u/2CRedHopper

Posting this is more of an act of catharsis for myself than it is my 'contribution to the conversation.'

The past week or two has been perhaps the hardest on me out of all of these past 11+ years of hearing about Trump. Somehow, even worse than January 6 or November 2024.

I felt as though I had had the wind knocked out of me after SCOTUS gutted the VRA. Not because of the redistricting wars-- though that certainly isn't helping-- but because it comes across as such a blatantly partisan maneuver that erased decades of sacrifice and blood, sweat and tears from the civil rights movement to earn minority representation. Now not only will these minority communities lose their voices, but their seats will go directly to a party that has built its modern platform on demonizing people of color and of poverty (re: "DEI"). I was genuinely upset by that SCOTUS ruling and have continued to smart from that since it was issued.

And, of course, the constant onslaught of the endless 'tacky-ification' of all things emblematic of the US-- Trump's butchering of the White House, his disfiguring of the National Mall, the fact that I drive past his name on the Kennedy Center almost daily, the passports with his face, his signature on dollar bills, talk of a wrestling match on the South Lawn of the White House... his constant hateful rhetoric towards not just the opposition but anyone who isn't an overt sycophant, the way he speaks to the media... It's overwhelming, my circuits are fried hearing about it all constantly, and it's impossible to avoid hearing about it because as someone who strives to be civically active and politically literate I make it a point to stay up to date on current events. But God, it's gotten fucking exhausting and draining.

And then, of course, today our popular-vote redistricting referendum was thrown out on, at best, a technicality. There goes the one bit of good news we've had in a long time.

Meanwhile, we're supposed to sit back and watch Tennesee and Florida (and many others, I'm sure) continue to disenfranchise people of color and of poverty to give Donald fucking Trump, of all people, more power (or rather less oversight).

I'm feeling very kicked while I'm down. Out of all the crazy shit we've seen this man do, all of the ways he has attacked our Constitution, centralized power, exceed his authority, fuck up the economy, spew hatred, this has been the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Today has been the day where I have gone on countless text-meltdowns with my friends about how I'm tired and hopeless and I just can't take it anymore. Steve Bannon's 'flood the zone' is all about making so much shit happen at once we can't possibly fight it all or respond to it all and it makes us feel hopeless... well, it's working. My zone has been flooded. I'm tapping out.

As someone who has historically believed in fighting the good fight to use our voices in a democratic republic to stand up to our chief executive, as is our right, today, for the first time since we've started dealing with Trump over a decade ago, my response has been that I just want to give up and run away. Clichéd though it may be, I have been furiously researching how one immigrates to Canada. I don't believe in saving people who don't want to be saved, and the powers that be and (according to the 2024 popular vote) the majority of Americans don't seem to want to be saved from Donald Trump. I'm to a point where I don't want to let it take up any more of my time or my energy and I just want to surrender and run away. The radical right-wing can have the United States. I give up.

I just don't know how those of us who have historically voted Democratic and/or who feel opposed to Trump are supposed to remain inspired and motivated to stand up to fascism and authoritarianism when the system feels very clearly rigged in his favor. Democratic-led states have "moral high road" provisions against partisan gerrymandering, but Republican-led states conveniently don't. The Supreme Court struck down years of Biden and Obama policies just to turn around and let Trump do quite literally whatever the hell he wants. Congress has no interest whatsoever in curtailing his activities because we have all come to put party over country and they are all afraid to stand up to him lest they face a similar fate as Thom Tillis of North Carolina or Bob Good of Virginia, who Trump effectively forced out for lack of loyalty.

It just feels like fighting is pointless. Watching the direction our country is going in feels so hopeless.

So yeah. I feel kicked while I'm down. I don't want to keep fighting this. I'm tapping out, at least for the time being.

That's all. If you read this, thanks for listening.

Just stood in the gate and held the door closed and told him I’m not paying for him.

Had to wait for the next train but it was worth it.

I’m sure he just tailgated someone else but I don’t care. I’m just sick of being tailgated. These people are obnoxious.

That’s all just wanted to share

I have to get the clutch replaced on my F56 Cooper (B38, manual, 3dr) and have been looking at flywheel costs since a lot of people recommend replacing the flywheel while you're already in there (understandably so).

That being said, I'm having an unusually hard time finding a flywheel compatible with my Cooper, and the one I have found has been wildly expensive.

Here's the only flywheel for my F56 that I've been able to find (about $1k USD):
https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-25938631-twin-mass-flywheel/?

I understand that the flywheels in F56 Coopers are "special" because they're dual mass flywheels, not just "normal" flywheels, but it seems rather odd to me that there aren't more on the market. I can't find anything from ECS Tuning or FCP Euro, all the flywheels they sell are for R[XX] Coopers. I also find it hard to believe we can't possibly get one for cheaper than about $1k USD.

Does anyone know where the other flywheels are "hiding"? Anyone know of any less expensive options?

I've been searching on this long enough I should have found something by now and I feel like I'm going crazy.

Thanks in advance.

I actually can't take it anymore with people talking on Gelman's purportedly 'quiet study' floors. I'm sitting on the sixth floor because I'm trying to study, to read, to work...

We have group study rooms. We have social spaces on campus. Why do people insist on talking and laughing and carrying on HERE?

I tell people that this is a silent floor and they act all offended. It's beyond the pale. It's not as if if I don't like it I can or should just leave... this is where you go to escape people acting like this, supposedly. I should not be forced to use my noise cancelling headphones on the silent floor.

Can someone please walk me through the psychology of why one MUST socialize on the silent floors? Is it just... that much better than doing it where you're supposed to? Do you get some sort of perverse thrill out of it? Do you get off on annoying other people?

Sincerely,

- Someone who has spent days on end in Gelman and is losing their mind