if i've learned one thing from doing union stuff while also doing other forms of organizing, it's that you're better off with people you disagree with who are nevertheless trying to do the same thing as you than with people you agree with who aren't trying to do anything

Bluesky genuinely feels like a (good) work party - casually possible to just talk with new people! potentially useful people, even! also okay to just lurk and people-watch! It's very lovely.

Failgirl in debt to mafia twink sure is going to be keeping some artists well commissioned though.

not in the area but I also want to say, if you have RSD or similar social anxiety, it can (CAN, make your judgment call) actually be really good for healing and growth to have people overtly hate on you for something you can be completely sure is not only not your fault, but explicitly a good thing.

(Sources pt 2
amputee-coalition.org/5-6-million-...
oysterlink.com/spotlight/un...
worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankin... )

This is just for some examples to show population numbers in comparison to each other!

(Sources pt 1:
factually.co/fact-checks/...
news.gallup.com/poll/656708/...
williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications...
worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankin...
apnews.com/article/how-... )

my take is that avoiding echo chambers is about new ideas and perspectives. Nothing about this is accomplished by exposing myself to a sufficient ratio of conservatives who can tell me my gender isn't real and slavery was fine actually. That does not in fact make anyone a better, smarter person.

i mean can you imagine on a daily basis people going and screaming at a surgeon "can't you just do it for free this one time? why did you even take this job if you hate humans and want them to die? you want to just leave my son with appendicitis?"

the amount of people who harass the vets is insane, like if you can't afford chemo for a human you go scream at the insurance companies and the drug companies. if you can't afford chemo for a dog you apparently go scream at the vet.

if bosses make using safety tools look weird and fragile of you, they can save money on OSHA compliance AND get to invalidate your worker's comp claims! so I spent a lot of time yelling at people to fight the power and wear rubber gloves more often

lots of snake owners are wonderful people and snakes are amazing pets and i love snakes. And some owners can't get some snakes to accept f/t. But there's a very real demographic there of people who like watching living creatures die horribly and use their pets as a socially acceptable outlet for it.

people who don't care about animals are evil. people who loudly care about animals instead of people are also evil. sure it's cute and edgy to be all "I'm more interested in helping animals than humans" until you openly neglect your children in favor of your dog

like first of all, yes, slightly higher working class people will sell their souls to the establishment on a whim. Like requiring plain masks because people were wearing black lives matter ones, and management actually having the balls to say out loud "your life having value is too controversial".

A, then C, then B, in order of which would be most compelling to me