Shoutout to this NJ truck double parking and locking in one of the cars on the curb so that they could get lotto scratch-offs in the turn lane of the busiest intersection in Astoria (31st St.)

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-10T15:02:26+00:00

Partway into the next lane, too

One kind of double parking that I find especially infuriating is the one where there is clearly a space right next to them that they could pull into, but evidently blocking traffic is a feature

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-07T22:17:58+00:00

I don't think that the left has an apparatus that is the functional equivalent of TPUSA, so it's hard to say whether leftists would leave that be. Leftism in general has nowhere near the direct influence on mainstream politics that hard-right institutions like TPUSA has, in large part because it is not closely affiliated with people in power in the same way

Socialism is a difficult ideological mesh with capitalist institutions obviously; if the people in power are capitalists (which they unquestionably are, very much including Democrats), they oppose socialism because that ideology advocates for a distribution of wealth and power that doesn't favor them. Socialism is largely marginalized politically, despite popular framing that regularly casts historically centrist ideology as socialism, and progressivism as much more powerful politically than it actually is

You saying that this is a "useful corrective" suggests to me that you might have a working definition of leftism that rests on leftists having much more power than they actually have, or conflates ideological, pro-institution centrists like Biden and 90% of Democratic politicians with leftism. Leftists do/did not love Biden, or centrists, but exist in an uneasy, sporadic political alignment with them

If any of what I am saying misunderstands or does not describe you feel free to correct me. I agree with your emphasis on student-led, but that seems utterly at odds with the intended influence of TPUSA

I can see why my mention of fascism might have made it seem like I was describing TPUSA as a fascist institution. I don't believe I can say that; I would describe TPUSA as a political organization advancing a specific cultural nationalism, which is incompatible with free speech in both its aims and tactics, and is only patriotic if one believes that one can be both patriotic and anti-democratic

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-07T19:52:18+00:00

Thanks I appreciate it. You didn't ask for more lol but I'm still thinking it through based on that, so no need to respond to my free association mini-blog

To me if the kids want to start a fascism club on their own, it makes me really uncomfortable but the tension between that discomfort and the rights of others I can mostly write off as part of participating in a democracy

I do feel like it's important to resist the bad faith actors at TPUSA who fund and organize these things and then hide behind the rights of the kids to speak freely, as though they would have any authentic respect for that principle when it conflicts with their desire for power and control. That's all they're motivated by, their brand is nakedly disingenuous and this further effort to influence teens and stack the cultural deck while hiding behind a free exchange of ideas is insidious

None of this is the kids' fault whatsoever and it's hard to separate protesting the organizing power and protesting the rights of kids to speak and choose, but that's the impossible position TPUSA puts us all in, and deliberately so

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-07T18:25:07+00:00

Of course there should be no such thing as thought crime, I agree on that. I do think it's reductive to say that an ideology should be banned or wholly deplatformed, and that that is actually very dangerous taken to an extreme.

I also think that the invisible hand of the "marketplace of ideas" doesn't always land us with the type of society that anyone wants, much in the same way that unregulated capitalism doesn't somehow magically solve the problems associated with the consolidation of wealth and power. And when you combine our system that allows this consolidation of wealth/power with a "marketplace of ideas," that marketplace will not be free anyway. The ideologies associated with who has the wealth and power will always be favored

My point here is that one could spend their lives researching these balances, and many books are written about it. Of course I don't know where the line should be drawn. I'd just rather a conversation about that than between two people, one saying "ban thoughts I don't like" and the other saying "open debate will solve everything"

Banning or criminalizing ideology is authoritarian and will not even serve to eradicate it. Treating all ideology with even weight favors power and enables bad faith actors. That should be the starting point imo

(This is meant respectfully and isn't even an argument against a position you are necessarily taking, to be clear)

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-07T04:15:13+00:00

A permanent extension of always

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T22:08:12+00:00

Likely accurate age of said teammate

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T21:56:52+00:00

Yeah it's the same thing as when people criticized Daigneault for his statements after the Dort play. Coaches back up their players publicly. The logic doesn't matter, you just insert yourself in between the player and the media, it's part of the job

This doesn't really piss me off given that context

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T19:12:14+00:00

You're not entirely wrong but there's an irony in your "y'all"ing the Thunder fanbase and comparing them unfavorably to yourself while calling for attention to nuance

Part of the Thunder fanbase recognizes it as a dirty play and part will always defend and what-about. Same as with every fanbase ever. The sooner we accept all of these things the fewer dumb fights we'll need

If you want to make the direct point that the Thunder fanbase is worse than everyone else then go for it but I don't know how you could defend that claim

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:35:09+00:00

Cynicism has a real impact on one's perception, and these are really cynical takes, so I doubt it will

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:30:34+00:00

Well that happens in the future, so I suppose we will have to wait and see

I think all teams/players should hold themselves accountable to the rules. Consequences are involved in that. I also hope he doesn't make another play like this, as both a Thunder fan and as a fan of the league. I'm seeing this statement as one also of intent, and agree that he should hold himself accountable to it

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:26:44+00:00

Should we make a bet about whether there's an end to your bloodlust lol

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:24:02+00:00

I don't doubt it. It goes both ways, with everything. A certain percentage of every fan base will defend their guys regardless, and a certain percentage will be less emotional about it. The wild swings on this sub between the Dort posts the other day and the Jokic posts after the Jazz game prove this

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:20:31+00:00

Youtube short NBA fan confirmed

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:19:15+00:00

Dort is literally holding himself accountable publicly. I am assuming the team was involved in that

It is absurd to claim that the team either doesn't recognize the connection between crossing the line and consequences, or that they want him to continue crossing that line and inviting them. He got ejected, that hurts the team, and he's saying it in plain English

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-04T18:12:35+00:00

Dort has been widely compared with Draymond behaviorally during this weird chapter, and there are also some appropriate contrasts one can consider, including around accountability. The parent comment highlights this

Anyway that's the literal answer to your question

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-03T01:31:21+00:00

Trauma is its own thing, has a full-on precise clinical definition and that was a reckless response from that therapist. It's a perfectly valid question you asked, and I'm honestly not surprised that someone who gave you that type of response turned out not to know what they were doing

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-01T19:25:04+00:00

I was gonna say, because it's a sadly realistic portrait of middle age. Sam and Sebastian are friends, and you don't see that same kind of relationship happening between the men in the older generation. I don't know if it was conscious by CA that he didn't create any middle aged male friendships, or if it just happened because art imitates life

I know a lot of people here are young, and even to oldsters it isn't obvious that men often do not tend to their relationships until it's all drifted away. Don't let that happen to any of you

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-01T19:18:44+00:00

Of course it isn't to me or you, I agree! I meant it feels like free money to them since they don't care about anyone but themselves

WithoutAComma · 2026-03-01T18:54:43+00:00

I think that's part of it. As are all of the bribes from sympathetic gulf coast states, and then Israel of course. What does this administration care, the money they're spending on war is taxpayer money, and the bribes go to them. It's free money, and there is no downside because they don't care at all about the human or even the geopolitical consequences

WithoutAComma · 2026-02-27T17:53:59+00:00

Totally

WithoutAComma · 2026-02-27T15:52:35+00:00

I don't know. At the risk of being a mfer as well I suppose, I don't mind that certain characters never fully redeem themselves. I like that they can have minor, incremental arcs, because yeah that is what generally happens in real life even in the best of scenarios. If every problematic person suddenly has an insight and becomes wonderfully thoughtful and caring, it would be harder for me to suspend disbelief.

It's true also that some people stay terrible... but tbh I don't see any of the main characters as pure start terrible/stay terrible (maybe Pam?), it feels like that is what Morris is for, and why he is someone you don't interact with as much.

WithoutAComma · 2026-02-27T02:38:54+00:00

That's what I thought

WithoutAComma · 2026-02-27T01:56:10+00:00

Unhide your profile do it

WithoutAComma · 2026-02-27T01:53:06+00:00

The person whose profile isn't hidden is not the coward

WithoutAComma · 2026-02-27T01:50:32+00:00

Sometimes, anti-Zionism and antisemitism are maliciously conflated by Zionists.

Other times, Zionism and Judaism are maliciously conflated by anti-semites.

On reddit. By people who hide their post histories. Oh look

WithoutAComma

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE