My friend, also naturalized and from Venezuela, knows he’s not safe. We’ve talked. It sucks.

I think they were delayed, except for China. But it is hard to keep up.

My senior tiny dog loves his sunspot, so that tracks for me.

It’s been about 5 years since we put down his roommate. It is now bittersweet. We put together a memory photo book for her and it helps to sit down and remember the good things.

Seriously. We don’t even know how old the poster is, just that their dad is 48.

I was 20 when my dad was 48. I was in college and was only ‘home’ over the summers and winter break (when the dorms closed). My brother was 15. I don’t think it’d be reasonable to tell either of us to move out just because the adults in our lives were a tad indiscrete.

Agreed. I wouldn’t interrupt their fun, but I’d mention it to my dad some time when the girlfriend wasn’t around. I’d send an email or text if I felt too embarrassed/shy to say anything face-to-face. “Hey, Dad. Just FYI the walls are really thin in this apartment and I can hear what you two get up to.”

I’d also look into earplugs. Earplugs + bone conductive headphones could be a good work around. I’m a fan of Shokz, but other brands exist.

I wish autism was a “get out of taxes free” card.

Walks up to checkout counter. 7% sales tax? I think not, my good computerized checkout clerk. I have the autism.

As an academic, it’s a tad heartening to see institutions not rolling over.

My college talks a good talk but hasn’t been tested yet.

I think you’re saying that we/I in the USA still see/have the trappings of normalcy: ads for BB&B, our Amazon packages are still delivered, we still have our treats.

Y’all outside of the USA don’t care about our treats. Y’all’s news is showing all the human rights erosions and ignoring that I got new prescription glasses by mail just 2 business days after ordering them (what a successful and stable country this must be/s!).

(sidenote, maybe prescription glasses aren’t treats, but I’m very excited because my prescription has changed and maybe I will stop with these eye strain headaches)

My partner almost always has a shawl tied around his waist, like a sash or belt. For him it’s a comfort object that can convert to shield him from the sun or cold. For me it’s a warm thing I can borrow that smells like him.

Anyways, he’s genderqueer sometimes, if that helps. And no one’s ever given him guff about his shawls that I know of. (Edit: I guess he might be called genderfluid, but he’s not very into labels, but wouldn’t mind me labeling him to strangers he’ll never meet)

I don’t blame you for wanting to move. My partner and I are straight-passing, cis-passing, white folk in a blue state. We’re thinking of leaving the country. (Well, I am. My partner’s kind of like yours–not convinced we’re in danger.)

You’re much more visibly “other” than we are. One thought I’ve seen floated around is that options are good. If you can claim an international citizenship/passport (through, I dunno, Irish parents or something) it’s worth doing.

It reminds me of what’s often sold as a “pashmina” around me (USA), but it looks much wider along the tasseled edge than the pashminas I have.

Well, Virginia is for lovers.

I installed one of these in a hallway. It was nice to know exactly where the light switch was, since it was not near a doorway or other nighttime landmark. I’d hate it in my bedroom.

I could see calling panic attacks a “mental health crisis”.

I had them years ago. I would feel one coming on during my drive home and so I would pull off into a parking lot, park the car, lay the driver’s seat all the way back, and blast the air conditioner while focusing on my breathing until I felt safe to drive again.

I’m glad no one ever called the cops on me.

Thank-you for your info dump :)

And the Wii can be Linuxed, if you get creative enough. Source: former roommate did it

No, I thought capitalists wanted to appeal to mainstream consumers. DEI and pride displays are marketing techniques. Removing them says “nope, minorities aren’t worth appealing to”.

The performance serves as a barometer for how, idk, accepted a thing is. Having LGBTQ displays made me, an LGBTQ person, feel like Corporations thought we were a market worth wooing. Taking that and DEI away is a kick in the teeth. It feels worse than never having the displays or DEI programs in the first place.

Bob’s Red Mill makes a powdered, shelf-stable egg substitute for baking purposes. I keep it on hand because I can’t be arsed to keep real eggs in stock.

Nothing like something that sounds like a woman screaming to really liven up the neighborhood. Beautiful plumage, though.