Gromnir

assuming nice horse-friendly dirt roads, which is impassable when is heavy rains, +3 days. assume ~20 miles per day. unlike gd, we has less romanticized notions o' equines. spent a large part o' our youth shoveling horsesh!te. grandfather wanted us to understand horses and guns ain't toys, so he had us spend hundreds o' hours doing care and maintenance o' both to teach us respect... or something. horses is useful tools, but they require a great deal o' care and they is not like big dogs. is there exceptions? sure, but if you want an animal friend, go to the local pound. "if you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. this is the principal difference between a dog and a man."-- mark twain. quote works just as well if you replace "man" with "horse." HA! Good Fun!

quick clarification: on the ridiculous "absolute immunity" claim by the doj regarding a sitting President and criminal actions, the Court were 9-0. am thinking neal is being a little optimistic 'bout the time frame for the ny case, but will be worth watching. could we see trump taxes before november? we wouldn't bet any real money on seeing taxes 'fore the election, but it could happen. regardless, the cases from a practical pov means even if trump were to get reelected, his serious legal troubles would be just getting started. state courts in multiple jurisdictions were watching scotus close on this and the decisions effective declared prosecutors have an open season on trump. one money bet we would take: trump ain't going down as admirable as liam. HA! Good Fun!

had a friend call us up 'bout a year ago, chuckling as she told us she heard us doing vo for her kid's cartoon show. had no idea what she were talking 'bout... claimed we sound just like tarrlok. sent us a couple youtube clips. didn't believe her... didn't sound at all like Gromnir. so she had us read a bunch o' tarrlok lines doing our best to sound like tarrlok, which she recorded and played back to us. ... ok. so we sound like tarrlok... or the pasty-faced vo actor who did tarrlok. whatever. HA! Good Fun!

is not just a toronto thing. hell, even in rural, Gromnir does bike stoopid at times. we live in the foothills-- understatement. am right on border o' sacramento and el dorado county. lotta hills. lotta stop signs right at the top o' a hill. *groan* how many times at 5:30 am has Gromnir not made a complete and full stop at every stop sign on our bike route? too many to recollect. nevertheless, when we see a driver in his luxury suv drive through such intersections at same time o' day, we gets all indignant 'bout how dangerous is such behavior. we see different from pov o' cyclist. serious, there is something 'bout a bike helmet which decreases iq. as bike is a small frame o' metal offering zero protection in case o' collisions, genuine reasonable behaviour would have us being far more careful than auto drivers just because consequences is so much more dire, but cyclists don't see the world reasonable. because autos is able to do more damage, they should be more careful? while cyclists pinball machine their way through stopped traffic at busy city intersections and ignore, with regularity, the most basic rules o' road, the menace is the lady in the mercedes doing her makeup instead o' paying attention to the road. again, is not binary. far too many cyclists routine ignore rules o' road which makes biking more difficult or taxing. is somehow ok 'cause the real menace is auto drivers. *snort* HA! Good Fun! ps 'pon reflection, stop signs at bottom of a hill is worse for Gromnir on bike. am habitual violating stops at bottom o' hill when making a right turn... is American, so no oncoming traffic when making a right. however, am having no idea what is around the corner we take at +30mph at 5:30 am and we nevertheless do such almost daily. is daily stoopid. is the kinda daily stoopid cyclists do all the time w/o considering as menacing. one o' these days, if we hit some old guy walking his pomeranian at 5:30 am as he crosses street a bit before the stop sign from his pov, we will reflect 'pon our dumbness, but am betting tomorrow we do exact same as we has done +4 times a week for years and burn through the stop without more than a slight tap on the brakes.

yes! for chissakes, we drive knowing we is in a vehicle with enormous mass and we drive appropriate. all too many cyclists take hurl's view and obtuse presume they need not be careful 'cause it is Gromnir in the big and dangerous vehicle who should be more aware and cautious. what? is as if putting on a bike helmet squeezes your brains outta your skull. and again, we were hit multiple times when our vehicle were stationary. what 'bout F=ma is so hard to understand? wanna tell us many drivers o' cars and trucks is careless? fine. no argument. is many careless drivers o' cars, but you know that. would think more cyclists would act accordingly. cyclists should be more careful knowing there is careless auto drivers and recognizing they always lose in a auto v. bike confrontation. geez. assume as fact there is many auto drivers who is careless (there is) don't mean cyclists is precluded from being similar or even more careless. is not freaking binary. HA! Good Fun!

7-2, with only alito and thomas rejecting majority, is bad news for mcgahn btw. sure, mcghan situation is not same and there is unique issues o' law, but is hard to read, "the Constitution does not entitle the president to absolute immunity or a heightened standard," and not see such as warning o' things to come. 'course given the rate at which Courts move, we will never see trump taxes anyways. will soon be moot. HA! Good Fun!

'cause homelessness, like crime, is one o' those issues some folks wanna fix with a police baton as 'posed addressing causes (at least in the case o' crime) such as, but not limited to, poverty, social/economic discrimination, and lack of education. homelessness, perhaps surprising to many, is a temporary condition for the majority o' those who suffer-- less than 6 months is actual average duration for more than 50% o' US homeless population. the rest includes significant numbers o' children, military veterans and the mentally ill. crime rates is indeed higher 'mongst homeless, until you look at crimes committed. disturbing number o' resisting arrests with underlying crime amounting to contempt o' cop or vagrancy. oh, and violence against homeless should be a bigger concern. homeless women, in particular, is disproportionate victims o' violent crime. oh and complete unrelated, but cyclists is a menace. haven't been in a moving vehicle accident in years, unless you include cyclists hitting our stationary vehicle. couple years past, one a-hole broke our passenger-side rearview mirror and just kept on pedaling. is nobody's fault city streets were original designed without more awareness o' cyclist needs, but all too many cyclists wanna punish ordinary drivers for the lack o' city planner foresight. too many near misses o' cyclists weaving in front o' our vehicle as if they have no respect or awareness o' F=ma. almost makes us want to move to notoriously hilly cities such as pittsburgh and boston, places with less cyclist friendly weather as well. we use our bike frequent, but we use bike paths and streets with dedicated bike lanes. 'course we don't live in city so is so much easier for us to maintain such guidelines. regardless, whenever we see cyclists lamenting how oblivious is drivers to cyclists, we cannot help but view through prism o' our own experience which suggests all too many cyclists is a-holes who is willful obtuse regarding some very basic rules o' common sense and physics. HA! Good Fun! ps if we had to choose boston or pittsburgh, pittsburgh would clear win. fewer patriots fans in pittsburgh.

spanish sound, but not exact how you meant. am knowing it ain't the first roy clark malaguena posted on these boards, but has been awhile. clark deserves to be in GOAT discussion but rare is included. margarita cansino is likely our favorite hispanic entertainer all-time. HA! Good Fun!

we disagree, and is always good to check sources... Parkland Teen Kyle Kashuv, Former Turning Point USA Member, Apologizes For Racist Slurs oh, and is utter bs that regulations make it near impossible to buy a gun in ny. kid starts with fibs to make a point? oh, and a recent advert from one o' those anti-trump republican groups. “Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit?” Reagan said in a 1980 presidential debate. “And then while they’re working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back, they can go back.” and “I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here, even though some time back, they may have entered illegally,” Reagan said in a 1984 presidential debate. dreamers would have a powerful Presidential advocate in reagan. HA! Good Fun!

if you are afeared of tentacles... it's already too late SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Produces Long Tentacles in Infected Cells to bring back 'round to politics Frederick Douglass Statue Torn Down and Vandalized in Rochester, N.Y. oh, and we ain't adding as some kinda stoopid, "look, the far right is vandalizing monuments too," shtick. we posted mr. douglass' famous speech 'bout the fourth and as if to commemorate, some d-bag (likely multiple d-bags) take an action which seems to drive home, with a notable lack o' subtle, the recognition that the wrongs of 1852 is not complete a thing o' the past. HA! Good Fun!

the bills do have diehard fans. 2x as likely to have snow at rich/new era as lambeau during weather months and while lambeau may technical be a smidge colder, the wind chill factor is also much more pronounced in buffalo than green bay. chicago gets called the windy city, but buffalo beats it ez. much like chicago, there is a high percentage o' working-class poles in buffalo and is amazing how those folks seem to think nothing creates a party atmosphere like sub-zero temperatures, howling winds and football. The NFL's Worst Weather Cities "If you didn't see your team in the top 10, here is a full list of the football weather misery indices we calculated for all NFL cities with teams that do not play their home games in climate-controlled stadiums. Remember, a higher FWMI means worse weather. 1. Buffalo (77.4) 2. Green Bay (65.6) 3. Cleveland (65.2) 4. Pittsburgh (57.3) 5. Chicago (57.0) 6. Miami (56.0) 7. New England (51.6) 8. Kansas City (50.2) 9. Seattle (49.1) 10. Cincinnati (48) oh, and buffalo consistent had most cap room of any team in the nfl for a number o' years. ownership weren't even trying. bad teams and worst weather in the nfl and those folks come out every sunday; is baffling and simultaneous kinda impressive. HA! Good Fun!

protesters ain't trying to change history, but instead demand recognition of it. God bless America; we love it for what it is and not what we wish it. happy 4th. stay safe.

if we are gonna trade... get tens o' thousands o' people packed into lambeau or fedex field singing mr. taylor's civil rights era anthem in unison would be a beautiful thing. ... let us enjoy the dream. HA! Good Fun!

initial observation: flag displays count as symbolic speech and get full 1st Amendment protections. with that out o' the way, you do realize states do have the right to display any flag they choose, yes? tweet is simple declaring that what is, and has been since 1787, should continue to be the law o' the land. mississippi recent voted to remove confederate battle emblem from their flag. an a-hole preacher in florida, one guy, may set a quran ablaze and anger the entire islamic world, and there is nothing the government may do 'bout it save make sure he is adhering to local/state fire ordinances. an artist in soho wants to photograph herself squatting over an american flag and urinating and is nothing the government may do 'bout it. the only speech which needs protection is speech which offends. is no point in protecting speech which the public, the collective will o' the people, believes is good or at least harmless. only time you got The People attempting to put the kibosh on speech is when it makes people uncomfortable or poses some kinda amorphous and future threat. we protect nazis having a parade in the largely jewish community o' skokie, illinois not 'cause we thinks illinois nazis is ok. the only people who approve o' illinois nazis is other nazis... or so we believed until last couple years. we protect the bad 'cause more than once in history, groups and ideas which were unpopular and offensive, turned out not to be so bad after all. naacp and vietnam war protesters were not popular. mlk never had even 50% public approval during his lifetime and he were arrested and disappeared for days by the government 'cause o' his speeches. (apologies for background music, but almost every clip had similar) the framers o' the Constitution believed The People could not be trusted to decide what speech were good, (good enough) to deserve protection from government, so those framers decided to take the decision away from the excitable People and their tidal passions which would come and go with little rhyme or reason. yeah, states may choose which flag they want flying outside their buildings, and because o' that freedom to choose, mississippi continued to use the confederate battle emblem on their state flag... and there were absolute nothing the fed government could do 'bout it. thank god. first amendment protects john kerry and mississippi same. only speech which needs protection is speech which offends. you may now read our signature for the appropriate response to bad speech. would be nice if those antifa idiots would read and understand the sentiment expressed by J. Brandeis in whitney. HA! Good Fun!

you do realize you are posting on a software development message board, yes? media piracy is understandably viewed unsympathetic by your hosts. oh well. HA! Good Fun!

that were our freaking point. *sigh* unnecessary clarification: because US systemic racism don't look like nazi holocaust, which almost all save some comical holdouts agree were a terrible evil, US supported discrimination ain't viewed by a few persons (too many) as real racism. HA! Good Fun!

obvious alternative: show a little restraint and instead o' subscribing to multiple streaming services, one wait and rent discs when they become available. madness. does result in being spoiled, which is annoying, but such behavior saved us from recent star trek disappointments. HA! Good Fun!

the purges o' jewish people in europe started long before the nazis, and sadly, didn't even end with the nazis. after all, a significant number of people liberated from death camps were promptly murdered by local populations. nazis hardly started the problem or saw the end. as a matter o' fact, the nazis kinda mess with modern perceptions o' racism. nazi, fascist and racist is terms which is gonna frequent see overlap in rl examples. nevertheless the aforementioned is distinct concepts. all too often, people (vol) appears to use all three terms interchangeable. more than a few people thinks systemic racism is nazi attempts at genocide, or something similar. have a pundit rattle on 'bout how US government supported home loan guidance which lasted well into the 70s did irreparable and lasting harm to minority populations and too many have a hard time seeing similar to nazis loading jews into train cars and sending 'em to death camps. systemic racism is nazis doing evil, not bank bureaucrats from decades past giving a preference to people trying to buy a house before most o' the posters to this board were even born, right. wrong. HA! Good Fun!

am older, so we benefit from having spoken with people who were detained in camps and we had a relative who actual fought with US forces in europe and were at one o' the camps when... liberated. even so, holocaust denial is disturbing. moon hoax and flat-earth nonsense, as hard as it is to believe folks may be so ignorant, one may chalk up to genuine lack o' any kinda scientific knowledge coupled with extreme suspicion. holocaust denial... in spite o' the mountains o' evidence, and bodies, folks work hard to disbelieve holocaust. can't help but wonder why folks is trying so hard to ignore evidence. is impossible not to wonder at some sinister motive driving unsupportable disbelief. moon landing hoaxers and flat-earthers make us lament US educational system as well as the individual's capacity for almost willful ignorance. holocaust deniers? ain't any kinda sympathy or pity we may muster. is something darker making such obtuseness possible.

is a widespread effort to remove andrew jackson from the US $20. andy is a complex american historical figure, but given the trail o' tears, public opinion as a whole shifted in recent decades such that he he gets viewed as a villain perhaps a bit more than he does as a competent (if unspectacular) chief executive and a bonafide war hero. read the earth is weeping and is difficult to decide who is more deserving o' infamy, jackson or grant. President grant were calculated and ruthless in his efforts to create a war with the plains indians, although few history books bother to relate the scope o' grant's efforts. the earth is weeping is a book which challenges many firm held preconceptions 'bout the US and Grant-- details US colonial efforts prosecuted as much by subterfuge as force and how the American people were purposeful kept in the dark 'bout uncomfortable truths. is a worthwhile read, particular today as Americans is reflecting on who exact is deserving o' monuments and what happens when uncomfortable truths force opinions to change. HA! Good Fun! ps (late edit) the earth is weeping is NOT a whites= bad, indians = good book. President grant comes outta the wash looking dirty, but one reason why subterfuge were needed to bring 'bout the indian wars is 'cause so many whites, particular US military commanders, balked at the idea o' killing starving women and children.

not a rock ballad, but the following gets our vote HA! Good Fun! ps always confuses Gromnir how deadly serious many/most hardcore fallout fans is 'bout the original titles. we have listened to the pundits opine 'bout the influences o' german expressionism on fallout, we kid you not, but when we suggest much o' fallout were created with tongue obvious and firm in cheek, with a whole lotta camp being an essential quality o' fo, you would think we were indulging in the worst kinda sacrilege.

the earth is weeping: the epic story of the indian wars for the american west two observations: 1) probably weren't what you were thinking 'bout when you asked for suggestions. w/o question the indian wars fits definition o' colonialism, but is rare what persons is intending by reference colonialism. 2) is possible the only decent book we ever read with "epic" in the title. another title worth mentioning is, the divided ground: indians, settlers, and the northern borderland of the american revolution author is alan taylor, who wrote the admitted superior william cooper's town. regardless, is a couple works we mention for no other reason than they is unlikely to show up on any other colonialism reading lists, but deserve spots nonetheless. HA! Good Fun! ps only just seen the finnegans wake post. am conflicted 'bout the title for reasons we won't fully go into, but the thing is, unlike ulysses which gets the masterpiece label, finnegans wake were the breaking point for many a diehard joyce fan. joyce were fully cognizant he were punishing the reader with fw, which in our mind is an unforgivable conceit for an author... but we kinda/sorta forgive anyways. complicated.

phillip k. d!ck, in the intro to a collection o' his short stories, spoke o' heinlein: Several years ago, when I was ill, Heinlein offered his help, anything he could do, and we had never met; he would phone me to cheer me up and see how I was doing. He wanted to buy me an electric typewriter, God bless him—one of the few true gentlemen in this world. I don't agree with any ideas he puts forth in his writing, but that is neither here nor there. One time when I owed the IRS a lot of money and couldn't raise it, Heinlein loaned the money to me. I think a great deal of him and his wife; I dedicated a book to them in appreciation. Robert Heinlein is a fine-looking man, very impressive and very military in stance; you can tell he has a military background, even to the haircut. He knows I'm a flipped-out freak and still he helped me and my wife when we were in trouble. That is the best in humanity, there; that is who and what I love. am thinking heinlein is misunderstood by many as some kinda jingoist warhawk. maybe he was. *shrug* regardless o' phillip k's opinion o' heinlein's ideas, am personal a big fan o' the moon is a harsh mistress and we believe job: a comedy of justice, is criminal underappreciated. HA! Good Fun!

am not gonna get into the lee stuff... again. doesn't matter regardless, 'cause for better And worse, we got democracy. a bunch o folks in the 1890s and 1920s thought lee statues were a swell idea and they built 'em all over the south. am not sure why statues is such a sticking point for folks 'cause most o' us have little difficulty accepting the notion that the democratic process gets it wrong from time to time. should be no biggie. folks in 1895 got it wrong or their reasons were based on bad info or perhaps reasons for lionizing no longer outweigh reasons for removing. whatever. democracy, in many ways, is a horrible way to make decisions. the majority is not especial wise or generous and is no foresight granted by a majority. democracy is better than alternatives, and regardless, it is what we got. democratic process puts lee up and for better And worse, democratic process should be available to take down. no vandalism or mobs. choice. most o' us shudder at the sight o' book burnings. at the same time, am doubting most o' us thinks textbooks, once created, cannot be changed, altered or altogether removed. got a school textbook from 1910 south carolina teaching how miscegenation is immoral and leads to birth defects and "mongloidism." such stoopid doesn't need be taught into perpetuity 'cause such were the history and heritage o' 1910 south carolina. we take the book off the shelf and the act o' removal may itself be a teachable moment. nevertheless, try and remove a statue which were erected same time the textbook were written, and were at least partial meant to communicate a similar message, and we nevertheless get heavy resistance to removal. weird. vandalism is wrong way, but is nothing special 'bout statues other than fact people believe they is special.... 'course this observation comes from a guy who purposeful uses aaron burr board image as a less than subtle backhand directed at the veneration o' the founding fathers. HA! Good Fun!