This. A million times this. The Star Wars Holiday Special sets a benchmark of awfulness that even the prequels in all their CGI/Jar-Jar-ness could not approach.

Definitely a better time to go walking around those areas, yes. I also read that there were reports (from the US Embassy) of worse things, like credit card theft or people getting drinks spiked/robbed in relation to those shady clubs, so I’d advise anyone to be careful as well.

Roppongi and Kabukicho were the two I ran across them. It was only in proximity to the clubs though really. You could be shopping in Shinjuku or other parts of Roppongi and never run into them, but the moment you turned onto one of the streets near the clubs someone would come up to you, almost without fail.

It’s a negative stereotype to be sure, but I’ve run into them when walking through the entertainment districts in Tokyo. I don’t know for certain they were Nigerian, but they were definitely in the business of getting people to go into clubs, and would focus on foreigners that likely spoke English.

Yes - big difference between old cars for now and then fun, versus using them as a daily driver, especially if you’re carting around kids and such.

Let’s be honest, it’s not like Trump is really doing anything to restrain the Republicans who see things like the Handmaid’s Tale as aspirational rather than a warning.

A Mohammedan once turned me into a newt.

One need merely refer to the works of the good Sir Mix-a-Lot, who crafted his wrap with terms such as Honda, (Jane) Fonda, and Ana-conda.

Monterey, California.

You might have to look back further than that, although the records might not be easy to find, or even exist anymore (unfortunately). And even then, it might not be conclusive. Most of the handful of ancestors in my family that were Native were more back in the 1700s, at least.

Oh gods yes - holy f*ck, if you’re in Virginia and not registered, do it right now. This election is going to be critical in not letting the state get turned into another reactionary wet dream hellscape.

Yes. Absolutely support the more progressive candidate in the primary, but whoever wins that, vote for that sane one over whatever regressive batsh*t crazy troglodyte the right nominates. The way to get more progressive candidates and policies is to keep fighting and debating, not to take your ball and go home when…

It’s almost like when people are a majority someplace, they tend to treat minority groups worse than they do feeling members of the majority, and that has nothing to do with how things are in some other country where the numbers are different.

I could be too, in fairness. I’m pretty good about being very sparing on what I buy on disc (only either really good stuff, or stuff I can’t otherwise get such as imports), but I also have a fondness for dead tree books, even though they take up tons of space.

Not a tiny house person myself, but I’ve found a lot of it is about material possessions, or control thereof. I suspect that most people now have more ‘stuff’ than our parents’ or grandparents’ generation did. Ironically we’re probably more capable of paring down, because modern electronics are so much smaller and…

Size restrictions are definitely a consideration, yes. I don’t recall what the square footage on the place my friend had built was, but it wasn’t a tiny house for sure.

You’d have to check the zoning really, and secure the proper permits, but it’s certainly not impossible. I had a friend that had a prefab house built on an empty lot in the DC suburbs, and ended up with a suitably nice place in a really expensive area for much cheaper than anything else on the market.

Hopefully it’s more like a Virgin airplane. I’ve had mostly good experiences with those, at least compared to most US airlines... which, granted, is not exactly a high bar to clear of late.

To be clear, we’re talking a “problem” from the point of view of the manufacturer. And really, if they want the car sold at that price, then they really should, y’know, make more of them, as the original poster said.

That’s because regulations are bad and awful, except when they’re regulations our donors like, and then they’re absolutely necessary to ensure extra profi- er, competition. /s