Blackrose321

We're driving back to the emergency vet to say goodbye. He was having a hard time breathing while lightly sedated last night so sedating him for a full diagnosis would potentially result in him dying on the table. If he did survive, surgery would carry the same risk - only worse - and chemo would leave him vulnerable to infection. Both options would only give him 2-4 months max. Even if we did get him through diagnosis, if it turned out to be an infection instead, his prognosis would be even worse than it would be for cancer. I'm so tired. I can't sleep but I'm not totally "here" either. I'm glad that my friend is coming to say goodbye, he loves her and I'm glad he'll be with people who love him. At least this time I feel more certain, I had time to spoil him and try my best. With my other dog it was so sudden that I was filled with both grief and doubt. This is pretty clear, even if it breaks my heart to pieces.

After another restless night, we've decided to take a chance and drive to the emergency vet where his October appointment is. It's a 2 hour drive plus a 3-4 hour wait so we'll be there all day. I still have a bad feeling about all this but I'd rather fight it until it's clear that we can't or shouldn't. At the very least, his symptoms are on their emergent list so I'm hopeful that they'll see him. Update: We got here at 12:45 and they took him back right away to check his vitals. They didn't bring him back out like other pets so they must be working to stabilize him. I'm glad they have him, I'm at least hopeful that they will be able to ease his suffering while we wait. Update 2: They said he's unwell enough to admit him so that's what we did. It's expensive but the alternative is bringing him home to suffer without knowing whether he could be saved. This way, his October 22 appointment gets moved to tomorrow morning and they'll do their best to keep him comfortable. Listening to him suffer all night was breaking my heart.

Our oncology appointment is still scheduled for October 22, which I fear we will not make it to at this rate. He was grumbling a lot last night, an indicator that he was in pain and/or nauseous. He kept gagging all throughout the night and since I didn't feel well either, I was up to hear it until nearly 4am. I feel so helpless. We took him back to the vet today and his white blood cell count is even higher. He has bacteria in his urine, but no white blood cells so now we're worried that the cancer is spreading and causing other issues. But the place we want to take him to will still likely consider him "stable" and therefore not an emergency, which is fucking baffling because why wait until a dog is nearly fucking dead to treat him? What the fuck is the point? They're sending him home with meds for pain and nausea, plus antibiotics. I'm hoping we can at least make him more comfortable. He's usually a happy camper at the vet, but today he slept. I can tell by the vet's voice that we're winding down. I cannot believe this is happening again. I'm so sorry for always posting such depressing stuff...

I want names, who are these like English professors?

There's an interesting conversation happening on reddit (shocker lol): I'm a 10 year veteran. I have disagreed with many of bidens policies and planned on voting for trump, but then I remembered Mattis resigned as SECDEF, and looked into it. I will not be voting for trump any longer. Someone compiled a list that is so damning I can't believe - well, I can - that we're not talking about it more: Apparently Mattis is very well-liked so it's especially terrible that he resigned. If you have any respect for vets you just can't ignore this stuff. It's an either or situation - you either stand with vets or you don't.

[I'm trying to go through everything as well and since I quote a lot to keep my own thoughts straight, this might look weird, sorry. lol] Here’s a list but the sources they linked to weren’t smart enough to establish redirects before moving their content… *grumbles in web development* Obviously, there are a lot so it would take a while to go over them one by one, but here are some that stood out to me as “WTF material”: These two, when looked at side by side, are odd- 1) Revoked California’s power to set stricter tailpipe emissions standards than the federal government. 2) Replaced the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would have set strict limits on carbon emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, with a new version that would let states set their own rules. Why would you revoke a state’s power to set their own tailpipe emissions standards, and then replace the Clean Power Plan to give power to the states? It’s like he’s picking and choosing based on who and what he dislikes. In the first, it’s California, in the second, it’s Obama. And as I continued to scroll through this list, I couldn’t help but notice he made it a point to target much of what Obama did which I 100%, fully and completely believe is because of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. I genuinely believe his leap into the presidency, and everything that came after, was a “fuck you” to Obama and it's been one hell of a villain arc. 3) Canceled a requirement for oil and gas companies to report methane emissions. Is this really such a big ask? They should be tracking that info, they should be able to report it fairly easily. It’s just a report… 4) Weakened oversight of some state plans for reducing air pollution in national parks. Why were the states not allowed to do that without meddling? Our national parks need to be protected. 5) Lifted ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. =( 6) Rescinded water pollution regulations for fracking on federal and Indian lands. 7) Withdrew a requirement that Gulf oil rig owners prove they can cover the costs of removing rigs once they stop producing. That’s blatantly pro-corporation, and it’s ridiculous. Why shouldn’t they have to remove their own ugly shit from the landscape? Why do we have to pay for it? Because you fucking know we will, we always do. Now this is a use of taxes I am 100% against. 8) Scrapped a proposed rule that required mines to prove they could pay to clean up future pollution. Another pro-corporation move - if they cause pollution, why wouldn’t they be responsible for cleaning it up? Why are companies never responsible for anything? We’ll be paying for this some day, too. 9) Eliminated the use of an Obama-era planning system designed to minimize harm from oil and gas activity on sensitive landscapes, such as national parks. He really went to town attacking national parks. He’s been called “The Most Anti-Nature President in U.S. History” : https://www.americanprogress.org/article/anti-nature-president-u-s-history/ The National Parks Conservation Association called it out, too. 10) Rolled back a roughly 40-year-old interpretation of a policy aimed at protecting migratory birds, potentially running afoul of treaties with Canada and Mexico. Why was he even looking a 40 year old policy interpretation? Which corporation do we think he was looking out for here? 11) Loosened fishing restrictions intended to reduce bycatch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Another corporate butt-kissing move. There was a point to those restrictions: "Bluefin tuna bycatch in the Gulf of Mexico is particularly concerning because this area is the only known spawning ground for the western Atlantic population of bluefin tuna. Additionally, Gulf of Mexico bluefin tuna were historically overfished and are still recovering from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill." 12) Rejected a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to developmental disabilities in children. Another decision made specifically for corporations. We’ll worry about vaccines causing autism, but then we’ll do shit like this, that does cause developmental disabilities in children. 13) Rolled back most of the requirements of a 2017 rule aimed at improving safety at sites that use hazardous chemicals that was instituted after a chemical plant exploded in Texas. Annnd another point for corporations, at the expense, this time, of workers, the surrounding land, the economy, etc. We're just gonna blow everything up, I guess… Reminds me of this tragedy, which was also caused by corruption and mismanagement: https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/08/03/they-killed-us-inside/investigation-august-4-beirut-blast So looking at that list, it’s clear that there are a lot of things being regulated that you and I don’t consider, or know about. Like the fact that “bluefin tuna were historically overfished and are still recovering from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.” So while it sounds like the government is just strangling the hell out of corporations, corporations are causing a significant amount of damage that they don’t regulate themselves on. They don't care even when 218 people die in an explosion that was 100% preventable. If the government doesn’t regulate this, they clearly don’t, and it costs lives, land, livelihoods, etc. Most regulations are written in blood anyways - something bad has already happened that pre-dates the policy. We’re rarely, very rarely ever ahead of anything. Could you give me some examples of what that means to you? Do they actually have Pride paraphernalia or just rainbows? Because my childhood classrooms were always colorful, they were never drab so they look kind of like what I grew up in. Only now if you put a rainbow anywhere, you must be some liberal child pedo or something. I was thinking of putting a rainbow flag up outside my house at one point, because the whole damn thing was tan and I hate that so much, but then I thought, "Someone might tp my house..." I’ve never heard of this happening, do you have any news stories I can read? I didn't reply to the stuff I agreed with, and I may have missed some things in my rush, but as you said, it's not intentional. =)

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I'm not opposed to reviewing taxation and spending, it's important to review what you are doing for improvement. But that would require a fairly significant amount of intervention from the government and a large part of the Republican platform is based around "small government", a refusal to regulate because the theory is that the market will correct itself somehow. That people will just not shop at, or work for Walmart, as if there are so many better options for everyone. I know in my tiny hometown, Walmart is definitely a major employer and I'm sure that's the case for many such towns all across rural America and they are the ones feeling the crunch the worst. Simply not shopping there (after they drove out all competition) or working there (after said competition closed, and factory jobs got sent overseas) is just not an option. One of Trump's major undertakings was trying to roll back over 100 environmental regulations. He managed to roll back 98 out of 112. And Texas is super proud of their unregulated power grid, even though it fails so badly that the federal government has to save the day. They don't want oversight but they want federal money. And I gotta tell ya, I don't play that game even with my friends. Shit happens sometimes but if someone keeps making the same mistake over and over against everyone's advice, when shit hits the fan, I'm not turning up with a mop. No one ever learns that way, and the same applies to corporations even more so. All that said, do you see Trump being the person who would make what you wrote part of his platform? Telling his party that they need to intervene where corporations have crushed the little guy? I don't expect either candidate to push for major change, I don't think they'd get anywhere even if they tried, but do you think it's even on his "wishlist" of items? Do you think it's important to him, that he'd do it if he could? Ultimately, the bolded part is the sticking point - you are 100% correct that division is the goal. It's why, for a while, Republicans pushed so hard against CRT. I have a master's degree, so I've had plenty of time to have CRT foisted upon me - I have not once studied, let alone been forced to study, CRT. I'd never heard of it until Fox brought it up. It was an expensive distraction - we lost time, we lost focus, we lost money. I feel the same way about LGBTQ+ - trans people make up less than 2% of the population, I think the highest number I've seen was like 1.13%. They shouldn't make up 83% of a party's platform. The reason we hear about it all the time is because people talk about it all the time, not because it's a pressing issue. If we stopped trying to regulate their bodies - and instead started regulating businesses, spending, etc. - the furor would die down on both sides. There would be no reason to worry about "trans people taking over" or whatever the fear is, because life would just go on like normal for once. I think, if we set aside anything related to the culture wars, there's probably a lot more we agree on, but maybe not the how. If we could get back to saying okay, if a job exists, the job needs to be done, it should be paid a fair wage. As in enough to live on. No one with a full time job should be starving to death in the "number one country in the world". So how do we fix that?

No lie, that sounds amazing to me right now but I feel like I wouldn't keep up with things and I'd freeze to death or something.

See, I agree with you on that, I think we should enjoy the fruits of our labor. But I think that means you need a fair wage before we start looking at corporate bonuses. Wages have stagnated. It is pure fucking madness that Walmart, a billion dollar corporation, underpays their employees so much that they are on food stamps. Food stamps that they spend at Walmart. They double dip and the Republican ideology states that this is fine. So your taxes go towards those food stamps, so Walmart can keep paying the lowest wage possible. Why would that not piss you off? After they double dip, they don't pay their fair share in taxes, even though you do. And when they talk about increasing cost of items, we factually know that they gouge, they did it all through COVID - an item that you don't have to even buy could come up by 10 cents, but they'll raise it by 50 cents and pocket the extra 40 cents for those bonuses you don't want to tax, and there are no regulations in place to stop it. You cannot, in good faith, argue for the "fruits of your labor" and support that, they are conflicting notions. This country was built on the backs of laborers, when did we get so snotty about working less glamorous jobs? Walmart requires labor, they want their stores open, they don't want them closed until after school lets out M-F. They gain a HUGE benefit in being open, and that requires adults willing to work. Those adults deserve to live. No one is saying they deserve a Lambo, 3 vacations a year, and a yacht. They should be able to eat, they shouldn't be on food stamps. They are contributing by keeping a major business open.

Could you establish how you intend to pay for your police and military without taxes?

Uh huh.

Girl you ain't gettin' no bonuses. That policy is for rich people who get millions in bonuses but "can't afford" to pay their employees. You aren't a temporarily embarrassed millioniare.

They basically aren't, it's a self-righteous, self-serving, non-plan that achieves nothing good. In effect, it's no different from voting Republican. You are consciously deciding to abandon the most vulnerable members of society (LGBTQ+, women, children, POC), to leave the democratic process open to attack, because your morals don't expand far enough to include other humans. You see a candidate openly saying "you'll never have to vote again if I win" and you care so little you'd rather throw your vote away now than wait 4 more years to throw it away later? No, that's not about morals or the future, that's about refusing to adapt to reality because you can't admit you made a mistake. Stein isn't going to win. And if Trump wins, no one will have to worry about their silly little third party anymore cuz ain't nobody gonna be voting. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, it sucks to vote defensively but the sooner everyone checks back into Adult Land, the sooner we can get on with our lives. A lot of things suck. You gotta deal with it. As a woman, it really sucks that, if I can't sleep, I can't just go for a walk because it's not safe. Knowing that and still deciding to do it anyways because "I should be able to" doesn't change what is. Based on many past experiences, I will likely be catcalled, propositioned, and screamed at. It's easy to tell who hasn't had to adapt to less than stellar circumstances before now. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the closest that a third party candidate has ever come to winning was Teddy Roosevelt, who had already won the presidency once by running as a Republican. He pulled just over 27% of the vote. Now let's actually think this through - 27% is huge. Those votes had to come from somewhere. Where do we think they came from? Hint: Woodrow Wilson won that year. Stein hasn't won a thing. She has nothing to bank on. In 2016, when third parties were getting a bit more attention, she still only got 1.1% of the popular vote. Howie Hawkins only got .2% in 2020. It's idealism with no teeth, which really irritates me because it's illogical. You are voting for a candidate that you know won't win, what point are you trying to prove? What have you achieved? You can pat yourself on the back while we turn into Gilead. That's it.

In resurfaced remarks, Vance bashes teachers union president for not having 'some of her own' children Oh look, taxation without representation is back in the form of MAGAts. Now they are moving to deny rights to women who they can't turn into handmaids. They've already tried to restrict access to birth control, they plan to ban abortion, I mean it's so obvious that to be a MAGAt is to be pro-rape at this point. This is some braindead, animalistic, barbaric bullshit. Trump's running mate previously admitted to telling his 7 year-old to shut to "shut the hell up" about Pikachu And then once they have their little "miracles", they can't be pissed to even talk to them. Can we just leave the breeding kink as a porn category and not a real approach to life? This is what sexual repression looks like people, it's ugly...

Pizza. I really shouldn't have but it's been a hell of a week.

BK Chicken Fingers w/ BBQ sauce and a Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap. I've been a bit lazy about taking care of myself while my husband is away, I've been too stressed. But at least this is the only time I've ordered fast food.

They've been stewing about Obama since 2008! And the only thing "worse" to them than a black man is a black woman. If she wins...well, I don't even know how to describe the insanity I'm expecting. The frothing at the mouth, eyes bulging, spluttering kind of crazy. It'll be ugly, these people will have a complete meltdown.

We have a consult with an oncologist scheduled but it's not until October 22. That's too long. I have to call his vet tomorrow to ask if there are any other places but I fear there won't be. The one we have scheduled is already 2 hours away.

Something something something it'll trickle down?

He'll sentence people to jail for burning a flag but still no protection for children who don't want to get shot during art class. ETA: Also, the U.S. Flag Code stipulates how the flag should be handled and it sounds like we have quite a few rule breakers out there: The flag should never touch the ground. The flag should be displayed from sunrise to sunset unless properly illuminated during darkness. The flag should never be used as apparel, bedding, or drapery. The flag should be handled respectfully, folded properly, and disposed of in a dignified manner, such as by burning, when it is no longer fit for display. I'm pretty sure that wipes out like half of his cult right there.

Trump Says We ‘Gotta’ Restrict the First Amendment

This concept brings to mind what happened in Russia after they offed the tsar and his family. I'm not saying the tsar was a great leader. He wasn't. But in the end, they wound up with a dictator anyways because, as it turns out, it's easy to burn things down. It's hard to rebuild something sturdy. So many people will be vying for a position of power in the midst of pure chaos and not all of those people will be any better than what you just removed. Russia holds "elections" but they're a sham. Putin has now ruled for two decades and even when he wasn't president, he was still president. As far as leadership goes, Russia didn't end up any better than where they began. Putin will keep resetting his term count until he dies, killing off his own people for funsies in a war he never should have started. Plus, Russia is so corrupt now that I can't see anyone decent being allowed to take the "throne" after he finally dies to dig them out of the hole. You gotta think these kinds of things through and be adult enough to understand that your plan may not work out in the end. It's a huge gamble. No third party candidate will win, that's a fact. Why even talk about that right now? ETA: Holy shit, is my math right - has Putin been "president" for 22.43% of the time since the last tsar was dethroned? Wild.

lol maybe they are trying to pull a fast one but it would be a weird tactic. Humanists who believe in progression were never voting for a celebrity to begin with, we were never looking for someone to entertain us. That is the MAGA M.O., and it would be a gross mistake to think it applies to anyone who leans left. That said, I think they are more likely Libertarian. It would explain coddling Trump while constantly finding fault with a black woman, while also being able to still technically say "Trump isn't my candidate" - he isn't but they'll still bow down anyways so it doesn't matter. Libertarians are children who were raised by neglectful parents. They never had chores or rules or discipline so when it was time to join Adult Land, they didn't adapt to adult expectations because they were spoiled all their lives. Listening to them talk is like listening to your teenager tell you how they think the world really works, it's hard not to roll your eyes.

I'm not trying to be mean in my replies here but I'm honestly baffled that after 2016, and given what is already happening in the US, plus Project 2025, that anyone would still be out here treating this like a damn concert - you aren't looking for the most dramatic, rambling, shambling idiot on the stage because they make you laugh. This position used to mean something, wtf happened? Trump may make you laugh but he's a goddamn embarrassment, we were a laughingstock. Anyone remember Gabriel Iglesias's sketch on this:

A president isn't supposed to be exciting, we need to stop voting for reality stars. Plus, the first sentence in your second paragraph conflicts with the first sentence in your third paragraph. You're a policy guy but you want someone exciting. Policy wasn't meant to be exciting before it was turned into a sporting event in 2016. So you aren't voting for Trump and you aren't voting Kamala, are you just in here arguing when you aren't going to vote at all? Your choice but a wee bit silly imo. Idealism without realism and all that jazz. Are you aware of when the last time was that a US president won via a third party? Hint: you weren't alive then. (ETA: And if you are looking for someone outside the Dem or Republican party once they became the major parties, it hasn't happened ever.) It's not smart to play this game you're playing right now, too much is on the line but maybe for you it isn't so it's easy to not worry and write it off as "both parties". Empathy would come in handy here, I think. Btw, regarding your rant against party politics - been there, done that. I don't think you are talking to people who are fanboys and fangirls here though. I'm just too old to cut my own nose off to spite my face. I'm an idealist with a strong grip on reality and I wish I could help you grip on a little tighter yourself, honestly.