MetaFilter

MetaFilter has a real problem with voicing class genocidal attitudes

I think the question of whether it’s tasteless or cruel to say something on this site is a different question than whether it’s acceptable to feel or not feel something. It seemed in the original thread as if some commenters were saying it’s a moral obligation to feel empathy for everyone, and I just don’t. You can think I’m a bad person for that, but it’s not really a decision I made.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:01 PM on June 21, 2023

Because a deleted comment of someone else’s regarding a different deleted comment of mine in a different thread appears to have misunderstood my sentiments, due to, again, all the deletion making these ridiculous slapfights impossible to follow: I personally believe it is acceptable to make fun of both billionaires AND evil former hot dog vendors. For the record.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:00 AM on June 24, 2023

I honestly don’t mean this in a fighty way: I have no idea what you mean by that.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:07 AM on June 24, 2023

Okay, so what could be "vile" about this? Why would it be upsetting for some people to see this kind of humor? I think it's gotta be based on a misunderstanding. If you think that the people enjoying this joke are literally enjoying torture inside their mind palaces, yeah that's pretty upsetting. But, I have claimed, that's not really how the joke works.

I actually do think that’s a big part of why this discussion went so wrong. Some… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:29 PM on June 24, 2023

Wonderful meta comment riffing on Bradbury’s automated house?

Hahaha I’ve read it before but the bit about “trying to remember a story i read in 8th graed about a robot house” always slays me
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 5:07 PM on February 2, 2023

Hurricane Ida Check-In

Flash flooding like I've never seen in NYC. Over a foot of water on my block and I'm not in a coastal flood zone.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:06 PM on September 1, 2021

It's "The Guardian". (Again)

I will say that this joke is actively alienating to people who don’t already know what you’re talking about. For a long time I thought the Granuiad was an actual publication because people make this reference all the goddamn time here without bothering to explain it. Then I figured it out and just felt irritated.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 5:55 PM on April 9, 2021

In fact I like in-jokes in general. It’s a form of intimacy, and who couldn’t use more of that?

This perspective is interesting to me because it doesn’t feel that way to me. In-jokes between friends are definitely a form of intimacy, but the sort of thing we’re talking about here has always struck me as all about signaling that the poster is part of the in-group, in a “look at me” kind of way. I know that not everyone means it that way or sees it… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:39 AM on April 10, 2021

Metatalktail Hour: Unrequited Ask

Never figured out what the cool probably-bone I found on the beach was.

I only ever studied human bones, but that is 100% bone, very probably a chunk of skull from the bridge of the nose (the two curved bits being the insides of the eye sockets), and I would guess mammal (something with a long head like a deer or a dolphin) but can’t be sure. Try sending it to @anitomika.science on Instagram!
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:38 AM on April 5, 2021

Jessamyn I can’t believe I forgot to mention the time-honored field test for whether something is made of bone: touch it to your tongue. The porosity of bone will make it stick to your tongue slightly. My osteology teacher told the class this and then immediately told us not to do it, but I definitely got the impression she had done it. I’ve tried it on some carved bone beads I have and it totally works.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:20 PM on April 6, 2021

Metatalktail Hour: reading from school: your retrospective

My 11th grade English teacher was my favorite teacher ever. In her class we read The House of the Spirits, Native Son, The Awakening, 100 Years of Solitude, and (incredibly for a public school) The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which immediately became the favorite book of myself and most of my friends. The year before she taught The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle which I read because of her and also loved.

We also read The Scarlet Letter, which she straight-up told us was not… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:23 PM on April 2, 2021

In 8th grade our geometry teacher assigned us Flatland, the only fiction I was ever assigned in a math class. And I thought it was So Cool. It does an amazing job of walking you through how a being from a higher dimension might interact with our own. I’d love to read it again.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:58 PM on April 5, 2021

"I always knew he was terrible, and anyone who ever liked him is too!"

I hate this shit. Responding to "I'm struggling with this news because this piece of art was meaningful to me" with a smug "well I guess you're a moron for ever having liked it then!" is just... fucking asshole behavior.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:43 AM on February 14, 2021

Children and Climate Change

People also tend not to say that having a cat is ruining the planet.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:55 PM on February 5, 2021

Metatalktail Hour: Speaking of the mail....

A year after my godmother died, right around Valentine's Day, her daughter got a Valentine's Day card from her in her mailbox. Apparently it had been sent the previous year and lost in the mail. It was spooky as hell.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:10 PM on January 10, 2021

Metatalktail Hour: Stupid Human Tricks

I'm another one who can't snap my fingers. And I KNOW FOR A FACT that I can't snap my fingers, because if you say "I can't snap my fingers" in any social situation, three people will leap to try and explain to you that you're probably doing it wrong, here, put your finger here and your thumb here and and and -

And nothing. It does. not. work. I don't know if my hand is a weird shape or what but the loudest sound I have ever managed to create is a disappointing moist *plep*.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:19 AM on December 22, 2020

How about a new fuckity fucks post?

-Haven't worked since April, everything posted looks awful but I have no choice but to apply for them anyway because my unemployment is about to run out

-Have been looking for a roommate for two months and still haven't found one despite making several offers, doing interviews almost every day and so so sick of giving facetime tours of my apartment, and of keeping it perfectly neat and clean and presentable

-Dad is in a care home for physical… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 4:27 PM on December 5, 2020

Well I still don't have a job and my parents still have covid, but they seem to be getting better. And I did finally find a roommate, lease signed today. It took two months to find someone to take the room. The landlord had to drop the price after the first month because practically no one was even interested. Prior to this, it had me never taken more than 10 or maybe 15 days to find a roommate for this place.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:41 PM on December 9, 2020

Metatalktail Hour: Meaning to...

I haven't done art or writing for way too long, and just in the past week-ish it's gone from a dull "sure is a shame I'm not doing that stuff" to "hey I should, like, do that stuff." So today, after I do a bunch of chores that can't be put off, I am gonna try to sit myself down and at least begin an art project. For me that means cutting out a bunch of images for collage. I'm hoping that getting back to this will charge up my self-worth a little bit, as it's pretty damn low… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:09 AM on December 6, 2020

What is the MeFite meeting signal?

"Hi, are you from MetaFilter?"

Personally I dislike the ~wAcKy~ narwal/bacon/stairs things that Certain Other Websites do, and would not use such a system if implemented.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 2:09 PM on September 2, 2020

"Talk... less."

But does anyone critical of Biden, Harris, or the Democratic Party really make any posts during this time? Nope, not really. But! As soon as the DNC post appeared, it's like bat signal goes up and the critical comments start up again. It's like some folks just argue as a reaction rather than make a post about the thing they would like to argue about.

Wait so you're mad that people are posting about not liking Biden in the DNC thread, and you're also… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:52 AM on August 19, 2020

How would y'all feel about a plant/seed share?

I just grew some plants from seed for the first time this year and I'd be so into this. I got a huge set of herb seeds for Christmas and probably won't use them all up - especially the marjoram, which it turns out tastes like soap to me!
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:08 PM on June 26, 2020

I think I saw two recommendations for methodology above, both good:
A) postcard flavor where folks in a pool get a random smattering from other folks in their pool and seed suitability falls where it may or
B) a sign up sheet for what an individual is looking for such that other folks somehow get assigned/claim/notified of a match and the mailing begins.

For me, as a relative beginner, option A would be more fun. I'd rather be surprised!
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:07 PM on June 27, 2020

I do think folks including information about the seed type, as well as additional information like hybrid or heirloom or personal experience for example, is going to be a best practice.

I was planning to include the source of the seeds, when I got them, and a bit on my experience growing them.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:14 PM on June 27, 2020

After the pandemic ...

There was gonna be a family reunion in May, including a bunch of people I see maybe once every five years, at my aunt's beautiful house farm in rural Illinois. We decided to move it to next year and I'm already looking forward to it.

Also? A FUCKING PEDICURE. The past few months I have worn shoes like once a week and the callouses, they are out of control.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:33 AM on June 13, 2020

Also - guess who had JUST told her shrink, after a couple years of self-enforced celibacy, that she was ready to try dating again? In late February?
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:35 AM on June 13, 2020

Right now I want a coffee with cream, and I'm out of cream. In normal times I'd be back from the corner store already but now I'm like... ok I need to find my mask and change out of the two day old PJs I'm wearing and find some shoes that don't need socks because I haven't been washing socks because why would I, and then after all that I'll have to face the gauntlet of poorly-masked or non-masked humanity, and it's just easier to stay here in my depression hole without caffeine and brood.… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 8:54 AM on June 13, 2020

Right now I want a coffee with cream, and I'm out of cream. In normal times I'd be back from the corner store already but now I'm like... ok I need to find my mask and change out of the two day old PJs I'm wearing and find some shoes that don't need socks because I haven't been washing socks because why would I, and then after all that I'll have to face the gauntlet of poorly-masked or non-masked humanity, and it's just easier to stay here in my depression hole without caffeine and… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:27 AM on June 13, 2020

One of my roommates hates a capella singing, like it's sensory thing and she just can't stand it. And when I'm home alone I'm singing out loud about half the time. Right now, when she and my other roommate go on walks is the only time I can sing anymore :(
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:15 AM on June 16, 2020

A thank you, and a question for you.

Joined in high school. Now I'm 32 and looking for a second career. Mefi has helped me be a more thoughtful person over the years.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:07 PM on June 1, 2020

silver linings of the pandemic

I just said out loud to my roommate "my five year plan is to not be working in an office." Which felt amazing. I haven't really expressed that desire to anyone else except my long-suffering shrink. But I think I actually mean it.

I recently made a career switch from one type of office work to another and I really thought it would make me happier, finally, but it didn't. Parts of it were good and parts of it were exactly what I'd been trying to get away from.… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 11:55 AM on April 29, 2020

I'm certainly not about to quit my really quite decent job in the middle of a plague depression

hahahaha the literal day after I posted this I was permanently laid off along with half my department

Assuming I can actually get unemployment though (which I should be able to, I'm just in New York so it might take ages), this is actually sort of a best case scenario for my mental health. FINGERS CROSSED.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:40 AM on May 4, 2020

Server move and downtime, take 2

I tried to visit during the downtime and was utterly charmed by the "here are some assorted sites to check out instead!" page that popped up. It felt very old-school webring-y.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 9:57 AM on April 20, 2020

Coronavirus check-in thread #4

Jiaozi is a great idea. I might try that. (Why not make your own wrappers?) But the next project is parsnip cake, because it turns out that's a thing that exists and I love parsnips so I must try it.

Yesterday sucked. I was just extremely down all day. I think among other things I need to get more sun, which for me involves climbing a completely vertical ladder to my building's roof. I finally did it late yesterday afternoon and just having the sun on my face was so good.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:21 PM on April 8, 2020

My job (which I just got in February) was supposed to be basically project management. For a labor union. So right now my job has turned into calling up laid-off members who have had problems filing for unemployment and trying to help them figure it out.

I'm glad to have a job and glad to be helping, but oh my god calling strangers on the phone gives me crushing nauseous anxiety. Once I actually talk to the person it's mostly fine, I can put on my customer service hat… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 2:10 PM on April 15, 2020

Corona Virus Check-in Thread no. 3

I'm in NYC but my roommate, who works for an org with offices in multiple cities, said her Chicago-based coworker's dad has just died of it.

Here in NYC... well my life is the same as it's been for two weeks, but the headlines say the city hit 99 dead this morning. When I talked to my parents on Friday it was 22. I just keep wondering how many times I'll see that number go up, and whether/when it'll include someone I know here. And that's not even mentioning my parents… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:35 PM on March 23, 2020

So from September to January I was unemployed and home almost all day every day. I was also pretty depressed during and before that period. And so, what have I been talking about with my shrink recently, now that I finally got a new job? The need for me to get out more. Socialize with my friends. And, especially, start dating again, after years of not bothering.

I would love for the next few months to be the story of me crushing these social goals by reaching out and… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 10:11 AM on March 24, 2020

One of my roommates has barely been able to taste or smell anything for like a week. But no other symptoms really. We're all just kind of waiting, while I privately search for other potential causes (thrush? Cold? Psychosomatic?)
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:44 PM on April 7, 2020

I went to the local grocery store for the first time in two weeks and was pretty impressed. Not only have they set up a Trader Joes style line system (single long line, a person tells you which register to go to), to allow people to be spaced farther apart in line - they have also put up huge wide plexiglass partitions at the checkouts, between the cashiers and the people checking out.

The store employees are unionized, which I'm sure is not a coincidence.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:44 AM on April 8, 2020

Coronavirus check-in thread 2.0

NYC. I have a cough and I just got sent home from work with my laptop - sick day today, but they said be prepared to be out all week and work from home if I'm still coughing. I only started a month ago and I'm irrationally worried of looking like a malingerer. That's America for you I guess.

Most of my coworkers who are still coming in are delaying their start times to avoid rush hour subways.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:51 AM on March 10, 2020

This is gonna sound twisted, but... on some level, I've been feeling oddly relieved to have the news dominated by something besides Fucking Trump. I mean it's been YEARS since that was the case. It's almost refreshing.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 7:48 AM on March 10, 2020

NYC, working from home for two days and counting due to a gross phlegmy cough that started a few days ago and is not improving. If my roommate's crappy thermometer is to be believed, I also have a "low-grade fever" (aka in the 99F range). And the constant coughing is giving me a headache.

I called my clinic's special COVID hotline and they took a history and told me 1) I probably don't have it but 2) I should come in tomorrow. No idea if I'll be tested, but… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:38 PM on March 11, 2020

Is there any medical consensus yet on what constitutes actual fever, for the purpose of reporting to your doctor? Allergy season is starting up, which triggers dry cough and low key elevated temperatures in many people.

Though technically anything above normal is a fever, you've "officially" got a fever at 100.4F/38C (aka, one full degree Celsius above the normal average of 98.6F/37C). That's the accepted medical… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:21 PM on March 11, 2020

ask.metafilter is high-key reminding me of this classic comment right now
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:27 PM on March 11, 2020

That is also true, but as of now there's been no change to the official criteria for what temperature constitutes a fever.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 1:35 PM on March 11, 2020

Can't give details really but HOO BOY did I pick the wrong month to start working for a hotel union. It's looking increasingly like 10-12 hour days for the forseeable.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 3:07 PM on March 12, 2020

What the actual fuck? Are we not all getting the same information? NJ already has 50 cases. How does that translate to, "When you test individuals indiscriminately … you flood the system with an enormous amount of specimens.”?

IIRC they can only process a very small number of tests per day, so if they didn't focus on the cases deemed most likely to be coronavirus, they might not catch nearly as many active cases.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 5:19 PM on March 13, 2020

I've just been thinking about my fellow New Yorkers and what it means to be a household here. Most people I know here don't live with family, they live with roommates, most of them relative strangers before meeting on Craigslist or whatever. It's a very different situation to have to quarantine with roommates than with your family. My roommates and I are preemptively making plans for how to not drive each other insane when/if the city shuts down and we're all cooped up here together.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:11 PM on March 15, 2020

Oof. I was already working from home all last week because I was sick, but as of today way more of my office is working from home, and our VPN keeps crashing. And when it crashes, the FileMaker database I use crashes. Over the past hour I've done like 15 min of work and 45 min of watching things slowly slowly load and/or crash.
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 12:13 PM on March 16, 2020

NYC hotel union president: in terms of the impact on the NYC hotel industry, "9/11 was nothing compared to this."
posted to MetaTalk by showbiz_liz at 6:23 AM on March 20, 2020