We've wined, we've waited, now it's time to celebrate 2016

[sjoh197]

5 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny Congrats on your new cat! He/she is adorable!!

I've been considering getting another cat after I've settled in because my boyfriend's cat is oddly clingy and dependent (she really doesn't like to be left alone for any amount of time), but I don't know if that would make matters better or worse.

Better if you do it right. Our cat was very clingy and dependent. We searched specifically for a companion for her... Meaning we wanted a cat to compliment her personality... Not ours. (Although she just happened to be great for us too). Getting a young and well socialized cat that is already spayed/neutered really helps too. There's lots of articles online if you look up companion cats for cats.

Edited June 13, 2016 by sjoh197

[Danger_Zone]

1 minute ago, sjoh197 said:

Better if you do it right. Our cat was very clingy and dependent. We searched specifically for a companion for her... Meaning we wanted a cat to compliment her personality... Not ours. Getting a young and well socialize cat that is already spayed/neutered really helps too. There's lots of articles online if you look up companion cats for cats.

I'll have to look into it, thanks! I'd definitely want to do it right. She is young and pretty friendly, but a bit of a trouble maker. I just wouldn't want to introduce an accomplice.  

[sjoh197]

5 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

I'll have to look into it, thanks! I'd definitely want to do it right. She is young and pretty friendly, but a bit of a trouble maker. I just wouldn't want to introduce an accomplice.  

Oh god... Our kitties conspire against us all the time. I walk in on secret meetings everyday.

In fact, just this morning I woke up in the middle of a plot to murder me. Kitty #1 was laying squarely across my arms and diaphragm in an attempt to hold me down while Kitty #2 sprawled all 8lbs of extra long fur and undercoat across my face in an attempt to suffocate me.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

41 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

@Pink Fuzzy Bunny Congrats on your new cat! He/she is adorable!!

I've been considering getting another cat after I've settled in because my boyfriend's cat is oddly clingy and dependent (she really doesn't like to be left alone for any amount of time), but I don't know if that would make matters better or worse.

Thanks! She has a skin problem that she's being treated for so it'll be a few weeks, but I'm excited! 

Honestly, the best thing you can do is try, y'know? Some cats are made better with another cat present. Worst case scenario, most shelters will let you bring back a cat if things don't work out within 30 days or so.

[Danger_Zone]

@sjoh197@Pink Fuzzy Bunny I'll probably end up doing it as long as my boyfriend wants another cat (I think he has a love/hate relationship with his cat. :P) I really wanted a dog but I would feel bad about being away from home all the time, so that might have to wait until after I've graduated.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

1 hour ago, sjoh197 said:

Oh god... Our kitties conspire against us all the time. I walk in on secret meetings everyday.

In fact, just this morning I woke up in the middle of a plot to murder me. Kitty #1 was laying squarely across my arms and diaphragm in an attempt to hold me down while Kitty #2 sprawled all 8lbs of extra long fur and undercoat across my face in an attempt to suffocate me.

HAHAHAHA!!! I'm so looking forward to this  

[MarineBluePsy]

 

9 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

So I'm kinda excited because we were next to a target today (never happens) and we stopped in to look at vacuum cleaners (didn't get one) .....

Why are vacuum cleaners so crappy?  It doesn't matter which I buy, what features or attachments it has....they're all crappy.

4 hours ago, Pink Fuzzy Bunny said:

Yeah... I know that feel. Also paid $1k for a deposit, and $50/month per pet. Deposit is okay, but the "cat rent" is... ugh. But I think I might be able to just say I have one cat and hope one of them hides when the landlord pays me a visit

Hiding one of them may not be a good idea.  If your landlord finds out they could try to evict you depending on your lease terms and tenant laws in your state.  Even if you end up being allowed to stay, you'd be on their shit list which wouldn't be good.

[sjoh197]

7 hours ago, MarineBluePsy said:

 

Why are vacuum cleaners so crappy?  It doesn't matter which I buy, what features or attachments it has....they're all crappy.

I know right? We were looking at them at target, but all of the display ones that I was even kind of interested in... they were out of stock and I couldn't find prices or anything. It was a huge pain in the ass. So we just walked away. Not sure were I'll end up getting one. 

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I'm with ya on the vacuum cleaners. Vacuum cleaners and printers, man. Neither have improved since like the 70s.

[hippyscientist]

Vacuum's I'm a huge fan of the dyson v6. It's a little on the pricier end but works really well (in my experience). I'll be purchasing one for my apartment. 

 

[Effloresce]

i went to pride festivities this weekend and now i'm sick.

[Cat_Robutt]

Y'all....I don't know if you heard about what happened in Orlando, Florida, this weekend. I still don't know if all of my friends who live there are safe  It's been a really, really rough two weeks for me. Even if things were going perfectly with my in-laws, between the Stanford case, Trump winning the nom, and the Pulse murders, I just feel exhausted and scared of the struggle of being someone like me. Why do people want to kill us? 

 

[jlt646]

2 hours ago, Cat_Robutt said:

Y'all....I don't know if you heard about what happened in Orlando, Florida, this weekend. I still don't know if all of my friends who live there are safe  It's been a really, really rough two weeks for me. Even if things were going perfectly with my in-laws, between the Stanford case, Trump winning the nom, and the Pulse murders, I just feel exhausted and scared of the struggle of being someone like me. Why do people want to kill us? 

 

Today has been really intense. I went to Philly Pride yesterday, because it felt important to be there, but the mood in the city was significantly lower than it usually is during June. I have been crying on and off in my classroom all day, not because this is surprising or shocking, but because of how much it isn't. This is expected. This is the result of violent rhetoric and homophobia and extremism of all stripes, and I am so exhausted from defending my right to exist. 

This year has been one of my hardest, because for the first time in my adult life I wasn't totally out. The school I work in is a neighborhood school in North Philly, and my kids are great in a lot of ways but acceptance is not one of them. I have heard more anti-gay slurs this year in a tiny concentrated space than I have in the rest of my life, and I didn't come out to them until April...and even that didn't help. I was already worn down, but this weekend broke me. Sending you love across the internet, @Cat_Robutt and other LGBTQ folks on the board.

Edited June 13, 2016 by jlt646

[sjoh197]

@Cat_Robutt @jlt646 Maybe its because I am very anti-religion, but I just really couldn't give a rat's ass about what consenting adults do in their own bedroom. It never ceases to amaze me how many people shove their hatred on the gay community.

[Danger_Zone]

3 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

@Cat_Robutt @jlt646 Maybe its because I am very anti-religion, but I just really couldn't give a rat's ass about what consenting adults do in their own bedroom. It never ceases to amaze me how many people shove their hatred on the gay community.

Believe me, I am not religious by any means, but using religion or any other belief system in order to justify purposely being rude and hateful and violent towards anybody is beyond disgusting. I will never understand how you can be so against something you don't agree with - something that doesn't even affect you - to the point where people die because of it. 

I'm pretty anti-religion too, yet I try to respect people and don't shove my beliefs down their throats because they're different than mine. Weird concept to some people, I guess? 

[sjoh197]

2 minutes ago, Danger_Zone said:

Believe me, I am not religious by any means, but using religion or any other belief system in order to justify purposely being rude and hateful and violent towards anybody is beyond disgusting. I will never understand how you can be so against something you don't agree with - something that doesn't even affect you - to the point where people die because of it. 

I'm pretty anti-religion too, yet I try to respect people and don't shove my beliefs down their throats because they're different than mine. Weird concept to some people, I guess? 

I grew up in an independent fundamental baptist church and school... and I am very familiar with how many religions try to justify their dislike or even hatred towards gay people. 

I try to never dissuade people from their belief system until it begins to encroach on the rights of others. And murdering people is definitely past "encroaching on rights". 

[Danger_Zone]

19 minutes ago, sjoh197 said:

I grew up in an independent fundamental baptist church and school... and I am very familiar with how many religions try to justify their dislike or even hatred towards gay people. 

I try to never dissuade people from their belief system until it begins to encroach on the rights of others. And murdering people is definitely past "encroaching on rights". 

Yeah you're definitely right about that. You're allowed to think or believe anything you want, but once it starts to negatively affect others then it becomes a problem. But there are a lot of things people are adamantly against that do not directly affect them in any way, not just somebody's sexual orientation.

[Pink Fuzzy Bunny]

I consider myself to be a fundamentalist Evangelical but the events of this weekend literally made me nauseous. And when Westboro praised the shooter... well, angry is the biggest understatement of the year. 

[MarineBluePsy]

Clearly I need to read the news....I've been so absorbed in my own stuff I haven't a clue what happened, but it sounds like something that will make me angry. 

[marycaryne]

I am an evangelical Christian and my husband is an ordained reverend. We both agree that if anyone shows any hatred towards another person, they are not a Christian no matter what they claim...the Bible speaks VERY clearly about not hating our neighbors and loving one another regardless of a difference of lifestyles, beliefs, etc. We can disagree with someone without resorting to hatred or even a dislike. Just on the most basic level, showing any hatred towards another person because of their religious beliefs, because of who they love, etc is just an opportunity to shut the doors on open communication. How can we expect anyone to listen to us if we are too busy hating them?

Maybe it's because I grew up in a family that is very diverse...my parents are Protestant, my extended family is Roman Catholic (primarily by name only), I have one aunt who is a lesbian, another who is an atheist, some are white, some are Hispanic... It has just taught me that no matter where we stand, we can still love each other and be there for one another. I really don't get why people who may disagree with a different lifestyle cannot simply just care for another human being. Last I checked, Jesus wasn't hanging out with the Pharisees.

As far as Westboro goes, nothing they say or do surprises me anymore. I wish the media would stop giving them attention because it isn't like they are going to change. So why keep giving them the press they want?

[Danger_Zone]

6 minutes ago, marycaryne said:

I am an evangelical Christian and my husband is an ordained reverend. We both agree that if anyone shows any hatred towards another person, they are not a Christian no matter what they claim...the Bible speaks VERY clearly about not hating our neighbors and loving one another regardless of a difference of lifestyles, beliefs, etc. We can disagree with someone without resorting to hatred or even a dislike. Just on the most basic level, showing any hatred towards another person because of their religious beliefs, because of who they love, etc is just an opportunity to shut the doors on open communication. How can we expect anyone to listen to us if we are too busy hating them?

Maybe it's because I grew up in a family that is very diverse...my parents are Protestant, my extended family is Roman Catholic (primarily by name only), I have one aunt who is a lesbian, another who is an atheist, some are white, some are Hispanic... It has just taught me that no matter where we stand, we can still love each other and be there for one another. I really don't get why people who may disagree with a different lifestyle cannot simply just care for another human being. Last I checked, Jesus wasn't hanging out with the Pharisees.

As far as Westboro goes, nothing they say or do surprises me anymore. I wish the media would stop giving them attention because it isn't like they are going to change. So why keep giving them the press they want?

It is sad that kind religious people like you and your husband are overshadowed by the very few sick fundamentalists who twist religious beliefs in order to spread hatred and fear. The fact that these people are covered in the news all the time only gives people a bad impression; you're never going to hear about a person who practices their religion in order to improve their lives or be happy. I've never been religious myself, but I've always been fascinated with how much it can influence people to do both wonderful and horrible things. I couldn't understand their beliefs but I've had many friends who were very religious but were also kind and charitable - these are the kinds of people we need to hear about, not Westboro.

I try not to let these things bother me too much because I know the news is essentially bad news, but it depresses me. And whenever somebody brings up that I'm moving to the US for school I get to hear about how I need to be careful not to get shot.

[MarineBluePsy]

Ok all caught up on the news now.  Between Orlando and Chicago, good grief!

[hippyscientist]

1 hour ago, MarineBluePsy said:

Ok all caught up on the news now.  Between Orlando and Chicago, good grief!

What happened in Chicago?

[MarineBluePsy]

17 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

What happened in Chicago?

There were not as many casualties, but still unfortunate: http://abc7chicago.com/news/42-people-shot-7-killed-in-chicago-weekend-violence/1383393/

[hippyscientist]

1 minute ago, MarineBluePsy said:

There were not as many casualties, but still unfortunate: http://abc7chicago.com/news/42-people-shot-7-killed-in-chicago-weekend-violence/1383393/

Yikes. Thanks for informing  I refuse to make political commentary on the internet, but these occurences sadden me no end. I cannot imagine the community loss, not to mention those who were family and friends. It's hard enough when you lose one person close to you, but so many people at once must cripple you with grief.