@betsyvr@union.place
@betsyvr@union.place avatar

betsyvr

@betsyvr@union.place

Mana fefine = “powerful woman” in Tongan.

I talk a lot about #labor and indigenous #Pasifika (Pacific Islander) issues in relation to capitalism and tech.

I’m also campy and a bit dramatic.

Located in the Bay Area, California / Ohlone Land.

Profile picture text: A tan person with long dark hair wearing a white mask. The background is a blue sky.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

betsyvr, to random
@betsyvr@union.place avatar

So, I know many people treat Shawn Fain as a labor leader. He is, but one of the things I liked about his speech today was acknowledging and respecting people who are leading/contributing to the labor movement in their own ways.

betsyvr, to random
@betsyvr@union.place avatar

Got some good books from PM Books at Labor Notes.

betsyvr, to random
@betsyvr@union.place avatar

Hey all, breaking my silence a bit to re-post this. A friend and former coworker of mine is going through a challenging time.

Her sister, who struggles with Schizophrenia, is being criminally charged by the hospital she was staying in after they reduced her medication, causing her to go into psychosis.

She was transferred to another facility where she is being held and abused. My friend needs help raising funds to get legal assistance. Please donate if you can. https://www.gofundme.com/f/living-w-mental-illness-in-a-system-stacked-against-xanath?trk=feed_main-feed-card_feed-article-content

josh, to random
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    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @josh thanks for this! I’m going to try and get mine tomorrow :)

    betsyvr, to random
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    No one:
    That random cat you see in your neighborhood sometimes: MRROW?

    Adam_Cadmon1, to random
    @Adam_Cadmon1@mastodon.online avatar

    Police have too much power and they are a gang. Not like a gang.

    A gang.

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @Adam_Cadmon1 my dad used to tell me they were the most powerful gang in America because they were backed by the state.

    Once he said that, it all made sense to me.

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @D_J_Nathanson @Adam_Cadmon1 For a Bay Area perspective, I’ve heard “The Riders Come Out at Night” about the Oakland riders is an illuminating read. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Riders-Come-Out-at-Night/Ali-Winston/9781982168599

    I tried to read it, but the first chapters were a bit triggering. They did some absolutely obscene things. Read with caution if you’re sensitive to themes of state violence. The author doesn’t hold back.

    Parasite, to random

    My most ‘out there’ belief is that if someone with real power could get 3M to make the N95 Aura in black, it would genuinely save lives.

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @Parasite so much this! I love this mask but it would be even cooler if it was black AND free. They’re a bit on the pricey side, but they are so breathable.

    kevbob, to random
    @kevbob@xoxo.zone avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @kevbob ohh my. Last time I was in Vegas I saw a drunk guy fight someone in a Transformers costume on the strip.

    Hope you have a good time!

    skinnylatte, to random
    @skinnylatte@hachyderm.io avatar

    There’s a lady at the place I’m having sushi. She’s explaining the plot of Shogun to the sushi chef

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @skinnylatte oh my god! This brought up so many memories for me. As a person who comes from a relatively unknown culture, strangers get really fascinated and ask me (more like interrogate) questions on language, food, etc.

    I don’t mind sharing if I have an established relationship with the person (and they’re not fetishizing me or something) but strangers doing it is very weird! I’m not a tour guide! I’m just here for my dentist appointment lol

    betsyvr, to random
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    Not sure if it’s just me, but I feel like Millennials just know we’re fucked but we laugh it off as a coping mechanism

    betsyvr, to random
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    I wish there was more spice incorporated in Polynesian food. Our food is usually savory, salty and fatty. I personally love this flavor profile, but some people don’t.

    Hawaii is kind of the exception because they have influences from various cultures. But Tongan food is pretty simplistic—Meat cooked underground in an umu and root vegetables.

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    Tongan desserts are rather interesting. I don’t think the concept of “dessert” was really a thing until the English came.

    Things like trifle are commonly loved desserts. Also puteni, which is a moist raisin-tasting cake served with custard.

    divya, (edited ) to random
    @divya@sfba.social avatar

    deleted_by_author

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    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @divya ugh, sadly I heard about this from people who had worked there. Lots of nonprofits for the social good are showing their asses when it comes to their own workers unionizing

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @divya what?? I didn’t hear about this. Clearly, there is a lot I need to learn about the ACLU

    skinnylatte, to food
    @skinnylatte@hachyderm.io avatar

    Speaking of how the food cultures you grew up with impacts you:

    When I left Southeast Asia, I only knew how to cook mostly French and Italian foods. It didn't make sense to cook Malay or Indonesian or Chinese foods because, well I could buy it cheaply any time I wanted. In that region.

    I learned quickly that because I had never eaten a simple meal my entire life, eating food that was prepared simply made me extremely sad. Like, mental health bad / my life is bad / why did I leave, bad

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @skinnylatte I grew up eating a lot of fast food and much of it was because my parents were too tired to cook after work.

    I always thought that fast food thrives in the U.S. because people work long hours and are too exhausted to cook afterwards. Especially when you have a family to feed.

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @dx @skinnylatte that’s a good question. I don’t know. Just from my experience, places like McDonald’s have good brand recognition so people go there because they know what they want.

    It takes the burden off of the “what should we have for dinner?” question

    RickiTarr, to random
    @RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

    What's a good movie to watch with your Mom?

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @RickiTarr I saw the first Jackass movie with my mom and grandma in theaters. I was a bit nervous they wouldn’t like it, but they loved it. Especially grandma.

    Granted, I was 12 at the time, so I probably wouldn’t watch it again. I just needed adults to come with me to see it.

    betsyvr, to random
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    Where are the fluorescent raccoons??

    betsyvr, to random
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    I’m still thinking about how the guy who developed PCR was actually a conspiracy theorist who believed he encountered an extraterrestrial in the form of a fluorescent raccoon

    (Edit: I took out the part calling him “anti-vax” because I don’t have evidence he was. He died in 2019. But anti-vaxxers love to cite him)

    inquiline, to random
    @inquiline@union.place avatar

    Hm, someone is still pining for me

    (tell whoever you know who might need to hear it to not respond to messages like this)

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @inquiline oh reading it again, you already know this is a scam 😅

    betsyvr, to random
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    I had weird thought before bed last night of a Mastodon themed wedding where random people are shouting from the pews and questioning a couple's vows.

    Marriage officiant: "...And do you take [name] to be your lawfully wedded [title]?"
    Bride: "I do"
    Mastodon attendee: "Well, actually..."

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    And sometimes they don't even know they're at a wedding, so they just shout whatever thinking it's contributing to something

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @Toastie This is how I'm going to envision every conversation crasher from now on

    ryanhoulihan, (edited ) to random
    @ryanhoulihan@mastodon.social avatar

    I know Mastodon hates pop culture but I’m in the midst of a divorce from a man I married four years ago today – on leap day – so I plan on spending the next 11 hours watching Britney Spears dance break compilations.

    If you would like some recommendations as I go, please let me know and I will compile a little thread of clips where we can all appreciate a spectacle of female excellence despite tremendous suffering.

    betsyvr,
    @betsyvr@union.place avatar

    @ryanhoulihan Have you seen any of her Las Vegas residency performances? They're so good!

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