It’s important to recognize that many people don’t have convenient access to anything other than processed garbage. It’s great you had the ability to completely shift your dietary norms, but people living in food deserts don’t have the same opportunities you do. People’s dietary limitations are often shaped by experience, access, and affordability.

Part of that is dragging idiots who fell for the propaganda and didn’t vote, so they do better next time. It’s a multi-faceted issue.

Be the change you want to see in the world! I believe in you!

I think the fact that they were sitting presidents is what gave them the most legitimacy. Fighting against racism usually means engaging in various ways with racists, so I simply disagree.

Giving those you’re fighting against an opportunity to publicly embarrass themselves can have many advantages. It also paints you as a group who is open to a good faith discussion about topics you know you disagree with these people on, which helps to gain more general public support for your causes.

When you’re done savoring the smell of your own farts, think about what you said. You went from claiming many people care more about the dog than they do the human murder victims, then you jumped to saying people didn’t care about the humans at all. These are very different things.

Different people have different values, and these values are shaped by a variety of circumstances. I may not agree with these values or the reasoning behind them, but there are plenty of factors I can think of why some people who aren’t sociopaths may have a reaction like this to stories like these.

In the end, it matters to me more that people care in this situation than why they care. Holier than thou purity testing only divides us further, so trying to understand where people are coming from before you generalize and write them off is a much better strategy if we want more allies to help in this mess. We’re going to need all we can get.

I’ve worked in animal rescues, shelters, and at a veterinary clinic. I’ve interacted with probably hundreds of pit bulls in my life over the years, and I’ve fostered more than ten of them. My fosters were all lovely with me, other people (especially children), my resident dogs, and all my cats. One went on to become a service dog for a little boy with autism, and my last foster is now a support dog for a young adult with severe autism.

While I have met some pits with behavioral issues and different types of aggression, they are few and far between. There are many, many other breeds that have a higher percentage of individuals with dangerous behavioral issues than pit bulls.

I would encourage anyone who has such patently false ideas about these dogs to volunteer at their local shelter and get some actual experience with bully breeds. If that’s too big an ask, have a conversation with the vet techs and doctor assistants at your veterinary clinic, and ask them which breeds they have the most difficulty with during appointments. It won’t be put bulls. There is a reason that very few people that work with dogs share your opinion.

Not until you finish your measles.

My oldest cat will bring up socks, underwear, and even tank tops from the laundry area downstairs. She lets out such mournful cries while she’s doing it. Most mornings we have to collect her harvest and take everything back downstairs, restarting the process.

My adorable cat Noodles sends her condolences on your passing.

It’s not a comparison. RFK Jr. is both.

Everyone needs a space for venting, so maybe this concept would let people purge and be generally more pleasant to be around?

Lonely isn’t the right word, because I’m not upset about not having a large group of people I consider myself close to. It’s somewhat disappointing that I can’t deeply relate to more people, though. I’d like to meet more likeminded folks, but I’m also less and less willing to tolerate draining relationships as I get older. Being particular about where you invest your time and energy tends to be socially limiting.

I live in Wisconsin, and I also grew up with AC. Now I can’t imagine doing that to myself or my dog and cats.

Our lilacs bloomed this fall. Mother nature is screaming.

People do notice and talk about it, but they’re not making the connection to climate change for some frustrating reason.

I work for a pet food manufacturer, and I talk to people all over the US and Canada. We’re located in Wisconsin, so customers will often joke about our notorious winters. When I tell them it’s not like we remember and don’t even have consistent snow cover during winter months in large parts of the state, they’ll reply with similar stories about how the seasons in their areas have changed. People see it, they just aren’t following these thoughts to their natural conclusion.

I think it’s too frightening for them to accept, which leads to paralysis and inaction. It doesn’t help that deniers make this refusal to accept reality more comfortable for them.

Thank you for this comment! I have a cat with FLUTD, and this condition can become fatal quickly if not addressed.

I’d also like to add that declawing can lead to litter box avoidance, and as a consequence, inappropriate elimination in cats. Declawing doesn’t just take the nail, but it also either removes or damages he first “knuckle” bone in cats’ paws. This can result in nerve damage, which makes cats’ natural digging in substrate painful. This is one of many reasons to not declaw your cat. There is no justification for this awful surgery.

I love the juxtaposition of sugar free Coke with sugar added Jack Daniels. Dodging and weaving against diabetes.

Let’s not leave El Diablo out, or Little Baby Pudding Snatcher.

You’re very welcome, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Sometimes just talking about these things in a nonjudgmental space can make all the difference. I’m glad you shared. You never know who you may have helped feel less alone by speaking out, too, which is wonderful.

I’ll be thinking about you. Please take care.

I’m so sorry. Please don’t blame yourself for “missing signs”. Abusers are very good at hiding their true selves and actions. When they start getting caught, they gaslight, like you experienced. People like Daniel take advantage of others artfully. It is not an indictment on you that you took him at his word and believed in him, so please try to be kind to yourself.

I survived an abusive relationship that took many years and extreme events to unravel. Even after I got out, it took years of therapy and finding him after he disappeared to finalize my divorce and officially be free. It was hard work, but things were finalized just this month.

I am stronger now than I ever would have been had I not been in a relationship with that man, and my life is so much better in a number of ways I didn’t expect. While incredibly painful and unfair, you, too will come out of this with gifts you didn’t expect. Perhaps you already have. Just know that things can and do get better. You have such value as a person, and your son loves and needs you. Please message me any time if you want to rant or talk.