Octopus Overlords

Someone explain this headline to me. I've read 20+ times. Walked away. Came back fresh read it again and I still don't understand

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/pos ... n-clinics/

It was a fake evacuation.

Abortion clinics have bomb scares. They've created fake bombs to use in training people that work at abortion clinics about said bombs. Somehow, one of these fake bombs ended up at an Illinois airport. The TSA actually spotted it (surprise!) and they evacuated the airport.

Either that, or they're putting abortion clinics on trains these days.

Isgrimnur wrote:Somehow, one of these fake bombs ended up at an Illinois airport. The TSA actually spotted it (surprise!) and they evacuated the airport.

Makes one wonder if it was spherical, with an ACME label.

Even better. It was red dog toys labeled "dynamite".

Isgrimnur wrote:Somehow, one of these fake bombs ended up at an Illinois airport

"Somehow" was "trainer decided it was a good idea to fly home with it."

Now TSA can feel good about themselves.

KKBlue wrote:

Hey, William. This is Jared with Fletcher... This is Jerry. How can I help you?

Another great example of how this stuff writes itself. Ya just have to love the human race!

I love humanity...it's people I can't stand.

I've honestly never been asked to comment on the moral character of someone. Like...wouldn't someone need to comment on my moral character first so they know I'm not lying about the original person? It seems...strange.

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Olivia Munn Talks About Blow Jobs

Youtube...you so crazy.

Smoove_B wrote:I've honestly never been asked to comment on the moral character of someone. Like...wouldn't someone need to comment on my moral character first so they know I'm not lying about the original person? It seems...strange.

I had to do that for an adoption. My friend was adopting his new wife's kids and he put me down as a character reference.

The agent called me and interviewed me about my friend. It was almost surreal.

Thankfully, they didn't ask me to opine on his wife.

So we're at The Old Spaghetti Factory (touristy but not horrible faux-Italian place) and I see a guy in an Iron Maiden shirt. Right on. I look a couple of tables over and there's another one. Unlikely, but not inconceivable. Then I see another. And another. And another.... So apparently there was a concert. And all the Iron Maiden fans decided The Old Spaghetti Factory was the most metal joint in town to stop and get dinner at first.

Well it has Old in the name and anyone who listens to Iron Maiden is old, so......

Smoove_B wrote:I've honestly never been asked to comment on the moral character of someone. Like...wouldn't someone need to comment on my moral character first so they know I'm not lying about the original person? It seems...strange.

I once had an FBI agent knock on my door to interview me about my neighbor, a recent graduate who was applying for a job with them. It was a serious investigation: they wanted to know about the guy's personal habits, whether I thought he partied or drank too much or took drugs, what kind of people came to his house, and whether he had ever given me cause to doubt his integrity.

I had only polite things to say, since he was a good neighbor and I had genuinely never noticed anything unsavory about him. I didn't know him well at all, however, and I'm certain he hadn't listed me as a reference. This was the Bureau snooping on their own.

Sudy Nym wrote:So we're at The Old Spaghetti Factory (touristy but not horrible faux-Italian place) and I see a guy in an Iron Maiden shirt. Right on. I look a couple of tables over and there's another one. Unlikely, but not inconceivable. Then I see another. And another. And another.... So apparently there was a concert. And all the Iron Maiden fans decided The Old Spaghetti Factory was the most metal joint in town to stop and get dinner at first.

"Oooh, honey, look at the specials! 'The Number of the Beast' looks so good, but you get a bottomless salad with '2 Minutes to Midnight!'"

Sudy Nym wrote:So we're at The Old Spaghetti Factory (touristy but not horrible faux-Italian place)

No need to apologize for Spaghetti Factory! That browned butter & Mizithra cheese pasta is one of the core joys in life.

Holman wrote:

Smoove_B wrote:I've honestly never been asked to comment on the moral character of someone. Like...wouldn't someone need to comment on my moral character first so they know I'm not lying about the original person? It seems...strange.

I once had an FBI agent knock on my door to interview me about my neighbor, a recent graduate who was applying for a job with them. It was a serious investigation: they wanted to know about the guy's personal habits, whether I thought he partied or drank too much or took drugs, what kind of people came to his house, and whether he had ever given me cause to doubt his integrity.

I had only polite things to say, since he was a good neighbor and I had genuinely never noticed anything unsavory about him. I didn't know him well at all, however, and I'm certain he hadn't listed me as a reference. This was the Bureau snooping on their own.

They do this for a lot of Fed jobs. A woman I used to work with was being hired by a division of the USDA and the feds came knocking on all her neighbor's doors. One family was shit scared it was the INS (now I guess ICE), and they all got grilled well. she used to throw huge parties (I never went) so her neighbors must have really liked her.

A nonny mouse wrote:They do this for a lot of Fed jobs. A woman I used to work with was being hired by a division of the USDA and the feds came knocking on all her neighbor's doors. One family was shit scared it was the INS (now I guess ICE), and they all got grilled well. she used to throw huge parties (I never went) so her neighbors must have really liked her.

After I bought my home, I got a knock from a guy working with the FBI - the past owner was applying for work in Homeland Security and they wanted to know anything I had to say. I never even met the guy and only knew him through what I had heard through neighbors, but they were curious about all of it.

Holman wrote:

Sudy Nym wrote:So we're at The Old Spaghetti Factory (touristy but not horrible faux-Italian place) and I see a guy in an Iron Maiden shirt. Right on. I look a couple of tables over and there's another one. Unlikely, but not inconceivable. Then I see another. And another. And another.... So apparently there was a concert. And all the Iron Maiden fans decided The Old Spaghetti Factory was the most metal joint in town to stop and get dinner at first.

"Oooh, honey, look at the specials! 'The Number of the Beast' looks so good, but you get a bottomless salad with '2 Minutes to Midnight!'"

Iron Maiden will be in Chicago on Wednesday. Not so coincidentally, so will I.

wonderpug wrote:

Sudy Nym wrote:So we're at The Old Spaghetti Factory (touristy but not horrible faux-Italian place)

No need to apologize for Spaghetti Factory! That browned butter & Mizithra cheese pasta is one of the core joys in life.

Huh! I was going to go for that, but went with the spicy meat sauce spaghetti instead. Which really wasn't spicy at all.

Isgrimnur wrote:Since this seems to be the de facto Zootopia thread

My 6.5 YO daughter was playing at the Boston children's museum this weekend, and had an interesting interaction with another random kid while playing on an elevated play structure:

Guapita: "I'm not afraid of this!"
Other girl: "I'm not afraid of anything!"
Guapita: "What about your parents dying?"

I mean, I get my daughter's point, and I suppose she did expose the other six year old's bluster, BUT maybe don't go straight to DEFCON 1.

I hope you ran up to the other girl and said, "In your face!" and then high fived your daughter. Don't put up with wild boasts from random kids.

El Guapo wrote:My 6.5 YO daughter was playing at the Boston children's museum this weekend, and had an interesting interaction with another random kid while playing on an elevated play structure:

Guapita: "I'm not afraid of this!"
Other girl: "I'm not afraid of anything!"
Guapita: "What about your parents dying?"

I mean, I get my daughter's point, and I suppose she did expose the other six year old's bluster, BUT maybe don't go straight to DEFCON 1.

Lol. Give her a cookie for me.

Unless she was trying to prove her own superior fearlessness, in which case watch your back!

El Guapo wrote:My 6.5 YO daughter was playing at the Boston children's museum this weekend, and had an interesting interaction with another random kid while playing on an elevated play structure:

Guapita: "I'm not afraid of this!"
Other girl: "I'm not afraid of anything!"
Guapita: "What about your parents dying?"

I mean, I get my daughter's point, and I suppose she did expose the other six year old's bluster, BUT maybe don't go straight to DEFCON 1.

That's my deepest fear, even more so than getting shitcanned from my job or being crippled and not being able to rely on myself for everything.

LordMortis wrote:That's my deepest fear, even more so than getting shitcanned from my job or being crippled and not being able to rely on myself for everything.

We're about the same age and both my parents are dead. It's not good, but it's not devastating. What I miss most is being able to discuss things with people who have more experience than me, who I trust and respect.

I can't help but feel like I'm reinventing the wheel on a lot of stuff that could be answered by a simple question to the right person. Facts are easy to find on the internet, but trustworthy guidance is another thing entirely.

And of course I miss them as people. That goes without saying.

GreenGoo wrote:

LordMortis wrote:That's my deepest fear, even more so than getting shitcanned from my job or being crippled and not being able to rely on myself for everything.

We're about the same age and both my parents are dead. It's not good, but it's not devastating. What I miss most is being able to discuss things with people who have more experience than me, who I trust and respect.

Both of my parents are still alive, but I'd like that too. Let me know if you find someone.

coopasonic wrote:

GreenGoo wrote:

LordMortis wrote:That's my deepest fear, even more so than getting shitcanned from my job or being crippled and not being able to rely on myself for everything.

We're about the same age and both my parents are dead. It's not good, but it's not devastating. What I miss most is being able to discuss things with people who have more experience than me, who I trust and respect.

Both of my parents are still alive, but I'd like that too. Let me know if you find someone.

My father in law works for certain things, but he's not an intellectual, so typically I don't go to him for that sort of stuff. Family stuff and such, yes. Planning for retirement? Not so much. He's a good man with a big heart.

coopasonic wrote:

GreenGoo wrote:

LordMortis wrote:That's my deepest fear, even more so than getting shitcanned from my job or being crippled and not being able to rely on myself for everything.

We're about the same age and both my parents are dead. It's not good, but it's not devastating. What I miss most is being able to discuss things with people who have more experience than me, who I trust and respect.

Both of my parents are still alive, but I'd like that too. Let me know if you find someone.

I don't come from an emotional family but there has always been something there where you drop everything for family. It's more important than anything else. I can't imagine life without that stability, that rock. It's not a support you ever use but the comfort it provides is everything. I don't know what happens to family after mom and dad disappear. I used to hate helping my dad with tech support but now it's a chance to be in their lives. I despise shopping but I look forward to taking my mom to Costco once a month. And when my deck collapsed, I didn't feel like I was ruining their lives to have them come over and redo it. I'm feeling a bit anxious just typing this.

Also note that I was ruined for a month when ferret died and I've never been attached to a pet since. Having no children and no desire to remarry, I can't imagine what the means when the most important people in my life go.

I remember when I thought I was self reliant.
HaHaHaHaHaHa!

LordMortis wrote:
I don't come from an emotional family but there has always been something there where you drop everything for family. It's more important than anything else. I can't imagine life without that stability, that rock. It's not a support you ever use but the comfort it provides is everything.

I'm still coming to terms with this. If I get into "trouble" there is no one to go to for help. I'm still married and we get along, so I have a partnership at least.

I have my father's sister and her partner. They are awesome, so I still have that if things get really, really desperate. I've basically written off my brother in the time since our mother's death (my father died when I was a teenager). He was never a source of strength for me, but I've been a source of strength and support for him. He's mostly flushed that and I don't feel like forgiving him for the millionth time.

GreenGoo wrote:

LordMortis wrote:
I don't come from an emotional family but there has always been something there where you drop everything for family. It's more important than anything else. I can't imagine life without that stability, that rock. It's not a support you ever use but the comfort it provides is everything.

I'm still coming to terms with this. If I get into "trouble" there is no one to go to for help. I'm still married and we get along, so I have a partnership at least.

I have my father's sister and her partner. They are awesome, so I still have that if things get really, really desperate. I've basically written off my brother in the time since our mother's death (my father died when I was a teenager). He was never a source of strength for me, but I've been a source of strength and support for him. He's mostly flushed that and I don't feel like forgiving him for the millionth time.

Eh, I had to assume to role of family elder last year when my mom died. I never sought much advice from my parents, but they were generally supportive and always quick to help whenever my chosen field decided I needed a time-out, which could last months or, in the last such case, 15 months. Now I suppose I'll have to go to the unsympathetic courts for relief if things turn to shit again.

Imagine this is 1977 and these are original stormtroopers.



MOOOOOOOOMMMMM! But I really *need* forty dollars! These are *Stormtroopers*! [/footstomp]

I want the badass one with the lightsaber deflecting stun stick.

Wheres your old rotten potatoes. I love old rotten potatoes .

Never say that in a store when looking for Au Gratin potatoes.

GreenGoo wrote:

LordMortis wrote:That's my deepest fear, even more so than getting shitcanned from my job or being crippled and not being able to rely on myself for everything.

We're about the same age and both my parents are dead. It's not good, but it's not devastating. What I miss most is being able to discuss things with people who have more experience than me, who I trust and respect.

I can't help but feel like I'm reinventing the wheel on a lot of stuff that could be answered by a simple question to the right person. Facts are easy to find on the internet, but trustworthy guidance is another thing entirely.

And of course I miss them as people. That goes without saying.

I agree with all of this. At the same time, I'm glad that the era of parental decline and death is behind us.

WTF wont garbage pickup let me have a bi weekly plan? Im lucky to have 1 bag a week but I can only get service per month. At $5 a week I cant afford it this next month. Its just not worth it. Ive asked for bi monthly and they said no. Im calling to cancel this month then get it back next month,. Im tempted to just tell them Ill be doing this for good

I really need once a month pickup.

Daehawk wrote:WTF wont garbage pickup let me have a bi weekly plan? Im lucky to have 1 bag a week but I can only get service per month. At $5 a week I cant afford it this next month. Its just not worth it. Ive asked for bi monthly and they said no. Im calling to cancel this month then get it back next month,. Im tempted to just tell them Ill be doing this for good

I really need once a month pickup.

It's part of my property taxes. Otherwise I would feel the same as you. We have 70 gallon bins given to us by the city. 1 for recycling and 1 for garbage. With a 70 gallon bin, I put out the trash once a month or less most of the time. I fill up a 10 gallon bag of trash every two to three weeks and the recycling gets filled about every other month.

I fill up two large bins every week.......