What I learned this year is that my kids have a truly embarrassing amount of stuff, and are spoiled little shits about it. I think next year, I am limiting family to one gift for each, plus what Santa brings. And finding some sort of volunteer activity to do. I have good kids, and Monday was the first time I’ve been sad to watch them be themselves. How did you Glibs with older/adult children get them through the “MINE!” stage of the holidays?
I know this went up in the comments earlier, but I can’t miss out on a big, old purple-veined dick joke.
Vegas can be rough on cougars.
This is probably of interest to our kind of people. (Not: Rand (Ayn or Paul), Gold Standard, Colloidal Silver, 27th Trimester Abortion)
I hear it helps with nausea… more pregnant women turn to Mary Jane. (Misleading headline. It just says more pregnant women are using it.)
A nice little strumming song for your Wednesday.
Vegas can be rough on cougars.
Not the type of cougar I expected.
He was aiming to deceive.
I get you Rufus.
5-inch heels + Yard-long Daquiris + Diminished balance due to age = ???????
Coming out of 2017, I think this is how I feel about most videogames:
2017 Is The Year That Single Player Games Became Chores
That does not match what I saw. I saw the starting of a market correction where engaging stories from upstarts performed better than tired monoliths.
Hm, maybe I should have clarified that this is how I feel about the “AAA” single-player market right now. The indies are definitely doing their own thing.
That would make sense, and explain why I have no interest in modern AAA games.
That is a model sentence for how not to write. WTF does that even mean? (the web site is not working for me right now)
Sorry, that part is from the last paragraph. Maybe it makes more sense in context of these earlier parts:
OK, yeah that’s much clearer, thanks. Isn’t Overwatch a multiplayer game, though?
I think he should have picked a different example, but I think he was only using Overwatch as a way to explain extrinsic motivation, not as an example of a single player game that has become a chore.
Fair enough. But I can think of two AAA single player games that came out this year that didn’t have this problem, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Nioh. And if you stretch the definition of “last year” a little, Final Fantasy XV also counts.
Obviously there are exceptions. There are always exceptions. But you can’t deny the trend of previously tight well-structured single player games that now have sequels that have gone open world (even though there is no reason for it) and/or are OMG 20x LARGER THAN THE LAST GAME!
Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect Andromeda, Shadow of War, Final Fantasy XV, etc.
The Witcher 3 did this the correct way, since they still made everything fun for its own sake. They didn’t have to dangle a shiny loot box at the end of the path to make it fun. Just playing the game and discovering the stories was fun.
It sounds like there are two criticisms.
One, of extrinsic rewards (lootboxes). A lot of the games you have mentioned don’t really have lootboxes, and grinding to get rare rewards is not exactly a new mechanic.
Two, of open world games with shallow stories and lackluster replay value. I can definitely see where you’re coming from on this, but I think it’s a different line of critique.
Extrinsic rewards are perfectly fine. I love getting new loot (whether they’re in a box or not doesn’t matter – although I prefer not to have to pay real money for a boxed one). Its the total lack of attention to intrinsic rewards that bothers me. One doesn’t need to be sacrificed for the other.
The problem is that buzzwords need to be used, like “open world” or “emergent gameplay” for marketing purposes. When the developer/publisher then realizes that they can’t have both an open world and interesting quests or characters, they just put in shallow gathering quests, really poor dialogue, uninteresting maps, etc. to fill the game up with “content.” Now they can claim “100 hours of gameplay!” There are exceptions to this, but most developers don’t have the chops to pull it off.
These things combine, I don’t see them as separate.
I for one have always enjoyed vintage single-player games like Q-bert.
“One of the great debates of 2017 is the “death of the single-player game,”
Horseshit. Just like PCs are obsolete for gamins, like 20 years ago they claimed.
TBF it did look like PC gaming was dying about 10 years ago. Then Steam happened.
PC gaming grosses more annually than all consoles combined. Or that’s what I read somewhere. Anyway, it’s far superior.
Obligatory
I’d believe that in the U.S. (and maybe South Korea). But Europe is more tilted towards consoles, and PC gaming is all but dead in Japan.
Europeans are peasants. So makes sense.
No, seriously, the only gamer I know in Europe is a PC gamer. But most of them are peasants. Japan… JRPGs suck donkey ballz.
I totally agree that the whole “single player games are over” debate is silly, but I don’t think that’s what the article is really talking about. I think its more hitting on the fact that most “AAA” single player games have become huge open worlds with nothing but checklists that focus on short-term rewards like loot boxes rather than interesting story telling that is rewarding for its own sake.
Single player PC games are over just like big screen TVs are over, because a family of 4 huddled around their 5″ smartphone to watch a movie totally makes sense. Is there a special gene pool that journalists spring forth from? I mean, there has to be a special idiot gene that accounts for these morons.
I’ve heard the bitching about, and thus skipped, Shadow of War and Battlefront 2, but were there others as well? Not counting the Call of Battlefield: Medal of Repetition series.
Metal Gear Solid 5, Final Fantasy XV, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Batman Arkham City, Deux Ex Mankind Divided, (I’d even put Zelda on here)… all games that were previously fine, but suddenly had to have an open world with huge checklists that ultimately watered them down. Its a big pond, but its shallow.
That’s not to mention the games that have been doing this from the start (or nearly the start): See every major game from Ubisoft in the last 8 years (with a few exceptions).
I played the first MGS5, because of course Kojima has to make it complicated and put out two MGS5s, and while I found it brief, I didn’t find it lootbox-y. I guess “The Phantom Pain” was different.
And FF15 seemed like a natural extension of all the previous Final Fantasy games to the open world environment (FF12 had already introduced real time combat, although not many people played it). Maybe I’m missing something, but how is “go to some spot in the world and do X chore” all that different from “go to the next spot in the linear map and do X chore”, never mind the requisite grinding that every FF game has.
Here’s the best example I can think of: Play Dragon Age Origins, and then play Dragon Age Inquisition. The change in the depth of each quest is astonishing.
MGS5 wasn’t lootbox-y, but it was large and boring as hell. The story was practically non-existent and it was needlessly complicated.
The story was … needlessly complicated.
I believe this will be the epitaph on Hideo Kojima’s grave.
But, point taken. I think we were talking past each other for a bit. I can see where you’re coming from on the DA:O versus DA:I comparison.
@TK – My main complaint about Origins was that I would spend so long chasing an objective that when a quest wrapped up, it usually came as a complete surprise – because I’d completely forgotten I was on it.
Seems like a reasonable criticism. I don’t recall running into that problem during my play through though.
I never finished either Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II because I got bored with each one, but I really enjoyed Inquisition and pretty much played it until there was nothing left to do. Sure, some of the hunt and fetch quests dragged a bit, but you can finish the game without doing them if you want and you won’t miss too much. As far as Final Fantasy goes, they’ve always been known for having overworlds that could be explored, so like kbolino I felt like FFXV was just an extension of that and it certainly didn’t feel forced in any way. Again, you can give a lot of the optional hunt and fetch quests a miss if you don’t want to do them and still finish the game.
It seems like there’s a lot of bitching but open world is what the market seems to want right now. Sometimes it works pretty well, like in Inquisition or Skyrim. Other times it doesn’t help or even hurts the gameplay (Mass Effect Andromeda was really handicapped by it, even ignoring the other problems with the game). Still, as long as gamers want sandboxes, that’s what the studios are going to deliver. It just costs too damn much to produce a AAA title to risk going out on a limb. Although Origins sold well and received awards, Dragon Age: Inquistion is the best selling title in Bioware history and still won a bunch of awards, so expect another game in that vein going forward.
There are some independent titles that are coming out that have more in depth storytelling if that’s your thing. Torment: Tides of Numenera comes to mind.
If you asked Kojima what time it is, he’d write out a diagram of how to build a clock.
Thank you. I played about 15 hours and I’m still wondering what all the fuss is about. And poking around online I couldn’t get a straight answer about whether there were even dungeons – the best part of every previous iteration – anymore.
Split screen gaming is much closer to dead.
Probably the top reason why single player games are better is because NPCs are not humans. Multiplayer games are a pool of stupid that is only exceeded by facebook and twitter.
Who are these people who play multiplayer games, anyway?
Mostly 10 year olds and Russian hackers judging by my own experience.
There’s nothing quite like being shouted profanities by someone who lacks the physical/emotional development to understand what they even mean.
huehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehue
I’m on a play-through on XCom: Enemy Within with all the DLC, and then going back to XCom 2. I finally figured out how to use the Meld stuff and am about done with 1. It did get to be a grind in the middle.
That game is just fucking excellent. X-com 2 is simply amazing. No other game quite like it.
The last game I have a lot of hours in is ELEX. I love the Piranha Bytes games. Germans do still make good stuff.
If I tell myself Im not playing an xcom game, I can enjoy the new xcom games. The game seemed to move along with little care for how well you were fending off the aliens (at least compared to the 90s xcoms).
That said, xcom 2 and the war of the chosen DLC is loads of fun, even if two of the new classes are waaay too strong.
As the millennial who grew up playing video games quite often, and saw the rise of the current modern AAA titles, I would like to pitch in. Singleplayer games are falling into a trap that many gamers have feared. They are money grabs and often are luring you in to what you believe is a strong game, but is just many things done weakly. I hate to be that guy, but DLC has definitely caused much of this problem in the development of games. Now, multiplayer games often do have this same problem, but with the rise of loot boxes it has become a chance of luck (or of money) to get what is good. I play my fair share of Overwatch and Dota, and I have watched how a small push to more crates helps me continue playing. I have also played briefly games like COD WW2, and I witness the utter failure of making me want to grind just to have to buy keys (or whatever it is now). Singleplayer games that implement randomness into crates that need to be opened with special keys (money) are not what influence me. Diablo and Borderlands are perfect examples of games that require a grind to get a good item or weapon, but that’s just some RNG shit making it so some items are far more valuable and you need to try again to have a chance at them. This article is absolutely correct, single player games don’t need to be crate fests, but need to grant rewards in ways they always have. I go and play DOOM and I can keep playing solely because I love the brutal demon slaying (and that amazing soundtrack) and how it can change as you get more weapons. To touch upon a couple of points I saw below. 1. Multiplayer games are going to continue growing and probably always will. As an avid watcher of the Dota Internationals (Team OG FTW), I can tell you multiplayer games are a lot more than just angry Russian hackers, and are continuing to grow to huge levels like offering $8 million to the winning team. Single player games also will continue to decline some, but with companies like Paradox Interactive I hope we can have some great strategy games once more. This was quite the ramble so I apologize, but I felt like adding my view.
I originally read this as “single payer” games and had a confuze.
“Federal workers are paid $1.1 million a minute, $66 million every hour, and $524 million each day.”
And the results are spectacular.
In the same ways as a giant tire fire.
I’m frankly surprised the number is that low.
I wonder if it only counts employees, not federal contractors.
And paychecks or the entire compensation package.
And the results are spectacular.
I’ll bet not as spectacular as that Seinfeld girl’s breasts.
Now, or when that joke was first made?
Early 90’s Teri Hatcher was no joke.
YES!
Agreed, but I haven’t seen hee lately.
http://www.gotceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/celebrities/teri-hatcher/at-2014-variety-power-of-women/Teri-Hatcher:-2014-Variety-Power-of-Women–03.jpg
Time and Botox hasn’t been kind to her.
My ex was often compared to her (or Julia Roberts).
Well now you’re just bragging.
Though I always found Julia Roberts’ mouth a little too wide and thin.
more pregnant women turn to Mary Jane.
When I toured the Cooper’s Brewery, the guy giving the tour told us a story. He said he stopped saying doctors recommend nursing mothers have an occasional pint of stout after one tour when a woman, who claimed to be a doctor, yelled out, “STOP TELLING PEOPLE THAT! We don’t give out that advice anymore!” An older women in my tour group said, “My doctor used to give me that advice. I followed it and my kids turned out OK.”
Back when I was a kid, I remember visiting a friend of my mother’s who had to be in hospital for ‘bed rest’ after a pregnancy. Years later, I found out that she’d damn near died hemmorhaging from the birth. We used to visit every afternoon, and I remember there being a large (20oz?) bottle of Guinness on the side table that they made her drink. It’s memorable because I couldn’t figure out why she hated the stuff so much when my dad was such a fan.
Women ::SMDH::
I recall mentioning this in an article, milk stouts were originally marketed to lactating women. This is part of the reason they are still called milk stouts.
I sensed a great disturbance in the world today. I did not see boob pictures from Q. Hopefully he is OK. Here is my attempt to make up the slack. Inspired by Pie’s Romanian feast article, Ozzy Man reviewing Romania’s Got Talent”.
I’m sure Santa just rewarded him with a bunch of real boobs to play with and he’s off somewhere frolicking in them. I bet he’ll be back after the holidays.
He mentioned a few days ago that he was going to be on the road and that the glorious titay posts would be intermittent.
I missed that. Oops.
Not your fault. IIRC he said that after a titty link. I’m sure I was the only one who actually read past that.
Here is Kate Beckinsale to the rescue.
Goddamnit
https://www.maxim.com/women/kate-beckinsale-christmas-tree-killer-yoga-skills-2017-12
Kate’s very cute – but needs some hips.
But other than that, she could try out her yoga skills with me any time she’s available.
Read past a titty link? That’s like reading one of the stories linked to in the links post.
“This is probably of interest to our kind of people. ”
It occurs to me after seeing many discussions on how to reform taxes that that is the wrong place to start. We should be talking more about what the government should be doing or not doing before figuring out how to finance it. Your kid asks you for money you ask “What do you need it for?”
From the swamp report: Federal workers are paid $1.1 million a minute, $66 million every hour, and $524 million each day.: That’s less than I thought.
A nice little strumming song for your Wednesday
Fake News! Sounds nothing like Iggy Pop.
Brett, my kids are all 12 and older, but our tradition is that we give them a few small presents “from us”, one big gift from Santa (iPod, etc.), and stuff in their stockings. My wife has a huge family, so between my family and hers, the kids always have a ton of presents to open. One year we decided it was too much so we just cut back at our house.
Another thing we did when they were kids and got dozens of presents was to require them to donate a certain number of presents to the local children’s hospital. Maybe 2 or 3, and let them choose.
I understand your struggle. Some people will just spoil the hell out of your kids when they’re little.
Thanks. I nearly took a pile of toys down to the Goodwill drop. I like the donation to the children’s hospital.
We donate every year. One of this year’s presents is going to be gone in 2 weeks. I think my brother in law is fucking with me.
My Little Firestarter’s First Unexplained Home Inferno kit?
My First Internet Aware Sex Toy? OMWC sold a bunch of those this year.
Brand name? “L’il’ Caligula”
Seems redundant.
My Little Jihadi Vest- now with more ball bearing?
It’s a giant hot wheels parking garage. Takes up a big portion of the living room and blocks the view of the TV.
I saw that at Costco and was seriously considering getting it for our 4 year old. Its massive foot print was too much so I opted for several Track Builder sets (about 50′ of track all told) that can be broken down and stuffed in a box.
My 10yo nephew (wife’s sister’s kid) made out like a bandit this year: my wife & I; wife’s friends who visit every Christmas; wife’s parents; his half-sister (who used her dad’s unlimited credit card); his dad; his dad’s parents; his mom; mom’s boyfriend (trust-fund family) AND Santa Claus.
There are probably restrictions, like everything has to be wrapped. But if you can take your kids with you it’s a good experience for them.
That is pretty much what we do. The wife and I get him several things (Walter the Farting Dog was a big hit this year…) and something “big” from Santa (WWE tickets in January). He has 3 sets of grandparents who give him way too much but they all did a nice job cutting back this year. He had a pretty rough couple of months leading up to Christmas and was very close to not getting a damn thing.
One year two of my kids were being assholes all year, so we actually gave them charcoal in their stockings and no present from Santa. They got clothes and stuff from us, but no Santa gifts. They got the point after that.
My youngest brother was spoiled rotten so one year I wrapped a bunch of boxes filled with store-brand charcoal brickettes after my parents went to bed I snuck out and took all of his gifts from under the tree and replaced them with charcoal, emptied his stocking into a bag, lined his stocking with plastic and filled it to overflowing with coal and then went back to bed.
I can’t think of another Christmas between the time he was a toddler and the time he was 22 that he was better behaved. “No, I get it, I deserve this.”
Once everyone was done with their gifts I brought out his and then left to make brunch for everyone and could hear him bitching about how the gifts weren’t exactly what he wanted from down the hall.
RACIST
How did you know I’d dressed up as Zwarte Piet for it.
Monster
*Hank Hill GAH!*
*contemplates firing up the charcoal grill to cook up some sausage tonight*
I think I’ve told this story before, but Jesse’s avatar reminds me of it.
Many years ago when my nephew was about 4 or 5, his parents (my sister and her husband) taught him to be polite and thankful for his Christmas gifts. Our immediate part of the family (my parents and all us siblings) got together, and somebody gave the nephew some battery-operated toy, wrapping the toy in a big box and the batteries in a small package.
The nephew opens up the small package to reveal the batteries, holds up the batteries the way Jesse is holding that crepe, and loudly says, “Just what I always wanted!”
Poor kid couldn’t figure out why everybody was laughing hysterically.
I did that when I was 12 or 13 and my mom gave me a book on how to be more organized.
I love that story.
Use the coal to burn one of their toys
Some people will just spoil the hell out of your kids when they’re little.
We were “those parents” this year and told the extended family that we didn’t want any plastic noisemaking shit in the house. We told them to get books, clothes, or blocks for the baby. It worked out really well. Most stuck to our suggestions, and the few that didn’t avoided getting plastic noisemaking shit.
i’m under no illusion that the next 3-5 years are going to be half as easy as this one was.
Back in the Olden Days, one of the local papers had a page that was people sending in goofy stories. The best one ever was about Christmas.
A person wrote in that their parents would always wrap up some empty boxes for each kid. Then as the holidays approached and the kid would do something bad, the parent would say “That’s it! One less present for you” and would throw an empty box into the wood stove that they used to heat the house.
That is parenting.
How did you Glibs with older/adult children get them through the “MINE!” stage of the holidays?
Patience and keeping their heads right the other 364 days. Asking family to throttle it back a little can help, too. We went to drawing names in both families many years ago, so that can help as well.
I feel for you, but the kids will be fine.
Or you could do what all good parents do and just hit your kids. That’s the best medicine!
This seems like a good way to deal with it. What a little brat.
For years I have been complaining to my family that Christmas gift giving is for children and not adults.
My MIL have me a $100 Bill every year against my asking her not to.
Two years in a row I gave her the exact piece of paper back as my gift to her and she got the message.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by far. Family , friends, and food. No senseless buying shit for each other.
I completely agree. A lot of my single friends are still buying each other Xmas gifts in their 40s and I sit there awkwardly at their parties while all that tedium goes on. Thanksgiving FTW.
Ha! I should have read more. This is exactly the story that I talked about upthread.
Thanks, drawing names in my next step after 1 present per kid per family unit.
That is what we used to do for our age group (my cousins) but we phased that out as well. Although this year we all donated what we would normally spend to YMCA camp where my cousin worked before his unfortunate demise.
I agree. Just keep their heads on straight. They will be fine. Even kids of your kids’ ages can learn that not everyone is as fortunate.
I come from a huge family and we just asked everyone not to get them so much stuff. We had a tiny house, so that helped make the point. We removed half their stuff (let them choose, so not their favorite stuff) every year for autumn cleaning, and they almost invariably didn’t miss it.
My kids made out like bandits because they were the only kids around during the holidays. So aunts, grandparents etc. loaded them up with gifts. As someone said, gifts are really only for kids. They actually like the stuff they get.
Now we don’t exchange any gifts at all. We have a nice dinner and play cards and that is it. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful it is to not have to worry about presents.
STEVE SMITH DICK PIC GONE PUBLIC.
STEVE SMITH TRY TO BE URBAN SASQUATCH FOR A CHANGE.
Really, how’d the IPO go?
All three of my kids are adopted. The middle one (17) was born with low birth weight and a ton of medical problems. Her birth mom smoked a lot of MJ (so much, that she named the kid Mary Jane). I don’t know if it was all the pot, or just bad prenatal care, but I’d be cautious about saying it’s ok for pregnant women to smoke pot. You don’t want to put the kid (and yourself) through all that if you can help it.
Yeah, our neonatologists are saying there’s more research showing problems.
Tina Turner – spirit mother to the #metoo revolution
Good one!
I don’t care who’s wrong or right,
I just really want to fight some more….
Ike was all about that bass.
I must admit that I’m somewhat envious of this guy’s ability to continually blow smoke up people’s asses.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/12/elon-musk-promises-rain-sensing-wipers-tesla-pickup-truck/
Well, since everyone has Apple products now, the cult needs a new spiritual leader to make them feel good about themselves.
I had a Mercedes with rain sensing wipers back in 1998. If Musk can convince Telsa buyers that 20-year-old tech is exciting enough to lay out the cash, good for him.
I was gonna say – our Mazda CX-9 has got that shit.
Where’s my flying car?
I know someone who bought a Prius when they were new. The person was going on and on about all the cool things the car did, among them calculate average and current fuel economy. I said my mid-eighties Town Cars could do the same thing.
My F350 does that, but somehow I don’t think the Prius owner will be impressed with the numbers.
Literally every car with electronic fuel injection and an odometer has the data to make that calculation, and probably the ECU cycles to do it.
Yep, you just have to pay for the ability to see it. My pickup doesn’t show gas usage. But if I plug an ODBII sensor into it, I can see it. Like you said, all the sensors are there.
…or you can utilize our apparently underfunded education system, reset the odometer, and learn to divide by the number of gallons at every fill up.
Yeah, I’m the guy that still balances his checkbook by hand.
How much rain did it take to trigger? Below a certain threshold, the water is less of a vision impediment than the smear the wipers will turn it into.
It was surprisingly well calibrated. It took more than a sprinkle. Instead of messing around with intermittent settings I’d just put it in auto mode (you could leave it in auto 24/7, but it would dry wipe the windshield every time you turned on the car to let you know it was enabled). Every time there just about the amount of rain on the windshield that I’d normally be reaching for the switch, swipe.
My auto-wipers on my Ford have an adjustable sensitivity. I can set it so that it won’t go until the water is an impediment.
yeah I was about to say my base base base BMW 325i had rain sensing wipers.
My Pilot has those. I didn’t know that until yesterday.
How to get thru’ the MINE! stage? We dealt with that as an ongoing project over a few years. We never told the kids they had to share. What was theirs was theirs, and they were under no obligation to share, but we’d highlight why sharing was a good thing, because it was a kind of fun force-multiplier.
That toy you can’t bear to share? It’s OK, it *is* yours, but it means you’re less likely to be allowed to try out toy X that your brother feels the same way about, if you’re going to demand exclusivity.
On going from millions of presents to a few presents? Try and do that early. I think ours were 10 and 7 when we scaled back a lot, which coincided with realizing there was no Santa. We got ours to make lists of what they wanted, knowing that they wouldn’t get anywhere near everything on the list. We could fine-tune the quantity that way. Usually one big thing and a few small things, and a couple of fun things in the stockings. The ‘big thing’ tends to distract from the disappointment that they don’t have hundreds of tchochkies.
and one more:
#MeToo: Former Trump Campaign Manager Questioned on Allegations by Host Previously Accused of Misconduct
That’s the guy who slugged the female reporter? I believe it.
I thought it was just a goon-hand?
Yeah, that’s right.
Is that when you touch her ovaries with your piercing male gaze?
Bob Kelly explains.
Bill Belichick gives greatest press conference ever. If he ever retires from coaching, I want him to be the next Press Secretary. His contempt for the press is delicious.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/another-arctic-blast-poised-to-usher-in-2018/70003663
Guys, I have a problem. I can’t decide which shorts and flip flops to wear for New Year’s.
Do I wear the fancy ones with the bottle opener on the bottom?
What kind of opener does the other option have?
I’d have to accessorize with some sort of belt; the dentist insisted that I not open caveman style.
Is it illegal to carry a lighter in CA at this point?
I have a lighter, but it’s more of a wind-resistant mini torch. Can’t open beers with it.
If the belt includes this buckle, you know my answer.
64/56 on NYE. Damn. I’m going to have to wear a hoodie with my shorts and flip flops.
Fuck winter.
40/24 here. Still wearing flip flops though.
21/8.
-4/-18
I dont get it. It’s hotter than hell here right into early November and then we get hit with cold front after cold front. It never quits pissing rain and the humidity stays over 75%. In the winter we get three months of ‘freeze your ass off’. Expecting 23F tonight and not much warmer tomorrow. In three months I will be sweating my balls off.
23F isn’t “freeze your ass off”, bub.
It didn’t even get up to 23F here, and I’m not in a particularly cold part of the country. Indeed, the local weather app says it likely won’t get to 23F at all for the next week.
To me it is.
Dude, it’s fucking cold here. I went outside a few minutes ago because wifey asked me to check if there is a package delivered to our door. FUCK! 24F, not fit for humans!
It’s goint to be -20 wind chill tonight with single digits actual temps. Burrr!! I like bundling up and walking in this shit. We camp outside a few times a year with a big fire and polar sleeping bags. It’s amazing how well you can sleep.
76hi and 71lo with moderate Trade Winds back. Little chilly here. Board shorts should always have a bottle opener and since it is a party I will wear my dress up flip flops instead of my casual flip flops.
It will be only 67F in Mallorca. I might need long pants. Sad.
81F right now at our other other house.
Yeah, but drunk Brits.
Your only remedy is to drink more than they do.
79/60 at home in the Lauderdale burbs on NYE. Gonna need a jacket when out celebrating.
By later in the week, it’ll be 69/49. That’s winter coat time.
Come to my place and I’ll show you how to not pass out and die of hypothermia. It’s gonna be -6/-19 on NYE.
^ WINNER! (for some values of winner)
Dude, WTF do you live? Mars?
10 here for NYE. Definitely staying home and in. The party I am choosing to not attend would normally be me and some friends hanging outside smoking all evening.
See Mike, that is why no one wants to move to NDak. They all move to Sunny Minnesoda which is forecast to be -4/-18.
*puts on swim trunks and grabs sunscreen*
Instead of talking crazy, tell us about cool cars.
Lets see, High of 70 on New Years. I’ll be over here laughing at you in your frozen hell.
I heard rain on new Years
aaand now it’s not,
/weather
Today in stupid leftist memes: This was posted with the comment “This will make Andy’s (ed note: referring specifically to me) head explode”
https://i.imgur.com/kaSho1a.jpg
That’s a bad meme
And then what do they think happens to the bar?
Nothing because consumers are mindless automatons helpless in the face of corporate advertising and marketing.
Awww, isn’t that so cute. Thing is, last time I remember hearing about people dying from alcohol was because the government intentionally poisoned them during prohibition.
Snopes calls it mixed, which is about the most anti-government snopes level you are going to get.
After all, they didnt mean for the people to die. They thought the extra poison would stop them from drinking it.
[insert eye-roll here]
That’s right. They were only trying to save the people. Like putting acetamenophin in pain pills to keep people from taking so many.
“After all, they didnt mean for the people to die”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol
I used to haul denaturant (aka 85 octane regular gasoline) to the ethanol plant in Fulton, NY.
No word if I ever killed anyone, much less if the death was proggie approved.
That stuff is incredibly handy when one needs to fix drips and runs in paint. Wait until paint has nearly set, take denatured alcohol and apply on a soft cloth and wipe the goofs smooth.
That doesn’t get any less retarded the more I see it.
Apparently no laws against murder either.
John, John, and John (random name, don’t read into it) are down on their luck. They can’t afford to buy booze in the store, so they buy industrial alcohol instead. They go blind and die because the federal government deliberately poisoned them to keep them from evading excise taxes. The end.
I think it’s a great conversation starter.
Starting with….
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!?”
Didn’t you know? The government tests every single container of every food and drink made!
They tested exactly 0% of the alcohol I sold. And I had no customers die, as far as I know.
WTF is wrong with people.
Have you ever walked up on a herd of deer in the woods? As soon as the lead buck senses you his head pops up, he looks around and listens. His tail goes up as a warning flag to the other deer. The rest of the herd wont look for you, they look at him to see what he is going to do.
What is wrong with people? They need daddy to look after them and tell them what to do. Herd animals.
I think this is important: Lefties Can’t Meme.
Fixed link:
https://www.spectator.com.au/2017/08/the-left-cant-meme/
I fixed it 2 minutes ago.
Half credit.
Because ‘kill the paying customers’ is step 1 in how to run a successful business.
Speaking of regulations–
It’s a little extra paperwork, but whaddaya gonna do?
Industry by industry, small businesses have been lobbying governments — from town health departments to federal cabinet agencies — to simplify rules and eradicate redundancy.
————
“So many of the farmers I’ve spoken with tell me that stricter and stricter regulations have put many of their neighbors and friends out of business, and in doing so cost them their homes, land and livelihoods,” said Baylen Linnekin, a libertarian-leaning expert in food law and policy, in an email. “For many farmers, rolling back regulations is the only way they can survive.”
Obligatory battered woman syndrome quote:
Many farmers, including Mr. Ten Eyck, acknowledge that not all regulations are bad. They often have led to ample benefits, including a safer food supply and better working conditions. Last year, an official with the Environmental Protection Agency was welcomed at Indian Ladder Farms where she promoted new standards to protect farm workers.
Long chinscratcher about agricultural regulations. They toss in some nonsense about Trump shutting down the EPA, and whatever other atrocities they can think of.
The first NYT Pick comment:
Leslied Virginia 7 hours ago
The question is who are the regulations helping and who are they harming. After all, we don’t have child labor, 80 hour work weeks, sub-market wages, hiring discrimination, company stores leading essentially to indentured servitude, or unsafe working conditions (with the regulations preventing them) because of regulations. So, shall we get rid of them?
Yup.
company stores leading essentially to indentured servitude
I missed the part where the Army came in and helped the unions fight the Pinkertons and the cops.
we don’t have child labor, 80 hour work weeks
Go to a farm sometime. Or an immigrant-owned restaurant.
sub-market wages
There is no such thing, except for slavery.
hiring discrimination
What planet are you living on, exactly?
company stores leading essentially to indentured servitude
That’s not how any of this works.
unsafe working conditions
Loggers, miners, and roughnecks everywhere rejoice, for the government has made your jobs perfectly safe!
Yeah… IDK what that’s all about. 80 hour work weeks? I had a lot of them in my 20s. Wouldn’t change it for the world. My choice, not theirs.
On the flip side, there’s a lot of Walmart employees who aren’t exactly thrilled that they can’t work more than 40 hours. But hey, the government knows best.
All of the employees that I know and like at my grocery store…. part time. Thanks, Obamacare!
Well, they would just be dying in the streets from lack of insurance, otherwise.
Yep, either they’re stuck working 30 hours, or they work 2 or 3 jobs to get the hours they want. It’s like this idiot doesn’t realize that you can have more than one job.
I would have been a lot nicer to customers and management had I been given the option of working beyond 40hrs/week at Wal-Mart.
I don’t know too many of the self employed who work less than 50. It’s usually much much more.
Raises hand, I figured out how to get by on 20-30 hrs a week, and couldn’t be happier, when I over commit and have to actually put in a 40+ week I am pissed.
Good on ya, mate.
I’ve usually worked 65-70 hours a week most of my life, and quite often 100+ during seasonal gigs. I’m not proud of it, and it doesn’t make me better than the next guy, but it is what it is, which means lazy leftie retards will never understand.
Its all a trade off, I could bust my ass for the next fifteen years and then retire or spend the next thirty years half-assing it. I choose half assing-it nothing wrong with choosing ass-busting.
I’m with you on the half-assing it Train. I’m no longer interested in 100 hour weeks.
I wish i could do the same,20-30 hrs a week, but, I can go from 0 to 60 hours from one week to the next,
not easy
I’m not self-employed and sometimes I work more than 40 hours per week: 50, 60, sometimes more hours per week.. On the other hand, I have stock options where I work.
I remember a facebook “discussion” with some Proglodytes about stores being open on Thanksgiving. The Proglodytes were against it, of course. Workers should be home with their families!
I pointed out that liked working holidays when I worked retail because I got paid extra per hour. I did not say that I’d probably work anyways because then I get paid instead of getting nothing. The response from one of the Proglodytes? “I didn’t get paid anything extra so no one should be forced to work holidays.”
Which is why a world run by proglodytes looks like Venezuela.
I certainly have my share of 80 hour work weeks. Leslied must be a government worker.
KOCHTOPUS!
jphubba Columbia MD 7 hours ago
Perhaps a little context is needed here. Charles Koch serves on the Board of Directors of the Mercatus Center and provides a large portion of its funding. Broadly speaking the Mercatus view is that there are no good regulations.
Despite the alleged regulatory overkill, knowledgeable Europeans consider US food safety regulations weak and ineffective. British MPs opposed to Brexit offer the prospect of reducing British food safety regime to US levels as one of the principal risks posed by leaving the EU.
Similarly, agricultural workers in the US continued to be exploited. They are grossly underpaid and exposed to extensive workplace hazards.
They are grossly underpaid
Unlike the tractors that can replace them?
What about Regulations eliminating sub-market wages?
Broadly speaking, I have no idea what I’m talking about.
knowledgeable Europeans consider US food safety regulations weak and ineffective
Ooh, knowledgeable. And European!
Yeah, the European model of “bribe your way to staying in business” is much better than the U.S.
Yeah, you never see European tourists in America eating in our restaurants do you? I think they carry all their own Wheatbix and Cadbury chocolate bars so they don’t have to touch American food the whole time they are here.
I thought all the dead people stacked up in our streets were due to the tax reform bill.
Here I learn it’s because of unregulated farmers and restirants.
knowledgeable Europeans consider US food safety regulations weak and ineffective
Yes, because we let people call bubbly wine made with the same yeast Champagne no matter where the grapes grow, and don’t have strict standards on what qualifies as “cheese” or “beer”. Fuck right off.
I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s just “the FDA budget isn’t [some arbitrary large amount] like it is in [unspecified European locale].”
Translation: Dumb compliant peasant.
The east Europeans I knew in grad school would disagree. I remember a Bulgarian guy waxing poetic about knowing what he was buying, milk was milk. He didn’t have to pick through all the beans etc.
Move to Europe, fuckstain.
jphubba likely would, but since jphubba is white, Europe probably wouldn’t accept jphubba. Poor jphubba…
The boobousie have spoken
Trump’s predecessor, former President Barack Obama, and vanquished general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, retain their titles as the man and woman Americans most admire, according to the Gallup poll released Wednesday morning.
Obama edged out Trump, 17 percent to 14 percent, to win his 10th most-admired title. He won the year he was elected president, each year in the White House and his first year out of office. Only former President Dwight Eisenhower has won Gallup’s most-admired title more times than Obama has. (Eisenhower was so named 12 times).
Clinton narrowly bested former first lady Michelle Obama, 9 percent to 7 percent, retaining her honor for the 16th consecutive year. The former senator, secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee has won 22 times overall, the most ever.
How many of those people would gladly accept Obama as President-for-Life by acclamation?
It’s easy to admire leftist crooks when you don’t have to live under what they are promising.
“Obama edged out Trump, 17 percent to 14 percent, ”
Shocked Trump didn’t have -92 percent.
Video from the last Glibertarians meetup.
Not gonna click not gonna click… Damn it I clicked!
Hmm… Too many women to be a glibs meet-up.
Maybe if I have more alcohol this will make sense.
On the Russia topic, I stumbled on this movie, either because someone on this site or TOS linked to a clip from it. It’s not a bad movie.
ready to watch after dinner, thanks!
Crazy thing is, i’m not even questioning the legitimacy of this.
Vodka does wonders for a man’s dignity.
When the kids hit the teen years you don’t have to worry about a two gift limit because one or two things will be about all you can afford. The items on their wish list get more expensive as they get older. I did put limits when they were younger. I told my parents and mother in law we weren’t going to spend Christmas morning watching the kids rip through 50 presents because that’s just not fun for anyone. It they want to do another Christmas with the kids at their house with more presents that’s on them (I won’t be there), but don’t bring more than a few each to my house Christmas morning. Did the same for my granddaughter.
I might get drunk tonight.
Looks yummy. I was thinking about going out tonight but just don’t want to wander out into the sub zero windchill. Haven’t acclimated to Winter yet. Didn’t help that it was in the 40s and 50s last week.
What? Might? Just get drunk already. I’m already a little drunk, but I have a very high tolerance to alcohol, so there’s that.
You’re right. Maybe I should have poured something stronger than New Belgium Pilsener.
Love me some Augustiner Bräu Maximator! Drink up, DEG!
Blue Paddle? Nice. Left Hand makes a good one too.
Out of the three kids, I’ve got one who’s always thinking about what she’s going to get next. It’s a work in progress trying to redirect that desire. I’m more concerned with her long term happiness than anything else. Stuff doesn’t make you happy.
We gave our kids about 5 presents each (some little, some big) along with a family gift of Nerf guns. The kids weren’t really interested but the wife and I lit each other up (great time!).
We had Christmas lunch at the in laws where my wife’s extended family spoiled them rotten. They probably got 25 or 30 gifts each. It was too much, but a lot were clothes or set gifts (e.g., 5 gifts were 5 separate action figures). My philosophy is that it gives the givers pleasure to buy the kids gifts and it gives my kids happiness to receive them so let em rip. If it becomes too much, we can always donate them or my wife takes them to work for pediatric therapy.
Well, my kids don’t seem to play with toys anymore, so they get clothes and a couple large items now. Most of the “Santa toys” were for the runt (3yr old) and the rest were shared between the two others.
I’ve now learned to triple the time and double the cost for renovations. At the end of Day 2, we’ve dug 400′ of 2′ deep trench and laid 200′ feet of conduit + pulled wire. I also upgraded two existing circuits to 20 amp and added an extra 20 amp. Tomorrow we run the remaining 200′ feet of conduit/wire + 6 outlets and 3 street lamps. The trencher broke yesterday with just 30′ left of the run left to go. Burned about 3 hours of daylight this morning trading it out for a new one and learning how to work the entirely different model. That wasn’t much fun, especially with my two kids in tow to the rental place.
This vacation hasn’t been very relaxing so far but it’s gotta get done.
Let me guess, somebody muttered the phrase, all we have left…
There was in fact talk of hand digging that final 30′. In fairness, this talk was mainly from me who 1) wouldn’t actually be doing the hand digging and 2) would be the one who had swap out the trenchers with the kids screaming the whole time there. There was talk of rebellion among my orphans, which was quickly quelled when I acquiesced to getting the new trencher.
That’s pretty intense work to do it by hand. Only done it once because it was too tight a space for a trencher.
30 foot trench 2 feet deep? assuming 8-12″ wide, unless you’re going though bed rock I could knock that out in 1.5hours with nothing but a spade.
If I remember correctly, 1/2 Spartan lives in the upper Midwest. If so, that ground isn’t too soft.
Virginia. The ground on my property is hit or miss. Some parts of the run wouldn’t have been too bad, but this section was filled with rocks, which didn’t make using the trencher much easier. Also the top layer of the ground was frozen which wasn’t a problem for the machine but would be a pain to go through by hand.
Hmm. Perhaps the moniker made me think you were from Michigan.
Not around here, Clay and large stone, or Decomposed Granite, your not digging very far by hand
/Youth has it’s moments
I’ve found for time it works if you double the number and go to the next larger unit of measure. Think it’s 2 weeks? More like 4 months!.
Yea, I’ve had some projects like that. I’m going on 8 months for building my second chicken tractor (a 2 day project at most).
I have been building a deck on the back of my house for over a month now. It took me about 3 weeks to get to 80 percent done. The final 20 percent is going to take me until after new years. It’s mostly related to funding. I am gonna have to drop about another 1000 to finish it and christmas dipped into my discretionary spending pretty deeply.
That’s a great project. I looked into upgrading our back patio, which currently consists of 5 tons of dumped gravel, to a wood deck, but decided it was too much project to take on in the near future.
My neighbor across the street built on a nice one room addition to his house. It probably took about 10 months , and he just worked on it as he was able.
I had a sun room on the back of my house that was built incorrectly probably 20 years ago. It had water problems due to how the concrete was poured. I tore that room off and built a deck in its place. I realy like it, it’s 14×24. It’s done except I need to replace a door that was an interior door with an exterior door. that’s gonna be 400-800 dollars depending on how fancy I want get. I then need to spend about 300 on siding to cover up what used to be an interior wall and is now an exterior.
http://imgur.com/JowB6ma
It’s usable right now, but I want it done. Time and money, sigh.
Mr. Blandings?
Jenna Fisher knows how to do it.
(not The Office porn – sorry)
Also. Spicier is back.
Here y’all go, some Grade A first first class anti 1st Amendment derp/dreck/horseshit.
Enjoy.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/first-amendment-too-broad-case-regulating-hate-speech-america-ncna832246
Delgado and Stefanic, though, argue the price for freedom in this case may be higher than we think. For example, a John Hopkins study published in 2013 concluded that being exposed to racism can lead to high blood pressure and stress among African Americans. Similarly, according to research by Claude Steele at Cornell, negative stereotypes affect African-American self-perception, and can lead to lower test scores. More, the rash of recent stories about sexual harassment in the workplace provide stark examples of how hostile words or technically non-violent actions — like men exposing themselves —can create an intolerable environment, forcing women out of industries and leading to long-term stress and trauma.
Cut all the fucking funding. Higher ed is irreparably broken.
negative stereotypes affect African-American self-perception
I was given really good advice about stereotypes once: Don’t being a stereotype.
Their ideas disgust me and stress me out, maybe we should find a way to suppress Delgado and Stefanic’s speech. For some reason I doubt they’d agree with that.
I want government funding to higher ed cut too, but didn’t HM point out that there are schools that can coast along on their endowment as if nothing happened?
Harvard could charge nothing and their endowment never shrink
Fine by me. If they want to use their own money to put out bullshit social science, it’s no skin off my back. The fact that my hard-earned money pays for their grant chaps my ass.
I’m worried about what they’ll be able to do with that money. I agree, it pisses me off that they do what they do with my money extracted via taxes.
Ending government funding would make colleges both affordable and sane. It can’t happen soon enough.
That’s probably true, but if you pull ALL government funding (state and federal) it would be huge. Most second-tier (and lower) state colleges would close. And even the big endowment schools would have problems if it meant no Pell Grants, Federal student loans, etc. It’s really the federal subsidies of tuition that are the issue. Most state colleges and universities pay salaries from state budgets.
BTW: if this happens, any Glibs looking for a private history tutor? Asking for a friend.
It’s already been discussed a couple times. Noah Berlatsky inexplicably used to get his dreck published at H&R.
Delgado and Stefanic argue the price for freedom in this case may be higher than we think
I wonder if they are familiar with tbe New Hampshire license plate?
“Live for the State or Die”?
Waiting for HM to call forth the torch and pitchfork brigade.
“Delgado and Stefanic argue the price for freedom in this case may be higher than we think”
Did they ask any political prisoners?
Reminder: Noah Berlasky was published by Reason.com for ~5 years.
1/3 of Americans are dumb. But I’m low-balling here.
it may be as high as 101%.
Ha! I didn’t catch that.
I would guess it was rounding that made the numbers add up to 101%
It’s not repealed at all, but repealing the individual mandate has hastened it’s demise.
I was talking to my dad about thus yesterday. He is of the opinion that the republicans shouldn’t do anything to obamacare. They should let it stand and not touch it. His reasoning is that of the Rs replace it, whatever they replace it with will be hated by enough people to get them booted out of office and usher in a new wave of Ds who will give us something even more fucked up than obamacare. Dad said he thinks they should let it stand until everybody agrees that it sucks. He’s not entirely wrong.
Your dad is right. Why would the Reps want that stink on them.
Who is this Man so Wise in the ways of long term thinking?
PaterLachowsky is a wise man.
Does your dad have a newsletter?
You wouldn’t like it brownman. He gets so much right, but he is absolutely wrong when it comes to brown people. He wants the wall and has told me multiple times that if he were in charge he would deport every muslim in the country.
I have been slowly taking hum around on this stuff, but he’s got a huge blind spot. He agrees that government is horrible and counterproductive on one hand, but would like to use government to get rid of Muslims and 3rd world immigrants. He can’t seem to put it together that a strong enough government to control the flow of population in this country would be strong enough to fuck up the economy too. sigh. I’m working on him. It’s hard to change the mind of a 69 year old man though.
Yeah, sounds like a few people I know. That’s about where I start to part ways with team red.
pretty much. The huge difference I see between people like my dad and team blue players is that I can get some team red guys to agree with me on a lot of things. Team blue, not so much.
Why do you automatically assume Mexican Sharpshooter is Brown ?
There are plenty of white Mexicans.
Didn’t know all Muslims were brown. Maybe he doesn’t see everything through race like you do.
Not the most convincing argument:
“He wants to deport everybody he doesn’t like. But he’s not a racist!”
Tennessee statue of former Confederate general painted pink
That’ll show them! And by the way, yes it was on private property.
Shouldn’t they have painted it black?
Like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarX1MQhfOE
only if they saw a Red door, not sure this counts…..
Do you think any of them realize that Forrest repudiated the KKK and advocated for racial reconciliation?
Shit, they should look at him as a model of what can happen to the good.
No. They only know Forrest was Gump’s great, great, great granddaddy.
Or that R.E. Lee’s sympathies lay with the abolitionists?
Of course they dont. They love their straw men.
For example, a John Hopkins study published in 2013 concluded that being exposed to racism can lead to high blood pressure and stress among African Americans.
Assholes piss you off. Groundbreaking.
I just read the weather discussion up thread. I agree with suthen. It’s 25 at my house right now and that is cold. When I deal with oppressive heat/humidity 8 months out of the year and it doesn’t really get cold until well into december, I never get a chance to be acclimated to the cold and I freeze my ass off when it gets in the 20s and below. That’s why I spent this afternoon doing this –
http://imgur.com/lx2bFgs
Very nice. I finally had a fire in my fireplace the other night. There have plenty of days for it, but I was just too lazy or too busy with other stuff to drag in firewood.
Don’t know if it’s been shared yet, but..
Krugabe!!!
https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/28/bitcoin-is-evil/
EVUUULL!
“The Conscience of a Liberal”
OMG
Now I have to buy it.
I wonder if they are familiar with tbe New Hampshire license plate?
Pop quiz for the professors: who was Nathan Hale, and why is he remembered?
Wasn’t he beloved charter captain ‘The Skipper’ from television’s Gilligan’s Island?
BINGO!
Spy killed by the Brits.
Yep. I-84 in Connecticut has signs directing you to his homestead.
“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”*
*Authenticity of statement currently disputed.
“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
-Nathan Hale
“I only regret that my country has 27 types of deodorant”
-Bernie Sanders
And almost unheard of outside Connecticut, the state where Benedict Arnold was still fighting on the right side.
Really? We learned about him quite a bit in grade school and high school AH.
Seemingly not in the TX curriculum, according to LSD, because when she was doing sophomore American History, all she saw was blank faces.
Speaking of the weather- now the weather service has another winter storm warning out. Hopefully, it will stay south of here, in the Beartooths.
I might have fucked up by not making a break for the grocery store yesterday when the sun was out.
I should have gone someplace warm. Instead, I’ll get drunk.
“We found small and large agencies across the federal government gaming the system for personal gain — and it’s expensive for the taxpayer,” Open The Books CEO and founder Adam Andrzejewski
If the are our better angels, how shitty are we?
New post by Mr. Akkad. Related to setting up home surveillance.
Wasn’t he beloved charter captain ‘The Skipper’ from television’s Gilligan’s Island?
YES! And he banged them all. Ginger, Mary Anne, Mrs Howell, and the professor. The man was a legend.
LOL, but what about Gilligan?
It was a small island….
Any port in a storm.
“We found small and large agencies across the federal government gaming the system for personal gain — and it’s expensive for the taxpayer,” Open The Books CEO and founder Adam Andrzejewski
[insert expostulation of shock and dismay]
First they came for the Nazis…
Why do these people always pretend it’s 1850?
BTW, I noticed Tony’s response to you in the Ross Ulbrict article:
Tony|12.27.17 @ 4:44PM|#
So it’s a cause celebre in libertarian circles to try to get a reduced sentence on a guy who, in addition to his other very serious crimes, tried to get people murdered (not convicted of but factored into his sentence)? I think almost all criminal sentences in the US are unjust. But there are millions upon millions of them. Is it just because this guy kinda shared your political beliefs?
Jeeeezus.
He is such a fucking asshole I won’t respond to his bullshit. Plus I had already left work for the day.
Holy shit. It’s probably a good thing I am watching “Firefly” and not surfing TOS.
To elaborate: I’ve drunk a lot tonight, more than I normally drink. I don’t think I could be civil to someone like Tony tonight.
Damn. I’m just getting started. But it’s a school night so it won’t be a lot anyway.
But it’s a school night so it won’t be a lot anyway.
I’m off this week so I can indulge like I normally wouldn’t. However, there are a few projects I’d like to get done around the house this week, so I shouldn’t go overboard.
I only visit because Glibs is blocked at work. And without the ability to block all the trolls I’m wondering if it’s even worth it anymore.
I’ve periodically dropped in to see what’s happening. This morning there were 55 comments on the AM links, most of them from Glibs.
Sad!
I can’t prove that you’re not a troll, but I’ve factored that into the decision to block you.
*sob*
That’s only when they’re not pretending it’s the 1960s.
Brickbat from TOS – Hey, you – you have no business doing this healthcare thing too well!.
Speaking of… anyone know what happened to the guy who created the reasonable plugin? Is he here??
It stopped working a couple weeks ago and TOS is (more) painful without it.
And besides everyone knows increasing the supply of a service makes it more expensive.
Say what you will about Ayn Rand, she got her villains right.
I only made it a couple hundred pages into Atlas Shrugged and I thought the villains were cartoonish. Until I paid more attention to the real world.
Me too. I changed my mind when I had an Ellsworth Toohey clone for a professor.
That was cool. The phone actually suggested “Toohey” as soon as I entered “Ellsworth”.
THEY KNOW TOO MUCH!
(runs away)
Guns and atlas shrugged is what made me a libertarian. I’m no objectivist, but the ideas out of that book got me started down this road.
“I thought the villains were cartoonish. Until I paid more attention to the real world.”
Exact same reaction. Then I lent the book to a relative who is a proggie. She wanted to read it, knew I had a copy and asked to borrow it. A few days later she gave it back and said “I dont know why but reading it made me feel funny. Made me feel very uneasy.”
She only made it two chapters in. I guess she didn’t like looking in a mirror. That is when I knew for certain that Rand nailed the villains.
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I briefly dated a woman who was proud of the fact that she tried reading “Atlas Shrugged”, and threw it across the room before she finished the first chapter.
A shot of Golsing’s Old Rum.
Even Goslings’ standard Black Seal is a pretty good rum. The “Old” is better. But this – is even better – and I’m not normally a spiced rum fan.
I like that their closest store to where I live is in Tucson. Interestingly enough, the NH liquor commission website says NH liquor stores near me carry that rum and have it cheaper than Bevmo! I’ll look for it. Thanks!
I can’t get any from Bevmo either – but there are a number of stockists in CT. That was simply the first link that came up in a search.
Our old Chromecast stick thingie just died. There now seems to be an overwhelming number of replacements. Do any of y’all use such things? Do you have strong opinions on any particular models?
you guys and your tech-talk
I’m in IT and I don’t know what kind of sorcery he’s talking about.
Roku, Fire Stick, Allcast, I think are the major choices. HDMI dongle for TV set that allows other devices to stream content to television and sometimes also accesses streaming services. There seems to be a pretty big price spread, roughly $20 – $100, so I was hoping someone here might have some experience with them.
Ah OK. I didn’t know that sort of thing came in stick form.
I have an Apple TV which is maybe not what you’re looking for.
(buffs nails)
“I don’t even *own* a TV”
I have very strong opinions on each.
It all depends on what you use it for.
My AppleTV 4g is the most useful. I use the VLC app, and remote upload the files I want to watch. It takes avi, mp4, mkv, flv, et cetera. And most importantly, it plays them natively; none of that transcoding bullshit.
If all else fails, I can mirror my laptop screen.
WIfey and kids are primary users, streaming phone or tablets to big tv. I use VLC on my PC and love it but use Plex in many other cases and would enjoy it on the tv.
That complicates or simplifies things, depending on what devices and apps are used.
If you’re using apple tablets or phones, a simple click of the button will send it over to the big screen via the Apple TV.
There is also a Plex app for Apple TV. But there are much cheaper options if you want to mostly use the Plex app.
Netflix pretty much works with everything, so for me, it’s an afterthought. It’s even built into my “super thin” TV.
I have a Fire stick…. but I really don’t care about the Alexa features. I only have it for the security video app integrations.
Oh, and the TV in my home office has built in Roku. I don’t care for it. It shouldn’t take a TV 30 seconds to boot up.
My kids are probably a lot younger than yours, but they can work the Apple TV remote without even having to be told how it works.
Bottom line: for me, Apple TV is by far the best option. Your situation may vary.
Thanks for the help. I’m off to study Apple TV right now. Kids are 4 and 7 and are far more adept with the ipad and Android tablets than I.
Do I have another drink or do I wind down the night?
To ask the question is to know the answer.
You’re right; however, I will cut myself off after this.
This one time I was looking at a girls ass when her friend noticed I was staring. Did I stop? No. Because, I despised her friend.
Not that it has anything to do with you quitting foe the evening.
The real question is Baise Moi or The Lives of Others ….
I haven’t seen “Baise Moi”, but I’ve seen “The Lives of Others”. I like “The Lives of Others”.
Ditto.
Ich auch. I’m glomming onto anything I can find from that time & place, since I lived through a little of it it, at least on the western side. And saw a little of the east too.
Wow. Two women with SHITTY impulse control …
What do they look like?
Experienced ‘B’-grade porn actresses.
Shoulda watched “The Lives of Others”. Or rather, it’s only 11PM. I’ll do that.
Experienced “B” grade porn actresses sounds up my alley. I will look for “Baise Moi” another time.
OK. “The lives of others” – EXCELLENT movie, avoiding all the predictable foreshadowing they might have indulged in.
Spending my afternoon at the immigration office. Where’s muh sanctuary city?
Ha, not in your country.
Update: Old lady working the window can’t read the print on the forms because it’s too small. *Yanks paper out of hand*. Fine, let me read it to you.
Hah. I think I posted here about getting an autogate card from the Immigration Bureau– twenty minutes while the two guys behind the counter made several phone calls and flipped back & forth in the operations manual. Apparently because the form I brought with me was the original signed (on a printed copy of the) form and not a copy of the signed form as the literal wording of the operations manual said. I had previously submitted electronically; it said I needed to bring originals of the submitted documents for verification and nothing about turning in the copies but whatever. One guy finally used the photocopier about fifteen feet away to make a copy before the supervisor showed up and turns out didn’t need to do that after all.
And then to continue with the rest of the issuance procedures… and puke on the train because the goddam humidity indoors was set at 135%.
Sounds about right. Kind of disappointed Brazil wasn’t mentioned in the movie post.
Ahem. Go look again.
Well, it wasn’t posted in triplicate on A4 paper with the proper stamps.
Ah, the stamps. Can’t have a cashier window or, god forbid, have the employee accepting the paperwork also accept payment themselves via cash or card.
Still 11 200JPY stamps stuck to a 8×11.5 paper with the majority on the outside edge like elementary school artwork does provide a bit of amusement the first time around.
I really need to sit down and watch the whole thing.
Shimoda, Hakodate, Kanagawa, Hyogo, Nagasaki, or Niigata
It’s a rouse. You wind up in a pot of boiling water.
I thought this rifle would go for $2000. I put in a bit of $1300 because of a few things wrong with the rifle and in the off chance I was wrong about it going for $2000. I was wrong, but in the wrong way. The rifle went for $2325.
I love military collectibles. I have an H&R all original garand. Made in 1941. It’s beautiful and in great shape.
I have two Garands. One was Danish issue with a Danish made barrel. The Danish one has no finish but, if my memory serves, shoots better than the other. I bought both and shot them before I went on my shooting hiatus. I have not shot them since I started shooting again.
Garands are beautiful rifles. Mine is in near pristine conditions. I can shoot it almost as well as my modern scoped rifles. I have killed deer with it. The half MOA aperture sights are a thing of beauty.
http://imgur.com/vUs5K4M
Nice!
You are killing me DEG. I keep telling you to haunt the pawn shops. You might be amazed what shows up in those places for a hell of a lot less than that.
There aren’t enough crackheads in New England to get the deals you can get down south.
The crackheads in New England probably turn them in on the buy-backs.
There is only one pawnshop near me.
Remember this is a MLE, not a SMLE or a No. 4. Those are rare and will command a higher price than a No. 4 or most SMLEs. Some SMLE variants will command a higher price, like a SMLE Mk V.
If you don’t know the difference between the different Lee-Enfield variants, I was working on a article about them, Lee-Metfords, and the development behind them, but it’s been slow going.
I used to know all of them but since I abandoned collecting them it has slipped away
I think I saw an smle mk V for $795 a couple of days ago.
I dont see it now. My memory may be faulty. I see Mk III for about that price.
Uffda.
Just sitting down after a cooking marathon in which I made pounds of Kashmiri Rogan Josh (Kashmiri Red Lamb Stew–though I make it with holy cow instead of lamb). It is an intoxicating dish that has now permeated the whole house with delicious scents and flavors. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, Asafoetida powder, amchur powder (mango), fennel, garam masala, saffron threads…I probably left out a few. Anyway, I took pics of every step, so if anyone is interested, I can write up a narrative article/recipe and share.
The Mr and I have resolved to go low carb and lose weight again, so Indian cooking will become a bigger part of the picture. It is soooo satisfying too.
Classic recipe. You got the amchur and asafoetida in there too!
“RECIPES” category please.
Anyway, I took pics of every step, so if anyone is interested, I can write up a narrative article/recipe and share.
Yes please.
How do I appeal to the editors that be (Their Highnesses) and submit pics and stuff?
I see a new Recipe Submission link up top, so maybe they already have heard you.
There is also the regular submission link. That link takes you to a form. Give the editors an overview of what you want to write about, and they’ll be in touch. That’s what I did for the two articles I have up here.
Coolio! Thanks for the tips.
Tonight, I am about done with sparking brain cells, but sounds like a great thing to pursue for tomorrow.
You’re welcome!
I just came up with a billion dollar (ok not really) idea! The Glibertarian Chef cooking show. The host will have their face blurred and voice altered, and probably have a tinfoil hat for extra measure!
Enact my labor! Write it up!
If I had to go vegetarian for health reasons, I’d be eating Indian just about all the time.
It’s so damned good. Often when I am cooking Indian food, I think about the many men centuries ago who joined ships going to the Indies in pursuit of the spice trade, how few of them even survived the journey home, but if they did, and they had a gallon ziploc equivalent of spices, they were made for life.
Now, thanks to free trade and experimentation, we have progressed to the point where if you are in a po-dunk city you can order all the spices you want by mail, and if you are in a city, you just drive a few blocks and browse for yourself (I am fortunate to be in the latter category–Thank you, Poojah Grocer of Columbia Heights!).
I bring Indian food to many potlucks and such. I am always flattered when Indian people ask for the recipe. 🙂
Years ago, I was doing some work for a British firm based out of Hong Kong that was basically the 20th century version of an old spice merchant.
Tea chests of cinnamon, cloves, cardomom. They even shipped tea in – in sealed teachests. Pondicherry peppercorns, you name it, they imported it – the old style. Used to supply people like Fortnum & Mason, Harrods etc. At one time, the largest independent shipper of figs and pistachios. The owner was like something out of a James Clavell story, and all he would drink was jasmine tea.
A day in the warehouse and I had clothing that smelled for days. Wonderful.
Man, do those scents linger! But they are good ones.
I would love to get an old fashioned tea chest. I see them on antiques roadshow. I don’t need a rare one. Maybe I should check ebay.
I quit coffee a couple of years ago. Not as a deliberate decision, but it kinda happened as I got older, and i do have a cup at meetings once in a great while. I get enough caffeine from tea when I want it. My brain is too restless to have afternoon stimulants anyway. It’s a real mess in there.
Just hit a deer on my way home from work. I managed to slow down enough and move the car over far enough that it’s hindquarters only hit a headlight, putting a hole in the casing. First time I wasn’t able to completely avoid it, but I guess living here it’s bound to happen at some point.
Dammit, that sucks. Glad you are OK though; could easily be worse. Deer are freaking pests in some locations.
Thanks, yeah, at most it’ll cost $75 to fix, and that price means I could replace both cases, cuz the other one leaks and gets fogged up. Why they hell are they even out right now, it’s -11.
Sounds like you’re ok though, other than maybe shook up a bit? I did a similar thing about ten years ago. Circled back and couldn’t find any trace of the deer.
Yeah, there wasn’t really any impact, like I said I got slowed down pretty well. The deer trotted off into the woods. Not shook at all, just upset.
I fired off a 120 mm tank gun (an experimental one) and we saw a blur on the video footage. We ran back through all the camera feeds in slow mo. It was a deer running past the gun, and although it managed not to get obliterated by the main round, one of the three sabots flying off the round managed to sever the deer’s back leg. Somehow it kept running into the woods. We assume it died.
We felt pretty bad about it. Funny, considering that we were all working on increasing lethality to our fellow men.
Damn, hayekexplosives is a preflight sabot mechanic!
*inflight sabot mechanic was one of a long ago squad leader’s favorite phrases and it’s stuck with me
LOLZ. I just specialized in replacing the ordinary tank round’s totally “meh” ignition (pretty much black powder) with something better and more precise and predictable. So we still used JA2 as the main propellant, but the ignitor was a 30 mil aluminum wire in which I injected 60 kiloamps or so, making it turn into a plasma (yeah, it skips right over liquid and gas and goes right to plasma at that energy) and then it floods the conventional JA2 pellet bed wonderfully and shoots the gun off like a champ. Regardless of temperature. (pats self on back. then wonders why Army never pursued implementation…)
I damned near hit one on my way home tonight. It was headed into the road so I flashed brights and blew the horn. It made a 180 and hauled ass. I was fortunate to see it coming.
You’re lucky, Nowadays I have avoid stupid Humans, 3rd worlders mostly, it’s spooky avoid killing People as opposed to an animals
And I can’t string a sentence together, good night!
“putting a hole in the casing”….. of the sausage you’re about to make out of that deer?
I’m glad this is getting the attention that it deserves.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5216023/Rep-United-flight-fight-history-bad-behavior.html
But in the spirit of this season and out of the sincerity of my heart, if it is perceived that I had anything to do with this, I am kind enough to simply say sorry. But as an African American, I know there are too many examples like this all over the nation.
Pure psychopathy.
I’m a Queen!
Fuck off, Slaver
Well, after a day of travel that included :
-driving 2 hours to Dulles, cause that’s where I’m flying
-parking there, then getting on a bus to the Reston East Metro station
-riding the Metro for an hour to Reagan National, transferring from the Silver Line to the blue
-flying to Atlanta on a jammed-full plane while seated next to patchouli-soaked hippies
-grabbing a bite to eat at the airport bar, where I got to see the same fawning Headline News story about Prince Harry interviewing Obama three separate times
-flying to Vegas on another jammed-full plane, this time next to a haughty German chick who resembled a blonde version of Mike Myers’ old Dieter from Sprockets and who had no concept of personal
I am finally relaxing in my hotel after a cheap yet delicious Reuben in the hotel coffee shop…..and in less than 24 hours I will be in fiend heaven when the real Misfits take the stage.
To clarify, Dulles is where I’m flying back into. Kayak and their Rube Goldberg trips…
Have fun!
I just fucked my gooder shoulder slipping down the stairs while making sure that both of our vehicles were plugged in. The burn is familiar. It’s -35C here. Engine blocks need love, too. Fuck me.
The best part is that she was sure that the plug was tucked away for summer. No. No it was not.