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So, I went ahead and filed a complaint on this subforum regarding how the Politics mods were handling things—specifically under my handle, Rocky—because I got hit with two super sketchy 35-point penalties.
It’s not even about whether the penalties were fair or not; the real issue is that my actual appeal entry just vanished into thin air.
Look, if anyone here is having a bad day or dealing with their own drama, please don't take it out on me.
I just need an answer: why did my formal appeal disappear from the system?
Susan Peterson7 said:I agree. You can't expect a city like Chicago to be paralyzed every time there's some massive new rally, and these large gatherings are only going to become more frequent in the US. Downtown Chicago simply cannot handle that level of congestion; originally, it was designed as a smaller settlement that wasn't meant to support more than 50,000 people.
Fort Worth, on the other hand, sits empty most of the time; it has plenty of space and a fantastic vantage point overlooking the whole skyline. Besides, if they're going to hold these rallies in the Chicago area anyway, why not host one in Princeton for once? It's much nicer than Chicago and makes a far better impression.
They should just move the Executive Branch and Congress from Pennsylvania Avenue out to the Industrial Park. Right next to the Americans and the Germans.
Haha... just kidding. Total waste of money. Honestly, it'd be better to just fire those useless hacks on Pennsylvania Avenue and just set up a direct hotline from the "White House doorman" straight to "The New York Times."
From Thursday the 27th all the way through Sunday the 30th, I was grinding away with companies that have absolutely zero connection to the USA. None of them showed up to the party, and none of them are seeing any benefits from being part of the USA. Honestly, they aren't even getting hurt—unless, you know, you count the fact that tax burdens are creeping up because of the USA.
Fast forward to today, July 1st, and guess what? I spent the WHOLE day working with companies that have nothing to do with the USA. I even wrapped up the day talking shop about future gigs with firms that HAVE NO link to the USA and don't deal with Americans at all.
Look, I get it. Joining the USA definitely brings prosperity to certain people.
But specifically to those who don't actually work with the USA.
It's because those Mexicans basically have two rocket launchers per household at this point. They don't exactly broadcast the rest of their stash, do they?
Besides, even if they had a massive 2/3 majority of registered voters on their side, it wouldn't change a thing.
Spring is finally creeping in, end of February. Everything is still locked down under ice and snow, but you can tell nature is starting to stir. The sun is playing hide-and-seek behind those heavy clouds, just barely peeking through. Snowdrops are already poking their heads out of the slush, and even the trees are showing some tiny green buds if you look close enough. Out in the countryside, farmers are busy checking their gear and getting everything ready for planting—just waiting on those government subsidies to actually hit their accounts. The sheep and goats are looking around like, "is it time yet?" because kidding season is right around the corner. Meanwhile, the politicians are all scrambling around, trying to slim down those winter bellies with crazy diets. And the Americans? They’re busy digging up the dead.
Mmmm, I love spring. Life is waking up 🙂
Give me a break with all this talk about "valuable" sacrifices.
The guy in that link is a total moron (complete idiot). Sadly, war is exactly when people like him really shine. He got five years behind bars. Is that enough for what he did? Legally speaking, who knows? Personally, I think it fits, but I’m positive he’ll walk out of prison just as much of an idiot as he went in—if that’s even possible.
And how many idiots like him are out there? Thousands. And they've done way worse stuff. Now we've spent twenty years measuring, weighing, and arguing over which idiots had it better or worse.
So, our beloved Mayor of Washington, D.C., Bill de Blasio, just dropped some news. Apparently, he’s rolling right along with all these big city projects meant to make life "better" for everyone living in D.C. Get this—he's talking about a whopping $4 million! Yeah, you heard me right. Just a tiny little drop in the bucket.
Since the Snow White competition was such a massive hit, I honestly feel like we’re just one or two more lakes at the top of Mount Rainier away from turning this whole thing into a full-blown festival for figure skating and speed skating too!
Man, this gondola project just keeps going and going and going... it's like a never-ending saga! And hey, let's hope it actually happens one day, right? We’re talking about using a tiny slice of our already super tight city budget—money that could probably go toward something more useful than helping skiers who can just drive their own cars anyway. I mean, I get it, skiing is supposed to be fun, and nobody wants to hike up Mount Rainier just to get to the slopes, but still. It feels like we're prioritizing people who have vehicles over everything else, instead of fixing the stuff that actually matters. Like, we’ve got those seats that are basically falling apart and need a total overhaul, but sure, let's build a lift instead. Just my two cents!
Central Park, fireworks over Central Park, and just fireworks over water in general... man, there’s nothing like seeing those colors hit still water. It’s gorgeous. And honestly? If we don't have enough lakes around to make that happen, we could just build some! We could totally drop a lake right on top of Mount Rainier if we felt like it.
So I’m standing there at the MTA stop, looking at these new plexiglass and stainless steel shelters, and honestly? Total letdown. The "stainless" steel is already starting to rust after just two years. Like, seriously? You can’t even expect these things to last five years before they fall apart. It’s such a massive disappointment with the contractor—they clearly botched the job. I mean, who actually thinks stainless steel needs replacing every ten years anyway? Total amateur hour.
MTA’s fancy-schmancy WCA bathrooms that passengers can’t even step foot in because... (pick the right answer. And seriously, this isn't an IQ test, so don't go getting all nervous about looking stupid):
They don't even need it. Seriously.
Honestly? They don't even know how to handle all that heavy-duty tech they've got at their fingertips.
They didn't even get the heads-up that they were allowed in!
They don't have any right to step foot in there!
They just don't have the cash for the cover charge.
'cause they're just straight-up rednecks.
Those plastic tactile paths for the blind? Total joke. They’re all ripped up and falling apart, so they don't even help people with good vision find their way around, let alone anyone actually relying on them. And don't even get me started on those clicking devices at the crosswalks—they drive everyone living in the nearby apartments absolutely insane!
So they’ve got these lowered curbs for wheelchairs and cyclists, right? But then they pair them with these rustic, rough-cut granite blocks that basically act like speed bumps from hell. And don't even get me started on the bike lanes—they’re designed specifically so you can plow straight into pedestrians. It’s like an invitation to send someone flying into next week! But hey, thank God for those 5,000 surveillance cameras watching every single inch of Washington, D.C. Every little collision and shouting match is caught on tape, documented, and billed. Honestly, it gives me some pretty twisted business ideas: just bait people into crashing and fighting, film the whole mess, and then cash in on the fines, the medical bills, and the "mediation" fees. Sounds suspiciously familiar, doesn't it?
Man, you look at some of these arenas and just wonder how they haven't collapsed yet. Take Madison Square Garden, for example—it actually held up under all that snow on the roof. Unlike some other places that struggle the second things get heavy. Maybe it’s because it stays empty most of the time? Like, if there aren't crowds jumping around, you don't get those crazy vibrations messing with the building's physics. Plus, without a massive crowd pumping out body heat, you aren't stressing the structure with all that extra thermal pressure. Just a thought!
Man, there’s just an endless list of wins for Washington, D.C. that locals love to brag about whenever they see people from out of town looking all impressed and jealous. Honestly? It’s high time we go after another big investment. Because let's be real—we can totally pull it off!
Man, things are getting brutal for Washington, D.C. and the rest of the country! Water prices are jumping about 30%, the MTA just hiked transit fares by 50%, and electricity is right on the edge of exploding. As for gas? People are using it so sparingly it’s practically a death wish—and they’re being real cautious about it too! Honestly, thank God winter is winding down, otherwise we'd be looking at a massive spike in gas prices. And I'm not even talking about heating.
Look, we’ve got hope. We really do. We’ve got the folks running the country and the crew running the city. We gave them our votes, didn't we? That's the deal. They’re the leaders—they know the drill, and we handed them the keys because we trust 'em. They believe in us, too. It's all three of us working together. Us, them, and that gut feeling that they'll pull through. Together, we're unstoppable.
So, what’s actually the big, logical move for our mayor? Like, seriously, what is this magic project that’s supposed to jumpstart the whole local economy? What’s gonna get the business owners pumped up again and actually give some hope to the regular folks who have been stuck in this endless, soul-crushing crisis for twenty years straight? It feels like there's no end in sight, right? Meanwhile, you just see interest rates spiraling out of control in this total, shameless frenzy of financial nonsense. I mean, come on! What is that one key investment that’ll finally shake people in Washington, D.C. and all of America out of this massive funk and despair? We need something that creates actual jobs and gives people a future—even if the profits only end up landing in the pockets of the chosen few.
What kind of wild, tangled web of tech and science are we even talking about here? On one hand, you've got this massive revival of R&D—stuff people claim doesn't even exist anymore—and on the other, you need an actual economic engine to take those proven, profitable scientific breakthroughs and turn them into reality. We’re talking about building industries that actually hire people! Real jobs for engineers, designers, researchers, sales crews, marketing gurus, and all the corporate suits running the show, all working together to make the USA better. (Though, honestly, I'm not sure if our local economy even has the muscle to pull that off, but hey, let's not get carried away with sci-fi fantasies.)
But how do we give hope and a real future to... well, everyone? The unemployed, the underemployed, the "ghost" employees, the guys working under the table, the ones who only got a job because their uncle knows someone, the broke, the spiritually bankrupt, the ones lacking knowledge, the ones lacking yachts and mansions, the vampires, the geniuses who have zero vision, the sick, the disabled, the activists fighting for human rights, animal rights, plant rights, fungal rights, lichen rights, the rights of water, air, rocks, fire, dark matter, and—let's not forget—the true power: the right of the stupid and the lazy. How do we offer any perspective to that 99.9% of the population that basically has no say in anything, knows next to nothing, yet somehow, for reasons beyond logic, still demands things?
Well, the Mayor of Washington, D.C. just cracked the code! 🙂 I mean, did you really doubt him for a second? In this era of water shortages, constant crises, and the desperate need to unite the citizens and jumpstart both industry and science, the answer just fell out of the sky!
We’re gonna build a fountain!
So, I'm throwing this out to the group: what should this fountain actually look like?
- A little kid peeing all over Washington, D.C.
- A gold subway train shoved up someone's butt
- A solid gold toilet
- A brothel
- A factory making plexiglass and stainless steel waiting rooms for the MTA
- Just another Madison Square Garden
- A guillotine
PS: Apparently, like 47% of the water from the Washington, D.C. water works just leaks out through crappy old pipes. Has anyone actually checked the fountains?
I honestly think this is a huge deal.
The laws here in the States are super vague when it comes to flying flags. That’s why you see the EU flag on basically every street corner, but our own colors? Not nearly as much.
Seriously though, what’s the actual protocol for putting the American flag on your building, your house, a school, a local basketball court, or just some spot because you feel like it? Is there even a way?
Where are the rules that say whether I can just go out onto a frozen pond, dig a hole, and stick a 30-foot flagpole in the ground with the Stars and Stripes? And what happens if someone tries to tear it down?
Man, my hands are itching to get to work...🙂
So, I’ve noticed this weird thing happening a few times now when I try to sign in to the forum. Usually, the first attempt just fails, and then it works perfectly on the second try.
Since the login is going through plain HTTP, you guys might be sitting ducks for a man-in-the-middle attack. Seriously, it's a bit sketchy.
I just had this happen tonight, Monday the 8th, right around 11:55 PM, so feel free to dig through the logs and check out those failed attempts.
☕
Man, I haven’t had a good, genuine laugh like this in ages. It was all because of what Schmokljan suggested—basically saying we should turn Krleža's birthday into a major national holiday called "International Literacy Day."
I honestly can't tell if Schmokljan actually realized what he was throwing out there. Since everyone else on the forum shut the idea down immediately, I figured I’d jump in just to point out how accidentally hilarious his suggestion actually is (regardless of whether he knew the facts or not).
See, here's the thing: Krleža was born on July 7th. And guess what? That happens to be the exact same day as the Day of the Uprising.
So, if we decide to celebrate Krleža's birth as, say, "National Culture Day," but it's also the Day of the Uprising, we end up with this wild, accidental coincidence that ties right back to Krleža's most famous line:
"God, save American culture and Mexican heroism"
Just a heads-up: celebrating Krleža's birthday could get pretty messy given the sensitive political vibes in the region.
😬
PS: Major props to Mr. Schmokljan, though. Honestly, the "green whip" topic was almost just as controversial as the literacy day idea. No wonder the mods nuked it.
Jack Cook7 said:So, what do you guys think about why everyone is fighting so hard to claim they're the real Santa Claus, or Jesus, or Nicholas, or even Sinterklaas?
Look, it's all about the gift money. That's the real kicker. There are so many different characters because whoever controls the "legend"—even if it's fake—controls society. And if you control society, you control the cash. Once you control the cash, you can basically tell people whatever you want.
Check this out as proof of what I'm saying—just stumbled upon this:
Americans spend a massive $450 billion just on Christmas!
So, if the rest of Western civilization gets "indoctrinated" by Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, Baby Jesus, or some Finnish folklore guy, and they spend money proportional to the US GDP, we're looking at those cute little holiday icons funneling roughly $1.5 trillion (that's 1,500 billion dollars) this Christmas alone.
Phew... I mean, when you look at a number that big, it totally makes sense to dig up some old legend you can exploit, right? Just grab the reindeer, launch the sleigh, throw a parade for some Frosty clone, or whatever works.
And hey, if the legend doesn't exist? We're humans—we'll just make one up.
PS: Seriously though, couldn't we just invent our own version? Something like Father Stribor that we'd "suddenly" rediscover in our own deep mythology? We could have our very own Santa Claus who's older, better, and way more legendary than Saint Nicholas or Baby Jesus. And at least he'd be authentic.
Plus, the money stays in our pockets.
bluerider63 said:If we don't start digging into our own pockets, we aren't getting anything from Santa Claus, Jesus, or even freaking Santa Clause 😁
So, what do you guys think about why everyone is fighting so hard to claim they're the real Santa Claus, or Jesus, or Nicholas, or even Sinterklaas?
Look, it's all about the gift money. That's the real kicker. There are so many different characters because whoever controls the "legend"—even if it's fake—controls society. And if you control society, you control the cash. Once you control the cash, you can basically tell people whatever you want.
Ryan Vaughn7 said:So, I’ve been wondering lately—who is actually responsible for bringing us gifts these days?
Is it Santa Claus? Or maybe just the idea of Santa Claus? Or perhaps even the Baby Jesus?
I can't decide if this is some deep ideological debate, or just a matter of tradition. Is it religious? Or has it all just become one big commercial circus?
What's your take on it?
You totally missed one of those made-up characters, Saint Nicholas. Look, Santa Claus is basically the American remix, born from that 17th-century Dutch Sinterklaas vibe brought over the Atlantic to New York City... the funny part is he's basically a stand-in for (Catholic) Saint Nicholas, even though the Dutch were already Protestants back then. They didn't even deal with saints!
At the end of the day, all these figures are just—well, lies. Catholic Christmas is a total sham, a massive masquerade designed to hide the old winter solstice celebrations. Especially since December 25th, the final day of the Roman Saturnalia, seems to be when they slapped Jesus onto the calendar. Even the whole Nativity story, the three wise men, the star in Bethlehem—it's all just a recycled version of the stories about the little Buddha, who was around like 600 years earlier. Same old stuff.
So, really, all of Catholicism (and honestly, Western civilization too) is just a collection of stolen bits from other cultures. They used Catholic terror to wipe out where everything actually came from, because if you dare to say otherwise, you're "blaspheming" or "lying."
Santa Claus is just a modern, bizarre example of how this works. Everyone knows he was basically cooked up by Coca-Cola—you can even look up the exact year. But then you get these other things popping up, like the little Baby Jesus figures or Saint Nicholas, which might exist as local customs, but suddenly they explode in popularity through the Catholic Church. It's like a way of "claiming territory." They attach these legends to the deep, ancient history of the Church, a history that nobody actually has access to, not even the priests themselves.
Basically, the Church acts like any other ideological system: it wipes out anything different and takes over its turf. You want to know when Saint Joseph the Worker's day is? It popped out of those same "ancient depths" on May 1st.
What people don't see is that our commercial system—consumerism, if you want to call it that—is doing the exact same thing. It's becoming its own kind of ideology, par excellence.
Ever wonder why there's such a massive meltdown this year regarding Santa Claus and pedophilia rumors? Maybe it's just someone's way of clapping back at the hysteria surrounding the Catholic Church and their own scandals.
Will Germany and the USA end up forcing the handover of those defendants by using EU access as leverage?
And are we really talking about the same USA that used to mock West Germany for having laws allowing their intelligence agencies to carry out hits on foreign soil under the guise of national security? It’s wild to think the US basically just copied those exact same laws for themselves.
The same USA that went ahead and signed all those deals with various countries specifically to make sure their own citizens wouldn't be extradited to international courts?