Bone apple tea!

Hmm, how do I say this without getting downvoted all to hell?

I think this is actually a decent pick. Rubio is fairly moderate for a Republican. His parents emigrated from Cuba, so he likely has at least some respect for the blight of immigrants. He presents well intentioned and intelligent. He’ll probably actually read his briefings.

Secretary of State had formerly been a springboard for higher office. Perhaps he would actually bring a smidge of sanity back to the GOP. This country deserves functional bipartisanship.

Probably not, but one could hope.

It’s true. They’re only as powerful as you let them be. The “First they came” poem comes to mind.

Well that’s an odd name to call your phlunctus.

My point is that fascism builds until the root causes and those fanning its flames are rooted out and destroyed ala Napoleon, Mussolini, Hitler; or they burn on and continue to oppress under an authoritarian like Franco, Pinochet or Putin. There aren’t a whole lot of examples in between where an authoritarian relinquishes power after a short term.

I know which one I prefer, and, from example, we can see a little jail time is insufficient.

I don’t know exactly why, but the way you stated that reminds me of how Saddam Hussein gained power.

Hitler went to jail. What good did it serve the Germans?

• Throat coat for when I’m sick
• Kenya Black or Irish Breakfast with full fat oat milk in the mornings
• Vanilla Spiced chai with a cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and star anise during the holidays
• Russian orange tea on a crisp winter’s day

Growing up in the south, at some point in my 20s I realized I just didn’t really enjoy overly sugared black tea. And then I discovered a whole new world. It’s been a wonderful journey.

I can’t remember where I heard it, maybe NPR politics podcast, but essentially, the election was more so a referendum on Biden’s (and Harris) perceived poor performance in office, particularly around immigration and inflation.

That’s an analysis that makes sense in my mind. My family is clearly in the middle class nowadays and we’ve struggled to keep up financially. Growing up poor, I remember how impossible the situation can be when times are tough.

So in that retrospective, it wasn’t necessarily that the public preferred MAGA policies, they just either like DT or liked him more than the current administration.

Also keep in mind that the vote margins were pretty thin in most swing states - within 1%.

So how does that translate to NC? Well, rebuke of Harris for one, but this is what no full endorsement of MAGA looks like. So we’re seeing that DT is a force all on his own, he’s like an FDR or TR or a Raegan, people just gravitate to him more that your typical politician.

Dems won downballot as well - Buckhout aligned herself with DT and lost. Same thing with Michelle Murrow.

Elaine Marshall, Rachel Hunt and Jeff Jackson won theirs. But further down Republicans, particularly incumbents, performed well.

Yes part of it was Robinson being a closet Nazi, but with DT at top of ticket attrition shouldn’t have been a concern with downballot races.

NC is one of those rare places that has long been purple. It likes to vote Republican for federal but moderate Dem for state. In a world where many other states have gone to “all politics are national”, NC is a holdout in that regard. Dems know how to win here (when not gerrymandered all to hell).

I attribute it to a) a well educated citizenry b) diversity c) dems sticking to their moderate constituency d) the right passing some unpopular laws this year

The whole “Today I Found Out” universe of channels.

Teaches you history, keeps you current on current events (Warfronts is particularly good for geopolitics as it relates to wars going on). Places takes you through interesting places all around the world. Mega projects is like the old Mega project show on the history channel. Astro graphics takes you into space. Brain Blaze is a huge silly tangent.

I prefer fresh ideas and thoughts, even (especially) if they don’t align with my own values and beliefs. I thrive in that kind of environment. We, for the most part, seem to be at that stage. A stage Reddit was at circa 2009.

What I don’t want is this place becoming so popular that everything moves too fast and becomes derivative. I am not looking forward to an endless September. It’s probably inevitable, but if it could hold off another 5 - 10 years up to the point when I’m more into gardening or something rather than the Internet, that would be ideal.

I also fear that the model is unsustainable at a certain point. I trust Dessaslines and co aren’t chasing endless profits, but there does need to be enough people out there willing to donate and fund operations. Lichess is able to make it happen, so I hope we do here too.

The ROC, Tibet, India and Mongolia at a minimum would like to have a word.

This is exactly how I found out my refrigerator was running.

And below was my prompt, took me appx 5 minutes to write from my phone. I like that the AI thought that Elias would recall secret passages from his youth, which I’m thinking could help the adventures bypass some of the guard. I definitely would want to workshop that highwaymen twist, I mean what kind of party would be willing to return a relic of shadows back when they perceive a ruler as being corrupt? It needs something a bit more convincing.

——

Provide me a framework for a DND campaign that will contain the following story arcs. A lord of a small fiefdom seeks a group of traveling adventures to return a relic (you choose the relic, it must have magical powers) that was stolen from him by a group of highwaymen. The story must include a twist about the highwaymen. When returned, the lord becomes corrupted and throws the party in a far off dungeon. The adventures must work their way back to the lord and seek their revenge, with the assistance of a self exiled hermit who formerly knew the lord in his youth that they encounter along the way. If the hermit dies, the party loses insight into the lord’s intentions and it makes it much more challenging to win the campaign.

For those interested, I just asked it to generate a campaign with a quick prompt and this is what it spit out. Not perfect, but a good basis to build from:

Campaign Framework: The Relic of Shadows Introduction: The Call to Adventure Setting: The campaign begins in the small, picturesque fiefdom of Ravenwood, ruled by the benevolent Lord Alaric. Known for his wisdom and kindness, Lord Alaric’s peace is shattered when a relic of immense power, the Amulet of Shadows, is stolen by a band of notorious highwaymen. Hook: Lord Alaric seeks the help of the adventurers, promising wealth and favor in return for the retrieval of the Amulet of Shadows. The relic is said to possess the ability to manipulate shadows, providing its bearer with unparalleled stealth and the power to traverse through the Shadow Realm. Act 1: The Journey Begins Initial Quest: The adventurers set off to track down the highwaymen, following clues and engaging in minor skirmishes along the way. They learn that the highwaymen are more than simple thieves—they are a fragmented faction of former soldiers who turned to banditry after being betrayed by a corrupt noble. Twist: Upon confronting the highwaymen, the adventurers discover that Lord Alaric had once wronged them in his past. The highwaymen had stolen the Amulet of Shadows not out of greed, but to prevent Alaric from using its dark powers. They reveal that Alaric’s benevolent facade hides his darker ambitions. Act 2: The Corrupted Lord Return and Betrayal: Despite the highwaymen’s revelations, the adventurers decide to return the Amulet of Shadows to Lord Alaric, hoping to resolve the situation peacefully. However, upon returning the relic, Lord Alaric’s true nature is revealed. Corrupted by the power of the amulet, he becomes malevolent and orders the adventurers imprisoned in a distant, forgotten dungeon. Dungeon Escape: The adventurers must navigate the treacherous dungeon, facing traps, monsters, and puzzles. During their imprisonment, they encounter an exiled hermit named Elias, a former friend of Lord Alaric who was cast out due to discovering the lord’s dark ambitions. Act 3: The Path of Vengeance The Hermit’s Guidance: Elias offers to guide the adventurers back to Ravenwood and reveals crucial insights into Lord Alaric’s plans. He explains that Alaric seeks to use the Amulet of Shadows to control the Shadow Realm and extend his dominion. Elias knows secret paths and hidden truths that can aid the adventurers. Critical Choice: The adventurers must protect Elias throughout their journey. If Elias perishes, they lose his valuable knowledge, making their mission significantly harder. Without Elias, they will face additional challenges and must uncover Alaric’s weaknesses through other means. Act 4: The Final Confrontation Return to Ravenwood: The adventurers, now armed with the knowledge provided by Elias (or through their own investigations if Elias is lost), must confront Lord Alaric. They rally allies, face Alaric’s corrupted forces, and uncover the hidden vulnerabilities in Alaric’s plans. Climactic Battle: The campaign culminates in an epic showdown with Lord Alaric in his fortified castle. The adventurers must disable the Amulet of Shadows, overcome Alaric’s dark magic, and ultimately restore peace to Ravenwood. Resolution Victory or Defeat: Depending on the adventurers’ actions, they may emerge victorious, freeing Ravenwood from Alaric’s tyrannical grasp, or they might succumb to the shadows, leaving the fiefdom to its dark fate. Their choices throughout the campaign will determine the final outcome and the legacy they leave behind. Feel free to add or adjust details to fit your players’ preferences and playstyle! This framework should give you a solid foundation for a thrilling and complex campaign. Happy adventuring! 🐉⚔️

I’ve used it to fill in the gaps for DND storyline. I’ll give it a prompt and a couple of story arcs then I’ll tell it to write in a certain style, say a cowardly king or dogmatic paladin. From there it will spit out a story. If I don’t like certain affects, I’ll tell it to rewrite a section with some other detail in mind. It does a fantastic job and saves me some of the guesswork.

Not so fast. David Duke was saying the quiet part out loud and he was only a fringe candidate. There’s something else going on here, I don’t know what it is exactly, that makes Trump more marketable.

The only things I can think of is that he has had decades in the public eye, and he’s been presented as smart and successful for most of that time. And bizarrely enough, he reflects a bygone era in America where blue collar union guys had pensions, which were blown away by billionaires like him. And yet, this billionaire known for grift and stiffing his workers, somehow became their champion.

The whole process has opened my eyes to just how much marketing works with a certain demographic.

Democracy Dies in Darkness indeed.

Projection. Remember during the first few days of the war when Russia issued a statement saying that the era of the West was over?

I buy gift cards for the discounts. Usually you can get a gift card from anywhere between 3% and 20% off. Over the last 5 years, this has saved me $1000s on house renovations alone.