cheep_cheep's recent activity

  1. Comment on Ireland among countries boycotting Eurovision after Israel allowed to compete in ~music

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    There's been a long saga leading to this point, beginning in 2022 with Ukraine: *After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 22, the EBU was going to permit Russia to remain in the contest...

    There's been a long saga leading to this point, beginning in 2022 with Ukraine:

    *After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 22, the EBU was going to permit Russia to remain in the contest until multiple (I've read 9) countries threatened to withdraw, leading to Russia's removal from the contest. Many contestants openly supported Ukraine in 22, Ukraine nearly swept the public vote, and a lot of fans were upset because they felt they won based on politics, not the song. (Ukraine is a powerhouse and generally beloved in Eurovision, but it certainly wouldn't have gotten as many points in a normal year.)

    *Citing safety reasons, Eurovision 23 was not held in Ukraine, but instead in the UK (runner up in 22). This year marked the beginning of mass jury votes, which typically could be fairly mixed, instead coalescing around one candidate (returning 2012 winner Loreen from Sweden), leading to a lead that was nearly insurmountable for the public vote (which is tallied afterwards and makes up the other half of the total score). This pattern has continued ever since, and seems to be a soft response to prevent a repeat of Ukraine's win (they have performed very well in the public vote every year, but typically get many fewer jury votes lately).

    *The invasion of Gaza began in October 23. Israel wanted to submit a song directly referencing the events, which was in violation of EBU's rules to keep songs "apolitical" (which is selectively enforced). They changed the lyrics, but many artists and fans were upset that Israel was allowed to participate. There were large protests at the venue, the Israeli delegation was harassed and booed, and they reportedly were rude to contestants from other delegations, EBU employed "anti-boo" technology during broadcasts, and imagery supporting Palestine was banned (although several contestants still snuck images in, notably Portugal and Ireland, as well as one Swedish interval performer). There was a major vote campaign on behalf of Israel, so they did very well in the public vote and poorly with the juries, but they still finished fifth overall. Many contestants of the 24 contest reported it being a stressful and unpleasant experience. Switzerland won, receiving huge support from the juries, to the point where the second-place finisher thought "well, there's no way I'm going to win" even before the public votes were reported. This may have been spurred on by Italy releasing their voting results from the semifinals immediately after the broadcast, which is a huge no-no, but which showed massive support for the Israeli entry, causing much consternation and confusion (given its winning odds were low and it was considered a mediocre ballad).

    *In 2025, the government of Israel expanded their ad campaigns supporting their contestant. While there was less outright hostility toward the Israeli delegation, there was still extensive booing during performances. The song was again a generic ballad, but seemed to be referencing resilience after tragedy, and the contestant was a survivor of attacks on October 7. The juries once again coalesced around a single contestant (Austria), but Israel won the public vote and nearly won Eurovision, finishing in second. In response, multiple countries requested more transparency in the public voting process and concerns that the Israeli government was manipulating public behaviour to garner political support.

    *A meeting was held on 4 December to discuss, primarily, Israel's participation for 2026 and onwards. The EBU was concerned that Israeli broadcaster KAN, which is currently independent of the government, could be dismantled by the Israeli government and made more political if the EBU banned them. Generally, most EBU nations wanted to implement better controls over public vote manipulation to permit Israel to participate but to not threaten the integrity of the contest. They went with a moderate option, limiting the number of public votes and returning juries to semifinals (they had been previously removed following vote corruption scandals), which most countries believed would protect KAN while reducing some of the political bs. They did not directly hold a vote on whether to permit Israel to participate. Host Austria and major funding nation Germany threatened to withdraw from the contest if Israel was banned.

    *Immediately following the meeting, four countries (including two of the major funding nations, Spain and the Netherlands) withdrew from Eurovision, and one more may next week. EBU appears to be trying to get other nations to participate to make up the funding difference, but there are concerns that smaller nations may need to withdraw if participation costs increase as a result of the withdrawals. If that happens, more countries may withdraw, eventually cancelling the contest. It's a situation in flux and it feels very tumultuous and overshadows the fun of Eurovision.

    Generally: Eurovision has felt very not fun to watch the last few years. It's frustrating knowing that the juries band together to pick a winner, and there's a lot of anger and bad vibes around the contest. If Israel wins this year I think it could genuinely kill Eurovision. I personally think they should put countries in "political situations" - including Ukraine - into an exhibition status, so that they can participate but don't affect the vote. I just want to watch sparkles and butter churning and Latvian forest nymphs, I'm genuinely sad how this is working out.

    Tldr: politics.

    30 votes

  2. Comment on Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low-likelihood, study finds in ~enviro

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    Thank you for caring! It's a really tough job and I feel like my contributions are just a drop in the bucket, but I think every droplet helps. As I posted below, I think a big way forward is for...

    Thank you for caring! It's a really tough job and I feel like my contributions are just a drop in the bucket, but I think every droplet helps. As I posted below, I think a big way forward is for non-research people to keep caring and talking about these things, too - whether that looks like things you buy (or don't), articles you read, things you talk about, movements you support, protests you attend, I do think those things matter a lot. My research doesn't mean squat if people out there don't care, or don't ask for or demand better outcomes. I have noticed public interest in climate change and consequences, and I think as long as those interests continue, we will struggle our way toward better solutions, bit by bit. And even if we can't save every dolphin or puffin or sardine, we can help give the ones that are still here a fighting chance, and more time to adapt to these changes. That alone is a meaningful outcome!

    4 votes

  3. Comment on Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low-likelihood, study finds in ~enviro

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    I hope though that you, and others, don't let the depressing big picture keep you from taking small meaningful acts, too. I have been so amazed by technological changes in the last decade -...

    I hope though that you, and others, don't let the depressing big picture keep you from taking small meaningful acts, too. I have been so amazed by technological changes in the last decade - massive increases in the use of wind and solar across the world, major declines in ICE vehicles, a growing movement by young people to talk about and demand climate action. Being part of those movements, either actively or passively with your wallet does make a difference. Discussing climate news with friends and family does help make these narratives more widespread. A couple of journalists lately have interviewed me about old papers I've published that got a fair amount of public interest, so I know people care about these issues, and I think if public sentiment remains committed and forceful, we will achieve changes that can help. We probably can't do anything about the AMOC, but we may be able to help make those impacts less terrible. It's very understandable that people want to bury themselves in ignorance and good feelings, but as much as you can, please, please keep fighting and calling out injustice, including climate injustice.

    The funding for a lot of research in the States and Canada has dried up, and climate results are being hidden or lied about. Talk about them. Put them on your social media. Don't let bad governments hide this information from the public who paid for it. The critters I work with cannot advocate for themselves, and so I go to work every day to try and be a voice for them, but I can't do it alone. There are days where I want to (and do) hide from the onslaught of depressing news, but some of the biggest actions of resistance are your attention and continued concern about these topics. I promise you, the articles you click on and the purchases you make are of great interest to those corporate overlords, and you can genuinely contribute to positive change.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low-likelihood, study finds in ~enviro

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    To some extent I try and keep myself out of it as much as possible...but some of my research is on these affected ecosystems, and going to these places and watching the consequences in action is...

    To some extent I try and keep myself out of it as much as possible...but some of my research is on these affected ecosystems, and going to these places and watching the consequences in action is heartbreaking already. Even like 10 years ago with the early heatwaves. That's what's so hard about this - there are places where those climate range shifts are already happening, and you can't completely escape it. Trying to run into the burning ecosystem to help put out the fire, or at least understand it, is also very difficult and honestly really upsetting, and work conferences are a whole lot of bad news. But if I walk away, who is left to deal with it? Who is going to help?

    4 votes

  5. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

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    I don't like playing competitive PVP either, for all of the reasons you state. I have friends who play PVP FPS games, and regardless of what the title is, they all seem like chaos, and they do all...

    I don't like playing competitive PVP either, for all of the reasons you state. I have friends who play PVP FPS games, and regardless of what the title is, they all seem like chaos, and they do all seem to have the dick-measuring aspect to them (or people feel obligated to compare, most obviously in Overwatch to see who got the highlight reel). It seems too that modern FPS games focused around PVP want you to play a lot, and the easiest way to do that is to give you loot box incentives - just one more match! Open one more box! Maybe you'll get that awesome holiday skin that's only here for a limited time! If you like the game, maybe it gives you a fun incentive, but I personally hate feeling stressed and forced into playing more than I want for features I want, unless I want to pay money to bypass it. It seems really rife in specific genres of games, but I totally hear you that it's weird, it feels very openly cash-grabby, and I personally don't like to feel like I'm playing in a Skinner box.

    2 votes

  6. Comment on Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low-likelihood, study finds in ~enviro

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    As someone who does research in this part of the world, the slowing/stopping of the AMOC is terrifying to me. There's already really significant warming and major changes happening in marine...

    As someone who does research in this part of the world, the slowing/stopping of the AMOC is terrifying to me. There's already really significant warming and major changes happening in marine ecosystems - I genuinely have no idea what will happen to ecosystems or people if the AMOC stops. A huge part of Europe's climate, and the relative mildness of winter weather, could be totally changed by this. And then what happens? Models can't tell us what the results are going to be with any kind of certainty, and I think the social consequences could be quite dire, without even considering the conservation aspects. I'm glad to see this finally getting mainstream attention, but this is the kind of thing that keeps me up at night.

    22 votes

  7. Comment on I sometimes feel men are less permitted to display anger in ~life.men

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    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can empathize with how that must feel really frustrating for you, and how the actions of a few crappy people are ruining things for everyone who isn't a...

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can empathize with how that must feel really frustrating for you, and how the actions of a few crappy people are ruining things for everyone who isn't a dungheap of a human.

    I'm a cis woman. I dated an abusive man for a period of time, who was primarily not physically abusive, but used his anger and other kinds of threats to control and hurt me. I've done a fair amount of reading on domestic abuse (to help me understand how I got myself into such a situation), and by and large, it's a phenomenon perpetuated by men against women. Men hurt women, and they can (and do) possess far more of a physical threat than the reverse. There's another discussion on Tildes right now about judging people by size and weight, rather than strictly gender...and typically, most men are bigger and stronger than most women.

    I think there are definitely societal-scale drivers, where men are not encouraged to feel vulnerable emotions, but rather are encouraged to be expressive with their anger, which doesn't help. But as an outsider, I would say that the anger of men is far more tolerated in society generally, and perhaps even encouraged (and it does wonders for their political careers), whereas as a woman, I have found that getting angry means I'm "emotional", and almost immediately lose credibility regardless of whether it's at work or in an argument with a partner. (Especially the abusive one.) My anger is a sign that I am unhinged and unbelievable, whereas for men it's often treated, at the societal scale, as a righteous crusade. Especially when defending the family! There is a lot of societal stigma on women putting their heads down and keeping the peace, or, if they need to be in a conflict, it should be done passive aggressively and in a backstab/gossip way, because that's how women's problems are tolerated societally, in my experience. You don't want to be the one sticking out, and be labeled "shrill" or "shrew", although I have taken on that role on behalf of other ladies.

    I don't think anyone's anger is typically accepted by everyone, but I will say that men's anger, for me, is a triggering threat that I cannot tolerate (and immediately causes my flight these days). That isn't your fault, but the potential danger of men's anger is too much for me. If a man looks scary and I think they might be following me on the street, I will cross the street, speed up, and think about my safety first, because I've lived the consequences of when I don't. I'm sorry we live in a world like this, but unfortunately, I think a lot of women are scared for good reason.

  8. Comment on Struggling in my relationship in ~life

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    To echo what others have said, I'm so glad to hear that you're getting yourself and your financials in order and making things feel normal and organized for yourself. That's really the only thing...

    To echo what others have said, I'm so glad to hear that you're getting yourself and your financials in order and making things feel normal and organized for yourself. That's really the only thing you can do, and to hear that you are getting things on track and ahead of schedule is awesome!

    I also want to express my sadness that this major upheaval in your relationship has not changed things noticeably for your partner. That's really tough to hear, and it must be really difficult to watch. I personally am someone who likes to plan ahead for disaster contingencies, and so the thought of watching someone I love slowly head toward self-destruction sounds like an emotional nightmare. I do hope they will make a change before they lose everything, and maybe their family will step in at some point now that they know. It's just a terrible situation.

    I haven't dealt much with people who don't handle conflict well and refuse to have in-person communication, and I don't know how much effort it's worth spending to try and get someone to communicate with you, especially if they seem to think that you need to functionally be their parent, too. But like you said, can you really stand aside while they continue their downward spiral? (In my least sentimental heart, I say yes - you have done what you need to do, and at some point they need to start meeting you part of the way. But if they're not in a healthy place, they probably need external help of some kind...which eventually they need to ask for. My heart goes out to you and your family!)

    2 votes

  9. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games

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    I love A Short Hike, discovered it in my backlog during COVID and was very pleasantly surprised with the coziness! Glad to see you enjoyed it, too.

    I love A Short Hike, discovered it in my backlog during COVID and was very pleasantly surprised with the coziness! Glad to see you enjoyed it, too.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on Humble Bundle: Modern Sci-Fi Classics (Charles Soule, Joseph Fink, Hugh Howey, and Neal Stephenson) in ~books

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    Yeah, this is my feeling on Anathem. I don't even remember how the book ends, and primarily my lingering impression is "wow, that was a lot of pages for not a whole lot happening, and the things...

    Yeah, this is my feeling on Anathem. I don't even remember how the book ends, and primarily my lingering impression is "wow, that was a lot of pages for not a whole lot happening, and the things they cared about seem kind of silly in retrospect."

    2 votes

  11. Comment on Humble Bundle: Modern Sci-Fi Classics (Charles Soule, Joseph Fink, Hugh Howey, and Neal Stephenson) in ~books

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    My husband has watched the whole show and it covers the events of only the first book thus far. Things take a bit of a different turn in the second book, and while I'm not sure how the show will...

    My husband has watched the whole show and it covers the events of only the first book thus far. Things take a bit of a different turn in the second book, and while I'm not sure how the show will adapt it, I enjoyed the second book quite a bit more than the first (even though I got sucked into both). YMMV, depending on what you're specifically tired of, but I do think they're worth reading.

    2 votes

  12. Comment on Humble Bundle: Modern Sci-Fi Classics (Charles Soule, Joseph Fink, Hugh Howey, and Neal Stephenson) in ~books

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    I'm reading the Silo trilogy now, and while I have the show on my to-watch list, I think they will end up being quite different. The book series has a third-person omniscient perspective with a...

    I'm reading the Silo trilogy now, and while I have the show on my to-watch list, I think they will end up being quite different. The book series has a third-person omniscient perspective with a rotating cast of characters, and so you get some really interesting insights into what they know and how they feel, and some of that information just isn't going to translate well to a visual medium. I haven't always felt like the writing has been superb, but the books are all page-turners and I have gotten sucked into each one. I thought Shift was particularly cool, still reading through Dust. I've also read Anathem, and while the writing is good and elaborate, I can't say I felt super connected to the characters or the plot, whereas I definitely do in the Silo series.

    4 votes

  13. Comment on Post breakup ramblings in ~life

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    I'm glad you were able to get things out of your head and into the world! Yeah, I think especially when going into a first relationship, it's just really hard to read oneself, and to understand...

    I'm glad you were able to get things out of your head and into the world! Yeah, I think especially when going into a first relationship, it's just really hard to read oneself, and to understand what's happening, and to understand where one's own boundaries are. I know in the past when I felt like there was a difference in age or experience, I felt weird about it and like I had to "make up" for my lack of knowledge or experience with more effort and openness, and that can be hard to carry after awhile, even if the other person was being aupportive. And I think too sometimes, even when you go through a learning phase or a conflict and come to a good solution, sometimes the pain and hurt experienced through that conflict can linger and be difficult to move on from. Which is made worse in a first relationship, because you don't have any other references, and you don't know if you're reacting appropriately or if the situation is justified, and it can be hard to navigate how you feel and whether your feelings are valid at all.

    I hope that you feel like your feelings are valid, too - I imagine it must be difficult if you've been navigating your own journey on your identity and preferences, and to ultimately have to go through a tough breakup. I hope you don't take it as a rejection of you or of your journey more broadly - I hope you've been able to learn more about yourself, and that next time you'll be able to use this experience to better describe who you are and what you need, and that you'll find someone able to support you. I hope you continue to work through your own feelings about yourself, and give yourself love and appreciation! You deserve it.

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Post breakup ramblings in ~life

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    Thanks for sharing your thoughts - I'm really sorry that you're going through this. I think breakups are especially tough when you are the one being dumped, and when you don't really have any...

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts - I'm really sorry that you're going through this. I think breakups are especially tough when you are the one being dumped, and when you don't really have any forewarning that it's coming - you don't know what to expect, whereas your partner probably has thought through this many times over the past weeks and months, and so what is fresh for you may be the end of a long and winding inner conversation for her, and so you are in different places on the processing journey.

    I get the impression that your partner has wanted to break up for awhile, especially if she realized during your relationship that she's on the aroace spectrum. I have heard from people who discover new dimensions of their sexual and romantic identities that their perspective on people and themselves changes completely, and sometimes they need time and space to work through those new feelings. I think it's possible that your partner tried to forge ahead with your relationship and do right by you, but it didn't feel right, or she felt like she was doing things to make you happy that weren't working for her, or she just generally felt guilt or anxiety on your behalf because she's on the aroace spectrum and you're not. It may have been something you did, but very likely it just may have been that the two of you don't work for her now, even if you did before. And that can really hurt to hear, but sometimes two people grow apart. There isn't anything you can do, and there isn't a thing you can change or say that will make them change their mind - they're just done.

    A week, in my opinion, isn't enough time to make a meaningful permanent change to a relationship, so I would guess that she was giving you a week to process the information (which isn't a lot of time), not a week to make a final opportunity to save the relationship. While I see from your perspective that you are willing to make things work and that you're ok with changing things to make her happy, it seems like the feelings she has while in this relationship - and in particular feeling like she's taking something away from you, or preventing you from being happy - are too much. At the end of the day, she is the one that has to be able to carry those feelings, or find a way to deal with them, and it seems like she's unwilling or unable to do it. If this is her first relationship, it makes sense to me that she might want to explore relationships with other people who know she's on the aroace spectrum from the start, and see what that feels like. If that's the case, she just wants that time and space and freedom to explore that, and there isn't really anything you can do. And it really sucks to hear.

    Please continue to use this space to help process your feelings and share your thoughts - feeling socially isolated and also going through a major upheaval in a relationship are really hard, and the people here are really kind. Things are hard right now, but I hope things get easier with time, and you find comfort and solace in the days and weeks ahead. I'm sorry you're going through this.

    17 votes

  15. Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books

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    I've read that Martin used to have a pretty strict editor, which helped keep the pace and focus of the early books. By the time the series blew up, though, I think editors felt a lot less able to...

    I've read that Martin used to have a pretty strict editor, which helped keep the pace and focus of the early books. By the time the series blew up, though, I think editors felt a lot less able to critique his writing, which is what led to the meandering and lack of plot progression in later books, as well as excessive descriptions of feasts and clothes. I remember going back to reread part of book 1 and was shocked by how focused it was compared to the last published book. It's a real shame, and I think that's reflective of the quality of writing, not of the reader!

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books

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    It's so tough to judge the quality of art objectively, because so much of how we feel about it depends on who we are at the time. Like whether you read a book when you're 8 or 38 matters a lot to...

    It's so tough to judge the quality of art objectively, because so much of how we feel about it depends on who we are at the time. Like whether you read a book when you're 8 or 38 matters a lot to how you feel about it, and it's hard to disentangle those feelings! I was upset because I'd seen it listed so many times as a fantastic fantasy series, and when I was finally able to snag a copy from the library, I felt really disappointed and vastly underwhelmed, especially because the story is so dude-centric and I felt like we'd come a long way from those kinds of plots. Eight year old me may have loved it...39 year old me really did not.

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books

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    Unfortunately, I found the protagonist to be a total Gary Stu jackass, and his constant humblebragging and tripping over attractive young women, for me, just left me rolling my eyes. Skimming a...

    Unfortunately, I found the protagonist to be a total Gary Stu jackass, and his constant humblebragging and tripping over attractive young women, for me, just left me rolling my eyes. Skimming a synopsis of the next book, I am not remotely surprised he somehow becomes a sex god, because of course he does. While I sympathize with everyone crying out for a third book, I am not one of them :)

    2 votes

  18. Comment on Struggling in my relationship in ~life

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    Music was (and is!) super important to help me process feelings. I find breakups so complicated, because one moment you'll be wistful and miss the good times, and a week later you may want to...

    Music was (and is!) super important to help me process feelings. I find breakups so complicated, because one moment you'll be wistful and miss the good times, and a week later you may want to scream bloody murder about how much you hate them and how they ruined your life. I wish I had made playlists to cover different moods (wistful, nostalgic, depressed, ragey), because I did have a few different go-to types of songs that really helped me with my emotional constipation at any given moment - put on the song, go for a walk, walk all those feelings out. I found that mixing in positivity and hope helped me not dwell too deeply on misery for too long, but sometimes you just feel bad and you need to work through it.

    I'll say too that sometimes I still feel strong emotions for past relationships. Three years after my toxic relationship ended I remember I threw on that year's Eurovision playlist and heard a song I had formerly not cared for and it hit me so hard, I ended up ugly crying for two hours. For whatever reason, that time it just hit me right, I was able to see my relationship through that lens and it just ripped all this latent ugliness out of me. I think that can be pretty normal, especially when you have a huge, messy morass of feelings in relationships like these - you never know how you're going to feel as you're moving forward, and sometimes you can feel three or four different conflicting feelings at the same time. It's kind of annoying, honestly! But for me, putting on certain musical "themes" also really helped me regulate my mood when I was feeling really unstable.

    I'll say too that I went through multiple rounds of therapy for that breakup (and I could probably go for another, honestly). The feelings I had early in that breakup were very different from feelings I had a year or two later, and I was finding that my residual unhappiness became unmanageable and it was helpful to talk with professionals who could steer me toward healthier behaviors and thought patterns. So I totally encourage you to feel your feelings completely, but don't feel bad or concerned if you get stuck somewhere, even years later - long and difficult relationships can really linger in your brain, and it's not always easy to find a way forward yourself.

    I remembered that my go-to album was Lemonade, just for how comprehensively it captured different emotions about love and betrayal. I still blast "Sorry" sometimes when I feel righteously angry!

    2 votes

  19. Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books

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    I know...this is one of those series that is beloved by people who read it when they were small, but I read it first in my 20s and was incensed at Pullman for destroying his characters and plot...

    I know...this is one of those series that is beloved by people who read it when they were small, but I read it first in my 20s and was incensed at Pullman for destroying his characters and plot for the sake of getting back at CS Lewis. I never watched the show, in part because my headcanon of what Lyra and Iorek Byrnison look and act like are way cooler than they could ever be in real life, and I don't want my visualization of them to be affected. How did you feel about the show?

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Hate-reading? in ~books

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    I used to have the same rule where I would force myself to finish any book I had started, mostly just for my inner completionist (and a sense of snobby pride), although sometimes it does takes a...

    I used to have the same rule where I would force myself to finish any book I had started, mostly just for my inner completionist (and a sense of snobby pride), although sometimes it does takes a little while for a story to rev up and I wanted to give it a chance. I did end up hate reading a few books that make my all time Worst List (exacerbated by my disgust at forcing myself to continue reading them), but there are also a few DNFs that even I couldn't stomach.

    I typically read books for some kind of positive reason, either they were reviewed well or they're by an author I really respect. So I haven't read too many straight up bad-bad books (aside from Twilight and 50 Shades for the lulz...which ended up being more painful than anything, and I stopped after one book), which possibly makes my list look a bit different from lists of truly bad books. Mine are bad because typically I expected better of them and they betrayed me.

    Worst (betrayal): The Amber Spyglass, Name of the Wind, PS I Love You, Mirror Mirror

    Worst (just bad): Twilight, A Court of Thorns and Roses, 50 Shades of Gray, Angels and Demons

    DNF: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Pillars of the Earth, Walden

    Some of these are beloved and I am utterly baffled why people like them, aside from nostalgia. But I also like books that I know are on other people's worst lists (like the Silmarillion), so it all balances out.

    5 votes