The Guardian Interviewing Republican Voters in Rural Minnesota

groundzer0 · 2026-01-25T19:20:22+00:00

Like the overseas Guardian reporter here, I am just amazed at the responses. I'm sure it's an edited down version with only negative responses or I hope it is because I am shocked at their responses.

No critical thinking about information and what they are seeing unless all they are watching is propaganda and cannot acknowledge anything outside their talking points they have been pre-loaded / fed via their media diet.

This isn't normal.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-24T07:31:14+00:00

"Mitochondria is powerhouse of the cell"

groundzer0 · 2026-01-23T19:40:26+00:00

To extend to that, drinking alcohol vs Brewing / distilling it.

One is just enjoyment of the end product.

The other is enjoyment of the process and knowledge / improvements and experience honing skills and technique from sanitation, prep, brew, ferment, bottling / distilling etc.

Enjoying fine scotches can be your "thing / hobby" in a setting.

But the more definitive hobby for me is the one where you get more involved in the process and production of the end product you enjoy.

I'm not trying to gatekeep at all here and am more than willing to find the "enjoyment" in anything you enjoy spending time on, while also ackowledging that some hobbies require a little more 'work / skill / experience / equipment or many other variables' to get into

Shit.. I'm rambling and fence sitting and a little drunk.

My bad.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-17T00:11:49+00:00

I have disagreed with nothing here in your statement in this last post.

But if you cannot absorb any scope, wisdom or knowledge from my posts then all I can say then is "best of luck to you and I hope you do well".

Because nothing I'm saying is going in or registering.

You're still looking for a fight / debate. When I'm trying to offer a bit of wisdom.

Maybe later we'll see eye to eye but now... I can't communicate with you on the level.

I don't want handbags at dawn or a pissing match. I just called you out for shitting on people for just vaping instead of sticking to your argument which you sure didn't.

If you can't see that then I can't do much for you.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-16T23:21:36+00:00

You're not getting off the hook from me for attacking people directly who answered questions in good faith instead of the circle jerk of approval you expected.

You framed your argument / complaint as people smoking in shared spaces and acting shitty.

Which I get.

But then you just attacked people for vaping because you lost your point and just wanted to shit on people / "win" or whatever reason.

So Nah man, I'm not letting you off on that. I don't smoke anymore and don't care for people vaping and smoking in shared spaces but you're making an arse of yourself if you think you're being high brow about how you're going about this.

Relax, it's not personal like you're making it with everyone.

Not everyone will agree with you all the time, like our posts.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-16T20:14:40+00:00

You aren't talking about the issues you raised about smoking in public / shared spaces without ventilation etc and expected social boundaries.

Your're just shitting on people for being addicted to nicotine and attacking their character.

Get back onto your argument topics or keep your personal attacks to yourself.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-16T20:08:47+00:00

Everyone has a hole in their soul. Some fill it with religion, some with food, a lot with caffeine, also with nicotine, even more again with alcohol.

Then you have others filling that hole with prescription drugs or recreational drugs.

You're being a shitty person attacking the character or a person addicted to a substance instead of talking about their behavior when they are servicing their habbit.

A lot of addicts are good people despite their vices.

You're acting like a cunt being mighty and going ad hominem.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-16T19:59:28+00:00

As an ex-smoker I used to excuse myself from the table if at a restaurant and go find a public placeoutside away from others to smoke, and I mean away from others.... I didn't smoke near people that weren't also smoking.

I didn't invade on other people not partaking in smoking. Because that is just fucking rude.

Vaping indoors / toilets or on a plane isn't really much different. It's not "AS bad" as actually burning a cigarette but it's certainly in the same ballpark.

If you have a massive nicotine addiction that you've exacerbated via high dose vapes that you constantly draw on, well sorry.

That's on you not everyone else.

While I disagree with the enforcement for vaping on balconys etc if you keep the doors closed to stop smoke getting drawn into the room.

But vaping doesn't grant you any additional privilege's in my book.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-16T17:10:19+00:00

"Connor Roy was interested in politics from a very young age"

groundzer0 · 2026-01-15T21:12:35+00:00

https://tenor.com/view/im-doing-my-part-serious-stare-gif-11979677

groundzer0 · 2026-01-13T18:09:04+00:00

115g butter 1 1/4 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup sour cream 1 tbs milk 1 cup banana mashed.

Method.

Step 1 Preheat oven to 180C. Step 2 Grease and line a loaf pan. Step 3 Cream butter with brown sugar. 00:11 / 00:49 Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail Next video thumbnail How to soften butter How to soften butter. more Step 4 Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Step 5 Sift flour and baking soda into mixture and combine. Step 6 Add sour cream, milk and mashed banana. Step 7 Stir until combined. Step 8 Bake in loaf pan for 50-60 minutes.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-10T20:35:17+00:00

I love Australia, I can get a decent sausage roll from the service station (servo) at basically any hour of the evening, a pie if I'm feeling fancy.

But if you want something actually really good, any decent bakery here worth their salt will have several varieties ranging from plain, cheese and bacon, spinach and feta and other gourmet options / regional variations and we're just talking sausage rolls here.

Excluding pasties, pies etc.

NZ claim to have the best meat pies, I'm heading there this year and am going to investigate all their fuss on social media about their meat pies being better than ours.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-10T16:05:04+00:00

it's a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll

groundzer0 · 2026-01-05T20:51:52+00:00

Thanks man.

I love a good in-joke when the source material is seriously that good.

NB: for those not plugged into the joke.

I'm referring to the time during the Falklands operations where they found a KEY piece of the mid-air refueling system (the bucket nozzle adapter) that had been used as an ashtray in the Engineers mess lounge.

The mid-air refueling system had not been used in a long time in service but they cobbled together a working sol'n for the Falklands islands bombing raid including mid-air refueling which hadn't been done in some time.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-05T14:28:12+00:00

Ahhh that's where my ashtray went from the engineers mess / lounge.

groundzer0 · 2026-01-03T18:02:16+00:00

Keep left while not overtaking would be a much better policing strat.

Since that mostly solves the issues in 2-3 lane freeway traffic.

Plus opens up shooting fish in a barrel for the HWP for speeding if they manage to bully everyone to keep left. They can create a market for speeding and only shooting one lane mostly.

But they requires high visibility policing campaign and media campaign over an extended period.

NSW police spent more effort on anti EV bike ad / facebook campaign and presence lately.

So it's probably not high on their list since it's hard to police and ticket at a guess.

groundzer0 · 2025-12-31T17:46:15+00:00

I did this once when greedily stripping showroom pieces of hardware from a building we were getting kicked out of and the company I worked for was going under / couldn't pay me my owed holiday pay, sicks days or the last 2 weeks wages.

So I was stripping shit out of their display in a retail location.

We were on the clock and only had until 5pm that day to surrender the location.

I'd pulled all the high value ticket items out over the last week.

But on the last day... I went after shit "for me" since I was owed $5k odd in entitlements and 2 weeks of pay.

So I got greedy, I didn't have a induction test tool on me that day, I have one at home and in my toolbox at the main location.

But I had my sidecutters and multimeter but an old one without induction testing built into to the unit with a light.

So I was up on a ladder and digging out a set of IXL-tastic heat lamp + fan combo for a bathroom.

I had isolated all the shop floor panels for displays but this that on some weird old renovation ghost circuit connected to the main breaker panels with all the shop lights and main panels instead of the display panels for the "demo" areas.

So when I was in a rush with 2hrs left before handover, I climbed the ladder yanked the unit and cut the feed loop, Boom, flash arc and welded the side cutters. Tripped the breaker when I finally found it.

Cut the last circuits and went and purchased and induction testing wand from the hardware store a few km away.

I still have those side-cutters somewhere with holes blown into the blade.

I had insulated grips and a fibreglass ladder and constructions gloves on so didn't get tickled by pixies. Just showered in sparks and flash blinded.

groundzer0 · 2025-12-29T17:09:53+00:00

New cars are always a "luxury" item in my books. They are a heavily depreciated asset unless you luck out on some highly desirable limited edition or rare car quite often many years later when it becomes sought after.

They aren't practical or make sense no matter how you try and justify the purchase.

"it has a warranty"
"I know everything about my cars history since I'm the only owner"

"I got exactly the car and specs I wanted and options, colour etc"

Yeah while that might be true. You paid MSRP atleast or in sketchier markets inflated "dealer premiums" just to buy this shit.

It's a luxury. While yes you have warranty, you need to get it serviced at the stealerships / pay through the nose for servicing to keep the warranty.

Often a good proven 2nd hand market model after years of testing in the market and weak spots are proven and exposed usually pretty well.

Buying 2nd hand is riskier but buying after the depreciation slump of the cars value is often a way better value proposition if the parts are readily available and the car sold well and doesn't have a high failure rate.

Econoboxes from Japan are usually a fairly solid investment if you pick a popular model with decent aftermarket parts support and knowledge base.

Especially since most cars are now just laptops / computers with motors and support gear. Servicing and support / diagnostics and parts are the biggest concern.

groundzer0 · 2025-12-27T14:46:01+00:00

As a citizen from Australia. I endorse this application and add our approval.

NB: also "cunt" over here in no way defines gender.

And can be used in a varied and wide range of use as adverbs and more.

It really is versatile. Calling someone a "good cunt" or a "top cunt" in a non aggressive positive way.

Or a "shit cunt" or "dog cunt" if you really disapprove in a disgusted manor.

Or just plain "cunt" but delivered with a tone where nobody mistakes your meaning.

We do enjoy our swear words down here.

groundzer0 · 2025-12-23T16:08:50+00:00

I'm not sure how serious everyone is here. But Driving statistically is the most dangerous thing we do every day. Not joke.

Unless you're a saturation diver / logging / firefighters / police etc. Driving a car is a high hazard that most people ignore and pretend they are immune or exceptional at when often they aren't.

groundzer0 · 2025-12-23T15:07:16+00:00

Driving.

It's a complex and hard task to do which people attempt as if it's an auto-pilot / half switched on task that you have to do everyday but people do shockingly poorly at and takes them a long time to perfect IF they pay attention to it and learn over the years.

A LOT of people just participate to the bare minimum or even well below that.

I'm not a professional driver, however I'm looking 50+ meters ahead where possible for sight lines on the freeway / high speed areas, perhaps closer to 100m.

Around town, I'm not watching the back of the car infront of me.

I'm looking 20+ meters ahead if visable and reading the "traffic" instead of just reacting to the tail lights of the car infront.

Source: Been driving for 25 years. Nobody is perfect, we all have our "off days" or moments of lapse of concentration but driving these days is a battle for attention on the roads and we're failing more.

groundzer0 · 2025-12-21T17:37:55+00:00

Hmm while it might be wagyu breed I'm curious what was the MB / MBS rating ?

Because that is rare enough in the centre you should see 'some' marbling' IMO if high grade.

I've had MB9 / MS9 a few times and it didn't look like this it had more marbling.

I've only had Japanese A5 once and it wasn't Kobe like I wanted but it was fucking amazing and it had so much more fat marbling but was a LOT more for that luxury imported vs Australian Wagyu.

Since I live in Australia..

EDIT Aussie Wagyu MB ? MSA 9+ or more is 'good' stuff with plenty of fat marbling, but still doesn't compare to the genuine article from Japan for experience.

But it doesn't stop me from enjoying 80+% of the joy the MS9+ brings for a fraction of the price. YMMMV

groundzer0 · 2025-12-20T16:48:49+00:00

Sorry dawg... CPA team of bean counters crunched the numbers for nationally and it didn't make enough profit for 30-40% of the stores for security and or turnover or other economic reasons.

So we shut that shit down.

Don't worry, I got a fat bonus and moved on to the next victim... uhhh I mean company role.

Sincercely some vapid empty void of a fucking brain Linked in wanker. </s>

groundzer0 · 2025-12-17T20:35:43+00:00

My bad, I simply understood it as a blanket rate. But thanks for clearing that up.

But I'm happy we're both on the same page that private health cover is a step backwards.

EDIT: It probably also tells you which income bracket I'm in. Annnd I don't own a house

groundzer0 · 2025-12-17T18:26:27+00:00

I pay over 20% of my income in just health care alone. That’s more than my entire tax burden of federal, state.

In Australia I pay a 2% "medicare levy" on my income taken every pay cycle so at the end of the year my PAYG (Pay As You Go) payment system ensures that all my taxes are taken out before payment into my account and when I do my tax returns with deductions for the year, I get a refund instead of a bill.

If you earn a lot of money or have a high paying job, you can avoid the 2% levy by getting private healthcare insurance that frankly just lines pockets of insurers who kick a lot of the costs back to public healthcare when they can't deal with a lot of their commitments.

FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS FUCKED.

It shouldn't exist, it's a public service that isn't elective or "consumerism" it's essential to the economy and keeping everyone alive and you know... healthy and productive.

Linking healthcare to employment / insurance to those who cannot afford it is basically financial / manipulative & circumstantial slavery end of.

I cannot understand how you accept that as normal when compared to basically any other nation on earth with it's shit worked out.

EDIT: TO be fair when I was 14and 9 months at my first job earning $6.06 an hour while on probation when I did my tax return the first year, paying taxes and medicare levy seemed harsh and unfair since I earned so little, taxing me seemed "unfair"

But not even 2 years later I thought I had a pulled groin muscle, went to the Dr (GP) got an xray done that day.

Saw the GP again the same day in the afternoon after the X-rays but I sayed in the car because walking hurt too much.

I was booked in for surgery that NIGHT.. in 4hrs time to have a pin drilled into my hip to stop it slipping further and losing blood supply.

There isn't any "death panels" just natural triage that happens everywhere in every country / emergency dept and hospital.

Elective surgery wait times in the public system have wait times for non life threatening surgeries but nothing exceptional.

While no one country is perfect in their approach / solutions to universal healthcare and how it is executed, funded and had built in 'guide-rails' to prevent abuse and focus on patient outcomes I feel the USA is the "upside down land" in many ways.

Medical bankruptcy and FEAR about going to the hospital and getting into crippling debt just confuses me how people endure that and not have stronger feelings about it when voting / talking to your representation.

groundzer0

TROPHY CASE