This is a headline representative of our world in the year 2018

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 01/11/2018 at 18:14 • Filed to: None

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Come hither within to see what made me bust out laughing in the middle of my office!

Yes, this is a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and there’s an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Usually when people have cable news on at the gym I try to change the channel but I’m kinda looking forward to seeing how this gets covered tonight.

Anyone want to place bets on how long until we see a tweet complaining about Jeff Bezos, Amazon, and the failing fake news Washington Post? I just checked and there’s nothing yet.

fintail > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 18:21

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We need an internet tax!

Man I wish the WaPo would do what it did about 45 years ago, we need it more now than ever.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 18:33

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I totally get the guy with the frying pan. He even spilled the condiments!

The use of ‘shithole’ in a meeting is probably not that unheard of. Printing it in the newspaper? A little weird.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 18:38

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“He then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway, whose prime minister he met Wednesday.” Yes, because they’re dying to come here right now.

nermal > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 18:44

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This is hilarious. The best part is about how the others in the room were “shocked” by Trump’s words. I doubt that “shithole” was the most offensive word that any of them heard in the course of their work day. It’s also doubtful that this was the first time that somebody has used a shit-based word to describe the countries in question.

I’m curious to see how the FCC responds. From my understanding you can’t say “shit” on TV or radio, and they’ve been throwing it around all willy-nilly.

ttyymmnn > fintail 01/11/2018 at 20:24

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Christ, it has been that long, hasn’t it.

Textured Soy Protein > Shamoononon drives like a farmer 01/11/2018 at 21:02

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Apparently the president calling other countries—about which he had previously made disparaging remarks—shitholes, in a meeting with other assorted lawmakers, is unprecedented enough to merit being printed.

fintail > ttyymmnn 01/11/2018 at 21:08

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Yep. We’re overdue for a media outlet to destroy a corrupt cabal.

And this feels like day 875879796865 of the stable genius regime.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/11/2018 at 21:13

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That’s the best part of the babble, even better than dotard’s ignorant mouth.

Norway, really? A country that values social goods, and has a typical quality of life unimaginable to most Americans? Why would anyone migrate from there to Murka? Maybe if they have a fortune and are dodging taxes - I can think of exactly zero other reasons.

Anyone who voted for this shitheel should feel ashamed.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/11/2018 at 22:06

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You could say that for much of Europe, really. The only Europeans I could see really being interested in coming here are from former eastern bloc nations that aren’t part of the EU and have problems that make ours look tame. Ukraine, Moldova, etc. Although even then it would probably be much easier to immigrate within Europe.

*sobs in a corner because he likes German women*

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/11/2018 at 22:14

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Exactly right. I personally know exactly one person from western Europe who is here and isn’t an employer-sponsored expat who likely won’t be here for the long haul - and I live in one of the first worldy parts of the country.

My area has a number of Russian and Ukrainian emigres, I can understand that one.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/11/2018 at 22:36

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I’ve met a few western Europeans around here, but they’re all older and/or involved with the military (nearby a base, worked with a couple German army wives). The only Eastern European immigrants I know of in town are a Bulgarian family down the street from me. From what I understand they usually move to either the mountains or places further north of where I am due to climate. The closest place to me that has a sizeable permanent Eastern European population is Asheville.

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Textured Soy Protein 01/11/2018 at 23:51

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I...I don’t understand that gif except for the fact that he’s wearing a jersey that says “Money” and is living in a cookie cutter, modern built builders special, “just off campus” type of apartment.

Textured Soy Protein > Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) 01/12/2018 at 00:35

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He’s dropping frozen fries in hot grease which he knows will make a big splatter so he hides from the splatter behind the refrigerator door. It’s an apt metaphor for how I feel about clicking on a headline that says “Trump attacks protections for immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries.”

Galileo Humpkins (aka MC Clap Yo Handz) > Textured Soy Protein 01/12/2018 at 02:01

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Got it. Makes sense then.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/12/2018 at 09:48

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I’m a booming and trendy metro area - lots of transplants here, but the amount of relocated first world newbies seems quite small, at least ones who are here permanently. That might say something. I bet Norwegians had a good laugh at 45's babble.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/12/2018 at 11:16

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Yeah, very few in my metro area too. It’s probably very unlikely, but I wonder if one of the long-term effects of Brexit will be an increase in immigration to the US from eastern EU countries like Romania and Poland, that were primarily moving to the UK before.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/12/2018 at 12:14

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I can’t see who would do it - as at home they have a more just healthcare system, longer life expectancy, less poverty, less socio-economic chasm, generally more safety, etc. They may have higher taxes (maybe a wash when health insurance costs are factored in), but they get something for it.

I am still not certain a real Brexit will take place. If it does, people from those places might just move to Germany. The large amount of Brit expats on the continent might be impacted more.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/12/2018 at 14:11

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Pretty much my thoughts as well regarding Germany. I don’t see their population growth stopping anytime soon. It’s kind of a shame for me, as over the years I’ve found that I’m most compatible with women from western Europe when it comes to dating. Eastern Europeans seem to be good matches too, except they almost universally want kids and I adamantly do not.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/12/2018 at 15:09

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Germany, which make no mistake hasn’t handled everything perfectly over the past generation or so, is still an appealing place for many, and in the face of growing pressure from various directions, hasn’t sold out its citizenry unlike places across the pond.

Yeah, you’ll find more pragmatism in the west, I think. The kids thing is a big deal once you pass roughly the Oder-Niesse line.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/12/2018 at 23:21

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Yeah, marrying someone from the east would be more likely in my 40s or later, when her kids are grown. (I’m in my early 30s now.) I just wonder if humanity will still be around then...

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/13/2018 at 00:33

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Nothing is certain these days.

From what I have seen, people from the east can be a handful :) - maybe mellow with age. I sometimes work with an approaching middle age Ukrainian woman who is pretty great, but I knew a Romanian couple where the wife seemed to be a bit demanding. Of course, both of these traits can come from locals, too.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/13/2018 at 09:34

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From what I’ve seen, that does mellow a bit with age, but that fire is endearing to me for some reason. German women can be handfuls too. I’ve worked with two of them, both married to Americans. The first one was my age and very demanding. The second one, who I still work with from time to time, is older, about my parents’ age, and much more mellow but still very lively in that German way. Last year I dated a German girl who was somewhere in between them personality-wise. It didn’t work out, but between her and the older one I work with it left an impression on me that this is what I want.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/13/2018 at 12:49

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I am very low-key, generally hard to get me excited (other than when driving, must be the German side of me), I sometimes fear I would clash with someone who has the fire - but I’ve been able to get along with Czechs and some Russians, so maybe it would work. I was called “cold” from someone from France though :)

Some of the Germans I have met have really fallen for the guilted activist stereotype, and they live it, maybe less of that from points east too.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/13/2018 at 13:28

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I generally am fairly easy-going myself, but there are moments where I get more animated. I can deal with both, but I get along better with people who are more energetic and generally am more attracted to that.

I haven’t personally encountered a guilted activist German, but I could see that, as well as it being less common further east.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/13/2018 at 20:50

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Might be kind of a yin-yang/opposites attract thing yeah. Just now and then I want to yell “can you simmer down for just 5 minutes?!”

My experience with Germans is primarily in the west, I am there every couple years. Was in Prague a couple months ago, had a very good time.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/13/2018 at 21:11

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I’m a manager in retail, so I have a very high tolerance for it.

I would like more experience with people from the east. I had a college biology professor from Croatia, and my stepdad’s nephew is married to a Russian, but otherwise I’ve only had brief interactions. I wouldn’t mind visiting a few big cities in the coming years.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/14/2018 at 13:28

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I worked for years as a fraud analyst, and I am now an auditor. Maybe I am the opposite, I am jaded and don’t have much patience for shenanigans :)

My experience in the east, limited to Poland, CZR, Slovakia, has been awesome. I really want to visit Russia, but it would be a headache in the current political climate.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/14/2018 at 15:15

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Yeah, Russia would be a bit tricky right now. If things ever improve I’d like to visit it as well. Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova all look interesting in the meantime.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/15/2018 at 14:20

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Those sound cool yeah, the Baltics should also be pretty safe and easy, with an east/west mix.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/15/2018 at 17:30

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Yeah, Bulgaria too. Looking at the exchange rates to the dollar from a few of these countries, the Ukrainian hryvnia and Belarusian ruble have been weakening over the past few months (the hryvnia has never really recovered from when it tanked a few years ago) while the rest I looked at (Romanian leu, Moldovan leu, Bulgarian lev) have gotten stronger. When I have some more free time I’ll try to find out how much these factor into cost of living, but it looks like I could do pretty well for awhile in Moldova or particularly Ukraine with just a few grand.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/16/2018 at 11:19

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I recall in CZR, outside of old town Prague, even restaurants are super cheap compared to NA, and supermarkets even more so. I imagine it is even more pronounced in points east.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/16/2018 at 23:03

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A couple years ago I found a website that approximated prices in USD of common things in Ukraine: food, utilities, cigarettes (since smoking is still somewhat socially acceptable there), gym membership, a new car. A dinner for two at a high-end restaurant was something eye-poppingly cheap, like $30, and a meal at McDonald’s or equivalent was about $3. I’m sure in Kiev and maybe Odessa things are a little more expensive. Odessa in particular looks pretty interesting, since it’s on the Black Sea, full of things to do, and despite being primarily Russian-speaking (in my limited experience, Russian is a little easier to learn than Ukrainian), is politically stable.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/17/2018 at 21:18

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I can believe it. I still miss the good 75 cent hard cider from the supermarket in CZR. I also have a sweet tooth, and some of the wafer pastry type items there are amazing and cheap. And yeah, smoking is still a big thing.

I don’t have more than a basic recognition of the Cyrillic alphabet, so I would be lost - I need to study before I think of working on such a trip.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/17/2018 at 22:46

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Yeah, some of the breads and sweets and stuff from that part of the world look absolutely amazing. Smoking doesn’t bother me, and I’ve been told that giving western cigarettes to an Eastern European is considered a great favor.

Cyrillic wasn’t too hard to wrap my mind around. The biggest trip ups for me were letters like C and H that make totally different sounds.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/17/2018 at 23:46

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Yeah, if I was going to be there for awhile and maybe stay with a friend, I’d bring some western goods like that. Little things can make a big difference.

C and H in Cyrillic are S and N, I remember those. In someplace like Ukraine or Moldova, English speakers might also be less common than in the west. CZR didn’t seem bad when I bumbled around with my broken memorized phrases, but they are mildly westernized now even outside of big cities. A lack of English might make it more of an adventure too.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/18/2018 at 16:11

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Yeah, the most likely reason for me to go there would be either with someone or to visit someone. Like, if I were meeting a lady friend, I’d bring her some flowers, a stuffed animal, Western chocolate, and (if applicable) a pack of Marlboros.

I would definitely want some proficiency in the native language(s), but I think I could get by without being totally fluent in it. Translation apps have come a long way in recent years.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/18/2018 at 21:50

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I have yet to travel to Europe with anyone, but I have met up with people there. I should have brought a gift lol.

Yes, apps and mobile data make things easier than even 10 or less years ago. I am comfortable in German, but it goes downhill quickly from there.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/18/2018 at 22:49

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I have a few friends in Western Europe, mainly the UK but one or two in other countries. If I visited them I’d probably bring some American goodies. Either way, any trip I take will probably be a few years from now. I make decent money, but right now I have a car loan and an aging, but still very puppy-like, Lab to occupy me. That won’t stop me from reaching out to people and learning languages, though. I live a couple hours from some beach towns (Virginia Beach and the northern Outer Banks) and it’s common for young Eastern Europeans to come work in shops and restaurants in those places during the summer. I have family there so I’m planning to stay a few days with them sometime this summer. I’ve been meaning to go in recent years but various things have come up.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/19/2018 at 13:19

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One blessing of being single with no pets - you can usually do what you want, when you want. All it takes is money and free time. You have time to save, and make it worth the wait.

I am on the west coast, at least the flights can be a lot shorter for you.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/19/2018 at 17:26

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Yeah. Most beaches I go to ban dogs in the warmer months (generally mid-April to mid-October) so if I want to take mine I would either have to find a very isolated one or go in the offseason. I could just leave him with my parents since they have a few dogs that he seems to get along with. I’ve never been away from him for more than a couple days, so I don’t know how he’d react without me being around for a week or two. Right now I’m mostly sticking to traveling regionally.

Flights from Dulles (the closest major airport to me) to Eastern Europe start in the low four figures, but those typically go through Istanbul. Flights that go through more northern parts of Europe are a couple hundred more.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/20/2018 at 00:20

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I like dogs, other peoples dogs. I can play and then leave the dirty work for someone else :)

I am in Seattle, there were flights to Paris and Frankfurt last year for no more than $600 RT. From there, not hard to go east. I didn’t check on other destinations.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/20/2018 at 15:51

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I didn’t see many through Frankfurt. A couple through Amsterdam, some through Warsaw. Frankfurt or other points nearby would be another place I’d like to visit.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/20/2018 at 16:58

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I’ve always flown Lufthansa, which has its hub in Frankfurt. Others seem to base in Amsterdam or Paris. Cool thing about Frankfurt is that a train ride to Prague or Warsaw is only an easy half day trip, or a flight in a couple hours - I think even Moscow is only another 3.5 hours from there.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/20/2018 at 19:14

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Yeah, KLM was the one that I saw that went through Amsterdam (which IIRC is their hub). Another place I’d like to check out...

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/20/2018 at 21:03

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As you might expect, it’s a very laid back place. People love it. Touristy, but no worse than London or Prague.

I think one could spend a lifetime of vacations exploring Europe. That’s mostly what I have been doing.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/20/2018 at 21:38

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Yeah, I want to, but until a year or so ago I never had the financial means to, and even then I decided to get a newer, more reliable car first. So not yet.

Relationship goals:

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/21/2018 at 13:48

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It won’t hurt to start thinking - things will fall into place in time.

I’ve done the traveling with people/planning with a partner bit before - I don’t being in the “99 problems” stage right now ;)

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/21/2018 at 17:51

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Yeah, first thing I need to do is get my passport, which is on the list of things to do this year. I’ll probably spend some of my tax refund on it (although the shutdown will push that back a bit).

Traveling alone is fine, but it gets a bit boring after awhile. My friends either never want to go or don’t have the money or are already doing other things.

fintail > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/21/2018 at 19:05

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When you get the passport, also look into doing the global entry/precheck stuff if you travel even slightly often - it is worth it, especially for clearing customs coming home.

Traveling alone also gives a lot more freedom, and depending on who you are with, a lot less nagging.

interstate366, now In The Industry > fintail 01/21/2018 at 23:34

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My stepdad has mentioned that before, so it is on my mind.

A lot of my regional traveling has been alone. It’s adequate, but it doesn’t seem as rewarding as when someone is with you. I’m taking a day trip by myself to Charlotte next week. I’ve been there once, but this time I’ll explore a bit more.