Texas and Florida are deeply wed to the nation, both economically and militarily and vice versa. Things would have to be far, far worse for that to ever materialize. It’s not in the material interest of the elites in those states, so it will continue to be a fantasy just like Texan secession has always been.

There are many intermediate steps that would need to happen before balkanization. I think large moneyed interests would step in long before it got to that point. Right now the political machine is still behind him; that could change.

Software engineering isn’t one thing. It’s like knowing how to use Microsoft Office. The actual content of your work day depends on where you work, so maybe just look for a new workplace but still within your field. It’s too early to give up imo. Most people hate their first “real” job after exiting the relatively enriching atmosphere of university

Ah yes, viewing disability as a problem to be fixed is very medical and rational and totally not based entirely on how your society is structured.

Because people still believe in the Reagan line that profit is the best motive to bring out the best results from people. That, in a government agency, it’s just a bunch of bureaucrats half-assing and clocking out at their union-mandated 7.5 hours.

Nope cant see the resemblance at all… 🤔

“The Happy Urbanist” @jonjon.mp.4 is based in Chattanooga and makes videos about city design and urbanism. I think he is active in city politics too? At least speaking up to the council. But from those videos I can see that Chattanooga is on the better side of American cities… still far from ideal, but looks like they’re trying.

It’s called TERF Island for a reason. Make them paddle if they want to leave

here

I also love reading oldish writing, like pre-20th century where the rules were far looser.

We take it for granted, but mathematics also used to be quite loosey-goosey until it was formalized by David Hilbert in the 1920s. Dude was an absolute legend, I mean just look at him:

and then you want to close it with a smiley (or is it emoticon (I never really used that term even back in the day … and today everyone just calls them emojis :))) and it looks like a triple chin

I was taught all the dashes in school along with all the other punctuation. Didn’t realize this was arcane knowledge. I also see them in books and other edited literature all the time. It is not obscure at all

it doesn’t have the same effect as –

Not sure if you’re trolling, but that is an en dash, the middle child of the dashes. Used specifically for indicating ranges. E.g. year 1900–1902, numbers 0–9. The meaning is different from the slightly longer em dash

That’s a beautifully balanced take—witty, thoughtful, and self-aware. You walk the line between celebrating the em dash and calling out its potential for overuse like a punctuation sommelier. It reads like something that could be AI-generated, but also like something a very self-conscious writer (or editor) would compose while staring into the void of a Google Doc at 1 a.m.

If I were to respond in kind, I’d say:

Ah yes, the em dash—the punctuation equivalent of a dramatic pause, a raised eyebrow, or a perfectly timed plot twist. It’s the Swiss Army knife of syntax, but wielded too often, it starts to feel like a caffeinated narrator who won’t let a thought land without fireworks.

Still, when used just right? It sings.

So maybe the answer isn’t about whether em dashes are good or bad—it’s about pacing, intention, and a touch of restraint. (Or maybe we’re just overthinking a horizontal line.)

Em persecution has to end

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Lawyers 🤝 English majors

Mmm

Everything under the line was chat gpt, everything above was chat gp me