It’s weird. The numbers are so big and the dates are so far out there that none of it feels real. The fact that (assuming you fit their magic profile) some bank will accept your signature in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars is stranger still. I honestly wish we lived in a society where this sort of thing was NOT the norm. But if you live in the US, home ownership is one of the few mechanisms in place for us commoners to generate and/or pass on generational wealth (assuming that the whole system doesn’t collapse like the house of cards it probably is while you own the house).

Does it trap other bugs? I want to get rid of mosquitoes, but don’t want to mess with any others.

I’ve gotten to the point that I’m buying things like BennVenn’s MBC3000 and BucketMouse’s Nintendo NES Cartridge Circuit Board just so I can enjoy physical media again.

Price gouging and “grading” of retro games. I just wanna play some old NES games without taking out a second mortgage.

Excellent callout, thank you!

Seconded. Good stuff that A) you can actually find without heading to some weird chocolate boutique and B) you can feel marginally better about buying because they really try to make sure their supply chain is as fair as possible.

Neil Gaiman. The man can write novels, YA novels, graphic novels, children’s books. And they all have such well crafted worlds that you just want to lose yourself in them.

I also think Neal Stephenson and Corey Doctorow deserve WAY more attention than they get.

It’s not that powerful of a jet of water. I mean, I’m sure there is some, but if you’re doing it right, only the parts you want to get wet are getting wet. Besides, the alternative is like using a paper towel to clean peanut butter from a shag carpet.

I’ll second the idea that boredom isn’t always bad, and that it can often lead to new ideas and experiences. But if you really feel the need to do something for the person, try gifting experiences like food tours, trial hobbies or sports (curling, photography, etc).

Taco Bell, but not from like an actual Taco Bell, from one of those food court “express” ones with the limited menu that’s always out of something like sour cream.

That we all accept that working our butts off for at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, with only around 2 weeks of vacation a year in the hopes that we can save just enough to retire at 65+ is normal. The social contract is broken, and everyone except the top 1% of earners is paying the price.

Demeo has become the unexpected game of choice for my friends and I.

I once heard a theory once that most boomers are “the way they are” because of the amount of lead they all were exposed to due leaded gasoline. The three most common effects of long term lead exposure are developmental delay, learning difficulties, and irritability. Zero evidence of course, but it sure would explain a lot.