After some further reading it seems obvious that the two incidents are entirely unrelated, but it was a fun rabbit hole for a sec!

Edited to say “usually”, apologies, lol

My Rollerblades should be here Wednesday! Last I had a pair I was probably 17, but I started playing Bomb Rush Cyberpunk (spiritual successor to Jet Grind Radio) and was instantly hit with the urge to get back out there.

I see your point, but I’d be cautious of underestimating them.

Regardless of their own shortcomings, they have more resources than virtually anyone else on the planet to compensate for them. They certainly have teams of incredibly smart, and incredibly well paid people scheming for them.

What are the chances they are working together and creating a distraction?

Long, somewhat related story:

Many moons ago I was at a club and was dying for a smoke, but you had to leave the club and go through two sets of lines and ID checks to get to where I was hanging out on the second floor. Well, they had a giant outdoor balcony, but the area was walled off by a line of plastic chairs. My drunk, fiendin, ass said, “fuck it”, shuffled a chair out of the way, and snuck off to the corner to smoke. Well, what was one or two people who noticed me and did the same, soon turned into a packed balcony.

Regardless, my little act of rebellion seemed to get the attention of a “tallish” girl in heels who started chatting me up. About 3/4 through my smoke, the bouncers finally catch wind that there’s fifty people on the balcony, and start angrily shuffling people back into the club. At this point, I ask the chick if she wants to dance, and she accepts.

Kudos to her for lasting as long as she did, but thirty seconds into grinding her ass on my stomach, she gave up trying to dance with me and walked away without a word, never to be seen again.

I wouldn’t even consider myself short (1.78m, 5’10"), but it was a humbling moment at the time.

Birches be crazy…

Mine autoplays physics concept explanation videos, lol

dogma

/dôg′mə, dŏg′-/

noun

A doctrine or a corpus of doctrines relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth in an authoritative manner by a religion

Name an ideological concept that has led to more killing and death then religion…

This is going to be used to suppress legitimate votes, guaranteed. When they get caught, it’ll be “a bug in the system” I’m sure…

Its like they’re cutting policy from whole cloth

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

What they say: Small government

What they do: Spend massively on police, military, and surveillance while pushing laws that dictate personal behavior (abortion bans, anti-trans legislation, drug criminalization).

What they say: Free market

What they do: Hand out subsidies to corporations, give massive tax breaks to the wealthy, and block labor protections.

What they say: Traditional values

What they do: Use “tradition” as a smokescreen to resist civil rights, suppress diversity, and enforce a narrow Christian nationalist vision.

What they say: Personal responsibility

What they do: Blame poor people for their conditions while defending corporate bailouts and generational wealth hoarding.

What they say: Rule of law

What they do: Apply it selectively—crack down on protests they dislike, but excuse insurrectionists and lawbreaking when it suits them.

What they say: Cautious to change

What they do: Rush radical deregulation and culture war laws through state legislatures while blocking any progress toward equity or justice.

I can go from idea to physical object in minutes using a $200 tool that fits on my desk, with materials purchased by the KILO (suck it printer ink!).

"The influence of the “ham sandwich” race is waning "

Use a trusted VPN and/Tor while surfing

I’m really surprised Russian Circles hasn’t been mentioned yet. They’re a “post-metal” band according to Wikipedia, whatever the fuck that is, but their first album 'Enter is amazing.

Back in 07’, I went to a record shop in town every few weeks and would pick up 2-3 CDs. In an attempt to find new shit nobody had heard of, before buying anything, I would check with the clerk to see if they had heard of the band. If they had, I went and put the CD back, if not, I’d take it home with me. ‘Enter’ came out just a few months before, and I was lucky enough to grab a copy. I wore that CD out before some assholes stole my CD wallet from my truck.

If you’re out there, CD wallet thief, I’ve never forgiven you, and wish you many pains.