Sad news

[Darth Fluffy 302]

Joe Lieberman

His bio is interesting. He's more of a centrist than I realized.

[ijuin 572]

Those on the Right Wing would have us believe that anyone an inch to the Left of them is an extremist nutjob.

[Don Edwards 548]

That characteristic is found in a wide variety of fanatics. Including on the US political left. And certain varieties of several religions. And some folks who have recently revised their lifestyle to an allegedly-healthier theme. And...

[ijuin 572]

Well yes, but in this case I was referring to the relatively centrist Lieberman having been described by his detractors as an arch-liberal. I do not think that there has been a Presidential/Vice-Presidential nominee for the Democratic Party since JFK whom the Republican Party has NOT screamed is unpalatably left-wing.

[Don Edwards 548]

Well, I figure that there's a reason the voters who align with the Republicans don't align with the Democrats, and "we find their nominees to be unpalatably left-wing" would be a good reason.

I haven't noticed a shortage of Democrats who accuse Republican nominees of being unpalatably right-wing... which would make a similar amount of sense for the same reason.

[ijuin 572]

True, but it seems as of late that the GOP declares all opponents to be insane without exception, based more on the fact that they are opponents than on any coherent expression of policy.

[Don Edwards 548]

And I see leading Democrats treating all non-Democrats with a similar level of respect.

(IMHO anyone willing to run for elective government office is a candidate for a mental-health facility. And those who, having done so once, want to do it again...)

[The Old Hack 2,448]

On 3/30/2024 at 0:44 PM, ijuin said:

I do not think that there has been a Presidential/Vice-Presidential nominee for the Democratic Party since JFK whom the Republican Party has NOT screamed is unpalatably left-wing.

Currently their stance seems to be that anyone who is not an outright authoritarian fascist is lurching uncontrollably to the left.

[Don Edwards 548]

7 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

Currently their stance seems to be that anyone who is not an outright authoritarian fascist is lurching uncontrollably to the left.

And to listen to a lot of Democrats talk, anyone who isn't pushing substantially identical policies (sometimes with the pointy bit in a different group's chest) in the name of anti-fascism is lurching uncontrollably to the right.

[mlooney 3,417]

All of this makes us foreign policy conservatives sad.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

15 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

And to listen to a lot of Democrats talk, anyone who isn't pushing substantially identical policies (sometimes with the pointy bit in a different group's chest) in the name of anti-fascism is lurching uncontrollably to the right.

Well yes but they have been doing that for decades now without actually bringing the US close to socialism so it isn't really comparable.

[Don Edwards 548]

I notice that the out-of-power party is eager to declare that anything the in-power party wants to do is crap...

... and then when they regain power and could undo the "crap," they instead set about polishing it.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

On 3/31/2024 at 2:07 AM, ijuin said:

True, but it seems as of late that the GOP declares all opponents to be insane without exception, based more on the fact that they are opponents than on any coherent expression of policy.

Not all of them; indeed the term RINO has been subverted to mean it's opposite. The neo-fascists that currently control the GOP are not Republican as historically understood. But, there are several Republicans who I have to respect for their call the Dumpster Fire what it is. And they have all paid a price for doing so. Would I vote for them? Probably not, but if they won, I would not feel our nation is threatened.

 

On 4/1/2024 at 0:08 PM, Don Edwards said:

And to listen to a lot of Democrats talk, anyone who isn't pushing substantially identical policies (sometimes with the pointy bit in a different group's chest) in the name of anti-fascism is lurching uncontrollably to the right.

I don't think that is true. Most folks I've talked to are aware of who is a neo-fascist and who is a conservative. Recall that Joe Biden and John McCain were close friends, Joe Lieberman (D) was considered as John McCain's running mate, and Barrack Obama and both of the others mentioned delivered eulogies at McCain's funeral; Mango Maggat Man was specifically not invited due to his prior disrespectful and petty comments. I've heard nothing but praise for the Republicans who took a stand against the insurrection on the January 6th committee.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

OJ Simpson passed away. I suppose there will be those who think he got his due, others who think he escaped justice. Sad end for a man who once held great promise and respect.

[mlooney 3,417]

OJ meh.  I really didn't care one way or another.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

This is not for public dissemination. I'm bringing it up because I need to discuss it, and I can't discuss it anywhere else.

My son shared the unfortunate news with my wife and myself last night that he is getting a divorce. More accurately, his soon-to-be-ex-spouse informed him she wants a divorce and moved back in with her parents, with no desire to attempt marriage counseling. Said event took place several weeks ago, at around the time she had what he called an "emotional affair" with a co-worker. He's been alone in their apartment ever since, and has it until the lease runs out at the end of May.

We first learned that there might be trouble in their relationship around three weeks ago. He stopped talking after that point, leaving us to fear the worst. So, last night's announcement didn't really come as much of a shock. The details were a bit of a surprise, but that's about it.

We offered to let him move back in once his lease runs out (he's 37, BTW). He accepted without argument or hesitation. After we finished discussing the details of the divorce, the rest of the evening was spent preparing his room for his return, and preparing a meal of Japanese curry (mentioned elsewhere on these forums). We watched some Ice Hockey as we ate, as he is a huge fan of the sport. (I'm just a fan of the Dallas Stars.)

I was dreading his announcement prior to his arrival Thursday evening. After he made it, I felt a mix of sorrow and relief - sorrow for his situation, and relief that the tension was finally over. However, I'm a bit concerned by the way I feel now, on the day after his announcement. To be blunt, I don't really feel much of anything. I'm usually an overthinker, borderline OCD. I suffer from the occasional intrusive thought, and I imagined that I'd be overthinking my son's situation like crazy. However, I'm not, and that concerns me. The only thing that really triggered me to think about the situation was my wife saying she needed ice cream after last night's events. That booted my brain into action.

I really don't know what I should be doing here, now that I've put things down into the digital medium. Should I leave things as they were before my wife spoke up? Do I need to give things more thought? I'm at a loss. Things haven't been helped by my physical situation today, which has been total crap.

I'm open for input. 'Twould be most appreciated.

[ijuin 572]

If you’re “not really feeling much of anything” then you may still be in emotional shock, and it will sink in later.

[Don Edwards 548]

I think Ijuin is probably right; however it's also possible that you've emotionally let go of the Dad drive to make life perfect for your kid. Or at least accepted that you can't fix things - the reality, or his emotions, either one - for him.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

17 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

This is not for public dissemination. I'm bringing it up because I need to discuss it, and I can't discuss it anywhere else.

My son shared the unfortunate news with my wife and myself last night that he is getting a divorce. More accurately, his soon-to-be-ex-spouse informed him she wants a divorce and moved back in with her parents, with no desire to attempt marriage counseling. Said event took place several weeks ago, at around the time she had what he called an "emotional affair" with a co-worker. He's been alone in their apartment ever since, and has it until the lease runs out at the end of May.

We first learned that there might be trouble in their relationship around three weeks ago. He stopped talking after that point, leaving us to fear the worst. So, last night's announcement didn't really come as much of a shock. The details were a bit of a surprise, but that's about it.

We offered to let him move back in once his lease runs out (he's 37, BTW). He accepted without argument or hesitation. After we finished discussing the details of the divorce, the rest of the evening was spent preparing his room for his return, and preparing a meal of Japanese curry (mentioned elsewhere on these forums). We watched some Ice Hockey as we ate, as he is a huge fan of the sport. (I'm just a fan of the Dallas Stars.)

I was dreading his announcement prior to his arrival Thursday evening. After he made it, I felt a mix of sorrow and relief - sorrow for his situation, and relief that the tension was finally over. However, I'm a bit concerned by the way I feel now, on the day after his announcement. To be blunt, I don't really feel much of anything. I'm usually an overthinker, borderline OCD. I suffer from the occasional intrusive thought, and I imagined that I'd be overthinking my son's situation like crazy. However, I'm not, and that concerns me. The only thing that really triggered me to think about the situation was my wife saying she needed ice cream after last night's events. That booted my brain into action.

I really don't know what I should be doing here, now that I've put things down into the digital medium. Should I leave things as they were before my wife spoke up? Do I need to give things more thought? I'm at a loss. Things haven't been helped by my physical situation today, which has been total crap.

I'm open for input. 'Twould be most appreciated.

Your son needs some space to deal with this; at the very least, in order to learn from it. Being too helpful can thwart his growth.

I am not a fan of divorce, but sometimes it is desirable, even necessary, and delaying causes more pain. This one I know, lived it.

From what I've seen, if they can break up amicably and agreeably, they are both better off. That would assume no kids are involved.

This did not start with her '"emotional affair'. That also had a reason to be, so she was already unhappy.

It doesn't mean your son did anything wrong. She may be just immature. He might ask himself, "Did I contribute to our breakup?" "Should I have seen this coming?" "What should I look for in future relationships?". You might help him most with the last one.

If he was a factor, he should own up to it and seek assistance. Counseling can help (but be selective, he should be sure it's helping).

 

 

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

9 hours ago, Darth Fluffy said:

This did not start with her '"emotional affair'. That also had a reason to be, so she was already unhappy.

Yes, there were circumstances she raised which led to her decisions. I merely pointed to the "emotional affair" as the final inciting incident which led to the demise of their relationship.

9 hours ago, Darth Fluffy said:

He might ask himself, "Did I contribute to our breakup?" "Should I have seen this coming?" "What should I look for in future relationships?"

Oh, he realizes he had problems. I just didn't want to bring them up in such a short essay. To put things simply, he suffers from a form of "Non-24" sleep disorder which prevents him from having a regular sleep schedule. The way he sees it, she'd had enough of putting up with his disability. Combined with her own mental illnesses, which were beginning to become non-trivial, things got to be too much for her.

9 hours ago, Darth Fluffy said:

Counseling can help (but be selective, he should be sure it's helping).

She has flat out refused counseling. It's a non-starter.

[Darth Fluffy 302]

6 hours ago, ProfessorTomoe said:

Yes, there were circumstances she raised which led to her decisions. I merely pointed to the "emotional affair" as the final inciting incident which led to the demise of their relationship.

Oh, he realizes he had problems. I just didn't want to bring them up in such a short essay. To put things simply, he suffers from a form of "Non-24" sleep disorder which prevents him from having a regular sleep schedule. The way he sees it, she'd had enough of putting up with his disability. Combined with her own mental illnesses, which were beginning to become non-trivial, things got to be too much for her.

She has flat out refused counseling. It's a non-starter.

I meant counseling as individuals, moving forward. Actually, was just referring to him, he's the only one he has control over.

It's a pity she rejects counseling. It sounds like she needs the assistance. Does she get any treatment at all?

 

[ProfessorTomoe 1,308]

11 hours ago, Darth Fluffy said:

It's a pity she rejects counseling. It sounds like she needs the assistance. Does she get any treatment at all?

I do not know.