The Shoutbox
I can't explain the achievement of waiting quietly until they figure out their way is not working, they throw their arms up, you go struggle with and succeed, shared victory and then the other person goes and starts unplugging stuff.

instead of crying
*click on*
*click off*
*click on*
*click off*
*click on*
*click off*
*counts ...1 ...2 ...wait*
$×%*=@!!!!!
...
..
.
*click on*
*click...*
Or the power strip has gotten be turned to ON.
When you are "tech support" and explain to somebody for the 35th time that the "internet" has to be plugged in to something first...
And it also makes me want to release everything I do with a Creative Commons license.
So I'm reading a book from our library titled "Music and Copyright." Definitely got some great insights.
And this is why I dress like a well off hobo and never carry cash.
On the flip side, though, the past few years of economic expansion has brought it down to a tolerable level. Property crime is still through the roof.
Sounds about right. The years in question were the ones when all our major employers left the state. Nothing is more of a boon to crime than abject poverty.
Originally Posted by John McClane
Originally Posted by Sedai
Murders are up a bit over the past few years, but still well below historical highs.
Yeah, I found a few years here where the murder rate was triple the state/national average. This was before local government/police ever admitted we had a gang problem. The FBI wrapped up several operations in our area over the past couple years.

This rings a bell. I feel like I watched a documentary about gangs quite a few years ago and some places in your state were mentioned and sort of gang havens.
Originally Posted by Austruck
Originally Posted by Yoda
Yeah, sometimes the ol' blue box really hits the spot. I can't disagree that "real" mac and cheese is better, but sometimes you crave the simple/familiar thing, in the same way McDonald's burgers are their own thing apart from good burgers. Basically a different food, where you can crave that thing specifically and not just "a burger," for which there are generally much better options.
I think a lot of dips into comfort food can be that way. After I got a stomach bug a few weeks ago, I wanted Campbell's chicken noodle soup and saltines. But not just the regular soup -- they have a "Homestyle" version with reeeeeally thin noodles. Same exact taste, just with much thinner noodles. THAT was what I wanted.
Chicken and stars all the way.