Before kids and marriage I’d have had a sort of nihilistic “Ah fuck it, you gotta go sometime” attitude and gleefully embraced the chaos.

Now I think id just put on a brave face, protect them as best I can, and weep in private at every opportunity.

I dislike my boss’s lack of empathy and autistic-like ways. I have a safe, secure job and I am very fortunate; plus, I have adapted to his ways, so it does not take much effort to navigate at this stage—I have learned to try not to take it personally. However, the clumsy social interactions and irritated hostility he displays irk me. He is a bright guy, but sometimes he is confidently wrong, and then, months later, when a decision he made has a negative impact, he acts like it was not his. In our interactions, he holds the power, and I just kind of wish that the gloves could come off, as they would in a level social situation, where i could retort with impunity and ultimately punch the prick out. Not that violence is ever the answer. But God it would be satisfying.

Honestly, i genuinely believe that social media algorithms are being manipulated by billionaires to push an agenda that saves them from tax or accountability.I am centre left and try to mould fb and insta feeds by specifically flagging content i dislike or dont agree with and it keeps coming back. Some of the insane ‘stop the boats’ shit i see here in the uk from creators and bots i have never heard of or interacted with in anyway is very, very suspicious.

I was a rolling stone - drifting and drinking aimlessly through my 20s, backpacking, boozing and picking up weird jobs and weird people as I wandered through Europe and south east Asia. Now I’m an IT manager and married with 2 kids, a mortgage and a dog.

Agree. I also think an innocent until proven guilty attitude wouldn’t go amiss. Honestly, he’s an absolute cunt and I have a strong dislike for him and his manosphere bullshit. I think grifters like him are harmful and absolutely worthy of our collective disdain and derision. But punishment needs to happen after trial and a proven verdict.

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To me, we on the left reinforce this idea that both sides are the same when we sink to their level. We don’t need fake videos or out of context clips of him to prove he’s a terrible person. It’s there for all to see in his unfiltered words and actions. Same with the slop about Musk that does the rounds. We don’t need fake stories to spread the word. It’s self-evident in his actual, real life behaviour, and only serves to weaken the truth.

The links in the 2nd article mate

Test

Great list; I recognize a few, but not many, and the topics covered are weirdly aligned with my own interests. Thanks!

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Thanks for sharing; I genuinely didn’t know that was something they’d been criticised for. I’ll read the linked articles when I get a chance, but this is certainly news to me.

EDIT. Actually I may not read the articles. One is nearly 20 years old and the newest is over 5.

We have an EV, so in some ways we rely on it less than others. However, we have oil powered heating so yeah, still depends on it.

It means semi-serious. Basically, you have broadsheets that purport to push serious journalism and tabloid papers that are more sensationalist and low-brow. Tabloids in the UK include The Sun (hugely popular, Murdoch-owned, right-wing scandal rag) and the way less popular Mirror (a left-leaning paper that sort of emulates The Sun’s style in an attempt to appeal to the masses).

Hot take. The guardian is know for being excessively woke to most people. Even i find it a little much sometimes, and I’m a total pinko. Have you any examples of their transphobia? Not being a dick, i’ve just never, ever heard that before.

That was the soundtrack to my uni years. It got old after a bit as it was pretty much ubiquitous, but I listened recently and really enjoyed it.

I remember my roommate said they should rename the album from ‘Play’ to ‘Songs for Adverts’, as it seemed like every commercial used a track from it at one point, which probably didn’t help the overplayed criticism.

I think, for a certain mindset (mine), it has been difficult to match his appearance with his music, which is basically pop that tries to be a bit sexy. I have no problem with unconventional-looking artists (Frank Black, Thom Yorke, etc.), but they don’t try to sound like players, as such, and I think that is where the disconnect is for me. I also do not enjoy his music, and I don’t really thinks he has much to say lyrically. There’s something unabashedly commercial about him that just irritates me.

That said he definitely has talent and i’m clearly not his demographic, so what do I know.

Have you tried beer?

I’m half-joking.

I missed a flight once due to delayed connections. I went to the help desk, and in front of me, a rich guy was arguing with the company employee. He was rude and frustrated and left angry, having failed to get the upgrade or whatever he’d wanted. I was next in the queue and offered an empathetic smile and rolling of eyes, then politely explained my situation.

The clerk was clearly still pissed at the previous interaction and didn’t crack a smile but simply listened, then slid me over a new ticket for the next flight and winked. I thanked him and scuttled off. I decided to find a place to charge my phone and only then inspected the ticket to confirm how long I had until boarding.

It turns out he’d upgraded me to business class and given me full access to the lounge area where I could charge my phone in comfort and have all the free booze and snacks I want.

No idea what’s happening. Permanently banned after 14 years of contribution due to some inconsequential mod-gripe, and a subsequent “ban evasion” (using another old account on a different, un-related sub).