2020 - Air Your Grievances

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

My WASP-genes initiate a recoiling instinct just reading this. Even hugging is such an awkward convention.

We should all just move to the Japanese custom of a bow, so much more hygenic.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

Conservatism is not really an ideology of its own, but more of a temperament within small-l liberalism."The Right" (read: the King) is wholly to the right of contemporary market liberalism, and "The Left" (read: the Party) is wholly to its left. What we speak of as the right and the left within market liberalism are either tendencies that try to borrow from these external forms, or tendencies that merely flatter them. They do not have consistent meanings.

Interesting take (as always). 

The way I like to categorize it, speaking very broadly, is that there have always been three main sorts of general ideological "personalities": Liberals, Conservatives, and Disruptors. 

The Liberals and Conservatives largely adhere to some variant of the status quo, either more progressive or more traditional; more collectivist or more individualistic; whatever the case may be. In the current Western context this basically means falling somewhere on the spectrum between social democrat-leaning market liberalism and libertarian-leaning market liberalism. In other societies and other eras they'll have different markers, but the personalities that adhere to one or the other are largely the same. 

But then there are the Disruptors: they can be communists, they can be fascists, religious zealots, or something slightly less extreme - either way, they're angry, youthful, prone to violence, and generally evocative of the zeitgeists of the moment. They seek radical change and a "reset" of existing social & economic systems. 

Right now, the latter group (of multiple, often opposing ideological variants) is clearly in ascent, and probably more visible in the politics of Western democracies than it has been at any point in the past half century

[MonctonRad]

Excellent post!

And there are certainly some apologists for the "disruptors" on this forum. The disruptors seem to think the solution to all our ills is to blow everything up.

[MonkeyRonin]

It should be added that being disruptive in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on the particular societal circumstances. Many popular revolutionary movements that have "reset" the system have done so with the support of less radical liberals and/or conservatives.

But I was speaking more towards the personalities and temperaments that lead to these sorts of ideological bents.

[giallo]

Canada is a hugging nation for sure. I've lived out of the country long enough for it to kind of startle me when it happens. Like, I'll meet someone for the first time (a female) when visiting Canada, I'll extend my hand, and it will be met with a warm embrace. It's sweet.

Try doing that here in Seoul. People would freak out.

[MolsonExport]

My grievance is with the flat-earthers, creationists, anti-vaxxers, tobacco lobbyists, loony lunar landing deniers climate-change deniers that regularly pollute the threads of SSP with their incessant bullshit.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

My grievance is with the flat-earthers, creationists, anti-vaxxers, tobacco lobbyists, loony lunar landing deniers climate-change deniers that regularly pollute the threads of SSP with their incessant bullshit.

Did you see Pence’s walking corpse claim with a straight face in the debate that hurricanes haven’t increased in severity and frequency and that the entire west coast being on fire was an issue of forest management?

[MolsonExport]

Aren't flies attracted to corpses? Old Bobble-head Pence, nodding in solemn agreement with whatever vileness is being spewed by his overlord, the orange buzzard.
Flies also are attracted to garbage bags (since Pence bears an uncanny resemblance to the Man from Glad).

[begratto]

Originally Posted by giallo

Canada is a hugging nation for sure. I've lived out of the country long enough for it to kind of startle me when it happens. Like, I'll meet someone for the first time (a female) when visiting Canada, I'll extend my hand, and it will be met with a warm embrace. It's sweet.

Try doing that here in Seoul. People would freak out.

No need to go as far as Seoul, just here in Quebec, hugs make people uncomfortable too. We either shake ends or give the kisses on the cheeks. Hugs are too... intimate? We usually keep them for very close friends or family.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by begratto

No need to go as far as Seoul, just here in Quebec, hugs make people uncomfortable too. We either shake ends or give the kisses on the cheeks. Hugs are too... intimate? We usually keep them for very close friends or family.

I've never thought of this, but you're right. Quebec is not a very huggy place.

I think that for most people here a mix-up on a double cheek kiss that leads to a quick kiss on the mouth, probably provokes less of a malaise than an unexpected hug would.

[begratto]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I've never thought of this, but you're right. Quebec is not a very huggy place.

I think that for most people here a mix-up on a double cheek kiss that leads to a quick kiss on the mouth, probably provokes less of a malaise than an unexpected hug would.

Absolutely.

And my Toronto and Halifax female colleagues always blush when they come at the Montreal office and we give them a double cheek kiss

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I've never thought of this, but you're right. Quebec is not a very huggy place.

I think that for most people here a mix-up on a double cheek kiss that leads to a quick kiss on the mouth, probably provokes less of a malaise than an unexpected hug would.

Yes, a hug is far more intimate than a peck at the air beside someone’s face, imo. For giggles, do the single kiss with someone you suspect is going to be a two-cheeker - their momentary awkward movement head movement is, for me, a smile inducer.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Yes, a hug is far more intimate than a peck at the air beside someone’s face, imo. .

I understand that view, but it's a matter of perspective. Your mouth is an open gateway to the inside of you, including your heart.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

We do have cassecroute-style places here in London. They tend to be a mix of ethnic and comfort (unhealthy) food

They use shredded cheese in their poutine.

Love the souvlaki wraps though.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Hackslack

My grievance is with people who label others as stupid or tin hat wearers simply because they question what is being reported in the media, or forums, and seek truth and ask for further evidence or research simply to educate oneself. Personal experience with a friend has shown there is very little to no concern whatsoever for his health, therefore I question what the findings there are out there, considering it is a novel virus.

I do believe it is perfectly healthy to ask questions about “why”. A good example of this was the restrictions and recommendations on outdoor activities in the earlier days of the pandemic - there was very different messaging coming from Dr. Bonnie Henry in BC and the medical officers of health in Toronto and Ottawa - in BC the message was to go outside and get fresh air, but to stay apart - while both Toronto and Ottawa has hard-line “stay home” messaging, with both cities heavily discouraging any outdoor activity. Fines were being handed out in both Toronto and Ottawa for basically being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and at least in Ottawa we now know the rules were not being enforced equally in terms of race. Once a few weeks of the pandemic passed and the number of cases in BC were significantly lower than Ontario (even after adjusting per capita), perfectly valid questions emerged about why it was okay for Vancouver and BC residents to do stuff outside while it wasn’t okay in Toronto and Ottawa. I recall Toronto’s medical officer of health being unable to answer that question, and shortly after they backed off on some of the anti-outdoor messaging.

Ontario officials spend too much time being indecisive, then when things get bad they throw spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks. Here in BC Dr. Henry has been generally proactive, though I do wonder what she has planned as BC has seen some recent increase in cases (though per capita still well below Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta).

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

They use shredded cheese in their poutine.

Love the souvlaki wraps though.

That should be illegal.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Hackslack

Is there a plethora of evidence? A friend of mine who plays professional hockey had Covid and has since recovered and is back to normal. I know that shouldn’t represent all cases of course, but we do have a plethora of other healthy athletes that to my knowledge haven’t sustained any long term or permanent side effects.

I’m not arguing what you are saying shouldn’t be taken serious, because I know it is a serious virus and we take it serious. I’m wondering where I can read up on these studies you are referring to?

I have yet to see any peer-reviewed studies with a sufficient and representative sample size that show us how many Covid survivors have lasting symptoms. There’s a lot of media anecdotes about this happening, and this is obviously a real issue, but we also never hear about the people who had Covid and are now symptom-free - even though we know they exist too.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

That should be illegal.

London restaurants have a weird aversion to using cheese curds in poutine. It’s bizarre because Southwestern Ontario is a cheese-producing region.

[manny_santos]

2020 has not been my worst year - that prize goes to 2016 (for reasons unrelated to the US president).

But if there’s one thing that has suffered severely in this pandemic for me, it’s my social and dating life - I’m going on 35 and I’ve been alone for a very long time. My circle of friends is also extremely spread out geographically, both within Canada and internationally. I’m cut off from one of my closest friends because of US border restrictions. I have a limited local social life that has come back, but I wouldn’t even know where to begin with dating. I deeply dislike online dating and I have tried it during the pandemic, but zero leads whatsoever. It’s so much harder to meet people when you’re my age, and even harder during a pandemic. (I’ve dated before but have always met organically in real life and have never met anyone online; online just doesn’t work for some people.)

The loneliness is definitely feeling progressively worse as time goes on. I know people here but almost everyone I know is married now and they have their own lives. Almost everyone I know has someone to keep them company during this pandemic, they have their families, they have things to do without having to go out. I live in a bachelor apartment and have almost no one.

I refuse to pretend to be happy single. I pretended that for a few years prior to the pandemic but I can’t keep pretending I’m happy single. I’m not.

[urbandreamer]

^Ha I can relate but as I passed a church in Guelph today I had a thought: in the past our ancestors mostly met through church connections maybe it's time to give it a try even though I am not a Christian?