Don't have kids because I can't. Insides were decimated by severe endometriosis. Three surgeons tried their best to cut 'n' scrape 'n' laser, but nope. Two days a month I'm incapacitated by pain (equivalent to late stage labour) the cramps seize up my gut, lower back, hips, and sciatic nerve. So that all sucks. Sibling has 4 kids with easy breezy pregnancies all.
Some days I'm glad I don't, especially when my anxiety disorder is bad. I look at others stressing about kid stuff and don't think I would cope. But other days it bites quite hard. And yes, when you are a woman, people are complete fuckwits if you don't have kids. The interrogation can be really cruel, and assumptions made.
The superiority of some parents, the shit like oh, you are selfish, or only a mother really knows how to love etc etc is hard to take. Honestly I wish people wouldn't ask why if you don't have kids. Like literally it's none of your fucking business. If it's a medical thing, it's so painful to talk about. Ditto for mental health or financial.
It's actually shocking how there is still so much stigma if a woman is childless. Oh, she is cold or dried up or other fucking shit. Like you're only worth something if you have a uterus that works, and God forbid if you don't feel the desire to breed. If we could reach a point where its like have kids if you want/not having them is equally cool, no explanation required, yay.
Oh, and don't wish for the whole single and ready to mingle way. There is nothing worth taking home nowadays. Not that you'd want to in a pandemic, amirite.

A very long post to say sometimes life just doesn't work out how you hoped. Shrug. That's the way it goes.

1. Folau is a twat.
2. Even now, there are still way too many who think being LGBTQ is a lifestyle. For some, coming out is fine. For others, it's violence and ostracism, some have been killed over it. It can often depend where you live, the beliefs of family/friends etc. Religious fuckwits have caused immeasurable harm to LGBTQ people. Words matter. They fester in hearts and minds, and sometimes provoke action.

It's fine for those who are utterly unaffected to say oh he's just being a piston wristed gibbon, ignore, but it's a bit different when you are in the LGBTQ community and get the slurs and discrimination etc from religious fuckfaces on a regular basis.

Jacinda has been reading far too many overseas fap pieces about her leadership. Compared to other countries yes it is better, but she's in la la land if she thinks everyone is going to 'oh! ok, righto, whatever you say' every time she frowns in concern. We're way past the team of 5 million hokey shit or be kind. We want facts and a concrete plan that doesn't rely on pummeling the economy or bringing life to a screeching halt because there is a covid case.

They've had six bloody months to develop policy and implement best practice. The fact that they AGAIN believed all the overseas we are the bestest 4 eva fap when we were at level one just shows how much nonsense there has been. By pure luck we haven't had monster outbreaks, just small ones to demonstrate how foolish and mediocre elements of the response have been.

(I'm not saying National would have done much better before anyone bleats that.) But I cannot stand people who want all the plaudits when things are going well, then duck for cover and babble platitudes when the shit hits the fan. Has anyone involved in the fuck ups lost their job because of sheer incompetence? Or do Ash and Cindy just say they take responsibility but those reporting to them carry on as usual?

I'm so, so sick of spin and vagueness. As I posted earlier, bobbing in and out of lockdown is not a strategy.

I wish they would both fuck off.

@Kirwan said in Aaron Smith naughty boy?:

Watching the cringeworthy statement from Smith where he was quite upset (seriously, why did they make him do that?), it reminded me of another world class player that decided to leave NZ because it was too much of a fishbowl: Carl Hayman.

I hope we haven't chased away the best halfback we've had since Bachop because of some click hungry hacks and a couple of perverts who decided to record this incident.

That tearful apology was just awful. For him, for the AB's, for his friends and family. This is so out of control. The only people he owed an apology to was his girlfriend and the NZRU for being a douchebag when on duty. Everyone else can fuck off. Jesus, the lynch mob have got their pound of flesh for this, it makes me want to punch the recording couple in the face for being the catalyst that inflicted this bullshit on the country.

What a game, eh.
While there was little appreciation for my nerves, that was vintage Bledisloe, and I'm glad we got up in the end to honour the mighty Tree.
Shocking start by the ABs, Wallabies were crisp in passing, tight on defence, and pounced on mistakes. Genia clearly took a sip from the fountain of youth, great game.
Ioane fantastic, gees he is quick, always making metres. Our scrum was also mighty tonight. DMac, well he is brave, and he makes some good sniping runs, but bloody hell he needs to sort out his passing. Sometimes it is downright awful. I'm nervous about these continual head knocks for Crotty and Cane. Not good. SBW had a game to forget. ALB much better from last week.
Cheika is a dick. Dude, you lost because your kicker couldn't kick for shit. And I wouldn't be shitting on the refs, because your team got several favours out there in terms of 50/50 disallowed tries, and another than could have easily got one of your men a yellow.

Holy shit. This hit me.

So a few weeks back I sent copy edits to my editor with time to spare so we could meet the deadline of March 23. That day came and went, still no reply except an auto email to say they were under the weather. Finally got a reply a few days ago, and I quickly did the things needed doing and sent off to publisher. I was annoyed, because deadlines are deadlines and wtf. ANYWAY. Just found out a few mins ago that the reason they were 'under the weather' they had the fucking virus!!!

This what they had to say:

I’m on day 16 of this and it’s still hanging on but I’m not as ill as I was even just a few days ago. It’s getting better, just…so…slowly. I feel like I will never not have a cough. I feel like I will never breathe normally again. And I’m afraid my running days might be over.
I don’t know where I picked this up from. I’d been staying inside, only going out to shop for food. I work from home. I went to no social gatherings. I didn’t invite people over. I sanitized everything. Somehow I still got it and I can’t point to a definitive source. This is the sickest I’ve ever been. I went to the ER twice because I was having much difficulty breathing. I was afraid to go to sleep for fear I’d stop breathing overnight. But I was so exhausted I fell asleep anyway.
Day after day, I felt completely wiped out. The first week was the worst. For 5 straight days, I couldn’t speak. Not from a sore throat but from lack of air. I didn’t have enough air to even form words. If I tried to talk, I felt like I was suffocating. Because I was. I had thought my lungs were one of the strongest parts of my body. I’m a runner. I used to run every day. To suddenly have the strongest part of you turn into the weakest is unbelievably scary.
I am grateful to still be alive. There were times I didn’t think I would be. I’m still here, though my energy is not 100%. I’m still breathing, though not without regular coughing fits. And I’m still hopeful that my lungs haven’t suffered permanent damage. Right now it feels like they might never be the same. But time will tell.

@NTA said in Re: Movie review thread...:

Let's see:

1. White
2. Into porn
3. Loves getting hold of a pair of tits

Yep. @Mokey is a bloody misogynist.

You forgot loves rugby, you fucking PUSSY.

@taniwharugby
And isn't it Morganic. Don't you think. A little tooooo Morganic. Yeah I really do think.
It's a little fame pre-election day.
A free ride because of Turei's mistakes.
It's no good advice, just renters and cats
Who would have thought...poll single figures.

@jegga What happened to Grace was absolutely dreadful and I'm heartbroken for her family and friends, but the public grief overload and vigils, articles, Prime Ministerial apology on behalf of the nation for one tourist are absolutely OTT.

If the PM wants to sob about something, how about our appalling domestic violence or suicide rates.

The kind thing is part of the problem. That implies current events aren't a big deal and it's not that bad if you ignore rules. As is the team of 5 million. This leads people to think that the actions of one won't matter in the bigger scheme of things, and as fuckface has just demonstrated, this is completely false.

Far too many years in government communications has me silently screaming about the foolish messaging. Jacinda should know better, but she loves her catch phrases.

It is becoming more and more obvious that there is a big disconnect between government messaging and platforms used, and South Auckland. So local community leaders and politicians are going to have to step up and go old school boots on the ground, with translators. Then there can be no we didn't know/understand/hear.

This in no way negates my yearning to bitchslap the 21yo, and those who once again have been caught lying or withholding critical information.

I'm honestly sick to the gills of the 'be kind' message, which seems to be getting conflated with 'things aren't that bad, it's ok if you don't do xyz'

At this point, I'm totally cool with some punitive steps for those who flout the rules. I'm also cool with the govt getting asked tough questions relentlessly, cos some of these things are fucking annoying to still be happening a year in.

A lot of sports orgs screaming in the copy room right now. I really feel for them, and the hospitality industry.

@donsteppa also the six60 concert in the tron.

Three days was never going to be long enough to get a handle on things, especially with a high school breakout. And now it's far worse with an infectious person having gone to supermarket, gym, MIT etc.

The trouble with the self isolate thing is it's high trust, and a lot of people are fucking idiots.

Neesh the five figure man making big Kylo look extra bad.

@donsteppa jamieson

Poor Jamieson really has bowled the worst overs of his international career the past few games. RCB must be shitting themselves.

Gah. Santner had them reeling, then Southee bowls pies.