I just wanna say -- the random comments thread

[TooPatient]

Visibility is down to less than a quarter mile in some areas here today. Police have confirmed, and have in custody, one person who started a fire that contributed to the Almeda complex that leveled 2.5 towns. Investigation into the cause of the first fire is still underway.

Any updates on the pooch? Did she come through her exam with an all-clear?

So angry that people intentionally set some of these!

Millie is okay. Air purifier did wonders and the vet is good with that. Everything checked out great so will do x-rays next week if she starts coughing worse or it doesn't completely stop when smoke clears. Lungs sound healthy. Nothing in mouth/throat.

I was supposed to have three more purifiers delivered today. Something happened to hold them up so they should now be here tomorrow. They were already in Seattle after shipping yesterday so I know they shipped successfully. If I had to guess, the smoke is slowing things down and making a mess of the roads around here. Heard of one accident blocking on/near I-5 north of us that sounds like it was caused by smoke.

 

[TooPatient]

This is taken by a pilot flying at 9,000' above the ground nearly Olympia, WA. That little bright dot is the sun. The smoke is solid with no visibility between 400' and 14,000'. This isn't just a thin layer.

 

[Musia]

A view from my window on 09/09

 

[AGBF]

A view from my window on 09/09

I clicked "like", but I meant "horrible"! What state are you in?

 

[redwood66]

I am so sad to see everyone so affected by the fires raging everywhere. Visibility is less than 1/4 mile here from the fires in WA and we have a hazardous air quality warning until at least Monday. My mom lives outside Eugene, OR and fires to east of them too. I looked at some pics of Phoenix and Talent @Matata and its horrific. Everyone please stay safe.

 

[Musia]

I clicked "like", but I meant "horrible"! What state are you in?

It is Cupertino, CA. We had only one day like this, the other days are white. The pictures were taken around 2pm.

 

[Arcadian]

Last week I sewed 50 kids masks (small and medium) in a weekend. I basically marathon sewed. wtf was I thinking...lol I had 13 kids to sew for who are not in high school yet and I was told they needed 2 masks a day. I made enough so that no one has to rush to wash them right away. No nose wire, no filter, these are 3d masks and they give small mouths some room to breathe and move... ( I sewed some for my niece as well, (she didn't have any according to her...)

The good is that I'm a fabric hoarder. The bad is that I'm a fabric hoarder...



I had to do a serious dethreading for them all (this was prewash!) And with several vaccums later, I'm still finding thread on my floor....

But the kiddos have them they like them, they're happy, I'm happy. as long as they don't trade them in school...lol

 

[TooPatient]

Last week I sewed 50 kids masks (small and medium) in a weekend. I basically marathon sewed. wtf was I thinking...lol I had 13 kids to sew for who are not in high school yet and I was told they needed 2 masks a day. I made enough so that no one has to rush to wash them right away. No nose wire, no filter, these are 3d masks and they give small mouths some room to breathe and move... ( I sewed some for my niece as well, (she didn't have any according to her...)

The good is that I'm a fabric hoarder. The bad is that I'm a fabric hoarder...



I had to do a serious dethreading for them all (this was prewash!) And with several vaccums later, I'm still finding thread on my floor....

But the kiddos have them they like them, they're happy, I'm happy. as long as they don't trade them in school...lol

Those are awesome! Such lucky kids!

 

[Cozystitches]

So, tonight I told hubby that I'm getting my tattoo updated. This is huge because he detests tattoos. I am so excited!

 

[Calliecake]

Sending dust to those in the areas affected by the fires. Please stay safe everyone.

@Arcadian , The masks turned out fantastic! No one is going to be trading those.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

A view from my window on 09/09

ohhh this is just SO SO AWFUL!!!!
i grew up in the area...
as a state, we are in a whole heap of hurt...

 

[AGBF]

So, tonight I told hubby that I'm getting my tattoo updated. This is huge because he detests tattoos. I am so excited!

I hope it went well.

 

[Arcadian]

So, tonight I told hubby that I'm getting my tattoo updated. This is huge because he detests tattoos. I am so excited!

oooo what type of tattoo? I don't have any (scared...lol) but I'm always curious about them.

 

[Arcadian]

It is Cupertino, CA. We had only one day like this, the other days are white. The pictures were taken around 2pm.

My aunt took pictures and its scary. I have lot of family around the bay area. I went to school there, don't recall fires being that crazy in those days.

Scares me that you guys are going through all of this stuff.

 

[canuk-gal]

Those are awesome! Such lucky kids!

+ 1 billion

 

[Orchids0926]

Hubby picked up an air fryer at Costco and i just tried making sweet potato chips. Should have bought one sooner!

 

[missy]

Hubby picked up an air fryer at Costco and i just tried making sweet potato chips. Should have bought one sooner!

Oh my goodness! That looks so delicious. YUmmmmmmmmm!!!

 

[yssie]

@Matata I hope things are going okay in your neighbourhood today!

 

[Matata]

@Matata I hope things are going okay in your neighbourhood today!

Thanks yssie. We're still standing. Today I can see 2 houses down the street rather than just to the end of my driveway. The winds predicted for last night that were worrying firefighters did not happen so the smoke hasn't cleared. Lots of sadness down here. People working hard to figure out what to do with their lives and how to do it. Donations of supplies were so generous, emergency shelters asked people to stop bringing stuff in. Cash and gift cards are necessary.

Our emergency vet clinic is providing care for all the animals injured by the fire regardless of whether an owner has been found and they're not charging nor are they taking donations. This is the clinic that took care of my Juba from Feb thru Aug. They are terrific. When covid-19 shut things down all the other vet clinics went into triage mode so people started taking their animals for non-life threatening conditions to the specialty clinic which overwhelmed them. Then covid hit their staff really hard. They're the only emergency speciality clinic with 500 miles so if they would have had to close many animals would have suffered. During the height of the fire last week, they had to evacuate twice. I am overwhelmed by their generosity during this tragedy and I wish they would accept donated money to offset the costs of the care they are providing.

Saturday I got my flu shot and ended up comforting the pharmacist for a half-hour. Her house was 1/2 mile closer the fire than mine. She just moved in after going through a horrible divorce and leaving the home she'd lived in for 20 yrs. During evac of her neighborhood, her neighbor had a heart attack and she stayed with him until an ambulance could get through. She was a wreck and needed to vent and cry and have someone give her some comfort and I was happy to do so. I just hope the vaccination I received was actually for the flu, lol.

And that's the way it'll be here for a long time. Every time I go out, I run into people who need to talk, need some comfort, need to be told that though the road will be long and hard, they aren't traveling it alone and it doesn't matter if we're strangers.

 

[TooPatient]

I am very cranky at Amazon. My three air purifiers that were supposed to be here Saturday are still not here! They got within 10 stops Saturday then delayed until Sunday. Fine. Bad smoke. Got it. Sunday came and they were 7 stops away. An hour later, they were 10 stops away. Shortly after, delivery window pushed to before 7pm then again to before 9pm. Been watching the window get pushed later and later today. I called and asked if I could have them left in a locker so I can pick them up myself. They assured me they would be to my house within an hour. That was 5 hours ago. Now the delivery window is pushed back to 9pm. Oh, but they did deliver my packing tape that wasn't supposed to be here until Wednesday....

 

[Cozystitches]

I hope it went well.

Telling him went well. Now we'll see what he says after it's done....

oooo what type of tattoo? I don't have any (scared...lol) but I'm always curious about them.

Ok, well this is a long story! Short story: flowers and a cross on the other side to cover up.
Long Story: Back when I was 18...you know when I was brilliant and rebellious, I got a tattoo. It was a half moon with a star and a vine going around my ankle. Fell out of love with the moon and decided to change it a year later to what I have currently. It's a cross with a rose in the center. Unfortunately, its very dark and weirdly faded which is to be expected as it's over 23 years old (yikes!). So I am going to have it brightened and covered. I've never cared for the cross that is there (very chunky and dark) and the vine looks more tribal. So, brighter, more color, floral. Am currently waiting for the time to pass for me to go to the shop!

 

[Cozystitches]

Update: I'll have to go back to get more done, but here's the first online debut:

 

[TooPatient]

Update: I'll have to go back to get more done, but here's the first online debut:

Beautiful
I love the colors.

 

[Cozystitches]

Beautiful
I love the colors.

Thanks! So much brighter than my old one. Here's what it used to look like:

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks! So much brighter than my old one. Here's what it used to look like:

I like the new one much better! The original was probably much more eye catching before it faded. The refresh is just gorgeous!

 

[Cozystitches]

I like the new one much better! The original was probably much more eye catching before it faded. The refresh is just gorgeous!

Thanks!!! The original that you see was 23 years old...so yeah a bit faded

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Update: I'll have to go back to get more done, but here's the first online debut:

Isn't it amazing how techniques and the art itself has evolved?! They are doing lovely work for you

 

[missy]

Not my words but I agree. And sharing here.


I'm a liberal, but that doesn't mean what a lot of you apparently think it does. Let's break it down, shall we? Because quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of being told what I believe and what I stand for. Spoiler alert: not every liberal is the same, though the majority of liberals I know think along roughly these same lines:

1. I believe a country should take care of its weakest members. A country cannot call itself civilized when its children, disabled, sick, and elderly are neglected. PERIOD.

2. I believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Somehow that's interpreted as "I believe Obamacare is the end-all, be-all." This is not the case. I'm fully aware that the ACA has problems, that a national healthcare system would require everyone to chip in, and that it's impossible to create one that is devoid of flaws, but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes "let people die because they can't afford healthcare" a better alternative. I believe healthcare should be far cheaper than it is, and that everyone should have access to it. And no, I'm not opposed to paying higher taxes in the name of making that happen.

3. I believe education should be affordable. It doesn't necessarily have to be free (though it works in other countries so I'm mystified as to why it can't work in the US), but at the end of the day, there is no excuse for students graduating college saddled with five- or six-figure debt.

4. I don't believe your money should be taken from you and given to people who don't want to work. I have literally never encountered anyone who believes this. Ever. I just have a massive moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people literally starving to death, freezing to death, or dying because they can't afford to go to the doctor. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their share would go a long way toward alleviating this. Somehow believing that makes me a communist.

5. I don't throw around "I'm willing to pay higher taxes" lightly. If I'm suggesting something that involves paying more, well, it's because I'm fine with paying my share as long as it's actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets or bombing other countries while Americans die without healthcare.

6. I believe companies should be required to pay their employees a decent, livable wage. Somehow this is always interpreted as me wanting burger flippers to be able to afford a penthouse apartment and a Mercedes. What it actually means is that no one should have to work three full-time jobs just to keep their head above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on tips, multibillion-dollar companies should not have employees on food stamps, workers shouldn't have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet, and minimum wage should be enough for someone to work 40 hours and live.

7. I am not anti-Christian. I have no desire to stop Christians from being Christians, to close churches, to ban the Bible, to forbid prayer in school, etc. (BTW, prayer in school is NOT illegal; *compulsory* prayer in school is - and should be - illegal). All I ask is that Christians recognize *my* right to live according to *my* beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate Scripture into law, I'm not "offended by Christianity" -- I'm offended that you're trying to force me to live by your religion's rules. You know how you get really upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That's how I feel about Christians trying to impose biblical law on me. Be a Christian. Do your thing. Just don't force it on me or mine.

8. I don't believe LGBT people should have more rights than you. I just believe they should have the *same* rights as you.

9. I don't believe illegal immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet, especially since THIS ISN'T WHAT THEY DO (spoiler: undocumented immigrants are ineligible for all those programs they're supposed to be abusing, and if they're "stealing" your job it's because your employer is hiring illegally). I believe there are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices (i.e., detaining children, splitting up families, ending DACA, etc).

10. I don't believe the government should regulate everything, but since greed is such a driving force in our country, we NEED regulations to prevent cut corners, environmental destruction, tainted food/water, unsafe materials in consumable goods or medical equipment, etc. It's not that I want the government's hands in everything -- I just don't trust people trying to make money to ensure that their products/practices/etc. are actually SAFE. Is the government devoid of shadiness? Of course not. But with those regulations in place, consumers have recourse if they're harmed and companies are liable for medical bills, environmental cleanup, etc. Just kind of seems like common sense when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation.

11. I believe our current administration is fascist. Not because I dislike them or because I can’t get over an election, but because I've spent too many years reading and learning about the Third Reich to miss the similarities. Not because any administration I dislike must be Nazis, but because things are actually mirroring authoritarian and fascist regimes of the past.

12. I believe the systemic racism and misogyny in our society is much worse than many people think, and desperately needs to be addressed. Which means those with privilege -- white, straight, male, economic, etc. -- need to start listening, even if you don't like what you're hearing, so we can start dismantling everything that's causing people to be marginalized.

13. I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.

14. I believe in so-called political correctness. I prefer to think it’s social politeness. If I call you Chuck and you say you prefer to be called Charles I’ll call you Charles. It’s the polite thing to do. Not because everyone is a delicate snowflake, but because as Maya Angelou put it, when we know better, we do better. When someone tells you that a term or phrase is more accurate/less hurtful than the one you're using, you now know better. So why not do better? How does it hurt you to NOT hurt another person?

15. I believe in funding sustainable energy, including offering education to people currently working in coal or oil so they can change jobs. There are too many sustainable options available for us to continue with coal and oil. Sorry, billionaires. Maybe try investing in something else.

16. I believe that women should not be treated as a separate class of human. They should be paid the same as men who do the same work, should have the same rights as men and should be free from abuse. Why on earth shouldn’t they be?

I think that about covers it. Bottom line is that I'm a liberal because I think we should take care of each other. That doesn't mean you should work 80 hours a week so your lazy neighbor can get all your money. It just means I don't believe there is any scenario in which preventable suffering is an acceptable outcome as long as money is saved.
-Lori Gallagher Witt

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@voce why is Evgenia going back to Eteri??? Why????

I need an explanation I can process!

I know she can't get to Canada because of Covid but this is insanely bizzare!!!!!

Nothing delivers like Russian figure skating drama!!!!

***

ETA: Did the Russian higher powers interfere???

I read that are was prevented from hosting a TV Show with Alina.

I wonder if she's come back to make peace so Eteri can't put out a hit on her post competitive skating career.

 

[jordyonbass]

Got sedated for the first time in my life today, what a bizarre experience that was.

I've no longer got a bionic finger and will be back cutting Opals again in 2-3 weeks if all goes well...