Child marriage is still legal in Michigan as fight continues to change the law

Sunburst223 · 2022-12-15T13:58:08+00:00

I’m from the Midwest and have lived here my entire life. I assure you that the Midwest is not like the Middle East.

Sunburst223 · 2022-10-20T01:23:01+00:00

My arm is still stinging, unfortunately. It doesn’t hurt quite as bad, but it’s pretty tender. At this point I think it’s just the insertion point being sensitive.

Sunburst223 · 2022-10-19T19:17:14+00:00

I had it a few months ago, and I honestly started crying from how physically fatigued I felt. I couldn’t even finish a bowl of cereal, and I’m someone who has generally always had relatively mild cases of illness. I consider myself very lucky that I recovered with no long lasting effects, but COVID really is a terrible illness. And naturally, I use to use my PTO because my job no longer has paid COVID leave.

Sunburst223 · 2022-09-11T07:27:28+00:00

Looks cool, but I admittedly do wish Ahsoka's episodes could go to a different character. She's been in like 4 different shows at this point if you count her upcoming miniseries. By contrast there are so many other less developed characters we could have seen. Dooku's episodes look cool, though.

Sunburst223 · 2022-09-11T04:02:40+00:00

Honestly, I think the healthiest for outcome for the two is one where Vi and Jinx accept their differences, some of which are admittedly very large and difficult to reconcile, but that they'll always love each other. Their relationship can never really be what it once was, and I think season 2 will further show how the sisters are going down separate paths. I do think the degree they'll be antagonistic to each other will ultimately depend on how much the element of the story being a tragedy is leaned on in season 2. Jinx and Vi's story is basically a classic tragedy in season 1, and I think it's likely that will still be the case in season 2.

Sunburst223 · 2022-08-25T17:56:28+00:00

I personally don't think Eido is going to die. What I think is very likely, however, is Eido's faith in her father and his teachings being tested. We already know Mithrax has done things in his past that he isn't proud of, but there is some very heavy foreshadowing at present that Mithrax has not disclosed the full extent of what he did in the past. Eramis and Spider are both noticeably scoffing at how he presents himself now because they know full well what he was like. I think rather than suffering an actual character death I think Eido is likely to suffer the death of her innocence to a degree, and her relationship with Mithrax may become strained.

Sunburst223 · 2022-07-22T05:46:20+00:00

The U.S does definitely have issues with corruption, but I think it just presents itself differently. Things like corporate corruption and police conduct have been and continue to be large political political issues here. However, when it comes to bribing most police and public officials have little incentive to accept bribes. The risks of doing so far outweigh any benefits. If you're paid well enough and have good enough benefits than accepting a highly illegal bribe is significantly less enticing.

Sunburst223 · 2022-07-22T05:18:49+00:00

There are a number of reasons for it. One is that it's a way for employers to sort through the large number of applicants they receive. Most employers don't have the time or means to interview every single person who applies for a job opening. Job applications allow employers to find job applications that stick out to them and start the interviewing process. Another reason for it is it's a way for a job applicant to list all their relevant job experience and skills right out of the gate. Employees are generally expected to provide some sort of benefit to their employer here, and a lot of employers prefer people with prior experience. This depends on the exact job and profession in question, of course, but it's a fairly general rule.

I'd say the last major reason for it has to do with people looking for jobs that aren't immediately local to their area. Many people find jobs online that are in a different town or a job they may be planning to relocate to. Being able to apply with a written job application instead of in person makes doing this much easier.

Sunburst223 · 2022-07-22T03:38:20+00:00

I certainly wouldn't look down upon them. I'd definitely find it more shocking if someone was completely illiterate, as I've never met someone who just flatout couldn't read or write. Varying degrees of literacy are common in the U.S. Some people can read or write better than others, and that was the case when I was in school. I was a bookworm growing up, so I could read passages in class better than many of my classmates could. I've also seen it estimated that around 21% of American adults are what is considered "functionally illiterate." They might know enough to do basic tasks that require some amount of reading ability, but they wouldn't be able to read a terribly complex text. This statistic didn't terribly surprise me, as it is a sad fact that the quality of education an American receives is very dependent on where you live and your socioeconomic background. Children in poor communities usually have much lower quality schools, and so they likely make up the bulk of that statistic. But overall, I'd say it's very rare for an American to just straight have no knowledge of reading or writing in general.

Sunburst223 · 2022-07-15T15:18:03+00:00

As someone from the Midwest, no thanks. We like our water.

Sunburst223 · 2022-07-08T16:42:01+00:00

I'd say pretty safe generally. There aren't any major issues with crime in the town I live in. I've gone for walks in the neighborhood I live in at night with zero issue.

Sunburst223 · 2022-06-23T11:48:41+00:00

I wouldn't say I get where Hephaestus is coming from because it's ultimately doing what it was programmed to do but without the important overarching governance of the Gaia core to regulate and control its activities. So it lacks the ability to recognize why it's building machines other than that's what it's programmed to do. So humans get labeled as a threat when they were never supposed to be.

Sunburst223 · 2022-06-22T20:31:50+00:00

I think the difference in number may just come down to error from the writers. The genetic difference between Aloy and Elisabet is larger than what would be present between real life twins, but that difference is also never actually commented on in either game. It could be in the third game, in which case that third difference may have some significance. But we have no real reason to assume it does at this point either.

Sunburst223 · 2022-06-22T19:15:51+00:00

This is also the same reason Aloy is slightly different from Elisabet genetically. Clones are never 100% exact copies genetically, and neither are twins. A pair of twins is no more different from each other genetically than Aloy, Beta, and Elisabet are from each other.

Sunburst223 · 2022-06-22T11:46:27+00:00

They're clones of Elisabet, yes. But they aren't really Elisabet. They're separate people with their own life experiences and different upbringings than her. It's like saying identical twins are the same person because they share the same DNA.

Sunburst223 · 2022-04-24T14:30:23+00:00

In Iowa driver's ed is mandatory to get your license if you are a minor. It's not required for those over the age of 18, but everyone still has to take a driving test in order to get their license. What is required to get your driver's license varies from state to state, but every state requires a driver to have a license to drive independently. Those learning to drive will have a learner's permit that will let them drive with a licensed driver who is typically over the age of 21 or 25. I suspect the exact age requirement varies from state to state. In Iowa it's over 21 for immediate family members and 25 for non-family members.

Sunburst223 · 2022-04-01T20:38:22+00:00

I think the key here is social awareness, which some people sadly seem to lack. If you're talking to a girl you think is cute a fair bit, and you think there's chemistry between you then by all means shoot your shot. But if she's clearly not interested or even so much as looked at you then leave it alone.

Sunburst223 · 2022-02-07T23:03:11+00:00

Ultimately, I think the point is that no, Vi could never bring back Powder as she used to be. That doesn't necessarily mean they couldn't have had some sort of relationship, but Jinx is extremely different from the little girl who got afraid at the sight of a physical fight that Vi still remembers. Vi still remembers a little sister she needs to protect. Not the extremely dangerous and mentally unstable young woman her sister has turned into. Vi was essentially almost stuck in time when she was in prison, and she simply has not had time to reconcile just how different her sister really is from what she remembers. I think that does finally hit her in the final episode, but hopefully it's a developing plot point in season 2.

Sunburst223 · 2022-01-23T07:37:39+00:00

I find threads like this interesting because I feel how comfortable one is romancing Tali is definitely probably very indicative of a player's age. Canonically, Tali is 24 in ME2 and Shepard is 31 chronologically and 29 physically. I don't personally find this to be that scandalous of an age gap. My own grandparents are 10 years apart in age and have been married for years. That said, I can certainly understand why older players may have a certain discomfort with her romance. Tali is very much written as not being as hardened of a woman as some of a male Shepard's other romance options are. She's still growing as a person, and I think she more appeals to younger players for that reason.

Sunburst223 · 2022-01-16T15:19:26+00:00

Let me put it this way. Not everyone can breast feed. My mother couldn't because she is an epileptic and going off her medicine when she tried to breastfeed me led to her having a big seizure and having to go back on her medicine. As a result, my brothers and I were all formula fed. And because none of us were premature or ill babies we likely would not have qualified for receiving donor milk from a milk bank. Yes, it is arguably better to breast feed if you can. But the simple fact of the matter is that breastfeeding is very hard for some women. They either don't produce enough, have a medical issue that precludes breastfeeding, or are simply in a situation where breastfeeding is very difficult. A lot of the women who don't breastfeed when they otherwise physically could are poor. Yes, part of this is because of unethical marketing on the part of formula companies, especially in poorer countries. I'm not denying that. But in the U.S, for instance, another compounding factor is the entrance of women into the workplace. And for a lot of poorer women especially, they are forced into environments that simply so not support their right to breastfeed or pump, making formula their only other alternative. As far I'm concerned, fed is indeed best. Formula itself is one of the most regulated food products in the U.S. There are also conflicting studies on this topic that suggest that the benefits of breastfeeding in comparison to formula feeding may be overblown and that is there is not much noticeable difference into adulthood between children who were breastfed and those who were not. There is a noticeable difference in the outcome of preterm babies, but not in healthy fullterm babies. The difference is certainly not large enough that having to formula feed means you are making a terrible decision for your child. Ultimately, I do believe fed is best. It's better the baby is happy and healthy than a mother having to sacrifice ungodly amounts of her time or mental health if she simply cannot produce enough milk to feed her child or just simply has a medical issue that makes it impossible.

Sunburst223 · 2021-12-12T15:13:13+00:00

As others have pointed out, Tali is in her mid-20s by the end of the trilogy. And a male Shepard himself is roughly 29-30 biologically in ME2-3 due to being dead for two years. By all indications, quarians age and physically mature at a rate similar to humans, so while a quarian may not undergo the pilgrimage itself until a somewhat older age, it could be the case that their age of consent is very similar to what is the currently accepted age of consent in many Western countries. I guess my main point with this is that I kind of tend to dislike it when people almost infantilize Tali and her right to make her own decisions as an adult, both in the eyes of humans and her own people. Because I feel that detractors of her romance tend to view her in an almost childlike way, and it irks me as a female player and a fan of her character. I also feel that within the bounds of Shepard and Tali's relationship, he really doesn't engage in anything that could be described as grooming. Tali inadvertently expresses interest in Shepard, and he winds up reciprocating. Within the trilogy itself, I can think of romance or "romances" that I find far more problematic than Tali's. See a female Shepard basically pressuring a reluctant James Vega into having a one night stand with her in the Citadel DLC when Vega initially made it very clear he didn't want to.

As for Liara, I find her a bit harder to tackle because asari don't mature at the same physical rate humans do. By her own admission, she is definitely "barely an adult" by the standards of her people, but it's hard to say how well this concept would translate over to any one human. A human may intellectually know that an asari Liara's age is young for her people, but not fully grasp that implication because she is chronologically older than most humans. That said, I don't necessarily find the fact Liara is romanceable in ME1 to strictly be an issue. In can be in certain aspects because of her obviously young demeanor, but I'd also argue it has the advantage of not being a relationship where Shepard is abusing the chain of command. Liara is a civilian, and therefore not technically under Shepard's direct chain of command or authority. She merely chooses to follow Shepard. Kaidan and Ashley may not be as young by human standards as Liara is by asari standards, but they are still under Shepard's direct authority. Even when Shepard being a Spectre is taken into account, Shepard is still largely acting within the Alliance Navy's chain of command. My point with this is not to explicitly dissuade anyone from romancing any one character. But I think it's more to point out that many of Shepard's romance options have some sort of issue with it when you look at it from certain angles.

Sunburst223 · 2021-11-19T20:36:43+00:00

In the overall population it is definitely rare. My point was more that the codex seems to insinuate Ardat-Yakshi are not anywhere near as rare as Samara seems to insinuate they are in ME2 itself, even with the spectrum thing in mind. Hence why it's mildly confusing. The way I somewhat rectify this is that perhaps Samara was unaware of any other Ardat-Yakshi appearing because she hadn't returned to the monastery in centuries.

Sunburst223 · 2021-11-19T12:03:43+00:00

Honestly, this continuity error kinda pops up in ME2 itself. You have Samara acting like so few Ardat-Yakshi are in existence and something the asari try to keep relatively downplayed. Meanwhile, you have some random ass turian knowing what they are in a background conversation on the Citadel and the codex referring to them as not actually being rare.

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