in which I rant about allergies, stimmies, and entitlement
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Earlier this week I got the second part of an allergy test done and I just have like… a lot of low level allergies. Most of the week I’ve been hazy and congested, so that’s been great.
While getting the test done the person who was administering the test mentioned that they were backed up because they couldn’t hire new people to replace those who left last year. I agreed that the medical field has been in flux during the pandemic but they said that it was because of the stimulus checks that no one wanted to come in. Or why people had interviews lined up and didn’t come in for them.
Look, I didn’t want to ask the person who was putting 45 needles into my arm if they got paid so little that a $1400 check would have made them stay home. It seemed like a ridiculous statement to me then, and it did with the two (two!) other people in the next day who said the same thing to me for why they were working so long and hard.
Maybe some people aren’t applying because the job doesn’t actually pay enough. Maybe it’s because the past year has shown us how dangerous and thankless the medical field can be, especially in a place where so many elected officials think that the pandemic is a political inconvenience and a lie, not a real problem.
Heck, maybe it’s because there are so many jobs in need of workers that they actually had a choice, chose somewhere else, and didn’t call up to cancel the interview that would have been more of a burden and chore than opportunity. It’s not like most companies call to inform candidates when they haven’t been selected for a job, so why are we expecting the reverse?
It’s a big, complex problem that there is no simple solution for. But we’ve gotta stop being mad at some imagined other who we are ok with suggesting should work longer, harder, and for less money than we are just because we feel entitled to their labor. Pay people fair wages. Charge what things are worth to make that happen. And if you can’t do that, your business doesn’t deserve to exist. Especially when you are subscribing to the idea that the free market is what will choose who lives or dies.
We all deserve the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and happy lives. We all deserve the opportunity to have one (and only needing one) job that can make this happen.
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The Lie of ‘No One Wants to Work’ – Gaby Del Valle, Eater
See my little rant above. Capitalism is broken and it’s not that people are finally seeing it. It’s that some people can now do a little bit about it.
1988: P.R.E.S.T.A.V.B.A. – Aaron A. Reed, IF50
Another great overview of the history of a game and its makers from IF50. Making real political change through a game but in service of democracy? We could take some notes.
The Liberals Who Can’t Quit Lockdown – Emma Green, The Atlantic
I feel like I might be one of these liberals. I have a lot of friends who are planning to attend an in-person event in a few months and I desperately want to join them, but it feels like a terrible idea and I feel way too guilty to do so. At the same time, I don’t want to be shamed for personally taking some responsibility to be safe.
I don’t understand how people who I used to agree with on general business ideas can blindly shove both feet directly down their throats repeatedly. Casey is probably right though that customers will likely not pay attention to this at all and a purge of employees not toeing the party line will be removed and end up strengthening some of the more unsavory parts of the company.
Myspace Tom got it right – Luke Winkie, The Verge
I mean one thing that he got right was cashing out and making enough money that he never has to think of it again.
This story is just overall rough.
I Need to Explain to You Just How Dire America’s Pokémon Card Crisis Is – Jason Koebler, Vice
I remember when I moved to Florida in high school and gave my Pokémon card collection to a neighbor who loved to play. Gosh I wish that I still had all of those foiled cards now π
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I generally don’t laugh at humor at the expense of others. But this video and this video are the exceptions for this week. I straight up can’t tell if he’s acting.
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Deplatforming Bill Gets a Theme Park Carve Out
This is far from the most terrible things done by the Florida legislature in the Spring 2021 session. But it does demonstrate how ridiculous some of our lawmakers’ back-bending tactics are. I can’t think of any reason why lawmakers in the state of Florida would want to give breaks to theme park companies…
Magic Moment-2020 Animated Short Film
Short and cute and gay and furry, just how I like it
Sci-Fi Short Film: “KΔlewa” | DUST
My favorites of these sci-fi shorts that are shared on DUST are the ones that ground a larger topic in the story of a small group of people sharing a bond stronger than whatever technology is keeping them apart.
Neopets’ blackmarket pet scandal, explained
I’ve posted articles on Neopets in the newsletter before, because there’s just a lot going on with that site. A newer scandal has appeared with unchanged characters, and trade-backs forcing the site to reckon with a fan-base that is both highly engaged and willing to spend a lot of real world money on artificial scarcity.
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Commune College Ep 61: The Hays Code w Proxy
I’m not sure what happened to the RSS feed here and almost missed this episode coming out. I love the silly way that the hosts treat the show as an interesting chat session while educating one another and the audience. Plus, queerness!
Generation Z’s Post-Post-Irony TikTok Occultism – The Content Mines
I appreciate someone younger than me constantly bemoaning how old he feels when talking about the internet and the people running culture now.
Summer Preview! What We’re Pumped to Watch and Read This Season – Our Opinions Are Correct
There are a lot of things that I’m looking forward to! I’ve not heard of any of the book that the hosts recommended, but I want to pick some up and definitely not let them contribute to my tsundoku.
cobalt rabbit – in isolated apathy (full EP)
It’s BandCamp Friday again! Why not buy some music from your favorite independent artists, with 100% of profits going straight to artists today only?
night at the bookstore. [lofi / chillhop / anime mix]
I’m still a sucker for some good background lofi. If it’s got a nice visual I can pop it up on the television in the background while reading or working
Wanna share the stuff that you liked this week? See yall next week and stay safe! π
