I wonder how high Bhopal would rate if Union Carbide had actually paid the damages it should have.

Yeah, that's a good question/point. I think the only reason the recent LA commuter train crash made the list is it occurred in a wealthy, litigious country.

That's interesting about Chernobly - I had only heard that the operators conducted a dangerous safety test.

eta: I'm not saying it's bad for people to sue over the LA train crash....

Obama's people really know how to put together inspirational videos.

I love the term nerd-adjacent.

I think my HS experience just doesn't fit into the standard nerdometrics. My school had no athletic teams, the cool kids either surfed, skated, or sailed boats. The school bullies were the D&D playing, Renn faire attending nerds of normal schools. No really, I mean it--their "gang" called themselves the Wraiths.

Turns out the motel I'll be staying at is a quarter block from a Waffle House. Guess I know where I'll be eating breakfast in Chico. Some Buffistas have expressed enthusiasm for this chain. Any recs? (No points for just saying "Waffles".)

Edit: And Trudy, so cool.

Get the hash browns at the Waffle House. Nom nom nom.

Try the grits!

TB, Scattered Smothered Covered Chunked and Topped

my HS experience just doesn't fit into the standard nerdometrics.

true for me also, but more because the school was just too small. 25 people per grade doesn't lend itself to true cliques. Still, I refused to be in the invitation only writing group or play on the academic game show thingy - so nerd can't apply.

Starbucks is handing out free coffee on November 4th to voters.

Krispy Kreme is giving away free donuts. Though possibly not here in California since it's illegal or some such crap.

ION, has looking in one's rearview mirror before backing out of a parking space become less of a rule and more of a "suggestion"? Because some stupid bitch just hit me with her car as I was walking across our office parking lot and she seemed fairly unapologetic about it.

All-girls Catholic school meant that we were all in our own separate cliques. My "clique" was mostly just the more normal girls whose main thing in common was honors classes, but not always (my best h.s. friend wasn't in any of those classes with me, and now I can't even remember how we first met--might have been band), and we had cheerleaders and pom-pom girls, and some jocks as well, who were all in the same classes as us.

The only types that we didn't have in our group were the sluts, the toughs, and the druggies (mostly the early dropout girls--harsh titles, but that's what we called them). Oh, and the snobs, but that was because they wouldn't associate with those of us whose daddies didn't give them Porsches for their 16th b-days.