Scarlet Pimpernel

19 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

Taking a break from the beer today..

 

 

 

Having some wine instead.

I just finished my first glass of the evening, myself!  Time for a refill...ring, ring!!

1 hour ago, RDM said:

Just finished reading the banter generated since yesterday.  Wow...  This is not directed towards anyone, nor any group on "either side of the aisle" - just an observation from a long time lurker, occasional contributor and voracious reader going back to the days of Eastern...   

 The intolerance generated on both sides of the liberal/conservative debate is saddening.  I wish there was some way for us to assume a little more noble intent and extend more tolerance to each other regardless of which side of the aisle we're entrenched. (a LOT more noble intent would go a very long way).  In the days of Eastern and early days here it wasn't nearly so edgy, ever.  

On matters of opinion, everyone has the inherent option to share one's views - at least we do here in the USA.  Doing so should be presented with respect and consideration that others may not share in the same view; and that it's ok to disagree.  Again; it is ok to disagree, at least it should be, provided it is exercised respectfully on both sides.  Any conversation without mutual respect is hardly a conversation worth having.  

We must be able to disagree if we ever have the chance to learn from one another.  If everyone else were to think the same way any of think as individuals, what a sad state we'd be in.  As I used to tell my subordinates, none of us ever learn anything when we're talking.  Likewise, a key characteristic of a great leader is those who can actively seek out and respect opinions from others who think differently in order to obtain the best vantage point from which to make an informed decision.

We live in the greatest country this world has every known.  Most of us don't fully appreciate the freedoms living in the USA provides us; and take the same for granted.  Unless you've lived in another country for extended periods of time where the same freedoms are only dreams; it's just not possible to comprehend how great we have it here.  I've had the honor of serving our country in multiple other  countries for extended periods throughout in my 35+ year career.  This included traveling to countless different countries and remote  destinations where many facets of our freedoms are not only a pipe dream, but exercising anything remotely resembling our level of freedom will get you incarcerated or worse.   

One of the things my wife and I were recently discussing is the heightened level of intolerance in the USA that's grown in recent years.  We are and will remain hopeful the potential existed for the current situation with COVID to serve as unifying force for our country.  COVID represents one of the greatest challenges in modern history for the USA and for the world.  We must find the courage to put differences aside and muster the best possible response and it starts with respectful dialogue and debate.  Without the underlying premise of respect; it's difficult to build anything constructive.  

The eternal optimist in me has not dulled the hope the potential is still there to rise above whatever may divide us to bring ourselves more together; not apart.  Somehow, I hope we're able to exercise the same unifying potential here in this forum to look ahead, be a little more tolerant of one another and extend the noble intent everyone deserves.

Sincerely to all. 

@RDM...thanks for this, overall I agree with your sentiment, though not all that you say.  That's fine, as you say here one is free to disagree but at least politely.  And I must respect you as a fellow native Ohioan!!  I do find the divisiveness in general in this country to be harmful and depressing, and I'm sure most anyone would feel the same.  As I've said in other comments in the past, my views definitely lean solidly left, and always have.  Without getting too much into the weeds here, I'll say that I never cared for "both-siderism", thus letting one group off the hook by saying another one "does the same thing".  With that in mind, I'll state it is my belief that the divisiveness is heavily weighted on one side these days.  The current administration is a perfect example of this, and it is not only divisive, but actively promotes and incites such.  I know that wades into being very political, but it's also simple fact.  There was a very good Washington Post article some years back by Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein (not exactly flaming liberals) that went into this problem in some detail.

Though my views are more liberal, I have always felt that, give me a conservative party (call it Republican, call it Whig, or whatever) that remains grounded in fact, does not deny science, does not constantly fight the culture wars, and does not view their political opponents as illegitimate.  I may still disagree with most of their policy, but at least it would be possible to have a discussion and even come to some kind of middle ground and mutual respect.  When it's simply impossible to hold a logical, intelligent discussion because they cannot even respect you, that's a real problem for me.  I feel, unfortunately, that that's where the current "conservative" party is today.  Heck, my older brother is more conservative than I am.  We talk a lot, and we argue at times, sure...but he's also reasonable and not an ideologue.  We agree on a fair number of things, though to varying degrees.  And what we don't agree on, we still respect that.  Likewise, there are some liberal friends where I just cannot go with some of what they think, or they may be too "purist" in their views, refusing to see that compromise is part of how stuff gets done...and that there are reasonable conservatives out there.

Part of the problem may be that in this country, we have two parties and that's it (yes, there are 3rd party candidates, but other than on a local or state level at most, they don't go anywhere).  We don't have anything like a parliamentary system as they have in Great Britain or elsewhere.  So when you are presented with candidates, they are realistically one party or the other...that's your only choice if you want a chance to get one or the other into office.  There's no "coalition" type of government in the legislature, really.  I'm not by any means saying that going to such a system is a panacea or will cure all our political ills, but just an observation.

21 minutes ago, yoda said:

Woah woah there... where else would you get your warnings from the second they are issued from LWX without me?  I c&p them in here within the minute they are issued so you don't have to go looking yourself.  Plus my model discussion and play by play... definitely would be missed.  I'm not accepting any trade from you the GM unless it's for a better severe weather round pick, and even then I might decline to take your call.

Hmmm, I see some tough free agency negotiations coming up!!

Just now, Mrs.J said:

Bitchin'! 

Can I still call shot gun. 

Don't forget to bring that margarita recipe to the club...the one you showed a picture of some time ago.

10 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

I’m ready for the draft.

Working on my Big Board now.

 

@yoda is an asset I’d rather not trade but given the limited value I get with the others I needed to put someone valuable on the me trading block. 

For a moment, I though these were your draft picks for next winter's reaper list.  The Reaper going after Don S.???

6 minutes ago, supernovasky said:

If I remember my Latin, you usually change -us to -i. So Prii.

Made me think of that line from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", where Indy's father (Sean Connery) said "...but in the Latin alphabet, Jehova starts with an I"!!

3 minutes ago, H2O said:

i think the one thing that might unite this forum and all of the country is the hate for Priuses.  Is that the correct spelling of the plural for Prius?  Is it Priusi?  

 

Goddammit.  Even more reason to hate them.

At least the plural isn't "priapism"!

Just now, mappy said:

LOL all jokes aside, am I the only one who hates being behind people who drive a Prius? the worst, right? 

LOL!!  Well, I've never been behind one as far as I know.  I've got a Honda Civic, myself.  One thing about Priuses (is that the correct plural?) that always seems a bit spooky to me is that you cannot hear them approaching, they just suddenly "appear".  Seriously.  I guess it's when the engine is using just the electrical energy and not gas, or something like that!

Actually, on a somewhat related note to driving behind someone.  I find it annoying when in the left turn lane, the person in front of you (and 1st in line to turn) refuses to get out there into the lane so that they can at least turn right as the light changes.  Then you have to sit and wait for the next light cycle, and they still refuse to put their nose out there...unless by chance there's enough space that they finally turn while the light is green!  Likewise, when people behind you honk incessantly when you don't turn right on red despite a big sign that clearly says "NO TURN ON RED"!!

3 minutes ago, mappy said:

I mean, I guess I'll allow it. 

Ha!  But Vovlos are the quintessential "liberal" mode of transportation, aren't they?  Maybe a Prius would be better...

Just now, mappy said:

there needs to be some ground rules for the liberal country club. if you're nice ill let you in regardless of party affiliation

No way. RR > Ralph 

Why thank you!  I'll gladly drive my Volvo to this country club!  (Actually, I don't have a Volvo, but anyhow...)

Just now, H2O said:

i'd gladly trade RR to the Philly forum for Ralph Wiggum

...and a player to be named later, too?

7 minutes ago, mappy said:

needs to be a 10:1 ratio liberals to conservatives for me to feel safe  

Gah...what a SNOWFLAKE!! 

7 minutes ago, mappy said:

^ thats a joke before people overreact 

My comment just above was meant as a joke, too, obviously!! 

10 minutes ago, DCTeacherman said:

He doesn’t.  There’s been a few people in here pushing the flu = covid fantasy for a while now.  Not sure what they’re trying to accomplish. 

Or for that matter, arguing that car accident deaths = covid, or shark attacks, or whatever. Which of course totally misses the point. 

1 hour ago, nw baltimore wx said:

Nice garage floor!! Diy?

You know, that was my first thought too when I saw that image! But I didn't want to be the first to admit it! 

57 minutes ago, showmethesnow said:

BAH!!!! That's nothing. I blew up a whole chicken in the microwave at college. Chicken was everywhere in the microwave. Even had a wing hanging down from the top of the microwave.

But it being college and lack of funds I still ate it. Was still pretty good. 

Ha! OK now that one wins for college cooking disasters! And being a student you ate it all the same, of course! Whether it was still good, I'll trust your judgment... But apparently you survived! Now I will say, you should have poked it a few times with a fork before putting it in the microwave to avoid unnecessary explosions and pieces parts all over the place! 

I guess this would literally be "winner, winner, chicken dinner!" 

59 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

 

I felt a little bad when he said in the full video that he grew up on this, but then I was like dude, you’ve had enough time and made enough money to correct this mess.

Sometimes I feel like my gf sends me these things to serve as a warning about the consequences of sliding back to my days as a college kid.  
 

I was never THAT bad though. 

OK, true story from grad school.  I actually witness someone mess up boiling water...twice!  Had a roommate who was going to prepare pasta or something, put the pot with water on the burner, and went back to his room.  Something like 20 minutes later he runs out, the pot is dry as a bone with no water left, and hot as hell.  So he curses, puts more water in and...you guessed it, went back to his room again and the same thing happened!  Now...in his defense (somewhat), he had some exams coming up and was highly distracted and busy.  But it was still damned funny, he never really lived it down (and it was *my* damn pot he nearly ruined, too!).

20 minutes ago, mappy said:

can i come and be under stay-at-home orders with you?

Or if that doesn't work...does @Mrs.J have curb-side pickup???

14 minutes ago, Mrs.J said:

This is brilliant. I saw that horrible excuse for a tuna melt last night. I like mayo and all but holy crap! And not draining the tuna and then the ultimate kick in the gut with it in the microwave!! 
 

Here are the tuna melts I make! Just had them a couple of nights ago. 
 

That's great!  Somehow, just knew you'd have such a recipe handy!  I see you have a box of Stoned Wheat Thins there...I get those same crackers fairly often, very tasty!

(ETA:  I actually scored some yeast in the baking aisle the other day, after weeks of not seeing it!  It was like a veritable miracle, I thought I heard choral voices from above!  They had a couple of boxes filled with those packets that have 3 "servings".  I just took 2 packets...wasn't going to be "that guy" and take an entire box, haha!)

11 minutes ago, Mrs.J said:

Hot commodity was delivered today. 

Gotta love that name!  Makes one wonder...what would be in a box from some place called "Who Gives A F**K"?? 

3 minutes ago, Eskimo Joe said:

It's entirely reasonable to expect at least a treatment protocol for COVID-19 by the end of 2020.  There are several promising treatment protocols being studied and this would at least provide us with options to significantly lower the mortality rate going forward.  

2 minutes ago, jaydreb said:

Well, if you believe Dr. Fauci we’re going to deal with it with increased testing, contact tracing and better therapeutics.  

Good points, and I have heard some about this.  With luck, having several month's "lead time" before the next season, we'll have better ways of treating this in lieu of a vaccine at some other time in the future.

24 minutes ago, wxtrix said:

I responded that way because he said "we were told something that didn't pan out".

that is straight up disinformation.

Exactly.  The more dire estimates of mortality, as I understood things, were *if* we did nothing or almost nothing.  That the numbers are now indicating a lower amount (thankfully!) would seem to me to be a direct result of stay-home orders, social distancing, and restrictions on what establishments can remain open (and how many people can be in those places at one time).  There's also the concern over a second wave next fall/winter, right at the same time as the regular flu season is going on.  In many ways, that actually alarms or scares me more than how to deal with things now.  How will we deal with that?

Just now, Mrs.J said:

My husband is banned from having that stuff. Lets just say it gave off a smell after consumption in a hotel room that required opening the door to the room to air out. 

Oh, my!!!  (Thinking of Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, where Jim Carrey says "Do NOT go in there...whew!!!") 

Personally, I've never had it myself!  I prefer my whisky to be of the single-malt variety (being of bastard Scottish descent!).  And not on the rocks...straight up, dammit!

2 hours ago, C.A.P.E. said:

I picked up a couple DFH 120s today, with the intent of saving them. But dammit, one of those suckers is calling my name from the fridge already.

If you hear voices from the fridge, might want to call Ghostbusters!  

31 minutes ago, Baltimorewx said:

In honor of probably the best thunderstorm to date this afternoon in Dundalk, drank the rest of my growler, a key rye barrel aged porter and now a shiner candied pecan porter in the home bar. Cheers

Damn, that looks tasty!  Like the mug, too!  I see you got it at Epcot Center??  I was at Disney a couple of summers ago, including at Epcot, but unfortunately did not get to that Biergarten!  On a side note, I know some people kind of don't care as much for Epcot compared to the other Disney parks, but I really enjoyed it (the Soarin' ride is incredible)!

32 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said:

Other than the buffalo roaming through Pikesville 15 years ago, just saw the craziest thing. A damn turkey was trapped in my neighbor’s yard, hopped the fence and ran through ours on his way down the street. I thought it was a pet peacock at first, but no doubt about it, it was a wild turkey! I’m guess he got caught up in the thunderstorm gusts.

Well, if it were this kind of wild turkey, you should have grabbed it and run!!