The Random Thoughts Thread

[RichardCranium]

Does anyone actually like the taste of original Red Bull? Speaking for a friend, it tastes like Soviet-era worm medicine.

Did you find that out during some clandestine mission in the GDU when you were stationed in Germany back in the day?

I mean I wouldn't really know the difference between Soviet-era worm medicine and good ol' fashioned Revolutionary War worm medicine myself.

[dovecanyoncat]

Does anyone actually like the taste of original Red Bull? Speaking for a friend, it tastes like Soviet-era worm medicine.

Did you find that out during some clandestine mission in the GDU when you were stationed in Germany back in the day?

I mean I wouldn't really know the difference between Soviet-era worm medicine and good ol' fashioned Revolutionary War worm medicine myself.

No, I used Obama's time machine. It's surprisingly handy for such important aesthetic tasks.

[Chicat]

If you breathe in your own fart, are you technically recycling?

[dovecanyoncat]

The Cameron Crazies got nuthin' on the coyotes in the wash behind my house. Coyotepocalypse!

[dovecanyoncat]

I wonder how I will be when it's my turn upon the wheel.

A sweet dear woman here in retirement city Arizona, a person nothing like the MAGAsaurs that roam the waterhole, has spent the last year and a half helping her husband through the rehab subsequent to major heart surgery. For those of us not named Cal State Tempe, be aware how the heart-lung machine makes dramatic changes in the cellular integrity of the human body. The challenges of rehab far outweigh the challenges under the knife. Spirit either rises to the challenge of rehab ..... or not. Ann's husband had the requisite spirit and he met the battle. But as he progressed, arrogance ..... probably arrogance, or impatience or vanity or the weariness of old age .... perhaps just an innocent desire to be less of a burden on his wife, led him to neglect his walker as he began to regain strength. He falls and hits his head.

No, I'm fine, I'll just sleep here until I can get up and then we'll call the Doctor.

She called 911 anyway. He was alert and talking all the way as they took him in for testing. He died within an hour.

Both my parents have manifest this: these conditions, these habits, these tendencies. I tell myself I have learned from others. And everyday that passes in this place full of old people, I relish, along with the shittiness of the inevitable, my chance to learn and make a difference for my own life and for that of my wife. I tell myself I'll know better.

[dovecanyoncat]

We're in La Jolla for a couple days and I no longer feel like I'm in a seething school of fascist shiteater fish. Gotta love Cali.

[Carcassdragger]

We're in La Jolla for a couple days and I no longer feel like I'm in a seething school of fascist shiteater fish. Gotta love Cali.

Stay away from east San Diego or you'll feel like you're right back in it.

[Carcassdragger]

.... San Diego is pretty much a red stronghold. It's the land of the Duncan Hunters.

[Merkin]

My youngest son has lived in 6 or 7 different neighborhoods in SD, and have to say coastal SD is the most gay friendly area I have ever seen. Rainbow flags everywhere he has lived. Especially at restaurants. But then again, he is gay.

Suburbs like Santee, now they are a KKK stronghold.

The city of San Diego itself had banned dispensaries for years after medical marijuana was legalized.

When he first moved to SD, he lived in walking distance to the Mormon Temple in LaJolla. It's quite impressive, and you can walk around on the grounds. Even Mormons can't go inside unless they are in good standing.



The Tucson temple not quite as impressive, or even close.

[UAEebs86]

I just spent a week in Kanab and St. George. There is literally a Mormon church every mile or so while you are driving in town.

[Merkin]

We're in La Jolla for a couple days and I no longer feel like I'm in a seething school of fascist shiteater fish. Gotta love Cali.

Stay away from east San Diego or you'll feel like you're right back in it.

Gotta say though, this place is worth the drive in Lemon Grove.

When they announced they were closing, they had a huge outcry of support. People lined up down the block and they reopened.

[RichardCranium]

We're in La Jolla for a couple days and I no longer feel like I'm in a seething school of fascist shiteater fish. Gotta love Cali.

I lived in Solana Beach for a couple of years, a million years ago.

Can't imagine what it looks like now, but the drive out back of SB through Rancho Santa Fe and Escondido and then onwards down to the Salton Sea was a great drive in a convertible.

The used to be a GREAT dive bar in a row of WWII Quonset huts next to the RR tracks in SB. I imagine that's long gone now though.

[FreeSpiritCat]

Forums.

I've grown when it comes to responding to posts. I remember when I felt embarrassed when someone didn't respond to my post. Now I realize that's okay. If my posts are a dud no one should respond to them, or at least post that it is a dud. If you are sincere don't hold back. I am frank in the way I post, and expect no less in return. Yes, it might sting a little. Yet, I will learn. I can take the stings to become a better person.

So, no one responds to a post. Patience! Give it time. If I feel something I wrote is profound, it will be responded to, and given its due. Reaction responses tend to go in directions not intended. If curveballs are thrown, even if snarky, take the jab and learn what it is I did wrong.

As I am becoming old, there is something I am understanding about the elderly. They are knowledgeable. They should be listened to. If we would listen to the elderly more, life may go more smoothly. Or knowledge and learning will grow at a faster pace.

I am 64 and still love life. I may not have what others have. Yet... I am happy for them. I honor their achievements. Having a family is a gift. I am not jealous at all. I wasn't ready for it and accept that. I have my own path to walk in life. I should not impede on anyone else's path.

I met a new co-worker a few weeks ago. I noticed she didn't feel welcomed. She is obviously from Africa, and I went out of my way to talk with her. I let her know I had friends from Nigeria and Liberia, when I lived in Phoenix. She is from Angola, Africa. I wanted to make sure she knew she had a friend in me. The last time I was walking into work she stopped and let me know how much my intro meant to her. It made my evening. I am honored to make a difference.

As far as refugees go when sent to Maine, I want to make a distinction between the refugees and government. There is a major housing shortage here. When I arrived in Maine I wanted to work in Portland, but the housing was WAY too expensive for the pay. So I settled in Augusta. Augusta is still overpriced in rent compared to the pay. Yet, refugees were given housing, mostly in Lewiston. But, Eunice didn't feel comfortable there because of the prejudice. A side note, Lewiston has the best high school soccer team in the state by far. So, when I felt Eunice's anxiety, I wanted to make sure she has a friend in me.

The point is, I don't blame the refugees. They don't decide where they are sent. So I hold nothing against them at all. It wasn't their decision to live in Maine. If I see them, I will accept them with open arms. My fight is with the politicians. If Maine has a major housing shortage, why send us refugees, and give them affordable housing, when citizens, who want to work, can't afford the housing costs. I blame government. And the Massholes, who rent apartments only for the summer, thus driving up rents. I will never be a Red Sox fan.

[Chicat]

FWIW, I don’t respond to every post I want to for a few reasons. One is that I post way too much as it is, and another is that many times I’m not adding anything to the conversation beyond the interaction. So I try to give rep instead.

[Merkin]

If I find I am posting on a thread where I had posted and no one responded, I figure my last post wasn't all that interesting and delete it and post the new one.

I just tend to post relevant news from Xitter, since they tend to say it better and smarter than I would.

This Lewiston soccer team? Not what I expected to tell you the truth.

[dovecanyoncat]

Utterance is often its own reward. If important it focuses the mind and edifies something inward. If we were to speak solely for the sake of response it would at the very least dilute the transformative nature of voicing it. Most of the time I weigh the performative and the informative with the transformative, and then post fart joke memes.

[FreeSpiritCat]

I enjoy YouTube reaction videos. But, I have a problem with them. I see the same music being reacted to over and over. YouTubers see success with reacting to a song, and the same song becomes reacted to forever. It gets old. I do like certain YouTubers reacting to those videos. It is because they are talented and skilled in music. And they teach more than react. That is different.

[RichardCranium]

Yeah. I quite like the Vigrin Rock reactions. She does a first time listen with comments, then later an in-depth dive into the instrumentation, orchestration, etc. Good ones to check out would be her coverage of Pink Floyd The Wall, the whole album song by song. She also reviewed Decadence's cover of Sound Of Silence that was a standout.

She is a concert harpist and also plays piano, guitar, and who knows what else.

[FreeSpiritCat]

On a positive note. I follow YouTube more than any other media, even streaming services. And in reaction videos (I need to cut back on this addiction), I've come to realize how beautiful the United States is. In beauty, we are blessed, and in so many ways. IMO, the variety of breathtaking beauty in the US is more than any other place on earth. There is beauty anywhere in America. When I completely retire 5 years from now, I plan to tour the country (probably parts of Canada too). Just keep myself healthy. To my fellow fans in Tucson, the Sonoran Desert is a treasure. One of the most unique places on earth. Tucson is beautiful, especially surrounded by mountains.

Here in northern New England, it is absolutely beautiful in a completely different way than Arizona. If I live in Lebanon, NH I will have rivers, lakes, a forest, and mountains close by. The AppalachianTrail is 8 miles away. The Northern Rail Trail starts in town. There is a ski resort on the edge of town. Hey, if I am not working, a broken bone is only an inconvenience. Vermont is a few miles away. It fits me because it is liberal. Dartmouth College is a few miles away.

That being said, there are so many beautiful places in this country. Since I grew up in Indiana, I got to love Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan (mostly northern Michigan). That is an entirely different beautiful area. Northern Minnesota may be one of the coldest areas in the continental US, but it is outdoor heaven, especially for fishing. The Chippewa National Forest is special. My family used to vacation for 2 weeks every year on different lakes. Loons in the lakes, that laugh in the morning. Bald Eagles in the trees. Birch trees at that. Black Bears roam the Birchwood forest. We parked at the landfill at dusk to see the Bears come out and scavenge.

I show these examples to emphasize how beautiful and special the US is. I will fight ferociously to keep our National and State Park systems in tact. Thank You Theodore Roosevelt. I find beauty in nature one of the greatest gifts given on earth.

[Merkin]

That is one of the many things I love about California. Every single environment is only a couple hours away drive which drove the film industry here.

However, have to say the Sonoran desert >>>>> Mohave desert. What a terrible place to live. Terribly hot summers and very cold and windy winters. At least the Sonoran desert has nice winters, along with all the cactus.

[Carcassdragger]

On a positive note. I follow YouTube more than any other media, even streaming services. And in reaction videos (I need to cut back on this addiction), I've come to realize how beautiful the United States is. In beauty, we are blessed, and in so many ways. IMO, the variety of breathtaking beauty in the US is more than any other place on earth. There is beauty anywhere in America. When I completely retire 5 years from now, I plan to tour the country (probably parts of Canada too). Just keep myself healthy. To my fellow fans in Tucson, the Sonoran Desert is a treasure. One of the most unique places on earth. Tucson is beautiful, especially surrounded by mountains.

Here in northern New England, it is absolutely beautiful in a completely different way than Arizona. If I live in Lebanon, NH I will have rivers, lakes, a forest, and mountains close by. The AppalachianTrail is 8 miles away. The Northern Rail Trail starts in town. There is a ski resort on the edge of town. Hey, if I am not working, a broken bone is only an inconvenience. Vermont is a few miles away. It fits me because it is liberal. Dartmouth College is a few miles away.

That being said, there are so many beautiful places in this country. Since I grew up in Indiana, I got to love Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan (mostly northern Michigan). That is an entirely different beautiful area. Northern Minnesota may be one of the coldest areas in the continental US, but it is outdoor heaven, especially for fishing. The Chippewa National Forest is special. My family used to vacation for 2 weeks every year on different lakes. Loons in the lakes, that laugh in the morning. Bald Eagles in the trees. Birch trees at that. Black Bears roam the Birchwood forest. We parked at the landfill at dusk to see the Bears come out and scavenge.

I show these examples to emphasize how beautiful and special the US is. I will fight ferociously to keep our National and State Park systems in tact. Thank You Theodore Roosevelt. I find beauty in nature one of the greatest gifts given on earth.

This is a very fine post! I think I'm going to add Minnesota to my travel plans when I retire in a couple of years, just because of this post.

I've been to several world heritage sights and wonders of the world. Scuba dove the magnificent reefs of Grand Caymen, Cozumel, remote areas in the Sea of Cortez and the incredible kelp forests of the California coasts and the Channel Islands I've the seen the magnificent Mayan pyramid cities of the Yucatan and Chiapas. I've hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Piccu. I've rafted Cataract Canyon and the Grand Canyon. I've been to Yosemite, Yellowstone, Bryce and Glacier. I've backpacked the Chiracahua mountains in Arizona which is one of the most diverse places on our continent.

Nothing blows my mind as much as the incredible cathedrals of Sequioa National Park. I've been three times and still can't get over it. These trees are the biggest living things on the planet. Their otherworldly appearance is just the most awe inspiring thing I've ever seen. If you haven't been, get there.

[dovecanyoncat]

If you can't say something nice about someone just say the bad stuff really fast.

[FreeSpiritCat]

I was thinking about UA sports websites, and I participate in 2 of them. It is a major reason why I changed my screen name.

I like Wildcat Authority because it is the best source for what is happening in UA sports, especially recruiting. It is mostly sports focused and politics won't be tolerated. There are some really good posters there. They do lose subscribers. Winger was there and left. Azgirl was there and left. Of course we lost Spaceman Spiff, and others. It is a little expensive to renew, but I get Paramount+ for a year.

Bear Down Wildcats is special because almost nothing is off-limits. It is far more general in nature. We don't compete with other UA websites because we aren't dependent on subscribers. I love the lower boards. Although the politics board is very liberal so participating as a conservative is a challenge. Yet, the general discussion board and media board is really good, and non-political. I've been a member of Bear Down Wildcats from day one. And I read selected threads every day (not all of them).

One last point. I think it is time to donate to UA Devil again, so we can show our support for BDW. Post a link to contribute and I will do my part.

[UAEebs86]

One last point. I think it is time to donate to UA Devil again, so we can show our support for BDW. Post a link to contribute and I will do my part.

It's in Ari's first post here:

http://www.beardownwildcats.com/viewtop ... =26&t=6363

[Carcassdragger]

I was thinking about UA sports websites, and I participate in 2 of them. It is a major reason why I changed my screen name.

I like Wildcat Authority because it is the best source for what is happening in UA sports, especially recruiting. It is mostly sports focused and politics won't be tolerated. There are some really good posters there. They do lose subscribers. Winger was there and left. Azgirl was there and left. Of course we lost Spaceman Spiff, and others. It is a little expensive to renew, but I get Paramount+ for a year.

Bear Down Wildcats is special because almost nothing is off-limits. It is far more general in nature. We don't compete with other UA websites because we aren't dependent on subscribers. I love the lower boards. Although the politics board is very liberal so participating as a conservative is a challenge. Yet, the general discussion board and media board is really good, and non-political. I've been a member of Bear Down Wildcats from day one. And I read selected threads every day (not all of them).

One last point. I think it is time to donate to UA Devil again, so we can show our support for BDW. Post a link to contribute and I will do my part.

I appreciate your post.

It's not that participation on the lower boards is difficult as a conservative. It's that advocating for a nuanced position, or any position outside of the far left established positions, is difficult.

It's the same thing the far right is guilty of. Moderate or nuanced positions on any topic of significance is not tolerated by the majority of Republicans

It's ruining us.

[pc in NM]

I was thinking about UA sports websites, and I participate in 2 of them. It is a major reason why I changed my screen name.

I like Wildcat Authority because it is the best source for what is happening in UA sports, especially recruiting. It is mostly sports focused and politics won't be tolerated. There are some really good posters there. They do lose subscribers. Winger was there and left. Azgirl was there and left. Of course we lost Spaceman Spiff, and others. It is a little expensive to renew, but I get Paramount+ for a year.

Bear Down Wildcats is special because almost nothing is off-limits. It is far more general in nature. We don't compete with other UA websites because we aren't dependent on subscribers. I love the lower boards. Although the politics board is very liberal so participating as a conservative is a challenge. Yet, the general discussion board and media board is really good, and non-political. I've been a member of Bear Down Wildcats from day one. And I read selected threads every day (not all of them).

One last point. I think it is time to donate to UA Devil again, so we can show our support for BDW. Post a link to contribute and I will do my part.

I appreciate your post.

It's not that participation on the lower boards is difficult as a conservative. It's that advocating for a nuanced position, or any position outside of the far left established positions, is difficult.

It's the same thing the far right is guilty of. Moderate or nuanced positions on any topic of significance is not tolerated by the majority of Republicans

It's ruining us.

You make a good point - group think demands strict adherence to an increasingly narrow dogma. We saw this in the 60's and 70's in the splintering of the anti-war and feminist movements into competing factions...

But, nuance is often difficult around here, even for progressives, believe me...

One of my favorite books on our political polarization is "Why We're Polarized" by Ezra Klein https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/ ... 1476700366.

“The key idea here is “negative partisanship”: partisan behavior driven not by positive feelings toward the party you support but negative feelings toward the party you oppose. If you’ve ever voted in an election feeling a bit bleh about the candidate you backed, but fearful of the troglodyte or socialist running against her, you’ve been a negative partisan. It turns out a lot of us have been negative partisans. A 2016 Pew poll found that self-described independents who tended to vote for one party or the other were driven more by negative motivations. Majorities of both Republican- and Democratic-leaning independents said a major reason for their lean was the other party’s policies were bad for the country; by contrast, only a third of each group said they were driven by support for the policies of the party they were voting for.”

― Ezra Klein, Why We're Polarized

[dovecanyoncat]

The principle behind three-party and multi-party systems is sound. The execution .... not so much.

[wyo-cat]

I was thinking about UA sports websites, and I participate in 2 of them. It is a major reason why I changed my screen name.

I like Wildcat Authority because it is the best source for what is happening in UA sports, especially recruiting. It is mostly sports focused and politics won't be tolerated. There are some really good posters there. They do lose subscribers. Winger was there and left. Azgirl was there and left. Of course we lost Spaceman Spiff, and others. It is a little expensive to renew, but I get Paramount+ for a year.

Bear Down Wildcats is special because almost nothing is off-limits. It is far more general in nature. We don't compete with other UA websites because we aren't dependent on subscribers. I love the lower boards. Although the politics board is very liberal so participating as a conservative is a challenge. Yet, the general discussion board and media board is really good, and non-political. I've been a member of Bear Down Wildcats from day one. And I read selected threads every day (not all of them).

One last point. I think it is time to donate to UA Devil again, so we can show our support for BDW. Post a link to contribute and I will do my part.

I appreciate your post.

It's not that participation on the lower boards is difficult as a conservative. It's that advocating for a nuanced position, or any position outside of the far left established positions, is difficult.

It's the same thing the far right is guilty of. Moderate or nuanced positions on any topic of significance is not tolerated by the majority of Republicans

It's ruining us.

I’m cool with conservative viewpoints, but in this current climate there is no home for conservatism in the modern GOP.

I’d love to discuss some nuanced topics, but even NATO Is a flashpoint with Trumpers. It’s so fucking crazy. NATO has always been a benefit to the US and Europe. It’s was never an issue until Trump. Now as fealty to Putin, Trump will pull us out.

Make it make sense. Give me a conservative argument for leaving NATO.

Have at it.

[Merkin]

It doesn't help the conservative side when meme parrots like KaibatKat represents the right. Never an original thought, just something he saw on Twitter that tickled his fancy.

Still not convinced he isn't Bonney, who used to copy and paste circle jerk emails verbatim.

Did Spliff leave since he ventured to the lower boards? Terrible loss. Same with DC4 who was a great football poster here.

[UAEebs86]

Did Spliff leave since he ventured to the lower boards? Terrible loss. Same with DC4 who was a great football poster here.

Spiff left due to a gun control debate in the lower boards that got too heated for him.

I don't remember dc4azcats ever venturing down to the lower boards. One of the few posters I have met in person - my son and I rode on the bus that was chartered up to the Fiesta Bowl in 2014. Good guy.

[dovecanyoncat]

I was thinking about UA sports websites, and I participate in 2 of them. It is a major reason why I changed my screen name.

I like Wildcat Authority because it is the best source for what is happening in UA sports, especially recruiting. It is mostly sports focused and politics won't be tolerated. There are some really good posters there. They do lose subscribers. Winger was there and left. Azgirl was there and left. Of course we lost Spaceman Spiff, and others. It is a little expensive to renew, but I get Paramount+ for a year.

Bear Down Wildcats is special because almost nothing is off-limits. It is far more general in nature. We don't compete with other UA websites because we aren't dependent on subscribers. I love the lower boards. Although the politics board is very liberal so participating as a conservative is a challenge. Yet, the general discussion board and media board is really good, and non-political. I've been a member of Bear Down Wildcats from day one. And I read selected threads every day (not all of them).

One last point. I think it is time to donate to UA Devil again, so we can show our support for BDW. Post a link to contribute and I will do my part.

I appreciate your post.

It's not that participation on the lower boards is difficult as a conservative. It's that advocating for a nuanced position, or any position outside of the far left established positions, is difficult.

It's the same thing the far right is guilty of. Moderate or nuanced positions on any topic of significance is not tolerated by the majority of Republicans

It's ruining us.

I’m cool with conservative viewpoints, but in this current climate there is no home for conservatism in the modern GOP.

I’d love to discuss some nuanced topics, but even NATO Is a flashpoint with Trumpers. It’s so fucking crazy. NATO has always been a benefit to the US and Europe. It’s was never an issue until Trump. Now as fealty to Putin, Trump will pull us out.

Make it make sense. Give me a conservative argument for leaving NATO.

Have at it.

Even back in the early 90s I saw semi trailers parked along outback western Interstate X with GET US OUT OF THE UN spray painted on the side. America First began in the agrarian hinterlands where conservatives opposed big corporations almost as much as they opposed liberals, and this kept them from bothering to vote for establishment GOPer elites like Bush, Romney, and McCain. That class envy and rejection of most things government, especially intra-country institutions, finally got its champion in Trump who gave nascent bigotry cover to invade suburban structure: school boards, statehouses, libraries, police departments, district courts, medical practice law, the very rights we have to our bodies and the raising of children.

I would welcome a conversation with FreeSpiritCat because I revere many elements of the conservative way of life. If we were all to hold ourselves to the personal fiscal, neighborly, work ethic of the average Kansas or New Mexico farmer/rancher we would have a more stable and prosperous nation. My beef is with the basis of their discipline: theocracy, provincialism bordering on primitive bigotry, abject fear of change, abject fear of education the expansion of which is calibrated to the planet and not the county in which they live.

If FSC is willing to do so we would all be the better for it. But we, as much as he/she, have to know the difference between perception and perspective, otherwise it's all for shit.

[dovecanyoncat]

Boobytrap backwards is Partyboob.
Strap-on backward is no-parts.