Dumbing of Age

Where IS Aide?

I guess she fired him.

Or he quit in the last couple of days, because her recent actions have made working for her into career poison.

Yeah all the Social (and presumably economic but that's not where she had a "sudden policy shift") Conservatives have left her. And nobody else would be working for her.

Her big pitch always seemed to be to the social conservatives. Frankly, she doesn't seem to have the smarts (or rather, the appearance of smarts) to make an economics-based pitch. She probably reeled off a few buzz phrases occasionally to keep the economics-oriented mob onside, then switched back to the traditional values cliches.

So now she's sabotaged herself on those (with help), she doesn't really have a platform. One can't see her running on a compassionate/open-minded conservative platform, or being accepted if she tried to switch teams, even if she was marching with a date rapist's head on a pike.

edited 21st May '17 3:49:50 PM by Spindriver

I mean, at this point, I can't really see any options for her except dropping out.

Yes.

Any attempts for compassionate conservatism would definitely seem like save yourself lying on her part.

I guess she probably will.

Words

... just so I'm clear, is it racist to point out to someone with a particular ethnic background that they have strong body odor?

Asking for a friend.

No.

Unless it's something imagined based on racist stereotypes.

...huh. I did not know that specific definition of homonym. I just thought it referred to words that are spelled the same and mean different things. I didn't know they had to have different etymological origins. I guess I learned something new today.

Also, I guess Billie does know some things about writing and junk. I'm impressed.

{nods} It's been a tricky thing in some workplaces I've been in. "No, you can't tell Paul that his deodorant isn't working. He might think it's because he's black."

Eh... my understanding is that a homonym can vary on spelling, meaning, or etymology. It does not have to differ on multiple accounts. So yes, "funk" used to describe music was derived from "funky" used to describe the clubs which is derived from a place smelling bad (and we're back to racist overtones about body odor because guess which community was coming up with the music), which means they're both from that base etymology about smoking. But the meanings have diverged. I think Billy is being pedantic and insisting on her own narrow definition so that she can be right.

Fun fact, most "contranyms" involving a word spelled and pronounced the same way but with opposite meanings are the result of two different etymologies merging.

edited 22nd May '17 6:49:54 AM by FuzzyBoots

Oh dang, that's really interesting.

And language shifts. I think I once read a story about BB King (I think it was) arriving in Chicago as a young bluesman, hearing his music described as "funky", and having to be talked down from starting a fight, because where he came from, that meant something like "it smells foul", whereas the speaker was actually paying him a compliment.

This ship is sunk

I don't think that's gonna happen

Mary is too damned smug

Joe is a jerk.

Oh, did you really think that would work Robin? (also she really needs to find some pants)

Mary is indeed to smug, also ouch.

...Robin has some impeccable logic.

Yeah, very optimistic.

Okay now I'm genuinely worried about Robin. I don't like her, but no woman should be standing alone in a parking lot in her pajamas, let alone for hours on end into the night. She's literally spent the entire afternoon in that lot!

At first I thought this was denial, but now I'm thinking this might be a genuine mental break down.

Blows

I think this is the most likable Ruth has been.

Rachel is... unconvinced

Christ, someone tell her.

edited 26th May '17 11:56:17 PM by rmctagg09

Tell her what? That every word she's said isn't actually true? That Easily Forgiven isn't rocket fuel for abusers?

edited 27th May '17 4:08:46 AM by Spindriver

Ruth didn't in fact bully her way into keeping her job (you might recall that it was a plot point that she was looking forward to being fired).

But everything Rachel said, true or not, is a perfectly reasonable thing for her to believe, and there's no good way to explain any of it away.

Thinking about it, probably the best thing Ruth can do is admit that.

edited 27th May '17 6:59:18 AM by billybobfred