QuietLurker

QuietLurker, 9 hours ago to random

Anyone have recommendations for high quality air purifiers with a Hepa filter and Merv13+? I’ve tried different purifiers over the years and either they end up not having an actual Hepa filter, stop making replacement filters, or filter replacements are too expensive. I like my Levoit, but it turns out they aren’t actually Hepa filters. And my Renpho went from having $30-50 filter replacements to now $90 on Amazon. I can’t even buy them from Renpho anymore. #covid #COVID19 #CovidIsNotOver

StillIRise1963, 2 days ago to random

What makes going out to eat in the U.S. much less fun is the fact that your time is limited. The table has to turn over to someone else after the allotted time and I hate it. I don’t appreciate people telling me I have to go.

QuietLurker, 2 days ago to random

I couldn’t see the #aurora #auroraborealis but I got a ton of photos on my phone.

Aurora tie-dyes the sky purple, pink and green seen through treetops.
Aurora tie-dyes the sky purple, pink and green seen through treetops.
Aurora tie-dyes the sky purple, pink and green seen through treetops.

RickiTarr, 3 days 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.

RickiTarr, 4 days ago to random

Tapas in most of Spain: Free snacks when you order drinks.

Tapas in the U.S.: $10 Beers, $18 cocktails, $20 for 4 pieces of garlic bread with some tomato on it.

QuietLurker, 12 days ago to random

The show The Traitors is a perfect encapsulation of why democratic countries get stuck with awful politicians. It demonstrates how easily people are manipulated into voting against their own interests. How many people are driven by “vibes” which they refer to as their gut which mostly boils down to unconscious biases and siding with people who they want to be friends with rather than trying to figure out who is being deceptive. Australia season 2 is a particularly alarming example.

RickiTarr, 15 days ago to random

So, I was on a long drive yesterday, and put on some pump me up music, so I didn't get sleepy. I just put something on YouTube, and I ended up in the group of music that I would call Peak Mid to Late Millenial. For perspective, I'm one of the Gappers, not quite old enough to be Gen X, but also feel too old to be a Millenial, although I suppose I technically am, just an Ancient one. ANYWAY, this music, on the surface, sounds like bubble gum pop dance music, the kind you dance in "da club" to, but as I was listening, I realized most of the lyrics had a trend that broke down basically to this:

Get your friends together, drink heavily, have sex, party, DANCE, GO LIVE IN THE PRESENT, because we will all probably die young anyway.

Most of these songs are probably between 10-15 years old, and honestly probably really caught onto the zeitgeist of the time. Hope didn't work, we are still caught in a shit conflict none of us want to be in. The world is actively burning, and no one in power wants to save it. We make less money than our parents and their parents, we'll probably never get to own a home, we'll probably have college debt forever, if we could even afford to go. Might as well party your life away. I do wonder if Trump was a pretty big slap in the face about how bad it could really go, because this Apocalypse attitude seems to be changing a bit, or maybe Gen Z is just rebelling against their sad grunge Gen X parents. LOL

Either way, that was some kind of a ramble, share your thoughts on this, and listen to a peak representation of this musical phenomenon. It's kind of a banger.

https://youtu.be/NOubzHCUt48?si=e9ZwpiRj9A5Q9hfT

QuietLurker, 16 days ago to random

Alan Cumming is a treasure who should be in more things (with his natural accent). The Traitors US is worth watching just for him alone.

Lizette603_23, 23 days ago to random

I'm exhausted from the world at large badgering me to care deeply and invest in EVERY FUCKING THING EVERY HUMAN IS SUFFERING FROM. My gawd, just take a SMALL BREAK.

QuietLurker, 25 days ago to random

In high school I took a dystopian fiction class. We read books like 1984, A Brave New World, A Clockwork Orange, and The Handmaid’s Tale. All were good books that captivated me at the time and feel pertinent to today, but having just finished Parable of the Sower it made me realize the aspect of the genre we were missing. All those books took place under an oppressive, centralized, authoritarian government, and what I find fascinating about Parable of the Sower is the lack of “leadership.”

QuietLurker, 25 days ago to fallout

The Fallout series is really good if you are a fan of the games. They nailed the aesthetic quite well and crafted a story that’s a nod to the games while being its own thing. I enjoyed it more than The Last of Us series (which I also liked). Unlike that show, it benefited from not having a narrow, linear plot to follow or deviate from though. It doesn’t take itself too seriously which makes for a fun watch. Also, Xbox put all the old Xbox games on Game Pass if it makes you nostalgic.
#Fallout

QuietLurker, 25 days ago to random

What I find fascinating in the Covid era is how some people who have developed serious health issues became wearier of risky behavior and more thoughtful about their choices, but many others have instead doubled down on risky behavior because “life is short.” There’s zero introspection that their own behavior might be making it much shorter. Almost as if that’s an impossibility. They’ll say becoming sick made them value their life more, but their actions contradict that purported belief.

QuietLurker, 25 days ago to random

In the 90s there were movies about corporate corruption featuring a lone employee that had to risk their life to uncover the truth. In the end, they always took down the evil corporation because the people, the media, the government actually cared. Nowadays, we’re rife with corporate scandals and all we do is shrug and say “of course.” Whistleblowers get murdered. The media maybe covers the stories for a day, a week. Stocks maybe take a dip. The CEO gets golden parachuted to another company.

RickiTarr, 1 month ago to random

Sometimes it feels like more investigative journalism was done for the Chris Rock/Will Smith slap than the crimes of a former President.

QuietLurker, 1 month ago to random

Any Covid cautious people have any tips or warnings about flying? I have to fly for the first time since this started and am nervous about it. I know most people won’t be masked, that I should wear an n95 or better, I’ll have to lower it at security, to never remove it otherwise, but wondering about things like running the air on the plane. Is it better to keep it off or on? Any other suggestions appreciated. #Covid #Covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDcautious

RickiTarr, 2 months ago to random

Why do you think so many people are obsessed with murder?

RickiTarr, 2 months ago to random

Something I've noticed a lot lately, is that especially Boomer women, but honestly, women in general, don't seem to ask for what they want or need in a direct way. I notice this a lot with my Mom and her friends. Instead of just asking for what they need directly they tell a story, to ask in a roundabout way. For instance, my Mom needed help this morning, and Instead of just saying, "Hey, I dropped my remote, can you pick it up for me?" She tells a one minute story about what happened, no ask, and eventually I get the point, and then suggest that I come pick it up. Or if one of her friends wants to do something like have a birthday party for a friend, they don't say "We should have a party!" They say, It's Sarah's Birthday coming up, you know she likes surprises, what does everyone think we should do?"

I often wonder if this is why older people think younger women are rude and demanding, because younger people often just ask for what they want and need in a more direct way. But also it's probably just straight up sexism, because men are supposed to make decisions, and women are supposed to make suggestions.

What do you all think? Is this just me? Have you experienced something similar?