When I worked as a cashier in Walmart, it was similar to tax refund day. With people buying the largest flat screen TV's and consoles.

There were some people who saved their money but the majority used it quickly.

Also from the comment section: "knife crime, knife crime, it's ain't about knives"

You're saving that banning/ demonizing locking folding knives when almost all crimes are committed with a common kitchen knife wasnt the solution?!? I'm shocked I tell you, shocked!

I was visiting last fall with the family, left the car in the NJ side when taking the ferry to the Statue. They took the train to the hotel and I went to retrieve the car, got a front stage view of a guy using a chain to beat up a security guard at a shopping mall.

Guy had been peeing on the vehicles, guard told him to stop. He took offense at this, got a length of chain and started kicking the door so the guard would tell him to stop. As soon as he came out guy started hitting him over the head with the chain.

Police took a good 15 to 20 minutes to respond, didn't seem interested in looking for the guy. The guard wasn't interested in pressing charges.

Guy was probably homeless and definitely needed mental health but he had the capacity to plan out and execute a violent attack that could have been deadly.

However, the people that I learned etiquette from taught me to turn the chopsticks around. They were not low class by any means, company owners from Kyoto region.

Not so fun fact, the UnaBomber was one of the subjects of that program and it is said that his personality changed drastically afterwards. Note his wiki page doesn't call out MKULTRA or government links by name...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKUltra

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kaczynski

https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/06/12/the-unabomber-the-ci...

There are some who claim the dirision associated with the term Conspiracy theory is in fact a Conspiracy..

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=8997844...

It is definitely rude to use chopsticks that you just put in your mouth to go rooting around for something in those. You are supposed to take from the top and ideally turn them around using the back end. Some people frown on using the back ends however as it may have been touched by your hand...

Edit add: It means to dig food out, either from your own dish or a shared one. Like mixing the food up to look for something you like in it.

As far as I understand, the Schedule of Cannabis is written into the US Code. So Congress would need to amend it.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim...

That is also why the police response in Uvalde is highly criticized.

3 to 4 decades ago anything from China was poor quality and US manufacturing was tight tolerance.

When we outsourced, we did the training to get them where they are today and stopped investing in our skills at home.

There are still skilled people here who can train and the knowledge is not some sort of eldritch incantation.

The main issues with learning is lack of jobs and lack of opportunity to apply skills if you have them.

Perhaps they don't like the fact that someone is equating pet struggles to human struggles.

Doesn't sound like they are talking about them being a burden, just how their life has changed and how they can't do all the things that those without kids do.

>Third night (Wednesday, August 21: A Fight for Our Freedoms)

>The third night was emceed by actress Mindy Kaling, featuring performances by Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Sheila E and Maren Morris. Vice presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivered his acceptance speech. Pete Buttigieg also spoke.

>It was confirmed that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi was scheduled to speak. The evening was headlined by Walz and Clinton.

Headline - verb - to be engaged as a leading performer in (as in show or performance)

>Clinton left office in 2001 with the joint-highest approval rating of any U.S. president. -Also Wikipedia

Yes, at this moment the current POTUS is more relevant. At the time however, both Trump and Clinton were both "Some nobody with secret service protection" with the only difference between them being one was running for his second term and the other was not.

>Democrats seem to want the files about him to be released. Everyone wants the files released and those responsible prosecuted...until they are the ones with the files. Then there are all sorts of hints and allegations that their opposition is featured heavily but no charges brought.

It's really sick, there are real people with lives who have been ruined. Committed suicide because of what happened to them and yet all those with the power to act just talk, be it democrats or republicans.

"For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law" - Óscar Benavides, former president of Peru.

This can only be true if the law is broad and relies on "good faith". This is why laws and court ruling are often narrowly tailored, to prevent a precedent being set that will open the door for future abuse down the road.

>Investigative agencies are going to be able to investigate people. So supposing that the "US government can ... investigate Richard Spencer ... based on a web post" isn't a compelling argument unless your goal is to completely reject the concept of government. As has been often said, you can get a grand jury to indite a ham sandwich.

I suppose I could have fleshed out this argument a little further, a distillation of my point would be that "investigations" are carried out with little or flimsy evidence as a pretext to go on fishing expeditions to find something, anything to actually charge the person with.

>we need to neuter the concept of sovereign immunity I wish we could get the government to hold themselves accountable, however they would need to pass a law to override the concept and they do not seem to be in any hurry to do so.

I am not attempting to say I told you so to you, nor normalize the situation. I disagree with your assessment that there ever was a "better time" and invite not only you but everyone to stand against bad laws and practices no matter the letter after the name.

Most people are in a bubble and are unaware of what their tribe is doing.

I may be wrong but I think there have been Republicans who have resigned for extra-marital sex.

While we are screaming about the current POTS and his relation with Jeffery, we gave Bill Clinton a platform to speak during the 2024 Convention. When I bring that up, I get told "It's important that we beat Trump."

The Epstein was arrested in 2019, the files have been in the hands of both Democrats and Republicans. Neither group really looks like they want to prosecute anyone further; only use accusations that their opponents are in there to galvanize their base.

Laws are supposed to be crafted to be as applied by anyone, anywhere and at any time. This is why lawyers and politicians are supposed to have foresight and be prudent.

You look at prior events and see them as justified due to the people involved and situations.

If the US government can, for example investigate Richard Spencer or some other extremist figure based on a web post, then they can do the same for someone else on the other end of the spectrum.

But even more terrifying is that they can do the same for someone not in the extremes.

When my friends on the left held power and used it to quash the speech of my friends on the right, I spoke up.

When my friends on the right are doing the same, I also speak up.

The sad irony is that those not in power protest only when it is not their side.

https://youtu.be/LuRFcYAO8lI?si=3n5XRqABhotw8Qrw

Under 42 USC § 1983, a plaintiff can sue for damages when state officials violate their constitutional rights or other federal rights.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualified_immunity

Qualified Immunity only sets the bar or threshold that you have to meet in order to sue.