And a lot of that false information about Obama birth was pushed by (wait for it…)

Donald Fucking Trump

Oh yeah, Obama straight up broke the Republican party. IMO, that’s the point where our timeline went batshit and started the rapid devolution to where we are now.

And once again, the goalposts move back…

I’m American and I always get a chuckle from the adoration that people have over raccoons as well. I guess they’re cute but they’re also a menace, there’s a reason we call them “trash pandas”.

But I also went to Spain several years back and saw my first hedgehog. And it was even in a hedge! I took probably two dozen photos and the locals thought I was crazy. So I get it.

Well first off, being a man is not an immutable characteristic, because transgender people exist.

Second, the difference between the two groups you bring up isn’t relevant in this comparison, because pointing out the differences between them doesn’t negate the similarities. Both are groups with an inordinate amount of power (physical or legal) over any outgroup and are supported by cultural norms that allow them to exercise that power largely without repercussions. Both groups are also protected from consequences by others within the group, regardless if the others agree with their questionable decisions. And most importantly, both groups are human, meaning the individuals vary widely within the group along the moral spectrum. Even if most within the group are good, bad actors will always exist and there’s no way to know which one you’re dealing with at face value.

Even if it’s not a perfect comparison, it’s apt enough to support my point.

It’s also amazing how people can have this argument in one thread and then go to another thread and leave a comment that just says “ACAB”.

You don’t trust cops? Why not? Because of a few bad apples?

Sounds like you get it…

Even better, find a picture of what you want, keep it on your phone, and show it to your barber

My gf’s 2020 Tuscon didn’t, and of the cars I’ve seen and window-shopped online you have to add a “smoker’s kit” as an option. They usually still have the 12VDC port for charging but it don’t come with the lil fire pop stick no more

This stuff? Comes in 1 lb or 2 lbs logs? Maybe a different brand or packaging?

Idk what you call it but I’ve seen it at Acme now.

This is an American problem, but I discovered Amish butter a while back and haven’t looked back.

It has a slightly higher fat content closer to European butter (85% vs 80% for the regular store stuff), so everything you make tastes better. Eggs, cookies, steak, potatoes- it improves them all. I can get it fairly easy from a local co-op and it’s the same price as regular butter, but that depends on where you are in the country.

Well I live in Philadelphia, and just in the decade I’ve been here, I’ve seen some shit.

The unsolved Hitchbot murder, and then a local radio station’s attempt to repair our good name before the Pope arrived.

The dumpster pools in Kensington.

“Do attend.”

When the Eagles won the Super Bowl and chaos ensued. I can’t find any source on this in particular, but my gf and I agree we heard on the police scanners that a giraffe had been freed from the zoo and was running down Girard.

Drumline Elmo, who has become as big a celebrity in the city as Gritty.

Gritty, who is a national hero in our eyes.

All of which doesn’t even factor in the everyday life crazy. This place is wild, and I’m all for it.

If you really don’t like taking to people that much, try for remote work. Once I almost went a full week without hearing another coworkers voice.(I’m not counting Teams chats bc I actually have work discussions there and I can ignore them as needed.)

If that’s not possible, learn to lean into extroversion a little. If someone wants to chat, let them talk a bit. You could let them talk about themselves the whole time, extroverts love that shit.

Give it ten minutes and then tell them you’re on a deadline or something and need to get back to work. If you really can’t handle it at the moment, do that second part immediately when they start talking.

The key is to be polite and respectful, but still assertive. It takes practice to get that mix right, so try it with some friends if you’re not sure how it comes across.

And just throwing it out there - I know you said you’re not looking to make friends, but this is what 80% of “networking” really is; just making friends enough that they’ll be a good reference.

I ain’t seen you round here, stranger…

I’m more curious where these people all get RC Cola, I haven’t seen that stuff since the 90s…

I’ll agree on the wine front, but I also don’t care for wine much. Never developed a palate for it.

But liquor, very much disagree. If you’re one to enjoy a scotch on the rocks or something, there’s a huge difference in taste once you splurge and get the good $100+/bottle stuff. And the cheap liquor always gives me a bad hangover.

Essex is to the UK what New Jersey is to the US.

Aren’t NDAs unenforceable against illegal conduct anyway?

Yes, absolutely. You can’t sue someone for violating an NDA if they did so to report a crime.

But a lot of people are morons that don’t understand how the law works.

but if you don’t eat the bandaids you can’t have pudding, that’s how this works right?

Which is kinda ironic since most TJs brand stuff is a knockoff of something else. But I get it, because TJs quality is awesome.

I’d say Delaware.

They were the first state to sign the Constitution (barely, Pennsylvania was only a week later) and they’ve been kinda coasting on that ever since. The state only has about a million people total, whereas Philadelphia right next door has 1.5m just in the city proper. I-95, one of the busiest highways in America, cuts across the top and you can go across the state that way in 1/2 an hour. We usually have to remind ourselves that Wilmington exists when we think of the Northeast Corridor.

And yet, due to a ton of unique state laws to make DE business friendly, this tiny-ass mostly-forgotten state is the corporate home of over 1.4 million corporations, including 2/3 of Fortune 500 companies. And the state has no sales tax, so most people only go there to buy booze and TVs.