KCMasterpieceof

Amazing insight. Did you do your History PhD thesis on this part of the world or what? What's been interesting to me, as a global traveler who has been all around the world including Turkiye (Ankara recently and of course Istanbul), I've met and talked to all types. Liberals to the "Wolves" of the MHP. What is interesting over time that I've observed is the wide swing from what you describe above (bold,) is the move from this and the idolized worship of Ataturk and secularizing and trying to become more "European" for a lack of better characterization, to a pendulum swing the last...decade(s)?... by Erdogan to erode democracy and move into a more fundamentalist/islamic embrace. Do I perceive that wrong? Best I can tell, the inflection point seemed to be the tacit rejection of Turkiye into the EU in the mid 2010's (the formal rejection was much later), but it seemed Turkiye took the spurning as a racist Europe saying you dirty muslims will never be our equal and we don't want your kind, which I've come to think of as Turkiye/Erdogan's villainous origin story. And yes Czechia I don't like, but we are already starting to call India "Bharat" around the house to get used to it before it takes effect.

That's my guilty pleasure breakfast

Very relevant from the NYT Today. Titled: We Know the Cure for Loneliness. So Why Do We Suffer? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/opinion/loneliness-epidemic-solutions.html?

Maybe it's because Baylor is so bad and all the alum friends I have aren't invested in this season, but it seems my Tech friends are the most insufferable this year. Really for the past few years starting with the NCAA tourney and Beard and being peeved about us announcing we were leaving and just generally butt-hurt and annoying and obnoxious the last few years. So I vote TTU. And though I came around on Crabtree enough to not hate him years later watching him in the NFL, Tech in 08 delivered a lucky blow to us that none of the others have come close to hurting us with.

Huzzah! Hopefully this is the case and we can celebrate our very own Queen!

Heck yea bro!

Preach.

Two questions for you (marvelous and thoughtful write up, by the way): 1) Why don't you use the name Turkiye? As far as I can tell UN agreed over the summer this is the preferred nomenclature (dude) and Associated Press style guide for message boards demands the formality. Just kidding. 2) Seriously, why do the Turks deny the Armenian genocide? I mean, it's as you described pretty factually and easy to prove, right? And they can even have a nationalistic bent to defend it or own it or whatever, but what's the purpose of the denial?

To be honest, I expected more out of the Lakers Girls. I thought that would be a tier 1 squad. These girls are like the Detroit Pistons B team.

Maybe it's the benefit of reading it for the third time, but the above makes a lot more sense to me now. I'm reminded of something I read about spotify recently. Is it feasible that streamers use benchmarks and best practices from music streamers, instead of reinventing the wheel? Especially considering that music streamers aren't paying that much per listen? I was reading this morning about how streaming/spotify has basically fundamentally changed music production and what and how songs get made. Namely about what counts as a "listen" (30 seconds) and what gets you paid via advertising. Could this be similar to the streaming model they want?

The former.

I've switched over to the cheaters game

At least he can't give up a 10 run lead....right?

Baby Evan with the bomb!

I think what you've kind of described is an accurate recipe for the the rise of mental illness, specifically the rise of the incel.

I thought that as well, but of all the locations it's definitely yielded more so I guess they'd rather be safe than sorry.

Got an email about buying ALDS tickets and to register so when ALCS are available I can buy them as well. I like the confidence of the front office!

This is the 4D Chess hack. Also, go to the location where it's minority majority Indians who are 50/50 vegetarian (like in West Plano) and there is even more beef availability unsold from the weekend, I've noticed.

Same question, but additional caveat-- for a teenager (sorry to piggyback, gfy)

Dang it! Took 3 minutes and I blame e-commerce for making it too easy to click and buy now. I'm the proud new owner of the Orange Circuit's: https://www.blenderseyewear.com/collections/all-mens-sunglasses/products/orange-circuit-sunglasses

Okay, I'll bite...*googles blender eyeware to see what the fuss is about and may impulse buy*

@Queen Bitch I saw this summary this morning. Are you and the front lines sharing this optimism? The WGA resumes talks with Hollywood studios today. There’s some mild optimism that the two sides might finally get closer to a deal this time as the writers strike approaches its fifth month. One of several major sticking points in negotiations, which have been on pause since mid-August, is the WGA’s demand for streaming residuals based on a TV show’s viewership. With the studios bleeding money and extremely short on new content for the fall, observers think they could soon start making concessions to the striking writers.

Read this in the paper this morning and thought of this discussion about the hordes of employees at H-E-B: H-E-B since 2022 The San Antonio-based grocer, which also operates six Central Market stores in North Texas, opened two H-E-B stores last year in Frisco and Plano. The Allen opening next month will follow the June opening of its McKinney store. H-E-B is planning four stores next year and four more in 2025, getting to an even dozen in four years. The list of 2024 and 2025 stores includes H-E-B’s value price format, Joe V’s Smart Shop, which will be located in southern Dallas. For Rockwall, a new store represents more jobs in a city mostly with residents who commute to other cities to work, said Rockwall Mayor Trace Johannesen. H-E-B has hired more than 700 people to operate each of its new local stores, which is more than twice the staff size of an average supermarket or a Walmart Supercenter.

Which AA credit card do you have? I used the CitiBusiness Platinum Select AAdvantage card for work expenses and the Citi Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard for personal. I feel like they've both been neutered and kind of suck now, so curious if there are better options for a fellow Platinum Exec whose only dream is to be concierge key so I don't ever have to worry about hitting the milestones anymore.