askchapo

So with gas prices steadily rising, I'm wondering what my options are. A decent $2000 ebike is way out of my price range, but I've got a 29inch huffy with a bent rear wheel I was already looking to replace. So the thought of maybe trying one of these rear wheel ebike kits seems more within my price range. Anybody done it and had positive results?

This is what I'm looking at, that seems the most affordable.

https://www.amazon.com/INPAITOO-Bicycle-Conversion-Mutifunction-Display/dp/B0FCY26ZXP

Are there places where one can purchase aluminum tent poles or fiberglass poles with a larger wall size?

One of my tents, a Kelty Tanglewood 2, has split a second fiberglass pole on a camping trip this weekend while my daughter was sleeping in it.

I'm searching for a replacement, and I'd like to not give Kelty any more of my dollarydoos. The first one they seemed to begrudgingly send a pole by itself, but this time around they will not send a pole, they are requesting destruction of the tent, fly, and the other fiberglass pole before they will send me an entire fucking tent setup as a warranty replacement, with photo evidence.

That sounds like a terribly wasteful way to do business and frankly despite my second thoughts on purchasing Kelty products there isn't anything wrong w the tent/fly. I don't want to landfill a whole shredded tent because they won't warranty a lone pole.

Explanations I've seen:

• to drive up oil / gas prices (the problem is that the prices are too high, which accelerates the global green energy revolution and the end of the fossil fuel industry while destabilizing western "society"; successfully seizing Iran's oil would have presumably lowered prices too);

• Trump's ego, bolstered by Maduro's kidnapping and the seemingly successful counter-revolution in Venezuela; the imperial ruling class thought they were invincible because they haven't suffered a really palpable defeat since Vietnam (I guess Afghanistan / Yemen doesn't count...);

• to protect the Zionist entity and the Gulf Monarchies and also to shore up American influence in the region;

• to slow China's rise (Iran supplies lots of China's fossil fuels);

• a distraction from the Epstein files;

• lots of powerful ghouls have been itching to do this since 1979;

• to stop Iran's nonexistent nuclear weapons program;

• to game the stock market.

Did I miss anything? What are the most plausible / implausible explanations? Are they all valid? I'm not sure, I'm asking because I want comments / critiques. Also, are we headed to a permanent nationwide blackout in the USA (as predicted by The Simpsons) and the Mad Max-ification of all but the top 10% or will things "go back to normal"? Or will this just become another Ukraine War?

Bonus Q: how are the libs and chuds you know reacting to the war? My spouse thinks that Iran is currently winning but the USA will eventually prevail 🥴

I see Baltic states being used as an example of why soviet communism was ineffective and unequal, and I am finding it harder to argue using statistics and polls due to the anti-communism, and the GDP fall being less sharp, and recovering quicker (as well as me being unable to find GDP PPP graphs for pre-1991 dates)

I'm gonna start doing watch parties of the popular anime series Uma Musume starting six weeks from now. Similar to my vow to create land acknowledgement videos whenever I show for-profit TV/film productions created on Indigenous land, I also want to make a short video before showings of Uma Musume that state in clear terms that the show was created to promote horse betting.

My current script looks like this:

Tonight's feature presentation has financial ties with and seeks to normalize horse racing, a highly exploitative industry predicated on the physical and mental abuse of animals. Horse racing, as well as this cartoon's tie-in video game, finances itself by vampirizing people's wallets through gambling: corporations exploiting human psychology to create a highly addictive waste of your time and money.

DON'T BE A SUCKER! Don't buy gachas! Don't bet on horses! Don't give your money to animal abusers! Your money is better spent on ending the cruel practice of horse racing! The only acceptable amount of money to spend on gambling is zero! Treatments for problem gambling are effective!

Which takes about 32 seconds for me to read out loud.

This script will be set to an instrumental of The Animals' "The House of The Rising Sun", cliché as that song may be; and the visuals may include statistics related to horse racing and/or gambling, and, more importantly, links and QR codes to organizations fighting to end horse racing, and support for overcoming gambling addictions.

And this is the main point where I'd like assistance:

• What should I link to, specifically? Especially bearing in mind that these videos will be aimed at an international audience.
• What sorts of statistics should I include?
• Are there ways the script can be improved? The balance of focus on animal abuse vis-a-vis gambling addiction? More focus on the "normalization" aspect of the show, or that pirating it still contributes to its value as a commodity? The length or brevity?

Im aware abt the south korean troop buildup, border clashes, that the peninsula being split in the first place was due to US meddling and the fascism, mass murders and rebellions in the south but im struggling to tie it together in a way that 1) fully makes sense 2) that id be able to explain to a normie without sounding like

Also, if u have specific articles/sources abt the border clashes and general escalation from the south, id rly appreciate that

I've read that the CCP, observing how Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin was catastrophic for the Communist cause globally, never attacked Mao after his death but emphasized on separating "Mao Zedong thought" from Mao the man, whom they say made mistakes in his later years.

Of course it seems intuitive how such a vehement repudiation of the head of the biggest communist state would be detrimental for communism worldwide but how did it actually happen in practice?

Surely communists didn't just become liberals after hearing about le evil communist. Though it certainly must have been grist for the anticommunist propaganda mill.

You don't have to be mentally ill to be these things. Considering the type of people that rule our world

( ) it seems that the most well adjusted people in our society are not only more than capable of being this, it seems like a requirement.

So I am no longer comfortable using the word psychopath (or any other "dark triad" nonsense) to describe these types of people. These people aren't struggling to function with a mental illness, they're of the exact mindset that thrives in our backwards society.

However I'm struggling to think of a suitable replacement word that carries with it the same "This is serial killer coded shit" vibe that calling someone a psychopath carries (and associating such a thing with psychopaths is ableist so I don't want to use the word in that way anymore)

Calling them ghouls, fascists or nazis doesn't carry the same weight. What kind of word bests describes the casual, dangerous heartlessness of people without throwing the mentally ill under the bus?

cross-posted from: https://reddthat.com/post/62261694

Not simultaneously, just one of each category in how they feel.

Seal strikes ‘Do ya think I’m sexy?’ pose

Jan. 18, 2016,

She sure knows how to “seal” the spotlight! This reclining pinniped struck a seductive pose on the beach in Heligoland, Germany — showing off her sand-covered belly for the cameras.

Photographer Olaf Kloss snapped a few pictures of the sea mammal, who appeared to be enjoying the warm weather, according to Caters News Agency.

I hear about it being used a lot (to blame for lack of supply or the oversupply) and I couldn't understand how this couldn't be tracked, so I need help understanding

I personally have them open because maybe I have a google search for a movie or anime I want to remember, but I've now switched that habit to noting down the name of the movie in my phone's note; it's helped me cut down on the tabs.

I also have tabs for manga currently open, but I'm going to start a new notes page in my phone for manga.

I also HAD pages open for Stellaris videos, but they're like two hours old so the content is already outdated and the game plays entirely differently now so I closed them.

I also have pages open for directors whose comedic movies or shows I'm curious to look up.

I also have pages open that talk about some rogue-like games so I can see if there's any among them I want (the pages are maybe a year old now and I still haven't gotten around to it).

There's also one tab that mentions several game dev journal videos available for people to watch.

I keep trying to find ways to cut down on my tabs but I still have so many open. What's on your tabs?

What is the Marxist thought on hiring contract labor? For instance, say you are a self employed contractor and you hire contract labor to do something you cannot do. Is this exploitation?

I was looking at the production numbers for stuff like thaad missiles and tomahawks. They're all in the dozens annually and seemingly have been for ages.

Given the staggering numbers these are used in, and how it seems like the way the usa fights wars now is to launch stupid amounts at people, like multiple years worth in a day. What happens when they can't? How close are they to that, interceptors are low atm but given there are hilarious announcements like: https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and_tech/over_1000_tomahawks_1900_aim_120s_500_sm_6s_per_year_us_moves_to_multiply_missile_production-17408.html I assume many offensive rockets are running low.

Is that level of production feasible? I know the usa has a surprising industrial base but a 20x increase in even one armament seems ambitious, do they have the factories mothballed? The skilled workers? The raw materials?

If they don't is there any inkling of what their military people intend to do when they can't realistically threaten to park a fleet off your coast and level your cities?

I'm not a military nerd, just a random person if I'm missing sometimes obvious or said sometimes funny.

The Progressive International flotilla donation link is leading to 404 Not Found

https://act.progressive.international/flotilla_donate_en/

I'm guessing they got forced to take it down because Cuba is a "state sponsor of terrorism" or other such shit idk.

So how to I get my money into the hungry bellies of Cuban babies?

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/7967514

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/7967513

Hi family,

Some of you remember me from when I used to post here for mutual aid. I wanted to come back and share an update and also ask for support again.

For the past 5 years I was under UNHCR protection moving through different refugee camps. I lived in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya and later in Gorom Refugee Camp in South Sudan. Life there was extremely difficult. Many of us faced violence, police brutality, discrimination and constant insecurity. Those years were some of the hardest in my entire life.

Eventually my case was processed through UNHCR and the Canadian embassy and I was given the opportunity to resettle in Canada. I’m now here and safe which I’m deeply grateful for. However adjusting has not been easy. The weather, environment and everything changing including leaving my queer family in danger so suddenly has been emotionally overwhelming. I’m still trying to find my footing.

Before coming to Canada, I had a GoFundMe that many of you supported. The funds from that campaign were not just helping me, they were also helping some of my fellow refugees and the sisters I lived with in the South Sudan . Unfortunately the GoFundMe was closed while I was traveling and settling here due some circumstances.

The people I left behind are still struggling deeply. One of them is a 16 year old trans who is HIV positive and was also a beneficiary of the support we were raising. Right now they are facing rent deadlines and have very little food. Knowing this has been weighing heavily on me. A GoFundMe was started for Them and it will be help a few of others they stay with.

They need upto 850 in rent which as a new immigrant in Canada can’t afford.

I’m coming back to this community because I know many of you care about refugees and queer people who are still stuck in dangerous situations.

If anyone is able to support in any way even something small it would go directly toward helping them cover rent and food while they continue trying to stay safe.

Please consider supporting my queer family through the link in my Bio/ profile

Thank you for reading,remembering me and always showing compassion to people who have so little support in the world.

With pleasure, CyaraKaira

I'm a baby Marxist, and I'm not particularly knowledgeable on AES countries. I've really enjoyed finding effort posts debunking propaganda and talking about the actual state of them, but dredging them up with the search feature isn't particularly effective. I'd love to hear what people have to say, especially about China and the DPRK, since those are the ones that come up most frequently.