Jump to content

Random thoughts that don't warrant a thread


GSU&UT

Recommended Posts

good lord does the panhandle STINK right now 😝

i mean we've made this drive several dozen times... but this is by far the worst. there aren't even that many cows in the immediate vicinity...but from Texline through Childress, just passed thru wave after wave of god awful stank! 

they obviously just cut hay around here, maybe they dump millions of gallons of fertilizer onto all these fields this time of year? dunno. but I can't imagine living here, ha!

Edited by mchookem
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, mchookem said:

good lord does the panhandle STINK right now 😝

i mean we've made this drive several dozen times... but this is by far the worst. there aren't even that many cows in the immediate vicinity...but from Texline through Childress, just passed thru wave after wave of god awful stank! i can't imagine living here.

I'll be up there Friday.

Guess I better brace myself. 

  • Prepare your anus 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made that same drive recently and it did seem worse than usual.  Hotter out than it shoulda been which certainly didn't help.  But as they all say up there, "You get used it", but not over the course of one day you don't.  

We had a "National Lampoon's Vacation" moment in Childress.  Ordered DQ or something similar to-go and took it over to the park to eat outside in the shade.  And at one point my oldest just freaked out, "These burger tastes like poop!"  And my wife was so embarrassed because we were with another family.  And I just laughed and got the "Don't encourage her!" look.  But it reminded me of Clark eating at the picnic, "Oh god, the Dog peed on the sandwiches!"  

I realize those people have to make a living somehow, and if you're in that industry---god bless you and your labor.  But there's a reason animal waste smells like that, it's to biologically alert us to get the fuck away.  I don't know people not directly tied to the industry can live around there.  You can open up your cafe or insurance agency anywhere else.  Just because you're born somewhere doesn't mean you have to stay there.  But then, maybe when they visit other cities, they get out of the car and think our town smells funny.  Kinda like when you leave your home for a long time and come back and it kinda smells different 'cause you haven't been in there for awhile.  Or South Austin's Mom's vagina.

Wait, what are we talking about again? 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/20/2023 at 10:46 AM, 52-80 said:

How did siskel and evert convince all of america that they were the arbiters of good movie taste

Same way Garry Marshall was able to convince America that this dude was the epitome of cool. He had a 6-10 year run as the coolest guy on the planet. Women wanted him, guys wanted to be like him. 
s-l1200.webp

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Made that same drive recently and it did seem worse than usual.  Hotter out than it shoulda been which certainly didn't help.  But as they all say up there, "You get used it", but not over the course of one day you don't.  
We had a "National Lampoon's Vacation" moment in Childress.  Ordered DQ or something similar to-go and took it over to the park to eat outside in the shade.  And at one point my oldest just freaked out, "These burger tastes like poop!"  And my wife was so embarrassed because we were with another family.  And I just laughed and got the "Don't encourage her!" look.  But it reminded me of Clark eating at the picnic, "Oh god, the Dog peed on the sandwiches!"  
I realize those people have to make a living somehow, and if you're in that industry---god bless you and your labor.  But there's a reason animal waste smells like that, it's to biologically alert us to get the fuck away.  I don't know people not directly tied to the industry can live around there.  You can open up your cafe or insurance agency anywhere else.  Just because you're born somewhere doesn't mean you have to stay there.  But then, maybe when they visit other cities, they get out of the car and think our town smells funny.  Kinda like when you leave your home for a long time and come back and it kinda smells different 'cause you haven't been in there for awhile.  Or South Austin's Mom's vagina.
Wait, what are we talking about again? 
Perhaps their wagon lost a wheel, or they lacked ambition one?
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, nnm said:

Same way Garry Marshall was able to convince America that this dude was the epitome of cool. He had a 6-10 year run as the coolest guy on the planet. Women wanted him, guys wanted to be like him. 
s-l1200.webp

csb/ I transferred to UT from Stetson University (aka South Central Louisiana State) many years ago.  I went back to visit after finishing undergrad (yeah, it was kind of about a girl).  I'm walking through campus and I did a double-take and thought, "What the fuck, was that Fonzi?  I must be drunk already."  Then I get to my buddy's place in this fraternity house where I was gonna crash for the weekend.  And sure enough, there's the funny guy from "The Wedding Singer" which had just come out---some folks invited him up to hang out and he actually accepted because there fuck all else to do in that town except head over to the beaches just east but I guess Adam's schedule didn't allow for it that day.  They were both there because that campus was used to film "The Waterboy" Sandler ended up being really nice IRL from what I recall.  But it kills me still that I didn't get a photo (before camera phones mind you) of Winkler because my sister absolutely worshipped the Fonz growing up (even dressing up like him for Halloween) and then he ends up becoming probably my favorite character a few years later on "Arrested Development."  I had no idea how funny he was as an actor because he got pigeonholed so early on in his career.  And he was absolutely masterful on "Barry"  /csb

24 minutes ago, Born to Run said:
2 hours ago, YGIFS said:
Made that same drive recently and it did seem worse than usual.  Hotter out than it shoulda been which certainly didn't help.  But as they all say up there, "You get used it", but not over the course of one day you don't.  
We had a "National Lampoon's Vacation" moment in Childress.  Ordered DQ or something similar to-go and took it over to the park to eat outside in the shade.  And at one point my oldest just freaked out, "These burger tastes like poop!"  And my wife was so embarrassed because we were with another family.  And I just laughed and got the "Don't encourage her!" look.  But it reminded me of Clark eating at the picnic, "Oh god, the Dog peed on the sandwiches!"  
I realize those people have to make a living somehow, and if you're in that industry---god bless you and your labor.  But there's a reason animal waste smells like that, it's to biologically alert us to get the fuck away.  I don't know people not directly tied to the industry can live around there.  You can open up your cafe or insurance agency anywhere else.  Just because you're born somewhere doesn't mean you have to stay there.  But then, maybe when they visit other cities, they get out of the car and think our town smells funny.  Kinda like when you leave your home for a long time and come back and it kinda smells different 'cause you haven't been in there for awhile.  Or South Austin's Mom's vagina.
Wait, what are we talking about again? 

Perhaps their wagon lost a wheel, or they lacked ambition one?

My in-laws created a wonderful life for themselves in Western Kansas.  Raising cattle, farming, leasing, etc.  Raised a beautiful family now complete with grandkids.  He's fought Monsanto and other Big Agra to keep his land and farm his own, natural way.  But they're older now and have a number of health issues.  And there ain't jackshit for health care where they live.  Nearest rural hospital is a long ways away, and it's a very loose definition to call it "health care."  Literally a dozen relatives have been misdiagnosed or just under-treated for all kinda shit over the last few years.  Nobody takes on the debt of medical school these days to graduate in the upper half of their class and then open up a specialty practice in Oncology or Opthamology in NW rural Kansas.  He's sold off or leased a huge portion of their ranch and farmlands but they just won't leave.  Closer to their kids or grandkids or even doctors that passed remedial biology just aren't enough allure to get them outta there.  Most of their own extended family has moved away or died but they just feel like you're just supposed to die where you were born.  I just don't get it.  Everybody's living in some version of the Dutton-Yellowstone Ranch I guess where they're still battling some centuries old struggle to keep their land.  And I just didn't get the memo?  Just fucking cash out and move on.  That whole section of America from the Texas Panhandle to North Dakota.  We needed it, it served its purpose, and now-whether we want to admit it or not-it has been largely mechanized and family ties to the land are nothing more than glorified footnotes in the Year-End Christmas Letter.  Find a decent medical center, be near your offspring and grandchildren and start a fulfilling last chapter to your life.  One way or the other, corporate America is gonna get your land or your Childress cattle.  Just a matter of whether or not you enjoy the money now or fool yourself into thinking you can take it with you to other side.  

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

csb/ I transferred to UT from Stetson University (aka South Central Louisiana State) many years ago.  I went back to visit after finishing undergrad (yeah, it was kind of about a girl).  I'm walking through campus and I did a double-take and thought, "What the fuck, was that Fonzi?  I must be drunk already."  Then I get to my buddy's place in this fraternity house where I was gonna crash for the weekend.  And sure enough, there's the funny guy from "The Wedding Singer" which had just come out---some folks invited him up to hang out and he actually accepted because there fuck all else to do in that town except head over to the beaches just east but I guess Adam's schedule didn't allow for it that day.  They were both there because that campus was used to film "The Waterboy" Sandler ended up being really nice IRL from what I recall.  But it kills me still that I didn't get a photo (before camera phones mind you) of Winkler because my sister absolutely worshipped the Fonz growing up (even dressing up like him for Halloween) and then he ends up becoming probably my favorite character a few years later on "Arrested Development."  I had no idea how funny he was as an actor because he got pigeonholed so early on in his career.  And he was absolutely masterful on "Barry"  /csb

My in-laws created a wonderful life for themselves in Western Kansas.  Raising cattle, farming, leasing, etc.  Raised a beautiful family now complete with grandkids.  He's fought Monsanto and other Big Agra to keep his land and farm his own, natural way.  But they're older now and have a number of health issues.  And there ain't jackshit for health care where they live.  Nearest rural hospital is a long ways away, and it's a very loose definition to call it "health care."  Literally a dozen relatives have been misdiagnosed or just under-treated for all kinda shit over the last few years.  Nobody takes on the debt of medical school these days to graduate in the upper half of their class and then open up a specialty practice in Oncology or Opthamology in NW rural Kansas.  He's sold off or leased a huge portion of their ranch and farmlands but they just won't leave.  Closer to their kids or grandkids or even doctors that passed remedial biology just aren't enough allure to get them outta there.  Most of their own extended family has moved away or died but they just feel like you're just supposed to die where you were born.  I just don't get it.  Everybody's living in some version of the Dutton-Yellowstone Ranch I guess where they're still battling some centuries old struggle to keep their land.  And I just didn't get the memo?  Just fucking cash out and move on.  That whole section of America from the Texas Panhandle to North Dakota.  We needed it, it served its purpose, and now-whether we want to admit it or not-it has been largely mechanized and family ties to the land are nothing more than glorified footnotes in the Year-End Christmas Letter.  Find a decent medical center, be near your offspring and grandchildren and start a fulfilling last chapter to your life.  One way or the other, corporate America is gonna get your land or your Childress cattle.  Just a matter of whether or not you enjoy the money now or fool yourself into thinking you can take it with you to other side.  

For Christmas im going to gift you a computer keyboard with a functional Enter button. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 3
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grew up watching those guys on WGN or some other local Chicago station.  Their TV show ended up becoming very commercialized and borderline silly.  But as my father used to point out to when I was young, their written columns were incredibly written. 
Most people don't remember that Siskel was a Yale humanities graduate, wrote for the U.S. Army Defense Information School, and Playboy.  Quite a range.  His movie takes were often for shit, but he died before I really got into cinema anyway.  But I look back on his prose and style, and the man's writing and intellectual breakdown of the reflections of film on society were pretty damn impressive.  Ebert was a University of Chicago PhD candidate before he got into being a critic and writer.  Again, most Americans don't know that UoC is arguably the best school in the nation not in the Ivy League or named after Leyland, Jr.  Ebert had the better taste, or at least for me anyways.  He had a softer side than Siskel, and I always loved the way he understood fellow-Chicagoan, John Hughes.  He, too, could frame an argument on paper like very few (even won a Pulitzer). 
The two of them could have been almost anything given their intellectual prowess, but they ended up embracing movies because of how they felt and believed it was the most contemporary reflection of America in their lifetimes.  More than journalism, TV, politics, music, art, religion, etc.  And they were absolutely correct, just ahead of their time.  And it didn't help they really cut their teeth/"get big" in the 1980's when American movies were at arguably their lowest point of cultural significance---and we were as a country overall at our lowest point culturally (until the last 8 years or so).  And their show was stylized to pit them against one another and a glorified trailer for major studios.  But my father called maybe 10 people smart in my whole life, and he considered Roger Ebert to be absolutely brilliant (primarily off camera, and they met a few times in real life).  
Americans consider high cinema to be the newest Larry the Cable Guy picture or Deuce Bigalow prequel.  Siskel and Ebert saw this dumbing-down of America with movies being a leading indicator.  The harbingers of our demise.  But yeah, to your point---they missed quite frequently.  But their niche was and is remains quite unique.  I kinda miss 'em.

giphy.gif
Tell me more about this Deuce Bigalow prequel…

At the Movies was a must watch for me back in the day.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/21/2023 at 2:12 PM, closetohumping said:

My female neighbor says she can hear me watching porn. Not sure if I should be mad at her or she should be mad at me

Two thoughts... 

She can hear you while she's watching porn? That's an invitation, broseph. 

She didn't say that she can hear the porn you're watching, so I'm considering the possibility that she's concerned about your friction burns. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just thinking about how I know some senior computer programmers, often with math-background, who are utterly disinterested in tech. 

No shiny laptops docked to 4 monitors. They use a big generic corpo desktop, 1 screen, barely ever touch their phone, bang out some code at work, and then go home. 

Theres an archetypal trope about an uberhackers who clang around with a 9 year old Thinkpad held together by ducttape…but those characters are specially hooked to their thinkpad. These real life guys just do not care. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, GoPokes83 said:

By the time Christmas morning rolls around I’m just over it. Nothing good on TV, stores are closed, trash can’s full of boxes and wrapping paper, as of around 3 this afternoon I don’t want to hear another Christmas song or see another holiday movie on TV…. Finito

Hold on. 2 days until the mullet destroys aggy. We’re all counting on you. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Has this guy ever played a character thats not a smug douchebag?

 

victor-garber-nbc-universal-s-2013-winte

 

Oh, he plays the compassionate hero in one movie:  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172606/

You wanna watch a fucked up Christmas movie today, watch "Invisible Child."  It's not a holiday movie per say, but it does take place in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  The cast is pretty solid-it's your guy above, Rita Wilson, the girl who plays Anne on "Arrested Development, the kid from "The Ring" movies, et. al.  It's got good production value.  And Victor Garber start out as a really empathetic and sweet husband and father.  Turns out he's half-psycho himself and is enabling his wife, played by Tom Hank's real life wife, to be absolutely fucking insane.  It's a scene man, it's a scene.  

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

It was in the 4th or 5th grade when I first learned that Indonesia is top-5 in global population. 
 

I refused to believe it then. I still refuse to believe it now. 

csb./ I won some bar trivia game in the Bay Area years ago because I knew which country had the most Muslims in it.  Indonesia, it's not even close actually.  The host had some follow-up nugget, something like depending on which countries you consider part of the middle east, Indonesia has more Muslims than the entire Middle East combined.   But yeah, to your point-it's hard to fathom because it's so damn small on a map/globe.  Vast majority of Americans have no idea it's even a country, let alone where it's located.  Probably 10% maybe know Jakarta or Sumatra or Papau, maybe 1 or 2 other islands or cities.  Beyond that, I'm willing to bet the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia isn't totally sure where the fuck he is right now, and have accidentally converted to Islam just to fit in.  

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Indonesia is decently big, its just screwed by the equatorially-biased 2d projection thing. Its landmass is roughly equal to Mexico and KSA, which are only 2nd tier to the US and Brazils of the world

Yes, it is in the Top 15 largest by landmass IIRC.  It's deceiving, as you point out, because of the projection of it.  Plus, there's not one major contiguous island nation with smaller islands like Japan or Australia which most Americans can easily identify and sort of consider to be "that country".  It's 5+ major islands with thousands of smaller ones.  Many, many of them densely populated, resulting in that huge population.  35 islands have more than 100,000 and a dozen have over a million.  Crazy how vast it is in terms of land mass + seawater distances, in addition to just one densely populated area after another across it all.  It's a really interesting study in cultural demography and ethnic blending.  It's not at all what many americans could consider a 'Muslim Country.'  90%+ Muslim, and 90% Sunni.  Stable, if not corrupt government with little clashing of faiths and ethnicities.  An old friend my youth invited me to his wedding there years  ago.  I really wanted to go, but the 3-stop/21-hour/$6000 (for wife and I) kinda put the brakes on that.  

2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Just struck me that there is now a generation of business travelers who have never used or even seen a hotel alarm clock. 

I don't know who from BOSE blew who from Hyatt/Marriott/Hilton to keep a unit in every single one of their rooms, but what the fuck?  And you can tell, every couple of years, they replace them too.  It's just this box that's off by 7 minutes that you have to dim the display on when you first walk in before you forget.  You don't see alarm clocks anymore at boutique hotels or resorts, but most business hotels I stay in still have them with no signs of letting up.  That's gotta be a cash cow for BOSE.  I guess once Sharper Image went outta business, somebody decided to start bribing or sucking /NTTAWWT

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, YGIFS said:

 

I guess once Sharper Image went outta business, somebody decided to start bribing or sucking /NTTAWWT

Sharper Image lives on. We bought toy for xmas (RC bumper cars) that has sharper image as a co-brand. Kinda strange because their store is their brand and the name itself has zero marketable values. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, 52-80 said:

Sharper Image lives on. We bought toy for xmas (RC bumper cars) that has sharper image as a co-brand. Kinda strange because their store is their brand and the name itself has zero marketable values. 

Maybe I was thinking of Brookstone.  Whatever chain that was that had a store in every single mall in the country plus half the airports.  And it was always BOSE electronics, a massage chair, and one of those shoe shine motor deals.  Anyway, somebody cut a deal with the devil and the major business traveler hotel chains because those clock radios are still ubiquitous as fuck.  And what cracks me up is the docking port on top for your smart phone is like 7 generations too old.  

46 minutes ago, Underdog said:

Too soon to take down Xmas decorations? 

Wife's family has a tradition of leaving them all up until the epiphany.  Because it was also the name's day of their grandfather so it was an extra celebration for them which is cool.  Most years it annoys me, because it's some weekday when I'm already back to the grind and I gotta come home early to take everything down and spend until midnight packing the garage back up nice 'n neat.  But this year the kids are still off so they can take down the ornaments carefully, and I'll do the heavy lifting, and it's on a weekend, and get it all stowed before they get back to the school schedule 48 hours later.  

I'm annually surprised at how the vast, vast majority of American adults don't understand how perpetual calendars work.  Almost everyone at holiday meals and calls was talking about next year just completely baffled, as we were talking about taking our turn hosting folks from Chicago and all points Texas, and possibly wife's family from Kansas.  I said "Well, it's on a Wednesday next year so I think most of us will probably just take that whole week off...no reason to just work Monday and Friday."  To a person it was, "No, Christmas is on Monday (Thinking that because it's on a Monday this year, that'll always remain true).  We'll come down the weekend before and then make plans to head home on Wednesday."  

Fucking fine by me, get the hell outta my house on Christmas Day because you don't understand Leap Years.  Less bullshit I gotta put up with.  Every three years, it moves ahead one day in the week.  Every fourth year, it moves ahead two days in the week.  Many other holidays work this way as well.  Telling the hard-core Catholic in-laws about how Easter works is an annual tradition I enjoy almost as much as the Surly Waco Light Display story...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too soon to take down Xmas decorations? 

Hell No - told the wife that it was today, my preference, or next Saturday. I should’ve just started bringing in the rubber maid boxes and started stripping the tree of ornaments. I didn’t argue, as my son an I (he’s now 24) finished off a complete bottle of Johnny Walker last night, so today was kind of “fuzzy.”

Tree still decorated and I work tomorrow. Alamo Bowl on Thursday evening (late start), so Friday will be the earliest we can strip the tree and put shit back to normal.

Hook’em!!!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Superhero said:

A lot of posts about my ski weekend, so here’s another.

Skiing and snowboarding is not a fat person sport. Hardly saw anyone on the slopes with a gut or fupa.

Even the people in the lodge areas were thin compared to the general population.  

That's why I'm skipping this ski season for next year. I'm not that fat but I'm 220 pounds with a bit of a belly. I went to Steamboat last year and my legs were burning by the third goaround on the mountain. I'm a speed demon green and blue skier too so it sucks that I can't do as many rounds as I used to when I was a teen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of posts about my ski weekend, so here’s another.
Skiing and snowboarding is not a fat person sport. Hardly saw anyone on the slopes with a gut or fupa.
Even the people in the lodge areas were thin compared to the general population.  
I saw a pretty, but pretty fat chick take off her bikini top in the lodge today whilst skiing. She just took the bikini top off while taking off her sweater on accident and it got all tangled up. So I got to see some nice b cup titties with great nips and horribly unfortunate fat rolls just below. That crew was pounding drinks and fireballs. Pretty funny. Would... The titties, not the fat rolls.

But prolly from Oklahoma or Kansas.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's why I'm skipping this ski season for next year. I'm not that fat but I'm 220 pounds with a bit of a belly. I went to Steamboat last year and my legs were burning by the third goaround on the mountain. I'm a speed demon green and blue skier too so it sucks that I can't do as many rounds as I used to when I was a teen.
I use ski and surf trips as a motivation to hit the gym. I'm late 40s. Why not get motivated to see the light before you feel the heat?

That said I'm hitting yoga and the gym hard next year. Getting old requires more work.
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Prepare your anus 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’d feel like such a fucking loser if I was one of these guys playing my 6th or 7th year of eligibility in college football. Grow up. 

Kind of agree, but being on a football scholarship at any Power 5 school is probably a pretty sweet life. I’d probably try and Van Wilder it too.
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are radar detectors still a thing?  I cannot recall the last time I saw one in a vehicle.  I remember when I got my driver's license and first car in 1990 it seemed like everyone had a radar detector in their car.  Maybe it was just us idiot teenagers with lead feet that had them.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...