A study was conducted that revealed that once a COVID vaccine was available, Republicans were more likely to die than Democrats:

Republicans' excess death rate spiked after COVID-19 vaccines arrived, a study says

Excess Death Rates for Republicans and Democrats During the COVID-19 Pandemic

"This study constructs an individual-level dataset with political affiliation and excess death rates during the COVID-19 pandemic via a linkage of 2017 voter registration in Ohio and Florida to mortality data from 2018 to 2021. We estimate substantially higher excess death rates for registered Republicans when compared to registered Democrats, with almost all of the difference concentrated in the period after vaccines were widely available in our study states. Overall, the excess death rate for Republicans was 5.4 percentage points (pp), or 76%, higher than the excess death rate for Democrats."

Do you think this will have a significant impact on the election results in states like Ohio and Florida?

I wanna read something that's fucking brutal with fighting and sex and all the things, but also WELL WRITTEN (so NOT George R.R. Martin, I can't stand his shit). I want Lord of the Rings on crack and steroids.

Former U.S. presidents are authorized a security detail from the Secret Service for life. If Trump loses the election and flees the country, does his security detail have to go with him if he requests it?

I imagine this could go down in a variety of ways: He departs the U.S. before he's sentenced and just never returns, or he attempts to flees or does flees the U.S. after his sentencing. Either way, what happens to his security detail?

If he attempts to flees after he's sentenced, I would hope the detail would refuse to take part in it (if he can even board a plane/leave the country to begin with), but given all their failings, who knows.

Doesn't need to be a life or death situation, just any moment in your life where you found yourself saying "Holy shit, I can't believe this is happening!"

For some reason I've just never liked Spider-Man. He comes off as a whiney, ignorant child that never seems to grow up or mature despite everything he goes through. I love a good coming of age story, but he just never seems to become an adult.

Have you ever tried a recipe that turned out to go horribly wrong, or maybe the end product, despite being good, just wasn't worth the effort? What was that recipe, and what about it made you say "NEVER AGAIN"?

I ask this as I am actively trying to remove the stench of onions from my Instapot lid's silicone ring after making French Onion Soup in it (so far steaming it with white vinegar on the steam setting, soaking the ring in a water/baking soda bath overnight, and baking it at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes have all done nothing, so I ordered a new one, I give up). And I realized that cutting all the onions and waiting hours for them to caramelize and now this damn smell issue just isn't worth it. Plus I still have frozen soup in the freezer because I can only eat French Onion soup so many days in a row.

NEVER AGAIN.

If yes, where would you move to?

If no, why not?

I ask this as someone who has moved around a lot (5 states) for better working opportunities. I often hear people say they wish they could leave their current city/state/country, but money is often (understandably) an issue.

I use this blend of spices more during the winter months, but it's tasty in any season:

HAWAIJ (SWEET YEMENI SPICE BLEND)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp dried ginger (or 2 large dried pieces of ginger)

2 Tbsp cardamom seeds (removed from pods) (or 2 Tbsp ground cardamom)

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground mace (or 2-3 pieces mace)

12 whole cloves (or ½ tsp ground cloves)

1 whole cinnamon stick (or 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon)

Instructions Grind all spices together in a spice grinder. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months.

(See linked website for more recipes and info)

I'm curious what users feel makes a great sci-fi story. What elements do you feel "make or break" the story specifically where sci-fi is concerned? For me, I really enjoyed the Expanse series, as it feels like there's a sort of "believability" to it all. The authors make everything seem very realistic, even if some of the descriptions and physics are made up.

What is it about your favorite sci-fi books and shows that make them your favorites?

Hello, and a big FUCK YOU to Nestle!

I wanted to start a thread where we could share any Nestle-alternative products we have come across! I will get the ball rolling with what I have found over the years:

KitKat- KitKats used to be my very favorite candy, so I was bummed when I learned they are made by Nestle. This is now my go-to alternative: https://norwegianfoodstore.com/products/kvikk-lunsj-chocolate-3-x-47-gram

Kiehl's skincare products- I used to use Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream, but now use e.l.f Holy Hydration face cream, which has the same ingredients and costs much less per ounce https://www.elfcosmetics.com/elf-skin

Starbucks ground/whole bean coffee- Some of the bags you buy in the supermarket are made by Nestle (you have to check the back and sides of the bag to be sure). I stopped buying Starbucks and started buying bags of whole bean from a local coffee shop that roasts their own

Garnier hair care products- I dye my hair frequently and used to use Garnier product, whose parent company is L'Oreal, which is owned by Nestle. I now use Clairol instead

For a large list of Nestle-owned products, see Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nestl%C3%A9_brands

What are some Nestle-alternative brands that others here have found and enjoy?