Look, I’m of Scottish descent, but I’m not Scottish. It’s been generations since anyone in my family has seen scotch heather in anything but a photograph. I never went to a Scottish school, sat in a Scottish pew, and while I can understand the Scots dialect I couldn’t speak it to save my life. I have a few fragments of old traditions, some of which no one in Scotland even practices anymore. Sure, I like a nice dram of whisky or black pudding as much as the next guy, but I also enjoy sushi, that doesn’t make me Japanese either. So why would it make any sense to refer to myself as a Scottish-American? If I were a recent import or maybe 2nd generation, sure it makes some sense, but I don’t have the foggiest clue what life in Scotland is like. If you dropped me in Glasgow or Aberdeen without GPS in my pocket and asked me to find my way around I wouldn’t know where to start. So what gives me the right to call myself Scottish anything? Because my family held on to a few comforting traditions from a Scotland that’s been gone for more than a century?

There’s a very old trope that the land seeps into your blood over time and no matter how far you roam from it, it calls you back, and shapes your character. It’s from the same school of thought that coined the phrase “Blood and Soil” and murdered people in gas chambers. It’s not a philosophy I have much attachment to, in spite of the fact I have one of those in my bloodline too.

Actually most other places have far more indigenous culture, because the dominant socio-economic group is the indigenous people of that place. The existence of an indigenous minority is pretty unique.

Citizens United. That ruling should have started a riot that didn’t end until the constitution was amended.

I know a few people who kind of went crazy with the creatine and definitely took it too far and hurt themselves with it, which is crazy because I’m not even into fitness stuff so you wouldn’t expect a filthy casual like me to see that. From what I understand figuring out the right dose is tricky because there’s a lot of different body types and metabolisms, and the label always overestimates how much you really can process. It’s a supplement meaning it’s basically unregulated so they can put whatever they want on there. I’d say it’s common enough that people overdoing it is common enough to be concerning.

Can it mess with your kidneys? Absolutely. Will it? Bruh, this is the internet, we have no way to know that, but if you’re going easy on it, then probably not. Just make sure you’re using your head and it should be fine.

I mean, again, most if not all of them. Almost every language there’s slight variations in pronunciation, intonation, vocabulary and pacing between men and women that would otherwise qualify as a “different accent.” It’s more pronounced in some regions and dialects, but most of them have “male” and “female” variations.

Canadian, here. I think they’re great. Most seem like really nice people. Except the ones that astroturf for the CCP. Those can go back to China if they prefer it so much. Spare me the incessant propaganda. I’ve spent my whole life putting up with American lies, I don’t feel the need to replace them with Chinese ones.

But most of the ones I know are honest, good people, interesting perspectives, competent, if not particularly exceptional.

Why would Americans care? This happens every other week down there. Here, one is a national tragedy, there it’s just a Wednesday. This is the what happens when people soak their brains in the American social media BS too much.

Oh, they do. Depending on the context, there’s a whole host of ways to imply sarcasm without depending on intonation. Body language, context, double entendre, formality shifts, etc.

The question may not be inherently stupid, although it does contain a false premise. You really should follow the news before you start claiming the news channels aren’t reporting a story. It’s been front page news on literally every publication for 3 days now. I have to assume then that this question is actually rhetorical. If there’s a statement you’re looking to make you should probably just make it.

I know plenty of older Gen X who’ve turned into pearl clutching, curmudgeonly hypocrites and even a few younger folks who’ve developed early onset “get off my lawn” syndrome. While I’ll certainly grant that it seems to be far more common among older folks it’s a mindset we all can fall into if we’re not self aware enough.

Hell I know more than a few joyless Gen Z’s who already have fallen into the habit of being utterly scandalized whenever they see someone enjoying life a bit too much. Not all by a longshot yet, but a concerning amount for ones so young.

Unfortunately the old farts on social media were once the teens being treated like criminals for existing. It’s a cycle. Yesterday’s rebels become tomorrow’s pearl clutchers.

The only people abducting people and holding them for ransom in Chicago and Seattle are ICE agents.

Umm… in what country is it people get kidnapped and ransomed every day? I mean, I’m not saying it’s not a thing, it does happen, but it’s actually pretty rare in most of North America. I mean, it’s pretty common in Mexico, but in most of the continent the most common kidnapping is a biological relative abducting a child.