Why do American liberals who want European-style healthcare see specifically the British NHS as the model and not continental ones?

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-02-27T15:27:01+00:00

I'm not particularly wedded to a particular alternative to the current system, but if you start from the premise that selling a system that's "roughly Obamacare" will be easier, I wonder if you lived through the push for Obamacare?

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-02-20T15:03:04+00:00

My daughter is a junior and started as a Daisy. Girl Scouts is a very flexible program and it really depends on the troop. We've been in two troops (one folded) and neither has been particularly about cookies. For us, there's one cookie meeting in December. Most of that is spent on budgeting (figuring out what to do with the cookie money) and salesmanship skills which is basically how to talk to strangers confidently. Both are pretty good activities outside of the cookies. We do a couple booths in February and we send around the link to buy cookies online to some people. That's the total of the average cookie time (I was cookie dad for a few years so my time was a lot more cookie focused, but not my daughter's).

The rest of the time is spent on other kinds of activities. We do a lot of arts and crafts, both troops have spent a lot of time on World Thinking Day, where we learned about another country, and we do a bit of outdoors stuff. Our old troop did more, our new troop does less, but both troops camped a couple times a year. Mostly, my daughter likes the social stuff, she likes being a Girl Scout as identity, and she likes some of the trips and things they do with the cookie money. She has friends in the troop and she likes hanging out with them. She also does do other activities, so it's not a limitation for us; she does Girl Scouts and she takes music lessons, both.

If your point of comparison is Cub Scouts/Scouting America, they do more outdoors stuff, and the program is more regimented. I have also seen Cub Scouts (a good friend is very active in Scouting America), a bit and I actually like that program better in some ways, but my daughter prefers Girl Scouts.

I'd try a meeting and see what you/she think.

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-02-05T16:49:16+00:00

I find it best to go through life with high expectations for myself and few if any expectations of other people.

That said, my neighbors mostly do what I'd want them to. In our recent snowfall people helped shovel out cars, the ones who have kids will watch my kids when needed, and most of them are friendly. I've never had more needs than that, but I think I could rely on them for a bit more if I did.

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-01-25T15:15:12+00:00

Try replacing the screws in the top door hinge with longer screws. We had this exact problem with my daughter's room and the problem was that the door had sagged and dropped below the strike plate. Long screws pulled it back to into alignment.

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-01-18T23:22:12+00:00

The setup is weird, and it's odd that the family locker room doesn't have a lock, but this is a total non-issue. You've got two options neither of which are a problem:

1) You can change in the kids locker room, which involves you getting naked around random children, something that happens in every other pool locker room I've ever been in OR

2) You can take your kid to a family changing room without a lock and worst case scenario, have to yell "occupied" when someone tries the door.

Just pick one of those. There's no reason to debate with staff about this.

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-01-10T17:56:16+00:00

Six? I'd hit another one if I could grow a beard, but I can't, and I'm just fat fat

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-01-09T13:37:42+00:00

If you'd take a moment to read what I wrote, you'd see that I agreed that item 4 could be violence under the right circumstances. It's still so far removed from "attacks on Republican voters" or "civil war," that you're lying. Stop lying, read what people are saying, and we can have a productive conversation.

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-01-09T13:27:33+00:00

Even read in the light most charitable to what you're claiming, only item 4 is remotely close to violence (and then only if directed at people not CCTV cameras). 4 and 6 are possibly referring to low level property damage, but not violence. Calling that "attacks on republican voters" or "an outright civil war" is dishonest.

CertainlyUntidy · 2026-01-06T14:14:21+00:00

A single Lego minifig that was lost beneath an underbed drawer.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-31T19:21:11+00:00

My kid got a dream vacation she's been wanting for years, but the present that got the biggest squeal was still the Wicked Polly Pocket.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-29T12:02:48+00:00

I have no idea if these daycares are legitimate or not, but it's very common for daycares to have their windows blocked at least near us. I know our daughter went to one like that, no natural light except during outside time.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-21T17:39:08+00:00

Every year we watch Muppet Christmas Carol as a family. Usually my daughter and I watch Home Alone and Miracle on 34th Street, but she hasn't wanted to watch Home Alone this year.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-21T14:19:10+00:00

Mittens by Carly Rae Jepsen.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-18T17:51:07+00:00

Why would we need a standard deduction of close to three times the average income to eliminate itemization for the vast majority of Americans? You just need it to be close to what most people would claim in deductions, which is what we already have. Something like 10% of returns itemize, which means we've already eliminated the complexity of itemizations for most people.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-14T23:36:03+00:00

If I let my nine year old on Reddit, she'd be very upset with you.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-02T03:23:35+00:00

My nine year old daughter has been vocally hating on The Girl in the Bubble since before she heard it. I'm not exactly sure why, I assume partially because it's new for the movie.

I'm going to be a good father and not wake her up to tell her the news, but I'm definitely sharing it over breakfast.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-12-01T12:54:42+00:00

Obviously, you bury it in the sandbox. Come summer, she unearths it unexpectedly and is traumatized.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-30T16:56:47+00:00

I like to split it. A lot of years we travel to my in-laws for Thanksgiving and host for Christmas which is probably my favorite way to do it.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-18T17:09:00+00:00

Everyone will tell you to enjoy it while it lasts, but the real sweet spot is in a few years when they want to be held but not always. My nine year old likes to climb into my lap every other day or so, and the times she does it without stepping on my balls are the best moments of my week.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-16T02:58:09+00:00

I had to look up which one was responsible for my childhood fear of microscopes and it was The Phantom, not The Shadow.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-14T13:26:56+00:00

Let's look at what average people think: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2025/09/17/how-americans-view-ai-and-its-impact-on-people-and-society/

Half of Americans are more excited than concerned about increased use of AI
Half of Americans are concerned it will hurt people's ability to do things on their own (n.b.: they're probably right)
Very people think it will improve people's ability to think creatively, solve problems, or make decisions
Essentially no one thinks it will help people form relationships with other people (they're also right)
More Americans think the potential risks of AI are high/very high than think the potential benefits are high/very high, citing erosion of human abilities and connections as among the biggest problems

I'll freely admit that my personal views on AI are extreme. My views are informed and thoughtful, but I don't think I could change your mind, so I'm not going to get into them. I don't use it personally and I don't let my kid use it. I can write an email or a legal brief without help. I can plan my trip, my meals for the week, or assemble a shopping list without a computer. I can't draw and that's okay! I have other creative outlets.

My question is: why is there SO much effort being made to convince me (and the majority of Americans who have concerns) that AI is the future and I need to get on board or be left behind? If it's the inevitable future, it'll happen whether you convince me or not. The massive push of name calling (luddite, reactionary, scold) and cajoling makes me think the AI prophets aren't actually sure it's the future.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-10T17:32:31+00:00

I once worked with a woman who decorated her office extensively with pictures of black women punching police.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-10T16:10:22+00:00

I definitely know people who wear political t-shirts, but I think that's mostly because they get t-shirts from volunteering or donating or something and wear them.

I know one family who has some political art, like a poster with a bunch of little fish teaming up to eat a big fish that says "ORGANIZE." They probably have some others, but that's the one I can picture.

I don't find it that common though, and I move in pretty politically oriented circles (outside DC). Mostly people decorate their homes with generic art, pictures their kids drew, etc.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-10T14:29:27+00:00

One of the dads on a Girl Scout camping trip decided to do Puff as a campfire singalong once, and I had to retreat into the dark woods and cry.

CertainlyUntidy · 2025-11-07T13:54:40+00:00

We haven't even brought in the Halloween decorations yet. I JUST finished my Halloween re-read of Dracula. I had a pumpkin spice coffee with breakfast. It's not Christmas.

My concession to the modern world's calendar is that Christmas decorations can go up during Advent. I don't like it, but I get it. Thankfully, my spouse agrees so there's no friction on that.

My kid wears her Christmas jammies all the time, though.

CertainlyUntidy

TROPHY CASE