Gorth

The downside of getting old I guess... when I was young, the constant, imminent end of the worlds was a concern. Now... meh, big loss if humanity wipes itself out. A failed evolutionary branch similar to the Neanderthals?

@Bartimaeus & @majestic sorry about ruining the interesting conversation, but some things just has to go (and some posts makes no sense when "orphaned" without context)

Bernie would probably have steamrolled Trump in a debate, but he'll no more get the backing of the party than AOC would

Interesting observation in the animals... the process increases when they're sleeping. Maybe there is something about the importance of getting enough sleep?

Not saying it's going to happen, but I think a relevant question would be, what are those countries, that rely on the US Dollar as currency reserve, going to do if (that's the big "if", but lets as a thought experiment assume it could happen) the US economy completely disintegrates due to debt?

Not quite as much as I used to half a year ago, but I still play in an organized group on some week days (wvw, i.e. world vs world which is the large scale pvp). The banter alone in Discord is worth the price of entry

Looks like Arenanet is caving in to popular demand... at last as far back as I remember, people have been clamouring for "player housing" in the game. Looks like they listened... 10 years late, but they listened Do be fair, it looks like a number of neat ideas are getting added to it. I know I'll love that "collect all resources" button once it gets implemented!

Non football related news... Not sure who is going to win this year, but Bathgate won the 2023 World Championship in Bagpipes https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/news/bathgate-band-takes-the-title-of-2023-world-pipe-band-champions "It is the long-established Scottish pipe band’s first-ever World Champions win. Based in Bathgate, West Lothian, Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia fought off stiff competition from runners-up – and 2022 champions – Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band of Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Last year’s runners-up, Inveraray and District Pipe Band, finished in third place. This year’s ‘ultimate battle of the bands’, which took place over two days on Glasgow Green, attracted around 35,000 spectators. The highly-anticipated championships represent the pinnacle of the competitive pipe band calendar. The major annual event draws thousands of pipers and drummers to Scotland, reflecting the level of worldwide interest in our national instrument." edit: Same band, different event

Denmark claimed second spot because... less yellow cards. Seems like nice guys do finish second, if not last

Those things are always "what benefits us the most" kind of things. If there is more value/less cost in getting rid of him than detaining him, it's almost a given, they will give him an economy one way ticket to some former prison colony and focus on the important stuff at hand (like current domestic scandals and campaigning). Ethics and justice has nothing to do with it.

I remember that movie scaring the beejeebus out of me as a kid... I've been stomping on ants irrationally ever since

Just a small tribute to the late Meat Load

Hey look who's still around!... long time no see old friend. Hope you stop by for a chat every now and then

I've tried it a few times, but to be honest, as nice as crispy duck skin is, I prefer it with a bit more duck meat on it edit: in years past, I usually had Chinese food together with a Tawanese friend of mine when either living in or visiting Melbourne. He knew the decent places and often recommended what he thought looked nice. Not so much duck as beef and noodle combos with various sauces and seasonings. edit2: ...and dumplings, lots of dumplings!

I'm probably not stopping by Chicago anytime soon, but duck breast in orange sauce is delicious

I'm more interested in facts than faith to be honest and he's not going to convince me the local clergy in Denmark didn't co-opt the existing pagan Yule celebration at the end of December. Documented as far back as 5th century. The country didn't Christianize until the 12th century, like 700 years later (reluctantly at that, it took a few more centuries to complete) "In the Nordic lands, Yule (or “Jól”) was a significant winter festival. Vikings celebrated with feasts, boasting, and toasts to the gods, particularly Odin, who was associated with Yule", usually celebrated around winter Solstice (i.e 21st of Dec) Edit: feel free to create a "theological:debate" thread in way off topic, if interested in subject... it must be at least 10 years since we had one of those! An interesting history channel covering pre-imperial Rome. The rise of the city state and it's subjugation of first the neighboring Latin tribes and later their arch nemesis, the Etruscan city of Veii. https://www.youtube.com/@MagistraVitae The videos are not overly long and illustrated with cute little avatars illustrating events and personalities... I made it as far as the third Samnite war in 343 BC

Once upon a time, there was a great UK psychedelic blues rock band that moved to the US and replaced some of their staff with the locals. I remember Fleetwood Mac from the 70's and early 80's as just awesome rock music. For me, Tango in the Night was the beginning of the end. Mostly pop music. But before that... (deja vu warning, I may have posted one or two of those in years past) For me, approx 4:30 to 6:30 is just Stevie Nicks being one heck of a front "man" of a rock band. You can feel that she "feels it"

My own anecdotal experiences based on 30 years working as a developer, generalists always have it rough. Little demand and low pay. Specialists (I'm one of them) are typically in high demand and considerably better pay. The challenge is, the specialist areas in demand changes over the years....

I think the prefer to be called The Netherlands But I agree. I remember Denmarks match against them in the EC quarterfinals in 1992. Some ugly broken bones and ended careers there, courtesy of the Dutch thugs on the field. Enjoyed sending them packing even more than Germany in the final, that was just a bonus

Israel’s unrecognised annexation of Golan, the completely unlawful invasion and annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, China’s annexation of the country of Tibet… I’m sure there are more, but it shows the different standards of “international law” (I.e. might makes right)

Completely off topic, but when I see GNU, I usually associate it with one of two things... the GNU license or this animal https://www.britannica.com/animal/gnu Yes, I know they are most likely called Wildebeest in SA

I liked Enid Blyton as a young teenager, never dug the Clarke stuff But the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant? Yeah, that’s where I got off the bus. Despite several genuine attempts including when I got to my late twenties, it was just more work than rewarding for me. So I ditched them for good halfway through the second book

Wot? Dang... when I was 11, my favourite books form the school library was by someone named Alistair Maclean. I especially remember Guns of Navarone and Ice Station Zebra. Good stuff (these were all Danish translations in case anyone wonders) I did struggle with The Silmarillion though. Took me quite a few more years to get through that one and appreciate it I have shared the story in the past, I think, how I got into reading Tolkien in English. Bought this adventure game "The Hobbit" from a publisher named Melbourne House. I was hopelessly stuck and the only help to find in the game box was a paperback edition of The Hobbit. I read it and worked out why I kept getting killed by the goblins in the caves (you have to fool the three trolls first, keeping them out in daylight, then raid their cave and get "Sting", which provides a light source

Assuming Marlins is a baseball team, I remember we had a dedicated baseball thread a while ago As can be seen from the title, it's a bit outdated though. Didn't help GuardDog got a girlfriend, so not hanging around on the internet discussing baseball anymore You're more than welcome to create a new, updated 2024 baseball thread if feel like it (no obligation, it just feels like a sport that warrants its own thread)