I get compliments on my kids behavior so often. People beg me for my secrets. It’s simple. I have treated them with respect as an individual person since day one. We only use our words to communicate and we never raise our voices. We apologize when we make mistakes and make it right. We talk about our feelings and work towards compromise. All these rules apply to kids and adults equally.

I grew up with spankings and being told “I’ll give you something to cry about if you don’t shape up” and “just do as you’re told, no questions”. I won’t repeat those behaviors.

John Oliver - Data Brokers

It’s totally possible! I live in CO and Comcast had a legal monopoly per state law. Nobody else is allowed to compete with their cable service. But you know what isn’t cable? Fiber! A local broadband company just installed fiber in my neighborhood this spring. I signed up for $89/mo gigabit service, no data cap, no installation fees at all. Between when I signed up and when they turned on service, they upgraded my service to 1.2 gigabit, same monthly price, no cap, no commitment, no upsell (their only other service is rural satellite Internet).

I talked to the technician installing it and he said they aren’t getting any subsidies from anyone. Not the city, state, or fed. It’s simply economically viable to run new gigabit fiber for $89/mo. All it takes is a company that can make the initial infrastructure investment.

Analyzing the economy is a measure of how well the capitalist engine is running. Is the supply being met by demand (perpetually rising GDP)? Is everyone contributing to growth (low unemployment, growing market caps)? To focus on these points is capitalism, what the corporations want. This is necessarily paired with trickle-down economics to explain why you should give a shit about stocks you don’t own going up.

You won’t ever see measures of the economy focusing on people. Are the workers able to pay rent and bills and contribute to savings? Are workers going hungry? Does the minimum wage provide an acceptable minimum standard of living? Are wages keeping up with inflation? Are workers accumulating their own wealth? To focus on these points is populism, what the people want.

The economy is doing great! Corporations are posting record profits every quarter. But workers are getting fucked harder every year. People are mad because their life isn’t easy and they can’t afford a stable existence. When lots of people are unhappy, they want drastic action. 20k on a 500k house and a child care credit ain’t it. Deporting 20,000,000 people and “draining the swamp” is drastic. It’s objectively stupid, but at least it’s action and people are thirsty for anything because what we’re currently doing isn’t working.

If anyone wants to win the next election, all they need is a populist platform. For Dems, that’s progressivism and an infatuation with unions. It’s us (the people) against them (the corporations). For Rs, it’s a straightforward culture war. It’s us (the true patriots) against them (the social outgroups).

Another way to add those numbers is to say 75% of all white women didn’t vote for Harris. We can twist stats all day long to try and blame someone, but the reality is that Americans are thirsty for something and Trump promised it to them. Harris failed to read the room. Society is hurting and authoritarianism is a bottle of liquor; you know it’s not the best choice but at least it feels good if nobody is going to give you populism.

Yep, that’s on track! My house has almost tripled in price since I bought it 12 years ago. Denver metro. No way I could afford it if I had to buy it today.

Yep. NAA*P censored their name too.

I’ll totally agree with Norway. Did a 3 week road trip from Oslo to Å and back this summer. Got sick of hamburgers, pizza, and fake “kebabs” real fast. I expected to be eating so much fresh fish, but it was fairly rare to find. Best meal I had was a Thai “restaurant” attached to a one pump gas station in the middle of nowhere run by the sweetest Thai grandma. It took some back and forth to convince her I wasn’t Norwegian and wanted actual Thai spicy. And it was excellent.

Though not required for this situation, stand your ground laws have a big effect. When no such law exists, you’re definitely going to be the subject of a homicide investigation and may get charged and have to get a jury to acquit. When those laws do exist, the police won’t bother investigating and the DA won’t bring charges in many cases. In states like Texas or Florida, pretty much all you have to do is be on your property or say you felt threatened and shot first and you’re free to go.

NOW ALWAYS CLOSED OPEN-BUT MINDED

Musk is streaming a full playthrough of the Leisure Suit Larry series.

What were soldiers doing in hospitals and schools? It’s almost like they wanted to get themselves blown up!

Oh, my bad. Wrong place. I got it confused with this one:

“A Major Massacre” in Jabaliya; Israeli Forces Raid Kamal Adwan Hospital in Northern Gaza, Killing Patients

Or maybe it was this one:

Israel strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter kills 17, hospital says

Damn, maybe it was this one:

Israeli attack closes last functioning hospital in north Gaza

Found it! I was thinking of this one:

Israeli shelling of Gaza school kills at least 22

Well, it’s at least one of those.

Heh, don’t take my perspective as being supportive of it.

We have let the world know there are no rules

Quite the opposite. The US is demonstrating that it is above any international law and will do what it wants regardless of any standing agreements. It’s demonstrating that the only rules that matter are the ones it makes. Israel is our dog on our leash and we’re letting it bite someone. But if anyone hurts our dog, we’ll go full John Wick on their country. That’s why Israel bombs schools and hospitals without warning and Iran gives a few days notice before they attack.

Because believers will listen to Christianity’s divinely inspired interpretation of the Bible that says that. Non-christians won’t listen to that. Therefore anyone who believes the earth is older has rejected Christianity. He did it to help identify the non-believers because he’s a petty bitch.

In the US, the penalties can be higher if you’re drunk and commit a crime. Being drunk is in and of itself a crime in the US (public intoxication) so you at least get that as an additional charge.

Hey you leave them out of this. Ocean Avenue is a treasure.

Yeah but hair metal had raw sex appeal. They’d fuck your girl, and maybe you too, and you were ok with it. Sure it’s musically lighter, but they went hard. On the other hand, you assume 5FDP is on tour again because they’re behind on child support payments.

And they’ll raise premiums to make it up.

Giving someone a pile of cash is not mental healthcare.