Most people haven’t even tried the soap box.

Baby, I know it.

Europe’s stance on Israel shifts as pro-Gaza protests sweep the continent - The Independent

In a later comment, you refer to this flotilla as a publicity stunt in what appears to be a derisive way. It um appears to be garnering publicity.

We won’t know what the outcome will be for a while yet, but governments are shifting their alignment and listening to citizens in a way that they have not been for the last 2 years. This flotilla is appreciably moving the needle in a way that has not been accomplished before. It ain’t nothin’.

The limited-time rebrand to Maxwell Apartment […] is one of two [marketing] campaigns debuting from the coffee brand

It’s just advertising.

This 2021 article paints a damning picture.

Oklahoma coach preyed on players while school looked the other way, lawsuit alleges — The Oklahoman

Back in the bad old days of the 2009 recession, I got caught in the churn and wound up at a temp agency to make ends meet.
One of my assignments was driving about 6 hours a day, from gas station to gas station to “buy” cigarettes. I never actually bought anything. What I did do, however, was wait until they asked me for either my ID or money. If they asked me for ID, they got a green card. If they asked me for money with no sign of ID’ing me, they got a red card.
It was a voluntary program by Philip Morris to curtail underage smoking. I don’t know what actually happened to the cashiers. I was told no one got punished. (And folks reacted with disappointment, but not sadness or anger. Folks with green cards reacted happily, though. So I assume it was an Incentive-based program.) These interactions got logged, and I turned in the log sheet at the end of the day.

Because we’re victims of our own experience, that immediately came to mind. I feel like we need to start blindly testing if mandatory reporters are reporting things they witness. I mean - no idea how that gets worked out. Seems horrible.

I bought a pair of overalls, a long-sleeved green shirt, and a pair of sunglasses with an attached Luigi hat and mustache.

Not a group outfit, but I get a feeling it’ll be a pretty solid way to gauge people this year.

When I was little my family was canoeing and my parents were very drunk. I was in the canoe with my dad and his buddy, and my mom was with my sisters. My canoe capsized, and I hung on, surfacing under the canoe, perfectly safe. For what felt like an eternity for them, the adults searched for me with a growing panic, until someone noticed my little legs floating off under the upside down canoe they’d all but abandoned.

One of my overdue projects is to disassemble a magic 8 ball, remove the dice from it and make a digital magic 8 ball. I plan to bequeath the removed “dice” to a DM I know.

I honestly have no recollection. It was about 10 years ago. I probably just used like half the seasoning packet with salt and pepper. (Because that seems like something I’d do.)

I once forgot about it in a crock pot using the fast cook method and basically boiled the whole thing into mush. It made for a delicious bean dip.

It’s definitely dated now, but Robin Williams’ joke about Islamic suicide bombers getting to heaven and being met with 72 virgins was what made me realize that society had it all wrong about promiscuity.

“And now for my talent portion…”

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an unfair generalization to say that virgins/less experienced are uniformly bad at sex (some people just ‘get it’), but it’s generally more accurate that practice makes perfect. (Or maybe that those who have more of an aptitude and interest ‘practice’ more… same result, either way.)

I’m not sure which part has been debunked. Do you have a link on that?

The news is now widely reporting the bullet casings were inscribed with some ridiculously long messages. (For a bullet casing, anyway. It seems like a lot of words to me.)

[Utah Governor, Brian] Cox said that there were inscriptions on the casings of the fired bullet and three unfired ones. The fired bullet casing contained the inscription, “Notices bulges OwO what’s this?” An unfired bullet casing read, “Hey fascist, catch!” And a second unfired casing read, “oh bella ciao, bella cio, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.” A third unfired casing said, “If you read this, you are gay.”
CBS News

The rifle is bolt action. The spent casing was still chambered.

I do find it interesting that DOJ lawyers have been seeking the death penalty for Mangione, and linchpin of their case is that he inspired other shooters – something that until recently was openly laughable.
Adding that the story of the supposed writing on the bullets is based on a memo that circulated at the FBI and it’s unknown if that memo was based on accurate information or just the figment of someone’s imagination to create a narrative that people will now just accept as fact.

I wouldn’t trust Trump, either. But the BBC probably fact checked him.

Update: Confirmed dead by Trump.

So you’re saying fatal strokes cure Alzheimer’s?

(Let the record show this was a joke comment.)

That’s kind of on the ‘people genuinely that stupid’, isn’t it?

I also feel that if we don’t understand an obviously asinine statement in a way that allows us to laugh with the commenter, we can just roll our eyes and move on, rather than try to police their speech.
The tendency of commenters to insult the intellect of others because they miss a joke is so gross and smug and speaks of poor socialization.

What if, instead, you had responded with:
“Careful, though! The police are way too eager to help. The last time I jumped out of my car with a knife to cut away one of these straps, they started shooting, but their aim is terrible. They didn’t hit the strap at all! Ow.”
It conveys the same point (don’t come at cops with a knife) and says two different things. If the person you’re talking to is actually stupid, they’ll maybe question the logic of coming at the cops with a knife, and if the person reading is in on the joke, they’ll give it a sensible chuckle and move on with their lives, without the nasty aftertaste of someone attempting to show how smart they are.

G’day mate!

I have ADHD and C-PTSD, but am reasonably certain I do not have autism. I have taken some online tests that seemed pretty comprehensive, and every autistic trait I got a hit on reflected social training / masking behaviors or behaviors that could also be anxiety.
Which is to say — I think perhaps C-PTSD can mirror autism in some ways.

They do not enjoy when you blow a raspberry onto it, however.

Sucking only. No blowing. Do not reverse the polarity.