There is a very reasonable explanation for this: If we are a topic of research for them, they could have simply stopped studying us in the same way

Take our own science for example. We pull out of studies when the funding dries up. Maybe the aliens’ government grant ran out. Or, perhaps they have a policy of avoiding interference with the subjects. They could have changed methodology in response to the threat of high resolution recording equipment

Yeah there is a reason why plane spotters use 400+mm lenses

For the longest time, Reddit allowed some of the most toxic, explicitly hateful, communities out there. It continued to grow very quickly under those circumstances. Furthermore, the more moderate communities continued to exist. It wasn’t until later, when they were trying to monetize, that Reddit started cracking down on the allowed content.

As much as I disagreed with those communities, I think Reddit was a better place when the admin had a looser hand on which communities could it could not exist

Have you never heard of tunes?

Any idiot can make substantial software changes to almost any modern car with easily available inexpensive hardware. Look up Cobb, ECUtek, openflashtablet, Hondata, etc

You literally just plug it into a port and flash the software

And fifth/sixth derivatives are crackle and pop because some physicists thought it would be funny to have it be “snap crackle and pop”

I spent most of my 20s doing grassroots campaigning, with a large part of it being protest planning and organization. You generally do not need a permit to conduct protests on public property, even large ones, in the USA.

The exceptions are very specific; i.e. blocking roads may require a permit.

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

Businesses seeing a drop in revenue as a result of a random patchwork organized online effort for a temporary boycott won’t have any effect?

No it won’t. This just means people buy the stuff the another day and is absolutely meaningless to their bottom line

Absolutely.

I lived a lot like this during the 2008 recession. I was always looking for work, but there was none to be had. So we spent all day watching arthouse DVDs from the library, having sex, cooking, making art, and talking philosophy in our 250 square foot apartment. At times, it was truly beautiful.

However, there came a time after a year or so where the money really ran out and we got evicted. The relationship imploded and it all went to shit.

My takeaway is that, for long term happiness, stability is important too.

If you wanted it spelled right, you should have talked to an englisher

Yeah I’ve been seeing this Ron and Harry meme all over the place. I’m not a potter fan, I don’t think the books are anything super special, but still

It’s very clearly shown that Harry would be willing to help them out financially but they don’t want Harry’s money in the slightest

Not washing cars results in long term damage to the car. If you have a 200k mile shitbox with peeling clear coat, sure, you don’t need to wash it because it probably won’t matter.

If you have something nice with good paint, washing is an important maintenance item

I don’t think that’s the case at all. Not everything has been successful, and in many cases efforts got watered down so they could pass congress. However, Obama and Biden have pushed for some pretty serious left wing talking points. Some examples off the top of my head:

-Medical reform

-Student loan forgiveness

-Renewable energy initiatives

-Marijuana rescheduling

-Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in the military

-Immigration clemency with DACA

Compare that with Bill Clinton, whose strategy explicitly was to place himself midway between liberals and conservatives

I’d generally agree, but the problem is that this particular instance is much higher stakes than most elections.

Generally speaking, the worst case scenario would be someone like John McCain taking the reins instead of Obama. I didn’t agree with McCain about a lot of things but he was a generally honorable guy who wanted to do the best for American democracy.

Now we have a group who is polling to win and outright saying “America needs a dictatorship”. If they get their way, it could be the last election we ever have.

The claims aren’t colored by propaganda and misinformation

They sure are. A great example would be the videos making the rounds recently about the Israeli drones supposedly making “crying baby noises” to lure people out. This is a classic propaganda technique, the videos are literally just a black screen with some background sound, the Israeli government could kill those people far more easily without such tactics, and anyone who has spent time around drones regularly knows it’s extremely implausible at best.

It’s a blatantly obvious piece of propaganda that was widely accepted because people can’t pause for five seconds to apply a bit of critical thinking to their conclusions.

Just because they’re capable of doing genocide “better” doesn’t mean they aren’t doing it.

It means exactly this. “Genocide” implies a certain intent and this is a very strong argument of the absence of the requisite intent.

Also, quit implying that my comments are right wing or Russian just because they have opinions that don’t align with yours. That’s such a tired trope. I could imply the same of you, but I’m choosing to engage in good faith.

Well maybe you shouldn’t be pushing an agenda that benefits the Russians and far-right at the expense of the Palestinian people?

Honestly, you’re either a badly intentioned troll, lacking in some basic critical thinking skill, or simply willing to see far more Palestinians die for your ideals while you sit back in safety and watch it happen.

The claims of genocide are colored by propaganda and misinformation. Academic researchers are split on the issue, at best. The fact of the matter is that Israel could swiftly end all life in Gaza through overwhelming military force if that was their goal, and this has not happened.

I’d agree that Israel’s actions in Gaza are unethical but there is a stark difference between acting without regard for civilian casualties and outright ethnic cleansing. The evidence doesn’t seem to support the latter.

A good president would divest and sanction Israel

A good president would prioritize what’s best for America, which means preserving the favorable relationship America has with Israel. Meanwhile, a good president would provide humanitarian aid for Palestine and help negotiate for peace.

That’s exactly what Biden is doing and refusing to vote for him harms almost every party involved, including Palestine. Really, the only groups who would benefit are the far right and Russia… makes you wonder where comments like this come from, doesn’t it?

Yeah that’s not an option for many people.

Not everyone’s parents are reliable, still alive, willing to watch the kids, and conveniently nearby. You kinda need all four.

Yeahh. I got really excited for about 30s

Sorry, we are talking about guns here. With guns, as with many other topics, America is #1. So your opinion is irrelevant

The particular combination of barrel and shot matters. Even different brands of similar shot, or different shotguns of the same make/model, can have differences.

The chart above is just a general guideline, it’s often recommended to pattern your specific combination to know firsthand how it performs.

Yup, I have shot slugs from choked barrels on many occasions and it works just fine. Some shotguns shoot rifled slugs a little better with a modified choke than a cylinder choke.