wmw999

Just to note that this study covers a 7 1/2 year period, with an overall total of 209 mastectomies. So just assuming for grins and giggles that it has been a linear growth (because I'm too lazy to look up annual numbers), that means less than 7 in the first year, and fewer than 55 in the last full year. That's really not a whole lot, given that the estimate in the same paper is 150,000 transgender teenagers. There were 88,000 surgical (i.e. not minimally invasive) plastic procedures performed on adolescents in 2020 alone. And that was in a year impacted by COVID. How much hand-wringing is there over the generally permanent changes made by all the rest (yes, including breast augmentation, nose jobs, along with the correction of actual birth defects). Wendy P.

And airdvr is a valued member of this community. He does post stuff that I disagree with, but he's always polite, responds to what was actually in a post 90+% of the time, and not just what he wants to have been in it. He's way more middle of the road than (for example), most of the old-fart Texans that I know who are solid Trumpies down the line. He both listens and speaks (virtually, of course). Wendy P.

This, a thousand times this. And because the world had always been that way in their memory, it was normal. Just as having two legs is normal for most people. It's something one takes completely for granted, and really notices the loss if all of a sudden it's gone. Wendy P.

See how much easier life is when you control the goalposts? Wendy P.

Shhhh — we’re not supposed to notice that there are more of something bad in a larger state mainly because it’s larger! Wendy P.

Remember — any one thing wrong makes a liberal bad. Any one thing right makes a conservative OK Wendy P.

We were just down in Costa Rica, and wondering what exactly they did to avoid having so many of the emigrants from further south stop there. But the US is where the money is. Way more than the rest of Central America combined. Why would they stop there if they want to also be able to help their families back home? We met two young men whose families immigrated to Costa Rica about 20 years ago because of threats; they didn't have as much family back home to support, and they're now happy Costa Ricans. But there just isn't as much money there, and since capitalism has monetized everything, why on earth would they stop short? Wendy P.

I’ll be honest, and say that it’s not their job to save us from an individual. I hate that, because I think this individual is almost uniquely damaging in his potential. But it’s their job to interpret the laws that are written. If they consider personalities, then they can consider other personalities. The fact that Thomas almost certainly is considering personalities is bad; I’m not as sure about the others. But I’m more worried about considering power structures (in the US right now, that’s the parties and various lobbying groups). I think that’s a slipperier slope to go whizzing down, and one many of them have already started on. Wendy P.

I live where there's a generally-supported ban. Yes, plastic came back during the pandemic, and it's largely gone again. One of our personal efforts is the reduction of single-use plastics as we buy stuff, and the reuse of bags we do get. Can't do it all the time, but it sops up a little of that overflowing conscience. Wendy P.

Well then party on, I guess. Or are you trying your own schadenschade approach to the ecology movement that Brent approaches with such schadenfreude? Wendy P.

If you can play with that viewpoint of history, why is it so hard to accept other viewpoints, like, for instance, the 1619 project? Wendy P.

The pandemic changed what had been a relatively, albeit not completely, successful attempt at reducing litter and plastic waste. Because plastic waste becomes litter. I’m guessing you’d push back at the accusation that you like litter, and I’ll just bet that you dont enjoy paying extra for waste disposal. We assume you think recycling attempts, if they’re for ostensibly green reasons, are stupid. How about for money-saving reasons? Or are you committed to increasing your footprint so everyone KNOWS YOU WERE HERE? Wendy P.

We’re not saving the planet. We’re trying to protect a future that’s an incremental change rather than a large shift. Because a large shift is likely to increase wars and (heaven help us) population migration. That whole prevention/cure thing. But as long as bad things only happen to someone else (generally poorer or far away), it’s human nature to think one’s own wish for comfort at every moment is more important. Wendy P.

Or when people deemed unsuitable candidates for the police, especially if it's not a physical reason, are allowed to buy as many guns as they want Wendy P.

Maybe someone should introduce him to MTG's kids; she even has a daughter named Lauren. Of course, none of them are minors, so that might be a problem Wendy P.

Personally, I think you're both right. Because their organization is just as Joe said, but as human beings they're self-preserving. Which means they need to be paid enough to have enough training to overcome those natural human tendencies to 'other' the outsiders, or have enough variety within each police department to view everyone in or visiting their community as due the same rights and consideration. Wendy P.

Ok enough I know I am but what are you Wendy P.

It was reasonable; certainly under 100,000. He drove it during street flooding, instead of pulling off. He was 18 or something like that. This was over 20 years ago Wendy P.

Then again, my son's nissan maxima that had the engine toasted by an ingestion of water was deemed not worth fixing by the excellent garage i used at that time, because that model (mid-90s) was extremely hard and costly in time to work on. So maybe it's not just electric cars. Wendy P.

Doesn’t matter. It’s not on Fox, it’s not on OAN, it’s not on Breitbart or Daily Caller; it just doesn’t matter there. Controlling the information is key — people are what they eat, and think what they read and listen to. Wendy P.

He’s told us what he does; posts to hone his arguments. We’re the practice for his real life, even if that real life assumes he’s right and seeks to prove it, rather than trying to find out if he’s right Wendy P.

It's hard work to find the right page among all the ones saying something different Wendy P.

The background is the thoroughly careless treatment of frozen embryos by some clinics; lawsuits have ensued, and this being America, they’ve escalated. I’m guessing the Alabama Supreme Court wants their legislature to get off their asses and commit to something, too Wendy P.

I’d say we should have let them all secede in 1860, but, well, I read Underground Airlines. That didn’t work out, either. Wendy P.

Not to failed state yet, but I think the thin blue line is strong here; it's just that the non-MAGA-heads are seen as being outside that line by too many people here. All this deliberate division of people is so damaging. Wendy P.