I suspect there is also some good, old-fashioned meeting in darkened corners going on, plus a lot of gossip. DC is socially incestuous. There is a lot of turn over with each new administration, but there is also a solid network of professional bureaucrats and journalists who have been there for decades, and they all…

I love having single stream recycling. Everything goes into one bag, and that bag goes into one bin. I do not miss sorting.

They can be OK. I’ve attended a few that were just like causal birthday parties, with good food and beer. Those were lots of fun. Others were miserable, especially when the stupid games start. I do not want to guess the baby food flavor, nor do I want to watch a bunch of blindfolded people put diapers on teddy bears.

If it means never having to play stupid baby shower games again, sign me up.

My backpack has two mesh pouches for water bottles, but I only carry one on a daily basis. The other pouch holds my umbrella.

And even if you have insurance, it can be damn near impossible to get an appointment with a primary care provider in some cities.

The technology already exists for water - look up steripen. It also exists for food at the commercial/production level, but the FDA reviews and approves each use case separately, and there is a lot of public fear of the concept.

We already have commercial food irradiation for select products sold in the US. Residential food irradiation isn’t too far fetched.

And if you’re super paranoid/worried, you can quickly sear the outside of the steak to kill surface bacteria before chopping it.

Instead of postcards, I’m going to start mailing paper snowflakes to Republican members of congress. Write a letter on regular paper, then enclose a hand made paper snowflake.

I think it’s standard practice to help turtle hatchlings on beaches in populated areas, at least in the US. My old college roommate lives in a beach town where sea turtles routinely nest. The town has guidelines for turning off outdoor lights during nesting season, and distributes information on turtle conservation…

This is one of those times that I really, really love my neighborhood. Many of the businesses I patronize are immigrant owned. They largely stayed open, but let staff take the day if they wanted, with owners and managers stepping up to fill in. Of the businesses that are not immigrant owned, most closed for the day…

My one and only experience with CarMax was selling my car before moving and going car-free. I had a 13 year old Corolla with 150K miles. I needed to hold onto my car until the last possible minute, and was far more concerned with ease of the transaction. My move/one-way flight was planned for a Tuesday, so I intended…

I’ve never had chicken. I’m not grossed out (I happily eat pigs feet, tails, and ears). I just haven’t had tons of opportunity, and they aren’t my first choice when I do have the opportunity. Now I really want them - frying them makes them far more appealing. They always look soggy/limp when I see others eating them…

Oh no, I don’t think Pence deserves anything. I think the Republicans will use that narrative (or something similar) to justify impeachment for Trump while protecting Pence.

Yeah, it’s a fine line to walk. I think the narrative with Flynn deceiving Pence sets it up nicely though - Pence didn’t know about Flynn’s phone calls, because he wasn’t in on the conspiracy. Trump only selected a VP because he had to - He picked GOP Ken Doll Pence to appease the establishment, then generally left…

Because they still get their rubber stamp in Pence, plus the positive image of being the ones who saved us from calamity of Trump. If they go the impeachment route, I expect they will fully embrace the Russian interference narrative - they can’t be held responsible for nominating Trump because of foreign interference…

The Queen Mother used to set them on the fireplace mantelpiece, in a neat little row, then give them to the dogs as treats. I don’t recommend giving discarded chocolates to dogs, but I can see the charm in an artfully displayed collection of chocolates for guests.

Whatever. Everyone knows Molly McIntire is the best American Girl of all time.

This. I 100% believe there are others in the GOP who are compromised, including members of Congress. Russia has RNC emails. They know things. The Republicans in Congress do not want those things to see the light of day. Perhaps the best thing that could happen for the US right now would be for someone to get their…