Overheard on Facebook

[Beowulf]

One of my friends just like a page that sells clothing, that you can finance.  Let me restate that, before getting to the part of their post/ad that shows the actual coat (which does look pretty cool) they talk about how you can finance the coat.  It looks like its 0 interest so assuming no strings are attached I would probably take the 6 month float if I were to buy the coat, but is it really a good idea for people to buy clothing they need to finance?

So how much was the coat?  I bet there are many people here with cheaper cars.  I was in a store the other day that had layaway, most expensive thing there was like 400$ - if you need layaway for 400$ you cant afford it.

It was about $500.

[Squirrel away]

Someone I know created a crowdsourcing campaign for a "fabulous" new organic anti-aging shampoo that she was going to invent in her kitchen because she was obviously so beautiful and ageless that we would all want to look like her. Seriously. That was the pitch. I'm almost 50 and people still tell me I'm hot, and I dress like I'm 20, so I'm therefore qualified to invent, produce, market, and distribute a product that makes significant health claims.

She wanted funding for a shampoo she was going to invent? She didn't have it yet? And the selling point was her fabulous beauty that did NOT come from the shampoo? Brilliant.

LOL!:D

[tmac]

Someone I know created a crowdsourcing campaign for a "fabulous" new organic anti-aging shampoo that she was going to invent in her kitchen because she was obviously so beautiful and ageless that we would all want to look like her. Seriously. That was the pitch. I'm almost 50 and people still tell me I'm hot, and I dress like I'm 20, so I'm therefore qualified to invent, produce, market, and distribute a product that makes significant health claims.

She wanted funding for a shampoo she was going to invent? She didn't have it yet? And the selling point was her fabulous beauty that did NOT come from the shampoo? Brilliant.

LOL!:D

She's blonde right?

With apologies to my blonde, brilliant daughter: Yes, she is.

[MgoSam]

"Anyone looking for a ticket to the Wilds game tonight? We have seats at ___, and are looking for 120 obo."

I can't imagine spending $120 on a single person's entertainment for an entire night, not just for a single ticket, for some people that is just the start as they will pay for parking, dinner beforehand, beer and other snacks at the game....

[dandarc]

"Anyone looking for a ticket to the Wilds game tonight? We have seats at ___, and are looking for 120 obo."

I can't imagine spending $120 on a single person's entertainment for an entire night, not just for a single ticket, for some people that is just the start as they will pay for parking, dinner beforehand, beer and other snacks at the game....

One of my dad's friends always says "I wouldn't pay XXX dollars to see Moses wrestle a bear."

[MgoSam]

Not a mustachian-type thing, but wanted to post this somewhere

Friend on FB in response to thread about evolution, "The Bible does not contradict anywhere, and it is clear that evolution is a myth. Scientists keep changing what they believe, why should anyone belief in that while the Bible is clear and hasn't changed in centuries."

When someone responded with documented contradictions, his response was to call that person an idiot, but since has been largely absent from the thread. What I found interesting is that the two main people in the thread have different viewpoints (one is an archaeologist that believes in evolution and the other is a Christian who believes in an intelligent design framework) but completely respect each other, and it is a largely interested discussion between them.

[Dr.Vibrissae]

Friend on FB in response to thread about evolution, "The Bible does not contradict anywhere, and it is clear that evolution is a myth. Scientists keep changing what they believe, why should anyone belief in that while the Bible is clear and hasn't changed in centuries."

I've never understood why some people consider it a sign of weakness when you change your view based on new information.  I've certainly held opnions, and even some beliefs i thought were factual, but when new information comes to light, it's silly to ignore it just for the sake of consistency.

[fb132]

True or else we would still think the world is flat.

[rocksinmyhead]

Friend on FB in response to thread about evolution, "The Bible does not contradict anywhere, and it is clear that evolution is a myth. Scientists keep changing what they believe, why should anyone belief in that while the Bible is clear and hasn't changed in centuries."

I've never understood why some people consider it a sign of weakness when you change your view based on new information.  I've certainly held opnions, and even some beliefs i thought were factual, but when new information comes to light, it's silly to ignore it just for the sake of consistency.

this drives me nuts too. I always notice it in the context of politicians. "OMG they changed their position!" yeah, there's a difference between changing your position every time someone new gives you money and changing your opinion based on new information. if people DON'T do the latter I start to get worrried!

[sheepstache]

A facebook friend just posted 'who wants to help pay for my trip to Thailand?'.  A few minutes later she comments on the post saying 'you guys think I'm joking...' and then linked to her Paypal.  Somebody gave her $0.10.

To give some context to her latest facebook whinge, she spends money like it's going out of style.  Her parents gave her a car, only for her to sell it and use the proceeds as the down payment on an older, more expensive to run/maintain car.

This trend of asking others to help pay for your fun times is getting ridiculous.  My DW and I just made a team decision we will not consider any "gofundme" or similar requests period.

Now, leaving $0.10, that is pretty funny!

I'm young enough that most of my friends aren't married yet, but the few that have sent out these tedious 'please give us money' invitations/requests.  I understand their reasoning, but it still feels slimy and weird.

I remember reading in an Anthony Bourdain book about how his south american kitchen staff would have a savings pool where each person turned over most of their earnings each week and one person (a different one each week) got a big wad of cash and could spend like a drunken sailor.  It seems like the psychology behind that might also be behind this kind of stuff. As far as I can tell, the people who ask for money also have no problem funding others. The key thing seems to be the belief that everyone has a little bit to give, but there's no possible way everyone could just stash away that little bit each week and achieve their goal on their own.

My facebook find today is also a gofundme. A family's two year old has been offered representation by a modeling agency.

[W]e would love for her to be able to set aside a little money for college doing something she seems to enjoy.

However, we are going to have to turn the offer down due to startup costs we just can’t fit into the family budget right now, including gas to drive to Nashville and back, the need to take off work for auditions and the need for professional photographs.

So, nice instinct that it would be good to save money for the kid's college, but apparently the budget is so tight they can't come up with gas money, taking time off work, or a thousand bucks for professional headshots. I don't know the family, maybe this is legitimately true. But in that case, that seems like the more immediate problem that needs solving. (eta: they are only asking for $500 total.)

Maybe they don't realize that you also have to take time off work to take her to the jobs if she gets them. So any work she gets is going to have to cover the lost wages. Unless she takes off big with a national campaign with residuals, the math will probably not work out. And then who knows how long the kid is going to remain cute for? And it's not like her accomplishments as a two-year-old are something she can be proud of or channel into good college application material.

[eyePod]

One of my friends just like a page that sells clothing, that you can finance.  Let me restate that, before getting to the part of their post/ad that shows the actual coat (which does look pretty cool) they talk about how you can finance the coat.  It looks like its 0 interest so assuming no strings are attached I would probably take the 6 month float if I were to buy the coat, but is it really a good idea for people to buy clothing they need to finance?

So how much was the coat?  I bet there are many people here with cheaper cars.  I was in a store the other day that had layaway, most expensive thing there was like 400$ - if you need layaway for 400$ you cant afford it.

I don't understand the bad thing about layaway. You can't get the item till you have the $$$, right? Is there something I'm missing? It's better than buying it on a credit card that you can't pay off...

[eyePod]

"Anyone looking for a ticket to the Wilds game tonight? We have seats at ___, and are looking for 120 obo."

I can't imagine spending $120 on a single person's entertainment for an entire night, not just for a single ticket, for some people that is just the start as they will pay for parking, dinner beforehand, beer and other snacks at the game....

One of my dad's friends always says "I wouldn't pay XXX dollars to see Moses wrestle a bear."

I dunno, that sounds pretty entertaining...

[Sylly]

I don't understand the bad thing about layaway. You can't get the item till you have the $$$, right? Is there something I'm missing? It's better than buying it on a credit card that you can't pay off...

I've never done layaway, so maybe it's not the way I think it's done. But if (general) you have to make pre-payments before you get the item, why not just save it up yourself and go buy it once you have enough? I don't know if there's a fee associated with layaway -- if there is, then by buying it through layaway, you're not only increasing the item's price, but you're sacrificing any interest you might accrue by saving it in your own account, and giving it to the store instead. Not to mention losing other potential benefits like buying it on a decent sale, or having access to your own money for emergencies. It just seems to me layaway is designed for people who can't manage their money, which is probably why there'll always be people willing to do it.

[firelight]

Layaway is mainly for people that lack the discipline to.save money themselves... They don't trust that they can save $100 by putting $10 a month towards it and hence Walmart and other stores do it for them for a particular item. The janitor at work buys a lot of stuff on layaway and this is his reasoning

[Primm]

Layaway is mainly for people that lack the discipline to.save money themselves... They don't trust that they can save $100 by putting $10 a month towards it and hence Walmart and other stores do it for them for a particular item. The janitor at work buys a lot of stuff on layaway and this is his reasoning

Layby (layaway) is huge here at Christmas. Basically because you can buy toys and stuff for the kids 12 weeks out, when the sales are on, and the store will keep it for you until Christmas Eve. Put the kids to bed, make it down to pick up your stash before 9pm, wrap and hide the presents under the tree - voila! Instant Santa without having to hide the stuff at home.

Also, isn't recognising that you lack the discipline to save for yourself and getting someone to do it for you far far preferable to buying the thing on credit?

[AlanStache]

Layaway is mainly for people that lack the discipline to.save money themselves... They don't trust that they can save $100 by putting $10 a month towards it and hence Walmart and other stores do it for them for a particular item. The janitor at work buys a lot of stuff on layaway and this is his reasoning

Layby (layaway) is huge here at Christmas. Basically because you can buy toys and stuff for the kids 12 weeks out, when the sales are on, and the store will keep it for you until Christmas Eve. Put the kids to bed, make it down to pick up your stash before 9pm, wrap and hide the presents under the tree - voila! Instant Santa without having to hide the stuff at home.

Also, isn't recognising that you lack the discipline to save for yourself and getting someone to do it for you far far preferable to buying the thing on credit?

Had not thought of that, sort of cool, maybe you all should get bigger houses so you can have hiding places j.k.!  I have generally seen layaway used to buy crap you dont need and with money you dont have (we can argue about the word 'need' and xmass gifts all all day long :-)   ).  The only real mmm approved use of it I can think of would be for a larger group gift where the money is coming in from many people over a few months, but even that not really...

[pipercat]

I've used layaway before.  It was good because I was able to get the items at the sale price, but I didn't have to put anything on credit.  I may be wrong, but I don't think it's common for there to be a fee associated with it.  At least, I never paid a fee for it.

[lbdance]

Layaway is mainly for people that lack the discipline to.save money themselves... They don't trust that they can save $100 by putting $10 a month towards it and hence Walmart and other stores do it for them for a particular item. The janitor at work buys a lot of stuff on layaway and this is his reasoning

Layby (layaway) is huge here at Christmas. Basically because you can buy toys and stuff for the kids 12 weeks out, when the sales are on, and the store will keep it for you until Christmas Eve. Put the kids to bed, make it down to pick up your stash before 9pm, wrap and hide the presents under the tree - voila! Instant Santa without having to hide the stuff at home.

This! I hadn't thought about this until just recently when a work colleague mentioned that was how she did it. Got most of her Christmas shopping done last weekend when the sales were on. Put it all on layby so that she doesn't have to store it, but still got to take advantage of the sales.

[jpo]

Not a mustachian-type thing, but wanted to post this somewhere

Friend on FB in response to thread about evolution, "The Bible does not contradict anywhere, and it is clear that evolution is a myth. Scientists keep changing what they believe, why should anyone belief in that while the Bible is clear and hasn't changed in centuries."

When someone responded with documented contradictions, his response was to call that person an idiot, but since has been largely absent from the thread. What I found interesting is that the two main people in the thread have different viewpoints (one is an archaeologist that believes in evolution and the other is a Christian who believes in an intelligent design framework) but completely respect each other, and it is a largely interested discussion between them.

Golden opportunity to post this: http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/10/how-religion-got-in-the-way.html

[flamingo25]

My FB has, at times, been so full of ridiculousness I don't even know where to start. I have successfully unfriended/hidden quite a few people which helps, but I still see a whopper every now and then (financially related or otherwise).

A couple gems:

-"Hubby bought me a push present!!!" with picture of $400+ diaper bag. Seriously, that thing is going to hold poopy diapers. (For those not in the know, a "push present" is a gift that the dad/husband gives a new mom as a "thank you" for carrying and birthing his child, or something like that).

From a girl who decided to elope to her BF of about a month: "We went to get our marriage license today but it costs $60. Who has $60 lying around? Guess we will have to wait." Yikes. Sadly, and predictably, they are no longer married.

[ender]

Layaway is mainly for people that lack the discipline to.save money themselves... They don't trust that they can save $100 by putting $10 a month towards it and hence Walmart and other stores do it for them for a particular item. The janitor at work buys a lot of stuff on layaway and this is his reasoning

My mother worked part time at Kohls and would frequently put clearance stuff on layaway in order to batch purchase with a 30% off coupon. Plus an employee discount.

She made a KILLING on combining all the different discounts using layaway. I suspect it was often cheaper to get brand new clothing from Kohls than it would have been to pick it up at a thrift store.

[dragoncar]

My FB has, at times, been so full of ridiculousness I don't even know where to start. I have successfully unfriended/hidden quite a few people which helps, but I still see a whopper every now and then (financially related or otherwise).

A couple gems:

-"Hubby bought me a push present!!!" with picture of $400+ diaper bag. Seriously, that thing is going to hold poopy diapers. (For those not in the know, a "push present" is a gift that the dad/husband gives a new mom as a "thank you" for carrying and birthing his child, or something like that).

From a girl who decided to elope to her BF of about a month: "We went to get our marriage license today but it costs $60. Who has $60 lying around? Guess we will have to wait." Yikes. Sadly, and predictably, they are no longer married.

Wow, I think $60 is the lowest "who has that lying around?" amount I've ever heard. 

[Threshkin]

Years ago, I realized one day that I did not have enough money "lying around" to pay bus fare to get down town to the bank.  This was before ATMs were everywhere. 

I had the money, just no way to get to it! 

Later that day a friend stopped by who gave me a ride so the crisis was averted.

[HairyUpperLip]

-"Hubby bought me a push present!!!" with picture of $400+ diaper bag. Seriously, that thing is going to hold poopy diapers. (For those not in the know, a "push present" is a gift that the dad/husband gives a new mom as a "thank you" for carrying and birthing his child, or something like that).

A Push Gift and A "Baby Moon" are fucking retarded as fuck. What's a baby moon? Well obviously it's a 'VACATION' for the Mom and Dad before the Baby arrives since it's their last chance to relax......... Fuck going on a vacation where you can't do anything but lay around.

Anyways, I made sure my wife, and her dumb friends, knew my feelings on both things.

[solon]

-"Hubby bought me a push present!!!" with picture of $400+ diaper bag. Seriously, that thing is going to hold poopy diapers. (For those not in the know, a "push present" is a gift that the dad/husband gives a new mom as a "thank you" for carrying and birthing his child, or something like that).

A Push Gift and A "Baby Moon" are fucking retarded as fuck. What's a baby moon? Well obviously it's a 'VACATION' for the Mom and Dad before the Baby arrives since it's their last chance to relax......... Fuck going on a vacation where you can't do anything but lay around.

Anyways, I made sure my wife, and her dumb friends, knew my feelings on both things.

I'm adding you to my list of people not to take relationship advice from!

[Primm]

-"Hubby bought me a push present!!!" with picture of $400+ diaper bag. Seriously, that thing is going to hold poopy diapers. (For those not in the know, a "push present" is a gift that the dad/husband gives a new mom as a "thank you" for carrying and birthing his child, or something like that).

A Push Gift and A "Baby Moon" are fucking retarded as fuck. What's a baby moon? Well obviously it's a 'VACATION' for the Mom and Dad before the Baby arrives since it's their last chance to relax......... Fuck going on a vacation where you can't do anything but lay around.

Anyways, I made sure my wife, and her dumb friends, knew my feelings on both things.

I work in a NICU in a tourist area, so we have lots (probably at least one a month) of babies born way early, like between 25 and 30 weeks, to parents who were holidaying here on a babymoon. Ends up being really freaking expensive because travel insurance doesn't cover pregnancy related issues, and they aren't eligible for the usual accommodation subsidies because they have local hospitals who could provide the services we offer, they just weren't anywhere near them. Think $100 a night for up to 3 months in some cases. And dad either has to go home to work or stay up here to support mum but not get paid. Not a good idea...

[MandalayVA]

Yes, push presents are dumb.  So is a "babymoon."  But the dumbest thing now?  "Gender reveal" parties, which are basically gift grabs in disguise.  Oh--and of course the "big reveal" has to be on Facebook and YouTube. 

[DeepEllumStache]

And then you have to have a professional photographer for the gender reveal itself.  Can't skimp on that kind of thing... what would Pinterest think?

[tmac]

I'm totally against "push presents" (for the concept and the horribly tacky name), but I'm on board with the pre-baby vacation idea. Not somewhere too far  away, perhaps, but it's a nice idea. My husband and I went to a B&B about two hours from home before baby 1 was born. So nice and relaxing. And swimming in a cool mountain lake while pregnant? Absolutely amazing.

[HairyUpperLip]

I'm adding you to my list of people not to take relationship advice from!

lol - too bad, I'm good at this. :-D

I work in a NICU in a tourist area, so we have lots (probably at least one a month) of babies born way early, like between 25 and 30 weeks, to parents who were holidaying here on a babymoon. Ends up being really freaking expensive because travel insurance doesn't cover pregnancy related issues, and they aren't eligible for the usual accommodation subsidies because they have local hospitals who could provide the services we offer, they just weren't anywhere near them. Think $100 a night for up to 3 months in some cases. And dad either has to go home to work or stay up here to support mum but not get paid. Not a good idea...

hahaha, awesome. I am validated!

I'm totally against "push presents" (for the concept and the horribly tacky name), but I'm on board with the pre-baby vacation idea. Not somewhere too far  away, perhaps, but it's a nice idea. My husband and I went to a B&B about two hours from home before baby 1 was born. So nice and relaxing. And swimming in a cool mountain lake while pregnant? Absolutely amazing.

Well, that's not a bad idea at all. But I guess most people would call that a "weekend getaway" or something so it wouldn't have the fancy Baby Moon title. The people I know who've done these Baby Moon things go to tourist trap resorts on tourist beaches (expensive trips).

A weekend getaway that's fun is totally cool in my opinion. The wife and I tend several while she was pregnant and enjoyed them a lot. All were driving distance type of stuff, nothing lavish or crazy.

[gimp]

And then you have to have a professional photographer for the gender reveal itself.  Can't skimp on that kind of thing... what would Pinterest think?

As a hobby photographer, I don't mind this trend. More demand means more purchases - so more R&D for better cameras and lenses being released, and more used gear on craigslist.

But of course I'm being selfish.

[tmac]

I'm totally against "push presents" (for the concept and the horribly tacky name), but I'm on board with the pre-baby vacation idea. Not somewhere too far  away, perhaps, but it's a nice idea. My husband and I went to a B&B about two hours from home before baby 1 was born. So nice and relaxing. And swimming in a cool mountain lake while pregnant? Absolutely amazing.

Well, that's not a bad idea at all. But I guess most people would call that a "weekend getaway" or something so it wouldn't have the fancy Baby Moon title. The people I know who've done these Baby Moon things go to tourist trap resorts on tourist beaches (expensive trips).

I guess that's true. It's a funny realization to me that what lives in my mind as the perfect, luxurious holiday, was really just a nice weekend away, which lots of people would do several times a year. We've done it just the once in 10 years. We did go to Scotland a couple of years back, but that was to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships, so that's not really the same thing.

Maybe after the kids are all out of the house. What would you call that? An Empty Nest Fest?

[Goldielocks]

And then you have to have a professional photographer for the gender reveal itself.  Can't skimp on that kind of thing... what would Pinterest think?

To be real, the gender reveal parties started as a modern day version of the shower,intended to push the focus away from presents (no thank-you) to just a fun couple's party.  That in itself is a great MMM approved change.   The addition of one, to other showers and hiring of caterers and photographers is an unfortunate extension of the "me " generation.

[flamingo25]

I'm totally against "push presents" (for the concept and the horribly tacky name), but I'm on board with the pre-baby vacation idea. Not somewhere too far  away, perhaps, but it's a nice idea. My husband and I went to a B&B about two hours from home before baby 1 was born. So nice and relaxing. And swimming in a cool mountain lake while pregnant? Absolutely amazing.

Well, that's not a bad idea at all. But I guess most people would call that a "weekend getaway" or something so it wouldn't have the fancy Baby Moon title. The people I know who've done these Baby Moon things go to tourist trap resorts on tourist beaches (expensive trips).

I guess that's true. It's a funny realization to me that what lives in my mind as the perfect, luxurious holiday, was really just a nice weekend away, which lots of people would do several times a year. We've done it just the once in 10 years. We did go to Scotland a couple of years back, but that was to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships, so that's not really the same thing.

Maybe after the kids are all out of the house. What would you call that? An Empty Nest Fest?

Haha I think we could be friends.

[pipercat]

To be real, the gender reveal parties started as a modern day version of the shower,intended to push the focus away from presents (no thank-you) to just a fun couple's party.  That in itself is a great MMM approved change.   The addition of one, to other showers and hiring of caterers and photographers is an unfortunate extension of the "me " generation.

So. . to derail even more, aren't the gender reveal parties hosted by the couple? I honestly don't know, but I thought that was how it went. If that's the case, then it's not a sustitute for a shower, since the shower is given by someone else.  They didn't have such things ten years ago when I was still birthin' babies!

[VirginiaBob]

I've used layaway before.  It was good because I was able to get the items at the sale price, but I didn't have to put anything on credit.  I may be wrong, but I don't think it's common for there to be a fee associated with it.  At least, I never paid a fee for it.

Another method of using no fee layaway is to buy high demand items, post them on ebay, and only pay items as they sell.  I know someone who bought a bunch of xbox1 and ps4 preorders on layaway and sold them for $800-$1000 a piece when the release date arrived.

[flamingo25]

Yes, push presents are dumb.  So is a "babymoon."  But the dumbest thing now?  "Gender reveal" parties, which are basically gift grabs in disguise.  Oh--and of course the "big reveal" has to be on Facebook and YouTube.

This couple also had multiple "baby moons," a professional pregnancy photo shoot as well as a professional "we're having a baby" announcement photo shoot.

Now they are having #2 (2nd girl). And she said she can't wait to have "two princesses" in the house. Almost too nuts to look away.

[tofuchampion]

I'm totally against "push presents" (for the concept and the horribly tacky name), but I'm on board with the pre-baby vacation idea. Not somewhere too far  away, perhaps, but it's a nice idea. My husband and I went to a B&B about two hours from home before baby 1 was born. So nice and relaxing. And swimming in a cool mountain lake while pregnant? Absolutely amazing.

+1

The only "push present" I want is for Mr Tofu to bring me a really good pizza or Chinese takeout.  But while the name is dumb, I love the idea of a babymoon.  We didn't have a honeymoon, and it would have been nice to have a nice weekend or few days somewhere.  It's a bit late now, as Baby Tofu is due in 5 weeks, but I don't think it's stupid at all.

Gender reveals, on the other hand... one big WTF.  I'll be honest, though, half the reason for my annoyance is that it should be called a "sex reveal," since sex and gender are not the same thing.  I also get annoyed when people ask me what the baby's gender is, though I've gotten better at not explaining that "sex" and "gender" are not interchangeable.

[AlanStache]

I love all the 'legitimate' uses for layaway listed here, had never thought of any of them.  Maybe I need to go shopping more often to see what other deals stores will offer and how I can take advantage of them :-)

[MandalayVA]

Yes, push presents are dumb.  So is a "babymoon."  But the dumbest thing now?  "Gender reveal" parties, which are basically gift grabs in disguise.  Oh--and of course the "big reveal" has to be on Facebook and YouTube.

This couple also had multiple "baby moons," a professional pregnancy photo shoot as well as a professional "we're having a baby" announcement photo shoot.

Now they are having #2 (2nd girl). And she said she can't wait to have "two princesses" in the house. Almost too nuts to look away.

Oh, God, this whole "princess" thing has to stop, seriously.  The first wave of "princesses" is in adulthood and it's a scary thing. 

[merula]

The only "push present" I want is for Mr Tofu to bring me a really good pizza or Chinese takeout.  But while the name is dumb, I love the idea of a babymoon.  We didn't have a honeymoon, and it would have been nice to have a nice weekend or few days somewhere.  It's a bit late now, as Baby Tofu is due in 5 weeks, but I don't think it's stupid at all.

Gender reveals, on the other hand... one big WTF.  I'll be honest, though, half the reason for my annoyance is that it should be called a "sex reveal," since sex and gender are not the same thing.  I also get annoyed when people ask me what the baby's gender is, though I've gotten better at not explaining that "sex" and "gender" are not interchangeable.

+1 to both! (+2?) I also had a specific hospital takeout request, and spent a solid two months in my first pregnancy trying to explain the difference between sex and gender before giving up. I think the driver is that "gender" is seen as a more polite term for sex.

Re Babymoons: I took a transatlantic vacation at 18 weeks. I never called it a babymoon, but others did. My main motivation was that I probably wouldn't get to do it again anytime soon. I hadn't really considered the potential health effects, but in hindsight, if something had happened there probably wouldn't have been anything to be done, and since I was traveling in civilized countries with socialized healthcare, the cost would most likely have been cheaper than at home.

My contribution: a coworker just got divorced. Pre-divorce, her fb feed was entirely all the places she and her husband went (vacations, weekend getaways, tony restaurants). Post-divorce, it's all about the things she's buying for her dog. Oh, and how she's remodeling the 1600 sq ft townhouse she got to keep. (And if Glassdoor is right, she makes about $40k/year.)

[madame librarian]

Anyway, I guess it comes down to, I think your friend AND you are both oversimplifying a complex problem. I think a solution that is both rational and humane exists, but requires banks, government, and individuals working together. Perhaps in some communities, housing the homeless in foreclosed homes is a reasonable solution. Perhaps in others, special, low-cost housing needs to be built. In some climates, what about campgrounds for the homeless? What about tiny houses http://occupymadisoninc.com/ ?

I helped build one of the OM tiny houses. The entire thing was about the size of my kitchen (quite a small kitchen by anybody's standards), so the idea that someone who is homeless doesn't "deserve" that amount of help strikes me as very cold. I don't think anybody would consciously choose to live in a space like that, and the majority of chronically homeless people are in their situation because of serious issues that the rest of us have been lucky enough to avoid. Also, the people who are getting the houses in Madison had to participate in a work program (volunteering at the building site for a certain # of hours) to get them, and I think they had to test clean for drugs too, though I'm not certain of that. I met some of them and their gratitude/excitement to finally be getting these teeny tiny homes was touching and heartbreaking.

Just my 2c.

[galliver]

Anyway, I guess it comes down to, I think your friend AND you are both oversimplifying a complex problem. I think a solution that is both rational and humane exists, but requires banks, government, and individuals working together. Perhaps in some communities, housing the homeless in foreclosed homes is a reasonable solution. Perhaps in others, special, low-cost housing needs to be built. In some climates, what about campgrounds for the homeless? What about tiny houses http://occupymadisoninc.com/ ?

I helped build one of the OM tiny houses. The entire thing was about the size of my kitchen (quite a small kitchen by anybody's standards), so the idea that someone who is homeless doesn't "deserve" that amount of help strikes me as very cold. I don't think anybody would consciously choose to live in a space like that, and the majority of chronically homeless people are in their situation because of serious issues that the rest of us have been lucky enough to avoid. Also, the people who are getting the houses in Madison had to participate in a work program (volunteering at the building site for a certain # of hours) to get them, and I think they had to test clean for drugs too, though I'm not certain of that. I met some of them and their gratitude/excitement to finally be getting these teeny tiny homes was touching and heartbreaking.

Just my 2c.

So cool to hear from someone involved in the project! I thought it was great when I heart about it. Judging by some recent news, I think tinyhouses are some people's housing of choice, but mostly of hardcore minimalists. However, after being homeless I bet it's awesome just to have your own corner of the world, no matter how tiny... Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[infogoon]

The only "push present" I want is for Mr Tofu to bring me a really good pizza or Chinese takeout.

For each of our children's births, one of my first jobs was getting my wife her favorite sandwich from her favorite deli. Going months without eating cold cuts drove her crazy.

[Dr. A]

For each of our children's births, one of my first jobs was getting my wife her favorite sandwich from her favorite deli. Going months without eating cold cuts drove her crazy.

Yeah, it was the lack of cold cuts that caused your wife to act crazy when she was pregnant. ;)

[farmstache]

+1

The only "push present" I want is for Mr Tofu to bring me a really good pizza or Chinese takeout.  But while the name is dumb, I love the idea of a babymoon.  We didn't have a honeymoon, and it would have been nice to have a nice weekend or few days somewhere.  It's a bit late now, as Baby Tofu is due in 5 weeks, but I don't think it's stupid at all.

Gender reveals, on the other hand... one big WTF.  I'll be honest, though, half the reason for my annoyance is that it should be called a "sex reveal," since sex and gender are not the same thing.  I also get annoyed when people ask me what the baby's gender is, though I've gotten better at not explaining that "sex" and "gender" are not interchangeable.

I'm with you on the push present! We never eat out or take out anymore, so I'm looking forward to that. :) I really really want to take a weekend away with SO before it gets too late (mine is due march), but I'm good with a weekend away at my family's beach or country house (oh the antimustachian!).

About gender and sex, a momma in one of my apps said she always answers: "The sex is male, but gender I guess you'll need to wait until they are a teenager so they can tell you"

[madame librarian]

Anyway, I guess it comes down to, I think your friend AND you are both oversimplifying a complex problem. I think a solution that is both rational and humane exists, but requires banks, government, and individuals working together. Perhaps in some communities, housing the homeless in foreclosed homes is a reasonable solution. Perhaps in others, special, low-cost housing needs to be built. In some climates, what about campgrounds for the homeless? What about tiny houses http://occupymadisoninc.com/ ?

I helped build one of the OM tiny houses. The entire thing was about the size of my kitchen (quite a small kitchen by anybody's standards), so the idea that someone who is homeless doesn't "deserve" that amount of help strikes me as very cold. I don't think anybody would consciously choose to live in a space like that, and the majority of chronically homeless people are in their situation because of serious issues that the rest of us have been lucky enough to avoid. Also, the people who are getting the houses in Madison had to participate in a work program (volunteering at the building site for a certain # of hours) to get them, and I think they had to test clean for drugs too, though I'm not certain of that. I met some of them and their gratitude/excitement to finally be getting these teeny tiny homes was touching and heartbreaking.

Just my 2c.

So cool to hear from someone involved in the project! I thought it was great when I heart about it. Judging by some recent news, I think tinyhouses are some people's housing of choice, but mostly of hardcore minimalists. However, after being homeless I bet it's awesome just to have your own corner of the world, no matter how tiny... Anyway, thanks for sharing.

It was very cool. I wish I had been more involved. I only helped with the one house and then life got in the way.

But yeah, you're right, I forgot about the hardcore minimalists. I guess there are some people who would choose that. :)

[senecando]

Anyway, I guess it comes down to, I think your friend AND you are both oversimplifying a complex problem. I think a solution that is both rational and humane exists, but requires banks, government, and individuals working together. Perhaps in some communities, housing the homeless in foreclosed homes is a reasonable solution. Perhaps in others, special, low-cost housing needs to be built. In some climates, what about campgrounds for the homeless? What about tiny houses http://occupymadisoninc.com/ ?

I helped build one of the OM tiny houses. The entire thing was about the size of my kitchen (quite a small kitchen by anybody's standards), so the idea that someone who is homeless doesn't "deserve" that amount of help strikes me as very cold. I don't think anybody would consciously choose to live in a space like that, and the majority of chronically homeless people are in their situation because of serious issues that the rest of us have been lucky enough to avoid. Also, the people who are getting the houses in Madison had to participate in a work program (volunteering at the building site for a certain # of hours) to get them, and I think they had to test clean for drugs too, though I'm not certain of that. I met some of them and their gratitude/excitement to finally be getting these teeny tiny homes was touching and heartbreaking.

Just my 2c.

Very, very cool. Those are on East wash, right?

[madame librarian]

Anyway, I guess it comes down to, I think your friend AND you are both oversimplifying a complex problem. I think a solution that is both rational and humane exists, but requires banks, government, and individuals working together. Perhaps in some communities, housing the homeless in foreclosed homes is a reasonable solution. Perhaps in others, special, low-cost housing needs to be built. In some climates, what about campgrounds for the homeless? What about tiny houses http://occupymadisoninc.com/ ?

I helped build one of the OM tiny houses. The entire thing was about the size of my kitchen (quite a small kitchen by anybody's standards), so the idea that someone who is homeless doesn't "deserve" that amount of help strikes me as very cold. I don't think anybody would consciously choose to live in a space like that, and the majority of chronically homeless people are in their situation because of serious issues that the rest of us have been lucky enough to avoid. Also, the people who are getting the houses in Madison had to participate in a work program (volunteering at the building site for a certain # of hours) to get them, and I think they had to test clean for drugs too, though I'm not certain of that. I met some of them and their gratitude/excitement to finally be getting these teeny tiny homes was touching and heartbreaking.

Just my 2c.

Very, very cool. Those are on East wash, right?

I think the final site is on 3rd off E. Johnson. If you're on Facebook, they're there as "OM Build" and you can follow/volunteer for the project.

[mm1970]

-"Hubby bought me a push present!!!" with picture of $400+ diaper bag. Seriously, that thing is going to hold poopy diapers. (For those not in the know, a "push present" is a gift that the dad/husband gives a new mom as a "thank you" for carrying and birthing his child, or something like that).

A Push Gift and A "Baby Moon" are fucking retarded as fuck. What's a baby moon? Well obviously it's a 'VACATION' for the Mom and Dad before the Baby arrives since it's their last chance to relax......... Fuck going on a vacation where you can't do anything but lay around.

Anyways, I made sure my wife, and her dumb friends, knew my feelings on both things.

I'm with you on both.