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Off Key - General Discussion

A place to talk about whatever you want

2.1k Topics 15.2k Posts
  • Contingency planning

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    wtgW
    @Piano-Dad Yes, I know how to reach you. We do have some folks who signed up and who have either never posted or haven't posted in a long time. I don't want to pester them with updates unless they want to be pestered. You can choose the option to hide your email address from casual observers, but people with superpowers can see that info. Mostly I just wanted to know who wants to be notified if we have a major outage. Additionally, a few folks who signed up early might not have had to provide an email address to create a user ID because registration was open and didn't require authorization by an admin or mod. Eventually we locked the door and deleted all the spammers who had signed up while this was the backup site. I just wanted people to check their profile and see if they have an email addy where they can be reached.
  • Pinned threads

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    Great!
  • MAHA

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    wtgW
    Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday praised a company that makes $7-a-pop meals that are delivered directly to the homes of Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. He even thanked Mom’s Meals for sending taxpayer-funded meals “without additives” to the homes of sick or elderly Americans. The spreads include chicken bacon ranch pasta for dinner and French toast sticks with fruit or ham patties. “This is really one of the solutions for making our country healthy again,” Kennedy said in the video, posted to his official health secretary account, after he toured the company’s Oklahoma facility last week. But an Associated Press review of Mom’s Meals menu, including the ingredients and nutrition labels, shows that the company’s offerings are the type of heat-and-eat, ultraprocessed foods that Kennedy routinely criticizes for making people sick. The meals contain chemical additives that would render them impossible to recreate at home in your kitchen, said Marion Nestle, a nutritionist at New York University and food policy expert, who reviewed the menu for The AP. Many menu items are high in sodium, and some are high in sugar or saturated fats, she said. https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-ultraprocessed-foods-diet-maha-trump-018a808efcf059eadfab2f8fc93fad4d
  • Faunascrolling--what's visiting where you are?

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    rustyfingersR
    Sounds about right. Nice shot
  • Ringo at 85

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    He cannot be 24! I am 24!!
  • Who killed Jimmy Hoffa?

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    MikM
    In my mind I see Geraldo at Al Capone’s vault.
  • Greetings from SFO!

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    wtgW
    Here's another sourdough Boston brown bread recipe. Not baked in a loaf pan or a can. https://forum.breadtopia.com/t/sweet-and-sourdough-brown-bread/43277
  • This topic is deleted!

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  • Best analysis I have seen on the big bill.

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    I haven't read the article yet, just skimmed all the headings (I will read it later). One thing the article does not appear to mention is probably the most important of all: ICE expansion. From Harvard sociologist/political scientist Theda Skocpol: Last spring, when Dan Ziblatt and I taught a comparative course on democratic backsliding, our study of the Hungarian and German (1920s-30s) cases left me slightly reassured about the United States today. Hungary is highly centralized, and in Germany the most important state transformation happened just before Hitler was appointed Chancellor, when the previous government nationalized the Prussian police and bureaucracy, removing it from Social Democratic control in federated Germany’s largest state. Not long after, unexpectedly, Hitler could easily turn the centralized agencies into his Gestapo core. I thought last year that the USA was somewhat protected against any similar coerceive authoritarian takeover by its federal structure, given state and local government rights to control most U.S. police powers (I presented this argument in my Madison lecture for the Sept 2024 American Political Science Association). But now I see that the Miller-Trump ethno-authoritarians have figured out a devilishly clever workaround. Immigration is an area where a U.S. President can exercise virtually unchecked legal coercive power, especially if backed by a Supreme Court majority and corrupted Department of Justice. Now Congress has given ICE unprecedented resources – much of this windfall to be used for graft with private contractors Trump patronizes, but lots of to hire street agents willing to mask themselves and do whatever they are told against residents and fellow American citizens. The Miller-Trumpites are not interested only in rounding up undocumented immigrants. They will step up using ICE and DOJ enforcements use to harass Democrats, citizen critics, and subvert future elections if they can. This is the key story unfolding right now. Governors and civic groups and media outlets need to get clear on this imminent threat and work together across the board to reveal and push back against the emerging ICE police state.
  • FLW house #1

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    wtgW
    It's the bathroom in the basement. Ruins the whole house. The listing says 4000+ sq ft but the actual description says "nearly 3000". Must be the basement? https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/715-W-Washington-St_South-Bend_IN_46601_M43890-02138?from=srp-list-card
  • Ambroxol and Parkinson's dementia

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  • Puppy !

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    We were rather quick to let Nero out of his cage (as our daughter stated bluntly when she saw), but Neptune has been tolerant & good apart from a couple of growls and snarly faces. Today they seem more familiar. Neptune's not a dog to be climbed upon and protects his food. Three weeks until Nero is allowed out of the house.
  • LOLcritters

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  • I think you guys will like this house

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    AxtremusA
    I would repaint the interior with antique white (or some light version of beige), simple ceiling white for the ceiling.
  • FLW house #3

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    Very interesting. Not like a "cookie cutter house" Not for me as its low and dark, but I love red oak and the bookshelves are fab
  • Impact of immigration policy

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    When the UK Brexited Europe there was concern about who would pick our fruit crops, as its far too hard work for us Brits to want to do. Government got around it somehow. This year, the driest sunniest hottest half-year for over 100 years, means our crops are being harvested early but yields are down by 30-40%. And yet as hosepipe bans are considered for some areas, this is Aysgarth in Yorkshire over the weekend: https://www.facebook.com/reel/734102669207358?sfnsn=scwspwa
  • A pretty little camp

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    @wtg said in A pretty little camp: That’s a sweet house and I love the property. The stream is to die for. Propane refrigerator. Interesting! the camp i was caretaking in Maine years ago had a propane refrigerator and propane wall sconces for lighting. i loved how quiet it was. once you've lived off grid the electric noises in a conventional home can drive you bats.
  • Laughter is the best medicine

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  • Texas Floods

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    wtgW
    A camp that evacuated. https://apnews.com/article/texas-floods-summer-camp-evacuation-a1cbf5cfa768b0869e5e299b8f7dfccf
  • Q: What's worse than glyphosate?

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    rustyfingersR
    You can use cardboard too, at least here you can