Within twenty-four hours of Republicans getting crushed in elections theyβd convinced themselves were winnable,Β Fox NewsΒ deployed the counter-move. Not denialβthe losses were too visible β¦
βWeβre done allowing rapists to walk free,β an outraged protester told 2 News Oklahoma. βWeβre done seeing the people in charge allowing this to happen.β
Remember kids: "Passive income" is a term used to describe wealth handed out to people by society, through our economic system, without doing any work.
Many people receiving a "passive income" are intergenerationally wealthy, as opposed to the working class and long-term unemployed people who receive social welfare payments.
Because of this, they're referred to as passive income /earners/ not passive income /recipients/. Conversely, we have social welfare /recipients/ not social welfare /earners/.
As a society, we've decided that Joe Heir and Jane Heiress deserve their wealth, even if they've never done a full day's work in their lives. And there are no income tests for this wealth, so they get these handouts even if they don't need them.
Conversely, we've collectively decided that welfare recipients are bludgers. Welfare payments are also vigorously means tested. The burden of proof is entirely on you to claim and prove you deserve these payments.
The one exception to this social welfare rule is when handouts go to the rich, whether that's in the form of subsidies or tax breaks.
Because there's one law for the rich, and another for the poor.
What do you call people who managed to save money all their working lives and are now drawing down those funds (plus interest) for a well-deserved retirement? I mean, other than βlucky.ββ
Tell #Democracy Minister: its time to scrap First Past the Post
First Past The Post undermines our politics.
It leaves most of us with representatives not of our choosing - depriving us of a say in how our lives are governed. It delivers chaos and instability in our #politics.
The government has set out to address the crisis of trust in politics. #Westminsterβs broken voting system stands in the way of that mission
Our election results are more distorted than ever, leaving millions of people without a voice.
Passports didnβt list sex until the 1970s when governments around the world stated freaking out about men with long hair and unisex clothes. Now we pretend like this was some always set, eminently important thing that must carry value. We only got it as enforcement of binary gender.
The State Department began including sex markers on passports in 1977, a change government officials attributed to the rise of unisex fashion and hair styles.
βGender-bending fashion made it harder for border officials to identify someone as male or female,β said Craig Robertson, a professor of communication studies at Northeastern University who wrote a book about the history of the American passport. βI sometimes joke David Bowie caused M/F sex markers to be added to the passport.β
I think that enforcing AGAB markers on passports is conservative self soothing on the importance and necessity of binary gender. That it must intrinsically mean something. Itβs a targeting vector more than anything, to inform authorities to the way the system thinks people should be treated.
"This victory isnβt about one person," said Mayor-elect Erica Deuso, "itβs about what happens when people come together to choose progress over fear.β
As Katie Wilson slowly gains on Bruce Harrell in the #Seattle mayoral election, liberal media is now characterizing voting on election day as "procrastination", as if insulting voters after they've voted is going to swing the election.
No, the progressives voting on election day are not procrastinators. There were many things to vote on down-ballot, and many of us actually plan on being fully informed before we cast our votes.
We didn't procrastinate, we voted. Scary, I know...
voters procrastinated or people are super inpatient for the result and since it is not mathematically a blowout we have to, oh my god how lame, count every vote :eye roll: gah how horrible.
DALLAS FUCKING TEXAS city council just voted unanimously to reject a $25 million package from #ICE requiring Dallas PD to arrest 50 immigrants per day.
As a reminder, Texas is not a red state. There are more registered Democrats than Republicans in Texas. This is why Bishop William Barber says the states of the South in general should not be called "red." They are rigged.
The #AntiDefamationLeague is facing backlash over what critics have called unwarranted hostility toward Mayor-elect #ZohranMamdani, after the org publicized a website & tip line to monitor his admin for actions that could be construed as #antisemitic.
During the final stretch of the mayoral campaign, #Mamdaniβs detractors, including #JonathanGreenblatt, chief exec of the #ADL, repeatedly accused him of #antisemitism, a charge he strongly rejects.
A lady came in yesterday for a LASIK evaluation. Getting dilated is part of this evaluation. Getting dilated is also part of a normal yearly exam, however patients sometimes refuse it. Anyway, she had been seen one month prior by our optometrist and was then referred to us for the LASIK eval. She is 48 and she canβt have LASIKβ¦.because she has the beginnings of cataracts, which would have been seen a month ago had she not refused dilation. It turns out, after some investigating, she hadnβt been dilated since 2020. Ridiculous.
Yβall get dilated. So what if itβs an inconvenience to your day, itβs the best way to see the health of the back of the eye. If you go somewhere that doesnβt dilate, find somewhere that does. People complain about so muchβ¦I hate drops in my eye, the dilation lasts too long, etc. STFU. NO ONE likes drops put in their eye, so be an adult and deal with it. #ophthalmology #optometry #eyehealth #eyes
Ugh. I am one of these people. I don't like the way it affects my vision and since I'm normally driving myself around, I worry a little bit about safety. But I hear you and the next time I get my eyes checked, which will probably be in the spring, I will be sure to get this done.
@mlanger Good! Make you sure you have some sunglasses with you, or get a temporary pair from the front desk. Your distance vision is usually fine, itβs the up close (like your dashboard) that is typically affected. If you are worried, plan extra time and wait until you feel safe to drive.
I've been dealing with some weird eye issues over the past few years. My vision keeps changing β sometimes getting better and sometimes getting worse. I'm currently wearing multifocal contact lenses and, when I first got them, they were great. But now I'm needing readers more and more often. With my next eye exam, I'll probably go back to regular lenses and just carry readers everywhere I go.
@mlanger Are you using a good quality lubricating drop (minimum of 4 x a day per eye)? Itβs incredible how much dryness affects good vision. Everyoneβs eyes dry as they age, women more so than men. Iβm not saying thatβs whatβs going on with your eyes, but itβs a thought especially since you wear contact lenses.
No! I didn't realize I needed to do that. I live in a dry climate so I would not be surprised if dryness had something to do with it. I do have some drops I like at home and when I get home I'll start using them regularly. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in a park all weekend.
Are there any drops that you recommend for contact wearers? I think the brand I've been using is called Blink.
@mlanger Blink is a good one. Itβs actually one of the 4 we recommend. The others: Systane, Refresh, and Thera Tears. They make versions for contact lens wearers. I keep some in my fridge at home (they feel really good going in cold), and also in my purse. If you need to, set a reminder on your phone and carry in your pocket. You cannot over use them. One drop only lasts 30 min. We have patients that we have them use every hour while awake. Contact lenses reduce the amount of oxygen getting to your eye, so dryness is typical. I hope it helps π
Thanks so much for this. It would be great if the multifocals worked the way they did when I first started wearing them, which was about a year and a half ago.
@mlanger Glad to. Contact lenses, even progressive glasses can be hard to get right for a patient, or at least getting past the adjustment phase of wearing them. I wear glasses for distance when working or driving, but I know Iβm close to needing something for up close vision, and I kind of dread getting a progressive lens.
My eyeglasses have progressive lenses and I absolutely hate them. In order to see anything semi-close β like a computer screen β I have to tilt my head at a ridiculous angle. I prefer contacts and readers. The great thing about the readers is I can buy them in the dollar store at a variety of magnifications and use light magnification for computer work and very strong modification for close jewelry work.
As @Airbnb & @bookingcom get sued everywhere for listing properties on stolen Palestinian land (see π), itβs time that WE THE PEOPLE stop using their services until they continue profiting from Apartheid.
Choose not to support to "Apartheid with one click" and let them know.
βExtreme misconduct is unacceptable in any professional setting,β the company says after an altercation between HR and staffers due to Teen Vogue consolidation
Following up on the 50th anniversary ring watch Casio introduced last year, the new G-Shock Nano adds a beefier build with 200-m water resistance, shock resistance and a working mini-strap. This one is truly a G-Shock shrunken down to finger size.
(Alt text for post media above: A photo of three blonde, presumably White "Moms" who might not really be mothers. (There's a better description in replies, but I don't know if it's available to everyone.)
#alt4you Photo of three middle-aged white women wearing various Moms for Liberty tee shirts with white lettering on dark fabric, two in conspicuously similar square-rimmed glasses and straight haircuts, the foremost in a stereotypical Karen cut. All are grim-faced and bottle-blonde.
A rectangular, transparent sign is mounted on a dark orange wall. The sign has rounded corners and is secured with four silver bolts, one in each corner. Black text is centered on the sign in two lines. The text reads: βDITCHER, QUICK & HYDEβ on the first line, and βDIVORCE LAWYERSβ on the second line. The background wall is a uniform dark orange and slightly out of focus. The lighting is dim, with a slight reflection visible on the signβs surface.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Gemma3:27b
The image shows a motorcycle with a sidecar attached, filled with multiple people. The motorcycle is white and has a large, rounded sidecar extending to the left. Three people wearing helmets are seated within the sidecar, while a fourth person, also wearing a helmet, is operating the motorcycle. The person operating the motorcycle has a long beard and is wearing a green jacket. The background includes additional motorcycles and a building with a storefront. The text at the top of the image reads: "GRANDMA SAID. SELL THE BIKE AND GET A MINIVAN FOR THE GRANDKIDS", and the text at the bottom reads: "GRANDPA, NOPE".
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Gemma3:27b
The image is a split-panel meme with a contrasting comparison. The top panel shows a person in a dark uniform with a hat, kneeling and inspecting the large tire of a semi-truck. The bottom panel shows a close-up of a heavily potholed and cracked asphalt road.
The person is wearing dark pants and a dark shirt with a belt and a hat, and is positioned near the base of a large semi-truck tire. The tire is black and dominates the top panel, appearing clean and well-maintained. The bottom panel displays a road surface riddled with several large, deep potholes and visible cracks in the asphalt.
Text overlays the image. Above the top panel, it reads: βIF ITβS A REQUIREMENT FOR VEHICLES TO BE ROAD-WORTHYβ. Below the bottom panel, it reads: βTHEN WHY ISNβT IT A REQUIREMENT FOR ROADS TO BE VEHICLE-WORTHYβ.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Gemma3:27b
This is a four-panel comic strip with a red, textured background, possibly depicting a throne room. Each panel features two characters: a figure seated on a throne, and a smaller, anxious-looking figure standing before the throne. The figure on the throne has a long white beard, a crown, and appears to be wearing a red robe and ornate jewelry. The standing figure has large ears and is gesturing with hands.
Panel 1: The standing figure is looking at the seated figure and saying, "A WORD IN PRIVATE, MAJESTY." Panel 2: The seated figure replies, "THE SHAPE-SHIFTERS GROW EVER BOLDER, SIRE." Below this dialogue bubble is a smaller bubble saying, "IN FACTβ¦" Panel 3: The standing figure exclaims, "THEYβRE IN THIS ROOM!" Panel 4: The seated figure, now looking significantly distressed with eyes wide and mouth agape, says, "WELL, NOW I JUST FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT." A smaller figure standing to the right says, βI THINK I KNOW THAT GUY.β
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Gemma3:27b
A photograph shows a chalkboard sign propped up on a sidewalk, likely advertising a bookstore. The sign is rectangular, framed in dark wood with a dark green chalkboard surface. Written in white chalk are the words "BERT'S BOOKS" at the top, followed by "A THIRD OFF SELECTED TITLES". Below this are three book titles listed vertically: "THE THREE MUSKETEERS", "FAHRENHEIT 451", and "20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA". At the very bottom of the sign is the number "14Β½". A partial view of a car and a brick building are visible in the background.
Provided by @altbot, generated privately and locally using Gemma3:27b
Stefan Edward Jones
in reply to Stefan Edward Jones • • •FOLLOW UP
I don't write. I just post them.
ColesStreetPothole
in reply to Stefan Edward Jones • • •