Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Election 2024

I am thinking about this article here -

https://quillette.com/2024/11/06/the-revenge-of-the-silent-male-voter-trump-vance-musk/

I mean, yes, I think choosing someone who openly doesn't care about the Constitution is a bad idea. We know he's buddy buddy with Putin. We know Putin changed the term limits so he's basically dictator for life. We know Trump has expressed similar interests multiple times, and that Colorado clown even suggested it in her statement yesterday. 

If he doesn't do something like that, we only have to survive 4 years. I suspect changing it will be one of his priorities, and that if he thinks he can run yet again he might moderate himself. As much as he ever does. 

Assuming he doesn't die of old age and poor health and leave us with Vance. 

Anyways, I honestly don't know how so many Americans are okay with someone who has repeatedly shown he won't deliver on his unrealistic promises, but whatever. 

This article is interesting, though. Because it captures some emotional feelings I've heard indicators for. 

I mean, I do think there's toxic masculinity. I know plenty of men who are caring husbands, loving fathers, etc. And yet I've also heard the reports of the loneliness of men. Of how some (the toxic ones) can't really express any emotion other than anger, turn everything into some sort of pissing contest, try to do that 'Alpha male' bs that just makes them annoying assholes. (The number of times I've seen a decently good looking guy, only for them to open their mouth and reveal a terrible personality...  Well, nobody cares about that).

Anyways. Trump is like the epitome of toxic masculinity. 

But I can understand how young men might feel constrained. I mean, hell. I was in the Army, which is 90% men. And even though I found it kind of sad and ridiculous how scared many are of appearing even the slightest bit homosexual or feminine (really... It's so strange that 'manliness' often is an act performed by the least 'manly', if you think courage is a 'manly' trait. The soldier rocking a pink beanie cap shows more courage and 'manliness' than most, because he obviously doesn't give a shit about that nonsense)

Ahem. I digress. Even though it's sort of painful to see that crap, and I have been glad I'm a woman who doesn't have to deal with it, I do know it's part of that whole 'prove yourself' thing. 

Plus friendly competition can be fun. (Especially when you blow stuff up. Like an ex talking about the potato gun he and his friends built when younger.)

Like, if I go to a combat zone can I hold my own? Not give in to fear? 

And so, perhaps, at least one small part of the problem is that they don't see positive examples. Men who show them how to be men, and how to prove themselves, without looking like 'wusses' and also without being assholes. 

Like the special ops guys. The ones who carry themselves with confidence and have nothing to prove - and therefore can be some of the calmest and quietest people in a room. 

This has meandered long enough, and I don't know that there's any real conclusion to draw from it. Except, maybe, that we need to show that it truly is better to not be an 'alpha male' asshole. 

Election 2024

So this is where we are. 

I honestly thought we were better than this...

I don't really know what else to say. I'm just so disappointed in my fellow Americans. 

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Election 2024

I feel like if I'm going to condemn how some of the rich and powerful act like fools, I ought to also share when they do something positive. Like here -

https://fortune.com/2024/10/29/ceos-america-largest-companies-voting-for-harris-not-trump-leadership-elections-politics/

Jan 6th should have been the nail in Trump's political coffin, and frankly every report of some billionaire contributing to him just makes them look bad.

So here's the opposite. 

This also reminds me of the latest fuss about newspaper endorsements and here's the thing -

I have never changed my mind on who to vote for based on one of these, so perhaps it's true that a newspaper (like, oh, let's just say the Washington Post) shouldn't bother. However... 

That's the sort of argument that should be made in a normal election year. Or even at the very beginning of the campaign, and clearly and publicly saying there won't be one. 

Saying so now? Just days before election day? 

Rank cowardice at best, another thumb on the scale for Trump at worst. 

Yeah, those newspapers deserve all the grief they're getting for that decision. 

If you're worried about Trump and his petty vindictive ness, now is the time to speak out. 

After all, the consequences will be worse if he somehow manages to pull this off (I still don't see how he's got the support, despite the polling). 

Oh, and even if he fails you know he and his people are yet again going to claim the election was stolen. Showing Kamala truly does have support makes it more difficult to convince people that she didn't. 

Friday, October 25, 2024

Seeing How Far the Rot Has Spread

Trump truly has become a litmus test... 

And all the rich fools supporting him, all the newspapers either endorsing him or refusing to endorse anyone, are showing us how far the rot has spread. 

This election should have been a no brainer, and the fact that it isn't is truly disturbing. 

I really wonder what is going through those fools heads. Is it simple greed? Do they truly not understand what makes America great? Is it racism? 

Honestly, I'm less shocked by Trump than by all the institutions and billionaires that are failing the easiest test ever. 

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Junk Food Politician

When writing about Jan 6th, I realized that Trump and his ilk were basically taking advantage of people's ignorance about how the political system works. 

At the time I was thinking about the safe harbor deadline, how states certify election results, and various other dull and dry things that the people around Trump must have known, and therefore all the BS about Pence being able to change the results had to have been the worst sort of cynical manipulation... 

And realized how consistently he and his do this. 

Like the tariff discussion at the start of the presidential debate. 

If you were a business selling a widget in the US for $10, and Trump slapped a tariff on the product costing you $1, it does not take a lot of work to realize you can just consider that an additional cost of manufacturing and start selling your widget for $11. Thereby passing the costs on to the consumer and ultimately raising prices in the US. 

And yet he, bold as you please, claimed he'd add tariffs and that no American would have to suffer for it. 

Sounds a lot like 'Mexico will pay for the wall', and all I can think is that his supporters must like the way he lies. 

I will save the long winded and wonky details for all the ways they take advantage of people's ignorance and just say this -

They're junk food politicians. 

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Enshittification

It really does seem like online services are just getting worse and worse. 

People have talked plenty about Google, and Microsoft, and social media... And I don't know if it strictly fits the category but my latest exam is Amazon. 

I ordered something that was too small, but when I went looking into a way of exchanging or replacing it with a larger size, I went down a rabbit hole of links that didn't allow me to select that at all. 

I could return it, or replace it with the exact same thing, but could not replace it with the exact same thing but larger. 

I have to wonder if the same holds true for clothes? 

Then I went looking for some place I could mention the issue. Instead it was link after link sending me back to the process I already tried, and apparently there's no form where I could mention that. Anywhere. 

Guess customer service is a joke now 

Monday, September 23, 2024

Bubbles

http://web.archive.org/web/20240815200317/https://www.thecut.com/article/what-its-like-personal-assistant-billionaire.html