Skip Navigation

Posts
13
Comments
662
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • Like many here, I left reddit during the whole API debacle, and I was doing really good about avoiding reddit for a while, but there's way less people here, way less communities, and while yes, I could start the communities I'd like to see on Lemmy, I just don't think there are enough users to have engaging conversations yet. For that reason, I maintain my reddit account, so that I can have those conversations and connections that I can't get here. I hope it changes some day and we can grow our numbers here.

  • I'd say Iraq, but being that I was there as a part of an occupying force, it's my fault they hated me for being there, so I totally get it. That aside, America (as an American) definitely has unfriendly people that one is forced to interact with on a regular basis.

  • I made several large purchases right after the election knowing that tariffs were on the way (new brakes for my car, new PC, new AC units for 2 rooms in the house). I stocked up on pandemic supplies (masks, toilet paper, cleaning products). I stocked up on bread and AP flour (I'm always baking something anyway, so this isn't anything out of the ordinary) and froze it. Stocked up on shelf-stable foods for me and my partner, and cat food/litter for our cats (many pet food items are imported to the US). We have a generator and water treatment kits that we can use with the running water on our property. I did all of this slowly, from November up until now. I am not one of those crazy selfish people that goes into COSTCO and buys the entire shelf of toilet paper for myself.

    I've had a "go bag" for at least 10 years, so that's always been ready. My partner and I have written up several "what if" scenarios and how we would respond to them (flee the state, or flee the country, what are we bringing with us, etc). We both have current passports. I'm taking a firearms course next month so that I can legally own a gun.

    Some people might think all of this is overkill or that we're being paranoid, but we really don't give a shit. If it comes down to it, we can literally walk away from this house or lock it down and defend it depending on the situation, and if that makes me sleep better at night, I don't care what anyone thinks.

  • Salt & Vinegar chips are amazing

    • US (live here)
    • Australia
    • Canada (many times)
    • South Korea (twice)
    • Kuwait
    • Iraq
    • Jordan
    • Ireland
    • England
    • El Salvador

    Notes:

    • When I was in South Korea, I visited the DMZ both times and stepped over the 38th parallel into North Korea both times. Does that count as having been to North Korea?

    If we are counting airports, I have also been to:

    • Germany
    • Slovakia
  • I think the supply-chain issue is often forgotten about. Sure, we can open manufacturing businesses here to make whatever, but where do people think the materials will come from? Do they think we've had all the materials we need to manufacture goods here in America all along and we just haven't been because everything is cheaper to make overseas? Just look at this list of major exports by country. Does the US have SOME of this stuff? Sure, but enough to make enough goods for US consumers on a regular, as-needed basis? No way. We will need raw materials, and there won't be enough to go around.

  • Same. I did a summer study abroad program in Amman when I was in college, and everyone I interacted with was very nice.

  • I dunno about using the descriptors of "smooth" vs "hard", but I definitely find some numbers more pleasing than others. I have no idea why. I guess for me it's more about the flow of them, how they're ordered, how they LOOK. It has nothing to do with primes, odds, even, etc. Like, I just see some numbers and think "I don't like that one" but then others I'm cool with. 5112 is nice, 7654 I don't like, for example.

  • Who's gonna know? Furthermore, who's gonna know, judge you on it, and you'll actually give a damn what that person thinks of you? Screw whatever anyone thinks or says, buy what you want.

  • Do you maybe mean a formula patent or trademark instead of a copyright?

  • Permanently Deleted

    Jump
  • Take this with a grain of salt, but this is ICE's (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) definition of human trafficking and is of course open to interpretation:

    "Human trafficking is a global crime that trades in people of all genders, ages and backgrounds and exploits them for profit. Human trafficking generally takes two forms: sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery."

    https://www.ice.gov/features/human-trafficking

    Interpol's definition: "While there is a clear distinction between human trafficking and migrant smuggling, they can also be linked. Human trafficking occurs for specific purposes, such as sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, forced criminality, and organ removal, among other forms of exploitation. Migrant smugglers take advantage of people who want to leave their home countries to escape poverty, conflict, and crises, or simply want to seek a better life. Even if irregular migrants generally enter into the journey voluntarily, they are often exposed to significant risks, including that of being trafficked, kidnapped or dying in transit to their destinations."

    https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Human-trafficking-and-migrant-smuggling

  • Permanently Deleted

    Jump
  • If she was male and your son instead of female and your daughter, would you be asking the same question? So what if she's seeing 2 people as long as everything is consensual and everyone is being safe and respectful?

  • Man, that's tough. I dunno, I found a single, live bedbug in my apartment once on my computer desk. I killed it immediately and blood came out, but then I never saw another one again and lived there for 2 more years.

    Since your money is tight, you might want to get out before you incur fees and owe rent. Did you get the place through an assistance program? If so, I would notify them about the bug as well.