smoontjes's recent activity

  1. Comment on Death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict after school fight is ruled a suicide, medical examiner says in ~lgbt

    smoontjes
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    I think I agree with you in principle. And maybe I would be all the way with you if we were talking about light theft or something. However Nex was 16 and I think it's fair to assume their bullies...

    I think I agree with you in principle. And maybe I would be all the way with you if we were talking about light theft or something.

    However Nex was 16 and I think it's fair to assume their bullies are the same-ish age. These are not innocent children with no idea of wrong or right. Maybe they are a product of their environment. And yes, teenagers are highly impressionable. This superintendent and whomever else in their lives enabled this behavior should absolutely also be punished somehow, because I'm sure it incites or at least influences behavior like this to some degree.

    But none of that takes away from the fact that they hospitalized their schoolmate. They did that out of their own volition and technically being minors does not excuse that. Again, assuming they are Nex's age.. they are just as capable of making their own decisions at 16 as they are at 18. Especially when it's a crime as gruesome as this.

    5 votes
  2. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    smoontjes
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    Sorry for the loss. Really gorgeous work though! Reminds me of an old Youtuber I used to follow, Pavilizumab I think his name was. Similar abstract pen and ink stuff

    Sorry for the loss.

    Really gorgeous work though! Reminds me of an old Youtuber I used to follow, Pavilizumab I think his name was. Similar abstract pen and ink stuff

    3 votes
  3. Comment on Death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict after school fight is ruled a suicide, medical examiner says in ~lgbt

    smoontjes
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    So Nex sprayed water on some bullies. The bullies then retaliated by hospitalizing them and driving them to suicide. Murder or not, I hope the bullies are still going to go away for a very long time..

    So Nex sprayed water on some bullies. The bullies then retaliated by hospitalizing them and driving them to suicide. Murder or not, I hope the bullies are still going to go away for a very long time..

    34 votes
  4. Comment on Children to no longer be prescribed puberty blockers, NHS England confirms in ~lgbt

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    Having unfortunately read quite a few things written by these people, and seen interviews etc.. they wholeheartedly, genuinely do believe that they are saving children. Not unlike Anita Bryant....

    I'm almost certain TERFs oppose puberty blockers because it means they'll have a harder time 'clocking' trans people, and will have to face the fact that trans people are just like other people

    Having unfortunately read quite a few things written by these people, and seen interviews etc.. they wholeheartedly, genuinely do believe that they are saving children. Not unlike Anita Bryant. They really do think they are saviours and fighting a good fight and saving the children.

    They are, needless to say, totally wrong. But they really do think they're doing good.

    10 votes
  5. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

  6. Comment on Denmark's tough laws on begging hit Roma women with few other options – the Roma minority are heavily discriminated against across Europe in ~life.women

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    Thanks for the correction. I guess I thought "undocumented" was synonymous

    Thanks for the correction. I guess I thought "undocumented" was synonymous

    1 vote
  7. Comment on 'Oppenheimer' lands seven Oscars including Best Picture in ~movies

    smoontjes
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    Kind of tempted to just throw a "K" at you in response. What the hell is that... Matt Damon said it well.

    Kind of tempted to just throw a "K" at you in response. What the hell is that...

    I don’t really get why it’s a shame.

    Matt Damon said it well.

    18 votes
  8. Comment on 'Oppenheimer' lands seven Oscars including Best Picture in ~movies

    smoontjes
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Easily, even! Wow, I could not possibly disagree with you more 😅 Well, you are not entirely wrong that it isn't a high bar. There are a ton of movies a lot more deserving of winning the BP award...

    And in my opinion is easily the best winner of the 21st century.

    Easily, even! Wow, I could not possibly disagree with you more 😅

    Which in reality is not that high a bar to clear if you actually look at what's won.

    Well, you are not entirely wrong that it isn't a high bar. There are a ton of movies a lot more deserving of winning the BP award most years since 2000. The only of my favourite movies to have ever won BP would be ROTK, all the rest are rather niche or smaller productions or at least indie enough to not get Oscars attention at all. Movies that hit all the marks but have no emotional impact on me won't ever get a 10/10 from me.

    Anyway, I am highly surprised that Oppenheimer won so many Oscars. I gave it a 8/10, however meaningless that might sound. It was a solid 9/10 in the first ~2 hours, but that whole (widely criticised) trial part felt so tacked on and wholly unnecessary and really dragged it down a lot in my opinion.

    Not sure what to expect, to be honest. Awards have lost a lot of meaning for me. It's a shame they still mean so much to the people actually in the business.

    19 votes
  9. Comment on ‘Love wins’ say Greek lesbian couple as they wed at last in ~lgbt

    smoontjes
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    Look at that picture and how happy they are. It's so beautiful!!! Also, the penultimate line is just hilarious 😂

    Look at that picture and how happy they are. It's so beautiful!!!

    The historic vote, which also gives LGBTQ couples the right to adopt children, came after decades of campaigning by the LGBTQ community for marriage equality in the socially conservative country where the Orthodox Church has long held sway.

    “Now we’re able to confirm with a statement that: You know what? You weren’t doing all these things for nothing,” said Deligeorges before the ceremony. “So, love wins.”

    [...]

    The law has not come without opposition. The Orthodox Church, which believes homosexuality is a sin, is vehemently opposed. The first gay wedding took place in Athens last week under police watch after the couple received threats.

    Also, the penultimate line is just hilarious 😂

    Deligeorges said she hadn’t felt this good since Greece’s surprise win at the European football championship in 2004.

    10 votes
  10. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (March 2024) in ~health.mental

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    That is so many things to deal with at once. Can't blame you for feeling stuck. I know little to nothing about most of what you're describing, but in regards to what you say about hormones, there...

    That is so many things to deal with at once. Can't blame you for feeling stuck.

    I know little to nothing about most of what you're describing, but in regards to what you say about hormones, there are a ton of people who also don't specifically identify as women but still have distress about their masculine bodies. There are a ton of communities for that too (especially online) that aren't necessarily for binary trans-identifying people.

    3 votes
  11. Comment on Denmark's tough laws on begging hit Roma women with few other options – the Roma minority are heavily discriminated against across Europe in ~life.women

  12. Comment on Denmark's tough laws on begging hit Roma women with few other options – the Roma minority are heavily discriminated against across Europe in ~life.women

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    Can't disagree that they ought to be better than having to resort to begging. But I would hazard a guess that Romanian social services are probably really awful since she was driven to a foreign...

    Can't disagree that they ought to be better than having to resort to begging. But I would hazard a guess that Romanian social services are probably really awful since she was driven to a foreign country more than a thousand kilometers away from her home country.

    6 votes
  13. Comment on Denmark's tough laws on begging hit Roma women with few other options – the Roma minority are heavily discriminated against across Europe in ~life.women

    smoontjes
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    Illegally immigrate to a completely foreign country, pregnant and illiterate, no social security number, unable to speak the language.. and she's surprised she can't find a job? My first thought...

    Illegally immigrate to a completely foreign country, pregnant and illiterate, no social security number, unable to speak the language.. and she's surprised she can't find a job? My first thought was "what the hell did you expect?"

    My second thought:

    Almost everything about these parties' ideologies and what they stand for and the laws about immigrants that they introduced back then, including this begging law, is condemnable. Especially since it sounds like begging is truly her last resort. Maybe they think they're doing good? Or maybe it's some "out of sight, out of mind" type policy, or the usual virtue signaling to scare migrants away.. either way, I feel for her and hope she finds a way to support her family and child. This is no way to live.

    9 votes
  14. Comment on BMW is a surprise winner in electric vehicles (gifted link) in ~transport

    smoontjes
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    The first word that came to mind when I saw that picture of the Neue Klasse vehicle was sci-fi. I mean just look at this video/ad they released - truly looks futuristic, especially around 1:20...

    The first word that came to mind when I saw that picture of the Neue Klasse vehicle was sci-fi. I mean just look at this video/ad they released - truly looks futuristic, especially around 1:20 where it shows the interior.

    3 votes
  15. Comment on What's something about your lived experience you wished people understood, but rarely do? in ~talk

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    I really empathize with your struggle of this. I'm glad you recently got it on paper and access to help! I felt this when I broke my foot 2 years ago. I have no chronic disabilities, and despite...

    I really empathize with your struggle of this. I'm glad you recently got it on paper and access to help!

    I felt this when I broke my foot 2 years ago. I have no chronic disabilities, and despite not needing crutches, I still couldn't walk right for about a month. I had an old man scowl at me and mutter insensitive things in an elevator about people "needing" to use it, and that most people should use the stairs. I assume he didn't see my limp before stepping into it but I exaggerated it for effect when going out of it.. I hope he felt bad lol

    On another note, there's an initiative in Denmark for awareness of invisible disabilities. It's called solsikkesnoren, and is a lanyard with sunflowers on it that signals to people that you might need extra space, time, or help. So that's pretty neat I think

    6 votes
  16. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    smoontjes
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    For about a year or so, I've been working on curating my own personal playlist of metal, trying to narrow it down to only one song per album of artists I'm into. This week I've been obsessively...

    For about a year or so, I've been working on curating my own personal playlist of metal, trying to narrow it down to only one song per album of artists I'm into. This week I've been obsessively listen to Alcest albums over and over in order to find the best songs to add to my playlist. Here's what I got! Bolded the one I'd recommend for those unfamiliar with the band, and if you don't like harsh vocals, listen to the one in cursive (and that whole album)

    Les Iris from Souvenirs d'un autre monde

    Percées De Lumière from Écailles de lune

    Faiseurs De Mondes from Les Voyages de l'âme

    Into the Waves from Shelter

    Je Suis D'ailleurs from Kodama

    L'île des morts from Spiritual Instinct

    3 votes
  17. Comment on American politics is undergoing a racial realignment – Democrats are rapidly losing non-white voters as the forces that ensured their support weaken in ~misc

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    I couldn't vote further left than I already do, but there is a messaging problem in my country as well. The right looks strong and as though it has something to fight for, whereas the left looks...

    I couldn't vote further left than I already do, but there is a messaging problem in my country as well. The right looks strong and as though it has something to fight for, whereas the left looks pretty weak rhetorically.

    I was wondering though, if you could give an example of this alienating pop psychology-speak and left-speak you mention?

    8 votes
  18. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (March 2024) in ~health.mental

    smoontjes
    Link Parent
    I mean it's pretty much the explicit purpose of these threads to kinda word vomit and it does feel gratifying to get things out of our systems - glad you're feeling better and I'll also cross my...

    I mean it's pretty much the explicit purpose of these threads to kinda word vomit and it does feel gratifying to get things out of our systems - glad you're feeling better and I'll also cross my fingers about it being a onetime thing!

    5 votes
  19. Comment on Hi, how are you? Mental health support and discussion thread (March 2024) in ~health.mental

    smoontjes
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    Trigger warning for self harm. I'm a month into DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) and even though I no longer have anxiety during the actual sessions (once a week for 2 hours), the work itself is...

    Trigger warning for self harm.

    I'm a month into DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) and even though I no longer have anxiety during the actual sessions (once a week for 2 hours), the work itself is difficult to keep up with.

    I have to note what emotions I've had each day before bed, which is fine. It's annoying to note my level of tension every 3 hours, but that's going okay too (last week as an example). But the part that gets to me is the dozens of pages of mindfulness exercises I'm supposed to be going through and trying out, at least once a day. I know that there is scientific evidence or whatever that it works, but I think I don't truly believe in them, so it's a huge struggle to do it. I'm not disciplined enough. It's like working out I guess, which I also just never did.

    On top of this stuff, there's also my struggles with friendships and relationships. I have more friends than I've ever had but I'm getting teary eyed just writing this because life without a romantic partner is so lonely and empty. I try to pass the time with hobbies but all I want is a partner. Several of my friendships are quite one sided too.

    But most importantly is the lack of a life partner.. I am so touch starved and I need so much support in life, but I'm not finding it. I don't have the strength to try, either, because rejection crushes me to the point of relapse. I was at 3 months which is the best I've done in over 2 years, and it was ironically DBT that caused it. Relapsing made me kind of give up, doing it every few days for a couple of weeks but I kind of scared myself last time because of how bad it got. So I've decided to properly try again and I'm now at over 1 week. It's so hard though. I get intrusive thoughts about it anytime I cook. I can't look at anything remotely sharp without thinking about how it would feel going through my skin.

    The bad days get really bad. Therapist also made me a doctor's appointment to maybe put me on stabilizers on account of my mood swings. I am becoming more hopeful about life in general though, because there's been a definite increase in days where I feel okay or even good.

    4 votes