The General Chat Thread (2023)

[medtran49]

Where the hell are we heading

I don't know. I told Craig the other day when this last thing came out that slavery was beneficial that things were beginning to remind me of what the history books write about in the 1930s and 1940s.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I don't know. I told Craig the other day when this last thing came out that slavery was beneficial that things were beginning to remind me of what the history books write about in the 1930s and 1940s.

Me too but I'm afraid to say that out loud. As if it's some sort of Beetlejuice.

 

[TastyReuben]

Well pretty much any antibiotic may cause diarrhea as they kill bacteria, even the necessary bacteria in your gut.

I’m focusing on the “months later” aspect. I’m imaging a scenario in, say, January, where my summer round of antibiotics will be but a distant memory, sitting in a bar somewhere, having a drink, chatting with the bartender, when out of nowhere, without warning…

(for now, at least…)

 

[TastyReuben]

Decisions, decisions…

My head says:

But my heart says:

 

[medtran49]

I’m focusing on the “months later” aspect. I’m imaging a scenario in, say, January, where my summer round of antibiotics will be but a distant memory, sitting in a bar somewhere, having a drink, chatting with the bartender, when out of nowhere, without warning…

(for now, at least…)

Ask the pharmacist to be sure, but once the diarrhea subsides, if it even happens, I doubt it will appear out of the blue in relation to the antibiotic. As mentioned by me and others previously, antibiotics kill intestinal flora, AKA bacteria, that's supposed to be there.

 

[caseydog]

Ah yes, those problems are reported over here often. It's diametrically opposed to the other 'land of the free' message we also get a lot of

Countries absolutely love reporting on another countries perceived failings don't they? It always has a smug tone tone too, as if to say look at them aren't we are great and yet if you look and some of our police forces like the Met apparently not!

The police failings in the UK on racism, sexism and homophobia have caused enormous ructions though. They are on a final warning to tidy themselves up or there will be consequences in the form of government intervention. The 'scrap them and start again' suggestion has gathered support on all sides after a hugely damning report by the Police Inspectorate that basically says it isn't a few rotten apples its the whole barrel.

What I find so hard to believe is the lies they expect to get away with when in this day and age they will have been caught on camera doing exactly the thing they say they haven't. It's so predictable its tiresome.

Thanks for acknowledging that UK has its issues with racism and homophobia, too. It is a problem in many European countries, as it is here. I read the other day that the new conservative government in Italy is passing some anti-LGBT laws that rival Florida and Texas for being mean. Anti-immigrant feelings seem to be gaining traction in Europe, too, with North Africans being the European equivalent of Mexicans, here.

CD

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Thanks for acknowledging that UK has its issues with racism and homophobia, too. It is a problem in many European countries, as it is here. I read the other day that the new conservative government in Italy is passing some anti-LGBT laws that rival Florida and Texas for being mean. Anti-immigrant feelings seem to be gaining traction in Europe, too, with North Africans being the European equivalent of Mexicans, here.

CD

Yes Italy is leading the way in where not to go, most Europeans are watching on in horror. The only thing holding them back is being bound by the EU Equality Charter.
The rules of membership mean they can be taken to court by anyone for discrimination and the EU does like to demonstrate it’s strength when members breach the rules.
I’m sure they’ll attempt to keep their unpleasantness on just about the right side of the law by holding religion out in front of them like a shield that somehow justifies it all
Germany is a strong voice in the EU though and due to past events are very sensitive about allowing anything that looks like discrimination or subjugation so at least that’s a plus.

This new extreme right politics in Europe is mostly successful in countries where Catholicism dominates. I don’t think I need to say anymore about that as anyone who’s looked objectively at the Catholic Church will already understand their doctrine..

Fortunately the UK's government census showed England and Wales are the least religious in the world!
Not sure about the validity of that claim by the humanist society but it is official less than half of the population now ticks the christianity box which is something you're kind of trained to do based on being christened as a child, that and in the past declaring no religion being a controversial thing to do! It's highly likely as a nation we're even less religious than we're declaring!

 

[PabloLerntKochen]

CD mentioned the right thing about Italy. It's low development in economics paired with desperate refugees trying to get into a country with way better living standards. Funny thing, I've a neighbor favoring the strong right Partie in Germany "AFD" and the longer you talk with him the more you understand, that he isn't particularly against other cultures, he would like to help refugees but he sees it as delusional to deal with other people problems while having many problems himself. I believe it's bound on capitalism, egoism and greed. It's so reliving helping people in need and they'll show you kindness you've probably never seen before.

 

[caseydog]

CD mentioned the right thing about Italy. It's low development in economics paired with desperate refugees trying to get into a country with way better living standards. Funny thing, I've a neighbor favoring the strong right Partie in Germany "AFD" and the longer you talk with him the more you understand, that he isn't particularly against other cultures, he would like to help refugees but he sees it as delusional to deal with other people problems while having many problems himself. I believe it's bound on capitalism, egoism and greed. It's so reliving helping people in need and they'll show you kindness you've probably never seen before.

The far right MAGA movement is kind of like that. People don't like how things are, and need someone to blame. The scary thing is that some of the influencers on the far right are reviving the "replacement theory" that I'm sure you learned about in school. It was one of the tenets of the Nazi party in the 1930s. It is being tossed around here against Mexican immigrants. "Mexican immigrants will replace white people as a majority if we don't stop them."

CD

 

[medtran49]

I don't remember where I read it and it's been quite a while, but a reputable person/institution extrapolated current population growth at that time, with the resulting numbers showing that blacks, followed by Hispanics will become the majorities, with Caucasian people becoming a minority group in the US in the next 30 to 50 years if I remember the time frame correctly. So MAGA is not entirely wrong about the one thing.

 

[TastyReuben]

with the resulting numbers showing that blacks, followed by Hispanics will become the majorities, with Caucasian people becoming a minority group in the US in the next 30 to 50 years

…and that’s what’s got some White folks all freaked out.

MrsT and I were just talking yesterday, and I’d told her that there are things that have happened in just the last few years that I would have never thought remotely possible (things like throwing reproductive rights back to the states, and this whole menu of DeSantis’ bull ), so that from now on, I’m inclined to think the worst is at least within the realm of possibility.

With respect to the “great replacement,” if you’d have asked me a few years ago about the likelihood of something like The Handmaid’s Tale coming to pass, I would have laughed and told you to get real.

Now, though, go out and read some of the comments on articles at some of the extreme-conservative “news” sites, and you’ll find more and more people (and not just men) saying that we need to, at the very least, highly incentivize “the right kinds of” couples having lots of kids (and by that, they mean conservative White evangelicals), and that we should actually punish people like MrsT and myself who are purposely childfree, because we haven’t done “our part,” and more and more, there are voices saying if it comes down to it, “the right kinds of” men and women need to be forced into procreating, before “we” lose our culture.

Five years ago, I would have laughed off those people and called them nutjobs to their faces, but as time creeps forward, I see an increase in the numbers of people openly putting that out there, and as we all know, a far-right governor here, a far-right legislator or two there, and it’s just enough to tip the balance.

What kills me, though, is that these are the same people who forcefully scream about “big government” and losing individual freedoms. Talk about a cognitive disconnect!

These days, nothing would surprise me.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I am gutted. Gutted enough to be drinking G&T on a Sunday evening and I mostly don't indulge on school nights.

A few years ago when Mr SSOAP had just passed his motorcycle test and wanted to go on a group ride to America I really didn't want to spend nearly 14k on a group ride before he really understood what group riding was like.
From the outside it looks like a fun jolly, from the inside you're thrust together with a group of people you wouldn't necessarily choose with very varying abilities all weighed down by the slowest rider.

So I signed us both up for a Lands End to John o'Groats ride with well known uk rider so he could see if he really liked it.

On that ride was a genuinely intelligent nice guy. Very quiet, reserved perhaps, observant, competent type of person.
But of all the riders there Mr SSOAP and I hit it off with him and he turned out to be good company.
He and Mr SSOAP had a nice common ground too that it was their first group trip.

I don't do Facebook so it's taken 9 days for this info to reach my ears. He went on the Alps trip, had an RTA and is a hospital in Grenoble paralysed from the waist down.
Very upsetting.

Mr Slowly is in the middle of gaming. I really don't want to tell him but I have to don't I

 

[TastyReuben]

He went on the Alps trip, had an RTA and is a hospital in Grenoble paralysed from the waist down.
Very upsetting.

That’s terrible news, very sorry for your friend. I’m sure he’s getting good care, and I’m hoping there are some ways you’ll be able to offer some moral support once you’re all in contact.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

That’s terrible news, very sorry for your friend. I’m sure he’s getting good care, and I’m hoping there are some ways you’ll be able to offer some moral support once you’re all in contact.

Thanks.
We do have a WhatsApp group together but it's been a while and it seems crass to message now.

Everyones just chucking money at a fund raising page to try and help but it all seems very hollow!

Anyway back to diversionary tactics.

The Kittle cheesecake is in the fridge. I have serious doubts. I used gluten free biscuits for the base and those things are drier than your average digestive so I think it maybe an Eton Mess version of a cheesecake!

 

[Morning Glory]

I don't do Facebook so it's taken 9 days for this info to reach my ears. He went on the Alps trip, had an RTA and is a hospital in Grenoble paralysed from the waist down.
Very upsetting.

Mr Slowly is in the middle of gaming. I really don't want to tell him but I have to don't I

That's terrible. I expect you have told Mr S by now. I remember long ago that my (then) partner heard his best friend, a top aerobatic pilot, had been in a serious air crash and was in hospital in Brighton. As soon as he heard this, which was late at night, he said 'I'm going down there now'. We lived in Hampshire at the time and he was a keen cyclist. He leapt on his bike and cycled overnight to Brighton (about 60 miles). I thought he was mad but I also understood that feeling of needing to do something.