[QuickTidal]

Cause, on 26 January 2026 - 12:53 AM, said:

My fellow Americans. Why is everyone freaking out about the storm. Even Boston is acting like it’s the apocalypse, people panic emptied shelves. The weather alerts are coming in steady, the mayor gave a press briefing. It’s 10 inches of snow.

In my 2 Boston winters, this being the second, this seems very normal for Boston.

To be fair, we in Canada got the edge of it and it delivered more snow than I’ve seen in one dropping in about 25 years…like 35-50cm in some places. So it’s going to be big for the places that don’t get snow at all or don’t get this much snow.

Like my office texted us last night to tell is they are keeping it closed today and to stay home…that’s NEVER happened in the 16 years I’ve been there.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 26 January 2026 - 03:46 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Cause, on 26 January 2026 - 12:53 AM, said:

My fellow Americans. Why is everyone freaking out about the storm. Even Boston is acting like it's the apocalypse, people panic emptied shelves. The weather alerts are coming in steady, the mayor gave a press briefing. It's 10 inches of snow.

In my 2 Boston winters, this being the second, this seems very normal for Boston.

Apparently doesn't seem to be the case in Philadelphia:

pennsylvania is in a state of emergency. "everyone stay inside". philadelphia: (video)

... though I suspect these videos are probably from before the storm.

For those who don't immediately recognize them through the snow, those are the Art Museum stairs (from the Rocky movies).

In my youth I might have sledded down them sans sled. Just rolling through the snow...

Saw another video of some guy lying down on a sled tied to the back of a moving car... other cars flying past.

[Maark Abbott]

It's because everyone worth a damn hates any kind of ice.

ANY. KIND. OF. ICE.

[QuickTidal]

My brother in law (the one who used to be a cop, supported Pollievre's push to be PM through buying into a fundraising dinner, and has generally expressed right wing opinions) has crossed a bit of a line with me, and I've got to go on Vacation with him (we do a yearly family vacation to the sun and sand) in two weeks.

After the murder of Alex Pretti by Border Agents, my wife was talking to her sister on the phone (they live about 3 hours away) and said "Did you hear about that ICU nurse that got murdered in the States" and I guess my BIL heard this as he was in the background and said scoffed out loud "He wasn't murdered, stop listening to your husband!".....so that's me he's talking about as we are normally on the opposite sides of these things....this is the first time he's ever gone after my wife like that in suggesting that she doesn't have her own mind and can't see with her own eyes.

Now, let me be clear, no matter how much my sister in law would fight the idea that she's a Tradwife...she is...and worse, I'm assuming he thought that I told my wife what to think about this situation and not that she came to her own conclusions because I would put very good money down that he tells her sister what to think as she always seems to take his side on these political matters...I heard "There are two sides" when Renne Good was murdered, and I'm hearing "There are always multiple sides" about Pretti from her...so he clearly thinks that I treat my wife the same way. I do not. All I did was tell my wife what happened to Pretti and how awful and unjust I felt it was...and then I purposely didn't show her the video as I didn't want to unduly traumatize her if she didn't want to watch. She went and watched all the video evidence herself and THAT was what prompted her to ask her sister if she'd seen it.

My sister in law then said "Well, I guess our husbands will always be on the opposite sides of each other on these topics" to which my wife (to her full credit) replied "Yeah, except my husband is on the RIGHT side of this"...and then asked her sister "Did you SEE the video?" and her sister replied "No, but I heard about it"....

Yeah. That's where we are...she just told her sister "there are multiples sides" of a video she didn't even DEIGN to watch.

Now, in all fairness, this behaviour is not new. The Sister in law that I knew BEFORE her now-husband was in the picture was NOT what she is now. She was a kickboxing, self-employed, strong woman who would not stand for BS from men...BUT she also wanted nothing more than to have a family and have kids...so when the first dude in her life showed up and offered that, she caved. She is now a shadow of that person and I don't recognize her. She cannot bring herself to criticize him almost ever...and when they DO argue and she does confront him about things, he goes silent treatment for days and she always just goes back to pretending whatever it was diid't happen. She applies this "They can't do anything wrong" to her kids and even her dog...She does not have it in her to fight him.

So that's the atmosphere I'm about to spend a week in Mexico with...a fascism-supporting former cop who controls his wife. Worse, is that his eldest daughter is self-identifying as a Lesbian, and has recently talked about being non-binary. I, as her bleeding-heart leftist Uncle, I will ask her what pronouns she wants me to use and that will be that...her father on the other hand keeps proving that he supports a group of people that wish her not to exist or be who she needs to be. I have yet to ask my sister in law about this, as when she told my wife about her daughter wanting to be non-binary she said it in a way that indicated that she thinks school and her generation are making her question who she is...as opposed to her daughter just trying to find her way and supporting that.

Sigh.

My wife also hates him.

On these trips the interactions I have with this dude usually amounts to him asking me if I want a beer from the bar, and yes or no and vice versa...but now I just want to tell him "no" every time and just get my own drinks but that may not go unnoticed and I'll end up in family drama anyways. Up til now I've been able to fake being nice to him, and small talk ect....but now I I want nothing to do with him, and I really want to tell him off for having a lack of human decency...so I'm worried about keeping my mouth shut on the trip and not letting it get the best of me. I get along with ALL the rest of the family, my other sister in law and brother in law all fine...it's just him and occasionally his wife...You all know me, sometimes I don't keep my mouth shut when I should...I dunno how to go into this.

Any advice would be dope, you all are more level headed than I am.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 27 January 2026 - 02:39 PM

[worry]

Have you seen Strangers On A Train?

[QuickTidal]

worry, on 27 January 2026 - 03:53 PM, said:

Have you seen Strangers On A Train?

I have not, the wiki leads me to wonder how it's applicable? LOL

[Macros]

This is a tough situation.
Not talking to him is obviously the easiest way to avoid conversations that will likely inevitably escalate into disagreements.
But that has its own obvious issues, what arent you speaking to to him? Cause hes a cock will be an answer that will likely spawn the argument anyway.


There is no easy answer, I'd say your approach of limit talking as much as possible is the path of least resistance.

I will ask, and tell me to fuck off if you feel it warrants it. Why bother with the holidays?
Family smamily, blood is thicker than water and all that crock of shit can fuck off as far as Im concerned, you pick your friends, your family is an accident of birth. A stressful holiday is not a holiday, its a waste of money and vacation time.

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 27 January 2026 - 06:00 PM, said:

This is a tough situation.
Not talking to him is obviously the easiest way to avoid conversations that will likely inevitably escalate into disagreements.
But that has its own obvious issues, what arent you speaking to to him? Cause hes a cock will be an answer that will likely spawn the argument anyway.


There is no easy answer, I'd say your approach of limit talking as much as possible is the path of least resistance.

You're probably right, and this HAS kind of come up the last time I was giving him the silent treatment...he went to his wife and asked what was wrong with me...because I was legit avoiding him, and that filtered back to my wife who just said "He noticed you not talking to him"....LOL

Macros, on 27 January 2026 - 06:00 PM, said:

I will ask, and tell me to fuck off if you feel it warrants it. Why bother with the holidays?
Family smamily, blood is thicker than water and all that crock of shit can fuck off as far as Im concerned, you pick your friends, your family is an accident of birth. A stressful holiday is not a holiday, its a waste of money and vacation time.

I 100% agree with you. This is done for my wife who likes family time even in the face of the Brother in law she hates, my kids who love hanging out with all their cousins (there are 7 cousins on the trip, plus my 2 kids), and for my father in law who is nearing 80 and may not have many trips left in him. I accept all the shit to make sure that these people have the time they want. I consider my enjoyment secondary.

It helps that my sister in law has said that she thinks this is the last family trip she can do as she's been paying for them with her minimal pay/savings every time as the Brother in Law refuses to pay for any "sun and Sand resort" trips as he feels like they are not true travelling or vacation (he calls us "safety bubble travellers")...but then gets pissy the one time we started to plan to go once without him. So this is likely the last hurrah for these.

Limiting talking will be how I manage it. I'll just have to bite my tongue a decent amount.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 27 January 2026 - 06:34 PM

[Abyss]

Options:

1. Don't go, explain why;
2. Don't go, make up excuse;
3. Go, play nice, avoid clashing;
4. Go, and screw him, say what you want to say;

.... the follow up to each is pretty easy to see, it's really just down to how far you're willing to bend for the sake of peace in the family. You're willing to work w '3', fair enough, you can always switch to '4' if needed/wanted.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 27 January 2026 - 07:23 PM, said:

Options:

1. Don't go, explain why;
2. Don't go, make up excuse;
3. Go, play nice, avoid clashing;
4. Go, and screw him, say what you want to say;

.... the follow up to each is pretty easy to see, it's really just down to how far you're willing to bend for the sake of peace in the family. You're willing to work w '3', fair enough, you can always switch to '4' if needed/wanted.

I do have to go, as it's paid for already, but solid advice nonetheless.

I'll likely find some happy medium between 3 and 4...with the caveat being that unless he brings up this shit to me, I'll just avoid talking to him as much as possible.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 27 January 2026 - 07:42 PM, said:

Abyss, on 27 January 2026 - 07:23 PM, said:

Options:

1. Don't go, explain why;
2. Don't go, make up excuse;
3. Go, play nice, avoid clashing;
4. Go, and screw him, say what you want to say;

.... the follow up to each is pretty easy to see, it's really just down to how far you're willing to bend for the sake of peace in the family. You're willing to work w '3', fair enough, you can always switch to '4' if needed/wanted.

I do have to go, as it's paid for already, but solid advice nonetheless.

I'll likely find some happy medium between 3 and 4...with the caveat being that unless he brings up this shit to me, I'll just avoid talking to him as much as possible.

worse case, hey, canadians go missing in mexico all the time...

[Tiste Simeon]

I'm like you QT, sometimes things need to be said. Thankfully none of my family are that bad, though one of my brothers in particular is quite... hmm, I will use the term centrist and hope it conveys it. He's certainly not pro-Trump/Brexit/etc. and would not claim to be right wing (though perhaps he skews more that way in terms of economics etc.) and the two of us can wind each other up..,.

Anyway I think you have to go planning to not rock the boat but prepared to stand your ground. The comments he made on the phone make me think he is going to cause drama regardless of what you do. Like I said. Not planning on starting anything but being prepared for something to be started is the best advice I can give.

Or, you know, day one just go in swinging with "So I hear you love pedos now" then go and find your room!

[Abyss]

Tiste Simeon, on 27 January 2026 - 08:07 PM, said:

...but prepared to stand your ground. The comments he made on the phone make me think he is going to cause drama regardless of what you do. Like I said. Not planning on starting anything but being prepared for something to be started is the best advice I can give...

I find a blank stare and refusal to engage is usually effective. If they're the kind to push, a nice chill 'nah, not gonna play' is useful. People like what QT is describing usually want you to argue w them. Never give them what they want. It's not an argument you can ever win, they know you won't agree w them, the rest is wasted energy and oxygen.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I'm sorry you have to waste a holiday with him, QT.

I can only echo what others have said above, refusal to "play" might be the best option to avoid as much nonsense as possible, but if he won't accept the refusal then I'd take yourself out of the room/go out for a bit etc. If you've tried all that and he still won't leave it, then I don't think you should have to keep your opinion to yourself to keep the peace then.

"I don't want to talk about this" is how Mr NAB deal with my dad when he's being ridiculous. It doesn't always work, but it works more often than it doesn't in terms of preserving some sanity.

This post has been edited by TheRetiredBridgeburner: 28 January 2026 - 08:37 AM

[Macros]

He doesn't pay??
What kind of bulkshit is that???


Ive never understood that 'their money my money' in a marriage or long term relationship.

Its a partnership, one pot of money

[Maark Abbott]

car is in the garage (something has hit the back driver side bumper). seems like probably a bicycle slipped on ice and then scraped into it, but there's other stuff that this has caused to crop up so I'm getting her checked to be safe she's roadworthy.

[Tiste Simeon]

Macros, on 28 January 2026 - 07:46 AM, said:

He doesn't pay??
What kind of bulkshit is that???


Ive never understood that 'their money my money' in a marriage or long term relationship.

Its a partnership, one pot of money

100% my wife doesn't have a paying job (tradwife life anybody? 😂) but we only have one bank account. She works very hard but is not in paid employment. This is her decision and thankfully I make enough for us to live comfortably. We work as a partnership, and it's definitely the best way.

[QuickTidal]

Thanks all for the advice, sound stuff. I'll probably take that advice and keep it as civil and ignored as I can.

Macros, on 28 January 2026 - 07:46 AM, said:

He doesn't pay??
What kind of bulkshit is that???


Ive never understood that 'their money my money' in a marriage or long term relationship.

Its a partnership, one pot of money

Yeah, the dynamics of their relationship is so strange...he treats his money like his money and when she asks for money to buy groceries or things for the kids he grumbles about it. She makes money but not anywhere near as much as he does. But of course when he wants to buys toys he's allowed (he bought a plane; crashed it [not his fault, but still], he bought a boat and assumed the place he paid to keep it over the winter would tell him he needed to winterize it [he did not, the boat is a write off now as it's destroyed])...so she's paid for the last few trips with her inheritance money from my MIL, and he's paid nothing.

And yeah, I'm with you, my wife and I have a shared pot as the marriage is a shared thing so we just pool all our money and larger purchases we discuss, I can still buy books without worrying and she can still buy skincare without worrying. I cannot fathom us having separate money and trying to manage a household...

When I tell you none of us understand how she ended up with such a selfish person...he doesn't contribute to cooking or cleaning up when we have family dinners at my father in laws...he just sits and drinks scotch. I usually cook, and almost always clean up (or help clean up) and he thinks me "girly" for doing it...so yeah my sister in law married a guy from the 1940's? I dunno. He's insufferable.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Have you seen the show Bad Sisters?

[Slow Ben]

Dude sounds like a fucking clown.