@usefewersyllables @usefewersyllables

I'm a lot more mellow than I was even just 4 or 5 years ago. I was a professional Class A driver for 10 years. I often joke with Ms. So, when I'm driving, don't try this at home, folks, I'm a professional. But I'm getting old. Maybe I need some of Pete's shots. If I see someone that I anticipate is going to pull some AFU maneuver, I try to get out of the way, usually I just keep slowing down until they pass in all their blazing noisy glory. If they piss me off, I just say what a jerk or whatever, and just let it go. I will say that it is increasingly unsafe on the roads here.

I bitched out the insurance company on the rate increase here on the auto insurance, up down and sideways, and heard, there's nothing we can do blah, blah, blah. They were recording the call as they often do nowadays, so I tried not to be rude but I was explicit as I could be about their self serving conduct over the years. I got a letter in the mail, saying they were going to give a one time credit of five hundred dollars, I'll believe that when I see it.

I'm gonna have to go everywhere now with Ms. So because of the unsafe aggressive drivers, dumb as rocks, for fear she might have an accident because of some overaggressive driver. They have absolutely no idea how dangerous their behavior is to them legally. I know they get off on it because they are so dumb. A horn is blaring outside as I write this.

As far as people of Asian descent, I find that if they are second generation and don't want to maintain ties with the old country's culture, they may avoid talking about it. But if they contact by chance or meet other Asian Americans, they will usually say or do some things customary for the respective culture to be recognized as such. On the other hand, I've heard people say things like I'm fluent in Chinese on a message board, (so take it from me, China sucks or words to that effect) and in my previous two or three years of being aware of that person's online presence, I never heard them once before explain for example, a Chinese custom, a Chinese idea, a significant contemporary Chinese event, or post anything in Mandarin, etc. I mean by this, they never brought anything from that part of their identity to the table, when if they are who they say they are, they have a lot to offer. I'm skeptical of this kind of presentation, but based upon experience, I've grown indifferent to it.

When someone from the younger generation identifies with other Asian Americans of the second generation, or reaches out to an older Asian to assist them in some small way, because they can read the situation because of their experience, it's very gratifying to me. Even if they just speak of their experience, I appreciate it. Maybe I missed it when Ban Noc shared some relevant experience in this regard.

Hey UFS, I remember during the Iran hostage crisis, the hot dogs used to say, kick the tire, light the fire, nuke em till they glow, and f em if they can't take a joke. I mean that's from McCain-Lindsay era.

that any small web site can survive, given all the bad actors out there. Some are motivated by political leanings, some are mercenary douchenozzles who are happy to create havoc as a source of income, and some are just anarchist-wannabes that, like a dog that has to lift a leg and pee on whatever every other dog has peed on, just want to trash things- like the idiots who despoil parks and public spaces.

There are fewer and fewer of us throwbacks every day, those of us that simply want to communicate and celebrate some quiet sense of community. It used to be that we could make ourselves believe that we were in the majority, but that hasn’t been the case in a decade or more. This is certainly true in meatspace now as well, as we have been so relentlessly propagandized into hating The Other du jour. I’m glad that I can’t drive any more- it seems that every time I’m in a car, I’m party to someone who believes that they are more important than anyone else, and even the most trivial drive devolves into a honking, screaming, swerving, brake-checking mess. Time to put the 8D MagLites back in the cars: you just never know when you might need to shed some light on some self-important schlemiel.

Kindness isn’t profitable. And now that the United States has completely abandoned any pretense of humanity in its interactions with the world, with “I Got Mine So Fuck You” as our new national motto, it comes as no surprise that many folks are just content to run over everyone else to get their way.

The Constitution is dead, as is the idea of treating anyone else with fairness or understanding. “Fuck ‘em all until they glow blue, so we can strafe them in the dark” is now the order of the day. I mourn.

Thanks for keeping the faith, and keeping the lights on, here our little digital holler…

@lotlizard I used to have a list of people who no longer post here. I find some elsewhere. Ranting Rooster is on substack as Clinton something. DonMidwest writes on health related issues also on substack.

I remember a poster from NYC, NYC eve? She was losing her eyesight and signed off. There are so many apps for converting speech to text, I was hoping she would find one that suited her.

There are many others who pop into my memory now and then and I wonder how they are.

The Other Place is where I gave considerable energy and time à l'époch (once upon a time). There was a time when it was a good place to hone story telling and writing skills; use of photos, graphics, videos and music to illustrate a point. I was getting more confident and trying different things, while paying particular attention to eco and planetary care issues. Just when the the site had many sub groups oriented to many different subject areas and genres, kos put a huge spanner in the works and pretty much killed it all.

I was invited here and haven't looked back. I relied on others such as Snoopy Dog to bring the gossip over here.

Last year we planted a Redbud (Cercis canadensis) 'Eternal Flame' which I got for my birthday, but dedicated to Tracey. Three days after carefully planting a significant storm came through and dropped a Beech or an Ash right over the top of it and broke the top third out of it. Another large trunk fell over the remaining two thirds and saved the six foot tree. We replanted, and babied the tree all last summer and fall. This year we just make sure it has plenty of water and it is thriving in all its glory.

On this side of the mighty Mussy there is a woodland margin where we sit on hot days and listen to the water. It's a good place to plant understory trees like the Redbud. Next maybe a Kousa Dogwood with big white petals.

Thanks for the memories of others who are missed.

“annieli” is now a prolific poster back at TOP.

https://www.dailykos.com/user/annieli/

At the other extreme, all content at TOP by “JekyllInHyde” has been deactivated and his user account page returns 404, page does not exist.

https://www.dailykos.com/user/JekyllInHyde/