Random Thoughts Thread

[G. David Felt]

@A Horse With No Name Thank you for posting that video, WOW, that is crazy the amount of water that came down.

We had a Category 5 Atmospheric River storm that was expected to hit Oregon and Washington last week, at the last minute the storm pushed north into Vancouver BC up to Anchorage Alaska with over 6" of rain fall per hour over a 24hr period, flooding and so much crazy water. Lucky it hit mostly uninhabited space.

[G. David Felt]

Very interesting read. I have always felt that immigrants helped this country, and the facts are proving that out. Most immigrants start their own business than take existing jobs. This is some interesting facts that help explain how we continue to grow our GNP.

Are immigrants taking jobs from 'native' U.S. workers? Here's what economists say (msn.com)

[A Horse With No Name]

30 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

Very interesting read. I have always felt that immigrants helped this country, and the facts are proving that out. Most immigrants start their own business than take existing jobs. This is some interesting facts that help explain how we continue to grow our GNP.

Are immigrants taking jobs from 'native' U.S. workers? Here's what economists say (msn.com)

Absolutely. Of course, Springfield is 45 minutes from where I live. Lots of crazy stuff here. NAZI's openly marching in both Springfield and Grove City, the suburb I am closest to. 

 

Wild how this brand new F150 catches fire and burns so quickly. Even odder how the fire seems to melt/vaporize the aluminum cab. 

 

Oddly enough, we have a harpsichord in our music department, it sounds awesome. Different Harpsichord, but every type of music is keeping me sane. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Little bit of bluegrass...

 

[ccap41]

So after only seeing a few Merc EQ-vehicles over the last handful of months. Just yesterday and today I've managed to see an EQB SUV, EQE Sedan, EQS Sedan and an EQS SUV. Also, they were all black. 

Just seems to odd that all of a sudden I see these in the span of basically 24hours. All of them were in motion so I couldn't grab a picture of them. Plus, they're all really ugly so it's no loss to not have to see any of them, hahaha. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Happy Birthday to @ccap41 and @William Maley!

 

[trinacriabob]

More of an intense sudden thought than a random one:

I am driving down the street on this beautiful day in the Redneck Riviera and I see this ...

... do I knock on the door when I'm not in a fixed enough situation to buy?  It's just what the doctor ordered ... the last rendition of the simple "less is more" base Monte Carlo in white, with alloys, and some glass tinting ... hopefully gray or tan cloth inside.  At any rate, this is a 17 year-old car (if 2007) and an 18 year-old car (if 2006) and, well, I'm in love ... sort of ...

[trinacriabob]

Today, a presidential record is made.

Jimmy Carter becomes the first American president to become a centenarian.

Happy 100th birthday, Mr. Carter!

[A Horse With No Name]

18 hours ago, ccap41 said:

So after only seeing a few Merc EQ-vehicles over the last handful of months. Just yesterday and today I've managed to see an EQB SUV, EQE Sedan, EQS Sedan and an EQS SUV. Also, they were all black. 

Just seems to odd that all of a sudden I see these in the span of basically 24hours. All of them were in motion so I couldn't grab a picture of them. Plus, they're all really ugly so it's no loss to not have to see any of them, hahaha. 

They are ugly 

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Today, a presidential record is made.

Jimmy Carter becomes the first American president to become a centenarian.

Happy 100th birthday, Mr. Carter!

Living good has done the man good!

 

15 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

More of an intense sudden thought than a random one:

I am driving down the street on this beautiful day in the Redneck Riviera and I see this ...

... do I knock on the door when I'm not in a fixed enough situation to buy?  It's just what the doctor ordered ... the last rendition of the simple "less is more" base Monte Carlo in white, with alloys, and some glass tinting ... hopefully gray or tan cloth inside.  At any rate, this is a 17 year-old car (if 2007) and an 18 year-old car (if 2006) and, well, I'm in love ... sort of ...

Run, don't walk away. Cool, but I think a newer ride would better suit you. 

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Happy Birthday to @ccap41 and @William Maley!

 

Happy Birthday to both of you. 

Political but posted for Comedy value only. 

 

Food going into NC by helicopter. They are telling my family maybe 3 weeks to get water, electric. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

New footage, unreal. No electric, food water for my family for days.  Fortunately they have some stuff on hand, but unreal. 

[ccap41]

27 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

They are ugly 

The EQB isn't bad, because it's just a GLB Class with a solid grille. It wasn't a ground-up EV. It isn't necessarily attractive, but it also isn't ugly, imo. 

The others, real, real ugly. 

[trinacriabob]

Happy birthday @ccap41.  Today, or was it yesterday?  Enjoy ... perhaps good food (and libations)!

[ccap41]

12 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Happy birthday @ccap41.  Today, or was it yesterday?  Enjoy ... perhaps good food (and libations)!

Thank you!

Yesterday, the 30th. 

18 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Happy Birthday to @ccap41 and @William Maley!

 

Thank you! 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, ccap41 said:

Thank you!

Yesterday, the 30th. 

Thank you! 

We September born folk are always excellent people. Hope yours was a good one. 

Jimmy Carter is the first American president to turn 100.....Happy Birthday to him as well. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Unreal, more NC

[A Horse With No Name]

Good Derby action....

 

[oldshurst442]

On 9/30/2024 at 12:01 AM, trinacriabob said:

He's a McGill business grad, so a Montrealer.  It sounds like a private university, but it's public.  It's also Anglophone and smack in the middle of Montreal's Financial District.

I've never been a fan of sci-fi, so I never got into Star Trek, Star Wars, or even Batman, Superman, and Spiderman.  I don't think liking Jetsons cartoons counts.

Shatner surprisingly makes the list of the least pleasant Hollywood celebrities you might see on homepages.  I forgot the examples they gave.  Good that he's high energy at 93.  I was not surprised to see Steven Seagal and Jennifer Lopez on the list.  Someone needs to remind her she's the product of a crappy part of The Bronx.

My daughter got accepted at Mcgill this semester.  Health sciences.  Either dentistry or ophthalmology. She hasnt decided yet.  She has got another year to figure that out. 

[oldshurst442]

 

RIP

[trinacriabob]

9 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Living good has done the man good!

Run, don't walk away. Cool, but I think a newer ride would better suit you. 

I agree and this applies to many who have lived long lives.  Aside from those who have medical issues that were not expected or ran in families, these long lived people expended their energy to make good choices, do good things, and sow positive energy.

There seem to be few exceptions to this.

I'm laughing about your advice to RUN from the car.  It looks damn good for its age.  It's that GM's colonnades, W-body coupes (gullwing handle in the pillar all the way to this, the very last one), and even a W-body sedan is what I've driven and liked for years. They have fit like a glove.

But, yes, even as a second car, it doesn't pencil.  I can stay on the "diet," but still read the menu.

[surreal1272]

20 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

New footage, unreal. No electric, food water for my family for days.  Fortunately they have some stuff on hand, but unreal. 

I have an old high school friend that lives just outside of Asheville. NC and she said that while her family is safe, the sheer level of devastation there can not possibly be overstated. She has lived there since e'98 and said that every flood that came before this one seems like a light rain shower now. Just unreal.

[A Horse With No Name]

31 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I have an old high school friend that lives just outside of Asheville. NC and she said that while her family is safe, the sheer level of devastation there can not possibly be overstated. She has lived there since e'98 and said that every flood that came before this one seems like a light rain shower now. Just unreal.

It's unreal. My daughter is with her boyfriend, as he lives in West Asheville and power is back on. Sisters family and mother still without power or water. They were bringing in food by Helicopter to local residents yesterday. 

More footage...

 

10 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I agree and this applies to many who have lived long lives.  Aside from those who have medical issues that were not expected or ran in families, these long lived people expended their energy to make good choices, do good things, and sow positive energy.

There seem to be few exceptions to this.

I'm laughing about your advice to RUN from the car.  It looks damn good for its age.  It's that GM's colonnades, W-body coupes (gullwing handle in the pillar all the way to this, the very last one), and even a W-body sedan is what I've driven and liked for years. They have fit like a glove.

But, yes, even as a second car, it doesn't pencil.  I can stay on the "diet," but still read the menu.

As a married guy I have been reading the menu and not buying for decades. Given my current proclivities for woodworking tools and stereo equipment, that also means no special cars for moi. 

Excellent explanation of the highway issues in NC from an actual engineer. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Scroll ahead to 2:40 and they have maps of just how badly the NC highway network is destroyed...

 

7:40 shows one of the massive mudslides that completely shut down I-40 East of Asheville. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

21 minute mark in that last video is Black Mountain, where my youngest child and my sisters family live. It's just destroyed. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Next video, go to the 14:40 mark. You can see flying over the disaster just how badly everything is effed up. 

It's unreal. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

More from the air...

 

0:49 you can see flood waters were powerful enough to push full size trucks up over the railroad tracks....homes off of foundations....interview with local residents especially powerful. 

 

Thanks everyone for letting me post this stuff. I am still stunned and grieving. 

[A Horse With No Name]

More...

 

One minute mark, Johnson City Tenn. Around Asheville, Black mountain hit this hard also. 

I-26 Bridge destroyed

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Chimney Rock, going to stop posting now, but stunned...

 

[G. David Felt]

WOW, Thanks @A Horse With No Name for posting the videos, that area is going to be hit hard for years to come from this storm.

[oldshurst442]

@A Horse With No Name

I apologize twice to you.  

1. I am sorry to see the devastation of Helene that has affected you personally.  And of course to all the peoples. The devastation is just horrible.

2. My tone deaf post of posting Pete Rose's passing and kind of glazing over your posts.  I havent been present here and my attention span just isnt there.  I was grazing over the posts just to post the passing of Pete Rose. The only thing that caught my eye was Wiliam Shatner and McGilll.  So I just acknowledged that. (and the stupid but funny they're eating the dogs and the cat thing) 

I am truly saddened for you and of the people affected by Helene's devastation.  

 

Edited October 2 by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

Watch out for who wears glasses.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/college-students-used-meta-s-smart-glasses-to-dox-people-in-real-time/ar-AA1rATLI?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=c1b3480336dc49a9b1c3adc0c51611d3&ei=85

[surreal1272]

11 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

It's unreal. My daughter is with her boyfriend, as he lives in West Asheville and power is back on. Sisters family and mother still without power or water. They were bringing in food by Helicopter to local residents yesterday. 

More footage...

 

As a married guy I have been reading the menu and not buying for decades. Given my current proclivities for woodworking tools and stereo equipment, that also means no special cars for moi. 

Excellent explanation of the highway issues in NC from an actual engineer. 

 

Sadly that stretch of I-140 is always just one washout or rockslide away from being unstable for months at a time. Always hate driving that stretch and this perfectly illustrates the reasons why.

[A Horse With No Name]

On 10/2/2024 at 9:21 AM, G. David Felt said:

WOW, Thanks @A Horse With No Name for posting the videos, that area is going to be hit hard for years to come from this storm.

My sister is saying years to recover, you are correct. 

18 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

Sadly that stretch of I-140 is always just one washout or rockslide away from being unstable for months at a time. Always hate driving that stretch and this perfectly illustrates the reasons why.

I drive all over the country with my debate students going to tournaments, this is one of the most treacherous places to drive anywhere. 

On 10/2/2024 at 11:12 AM, oldshurst442 said:

@A Horse With No Name

I apologize twice to you.  

1. I am sorry to see the devastation of Helene that has affected you personally.  And of course to all the peoples. The devastation is just horrible.

2. My tone deaf post of posting Pete Rose's passing and kind of glazing over your posts.  I havent been present here and my attention span just isnt there.  I was grazing over the posts just to post the passing of Pete Rose. The only thing that caught my eye was Wiliam Shatner and McGilll.  So I just acknowledged that. (and the stupid but funny they're eating the dogs and the cat thing) 

I am truly saddened for you and of the people affected by Helene's devastation.  

 

No worries....just glad you are here. Kind of a wild time for me, and I really feel Pete Rose also in his passing. Being from Ohio and having spent time watching the Reds...this one hit home. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

On the positive side, new band I just discovered...Lawrence...keyboardist and vocalist are brother and sister. 

 

LOTS of energy and they have so much fun!

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

More of just how hard NC is hit...

 

I need music to escape, the world is pretty grim right now in its own way. 

[trinacriabob]

One month to go ...

[oldshurst442]

On 10/3/2024 at 1:43 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

No worries....just glad you are here.

 

On 10/3/2024 at 1:43 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

Kind of a wild time for me

I could relate. About different things but undoubtebly human related and most importantly family oriented.  Im with you with feels.  

On 10/3/2024 at 1:43 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

I really feel Pete Rose also in his passing. Being from Ohio and having spent time watching the Reds...this one hit home. 

I always adored Pete Rose. Didnt realize the Ohio connection until you mentioned it.  Im pissed the commish didnt ease up on his ban. Especially now that gambling aint soooooo much a taboo anymore but just another money making scheme for the MLB... 

[riviera74]

2 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

I always adored Pete Rose. Didnt realize the Ohio connection until you mentioned it.  Im pissed the commish didnt ease up on his ban. Especially now that gambling aint soooooo much a taboo anymore but just another money making scheme for the MLB... 

Pete Rose was given a permanent ban, so MLB will never induct him, even posthumously.  The better question is what happens when the NEXT MLB player bets on baseball and what MLB does about it, given that sports betting is now legal and all the professional leagues are intimately involved now (including MLB).

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, riviera74 said:

Pete Rose was given a permanent ban, so MLB will never induct him, even posthumously.  The better question is what happens when the NEXT MLB player bets on baseball and what MLB does about it, given that sports betting is now legal and all the professional leagues are intimately involved now (including MLB).

 I get the permanent thing.  I really do.

But...

The HOF is full of cheaters, liars, thiefs and scoundrels.  And I understand that is not the issue. Its just that back in 1919, there was a little scandal with the World Series and the White Sox.  But...there was also the steroid thing and the Houston Astros.  But...the World Series was still given to the owners whose players were cheating.  And especially rewarding the Houston Astros with the World Series when the owners themselves were cheating...  And speaking about the owners, when the league locked out the players because the players decided to strike, because the players were paid peanuts up until 1994 but the owners made their millions, criminally I might, colluding with each other NOT to pay their players and WORSE than whatever Pete Rose might have done, the strike took away the fans almost for good AND the  MLB  owners ALLOWED the steroid use so the fans could come back but then decided to punish the steroid users when the owners and MLB damn well knew that steroid use was out of control but ONLY after the fans came back...  Oh...also...steroid use was not exactly illegal either as MLB wasnt so clear about performance enhancement drugs and testing during this time...  

So...we allow sports betting, but then we had another sports betting on baseball scandal involving Shohei Ohtani's "translator", but somehow Pete Rose is still the one to be punished to the fullest limit of the incredibly righteous that is the MLB.  We also keep out the steroid users ignoring its those guys that brought back MLB from the dead.

The MLB is worse than Alan Eagleson's NHL of the 1970s. And that is saying a lot. We LOVE to make fun of the NHL and how its still a garage league but MLB is lower than that. In my honest opinion. 

Edited October 6 by oldshurst442

[trinacriabob]

On 10/2/2024 at 3:51 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

More from the air...

 

0:49 you can see flood waters were powerful enough to push full size trucks up over the railroad tracks....homes off of foundations....interview with local residents especially powerful. 

 

Thanks everyone for letting me post this stuff. I am still stunned and grieving. 

The knee-jerk understanding seems to be that these events affect the coastal areas where they make landfall.  Here, we see that that's far from true.  I can't believe how badly interior areas of Southeastern states have been damaged.  When I lived in Atlanta, I remember how big weather events would work their way inland and drop a lot of rain onto that red Georgia clay that just laid there like a layer that wasn't absorbed, but my friends, coworkers, and I were not impacted, while select areas were. 

This has gone way deeper inland.  I'm holding good thoughts after seeing and listening to so many distraught people describe how much they've lost.

Edited October 6 by trinacriabob

[trinacriabob]

18 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

  

I always adored Pete Rose. Didnt realize the Ohio connection until you mentioned it.  Im pissed the commish didnt ease up on his ban.

Photos of him with the illustrious Marge Schott can be found all over the interwebs.  That's where he spent the bulk of his career.

It's that he lied/denied ... sort of how Clinton started out when the Lewinsky thing was hot off the press.

[Robert Hall]

Moved the Mustang and Cadillac outside yesterday.  Had an electrical issue yesterday in the garage that spooked me.  Better safe than sorry.  Electrician coming tomorrow. 

[Robert Hall]

4 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

The knee-jerk understanding seems to be that these events affect the coastal areas where they make landfall.  Here, we see that that's far from true.  I can't believe how badly interior areas of Southeastern states have been damaged.  When I lived in Atlanta, I remember how big weather events would work their way inland and drop a lot of rain onto that red Georgia clay that just laid there like a layer that wasn't absorbed, but my friends, coworkers, and I were not impacted, while select areas were. 

This has gone way deeper inland.  I'm holding good thoughts after seeing and listening to so many distraught people describe how much they've lost.

It's quite sad, Asheville and W. NC is on my itenerary for my vacation next year...one of my old high school buddies from the Florida Keys has a vacation home in Banner Elk, he's invited me to come visit...they got through the storm relatively unscathed, but so much damage and destruction around them.  Beautiful part of the country I want to explore...

[oldshurst442]

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Photos of him with the illustrious ***** ****** can be found all over the interwebs

Yeah...   she was the owner after all.  He was THE superstar that she was paying for the seats to be filled.  So that is kinda symbiotic relationship.  He is of the human species and she is from another.   To be fair though, she was born in Cincinnati and Im guessing she was a lifelong fan so for her becoming  the owner and inviting back   one the the pieces of the Big Red Machine was a dream come true for her.  It is a highlight.  

 

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

It's that he lied/denied ... sort of how Clinton started out when the Lewinsky thing was hot off the press.

Everybody denies and lies when gets caught. But funny that even Clinton (Bill) was pardoned from the public. Both victims (wife and seductress) were and continue to be villified for various reasons. However, we all still fall for Slick Willy's charming ways.  I guess that is the thing, Pete Rose never charmed the moralists of the MLB. 

[oldshurst442]

3 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Moved the Mustang and Cadillac outside yesterday.  Had an electrical issue yesterday in the garage that spooked me.  Better safe than sorry.  Electrician coming tomorrow. 

 Nice cement driveway. 

I like.

 

[Robert Hall]

20 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

 Nice cement driveway. 

I like.

 

Long and wide.  Has a section leading up to the house front door to back in to turn around.  View from outside the front door 

 

House is set back from the street, pretty quiet.   View from the sidewalk. 

Edited October 6 by Robert Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

17 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Moved the Mustang and Cadillac outside yesterday.  Had an electrical issue yesterday in the garage that spooked me.  Better safe than sorry.  Electrician coming tomorrow. 

Love how lush Ohio is....especially now that we have had some rain. 

On 10/5/2024 at 1:58 PM, trinacriabob said:

One month to go ...

Until the end of many things we hold dear....

 

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Love how lush Ohio is....especially now that we have had some rain. 

Yeah, it was nice pretty dry most of the summer but fall is coming in wet.  I love the green.   My backyard as seen from the edge of the woods: 

[A Horse With No Name]

Cool, rare Pontiac...

 

I like the N and W and NYC streamline passenger locomotives better, but these are super cool

[A Horse With No Name]

10 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Yeah, it was nice pretty dry most of the summer but fall is coming in wet.  I love the green.   My backyard as seen from the edge of the woods: 

Love how many places to hike Ohio has also...

 

[G. David Felt]

17 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Long and wide.  Has a section leading up to the house front door to back in to turn around.  View from outside the front door 

 

House is set back from the street, pretty quiet.   View from the sidewalk. 

Love the driveway, should have it all pressure washed in the spring to be nice and clean. I do that with my large driveway, always nice to keep it from being slimy in the spring or fall.

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Cool, rare Pontiac...

 

I like the N and W and NYC streamline passenger locomotives better, but these are super cool

Reminds me of @balthazar Pontiac, I wonder if he ever finished the motor rebuild and got it on the road?