Kaiser Permanente is the largest HMO in California, where state healthcare regulations are stricter than other states, and they have an individual mandate that comes with actual penalties. They are one of the least evil health insurance companies, but they are still health insurance, an inherently evil concept that leeches value from the healthcare industry at the cost of human lives.

That’s not to say any of them deserve death. But if the death of one is making them all reconsider their life choices, then we’ll call that a silver lining in a dark cloud.

My mother is fairly religious, and she occasionally offers to take the kids to Sunday school. We decline, but sometimes we go attend her church for Christmas and Easter or if she’s singing a solo. Our kids are 9 and 11 and are both familiar with Christianity, and have a general understanding of most other religions. We haven’t told them what to believe, but we explained what we believe and that everyone gets to choose what they believe. They know grandma is a Christian, and they know I’m not.

I know my mom is disappointed that we aren’t doing more to indoctrinate our kids, but she has enough faith in Jesus to reach them, and I have enough faith in them to make good decisions either way.

Yiddish and German are like Spanish and Portuguese. They are of course different languages, but there is a lot of overlap in vocabulary. I don’t know which language was the vector for the word.

Seems all the more relevant today. They should revive the series, as long as Phil and Lem are still around.

I had sort of the reverse, working with German-speaking coworkers. I used the term “schpiel” to refer to a long talk I was going to give. This led to a moment of confusion because that’s not what the word means in German. It means “game” or “play” and in the context they thought I meant to imply that I was not taking the speech seriously, or maybe wasn’t going to be completely honest. Almost like a con. That’s probably how the loanword first entered the English language, and its meaning has drifted over time.

I’m mid-forties, so I remember it well, except my recollection isn’t really proof that it happened, and my parents weren’t neglectful. In fact, all my memories of my parents were that they would stop what they were doing to talk to us. So I remember it being a common complaint, but it wasn’t my experience.

I dunno, there are a lot of tv shows and movies from the pre-internet era that depict parents lost in their newspapers and totally oblivious to what their kids are doing.

Any gift that suggests they need to improve something about themselves, especially if they’ve never shown any interest in that. Like a gift card for skincare treatments, or teeth whitening. Maybe a self-help book, or some exercise equipment. Cologne/perfume is good for deniability, but it might come off as more romantic than intended.

Also, giving any of these gifts to make someone feel bad about themselves makes you an enormous asshole. Use your words, be honest with people, and don’t go out of your way to humiliate or irritate people you don’t like. Life’s too short to spend it scheming.

If everybody would just join hands and sing kumbaya, there would be no more wars!

Racism exists. You can’t end racism by pretending everybody is the same, and that cultural differences aren’t shaped by racism, whether it’s historical, institutional, or just regular conservativism, racism is pervasive in every country in the world. Familiarity fosters empathy, so engaging in multicultural exchanges is the best weapon against racism. But that means embracing our shared experiences and our differences, and acknowledging that we’re not all the same. Your skin color is a part of you, and it shapes who you are. If you think it hasn’t, you’re probably white.

I wouldn’t say it’s “good” but it is what is. Humans connect with each other through shared experiences. Growing up black in America creates a unique cross section of obligate life events. Regardless of your culture or environment, there are things that connect you to other black Americans. Some black people prefer to engage with that identity, others prefer to ignore or actively avoid it. But either way, it’s a choice that defines a significant part of their personality.

Fired and laid off are two completely different things.

American employers are reluctant to use the term “lay-off” so they will often describe a “restructuring” where they fire “underperforming” staff without cause. If there are regulations describing the percentage of employees that makes it a layoff, they will fire 1% fewer to avoid any statutory requirements.

c. prospective employers don’t need to know if you quit or you were fired. You left that job, and started somewhere else.

Yes! Somebody tried to tell me I was thinking of Mike and Ikes, but I knew I wasn’t crazy.

It was sweeter. Like, you were expecting lemon-lime of Sprite or 7up, but you got the sugary caramel of Pepsi. Almost like clear cream soda, but without the strong vanilla flavor.

Also Pushing Daisies, Better Off Ted, Jericho, My So Called Life, Dead Like Me, Freaks and Geeks…

It’s based on the 19th century Northern European standard of beauty that paler (fair) skin is more beautiful. The source of the Evil Queen’s jealousy is that Snow White is whitest and therefore most beautiful of them all. The Queen hires a murderer to cut out Snow White’s heart because the Queen is only the second most whitest woman in all the land.

The problem is the story was written by shitheads. Her name is a reference to how “fair” her skin was, being white as snow with lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony. This was a standard of beauty in 19th century Germany. That characterization is problematic in a global market with various standards of beauty.

So the racist shitheads have a quasi-valid point that the modern reimagining of a racist (and misogynist) source fairy tale isn’t quite as racist as the previous reimagining.

But the real question is why we’re reimagining old, racist fairy tales?

Solo wasn’t terrible, especially considering how much the sequels leaned into the nostalgia factor. Everyone hates on it because Han isn’t as much of a “scoundrel” as they had inagined when he shot Greedo and then fell in love with Leia. But those characterizations are mostly headcanon. I have no trouble watching Solo and Rogue One as the bridge between the prequels and the OT.

Watching the animated Clone Wars series makes the gap between 2 and 3 more palatable. You see Anakin grow in the force, but also see the darkness simmering. It also shows the cracks in the Jedi order and lays the groundwork for doubt in their unimpeachable wisdom.

Like, if you just watch the movies, Yoda is basically Muppet Jesus. Anakin seems like a petulant child refusing to eat his vegetables and jumps right to murdering children. If you watch the series, it colors in all the shades of gray.

I don’t think it’s OK, but I think it was entirely expected. I agree that his prosecution was political, and that most other defendants would have gotten much less focus. I also agree that he broke the law and should serve his time.

Ultimately, our entire system is corrupt and we should do something to fix it. Sadly, we’ll have to wait at least two years for the next election to hopefully at least take back the House and/or Senate. But even if Dems take both, nobody seems to be interested in actually addressing the injustice baked into our government.