I was expecting there to be only 2 chopsticks on the table.

Yep, part of evaluating a work is knowing whose work it is. I’ll read a paper on, say, lung cancer by SirTobaccoLobbyist differently than one by DrCancerResearcher. If I don’t know whose work it is, it’s very hard to contextualize.

Hey, the 486 I used for typing up school papers (and playing Civilization and Master of Magic) got wicked confused. I fixed the issue by telling it not to worry, it was still 1986.

For some reason, Train to Busan is what springs to my mind.

Some people do use “it” as their pronouns. (I’ve been shopping for pronoun pins, there’s a market for “it” pronoun pins, but it isn’t one of the Big 3.)

Do you have pronouns folks should use when referring to you, or should folks just use your screen name?

Agreed. Breadsmasher was polite–they acknowledged it could be a minefield of a question, explained what their fuzzy understanding was, and asked for clarification on what they got wrong, from someone who’d already shown a willingness to discuss the topic. I didn’t take it as confrontational, rude, sea-lioning, or anything stressful.

The problem I’ve seen with being called “female” is when a speaker uses “men” for one set of people and “female” for another, in the same context. It feels gross, like they don’t see women as fully human. It feels much less bleck when a speaker uses “male” and “female”.

No worries :) It’s roughly that agender people don’t identify as either man or woman, but as neither. They might not even feel like they have “neutral” gender. It’s more “404: gender not found”, which doesn’t fit neatly into a binary gender system.

Sex and gender are different. Sex is biology, gender is cultural/social. My doctor might need to know my plumbing, hormones, and chromosomes, but my coworkers don’t. Someone’s perceived sex at birth gives them their ‘default’ gender, but they might end up not being that gender when they’re able to voice their own feelings on the subject.

(caveat: I do not speak for all agender people, non-binary gender language evolves, it can be wibbly-wobbly fuzzy at times. Also, I do see myself under the Trans umbrella because ‘the more the merrier’ and there’s no need to fragment the non-cis community. Alternative definitions of “trans” can be broader, and include “anyone who doesn’t identify with the gender assigned to them at birth”)

Edit: this instagram post sums it up nicely https://www.instagram.com/the_crafty_queer/p/CzqzG4oOf-8/?img_index=1

(Technically, there’s a secret third option: agender. Agender folks are not cis, but not necessarily trans, either. Source: am agender)

I’m very glad LGBTQ* Pride was last month.

Heels can be helpful for certain activities. For example, I once had to drive a rental moving truck for several hours and the seat was too high. I could reach the pedals but could not rest my heels on the floor.

At the first rest stop I swapped to a chunky heel and was able to complete the journey with better ergonomics.

Legit. I like how the texture looks like a function of the fabric, not a printed-on pattern. Plus the stitching looks solid.

I know! It should be “hot diggity dog”.

Could also be job postings to convince current workers that their overwork will soon end because the company is about to hire new folks. I’ve seen that theory floated to explain the “help wanted” signs at fast food places that never come down.

Medical conditions also play a role in it. I’m on medications that make me wicked susceptible to overheating. I start melting at 75°F if there is even a mild amount of humidity. And that’s at home where I can dress comfortably.

And sometimes those recommendations get implemented in awful ways in public buildings. And that’s why my office will be hot and humid when I get to work on Monday–the A/C gets turned off over the weekend and it takes forever to catch up on Monday. Never mind that I work in a library and books do not deal well with changing temperature and (especially) high humidity.

I’m too pale AF to have a loving relationship with the sun. I’ve been burned too many times. I always use protection, but last weekend the sunscreen failed me :(

I guess my brother has been a NEET most of his adult life. He’s been in jail, rehab, or living at our parents’ almost since he was born. He’s occasionally had a job, but probation made that hard. IIRC he had to call up his probation officer every morning to find out if he had to drive a county over for a random drug screening that day, which would eat 3+ hours. It’s hard to hold down a fast food gig if you can’t plan your hours a day in advance.

I still get that when I buy things secondhand, from Mercari, Abe books, or other online thrift stores. I’m waiting for a cute tokidoki vinyl figure to show up. Maybe this week, maybe next. Who knows?