magnetosphere

Good point. At the risk of making it sound cool, I’ll say that confederate flags are the OG MAGA gear.

I’m amazed nobody has mentioned a confederate flag (or confederate anything) yet. My first assumption would be that they’re racist and proud of it.

One of those giant stickers meant to make it look like there’s a tied up woman in the back of their pickup.

At best, it’s advertising that they think abusing women is funny.

So far, I’ve only seen one of those. They’re so stupid looking that if it had been by itself, I wouldn’t have been able to tell if it was meant as a joke. They also had one of those “thin blue line” American flag stickers, though, so that cleared it right up.

It’s virtually the opposite here. Most cars are automatics. Lots of drivers never learn how to operate a manual transmission, because they simply don’t have to.

I’m just biased by my own experience, I guess. I was relieved to already be familiar with the basics of operating a car. It made easier to concentrate on shifting when I already knew the “feel” of driving.

Driving is complex. Knowing what to pay attention to when takes time to learn.

I recommend not trying to drive a manual until you’ve already learned the basics in an automatic. In my opinion, learning to drive AND learning how to handle a manual transmission is too much at once.

The fact that you’re even asking suggests that you genuinely give a damn and have the right mindset. Feeling anxious in a situation like this is perfectly natural. You seem like a good brother.

Don’t bombard him with questions about what prison life is like. He’s going to have enough to deal with; don’t make him recount tales of a terrible period of his life. On the other hand, let him talk if he wants to. Listen and be supportive.

Don’t sneak up on him. For example, if he’s watching TV in the living room and didn’t notice you walk in, clear your throat or something.

I imagine that privacy is a thing he will value highly. NEVER walk into his room without knocking and waiting for him to respond. None of that “knock while opening the door” bullshit.

Be patient, sensitive, and give him time to adjust. This will be a HUGE change for him - almost as big as adjusting to prison life. You’re going to have to do a difficult balancing act between helping him and not treating him like a baby. Nobody would get that right 100% of the time. Don’t judge yourself too harshly when the inevitable mistakes happen.

Consider showing him this thread.

That’s the “some” I had in mind, and you’re right.

Some atheists treat atheism itself as a cult. I’d go one step further. My choice is Agnosticism.

I’m happy to say I don’t know. Maybe we are all on the back of a giant turtle. If the turtle was big enough, we wouldn’t be able to tell. It’s all good.

Gotta listen to some Morphine

It’s been years.

He just wasn’t emotionally mature and it sucks.

It does, and that’s the lesson for him. A lot of the time, people need to learn the hard way. That’s the only way they grow and change. At least you’re able to see that.

I think virtually everyone who’s been in a few relationships has regrets about how they handled past relationships. In a few years, he’ll look back, and wish he had done things differently.

When it’s close to closing time, get out of the store. If you have items you want to buy, leave yourself enough time to check out before the store closes. If you’re bringing a full cart to the register 30 seconds before closing time, you’re an asshole.

The employees have probably been there for 7+ hours, and still have to clean, restock, etc. They don’t want to be there for one second longer than necessary. Don’t be the reason they get home even later than usual.

Interesting. Thanks! I genuinely believed that myth was true.

I’m used to having an avatar of some kind. Plus I think it looks good.

No. We might have the cultural equivalent of an “Indian summer”, where things briefly seem to get better, but overall, humanity is on the downswing. We’re ruining our environment and draining our resources. Not enough people in power are motivated to fix things, or at least keep them from getting worse. Most popular culture will be an increasingly frantic and transparent effort to ignore the collapse of human civilization.

I blame sealioning, and bad-faith follow up comments asking about your expertise in an effort to embarrass you. Plenty of minor disagreements are amplified by petty, obnoxious assholes.

Excessive disclaimers may be an effort to avoid this.

NTA. You can’t expect much quality “catching up” with a toddler and a baby around. That’s not your fault.

The important part is to be sensitive to her feelings. Be honest and say that you’re uncomfortable around kids. She may not be in a position to leave the kids with someone else. Being a single mom can be pretty damn stressful and lonely, but if you’re not okay with kids, then she needs to respect your feelings, too. Let her down gently. Be kind.

Sleeping on my side

Being wrong is a great way to learn. Everyone is wrong sometimes, so I don’t see it as a flaw to be ashamed of. I think the best way to handle being wrong is to acknowledge it and treat it as a learning opportunity.