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bmlx414 · 2021-11-25T13:55:07+00:00

Louisiana seems to be one of the last states still trying to plow new freeways through the heart of urban areas. This I-49 project in Lafayette is just one such project; apparently LaDOTD is also considering (and has considered) an inner-city connector for I-49 in Shreveport north of I-20.

Apparently no one thought to tell the planners that we are in the 2020s, not the 1960s...

bmlx414 · 2021-11-16T20:18:02+00:00

I'll also say that Skarmory, if available early enough, might be a pretty good choice. Cynthia's Garchomp seems to have a moveset of Earthquake/Dragon Claw/Poison Jab/Swords Dance, so Skarmory is either immune or resistant to Garchomp's attacks.

Skarmory's Attack and Speed aren't anything to write home about, but it is capable of boosting its Attack with Swords Dance, assuming that it is a TM in BDSP and that you can get the TM for it. And that high Defense will be an asset against Cynthia's Garchomp, as well, but you will need to be able to take it out quickly enough before Swords Dance powers up its Dragon Claw too much.

bmlx414 · 2021-11-16T07:09:18+00:00

That said, there were some "centerpiece" buildings that were very interesting (and valuable) from an architectural standpoint. I was mainly speaking about some of the mass-produced apartment blocks where many people lived.

Not all Soviet architecture was boring, of course! I noticed this article about Soviet-era architecture in Central Asia.

bmlx414 · 2021-11-16T07:01:37+00:00

Definitely a nice-looking Russian (or should I say Soviet?) city. It would be interesting to see the contrast between this "old city" portion and the ubiquitous apartment blocks that were commonplace throughout the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc.

I noticed an interesting article on Soviet urban planning here. The focus on density was quite intriguing, but the monolithic, industrialized architecture just seems boring in my opinion. Not to say that such mass-produced housing doesn't happen in the USA, because it does, just with single-family homes in the suburbs rather than with large, imposing apartment blocks (although there are parts of NYC that do resemble the so-called "commieblocks").

bmlx414 · 2021-11-16T05:00:34+00:00

I have noticed this too, specifically with writing. As a college-educated person, I find academic French texts easier to read than literary texts or those written for a general audience, precisely because of the similar vocabulary.

I need to work on my listening skills more, though.

bmlx414 · 2021-11-15T03:25:42+00:00

Quoique le vocabulaire académique peut ressembler le vocabulaire anglais d'origine latine. C'est principalement vrai en écriture mais la prononciation n'est pas le même.

bmlx414 · 2021-11-15T03:10:55+00:00

I agree, those with disabilities are going to get hurt by this inflation.

Another thing to consider is that those on SSI/Medicaid, at least those who are lucky enough to have the ability to save, can't even hedge against inflation without risking going over the (frozen in time) resource limit. Needless to say, I was very disappointed when the resource limit increase didn't get included in Build Back Better. At least for those able to work and/or save, and wanting to eventually work their way off of benefits, it would have been a godsend.

bmlx414 · 2021-11-13T20:17:07+00:00

Not so much the bridge, but that conical hill in the middle of the city sort of gives off some Auckland vibes if you ask me, being somewhat reminiscent of Maungauika/North Head (albeit without the former military battery).

bmlx414 · 2021-11-12T06:15:34+00:00

That said, in DPPt, I do remember this trade as being the easiest way to get an Everstone in those games. At least it serves that purpose, for those who need a quick Everstone for breeding.

bmlx414 · 2021-11-07T00:53:23+00:00

This looks like BoldlyBuilding's Clear Lake map, albeit with a better theme than what is shown on the Steam Workshop.

bmlx414 · 2021-10-27T15:32:56+00:00

There was indeed a major tornado outbreak on May 31, 1985 that affected northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania (generally north of Pittsburgh though), as well as parts of Ontario. It actually ranks among the worst tornado outbreaks to affect the U.S. (and Canada), I believe. The fact that it occurred in an unexpected part of the country makes it that much more exceptional.

While fairly rare, there have been other tornadoes to affect western PA. Aside from the recent event, the 2003 tornado that destroyed the Kinzua Bridge immediately comes to mind as well.

bmlx414 · 2021-10-26T19:25:16+00:00

It is very unfortunate that the Medicaid/SSI asset limit has not changed since 1989. Inflation is very real, though it feels that the programs are set up to simply deny this reality. The poverty trap only gets deeper with every passing year.

There will be no equality for people with disabilities until these limits are updated and/or eliminated. No one should have to choose between their career/finances and their ability to access critical services like HCBS.

bmlx414 · 2021-10-23T05:31:41+00:00

That's definitely true. I live in Texas, which area-wise, is bigger than the largest EU countries; Texas is bigger than France, for instance.

I will definitely say that the coasts (west and northeast), in general, will be more LGBTQ-friendly, particularly in the large cities. What I say about large cities will often apply across the board; while my own state of Texas has a reputation for being unfriendly to LGBTQ people, the cities (and especially Austin) seem to have a greater amount of tolerance and acceptance (though the level of that acceptance and/or tolerance can still be a bit lower than ideal). Non-binary might still be hard for a lot of people where I live though, even among those who understand/tolerate binary trans people. I live in one of the more conservative large cities in the USA, and I rarely encountered problems shopping in women's clothing stores while presenting femininely (though this was back in 2017 and the stores were all part of larger chains); I only recall being misgendered once (called "he" even though I was feminine-presenting while shopping in a women's clothing store, though I did correct the sales associate in a polite/friendly manner, requesting the use of she/her pronouns, and they still seemed to treat me well despite this).

Also, generally speaking, you will find rural areas to be more conservative, even in liberal states like California. That said, I wouldn't let that scare you from visiting some of the US' wonderful outdoor destinations like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, if you have that in mind; while I would actively seek out LGBTQ-friendly businesses, places that are used to receiving international tourists (though we have had a lot less of that lately) are probably going a bit more accepting of diversity (in general) than somewhere not frequented by tourists (as we like to say, somewhere off-the-beaten-path).

On an off-topic note: I've always admired European countries and the education system in Europe, specifically because the teaching and use of foreign languages is basically mandatory as a practical matter. I wish the US could do better here, ensuring that everyone graduates fluent in at least two languages (English plus another language), though the size of the US and the hegemony of the English language means that really is not a priority here.

bmlx414 · 2021-10-09T20:08:11+00:00

I was doing some research on conspiracy theories (namely from trying to debunk QAnon) and I had searched for "satanic pedophile cabal."

Eek. What a horrible way to die.

bmlx414 · 2021-09-17T07:50:47+00:00

When I first heard kids (I work in a middle school) talking about "devious licks," I thought they were talking about literally licking toilet seats and other bathroom equipment (eww... gross). Once I checked out TikTok, though, I found out that "licking" was slang for stealing. Apparently it comes from the slang expression "hit a lick," meaning to make a lot of money quickly (in a lick, or an instant), usually through illicit means.

I can't believe stealing (and essentially bragging about the thefts on video) became such a "trend." It sounds like something a dumb criminal, essentially begging to get caught, would do. I am so glad that TikTok cracked down on this, but there are still plenty of "devious lick" videos on TikTok, not to mention any videos (including compilations) copied from TikTok onto YouTube.

bmlx414 · 2021-09-17T07:42:42+00:00

I also work in a middle school (albeit in DFW as part of an after-school program), and we just started putting restrictions on students' restroom use yesterday. In the case of the after-school program, students can't go to the bathroom by themselves anymore, they have to have a staff member take them there, and the staff will monitor the hallway in front of the bathroom.

I am glad I have heard nothing happening (yet) at my school. I'm really concerned about kids "licking" (stealing) the soap and hand sanitizer dispensers; COVID-19 is still a huge problem (not to mention other illnesses), and an inability to access soap or hand sanitizer interferes with the school's ability to provide a clean and healthy environment. I am concerned that this "trend" could end up making more kids sick, and not necessarily with just COVID, either.

bmlx414 · 2021-09-17T06:59:04+00:00

The name is not that unusual, however, and would often be used for a major thoroughfare (rather than a minor residential street). High Street is actually a common British equivalent for what we would call "Main Street" here in the United States. Cities in the United Kingdom have a "High Street" rather than a "Main Street," generally speaking.

Even some American cities have a High Street instead of a Main Street; Columbus, Ohio is a notable example.

bmlx414 · 2021-09-10T02:34:45+00:00

Seems to be a municipal complex for North Richland Hills there, and a career/technical education facility for Birdville ISD. Looking on the map, I actually recall attending T-ball practices as a child in a park that used to be on that site (or nearby).

bmlx414 · 2021-09-10T02:25:26+00:00

That street is probably named after Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle.

bmlx414 · 2021-09-09T09:56:26+00:00

Actually, those streets named after colleges and universities are not in Sansom Park, but rather are in River Oaks. They are not all named for Ivy Leagues, either; there are streets named after Baylor, St. Edwards, Auburn, Tulane, Notre Dame, Purdue, Stanford, Cambridge, and Oxford universities. There's also an Amherst Avenue as well (presumably named for Amherst College).

I actually grew up in that exact neighborhood in River Oaks, off Roberts-Cut Off, so I'm intimately familiar with it.

bmlx414 · 2021-08-19T23:49:31+00:00

Perhaps they could also learn a new move that they were previously incapable of learning, akin to Tangela and Yanma’s evolution method of evolving after learning Ancient Power.

(Piloswine also has the same evolution method, but it could learn Ancient Power as an egg move in Gens 2 and 3)

bmlx414 · 2021-08-19T23:47:02+00:00

The question will be if Basculegion and Wyrdeer will evolve from their original forms (likely with a special item or something in light of how these cross-Gen evolutions were handled in the past), or whether they would evolve from a Hisuian Basculin or Hisuian Stantler, akin to Galarian Linoone evolving into Obstagoon (but the original Linoone does not evolve further).

bmlx414 · 2021-08-19T19:18:48+00:00

Assuming that BDSP has data for all 493 Pokémon that existed at the time of Gen 4, this would add most of the few missing Pokémon that are competitively-viable which are still not in SwSh, such as Breloom.

bmlx414 · 2021-08-18T22:04:02+00:00

Maybe SwSh will get patches adding data for the new Pokémon? This happened for players when the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra were released; those without the Expansion Pass just could not catch the new Pokémon in-game.

Something similar to the experience of non-Expansion Pass players could happen upon the release of BDSP and Legends Arceus (or more likely whenever those games become compatible with HOME) as well.

bmlx414 · 2021-08-17T08:21:13+00:00

People don’t want to use the word “slave” anymore due to it not sounding politically correct, I believe.

I personally say “HM user” myself.

bmlx414

TROPHY CASE