I don’t even know how you’d deprogram just that one guy. They get to a point where thinking critically about the crazy bullshit they’re screaming about just isn’t possible anymore

A guy I used to know, around 2016 started a weird descent in to conservative politics. It was understandable at the time, Clinton was genuinely an unlikable candidate and he was a morally dubious guy. So it at least made sense at the time. By 2017 he seemed to regret it and we all moved on.

Then in 2020, holy shit. It took literally nothing to bait him in to a political diatribe half a notch up from gibberish. He had invented so many straw men to argue with that the second you mentioned anything even conceivably political, he’d launch in to a bizarre assault on the left.

Thing is, he’d accuse me and others of loving Joe Biden even though x, y, z whatever nonsense he wanted to argue about. He’d even make up quotes. Things I’d supposedly said about Biden that proved I really liked the guy.

I’m so far to the left that Marx might think I go too far. I don’t, and never have, liked Joe Biden. Joe Biden handed Clarence Thomas a seat on the supreme Court and openly defended him against his sexual assault allegations. He went to bat for that guy in a way that really makes no fucking sense, politically or personally, unless Joe Biden had done it too.

I can’t name a Democrat I actually like.

So every time I see comments like this, I’m reminded that conservatives just have a forest of straw men they’re arguing with, and any opportunity the bullshit that lives inside their head can find to spill out in to the real world they’ll take. Regardless of how idiotic it makes them sound.

Just another measles outbreak to add to Kennedy’s resumé nothing to see here

They’re usually lumped together in a section on the bill but broken out by fee.

Having taken the calls from people wanting information on the fees, I’m sure the only reason they do tell you what they all are is to cut back on the swarm of angry callers wanting to know why their bill is so high.

I thrive in my chaos thank you.

Manufacturing is an attractive environment for that type of person. The guys who skate by doing the absolute bare minimum and keep the job because finding new people is hard. They never excel, never rise above “machine operator 2” or whatever grade allows them to work the coil line with the least physical interaction possible. Every year or so they’ll be caught on their phone by the wrong person or at the wrong time and the company will issue it’s cell phone usage policy again, reminding everyone to keep the phones away until break time. And then for a few weeks bathroom stalls will be in short supply because 5 versions of that guy just can’t be bothered to actually do their job.

Then the crunch will come, overtime will be posted and that dipshit will volunteer every fucking weekend.

ISPs are doing the opposite.

They advertise a price and stack an assload of fees on top. A few of those fees are out of their control, but the majority are fees they themselves are charging.

69.99 a month for 100 Mbps suddenly becomes 170 dollars after taxes and fees.

If you happen to live in an area where Google fiber threatens to compete, suddenly a plan appears where those fees magically disappear, and you get a decent rate for gigabit Internet.

OH NO YOU DIDN’T.

[Jawa noises]

I learned after a few months of game pass that most of the games that looked interesting actually weren’t. It’s no big loss, and it’s cheaper to just buy the few games I actually want anymore. Doubly true now.

So give the Republicans the government they actually want?

Public companies have a hard wired compulsion to increase value for shareholders. Every single decision is made with profit in mind. In the best cases you get milquetoast, inoffensive material everyone can enjoy. Ultimately, this leads to a relentless and aggressive pursuit of endless growth at any cost.

Private companies can take a loss here and there, they don’t have to report a bad quarter and so they can plan ahead. Which allows them to do two, non explains things. That approach allows them to build a robust and loyal consumer base which is quite valuable. So they’ll sell it off again and let the public companies milk them dry. They can also get up to some horrendously evil shit behind closed doors in a foreign country where the laws only apply to people who aren’t the ruling family and never have to answer for it. Though that kind of thing is usually reserved for like, chemical manufacturers and labor intensive luxury food markets. It may be that the Saudis are just diversifying and want a propaganda mouthpiece. Or one of the royals REALLY likes FIFA.

Hard to say.

Oh my God the HEMMING and HAWING when suggesting easier immigration to one of these bigots.

They will do anything to avoid answering that question. It’s really disgusting

“remember in 2001 when we sent you on a pointless crusade against a nebulous idea? We’re doing that again but harder.”

Skill issue

Jury nullification doesn’t require a reason and isn’t usually cited as precedent.

First thing, a hard truth.

She is not, and never was, that in to you. She never considered you to be more than a casual friend, and never wanted more out of the relationship.

Second, she, almost certainly, has a difficult time finding reliable people to game with that don’t ultimately confess some unrequited affection for her. As a result, she will instinctively pull away from relationships she feels are heading in that direction.

Something I wish I had learned earlier, If you have to initiate every conversation, you can just stop. She’s moved on, you can too. You’ll be ok guy.