My Wife’s Father. I don’t care for him even if he has changed following a letter she wrote to him saying she’d be out of his life if he didn’t. In the past he beat her Mom and put my Wife through constant guilt trips. He honestly has changed a lot since the letter and he does very well with his grand daughter, but I just wanted to be home with my wife and daughter after working 70 hours out of state on a retrofit job. My Wife’s mother and step father will be visiting new years weekend. I just want it to be my family, but my Wife needs the help watching our daughter while I’m gone for work, so I just put up with it like any decent human would.
It's like a trope. Old men who used to be really shitty fathers and now desperately try to cling on to the image of themselves as the heads of the family even though they will never truly be forgiven for who they used to be, and everyone are kind of afraid that they still are.
It's sad, it's painful, and it's fucking impossible to deal with in a good way.
Agreed. Words are what made us different than animals and words describing abstract ideas made us better than other primates. Words are maybe the strongest power we have
Given the way humanity works, words generally do and should have power (“profane” or otherwise). If they don’t, what’s the point?
On profanity, to me it’s a set of special words to break out for emphasis. If I just casually use them, then they lose value as emphasis. If those words were just as mundane as others, what would be the point of their existence?
I, weakly, believe capitalism for all its ills is still the best way to run our economies. With serious regulations and a social safety net to make life better for the have-nots. This arguably works “okay” in most places.
Mostly I have yet to see evidence or compelling arguments that other schemes can work well in our time. Go back 500 years, sure, pre-industrial economies worked fine without capitalism. Go forward 500 years, Star Trek, maybe? But not right now.
Yeah I agree. I think the laws of supply and demand, when heavily regulated by a government that actually gives a shit about its people, is way more effective than any other way of running an economy.
I think it was good to get our country to it’s most prosperous point, but there are obviously some huge flaws now causing a smaller middle class. It seems that a form of evolution is needed, and we are at a point where some change is needed, but capitalism was great at creating a large middle class before digressing from that.
Yep. I am not an economist, but I do read a lot of history and it seems to me Keynesianism worked quite well for most people at the time (1940s-1970s), and perhaps going back to it would help the middle class. Neoliberalism/Austrian-school/individualism have caused monumental inequalities since the 1970s. Sure, GDP growth has been spectacular (number goes up), but most people have not benefited. I don’t think this is a flaw of capitalism per-se.
Still, I also hope something better comes along and we won’t have to live under some future dystopian corporatocracy… Weyland-Yutani appreciates you
The levels of privilege and selfishness it takes to see the "benefit" for the American "middle class" (not a thing), while so willingly ignoring the cost that that came with to everyone else on the planet is both staggering and quite nauseating.
I am aware of the ugly side of capitalism. But I’m also a realist and I have not seen a better alternative for organizing industrialized economies than a market economy. It’s fine to shout “socialism!” but actual Socialist planned economies have not done well (and it is well understood why) while the many, many ideas for various utopian-sounding decentralized systems are so-far totally unproven.
Of course if you think we should give up on our lives with electric vehicles and PlayStation 5s, sure, you don’t need capitalism. There’s simply no need to exploit other people if everything you need is made locally with simple tools. But I’m not sure how many people will want to go back to this kind of lifestyle, though it would arguably be better for the planet and humanity.
Sure. The first time your racist uncle drops an n-bomb or comes out with some LGBT-phobic statement and everyone just goes along with it, you can check your watch, say something about having another engagement, and walk out the door to go home.
I think the best thing you could do with that amount of money would be to start a community organizing non-profit. Things like registering voters, tenant advocacy, helping people gain access to benefits, etc. etc. Basically, just organizing and connecting people to the system.
If you’re restricting things to just electoral politics, though, I’d say focus on close elections at the state level. A half billion dollars isn’t much in the context of a modern presidential election but it’s an absurd amount for state legislature elections. You’re probably not going to turn Mississippi blue or Massachusetts red (or whatever your goal is) but control of a swingy state like Virginia usually comes down to a handful of close elections. You could probably make a meaningful difference in 20 states just with get out the vote funding.
I’m with you on this one. It’s one of the few things I refuse to make from scratch on Thanksgiving. I don’t know how or why, but every time I’ve tried to make them from scratch they get fucked up and turn into an inedible mess. I consider myself a decent cook and so does everyone else I’ve ever cooked for, but I cannot make mashed potatoes from scratch.
In terms of nutritional value it's actually quite a huge difference, with homemade mashed potatoes being a lot better for you. Something about food being healthier when it's less processed.
Still, the powder one is not the worst thing, and boiling up potatoes takes too long some days. I like keeping some texture though, so for me it's homemade whenever I feel like having it. :)
It's more recent science, but it seems every step of processing food (boiling, mashing, drying etc) breaks down cell structures, and that this in turn can make it harder for the body to take up nutrition. So you end up eating more but getting less nutritional value.
Research is still ongoing though, and of course mashed potatoes from powder is obviously still much better than ultra-processed food.
If homemade mash tastes exactly like the box to you, you’re doing something wrong when you make them. I’m not saying instant is bad to have in a pinch, but having the dehydrated potatos in flakes immediately makes them starchier and have a more gluey consistency. Plus, there are tons of additives that definitely make it taste different from freshly cooked potatoes.
If your flakes come out gluey, you’re not using enough liquids to rehydrate it. I feel like everyone disagreeing here likes lumpy potatoes. One person already admit they don’t even remove the skin when they make theirs. Gross. They’re supposed to be smooth and creamy.
That’s me! This has to be a fundamental difference in what we consider mashed potatoes. You are going for something textureless and processed like whipped potato porridge, I like them to be, well, mashed potatoes. Recognizably potatoes, mashed up and seasoned. The pressure cooked ones are fluffy as hell, they yield to a gentle fork smash.
My stepson, the first time I was around for his birthday, asked me specifically for “mashed potatoes made from potatoes”. I don’t think most people would agree with you on this one. Instant pot whole potatoes, mash with milk and butter, salt and pepper. I never peel them. So good and so easy.
Santa (aka my credit card) brought me an instant pot for Christmas. Do you have pressure and times for the potatoes? I didn’t even think of cooking them in there and then mashing.
Peeling, boiling, mashing, mixing taking like 30-60 minutes, depending on how much you’re making vs 3 minutes boiling water in a microwave and mixing a bag of flakes in for the same starch paste.
Any differences are marginal and so not worth the effort and time it takes.
I am not peeling nor boiling, have never peeled a potato. Boiling them in chunks I agree won’t yield something so much better than dehydrated powdered potatoes - that puts too much water into the equation and makes them similarly gluey. You can microwave chunked potatoes and mash them if you don’t have a pressure cooker or instant pot.
Yes it takes longer than boiling water but in the context of cooking other things it’s easy and potatoes pressure cooked whole are so fluffy and easy to mash.
I have used the flakes for potato bread, they are useful like dry milk is. But just like dry milk, or instant coffee, something is lost in drying and rehydration.
This is a very subjective prompt though - if the marginal time savings are worth it to you, they are. I don’t usually have an urgent timeline for mashed potatoes so letting them cook while I do other stuff works out.
I don’t peel, wait to boil, or even mix. I’ll literally throw whole garlic cloves in at once, and between the heat and the mashing they’ll take care of themselves. It also helps a lot of you have an actual potato masher and you’re not just using a spoon or something. Unlike this gif I found though, I just mash them in the pot as they cook. https://media.tenor.com/6A0aFauRdZ8AAAAM/super-recipes-foodie.gif
Yeah, flavor wise, there’s not any significant difference. Texture wise, that’s where scratch cooked excels. But if you’re going to rice it or cook it down all the way anyway? Dehydrated is going to be as tasty once finished.
But making mashed potatoes from scratch is so easy and has way better texture.
Btw when you say “they come in all sorts of flavours”, what does that mean? Like strawberry or something? I have never seen flavoured mashed potatoes. Is it an American thing?
Having kids of our own did change this for us some, but when Mom/Dad/MIL/FIL asks you to do something you’ll still do it. There’s also nothing like goofing around with people you grew up goofing around with.
Gaufre de liège. I made a very authentic version once, involving making a brioche type dough over a few days, giving time to rise and for the perle sugar to rest. Best waffles I’ve ever had, but so much trouble.
I haven’t found them outside Central Europe and miss them so much I have been thinking about making that dough again…
It’s not “ruined” but my 3 week old daughter has been particularly cranky today, she refuses to go to sleep despite multiple feeding sessions, diaper changes, and attempts at burping. I’m already tired because I took most of last night’s shifts, so I’m glad we’re not leaving the house. It’s a bit of a bummer because I usually love everything about Christmas (the music, the lights, the food, the presents) and we are pretty much missing all of that this year. I can’t wait to make up for it in future years though!
The first few months are so hard, you’re doing great! You are sacrificing this Christmas, but for the next few years you’ll get all your joy and all hers. I got to see my 13 month old open presents for the first time today, and it was worth all those sleepless nights.
(Also note she was way more interested in the boxes and wrapping paper than the gifts…) 😅
I have an 11 year old boy and this Christmas we had the talk about the reality of Santa Claus. He’d suspected for years. The last 7 Christmas seasons or so were filled with excitedly tearing into gifts with glee which, admittedly has been a joy and privilege to watch and be part of.
This year I talked with him about how the concept of Santa is just a way adults can give gifts without any expectations in return, because the real joy is watching others experience that glee. So I worked with him in early December to carefully watch the people around him for things that might bring them joy to receive. On Christmas morning he was so excited to see others open his gifts!
Now I’m cognizant that there may be fewer years ahead of us than behind us with him still in the house.
Your Christmas seasons will never quite be the same again, but mostly in good ways.
I’m cognizant that there may be fewer years ahead of us than behind us with him still in the house.
I’m feeling that more and more. I love that my guys are getting more independent, and we’re having deeper conversations. But I know our time is limited. It’s bittersweet.
I don’t think that I ever did feel like a kid when I went back to my parents for Christmas. Instead, it felt cloying, cluttered and claustrophobic - and as far as I can tell, it is entirely coincidental that all three of those start with ‘cl’. I felt out of place and constrained and it seemed irrelevant to anything else in my world. Mum and my siblings were all doing their usual things, but I felt in the same stiff, un-natural position that ‘posh’ visitors were always put in back when I was living there as a child. There was a sense that it was all a performance for my benefit - but one that never really convinced.
This fundamentally and thoroughly explains what this Christmas has been like for me. Trying to move from one room to another has been a constant battle of stepping over things and pushing past clutter.
Sleeping on the couch of dog fur hasn’t been pleasant.
And the cherry on top has been my girlfriend having to go home because of her dog allergies. Hopefully next year will be better.
Can’t recommend a hotel Christmas enough. It gives you and your significant other room to breathe and debrief away from the noise. You get a space that is “yours”. Plus, it’s nice to poop in peace.
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