u/sanityjanity

I'm surprised no one in this group has mentioned the various issues that have come up around the frats on campus in the past.

Forgive me. It's been literal decades since I watched this show.

What do the adults think is going on? Teenagers are constantly dying. Even if somehow the adults are all hypnotized into not knowing about vampires, they're going to notice when their own kids are dead.

And why do teenagers keep going back to a night club where there are vampire attacks every week? Do they just forget? Do they think its fun? Do their parents think, "oh well, my 16 year old might get bit tonight, but at least they're out of the house." ?

When I first watched the show, I remember this all seeming somehow normal, and now it seems insane.

In "Freeze Your Brain", JD tells Veronica that

>I learned to cook pasta.
I learned to pay rent.

Do you think that he learned to do the process of paying the landlord? Or do you think Big Bud was charging him actual rent to live at home?

I saw the show off-Broadway last weekend, and I'm left with the same question that has been haunting me since the first time I saw the musical:

Has JD committed murder before this?

JD tells us that his mother committed suicide (or was murdered by Big Bud Dean, depending on how you interpret it) when he was 9. So he's had 8 or 9 years alone with his dad.

And it definitely seems like Big Bud Dean is completely willing to kill in order to take down a building. And Big Bud has been involving JD in the business: telling him to buy fertilizer, and making him pay rent (out of his own pocket? or just send the check?). Has JD also followed in his father's footsteps by committing murder even before Heather Chandler?

I think the question hinges entirely on the moment when JD lets Veronica take the poisoned drink to Chandler. Does he play it as off-the-cuff? Or does he seem like he was always intending this to be the outcome?

I had assumed that Likes left the cast for a new project, but I can't find anything he's done since April.

Do you think he just got burned out or wanted to get away from bad audience behavior (I remember he got booed for not stage dooring)?

Would Pluribus be willing to eat pinon nuts gathered by rodents?

This would not be harming a plant. Would it be harming the rodent?

Would they be willing to invest in researching a method to kill the Hantavirus in order to make it safe for their individuals to collect?

For that matter, I assume they're willing to eat >!ADP (animal derived protein). The agri-jet warehouse should have also had animal carcasses.!<

For that matter, is releasing a giraffe in its non-native environment actually *not* harming it?

When they released the zoo animals, there must have been a lot of animals slaughtering each other. Would they attempt to steal the food from them? Ultimately, many of those animals will die from lack of food, care, or environmental issues. If this is acceptable, then they could continue to create situations that kill animals *for* them.

What about viruses and bacteria? The immune systems of the individuals are constantly killing these. Surely the only way to avoid it would be mass suicide.

>!In S1, E6 (HDP), Carol drives to Las Vegas, NV to find Diabete.!<

>!But the creators missed a *hilarious* inside joke.!<

>!Not many people outside the state know, but there is a Las Vegas, NM. And it is most decidedly not luxurious, and not a gambling mecca.!<

>!It would have been just hilarious to have Carol drive herself to Las Vegas, NM by accident, before realizing she needed to direct herself to Las Vegas, Nevada.!<

Are your high school aged kids reading Shakespeare? Especially if you are in the US?

I've tried several times to use my CPAP, but lying on my back all night is somewhat uncomfortable.

Recently I got an adjustable bed with remote to lift the feet or head. This allows me to get into a "zero g" position, which is much more comfortable, and I'm having more success with my mask now.

Anyone else ever try this?

When I was a kid, I had these books, and they were read to me, but now I wonder if my parents edited them, or if a lot of it just went over my head.

I *do* remember very clearly that Ma hated "Indians" and was constantly telling the girls to wear their bonnets, expressly so that they would keep their skin pale, and not look like "Indians".

I've said in a couple places in the other group that Ma was a racist and a white supremacist, and people push back against me.

Aside from Ma, the book repeatedly has other characters say, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." And, yes, that is a thing that white colonizers would say at the time. But that doesn't make it not racist. And it doesn't make it appropriate for children to read, especially since there's extremely minimal pushback against it. Feel free to reimagine that statement about your ethnicity or the ethnicity of anyone you love.

Here are a few quotes directly from the book reflecting Ma's opinions about "Indians":

>“Why don’t you like Indians, Ma?” Laura asked, and she caught a drip of molasses with her tongue.

“I just don’t like them; and don’t lick your fingers, Laura,” said Ma.

...

>“If we wanted to live like Indians, you could make a hole in the roof to let the smoke out, and we’d have the fire on the floor inside the house,” said Ma. “Indians do.”

...

> “Dear me, Laura, must you yell like an Indian? I declare,” Ma said, “if you girls aren’t getting to look like Indians! Can I never teach you to keep your sunbonnets on?”

...

>“Let Indians keep themselves to themselves,” said Ma, “and we will do the same. I don’t like Indians around underfoot.”

...

>“Oh I suppose she went west,” Ma answered. “That’s what the Indians do.”

“Why do they do that, Ma?” Laura asked. “Why do they go west?”

“They have to,” Ma said.

This story takes place after the Trail of Tears. "Indians" were moving west because of an intentional genocide by the US government. The books really don't acknowledge this in any meaningful way. The reader is always led to imagine the Ingalls family as intrepid adventurers, not as an explicit tool of a white supremacist, genocidal government.

Keep in mind that these books are aimed at younger children. And this is not portrayed the way that a book about the Holocaust would be. The people who say this are the Ingalls' friends and neighbors, who go on to live their lives with zero negative consequences to their racism.

You might argue that Pa occasionally says positive things about "Indians" or otherwise attempts to live peacefully with them. But his entire motivation is to get "free" land. And, in this particular book, he's attempting to homestead on land that hasn't even been covered by a treaty to become part of the US. He may not speak racism the way Ma does, but he still intends to profit through the systematic theft of land and genocidal "removal" of "Indians".

As an adult, when I tried to re-read these books, I discovered I couldn't stomach the racism and the glorification of brutality of US colonialization. Ultimately, the message of this book, and all the books in the series is that white people have the right to take everything, and to cast indigenous people as inferior savages

I'm trying to get in to Philly this evening, and the public transit that gets me closest to my destination starts at the 69th St. Transit Station in Upper Darby.

I've been there before, and parked in the large lot that is east of the station, but I noticed that there's a small lot on the other side of the track to the north of the station.

Can anyone tell me if I would be allowed to park in that small north side lot?

I read the books when I was a kid, several times. I watched the 70s show. It's been a long time for both of them, so there are details I admit I don't remember.

But THIS is ridiculous: >!Ma and Pa arguing loudly, Ma threatening to leave Pa behind, and then Mary yelling at them to stop it.!<

It's not just that this *definitely* never happened in the books. It's that all of this is wildly out of character for all three of these people. It's particularly ridiculous in a show that claims to be closer to the source material.

How do you plan for your children's future when you might not be there for it?

How do you help them build a loving support network?

A friend of mine is a single mom with a young teenager who's struggling with anorexia and violent ideation (dangerous items have been locked up).

The teen refused to attend school for the last two months, and previously attended a day program for psychiatric issues.

The health insurance won't pay for more. The public schools can't accommodate. Even the nearest private school for emotionally troubled kids won't take this kid (needs too high).

What is a single mom supposed to do? She can't quit her job to stay home with her kid. Public school seems to make things worse. Family is weirdly useless.

Any suggestions where to even look for ideas?

This kid is not at the point of being institutionalized, but cannot manage on their own.

How much money do you budget for fun/travel/family vacation?

I miss the finances of being a DINK, where I only had to pay half the gas, half the room, and my meals and entertainment.

Covering the whole cost of multiple people is overwhelming. Especially when we're a single income family.

Do you budget a set amount? A percentage of income? How do you weigh spending on once a year, once a lifetime experiences?

I'm asking here, because working moms are always money -aware, and because I trust you guys to be down to earth.

I'd also love to hear how you talk with teens about money, especially for non-essentials. Do you involve them in budgeting? Would you accept money from them, if they wanted to contribute to get a more premium experience?

Edit: I forgot to add at the beginning that I sometimes have physical limitations that sometimes make the more expensive options the only options.

For example, if seeing a performance , I sometimes need more premium seats. I'm not in a wheelchair, so I'm not going to be able to buy "accessible" seating. For me, that means it's harder to economize on some activities.

My whole life, I've pretty much just used the standard presser foot.

Recently, I acquired a roller foot, teflon foot, and walking foot.

It seems like all three are intended for slippery fabrics like vinyl or satin.

Do you have a strong opinion about when to use one versus another?

And if you have a preference between the roller and teflon foot -- why would you ever go back to a standard foot?

It's 10pm. I have normal pantry items.

Tomorrow is the work potluck.

What the heck can I bring? Everyone else is bringing home-made desserts!

I just went to Laurie's website, and apparently she's giving a free concert in Central Park on June 26.

I wish I had known earlier

Let's play hide and seek!

Where is my wallet?

It was in my hand Wednesday night, and then I came inside, and I haven't seen it since.

It's not under the bed, not on the desk, not in the fridge.

I need to buy a Tile for it, I guess

We saw Luzia yesterday in the Greater Philadelphia area, and really enjoyed it.

Context: we've seen four CdS shows: Corteo, Crystal, O, and now Luzia.

This is a very family-friendly show with a fair number of kids in the audience, and I think it is worth keeping that in mind when comparing to Vegas or other resident shows. It's going to be pitched a little younger in terms of its content.

Access to the site, and parking was super easy if you have a car. It is reachable by public transit, but it would be a long trip from center city Philadelphia.

The layout of the tent meant that you could come inside to the concessions area to get snacks or merch while waiting, and you'd be in a comfortably air conditioned space. This may seem trivial, but it was 90 degrees out, and having air conditioning and cool drinks right away was a huge perk.

The seat was easy, and I really don't think there's a single bad seat in the entire area. The seats only go back a few rows, and (obviously) there's no mezzanine or balcony, so there are no "nose bleed" seats, and no visual obstruction.

The show follows a man who has parachuted into the Sonoran desert in Mexico, and the fantasies he sees along the way.

As usual, there is some clowning between the more acrobatic acts to lighten the mood, charm the audience, and get people laughing.

The acrobatics are top notch, with vibrant, on-topic costuming. I especially loved all the metallic creatures: fish, lobster, snake, beetles for the ensemble.

The first act gives us an aerialist, a cyr wheel, acrobats climbing, and "falling" just to catch themselves. To say nothing of the corsetted lady who gets thrown around the stage as if she were a piece of equipment. The soccer players are a lot of fun, too.

After the 25 minute intermission, the second act really shows off the water pool and the water curtain. My favorite part will always be Jerome Sordillon on the aerial straps. If you like contortion, then you will be impressed with Aleksei Goloborodko, who is truly jaw-dropping, and might be the best contortionist in the world.

At the end, our hero finally arrives at the party to see his friends, and then when it ends, it is time to say goodbye to them and to us.

Over all, this was a fabulous show, and I'd recommend it to anyone. The energy was good, and the fact that this show was able to travel at all seems like a miracle to me.