Random Thoughts Thread

[Robert Hall]

Gloomy rainy day makes me sleepy.  Quiet afternoon in the home office, not much action today.  Had a half day Amazon technology seminar/training yesterday and next Tuesday is a company holiday.  Odd to have a day off that Is not a Monday or Friday. 

[surreal1272]

Happy Birthday @Drew Dowdell!

[trinacriabob]

The savings on one auto rental done through Costco Travel can pay for the price of the renewal of a simple individual Costco membership.

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

I love both animals, but cats win in the end for me lol. 

This is a tough one.

Growing up, we never had cats and dogs simultaneously.

We had an all black medium coat female and she had a great personality because she grew up with kids handling her and playing with her.

Then we had an Australian Shepherd that lived to between 11 and 12 years. She weighed in somewhere between 35 and 40 pounds. I was her person in the household.  I was spoiled by having such a breed of dog because she was so intelligent and easy to train. It was a blast to be able to take her along in the car to many different places.  She was also very attuned to who was visiting ... she knew when there was an elderly person or a child visiting and would give them a lot of space.  She also had a good read on who the turds were and she was right.

That dog got along with other dogs very well.  I didn't sense that much of a prey drive in her, so I think that she might have been able to coexist with a cat.  Just a hunch.

I know that a cat would be easier to take care of, but I'm a real sucker for Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, and Shetland Sheepdogs.  But then I like those big goofy stray dogs that might have some Anatolian in them that roam the streets of Istanbul and freely interact with people.  I've bought dog treats on occasion and gave them to these dogs.  The most amazing thing is that they were "mannered" in taking the treats, but also careful enough not to hurt your hand and fingers.  Of course you have to study the situation each and every time.

 

[Robert Hall]

I grew up with cats and dogs, we had 'barn cats' that lived in the barn and they'd come around the house occasionally.  We had mostly big dogs when I was growing up (German Shepherds from age 7 onward, Doberman Pinchers when I was very little), and a Miniature Schnauzer when I was very little.

Decades later, my sister had a pair of Siamese cats that got along well with her pair of West Highland White Terriers.  Spending time with her in AZ got me into small terrier breeds--from the Westies to a Silky and an Australian Terrier to a series of Yorkies, with inexplicably a Chi mix and 2 more Australian Terriers over the last ~17 years.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

Gloomy rainy day makes me sleepy.  Quiet afternoon in the home office, not much action today.  Had a half day Amazon technology seminar/training yesterday and next Tuesday is a company holiday.  Odd to have a day off that Is not a Monday or Friday. 

We are heading to Virginia to hike, Roanoke to be exact. 

Just now, Robert Hall said:

I grew up with cats and dogs, we had 'barn cats' that lived in the barn and they'd come around the house occasionally.  We had mostly big dogs when I was growing up (German Shepherds from age 7 onward, Doberman Pinchers when I was very little), and a Miniature Schnauzer when I was very little.

Decades later, my sister had a pair of Siamese cats that got along well with her pair of West Highland White Terriers.  Spending time with her in AZ got me into small terrier breeds--from the Westies to a Silky and an Australian Terrier to a series of Yorkies, with inexplicably a Chi mix and 2 more Australian Terriers over the last ~17 years.

I actually really like small dogs!

16 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

This is a tough one.

Growing up, we never had cats and dogs simultaneously.

We had an all black medium coat female and she had a great personality because she grew up with kids handling her and playing with her.

Then we had an Australian Shepherd that lived to between 11 and 12 years. She weighed in somewhere between 35 and 40 pounds. I was her person in the household.  I was spoiled by having such a breed of dog because she was so intelligent and easy to train. It was a blast to be able to take her along in the car to many different places.  She was also very attuned to who was visiting ... she knew when there was an elderly person or a child visiting and would give them a lot of space.  She also had a good read on who the turds were and she was right.

That dog got along with other dogs very well.  I didn't sense that much of a prey drive in her, so I think that she might have been able to coexist with a cat.  Just a hunch.

I know that a cat would be easier to take care of, but I'm a real sucker for Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, and Shetland Sheepdogs.  But then I like those big goofy stray dogs that might have some Anatolian in them that roam the streets of Istanbul and freely interact with people.  I've bought dog treats on occasion and gave them to these dogs.  The most amazing thing is that they were "mannered" in taking the treats, but also careful enough not to hurt your hand and fingers.  Of course you have to study the situation each and every time.

 

Plus one for a Border Collie, kind of a high maintenance dog though. 

[Robert Hall]

2 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

We are heading to Virginia to hike, Roanoke to be exact. 

I actually really like small dogs!

Yeah, small terriers make me happy. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Chinese winning it all at the moment. 

 

[G. David Felt]

9 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Chinese winning it all at the moment. 

 

Tesla giving a Trillion dollars to Idiot Musk will not fix their sales problem or the fact that the stock is grossly overvalued. Tesla is DEAD EV driving, old tech, dinosaur in the marketplace.

[G. David Felt]

Car fans will be happy with this as long as you do not want AA/CP.

Two New GM Cars Coming To U.S. Based On A RWD Platform

[G. David Felt]

OUCH, this will make some auto nuts cry.

Crash At Mecum Takes Out Corvettes and Pontiac Trans Am

[trinacriabob]

2 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Plus one for a Border Collie, kind of a high maintenance dog though. 

A Border Collie requires a lot of time and energy of an owner because it is one agile dog when in its younger years.  

That's why I think a Shetland Sheepdog might be a more likely choice for me.

[Robert Hall]

Speaking of ‘Dead EVs’, I heard on a couple different podcasts that Ford was considering dropping the Lightning, sales are tanking?   Overpriced and overhyped…

[oldshurst442]

 

And the Canadian version

 

[oldshurst442]

2 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Tesla giving a Trillion dollars to Idiot Musk will not fix their sales problem or the fact that the stock is grossly overvalued. Tesla is DEAD EV driving, old tech, dinosaur in the marketplace.

Just shares. 

And he has to raise Tesla's value in order to cash in on that payout.  The shareholders approved with a 75% approval of yesses.

1. He wont do shyte to improve Tesla's value as the world's consumers has largely put Tesla on the side.

2. Basically because he is a political douchebag on top of his regular douchiness. 

3. Because Tesla EVs are no longer state of the art. In fact, they are even below mid pack.  There is no more advantage to owning a Tesla EV over any other EV from other EV makers on sale for 2026.  The world's consumers of EVs have largely passed up on Tesla EVs in favour for other EVs. 

I do not know what all that means for Tesla stock value...but I do know that Elon will do nothing to improve upon Tesla stock... 

Edited Friday at 10:42 PM by oldshurst442

[oldshurst442]

 

 

 

 

[oldshurst442]

 

 

 

 

[G. David Felt]

6 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Speaking of ‘Dead EVs’, I heard on a couple different podcasts that Ford was considering dropping the Lightning, sales are tanking?   Overpriced and overhyped…

Overpriced for sure, from the folks around here who have the Ford Pickup trucks and Mach-e's people who own them love them. Price seems to be the major sticking point, and I can see it getting bad word of mouth due to the price, especially in the Midwest and south where average income levels are way below the average selling price.

Be interesting to see what Ford does as they have announced their commitment to still move forward and build and use the Ford BlueOval EV campus in Tennessee. 

I do not see the F150 Lighting being killed off as they have recently with the base core campus completed said the second generation of the truck which is supposed to move to 800V from the current 400V will start production in 2028 with the battery line at BlueOval City. This is a push back of 1 year as they will slow down production and keep current EVs for now as they build up profits with a renewed focus on ICE.

https://fordauthority.com/2025/09/ford-blueoval-city-construction-completed-despite-ev-pickup-delay/

Ford delays mass production at BlueOval City in TN: What we know

WOW, So much for being the state for Businesses to grow and employe people as they continue to lay folks off, and run a higher unemployment rate than the nation.

Another round of mass layoffs slams Texas workforce

[G. David Felt]

Ugly, big ugly

All the signs of an imminent financial crash in America

ICE and Home Land Security are two departments that now need to be closed due to incompetent leadership and clearly racist and illegal actions. Prosecute all who have broken the law and close these departments. Time to fold both of these duties into the FBI or one of the other agencies.

ICE and CBP's aggressive tactics may have finally gone too far

[trinacriabob]

I took one of those stupid online quizzes to see which was the state that was most suited to me.  I answered a lot of the questions with a good cup of tea, comfort food, a relaxed vibe, road trips, and nothing too gregarious.  I was expecting New England, Washington, or Minnesota.

The results page said:

YOU ARE TEXAS!

WTF?

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

I took one of those stupid online quizzes to see which was the state that was most suited to me.  I answered a lot of the questions with a good cup of tea, comfort food, a relaxed vibe, road trips, and nothing too gregarious.  I was expecting New England, Washington, or Minnesota.

The results page said:

YOU ARE TEXAS!

WTF?

Heh heh..I've done a couple of those quizzes... got New York one time, Massachusetts another time...both would be fine for me. 

[oldshurst442]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

I took one of those stupid online quizzes to see which was the state that was most suited to me.  I answered a lot of the questions with a good cup of tea, comfort food, a relaxed vibe, road trips, and nothing too gregarious.  I was expecting New England, Washington, or Minnesota.

The results page said:

YOU ARE TEXAS!

WTF?

Well...

You do like to preserve traditional customs and values. (conservatism..) I read enough of your posts over the years to know that you cherish your Italian background. And traditional roles of peoples. The history of your parents and their trials and tribulations in coming to America is also important to you.  You cherish that fondly. 

You also like the Californian beach coast I assume. Texas has nice water fronts as well...  

Texas I assume...like WTF do I know about the US. Im just a Canadian after all...but Texas has very strong traditional values, family values, beautiful scenery...   Maybe Texas is boring in some parts of it, but other parts its quite breathtaking.    

You are also a foodie.

Texas has very strong food culture. Especially now in the modern take as Houston I believe is a world renown culinary hub.  Or is it Dallas. Or both? Probably both. 

 Texas BBQs,  traditional Mexican cuisine as well...  

Its less of a WTF if you actually think about it and analyse why Texas.

I on the other hand...

Well...you folk know how I feels about the USofA as of lately...

I gotta go, Im getting ready for the 10cm of snow that is headed Montreal's way tomorrow. Gotta get the house and cars prepped up for it.

See ya guys later.  

 

Edited Saturday at 05:50 PM by oldshurst442

[oldshurst442]

5-10 cm of snow in some parts of Montreal while others will get 10-20.  In others it will be freezing rain.

Starting about noon eastern.  

 

 

[Robert Hall]

Expecting some Lake Effect snow tonight into tomorrow and Tuesday.  Tuesday is a holiday, odd to have a day off in early mid week like that. 

[G. David Felt]

On 11/8/2025 at 8:28 AM, trinacriabob said:

I took one of those stupid online quizzes to see which was the state that was most suited to me.  I answered a lot of the questions with a good cup of tea, comfort food, a relaxed vibe, road trips, and nothing too gregarious.  I was expecting New England, Washington, or Minnesota.

The results page said:

YOU ARE TEXAS!

WTF?

Post the link, I would be interested in taking the test to see what it says about me.

[G. David Felt]

Busy weekend, planted 562 garlic for the 2025-2026 growing season in the following types:

Persian Star 63
Early 53
Montana 77
Korean 105
Inchelium 75
Metechi -36
Susan 75
Spanish 5
Russian Red 73

Over the fall/winter/spring will finish the raised garden area, build additional beds on the ground like my 3 large beds and will finish my new ramp. Russian Red was planted in ground since I did not have enough raised beds yet. Temp Ground bed.

[G. David Felt]

WOW, Another exec leaves, Tesla is a Dead Company walking.

Tesla loses another exec: Cybertruck chief is leaving the Musk-led EV maker

 

I feel the Democrats caved in and will get nothing out of this.

The Democrats who backed Republican shutdown deal - and why

 

Another MAGA FAILURE as Intel lays off another 15,000 and guts a factory no longer building chips here.

Intel Guts Oregon Plant—15,000 Laid Off as ‘America’s Chip King’ Loses Billions Per Quarter

 

 

[trinacriabob]

On 11/9/2025 at 4:32 PM, G. David Felt said:

Post the link, I would be interested in taking the test to see what it says about me.

It was on Facebook 

Page named "Sharp as Ever" (advert ?)

"Which state should you live in based on your personality?"

[G. David Felt]

14 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

It was on Facebook 

Page named "Sharp as Ever" (advert ?)

"Which state should you live in based on your personality?"

Thank you, found a link for those curious to know where they should live.

What State Should I Live In? Find 1 Of 50 States To Live In

The test above says I should live in New Hampshire.

Quiz: Find the Best State for You | Best States | U.S. News

The quiz above gives you the 10 best states to live in based on your responses, Washington was #1 for me.

Which State Should You Move To Next Based On Your Personality? | All About States

Questions say I should live in Wyoming.

Which US state matches your personality? | Pearson PTE

This one you have to book a test, but they do list 8 of the top options and Washington matches my personality the best.

[Robert Hall]

First snow of the season today.  Never got above 32F.  Sun came out and got some graupel this afternoon.  Snowing again this evening…

[G. David Felt]

Have to say they nail it here, Genesis hits luxury, with reliability and performance without the Euro Price tag.
https://www.howtogeek.com/korean-luxury-sports-sedan-reliability-and-performance/

 

This is another point that I feel EVs has taken away as 0-60mph means NOTHING in the EV era.
https://www.howtogeek.com/heres-how-evs-are-making-zero-to-60-times-irrelevant/

[G. David Felt]

Currently the BYD office in California has delayed indefinitely the importation of the Han EV sedan. While BYD builds EV Buses in California for the NA market, EV autos for private purchase were going to be imported for the market, but sadly Idiot47 has caused that to be an issue. 

Have to say it is a clean nice looking 4 door sedan with 375 miles of range.

https://www.byd.com/us/car/han-ev

[trinacriabob]

I shouldn't complain since the main priority is safety.  However, I think it's not especially exciting crossing an ocean, in either direction, to a different continent on a domestic carrier.  I really enjoy flying on foreign airlines.  It's almost part of the travel experience.

[oldshurst442]

 

 

 

[oldshurst442]

 

 

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

On 11/7/2025 at 5:18 PM, Robert Hall said:

Speaking of ‘Dead EVs’, I heard on a couple different podcasts that Ford was considering dropping the Lightning, sales are tanking?   Overpriced and overhyped…

Too little, too late. I remember reading about a railroad tunnel that was being enlarged for taller trains, until the railroad realized that the potential for future traffic was jack $h! on that line. Same thing with the lightening. It will be all Chinese EV's in about ten years. And I love Tesla's big pay plan for Elon, the entire R and D budget will go to a malignant Nazi manchild rather than into R and D, ensuring the future is indeed, Chinese. 

11 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

 

 

 

Hell yes and good morning!

13 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

 

 

I can see why you are a Bruins fan, the Northeast has some spectacular teams and folks up there are loyal AF. 

13 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I shouldn't complain since the main priority is safety.  However, I think it's not especially exciting crossing an ocean, in either direction, to a different continent on a domestic carrier.  I really enjoy flying on foreign airlines.  It's almost part of the travel experience.

I try to avoid Domestic Airlines every chance I get, Delta are the only ones I really like any more. American has become a clusterf@#k. 

14 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Currently the BYD office in California has delayed indefinitely the importation of the Han EV sedan. While BYD builds EV Buses in California for the NA market, EV autos for private purchase were going to be imported for the market, but sadly Idiot47 has caused that to be an issue. 

Have to say it is a clean nice looking 4 door sedan with 375 miles of range.

https://www.byd.com/us/car/han-ev

This is the future, not Tesla, or Ford. 

20 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Have to say they nail it here, Genesis hits luxury, with reliability and performance without the Euro Price tag.
https://www.howtogeek.com/korean-luxury-sports-sedan-reliability-and-performance/

 

This is another point that I feel EVs has taken away as 0-60mph means NOTHING in the EV era.
https://www.howtogeek.com/heres-how-evs-are-making-zero-to-60-times-irrelevant/

EV's have brutal acceleration, useful in traffic. 

On 11/10/2025 at 7:55 PM, Robert Hall said:

First snow of the season today.  Never got above 32F.  Sun came out and got some graupel this afternoon.  Snowing again this evening…

We were hiking in Virginia, cold there liking along a river. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Back at the truck after a night ride...

Parked at a local fast food place when I was getting a coffee to go...

A turned vessel, about 6 inches high. Gave to a co worker, she was happy with it. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Harvard Museum of art, fantastic example of its era. 

Salem was a fantastic city to visit a few weeks ago, love the architecture. 

On the sad side of things, economy is tanking and not working for a lot of people. 

 

[Robert Hall]

59 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Too little, too late. I remember reading about a railroad tunnel that was being enlarged for taller trains, until the railroad realized that the potential for future traffic was jack $h! on that line. Same thing with the lightening. It will be all Chinese EV's in about ten years. And I love Tesla's big pay plan for Elon, the entire R and D budget will go to a malignant Nazi manchild rather than into R and D, ensuring the future is indeed, Chinese. 

 

 

Interesting that a couple top people at Tesla quit this week, the manager or lead engineer for the Cybertruck and one of the other appliances left.  

[oldshurst442]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Hell yes and good morning!

Good morning!!!

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I can see why you are a Bruins fan, the Northeast has some spectacular teams and folks up there are loyal AF.

I used to be a Canadiens fan.  They broke my heart in 1984. They treated Guy Lafleur like shyte and  forced a decision on him to retire hastily.  He didnt see himself playing anymore  if he wasnt wearing a Habs jersey.  but it was the way they treated him PUBLICLY that made him to quit hockey. Just like they did with their other superstars of the then past. Maurice Richard was also treated like shyte when he retired from playing but became a coach for the Habs. Before my time but was still a legend in my eyes as he was and STILL is for many Montrealers.  And the Habs continued on with treating their stars like crap with the likes of Patrick Roy and Guy Charbonneau but I was long past a Habs fan then.   But I digress.  They also were a hypocritical hockey club.  Sayin' they better than the rest of toughness of the rest of the league. Because they play and win with pure talent. And even as a young fan, I knew that was hogwash. So...between the Habs organization treating my favorite  player Guy Lafleur like shyte and watching a very dirty team at that time with an elbows up player (in real legit hockey terms) Craig Ludwig and Chris Chelios and goons Chris Nilan and John Kordic I said...screw the Habs and went on to liking the Bruins.

Why Boston?

Because:

1. They had a Montreal born hero playing for them. Raymond Bourque.    French Canadian and I liked the fact that Ray was French and from Montreal I could cling on to and cheer for.

2. They eventually got Cam Neely. A power forward that played hard, hit hard but was clean. No goonery.  

3. I like rock em' sock em' hockey.  It IS the Canadian way.   Canada plays this way. Canada invented the game after all.  And THIS is the way Canada plays hockey. Rough and tough with a side of skill.  The Bruins play this way. They hit cleanly. Boston Bruins hockey is NOT goonery. Even in the Big Bad Bruins hey day of the 1970s, the Bruins were NEVER dirty. The Flyers on the other hand were.   The Habs had grit and were tough also. The Habs do NOT win 6 Stanley Cups from 1970-1979 including 4 in a row from 1976-1979 and have the best team ever lace up when the Big bad Bruins and the Broad Street Bullies are a thing WITHOUT being a tough team themselves. The difference is though that they had just a TAD more skill than the other 2.  But it helps when Montreal had the EXCLUSIVE  rights to draft Quebec players.  That right ended for the 1970 year I think, but the other teams were not quite ready to scout Quebec born players yet. So that advantage was still an advantage that Montreal had.  

4. Because the Bruins play Canada hockey, the Bruins had a Montreal star playing for them, it was a natural fit for me to skip camp.

5. NOW in 2025 though...

Trump has made me LOATHE the usa and in turn HATE EVERYTHING american. INCLUDING the Boston Bruins.  But...there is a small thing with that.  I still like the Bruins. Just as I ALWAYS had a small affinity with the Habs. I never really stopped liking the Habs. I HATED the Habs, but was proud of my city and its rich hockey history which in turn made me still like the Habs a little all of these years me saying I hated them.  

The Habs are no longer that hypocritical team acting all snug and all and they had  as many goons as everybody else playing a dirty part of the game. The Habs are FINALLY the team they always said they were. A skill first team.  So that is a bonus for me to being loyal to my home town team again.  And the Habs are not a push over either. They got toughness and are no longer ignoring the fact that they too, have tough players and those players are necessary to win... 

So...

I think the roles have reversed. I am now a full Habs loving fanatic. And the Bruins now play a very small role in my heart.  

David Pastrnak scoled his 400th goal in the NHL.

 

Chara in the HOF.

Patrice Bergeron next year in the HOF.  My favorite player at his retirement from the game 2 years ago or so.  Brad Marchand when he retires is next for HOF.   #33 will be retired this January.  #37 soon enough. Probably in January of 2027.  #63 eventually. 

 

Now though, I cheer for the Habs Demidov. A russian rookie superstar in the making.  Probably the face of the NHL in the years to come.  Suzuki too.  Caulfield and Lane Hutson. 2 *ahem* americans that are going to be superstars in their own right. Especially Hutson. A very good offensive defenseman.  He will be top 3 defensemen in the league in the near future.   The Habs right now are exciting to watch.  And only better things are going to happen as another Russian phenom is going to join the Habs this spring. Demidov's friend.  And if Demidov will not be the league franchise player, this dude will be. 

Great time to be a Habs fan again. And all thanks to idiot47.   Thank you for making me love my city, my country even more than I do Donald. 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by oldshurst442

[oldshurst442]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Salem was a fantastic city to visit a few weeks ago, love the architecture. 

Salem...

Been there a couple of times in the mid 1980s.  Have family in Boston.  Hence another easy reason as to why I defected from being a Habs fan to being a Bruins fans.   

Salem...

I remember visiting the witches houses and the cemetery and all that.  It wasnt as touristy then as it is now. Both of my kids went to Boston and Salem a couple of years ago with their respective school trips and when I saw their pictures, I never recalled the touristy shops and all that.  

Anyway, I was never that big of a Halloween guy until I visited Salem my very first time in 1985.  I distinctly and fondly  remember taking an interest in Ichabod Crane  and the headless horseman after that trip... 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

Salem...

Been there a couple of times in the mid 1980s.  Have family in Boston.  Hence another easy reason as to why I defected from being a Habs fan to being a Bruins fans.   

Salem...

I remember visiting the witches houses and the cemetery and all that.  It wasnt as touristy then as it is now. Both of my kids went to Boston and Salem a couple of years ago with their respective school trips and when I saw their pictures, I never recalled the touristy shops and all that.  

Anyway, I was never that big of a Halloween guy until I visited Salem my very first time in 1985.  I distinctly and fondly  remember taking an interest in Ichabod Crane  and the headless horseman after that trip... 

 

Its just kind of a cool place...

Thoughtful

4 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Interesting that a couple top people at Tesla quit this week, the manager or lead engineer for the Cybertruck and one of the other appliances left.  

It is going to go down quicker than Trumps man boobs when he pulls off his senior citizen manbra...

Churches revealed to be not that willing to help. Which is fine, Churches are good at one thing, directing worship. 

Respect for the Catholics, and Buddhists, who were willing to help. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Her voice is amazing. 

 

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

Good morning!!!

I used to be a Canadiens fan.  They broke my heart in 1984. They treated Guy Lafleur like shyte and  forced a decision on him to retire hastily.  He didnt see himself playing anymore  if he wasnt wearing a Habs jersey.  but it was the way they treated him PUBLICLY that made him to quit hockey. Just like they did with their other superstars of the then past. Maurice Richard was also treated like shyte when he retired from playing but became a coach for the Habs. Before my time but was still a legend in my eyes as he was and STILL is for many Montrealers.  And the Habs continued on with treating their stars like crap with the likes of Patrick Roy and Guy Charbonneau but I was long past a Habs fan then.   But I digress.  They also were a hypocritical hockey club.  Sayin' they better than the rest of toughness of the rest of the league. Because they play and win with pure talent. And even as a young fan, I knew that was hogwash. So...between the Habs organization treating my favorite  player Guy Lafleur like shyte and watching a very dirty team at that time with an elbows up player (in real legit hockey terms) Craig Ludwig and Chris Chelios and goons Chris Nilan and John Kordic I said...screw the Habs and went on to liking the Bruins.

Why Boston?

Because:

1. They had a Montreal born hero playing for them. Raymond Bourque.    French Canadian and I liked the fact that Ray was French and from Montreal I could cling on to and cheer for.

2. They eventually got Cam Neely. A power forward that played hard, hit hard but was clean. No goonery.  

3. I like rock em' sock em' hockey.  It IS the Canadian way.   Canada plays this way. Canada invented the game after all.  And THIS is the way Canada plays hockey. Rough and tough with a side of skill.  The Bruins play this way. They hit cleanly. Boston Bruins hockey is NOT goonery. Even in the Big Bad Bruins hey day of the 1970s, the Bruins were NEVER dirty. The Flyers on the other hand were.   The Habs had grit and were tough also. The Habs do NOT win 6 Stanley Cups from 1970-1979 including 4 in a row from 1976-1979 and have the best team ever lace up when the Big bad Bruins and the Broad Street Bullies are a thing WITHOUT being a tough team themselves. The difference is though that they had just a TAD more skill than the other 2.  But it helps when Montreal had the EXCLUSIVE  rights to draft Quebec players.  That right ended for the 1970 year I think, but the other teams were not quite ready to scout Quebec born players yet. So that advantage was still an advantage that Montreal had.  

4. Because the Bruins play Canada hockey, the Bruins had a Montreal star playing for them, it was a natural fit for me to skip camp.

5. NOW in 2025 though...

Trump has made me LOATHE the usa and in turn HATE EVERYTHING american. INCLUDING the Boston Bruins.  But...there is a small thing with that.  I still like the Bruins. Just as I ALWAYS had a small affinity with the Habs. I never really stopped liking the Habs. I HATED the Habs, but was proud of my city and its rich hockey history which in turn made me still like the Habs a little all of these years me saying I hated them.  

The Habs are no longer that hypocritical team acting all snug and all and they had  as many goons as everybody else playing a dirty part of the game. The Habs are FINALLY the team they always said they were. A skill first team.  So that is a bonus for me to being loyal to my home town team again.  And the Habs are not a push over either. They got toughness and are no longer ignoring the fact that they too, have tough players and those players are necessary to win... 

So...

I think the roles have reversed. I am now a full Habs loving fanatic. And the Bruins now play a very small role in my heart.  

David Pastrnak scoled his 400th goal in the NHL.

 

Chara in the HOF.

Patrice Bergeron next year in the HOF.  My favorite player at his retirement from the game 2 years ago or so.  Brad Marchand when he retires is next for HOF.   #33 will be retired this January.  #37 soon enough. Probably in January of 2027.  #63 eventually. 

 

Now though, I cheer for the Habs Demidov. A russian rookie superstar in the making.  Probably the face of the NHL in the years to come.  Suzuki too.  Caulfield and Lane Hutson. 2 *ahem* americans that are going to be superstars in their own right. Especially Hutson. A very good offensive defenseman.  He will be top 3 defensemen in the league in the near future.   The Habs right now are exciting to watch.  And only better things are going to happen as another Russian phenom is going to join the Habs this spring. Demidov's friend.  And if Demidov will not be the league franchise player, this dude will be. 

Great time to be a Habs fan again. And all thanks to idiot47.   Thank you for making me love my city, my country even more than I do Donald. 

 

I think I am a fan of avoiding humans, actually, not to be negative. At this state in the game, hiking, cycling, music, and just not engaging with sports or other folks much suits me just fine. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Interesting on Canada...

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Especially well done model railroad....

 

What Dfelt and I both have been saying about legacy car makers for a long time. 

Ford will quite possibly join Studebaker on the trash heap of history, as will possibly GM. Stellantis is a dead man walking. 

 

Notice also what the Ford CEO is saying about Tariffs. 

[A Horse With No Name]

Tariff situation will inevitably get worse, not better. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

Interesting Swap, this was creative. No, David, its not an EV swap...

 

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

 

We are going to have a GLUT of heavy TRUCK / SUV Full size gas hogs that most cannot afford to fuel. As such, recycle of young auto's is what I see happening unless they find a way to export the used trucks / SUVs to alternative markets that have cheap gas. We will never have cheap gas again.

Need to cut off the 10's of billions of tax dollars given to the oil companies for nothing more than pure profit to the 1%.

4 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Interesting that a couple top people at Tesla quit this week, the manager or lead engineer for the Cybertruck and one of the other appliances left.  

Agree, the writing is on the wall, Tesla is in decline especially with a racist idiot CEO / Chairman getting his stock but not really able to lead the company. I expect sales to continue to drop even next year as others eat up the market with superior product. The only thing Tesla could become is a global Charging company. Forget the AI / Robot BS as Tesla is already way behind China, Japan and Korea in robot technology.

Already they are now behind top EV vendors from China and Korea, America has pretty much other than Rivian given up on any leadership to the globe. European will be interesting to see what happens there, but BYD and Korea seem to be the leaders.

[A Horse With No Name]

10 minutes ago, G. David Felt said:

We are going to have a GLUT of heavy TRUCK / SUV Full size gas hogs that most cannot afford to fuel. As such, recycle of young auto's is what I see happening unless they find a way to export the used trucks / SUVs to alternative markets that have cheap gas. We will never have cheap gas again.

Need to cut off the 10's of billions of tax dollars given to the oil companies for nothing more than pure profit to the 1%.

Agree, the writing is on the wall, Tesla is in decline especially with a racist idiot CEO / Chairman getting his stock but not really able to lead the company. I expect sales to continue to drop even next year as others eat up the market with superior product. The only thing Tesla could become is a global Charging company. Forget the AI / Robot BS as Tesla is already way behind China, Japan and Korea in robot technology.

Already they are now behind top EV vendors from China and Korea, America has pretty much other than Rivian given up on any leadership to the globe. European will be interesting to see what happens there, but BYD and Korea seem to be the leaders.

There is a cool house here in Columbus that was built by the owner of a buggy company in the 1880's right before cars became popular. The Buggy business went the way of....the dodo bird and typewriter. 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1330-Bryden-Rd-Columbus-OH-43205/33846110_zpid/

 

Still a really interesting house, I may ride by it tonight. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Frederick_Myers_house

Olde Towne East where this home is located. 

A similar but smaller house was torn down just north of here, it was left to decline until it really wasn't saveable.