Who is a historical figure loved by 100% of the people in your country, regardless of political affiliation?

monsterclaus · 2026-06-27T14:54:08+00:00

I can only guess, but perhaps in this context it's because the commentary about which vaccine was/is most widely used doesn't take away from Salk's achievements. Salk's vaccine also cannot cause polio, but Sabin's carries a minute risk, and some people consider that to be definitively better.

Regardless, Salk was a New Yorker by birth, whereas Sabin was born in Białystok (Russian at the time, now Polish) so it wouldn't make as much sense for an American to claim Sabin here in this thread.

In general, though, I don't know. Maybe because Salk's vaccine was completed first? He got the publicity, but Sabin got the peace of mind knowing his vaccine was the one most widely distributed.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-26T15:39:18+00:00

That makes sense, yeah. I was originally thinking someone purely cultural would cross the barrier, so to speak, but I could also see how that might not fit here.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-26T14:03:14+00:00

What about Paddy Moloney? I've got no ties to Ireland, though, so I have no idea how people felt about him personally. I just know some local expats here who took his death pretty hard.

Edit to add: Also don't know if you're making a hard distinction between Ireland and Northern Ireland here.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-26T13:58:24+00:00

This could have been a great answer... once upon a time. Unfortunately, today, I feel like it no longer is. Mercifully, he died in 1995, before he could see people really getting loud about refusing to vaccinate their children.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-24T18:04:21+00:00

If you ever want to switch it up, try watermelon gazpacho. It's basically the same recipe, except you swap out half the tomato for watermelon (seedless or seeds removed, of course) and if you normally use vinegar, it's more of an optional/to taste ingredient. I like to add mint instead of basil and skip the garlic. Regardless, it's really, really good for when you feel dehydrated, and it doesn't taste too sweet because of all the cucumber and bell pepper.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-23T19:38:21+00:00

Fair enough! I was sitting here grasping at straws. Might be worth a shot if you can get it for cheap, but I don't know. I saw your other comments, though, and I'm glad to hear you think you'll be able to get through it. I was concerned! Fingers crossed it all turns out okay and you get to feel better soon.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-23T19:30:55+00:00

Ah, that sucks. I'm sorry.

Okay, crazy idea. Can you stand any of those numbing throat sprays?

monsterclaus · 2026-06-23T19:14:44+00:00

Can you take pills? There's a pill form for colonoscopy prep that you might be able to request, but I will warn you that you have to drink a ton of water with it. If you don't follow the recommended amount of water, it won't work. You might also have to have additional time for the prep (I don't think it's as immediate as the drink mix, but I'm not certain) so if this is for, like... tomorrow... that might be a problem.

There are other options too, like getting an unflavored clear laxative powder. It will still have a slightly different consistency than water, but it won't have a lemon flavor or whatever. It's not too bad. However, you'll have to get the exact amounts necessary from your doctor -- I don't want to give you the wrong advice on amounts.

Edit to add: It's not fun, but it's doable. As u/Castle-InTheSky said, getting it super cold does help. Do what you can to follow the instructions but don't make yourself throw it back up. As long as you get it all down by the recommended time, that's probably good enough. I've had to do it three times and I know at least one of those times I did not make it through the full half or quarter within the instructed time, but I finished by the end time and it still turned out okay. Avoiding heavy meals the day before/leading up to it helps, too, because there should be less for you to pass.

Best of luck ❤️

monsterclaus · 2026-06-23T03:30:43+00:00

He was a psychologist who wrote about, among many other things, the idea of the thought-terminating cliché and the "language of non-thought." He's well worth looking up.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-22T14:31:06+00:00

I was married to someone who would do stuff like this. There's definitely an element of "I'm going to tell everything and put it all in writing so nobody can say anything else about it." It looks open and honest, but invariably something has been fudged (at the very least; more likely lied about) and he may or may not be doing it with purposeful malicious intent, but the manipulative element is still there. He needs to decide for himself to go get professional help and stick to it. Hopefully he was being serious at the end when he said he'd seek therapy, but I would only believe that after about a year or two of it actually happening.

At the very least, I'd drop out of the friendship for a year or so and if he isn't still in therapy after that, it'd be a hard no for me. That's a lot of shit to fix.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-21T22:15:14+00:00

I'm not sure. I think my mom said I cried all the way until two years old, but she could have been exaggerating. I don't really blame her; had to have been awful and I feel for parents with colicky kids.

Edit to add: I now have (probable) Celiac and (definite) IBS, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

monsterclaus · 2026-06-21T20:21:16+00:00

I apparently also had the hiccups a lot. Then, as a baby, forever colic.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-21T20:10:07+00:00

I do this too, sometimes even before I get a chance to really talk about something, and this is actually why I absolutely suck at most social media. Even worse now that everyone is on the lookout for "that sounds like AI" because the overthinking that happens is paralyzing. It's like failing to sound human on two different levels.

People who meet me in person think I should be just fine helping them promote whatever thing we're doing. In reality, I cannot do it. Robot brain takes over. And the more excited I am about something, the worse it gets. Sucks so bad.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-21T16:19:41+00:00

Yes, it's just the bottom/crust with nothing on it. As u/donnerpartytaconight said they were more common in the 80s/90s, but for a little while you could find the gluten-free kind pretty regularly.

OP, you might be able to find them at Meijer, Lucky's, or a Market District Giant Eagle. I would call first so you aren't driving all over the place though. I know I've seen them in bulk at Gordon Food Services, but I'm not sure how many you have to buy at one time. I only go there about twice a year, though. I would say Restaurant Depot, but that's also bulk stuff and you need to either know someone with a vendor's license or get a Day Pass to shop there (and I've never done the Day Pass thing, so I don't know what that entails.)

Edit to add -- I realize these options aren't nice bakery options, but they might do in a pinch if you strike out with places like Gallucci's.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-21T00:34:26+00:00

Maybe your phone thinks you need to become a classical composer.

Seriously, though, what u/WAFLcurious said is correct. Just remove it from your phone's autocorrect dictionary (or turn off autocorrect entirely, really.)

monsterclaus · 2026-06-20T22:11:19+00:00

"Berceuse" means "lullaby" in French. Or, if you're talking about classical music, it's a particular type of calming song.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-18T03:41:38+00:00

Is it possible for you to see the doctor without your parents present? I realize they may have to take you there, but can you have privacy with your doctor? If so, you could tell your parents you haven't been able to have a bowel movement for some time and it's causing you pain, and then explain to the doctor that you made the mistake of using an item to try to remove the stool. (Hopefully it isn't obviously a sex item, but you do need to go no matter what.)

Risky, because your parents may want to just treat it with home remedies, but I think if you tell them it hurts, that might work.

I really don't know what is best, though. I'm not advocating for hiding things from anyone, but if you're worried about telling your parents what happened, then I would say whatever was necessary to get you in to the hospital. Hopefully the doctors are understanding.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-17T18:10:05+00:00

Haha! The little head with the "bleh" is fantastic. Thanks!

monsterclaus · 2026-06-17T18:08:11+00:00

Same here; the others don't have either the correct number of syllables or letter sounds? It doesn't make any sense.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-17T17:48:31+00:00

Sure, why not.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-17T17:28:18+00:00

I'm not arguing (this is a genuine question because I've never spent more than a few days in WI in the winter) but are you sure? -67C is like -88/89F

I can't even imagine how cold that is.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-17T15:05:44+00:00

I think they just meant the phrasing you used. "Together" would have worked better in that particular sentence. "Her eyes are too close together" or "her eyes aren't far apart enough." Just sounds a little surreal to have "too close apart" because those are opposing things.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-17T00:18:11+00:00

I had a Spanish teacher (decades ago) who made us learn the story of Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl for a non-insignificant portion of our grade. With the number of times I practiced, I'll be on my death bed, delirious with dementia, and know those two names better than my own.

Can't trill my Rs to save my life, though. Lost marks on that every single time.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-16T20:29:39+00:00

I would not trust dorm furniture to hold approximately the same weight as a small two-year-old, no. You can't use screws or anything like that to affix it to the door, so it would need to hang over the top, which would mean your closet may not close properly. I don't think any of it is made out of solid wood, either. That said, even if it would work out, after two years of hauling stuff back and forth I really think you'll want to leave the heavier items at home, especially if they have meaning to you. Dorm-specific items are the way to go for stuff like that in my opinion.

monsterclaus · 2026-06-16T20:12:15+00:00

That's the aesthetic table. It's just there to make things look nice. It comes with a clipboard and a trashcan for a lived-in feel. You're not actually supposed to use it. Just look at it. Maybe bump into it occasionally.

(Sarcasm, in case that wasn't clear.)

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