I am trying to focus on posting source documents, as opposed to someone else’s reporting on source documents.

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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 11th, 2023

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  • We are immigrants who didn’t grow up here, so we have no idea what’s normal and what’s not.

    I’m not sure where you’re from or where you are, but considering how this is escalating, I don’t think it matters.

    I would actually take this to the school administration - principal and counselor(s) - and not to the specific teacher. A second grade teacher may not have the experience necessary to handle it properly, but the administration would. And you don’t have to bring it as “I want you to do something about this.” Present it as “This is definitely something you should be aware of,” at least in your first conversation with them.








  • Low rolling resistance tires tend to be not very great in snow. They get that low rolling resistance partly by not having a very sticky compound, and partly by not having a very aggressive tread pattern (among other things, I’m sure). Both of those factors are going to have an impact on traction on anything but dry pavement.

    It might also be due to other design choices. I’ve got a 2015 Ford Fusion PHEV, and I had a 2013 Fusion Hybrid before that; they suck so bad in the snow with normal all-season tires that I have to keep a finger on the electric parking brake switch to make sure I can stop if there’s any snow on the ground.












  • Eh … maybe a lot of people are just coasting through life and not thinking too hard, just letting things happen at them. Whenever I see an advertisement (which is honestly not very often anymore, and generally happens on accident), my first thought is “Somebody spent a lot of money to produce this ad and get it delivered to my eyes. People don’t spend a lot of money for no reason; they must want some of mine, and I’m not going to give them any.”

    That’s all ads are, people - essentially anonymous strangers - asking you to give them money. When you think about ads in those terms, it requires zero effort to not give strangers money.

    Of course, a product or service is being offered in exchange for that money, but said product or service is necessarily less costly to produce and deliver than it is to purchase. There is always profit, and sometimes that profit margin is quite high. Remember, too, that “profit” does not mean the compensation that labor and administration receives for their parts in producing and delivering the product or service. Profit means money that goes into owners’ pockets, whether those are private or public owners. Those owners receive compensation simply on the basis of their status as owners, separate from any work they put into production or delivery.

    That’s capitalism. When you buy a thing, part of the profit margin of your purchase is basically just giving money to the owners because they are owners. This means that the purchased thing costs an amount of money representing a fair exchange of value, plus another amount of money that you get nothing in return for.

    I know this line of thinking has kind of skidded off the runway, let me bring it back: Always remember that every purchase you make in a capitalist system includes in part your giving money to someone who is very likely more powerful and wealthy than you, for which you receive nothing in return. When you remember this, it is obvious that most advertising is designed to increase that wealth transfer, and not to increase equitable exchange of value.