my journal: various subjects, opinionating, CW at times
The title explains itself.
If you're interested in the ramblings of a middle-aged man with chronic conditions who, at times, sees things a little too clearly for his own good, then read on.
Sometimes I get political, but it won't be all the time.
I don't mind comments in general but if you're going to differ with what I write, that's fine--as long as you can explain your position clearly & reasonably. Rants, shouting & general incoherence will be ignored or flagged, depending on the situation. Try to remember that not everyone else in this world holds your beliefs.
Every so often I may post art or snapshots of projects I'm working on.
If you're still interested after reading all the above, great. (I do wonder at how much time you have on your hands, though)
The Most Well-Known Story about Rabbi Zusya* of Hanipol
On the last day of his life, Zusya was on his deathbed. He began to cry uncontrollably & his students and disciples tried hard to comfort him. They asked him, “Rabbi, why do you weep? You are almost as wise as Moses, you are almost as hospitable as Abraham, & surely heaven will judge you favorably.”
Zusya answered them: “It is true. When I get to heaven, I won’t worry so much if God asks me, ‘Zusya, why were you not more like Abraham?’ or ‘Zusya, why were you not more like Moses?’ I know I would be able to answer these questions. After all, I was not given the righteousness of Abraham or the faith of Moses but I tried to be both hospitable & thoughtful. But if God asks me ‘Zusya, why were you not more like Zusya?’, I will have no answer."
@slowdecline48 This hit kind of hard 😳
@slowdecline48
Wow
@unassumingEyes @mytwistedsoul 😄 Yeah, Jewish parables can be like that. One of these days I'll have to tell you about the gossip & the pillow...
soooo tiiirrrred... 🧟♂️😵
Now that the "polar vortex" is past, the usual 💩 is back for this time of year:
Am currently wondering whether how I feel right now is just allergies, or a cold or sinus infection.... "fml", as the kids say.
This is a few days late but I found it interesting:
I wonder why... Business as usual, or a consequence of how Musk is running the platform?
With the onset of my vestibular migraine/Meniére's/whateverthef***itis, I've had a certain thought more than once:
All my life, I knew that illness made you weak. Until I became chronic, I didn't know that illness could also make you stupid.
...well, phuck.
🤦🏼♂️
The prez is keeping one of his campaign promises, apparently. Oy vey.
This is incompetence on Trump's part...guess we shouldn't be surprised. A tariff is an economic tool that should not be used indiscriminately or as a bludgeon. There are situations where tariffs are justified, mostly for protection of fledgling domestic industries until they're developed enough to compete with their foreign equivalents. That is not the case here. Trump's hard-core base loves it, no doubt...no one with any knowledge of economics would consider this a good move.
This will restart the trade war with China, & likely start a new one with Mexico. (I dunno what Canada will do, as Trudeau's abdicated the throne) The CCP will impose tariffs in turn but selectively in order to hurt our exports while keeping their manufacturing safe, as they did during Trump's first term.
Also - tariffs are inflationary, especially when imposed for too long. JPow & co. know it, which is why the Federal Reserve has stopped reducing the official interest rate...depending on what happens this year & next, the Fed might even start ratcheting up the rate again.
My take: I think it's a good time to buy bonds now, & diversify in assets other than stocks & ETFs. The markets will continue to rise in the long run, but in 2025 & '26 I expect them to be fairly rocky. Unless you're a pro or exceptionally cool-headed, you might want to sit this one out.
...it might've even started already:
Time to make some herbal tea...
Tired & kinda sick today...not much appetite. It sucks cougar balls.
I have memories, quite a few by now...the day will come when I won't have them anymore.
Depending on your perspective, that could be a blessing...
Gotta do laundry tonight...no choice. And get more crates. Maybe pack a few of my books if O have the energy.
How am I supposed to do everything I need to, & get over this cold/sinus infection at the same f***ing time?
[cw: my politics]
Am posting this because sitting here under a comforter until I get over this bug has left me bored stiff... It's also a good way to get rid of screenshots on my phone. These have been edited. I'm replying to someone:
BLOWBACK.
See? See?!
What did I tell you? Last Friday I posted about this s***. Scroll up if you don't remember.
Nothing good will come of it, folks...not for us ordinary citizens.
...all this, & I'm supposed to have faith in democracy. 🤦🏼♂️
This fiasco is the result of policy applied by the man the electorate decided was best to sit in the Oval Orifice.
I gotta be honest here: it's tough being a westerner who doesn't share the modern faith in democracy. You're holding a lonely position.
@slowdecline48 just yesterday mom watched a(nother) video explaining that China wouldnt respond. Huh. Nevermind
@unassumingEyes 🫤 At this point I'm wondering where your mother gets her news from...
She doesn't watch the WION, does she? I haven't looked at their stuff on YT in a while but their reporting used to be fairly good.
@slowdecline48 i have no idea what that is but her source is all pakistani
The channel is here, dear. Have fun.
@slowdecline48 young people here are really not into international politics, so i couldnt tell you that
What I am telling you stems from our studies. We have a subject Pakistan studies that teaches all of this. It describes our rocky relationship with America...and our wonderful one with China. Lots of pakistani news sources also praise China.
As for your last point, i have never even heard of that. Im genuinely going to google that rn. Noone talks about that here?
@unassumingEyes kay i googled it and what the heck? Ive never heard of this in national or international news, be it a pakistani source or not. Ive been watching a turkish news source every night since i was 12 and no mention of this. What? Youve broken me. This feels covered up, now, because theres no way the adults dont know but noone has ever mentioned this what
@slowdecline48 also you can hijack my journal nws
Pakistan
In July 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan said in an interview that he believes "the Chinese version" of the facts pertaining to abuses in Xinjiang and argued that undue attention was being given to Xinjiang relative to human rights violations in other regions of the world, such as in Kashmir.
Thats the dumbest thing ive heard this otherwise sane man say what.undue attention. My god ive never even heard of it what undue attention
Anyways sorry for like 3 replies to your one post-
@unassumingEyes No need for apologizing. I'm glad we're talking about this. Because now I'm learning there is a definite chance:
- China's regime has more influence in Pakistan than I realized. If your news media & Pak studies class gives China that much positive coverage, there is a reason. I'd go so far as to suspect that certain people in your news media report to at least one CCP official.
- Everyone knows Pakistan & India do not get along, & haven't since the former was established in '47. China is taking advantage of that, & possibly aggravating the situation in the process--because India & China don't get along either. Reasons for it have to do with geography & China's aspirations since Jinping took the throne. (A lot of the problems other countries have with China are indirectly because of him, I think) The point is if Pak is solidly in China's corner, China can then use Pak as a "cat's paw" in its dealings with India. India can be distracted, sidetracked...perhaps worn down by an extended period of low-intensity conflict if should come to that. Meanwhile, China will be free to pursue its aims--with no effective opposition from India.
- The above facts & possibilities are why the US will continue to play a role in Central & South Asian affairs for the foreseeable future. I am not saying America is a shining force for good...we're nothing like that, though we like to believe otherwise.😒 The business of empire is not clean & probably never will be. However, in our better moments we do work towards keeping order, & encouraging other nations to develop, determine their own direction constructively, etc. So we have to stay involved on some level...unfortunately.
I'd love it if we could just leave everyone else alone & work on cleaning up our own house, so to speak. I'd rather not deal with Taiwan's situation, or even with Israel's. But that possibility was gone by the end of WW2. The Cold War eventually ended, of course...but the great game never stops.
Only the players change, through time.
@slowdecline48 the thing about China and India. Is probably why Pakistan thinks so highly of China. Because in wars between Pak and India, China has been on "our side". Including financially.
Humans are very, very weird.
I can to an extent forgive the Americans pride. Even our barely surviving country has a lot of pride. You would be amused to read our pak studies books. How highly we speak of our country, and yet when we look at its affairs! I am not proud of Pakistan in many senses, but admittedly I have not given up on this country either- and probably never will
One more problem popped up today...I gotta fix it tomorrow, first thing.
...this, on top of the fast-approaching end of the lease, my lingering nasty sinus infection & everything else.
Though it ain't the worst of circumstances overall, I have to be honest here: right now, my life is 💩.
Also: I despise you, Murphy. If there is an afterlife & we should meet, I will break your neck with my bare hands...or my entire arms, if necessary.
Gonna rest sitting in the office chair tonight with my feet propped up. My pelvis & coccyx will have to deal, for the moment.
Ahhh...menthol.
Remember, folks: regardless of the brand, no cough drop is worth a d∆mn unless there's menthol in it. As a lifelong allergy sufferer, I tell you it's the stone truth.
(Now I know why some cigarettes have menthol in 'em, too...& I've never been a smoker. Go figure)
Tomorrow I'm going to the walk-in clinic about this. Can't afford to stay inside, sleep & stay miserable because of all this pollen 🐂💩. Too much to do now & not enough time. Got to find the energy somehow...
@slowdecline48 I hope they can do something to help you. Is it the allergies or the meds that make you sleepy? Maybe a combination of both? Even though they really really suck and I absolutely hate wearing them - would a mask or a bandana help while you're outside?
@mytwistedsoul That's not even the problem. The problem is the congestion, raw throat, etc. Pollen is everywhere.
@slowdecline48 Oh damn that is bad. Hopefully the walk in docs can - idk - do something for you so you can get things done. That would really suck. I'm sorry you're dealing with such bad allergies
No one said this life would be a bed of roses, right? *cue laugh track*
@slowdecline48 Yeah it's more like the fertilizer pile lately
Also, I don't mind wearing a bandana...but it won't help much in this case.
Stressed out right now. Oh joy... On the other hand, I've been in worse spots & so far, I'm handling it sort of okay.
The leasing office flack texted me today to let me know that they still don't have my notice to vacate...never mind that I faxed it to them weeks ago. If it isn't rent collection then these people have all the organizational ability of a bonobo that someone hit in the head with a brickbat a half-dozen times.
Also, the flack said my lease expires on the 10th. I thought it was the 15th. (see below)
I do have a vehicle now, which is good. But now I must get to the DMV to register it, then get insurance, etc. This is not something to put off because--in case any foreign people here are unaware--you do not drive around in the US with an unregistered, uninsured vehicle if you have any sense. It's only a matter of time until you get pulled over. Just driving around uninsured can be sufficient cause for the police officer to impound your car in certain states...it isn't true in FL necessarily, but at the very least he'll write you a ticket & that will go on your driving record. I don't need any of that s***...so the foregoing must be attended to. Still, I have a truck now. Definitely an improvement. It's a nice one, too.
A few minutes ago, I did manage to pre-emptively reserve a storage unit in the town I'm moving to. Not something I wanted to do, but clearing space to put in a temporary shed will take longer than I'd estimated...even so, it should not take a year or even close. (Much of it will involve removing small trees & processing what I cut down)
Because my lease apparently expires on the 10th of next month, I'll have to do everything a little faster. Will probably just dump a lot of my books at the local library...hmmm. Wonder if I should donate them to the library in the town I'm going to, instead of where I am now?... Will have to see about that.
But first thing is the DMV trip. Gotta slap a license plate on the beast.
As you can see from the previous post, I finally managed to get some cough drops. A small blessing.
@slowdecline48 The beast - that's what I call this totally impractical car I have lol! I think once you're there it'll be a little easier to get things done. Even if you can just manage a little here and there - you won't have the travel time. Plus once the pollen season passes you'll be feeling better. That was a good idea to set up for a storage unit too! Definitely make that trip to the DMV after you get insurance on it - don't need no trouble from the law that's for sure 😅
@mytwistedsoul I talked to the head office flack today about this. Turns out they don't have a fax.
Soooooo, when I sent my earlier letter to the office, did it go to corporate HQ or...? Because I sent it from a local shipping outfit a bit down the street from me, of whom the owner contacted what I thought was the office of the apartment anthill I'm trying to get out of. The shipping lady did quite well--she helped me wonderfully. The management company that owns the apartment anthill, however...
It worked out, though. Gave notice today...I now have a little more time to get the truck legal, pack my stuff, etc. I don't plan to make too many trips from here to the storage unit because the machine drinks fuel as if Ronald Reagan was still president & gas is $1.19 a gallon....
...with the kind of power it has, I probably won't need to make a lot of trips.
Who knows?...I might even be able to hang onto some of my history books.
@slowdecline48 If it did go to corporate, guess that shows the lack of communication between everyone. Very fitting gif 😂 (there's not much intelligent life anywhere these days) But hey if it got you a little more time to work with that's a good thing. I think I would try to keep as many books that you can. But that might just be me. I hate getting rid of books. I think about it but just can't seem to do it 😕 Definitely take as much as you can fit when you make trips so you don't have as much going into gas. Maybe you could even borrow or get a uhaul trailer? I'm not sure how much they cost though tbh. Just think that way you could take more in one trip
@mytwistedsoul Just for perspective, if I do dump the general hist/western civ part of my library it won't be a total loss. I've downloaded a s**t-ton of PDF documents--mostly history & DIY topics--in the last four years or so...almost all of them for free. That includes several volumes in a western civ series published by Cambridge U., believe it or not. If I printed them all out, my physical library would be at least 1.5× its current size & probably closer to 2×, if not larger. I've read through well over half of the physical books, but I haven't put a dent in my digital ones. At this point, I don't want to get rid of any "dead-tree" books either...however if I have to, it will not be catastrophic.
