Melvincible's recent activity

  1. Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    Also this is the nicest post ever. I appreciate all of you so much. Even if I am mostly lurking.

    Also this is the nicest post ever. I appreciate all of you so much. Even if I am mostly lurking.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Follow up on the username thread: What Tildes users do you recognize when browsing and, without being rude or inflammatory, what is your impression of them? in ~tildes

    Melvincible
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    I find myself in the same threads as @skybrian, @DefinitelyNotAFae, and @boxer_dogs_dance the most often for some reason. I feel like I used to see @OBLIVIATER alot, but then stopped. Skybrian, I...

    I find myself in the same threads as @skybrian, @DefinitelyNotAFae, and @boxer_dogs_dance the most often for some reason. I feel like I used to see @OBLIVIATER alot, but then stopped. Skybrian, I feel vaguely like we might have disagreed somewhere once about something? But I like reading your take on stuff and can't remember why I vaguely think that...

    It's neat seeing the same people regularly, it's part of what I love about Tildes... and boxer_dogs_dance, I think we might actually live really close to each other in real life (but can't remember why I think that anymore either, my memory is not awesome).

    7 votes

  3. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    I don't think it's any more or less noble than keeping yourself safe and alive by leaving. I mean it's still an act of resistance to leave. They get one less resource. For me, I never expected to...

    I don't think it's any more or less noble than keeping yourself safe and alive by leaving. I mean it's still an act of resistance to leave. They get one less resource. For me, I never expected to live this long anyway for various reasons, so every day past 30 that I've gotten has been an absolute gift and a blessing and I'm grateful for it. I just have too many people here, and I don't like the idea of helplessly watching them from afar. My life would be devoid of meaning if I lost the people in it. Survival for survival's sake is not worth it in my opinion, but I totally understand that it is for most people and that's extremely valid and not something I would ever judge somebody for doing.

    10 votes

  4. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    For the record, protecting your kid by any means necessary is courageous.

    For the record, protecting your kid by any means necessary is courageous.

    11 votes

  5. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    Very true about legitimate reasons not to own guns!! But incorrect about leftists. They have always been extremely pro gun ownership. I think there's just some misunderstandings because in America...

    Very true about legitimate reasons not to own guns!! But incorrect about leftists. They have always been extremely pro gun ownership. I think there's just some misunderstandings because in America people have been referring to liberals as "left" for so long. A pretty effective strategy to control a population is to obscure the true meaning of words. Which is why people think anarchy and chaos are synonyms. And that liberal means leftist. The ultra left as you called it is heavily armed.

    But yes, hard agree about not owning guns if emotionally devastated.

    13 votes

  6. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    My hopefully irrational fear --- The current administration has set us on the path of protests being illegal, homelessness being illegal, and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime being...

    My hopefully irrational fear --- The current administration has set us on the path of protests being illegal, homelessness being illegal, and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime being totally legal. It is a very dark opportunity to create labor camps. Which is what I fear would be the result of these homeless tent cities Trump is proposing to create. He has been vocal about leftists being some sort of radical enemy and needing to be dealt with. I feel like it's a coin toss right now whether that happens. The billionaires want cheap labor, the prisons want profits, and government wants activists to go away. It's a reasonable fear I think.

    Private prisons in Arizona sued the state for failing to meet a contractually obligated quantity of prisoners, and they won damages. States are required to incarcerate a minimum number of prisoners, which is usually above 90% capacity. This is a terrifying concept to me. We do not get to decide what constitutes a crime, or what the sentences are.

    21 votes

  7. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    You could think of it as a hobby and put the paranoid thoughts to the back of your mind. It's never really a bad idea to have guns for defense. Even if you never use them. And paranoid people are...

    You could think of it as a hobby and put the paranoid thoughts to the back of your mind. It's never really a bad idea to have guns for defense. Even if you never use them. And paranoid people are still right some percent of the time... stability is transitory.

    6 votes

  8. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    There are more of us than people realize :) I'm thinking of starting a local mutual aid type group for clothing, repairs and trades. I don't know exactly how yet. The concept of mutual aid is...

    There are more of us than people realize :) I'm thinking of starting a local mutual aid type group for clothing, repairs and trades. I don't know exactly how yet. The concept of mutual aid is still fairly new to me. But I am a firm believer that every little thing adds up. If all I can do is keep people warm and fed, that's not nothing. I'm glad you have solid footing too. I'm looking up what an auntie program is now.

    5 votes

  9. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Melvincible
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    I don't think you could get me to leave. In these worst case scenarios, there would be people here who can't leave. And I honestly think I would rather be executed by fascists for resisting them...
    • Exemplary

    I don't think you could get me to leave. In these worst case scenarios, there would be people here who can't leave. And I honestly think I would rather be executed by fascists for resisting them than start a new life as a refugee. I'm pretty well equppied to be a resource, not financially, but in other ways. I got some trad skills. I think some Americans imagine being a refugee as just.... moving. Like if you can afford to just move, I guess maybe it would be like that? I can't. But the reality for most would be refugee status which is not an easy life. I don't really see the point in living that way for myself, I don't have kids or a family to take care of and I'm in a little off grid community. We have each other, we have solar, we have water... But I'm also not particularly afraid of being dead so that helps.

    If the worst kind of fascism really plays out, we will have so much death. It will feel like my duty to resist that. I love a lot of people who can't leave, and probably can't do much to protect themselves. So yeah, I'm okay dying for them. We'll go together.

    36 votes

  10. Comment on How do people get over enshittification? in ~life

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    The issue for clothing is everything now contains plastic. This is a relatively recent development. Elastane is in almost every clothing item, and it is not durable. Not long ago jeans were made...

    The issue for clothing is everything now contains plastic. This is a relatively recent development. Elastane is in almost every clothing item, and it is not durable. Not long ago jeans were made of denim. Now they are made of some denim and some elastane. Socks, shirts, it's in everything :( It's substantially more difficult to find clothing made of wool, or 100% cotton, than it is to find clothing made of plastic. This doesn't even touch on the design/build quality, which is orders of magnitude worse than it was a few decades ago. Fast fashion is the worst thing that has ever happened to clothes. And it's in places that market themselves as high end, so it's really tricky to avoid.

    8 votes

  11. Comment on How do people get over enshittification? in ~life

    Melvincible
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    I've turned it into a hobby almost, of repairing items instead of replacing them. This Thursday I'm taking apart my oven door because it doesn't quite close all the way, I think I can fix it.......

    I've turned it into a hobby almost, of repairing items instead of replacing them. This Thursday I'm taking apart my oven door because it doesn't quite close all the way, I think I can fix it.... maybe. But yeah it's such a solid appliance I'm not ready to let it go. Same with clothing. I will cling to these things I like until the very last! I also had a blackberry until they stopped making them, so maybe I take it too far.

    4 votes

  12. Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    Like the other commenter I replied to, I am failing to understand where "silence" is coming from. Are you unaware of the protests and everything that leftists and left leaning people did leading...

    Like the other commenter I replied to, I am failing to understand where "silence" is coming from. Are you unaware of the protests and everything that leftists and left leaning people did leading up to the election to be heard? Why does none of that count as communication in your mind. What specifically could we all have checked on our presidential ballot that would have clarified our message further? Your statement is painfully oversimplified. The voters Harris lost have not been silent at all, liberals just decided they didn't want to hear it and gambled that we were a small enough group not to matter. We need to be understood to move forward from here, that party will not recover from what they've done if they continue to plug their ears like this.

    4 votes

  13. Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    For you, why does the conversation not include everything that comes before and after election day?

    For you, why does the conversation not include everything that comes before and after election day?

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    So the status quo we're talking about, that we want to change. We voiced to the candidates for an entire year, through every available channel, what we would not vote for. How is that silent?...

    So the status quo we're talking about, that we want to change. We voiced to the candidates for an entire year, through every available channel, what we would not vote for. How is that silent? There was nothing on the ballot EXCEPT status quo. How would voting have made sense in that context?

    For the record, I did spoil my ballot I just didn't know that had a term, I thought it was the same as not voting. The election being over does not mean any of us are going to stop voicing our opinion, the work doesn't just stop.

    5 votes

  15. Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    I think silent acceptance is a judgment you're inserting yourself, there hasn't been anything silent about the protests and activism. We have actually been very very loud. We were shown we would...

    I think silent acceptance is a judgment you're inserting yourself, there hasn't been anything silent about the protests and activism. We have actually been very very loud. We were shown we would not be considered, and our actions would be made prosecutable despite the constitutional right to protest, and that the police are allowed to beat people up without consequence. The message was fall in line, vote for us anyway, because at least we aren't that guy, and if you don't stop we'll hurt you. We showed up to the primaries, we showed up to every rally, and have been screaming at them for a year.

    6 votes

  16. Comment on Understanding the leftist that didn't vote: "Everybody else gets one, but not me" in ~society

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    It feels like you are trying not to understand, and also being unkind in your tone. What OP typed above is being conveyed to politicians precisely through not voting for them. You can be sure that...

    It feels like you are trying not to understand, and also being unkind in your tone. What OP typed above is being conveyed to politicians precisely through not voting for them. You can be sure that 20 million fewer voters communicated a message. In case you are not aware, it was also communicated all year long through very regular massive protests and disruptions. And during the primaries. Being loud failed, and for many resulted in also being beaten and arrested.

    It's honestly so rude to come at somebody like that when they are legitimately trying to both process how they are feeling in a public forum, and also explain it thoughtfully. "Not trying to be dismissive" but also "Struggling to find a topic of discussion here", be honest with yourself. You just want to shut the conversation down because you're annoyed. Which is super effective at alienating people and making them feel isolated. Which is what this post is about.

    28 votes

  17. Comment on US Election Distractions Thread in ~talk

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    You are like that butterfly from the cartoon. "A FABULOUS animal resembling a horse!"

    You are like that butterfly from the cartoon.

    "A FABULOUS animal resembling a horse!"

  18. Comment on Community Check-In: How is everyone doing? in ~life

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    It's important to take care of your self, it's not wrong to do that. I don't know why you left, but if your mental health is improving because of it then you did the right thing. Sometimes it's...

    It's important to take care of your self, it's not wrong to do that. I don't know why you left, but if your mental health is improving because of it then you did the right thing. Sometimes it's really really hard to put yourself first, it can take strength to make that choice. I hope you have some good supportive friends! You by yourself are worth healing.

    3 votes

  19. Comment on The massive US port strike has begun: 'We are prepared to fight as long as necessary' in ~transport

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It is interesting though that your example of the transcontinental railroad being built faster and better is also an example of a horribly exploited workforce. I...

    Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

    It is interesting though that your example of the transcontinental railroad being built faster and better is also an example of a horribly exploited workforce. I think over a thousand Chinese laborers died, and they were paid very little. I hope the dock workers and the companies will be able to quickly find a moderate solution that can have the best of both worlds.

    Strikes in the late 1800s were wild compared to today, especially the ones related to railroads! The Pullman strike, the great railroad strike, the Carnegie steel one was a straight up battle. All because they refused to pay fair wages. Pullman actually starved people, the governor had to call in emergency charities to feed his workers. He argued that they were in fact paid a living wage, because they were living.... in court. The story of his company town is really fascinating (and so awful) Given the history, I tend to lean toward unions being a necessary and positive thing, even if they come at some other cost. There just isn't a reality where the wealthy pay fair wages and protect workers out of the goodness of their hearts.

    8 votes

  20. Comment on The massive US port strike has begun: 'We are prepared to fight as long as necessary' in ~transport

    Melvincible
    Link Parent
    Interesting. Are there potential negative effects to increasing imports, elsewhere in the economy/supply chain? Or would it just be a net positive thing.

    Interesting. Are there potential negative effects to increasing imports, elsewhere in the economy/supply chain? Or would it just be a net positive thing.

    2 votes