Lauren's Lair: Here be dragons...

[Sephirah]

I truly believe a lot of this has to do with the Mercator projection of the world map, which makes Greenland look 5 times larger than it actually is. Plus, it's near the US and seemingly vacant.

Things like history and international relations don't mean anything to him.

I mean I kind of get that. Britain literally went to war over the Falklands Islands, Which was off the coast of Argentina. But.. like... if the people don't want to be part of the US, just leave them alone. I don't care how many rare earth minerals (not oil), is in this place. Just go be mad about cats, or windmills, or whatever. Leave the world alone.

[Emma1017]

Not sure about politics on this site but I wanted to respond:

Lauren, sadly, US presidents get elected based on domestic policies, never international ones.  Trump played the American voters perfectly.  He never shared his Venezuela, NATO, or Greenland policies before the elections.  He promised that the Ukrainian War would be over in one day.  He focused on the illegal immigrants, transgender athletes, and blaming "Sleepy Joe" for everything, who should never have run for reelection.

He is a used car salesman, and he is running our country.  JD Vance is just a "mini-me" in better health.

Given his soft handling of Putin, I wonder if Putin shared some photos that the KGB has of Trump with underaged girls on Epstein's island.

Sadly, we are all seated at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

I take solace that half the country didn't vote for him, and I hope that the upcoming elections will begin to correct this tragic mistake.

[Pema]

I take solace that half the country didn't vote for him, and I hope that the upcoming elections will begin to correct this tragic mistake.

If we account for the eligible voters who didn't vote, 66% didn't vote for him. It's the 36% who didn't vote who could bring about a change.

[Lori Dee ✅]

If we account for the eligible voters who didn't vote, 66% didn't vote for him. It's the 36% who didn't vote who could bring about a change.

"Decisions are made by those who show up."

[Dances With Trees]

You are so right, Lori and Pema!
We need to show up.
But the ballot box is not an end, it is a means.

[Sephirah]

Yeah I kind of agree with Emma. Politics can be highly divisive and polarizing. I probably should not have posted what I did. The whole veteran recall thing in the UK kind of freaked me out, though. That's all I will say on the matter. Other than to say our PM, Starmer... most people in the UK voted for his party in a massive landslide... and he still turned out to be a bit, well, Orwellian. I'd be surprised if there are any websites left in 5 years than UK people can have access to.

That and even the people who did vote for Trump probably didn't see all this in their future.

You really only decide which lunatic you give the keys to the asylum to, as the saying goes, then deal with their own brand of insanity for a few years. I kind of think the best people who should be in politics are the ones who don't want to be. That's all I will say about that.

[Emma1017]

"...even the people who did vote for Trump probably didn't see all this in their future."

Lauren, I am already getting words of remorse for the Trump supporters I know.  They are very quiet and no longer strident.  I don't the TRUMP flags as much anymore either.

On a more pleasant note, we're having a blizzard in NYC and I have plenty of hot chocolate and marshmallows! Yay!

[Sephirah]

Half of my house is still kind of a mess after the cadre of electricians ran rampant this week. I am choosing to ignore that for now. I managed to delegate the important stuff back in place. By that I mean my router, TV, and kettle (no, not for tea ).

I'll sort the rest out next week but for now I am happy pretending it doesn't exist. On the upside, I now have more plug sockets than a whole street could feasibly use. No idea why. And several ceiling lights so bright that Gizmo would be a twitching mess on the floor. I think they might actually have shaved a little off the Sun and put it in a few light bulbs.

[MaryT]

...
On the upside, I now have more plug sockets than a whole street could feasibly use. No idea why.
...

I don't have enough sockets, or time for that matter, for all of the gadgets that need charging.

And they have to be charged regularly even when not used, especially lithium batteries, or they become faulty.

And I have heard that faulty lithium batteries are the main cause of house fires now.

WE'RE ALL DOOMED!

Sorry, you may have noticed that I have become a bit of a Jonah of late.

[Sephirah]

I don't have enough sockets, or time for that matter, for all of the gadgets that need charging.

And they have to be charged regularly even when not used, especially lithium batteries, or they become faulty.

And I have heard that faulty lithium batteries are the main cause of house fires now.

WE'RE ALL DOOMED!

Sorry, you may have noticed that I have become a bit of a Jonah of late.

Hah, it's all good, Mary!

As a Navy lass I don't believe in Jonah's. It's detrimental to your health. You're right, though. Everything needs charging these days. The Duracell Bunny is living on a street corner with a sandwich board, reading "Will strip for kid's toys!"

Don't apologise, sweetie. Discourse is always good. People to challenge how you think. It's never a negative. <3

[Alana Ashleigh]

Ev

Half of my house is still kind of a mess after the cadre of electricians ran rampant this week. I am choosing to ignore that for now. I managed to delegate the important stuff back in place. By that I mean my router, TV, and kettle (no, not for tea ).

I'll sort the rest out next week but for now I am happy pretending it doesn't exist. On the upside, I now have more plug sockets than a whole street could feasibly use. No idea why. And several ceiling lights so bright that Gizmo would be a twitching mess on the floor. I think they might actually have shaved a little off the Sun and put it in a few light bulbs.

I just got a new phone, and it has a new usb on it. I had to buy two extra cables for work, and my truck... I don't have outlets with USB ports on it to charge all the stuff I have.

[Sephirah]

Ev

I just got a new phone, and it has a new usb on it. I had to buy two extra cables for work, and my truck... I don't have outlets with USB ports on it to charge all the stuff I have.

I know what you mean. I had to get a plug with a USB and USB-C socket on it to charge my smart watch and phone I got for Christmas. Took a while to get used to having to charge a watch rather than it just having a normal battery, or winding it up, lol. Shows how old I am.

[davina61]

The living room in my flat has a double socket in each corner, I have had to use a switchable extension to plug TV into so I can turn it off as there is no room to get around my telly to the wall socket. Same for the power to sofa, lap top charger and phone charger as socket on wrong side of sofa.

[Dances With Trees]

Speaking of daffodils, a little William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of the bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

[ChrissyRyan]

Lauren,


Hi!


Happy Valentine's Day!



Chrissy

[Dances With Trees]

Happy Valentine's Day, Sephirah!

[Sephirah]

And to you both. Happy Valentine's Day. Thank you. <3

[Sephirah]

I do not really put stuff in this because there are people who give more to the site. So it doesn't really matter. You know where you are in the grand scheme of things. Close to two decade make  me twitchy.

I have had quite horrid dreams of late. It's not important. Stuff where I can't talk to people. Makes me wake in a cold sweat.

Is all good though. I can deal with it.

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

I'm glad to hear you can deal with these dreams, but hope thar you are OK too though? I only ask because I really get awful dreams when stress levels are high.

May be different for you though!

Charlotte 😻

[Sephirah]

I'm glad to hear you can deal with these dreams, but hope thar you are OK too though? I only ask because I really get awful dreams when stress levels are high.

May be different for you though!

Charlotte 😻

No I think it's the same, Charlotte. I am not sure I remember a time when stress levels weren't high. That's probably the reason. Anyway don't mind me. Things have been a bit... wonky, lately. I have no idea why but I woke up and my left eye is extremely irritable. Like if someone pokes you in the eye a bunch of times. Very weird. It's constantly watering and sore, and blinking is painful. I expect it will wear off but... I don't remember dreaming about being poked in the eye, haha.