A "quick haircut" sort of place (kind of a barber, sort of , but super-high-volume and just one worker, the owner) that I've been using for a while now has a super-annoying dark-pattern in their payment flow. They book appointments, and take in-person payments using Square. After your cut, when you're paying via their hand-held kiosk with a card, the screen shows you a bunch of huge "tip amount" buttons, and it's implied that the customer has to choose one of them, while the provider looks on, in order to finish the transaction and leave (probably not true - they've already got your CC info by that point). Guess which button is highlighted/pre-selected and front-and-center! That's right, 20%. If you want to select another tip, or no tip, you have to select another button while she watches you do so. The owner lists all prices on her square website, and it's those prices you think you'll be paying when you book an appointment online, but she still feels the need to be tipped. You KNOW that the provider/barber has configured Square to present that UI to the customer. Not quite the same as the restaurant fees scam, but it's actually more manipulative though, in my view.
I don't know what's in a rape kit but I'm guessing that there might be something that could (with luck) prevent conception in a female child who's raped. Idaho Christofascist Republicans WANT rape victims who get pregnant as a result of the rape to be forced to carry the fetus to term. That's how they exercise power and control over women, and that's one of the main things that they get off on in life. This news post is absolutely repulsive but nothing surprises me about that Christofascist hellscape called Idaho anymore.
“both sides” BS to not vote
I have an acquaintance, a "formerly" rabid-right-wing, anti-union, global-warming-isn't-real, they-hate-our-freedom, wealthy, fossil-fuel-family Reactionary from the western US who is doing this now. Apparently now with grown daughters and an immigrant son-in-law, Trump, formerly touted to me by this guy as "a really smart guy" and "doing some great things" (at the time, the great thing was withdrawing from the Paris accords), is not quite as palatable as before. But rather than focusing on Trump's shortcomings, it's better in the Reactionary's view to fixate instead on Biden's genocide support (while ignoring Trump's and the GOP's enthusiasm for the practice), assert that "both sides" are just a "uni-party", and throw up his hands and claim to be not voting this time around, or voting for some hopeless brain-worrmed third party candidate. Anything, anything at all, except for showing one iota of opposition to old Doddering Donald, anything but admit that you, the Reactionary, made disgusting wrong choices in the past and are about to, for all intents and purposes, make them again. The bottom line aim is that taxes remain low, dividends and capital gains remain high, and regulations, whether it be on the Environment or child labor, remain minimal. Voting for Trump directly is preferred to achieve these aims, but both-sides-ing him into office again is fine too if you need the plausible deniability because of pressure from your misguided Communist family members.
Absolutely, bring it. These LARPer pussies need to learn a lesson, one they're not getting from video games, firearm manufacturers, and their imbecile Discord blabberings. So funny to think that THEY think that everyone but them is quaking in fear of their 'civil war' talk and vague threats of violence. Nobody's afraid of them at all, nobody respects them at all, and that's not going to change, period.
When Arizona passed the legislation that allowed for private school vouchers, the program was projected to cost $65 million in 2024 and $125 million in 2025. But the most recent estimates put that cost at a staggering $940 million per year, more than 1,000 percent of the initial estimate.
The Christofascists won't be satisfied until every school is a 100% Christian-run, 100% taxpayer-funded, stone-age-war-god-ideology fascist brainwashing center.
Welp, I can see it's time to re-up as a member with the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and maybe a few more. I haven't been active in the Church:State fight since the early 2000s when GWB was kissing-up to Christofascists but the latter are really gaining momentum of late now that they have Their People in power from the SCOTUS on down to the lowliest municipal admin spot. We as a country are truly f*cked if we don't neutralize these people. I'll probably join TST too because I agree with them ideologically, they're doing some great women's health care work, and I want to make sure that I get on all the Christofascist's Lists as a certified Demonic influencer.
I swear he comes across as even more senile each and every day. But ...
The rich would support this - they can only consume so much after all, and most of that would be discretionary. No more income taxes on vast incomes, stop buying imported shit, huge win for them. The chowderheads supporting Drumpf would probably be enthusiastic about such an idea too - imagining their small paychecks without that hated tax deduction box and imagining no more paying every year for that scary tax return software. And then, they lose their jobs because countries that we export to retaliate with their own tariffs. Prices on pretty much everything goes through the roof (because even domestic products have foreign supply chains), and most of the cheap shit they used to be able to afford (like electronics from China, bulk foods from overseas and (fast-)foods made with it) they can't afford now.
Meanwhile, with the economy crashing, federal receipts (both tax and tariffs) dry up and it's Government Shutdown time. All working according to the Plan. Grandma and Grandpa lose their incomes and health care and have to move in with unemployed, impoverished JimBob and the wife, which is darn near intolerable what with all the hillbilly kids being home all the time now that the schools have been shut down. Kids that are wailing about being hungry all the time just like the oldsters.
It would be fun to see what carve-outs to the tax/tariff policy they'd have, to try to keep the MIC funded. Borrowing is of course the preferred way to fund it, but nobody's going to be touching the bonds issued by an actively collapsing national government.
Cowart was held on a $37,000 bond before being released from jail the same night.
TF, she walked free and presumably is free currently? I guess this behavior is no big deal in TN.
I was wondering that too. Never heard any MAGA types talking about Biden's nose before. I have to say I find it amusing that the Orange Child is exhibiting his fixation on certain bits of Biden's anatomy and expressing a strong desire to put his hands thereon. Homonasal desires today; tomorrow ...?
The fact that we have a world that is still so controlled by religions is disgusting.
Especially religions that provide absolutely zero Slack for your money. "Bob" is my savior, and he can be yours too, for a price. Terms and Conditions apply. Not available in stores.
Mr. Putin, meet Lieutenant Columbo, from the LAPD. He'd like to have a few words with you Sir. Just a few questions about this tragic accident involving an acquaintance of yours, a Mr. Prigozhin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyfywQ98dIU