Random Thoughts Thread

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Egg prices up, Stores rationing. 

 

Eggs prices here are up 52%, definitely not going down and I doubt they will.

[oldshurst442]

 

Just a little reminder on Fox News 3 years ago about cancel culture just because the MAGA movement and Fox News itself went all snowflakey about the Half Time Show Superbowl LIX.

But best yet...

 

Ill I got to say is.

Go Doug!  Go Doug! Go Doug! 

[trinacriabob]

On 2/17/2025 at 12:39 PM, A Horse With No Name said:

I am learning Spanish. Maybe I will need to learn Italian some day. 

My dad was heavy handed at times.  In high school, he wanted me to take Latin.  (That's an Old Word immigrant mindset right there ... you know, Mass for him when growing up was in Latin.)  I took French because that's what I wanted to take.  I aced it.  I liked going to this class everyday and even stirring the pot because it was too easy.  Little did I know I'd go to Quebec a dozen times and use it as an adult.

In college, I took some Spanish electives.  Then, I'd go to Cuban and Mexican school friends' houses and learn more.  I sometimes use it to make my life easier.  In some places, they (Mexicans) might feel patronized.  In Houston and South Texas, they seem to appreciate it and the service is always excellent because of my doing that.  Here I was, going into a WU location to load a travel card in a marginal Houston neighborhood and in a rented Tiguan SUV, and, since this was an atypical transaction for them (mostly it's money to/from Mexico), I had to explain to her how to process it and it went through.  I guess it was trippy for the others in line to hear this token white American guy in their midst carrying on in Spanish with the teller.  She remembered me, and the process, the next time.

Bottom line:  mostly, parents should stay out of trying to navigate or control their kids' interests if they are not up to speed with the variables involved.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

My dad was heavy handed at times.  In high school, he wanted me to take Latin.  (That's an Old Word immigrant mindset right there ... you know, Mass for him when growing up was in Latin.)  I took French because that's what I wanted to take.  I aced it.  I liked going to this class everyday and even stirring the pot because it was too easy.  Little did I know I'd go to Quebec a dozen times and use it as an adult.

In college, I took some Spanish electives.  Then, I'd go to Cuban and Mexican school friends' houses and learn more.  I sometimes use it to make my life easier.  In some places, they (Mexicans) might feel patronized.  In Houston and South Texas, they seem to appreciate it and the service is always excellent because of my doing that.  Here I was, going into a WU location to load a travel card in a marginal Houston neighborhood and in a rented Tiguan SUV, and, since this was an atypical transaction for them (mostly it's money to/from Mexico), I had to explain to her how to process it and it went through.  I guess it was trippy for the others in line to hear this token white American guy in their midst carrying on in Spanish with the teller.  She remembered me, and the process, the next time.

Bottom line:  mostly, parents should stay out of trying to navigate or control their kids' interests if they are not up to speed with the variables involved.

Agreed.

23 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Eggs prices here are up 52%, definitely not going down and I doubt they will.

The society is pretty much toast, alas no affordable eggs to go with that.

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

The society is pretty much toast, alas no affordable eggs to go with that.

I had a business lunch today, crazy the prices to eat out. My boss and another manager both had a $29.99 french dip. I had a $22.99 Chicken fried steak and 2 eggs with hashbrowns. The rep who took us had a $32.99 Steak and 2 eggs for lunch. Not cheap eating out and folks have wondered why there is not more places to eat around where I work.

Prices make it crazy to eat out if you're having to pay. Cheaper to get pre-made food at Business Costco and eat for 2 weeks compared to one meal out.

[trinacriabob]

7 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

I had a business lunch today, crazy the prices to eat out. My boss and another manager both had a $29.99 french dip. I had a $22.99 Chicken fried steak and 2 eggs with hashbrowns. The rep who took us had a $32.99 Steak and 2 eggs for lunch. Not cheap eating out and folks have wondered why there is not more places to eat around where I work.

Prices make it crazy to eat out if you're having to pay. Cheaper to get pre-made food at Business Costco and eat for 2 weeks compared to one meal out.

When you put that together with high sales taxes in big West Coast metro areas and tips that (should) now start at about 18%, the picture isn't pretty.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

When you put that together with high sales taxes in big West Coast metro areas and tips that (should) now start at about 18%, the picture isn't pretty.

One more reason I plan to travel other places. Thankfully I had a fantastic omelette for 8 bucks at a local place. Not a pretty restaurant, but good food. Lots of places like this left around this USA.

[A Horse With No Name]

Unreal

[A Horse With No Name]

On a better note...

Maybe they will deport him also?

[A Horse With No Name]

More on the plane crash in Canada. I love this channel.

 

Pretty devastating...

 

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

When you put that together with high sales taxes in big West Coast metro areas and tips that (should) now start at about 18%, the picture isn't pretty.

$29.99 + $29.99 + $22.99 + $32.99 + $3.99 (soda) = $119.95 +10.5% sales tax = $132.54

The rep added a 20% tip ($26.50). 

Total bill was $159.04 for 4 people.

Lucky only 1 person had a soda, the rest of us drank water.

2 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

One more reason I plan to travel other places. Thankfully I had a fantastic omelette for 8 bucks at a local place. Not a pretty restaurant, but good food. Lots of places like this left around this USA.

Where was this, I have not seen in years an $8 omelet.

[A Horse With No Name]

47 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

$29.99 + $29.99 + $22.99 + $32.99 + $3.99 (soda) = $119.95 +10.5% sales tax = $132.54

The rep added a 20% tip ($26.50). 

Total bill was $159.04 for 4 people.

Lucky only 1 person had a soda, the rest of us drank water.

Where was this, I have not seen in years an $8 omelet.

Little cafe near where I live, I will take you if you are ever in Columbus.

 

You can't make this stuff up.

[A Horse With No Name]

The Nazi's really are winning...

 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, G. David Felt said:

$29.99 + $29.99 + $22.99 + $32.99 + $3.99 (soda) = $119.95 +10.5% sales tax = $132.54

The rep added a 20% tip ($26.50). 

Total bill was $159.04 for 4 people.

Lucky only 1 person had a soda, the rest of us drank water.

What is this 10.5% sales tax and what are the extra add-ons funding?  Unbelievable.

You can find an $8 to $10 omelette at a dive in a nondescript part of Houston.  Food there isn't ridiculously expensive.

[oldshurst442]

 

[G. David Felt]

Pathetic, truly pathetic

'Stupid beyond belief': Trump and Musk blasted as DOGE fires 'hundreds' of FAA employees

@oldshurst442 I know that Idiot47 is not a reader, but this just blows my mind that he does not understand what happened at Pearl Harbor or the Arizona Memorial.

Trump did not understand Pearl Harbor, new book reveals: ‘What’s this all about?’

We are so messed up with the Idiot Lemmings that are just there to kiss Idiot47 butt.

Maddow Blog | Pete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse

I truly fear for all our personal data, if not now, I am sure it will end up on the dark web sold to the highest bidder. Musk and his Criminal DOGE group is truly going to hurt the U.S. and both my Grandfathers who fought for this country in WWII are turning over in their graves at the incompetence of this administration.

'He couldn't answer': Dems left shocked after ambushing Mike Johnson over Elon Musk

On top of this crazyness, our love for the auto industry has never been put in more danger of total collapse due to the stupid leadership we currently are under.

🤔 I have not researched this, but could we recall a President?

[G. David Felt]

Smart General, sadly, I would hold off being in Europe this year as he might be right about what is to come to Europe again.

'I think that's over': Retired general declares death of key U.S. alliance

[trinacriabob]

Boy, I'd like to talk about other things but it's really sad how we've so quickly moved to a culture of fear and helplessness.  His love for "you're fired" continues, as I knew it would 8 or 9 years ago.

It is really weird to see photos of the oval office with guys in baseball caps - the usual red one and now a guy who looks like he has marbles in his cheeks who wears a black one and who stands there like a Roman centurion.  

Two comments:

I don't know what mechanisms are in place to stop overreaching in use of power.

I think that as much as we are mostly a tranquil and pacifist nation (yes, there's violence in our cities), I fear something ugly ... I  just don't know what.

- - - - -

We have the country's trailer parks and minority turncoats, neither of whom benefit, for this.

[A Horse With No Name]

21 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

What is this 10.5% sales tax and what are the extra add-ons funding?  Unbelievable.

You can find an $8 to $10 omelette at a dive in a nondescript part of Houston.  Food there isn't ridiculously expensive.

I need to visit Houston, more than that I want to go to Big Bend park (sp) in the south of Texas. 

11 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

Yep, the world will go on without us. Given my druthers, my life would go on without America. 

9 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Smart General, sadly, I would hold off being in Europe this year as he might be right about what is to come to Europe again.

'I think that's over': Retired general declares death of key U.S. alliance

Yep. I think Europe will fare better than the USA by a longshot. 

On a more positive note...

 

[trinacriabob]

6 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I need to visit Houston, more than that I want to go to Big Bend park (sp) in the south of Texas. 

I sort of like it because Galveston, while not too pretty, has a funky and relaxing vibe.  I like some of its suburbs, too, while on the lookout for coffeehouses.

I'm guessing Big Bend is SW, so it has its mountain lions.  

Brazos Bend and Brazoria Reserve, south of Houston toward the Gulf of MEXICO, has its alligators.

Alligators are a fact of life in big Lake Houston, at the northeastern part of the city.  They periodically make appearances on Buffalo Bayou, too, and it makes the news.  Maybe they like the skyline, too.

[Drew Dowdell]

Two policy updates for you to read:

Generative AI Policy

User Generated Content Policy

[Drew Dowdell]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I need to visit Houston, more than that I want to go to Big Bend park (sp) in the south of Texas.

No trips to red states for us, especially Texas.  Canadians are $500m in tourism to Texas and are showing remarkable solidarity with redirecting their travel plans.  We'll visit Toronto or Delaware instead. 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

No trips to red states for us, especially Texas.  Canadians are $500m in tourism to Texas and are showing remarkable solidarity with redirecting their travel plans.  We'll visit Toronto or Delaware instead. 

I am headed to Mexico. Although I honestly wonder what happens if Trump declares war on Mexico while I am down there. Things are about that insane.

Boycotts seem to be working....

 

[A Horse With No Name]

We live in insane times. He is serious about invading Greenland...

[oldshurst442]

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Canadians are $500m in tourism to Texas and are showing remarkable solidarity with redirecting their travel plans.

You have no idea how us, Canadians, are angry at all of this.  Because of one man...  And we are in shock how fast some Americans have turned against us Canadians because of one man's lies.  We are disgusted and hurt.  Angry and afraid. But we are united as we have never have been before.   Florida is said to lose BILLIONS in Canadian snowbird tourist dollars.   We are actually looking at packaging to see what American products we could boycott at ANY store whether its at a grocery store or hardware store.  Never thouyght about that. Never crossed our minds. Myself included.  We cant sometimes avoid to buy American, but we sure are trying to distance ourselves from you guys... 

Its sad.    All because of one man's lust for power and the uneducated, bigoted neanderthals that follow him.   

Edited 23 hours ago by oldshurst442

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

No trips to red states for us, especially Texas.  Canadians are $500m in tourism to Texas and are showing remarkable solidarity with redirecting their travel plans.  We'll visit Toronto or Delaware instead. 

After our tradeshow this year in Vegas, I am going for a week of soaking in the mineral springs in Fairmount Canada. My tourist dollars will support their economy and country this year.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort - Top Hotel Fairmont, BC

No southern state visits or anything to do with red states unless I am driving through them to a better place in Canada.

[trinacriabob]

17 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

No trips to red states for us, especially Texas.  Canadians are $500m in tourism to Texas and are showing remarkable solidarity with redirecting their travel plans.  We'll visit Toronto or Delaware instead. 

This can be difficult.  If it's very red, hick, and thoroughly boring, it's an easy pass.

When it's red by a margin, but mixed, with blue and cosmopolitan urban centers, it causes cognitive dissonance.  South Florida and Tampa Bay are blue.  The FL panhandle beach towns are very red, with Christian colleges and those billboards I hate.  It's enough to toss a person with a religion into the "lapsed" pile.  Then, in Texas, Houston is now the most ethnically diverse city in America.  I went for a while because I flew out from there.  It's what Toronto is to Canada on that dimension.  

But, yes, it is good to collectively boycott places with backward thinking.  (It still won't change them.)  Just like it's good to avoid certain car brands based on things that are just so wrong about them.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

You have no idea how us, Canadians, are angry at all of this.  Because of one man...  And we are in shock how fast some Americans have turned against us Canadians because of one man's lies.  We are disgusted and hurt.  Angry and afraid. But we are united as we have never have been before.   Florida is said to lose BILLIONS in Canadian snowbird tourist dollars.   We are actually looking at packaging to see what American products we could boycott at ANY store whether its at a grocery store or hardware store.  Never thouyght about that. Never crossed our minds. Myself included.  We cant sometimes avoid to buy American, but we sure are trying to distance ourselves from you guys... 

Its sad.    All because of one man's lust for power and the uneducated, bigoted neanderthals that follow him.   

He wants to start a war with Canada not realizing that most of us south of the border would fight on the Canadian side.

 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

You have no idea how us, Canadians, are angry at all of this.  Because of one man...  And we are in shock how fast some Americans have turned against us Canadians because of one man's lies.  We are disgusted and hurt.  Angry and afraid. But we are united as we have never have been before.   Florida is said to lose BILLIONS in Canadian snowbird tourist dollars.   We are actually looking at packaging to see what American products we could boycott at ANY store whether its at a grocery store or hardware store.  Never thought about that. Never crossed our minds. Myself included.  We cant sometimes avoid to buy American, but we sure are trying to distance ourselves from you guys... 

Its sad.    All because of one man's lust for power and the uneducated, bigoted neanderthals that follow him.   

At this point the boycotts need to be permanent.  The United States has become like a rabid dog, that will bite again and again.

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

He wants to start a war with Canada not realizing that most of us south of the border would fight on the Canadian side.

 

I live in Maga Ohio, these folks want a violent armed take over of California and Minnesota. Every time I think I have a grip on how insane things are, my neighbors prove to be more insane.

20 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

This can be difficult.  If it's very red, hick, and thoroughly boring, it's an easy pass.

When it's red by a margin, but mixed, with blue and cosmopolitan urban centers, it causes cognitive dissonance.  South Florida and Tampa Bay are blue.  TheFL panhandle beach towns are very red, with Christian colleges and those billboards I hate.  It's enough to toss a person with a religion into the "lapsed" pile.  Then, in Texas, Houston is now the most ethnically diverse city in America.  I went for a while because I flew out from there.  It's what Toronto is to Canada on that dimension.  

But, yes, it is good to collectively boycott places with backward thinking.  (It still won't change them.)  Just like it's good to avoid certain car brands based on things that are just so wrong about them.

Houston still strikes me (along with Orlando Florida) as one of the least interesting places in America. I want to visit to see what I am missing. I get the boycott thing though.

59 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

After our tradeshow this year in Vegas, I am going for a week of soaking in the mineral springs in Fairmount Canada. My tourist dollars will support their economy and country this year.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort - Top Hotel Fairmont, BC

No southern state visits or anything to do with red states unless I am driving through them to a better place in Canada.

I don't even want to fly over them at this point. Although my wife and I really want to hike in all 50 states. I think we will camp and spend as little money in state as possible if we visit red states.  I need to do Montana, Alaska, Maine, North Dakota, and South Dakota. I have the rest covered.

[A Horse With No Name]

American women have largely become toxic as well.

On a more interesting note...

'

 

Back to insanity. I no longer want anything to do with this country.

 

The Cruelty is the point, people will die because of this. Unreal.

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Last one, FAFO. Zero sympathy for Latinos for Trump.

 

13 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

He wants to start a war with Canada not realizing that most of us south of the border would fight on the Canadian side.

 

The wealthy folks that support Trump want the mineral wealth of Greenland and Canada, and the cheap labor of Mexico. Trump is far more accountable to them than to us, especially as the neanderthals will do anything he asks.

[G. David Felt]

@A Horse With No Name As the minority in my household, 1 German American to 3 Korean American. Anyone that supports Idiot47 gets ZERO sympathy from me and deserve the mental anguish that will come when Idiot47 turns on them.

[G. David Felt]

I have to say that I find everything depressing now in the U.S. due to the Stupidity that is running amok in DC.

How can anyone get excited about any product when companies are now trying to figure out if they should even make them or hold off due to crazy Tariffs that will make them unsellable due to the potential price.

As one that works on AI, I had to laugh and actually agree on this story as those that have come to rely on AI bots seem to have given up critical thinking skills.

Microsoft Says AI Kills Critical Thinking—Here’s What That Means for You

Washington Colleges are willing to push back against Idiot47 and his illegal directives.

Western Washington universities respond to White House ultimatum on DEI programs

Seems some AI companies are deciding to move on to other things and sell off their patents and technology to larger companies and move onto more profitable sectors.

Humane will disable AI pins after $116 million buyout, leaving early adopters high and dry

[G. David Felt]

The question I am hearing from more and more Americans:

"Can we RECALL the President and VP?"

Sadly, NO is the answer. It would take a motion to add to our constitution to allow a recall of the folks as even the Senate and House members are protected with no way to recall them either. 

Interesting is that most states have in their constitution the ability to recall state politicians including the Governor that has happened in a few states over the last Century. Most recent was California.

[G. David Felt]

Watching "The Hunger Games" why do I feel we are going down a dark path?

[oldshurst442]

 

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I live in Maga Ohio, these folks want a violent armed take over of California and Minnesota. Every time I think I have a grip on how insane things are, my neighbors prove to be more insane.

Houston still strikes me (along with Orlando Florida) as one of the least interesting places in America. I want to visit to see what I am missing. I get the boycott thing though.

I don't even want to fly over them at this point. Although my wife and I really want to hike in all 50 states. I think we will camp and spend as little money in state as possible if we visit red states.  I need to do Montana, Alaska, Maine, North Dakota, and South Dakota. I have the rest covered.

I hate to say stuff like this, but you can profile people fairly easily.  A certain emboldened member with a smaller view of the world used to get on my case about this ... go see the world and learn to make inferences.  At any rate, I was boarding a plane in Jacksonville and, in front of me, was a guy with a baseball cap and all I could see was the rear camo effect.  When he got up, I saw Trump 2024.  I felt like saying something to him, along the lines of how is it that the most conservative people support the most depraved individual.  I thought I should skip it since I didn't want to end up in an argument and on a "do not fly" list for some airline.  He was white with salt and pepper hair but had that Charles Bronson brow.  So, you know ... ex-military, high paying trades, utilities, government job ... or alligator trapper.  For all these so-called conservative people, we've never had a first lady (lower case in her case) where you're a "k**t hair" away from seeing the R/X rated stuff.  I'm originally from SoCal and NOTHING shocks me, but that and the whole circus of everyone involved - extended family, loyal friends - is over the line for me for the job at hand.

Houston is not my favorite place.  However, I handle it much better than Dallas or San Antonio, which don't interest me.  I don't like their interior location and the brushy looking mesquite.  Houston has a distinct and attractive downtown.  There's the Space Center.  There are the museums, of which MFAH is free one day of the week.  There's Galveston, and even if the not the nicest beach, water can be so therapeutic, just watching the cruise ships or freight ships come and go.  Lastly, there are some beautiful neighborhoods, with newer homes in the darker red brick, completely hidden under a pine canopy, which is never the case in other big Texas cities.  It reminds of Atlanta, which I very much liked.  So, between that, and the welcoming and freewheeling people, I can hang in H-town for a while and find new indie coffeehouses and eateries.  There's so much food and it's easy to gain weight there.  I agree ... I hate Orlando FL ... a bad knock-off of Las Vegas and Las Vegas is already bad.

I've never been to Hawai'i and Alaska.  I'm not so sure I'm interested.  If I have to fly that far, I'll just cross a pond.  I also have an issue with Hawaiians since some of the locals of Samoan stock have issues with "haolis," having heard this from white folks I knew who moved there and then came back because of the passive-aggressive discrimination.  The only states I have never set foot in are a cluster in the middle and they're not that pressing for me - ND, SD, Nebraska, and Montana.  So, I'm at 44 of them and that's good enough for now.

[A Horse With No Name]

15 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Watching "The Hunger Games" why do I feel we are going down a dark path?

Because we are going down a dark path.

17 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

@A Horse With No Name As the minority in my household, 1 German American to 3 Korean American. Anyone that supports Idiot47 gets ZERO sympathy from me and deserve the mental anguish that will come when Idiot47 turns on them.

Exactly. But according to a lot of MAGA, your wife and two kids are not "Real" Americans. They would deport them if they could, sadly.

The whole world feels insane.

 

On a positive, automotive note.

 

[G. David Felt]

Proving DOGE is full of excreatment.

Opinion: DOGE is causing the very problem it claims to be solving

These guys just do not get it. NO common sense.

'We're Pissed!': Angry Constituents Confront DOGE-Backing GOP Rep At Chaotic Town Hall

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]