my ancient mama

If you think about it, all these thinkpieces about how Millenials are “killing” various industries reveal a pretty colossal sense of entitlement.

Under normal circumstances, if a given industry finds itself unable to sell products to a given market demographic, we’d say it’s that industry’s fault for failing to offer products that that demographic is interested in buying.

It only makes sense to blame the target demographic itself is if we’re assuming that the established industries have some intrinsic right to that demographic’s disposable income that’s being denied - which is clearly nonsense.

And I thought Millennials were supposed to be the entitled ones?

Thank you for putting into words one of the factors that has rubbed me the wrong way about the litany of articles and quotes about how Millennials are Ruining Everything ™. 

Like, I have worked very hard to put out real, genuine quality stuff. The best that I can make while offering it at a reasonable price, because a business transaction should be fair; you get a good product, the business makes some profit, everyone walks away happy. I am not even that old, and I have already seen a significant decline in the quality, craftsmanship, materials and labor sources in almost all of my purchases compares to the items that my family bought when I was growing up- and I’m talking the expensive stuff, too! We have bought two Dysons from Costco in the last two years (returned both, thank god for Costco’s return policy!) and neither one functioned as well as Megan’s old parent’s Dyson that was made in the 80′s. My grandmother has an old metal sewing machine that has been kicking longer than I have but I’ve been through about four sewing machines in my lifetime, each one managed to last twoish years. And these are the things off the top of my head, and it goes all the way down. Like how they started manufacturing secretly-smaller containers for things with the bubble on the bottom so you don’t notice there’s less product inside, or how Charmin made their rolls ‘shorter’ than they used to be but they are still technically the same number of ‘sheets’- I mean, I know I sound a little crazy, but if you’re Charmin and you reduce the amount of paper material per-roll by even a single penny, even a fraction of a penny, it would add up to much bigger profits; and a bigger expense passed on to the consumer, who won’t notice that the rolls are an inch shorter (except me because I’m weird that way)

I see companies constantly finding ways to cut corners, pay employees less, and put out crappier merchandise, and then go “Why won’t anyone buy this stuff?!” and I just don’t get why they’re confused. 

I’m resurrecting an ancient post, because nothing here has changed in the intervening time. The recent post about “tech hoarding” because people aren’t buying new phones on a regular schedule reminded me.

The companies definitely now feel entitled to profit and business, rather than earning it.

See now: “how dare Gen z not buy alcohol”

I’m sorry you priced people out of your product. That’s your fault, though.

I want to write a book called “your character dies in the woods” that details all the pitfalls and dangers of being out on the road & in the wild for people without outdoors/wilderness experience bc I cannot keep reading narratives brush over life threatening conditions like nothing is happening.

I just read a book by one of my favorite authors whose plots are essentially airtight, but the MC was walking on a country road on a cold winter night and she was knocked down and fell into a drainage ditch covered in ice, broke through and got covered in icy mud and water.

Then she had a “miserable” 3 more miles to walk to the inn.

Babes she would not MAKE it to that inn.

Are there any other particularly egregious examples?

This book already exists, sort of! Or at least, it’s a biology textbook but I bought it for writing purposes:

It starts with a chapter about freezing to death, and it is without a doubt the scariest thing I’ve read in years (and I read a lot of horror fiction).

This book can be downloaded for free on Researchgate, posted there by the author himself:

The Biology of Human Survival: Life and Death in Extreme Environments

In like 10 years there's gonna be full books and studies done dismantling the American public's reaction to the rise of fascism. It's gonna be one of those 'how did WW1 start' kind of things where it can be a full college course.

The dismantling of socialist movements like the BPP in the 60s-80s, the anticommunist propaganda pushed for nearly a century, the spaced out nature of the country & how that both prevents travel as well as prevents meaningful disruption to the economy regardless of protest size, the corruption of every major news outlet, the individualism and the partisan divide caused by the two-party state, the lack of 3rd spaces and walkable cities and subsequent lack of community, the lack of free time and mass overworking while still being paycheck to paycheck in jobs that are legally allowed to fire you on a whim and how that prevents peoppe from having time or energy to organize, the NSA monitoring everyone's every move, the apathy caused by a perpetual silencing of any true opposition, the slow burner frog-in-a-pot effect of this slowly occuring over citizens' entire lifetimes, both with fascist policies and how we've already become accustom to police armed to to teeth like military personnel who treat citizens like enemy combatants, etc etc

Extremely fascinating topic. Would be more fascinating if I wasn't cursed to be actively living through it

Practical, not sexist or supposed-to-look-hot female armor which actually protects you.

Look. 

Look at the lack of tit cups. 

Bonus:

argument: captain phasma’s armor is supposed to look hot. but, this is the crucial thing, it looks hot from the point of view of the character herself, and makes perfect sense in the context of the story. 

“Phasma had the armor polished in chromium, which had been salvaged from a Naboo yacht that had once belonged to Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire, the First Order’s precursor.”

phasma has spent like all her life in the first order, as a storm trooper. you ask any storm trooper ‘what would be the sexiest possible modification to your armor’ and none of them are going to say ‘cut a boob window’ they’re gonna say ‘plate it with something HARDCORE’. 

after they finish high-fiving, they will probably add, ‘AND STICK A CAPE ON.’

#other hot thing about phasma armour: #Gwendolyn Christie is inside (via @holdbeast)

I mostly like looking at insects but also have to live in the world.

If, like me, you are horrified and looking for ways to help, this recent article may be of interest:

If you are in the US and have any Democratic senators or representatives, it is critical to call them and demand that no spending bill be passed without reining in ICE abuses. Here are Robert Reich's key points on that:

You can read the full article here:

None of this feels like enough, but it is better than doing nothing. Being silent means consenting to what is happening now, and the even worse things that seem to be coming next.

Let this - January 2026 - be a turning point and not just another step down this hateful and immoral path.

@daysleftofsecondterm

1,097 days left

Leverage's greatest strength is its bald faced sincerity. It never, for a moment, stops believing itself.

Today we commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We recognize the interconnectedness of the histories and struggles of the civil rights movement and the disability rights movement. ASAN uplifts MLK’s legacy and contributions as we continue to work towards a more just and inclusive world for all.

Warding off the oncoming depressive episode by reading about very old tortoises

Pleased to report that the 190 year old tortoise is a gay icon

Jonathan is the oldest known land animal btw. I need everyone to know that the oldest animal alive is a gay tortoise

Consent isn’t just about saying yes once. It’s about having the freedom to change your mind without fear of consequences.

straight up it should be illegal for a physical storefront not to accept physical currency, or for restaurants not to provide physical menus

I'm assuming the above is a normie opinion (as it should be) so i do wanna go a tiny step further and explicitly state any laundromat that requires digital payment should be burned to the fucking ground

if a business cooerces its customers to download an app, i should legally be allowed to set both the business and its board of directors on fire

The assumption that every single business, or service, is owed your personal data, and should be able to track you and mercilessly spam you and monetise the ability to sell off your contact details and so on it’s absolutely deranged.

I have flashlights that are borderline unusable because, while the hardware is fine, the company that made them (hello OLight!) demands that you install and login to the storefront before you can access the configuration software.

But they don’t actively maintain the software or provide any of the new utilities that they promise. They are mostly using it as a way to turn off functional hardware to try and force you to upgrade.

We are living in a society where you can pay for something and the manufacturer can turn it off because they’ve decided that you’ve owned it too long .

I’ve just had to warn my family not to buy electronic door locks because the chances are, if they are Internet connected they will be disabled once the company that owns them has decided that they’re not making enough money charging you a monthly fee to open your own front door.

This is part of an ongoing trend to turn money into something that is no longer usable by everybody .

The eventual aim is to be able to pay people company scrip: If you lose your job, or badmouth the company, or disagree with the dictator, they severely curtail what you are allowed to buy, and from who.

And at that point, you have to pick sides – do you want to be able to have drinking water from Coca-Cola, or Pepsi, and whose package allows you to buy Doritos, and use your smart oven to cook food? Because it won’t turn on unless you use the app to scan the appropriate barcode from the company who now owns your ability to eat drink, heat your home, and wear clothes from brands that they approve.

And if you think that Bezos wouldn’t do that or run his own ghetto where employees have to use Amazon brands and be paid in Amazon money… You haven’t been paying attention to what he’s been building lately.

Read "Unauthorized Bread" by Cory Doctorow, from his book Radicalized

Found a link to the story: Unauthorized Bread

Holy shit.

Never forget that when confronted with the supposed genius of billionaire tech bros Benoit Blanc said no they’re just stupid.

via jeanclaude_browncloud