Random Thoughts Thread

[trinacriabob]

Dog person here ... but I've got a weak spot for black cats

[trinacriabob]

Quick 3 minute video ... so majestic to see her in her element, at work, and seeing the inscription "United States ... New York" on her stern.

Video - 3 minutes - here

I really felt that NYC could have given her a home, as a tourist venue in a berth or park-like extension on the Hudson, somewhere close to Lower Manhattan, where it would have been very easy to walk over there from Battery Park City on by using the subway.

They're prepping her in Mobile, Alabama.  I wanted to see the ship in Philly, but didn't know about it leaving, so I didn't make it.  I will try to get to Mobile, if I'm on the Panhandle or down south, before she leaves again.

[trinacriabob]

Not so great news:

TSA does NOT recommend powering up your devices via USB at major airports nor connecting to the free airport wi-fi ... at least that's how I read it.

That will take some work to plan around that.

[Drew Dowdell]

On 5/31/2025 at 3:23 PM, trinacriabob said:

Not so great news:

TSA does NOT recommend powering up your devices via USB at major airports nor connecting to the free airport wi-fi ... at least that's how I read it.

That will take some work to plan around that.

Well, some nuance.

1. Use your own charging brick, or buy a USB data blocker (USB A Data Blocker) - (USB C Data Blocker) * we get a small commission if you purchase through these links at no cost to you.

2. Use the free airport wifi, but don't do anything financial on it OR subscribe to a credible VPN service for your phone.  No hacker is going to care if they get your C&G password.

These rules apply just about anywhere, not just when flying.  Hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, your car dealership service center waiting room, etc.   The taco bell near me has been remodeled to have USB ports, workstations, and free wifi, and those are every bit as insecure as an airport, just lower traffic.

[trinacriabob]

Thanks, @Drew Dowdell

I do have the charging brick.  I will be using it more.

I just surf at airports.  I'm off wi-fi if I decide to go onto a financial site or similar.

[trinacriabob]

Every now and then, I look at parts of 007 movies on YouTube to LMAO.   They hit their peak a while back.  I have not seen any of the Daniel Craig ones.  I must have burned out in terms of fandom.  Even though I haven't seen any of Craig ones, I thought he was an off pick to play 007.

It's almost confirmed, if not already confirmed, that the role will go to Henry Cavill.  I think they should have kept looking.  I'm sure there are a lot of qualified actors to play James Bond and they should have always been at work zeroing in on Ian Fleming's description of the main character.  I'm getting sick of the unbridled PC-ness whereby one of the actors on the short list was a Black actor.  If he is nothing like the James Bond alluded to in Ian Fleming's novels, he should not have been considered just because we are in the 2020s.

 

[A Horse With No Name]

On 5/29/2025 at 6:47 PM, trinacriabob said:

Dog person here ... but I've got a weak spot for black cats

I do also, and they often remain un homed because folks have a bias against them. 

22 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Well, some nuance.

1. Use your own charging brick, or buy a USB data blocker (USB A Data Blocker) - (USB C Data Blocker) * we get a small commission if you purchase through these links at no cost to you.

2. Use the free airport wifi, but don't do anything financial on it OR subscribe to a credible VPN service for your phone.  No hacker is going to care if they get your C&G password.

These rules apply just about anywhere, not just when flying.  Hotels, coffee shops, restaurants, your car dealership service center waiting room, etc.   The taco bell near me has been remodeled to have USB ports, workstations, and free wifi, and those are every bit as insecure as an airport, just lower traffic.

See, this kills my excuse for all of my irrational posts here. "Obviously I was hacked!"

Goodbye Cavalier!

 

An excellent video on the downfall of Southwest Airlines. Everything on this channel is well researched and enjoyable IMHO. 

 

[trinacriabob]

Do people really go to answer the door naked if they see that it's the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons at the door?

[trinacriabob]

8 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I do also, and they often remain un homed because folks have a bias against them. 

I read that and it's really too bad.  Some of them have great goofy personalities that shine through.  The only cat we had when I was a kid was a black female and she had a great personality.

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Don't know if I posted this before, but I agree with this also. 

 

[Drew Dowdell]

On 6/2/2025 at 9:56 PM, trinacriabob said:

Every now and then, I look at parts of 007 movies on YouTube to LMAO.   They hit their peak a while back.  I have not seen any of the Daniel Craig ones.  I must have burned out in terms of fandom.  Even though I haven't seen any of Craig ones, I thought he was an off pick to play 007.

It's almost confirmed, if not already confirmed, that the role will go to Henry Cavill.  I think they should have kept looking.  I'm sure there are a lot of qualified actors to play James Bond and they should have always been at work zeroing in on Ian Fleming's description of the main character.  I'm getting sick of the unbridled PC-ness whereby one of the actors on the short list was a Black actor.  If he is nothing like the James Bond alluded to in Ian Fleming's novels, he should not have been considered just because we are in the 2020s.

 

I have always felt that 007 was the designation and not the person, much like The Doctor.  When a 007 gets killed off or retired, a new 007 is recruited/hired to replace him. Same for M, same for Q.  I mean, Judi Dench was an amazing M and Ralph Fiennes, the current M, is amazing at anything he does.

So why can't the same be said for 007?  I think we've transcended the age when Bond has to be a white male.

If anything, the next movie could and should be one where part of the story is how a 007 gets recruited.

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I have always felt that 007 was the designation and not the person, much like The Doctor.  When a 007 gets killed off or retired, a new 007 is recruited/hired to replace him. Same for M, same for Q.  I mean, Judi Dench was an amazing M and Ralph Fiennes, the current M, is amazing at anything he does.

So why can't the same be said for 007?  I think we've transcended the age when Bond has to be a white male.

If anything, the next movie could and should be one where part of the story is how a 007 gets recruited.

Yeah, like in the last Craig film Bond was retired, there was a new 007 agent--a black female.  '007' is a code name for the job.  'James Bond' may be a code name also, since all the 007s were named James Bond up until the last film.    The Craig films were uneven, some better than others.  I liked Pierce Brosnan better in the role, and would have liked to have seen Clive Owen in the role 15-20 years ago. 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

Yeah, like in the last Craig film Bond was retired, there was a new 007 agent--a black female.  '007' is a code name for the job.  'James Bond' may be a code name also, since all the 007s were named James Bond up until the last film.    The Craig films were uneven, some better than others.  I liked Pierce Brosnan better in the role, and would have liked to have seen Clive Owen in the role 15-20 years ago. 

Interesting.  Was Clive Owen even on the short list?

James Bond would be a better generic name than Archibald Leach (trivia)!

How many more Ian Fleming titles remain?

[G. David Felt]

On 5/28/2025 at 6:58 PM, Drew Dowdell said:

Do you feel I need to disclose per photo or will just an addition and explanation of this type of modifications in our existing AI policy be sufficient? I might even put those photos above as the example in the policy.

My goal here is to be completely above board about AI on the site. I’m not against AI, but I am against AI for this type of creative opinion and editorializing. I don’t feel that touching up a photo in this manner violates that since the subject is an actual photo, but  I want to get the group’s opinion on it.

I feel as long as we clearly state that AI has been used to clean up backgrounds without touching the actual product, I am totally fine with it and I think you have clearly covered that in what you posted so far.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I have always felt that 007 was the designation and not the person, much like The Doctor.  When a 007 gets killed off or retired, a new 007 is recruited/hired to replace him. Same for M, same for Q.  I mean, Judi Dench was an amazing M and Ralph Fiennes, the current M, is amazing at anything he does.

So why can't the same be said for 007?  I think we've transcended the age when Bond has to be a white male.

If anything, the next movie could and should be one where part of the story is how a 007 gets recruited.

I'm a big Idris Elba fan and I think he would fit the mold perfectly. 

[Drew Dowdell]

Just now, ccap41 said:

I'm a big Idris Elba fan and I think he would fit the mold perfectly. 

1000%

I think we should have a woman 007 also, these days, she can still get all the Bond-Girls.  You straight guys can't argue against that!

[ccap41]

10 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

I feel as long as we clearly state that AI has been used to clean up backgrounds without touching the actual product, I am totally fine with it and I think you have clearly covered that in what you posted so far.

He did use it to brighten the subject though. Is that still okay though? 

2 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

1000%

I think we should have a woman 007 also, these days, she can still get all the Bond-Girls.  You straight guys can't argue against that!

I'm actually not much of a Bond-film person. I don't actually think I've seen any of them from beginning to end. It's not that I'm opposed to them, just never really been attracted to them either. I actually should give them a go on my commute when I run out of crap to watch. 

What woman do you think would fit the role perfectly? I can't think of one off the top of my head but I'm sure there are a few, at least. 

[Drew Dowdell]

13 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

I feel as long as we clearly state that AI has been used to clean up backgrounds without touching the actual product, I am totally fine with it and I think you have clearly covered that in what you posted so far.

 

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

He did use it to brighten the subject though. Is that still okay though? 

Based on earlier responses, I updated the Generative AI Usage Policy and added the Integra pictures above as examples.  Check it out.

4 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

He did use it to brighten the subject though. Is that still okay though? 

I'm actually not much of a Bond-film person. I don't actually think I've seen any of them from beginning to end. It's not that I'm opposed to them, just never really been attracted to them either. I actually should give them a go on my commute when I run out of crap to watch. 

What woman do you think would fit the role perfectly? I can't think of one off the top of my head but I'm sure there are a few, at least. 

I can't think of a British actress who would fill that role well.  Emily Blunt maybe, but I'm iffy on that.

[Robert Hall]

42 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I'm a big Idris Elba fan and I think he would fit the mold perfectly. 

He’s definitely on the list of actors I’d want for Bond. Great actor. Aiden Turner would be good also (Irish actor from Poldark revival and other things).  

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

Interesting.  Was Clive Owen even on the short list?

James Bond would be a better generic name than Archibald Leach (trivia)!

How many more Ian Fleming titles remain?

I think Owen was on the list back in 04-05 when Craig got the role. Not sure how many Fleming books or short stories haven’t been adapted.  Some of the post-Fleming titles by other authors could make good screenplays I think.   I like how in the 80s books Bond drove a Q-modified Saab 900 Turbo. 

[G. David Felt]

57 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I can't think of a British actress who would fill that role well.  Emily Blunt maybe, but I'm iffy on that.

I think this is a spot on list of woman who could fill the 007 role.

Celebrities Who Define #StrongIsSexy | BODi

I could so see Zeo Saldana as OO7

She did great in Columbiana!

[G. David Felt]

Back from DTW 2025 and my week of PTO to recover where I soaked and enjoyed hiking around Banf National Park @ Lake Louis and stayed in Fairmont Mineral Hot springs Canada.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort - Top Hotel Fairmont, BC

Banf

Lake Louis

Last day of soaking in the 104 degree Mineral hotsprings

[G. David Felt]

We'll looks like things are about to turn into a COVID size shortage and hurt on the Global economy due to incompetence in the U.S. Leadership and the lemming team that is allowing Idiot47 to destroy just not the U.S. but the Global Economy.

Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold

Tariffs leave manufacturers without supplies in pandemic flashback

Wall Street drifts following some discouraging updates on the economy

There are parts of Auto's that cannot be made up from any other place than China due to the world allowing China to take control of the bulk of rare earth elements. With exporting to the America's and Europe on hold, China is strangling the global economy allowing only Chinese auto companies to have access to parts that are being shipped to their manufacturing locations around the world based on current news. 

Seems the auto industry is in for a very tough time be it ICE or EV.

[trinacriabob]

As far as Bond girls go, sure, one has the name that raises the most eyebrows - Pussy Galore - but the one that is probably the most well-known and most parodied had to have been Tiffany Case as played by Jill St. John.  And there was Plenty O'Toole in the same movie.  And Bambi and Thumper.  And the high-rise Las Vegas Hilton doubled as The Whyte House.

"DAF" really went out on a limb after a much more true to form 007 flick like "OHMSS" but, man, was it ever funny.  Great lines like:  "Just shove in a couple of gallons of 'HI-TEST' " and "Hi, I'm Plenty ... Plenty O'Toole" - - - "named after your father, perhaps" and "I didn't know there was a pool down there."  The whole Vegas atmosphere sure moved things in a different direction from OHMSS having taken place in the Swiss Alps.

Thanks to Wikipedia, we can learn that Jill St. John had an IQ of 162 and was admitted to UCLA 2 years earlier than a normal high school senior.  She didn't go to or complete college.  Lana Wood who played Plenty O'Toole is the late Natalie Wood's sister and, after she hit the wall and wasn't acting anymore, was living in a motel outside of L.A. with 1 or 2 of her kids for a while.  But she appears to be back on her feet.  To be fair, one of her kids had extensive medical issues that were costing them a lot of money.

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

23 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I have always felt that 007 was the designation and not the person, much like The Doctor.  When a 007 gets killed off or retired, a new 007 is recruited/hired to replace him. Same for M, same for Q.  I mean, Judi Dench was an amazing M and Ralph Fiennes, the current M, is amazing at anything he does.

So why can't the same be said for 007?  I think we've transcended the age when Bond has to be a white male.

If anything, the next movie could and should be one where part of the story is how a 007 gets recruited.

I think I like the idea of a whole new 007 ish character that is not a typical straight white male. I sort of feel "007" got played to death back when Nixon was president. The character needs a fresh sheet of paper and a fresh incarnation. 

20 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

We'll looks like things are about to turn into a COVID size shortage and hurt on the Global economy due to incompetence in the U.S. Leadership and the lemming team that is allowing Idiot47 to destroy just not the U.S. but the Global Economy.

Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold

Tariffs leave manufacturers without supplies in pandemic flashback

Wall Street drifts following some discouraging updates on the economy

There are parts of Auto's that cannot be made up from any other place than China due to the world allowing China to take control of the bulk of rare earth elements. With exporting to the America's and Europe on hold, China is strangling the global economy allowing only Chinese auto companies to have access to parts that are being shipped to their manufacturing locations around the world based on current news. 

Seems the auto industry is in for a very tough time be it ICE or EV.

The whole world. FAFO. Zero sympathy for folks bringing this on themselves. 

Plenty of cyber trucks with healthy discounts though. 

[Drew Dowdell]

I think many of the “traffic calming “ techniques that civil engineers are using today end up having the opposite effect. I think they end up angering drivers, and while it might slow the driver down at that exact point, they end up speeding up in between the traffic calming devices. Further, it just makes traffic worse and angers drivers even more.

[trinacriabob]

9 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I think many of the “traffic calming “ techniques that civil engineers are using today end up having the opposite effect. I think they end up angering drivers, and while it might slow the driver down at that exact point, they end up speeding up in between the traffic calming devices. Further, it just makes traffic worse and angers drivers even more.

Other than the traffic circles, the big one that comes to mind is how they're moving boulevards over freeways in the Atlanta area.  As you approach the intersection, you move to the other side of the roadway (like the UK) and then go back to the right after the overpass.  It makes it so lineups of cars that need to make a left onto the freeway ramp are already on that side, without having to make a turn pocket for people to cross oncoming traffic.

It was weird the first few times I drove over these.  I wonder if there's a (nick)name for the design and how well it has performed.

[trinacriabob]

20 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

We'll looks like things are about to turn into a COVID size shortage and hurt on the Global economy due to incompetence in the U.S. Leadership and the lemming team that is allowing Idiot47 to destroy just not the U.S. but the Global Economy.

Let's keep in mind that he doesn't know how things work.  Someone who was a reality TV star and golf course and casino developer doesn't have the background. Not even close. It's a cluster of people who are driving this, and him, and unearthing this would provide more answers.

[A Horse With No Name]

On a happy note, AI can be used to generate endless images of cars, and I love vintage cars so...

[G. David Felt]

21 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

We'll looks like things are about to turn into a COVID size shortage and hurt on the Global economy due to incompetence in the U.S. Leadership and the lemming team that is allowing Idiot47 to destroy just not the U.S. but the Global Economy.

Global alarms rise as China's critical mineral export curbs take hold

Tariffs leave manufacturers without supplies in pandemic flashback

Wall Street drifts following some discouraging updates on the economy

There are parts of Auto's that cannot be made up from any other place than China due to the world allowing China to take control of the bulk of rare earth elements. With exporting to the America's and Europe on hold, China is strangling the global economy allowing only Chinese auto companies to have access to parts that are being shipped to their manufacturing locations around the world based on current news. 

Seems the auto industry is in for a very tough time be it ICE or EV.

We'll seems the first of many auto lines are being idled due to rare earth material restrictions from China against the world. Mercedes has halted their  A-Class and B-Class, the compact SUV GLA, the all-electric EQA and the new CLA that are built at the Rastatt plant.

China’s rare earth restrictions halt first auto industry production lines

 

23 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

Let's keep in mind that he doesn't know how things work.  Someone who was a reality TV star and golf course and casino developer doesn't have the background. Not even close. It's a cluster of people who are driving this, and him, and unearthing this would provide more answers.

Terrible reality TV star at that and a convicted business fraud and six-time business failure based on his bankrupt nature to not have to pay people who built things for him. As such on top of his other convictions, the worst ever leader of this country and a pathetic example of morality, integrity and clearly clueless on how much he is hurting this country and the auto industry on top of the environment.

[G. David Felt]

54 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I think many of the “traffic calming “ techniques that civil engineers are using today end up having the opposite effect. I think they end up angering drivers, and while it might slow the driver down at that exact point, they end up speeding up in between the traffic calming devices. Further, it just makes traffic worse and angers drivers even more.

I see no problem with traffic circles if people understand how to merge, but the bigger problem especially here in Washington is that we allow 80 languages with state interpreters paid by tax dollars to read the questions to folks and these folks I really do not think understand the real world way of driving, so they stop at yield signs and hold up traffic rather than proper merging into the circles. This goes with my feeling that driving is a privilege earned, not a right and as such, if one cannot communicate with police, medical, and fire, let alone read the street signs, they should not be getting a driver's license.

Then you have the so-called calming speed bumps that are put in high traffic areas and all I ever see is people aggressively speed between bumps. Accidents are far worse here than even in the circles.

This is pretty spot on I feel:
https://ww2.motorists.org/issues/traffic-calming/problems/

[ccap41]

Traffic circles are pretty awesome devices. 

I don't recall ever driving over a speed hump that wasn't in a parking lot. I'm sure there are some, but maybe not in IL or MO.