[Silencer]

 Tsundoku, on 13 December 2019 - 09:02 AM, said:

Vlad must be thinking all his Russian Christmases (whatever they call them) must have come at once. USA and UK basically out of NATO or at significant odds with them.

Yeah, not sure how much Russia will actually benefit from all of this, unless they're ready to take some pretty fucking aggressive moves (and yes, I mean more aggressive than invading Ukraine). I mean, that's not to say there won't likely be some political gains and a weakening of faith in NATO amongst some nations, but fortunately I don't think the fallout will be that severe. Especially as Russia still isn't doing super great themselves, all things considered.
China might stand to benefit a lot, given the economic aspects, though.

[Mezla PigDog]

I'm so depressed. Mr PigDogs dad died on Monday. An awful general election result. Also otherwise had an utterly shit year. I've been clinging on to the sight of the Christmas holidays for a break and to regroup and now I have to spend most of it doing funeral stuff because the funeral can't get done before then for various reasons that are making me cross and I can't vocalise due to family politics.

You know when you really want to have a huge selfish hissy fit breakdown but you can't?

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Sorry to hear that Mezla, what an awful run of circumstances.

[Slow Ben]

That sucks Mez. Sorry.

[Puck]

My mom made dinner. One day, maybe, eventually, she will learn that when I say "Don't put x into the food, it will make me sick" that is exactly what I mean. Ugh.

[Gothos]

My polyps are with a vengeance. CT scan shows spread in all my sinuses. Apparently when I was having surgery several years ago, the doctors failed to mention I need to be taking medication to prevent their growth. Won't get an appointment for new surgery before the end of January. Until then, quite uncomfortable!

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

When the exit poll results landed last week, one of my oldest friends and I ended up having mildly sharp words. Not because we voted differently, but because I choose not to condemn everyone who did as stupid, racist, cruel, uneducated and a whole host of other descriptors. I've no doubt people who fit some or all of that exist but to tar everybody with the same brush is too simplistic and to me a bit narrow minded. I was really disappointed with the result too, but not so much that I think people who think differently to me shouldn't be allowed to vote etc - put shortly, for the Left to get back into power, they need the votes of some of the more central right-wing and you won't get those by calling them names.

Jump forward to yesterday, and she's deleted me off everything without a word. 10+ years of close friendship thrown away because I don't want to call a bunch of people names.

Having had an evening to digest it, I think if she's become so rigid in needing complete agreement with everything then if it hadn't have been this then surely it would have been something else. I also think the fact I'm a falconer and she's an ever-more militant vegan would have probably been raised eventually (she hadn't done so far, but I've been involved in an education project recently so posting a lot about that and I suppose it might have been a factor.) In my heart of hearts I knew she had been becoming more and more "everyone who doesn't think exactly like me is a monster". I don't like it, but she was definitely morphing more and more into the stereotype that makes "so much for the tolerant Left" such an easy win soundbite for some people.

Aside from the fact I think it's a bloody stupid reason, I'm really taken aback that all that time and closeness wasn't even worth talking about whatever her problem was. Just gone without a word.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 18 December 2019 - 07:10 AM

[Tsundoku]

I might have said something along the lines of "cut/minimise her in your life" (if asked) but she went and saved you the trouble.
Sounds like it was probably for the best but yeah that's a bit sudden.

She's probably cranky because she's hungry.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 18 December 2019 - 07:53 AM

[Maark Abbott]

Some central right wing votes, or good throwing arms and vodka bottles?

O, hi Tiste! Hey, some of your friends are here. I'll tell them you said hi.

[Puck]

 TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 18 December 2019 - 06:58 AM, said:

When the exit poll results landed last week, one of my oldest friends and I ended up having mildly sharp words. Not because we voted differently, but because I choose not to condemn everyone who did as stupid, racist, cruel, uneducated and a whole host of other descriptors. I've no doubt people who fit some or all of that exist but to tar everybody with the same brush is too simplistic and to me a bit narrow minded. I was really disappointed with the result too, but not so much that I think people who think differently to me shouldn't be allowed to vote etc - put shortly, for the Left to get back into power, they need the votes of some of the more central right-wing and you won't get those by calling them names.

Jump forward to yesterday, and she's deleted me off everything without a word. 10+ years of close friendship thrown away because I don't want to call a bunch of people names.

Having had an evening to digest it, I think if she's become so rigid in needing complete agreement with everything then if it hadn't have been this then surely it would have been something else. I also think the fact I'm a falconer and she's an ever-more militant vegan would have probably been raised eventually (she hadn't done so far, but I've been involved in an education project recently so posting a lot about that and I suppose it might have been a factor.) In my heart of hearts I knew she had been becoming more and more "everyone who doesn't think exactly like me is a monster". I don't like it, but she was definitely morphing more and more into the stereotype that makes "so much for the tolerant Left" such an easy win soundbite for some people.

Aside from the fact I think it's a bloody stupid reason, I'm really taken aback that all that time and closeness wasn't even worth talking about whatever her problem was. Just gone without a word.

That sucks. But sometimes, unfortunately (and sometimes fortunately) people change and there isn't much we can do. I hope she does come around at some point (whether it be with you present to witness it or not) and understand that having different opinions or even approaches to things does not mean you can't be friends with people.

Get yourself a nice cup of tea. My personal approach to these things nowadays is that if people aren't even willing to try and talk it through, I can't help them either, though it sometimes sucks.

[Mentalist]

Power outage. Feels like -23 outside, and the heating is off.

Gonna be a cold night.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

 Puck, on 18 December 2019 - 07:47 PM, said:

That sucks. But sometimes, unfortunately (and sometimes fortunately) people change and there isn't much we can do. I hope she does come around at some point (whether it be with you present to witness it or not) and understand that having different opinions or even approaches to things does not mean you can't be friends with people.

Get yourself a nice cup of tea. My personal approach to these things nowadays is that if people aren't even willing to try and talk it through, I can't help them either, though it sometimes sucks.

Thanks Puck, I think it's probably the right approach - and tea never made anything worse!

[Tsundoku]

 BfuckinK, on 20 December 2019 - 01:51 AM, said:

Ugh fucking wonderful... if I can’t air myself out then I’m gonna be “THAT GUY” you know the guy you don’t want to be in close proximity to? Was filling the Chevy up and the nozzle sprayed me. Lovely to be right now.. feel sorry for people sitting next to me at TROS viewing. Hopefully it goes away in 2 hrs time.

This is what you get for pulling out too early when your truck is involved.

Unless the spray happened BEFORE you put it in. In which case my condolences.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 20 December 2019 - 07:23 AM

[Abyss]

Well he makes a good point. If you're finishing on the side of the truck you're doing it wrong.

[Malankazooie]

Holy crap, Amazon Prime delivery has been up and down my street and all over my neighborhood for the past couple days (including Sunday). You think a little booger eater would be utterly gutted if I played the 'porch pirate' and snatched that Baby Yoda doll he was expecting under the tree Christmas morning? *evil-finger-tapping

[Tiste Simeon]

As mentioned in the Merry Christmas thread, I have now consumed far too much excellent food and I feel a bit... Ummm... Tight around the stomach area. Feel sorry for Mrs Tiste as the stinks I'll be making tonight won't be pleasant, most likely.

A fact I'm sure you're all happy I shared but idc

[Malankazooie]

I just want to go on the record and state that white chocolate is terrible and that whoever invented it should have been brought in front an international court of justice to answer for crimes against humanity for bringing that into existence. It's Satan's jizz. That is all. Continue with your Yuletide merriment.

[Mentalist]

That moment when you finish the 2 and a half hour process of swapping out PC parts and go to hook everything up to test it out... only to realise the monitor is DVI and the new video card only has HDMI and DP ports.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 26 December 2019 - 05:38 AM

[Tsundoku]

 Malankazooie, on 26 December 2019 - 05:23 AM, said:

I just want to go on the record and state that white chocolate is terrible and that whoever invented it should have been brought in front an international court of justice to answer for crimes against humanity for bringing that into existence. It's Satan's jizz. That is all. Continue with your Yuletide merriment.

Agreed. White chocolate shouldn't be.

 Mentalist, on 26 December 2019 - 05:25 AM, said:

That moment when you finish the 2 and a half hour process of swapping out PC parts and go to hook everything up to test it out... only to realise the monitor is DVI and the new video card only has HDMI and DP ports.

thanks for that.

[Abyss]

Malankazooie, on 26 December 2019 - 05:23 AM, said:

I just want to go on the record and state that white chocolate is terrible and that whoever invented it should have been brought in front an international court of justice to answer for crimes against humanity for bringing that into existence. It's Satan's jizz. That is all. Continue with your Yuletide merriment.

Here's the thing. White chocolate was never supposed to be more than a topping. Maybe a garnish. A thing you add to offset other things.

By itself, it is an atrocity. In large amounts, same. People who claim to enjoy it that way are Cylons and should not be trusted.

But used as it should be, say, coating an oreo, it can totally work.