Shoot the Wall (A.K.A. The Rant Thread)

[Fantasy Lover]

Everyone who stayed indoors due covid lockdowns would be a millionaire then lol

[Carol the Dabbler]

7 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I see it happen in my native language as well. People butcher words (purposely) and I have to admit I barely understood anything after working abroad for a long time. There are so many informal slangs and ridiculous translation they smash into new words, and the abominable vocabulary is growing!

You do realize that general sort of thing has been happening ever since there's been language?  That's why we're not writing this is Anglo-Saxon.

Admittedly it can be very annoying to those of us who are old enough to remember what the language was like a few revisions ago!  I suspect that the rate of change is increasing -- presumably due to the internet -- but can't say for sure.  It's like being on a moving train and trying to tell how fast the things over there are moving.

 

[Fantasy Lover]

I'm only 31, and I already don't understand gen alpha slang. Wtf do you mean by skibidi rizz and no cap? Speak English dammit! BRB, I need to chase some kids of my lawn

[Carol the Dabbler]

1 hour ago, Fantasy Lover said:

I'm only 31, and I already don't understand gen alpha slang. Wtf do you mean by skibidi rizz and no cap? Speak English dammit! BRB, I need to chase some kids of my lawn

I'm somewhat older than you, and didn't even know what BRB means till I looked it up ("Be Right Back").

 

[J.P.]

  

On 9/14/2025 at 4:51 AM, Van Buren Supernova said:

It's annoying to see those post on Twitter 'Would you stay at home for a month for 100000 dollars?' This comes in many permutations, each more annoying than the other. I'd be filthy rich by now.

  

On 9/14/2025 at 5:30 AM, Fantasy Lover said:

Everyone who stayed indoors due covid lockdowns would be a millionaire then lol

 

A month? What about a year - and you can pay me per month.

Lockdowns didn't really lock me down.
Try living with irritable bowel syndrome.  

[Van Buren Supernova]

On 9/15/2025 at 11:59 PM, J.P. said:

Try living with irritable bowel syndrome.

Sorry to hear that. Is it occasional or permanent? Public toilet is a nightmare to me, that would confine me as well.

When I was still active in mountaineering, especially for longer expeditions, we were supposed to do it outdoor. Number one is thankfully rare because of sweating, but when I had to do it, it was hard. I really needed to be sure there was no one around. 

For number two, we brought machete for digging, presumably like kitty litter theory, and FORTUNATELY, I never needed that. Yes, there was a week long expedition, but we stopped by a local house mid week and they had a toilet! 

For other times, I still believe in this method and it worked for me: every time I started a climb, at the foot of the mountain I would choose a small, solid rock and put it in my pocket. A senior taught me that. I never had the urge and always made it on time to the proper toilet. I swear by this.

That is not an advice! It probably wouldn't be easy to find natural, solid rock in urban settings. To be honest, maybe I'd prefer nature than dirty public toilet. Yes, absolutely. Yuck.

Since we are at that, and you have been cursed to read this far, in one of the expedition in a remote island one of our agendas was to built proper toilet for the villagers, on the LAND. What they had was outhouse on stilts in the ocean. Again, thankfully we occupied the town hall and there were toilets. So, besides other things, we spent time building these for them. They were thankful and all were good.

However, we found out they never used them. Why? Because they didn't feel comfortable doing number two without the ocean view and gathering of fish underneath.   I have to say it's a very green way and now that I type this, it doesn't sound that bad, does it?

[Fantasy Lover]

On 9/15/2025 at 5:59 PM, J.P. said:

 A month? What about a year - and you can pay me per month.

Lockdowns didn't really lock me down.
Try living with irritable bowel syndrome.  

I feel you, I have occasional irritable bowel syndrome.

[J.P.]

5 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

Is it occasional or permanent?

Permanent. I don't count occasional two-day breaks. Cannot find out anything specific causing it either, because there seem to be no rules. 
As "doing it" in nature - as a kid, I HATED #2 in the woods to the extent that it regularly caused constipation while being outdoors for longer.
But now it's the ahem… explosive character of the problem that IS the problem. 😕 I'd literally need to carry a potty with me. 

I need a toilet in the sight distance - otherwise, I might not make it.
And going out (for shopping or doctor appointments, or occasionally for work) hungry (=hangry) is no fun at all. 

I notice a decline in my fitness very clearly. Gardening isn't that much of a workout, and this year I didn't even tend to the garden that much, expecting the house I live in to be sold. Actually, I thought it would be over already, one way or another, but it's the seventh month of living in limbo right now.

[Carol the Dabbler]

On 9/17/2025 at 5:09 AM, Van Buren Supernova said:

What they had was outhouse on stilts in the ocean. Again, thankfully we occupied the town hall and there were toilets. So, besides other things, we spent time building these for them. They were thankful and all were good.

However, we found out they never used them. Why? Because they didn't feel comfortable doing number two without the ocean view and gathering of fish underneath. 

No surprise!  Cultures virtually always adapt what they adopt from other cultures.  Just off the top of my head, food based on food from India but served in restaurants here in the US is nowhere NEAR as incendiary as what actual people from India actually eat.  (Beware, though: the same restaurant will automatically serve the traditional spiciness to anyone from India -- and to anyone else at the same table!  Learned that the hard way!)

On 9/17/2025 at 11:00 AM, J.P. said:

Cannot find out anything specific causing it either, because there seem to be no rules. 

Keep that question alive in your mind.  I've recently discovered the (obvious, now that I know what it is) reason for something that's been bugging me for years.

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

On 9/17/2025 at 11:00 PM, J.P. said:

Cannot find out anything specific causing it either, because there seem to be no rules. 

That must be frustrating. Some probiotic supplements could help but I assume you had tried it.

 

On 9/17/2025 at 11:00 PM, J.P. said:

I notice a decline in my fitness very clearly. 

 Little things can add up, it's getting harder to eat healthier, and life can be stressful.

Please take care.

On 9/17/2025 at 11:00 PM, J.P. said:

one way or another, but it's the seventh month of living in limbo right now.

I sort of understand this, I think. I live in two places, and I stop gardening. Every plants I have now are the ones that survive on neglect.

[Fantasy Lover]

On 9/17/2025 at 1:09 PM, Fantasy Lover said:

I feel you, I have occasional irritable bowel syndrome.

I don't have irritable bowel syndrome now, I have a stomach flu. Which is worse

[besleybean]

I seem to be suffering a lot of IBS symptoms...

Don't know whether to blame caffeine, dairy products or fizzy drinks...

Maybe it's all of them!

[J.P.]

17 hours ago, besleybean said:

Don't know whether to blame caffeine, dairy products or fizzy drinks...

The causes by me:

Caffeine/Coffee: yes, but not always.
Dairy: yes, but not always.
Sugar: yes, but not always.
Everything else: yes, but not always.

Nothing at all: no, but not always…
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

And yes, I tried some of the most obvious remedies. Many of those seem to be made to take your money, though.

[Van Buren Supernova]

I hate to park next to an ahole, because when they leave, I'll be the ahole. I'm also unsure if I can be mad at that ahole, because they might not be the original ahole.

[Fantasy Lover]

The increasingly hostile attitude in the US against trans people, and people with autism. You can't take Tylenol or get vaccinated anymore or your child will get autism. And it's always the woman's fault! I'm curious what they'll say when I'll them that it's thanks my dad I have autism

[Carol the Dabbler]

10 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I hate to park next to an ahole, because when they leave, I'll be the ahole. I'm also unsure if I can be mad at that ahole, because they might not be the original ahole.

I understand (and agree with!) your point.  I'm curious, though, which sort of aholery you're talking about.  For example:

1 - In a parking area with lines marking the spaces, if someone parks way crooked and/or on top of a line, it's impossible to do a proper job of parking in the next space, so if that's the only space available you end up perpetuating the error.

2 - If someone has scraped or dented an adjoining car while parking, and then leaves, you don't dare park in their empty space for fear of being blamed for the damage.

Or maybe you meant any of the above and more, in which case I'd still agree with you.

7 hours ago, Fantasy Lover said:

The increasingly hostile attitude in the US against trans people, and people with autism.

Of course I can't speak for everyone in the US (it's a big country!), but from what I have seen and heard, the only people likely to be hostile toward either of the demographics you mention would be the small but outspoken minority who hate pretty much everybody except their own clones.  I've met a (mercifully) few of those haters, and have noted that pretty much nobody else likes them back, either.

Actually, I've never heard of anybody being hostile toward people with autism.  As for trans people, it's my impression that most of the hostility is toward people who are pretty obviously *pretending* to be trans, but who clearly do not actually have gender dysphoria (for example, bearded men in dresses).

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

It’s the first one, yes, in the situation where you have no other choices but to park next to them and therefore follow their pattern in order to fit. This is applicable for cars and motorcycle although it’s easier to maneuver and adjust motorcycle.

 

I have many colorful language to say about Tylenol gate and let’s say I wouldn't want to dig myself into a infinite rabbit hole so I’d just say (@#%!**#&* and #&!#&$%(*^&#%^$@*@* and #!&^#$%$*@!@ to remain healthy and sane. Hopefully this (#@*!^*&& doesn’t ever come near where I live.

 

My rant for today:

It’s amazing (not in a good way) for me to see how people fake everything. Maybe because it’s internet culture now, or maybe because they are too immoral and willing to do everything.

I’m not talking about just not advertising yourself the way you are, fishing for stupid internet likes by doing and faking stupid things, the reason I quit Facebook decades ago, but something much more sinister like faking animal rescue videos. This is heartbreaking and making me have more trust issues. There are users and channels that pretend to rescue animals but in reality they are the one who inflicted the condition in the first place, or worse, it’s a reverse video. Besides internet, it happens in real life as well, that is why I am always skeptical with any charity and foundation.

Other issues that I have seen more lately is people faking mental illness and disease, like pretending to have cancer or worse, munchausen by proxy cases. I can’t fathom, actually I am quite speechless whenever I read about them and the only thing I want to do is to throw them into the space.

Are we the most despicable species?

That is my shaking fist to the sky moment today.

[Fantasy Lover]

8 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

Actually, I've never heard of anybody being hostile toward people with autism.  As for trans people, it's my impression that most of the hostility is toward people who are pretty obviously *pretending* to be trans, but who clearly do not actually have gender dysphoria (for example, bearded men in dresses).

 

I've had people treat me differently due to my autism though. My social worker wanted to try out two organisations who could help me. I said no to both of them after they visited me, and both their work places got a complaint from me.

One organisation send two women, one who was afraid to say anything on case of offending me, one who kept comparing me to her autistic daughter. Because everyone with autism is the same /s. 

 

Second organisation also send a woman. Look I'm used to making a network circle with all your friends and family, I'm not used to it if you make that same circle with coloured stick man figures. I am not a child! And I can't help but feel none of these women would have treated me this way if I wasn't autistic.

 

I'm sorry to say this Carol, but your impression is wrong. There is hostility towards trans people who pretend to be trans just so that can be peeping Tom's and look at women's naked bodies. 

 

Or worse get barred from sports by having an "unfair advantage" because they were born male. I advise you look up Lia Thomas and how much Riley Gaines thrash talked about her because they were tied for 5th place and she felt like her thunder was stolen from her by a transgender, what a sore loser. 

[Carol the Dabbler]

20 hours ago, Fantasy Lover said:

I've had people treat me differently due to my autism though.

OK, I think I see what you mean.  I could never get the "normal" way of doing anything to work for me, so I've always ended up figuring out what works for me and then doing it that way.  Which may be one reason why some (most?) people seem to think I'm kinda weird.  Not saying that's the same as your situation, but maybe analogous in some ways.

21 hours ago, Fantasy Lover said:

There is hostility towards trans people who pretend to be trans just so that can be peeping Tom's and look at women's naked bodies. 

Oops, you're absolutely right!  (Though that's not actually hostility toward trans people, since they're just pretending.)  I keep wondering why the people who make that rule (school administrators, for example) think it makes sense.  Don't they know what teenage boys are like?

I don't know how sports are organized in Belgium, so maybe it's different from the US, but until 1972, schools/universities here didn't have any organized sports for females, only for males.  Then Congress enacted Title IX, which says they have to provide equivalent opportunities for females.  Because females are (generally) not nearly as big or strong or solidly built as males, it would have been dangerous for females to try participating in the existing male sports (though they'd have had very little chance of qualifying for the team in the first place), so the programs have always been separate.  I really feel sorry for Lia Thomas -- she's apparently a genuine trans person, and seems to greatly enjoy sports.  But while she's presumably lost some of the strength she had as a male, she's clearly still far larger, stronger, and sturdier than her erstwhile female teammates, so she doesn't really fit in either place now.  I don't know what the answer is.

[Van Buren Supernova]

On 9/26/2025 at 3:05 PM, Fantasy Lover said:

Or worse get barred from sports by having an "unfair advantage" because they were born male. I advise you look up Lia Thomas and how much Riley Gaines thrash talked about her because they were tied for 5th place and she felt like her thunder was stolen from her by a transgender, what a sore loser. 

I pick my battle, if I think it’s not worth writing about, I wouldn’t try to reply. However, I have hope that maybe you want to consider another way to look at it regarding Lia Thomas and similar cases.

Disclaimer: I know and read about her, but not to the extend of what the person Riley you mentioned was saying. I didn’t follow the news and I think that comes later.

Another disclaimer, I am not a professional athlete, far from it. I played sports mostly in my colleague and only completed within my university. I didn’t train, I wasn’t coached, I played and competed for fun during bi-annual friendly events.

One thing I would try to convince you, the physical ability of biological male and female is very different, which makes us better at different things.

For example, I competed in wall/rock climbing (wall is manmade rock is nature) Women mostly rely on legs while men generally have better upper body strength. It’s easier for them to pull up with hands therefore the slanted, protruding terrain (imagine the ridiculous Tom Cruise’s mission impossible rock climbing, I would shit myself and die) would be easier for them since upper body strength play a huge part here. Of course, proper training might help and there are exceptions.

When I did my first rock climbing orientation we had separate cliffs for males and females, and another cliff shared by both gender because we were only using tools (jumaring) and doing abseiling on that one. I competed my cliff, and they ordered me to climb another which I found out was for males. This was like orientation when we had seniors barking orders bootcamp style (and trying to find potential talents suitable for each specific divisions) so I didn’t know what was going on, I thought they were just picking on me. The ‘male’ cliff was like what I had described earlier, much more three-dimensional and I needed to use a lot of upper body strength which I barely had. Fortunately, it was nature, so there were many ‘things’ I could use, a little space to put my slightly smaller than average male feet or my fingers could fit into smaller cracks. Not all males could clear this wall and no other females were asked to try. This was our first cliff, we had no experience and were in various shapes, and there was daylight as the limit. However, apple to apple basis, during competition, it’s expected that everyone is familiar with the sport, not rookies like us. The physical difference is there and competitions are done at walls, the manmade environment wouldn’t help the way nature did. It wouldn't be fair to compete with different gender. Just like the swimming pool.

I took a specific certification course back then which the requirements were the same for both genders. We had swimming pool tests, one of them was basic swimming, if I remember correctly it was 400 meter in under 20 minutes besides other water tests. I was the only female in my group back then and it was horrible. I was far behind, the time differences was not a joke. None of us were athletes, we were just trying to finish a course. However, during the 15 minutes water treading I was sparkling while the guys were struggling. While technique helps, females are generally more buoyant than males, we also need extra weight to keep us underwater. It’s just simple physical comparation by gender.

When the test was to lift an 'unconscious' diver out of the water using a certain pulling method, I couldn’t do it. My instructor was big and although the method should allow me to lift him (according to him) I couldn’t while the guys did it. Again, it relied a lot on upper body strength where I stood at the edge of water and used crossed hands method to get him out vertically. I was lucky I didn’t crash into the water instead, but all I did was dipping him like a giant tea bag, trying and failing, bumping him on the pool’s edge enough times that he decided to end both his and my suffering.

In sprinting. I won the female sprint categories but when I tried to do a sprint with my male friends it was pretty hard to beat them. The world records for both gender on 100 and 200meter has significant time differences.

I can’t testify for other sports but both genders are built differently and it wouldn’t be fair to compete in the same sport that require mostly physicality. Some sports also have categorizations within its own gender like weigh classes in boxing.

I think in Lia Thomas’s case, it’s not against transgender, but it’s simply not fair in sport terminology. Just like not using substance that potentially give anyone any advantages. It’s preferable to be apple to apple as closely as possible.

If I were to compete professionally and lose to a biological man, to be honest, I would be pissed, too. Sore loser, I don’t know. No agenda, no hate to particular demographic, I think it's simple unfair. However, as I have stated in the beginning of the post, I didn’t know what this Riley person talked about, if it’s based on hate and if it’s a personal attack, that I can see why you are mad and that is not a behavior to be condoned.

[Fantasy Lover]

8 hours ago, Carol the Dabbler said:

OK, I think I see what you mean.  I could never get the "normal" way of doing anything to work for me, so I've always ended up figuring out what works for me and then doing it that way.  Which may be one reason why some (most?) people seem to think I'm kinda weird.  Not saying that's the same as your situation, but maybe analogous in some ways.

Oops, you're absolutely right!  (Though that's not actually hostility toward trans people, since they're just pretending.)  I keep wondering why the people who make that rule (school administrators, for example) think it makes sense.  Don't they know what teenage boys are like?

I don't know how sports are organized in Belgium, so maybe it's different from the US, but until 1972, schools/universities here didn't have any organized sports for females, only for males.  Then Congress enacted Title IX, which says they have to provide equivalent opportunities for females.  Because females are (generally) not nearly as big or strong or solidly built as males, it would have been dangerous for females to try participating in the existing male sports (though they'd have had very little chance of qualifying for the team in the first place), so the programs have always been separate.  I really feel sorry for Lia Thomas -- she's apparently a genuine trans person, and seems to greatly enjoy sports.  But while she's presumably lost some of the strength she had as a male, she's clearly still far larger, stronger, and sturdier than her erstwhile female teammates, so she doesn't really fit in either place now.  I don't know what the answer is.

Okay but teenage boy I understand, but trans teenagers? It's the same here in Belgium, we also have gendered sports.

3 hours ago, Van Buren Supernova said:

I pick my battle, if I think it’s not worth writing about, I wouldn’t try to reply. However, I have hope that maybe you want to consider another way to look at it regarding Lia Thomas and similar cases.

Disclaimer: I know and read about her, but not to the extend of what the person Riley you mentioned was saying. I didn’t follow the news and I think that comes later.

Another disclaimer, I am not a professional athlete, far from it. I played sports mostly in my colleague and only completed within my university. I didn’t train, I wasn’t coached, I played and competed for fun during bi-annual friendly events.

One thing I would try to convince you, the physical ability of biological male and female is very different, which makes us better at different things.

For example, I competed in wall/rock climbing (wall is manmade rock is nature) Women mostly rely on legs while men generally have better upper body strength. It’s easier for them to pull up with hands therefore the slanted, protruding terrain (imagine the ridiculous Tom Cruise’s mission impossible rock climbing, I would shit myself and die) would be easier for them since upper body strength play a huge part here. Of course, proper training might help and there are exceptions.

When I did my first rock climbing orientation we had separate cliffs for males and females, and another cliff shared by both gender because we were only using tools (jumaring) and doing abseiling on that one. I competed my cliff, and they ordered me to climb another which I found out was for males. This was like orientation when we had seniors barking orders bootcamp style (and trying to find potential talents suitable for each specific divisions) so I didn’t know what was going on, I thought they were just picking on me. The ‘male’ cliff was like what I had described earlier, much more three-dimensional and I needed to use a lot of upper body strength which I barely had. Fortunately, it was nature, so there were many ‘things’ I could use, a little space to put my slightly smaller than average male feet or my fingers could fit into smaller cracks. Not all males could clear this wall and no other females were asked to try. This was our first cliff, we had no experience and were in various shapes, and there was daylight as the limit. However, apple to apple basis, during competition, it’s expected that everyone is familiar with the sport, not rookies like us. The physical difference is there and competitions are done at walls, the manmade environment wouldn’t help the way nature did. It wouldn't be fair to compete with different gender. Just like the swimming pool.

I took a specific certification course back then which the requirements were the same for both genders. We had swimming pool tests, one of them was basic swimming, if I remember correctly it was 400 meter in under 20 minutes besides other water tests. I was the only female in my group back then and it was horrible. I was far behind, the time differences was not a joke. None of us were athletes, we were just trying to finish a course. However, during the 15 minutes water treading I was sparkling while the guys were struggling. While technique helps, females are generally more buoyant than males, we also need extra weight to keep us underwater. It’s just simple physical comparation by gender.

When the test was to lift an 'unconscious' diver out of the water using a certain pulling method, I couldn’t do it. My instructor was big and although the method should allow me to lift him (according to him) I couldn’t while the guys did it. Again, it relied a lot on upper body strength where I stood at the edge of water and used crossed hands method to get him out vertically. I was lucky I didn’t crash into the water instead, but all I did was dipping him like a giant tea bag, trying and failing, bumping him on the pool’s edge enough times that he decided to end both his and my suffering.

In sprinting. I won the female sprint categories but when I tried to do a sprint with my male friends it was pretty hard to beat them. The world records for both gender on 100 and 200meter has significant time differences.

I can’t testify for other sports but both genders are built differently and it wouldn’t be fair to compete in the same sport that require mostly physicality. Some sports also have categorizations within its own gender like weigh classes in boxing.

I think in Lia Thomas’s case, it’s not against transgender, but it’s simply not fair in sport terminology. Just like not using substance that potentially give anyone any advantages. It’s preferable to be apple to apple as closely as possible.

If I were to compete professionally and lose to a biological man, to be honest, I would be pissed, too. Sore loser, I don’t know. No agenda, no hate to particular demographic, I think it's simple unfair. However, as I have stated in the beginning of the post, I didn’t know what this Riley person talked about, if it’s based on hate and if it’s a personal attack, that I can see why you are mad and that is not a behavior to be condoned.

Okay, but what about biological women or men? What about Fred Phelps who had a huge advantage with his arms in swimming? What about Ursain Bolt who also had advantage in running? Or recently Imane Khelif who won in the 2024 Olympics and TERFS were spreading false information that she was transgender when she has probably too much testerone or something? It's slippery slope and I don't like where it will end 

[Carol the Dabbler]

On 9/27/2025 at 9:09 AM, Fantasy Lover said:

what about biological women or men? What about Fred Phelps who had a huge advantage with his arms in swimming? What about Ursain Bolt who also had advantage in running?

I'm not a big sports fan, so don't know who these people are, but I assume you mean they're not trans, they're simply at the top end of normal for their sex.  Yes, there will always be people who are just naturally better suited for a given activity.  Even within the weight classes that VBS mentioned, the people at the heavy end of a class will have an advantage over the people at the lightweight end.  We can't make everything perfectly fair, but we can at least make a good-faith effort.

 

[Fantasy Lover]

Okay but why is it acceptable for biological males and women like Fred Phelps and Usain Bolt to excel at their respective sports, but not transgenders?

[Carol the Dabbler]

12 hours ago, Fantasy Lover said:

why is it acceptable for biological males and women like Fred Phelps and Usain Bolt to excel at their respective sports, but not transgenders?

For the same reason that there don't seem to be any transmales in male sports,.

 

[Fantasy Lover]

I see 

 

Back on topic, people who still ask for directions and not use google maps, boomers I understand but millenials? It's 2026 in a few months, for crying out loud! Technology is a thing, use it!