David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Now that's funny... even tying in the gecko phobia. 
Well done!
Well done! 
- Thread starter Daniel E.
- Start date
Possibly the most international gift card:
Starbucks® Cards issued in the U.S. or Canada are accepted at most Starbucks locations in North America, including airport and grocery locations. Starbucks Cards can also be used interchangeably at most stores in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Mexico.
Starbucks® Cards issued in the U.S. or Canada are accepted at most Starbucks locations in North America, including airport and grocery locations. Starbucks Cards can also be used interchangeably at most stores in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Mexico.
David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Love Starbucks, except for the inflated prices and the dramatic names and sizes.
Last year, I got my mother a Starbucks gift card. She saved money by buying bags of their coffee to make at home. The nice thing is they will ground the beans for you.
David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
That is mostly what I used to do and if you buy the coffee itself it's definitely not as expensive. Sadly, I can't drink coffee any more, at least for now. I'm stuck with 1 or 2 cups of tea a day.
Well, it's good you are getting back to your English roots 🍵
I was mostly a tea drinker before I met my husband and became a social coffee drinker. My favorite teas are the ones served at the Chinese restaurants like Oolong and Jasmine.
What I still cannot get over though are the Starbucks Uber Eats commercials, which have fortunately decreased. Starbucks is expensive enough without having to pay for delivery and a delivery tip. I rarely use the term "lazy," but it seems appropriate in this case. And the irony, of course, is they are delivering to homes with working coffee makers (as opposed to going to Starbucks for a Thermos-free coffee on the road).
I was mostly a tea drinker before I met my husband and became a social coffee drinker. My favorite teas are the ones served at the Chinese restaurants like Oolong and Jasmine.
What I still cannot get over though are the Starbucks Uber Eats commercials, which have fortunately decreased. Starbucks is expensive enough without having to pay for delivery and a delivery tip. I rarely use the term "lazy," but it seems appropriate in this case. And the irony, of course, is they are delivering to homes with working coffee makers (as opposed to going to Starbucks for a Thermos-free coffee on the road).
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David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
I agree. Coffee, like scotch, is an acquired taste.
Mind you, unless things have changed radically in the last decade or so, it's no mystery why the English prefer tea.
Their version of coffee is to start with a weak brown liquid that probably said coffee on the label, and then serve it further weakened by mixing the brown liquid 50%-50% with milk or cream. So basically, they just make hot milk (which can be great when you're sick, unless it's a stomach illness) with a bit of brown colouring.
There are a lot of very good things about England, especially if you're visiting rather than living there. Coffee is just not one of them.
(Hamburgers used to be another. They had a chain called Wimpey's - the Wimpy Burger was disgusting. Maybe McDonalds has moved in and educated them as to what a burger should look, smell, and taste like. But I wouldn't chance it again. Go for the fish and chips or the ploughman's lunch in a pub.)
Mind you, unless things have changed radically in the last decade or so, it's no mystery why the English prefer tea.
Their version of coffee is to start with a weak brown liquid that probably said coffee on the label, and then serve it further weakened by mixing the brown liquid 50%-50% with milk or cream. So basically, they just make hot milk (which can be great when you're sick, unless it's a stomach illness) with a bit of brown colouring.
There are a lot of very good things about England, especially if you're visiting rather than living there. Coffee is just not one of them.
(Hamburgers used to be another. They had a chain called Wimpey's - the Wimpy Burger was disgusting. Maybe McDonalds has moved in and educated them as to what a burger should look, smell, and taste like. But I wouldn't chance it again. Go for the fish and chips or the ploughman's lunch in a pub.)
I am going to buy ginger juice to add novelty to my tea. I also use lime wedges (as an alternative to lemon).
I just tried this iced tea, which is delicious if you like "a kick of ginger." The ginger juice easily overpowers the grassy taste of the green tea:
www.tazo.com
(The ginger also seemed soothing after having minor heartburn.)
I just tried this iced tea, which is delicious if you like "a kick of ginger." The ginger juice easily overpowers the grassy taste of the green tea:
Tea Bags, Tea K-Cup® Pods & Lattes | TAZO® Tea
Explore a variety of unique black tea, green tea & herbal tea in the form of hot & iced teas, lattes, K-Cup® pods, tea bags & sachets. Brew the Unexpected.
www.tazo.com
(The ginger also seemed soothing after having minor heartburn.)
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I am surprised by Miami housing costing more than Los Angeles:
www.latimes.com
Rents reach 'insane' levels across U.S. with no end in sight
Rents have exploded across the country, causing many to fall behind on payments, dig deep into their savings or downsize to subpar units.
www.latimes.com
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PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada are non-profit organizations dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets. In the United States, PetSmart Charities is the largest financial supporter of animal welfare and among the 400 largest philanthropic organizations working on any issue...
The primary source of funding is from in-store PIN pad donations when customers check out, as well as PetSmart employee contributions...
Recently [in September 2017], we hit a major milestone as we surpassed $200 million invested in lifesaving animal welfare work...
Petco Love has invested more than $11 million to support service, therapy and working pet heroes and $13 million to help find a cure and develop new treatments for pet cancer.
Chewy Gives Back
At Chewy, we share your passion for pets. You can help us make an even greater impact by donating items to your local shelter or rescue through their Wish List. Ready to bring love home? Search for your new family member today.
Since 2012, we've donated more than $97M in products to ensure that shelter and rescue animals get the quality care they deserve.
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David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
I am surprised by Miami housing costing more than Los Angeles:
Rents reach 'insane' levels across U.S. with no end in sight
Rents have exploded across the country, causing many to fall behind on payments, dig deep into their savings or downsize to subpar units.
I'm surprised by all of them. I have a two bedroom (I need a separate room for my office) apartment now for $1180 CAD — it's an older building but well maintained and quiet and only 5 minutes away by Uber from the Cancer Center at the Ottawa General Hospital — perfect for me.
David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada are non-profit organizations dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets. In the United States, PetSmart Charities is the largest financial supporter of animal welfare and among the 400 largest philanthropic organizations working on any issue...
The primary source of funding is from in-store PIN pad donations when customers check out, as well as PetSmart employee contributions...
Recently [in September 2017], we hit a major milestone as we surpassed $200 million invested in lifesaving animal welfare work...
Petco Love has invested more than $11 million to support service, therapy and working pet heroes and $13 million to help find a cure and develop new treatments for pet cancer.
Chewy Gives Back
At Chewy, we share your passion for pets. You can help us make an even greater impact by donating items to your local shelter or rescue through their Wish List. Ready to bring love home? Search for your new family member today.www.chewy.com
Since 2012, we've donated more than $97M in products to ensure that shelter and rescue animals get the quality care they deserve.
Up here, PetSmart also showcases animals ready for adoption from the Ottawa Humane Society so you know there are no puppy mills involved and the animals have already been vaccinated, micro-chipped, and checked for other health issues (which are fixed if they can fix them). z
I also like the way the OHS and other reputable shelters in this area publish information like "needs a one pet family", "gets along with cats but not with other dogs in the home", "suitable for families with only older children, not babies or toddlers", etc.
David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
One of my "dad jokes" when my kids were younger was every time we passed a PetSmart store I'd say, "Some pets smart. Some pets dumb."
I had a LOT of dad jokes.
I had a LOT of dad jokes.
David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
I wonder what he asked Santa to bring him? 🤣
Putin and the Power of Disobedience
Does the defeat of Putin hinge entirely on opposition forces? Maybe not.
www.psychologytoday.com
It is tempting to regard the poor performance of Russian ground forces in Ukraine as solely the product of poor decision-making, strategy, tactics, equipment, training, and readiness. In fact, each of these factors is probably partly to blame. But we should not forget another factor that is likely at work — waning conviction on the part of those who have been sent to do the fighting. Abandoned military equipment, convoys that resemble logjams, and foraging soldiers may represent symptoms of something far more significant than mere incompetence — namely, they may be signs of active disobedience.
"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake." ~ James Joyce
newsroom.ucla.edu
“The situation in Russia and Ukraine seemed to many to come out of nowhere. But in fact, there is a long and complicated history between Russians and Ukrainians.”
The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC. During the Middle Ages, the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture under Kievan Rus', which was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. Over the next 600 years, the area was contested, divided, and ruled by external powers, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in Central Ukraine in the 17th century but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and ultimately completely absorbed by the Russian Empire.
In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution a Ukrainian national movement re-emerged, and the Ukrainian People's Republic was formed in 1917. This short-lived state was forcibly reconstituted into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a founding member of the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1922. From 1932 to 1933 the Holodomor killed millions of Ukrainians. In 1939, Western Ukraine was annexed from Poland by the USSR. Ukraine was the most populous and industrialised republic after the Russian Soviet Republic. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union Ukraine regained its independence in 1991...
Ukraine is among the poorest countries in Europe and suffers from low life expectancy and widespread corruption.[18][19] However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world.[20][21] It is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the GUAM organization, the Association Trio, and the Lublin Triangle.
Podcast examines Ukraine-Russia conflict through the lens of history
The UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy interviewed three historical observers to help provide important context and framing for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
newsroom.ucla.edu
“The situation in Russia and Ukraine seemed to many to come out of nowhere. But in fact, there is a long and complicated history between Russians and Ukrainians.”
The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC. During the Middle Ages, the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture under Kievan Rus', which was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. Over the next 600 years, the area was contested, divided, and ruled by external powers, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in Central Ukraine in the 17th century but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and ultimately completely absorbed by the Russian Empire.
In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution a Ukrainian national movement re-emerged, and the Ukrainian People's Republic was formed in 1917. This short-lived state was forcibly reconstituted into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a founding member of the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1922. From 1932 to 1933 the Holodomor killed millions of Ukrainians. In 1939, Western Ukraine was annexed from Poland by the USSR. Ukraine was the most populous and industrialised republic after the Russian Soviet Republic. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union Ukraine regained its independence in 1991...
Ukraine is among the poorest countries in Europe and suffers from low life expectancy and widespread corruption.[18][19] However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world.[20][21] It is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the GUAM organization, the Association Trio, and the Lublin Triangle.
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Some distinguish between alright and all right by using alright to mean "fine, good, okay" and all right to mean "all correct"...
The Oxford Dictionaries also conclude that "alright remains nonstandard"[2] and that it is "still regarded as being unacceptable in formal writing".[3] Other dictionaries and style manuals also consider it incorrect or less correct than all right.
Alright or All Right—What’s the Difference?
Although actor Matthew McConaughey’s cornerstone catchphrase “All right, all right, all right” is a widely accepted part of pop…
www.grammarly.com
People are often surprised to learn that alright is not an accepted spelling of all right. Although the one-word spelling of alright is seen in informal writing, teachers and editors will usually consider it incorrect. To use the expression with impunity, it is best to spell it as two words: all right.
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Despite initial negative reactions from comics fans prior to the film's release, Keaton's portrayal of Batman was generally praised.[71][90] James Berardinelli called the film entertaining, with the highlight being the production design. However, he concluded, "the best thing that can be said about Batman is that it led to Batman Returns, which was a far superior effort."[91] Variety felt "Jack Nicholson stole every scene" but still greeted the film with positive feedback.[92]
Roger Ebert was highly impressed with the production design, but claimed "Batman is a triumph of design over story, style over substance, a great-looking movie with a plot you can't care much about." He also called the film "a depressing experience".[93] On the syndicated television series Siskel & Ebert, his reviewing partner Gene Siskel disagreed, describing the film as having a "refreshingly adult" approach with performances, direction and set design that "draws you into a psychological world."[94]
Deletion of the trpc4 gene decreases levels of sociability in a social exploration task. These results suggest that TRPC4 may play a role in regulating social anxiety in a number of different disorders.[10] However deletion of the trpc4 gene had no impact on basic or complex strategic learning.[11] Given that the trpc4 gene is expressed in a select population of midbrain dopamine neurons it has been proposed that is may have an important role in dopamine related processes including addiction and attention.[9]
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