Random Thoughts Thread

[trinacriabob]

It is a very weird feeling when you get off a plane and leave the airport in L.A., or Houston, for example ... or somewhere in Italy, and they both feel "normal."  This definitely was NOT the case 10 to 20 years ago.

My mornings these days are looking like this:  the old and the "new."  Here's a major town church and a public school (wide angle view) in Sicily.

[oldshurst442]

https://denmarkification.com/

 

 

 

https://www.euronews.com/2025/02/12/well-bring-hygge-to-hollywood-danes-petition-to-buy-california-as-trump-pursues-greenland

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/12/denmark-buy-california-trump-petition/78451317007/

https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/denmark-buying-california-petition-greenland-trump/

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/well-bring-hygge-to-hollywood-danes-petition-to-buy-california-as-trump-seeks-greenland/

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/12/europe/danish-petition-purchase-california-scli-intl/index.html

https://www.foxnews.com/us/danes-launch-petition-buy-california-turn-disney-hans-christian-andersenland-over-trump-greenland

[G. David Felt]

OMG

 

[A Horse With No Name]

On a less political note...

 

[A Horse With No Name]

18 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

It is a very weird feeling when you get off a plane and leave the airport in L.A., or Houston, for example ... or somewhere in Italy, and they both feel "normal."  This definitely was NOT the case 10 to 20 years ago.

My mornings these days are looking like this:  the old and the "new."  Here's a major town church and a public school (wide angle view) in Sicily.

Italy is on my bucket list

 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

On a less political note...

 

The AMC Pacer was a fright.  However, I'd say people who drove them must have had a quirky kind of moxie.  They looked like they could have been stable, and even quiet ... I believe they ran with a 232 in-line 6, without looking it up.

[A Horse With No Name]

19 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

The AMC Pacer was a fright.  However, I'd say people who drove them must have had a quirky kind of moxie.  They looked like they could have been stable, and even quiet ... I believe they ran with a 232 in-line 6, without looking it up.

They had high performance V8 gremlins. The Pacer was an interesting animal. 

 

[trinacriabob]

So, a 232 in-line 6, a 258 in-line 6, and a 304 V8.  I believe the 258 was their most ordered.

This is one glassy car.  Great for enjoying the view outside.  Challenging for heat gain.  Expensive to replace some of the glass if need be.

Appealing and spacious interior.  Missing a console, which some had.  No temperature gauge (could very easily be added prior to computerized emissions, but tacky looking).  This car would have been a blast for a short- to medium-length road trip with college friends where you'd divide costs.

When all else fails, "brougham" it up a little.  Look at those painted hubcaps. This was called the DL model.  A few less enlightened people used to say "Bro-ham" (yet, that could be a flight from Brownsville, TX to Hamburg, Germany ... funny)! 

Cars were goofier and more fun back in the day.

[G. David Felt]

6 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

They had high performance V8 gremlins. The Pacer was an interesting animal. 

 

This is more true than anyone realizes now. Today, the team I am on was talked to as folks in the company had complained that we west coast TME's were disrespectful to the current president and were wanting certain folks dead all due to some British humor and just joking that I thought would be nothing but that, but now I see, freedom of speech is dead among MAGA people.

America Democracy is in a fragile state with the lemming GOP just following the current administration off a cliff.

[G. David Felt]

Very interesting, will see if any common sense happens in DC.

Canada’s Premiers Tell White House They’re Needed to Help Trump’s Economic Agenda

[G. David Felt]

WOW, this is very interesting

Manhattan US Attorney Resigns After Order to Drop Adams Case

[oldshurst442]

46 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

WOW, this is very interesting

Manhattan US Attorney Resigns After Order to Drop Adams Case

 

From your link...there is another sinister article.  This one regarding Elon Musk

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/highway-robbery-nyc-comptroller-accuses-musk-of-stealing-80m-from-city-bank-account/ar-AA1yWv6N?ocid=msedgntp&pc=W069&cvid=be60e1ae732a4530fd507d8d7c7107ba&ei=40

Elon Musk is accused of stealing 80 000 000 US dollars.  The would be 80 million, to those MAGA folk that may read these Random Thoughts as there are too many zeros for them to comprehend what those zeros mean.  

But I hardly think they care.  I cant wait for the tariffs to begin. I will be in a world of pain, and so will be my feloow CANADIANS, but more importanly, these tariffs will hurt MAGA folk even more.  

[oldshurst442]

 

Waaaaay before Canada becomes a 51st state, I have a feeling New York, New England, California will secede from the Union and ask to become Canadian provinces.   

[knightfan26917]

*sighs*

1 of these days, I'm actually going to "catch up" in this thread. I get email notifications ... and the amount of emails I have saved to 'someday' comment or reply ... is staggering.

*rolls eyes*

Translation ... I probably never will get caught up, which is fine, I guess, since some of my replies may not be popular.

*shrugs*

 

PEACE | Cort, pig and cow valves with pacemaker
2003 MGM LS + 1981 cmc SC; need 1975 Chrysler Cordoba
"There's things goin' on make me mad down to the core" | Charlie Daniels | 'Simple Man'

[A Horse With No Name]

11 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

Waaaaay before Canada becomes a 51st state, I have a feeling New York, New England, California will secede from the Union and ask to become Canadian provinces.   

I would move to one of those states.

 

Why the US auto industry is in the shyte can, this is the stuff they have tried to sell to the average consumer.

[G. David Felt]

13 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

From your link...there is another sinister article.  This one regarding Elon Musk

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/highway-robbery-nyc-comptroller-accuses-musk-of-stealing-80m-from-city-bank-account/ar-AA1yWv6N?ocid=msedgntp&pc=W069&cvid=be60e1ae732a4530fd507d8d7c7107ba&ei=40

Elon Musk is accused of stealing 80 000 000 US dollars.  The would be 80 million, to those MAGA folk that may read these Random Thoughts as there are too many zeros for them to comprehend what those zeros mean.  

But I hardly think they care.  I can't wait for the tariffs to begin. I will be in a world of pain, and so will be my fellow CANADIANS, but more importantly, these tariffs will hurt MAGA folk even more.  

All of North America is going to Hurt due to the Stupid Tariffs and Idiot47 keeps saying the moron who signed the new NAFTA was wrong to sign it, DOH Trump signed it.

USMCA: Trump wants to renegotiate his own trade deal | CNN Politics

12 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

Waaaaay before Canada becomes a 51st state, I have a feeling New York, New England, California will secede from the Union and ask to become Canadian provinces.   

🤪 That would mean those states would have to give up the Green back for the Loonie and I am not sure how all those people would feel about having to embrace the Loonie.

8 hours ago, knightfan26917 said:

*sighs*

1 of these days, I'm actually going to "catch up" in this thread. I get email notifications ... and the amount of emails I have saved to 'someday' comment or reply ... is staggering.

*rolls eyes*

Translation ... I probably never will get caught up, which is fine, I guess, since some of my replies may not be popular.

*shrugs*

 

PEACE | Cort, pig and cow valves with pacemaker
2003 MGM LS + 1981 cmc SC; need 1975 Chrysler Cordoba
"There's things goin' on make me mad down to the core" | Charlie Daniels | 'Simple Man'

Please do respond, we promise to embrace you even if you do not agree with our viewpoint on the craziness of North America.

This is what is called freedom of speech, you will not be censored, we just ask that you avoid profanity and be respectful to agree to disagree.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, G. David Felt said:

All of North America is going to Hurt due to the Stupid Tariffs and Idiot47 keeps saying the moron who signed the new NAFTA was wrong to sign it, DOH Trump signed it.

USMCA: Trump wants to renegotiate his own trade deal | CNN Politics

🤪 That would mean those states would have to give up the Green back for the Loonie and I am not sure how all those people would feel about having to embrace the Loonie.

Please do respond, we promise to embrace you even if you do not agree with our viewpoint on the craziness of North America.

This is what is called freedom of speech, you will not be censored, we just ask that you avoid profanity and be respectful to agree to disagree.

Agreed.

 

[A Horse With No Name]

So many places to move to, interesting choices...

[G. David Felt]

50 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

So many places to move to, interesting choices...

Interesting to watch these videos of folks that have saved and are able to retire, I wonder what the locals think of the alien invasion of folks moving there to live in retirement?

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, G. David Felt said:

Interesting to watch these videos of folks that have saved and are able to retire, I wonder what the locals think of the alien invasion of folks moving there to live in retirement?

There is resentment in some places.

Italy, interesting.

 

America gets more insane by the moment.

 

[A Horse With No Name]

America continues to become more insane by the moment...

 

On a happier note....

 

[A Horse With No Name]

I like this guy, he is rational...unlike anyone in our government at the moment.

 

Ask a Canadian, they are rational....

[A Horse With No Name]

It won't be just Canada that Boycotts the USA

[A Horse With No Name]

More Canadian boycotting options...and opinions...

 

[oldshurst442]

 

[oldshurst442]

Girl Power!!!

From the cool tats, to the awesome auntie vibes taking her niece to where she needs to go and finally, driver of a manual transmission and  womp womp earthquake maker while the niece is loving every minute of it and keeping it a secret from dad, probably her brother!!! 

 

Just watch the video and there is nothing else to say.   Effortless and just awesome!!!

[oldshurst442]

 

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

There is resentment in some places.

Italy, interesting.

I like her spirited and sassy manner.  Sicilians are sassy, so she'll gel with that.  WTF with those Atlanta rent costs?  Where in the ATL does she live?  Weird that she picked a town in the hills and on the Palermo side.  I don't like that side of the island.

Her income is high relative to the average Sicilian.  She doesn't need to be "sharing."

I'd say that, of the Southern European nations that are popular, Portugal is the most resentful.  Combine their economic EU position with a more difficult language (pronunciation) and slightly more reserved people.  Smiley wealthy Americans and douchebag surfers?  And not bothering to learn the local language?  Who'd want that?  I love the place and can conversationally bullshit with the regular locals, and they're nice to me; however, they're not asking me to stay.  On the other hand, some Sicilians are asking me, "Why don't you stay?" and telling me what cities and areas to consider (since I can name 10 to 20 cities and towns on the eastern side of the island where I have or had relatives, including where my parents were born).

[oldshurst442]

[trinacriabob]

Good morning.

- - - - -

Reaaallly?  Ya think?

I didn't even need the t-shirt as a clue!

There's a short article about her on Today-dot-com that went with this photo.

People can be so predictable and packaged bills of goods.

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

More Canadian boycotting options...and opinions...

 

So, Second Cup revenue up and Starbucks (Canadian) revenue down.  When in Canada, I have tried to avoid Stbx, preferring Canadian chains and indies, and this has been for 5 to 10 years and unrelated to politics ...