )
Portia
YES!!! :)
rq
Thank you. Once a month is quite enough exercise, anyway ;)
Portia
Entirely. ;) Enjoy your evening!
Lynna (676)
The irony of anyone arguing that Ferguson is the result of “stripping Judeo-Christian belief out of American society.” Where could you begin? The Christians who piously proclaimed that slavery was just? The KKK? The many pastors and other religious folk in Ferguson trying to help the protestors? Christianity is intimately involved with both sides of the issue.
Oooh, if only Ted Nugent would continue on his arc away from reality, and disappear altogether!
rq
I’ve been slowly plowing through the Good morning / Later this morning threads, and your contributions are overwhelming, both in how much information you posted, and how much time you obviously spent reading and absorbing. I’m only able to read a fraction of the posted links; I don’t know how you did it all. [Not to belittle anyone else’s contributions to those threads but wow. Um, can we resurrect the Molly? Just this once pleasepleaseplease for rq?] I really don’t know how you did it. And I feel like apologizing to you, and to every black American, and to the whole world in general, for how we USAnians continue to be such shitheads.
Dalillama
I’m sorry. That’s insult on injury that is. Are there any politicians you can prod to shake things up for you?
Giliell
That’s abusive (I know you know that). I hope your friend is okay.
hah those sandwich bags. If I placed one of those in the fridge at work, it would be thrown in the trash immediately.
Portia
Exercise, when you have a virus infection, is likely to exacerbate it. [citation from (hat)]. Skip the gym when you feel sick.
/me update
Back to work; more tired than I expected, but it’s great to be busy and around my coworkers again.
I’ll probably be posting sporadically here for a bit. Reading through the Ferguson threads, and trying to understand the Firehose that is Twitter are keeping me occupied. At some point I’ll have to stop watching and start acting, but right now I’m still exploring.
Thanks for the scientific validation, Wilbefort ^_^
–
Almost as if on cue, my gym’s automated system sends me an “are you alive?” email asking when I’m gonna exercise next.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Can’t.
Take.
The.
Gibberish!
Andrew Keegan started a new religion:
Look at all the preeeeety woo!
Tony!, it’s Venice Beach. That sort of nitwittery goes with the territory.
Yes, I’ve been there, and I am only surprised they didn’t start up sooner.
rq 190
This is the management company for the current place. The folks who operate the new place appear quite professional.
Portia
Mix 1-2 tablespoons of honey with enough hot water to dissolve it in. Add 1-2 oz lemon juice and 2 shots of whiskey (or whisky, if you prefer; brandy or rum are also acceptable). Stir and drink. If it doesn’t help, have another. I once had a horrific sore throat that left me unable to eat solid food for a week, at the end of which I visited my SO at the time. She made me some of those (roughly 2/3 of a bottle of Tullamore Dew worth), and after a while, my throat was a lot less sore.
Tony!
Seems like pretty standard New Age bullshit, with some cult of personality thrown in for good measure. Ayahuasca, for those not familiar, is a psychoactive beverage brewed from DMT-containing jungle vines. It is traditionally used for ritual purposes by a great many cultures in Central and South America.
Wilbefort @207:
Just my experience: Flu yes, cold no.
Indeed, I would bet money that these clowns have spent way, way too much time reading Carlos Castaneda (an anthropologist who wrote a series of books purporting to detail his shamanic training with a Yaqui Man of Knowledge named Don Juan Matus. Many people have claimed that he made the whole thing up); he’s very popular among New Age assholes.
Robert Marshall did an article for Salon back in 2007 on Castaneda. Several of his inner circle vanished just after his death, and are suspected by some of having committed suicide. The remains of one, Patricia Partin, were found in 2003, but not identified by DNA analysis until 2006. http://www.salon.com/2007/04/12/castaneda/
Husband is attempting to argue language with Elder Daughter. Her field is linguistics. Snerk. He’s losing.
Anne:
I hope Husband realizes he’s losing in short order ^_^
–
There’s a squeaking noise in my room. Bat or mouse?
My self-deluding side hopes ‘cricket’
I’m irrationally upset about the idea of a small mammal in my bedroom.
But…I’m really upset.
Portia, I think he knows now. Heh.
I hope whatever the squeaky critter is, it leaves soon. I’d guess cricket as the most likely, but I don’t know your area well enough to be sure. We had one all one summer that found an empty plastic flowerpot on the front porch – best amplifier ever.
Anne:
That’s funny, Loud Cricket :)
I’ve seen many, many small rodents in my house. No crickets ;(
Probability does not favor my desired reality.
I’ve caught a handful of bats, even. : p
Going to be an interesting weekend. It appears the waterbed mattress needs replacing. Mattress here, the liner arrives tomorrow. So, I need to drain the old mattress and fill the new one. Sounds simple, except I can’t sleep on it until the water temperature is about 90F. With a comforter underneath 80F and rising is doable. At a degree per hour with the heater. Depends on how the hot water heater does.
Nerd:
Hm…what’s the temp of the water when it goes in?
–
Can someone please USB me a cat? A good mouser, preferably.
Somewhere between 120F (limit of the hot water heater) and whatever Lake Michigan is, say 50F this time of the year. Depends on how long the hot water lasts before needing to rest to reheat the contents (30 gallons hot water per full unit to fill about 240 gallons in the CalKing mattress in the waterbed).
Oh. My. Ceiling Cat.
Why Sex Ed Should Stay In Schools — NSFW. Sesame smut that is not only perfectly in-character, but keeps with the format of the show (i.e. “opposites” segments, like “near and far”), and it’s absolutely filthy!
My childhood is curled up in the corner, weeping silent tears of existential dread…
My brother likes to pick arguments he can’t possibly win. He likes to think that by saying something so outrageous it leaves his opponent speechless, he can declare victory regardless.
—
So, this turned up in my news feed today. An attempt to find a link between genes and various neurobehavioural traits by way of endophenotypes. Their results turned up something somewhere between zip and “more questions raised than answered”.
Secret art of Dr Seuss.
… which weirdly complements WMDKitty‘s Sesame Street sex-ed link, above.
Language lessons are すごい。^_^
———
Nerd
Can you supplement the hot water heater with water heated on the stove?
It could slightly speed things up.
(if you have a large funnel)
Carlos Castaneda was more of an “anthropologist” than an anthropologist.
Carlos Castaneda sounds rather creepy.
Good morning
Wilbefort
I know, I know. The female friend is OK, we met last night for the Battle of the Cinnamon Waffers. After what, 16 years of friendship we’re all used to it, sad to say. I wished he’d realize that the people who are such good friends that they put up with such behaviour are also such good friends that they will happily listen to him and support him in dealing with his problems.
This reminds me of the one time I saw a guy mansplain another guy and send him to a woman for an education.
This was a complete idiot on an LotR RPG forum. The topic was some of the Old English in LotR and he told the guy to go to Ms A., who knows such things.
Well, he was right, Ms A. is competent in Old English indeed. What Mr. Idiot didn’t know was that the guy he was “schooling”:
-had a PhD in Old English
-was a fucking linguistics intructor with a speciality in, you guess, Old English
-Ms A’s former instructor and current partner.
That was funny.
rq
Nah, that’s just interference from Spanish. I’d love to polish up my French. The language, I mean*. I’m really good at understanding it, but whenever I actively use it it gets all mixed up with Spanish.
*Yes, sometimes I’m 12
+++
Also, it’ nice that Mr and I at least usually agree on things. I mentioned yesterday that his brother had replied rather haughtily that he would participate under certain conditions and my reaction was “fuck him”. Now, I didn’t want to make that decision, because after all it’s not my brother we’re talking about, so if Mr wanted to say yes, OK, let’s go in for some harmony I wouldn’t have said a word. But I tentatively mentioned to Mr. that I was tempted to say “no thanks”, leaving room for him. Well, he used the room for totally agreeing. He just sent his brother a “no thanks” mail.
Fuckbrained asshole and Justice Minister Peter MacKay says “we may never understand … why these women were singled out for this horrific act of violence.”
He’s referring to the Montreal Massacre in 1989. The killer wrote a Manifesto. He explained pretty damn clearly that he killed those women because they were women. It’s not hard to understand if you read what he wrote.
Tony
Being a woman, just like being gay, is a deeply partisan issue and often causes you to take sides. You didn’t know? *tsk* Conservatives don’t see groupings, they only see people. Preferably straight white cis-men.
So hush, the fact that a straight white cis-man killed some women for being women, well, becasue he was a real straight white cis-man, his words were actually a deep metaphor for something clearly not designed to be understood by common minds like yours and mine.
(Peter MacKay has a history of saying silly stuff, like how women don’t make good judges because they spend too much time bonding with their kids. Or something to that effect.)
rq @231:
I had forgotten.
Bad me.
To the spanking parlor posthaste.
****
Jameis Winston says his accuser is lying. Of course he’d say that.
Something else Winston said really irritated me:
My comment at Raw Story in response to that:
Arnold is baaack: The First Trailer For ‘Terminator Genisys’ Is Here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/04/terminator-genisys-trailer_n_6269224.html
— — — — —
it looks like a retcon of the story line.
— — — — — — —
Proud uncle stuff:
My niece, Lisa Sundin got published again in a journal.
Plant Physiology, Dec 2014 (she took the cover photograph ) http://www.plantphysiology.org/
Plant Physiol. 2014 166: 1956-1971.
Article: Mutation of the Inducible ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA CYTOCHROME P450 REDUCTASE2 Alters Lignin Composition and Improves Saccharification
http://www.plantphysiology.org/content/166/4/1956.abstract?sid=38c3a470-cd34-4445-96ff-7b9171fa750a
It is very technical, but it is the kind of pure science you need if you want to turn lignin or cellulose into biofuels *at competitive costs* for a carbon-neutral economy.
Also, the career of my niece and countless other academicals add up to a powerful argument for free university-level tuition.
The Portia labiata spider (aka eight-legged cat) was used as a template for the alien organism in “Echopraxia” http://www.ba-bamail.com/Content_5428/5_Animals_That_are_Smarter_than_They_Look!.aspx
See Echopraxia – page 220 (Warning -takes forever to load) http://books.google.se/books?id=fOluAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA220&lpg=PA220&dq=portia,+eight-legged+cat&source=bl&ots=_PLz6EmBv2&sig=yfJhf4DoW6fcJvg4QrkVRuEjujQ&hl=sv&sa=X&ei=QmqAVKW6HoONywO514KIAg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=portia%2C%20eight-legged%20cat&f=false
God’s Work? -New poll suggests Americans aren’t so confident in their creationism. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_nature/2014/12/creationism_poll_how_many_americans_believe_the_bible_is_literal_inerrant.html
— — — — —
Not As Loony As It Sounds Google’s “impossible” plan to beam Internet from solar-powered balloons is actually working. Here’s how. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/12/project_loon_how_google_s_internet_balloons_are_actually_working.html
Using complex algorithms to manouver vertically to reach a layer with the right wind direction to compensate for drift.
Well, apparently male friend has decided he wants a “divorce” and female friend got the RPG group that meets here.
*Sigh*
+++
But I think I have bought all the christmas gifts that need buying. I’m a tad unsure about Mr’s gift, mainly because I know that I like blue hoodies with added embroidery, but I’m not so sure about him. But seriously, most of the time he dresses as if 50 shades of grey were a fashion magazine.
rq & Tony
It’s pure misandry to remember a terrorist attack in which a cis white het man killed women because they were women as a terrorist attack in which a cis white het man killed women because they were women. We have to remember it as something in which a person whose race and gender we are NOT going to mention because that would be racist and sexist killed a bunch of people, whose race and gender we’Re also not going to mention so we can pretend that in the end some weirdo killed white guys. At least symbolically white guys as the default for “people”
Mike Luckovich is pretty much the only reason I read the AJC.
Separate, Unequal
Justice for All?
Giliell
Because race and gender are social constructs that have no bearing on our lived reality and don’t need to ever be mentioned because nobody cares about them anyway.
rq
Unless we say so. Then they are hard wired biological facts that show why women must have babies and take care if them and black people never get any nice things anyway. Cause a nobble prize winner said so.
This needs to be a thing.
Also, when we say race and/or gender matters, it’s obviously because we’re professional victims and always harping on about stuff that doesn’t affect people. Real people, that is. And we can’t live without the whining, it’s how we entertain ourselves because we have nothing better to do but start pink-jackbooted ebil feminazi clubs. So there.
And now I’m going to go out and buy pants because I’m downtown without any kids and without any work to do (practically, that is – technically, I could do a lot of work) and that means it’s time to spend that mon-aayy! On kids’pants. Woo!
test &sub3;
Can’t do subscripts in html?
rq @243: the ‘sub’ only works up to 2. Try ampersand#x2083; for sub3, etc.
e.g. x₃
Oh, correction. ‘sub’ doesn’t work at all. ‘sup’ for superscript works for 1,2,3.
Tony! @209
That has got to be some sort of stunt. Like next year, we’ll find out he’s in a reboot of The Love Guru or something, and the whole thing is viral marketing. Right? I mean, right?
Rob
Umm, like so? ₃
Yes, I also tried ‘sub’, and that didn’t work.
OOOOooo.
ࠤ
Now to remember that sequence for the future… :P
Liels paldies, Rob!
I’ll ask when I need sub4, if ever. :)
Heh. ࠣ Heh.
Eh. ₃ and ₄ . “:P
HAH!
Watch out, peoples, I am now going to muck the Lounge up with teensy weensy little numbers. HAH!
₇
*tee hee*
₈
OW! I stepped on a tiny five.
Pffft. Just wait till I start dropping all those ones. It’s like a LEGO walk of fire! HYEEAAAH!
₄
₁
Can anyone see this?
💩
chigau
I see a box. Is it a cat?
𠠑
:o I wanted to do double-digits, and got… something else instead.
It’s all gobbledygook to me, because i tend to read the Lounge on gmail, which doesn’t render these codes. So all i get are a bunch of punctuation and numbers, and the one where Rob explained how to do it was the worst of all. :)
I’m doing alright; commenting lightly because I’m actually getting stuff done, as I think I’ve finally got a med regime that’s having effect. Given the fading light (something I wanted to remind you all who’ve been walking with the Black Dog lately that if you’re in the northern hemisphere, do not discount lack of light as a problem for your mood – consider getting outside a bit more as and when you can), I’m especially pleased. I got some paying work done Wednesday, with more on the horizon. I have half a dozen tabs open for a link roundup on FMF later, when I get vertical and working. I’m writing an extensive review of the new D&D books this weekend, to be released on Tuesday for launch. And this aft, I’m working on a script for a voiceover I’ll be doing for an ad Craig is shooting. Meaning I’d get copywriter and voice actor credits on a commercial, which might lead to getting into voice work seriously. Which I’d love, as I’ve been said (by me) to have a great face for radio.
Physio is going well generally. Had a bit of a bad experience on Tuesday, which I’ll write about later on the computer, because this one-finger touchscreen crap while horizontal is exhausting.
You folks are among the finest groups of people I’ve ever had the fortune to be among. Thank you.
rq
It’s unicode 1f4a9
It doesn’t show on all browsers but if you google the number, you should be able to see an image.
Whoa, long para. Sorry. Tiny text entry box makes seeing length of para is tricky, and preview just means holding up the phone for longer. :)
rq: Lūdzu.
“unicode ‘pile of poo'” :D
*hugs* CaitieCat, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well! Miss your commenting more often, but since you seem to be doing so well, well – onwards and upwards!!! ♥
(And the paragraph wasn’t so bad. :) )
CaitieCat @260:
I get that a lot :)
So glad to hear good news, Cait. *gentlehugs*
Raising a glass to CaitieCat!
That’s good news, CaitieCat!
Somebody left a reeking pile of poo in the Lounge. Somebody had better clean it up. I’m not your mother, pick up your own mess. *retreats, growling, to pillow fort*
I’m totally threadrupt, but I have a question that I hope I can crowdsource some answers or suggestions from the denizens. I mostly lurk, I don’t comment often, but I respect all ya Pharyngula commenters enough to want your input. You see, I want to move away from the cold Minnesota winters, and especially away from the religious conservatives in the northern hinterlands. I have marketable job skills (lending, specifically) that should allow me to get a job that pays a livable wage anywhere in the US.
So the question I’m hoping to answer is: where should a liberal, atheist, feminist, pansexual, polyamorous woman move to, within the US, where I would be accepted for who I am? I’m not expecting a utopia. I don’t have dreams of finding an ideal place for me anywhere on the planet. I just want to find a largish town / smallish city where I can get to know some like-minded people face-to-face. And perhaps someplace that’s frozen less of the year, so I can enjoy hiking, swimming, and camping more often. :)
Anne #268
On some browsers it’s happy, smiling pile of poo.
Poo is poo. *makes “take it away and bury it” cat gesture over pile*
Mmph. The best places that I’m aware of would probably be the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland, OR, but neither is “largish town/smallish city” and cost-of-living tends to be pretty extreme. The Santa Cruz, CA, area is also probably a good one, and more “smallish city” but also has a very high cost of living. California in general is good for hiking, swimming, and camping, and except up in the mountains basically doesn’t have a winter, so you’re good there. You could probably do worse than Sacramento in those regards, too, though you could also do a lot better and the traffic and climate here make me very, very unhappy.
Cricket bats are not noted for making noises by themselves. They usually require a bowler, batsman, and cricket ball, and then, in any case, don’t squeak. They more sort of go Thud! and Crack!, and on rare occasions Whack! … Tinkle “Oh feck!”
Therefore, it most be a cricket mouse. Probably a fast bowler, but a poor fielder, where, whilst it runs fast enough to usually get under the ball, then goes Squish!
Yellow Thursday
I’m stuck in the midwest. I would suggest anywhere but here.
But maybe start by checking out college towns?
Yellow Thursday, I used to live in the immediate Santa Cruz (California) area — “Beserkley”-by-the-Sea — and that would be my suggestion. I have not been there for quite a while now and cannot make any comments on what it is like nowadays.
Yellow Thursday
I was going to suggest Portland, OR, but Azkyroth beat me to it. That’s where we liberal Montana folks go when we want to take a day or two to just breathe and be ourselves :)
Many cities in CA will also do (but avoid the high desert!), but cost of living can certainly be outrageous, and the cities might be bigger than you prefer. I don’t know anything about the east coast, but maybe others can make suggestions for that side of the country. They seem a bit less frozen over in New England.
Yellow Thursday
I’d say Santa Cruz, CA too. I was there a few weeks ago but not long enough to see how it’s changed over the years. Many places are changing in the same ways the world over… uhm… seems to me.
Yes cost of living in CA is outrageous (sauf Fresno, Bakersfield) but salaries in skilled work are also higher.
*hugs* for CaitieCat
Yellow Thursday
Portland, OR seems to fit the bill. The Cost of living’s pretty high, but compared to (small town?) Minnesota the cost of living on either coast is going to be pretty high.
Azkyroth
I’d count Portland in the ‘smallish city’ category.
Thanks, Azkyroth, awakeinmo, blf, toska, chimera, and Dalillama. You have given me some great suggestions to research. I think I’ll focus on Santa Cruz, CA and Portland, OR. Because of my current situation, it will probably be nearly a year before I can move, anyway.
I’m separated from my husband, he’s moved out of state, I’m stuck trying to sell a house that’s way too big for me, I’ll have to rent until the divorce is finalized, and maybe then I’ll be able to buy a house myself. We only bought such a large house because his daughter came to live with us, and now I’m facing foreclosure because he refuses to pay the mortgage. I can’t afford to pay the mortgage on my salary. I can’t buy a house in my own name because of the way MN handles real estate – it’s automatically owned jointly with one’s spouse.
Once the divorce is finalized, I can buy another house (assuming I don’t have a foreclosure on my credit), but there’s nothing keeping me here. I could move anywhere I want to. That feels both incredibly freeing and terrifying.
@blf, #273:
I believe that this is what you’re looking for.
My brother’s girlfriend has a 4 year-old daughter. I am looking for a christmas gift for her. She is heavily into princess stuff, which I despise. She can’t read yet, so books may not be a great choice. Ideally, I’d like to get her a good science-y toy, but her predilection for princesses would leave it un-played-with. I thought maybe the Playskool digital camera would work. But does anyone have suggestions?
NEW THREAD.