I don’t spend a lot of time dealing with churches. I certainly don’t believe in any of what they say anymore. However, I have gone to some weddings.

When my youngest cousin was getting married, we arrived at church and were greeting family that we hadn’t seen in years.

The priest yelled at us because we weren’t behaving in a way he felt was respectful (hugging, laughing, experiencing joy). I don’t know what he learned about Christ, but the Jesus I was taught about would have laughed in his face.

When my wife’s brother was getting married, the priest lectured the entire wedding party at the rehearsal about his belief that children shouldn’t be at weddings. As the parents of the ring bearer, my wife and I felt a bit attacked. However, I just assume he didn’t want to be too close to temptation.

Freeciv

I have sufferef from bad insomnia my whole life. On a good night, I would lay in bed for a couple hours with my eyes closed trying to fall asleep. On a bad night, I’d lay like that until my alarm went off in the morning, and then I’d get up, shower, and go to work. That (not sleeping at all) would happen at least once a week for years.

I tried a lot of things. I tried prescription meds. They didn’t work. I tried booze. No luck.

On Reddit about 10 years ago I came across a post about a podcast. The Sleep With Me Poscast.

It doesn’t work for everyone, but it was like a miracle for me. The guy running the podcast is so incredibly boring and the episodes are so unbelievably meaningless that I could actually feel myself falling asleep while trying to follow his meandering stories.

When I first started listening, I’d play one episode, but then when the episode ended, I’d wake up. Then I started setting it to play all episodes without stopping, but then I’d sleep through my alarm. I finally had to set a sleep timer to stop the podcast a minute or two before my alarm.

They shouldn’t, but they can.

It’s a really bad idea for them to do so.

It seems so strange to me that you’re focused on straps and ignoring the heels. There’s nothing about either of those shoes that make any sense.

Breathalyzers are for if you want to find out if someone is actually intoxicated.

Field sobriety tests are for when you want to arrest someone who isn’t intoxicated.

Yeah, it was a bullshit analogy.

Just like yours.

I thought that’s what we were doing.

Taiwan is a representative democracy now, not a dictatorship.

I think a slightly better analogy, if you’re serious, would be the relationship of the U.S. and Cuba (to make you feel better, I’ll go along with your propaganda and pretend that the U.S. is the only bad guy in the world).

So, China and Taiwan are like if the U.S. tried to control Cuba and failed, and then some other country from the other side of the world (just for example, let’s suggest it was Russia), stepped in to prop up and protect Cuba.

So, can you see how maybe what would be best for everyone is that the Cubans should get to decide on their own how they are governed? Much like the people of Taiwan, through their representative democracy, should be able to tell China to piss off already.

They have to. They’re driving.

Personally, I’ve never liked the taste of beer. It’s just not my thing.

I’ve always assumed I wouldn’t like the taste of piss either, although I never tried and I never imagined the flavors would be similar.

I’m left wondering how you determined that beer tastes like piss. Did you do a comparison? Did you do a peepsi challenge?

We do about $300/kid. We haven’t increased that over the years with inflation.

Kid’s are all grown up now. A couple years ago we started having everyone make Amazon wishlists. It was too difficult to figure out what everyone wanted. The wishlists make it easier for everyone. Also, we can put all our purchases on an Amazon store card and get 12 months interest free.

(I know. Amazon.)

Last year I also gave each kid a $300 Amazon gift card because everything sucks, and I didn’t want them to feel pressure for the holiday. I’ll do that again this year.

It probably seems crazy, but it works for us.

I had a rule for my kids for dealing with bullies in school.

First, tell a teacher.

If that doesn’t work, tell me, and I’ll tell the principal.

If that doesn’t work, deal with it yourself, but avoid causing permanent damage.

I never really expected telling the teacher or the principal would help. I just wanted it on the record in case shit went down and lawyers had to get involved.

OH MY GOD!!!

When I was in college, a computer lab coworker asked me how long I had been dating my girlfriend.

I told her 6 years. She said, “Shit or get off the pot!”

That was the moment I decided to propose. We’ve been married for 33 years, together for 39.

When people ask about the proposal, I tell that story, and end with, “…so I decided to shit.”

Honda has a policy of not making political donations.

They don’t just placate MAGA. The Toyota PAC spends money to support MAGA candidates.

They spend on each, but generally more to Republicans.

https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/C00542365/summary/2024

Be careful. I think what you just said probably labels you as an antifa terrorist.

All those dirty fish swimming around…

Exactly. The peel is a significant part of the banana. You wouldn’t want to waste it.

Clearly the answer is to eat the sticker.

Some people keep journals. When those people write their autobiographies, they can check the records.

Other people have good memories.

It’s probably also more important for it to be a good story than for it to be 100% accurate.