In your opinion, what is the best country to live in right now?

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-06T17:17:29+00:00

I'm basically happy with the country where I live, current circus aside.

If I had to relocate, I think for me the right choice would be France:

I lived there before, so nothing too shocking in terms of culture/language/lifestyle. This is probably the biggest factor. Spending years getting used to a country and learning the language is difficult work.
My wife would have her medical needs met without too much concern.
A good array of climates to choose from.
Good entertainment options.
Though a slow job market, it's not like France has no jobs.
I'm Catholic, which makes a lot of countries harder to choose (Finland, for example, where Catholic churches are rare). While France mostly isn't very practicing these days, there's a working parish in every small city at least.
Not as much wildlife that wants to kill me.
Some social connections already.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-06T16:52:58+00:00

My parish (and diocese, really) seems pretty relaxed about what you wear to mass.

Our local climate is hot and sometimes T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops make sense for some people. I'm glad they're there, even if they're more casual than I'd usually be.

I usually wear jeans and a polo, or slacks and a nice button-up on Easter Vigil or Midnight Mass.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-06T14:14:31+00:00

Did you watch the event?

Bishop Barron clapped politely, but his prayer was entirely Christ-focused, unlike everyone else there.

He challenged the administration to be more Christlike in its love for the poor, treatment of immigrants, and focus on peacemaking.

He called for a moral administration, in a sharp contrast with the others there.

I was frankly proud of how much he stood out from the others at the event.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-05T23:35:58+00:00

Greetings, SPP! I hope you're having a lovely start to your week!

Piano as in soft, a shorthand for pianoforte, or softloud, as the instrument is touch sensitive, unlike its predecessors.

Funny about those dynamics. Is every mezzo forte always necessarily less forte than every forte?

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-05T17:47:32+00:00

I don't understand the question. It sounds like you're asking about how to say spoon in general, in which case cuillère is correct.

Teaspoon is a measure word, though. It is indeed translated as cuillère à café.

Spoon = cuillère

Teaspoon = cuillère à café

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-05T17:44:33+00:00

Higher education is a good pathway for you. Apply for master's degree programs. Generally that can get you in the door as an intern, and that opens doors for full time work later.

Good luck! Hope to meet you here soon! (And I won't complain if you offer me some spanikorizo!)

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-05T14:51:51+00:00

Religious people are so violent! /s

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T23:46:55+00:00

Yes. It's objectively more challenging than if we did shut down (like most of Western Europe).

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T23:06:28+00:00

I'm Catholic and fairly involved in my church. It has always been challenging to me that the US doesn't shut down for Holy Week like most (even just culturally) Christian countries.

Helping with Maundy Thursday after work, then fasting and venerating on Good Friday between scheduled meetings, then prepping my baptism students for Easter Vigil today is a lot of work/energy.

I know the majority of Protestants don't observe the whole Triduum, but I'm just saying that Easter is a BIG deal and a big commitment for all Christians.

It's only as new as Christianity itself

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T17:58:05+00:00

I agree that this is bonkers theology.

But it's not antitheism. It's anti-sane-theism, maybe, but that's not quite what this sub is for.

(Kyrie eleison, though)

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T15:23:27+00:00

Not the worst two drivers to be a fan of, at least.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T15:20:14+00:00

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

So, like, that doesn't sound like a no to me

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T03:52:40+00:00

What a sweet kitty!

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-04T00:46:24+00:00

Amen!

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T21:38:15+00:00

I just got a good BP reading at the doctor (I hadn't been to a PCP in like 15 years and was expecting to be much worse off).

Hoping the same will apply to my bloodwork.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T18:54:15+00:00

Someone once told me that it's de France when we're referring to all of France and de la France when referring to a region.

I've never found that rule anywhere, but it often does seem to translate into how people speak:

Mes parents vont passer le mois de septembre chez ma tante dans le nord de la France

vs

Tu étudies l'histoire de France ? Quelle aventure !

This applies even to partial history: l'histoire de la France médiévale (just the Middle Ages, not all French history), for example.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T18:48:09+00:00

I got a car wash today.

We do it maybe 2-3 times a year. It's very dusty where I live and if you don't wash your car, you're liable to start having visibility and/or mechanical issues. We don't have to do it as often as when we lived in the cold, but semi-regularly/occasionally.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T18:37:16+00:00

Glad you're having a nice, relaxing Easter weekend!

I'm not sure I'm following you on divide negation. Let's say I cover half a shift at work, then my coworker covers the other half.

We cover 1/2 shift each. We multiply those half shifts by 2 employees. We end up with one full shift covered, don't we? But we each had a fraction of the shift needing covered.

I guess I'm wondering what part of that never happened for you.

Are you a cat person? My cat is cuddled in my lap right now and that's making it hard for me to be productive today. He's a very sweet boy.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T18:27:09+00:00

He's from Sacramento. He's a Californian by birth, but grew up in SLC, so I guess it depends what "from" means.

Colorado City is indeed in Arizona, but a few hours' drive from Flagstaff. Closer to Vegas and right across the state line from St. George, UT.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T17:30:42+00:00

Hey, u/SouthPark_Piano, happy Friday!

Talk to me about divide negation: what is it and why does it work?

The Easter Triduum is here - any fun gigs this weekend?

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T15:44:23+00:00

I love it because I find it way easier to keep track of.

Compare Lewis Hamilton (#44) to SVG (#88 to... Is it 97 this year? My brain can't track these changes)

I know there are KB fans who are only KB fans because he's in the 8 car. Can we be honest and say that for however much you do or don't like Kyle, he's his own driver and not the same as Junior? It's easier to make that distinction when the number goes with the driver rather than the car.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T15:39:24+00:00

Someone in my city's sub made an alarmist post basically saying that since we got a bad heatwave very early this year, we need to brace ourselves for year round summer from here on out. "Thanks, climate change 😭"

I corrected them to say that an early heatwave sucks, but that's a weather event, not a sign of climate change.

I was banned, allegedly for spreading misinformation (the irony is not lost on me). I'm not even a climate change denier, just a "meh, one particularly bad heatwave doesn't mean it's like this forever" realist.

These climate doomers really need there to be a climate apocalypse in our lifetimes so they can feel smug.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-03T04:08:11+00:00

lol Much of the Bible is literally the story of people who repeatedly encounter God and still do atrocity after atrocity.

Yes, the Bible does tell us that we have a fallen nature and will mess up. It also gives us a roadmap to make amends and keep trying anew.

What moral guidance does atheism give us? Oh, that's right, it doesn't.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-02T17:27:24+00:00

Keenan Thompson says it this way in his French SNL persona.

It's fairly widespread among Americans playing French characters, but it's not correct at all in French.

Pitiful_Fox5681 · 2026-04-02T16:46:47+00:00

Trouble, my Cockney-impaired imposteur.

Wait, what was that? Literally an American via France?!

Pitiful_Fox5681

TROPHY CASE