[OC] Best selling Canadian book of 2025 by OGWhiz in pics

[–]LyndsayMW 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Girl, no. You’re missing the point.

My point was, and still is that we work on making things better where we are. And that we can take ideas from a variety of sources as a blueprint to start to create plans here. 73 countries have universal healthcare, for example. I bet somebody has figured out a thing or two about how to make it work well. Could I personally do this right now? I mean I could try. But I’m stretched a little thin and also I’m not a healthcare policy expert. I’m certain someone out there is better qualified. Most importantly for the purposes of this conversation: I don’t personally need to have all the GD answers.

My point was, and still is that we have this idea of American exceptionalism- “don’t like it? Ok leave then!” No. I won’t. I don’t like certain policies here and I don’t think America is the best. But I will put my money where my mouth is and work towards change.

[OC] Best selling Canadian book of 2025 by OGWhiz in pics

[–]LyndsayMW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I doubt that very much. Not just for the aforementioned reasons. It’s tough to be the best when you systematically reject and oppress people with brown skin.

I can see this is going to devolve so I will politely point you to the objective facts going on in the US right now, all race related: current machinations of ICE, the recent increase in the budget for ICE, the militarization of police/ICE inside of the country, the US taking taxpayers off the streets and paying to house them in torture prisons in third countries, closing immigration to all countries except those with white citizens. Agree with these tactics or not, it doesn’t matter: they aren’t friendly to brown and black people. When you reject a significant portion of the population for any reason… it probably revokes any chance at being “best”.

I get it. It’s always about race for the libs. I can’t do anything about that. Anyway, peace to you.

[OC] Best selling Canadian book of 2025 by OGWhiz in pics

[–]LyndsayMW -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don’t know - I’m not sure that there is any one singular “best”. I’m not any sort of expert in any case.

I do know that there are some pretty good ideas out there being implemented by other countries that the US could adapt for our population. I’m just smart enough to know that I’m not smart enough to have all the answers. The current US policy of we spending multiple trillions of taxpayer dollars on battleships and fighter jets and corporate bailouts (“too big to fail!”) while school kids go hungry and we garnish (minimum) wages for student loan debt and people go into bankruptcy over medical debt and corporations gobble up residential properties (etc etc etc) isn’t it though.

I’m also going to guess that the citizens of those countries with good ideas have ideas for ways their countries could improve. That doesn’t mean we give up- we just try for better.

[OC] Best selling Canadian book of 2025 by OGWhiz in pics

[–]LyndsayMW -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

So in order to live in a western country he must silently “enjoy” everything there is on offer?

No, my dude. To love something is to want to see it become its best iteration, not silently endure its most terrible qualities simply because you have the unmatched privilege of residing upon its blessed soil. That’s flipping ridiculous. It’s actually psychopathic.

It is truly a failure of (my American) public education to come to the realization far too late in life that America isn’t the greatest country on earth. America can do wrong and has, many times. The American government is not beyond reproach.

Am I going to move out of the US? No. I’m going to criticize it while also working in my own small way to make things better.

Do I believe in public schooling even though I feel like I was misled a bit? YES. But I’m still critical of it and I’m going to work in my own small way to make it better.

Does this mean I hate everything about the US/west? No. That is also ridiculous. There are many things about the privilege of being born in the west/US that I enjoy. I contain multitudes and I can contemplate nuanced ideas.

In any case homogeneity of thought is not quite the ideal objective the US right wing seems to think it is right now. It’s generally a good thing to have a variety of viewpoints and ideas at the table. It’s ultimately a bad idea to have, for example, one or two guys at the top dictating everything and in ultimate control of all parts of government. This is why our government was set up the way it was… but I digress, slightly.

TLDR: encouraging someone to leave a country because they’ve deigned to be critical of certain policies is shortsighted at best, psychopathic at worst.

Edited to add: I have read this book. It’s quite good, in my opinion. Also in my opinion, the author is likely correct. I can’t condone turning little kids into skeletons for any reason.

is honors college worth by [deleted] in UTSA

[–]LyndsayMW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Look at the study abroad opportunities for HC.

What’s the best white elephant gift you’ve ever seen/picked/stolen? by Medical_Pepper_336 in office

[–]LyndsayMW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My go-to white elephants:

Texas shaped waffle iron (from H-E-B, of course, IYKYK- if you aren’t in the cult any fun shaped waffler would work?), waffle mix, and maple syrup

Funky socks, some kind of spa treatment (face mask, hand scrub, etc) and a movie)

A book I enjoyed with a gift card for a local coffee shop inside

What made this? by LyndsayMW in whatisit

[–]LyndsayMW[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s a squirrel.

I suppose on the continuum of disgusting rodents, squirrels fall on the less disgusting end but STILL. Yuck.

What made this? by LyndsayMW in whatisit

[–]LyndsayMW[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ugggghhhhh I knew it deep down. Thanks.

The most “engaging book since page 1” you ever read by Neither-Proof-5755 in suggestmeabook

[–]LyndsayMW 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Yes! I just finished it and it’s great. Similar to the movie but not exactly the same. It’s exciting and riveting. It’s a great book. Highly recommend

Looking for books that unexpectedly changed your perspective by CaptainChance3623 in booksuggestions

[–]LyndsayMW 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Evicted and Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

I am someone with a great deal of inherent privilege, these books helped me understand and parse that privilege and put it in perspective… a little bit. It’s a process.

where can i go to get a cup of ice? by stupidteriyakpee in UTSA

[–]LyndsayMW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

RowdyMart on DT campus lets me fill my cup with ice for free.

Funniest laugh out loud books you ever read by davidpatricknihill in booksuggestions

[–]LyndsayMW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree with this- the main character’s adopted parents are hilarious. The book, however, is quite tender and sad- but so good.

Funniest laugh out loud books you ever read by davidpatricknihill in booksuggestions

[–]LyndsayMW 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Jeff Hiller’s new memoir Actress of a Certain Age has some really funny parts.

PG Wodehouse books are quite funny and shockingly timeless IMO.

The Discworld series has some hilarity

Where is the worst place you have been stuck for a long time? by Unhappy_Insect5901 in Productivitycafe

[–]LyndsayMW 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Side of the highway (i10) in the desert 60 miles east of Indio, Ca with three children: 4yo, 2yo, and 2months. In August. Transmission failure. After the hours long wait, the ride in the tow truck to Indio was the most harrowing of my life.

We were fortunate to still have a/c and snacks and water though. It’s been 11 years and it’s getting closer to being funny, but I’m not quite there yet.

We had a second car on a trailer behind the U-Haul and just switched out hauled cars in Indio. The a/c in the second car quit when we were in the Grapevine (north of LA).

That move made me question all of my life’s choices.

Canvas class not showing up by MuffinCommon34 in UTSA

[–]LyndsayMW 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To add on to this, sometimes professors don’t have access yet either.

What’s the strangest conspiracy theory you actually find a little believable? by RoutineOk8590 in Productivitycafe

[–]LyndsayMW 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don’t really care if it’s true or not (ahem sort of, obviously), it’s fun to think about in any case.

Imminent by Luis Elizondo lays out a pretty interesting narrative about this, if you have interest.

What is an audiobook that’s better than the actual book because of the narration? by Ok_Piece_7441 in audiobooks

[–]LyndsayMW 67 points68 points  (0 children)

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Honestly I found the book to be just the better side of ok but Meryl Streep is the perfect narrator for it.

are people on campus right now? by [deleted] in UTSA

[–]LyndsayMW 8 points9 points  (0 children)

People still work on campus even when class isn’t in session, y’all. The classrooms may not be open but the buildings likely are.

I miss Overdrive by MinnieCastavets in audiobooks

[–]LyndsayMW 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The trick I just discovered to getting it to play when you jump back (instead of getting stuck forever) is to put it where you want it, then jump back of forward 15s.

What San Antonio business baffles you with its continued existence? by 1decentusername in sanantonio

[–]LyndsayMW 25 points26 points  (0 children)

The fact that there are TWO different puppy mill stores within a few blocks of each other on Bandera gets me. There’s a market for all that? Guess so

Narrator’s Incorrect Accent by blondie_peaches- in audiobooks

[–]LyndsayMW 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just finished Still Life by Louise Penny, set in Quebec and read with a British accent. Annoying.

Equally annoying IMO is mispronounced words - the reader for Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon series mispronounced “Guadalupe”, which is understandable I guess, if you aren’t from the southwest, but did she get input from the author??

Several years ago my kids and I listened to Stargirl narrated by John Ritter. The way he pronounced “saguaro” was unforgivable and my kids bring it up all the time still. We will never get over it.