this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1

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[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Its such a shit situation. If you want out, you generally need to get a job in another country. A job in a different country generally pays significantly less than the cost of living in most of the USA, so you need to already have a significant amount of money already saved to even consider it an option.

Most of us are just fucking trapped.

And in the case of the EU you probably aren't getting in unless you're highly credentialed. For all their shit talking they sure hate large-scale immigration.

[–] TheBrideWoreCrimson@sopuli.xyz 1 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Maybe I'm missing the point, but COL in other countries is also only a fraction of the US's. We don't live in hunger and squalor over here, you know. Plus, to move, you won't need significant savings.
No, the real issue, as with all migration from high- to low-wage countries, is that you cannot easily return for retirement because you're not going to be able to save enough for the US's housings prices or rents.

[–] 11111one11111@lemmy.world 6 points 6 hours ago

Well, duh. A slowly boiling pot of water is just a fucking hot tub for 90% of the time you're in it.

[–] inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Called my mom last night, told her to renew her passport asap.

Most people are like “the waters warm, this is nice, what are you going on about???” And I’m like “hi yes this water is scalding hot and about to boil we need to get out!”

[–] Today@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Renewed mine online in October. Received in 12 days.

[–] inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 6 hours ago

That was under the previous administration… musk is hollowing out federal jobs so I bet the wait will be tough. Especially as more frogs realize that the pot is boiling…

[–] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 22 points 9 hours ago

Billionaires are keeping us in the pot, using levers of power that we don't access from the pot.

[–] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 hours ago

Also the only animal whose greed and hoarding behavior outdoes it's conspecific altruism.

[–] thezeesystem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 68 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Don't forget the millions of us chained to the bottom because we have no choice

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 8 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Oh hello my friend, you fully drowned yet? I'm getting there.

[–] thezeesystem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Having no choice people think we can just jump ship (or I guess the pot) when they don't realize the people who can't do it at all because there chained to it

For instance trans people can't get passports or renew them meaning they have absolutely no way to leave.

We need to stay and help the disenfranchised instead of jumping ship

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

How so?
Geniunely don't understand how being trans prevents you from getting out?
I'd assume when being asked about your sex, I'd just swallow the pride (no pun intended) and say what the sex at birth was to get the paperwork done. As soon as ones out it won't matter as much anyway.

[–] erin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

This is not the case. Trans people are being denied passports of either gender marker as officials "wait for clarification" on the new rules. Furthermore, passports are being confiscated.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 hours ago

Big oof then. Good luck for the folks that need it to escape.

[–] spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 7 hours ago (2 children)
[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

But even in your source, which does explain the circumstances (which are bad), they mention how it needs to be under the sex that is on your certificate.
I only see an issue with it if you are in-between getting the identification modified as the gears of beaucrarcy grind very slow (ignoring constant interruptions by unecessary policy changes)

[–] spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

I only see an issue with it if you are in-between getting the identification modified as the gears of beaucrarcy grind very slow

Or, you know, you live in a red state that fights tooth and nail to not update that information, all in the hopes that this day would eventually come.

Updating your vital records is a state level item, and the process will vary by state, and that's a requirement to get it changed on your Federal passport. Please don't forget that a large amount of states have been trying to pretend these people don't exist, and now the federal government is trying to help make that a reality. For an example of the difficulties as reported 3 years ago:


States requiring proof of surgery, court order or altered birth certificate to change gender marker on driver’s licenses

Georgia.
Guam (U.S. Territory).
Iowa.
Kentucky.
Louisiana.
Northern Mariana Islands (U.S. Territory).
South Carolina.
Tennessee.
Texas.

States requiring proof of surgery, court order or altered birth certificate to change gender marker on birth certificates

Alabama.
Arizona.
Arkansas.
Georgia.
Guam (U.S. Territory).
Iowa.
Kentucky.
Louisiana.
Missouri.
Nebraska.
New Hampshire.
North Carolina.
North Dakota.
Wisconsin.

States barring residents from amending their gender designation on official documents

Montana.
Oklahoma.
Tennessee.
West Virginia


I'll note again that this was 3 years ago, before the massive wave of anti-trans legislation in the last couple of years.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Hm ok. but again: What prevents me from just not doing the whole passport changing thing in the US and staying X/Y for now, acquiring the passport, getting out and immigrating somewhere else doing and do the whole paperwork there instead.

Please don't take this as an ignorant take. I am neither a US citizen nor trans but interested and feel for my fellow friends on the other side of the pond.

[–] spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

If you're not out yet, it's not necessarily an issue, but masking hurts them a lot mentally after a while. Those who are already out but haven't changed their documents have to go back to masking (assuming they're willing to) to move forward with getting updated documents. And gods forbid you've started the process but it's not completed, because they might straight up take your docs and tell you to fuck off.

[–] thezeesystem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 7 hours ago

Exactly this thank you

[–] usrtrv@sh.itjust.works 39 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

As an American who just emigrated, I guess I jumped. I can still vote from overseas, but I'm pessimistic about the future.

[–] Bonje@lemmy.world 11 points 14 hours ago

Where to, if you don't mind

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 34 points 14 hours ago

Yea.....

Post UK Brexit was when I thought the same thing.

[–] tryptamine@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Inside the pot: slowly boiling water

Outside the pot: raging inferno that is heating the pot

When given the option to slowly boil, or jump into a raging inferno, I think most people would think twice about jumping out of the pot.

[–] Shezzagrad@lemmy.ml 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Pot boiling and the raging inferno are both in America. Go and explore, the world is more peaceful then you think

[–] tryptamine@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 hours ago

I understand, but like lots of people in America I was born here and have have had my wages suppressed because of multiple “once in a lifetime” financial crises to the point I can’t afford to travel, and therefore I can’t afford to immigrate.

[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.world 12 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

This would imply that they're not surrounded by other pots filled with water which is (varying degrees of) boiling. We don't really have a Socialist Utopia meeting spot, let's say.

Beyond that, eloping requires a not insignificant amount of money (as a Romanian, I can say that homes/apartments aren't cheap here, either, and we're not exactly L.A.)

And at the other end of the line, immigration's not exactly thought of with fondness, even in Europe. Don't forget, we're stewing in our own pot even if the heat's still relatively tolerable.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 8 points 9 hours ago (3 children)

This is a problem I'm having now with my boyfriend. I want to get out of the US and he says, "Where? Everywhere's falling to fascism right now. And it's hard and expensive to emigrate." It doesn't help that he also thinks it's not worth it to think about leaving until the water's actually boiling and he has verified it.

[–] djsoren19@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Your boyfriend is right. Unless one of you has an in-demand technical degree or a lot of money, immigration to Western countries is going to be out of reach. That leaves you with weakened economies which are either already authoritarian, or trending authoritarian. Even if you could get to a place like Europe, far-right parties emboldened by their new U.S. support are rising in popularity and receiving centrist support in places like France and Germany.

There is no green field to relax in while the rest of the world collapses. You'll have to fight to prevent the slide to fascism wherever you go.

[–] Goodmorningsunshine@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

True - it's the rising tide right now and probably for humanity's future since we're on a sinking ship globally. I do have the benefit of working for a global company and a boss who's already told me I can transfer to whichever country I pick that they operate in. But he's not as optimistic for his own job needs, and it's still about choosing a country that could possibly just let us die in peace before it also goes to shit.

[–] cheers_queers@lemm.ee 6 points 6 hours ago

he's not wrong..

[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Yeah most people were like "I'm moving to Canada!" Ignoring the fact that the person most likely to be PM in a couple months is also fully a Musk shill. Europe is pushing right-wing and the UK's been down bad for a while. Maybe Australia or New Zealand?

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org -2 points 5 hours ago

i don't know US pedons being obideint dogs is anything new... look nazi germany and look at russia. same basic premises, daddy worshiping and oligarch bootlicking.

in other words, this is the human condition because normie needs to feelz good.

[–] fallowseed@lemmy.world 8 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

jordan peterson has some knowledge about lobsters he'd like to share with you.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

That's what the woke mob would have you believe! The water isn't getting warmer at all! Believe me!

[–] introvertcatto@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Isn't it for all animals. If you keep slowly increasing temperature their body temperature will more easily come to equilibrium with outside temperature than it will if you just put them to hot boiling pot?

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 17 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

No, it's a fallacy. What is true is called "creeping normality", and it's absolutely what humans do to large scale and/or slow changes.

[–] Admax@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

If it's not another name for it, it's definitely very close to the Overton Window.

Yes but you have to lobotomize the frogs first.

[–] insomniac_lemon@lemmy.cafe 5 points 14 hours ago

Water? Preposterous!

A giant pot of delicious soon-to-be stew, however... mighty tempting, doc! You'll have to treat me right though, you wouldn't want to get food poisoning from stringy meat would ya?

[–] Engywuck@lemm.ee 0 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

USA != America