Overheard on Facebook

[honeybbq]

Almost everyone I know drinks bottled water.   Most say it's because the tap water has a gross taste.  They are fucking nuts because I get the same tap water as them and it's perfectly fine.  We have excellent water in the metro detroit area.

You've got to concede that at least folks in Michigan have reasons to be suspicious of the tap water. And any reports that say it's ok. And so the psyche could play with that a lot.
More so than say, southern California, with their crystal clear mountain water.

[Goldielocks]

Almost everyone I know drinks bottled water.   Most say it's because the tap water has a gross taste.  They are fucking nuts because I get the same tap water as them and it's perfectly fine.  We have excellent water in the metro detroit area.

Maybe Flint, MI is still fresh on their minds....

[Travis]

Almost everyone I know drinks bottled water.   Most say it's because the tap water has a gross taste.  They are fucking nuts because I get the same tap water as them and it's perfectly fine.  We have excellent water in the metro detroit area.

You've got to concede that at least folks in Michigan have reasons to be suspicious of the tap water. And any reports that say it's ok. And so the psyche could play with that a lot.
More so than say, southern California, with their crystal clear mountain water.

Yet millions of bottles of water are still sold in California. I laugh every time I'm home in CA and I see one of those "fresh mountain spring water" bottles, where in fine print it says "bottled in San Bernardino County."

[ysette9]

My host parents bought lots of bottled water as drinking water when I lived in France asn an exchange student. The tap water was fine to drink, so I gathered it must have been some vestige habits left over from when the water was not safe to drink. My mother lived in France for a few years as a girl when her father was stationed there with the US military, and she always says that the country she experienced was very poor. So a lot has changed over the past several decades.

I started bringing a water bottle to school with me that I would refill in the bathroom sink. At first my classmates found it odd but after a few weeks a number of them were doing the same thing.

A friend of mine had an au pair from Germany who got sick and had to be given something like 2L of fluids because she got so dehydrated. My friend said that apparently her au pair grew up in a culture where people just didn't drink much water at all, so it wasn't something that was on her radar for self care when sick. It is odd for me to think of since water bottles in our backpacks were a way of life when I was in high school and college.

[Imma]

I've only been outside the US a few times and I always figured having to buy bottled water was more about being a tourist and avoiding GI issues with the local tap water. Is it really that common outside the US to not have free/easy access to public drinking fountains, water at restaurants, etc?

I think it's more of a profit center for restaurants if they're able to sell a beverage instead of giving it away for free.

My first ever trip to a German restaurant I asked for a glass of water. It took a couple translations for the waitress to understand I was asking for tap water. She looked at me like I was either crazy or an asshole. I didn't know yet that a typical order of water was out of a glass bottle that you paid for.  I also learned on this trip that metal contaminants in tap water is a common concern. The faucets on our base in Germany all had warnings to run the water for 30 seconds to flush out lead.

Yes, if you go to a restaurant, it is very unusual to order tap water and expect it to be free. It's a bit like bringing your own food. But it get's more and more common.

But I am really surprised about the second part. There is no food in Germany that is as much regulated and tested as drinking water. I never heard anyone suggesting that "leitungswasser" is similar to sewer water.
In my lifetime (~35 years) I might have heard once that I should run the water for a while before I can drink it. (In this case, the problem is not the water but the plumbing within the house!) I might have heard this advice as a story from my parents, when they talk about old buildings in the 50th and 60ths...

We have fantastic tap water in the Netherlands, and so does Germany. I like the water that comes out of my tap better than the water that comes in the blue Spa bottles. But I know quite a few Germans who won't drink tap water and instead buy these massive bottles of water. One of them complained they couldn't find gigantic bottles in shops in NL (the largest is 1,5 liter) and she thought I was crazy for even suggesting that. But just because water is safe to drink doesn't mean it tastes nice. I know tap water is 100% safe in the UK but in certain locations there's water coming from the tap that's too disgusting to even brush your teeth with. But I'm sure if you grew up with it you'd think it was fine.

I do think people drink less water here, especially during winter. People over a certain age don't carry around water bottles and drink all day. Eating and drinking all day long is really considered to be a very American thing to do.

[zolotiyeruki]

We have fantastic tap water in the Netherlands, and so does Germany. I like the water that comes out of my tap better than the water that comes in the blue Spa bottles. But I know quite a few Germans who won't drink tap water and instead buy these massive bottles of water. One of them complained they couldn't find gigantic bottles in shops in NL (the largest is 1,5 liter) and she thought I was crazy for even suggesting that. But just because water is safe to drink doesn't mean it tastes nice. I know tap water is 100% safe in the UK but in certain locations there's water coming from the tap that's too disgusting to even brush your teeth with. But I'm sure if you grew up with it you'd think it was fine.

I do think people drink less water here, especially during winter. People over a certain age don't carry around water bottles and drink all day. Eating and drinking all day long is really considered to be a very American thing to do.

In my recollection, the whole water bottle trend started in the mid 90's.  I remember thinking it was the weirdest thing for other students to be carrying a bottle of water around the school instead of just getting a drink from the drinking fountain.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

We have fantastic tap water in the Netherlands, and so does Germany. I like the water that comes out of my tap better than the water that comes in the blue Spa bottles. But I know quite a few Germans who won't drink tap water and instead buy these massive bottles of water. One of them complained they couldn't find gigantic bottles in shops in NL (the largest is 1,5 liter) and she thought I was crazy for even suggesting that. But just because water is safe to drink doesn't mean it tastes nice. I know tap water is 100% safe in the UK but in certain locations there's water coming from the tap that's too disgusting to even brush your teeth with. But I'm sure if you grew up with it you'd think it was fine.

I do think people drink less water here, especially during winter. People over a certain age don't carry around water bottles and drink all day. Eating and drinking all day long is really considered to be a very American thing to do.

In my recollection, the whole water bottle trend started in the mid 90's.  I remember thinking it was the weirdest thing for other students to be carrying a bottle of water around the school instead of just getting a drink from the drinking fountain.

That sounds about right. The water fountain was a thing throughout school, for me, until engineering school when they suddenly appeared. My bestie and I-- the only females in the class-- exploited the trend of people bringing coffee and water in bottles for our own entertainment.

We conducted a massive experiment on our instructor and fellow students to condition them to truly not believe we were drinking alcohol in class. We did this first by ostentatiously bringing "Irish Cream" flavored coffee from the machine, in machine dispensed cups, and asserting that there was real booze in it. The next week we did the same, except we made a big show of pouring it into our Thermoses. We'd offer it around, to be polite, and nobody took us up on an offer of a sip. The third week, we just started making coffee at home and adding that fake creamer that had "Irish Cream" on the label. We did this in front of our instructor and classmates before the class began. Week four, we just started showing up with the pre-mixed beverage. Except it wasn't the fake Irish Cream at all. We brought coffee from home and poured the booze into the Thermoses in the parking lot, mixing it up and getting mellow. "There's real booze in it," we'd say, but nobody believed us. The rest of the term was pretty mellow and I recall we both got straight A's.

[dragoncar]

I went to HS in the 90s and we had a water bottle trend.  It was filling your reusable water bottle from the tap (nalgene or GTFO)

[Kitsunegari]

We have fantastic tap water in the Netherlands, and so does Germany. I like the water that comes out of my tap better than the water that comes in the blue Spa bottles. But I know quite a few Germans who won't drink tap water and instead buy these massive bottles of water. One of them complained they couldn't find gigantic bottles in shops in NL (the largest is 1,5 liter) and she thought I was crazy for even suggesting that. But just because water is safe to drink doesn't mean it tastes nice. I know tap water is 100% safe in the UK but in certain locations there's water coming from the tap that's too disgusting to even brush your teeth with. But I'm sure if you grew up with it you'd think it was fine.

I do think people drink less water here, especially during winter. People over a certain age don't carry around water bottles and drink all day. Eating and drinking all day long is really considered to be a very American thing to do.

In my recollection, the whole water bottle trend started in the mid 90's.  I remember thinking it was the weirdest thing for other students to be carrying a bottle of water around the school instead of just getting a drink from the drinking fountain.

That sounds about right. The water fountain was a thing throughout school, for me, until engineering school when they suddenly appeared. My bestie and I-- the only females in the class-- exploited the trend of people bringing coffee and water in bottles for our own entertainment.

We conducted a massive experiment on our instructor and fellow students to condition them to truly not believe we were drinking alcohol in class. We did this first by ostentatiously bringing "Irish Cream" flavored coffee from the machine, in machine dispensed cups, and asserting that there was real booze in it. The next week we did the same, except we made a big show of pouring it into our Thermoses. We'd offer it around, to be polite, and nobody took us up on an offer of a sip. The third week, we just started making coffee at home and adding that fake creamer that had "Irish Cream" on the label. We did this in front of our instructor and classmates before the class began. Week four, we just started showing up with the pre-mixed beverage. Except it wasn't the fake Irish Cream at all. We brought coffee from home and poured the booze into the Thermoses in the parking lot, mixing it up and getting mellow. "There's real booze in it," we'd say, but nobody believed us. The rest of the term was pretty mellow and I recall we both got straight A's.

I used to use a vodka bottle to carry around my tap water, because why not
I got reported to HR at work :-D but after a while people were used to it, so when I started to bring Amaretto nobody checked anything

[shelivesthedream]

I know tap water is 100% safe in the UK but in certain locations there's water coming from the tap that's too disgusting to even brush your teeth with. But I'm sure if you grew up with it you'd think it was fine.

I only drink tea or juice when I visit my grandmother. The water doesn't taste *bad* exactly, just... off. I live in one of the hardest water areas in the country, she lives in one of the softest.

[Imma]

I know tap water is 100% safe in the UK but in certain locations there's water coming from the tap that's too disgusting to even brush your teeth with. But I'm sure if you grew up with it you'd think it was fine.

I only drink tea or juice when I visit my grandmother. The water doesn't taste *bad* exactly, just... off. I live in one of the hardest water areas in the country, she lives in one of the softest.

That's it!!! We have hard water at home. From my memory water was particularly bad in Manchester and Birmingham. Google tells me those cities have very soft water. Leeds and York are fine but it turns out water there is much harder. This may sound a little obsessive but whenever I arrive in a new place, one of the first things I do is check whether the water is drinkable.

[Taran Wanderer]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

If someone is receiving advertising revenue for lying, isn’t that fraud or something?

[zolotiyeruki]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

[RetiredAt63]

My, people have inventive minds. 

Not a problem anyway for us oldsters, or those who have already had as many kids as they want.  Free permanent birth control, no need for surgery.

Yes, being sarcastic here.

[Morning Glory]

My, people have inventive minds. 

Not a problem anyway for us oldsters, or those who have already had as many kids as they want.  Free permanent birth control, no need for surgery.

Yes, being sarcastic here.

Covid vaccine baby boom,?

[RetiredAt63]

My, people have inventive minds. 

Not a problem anyway for us oldsters, or those who have already had as many kids as they want.  Free permanent birth control, no need for surgery.

Yes, being sarcastic here.

Covid vaccine baby boom,?

OMG, if people believe it and don't take precautions . . .   But then, if they believe it they won't get vaccinated, so Covid is a more likely outcome than a Covid vaccine baby.  :-(

My brain hurts following the logic of this.

[Sibley]

Well, that would be one way to address the low birth rate.

[Just Joe]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

If someone is receiving advertising revenue for lying, isn’t that fraud or something?

Just another reason to quit Facebook.

[AlanStache]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

If someone is receiving advertising revenue for lying, isn’t that fraud or something?

Just another reason to quit Facebook.

The recent redesign was the last straw, I have only logged in once or twice in the last week.  Cant say I feel any different in life (yet...).  Its just the hassle of learning a new UI seemed greater than any benefit I might get from continued FB use.

[Kitsunegari]

On a Fb group I follow, someone ask about what weird NYE traditions we have
Someone commented they start the new year getting rid of all the consumable they have around the house and opening up new packages on Jan 1st. !!!
The idea of someone throwing out their dishsoap for absolutely no reason but a sort of "I felt like it" it's absolutely mind-boggling to me

[Davnasty]

Post: I'm looking to invest in stock. Friends, drop some companies I should look into below.
Response: I would look into AAPL, TSLA, AMZN, WMT. Due to the fact that they will be reporting their earnings soon and those companies are expected to release higher than expected earnings.

I expect this will end well...

[Freedomin5]

On an online group today, someone posted an announcement that one of the high end medical clinics in town is offering in-home COVID testing. It’s 120 rmb (~usd $18.50) per test + 1000 rmb ($154 service charge). A new poster commented that this service didn’t seem like it would be appropriate for individuals or families (because of the high service charge). (Granted, the guy also worked for a competitor that didn’t offer in-home COVID testing).

The backlash was immediate and heavy.

“I don’t see anywhere in the announcement that they don’t make house calls!”

“You don’t understand, a lot of our families already use a similar service with similar pricing structure.”

“This is a VERY reasonable price for COVID testing.”

“It’s great to have more options.”

“You all are so resourceful and budget-conscious!” (Because it costs $54 to get the test done at the hospital, so by the time you add in the taxi fare, it would cost almost the same as a home visit. You might be paying a premium of $50 or so.)

[PDXTabs]

Post: I'm looking to invest in stock. Friends, drop some companies I should look into below.
Response: I would look into AAPL, TSLA, AMZN, WMT. Due to the fact that they will be reporting their earnings soon and those companies are expected to release higher than expected earnings.

I expect this will end well...

To be fair, AAPL, AMZN, and WMT have been pretty good long term bets.

[ducky19]

Woke up the other day to this post from one of my running friends:

"One thing I've ALWAYS wanted was for my kids to be way more successful than me. After this purchase... it's fair to say that (her daughter) is doing quite well. So freaking proud of her!! Freaking 2020 Benz GLC 300... I am speechless!!"

I of course Googled the car which starts around $43k. I was tempted to post, "Are you proud because she paid cash...? If not, I'm not sure what you're proud of since they will finance $50k to anyone with a job, a decent credit score, and a pulse." Alas, I can't bring myself to be quite so dickish, so I didn't post anything and came here instead.

Comments were of course all congratulatory for having such a "successful" child... /s

[Smokystache]

Woke up the other day to this post from one of my running friends:

"One thing I've ALWAYS wanted was for my kids to be way more successful than me. After this purchase... it's fair to say that (her daughter) is doing quite well. So freaking proud of her!! Freaking 2020 Benz GLC 300... I am speechless!!"

I of course Googled the car which starts around $43k. I was tempted to post, "Are you proud because she paid cash...? If not, I'm not sure what you're proud of since they will finance $50k to anyone with a job, a decent credit score, and a pulse." Alas, I can't bring myself to be quite so dickish, so I didn't post anything and came here instead.

Comments were of course all congratulatory for having such a "successful" child... /s

You're right - a reaction like: "Congrats on convincing someone to let you finance a depreciating asset!" isn't going to go over very well on Facebook. You're right that perhaps the child has enough money to stroke a check for it ... but I'll bet it is much, much more likely that they are leasing it because the payments are lower.

[jinga nation]

Woke up the other day to this post from one of my running friends:

"One thing I've ALWAYS wanted was for my kids to be way more successful than me. After this purchase... it's fair to say that (her daughter) is doing quite well. So freaking proud of her!! Freaking 2020 Benz GLC 300... I am speechless!!"

I of course Googled the car which starts around $43k. I was tempted to post, "Are you proud because she paid cash...? If not, I'm not sure what you're proud of since they will finance $50k to anyone with a job, a decent credit score, and a pulse." Alas, I can't bring myself to be quite so dickish, so I didn't post anything and came here instead.

Comments were of course all congratulatory for having such a "successful" child... /s

You're right - a reaction like: "Congrats on convincing someone to let you finance a depreciating asset!" isn't going to go over very well on Facebook. You're right that perhaps the child has enough money to stroke a check for it ... but I'll bet it is much, much more likely that they are leasing it because the payments are lower.

Quite a few people mistakenly refer to their lease as a purchase. People at my workplace say "I have only x payments to make on my vehicle before I get another one." Many of us are "why would you do that if you paid it off?" And their reply would be "no, i have to turn it in and get the latest model." That's when we realize it is a lease.

Also, a lot of the luxury marque vehicles are leased. This is a list from 2019: https://cartelligent.com/blog/which-car-brands-are-most-often-leased-2019/

[merula]

Also, a lot of the luxury marque vehicles are leased. This is a list from 2019: https://cartelligent.com/blog/which-car-brands-are-most-often-leased-2019/

Do you think this is because the people who want these cars can't afford the payments to buy it outright so they lease instead to drive the brand they want at a cheaper monthly price-tag, or because they're the kind of people who want the dealer to deal with maintenance, etc. and are going to want a new car anyway?

[SwordGuy]

Also, a lot of the luxury marque vehicles are leased. This is a list from 2019: https://cartelligent.com/blog/which-car-brands-are-most-often-leased-2019/

Do you think this is because the people who want these cars can't afford the payments to buy it outright so they lease instead to drive the brand they want at a cheaper monthly price-tag, or because they're the kind of people who want the dealer to deal with maintenance, etc. and are going to want a new car anyway?

I think it's probably yes to both.    Many of them couldn't handle "unexpected" repair expenses because they've already loaded up their credit to the max because they want all the new and shiny things.

[jinga nation]

Also, a lot of the luxury marque vehicles are leased. This is a list from 2019: https://cartelligent.com/blog/which-car-brands-are-most-often-leased-2019/

Do you think this is because the people who want these cars can't afford the payments to buy it outright so they lease instead to drive the brand they want at a cheaper monthly price-tag, or because they're the kind of people who want the dealer to deal with maintenance, etc. and are going to want a new car anyway?

I think it's probably yes to both.    Many of them couldn't handle "unexpected" repair expenses because they've already loaded up their credit to the max because they want all the new and shiny things.

It is faster and cheaper to look rich and successful by leasing certain brands, than by saving and investing.
The Millionaire Next Door mentions the 2 comma folks having a Toyota Camry, Ford/GM sedan/truck, nothing flashy but solidly reliable.

[Just Joe]

Being owner #2 of a lease vehicles can be nice if a person picks a reliable brand... 45K miles and like new. And half the price of the new vehicle. Most are good for 250K miles if treated well.

We still really like our 20 year old used car b/c its cheap and reliable. Keeps the miles off of our nicer vehicle.

[merula]

Being owner #2 of a lease vehicles can be nice if a person picks a reliable brand... 45K miles and like new. And half the price of the new vehicle. Most are good for 250K miles if treated well.

We still really like our 20 year old used car b/c its cheap and reliable. Keeps the miles off of our nicer vehicle.

I was in the market for a car after mine was totaled, and as it would happen the first model year of Chevy Bolt was coming off of 3 year leases. I have been pretty happy with it but I'm also further convinced that leasees are worse at basic car ownership than your average driver.

Key example: the windshield washer fluid wasn't working a few days after we bought it. Couldn't find anything visibly wrong, so we took it back in. As it turned out, the previous owner moved from California to Minnesota. CA bans antifreeze wiper fluid (except in the mountains?) because it's not needed and a contributor to smog, but as you might imagine, MN has a slightly bigger concern about freezing temps than about smog.

The prior owner didn't flush the freezable wiper fluid out in the fall/early winter, so the whole assembly cracked and the dealer didn't catch it. At least it was under warranty.

[habanero]

The prior owner didn't flush the freezable wiper fluid out in the fall/early winter, so the whole assembly cracked and the dealer didn't catch it. At least it was under warranty.

As it turned out, the previous owner moved from California to Minnesota. CA bans antifreeze wiper fluid (except in the mountains?) because it's not needed and a contributor to smog, but as you might imagine, MN has a slightly bigger concern about freezing temps than about smog.

Thx, I never really ever hear about this actually happening - the one I buy is rated down to -15c but it can ocationally get colder when in the mountains. No damage done so far on my cars.

Many years ago we hired a car in Milan, Italy to drive into the swiss alps. When we were due to leave the ski resort the car wouldn't start and desipite us combined having an awful lot of university credits in various engineering subjects none us had a fucking clue what had happened. So we called the local garage, the dude tried starting the car and just said "diesel is frozen". Turn out they don't add the anti-freeze stuff to it in Italy so if it gets cold enough, it freezes.

[ysette9]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

[SwordGuy]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

The subset of people who believe these conspiracy theories are a fact-resistant sub-species, in both senses of the phrase..

[Nicholas Carter]

On a Fb group I follow, someone ask about what weird NYE traditions we have
Someone commented they start the new year getting rid of all the consumable they have around the house and opening up new packages on Jan 1st. !!!
The idea of someone throwing out their dishsoap for absolutely no reason but a sort of "I felt like it" it's absolutely mind-boggling to me

This tradition is the fragmented remnant of an old religious ritual.

[ducky19]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

Meh, I've had my kids. I got the snip and DW had a hysterectomy, so I think we'll both get over it. Maybe this is all part of the plot by the Chinese to depopulate the US and stunt our birth rate to mirror what they did with their "one child" policy... It's all starting to make sense!  /s

[Taran Wanderer]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

Meh, I've had my kids. I got the snip and DW had a hysterectomy, so I think we'll both get over it. Maybe this is all part of the plot by the Chinese to depopulate the US and stunt our birth rate to mirror what they did with their "one child" policy... It's all starting to make sense!  /s

 Oh, thank goodness!  We really don’t need any more kids...

[SwordGuy]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

Meh, I've had my kids. I got the snip and DW had a hysterectomy, so I think we'll both get over it. Maybe this is all part of the plot by the Chinese to depopulate the US and stunt our birth rate to mirror what they did with their "one child" policy... It's all starting to make sense!  /s

 Oh, thank goodness!  We really don’t need any more kids...

That comment could be taken two different ways, one of which DW's husband might not like as much as the other...

[dividend]

Now, I spent a face-punch-worthy amount on groceries/dining out in the last year, but this amazed even me.

Thanks to a very helpful summary provided by my credit card company I was able to calculate that I spent $847.33 at Chipotle in 2020.

Well, that and all the replies indicating that most of my Facebook friends don't have any clue how much they spent until they get their handy CC summaries. 

[marion10]

Old co-worker of mine posted her daughter’s prom pictures- and I realized that she was in two different dresses- one for dinner before and one for the prom. I guess it’s a continuation of the two wedding dress phenomenon I’ve been seeing.

[AMandM]

Old co-worker of mine posted her daughter’s prom pictures- and I realized that she was in two different dresses- one for dinner before and one for the prom. I guess it’s a continuation of the two wedding dress phenomenon I’ve been seeing.

Maybe she missed last year's prom due to covid, so she's wearing last year's dress and this year's dress. Because you couldn't just wear last year's unused dress to this year's prom.

[Dicey]

Old co-worker of mine posted her daughter’s prom pictures- and I realized that she was in two different dresses- one for dinner before and one for the prom. I guess it’s a continuation of the two wedding dress phenomenon I’ve been seeing.

Maybe she missed last year's prom due to covid, so she's wearing last year's dress and this year's dress. Because you couldn't just wear last year's unused dress to this year's prom.

What a pain in the ass to change dresses! Does that mean different shoes, handbag, hair and makeup? Did she hsul it around with her or go home between dinner and the dance?

[NumberJohnny5]

Old co-worker of mine posted her daughter’s prom pictures- and I realized that she was in two different dresses- one for dinner before and one for the prom. I guess it’s a continuation of the two wedding dress phenomenon I’ve been seeing.

When I see crazy things like this, I try to imagine...in what scenario would it make sense? Is this scenario the one that makes sense, or did someone else see it, think "oh, that's a thing now, I'll do it too!" and eventually no one knows why we do this stupid thing other than "just because."

It'd make sense if they're combining photos from two events. Last year's prom was cancelled, but they still took photos with the dress (maybe in the early days when things were just starting to get locked down, they decided to quickly get some photos at a restaurant in case prom got cancelled; or maybe the photos were taken later when things opened up a bit...at a restaurant table is one of the few places where you could be at in public with your mask off). The next year (we have to assume the prior year photos were for junior prom) there's a new dress (fair enough, maybe she didn't fit in it, wasn't her style anymore, any number of reasons can actually make sense). New photos. Both sets are posted.

Someone sees this, goes "oh, we're doing two dresses for prom now" and the prom industry squeals with glee.

[Weisass]

One of the things that I have been noticing: folks buying these insane prom dresses JUST FOR PICTURES and then trying to resell them on fb marketplace. One posting recently listed the dress as never worn, and the seller was WEARING THE DRESS IN THE PICTURE. What IS THE POINT of buying a dress for a photo and not even going to prom?

[Sugaree]

One of the things that I have been noticing: folks buying these insane prom dresses JUST FOR PICTURES and then trying to resell them on fb marketplace. One posting recently listed the dress as never worn, and the seller was WEARING THE DRESS IN THE PICTURE. What IS THE POINT of buying a dress for a photo and not even going to prom?

I've seen that a bit this year where the dresses were bought in Jan/Feb of 2020 and then everything shut down and proms were cancelled so the dresses never got to be worn.

[Taran Wanderer]

Old co-worker of mine posted her daughter’s prom pictures- and I realized that she was in two different dresses- one for dinner before and one for the prom. I guess it’s a continuation of the two wedding dress phenomenon I’ve been seeing.

When I see crazy things like this, I try to imagine...in what scenario would it make sense? Is this scenario the one that makes sense, or did someone else see it, think "oh, that's a thing now, I'll do it too!" and eventually no one knows why we do this stupid thing other than "just because."

It'd make sense if they're combining photos from two events. Last year's prom was cancelled, but they still took photos with the dress (maybe in the early days when things were just starting to get locked down, they decided to quickly get some photos at a restaurant in case prom got cancelled; or maybe the photos were taken later when things opened up a bit...at a restaurant table is one of the few places where you could be at in public with your mask off). The next year (we have to assume the prior year photos were for junior prom) there's a new dress (fair enough, maybe she didn't fit in it, wasn't her style anymore, any number of reasons can actually make sense). New photos. Both sets are posted.

Someone sees this, goes "oh, we're doing two dresses for prom now" and the prom industry squeals with glee.

My prom date could have used a second dress.  It would have come in handy after I spilled sparkling apple juice on the first one...

[habanero]

My prom date could have used a second dress.  It would have come in handy after I spilled sparkling apple juice on the first one...

Or a date who could hold his liqour sparkling apple juice.

[gooki]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

That's how they know it's true. No one who's had the vaccine has gotten pregnant and given birth. So the natural conclusion is it must make you sterile.

[Zaga]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

That's how they know it's true. No one who's had the vaccine has gotten pregnant and given birth. So the natural conclusion is it must make you sterile.

Oh no!  You mean me (with no uterus) and my DH (vasectomy) won't have kids?!  The horror.

[RetiredAt63]

So Facebook told us tonight that the COVID vaccines will cause sterility in women.  And the late-breaking in the article they threw in men, too. So, for all those listening, my DW’s crackpot Facebook friend from high school wants you all to know that you’ll go sterile if you get the COVID vaccination.

Maybe it'll be considered as an alternative for vasectomies? :P

I’m curious how they “figured this out” considering the vaccine presumably hasn’t been on the market long enough to collect long term data such as impact on fertility? Maybe the snake oil, oh sorry, essential oil, told them?

That's how they know it's true. No one who's had the vaccine has gotten pregnant and given birth. So the natural conclusion is it must make you sterile.

Oh no!  You mean me (with no uterus) and my DH (vasectomy) won't have kids?!  The horror.

Latest I've heard is that one of the side effects of actual Covid infections is ED. Covid can cause major damage to blood vessels after all.  Best argument I've heard for non-vaccinated people to get vaccinated if they are reluctant.   ;-)