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Destroy the Palm Trees - Five Reasons Why Palm Trees Need To Go Away

    I'm here to tell you about a vegetable menace that is the AIDS of the plant world. If you live in most parts of North America, these plants have you surrounded.  They're butt-ugly brown sticks thrusting phallically into the sky in unnatural rows, crowned by a spidery fright-wig of spikes. They look like a raspberry on a stick.        I'm talking, of course, about the omnipresent palm tree, found everywhere in your city. It doesn't matter what you hate, this tree embodies it.  The palm tree is the…
Score: 17.19

How To Build An EDH Deck For Magic: The Gathering

      Ready For Commander?  Commander, also called "EDH" (stands for "Elder Dragon Highlander," an outdated in-joke), is the most popular format of the collectible trading card game Magic: The Gathering, counting over-all formats.  While EDH doesn't appear much in competitive formats when the tournament is over, and the last booster box handed out, look for the players to be huddled up in the corner over a Commander game.  It has every reason to be popular; it is the only MTG format created entirely by the…
Score: 9.55

Thailand VS Philippines in language, culture, money, and love

Moving to Thailand or the Philippines and how the English language, cultural influence, cost of living, and relationships could affect your choices.        It is never as easy as choosing a pros and cons list or just doing what works for others.    If one is considering the possibility of moving to Asia and becoming an official Expatriate (or expat for short), two popular choices are:   Moving to Thailand Moving to the Philippines   I use these two more specifically because I have lived in both countries.  In…
Score: 5.27

Best Magic! the Gathering Sealed Products - A Guide to Strategic Investment in Magic: The Gathering

      "Many Magic: The Gathering players ask the question…" Don't you ever get tired of mocking the Professor of Tolarian Community College with that opening? The answer is no, we don't. Even though we love the Professor, and this post is partly inspired by his YouTube channel's content, he's just irresistible to mimic. Not to mention, if he were here reading this, he would probably disagree with the majority of what we're going to be saying here.  The Professor, spoiler alert, usually poops on Wizards…
Score: 4.68

Complete Guide Magic: The Gathering EDH Commanders You Will Never Get Tired Of Playing

    Over and over again, the number one question you see in any MTG:EDH forum is "What commander should I build next?"  Commander, the most casual and fun format of Magic: The Gathering, is a bit more involved than other formats. You have to build a 100-card deck, and every card has to be unique except for basic lands. Plus it allows anything - barring a short ban list - from any expansion set over the years; the game is rapidly approaching its 30th anniversary. So it has one of the biggest available…
Score: 3.55

Community Groups

The A-hole paradigm

by Dominus

   Some of us think that they are better than everybody else. Being the superior beings that they are, they see no need to give poor mortals like us any attention and treat us like the underdeveloped nuisances they see us as. Surprisingly, such specimens can be found in all the social layers, offending their way through life while exercising their God-given right to do whatever they see fit. They seem to be filling their ranks more efficiently these days. We see the famous ones on TV, on the…
Score: 1.11
vTubers

VTubers (Virtual YouTubers): Is This The Future Of Entertainment?

       Pardon my round-eyed white idiot weeaboo indulgence, but your Present Author has been sent on a mission by the Editors That Be to explore vTubers(Virtual YouTubers, Japanese: Vユーチューバー, バーチャルユーチューバー). This is 21st century living at its most stereotyped: whole subcultures emerge and gain millions of followers within a couple of years, without most of the world quite knowing they exist.  But I'm a techie and media geek first, so even I can appreciate that there's something happening here. We all…
Score: 1.41
Japanese Education

Five Outstanding Features of Public Schools in Japan for Americans

What do you know about similarities and differences between American public schools and other countries' public schools?  Here are five key features of Japanese Public Schools that stand out most from American education system.  By DarklanlanTaken by Darklanlan [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons  Well Planned LunchJapanese kids at elementary and junior high schools eat one menu lunch during their school lunch time. These lunch providers differ depending on the policy and mission of each city’s…
Score: 1.22
Health Myths

Popular Old Wives Tales From My Childhood

Growing up in West Virginia, I spent a lot of time with older people and I've heard a lot of old wives tales. Some of them are funny, some of them are just plain wrong, but surprisingly some of them actually have some truth to them. Here are just a few of the things I've heard.   1. Put a bar of soap in your bed sheets to prevent leg cramps. If that isn't the weirdest and silliest thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is. Despite the fact that there have been no scientific studies to explain…
Score: 1.22
Backpacking Scotland

Walking the West Highland Way

    Meander along rolling hills of the lush Scottish countryside, trace the banks of Loch Lomond while making your way through vibrant oak forests, and wander up and over the windswept highlands as you walk the West Highland Way from its southern terminus in Milngavie (pronounced Mul-guy) to its northern terminus in Fort William.    This 96 mile (154.4km) expanse of trail is perfect for fit and healthy adventurers of all ages. If you like to rough it, pack your gear on your back and wild camp the…
Score: 1.0
Social Communities

Seeking Online Eden : The Quest For An Intelligent Discussion Community

    This is Diogenes the Cynic. He is known for having roamed the world, lantern aloft, on a lifelong quest for just one honest man. (Spoilers: He never did find one by his definition.) Besides that, he was one of those classical philosophers and public intellectuals whose standard delivery represented our modern concept of "performance art" or "stand-up comedy." He was a tart social critic and overall sourpuss. He is, however, credited with helping to found the seeds of stoicism, one of the most…
Score: 2.4
Social Media Activism

#MeToo: Did Anything Change?

2 words… 2 words and what was once known as a pound sign lit up the internet, was stoked by celebrities and ignited the world into discussing a topic that once was too taboo to even speak behind closed doors. Though this movement has proven to make major waves in the world of the celebrity - with the big name arrests of Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein - what is happening for everyone else? What about the everyday woman without the money, power, and influence behind her?The first time I was…
Score: 1.06

It Is Indeed Time To Police Social Media

    It is time we faced the music, Internet fans: We broke everything. Social Media was a mistake. None of us are close to understanding how or why, but apparently we have created a monster.    Social media seemed harmless enough when it came along.  Social media was nothing but an extension of the exact same Internet we'd had for decades. Believe it or not, there is very little difference between modern Reddit and Usenet circa 1990. There's also very little difference between modern Twitter and an AOL…
Score: 1.0
anthology shows

We Always Need A Black Mirror

    The Netflix original series Black Mirror has attracted a surprising number of critics, some ridiculing the very premise of the series - and having that backfire - others just dismissing it as "pretentious," while others claim the very title sailed over their heads, and finally a whole subsection out there blowing it off because it's similar to The Twilight Zone franchise.    Um, yeah, that's the whole point!      For those out of the loop: Black Mirror is a modern speculative fiction anthology series with…
Score: 1.11
Accessories

Advice For Buying A Great Handbag

It just so happens that I'm in the market for a new handbag. But I always have the problem of wanting to buy a purse because it's pretty or stylish, but then I never actually get around to using it. I always end up realizing something is wrong with it later on. Maybe it isn't big enough for all my things, the snaps are annoying, there aren't enough different compartments, and so on. So I did some research on how to buy a purse I'll love and really use. I think it's pretty important to choose the…
Score: 1.17
Teamwork Within Orchestra and Business

Harmony of Teamwork and Leadership in the Orchestra and Business through the Eyes of a Musician

    I’ve spent most of my life in and out of various orchestras and businesses professionally throughout my career.   During this time, I discovered many subtle similarities between these two careers and what makes them successful or not.  In comparison, we look to understand the harmony of teamwork and leadership within the different “branches” of an orchestra and business through the eyes of a musician.    The Conducting CEO           I am sure there’s been a time in all our lives when we’ve thought,   “ Wow, the…
Score: 1.47