I'm sure y'all know by now: I'm in Brussels. Since the last Pubski, I – with the help of my boss – have managed to find myself an apartment for at least the next 3 months (with the possibility of extending the lease). It's a small, well-equipped apartment in one of the few large apartment buildings in the city. The views are... something else. All that's left to do for me is to register as a foreign worker. After that, I'm all set and ready to work. I'm supposed to work on a finance app, and my boss' enthusiasm about it is contagious. My experience of the country so far: Everything's in either French of Dutch, and I'm only learning them so everything is barely accessible. People, on the other hand, are eager to speak English, so I'm never lost, especially in stores. The amount of random trash on the street is ridiculous. I come from a country where people don't really care about keeping the streets clean, and that was better than what I'm seeing in Brussels. Even cheap food is very good. Fast food is expensive but good. Ready foods – like restaurant sandwiches off the counter – are really good. Once you have a transport pass (called MOBIB), it's very easy to get around the city. Brussels itself is small enough that you can get to a lot of local places on foot. For everything else, there's an infrastructure of buses, metro, bikes, and scooters in place and well-maintained. The architecture of the city is incredible, especially once you go past your regular tourist traps. Grand Place is good, but it's the old houses that I'm after. Very lucky to have a very nice area around my building, in this respect. You can buy preserved sausages in a jar. I can buy however much Coca-Cola I want. Belgium isn't going to war with a neighboring state anytime soon, so I rest assured that my supply of Coke is not going anywhere anymore. In fact, I have a bottle in the fridge at this very moment, just in case I want some. People are more open about expressing themselves in public. They laugh loudly, they feel free to shout, and they speak like they aren't worried that someone might hear them. This is in stark contrast with Russia. As someone with sensory difficulties, I must admit: I prefer Russia in this respect. Local TV's basic package features channels from all over the world, including the US. That's really cool. There have been a few times where the lock turns the other way from what I expect. This appears to be true for apartments and cheaper hotels. Further inquery required. Going by train to Paris takes one hour. Going by train to Berlin takes 6, and a change of trains. My boss, who's been living in Brussels for almost 5 years now, has not seen a white Christmas here yet. It's the start of December, and I'm yet to see a single snow flake. "Maybe", he says, "there will be one this year if temperatures keep dropping like that".
Thank you! My boss has been beyond generous, including by giving me this job in the first place. All in all, he's a flexible man, eager to give me what I need to do my job well. The work could be interesting. It will no doubt be challenging, though hopefully in a good way. I have a year to stay here and a year to make myself worthwhile enough to keep this position. Gotta get crackin'.
Update: As of today, I've initiated the registration procedure. I'm now legally allowed to work in the country. Some time later – maybe in January – I will receive my Belgian identity card. This would not make me a Belgian citizen or even anyone remotely close, but it will clearly and obviously authorize my right of (temporary) residence to anyone asking, including the rest of the government, as well as certain stores (e.g. when buying a phone or a laptop in Belgium) and travel organization (e.g. intra-EU train and bus companies). Will post photos from the Botanical Garden later.
So far, I've been using an online bank with no issues. It produces slips if I need some, I can use their digital card to pay with my phone, and my boss supports using it because he's using it too. This is not exactly outside context for me. I've been dealing with a lot of work-related documents on my end. Banking is one of the first things we'd settled on... but, would it surprise you, the bank was also one of the first ones to close their doors to Russia-based accounts because of the war.
I’ve been in a slump, but my mom came over the other day to start tackling my to-do list (did a whole fridge cleanup ) and it gave me a lil boost to get things moving. Got the ball rolling on a lot of things today, and I feel like I want to keep going. A nice environment makes me feel good. I can’t wait for my old place to feel like my own again.
Swear to god, if, after three years of managing to avoid it, I caught covid the same week I finally stopped walking like Forrest Gump in those leg braces... Still waiting to be tested, but the loss of smell is supposedly still the telltale sign. At least all the Christmas stuff is already out of the way, so that's fine. I also managed to go out with someone who was smart, chill, fun, and decidedly out of my league despite my walking like aforementioned Gump, so it almost makes up for other bullshit.
> and decidedly out of my league That's no one whatsoever. You're smart and chill. Probably fun, too (I suspect you just don't show it very much on this particular forum). If anything, you've found yourself a match. You two are going out again, surely?
Now that the Texan Hershel Walker has lost his bid to be governor of Georgia (and how the hell is that even a viable candidacy?!?) ... can we talk about how problematic it is for REVEREND Raphael Warnock to be in public office?!? WTF? Separation of church and state, anyone?!?
Separation of church and state is more about the Pope owning half of Italy and Kings deciding to be their own Pope and less about people voting for a pastor.
Agreed. But a Pastor has already made his priorities known: God first, America second. When push comes to shove and he needs to either represent his electorate or his god in some legislation, who is he going to choose? That right there is my concern with religious officials holding office; they have to betray one or the other of their belief systems to do their daily job.
So we're back to 'murica first!'? filter for X in ['religion', 'shareholders', 'finances', 'influence', 'celebrity', 'special interest group' ...] Once we filter out the flawed candidates we will be left with the one pure, unblemished, sacrificial lamb to send to Washington to save democracy... ------------- I'd argue insider trading and the churn between business/lobbying/legislating are conflicts of interest to fight.God first, America second.
he needs to either represent his electorate or his X in some legislation, who is he going to choose?
Wrong takeaway; electorate first. The entire premise of a representative democracy is that you vote for someone to care for your interests. The interests are - by definition - the democracy first, and all other considerations second. But the religious don't even put the state above their god... so they are already compromised before assuming the role. Hence my worry about them serving in an elected role. So we're back to 'murica first!'?
The obvious? It would seem that - in a functioning democracy based on the principles of religious freedom and liberalism (so, not America) - that a choice to take on a proselytizing role in a specific church would preclude you from serving in public office. You chose a position that stands in direct opposition to the established principles of the organization (and people) you want to be elected to represent. BEING religious is not a disqualifying factor. Your belief system is yours, and should not eliminate you from running for office. Choosing a role that specifically promotes one religion over others, shows you do not hold the core foundational values of this country as your highest guidepost, and therefore you should not be able to take on a role representing that set of values. The internal conflict should be obvious; Are you here for America or for God? At some point you will have to choose one over the other, and when in elected office representing a plurality of beliefs, you must ALWAYS put the American ideal over your religious beliefs. And if you choose the American ideal over your religious belief when push comes to shove, then you are failing in your role as a promoter of your religious views. So you are failing your promise to your congregation. A clear conflict of interest should be a precluding factor for running for office. The Emoluments Clause is just one of the better known principles that further reinforces the idea that an elected official needs to serve the office first, and other interests second. "Well then, I'm a Communist/Nazi and want to destroy America. Can I run for office?" I hear you ask... Sure! And no, I don't know why this is different. So sue me.
None of that follows. If "being religious is not a disqualifying factor" then proselytization cannot be a disqualifying factor. "I want to exterminate redheads" is already problematic; "I want to exterminate redheads in the name of Yog-Sothoth" is no more problematic. Arguing that at some point you will have to choose God over country doesn't make much sense in a country that added "Under God" to their pledge of allegiance over 50 years ago. There's a conflict you presume to exist that is in no way implied or demonstrated. It's interesting to me that you're totally cool with "yeah, my parents have voted Republican forever, that's just who they are, they believe in the old Republicanism and the new Republicanism has them doubting" while simultaneously being "ohhhhhhhh shit Democrat said the G-word get out the smelling salts." Emoluments are compensation - that's about where your money is coming from, not about influence. NINETY FIVE PERCENT of Republicans running for national office in 2012 signed Grover Norquist's tax pledge. Grover Norquist has stated publicly that his goal is the destruction of the federal government. Democrats elect shady fucks from time to time. A man whose career has been orating and spiritual advice should not, in my opinion, be disqualified.
And that's why I said I think it is problematic, and worthy of discussion. There is a very real problem with the religious; they have vowed their fealty to another ungovernable, vague, and intangible being, whose desires and wants are unknown, and are only guessed at by adherents who choose to interpret those desires through their own lenses. In short, there are no rules in religion. But there are ample demonstrations of people using a widely disputed interpretation of religion, to legislate. Incorrect. The goofy adage that religion is like a penis (fine in private, but not in public) stands as a sobering reminder of what religion does to those who promote it. Having belief is fine. Spreading or advocating for that belief system is problematic. Especially for someone in public office. I would NOT feel comfortable going into his office and taking a meeting on a topic I am concerned about, because I know he and I are not playing by the same set of rules. He has an extra set of secret rules and guidelines he keeps hidden under his desk, that I don't know or understand. So he is not a public servant for me; he's serving god, and me in his spare time as long as what I want follows along with his beliefs. That's fucked up, and seriously worrying. A man whose career has been orating and spiritual advice should not, in my opinion, be disqualified.
If "being religious is not a disqualifying factor" then proselytization cannot be a disqualifying factor.
I mean, dude. The slogan of the United States Marine Corps is "God, corps, country." Does that... disqualify Marines? Without dragging penises into it (really?), the first amendment guarantees that if you wanna stand there and insist I worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the only thing I can do is walk away. I endorse that, 100%. If the Bible Belt wants to elect god-fearin' men to office, that's who they should vote for, and that perspective should absolutely 100% inform what their representatives seek in office. I think what you're getting hung up on is the idea that men of the cloth must, at all times, 100%, put the interests of their religion ahead of all other considerations, and the idea that those religions are 100% of the time focused on goals and achievements that are detrimental to the country. And I don't know where you're getting that from. Religion has been used as a justification for some truly heinous behavior. But it doesn't have to be. There are plenty of people in this country who derive a great deal of comfort in membership of something larger than themselves that serves as a framework to guide them to a more moral and spiritual existence. I'm not one of them? But I'll take Raphael Warnock over Raphael Cruz any day of the week.
... which is exactly why I say the RELIGIOUS are absolutely worthy of public office; those perspectives need to be represented to ensure a representative democracy. It's when someone makes the PROMOTION of their religion over all others - aka, priests and their ilk - that the problem emerges, because they now have taken two conflicting vows: to represent everyone regardless of their faith, and to convert everyone to their faith. I mean, dude literally signed on the dotted line that says, "thou shall have no god before me", and then ran for fucking public office for communities of Hindus, and Muslims, and Atheists, and ... everyone else. How does an elected official properly represent communities they literally believe are inferior to them, due to their belief system? Having religious beliefs is fine, and expected for the majority of the population. A tiny minority of the religious, however, believe their role is to convert the "heathens" and help them see the light, and those people pledge a vow to bring those heathens "into the fold" and then... run for public elected office? That's a problem - an absolute conflict of interest - plain and simple. He's lying to someone: god or his electorate.
You're presuming, with no evidence to back it up, that: 1) All religious officials must choose between their religion and their country in all things 2) All public service is a zero-sum game between competing tribes 3) No one who makes a pledge to one entity can serve another entity Why? Why are you doing that? For starters, run your position through the First Amendment and tell me where you land. Then take a brief tour through Article 6. Finally, show me the budding theocracy. Just, for shits'n'giggles. - Galatians 3.28 - Romans 2.11 - Proverbs 22.2 - John 13.16 - Romans 10.12 - Mark 12.31 - Colossians 3.11 - James 2.1-13 I want you to note that I, an atheist, son of a devout atheist, is sitting here throwing scripture at you. And I'm doing it because you know better. "You can't run for office because you work for God" is USSR shit. Cut it out.How does an elected official properly represent communities they literally believe are inferior to them, due to their belief system?
The question was already asked, so I won’t belabor it… but this is also his second term. His voting track record proves he’s a candidate worth having in the Senate from an otherwise historically red state. Something else to consider… for both first and second term, a non-insignificant amount of people withstood voter suppression tactics to wait in line for hours to vote democratically for said candidate. It’s ironic the lengths Georgians went to elect someone with such pronounced religious fervor at face value when compared to the similarly fervent religious opposition. Maybe religion wasn’t truly the key issue at stake, but the values Warnock upheld….
In case this was a great joke I didn’t parse, though: lol. Forgive any perceived rudeness. I’m proud of what I’m seeing in [the backyard of] my neck of the woods. Doesn’t happen often, so I’m a little defensive of the wins that occur… especially given how Warnock’s election helps the Senate committees (and how Warnock of all the Senators, he didn’t play the roles Sinema or Machin did last session’s disgraceful acts in Congress).
Oh totally... Warnock has been an effective legislator and has proven that he does good for the people of Georgia. I'm stoked he won, and hope some day Stacey Abrams finally gets her chance in the chair. And yes, the electorate voted for him twice... the first time against an Illinois right wing Trumpist nutjob (Kelly Loeffler) who had served in the role for three weeks, after being appointed by the Governor when her predecessor got sick and was unable to complete his term. So yeah, Georgians have voted twice for the born-and-bred Georgian moderate, than the ring-wing Trumpist lunatics from out of state. What other option did they have? (...Insert my usual comment about this is why we need ranked-choice voting and scroll on... pay no attention to the raving old man...)
You prompted me to start reading up on Hershel Walker after seeing his name mentioned a lot lately. Upon my word, the man is a car crash. I'm not sure how we're going to solve this corrosion of political discourse.
The Republican party has a long history of just grabbing someone largely at random, and propping them up as The Next Big Thing and then throwing money at them. John McCain was never consulted about Sarah Palin being his runningmate for President. They brought her in to meet him one day on his airplane, he thought she was a dipshit and said no way... but they'd already sent out the press release before the meeting ended. Herschel Walker was a big name NFL player popular with Texas Boomer White Men, so they thought, "Let's make him Governor of... umm... GEORGIA!" And just slammed him into that open hole with no lube or even a kiss... someone just thought his name-recognition was an NFL player would be adequate to make him an excellent Governor for Georgia. This happens over and over and over again, and shows what absolute contempt the Republican Party has for their voters. And they fall for it every single time.... except now? It appears from exit polls that a LOT of Republican voters went for Warnock.
Go on... How... random What matters to Republicans is that they vote for Republicans. Who is or is not a Republican is a top-down decision. For people who view elections as superbowls, "name recognition" is most of it and for people who vote Republican, "Republican with name recognition" is 100% of it. This has been true since Eisenhower. The difficulty the Republicans currently face is the top-down definition of "Republican" is increasingly toxic - it runs contrary to get-out-the-vote operations and tends to suppress the vote of all but the most partisan. A party that literally ran 2020 on "whatever Trump says" does not have a deep bench of qualified legislators eager to kiss the ring. Thus, Herschel Walker, who was still within 4 points. 4 points in a deeply-gerrymandered, formerly crimson-red state, yes... but that, again, speaks to the toxic trap the Republicans have gotten themselves into. The best quote of this election cycle was that Republicans have a choice between embracing reason and losing in the primaries or embracing MAGA and losing in the general.The Republican party has a long history of just grabbing someone largely at random
Herschel Walker was a big name NFL player popular with Texas Boomer White Men
Don't forget the allegations from his ex-wife he ran over her foot with his car during an argument.
He's a brain damaged NFL player who hasn't been relevant in 25 years, and has run a sputtering chicken business ever since. Nobody in his family thought this was a good idea - for him to run - but he did anyway... with zero background check by the Republican Party. It's astonishing.
You didn't click on that link did you? Warnock's wife accused him of doing that. Like yeah Walker is a goddamn disaster, but it sure seems like Warnock isn't that great either. At least he'll vote to protect people's rights...