Wife reports Iāve been a bit crabby the last couple of weeks. Not sure why, since I donāt feel crabby.
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RTDNTOTO š» Random Thoughts Deserving No Thread Of Their Own 20 (2025)
- Thread starter JNA
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ursus
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It's that exo-skeleton you've decided to wear! It makes you feel, you know, crabby to her! Yuk yuk yuk yuk! Waka waka waka!! I'm here all week, try the veal!
Our local paper, the Reno Gazette-Journal, still prints six days a week, but we only get it on Sundays and Wednesdays. My daily paper of choice is the W$J. We also get the NYT on Sunday, and the weekly Comstock Chronicle on Saturdays.
Once upon a time, time with the daily paper was a non-negotable for me. The only reason we really still get is because we have birds.
Jim
Wannaplan?
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Iām starting to feel normal. Itās a feeling I havenāt felt in years. Been dealing with lots of emotional issues since the passing of my spouse. Trying to āget on with your lifeā requires time, reconciliation, and a reorienting of oneās self.
Wannaplan?
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I can see that. I recently remembered an undergrad writing professor I had that said writing is thinking. How poignant to think of that now. The idea of āwriting is thinkingā in the age of easy and affordable AI tools is anachronistic.
TOFB
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Pretty sure it is a chik fil a thing. And assuming that is Mark Wahlberg, he is a spokesperson for the other much bigger Iowa chain, Hy Vee, which is open on Sunday. But that is 5 miles away and I refuse to shop there because they pay so much for dumb celebrity endorsements.
bureaucrat#3
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Some of my favorite old code that haven't been removed from our local ordinances deal with work on Sundays
- (a)Any person who compels his child, apprentice or servant to perform any labor on Sunday, except the customary domestic duties of daily necessity or comfort, or works of charity or who engages in shooting, hunting, gaming, card playing or racing on that day, or who, being a merchant or shopkeeper, druggist excepted, keeps open store on Sunday, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.(b)The provisions of this section shall not apply to the operation of railroads, airlines, bus lines, communications, public utilities or steamboats or other vessels navigating the waters of this state, or to any manufacturing establishment which is required to be kept in constant operation, or to the sale of gasoline or other motor fuels or motor oils, nor shall this section prohibit the sale of newspapers, or the operation of newsstands, or automobile repair shops, florist shops, fruit stands, ice cream shops or parlors, lunch stands or restaurants, delicatessens or plants engaged in the manufacture or sale of ice; provided, that such business establishments are not operated in conjunction with some other kind or type of business which is prohibited by this section. It shall also be lawful to engage in motorcycle and automobile racing on Sunday, whether admission is charged or not.
- Holding public markets on Sunday. Any person who opens, or causes to be opened, for the purpose of selling or trading, any public market or place on Sunday, or opens, or causes to be opened, any stall or shop therein, or connected therewith, or brings anything for sale or barter to such market or place, or offers the same for sale therein on that day, or buys or sells therein on that day, including livestock or cattle, shall, on conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor, Any place where people assemble for the purchase and sale of goods, wares and merchandise, provisions, cattle or other articles is a market house or place within the meaning of this section
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Hey folks - check in on your public health directors as they are feeling it
JNA
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Here are recent articles about sunday blue laws
www.fulcrum7.com
Why does Bergen County cling to blue laws? Is the practice, established in 1704, outdated?
Decades after the rest of New Jersey ended the practice, Bergen County continues to enforce blue laws that ban most retail activity on Sundays.
www.northjersey.com
North Dakota Considers Bringing Back Sunday Blue Laws With House Bill 1150 ā Fulcrum7
Supporters of the bill argue it preserves family time and encourages rest. Opponents, however, see it as a step backward for the stateās economy and individual freedom.
www.fulcrum7.com
WSU MUP Student
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I would probably take that to our risk management folks in HR. Joke or not, that seems creepy and I'd like risk management assess it and get the sheriff's office involved.
WSU MUP Student
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I used to never miss an episode and then I just stopped watching completely about a decade ago. I too had heard that it's gotten good again and on a whim recently started watching again from season 31 forward (I picked season 31 randomly for no good reason). I only watch an episode or two every few weeks and it will take me awhile to catch back up but it's definitely better than it was when I stopped watching. Overall though, IMO the stretch from around season 10 through season 15 seem to be the worst in terms of quality of animation and production, but there are still some great episodes in there in terms of the writing; the seasons around season 22 - 26 are just dumb and not good.
Looking at some reviews online now, season 31, which I am nearly done with, and season 32 are pretty lowly ranked but I'm enjoying them. The ratings of individual episodes look like they really begin to tick upwards in season 33.
Nothing will ever be as good as that golden age of The Simpsons from seasons 4 through 8 though!
For my money, if I am going to watch a cartoon these days it's American Dad. The first 2 or 3 seasons are pretty terrible but it's been consistently great since then.
bureaucrat#3
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Season 4 of the Simpsons was as good as it gets. I'll watch the new stuff while doing some work at night, but I probably miss half the jokes.
American Dad took a while to grow on me, but there are few good seasons. My adult cartoons to watch now are Bob's Burgers and old King of the Hill.
btrage
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I haven't watched since probably season 10 or so. I honestly don't know a single person who watches the Simpsons. Who is their audience at this point?
I may let them know as an FYI, but I am inclined to think it's either someone's joke, or some sort of marketing campaign by a local Realtor(TM). We get "Do you want to sell your house?" type letters almost weekly, but never at work, and never just a photo of the house by itself. (Bought for $94 in 2013, now worth $300+. But the answer is no.)
My reaction at this point is still "amused but confused."
Jim
I used to be a big fan. It stopped being funny 15 years or so ago. But now, the only episodes I make a point to watch are the "Treehouse of Horror" eps. Even those are not like they used to be.
I think it's time for that show to go away.
Jim
Planit
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Sorry but you can't store your building materials in the street. Yes I know you have a small lot, but you can't store your building materials in the street. Yes I understand there's no room to move around with your equipment, but you can't store your building materials in the street. Yes I see that you ordered most of the buildings materials for construction and they were all delivered, but you can't store your building materials in the street.
Oh and you've caked mud all over the street too and will have to clean that up.
Oh and you've caked mud all over the street too and will have to clean that up.
We have what's called an "Encroachment and Excavation" permit for this sort of thing, but it needs to be VERY temporary and only granted under specific conditions.
WSU MUP Student
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I remember being really psyched for American Dad when it first premiered. At the time, I still really enjoyed Family Guy and figured American Dad would be just as good and I sat down to watch that first episode back in 2005 and good lord it was terrible! (I remember it distinctly because it premiered after the Super Bowl that year and my buddies and I were sitting in a barracks room all looking forward to watching it after the football game)
I watched the next couple episodes and it didn't get any better so I gave up.
Fast forward to early 2016 and I'm home with a newborn up late late at night and I'm flipping through the channels and saw a random episode American Dad episode from like season 8 at like 2:00 am so I watched that and it was pretty good so I watched a few more over the next few weeks and they were consistently great! I ended up going back and watching every episode. The first few seasons were not very good but then all of a sudden it got really good and has stayed good ever since. Coincidentally, around the time American Dad got good, the quality of Family Guy really started to decline. I got curious a while back about why one show got good and another got bad and looked up a bunch of stuff about the production of the two shows and it sounds like American Dad has benefited by having a lot more consistency in who is doing the writing and producing over the years and also a lot more day-to-day involvement from Seth MacFarlane. While the plots are often very surreal, I like that American Dad is a lot more like a traditional family sitcom than Family Guy too which often has way too many flashback gags and references to other media... also they seem to just make Peter more and more stupid with each passing season of Family Guy.
Speaking of MacFarlane... he also created Ted. A raunchy movie with Mark Wahlberg and his talking stuffed bear. It was alright, if not very sophomoric, and I think it even had a mildly successful sequel but last year Hulu released a season of a Ted TV show that was like a prequel to the movie (following the main character in high school along with his bear) and I thought the TV show was fantastic. There is a second season in the works and that will hopefully come out later this year.
I do really like Bob's Burgers too and so do my kids. Right now, it's my 8-year-old's favorite show so we usually watch an episode together before she gets ready for bed. For the most part, the show is fine for a kid her age but there are still a few episodes that I make sure we skip because they aren't really appropriate for her yet.
MD Planner
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So what I'm hearing is that you'll give me a few days, right?
WSU MUP Student
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We get those letters all the time too. A few years back we'd get brokers and agents stopping and knocking on our door at least once a week asking us to sell. I always just told them no thanks and went about my way but then I decided that the next one who stopped I'd tell them sure and throw out an absurd number like $750k (considerably more than we paid but on average with what the older houses like ours are going for and about 1/3rd of what new builds on our street are selling at). Unfortunately, nobody ever stopped by after I made that decision.
Maybe things are about to start heating up again though as my dad has started getting phone calls from realtors about our house (we have the same name and my address used to be his address so I think agents who are surfing the net looking for phone numbers just assume his number is mine?).
National Fart Day
National Fart Day is an unusual holiday that celebrates the natural human phenomenon most suppressed.
nationaltoday.com
JNA
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from NPS
This week, February 2 ā 8 is Volcano Week! But what is Volcano Week? The National Park Service has 91 sites across the country that contain volcanic resources; 19, were set aside specifically for their volcanic features. During this week, 41 different volcanic parks will share the history and geology of their parks and volcanoes. Disciplines as diverse as geology, anthropology, soil science, and human genetics can all play a role in helping to unravel the volcanic history of our national parks and our planet. Join us as we celebrate and explore volcanoes in our National Parks!
This week, February 2 ā 8 is Volcano Week! But what is Volcano Week? The National Park Service has 91 sites across the country that contain volcanic resources; 19, were set aside specifically for their volcanic features. During this week, 41 different volcanic parks will share the history and geology of their parks and volcanoes. Disciplines as diverse as geology, anthropology, soil science, and human genetics can all play a role in helping to unravel the volcanic history of our national parks and our planet. Join us as we celebrate and explore volcanoes in our National Parks!
SlaveToTheGrind
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Utah says:Here are recent articles about sunday blue laws
Why does Bergen County cling to blue laws? Is the practice, established in 1704, outdated?
Decades after the rest of New Jersey ended the practice, Bergen County continues to enforce blue laws that ban most retail activity on Sundays.www.northjersey.com
North Dakota Considers Bringing Back Sunday Blue Laws With House Bill 1150 ā Fulcrum7
Supporters of the bill argue it preserves family time and encourages rest. Opponents, however, see it as a step backward for the stateās economy and individual freedom.
I was not aware there was general retail Sunday closures outside of Utah.
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The most recent come-on I've gotten to buy my house (with a picture of it on the note card*) actually had a cash offer - $92,0. Mind you, I gave $124,9 for it with $25,0 down eight years ago and have now a little under $80,0 on the note. As is, I'd list it at $274,9 and would probably accept around $249,9 for it.
*My kids tracked down the SV photo date by determining the car parked out front was a rental my sister used when she came to visit for the younger kid's HS graduation, which would have made it May of 2017.
++
A lone photo of my house with no sales come-on mailed to me would definitely creep me out. Don't get any ideas, @JNA
*My kids tracked down the SV photo date by determining the car parked out front was a rental my sister used when she came to visit for the younger kid's HS graduation, which would have made it May of 2017.
++
A lone photo of my house with no sales come-on mailed to me would definitely creep me out. Don't get any ideas, @JNA
JNA
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Now why would you say I would get any ideas about doing that ?The most recent come-on I've gotten to buy my house (with a picture of it on the note card*) actually had a cash offer - $92,0. Mind you, I gave $124,9 for it with $25,0 down eight years ago and have now a little under $80,0 on the note. As is, I'd list it at $274,9 and would probably accept around $249,9 for it.
*My kids tracked down the SV photo date by determining the car parked out front was a rental my sister used when she came to visit for the younger kid's HS graduation, which would have made it May of 2017.
++
A lone photo of my house with no sales come-on mailed to me would definitely creep me out. Don't get any ideas, @JNA
Planit
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Hi, are looking to sell your house?
Not really but what do you have in mind?
Well actually, do you have a number in mind?
I could let it go for $1.3 million.
Sir, that's a bit high based on our research and tax value. What did you base your figure on?
Well, I like it here and you asked for a price, so I could move for that number.
'click'
Not really but what do you have in mind?
Well actually, do you have a number in mind?
I could let it go for $1.3 million.
Sir, that's a bit high based on our research and tax value. What did you base your figure on?
Well, I like it here and you asked for a price, so I could move for that number.
'click'
arcplans
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Season 12 was my stopping point. I can watch classic episodes all day long.. the new stuff, meh not so much. South Park however, still makes me LOL on the newer stuff.
WSU MUP Student
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South Park seems to put out new episodes so infrequently these days that it's hard to know when to expect new stuff. I do like how topical they are though and how they stay on top of current events. I'm hoping for a new batch of episodes (or another batch of "specials") dealing with the new Trump administration. Is Mr. Garrison going to head back to the White House?
Doohickie
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Had no idea he is a spokesperson for HyVee.
The shaking head thing was more about my reference to the closing on Sundays being a relic of the past (1963) and @jsk1983 taking it back to geographical location instead of location "in time." It was intended as a joke but
Kind of like the trick I've learned. As you know, I don't like to say "no" to requests from people, especially family, so, instead, I put a condition on it that is so off-the-wall that the person will say "Never mind."
Like when my niece needed a ride to a party in a town an hour away, on the same day I already had plans, and it was a ride she could have asked me about days before, not the night before.
She needed to be there at 1 p.m. I said, "Well, I can take you there at 5:30 a.m. The rest of my day is full. That will get you there plenty early."
I had no later times, and held firm.
She finally stomped off and said she'd figure something else out.
dw914er
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Low cost of living = low salaries. (38 years in and I just broke $90k for the first time in my career ....)Coming from California, I am simply blown away by those prices.
arcplans
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The fact that i brought 185k for a down payment on a house and barely broke 25% says enough about my housing situation.The most recent come-on I've gotten to buy my house (with a picture of it on the note card*) actually had a cash offer - $92,0. Mind you, I gave $124,9 for it with $25,0 down eight years ago and have now a little under $80,0 on the note. As is, I'd list it at $274,9 and would probably accept around $249,9 for it.
*My kids tracked down the SV photo date by determining the car parked out front was a rental my sister used when she came to visit for the younger kid's HS graduation, which would have made it May of 2017.
++
A lone photo of my house with no sales come-on mailed to me would definitely creep me out. Don't get any ideas, @JNA
Plummeting Simpsons ratings.
www.statista.com
The Simpsons: audience in the U.S. 2024| Statista
The viewership of "The Simpsons" in the U.S. has been declining season by season, with the last season showing the lowest TV rating so far.
www.statista.com
ursus
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I love The Simpsons as much as anybody, but maybe it's time? I mean, the cultural impact is Looney Tunes level at this point. Let it ride. Be done.Plummeting Simpsons ratings.
The Simpsons: audience in the U.S. 2024| Statista
The viewership of "The Simpsons" in the U.S. has been declining season by season, with the last season showing the lowest TV rating so far.
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How am I doing? I had a dystopian nightmare last night that people were being rounded up by a certain billionaire, telling them it was a meeting or some testing, and they get trapped in a building and unalived - I was trying to tell people to not go and to resist and to keep moving and I'm on payphones telling my kids the same thing and no one is hearing me and then I woke up to an alarm that had been ringing for 8 minutes
maybe it was the meatloaf I had for dinner
maybe it was the meatloaf I had for dinner
btrage
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My biggest take away from this is there were payphones in your dream.
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to avoid possible interference of course - but yes!
SlaveToTheGrind
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How did I never know until just weeks ago that the band Cake is from Sacramento, same place I grew up? I knew Tesla was . . .
(By the way, the major streets in the suburb of Arden-Arcade are named after Industrial Revolution folks. Aforementioned Tesla, plus Watt, Howe, Marconi, Fulton, Bell, many others. I have no idea how they picked THAT theme decades ago.)
Another fun fact: In the early 90's, Metallica had an unauthorized, unannounced concert on the roof of the old Tower Records on Watt Avenue. Thousands of people showed up.
Jim
(By the way, the major streets in the suburb of Arden-Arcade are named after Industrial Revolution folks. Aforementioned Tesla, plus Watt, Howe, Marconi, Fulton, Bell, many others. I have no idea how they picked THAT theme decades ago.)
Another fun fact: In the early 90's, Metallica had an unauthorized, unannounced concert on the roof of the old Tower Records on Watt Avenue. Thousands of people showed up.
Jim
DVD
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Kids today will never dream about payphones.
ursus
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It's not the meatloaf: your brain just re-interpreted being a city planner for you. Re-read it with that in mind and it sounds like city council meeting day in any city in America to me. Sweet Dreams, Citizens! Soylent Green is people!!! It's PEOPLE!!!
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SlaveToTheGrind
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Love me some Tesla ("the band") and Mechanical Resonance is a great first album. "No machines!"
arcplans
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From sacramento, CA woot woot!
MD Planner
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wait, a mullet?
I was hoping you'd say Linda Hamilton but oh well
I was hoping you'd say Linda Hamilton but oh well