Joltzdude thought the movie was pretty bad, with few good moments. He’s one of the most wholesome people I’ve ever run across, and a massive Borderlands nerd. So while I normally try to make my own decisions on these things, I am willing to bet it was pretty bad.

When an individual does that, they are doing so with a clear choice that they made. In a war, men die and leave families behind, and because they chose to defend their country, they are used to defend the interests of those with long swords and heavy sticks. They die without a choice far too often because they were tricked into believing they defend their homes.

All too often they’re forced into conflict that has very little to do with that choice. If our military didn’t try so hard to coerce and trick younger people into joining and thus being forced into conflict, I would be a bit less resentful and hateful towards the practice. That, however, is not the case.

War is death. There is no glory. There is no pride. None of them are heroes by choice, and many never feel like heroes after their friends die by their side.

War is violence. A desire of man to take with force the independence of a people and exchange that for subservience under the guise of land, resources, need.

Young people are tricked to serve. Recruited to become servants, coerced through deceit to don colors and weapons. Made to repeat mistakes because smaller men want and are not freely given. To solely defend and defy the overreaching end of a tyrant’s sword is to fight for reason earned from treachery and desire.

Humanity is not defined by grief. We are defined by the selfless acts of love and kindness in the darkest hours. Make no mistake; monsters do exist, and the worst are never the ones in harm’s way.

Tip: Always write over things you don’t want seen in the same color they were originally written in, if you can’t completely redact it. This fucks with our brain’s ability to distinguish a pattern, which is all reading really is anyway.

Good on you for calling your Mom.

I did say “some serious and not serious suggestions”. :P

Dude, stop getting defensive. Most people aren’t trying to directly belittle you, they’re offering suggestions. It’s okay to take them at pace, my dude. You are allowed to say “I wasn’t able to pick it up due to some long term complications. Man though, dat price. Woo.”

Some serious and not serious suggestions: You could call to order and pay over the phone and then request someone bring it out and place it in the trunk. You could put a couple masks on which will filter a decent portion of the smell. Walk backwards into the wind while carrying it. If your daughter is old enough and you trust her, perhaps she could have gotten it.

There are options. You posted this to point out and complain about the pricing, then get defensive when others point out how to make it cheaper. Most of us are reasonably sure you didn’t apply a coupon, for instance. Did you consider calling and asking if they could wrap the box in plastic wrap to mostly eliminate the smell, and apologize while explaining why? All we got is “Pizza smell too strong. Daughter picky. So pricy.” We get you have an issue and that is shitty though like of course people will offer ways to deal.

That said, I am sorry you’re going through a difficult time. It’s clear we aren’t aware of everything you’ve had to give up. I hope it gets better.

Just saying, it may be wise to engage in acts of patience given the risk of the current climate. Hold him accountable after we get over the current hurdle. Like, keep it in your back pocket. We should hold advantages where we can and come together. That’s all. A sorta strategic focus to eliminate issues one at a time without dividing energy or people. Because I think the larger opinion is the same, we just differ on what to focus on first.

If you want Joe to win, I’d probably stop using that label for awhile. Make it easier to, y’know, do that thing.

Oh god that reminds me of an old boss. I’m the type to sit in meetings and listen. Taking in everything and asking few questions/making few statements. I got pulled aside one afternoon and asked, “Why aren’t you participating in the meetings? You hardly speak up and sit there looking bored.” So after a few minutes of this talk I absolutely began asking the actual hard questions that I used to water down while putting in applications on the side.

Got pulled into a meeting a couple months (and several interviews) later on some email discussion I forwarded as way of explanation for a situation I was loosely involved with. The other email participant and I had a very strong relationship and because of that some professionalism fell off. Nothing truly informal. More khakis than dress pants if you will. Anyway, they tried slapping me with the old dreaded formal warning not over the situation, over “my tone used with another professional”, so I pulled out the undated and unsigned notice I had been carrying around since that initial talk.

Anyway, story went on longer than expected. Point is, sometimes you’re fucked either way.

Moreover, the community is absolutely fantastic. Literally just a bunch of half-drunk space dwarves having a good time.