Hello all;
I'm going to be staying at the HI Hostel near Central Park, and while I have some plans and ideas for a itinerary but I am looking for recommendations to maybe fill in some of the gaps;
Friday;

• Arrive in NY at around 4pm
• Drop my bag off and 'check in' to my hostel bed before going out to eat
  • My first plan is (hopefully) to try out the Bodega truck, but if that doesn't pan out, would anyone have any similar themed/priced restaurant suggestions? (I'd say up to $20 is what I'm willing to pay for a single person meal, hopefully a little less. I'm not allergic to anything so all suggestions welcome; this goes for all "fill in the blank" asks lol)
• I hope I can make it back to the Hostel at around 7:30 and try and mingle (hopefully the pool table is still there) before going to bed at around 9-ish

Saturday is big day;

• Wake up (probably out around 9) and try and fill time until 12, when my brother and his wife will come into the city;
• I want to take them to food and visit the Met but I have two choices, food first or Met first;
  • The first is if they are hungry, we get lunch after they arrive at Grand Central before moving to the Met; once again looking for any suggestions, so far I've identified Bill's, Lunch Box and Uncle Pauls as being good options, but again, open to similarly priced options
  • After we finish with the Met, maybe take a walk through Central Park and and kill time until their train home at 6. If there is any
• After they head out, I want to head back to the Hostel and mingle, before heading out to dinner around midtown, something like Jongro BBQ before doing a rooftop bar; people suggest Dear Iriving on Hudson, but I am absolutely open to suggestions

Sunday;

• Same routine wake up routine/out at 9, but this time I have the day completely open until 2, when I need to take my train back;
  • I'm a car guy, so the Rally museum (or hipsterbro store thing?) does appeal to me, but for the 3 hours prior to it opening, I might try and visit The High Line since I really liked seeing it the last time I visited; any good places to visit along that Mid to Downtown route?
• Hopefully, I'll have time to visit Joey Roses, but if people think it is overhyped; open to other recommendations for anything that would be between there and Penn Station

Apologies for how "open to suggestions" this entire thing is, but it is my first visit to NYC as a organizer, so I'm trying to make the most of it.

Lately, both in person and on this sub, I have seen a worrying amount of misinformation spreading about the political party Aon Tu. This misinformation either states that they are a left/liberal party or that they are not right/conservative. This is however clearly wrong as any amount of inspection of their statements and social media makes clear; any clear dive into their policies and statements make it clear that they are instead very right wing, if not far right. They use the many familiar terms associated with similar parties, hold the same stances, and even retweet them and their content.
In order to illustrate this below I am presenting the various tweets made by Peadar Tóibín (the current leader of the party, their founder, and currently sole elected official) as well as their official twitter account. I have limited it solely to tweets due to time and space constraints, I have also had to limit the amount of tweets due to the same constraints There is more and I strongly encourage anyway to check their accounts for themselves. If there is interest I can do a deep dive into their other socials and statements, however I do not think there is a way to access the backlog of debates they have had on RTE and radio unfortunately. I believe this thread will stand on it's own however and other such threads won't be needed.
I will present the below tweets without comment, sorting them only into sections for ease of reading. Some may contain a note below in order to give more context as to what the tweet is referencing. The one section I did not include was the various tweets on the referendum, this is because due to recency I did not think it was needed.
Edit: Fixed some formatting errors below that escaped notice when first posting, as well as one entry being under the wrong heading.
Vaccine Denial:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 12/07/2021

Aontú opposes vaccine Passports for indoor Hospitality.
Its discrimination against many people mostly the young.
Its mandatory vaccination through the back door.
Again the Irish Gov is alone in the whole of Europe in the extreme path it's taking.

Tweeted by Toibin; 17/10/2021

99.7% of the adult population in Waterford is fully vaccinated, yet it has one of the highest Covid-19 incidence rates in the country.
The truth is the Gov don't know why this is happening.
Now they will refuse entry to pubs to 0.3% unvaccinated to see does that work. #NPHET

Tweeted by Toibin; 10/01/2022

No, it's not April Fools day.
That people being paid by the state are actually discussing this is incredible.
FF/FG/Greens need to knock this madness on the head ASAP.

Note: Linked news article can be found here; Nphet to consider mandatory vaccination, department preparing paper on legal and ethical aspects
Tweeted by Toibin; 12/10/2022

I have submitted this question;
To ask the Minister for Health, has he or his department ever received any data, evidence or information from Pfizer that indicates that that the Pfizer Covid Vaccine was ever tested in terms of its ability to stop the transmission of Covid?

Anti Covid Lockdown:
Tweeted by Toibin; 15/11/2020

480 people got Cancer today.
24 people died of Cancer today
27 people died of Heart Disease and Stroke today.
This will hardly get a mention in the media today.
#COVID19

Tweeted by Toibin; 13/05/2021

8 deaths related to Covid were reported yesterday.
We share our deepest sympathies with these families.
The manner in which Covid deaths are being reported is concerning.
They were all from March or earlier.
Reporting them yesterday gives people a false impression of risk.

Tweeted by Toibin; 26/05/2021

The majority of people who died from Covid caught Covid in a Nursing Home or a Hospital.
So while the whole country was shut closed most people died in locations that were run by or regulated by the government.
This is an incredible situation.

Note: A video is attached.
Tweeted by Toibin; 05/06/2021

All the the people with Covid in Hospital in Ireland would fit on 1 Double Decker Bus.
Yet people were baton charged in Dublin last night and
Pubs and Restaurants wont open indoors for another month.
#ItsTimeForCommonSense #OpenHospitality #southwilliamst #Aontú

Tweeted by Toibin; 14/07/2021

The Government's Hospitality Discrimination Bill has passed all stages in the Dáil after only a few hours of debate.
It will be now legal to discriminate against certain Irish citizens.
A sad day for Ireland.

Note: The bill which has a picture taken of it in the tweet can be read here.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 30/10/2021

Some citizens are allowed into pubs.
Some citizens are not.
It's stunning that this has happened in the 21st century.
It's stunning that so much of society has just accepted it.
Worst of all, it's not even working.

Tweeted by Toibin; 24/11/2021

I have recieved information that the Goverment,
has carried out NO scientific research into the effectiveness or otherwise of the Covid Pass.
At all.
#FollowTheScience #TheySaid

Tweeted by Toibin; 17/12/2021

Are the Gov going to say that a healthy young person thats triple vaccinated along with their Covid Pass can't have a pint after 5pm.
What's the point of it all so?

Tweeted by Toibin; 21/01/2022

Very interesting to see Nphet and the Dept of Health go from researching Mandatory Vaccines to lifting restrictions in 10 days!

Anti LGBT:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 24/10/2022

Women live in period poverty just a few miles from the Dáil.
Instead of helping them,
your virtual signalling political establishment
put a tampon machine in the men's toilet in the Dáil.

Tweeted by Toibin; 16/02/2023

Plans by FF, FG & Greens to change the law to allow 16 year olds to legally change gender, against advice of medical experts,
shows how completely alienated the political bubble is from the people of Ireland.
Aontú will oppose this and seek a return to commonsense and science.

Tweeted by Aon Tu; 05/03/2023

When Minister O Gorman refused redress to many who had been in Mother and Baby Homes because of the 'lack of money', he raided hundreds of thousands from the Magdalene Scheme and Travellers supports & diverted the funding towards the LGBTQ+ Community.

Note: There is an article linked in the tweet, about an accusation made by Toibin. Read it here
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 06/03/2023

Varadkar is wrong. 9 &10 year old children are too young to be taught about transgenderism. We have a duty of care to children.
No research has been has been carried out on the impact of such education.

Tweeted by Toibin; 07/03/2023

I've asked the Minister for Ed what research has the Dept of Education carried out
on the impact on primary school children of delivering material on Transgenderism to them in the classroom?
We've a duty of care to children.
Education should be based on evidence not ideology.

Tweeted by Aon Tu; 08/03/2023

Tóibín asked Varadkar if his Gov had carried out any research as to the impact on 8 & 9 year old children of teaching about transgenderism in primary school.
Leo refused to answer the question.
Radical changes are being introduced against majority consent.

Note: There is an attached video.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 15/03/2023

Many people have been shocked by Paul Murphy's announcement.
But what's more shocking is that FF, FG, SF and the Greens,
are on exactly the same page as the hard left parties on teaching this ideology in every primary school in the country.

Tweeted by Toibin; 21/05/2023

This is incredible. All the actual crime that is happening on our streets and Gardaí are wasting time like this.
Even though there was no arrest here, this harassment creates a clear chilling effect on free speech and political discourse.

Note: There is an attached video in the tweet retweeted by Toibin, in it a Gardai is holding a polite conversation with an American holding a sign against "Gender Ideology." In their Twitter bio they describe themselves; "Father of two girls. Traveling the world to expose gender ideology and why children cannot consent to medical transition."
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 07/07/2023

Growing concern among parents that the new curriculum for 12 & 13 years in school is not age appropriate & is not science based.
Gender identity ideology is now mandatory for schools & thousands of parents will have no option but to withdraw their child from class.

Note: This article is linked on the topic of a statement made by Toibin.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 23/07/2023

This is why so many are angry with the Minister for Culture Wars, Helen McEntee.
Homicides are up, murder attempts are up, rape & sexual assaults are up, theft is up. Yet....
Gardaí management are focused on allowing male born Gardaí use women’s toilets.

Note: There is an attached article; here
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 28/09/2023

The Green Party are becoming increasingly authoritarian in nature.
If you dissent from government sanctioned views, you will be investigated.
This is the opposite of a liberal democracy.

Note: There is a linked article; it pertains to an investigation by the IABA into the usage of their premises by a "Christian Group" advocating for the removal of all LGBT+ content from the SPHE curriculum.
Tweeted by Toibin; 14/03/2024

It is reckless beyond belief to give dangerous chemicals and irreversible surgery to children with gender dysphoria.
This must be made illegal in Ireland immediately.

Note: Includes a retweet of this news article.
Anti Hatespeech bill:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 15/06/2023

Helen McEntee has become the Minister for Culture Wars.
Incredibly Varadkar accused PBP of being a threat to Free Speech.
FG, FF & the Greens are the biggest threat to free speech.

Note: There is a link article here.
Tweeted by Toibin; 26/07/2023

US gives Dublin a security warning for US citizens travelling to Ireland.
Meanwhile Minister McEntee is too busy with the Hate Speech Bill and Safe Zone Bill to worry about real people suffering actual crime.

Tweeted by Toibin; 28/03/2024

Helen McEntee is distracted by the Culture Wars.
People just want her to do her job, & make the streets safer.
Instead, she spent the last two years on a Hate Crime Bill no one wants. #BinTheBill

Note: There is an attached video.
Other:
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 15/02/2023

In the Dáil yesterday the hard left tried to close down a discussion on migration by calling people names.
This issue is too important. People have a right to respectfully ask questions and challange government policy.

Note: There is an attached video; it does not depict such name calling but rather Toibin accusing the government of name calling.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 24/07/2023

Another day and another culture war imported by the government from America.

Note: A retweet from Gript media with an attached video.
Tweeted by Toibin; 12/03/2024

There is a battle over the narrative of the referendum defeat happening at the moment.
Some within the political & media bubble want to erase the fact that so many people have had enough of the culture wars and want the country to get back to commonsense and bread and butter.

Tweeted by Aon Tu; 19/03/2024

At a Dept of Education 'In Service' day,
their staff told secondary school teachers not to use the word 'Mother' in class as they said it was not inclusive.
They are implementing Gov policy.
Aontú disagrees wholeheartedly with this policy.
Happy Mothers Day.

Tweeted by Toibin; 10/04/2024

Says the man who seeks to delete more Irish sovereignty with the EU migration pact.

Note: A retweet from Simon Harris talking about the need to defend Ukraine's sovereignty.
Tweeted by Aon Tu; 11/04/2024

The decision by FG, FF and Green MEPs to cede the power to control immigration into Ireland to Brussels was a serious mistake. Aontú oppose this pact and will fight to retain and regain sovereignty in Europe #aontú

Asian Americans have the most income mobility in Minnesota

Asian Minnesotans have higher income mobility rates than not only other racial groups in the state but also Asian Americans in other states. www.startribune.com.
Saengmany Ratsabout grew up on public assistance while his father, who had immigrated to the U.S. as a Lao refugee in the 1980s, worked at warehouses and factories to support a family of eight.
INCOME MOBILITY

• Income mobility stalls in Minnesota
• Inequity persists for Black earners
• Gender pay gap stagnates
• Great Recession still haunts millennials
• Native Minnesotans strive for stability
• Asian Minnesotans stand alone in income mobility

His was the first generation to attend college, and after starting out making $12 an hour at a social services nonprofit, Ratsabout's income steadily rose as he changed jobs, earned more degrees and climbed the career ladder. The researcher specializing in Southeast Asian studies now makes $110,000 as the executive director of the East Side Freedom Library, which has allowed him and his wife — the daughter of Hmong refugees — to pursue opening their own Lao coffee business.
Ratsabout's steady growth in income tells the story of Asian American economic success in Minnesota. New data the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis compiled found Asian Minnesotans have higher income mobility rates than not only other racial groups in Minnesota but also Asian Americans in other states. The trend is most stark at the lowest income quartile.
Asian Minnesotans in the lowest-earning group made less than $12,940 in 2014. By 2019, a worker in this group had a 57% chance of moving up income groups and a 43% chance of staying at the bottom group or having no wage income at all. The same pattern holds true for Asian Americans who earned up to $32,990 in 2014. Earners in this group had about a 36% probability of moving up one or more quartiles within five years, while all other racial groups had odds below 30%. Ratsabout, 42, said he and his wife "certainly have had mobility."
The data does not break out nations of origin for Asian Americans, grouping together disparate communities with very different paths to this country. Minnesota's largest Asian American community is Hmong, who began resettling here in the 1970s after allying with the U.S. military in the war against Communists in Laos and then had to rise up from poverty as refugees. Meanwhile, the second- and third-largest groups of Asian Minnesotans are of Indian and Chinese heritage and often come to the state as college students or professionals with specialized skills.
There is no single explanation for Asian Minnesotans' income gains, but members of those groups point to a pressure to succeed in practical careers and an emphasis on education as a few shared pathways.
Consistent growth The Fed data shows once Asian Minnesotans reach the highest income levels, this group also has unusually high rates of "persistence," meaning their incomes don't fall back down again.
Many Indian immigrants move here on visas for highly specialized workers, which could explain why their income stays high. But that also comes with an added burden. Eden Prairie resident Murthy Ivaturi moved to the U.S. from India in 2016 to work in IT on an H-1B visa and said he feels he needs to constantly upgrade his skills and perform at a high level while he waits for his green card application to process amid an enormous backlog.
"We need to ensure we maintain our status," Ivaturi said. "That means we should have specialized skills always and we should prove … exceptional talent. We always keep ourselves running in the race and updating ourselves technology-wise."
He added: "There's a lot of pressure that comes with that."
Pressure to thrive — whether to escape poverty, improve chances of remaining in the country or satisfy personal or cultural expectations — might be another reason for Asian Minnesotans' financial rise. Another could be the state's general economy and a host of social service organizations welcoming refugees and immigrants. The Hmong American Partnership, for instance, provides job training in manufacturing, health care, IT and transportation. The Karen Organization of Minnesota also offers vocational training and job counseling to the newest wave of Asian refugees.
"We don't have an explanation for what makes Minnesota different for Asian earnings compared to Asian earnings in the U.S.," said Illenin Kondo, senior research economist with the Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute at the Fed of Minneapolis.
He noted nationally, 35% of Asian Americans in the bottom income quartile have a college education compared to 18% of everyone else. But in Minnesota, the gap is small: 25% of Asian Americans in the lowest income group are college-educated compared to 20% of others. So education can't fully account for the difference. Kondo also pointed out earnings for foreign-born workers nationally have been outpacing their American-born counterparts through the two decades leading to the pandemic.
"It's very strong for top earnings, but it's true across the distribution … that could be playing out a little more strongly in Minnesota," Kondo said.
This picture for Asian Minnesotans isn't universal, though. A 2021 report from the Coalition of Asian American Leaders found many felt systemic racism and structural barriers prevented the community from improving economic mobility and building wealth.
Lee Pao Xiong, director of the Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University, recalled having 30 relatives on public assistance in California working low-wage jobs during the 1990s. As a Hmong refugee in Minnesota, he successfully encouraged them to move to his state for better employment and affordable housing.
Those family members started out driving buses and working in factories, left behind government reliance and worked their way up to stability. They and other Hmong Americans also focused on education as a way out of poverty, Xiong noted.
Now, more than half of Hmong people in Minnesota own their own home. Xiong said those who came here as children, as well as the second generation, are succeeding.
"That's the spirit of the Hmong community," he said.
Yigang Wang grew up in China and earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in California before moving to the Twin Cities in 2010 to start his career. His income steadily progressed as he advanced through the ranks and switched jobs several times, ultimately landing at his current role as an electrical engineering manager in Eden Prairie. Wang, of Plymouth, said he has found Minnesota's job market to be friendly toward Asian Americans and ripe for good engineers.
"Minnesota is very committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, not just in the university but also in the company," Wang, 45, said.
Chen Zhou is vice president of the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society Board of Directors and lives in Plymouth. Zhou also said the state is generally welcoming to foreign-born newcomers, noting high participation in Asian American festivals and events.
"They feel they are part of this state," Zhou said of Asian Minnesotans. "They feel they are part of the community."
JERRY HOLT, STAR TRIBUNE Saengmany Ratsabout and his wife, Gao Lee, at their warehouse office at Uprooted Coffee in St. Paul on May 8. Ratsabout's rise in income enabled Lee to to quit her $94,000 human resources job and focus solely on developing the coffee business. The couple work with distributors who bring coffee from Laos to the U.S. for the pair to roast locally and sell online. Refugee mentality Ratsabout initially left a job paying around $57,000 at University of Minnesota to start a business with his wife, Gao Lee, in 2020. But their plan of selling Southeast Asian drinks at festivals imploded when the pandemic arrived. Ratsabout returned to the U as a program manager at the Institute for Advanced Studies in 2022, making $75,000, and saw his income leap to six figures when he moved to a job at the library.
Lee went from being born in public housing to eventually making nearly $94,000 working in human resources for a philanthropic foundation before her husband's rise in income enabled her to quit her job and focus solely on developing their coffee business. Now 41, Lee said it was mentally hard to leave behind that salary to pursue Uprooted Coffee because of the refugee mentality of not having enough.
But after years focusing on building her income, she decided she was ready to fulfill her passion, too. The couple now works with distributors who bring coffee from Laos to the U.S. for the pair to roast locally and sell online as well as at various stores and cafes, including the Minneapolis Laotian restaurant Khâluna. But for the parents of two teenage children in Newport, arriving at this point took many years with no generational wealth as a fallback.
"Among our friends who are doing well financially who are Asian Americans, a lot of them went into careers that they were almost guaranteed a good financial package … because they have such a commitment to making their parents proud and supporting the extended family," Lee said. "So I think sometimes in our culture, that outweighs your own interests, your own passions, a bit."

Looking for a restaurant in the St. Paul area that has a private room for 12 people that isn't prohibitively expensive (i.e., I can't afford a $1,000 food and beverage minimum or $40 entrees). Can be in the St. Paul suburbs, too.

Hey all, The title says it all, I'm looking for folks that would be interested in getting together for trivia on a weekly or biweekly basis, sometime between mon-thurs, starting in the 6-7 pm time period. Most trivia places are at breweries, but there are also some at distilleries and restaurants.
I have a lot of fun playing trivia but am not an expert by any means. Looking for similar, but hey if you are an expert in an area or two, that's great! 😃 The best teams are those with a mix of ages and backgrounds, so the more the merrier!
@ me: older professional woman, adjacent to St. Paul, but willing to travel.

Hi, I’m a 21F who some might call a “baby gay.” I only began to identify as a lesbian about a year ago and, since then, I’ve had to grapple with a lot of misconceptions and myths I’ve held about the LGBTQ+ community for a long time. There are many examples of this I could mention, but the one which is the subject of this post is most recent (and most embarrassing for me, personally). In the minds of many, it might seem like such a “big deal”, but for me, this holds major implications. I’m speaking, in this case, about the appropriation of drag culture in which I have unknowingly taken part. What do I mean, exactly?
It’s pretty simple stuff, actually. Saying things like “spilling the T” or “throwing shade” or even “yas queen.” I know it may sound ridiculous at first, but I was actually devastated to learn that these slang terms were derived from drag culture, most notably RuPaul’s Drag Race. It wasn’t due to any prejudice I held toward drag queens, mind you. Rather, I was heartbroken to learn that I was completely clueless about the appropriating of a culture in which I was partaking.
In this context, I’m using “cultural appropriation” to mean engaging in the culture of another (integrating it into the mainstream) without giving credit to said culture of origin. In simpler terms, people take things they like about one culture, while totally dismissing or even acting hostile toward the people who created it. It’s almost as if a dominant culture claims ownership over it, presenting it as their own idea without giving due credit — like plagiarism. This feels even worse if the cultural group in question is marginalized. It’s like they want to “appreciate” what they have to offer while giving little care to the very real sociopolitical issues they may face.
If it wasn’t already clear, I’m no stranger to cultural appropriation. In fact, as a Black-American living in the US, I might as well be the poster child. The black community has had a long history of the white-dominant culture taking things from their culture, and completely removing their credit. I mean, just look at the face of American fried chicken, Colonial Sanders. KFC is such a universally beloved fast food restaurant, that it might as well be the representative of the dish itself. However, it is commonly known that black Americans created fried chicken. Enslaved Africans, descendants from the Atlantic slave trade, would prepare fried chicken as a way of rejuvenating parts of a chicken that their slave masters didn’t want. However, Colonial Sanders bares an unfortunate resemblance a wealthy Southerner that would exploit slave labor on their plantation. You can imagine that as a Black-American that is often undermined as a part of American culture, that stings. The last thing I would ever want was for someone to feel that sting. I mean, I could go on and on… (there are countless examples, like Elvis Presley and the inspiration rock-and-roll took from Black-Americans), but I’d be here all day.
To make a long story short, most of the shock I feel comes from the widespread usage of drag terms (“slay queen”, “Bye, Felicia”, etc.), without almost any mention of RuPaul, drag performance, or the LGBTQ+ community in any capacity. I could just be another blind cisperson out of the loop, but does anyone else feel the same?
It’s just so heartbreaking to me to see drag culture penetrate the mainstream in such an impactful way, and yet drag performers in general (especially considering the vast effort of American lawmakers to ban it) seem to be obviated from it entirely. I mean, imagine no one knew rap music originated from black people?
I still have a LOT to learn about the queer community, especially in regards to drag…

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***My Impersonators (DO NOT TRADE WITH): Right-Trick-5848, righttick_5848 Note the misspellings, note the dash "-" instead of the underscore "_", always verify it is me in PMs
Amazon DE Germany, FR France, ES Spain @ 60%
Razergold Global/USA @ 65%
Steam: Any currency @ 60%
UK: Amazon, Asda, Currys, Argos, Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, John Lewis, Love2Shop, One4all, Justeat, Wickes, Ikea, Screwfix, Deliveroo, Ubereats, Cex, Uber, Game, TKMaxx, Whsmiths, M&S, Marks and Spencer etc @ 60-70%
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Shore-ing Up Sides
What kind of a name is this episode? Stupid title. It does give us a clue that this episode will show the demise of friendships and that the cast takes sides. They split up! The casts of NJ are all doing interviews online and on TV. A lot of spoilers are coming out from the cast including who switches sides. I know who. It's all-over social media. I doubt anyone cares if it's spoiled, but you never know. We got a long season ahead. Please! I hope the arguing isn't as bad as last year!
Now, on with the episode...
The cast is still down at the Shore. It looks beautiful and also fun! Of course, they are still divided. Jen and Bill A is with Dolores and Paul. Teresa and Louie went home because Gabriella is leaving for college. Rachel and John are with Adult Jen Fessler and her husband Jeff along with Danielle and Nate. Melissa and Joe are with Marge and her Joe--he really loves her, he's rubbing her feet, very clingy. I would hate it! But that's just me. Most women love to be pampered. Not me.
John asks Adult Jen F about the party the night before. He secretly wants to know why she is hanging around with the enemy, Teresa. Jen states that she never had a problem with Teresa, Rachel looks at her with daggers, she is mad as hell. She states in her talking head that Adult Jen couldn't stand Teresa and that now that Adult Jen has jumped ship, Rachel is done with her. She is very hurt and called Adult Jen F stupid.
Dolores asks Jen A what is going on between Melissa and her. Jen says she is not feeling her and is not a chump. Melissa tells Marge that Jen A spread rumors, so she is not happy with her. The bad feelings is mutual between these two women...
Melissa is throwing a Birthday Party for Joe. It's going to be an Italian theme party. She and Marge discuss what to do about Jen A because she might feel like the lone enemy there without Teresa. Melissa thinks she and Bull should attend. So, with that, Joe Gorga calls Bill and extends an invitation to him and his wife. Bill tells him thank you, but his wife Jen is still not in a good place with Melissa. Jen is not having it. She is still hurt from last year and thinks Joe's invite was not sincere. She is glad that Bill finally stood up for her. She says they are a team from now on. He will stand up for her or he will feel her wrath! Bill just smiles at her no matter what she says. Why is he always smiling?!
Teresa and all her girls are packing up for Gabriella. Gia is crying, all the girls are crying. Gia tells Gabriella that she is so proud of her for getting into the University of Michigan. It's a very had college to get into. Teresa is also crying. Teresa ex, Joe Guidice calls. Teresa can't look at him or she will cry. He tells them all this is a good thing. Louie comes in and tries to cheer them up too. Joe can't afford college, so Teresa and Louie are paying. I doubt Louie is paying, but Producers put Teresa on the spot and asked her if Louie is also paying. Of course she is going to say yes. Pretty sure only Teresa is paying. I saw a preview that Louie went through all of Teresa's money. So, there's that.
Teresa and Louie go outside. She tells him she is in her love bubble with him and no matter what happened at the party or with their enemies she has his love. What does enemies have to do with their love bubble? They are holding hands, clinging to each other while they bring up John Fuda, they rip him apart. Louie called him ugly and a loser. Louie you're no prize in the looks either so no room to talk. Teresa tells him he handled it with grace with John and she is sorry he has to deal with this. He says the same to her, she doesn't deserve any of this. I feel so bad what these two have to put up with. Not! Louie handled it with grace! What the... such an odd thing to say. Louie wrote on Instagram that Teresa has so much grace. I would not describe these two with the word grace.
Joe Gorga's party starts. It looks like fun. The men were doing shots on a blow-up doll's ass that John brought. Ass shots are not my style of fun, but to each their own.
Rachel is complaining about Adult Jen F's betrayal and Marge is talking about Jen A. Marge thinks Jen A should have shown up. Why? I wouldn't if I was her. Rachel agrees with me and says she wouldn't have shown up either.
Back home Teresa throws a going away dinner party for Gabriella at a restaurant. Louie's boys are there along with her daughters. It's a nice family scene. They all reminisce and have a nice time together. Cheers Gabriella! I hope she succeeds in whatever career that she decides to do. I am sure she will.
Back at the party John and Paul joke around with the other men and make up. Oh, and Frank is there. I thought he was off the show for good. He tells Joe that he misses him and that he is Starchy to his Hutch. What?!! Oh, and Frankie Jr. Isn't in Dolores' background family tagline. It's Paul and her daughter. Maybe Frank Jr. had enough of the show.
Marge, Rachel and Adult Jen F sit down. Marge is going to get her. She asks her about Teresa and Louie. Marge is going on and on about it, she is annoyed. Jackie sits down and takes Adult F's side. Marge and Rachel are not having it. Marge tells Adult Jen that she doesn't understand what she is doing, she hated them. Adult Jen is not budging, she now loves Teresa and will be friends with whoever she wants. Rache; starts crying about all of this. Adult Jen feels bad for Rachel, but she loves Teresa now! Rachel feels very betrayed, and Marge is not having what Adult Jen A is putting down. This is messy. Jen F told Marge she is not Marge's soldier, and she will do what she wants and be friends with who she wants. There is a lot of arguing going on and I am sure it will continue. Jackie is comforting Adult Jen and Marge and Rachel are talking about Jen F to Danielle, Rachel is still crying. The betrayal is real. Danielle agrees with Rachel and Marge--she says Adult Jen F isn't loyal and should never do that to her best friends.
Adult Jen F is trying with all her might to tell everyone that she is the best friend anyone could ever have! I don't know about that. What do you all think? Is Jen F a traitor or is Marge and Rachel being unreasonable? If someone does me harm and spread rumors about me. I wouldn't be too fond if my friend befriended that person who she knew for a minute and said she disliked. It's hurtful to do that to a longtime friend who you trusted. That's my take on this.
Oh yeah, and Joe Gorga gets a nice big Italian cannoli cake! Besides the arguing, there were a lot of people there having a lot of fun. Everyone wished him a Happy Birthday and it ended on a happy scene with the delicious cake! Who doesn't love cake?
To Be Continued...

https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/05/18/howie-carr-karen-read-trial-is-a-corrupt-canton-townie-sideshow/
POSTED: Howie Carr: Karen Read trial is a corrupt Canton townie sideshow
PUBLISHED: May 18, 2024 at 4:25 p.m. UPDATED: May 18, 2024 at 4:27 p.m.
Paul Revere used to summer every year in Canton, but he wouldn’t recognize the place today.
One thing, though, hasn’t changed since the 18th of April in ’75 — the locals still love their midnight rides, but with one big difference.
Paul Revere wasn’t hammered out of his mind when he was on horseback, spreading the alarm to every Middlesex village and farm.
Through the first 14 days of the Karen Read murder trial in Dedham, we have learned much about life in the Town of Canton, post-Paul Revere.
As you know, Read is accused of murdering her boyfriend, BPD cop John O’Keefe, by drunkenly running him over in a snowstorm in January 2022.
His body was found outside the home of another BPD officer, who has since sold the house, gotten rid of his phone and dog and abruptly retired from the job, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
How screwed up is this case? Well, the feds are all over it like white on rice.
Read’s defense attorneys have said the G-men’s accident-reconstruction experts have concluded that O’Keefe couldn’t possibly have been killed by a car.
Then there are all those texts that haven’t been “mistakenly” deleted…
The state’s lead investigator is thisclose to the Hibernian hillbillies who are up to their eyeballs in this mess.
According to opening statements, State Trooper Michael Proctor’s first thought when he was assigned the case was to text his Canton high-school buddies. He told them he was already searching online for nude photos of Karen Read.
Proctor is now under investigation by MSP Internal Affairs — if only because it’s the feds who discovered his texts, rather than the corrupt Staties themselves.
How will Proctor do on cross-examination? Do you remember an LAPD detective by the name of Mark Fuhrman?
Back on the stand Tuesday will be Jen McCabe. She’s the one who’s missing one of her front teeth.
Don’t confuse Toothy McCabe with Julie Albert. Julie is the one who chews gum while testifying. Her father’s name is/was Jack Daniels — coincidence?
Julie is married to Chris Albert. He did a six-month state bit in 1995 after killing a Hungarian exchange student in a hit-and-run accident.
His public defender was one John Prescott, whose sister is the judge in the case — Beverly Cannone. She’s a lifelong payroll patriot from Quincy, like the rotund district attorney, Meatball Mike Morrissey.
If you want to hide something real good, just stick it in one of Judge Cannone’s law books.
From her courtroom rulings, Cannone seems to believe that the synonym for “exculpatory” is “excluded,” as in, if the evidence is exculpatory for Karen Read, it’s excluded.
Chris Albert, by the way, is a Canton selectman. As the only jailbird in the fight, he was elected in a landslide. Forget it Jake — it’s Canton.
Even if you haven’t been paying close attention, there are easy ways to figure out who’s who. The townies — which is everyone except the defendant — all pronounce their hometown not as “Canton” but as “Can-UHN.”
Here’s how the examination begins after each witness is sworn in.
Where do you live? Can-UHN. Where were you born? Can-UHN. Where did you go to high school? Can-UHN High.
Have you ever been anywhere else? Yes, once I drove to a packy… in Stough-UHN.
Selectman Albert owns the local pizza parlor. On the night John O’Keefe died outside his brother’s house, he closed his shop, then walked across the street to a local dive where he ordered “appetizers.” That’s how good his own restaurant is.
Then, meeting up with the rest of the Can-UHN townies, the selectman ordered the usual — a round of Fireballs. How Canton is it?
After last call, he offered to take the crapulous crew back to his pizzeria for some free eats. Everybody said… nah.
Almost all these people live, or did live, in the same houses they grew up in, bought by their parents 50 years ago as they fled Boston after the start of busing.
Lucky for them they inherited these tear-downs, because otherwise most of them would have already fled back to their natural habitat — trailer parks.
See, Canton’s on the commuter-rail line, so housing prices have been going up, up and away. It’s only a matter of time until all these low-rent losers are priced out.
So resentment is simmering among the old Can-UHN crowd. They don’t like what’s happening — just last year, their favorite hang-out, Big D’s Neponset Grill, went out of business.
It was the last place in town where you could get a fried-baloney sandwich. Now that was some really fine Can-UHN cuisine.
What must the U.S. attorney be thinking as he watches this legal lynching unfold in deepest, darkest Dedham? The defense has said in open court that the feds already have a proffer — a deal — with the only witness who didn’t go to Can-UHN High.
The hack prosecutor did not dispute the statement.
Judge Cannone has instructed all the parties not to mention that federal grand jury, where at least three cops have apparently told conflicting stories from what they testified before Meatball’s state grand jury.
But the other day, one of the younger witnesses was asked who’s questioned him about O’Keefe’s death.
“The feds,” he blurted out in front of the jury.
Well, what could you expect? He went to Can-UHN High.
This trial is drawing a huge audience. Unlike Trump’s kangaroo-court case in New York, there are cameras in the Dedham courtroom. Live streaming coverage.
And Karen Read is not guilty. Tensions are running high. There have been fights and restraining orders — and that’s just among the reporters.
Aidan “Turtleboy” Kearney is the blogger who’s made the case into a national story. He’s been barred from the courtroom for certain witnesses — the “McAlberts,” as he calls the Alberts and the McCabes.
The McAlbert witnesses begin weeping when they talk about Turtleboy. He makes them want to spit out their chewing gum and order another round of Fireballs.
How dare he call their hero Jailbird Chris Albert “Chicken Parm Charlie?”
I have Turtleboy on my radio show most afternoons. On Friday, he said Jen McCabe has a worse set of teeth than George Washington did.
The most appealing thing about this case is that you can watch it and feel better about your own hometown. In Holbrook, they listen to Chicken Parm Charlie and realize that he makes their ex-selectman Daniel Lee look like Daniel Webster.
In Methuen, they see Canton’s Keystone Cops and think, you know, maybe Chief Solomon wasn’t that bad after all…
If Paul Revere could only see what’s become of Canton, he’d put the spurs to Brown Beauty and keep riding. Only instead of “The British are coming!” he’d be yelling something different. “The white trash are coming!”

***My Impersonators (DO NOT TRADE WITH): Right-Trick-5848, righttick_5848 Note the misspellings, note the dash "-" instead of the underscore "_", always verify it is me in PMs
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***My Impersonators (DO NOT TRADE WITH): Right-Trick-5848, righttick_5848 Note the misspellings, note the dash "-" instead of the underscore "_", always verify it is me in PMs
Amazon DE Germany, FR France, ES Spain @ 60%
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Steam: Any currency @ 60%
UK: Amazon, Asda, Currys, Argos, Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, John Lewis, Love2Shop, One4all, Justeat, Wickes, Ikea, Screwfix, Deliveroo, Ubereats, Cex, Uber, Game, TKMaxx, Whsmiths, M&S, Marks and Spencer etc @ 60-70%
UK other cards but at lower rates: ASOS,Accessorize,Adidas,Aer Lingus,Airbnb,Allsaints,American Golf,Apple Itunes,Ask Italian,B&Q,Beaverbooks,Bella Italia,Bonus Bonds,Boohoo,Boots,Boux Avenue,Bunnings,Burberry,Cafe Rouge,Caffe Nero,Claires,Clarks,Coast,Compliment Vouchers,Compliments Experience Days,Coop,Costa Coffee,Dining Out,EE,Ernest Jones,Espa,Everyman Cinema,Experience Days,Fat Face,Flannels,Foot Locker,Fortnum & Mason,Frankies & Bennys,Gap,Giffgaff,Goldsmiths,Google Play,H&M,H.Samuel,HMV,Halfords,Harrods,Harvey Nichols,Hollister,Hotel Chocolat,House of Fraser,Jack Wills,Jd Sports,Karen Millen,LMG Jewellery,Lakeland,Lasiguanas,Leisure Vouchers,Liberty,Mamas & Papas,Mango,Matalan,Michael Cors,Miller & Carter,Monsoon,Moss Bros,Nandos,National Book Tokens,National Rail,Netflix,New Look,Next,Nike,Nintendo,Now TV,O2,Odeon,Pandora,Paul Smith,Pets at home,Pizza Express,Pizza Hut,Play Store,Playstation PSN,Prezzo,Primark,Quiz Clothing,Red Letter Days,Restaurant Choice,River Island,Selfridges,Signet Connect,Spafinder,Sports Direct,Spotify,Sunglass Hut,Superdry,Swarovski,Sweaty Betty,Ted Baker,The Body Shop,The Jockey Club,The Range,The White Company,Theatre Tokens,Thomas Pink,Three,Ticketmaster,Trailfinders,Tui,Turtle Bay,UGG Australia,Victoria Secret,Virgin,Virgin Experience Days,Vue Cinema,Waterstones,Wh Smith,WhSmith,Xbox Microsoft,Zara
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So a few days ago, I went out to a restaurant with my family and I liked going there, so I asked if we could go back out there on Saturday (TODAY) I spend 30 fucking minutes getting ready and I run out of deodorant so I use nautical voyage body spray, we get in the car and my mom yells at me because it's bad, she told me not to spray any cologne (I have a collection) and I didn't, I figured body spray was closer to deodorant rather than cologne and this is the second time something like this has happened and I have to go back inside and wash off, what's even crazier is that half the shit she says she's okay with, she's no longer okay with, and her nose is really sensitive, but I don't have a whole ass cologne collection just for decoration, I don't know what to do because her sense of smell is so strong that if I even spray 1 bit of Jean Paul Gaultier or Nautica voyage she'll smell it from all the way across the house, I can't spray it when she's not home either because she'll notice the scent lingering.

Hi everyone! I recently just moved back to Saint Paul after living on the East coast for two years, and I'm looking to meet people who are interested in rock climbing or really just anything active, especially swimming or hiking. I'm 20m, and it's been a while since I've been climbing, but I used to be really into it last year, and I still have all my new-ish equipment.
I'm also hoping to find people who are interested in sewing/crocheting since I just started that back up again.
But obviously I love food like everyone else, and I'd be more than happy to try some of the restaurants in the twin cities. I’m really just looking to meet people my age, so if you’re my age and looking for friends, hit me up!

I just moved to Saint Paul from Georgia a few months ago. I’m still looking for a job, but it hasn’t been going as well as I’d liked. I’m 37/m, dependable vehicle, with an associates degree in interdisciplinary studies but my resume is mostly the restaurants industry (I ran the kitchen line at an Applebee’s for years) and although I’m really interested to try something different, I will take any job I can get. I have 3 children so I want to find something decent as soon as possible.

From today's Pioneer Press:
The St. Paul City Council voted this week to support two zoning variances requested by the developer behind a proposed restaurant building within United Village, the development area around Allianz Field.
The single-story “Shops in the Green” building will be located west of Simpson Street, between Spruce Tree Avenue and Shields Avenue, north of a secondary restaurant building, both of which would open onto patios along the Great Lawn. Both zoning variances were previously denied by the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
The zoning code requires that 30% of the wall area along the ground floor on all new commercial buildings be covered in window or door openings, but Snelling-Midway Redevelopment LLC requested that requirement be lowered to 19.6% on the northern building’s northern façade along Spruce Tree Avenue.
The city code also requires a primary pedestrian entrance on street-facing facades such as Spruce Tree Avenue.
Mike Hahm, a consultant for the developer, noted that the building will already have two other entrances, making a third entrance redundant and difficult to monitor.

‘Unique circumstances’

Council Member Anika Bowie, who represents the neighborhood, said given the restaurant building’s general orientation toward the Great Lawn, as well as its sizable mural on the northern façade, “unique circumstances” made the added windows and entrance impractical.
“This plan is going to include a large scale art display, green space, and space for … small businesses,” Bowie said. “The architectural design within the Super Block is very comprehensive.”
Council President Mitra Jalali noted the extra 10% of door and window coverage would detract from the mural. The Union Park District Council had opposed the variance request pertaining to the window and door opening requirement, but supported the variance eliminating the primary pedestrian entrance on Spruce Tree Avenue.
The Board of Zoning Appeals had previously approved four other variance requests reducing the required door and window openings on the building’s southern and eastern façades, as well as on the southern restaurant building’s eastern façade.
The council voted 6-0 on Wednesday to support the developer’s appeals. Council Member Nelsie Yang is on maternity leave.