She was incredibly talented. I loved her so much in Best In Show.

I’ve been struggling with this for a while. I can understand and respect the moral dilemma that comes with participating in elections. I think, though, too many people look at it in a black and white lens that creates blinders.

I’ve never in my life voted for a candidate that I agreed with on everything. Yes, the moral importance of some issues weigh far heavier than others, but the ultimate goal is to do the least bad. I will continue to vote for the candidates I believe offer the most harm reduction if voting is available to me, because these are the options I have to work with. We have to make decisions in the moment that reflect the reality of where we’re at.

We’re living through the consequences of inaction that presents itself as protest. Had Kamala won, do we think we’d be seeing the absolute fucking insanity we’ve found ourselves in right now? I’m glad this moment is pushing more and more people to action and resistance, but at what cost? People are being disappeared, deported, and murdered in the streets by our government right now. And Gazans certainly haven’t benefitted from the current administration. This is a level of bad I never expected to see in my life, and I think there are a lot of terminally online people who are seeing this in a romanticized way that obscures the severity of the situation we find ourselves in.

We likely would have had more ability to push things to the left without the levels of harm, destruction, and violence that we’re seeing now under just about anyone but Trump and Project 2025. Instead of activism and outreach, now we have to play defense and protect our neighbors and communities. Not to mention the roll acks of rights to the health and safety of women and queer people are more passively costing lives and creating suffering.

Yes, the status quo was terrible. Democrats offer pretty words and little action. They aren’t going to save us or give us the futures we deserve. I’d give just about anything for us to be out of this, though. Humiliation and disgust on an international scale, the daily violence, and reading new horrors every damn day is absolutely the greater of two evils, though. I can’t see a scenario where anything is worth what’s in store.

Non voters aren’t the sole reason we’re here, but I’m sick of pretending that those people’s choices didn’t play a large role in our current situation. These times demand we all do some soul searching, take accountability, and work together to get out of this in one piece. Because, again, we have to live in the reality of where we’re at.

That’s a great point I hadn’t considered about masks. Face paint and drag makeup can help protect from facial recognition, and they’ll also let us speak clearly and emote on camera to make any footage more compelling. I wonder if that’s something that could catch on.

Drag makeup can also be effective!

Minnesota is full of lakes. Cut an oversized ice fishing hole, and a lot of problems could sink away.

Silly string is highly flammable.

Infecting more people in and of itself makes a flu virus more dangerous. Even if, statistically, it doesn’t have a higher fatality rate, if the virus is able to more easily infect people then more will end up dead or hospitalized.

I’m sorry you’re being downvoted. I agree with you. This is our country, and it’s been established that our government isn’t acting to protect it. Ultimately, if we want to keep it, we need to be ready and willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of the future. I don’t blame people for balking at the immense personal costs this could bring, but what’s the alternative?

No one is coming to save us. We are facing a lot of frightening choices right now, but this means it’s the time for courage.

Yes! Our local geology clubs offer field trips for members, including mineral and fossil digs!

Oh my, I think you need to talk to someone. If I suggest therapy, should I die twice?

I never said he couldn’t express his pain. I said, regardless of genders, this way of expressing it is simply rude and not a good way to communicate in any kind of relationship. When someone brings up something that is bothering them, and your immediate response is “yeah, but me”, you’re being a jerk. Since this seems to be escaping you, this doesn’t mean the other person isn’t allowed to talk about their feelings. They simply need to be an adult and do it at a more appropriate time or in a more appropriate way. Conversations like this aren’t a battle to be won, they are a tool used to solve a problem or simply vent frustration.

You seem to be looking at this in a very black and white way. Therapy can help with that. It’s not a fun way to go through life.

Yay, my people!

What the person you replied to is correct regardless of the genders involved. When someone brings up a problem to you, it’s a rude thing to immediately respond in ways that make it about you and your own pain. There’s a line between sharing your own experiences to establish understanding and empathy and making it the pain Olympics.

Especially in this comic, the man couldn’t possibly understand how it feels to have the unfortunate symptoms that come from having periods, and he instantly equates putting up with his partner during their period as equivalent. It’s eye rolling on multiple levels.

Or perhaps I know from firsthand experience.

I think, in this case, it’s that this woman was confident and assertive in ways that are usually acceptable for men, but that typically end with a woman being labeled a “removed”. At least that’s how I took it.

No sorries required, and you brought up a good point. I actually snapped off at my family when I was younger, because we had an issue during Thanksgiving one year and everyone expected my aunt and I to just quietly take care of it. We had worked our asses off all day to give the entire extended family a nice meal, and they sat around like spectators when something broke afterwards and made a mess. That was the straw that broke my back, because I felt like all the care and effort Auntie and I put in to make the day special for everyone else wasn’t appreciated, or even acknowledged. You’re absolutely right in pointing out the expense and effort putting on a huge feast requires, and no one should be expected to shoulder that if they don’t want to or can’t for any reason.

If it’s a forced thing I agree, but for some of us this is our time to shine. Cooking has been a hobby of mine since I was helping my own aunt with holiday meals as a kid, and I absolutely love making a big meal for a large group. I ended up doing the majority of the cooking for my ex husband’s family holiday celebrations, because I genuinely enjoyed it and liked giving everyone else the time to just be and enjoy the day.

All I’m trying to say is that, for some people, cooking a feast for their loved ones is one of the ways we show love. It’s a tradition that tends to exploit women, but that doesn’t mean the whole thing is trash. We should just be more mindful of how we navigate this holiday. I bet a lot of boys would fall in love with cooking like I did if they were included in the preparations like women are.

Alligator on a dictator

No, probably just someone with empathy who recognizes the shit situation humans created and how it’s going to play out in the lives of New Zealand’s cats.

Considering how long ago that ad campaign ran, he’s dead.