ImInLoveWithLife

I work a blue collar job deep in a very red state. The guys at work have really enjoyed the last few weeks over the news they've been seeing across their Facebook feeds and other preferred outlets. The elation from them is immeasurable. But some of them have relatives or even a wife who work for the federal government. They were discussing how their loved ones are afraid of losing their jobs, and so I take any opportunity I can to have any conversation with them about class politics and shoehorn in any broad analysis of the political landscape of the US. Not specific to the current circumstances, we've been having these conversations for years now. They often walk away saying how I've provided a new perspective, and that they weren't aware of something I said and it gave them something to think about, only to turn around the next day as if they hadn't heard a single word from me.

In these conversations, I've found out that of their own admission, some of them have never read a single book in their lives. That they have a difficult time understanding basic principles of science.

I have always tried my best to see the positives in people. To believe that if someone didn't have knowledge in one area, they may be vastly ahead in another. Like the "hillbillies" who know nothing of the outside world, but understand mechanical systems well enough to keep an engine running with a paperclip and chewed gum.

But that's what they know. They are not adept at piecing together even the most modest of intertwining political occurrences. What they know in their holler is their neighbor and their cousin. Their adherence to supporting the termination of democracy for the sake of oligarchy is a cultural wave bolstered by the algorithms that feed their scrolling habits. They hang onto anything that carries their ignorances. Many have never left the area and met anyone unlike them.

You're right that it is maddening, to know that history is happening in front of our eyes. The analogous atrocities we show as examples burning holes in our conscious while we're diving in all over again, with some people choosing obliviousness and even celebrating for their biases and propagandizing.

I believe that even among the aware, there are those who choose not to believe the worst could happen. They see these events and choose to internalize the roundabout language in the corporate news headlines or from any more relevant politician. It is, after all, a tough pill to swallow. So they too allow themselves to fall victim to shirking the naked obviousness of the direction we're going.

That is to say, I don't think we are at the Rubicon yet - trying not to doom post. But I wanted to say it isn't difficult to understand why other people don't see it. The world built around them makes it easier to look the other way.

Are there not legitimate criticisms to be had? Should we pretend that there are no problems with something just because an alternative is worse? That seems to be just as discouraging as any FUD for those who have valid critical observations.

You say leftists stayed home because genocide, but look...

I am firmly on the left. Most of the people I choose to associate with are as well. All of us went to marches for Palestine when it was possible for us. We did what we could and...

All of us voted for Kamala Harris. We participated in electoral politics because we heard what people like you were saying about broad outcomes. I know it's not the same everywhere, but most leftist spaces that are very critical of the Democrats that I frequent shared this sentiment.

I know it's anecdotal, and other leftists can dunk on us for it, whatever, I don't care.

But I'm tired of seeing threads with comment after comment being specifically about blaming the left abstainers. It's fucking over! The election is over and pointing fingers blaming people isn't helping anyone. You want to feel good for being right? I know you're angry, I get it, but what is your point? You just want people to feel bad? Okay, they feel bad. The situation is shit and getting worse by the day. How is this building a unified resistance? How is this helping anyone but yourself?

Billionaires 'bowing down' to Trump? Like they are reluctant? Like they aren't helping orchestrate this direction? Like they give a fuck about anything but their bottom line in the short term? Like this isn't an administration designed in plain view for billionaire interests, more so than any previous administration?

These are well established political definitions, not something we just up and decided a few days ago. Political position along a left and right axis, defined in the context of the economic present, with a pro- or anti-capitalist stance on either side. "The Left" has more or less been defined by an anti-capitalism - pro-socialism stance for a long time, despite whatever labels some news outlets choose to use to demonize liberals and Democrats. They restrict definitions to the Overton window, just a sliver of the full political spectrum, which is firmly planted rightward, and promote the idea that the left side of the window is "The Left". It isn't. Many iberals and the democratic party are firmly pro-capitalist. It isn't that they are good or bad leftists, they just aren't leftists at all. We aren't too busy figuring this out, we've been clear with these definitions for forever.

Wikipedia, my state's public broadcast network, local charities, a particular local non-profit (employees of which I've known for years) that organizes community events.

That I hate television and actually enjoy working. Jobs suck, "work" sucks, but getting things done around the house or finishing a project or even just getting into a flow on a task is rewarding. 10 year old me would ask, "What happened to us?!" But I guess I enjoyed it then, too. I just defined it differently. Building with Lego for hours in my room, being creative. I didn't define that as work until my adult hobbies expanded into making things with my hands and I had real world job experience.

I appreciate it!

I'm still very much in the placing pieces as I go phase, and haven't had to deal with many inclines. However, I am aware that vehicles can handle the 2m slopes and not the 4m slopes. As long as I approach any height difference with that in mind, my slope blueprints will clear. I'm also giving myself plenty of ground clearance and will place my supports under the road to appropriately blend. Then it doesn't much matter if I'm a little higher up off the ground, but would generally like to keep it at around power tower height unless needed for the incline's sake.

I also have bottom and top slope transition blueprints as well as slopes. I can use beams from there to gauge my distances to start or properly position the slopes direction.

I originally tried using power towers for supports and building around them, but it just did not look great. A lot of fooling around with beams and frames, I got something that actually worked for me. I might still somehow integrate power towers at different intervals on blueprinted platforms that match the design but it just will be redundant and another way to get around with zip lines. I just imagined an all in one transport network infrastructure plan, but just sticking with platforms for roads and trains was enough of a foundation to work off of, and really the best core to function while while extras can be worked out later.

I love that you have "belt channels" between factory buildings. Looks super good! I wish I spent more time on interiors. My HMF factory looked great until I tried to conform a design inside the factory shell, and I just... Gave up. It's producing and I don't want to stop it! But once I had it rolling and started decorating, then I decided to care about what it looked like. Sure, the belts and pipework look good, but the integration of walk ability and nice lighting? I really should have considered that before I slapped some walls up, hmmm...

The bends were easy. I did both left and right directions a single deck, one tighter turn, one wider turn. Then stacked those prints for the second deck. The hard part was getting everything EXCEPT the foundations to line up and be coherent. I'll add homebrew light posts from blueprints to slopes and turns after placement.

It will be more of a struggle when I start figuring junctions and merges/splits into the design, having to make one item, like a t-junction, between two different prints. Even the 6x6 blueprinter may not be enough. All of my current prints were done in the 5x5.

4 foundations wide. There is an 8m ceiling height from the lower deck. After a bit of testing, I maybe should have gone 9 meters, but it's fine!

I found more pictures accessible from discord, but I'm having problems getting them to post. I'll work it out when I get home this afternoon.

Maybe this will work?

There we go!

Another interesting look.

And another! With rail!