stinkingoutloud - Tumblr blog

[stinkingoutloud]

Influencer is just a snazzier way of saying salesperson. Like the door to door salespeople of the past, but the new door is your screen. You're always home and they're always there.

You don't need whatever they're pushing. It's often poorly made, only has one use, and will likely end up as clutter in your home.

[stinkingoutloud]

Please read the article before reading my thoughts.

I have never seen any of the Jackass stunts or movies. Perhaps some clips of their content have made their way into my SNS feeds, but it’s normally not content I intentionally seek out. I know it’s a me thing, but I don’t understand why some people find slapstick or other people getting hurt (accidentally or not) funny. I also know very little about Steve-O himself. From what I gathered from the Wikipedia article about him, he seems to me to have good points and not so good points. Just like everyone else and especially among public figures. 

Here, before I get into dissecting the news article and bringing certain points to attention, I would like to make my first point. No one is perfect. I’ve lurked through the comments sections and forums across the internet. I’ve seen just how fast one party will completely disregard another for a mistake. Any mistake. Even if that mistake was long in the past and irrelevant to the current discussion. 

I’m not one of those people who go around saying, “cancel culture has gone too far!” On the other hand, we do need to hold people accountable to their words and actions. Plus understand that people can grow and learn and if their continued actions prove that they’ve changed they should be allowed a second chance. (For the no-nuance folk, I also understand that someone who was harmed by another person also doesn’t have to forgive the person who harmed them even if the offender has changed.)

Which leads me into the article at last. Steve-O was going to do a stunt after getting breast implants but decided against it after a chance meeting with a real trans person. I’ve seen some reaction memes saying in essence “cis-het white man discovers decency and empathy after meeting a member of the butt of his jokes.” In the end, I think Steve-O did the right thing to not go through with the surgery. His quote from the article:

“I would’ve considered it to be better footage if I was to be beaten up at the motorcycle rally. Just having that mentality was very flawed because ultimately it would be an exercise in celebrating violence against trans people.”

I’d rather read an article about someone realizing what a mess it could be and decide to not go through than read an article about the aftermath of the stunt and the harm it caused. The memes aren’t out of line though. They are right to point out that Steve-O was ignorant about the plight of trans people. 

“It struck me as a sign from the universe,” he said. “I didn’t have any dedicated meetings or conversations with trans people because I didn’t really feel I had to.”

All I can say to that is… Ouch. Really signaling his privilege in that statement. I know the memes are meant to bring more attention to the fact that privileged groups consider minority groups and getting their opinions as unimportant. Most come off as attacks on him. From the Wikipedia article again, he does seem to care about animal rights and has done stunts to bring attention to the issue, so I get he wasn't intending to cause harm to others with this stunt (only to himself). To me, it seems he almost made a mistake and is ultimately trying to do the right thing. 

There’s one more point. What’s the “right” amount of attention should something like this receive? Like okay, a quick golf clap for doing the right thing. This can be used as a reminder going forward to other privileged people to stop and check yourself. At the same time, he shouldn’t have even thought about doing the stunt in the first place. 

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Stinking Out Loud 🦨

[stinkingoutloud]

The real stinker of an idea which got me to start this blog and its name.

So I have a story

Where I live, it has consistently been close to 36*C (95*F) everyday for the past two, three months. It is also frequently humid. When it rains it doesn't help bring any of that down. Plus, I work in a public school in the countryside. The building has A/C, but not in every room. No where is this more apparent than in the bathrooms. It is unpleasant to try and deal with nature's call when the toilet stall is trapping all that into a small space.

Unfortunately, the heat makes all the smells in the bathroom much more noticeable. As rising temperatures increase the amount of energy available for odor-causing molecules. The staff bathrooms have spray and potpourri to try and make it tolerable. It isn't enough though.

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It got me to (jokingly) wonder if I should get into the deodorant, potpourri, or perfume business. Demand for those sorts of things will likely increase as the heat is more intense and longer. I know I'm already sweating when I leave my apartment to head of to work in the morning. Surely, I'm not the only one. With that sweat comes the stink.

Seriously though, people's main reaction to climate change is to find what's essentially a band-aid fix which can be sold as a "solution". The good 'ole capitalist approach. 🙄 There is a clear link that our current predicament can be linked to overconsumption and capitalism. You can't use capitalism to solve capitalism's woes.

A real solution will be difficult. It will require for people to be more mindful of their shopping habits and also change their behaviors. It will need for people to have easy access to the correct information about where their stuff comes from and how it goes from raw materials to the finished product. It will take a societal shift to change the signs of success from having a lot of things (house, cars, luxury goods, etc.) to something else...

Stinking Out Loud 🦨

[stinkingoutloud]

Please read the article before reading my thoughts regarding it.

That Harris isn't leaning into her identity during campaigning and focusing on issues that voters are concerned about is incredibly smart in my opinion. The article points out that former president Obama did the same when he was running for election.

Knowing how the Republican mouth pieces love to rag on identity politics, avoiding that mess altogether is one less ball to volley back and forth over.

Building a platform that has a focus on identity can be as much as a boon as a curse. Anyone who is a part of the same identity feels seen or heard. Yet for people who identify differently than whichever groups mentioned, it can feel exclusive. Then there are some people who are not a part of a group but may respond positively or negatively just at mentioning it.

Clinton used her gender while campaigning against Trump. Which she used to bring more attention to her. Identity is personal. There might have been some men who would have voted for her, but felt put off by Clinton "playing the gender card." I know this would happen today to Harris if she tried the same tactic.

By Harris focusing on the issues people will vote on and providing clear and certain plans (instead of "concepts of a plan") she can appeal to more people. It doesn't matter what your gender, sexuality, race, religion, etc. is when it comes to making sure your kids are safe at school, that the water and air are safe and clean, or that your community's transportation needs are met.

For voters, it's most important to educate yourself on your preferred candidates plans for when they are in office. What is their stance on issues that are important to you. Please don't vote simple by identity. For example, a woman could be on either side of the abortion debate. You can't tell simply by the fact she is a woman which way she leans.

Here's a good site for you to see how each candidate stands on various issues ranging from abortion to veterans: https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_candidates_on_the_issues,_2024

Intersectionality happens waaaaaay more than people tend to notice. Two things can simultaneously be true. Yes, Harris is a woman, but she is also a mixed racial woman.

Our reality is quite a complex web with no simple answers. There is no single bad guy that can be slain and then we can all live happily ever after. Most problems aren't just black and white. Unless it's a skunk.

Stinking Out Loud 🦨

[stinkingoutloud]

So I've been lurking on this site for years, but I've never been much to post. I have a lot of thoughts about the state of the world. They're not always the most coherent. Gathering all these ideas is like herding an alleyway of feral cats.

I want to add my voice in support for the causes I want to champion. So I'm going to start with my -ist list. What groups I consider myself a part of. Some may be at odds with others. Some things I may add or remove with time as my knowledge increases. I don't know what I don't know, so if I learn something new that conflicts with what I previously knew. Plus that new information is backed with evidence or it just plain makes more sense than my current running theory I'm open to changing my stance.

I know if I reach a certain audience, I'm going to get trolls and haters.

But 🦨

Here's the list in no particular order:

Feminist

Environmentalist

Leftist

Socialist

Communist

Progressive

Human Rights (LGBTQ+, BIPOC, people with disabilities, etc.) essentially any group of people who are disadvantaged by the current systems

Anti-capitalist

Probably more that I can't think of right now...

Yes, I'm your bleeding heart liberal. I even catch the bugs (mainly slugs and cockroaches) that get into my apartment and release them outside while trying to minimize harm to them.

If you see yourself as a fellow whatever-ist, and I get a point wrong please do let me know, but also be civil about it. I know there is a population of people who are vulnerable and hurt by the system, go out seeking answers to their questions but are met with hostility. They are drawn to groups that will point the blame at others and tell them to punch down rather than at the true source of their woes.

We are in times of crisis. During such, we need to look for more helpers. Be a helper. It's hard. It takes empathy, patience, and some thick skin. Yet there is hope for us all if we take collective action.

I don't plan to post regularly. I'll post whenever I can.

Stinking Out Loud