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Chopper

Certifiably Surly
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Everything posted by Chopper

  1. Lived through my first cruise, a 14 day tour around the main island of Japan. It included a stop in Busan, apparently due to international maritime law requiring a 2-country itinerary in many countries. Ship: new and beautiful. Silverseas Nova, just one year old. Best room: The fore of the 10th, top enclosed, level. Everything about it was great, except the food, which was mediocre, despite it being a high-end luxury line. All rooms had a deck with comfortable patio furniture, which was a must have amenity, imo. The rooms were spacious and comfortable; even the water pressure and shower exceeded expectations. Another pleasant surprise: No annoying fellow passengers, in particular, nor as a mass. I'd say the nationality of the passengers was equally split among Americans, Brits, Aussies and Spanish. It was a cruise of Japan which both enhanced and detracted from the itinerary. We were able to visit beautiful, enticing, far-flung cities in a highly convenient and luxurious manner with a minimum of effort on our part. On the other hand, the food served onboard paled in comparison to what one can find in a Japanese food court, let alone at an expensive restaurant. The toilets on the mainland, even at most train stations and shopping malls, were also an upgrade over what was furnished on the ship, which was basically an ordinary commode; I didn't expect to think about planning my shitting schedule around shore excursions. IYKYK. The onboard entertainment was nothing I'd seek out on my own. On a cost per-day basis, one could easily travel Japan to the same or similar cities and save bundles. It was a unique and likely one-time experience. There were many cruise enthusiasts on board. I don't get the attraction unless one is mobility limited, or strongly against navigating airports and train stations on their own. Also I imagine certain itineraries are much more difficult to recreate without the benefit of a ship. However I'd prefer to visit fewer locales or simply stay in one place. Although as a way to "scout" Japan and see where I might want to return it was great.
  2. nm wtf
  3. Just returned from Japan. What an amazing country to visit. Scratched the surface of 8 cities. I'd go back to any of them but first pick to return would probably be Hiroshima - a gorgeous setting and a compact city with great transit and easy walking. Hakodate was also fantastic. I'd love the opportunity to further explore Hokkaido Island. Hakodate is scenic and hilly, and a great food city. Had one day there but would make a great weekend visit. I found Tokyo the most fantastic once we wondered into the least touristy parts of the city, which are often hidden in plain sight just behind the gleaming office towers on the main boulevards. Kyoto was a disappointment: Overrun by tourists and much more spread out than I anticipated. Had less than 2 full days there but should I return, it will be with a better plan than put in 30,000 steps and see as much as possible. OTOH it's very easy to find refuge in Kyoto, even if you have to go to the roof of a high-end department store. I was amazed by the lack of sound pollution in each city due to the quiet of the streets. Each city is pedestrian friendly, of course, but in particular the quiet engines of 99.9% of the cars, trucks and even motorcycles made city walking a joy. Finding good restaurants was incredibly easy. Navigation of the bullet trains was simple. I'd go back tomorrow if I could. Best meal photos: sushi in Hiroshima ramen in Fukuoka breakfast in Hakodate lunch at a Kyoto eel specialist
  4. lol I mean possibly but he sets of all the gaydar detectors (nttawwt) and is trying to cloak it for the gqp.
  5. Requires the photo caption in order to be seen in all its glory. Via Jay Rosen, a worthwhile nyt column on why trumptards are so committed to the denial of truth. https://archive.ph/DePFi
  6. fwiw Gerry said on a podcast today that aTm coaches were aware of the planned visit before it became public knowledge.
  7. https://www.npr.org/2024/09/27/nx-s1-5131578/alabama-noncitizen-voter-purge-lawsuit I'm guessing they'll sue Nebraska next https://boltsmag.org/nebraska-voting-rights-restoration/
  8. The final paragraphs (not posted earlier) are my favorite.
  9. Is this good?
  10. No. They're trying to discourage certain people from voting and trying stop eligible people from voting legally, and once voting begins, that's the deadline.
  11. I got on the phone and called this morning. Nothing available. Of course nobody was in their FL office today, and the call went to India or who knows where.
  12. Could use a Surly Sacro Pod to share when we need it.
  13. Good ole Florida. I probably shouldn't be wishing for the entire state to get leveled. But here I am. (the bridge status says closed at 1:50 EDT)
  14. Also a gay porn dude who Greg Abbott is very fond of was outed yesterday. His job was to promote using public funds to pay for private schools. https://www.sacurrent.com/news/school-voucher-evangelist-with-texas-ties-on-leave-after-gay-porn-videos-resurface-35664019
  15. Good idea. I'm booked in a deluxe veranda and (currently, anyway) the only upgrade available is for a "premium veranda." No change in amenities between the two, same amount of floor space and position in the ship, and I think I like the deluxe's floor plan better. I'll check again after this storm hits Florida, maybe there'll be a cancellation or two.
  16. I just read The Hill article and looked to see if there was a thread about the lawsuit here. Hopefully the lawsuit stands up to the lack of jurisdiction argument and is allowed to proceed. The guy (owner of CircleX) who brought the suit has an interesting background - from Enron. He said his experience there where he watched Enron traders fuck over California 20 years earlier was what allowed him to spot the pattern of what they were doing to Texas.
  17. live blogging the new book
  18. Starlink is apparently available for purchase through 3rd countries but shutting down its use by Ruz has not been successful, probably because Elon Musk sucks. https://defence--ua-com.translate.goog/news/rf_vstanovila_na_shahed_136_starlink_ochevidno_tse_bulo_lishe_pitannja_chasu-16716.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
  19. One unexpected benefit of not changing my 512 cell number when I moved to the 970 is that I instantly know if it's a robocall/spam, because anyone I know from the 512 is already saved in my phone.
  20. The US Secret Service...more pissed about this than I am about the hand-picked flunkies of Dotard nearly allowing him to get murdered. real clear politics report https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/09/25/secret_service_agent_accused_of_sexually_assaulting_campaign_aide.html
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