Went & saw the Psych Doc today. This was more of the "pleasant chat" type visits rather than a "fix Matt" type visit. He did up my Wellbutrin, however, & we discussed the possibility that starting it helped usher this along. I admit, I have long been uncomfortable with the chemical aspect of my mood, even though I know the positive effects I have had from taking them, both now & in the past. Regardless, I haven't had an adverse reactions & I do like me some mind-altering chemicals.
Anyhow, let's look around a bit. Whoo boy, this. Okay, I'm not sure if you're familiar Barstool Sports or not. Up until, say, sometime in the last 18 months, I'd never had. I want to say they crossed my radar being a shitass about something like women's soccer or cranial injuries in the NFL They champion the dude-bro take on such things, so apart from the general uselessness of sports analysts, they are sort of a special kind of awful. Furthermore, their fanbase is one of the biggest bunch of dickweeds I've seen out some of gamers or comics fans.
Anyhow, spurred on by the unionization of a similar online mag, boss Dave Portnoy has gone full douchebag. Here's what he said in a tweet today:
"If you work for [Barstool Sports] and DM [a lawyer offering assistance to unionization] I will fire you on the spot.
Charming. Now, apart from the legality of this - & guess what, it isn't - this is totally a dick move & a solid sign that one shouldn't work for this asshole. He will screw you over & claim it's good for "exposure". Never, ever think the Boss is on your side, whether that boss is a corporation or a cheap wingnut fratboy who throws, I imagine, killer Christmas parties, or a huge soulless corporation. They're out to make money for them, not you, & when all is said & done, you are merely a cog. Never forget, all cogs are replaceable.
Still, what killed me the most concerning that tweet was how many "fans" were hooting right along, & saying how much they admired Portnoy (called the "Ben Shapiro of Sports") for being an obnoxious jackass, like that's how a boss is supposed to act. And that's what they think. Pretty much all opposition to unions - or, indeed, much of what passes for Authority in this culture - is little more a public demand for obedience with the idea of That's How It Is, So Man Up, Ungrateful Wretch. Blows my mind, but that's how a not-insignificant portion of Our Fellow Americans see reality. They want someone in charge who'll be a bastard & show off the new car he buys every year, be obnoxious about it, & not give a fuck if your kid is sick & you can't afford medication with the shitty health insurance he offers. They love it; that's why we got Donald Trump & why they'll fight to the death for him.
Hell, he's already calling for New York Representative & conservative's bete noire Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to "debate" him, 'cause that's all these guys got & they really don't know what "debate" means.
Speaking of the empty-headed buffoon in the White House, he gave a speech to some Shell petrochemical workers at a plant being built outside of Pittsburg. It swiftly morphed into a stump speech for his 2020 re-election. Among other things, he proclaimed his "love" for trucks & doing construction talents - & I'm calling bullshit on both - expanded on his conspiracy mongering about the Epstein suicide, & said if union leaders don't support him, they should be voted out. Also, he "joked" once again about suspending the 2020 election or doing something so he could have third term, & you know the cult would just cream themselves to death if he did, because up yours. Go on & read the quotes, the guy's a moron.
Oh, yeah. Apparently the workers were kept after quitting time but were clocked out by their bosses, so they didn't get paid. They got a little pissy & were told, basically, shut up or find a new job. Remember, the Boss is never your friend.
Whew doggies, the whole "take it easy on politics" stroke didn't last the evening, now did it? Ah, well, there is just so much to take in. Okay, let's wrap this up because I do have something to talk about that isn't depressing politics. Oleaginous tapeworm & acting director of the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, Ken Cuccinelli (the grandson of immigrants, mind) responding to criticism over the plan to restrict legal immigration status to just those who can afford it, suggested re-writing Emma Lazarus' poem at the base from "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddle masses yearning to breath free" to something about "standing on your own two feet".
And just to prove he was a racist shit ass, he said the Statue was meant only for "European immigrants". Indeed, it was meant to celebrate the end of American chattel slavery. So, a two for one job by the Cooch, there. He's not only giving a nod-&-wink to white supremacy, he's also engaging in the Dumb Meanness that so encapsulates the Trump Era.
Finally, Jim Johnson, the sheriff of Lee County - about 15 miles from where I sit & the site of the closest decent-sized town - told a local legislator who wasn't toeing the line that he was "worse than a black person". This was in reference to Tupelo state Rep. Shane Aquirre's involvement in the question of building a new jail outside of Tupelo, all in a text sent to Lee County District 1 Supervisor Phil Morgan.
Aquirre is a Republican of Hispanic descent, & Morgan & Johnson are white. Of course, Johnson claims he was just overly irritated & holds no racists belief, but did note when questioned, "I think when you play the race card, yes, it's difficult to please some people". Now keep in mind, even the most generous interpretation of the "race card" dodge is "Look, racism isn't all that important & you're just pretending it is to make me look bad". Generally I'd say that from hence forth nothing this asshole says should be taken seriously, but he's the sheriff of Lee County, which has a fairly sizable African-American population (something like 30% of 85,000 people).
Okay. Enough of all that, let's have some fun. Rebel Galaxy Outlaw dropped today. Now, I got back into what we can only refer to right now as "computer gaming" about five years ago, & this is the first time since then that I've bought a game the day it was released. Originally, I just bought stuff from my past or stuff I missed out on. Then I started buying newer games once they had been out for a while & were on sale. This is the first time I've bought new.
As I said before, I am extremely fond of creator Double Damage's previous game Rebel Galaxy & I wanted to support people I thought put out a good product. One way my buying habits have changed is I've moved more into indie games, where I think PC gaming shines. Anyhow, I haven't played it yet & maybe in a couple days I'll try to write a review of it. I will say, though, that apart from the Big Trip, this is the first time I've looked forward to anything in a long, long time.
