Random Thread

[Raphael]

So, no, someone can say they endorse monstrous things yet be perfectly ordinary in private life. It’s one of the more persistent paradoxes of human history.

I completely agree that people often can and will support or do monstrous things without being monsters. I just don't think that's the case with the main political or "thought" leaders of the 21st century neofascist right-wing, or with anyone who can look at people like that and think "these people are great!"

[bradrn]

I just don't think that's the case with the main political or "thought" leaders of the 21st century neofascist right-wing

Certainly not. But malloc’s boss, needless to say, is not one of them. (I should hope.)

or with anyone who can look at people like that and think "these people are great!"

There I would disagree. I think a lot of these people are being highly selective about what they pay attention to — often willfully, to be sure, but that’s motivated reasoning for you.

[malloc]

I just called my workplace about taking off and they said they would let me have Sunday off but only if nobody else takes the day off. It sounds like I'm the only one even considering not coming and they are really reluctant to let me off given that nobody else seems to consider the snow an obstacle to coming to work.

[alice]

I just called my workplace about taking off and they said they would let me have Sunday off but only if nobody else takes the day off. It sounds like I'm the only one even considering not coming and they are really reluctant to let me off given that nobody else seems to consider the snow an obstacle to coming to work.

All that really matters - or that should matter, even in MAGAland - is this: can you reasonably get to work without a car in adverse circumstances, and if you can't, should you still be expected to try? I can remember being TOLD not to come in to school during a period of heavy snow many moons ago.

[malloc]

All that really matters - or that should matter, even in MAGAland - is this: can you reasonably get to work without a car in adverse circumstances, and if you can't, should you still be expected to try? I can remember being TOLD not to come in to school during a period of heavy snow many moons ago.

The problem is that they do think I can make it to work because everyone else apparently can somehow. Unless everyone else also takes the day off, they will conclude that I simply didn't make enough of an effort and will count it as an unexcused absence. You can argue that that demand is unreasonable and I would agree, but it sounds like that's what they've decided.

[Glenn]

I seem to have started a little bit of a discussion on vampires and mummies in the comments section of Bret Devereaux's latest blog post: https://acoup.blog/2025/11/28/gap-week- ... nksgiving/

(Do a page search for my name to get to the start.)

[I apologize for interrupting the discussion by reviving an old conversation of the thread, but I have a number of posts that I began a long time ago, and am finally posting at last.]

I meant to contribute to the discussion on mummies on A Collection of Unmitigated Pendantry when it first appeared, but I did not have the time at that point, and the comment thread (as usual for Bret Deveraux’s blog posts) quickly exploded to the point that any contribution that I might have made would have been lost in the shuffle.

What I had intended to say, in response to the observation that mummies in fiction are usually portrayed as evil, was that the novel Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw, the third book in her Dr. Greta Helsing series, would be a good place to find a sympathetic portrayal of mummies. Mind you, the title character is a doctor specializing in supernatural patients, so sympathetic portrayals of monsters are the series’ stock in trade: there are sympathetic vampire characters, sympathetic ghouls, sympathetic demons, and a sympathetic werewolf (as well as a few nastier characters, many of which are normal human beings). Grave Importance is set in part at a hospital that specializes in treating mummies; one clever bit is that if their ailment involves their internal organs, the doctors have to treat the canopic jars, not the mummy, since that’s where the organs are.

[Glenn]

All that really matters - or that should matter, even in MAGAland - is this: can you reasonably get to work without a car in adverse circumstances, and if you can't, should you still be expected to try? I can remember being TOLD not to come in to school during a period of heavy snow many moons ago.

The problem is that they do think I can make it to work because everyone else apparently can somehow. Unless everyone else also takes the day off, they will conclude that I simply didn't make enough of an effort and will count it as an unexcused absence. You can argue that that demand is unreasonable and I would agree, but it sounds like that's what they've decided.

I'm sorry if that is in fact the case, Our area is facing the same snowstorm, and the managers at the plant where i work have said, in effect, "We will let you know if the plant will be closed or not, but even if we're open, don't come into work if you feel that it won't be safe for you to drive there; just let your supervisor know if you will be absent." (Some people, like myself, have work that can be partly done remotely, although the majority do not.)

[malloc]

After much negotiation, I managed to convince them to give me Sunday off since the blizzard is indisputably too severe for driving. However my car battery still needs replacement before I can drive to work again, even without the blizzard. They refuse to give me Monday off to replace it because they consider it my fault for waiting too long to address. Furthermore I will have quite a backlog of work on Tuesday and too little time to complete it which will further infuriate them.

So tomorrow I will need to find some way to replace the battery by Monday morning or some way to commute to work on Monday and Tuesday and then replace the battery on my days off.

[zompist]

So tomorrow I will need to find some way to replace the battery by Monday morning or some way to commute to work on Monday and Tuesday and then replace the battery on my days off.

"Find some way"? I hesitate to ask how you plan to guess how this is done. No one seems to have given you basic life lessons in anything.

It's possible to replace a car battery yourself... I did it once in a shopping mall parking lot, in the cold. These days you can find a tutorial on Youtube.

One option is to join AAA and have them do it. This may not be the cheapest option. See if your car insurance offers emergency service.

A lot of place should also offer batteries and installation. Some quick Googling suggests that Wal-Mart will do it. Maybe you'll need a jump-start to get there.

[Glenn]

We have had AAA Plus membership for years, and it has definitely paid for itself over that time, as we have used their roadside assistance in towing after breakdowns, jumping dead batteries, changing flat tires, getting us in after locking ourselves out of our car, etc. (At least in our area, you do not have to be the owner of a particular car to get the service; we have gotten tows for friends and relatives by calling on their behalf and giving our AAA membership number.) There is probably a AAA-related provider in your area who could come and jump your car and/or bring a new battery and install it for you, or tow you somewhere if necessary. You would have to pay for the battery, although there may be a member discount. (Towing is covered by the annual membership fee, but batteries and other parts are not; in addition, if you join and need assistance immediately, there may be an extra one-time fee involved. Basic membership covers towing of up to 5 miles; higher membership levels cover longer tows.) As Zompist said, this may not be the cheapest option in the immediate term (although it may be something to consider in the longer term), and you may be able to explore other options.

It's possible that your battery is not permanently dead, and that jumping it and letting the car run to charge it will keep it going for now. If you have any neighbors or acquaintances who have jumper cables and/or a portable jumper to help jump your car and it starts, it will at least be running, and you can go to Walmart or another place to get a new one if necessary. (In addition to Walmart, there are places that specialize in car batteries and other auto supplies; examples in our area are Auto Zone, Batteries Plus, and Pep Boys.)

[malloc]

"Find some way"? I hesitate to ask how you plan to guess how this is done. No one seems to have given you basic life lessons in anything.

No they did not. I am flying blind on this issue like so many others unfortunately.

It's possible that your battery is not permanently dead, and that jumping it and letting the car run to charge it will keep it going for now. If you have any neighbors or acquaintances who have jumper cables and/or a portable jumper to help jump your car and it starts, it will at least be running, and you can go to Walmart or another place to get a new one if necessary. (In addition to Walmart, there are places that specialize in car batteries and other auto supplies; examples in our area are Auto Zone, Batteries Plus, and Pep Boys.)

Yes, it might be the cold. I have noticed over the past few months that it has been struggling to start when it's especially cold out and meant to get it replaced sooner or later. Considering the battery is around seven years old, it probably needs replacing anyway.

[Raphael]

I meant to contribute to the discussion on mummies on A Collection of Unmitigated Pendantry when it first appeared, but I did not have the time at that point, and the comment thread (as usual for Bret Deveraux’s blog posts) quickly exploded to the point that any contribution that I might have made would have been lost in the shuffle.

What I had intended to say, in response to the observation that mummies in fiction are usually portrayed as evil, was that the novel Grave Importance by Vivian Shaw, the third book in her Dr. Greta Helsing series, would be a good place to find a sympathetic portrayal of mummies. Mind you, the title character is a doctor specializing in supernatural patients, so sympathetic portrayals of monsters are the series’ stock in trade: there are sympathetic vampire characters, sympathetic ghouls, sympathetic demons, and a sympathetic werewolf (as well as a few nastier characters, many of which are normal human beings). Grave Importance is set in part at a hospital that specializes in treating mummies; one clever bit is that if their ailment involves their internal organs, the doctors have to treat the canopic jars, not the mummy, since that’s where the organs are.

Thank you, interesting!

[lëtzeshark]

See if your car insurance offers emergency service.

I made use of this when the battery in my car back in Snowhio (now 11 years ago!) died and I needed to get it replaced, and we also used this when the transmission in my brother's car decided to end its existence on the way to the airport. Even if I had to pay for the replacement cost of the battery myself*, it at least got me to the dealership!

*The battery was partly covered under the warranty at the time, so I think I only had to pay half the cost of replacement. Still not cheap for a graduate student who was about to go on a business trip to Tex-ass that I had to pay the cost of up front, but such is life.


Random: It's always a bit of a funny feeling when I play Magic: The Gathering at my local card shop and some of the cards I use are older than some of my opponents. (And especially when those cards are on the "do not reprint" list.) At least the cards aren't older than me, but the age difference isn't too considerable...

[malloc]

My insurance plan doesn't have anything for towing or replacing batteries so I will have to take care of that myself. It looks like I will have to dig my car out of the snow in freezing temperatures, find someone to jump it, and get the battery replaced this afternoon so that I can go to work tomorrow. Even then, I will have to catch up with an enormous backlog of work just to avoid getting fired. Last week I worked 50 hours and they were still angry because I didn't get even more done.

Right now, I am risking frostbite digging my car out of the snow, all for people who would replace me with industrial robots without a second thought.

[alice]

I am most definitely not being funny here, but it sounds like you have really shitty employers at the shitty end of shittiness. If you were genuinely unable to get to work for a very good reason - say you had broken your leg in an accident and had to say in hospital for a few days, or were sick with something contagious, or someone ran into your car and totalled it - how do you think they would respond? What does the relevant law in Missouri say?

[malloc]

I am most definitely not being funny here, but it sounds like you have really shitty employers at the shitty end of shittiness.

That's just capitalism. There are plenty of employers outside the West who pay workers 5¢ an hour and beat them for even the most minor errors, so this is hardly the worst job out there.

If you were genuinely unable to get to work for a very good reason - say you had broken your leg in an accident and had to say in hospital for a few days, or were sick with something contagious, or someone ran into your car and totalled it - how do you think they would respond?

They might show some clemency in such cases, but they consider my current predicament entirely self-inflicted. They feel that I should have known that my battery would die soon since it's really old and that I should have replaced it when I had the chance.

Someone did try to jump my battery today but it's too far gone even for that and I will need a whole new one installed. I honestly have no idea how to get the car to the mechanic if it won't start at all.

[Travis B.]

I am most definitely not being funny here, but it sounds like you have really shitty employers at the shitty end of shittiness.

That's just capitalism. There are plenty of employers outside the West who pay workers 5¢ an hour and beat them for even the most minor errors, so this is hardly the worst job out there.

If you were genuinely unable to get to work for a very good reason - say you had broken your leg in an accident and had to say in hospital for a few days, or were sick with something contagious, or someone ran into your car and totalled it - how do you think they would respond?

They might show some clemency in such cases, but they consider my current predicament entirely self-inflicted. They feel that I should have known that my battery would die soon since it's really old and that I should have replaced it when I had the chance.

Someone did try to jump my battery today but it's too far gone even for that and I will need a whole new one installed. I honestly have no idea how to get the car to the mechanic if it won't start at all.

Get your car towed to an auto parts store. They should be open for a few more hours today, and many will install batteries for you or at least loan you the tools to do so.

[malloc]

Get your car towed to an auto parts store. They should be open for a few more hours today, and many will install batteries for you or at least loan you the tools to do so.

That seems my only choice. Unfortunately this will push my budget to the breaking point. It will probably cost more than $300 to tow the car there, buy the battery, and get it installed. Meanwhile missing two days of work, even if they refrain from firing me outright, will drastically reduce my paycheck.

[Raphael]

Different topic: I have a both weird and specific request for music recommendations. It requires a lengthy introduction before I can get to the point.

I don't use music streaming services because I'm generally no fan of streaming if I can avoid it. I prefer to have things as files on my computer, where I have some amount of control over them and can still use them when there's a temporary problem with my Internet connection. Even when I want to watch a video on Youtube, what I usually do is to use one of those software tools Google really doesn't want you to use to download the video and then watch the file on my computer.

Yes, I know, I just arrived from the year 2026 BC.

Another person in my family who doesn't use streaming services is my Mom. She's not that tech-savvy, I don't know whether she even knows such services exist, and she doesn't use any modern electronic payment methods, so I don't know whether she'd even be able to pay for a subscription.

She used to own a very large collection of old-school LPs and singles, but lost that a few moves ago.

Anyway, one result of this is that in our troglodyte family, I still sometimes give her music CDs as presents. Yes, I know, that's arguably a form of cheating these days, almost as if you'd give someone a can of air as a present. But I think as a present to a not-very-tech-savvy person who uses neither streaming nor piracy, it can be justified. The standard procedure is that I hand her the CDs, and as soon as she's unwrapped them and looked at them, I rip them to mp3s and put those mp3s into the music collection on her computer. By now, that music collection consists mostly of the results of that process.

Which brings us her music tastes. Now, in some ways she's a very typical classical Boomer. (By "classical Boomers", in this context, I mean those Boomers who are just unambiguously Boomers, and not members of what is sometimes called "Generation Jones".) Among other things, she's a lifelong Beatles fan, though the Stones and similar acts were always too wild for her. Her current music collection is almost entirely English-language songs fitting for her generation.

But one way in which she's a bit unusual is that, while she likes a lot of English-language pop and not-that-wild rock music from the fitting decades, she also used to quite like mid-20th century French chansons. Well, she does have a degree in Romance languages. Problem is, all the music in that direction which she used to own was part of her earlier analog music collection mentioned above which she had lost a while ago. So I wondered if I might provide her with some stuff along those lines.

Which finally brings us to my question: which artists and songs is a person who, among other things, likes mid-20th century French chansons likely to enjoy?

[alice]

That's just capitalism. There are plenty of employers outside the West who pay workers 5¢ an hour and beat them for even the most minor errors, so this is hardly the worst job out there.

But, to the best of my knowledge, you are inside "the West", where working conditions are (supposedly) much better. Now that I've found these elusive goalposts, I'll put them back to where they should be.

Even then, I will have to catch up with an enormous backlog of work just to avoid getting fired. Last week I worked 50 hours and they were still angry because I didn't get even more done.

This is bad mangement, not your fault. In this country in most jobs it is illegal to make employees work overtime; employers can ask, but must respect the employee's decision, in all circumstances, and cannot fire them for declining. Something similar should be in your contract. (Shouldn't it? USAians please clarify!)

And again, suppose that you're made to work longer hours than you're physically and mentally capable of, and you make a costly mistake as a result. Whose fault is that, in a USAian context?