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vivintsmarthomeapp-blog · 4 years

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That ease of usage is also found in the tablet-based user interface installed at the home because it utilizes the same app. The tablet just occurs to be the brains of the operation and immediately shows the video doorbell any time it rings. If you're the sort who likes voice assistants, Vivint's system is suitable with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant devices.

Users can not unlock doors or deactivate the system using voice commands (because, security), and only thermostat and light adjustments can be made without instructing Alexa to "ask Vivint" to do this or that. Operation with Google Assistant-enabled speakers or TVs is more extensive. You never need to tell Google Assistant "ask Vivint" prior to issuing a command, and the commands themselves can be made utilizing more natural language than with Alexa.

Among the things that most impresses me about Vivint's take on smart home security is its high level of modification. In truth, there are so many choices (however not too many) we do not have space to enter into them all. Having Vivint on call when I require them and having them be so professional and skilled is valuable.

I've got tree limbs within view of a couple of cams, and when they sway in the breeze, they tend to set off my doorbell cam motion sensing unit, which then prompts a notice. One a windy day, I received up of 50 "A visitor was identified" notifications through Vivint's app. By informing the system to ignore movement from the area in which the movement was identified, I got rid of the repeating errant notices.

I have actually also found automating door locks and system arming is very important for my household. Ends up, we're quite great at examining locks prior to heading to bed, however are awful at keeping in mind to arm the security system. By having the system auto-arm at 11 p.m. and door locks auto-lock each day at 9 a.m., we get rid of the danger associated with forgetting to do either.

What Vivint Can Do

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends Vivint charges a premium up-front rate, but with that comes premium equipment with gobs of important functions and exceptional service. That last piece is important. I consider myself a skilled DIY'er when it concerns tech, however I do not have time in my life for debugging outside cams or window sensing units.

For clever house security combination, Vivint is quickly my leading choice. For those who select Vivint's premium service, everything is covered against defect and failure. If superior service is decreased, Vivint will change or repair any faulty part, but after a 120-day duration, a service fee is charged for each home see.

As far as features, personalization, and voice automation goes, Vivint is leading the pack. There are less costly options, however there are none in terms of service and quality of product and user experience. ADT deals numerous tiers of home tracking services. If you're looking for a Do It Yourself house security experience, there are several on the market, consisting of Simplisafe, Nest, and Ring.

As improvements in video camera tech come along in the next couple of years, those who tend to suffer from upgrade-itus might discover themselves wishing to step up a few components in their system. Yes, if you're trying to find a dead-easy-to-operate smart home/security combo with space to expand in the future and top-notch ongoing consumer service.

Relieve of Installation Customer Support and Monitoring Cost Devices Technology Vivint is a typically neglected heavyweight in house security, offering state-of-the-art gadgets and automation at premium rates. User Rating 0 (0 votes) Home security is an essential concern for many people, however there are numerous choices out there, it can be tough to determine the very best option for your needs (and interests).

User Reviews

In trying to find modern house security choices, tech is definitely going to be a significant gamer in the systems you utilize, however determining how modern you desire to get is going to refer how smart you are And how much you're prepared to spend. If cost is less of a problem for you, Vivint uses some severe innovation that satisfies both the need for security and (in some cases unnecessary) desire for the coolest brand-new toys.

Any home security system worth purchasing will consist of cameras, door and window sensors, and keeping track of to protect against theft/invasion. The sophistication of these pieces, however, will depend upon just how much you wish to spend and how robust you desire the functions to be. The perfect Vivint customer will be trying to find discreet security devices that blends quickly with exterior and interior decor.

For those looking for a more traditional setups and tracking, Vivint may not be the finest option. In fact, the services provided surpass numerous home security systems in appearance, functions, and your ability to control the system, however all of that includes a greater cost point. Vivint is all about "smart home technology" meaning that they do not precisely specialize in home security (although many of their products fall under that classification).

Being comfortable with touchscreen displays (like the Vivint SkyControl Panel) is also a must for a prospective Vivint client. Easy style that mixes quickly with other home design (indoor) and doesn't draw attention or scare visitors (outside) Customizable Packages Mobile phone control (in a lot of cases) Life time Warranty Long agreement (60 months vs.

We will look at elements initially, and then the bundles that bundle them together. Ping Electronic Camera The Ping Cam is a basic video cam and movement detector, accessible from from the Vivint Sky App. It can be put on a rack or counter top, and permits you to keep track of any activity in your home remotely.

Like other Vivint electronic cameras, the Ping Electronic camera also has night vision so you can see recordings of even the darkest rooms. Outside Video Camera Comparable to the Ping Cam, but created for outside installation, Vivint's Outdoor Cam shoots HD video, uses night vision, allows for keeping track of by means of smart device, can tape-record continuous footage, and has quickly offered 20-second video.

You can set notifications for when individuals approach your door, display activity taking place in front of your house day or night (with night vision), and interact with visitors through 2-way talk. Integration with Vivint Sky manages suggests you can lock and open doors with your mobile phone or SkyControl Panel, and Smart Visitor Detection helps determine when individuals are actually approaching so you do not get an alert for each passerby.

The sensing units are all discreet and wireless. Smart Locks Precisely what you might expect from the name, Smart Locks are cordless and digitally managed, enabling you to lock and open doors from another location, either with the SkyControl Panel or your smart device. The locks still use secrets too, and are also fitted with a keypad for code entry.

Garage Door Control This one is quite easy: the innovation integrates with the SkyControl Panel and mobile app so you can open and close your garage door remotely. You can likewise receive informs if you have actually left the garage door open. Vivint Sky App The Vivint Sky App is a method for you to manage your house security through a smartphone.

It's your mobile control board. The Sky App needs the SkyControl Panel. SkyControl Panel A wall-mounted, 7-inch touchscreen display, the SkyControl Panel is the primary control of your Vivint system. The panel is essentially an expanded version of the app on a devoted gadget. You can manage all of your video cameras, monitor video, lock and unlock doors, handle system choices, and so on.

Amazon Echo Another futuristic feature of Vivint systems, the SkyControl Panel can quickly match with an Amazon Echo, a voice-controlled Bluetooth speaker. Matching with Vivint Sky lets you manage your security systems through voice commands. The Smart House Providers are the wifi linked, app and SkyControl managed services that accompany some of Vivint's gadgets.

The alternatives are: Doorbell video HD video recording Remote door gain access to Smart temperature control * Garage door controller Outdoor video * Note: Vivint uses "clever thermostats" for remote temperature level control and tracking, but since it doesn't really fall into their home security classification, we have not included them in the list of devices and systems.

While equipment can be acquired and set up individually, the bundles appear to offer the best performance, and create the most total security systems. Many packages, consisting of personalized alternatives, consist of the SkyControl Panel. The most robust package available, the Smart Complete bundle includes the SkyControl Panel, 1 smoke detector, 3 door and window sensing units, 1 movement detector, 1 yard sign, a 1- terabyte wireless cloud storage drive (for on-site storage of image and video), Vivint's 247 monitoring service, and your option of 3 Smart Home services.

What you could consider the "standard" option, the Smart Protect package includes the SkyControl Panel, 3 door and window sensing units, 1 movement detector, 1 smoke alarm, and 1 backyard indication. The Smart Protect Plan does not consist of any Smart Home services. Vivint enables you to construct custom bundles of devices and services, in addition to include extra cams, services, sensing units, storage, and so on. Among the bigger factors that appears to set Vivint apart from the rest of the security business is the reality that they offer their consumers expert setup, which takes away from some of the headache related to needing to attach the system yourself. Like lots of other companies Vivint supplies 24/7 expert monitoring where the monitoring station supervises your home/business.

If you're not home when an occasion has been activated, the main station will give you a call to inspect to see if it was an incorrect alarm. If no one addresses the phone numbers that were provided to the central station, the expert monitoring station will instantly dispatch emergency situation services. thehub vivint com.

The Vivint Smart Home app permits users to get immediate informs at any time a sensor has been activated. These signals will be sent straight to a user's smart device alerting them that an occasion has taken place. Users of the app will likewise have the ability to inspect sensor history and arm/disarm their systems right from the app.

Consumers who have home automation items connected to their system will be able to control these gadgets and set timers for them all on-the-go. If dining establishments just had one dish on the menu, individuals most likely wouldn't wish to go there. We all like choices. House owners shopping for a house security solution feel the very same method they desire options when it pertains to security devices and services.

Vivint has lots of personalized options they use so that clients can form an individualized home security option. They use a variety of add-on devices that make the system more cohesive. Vivint decided to develop their own control board the SkyControl. The panel has a 7-inch HD touchscreen display that reveals the present status of the security system.

The SkyControl also has an integrated 2-way audio feauture permitting users to directly communicate with their central monitoring station. The panel is cellular with Wi-Fi backup, so it will work even if the internet decreases. The SkyControl Panel is powered by an AC power source and has a backup battery in case the power heads out.

SkyControl Panel Vivint provides wireless, battery-operated door/window sensors that work with a variety of various door and window frames. Given that they're battery-operated you do not have to stress over running wires all over your home. Door/Window Sensing unit Vivint's smoke detector is a battery-operated detector that links wirelessly to the SkyControl Panel.

radius. When the smoke alarm senses extreme heat and smoke it will trigger an audible alarm and send an alert to the users via the app. Smoke Detector Vivint's carbon monoxide gas detector is battery-operated and links to the SkyControl Panel wirelessly. It has an electrochemical sensing unit that finds dangerous levels of carbon monoxide rapidly within a 35-ft.

When unsafe levels of carbon monoxide gas have actually been discovered, an audible alarm is set off and an alert is sent out to the users via the app. Carbon Monoxide Gas Detector Vivint's money-back assurance is a little different than other home security providers. If you get a security system set up within the United States, you have 3 days after the system is set up to cancel service and get your refund.

All seniors that are 70+ have 1 month after installation to cancel to get their cash back. Vivint's cancellation policy is not as flexible as other security business that provide a 30-day trial. If you're seeking to convert your house into a smart house, Vivint offers a variety of home automation devices.

The smart locks permit users to create custom-made user codes, get notifies any time the locks have actually been locked/unlocked, in addition to remotely lock/unlock doors through the app. Vivint doesn't have a great deal of information about the clever locks that they provide on their website but it looks like they offer a push button and touchscreen lock.

By acquiring a garage door controller you can also manage your garage door remotely. This comes in handy in case you ever forget to close the garage door. Vivint does not provide much info on their website about the garage control either so it would be best to call them for more details.

The system is likewise compatible with the Component thermostat and the Phillips Color smart light. These devices can be bought directly through Vivint as well. Another really cool thing Vivint has actually done is that they have made their system compatible with some popular clever house assistants. Consumers can connect their Vivint systems to Google House or Amazon Echo and manage their system by means of voice command.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORiWff8YLjA

utilizing the voice command function. You can also buy these smart home assistants through Vivint. Vivint deals a couple of various choices for security cameras. For outdoor tracking there is the outside video camera this electronic camera has a crisp clear 1080p HD resolution with a diagonal field of vision of 112-degrees. It has actually infrared LED night vision that permits the cam to capture clear images even in the evening.

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tisfan · 5 years

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Wow. Death threats and accusations of being in the slave trade, because I said that Condo Boards aren’t necessarily the root of all evil?

Do you know what a HOA or a COA is? It’s socialism. It’s not run by some anonymous “they” who are trying to keep the man down. It’s run BY the NEIGHBORHOOD. It’s run by the home owners. And it’s run on volunteer time. No one is GETTING PAID to tell you to mow your lawn or take down your lawn ornaments.

(the too long stuff below the cut)

From Wiki

In the United States, a homeowner association (or homeowners’ association, abbreviated HOA, sometimes referred to as a property owners’ association or POA) is a private association often formed by a real estate developer for the purpose of marketing, managing, and selling homes and lots in a residential subdivision.[original research?] Typically the developer will transfer control of the association to the homeowners after selling a predetermined number of lots. Generally any person who wants to buy a residence within the area of a homeowners association must become a member, and therefore must obey the governing documents including Articles of Incorporation, CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions) and By-Laws, which may limit the owner's choices. Most homeowner associations are incorporated, and are subject to state statutes that govern non-profit corporations and homeowner associations.

Ideally, the homeowners association’s purpose is to POOL resources from the community to:

1) take care of common areas and safety (pools, street corners, decorative park areas near the homes, mail facilities)

2) in some cases, lawn care, trash disposal and exterior repairs are covered by these fees, including pool and clubhouse facilities if you have them, parking lot repair, street upkeep, lights and maintenance of management facilities. Plowing. The city plows the neighborhood loop, and that’s all. Everything from my house to the main road is paid for by the association. They even shovel the walks.

3) Flood and natural disaster insurance are taken out of these dues, and a large scale discount is provided. (for instance, one home with flood insurance may be $200 a month as a rider on your regular insurance; the community of 100 homes gets that same insurance for $75 a month per home, and that comes directly out of your dues. So while you may be paying $300 a month in dues, you’re not paying $200 per month extra in insurance.)

There’s always a home owner’s association book, a charter. In that charter, which is voted upon by original residents, contains all the rules for the neighborhood. If you’re moving into an area that has an HOA, you will be given a copy of these rules to read. If you rent a home owned by someone who rents out the building, you will be given a copy of these rules.

You know who controls the rules of the neighborhood? The residents. Every year, they’re given a vote on the budget, on who should run the association, everything. Except where the rules in the HOA go against the laws in the city/county/state. My HOA, for instance? The association would LOVE to let people have gas or charcoal grills. But that’s a city regulation that says any building with four or more families cannot have open fire within 10 feet of the building. For safety. Not because the city doesn’t want you to have a steak, but because the city doesn’t want Joe to be bbqing hot dogs and accidentally put three other families out in the street.

Because of that, discussions have been underway to turn one of the common areas into a park where there can be residential grills and picnic tables, and that will be paid for out of the dues collected.

When our neighborhood had to have the roofs replaced, EVERYONE got a new roof. With 50 year shingles. We did four buildings a year, and we had a contract and the contractor did the job.

If just I had to replace my roof? $20,000.

For having the whole neighborhood done? We got them done for $14,000 each. And the money came out of the dues.

Most communities pay a management corporation to take care of the fees and funds, (because unfortunately, people who aren’t bonded sometimes cannot be trusted to not, say, borrow money from the HOA) but they’re not allowed to collect any fees unless the president of the HOA signs off on it.

And that person lives in the neighborhood. They’re not getting paid by the association. They’re not getting ANYTHING out of it. Our association officers get an extra parking space. That’s it. A parking space. To spend upwards of 20 hours a moth of their free time to make sure the budget is balanced. To make sure the trash goes out and that the lawn care people do their jobs. To pay the insurance. And the power bill.

And they can be voted out. There’s a reaffirmation vote of the board every year, but if there’s a lack of faith issue? Any resident can call to replace a board member. There’s usually a percentage of the residents needed to vote, but you can give a proxy vote to your friend, if you don’t have time to go to the meeting. Get your neighbor to collect the votes and vote out a board you don’t like.

My experience with boards is simple. Show up, show an interest in helping, and they will put you on a committee to HELP OUT.

Property Values:

Yes, okay, a lot of people move into a home with no intentions of ever leaving, so what the property is worth does doesn’t affect them.

But a lot of people do move out. They get new jobs in other states, or they downscale their home because their kids moved out and they don’t need a five bedroom place anymore. They become disabled and can’t stay in a 2 floor place because they can’t do stairs. Their mom becomes disabled and has to move in with them.

They need to sell their home. Property value matters. It sucks that it does. It sucks that people will judge the home of their dreams based on the fact that the next door neighbor has a “TRUMP MAKES AMERICA GREAT” sign in their front yard. It does. We shouldn’t care that people make those judgement, but the honest truth is-- they do. People won’t buy a home if they walk in and see the walls are painted mint green even though painting is easy and cheap. Any real estate agent will tell you the same thing, when you’re selling your home. Repaint everything neutral colors, take down all personal paintings and pictures. Put up mirrors so people can See THEMSELVES becoming a part of this home.

Home Owners Associations are in place in 53% of the homes in the US.

That means slightly less than half do not have an HOA.

Some HOAs are terrible, I’m not saying they’re not. But they’re terrible because the people running them are terrible. Not because the idea is terrible.

The idea -- the ideal -- is socialism. We’re a neighborhood, let’s all pool our resources so that all of our neighbors can have a nice, safe place to live. So that when your roof caves in, there’s money to fix it. So that when there’s flooding, you’re insured. So you don’t have to haul your trash to the dump, we’ll pay to have someone pick up the dumpsters every day. So that the common areas are trimmed and maintained.

Does this mean that no HOA ever, say, keeps people of color out of the neighborhood, or unfairly enforces their rules against people they consider undesirable? Of course not, I’m not an idiot. Yes, there are certainly places and boards that do that.

Which is why if you’re thinking about moving into a neighborhood, and they have an HOA, if you can, see if you can meet the board. Find out what the rules are, how they’re enforced, and how to change them. Things like flags and doors and lawn gnomes are rules that can absolutely BE CHANGED by the people who live there.

When our board was given the option to discontinue some of the flood insurance (based on the Flood lines being altered by FEMA) and only carry flood insurance on the 18 homes that were considered A zone, which would have been a HELL of a discount on the insurance and would have been reflected by LOWERING dues accordingly) they offered it to the neighborhood. Go vote. Decide if we want to save $40 in dues per month and risk flood damage that’s not covered by the association’s policy, or keep the insurance at its current rate.

40% of the homeowners came out to vote.

We kept the insurance.

#tisfan talks #boring adult stuff #home owners association #death threats in my inbox #really guys?#you don't have something better to do?

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surveys-at-your-service · 5 years

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Survey #206

“have you ever wished for death and prayed all night for your last breath?”

Do you always read the book before you see a movie based on a book? No. When you’re out with friends, do they ever encourage you to spend money you should be saving? 1.) I don't hang out w/ anyone now, 2.) but even when I did, they all knew I didn't make money. Is there anything you’re trying to save up money for? What? Perpetually tattoos, I want a PS4 super badly to play a novel of games I've been dying to play (SotC and Spyro trilogy remaster, I'm @ing you so hard), I need a car soon as I plan to at least try and get my license in the near future, I'd love to always have enough to immediately go to Sara's in case of an emergency, a trip to South Africa... but those are gonna take a good while to complete. I have my priorities straight for when I get a job. Have you ever watched a movie you didn’t really want to see just because a friend asked you to? Yeah. Did you end up liking the movie, anyway? There's been many cases of the above situation, so I'm sure in some instances I have. Heard any great songs for the first time lately? What songs? Hmmm, quite a number. "Radio" by Rammstein is great, and I love "bury a friend" and "bad guy" by Billie Eilish. What is your favorite urban legend? m o t h m a n and the joysey devil. Probably top two. GAH I love so many though????????????? Like Skinwalkers?????????????? And WENDIGOS????????? Have you seen all the cool shit?????????????? Do you remember the last nightmare you had? What was it? No, thankfully. Have you ever hopped on any bandwagons? HAHA. Freshman year, high school... I "liked" screamo or alternative-type bands I'd barely ever listened to or even enjoyed to fit in with the emos aldkjfalkwejr. Are you an elitist (even a little bit) when it comes to anything? What? Definitely not a complete one, but I can get pretty annoyed if in WoW we're in a heroic dungeon and people don't know the mechanics you should have already learned + read new ones that're right there in the goddamn journal laksdjfaoweir and then some people just totally ignore your advice and alskdjfwleiruwqoeif x2. Then again I've been that confused asshole in a couple raiding situations BUT LOOK they're harder and I had too much to catch up on okay. Still no excuse by WHATEVER. Have elitists on a fansite ever intimidated or talked down to you? I don't believe so. Is there anything you swear you will never do again? A few things with certainty. How late do you usually stay awake? I can literally go to bed as early as 7 to as late as 11 or rarely later. I do NOT have a schedule. Started months ago, and at first it frustrated and stressed me out quite a bit, but by now, I've just accepted it for me. Do you have pets? If so, how did you choose their names? Teddy: sister named him, but I'm sure it was the "cute as a teddy bear" type thing; Bentley: no clue; Roman: it sounded majestic, cats are majestic; Venus: pretty, and her coloration is similar to the planet; Kaiju: totally badass for an iguana that's gonna grow to be a big 'ole scaly boy; and Mitsu: I had a theme of giving my rats cutesy "M" names. Do you ever buy special treats for your pets? Occasionally. Is just being fond of something enough, or does it take more than that to be a ‘real fan’? Did a middle school student write this? If you're pretty fond of something, there you go, you're a fan. Sure, some are more intense, but that doesn't make the more casual ones not "real." What type of fabric is most comfortable for clothing? Idk, I don't pay attention. If you wear one – bras with or without a wire? Christ, without. If you wear one – are you able to find cute bras in your size? HA. No. It is RARE I'll find a cute one, and that's always only online. Make pretty ones for plus-sized women a normal find, jfc. Idk why, but I am very picky with bras. Like good fucking luck seeing me without a shirt, so like,,,, why do I bother????? What length do you like your shorts to be? UM you will NOT see me in SHORTS. Have you ever cut off jeans or other pants and made them into shorts? Perhaps Mom has when I was a kid? But I have no memory of this ever happening. Have you cut the sleeves out of T-shirts to make tank tops? I don't think so. Have you ever modified a piece of clothing and hated how it turned out? ^ What was the last disappointing movie you saw? Ah jeez, what's the last time I even watched one. Idk. What was the last disappointing book you read? And I haven't read a book in even longer. Is there anything you’re really excited about? JOB. OPPORTUNITIES. Do you ever watch compilation videos? Of what? Vines, like shit dude. I can go on massive binges. What was the last thing you rolled your eyes about? I don't recall. What would you consider the greatest song ever recorded? Why? Yeesh, that's a big thing to decide. I recently discovered "A Reason to Fight" by Disturbed though, and it is. Incredible. Just read the lyrics to refresh my mind, and yeah, goosebumps. Do you like Hellboy? If so, do you prefer the old movies or the new one? Never seen any. Favorite Disney character who isn’t royalty? Dory, probably. But man, there's too many to choose from. Last thing you purchased just for fun? *shrugs* Do you even like behind-the-scenes stuff or does it ruin the magic for you? IF I'm real into the product, I love that stuff!! I've seen like every little BTS Silent Hill thing there is, probably, multiple hours' worth. What is your favorite thing about Mac computers? They're small and lightweight. What is your favorite thing about PCs? They generally hold much more memory. What are some errands you need to run soon? I don't have "errands" yet. Have your parents ever tried to convince people there was something wrong with you, when their “diagnosis” wasn’t accurate? No. List 3 of your best memories, times you wish you could go back and repeat. In no order, just as they come to me: 1.) First hug with Sara when we met at the airport; 2.) THE LOOK ON SARA'S FACE when she saw me in her room on her birthday (probably fave memory of all time, actually); 3.) seeing meerkats for the first time at the zoo. Ohhhh or maybe the true realization I was happy without Jason. But idk, that was SUCH a gradual process where I didn't feel ecstasy in like one moment. What color was your high school graduation gown? Ew, it was this obnoxious red. The majority apparently voted for it, while I was on the navy team. Are your parents’ dreams for your life different than your own? Mom's pretty dead-set on me being a vet, but she doesn't try to push me into it or anything. I know she just wants happiness for me. I haven't got a clue about Dad. Have your dreams for your life changed? Of course. What are your dreams now? HAPPY, stable job that I thoroughly enjoy, well-off financially (I don't aim to be rich, just "safe," you could say), healthy marriage, own my own home, travel to a few places, did y'all think I was gonna forget "meet Mark???"... stuff like that. What was your dream as a child? It changed plenty of times, but my earliest goal was to be a paleontologist. Do you feel safe in your country? Sure, I guess. Safer than most places. If applicable, do you feel safe at your school? N/A Would you ever want to learn sign language? It'd be cool, sure, but it's not something I'm interested in pursuing. How many meals do you eat a day? 2-3. Sometimes just one "real" meal. Do you own any succulents? No. What color are your walls? A hideous puke green. Why. What color were the walls in the bedroom you grew up in? I don't remember at all. What was the last song you listened to on repeat? "Love Falls" by HELLYEAH. What is your favorite style (or styles) of dance? Modern. Have you ever performed a solo dance in front of a crowd? No. Have you ever sung a solo? No. Which insects are you afraid of? Most, really. Do you think it’s silly to be afraid of an insect, when it’s so tiny? It depends on the insect, of course. Even if I do know what it is and it's "safe," I'll still typically freak if it surprises me. When was the last time you had a deep conversation with someone? Hmmm. Sara, I believe? What are you waiting for? Jesus FUCKING Christ on a bike a job. What do you usually feel like doing the most at home? Stuff on the laptop. What grade were you in when you had your first crush? I don't remember... For "puppy dog love," I believe maybe the 4th grade, but I may be wrong. I'd say my first *real* crush was on a guy named Sebastian in my freshman year of high school. Shit man, did a lot go down my freshman year. I'm just reminiscing and crushes jumped between like five dudes 'til Jason won. At what age did you start experiencing sexual attraction, if any? Some time in middle school, I think? Like that's when I had my first bisexuality crisis: 6th or 7th grade. Have you ever split open a rock with a hammer, to see the glitter inside? No, but FUCK I WANNA. What type of tree do you see the most of where you live? There's a pine tree outside my window. Oh, and there's a pine tree in my back yard. Oh, what's that across the road? Woods of pine trees. Where do all birds in NC live? In pine trees. What does our air smell like? Pine trees. Where is your favorite place you’ve lived? My previous home as far as location; house itself, where I am now. It's got its issues, but it's cozy and a perfect size for just two people. What states have you lived in? Just 'ole North Carolina. Take me awaaaaaaaaaaaay- Do you wish you were someone else? Sometimes. What is your favorite thing about the month in which it is now? Literally just flowers. That's it. It. Everything else can suck a legion of dicks. Who were your best friends in high school? Hannia, Girt, Jason (if he counts), Alon, Maria... I had a few "best" ones. ^Are they still your best friends now? Girt is my closest thing to a "best friend" if you don't include my girlfriend. Do you live near the mountains? No, they're on the opposite end of the state. ;___; Do you live near a beach? We're like, two-ish hours away. What is your favorite beach that you’ve been to? Idk and idc, beaches aren't my thing. Do you collect seashells? Not seriously, but I'll keep a cool one if I find one. If you were to start a new collection, what would it be? If I was not ashamed of looking like a 23-y/o pre-teen in love with Just Bieber, I'd have more Markiplier merch than you'd fucking believe. (One of my biggest regrets in life was not buying the tasteful nudes calendar; I will eternally smite myself for being too embarrassed to have to explain why I would have that hanging above my bed rip.) If you had to pick one year and describe it as the best year of your life that you want to relive again, which year would it be? 2017 was fuckin litty titty. Is your world view the same as your parents’? In some ways with Mom, and I do know Dad and I differ on a few things. Well, if I learned more about his more political beliefs, I feel I'd probably disagree with most. What color are your glasses, if applicable? Black. Are you the person you thought you’d be when you were younger? No. Are you a confrontational person, or the peacekeeper? I'm a massive peacekeeper. I avoid confrontation like the PLAGUE. Do you like to read? Not nearly as much as I used to. Like all I ever read nowadays are RP posts as I obviously have to reply to them, but if they're long, it is common I procrastinate on reading it... ;_; Do you sleep too much or not enough? Probably too much, especially when I go to bed early. Although, I do wake up throughout the night and sometimes officially pretty early. Then some days I have a 1-2 hour nap, so that just adds to it. Who is your best friend? Sara. <3 How did you two meet? YouTube. How did you meet your current bf/gf? ^ How far away is your closest family member? Well I live with my mom, but she's at work atm. The last time you did something with BOTH of your parents was? BOY OH FUCKING BOY. My mom's the most bitter witch towards him, so even for family events, Dad usually only stops by to avoid creating a goddamn wreck, such as at birthday dinners. I think the last time they were in the same house was for my nephew's birthday half a year ago, I believe. What’s your favorite holiday? Halloween!!! Now that I have a niece and nephew who grasp the concept of Santa, Christmas is also really special to me. I don't want kids, but watching those sweethearts get so excited over their presents is magical. For me personally, the holiday has grown more and more about celebrating family, especially as we continue to branch out/go our own ways. So I guess I like the idea of Halloween better and would enjoy it more if I actually had something to do, but as far as joy goes, Christmas. Do you like pumpkin pie? I hate anything and everything pumpkin-flavored. The last time you went to the doctor, what were you there for? It was the see my psychiatrist. Do you take any medication regularly? Yeah. Is there any particular view you have on insane people? I see "insane" versus "sane" as far more of a gradient shift instead of a direct split; there're levels. I actually do legitimately think I at some juncture in the aftermath of the breakup qualified as slightly insane, yet I wasn't dangerous or entirely out of touch with reality. So if you tell me someone's actually insane, I'm going to fear them being the explosive, entirely unpredictable and loopy kind, but I know the person may be calm and somewhat stable on the outside, too. You gotta consider the severity. Do you believe in any conspiracies? 9/11 was orchestrated by the government and you cannot change my mind. I'm not totally sold on this one and lean more towards "nah" (I think), but the "we live in a simulation by a future civilization" is not that far-fetched at all if you actually look into it. It's very interesting, whether or not you're sold on it. Hell, Neil deGrasse Tyson firmly believes in it. Out of your friends, who is the funniest? Girt makes me laugh at the snap of his fingers, it seems. Anything you need to get rid of? I'm sure somewhere... Do you have any wasted talents? Animal knowledge and compassion, probably... I know I could make a fantastic rehabilitator for animals, among a plethora of other animal-related preservation and protection actions I could actively engage in. Well, I'm going back to school for zoology, but even now, I want to do more. There is a wildlife rehab place I may be able to volunteer at soon, tho! Mom's talking to a guy at work about me helping there. DAMN, livin a dream. Do you let the little things get to you? The issue could be as small as a single cell and it could still bother me. How often do you cry? Maybe once in a week, possibly longer. I don't know if you mean like really cry or just tear up/lightly cry. The latter is pretty common, but the other, not so much. Even if I want to cry, my jaw just entirely locks the hell up and I physically can't get it out. Is there anything you’re trying to prevent? I mean besides the common sense things everyone takes action to avoid, hm. I feel like there's so much, yet nothing is coming to me? Well, actually, it's usually a daily struggle to prevent at least one OCD cycle. When was the last time you were told you were cute? *shrug* When was the last time you were truly, completely happy with your life? It's been quite a while... At least over a year ago, when I began to get antsy with wanting a job and later going back to school. It just all started when I realized I was healed from the breakup and ready to move forward in life, but I wasn't. Do you miss the way things used to be between you and someone else? Multiple people. What colors has your hair been? Dirty blonde, brown, red, and purple. I've had red and purple highlights, and I naturally have blondish ones, too. I'm ready to dye it again, jfc. Most attempts are failures because my hair does NOT take color well whatsoever. It's only ever worked perfectly with the brand Splat, and my hair soaked in the dye for a LONG time before washing it out. Have you ever gotten burnt by a cigarette? No. Do you and your parents like any of the same bands/singers? We share interest in plenty of the same bands, Mom especially. Is there any food in your bedroom? What? No. Do you know anyone who has road rage? Who? MY LITTLE SISTER. Haven't seen the woman in three years, but I can promise you Jason's mom still has it to a legendary degree. How expensive is too expensive for a pair of shoes? I haven't looked for shoes in so long that I don't even know the average price. What kinds of cereal are in the cupboard? Honey Nut Cheerios, normal Cheerios I think, and we have a little bit of the chocolate chunk Special K cereal left over. It's got to be stale by now (it's not even closed fully); I need to remember to toss it. What’s the last thing you spent over $10 on? Ummm I'm not sure. Over $30? I think my tongue piercing was $40? Maybe even lower? Or slightly higher?? I don't remember. Do you know who lives three houses down from you? I think so. The one time I was locked out of my house in the snow with Teddy and I waited like a fucking hour until I broke down, absolutely freezing (I was in my pajamas, dude), and walked down the road to try and get help (I needed to call my mom, obviously, and I didn't have my phone), I believe it was the third neighbor who answered. Turned out being a retired deputy who was super intimidating yet kind at the same time; he let Teddy and me stay in his house (mind you, Teddy is incontinent and didn't have his diaper on, which I warned him about) while Mom was on her way home. He gave me a jacket and some water, even when I said I was fine, but you could tell he wasn't totally sure about trusting this random, sobbing girl at his door because he asked me a thousand questions about my story and quizzed if I really did live in this area. Obviously a good cop, but after a day like that, I was just terrified of an old man who appeared a bit gruff. But thankfully Mom got there to save the day and I am forever grateful for that guy. WOW what a story for a simple question. Is there a bulletin board in your room? No. Is your mom a big health freak or your dad? Or neither? "Health freak" seems a bit extreme for both of them, but Mom is more concerned about health in general. Do you know anyone who wants to be the president one day? No. What kinds of chips are in the cupboards? We just have tortilla chips, I think. I try to keep snacks out of the house to avoid temptation, and who eats plain tortilla chips. Do you have your mom's or dad's hair? Mom's. What’s the first thing you see when you walk into your bedroom? Most would probably notice my Nightmare Before Christmas poster first, being as big as it is and on the wall opposite the entrance. Do you prefer the truth, even if it’s harsh? YES. I NEED to know this kinda stuff, even if the truth is really hard to hear. Do you have any friends who have naturally red hair? I don't think so. Have you ever cried when a teacher retired? I think I did when my very first band teacher did. EVERYONE loved him. Like, the entire school. Does your kitchen look like it was designed in a completely different decade? No? When’s the last time you wore heels? Great question. Probably not since my sister's wedding in '16. Do you have your mom’s or dad’s eyes? My grampa's on Mom's side. What’s the best date movie? Probably a rom com? Have your parents ever been out of the country? No. How many pairs of jeans, all together, are in your house? Zero. Do you swear and yell while playing video games? I'll swear under my breath or seethe in frustration, but I never yell. Is there any alcohol in the fridge? No. Has a best friend ever ditched you for a girlfriend/boyfriend? Pretty much. Whenever she starts dating a guy, she dips, and whenever/if ever we talk, she rambles absolutely endlessly about him. Do you know anyone who has grossly skinny eyebrows? I couldn't possibly care less about how your eyebrows look. Do your pets chase after bugs? Roman and Bentley sure do. Bentley is a Professional Fly Moncher, specifically. When’s the last time you were so excited you couldn’t sleep? Why? Uhhh good question. Probs the night before Sara got here for my b-day. What is your mom’s favorite movie? Hm, good question! I'd ask her, but I don't want her to ask me why I am lmao. What TV family reminds you of your own family? Probably none. Did you ever really believe that the stork brought babies? No. I don't remember what I thought, but I know it wasn't that. Do you have any relatives who really spoil you? No, I think? Well Dad gives my sisters and me way too much money for Christmas and always tells us to ask him if we need anything, but I pretty much never ask him for said things, so I don't know the extent he'd go. Are there any drawers in your house that are just filled with junk? Pretty much. Is the last person you spoke to in love? That's my mom, so I doubt that with all I know. Do you know anyone who has security cameras in their house? I don't believe so. What was the last movie to make you cry? I think the last was Coco. Moana may have made me tear up, but I can't remember... Has anyone you know ever pulled the fire alarm in school, joking around? Not to my memory. What time do you usually go to sleep at sleepovers, if ever? I haven't been to a sleepover in God knows how long. Who was the main character in the last book you read? Alice Liddell. Who are the last people you saw kiss? Via YouTube, Jeffree and his boyfriend. Irl, I don't know. Have you ever posted a fan fiction on a website? No. Do you ever fantasize about your future wedding? Who’s the bride/groom? Not very much. Like I've had brief daydreams about it, sure, but it's not something that's on my mind a lot. Still got a long time before that happens. What was the last unpleasant thing to wake you up? My cat not knowing how to keep his mouth shut. Would you rather look at clouds or stars? Stars. Well, it depends; stars if we're in a completely isolated area where you can see them crystal clear or the clouds are boring, but otherwise, clouds if their design and colors are cool. Do you have any relatives who are expecting a baby really soon? No. Do you ever wonder what the opposite sex do at sleepovers? No. When you get married, who will be the maid of honor/best man? My mom, no questions asked. When’s the last time you broke plans? Why? I wasn't feeling well. I was supposed to see my VR coach that day. Have you ever been in a wedding? What were you? Yes, my sister's. I was a bridesmaid. It was an absolutely awful experience because I was hot as fuck, it was triggering as HELL with me still grieving Jason, and I felt positively hideous in a dress when I was at such a horrible weight. I wish so dearly I could redo that day; I fell like I put a serious damper on my sister's big day. Would you feel safer with an alarm system or security cameras? Hm, depends on the scenario... I guess an alarm system? Like security cameras will show a murderer climbing through my window, but they're not gonna wake me up to save my ass. Does it matter to you what kind of shampoo you use? So long it smells nice, isn't watery, and doesn't only add oil to my hair, I don't care much. Has a stray dog ever tried to bite you? No. When riding a bus, do you prefer to sit in front, in the back, or in the middle? Hm... idk. When I took the bus home with Jason, we always sat in the back, and that's really the only time I took a bus regularly. I think otherwise, I'd prefer the middle, closer to the front? I think I usually did that on occasions like band competitions and such. Have you ever been on a cross-country train ride? No. Are you normally a person to tell people off? No, that's rare. Is there any TV show that ended that you wish hadn’t? Meerkat Manor. Though I would hope they'd lessen down on the false story-telling. Stick to the true KMP events. When you feel stressed, do you take things out on the wrong people? Sometimes. Do you even wear any jeans other than skinny anymore? I don't wear jeans period. What did you talk about at lunch today with your friends? N/A Are you sensitive to caffeine? Definitely not. My system's too used to it, probably. How do you usually get around? Mom drives me. I'm 23. :^) Which languages do you wish you could speak fluently in? German. Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? SURPRISINGLY no, at least to my memory. Do you like Vitamin Water? Never tried, don't want to. What was the last thing you took a picture of? Dad and me on his birthday. Do you know anyone that uses Sprint as their phone carrier? Idk. Well, I think. When you go to McDonalds, what drink do you usually get? Coke. Do you have a Kindle or iPad or neither? Neither. Would you rather read or write? Write. When was the last time someone took a picture of you? Sometime during Bobby's visit literally days ago. I already forgot who took it... and who else was in it lmao. Do you own a pair of slippers? Yeah, two. A meerkat pair and then a far less extra pair that're closer to socks. I think they have cats on them? I got them for Christmas I think and haven't worn or seen them much. Would you rather see Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood in concert? Not a fan of either, but Carrie Underwood is more tolerable and even has a couple songs I enjoy. Name something negative that you hate about yourself: I'll jump to a conclusion within .02 seconds of something negative happening. Or not even "negative" or something that's purely in my head. Is your house currently hot, cold or just right? The house itself is fine, and my room is just right because I have my fan on. Is there a Dead End road near where you live? I can't think of one off the top of my head, but it's likely, really. There's lots of those here. Growing up, did you see your cousins often? No. We live many states away on both parents' sides. Where was your first job at? GameStop. Who are you tired of seeing in the news a lot? (Celebrities) It's been like two days and I'm over seeing the James Charles/Tati drama everywhere. You can't be interested in the YouTube community without being drowned in that shit right now somehow someway on any YT-coverage page and YouTube itself. Have you ever had to call and complain about a product you bought? I personally haven't. Would you date someone who’s shorter than you? I very openly and severely judge you if fucking height means that much to you. Do you mind being the third wheel? Not really, no. I'd only feel uncomfortable if they were getting pretty intimate. Has a kiss ever made you weak in the knees? Um I didn't know that was actually a thing so no. Do you feel comfortable buying condoms? Never been in that position. Have you ever dated two people at once? No. Have you ever been tested for STDs? No. Well wait, that time I gave blood I probably was just out of safety protocol. Have you ever run into your ex with his/her new sweetie? No. Have you ever felt guilty after doing something sexual? When I was in that "wait does this break the abstinence rule" phase, yeah. God was I technical. Have you ever had a condom break during sex? N/A Do your parents know if you’re having sex? Well considering I'm with a girl and she lives states away, that answer's obvious. Do you eat chips or crackers more? Chips. Would you rather be a singer or a dancer? A dancer. Would you rather be a musician or a painter? A painter, maybe? If I could play the electric guitar, though... idk. What social media sites do you visit the most? Facebook. What did you hair look like in high school? Long, thick as fuck, brown (or dyed black) with some sort of highlight, and it was split to the left with the hair swooped over my right eye. Basically "I want the emo swoop but my hair is too fucking thick to obey hairspray." :^) Which dollar store do you shop at? Depends on what's closest, usually. We rarely ever stop at one unless it's for candy to bring into the movie theater, seriously lol. I think usually Dollar General? Do you prefer candy corn or conversation hearts? WE DON'T KNOW EITHER. Skeletons or scarecrows? s k e l l y b o y s Has anyone ever given you the silent treatment? Yep. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever had in your mouth? I learned on that day I hate giving blowjobs. Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No, thankfully. (If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you ‘shortie’ instead of girl? BOY I would fucking cackle. I hate that word. No. Do you ever watch The Simpsons? No. Have you ever sent an embarrassing moment of yours into a mag to be printed? OH MY GOD I remember that!!! But no. What IS your most embarrassing moment? Too lazy to go through the novel of 'em to pick the worst. Do you think you’re more cute or sexy? You assume I find myself either. Do you own any mini skirts? I don't own any skirts period. Do you draw little hearts and stuff with eyeliner next to your eyes? No. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever lost? Idk. Has your mom ever lied to you? I'm sure she has before. Do you have a deep voice? For a girl, yeah. When’s the last time someone made breakfast for you? *shrugs* Exclusively for me, probably never. Do you do something new with your hair practically every day? No, it's the same everyday. When someone knocks on the door, who do you think it is? Delivery guy. Has anyone ever licked your foot? Ew no. Do you play games with boys/girls, like ‘hard to get’? I'm not 15. Has a guy ever quoted a romantic Shakespeare line to you? No, and I'm glad, as I'd cringe into another realm. Is there a Sonic where you live? Yes, I LIVE- Do you smile with your teeth? Usually. I look less high, at least. What did you eat for lunch today? A pb&j. What do you like on your pizza? Pepperoni, jalapenos, or meat lovers. What is in the back seat of your car right now? I don't own a personal car. Mom has a a load of stuff in the back of hers, at least I think... That's super rare, but she's been so ungodly busy idk if she's had time to clean it out. I haven't paid attention so can't recall. What was the last thing you threw up? Idr. Menthol or regular cigarettes? I don't smoke and never have, so idk. What is your favorite episode of Friends? I don't watch it, and I haven't seen many episodes at all if for whatever reason I was in a room and it was on. Does anyone have any blackmail on you? No. Have you been to a strip club? No. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Hell if I remember. It had to either be my 16th birthday when Jason's family was all together watching the Super Bowl, or a hockey game with my dad. Last person’s house you were in? Besides my own, my sister's. Who is the last person you sent a message to on Facebook? Nicole. Ever go to camp? No. Were you an honor roll student in school? Yeah. Do you have a tan? HA no. How old do you want to be when you have kids? I don't want kids. Are you someone’s best friend? Yeah. Favorite gemstone? Dragon's breath opal. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Drive thru, almost always. Does your first memory involve your dad? No. When was the last time you went swimming? Last summer at the beach. Holy fuck the water was so perfect. Has your luggage ever gotten lost? No. Have you ever thought it would be cool to smash a guitar? No. Like... just why. Do you ever get flu shots? No.

#survey #quiz #questions #random

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countervailnetwork · 5 years

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(Photo by John Novak)

What a week it’s been! Filled with both good and bad news from across the country. But organizers know that the good must be celebrated and the bad must be taken in stride. Progress on such a large scale is not linear, and we should not lose sight of the goal of a dignified and secure life for all through the power of collective action and solidarity.

Recently Recognized Unions

NIFA Workers at the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in Washington, D.C. voted overwhelmingly to unionize (137-2) with the American Federation of Government Employees. The new bargaining unit was formed in response to the US Secretary of Agriculture’s recent decision to relocate key NIFA research institutions to Kansas City. Many suspect that Secretary Sonny Perdue’s relocation plan is politically motivated: increasing the distance between the Capital and NIFA’s key research institutions quite literally takes science out of American policymakers’ reach. Some members of the new union staged a protest at an “all hands meeting” of NIFA and ERS employees last Thursday. Unfortunately, the relocation decision has not yet been reversed. We stand in solidarity with NIFA employees and celebrate their efforts to make their voices heard through collective action.

Brooklyn Academy of Music The workers at the Brooklyn Academy of Music have joined the growing ranks of museum employees organizing for better benefits and a living wage. Their next steps will be electing a bargaining committee and initiating negotiations. Follow their progress by following their twitter, @BAM_union.

Gimlet Media Although this news is a bit old at this point, we wanted to congratulate workers at podcast company Gimlet Media for successfully unionizing with the Writers Guild of America. After announcing their intentions to unionize in January and battling management’s scare tactics, 75% of the staff voted “yes.” This could not have come at a better time, as Gimlet is currently in the process of being acquired by Spotify, a company with a reputation for awarding miniscule royalties to its musicians and podcast partners. We hope others working with Spotify will find inspiration in Gimlet’s victory. Follow their twitter for updates: @GimletUnion

Preble Street Citing low wages, burnout, and a high turnover rate, this nonprofit homeless shelter and low-income resource center out of Portland, ME voted to unionize with the Service Workers International Union Local 1989. It is clear that these workers care deeply about what they do, and now they will be able to secure the resources needed to continue doing it.

Sunset Station and Fiesta Rancho Casinos

85%!!! Go Fiesta Rancho workers go!

Workers at SIX @StationCasinos #Vegas properties are now unionized & fighting for a contract: Fiesta Rancho at @Fiesta_Casinos, @SunsetStation, @Palms, @GVRcasino, @PalaceStation & @BoulderStation! https://t.co/K30RkiVY7t $RRR #ContractNOW pic.twitter.com/l8QqPvOnes

— The Culinary Union (@Culinary226) June 15, 2019

Two Station Casinos properties voted to unionize with The Culinary Union in order to secure better benefits and a fair wage. Sunset Station and Fiesta Rancho are the fifth and sixth properties under the company, respectively, to unionize.

Updates From Those Still Fighting

Volkswagen in Chattanooga, TN After a three-day vote, the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee voted down unionization for a second time by a margin of 57 votes. Labor experts in the area have accused state and local lawmakers of using scare tactics to influence Volkswagen employees in the weeks and months leading up to the vote. We hope that union organizers in the region continue to fight the good fight.

Buzzfeed News

Hi @BuzzFeedBen & @peretti — know you weren't at the Mirror Awards, but here's a portion of my speech at the event. Hope you can help @bfnewsunion get recognized. We're so close — there are only two issues left to resolve in our voluntary recognition agreement. pic.twitter.com/3QOMzxMrUD

— Davey Alba (@daveyalba) June 13, 2019

I'm joining my incredible BuzzFeed News colleagues walking out today to demand BuzzFeed comes back to the table to give us a fair voluntary recognition agreement

#1u pic.twitter.com/Zuyf83mX99

— Eric Morrow (@morroweric) June 17, 2019

On June 17th, Buzzfeed employees staged a walkout protesting the company’s reluctance to negotiate a voluntary recognition agreement. Four months have passed since Buzzfeed writers voted in favor of the union. Reporter Davey Alba has declared that voluntary recognition on the part of Buzzfeed, Inc. is in reach, but negotiations have yet to be finished.

Beaumont Hospital Nurses in Royal Oak, Michigan announced their intent to unionize in April and have now accused management of interference by means of mandatory union-busting meetings. The hospital administration disputes organizers’ claim that the meetings are meant to prevent unionization. Union organizers have since contacted the Oakland County Board of Commissioners to ensure their right to organize is protected.

CGH Hospital The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees have begun giving presentations at the CGH Hospital in Sterling, Illinois about the potential formation of a union. Organizers with the AFSCME believe that high presentation attendance rates suggest that workers are beginning to consider unionization a legitimate option. Like Beaumont Hospital nurses, workers hope to increase staff numbers to ensure that patients are given the highest quality care and to prevent current staff from being overworked.

SecurAmerica Security workers in Detroit, Michigan walked out on Thursday of last week, gaining high-profile supporters and improving publicity for the union drive. SEIU Local 1 has been encouraging the workers at SecurAmerica to organize for a living wage in the past months. We hope to see increased solidarity among the workers in their fight for better working conditions as organizing progresses.

McDonald’s This week, Senator and presidential hopeful Kamala Harris joined McDonald’s workers striking for a living wage and right to organize. It is encouraging to see support from figureheads and politicians in these struggles for workplace security.

Delta Delta Airlines employees have been struggling to unionize. Company management has allegedly resorted to dismissing employees who wish to advocate for their own economic security. Delta has also published anti-union videos and maintain the website “Don’t Risk It, Don’t Sign It,” which is meant to dissuade workers from unionizing. It is shameful to see such tactics employed against workers fighting for their needs and their rights in the workplace.

Hornblower New York City ferry system Captains employed by Hornblower have begun the process of unionizing with the Maritime Engineers’ Beneficial Association. With no voluntary recognition from Hornblower in sight, organizers have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a vote to unionize.

University of Chicago Graduate Students Although no actual progress has been made in the past week, we would be remiss if we didn’t address the op-ed published by Bloomberg last week. Establishment economist Tyler Cowen writes that we should “Keep Unions out of Grad School,” making a paternalistic declaration that students should be unquestioningly grateful for their university-sponsored stipends. Cowen unsympathetically ignores the conditions that many graduate students face, simultaneously teaching undergraduate courses, carrying a heavy course load, and conducting research. He also fails to address the fact that graduate students’ stipends vary widely and do not always cover cost of living. Cowen presupposes that the all-powerful market must be allowed unbridled control over the conditions of our lives. Any form of social security, distribution theory, or universal entitlement to education, regardless of income or background, is off the table. Nothing but the best from George Mason, right?

Harvard University Graduate Students Union We end this post by declaring our support for the Harvard Graduate Students Union, which is currently negotiating its first contract to ensure living wages and affordable healthcare for student workers. Students have also demonstrated in Harvard Yard and organized a sit-in to put pressure on the university’s administration.

Workers, Teachers, Strikers, Sweepers: Better protected Whenever collected.

“Total Football” by Parquet Courts

#Countervail #WordPress #Politics #Human Rights #Activism

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rahirah · 6 years

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via Barb's Place We went to see Crimes of Grindelwald Saturday, and while it was moderately enjoyable in parts, it was definitely not in the class of the first movie. This morning I went out to the back yard to dig a hole to plant the sugar cane. About a foot or so down, I struck the corner of a big hunk of concrete. It was too far down to be left over from our recent fence construction, and I was curious, so I dug the whole thing out. It was a fence footing; there was the rusted remains of a metal post in the middle. It was outside the fence line that existed when we bought the house; Kathy suggested that it might have been a fence around the long-dry-and-capped-off well on that corner of the yard. The interesting thing, though, was that once I'd dug out the concrete, I found something underneath it. This bottle was buried upside down in the dirt, placed precisely so the end of the metal pole would have stood on it, as if upon a pedestal. I'm lucky that I didn't accidentally hit it with the shovel and break it. It must have been done deliberately – possibly to hold the end of the pole up off the bottom of the original hole, so that cement could get underneath it when poured? I don't know. It's not an especially old or valuable bottle (given the age of the house, I think it would date, at the earliest, to the 60s). But the knowledge that there could be small secrets hidden in any random patch of soil is a strange and wonderful thing.

I spent some time this weekend doing digging of another kind. Over at seasonal_spuffy there was a post asking people who'd participated in the first round back in 2005 to share their memories. So I went back into my journal archives to hunt for any relevant posts I could link to, and I ended up skimming through a bunch of old entries from late 2005 through mid-2007. It was a nostalgic treat to see so many old names who've long since left fandom, and sad at the same time. There were several notable fandom kerfuffles in that time period: the Cousin Jean thing, the fall_for_spike brouhaha (which led directly to the founding of seasonal_spuffy) and a lot of other, smaller squabbles, many of which I'd entirely forgotten. It was strange reading my old posts. My writing style was a good deal more performative in those days; reading them, I feel as if I'm reading someone who's desperate to impress people with how witty she is. (Which I was. And still am, alas.) Occasionally I ran across things that made me cringe; did I really say that? But at the same time, I envy that old me her willingness to engage in debate. (Even, ironically, as she professed herself to be too worn out on fannish debate to indulge. Ha, Younger!Barb had no idea.) I stopped reading at about the point that the first issues of Buffy S8 were published; it's at that point that Spuffy fandom started to gradually become rancorous again, as people disagreed about the comics, and I didn't feel like revisiting that particular era. (It's not that 2004-2006 were completely free of fannish conflict; as I said, there were several notable wanks during that period. But 2007-2010 was more of an eat-your-own period.) Even in the posts I read, I noticed the beginnings of a few conflicts that came to a head later. For one thing, you can gradually see the political polarization of fandom growing. Prior to the 2004 election, I can't remember politics ever coming up in fannish space. But the huge anti-gay political backlash of 2004 brought politics into fandom with a vengeance. Buffy fandom skewed liberal, as one might imagine – indeed, I'm really not sure why the show would appeal to most social conservatives. Though I certainly knew my share of conservative fannish women who thought homosexuality was a sin in the real world, but nevertheless read and wrote reams of porny male/male slash fiction. A number of my own readers were against civil rights for same sex couples; they didn't like it when I pointed out that if they were willing to consume my fan fiction and exchange friendly comments with me, while at the same time voting to keep me a second class citizen, they were not really my friends – that a polite homophobe was still a homophobe. By 2006, the conservative fans were complaining that liberal fans were oppressing them. (The precise form of this oppression was never very clear.) By 2008, IIRC, the most vocal conservative BtVS fans had closed their journals in a huff. Of course, Strikethrough happened in 2007, and a lot of people closed their journals in a huff. I think the last big argument along those lines happened in 2009, when Aadler objected to the presence of slash programming at Writercon 2009. The roots of some more personal kerfuffles were there, too. One was a person who disagreed with everything I wrote – they claimed to be a Spike fan, but I honestly can't remember them ever saying anything positive about the character, ever. We'd become acquainted at the Tea At The Ford forum, but never friended each other on LJ. Nevertheless, any time I posted meta, they felt the need to come over to my journal and tell me in great detail just how wrong I was. I had long since decided that there was zero point in arguing with them, because our premises were incompatible. But in those days I strove to respond politely to everyone who commenting in my journal, so there are quite a few long comment strings of us going back and forth. Eventually, IIRC, they compared my fan fiction to Silas Marner, while admitting they hadn't actually read any of it, (my fanfic, that is, not Silas Marner) and that made me cranky enough that I stopped responding to them. Another one was a person who was a Buffy/Spike fan, but they only liked the dark, dysfunctional S6 part of the relationship. They were very grouchy about Spike having been redeemed in canon, and even grouchier about the fact that the vast majority of Spuffy writers preferred to write the pairing as more or less functional. To this day I have no idea why they were hanging around my journal (like Person #1, they never friended me, just popped in occasionally to comment on posts they disagreed with.) Eventually, IIRC, I made some sort of grumpy post about something in canon I disliked; I don't even remember if it was about the comics, or Seasons6-/7, or what. But they responded, telling me that if I didn't like canon, I should leave the fandom. Looking at it now, that was a pretty ridiculous thing for them to say, considering how much they themselves disliked the fact that S7 Spuffy wasn't a total trainwreck. I could have just laughed it off. But they caught me in a bad mood, and I was tired of them coming to my journal just to tell me that they didn't like my fic and thought my meta was dumb, so I snapped at them. I don't remember if I outright told them to stop commenting on my journal, or if I just asked them why the hell they were reading me when they disliked everything I wrote. Either way, they were highly insulted, called me a bully or something similar, and stomped off in a huff. I never heard from them again. There were much rider-ranging kerfuffles that came later, towards the end of S8, which culminated in me bowing out of the fandom entirely for awhile. But reading these old posts and seeing the first stirrings of these smaller arguments felt like signs of things to come, signs I should have taken heed of. I always like to think of myself as a reasonable person who can get on with most people, even the ones I disagreed with. Someone who can handle criticism. But a lot of the time, I fail in that. Which is depressing. But all one can do is try to do better next time. That's all any of us can do, really. comments

#IFTTT #Barb's Place

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patriotsnet · 3 years

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Why Do Democrats And Republicans Hate Each Other

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/why-do-democrats-and-republicans-hate-each-other/

Why Do Democrats And Republicans Hate Each Other

Partisan Division Has Reached Its Peak Shows An Alarming New Study That Identifies Three Crucial Components

Union workers caravan in support of Joe Biden.

American political polarization has reached alarming heights, shows a new study.

Democrats and Republicans hate the other side more than they love their own party.

The polarization grows worse despite the fact that differences between the sides are not so dramatic.

To say that the current election is stressful and divisive is beyond an understatement. The United States is strained at the seams, ready to explode no matter who wins the presidency. A new study shows just how bad it’s become, with anger at the opposing party now outstripping the love a supporter might have for their own party. To put it in other words: People hate those on the opposite side of the political spectrum more than they care for their own.

Is this a recipe for disaster? The study describes the current political attitudes in the country as “political sectarianism,” linking it to religious fervor. The research also shows that, for many, political identity has become their primary identity.

The study’s lead author Eli Finkel, professor of social psychology at Northwestern University, described the dangers of the situation:

Finkel’s conclusions are based on a survey of dozens of published researched studies, going back to the 1970s. The research drew on the expertise of co-authors from six disciplines: political science, psychology, economics, sociology, management as well as computational social science.

1. “Othering” – seeing the other side as different.

Republicans And Democrats Hate The Other Side More Than They Love Their Own New Analysis Shows

ResearchArts and Science

Disdain for the opposing political party now outweighs affection for one’s own party, shows a new analysis by a multidisciplinary team of researchers.

Disdain for the opposing political party now outweighs affection for one’s own party, shows a new analysis by a multidisciplinary team of researchers. Its conclusions reveal for the first time on record that negative sentiment for the opposition outstrips positive feelings for one’s own partisan affiliation and may be more important than ideological differences in guiding political behavior.

The work, “Political Sectarianism in America,” appears in the latest issue of Science and provides a broad survey of current scientific literature to interpret the current state of politics.

The paper introduces the term “political sectarianism” to describe the phenomenon, offering a new framework to interpret the current state of politics and illuminate current scientific literature. Political sectarianism embodies religious fervor, such as sin, public shaming, and apostasy. But unlike traditional sectarianism, where political identity is secondary to religion, political identity is primary, the authors note.

The team includes researchers from several academic disciplines—political science, psychology, sociology, economics, management, and computational social science. Among them are New York University’s Jay Van Bavel, a professor of psychology and neural science, and Joshua A. Tucker, a professor of politics.

Study: Republicans And Democrats Hate The Other Side More Than They Love Their Own Side

“When ideals and policies matter less than dominating foes, government becomes dysfunctional,” researchers say

Stephanie Kulke

The bitter polarization between the Republican and Democratic parties in the U.S. has been on the rise since Newt Gingrich’s partisan combat against President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. But according to a new Northwestern University-led study, disdain for the opposing political party now — and for the first time on record — outweighs affection for one’s own party.

The study, titled “Political sectarianism in America,” will be published Oct. 30 by the journal Science. The authors provide a broad survey of current scientific literature to interpret the current state of politics.

The paper introduces the construct of “political sectarianism” to describe the phenomenon. Political sectarianism has the hallmarks of religious fervor, such as sin, public shaming and apostasy. But unlike traditional sectarianism, where political identity is secondary to religion, political identity is primary.

“The current state of political sectarianism produces prejudice, discrimination and cognitive distortion, undermining the ability of government to serve its core functions of representing the people and solving the nation’s problems,” said lead author Eli Finkel. “Along the way, it makes people increasingly willing to support candidates who undermine democracy and to favor violence in support of their political goals.”

Divided Nation: Democrats Republicans Hate The Other Side More Than They Love Their Own

“When ideals and policies matter less than dominating foes, government becomes dysfunctional,” researchers concluded.

Jason Sandefur

— For the first time on record, disdain for the opposing political party outweighs affection for one’s own party, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Science.

“When ideals and policies matter less than dominating foes, government becomes dysfunctional,” the study concluded.

Finkel is a professor of social psychology with appointments at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Kellogg School of Management. To ensure the study’s findings incorporated the collective knowledge base, he recruited co-authors from six academic disciplines: political science, psychology, sociology, economics, management and computational social science.

Using national survey data dating back to the 1970s, the authors combed dozens of published research studies to calculate “the difference between Americans’ warm feelings toward their fellow partisans and their cold feelings toward opposing partisans.”

The Divide Between Political Parties Feels Big Fortunately Its Smaller Than We Think

Image adapted from: Ben Sweet/Unsplash

Political polarization in the United States was once defined by ideological disagreement. Now, this ideological division has been fused with an “us versus them” sectarianism that feels reminiscent of divisiveness and vitriol more commonly seen in war-torn countries than in healthy democracies. To illustrate the current state of polarization in the United States, consider the following: in the lead up to the most recent presidential election, the federal government arrested a militia that allegedly planned to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, yard signs expressing support for both Democratic and Republican candidates were regularly stolen and vandalized, and businesses across the country boarded up their windows for fear of widespread post-election violence.

As social psychologists, we are interested in understanding how such a toxic form of polarization manifests in our everyday psychology, and how the mental models we hold can undermine social cohesion and democratic health. And as concerned citizens who are also scientists, we are also interested in identifying evidence-based solutions to overcome the division that defines American politics. Through a partnership between a research team at the University of Pennsylvania and the nonprofit organization Beyond Conflict, we work to translate research on political polarization into science-backed interventions to reduce conflict.

Why do these misperceptions matter?

How Americas Political System Creates Space For Republicans To Undermine Democracy

9) Republicans havean unpopular policy agenda

Let Them Eat Tweets

The Republican policy agenda is extremely unpopular. The chart here, taken from Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson’s recent book , compares the relative popularity of the two major legislative efforts of Trump’s first term — tax cuts and Obamacare repeal — to similar high-priority bills in years past. The contrast is striking: The GOP’s modern economic agenda is widely disliked even compared to unpopular bills of the past, a finding consistent with a lot of recent polling data.

Hacker and Pierson argue that this drives Republicans’ emphasis on culture war and anti-Democratic identity politics. This strategy, which they term “plutocratic populism,” allows the party’s super-wealthy backers to get their tax cuts while the base gets the partisan street fight they crave.

The GOP can do this because America’s political system is profoundly unrepresentative. The coalition it can assemble — overwhelmingly white Christian, heavily rural, and increasingly less educated — is a shrinking minority that has lost the popular vote in seven of the past eight presidential contests. But its voters are ideally positioned to give Republicans advantages in the Electoral College and the Senate, allowing the party to remain viable despite representing significantly fewer voters than the Democrats do.

10) Some of the most consequential Republican attacks on democracy happen at the state level

11) The national GOP has broken government

Mike Pence Accidentally Admits The Real Reason Republicans Hate Democrats So Much

Common Dreams

The grassroots organization People for Bernie on Tuesday advised the Democratic Party to take a page from an unlikely source—right-wing Vice President Mike Pence—after Pence told a rally crowd in Florida that progressives and Democrats “want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable.”

“Good message,” tweeted the group, alerting the Democratic National Committee to adopt the vice president’s simple, straightforward description of how the party can prioritize working people over corporations and the rich.

Suggesting that a progressive approach to the economy will harm the country—despite the fact that other wealthy nations already invest heavily in making low- and middle-income “more comfortable” by taxing corporations and very high earners—Pence touted the Republicans’ aim to “cut taxes” and “roll back regulations.”

The vice president didn’t mention how the Trump administration’s 2017 tax cuts overwhelmingly benefited wealthy households and powerful corporations, with corporate income tax rates slashed from 35% to 21%, corporate tax revenues plummeting, and a surge in stock buybacks while workers saw “no discernible wage increase” according to a report released last year by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Popular Democracy.

Pence’s description of progressive goals was “exactly” correct, author and commentator Anand Giridharadas tweeted.

“Yes, and what’s wrong with making poor people more comfortable?” asked Rep. Ilhan Omar .

Think Republicans Are Disconnected From Reality It’s Even Worse Among Liberals

Arlie Hochschild

A new survey found Democrats live with less political diversity despite being more tolerant of it – with startling results

Last modified on Tue 8 Sep 2020 16.13 BST

In a surprising new national survey, members of each major American political party were asked what they imagined to be the beliefs held by members of the other. The survey asked Democrats: “How many Republicans believe that racism is still a problem in America today?” Democrats guessed 50%. It’s actually 79%. The survey asked Republicans how many Democrats believe “most police are bad people”. Republicans estimated half; it’s really 15%.

The survey, published by the thinktank More in Common as part of its Hidden Tribes of America project, was based on a sample of more than 2,000 people. One of the study’s findings: the wilder a person’s guess as to what the other party is thinking, the more likely they are to also personally disparage members of the opposite party as mean, selfish or bad. Not only do the two parties diverge on a great many issues, they also disagree on what they disagree on.

“This effect,” the report says, “is so strong that Democrats without a high school diploma are three times more accurate than those with a postgraduate degree.” And the more politically engaged a person is, the greater the distortion.

A coalition of college Republican clubs recently endorsed a tax on carbon pollution.

Republicans Dont Understand Democratsand Democrats Dont Understand Republicans

A new study shows Americans have little understanding of their political adversaries—and education doesn’t help.

About the author: Yascha Mounk is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the founder of Persuasion.

Americans often lament the rise of “extreme partisanship,” but this is a poor description of political reality: Far from increasing, Americans’ attachment to their political parties has considerably weakened over the past years. Liberals no longer strongly identify with the Democratic Party and conservatives no longer strongly identify with the Republican Party.

What is corroding American politics is, specifically, negative partisanship: Although most liberals feel conflicted about the Democratic Party, they really hate the Republican Party. And even though most conservatives feel conflicted about the Republican Party, they really hate the Democratic Party.

America’s political divisions are driven by hatred of an out-group rather than love of the in-group. The question is: Why?

David Pozen, Eric Talley, and Julian Nyarko: Republicans and Democrats are describing two different Constitutions

Democrats also estimated that four in 10 Republicans believe that “many Muslims are good Americans,” and that only half recognize that “racism still exists in America.” In reality, those figures were two-thirds and four in five.

Why Do We Suddenly Not Want Our Elected Officials To Get Along With Each Other

Surely the doxxing of an opponent’s donors, snarking on Twitter, and what basically amounts to little more than schoolyard name-calling is detracting and distracting from the job of good governance.

This is leadership? If all this bitter hatred is real, we’re really in trouble. People who hate each other this much can’t be expected to overcome such disfunction. If it’s exaggerated for effect, or more specifically for campaign fundraising effect, we’re in even worse trouble.

Because people are actually buying it.

If their elected official is blasting, ripping, sick-burning, and raging against “evil” political opponents on Twitter, that elected official is doing what we elected them to do. Get them!

If the elected official is reaching across the aisle, compromising, and working together with their political opponents, they are NOT doing what we elected them to do. Get them!

Except they are. That is exactly what elected officials were sent to Capitol Hill to do; bipartisan compromise is the only way anything ever gets done.

What would become of a company whose employees treated each other this rudely, and in public?

Like any business, colleagues have to work together. That means respecting each other, on and off social media; even if you don’t like each other.

Who are we kidding, especially if you don’t particularly like each other.

Or not.

Different strokes.

Getting along has never been more important. So do us all a favor, and tone it down, whatever your political bent.

Pandemic Puts A Crimp On Voter Registration Potentially Altering Electorate

For all the discussion about the effect of voter ID laws, however, a study last year found that whatever impact those laws might have is offset by increased organization and activism by nonwhite voters — leading to no change in registration or turnout.

Another battleground is early and absentee voting. Rules vary by state, with some requiring more explanation than others as to what’s permissible.

Bitter lessons

The parties today have arrived at this moment after years of what they would argue were bad experiences with elections at the hands of their opponents.

Republicans, among other things, sometimes point to what they believe was cheating in the 1960 presidential race. Alleged Democratic chicanery, in this telling, threw the results to John F. Kennedy and cost the race for Richard Nixon.

Fraudulent IDs, undocumented immigrants voting, people being “bused in” on Election Day remain consistent themes when Republicans talk about elections.

Democrats look to the decades of Jim Crow discrimination that kept many black voters out of elections.

More recently, they look at the Supreme Court’s 2000 decision that handed the outcome of that election to George W. Bush over Al Gore. The court halted the counting of ballots that Democrats argued could have changed Florida’s results, swinging the state to Gore.

Abrams’ group perceives what it calls a deliberate campaign by the establishment to purge Georgia voter rolls of mainly black or Democratic voters.

Matters of principle

We’re Less Far Apart Politically Than We Think Why Can’t We All Get Along

Partisans on both sides of the aisle significantly overestimate the extent of extremism in the opposing party. The more partisan the thinker, the more distorted the other side appears. And when we see the opposition as extremists, we fear them. Our tribal thinking prepares us for battle.

What’s the solution? More information? More political engagement? More education?

Surely more information leads to better judgment. But social scientists at the international initiative More in Common find that having more information from the news media is associated with a less accurate understanding of political opponents. Part of the problem appears to be the political biases of media sources themselves. Of all the various news media examined, only the traditional TV networks, ABC, NBC, and CBS, are associated with a better understanding of political views.

This discrepancy may be a result of the lack of political diversity among professors and administrators on campus. As political scientist Sam Abrams found, the average left to right ratio of professors nationwide is 6 to 1 and the ratio of student-facing administrators is 12 to 1. Democrats who have few or no Republican friends see the other side as more extreme than do those with more politically diverse friends. And the more educated Democrats are, the less likely they are to have friends who don’t share their political beliefs.

So what can you do?

A version of this article appeared on the Newsmax platform.

Most Republicans See Democrats Not As Political Opponents But As Enemies

The idea is a simple one: A country in which people with at-times differing views of how things should be run get together and vote on representatives who will enact policy. The candidates with the most support take office, working to build consensus for the policies their constituents want to see. Both before and after the election, there’s an expectation that disagreements will be resolvable and resolved.

arrow-right

This is an idealized version of our system, of course, but that’s how ideals work. Central to American politics is the idea that even if your candidate loses, the winner will advocate for you. But in an era in which the winners of elections in November are often those who manage to clamber over their primary opponents in the spring, the idea that a Democratic legislator will feel beholden to Republican constituents — or vice versa — seems almost quaint.

That said, we run the risk of establishing an equivalence where one may not exist. For example, we have new polling from CBS News, conducted by YouGov, which explores how members of each political party tend to think of members of the opposing party.

Most Democrats say that they tend to view Republicans as political opponents. Most Republicans say that they tend to view Democrats as enemies.

How is this unwound?

The Legal Fight Over Voting Rights During The Pandemic Is Getting Hotter

Or as former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, told NPR, there are no “fair” maps in the discussion about how to draw voting districts — because what Democrats call “fair” maps are those, he believes, that favor them.

No, say voting rights groups and many Democrats — the only “fair” way to conduct an election is to admit as many voters as possible. Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who has charged authorities in her home state with suppressing turnout, named her public interest group Fair Fight Action.

Access vs. security

The pandemic has added another layer of complexity with the new emphasis it has put on voting by mail. President Trump says he opposes expanding voting by mail, and his allies, including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, call the process rife with opportunities for fraud.

Even so, Trump and McEnany both voted by mail this year in Florida, and Republican officials across the country have encouraged voting by mail.

Democrats, who have made election security and voting access a big part of their political brand for several years, argue that the pandemic might discourage people from going to old-fashioned polling sites.

Democrats And Republicans Dislike Each Other Far Less Than Most Believe

A new study indicates that some of our political polarization is based on unfounded beliefs.

Democrats and Republicans dislike and dehumanize one another roughly equally.

At least 70% of both Republicans and Democrats overestimated how much the other group disliked and dehumanized their group.

Political polarization is a well-documented issue in the United States, and the schism between left and right can sometimes feel impossible to overcome. But a new study from the Peace and Conflict Neuroscience Lab at the Annenberg School for Communication and Beyond Conflict may offer some hope for the future.

Often, people’s actions towards a group they are not part of are motivated not only by their perceptions of that group, but also by how they think that group perceives them. In the case of American politics, this means that the way Democrats act toward Republicans isn’t just a result of what they think of Republicans but also of what they think Republicans think of Democrats, and vice versa.

The study, , found that Democrats do not dislike or dehumanize Republicans as much as Republicans think they do, and Republicans do not dislike or dehumanize Democrats as much as Democrats think they do. This finding could indicate that some of our political polarization is based on unfounded beliefs.

They Hate Each Other’s Political Views So Why Have They Become Friends

Our political culture is becoming more and more polarized. In such a partisan world, can we still get along with those whose beliefs we can’t abide?

Last modified on Thu 8 Oct 2020 11.33 BST

When Glenn Stanton and Sheila Kloefkorn first ended up in the same room together, they knew they were not going to see eye to eye.

Stanton, the director of Global Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family, an evangelical Christian values organization, had spent years vociferously fighting gay marriage.

Kloefkorn, on the other hand, had married her wife in 2014, on the day gay marriage became legal in Arizona. Having fought for equal marriage for decades, finally being able to wed meant letting go of a life’s share of feeling like a second class citizen.

But today, Stanton and Kloefkorn are friends. They met through Braver Angels, an organization which encourages people to befriend and understand people who have differing political opinions. Today, they laugh when people are surprised at their friendship.

“I don’t believe that Glenn is out to get me in the way I probably would have in the beginning of my activism. I just really believe he feels strongly about the things he cares about, and that’s a great thing,” says Kloefkorn.

Reaching to the other side may sound like self-inflected pain, butKloefkorn took those steps for a very personal reason: she the only liberal in her staunchly conservative, evangelical family.

New Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Voting By Mail Amid Pandemic

Traditionally, Republicans have tended to support higher barriers to voting and often focus on voter identification and security to protect against fraud. All the same, about half of GOP voters back expanding vote by mail in light of the pandemic.

Democrats tend to support lowering barriers and focus on making access for voters easier, with a view to encouraging engagement. They support expanding votes via mail too.

The next fight, in many cases, is about who and how many get what access via mail.

All this also creates a dynamic in which many political practitioners can’t envision a neutral compromise, because no matter what philosophy a state adopts, it’s perceived as zero-sum.

Why Hatred And Othering Of Political Foes Has Spiked To Extreme Levels

The new political polarization casts rivals as alien, unlikable and morally contemptible

In 1950 the American Political Science Association issued a report expressing concern that Americans exhibited an insufficient degree of political polarization. What a difference a new millennium makes. As we approach 2020’s Election Day, the U.S. political landscape has become a Grand Canyon separating blue and red Americans.

So why is this happening? In a review of studies published today in the journal Science, 15 prominent researchers from across the country characterize a new type of polarization that has gripped the U.S. This phenomenon differs from the familiar divergence each party holds on policy issues related to the economy, foreign policy and the role of social safety nets. Instead it centers on members of one party holding a basic abhorrence for their opponents—an “othering” in which a group conceives of its rivals as wholly alien in every way. This toxic form of polarization has fundamentally altered political discourse, public civility and even the way politicians govern. It can be captured in Republicans’ admiration for Donald Trump’s ability to taunt and “dominate” liberals—distilled to the expression “own the libs.”

Scientific American delved into these issues with Eli J. Finkel, a psychology professor at Northwestern University and lead author of the new Science paper.

But how do you get people those facts? How do you get them to even come to the table and listen?

Much Of Ohio Is Trump Country And That Complicates Things For The Gop

However, he said, “conservatives, since the 1960s, have increasingly defined American society as a colorblind society, in the sense that maybe there were some problems in the past but American society corrected itself and now we have these laws and institutions that are meritocratic and anybody, regardless of race, can achieve the American dream.”

Confronted by the Black Lives Matter protests of last summer, as well as the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 curriculum, which roots American history in its racist past, Hartman said many Americans want simple answers.

“And so critical race theory becomes a stand-in for this larger anxiety about people being upset about persistent racism,” he said.

Legislative action

States such as Idaho and Oklahoma have adopted laws that limit how public school teachers can talk about race in the classroom, and Republican legislatures in nearly half a dozen states have advanced similar bills that target teachings that some educators say they don’t teach anyway.

There’s movement on the national level too.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has introduced the Combating Racist Training in the Military Act, a bill that would prohibit the armed forces and academics at the Defense Department from promoting “anti-American and racist theories,” which, according to the bill’s text, includes critical race theory.

toggle caption

Donalds said the country’s history, including its ills, should be taught, but that critical race theory causes more problems than solutions.

Why Cant Democrats And Republicans Agree On Almost Anything Anymore

Why We’re Polarized

Early on in his newly released Why We’re Polarized, Vox cofounder Ezra Klein explains that his book is not meant to guide us out of the morass that is American politics. Instead, he hopes to deliver a helicopter view showing us how we got so deep in, to view from above the system driving us all batty.

“What I am trying to develop here isn’t so much an answer for the problems of American politics as a framework for understanding them,” Klein, a self-acknowledged liberal, writes in his introduction. “If I’ve done my job well, this book will offer a model that helps make sense of an era in American politics that can seem senseless.”

For Klein, that making sense can only begin if you accept that where we are today in terms of partisanship is fundamentally different from where we’ve been in the past. “The first thing I need to do is convince you something has changed,” he writes. What has changed, exactly, is that “the Democratic and Republican parties of today are not like the Democratic and Republican parties of yesteryear.” Namely, in the past, being a Republican or a Democrat was “not a rich signifier of principles and perspectives.”

Why this realignment happened is complicated—and much of it has to do with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the split it caused in the Democratic Party between Northern liberals and Southern conservative Dixiecrats.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

A Century After The Race Massacre Tulsa Confronts Its Bloody Past

Academics, particularly legal scholars, have studied critical race theory for decades. But its main entry into the partisan fray came in 2020, when former President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning federal contractors from conducting certain racial sensitivity trainings. It was challenged in court, and President Biden rescinded the order the day he took office.

Since then, the issue has taken hold as a rallying cry among some Republican lawmakers who argue the approach unfairly forces students to consider race and racism.

“A stand-in for this larger anxiety”

Andrew Hartman, a history professor at Illinois State University, described the battle over critical race theory as typical of the culture wars, where “the issue itself is not always the thing driving the controversy.”

“I’m not really sure that the conservatives right now know what it is or know its history,” said Hartman, author of A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars.

He said critical race theory posits that racism is endemic to American society through history and that, consequently, Americans have to think about institutions like the justice system or schools through the perspective of race and racism.

Why Democrats Hate The Electoral College And Republicans Love It

Funny thing. Democrats, who keep losing elections where they get more votes, want to get rid of the Electoral College and Republicans, who keep winning elections where they get less votes, want to keep it.

The Electoral College is certainly the weirdest part of American democracy; a confusing system with a troubled history and an ugly past.

Here are some questions you might have wanted to ask:

1. Why are people talking about the Electoral College right now? A Democrat running for President, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, said at a recent CNN town hall should be abolished.

“Well, my view is that every vote matters,” Warren said. “And the way we can make that happen is that we can have national voting. And that means get rid of the Electoral College and everybody counts.”

Plus, 11 states and the District of Columbia have joined something called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, whereby states would simply agree to pledge their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner. Colorado became the 12th state to join that effort last week and Delaware and New Mexico may be next.

However, the compact will only go into effect if a majority of electoral votes are pledged to the popular vote. With Colorado, they’ve only got 181 electoral votes.

9. How are the 538 electoral votes assigned? Each state gets at least 3 electors. California, the most populous state, has 53 congressmen and two senators, so they get 55 electoral votes.

0 notes

your-dietician · 3 years

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MLB Trade Rumors and News: MLB All-Star starting rosters announced

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MLB Trade Rumors and News: MLB All-Star starting rosters announced

The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we’re running here at MLBDD that rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us up at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.

After a couple rounds of voting, the results of the fan vote are in for the 2021 All-Star Game and the starting lineups for the game were announced Thursday evening. There were certainly some unfortunate snubs like Kris Bryant and Ozzie Albies and the American League is going to have to replace Mike Trout on their roster given that he is currently on the 60-day IL, but other than that…it looks like a pretty strong group.

The Yankees added some speed to their roster on Thursday as they traded for Tim Locastro from the Diamondbacks in exchange for a pitching prospect. Sure, Locastro isn’t exactly a household name and he isn’t having a banner year at the plate, but the guy can RUN and he is more than willing to lean into a pitch to get on base, so the Yankees have that going for them.

Dellin Betances just can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injury. The Mets signed Betances in free agency after the 2019 season in the hopes that he could put his injury issues behind him and return to his previously dominant form. Instead, he has pitched a total of 12.2 innings in a Mets uniform and now has to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.

Mariners lefty Héctor Santiago is the first pitcher to be disciplined as part of MLB’s foreign substance crackdown after being ejected Sunday, when umpires believed they found a foreign substance on his glove. Santiago admitted to having rosin on his glove, and while it wasn’t a highly-publicized element of the new policy, pitchers are now strictly prohibited from having rosin on their person, even though they are allowed to obtain it from the bag on the mound. MLB confiscated Santiago’s glove but never examined it, and now they’ve hit him with a 10-game suspension and undisclosed fine.

MLB is investigating Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer after a woman was granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Bauer’s attorney claims the actions took place as part of a consensual sexual relationship.

The Blue Jays are determined to reach the playoffs for a second straight season, and they boosted their roster on Tuesday morning by acquiring sidearming reliever Adam Cimber and currently injured outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Marlins in exchange for veteran utility player Joe Panik and relief prospect Andrew McInvale.

Indians outfielder Josh Naylor is likely out for the season after suffering a dislocated right ankle in a collision with second baseman Ernie Clement. If this is it for Naylor this year, he’ll finish with rather unremarkable numbers: a .253/.301/.399 slash line and seven homers in 69 games.

Braves starter Mike Soroka has re-ruptured his Achilles and will not pitch again in 2021. After making three starts in 2020, he tore his Achilles. He hadn’t pitched since then. Soroka looked like he’d be the Braves’ ace for years to come after going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and .236 OBA in 2019, but now his future is extremely uncertain.

The Athletics have reunited with veteran starter Homer Bailey on a minor league contract. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas. The 35-year old was ravaged by injuries in 2020. The last time Bailey played with Oakland, he hurled 4.30 ERA over 13 starts and 73 1/3 innings. Here’s hoping for a comeback.

It is always nice to start the day with some good news, and Cubs fans woke up to fuzzy feelings all around last week as Chicago used four pitchers including starter Zach Davies and closer Craig Kimbrel to no-hit the Dodgers. Kimbrel looked like the Kimbrel of old, and let’s not understate how difficult it is to shut down that Dodgers offense. Really impressive.

The Rays promoted top prospect Wander Franco, and he immediately made his presence known in his debut, hitting a game-tying homer for his first major league hit while also collecting a double and a walk. At Triple-A Durham, the 20-year-old was slashing .323/.376/.601 with seven home runs in 173 plate appearances.

The Mets’ rotation sustained a pair of blows last week, as the team announced that lefty Joey Lucchesi will undergo Tommy John surgery, then right-hander Marcus Stroman exited his start early with left hip soreness. While they have a comfortable lead in the NL East, the Mets continue to be dealt an incredible amount of adversity, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can stay afloat.

The Blue Jays have signed veteran reliever John Axford, reports Jamie Campbell of Sportsnet. The 38-year-old hasn’t seen a major league mound since 2018 and had been working as an analyst on the Jays’ pre and postgame shows before being asked to pitch for them again. The bulk of his career came with the Brewers, as he played in Milwaukee from 2009-13, but now the Ontario native will embark on his third stint with Toronto.

The Tigers have released Wilson Ramos, per a club announcement. The 33-year old signed a $2M deal with Detroit at the beginning of this year, and he looked like he was really giving the Tigers the most value for their buck after going yard six times in his first nine games. Unfortunately that took a turn in early May, when a back injury completely derailed the 12-year major league veteran. Should he be able to heal quickly enough for a late season renaissance, he could make a great extra backstop for a team in contention. Posting a 105 wRC+ for the Mets in 2019, he’s still got some gas left in the tank for whatever team is willing to take the risk.

Astros third baseman Alex Bregman is going to be out for an extended period after suffering a quad injury trying to beat out a double play.

Rays ace Tyler Glasnow’s season is in jeopardy after he suffered a partially torn UCL and flexor strain in his right arm. He’ll initially try to rehab the injuries rather than immediately opting for Tommy John surgery. In an interesting crossover with the biggest story being discussed around baseball right now, Glasnow said MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances contributed to his injury, as he stopped using a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, and as a result he began gripping the baseball so hard that he injured his elbow.

A lot has been made in recent weeks about the proliferation of foreign substances used primarily (but certainly not exclusively) by pitchers to get better grip on balls to have better command as well as to generate greater spin. It has been clear that MLB was going to crack down on the practice and now it looks like it has landed on its chosen punishment, as it was announced that players found to be using such substances will receive a 10-game paid suspension.

It is fair to say that the 2021 season has been a particularly weird one. Teams that we all thought would be good haven’t been and teams that were thought to be afterthoughts have been anything but. Our own Andersen Pickard broke down the five most surprising teams from the 2021 season so far.

It’s the most glorious time of the year: here’s your 2021 MLB Draft primer for notable players, draft order, and more.

The Twins are dragging their feet for extension talks with Jose Berrios, SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson reports. Berrios has one last year of arbitration eligibility before he’s free to sow his wild oats and hit the market in the 2022-23 offseason. And as of now, the Twins have done little to nothing to stop him. Could that be because the NL Central 4th place team is looking to use him as a lucrative trade chip come this year’s deadline? The 27-year old could bring a significant return for Minnesota, but is it enough to risk for them losing him? He’s having another strong season this year, with a 3.49 ERA and a 26% strikeout rate. Either way, as the trade deadline gets closer, we’ll see what moves the Twins are thinking of making.

After going 5-24 in the month of May, the Arizona Diamondbacks are reeling and are already buried in an NL West where even a good season would not guarantee a playoff berth. In order to try to stop the bleeding and try to get back to some level of decency, Arizona fired hitting coaches Eric Hinske and Darnell Coles. Sadly, given the breadth of that roster’s issues, it seems like that they will still end up as one of the league’s worst teams.

Outfielder Jarred Kelenic, widely regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects and the potential savior of the Mariners organization, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after getting into an 0-for-39 slump. Kelenic, who played just 28 games in the upper minors (21 at Double-A in 2019 and seven at Triple-A this year) before reaching the majors, has an .096 batting average and .378 OPS in 23 major league games.

The Mets had been hopeful to get Noah Syndergaard back in their rotation soonish to try and hold off their division rivals in what has been a surprisingly bad National League East. Unfortunately, they will have to wait a good bit longer, as Syndergaard’s rehab hit a setback, and elbow inflammation will keep him out until at least August.

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classic-rock-roller · 6 years

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1. After Kevin read your previous sax player’s journal over the airwaves, she is beyond pissed, so she arranges a dinner to talk to Kevin about it. You go with him, and he says, “I’m going to show her where to stick it. She’s such a bitch.” When you get there, she’s got Randy with her, and Kevin immediately starts laying into the both of them. “Who the hell do you think you are!” etc. How do you respond? "Kevin," I say dangerously low, "Try to be civil. We don't want to make a scene." I then turn to my sax player and hug her, "I'm sorry for him being an asshole. You guys sound amazing. I love it so much. Oh and here. I'm sorry he read this it was totally uncalled for and I personally chewed him out when he got home." 2. You had your first baby with Kevin, and she was born early, so there are some complicated health issues. She’s sleeping on your chest one day when you feel like something’s off. You turn her toward your face, and she isn’t breathing. What do you do? "Oh my god. KEVIN, CALL AN AMBULANCE THE BABY'S NOT BREATHING!!" She's not blue yet so I start baby CPR until the ambulance arrives. 3. You and Kevin were going to a party that was BYOB, so your purse is full of beer cans. You’re walking from the carpark to the party when someone grabs you from behind. You freak out and instinctively hit them with your purse, effectively knocking them out. Quickly after, you hear a terrified, “What the hell!” You turn around and Randy is running up to you. “Why’d you hit her! She might be dead!” He crouches by your assailant, and you see that it’s his girlfriend. What do the 3 of you do? "Oh my god," I check to make sure she's still breathing and tell Kevin to call an ambulance because he's just standing there. And Randy is checking her with me. 4. You’re with your sax player and you’re at hers and Randy’s house. She made frosting, and you’re both eating it out of the bowl. You’re both eating spoons of frosting when Kevin and Randy get back. Randy says, “Oh man you made frosting, I want some!” and runs to get a spoon. Kevin looks at you two and says, “I wish you’d lick me like that spoon.” How do you and the sax player respond? Her: "Ew, Kevin, that's gross I don't want to hear that." Me: "Please try to keep it in your pants until we at least get home. And let me enjoy my frosting in peace." 5. You and Kevin were scheduled to meet your sax player and Randy at the sax player’s place. Everyone had work today, so you all went over individually. You roll up about the same time as Randy, and you’re walking in together when you get to the door of her apartment. You’re about to knock when you hear Kevin’s voice say, “Come on, they’ll never find out.” “No, Kevin, that’s not okay.” “Come on, please. It’s just one little kiss.” “Kevin, no-mmh! Hey! Get off me!” What do you and Randy do? Kevin is drunk, of course, but regardless, I barge down the door and pull him of her. "What the hell are you thinking?! You don't do that!" I'd turn to her to make sure she's ok then. Randy ends up screaming at Kevin more. 6. Kevin has been out doing God knows what at ridiculously late hours. You’ve asked about it, and he’s just blown you off. One night, he gets home at 3 AM, and you lay into him. You finish with, “Don’t you love me!?” How does Kevin respond? "Of course I love you. I've just been working the graveyard shift at work so that I could afford to buy you the ring you deserve." 7. At your wedding reception, you placed Randy and your sax player at your table since they’re the best man and maid of honor, respectively. Your sax player looks for her nametag, and after a while she walks up and slaps Kevin. “You ass! You put me at the kid’s table! What the hell!” Kevin is laughing and Randy is annoyed. How do you respond? "Kevin, what did I tell you about messing with the name cards?" 8. The election is coming up, and your sax player stops by while you and Kevin are discussing voting options. Kevin asks aloud, “What do you guys think? I think we should vote against it, it just doesn’t seem right.” Your sax player says, “Nah, man, I think we should totally vote to pass it. Think of all the good it’ll do.” Kevin starts arguing with her, and after a few minutes of debate, he slaps her in the face, hard enough she staggers. What do you do? "Kevin! Learn to control your temper. This is why we have the no politics in the house rule!" I'd turn to her, "Are you ok sweetheart? Here let me get you some frozen peas so that it doesn't bruise." I'd glare at Kevin as i went to the freezer. 9. Kevin has always told you that he doesn’t own any guns, but you find one under his side of the bed while cleaning. You confront him about it and ask why he has it. He won’t say at first, until he finally says, “Fine! I keep it in case I ever want to commit suicide! It’s an easy way out if it all gets to be too much, and it gives me comfort knowing that there’s a fast way out!” How do you respond? I'd start to cry, "No, no, no. You can't I already lost my best friend to suicide like that and I'm not losing you to it. I'm putting this somewhere you can't find it and when you feel like that you come to me. I love you and I want you to be able to come to me." 10. You and Kevin are doing yard work one day and it’s really hot. At about 3 in the afternoon, you grab sodas for the both of you, and you wipe yours on your neck to cool off. Kevin laughs a little and says, “I’ve got a better way to cool down.” He’s got a mischievous grin on his face. What do you do? I'd smile at him, "Maybe after we finish this you can help me cool off in the shower?" 11. Kevin is really late getting home one day, and he won’t answer his phone. You’ve had the news going for a while, and you see that there’s a hostage situation at the bank. On the news camera, you see Kevin is trapped in the building, as a hostage. What do you do? I can't really do anything because I know it'd just make it harder for the police. But I'd stay raptured by the tv and when he was ok I'd drive down there to him. ---------- 1) After you've signed the memorabilia for the dude at the pawn shop, the store owner goes, "I don't know. That doesn't seem authentic. Let me call a guy in." How do you and your singer respond? 2) You answer your door one day and your singer comes blazing into the house. "I can't fucking believe he did that! He's such an asshole sometimes but I love him." You know she's talking about Kevin. What did Kevin do and how do you respond? 3) You and Randy are out the day you hear that Bon Scott has died. While your singer is mourning the loss of on of her favorite singers you and Randy have no idea what to do she's in a real funk and you've never seen her like this. What do you and Randy do? 4) You, Randy, and Kevin are walking past a news reporter on the street when Kevin goes up and starts sticking his finger in the reporter's ear. What do you and Randy do? 5) While traveling with your band, you notice that your singer is getting more nervous as you slowly reach her hometown. You know she's nervous about what her family will say. What do you do to calm her nerves? 6) Kevin has been hanging on your singer, his girlfriend, all day wanting her attention. You're going out for a girls night and when he sees her he goes, "Come on can't you stay home?" She grabs her keys before saying, "Sorry, Kev. Chicks before dicks." How do you respond? 7) You're sitting at the kitchen table with your singer when Stephen your roommate comes in looking awful. He's soaked and has mud all over him and he smells like sewage. Your singer looks at him and goes, "What happened to you? You look like you rolled around in a gutter." What happened? 8) You're signing things with your band and Randy and Kevin are off to the side scouting things out to make sure things are ok. While signing, a crazy guy pulls a gun on you and your singer. What do Randy and Kevin and the rest of the band do? 9) You're driving your son to the doctor for him to get checked up. He's only six months old. You don't feel right about letting him back there alone so you make Randy sit with him. All of a sudden Randy screams, "oh my god, James is having a seizure." What do you do? 10) Randy is driving and both of your kids are in the back seat. All of a sudden Randy says, "ok what just hit the back of my head." Your daughter pipes up, "oh James was choking on a butterscotch but just got it out." How do you and Randy respond? 11) You and your band have stopped got the night at a seedy hotel to get some sleep. When you get into the room your bassist puts a whole bunch of drugs on the table before going, "Who's first?" What do you and your singer do? @osbournebemydaddy your move, love :)

#tag game #tag war

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