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Welcome again to everybody. Make yourselves at home. In the time-honoured tradition of our group, here is the weekly discussion thread.
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While I was coming home today, I was stopped by a couple who asked me to buy something to eat for them, since they were homeless and hungry. We went to a minimarket and they brought some bread, cookies, tuna, etc. to the cashier. I used all the money I had to buy them that stuff. It wasn't that much, yet it costed a lot- I had to use all the money I had with me, 22 euros! (Initially I couldn't even afford it, so they had to place a few things back) Were things always this pricey?
Hopefully it helped them a bit.
I got metal shrapnel in my eye today and it had to be drilled out by a doctor. Sounds horrific but at my job it was a badge of honor so in a dumb ass way I was looking forward to it too. I swear these people are just build different.
Still no luck in joining a political org. I feel like it would be a bit of a waste to join a Trot or Ortho leaning org that operates as a niche. On the other hand it might be the most serious option. Maybe I should just start with the union.
I also shoot my shot with someone way out of my league and it somehow worked and now I have to think about when I will drop that I also have dozens of Star Wars extended universe books.
No such thing as "out of your league" people are just people. Some people have confidence and some have starwars books. Maybe your new friend likes both?
some, they say, even have both...
Have a great week everyone! Taking good notes for your studies is a fantastic way to both internalize what you read, and to create quick reference points for review.
As always, communism will win.
Important left win in The Netherlands where the new government will cancel the budget cuts on social securities. This is after quite some time of union actions.
I hope for the love of God the union will spam about this.
A single spark can lit a huge fire.
🫵 You WILL have hope, comrade.
OUR hope.
There's a shocking amount of trans people on dating apps who have centrist or even right wing politics for some reason
I'm no expert but it seems to me that folks that have never struggled for primary or secondary needs (middle class and up) can easily fool themselves into believing that the tertiary needs that they had fight for are more important than the primary and secondary needs of those less fortunate than themselves. And given that wealthier voices are always the most amplified their material/philosophical culture draws adherents to it.
It then can become a cudgel to pummel global south countries besieged and sanctioned by Western Hegemons struggling to provide for the primary and secondary needs of their people never mind educating them to be more tolerant.
Unfortunately it's to be expected, fascism tends to prey on the vulnerable and the isolated! It's what the entirety of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" is about, in fact. It's understandable why some people would pick it up, they're told it would ease their pain and get them on their feet again. That's where it's our job to help them see it, and to give the support necessary for the trap to stop working.
No lies detected.
;_;
There is something very healing about working outside between plants all day. Hard, honest work with your comrades. Bullshiting because we are all physically tired at the end of the day. Going home and eating a good meal, enjoying the sunset. Finding out that shooting your shot with someone worked. Life really is worth living from time to time.
I am in a bit of a slump and I am just spending my days just playing games and watching vids (no visible job opportunities besides one that would be a horrible option and no college, plus I have debt).
I suggest taking on a project, even if it isn't monetizable and doesn't mean much of anything. One way to do that if you're big into games, is to make a mod for a video game; ideally one that has established resources/tutorials for doing so and isn't getting regular updates that will break what you make, such as Fallout New Vegas.
Anything at all that you can point at and say "I made that" or even "I contributed to making that" (if it's collaborative) can be a help for motivation, self-esteem, and building confidence in your abilities. And it gives you a goal that can feel more motivating than playing through a video game. Not that there's anything wrong with games, but since you describe it as a slump, that makes me think you'd especially benefit from having a project that you care about.
Knitting doesn't need to be expensive and fills the same "play games and watch videos and zone out for a bit" space for me
I have been trying to read instead of just playing video games and watching YouTube videos.
If you find a game where you don't have to do much thinking it can be nice to listen to audio books wile playing games.
I've found it helps a lot to be overly kind to myself during those times. Treat yourself like you would a friend who's going through that. As much as it sucks, under capitalism it's a totally normal situation to be in and there's a lot of us out there experiencing the same thing - you aren't alone. I'm in a similar spot myself.
Seeing people torture brains of flies on youtube is gonna turn me into a vegan pretty quick.
I don't particularly like my life. Not sure I ever have for longer than a few months at a time (maybe in childhood? chronic stress since then makes it hard to even remember most of my childhood). And then I wonder why I'm depressed.
Have you considered running away and starting over? I did it and it really helped me. I actually think about getting old now. My memory of events is still kinda fucked but I think that may just be my ND.
Glad it helped you. In a way, I have thought about it many times and wanted to, but it's complicated (emotionally, even if technically not that complicated in concept depending on how one looks at leaving). The short version is dealing with people who are chronically angsty/anxious about just about everything, who are also very extroverted about it and feed into each other's angst, and then more recently, one of them has stage four cancer, so it means all the pre-existing family dynamics that were a problem become amplified. In my view of it, a lot of codependency going on, including some of it on my end from getting ensnared in the dynamic in my own way over time. And because of how the situation is now, there is legitimate reason to be over the top in a way; though still, not reason to be over the top about every little thing. I'm pretty sure there is some undiagnosed ND in the picture that is not just me (in my case, ADHD - in theirs ADHD in one and autism spectrum in another). So you can imagine angsty chronic anxiety boomers with limited coping mechanisms and no diagnosis to ground them playing off each other's ND, mixed with some good ole fashion internalized patriarchy dynamic, setting the stage for a whirlwind of people who cannot chill to save their lives and seem to have a hard time with the concept that they can't handle life with just themselves, calling upon me (because it's convenient), calling upon other siblings as logistically feasible (less convenient), and ending up in and out of ER and hospital when crisis arrives.
I could say some of it's my own fault for not doing more to become independent and break off from it before reaching a medical crisis like this. But I also probably would have had a much easier time reaching that point if I hadn't internalized so much of their anxiety of day to day things. Anyway, like I said, complicated and I try not to get too specific in getting into here even though I sometimes want to, so that I'm not revealing too much about my personal life.
Sounds like you are in a "time of monsters" and a qualitative change is coming. Hang in there. I hope you spot a good footing to land on when things change.
Appreciate it, thanks. I think that's a fair way to sum it up.
I've been struggling with work, with an uninspired boss and an unguided boss's boss. I had so much energy when I started this role but I question myself and what I can achieve here. It occupies so much of my time and energy and this is all happening when I know we are running towards climate disasters with no action, and with people 'enjoying' 30c weather at the end of September. Don't look up.
And then we have the utterly untrustworthy US Americans that openly pillaging everything and ""centrist"" governments debating if they can form a fascist government with the far right all over europe.
Fight the fight comrades, we have much to do.
I feel a bit bitter that brazilian high school education kind of crippled my ability to write anything that isn't ENEM essays (ENEM is a national exam that happens once a year. ENEM essays are 30 lines long).
I'm trying to learn how to research and write academic papers and I fell in love with how they structure paragraphs and arguments.
I have mixed feelings about romance. Sometimes I'll sort of forget about it like it doesn't even matter. Sometimes I'll really yearn for it hard like it's a huge deal. But I don't know how much of the 2nd one is cultural influence of putting romance on this huge pedestal as like the best thing since gluten-free sliced bread. Like a good partnership would probably help me a lot, but it's also not going to solve my problems on its own and a bad one could make them worse. I think the more important thing, probably, is to unfuck my brain with regards to attachment more generally. I tend to have that thing going on, I forget the exact term, where you seek attention and then want to run when you actually get it. Fearful... anxious... something or other. I could just look it up. Anyway, I have come a long way in emotional stability and self esteem I think, but it could still be a lot better and unfucking attachment is probably a significant part of that so that attachment is a source of security and stability instead of a combination of desiring it and fearing it. My gut tells me I'd actually have a pretty easy time having long-term relationships, platonic or otherwise, if I didn't have the fear/avoid thing in the mix, along with general insecurity about my capability to maintain relationships over time and distance due to my distractability and sudden dropoffs of interest; but then, judging relationship maintaining with distance as a factor is pretty unfair, as most human beings throughout history did not have the internet and such, they could just know the people who were right there and not have to think about it beyond that. My gut also tells me I need to eat healthier and that holding onto anxiety is bad for its digestion. It's not even speaking in english. I don't know what language the gut uses. Communicates through "this feels good" and "that feels bad" I guess.
I have mixed feelings about romance. Sometimes I’ll sort of forget about it like it doesn’t even matter. Sometimes I’ll really yearn for it hard like it’s a huge deal.
I believe this is the orientation called "Aro-spike."
Communist party posters are getting vandalized in my area with "pinkos" and swastikas. Seen Commy posters getting torn down but not (vandalized?) Like this
The American main animator for Winnie-the-Pooh admitted the Russian one is better.
Source for Image: https://www.amazon.com/Russias-Winnie-Pooh-Khitruks-Vinni-Pukh/dp/1731277113
Source for information: https://web.archive.org/web/20150925090318/http://aakr.ru/people/Fyodor-Khitruk
Tired of people saying how your body will get significantly worse over time. I'm already in immense pain walking, you telling me this shit gets worse?
FWIW, your body can get better over time too! Aging can certainly make things more injury prone and such, but you can also be in good health and good shape even at an older age. Some things are affected by genetics, some of it's environment, some diet, exercise, mental health, etc. It's not a thing where you inevitably slide downhill and everything just gets worse over time. Far more complicated than that. If it were a simple downhill trajectory, then everybody who dies of natural causes would be dying at the same age.
It's genuinely crazy that Chiang Kai-shek/Jiang Jeshi was about 5 minutes from getting deposed only to be saved by the Japanese invading Manchuria.
Context:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukden_Incident
Not saying Wang Jingwei would've been...good or better [its wang Jingwei]. But it certainly would have been interesting.
Plus its massively ironic and funny Chiang was saved because he had to "fight" the Japanese.
生日快乐中国！
US healthcare experience: Got a referral form to see a specialist but still need to set up an appointment with them. I hate phone calls especially since this stuff can end up with an automated system and waiting just to talk to somebody, so see if there's a way to do it through online. There is, wow, living in the future! No wait, after several attempts, a verification code that will be sent to one of email or phone (doesn't specify which) never goes through. Going back to verify the info I put in deletes it all and I have to start over. So I give up and try another day with the same form because I am stubborn and still hate phone calls. It actually works this time! There's even a patient portal I can log into where it shows the appointment. Wow, living in the future! Except lots of the info on there is wrong, like nearly a decade out of date, because it took it from god knows where other system in the region where I'd once had that information. Including the insurance information being dramatically out of date, which I'd provided as up to date in the form to make the appointment. So I fix all the information on there to make sure they don't get confused. Finally, all is good. Now I just have to wait for the day of the appointment. Few days later, get phone call while sleeping, so I miss it. Voice message left. Says I need to call them back so I can reschedule the appointment.
If this wasn't my life and someone told me this was a comedy script, I'd probably believe them. But it's not very funny when living it. Capitalism is hell.
Update: After checking the number they called from versus the number they said to call them at, which are two different numbers and are both valid numbers that show up online for the place I'm going to, but makes more sense to call them at the one they gave me to phone, I called them. Didn't have to wait too long to get to a person, so that was good. But wait, much of the information they have on me is still dramatically out of date. In spite of me giving them updated information in the form online. In spite of me updating it in the patient portal they gave me to use. So I have to give them a bunch of updated info over the phone, defeating the whole point of any of the prior effort made through online. Finally, once that is done, they get a new appointment set up (they explain that the previous one was canceled because the doc won't be there that day). Because of time of day and availability, it's a whole week after when the other one was going to be. The reason for the appointment isn't urgent in my case, but still annoying.
The psychology of wealth is weird. I've never had money in RL in that way, but I've had experiences in an online game before where, due to RNG / rare item drop, I came into "wealth" in the game temporarily. Notably, not the capitalist kind of wealth where it is tied up in investments and so on; more akin to winning the lottery. The reason I call it weird is, like, when that kind of thing happens, I start doing this thing that goes something like: I don't want to spend too much of it because then I will be low on in-game funds again.
But it's not like the game requires you to have a lot of money on hand. It's not like in RL where it's important to save because if you don't, you could end up without money for essential things. The worst that happens in a game like this is you gotta do some events/activities to gradually get funds back. Yet still, it's like some part of my mind gets tangled up in this fear of losing the spending power itself? The perceived flexibility that comes with having those funds available that theoretically could be spent if something I really want comes up. But being ruled by this fear actually means I spend less often and therefore get things I want in the game less often because I am afraid to lose it.
As it is just a game, the "just have fun with it, it's a game" mindset usually wins out eventually. But it feels like such a weird hangup to have at all and it feels like a little window into something a little bit like the way rich people think under capitalism, especially if they weren't born into wealth; they know the feeling of artificial scarcity and so become all the more afraid of going back to it when they are free of it, and this motivates them to do whatever it takes to never have to go back, no matter how capitalist it is. This is somewhat guesswork/extrapolation as I haven't exactly interviewed rich people on this, but I find it fascinating when a simulation can spark, perhaps, a kernel of insight into something real.
I am kind of curious, I used to be conservative and then right-wing libertarian. I was never a liberal. I wonder if liberal propaganda is less extreme. I had some traces of the alt-right pipeline which I had to do away with although I don't know if there is a similar trap for liberals.
I see liberal ideology nearly everywhere. In education especially. It may seem less extreme, but it is omnipresent.