History Professor Answers Dictator Questions / Tech Support / WIRED

Feeling grateful that my mother died

... before she could be kicked out of her nursing home... or before she would be forced to stay in and be neglected in an over-crowded, under-staffed nursing home. Other families will not be so lucky.

"Granny Off the Cliff" (Is America Beautiful Without Medicare?)

2025 Scorecard on State Health System Performance

Remember when Sarandon called Hillary a "war hawk" and that she'd rather have Trump (or words to that effect).

Why is she silent now? Why has she been so quiet all along? The socialist activist was EVERYWHERE... all over the media... warning about how Hillary would get us into a war and that she just couldn't support anyone who voted for the IWR (except of course, John Edwards, who also voted for the IWR... it was okay to support him, just not Hillary.) Anyway, where's Susan Sarandon? Surely she has something to say about what's happening. She couldn't keep her big mouth shut before. What happened? She loves to shit on Democrats, but never a negative word about Republicans. Interesting, no?

My physician charges a 5% premium "service charge" if I pay by credit card online...

My physician charges a 5% premium "service charge" if I pay by credit card online. Their payment page remembered my credit card info from a previous co-pay... but also wanted me to verify my 3-digit code on the back of my card.

I'm old, I can't remember that. Rather than getting up to go double-check my card... I chose the "Google Pay" option instead.

When I selected Google Pay, the 5% service charge and courtesy fee disappeared, and I was able to pay my co-pay amount WITHOUT any service charges. Nice!

But I still paid with a credit card. What's going on? Is the service-charge / courtesy-fee just a blatant money-grab that Google Pay does not allow them to do? — I'll be using Google Pay with them in the future.

To EVERYONE who ever shouted "Genocide Joe" or who encouraged their constituents to vote "Uncommitted"...

Do Germans Talk About World War II? What Do They Teach About the Holocaust? (Feli from Germany)

Do Germans talk about the Holocaust? What do they teach about World War II in school? And is it okay to make a Hitler joke around a German? These are questions I get asked all the time and in this video, you'll find out how Germany has dealt with this topic publicly since the end of WWII [00:01:52], what German students learn about it in school [00:09:22] (I asked my German viewers for their experiences!) [00:14:40], and whether or not it's okay to confront a German with the topic [00:29:37].

ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 29, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE

"I 100% dare you to name one thing that you hope happens in 2025!" 😲 ... 😂🤣

I dislike mattress-shopping almost as much as used-car shopping!

The mattress & furniture stores give us a chance to test and try (an advantage over bed-in-a-box options, or online delivery) but the stores and sales people are aggressive and hovering.

And then there's the tried-and-true bait-and-switch. The "Mattress Firm" website listed a mattress that I was interested in at 60% off the (inflated) MSRP with the notation that it was "discontinued" and "limited stock" ... but that it was available at my nearby location.

They did not actually have that mattress for me to try and inspect... just a twin-size of the same model and firmness. --- I liked it and I started asking when the queen size could be delivered.

THAT'S when they told me the "disclosures" and letting me know that the mattress has been "reconditioned" and inspected and cleaned (deloused?) and that it could be a floor sample, or that it could be a returned mattress from a customer using their 120-night guarantee.

WHAT??!! --- While I am willing to sleep on hotel beds that hundreds of guests sleep on in a year, I draw the line at buying a "new" (used) mattress. --- Fleas? Bedbugs? Pet hair? Pee? Weed? Cigarette smoke? Perfume and cologne? --- No thanks!

When they realized I didn't want the "reconditioned" mattress, they immediately started guiding me toward "similar" mattresses that cost twice, thrice and FOUR TIMES as much.

I was angry, but I didn't let it show. I just said, "that's out of my budget"... and I walked out. --- Am I just being a fussy old biddy?