This comes across as an awful plot line on a Tyler Perry produced drama on BET or OWN…

When the time was needed for somebody to be on their best behavior, she chose poorly. :-/

Germany does the "13th month" thing?

I've jokingly said that holiday pay for Thanksgiving *and* Black Friday is my employer's Christmas bonus. :-)

A convent with none of the benefits.

Stability and prayer? No, just infighting and drama!

(insert joke about women joining the harems of the men who don't use porn)

I must admit, you're good for challenging my preconceived notions. :-)

Happy New Year! :-)

Merry Christmas! :-)

(Big hug)

Some of us miss you! But I understand if you want a break!

* Same feeling I had when Covid broke out. Global must-see-TV.*

I was on leave from work, so that was *definitely* the case for me with Covid. BBC, France 24, CNN. Always hungry for the next drip of news to develop during peak pandemic.

I'm still shocked at how a US spec car managed to survive life in Germany for so long. :-)

Has a replacement been selected yet, or are you discovering the wonders of German rural cycling?

The problem is that we're so desperate to look for a magical solution for underpeforming black students that all of the old tricks didn't work, so we have a new generation of activists and educational policy makers with no real world memory of the past who don't see the awkwardness of this idea.

The trick in the US, IIRC, is basically to refuse to issue visas until the country submits to taking back their citizen. I suspect the Germans aren't willing to do this, and have far less leverage in this regard.

I wonder what you think of the chemists and nerds that play with sensors that create photography. :-)

FWIW, the US testing as well as it did is rather shocking.

Somebody noted that US whites and Asians were BTFO of other countries, and black people were outscoring some actual European countries.

Principle + 2% is better than "OMG, where's my money".

This isn't play money, it's your *retirement*.

I tend to be somewhat concerned about pensions given that I'm a single adult with zero chance of marriage and kids at this point, so a guaranteed payment upon retirement is attractive to me, but outside of government and a few unionized workforces and non-profits, you're left with far less secure defined contribution accounts and IRAs which guarantee nothing.

FWIW, this seems that this is basically a German substitute for our 401ks/IRAs.

(Does a google search)

Um, do the riesters offer guaranteed payouts upon retirement, or are they subject to the succces of the markets?

Retirement *insurance*?

*The solution for high prices is high prices.*

Increase the supply of housing!

I shouldn't have to go move halfway across the country to find somewhere to live, and then spend the bloody savings on daycare because I can't afford to live near my kids grandmother who would be a far better babysitter.

IIRC, my portion of the town property taxes comes out to 1500, so I'm effectively paying a little over that now if you split the cost between myself and my younger brother.

*then they should move someplace cheaper or demand higher wages*

So people complain about price increases due to wage increases, businesses don't want to reduce their profits, and landlords don't want to cut rents. And people moving to lower cost of living locations ends up driving up rents in the new places. So there isn't a magical escape plan.