CatDragon

RickiTarr, 1 day ago to random

Where do you live and how do you feel about it?

Obviously, don't tell me exactly where you live, no actual addresses please! You can be as vague as you like.

I live in Central Missouri in the U.S.

Pros:

This is an absolutely beautiful place, green rolling hills, lots of rivers, lakes, ponds, and natural springs, cool caves to explore.

Lots of farming here, so great access to quality fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy.

It's relatively inexpensive to live here compared with other states, because it's a "flyover".

I'm close enough to three major cities, that it's an easy day trip, and I'm about halfway to anywhere in the U.S.

We have one of the best Conservation departments in the U.S. and this is one of the few things that is a bipartisan issue. Lots of awesome nature programs that are free or cheap, state parks, conservation areas, bird watching, hunting, boating, foraging available to everyone.

Cons:

Yeah, it's a big one, it is a RED STATE, while a lot of the cities are blue, there is a large rural population, that votes red. Abortion is not legal here. People often vote against their own self interest.

While I'm not against responsible gun ownership, lots of people aren't responsible, and people have access to guns that definitely should not.

We have very few employee protections here, while the cost of living is relatively low compared with other places, it's taken years to get to a $12 minimum wage, and it's still not enough.

TonyStark, 1 day ago to random

I’ve said this before but apparently it hasn’t sunk in but if you say “Biden has lost my vote”, don’t expect anyone to listen to you or be surprised he’s not out gunning for it. The election is 6 months out. If there’s no way you’re voting for him, nobody fucking cares what you want.

You can enjoy likely a 7-2 or 8-1 conservative SCOTUS that will be grinding down our rights for the next generation or three. Enjoy that.

StillIRise1963, 1 day ago to random

We CAN change. We DON’T HAVE to be this way.

DrALJONES, 2 days ago (edited 2 days ago) to Israel

Analysis

"The goal is to destroy Gaza: Why Israel rejects a ceasefire with Hamas"

"For many analysts, the Israeli govt message is clear: there will be no permanent ceasefire, & the war on Gaza will continue.

This proves "Israel was not really negotiating in good faith. The moment Hamas agreed to a deal, Israel was willing to blow that up by [going into] Rafah.The goal is to destroy Gaza in its totality." ~ analyst Omar Rahman

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/7/the-goal-is-to-destroy-gaza-why-israel-rejects-a-ceasefire-with-hamas

#Israel-HamasDeal #Gaza ..

StillIRise1963, 4 days ago to random

People who won’t vote are not just committing suicide, they’re committing murder.

StillIRise1963, 4 days ago to random

SOMEONE is going to be elected president of the U.S. in November. It can either be the guy you yell at who changes his approach, or the guy you yell at who puts you in a camp. Up to you.

faab64, 4 days ago to Palestine

Reports from Rafah hospital says that they have received 40 casualties of tonight's bombings with many more injured.

The numbers are increasing every minute.

#Gaza #SaveGaza #StopIsrael #SaveTheChildren
#palestine #Israel #Politics #PeaceNow #StopTheWar #CeasefireNow
@palestine @israel

Cat_LeFey, 4 days ago to random

A lot of people living in cities don't realize that rural USA is a lot like those third-world countries a politician might describe as ‘shitholes.’

In my tiny village(which is basically a few far-apart houses and farms gathered around a swamp):

-No municipal water (we have a well)
-No sewer (septic tanks)
-No garbage disposal (burn it)
-No public school (There's one in the next town over, bus leaves at 630am, gets back 430pm)
-No public college (there's one in the next county, that means you pay out-of-county tuition which is double)
-No mail delivery (I have a PO box)
-No police (I actually love this, no complaints here)
-No fire/emergency services (volunteers are notified by the town siren, closest actual hospital is an hour flight by chopper after you've driven 40 minutes to the rural hospital, which is basically just triage)

Where do I live? In Michigan, but you'll never find my address cuz it's not even on Google Maps.

RickiTarr, 6 days ago to random

Young people wanting to eat good food?! What's next?! Are they going to want to get paid more, own houses, take vacations?!

https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-gen-z-splurge-groceries-spending-inflation-gen-z-boomers-2024-4?amp

RickiTarr, 9 days ago to random

It's strange to me when I see people get upset about people doing good deeds, and posting it online.

"They're just doing it for attention!"

Yeah, so what? I'd much rather see people doing nice things for attention, than the people who do mean pranks or wasting food. A good deed is still good, even if it's done for the wrong reasons.

w7voa, 10 days ago to random

NYC Mayor Eric Adams says ~300 arrests made on two campuses in response to attempts to radicalize people in the city. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/columbia-university-protests-nypd-video-hamilton-hall/5371376/

StillIRise1963, 10 days ago to random

I wish we could give these racist fuckwads the opportunity to live all by their racist selves devoid of anything not made by white people.

RickiTarr, 10 days ago to random

I refuse to get pregnant, because even though no one will admit it, I'm pretty sure that fetus controls you from the inside like I'm a mech suit for it.

RickiTarr, 13 days ago (edited 13 days ago) to random

The Tale of Two Gynecologists

This is a bit long, and I've talked about this a lot lately, but it's something I'm thinking about a lot in the wake of so much hatred of female Healthcare. When my female troubles got bad enough that I finally talked to my doctor about it, he referred me to a gynecologist. I had already had several ultrasounds and an MRI at this point, and she had put me on some oral contraceptives for several months, (which made sick to my stomach no matter what I did) and had just done another ultrasound. She greeted me with "Well, you're really messed up inside, Honey.", which already had me pretty stressed out. Then told me I would probably need surgery to figure out exactly what was going on. She then asked me if I wanted children, and I said No. I had taken my husband with me to the appointment for moral support, and she glanced over at him, and then talked to me for 5 minutes about how many women my age could still have children, and I could definitely consider it, and that they would do everything they could to make sure I could stay viable. They could freeze my eggs if I had to do a hysterectomy, just on and on. She probably asked me directly 4-5 if I was sure I didn't want kids. Finally, I said, "Ma'am, my husband got a vasectomy over a decade ago, we are absolutely sure we don't want kids." After hubs had found me crying on the toliet, because my period was late again, he went to his doctor and said, "Hey doctor, I'm thinking about a vasectomy." The doctor gave him a pamphlet to read, and made him an appointment. The whole thing was done in a few weeks.

Anyhow, she finally referred me to a gynecological surgeon, and I was not looking forward to dealing with this again, and was just generally terrified of having surgery for the first time. I met with this woman and she was so efficient and practical. It is the longest doctor appointment I've ever had, since this surgery would be exploratory, she went over every possibility of what could happen when she was inside. She did a thorough exam, she went over all the scans that I had, and explained why she thought this needed done. Then she said she would like to put in a Mirena IUD during surgery. She said, "You're in pain half the month, and there's no reason for you to have a period if you don't want to have kids. You'll have some erratic bleeding for six months, but by a year most women have a very light or no period at all, there's no reason for you to needlessly suffer if you don't end up needing a hysterectomy."

It's interesting to me still, that one doctor was so focused on what my body could do, and another so focused on how I felt. I came out of the first appointment feeling scared and confused, and the second feeling heard and cared for. Feeling valued as a person and not a baby maker made the surgery much easier to go through, and the Mirena has been great btw. Women don't have to needlessly suffer.

CatDragon, 15 days ago to random

Protest advice from a gramma.
First aid kit with eyewash and insta cool pack. Sanitary napkins for injuries that bleed heavily.
Water.
Protein bars.
Write your attorneys number on your body .
If you have a chronic medical condition like epilepsy or diabetes wear an alert bracelet and carry two days worth of meds.
Assume your personal property will be confiscated. Wipe your phone .
N 95 masks are dual purpose.
Practice the buddy system.
Situational awareness at all times.
Please be careful.

StillIRise1963, 15 days ago to random

The police are brutalizing our children on campuses across the nation.