If I had to make a bet, said disaster will probably involve Mary.
jflb96
And said disaster would probably be averted if the RA openly went down to the apparent party, stuck her head in the door to ‘remind them to keep things quiet after 22:30’ or whatever, and let everyone who might snitch see that the authorities have everything under control.
A show of authority can have more than one audience.
Its not about making Ruth feel big its about making the others feel surveyed they don’t get alcohol poisoning. I lived in a substance free dorm and still had to get my RA to call the paramedics when one of my hallmates was so drunk I had to catch him midfall, lest he burst his head open on sink he just finished vomiting his guts out into.
Vanessa
She’s there being available in case someone needs to go get her. The kids still seem to be having some wholesome fun.
Poor boy, I hope he was OK! Good save.
True Survivor
Thanks. The paramedics took care of him and he was ok, just needed to sleep it off I think. I was just glad I heard him being sick in the bathroom, it felt nice to help somebody out.
Coming at this from a British perspective, most of the point of that sort of ‘show of authority’ isn’t to show who’s boss, it’s to show everyone else that there is a boss that is keeping an eye out in case of trouble. It’s not the time for the Second Most Divorced Man (after a certain social media and tax credits mogul) to go destroy a few futures, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the local village bobby to stick their head in the door, make sure that everyone’s OK and knows what to do if they become not-OK, and let everyone else see that The Powers That Be know what’s going on and have deemed it currently acceptable.
unless some higher up is around to make sure ruth’s still doing her job i imagine she wouldn’t rly need to check up on every ‘party’ esp since it’s not happening at midnight, tho i wouldn’t be surprised if something happens to where she would peek in as well
Remember that the stuff Ruth was doing wrong was mostly acting like Jason is suggesting she should.
She has no reason to suspect anything is wrong. The residents are allowed to have guests. She isn’t allowed to just barge into their room without reason.
Yeah, because Ruth was a bully who abused her power. But there is a difference between being an authoritarian asshole and showing concern and responsibility. I think the fact we know the party is safe skews our perspective. They are drinking and moments before the singing Sal and Asher may have started a conflict. Not really causes for concern now but there are levels of nuance in how Ruth executes her job between being lazy and ignoring things based on assumptions or being a blonde, Buzzkillington.
thejeff
The fact we know they’re drinking also skews our perspective. She doesn’t know that and while it would be a common assumption in my college experience, she has no reason to expect if from those in this room – as she says.
HueSatLight
ya, they’re hearing singing. In the reputedly “music major dorm”. It’d be more concerning if they inexplicably stopped mid song.
HueSatLight
And Ruth has already done some checking, she knows whose room the party is in. And it’s still early enough in the night it’s not a problem.
I’d be more concerned with the grad student shacking up with an undergrad on her floor.
thejeff
Meh. They’re both of legal age. Not more than a few years apart most likely.(Don’t think we’ve got age for Jason.) And no inappropriate power relationship between them, which makes this a step up for both of them.
Look toxic gossip train presumably doesn’t exist in universe. The ukulele is still just cringe and not entirely obliterated like the toothbrush mustache
That’s what all vocals sound like to me until I read the lyrics while listening to the song. Going back and forth doesn’t work, it’s like the key to a puzzle in an adventure game.
I don’t care for this Jason fellow anyway, and “go wave your authority around” does not win him any points in my book, no sirree Bob. (For my book is by Mikhail Bakunin and authority is a political cancer yoked around humanity’s neck.)
“As long as they don’t get out of hand” + “minor nazis” = I hope you see what is wrong here.
That’s like buying a “micropig” from a shady dude in a plateless pickup truck in the mall parking lot at night and expecting that micropig to stay small.
thejeff
I agree with avoiding the actual Nazis, but I have serious doubts about any large scale efforts to make human society work without some form/level of authority.
tbf, I haven’t read Bakunin, but I have read Kropotkin, who comes out of the same strain of thought.
Nymph
We could just try it, though. Couldn’t we?
thejeff
How?
Barf Ninjason
Oh, check out People Without Government by Harold Barclay – an anarchist survey of anthropology; there’ve been many such societies, and the author points out that not only do they not have one over-arching political authority, it typically doesn’t even OCCUR to them. (Speaking of large-scale, Kirkpatrick Sale’s Human Scale addresses how large our societies realistically need to be (spoiler alert: not that large.))
Granted, the vast majority of examples are preindustrial indigenous tribes (if memory serves, the Inuit and the Pygmies in particular were almost purely anarchic) but those are indeed are one stable model of stateless societies. In practice in the real and depressing world we have now, I think the best we’ll do in the forseeable future (and like, best case scenario, this is by no means a certain development) would be like, interconnected networks of city-states. Accommodate the vast differences in political theories… by embracing all of them and letting everybody have their lil utopia.
Tbh I don’t really like Mikhail Bakunin or his strain of anarchism, but it’s nice to see references to left-wing ideologies other than just Marxism. A lot of people forget about Bakunin.
To be fair, most people haven’t read enough of the literature to know much of anybody but Marx and Engels.
Blakey
I mean, the vast majority of people also don’t know anything about Marx and Engels beyond their names. I’d wager that in the west you’re more likely to meet people who think communism is when everyone gets paid exactly the same and no one owns anything than who know better.
140 thoughts on “Sparkling”
Sirksome
Ruth somehow still bad at her job.
Dara
Ruth being excellent at her job, for once.
Jason, on the other hand, can fuck off.
Thag Simmons
For a man who was illegally distributing alcohol for several months he sure can be a real narc.
Meagan
Agree that she’s doing great here – but only because we know this crew and that they’re probably keeping things safe and sane (enough).
foamy
On the other hand, this has some real ‘seconds before disaster’ vibes.
CianM1301
If I had to make a bet, said disaster will probably involve Mary.
jflb96
And said disaster would probably be averted if the RA openly went down to the apparent party, stuck her head in the door to ‘remind them to keep things quiet after 22:30’ or whatever, and let everyone who might snitch see that the authorities have everything under control.
A show of authority can have more than one audience.
Sirksome
Also Jason still sucks. “Show of authority?” Ruth’s an RA, not a cop going through a divorce that needs to feel big.
Dara
lol DoA’s Most Divorced Man, preview edition
True Survivor
Its not about making Ruth feel big its about making the others feel surveyed they don’t get alcohol poisoning. I lived in a substance free dorm and still had to get my RA to call the paramedics when one of my hallmates was so drunk I had to catch him midfall, lest he burst his head open on sink he just finished vomiting his guts out into.
Vanessa
She’s there being available in case someone needs to go get her. The kids still seem to be having some wholesome fun.
Poor boy, I hope he was OK! Good save.
True Survivor
Thanks. The paramedics took care of him and he was ok, just needed to sleep it off I think. I was just glad I heard him being sick in the bathroom, it felt nice to help somebody out.
jflb96
Coming at this from a British perspective, most of the point of that sort of ‘show of authority’ isn’t to show who’s boss, it’s to show everyone else that there is a boss that is keeping an eye out in case of trouble. It’s not the time for the Second Most Divorced Man (after a certain social media and tax credits mogul) to go destroy a few futures, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the local village bobby to stick their head in the door, make sure that everyone’s OK and knows what to do if they become not-OK, and let everyone else see that The Powers That Be know what’s going on and have deemed it currently acceptable.
anon
unless some higher up is around to make sure ruth’s still doing her job i imagine she wouldn’t rly need to check up on every ‘party’ esp since it’s not happening at midnight, tho i wouldn’t be surprised if something happens to where she would peek in as well
Zero
Remember that the stuff Ruth was doing wrong was mostly acting like Jason is suggesting she should.
She has no reason to suspect anything is wrong. The residents are allowed to have guests. She isn’t allowed to just barge into their room without reason.
Sirksome
Yeah, because Ruth was a bully who abused her power. But there is a difference between being an authoritarian asshole and showing concern and responsibility. I think the fact we know the party is safe skews our perspective. They are drinking and moments before the singing Sal and Asher may have started a conflict. Not really causes for concern now but there are levels of nuance in how Ruth executes her job between being lazy and ignoring things based on assumptions or being a blonde, Buzzkillington.
thejeff
The fact we know they’re drinking also skews our perspective. She doesn’t know that and while it would be a common assumption in my college experience, she has no reason to expect if from those in this room – as she says.
HueSatLight
ya, they’re hearing singing. In the reputedly “music major dorm”. It’d be more concerning if they inexplicably stopped mid song.
HueSatLight
And Ruth has already done some checking, she knows whose room the party is in. And it’s still early enough in the night it’s not a problem.
I’d be more concerned with the grad student shacking up with an undergrad on her floor.
thejeff
Meh. They’re both of legal age. Not more than a few years apart most likely.(Don’t think we’ve got age for Jason.) And no inappropriate power relationship between them, which makes this a step up for both of them.
Karla Jean
Ruth’s a professional.
Clif
With a professional’s approach.
Needfuldoer
Professionals have standards.
Gigafreak
Be polite (failed)
Be efficient (succeeded???)
Have a plan to kill everyone you meet (succeeded!)
IntangibleMatter
Maybe you should distribute some once in a while, Ruth. Might be fun.
Clif
Let sleeping cans of worms lie.
NGPZ
“Let the voice of love, take you hiiiigher!!!!”
Vanessa
Just like church
NGPZ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1QUAbnscgI
Pylgrim
Breakdown, breakdown!
RassilonTDavros
Today I learned the word “cachet”!
Red
It’s French!
Daibhid C
I once entered a bad poetry contest in which I rhymed “cachet” with “Pratchett” and pretended to only notice the problem as I was reading it aloud.
Clif
Many of the best English words are French.
HueSatLight
au contraire
Dana
French words have a certain je ne se quoi.
ktbear
maudire!
eh, whatever
sais
Dara
pourquoi tu voudrais dire une chose aussi étrange ?
zee
Most of the roughest ones throughout though too
Clif
That’s what I thought.
Nono
This may be the most number of people responding positively to a ukulele song since Steven Universe.
Mark
Or they could be singing to drown it out.
zee
Look toxic gossip train presumably doesn’t exist in universe. The ukulele is still just cringe and not entirely obliterated like the toothbrush mustache
Blume
This is so wholesome I’m so happy
Masumi
Sarah seems to be standing very close to Jacob there, huh. Maybe not all is lost?
Clif
She’s behind him He’s watching Lucy.
Masumi
Hmmm that is also a way to see this.
Insanenoodlyguy
yeah, it’ll be good when she finds Jacob and Lucy making out.
Clif
For some definition of good.
Michael Steamweed
My favorite pop song lyrics of all time! “Muffled, muffled, muffled, muffled, muffled”
Dara
I dunno, untz untz untz untz untz untz untz is up there too. xD
Clif
They’re both pretty good. Na nana na nah has it’s supporters as well.
justin8448
Boots and Cats and Boots and Cats and Boots and Cats and…
eh, whatever
po co ci kapusta
(“what do you need the cabbage for” in Polish)
Dara
this should be the next DoA poll
Anna
I think my dad likes the song “Tequila!”. Or else “Mmh mmh mmh!” as he can’t actually remember its, shall we say, lyrics.
Max
I like “Do wacka do wacka do wacka do wacka do wacka do.”
Schpoonman
That’s what all vocals sound like to me until I read the lyrics while listening to the song. Going back and forth doesn’t work, it’s like the key to a puzzle in an adventure game.
True Survivor
Wow Jason changed up his look. He went from bowtie and sweater vests to anime protagonist jackets. What a shame.
Barf Ninjason
I don’t care for this Jason fellow anyway, and “go wave your authority around” does not win him any points in my book, no sirree Bob. (For my book is by Mikhail Bakunin and authority is a political cancer yoked around humanity’s neck.)
Clif
Hey, now. As long as they don’t get out of hand, we need our minor nazis to keep the riff raff in check.
Regret
“As long as they don’t get out of hand” + “minor nazis” = I hope you see what is wrong here.
That’s like buying a “micropig” from a shady dude in a plateless pickup truck in the mall parking lot at night and expecting that micropig to stay small.
thejeff
I agree with avoiding the actual Nazis, but I have serious doubts about any large scale efforts to make human society work without some form/level of authority.
tbf, I haven’t read Bakunin, but I have read Kropotkin, who comes out of the same strain of thought.
Nymph
We could just try it, though. Couldn’t we?
thejeff
How?
Barf Ninjason
Oh, check out People Without Government by Harold Barclay – an anarchist survey of anthropology; there’ve been many such societies, and the author points out that not only do they not have one over-arching political authority, it typically doesn’t even OCCUR to them. (Speaking of large-scale, Kirkpatrick Sale’s Human Scale addresses how large our societies realistically need to be (spoiler alert: not that large.))
Granted, the vast majority of examples are preindustrial indigenous tribes (if memory serves, the Inuit and the Pygmies in particular were almost purely anarchic) but those are indeed are one stable model of stateless societies. In practice in the real and depressing world we have now, I think the best we’ll do in the forseeable future (and like, best case scenario, this is by no means a certain development) would be like, interconnected networks of city-states. Accommodate the vast differences in political theories… by embracing all of them and letting everybody have their lil utopia.
UrsulaDavina
Tbh I don’t really like Mikhail Bakunin or his strain of anarchism, but it’s nice to see references to left-wing ideologies other than just Marxism. A lot of people forget about Bakunin.
vlademir1
To be fair, most people haven’t read enough of the literature to know much of anybody but Marx and Engels.
Blakey
I mean, the vast majority of people also don’t know anything about Marx and Engels beyond their names. I’d wager that in the west you’re more likely to meet people who think communism is when everyone gets paid exactly the same and no one owns anything than who know better.
UrsulaDavina
Some folks even forget about Engels.