Demi Lovato held “a funeral for my pop music.” Unclear on what that means and not sure we want to know.

I think it makes sense to relax measures - including indoor mask mandates for vaccinated people - in between waves, but only if you’re verifying vaccination status. There has to be some incentive for people to then be willing to keep up the measures when it really is necessary when cases are going up.

A lot of scientists feel that way too, including the Danish Fauci, but the media is loathe to report that in the US, where they’ve been really reluctant to elaborate on any kind of end game or predictions, which I think is bullshit and leads to even more covid apathy in the population. Pandemics end, people need to…

Oooof.

Not that I’m a huge fan but what can he do when the Senate is Democratic in name only, the Supreme Court is controlled by arch conservatives who just shot down his vaccine mandate (don’t know if you heard but the chief justice refuses to wear a mask at work...), etc, etc?

The root cause isn’t the Biden administration though, it’s the US population. This is the best you can hope to get elected, with the population that you have right now, and any change will be for the worst (Republicans). I get the frustration and anger (I share them too but I live here but I’m not a citizen so I don’t…

You’re right. On paper. But in practice, how are you going to implement that when 30% of Americans aren’t even ever going to get vaccinated, the Supreme Court is controlled by arch-conservatives, the Senate is Democratic majority in name only and Congress is really the only body the Biden administration can more or…

I didn’t read the comment as defending austerity so much as being resigned to this is as much funding as Congress and the Senate are willing to pass, and it’s not like this country is going to elect better people, especially in red states, so this is the best you can hope for at this moment in time, or until…

I think part of  the the issue with at home tests is they weren’t approved for use in the US until very late even though US companies were manufacturing them but exporting them to other countries, unlike Europe that’s been using them for a year and they’re readily available everywhere at 3€ a pop, and in some…

Oh, I’m getting real close the longer I live in the US, especially when you know that this (a mediocre Democratic government) is as good as it’s ever going to get with the current US population, no one better actually stands a chance of getting elected. 

I agree that with half the population of this country being basically a lost cause/assholes, all you can hope for is ‘better than nothing’/’better than the Republicans’ when the Democrats are in power. It just is what it is unless about 50 million assholes magically disappear or lose their right to vote which isn’t…

People love to deify and turn people into impossible ideals no one could ever live up to, and then tear them down when they turn out to be fallible humans/assholes/jerks, and they exaggerate those faults so their fallen hero isn’t just an asshole but a “monster”, because their feelings got hurt and they feel stupid…

Maybe that says more about the toxic ridiculousness of random than anything else?

I really don’t feel like going back and forth on this. At the end of the day, I think there’s a certain willingness by Britney fans snd defenders, to overlook some red flags in Britney’s behaviour and demeanour, and to celebrate everything she says and does, out of a well intentioned need to protect and defend her,…

I mean, maybe it’s extra unflattering but the point is it’s pretty much within the norm of what she’s looked like for years, and there are more of these photos of her around than actual good ones where she at least looks clean and showered. I’ve been WFH for almost 2 years now, but I still shower and wash my face…

Have you checked out her Instagram lately?

Depending on the victim and depending on the perpetrator. If the rapist had been a Black kid I doubt the judge would be so worried about having to impose the mandatory minimum. 

I will never get used to judges and sheriffs being elected officials in some part of the US.

The backlash is inevitable. More and more I’m starting to think we need a separate restorative justice process for most sexual assault, especially in cases where guilt is likely but the possibility of a guilty sentence isn’t, with a strong focus on survivors being able to confront their assailants in a safe setting…

And you don’t think an editorial from an organization dedicated to promoting freedom of expression and human rights, expressing concern about cancel culture, is relevant to our discussion? She’s specifically making the point (and providing real life examples) that just like it can be used to silence racists and…