Posts by darkhawk30

Jeffrey Long said:They played it fair, though. It’s just a massive coincidence that the new head of culture was working hand-in-hand with those million different arts nonprofits... 🤣

I don't know the specifics of this "scandal," but my first thought was that we live in a country where everyone knows everyone. People collaborate, they have connections—how are you supposed to avoid hiring someone if you actually know them?

I’ve landed plenty of jobs simply because people knew me. They knew what I could deliver, so they called me.
Or are you suggesting they should say, "She's great at her job, but since everyone knows who she is, let's hire some stranger instead"?

Harold Phillips54 said:Oh, please, stop talking. You NYC folks don't have to deal with this. I actually got a threatening phone call from my local Waste Management rep the other day. He basically told me if I didn't put my mixed waste bin out for the next collection, I’d be fined. Apparently, their records show I haven't put it out in two months, even though I'm supposed to do it at least once every couple of months.
And I’m such a stickler—I sort everything perfectly. I even peel the paper labels off the bags; if I can't peel them, I just cut them off with scissors. I separate the paper part of bread bags from the plastic film, cut up packaging made of different materials, sort it all, and crush everything down to save space... everything else goes into recycling, so there’s hardly anything left for the mixed waste. And now they want to fine me? Fine. So, I just stuffed a bunch of random stuff in there to bulk it up, threw it in the bin, and now I'm just waiting. If they want to play that game, let them.

Usually, they’re actually pretty good—on time, every time, and most often right on the dot.

A little practical tip: for those stickers (I assume you mean the price tags from when you weigh things), I just stick them onto something packaged that I’m throwing away anyway. If I don't have anything else, I'll stick it on my wallet and hand it to the cashier to scan. That way, I can reuse the same bag ten times over.
Or if I grab a catalog, I'll stick it on that.
Basically, you can always find something to stick it on so you can keep using the bag.
Sometimes I've even stuck a fruit price tag onto a large piece of fruit, because you obviously can't stick one onto a blueberry.

Anyway, enough of this. I won't 🙂

Jose Campbell2 said:Yeah.
If you click the number in the "replies" column, it shows you how many people are active in this thread.
For this one, here is the breakdown—

Total posts: 2,031

Username Posts
Sam Wright21 440
kava 134
SkyShark 75
German 75
AndrejX 58
hollowmason64 47
John Doe 47
McAucliffe 46
Small Town, USA 43
JunkieUnited 41
Jose Campbell2 39
malac-zalac 39
Taylor Swift 38
Kevin Harris93 36
Grimko 34
komutator 31
Lord Byron 30
Roy 29
dje-CAk 29
Alex Moore3 27

etc. 😁

Working on an elixir of youth, I guess...

Why am I sitting here with fewer than 27 comments? 😵
I am being completely unproductive today.

Sam Wright21 said:Kiss me is churning out endless walls of text, which is a far cry from my approach. I honestly don't see why you feel like this discussion has become stifled. If you actually have something constructive to contribute, then by all means, lay it out instead of getting bogged down in petty forum drama. It’ll probably just get wiped away eventually anyway. By the way, did you actually sit there and count the posts? 😲

You remind me a bit of Amber Heard.
I just saw a photo of her and couldn't help but wonder: why can't this poor woman just shut up for a second? She’s already driving everyone crazy, and nobody can say for certain if she truly endured such trauma or if she’s just blowing minor inconveniences out of proportion.

At first, you were so blindly supportive—forgive my bluntness, that’s just how I saw it—of TikTok and their crew. Your sudden pivot is so radical it feels like one of them personally stepped on your toe.
Even if that actually happened, it’s unclear to me how you went from being an uncritical cheerleader to an uncritical opponent.
You seem offended and, frankly, a little obsessed.
Of course, I’m keeping in mind that you might know something about this topic that I and everyone else doesn't, so I'm taking everything with a grain of salt, but take a breather. It feels like you're constantly tailing them, hunting for mistakes, much like how you used to hunt for excuses in the beginning. Remember that whole debate about the notary?

Maybe my theory—that members of the old administration are constantly sabotaging him instead of helping—isn't based in reality, but we all have to wait and see how this story plays out by the end of his term.

I didn't mean to offend you, but seriously, take a break.

Harold Phillips54 said:Today?
Today, on a major religious and national holiday here in New York City, the Sanitation Department is out there running trucks and picking up trash?
What on earth is going on in New York City?

I can't tell if you're joking or being serious, but it looks bad either way—if they're working around the clock or if they aren't working at all, something is clearly broken.
Though, I have a feeling they aren't working twenty-four-seven, nor are they doing nothing.
I’m convinced that everyone—past, present, and future haters of TT and his crew—will always find something to complain about, whether they do something or absolutely nothing.

To me, I see the Možemo team as people who walked into a house with a leaking roof, burst pipes, crumbling plaster, ruined woodwork, and walls that are falling apart. It's a house full of rats and cockroaches, and on top of that, the whole place is under a long-term mortgage.
And let's not forget the malicious neighbors who gloat when they don't see the specific kind of progress they demand, rather than the progress that's actually possible given the circumstances.

A while back, I wrote here that I would put my faith in a team willing to aggressively dive into all the stinking corners of the system and change things, even if there's a high chance it costs them their next term.

I honestly don't know what other option the critics think exists.
A new crew that will saddle the city with more debt than it's worth, just to show off "changes" and satisfy people who want a new car or a repaired fence paid for by the taxpayers?
Besides, I believe there are people within the Možemo ranks who actually care, alongside those who are just playing along because this setup has secured them lucrative positions. So, where are they?
At the end of the day, TT and his team were the very last group I would have ever voted for.
If they fail, they've only lost one tiny speck in the universe; the city and the country will just have to move on without my vote. Of course, it's a negligible loss, but it's my own personal tragedy.

Sam Wright21 said:It’s become glaringly obvious that Waste Management services aren't being distributed evenly across New York City. You can't just dismiss the sheer volume of people complaining; they aren't making this up. Even over at the Sanitation Department forums, folks are reporting that their pickups are being skipped entirely—just look at the threads. In my neighborhood, things have been fine so far, though I can't quite put my finger on why we've been spared. 🤷 It honestly feels like certain districts are facing a massive deficit in service while others remain untouched.

It's clear a mass of people isn't lying.
How many people does it take to coordinate a massive lie?
I'm sure there are actual logistical hurdles here, but I'm inclined to believe there's also a bit of subjective bias from people who have made it their personal mission to "prove" that the new administration can't even handle trash, let alone anything else.

Sam Wright21 said:Look, garbage trucks don't just pick up trash by themselves. Besides the driver, there are other workers in that truck doing the actual heavy lifting under brutal conditions. It's a disgusting job.

I think you're overcomplicating things.
The truck driver needs a decent wage $2.50, but the "brutal labor" is being handled by the crew.
So how much are we supposed to pay them then?

Ideally, everyone should earn enough to live a dignified life, but I fear we’re steadily sliding away from that reality.

I happen to know someone who worked as a preschool teacher—specifically with the tiny ones. They do their jobs with total devotion despite the chaos. You've got everything from toddlers throwing ear-splitting tantrums because they won't follow instructions, to messy diapers, to angry parents who can't grasp why a kid wasn't changed the second it happened, all while managing oversized classes. It's relentless.
On top of that, you're constantly having to hoist kids who are already getting quite heavy off the floor or out of cribs, and your spine doesn't exactly care about your physical limits.

You can at least curse at a pile of trash or a garbage truck, but you can't do that to a child—and hopefully, you don't.

I’m all for people being calm and satisfied in their careers, but personally, I’d much rather have a calm, relaxed preschool teacher.

Jeffrey Long said:There isn't even a shortage of daycare providers, but then again, we don't exactly have a free market at play here...

My point was specifically about the claim that truck drivers "deserve at least $7,500 net."

Regardless, I agree that truck drivers have the entire continent at their disposal. I'm not sure what teachers or daycare workers have at their disposal. Maybe enthusiasm, a love for kids, and being completely ignored by the government. I highly doubt their profession is in quite the same demand.

It’s not my intention to belittle anyone's job if they are doing it correctly and responsibly, but we’ve become a society that only reacts to market demands. We seem perfectly willing to mindlessly abandon essential, underpaid professions to rot in social black holes.

We've become a disaster!

Or maybe we've always been this way, and during times of crisis, certain truths just come to light.

🤦

Sam Wright21 said:Honestly, those truck drivers deserve at least $7,500 after taxes. If they have the right work permits, I don't see why companies shouldn't be hiring foreign workers to fill those roles.

I suppose they do. I just hope preschool teachers and school instructors are getting paid based on merit too. 🍿

Lord Byron said:The comparison falls flat. If this past year has proven anything, it's that Adams and his crew aren't specialists—they’re just local bottom-feeders posing as experts. Now we see they can't even handle basic diagnostics, let alone complex restorative work. It's pointless to expect them to fix things when they don't have the fundamental skills. They need to be kicked out of the office and sent back to where they belong: under a bridge or sitting in a cardboard box in a public park, hiding behind newspapers all day.

Except in this scenario, the protagonist isn't the dentist—it's the patient.

Michael Ortiz68 said:Even a Russian deputy prime minister like Aleksandar Novak doesn't buy this, publicly stating that the European Union will be reliant on Russian gas for another five years. Those five years are going to be grueling, but we'll see where the European Union stands then compared to where Russia is positioned.

now you're all going to be paying in rubles, gentlemen

You conveniently missed the part where European Union nations already rejected that. It was so inevitable that they shut it down in a single day.☕

The European Union has run into closed doors everywhere. They got brushed off by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria, and even the Americans were rebuffed by Venezuela

Could you perhaps provide some actual documentation for that? Because what you're describing isn't just false; it sounds more like some pro-Russian pipe dream.

This could trigger a complete overhaul of the economic and environmental landscape across the European Union.
I’m convinced that scientists are already going all out, working around the clock to hunt down some fresh solutions.
Maybe they’ll run out. If that happens, they can just go ahead and starve.

"It’s 'STUPID' to think Western sanctions against Russian companies would actually move the needle with the administration in Moscow," claimed former Russian President and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev."
*
"Sure, you can be unhappy with certain government decisions or criticize the leadership—that's perfectly fine. But you don't turn against the state during a crisis like this. That's just treason," he argued."

Look, maybe they don't hit the Government directly where it hurts, but unfortunately, they hit the citizens hard—both the ones backing the regime and the ones who don't. And eventually, that pressure trickles up. It always does.
*
I really have to wonder, though... who gets to decide the line between criticism of the government and opposing it?

boldtiger7 said:It won't be long before Americans realize this entire offensive was nothing more than a self-inflicted wound.

Whether he's just shooting himself in the foot or the head, it doesn't matter.
The reality is he's taking all of us down with him.
Do you have any idea how many of our local businesses and small companies are staying afloat solely because of trade with Russia?
As he falls, he’s going to drag the entire economy down right along with him.

We had some pretty incredible options.
I honestly can't regret the fact that Ava Karabatić didn't become the President of the USA.

Sure—it would have been a massive moment in history:

https://www.facebook.com/avapredsjednicarh/

It would’ve been great entertainment for all of us, even if nothing substantial actually changed.

Then again, aren't we supposed to be living in a democracy?
Maybe we're just a type of democracy that didn't deserve someone like Ava Karabatić.

Noah Perez5 said:The political potential and the talent pool within the Republican Party remain virtually unchanged from 2007 to this very day.

The voters haven't changed either.

The membership base is just as it was.

Yet, Plenković's rhetoric regarding the untarnished reputation of the Republican Party still seems to find an easy audience. I guess we simply don't deserve anything better.

Sure, the Republican Party is the dominant force here, but if you want to talk about actual talent or future potential, that's a different conversation entirely.

I didn't dig deep enough to pull specific data comparing 2007 to today, but what I did find is interesting:
In 2008, they had 240,000 members, but by 2016 (according to Wikipedia), that number dropped to 210,384.
article, Should modern parties even bother with membership?
(page 23; I didn't read the whole thing, just looked at the numbers)

Their peak was back in 2004, when membership hit 432,000.

Membership has cratered significantly. That’s good news in one sense, but the fact that nothing else has actually changed is the bad news.
Assuming it wasn't just a massive wave of deaths or people moving away, it looks like roughly 200,000 members just... evaporated.

crimsonwolf26 said:It’s honestly wild how the entire party in power can be slapped with allegations of criminal activity and everything just stays so calm and quiet.🙏
Even when the justice system hands down a ruling like this, it feels like it won't change a thing because most people in the country just don't seem to care.😁

I wouldn't say they're totally indifferent.

There’s a split. Some people just don't care, some are bitter because they feel the most patriotic party in American history is being targeted, and others are practically dancing in the streets because it's finally happening.

Technically, we aren't talking about the party itself, but the Prime Minister—or rather, the President in this context. It’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.
The line between the leader and the organization is basically non-existent.

Alex Moore3 said:Just a quick question for the group. How many members of the Republican Party actually felt ashamed enough to walk away from that criminal ring after the final court ruling? Was it one, two, or absolutely nobody?
I’d bet my money on none of them.😁

And what exactly are they supposed to be ashamed of? It’s obvious this is just a wild, baseless smear campaign by people who hate everything about America. 🕺

"Are we still living in the USSR?" one of the anti-maskers asked Yahoo.

If we were actually living in the USSR, everyone would have been vaccinated ages ago and we wouldn't even need masks.☕

Harold Davis6 said:Well, look who finally showed up. 🤔

Exactly. That's just how it is.🐔

"THEY were the ones pulling the strings behind the privatization scams, funneling decades of hard-earned assets straight into the pockets of a tiny circle of crony tycoons. Their founder first gained international notoriety for spewing antisemitic rhetoric in his flagship tabloid; later, they turned to shielding war criminals, intimidating voters in Washington, D.C., bullying football fans, and suppressing independent media; his successor at the helm ended up behind bars for embezzlement; and after him, the whole gang was taken over by a landlord who kicked her former tenants out onto the street..."
*
If a catastrophic earthquake had hit Americans back in 1989—leveling homes, crushing buildings, and wiping out roads—we’d probably still be recovering today. Not that we would, though. That's assuming we actually had an honest, efficient Republican government running things. "

Sometimes you really do get the feeling we're stuck in some endless, unstoppable cataclysm.