I really didn't expect the Cheneys to be permanent additions to the libs. I assumed they were tokens to be set aside once the election was over. Damn.

A lot to process, thank you for your thoughtful response. I'll have to think about this stuff more.

I'd hope that at the very least being a country with a communist history and national origin story would help with their handling of things, being educated and aware of Marxist theory would help you think of the economy as a tool you can manipulate rather than a god you are at the mercy of, although your assessment undermines that hope. Maybe if nothing else the masses can be more conscious there than westerners usually are of their class interests.

I hear the rentals are booming.

So would you say that the animosity between China and "The West" is solely a realpolitik calculation between competing capitalist visions? Certainly the rhetoric between them is that they see their systems as incompatible, but that could just be theatre. And to be fair it's almost exclusively directed at China by the West, the inverse is much less hostile.

He can still come back from this. I believe in him.

It's what I did first, to be fair. If you like it go ahead, just wanted to give you a warning.

They've changed things in some ways that make it better too, I had to invade Spain for my independence which I think isn't necessary anymore.

Yeah we have a local game store that does this sort of thing too. I don't personally avail myself of it because I have other social things I do that connect me to people but it's a nice resource to have I imagine.

Pathfinder with friends from the area, I host a couple ttrpgs with relatives/college buds too. Partner and I also play a few board games together when we have time and go to a local board game night about once a month.

For two people, Splendor and Sagrada are great games that don't take very long, good for when you get a little bit of time. Obviously ttrpgs are hours long commitments, not the sort of thing you can easily do on a whim, and planning often falls through.

Tbh Cuba will be a very boring run if you don't understand the systems. You are very limited in terms of options and things to do, you will likely spend the entire game slowly industrializing your single province. It might be helpful for learning some of the systems, but I think you might get tired of it. Haiti is in a similar positions in actually but not a subject and with two states, might be a more fun run if you want to stay small.

If you picked a big South American country you will be more or less safe from your neighbors and likely out of the way of the major powers. You could also play a big country, you are unlikely to completely beef it as one of them because you have so much weight to throw around. But it may be overwhelming.

Yes sort of. There's a limit on how much you can do in a given time. If you wait it will let you include more over time but it takes (iirc) between 5 and 10 minutes for each new one once you hit the limit.

and creating bearmurded-the Hexbear fort.

We need to get the band back together. We lost momentum but I was having a great time.

I can say, personally and perhaps anecdotally, that a lot of the problems I experience are in contexts where I feel crowded and in competition with other people. At least in Amerikkka most people spend a significant part of their lives trapped in an enormous steel line surrounded by too many cars unable to go anywhere, waiting in lines for limited quantities of necessary goods, and fighting to have space to yourself in the decreasing number of public spaces available without having to pay to enter.

I know better than to blame the people around me for these conditions, but I think a lot of people tie those frustrated feelings to the people around them instead of to the systems that create the jams.

I'm not saying this fully accounts for it, but I think people get a strong vibe that things would go smoother without all these people around.

Honestly that seems like a very charitable and insightful understanding of them. I can tell they matter a lot to you.

If you haven't tried a firm but polite refusal they might be concerned enough about decorum for that to stop them in the moment? I've known people like this who are very intent on the appearance of politeness and harmony. But you know them better than me.

Whatever the case please protect yourself and your partner. If they can manipulate you into doing something like this they could maybe get you to do other things you would regret.

Fuck that. Sorry they pulled that manipulative BS on you.

I hope you can articulate clear boundaries that they will respect in the future, I think you're within your rights to demand that respect or decline to visit until you get assurances.

The combo of wacky religious conviction and also trying to undermine your sobriety is fucking wild tho. That's not a version of Christian asshole I've encountered before.

Fólks they've got these nasty Yule Lads. Bad people, believe me, this is why they want to ban Merry Christmas, so the Yule Lads can commit pranks against you.

First Christmas the kiddo was self aware for. Pretty excited for it, made some food before I had to leave for the night shift. Nothing much going on here though, it makes me think they drafted everyone out of spite rather than need. Kinda irritating.

I'm the silly one that bothered to show up at the night shift at the plant like we're all supposed to. Nothing like getting paid the same to do more work while everyone else does the smart thing and enjoys time with family.

Get to do it again tomorrow, and next week too.

I'm torn, I have really enjoyed this year but I have limited time to read, and all these Losurdo books sitting on my desk beckoning... Dang night shift.

The way it has manifested most clearly in the situations I've encountered it is a basic difference in approach to writing and reading as concepts. They don't see writing or reading as a way to communicate, they see it as a puzzle they have to solve by following rules, so that they can return to communicating once the puzzle is out of the way. Unless they're in very casual/online settings, or very motivated to find specific information, they avoid the puzzle because it's annoying.

I had someone I know ask me what was wrong with the Korean PM declaring martial law since he was doing it because of a communist invasion. The article just repeated what he claimed he was doing and this guy hadn't thought about whether that was an accurate statement on his part. Just didn't occur to him that an official statement from a politician could be false.

He's not coincidentally a huge Chud with a lot of beliefs about a (((cabal))) running everything he doesn't like.