George Michael. Say his name.

I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but whenever we do fireworks on the 4th or New Year’s, it’s with a group of a solid 15-30 people. I don’t think we’d ever set off fireworks by ourselves

'82 was way better. The Thing, the Wrath of Khan, E T., First Blood, Poltergeist, Blade Runner, and Koyaanisqatsi, among others

You’re getting downvoted a lot, but are right. The police absolutely do not care about fireworks calls, and the increased 911 volume absolutely delays responses to more pressing calls. In my city, the police ignore fireworks calls, but the call centers get overwhelmed with angry people seeking to wield law enforcement against their neighbors. Obviously this may vary by police department, but it’s widely the case

Dude, sorry about your parents. I see 3 options here…go no contact, assert boundaries that condition contact on their behavior, or do nothing and let them keep acting like this. There may be other options I don’t see, but it’s important to recognize they’re probably going to act like this for the rest of your life, so it’ll be best to be intentional about how you interact with them. They sound like the kind of people who’d try to interfere/fuck up your relationships if they don’t like who you’re with, and it sounds like they’re going to be really good at finding fault. A therapist could help you unpack all their bullshit and figure out how best to communicate with them

The Netanyahu government has spent decades legitimizing Hamas, preferring a Palestinian leadership that helps them justify their ethnic cleansing efforts instead of one that’s peaceful and wants to negotiate, e.g. the Palestinian Authority.

Next time they say something like this, respond with something like “if I’m dating someone, I’ll let you know. If you continue to assume things about my friends, or comment on their appearance, I’m going to stop sending you pictures.”

If you introduce your next girlfriend to them and they don’t seem to care, have an explicit sit-down conversation about it. Tell them how it makes you feel, point out the inconsistency, and tell them you’re going to stop introducing them if their behavior doesn’t change

They’re illegal many places, but also not worthy of a 911 call.

Removed by mod

The 2020 campaign broadcast the messy Gallman divorce all over the media, including stories that he dragged his former wife by her hair and broke her finger.

John Gallman does sound like he may be a domestic abuser…

This doesn’t really work, since, you know, Biden’s already been president for three and a half years. The lettuce was set up for Liz Truss on day one

Totally. Then once you get it, make sure to huff a bit of it to make sure it’s pure

I didn’t give any opinion on OPEC being good or bad, but it’s certainly not some socialist utopia like OP is trying to pretend this is

The US, which is what I assume you’re talking about, has had supply controls on a ton of commodities, so I’m not sure what you’re comparing to here. Just one example among many, the Texas Railroad Commission.

Dude, did you read anything at all that OP wrote above? That China is imposing these restrictions makes economic sense, but OP is celebrating it like some socialist/communist victory over the West lmao

Cutting the mining and refining of rare earth oxides, aka the production of rare earth metals. That’s what this conversation is about…

Xinhua reports (Google translation) that the state will implement a unified plan for the development of the rare earth industry. The aim is to encourage and support the research and development of new technologies, processes, products, and new materials and equipment, it says.

Regulations will be implemented to control the total amount of rare earth mining and smelting. Additionally, Beijing intends to introduce a product traceability system to “strictly manage circulation” of rare earths.

According to Nikkei Asia, underground resources in China already belong to the state, but illegal mining and smelting of rare earth elements is known to happen in the private sector, and it seems that Beijing is keen to tighten its control over them.

It’s in every article about this. The price of rare earth ore in China has dropped precipitously, almost 80% since 2022. China is going to punish unauthorized mining and smelting activity and limit production among authorized producers.

Here’s one article, use your favorite search engine to find a bunch more

What they’re doing is basically implementing a cartel model, which is not good for anyone except the people who make money from the industry

China announced they’re cutting production to prop up rare earth mineral prices, a lot of people here seem to think something very different is happening…

Dude, the frequency with which people are accepting this screenshot of a headline as a statement of fact is frightening. Please read about what they actually announced rather than falling for what is essentially propaganda

You’re so blinded by this lust you have for China that you forgot to read a goddamn thing about this besides the headline. What China’s doing is intentionally cutting production to prop up rare earth mineral prices. They’re purposefully making these minerals more expensive so the businesses that refine them can stay in business. You might recall similar business models from the Texas Railroad Commission and later OPEC, both regarding petroleum supply controls.

Here’s an article if you care to know anything at all about what’s actually happening lmao