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Joined 10 months ago
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Cake day: September 10th, 2023

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  • When half my concentration in a given conversation goes to behaving “properly” (trying not to fidget, maintaining a hopefully appropriate amount of relaxed eye contact without staring, appearing attentive but relaxed), half goes to figuring out whether, how, when and what to contribute and I also have to listen and process the words because I occasionally struggle with understanding spoken language… yeah, sure, I may seem normal, but something somewhere is gonna drop off the radar.

    Whether I say something appropriate or hit the right timing to chime in without either interrupting or being too late becomes (even more of) a gamble, which stresses me out and causes anxiety, further taking away focus and composure. Alternatively, I become quiet and feel more like an observer on the sidelines than a part of the conversation, isolated by my own struggles. Or I blunder and say something wrong and retreat to that isolation in shame. Or I don’t really hear what you’re saying, lose track of the conversation, am caught off-guard by the odd question cast my way, or simply retreat from trying to contribute because I don’t even know what we’re talking about, back into the same isolation.

    I’m a chatty person. But I’m scared to chat with most people. Doing so leaves me either mentally or emotionally drained and upset. I hide away, retreat to the internet where I can better regulate my participation, make excuses not to attend company events, let social contacts slip away because maintaining them is too much stress, struggle to make doctor’s appointments or call for a med refill…

    If you think I seem normal - thanks for the compliment, I worked really hard on that facade. I’m glad it’s working.

    But inside, I die a little each time.



  • Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.

    In this case, the law being freedom of speech, the protection being to say what they want and the binding being to prohibit others from curtailing that. Naturally, the push for inclusive language is part of a movement to curtail that freedom and needs to be reversed and pushed back against.




  • I understand. I assume you paid them well for fair work hours under good conditions, provided for all the safety precautions, worker’s compensation, proper healthcare and all the good things a decent employer would do? Paid taxes on your income to fund the infrastructure you’re using?

    In that case, yes, you’re a good samaritan and got shafted by an unfair system.

    Doesn’t change the fact that scientific data suggests all those Covid measures had some impact, but I’ll take back my cheap labor comment then.




  • all not of legal status

    Ah, you used cheap labour from undocumented workers and it came back to bite you? There goes my sympathy.

    As for the science, there are studies to suggest measures like shelter-in-place had an impact, and the fact that literally every form of mask reduces risk of transmission at least slightly has been established long before the nature of viral infections was understood. You could easily find these things online or through a university library, given how scientifically versed you are. But I suspect you’d cherry-pick the ones you like anyway, so why bother?