The Off Topic Topic

[Barrister]

We just had to put our dog down. He was old and his kidneys were failing. It was his time. 

But my wife and I now have to talk about it with our 3 year old daughter. Anyone have any experience or advice about that?

That's tough Funk.

We had one dog who died on us - years later I still feel terrible - he was clearly in distress, shitting everywhere, but we had him sleep at the front door with plans to take him to the vet in the morning.  So he died alone and cold by the front door.

A second dog we at least planned for her passing - we gave her the best possible weekend with lots of (not strenuous) walks, had the boys make pictures of her.  One of those drawings is still hanging outside my office.

All I can offer for advice is don't go to euphemisms or "went to live at a farm" kind of talk.  Your dog has died (maybe went to live with God depending on your faith).  Your daughter will be sad.  There's no way around that.  But it's almost cold (as an adult) how fast they'll get over it.

And let yourself feel sad also.  Losing a dog really, really sucks.

[Grey Fox]

We just had to put our dog down. He was old and his kidneys were failing. It was his time. 

But my wife and I now have to talk about it with our 3 year old daughter. Anyone have any experience or advice about that?

That's tough Funk.

We had one dog who died on us - years later I still feel terrible - he was clearly in distress, shitting everywhere, but we had him sleep at the front door with plans to take him to the vet in the morning.  So he died alone and cold by the front door.

A second dog we at least planned for her passing - we gave her the best possible weekend with lots of (not strenuous) walks, had the boys make pictures of her.  One of those drawings is still hanging outside my office.

All I can offer for advice is don't go to euphemisms or "went to live at a farm" kind of talk.  Your dog has died (maybe went to live with God depending on your faith).  Your daughter will be sad.  There's no way around that.  But it's almost cold (as an adult) how fast they'll get over it.

And let yourself feel sad also.  Losing a dog really, really sucks.

That was sad. Sorry BB.

From my previous story. Cesar wasn't my dog. I barely interacted with him since I am allergic. I still cried when he died.

[Tonitrus]

What's Alaska's beef with Texas?  Oil rival?

If some of the swag one could buy at a fair/farmer's market in Alaska is anything to go by...insufficient national respect that Alaska is actually geographically larger than Texas.

[FunkMonk]

Thanks guys. Our daughter didn't seem too fazed by our discussion. She doesnt seem to get that our dog isn't coming back though. She thinks she will "see him tomorrow morning."

My wife and I are quite a bit more torn up by it.

[Duque de Bragança]

I also appreciate Delaware hating everyone. Probably because the other states forget they exist.

That's New Jersey.  Also, as you can see, all the surrounding states hate New Jersey.

I guess that explains this line in Highlander:

 

[Tamas]

I went straight to the comments and they did not disappoint, such an overflow of middle class food snobbery:  https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/jan/23/hotter-than-ever-how-pizza-conquered-britain-leaving-its-rivals-in-the-dust

Bonus points for most people highlighting Pizza Express as a quality pizza chain 

[garbon]

I went straight to the comments and they did not disappoint, such an overflow of middle class food snobbery:  https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/jan/23/hotter-than-ever-how-pizza-conquered-britain-leaving-its-rivals-in-the-dust

Bonus points for most people highlighting Pizza Express as a quality pizza chain 

The first couple paragraphs tell me I don't really care what Daniel Young thinks.

[Josquius]

The latest Miss Japan has been announced.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-68078061




100% Ukrainian ethnically, moved to Japan when she was 5.

Controversy has of course erupted. Particularly funny is those saying its political and if she was Russian they wouldn't be doing this.

I can't help but suspect wanting to create controversy played a part in her winning- afterall, the last time anyone talked about Miss Japan was a decade ago when a half black woman won.

[Jacob]

Good on the Miss Japan organization.

Personally I'm reading political messages into this - both re: Ukraine and re: Japanese ethnocentric attitudes. I approve on both counts.

[Tamas]

Are Japanese opposing this or is it just white people taking up the mantle of protecting the noble savages, again?

[Josquius]

Twitter is very big in Japan. From what I gather it goes as well as Twitter in the west

[Tonitrus]

When the whole meat of your news article is what people are complaining about on Twitter/X...I think you need rethink your credentials as a journalist.  It is no better than random "man on the street" interviews.

[Tamas]

When the whole meat of your news article is what people are complaining about on Twitter/X...I think you need rethink your credentials as a journalist.  It is no better than random "man on the street" interviews.

Indeed. Also reminded me that I feel like one reason the AI scare is blown out of any sensible proportion is that the only area where the current generation of "AI" is a real and present danger to is the "journalists" and other media personalities having about as much skill in their craft as the sophisticated search engine - chatbots hybrids we have come to call AI. So, the people who write and talk about news.

[Josquius]

I've realised something very annoying in modern English.
People using the word "dropping" for releasing.
Like "Suikoden 6 dropping next year".
Very often it's unclear if something is being released or if its being dropped in the more usual use of the word, ie support removed, no longer available, etc...

[Tamas]

I've realised something very annoying in modern English.
People using the word "dropping" for releasing.
Like "Suikoden 6 dropping next year".
Very often it's unclear if something is being released or if its being dropped in the more usual use of the word, ie support removed, no longer available, etc...

Yeah I would just drop it.