askchapo

Don't be nice, be honest. I can take some critique.

I actually used to do the no plastic thing until COVID, since then I've been paranoid about sharing the same public water thing as people who aren't careful. I'm not saying that's a good reason, the risks are certainly much lower than breathing in infected air, and probably pretty low in general.

I'm also aware that the whole personal responsibility thing is pretty neoliberal. I think there are limits to that argument, like I'm a vegan, mask wearing, public transit taking human.

Edit: I have a cup of coffee in the morning and another bottle of water at lunch.

I was subjected to a liberal rant about Assad gassing Syrian people, and it sounded like some BS (Just smells like propaganda), but the Internet is a fuck these days and I'm unable to find any informtion I trust, or develop the tools to debunk wikihasbara.

Did it happen?

Long story short I’m being suspended after rules were enforced and I keep breaking these rules, I’m in shift work and I never wait for my replacement because they always come in late so I always leave before they arrive. Ironically I’m the one being penalized in this case and not the people coming in late, I definitely know they’re pulling this now because me and a few others unionized, there’s other bs I can’t get into but it seems like they’re just trying their best to remove the unionized workers but I have no proof so it won’t benefit me.

I know that one person got fired over something but they were unionized so they got rehired. I have a feeling like it won’t help my case that I’ve been leaving when I want because it just looks bad, can the union help me get a job or prevent me from termination?

“NOOOO YOU HAVE TO PUT ON A THREE PIECE SUIT TO BUY A GROCERIES!!!”

Anyone got it?

I am currently going through a lot of gender questioning, and I want to know how you all discovered your gender identities, or if you are still questioning yourself. I think that I am probably not cis, but as we all know, gender isn't black and white. I'm identifying as non-binary right now, but I have had a lot of times throughout my life, including now, where I may have wanted to be more feminine, or even a woman. Especially after lurking on this site and looking at the trans megathreads, I find myself relating to a lot of what is being said. Overall, I recently feel like I have either hit a wall or just opened up a part of myself that I thought I had already solved, so I think that the experiences of others might help me figure myself out.

P.S. I don't know if this is the appropriate comm, it made a little more sense than the trans comm, since it said it was more of a meme comm, and this is not a meme. Mods, please take it down if it's the wrong comm; I'll repost if I need to.

Hey folks, this is probably silly but I'm taking suggestions as to how to handle a situation I'm in now. My bill for internet has gone up like 50 dollars in the last few months between the promotional deal expiring and the affordable connection subsidy going away. So I called a competitor to see about changing service. I wasn't able to shop services online because something was wrong with my address, so phone call it had to be.

It took like an hour and they have to come out to see whether I can actually get service still. But they tentatively signed me up for service so I got an email a couple hours after the call.

They have me being billed for a landline.

It's still cheaper than I'm currently paying but I'm absolutely not going to use a landline. So I'm in a bind.

Do I call them back and try to out-talk a sales rep to get them to just sell me internet?

Should I go to the physical store location in my city and talk with them in person? We still don't even know if I'll be able to get service, would that be a waste of everyone's time?

Should I wait and resolve it after the 'can you get service' question is resolved, or will that make changing it more painful?

Some other thing I'm not thinking about?

On one hand allowing obviously superior and cheaper Chinese EVs into the states at MSRP would obliterate the automakers which are one of the last bastions of organized labor. On the other hand getting cheap EVs into people's hands is the outer limit of viable climate change action in this treat demon settler country.

EVs aren't a viable way to address climate change; overall primary energy use needs to decrease and EVs are still a very, very energy-intensive form of transportation. Organized labor will be a necessary component of any attempt to address climate change beyond offering people better treats.

It is however ridiculous because the dems have created a system where only affluent people can afford EVs; they'll pat them on the back and assure them they did their part to save the planet. Now if only the poors trundling along in their aged gasmobiles could get their shit together.

In your country or state or region or whatever - in courtrooms...

1. Do you have courtroom sketch artists?

2. Are cameras allowed?

3. Are video cameras allowed?

4. Are computers allowed?

5. Are cellphones allowed but must they be turned off?

6. What am I forgetting to ask?

[Edits: More list items to go here.]

---

I'm American but I'd like to know about states and federal trials because probably some of what I assume is wrong or dead wrong.

Edit: In my other thread abc has comment (with a link and quote) about how Lindbergh baby changed the rules of American courtrooms - https://hexbear.net/comment/4911525

Was talking to a friend of mine about the use of nukes and I was told about how it was the quicker way to save more lives. I’ve always heard this argument but still always believed that it was an extreme response that could have been avoided.

Am I naive in my thoughts here? What is everyone else’s interpretation of the events leading up to and the decision made to drop both bombs?

And what's an example of a non-atomized society?

1. Which seasons do you think are best?

2. What episodes are best? If you like episode Such-and-Such and it's not in a good season - I can download just that episode.

3. [𝙻𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐...]

I thought I had a third question. Maybe I'll edit that later.

It's very obvious that is circling the drain now, but clearly this didn't just happen in a vacuum. It must've started crumbling at some point... but when?

Some people might say it started after 9/11, others might say it goes back to the Raegan administration. A few might even say it started after losing the Vietnam War, or when they went off the gold standard. Or maybe even earlier...

What do you think?

Was thinking about this intellectual period last night. I don't know a lot but I get the vague impression of it being too much on the revisionist side for my taste, although the label New Left is so broad that I'm sure there's a huge span of thought that it gets applied to.

What theory still holds up from that time, what theorists do you agree/disagree with, what texts would you recommend to people who want to understand more about this time, t's origins,links to the French 1968 movement ,etc?

It feels like I'm constantly hearing about prostests only after they happen. Is there a way I can leanr about these sooner that doesn't require talking to people irl before I am already involved. Like can I just show up?

I am very neurodivergent to be clear. These things are hard for me.

How do I even get involved locally? I am part of CPUSA but I've never ventered beyond the online space. Is there a way to keep up with whats going on locally without having to meet people irl regularly?

This is not for sketchy reasons, I swear. All the primo spaces in our apartment building's bike storage room are taken up by rusting rotting flat-tired cobwebbed piece of shit bikes that clearly haven't been used in years. Half their owners probably moved out of the building and left them there. I have repeatedly asked building management to implement some kind of use-it-or-lose-it tagging system so if a bike isn't moved in a year it gets junked but they're basically useless and will never get around to doing even minor computer-only things unless you pester them at least six times, let alone something requiring actual effort like this. So.

I want to pick the locks on these bikes and either move them to the back of the bike room or if they're obviously junk just throw them out. How difficult is it to pick kryptonite u-locks? Is it also possible to re-lock them afterward? Is there any danger of damaging the bike locks? Some of the bikes also use tube-style combo locks which I know can be fairly easily cracked using the screwdriver tension method (and already managed to do this for a tiny 3-combo lock). Any general tips for getting started? Is it basically impossible to go from never having picked a lock to picking a u-lock? Assume time is no constraint, I can hang out there and pick them for however long is needed.

It might be a dumb question but I don’t want to risk fucking him up somehow—what I’m most worried about is his stuffing getting mildew-y or otherwise borked. I’m pretty sure, almost certain actually, he’s polyester inside. Do I just dunk him in some soapy water, scrub him, and leave him in the sun for a while? Can I throw him in the washer next time I do laundry? He’d fucking love that.

Whenever I’m really sad it feels like either heartburn, or this “tightness” or something just below my sternum.

Also Creamsicle says he’s sorry for making a dumb post. Here’s a picture of him with a noodle on his head.

Btw I take him to the vet when he eats cat food because that’s Gregory’s cat food. I tell the vet he got into some chocolate so they’ll give him an emetic and maybe he’ll decide the cat food isn’t worth it and there won’t be a next time, but he’s an idi—GOD DAMNIT CREAMSICLE COME BACK HERE.

”Yay!”

not really interested in the prager U version of the cold war so i wont bother typing "cold war documentary" into YT. if you guys have recs pls share, thank you

Obviously fuck these laws. And even if these laws state that universities cannot legally divest, they should divest anyway and say 'fuck you, take me to court'--but, with that aside, what are the actual details of these laws?

I know it varies state to state, but in PA, for example, where the UPenn encampment was raided this morning, the university says "Penn remains unequivocally opposed to divestment, and it is unlawful for institutions receiving funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

From what I can tell, there's just a 2016 law that states that the government of PA essentially can't do business with entities that have divested from Israel--but how does that legally prevent the entity from actually doing so on their part?

I keep seeing this claim that "It's illegal to divest, so we as a university can't do so. Tough luck." Not only is it ethically BS, but it seems to be a straight up lie, too?

Was reading a university sub- and I saw the same two hypocrisy gotcha responses from chuds.

1 ) These protesters should go live in Gaza since they keep complaining. I don't see the logic here? The protesters don't like the place getting bombed so they should go to that place and experience the bombing themselves? If anything shouldn't it be the opposite? That people who think current treatment of Gazans is justified should go experience Gaza for themselves to walk a mile in their shoes? Now that I think about it, maybe the logic behind the gotcha is that alternative left-wing types would not be accepted in a socially conservative muslim country? Even if that were true, still doesn't mean kids from there should get bombed.

2 ) The protesters are against the walls and checkpoints encircling Gaza from, yet the protesters have barricaded their encampment with a plastic sheath so they can control who comes in and out. So are the chuds here saying they're against all barricades including the Gaza one? Or are they saying they agree all barricades are bad? Or just hypocrisy in and of itself is bad? Denouncing the wall is fine, as long you stay consistent and also don't use a plastic barricade yourself? How are these things even being equated in the first place? Oh you're against the Berlin Wall yet your apartment complex has a fence behind the dumpsters. You're a hypocrite which is the real crime here.

Anyway I know I'm preaching to the choir. How do you all deal with braindead smug gotchas? I guess it's time to touch grass?

Disclaimer: before you post anything ask yourself if you are going to dox yourself or someone else and if you are going to get anyone put on a higher priority watchlist than they're already on, yourself including. If the answer is yes, do not post it.

Some things are better talked about in an oblique way (and referencing Minecraft after the fact is about as useful in this regard as posting an image on Facebook saying that you do not consent to them using your personal information), some things are better off whispered in person, some things are better off not talked about at all. With that out the way...

What are some interesting things that you have come across?
What are you surprised about not being adopted more widely?

Shits getting real and it's worth having a discussion about what can make protests more effective. I'm talking group strategy, personal tactics, protective gear - anything really.