ArtieShaw

Honestly, that part made me laugh harder. It's funny without it for sure. But the idea of these feckless birds who could have avoided all of that if they'd just taken the time to read the damn label makes it so much sillier.

This happened during street festivities for lunar new year, so a lot of people are connecting the dots. They don't mention that the car was aggressively trying to drive through a crowd, but it seems like it was trying to make its way through a crowd.

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/why-did-a-san-francisco-crowd-light-waymos-driverless-vehicle-on-fire/

Multiple witnesses said Waymo’s navigation technology became confused by festivities and fireworks that were lit to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Witness Anirudh Koul said the driverless car “got stuck immediately in front.”

Another witness said the car’s presence in the middle of Chinatown’s celebrations triggered frustrations in the crowd. “You could feel the frustration when people were just trying to celebrate,” she told KRON4.

It's odd to reflect on how much of the humor in the Far Side played on Zeitgeist shit that just wouldn't travel, either through time or international borders.

It is. And it has permanently entered our household lexicon.

To be fair, after the attacks on 9/11 I heard a fair number of comments from people who were convinced their local high school football stadium would be a prime target for international terror rings.

"Think about it, Becky. It's Friday night and the whole town of Left Nube, Indiana will be packed in there. We're sitting ducks."

It's silly, but people project their fear locally.

Yes, I am serious. Folks around here can be aggressively reactionary and will blow up over nothing (or what should be nothing).

I moved to this area about 12 years ago. I wasn't expecting some huge culture shock, but there it was. I had educated, millennial colleagues who were openly homophobic at work. I could go on with a list of grievances, but it just feels like piling on and I don't have the option to get out.

Fun fact. My workplace added recycle bins to the breakroom a few years ago. The day after, HR had to call a facility-wide emergency meeting to explain that their use was voluntary only and that no workers would be required to use them.

Grown ass adults lost their shit because they saw a recycle bin.

No, they're commenting on the justification you sometimes hear about why British institutions need to keep the cultural artifacts they looted from other countries in the past. Specifically, "we're better equipped to preserve these items because your country is too poor/politically unstable/humid/whatever to be responsible to do so on your own." Point here is that the British have been having a hard time lately keeping track of their own cultural treasures.

I don't think that justification is particularly good to begin with, but it's extra embarrassing when it comes out that you're actually pretty incompetent at retaining and preserving items.

Like you, I've moved around the US quite a bit have have worked at a variety of companies. But I noticed that the article mentions Miami University, which is in southwestern Ohio. People around here have an odd idea of what constitutes rudeness or what should not be discussed at work.

They are ALL IN on politics.

Visitors to our work's Ohio location (from out of country or out of state) are completely freaked out by it. Locals have no idea that their behavior might be considered rude or inappropriate.

Long story short, I'm not even remotely surprised that a local school is trying to teach people manners.

bitter from the manner of death

I always wonder about that. To modern sensibilities ritual sacrifice doesn't immediately sound like a great way to go out, but you'd usually get a fancy outfit, some really good food, and probably some hallucinogens.

As an option that wasn't disease, starvation, or festering spear wounds it probably wasn't the worst that could happen.

If not already clear, this comment was absolutely meant as a complement to you. I plan to teach this phrase to my continental coworkers when they visit us in the US next week. They're always seeking ways to expand their English language skills.

And since they continue to challenge me about the acceptability (in US english) over the phrase "Ulrike washes her coffee cup in the toilet every day," I think this is fair. We would accept: washroom, restroom, or bathroom without thinking twice. We might even pass over "in the shitter" and although it would be considered much less polite it would be excusable in a non-native speaker and probably not even noticeable in some of the more salty regions of the US.

"Washed it in the toilet..."

I do love language.

I saw that comment too. It shed a lot of light on a topic that I personally don't know much about.

On the other hand, sometimes people can get weird about sticking up for their friends under any circumstances. My parents and brother are weird that way. One example - they know a rich white kid who killed an entire family by driving drunk. The kid's own family disowned him. They didn't help with his legal support, his twin brother cut ties with anyone who supported him, and he did time in the state prison. I don't know the details about the crime, but he had graduated from a flagship state university and was from a very wealthy family. Not "paid for a wing at the local hospital wealthy" but definitely, "has a regulation size basketball court in their basement" wealthy. He absolutely fit the profile of Brock Allen Turner (the rapist).

He still got 5-10 years in state. It must have been bad. My family stepped up to support this asshole.

My brother routinely visited him in prison and gave him a job when he got out. I don't really fault my brother for that. (OK - I judge him a bit. The kid was always an asshole and he killed people. But he did his time.)

On the other hand, my parents have nothing but good things to say about this guy and generally act like he was the victim of a huge conspiracy by the state. They were also offended that their own personal friend "Stanley" was sent to old people prison (nursing home) for "no reason" after he threatened to shoot his nephew. It was a credible threat, too. Stan is very well armed and had been going off his rocker for more than a few years.

tl/dr - my family are assholes but if they decide you're a ride or die friend it doesn't matter what you've done