ArtieShaw

I’d be !00% on board with including women in the draft. Fair is fair.

Personally - like I told the recruiter from Annapolis 30 years ago, “trust me when I say that you don’t want me anywhere near your military.” If I were drafted I think I could fail out of basic on my own lack of merit.

If there were other service options, I could happily do other work. For example: Math, science, or language tutoring for teens. I could have helped out a kid who actually wanted to get into Annapolis but didn’t have strong enough academics.

Speaking as a new hobbyist (2 months), I went with an Creality Ender 3 V3 KE. The cost was in the $250-300 USD range and it had a decent range of features.

I’ve used it almost every day since unpacking it. It’s pretty easy to get to know. The Creality cloud slicing tool is good enough for me (for now), and can be run via a browser or app.

Microcenter has a variety of display models that you can check out. If I had known about it I probably would have gone prior to making my selection. I’m not sure my choice would have been different, but a little extra knowledge never hurts.

I have a low key interest in birds and have been using the Merlin app to ID them by photo, description, or their song. You can set it to record, then just chill in the backyard while it lists the birds it hears.

Napoli!

I’ve only seen fist fights in the street (or train station) when I visited. But it seemed like it was a bit on the violent side. That’s my best guess.

Fluffy: “Quite mad, indeed!!!” <cackles in dog>

I’m not a soda drinker, but Green River gets me right in the nostalgia.

Occasionally, I’ll have some club soda with a bit of vanilla or hazelnut syrup. Not too sweet, but enough to taste. Plain soda water is also good.

I knew someone this happened to. Several months after moving into their new house they started working on a neglected secondary bathroom on the 2nd floor. They didn’t go back there too frequently because it wasn’t a priority, but it was a really cool space connected to their bedroom via a small dressing room/closet.

One day she noticed a low, humming drone and checked the wall of that closet. She claimed that the whole wall was warm to the touch and vibrating. That was not an easy or cheap job, but we got to make jokes about bees for a couple of months.

Exactly. After the American revolution started, England needed a new place to send convicts.

a very literal interpretation

This is literally what Christian fundamentalists believe. If any aspect of the bible is not the literal truth, it all falls apart in their eyes. They are very absolutist.

And it’s not just Genesis.

“But translations…” Hahaha no. It varies by sect but it usually falls under either “our religious founder was guided by God to the true translation” or “The King James version was a work of revelation and it undid all the false translations introduced by the Romans and Greeks.”

“But it contradicts itself on key points.” No it doesn’t.

“Hey, maybe Lazarus was just in a coma” Get behind me, Satan.

There is no argument that hasn’t been heard and rejected. Disagreement is an attack.

I will reply not with my own view, but of the person who is most likely the author if this tract: Jack Chick. “Catholics are not Christians.”

Absurd, you say? Of course, and I agree that it’s absurd.

In the US there are two broad categories of people who would disagree.

1. Old school bigots, many of whom came from immigrant families and wanted to align with the ruling class in America: WASPs. These were generally families who came from northwestern Europe and Scandinavia. (This describes the oldest members of my own family, who are still scandalized that my uncle married a woman from an Italian family in the 1960s).
2. Fundamentalist Protestants. There are a thousand different flavors, so it’s hard to give them a single name. They agree that the bible is the literal word of God and that Catholicism is fundamentally flawed - as is any religion that stresses the need to “do unto others” in any significant fashion. “The only way to heaven is through me,” said Jesus. In other words, if you’re a serial killer but you truly believe in Jesus Christ and have pledged your soul to him - well, Jesus must have a good reason for all that serial killing you did. (This describes my in-laws, so yes - my entire family is fucked up).

The serial killing thing is a bit of an exaggeration, but honestly - these people are almost shockingly mean to each other.

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

This was extremely well said. My in-laws adhere to one of these high control (fundie) sects, so I have an enlightening and disquieting inside look at it.

One of my nephews dreamed of becoming a marine biologist from an early age. And even as he got older he never wavered. We privately wondered what was going to happen when he got old enough to realize that he would need to attend a school that taught actual math and science for that to become a reality.

He’s currently studying to become a nurse at a Christian College. He’s safe from forbidden ideas, but he’ll blend well into the alternate parallel economy favored by the people at his church. In addition to social isolation from non-believers, they prefer to do business with companies run by people from their own or an affiliated church.

The parallel economy still unnerves me for some reason. Learning about Christian Health Insurance was an eye-opener.

It looks like a Chick Tract, and these panels would be part of a larger work. They’re dumb, but completely serious. Popular with fundies, and if you’re not careful you might find one on your desk at work. (I have, lol).

There is definitely an anti-Catholic sentiment in some of them, so that’s probably what the frame in the first clip is getting at.

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

If you watch enough old scifi and adventure movies, you’ll learn to welcome the “so that’s where Lucas took that idea from” feeling as an old friend. He lifted a lot.

You’re right, of course. But I think it’s equally plausible that the original writer didn’t really grasp the difference and mixed some things up.

The link above wouldn’t work for me, so I googled it. Apparently, there are guided Italian language tours.

Did you read even the first paragraph of that article?

Many many years ago we watched an ancient movie in a theater. (It may have been Haxan). In any case, it ended on a dark, poignant and brutal note. There was silence until the word “slut” appeared and the entire theater erupted into laughter. Definitely an unintended mood lightener for the anglo audience.

Exactly. That kitty encompasses and rules over aaaalllll that couch. Surfaces and interior volume (as soon as he discovers it). No room for anybody else. Just ask him.

Ex-astronomer nerd here. I would, unless light pollution is also a problem in the countryside. I saw the aurora twice when I was a teen. It was a long time ago, but definitely memorable.

Here in Ohio it’s hard to find any place with dark skies. Even farmers have high output lights attached to every barn and outbuilding. It comes off as a bit paranoid on their part, but maybe there are roving gangs of werewolves that I’m not aware of.

If you do find a dark place, give your eyes 20 minutes to dark-adapt. Don’t look at any terrestrial light directly and you’ll find that the available light will be enough to get around. If you do need a flashlight (sorry - torch) you can cover it with a red film to avoid ruining your night vision. It does make a difference when star gazing.

Ah, made for the celebration of the feast of Oh Hell No.