leighbythesea2
leighbythesea2's JournalCould we have jumped the Electric Shark?
Definition
(of a television series or movie) reach a point at which far-fetched events are included merely for the sake of novelty, indicative of a decline in quality.
Biden had just said let’s not treat politics like reality TV.
Saw someone say yesterday “we’ve crossed the Rubicon”, made me think of this.
David Roberts- The extraordinary media freakout this last week
[link:https://x.com/drvolts/status/1809322871279481122?s=46|
Part of David’s post, For those not into twitter….
To be clear up front: I don't give one tiny hot fuck who the Dem nominee is. I truly don't. Biden's fine. Harris is fine. A warm puddle of vomit is fine. *There is no conceivable resolution to the nomination fight that could change the basic calculus of this race.*
Preventing a fascist takeover of the US is my top priority--as a journalist, as a voter, as a human. If it isn't yours too, you should feel bad about yourself. If you haven't made the stakes of this election clear to everyone within the sound of your voice, you should feel bad.
But I'm not gonna rant. [breathes deeply] Just gonna make my one point, which is this: the idea that that the process of jettisoning Biden & choosing someone else will go well -- will be *allowed* to go well -- is a deeply deranged fantasy.
The idea that Dems will do this & will end up feeling unified, that Harris will come out popular, that "the dynamics of the race will shift," all of that ... fucking deranged. Deranged in such a perfectly characteristic Dem way.
"This person/policy/slogan/approach has been irredeemably slimed by Republicans & a hostile media -- let's throw it overboard!" That's the Dem way. Always with this starry-eyed hope that they can reset, start over, get it right this time.
Just as one example -- other people have aggregated these -- there have been "calls" for every Dem nominee of the last 30 years to step aside. Dems practically delight in abandoning their own people, policies, & principles in response to bad-faith pressure. They f'ing love it.
But, as I've been saying for, oh, 20 years now, the situation is structural. The current situation is an outcome of a particular incentive structure & that structure will remain exactly the same if Harris takes over the ticket.
For centrists, journalists, pundits, *even Dem electeds*, the way you prove you are a Reasonable, Serious Person in DC is by shitting on Dems. For the left, the way you prove you are a true radical is by shitting on Dems. For the right ... well, obviously.
Everyone's professional incentives are to shit on Dems. Dwelling on Trump & his fascist movement -- however justified by the objective facts -- just doesn't bring that juice, doesn't get the clicks & the high-fives, doesn't feel brave & iconoclastic. It's just ... no fun.
So, say Biden stepped aside in favor of Harris tomorrow. How long until the vapid gossips we call political reporters find something wrong with her, some alleged flaw they just have to write 192 stories about? How long until the hopped-up mediocrities we call pundits ...
...find some "counter-intuitive" reason that the new Dem ticket is flawed after all? How long until the irredentist left gets over the temporary thrill of its new Harris memes & remembers that she's a cop & turns on her? How long before the ambient racism & misogyny in the US...
.. lead center-leftists to conclude that, sure, they'd support a black woman, just not *this* black woman? In other words: how long before everyone reverts to their comfortable, familiar identity & narratives?
About 30 f'ing seconds, is my guess.
Dems uniting, feeling good, telling a clear story, receiving credit for their accomplishments--all of that is *impossible* in the current environment. It won't be allowed. Dems can punch themselves in the face all they want, abandon whoever they want, apologize all they want...
... they simply will not be allowed to turn the page & start fresh, because everyone's incentives remain the same. If they did that, elites, including media elites, would have no choice but to openly & frankly grapple with Trump & what he represents & they *don't want to*.
Everyone feels comfortable shitting on Dems -- it's just a cozy professional space. You get to feel brave & independent (just like all the replacement-level pundits around you) with zero risk.
Yes, it's abysmal, contemptible cowardice on a genuinely embarrassing scale ...
... but it is what it is & we should have no illusions that it will change with a change in the top of the ticket.
For some reason, left pundits are pathologically averse to acknowledging that fact. And so they grasp at these straws -- if we could just get rid of Biden, we could have a reasonable conversation! Yeah, sure. You absurd summer children.
This election is not a choice between two individuals, it's a choice between worldviews, between futures. Do we want to continue down the path to multiethnic democracy or do we want to impose a white patriarchal Christian autocracy?
At stake is the entire federal civil service. The machinery of state built since WWII. Freedom & dignity for millions. Yes, democracy itself. That's not an exaggeration. Yet this country's elites have utterly failed to convey those stakes to the populace. A *grotesque* failure.
You can not look at this extraordinary media freakout this last week and not psychologize, not see all kinds of displacement. They can't or won't be serious about Trump & so they are fucking *giddy* at having permission to scold Dems again. Their safe place.
There’s more, pretty long…..
Maybe not right forum, health & work environment question
Wondering if anyone here can give me a little guidance on workplace and allergy response. I count on DU and it’s smart membership.
I figured out finally today, what I think I’m allergic to at work, that’s been steadily building for 6 months.
The factors—its a corporate office. It’s a department with specific objectives, resources & tools. Namely, apparel design. We handle a lot of materials and fabrics in our area.
I’ve been working on home decor—new to us. Home fabrics & textiles.
Have steadily felt more & more allergic over time but kept thinking it was internal circulation system, dust, the carpet, the carpet cleaning, etc.
have taken allergy meds, eye drops, & brought in an air purifier for my desk. Not working.
Today it was so bad my chest hurt, shallow breathing and the word asthma came into my head. Using google for this “asthma at work”, stumbled on occupational asthma.
And on the list of most common, is textile workers. I’m a textile designer. Mind you, I’m not in a factory, or mill, which is where this gets discussed most.
I see a dr Friday & anticipate being sent to ENT. (Went thru this & skin test with my allergy prone step-son years ago).
At least I can tell them my theory.
The fibers & fabrics for home textiles are different, & I have steadily increased in exposure. They are “cut” and swatches have more loose fiber. Home textiles are much bigger, and the quantity is bigger too.
My question is—what if I am just allergic to my job? Is my employer responsible for anything around environment, given it’s not a factory or mill environment—-with flying fiber, & dust from cutting or processing tons of fabric. It’s a corporate office.
It’s not like I suspect mold.
I believe it is the tools I’m using to do my job.
Can I ask to move areas? Do something with less exposure ? I can’t be in a bubble.
(noticed in researching textile worker environment they can test for an IGa response, and a skin prick for cotton & synthetic. Will ask my dr about this.)
Could it end up being just my problem? Maybe after 35 years, have gotten to this place?
It’s not “extreme” immersion, anyone doing what I do would be required to handle fabrics.
I’m sure there are mitigating options. Will start with a mask tomorrow.
Just, if end up deemed allergic —would probably stop doing this work. Am close to retirement, & would consider this very critically.
Today I left the floor i work on for 20 minutes to try to stop near-wheezing, essentially. Overall it was so bad, started planning how to quit.
***I’m the only one currently with this issue, to my knowledge.
It’s just so crazy—am possibly allergic to my vocation?! Then what.
Thanks all in advance for any advice. Meet with my director Wednesday. Need to be smart about my conversation.
Death of Angela Chao, (sister of Elaine) Under Criminal Investigation
The death earlier this month of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao, the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is currently under "criminal investigation," a Texas sheriff's office said Thursday.
Chao, 50, was found dead shortly after midnight on Feb. 11 after being pulled out of a car that had gone into a pond on a private ranch in Johnson City, Texas, about 40 miles from Austin.
"This incident was not a typical accident," the Blanco County Sheriff's Office wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday.
"Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff's Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity," the letter said.
Chao was the sister of McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, who has served as secretary of both the U.S. Labor and Transportation departments. Their father and mother founded the Foremost Group.
[link:https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/angela-chao-death-being-investigated-as-criminal-matter.html|
Admiring my hearts, thank you very much
Ordered a “charcuterie plate for two” from my salad place. Since my SO works across the state 5 days a week, am enjoying it myself—while I very much admire my hearts. Thank you!
Committed to a date for memory care facility today
For my mom. 6.5 years of living together, most of it in my house. Alzheimer’s.
She had polio as a child, and that has been a compounding factor more recently. Also, she has a physical condition, that has been added. Significant.
I can’t do it anymore. She’s in good spirits, and is pretty mild tempered.
I have help, bc I work full time. The cost has become astronomical. People in my house 24-7 has been illuminating, in mostly negative ways.
Any advice on the transition?
And any advice on one specific aspect of caregiver burnout? Have had an over-riding sensation of total numbness. Or, very efficient compartmentalization —that’s so efficient it feels like numbness? Sometimes don’t feel connected to myself at all.
Have googled this many times and still don’t know. Assume it’s just survival paired with sleep deprivation. ?
I expect that to change.
A valentine heart in the hand...
At DU, is worth two in the wild. Thanks for my hearts! Always a fun time here in February.
FBI--Free Biscuit Invitation
Hardee’s Promo
[link:https://twitter.com/hardees/status/1570190585696292865?s=46&t=d1Nm1TEzL7e8MGnJrCi5JQ|
Undercover in Guyana: Exposing Chinese Business in South America
Around minute 20:00, the VP stuttering and sweating through her questions. Great journalism.
This is so well done, wanted to share.
It's been happening everywhere in world, with Chinese infrastructure "investment". This is SA, but Central America, Africa continent, and Carribean...
[link:
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: midwest
Home country: usa
Current location: ohio
Member since: Thu Mar 5, 2020, 02:11 PM
Number of posts: 1,202