Outside of the obvious war, Kaliningrad in certain conditions. If you have local friends there you trust, or you are fluent in Russian, you'll have a great time. Its got a lot of nice history, some nice views, and its cheap. But if you're an obvious tourist, they do not treat you kindly. I wore a tank top and shorts in the city on my way from Svetlagorst beach and got side eyes for my tattoos and attire. If you're used to stereotypically polite service, it's not as prevalent there in Russia. And if you try to be nice, you're seen as a weirdo.

Lithuania is also hit or miss. Vilnius and Klaipeda are nice, but are NOT tourist friendly. I used to live there, but when I went back as a kid, my mom and I spoke English and Russian. They tried to overcharge our meal significantly but my mom knowing Lithuanian caught it. The people at the corner store also questioned why I only speak Russian, and hesitantly spoke with me. Plus people on the street would call out appearances if you look different. Really good fuckin pizza though

As an American (but an immigrant), who wants to go to Amsterdam, what can I do to be mindful and not annoying?

So its damned if you do damned if you don't, right?

It started with covid. I guess some courts still offer it

How does it feel to be a functioning adult?

Outside of regular oil changes, I'd say spark plugs at 75-90k. I would flush coolant at 100k, then every 60k. Check your belts and hoses at 95-110k. Check your brake and fuel lines at 100k. Air filter every other oil change. If you ever take your intercooler off, check for oil blow by. A little bit won't kill it. If at or under a quarter tank, don't go full throttle to reduce strain on the fuel pump.

Transmission fluid flush at 90-100k with the filter. At 75k is when I would make it a habit to check oil every time at the gas pump if you think of it. Modern cars can burn oil per spec at higher mileages.

The turbo should be fine if you keep your oil and coolant maintained. If you just use it as a daily driver, you shouldn't need to touch anything else until it breaks. An upgraded fuel pump can be insurance, but not necessary.

At higher mileages (120k+), you might start seeing signs of worn suspension and worn bushings. But if they aren't wobbling and aren't broken and you don't mind the ride, it'll be fine. But replacing bushings would make the ride good as new

I'm sure I'm missing something. But the Subaru forums have a really good write-up on midlife maintenance. A lot of this can apply to your Mazda

Modern American cars suck

Chevy has notoriously weak body panels. The 3.6 they're throwing in everything has issues with the cylinder deactivation system. The 4 bangers are made in Korea from Daewoo. They also have weird electrical issues, usually due to the 2 battery system. Certain ones shipped with features built in but not wired up and functional (heated seats). They have to retrofit newer models with features from older ones (heated wheel in the tahoes must be retrofitted from 21 or older models), no blind zone either on the tahoes which is strange for a new vehicle in it's class.

Ford had engine fire recalls on most of their trucks and large SUVs. Transmission issues plagued Fords as well if you bought automatic like 90% of Americans. 1.0 EcoSport had a dogshit motor. The only two Ford products worth buying are a Mustang or a Ford Edge if you're a mainstream consumer. I consider the raptor and enthusiast truck

Dodge/Chrysler has been consistent, but consistently mid. Transmission issues in all the trucks. Most of the SUVs like the compass and Cherokee run a fiat 4 cylinder. The 5.7 hemi gets only marginally better performance than the 3.6 pentastar. The 6.4 and 5.7 have lifter issues. The 3.6 had some minor misfire issues in the Pacificas. Some of the new jeep wranglers are a 2.0 turbo. It helps when you design the same vehicle since 2013.

Post COVID cars worth buying

Anything Toyota/Lexus if you want the best all around

Anything Mazda that's naturally aspirated, or turbo if you care about your car maintenance.

Anything Hyundai/Kia that has a Korean motor (1.6t) and you maintain your car. The American made motors for Hyundai are terrible.

Altima and 4 cylinder rogue is fine. 6 cylinder maxima and Murano is fine. CVT isn't as bad as it used to be. I don't trust the 3 cylinder turbo.

Subaru is mid, the fa24 is good. The FB25 is mid and have issues after 100k if maintenance isn't done and PCV isn't maintained. The CVT is okay. The wrx 6 speed is mid. The STI is discountinued but had the best transmission. If you like expensive projects, go with any performance Subaru, and spend 3-4k on an STi drivetrain, it'll bolt up 9 times out of 10

Honda 1.5t has head gasket issues. The 2.0 is great, but they're not really using it much. The civic SI is mid and gets outperformaned by a Jetta.

Volkswagens are great if you maintain your car well. I have a controversial argument that the ea888 2.0t is the best all around 4 cylinder, even the k series.

Luxury brands like Audi, bmw, Mercedes and the such aren't great for a mainstream consumer. Enthusiasts that do research will buy them anyway. For the average person, they're too expensive to maintain, and the luxury features people seek can be attained in a Signature trim Mazda for a fraction of the price.

I'm autistic, I work around cars every day, and I really really like cars.

Voyager as an iOS pleb

If you have any active auto insurance policy, they will request proof of it at the counter. Some areas are more strict than others depending on risk. Airports are less likely to ask for insurance info. However, you do not NEED auto insurance to rent a car because the company carries minimum financial responsibility for each car. If you do not take the coverage that they offer, and you do not have an active auto insurance policy, then you will be fully liable for all damages to the rental car. Generally, if you're domestic flying, they will send a legal team after you. If you are international, most rental car companies have Euro and Canadian branches to pursue damages.

Certain states are “no-fault” states. It doesn't matter whose fault the accident was, the renter is responsible for damages to the car if the additional coverage is not purchased. Some companies or local areas may allow you to pursue the at-fault person, but only with a police report and insurance/contact information of the at-fault person. If at-fault party and cannot pay, you are still responsible.

They also can send people to collections

If the car company you're renting from has out-of-state tags on their cars, they're probably self-insured.

Most rental car companies in airports deny debit cards, you need a credit card to rent. Some get away with a debit card if they have a return flight out of the same airport, but local policies may vary.

I will forever and always take the coverage for a rental car, and factor in a $ 25-a-day charge for it. I've seen too many headaches and hearts broken to not pay the extra. The last thing you want when you're traveling cross country with family is to deal with damages that were not caused by you to ruin your insurance/finances.

It depends on the state and rental company. In my rental days, we could not deny someone who did not have insurance a car. If they had a credit card and a license, they could rent up to a certain car type.

Every car carries minimum financial responsibility and is more than likely self-insured by the rental car company.

Source: former rental manager

I asked my Perplexity AI and it was pretty fair:

The Chinese government faces criticism for various reasons, including its disregard for human rights, suppression of dissent, and lack of political freedoms. Reports highlight abuses such as restrictions on religious freedom, persecution of ethnic minorities like the Uyghurs and Tibetans, censorship of media and online content, forced labor practices, and erosion of autonomy in regions like Hong Kong. The government's actions have led to negative perceptions globally and increased scrutiny from international actors who have imposed sanctions to address human rights violations. Despite China's economic growth, concerns persist about the government's authoritarian control, lack of transparency, and repression of fundamental freedoms[2][3][4].

Americans often associate China with its government's policies, human rights issues, economy, and political system rather than its people or culture. Negative views towards China have intensified in recent years, with a majority expressing cold feelings towards the country[5].

Sources [1] What the West Gets Wrong About China https://hbr.org/2021/05/what-the-west-gets-wrong-about-china [2] China’s Disregard for Human Rights - United States Department of State https://2017-2021.state.gov/chinas-disregard-for-human-rights/ [3] World Report 2020: Rights Trends in China’s Global Threat to Human Rights https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/global [4] World Report 2022: Rights Trends in China https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/china-and-tibet [5] Most Americans Have ‘Cold’ Views of China. Here’s What They Think About China, In Their Own Words https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/06/30/most-americans-have-cold-views-of-china-heres-what-they-think-about-china-in-their-own-words/

By Perplexity at https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-wrong-hDrC4QixT5enDDZxxZ2ODw

Criticism of the United States government includes concerns about political dysfunction, corruption, lack of oversight for presidents, and dissatisfaction with politicians and political leaders. Specific criticisms encompass issues such as partisan fighting, high campaign costs, and the influence of special interest groups and lobbyists. Additionally, there are concerns about the lack of credibility and trust in politicians, with many Americans highlighting greed, corruption, dishonesty, and self-serving agendas as major problems within the political system[1][2][3][4].

Americans have expressed frustration with the government's performance, with dissatisfaction levels consistently high over the years. The public perceives a disconnect between political leaders and ordinary citizens, leading to a sense that the political system is broken and fails to represent the people effectively. These sentiments have been exacerbated by factors like polarization, distrust in government institutions, and a perceived inability to address pressing issues facing the nation[2][3][4].

Sources [1] Criticism of the United States government - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_United_States_government [2] Government Remains Americans' Top Problem in 2022 https://news.gallup.com/poll/406739/government-remains-americans-top-problem-2022.aspx [3] American democracy is cracking. These forces help explain why. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/18/american-democracy-political-system-failures/ [4] 1. The biggest problems and greatest strengths of the U.S. political system https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/the-biggest-problems-and-greatest-strengths-of-the-u-s-political-system/ [5] Fixing What’s Wrong with U.S. Politics https://hbr.org/2012/03/fixing-whats-wrong-with-us-politics

By Perplexity at https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-wrong-hDrC4QixT5enDDZxxZ2ODw

Yup! I studied evolutionary psychology in college. Different seasonings helped make food safer to eat in hotter climates. My prof said “that's why if you leave a really salty piece of jerky under your bed, it's probably fine.”

Also explains why cultures up north typically didn't adapt a preference for spicy food as the cold allowed them to preserve food that way