Off Topic Thread 5.0

Squidgy Black

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Don't come across it in a professional capacity but see an AWFUL lot of right wing talking points in online gaming communities.

Youtube content creators feeding into the games community are rife with very worrying misogyny, casual racism and dailymail levels of culture war nonsense.

In fairness Venjur that's always been the case when it comes to gaming communities, they tend to be the edgelords of society and the keyboard warriors. Most of them don't even hold their beliefs but they just want to post about them online to piss people off.

For as long as I can remember there's always been a massive portion of people who participate in any form of online games who are misogynistic, racist and homophobic.

Squidgy Black

Squidgy Black wrote: »

In fairness Venjur that's always been the case when it comes to gaming communities, they tend to be the edgelords of society and the keyboard warriors. Most of them don't even hold their beliefs but they just want to post about them online to piss people off.

For as long as I can remember there's always been a massive portion of people who participate in any form of online games who are misogynistic, racist and homophobic.

Maybe but I feel the tone has become more aggressive and the occurrence dramatically more widespread over the last five years.

I've drifted out of a few groups I have historically played with because it's gradually seeped in and become more overt in recent years in a way that was never present before.

That's purely anecdotal on my party but the timing in conjunction to the decline of debate in wider society would leave my suspicious that one is feeding into the other and that things are indeed getting worse.

Yeah_Right

mfceiling wrote: »

Wife was saying that her work now involves more and more interaction with Americans than the last few years.
She says the majority of them are well spoken, well educated and very good at what they do.
However within this group of about 20 - 30 people there are about 5 who are very openly pro trump, anti immigration and don't mind saying it.
These are people working in "silicon valley" who would hold fairly senior positions but again will openly share their views on why America is why it is (none of this is trump's fault).
Huge multinational companies with the most diverse workforce you could imagine, and senior positions within that are openly against "foreigners" and "the liberal left".
She's actually came off calls and told me that her and her colleagues here in Ireland were shocked at some of the views expressed, but on a professional level you bite your tongue and move on.

My wife has had similar experiences. Working for one the American big tech companies for the past decade. Lots of interactions with senior leadership and exec level. She says most of them are lovely people and she was shocked that some of them were Trump voters.

irishbucsfan

It’s not just Trumo supporters in SV. James Damore was at Google for example.

But yes, having worked in SV in tech it’s absolutely true that there are a surprisingly high number of right wing people in management level positions at a lot of different companies there. It’s not a majority by any stretch in my experience, but it’s strikingly high given what you’d expect from tech companies in Northern California.

Richie_Rich89

Isn't there some way to re-educate all these Trump supporters?

connemara man

The big driver behind that stuff is the duty of care to one. A lot of people in the world but especially in America believe that they are an island. so when they see a Republican saying they'll reduce taxes, no more free hand outs etc... its the American way. As long as the other stuff doesn't impact them they are OK with it. They are getting their bit of the pie, their world is literally the plot of land their house is on/the four walls hat they lie in and their bank balance

errlloyd

irishbucsfan wrote: »

But yes, having worked in SV in tech it’s absolutely true that there are a surprisingly high number of right wing people in management level positions at a lot of different companies there. It’s not a majority by any stretch in my experience, but it’s strikingly high given what you’d expect from tech companies in Northern California.

It's not *that* shocking. It takes a fairly high level of entitlement to succeed in SV. Whether it's talking your way into a job or raising money from a VC self-awareness and self-criticism gets you nowhere. That entitlement aligns itself pretty strongly with Republican Values regarding free markets and tax etc.

If there is one thing I have learned from Nikola, WeWork, Theranos, Fyre Festival it's that a lot of really really delusional people can raise a lot of money and get to high office without actually having anything innovative to offer. There are plenty of other companies like those four that faked it and then managed to hire enough actual useful engineers to make it.

If just junior and senior infants go back in March it will be more hassle than its worth.

Trying to home school one and make two trips for the other is worse than the current setup, especially with the shorter days for infants.

Buer

Deleted User wrote: »

If just junior and senior infants go back in March it will be more hassle than its worth.

Trying to home school one and make two trips for the other is worse than the current setup, especially with the shorter days for infants.

Don't think the hassle factor really comes into it.

For me, we've had staggered start/finish times for our twins (different classes) for the year to date. That means two separate drop times and collection times. We've the choice of hanging around for 40 minutes in the morning or doing two drops (the collection time is only 15 minutes apart). It has been a pain in the arse but it's small potatoes compared to getting them back into education.

They haven't been in school since before Christmas. With the best will in the world, they're not getting the same education that they would be in a professional learning environment. The innate learning window for children shrinks as they get older so it's key that those between 4 and 6 get back into education as quickly as possible.

mfceiling

Mother just texted me to say my dad has covid. He hasn't been fit to eat or get out of bed from Sunday and can't stop coughing. I'm not religious but if any of you believe in anything, throw a request in for me if you get a chance!!

irishbucsfan

Sorry to hear that mf, really hoping he pulls through

sydthebeat

Fingers and toes crossed MF

Dave_The_Sheep

mfceiling wrote: »

Mother just texted me to say my dad has covid. He hasn't been fit to eat or get out of bed from Sunday and can't stop coughing. I'm not religious but if any of you believe in anything, throw a request in for me if you get a chance!!

Ah ****, I hope he gets through it. Well wishes to him (and your mum), MF.

Stheno

Best wishes for you Dad mfc

aloooof

Sorry to hear that, mf, hope he makes a full recovery.

molloyjh

Same as yourself mf in terms of religion, but crossing fingers and toes here for him.

stephen_n

mfceiling wrote: »

Mother just texted me to say my dad has covid. He hasn't been fit to eat or get out of bed from Sunday and can't stop coughing. I'm not religious but if any of you believe in anything, throw a request in for me if you get a chance!!

Sorry to hear that, really hope he gets better soon.

Bazzo

Hope your auld lads is on the mend soon MF

Zzippy

Sorry to hear MF, fingers crossed for him! Wife's aunt had it, she's as frail as a withered twig, was already on oxygen 24/7 for COPD, and she's good again now. Be no bother to your da!

Paul Smeenus

Hope it pans out okay, MF. Best wishes from God's country (within 1km of Ravenhill).

mfceiling

Zzippy wrote: »

Sorry to hear MF, fingers crossed for him! Wife's aunt had it, she's as frail as a withered twig, was already on oxygen 24/7 for COPD, and she's good again now. Be no bother to your da!

Yeah he's a hardy divil!! 71 and goes out to work every day. Won't sit idle for 5 mins. He's a non smoker so his lungs should be in pretty good nick. Fecking thing is that he was supposed to get the vaccine last Monday!!

kuang1

mfceiling wrote: »

Yeah he's a hardy divil!! 71 and goes out to work every day. Won't sit idle for 5 mins. He's a non smoker so his lungs should be in pretty good nick. Fecking thing is that he was supposed to get the vaccine last Monday!!

And there was me thinking I must ask mfc how his knee is recovering. Not too relevant at the mo I guess!

All the best will from Waterford heading your dad's way.

.ak

mfceiling wrote: »

Mother just texted me to say my dad has covid. He hasn't been fit to eat or get out of bed from Sunday and can't stop coughing. I'm not religious but if any of you believe in anything, throw a request in for me if you get a chance!!

Jesus really sorry to hear that.

As someone who's just recently out of hospital with it myself, the only thing I can say it absolutely force him to call an ambulance if he's struggling, especially if he's not eating. He'll have the best chance of fighting it if he's getting fluids and nausea medicine so he can eat in hospital etc.

I did the stubborn bloke thing and refused to bother anyone with it, until it got the point an ambulance was called by someone else and the infec. ward team consultants had some stern words for me during my stay, and I'm in my 30s!

kuang1

Jaysus .ak that was rough I'll bet! Hope you're back to 100% now. Any leftover symptoms?

.ak

kuang1 wrote: »

Jaysus .ak that was rough I'll bet! Hope you're back to 100% now. Any leftover symptoms?

Ah still recovering actually but I'm grand like! Because I was on assisted oxygen & steroids the recovery can be lengthy I'm told. So basically I'll be out of breath just walking across the room, but I'm doing some work on the stationary bike etc to try and get everything going again.

Have to pop back into hospital next week for a review so I'll know more then, should be all good though I imagine.

Speedy recovery to your father mfceiling, treatment protocols are well established now and there are a lot of mitigating drugs available that weren't at the outset of the pandemic.

Most people bounce back and no reason to doubt your father will be any different. All the best.

prawnsambo

mfceiling wrote: »

Yeah he's a hardy divil!! 71 and goes out to work every day. Won't sit idle for 5 mins. He's a non smoker so his lungs should be in pretty good nick. Fecking thing is that he was supposed to get the vaccine last Monday!!

Praying for him mfceiling. My son and his gf had it last year and it was a tough run for a couple of weeks. Don't know if they have one already, but if not, get a pulse oximeter for him. They're lifesavers.

Edit: lots of them available on Amazon.

@.ak you probably should have had one, it would have got you into hospital sooner.

bilston

Sorry to hear this MF.. but best wishes to your dad and remember most people in their 70s recover.

Ak...sounds like you've been through the ringer...glad to hear you're recovering...it's a cautionary tale for those of us in our 30s and 40s.

hold my beer

Best wishes to everyone dealing with this thing. Nightmare stuff.

.ak

prawnsambo wrote: »

Praying for him mfceiling. My son and his gf had it last year and it was a tough run for a couple of weeks. Don't know if they have one already, but if not, get a pulse oximeter for him. They're lifesavers.

Edit: lots of them available on Amazon.

@.ak you probably should have had one, it would have got you into hospital sooner.

Yeah have to say the way the Mater looked after me was very impressive.

When I was first admitted into hospital I was 'borderline' as the A&E doc put it, but as I was young and fit they were happy for me to try and fight it off at home and I didn't want to take up a hospital bed.

They sent me home and delivered one of these devices to me, which takes a reading twice daily and uploads it directly to the hospital via your phone via bluetooth. Very gucci.

I ended up back in hospital a few day later then was in for a long haul, but I probably wouldn't have gone back in except for the device uploaded my stats to the hospital directly and they phoned the ambulance immediately.

What an age we live in... Now they're probably sold my data to China.