Open Thread - 6/23/23 - Odds and Ends

A client of mine was a friend of Janis Joplin. She also worked in the music industry. I hope to share some cool stories when the client makes an appointment to do some estate planning.

Texas mis-pronouncements:
Guadalupe' is pronouced "Guadalupee"
San Jacinto is pronounced just as spelled
Bahia grass is pronounced "bahaya"

Texas just might be a screwed up version of Tejas.

Fly bites hurt as badly as ant stings. Bastards!

I stopped making charitable contributions to The Jane Goodall Institute after I listened to her speaking at Davos as a member of the WEF. She has determined the globe cannot sustain itself unless human population was reduced to 500,000,000. She is more than welcome to be first in line.

Rapper Kodak Black was sentenced to 3 yrs in federal prison for the same charge Hunter Biden is receiving a pre-trial diversion contract. I think I mentioned I had never gotten a pre-trial diversion for any non-white or poor white client. Two tier justice, anyone?

I have to figure out some place to have ready for my retirement to get me out of Tejas hot summers. 102 deg. all next week, no rain in the forecast. In June!

How many minutes do you devote each day to watching Biden on video, doing or saying something that confirms he has dementia?

After the stray cat attacked my secretary, it wound up running off into the woods. I offered to pay for her Drs.' visit, but she said it was her fault for petting it. We will not be going to the woods to find the cat.

Ever had a vacation scheduled for 5 days to go somewhere and then not determining where you were going?

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What's up?
Btw, does you dog constantly lick the floor?
This licked floor is wide open!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

Another wet day in paradise. We've had a very cool June. It has been pleasant.
Y'all come for a visit and see how you like the mountain and its community. Not perfect, but a pretty nice place with moderate winters. Summers can be hot, but 90's not 100's generally speaking. Spring and fall are wonderful.

I guess my helpers decided it was too wet today to get anything done, so they didn't show (can't blame them it is wet and we just had a quick shower). I need to limb out the drive in as wet branches droop over it. That's a better job in dry weather though.

I got together with some music buddies this week, and am I out of shape. The 3 hour session wore me out. Guess I needed to workout.

Well, stay cool!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout in the Holler.
Well, I wonder when I will wake up, realize I am not tired from being out of shape, but tired because I am an old fart.
Glad you got to jam, and hope the limb whacking proceeds well.
Take care!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

out, I find Goodall's recommendation spot on, although it would take worldwide cooperation of all countries towards achieving birth stop, i.e. a much stronger United Nations effort in that direction.

The current massive overpopulation has been a third rail for environmentalists, but it's really at the root of our climate problems and resource shortages. Credit to her for speaking out and for not taking the easy way out by proposing a modest reduction of the population. Of course, I'm long on record as applauding her stance on the possible existence of the much scorned Bigfoot, so it looks like I might be a candidate to contribute to her Institute.

Re the small-fish issue of Hunter, one count of possessing a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance, and 2 misdemeanor counts of failure to pay taxes, here's an alternative POV from Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/06/22/hunter-biden-got-speci...

I have charged many defendants with gun offenses in my former career as a federal prosecutor, but until this week I had never heard of a prosecution of anyone for possessing a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance before the Hunter Biden case.

And on the tax charges, Hunter actually filed returns for the years in question, 2017 and 2018, but failed to pay all the taxes owed, amounting to $100k each year. Normally handled as a civil matter by the IRS:

As for the misdemeanor tax charges, I prosecuted tax cases and have defended many clients in criminal tax cases, and I’m not familiar with a misdemeanor tax charge ever being brought as the only tax charge in a case. The DOJ’s Tax Division has to approve every tax charge brought by prosecutors, and their practice is to focus on serious felony tax fraud or tax evasion cases. Those serious felony offenses would require evidence of fraud or affirmative efforts to evade taxes. Merely not paying your taxes isn’t enough.

Sometimes, when I charged serious tax fraud cases, I would add easy-to-prove misdemeanor counts to the indictment as a “back stop” of sorts if I lost on the more serious counts. The most typical misdemeanor that was charged is a failure to file a tax return, and that is trivial to prove. Biden was charged with something even less serious — a failure to pay taxes even though he did file a return. And the amount of his unpaid taxes — approximately $100,000 in 2017 and again in 2018 — is typically dealt with as a civil matter, with penalties and interest, rather than as a federal criminal case.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@wokkamile

presented deceptive and spurious. "Normally we only prosecute felonies" is simply not a valid argument. Tax matters are immensely factual and no relevant facts are presented. (Starting with whether is is now a "misdemeaner as a result of having been bargained or negotiated down from something felonious)

Why did he fail to pay, and why has he continued in said non=payment for such an extended period despite a likelihood that he has had the ability to pay. Has he refused to pay and done so on the basis of any of a large number of notoriously frivolous grounds often used as a basis for such a refusal by persons too smart for their own good? Did he even sign his return?

FWIW "normally handled as a civil matter by the IRS" is also spurious reasoning. Any "civil matter" will be elevated to a judicial matter because of any of numerous circumstances, and the fact that the sums in question have still not been paid is quite indicative that one or more such circumstances has occurred. The fact that he has taken to pleading his case in the press is very much indicative that one or more such circumstances is present in this case.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

snoopydawg's picture

@wokkamile

Another perspective besides your link. And it’s a felony to lie on gun registration forms which Hunter indeed did when he denied that he was taking drugs when he bought the gun.

As for how much taxes he didn’t pay there are other accounts that it was $1.2 million. Biden is all for every drug addict to go to prison except apparently his son who Biden has said he did nothing wrong…oops. Then of course there’s all the money he took from foreign countries and not registering as a foreign lobbyist. Lots of smoke. Let’s see if republicans can find the fire.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg The DOJ is a political wing nowadays.
They have Biden's back. Biden...Mr. Crime Bill.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

you will contribute to Goodall. She won't miss me if you do.
I just have an issue about desiring about 750,000,000,000 people to die.
I am unfamiliar with the federal law than prohibits drug users from purchasing guns. I do not recall it having an addiction exception clause.
Have a great day.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp her full comments, but doubt she is calling for 7.5b to die, but rather for those people who die in the natural course of events to not be replaced by new births.

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@wokkamile Not sure if I could find it again, but it is out there.
Birth control, and the subject of reducing the population by reducing the birth rate was not alluded to.
I have also watched a video of Bill Gates giving the same population goals, and being frustrated that a plan to de-populate has not been developed.
Again, it is out there. Not sure if I could find it.
The WEF is working on it, and we can depend on them selecting the right people at the right places to be able to procreate.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

ggersh's picture

@on the cusp

My pittie Luna licks all over the place too, it could just be
anxiety or maybe that's what pitties do.

And I've mentioned it in the EB's, just one day of rain, an 1/2
inch at that since May 1st here in Chitown. Supposedly the whole
Midwest where all the crops are is in a drought. Dust Bowl II in
the cards?

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I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish

"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"

Heard from Margaret Kimberley

@ggersh 7 billion vaccinations produced by a man advocating a 7 billion population reduction.
As I say, hmmm...
This is my first pittie. She is a constant comedy show. She will stick her tongue out 3/4 ", then walk around the house until she finds a place to sleep, then keep her tongue out as she sleeps.
Man, you guys need rain. We have had so much rain, although I have not researched to see if we are above the norm. It is way hotter than normal. Any outdoor activity is an opportunity for heat exhaustion or stroke.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp I can track down the video, but meanwhile without some proof, it seems very unfair to suggest she would want to drastically reduce the world's population the hard way and to associate her legitimate concerns with any devious plans by the evil Gill Bates.

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@wokkamile If you can view it, I would like to hear your impressions.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp Mostly straightforward common sense solutions as she lists 4-5 major problems which need to be addressed to solve our environmental problems. Rather uncontroversial, imo, and I think her overpopulation brief remarks have been greatly misunderstood and distorted. She is hardly a radical.

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@on the cusp video at YT actually. 2020 Davos appearance; not clear to me whether she is a WEF member or was just invited to speak. Very brief comments about overpopulation, NOT a mention of reducing the world's population to 500m, but about how obviously the environment would be in a much better place if the population was at the level it was at 500 yrs ago. Comments start about the 31' mark:

“We cannot hide away from human population growth, because it underlies so many of the other problems. All these things we talk about wouldn’t be a problem if the world was the size of the population that there was 500 years ago.”

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@wokkamile having a de-population discussion when that is the agreed upon problem, and a stated goal, suggests they are looking for the magic way to git 'er done.
I find it to be creepy, at the very least.
To each his own, wokkamile. She gained your confidence and support, and she can kiss my ass.
All opinions are welcome here. Yours and mine included.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp misunderstand. The main focus of that small panel, which included radical Deep Statesman Al Gore, was a discussion of deforestation in the Amazon as it relates to the overall environmental problems we face. Overpopulation was about .1% of the discussion as Goodall mentioned it as her final point in her list of 4-5 major issues the world needs to address.

You see it as part of some evil scheme by the "elites" which apparently includes chimpanzee elite researcher Jane Goodall, whereas a more reasonable interpretation is that the gentle champion of chimpanzees is merely stating the obvious truth and not espousing some demented WEF plan to depopulate the planet.

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@wokkamile Gates and Trudeau have 3 each. Schwaub has 2.
Shame on them! (According to them.)

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

@on the cusp

politico. My reading of the original articles regarding Hunter's legal woes do not have him being charged with "possessing a firearm while being addicted to a controlled substance" but with willfully lying under oath by lying on the form to get the gun and signing same under penalty of perjury.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris Politico is full of shit? I am both shocked AND dismayed!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

@on the cusp

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris @enhydra lutris a brief for HB, but just wanted to present another opinion, if that is permitted here. Were the final charges the pleaded down ones which would account for discrepancies? Likely. According to this report, https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/hunter-biden-pleads-guilty-r... HB cooperated w authorities in their investigation, has already paid back his delinquent taxes and agreed to a deal rather than force a trial which the judicial system likes to see.

I also wasn't aware the investigation into HB shenanigans has been going on at the DOJ for 5 yrs and includes two Trump-appointed US attorneys, so it would seem difficult to contend this is all a Joe Biden-ordered coverup.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@wokkamile
I simply found the argument presented to be remarkably short on facts and substance which perked up my attention since I have some expertise in the subject area.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

to apologize for not keeping in contact with the office.
Seems last week, a pre-teen nephew of hers got a COVID vax last week, then died suddenly.
TGIF. I will have 2 days where I will not get such calls.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

good weekend. Considering that so many of the early settlers of Tejas were from the Southeastern US and also included a large tranch of persons of German descent, it isn't that surprising that the local dialect butchers some words and phrases from Español (to the extent that there is but one such dialect) - I once heard a native of Amarillo get about 6 or 7 syllables out of that word.

"Appeal to celebrity". Being cognizant that I have caught a few breaks in my life, I try to be charitable, within reason. Having been doing so for decades I get tons of appeals for donations and since I am among the hoi polloi I am always incensed by appeals from celebrities of various ilks for monetary assistance with regard to their chosen charitable endeavor. People whose principal house is worth more that the combined assets of my entire clan going back for generations really should not be asking me for bread. It is unseemly.

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

@enhydra lutris does some crappy this. The World Wildlife Fund, or maybe the International Wildlife Fund, has connections with developers to purchase and develop lands for corporate partners, and leaving dribs and drabs of land for the critters. This is to make it appear that the corporations really care about the wildlife, taking great care to be reducing wildlife populations as little as possible.
Some of my charities also work closely with oil companies.
Bottom line: I was scammed.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

When I visited 6 Flags around 1972 during spring break (from UNM) I remember being dazzled when a young lady greeted everyone with "Ho-la a-mi-gos, welcome to de casa de Don Ju-an." I also got to hear "san Jacinto". I'd been living in ABQ for the prior 10 years and while I didn't speak any Spanish, I had picked up some pronunciation rules and I was pretty shocked that so many Anglos in Texas did such a poor job of it.

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@MichaelSF with any particular clarity, so Spanish is butchered, as is our way.
I am no exception. I add many vowels and syllables to words.
I just wrote that Goodall can kiss my ass. If I were speaking to her, "ass" would have 2 syllables.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

muchas gracia por la OT amiga
Is your CO property an option?
For retirement and/or escape from
the searing heat of Tejas?

We are enjoying a cooler than (lately)
normal spring into summer in the NE.

Have a spare room if you want to make
the journey. It is a bit of a hike from where
you are.
Doggies welcome.

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@QMS I am trying to think of a fun place with good music to visit for that last leg of the vacation. Lake Charles? San Marcus' Gruene Hall? We will think of something.
Hope you had a great time at the lake!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1672177488535977984?s=20

Not experienced linking to Twitter. I keep wondering how Prigozhin stays alive.

In a nutshell he says they were stealing money from the eastern regions under their control for 8 years and started a war over nothing.

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@ban nock I am sure we will all find the Russian FBI's investigation of him interesting.
Have a great weekend!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@on the cusp Watching the developments along with the rest of the world. I notice the MOA that all of you read isn't saying much. Prigozhin was the hero yesterday, now no one knows what to think.

CIA burning the midnight oil tonight. I think what happens in Rostov on Don will determine how serious this is. Rostov is the place very close to all those pissed Wagner soldiers. That is the headquarters of the war, I mean Special Military Operation LOL. I'm not sure Russia's army could survive loss of a central command.

Most popular post in Twitter is Zelensky kicking back with remote control and popcorn. Photo shopped of course.

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@ban nock You and I, and MOA, and everyone else, could all be in for a surprise.
I just want peace, and no escalation of a WWIII, or nukes.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

If the USDA, FDA, FFA or 4H approves of selling vat grown chickens.
Could see it coming from a mile away. All the research, investment and
lobbying can certainly get their way with congress and fed agencies.

My only concern is that lab grown protein is advertised as such.
Make them put it on the labels in the grocery stores, restaurants
and other consumer interface points.

Somehow, except in Vermont, food manufacturers are not required to
state GMO on their products. So most people don't know they are
eating shite. Probably be the same with the vat meats.

It is now a selling point that responsible producers state *non GMO*
and people are somewhat aware of that advantage. Guess next will
come "real chicken" or fish or beef. Cause the lobbyists will sue to hide
they are substituting chemical food for the real thing.

It irks me the poisons in our food which cause cause various health disorders
are not explained to the buying public. Food pyramid? Oops. McFish sammich?

end of rant

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@QMS It is hard to purchase non-GMO seeds to grow your own. It is hard to get feed for livestock that is non-GMO.
The ass holes next door are spraying Round Up, which blows onto your garden, ruining your attempts to be healthy.
To my horror, the building right next to my office is the community center, and has a garden planted and tended to by The Master Gardeners. Not only do they use Round Up, I came up on them one Saturday morning, spraying it in my office yard, just being a good neighbor! Well, I just smiled and walked away.
The day I eat fake meat is the day I will lose all self-control.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

dystopian's picture

Hi all, Hey OtC, Hope it's all good out there...

workin' here so just a fly-by but you pressed a red button subject for me... Wink

What Texas has done to pronunciation in the English language is a crime. Shakespeare is rolling over. What they did to pronunciation of Spanish is abhorrent.

ganado - from the verb ganar, to win, has all soft 'a' sounds, like apple or taco. ganado = I won, ganada = he, she, you won, etc. A town down by coast is named Ganado. Historically important to that, it was won in a poker game of some sort, no doubt some Texasized version. Anyway, they pronounce it as ga-NAY-do, as if it rhymes with tornado. OMFG!

Nearby is Refugio. I bet you think that sounds like the refuge that it was named for. To pronounce it correctly in Texas you replace the g with a hard R. A fn R!?!?! ra-fury-o is how they say it. It almost gave me a mental hernia. I tried not to laugh or smirk at them... my shock carried me through.

I quickly learned as a traveling salesman to not pronounce the name of any town I rolled into without asking a local first how they say it. No matter how straightforward it appeared. ESPECIALLY if it was a spanish based name or word. Which seem to be butchered on principle.

Knowing Spanish only hurts you in attempting to correctly enunciate spanish based town names in Texas. What a shame. It seemed overtly racist to me, as one that worked long and hard at learning spanish. Blatantly trying to erase the history and meanings of the words.

Same thing happened in California. Take the second oldest city in the state, San Pedro, now subsumed into L.A. It is most often called PEEdro by most. Frisco, and PEEdro. People have always looked at me funny for saying San Pedro correctly. Biggest difference usually being it is the town on my birth certificate. Ft. MacArthur army hospital, $5.50 was the bill. So Texans are not without company when it comes to royally bastardizing pronunciations in overtly racist ways. Yet everyone loves tacos. Smile

Sorry to go off like that, careful not to hit those buttons with a stray elbow or such... Wink

Have good ones all!

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

@dystopian you would bring a great story! You did!
It is hot. In all my life, I have never had to find a place to board a dog for fear they will die in the outdoors from heat while I am out of town. But I am doing this now. I expect to be gone 8 to 10 days. We put her in the house with someone present every afternoon. No longer an option.
We are stumped for an alternative. Expensive boarding it will be, or no more travels for us.
Good thing I will never know who dumped her here.
I can recommend ice cold beer for a bit of heat relief. It really works, dysto!
Enjoy your weekend!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

dystopian's picture

@on the cusp We travelled around the country with a dog, when I was a trvelling salesman. It was a smallish dust mop of a mutzo, street rescue from our hood in San Antonio where we lived. The mist bottle was the life saver when and where hot. We are running 5-10F hotter than we used to a few decades ago, but so now a whole 'nother more dangerous animal. A mister set up in a yard could do that? Some birders set them up on timers in trees. But if heat of day had a spray the animal would quickly learn to hit that. The evap cooling is night and day to them.

Back then a small dog was not an issue in most motels. Except in North Carolina was illegal in late 80's. Had to smuggle him in and out a few times. LOL.

Will take your advice on cooling... Wink

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

@dystopian and thanks for the mister suggestion.
This is a big dog. I guess 60 lbs. at least. No way I am strong enough to safely walk her on a leash. If she took off, she would knock me down.
We have no idea how she is around other dogs. Some stray cat was in my pasture, and Poochie went on high alert, suggesting she doesn't like cats.
We would have to buy a large kennel if we took her on any of our trips.
I have never traveled with an animal. The rules at vacation homes and condos are extremely strict.
We have located a vet clinic that boards dogs about 20 miles from here. The only way to know if that works is to give it a try.
Dog sneaker, eh? You cad!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

@dystopian

Joaquin…I just moved there and one of my first patients was named….Joaquin so I pronounced it as Joe Aquin. Thankfully he just laughed and said that I must be new here. Next up was Dr. Weber who got mad at me for saying Weeber instead of Webber like he pronounced his name. I said that I grew up in Weeber county and then we all had a laugh.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg

is very un-british

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@snoopydawg We saw Asleep at the Wheel in concert at Luckenbach a while ago. The band's leader told this story about Mexia. He heard all kinds of pronunciations. He said the one he finally was convinced to use was "Mehair". The crowd loved it! I will stick with "Mahaya" if I go there, and hope for the best.
I hope you and my client have a fun weekend!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

dystopian's picture

@on the cusp I see that as a Spanish word so my brain pronounces it as such. I would call it ma, or me for the first syllable, then HE wich is the accented syllable, finish with a soft a. Me-HEE-a. Only middle vowel is long, the 'i', which in spanish is pronounced as a long 'e'. Other vowels are soft. So much like the spanish pronunciation of Mexico.

I saw Asleep at the Wheel in the late 70's at the Palomino. Which is the club in L.A. where all the country acts play. It is in North Hollywood, so over the hill in the valley (San Fernando V.). Sawdust on the floor, etc. Great intimate venue, all the biggest country and western acts played there. The band was great, I loved them. A fun band to see, and highly skilled players.

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein

@dystopian The musicians were top tier.
Glad you got to see them perform.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981