Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 15, 2020 10:48:29 GMT -5
thyme4change - wait until you get old enough where everyone is talking about their health issues before anything else when they get together. Y'all could easily dominate a dinner meeting discussion just talking about your and their's aches and pains.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 15, 2020 11:16:01 GMT -5
I love the human interest story idea! I will go on a search. And because it is my Mom's birthday, we will probably reminisce. My sister and I have a fairly large age gap, so we don't have a lot of common childhood stories. We were never on the same page. Plus, every time we talk about the good old days, we all just laugh and laugh about what a shitty child I was and how I made everyone miserable. Oh wait, I don't laugh at that, but they all seem to enjoy it. (And my family wonders why I don't ever call.) I am not sure how my Mom and sister (both sisters really) spend their days. None of them have worked in 20 years. They don't seem to knit or craft or whatever. They are all fastidious or compulsive. I can't talk about their cleaning routine. My sister does a lot of puzzles, is that something people can discuss? They did do some volunteer work, but that shut down with Covid. I sound like a real pill. But I have found when I psych myself out to see them, I am more likely to leave saying "They are so wonderful, I love them." And when I get excited to see them, I often leave and come home and cry. So, I tend to give into my crazy before I see them. And today, I seem to be spilling out my baggage right here. 🤮 Sorry about that. You don't sound like the pill, they do. Awww thanks. They are good people - they were just surprised that their third child had such a drastically different personality from the rest of the family. Totally unprepared for that, and their ineptitude shows. 😉
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justme
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Post by justme on Sept 15, 2020 11:22:14 GMT -5
Good start!! That list reminds me how weird my family is. No pets. Don't drink soda. Don't care about any theme parks. Won't admit to drinking more than a thimble-full. I would love to discuss all that. Except the Marlins. But I will spend 20 minutes telling you how much I hate baseball. Maybe we can play "Dead or Alive" or even better "Dead or Canadian". I didn't know that anyone hated baseball.
NOTE: I don't give a crap about any of that stuff. I suck at small talk. you have probably noticed that. [img class="smile" src="//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/embarrassed.png" alt=""]
Now you know two! I rank it above golf because getting drunk at baseball is ok, but below soccer because at least in soccer there's a decent chance of the guys lifting up their shirts to wipe the sweat off their face so you get a nice view.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Sept 15, 2020 11:25:22 GMT -5
Baseball on TV is boring. Baseball in person is a nice activity.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Sept 15, 2020 11:28:33 GMT -5
My family is mostly dems. There are a few Trumpers sprinkled in. I try not to talk politics with them. If they insist, they better be ready to go toe to toe with facts. I'll shut them down fast with facts.
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justme
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Post by justme on Sept 15, 2020 11:38:23 GMT -5
Baseball on TV is boring. Baseball in person is a nice activity. My friend says that. I asked her how many times she's gone to a baseball game and stayed sober the entire time and she stared at me. Lol
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Sept 15, 2020 11:56:14 GMT -5
My family is mostly dems. There are a few Trumpers sprinkled in. I try not to talk politics with them. If they insist, they better be ready to go toe to toe with facts. I'll shut them down fast with facts. The real facts or the alternative facts?
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Sept 15, 2020 12:02:54 GMT -5
Baseball on TV is boring. Baseball in person is a nice activity. My friend says that. I asked her how many times she's gone to a baseball game and stayed sober the entire time and she stared at me. Lol Replace baseball with football and we could have had the exact same conversation.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Sept 15, 2020 12:03:40 GMT -5
My family is mostly dems. There are a few Trumpers sprinkled in. I try not to talk politics with them. If they insist, they better be ready to go toe to toe with facts. I'll shut them down fast with facts. The real facts or the alternative facts? Real facts. No faux news here.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 15, 2020 12:16:32 GMT -5
My friend says that. I asked her how many times she's gone to a baseball game and stayed sober the entire time and she stared at me. Lol Replace baseball with football and we could have had the exact same conversation. I'm kinda over all sports. I do watch my son play, but he has gotten so good that the game has sped up to where I can't follow it.
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justme
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Post by justme on Sept 15, 2020 12:21:57 GMT -5
My friend says that. I asked her how many times she's gone to a baseball game and stayed sober the entire time and she stared at me. Lol Replace baseball with football and we could have had the exact same conversation. OMG my friend dragged me to an NFL game - I never realized how much down time there is with it too! You don't really notice it on TV with all the commercials. I was bored out of my mind. The only reason why it ranks above baseball for me is it has a lot more movement between the downtime whereas with baseball it can just be a bunch of fouls and strikes in a row and even if something happens it's not a whole lot. lol Plus the end time - at least I know when the torture will end with Football & Soccer - Baseball & Golf you have no earthly idea when it will end. College football isn't as much of a drag in person, but that's more because of the band and stuff making it fun. Football is above soccer for me just because it's ok to watch on TV while soccer makes me fall asleep. But I have no desire to see a NFL game live again unless it's in a suite with unlimited drinks. My favorite of the professional leagues is hockey.
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Sept 15, 2020 12:46:23 GMT -5
I have six siblings and we do not discuss politics. Well, at least not with the ones we disagree with. My Seattle sister will bash Trump with me. My Milwaukee sister, who describes me and her as Twins separated by Three Years, listens to Fox News. We avoid politics. We love each other and we respect each other, but we know we won't agree on politics. My father, who passed away in 2008, was an ardent Republican. Unfortunately, one of his sisters was just as strongly a Democrat. The siblings would gather once a year from around the country as they got up there in years. I remember one of the last times - my Dad left early because he got so upset with his Democratic sister. That's just sad. 80+ years old and they can't agree to avoid discussing politics. I will not post political items on Facebook. I have unfollowed a couple of friends who post items I don't agree with. I can check out what they're doing without constantly viewing the idiocy. Most of my family avoids posting about politics except for a very liberal niece and her wife. But I like what they post, so that's ok.
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mollyanna58
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Post by mollyanna58 on Sept 15, 2020 21:28:59 GMT -5
I think the problem is that we are all stuck in the house. Nobody really watches movies. We don't read the same books nor watch the same shows. Nobody is doing much else, except sitting around and confirming our own political beliefs with our own sources. So, maybe I should make a conversation plan. What else can we talk about? Help me make a list. 1) cat videos- yes or no? 2) should Disneyland open their theme parks? 3) Coke or Pepsi? 4) how about them Marlins? 5) Is Castro dead yet? 6) how did you spend your Summer? 7) how will you spend your Thanksgiving/Christmas? 8) discuss your favourite pet/grandchild (your choice). 9) have you been drinking more? I have.
just a few suggestions
I had to go and look up whether Castro was dead yet.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Sept 16, 2020 8:50:29 GMT -5
1) cat videos- yes or no? 2) should Disneyland open their theme parks? 3) Coke or Pepsi? 4) how about them Marlins? 5) Is Castro dead yet? 6) how did you spend your Summer? 7) how will you spend your Thanksgiving/Christmas? 8) discuss your favourite pet/grandchild (your choice). 9) have you been drinking more? I have.
just a few suggestions
I had to go and look up whether Castro was dead yet. My thought was "which one" Raul or Fidel?
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Sept 16, 2020 10:03:43 GMT -5
I posted in another thread about my parents. Two days ago I sent them a link to this film, asking them to watch it. unfitfilm.com/Initially, my dad refused because it contained "Trump haters" (Anthony Scaramucci, George Conway, one other) and "THEY (my parents) knew who those guys were". I responded to that with "Ad Hominem", mentioned there might be valid reasons they don't like Trump, and that the bulk of the video contained psychiatrists, experts, Ph.d's etc. Also I asked him if Donald J Trump is really the hill he wants to make his stand on? (he's going through chemo now). Finally, I asked him to ponder if he'd feel the same about Trump if he were a Democrat, and likewise if all of Trump's words and actions had instead come from Barack Obama (who he hates). He and my mom agreed to watch the film. Early on, I got some texts about some of the spin and how they weren't telling the whole story with the initial setup. But when they got into the psychoanalysis and behavior analysis, which is the bulk of the film, the texts went dark. When it was done, I sent a final text saying that what was discussed in the film (basically that Trump is a malignant narcissistic sociopath who's a danger to our Republic and every single living thing on this planet) is what I'm concerned about, not Dem vs GOP, Lib vs Con, or anything Biden / Harris or policy related. He seemed to accept that in his own way, although we didn't discuss further. I think that deep down, both of my parents are realizing that they've been taken for a ride. It's hard to break free from the programming once one's gone so far down the rabbit hole, though. He's been into right wing media (Fox News, Rush, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, and God knows what else) for at least two decades now. I could ignore this and simply not discuss politics, but the selfish part of me doesn't want my last memories of my dad being of a raving angry right-wing lunatic, not to mention he is the main driver of these beliefs that have drawn in my mom, which I don't think would've happened otherwise. I could've cared less about their political opinions and leanings before Trump rode down that escalator, but now it's gotten so out of hand that I can't stand to see them fearfully live out their remaining years in this dystopian doomsday alt-reality that Trump has conjured up and his propagandists propagate. Actual reality is tough enough nowadays I remain cautiously optimistic.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Sept 16, 2020 10:49:13 GMT -5
basically that Trump is a malignant narcissistic sociopath who's a danger to our Republic and every single living thing on this planet I prefer different policies than those pushed by the Trump Administration, but that is a decision for the electorate. I still can't believe that the Republican Party renominated the man.
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gacpa
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Post by gacpa on Sept 16, 2020 11:16:33 GMT -5
The thought of T being reelected scares me. And I live in an area where people openly favor T. We don't need another four years of the T administration.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Sept 16, 2020 12:40:31 GMT -5
basically that Trump is a malignant narcissistic sociopath who's a danger to our Republic and every single living thing on this planet I prefer different policies than those pushed by the Trump Administration, but that is a decision for the electorate. I still can't believe that the Republican Party renominated the man. Why? A lot of the aholes that rode into office came in on his coat tails. They know who butters their bread and if they go against him they won't be re-elected. Congressional duty be damned if it means not staying in office.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Sept 16, 2020 13:22:43 GMT -5
basically that Trump is a malignant narcissistic sociopath who's a danger to our Republic and every single living thing on this planet I prefer different policies than those pushed by the Trump Administration, but that is a decision for the electorate. I still can't believe that the Republican Party renominated the man. Why? A lot of the aholes that rode into office came in on his coat tails. They know who butters their bread and if they go against him they won't be re-elected. Congressional duty be damned if it means not staying in office. He was renominated because he won primaries throughout the country. No one waged a battle against him because the polls indicated there was no support amongst the voters. Congressional members wouldn't be reelected by the voters. I don't blame politicians. The responsibility falls on the GOP primary voters.
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dippyegg
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Post by dippyegg on Sept 17, 2020 19:10:51 GMT -5
I avoid talking about politics with family. I really don't want to get into arguments or debates about it.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Sept 17, 2020 19:14:50 GMT -5
I had to go and look up whether Castro was dead yet. My thought was "which one" Raul or Fidel? the ambiguity was intentional.
it makes the discussion more fun.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Sept 19, 2020 10:34:59 GMT -5
SIL is pro Trump. My brother's family is literally melting down over her social media antics. They are going after each other's throats on FB. Sad as hell. The rest of us stay out of the shitshow.
I have no idea what Thanksgiving will look like this year. I am fine with my brother and the kids coming. I'd prefer she did not come. Regardless of the outcome of the election, she will be a beyotch to deal with. She berates and threatens her own kids on FB. Like, what mother does this?
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buystoys
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Post by buystoys on Sept 19, 2020 10:41:30 GMT -5
thyme4change - wait until you get old enough where everyone is talking about their health issues before anything else when they get together. Y'all could easily dominate a dinner meeting discussion just talking about your and their's aches and pains. I'm not that old, but unfortunately that is where my family is at. We don't have enough time to get into politics.
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justme
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Post by justme on Sept 19, 2020 16:29:14 GMT -5
With those wondering how crazy Thanksgiving will be... just start dropping comments about how you're still quarantined and not going out to see anyone. If you actually are just don't post on social media about it. Use covid to stay the fuck away!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 19, 2020 20:07:00 GMT -5
SIL is pro Trump. My brother's family is literally melting down over her social media antics. They are going after each other's throats on FB. Sad as hell. The rest of us stay out of the shitshow.
I have no idea what Thanksgiving will look like this year. I am fine with my brother and the kids coming. I'd prefer she did not come. Regardless of the outcome of the election, she will be a beyotch to deal with. She berates and threatens her own kids on FB. Like, what mother does this? If it is a blow out for Joe, it may be silent. If it is a blow out for Trump, it may be silent (like a funeral). If it is close either way, it could be a nightmare.
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steff
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Post by steff on Sept 19, 2020 20:26:16 GMT -5
In my immediate family (mom & brothers) we're all anti orange. The only hard core pro orange is my bat shit crazy Aunt S, my uncle H & my cousin in Virginia. At first we tried to still have normal conversations & just avoid the raging orangutan in the room. But Aunt S won't let that happen. Every conversation MUST be about him. There came a point it couldn't just be the usual "she's bat shit crazy" excuse. She's deranged & not just guzzling the kool aid, she's bathing in it hourly. She's oompa loompa orange to her core now. So now we just don't talk to her. We don't call her & she doesn't call any of us. Decision has now been made on our end that we won't attend any funeral up there (we're talking old people, it's just a matter of time before my uncle in his health goes to that great orange julius in the sky). Everyone is too old for traveling now, so safe to say, we've had our last family visit with them. I chose to cut off my cousin for an entirely different reason, but just as offensive & mind boggling for me. They kicked out their youngest kid, only son, during a pandemic because he and I quote "cramps their lifestyle". This 21 year old kid is living in his car and his entire family up there knows it. and does nothing about it. But hey, my cousin bought a Harley a couple of days after they kicked him out. I can't understand it & I can't respect anyone who does it. You don't have kids just to throw them away.
I'm now beyond the "we can all still be friends" point. stick that orange finger in my direction and *poof* you don't exist in my world anymore. Flash a subtle ok sign and wipe at the cheeto dust around your lips and *poof* you no longer exist. and I don't give a shit how petty, childish, or just downright bitchy that makes me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2020 20:54:22 GMT -5
Everyone in my family is on the same page, so there’s nothing for us to upset each other about. The only people I kinda know that are on a different page, work with me. I’m not surprised. I don’t talk to them period. I wonder about their intellect though, because if Trump had his way, their “good gubmint jobs” won’t be so good anymore. Which is the thing that really confuses me about a lot of Trump supporters, there’s obviously some kind of disconnect because they clearly don’t understand that some of the things he’d like to do would negatively impact them! If not them personally, their children and grandchildren. I just can’t make sense of this world anymore.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Sept 19, 2020 22:00:49 GMT -5
My husband and I were all prepared to go tomorrow and keep our traps sealed no matter the subject.
And then, RGB died and Mitch the Bitch announced he would confirm someone, with no regret. Now, we are worried that this will ho badly.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Sept 19, 2020 22:06:02 GMT -5
I got trapped tonight by DH's family. Ugh. Normally I just move to another room but we were sitting at the table. I did not have nearly enough beers in me for that crap.
It was birthday cake and gifts for his niece. I do wonder if they notice I never say anything political and I don't agree with them....
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irishpad
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Post by irishpad on Sept 19, 2020 23:00:04 GMT -5
Thankfully, my family is all on the same page. My grandfather was the chairperson of the Dem party in our county (had my mom named secretary without her knowledge. lol) I remember at a 7 year old meeting Hubert Humphrey at a county meeting at the VFW when he ran for senate after he had served as VP. We continue to support the Dem ideals. Just had lunch with our local Dem state Senator (he was a year behind me in HS). Encouraged him to continue in his efforts to lift up the issues of justice that we both agree upon.
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