#if the McElroys have a problem

[larkbunny]

[krshush]

I haven't fully refilled my savings to where it was pre-vacation, but also what if I impulse bought Ring Fit Adventure right Now

[squireofgeekdom]

I could finish reading one series and then start reading/rereading another series. Or ... I could do whatever this is.

[kunosoura]

It’s a little sad seeing the dimension 20 cast who are all great improvers and role players lead by a great gm with good chemistry all around get squandered playing DnD 5e forever

[dualitysdownfall]

oh WOAH the mcelroys just put up like ALLLLLL OF MBMBAM on youtube

[ur-stepdad]

there's an improviser i hate who surrounds himself with really talented cohosts and he's on 2 DIFFERENT PODCASTS that i was just thinking about giving up on, because he's so fucking annoying to me, but this week both shows had such funny episodes, because his scene partners are sooo funny but he was annoying the whole time. why must i suffer fools in this way

[se-hos]

sometimes i think ‘oh i’ll play minecraft for an hour while i listen to this podcast’ and then i look at the time and EIGHT HOURS has passed

[zvaigzdelasas]

You can’t buy the Seagull in the US. But I bet you wish you could.

A small hatchback around the size of a Mini Cooper, the Seagull is a fast-charging electric car and claims a range of up to 250 miles [...] BYD, its Chinese manufacturer, claims it can go from 30 percent to 80 percent charged in a half-hour using a DC plug. It’s hardly a luxury car but it’s well-equipped, with a power driver’s seat and cruise control. “If I were looking for an inexpensive commuter car … this would be perfect,” veteran car journalist John McElroy said after taking a drive.

The best part? Its base model costs about $10,700 in China.

That’s about a third of the cost of the cheapest EV you can buy in the US. In South America, it’s a little pricier, but still fairly affordable, at under $24,000 for a top-trim version. Even in Europe, you can get an entry-level BYD for under €30,000. These are absolutely screaming deals — exactly the kind of products that could turbocharge our transition away from gas and toward electric vehicles.[...]

The problem for Americans? The Biden administration is hell-bent on preventing you from buying BYD’s product, and if Donald Trump returns to office, he is likely to fight it as well.

That’s because the BYD cars are made in China, and both Biden and Trump are committed to an ultranationalist trade policy meant to keep BYD’s products out. [...] Shipments to Europe have increased astronomically; Chinese companies sold 0.5 percent of EVs in Europe in 2019 but they’re already over 9 percent as of last year. Companies like BYD make cheap, reasonably good-quality cars people are eager to buy.

In 2018, Trump imposed, and Biden has since continued, a special 25 percent tax on Chinese-made autos, on top of the ordinary 2.5 percent tax on foreign-made cars.

That has so far prevented BYD and its Chinese peers from trying to enter the US market. US customer tastes are different enough that Chinese manufacturers would probably prefer to make cars tailored to them — but US policy has been so hostile toward cheap Chinese EVs that so far, the companies haven’t wanted to bother.

So, the result is that we’re left out of the bounty of cheap EV options created by BYD and others. “If you’re a consumer right now, the best place to be right now is China, because you have the best choice of EVs,” Ilaria Mazzocco, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an expert on Chinese EVs, says.[...]

Still, China’s price advantage is big enough that even the extreme Trump-Biden import tax might not be enough to deter companies like BYD from entering the US market. Even with the tariffs, Chinese cars might be cheaper than their rivals. “​​Subsidies most likely won’t be enough; Mr. Biden will need to impose [more] trade restrictions,” climate journalist Robinson Meyer predicted recently. The Biden administration is already making noise about imposing even more draconian taxes or trade restrictions against these vehicles. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has described Chinese-made cars as a national security threat, and recently announced an investigation into the vehicles’ data collection abilities and the possibility they could send movement data to Beijing.

On the one hand, Biden is offering Americans up to $7,500 per vehicle to buy EVs (provided they meet certain made-in-North America rules). On the other hand, he’s imposing massive taxes to keep Americans from buying EVs. It’s a bizarre policy that makes no sense from a climate perspective.[...]

[The Biden Administration] has proven shockingly willing to sabotage its own climate policy if it gets to stick it to the Chinese in the process.

“There’s almost an across-the-board apprehension about Chinese EVs, even though they would make an important contribution to [lower] CO2 emissions,” Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a veteran trade expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says.[...]

Realistically, Helveston argues, BYD might not sell something like the Seagull in the US because it’s smaller than most cars Americans buy. They’d probably build plants in the US instead, or its free-trade zone partners Canada and Mexico, to build vehicles tailored for Americans. “If you’re going to really enter a market, you have to make it locally,” Helveston explains. “US automakers like GM sell and make millions of cars in China to sell in China.” BYD would do the same. Indeed, it’s already reportedly scouting sites for factories in Mexico.

If they ever were to set up shop in North America, BYD and other Chinese car companies would still have a major price advantage versus American EVs. They have years more experience and a much more successful track record of building batteries and EVs at low cost.

“Part of why they’re so successful is they’ve been thinking outside the box on cost reduction for a long time,” Mazzocco says. They took the “opposite of the Tesla approach”: starting not with luxury vehicles but ultra-cheap cars fit for taxi fleets and not much else, and constantly improving their early inexpensive prototypes. The result is that Chinese firms have gotten extremely good at making inexpensive EVs, at a time when Ford, by contrast, lost $28,000 for every EV it sold in 2023.[...]

“If you have more affordable EVs in the United States, no matter where you come from,” Gopal says, “that’s better for the climate.”

Still, the Biden administration reportedly wants to restrict Chinese car companies’ access to the US even if they do set up shop in North America. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the Biden administration is formulating rules that would limit US sales of Chinese-made parts, even if they’re in vehicles ultimately assembled in the US or Mexico.[...]

But the Biden administration’s objections to Chinese EVs are also ideological. The Biden administration represents the victory of a protectionist, trade-skeptical wing of the Democratic party that was relegated to the sidelines during the Clinton and Obama years.[...]

[O]ver 90 percent of American households have a car, and surging car prices were a huge contributor to the 2021–2023 rise in inflation.

Barriers to importing cheap cars make inflation worse and reduce the real incomes of the middle class.

Not only are the administration and other left-leaning institutions opposed to Chinese EVs, but hardline conservatives at places like the Heritage Foundation are calling for outright bans on Chinese EVs as well. Their rationale is security, another theme the Biden administration evokes often. On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced it was beginning a process to “investigate the national security risks of … PRC-manufactured technology in [internet-connected] vehicles.”

6 Mar 24

[phospadparadscha]

we joke about how harry couldn't get over dora leaving him after six years but here's the thing. a lack of closure will do that to you. its very likely she left without a word. and harry is someone who was told that he could solve every case, could find solutions, could read people and receive answers for every question. and she still left. he couldn't solve the case of his broken heart. and that haunts him, right, that he has this unfinished business and this perpetual cold case that he can't even interview witnesses for anymore because the only witness is her and she's fled the country. she's gone. and so he's haunted by this ghost of what he thinks might have happened, throws possible suggestions as for who killed their love for each other, who is responsible, what it was, and none of them are satisfying or provable or actionable. he cannot accept that there was a problem that he could not solve. that there was a person he could not convince. and not receiving closure, proper ending, is traumatic. to give yourself body and soul to someone and to lose them without an answer, but there are so many answers you have nothing to do but guess what you did wrong. and so the nightmares come back night after night because his mind is still trying to work out a solution and the only solution he can come to is that he is a failure. or that she's evil. or that she's perfect, or she's god, or she lied to him, or she told him the truth and it was too much. But there's nothing left but the dead heart and the body beating it.

“When someone leaves your life, those exits are not made equal. Some are beautiful and poetic and satisfying. Others are abrupt and unfair. But most are just unremarkable, unintentional, clumsy.” Griffin Mcelroy.

[oliviawebsite]

trying to get to puppydog city but the only way there is to cross a stream in a tiny boat and i have my foxgirl gf and goosegirl gf and sack-of-corngirl gf but i can only bring one of them with me at a time. and also my gfs keep trying to eat each other ? if i leave them alone. so thats why im writing to you, the mcelroy brothers, to see if you could help shed some light on how i could solve this problem. thanks!

[mcelquotes]

We were raised Baptist, folks. If we ever have personal problems, you will never know.

Justin McElroy

[therenaissancedungeonmaster]

Legacy is not Legend of Korra

Was listening to the Teen Talk today (I want to know about SEASON 3 TELL ME ABOUT SEASON 3) and Anthony was talking about like "oh everyone didn't like season 2 as much as season 1, just like Avatar the last Airbender and the Legend of Korra, and I'm okay with that". And sorry to have hard let's play podcast opinions on main but I don't think of it as a Legend of Korra; I think of it as a TAZ: Amnesty.

And the thing in my opinion about TAZ: Balance and TAZ: Amnesty is that Amnesty was better. I know this will be controversial but I genuinely think this is true. TAZ Balance was, while amazing, also consisted of Griffin McElroy pulling together a fantastic finale out of his ass from the irreverent gaffs and bits his brothers and father had been making for 30 ish episodes. Without that hard work and railroading on the DM's behalf, Balance would've become disjointed and aimless. This is fine, this happens, but it means that TAZ Balance is not the pinnacle of the show that many people make it out to be. Yes, it's what a lot of people started with, but the nostalgia often time overrides what it actual was, which was an insane disjointed ride that was brought together by the power of a DM's storytelling ability, not a masterpiece.

By season 2 of both shows, the players knew what they were doing from the gate, they had an established interpersonal dynamic, they made sure the world was set up before starting, they were still riding an emotional high while also cognizant of their problems the first time around. Which resulted in a season that - while chaotic - was consistent and focused from the start. This is not the same with TAZ Balance or Odyssey, because those they spent 20-40 episodes getting their improv/TTRPG footing, resulting in a lot of bits and goofs that, while funny and great for engagement, resulted in egregious detours and tonal dissonance. By season 2 of both TAZ and DnDads, they know enough to know what bits and goofs will hurt the story and characters, and therefore how to interact with them.

Yes, I will say that Legacy did not have as clean as a plotline than Odyssey, but I do think considering what Anthony and everyone else was working with, and the story they had decided to tell, that was going to happen. It was a hard sell from the beginning. And despite that, and despite all the dropped plotlines and Hermie dying and being forgotten, it was still pretty damn good, and a worthwhile addition to the series. And even if it wasn't, the players enjoyed it, and that matters a lot more than if we the audience think it was the best storytelling ever, because when it comes to let's plays like this, the game can exist without us the audience, and still give value to people's lives, it's just the creators' lives not ours. It's cool we get to watch, but we are not the goal so much as in other story telling mediums.

[hackedmotionsensors]

it just baffles me that I'm like the only one I see online with actual problems and I'll tell you what it is with this cookbook.

The people making CONTENT on the books (Julien...that themed cookbook guy) they're having fun bc

1) its a cute book ...as a BOOK

2)people are beholden to stardew valley bc they love the game. I love the game. And the recipes aren't bad per say. They seem fine. I'm going to the store in a bit to maybe buy some stuff for the veggie plates like autumn bounty.

But this isn't my first time at the stupid cook book rodeo. And I've had ACTUAL cookbooks before. I gave a bunch of them away when I moved down here bc I didn't need "how to cook japanese food" when Just One Cookbook exists online lmao

I used to have that thick tome but was also somehow super small of the betty crocker cookbook. And I use blue apron on and off whenever I have the extra cash. So I'm PRETTY FAMILIAR with cookbooks or reading recipe cards and its just....

The book has NO pictures of the food being ACTUALLY cooked. Its either before pages or after pages of like "Here's the rhubarb pie!" like that's cool. You wanna show me HOW I should be cutting the rhubarb? or what the crust looks like?? Or....ANYTHING AT ALL.

They use up valuable space in the book with spot illustrations and yeah there are a LOT of recipes but a lot of these recipes don't need a giant Junimo with a chef hat when the paragraph next to it has like 12 steps per paragraph and NO photo about the cooking process

and thats the main problem and Julien and that other youtuber BOTH said the same thing. There's TOO MUCH TEXT. And thats not inherently bad in a cookbook. But nothing is Bulleted or Numbered. And without photos its really easy to lose your spot.

Compared to both the smap cook book and sanji cookbook the steps are SHORT and precise and not overwhelming.

I even have the max fundrive cookbook and that has very few pictures but bc of the page limit and size of the book and the INTENT of the book (Its intended to be like..your mom or your bud is telling you how to cook something they know from memory). The steps are STILL bulleted(kinda) out even when parts are kind of long. But again bc THAT book is so small you're looking at maybe...three or four steps for NOT complex recipes. The McElroys have spaghetti as their recipe. Thats the kind of recipes you're looking at. Its very beginner friendly so it doesn't NEED a ton of photos.

Where the Stardew Valley cookbook has a lot of fish dishes, desserts (DESSERTS ESPECIALLY~!!!! NEED BULLETED STEPS!!!!), and vegetarian versions of non vegetarian foods (The Survival Burger...which has beans. Yuck)

So my main take away for a cookbook. Is if I, as an average cook, who lives alone, and has very little patience or attention span (thank you adhd).....if I look at your book and go....

I'll just go buy something.

ITS NOT A GOOD COOKBOOK.

Again i think the recipes are FINE as a whole. They're just.....terrible to read or even use practically. And I think that is mostly at fault of the design of the book itself.

Also the number one complaint for the PHOTOS is that the photo of the fucking pizza ISN'T.

COOKED.

The Pineapple Curry is a photo of an empty pineapple, curry powder, and some peppers.

NOT THE FINAL PRODUCT.

The Salmon Dinner is just salmon filets lmao

There's also a few pages in between that are just pictures of ingredients like you'd see on an Applebee's wall. Like??????

[fatphobiabusters]

I'm absolutely shocked to learn that one of the McElroy brothers actually knows what fatphobia is.

I enjoy listening to the podcast My Brother My Brother and Me by the McElroy brothers but have been extremely disappointed at how much fatphobia is in the podcast, especially the episodes before the past few years. Some of the episodes were so fatphobic that I genuinely could not listen to them. Granted, those were older episodes, but it was extremely disappointing how they were still saying fatphobic "jokes" during episodes in the 300s and 400s, meanwhile they had already long ago turned around to become very inclusive of other oppressed groups.

Sadly, the main brother who would say most of the fatphobic comments was Justin, who is fat himself. So many episodes also include Justin supporting diet culture, talking about his attempts to lose weight, etc. An episode in the 300s or 400s was actually the first time I'd ever heard the diet culture rhetoric that fat people shouldn't be allowed to eat fruit, and the person who said that and was in support of that was fellow fat person Justin. Though of course, Griffin and Travis were not innocent of this problem either.

I was so disappointed and tired of the fatphobia, especially because of how hypocritical it felt due to the brothers now being very well known for their support of equality, that some time in the past few months I sent an email explaining the issue. I didn't expect a reply or for them to mention it on the podcast, I knew there was a chance they might not even see the email. That's why I never mentioned me sending an email about it even on social media like this blog.

But then, to my most unfathomable shock, I was listening to episode 417 of their podcast on YouTube. Keep in mind the context that the brothers are now nearly at episode 700 of MBMBAM, so this episode was made even before the 2020s began 4 years ago. At minute 17:30, during a bit about the characters of Friends that I was only half listening to because I've never watched the original show, Travis actually says BY NAME "fatphobia." Not even "fat shaming." He literally said the word "fatphobia."

I had to fumble with my phone to pause the video and listen to that part again because there was no way I heard him say fatphobia, especially in an episode released in 2018! But he did! So I guess this leaves me stunned and confused. The fatphobia in the podcast has indeed gotten better, but it still needs work. So I guess I should feel hopeful? Since at least one of them knows what fatphobia is? I'm still just so shocked.

-Mod Worthy

[kostektyw]

some podcasts I like

in no particular order, to show some appreciation for the hours i spent listening

Black Box Down - about aviation disasters. I like that they really go into details on the cases, going through the reports, talking about the mechanical workings of the planes, as well as the procedures, rules, and how an incident influenced them, but they do it in a way that's understandable even to an average person.

Swindled - about corporate greed, con artists and white collar crime. Told from a perspective of a concerned citizen that's fed up with this bullshit. I'll be honest, sometimes listening to it makes me really mad at the world we have to live in.

Revisionist History - about the overlooked and the misunderstood. Each episode is a fascinating journey into a topic i might not have otherwise thought about. I love listening to it while on a walk, it makes me feel like its really worth being aware of the world that surrounds me.

Sawbones - about medical history. the first mcelroy podcast i ever listened to :p i often very much appreciate the lighter tone while still learning stuff

You're Wrong About - about correcting misconceptions. I'll be honest, as a non-american sometimes it's strange to hear them talking about something i've never heard about like it's the most common thing in the world, but it's still fun to learn.

Well There's Your Problem - about engineering disasters (with slides). Very funy, very interesting, and who doesn't love a good bridge collapse.

[mbmbam-quotes]

If you're 12 years old and you're talking about pinnacle, you have much, much bigger problems to worry about.

-Griffin McElroy