Akuchimoya

No, a realist wrote it. You can do things like write letters and petitions, attend protests, etc., and I'm not even saying people shouldn't or that those things were bad. People should exercise what little rights we do have before they're taken away, too. But I am saying that, ultimately, it cannot stop anything, which is the question being asked. The system is functioning exactly as intended: power and authority concentrated by and to the few.

Trudeau, whom I would still choose over Poillievre 10/10 times, showed us that exactly. He won by talking election reform, then dumped it in the trash as soon as possible without even having any actual exploratory consultations, surveys, etc. Power cannot and will not be given back to the people by polite elections twice a decade. Because the problem is that I still would vote for Trudeau or Carney 10/10 times instead of Poillievre, because that's the best our system gives us. (Let's just be honest and say there aren't viable alternate contenders even if the system technically allows for it.)

Here's the fun part: you can't. They can do whatever they want. The only pressure we can (legally) put on them is at the polls, and Poillievre is so irrelevant right now, that is no threat at all. The senate isn't even voted for, so they can do whatever they want without even the hypothetical pressure of polls.

Thank you for your useful contribution to the conversation. /s, in case that was necessary.

I am not a programmer, but related to a few. My cousin said his workplace actively evaluates people on token usage, where more is better. He has refined his prompts to burn as many tokens as possible.

Another relative said they only hire seniors now, and use AI for junior work. I told him there will be no more seniors in five years, doing things that way. Well, that's a problem for later.

Right, and analogies and metaphors should never be used because no analogy or metaphor will ever be normal. Would you be more satisfied if it were simply changed to "best friend"?

If an ex breaks up with you, and you later start dating a new person, you should be excited about and looking forward to the new relationship instead of fixating on the bad one that's ended.

Well, maybe your ex is also your neighbour (literally happened to me). It's not practical to not think of your ex at all anymore, because they still have a presence and effect on your life. So you still have to manage that and be civilly neighbourly, but they should not have any bearing or space in your new relationship.

Truly, I am shocked he is alive and looks as well as he does.

I wonder if A'Sha will have T'Lyn moment and realize she's been Starfleet all along.

This has also unintentionally put a huge, unprecedented strain on archives and archivists across the country, with people looking for records to prove ancestral citizenship, at a time when the governments (all levels, but especially provincial) have been slashing culture budgets and cutting workers.

These situations objectively suck. One thing that's stuck with me is asking: will this still matter in 10 years?

It doesn't mean it doesn't suck, it doesn't mean you don't have to deal with it, but it does mean "this, too, shall pass", and you'll still be okay on the other side of it.

I'm glad I never got into A Song of Fire and Ice when my friend recommended it to me about it in university about 20 years ago.

Well, to my understanding, Hegseth wants extra-Teed up dudes, yes? And she is not an extra-Teed up dude. This is actually gender-affirming.

Bet they'd take a trans dude who's already on T and give him even more.