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The Shoutbox

Jamal October 22, 2015 at 16:27 126825 views 61561 comments
This could function as a shoutbox I reckon.

Comments (61561)

Noble Dust May 31, 2024 at 02:41 #907697
Reply to Outlander

If you're suggesting that couscous is not conscious I suggest starting a thread in the panpsychism sub-forum, if it existed. Also I think any fancy salad bars here closed down about 30 years ago. Food poisoning went out of style with the bourgeoisie awhile ago.
BC May 31, 2024 at 04:45 #907706
Reply to Noble Dust I don't think I've ever encountered poison sumac, poison oak, or poison ivy -- or if I did I was unreactive. I used to spend a lot of time in the woods and never had a rash.

Edible staghorn sumac looks like this:

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The yellow blossoms appear in clusters in the spring. By August the clusters of red fruits are ripe.

To distinguish poison sumac from edible sumac, look at the fruit:

Edible sumac forms very thick red clusters; poison sumac fruit consists of individual fruits which are not clustered and not bright red. Unfortunately, you have to get close to the sumac to check out the fruit.

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The rule of 3 leaves won't help for sumac -- the stems and leaves of poison and benign sumac look pretty much alike. One web page author noted that descriptions of poison vs. edible sumac are sometimes confusing, I noticed that too.

You live in a northern metropolis now, a place which is generally free of rattle snakes, poisonous spiders, cobras, quicksand, poison ivy, murder hornets, etc. You just have to worry about rats, roaches, and your fellow man. People run into natural and deadly hazards when they flee the city.
Jamal May 31, 2024 at 09:00 #907743
User image

First one to correctly label this image wins.
Jamal May 31, 2024 at 09:00 #907744
My favourite is top left.
fdrake May 31, 2024 at 09:20 #907746
Dinnae mung me ya bam.
Hanover May 31, 2024 at 09:48 #907753
Quoting Jamal
First one to correctly label this image wins.


https://www.ebay.com/itm/314351137434?_ul=HK

Heracloitus May 31, 2024 at 11:48 #907774


Circles, squared.
Jamal May 31, 2024 at 14:16 #907787
Moliere May 31, 2024 at 14:20 #907788
Reply to Jamal These are clearly 8 kinds of lentils, and garbanzo beans
Jamal May 31, 2024 at 14:26 #907789
Reply to Moliere

That's one way to look at it, but top left are usually called yellow split peas (although I normally use the term chana dal since it's most often used in Indian cooking). Top right might be peas too. Oddly enough, garbanzo beans are also known as a kind of pea, namely chick.
Outlander May 31, 2024 at 14:26 #907790
Reply to Moliere

Huh. Could've passed for (in order from top left to bottom right): Oyster crackers, chopped baby carrots, chopped collards or green onion, peas, blueberries, chickpeas, garden pebbles, pumpkin seeds, and corn, respectively.

Glad I bit my tongue on this one, or held my fingers, in this case.
Jamal May 31, 2024 at 14:29 #907791
Quoting fdrake
Dinnae mung me ya bam


I say old bean. :brow:
fdrake May 31, 2024 at 14:35 #907792
Reply to Jamal

Cool beans.
Moliere May 31, 2024 at 15:09 #907793
Reply to Jamal In truth, I'm not sure what middle, middle left, bottom left, and bottom right are.

I think you're right that the top right is split peas -- looks like the kind i get to make pea and lentil soup (which is way more delicious than the simplicity of the recipe suggests -- just full of warm, comfy protein that can be flavored in many savory ways)
Noble Dust May 31, 2024 at 16:03 #907802
Reply to Jamal

I need to know what I win before I wow you all.
Hanover May 31, 2024 at 16:07 #907803
Split yellow chickpeas, red lentils, split peas, mung beans, beluga lentils, chickpeas, French lentils, green lentils, and dried yellow peas.

That's my best guess. And by "guess," I mean I Google Lensed each of them seperately.

I ruined the contest. Now get back to work.
Hanover May 31, 2024 at 16:09 #907804
And Mr. Bean isn't funny. It's that British humor thing.
Baden May 31, 2024 at 16:24 #907808
One of the cool things about being in the politburo though is you don't only get to go to the shop that's run out of beans, like the plebs, you get a special permit for the shop that's run out of cigars. It's been ten years since I was promoted to not being able to buy a cigar and that is something to be grateful for at least.
Hanover May 31, 2024 at 17:12 #907812
Reply to Baden I read your post with much interest, yet I have no idea what you're talking about. I now know how other people must feel when they read my posts, and for that, I thank you.
Noble Dust May 31, 2024 at 17:35 #907819
Reply to Hanover

How dare you steal my thunder. There's a joke in there about beans and flatulence, but I'm too ripped on caffeine right now to come up with it.
Shawn May 31, 2024 at 17:58 #907821
Was the forum DoS'd? I couldn't really browse the forum yesterday.
Moliere June 01, 2024 at 00:37 #907884
Reply to Hanover OK, I went back to work, but I want you to know that it wasn't because you told me the answers that I went back to work, but because I wanted to go back to work that I went back to work.
Hanover June 01, 2024 at 00:51 #907885
Quoting Moliere
, I went back to work, but I want you to know that it wasn't because you told me the answers that I went back to work, but because I wanted to go back to work that I went back to work


I not only made you go back to work, I made you think it was your idea.

I'm omnimanipulative.

Moliere June 01, 2024 at 00:51 #907886
Reply to Hanover PROVE IT!
T Clark June 01, 2024 at 03:05 #907898
Recently, right-wing politicians in the US have started proposing changes in state laws to make divorce harder by getting rid of no-fault divorce laws. In that regard, I thought his was interesting.

Quoting National Bureau of Economic Research
States that passed unilateral divorce laws saw total female suicide decline by around 20 percent in the long run.
BC June 01, 2024 at 04:03 #907905
Reply to T Clark a line in the link says, "The data presented by the authors offers empirical endorsement of the idea that family law provides a potent tool for affecting well being within families."

I count law permitting, denying, or restricting abortion to be part of family law, and restrictive or more to the point, punitive family law reflects a moral system that is no longer widely shared in western nations, if it ever was.

Perhaps the restrictions on divorce kept some sort of lid on divorce, but at a high cost in happiness and misery. For a long time, women paid more dearly for a failed marriage than men did.

To a greater extent than older divorce law, abortion law, whether restricting abortion or ruling it out altogether seems to have a putative intent. Many people who seek abortions conceived a child "out of wedlock" to use an old term. Readily available safe abortions (starting in 1973) must have seemed like a free pass on sin to the conservative religious anti-abortion campaigners. Children are supposed to be born inside wedlock, so a married woman seeking abortion also sins by refusing the "blessing of motherhood".

The old system of "love, honor, and obey till death do you part" could be and often was a pretty grim business for partners who could not escape marital bonds. Motherhood is not a universal blessing, particularly when the pregnant woman does not want to be a mother--now, again, or at all.

Divorce has always been more costly for women (monetarily, among other ways). Restrictions on abortion have always been more costly to the mother than the father.

Family law can be a rigged system working against people, or it can actually be supportive.
Benkei June 01, 2024 at 07:06 #907920
https://futurism.com/neoscope/left-wing-beliefs-intelligence?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3yuIcCVRHRpNnTJLtmSdOOV3m07xGsKePKo_XQc6IcFeCYqZiejFI9YLE_aem_ATDMSRKjNdXlISoLH1Nqt_kwWoRTi3aCM6ErpC8ERumfxtfX4pzrwQFt92OS6V91JXtB9icUW657iAmFlxFCBFaP

Every leftist already knew this of course.
Baden June 01, 2024 at 08:25 #907922
Quoting Shawn
Was the forum DoS'd? I couldn't really browse the forum yesterday.


Sorry about that, just another failed attempt at counter revolution. I'll try harder next time. One day I will earn my cigar. :pray:
Baden June 01, 2024 at 08:28 #907923
Seriously though, if you watch a Michael Bay movie backwards, there's some deeply relevant political messaging there.
T Clark June 01, 2024 at 08:49 #907927
Reply to BC

I agree with most of what you wrote and I'm not particularly interested in getting into a discussion of the rest. I was just trying to provide some interesting and relevant information.
Baden June 01, 2024 at 10:04 #907931
Quoting Hanover
I have no idea what you're talking about.


I don't know how to translate that into Yankee except through extensive use of illustration and possibly a puppet show. Which I don't have time for right now.
Baden June 01, 2024 at 10:06 #907932
But yes, suppose that, just for the sake of argument, M.B. (please allow me that familiarity--he does) is working to bring socialism to America. Then what? Follow the thought and see where it takes you is all I'm saying.
Hanover June 01, 2024 at 12:00 #907938
Quoting Baden
don't know how to translate that into Yankee except through extensive use of illustration and possibly a puppet show. Which I don't have time for right now


Is this where I am supposed to plea with you to draw me a cartoon so you can get to run to your coloring book?

Fine, let's see some mice and cigars or whatever you need to draw me so I can understand better.

It's also strange being called a Yankee being from the deep south.
Baden June 01, 2024 at 13:16 #907944
I could use your support here @Shawn. Bring the pig.
Baden June 01, 2024 at 13:25 #907946
Anyway, to put it in verbal crayon, Michael Bay in his prime was a sublime genius. Don't try to tell me he wasn't. He kept a miniature dildo in his pocket everywhere he went. His totem. If he'd gone to prison he would have kept it up his ass. He could have ground out 100 squats for the screws without losing it. That was the level of physical control the man had.
Baden June 01, 2024 at 13:52 #907948
Quoting Hanover
Fine, let's see some mice and cigars or whatever you need to draw me so I can understand better.


You know what? You asked for it.

User image


I hope I did the right thing, Shawn.
Hanover June 01, 2024 at 16:33 #907965
I met this gentleman along the trail today. I named him Peepers Zebulon McBugdittybug, rapper name P Daddy Z.

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Turns out he's a click beetle. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaus_oculatus

I'm now to learn the eyes aren't actually real, but are mimicry as a defense mechanism. The man's got some badass pseudo peepers.

He has since been renamed Pseudo P Daddy Z.
Shawn June 01, 2024 at 19:55 #907976
Quoting Baden
I could use your support here Shawn. Bring the pig.


You can't demand too much from the pig. It's kind of obese, and is only concerned about one thing, namely consumption.

See:

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BC June 01, 2024 at 23:42 #907989
Reply to Shawn This pig is morbidly obese. Pigs do not normally get that heavy,

Pet pigs are especially prone to obesity.

Treats to go outside, treats to come in, treats for hoof trims, treats for harness training. Then pigs get used to getting treats all the time. Then they start to expect them and start getting an attitude when they aren’t offered.

This is your pig training YOU, not you training the pig.


Ozempic is not for pigs, so that's out.
Hanover June 02, 2024 at 00:15 #907993
Quoting BC
Pet pigs are especially prone to obesity.


As do pigs that are getting ready for the slaughter.
Shawn June 02, 2024 at 00:37 #907994
This is your pig training YOU, not you training the pig.


Yes, this is an unspoken truth. I believe in it very highly. By having a pig train you, you become more happy. Pigs are by nature happy animals, and they like sharing (not food); but, their joy and happiness.

Pigs are conducive to eudaimonia, and they experience it themselves.

Quoting BC
Ozempic is not for pigs, so that's out.


I take it. It helps me tremendously decrease my appetite.
Shawn June 02, 2024 at 00:57 #907996
Since we are talking about training and pigs, here's a pig exiting a train. Pigs have their ways, you know?

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BC June 02, 2024 at 03:32 #908005
Reply to Shawn Theater pigs, obviously. They're glumly thinking, "Another opening, show..."

Another job that you hope, at last,
Will make your future forget your past,
Another pain just below the tail
maybe it's time to kick the pail.

The man in brown near the pigs is displaying an elegant step off the curb.
Shawn June 02, 2024 at 04:35 #908008
Quoting BC
The man in brown near the pigs is displaying an elegant step off the curb.


He might just be invigilating about those sad; but happy inside, pigs. Who knows?

Baden June 02, 2024 at 06:38 #908011
Reply to Shawn

By George, a fine fellow. Or, well, a fine pig.

And no need for modesty on his behalf; his excessive berth is fit for purpose in buffering me against the slings and arrows of outrageous interlocutors as I pursue my research on M.B. and his efforts to transform America into a socialist utopia. :pray:
Shawn June 02, 2024 at 06:50 #908012
Reply to Baden

Only QAnon would agree with you.
Shawn June 02, 2024 at 06:52 #908013
The Italians might be putting something in the pizza.

It's really disturbing stuff.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory
Baden June 02, 2024 at 06:59 #908014
Quoting Shawn
Only QAnon would agree with you.


Mm, it's a tough sell.
Outlander June 02, 2024 at 19:47 #908066
A humble "Ultimate BLT with Chicken" Sunday salad, courtesy of Simply Fresh. Accompanied on my part with fresh hard-boiled egg, freshly ground black pepper, and copious amounts of Italian dressing. Not bad for something you can get from a gas station cooler. :ok:

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Hanover June 02, 2024 at 21:20 #908082
Reply to Outlander The bacon is chewy and the croutons mushy.
Metaphysician Undercover June 03, 2024 at 01:37 #908112
Quoting Outlander
something you can get from a gas station cooler


Not food of course. The only thing consumable there is beer, and it's in a sealed can or bottle.
Noble Dust June 03, 2024 at 02:41 #908117
Quoting Outlander
humble "Ultimate


:chin:
kazan June 03, 2024 at 06:30 #908158
Google Lense may not be entirely accurate...surprise, surprise...... Failed to identify the lupins,unless the USA has renamed lupins ...Beluga lentils?
Anything's possible if it increases profits or prophets or profits for prophets.
Jamal June 04, 2024 at 08:40 #908415
Sir2u June 05, 2024 at 18:49 #908717
And now for something completely different.
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Shawn June 05, 2024 at 20:33 #908735
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Hanover June 05, 2024 at 22:11 #908754
Quoting Jamal
Lens


I can understand the impulse to put an E at the end of lens because a lone S usually means it's a plural. I don't excuse the misbehavior, but I would support a movement to decree that a single lens would be a len and two would be some lens, thus dispensing with the awkward and cumbersome term "lenses."

Note within the above conversation, the words "impulse" and "dispense" were referenced, both with the ever viligilent E protecting their singularity, an honor currently denied the lowly lens.

Outlander June 05, 2024 at 23:15 #908776
Reply to Hanover

I can only imagine your take on the word "pants", then.

From the olde (enough) English "pantaloons", no doubt. My bet is some oddball shopkeep got tired of hearing people say "Do you have any pant for sale? Please, I would like to buy a pant, my good sir" all day and his neurotic obsession with the word managed to stick. Or, just as likely, a loincloth-adorned society where anything beyond such was simply unheard of and as such the common man started to refer to them by the words on the lone shopkeep's sign: "pants for sale". One or the other, I'd wager.
Hanover June 06, 2024 at 00:19 #908795
Quoting Outlander
I can only imagine your take on the word "pants", then.

One would say "I tore my pant leg," but not "I tore my pant zipper." The pant is therefore half the pants, with the division starting at the happy trail, moving over the genitals proper, past the taint, up the orifice proper, then along the sideways smile of the crack to the belt line.

If referencing a single side, you use the singular "pant," but if referencing the generic garb holistically, you say "pants." "I tore my pants" lets the kind listener know a tear appears somewhere on the garment. "I tore my pant" confuses our listener because he doesn't know which pant leg has suffered.

The same holds true for "trouser." It too respects the border between one trouser leg and the other that I described in some detail above.

Because one lacks such a dividing line on the upper torso, we don't say "shirt" to designate sides of the person like we do with pant.
BC June 06, 2024 at 00:43 #908803
Reply to Hanover In perusing entries about leg coverings, I found that the similarities cast as differences among pants, trousers, breeches, jeans, etc. are vexatious. I can't tell whether I am wearing pants or trousers. I am wearing something, but what are they?

T Clark June 06, 2024 at 00:59 #908804
Quoting BC
I am wearing something, but what are they?


I've always assumed you wear kilts.
Metaphysician Undercover June 06, 2024 at 11:35 #908885
Quoting BC
I am wearing something, but what are they?


Now now, you cannot use the singular and the plural, to refer to the object (objects) in the very same sentence. Why don't you just say you're wearing a pair of something? That satisfactorily unites two to become a single unit. My favourite tool is a pair of vise grips, a unity made in heaven, just like holy matrimony.
Arkady June 06, 2024 at 14:35 #908924
Anyone know whatever happened to Postmodern Beatnik or Kwalish Kid? PMB doesn't appear to have posted in like 8 years; hope he's ok.
Baden June 06, 2024 at 14:46 #908927
Reply to Arkady

Kwalish kid was banned from the old site. Not sure where PMB went. He was a top quality poster though.
Baden June 06, 2024 at 14:48 #908928
Reply to Arkady

Looks like you were quiet yourself for several years. Hope you stick around a while.
Arkady June 06, 2024 at 14:48 #908930
Reply to Baden Oh, yeah, I recall his banning. I was just wondering if anyone had heard from him, here or elsewhere, as I enjoyed his contributions, profanity-laden though they may have been.
Baden June 06, 2024 at 14:49 #908931
Reply to Arkady

I doubt it. Tiff was close to PMB I think but she has also been absent of late. Maybe @Banno knows something.
Arkady June 06, 2024 at 14:49 #908932
Reply to Baden Thanks. I might check in from time to time, but I have pretty severe demands on my time these days, wife, kid, house, the usual crap. :smile:
Baden June 06, 2024 at 14:50 #908934
Reply to Arkady

No worries. Good to see you anyway. :cool:
Arkady June 06, 2024 at 14:51 #908935
Reply to Baden You, too. Glad to see that the site is still kicking, and in good hands.
frank June 06, 2024 at 21:44 #909000
I just saw Godzilla Minus One. It's a mind bender. It kind of makes me want to watch Oppenheimer.
Shawn June 06, 2024 at 21:50 #909003
Quoting frank
It kind of makes me want to watch Oppenheimer.


Oppenheimer is such a good movie...
frank June 06, 2024 at 21:52 #909004
Quoting Shawn
Oppenheimer is such a good movie...


Was it? I love Christopher Nolan's stuff, I just didn't want to see Oppenheimer for some reason.
Shawn June 06, 2024 at 21:59 #909005
Reply to frank

Yeah, Cillian Murphy does a pretty good job. The score in the movie is pretty impressive and the best part of it.
frank June 06, 2024 at 22:31 #909010
BC June 07, 2024 at 01:09 #909036
Reply to frank Oppenheimer is worth seeing. It helps if you are familiar with the history of the atomic bomb--also a fascinating story. Richard Rhodes History of the Atomic Bomb is excellent, imho, and so is Denise Kiernan's The Girls of Atomic City, a social history of the women who worked at the huge Oak Ridge Manhattan Project research facility and U235 manufacturing facility.

The Manhattan Project kept most of its personnel extremely siloed -- very few people knew what the significance of their work was. U235 was painfully slowly separated out from other isotopes in very large electromagnetic devices. A large team of women were in charge of gages and switches which, unbeknownst to them, controlled the magnets. Thousands of workers at various plants were shocked and appalled when, in 1945, they discovered they had been making the fuel for the bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Shawn June 07, 2024 at 01:19 #909039
Reply to BC

Watch, Kuran's, Trinity and Beyond while you are at it. It's a movie for atomic playboys. :wink:
BC June 07, 2024 at 02:36 #909050
Reply to Shawn Thanks for the tip, I will.
Jafar June 07, 2024 at 04:57 #909066
Hi everyone! I'm new here
BC June 07, 2024 at 05:16 #909071
Reply to Jafar Welcome!
Jamal June 07, 2024 at 08:14 #909086
Reply to Jafar

Welcome to TPF :smile:

I remember when I was new here. I look back on that naive and innocent whippersnapper with a combination of embarrassment, longing, dreamy melancholy, ecstasy, desire, total indifference, contempt, pride, and roast potatoes on a bed of spicy beans.
frank June 07, 2024 at 11:05 #909101
Reply to BC Reply to Shawn I guess I'll watch it then. In the meantime I've been listening to the soundtrack. Spooky and symphonic.
Jafar June 07, 2024 at 11:49 #909105
Reply to Jamal Woah! How long ago was that?
Jamal June 07, 2024 at 12:55 #909117
Reply to Jafar

Must be hundreds, if not thousands of years. Let me think back…[whole tone scale plays]

Well, this site was spawned from an older site which is now defunct. I joined that site probably around 2010, and slowly began to amass power. I became a moderator there, and when, in 2015, some bad people took control of the site and ran it into the ground, a group of us moved to the current site.
Jafar June 07, 2024 at 13:12 #909122
Reply to Jamal I am very pleased with the current site. Lots of interesting discussions and a lot of complex stuff that kinda flies over my hide.
Jamal June 07, 2024 at 13:58 #909124
Reply to Jafar

Thank you Jafar :up:
Hanover June 07, 2024 at 14:05 #909125
Oppenheimer came out at the same time as Barbie, and it was a thing back then to watch both in one long fun filled afternoon.

I saw only Barbie because I felt like that provided me sufficient information regarding the nuclear program.
frank June 07, 2024 at 14:31 #909128
Quoting Hanover
I saw only Barbie because I felt like that provided me sufficient information regarding the nuclear program.


And that's what your wife wanted to see?
T Clark June 07, 2024 at 15:17 #909135
Reply to Jafar
Welcome. Are you and evil sorcerer?
Hanover June 07, 2024 at 16:02 #909141
Quoting frank
that's what your wife wanted to see?


True dat
Hanover June 07, 2024 at 16:51 #909147
Dinner last night I enjoyed a charcuterie board consisting of: Brie, Parmesan, assorted olives, pickled okra, anchovies, Italian dried salami, summer sausage, dried figs, crackers, and chocolates.

For dessert I had a pudding cup.

This particular combination is sold under the Hanocuterie Diamond Plus Collection for which membership is required.
Hanover June 07, 2024 at 17:02 #909149
Anyone here remember the pudding in a can? You had to be careful when licking the lid so you wouldn't cut your tongue. If I could go back in time to when they had those puddings in a can, I'd be like "Wow! I just time traveled."

That's an anti-joke.

Sort of like, do you know what is brown and sticky? A stick. Do you know what is green and smells like blue paint? Green paint. Do you know why the girl dropped here ice cream cone? She got hit by a car.

And I could go on, but I feel like I've doled out more entertainment than I've received and I refuse to further increase the inequity.

Noble Dust June 08, 2024 at 03:55 #909253
Reply to Hanover

I've heard The Charcuterie Board is hard to get on and requires multiple very thorough interviews.
T Clark June 08, 2024 at 04:05 #909255
Quoting Noble Dust
I've heard The Charcuterie Board is hard to get on and requires multiple very thorough interviews.


It's my understanding that the only purpose of the board is to track down and correct people who call them "cold cuts." I've also heard that this is especially a problem in the Midwest, Ohio for example.
Jafar June 08, 2024 at 04:09 #909257
Reply to T Clark You know the movie Aladdin? Yeah, that's me. I'm writing this from the inside of a genie lamp. It's rough out here...
T Clark June 08, 2024 at 04:11 #909258
Quoting Jafar
You know the movie Aladdin?


Of course I know "Aladdin." My children were 10, 7, and 2 when it came out.
Noble Dust June 08, 2024 at 04:12 #909259
Reply to T Clark

I've heard from reputable sources that such meats are called "lunch meat" in places like Ohio.
kazan June 08, 2024 at 05:16 #909262
In some places, i.e. not necessarily here, "cold cuts" referred to "6 of the best" across the palm of the hand, left or right hand ( your choice) but not both, delivered by the headmaster using a length of lawyer ( not necessarily Hanover) cane in said headmaster's office, on a cold winter's frosty morning,as being corrective treatment for an infraction of many of the many, many rules, some not easily identifiable in the school's tomes of rule that every first grader was presumed to know and never forget. Things may have changed in some of those " some places" recently, geologically speaking.
The connection to the thread being, one may ask? The tough student ate the pain, but not the "cold cuts".
Hoping that goes some way to correcting yr aforementioned "inequity", Hanover.
Sorry, Noble Dust, but it would be ignoble, to refer to/ explain what "lunch meat" meant in at least one of those "some places ' above referenced. smile with a slight leery mouth set/twist.
T Clark June 08, 2024 at 05:57 #909264
Quoting Noble Dust
I've heard from reputable sources that such meats are called "lunch meat" in places like Ohio.


My step-mother is from Cincinnati. When I was telling her about the charcuterie we ate in France, she said "those are cold cuts." Cold cuts, lunch meat, it's all salami to me.
Jamal June 08, 2024 at 06:30 #909271
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BC June 08, 2024 at 06:52 #909272
Reply to Jamal Looks a lot like Spam.
Hanover June 08, 2024 at 11:38 #909284
You people have taken what was supposed to have been a fun conversation about my eclectic dinner and turned it into a hate fest of disparagement surrounding the rich and complex industry of meat preservation.

It is because of people like you that we have war. Yes, I've blamed you for all war. A pretty heavy, but well earned, insult.

If you must know, I am the chair of the charcuterie board, so I technically am the charcuterie chair. As the chair, dealing with what I am with you guys, I hereby table all voting from the floor. The board, the chair, the table, and the floor are all useless because of you. The house is in recess, out on the monkey bars.

But let's lighten things up. Here's all you need to know about charcuterie: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcuterie

I warn you. The word "forcemeat" is used in that article. Please children, that is not an opening to make some sexually inappropriate joke.

Outlander June 08, 2024 at 13:12 #909289
Quoting Hanover
Dinner last night I enjoyed a charcuterie board


I've always harbored an innate distrust of persons who have the word "charcuterie" in their vocabulary. let alone those who partake in them. They're always off in some fundamental way.

Quoting Hanover
Sort of like, do you know what is brown and sticky? A stick.


I hereby formally steal that zinger from you now, thank you. It shall be the highlight of my next social gathering, fundamentally changing the understanding of life to all fortunate enough to have been within earshot.

Quoting Hanover
And I could go on, but I feel like I've doled out more entertainment than I've received and I refuse to further increase the inequity.


Call me old-fashioned but I picture you as a very difficult gentleman to entertain. For very long, that is. Perhaps my new favorite tune will suffice. Be warned, it is quite catchy. However, like most great secrets, it remains hidden in plain sight completely indistinct until of course the full potential can be "teased out" only by performing a seldom-known series of "tricks", we'll say.

(adjust the "speed" from the settings gear icon all the way up to x2. thou art warned, it will live in your head for a considerably undesirable allotment of time)

[hide="Reveal"][/hide]

I like it. It's "rockin'", as the kids say. But without being overburdened by loathsome, outright disturbing lyrics intertwined by distraught melodies, such is the case for most music of its genre. Listening to it for a prolonged period makes me picture a sophisticated, well-to-do horse, like a Clydesdale, the envy of its equine brethren, trotting along a newly-paved cobblestone road. I sometimes imagine myself as said horse, trotting along wherever I go, with the neighbor folk saying: "There goes Outlander again! Probably off to do some outlandish, yet unmistakably noble things! Oh if only we could be more like Outlander." Sigh, a horse can dream. Er, a man, a man can dream, I meant. I'm a human, not a horse. As far as this world needs to know...
T Clark June 08, 2024 at 14:41 #909297
Reply to Outlander

You [s]people[/s] have taken what was supposed to have been a fun conversation about [s]my eclectic dinner[/s] food terminology and turned it into a hate fest of disparagement surrounding the rich and complex language of [s]industry of ]meat preservation[/s] pretending to be more sophisticated than you really are. .
Outlander June 08, 2024 at 14:48 #909298
Reply to T Clark

True. I am known in my personal life for having the mannerisms of a small rodent, and the dinner etiquette of such to match.

Just thought I'd give @Hanover a run for his money and try to offer something of variety. Such as it was. Meh. :confused:
Noble Dust June 08, 2024 at 17:20 #909316
Reply to T Clark

We in the north don't consider Cincinnati to be part of Ohio. They put chili on spaghetti there; I have a hard time trusting their perspective on preserved meats. To say nothing of your relatives there who I'm sure are sensible people, being related to you, and sensibility being hereditary and all that.

Reply to Jamal

Because I am insane I would like to try that. It looks good to me.
Jamal June 08, 2024 at 22:00 #909357
Quoting Noble Dust
Because I am insane I would like to try that. It looks good to me.


I don't share your attraction to luncheon meat, but I don't think it's a sign of insanity.
Hanover June 08, 2024 at 23:08 #909363
Quoting Jamal
I don't share your attraction to luncheon meat, but I don't think it's a sign of insanity.


The seven key symptoms of TPF insanity are:

1. Delusions
2. Hallucinations
3. Disorganized speech
4. Disorganized or catatonic behavior
5. Negative symptoms (not expressing any feelings or emotions)
6. Attraction to luncheon meat
7. Clicking on a website link that obviously doesn't exist

https://TPF-Insanity-Symptoms.com

Noble Dust June 09, 2024 at 01:18 #909377
Quoting Jamal
I don't share your attraction to luncheon meat, but I don't think it's a sign of insanity.


Thank you for believing in my sanity. I wouldn't describe my relationship with that photo as attraction. More along the lines of how cigarettes are appealing to me.
kazan June 09, 2024 at 04:03 #909397
Hanover,
"I warn you.....sexually inappropriate joke."
Duly (and dully) noted. However, shouldn't "forcemeat" be better named "forcedmeat"?
innocent smile
Jamal June 09, 2024 at 05:36 #909409
Reply to Noble Dust

Ah, I understand. Sorry.
Hanover June 09, 2024 at 16:44 #909440
Oatmeal with cinnamon and fresh strawberries and a hot sausage patty on flaky buttery biscuit for breakfast.

Served on a charcuterie board.

Will skip lunch for an early dinner, perhaps a fish sammich, blackened, not fried, with fries and perhaps a salad with blue cheese dressing. A pint of mead if they have it. If not, ale from the cask.

Dessert is doubtful, but I can envision a handful of nuts in my future before retiring to my boudoir, which is fully appropriate now for men, much like the embattled man bag.

I shall awake pre-dawn and complete my yoga poses on my pavilion by the sea, holding dog down until my loins feel afire. I will then take on the day with a vengeance, drinking to the belly of the day non stop until nightfall, where the blackness of night will bring me nothing but worry and pain.
Outlander June 09, 2024 at 21:03 #909472
Unlike the inconsiderate poster above me, I have decided to include photographic evidence of my culinary exploits, so as to not leave an insatiable Shoutbox hungry for details left only to imagine what was.

User image

Apparently it's "Santa Fe Style Salad with Chicken". With, of course, chopped hard-boiled egg, freshly-ground black pepper, and excessively more Italian dressing than needed. I was wondering what corn was doing in a salad. I imagine due to the harsh and arid climate of wherever "Santa Fe" is creativity is required on many an occasion.

Perhaps I should make this a weekly thing. "Sunday Salads with Outlander", only on TPF: You never know what next week's salad will be! Or, perhaps not.
Shawn June 09, 2024 at 21:46 #909479
Quoting Hanover
drinking to the belly of the day


User image
@Baden
Hanover June 09, 2024 at 22:07 #909481
Reply to Outlander User image
This is my sandwich. While there is no audio, I can tell you that I was at this point telling my wife I wished I were a flounder with both eyes on one side of my face so I could sleep on my side without vulnerability.

She pretended not to listen to me, but I know her brain was turning, thinking what sort of fish she wanted to be.
Hanover June 09, 2024 at 22:11 #909482
Quoting Outlander
Perhaps I should make this a weekly thing. "Sunday Salads with Outlander", only on TPF: You never know what next week's salad will be! Or, perhaps not.


That's a Circle K salad. You should grab a Snickers bar at check out for dessert.
Hanover June 09, 2024 at 22:47 #909489
User image

Another suggestion to round out your gas station salad repertoire.
Noble Dust June 10, 2024 at 05:01 #909535
Reply to Jamal

No apology necessary. A wise man named @Hanover once said apologies are the only thing banned from the Shoutbox. I can't remember if he actually said that; in fact I probably made that up. I guess that means I'm the one who said it, which makes me a wise man. Check mate, atheists.
Noble Dust June 10, 2024 at 05:05 #909536
No Short Story Contest this time of year, eh?
javi2541997 June 10, 2024 at 05:10 #909537
More than 390 M European citizens have voted during the last week, and it is surprising the lack of coverage (or relevance) given here.

I can't believe you are not actually interested (not even a bit!) in who will be the next 53 seats of Poland or 33 seats of Romania in the European Parliament.

Macron has called elections again, etc for 30th June etc...

Like mate! We do exist!
Baden June 10, 2024 at 09:32 #909553
Reply to Noble Dust

I have been thinking about it, but I'm working overtime this month, so I haven't committed to anything. Feel free to badger me (also, it wouldn't be a "competition" if it did occur, but very informal).
frank June 10, 2024 at 13:35 #909563
Quoting Hanover
Do you know why the girl dropped here ice cream cone? She got hit by a car.


:lol:
Baden June 10, 2024 at 14:43 #909569
Yes, well, this Michael Bay stuff is pretty time-consuming as you can imagine.

Hello everyone, my name is Baden, and today I will be presenting my talk "How Michael Bay is bringing socialism to America". First, I will give you some background on Michael Bay's life and times, focusing particularly on his conversion to socialism, then I will examine his most recent movie "Godzilla Kong vs. the Transformers" as a neo-socialist critique of modern consumerist society, and, finally, I will speculate on how this will bring socialism to America. So, let's start with...

Ok, maybe that's a bit formal. Well, I scribbled a few notes this morning. That might be a better way for us to get into this.

Michael Bay's first movie since being released from prison (Alcatraz) is an allegory of the Bolshevik's October revolution. In "Godzilla Kong vs. the Transformers" the latter represent the socialist forces and the former the incumbent powers.

Through advances in gene slicing techniques, the frozen preserved genes of Godzilla and King Kong respectively have been incubated in a sperm whale--the closest living relative to both (just bear with me, this part of the movie is somewhat scientifically dubious to be honest, but it's not germane) by a Japanese revolutionary cult and the ensuing monster, Godzilla Kong, has been released on a unsuspecting LA population. Enter the Transformers.

I think you (or at least the more historically informed of you) can see how things are going to develop here.

Yes, so, anyway.

Hanover June 10, 2024 at 14:55 #909570
Quoting javi2541997
Like mate! We do exist!


You do. You're just far away, and your countries are smaller than our states. The French elections have popped up in my news feed, so if you do something really interesting, there's a chance I'll learn about it.
Noble Dust June 10, 2024 at 15:35 #909572
T Clark June 10, 2024 at 16:09 #909577
Quoting javi2541997
Like mate! We do exist!


The EU parliamentary elections have gotten some notice in the news here, mostly from the point of view that the bad guys are winning and it's more evidence that the end of the world is coming.
javi2541997 June 10, 2024 at 17:00 #909582
Quoting Hanover
You do. You're just far away, and your countries are smaller than our states.


But being small doesn't mean being less interesting. Look at Denmark, for instance. A very small peninsula where Kierkegaard was born, and they are great doctors too.

Quoting T Clark
The EU parliamentary elections have gotten some notice in the news here,


I can use your thumb again! Oh, God. I missed this so much!

User image
Hanover June 10, 2024 at 17:05 #909584
Quoting javi2541997
But being small doesn't mean being less interesting.


Amen my brother. And don't let them tell you otherwise.
Outlander June 11, 2024 at 23:48 #909734
Anyone else absolutely fascinated with the current "Infinite Staircase Paradox" debate? Didn't want to interrupt, don't think I'd have much of utility to add to the discussion, just a few stray questions. Definitely share Fire Ologist's (god how I love that name, still chuckle at it- wish I thought of it) view on or "understanding of" things. Classic TPF overwhelmment. (myself I mean)

Possibly a result of having the mathematical prowess of an 8th grader. On a good day. :chin:
Shawn June 12, 2024 at 03:23 #909766
Happy pigs.

kazan June 12, 2024 at 04:18 #909769
Javi,
Another interesting ( to some) news/fact( of course) regards Denmark was the recent physical attack on their Prime Minister. Luckily, as you mentioned Denmark has good doctors. informing smile
javi2541997 June 12, 2024 at 12:16 #909797
Reply to kazan
Kazan,

Yes. I am aware of the current violent situation against political leaders across Europe, but we should not be worried about Denmark. The political party of the PM is still the party with the largest votes among Danish citizens.

They are very good doctors. Also, I think they are good at fishing. But this could be very controversial. A Scot told me they were better than them once. The Basques are also proud of their fishing skills, etc. (The latter even started a war of fishermen against Norway. Loco!)
Baden June 12, 2024 at 14:19 #909816
User image

Baden June 12, 2024 at 14:20 #909817
And that brings us to the end of our presentation today. Please offer your questions to @Baden @Michael Bay .
Baden June 12, 2024 at 14:21 #909818
You can't stay silent forever @Michael Bay. It's time to step up to the plate.
javi2541997 June 12, 2024 at 15:00 #909825
Quoting Baden
Please offer your questions to Baden @Michael Bay .


Why is Tom Cruise there and not Wolfgang? Where is Wolfgang anyway? I hope he didn't get eaten by Godzilla. :sad:
Baden June 12, 2024 at 15:15 #909826
Reply to javi2541997

Wolfgang has a special place in my heart and there he shall stay.

Anyhow, given Wolfgang is by far the better actor, I don't know why Michael cast Tom in the movie. I don't know for absolute certainty why @Michael Bay does anything these days. He's been silent for seven years. I'm trying to wake him up because I'm as curious as everyone else. Probably even more so given my research focus.
T Clark June 12, 2024 at 17:13 #909843
I thought this was interesting:

Quoting U Maryland Department of Public Health
Study shows N95 masks near-perfect at blocking escape of airborne COVID-19

Study finds all masks effective, but “duckbill” N95 masks far outperform others, suggests they should be the standard in high-risk settings
Paine June 13, 2024 at 00:38 #909919
Reply to T Clark
That shape is also best for industrial purposes. One is forced to arrange it into the correct fit.
T Clark June 13, 2024 at 01:26 #909923
Reply to Paine
Back many, many years ago, when I was a cabinetmaker, we used the paper ones you can buy in a hardware store. At the end if the day, there was still dust in my nose hairs.
Paine June 13, 2024 at 01:31 #909924
Reply to T Clark
Did you have facial hair? Did you carefully mold the metal nose strip to your face shape? Did you rip the thing off to talk to others?
T Clark June 13, 2024 at 02:33 #909935
Quoting Paine
Did you have facial hair? Did you carefully mold the metal nose strip to your face shape? Did you rip the thing off to talk to others?


Probably not always.
kazan June 14, 2024 at 05:38 #910162
Javi,
And then there was the Brits vs Icelandic fishing war with "shots actually fired".
Troublesome, nationalism in Europe, at times! sin seer smile
unenlightened June 14, 2024 at 06:57 #910164
Quoting Baden
Please offer your questions to Baden @Michael Bay .


Every schoolboy knows that a good dog is an obedient dog, and a bad dog is one that does whatever it wants. So what is a good human?
javi2541997 June 14, 2024 at 07:19 #910168
Reply to kazan Reply to unenlightened @Baden

A good dog is an obedient dog, and a bad dog is one that does whatever it wants.

A good fish is an obedient fish. A bad fish is one that swims against the tide.

A good mouse is Wolfgang. A bad mouse is one that gnaws on my shoes.

A good human is... ?
unenlightened June 14, 2024 at 07:46 #910172
Quoting javi2541997
A good fish is an obedient fish. A bad fish is one that swims against the tide.


Objection! A fish that fails to swim against the tide ends up rotting on the beach like a jellyfish. A good fish is one that does not jump out of the net and is deep-fried in batter.
Shawn June 14, 2024 at 08:11 #910173
This was hard for me to conclude...

Is a good pig... bacon?
Barkon June 14, 2024 at 15:48 #910203
There are wars out there that cannot be understood, only reckoned with.
Metaphysician Undercover June 15, 2024 at 01:56 #910294
There are pigs out there that cannot be understood, only eaten.
kazan June 15, 2024 at 04:00 #910309
Is it all just dependent on point of view, whether it's wars, pigs,schoolboys or answers to questions? Or is it a balance of povs? If it is a balance, who or what gets a pov to go into/unto the balance? Apart from TPF s/box's collective pov. If such a pov would/could ever be considered even vaguely collective-able or able to be "collectivized"(if current English word creation is yr preference)?
curious smile
kazan June 15, 2024 at 04:05 #910310
Shawn,
Sorry to add to your misery, but a bad pig can also be a pig that died of swine flu and is overdue to be buried in the hot moist summer's sunlight.
apologetic smile
Shawn June 15, 2024 at 04:09 #910311
Reply to kazan

:cry:

Poor pigs ...
kazan June 15, 2024 at 06:04 #910315
No greater love for pigs hath any man than Shawn.
inspiring smile
Outlander June 15, 2024 at 18:53 #910385
I think my favorite memory of inner city schooling (and believe me there were not many) was how the bus driver would (most likely illegally and in violation of Public School ordinance) stop at a pseudo-gated community where two kids lived and would let us buy things from the nearby ice cream truck. Oh what a joy that was. My "usual" was the two-ball Screwball (an ingenious take on the by-comparison lackluster single-balled Screwball), two Snow-Cones, and a couple packs of Crybaby sour gumballs. My poor dentist.

Still, it gave me something to occupy my time aside from homework during the near hour-long bus ride alone to my childhood residence on the rural outskirts of the city limits. I remember the bus-aide would make a point to remind me how she had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning each day to come pick up basically just me. Good Lord that woman hated me. Ah, memories.
Hanover June 15, 2024 at 21:27 #910403
Reply to Outlander I would awake at 4 am before the rats got up and crawl to school through the city sewers feeling my way with my fingertips, occasionally grabbing another unknown soul who would make a hushed tone. The one mile journey took several hours as the current would throw me back and the water swells would cast my face toward the small air pocket above me.

A small glimmer of light would shine from the passing cars at the 25th and 18th street intersection where i would pop the heavy manhole cover off with the crown of my head and peek out hoping not to get whack-a-moled by a passing motorist.

I'd arrive a couple hours before the first school bell and that would give me time to climb the thick oak tree, where I'd disrobe and wring out my clothes. Once dressed, I'd look forward to the soggy clothes chaffing my already blistered and pruned skin.

The routine would repeat on the way home, although the sunlight better helped guide the way. How I dreaded the alarm clock the next morning to start the cycle again.

I just guess one day I rethought it all and began taking the bus. The bus driver was kind. He would take me to the convenience store where the other kids would splurge on ice cream and candy, but I enjoyed a stout malt liquor and some cool menthol cigarettes to freshen my breath. I'd of course also drop a couple of bucks to test my luck playing my numbers.

I feel we grew up similarly.
Hanover June 15, 2024 at 21:38 #910405
Can I get a "cool story bru"?

Outlander June 15, 2024 at 22:57 #910430
Reply to Hanover

We're doomed if they let you participate in the next Short Story comp. :cool: :up:
Baden June 16, 2024 at 20:55 #910574
Quoting unenlightened
what is a good human?


I agree with this question.

Quoting javi2541997
A good mouse is Wolfgang


Wolfgang Mouseart is, in fact, a hamster. Being a good hamster though, he has avoided a crisis of identity.
Tom Storm June 16, 2024 at 23:54 #910609
Quoting Baden
Wolfgang Mouseart is, in fact, a hamster. Being a good hamster though, he has avoided a crisis of identity.


I hope Mouseart composes more than 2 symphonies in a minor key. I hate it when hamsters pander to the market with jolly, emotionally shallow compositions.
Hanover June 17, 2024 at 00:05 #910611
Caught a couple of catfish and then ate BBQ with my son. A very Americana/redneck Father's Day.
javi2541997 June 17, 2024 at 06:44 #910644
Anyone know what happened to @Jack Cummins? He used to be an active user, posting very interesting threads. But he has been absent most recently.
Baden June 17, 2024 at 06:59 #910646
Reply to Hanover

Sounds good. We don't get bbq weather too often in Ireland though. Not much in the way of catfish either.

Baden June 17, 2024 at 07:09 #910647
Reply to Tom Storm

He's more likely to come up with something deliberately obscure and off-putting. :smile:
unenlightened June 17, 2024 at 08:08 #910648
Quoting Baden
what is a good human?
— unenlightened

I agree with this question.


Then, like Plato, you will answer with your life.

javi2541997 June 17, 2024 at 08:24 #910649
Quoting unenlightened
Then, like Plato, you will answer with your life.


Good answer! It reminds me of Jesus, when he said: "I will pay to free us with my life... It is the only thing I have."
Jack Cummins June 17, 2024 at 08:35 #910650
Reply to javi2541997
I haven't gone away, just been a bit busy doing other things. I am glad that you thought my threads were 'interesting'. If anything, I was probably a bit too 'intense' in my engagement and writing threads, especially during lockdown. I will definitely be looking out for any creative writing threads...
javi2541997 June 17, 2024 at 09:03 #910652
Reply to Jack Cummins :up:

We are all busy often. Life and responsibilities seem to be endless. Even more if we have to fish one ton of mackerel in the Thames river.

We will wait for you whenever you feel ready again. You are very involved with short story contests, so definitely I will see you around there... it will not be my contest this time. I feel I no longer have the ability to be creative.

Baden June 17, 2024 at 10:58 #910654
Reply to javi2541997 Reply to unenlightened

"Life is heavier than the weight of all things." Rilke.
Tom Storm June 17, 2024 at 11:46 #910658
Baden June 17, 2024 at 14:15 #910668
And then this happened:

User image

Not even QAnon can help now, @Shawn. We're in special territory here. Very special...
Hanover June 17, 2024 at 14:45 #910671
Reply to Baden Why do you draw naked pictures of @Michael? I'm sure he'd send you some actual pics if you need them for some reason.
Shawn June 17, 2024 at 22:37 #910721
Reply to Baden

Perplexed. :grin:
Hanover June 18, 2024 at 02:10 #910748
Did you know that the bony-eared assfish may have the smallest brain-to-body weight ratio of any vertebrate?

If I were an assfish, I'd wear an asshat to accentuate my unusual asshead. I'd do all sorts of other assthings, like sleep in an assbed, dress in assclothes, drink asstea, and do an assdance when I'm asshappy.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bony-eared_assfish
Outlander June 18, 2024 at 02:24 #910751
Reply to Hanover

Why oh why am I just now finding out about such a creature. There went my chance to be the popular kid during the "write a report on..." assignment for 8th grade biology. Sigh. Like many things, guess it just wasn't meant to be.

I might have a kid now actually. Solely for the opportunity for him to do such in school and gain the notoriety I sought yet failed. Seems like a fair enough reason to do so in this day and age, I'd say.
Baden June 18, 2024 at 06:46 #910768
Quoting Shawn
Perplexed


Me too. Seven years and not one word. SEVEN years.

@Michael Bay
unenlightened June 18, 2024 at 10:10 #910785
Reply to Baden Noble silence.

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Baden June 18, 2024 at 13:44 #910799
Sir2u June 18, 2024 at 14:02 #910803
Quoting Baden
Me too. Seven years and not one word. SEVEN years.


Not one word is 100% correct, he never even posted. Something weird about that guy and the way he smiles without showing more than a sliver of teeth. Looks sinister if you ask me.
Baden June 18, 2024 at 14:22 #910807
Reply to Sir2u

I have to admit I'm also beginning to have some doubts.
Sir2u June 18, 2024 at 14:23 #910808
Reply to Baden :rofl: :rofl:
unenlightened June 18, 2024 at 16:16 #910826
Quoting Baden
I have to admit I'm also beginning to have some doubts.


Perhaps he is a bony-eared assfish.
kazan June 19, 2024 at 05:25 #910936
Or, unlike Hansover (who?), "he" went fishing using assumption bait.
smile in understandling
Baden June 19, 2024 at 06:44 #910941
Reply to unenlightened

Now this is a theory worth exploring. :smile:
javi2541997 June 19, 2024 at 08:26 #910945
My morning is currently being obnoxious. @Michael Bay and I were buying apples at Mercadona. I honestly think green apples are better than the rest. Their taste is good, heartburn acceptable and a bit sweet. But @Michael Bay randomly started to rant at me because he thought "red pontiac" apples were better, without doubt.
We were having a heated discussion until Wolfgang, dressed up like a guard, stopped the discussion, picked a 'golden' apple and said: these mates... are the truest apples for apple cakes. What do you think? You are invited to my home. We will cook an apple cake and drink tea like they do in Southampton.

@Michael Bay and I made up, and now we are here, at Wolfgang's house, ready for the apple cake.
Baden June 19, 2024 at 09:33 #910949
Reply to javi2541997

Wish I were there. :love:
javi2541997 June 19, 2024 at 10:29 #910956
Reply to Baden We are missing your presence. :broken:
The house is at 54 Onslow Rd, Southampton. I left the door open for you, but @Michael Bay said you had to enter the password.

The password is: "el gato garabato".
Baden June 19, 2024 at 14:55 #910987
Reply to javi2541997

Doodle, doodle, little cat
How I wonder what you're at!
Up above the world you fly,
Like a tea-tray in the sky!
Noble Dust June 19, 2024 at 15:59 #910994
"These mates are the truest apples for apple cakes"
Said Wolfgang the green apple gate-keeping guardsman
Gripping his baton used to flog apple-grabbing kleptos.
"Apple cake practically falls out of the sky at my domicile
Or explodes out of ovens in every room
As I glide away slowly, spatula draped across my shoulder
Never looking behind me."
At this MB's eyes lit up like a Pontiac driving off a bridge into the Potomac
While guitars grind out glorious groin music
And grinning babes wag their bloated natural baby bottles.
"Golden apple cake goads my gonads for sure, old 'Gang" he garbled
"Let's get out of here and bake the shit out of these
Abandoned tree ovaries."

BC June 19, 2024 at 16:41 #911004
Reply to Noble Dust nice riff on the @Javi2541997 apple.
Baden June 19, 2024 at 16:50 #911007
Reply to Noble Dust

:lol: :clap:
Baden June 19, 2024 at 16:54 #911008
MB cuts gonads from dildo totem and flings them on tray: "How do you like them apples?"
javi2541997 June 19, 2024 at 16:56 #911009
Reply to BC @Noble Dust is an amazing composer. His ability to switch my real-life short story into a melody is astounding. There are just a few people who are touched by Amadeus' hands.

If only I were more fluent in English, I would have read the riff in one go.
Noble Dust June 19, 2024 at 17:36 #911017
Just a bit of light-hearted fun. I saw a clip on instagram of John Cleese talking about the importance of playfulness in creativity. I've been bogged down with feeling too adult recently, even in regards to my creative pursuits. Slapping ones gonads on the tray once in a while is needed.
T Clark June 19, 2024 at 17:51 #911020
Reply to javi2541997

After reading your post I thought to myself, Javi, no. Don't use this here. Save it for a short story submittal. It's only 109 words, so I guess you'd have to beef it up a bit, but it's better than most of the other stories I've read here.
T Clark June 19, 2024 at 17:53 #911023
Reply to Noble Dust

As I just noted in a response to Javi, you should have saved this for a poetry submittal. It's better than all but one that I've read here on the forum.
javi2541997 June 19, 2024 at 18:13 #911026
Reply to T Clark Your comment cheered me up, Clarky! It could be a nice start to a short story, but I decided to post it here because The Shoutbox is like my will. All my willingness and enthusiasm rest here. :smile:
Hanover June 19, 2024 at 18:19 #911027
So, I was trying to find out if there were another animal that had "ass" in its name, much like the now beloved assfish. I tried out "assdog," and it turns out it's not an animal, but it references when someone lays his penis superficially across another's buttock divider, thus emulating a hotdog.

Next time you're feeling in a particularly playful mood with your spouse or close friend, you may wish to cook up an assdog. Take a pic and share it so your friend can see what you've done. If you post it here, be sure to use the "reveal" feature, as some might not be ready to enjoy the assdog presentation just yet.

Proper use of "assdog" in a sentence:

"Guess what's for dinner sweetcheeks! Hows about an assdog!"

T Clark June 19, 2024 at 18:21 #911028
Quoting javi2541997
The Shoutbox is like my will


Is that "will" as in "the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action," or as in "a legal document containing instructions as to what should be done with one's money and property after one's death."
javi2541997 June 19, 2024 at 18:41 #911030
Reply to T Clark The second. I consider The Shoutbox as a legal document containing instructions as to what should be done after I am gone. Furthermore, the only reliable evidence of my existence is located in these + 1,800 pages.
Noble Dust June 19, 2024 at 18:51 #911032
Reply to javi2541997

I should mention my poem was inspired by the lyrical nature of the line of yours that I quoted at the top of it. It had a nice ring to it, which got me started.
Noble Dust June 19, 2024 at 18:53 #911033
Reply to T Clark

Glad you enjoyed it Clarky.
T Clark June 19, 2024 at 19:03 #911035
I thought this was interesting.

Quoting Science Direct
Deaths induced by compassionate use of hydroxychloroquine during the first COVID-19 wave: an estimate


User image

The data covers from March through July 2020.
Outlander June 19, 2024 at 22:37 #911066
Reply to Hanover

At least there's the blue-footed booby as well as the titmouse to add to your collection of dubiously-named animalia.

I'm afraid that will have to suffice as a result for your noble search for "T&A" in the animal kingdom.
BC June 20, 2024 at 02:11 #911096
@Hanover Reply to Outlander What about a white male chicken?
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AKA, White Cock
Hanover June 20, 2024 at 19:06 #911187
Reply to BC It does appear to be a cockrel from the spike off his leg. You've got be careful when tangling with the cockrel they always say.
javi2541997 June 21, 2024 at 14:02 #911284
Welcome to the sake tasting tour with Javi! We are going to taste three different types of sake today.

1) Samurai sake (the blue one). Fruity. Smooth. Ideal for right after you've finished eating. Holding the glass up to your nose, place it there. You'll get a lovely sense of relaxation. I will leave you a haiku while you drink this sake:

Fujiyama!
The voice of the goose
tastes like sake.

2) Ozeki. The sake on the middle. A bit hard like a 'Whisky on the Rocks'. Perfect to forget past memories, past people... Avoid wearing too many glasses; you risk developing a headache as a result. I recommend drinking it while enjoying your favorite smoked salmon.

3) Daiginjo sake. The latter. Perfect for a business night. I think it goes well with sushi and ramen. Be careful; the last time @Michael Bay drunk one of these, he ended up in prison.

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Hanover June 21, 2024 at 14:25 #911286
Reply to javi2541997 The blue sake seemed most enticing from your reviews.

But the letters strewn about your tablecloth, please explain.
Baden June 21, 2024 at 14:31 #911289
Quoting javi2541997
prison


(Alcatraz) It may also have been due to the Daiginjo sake that he decided to *ahem* "internalise" the dildo totem (/ inverted miniature apple tree) but that may also be wild rumour, speculation, hearsay.
javi2541997 June 21, 2024 at 14:37 #911291
Quoting Hanover
The blue sake seemed most enticing from your reviews.


It is, indeed!

Quoting Hanover
But the letters strewn about your tablecloth, please explain.


It is a strange tablecloth. I agree. It has all the letters of the alphabet weirdly mixed with each other. The author was inspired by Dali.
Baden June 21, 2024 at 14:39 #911292
Reply to Hanover

They are an anagram of "Jolly sex pigs", which perhaps raises more questions than it answers.
javi2541997 June 21, 2024 at 14:40 #911293
Quoting Baden
It may also have been due to the Daiginjo sake that he decided to *ahem* "internalise" the dildo totem (/inverted miniature apple tree) but that may also be wild rumour, speculation, hearsay.


No, it wasn't a rumour! I was present when he did it, and a bottle of Sake was near to him in the saloon.
Baden June 21, 2024 at 14:40 #911295
Baden June 21, 2024 at 14:41 #911296
Shawn June 21, 2024 at 21:32 #911399
Reply to Baden

You rang?
kazan June 22, 2024 at 05:12 #911479
Shawn,
Baden may have been soliciting a comment or whatever from you in response to Baden's "anagram" involving pigs on the end of the previous page. Just guessing, mind reading can be dangerous if vocalized.
tentative smile
Shawn June 22, 2024 at 06:19 #911488
Quoting Baden
They are an anagram of "Jolly sex pigs", which perhaps raises more questions than it answers.


Those pigs don't know what they're doing. Here's another video of pigs, that you might find interesting.

You wouldn't believe how unpredictable they are in this video:

Baden June 22, 2024 at 06:23 #911489
Jamal June 22, 2024 at 10:25 #911496
Hey @Hanover, I'm in Oban.
Hanover June 22, 2024 at 14:44 #911531
Reply to Jamal Send me some pics so I can reminisce.

I remember my hotel from 20 years ago. You leave the train station and walk toward town, the sea to your left. You walk past what I think was a pier with a strange Roman amphitheater off to your right high above the hill. Then there's a narrow bar just down the street, with a family sized room at the top of the narrow stairs. Some random guy will help you with your luggage probably more because you're slow and blocking the stairs than because he cares. That's what his expression says at least.

I doubt it's changed.




Jamal June 22, 2024 at 19:24 #911572
Reply to Hanover

Yep, that all checks out. Some Americans in town too.

I went to a nearby castle and then took the boat to the Isle of Mull. My photos are rubbish.
Outlander June 23, 2024 at 00:04 #911612
Quoting Jamal
I went to a nearby castle and then took the boat to the Isle of Mull. My photos are rubbish.


Oh, do share anyway. Can't be any worse than @Baden's unnerving and incessant doodling. (just kidding bro)

Something about observing and knowing a wise and respectable philosopher (or philosophically-minded individual, at least) is currently out and about, traveling the world and enjoying life, perhaps sharing his wisdom with a turbulent and at times intellectually-barren world, much like those before us stirs a feeling of worthwhileness toward life in my heart. Or perhaps a less profoundness-associated organ just as important, such as the medulla oblongata.

Isle bet all you'll do is end up mulling around... :wink:

Anyway. Sounds like fun. Do enjoy and be safe. Interestingly enough, I too am at an isle of mull, figuratively speaking of course. Currently marooned in an isolated state of broad yet intense consideration surrounded by a vast and unpredictable sea of possible inopportune outcome and turmoil. But that's nothing new. You enjoy now. At least show some of the grub, in keeping with longstanding Shoutboxian tradition. :cool:
T Clark June 23, 2024 at 00:23 #911621
Quoting Jamal
Isle of Mull


Perhaps I've mentioned it before - my brother in law ran a farm on Mull back in the early 1980s. After that, he thought it would be a good idea to go raise sheep in the Falklands. When the Argentinians ran him off, he came back to the US. After a while his wife left him and took his kids back to Scotland.
Gingethinkerrr June 23, 2024 at 02:05 #911635
Can I ask what the y is next to these shoutbox comments?? Surely not yrs
Gingethinkerrr June 23, 2024 at 02:06 #911636
I think I might have been on page 1 ha.

Not very user friendly.
Hanover June 23, 2024 at 02:20 #911642
Quoting T Clark
Perhaps I've mentioned it before - my brother in law ran a farm on Mull back in the early 1980s. After that, he thought it would be a good idea to go raise sheep in the Falklands. When the Argentinians ran him off, he came back to the US. After a while his wife left him and took his kids back to Scotland.


For this to be accurate, your brother in law would have to have been in the Falklands from April to June, 1982. Aside from those two months, the British have controlled the Falklands since 1833.

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/sovereignty-since-the-ceasefire-the-falklands-40-years-on/#:~:text=On%202%20April%201982%2C%20the,of%20the%20capital%20Port%20Stanley.

I'm not questioning what you say. I'm just offering an interesting history lesson for the Shoutboxians.
Jamal June 23, 2024 at 02:43 #911645
Quoting T Clark
After that, he thought it would be a good idea to go raise sheep in the Falklands.


An interesting decision.
Jamal June 23, 2024 at 02:49 #911647
Quoting Outlander
Oh, do share anyway.


Oh ok then. Just phone shots.

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Jamal June 23, 2024 at 02:55 #911648
Quoting Outlander
At least show some of the grub, in keeping with longstanding Shoutboxian tradition. :cool:


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Noble Dust June 23, 2024 at 03:24 #911651
Reply to Jamal

Do I spy Cevapi?
T Clark June 23, 2024 at 04:33 #911656
Quoting Hanover
For this to be accurate, your brother in law would have to have been in the Falklands from April to June, 1982. Aside from those two months, the British have controlled the Falklands since 1833.


Yes, that's true.
T Clark June 23, 2024 at 04:35 #911659
Quoting Jamal
An interesting decision.


I suppose it seemed like a good idea at the time. My wife's family is a bunch of boneheads.
javi2541997 June 23, 2024 at 04:47 #911661
Quoting Jamal
Just phone shots.


Scotland is a paradise on Earth. :sparkle:

Fish and chips! A classic in a fishing village. But where is the pint of 'Innis & Gunn'?
BC June 23, 2024 at 05:25 #911669
Reply to javi2541997 Speaking of fish, 2 beluga whales were deported from Ukraine owing to their expressed pro-Russian sentiments ("Russian caviar is very tasty -- we'd each like a few pounds of it for lunch.") and sent to an aquarium in Valencia, where Valencia Oranges come from, apparently.

Whales do not eat oranges, I have heard.
kazan June 23, 2024 at 06:00 #911672
Jamal,
Is that a selfie in a pajama top?
sincerely interested smile

Jamal June 23, 2024 at 06:23 #911678
Quoting kazan
Is that a selfie in a pajama top?


Not pajamas!
kazan June 23, 2024 at 06:34 #911679
Oop, sorry. No disrespect meant. Just a directional guide to which of the photos reference was being made.
resensitized smile
Jamal June 23, 2024 at 07:14 #911684
Quoting Noble Dust
Do I spy Cevapi?


The pack said kofta. Minty lamb.
javi2541997 June 23, 2024 at 08:56 #911691
Quoting BC
and sent to an aquarium in Valencia, where Valencia Oranges come from, apparently.

Whales do not eat oranges, I have heard.


Both the oranges and Valencia's Aquarium are magnificent and remarkable. I used to go there more frequently with my folks when I was younger. I have aquarium-related items such as shirts, mugs, and caps.

Whales do not eat oranges, true. They consume something worse: humans.
Outlander June 23, 2024 at 09:16 #911693
Quoting javi2541997
Whales do not eat oranges, true. They consume something worse: humans.


Human beings are "of a poor or lesser quality" than a common fruit? Goodness. Your savagery is, as usual, far too much for my delicate sensibilities!
Baden June 23, 2024 at 10:03 #911696
Reply to Jamal

:cool:

Quoting Outlander
Can't be any worse than Baden's unnerving and incessant doodling. (just kidding bro)


:nerd:

Baden June 23, 2024 at 10:11 #911698
javi2541997 June 23, 2024 at 10:22 #911699
Quoting Outlander
Human beings are "of a poor or lesser quality" than a common fruit? Goodness.



I was shopping for groceries at Lidl one day. The staff at the establishment were presenting "new" and "super" products: one was a human leg, and the other was a fruit from Cambodia whose name I can't recall right now. I tried both and I got disappointed about the taste of our body...
Of course, I preferred the Cambodian fruit over that silly anonymous leg!

Quoting Outlander
Your savagery is, as usual, far too much for my delicate sensibilities!


:grin:
javi2541997 June 23, 2024 at 10:44 #911702
Caps! What would we do without them? Bless him who sews them.

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Jamal June 23, 2024 at 13:03 #911717
Reply to Baden

Good to see you. I particularly like the colour coordination with the dinner plates.
Jamal June 23, 2024 at 13:04 #911718
Reply to javi2541997

I envy your cap and eyebrows.
Hanover June 23, 2024 at 13:20 #911722
Reply to Baden Some insights into your pics:

In the US, the word "dishwasher" describes an appliance, not a person. For that reason, you wouldn't see a plate drying rack over your sink.

You would also not see hats (as in yours, @javi2541997, and @Jamal) in pics if the person had hair beneath.

The issue isn't that Jamal is in colorful PJs, but that he's wearing a long sleeve shirt in late June. The pervasive sogginess and general squishiness is well captured in the photos.

Why Indian food is Scottish never made sense, but it's an interesting quirk.





Baden June 23, 2024 at 13:23 #911724
Quoting Hanover
In the US, the word "dishwasher" describes an appliance, not a person. For that reason, you wouldn't see a plate drying rack over your sink.


Also, I live in a hovel.

Reply to Jamal

In fairness, I could not one-up your shirt. Hence the dour look.
Baden June 23, 2024 at 13:25 #911725
Quoting Jamal
eyebrows


Javi's eyebrows are indeed top class. :up:
Baden June 23, 2024 at 13:35 #911727
Quoting Hanover
You would also not see hats... in pics if the person had hair beneath.


Irrefutable documentary proof that I have hair.

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Jamal June 23, 2024 at 18:20 #911759
Quoting Hanover
The pervasive sogginess and general squishiness is well captured in the photos.


Well, next time you're in Oban, hop across to the Isle of Mull, where it's always sunny, the scenery is spectacular, and the customer service is second to none.

My brother posing today:

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It's actually not always sunny by the way.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 02:35 #911847
Reply to Jamal If I do go, I too will stand my brother upon a rock. He enjoys the sun, and I have heard it is always sunny there, but I have also heard otherwise.

This is a picture of Paisley at the park. The heat got to her, so I made a short day of it.
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Outlander June 24, 2024 at 03:16 #911855
"And in an instant, I beheld the fires of Hell and they were like embers, not by the eternal torrent of God's wrath, but by the sheer warmth of the heart's of men."

- Reality. Chapter 2.
Jamal June 24, 2024 at 07:16 #911889
Reply to Hanover

A bold choice of shorts colour for you.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 11:57 #911923
Reply to Jamal I wear the official color of the Shoutbox proudly.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt_blue

jorndoe June 24, 2024 at 12:33 #911929
:D Gross

Change in wind direction prompts worry about more North Korean trash balloon launches toward South
[sup]— Hyung-Jin Kim · AP · Jun 24, 2024[/sup]
manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth, waste batteries and vinyl

No highly dangerous materials were found


Wind direction worries are usually about wildfires or something

Hanover June 24, 2024 at 13:36 #911939
Reply to jorndoe This gives me the idea to send helium garbage balloons to those in my neighborhood. Their delight in seeing Happy Birthday balloons overhead will quickly fall into great sorrow and dismay when syringes and spent diapers drop from the sky onto their windshields.
Outlander June 24, 2024 at 14:55 #911950
Reply to Hanover

Now what on Earth would possess you to think up such a nefarious activity. Surely your neighbors are well-to-do people. I know I would be, content in the fortuitous nature of sharing neighborship with the likes of Hanover. I'd be all like "Hey Hanover, what's the witty musing of the day?" And upon hearing it I'd be invigorated for the remainder of the day with a sense of profound wisdom and contentedness toward life, feeling as if I could suddenly do anything. Plus I could always pester you for free legal advice. Man, that sounds like a sweet gig. Some people get all the breaks.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 16:15 #911970
Reply to Outlander My most common interaction is with my neighbor across the street. CiCi the little curly haired brown dog gets loose from the fence and he runs over. He's always very happy to be there, but my wife gets annoyed because he barks at the goats. My position has been and remains "you shouldn't get mad at CiCi." It's just a rule I've always lived by.

I then walk over and knock on the door with CiCi on a leash I provide, but they rarely answer. I then call their number, and they still don't answer. I'll then walk behind their house and sometimes they're back there cooking out, and I'll say "Ola!" until they finally hear me and then they call CiCi over and we do a dog exchange. They offer me no food. Nothing.

I have no doubt that if Fred, Paisley, Peanut, Pretzel, Gumbo, Cornbread, Tater, Jasper, Biscuit, or any 14 of my unnamed chickens ran over there that they'd do nothing and entirely fail to notify me. I, however, believe very strongly in my duty to return mislaid objects, whether it be a wallet, a dog, or even a wife.

Sometimes wives get mislaid. It's a bad scene, but you should still return her afterwards.

So, might a garbage balloon be in order. Perhaps. Perhaps.

Outlander June 24, 2024 at 16:24 #911972
Quoting Hanover
mislaid


I feel you seek your own intellect and intrinsic value as a person where it simply is not found, that is to say has no comparison. There is no intent. It's just mindlessness. Surely you know better.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 17:05 #911981
Reply to Outlander I don't know what you're trying to say here. Is this a compliment or an insult? I need to know where to send my garbage ballons.
Outlander June 24, 2024 at 17:35 #911991
Quoting Hanover
Is this a compliment or an insult?


Your humility, nay, sheer uninterruptible nature, pleases and amazes me. Let it be whichever shall best fortify you for the daunting task ahead.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 19:41 #912036
I wrote a poem. I think it's pretty good. Let me know your thoughts. It came to me suddenly and I had to write it down so as to not to lose it. I refuse to change it because that would only destroy the stream of god that pulsed through my brain as I wrote it down at once.

I put my brother on a rock beside the raging sea
He couldn't find the moonlit dock next to his cup of tea
He called my name as he stood so sad waves falling down so hard
I pushed him onto a lilllypad aside a playing card

And there he fell beneath the tartan up into the Scotsman's kilt
He said no words to cause dishearten but just a touch of guilt
Flapping darting into the water beside a clean banjo
I hoped and prayed that he would faulter like some earless Van Gogh

But he would fight and and he would battle continuing his attack
I offered him a game of scrabble and a seven eyed jack
He grabbed the deck with all his vigor and played the card at last
He found the leaf that was much bigger and let that die be cast.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 19:48 #912037
My favorite part is where my brother was starting to drown from being pushed onto a lillypad and he encountered a clean banjo. I feel like that has a certain universal appeal.
BC June 24, 2024 at 20:53 #912046
@Hanover and @javi2541997 Iambic adventures from Hanover and angry excommunicated candy-selling nuns in northern Spain. Never a dull moment.
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 22:55 #912084
Once again with CiCi.User image
Hanover June 24, 2024 at 23:18 #912088
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Sausages and peppers.
Shawn June 24, 2024 at 23:19 #912089
Reply to Hanover

Poor pigs.
Hanover June 25, 2024 at 01:04 #912098
Reply to Shawn I think it might be turkey sausage.

Shawn June 25, 2024 at 01:40 #912101
javi2541997 June 25, 2024 at 04:36 #912120
Quoting BC
excommunicated candy-selling nuns in northern Spain. Never a dull moment.


Wow! I can't believe the Belorado nuns conflict made it there. The Internet has brought us closer together and made the world smaller. It is easy to learn anything about each country in a few seconds, unless you reside in Pyongyang...

And yes, @Hanover is an excellent poet. He reminds me of Archpriest of Hita.
Outlander June 25, 2024 at 04:49 #912121
Quoting BC
angry excommunicated candy-selling nuns in northern Spain


The excommunication is a result of violation of a deeper principle, the fact they were selling candy is a red herring. Today, candy is considered "innocent" and "legal", despite known harm that does not immediately effect the consumer or purveyor. Back then, slavery was considered "innocent" and "legal", despite known harm that does not immediately effect the consumer or purveyor. It is a decree of preservation toward absolute principle, not the fact the ignorant will juxtaposition a claim of restriction of freedom of thought or idea. When it comes to social norms, that is to say, human-will, where said will led to enslavement of human beings and execution of those who behave or express themself differently, is a fickle guide to standards and practices. So, in this case, tradition and strict standards become all that preserves men from reverting to beasts. whilst thinking and sleeping soundly at night they are the opposite.
BC June 25, 2024 at 05:48 #912127
Quoting Outlander
The excommunication is a result of violation of a deeper principle


Indeed! The good sisters decided that the current pope -- all the popes since Pius XII -- were fake popes and consequently they rejected the Catholic Church. This, and several other acts, got them excommunicated. So what goes around comes around.

Congratulations on getting so much milage out of their sucrose, high fructose corn syrupy activities! Well done.
BC June 25, 2024 at 05:50 #912128
Reply to javi2541997 Oh yes, his similarity to the Archpriest of Hita is legendary.

Who is this archpriest, anyway?
javi2541997 June 25, 2024 at 06:32 #912137
Quoting BC
Who is this archpriest, anyway?


The archpriest of Hita was a monk and poet from middle-aged Spain. 'Hita' is a tiny town in Castilla La Mancha. One of his poems, "El Libro del Buen Amor" (The Book of Good Love), has survived to the present day. The poem's characters, Melón (the boy) and Endrina (the girl), are well-known in our country and considered part of our traditional culture. The work was written in the fourteenth century, and he utilised a fable literary style.
Jamal June 25, 2024 at 07:14 #912142
Quoting Baden
In fairness, I could not one-up your shirt. Hence the dour look.


I've been trying to one-up that shirt myself. Here is one that I describe with the so-uncool-it's-cool adjective snazzy:

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Quoting Hanover
beside a clean banjo


I suggest this for the poem's title.

Talking of nuns and medieval priests, I saw a very tall and interesting woman yesterday. She was walking along the wild shore dressed like a medieval nun or maybe a pre-Christian Celtic priestess, and was wearing a beatific smile. She had an aura of spiritual intensity. On the other hand, the Highlands and Islands do attract eccentrics and hippies.
Baden June 25, 2024 at 09:27 #912170
Reply to Hanover

That looks rather good. Sorry @Shawn

Reply to Jamal

The pink really sets it off. :starstruck: But why the helmet? Fear of a mutant albatross attack? Vicious half-blind eagles in the vicinity?



Hanover June 25, 2024 at 09:49 #912171
Quoting Baden
But why the helmet


We've been over this. He's protecting the few hairs remaining.
Hanover June 25, 2024 at 09:58 #912173
Quoting javi2541997
The poem's characters, Melón (the boy) and Endrina (the girl),


My poems of Edrina are also well known. Who can forget my tale of the subpoena served upon Endrina by the hyena in Argentina?

Fancy that, a displaced hyena from the African savannah serving legal papers upon a medieval Spaniard in South America. What hyjinks might ensue? You'll have to read it yourself in my classic volume of poems, aptly entitled "Edrina"s Clean Banjo."

jorndoe June 25, 2024 at 14:03 #912214
The overall idea has been explored in some sci-fi (e.g. STTNG, STDS9):

The Prison of the Future - Cognify (— Hashem Al-Ghaili · Jun 24, 2024 · 6m:22s)

Some dangers would be lurking in such tech.

frank June 25, 2024 at 14:48 #912227
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Jamal June 25, 2024 at 19:39 #912263
A restaurant toilet I used today:

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Thoughts?
BC June 25, 2024 at 19:57 #912269
Reply to Jamal My bathroom presents similar problems. Finding new toilet bowls that fit old bathrooms is a problem. The toilet cartel and the bathroom cartel are catastrophically out of sync Ior sink, for that matter). The new bathroom of today is big enough to play pickle ball. In ancient times, the idea was "get in, do whatever was required, and get out."
Noble Dust June 25, 2024 at 20:00 #912270
Reply to Jamal

Are you in NYC?
Hanover June 25, 2024 at 22:14 #912287
Reply to Jamal The opening permits the passage of small items like keys, paperclips, marbles, and #10 nails without having to penguin walk with your shorts half down to the person outside the door.

Very convenient.

You could also piss through the closed door into the toilet without having to open the door protecting the hinge from overuse.

Ladies could not do that. I don't think.
Sir2u June 25, 2024 at 22:51 #912289
Quoting Hanover
I have no doubt that if Fred, Paisley, Peanut, Pretzel, Gumbo, Cornbread, Tater, Jasper, Biscuit, or any 14 of my unnamed chickens ran over there that they'd do nothing and entirely fail to notify me. I, however, believe very strongly in my duty to return mislaid objects, whether it be a wallet, a dog, or even a wife.


Do you really think they would do nothing? If the fire pit was not already lit, I bet it would not take them long to get it and the chickens ready.
Maybe they would even provide a plate of wings for you. :lol:
Sir2u June 25, 2024 at 22:55 #912290
Quoting Outlander
The excommunication is a result of violation of a deeper principle, the fact they were selling candy is a red herring.


So they were selling red herrings?

No, I think there was a typo, it was supposed tor read "nookie" not candy.
Outlander June 25, 2024 at 23:18 #912294
Quoting Jamal
Thoughts?


Barbaric. Unforgivably so, I'm afraid.

Though, perhaps the restroom was designed with the intention, as restrooms usually are inadvertently the room in which many great ideas (and plenty of not-so-great ones) are fathered, along with persons, to encourage a healthy state of self-reflection in those who perhaps could afford to lose a bit of weight, thus prolonging and maximizing their endeavors in life.

Like, fat boy, after barely managing hisself into the room would be sitting there, and a forced culmination of his life choices would ensue, likely suddenly and requiring him to sit down, were he not doing so already. More evidence of the convenience and intent. Then perhaps upon noticing the bizarre absence of a portion of the door his subconscious mind will then allow him to "live his best life" (God how I detest when young women proclaim such on social media, a universal banner of ignorance instituted solely to irk me, I swear) and consider going on a diet.

Unfortunately, I lack the Hanoverian wit to come up with a humorous statement implying the door-carver, whoever it was, makes similar if not comically savage actions elsewhere in life. The best I can do at present, unfortunately, is suggest that "when whoever did that to the door needed a new garage, he simply plowed through an existing wall". Wow that was lame. But you get the idea. I'm honest with my limitations and shortcomings, whenst cloaked in the impervious aura of online anonymity, at least.
Metaphysician Undercover June 26, 2024 at 00:13 #912301
Quoting Jamal
Thoughts?


I love it! There's innovation around every corner, and through any door.
jorndoe June 26, 2024 at 15:01 #912421
Two large asteroids safely pass Earth just 42 hours apart (ESA · Phys.org · Jun 24, 2024)

Asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21 (? 2300m in diameter), discovered in 2011, will zip by on Jun 27, at a good distance, 17 times further out than the moon.

Asteroid 2024 MK (? 200m in diameter), discovered on Jun 16, will zip by on Jun 29, inside the orbit of the Moon. Close call. Could have caused some...troubles, though nothing like (415029) 2011 UL21.

No disastrous impacts this week :up: :) (other than manmade).

Outlander June 26, 2024 at 15:16 #912428
Reply to jorndoe

I completely credit Hanover's "stellar excellence in an age of mediocrity".

No perception of eternal torture could even begin to make me consider worship of a god that does not protect the ground or air in which such a legend walks and breathes.
Paine June 26, 2024 at 19:56 #912474
Quoting Noble Dust
Are you in NYC?


Yes, that is a design conflict often encountered here.
Noble Dust June 26, 2024 at 21:07 #912481
Reply to Paine

Are you in NYC?
Paine June 26, 2024 at 21:28 #912482
Reply to Noble Dust
Brooklyn as the center. The other boroughs arrayed in respectful distances from it.
Noble Dust June 26, 2024 at 23:03 #912496
Reply to Paine

Cool. I’m in Brooklyn as well.
Sir2u June 27, 2024 at 00:25 #912514
Quoting Paine
Brooklyn as the center. The other boroughs arrayed in respectful distances from it.


Quoting Noble Dust
Cool. I’m in Brooklyn as well.


OK, I smell a conspiracy in the wind.

Paine June 27, 2024 at 00:30 #912515
More of a field of irony. The attempts at prestige are necessary and useless at the same time.
BC June 27, 2024 at 00:45 #912516
Quoting Paine
arrayed in respectful distances


Well, you're cheek to cheek with Queens. No distance there.

Quoting Sir2u
I smell a conspiracy in the wind.


That's just the odour of Brooklyn.
L'éléphant June 27, 2024 at 03:41 #912544
Reply to Hanover
When you posted the pic of your dog, then followed it with another post below it, showing your plate containing some meat dish, I couldn't help but put the two pictures together to a horrifying conclusion.
Outlander June 27, 2024 at 05:56 #912551
Quoting L'éléphant
When you posted the pic of your dog, then followed it with another post below it, showing your plate containing some meat dish, I couldn't help but put the two pictures together to a horrifying conclusion.


Would that be any more horrifying than the average American dinner in the average American household? It's as if we dictate horror by consumption of that which can be trained vs. "beningness" or innocence rather in the slaughter of that which cannot, that is to say, shows no evidence of such training, perhaps said training we consider to be humanity? What allegedly separates from that which is to be slaughtered and that which isn't?

Truly something to ponder, yes.
Paine June 27, 2024 at 11:26 #912562
Quoting BC
Well, you're cheek to cheek with Queens. No distance there.


But those are butt cheeks. The two are turned away from each other.

Edit to add:
I walked the boundary during one of my mega walks to avoid going crazy during Covid. It took a long time. If I was a natural poet, I could speak of the odd things I observed. So far, they are fevered dreams.
Shawn June 28, 2024 at 01:48 #912667
Biden is not doing bad for his age... Gotta hand it to him.
Outlander June 28, 2024 at 01:55 #912671
Quoting Shawn
Biden is not doing bad for his age... Gotta hand it to him.


Aren't both candidates fairly old ie. virtually comparable/similar?
Shawn June 28, 2024 at 02:06 #912672
Reply to Outlander

They're having a debate and Biden kinda has a hard time keeping up but is not losing his lead.
Outlander June 28, 2024 at 02:23 #912674
Live debate:

[hide="Reveal"][/hide]

Best ignore the YT comments. Mindlessness.

Let's do a live commentary here. I'm curious as to what others here have to say.
BC June 28, 2024 at 02:56 #912680
Reply to Outlander My takeaway: I prefer Joseph Biden as president, but he is old--too old to bear the burdens of office for 4 more years. No fault in being old, but the Democrats should have found a way to locate younger candidates.

Trump remains a horrible past president and a totally unacceptable future president. It doesn't seem like the Republicans were able to locate a candidate who would be vastly better.
Outlander June 28, 2024 at 03:10 #912685
Quoting BC
but he is old--too old to bear the burdens of office for 4 more years.


But how can you be sure of this? Perhaps any so-called evidence is based on the perfunctory examination of observation, which as a philosopher you surely know, things are not always as one's alleged or current best judgement purports them to be?
BC June 28, 2024 at 03:32 #912690
Quoting Outlander
But how can you be sure of this?


I am not 100% confident that he is too old to survive 4 more years--I'm about 90% sure he's too old. Evidence? He displays the expected decline in peak performance one would expect from a healthy 81 year old performing an extremely demanding job. The older people get, the more capacity they tend to lose. For the demands of ordinary life, Biden is in great shape. For the demands of the Presidency, probably not.

If he is re-elected, then the next quadrennium will be presided over by Biden or Harris. That's preferable to having as much as 1 minute of Trump back in office.

We don't have age limits for federal offices (Congress, SCOTUS, or the Presidency) but we should have. Once individuals acquire positions of great power, they tend to hold on to them with great tenacity, whether it makes sense or not. Ruth Bader Ginzburg should have retired when there was time for her appointing party to replace her, just for example. Several leaders in the congress have gone waaaay past their "best by" date. For their own sake, if not for the country's. Leave while you can walk out under your own steam!
Shawn June 28, 2024 at 03:41 #912694
Anyone thinking, Gore has a better chance at this point?
Leontiskos June 28, 2024 at 04:35 #912717
Quoting BC
My takeaway: I prefer Joseph Biden as president, but he is old--too old to bear the burdens of office for 4 more years.


This is an understatement. Biden had a great deal of trouble filling two minutes without a teleprompter. I don't know who is running the country, but it surely isn't Biden.

Quoting Shawn
Biden is not doing bad for his age...


I agree, but the caveat is significant.
javi2541997 June 28, 2024 at 04:50 #912722
Wait a minute. Why do you mates discuss about politics on The Shoutbox?

We only talk about breakfast, the magnificent countryside of Scotland (Jamal's homeland), the stamp collection of Hanover; Baden and Wolfgang; Noble Dust's tunes, and so on.

I am happy to have olive oil for breakfast again. The prices of this product were very high in the last few months. Approximately €15 per litre...
Moliere June 28, 2024 at 04:57 #912727
Reply to javi2541997 heh the oossian presidential debate happened, and so it comes into even this hallowed halls of shoutbox nonsense.
BC June 28, 2024 at 05:07 #912732
Reply to Shawn Gore is 76; are there no desirable candidates under 65 or 70? I voted for Gore before. He got the royal shaft from SCOTUS.
Shawn June 28, 2024 at 05:10 #912734
Reply to BC

There's always Bloomberg who would easily win with more money and better business qualifications than Trump. I doubt he'd do it though...
Shawn June 28, 2024 at 05:12 #912735
Yeah, Bloomberg is a tad bit too old at 82... Then again he would trounce Trump.
BC June 28, 2024 at 05:23 #912738
Reply to Shawn I believe (as an article of faith) that there are at least several reasonably power hungry, reasonably rational, reasonably talented, reasonably experienced, reasonably honest, reasonably intelligent, reasonably healthy people under 65 who would make a satisfactory Democratic President, and have nothing better to do than serve for the next 4 to 8 years as leader of the Free World.
BC June 28, 2024 at 05:27 #912739
Reply to javi2541997 If olive oil has suddenly become cheaper, you're probably eating corn oil that's been doctored (coloring, flavoring, various ingredients) to very closely resemble actual olive oil. I read that adulteration can be so good that experts can't tell the real thing from fake,
BC June 28, 2024 at 06:08 #912744
Kinky Friedman, the Jewish Cowboy CW singer, has died. Here's his lovely song, "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore".

javi2541997 June 28, 2024 at 06:21 #912745
Reply to Moliere Oh! I forgot about the American presidential debate! There are just two, correct? Trump versus Biden.
We have eight different candidates... It's horrible for a small country like mine.

Quoting BC
If olive oil has suddenly become cheaper, you're probably eating corn oil that's been doctored (coloring, flavoring, various ingredients) to very closely resemble actual olive oil.


No, no. This is real olive oil. I purchased it at Mercadona. You can completely trust this market. If the label states "olive oil from Córdoba," it is completely accurate.
Leontiskos June 28, 2024 at 06:58 #912748
Quoting Shawn
There's always Bloomberg who would easily win with more money and better business qualifications than Trump. I doubt he'd do it though...


In fact he was already running in 2020 and lost to Biden in the primary.
Hanover June 28, 2024 at 10:02 #912762
Biden did horrible. The Democrats are handing the election to Trump.
Outlander June 28, 2024 at 10:12 #912763
Reply to Hanover

I sense you are displeased. What would you have done differently?
javi2541997 June 28, 2024 at 10:31 #912767
Quoting Hanover
Biden did horrible...


Quoting Outlander
What would you have done differently?


Prepare and cook patatas bravas!

Baden June 28, 2024 at 10:58 #912781
My suggestion for new Dem candidate:

User image
Hanover June 28, 2024 at 11:07 #912787
Reply to Baden Spuds McBidenbine
Hanover June 28, 2024 at 11:12 #912789
Quoting Outlander
I sense you are displeased. What would you have done differently?


I've never been a Biden fan. I'm just pointing out the obvious.

Assuming rationality on the part of Democratic strategists, they saw an election defeat on the way from an unelectable candidate, so they put him on stage to expose his incompetence so they could gain internal support to replace him.

Not assuming rationality, it was just an old fashioned fuck up.

Baden June 28, 2024 at 12:21 #912798
Reply to Hanover

To me, the impending train wreck was as obvious as the smile on a cartoon potato. I didn't know the Dems would beat medicare though. They got me on that one.
frank June 28, 2024 at 13:06 #912805
Everything is going to be fine.
Outlander June 28, 2024 at 13:24 #912807
Quoting frank
Everything is going to be fine.


This was never the question or idea of contention.

Whether that which is unnecessary, to what degree of volume, is to be involved prior to such an agreed outcome.

That is the question. That is and has ever been the only question. Is such a truth new to you? Perhaps simply unfamiliar.

Hah :grin:
frank June 28, 2024 at 14:05 #912816
Reply to Outlander
Take it easy killer
Outlander June 28, 2024 at 14:31 #912821
I find it comical how the powers that be dictate man's material wealth (money) is to be kept at the same place his material identifying documents (Drivers license, etc.) are.

It's as if these two things are to be proclaimed as one and the same. Perhaps there's some wisdom found in such an observation. Then again. Perhaps not.
Shawn June 28, 2024 at 15:18 #912824
Quoting Baden
I didn't know the Dems would beat medicare though.


Medicare first, then Social Security.
Sir2u June 28, 2024 at 15:38 #912830
Reply to BC They would not get away with that nowadays.
BC June 28, 2024 at 20:53 #912860
@Shawn Quoting BC
?Shawn I believe (as an article of faith) that there are at least several reasonably power hungry, reasonably rational, reasonably talented, reasonably experienced, reasonably honest, reasonably intelligent, reasonably healthy people under 65 who would make a satisfactory Democratic President, and have nothing better to do than serve for the next 4 to 8 years as leader of the Free World.


The Guardian, a British newspaper, helpfully suggests 6 alternatives:

Kamala Harris (VP) age 59
Gavin Newsome (Gov. California) age 56
J B Pritzker (Gov. Illinois) age 59
Gretchen Whitmer (Gov. Michigan) age 52
Sherrod Brown (Sen. Ohio) age 71
Dean Phillips (Rep. Minnesota Third District) 54
Hanover June 28, 2024 at 22:05 #912867
With the recent performance of our esteemed President and his obvious inability to continue his pursuit of a second term, I am pleased to announce my entry as the unanimous choice for Democratic nominee.

My running mate will be my cat.

Hanover and Gumbo 2024!


Tom Storm June 29, 2024 at 00:16 #912884
Reply to BC What are your thoughts on Newsome?
BC June 29, 2024 at 02:20 #912899
Quoting Tom Storm
What are your thoughts on Newsome?


Fewsome.

He's a centrist, moderately liberal governor in a complicated liberal/conservative state. I don't know what policies he would pursue on Israel/Gaza, Ukraine, or Taiwan, just to take 3 vexing issues which will likely remain after the inauguration in January, 2025. The least likely to succeed on the Guardian's list is Minnesota's congressman, Dean Phillips. He wasn't able to find traction in the New Hampshire primary earlier this year. He's an unknown outside of MN, or maybe not well known outside his district, which encompasses the western half of the suburban ring around the Twin Cities. He should stay where he is, in the House of Representatives.

A desirable candidate for the Democratic ticket is someone who will appeal to a broad enough share of voters to win election. That means he will have to be middling, a centrist to slightly conservative, be a "reasonable environmentalist" (not a good thing for the world), be firm on the priority of a strong national defense, not have any provocative ideas, etc. etc. etc.

A wishy-washy uninspiring liberal winner will be better than Donald Trump, and maybe as good as we can get.

There have been some interesting actual or potential presidential candidates who I found inspiring -- George McGovern and Bernie Sanders. Neither of them had traction. VP Hubert Humphrey would have made a much better president than Nixon, but he was badly damaged by his loyalty to President Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam policy.
Tom Storm June 29, 2024 at 02:56 #912909
Reply to BC Thanks BC, interesting.
Noble Dust June 29, 2024 at 16:43 #913023
Breakfast was as simple and classic of an American breakfast as you'll find: two scrambled eggs made with liberal amounts of butter and freshly cracked black pepper (and a drizzle of EVOO), buttered toast, and two sausage patties. And coffee (made in an Aeropress as I ran out of regular drip coffee filters).
T Clark June 29, 2024 at 17:20 #913036
Quoting Noble Dust
Breakfast was as simple and classic of an American breakfast as you'll find: two scrambled eggs made with liberal amounts of butter and freshly cracked black pepper (and a drizzle of EVOO), buttered toast, and two sausage patties. And coffee (made in an Aeropress as I ran out of regular drip coffee filters).


Olive oil on scrambled eggs??? That's not the classic Murican breakfast George Washington and Ronald Reagan ate.
Outlander June 29, 2024 at 17:46 #913046
Quoting T Clark
Olive oil on scrambled eggs???


I too found that odd. He did mention a drizzle, possibly for reasons that extend beyond taste. It's healthy, I think?

What I find curious is the underlying reasons he ran out of coffee filters. Does this happen often? Did something cause this to happen? Budgetary constraint or a change in lifestyle? None of my business of course,still, an innocent curiosity remains.
BC June 29, 2024 at 19:50 #913075
Reply to Outlander I have never run out of coffee or coffee filters. It's just not done! Neither hail nor high water, hurricane nor heat wave shall deter morning coffee.

Nuclear war might make it difficult to guarantee caffeine in the A.M. Otherwise, it had just better be there.
Noble Dust June 29, 2024 at 20:29 #913089
Reply to T Clark

That's true. I should have clarified (ba-dum-tish) that I add a little olive oil to the butter in the pan when I cook eggs. It seems to help the eggs not stick.

Quoting Outlander
What I find curious is the underlying reasons he ran out of coffee filters.


The small 5-cup drip machine basket filters are impossible to find in NYC. One of the many small, seemingly inexplicable curiosities of this strange place. Similarly, bratwurst is nearly impossible to find, a problem as July 4th looms. Thankfully I live near a large (by NYC standards) grocery store that generally stocks brats. Come to think of it, maybe they have my coffee filters too. I'd be surprised though.
Hanover June 29, 2024 at 21:21 #913105
Reply to Noble Dust It's funny that as one gets closer to the city, consumer items are harder to come by. As you move farther from the city, the same thing happens, making the sweet spot somewhere in suburbia. Want a 250 foot hose reel, a 200 ounce bag of chips, or knee high snake boot and you're downtown? Fuggitaboutit.

Restaurant selection increases as you move in town, but parking spots? Fuggitaboutit.

Need 8,000 fast food choices intown? Need dinner after 10 in the suburbs outside Taco Bell? Need an Uber in a rural area? Need a Trump voter downtown? Fuggitaboutit, every one of those.


BC June 29, 2024 at 21:38 #913108
Reply to Noble Dust Several years supply of 5 cup drip filters were lost in the East Palestine, Ohio train crash of February 3, 2023. The box car full of coffee filters for New York City was between two tank cars of toxic, flammable liquids. The filters were soaked in toxicity, then burned.

Bratwurst for New York City was spoiled by an outbreak of Monkey Pox in Sheboygan, Wisconsin -- main supplier of NYC's German sausage. The pigs didn't get the pox and there is only one monkey living in Sheboygan. Unfortunately, a perverse series of events (which is unsuitable for public discussion) led to the infection of all the workers in the Brat Factory District, which had to shut down for 3 months, just as they were about to make your year's supply. When production resumed, they filled the brat orders for Atlanta, Los Angeles, Portland, and Boise. They haven't gotten back to the New York order yet.

I read in the Farm Journal that barges of Land O'Lakes butter destined for New York were being held up by flooding in the Midwest. The big tankers with olive oil from Europe haven't been delayed, and New Yorkers have lots of parks where they can raise chickens for eggs.
Noble Dust June 30, 2024 at 00:05 #913145
Reply to BC

Everything suddenly makes sense now.

You'd be surprised, but there is such a thing as people raising chickens in their yards in NYC. I can think of 3 different locations I've seen off the top of my head.
BC June 30, 2024 at 00:55 #913163
Reply to Noble Dust Glad to hear it. Next thing, pigs. People used to raise a pig or 2 in NYC, and there were feral pigs that provided free sanitation services on the front end and created sanitation service demand on the back end.
Shawn June 30, 2024 at 01:01 #913165
Quoting BC
Next thing, pigs. People used to raise a pig or 2 in NYC, and there were feral pigs that provided free sanitation services on the front end and created sanitation service demand on the back end.


:up:
Shawn June 30, 2024 at 01:05 #913166
User image
Shawn June 30, 2024 at 01:15 #913170
This is doctor pigs' nurse:
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Hanover June 30, 2024 at 01:47 #913186
Reply to Shawn Not to rain on your parade, but kids beat piglets on the adorability scale any day.

User image
Shawn June 30, 2024 at 02:01 #913193
Quoting Hanover
Not to rain on your parade, but kids beat piglets on the adorability scale any day.


Charitably, I'd say they're on equal footing. Kids love watching pig cartoons and shows. I'm not sure if a goat would outdo a pig...
javi2541997 June 30, 2024 at 09:23 #913319
Our lovely friend @Tobias is only one post to reach the 1k milestone. What can we do to make this moment special? I was thinking about cooking paella, but this is trivial.

A birthday cake would be a better idea?

Blow the candles, Tobias! Hurry up!

User image

Tobias June 30, 2024 at 17:59 #913468
Thanks for that! I think posting this makes 1000 right? though I see 997 posts for me... Thanks @javi2541997 :smile:
Tobias June 30, 2024 at 18:00 #913470
iI must say I love paella though, now cooking something simuilar... jambalaya.
Deleted user June 30, 2024 at 18:08 #913474
Olive oil goes on everything.
Hanover June 30, 2024 at 19:18 #913501
Quoting Tobias
must say I love paella though, now cooking something simuilar... jambalaya.


I never thought of paella and jambalaya as similar, but I can see that now. I always thought of jambalaya as spicier
Tobias June 30, 2024 at 20:15 #913505
Similar as in a rice dish :lol: Indeed the spices are very different, ingredients as well, but to me it has a similar 'feel'... except when Paella is cooked purely as a seafood dish, but that is not the original I believe...
Tobias June 30, 2024 at 20:17 #913506
I definitely want to taste the paella made by @javi2541997. if I am not mistaken he is from the parts of Spain where it is at its best... If his cooking is as good as his impressions of Spain we are in for a treat...
javi2541997 June 30, 2024 at 20:29 #913509
Reply to Tobias I am from Madrid, and my family members come from Toledo (We are all Castilian, basically). We cook 'arroz', which is similar to 'paella', but we don't use seafood because we are in the middle of the peninsula and the custom among the family members was using chicken and vegetables.
The 'real paella' can only be found in Valencia, with its special bomba rice and seafood.
Although there can be differences between two dishes, both have the same best part: socarrat (as they say in Valencia) or chamuscado (as we say in Madrid), thus the burned part of the bottom.
I think both are awesome, but a Valencian mate will always say 'paella is the best dish in Spain.'
BC June 30, 2024 at 21:13 #913517
Never what's on the stove. Just eat what's on your plate.

I thought Biden should step aside BEFORE the debate. Debates are like horse races: they're one-off events where the participants have a short period of time to perform. It doesn't take much for the odd's on favorite horse to stumble or otherwise get edged out. Same for presidential debates.

I agree with the Philadelphia Inquirer: Trump should pull out. Both candidates should find something else to do.
jorndoe June 30, 2024 at 22:44 #913541
Hanover June 30, 2024 at 23:05 #913547
User image
Cornbread chillin on the rooftop.
praxis July 01, 2024 at 18:42 #913806
Reply to Hanover

Let me guess, the owl decoy is to prevent birds from shitting on the tin roof doghouse and ruining Cornbread's chill spot.
Jamal July 01, 2024 at 19:31 #913822
Reply to Hanover

I saw one of those fake owls in the wild yesterday, on the very day you posted that.
Outlander July 01, 2024 at 19:34 #913823
Reply to Jamal

Sounds like the start of a good horror movie, to be honest.
Jamal July 01, 2024 at 19:37 #913824
Reply to Outlander

What happens next?
Outlander July 01, 2024 at 19:48 #913829
Reply to Jamal

Well, presumably so, you'd begin a quest of either spiritual (or in a lesser/greater sense moral, whatever you may be lacking in that defines the other) progression, typically with the end result of saving a life in some way, through facing and conquering the misdeeds and deeply regrettable actions of another, on occasion that of one's past ancestor or one wronged by said ancestor, but not always, or completion and fulfillment of a greater goal or fulfillment set about by one before you, not excluding a greater and former state of one's self.

Unless it just likes to mess with you. That's a thing that's allowed these days, apparently. Provided certain limitations are respected.
Outlander July 01, 2024 at 19:51 #913831
Or, you could simply end up brutally killed. As of course is an outcome in many horror movies. But rest assured generally results in at least some sort of resolution or at the very least plot extenuation to someone in most cases.
Jamal July 01, 2024 at 20:52 #913842
So...my ancestor was an owl? A wronged one?
Hanover July 01, 2024 at 21:37 #913846
Quoting Jamal
So...my ancestor was an owl? A wronged one?


S was your ancestor? Curious.

Quoting praxis
Let me guess, the owl decoy is to prevent birds from shitting on the tin roof doghouse and ruining Cornbread's chill spot.


The owl is a goat attractant. Before I got the owl, no goats. Now they're everywhere.

Shawn July 01, 2024 at 21:42 #913849
User image

Just another pig...

Thoughts?
Outlander July 01, 2024 at 21:44 #913850
Quoting Jamal
So...my ancestor was an owl? A wronged one?


Again it's just a manifestation. Takes the form which would best lead to actualization or following a (presumably?) right path. Unless you got something else going on behind the scenes I'm not privy of. That's beyond or to say, not of, my purview.
Outlander July 01, 2024 at 22:18 #913854
Reply to Jamal

You do seem to ban an awful lot of people, yes, so, I wouldn't put it past the possibility someone is just messing with you. One would hope in a light-hearted way. There's many a soul who engage in philosophy. Not all who realize such was never their place.
Hanover July 02, 2024 at 00:30 #913880
Stir fried peppers, asparagus, and pork roast.

User image
Noble Dust July 02, 2024 at 02:09 #913934
For 4th of July week I made bratwurst, pasta salad and store-bought baked beans. Perhaps I shall grace the shoutbox with a photo tomorrow.
Noble Dust July 02, 2024 at 02:10 #913935
Not that I'm feeling particularly patriotic; simply for the sake of tradition.
Shawn July 02, 2024 at 02:31 #913953
Quoting Hanover
and pork roast


You eat pork? It better be a kosher pig.
javi2541997 July 02, 2024 at 04:26 #913994
Quoting Noble Dust
Perhaps I shall grace the shoutbox with a photo tomorrow.


Yes, please. I’d like to see it.

Quoting Noble Dust
Not that I'm feeling particularly patriotic; simply for the sake of tradition.


Traditions are important. This is why I have tomato and olive oil for breakfast every morning. I no longer eat the same bread as before. Now, I eat a mix of different seeds. They call it “spelt”
BC July 02, 2024 at 05:36 #914014
Reply to javi2541997 Is spelt in Spain spelt just as spelt is spelt in Aquitaine?
javi2541997 July 02, 2024 at 06:17 #914028
Reply to BC The spelt in Spain is just as spelt is spelt in Hennepin. :smile:
praxis July 02, 2024 at 06:41 #914031
Quoting Hanover
The owl is a goat attractant. Before I got the owl, no goats. Now they're everywhere.


Yeah, why waste your money on a Judas goat when a cheap plastic Judas owl will work just as well.
Noble Dust July 03, 2024 at 00:57 #914248
Reply to javi2541997

Unfortunately the pic was not taken; it wasn't very photogenic anyways. Tomato season is coming here; I'm excited. I will definitely make a point of making your breakfast once they're here.
frank July 03, 2024 at 02:53 #914273
There was this guy who had little seashells coming out of his skin, like tiny ones so it didn't hurt. I was trying to signal to him that it was ok, he shouldn't feel self conscious about it, but the fact that I made those signals meant we had to follow a certain protocol. I didn't know what the rules of the protocol were, and he was signaling to me that it was ok that I had put us in this situation, but I felt a little irritated that he didn't know the rules, considering
Hanover July 03, 2024 at 10:06 #914304
I've decided to take Independence Day metaphorically, and use it to discard an oppressive force in my life. It may be anything: a person, an ideological bent, or a type of breakfast food. It just depends.

What shall I cast aside this year and declare myself free of?
Metaphysician Undercover July 03, 2024 at 10:39 #914305
Reply to Hanover
Rid yourself of breakfast altogether. Have a coffee on the run, because there is so much that you want to do today, as every day, when you're a slave to social obligations, in your freedom from oppressive forces.
unenlightened July 03, 2024 at 12:32 #914317
Quoting Hanover
What shall I cast aside this year and declare myself free of?


Independence, obviously.
Hanover July 03, 2024 at 12:45 #914321
Reply to Metaphysician Undercover Reply to unenlightened Alright, so far I've ridded myself of breakfast and independence. I'm a hungry interdependent. This holiday sucks.
unenlightened July 03, 2024 at 13:07 #914325
Quoting Hanover
This holiday sucks


Think of all the good it's doing you though!
Baden July 03, 2024 at 13:20 #914328
I shall celebrate tomorrow by taking a bath in Coca Cola, wearing a large cheeseburger as a hat, and developing an opioid addiction.

I'm not sure if that's funny, but what is funny is my cellphone swipe keyboard insisting that I "cellmate gonorrhoea" rather than "celebrate tomorrow". Thank you, Samsung. :starstruck:
Baden July 03, 2024 at 13:26 #914331
I've now tried Gboard and I didn't get gonorrhea once.

Hm, that sounds like an ad.

An American ad.

America.

Durn.
Hanover July 03, 2024 at 13:38 #914332
Quoting Baden
I shall celebrate tomorrow by taking a bath in Coca Cola, wearing a large cheeseburger as a hat, and developing an opioid addiction.


It's always good to know what the world thinks of us, not that we care or that we even know where the rest of the world is, but it's good to hear how we're perceived.

In France I ordered the Hamburger Americain at a restaurant hoping to get a slice of home, but I discovered they believed Americans ate massive baguettes filled with grilled ground beef, a pound of fries, and smothered with melted cheese. Admittedly we would eat it if it were presented, but the assumption that we ate such things when we did not pissed me off, and it really ruined my dining experience. I almost was unable to finish dessert after downing the sandwich.


javi2541997 July 03, 2024 at 13:39 #914333
Quoting Baden
I shall celebrate tomorrow by taking a bath in Coca Cola, wearing a large cheeseburger as a hat, and developing an opioid addiction.


:lol:


I laughed and sobbed simultaneously. It is funny to imagine myself with a large cheeseburger hat because these don’t exist here as well as the rest of American random things with a large size, such as police cars or basements, and it is sad that I am opium addicted. But I am a cool mate to be friends with… I just need Bromazepam to calm myself off a bit…

Quoting Baden
Thank you, Samsung. :starstruck:


I am also on Team Samsung. Loser iPhone holders are not welcome in my room!
javi2541997 July 03, 2024 at 13:42 #914336
FELIZ DÍA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE NORTEAMÉRICA.

Yeah, it sounds great in Spanish.
Baden July 03, 2024 at 13:46 #914337
Quoting Hanover
Americans ate massive baguettes filled with grilled ground beef, a pound of fries, and smothered with melted cheese


Is that not Le Philly Boeuf Steak Sandwich?

Quoting javi2541997
I laughed and sobbed simultaneously. It is funny to imagine myself with a large cheeseburger hat because these don’t exist here



Whereas in the US, on pretty much every street corner there's this guy:

User image

Hanover July 03, 2024 at 13:48 #914338
On another note, I, like @Baden, also had a a horrible case of gonorrhea that I was able to fizz away by pouring Coke all over my junk. The bubbles will burn the disease right off and then your lady can get back to the business at hand, all the while enjoying a cold refreshing taste on a hot summer day. Have a Coke and a smile as they say.
Hanover July 03, 2024 at 13:53 #914339
Quoting Baden
Is that not Le Philly Boeuf Steak Sandwich?


I mean sort of. The bread isn't as flaky because it's Italian and not French, there are bell peppers in it, and they don't throw the pound of fries in it. The fries are the French twist, which makes sense since they are French fries.

Quoting Baden
Whereas in the US, on pretty much every street corner, there's this guy:


Uncle Louie! I wondered what happened to him. That burgerhead is always so happy. It's contagious. I can't help but smile when I see him.
Baden July 03, 2024 at 14:05 #914344
Quoting Hanover
The fries are the French twist, which makes sense since they are French fries.


Durn French ruin everything. I was at an Italian restaurant the other day and they put fries in my pizza, so it was probably one of those impostor Italian restaurants run by the French that are so common in Southeast Asia... One on every corner.
javi2541997 July 03, 2024 at 14:26 #914347
Quoting Baden
Whereas in the US, on pretty much every street corner there's this guy:


Wait a minute... is this you, @Miguel Hernández?
Hanover July 03, 2024 at 14:38 #914348
Reply to Baden You had a French fry pizza? That is totally not a thing. You made that up.

There must be some international confusion about Americans and their fries where they think we inject them into everything to keep us good and filled up.

I'm thinking what probably happened is that they realized you were Irish from your constantly saying "tip of the mornin to ya" and they infused your food with potatoes to make you feel at home.
Baden July 03, 2024 at 15:05 #914351
Quoting Hanover
That is totally not a thing


Tell that to Mrs Happy Homemaker!

https://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/bacon-ranch-french-fry-pizza/

''Now, when you think of foods that almost everyone can agree that they like – things such as bacon, ranch, french fries, & pizza most definitely top that list... Pairing all those fab foods into one dish is just as phenomenal as you’d think it was, if not more so. Bacon Ranch French Fry Pizza. Y’all, I’m in love.''

The idea is sound. You just gather all the foods you like, e.g. strawberry ice cream, hamburger, macaroni, whatever, whack them on a pizza base, down some opioids* and !fireworks! Happy fourth of July! :party:



*Disclaimer: Don't do that.
Shawn July 03, 2024 at 20:35 #914375
Quoting Baden
The idea is sound. You just gather all the foods you like, e.g. strawberry ice cream, hamburger, macaroni, whatever, whack them on a pizza base, down some opioids* and !fireworks! Happy fourth of July! :party:



*Disclaimer: Don't do that.


The interesting part is that after you down some opioids, you should sue the maker of OxyContin, which made you down some opioids, which you shouldn't have done.

Hanover July 03, 2024 at 21:29 #914378
I fed a pig some opiods until it was swaying a slow dance to Unchained Melody. I slaughtered her right as the song ended and cooked her low and slow. The ribs brought my heart to one beat a minute as I stared into the single motionless cloud in the sky and soaked up the very belly of the day.

The clock ticked zero as the very essence of chill was struck and it chimed silently on into infinity.

Shawn July 03, 2024 at 21:35 #914380
Reply to Hanover

Purdue Pharma is ready for your lawsuit.
Shawn July 03, 2024 at 21:39 #914383
Reply to Hanover

Just leave the poor pigs alone. They never did anything wrong...
Shawn July 03, 2024 at 22:18 #914393
Pigs wallowing:



By the way, those pigs are some of the most beautiful pigs I've ever seen on YouTube.
BC July 04, 2024 at 00:39 #914434
Is the big pig standing in back a Bazna breed? they have a contrasting strip around their middle. But so does the red and white one in the foreground. You seem to like Poland China hogs -- they run very large.

IMHO, the wide contrasting band around the middle of the pig is deregueur for fashionable hogs.

User image
Shawn July 04, 2024 at 00:43 #914437
Quoting BC
Is the big pig standing in back a Bazna breed?


It's hard for me to tell; but, I think you are right. The ears don't look the same; but, it's close enough.
BC July 04, 2024 at 00:47 #914439
Reply to Shawn Here's a svelte Poland China hog -- note his long legs and long body.

User image
BC July 04, 2024 at 00:50 #914441
Quoting Shawn
It's hard for me to tell


Damned if I know. Outside of a hog's distinctive fragrance, I don't know much about pigology.
Shawn July 04, 2024 at 00:55 #914442
Reply to BC

If you're looking for something beautiful, here's a picture of two pigs on the countryside. I think the theme of the painting is rural naturalism.

User image
BC July 04, 2024 at 03:15 #914464
Reply to Shawn Rural for sure, maybe not naturalism. Maybe folk art, some sort of primitivism, or folk-art-like work by a pro. Wouldn't 'naturalism' call for a more natural depiction of size between the body and head, body and legs?

I'm not knocking the painting--just questioning its classification,
Shawn July 04, 2024 at 04:18 #914469
Reply to BC

Yes, I just researched the image. It was painted in 1850 by an unfortunately unknown artist. It is described as folk art.

Here: https://britishfolkartcollection.org.uk/a-pair-of-pigs/
Jamal July 04, 2024 at 05:36 #914477
Pig news.

[quote=World's oldest cave art found showing humans and pig;https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0vewjq4dxwo]The oldest example of figurative cave art has been discovered in the Indonesian Island of Sulawesi by Australian and Indonesian scientists.

The painting of a wild pig and three human-like figures is at least 51,200 years old, more than 5,000 years older than the previous oldest cave art.

The discovery pushes back the time that modern humans first showed the capacity for creative thought.[/quote]
Outlander July 04, 2024 at 06:06 #914481
Reply to Jamal

The pig is clearly defined. Though I feel the alleged "humans" present in the diagram are but a stretch of the reporter's imagination.

From all evidence presented, it would appear a pig quite possibly may have created this painting. Somehow. Invoking a world where animals were more intelligent than they are today. Perhaps by gathering berries or other sources of dye tenderly with it's mouth, then perhaps using its snout or a hoof to delicately create such an illustration. But who's to say. It's quite plausible, in an evolutionary sense. Intelligent beings are sociable. And perhaps the intelligent of a species became too trusting toward fledgling humans and thusly met grizzly ends once they were discovered to be rather tasty. Perhaps we'll never know.

Nevertheless, this porcine update is appreciated. It shall surely power me through this day and the daunting task yet ahead.
Shawn July 04, 2024 at 06:23 #914484
Quoting Outlander
Nevertheless, this porcine update is appreciated. It shall surely power me through this day and the daunting task yet ahead.


Yes, but one should wallow in light of such beautiful news about pigs. Pigs have and still do matter a lot to us.
Shawn July 04, 2024 at 07:07 #914489
Reply to Jamal

I was wondering to what happened to the old Internet when Darwin, Dennett, and Dawkins were overtly trying to proselytize evolution against Christians on the Internet.

Did you ever encounter such an internet back in the days?
Hanover July 04, 2024 at 10:48 #914507
Reply to Jamal Through modern AI interpretation, the drawing was actually shown to reveal the following:

User image

This dramatically changes when we first thought such vehicles were introduced by several years.
Baden July 04, 2024 at 15:21 #914541
OK, so I got a pet fly. I know, I know… But anyway, I’m spending this very special day called AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY with him. His name’s Siegfried, and I’m currently trying to get him back in his bottle which some nobhead showed him out of so that all he does is buzz 'round my head when I’m trying to think. Actually, I’m debating whether or not to... Ah, never mind. First let us enjoy AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY together in peace and harmony.

I bought a turkey like the Yankees do. Siegfried keeps trying to fly up its ass. Screw this day.

User image
T Clark July 04, 2024 at 15:55 #914554
Suddenly there are a bunch of really interesting threads on the forum.
Hanover July 04, 2024 at 16:17 #914558
Quoting Baden
I bought a turkey like the Yankees do. Siegfried keeps trying to fly up its ass. Screw this day.


Hamburgers, hotdogs, and watermelon for the 4th. Turkey for Thanksgiving. Black eyed peas for New Years. Hamantashen for Purim.

Get it straight.
Hanover July 04, 2024 at 16:19 #914560
Quoting T Clark
Suddenly there are a bunch of really interesting threads on the forum.


I know, right? You should check out the Shoutbox. Good stuff there.
T Clark July 04, 2024 at 16:29 #914562
Reply to Hanover
I always turn to the Shoutbox first, even when it is being overrun by pigs.
Noble Dust July 04, 2024 at 16:31 #914563
Reply to T Clark

I'm debating posting in the mysticism thread, but that would require that I read it. The debate rages on in my mind rather than the screen. It might be better that way.
Noble Dust July 04, 2024 at 16:38 #914566
Reply to Hanover

I associate bratwurst with the 4th. I think it's a midwest thing. At any rate, I made brats earlier this week, as I already said earlier in the shoutbox. I'm disappointed you didn't comment and that I now have to say that again. If I'm discussing sausage I expect to be heard the first time. This is a basic form of human decency. I don't know what happened to me in this post but now I'm upset. This was me trying to write in a Hanoverian style. I forgot a sexual joke. Fuck me. Anyways, happy 4th.

I like how I turned this post into a July 4th sandwich. People talk about couching constructive criticism within a praise sandwich, but I just smooshed a bunch of Hanoverisms inside a holiday greetings sandwich. I think that officially makes me the most creative member of the forum.
Deleted user July 04, 2024 at 16:42 #914568
Quoting BC
Is spelt in Spain spelt just as spelt is spelt in Aquitaine?


Spelt in Spain is spelt deletrado or escrito. Aquitaine speaks French. So no. Hoping that helps.
Hanover July 04, 2024 at 16:43 #914569
Reply to Noble Dust Ignoring much of what you said just so I can tell you what I was going to say anyway, I ran a 4th of July 5k. I don't know my time yet, but I suspect I won, but there might have been some ahead of me. I really don't look at other "people." I have to wait for the posted times.

What irks the mother fucking living helll out of me is why it was a communist kilometer based race. It should have been called a 4th of July 3.1 mile. Am I right or am I right?
Noble Dust July 04, 2024 at 16:47 #914571
Quoting Hanover
4th of July 5k


Ignoring most of what you just said to point out that I read (present tense) this as you having run 1/4th of a 5k in the month of July. In other words, you rain 0.78 of a mile some time in July. There's only been 4 days in July so far, so presumably on one of those 4.
T Clark July 04, 2024 at 18:34 #914580
Quoting Noble Dust
I'm debating posting in the mysticism thread, but that would require that I read it.


I've been thinking about posting to A Reversion to Aristotle and I've even read it, but it's real philosophy!!!

Quoting Noble Dust
It might be better that way.


As I've said before, when you finally get off your ass and venture out into the real forum, you usually have something interesting to say.
Leontiskos July 04, 2024 at 19:51 #914598
Quoting Hanover
It should have been called a 4th of July 3.1 mile.


Maybe even shave off a little bit and do a 4th of July 3 mile. That will irk the Communists and the overachievers.
Hanover July 04, 2024 at 20:15 #914603
Have y'all noticed that every 4th of July you have knee pain? I think it has to do with liberty. I think.
frank July 05, 2024 at 00:04 #914622
Reply to Hanover stretch hamstrings for knee pain
Baden July 05, 2024 at 02:10 #914643
Hello, my fellow Americans! Yes, I am proud to announce that after a transformative day eating hotdogs and smoking crack*, Siegfried and I have decided to become Americans just like you. From now on, please refer to Siegfried as Steve and me as Bob. Steve and Bob are your new fellow American friends. Thank you. :starstruck:

*Don't do that.
javi2541997 July 05, 2024 at 04:40 #914660
Quoting Steve and Bob
smoking crack*,


Quoting Steve and Bob
*Don't do that.


Too late… To keep up with the live results of the UK Elections, I wanted something "stimulating."

By the way, enjoy your ‘metamorphosis’ but you will always be my best Irish friend ever. :heart:
Baden July 05, 2024 at 04:59 #914662
Reply to javi2541997

An honour. :smile:
Baden July 05, 2024 at 06:52 #914688
So, Murdoch wins another UK election. He hasn't lost one since he came to power in 1979, actually.
javi2541997 July 05, 2024 at 07:27 #914699
Reply to Steve and Bob Whether Murdoch pulls the strings or not, I am delighted to have won a seat to Liz Truss. :grin:
Baden July 05, 2024 at 08:05 #914706
Reply to javi2541997

:cool: :up:
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 11:35 #914728
Today is July 5th, the day independence became old hat, the fireworks spent, the king's tears dried up, and the business of building roads,courthouses, and quaint red one room schoolhouses began. Yesterday was the day of celebration, but today is the day we would build a nation great and strong. A middle aged Joe Biden delivered the inspirational speech, foretelling of the day he would someday beat Medicare, but until then, he would, along with John Henry, forge out a country from repeated swings of the sledge hammer.

This is the history they don't teach in schools. This is the history only the Shoutbox knows.
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 11:50 #914730
With the recent name changes, is the name BadenRob now available?
Baden July 05, 2024 at 12:18 #914736
Baden July 05, 2024 at 12:21 #914737
I got bored with Steve and killed him* to be honest. Being fellow Americans was not as much as fun as we thought.

*Don't do that.
Baden July 05, 2024 at 12:31 #914740
I buried the little dude in some leftover hotdog, which I thought was touching and appropriate. I will never forget the beautIful times we had on AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY. Thank you my fellow ex-Americans for this genuinely heartwarming experience :pray:
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 13:43 #914750
Quoting BadenRob
Nope


You've got to move so quickly here to get the good names. I'll be quicker with the trigger next time.
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 13:45 #914751
Quoting BadenRob
Thank you my fellow ex-Americans for this genuinely heartwarming experience


So touched am I by your sharing of this experience, I will set off a firework for you on December 6.
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 13:47 #914752
User image
Leaf butterfly at room 206.
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 13:51 #914754
Identified as a luna moth. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_moth
Outlander July 05, 2024 at 15:28 #914779
Reply to Hanover

Now I know where to find you. The door's exterior painting and architecture postulates a positive unmistakable location from a deep web AI search.

I knew that covenant I made with the Moth People so very long ago would be of use one day.
Hanover July 05, 2024 at 17:50 #914811
I named the moth MothRob. Duh.
Noble Dust July 05, 2024 at 18:02 #914815
How do I change my name to MeRob?
Jamal July 05, 2024 at 18:20 #914820
Reply to Hanover

It's missing one of its wing tails. There's a story there.
Metaphysician Undercover July 05, 2024 at 22:04 #914881
Quoting Outlander
From all evidence presented, it would appear a pig quite possibly may have created this painting. Somehow. Invoking a world where animals were more intelligent than they are today.


Pushing back the time that modern pigs first showed the capacity for creative thinking. I always thought it all began at Animal Farm.
jorndoe July 05, 2024 at 22:20 #914890
Priest who 'died' during heart attack claims he went to Hell and saw demons singing Rihanna's Umbrella and Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry Be Happy to torture people: 'I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy' (— Will Potter · Daily Mail · Jan 26, 2023)
Quoting Gerald Johnson
I thought I was going upward, because I thought that I had done so much good in this lifetime and helped so many people and made so many decisions that were Godly decisions.
But as opposed to me going up, I went down. I went literally into the center of the Earth. That's where Hell is.
It just blew me away, it still baffles me to this day.
There was a section in Hell where music was playing. It was the same music we hear on the Earth, but opposed to entertainers singing it, demons were singing it.
While up here, you can listen to music to get over a breakup like 'Don't Worry Be Happy' or 'Umbrella', but down there every lyric to every song is to torment you.
The things that I saw were indescribable, it makes me emotional.
His eyes were bulging and worse than that, he was wearing chains on his neck... it was a demon holding the chain.
On Earth a lot of the lyrics and music are inspired by demons.
People come into contact with demons who give them lyrics for the purpose of controlling people on Earth.
The root of it is that although I did good and gave a lot to people, the thing that I had in my heart was unforgiveness towards people that have done me wrong.
That's my experience with Hell, it is a real place. God doesn't send people to Hell, people send themselves to Hell.

:snicker: Yes yes I know, shouldn't make fun of people.

Secret Service Agents Attempt To Lure Biden Out Of White House Crawl Space (— The Onion · Dec 15, 2023) :snicker:

WPATH versus EPC? It's unfortunate that seemingly well-meaning efforts can give science a bad name, regardless of the particular topic.
Research into trans medicine has been manipulated (— The Economist · Jun 27, 2024)
On the particular topic, when it comes to children, surely informed stopgaps are in order (re Rachel Levine).

We've seen antisemitism and Islamophobia go up with the Middle Eastern crisis. What impact (if any) might this sort of thing then have?
Russian-linked cybercampaigns put a bull’s-eye on France. Their focus? The Olympics and elections (— Lori Hinnant · AP · Jul 4, 2024)
Purely electronic campaigns can be quite cheap.

Shawn July 05, 2024 at 23:06 #914906
Reply to Metaphysician Undercover

Have you read about Pigcasso?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigcasso
Outlander July 05, 2024 at 23:15 #914909
Reply to Shawn

Sweet vindication. :cool:
Hanover July 06, 2024 at 15:28 #915010
In the highlands of NC, showing off my complete head of hair.

User image
Jamal July 06, 2024 at 15:51 #915016
Leontiskos July 06, 2024 at 16:56 #915024
Reply to Hanover - I think your head will be more at home in this setting come Autumn.
Jamal July 06, 2024 at 17:52 #915027
praxis July 06, 2024 at 21:02 #915041
Quoting Jamal
Lush.


Sure, but what about his hair?
Jamal July 06, 2024 at 21:04 #915044
Hanover July 06, 2024 at 21:58 #915051
Quoting Jamal
It's missing one of its wing tails. There's a story there.


Fine, you forced me to tell the story of How the Luna Moth Lost Half Its Tail. You have hounded me long enough with your repeated silence...

Luna was a purveyor of boiled peanuts, with a surname of "Running Water," not because of any Native American heritage, but because his mom was bred by a plumber, and she wasn't sure his name, so she chose what she chose.

He'd hold out his peanuts to passing cars, and just like mudcats attracted to rotten liver, he'd reel in some scrawny specimens occasionally, consisting of curious city dwellers or displaced meth heads. But mostly he'd pull in lunkers, barely able to make it through their pick up doors to grab at their hot wet bag of salty boiled nuts. Once they had that feed bag straddling their jowls, there was no unhooking them without wrestling them to the mud and likely being stuck with their sharp prongs.

Luna would silently wait by the road, wings wide on the road sign just beneath the 206 marker. The inmates would come by with their weed wackers, the crows would fly overhead, and children with their nets would run up and down the road hoping to add to their collection as the trucks and cars would whizz by. She'd ignore these distractions while she left her line in the stagnant oxygenless pond, waiting for the bobber to dance.

[The groundwork for this Pulitzer winning whodunnit has been laid. How will Luna's tail be severed? Will it be by the felonious road crew, a happenstance bird searching for a tasty tail, a group of disrespectful bug collecting children, the inbred mix of locals, or a random sex act our author is known to inject? Will the reader be able to tell which details are important and which are distractions? You must wait for the next installment!!]

What have the critics said?

"A delicious start indeed" CriticRob of the Rolling Stone.
Absolute fire! :fire: Bobby of The New YorkerRob.

Jamal July 06, 2024 at 22:03 #915053
Quoting Hanover
How will Luna's tail be severed?


You'll have to think of something yourself. I for one am not going to give you any ideas.

That said, I enjoyed this first installment.
Metaphysician Undercover July 07, 2024 at 00:21 #915070
Quoting Hanover
How will Luna's tail be severed?


I think it might have been a rob job.
Hanover July 07, 2024 at 00:34 #915071
Quoting Jamal
You'll have to think of something yourself. I for one am not going to give you any ideas.


Your critism is fair. Only through attack can any of us expect to improve
L'éléphant July 07, 2024 at 01:27 #915084
Quoting Outlander
Would that be any more horrifying than the average American dinner in the average American household? It's as if we dictate horror by consumption of that which can be trained vs. "beningness" or innocence rather in the slaughter of that which cannot, that is to say, shows no evidence of such training, perhaps said training we consider to be humanity? What allegedly separates from that which is to be slaughtered and that which isn't?

Truly something to ponder, yes.


Yes, you care correct. I don't have a good reason to choose one from the other.
I extend the same sentiment to some other beings, like trees. Have you seen a very healthy tree being cut down?
Hanover July 07, 2024 at 01:33 #915086
Installment the Second:

A 1972 Ford Mustang drove up just passed Dawn. Dawn waved her middle finger at the driver and looked down at her overhanging gut obscured by the smoke of her filterless Lucky Strikes as the driver passed by.

This happened just past dawn. The driver rolled his eyes, not at Dawn, but at the dad joke

The Mustang creeked forward, no more than 10 miles an hour as it approached the peanut stand. The windows were tinted with a blue latex house paint except for a small strip in front of the driver. Luna could only make out the driver's eyes. They were mulberry purple. She shuddered in fear. Cellophane wrappers of yellow and gold spilled out the window as he unrolled it.

"One sack, Miss Running Water" he mumbled contemptuously beneath his breath, his eyes still elliptically rolling from the dawn joke.

Luna fluttered, he now being changed to a she, as she filled a bag to the brim for the man with mulberry eyes.

"Spank you very much, " he said, searching his ashtray for some coins to pay for the soupy nuts.

"Sorry Miss, but I'll have to pay you later," saith he
"That won't work. You'll have to pay now," she demanded.

"That's the thing. I have no money."
"Zelle? Google Pay? Apple Pay? Credit? Debit? Anything?" she inquired.

"I have no money. I'll have to write you an IUD"
"You mean an IOU," she clarified.

"Yeah, that's what I mean," he demured.
"So to understand this, you're going to write a moth an IOU for some boiled peanuts? Surely you can see how fucked up this whole rigamarol is, right?" she crystallized.

"You'll rue the day you said that!," he screamed. He then sped away at 15 miles an hour, cellophane littering the staging area of this story.

[The readerRob is tantalized now that a character in the story now has a motive to do harm to the moth!! Egads!]
javi2541997 July 07, 2024 at 14:42 #915152
Is anyone here watching the Euros? There are only four remaining teams: France, Spain, the Netherlands, and England. To be honest, I think France will beat us. Football has changed. Back in the day, people wanted top scorers, but all we have is tactics now. Most of the matches needed additional time and ended up in the round of penalties. This is the most exciting part of the match. England scored all the possible penalties yesterday. It seems easy, but it doesn’t. When I played football with my classmates at school, I almost failed every penalty because of the pressure on my mind.
Jamal July 07, 2024 at 15:34 #915154
Reply to javi2541997

I've watched a few and have been mostly quite bored. Scotland's dreams of victory having died once again, I was lending my support to Georgia and Turkey, but now I guess I'll be supporting England (don't tell anyone) and/or Spain.

I too crumble under the pressure of penalties.
Jamal July 07, 2024 at 15:48 #915155
Reply to Hanover

You're a master of suspense.
javi2541997 July 07, 2024 at 16:41 #915165
Quoting Jamal
I guess I'll be supporting England (don't tell anyone) and/or Spain.


Thank you, Jamal. :heart: I supported Scotland in its match against Germany. It is one of my top favorite countries, with Ireland and Denmark. I don’t know if Spain will do it, but I am already happy for kicking the Germans out.

Quoting Jamal
I too crumble under the pressure of penalties.


Folks who play with an almond-like ball are unaware of the pressure we experience!
T Clark July 07, 2024 at 17:03 #915171
@Jamal

A while ago, you and I had a discussion about punctuation, specifically the em-dash, here in the Shoutbox. Ever since them I find myself using the em-dash more and more, although I - incorrectly - put spaces before and after and - god forgive me - generally just use a hyphen.
Jamal July 07, 2024 at 18:13 #915180
Reply to T Clark

Unfortunately, while I'd like to be friendly in response to that post, I have to admit that it is my belief that the worst crime of punctuation is to use—as you have just done—hyphens for em dashes. So forgive me if I am somewhat frosty towards you for the next few weeks, at least. Spaces around — before or after — em dashes are fine; what matters is the punctuation mark itself.

But these are just typographical bugbears, which can be safely ignored.
Jamal July 07, 2024 at 18:15 #915182
Outlander July 07, 2024 at 18:51 #915188
I recently discovered people from the U.S. state of Michigan are referred (informally) to as "wolverines", for some reason, apparently. I found that to be quite odd as such a naming convention/tradition is not found in my state. Perhaps mine simply isn't cool enough for its inhabitants to be referred to as animals of prey. Curious as to the origins/rationale behind such. But I'm content with such things remaining a mystery.
BC July 07, 2024 at 19:21 #915194
Reply to Outlander At least wolverines are a vigorous predator. For some odd reason, Minnesotans are referenced as "gophers" -- a small burrowing rodent. Nobody actually likes gophers in their ratty burrows covered by sometimes large mounds of excavated dirt. The Viola Gopher Count continues on, paying a bounty on pairs of gopher feet. They're a far cry from prairie dogs.

Nobody actually likes Minnesota, either. It's hot and humid in the summer with lots of mosquitos. The winters are cold and snowy. There are several nice days between extreme seasons. Minnesotans tend to be passive aggressive with a 30%+ rate of obesity, the thinnest state in the midwest. It's an unpleasant, rodent-dominated state of being. Wisconsin is better, and may have more lakes than Minnesota. Madison is cooler than Minneapolis. Iowans are under no delusions about their corny state.
jorndoe July 07, 2024 at 20:37 #915197
Nifty

This Shape-Shifting Robot Can Liquefy Itself and Reform (— Margaret Osborne · Smithsonian Magazine · Jan 27, 2023)

Saw this movie once... :)
Hanover July 07, 2024 at 20:51 #915201
Reply to javi2541997 The flaw of soccer is the difficulty of scoring legitimately and the ease of scoring penalty kicks. A team can greatly outplay their opponent, but it won't show up in goals scored, and, if it does, it will be minimally, as in one extra goal. The other team is always within reach.

Since a goal against you can be so devastating, it pays to play very defensively and then go try to score in the tie break free kicks.

The other tactic that takes advantage of the easy PK is the flop inside the box, a less than heroic tactic, but it's much easier than a legit goal. Many an outcome has been determined by theatrics.

My solution, in part, is to count non-PK goals at 2 points, and PK goals at 1 point. We shall call a non-PK goal a full goal and a PK goal a girl goal. This unnecessarily controversial naming convention will helpfully bring about additiional conversation and attention to an otherwise dull sport.

Hanover July 07, 2024 at 21:06 #915208
Reply to Outlander Reply to BC

The mascot for the University of Michigan is the wolverine. That's as far as the wolverine is associated with Michigan. The official state animal of Michigan is the white tailed deer. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Michigan_state_symbols

The University of Georgia's mascot is the bulldog, but we don't have an inordinate number of bulldogs here. It's just a tenacious fighter, much like one would expect of a highly paid student athlete, and so the bulldog was chosen. Wolverine was taken.

Anyway, you may call a Georgian a bulldog, but he may bark back that he's not a bulldog, if, say, he went to Ga. Tech, and then he'd be a yellow jacket. By the same token, some Michigonians might howl back at being called a wolverine.

Curiously, the official animal of Georgia is also the white tailed deer, but I think that's about as far as similarities between Michigan and Georgia go.

But to the question i suspect you were going to ask, the official mascot of the Shoutbox is the fighting assfish.
Outlander July 07, 2024 at 22:40 #915232
Reply to Hanover

Honestly, I just found it odd an Internet search for "wolverine" (brought about to determine if there is a word for "being wolf-like", that is to say "has or possesses the quality of being wolf-like", [similar to the word porcine, for pigs, cue Shawn]) had the close second definition of "an inhabitant of Michigan."

User image

That just caught me totally off-guard. Like, that's a thing Google purports as fact and sells to the masses. I never knew. A search for "bulldog" doesn't reproduce the same for "an inhabitant of Georgia". So I just found that as oddly unique, is all.
Shawn July 07, 2024 at 22:57 #915236
Quoting Outlander
similar to the word porcine, for pigs, cue Shawn


Yes, police officers are called "pigs" in the US. I heard they're called Bobby's in the UK.

I like pigs, I mean, police officers. :cool:
BC July 07, 2024 at 23:52 #915244
Reply to Outlander "Wolverine" was coined in the late 1500s, 2500 years after wolverines disappeared from England, and 1200 years before the Angles and Saxons created English in Britain. So...

The English word wolverine (alteration of the earlier form, wolvering, of uncertain origin) probably implies "a little wolf". The name in Proto-Norse, erafaz and Old Norse, jarfr, lives on in the regular Icelandic name jarfi, regular Norwegian name jerv, regular Swedish name järv and regular Danish name jærv.

Given its behavioral resemblance to wolves and their well known vicious habit of ripping the hearts out of live human prey, words ending in one it's not a surprise that the smaller animal was called "wolverine".

Compare wolverine to thorazine, adenosine, limosine, eosine, bad scene, and magazine.
Shawn July 08, 2024 at 00:29 #915252
Reply to BC

Why do they call cops "pigs" in America?
Hanover July 08, 2024 at 00:46 #915253
Quoting Shawn
Why do they call cops "pigs" in America?


Let's start with why they're called cops. I heard it was because of their copper badges and they shortened it from calling them coppers to cops.

It then went like this, gradually substituting the letters as follows over the years:

Cops
Pops
Pips
Pigs

It's just the weird evolution of language. My expectation is that it will culminate as PigRob. That's a typical final stage presentation.
Shawn July 08, 2024 at 01:03 #915258
Reply to Hanover

How about why they're called Mr. Popo or the "Man"?

I think the "Man" alternative arose during the 60's.

Nobody calls them peace officers like in the 50's.
Hanover July 08, 2024 at 01:17 #915260
Reply to Shawn True story. A police officer told me they are called Po Po because they have the letters PO on the sides of their collar, which stands for police officer.

I call them dirty coppers and I say "see" a lot. Like see, I don't need no trouble see, I'm just minding my business see.


javi2541997 July 08, 2024 at 05:06 #915301
Quoting Hanover
Since a goal against you can be so devastating, it pays to play very defensively and then go try to score in the tie break free kicks.


Believe it or not, playing a match using such a method is quite difficult. Football's top managers are those who can last 90 minutes plus extra time. Most people focus on the scorer, but often overlook the excellent work of the defenders and goalkeepers. If I were talented enough to play football, I would choose to be a wing-back or sweeper. (I mean, defender)
BC July 08, 2024 at 06:15 #915331
Reply to Shawn Pre-eminently intrusive gendarmes? According to a vanishingly small marginal left radical group : “It should be noted that we take our characterization of the word “pig” from the analysis of the Revolutionary Black Panther Party who teach us, "A pig is an ill-natured beast who has no respect for law and order, a foul traducer who's usually found masquerading as a victim on an unprovoked attack.”

The Yippies brought an actual pig to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago (named Pigasus). That isn't the source of cops being called pigs, I'm quite certain,

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BTW, I heard on the radio that "the Black Panther Party got its name in Lowndes, Alabama. In order to differentiate parties, an animal was used beside a name for the sometimes less than literate voters. A black cat (panther, possibly) was used for the party that Carmichael organized. The white people's party (segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever) was represented by a white rooster. Had they been on the ball, or if they had had balls, they would have adopted the White Cock Party moniker.

Meanwhile, back at the hog wallow:

According to NOISE, a source of some sort,

...NOISE is digging into how the word pig came to mean police. Its origins are British. The word wasn’t just used in reference to police. According to National Public Radio’s A Way With Words, its first use was a general derogatory term for anyone who is disagreeable, overweight or taking more than their share.

[i]In 1874, a slang dictionary published in London listed the definition of pig as “a policeman, an informer. The word is now almost exclusively applied by London thieves to a plain-clothes man, or a ‘nose.’” Still, it’s a bit ambiguous why the term pig was coined in connection to police, but perhaps it was an allusion to early officers and detectives who were sniffing out crime, like a pig sniffs with its snout. This would make sense in correlation with the term “nose” as used above.
[/I]

What mammal DOESN'T sniff with its snout?

Black and Proud Americans may say loudly that they invented the term, It appears that the British beat them to it.
BC July 08, 2024 at 06:26 #915334
Reply to Shawn After the action in Grant Park, they took the pig for a walk in the cool of the evening. The pig had been quite excited to be a candidate for POTUS, and spectators had shared a lot of interesting food with the pig, which it appreciated.

Suddenly the pig grew very despondent and had to lie down on the front lawn of a house. The Yippie Election Committee couldn't understand the sudden change in their candidate's mood. Little did they know that they had taken the pig for a walk on the haunted site of Armour's pig-processing slaughter house, in the section where the famous Chicago Stock Yards were located. Once they walked back downtown, and checked into the Candidate Suite at the Chicago Hilton, the pig's mood improved greatly, especially after a custom mud bath massage and a visit to the hotel's rockin bar.
Deleted user July 08, 2024 at 13:27 #915371
Reply to Outlander https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/wolfish
I like sushi July 08, 2024 at 14:31 #915393
Reply to Hanover Is that a Yeti egg?
mcdoodle July 08, 2024 at 16:50 #915434
Reply to BC I believe the Wolverine was brought back to life as a train, as meticulously recorded by Donald Fagen, in the 1970's or perhaps earlier:

Steely Dan:I remember
the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
when you put me on the Wolverine
up in Annendale...
Outlander July 08, 2024 at 20:56 #915489
Reply to Deleted user

Well that's reasonable, well and good, and all in between. It just remains of a personal curiosity to me why some words (or rather, the animals represented by said words) graduate to a state of "uniqueness" while others don't.

Eg. pigs get the title of "porcine" to reference "that which is pig-like in nature or relating to or is derived of or from pigs"

Horses get "equine" as a noble title describing the same, etc.

Whereas such is absent for wolves for some reason. Like, sure, to just about any animal that lives you could simply add the word "-ish" or the more sophisticated suffix "-like" and it foots the bill just fine. Yet some are intrinsically granted their own distinct and non-disputable territory in etymology and linguistical nomenclature. whereas some are denied such privilege and have to barely get by bastardized wording such as "wolfish".

Just a personal gripe really. Nothing more.
Deleted user July 08, 2024 at 21:08 #915491
Reply to Outlander I don't understand. Are you asking why some words about an animal don't look like the word for the animal itself?
BC July 08, 2024 at 21:31 #915496
Reply to mcdoodle Thanks for the cultural reference -- I know nothing about steely Da, other than having heard the name. There's a lot about culture I don't know.

Hey, @Shawn: I not only answered your pig word origin question, I supplied a picture of a real political pig. I thought you'd be on it by now.
Shawn July 08, 2024 at 23:46 #915552
Quoting BC
Hey, Shawn: I not only answered your pig word origin question, I supplied a picture of a real political pig. I thought you'd be on it by now.


I'm at a loss for words. I know there's something about an association you made of the 50's and 60's in regards to African-Americans and the police. Civil rights, no?
BC July 09, 2024 at 00:40 #915581
Reply to Shawn There is. I didn't experience much of it till it was almost over or until years after it was over, and in any case, as an outsider. I looked on, and I read about it. There were no blacks (literally) where I grew up, and maybe several in college. It wasn't till '68 that I lived in a city with many blacks. Did I make friends with, and engage in struggle with? No. I got along well enough, but I was very much a rural midwesterner without much of a clue.

I'm not engaging in self-deprecation here. There is no reason why I would know anything about urban black culture. The civil rights events were in the news--no closer than that.
Hanover July 09, 2024 at 01:09 #915590
Quoting Outlander
. pigs get the title of "porcine" to reference "that which is pig-like in nature or relating to or is derived of or from pigs"

Horses get "equine" as a noble title describing the same, etc


Wolves get lupine.
Hanover July 09, 2024 at 01:20 #915592
Reply to BCI know what you mean. I grew up hearing about Midwesterners, but never saw one until after college. A lady in a cat sweater one day showed up stinking of casserole. I tried to befriend her, but she stuck to her kind.
BC July 09, 2024 at 02:28 #915611
Quoting Hanover
but she stuck to her kind.


As well she should have, and a good thing for you. Cat sweater women and casseroles (or hotdish as midwesterners say) just isn't something that should be sprung on a young southern gentlemen, especially one with as many refined sensibilities as you have. She was probably Lutheran, which is a can of worms [see Diet of Worms], all by itself. "Being atheist means never having to say you're Lutheran."
EdwardC July 09, 2024 at 05:16 #915634
Somehow China thinks this app (TikTok) is worth spying on.

It almost solely consists of this (or things similar to this):
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNBRMMT1/
Deleted user July 09, 2024 at 09:53 #915689
Though lupin(e) is a word in French, it can't be found on Cambridge dictionary. "Lupine" in Cambridge shows only the entry for a flower.

Weirdly enough, there is a song made by a Polish game company titled in English "Wolven Storm", 'wolfen' is naturally related to wolfs, which are a theme in the game, but 'wolven' is not a word I find in any dictionary.
Hanover July 09, 2024 at 10:04 #915690
Quoting Deleted user
Though lupin(e) is a word in French, it can't be found on Cambridge dictionary. "Lupine" in Cambridge shows only the entry for a flower.


I found this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupine
T Clark July 09, 2024 at 16:21 #915746
Quoting Deleted user
Though lupin(e) is a word in French, it can't be found on Cambridge dictionary. "Lupine" in Cambridge shows only the entry for a flower.


Did somebody say "lupine?"

mcdoodle July 09, 2024 at 17:09 #915763
Meanwhile, it seems the cops don't like it that a new tv series set in a police training college is called 'Piglets'.
unenlightened July 09, 2024 at 19:22 #915793
Reply to mcdoodle

If you’re lookin’ to get silly
You better go back to from where you came
Because the cops don’t need you
And man they expect the same
https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/just-tom-thumbs-blues/
javi2541997 July 10, 2024 at 04:46 #915911
Spain is in yet another football final match.

My lovely Españita. :heart:

User image
BC July 10, 2024 at 04:53 #915913
Reply to T Clark Mr. Clark has had that skit queued up on his Betamax for decades, just waiting for the secret word. Like Groucho Marx on YOU BET YOUR LIFE quiz show back in the Precambrian era.
T Clark July 10, 2024 at 15:40 #916051
Quoting BC
Mr. Clark has had that skit queued up on his Betamax for decades, just waiting for the secret word. Like Groucho Marx on YOU BET YOUR LIFE quiz show back in the Precambrian era.


As you should know, every word is the secret word when one is almost as old as you and there are always skits queued up on the Betamax.
Deleted user July 10, 2024 at 17:10 #916075
Reply to javi2541997 Rooting for Spain here.
javi2541997 July 10, 2024 at 17:38 #916085
Reply to Deleted user I didn't expect the opposite from you, irmão. :strong:
L'éléphant July 11, 2024 at 03:15 #916235
Reply to javi2541997 Congrats, Javi.
javi2541997 July 11, 2024 at 04:52 #916247
Quoting L'éléphant
Congrats, Javi.


Thanks! :heart:

javi2541997 July 11, 2024 at 04:53 #916248
Well, fate has put us against England in the Euros final on this Sunday. I am already nervous. I never thought Spain would face England in a final football match. Both kingdoms were tedious enemies in the past... we had a lot of wars on the seas against the English. But we are now in the present. Good luck to both, and please don't force the match to go to penalties, my heart could suffer a seizure.

BTW, I honestly wanted the Dutch to make it to the final. Those Protestant-Liberal jerks are continually shouting about Spain and the Spanish people. Mate, I would pay money to witness Mark Rutte's mouse-like face crying after losing to a South-European country and tell him, "Here are your Coronavirus funds!"
Deleted user July 11, 2024 at 13:40 #916334
On the other hand, it would be extremely funny if England won in extra time due to a referee error.

User image
javi2541997 July 11, 2024 at 14:31 #916338
Quoting Deleted user
it would be extremely funny if England won in extra time due to a referee error.


The brightness of Bellingham terrifies me more than any referee error. This boy is exceptional. He scored a key goal in the last minute against Barcelona, which (among other things) helped Real Madrid win La Liga.
Deleted user July 11, 2024 at 15:42 #916347
I will be cooking for >1h today. Can someone recommend me something interesting/informative to listen to while I cook? Preferrably on Youtube. Gracias.
wonderer1 July 11, 2024 at 18:46 #916398
Deleted user July 11, 2024 at 20:48 #916418
Well I guess it is technically interesting and informative.
Outlander July 11, 2024 at 22:35 #916440
Quoting Deleted user
Can someone recommend me something interesting/informative to listen to while I cook? Preferrably on Youtube


[hide="Reveal"]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJNK4VKeoBM[/hide]

On a more serious note, what are you cooking? Can we see? :eyes:
Outlander July 11, 2024 at 22:55 #916446
Reply to wonderer1

So that's why my opossums have been restless as of late. I reconnected the polarities and aligned the chakras, but forgot to shake off the aura! Such a rookie mistake on my part. Fantastic video.
Deleted user July 11, 2024 at 22:56 #916447
Quoting Outlander
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJNK4VKeoBM


A classic.

Quoting Outlander
On a more serious note, what are you cooking? Can we see?


Deleted user July 11, 2024 at 22:57 #916448
Just realised that you can hear the guy breath in the jingling keys loop.
wonderer1 July 11, 2024 at 23:03 #916452
Quoting Outlander
So that's why my opossums have been restless as of late. I reconnected the polarities and aligned the chakras, but forgot to shake off the aura! Such a rookie mistake on my part. Fantastic video.


So glad to hear it was helpful!
Hanover July 12, 2024 at 01:02 #916500
Providing this request to Chat GPT:

"Write a story about a cat that becomes unhinged and falls in love with a door named open"

it wrote what I think to be a pretty good story. Excellent use of metaphor:

Once upon a time in a quaint little town nestled between rolling hills and whispering forests, there lived a cat named Whiskers. Whiskers was not your ordinary feline; he had a peculiar fascination with doors. It wasn't just any door that caught his attention, but one in particular—its name was Open.

Open was an old wooden door that led to the town's library, known for its enchanting stories and cozy atmosphere. Whiskers, with his sleek black fur and bright green eyes, would often be found perched nearby, gazing longingly at Open. He imagined the adventures and tales that lay beyond, waiting to be discovered.

As days turned into weeks, Whiskers' obsession with Open grew. He would spend hours staring at it, occasionally pawing at its edges as if trying to communicate. The other cats in the neighborhood thought Whiskers had gone mad. They would gossip about him, saying he had fallen under a strange spell cast by the mysterious door.

But Whiskers paid no heed to their whispers. His heart beat only for Open, the door that held the promise of unknown wonders. He began to dream of a life where he and Open could be together, exploring the vast world of stories that lay just beyond the threshold.

One stormy night, as rain pelted the cobblestone streets and thunder echoed through the town, Whiskers made a bold decision. He would confess his love to Open, no matter the consequences. With determination burning in his eyes, he approached the door, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"Open," Whiskers meowed softly, his voice trembling with emotion. "I have admired you from afar, enchanted by your beauty and the mysteries you guard. Will you... will you be mine?"

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the howling wind outside. Then, to Whiskers' astonishment, Open creaked open just a crack. Light spilled from within, illuminating Whiskers' fur in a warm glow.

Whiskers couldn't believe his eyes. Was Open responding to him? Could a door feel love too? Without hesitation, he squeezed through the opening, his heart soaring with joy. Inside the library, shelves upon shelves of books awaited him, their pages filled with tales of love, courage, and adventure.

From that day on, Whiskers and Open were inseparable. Whiskers would curl up beside Open every night, sharing stories and dreams under the moonlight that streamed through the library windows. The other cats soon realized that Whiskers hadn't lost his mind; he had found something precious and true.

As time passed, Whiskers became a legend in the town—a cat who dared to love a door named Open, and in doing so, discovered a world where even the most unlikely of loves could flourish.

And so, the story of Whiskers and Open became a cherished tale in the town's folklore, reminding everyone that love knows no bounds, not even between a cat and a door.


Metaphysician Undercover July 12, 2024 at 02:03 #916516
Reply to Hanover
How long did it take GPT to compose that one?
kazan July 12, 2024 at 04:15 #916547
Lionino,
A suggestion. Change your university from Cambridge to Oxford.
Edition 4 Concise Oxford Dictionary page 714 Column B
Entry 2 for "lupine"
referential smile
kazan July 12, 2024 at 04:19 #916549
Hanover,
Hope the above saved you the trouble.... if you intended to follow upon your related, but currently unanswered question/quip?
open-eyed smile
kazan July 12, 2024 at 04:33 #916550
Sorry Hanover, due diligence showed that the above comment should have been directed to
T Clark.
It must be "exilerating" for you to be so picked on like a pheasant at a pheasant pluckers convention. But what and where would pheasant pluckers be without a pheasant (to try) to pluck.
Deleted user July 12, 2024 at 10:43 #916603
Quoting kazan
A suggestion. Change your university from Cambridge to Oxford.


hard pass
frank July 13, 2024 at 10:36 #916952
A new employee arrives who has a stutter. You have a stutter. What's the first thing you say to him?
unenlightened July 13, 2024 at 11:11 #916956
Reply to frank We cannot have two stutterers in the same workforce, and I was here first. Have you considered Tourettes?
frank July 13, 2024 at 13:04 #916967
jorndoe July 13, 2024 at 14:58 #916990
Outlander July 14, 2024 at 00:09 #917132
Ladies and gentlemen, the (former) President of the United States has just been shot (at).

Nothing like this has happened before since the Kennedy era in the 60's. Stuff like this only happens in countries like Slovakia and places like Madrid.

This means big changes for America, and thus the world. Be prepared, wherever you are. This will have ramifications that will affect the way of life for people born and yet to be born in each and every corner of the Earth for ages unknown.

Wow. To witness such profound history in the making.
Hanover July 14, 2024 at 00:48 #917140
Quoting Outlander
Nothing like this has happened before since the Kennedy era in the 60's.


Well, there were plots to assinanate and/or attempts on Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, Obama, and then President Trump, but other than that, it's been unheard of since the 60s.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts_and_plots
frank July 14, 2024 at 00:55 #917142
Reply to Outlander What the heck are you talking about? He survived.
Hanover July 14, 2024 at 01:13 #917147
Reply to frank He survived because he was right out of earshot from the bullet.

Get it? "Earshot." A little soon, but didn't want to waste it.
frank July 14, 2024 at 01:29 #917152
Mikie July 14, 2024 at 03:15 #917165
Quoting Outlander
This will have ramifications that will affect the way of life for people born and yet to be born in each and every corner of the Earth for ages unknown.


:lol:

[i.e., immediately politicized and then largely forgotten after a week]
praxis July 14, 2024 at 06:06 #917190
Quoting Outlander
Ladies and gentlemen, the (former) President of the United States has just been shot (at).

Nothing like this has happened before since the Kennedy era in the 60's.


Tell that to James Brady.
Shawn July 14, 2024 at 06:21 #917198
You don't see such things happening anywhere else in the world very often. I'm surprised it's happening here in the US. Then again, gun laws, go fish.
javi2541997 July 14, 2024 at 06:29 #917200
Quoting Outlander
Stuff like this only happens in countries like Slovakia and places like Madrid.


Excuse me, sir... What "stuff like this" is supposed to have happened in my beautiful town? :angry:

javi2541997 July 14, 2024 at 06:41 #917201
And this mate refers to my revered and ancient home as "place" like if Madrid were unimportant or unnamed. Jesus! What sort of rude behaviour I just experienced at the shoutbox! I'll see you in court for defamation.

Resistance. Madrid 1808. :strong:

User image
Deleted user July 14, 2024 at 11:38 #917235
Quoting javi2541997
Excuse me, sir... What "stuff like this" is supposed to have happened in my beautiful town? :angry:


Don't raise your expectations, in school they learn that Europe is a country in "South America".
Hanover July 14, 2024 at 15:42 #917327
Quoting Shawn
You don't see such things happening anywhere else in the world very often. I'm surprised it's happening here in the US. Then again, gun laws, go fish.


Van Gogh was Dutch and he suffered far worse ear trauma than Trump, so it's not just an American thing.
Shawn July 14, 2024 at 15:45 #917328
Reply to Hanover

Yeah, but you would never give Van Gogh a gun.
Deleted user July 14, 2024 at 18:06 #917357
And why Slovakia? Nothing ever happens(/ed) there. Serbia would have made more sense.
javi2541997 July 14, 2024 at 19:00 #917372
Quoting Deleted user
And why Slovakia? Nothing ever happens(/ed) there. Serbia would have made more sense.


Do you think they can distinguish all the ex-Soviet countries that split into different and independent nations? Phew. Well, the match starts; no more time for politics.
Oh wait, it is the classic battle of Catholics against Protestants again...
Deleted user July 14, 2024 at 19:09 #917377
Quoting javi2541997
Do you think they can distinguish all the ex-Soviet countries that split into different and independent nations?


If the distinction between men and women isn't clear, I would believe that historical geography is a bit too tough to grasp; we know that the inbetween, geography, hasn't been mastered either — the number of continents is never gotten right, besides other basic facts.

Quoting javi2541997
it is the classic battle of Catholics against Protestants again...


It is a bit odd that the nations where Catholicism sprung have uniformly remained Catholic, while Protestants were originally Catholics who, after just a few centuries, broke away and are now pretty much becoming atheists, uniformly so. Es casi como se fuera un elemento racial que esté influyendo en esas sociedades.
javi2541997 July 14, 2024 at 19:31 #917382
Quoting Deleted user
Es casi como se fuera un elemento racial que esté influyendo en esas sociedades.


Lo es, Lionino, lo es.
javi2541997 July 14, 2024 at 19:59 #917387
The first half was amazingly nice. We are lacking in precision and pace, but at least we have possession.
Deleted user July 14, 2024 at 23:51 #917478
Reply to javi2541997 ESPAÑA CAMPEONA VAMOS. NO VENDRÁ A LA CASA

User image
Hanover July 15, 2024 at 00:18 #917504
Quoting Deleted user
is a bit odd that the nations where Catholicism sprung have uniformly remained Catholic, while Protestants were originally Catholics who, after just a few centuries, broke away and are now pretty much becoming atheists, uniformly so. Es casi como se fuera un elemento racial que esté influyendo en esas sociedades


I don't fully follow this. You're saying that nations that became Catholic after the Reformation, as opposed to those who moved to Protestantism at the time of the Reformation, are less atheistic now as the result of their race?

Deleted user July 15, 2024 at 00:34 #917516
Quoting Hanover
You're saying that nations that became Catholic after the Reformation, as opposed to those who moved to Protestantism at the time of the Reformation, are less atheistic now as the result of their race?


Nope. The birthplace of Catholicism remained Catholic. The places {where Catholicism was introduced later} eventually became Protestants, and now are increasingly atheistic. The shift seems to correlate quite well with some perceived race, if we take Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese to form a race, and Scandinavians, Germans, Dutch to form another. Thus, it is not so shocking that the nation where Catholicism was bred has kept Catholicism, whereas the nations that simply picked it up (often for political reasons) have slowly rejected it, as if it were alien — Protestantism is obviously derived from Catholicism instead of Chaldean or Arianism, so Protestants turning atheist is a further step away from Catholicism.
Deleted user July 15, 2024 at 00:35 #917517
Catholicism here means Roman Catholicism, specifically; though one could include Greeks in this — una faccia un razza.
Hanover July 15, 2024 at 01:01 #917526
Reply to Deleted user This might just be that northern Europe generally is less religious than southern Europe though. The America's outside North America are pretty staunchly Catholic and they are a far way from Rome.
L'éléphant July 15, 2024 at 01:05 #917530
Quoting Deleted user
Catholicism here means Roman Catholicism,


There is Catholic Orthodox.
Deleted user July 15, 2024 at 01:12 #917532
Quoting Hanover
This might just be that northern Europe generally is less religious than southern Europe though.


It could be. But if we go back 2000 years, Southern Europe was outlawing animal sacrifice while Northern Europe would keep sacrificing humans including fellow tribe members for several hundred years.

Quoting Hanover
he America's outside North America are pretty staunchly Catholic


Besides that Mexico is in North America, that is the outside view we have of it. If you have been there, society will often resemble pagan, especially during Carnival. I like to call it oportunistic Christianity: drugs and sex Saturday for fun, mass Sunday for redemption.

Quoting Hanover
they are a far way from Rome


They are very close.
[hide="Reveal"]User image
User image
User image[/hide]
Deleted user July 15, 2024 at 01:15 #917534
Reply to L'éléphant Every traditional Church is Catholic. Catholic Orthodox is what we just call Orthodox. Roman Catholic is what we call Catholic. Then there are the Eastern Catholics, like Greek Catholics, which is more of a historical conumdrum after the Schism.
L'éléphant July 15, 2024 at 03:52 #917563
Quoting Deleted user
Catholic Orthodox is what we just call Orthodox.

Incorrect. You need to say the whole thing.
javi2541997 July 15, 2024 at 04:04 #917568
Quoting Deleted user
ESPAÑA CAMPEONA VAMOS. NO VENDRÁ A LA CASA


I started to cry when the referee whistled at the end of the match. Jesus Christ, what a beautiful performance for both teams. Kudos to England for facing us with such bravery and their honest players and followers. They represented the fair play, not like the Germans... :down:
Well, we are finally on top of something European. We won our 4th Euros (1964, 2008, 2012, and 2024). We have more than any other European country.
 
Españita. :heart:

User image
L'éléphant July 15, 2024 at 05:04 #917581
Reply to javi2541997
So are you going to have a celebration party?
javi2541997 July 15, 2024 at 05:31 #917588
Reply to L'éléphant Yes, at Madrid's Plaza Cibeles. I wish I could go earlier because I am typically busy, but I suppose it will be worthwhile to go there for around an hour or so.
Deleted user July 15, 2024 at 12:37 #917644
Quoting L'éléphant
Incorrect. You need to say the whole thing.


You forgot to send the memo to everybody else.
Sir2u July 15, 2024 at 14:33 #917667
Reply to Deleted user Reply to L'éléphant

Actually it is the Eastern or Greek Orthodox Church, derived from the Byzantine Church which was the eastern, Greek speaking christian group as opposed to the Roman based, latin speaking christians.
While both were catholic they were quite different in their approach to christianity.
jorndoe July 15, 2024 at 20:14 #917767
L'éléphant July 16, 2024 at 01:28 #917873
Quoting javi2541997
Yes, at Madrid's Plaza Cibeles. I wish I could go earlier because I am typically busy, but I suppose it will be worthwhile to go there for around an hour or so.

I hope you enjoyed the celebration. :up:

Quoting Deleted user
You forgot to send the memo to everybody else.

There's no everybody else. Just you who seem to want to shorten the name. There's Jewish Orthodox, after all.

Quoting Sir2u
While both were catholic they were quite different in their approach to christianity.

Sure thing. But there's also the Russian Catholic Orthodox.

javi2541997 July 16, 2024 at 04:55 #917949
Quoting L'éléphant
I hope you enjoyed the celebration.


I couldn't go, finally. But it is fine, I am happy for those who went to the celebration. There are things in life that are more relevant than football. The match ends at night, but the duties and obligations still exist the next morning. :sweat:
Deleted user July 16, 2024 at 13:05 #918011
Quoting L'éléphant
Just you who seem to want to shorten the name


It is just you who pretends to be dumb as what "Orthodox" means when the discussion is Christianity.
Sir2u July 16, 2024 at 23:06 #918171
Quoting L'éléphant
Sure thing. But there's also the Russian Catholic Orthodox


OOpps, I just noticed my mistake. Thank you for making me read the post again.

Quoting Sir2u
While both were catholic they were quite different in their approach to christianity.


It should have read:
While both were christians they were quite different in their approach to christianity.

I should learn not to post when I am tired, I make too many mistakes.

The Russian Orthodox is not catholic either, it sprang from the Eastern Orthodox after the split from Rome.

Deleted user July 17, 2024 at 01:15 #918214
The Eastern Orthodox Church is officially called Orthodox Catholic Church and that is the branch of Christianity that Russia follows.
The Assyrian Church is called Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East.
And so on.
Basically every Chalcedonean church, besides Protestantism, is Catholic. Welcome.
L'éléphant July 17, 2024 at 03:36 #918235
Quoting Sir2u
It should have read:
While both were christians they were quite different in their approach to christianity.

:up:

Quoting Sir2u
The Russian Orthodox is not catholic either, it sprang from the Eastern Orthodox after the split from Rome.

I'm not sure why the "Catholic" keeps getting dropped from the name. I wouldn't. Just my opinion.

Quoting Deleted user
It is just you who pretends to be dumb as what "Orthodox" means when the discussion is Christianity.


You've been using the Wikipedia?

Quoting javi2541997
I couldn't go, finally. But it is fine, I am happy for those who went to the celebration. There are things in life that are more relevant than football. The match ends at night, but the duties and obligations still exist the next morning. :sweat:

True. You're back to your normal life now.


javi2541997 July 17, 2024 at 05:26 #918251
Instead of oil with toast for breakfast this morning, I had the traditional butter smeared along the slice of bread. Am I betraying my own culture? I don't think so, but I believe I did something wrong.
Oh, milk coconut kefir is great. I recommend you to try it anytime you get the chance. :up:

There are also in my fridge two types of marmalade: one of orange and the other of lemon. The lemon marmalade has not yet opened. Do I have permission to open it, @Michael Bay?
Sir2u July 17, 2024 at 13:16 #918304
Quoting Deleted user
The Eastern Orthodox Church is officially called Orthodox Catholic Church and that is the branch of Christianity that Russia follows.


Sorry, but it is not.

https://www.catholic.com/qa/is-the-eastern-orthodox-church-part-of-the-catholic-church
Deleted user July 17, 2024 at 15:48 #918322
Reply to Sir2u This link refers to Roman Catholics when using the word 'Catholic'. The Eastern rites of the Roman Catholic Church are obiously part of the RCC. That doesn't mean that there aren't non-roman Catholic Churches. And there are, as I provided two examples of officially named "Orthodox Catholic" churches, and you didn't imagine for a second that you are uninformed.

I have no interest in debating you as I only stand to gain cortisol. You are free to inform yourself about ecclesiastical nomenclature from actual sources.

Quoting L'éléphant
You've been using the Wikipedia?


Do you speak any language whatsoever that is revelant to Christian history? No.
frank July 17, 2024 at 16:28 #918332
Quoting Deleted user
I have no interest in debating you as I only stand to gain cortisol.


You can just stay up all night and get that.
frank July 17, 2024 at 16:30 #918333
So here's the lyrics to a song I came across:

"If only you believe like I believe, baby (if only you believe like I believe)
We'd get by
If only you believe in miracles (if only you believed in miracles so would I)
If only you believe like I believe, baby (if only you believe like I believe)
We'd get by
If only you believe in miracles (if only you believed in miracles so would I)"

So does he believe in miracles or not?
Sir2u July 18, 2024 at 00:35 #918462
Quoting L'éléphant
I'm not sure why the "Catholic" keeps getting dropped from the name. I wouldn't. Just my opinion.


Catholics recognize the pope in Rome as the leader of the church, the Eastern and Russian orthodox do not. There are plenty of things that are common to both,but many differences as well.
Neither of them want the The Eastern group to be referred to as catholic though.
Metaphysician Undercover July 18, 2024 at 00:43 #918469
Quoting frank
So does he believe in miracles or not?


It's a paradox.
Sir2u July 18, 2024 at 01:12 #918481
Quoting Deleted user
This link refers to Roman Catholics when using the word 'Catholic'.


It explains why the catholics say the orthodox church is not catholic, So, do the easterners refer to themselves catholics? Only a certain group do.

Eastern-rite Catholics are part of the Catholic Church, despite differences in custom and liturgical practice from Western Catholics. While Eastern Orthodox Christians have much in common with Catholics, they’re still in schism–they’ve split off from the legitimate authority of the pope–and therefore aren’t Catholics.


Quoting Deleted user
The Eastern rites of the Roman Catholic Church are obiously part of the RCC. That doesn't mean that there aren't non-roman Catholic Churches. And there are, as I provided two examples of officially named "Orthodox Catholic" churches,


I do not remember mentioning anything about Roman or non Roman catholics. I also do not remember saying anything about there not being orthodox churches in other places or there being catholic churches in the east. The only thing I think that you are missing is that catholics recognize the pope as their head of church, where does the pope reside?

Have you tried doing a search for "Orthodox Catholic churches"? I did a quick search and the one I found was the "Orthodox-Catholic Church of America". Not surprising of the gringos I suppose.

Quoting Deleted user
and you didn't imagine for a second that you are uninformed.


Why would I do that? But I guess it is better to be ignorant than to rely on wikipedia for information

Quoting Deleted user
I have no interest in debating you as I only stand to gain cortisol.


Thank fuck for that, I have no intentions of having a discussion with a person that uses personal attacks as a debating method.

Quoting Deleted user
You are free to inform yourself about ecclesiastical nomenclature from actual sources.


By that I suppose you mean copy/paste from wikipedia like you do. Try giving us a link to some real information if you can find any.
Deleted user July 18, 2024 at 01:38 #918484
Quoting Sir2u
Try giving us a link to some real information if you can find any.


The ignorant didn't learn how to use the internet for basic searches and accuses others of using W*kipedia.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eastern-Orthodoxy
"Official name: Orthodox Catholic Church"
Now stop wasting my time.
Tobias July 18, 2024 at 11:01 #918579
Hah! the TPF wars of religion lol...
User image
unenlightened July 18, 2024 at 12:01 #918586
In other news, it turns out that The Pope is not Catholic.

Bears, however, are still thought to shit in the woods.
Deleted user July 18, 2024 at 20:34 #918702
Pope means father. In Roman Catholic churches the guy on the altar speaking is called father.
Hanover July 18, 2024 at 22:03 #918720
I'm gonna have my kids call me Pope. When I'm on the alter, they'll call me AlterPop. That'll be my band name too. We'll play alternative pop, the sound that's sweeping the nation.
Noble Dust July 19, 2024 at 00:34 #918731
Reply to Hanover

I, on the other hand, when I have kids, will insist on being known as Alt Pope: the alternative Pope. I'll be like the cool uncle that smokes joints and drinks beer with the nieces and nephews out back, an attractive alternative to AlterPop and his distasteful alternative pop music. Then again, I don't drink or smoke joints anymore, so I don't know how that will work.
Hanover July 19, 2024 at 02:51 #918758
Reply to Noble Dust I'll be the cool nephew and will drive my broken down drunk uncle home when he's stranded and then help roll him to the foyer to sleep it off and never tell El Papa about his bro's shenanigans.

All the while I'll be jamming to classical opera bebop hiphop poptart jazz, the sound that's sweeping the nation.
frank July 19, 2024 at 13:18 #918854
Microsoft. God!
Sir2u July 19, 2024 at 14:33 #918881
Haha :rofl: , now you are really cross referencing things, you are getting better.

Wiki says this:
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church,[9][10][11] and also called the Greek Orthodox Church[12] or simply the Orthodox Church

Britanica says this:
Also known as: Orthodox Catholic Church, Orthodox Church

You say this:
Quoting Deleted user
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eastern-Orthodoxy
"Official name: Orthodox Catholic Church"


Actually if you had read the article you would have found that "Orthodox Catholic Church" is not actually used today. It is a name that was used historically.

[quote="Britannica]Emperor Michael Palaeologus (1259–82) had to face the aggressive ambition of the Sicilian Norman king Charles of Anjou, who dreamed of restoring the Latin empire in Constantinople. To gain the valuable support of the papacy against Charles, Michael sent a Latin-inspired confession of faith to Pope Gregory X, and his delegates accepted union with Rome at the Council of Lyons (1274). This capitulation before the West, sponsored by the emperor, won little support in the church. During his lifetime, Michael succeeded in imposing an Eastern Catholic patriarch, John Beccus, upon the church of Constantinople, but upon Michael’s death an Orthodox council condemned the union (1285).

With the successive partitions of Poland and the reunions with Russia of Belorussian and Ukrainian territories, many Eastern Catholic descendants of those who had joined the Roman communion in Brest-Litovsk (1596) returned to Orthodoxy.[/quote]


Quoting Deleted user
Now stop wasting my time.


I have absolutely no influence on what you do with your time, please do not try to blame me for your lack of control of your "I am better than you and I am going to prove it" impulses.
If you are really worried about how much time you waste it might be a good idea to start reading the articles you reference.
Sir2u July 19, 2024 at 14:39 #918882
Quoting Deleted user
Pope means father. In Roman Catholic churches the guy on the altar speaking is called father.


"the Bishop of Rome as head of the Roman Catholic Church," c. 1200, from Old English papa (9c.), from Church Latin papa "bishop, pope" (in classical Latin, "tutor"), from Greek papas "patriarch, bishop," originally "father" (see papa).

For the Romans it meant tutor, for the Greeks it meant father. Which do you think the roman catholics used?
Hanover July 19, 2024 at 16:12 #918893
Father also refers to God, right? As in "heavenly father"? We also say that Jesus' father was God, although I never understood why the NT traces back Joseph's ancestory to David, as if to suggest that Jesus was a descendant of David so as to fulfill the OT prophecy that the messiah would be from the lineage of David.

Why do we care whether Joseph was a descendant of David if Jesus' real dad was Godamighty himself and not Mary's old man Joseph? To suggest otherwise means Mary was knocking boots with Joseph, and then she wouldn't exactly be the Virgin Mary and Jesus would be a bastard, which isn't nice to say.

Could y'all take a break from arguing about what Pope means and answer this more pressing question. It really confuses me and it seems central to Christianity and I've never gotten a straight answer, but I'm guessing there is one out there somewhere.

Sir2u July 19, 2024 at 16:22 #918895
Quoting Hanover
Could y'all take a break from arguing about what Pope means and answer this more pressing question. It really confuses me and it seems central to Christianity and I've never gotten a straight answer, but I'm guessing there is one out there somewhere.


Well I could give you the answer that I usually get when I have asked that question, which would be something like
"blab blah blahity blah, and because it is so"

University of Dayton:Joseph is clearly pointed out as descendant of David in both genealogies. On the other hand, New Testament sources are silent about Mary's descendance from David. However, through her marriage with Joseph she enters his family and legally becomes, she and her son Jesus, a part of the House of David.


Or I could give you my answer, I have no freaking clue unless back in them days cuckold sons were still counted as one of the line.
Hanover July 19, 2024 at 17:30 #918901
Reply to Sir2u
University of Dayton:However, through her marriage with Joseph she enters his family and legally becomes, she and her son Jesus, a part of the House of David.


I wonder where this interpretation comes from that suggests that in biblical times that marriage to a single mother automatically created an adoption of that child and that the adoption was so complete that it bestowed a biological relationship.

In Judaism, where anscetory can be highly legally relevant (as in how it defines who is Jewish, who a Jew can marry, who a Jew can pro-create with, etc.), the explanation above would seem inconsistent. For example, if a Jew adopts a child from a non-Jew, that child must go thorugh a ritual conversion into Judaism. This is because a Jew is defined as having a Jewish mother and an adopted Jew doesn't have a Jewish mother (biologically, at least).

I could not imagine a scenerio where it would be permissible under biblical law, for example, for an adopted girl to marry her biological brother or father under the argument that the adoption severed the biological link and was therefore no longer forbidden incest.

But, anyway, thanks for the answer. Not everything has a good explanation. The real explanation is likely that some of the ancient Christians didn't believe Jesus was the son of God, as that was never a part of the OT description of what the messiah was to be.

Sir2u July 19, 2024 at 17:41 #918902
Quoting Hanover
I wonder where this interpretation comes from that suggests that in biblical times that marriage to a single mother automatically created an adoption of that child and that the adoption was so complete that it bestowed a biological relationship.


I am not sure how much the biological relationship mattered back then but I met a Jew that introduced his wife's boy to me as his son. Maybe nurture was valued as much as nature. As they say, a mother will always know her kids while a father only sometimes.

Quoting Hanover
In Judaism, where anscetory can be highly legally relevant (as in how it defines who is Jewish, who a Jew can marry, who a Jew can pro-create with, etc.), the explanation above would seem inconsistent.


I suppose that the big question here is "were Mary and Joseph Jews?"
Hanover July 19, 2024 at 18:30 #918912
Quoting Sir2u
I suppose that the big question here is "were Mary and Joseph Jews?"


By all accounts they both were. Jesus is accepted as being Jewish, which means Mary had to be Jewish. The NT traces Joseph back to David and before, all of whom were Jewish.

Jesus would actually only have been a bastard (mamzer) had he been the result of an incestual or adulterous relationship, which he wasn't as far as I know. Just being the result of an out of wedlock marriage I don't think makes you a mamzer. Of course, I could be wrong about all this because, well, I'm a lawyer, not a rabbi.
Sir2u July 19, 2024 at 18:44 #918914
Quoting Hanover
By all accounts they both were. Jesus is accepted as being Jewish, which means Mary had to be Jewish.


Did the rules apply way back then?

Quoting Hanover
I'm a lawyer, not a rabbi.


What's the difference? :rofl: Just joking
Hanover July 19, 2024 at 18:56 #918917
Quoting Sir2u
Did the rules apply way back then?


Yeah, it's an old set of rules.
Sir2u July 19, 2024 at 19:25 #918922
Quoting Hanover
Yeah, it's an old set of rules.


So basically, who knows then?

One of the other old laws that I found out about was the one that made marriage obligatory for men before they reached 20.
So what happened to Mary's daughter in law?
L'éléphant July 20, 2024 at 02:02 #918971
Quoting Deleted user
Do you speak any language whatsoever that is revelant to Christian history? No.

I thought you'd been using the Wikipedia. But I had no idea that's the only reading material you use.

Quoting Sir2u
Catholics recognize the pope in Rome as the leader of the church, the Eastern and Russian orthodox do not. There are plenty of things that are common to both,but many differences as well.
Neither of them want the The Eastern group to be referred to as catholic though.



:up:
Sir2u July 20, 2024 at 13:49 #919028
Quoting L'éléphant
Do you speak any language whatsoever that is revelant to Christian history? No. — Lionino

I thought you'd been using the Wikipedia. But I had no idea that's the only reading material you use.


:rofl:
I don't know if you have noticed, but most of the time when you do a google search wiki is in the first to third place in the results. This is because of the algorithm they use that searches the most popular (used) sites first. Due to the laziness of the masses it is usually wiki that is clicked on first and the circle is thus continued.

When I use wiki or I have my students do searches, I use and tell them to use the references at the end of the article to find the original info instead of using second hand copy/paste stuff.
Deleted user July 20, 2024 at 19:23 #919085
Even though I provided a link to the Encyclopedia Britannica, providing the categorical proof that they are wrong, the two honk-honks completely ignore that and go back to insisting that I use a website that I have blocked from my browser. It is either troll or clown behaviour — both likely.

The weirdest part is that the first interaction was them admitting that there is such a thing "Catholic Orthodox".

There are several sources, in different languages, that demonstrate the truth of my terminology, but I have to limit myself to EncycloB because, from all I know, the two involved are monolingual. Then again, L'elephant by his own admission does not speak any language relevant to Christianity, he is talking out of his elbow.
Deleted user July 20, 2024 at 19:28 #919087
It is a bit strange how most dumb discussions here start when individuals butt their nose in a discussion they were not a part of, and have no knowledge of, to wrongly argue about a detail irrelevant to the original topic.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 00:20 #919143
Quoting Deleted user
There are several sources, in different languages, that demonstrate the truth of my terminology,


Here is one that disproves it.

concepto.de:El credo de la Iglesia ortodoxa se definió entre los siglos IV y VIII, a través de diferentes concilios ecuménicos, es decir, diferentes reuniones solemnes de obispos cristianos para debatir los asuntos propios de la fe. En dichos concilios se produjeron diferencias sustanciales e irreconciliables entre los obispos cristianos de Oriente y Occidente, lo cual condujo al llamado Cisma de Oriente y Occidente el 16 de julio de 1054, cuando se separaron la Iglesia católica romana (hoy Iglesia católica) y la Iglesia católica apostólica ortodoxa (hoy Iglesia ortodoxa).

Fuente: https://concepto.de/iglesia-ortodoxa/#ixzz8gZOeSH2G


As I mentioned the name is historical and not used in present day

Quoting Deleted user
It is a bit strange how most dumb discussions here start when individuals butt their nose in a discussion they were not a part of, and have no knowledge of, to wrongly argue about a detail irrelevant to the original topic.


Speaking from experience of doing things like that are you?

Oh, by the way, this is the SHOUTBOX. Anything goes here, so suck it up
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 00:21 #919144
It doesn't really matter.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 00:33 #919147
Quoting Hanover
It doesn't really matter.


But Lionino seems to think it is. He must if he keeps insisting that he is right. :rofl:
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 00:37 #919148
Goes both ways
Metaphysician Undercover July 21, 2024 at 00:52 #919151
Quoting Sir2u
I don't know if you have noticed, but most of the time when you do a google search wiki is in the first to third place in the results. This is because of the algorithm they use that searches the most popular (used) sites first. Due to the laziness of the masses it is usually wiki that is clicked on first and the circle is thus continued.


I thought you pay Google to get your site on top.
jorndoe July 21, 2024 at 01:53 #919162
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 04:23 #919177
This is what Americans think Europe is like:

javi2541997 July 21, 2024 at 05:05 #919187
Quoting Sir2u
Oh, by the way, this is the SHOUTBOX. Anything goes here, so suck it up


The Shoutbox is essentially irrefutable proof that I existed once. Otherwise, my soul would slip unnoticed down the void.
unenlightened July 21, 2024 at 05:55 #919195
But where is the modern research on the defecation habits of arboreal bears?
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 08:54 #919224
Reply to unenlightened

I think an arboreal bear would be a tree bear, one that lives in trees, and I know of only one such bear: the sun bear of South East Asia. I doubt that's what you meant, since their defecation habits are well-known.

A bear that lives in the woods but is mostly ground-dwelling, like your classic brown or black bear, would probably just be a woodland or forest bear, rather than an arboreal one.
Outlander July 21, 2024 at 09:00 #919227
Reply to Jamal

What is 'ol Jamal up to as of late?

Any new moss treks to share? Breakfast to complain about?

Humor me. I could use some good news right about now.
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 09:18 #919229
Reply to Outlander

Thank you for your interest.

I was in Edinburgh for a while. I had a pickled egg for the first time in Sandy Bell's folkie pub in Edinburgh, and the next day I had haggis pakora in an Indian restaurant, which I decided was not a good pakora, since the spicy haggis overpowered the gram flour batter. Once again I had a so-called Scottish breakfast that included an American hash brown. Owing to circumstances I missed out on going to the Singapore cafe to have a breakfast of Singapore food and Singapore coffee, which looked interesting. Maybe next time eh?

I sat in a beer garden with my brother on Scotland's monthly sunny day but it wasn't fun until the stuffy tennis people left following the conclusion of the men's Wimbledon final--no doubt off to stuff their faces with strawberries and cream--to be replaced by raucous but good-natured and non-belligerent English football fans who had come to watch England lose the Euros final. I did not encounter any Spaniards, but later on I met a Frenchman called Gino, a Japaneseman called Doi, and an Englishman called George who had a special method for eating pickled eggs.
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 09:23 #919230
I was also talking to a Father Christmas-looking man who was the caretaker of a church in the old town. He said he was trained in divinity and I asked him what the difference was between divinity and theology and he said they were basically the same thing. He gave off Presbyterian vibes.
javi2541997 July 21, 2024 at 10:01 #919232
Quoting Jamal
but later on I met a Japaneseman called Doi,


I wish I could meet a Japaneseman, but I believe it is impossible in Castilla-La Mancha. :sad:
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 10:02 #919233
Reply to javi2541997

I'd wager there are at least 350 of them in Madrid right now.
Outlander July 21, 2024 at 10:05 #919234
Quoting Jamal
I had a pickled egg for the first time in Sandy Bell's folkie pub


You know what they say the old gimmick is. The saltiest foods produce the thirstiest (high-paying) customers. I do appreciate a good hard-boiled egg though. I doubt any well-traveled thinking man wouldn't. Pickling is simply the price one pays to experience the levels of longevity and lack of preparation needed to offer such not found through any other means whilst still offering protein to power one through a night of heavy drinking and in many cases, unfortunately, debauchery.

Quoting Jamal
I decided was not a good pakora, since the spicy haggis overpowered the gram flour batter


You must truly know and be a connoisseur of gram flour batter, able to discern such when you see it. That's a unique skill set not many men can claim to possess.

Quoting Jamal
I met a Frenchman called Gino, a Japaneseman called Doi, and an Englishman called George who had a special method for eating pickled eggs.


I seem to imagine a slightly less-than-casual joke here that someone with an intellect far greater than mine could produce in a moment's notice. But since I cannot I'll leave it be and simply remark that sounds curious and you leave many details to the imagination.

Quoting Jamal
He gave off Presbyterian vibes.


Is that a good thing, or...? Assuming the underlying theology of the root doctrine is there to stay and not up for removal, is he further or closer to the root theology and accuracy of such? Why or why not? Is what a curious man of faith humbled to ask such a well-traveled soul his take on a turbulent world would be, I suppose. :smile:
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 10:10 #919235
Quoting Outlander
I seem to imagine a slightly less-than-casual joke here that someone with an intellect far greater than mine could produce in a moment's notice. But since I cannot I'll leave it be and simply remark that sounds curious and you leave many details to the imagination.


The traditional form I'm familiar with is "An Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman walk into a bar..." It's quite a challenge to create a new joke in that form, even without the new nationalities. But surely together the Shoutboxians can do it?
unenlightened July 21, 2024 at 11:40 #919237
Quoting Outlander
a unique skill set not many men can claim to possess.


I am literally over the moon about this phrase; it is the veritable pope's scratching post! I shall be claiming not many of these skill sets myself in the immanent future, if not later.

Quoting Jamal
"An Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman walk into a bar..."


"Mind where you're going, bloody barbarians!", sayed ye barkeep.

And on other issues:

arboreal
in British English
(???b??r??l IPA Pronunciation Guide )
adjective
1. of, relating to, or resembling a tree
2. living in or among trees
(my bold.)
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/arboreal
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 12:02 #919240
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 12:03 #919241
I made me some lamb pies yesterday, substituting beef for lamb because there was no lamb at the store. Lamb is less popular in the US, but a solid staple in Iceland, among others. I looked for ground beef/lamb while in Iceland to make some sketti once upon a time, but it was elusive. I asked the vikinglass at the grocer where I might find some, but "ground beef" was a word her vikingteachers never taught her. I tried the term "chopped beef" to see if that worked, but she repeated back "chocolate beef ???"

I feel like the vikings took the land of the Angleshmen so they should at least do the service of knowing their language, and the language of their descendants, the Hanoverians - a tribe mighty and strong.

My lot that day was to once again have a cheeseburger, which was widely available among the vikings from port to port.

And so it passed.

javi2541997 July 21, 2024 at 12:04 #919242
Quoting unenlightened
sayed ye barkeep


First time I see ‘barkeep’ in a phrase. I see waitresses more often instead.

It is priceless to have contact with mates from England, Scotland, or Ireland like you. I can learn several words that our teachers have not often taught us.
I remember doing an English exam in my class, and the teacher put a ‘listening’ on. The accent was complex, and most of my classmates wondered if the speaker was from the UK.
I knew he was English (or another zone of the island) because he said ‘film’ instead of ‘movie’ in his speech. But this was a trick that I didn’t tell the rest. I kept it to myself. :cool:
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 12:43 #919247
Reply to Hanover

You might have tried the British English version, "minced beef," or failing that, the Icelandic nautahakk.

"The Icelandic lamb meat is a traditional food in Iceland and is considered a gourmet food. Many restaurants in Iceland serve the Icelandic lamb, it is something you have to taste when in Iceland."
unenlightened July 21, 2024 at 12:45 #919248
Reply to javi2541997 "barkeep" is pretty obscure, and should be used only to be pretentious and show off in the shout box and the like. "Barman" is more usual, or "barkeeper" if they look substantial enough that they might own the bar rather than just work there.
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 13:29 #919253
Quoting Jamal
The Icelandic lamb meat is a traditional food in Iceland and is considered a gourmet food. Many restaurants in Iceland serve the Icelandic lamb, it is something you have to taste when in Iceland


This is true, and I did splurge on a lamb dish one time. It was very expensive back then, and with the kids and wife, we were on a budget, but it was well worth the price. Other delicacies they suggested were the whale and puffin. I ate neither because it violated what few dietary rules I follow, none of which I can fully articulate. My other forbidden food is veal.

The bargain i found was Kjötsúpa, which is an Icelandic lamb stew with rutebega, a previously unknown root vegetable to you. It's like a turnip, only larger and denser, and not at all a Halloween ornament. It was available in convenience stores and one price for all you could eat. I believe I took to heart the "all you can eat" more than the locals, but, in my defense, I am not the one who made Scandinavia so expensive. That unanticipatingly befell me.

And that too came to pass.
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 13:55 #919254
Reply to Hanover

Gourmet lamb, volcanoes, and geothermal energy are all very well but I'll need further persuasion before I visit the place myself. I mean, I can get puffins right here in Scotland and in fact saw some a couple of weeks ago (the Scots being soft southerners compared to the Icelandic Vikings, we frown on puffin-eating these days).
Shawn July 21, 2024 at 14:46 #919262
Just a pig here...
User image
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 14:49 #919263
User image

Lamb pie with beef, not lamb.
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 15:01 #919268
The peas cleverly avoided being cooked like blackbirds in the pie by hiding in the freezer out of my memory.

My steadfast rule is to grant a pardon to all clever foodstuffs that avoid detection at dinner time. The ceremonial release of the peas back to the wild will soon come to pass to much fanfare.
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 15:22 #919274
In other news, I tried some Mezcal and it reminded me of Laphroaig. I never had it before. I had hoped it would have mescaline in it so I could experience weird scenes inside the gold mine, but, alas, it was just a smoky sort of tequila, reminding me of Spring Break 1985.
L'éléphant July 21, 2024 at 16:27 #919283
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 17:05 #919289
Reply to Hanover

Good pie.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 17:09 #919290
Quoting Metaphysician Undercover
I thought you pay Google to get your site on top.


I was told that you can do that but if you do it is supposed to show as sponsored or as a commercial. But who knows.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 17:10 #919291
Quoting javi2541997
The Shoutbox is essentially irrefutable proof that I existed once. Otherwise, my soul would slip unnoticed down the void.


:lol: Stay :cool: , you have a place in history.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 17:18 #919293
Quoting Hanover
I looked for ground beef/lamb while in Iceland to make some sketti once upon a time, but it was elusive. I asked the vikinglass at the grocer where I might find some, but "ground beef" was a word her vikingteachers never taught her. I tried the term "chopped beef" to see if that worked, but she repeated back "chocolate beef ???"

My lot that day was to once again have a cheeseburger, which was widely available among the vikings from port to port.


Quick Tip: Next time try asking for hamburger meat.
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 20:45 #919334
Quoting Jamal
Good pie.


Thanks. I brushed it with egg to give it the toasted look. I was so beaten down with the undercooked jokes that I had all but given up baking. In the end though, the relentless and brutal attacks made me better and I thank you for that.

I guess
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 20:47 #919335
Quoting Sir2u
Quick Tip: Next time try asking for hamburger meat.


Next time I will pack my own in 3 ounce containers to get through airport security so I don't have to deal with the madness of talking about chocolate meat.
Jamal July 21, 2024 at 20:48 #919336
Reply to Hanover

I don't think I was one of your tormentors, except maybe once.
Hanover July 21, 2024 at 21:27 #919341
Quoting Jamal
don't think I was one of your tormentors, except maybe once.


Totally fine. No worries at all.

I guess.
Shawn July 21, 2024 at 22:21 #919353
Keep calm and carry on UK.

By the way, what's all the protesting about in Ireland and elsewhere. Whales does its own thing and Scotland is always practicing Druidism.




Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 23:20 #919361
Quoting Shawn
Whales does its own thing and Scotland is always practicing Druidism.


Whales have always done their own thing, Wales sometimes do. And who knows what the Scottish do.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 23:22 #919362
Quoting Jamal
"An Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotsman walk into a bar..."


and the woke community cried foul because there were no women included.
Shawn July 21, 2024 at 23:24 #919363
Reply to Sir2u

Yes, Moby Dick seems to be the conundrum. As for Scotland, it's all about brotherhood and unity, as per the Freemason's that live there.
Sir2u July 21, 2024 at 23:31 #919365
Reply to Shawn Sorry to hear Mody has a problem with his dick, hope it get better soon.
I never knew there were masons running free in Scotland, I thought they were all locked away in cages.
Shawn July 21, 2024 at 23:39 #919366
Reply to Sir2u

They're pretty well known. You can find their most esteemed symbol on the $1 bill.

See for yourself:
User image
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 07:21 #919445
Reply to Sir2u

Your boomer moronicisms make me :vomit:
Sir2u July 22, 2024 at 11:50 #919472
Quoting Jamal
Your boomer moronicisms make me :vomit:


Do you really think I give a shit?

Do you really think that everything a person says reflects that persons philosophy? Are you such a bad ass analyst of peoples personality that you can do it from a few words over the internet?

moronicism: A way of living or philosophy of life that is characterized by a lifestyle of those acting or behaving beyond "foolish" or "dull" and is typified by people who are most notably stupid or painfully lacking in good judgment.

I think that the definition actually suits you better than me.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 12:36 #919481
Quoting Sir2u
Are you such a bad ass


I think so.
Outlander July 22, 2024 at 12:54 #919485
We should all have a cook out together and exchange our deepest fears and desires, for the two are [s]closely linked[/s] forever intertwined, and together envision a better future for all of humanity.
javi2541997 July 22, 2024 at 12:55 #919487
Further than Schopenhauer’s dilemmas, I think it is a big inconvenience to me to buy an eel* as a pet. First, because I am afraid that my dog would feel painful jealousy, and second, my grandfather (or another relative) may eat it while I'm not home. If only Schopenhauer knew about this dilemma…

* I was inspired by an Imamura film. In jail, one of the protagonists befriended an eel. After being released on parole, the police allowed him to keep it.
Outlander July 22, 2024 at 13:05 #919488
I am currently about to enjoy a reheated McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Bacon. It is, in my locale, Number 2B, ironically invoking the old question "To Be or Not to Be" For that is indeed the question.

User image

You will note the (what I would hope to be unintentional) visage of an apocalyptic horseman in the grease pattern on the product I happened to have received. It is very thought provoking in my own mental sphere. As may it be in yours.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 13:11 #919489
Quoting Outlander
You will note the (what I would hope to be unintentional) visage of an apocalyptic horseman in the grease pattern on the product I happened to have received. It is very thought provoking in my own mental sphere. As may it be in yours.


Quite a monstrous visage. I hope it didn't put you off devouring the burger.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 13:14 #919490
Quoting javi2541997
my grandfather (or another relative) may eat it while I'm not home


Does your grandfather often eat your pets? In any case, a simple notice reading "¡No te comas mi anguila!" should do the trick.
javi2541997 July 22, 2024 at 13:30 #919491
Reply to Jamal No, he doesn’t. But he told me once: “Ave que no vuela a la cazuela." I knew he was a voracious eater then. Like @Outlander with his enormous burger.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 13:41 #919493
Quoting javi2541997
Ave que no vuela a la cazuela


Hey that's my motto!
Sir2u July 22, 2024 at 14:14 #919495
Quoting javi2541997
I was inspired by an Imamura film. In jail, one of the protagonists befriended an eel. After being released on parole, the police allowed him to keep it.


Sounds like an oriental version of Birdman of Alcatraz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDdHk5XxkQo
Sir2u July 22, 2024 at 14:16 #919498
Quoting Outlander
You will note the (what I would hope to be unintentional) visage of an apocalyptic horseman in the grease pattern on the product I happened to have received.


That is Don Quixote, stop being so negative. :wink:
Sir2u July 22, 2024 at 14:19 #919499
Quoting Jamal
I think so.


:rofl: If even good asses stink, I don't even want to imagine.
wonderer1 July 22, 2024 at 14:31 #919501
Quoting Outlander
You will note the (what I would hope to be unintentional) visage of an apocalyptic horseman


And he is looking directly at me! :scream:
Baden July 22, 2024 at 14:40 #919505
User image
Baden July 22, 2024 at 14:41 #919506
10K Picture Competition. You get 10K* if you can figure out where I took this picture.

*In [s]Turkish Lire[/s] Laotian Kip.
Sir2u July 22, 2024 at 14:54 #919507
Quoting Baden
10K Picture Competition. You get 10K* if you can figure out where I took this picture.

*In Turkish Lire


Somewhere near here
Phahol Yothin Rd. (at Si Mum Mueang Market)
Lam Luk Ka
Pathum Thani 12130
Thailand
javi2541997 July 22, 2024 at 15:07 #919509
Quoting Baden
10K Picture Competition. You get 10K* if you can figure out where I took this picture


White shiny buildings and a flag with three mountains on top of them. I would say Cambodia or Laos.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 15:58 #919516
Reply to Baden

Doncaster?
Baden July 22, 2024 at 20:47 #919555
Reply to Sir2u

Oddly specific, but no. Correct country though.

Reply to javi2541997

Fair try. Hint: A city in Thailand.

Reply to Jamal

It's almost like you don't even want the money.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 21:03 #919557
Reply to Baden

Chiang Rai.
Baden July 22, 2024 at 21:44 #919564
Reply to Jamal

Not too far off. Had planned on going there but changed my mind (while I was in the city I took the picture in actually).
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 21:48 #919568
Reply to Baden

Chiang Mai.
Baden July 22, 2024 at 21:58 #919570
Reply to Jamal

Warmer. This is where I am now and where I went from where I took the picture. A city not far from here.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 22:01 #919571
Reply to Baden

Definitely not Doncaster then?

Middlesbrough!
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 22:04 #919573
Lampang of course.
Baden July 22, 2024 at 22:05 #919576
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 22:06 #919577
Reply to Baden

:party:

Time to cough up.
Baden July 22, 2024 at 22:08 #919578
Reply to Jamal

I actually have Laotian Kip back in my apartment, so if you PM me your address, it's yours. :up:
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 22:08 #919579
I just did the conversion to pounds. Never mind.
Shawn July 22, 2024 at 22:09 #919580
:party:
Baden July 22, 2024 at 22:12 #919582
Reply to Jamal

Hats off anyhow for getting it right.
Shawn July 22, 2024 at 22:14 #919583
Reply to Baden

How goes it? Long time no see, hehe.
Baden July 22, 2024 at 22:16 #919584
Reply to Shawn

Good thanks, Shawn. Travelling at the moment. Mostly avoiding the internet.
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 22:16 #919585
Reply to Baden

I'd hoped to get the exact location but couldn't find the statue on Google (I now suspect it's not even a permanent statue but a kind of festival float) but many of the images that came up were around that region, probably because I put "white temple" and it took me to Chiang Mai, which has a big fancy one.

Edit: I mean Rai
Baden July 22, 2024 at 22:21 #919587
Reply to Jamal
The monk statue is permanent as far as I remember but the temple is fairly small and inconspicuous, so I'm not surprised it didn't show up on Google. There are so many...
Jamal July 22, 2024 at 22:23 #919588
Reply to Baden

Yeah, "small inconspicuous temple with minor monk statue under one of those umbrella things" probably wouldn't work.
Baden July 22, 2024 at 22:29 #919590
Reply to Jamal
:smile:
Sir2u July 22, 2024 at 22:44 #919597
Quoting Baden
Oddly specific, but no. Correct country though.


I found an image if the sign in the background, but apparently the address they gave was incorrect. Oh well next time maybe.
Caldwell July 23, 2024 at 04:01 #919669
Quoting hyena in petticoat
Hey C! It's been so long! How have you been?

Sorry, Hyena. This is five months ago! I'm terrible. I don't know what appropriate emoji to use.
Maybe this >> :smile:

I saw Ecce come by. I didn't know he was here.

Anyway, great to hear from you!
javi2541997 July 23, 2024 at 04:34 #919676
I'm glad to see @Caldwell back in The Shoutbox. How are you doing? I hope you are well. Your username makes me nostalgic for the poem contest we held last year. :sparkle:

Oh, I wish I could have connected with @hyena in petticoat in the old PF, but I did not chose to be born in 1997 and arrive too late. Probably, while you were in old PF, I was a child.
Jamal July 24, 2024 at 08:05 #919939
2-egg omelette (basic French style) in soft pitta bread with spring onions, and a side of mandarin/satsuma/tangerine/clementine or whatever the hell it was.
Outlander July 24, 2024 at 14:05 #919961
Reply to Jamal

Huh, that's unique. The choice of bread. Unless that's a "thing" in that particular locale, I wouldn't know. I furthermore was not aware there was a "non-soft" pita bread. Here, as far as the world of bread is concerned, we just call anything not carrying that quality "stale", save for the humble baguette. Unless you mentioned that particular quality to let the reader know it was not "grilled" or toasted as part of the preparation, which is appreciated. Or that is was unpleasantly moistened by its contents to the point it lacked constitutional integrity and became a chore to consume.

Yeah here we throw in basically just about everything edible in the kitchen at the time when it comes to an omelette. Something I'll always appreciate in an omelette, a hallmark that shows whomever prepared it knows their stuff, is freshly diced tomato. Just the right amount. You won't get that just anywhere.

The omelette retains its reputation as both simple and complex due to the fact you literally just whip up a few eggs and throw them unto a preheated surface and time and temperature does 90% of the work forming the surface or culinary altar, if you will, unto which ingredients are laid, however bearing in mind said ingredients often require independent preparation that could very well rival the time and effort required to create the base omelette itself.

My "lazy" version of the perfect omelette is as follows:

1.) Preheat a more or less clean pan for 5-8 minutes on medium-high temperature.

(While that's going on, grab an old water bottle from last night you were consuming in excess so as to avoid tomorrow's hangover and using a pair of scissors eviscerate the top portion so as to provide easy egg access)

2.) Grab say, three, oh who are we kidding, four eggs. Crack them into your newly minted egg mixing container. Whip them into something fierce with all your might.

(Obviously using the plastic knife included in the utensil set from last night's Uber delivery from a place you ordinarily would never go out of your way to eat at but made perfect sense ordering at the time)

3.) Let stand for a minute or two

(I never really understood or rather believed why people think this to be necessary. Like I get the idea, the physical reaction between the two previously separated elements of the product will result in a greater final consistency that if being immediately heated would alter. I'm sure the science is there but as to whether or not it's noticeable to the point of becoming a staple procedure every time and worth the extra 2 minutes. I'm just not convinced. I do it, but, I always ponder as to why,)

4.) Lightly spray the surface of the heated pan with whatever aerosolized cooking spray is available.

(They always say to coat the pan prior to heating first for safety reasons, but neither I or anything near me has ever exploded as a result of doing so, and for that fact, I ignore)

5.) Pour the eggs onto the now lubricated surface and wait a few minutes until the top of the poured surface is in a reasonably altered state than as to when it was poured thus ensuring the bottom of the surface is likely to be stable.

6.) Grab two or perhaps even three slices of: American cheese, packaged ham slices. Tear them into shreds or strips, then smaller portions from said strips, and place them on the surface randomly yet carefully ensuring the entire egg surface is covered proportionally. Add prepackaged bacon bits atop liberally followed by just a smattering of Tabasco (or whatever your preferred hot sauce product is).

7.) Once, by guidance of one's trusty spatula, you have determined the egg base is well cooked enough to flip, then do so, placing one half of the egg base over the other creating that oh so familiar and tasty semi-circle, characteristic of omelettes.

8.) Wait a few minutes, ensuring you allow not only the now inner (formerly top) layer of the omelette has to opportunity to cook and reach reasonable similarity to that of the opposite now outer (formerly bottom) later but also that your hearty base of cheese and ham has an opportunity to simmer. You may wish to flip the soon-to-be omelette several times ensuring one side doesn't get "more love" than the other, promising final consistency in the finished product. You can check when the omelette is done by just shyly attempting to pry the omelette open with one's spatula and ensuring it doesn't give into such action without resistance. And of course, ensuring neither side becomes overcooked or "hard", which you can again tell by means of your trusty spatula.

And that's my cooking lesson for the day.

I will leave one final warning. Don't be cocky and think you're the next Emeril Lagasse. I can understand, you want to experiment sometimes and you have what you have. That's innocent. Long story short, never use garlic salt on an omelette. Maybe there's a right combination or restraint involved that eluded me, but, wow. The final product was horrible. I was drunk of course (though the true philosopher doesn't get "drunk" per se as seen in popular culture, they simply because pleasantly distracted and oddly well with the presence of the horrors of life) and had a "creature feature" movie I desired to watch. I consumed both out of humble necessity. But I tell you now. That was one omelette that shall never be made in this house again. So long as I control it.
Jamal July 24, 2024 at 15:48 #919980
Reply to Outlander

1. Butter in a pan on medium heat
2. Add beaten eggs (2, seasoned) and shoogle it around till it cooks (2 or 3 minutes) but without browning and without scrambling

Considerably simpler than yours, but hey, you do you.

PS. I'll keep my soft pitta secrets to myself
Noble Dust July 24, 2024 at 18:46 #920002
Reply to Jamal

You make French omelettes sound so easy. Lies! The details are in the shoogling. How do you shoogle so as to prevent browning and scrambling? Shake the pan? Spatula? Plastic fork? Pair of chopsticks? Move the pan around whilst shoogling with a shoogling instrument, or leave it untouched? I've seen it all and tried it all, but my French omelettes still come out wrong.
Jamal July 24, 2024 at 19:03 #920003
Reply to Noble Dust

I suspected (and secretly hoped) that you in particular would have something to say about that.

Yes, it's tricky, but it's not something I think could be described. It can be shown, but then, I think everyone should find their own way.

A combination of shoogling and spatula work, gradually bringing more and more egg into contact with the pan. Sometimes I might turn down the heat and put a lid on, just to kind of steam the top.
Jamal July 24, 2024 at 19:04 #920004
I also often roll it up (just with a shoogle or two) and let it sit in the pan after the heat's been turned off.
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 03:07 #920133
User image
My ghost pepper plant has a few peppers on it. Here's what wiki says about it:

"In 2000, India's Defence Research Laboratory (DRL) reported a Scoville rating for the ghost pepper of 855,000 SHUs,[18] and in 2004 a rating of 1,041,427 SHUs was made using HPLC analysis.[19] For comparison, Tabasco red pepper sauce rates at 2,500–5,000, and pure capsaicin (the chemical responsible for the pungency of pepper plants) rates at 16,000,000 SHUs. In 2005, New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute in Las Cruces, New Mexico,[20] found ghost peppers grown from seed in southern New Mexico to have a Scoville rating of 1,001,304 SHUs by HPLC.[5] Unlike most peppers, ghost peppers produce capsaicin in vesicles not only in the placenta around the seeds but also throughout the fruit.[21]:"

javi2541997 July 25, 2024 at 04:23 #920137
Quoting Hanover
Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Institute


Chile Pepper yeah. Put them on your hard-boiled eggs every morning for breakfast.

Jamal July 25, 2024 at 09:28 #920168
Reply to javi2541997

Posting the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Shoutbox is against the rules. Please don't do it again.

Talking of bands that I don't like but lots of other people seem to like, I've noticed since I've been in the UK that radio stations, shops, and TV shows are still playing "Say What You Want" by Texas every day. It never ends: it was the same when I was living here permanently 12 years ago and had been going on like that since the song came out in 1997, and I came up with a theory that nobody actually likes the song, that it's just become a kind of habit to play it on the radio and even to listen to it, perhaps owing to its comforting familiarity. I stand by that theory.
Jamal July 25, 2024 at 09:35 #920169
Now it's your turn, Shoutboxians. Post seemingly popular songs you dislike. I'll add another one:
"Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader. It's positively unpleasant.
Jamal July 25, 2024 at 09:37 #920170
Ah, now that's interesting. The thing that "Dancing in the Moonlight" and "Say What You Want" have in common is that they're by British bands but sung in an American accent. It sounds fake and ... yucky.
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 09:57 #920173
Reply to Jamal I also don't like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band. I like my plant. She is a good friend.

Speaking of terrible songs, I post this terrible whine of a song by a terrible whine of a whiner. I hate that somewhere some counter registers this song was listened to by my posting it, but I wanted to compete in the locating the bad songs contest.



Jamal July 25, 2024 at 10:10 #920174
Reply to Hanover

Hey I like that one. Just shows you eh?
Jamal July 25, 2024 at 10:16 #920176
Even slower:



:cool:
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 10:19 #920177
Reply to Jamal An example of biodiversity here in the Box.
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 10:20 #920178
Reply to Jamal See if you can use your de-whiner app to slow down an Alvin and The Chipmunks song.
Jamal July 25, 2024 at 10:23 #920179
Reply to Hanover

Stripping them of all their distinctive charm? Count me out.
javi2541997 July 25, 2024 at 10:24 #920180
Quoting Jamal
Posting the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Shoutbox is against the rules. Please don't do it again.


Acting as an edgy teenager pushed me to the limit! No worries, this is the last time I'll be sharing skate music.
But, please, don't forget to add chilli peppers to your hard-boiled eggs, as I'll be using them in my pasta salad.
Jamal July 25, 2024 at 10:27 #920181
Quoting javi2541997
Acting as an edgy teenager pushed me to the limit! No worries, this is the last time I'll be sharing skate music.


Is RHCP skate music? I didn't know.

Quoting javi2541997
But, please, don't forget to add chilli peppers to your hard-boiled eggs, as I'll be using them in my pasta salad.


I will.

This morning, just a banana and a slice of toast with butter and marmite.
Outlander July 25, 2024 at 10:33 #920184
Quoting Jamal
This morning, just a banana and a slice of toast with butter and marmite.


Oddly humble. Go you!
Jamal July 25, 2024 at 10:34 #920185
Quoting Outlander
Oddly humble


You called?
Outlander July 25, 2024 at 10:39 #920187
Reply to Hanover

What is that discoloration on the right pepper, on its bottom left? Is that part of the stem or a natural formation of the specie?

Just want to make sure you're not ingesting, or causing circumstance for others to ingest, something that's unsafe. It's the lawyer in me. You understand.
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 10:58 #920193
Reply to Outlander The discoloration (i.e. green) is the premature nymphpepper, not yet ready for picking.

For those not of the farm, they are often surprised to learn foodsuffs don't come from a can.

Did someone mention a song?

Jamal July 25, 2024 at 11:04 #920195
Reply to Hanover

So is this how it works?

A green chili is just a chili that hasn't turned red yet, but certain varieties are grown specifically to be picked when green (and might even be no good when they're finally red), while others, like your ghost peppers, are meant to be picked when red. Hm?
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 12:04 #920203
Quoting Jamal
green chili is just a chili that hasn't turned red yet, but certain varieties are grown specifically to be picked when green (and might even be no good when they're finally red), while others, like your ghost peppers, are meant to be picked when red. Hm?


Some peppers, no matter how long you wait, will never turn red, like green peppers, for example. There are many fruits that start out green and sour and then they ripen, like bananas for example. They don't ever turn red, though. They go from green then to yellow and then to black. Some apples stay green, like Granny Smith, but others go from green to red, not like Granny Smith.

I've grown other hot peppers in my day, and generally when they get red, they're at their hottest. They do that because fire is red and they like the thought of being red as fire.

But red isn't the end all be all for some fruits. Blackberries go from green to red to black for example. In their green form, they are really hard and they taste like a sour stick of wood. When they're red, they're still too sour, but at least they're prettier. At their final post-pubescent stage, they are sweet and black. I like my blackberries like I like my blackberries, sweet and black. That's the best joke I could come up with that.

I would discuss the metamorphosis of the raspberry, but the silent "p" has always pissed me off in that fruit, so I rightfully refuse to discuss it.

But this isn't only about foods. It applies to inanimate objects as well, like doors for example. They start out red and change to black. Did someone mention a song?





Jamal July 25, 2024 at 12:09 #920204
Reply to Hanover Your first sentence answered my question in a nutshell, but I read the rest just for pure uneducational entertainment. Not a Stones fan, I am.
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 18:57 #920290
Quoting Jamal
Not a Stones fan, I am.


Henry the VIII I am I am?

Reminds me of a song.
Hanover July 25, 2024 at 19:12 #920295
I sort of like that song, but I like the Mrs. Brown you have a lovely daughter song better. I wish I were married to a girl named Mrs. Brown so that I could have a daughter with her and I could tell her that our daugther was lovely. I just never could find a Mrs. Brown that was interested in bearing me a daughter fruit.

I give the above post a C-. It's just too confusing. I mean, who would name their child Mrs. Brown? I think Mrs. Brown might refer to a person with the last name of Brown and not that her first name would be Mrs. Brown, but I can't be sure. Maybe Mrs. Brown's last name is Brown, so her name is Mrs. Brown Brown. I wonder what her middle name is. Maybe it's red, the color that peppers turn. So, it's Mrs. Brown Red Brown and she has a lovely daughter.

I think I have that right.

Carry on.
Metaphysician Undercover July 26, 2024 at 02:11 #920351
The Red Green Show, a classic
https://www.youtube.com/c/redgreentv
BC July 26, 2024 at 04:23 #920365
Reply to Hanover Persimmons start out orange and stay that way all the way to the end. A hard orange persimmon is inedible -- waaaay too astringent. When they are orange, soft and squishy, they are wonderful.

javi2541997 July 26, 2024 at 05:12 #920370
Hey Reply to BC how is it going? It has been a while since the last time I saw you posting on The Shoutbox.
BC July 26, 2024 at 05:58 #920373
Reply to javi2541997 Things are fine - thanks for asking. Been busy reading, doing yard work, house work, that sort of thing. How about you? I see you and the other regulars, though don't always add anything.

Take care!
javi2541997 July 26, 2024 at 06:25 #920377
Quoting BC
How about you?


Everything is fine with the exception of the weather. We have been having a heat wave since last Monday. The temperatures are around 40°C/42°C. The worst part is how it warms the house. So when it is night and time to sleep, there is an uncomfortable feeling of tropical weather in my bedroom and I dislike it.

Quoting BC
Take care!


Cheers! :up:
Hanover July 26, 2024 at 11:21 #920430
I bought some leeks and cut them into small rings and then unraveled them to form strands that reminded me of noodles in a way. I made a stew from them by boiling in some chicken broth and beef and other vegetables. It was pho like, but the beef was more stew beef like than sliced like pho.

I then wrote a Seuss like poem about it.

Inspired by sliced leeks unspiraled unbridled, required desired a stew so worthwhile.
Hanover July 26, 2024 at 11:45 #920442
Quoting BC
Persimmons start out orange and stay that way all the way to the end. A hard orange persimmon is inedible -- waaaay too astringent. When they are orange, soft and squishy, they are wonderful.


I researched the persimmon and learned of the purple variety. Were you aware of such things?
frank July 26, 2024 at 12:14 #920457
Quoting BC
Persimmons start out orange and stay that way all the way to the end. A hard orange persimmon is inedible -- waaaay too astringent. When they are orange, soft and squishy, they are wonderful.


There's an old recipe from German immigrants called persimmon pudding. It's like a brownie, except the sweetening is persimmons and molasses. It has so much cloves and cinnamon in it, it kind of burns your tongue a little bit. It's awesome.
BC July 26, 2024 at 17:57 #920551
Reply to Hanover Purple persimmons are one among many things I am unaware of.
BC July 26, 2024 at 18:07 #920556
Reply to javi2541997 40ºC is hot and difficult to endure, especially if the heat lingers through the night. One night during a very hot drought in 1988, the temperature in Minneapolis at midnight was 100ºF, 40ºC. So far, such an event has not been repeated here. Give it time...
T Clark July 26, 2024 at 18:09 #920559
Quoting javi2541997
The temperatures are around 40°C/42°C.


For those of you here in the US, that's 313.15°F/315.15°F.
javi2541997 July 26, 2024 at 18:31 #920573
Quoting BC
40ºC is hot and difficult to endure,


300 people died because of the heat wave the last weekend, and the last year around 2,500. It is a terrible threat.

Quoting BC
One night during a very hot drought in 1988, the temperature in Minneapolis at midnight was 100ºF, 40ºC.


It is the worst. When the temperature doesn't mean to slow down a bit. It feels like we are in an oven. It is 20:30 in Madrid, and there is 36? C. It makes me feel sick...

Quoting T Clark
For those of you here in the US, that's 313.15°F/315.15°


Thanks Clarky. I don't know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit. I failed all my math and physics exams in high school.
T Clark July 26, 2024 at 18:35 #920575
Quoting javi2541997
I don't know how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit.


The numbers I provided are not completely correct, by which I mean they are completely incorrect.
javi2541997 July 26, 2024 at 18:41 #920578
Reply to T Clark Thanks God DuckDuckGo exists!

User image
wonderer1 July 27, 2024 at 00:12 #920618
Reply to javi2541997

Can you choose Kelvin instead of Fahrenheit?
javi2541997 July 27, 2024 at 06:03 #920655
Reply to wonderer1 I didn't even know Kelvin was also a choice. :sweat:
javi2541997 July 27, 2024 at 06:06 #920656
Reply to wonderer1 It appears in the settings a final boss: 'Rankine.'

wonderer1 July 27, 2024 at 07:18 #920660
Reply to javi2541997

Interesting. I had never looked into the Rankine scale before.
Hanover July 27, 2024 at 10:34 #920670
My concern with global warming is how migration patterns are changed, where creatures that typically could not tolerate the cooler environments move northward to areas they previously would never have ventured.

I've seen all sorts of demons and spawns of Satan emerge from the depths of hell as temperatures have risen, for example.
Hanover July 27, 2024 at 10:41 #920671
The Hanover scale, designated by a ?æ?òv?? following the temperature, is calculated by subtracting 8 from the current Fahrenheit temperature.

So, if it's 100 F, it's 92 ?æ?òv??. Now doesn't that feel just a little bit cooler for you? Like everything Hanover, it just makes the world a little easier to deal with.

Tom Storm July 27, 2024 at 13:59 #920687
Quoting javi2541997
It is the worst. When the temperature doesn't mean to slow down a bit. It feels like we are in an oven. It is 20:30 in Madrid, and there is 36? C. It makes me feel sick...


We often have 35-40 degree heat here, for days at a time. I quite like it. Obviously I don't want to be a labourer outdoors during such weather, but I am quite content to sit at a desk and later walk through the streets amongst heat-radiating buildings. I quite like the idea of dying in my sleep during a sweaty heatwave some time in the future, it sounds peaceful.
javi2541997 July 27, 2024 at 14:35 #920693
Reply to Tom Storm I see. Some folks like sunny and hot days like you, and I respect that. But it is not my cup of tea. I would rather live on rainy, cold days. I hate when people think that these days are for sad people when I am the one who actually feels more comfortable under a heavy storm :lol: than in superb sunlight. But the weather is like the colours. People's tastes differ.
Jamal July 27, 2024 at 15:01 #920698
The thing I don't like is wind. I've enjoyed a good bracing wind in the past a few times but I'm getting fed up with it now. A light breeze on a hot day, sure, but anything else is really testing my patience. What's the most windless place on Earth?
T Clark July 27, 2024 at 16:28 #920712
Quoting Hanover
My concern with global warming is how migration patterns are changed, where creatures that typically could not tolerate the cooler environments move northward to areas they previously would never have ventured.


I'll take this as a serious comment, ignoring what comes after. When I was a kid, we went to the beach in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. After not going there for 25 years, I went back and saw pelicans and dolphins living together, human sacrifice, mass hysteria. Well, dolphins and pelicans anyway. I had never seen them there before. I've also heard that blue crabs are moving north, which would be wonderful if it didn't also mean that oysters are losing some of their range.
Hanover July 27, 2024 at 19:53 #920754
Quoting Jamal
What's the most windless place on Earth?


Broom closet. Downright stagnant. Second place is the cupboard. Cat loves the place. Seems boring to me, but to each his own.
Hanover July 27, 2024 at 21:20 #920768
Reply to Jamal https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/the-doldrums-corridor-explained#:~:text=The%20Doldrums%20is%20an%20area,to%20a%20300%20mile%20span.&text=(360%20Miles)%2C%20should%20they%20need%20to.
Metaphysician Undercover July 28, 2024 at 01:14 #920851
Reply to Hanover
Yes, i believe the doldrums is where Jamal longs to be. Better known as the intertropical convergence zone, it's where the northeast trade winds and southeast trade winds sort of fade out into a pure updraft of heat rising from the equatorial region. It sounds like a nice place to just chill with a couple cases of Brahma.
Hanover July 28, 2024 at 03:29 #920883

Fishing on the Georgia side of the Savannah River, guarding its sacred banks from any South Carolinian who might get a wild idea to dart across to freedom.

Not on my watch. User image
Jamal July 28, 2024 at 04:17 #920892
Reply to Hanover

Aye, daresay I ought to've been thinkin' long them lines meself, cap'n. I'll have me an island in the doldrums yet.
Shawn July 28, 2024 at 05:04 #920897
Reply to Hanover
This is actually what happened.
Sir2u July 28, 2024 at 14:42 #920977
Reply to Shawn Holy carp!!
Hanover July 28, 2024 at 18:44 #921033
Not to brag, but I got accepted into Sam's Club today.
Leontiskos July 28, 2024 at 19:42 #921047
Reply to Hanover - Uncle Sam?
Shawn July 28, 2024 at 22:21 #921091
Hanover July 28, 2024 at 23:25 #921113
Quoting Leontiskos
Uncle Sam?


Uncle Sam Walton
Sir2u July 29, 2024 at 12:41 #921347
Reply to Shawn And illegal aliens to boot. :rofl:
Jamal July 29, 2024 at 13:09 #921352
Today I have a sore gooch.

Breakfast: flatbread with refried beans and karahi paste.
Lunch: flatbread with prawns in sriracha mayo and broccoli.
jorndoe July 29, 2024 at 14:12 #921356
Nature's very own rotating, electrical motor:

CryoEM structures reveal how the bacterial flagellum rotates and switches direction
[sup]— P K Singh, P Sharma, O Afanzar et al · Nature · Apr 17, 2024[/sup]
My grandfather built motors that powered big machines. In a lab not so different from his workshop, my colleagues and I uncovered the assembly of the bacterial motor. ... (— Prash · Apr 17, 2024 · 10s)
[tweet]https://twitter.com/prash_singh/status/1780522588873040316[/tweet]

Brain states like sleep and wake can be reliably detected from milliseconds of neural activity in local regions in mice; regions can briefly switch states independently, coinciding with fleeting behavioral changes:

A nonoscillatory, millisecond-scale embedding of brain state provides insight into behavior
[sup]— D F Parks, A M Schneider, Y Xu et al · Nature · Jul 15, 2024[/sup]

Still learning from the Oct 2022 flash:

NASA’s Fermi Finds New Feature in Brightest Gamma-Ray Burst Yet Seen
[sup]— Francis Reddy · NASA · Jul 25, 2024[/sup]

T Clark July 29, 2024 at 15:28 #921369
Quoting jorndoe
Nature's very own rotating, electrical motor:


How the heck could that ever evolve? It's almost enough to make me believe in intelligent design.
jorndoe July 29, 2024 at 16:57 #921389
Reply to T Clark, there are a variety of (mathematical) models that can shed light on the apparent complexities...


[*] Self-organization » Biology
[*] Chaos theory » Spontaneous order
[*] Logistic map
[/list]

Might be worth noting that there are anthropocentric and apophenic aspects to seeing complexity and patterns here. The researchers might try to round up the (whole) history of such a "motor", from how it emerges to how it dissipates, to understand things in more detail. I don't think "supernatural magic" will come up. :) A part of it is that our planet has been bathed in (sometimes dangerous) free energy from the Sun for ages.

Leontiskos July 29, 2024 at 19:06 #921418
Quoting T Clark
How the heck could that ever evolve? It's almost enough to make me believe in intelligent design.


You planted your foot directly in the can of worms. The bacterial flagellum is ground zero for debates surrounding irreducible complexity and intelligent design.
T Clark July 29, 2024 at 19:08 #921419
T Clark July 29, 2024 at 19:10 #921420
Quoting Leontiskos
The bacterial flagellum is ground zero for debates surrounding irreducible complexity and intelligent design.


I'm a true blue believer in evolution by natural selection with other stuff added in since Darwin. But still, it makes me shake my head in wonder.
T Clark July 29, 2024 at 19:15 #921422
Quoting jorndoe
there are a variety of (mathematical) models that can shed light on the apparent complexities...


I don't doubt that the flagella evolved in accordance with an understandable process, I just look open-mouthed in amazement.
jorndoe July 29, 2024 at 22:13 #921480
Reply to T Clark, cool, eh? :)
jorndoe July 29, 2024 at 22:44 #921486
This tweet from Billy Baldwin (Feb 29, 2024) scrolled by. It's like a honeypot for rambling crazy. :D
[tweet]https://twitter.com/BillyBaldwin/status/1763333669157212615[/tweet]

T Clark July 30, 2024 at 00:06 #921500
Quoting jorndoe
cool, eh?


User image
jorndoe July 30, 2024 at 07:41 #921583
Somewhat similar to what's been seen before ...

Computational Life: How Well-formed, Self-replicating Programs Emerge from Simple Interaction
[sup]— Blaise Agüera y Arcas, Jyrki Alakuijala, James Evans, Ben Laurie, Alexander Mordvintsev, Eyvind Niklasson, Ettore Randazzo, Luca Versari · Jun 27, 2024[/sup]

Google creates self-replicating life from digital 'primordial soup'
[sup]— Matthew Sparkes · New Scientist · Jul 9, 2024[/sup]

Google creates self-replicating artificial life from digital soup with no rules (56s)


frank July 30, 2024 at 18:58 #921697
What if plants can think, but they just can't communicate with us. Or maybe they try, but we don't get it.
Jamal July 30, 2024 at 20:05 #921706
Reply to frank

Anthropomorphism. What's so special about your human "thinking"?
Shawn July 31, 2024 at 00:12 #921750
Reply to Jamal

Don't tell that to the dogmatic or fundamentalist about their notions of reality.
Hanover July 31, 2024 at 02:21 #921770
Quoting Jamal
Anthropomorphism. What's so special about your human "thinking"?


Quoting Shawn
Don't tell that to the dogmatic or fundamentalist about their notions of reality.


Wouldn't the correct objection be anthropocentrism as opposed to anthropomorphism? The former referencing the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, whereas the latter referencing an exceptionalism, which seemed the more targeted concern.

I want to get this right. This is the Shoutbox.
kazan July 31, 2024 at 02:33 #921771
Ok!
"For" to the left. "Against" to the right.
Lineup..no shoving!
Have at it.
P.S. Most noticeably windless place on Earth is the Shoutbox when everybody's gone to bed. Just edging out Cheop"s burial chamber for the honour...oops...honor.
Discrete smile
Shawn July 31, 2024 at 03:16 #921775
Reply to Hanover

It would be perplexing if the two didn't go together, right?
Hanover July 31, 2024 at 10:14 #921818
Quoting Shawn
It would be perplexing if the two didn't go together, right?


I'd say not in certain religious contexts where anthropomorphism often arises, where the human attributions are considered metaphorical only to provide comprehension only. They do not suggest anthropocentrism but instead claim the opposite.

https://outorah.org/p/18738/

For an opposite tradition, see:

https://rsc.byu.edu/reflections-mormonism/defense-anthropomorphism
Shawn July 31, 2024 at 10:22 #921821
Sorry, I don't open links on the forum. Too much of this and whatnot.

But I think your right. It seems accurate to say in certain narratives of what we believe in we can label them as truth, yet be mistaken.

Epistemologically I would agree.
Jamal July 31, 2024 at 10:27 #921822
Quoting Hanover
Wouldn't the correct objection be anthropocentrism as opposed to anthropomorphism? The former referencing the attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities, whereas the latter referencing an exceptionalism, which seemed the more targeted concern.

I want to get this right. This is the Shoutbox.


You can complain about anthropocentrism if you like. I objected to the anthropomorphism inherent in the imagined possession of cognition by plants. As Shawn pointed out, it's anthropocentric too.

Note that I have no particular beef with anthropocentrism, but I read Solaris recently and was very interested in its epsitemic pessimism: humans cannot hope to understand alien forms of life cos of their prejudices and modes of thought like anthropomorphism, and thus the endless progress of knowledge is an illusion. The scientists ask questions like "does it think?" but this is already to put things in human terms, as if thinking/not thinking has to be an important dimension right across the spectrum of life or phenomena in the universe.
Hanover July 31, 2024 at 10:57 #921830
Quoting Jamal
Note that I have no particular beef with anthropocentrism, but I read Solaris recently and was very interested in its theme of epsitemic pessism, such that humans struggle to understand alien forms of life cos of their prejudices and modes of thought like anthropomorphism. The scientists ask questions like "does it think," but this is already to put things in human terms, as if thinking/not thinking has to be an important dimension right across the spectrum of life or phenomena in the universe.


What is interesting is that non-anthropocentrist religions end up centering humans in the universe because the true central being (God) has given them dominion over the universe and has offered them fully inclusive non-negotiable commandments of how to interact with the universe.

On the other hand, secular humanists worry much about the preservation of the planet for its own sake and might even view humans as threats to the prosperity of the universe, suggesting higher ideals than the promotion of humanity.

As to you're book, how else might someone communicate to a human except in human terms?

Jamal July 31, 2024 at 11:07 #921831
Quoting Hanover
how else might someone communicate to a human except in human terms?


You could try braying, bleating, barking, bellowing, buzzing, or caterwauling.
frank July 31, 2024 at 14:48 #921855
Quoting Jamal
Anthropomorphism. What's so special about your human "thinking"?


Mainly that it's the kind of thing that would make it immoral to eat plants. We could develop some kind of artificial protein gelatinous cubes to eat.

The other idea is that we could ask the plants which ones are evil. Like are apples evil? We could help establish justice by eating all the apples. Humans for Earthly Justice. Eat more apples.
Jamal July 31, 2024 at 15:25 #921859
Quoting frank
The other idea is that we could ask the plants which ones are evil


Trouble is we don't even know which plants to ask. I mean, if a pear tree tells you that apple trees are evil, can you trust what it says?
frank July 31, 2024 at 16:09 #921868
Quoting Jamal
Trouble is we don't even know which plants to ask. I mean, if a pear tree tells you that apple trees are evil, can you trust what it says?


Good point. We should go back to gelatinous cubes with special virtual reality neuron hats that will make it taste like whatever you want.
Jamal July 31, 2024 at 16:41 #921872
javi2541997 July 31, 2024 at 18:49 #921892
Basically, you are not guilty of anything. Airbnb and stupid politicians are greedy and love to exploit the cities until everything is dry.

Hanover July 31, 2024 at 19:05 #921893
Quoting Jamal
You could try braying, bleating, barking, bellowing, buzzing, or caterwauling.


Will do. Expect to see a video of me speaking to all of my animals here in the near future.
Hanover July 31, 2024 at 19:09 #921894
Quoting Jamal
Trouble is we don't even know which plants to ask. I mean, if a pear tree tells you that apple trees are evil, can you trust what it says?


Referring to trees as "it" dehumanizes them. It's just more close minded anthropocentristic bullshit.
Deleted user July 31, 2024 at 23:30 #921942
Is the site having server issues for anybody else?

Quoting Hanover
Referring to trees as "it" dehumanizes them.


they slash them
Noble Dust August 01, 2024 at 02:56 #921977
Dinner meal prep this week: chicken shawarma. I've probably detailed this meal before in the foodbox. Very easy recipe to follow (obviously it's not actual spit-roasted shawarma). Then made this incredible salad. The ratios of ingredients may seem odd, but following the recipe to a T brings great rewards, including the sort of quick pickle on the onions and garlic. Then store bought hommus from my favorite Syrian bakery/grocer, and saffron rice. I invested in some proper imported basmati rice, actually rinsed it thoroughly for like 3 minutes, and the grains came out individual and lovely.
javi2541997 August 01, 2024 at 04:52 #922009
Reply to Noble Dust Saffron rice is absolutely delicious. You prepared a typical Mediterranean meal! I believe your dinner was tasty. :smile:

It is the birthday of my dad today, and we will cook saffron rice because it is one of his favourite meals.
Jamal August 01, 2024 at 05:22 #922011
Quoting Deleted user
Is the site having server issues for anybody else?


Yes, not yet sure what the problem is exactly.
Jamal August 01, 2024 at 10:22 #922053
Reply to Noble Dust :up:

I've decided to cook that myself in a couple of days.
Michael August 01, 2024 at 10:32 #922054
Reply to Noble Dust

This is basically my meals. Iced coffee caramel is great for breakfast.
frank August 01, 2024 at 13:41 #922083
Reply to Michael
Does it make you have massive amounts of gas?
Michael August 01, 2024 at 14:49 #922088
frank August 01, 2024 at 15:35 #922092
Reply to Michael
That's cool. Please watch this:

T Clark August 01, 2024 at 15:42 #922094
Quoting Jamal
Yes, not yet sure what the problem is exactly.


Just happened to me briefly. Error 502.
Michael August 01, 2024 at 15:54 #922096
Reply to frank A chicken chasing a dog? :brow:
frank August 01, 2024 at 16:32 #922106
unenlightened August 01, 2024 at 17:29 #922117
Noble Dust August 02, 2024 at 05:35 #922217
Quoting javi2541997
You prepared a typical Mediterranean meal!


I love Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Probably my favorite. I feel invincible after a good meal of this sort.

Quoting Jamal
I've decided to cook that myself in a couple of days.


Excellent choice. Homemade hummus is the last frontier for me. I can never get the consistency right despite trying the various "tricks" one finds on the internet. The stuff I get from my local spot is so superior that I've given up for now. I shall take up the crusade again soon though. Maybe.
Jamal August 02, 2024 at 06:27 #922228
Reply to Noble Dust

Sadly I'm not currently close to a Levantine bakery so I'll be using supermarket hummus (I gave up trying to make it years ago).

I also gave up rinsing rice years ago, but I'm going to do it for the saffron rice.
Deleted user August 02, 2024 at 07:24 #922232
Quoting Deleted user
they slash them


I hope the pun was just unfunny instead of undetectable.
javi2541997 August 02, 2024 at 12:01 #922259
Quoting Deleted user
I hope the pun was just unfunny instead of undetectable.


I did not get it. Sorry, I'm lousy at puns. But I made meatballs with tomato sauce, pepper, and fries, and you are welcome to enjoy them with me. Please, bring port wine with you. :smile:
Jamal August 02, 2024 at 13:48 #922272
Breakfast: banana, mandarin orange, coffee

Lunch: crispy tiger prawn wontons with XO sauce and pickled vegetables, followed by steak tartare with fries. A bottle of Picpoul de Pinet.

I hadn't tried XO sauce before. Recommended.

Dinner: egg fried rice
Noble Dust August 03, 2024 at 02:35 #922528
Quoting Jamal
I also gave up rinsing rice years ago, but I'm going to do it for the saffron rice.


I do think the rice itself makes a difference. I used to buy the cheapest I could find and it always came out pretty bleh. I invested in imported basmati, rinsed it for a long time, and bingo. My chef friend told me it's no small feat to make rice properly, so I feel quite accomplished.
Jamal August 03, 2024 at 03:19 #922533
Reply to Noble Dust

Unless I need a special rice like bomba or arborio, I only ever use basmati. I just don't usually bother rinsing it. Today, I shall.
Tom Storm August 03, 2024 at 12:14 #922592
Reply to Jamal I feel like slob. I buy precooked basmati rice in a sealed plastic pouch. The stuff without flavours and spices. I heat it in a non-stick frypan with a little oil. It separates well and goes nice and fluffy. I don't own a microwave. It tastes fine.
Hanover August 03, 2024 at 13:15 #922600
Reply to Noble Dust I had some Chinese friends and the guy commented to his wife that what I was serving was rice because he thought she might not recognize what I created.

My response was to point at the door and shout "Get!"

Culture clash.

Jamal August 03, 2024 at 15:02 #922615
Quoting Tom Storm
I feel like slob


Quoting Tom Storm
It tastes fine.


There's a conflict here.
Deleted user August 03, 2024 at 16:40 #922635
Quoting javi2541997
I did not get it.


Quoting Hanover
Referring to trees as "it" dehumanizes them


Refer to the trees with they/them instead of it. We dehumanise trees, there are many wood companies out there, they slash them.
praxis August 03, 2024 at 17:34 #922639
I rinse the hell out of white rice. You have to in order to get it nice and sticky.
Hanover August 03, 2024 at 17:45 #922642
I make a thin soup from the water used to rinse my rice and I feed it to my workers for lunch during their 5 minute break.

Their poverty saddens me, making the rice itself inedible, so I have them discard it for me so I don't have to think about it
Noble Dust August 03, 2024 at 18:06 #922648
Quoting Tom Storm
I feel like slob.


No need to feel like slob if rice taste good.
Noble Dust August 03, 2024 at 18:09 #922649
Reply to Jamal

How did the rice and the meal in general turn out?

I think I might be entering my rice era, as the kids would say. I've never really cooked other types of rice, other than Jasmine and generic "long grain". I recently had some amazing Japanese fried rice from a random Ramen spot near me. The rice seemed to be sushi rice or something. The texture was incredible; the grains were individual but sticky at the same time (because of the frying I guess). I feel a wave of creative cooking energy coming on.
Hanover August 03, 2024 at 18:10 #922650
I think that true too. Why feel like slob when rice taste good? Good rice make slob and not slob happy.



Jamal August 03, 2024 at 18:11 #922651
@Noble Dust

The rice was a disaster. Every rice recipe where you don't drain the rice, but instead just wait till the liquid is absorbed, always turns out wrong for me. It dried up too early so I had to add more liquid, and it ended up a glutinous mass, even though I had diligently rinsed it.

Chicken was good though. In retrospect I should've stuck to tradition and done flatbread with it instead of rice.

Salad was great too, though maybe a bit heavy on the vinegar.
Hanover August 03, 2024 at 18:12 #922652
Quoting Noble Dust
I recently had some amazing Japanese fried rice from a random Ramen spot near me.


I should be able to locate that place near you from the info @Jamal previously provided regarding your whereabouts.
Noble Dust August 03, 2024 at 18:19 #922655
Reply to Jamal

Oh no, I feel like I've led you astray. The people pleaser in me feels the need to apologize, although the higher, rational part of me knows that's not necessary.

What surface do you cook on; gas or electric? I wonder if that makes a difference. Did you let the rice sit with lid on for 5 minutes after cooking? I've found that to be an important step. I'm at a loss otherwise. Did you use broth or water?

I'm glad the chicken and salad were good. The salad is definitely heavy on vinegar, but I love vinegar, citrus and all things acidic, so I don't mind.
Noble Dust August 03, 2024 at 18:21 #922656
Reply to Hanover

Doubtless there's a mod team database of such info.
Jamal August 03, 2024 at 18:48 #922668
Quoting Noble Dust
Oh no, I feel like I've led you astray. The people pleaser in me feels the need to apologize, although the higher, rational part of me knows that's not necessary.


If it worked for you, the blame probably has to fall on me. I should've just done bread.

Quoting Noble Dust
What surface do you cook on


Where I am right now, the pans are not great.

Quoting Noble Dust
gas or electric?


Gas.

Quoting Noble Dust
Did you let the rice sit with lid on for 5 minutes after cooking?


No, but I doubt that would've saved it.

Quoting Noble Dust
Did you use broth or water?


Broth of chicken. Exactly the amount it said. I even did the conversion from cups to ml.

Anyway, I'll do both the salad and chicken again, so I feel like we're all winners :party:
Moliere August 03, 2024 at 19:13 #922676
Reply to Jamal You ever get a rice cooker?

I'd recommend, because I also fuck rice up, but the rice cooker never does and it's pretty inexpensive.
praxis August 03, 2024 at 19:22 #922679
An instant pot is good for rice and it can do a lot more than just rice.
Jamal August 03, 2024 at 19:37 #922680
Reply to Moliere

Yes, one day I'll get one of those.
Noble Dust August 03, 2024 at 19:49 #922685
Reply to Jamal

Strange. Now I'm hoping my success wasn't a one-off fluke.
Jamal August 03, 2024 at 20:14 #922689
Reply to Noble Dust

You've got the magic touch. I labour under an evil curse. It's just the way it is.
Tom Storm August 03, 2024 at 23:59 #922720
Quoting Jamal
I feel like slob
— Tom Storm

It tastes fine.
— Tom Storm

There's a conflict here.


Not sure about that. From what I see, being a slob is often efficacious, hence it's popularity. That notwithstanding, I'll never cook rice again.
Metaphysician Undercover August 04, 2024 at 01:05 #922736
Never in my life did I expect that cooking rice was such a precise science. I always thought al dente pasta was the ultimate test of culinary skills.

Quoting Jamal
I even did the conversion from cups to ml.


That's the problem right there. Conversion, like translation, involves a heapin helpin of interpretation, and all the science goes out the window.
BC August 04, 2024 at 01:37 #922739
Reply to Metaphysician Undercover Reply to Tom Storm Reply to Jamal Reply to Noble Dust Reply to praxis Reply to Moliere Reply to Hanover

Billions of people have been cooking rice for thousands of years. Why can't you--group of otherwise erudite persons--figure out how to cook a reasonably acceptable batch of rice with nothing more than heat, a pan, rice, and water?

Quoting Noble Dust
I recently had some amazing Japanese fried rice from a random Ramen spot near me.


Your fried rice at this ramen spot may have been exquisite, but it is highly unlikely that it was located where it is randomly (complete with an address, front door, electricity, plumbing, HVAC, etc.). Were it a more convincingly random ramen spot, it might have been protruding from the face of a cliff in the Rocky Mountains, and the proprietor might have been trapped in solid rock. Convenience, excellence, and affordability are not evidence of randomness--just luck.

Keep feeding there regularly so that neither you nor the proprietor starve.
Metaphysician Undercover August 04, 2024 at 01:57 #922742
Obviously, there's nothing random about an excellent plate of rice.
Tom Storm August 04, 2024 at 02:08 #922745
Quoting BC
Billions of people have been cooking rice for thousands of years. Why can't you--group of otherwise erudite persons--figure out how to cook a reasonably acceptable batch of rice with nothing more than heat, a pan, rice, and water?



Ha! I can do it (and did for years) but now I can’t be fucked. The few times I cook, it has to be quick and super easy.
praxis August 04, 2024 at 03:19 #922755
Quoting BC
Billions of people have been cooking rice for thousands of years. Why can't you--group of otherwise erudite persons--figure out how to cook a reasonably acceptable batch of rice with nothing more than heat, a pan, rice, and water?


I have many many times. An instant pot is, well, more instant. Also it has more consistent results. Fool proof, as they say, and who doesn’t need less foolishness in their life.
Hanover August 04, 2024 at 04:28 #922760
A common dining experience might consist of a peanut butter and blueberry jelly sandwich, but the chefs at Hanover's Bistro on Main have an experimental kitchen that serves anything but the ordinary.

What they have arrived at to much fanfare is a healthier and lighter alternative. It takes the traditional flavors, but leaves a garden fresh pizzazz of mouth watering flavor explosion into the tongue, mouth, uvula, and gullet.

Ladies and gentlemen. I give you the peanut butter and blueberry sandwich:

User imageUser image

BC August 04, 2024 at 05:02 #922765
Reply to Hanover Is that Jif extra crunchy? Apple, blueberries, bananas, etc. are all acceptable add ons. Swiss cheese on a peanut butter sandwich adds protein.

Elvis liked a peanut butter, mashed banana, and thick bacon sandwich fried in a skillet.

praxis August 04, 2024 at 16:25 #922846
Reply to Hanover

Yummy but your plating needs work. Maybe a sprig of rosemary or some deep frazzle fried sweet potato.
Moliere August 04, 2024 at 21:00 #922892
Quoting BC
Billions of people have been cooking rice for thousands of years. Why can't you--group of otherwise erudite persons--figure out how to cook a reasonably acceptable batch of rice with nothing more than heat, a pan, rice, and water?


o i just like that it comes with rules, and if i follow the rules the rice is perfect every time no matter what
BC August 04, 2024 at 21:57 #922899
Reply to Moliere That's true of bread, too: Don't add the yeast if the liquid is hot; knead the bread for 15 minutes; rising dough should double in size; bake at 350/375º, depending on the oven; freeze it or store it at room temperature -- don't put it in the refrigerator.
frank August 05, 2024 at 11:52 #923029
Reply to Jamal You can buy a rice maker. I use the crap out of mine.
Jamal August 05, 2024 at 12:11 #923030
Reply to frank

Yes, thanks. Moliere already suggested that. Keep up!

If I ever get settled, it's the first thing I'll buy.
Outlander August 05, 2024 at 14:10 #923047
Quoting Jamal
If I ever get settled, it's the first thing I'll buy.


What's standing in your way? You seem like a rather intelligent well-to-do fellow, perhaps with his fair share of quirks. As do we all. I for one would enjoy and perhaps even be honored having you under my employment, granted I couldn't pay an extraordinary amount.

Not sure where you want to nest in this world, is it? Not wanting to be confined by the standards and norms of this world most halfheartedly do and call home? Forgive me, I pry too much. But my curiosity is always piqued when I come across the plight of an interesting fellow, such as yourself.
frank August 05, 2024 at 14:32 #923052
Reply to Jamal Get one that allows you to steam veggies and fish in it, and settings for either white or brown rice.
Jamal August 05, 2024 at 14:42 #923053
Reply to Outlander

Thank you. Who knows what distant shore the seas of fate will wash me upon.

Reply to frank

If they're as good as the dedicateds, I'll take your advice.
T Clark August 05, 2024 at 14:44 #923055
Quoting Outlander
fair share of quirks. As do we all.


As I was telling Bertrand Russell, my only quirk is that I'm quirkless.
Maw August 05, 2024 at 16:06 #923065
Just wanted to announce that my girlfriend and I recently got engaged.
Noble Dust August 05, 2024 at 17:13 #923077
I'm running on two hours of sleep. Who needs mind-altering substances when I can just do it naturally?
Moliere August 05, 2024 at 21:14 #923113
Reply to BC Yeah... but they are all of 10 dollars, and it's super nice to be able to pop rice into it then get started on your dish without having to think about it or monitor it at all. And it's perfect everytime.
BC August 05, 2024 at 22:42 #923136
I suppose I could stand to add another appliance at my age. I recently bought a blender to replace the 40 year old one, and I use it regularly (fruit smoothies -- no, I won't put kale in the mix). I had a rice cooker that someone gave us after they traded up. I never used it and eventually gave it away. I hate to think of all the joy I missed!

You are quite right, though, unmonitored rice is likely to scorch, along with unmonitored oatmeal, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, potatoes...

Are people still making, buying, using bread machines? Always struck me as a dubious thing, but it did actually deliver a small loaf that (depending on what you put into it) came out not too bad (that based on one sample).

When we have. really good robots, I want one that can make everything from excellent bread to terrific apple pie -- and clean up the kitchen, wash the dishes, dust the blinds, provide personal services, etc.
wonderer1 August 06, 2024 at 00:31 #923177
Quoting BC
You are quite right, though, unmonitored rice is likely to scorch


Huh, I guess I must tend towards hyperactive rice monitoring. I make rice that comes close to my standard of ricely perfection without the slightest risk of it scorching, because I'd never go that long without checking it. That said, I'd take one of those robots too.
Moliere August 07, 2024 at 02:10 #923436
Quoting BC
Are people still making, buying, using bread machines? Always struck me as a dubious thing, but it did actually deliver a small loaf that (depending on what you put into it) came out not too bad (that based on one sample).


On bread machines I'm a no-go: it really is just a fuggin oven. lol.

Reply to wonderer1 It's the "not checking it" part that I like about the rice cooker. You can leave it in there for a good chunk of time without any difference. The amount of work it removed from cooking for how little it cost is what sold me on it. (there are, of course, expensive rice cookers -- but the cheapest ones work just as well)
javi2541997 August 07, 2024 at 04:38 #923465
It is odd folks that we didn't have a short story competition this summer. What happened to 'Short Stories July-Aug 2024'?

Since @Baden , @Noble Dust and @hypericin are always the organisers, I guess they can give us some insight, but I am already guessing that lack of time and real life inconveniences were the main reasons.
Baden August 07, 2024 at 15:32 #923571
Reply to javi2541997

I decided not to do it. I think once a year is enough now and I didn't have the requisite enthusiasm.
javi2541997 August 07, 2024 at 16:07 #923577
Reply to Baden :up:

After thinking about it, you're correct that once a year is enough. We risk losing enthusiasm if there are two competitions in a six-month span. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have taken part in this one because the previous short story competition had left me exhausted. But I would have been willing to help or read the stories anyhow.
T Clark August 07, 2024 at 18:25 #923599
Quoting Moliere
It's the "not checking it" part that I like about the rice cooker. You can leave it in there for a good chunk of time without any difference. The amount of work it removed from cooking for how little it cost is what sold me on it. (there are, of course, expensive rice cookers -- but the cheapest ones work just as well)


I bought a microwave pasta cooker. It's just a little plastic box. Add water and linguini, put the box in the microwave, set the timer for 11 minutes, and push the button. My friends laughed at me for using a special device for cooking pasta when the normal way is so easy, but like you I'm a big fan of not having to check it. Alas, once it's done you can't let it sit or it will overcook.
BC August 07, 2024 at 21:06 #923619
Reply to T Clark a given amount of water requires the same amount of energy to heat from a given temperature to 212F (100C) in a microwave as on a gas stove or electric kettle. A gas stove tends to waste some of the energy it applies to the pan by producing more than the pan of water absorbs.

Then there is the question of how much energy was used/lost in the production and transmission of the electricity and the same for gas. Gas doesn't just flow out of a well, down the pipeline, and into your stove without some refining, pumping, and storage (and loss) costs.

If you soaked the pasta (or rice, oats, etc.) in water first and then microwaved them, the efficiency of a microwave would be even higher, as it would be with a stove. I'm not recommending that, however, because I haven't tried it.

There's are formulae for all this. Is there a thermodynamics engineer in the house?

Warm up, yes. I have been late to the game of cooking food in the microwave. I recently cooked codfish in the microwave and was surprised that it came out just fine and used much less energy than baking it.
T Clark August 07, 2024 at 21:54 #923631
Quoting BC
used much less energy than baking it.


Yes, well, I'm not really worried about energy-efficiency with my spaghetti. I just want it to cook al dente and not burn or turn to paste, even when I forget to check it, which I often do. Usually do.
Moliere August 07, 2024 at 23:32 #923655
Reply to T Clark Yeh I kind of just get lost in the process of cooking and let things sit so the "check often" type of stuff isn't my thing. (related: I don't mind bread in oven, and don't think a bread machine would make that any easier a process @BC)

Let them laugh! Good noodles are no joke :D

Though I learned a new way of doing pasta that I think makes it easier to get perfect noodles, which I've often failed to really get the timing on very well before this. (I think that it has an endpoint is what makes it easier -- oh it's boiling now, time to check it for a few minutes and bingo right where I like them)
Hanover August 07, 2024 at 23:32 #923656
Quoting Maw
Just wanted to announce that my girlfriend and I recently got engaged.


Congrats!

jorndoe August 08, 2024 at 16:50 #923796
Useless factoid of the day: the word incorrectly is spelled incorrectly in lots of dictionaries.

frank August 08, 2024 at 18:26 #923805
Quoting T Clark
Yes, well, I'm not really worried about energy-efficiency with my spaghetti. I just want it to cook al dente and not burn or turn to paste, even when I forget to check it, which I often do. Usually do.


This is why we have climate change.
T Clark August 08, 2024 at 19:13 #923812
Quoting frank
This is why we have climate change.


Eleven minutes of microwave time every two weeks probably isn't the main cause. Does that make me a climate change denier?
frank August 08, 2024 at 20:01 #923822
Quoting T Clark
Eleven minutes of microwave time every two weeks probably isn't the main cause. Does that make me a climate change denier?


You boil the spagitti in the microwave? I didn't know that would work. For climate protection, you should get a large steel wok and put it out in the sun. Put the spaghetti and water in the wok and check on it every few hours until it's done. You may have to position the wok on your roof. Or you could order take out from an Italian restaurant.
Leontiskos August 08, 2024 at 21:27 #923837
Quoting frank
For climate protection, you should get a large steel wok and put it out in the sun. Put the spaghetti and water in the wok and check on it every few hours until it's done.


This is a very commendable approach, but according to climate scientists ice cubes are preferred to water. I think that's a little much, though. Cold water is probably a good compromise between time-savings and climate-friendliness.
BC August 08, 2024 at 21:29 #923838
Quoting T Clark
and not burn or turn to paste


But that's what "pasta" is. Paste.
BC August 08, 2024 at 21:34 #923839
Reply to jorndoe That's very interestingly.
Sir2u August 08, 2024 at 23:27 #923869
Quoting jorndoe
Useless factoid of the day: the word incorrectly is spelled incorrectly in lots of dictionaries.


Useless factoid of the day: I have in all of my 70 years of life never thought to look up the word incorrectly in a dictionary. But I do know for a fact that correctly is always spelt correctly.

Metaphysician Undercover August 08, 2024 at 23:57 #923879
Quoting frank
You boil the spagitti in the microwave?


Back to rice. I think the best rice I ever ate was cooked in a microwave. It's an unbelievable tool for cooking rice.
Deleted user August 09, 2024 at 00:26 #923884
I've heard some people cook eggs in the microwave. To this day I do not dare.
T Clark August 09, 2024 at 01:24 #923897
Quoting BC
But that's what "pasta" is. Paste.


That's probably true in Minnesota.
Metaphysician Undercover August 09, 2024 at 02:35 #923904
Quoting Deleted user
I've heard some people cook eggs in the microwave. To this day I do not dare.


I think you have to poke a hole in it first.
Ever hear the one about the stoned babysitter who put the roast to bed and put the baby in the microwave?
unenlightened August 09, 2024 at 12:05 #923961
Pasta la pizza, baby!
Deleted user August 09, 2024 at 12:53 #923973
Quoting Metaphysician Undercover
baby in the microwave?


That doesn't sound very gourmet either.
unenlightened August 09, 2024 at 15:42 #924016
Scrambled eggs in the microwave, or hardboiled eggs in a cup of water. Babies don't really fit in the microwave unless they are very under-ripe, when an incubator is to be preferred.
T Clark August 09, 2024 at 16:41 #924036
Quoting unenlightened
Pasta la pizza, baby!


Thank you Kojak.
unenlightened August 09, 2024 at 17:34 #924046
Reply to T Clark I would like to clarify further, that I too have never locked up ichor rectally. We vegetarians very rarely need recourse to supernatural emetics.
Noble Dust August 09, 2024 at 18:32 #924059
Reply to unenlightened

I've had pasta on pizza. One of the worst things I've eaten.
unenlightened August 09, 2024 at 18:45 #924062
Reply to Noble Dust Populism is always guaranteed to end in horrors.
Noble Dust August 09, 2024 at 18:54 #924066
Reply to unenlightened

Explain surf and turf then. Checkmate, atheists.
unenlightened August 09, 2024 at 19:16 #924069
Quoting Noble Dust
Surf 'n Turf


Just the sound of it will give you cancer, people are saying. I'll be holding a press conference on that soon; i don't want to say anything right now, but I think you'll find it interesting... if you live that long.
unenlightened August 09, 2024 at 19:20 #924070
(I think this is how they talk in that region; you have to make allowances, because they don't have the benefit of a decent history, or a proper culture.)
Hanover August 09, 2024 at 19:32 #924076
I make oatmeal (I think the Brits call it gruel) in the microwave and put a paper towel over it as it turns in circles to perfection. The oatmeal splatters on the paper towel above and I use the spoon to scrape it off and put it back in the bowl.

The spent paper towel excites the cat who thinks she'll get some fortunate spillage, but she turns her head away at vegetable matter.

To stop the incessant meows of disappointment, I have to feed her a packaged creamy squeezable puree cat treat that I bought in bulk that appears to have been filled with cat crack. That satisfies her until next time.

And that is the tale of the oatmeal, the cat, the microwave, the witch and the wardrobe.


Shawn August 09, 2024 at 23:52 #924127
Bazna pig.
User image
Shawn August 09, 2024 at 23:53 #924128
Quoting Noble Dust
Explain surf and turf then.


Wake 'n bake
Deleted user August 10, 2024 at 00:02 #924129
Shawn August 10, 2024 at 01:00 #924153
Reply to Deleted user
Yes, even the pigs are protesting...
See:
User image
kazan August 10, 2024 at 03:30 #924168
Any theories/ideas what the two tones are protesting about...poor roads/streets to protest upon, high taxes, inadequate housing...?
Hanover August 10, 2024 at 11:25 #924197
Reply to kazan They are protesting capitalism. They are communist pigs.
Metaphysician Undercover August 10, 2024 at 12:04 #924204
Reply to Hanover Communist pigs are pinkos, those don't quite qualify. But don't ask me what colour they really are.
Moliere August 10, 2024 at 13:38 #924218
Reply to Hanover now now -- they are communists, but it's the pigs that keep them kettled.
Moliere August 10, 2024 at 13:38 #924219
Reply to Metaphysician Undercover and i'm definitely a pinko lol
unenlightened August 10, 2024 at 17:04 #924252
This is what an invasion should be like!

https://www.youtube.com/@AlienSuperShow
Shawn August 11, 2024 at 02:03 #924360
Quoting Hanover
They are communist pigs.


User image

Hanover August 11, 2024 at 02:08 #924361
Anyone ever try this? User image
Sort of a liquorice herbal flavor with hints of Nyquil.
wonderer1 August 11, 2024 at 02:08 #924362
Quoting Shawn
Bazna pig.


Looks like a Hampshire to me. My brother had a Hampshire pig that won Reserve Champion (2nd) at the Marshall County 4-H fair.
Shawn August 11, 2024 at 02:16 #924364
Reply to wonderer1

Google might be correct on this one. I never knew a Bazna pig was so close to Hampshire breeds.

User image
Shawn August 11, 2024 at 02:17 #924366
Just for comparison here is a Hampshire pig:

User image
Deleted user August 11, 2024 at 12:21 #924423
Quoting Deleted user
I've heard some people cook eggs in the microwave. To this day I do not dare.


Oh my god, what have I been missing.
Jamal August 12, 2024 at 07:11 #924616
As you may have noticed, the site was down for a while some time in the last 5 hours. This was due to a lack of disk space. I'll have to solve this by deleting lots of file uploads and blocking or restricting further uploads.
Jamal August 12, 2024 at 07:13 #924617
Another option is to move to the medium plan, i.e., pay more money, but I'd rather not.
javi2541997 August 12, 2024 at 07:33 #924623
Quoting Jamal
This was due to a lack of disk space. I'll have to solve this by deleting lots of file uploads and blocking or restricting further uploads.


Understood. There will be no more paella and Sake images from now on. :up:
Jamal August 12, 2024 at 07:59 #924629
Reply to javi2541997

You can use https://pasteboard.co/ (or other similar image hosts) to share your images here. It's very quick and easy. Any questions, ask me and I'll be more than happy (in other words, overjoyed) to help.
javi2541997 August 12, 2024 at 08:25 #924638
Reply to Jamal Many thanks! :up:
Metaphysician Undercover August 12, 2024 at 12:12 #924684
Quoting Jamal
Another option is to move to the medium plan, i.e., pay more money, but I'd rather not.


If I remember correctly, only subscribers are allowed to upload, is this still the case? If so the option of paying more to maintain that privilege might be put to them. If you remove the capacity to upload, is there incentive to subscribe?
Jamal August 12, 2024 at 12:57 #924691
Quoting Metaphysician Undercover
If you remove the capacity to upload, is there incentive to subscribe?


Good question. I've now removed the capacity to upload, at least temporarily.
AmadeusD August 12, 2024 at 20:39 #924813
Quoting Deleted user
Oh my god, what have I been missing.


Crack an egg into a coffee cup half-filled with water and microwave. Poached eggs in seconds.

That said, don't do it.
Hanover August 13, 2024 at 00:32 #924882
Quoting Jamal
I've now removed the capacity to upload, at least temporarily.


So you know, I took a picture of my foot against the starless sky just past dusk. I can't upload it, and you'll now never know it's glory.




wonderer1 August 13, 2024 at 00:59 #924891
Quoting Hanover
I can't upload it, and you'll now never know it's glory.


The video is for the freeloaders?
T Clark August 13, 2024 at 02:36 #924938
Reply to Hanover

Oh, no, I was wrong, it was Earth all along...

Noble Dust August 13, 2024 at 16:06 #925096
@javi2541997, I finally remembered to get in-season tomatoes and make your breakfast (a reminder that in most of the US, tomatoes are only in season in late summer. California, where tomatoes are endemic, is a different story.) The tomato was good quality. The bread is sadly from Trader Joes, the salt is fine rather than flakey, and the extra virgin olive oil is cheap and also from Trader Joes. The life of a starving artist. Also, I put olive oil on the toast rather than on the tomato. I realize it probably would look better with the oil on the tomato, but I thought structural integrity would be retained better with the oil being soaked up into the (well done) toast. I crave your thoughts. Edit: I forgot to mention it was an exquisite breakfast; the perfect intersection of healthy and delicious.

User image
javi2541997 August 13, 2024 at 17:10 #925108
Reply to Noble Dust The tomato was good quality, indeed. Look at that beauty in the photo. It is red, big, tasty and robust. I don't know what Trader Joes is, but bread is not usually that important. I mostly buy the bread in Mercadona or in a random local bakery. The protagonists of the breakfast are the tomato and olive oil, nothing else. I don't put salt on it, but don't get me wrong. I am the only person who does this. The rest of the people I know put salt on it as well.
You can put the oil on the tomato or being soaked up into the toast. The important thing is not forgetting the olive oil.

It is worth for breakfast, right? :smile: It is a simple dish but absolutely healthy and delicious. I always eat it for breakfast and I never get tired. We eat a lot of tomatoes. Tonight I'm having steak, and instead of fries or rice, my mother* will set the table with a large dish of tomatoes.

*I am 27 years old, but I still live with my parents. This is a very Spanish thing.
T Clark August 13, 2024 at 18:18 #925133
Quoting javi2541997
am 27 years old, but I still live with my parents. This is a very Spanish thing.


My younger son lived at home till he was 27. I hope you at least wash your own dishes and put stuff away.
javi2541997 August 13, 2024 at 18:26 #925137
Quoting T Clark
I hope you at least wash your own dishes and put stuff away.


I promise I am a gentle son. I do all the housework, and I always help my parents when it is needed. I know how to sweep, put the washing machine on, buy groceries without being catfished, etc. I don't know how to iron my clothes yet, but I will learn this autumn for real.
Jamal August 13, 2024 at 18:37 #925139
Fish fingers in soft pitta bread with lettuce and sriracha mayo.
Tom Storm August 13, 2024 at 20:25 #925175
Quoting javi2541997
*I am 27 years old, but I still live with my parents. This is a very Spanish thing.


Not Spanish - it's an international issue. Kids who live at home into their late 20's early 30's is a concern in Australia too. I left home at 18 so I find it hard to understand.

Quoting javi2541997
I don't know how to iron my clothes yet, but I will learn this autumn for real.


I have not owned an iron since the late 1980's. I never iron anything - but when I hang up my washing to dry, I put shirts on a hanger so that they don't dry in overtly distorted, wrinkly ways.
jorndoe August 13, 2024 at 20:55 #925191
Underground reservoir on Mars could fill oceans on the planet’s surface, study finds
[sup]— Ashley Strickland · CNN · Aug 12, 2024[/sup]
T Clark August 14, 2024 at 00:14 #925238
Reply to jorndoe
You always find neat stories. Thanks.
Noble Dust August 14, 2024 at 01:38 #925250
Quoting javi2541997
I don't know what Trader Joes is, but bread is not usually that important. I mostly buy the bread in Mercadona or in a random local bakery.


Trader Joe's is a national grocery chain known for cheap prices, surprisingly decent pre-packaged foods (frozen and shelf-stable alike), and creepily jovial and enthusiastic employees, although I noticed that disappeared during and after the pandemic. I find it hard to believe that their sustained quality-to-price ratio doesn't involve some funny business, but again, starving artists can't be choosers.

It's interesting that you say the bread ins't important; I think that's a cultural difference. I've still yet to visit Europe, but the picture that's been painted for me is fresh, warm loaves of bread bursting forth from every other store front. Not so in the US. Freshly baked artisanal bread is expensive in America, so those of us trying to save cash tend to buy commercial, mass-produced bread which is indeed a very sad replica of the real thing. So my bread was that, although admittedly it was pretty good as it had seeds on the outside. Toasting tends to mask the sadness of sad bread, so that also helps.

I don't know why I'm in such a circumlocutory mood tonight. Perhaps I should tell a tale from my fascinating, biopic-worthy life. I'll let @Hanover decide.
Metaphysician Undercover August 14, 2024 at 01:49 #925255
Quoting Noble Dust
I find it hard to believe that their sustained quality-to-price ratio doesn't involve some funny business, but again, starving artists can't be choosers.


Maybe it's like Cirque du Soleil, where, I've heard, sex amongst the employees is encouraged. Ever noticed how many back rooms there are in a Trader Joe's?
Hanover August 14, 2024 at 03:00 #925271
Quoting Noble Dust
Perhaps I should tell a tale from my fascinating, biopic-worthy life. I'll let Hanover decide.


You should always be like me if you're looking to improve.

I never thought Trader Joe's was inexpensive. Sam's Club and Costco are the cheap leaders, and then there's Aldi. Fuck Aldi with the 25 cent shopping carts though. Extortion.

I agree with you on the bread. It's a vital part of existence. That and water. The poor eat Sunbeam and tap. Me, multigrain and Perrier. I deserve the best. Most don't.

Prisoners get tack and ale and die in gaol. That's what they call it because criminals can't spell worth shit. Stay in school and stay out of jail I always say. Always. Over and over like a squeaky shopping cart.

They call them buggies down here. Imagine that. A whimsical people we are.
BC August 14, 2024 at 04:23 #925278
Quoting javi2541997
I don't know what Trader Joes is, but bread is not usually that important. I mostly buy the bread in Mercadona or in a random local bakery


Trader Joe and Aldi are owned by the German company Albrecht Discount, which is located north of Spain on the other side of France.

We may have discussed this before, but there are no such things as "random" bakeries in Spain -- or anywhere else. A random bakery might suddenly appear on the moon; impaled on one of the spires of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família; or in your bedroom. We hope you don't get randomized by the bread slicing machine. Jose's Bakery selling week-old bread shipped in daily from Paris and located in the same place for the last 11 years is not a random bakery. It may be really bad but it isn't random.
BC August 14, 2024 at 04:44 #925281
Quoting Noble Dust
fresh, warm loaves of bread bursting forth from every other store front.


That used to be the case, but then European Union bureaucrats got involved, and bread no longer bursts forth from anything. That would be unsanitary and too energetic. Furthermore, standardization rules have eliminated 90% of bread varieties. In fact, a lot of French baguettes are now made in Pakistan, packed in ship containers, and delivered whenever the barge gets there. That's why the Parisians are so casual about carrying their baguettes home on the dirty Metro crowded with coughing Gauloises smokers; or why La bohème carry their crappy Paky baguettes clamped in their sweaty arm pits as they bicycle back to their unheated garrets and their tubercular girl friends. Their bread just can't get any worse.

That's what I heard, anyway.

Hey, you live in New York. Are there no bakeries selling Jewish Rye? Challah? Bagels for Christ's sake?
javi2541997 August 14, 2024 at 05:08 #925283
Quoting BC
We may have discussed this before, but there are no such things as "random" bakeries in Spain -- or anywhere else. A random bakery might suddenly appear on the moon; impaled on one of the spires of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família; or in your bedroom.


:rofl:

I mean, we do not buy bread in specific areas inside supermarkets or malls. Mercadona sells bread, but it is "their" bread. There are also bakeries all along Madrid. There is one near my house, but when I am in the middle of nowhere in Madrid, my mom writes me a WhatsApp on often, saying: 'If you find a bakery where you are, do not forget to bring bread with you' and I categorise these bakeries as 'random' because they appear between buildings or on the bottom floor. 
javi2541997 August 14, 2024 at 05:14 #925284
Quoting Tom Storm
Not Spanish - it's an international issue. Kids who live at home into their late 20's early 30's is a concern in Australia too.


It's interesting to know that the situation is same in Australia. I said it was a Spanish thing since while I was in college, most exchange students were surprised by our 'delay' in leaving our parents' homes. One of the classmates stated that he would not leave his parents' home until he was thirty. It seemed reasonable to me given my context, but the Dutch, Swedish, and French were shocked after hearing that.
BC August 14, 2024 at 06:07 #925290
Reply to javi2541997 There are a lot of adult children living at home with their parents in the US also. Why? A lot of it is about finances. Some adult children are living cheaply with their parents to save up money for buying a house or car or both. I didn't buy a house until I was 50, but a lot of 20s and 30s young adults feel they should own a house already.

Housing prices are high, and interest rates have been high for a while too. Rent is high, especially if the young person wants to live in the style to which they are accustomed.

Some young adults are living at home because of a "failure to launch". They graduated, fired up their rocket motors, and then failed to leave the launch pad, not getting off the ground. They are stuck.

Some young adults are lazy. They could live on their own, but the room service at home is nice.

Parents sometimes enable these sorts of behavior.

Another factor is that there are too many young adults with degrees for which there is not too much demand. Fact is, the older you get the less the area of study matters. What is important is that you got the degree. However, when you don't have a solid work history--like you majored in French Poetry and haven't worked at anything better than a receptionist or in the stock room, you are kind of screwed.

Was life better for young people when I graduated in 1968? Absolutely. Earning power and purchasing power were still increasing. It still took thrift to get ahead, but at least it was possible. Unemployment was low. Rent and home ownership were considerably more affordable (in relationship to current wages. Inflation was low and steady. Yeah, there was the War in Vietnam, the draft, race riots and stuff like that, but for the typical college grad it was a good time to get started in life.

The economy started to change in the early 1970s; inflation picked up, for instance, without a matching rise in income for working class people (which is most people). In the 2 or 3 decades that followed, the working class lost ground, while the upper class gained ground. This was by design, not by accident. Tax law, regulation, and government policy combined to weaken working class finances.

So here we are with 30 year olds living with their parents.
javi2541997 August 14, 2024 at 06:57 #925294
Reply to BC

I honestly do not bother to live with my parents. I don't even consider it a failure or a problem. Rather than a financial issue, I think cultural aspects are part of this topic. Family is a core element in Spain. We are not like other countries in that the families are separated most of the year and they only reunite on specific dates, such as Christmas or National Day.On the other hand, owning a house is a very serious matter. You have to sign a loan that guarantees the payment of the house, and in most cases, the life of these loans tends to be long. The average time of loans here is around +20 years. It is obvious that a mortgage will be part of us for a big period of our lives.

Currently, I contribute with other costs of the house: water, gas, food, and that stuff. My parents already paid the loan, and it took them around 16 years (1994 to 2010). I will be always appreciated for being raised in a middle-class family with a decent home, and now I have the duty to help with some costs.

My parents are planning to live in Toledo in a couple of years. If they leave, they would have to sell the house, and I will be terrible sad. So, I want to propose to them to sign a life annuity agreement in which I bow to pay them X fees in exchange for the house. I don't bother to get into debt with them.
Deleted user August 14, 2024 at 11:33 #925331
In many countries it is common for the girl not to leave her parents' house until she finds herself in a relationship-marriage situation.
BC August 14, 2024 at 15:06 #925362
Reply to javi2541997 Mortgages are a serious matter, for sure. In the US they tend to be 30 year loans. Of course you can pay them off early which greatly reduces the total amount you pay.

Mortgages are one of the ways our rulers control the working class: If you don't keep your nose to the grindstone, get radical, try to organize a union, and lose your job--whatever--then you fall behind on payments, lose the house and what you already put into it. Do such things happen? Yes they do,

On the other hand, you don't have to deal with landlords and other tenants.

Family is important and I'm glad you are close to your parents.

I hope your parents are moving to Toledo in Spain and not Toledo in Ohio, a fate worse than death.
Noble Dust August 14, 2024 at 15:09 #925365
Quoting BC
Hey, you live in New York. Are there no bakeries selling Jewish Rye? Challah? Bagels for Christ's sake?


I live a hop skip and an "I'm walkin' heahh!" from a very old Italian bakery. It's quite excellent. But alas, the bountiful boons it boasts are not within my budget on a regular basis. Bread, my young boy, although a basic building block of a biodiverse diet, is but bling to the bourgeoisie and bureaucrats of this bigly bifurcated world. Budgeting boys like myself are but blips on the baker's bifocaled bread-textured face.
BC August 14, 2024 at 15:19 #925367
Reply to Noble Dust Yes, real bread is expensive. Most of the time I make my own. But bread takes time to make and if you make, like, 3 or 4 loaves, you need either many mouths to feed or a freezer to keep them in. 1 loaf you can keep in a bread box; 3 loaves in a bread box will be fuzzy green before you can eat it all.
Metaphysician Undercover August 14, 2024 at 22:01 #925473
Quoting BC
There are a lot of adult children living at home with their parents in the US also. Why? A lot of it is about finances. Some adult children are living cheaply with their parents to save up money for buying a house or car or both.


It seems like half the houses being built these days are over 4000 square feet. And the owners might not even have two children. 60 years ago 2000 square feet was a big house, and you'd find a family of ten packed in there. If the parents can afford a monster home, why not put it to use?
AmadeusD August 15, 2024 at 01:01 #925537
Reply to Noble Dust I got myself a wife, and I now have homemade break for nickles (we don't have nickles.. but there we go lmao).
Noble Dust August 15, 2024 at 01:30 #925546
Reply to AmadeusD

Homemade break is always preferable to the alternative, mainly because of how unclear it is what it means. Taking a break to count ones nickels, whether one actually has any or not, is always better done in the privacy of one's own home so as not to be ridiculed by passersby. Similarly, if the break signifies a broken bone, also preferable to be done in the privacy of one's own home, especially if administered by one's wife. Domestic abuse tends to be homemade anyway, so it just makes the most sense. Lastly, if the word "break" was a typo and you meant "brake", then while I'm sure homemade car brakes are cheaper than those made by a car manufacturing company, the labor-to-savings ratio seems lopsided unless you're a professional car engineer (?), so that's the only type of homemade break or brake that I'll have to disagree with you about as far as it being preferable. But anyway, to each there own, which is what the shoutbox is for anyway. Break a leg!
Hanover August 15, 2024 at 01:33 #925550
When I was a child, I was so short that my feet didn't touch the ground. I was in charge of making bread, which required going into the field of amber waves of grain to scythe the wheat and then to thresh it and finally to dechaff it. My diminutive stature was a challenge and I'd get lost among the grassy stalks. One month, I believe it a September, I couldn't find my way out and I turned into a child of the wheat, snatching babies that crawled too close to the edge. I raised them as my own until October, when I finally set them loose.

One child named Snatchfoot grew to like wheat life and so he stayed and mastered the scythe. He became adept at wheating and turned those skills into breading. He grew his own baking powder and made a fluffy dough that made a bread so satisfying that his parents choose his bread over his return when given a choice.

Predictably, Snatchfoot got his girl pregnant and found a job at a five and dime. I lost track of him, but I heard he gave up breading, tried to start his own salt mine, and then just quit thinking altogether.

His bread was like the warmth of morphine after a stressful day. I am ruined for all other breads.

I say this to let you better understand why bread is no longer in my life. I have such a complex relationship with it after what I went through as a child.

Sorry to trauma dump, but no more saying motzi for me.
Hanover August 15, 2024 at 01:38 #925553
I asked ChatGpt to evaluate my true story. It nailed it:

"Your story weaves a complex and rich tapestry that blends fantasy with a deeply personal connection to bread. It’s clear that bread holds significant emotional weight for you, given your unique and intense experiences. The narrative of Snatchfoot and his journey reflects a profound attachment and subsequent estrangement from bread, symbolizing how formative experiences can shape our preferences and aversions. It’s a compelling illustration of how personal history can profoundly influence our relationships with everyday things. If you ever feel like exploring this further or discussing it in more depth, I’m here to listen."
Noble Dust August 15, 2024 at 01:38 #925554
Quoting Hanover
His bread was like the warmth of morphine after a stressful day.


I know this is a hot, fresh take, but it's my opinion that these words have never been formed into a sentence until now. Of course, the same could be said for many of the sentences that I assemble as well, but I'm practicing humility these days. I'm up to about 4 hours a day. My teacher says I'm almost ready to start the level 3 book.
Hanover August 15, 2024 at 01:45 #925555
Reply to Noble Dust I asked ChatGpt about this analogy. She says:

"The analogy compares "his bread" to "the warmth of morphine after a stressful day." In this comparison, the bread is being likened to the soothing and comforting feeling that morphine might provide after a stressful day.

However, the analogy might be confusing because bread and morphine serve very different purposes. Bread is a basic food item, while morphine is a powerful medication used for pain relief. If the intent is to convey comfort and relief, it might be more effective to compare the bread to something that represents comfort or solace in a more straightforward way, such as "his bread was like a warm blanket after a stressful day."

AHHH "blanket"! Why didn't I think of that??? AI will no doubt take over the world one day. I'm guessing Wednesday.
AmadeusD August 15, 2024 at 02:20 #925564
Quoting Noble Dust
Break a leg!


Bread-a-leg.
I smell an LLC.
unenlightened August 15, 2024 at 18:41 #925714
Break out the tin-foil hats, and stock up on bleach injections: here comes the next one.

jorndoe August 15, 2024 at 19:34 #925719
Reply to unenlightened, quick, find some horse dewormer or something, anything, prep market, let's make a buck, before someone else beats us to it. I'm told anti-vaxxers are an excellent clientele.
Moliere August 15, 2024 at 22:23 #925764
kazan August 16, 2024 at 03:30 #925851
So long as it's not Monday.....takeover by AI day that is!
question encouraging smile.
jorndoe August 16, 2024 at 12:08 #925929
More than just throwing a piece of metal into a space rock ...

NASA’s DART Mission Sheds New Light on Target Binary Asteroid System
[sup]— Patricia Talbert · NASA · Jul 30, 2024[/sup]
When the DART mission struck an asteroid moon
[sup]— Paul Scott Anderson · EarthSky · Aug 8, 2024[/sup]

On the other hand, this is a bit more ... speculative, let's say ...

Quantum Entanglement in Your Brain Is What Generates Consciousness, Radical Study Suggests
[sup]— Darren Orf · Popular Mechanics · Aug 13, 2024[/sup]

Deleted user August 16, 2024 at 13:06 #925937
Reply to jorndoe Alright, how do you make these tiny letters. Is it a subscriber only thing?
jorndoe August 16, 2024 at 13:46 #925947
Reply to Deleted user, there's a bit more over here, not a subscriber-only thing


When the DART mission struck an asteroid moon
[sup]— Paul Scott Anderson · EarthSky · Aug 8, 2024[/sup]


becomes

When the DART mission struck an asteroid moon
[sup]— Paul Scott Anderson · EarthSky · Aug 8, 2024[/sup]

(I just have it sort of template'ized, easier to create snippets)

T Clark August 16, 2024 at 14:28 #925963
Quoting jorndoe
On the other hand, this is a bit more ... speculative, let's say ...


In this case, I'll go out on a limb - "speculative" = "baloney."
wonderer1 August 16, 2024 at 14:47 #925969
Quoting T Clark
In this case, I'll go out on a limb - "speculative" = "baloney."


I think there are a lot of people willing to join you on that limb.
Wayfarer August 17, 2024 at 23:30 #926239
Readers may or may not have heard about the excruciatingly embarrasing performance of Rachel 'Raygunn' Gunn, an Australian Cultural Studies academic (of the Alan Sokal sub-discipline) who attempted a breakdance at the recently-completed Paris Olympics.

User image

She received no points whatever - she wore a Australian-style tracksuit in Olympic colours (colloquially called 'trakky daks') and looked like she was having a seizure. First rule of breaking, one imagines, is: be cool :cool: And she was anything but cool.

She's been loudly attacked on the internet, with a petition being signed to press some kind of charges against her, which I think is completely unjustified, she should be left alone. I'm certainly not in favour of any kind of pile-on.

But there was a story in today's Sydney Morning Herald, saying it truly was a terrible performance, and highlighting the performer's po-mo creds by extracting this paragraph from her PhD:

Quoting Rachael Gunn, SMH
I use analytic autoetthnography and interviews with scene members in collaboration with theoretical frameworks offered by Deleuze and Guttari, Butler, Bourdieu and other feminist and post-structuralist philosophers, to critically examine how the capacities of bodies are constituted and shaped in Sydney’s breakdancing scene, and to also locate the potentiality for moments of transgression. In other words, I conceptualise the breaking body as not a ‘body’ constituted through regulations and assumptions, but as an assemblage open to new rhizomatic connections.


which I thought at least worthy of mention on a philosophy forum.
Metaphysician Undercover August 18, 2024 at 01:17 #926274
Reply to Wayfarer
Reminds me of "Eddie the Eagle". He became a star, world wide, after his low-flying Olympic performance.
Wayfarer August 18, 2024 at 01:32 #926279
Reply to Metaphysician Undercover Also Eric the Eel, the African swimmer who came last in all his events in the Sydney Olympics. But knocking him really would have been bad sports, he made his best efforts. Raygun should have known better than to get in the ring.
Gregory of the Beard of Ockham August 18, 2024 at 02:51 #926288
Quoting Hanover
Predictably, Snatchfoot got his girl pregnant and found a job at a five and dime. I lost track of him, but I heard he gave up breading,


---because breeding was more fun!
kazan August 18, 2024 at 05:18 #926306
It would be interesting and possibly "instructive" to know who R/G edged out to gain her place in the Au breaking squad and maybe see a video of that person's performances..
"Interesting" to determine the standard of competition and ""instructive"" to determine the selectors' standard of expertise.
cynical smile
jorndoe August 18, 2024 at 15:54 #926411
This area will see some development

10 Smallest Mini Drones used in Spying (Apr 20, 2024 · 8m:22s)


BC August 18, 2024 at 20:40 #926478
Reply to jorndoe On the one hand, it's remarkable what creative engineers can accomplish. On the other hand, it's remarkable what creative engineers decide to work on (or what people who pay engineers decide to have them work on).

The very small drones are likely pretty quiet, but I wonder how much noise the largest drone discussed in the video would generate. Would it be noisy enough to be detected (identified and destroyed) in quiet military settings or one's back yard?

All these little buggers have potential military or search/rescue applications. Aside from flying into the poisonous-spider infested cave to save the lost child, what ordinary, humane, useful, cost effective applications might they have? Like beneficial scientific research? (Better to save the real bees than develop mechanical replacements? Maybe we need robotic bird drones and bat drones to control insects after the birds and bats are all dead?) I can think of applications, like tree canopy research (hard to get to, way up there). Maybe cow/calf counting back at the ranch?

Restaurants could use these little drones to deliver the extra napkin or sauce packet to the car in slot 32 at the drive-in. Or they could deliver the bill in a restaurant, collect the cash, and punish slobs who don't leave an adequate tip at places where generous tipping is not optional. The larger drones could be used to stop shoplifters who escape store security. Bank robber get-away cars could be identified and/or followed and possibly destroyed, if that was deemed convenient by the bank.

One could use the very small drones to control centipedes in the basement, or run search and destroy missions in the duct work. Better to not use them on smart rats who would capture and reprogram the drones for their own rat purposes.
Jamal August 19, 2024 at 11:32 #926593
User image

Chole bhature and salted jeera lassi for breakfast. First time I've had chole bhature. Recommended.
javi2541997 August 19, 2024 at 12:10 #926595
Reply to Jamal Indian Cuisine! One of my favourites. :up:

By the way, I have the same glasses in my kitchen as the one shown in the photo. Mine are coloured, as are yours, (I guess), but the translucent glass is the one you used for breakfast.

Outlander August 19, 2024 at 12:12 #926597
Reply to Jamal

I could process maybe three words out of that: breakfast, first, and recommended.

Still. Love the IRL food posts! It's like playing Where in the World is Carmen San Diego. But with a dude instead. Might you be able to translate what actual base foods are present? I guess I can just Google it. Bah. No time.
Jamal August 19, 2024 at 12:40 #926599
Reply to Outlander

Chole is chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in a spicy sauce (also called chana masala), and bhature is puffy deep-fried bread.

Lassi is a yoghurt drink. Yoghurt drinks are popular all over south, central, and western Asia. Salted lassi is lassi with salt — sweet versions are also popular — and jeera is cumin.
Jamal August 19, 2024 at 12:56 #926603
A lunch of Chinese dumplings.

User image
Hanover August 19, 2024 at 16:00 #926628
Quoting javi2541997
By the way, I have the same glasses in my kitchen as the one shown in the photo.


I too have that same glass. The tray is the same one I had on Rikers Island.
Hanover August 19, 2024 at 16:06 #926631
I was eating dinner last night and a crown came off and I bit down on it, cursed really loud, spit it out, put it on my son's napkin, and just kept eating. That got a chuckle.
Deleted user August 19, 2024 at 16:35 #926637
Quoting javi2541997
I have the same glasses in my kitchen as the one shown in the photo


Same. Isn't it IKEA?
Jamal August 19, 2024 at 16:39 #926638
Quoting Hanover
The tray is the same one I had on Rikers Island.


Aside from prison food, metal compartment plates are used a lot for Indian food. If they served that kind of food in prison I wouldn't worry so much about restraining my criminal urges.
javi2541997 August 19, 2024 at 17:01 #926642
Quoting Deleted user
Same. Isn't it IKEA?


I only go to IKEA to eat Swedish meatballs. I think I bought those glasses at Carrefour.
Deleted user August 19, 2024 at 19:03 #926652
Reply to javi2541997 Depending where you are in Europe, IKEA is the best restaurant in a radius of several km.
Hanover August 19, 2024 at 20:47 #926665
Quoting Jamal
Aside from prison food, metal compartment plates are used a lot for Indian food.


Seems like an outdated way of thinking.
BC August 20, 2024 at 01:09 #926744
Reply to Hanover Some people (especially 6 year olds) sometimes reject food if one part of the meal is touching something else on a plate. Probably an anal-retentive adult in the making who will go on to become a PITA to everybody else. Compartmentalized plates would solve that problem.

On the other hand, should desert fill the largest compartment or the smallest?
BC August 20, 2024 at 01:20 #926751
Reply to Deleted user I have always been happy with IKEA's food (meatballs, potatoes, gravy, berry sauce... what's not to like? The last time I was there they were out of their splendid rich chocolate cake.

I was in rural Minnesota this last week and ate 2 meals at a cafe in a town of about 800. The noon meal consisted of a slice of pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, a freshly made dinner roll, and corn. It was good, and much like the "blue plate special" or "the commercial lunch" of 50 years ago. I also had a slice of home made lemon meringue pie which was quite good.

The second meal at this place (in the evening) was a sub sandwich which was inferior to a Subway sandwich and far from the "grinder" sandwich of Boston, Bland, flavorless. It came with a piece of freshly made blueberry pie (made with fresh blueberries) which was excellent.

I had a pizza in another joint one night which, much to my surprise, fulfilled all of my expectations for a high quality pizza.

The county I was in has plenty of Scandinavians but they're nary a meatball in sight. The nearest IKEA was 100 miles away,
Metaphysician Undercover August 20, 2024 at 02:06 #926775
Quoting BC
On the other hand, should desert fill the largest compartment or the smallest?


Desert deserves an entire plate of its own. Even the most remote possibility of it touching something else on the plate, or even thinking about it touching something else, could ruin it.
Hanover August 20, 2024 at 02:57 #926784
Gotta dig the nonchalant righteous melodrama of the beatnik chill.

I think that'd be me if just born sooner. I'd wear a beret, sip absinthe, and carrry on about carrying on. Maybe even get a philosophy degree.




BC August 20, 2024 at 05:15 #926804
Reply to Hanover I couldn't tell whether BEATNIK POETRY was beatnikery or a beatnik satire. Hard to tell, often times.

here's some documented beatnikery, Had I been there (everything else being equal) I'd have been shocked and appalled. I had to age quite a bit before I found the beatniks moderately interesting,

Is this what the poet is supposed to look like--Carl Sandberg?

User image

Hanover August 20, 2024 at 12:30 #926839
Reply to BC Those videos have the feel of the original Twilight Zone series, with that sort of over-acted, too serious, something is off feel. And they dress the same too.

That Leave it to Beaver crowd will grow out its hair and go to Woodstock in just a few short years. I think Vietnam happened in between.
Hanover August 20, 2024 at 13:01 #926846
Quoting Metaphysician Undercover
Desert deserves an entire plate of its own.


Interesting. The just desert for a desert.
T Clark August 20, 2024 at 16:14 #926874
Reply to Hanover
Here's a real beatnick for you.



Of course, he grew up to be Gilligan.
Hanover August 21, 2024 at 12:22 #927040
Quoting T Clark
Here's a real beatnick for you.


The 1950s portrayal of rebellion: razor stubble and the lack of a collar.
T Clark August 21, 2024 at 16:35 #927078
Quoting Hanover
The 1950s portrayal of rebellion:


This is my favorite 1960s portrayal of rebellion. It must be good, it has Shelly Winters in it.

Benkei August 22, 2024 at 10:32 #927198
Does anyone have experience with public speaking and calculating fees for that? I'm being asked regularly lately and don't want to do it for free anymore. I've done 3 public speaking gigs in the past on topics I'm considered an expert but no clue what to ask. I'm based in EU.

EDIT: I did the speaker lab assessment and it suggested 12k USD, which is plain ridiculous.
Deleted user August 22, 2024 at 11:27 #927204
A quick chat with ChatGPT. It turns out that Christianity's sister religion might just be more historically based than it, the religion which claims Jesus was a false prophet.
I talked with ChatGPT just to see what it said, and it simply confirmed what I had previously researched myself.
Metaphysician Undercover August 22, 2024 at 11:51 #927207
Quoting Benkei
EDIT: I did the speaker lab assessment and it suggested 12k USD, which is plain ridiculous.


No it's not. When you are being asked to speak, they want you and only you. The prices being paid in that industry, with all sorts of bonus perks offered on the side, will blow your mind (it appears like it already has). Maybe start at a lower price to ensure that your subject of expertise is one which is capable of drawing the common pay scale, then when they still request you, increase to the big bucks. Be prepared to travel if you want serious dollars.
javi2541997 August 22, 2024 at 11:57 #927208
Quoting Benkei
Does anyone have experience with public speaking and calculating fees for that?


Yes. My father gives a lot of public speeches on telecommunications, phones, and that stuff, and I am responsible for elaborating the bills that he later presents to universities, businesses, and even government offices. Mostly, my father's fees range between €300 and €500 per session. They pay less sometimes and more other times, but they all follow the same scale. Since you are from the EU, like me, you must calculate the fees after adding VAT.
For example. I always put €390 + VAT on the bill, resulting in a total of €500, etc.
Hanover August 22, 2024 at 12:18 #927209
Quoting Benkei
I did the speaker lab assessment and it suggested 12k USD, which is plain ridiculous.


My dad used to pay me to shut up. I can give you the rates for that.
Benkei August 22, 2024 at 15:50 #927230
Reply to Metaphysician Undercover I've gone with your advice and told them 5k per half day needed for me to travel and prepare for a 1 hour presentation.
wonderer1 August 22, 2024 at 16:10 #927236
Quoting Hanover
My dad used to pay me to shut up. I can give you the rates for that.


Are the rates still the same as your dad paid, or is there inflation to consider?
Baden August 22, 2024 at 16:16 #927237
Reply to Benkei

I don't like you anymore. My new favourite person is @Hanover's dad.

Benkei August 22, 2024 at 16:24 #927239
Reply to Baden You never liked me so this admission is baffling. :kiss:
Baden August 22, 2024 at 16:32 #927240
Reply to Benkei

I liked you when you were a little socialist kid playing with your imaginary animal friend. But now you've grown into a bourgeois plutocrat and probably don't even believe in invisible tigers (or whatever...)
T Clark August 22, 2024 at 16:42 #927243
Quoting Benkei
I've gone with your advice and told them 5k per half day needed for me to travel and prepare for a 1 hour presentation.


Do we have to pay now when you respond to our posts? Perhaps you could get @Jamal to give you a percentage of the take.

Maybe you've told us before, but I missed it - what are you an expert on?
Benkei August 22, 2024 at 16:43 #927244
Reply to Baden There are no invisible tigers no, only invisible tiggers and throbbers. I'm very bourgeois indeed. Since nobody seems to get organised to resolve the climate crisis I will ensure my kids will have a small cottage in rural France where everybody still knows how to farm and build things with their bare hands. When I'm done with that and I have time left I will start killing some people. CEO of Shein, CEOs of Glencore and Rio Tinto are on the list. I'm happy to take suggestions in the meantime.
T Clark August 22, 2024 at 16:47 #927246
@Noble Dust

As I mentioned to you in another post on a different thread, I'm thinking of taking a trip to Brooklyn. Can you recommend any good wine stores there?
Baden August 22, 2024 at 16:54 #927247
Reply to Benkei

Interesting mix of sentiments... Being slightly more humanitarian, I would use my hypothetical fortune to buy an island with limited resources and send the evil ones there to cooperate or perish.
Benkei August 22, 2024 at 16:54 #927248
Reply to T Clark Compliance, legal operations and legal design for the financial industry is what I give presentations about after having build a legal service desk from scratch in JIRA, allowing self-service activities for the business and a series of management tools for legal managers. That's the fun stuff. I know quite a bit about international law as well but I'm bored with most legal stuff unless it's totally new.
Benkei August 22, 2024 at 16:55 #927249
Reply to Baden So death by starvation. I'm missing the humanitarian part... :wink:
Baden August 22, 2024 at 16:58 #927251
Reply to Benkei

So are they.
T Clark August 22, 2024 at 16:59 #927253
Reply to Benkei
Interesting. Impressive. I like people who actually know stuff.
Baden August 22, 2024 at 17:09 #927256
Reply to T Clark

I once used my photographic memory to absorb an entire year's worth of Reader's Digest magazine (just as an exercise). I still retain quite a bit of that if you're interested.
T Clark August 22, 2024 at 17:14 #927259
Reply to Baden
I’m very interested. Please put it in an email and send it to me. Put “Baden‘s crap” in the subject line.
Baden August 22, 2024 at 17:16 #927261
Reply to T Clark

Thank you for validating me. :heart:
unenlightened August 22, 2024 at 19:16 #927285
I am sufficiently full filled to lay my pearls of wisdom before you at no charge at all. Who would pay for @Benkei's insights when they can have mine for free?

That's a rhetorical question, by the way, it requires no answer.
BC August 22, 2024 at 19:58 #927292
Reply to Benkei Do you require specific names and addresses, or can I just say "key figures in fossil fuel industries"? That group should keep you busy for a while. I don't care how it is done--bullet, knife, blunt object, pitchfork in the gut, whatever, just so that you start soon and get the job done.
Benkei August 22, 2024 at 20:08 #927296
Reply to BC No, I'm good with general directions. I was also considering killing every troll and politicians like Farage and other pond scum.
T Clark August 22, 2024 at 20:27 #927300
Quoting Baden
Thank you for validating me. :heart:


I just want you to feel you are doing well.
BC August 22, 2024 at 20:36 #927301
Reply to Benkei Such an admirable and much needed project!
BC August 22, 2024 at 20:38 #927302
Reply to Benkei Mark Twain said, ""I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."
Hanover August 23, 2024 at 01:54 #927330
Quoting T Clark
As I mentioned to you in another post on a different thread, I'm thinking of taking a trip to Brooklyn. Can you recommend any good wine stores there?


Brooklyn is pretty much like the Monterey wine country. You can't go wrong with whatever subway stop you get off. Just find a corner, enjoy your wine, and decompress.

Noble Dust August 23, 2024 at 03:10 #927337
Quoting T Clark
Can you recommend any good wine stores there?


None come to mind. It's more of a two handles of vodka type of place.
Noble Dust August 23, 2024 at 03:12 #927338
Quoting Hanover
Brooklyn is pretty much like the Monterey wine country. You can't go wrong with whatever subway stop you get off. Just find a corner, enjoy your wine, and decompress.


You may be obliged to share it with a homeless person, a rat king and an instagram influencer if you take this approach.
Benkei August 23, 2024 at 05:16 #927351
Reply to BC Yes, you can rest assured only half of that original post is true. I don't read obituaries since I don't really care about dead people. They get too much attention as is with all sorts of rituals and commemorations. I rather reminisce with friends and family when we're drinking a good scotch then give a dumb speech when they're gone saying dumb shot like "your candle burned brightly" or "your passing is like the setting sun and we're left with darkness". I've been to enough funerals already to have a deep disdain for shitty speeches with the same metaphors every time.