what kind of a fucking company releases a unix in 1998 that is available only on floppy disks? 22 of them?

Lost in the breathless, non-stop coverage of Biden’s age is the fact that most of Trump’s former cabinet members are literally warning us he’s mentally and temperamentally unfit to serve again in office.

Press, stop creating a false presidential competency issue, like you did a false email server issue. Just stop it.

Just to maintain sanity, the answer is almost always "let it slide." 🤷🏿‍♂️

Has to be.

Giant Black man in the US decision tree

1) OK, this white man just accidentally cut in front of me. Should I even say anything? Or let it slide?

2) OK, I said something. Now he seems very angry! He thinks I am cutting him in line! Should I say anything? Or let it slide?

3) OK, Karen just yelled at both of us to "Shut up" Should I just shut up?

4) OK, she called security on me. Should I stick around? Or is the smart move to leave now?

Answers to questions are governed by my situational power

Giant Black man in the US decision tree

1) OK, this white man just accidentally cut in front of me. Should I even say anything? Or let it slide?

2) OK, I said something. Now he seems very angry! He thinks I am cutting him in line! Should I say anything? Or let it slide?

3) OK, Karen just yelled at both of us to "Shut up" Should I just shut up?

4) OK, she called security on me. Should I stick around? Or is the smart move to leave now?

Answers to questions are governed by my situational power

Sometimes people really are intimidated by me. I'm a big dude! Trust me when I tell you that those folk act very differently.

This woman was not intimidated.

She wanted to use situational power to tell me to shut up, and the threat of force to get me kicked out of the hotel or subjected to physical violence.

She was genuinely surprised that most of the white folk that saw this interaction were appaled and disgusted by her actions. She was confused that she couldn't weaponize hotel security.

Security shows up, and she says that I'm intimidating her, standing too close to her, shouting at her, etc.

Security listened patiently to her story, and the other guests told what really happened.♥️

Security says, "Ma'am. We have security cameras and I saw everything that happened. What you said is not accurate. And...you initiated verbal contact with him? I'm not kicking him out, I'm not kicking you out, and I'm not kicking the other guest out. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

The woman in front of me, turned around and shouted "Both of you shut up!"

Everyone was of course shocked.

I said, "Umm.. no, I'm not going to 'shut up.' I'm going to take my place in line. This doesn't even concern you. Why are you involved?"

At this point she said, "You're threatening me! I feel intimidated!"

Audible gasps from white crowd

cringe wince from front desk staff

A few guests said, "Is she serious right now?"

She leans in to front desk staff and calls security on
me.

I said to the man "No, you don't get it. I'm not asking to cut you in line. I'm saying that I was already waiting in line when you got here. You cut me!"

The man said very loudly, "Well, I didn't know that! But I already let you go in front of me!"

I said, "How are you mad at me? There's no need to get upset here. Just relax! It's a nice day!" I shook my head in confusion. The man and I switched places.

At this point, the conversation with me and the man was over.

Enter Karen...

I was standing in line to ask the front desk a question. I was masked up, and giving the person talking to the front desk attendant plenty of space (about 20ft). So much space that a man didn't realize I was in line, and stood in line behind the person talking to the attendant.

I said "Sorry, but I am in line! But don't worry I just have a very quick question."

The man didn't understand me, and said indignantly "I'm in a hurry too! Even if it is a quick question! But fine! Whatever! Go ahead!"

♥️♥️♥️Shoutout to the staff of the hotel I stayed at for expertly de-escalating a Karen situation!

♥️♥️♥️And shoutout to the white hotel guests that stuck around to make sure that hotel security heard exactly what she was trying to do. My favorite comment: "Wow! A Karen situation in real life! I've only ever seen these online! This is surreal! What is she thinking?"

End result, yours truly did not get kicked out of the hotel for no reason, and feels slightly better about the state of the world.

Worse. They are getting rid of the books. The schools won't have a library. Just kid jail.

If I put that in a short story everyone would go "make your villains more believable, no one is that cartoonishly evil!"

(The people responsible make mealy mouthed claims that discipline centers aren't 'jails for kids' They will teach 'leadership' or some nonsense. They say there will be books in the classrooms so who needs a library? The librarian is gone. Kids will know what this means.)

Plenty of people still live where they don't have the luxury of good cycling and public transit infrastructure and they don't all have the means to move - we need solutions that actually help create that infrastructure.

This whole book banning thing, Moms of 'Liberty' the pulling of school libraries, turning school libraries into detention centers.

It's obviously all connected & 'concerns' about trans people and CRT are just excuses to make the policy go down more smoothly with the public. To make the debate a mess, emotionally charged & awkward.

The real goal is obvious: Limit the exposure of young people to libraries. It's a war on libraries.

And I've been too shocked to really process what that means.