We have 2 kids in the military and as long as it doesn’t affect them, they are just waiting it out like most of us would with a bad boss. They aren’t highly placed though.

I do think he’s a raging misogynist and racist, and doesn’t hide it. Both our military kids are white (mostly, enough to pass certainly) and men, so they aren’t being targeted directly by his policies. They do know he is making the military weaker but figure they can wait him out (again, like most of us would do with a bad boss)

I don’t think it’s so much that people are just placating him, more that he, like Trump, fires anyone who opposed him so then ends up surrounded by yes men, with no idea he’s making bad decisions. Like if I relied on copilot to help me make decisions, yes? “Oh yes, that makes perfect sense”

They exist. I was quite poor while my first 2 kids were in high school. Oldest got a scholarship to a private school, second went to a magnet ‘school within a school’ and both were admitted based on test scores and essays. Second 2 kids, one went to the school within a school academic magnet and the other to a performing arts magnet school. Academic was just grades and test scores they no longer required an essay; arts required an audition.

So not “gifted” per se - that’s the testing you have to put them through to get them in good public school classes in regular schools in grade 1-8, testing for potential, basically. Magnet school for those grades is allegedly random choice but you are correct it’s not all that random, it’s weighted. For high school it’s by achievement not potential.

I notice wardrobe and the underwear in Dirty Dancing always bothered me, it looked too modern.

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/11/13/trans-prison-violence-prea-politics

I get offers to buy my house, my neighbors house, and some house out in the suburbs belonging to someone named Daisy.

I have had this phone number for decades.

It is sometimes phishing I think, just to see if you will respond at all.

The cat I had when I was a kid would pretend to be afraid and confused by birds then SWIPE out comes the paw, down goes the bird.

I don’t keep outside cats anymore but it was always so impressive to see her hunt, she did fake cringe away to get them close.

I think he is saying if you wear an outside pad, not a tampon, you need something to stick it to that won’t be moving around.

I commute on an electric bike, in my work clothes, and seriously hope to never take a ride so long that I need gear. 6 miles or so is my limit.

There are dozens of us!

Yeah only one of my kids learned to drive the manual but I love it. Lately I take an electric bike everywhere so hopefully the car lasts. The only one I’d trade it for is the Civic SI but those are $$$ and as long as my car will go I will keep it - they can last, especially the stick shift ones.

I had the original Pixel, and now the 5, not sure if I will get one next time but this one is still good.

It’s kind of like my car - I have a 6 speed 2014 Honda, it does everything I want & nothing I don’t want. Newer ones are better in some ways, but not in ways I want.

I don’t want a fancier phone or car, I want a more reliable one that does the things I want it to do. Not stuffed with “features”.

Oh that’s hard. I hate, hate, hate those mixes. Would do bone broth for some meals, fruit and yogurt smoothies for others, and definitely throw some nut butter (cashew, almond, whatever) into the smoothie.

Date shakes are good, lots of sugar but fiber and nutrition.

And if you can tolerate soup - a can of cannelini beans, a can of butternut squash puree, and some chicken or vegetable broth, with salt and whatever else you want, is so easy, delicious and again does have fiber. Just heat them together then blend with a stick blender.

Put a big iron skillet on low on the stove with a smaller skillet or bacon press in it. When they get hot, put the sandwich on the big pan with foil on top, place the other pan or press on top.

That’s how I press sandwiches.

Popeyes is great where I live. Popeyes or Publix, I don’t even bother making fried chicken and I make 90% of what we eat from ingredients, including bread. Fried chicken benefits from standardization - Popeyes and Publix are huge and can get chicken pieces that always weigh the same, can keep the oil at a specific temp, I can’t do that.

I like both better than the “real” fried chicken I can do at home. Popeyes has the edge IF the spicy is available. What I am mad about is the discontinued onion rings they were amazing.

Yes thank you.

My mind works more like this - North is always north, I can’t give directions using right and left and have broken every dance teacher I had, all ended up saying "toward the mirror, toward the window, toward the door, etc because I can’t find right or left fast enough to dance, it moves every time I turn around, I want directions to be fixed.

I know there is at least one with no concept of right or left, front or back, only the fixed directions of the world like north and south.

I would like to experience something new, so would go with magic. As long as it’s not too wrapped up in religion. I’ve enjoyed my arc here, but don’t need to repeat it - and safe from being a chosen one is itself a perk.

I pay for a number of concurrent streams, so “too many at one time” is a legitimate thing. What I disagree with completely is that they want them all in one house. If I pay for 4 streams, they ought to be able to be anywhere. Because I paid for 4.

I always order ONE dish “spicy like you would make it for your grandma, really so spicy” and get the rest of the dishes medium or mild.

Channa Masala is the one I want crazy hot. It’s so good like that. Most of my family won’t eat it, only me & my oldest daughter. But yum yum yum, may cry but oh just so satisfying.

Federal reimbursed me for bus fare, county did not. Federal also comes with a per diem because eating lunch downtown is expensive.

For county, several times I called & didn’t need to attend.

Federal, I did have to serve as a juror this year. They always start on a Monday, I think everyone who they pick has to attend for selection, then most are sent home. The way they pick is public information. I am lucky, the courthouse was close to me and accessible by bus or bike. But they pull from 3 counties, some jurors had to come from far away. Case took one week. I didn’t want to do it and my workplace needed me but I am glad now, it was an interesting experience overall.

And yeah it’s mandatory to show up if you are told to. You can be fined or even jailed. If you can’t, you need to ask for a deferral or excuse. I got a deferral of one week because I had a dentist appointment I’d already postponed once, which had delayed it two months so I really didnt want to wait 2 more! And other times when I was nursing kids I sent an excuse, and once a deferral for work, but Federal court won’t excuse you for work - our judge did dismiss anyone who really would not be able to survive without working though.

I’m not sure what you mean by hard books? I read a lot, but more for entertainment, books written at different levels but none are schoolbooks, not dry and hard to read in that way.

AFA setup, on the couch with a cat on my lap and music in the air is my favorite way to read. Runner up is reading on the back deck with a big glass of ice water and a cocktail or glass of wine. I don’t read in bed.