Yes, it’s true. This man has no dick.

We could avoid this entirely, but the idiot Congress LIKES it. I don’t think any other country has a debt ceiling like the US. Why? Well, because when another country’s government (legislature, dictator, voodoo shaman) authorizes spending on something, they also authorize paying for it.

But in the US, Congress says (to the executive branch) you can only collect 50 bajillion in taxes, no more, no less. Also, you have to spend 55 bajillion on these programs, no more, no less. Then the president says, “uh, okay, but I’ll need to borrow 5 bajillion to do that because of math.” In reply, Congress stamps its collective foot like a toddler and says “NO NO NO YOU HAVE TO ASK US FIRST! Why are you drowning this poor country in debt you spendthrift!”

I miss NX. My company uses SolidWorks, and it’s…okay, I guess? But I’m aggravated on a weekly basis because it doesn’t do something that NX could. But cost is the issue. I think you can get like 5 SW licenses for the cost of a single NX one.

Space is hard. You’re strapping something inside a big tube with basically directed explosives at the bottom, hoping it survives the trip, then subjecting it to constant radiation, huge temperature swings, and other brutal environmental factors like micrometeoroids. Just because we’ve been sending satellites and people up to space for nearly 70 years doesn’t mean it’s gotten easier; we’re just better at knowing what to expect so we can test for it. Failures in rockets or satellites or even manned spacecraft are going to happen as much as we work to prevent them.

A garlic press - saves so much time and effort over mincing garlic with a knife because I’m not a pro chef, and can be used in about 95% of situations where you need garlic. I don’t use it when I want the garlic texture, but otherwise I just adjust the amount or the cooking time versus minced garlic. There’s some hate floating around from professional chefs, but I bought one a few years ago to try it and haven’t looked back.

I wish we treated “minimum wage” in the US like the name was supposed to imply, i.e., the minimum wage needed to survive. I would be okay with minimum wage if it allowed someone to afford shelter (maybe with roommates), food (cooking at home), utilities (electric, gas, internet), and other basic necessities like clothing. I would have included health care, but that’s a whole different topic. Minimum wage in Bumfuck, Texas should be different from Cityfuck, California. But instead we treat it as the minimum employers can pay someone, regardless of a typical human’s everyday needs.

Now, a “living wage” might be a step above that minimum, covering amenities/situations like living alone, having kids, entertainment, travel, advanced education, etc. The kind of things that are a step up from the survival-based minimum, but things everyone needs for a fulfilling life. But I want to start with a minimum, because that’s more achievable in US politics right now, has wide support, and is truly necessary for the people struggling right now.