Dillards 54: Fantasyland Where Reality Isn't Required

[VeryNikeSeamstress]

I love the combination of sweet and salty or sweet and spicy.  Chili spiced chocolate, Chicago mix popcorn, any dessert involving maple or brown sugar and bacon...

[Glasgowghirl]

1 hour ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

And I'm off... down that YouTube rabbit hole of shows about Benefits in the UK. And somehow that got me into a show about Poundland... What's next? Who knows...

(I love Poundland so.much. And Primark. And Tesco. sooooo homesick now)

The poundland across from my work also has a clothing section called Pep and Co, I went in for bin bags and ended up spending £64. 

Benefits are not as great as they are made out to be, their are very few people who play the system and get away with it. A lot of benefit claimants work part time and get tax credits to top it up, and if people think getting pregnant will get you a council house think again, my sister put her name down for one when pregnant with her oldest son, he is nearly 12 and is still on list, she is renting and looking to buy a house but not everyone is in that position.

[pamplemousse]

1 hour ago, VeryNikeSeamstress said:

I love the combination of sweet and salty or sweet and spicy.  Chili spiced chocolate, Chicago mix popcorn, any dessert involving maple or brown sugar and bacon...

*perks head up* Chicago mix popcorn?! Now you're talking.  If you ever get to Chicago (or if you are there already), you must get the Chicago mix from Garrett's Popcorn.  Getting it fresh at the shops is best, but I believe you also can get it by mail order.  Either way, get it. Eat it. You may thank me later.

[Sky with diamonds]

11 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Me too. I would rather eat chips than cake or cookies. 

Lays Honey BBQ Poppables...I'm addicted LOL.

[MarblesMom]

3 hours ago, VeryNikeSeamstress said:

I love the combination of sweet and salty or sweet and spicy.  Chili spiced chocolate, Chicago mix popcorn, any dessert involving maple or brown sugar and bacon...

These were not cheap to make, but everyone LOVED them and they are now gone.   http://www.qvc.com/KitchenSinkCookies.content.html?cm_ven=FB&cm_cat=DV&cm_pla=6KC_20180316_id:ITKWDRECIPE&cm_ite=KIT_BRANDPAGE_ai:KITCHENSINKCOOKIES

[VeryNikeSeamstress]

@pamplemousse, I have yet to visit Chicago, but will have to try Garrett's if I make it there. So far my only experience of Chicago Mix is the President's Choice version (Canadian here). True Chicago deep dish pizza is also on my list of things I'd like to try.

@MarblesMom pretzels, chocolate AND butterscotch chips in cookies sounds pretty epic.

My sweet/salty and sweet/spicy baking adventures this far have included a chipotle spiced chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, and cinnamon buns with bacon strips rolled into them. When visiting family out east, I got to try the most delicious maple bacon butter tart, and have been meaning to replicate it since.

Then on the savory side of things, I'm a sucker for any Mexican dish with Mole sauce.

[JillRodsEyeliner]

1 hour ago, pamplemousse said:

*perks head up* Chicago mix popcorn?! Now you're talking.  If you ever get to Chicago (or if you are there already), you must get the Chicago mix from Garrett's Popcorn.  Getting it fresh at the shops is best, but I believe you also can get it by mail order.  Either way, get it. Eat it. You may thank me later.

I've been to the one in Vegas, so good. Not sure if it is still there or not.

[just_ordinary]

So, give me a hint- is this discussion about tweets like the nail polish discussion to end a topic????? 

Either way, I think it is important to see that the way your country (government and society) handles topics like abortion as well a related topics as teenage pregnancies, religion, sexual ed. and so on form the way you relate to those topics. I can see why you would take hot baths in the beginning, drink certain herbal teas or go on a very restricted diet. But everything where you are putting yourself in danger is mind boggling to me. But I live somewhere where I can have an abortion if I need one. It might not be as easy as just setting a date and showing up but I would get it nonetheless. There is also a huge difference in having a medication induced abortion or a mechanical one in my eyes. A mechanical abortion is still an operation that brings risk like infections and even infertility (thank god that doesn’t happen often, but the risk is on the papers you sign for a reason). I don’t see anyone doing this if you don’t have to.

So, with my background I often don’t get the way people talk about some topics here. It’s fine but when someone from a different background displays confusion/a different opinion because they don’t face the same problems your society does people jump on them very fast sometimes. I get it is a mostly American forum but still.

What annoys me in my country is the fact that no one is campaigning to making abortions illegal but when you find out your child is disabled and you decide to abort it is a big horrible thing. Those early screenings are solely not paid for because of this thinking. (Rather a mix of laws and health insurance wanting to save money of course) And I don’t get it. If I can decide not to have a child because I feel not capable of it, I can decide to rule out having a disabled child because I feel not capable of it. This is a touchy subject and I do understand the concerns of those who think differently than me. They aren’t wrong per se. But for me makes no difference especially as 90% pay for those screenings themselves. And if you don’t want to know you don’t have to make the test. It will be interesting when health insurance is going to cover those tests. They won’t be able to resist the demands of modern society for ever.

[Toothfairy]

18 hours ago, L1o2u3 said:

I agree. And I think that if pro-lifers want to save children, they should do more of that and also offer more real help than just praying or putting t-shirt on children.  

I'm a foster parent. It sickens me seeing prolifers shame women and our government doesn't help families. I took my foster daughter for an abortion. I explained to her all her choices. She wanted to abort. Mind you, this is a 14 year old child who spent years in foster care being tossed around. You won't believe the things prolifers said to her and me. They didn't even know anything about her or her circumstances. They didn't care she was a 14 yo child. They just called her a whore,  bad names, and told her her baby needs her. What if she were aborted? After that if any of my foster kids or kids want an abortion I will do it privately through a doctor. No woman should have to go through that. 

Funny, these Republican politicians re against abortion until they cheat and their mistress gets pregnant. 

18 hours ago, Jellybean said:

Abortion is not illegal in Scotland, or anywhere in Great Britain (Northern Ireland has different rules). Birth control is free for everyone here, and abortion is legal and free before 24 weeks gestation as long as two medical practitioners agree that the risk of continuing the pregnancy would be worse for the mother or existing children than an abortion, or if there is serious risk to the life or health of the mother or the foetus.

Omg. Why can't America do this. Why? I hate our government. We need free birth control and abortions. Sadly, we have people who think a fetus will cure cancer. 

Jill lacks common sense. She's telling everyone she wanted to abort. Ugh. Remember Jill trying to explain 14 kids?

[nastyhobbitses]

48 minutes ago, Toothfairy said:

Jill lacks common sense.

The TLDR of every thread about the Dillards. 

[squiddysquid]

Try caramel popcorn with coconut oil instead of butter

[samurai_sarah]

18 hours ago, nausicaa said:

Thank you! I realize now that @samurai_sarah was probably referring to Germany and I misread it. 

How easy is it to have two medical practitioners agree that an abortion is necessary? Is it pretty much a given or are women often turned away?

Yes, I was referring to Germany. Sorry, wasn't clear about that.

[Four is Enough]

12 hours ago, pamplemousse said:

*perks head up* Chicago mix popcorn?! Now you're talking.  If you ever get to Chicago (or if you are there already), you must get the Chicago mix from Garrett's Popcorn.  Getting it fresh at the shops is best, but I believe you also can get it by mail order.  Either way, get it. Eat it. You may thank me later.

You can get it in Vegas or by mail order. My sister just got some mail order...

10 hours ago, JillRodsEyeliner said:

I've been to the one in Vegas, so good. Not sure if it is still there or not.

There was one in Vegas in one of the hotel malls.. Planet Hollywood, I think, in 2014 when I was there with my sister. SO good! The caramel was to die for and the cheese was even better!!

[seraaa]

16 hours ago, FundaMental said:

Unfortunately a large percentage of those living there were on benefits, most of which did not need them (unfortunately a lot of those children could be referred to as 'chavs' a not so nice word). 

It's not some sort of national issue, I've just had experience going to school in an area with a large percentage of unemployed people

Is this not contradictory? 

[singsingsing]

11 minutes ago, seraaa said:

Is this not contradictory?

I'm guessing the assumption is that most of these unemployed people could be employed if they really wanted to work.

I have no idea what it's like elsewhere, but in Ontario when I was on social assistance the only reason I didn't have to prove that I was actively looking for work was because I had a documented medical exemption and was waiting to see if I would be approved for disability. Now that I'm on disability, I'm getting the max that a single person with no dependents can get (a lot more than social assistance), and it's barely enough to live on. You get more if you have kids, but kids are expensive, so I'm sure it evens out. I can't imagine why anyone would want to stay on benefits just because they didn't 'feel like' working. I find that most people around here who are 'scamming' tend to be scamming their employer - like they're faking a back injury so they can go off on long term leave and still get their whole salary (or a good chunk of it). I'm sure there are some people on social assistance who are 'just lazy' and could actually work if they wanted to, but they're definitely not living a glamourous life.

[HarryPotterFan]

 

On 3/30/2018 at 11:43 AM, Jellybean said:

 Providing accurate information about sex, anatomy and pregnancy and providing cheap and easy access to safe and reliable birth control would also reduce the need for abortions.

I grew up in a liberal county in a liberal state and still had abstinence only (or strong emphasis on abstinence) sex ed. It was basically like Mean Girls, “If you have sex you will get pregnant and die.” But instead of offering condoms after saying this, we had to watch documentaries of people dying of AIDS and were sex shamed. We got the whole “used gum” analogy and everything. We got one day each year of sex ed on contraception, but that focused on the failure rate and the idea that even if you don’t get pregnant or an STI, you are still dirty and unloveable. So if that’s where sex ed is at in liberal areas that are less religious/have a diversity of religion, I can’t imagine conservatives supporting the idea of access to housing and other services for teen moms. These people are pro-birth, not pro-life. They see teaching accurate information as promoting sex. Because teens have sex if their parents tell them it’s okay and would never do something not approved of. Every teen is just waiting for adult permission to have sex 

We also had guest speakers come in to tell us the evils of sex. One year a speaker asked for a volunteer for her demonstration, and chose one of my friends. She offered him a box of chocolates and asked, “If I told you one of these was a laxative, would you still risk it?” My friend decided, “yes, it’s chocolate” and took one and ate it. The woman was absolutely shocked. Serves her right, both for spreading stigma and picking the one kid who didn’t give a damn about accidentally eating a laxative.

On 3/30/2018 at 1:13 PM, BabyBottlePop said:

Abortions will continue regardless of legality. That's why, since I don't see social services changing to help people access birth control and other services in the near future, it's needed to protect women. 

People forget the number of women who died or were maimed attempting a back door abortion. Why would that change if abortion was outlawed now? 

Exactly. Before Roe v. Wade (and Castro) my grandfather helped women seeking abortions get to Cuba to get one. I have no idea how this was paid for (if the women had to pay, if there was some sort of fund to help, etc). But women will always find a way. It’s just that the non-lethal options are only financially available to women with money.

And sadly, I think many conservatives would say that women who seek illegal abortions and die deserve it.

16 hours ago, Don'tlikekoolaid said:

I love yellow peeps, all this candy talk is making me jonesy for chocolate...must go now and eat the head off my choc bunny.

*sadly munches on matzah*

[Nargus]

17 hours ago, VeryNikeSeamstress said:

I love the combination of sweet and salty or sweet and spicy.  Chili spiced chocolate, Chicago mix popcorn, any dessert involving maple or brown sugar and bacon...

I had an AMAZING chili dark chocolate gelato once at a random shop, I went back multiple times and they never had it again.  Last time I drove by, it was closed.  So sad.

57 minutes ago, HarryPotterFan said:

 

I grew up in a liberal county in a liberal state and still had abstinence only (or strong emphasis on abstinence) sex ed. It was basically like Mean Girls, “If you have sex you will get pregnant and die.” But instead of offering condoms after saying this, we had to watch documentaries of people dying of AIDS and were sex shamed. We got the whole “used gum” analogy and everything. We got one day each year of sex ed on contraception, but that focused on the failure rate and the idea that even if you don’t get pregnant or an STI, you are still dirty and unloveable. So if that’s where sex ed is at in liberal areas that are less religious/have a diversity of religion, I can’t imagine conservatives supporting the idea of access to housing and other services for teen moms. These people are pro-birth, not pro-life. They see teaching accurate information as promoting sex. Because teens have sex if their parents tell them it’s okay and would never do something not approved of. Every teen is just waiting for adult permission to have sex 

We also had guest speakers come in to tell us the evils of sex. One year a speaker asked for a volunteer for her demonstration, and chose one of my friends. She offered him a box of chocolates and asked, “If I told you one of these was a laxative, would you still risk it?” My friend decided, “yes, it’s chocolate” and took one and ate it. The woman was absolutely shocked. Serves her right, both for spreading stigma and picking the one kid who didn’t give a damn about accidentally eating a laxative.

Hearing stories like this makes me so so grateful for the sex ed we received.  I don't remember health class going over it very thoroughly, but the public health nurse came in once a year, and she did a presentation for the high school about the proper way to put on a condom, other kinds of birth control (though emphasis was put on the male condom because in a small town in the middle of nowhere, they were the most readily available) and she roped our chemistry teacher into helping with a demonstration about STIs and why you should wear condoms. I still remember that demonstration vividly.  They passed out dixie cups to all 30 people in the room, 27 were plain water and 3 had phenolthalein in them. We had to mix the liquid in our cups with 3 other people (representing unprotected sex) and then they came around with an eye dropper and put a couple drops of bleach in everyones cup. Anyone who had mixed with the phenolthalein ended up with a neon fushia cup of liquid.  However, there wasn't any shaming or 'sex is evil' it was definitely heavy on the 'if you're going to do it, wear a condom'

[HarryPotterFan]

@Nargus My 7th grade science teacher did something similar. Except he giggled like an asshole when two boys exchanged liquid. Nobody knew why he thought it was funny.

[pandora]

1 hour ago, HarryPotterFan said:

@Nargus My 7th grade science teacher did something similar. Except he giggled like an asshole when two boys exchanged liquid. Nobody knew why he thought it was funny.

In my high school heath class (not abstinence only, but abstinence encouraged) the tables were set up in two rows, with four people at each table. I had the misfortune of being at one of the two front tables, with three other girls. There was a lot of fear-based teaching (the condoms WILL BREAK!!), and the teacher for some reason would always point to our table when she would bring up a one in four statistic about what crappy thing could happen to you if you had sex. I think this is really cringe-worthy now, but I remember we four got in the habit of doing nose goes whenever we heard "one in four teens will get pregnant", and then we'd be like whelp, looks like Lucy's gonna have a kid soon. So basically our class missed the point, it makes me sad to think of all the ways this could have been taught then didn't feel shaming. I think good sex ed is difficult to teach with current state suggestions in a lot of places in the US!

[VelociRapture]

@HarryPotterFanNo lie, I’m kind of dying of laughter over that story about your friend and the chocolates. That’s just ridiculously funny.

I also grew up in a liberal state, but we had decent sex Ed. There was an emphasis on abstinence, but that was mainly to tell us it was the only foolproof way to avoid pregnancy or STIs. I don’t remember much, but I’m pretty sure we were at least taught about STIs, the basics about sex, menstruation, and all that stuff. It wasn’t an excellent program, but I don’t think it was bad either. Probably somewhere around decent. 

[Nikedagain?]

9 hours ago, Toothfairy said:

I'm a foster parent. It sickens me seeing prolifers shame women and our government doesn't help families. I took my foster daughter for an abortion. I explained to her all her choices. She wanted to abort. Mind you, this is a 14 year old child who spent years in foster care being tossed around. You won't believe the things prolifers said to her and me. They didn't even know anything about her or her circumstances. They didn't care she was a 14 yo child. They just called her a whore,  bad names, and told her her baby needs her. What if she were aborted? After that if any of my foster kids or kids want an abortion I will do it privately through a doctor. No woman should have to go through that. 

 

I'm a clinic escort. If I can figure out how, I will try to post a tiny bit of video from this morning (the 40 days folks threw rosaries all up in our trees, it was very Blair Witchy to me) but mostly the audio. It's ridiculous. Emotions are high with them because of Easter I guess. One particularly unpleasant fellow (he's the perpetrator of the black lives holocaust movement here) followed me to my car a couple of weeks back and took photos of my license plate and said he would call my employer, kids school, kids autism therapy provider etc (car magnets). Today they actually yelled at my kid. She flapped, smiled like an angel and showed them her escort vest

[Ivycoveredtower]

our school wasn't even supposed to teach us certain chapters from our biology text books. and all the sex end we got was the horrible STI pictures. lots of pregnant teens in our school. even the parenting class that was held in our school. ( you know that one where you take care of a baby for weekend) was really just a scare tactic. with birth video's shown. and little else.  

[pandora]

18 minutes ago, Nikedagain? said:

I'm a clinic escort. If I can figure out how, I will try to post a tiny bit of video from this morning (the 40 days folks threw rosaries all up in our trees, it was very Blair Witchy to me) but mostly the audio. It's ridiculous. Emotions are high with them because of Easter I guess. One particularly unpleasant fellow (he's the perpetrator of the black lives holocaust movement here) followed me to my car a couple of weeks back and took photos of my license plate and said he would call my employer, kids school, kids autism therapy provider etc (car magnets). Today they actually yelled at my kid. She flapped, smiled like an angel and showed them her escort vest

Thank you, thank you for the work that you do!!  It's really important and difficult and I'm grateful. I'm sorry that awfulness happened to you with the guy being threatening. You must be so proud of your daughter though, what a great reaction!  

[HarryPotterFan]

1 hour ago, VelociRapture said:

@HarryPotterFanNo lie, I’m kind of dying of laughter over that story about your friend and the chocolates. That’s just ridiculously funny.

He’s quite a character. In high school he borrowed a pink poodle skirt a science teacher had lying around (no idea why he had it), and wore it around the school before first period. He also brought a stuffed monkey to school named Bobo and left it with various history teachers until one lost it. Then at graduation instead of shaking his hand on stage our principal BOWED to him. Another friend and I decided this means he won high school.

1 hour ago, Nikedagain? said:

I'm a clinic escort. If I can figure out how, I will try to post a tiny bit of video from this morning (the 40 days folks threw rosaries all up in our trees, it was very Blair Witchy to me) but mostly the audio. It's ridiculous. Emotions are high with them because of Easter I guess. One particularly unpleasant fellow (he's the perpetrator of the black lives holocaust movement here) followed me to my car a couple of weeks back and took photos of my license plate and said he would call my employer, kids school, kids autism therapy provider etc (car magnets). Today they actually yelled at my kid. She flapped, smiled like an angel and showed them her escort vest

What kind of asshole threatens a kid in the name of “protecting” kids?

[patsymae]

want to reply to something else but made some kind of mistake and can't get rid of this (not that I am dissing it). Sorry

21 hours ago, FundaMental said:

Of course not, when I say it's representative I don't mean that it's what the average 'benefits street' looks like, but rather what the problem can lead to when it gets out of control.

I grew up in a very middle class area, but went to a school just outside of it (about 40 mins away) which was in a very working class area. Unfortunately a large percentage of those living there were on benefits, most of which did not need them (unfortunately a lot of those children could be referred to as 'chavs' a not so nice word). 

It's not some sort of national issue, I've just had experience going to school in an area with a large percentage of unemployed people - it seems like more of a problem when you're that familiar with it.