caeron

They may be hardworking, but they aren't at all decent.

I didn't die. That's enough of a win for this year.

Never. I am not sure if it is I who has changed or Christmas, but the orgy of consumerism masked as peace on earth doesn't appeal. We don't celebrate. Hearing our house cleaner, a friend, talk about what she buys and the economic woes it brings just makes me shake my head. I am sure her experience is common. We are fortunately well off enough that if we need it, or truly want it, we buy it. As I've gotten older, I find there are fewer and fewer things that I want.

I'm baffled. we keep our extras in a storage place outside of the kitchen. You'd have to walk there, grab a bottle of something and come back to the kitchen. It never happens. That said, some friends had to leave town suddenly for a funeral, and their kitchen was a mess, and their fridge had spoiled food so we cleaned it all up for them. They didn't need to come home to that. I was shocked at how many double bottles of stuff there were in their fridge. Who does that? Why? Don't you have a place where you put these things so when you look for the open one you find it? It probably helps that I have some ADHD, so if I'm not anal about where I put things, I lose track of them quickly. A lesson I reteach myself regularly.

I'm not sure why anybody bothers to engage with Moses. He's a Russian Bot, not a thinking human being. I think he'd only be useful if I had a garden. Push his Russia button, and a lot of shit comes out. He's been on my ignore list for quite a while now because reading his posts makes me dumber. I'd encourage others to do the same.

Wealth is, of course, somewhat relative, but I concur with Unicorn. My experience of 'designer clothing' wearers is that they are insecure and believe that wearing these things makes them look sophisticated rather than being a neon sign that they are insecure and are trying to perform sophistication. It isn't really about a rich/poor divide, it's more about how comfortable you are with yourself and what money you have. If you're comfortable with your money and sophistication (whatever it may be), you don't need to perform or buy expensive status symbols that just signal insecurity to many of us who are comfortably wealthy in our goodwill clothes. (Yes, I buy some clothes at goodwill. I like good cheap jeans. I don't care what other people think.) I think designer things are mostly a racket intended to suck money out of people that want to act or appear wealthy. I think it just makes people look desperate for acceptance. It makes me want to shake my head sadly. When I wear logos, it is for charities and things I support and I don't mind being a walking billboard for.

I have a natural negative reaction to people who wear designer logos that prominently. It reads to me like a kind of pathetic attempt to show off their 'class' which they don't have so they try to buy it. So I share Maurice's read of the boy as a prissy prima donna who probably is also insecure. I might have phrased the request more as a question as suggested above, but this is hardly rude. He clearly didn't know how to handle the request graciously, so went for his default prima donna snootiness. He is cute, but I wouldn't let him dress himself.

All true, except for the fact that he was a train wreck last time and they voted for him again anyway. I think the problem is that too many Americans are idiots with no memory. Probably racist misogynists too. When they're staring at the disaster, they see it, but the moment it is out of sight they begin to forget. That whole doomed to repeat thing.

I pray you are right. I believe you are wrong.

The proliferation of fake videos and news has made me go double check every questionable story I see or read. Just yesterday I saw a video on tiktok saying that Boots had been renewed as a pushback on the pentagon's calling it "woke garbage". It hasn't been. There was no official response, though I imagine they're quietly delighted with the free publicity. And like this piece, there was enough truth in it, that the lies that followed seemed more believable. I fear we are drifting back in time to Orwell's 1984. Lies are proliferating, and many can't tell the difference, or can't be bothered to question. I think this is going to lead to some very dark places for the civilized world if people don't wake up and question what they see and hear. I guess it's theoretically possible, but it seems insane to me to imagine Camilla would steal a family jewel and then put it up at auction. I think it far more likely that somebody doesn't like the royal family and creating this kind of story to hurt them. I'm no fan of the royals, but I am even less of a fan of propaganda and lies.

I was blown away by Boots, a story based off the autobiography of a gay marine titled "The Pink Marine". The story takes more than a few liberties to make a better story, but it is, I think, an incredible piece of work. I was particularly blown away by Max Parker's performance as Sgt. Sullivan, a closeted gay Marine in a time before the policy Don't Ask, Don't Tell was implemented. I would encourage folks to check it out. And yes, there is some eye candy, and Max Parker is a very handsome man who happens to be gay and married. In fact, all the gay characters are played by gay actors. I hope it does very well so that more things like it get made. (Including a second season of it).

Unfortunately, that is my recollection too. A painful reminder that your 'boyfriend' may have very different motives for being with you than love. I hope he is well.

America loves our con men.

Assuming you could ensure your own safety at this dinner and that language was not a barrier... Alexander the Great. I don't think he needs much introduction, but I would be fascinated to hear him talk about what he wanted. Why did he do what he did? Oscar Wilde. Who also needs little introduction, but I love a good wit who has a way with words. An Old Friend. I let time drift us apart until he was gone and there was no chance to catch up. I'd love to have a last catch up with him. I miss his wisdom.

Very few people want unsolicited advice on their lives from complete strangers, regardless of how helpful the giver may think that advice is.