Travis

Noel said:

Michelle said:

Suntan oil, cold lemonade on ice, and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - sunbathing in my back yard at 6:40 pm.  Now it feels like summer!

Cold ass lemonade is THE best summer drink

For me, it's an Arnold Palmer with ginger hibiscus iced tea and about a 65/35 ratio of tea to lemonade from the Veggie Grill. Oh man, I've never liked anything iced tea related, but that stuff is so crazy refreshing and delicious.

A_Ron_Hubbard said:

Travis said:

Shit! They're on to us. SHUT IT DOWN! Go ghost, we're burned!


You guys are going to do Gattaca? That would be very exciting news.

The last two days we've been spitballing different ideas for S2F2, and we had an extended conversation about Gattica, and how for a movie I haven't seen for 15+ years, I think about it constantly, and wonder if it holds up like it does in my memory. Especially now that we're so much further along with genetic modification (hell, China has already CRISPR'd two, maybe three babies already?) that it would be an interesting thing to visit. So, not definitely, but it's just crazy the synchronicity. 

It's funny, I'm the same way with that movie. I think 15 years sounds about right, but it's pretty close to my mind considering. Definitely a movie that gains relevance as opposed to losing it with time. I hope you guys do cast about it. I think it would be a fantastic conversation and it's a wonderful movie. 

LordBy said:

Anonymous’s statements were ugly. If you are a Catholic and you think that Pride is a specific weaponized and targeted attack on your faith, then that says more about how you view your faith than about anything to do with Pride. He thinks Catholics are <1% of the population, like that’s some kind of persecution permission slip, while they are really closer to 20% of the population. He’d, I’m sure, argue that he means “Traditional” Catholics and most Catholics don’t qualify thus allowing him to feel superior to other members of his faith as well.

This is what grabbed me also. I almost spit my coffee out when I read the comment (paraphrased) "clearly it's harder to be a 'Traditional Catholic' in 2019 than LGBT." Are you fucking kidding me? I've lived a picture of privilege and I don't have any real experience to draw on, but I can say that I can't imagine how much anxiety and sadness and loneliness I would experience if my basic rights to be equal were being litigated on a day to day basis in public. That I should have to fight and suffer criticism and "wait for the world to catch up" to just be a person living their lives. I can't even fathom what that must feel like, and this dude is all twisted up about the notion of Pride Month? Are you fucking kidding me! We have it so easy. I've never had to fight for my right to do anything. My biggest life outrages have amounted to being pulled over for going the speed limit and getting an MIP when I wasn't drinking, maybe being messed with by a bully or two for being a "weird-o." So, basically nothing. I've never been judged openly by people for just walking around, giving my wife a kiss in public. I can't remember who said it here earlier, but it's so true. If you're bending over backwards to try to sound reasonable, maybe you should take a look at how reasonable your footing is. Be religious and hold your beliefs and do you, but I'm sorry there are societal effects to being married beyond just calling yourself man and wife in some arbitrary way. It has become a governmental action with associated rights. You don't get to play the "but my religion" card and have it stand up. Marriage is an equal rights issue in our society. Plus, what does it matter to you?

This is the thing that I have always struggled with: Why there is even a problem? This should be so basic. It's just people wanting to live their lives in the same manner as everyone else. The right to live and love and take part in the world as people. Who cares who someone loves? What does it matter to you, living your life? In what way is your life changed if your LGBT neighbor gets married? None in the least. So where is the problem? Why is this even a thing? It's just people loving each other. Why do people even get to shame people for loving who they love? How would anyone who hasn't been held to any scrutiny feel if suddenly they were? I hate this whole thing so much. It should be so obvious. Is religion really meant to be a pass on simply being good to people? Even if you harbor these ridiculous hateful feelings inside, it just shouldn't be your choice. Individual rights to peace and equality should always supersede religious ones. Always. It's just so obvious. I don't get it.

EDIT: My wife made a friend recently who had a teenage daughter who was trans and killed herself. That woman has made it a social media stance saying basically "if you don't support LGBT rights, I don't know what to do with you and don't want to interact with you." How could she not? It becomes a representation of what killed her daughter. All the judgment and hate and complexity of just wanting to live as who you are. Even having no personal stakes in it, I get closer and closer to that point every day. I mean, that line represents a fundamental thing that I can't reconcile. Like I said, it should just be so obvious and the severe damage that this culture does to people so needlessly. I mean, seriously why? On both fronts: why does this bother you so much? and Why do you feel like you have the right to cast judgment on people? How do you feel righteously empowered to create policies that take rights away from people because you don't "approve" of the way they live their lives when it doesn't effect you in literally any functional way? Why? I'll never understand. Does Anonymous have any understanding of how harmful that culture is? (I mean I guess not because "it's harder to be a traditional catholic than LGBT in 2019." Give me a break with that.)

Great thread idea, @cdrive!

Total nostalgia play, but I have to go with the CD Trader. It wouldn't be too impressive now-a-days (though he moved to a bigger location that was a better fit, just too far to really make the journey any form of regular happening, then the internet happened), but it was my first non-corporate cool record store as a teenager. Little hole in the wall used joint, but he got the coolest shit. Bootleg concerts (videos and cds), cool indie rock records, great owner who spun great tunes I had never heard while I was shopping, buy 8 get 1 punch card(that I would somehow always misplace when I needed it so I always had like 4 cards with 3 or 4 punches). In a dumb sort of way that is basically lost now in the wake of Spotify and iTunes and Amazon that place made a real mark on my life. Stuff I NEVER would have gotten my hands on otherwise. We used to go out there once a month or so and just fish for hours. Man, I loved that spot. Really sad to see those types of places go obsolete.

 Don't get me wrong, I use Amazon constantly and I really appreciate having the ability to just dial something up, almost no limitations on how obscure it may be, and get it in a couple of days. It is SUPER useful. That said, it also feels like things just aren't special anymore. There is no more "I can't believe I found this! I've wanted it for so long!" Now it's just "I'm so glad I remembered/gave myself permission to buy this." When you can just have anything that your wallet permits with a few clicks and generally free shipping, where's the excitement of a great find? I know the other side of the ledger is so much stronger, but it is a bummer. I'm envious of kids these days and their ability to basically have whatever they want for the cost of only a couple of subscriptions, but in a way I think the work, and the fear of things being out of stock or just completely un-find-able made it so much more gratifying when you came home with something cool. The experience is so disposable now-a-days.

ken hale said:

Ben said:

The massive pile on from critics and "fans" probably hasn't helped either. I hope him and Rose come out stronger from the other side. 

Boy, I really don't like this take.  Best wishes to the guy, whatever he's going through, but if it's just "hurt feelings from fans who didn't even personally criticize me in their criticism of the show I'm on," then I think he'll be fine.

I think it's more about empathizing with what it must feel like to work so hard on something and have it be publicly panned in general. May or may not have anything to do with it, or just be one piece of several. Could be totally irrelevant, but I could see it. I mean, that must be really tough if you follow it, even if it isn't you particularly that is being hammered. He still put a ton of himself into something, though what seemed to be a pretty grueling production, and I imagine believed in what they were building. It's still really easy to feel roped in. I mean everyone digests things in their own way. Who knows what's going on in his head. I haven't read the story yet so maybe I'm missing things about it, but I could see that being really hard.

Hunkulese said:

dragons said:

Hunkulese said:

I hope he sorts things out but it's not really a reason to applaud him. He did check into an ultra luxurious resort that has a staff dedicated to making him feel better and help him out.

Acting like rich or famous people have no right to struggle with mental health is part of the problem.  Anyone who recognizes that they need help should be applauded.

I never said he didn't have a right to struggle with mental health, but it is infinitely easier to get help when you're rich and famous. The world praises you for getting help, there's really no stigma attached to it, and you just go take a vacation in an ultra-luxurious resort. 

I think the key for reasons to applaud him is for having the self awareness to do it. Also there must be a lot of pressure for him. Sure, he's got big bucks and will go to a super nice place, but he also has to contend with doing it all publicly. Most people get to do something like this without being a household name who will be judged and photographed and slapped all over newspapers. He could try to "gut it out" against the interest of his wellness and not get the help he needs and deal with the circus of it all, but he got help. I think a little applause is worthy.