I disapprove of other people’s choices only when it negatively impacts the life of others. If sex work is legal and regulated and taxed and there is a robust social safety net, then all that’s left to disapprove of is the sex itself, which is for religious zealots, not normal people. Sex is a drive honed over hundreds of millions of years, there is literally nothing more normal.

If it has been made illegal, then I may disapprove of the laws which make it illegal (ie: we don’t disapprove of anti-trafficking laws), but if such laws are in place, I cannot approve of the illegal work, because unsavory shit comes along with it that negatively impacts other people.

Truly raw cashews are toxic. The ones you’re talking about are apparently steamed instead of roasted? Still, I had no idea they existed.

Dollar, Thrifty and Hertz are all the same company now. They intentionally overbook. I don’t know the exact reason why, short of naked profiteering and not giving a fuck.

The last time I rented with them (initially Dollar) I booked several months beforehand and when I got up to their kiosks, I ended up getting one of the last cars that they had on hand. I know I got one of the last because as I was waiting (for hours), they first closed the Dollar storefront, then they closed the Thrifty storefront - funneling everybody into one line ultimately ending up at the Hertz storefront. Shortly after I got up to the desk and they were finally giving me my paperwork and keys, they began to shut down the Hertz storefront. At this point there were still literally more than a hundred people standing in line (it was a holiday). So closing up left a whole bunch of people carless and very, very angry. So even waiting for hours through this bullshit, I was one of the LUCKY ONES.

I booked the car online at the extortionate price of $800 for a week, but ever since the pandemic, rentals have been overly expensive so whatever. Subsequently, they proceeded to apply every possible extra to the rental, without my knowledge. Extra insurance, top tier insurance, full tank of gas, roadside assistance - everything - all of which are also at inflated prices. Not until I got home did I notice that the actual cost of this rental was going to be almost $1500, TWICE THE FEE I HAD BOOKED ONLINE. I had no choice but to accept it and get on with my driving vacation, but I never forget.

I truly do not know. I was using Budget, my truck was in the shop and two days’ rental was going to be $142. Two hours after reserving it my mechanic tells me he’s going to have me done today - so I cancel the reservation.

Because I chose “pay now” rather than “pay later”, I’m charged a $150 cancellation fee on a $142 rental (the fee posted on the website - $50 - is not for “prepaid” “same day” cancellations - not that the website told me this anywhere obvious, of course).

So I literally would have done better financially to drive the fucking thing around for two days for no good reason.

Protesting to customer service gets me a resounding “go fuck yourself.”

I’m now open to suggestions, I was using Budget because they had the best prices of what remained to me, but never again.

Dollar, Hertz and Thrifty car rental. Also Budget, but for different reasons.

Never use Dollar, Hertz or Thrifty under any circumstances unless you want to be fucked. Never prepay with Budget unless you want to be fucked.

So… they think it will… vaccinate them?

I am confused. I realize this is just a flag change not even a dev problem but PEBKAC, still - in the event of an actual bug, why wouldn’t Microsoft have a dev contribute to the project and fix it instead of just opening a ticket?

I’m sorry, which editor allows you to exit easily with escape colon q bang enter?

Uh huh. That’s what I thought.

What is religion, if not conjecture about the origin of mankind (and by extension the universe) that people believe without evidence?

Religion identifies the simulator and insists that its intermediaries can offer a liaison between you and them, and also that if you don’t believe in their particular simulator, you will be punished. It has been used for centuries to control the populace and to take their money.

A proponent of simulation theory isn’t likely to tell you that it solves any philosophical problems, or that they now understand the universe wholly. I’ve never heard anyone talking about it claim that they know who/what is behind the simulation.

So IMO the distinction between the two couldn’t be more clear.

I imagine there’s at least a couple wacko groups out of there trying to twist simulation theory into a purely religious endeavor, but that wouldn’t represent the mainstream conversation about it.

ChatGPT’s Answer:

The expression 6/2(1+2) involves both multiplication and division. According to the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS), you should perform operations inside parentheses first, then any multiplication or division from left to right.

Let’s break down the expression step by step:

Inside the parentheses: 1 + 2 = 3

Now the expression becomes 6/2 * 3

Division: 6/2 = 3

Multiplication: 3 * 3 = 9

So, 6/2(1+2) is equal to 9.

Amazingly well put. Capitalism is necessary. Unrestrained capitalism is deadly. The unfortunate reality of capitalism is that even as it is in the process of burning everything to the ground, it looks for all the world like glorious success. And it is glorious success, if you don’t compare it to what could be in a system where it was properly restrained.

Soaking seems like a particularly egregious loophole.

Boy does this ring true. I worked for years for a giant multinational publisher and one of their biggest sources of income was taking government money for educational stuff for schools and turning that money into absolutely no useful products while making sure no opportunity to hire another middle manager was overlooked.

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Spicy cole slaw topping a sandwich made of slow-smoked pulled pork is absolute nirvana.

Oh come on, who reads a book while they’re getting head?

I honestly am not sure that there is a more perfect confection than chocolate covered raisins, not even kidding.

I don’t get this. So… no candy canes? No Andes mints? No Altoids? No mint juleps?