Random thoughts that don't warrant a thread

[Armybrat 40,832]

Before I was born, my Dad & family were stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska 1940-42 (then he was in the Aleutian Campaign in 1943).
Dad collected these walrus tusks & artifacts while up there.
1 raw tusk, 1 tusk carved & scrimshawed into a cribbage board, a meat carving handle set, polar bear salt & pepper shakers, & other little items.
They are all owned by my brother who was born there before all dependents were evacuated Stateside after the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands.
 

[markstanco 12,574]

I just took a shower in my parents house for the first time in like 25 years.

Did you know they still make selsun blue shampoo? That shit is really a dark blue color coming out of the bottle.

[CleverNickname 1,308]

[markstanco 12,574]

Is that your conversation

[Underdog 28,614]

Very cool story i saw on Twitter... 

 

[deft 6,845]

You’re not gonna get a lot of hookers and blow for 1 dollar so I guess something good and altruistic works too.

[Armybrat 40,832]

[closetohumping 17,440]

I do those Beachbody workouts intermittently. Couple of thoughts:

 

1 while most are in incredible shape, their bodies rate change over the years.  This leads me to believe that unless you’re doing something drastic, our body has a natural peak.  

2 the fats that they roll out never lose weight 

 

 

[thunderlounge 7,816]

Shoe buddy…

[markstanco 12,574]

I e had a lot of phones over the years like all of us, but wow, going from a iPhone 12 to 15 was so simple. All my icons are in the same place and passwords saved.

Changing phones and computers has always been painful to me, one got better.

[closetohumping 17,440]

My posting history should tell most people that I'm not some jingoistic guy who thinks America is infallible.  I believe in diversity but holy hell, can customer service reps speak English?

[ajax 2,610]

I'm seeing some reports that interest and sales at Starbucks is sharply declining. They could be going the way of Radio Shack. I for one am here for it. Their coffee sucks and is overpriced.

[BehoId, The Underminer! 11,669]

1 hour ago, ajax said:

I'm seeing some reports that interest and sales at Starbucks is sharply declining. They could be going the way of Radio Shack. I for one am here for it. Their coffee sucks and is overpriced.

their whole business model is providing the feel of a mini vacation.  now when i go in it is trashy and dirty and it is just mcdonalds with whip.

[tbone_ 14,115]

I like to think of Starbucks in the context of Krispy Kreme. They both showed up around the same time. Krispy Kreme made it about the donut and disappeared. Starbucks made it about the experience and took over the world.

Now they are losing the experience.

[Scheiss Meister 8,407]

Today at lunch, having seafood with my dad, I was struck by a conundrum: Is it wrong to use delicious shrimp for fish bait, or is it wrong to eat the outstanding fish bait that is shrimp?  And if one is wrong but not the other, why?  (Yeah, the conversation hit a dull spot.)

[deft 6,845]

My posting history should tell most people that I'm not some jingoistic guy who thinks America is infallible.  I believe in diversity but holy hell, can customer service reps speak English?

And the profit margin says..,,(points to the family feud board)

[52-80 19,150]

18 hours ago, closetohumping said:

My posting history should tell most people that I'm not some jingoistic guy who thinks America is infallible.  I believe in diversity but holy hell, can customer service reps speak English?

if a company has a presence on facebook or twitter i use that first.  gets things in writing and, often, things get solved much more quickly and painlessly. surender in bangladesh pretending to be herb in overland park doing the responding.

16 hours ago, ajax said:

I'm seeing some reports that interest and sales at Starbucks is sharply declining. They could be going the way of Radio Shack. I for one am here for it. Their coffee sucks and is overpriced.

their rolling 12mo sales figure are extremely stable and still growing.  starbucks imo is not a coffee company.  its a sugary-drink company.  in a big city its a reliable place to piss or use as impromptu rendevouz spot. 

[nnm 36,362]

6 hours ago, Scheiss Meister said:

Today at lunch, having seafood with my dad, I was struck by a conundrum: Is it wrong to use delicious shrimp for fish bait, or is it wrong to eat the outstanding fish bait that is shrimp?  And if one is wrong but not the other, why?  (Yeah, the conversation hit a dull spot.)

[Tex Long 4,385]

21 hours ago, closetohumping said:

My posting history should tell most people that I'm not some jingoistic guy who thinks America is infallible.  I believe in diversity but holy hell, can customer service reps speak English?

u spel Engrish rong

[WhatTheBuck 28,777]

20 hours ago, ajax said:

I'm seeing some reports that interest and sales at Starbucks is sharply declining. They could be going the way of Radio Shack. I for one am here for it. Their coffee sucks and is overpriced.

I wouldn’t drink Starbucks coffee if it was free. 

[Superhero 8,828]

My 9 YO came back with a teacher note yesterday saying he “made an inappropriate gesture with sausage at the lunch table”.

I drilled down to the facts in a non judgmental way. He felt bad and started crying.

While I was concerned that he was learning stuff like this in elementary school, deep down I wanted to say “dude, that’s not what guys do”. 
 

NTTAWWT

['stache 21,802]

Just reflexively told a fast food worker “have a good weekend” as I drove off.  It never struck me til now that service industry people don’t experience weekends the same way as office workers. I wonder if they find that insulting, and if so, have I been doing it my whole life? I say it all the time to people on Fridays. There might be people who think I’m an asshole for that, damn.

Edited May 10 by 'stache

[Underdog 28,614]

Do I look like I'll have a good weekend, sir?

 

[ztejas 43,418]

On 5/9/2024 at 12:18 PM, ajax said:

I'm seeing some reports that interest and sales at Starbucks is sharply declining. They could be going the way of Radio Shack. I for one am here for it. Their coffee sucks and is overpriced.

I got a drink there the other day and when I got to the price at checkout I was kind of amazed at how much it was.

['stache 21,802]

I like that you can find Starbucks in small towns and suburbs. Way better than gas stations and fast food restaurants, but well below local coffee roasters in bigger cities which are always my preference. And if any of you say “McDonalds and Dunkin are pretty good” prepare for a neg.

[Underdog 28,614]

McDonalds and Dunkin are pretty good. 

Edited May 10 by Underdog

[tbone_ 14,115]

Just reflexively told a fast food worker “have a good weekend” as I drove off.  It never struck me til now that service industry people don’t experience weekends the same way as office workers. I wonder if they find that insulting, and if so, have I been doing it my whole life? I say it all the time to people on Fridays. There might be people who think I’m an asshole for that, damn.

[ScottS 1,062]

13 hours ago, 52-80 said:

their rolling 12mo sales figure are extremely stable and still growing.  starbucks imo is not a coffee company.  its a sugary-drink company.  in a big city its a reliable place to piss or use as impromptu rendevouz spot. 

I'm not saying Starbucks is in danger of going out of business, but this article says that Starbucks had a 3% drop in North American sales due to a 7% drop in the number of transactions.  I skimmed the article so I may have missed the time period this covers but I presume it is the first quarter this year.

Quote

For some restaurant chains, comparable sales even fell. Starbucks posted a 3% drop in North America comparable sales, which it attributed to a 7% fall in the number of transactions. William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia said in a note to clients that it was the "weakest traffic performance at Starbucks outside the pandemic or the Great Recession."

Is Starbucks stable?  I would agree with that statement.  Growing?  Those numbers perhaps suggest otherwise.  Maybe overall Starbucks is growing.  I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so I certainly not an expert.

I rarely hit up Starbucks myself as I think, like was posted upthread, the coffee is not that great.  Your mileage may vary though.

[ScottS 1,062]

Too late to edit post but the above Starbucks figures are for fiscal 2nd quarter of 2024, 13 week period ending April 30th.  Starbucks financial press release here.

[ajax 2,610]

Quote

The Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?

https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/aurora-alert-northern-lights-to-glow-over-us-friday-night/1649195

So did anyone see it?

[nnm 36,362]

9 minutes ago, ajax said:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/aurora-alert-northern-lights-to-glow-over-us-friday-night/1649195

So did anyone see it?

I did see an areola. 

[NWBuck 8,552]

3 hours ago, ajax said:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/space-news/aurora-alert-northern-lights-to-glow-over-us-friday-night/1649195

So did anyone see it?

[WhatTheBuck 28,777]

22 hours ago, Superhero said:

My 9 YO came back with a teacher note yesterday saying he “made an inappropriate gesture with sausage at the lunch table”.

I drilled down to the facts in a non judgmental way. He felt bad and started crying.

While I was concerned that he was learning stuff like this in elementary school, deep down I wanted to say “dude, that’s not what guys do”. 
 

NTTAWWT

Dude, what did he do?

[NAVY 6,740]

On 5/6/2024 at 8:05 AM, Armybrat said:

Happy Mother’s Day mofos 

[nnm 36,362]

1 hour ago, NAVY said:

Happy Mother’s Day mofos 

Yes, every dad is, by definition, a mofo. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21,899]

What about two gay dudes who adopt a kid?

[YGIFS 19,450]

4 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

What about two gay dudes who adopt a kid?

Well I don't know about a national holiday for them, but whatever ensues...you can bet your ass it'll involve a phenomenal brunch.  

[nnm 36,362]

5 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

What about two gay dudes who adopt a kid?

Somewhere, sometime, someone fd a mother to produce that kid. Naturally or with a baster. 

[closetohumping 17,440]

On 5/10/2024 at 2:44 PM, 'stache said:

Just reflexively told a fast food worker “have a good weekend” as I drove off.  It never struck me til now that service industry people don’t experience weekends the same way as office workers. I wonder if they find that insulting, and if so, have I been doing it my whole life? I say it all the time to people on Fridays. There might be people who think I’m an asshole for that, damn.

Nah.  They’re happy you didn’t throw coffee in their face.  

[BearSchlong 8,084]

What rock or band T shirts are ubiquitous in that it's not uncommon to see someone wearing one in public, yet you cannot name one of their songs?

I'll start.

korn
Tool
Phish
Insane clown posse

[Underdog 28,614]

Beer break while battery charges for mower … 

81 degrees here and it’s hot… like Africa hot, Tarzan couldn’t take this heat. 

[tbone_ 14,115]

What rock or band T shirts are ubiquitous in that it's not uncommon to see someone wearing one in public, yet you cannot name one of their songs?

I'll start.

korn
Tool
Phish
Insane clown posse

You should learn some Tool songs. Maybe start with 46 and 2. The others wgaf.

[NorthLoop 14,191]

Only tools don't like Tool.

[deft 6,845]

I celebrate tools entire discography

[BehoId, The Underminer! 11,669]

Shockingly bad ass Medal of Honor citation I just came across.  It would be difficult to distinguish it from John Rambo's.

 

 

https://mohmuseum.org/medal_of_honor/bennie-adkins/

 

Quote

Sergeant First Class Bennie G. Adkins distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Intelligence Sergeant with Detachment A-102, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Camp A Shau, Republic of Vietnam, from March 9 to 12, 1966. When the camp was attacked by a large North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in the early morning hours, Sergeant First Class Adkins rushed through intense enemy fire and manned a mortar position continually adjusting fire for the camp, despite incurring wounds as the mortar pit received several direct hits from enemy mortars. Upon learning that several soldiers were wounded near the center of camp, he temporarily turned the mortar over to another soldier, ran through exploding mortar rounds, and dragged several comrades to safety. As the hostile fire subsided, Sergeant First Class Adkins exposed himself to sporadic sniper fire while carrying his wounded comrades to the camp dispensary. When Sergeant First Class Adkins and his group of defenders came under heavy small arms fire from members of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group that had defected to fight with the North Vietnamese, he maneuvered outside the camp to evacuate a seriously wounded American and draw fire, all the while successfully covering the rescue. When a resupply air drop landed outside of the camp perimeter, Sergeant First Class Adkins, again, moved outside of the camp walls to retrieve the much-needed supplies.

During the early morning hours of March 10, 1966, enemy forces launched their main attack and within two hours, Sergeant First Class Adkins was the only man firing a mortar weapon. When all mortar rounds were expended, Sergeant First Class Adkins began placing effective recoilless rifle fire upon enemy positions. Despite receiving additional wounds from enemy rounds exploding on his position, Sergeant First Class Adkins fought off intense waves of attacking Viet Cong. Sergeant First Class Adkins eliminated numerous insurgents with small arms fire after withdrawing to a communications bunker with several soldiers. Running extremely low on ammunition, he returned to the mortar pit, gathered vital ammunition and ran through intense fire back to the bunker. After being ordered to evacuate the camp, Sergeant First Class Adkins and a small group of soldiers destroyed all signal equipment and classified documents, dug their way out of the rear of the bunker and fought their way out of the camp. While carrying a wounded soldier to the extraction point he learned that the last helicopter had already departed. Sergeant First Class Adkins led the group while evading the enemy until they were rescued by helicopter on March 12, 1966. During the 38-hour battle and 48 hours of escape and evasion, fighting with mortars, machine guns, recoilless rifles, small arms, and hand grenades, it was estimated that Sergeant First Class Adkins had killed between 135 and 175 of the enemy while sustaining 18 different wounds to his body. Sergeant First Class Adkins’ extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Detachment A-102, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces and the United States Army.

https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/bennie-g-adkins

[HiggyBaby 2,529]

On 5/14/2024 at 3:51 PM, Underdog said:

Beer break while battery charges for mower … 

81 degrees here and it’s hot… like Africa hot, Tarzan couldn’t take this heat. 

Finally, a selling point for electric mowers

[markstanco 12,574]

Only tools don't like Tool.

I saw them in dallas one night and Houston the next like in 94 or 95.

[markstanco 12,574]

Beer break while battery charges for mower … 

81 degrees here and it’s hot… like Africa hot, Tarzan couldn’t take this heat. 

The battery yard equipment has been getting on point the last 5 years. I have a backpack blower that I break out only when I can’t mow for a while (rain). Otherwise the makita knocks it out, and the chainsaw is great as well for weekend warrior stuff. If I’m going to the lease for a workday, need gas. But love the lack of weight on battery.

[ztejas 43,418]

On 5/14/2024 at 1:02 PM, BearSchlong said:

korn
Tool
Phish
Insane clown posse

I think a large amount of Tool fans are fucking dweebs but grouping them with these four is rather disrespectful. They've put out some great music. 

[GoPokes83 2,240]

Was just watching Fox 26 and they had a story on this dude in prison for Capital Murder. Who knew you could get such a sweet haircut in prison? That’s a quality do.