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F ³: Feelings/Felines



Meanwhile, back at the emoji factory…

If you’ve seen me around Facebook lately you’ve probably noticed how often I’m using the Sad Face emoji to respond to current events. This is not simply because everything is making me sad. In fact, much of this stuff makes me very angry, even though I was socialized to believe that nice women don’t express anger.

No, I’d probably be hitting that Angry Face emoji with far greater frequency were it not for something I read from one of the resistance accounts. It seems that surges of Angry Faces to a given post triggers the great FB algorithm to clamp down on whatever account is getting those kind of responses. 

“If so many people are using the Angry Face, that account must be doing something wrong. We must intervene.”

Again, I can’t even remember where I read this. But it has made me suppress my urge to express anger lest I be the cause of Facebook freezing or ‘disappearing’ an account. 

So I’m just “sad.” Somehow this feels like so many times in my life where it was not acceptable for me as a woman to express anger so I just went and cried in the ladies room.

*****

Over on Bluesky, this guy has well and truly ticked people off:

The world is on fire and you're posting cat photos... please stop. I know, life goes on right?

Maybe not.

If DJT and fElon Musk aren't stopped soon, life could

literally end, for a lot of people!

So save your cute cat pics for a happier time... we simply cannot afford to be distracted right now. - - DadRants

Seriously? Luckily it didn’t take long for this to meet with significant pushback.

The world is on fire and you're sitting here on social media lecturing people? Go outside and do something about it. - - Captain Ruck

Do not mess with people who post cat pictures. They are not having your nonsense, and for good reason. Whether it’s cats, or dogs, nature, a beloved artwork, or something quirky in your neighborhood, those images are at the very least harmless self expression. More often, though, they are a moment of human connection, a spark of joy in the midst of panic and gloom, a reminder to take a breath. 

I myself do not post cat pictures but I have been known to share pics of Buddy Bear as a form of reassurance when folks express a need for moral support.


That’s not his beer. He doesn’t drink.


Telling people to stop doing things that bring comfort and joy is not going to bring about justice or political change with any greater speed. It’s just small minded and mean spirited.

Unrelated to the cat discussion, yet somehow relevant, this description of the current political administration sums it up perfectly:

This is what happens when your entire politics is revenge, retribution, and anger. You can never build anything because building requires dreaming and dreaming requires joy. - - girl fieri 

Building requires dreaming and dreaming requires joy.

I am angry (and I am also sad) but please don’t let me ever lose the ability to dream and to experience joy.





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