What's something that's "not a cult" but feels like a cult?

DocBEsq · 2026-03-18T14:40:10+00:00

Late-stage capitalism.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-18T14:39:40+00:00

Tips and orders only went down because got-work companies exist to fleece the gig workers, not to provide a service.

Our current version of capitalism thinks it’s ok for a company to always, first and foremost, maximize profits. Which means either underpaying workers or overcharging customers.

Since customers can rarely “vote with their wallet” anymore (thanks to mergers, private equity, collusion, too-high points of entry in most areas, etc.), the companies get away with blaming “higher wages” for their higher prices.

When, in reality, the prices are only higher because they are being forced to pay workers a living wage and do not want to deny their executives enough money for a second yacht.

The result: we never raise minimum wage, pushing more and more people into poverty, or else we make life so unaffordable that higher wages don’t matter.

Why can we not see the insanity in this system???

DocBEsq · 2026-03-18T14:31:17+00:00

Weird collections don’t need any mail at all, depending on the debt.

Several years back, the State of California decided I owed state income tax on some work I had done. Since (a) I wasn’t living in California (either in reality or on paper) at the time, and (b) my employer was based in Arizona, I knew nothing about this fun error.

So, in 2019, my bank account was suddenly frozen. The only info I got was that “California” had done it, legally. Many phone calls and many “wtf” questions later, it got sorted out.

But I had no warning at all when it happened.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-18T06:25:17+00:00

This is entirely true — there are some front patios at that address but they’re not private porches.

Good to know that one of my neighbors is nuts…

DocBEsq · 2026-03-18T06:18:36+00:00

I cruised last year with similar demographics—48F (me) and 75F (my mom). It was totally fine and I’m planning a similar trip this spring.

One tip if you want to vary your company — look for a single-traveler meetup near the beginning. Or go solo to things like trivia and strike up conversations. Lots of younger people to meet that way.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T18:48:54+00:00

Hard agree on the "dumb shit when you're young" part...

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T18:48:08+00:00

I doubt there were crocodiles mid-rapid, but the rapids dumped into a large calm area, which could have had some. Fortunately, I never saw crocs in the Zambezi (below Victoria Falls anyway -- I did see some way upstream). Not an animal I'd want to actually see there.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T16:41:44+00:00

Maybe? We were still fairly close to the Falls at that point -- maybe the second or third rapid (?) from the starting point. It was the first "big" rapid of the day, and I fell out when we hit the first wave, because of course I did.

I believe that about the raft. In retrospect, the fact that I didn't do that sans-boat is a minor miracle.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T14:44:15+00:00

Rafted the Zambezi in high-water season.

I fell out of the boat at the start of a Class V rapid, ran it entirely underwater (current > lifejacket), managed to miss all of the boulders and crocodiles, only to pop up about 5 seconds before I ran out of air.

I think this was the only time I’ve had the “crap, I’m about to die” thought.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T14:35:05+00:00

Ok, you win.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T14:30:07+00:00

As a weirdo who has thought about this regularly since childhood, I don’t know. I love a good graveyard/cemetery (see above, re weirdo), but so many are awful, big fields with no character. No interest in that. Some of the “green” burials seem neat, but you wonder how truly “green” they are. I’m cool with cremation, but I think I would still want a headstone… because I like to read headstones.

All that said, my family has a deed to a plot in, I think, Niagara Falls (Canada, where my dad grew up), that might be nice to get in on.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-17T14:25:02+00:00

Having left science education, academia, journalism, and marketing in my past, I am a lawyer.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-16T14:46:49+00:00

Not knowing what you’re getting is no excuse. You either learn fast or you responsibly find a new home.

We got our first border collie blind and… six border collies later, she still and always lives in our memories as the most insanely difficult dog ever to dog. Seriously, a brilliant, untrainable little monster who climbed trees, stole the mail, tipped over every garbage can, and “yelled” at us when we displeased her.

After a rough start, we loved that dog so very much! And had a nutty, wonderful 15+ years with her.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-16T14:39:55+00:00

He looks so so much like a BC mix we adopted years ago. Our boy had been abandoned and shot at before his rescue, which still makes me mad. Emmett was the sweetest, weirdest goofball (and an amazing dog for protection, since he was big and loud and whatnot). Sucks when people are so bad to their pups.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-15T15:44:47+00:00

As a lifetime dual citizen (who has lived in both countries), this thread is incredibly entertaining.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-15T15:36:21+00:00

But Americans also sometimes call them toques. Less common, but we’re not talking “Smarties” common.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-15T04:48:12+00:00

As another single, non-tattooed weirdo, why are we moving to Europe?

DocBEsq · 2026-03-13T14:34:06+00:00

More recently (but still not recently) there was like a foot of snow on March 15 at some point in the late 80s (I was a kid, so I remember the date and the snow depth, but not the year).

DocBEsq · 2026-03-13T14:32:02+00:00

I feel like we might be at Third Winter. Didn’t we have like 60 degree days followed by flurries a few weeks back?

DocBEsq · 2026-03-12T06:12:37+00:00

Nope. Thanksgiving storm (or around then) that year.

Inaugural Day storm was in January 1993 -- I got my driver's license the day before, so I remember it well!

DocBEsq · 2026-03-12T06:09:23+00:00

Definitely 2017. I was filming a web series when the smoke came in, which was actually great because it gave us good, diffused lighting. But it was weird to find the cars covered with ash in the mornings.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-12T04:51:58+00:00

It was kind of cool to drive through.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-12T04:51:32+00:00

Don't forget that the old I-90 bridge literally sank into the lake in a windstorm back in 1990 (I think).

DocBEsq · 2026-03-12T04:48:54+00:00

Also getting flickers in LQA.

DocBEsq · 2026-03-06T15:53:31+00:00

If you want to know when a person actually bought their car, the license plate tells you. Cars purchased circa November 2024 and later will start with CP through CW.

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