Let me state up front I agree with you. A less charitable reading of what I’m about to say would try to make it seem like I’m putting the blame on other things to deflect. I’m not. Insurance companies fucking suck and are among the reasons it’s expensive.

Like everything it’s more complicated than a single factor. Tying healthcare to jobs is part of it. Boosting the number of people signing up for the military is part of it for both VA insurance and college. The cost of college (with its financial middlemen as well) for doctors is part of it.

Insurance is a huge reason. There are a hundred other little reasons as well, many of them also dealing with financial middlemen, that contribute to the issue. It’s a Gordian Knot of idiocy and when it gets sliced it’s going to be painful and, once the initial pain is done, necessary in hindsight.

I saw somewhere (ok, I probably didn’t imagine it) that they believed pigmentation was linked somehow to adrenaline production. But it wasn’t proven at the time.

An adult or a pup? That’s going to make a big difference. You’ll never be able to domesticate it in one or two generations, but depending on temperament and dedication you could probably have a coyote that allows you to live in proximity to it after a year if you spent all your time working with it. But never turn your back on it.

A pup would obviously be easier. But I still wouldn’t turn my back on it.

They worked on domesticating foxes in Russia for decades. Selective breeding for less aggression and fear. It’s funny, the domesticated ones start looking slightly more like dogs, with some even getting floppy ears and little curly tails. I assume it would be similar for coyotes.

Reaper, Studio One (although we’ll see what Fender does to it, we all remember the Gibson Cakewalk fiasco), and Bitwig are all native. Kind of depends on what your workflow is and what plugins you’re using. Yabridge is workable for a ton of stuff and not difficult.

He didn’t shut himself away, but this isn’t far off from what happened to The Laundry Files by Charles Stross. He had an ending all lined up dealing with a cold type disease that made everyone stupider. Then COVID happened. He had a storyline about how some shitty British political shit. Then Brexit happened. He stopped writing the main line series for a few years because he couldn’t keep up with how batshit things were getting.

If you like computers, math, Eldritch monsters, dry humor, making fun of bureaucracy, and thinly disguised metaphors for anthropomorphic climate catastrophies, you might enjoy it. He’s got one book left in the main line coming out in 9 days. Thank goodness because I’m going to need him to stop predicting a worse future. He’s moving on to a space opera or some shit so I’m hoping he’ll start writing about how wonderful everything is so we can start heading that direction.

Years of democratic fear mongering has affected the view that many of the people this affects so they don’t have firearms. Some have firearms but don’t carry, they leave it at the house.

The people that were armed in case of government tyranny are fine with this. It’s almost like a lot of them were armed because there wanted this to happen to the opposing political party but were scared someone would get to them first.

Opening the bookstore is the only one I haven’t done in the last decade. Well, I found peace a few years ago in my personal life so I’m not worried about that part.

Depending on the position I could see any of them, but I can’t imagine why you’d need all three for one application. Social Media Director of Programming Middle Management?

I thought that was The Grinch.

I did not realize who I was replying to hahaha. So hi there, friend!

I don’t believe in an afterlife but if I’m wrong I hope wherever your grandmother is she met up with my buddy’s grandpa and they’re terrorizing ghosts with porn and toys together.

I have a pretty good time with New Pipe but I’ve heard others haven’t had the good experience I have.

I don’t know if that last part is a joke, but my buddy and his brothers slipped the porn VHS that was still in the VCR when his grandfather died in his casket along with a bottle of Crown Royal.

I’m a dudely guy. I love my smoker (where do you live that they’re doing it that often? Even here in Texas it’s a niche hobby 99% of the time). I work on and ride motorcycles. Woodworking. Hog hunting, but that’s mostly to keep wild hogs from tearing up land of people I know. I love camping. Music production. So I’d be considered pretty normal, minus the sports, if someone were to know my hobbies.

But also I’ve got some plushies in my home studio. I like them, they make me smile. I’ve got a bunch of retro games on modern equipment. I read a lot of fantasy and that includes a healthy dose YA fantasy. In addition to tabletop games that a lot of folks play I have an entire shelf dedicated to kids board games that I play.

I don’t have kids. Never will. I’m the crazy uncle to everyone else’s kids and we have a great time when they’re over. And if anyone doesn’t like my childish hobbies they can go fuck themselves.

Liking kids stuff isn’t sad at all. Ever. If you aren’t harming others and you’re having a good time then anyone who gives a shit has stepped way the fuck out of their lane. If you met the most amazing person tomorrow and wanted them to be your partner and they found out about your hobbies and made fun of them, even if they were perfect in every other way, that’s not the right person for you.

Now I’m not personally a Lego person. I don’t have the concentration for it. But if I found out you were my neighbor I’d 100% offer to smoke a brisket or whatever you eat and supply some beer if you’d bring over the Atari for some Combat or have an extra RC car that we can race. That sounds like an incredible way to spend a Saturday if I’m not headed out of town.

You’re probably right. I just prefer to err on the side of over explaining that I never have a problem with what any adult is doing with any other consenting adult.

Yep. I had a friend who, when she would get the “up” she’d engage in very risky sex with whoever was around. Then when she’d come down she’d hate herself for it and have to deal with the fallout.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sex positive. Do what you want with who you want. I just see how much it hurt her to constantly be getting std tests and spending all that money on plan b and fucking up her cycle.

Here’s a simpler edit

https://youtu.be/9hYoEmAo5BY

First, thank you for pointing this out. I had to go and fill my brain hole with a bunch of information about this absolutely fascinating discovery. I really thought you were discussing some science fiction concept initially.

Second, what in the actual fuck did I just read?!?

To add to your point, Xiaohongshu has plenty of people on it who aren’t Chinese as well. Loads. It’s not like they’re in cultural blackout.

Mongo is appalled.

Wheeler Walker Jr. released music out there.