American Dumbass

[Cisco 155]

How is it political???

Some merkin from 'merica behaves like a dickhead, flies a  Chilean ensign from his spreaders... still trying to figure that bit out... slags off a country he is a guest in....

How did politics get  into all of this?

Just looks like a dickhead to me....

 

[167149 97]

6 minutes ago, Cisco said:

How is it political???

Some merkin from 'merica behaves like a dickhead, flies a  Chilean ensign from his spreaders... still trying to figure that bit out... slags off a country he is a guest in....

How did politics get  into all of this?

Just looks like a dickhead to me....

 

He went away, we're happy with that, My hope is he wanders up to PNG and gets shutdown completely, Moresby by preference but I do known from long experience that Lae isn;t exactly filled with benevolent locals/ authorities. As for "AMERICAN ASSHOLE" these people exist in all countries/cultures and I have seen some pretty cringe worthy stuff emerge from kiwi's on  tour along with many other nationalities so my view is that as with the many lovely Karens out there implicated by the actions of a few true horror shows so it Is  with the Americans

[Panoramix 1,234]

19 hours ago, loneshark64 said:

Not all of them. Some people are actually stupid. I am losing hope watching all these videos lately of news reporters asking questions of mid-country American dumbasses about why they believe in Trump/Qanon-flat earth/anti-vac etc etc. I hold the view that half the population of any country or group are below the median on intelligence, however you measure it. But one hopes that they can be educated to a point of contributing politically and at least voting their own self interest. In our more complex world, Apparently not. These people make Keith Whittaker look like Aristotle. It feels to me like the mid country morons here in the US and in the UK are dumber than the dopiest dopes in a place like Germany, but nevertheless there are idiots everywhere. 
 

Anyway our boy Keith isn’t dumb at all. He’s a very capable entrepreneurial guy. But he is also a narcissist who wants what he wants at all times needs a lot of attention. He’d probably get a lot of votes...

I don't know how it is in the USA but here sadly education is unequal and it shows in places where the system is lacking. People in these places are more willing to accept conspiracy theories as factual. I am not convinced that these people are just dumb, I think that despite all the quality knowledge we have at our finger tips, basic logical/scientific/political/numerical literacy is not as universal as it should be. 100 years ago here in Brittany which was really poor, most people were literate in the most important fields and I can't see why we couldn't bring back most people to a level where everybody can contribute meaningfully to society.

[Upp3 173]

21 hours ago, loneshark64 said:

 It feels to me like the mid country morons here in the US and in the UK are dumber than the dopiest dopes in a place like Germany, but nevertheless there are idiots everywhere. 

I blame it on language. Easier to find morons that speak English in English speaking countries. Try to find mid country moron in US that does the interview auf Deutsch...

[Israel Hands 509]

46 minutes ago, Upp3 said:

I blame it on language. Easier to find morons that speak English in English speaking countries. Try to find mid country moron in US that does the interview auf Deutsch...

Two things that have changed in the US in 50 years:

1) Public education has gotten poorer, and

2) now Fox News (the opiate of those who feel disenfranchised) exists.

 

But to un-politicize this, as Cisco noted, the person in question

2 hours ago, Cisco said:

behaves like a dickhead, flies a  Chilean ensign from his spreaders... still trying to figure that bit out... slags off a country he is a guest in....

Who can watch his videos for 5 minutes without being repelled by his know-it-all arrogance?

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

3 hours ago, Panoramix said:

I am not convinced that these people are just dumb, I think that despite all the quality knowledge we have at our finger tips, basic logical/scientific/political/numerical literacy is not as universal as it should be.

Literally at our fingertips with mini-supercomputer smart phones.

That’s the conundrum/mystery of the spread of the Internet, which allegedly brings good information —Truth— to nearly everyone such that our cups will runneth over.  I remember reading articles back in the late ‘90s good ol’ days about the web being the beginning of the spread of democracy/literacy/etc.  And it all seemed to make sense.  In theory.

[Upp3 173]

16 minutes ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

Literally at our fingertips with mini-supercomputer smart phones.

That’s the conundrum/mystery of the spread of the Internet, which allegedly brings good information —Truth— to nearly everyone such that our cups will runneth over.  I remember reading articles back in the late ‘90s good ol’ days about the web being the beginning of the spread of democracy/literacy/etc.  And it all seemed to make sense.  In theory.

I remember a slogan from late 90s: "read it from the internets, must be true!"

I still prefer to check the sources from Wikipedia if I'm totally clueless about the topic, but I still have been fooled to forward bogus news.

[Upp3 173]

1 hour ago, Israel Hands said:

Who can watch his videos for 5 minutes without being repelled by his know-it-all arrogance?

I might, but I don't want the algorithm to push more of them to me, so I decided to not watch any of their videos. Iirc I didn't even watch Wynn's videos when they were staying with Z.

[Albatros 449]

5 hours ago, Cisco said:

 

 flies a  Chilean ensign from his spreaders... still trying to figure that bit out...

 

wouldn't that be the typical "hey look guys, see where I have been, I'm the real stuff" syndrome ?

as an aside, still no Guatemala escape in sight ?

[Cisco 155]

4 hours ago, Albatros said:

wouldn't that be the typical "hey look guys, see where I have been, I'm the real stuff" syndrome ?

as an aside, still no Guatemala escape in sight ?

I think he flies a chilean 'knock off'... some merkin state bunting ....

The 'great escape'? Hoping for March next year.... really needs a vaccine what with my age and all... and having escaped Ecuador need to have somewhere to go that will let me in.... Fiji??...

However... applied on Monday for permission to leave Australia  on 'urgent personal business'.... had a positive response less than 8 hours .. I can leave Australia but I can't get out of the state of Victoria.... sigh....

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

5 hours ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

Literally at our fingertips with mini-supercomputer smart phones.

That’s the conundrum/mystery of the spread of the Internet, which allegedly brings good information —Truth— to nearly everyone such that our cups will runneth over.  I remember reading articles back in the late ‘90s good ol’ days about the web being the beginning of the spread of democracy/literacy/etc.  And it all seemed to make sense.  In theory.

In the book "A Fire Upon the Deep" Vernor Vinge refers to the galactic version of the internet/usenet as the "Net of a Million Lies" as it's a constant mix of speculation and bullshit with the truth often set without context.

Having all the resources of the internet at your fingertips is of no value if you can not critically evaluate what you are seeing. It makes things worse in ways, because people can't sort truth from lies then they act on the lies which often doesn't end well.

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

1 hour ago, B.J. Porter said:

In the book "A Fire Upon the Deep" Vernor Vinge refers to the galactic version of the internet/usenet as the "Net of a Million Lies" as it's a constant mix of speculation and bullshit with the truth often set without context.

Having all the resources of the internet at your fingertips is of no value if you can not critically evaluate what you are seeing. It makes things worse in ways, because people can't sort truth from lies then they act on the lies which often doesn't end well.

Two words:

Alex Jones

[loneshark64 375]

8 hours ago, Albatros said:

 flies a  Chilean ensign from his spreaders... still trying to figure that bit out...

  

 

4 hours ago, Cisco said:

8 hours ago, Albatros said:

I think he flies a chilean 'knock off'... some merkin state bunting ....

It is the flag of the state of Texas. See below the flags of Texas and Chile. And while I think little of Keith Whitaker and dumbassery in general, and don’t live anywhere near Texas, I will heartily defend the tarnished honor of the Lone Star State, the flag of which is NOT a knock-off of the flag of Chile, and was originally the flag of the Republic of Texas.

[Albatros 449]

8 minutes ago, loneshark64 said:

 

It is the flag of the state of Texas. See below the flags of Texas and Chile. And while I think little of Keith Whitaker and dumbassery in general, and don’t live anywhere near Texas, I will heartily defend the tarnished honor of the Lone Star State, the flag of which is NOT a knock-off of the flag of Chile. 

yeah, was a bit of an inside laugh with Cisco del Sur, but if you're serious about it, go and check the timing of the Chili republic and the timing of the Republic of Texas ... Cisco might have a point when thinking the one is a knockoff from the other ... all said with a big grin

[loneshark64 375]

1 minute ago, Albatros said:

yeah, was a bit of an inside laugh with Cisco del Sur, but if you're serious about it, go and check the timing of the Chili republic and the timing and the timing of the Republic of Texas ... Cisco might have a point when thinking the one is a knockoff from the other ... all said with a big grin

1818 vs 1839. But which one has Lone Star Beer? Case closed. 

[Albatros 449]

10 minutes ago, loneshark64 said:

1818 vs 1839. But which one has Lone Star Beer? Case closed. 

I raise my Triple Westmalle to you sir, seen from one of the (if not THE) beer countries in the world you have just thrown me a check-mate  ... funny thing to me is that the term Lone Star does not remind me of a brewski I might have had in the deep south but rather that funny movie Spaceballs.

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

6 hours ago, Cisco said:

I think he flies a chilean 'knock off'... some merkin state bunting ....

LOL!  Careful, you’ll offend someone by referring to their sacred fucking flag as “bunting” (when that’s all it is, some tribal fabric bunting endowed with some ridiculous meaning).

Just the other day I saw (and this was in Canada, mind you) a car bumper sticker, with a pic of the Chilean flag knock-off on it, “Don’t Mess With Texas.”  What a joke.

[Upp3 173]

7 hours ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

LOL!  Careful, you’ll offend someone by referring to their sacred fucking flag as “bunting” (when that’s all it is, some tribal fabric bunting endowed with some ridiculous meaning).

Just the other day I saw (and this was in Canada, mind you) a car bumper sticker, with a pic of the Chilean flag knock-off on it, “Don’t Mess With Texas.”  What a joke.

"Don't mess with Texas" *messes their flag*

[Max Rockatansky 452]

‘Don’t mess with tx’ is a PSA. As in, ‘have nothing to do with’

[kinardly 170]

Lone Star, Pearl...? Yeah, please close those cases or, better yet, empty them out and pour the swill back into the horse. Not exactly the triumph of the brewer’s art or something Texans can point to with pride.

[Cruisin Loser 1,368]

20 hours ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

LOL!  Careful, you’ll offend someone by referring to their sacred fucking flag as “bunting” (when that’s all it is, some tribal fabric bunting endowed with some ridiculous meaning).

Just the other day I saw (and this was in Canada, mind you) a car bumper sticker, with a pic of the Chilean flag knock-off on it, “Don’t Mess With Texas.”  What a joke.

It's an anti-litter campaign. Been going on for years. Geez. 

Just now, kinardly said:

Lone Star, Pearl...? Yeah, please close those cases or, better yet, empty them out and pour the swill back into the horse. Not exactly the triumph of the brewer’s art or something Texans can point to with pride.

Shiner Bock. 

If you guys don't like Texas, you can kiss my shiny varnished ass!

[Zonker 2,448]

The cruising area looks a wee bit, um dry there...

[Bristol-Cruiser 1,001]

8 minutes ago, Cruisin Loser said:

It's an anti-litter campaign. Been going on for years. Geez. 

Shiner Bock. 

If you guys don't like Texas, you can kiss my shiny varnished ass!

I've been to Midland. Not much sailing to be had there. The air museum is outstanding.

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

40 minutes ago, Cruisin Loser said:

It's an anti-litter campaign. Been going on for years.  Geez.

Seriously?  I always thought it was a sort of, “I’m from Texas, we’re tough/special/whatever”.  Had no idea it was an anti-litter campaign.

[Cruisin Loser 1,368]

13 minutes ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

Seriously?  I always thought it was a sort of, “I’m from Texas, we’re tough/special/whatever”.  Had no idea it was an anti-litter campaign.

Yes. Seriously. Stevie Ray Vaughn did a TV ad for the campaign once. It's been going on over 30 years now. 

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

2 hours ago, Cruisin Loser said:

It's an anti-litter campaign. Been going on for years. Geez. 

Shiner Bock. 

If you guys don't like Texas, you can kiss my shiny varnished ass!

It's not so much that we don't *like* Texas, it's just that it's a bit - small, really. So we don't think about it.

FKT

[IStream 2,235]

I think LB15 has passed the torch to FKT. 

[Mark Morwood 56]

6 hours ago, Fah Kiew Tu said:

It's not so much that we don't *like* Texas, it's just that it's a bit - small, really. So we don't think about it.

FKT

We do actually have 2 states that aren't smaller than Texas, but come to think about it the rest of us don't think about them either! :-)

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

11 minutes ago, Mark Morwood said:

We do actually have 2 states that aren't smaller than Texas, but come to think about it the rest of us don't think about them either! :-)

Happy with that, too.

FKT

[167149 97]

54 minutes ago, Mark Morwood said:

We do actually have 2 states that aren't smaller than Texas, but come to think about it the rest of us don't think about them either! :-)

Then there is that well known sign of recession in Alaska...... A texan leaving town with an okey under each arm

[Cisco 155]

One wanted out.... 40,000 want in

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/123303480/more-than-40000-americans-visit-nz-immigration-website-during-election-week

[Israel Hands 509]

6 hours ago, 167149 said:

Then there is that well known sign of recession in Alaska...... A texan leaving town with an okey under each arm

I remember when the Colorado guv had to apologize to TX governor Mark White. He'd told him with a straight face that recently a Texan had died in Denver and was too big to fit in a casket. So they'd given him an enema and sent him home in a shoebox.

[Israel Hands 509]

15 hours ago, Cruisin Loser said:

Yes. Seriously. Stevie Ray Vaughn did a TV ad for the campaign once. It's been going on over 30 years now. 

One original Stevie Ray Vaughn - Don't Mess With Tex-mas Christmas ornament for sale. Like new. Wife keeps hiding it at the back of the tree.

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

19 hours ago, Cisco said:

One wanted out.... 40,000 want in

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/123303480/more-than-40000-americans-visit-nz-immigration-website-during-election-week

Some if us do have visa apps in process...

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

34 minutes ago, B.J. Porter said:

Some if us do have visa apps in process...

Relax.  Things will calm down there very shortly: Amy’s first assignment on the job will soon settle it all once and for all, installing the family in as a dynasty.  (And you thought the name “Baron” was just a name.)

[savoir 177]

The original dumbass family have released a new instalment.  They are starting to sweat a little.  It looks like Guam is now off the agenda to be replaced by we know not where and they don't either.

[Cisco 155]

8 minutes ago, savoir said:

The original dumbass family have released a new instalment.  They are starting to sweat a little.  It looks like Guam is now off the agenda to be replaced by we know not where and they don't either.

He should have thunk this way in June..

"Travel this year must be done strategically, like a chess game; as one move will affect many other moves up ahead." ~ Keith Whitaker, Oct. 2020

[Miffy 2,125]

On 7/21/2020 at 8:00 PM, Miffy said:

Not to mention- imagine being so dull to think NZ is a bad place to spend a year. So much to do and experience. But by the sounds of it, being responsible and quarantined to save people was too much for the me me me family. Good luck to them finding more interesting ports of call going forward because covid isn’t going away and once they’re in Fiji, their next port of call? Guam lol. Hahah hahaha haha. 

I'm not known for being particularly great at forecasting the future - but lol.

[IStream 2,235]

Take the bow, you earned it.

[SASSAFRASS 532]

With the way the Atlantic storm season has went, not being crazy conservative in the PAC is nuts.  These guys are way irresponsible. Maybe they will do the "let's see what a hurricane/typhoon is like" like the idiots a few years ago.

Some friends of ours rode out a storm in Guam in the early 80's.  I guess there was some Navy mooring grid that was insane strong, he stayed on the boat wife went ashore.  He said it was the dumbest thing he has ever done, completely helpless to do anything but stay below and wait for it to be over.

[Miffy 2,125]

I was in Guam in dec of 2002. 150 knots in December. 
 

Ppl who don’t cautiously approach Guam as a transit point are nuts. 

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

12 hours ago, savoir said:

The original dumbass family have released a new instalment.  They are starting to sweat a little.  It looks like Guam is now off the agenda to be replaced by we know not where and they don't either.

Still not welcome here.

Ever.

FKT

[Zonker 2,448]

Texas ain't that big...

About that little blue bit.  If Trump can do it, so can I. 
"We Hereby Claim the region known as SE Alaska because it just would make our province easier to figure out on a map. So there"

[IStream 2,235]

No deal unless you also claim WA state.

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

13 hours ago, savoir said:

The original dumbass family have released a new instalment.  They are starting to sweat a little.  It looks like Guam is now off the agenda to be replaced by we know not where and they don't either.

 

13 hours ago, Cisco said:

He should have thunk this way in June..

"Travel this year must be done strategically, like a chess game; as one move will affect many other moves up ahead." ~ Keith Whitaker, Oct. 2020

There's a reason most of the cruising community though they were fools for leaving when they did.

We had to buy a dehumidifier and we opted to stay in a slip. But we're leaving soon, and we've made a lot of friends we'll be bumping into all summer as we cruise NZ.

NZ has been very gracious to us, so far.

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

1 hour ago, Zonker said:

Texas ain't that big...

About that little blue bit.  If Trump can do it, so can I. 
"We Hereby Claim the region known as SE Alaska because it just would make our province easier to figure out on a map. So there"

Heck with that.  Quebec is the largest Canadian province.  And larger than Texas.  Kiss our French asses, Texas! :-)

[astro 730]

5 minutes ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

Heck with that.  Quebec is the largest Canadian province.  And larger than Texas.  Kiss our French asses, Texas! :-)

Ok, is this a competition?  Raise you one ...

Just don't ask about Western Australia ....

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

44 minutes ago, astro said:

Ok, is this a competition?  Raise you one ...

Just don't ask about Western Australia ....

Don't the 'roos and goanas outnumber the people about 10,000 to 1 out there?

[astro 730]

4 minutes ago, B.J. Porter said:

Don't the 'roos and goanas outnumber the people about 10,000 to 1 out there?

I haven't heard that one but it would be a fair bet, yeah.

[savoir 177]

1 hour ago, B.J. Porter said:

 

There's a reason most of the cruising community though they were fools for leaving when they did.

We had to buy a dehumidifier and we opted to stay in a slip. But we're leaving soon, and we've made a lot of friends we'll be bumping into all summer as we cruise NZ.

NZ has been very gracious to us, so far.

 

Does that mean NZ extended your visa ?

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

1 minute ago, savoir said:

1 hour ago, B.J. Porter said:

 

There's a reason most of the cruising community though they were fools for leaving when they did.

We had to buy a dehumidifier and we opted to stay in a slip. But we're leaving soon, and we've made a lot of friends we'll be bumping into all summer as we cruise NZ.

NZ has been very gracious to us, so far.

 

Does that mean NZ extended your visa ?

They've automatically extended all of us without asking until Feb 25, 2020 and extended TIEs (import exemptions on boats) through June.

Before the automatic extensions came out we applied for a year anyway, because though we'd hear about the possible Feb 25 extension, we knew that wouldn't take us through cyclone season. That is still pending.

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

30 minutes ago, astro said:

I haven't heard that one but it would be a fair bet, yeah.

It's just a guess, but I've heard stories from friends of mine who rented caravans to dodge the triple-trailer truck trains and tour the area.

[SASSAFRASS 532]

Panama just extended visas till Jan 31 2021.  They were supposed to be done this month and there has been alot of confusion as the northern land border with CR is still closed, can only fly in.  Plus ETA just washed all the roads out cutting us off from the mainland... happened in 2008 too.  I'm feeling a shut down in the near future with the visa extension.  Will see.

[astro 730]

28 minutes ago, B.J. Porter said:

It's just a guess, but I've heard stories from friends of mine who rented caravans to dodge the triple-trailer truck trains and tour the area.

Not 10,000 to one, but we are outnumbered here now.  They usually come and go depending on the grass situation, but they seem to have settled in now.

This one had a go at the wife last week when she went to feed the horses.

 

[kinardly 170]

Do they have the kangaroo equivalent of bear spray? Think it would be a good idea.

[Se7en 167]

32 minutes ago, kinardly said:

Do they have the kangaroo equivalent of bear spray? Think it would be a good idea.

Yep. 12 guage or .303.

[kinardly 170]

That would work for me but I thought I read somewhere you could get into big trouble shooting them. 

[sailm8 77]

 

[kinardly 170]

Dangerous stuff, that paragliding.

[Cisco 155]

And that's just a little fella.... an old man kanga would have used his hind claws to unzip our intrepid photographer from arsehole to breakfast time on the instant.....

 

 

[Ishmael 5,847]

8 minutes ago, Cisco said:

And that's just a little fella.... an old man kanga would have used his hind claws to unzip our intrepid photographer from arsehole to breakfast time on the instant.....

 

 

People obviously should be armed in Australia, everything wants to kill you. At a bare minimum you'd want a snake gun, a kangaroo gun, a giant fucking crocodile gun, and a knife.

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

19 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

People obviously should be armed in Australia, everything wants to kill you. At a bare minimum you'd want a snake gun, a kangaroo gun, a giant fucking crocodile gun, and a knife.

One decent calibre rifle is plenty. I've shot a number of big male kangaroos that got aggressive. They learned (well, the rest of the mob learned) that they're not a top predator.

And a knife of course. Everyone needs a good knife.

FKT

[Se7en 167]

11 minutes ago, Fah Kiew Tu said:

And a knife of course. Everyone needs a good knife.

My actual name is "Daddy, can I have"

But I was quietly chuffed this weekend when my 10 YO girl followed my name with "a nice pocket knife". She followed it up with a fairly decent argument as to why everyone does indeed need a good knife.

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

1 minute ago, Se7en said:

My actual name is "Daddy, can I have"

But I was quietly chuffed this weekend when my 10 YO girl followed my name with "a nice pocket knife". She followed it up with a fairly decent argument as to why everyone does indeed need a good knife.

The day out useless Govt banned us all from carrying a portable toolkit with a half-decent blade AKA Leatherman and clones was a very sad one.

Including Swiss Army knives was piling insult on injury.

FKT

[Se7en 167]

4 minutes ago, Fah Kiew Tu said:

The day out useless Govt banned us all from carrying a portable toolkit with a half-decent blade

In Vic at least you are allowed to carry a knife as long as you have a good reason. If ever asked I would argue that being a sailor is a good reason.

She will be getting a sheepsfoot single locking blade of about 2" length. With a lanyard.

She would be my favourite child except for the fact she prefers motor boats to sailing. Was quite contrite when she explained that to me recently. Loves being on the water, could not care less about sailing or going fast.

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

Just now, Se7en said:

In Vic at least you are allowed to carry a knife as long as you have a good reason. If ever asked I would argue that being a sailor is a good reason.

She will be getting a sheepsfoot single locking blade of about 2" length. With a lanyard.

She would be my favourite child except for the fact she prefers motor boats to sailing. Was quite contrite when she explained that to me recently. Loves being on the water, could not care less about sailing or going fast.

I'm with her on the going fast bit. We came up the Channel yesterday late afternoon, maybe 4-5 knots of wind SSE. We were making 2-2.5 knots SOG under jib and foresail. I could have hoisted the main but it would have blanketed the other sails for maybe another 1 to 1.5 knots and made the boat a bit harder to steer.

Nah. Read a book, tweak the wheel a half spoke occasionally, read a bit more, see if there are any dolphins or seals about. Lovely day, all peaceful in the world, why go to any trouble. The mooring wasn't going anywhere.

FKT

[Willin' 804]

On 11/4/2020 at 7:25 PM, Fah Kiew Tu said:

It's not so much that we don't *like* Texas, it's just that it's a bit - small, really. So we don't think about it.

FKT

I gotta disagree. It's not Texas, it's all those fucking Texans I just can't abide. Rude, loud, obnoxious, unjustifiably proud!

Ask around for 3 states in any direction, pretty much everyone will agree with me!

And yes, I still have one Texan friend, down in Palacios, but he started life as a Californian.

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

49 minutes ago, Willin' said:

I gotta disagree. It's not Texas, it's all those fucking Texans I just can't abide. Rude, loud, obnoxious, unjustifiably proud!

Ask around for 3 states in any direction, pretty much everyone will agree with me!

And yes, I still have one Texan friend, down in Palacios, but he started life as a Californian.

I lived in Tucson for a while, used to drive over to Albuquerque to visit a friend of mine. That was as close as I ever got to Texas. I'm good with that.

Shared an anchorage with a US flagged boat the other day. They were doing the right thing - Australian flag at the spreaders, US flag on the stern. Unlike Texans who seem to think their home State is actually relevant anywhere outside itself.

FKT

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

9 hours ago, Ishmael said:

People obviously should be armed in Australia, everything wants to kill you. At a bare minimum you'd want a snake gun, a kangaroo gun, a giant fucking crocodile gun, and a knife.

Also - put a dab of Vegemite behind the ears before you go in the bush. Keeps the drop bears off.

[TheDragon 463]

Not to turn this thread to covid, but just playing around with the Financial Times plotter and wondered who had the highest current transmission rate, and it is French Polynesia! Fiji still at zero.

[Max Rockatansky 452]

11 hours ago, Willin' said:

I gotta disagree. It's not Texas, it's all those fucking Texans I just can't abide. Rude, loud, obnoxious, unjustifiably proud!

Ask around for 3 states in any direction, pretty much everyone will agree with me!

Ayymen brotha, and what’s really screwy is that the worst offenders are not really from Tx. Like Floriduh, it’s difficult to find real natives

[Miffy 2,125]

12 hours ago, Willin' said:

I gotta disagree. It's not Texas, it's all those fucking Texans I just can't abide. Rude, loud, obnoxious, unjustifiably proud!

Ask around for 3 states in any direction, pretty much everyone will agree with me!

And yes, I still have one Texan friend, down in Palacios, but he started life as a Californian.

A lot of the problem with Texans stems from the institutional education - only in Texas do white slavers looking to steal Mexican land, die a stupid death at the Alamo to Mexican national hero Santa Anna - get celebrated so hard. Then their next major military contribution was as part of the Confederacy - another lost cause in aid of pretty bad political beliefs. 

 

[Panoramix 1,234]

1 hour ago, TheDragon said:

Not to turn this thread to covid, but just playing around with the Financial Times plotter and wondered who had the highest current transmission rate, and it is French Polynesia! Fiji still at zero.

Although France is actually not doing very well, number of cases is not a good metric as it is dependant of how aggressive the testing is. Much more accurate to look at people in reanimation or deaths numbers.

[Black Sox 662]

13 hours ago, Cisco said:

And that's just a little fella.... an old man kanga would have used his hind claws to unzip our intrepid photographer from arsehole to breakfast time on the instant.....

 

 

Serious questions: I am aware that the bigger ones can do serious damage but are they naturally aggressive, or is it only if they're cornered/ threatened etc?

Do any get kept as pets and properly domesticated and trained to behave?

13 hours ago, Fah Kiew Tu said:

The day out useless Govt banned us all from carrying a portable toolkit with a half-decent blade AKA Leatherman and clones was a very sad one.

Including Swiss Army knives was piling insult on injury.

FKT

That is flat out murder, sounds to me like a sneaky Final Solution for the entire population.Without personal protection or some good survival skills, it's Australia 1, Homo Sapiens 0.

[Ajax 1,987]

Sorry, I'm fully on the side of London's mayor:

"No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife," Khan tweeted. "Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law." 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/09/london-mayor-knife-control/500328002/

If you end up disemboweled by the fauna, it's because you had it coming.

[Miffy 2,125]

It just depends on locale needs - if you're visiting Iceland/Greenland to go look at polar bears, you're required to have a rifle. Going to the desert without water and hat would just be stupid. A knife is just another tool unless it is a fashion statement by guys with micropenis. 

[Ishmael 5,847]

44 minutes ago, Ajax said:

Sorry, I'm fully on the side of London's mayor:

 

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/04/09/london-mayor-knife-control/500328002/

If you end up disemboweled by the fauna, it's because you had it coming.

I carry two knives with me always. I have carried at least one knife all the time for about 40 years, even if it's only my little Swiss Army pocket knife.

[Jud - s/v Sputnik 780]

1 hour ago, Miffy said:

A lot of the problem with Texans stems from the institutional education - only in Texas do white slavers looking to steal Mexican land, die a stupid death at the Alamo to Mexican national hero Santa Anna - get celebrated so hard. Then their next major military contribution was as part of the Confederacy - another lost cause in aid of pretty bad political beliefs. 

 

It’s funny, but I still remember a joke I read as a kid.  I’m not making this up.  “Here I sit, buns a-flexin’, giving birth to another Texan.”  Must’ve appealed (still does) to the 10 year old in me :-) :-).

Of course, I had no idea why there was antipathy towards Texans (or Poles, Italians, etc etc) at that age, but I’m sure I thought it a funny rhyme.  A fortuitous, yet unfortunate rhyme.  Not too many words rhyme well with “Texan” to form a good joke.

[Israel Hands 509]

1 minute ago, Jud - s/v Sputnik said:

“Here I sit, buns a-flex in’, giving birth to another Texan.”

I first read that almost 40 years ago, on a University of Texas bathroom wall. 

[Israel Hands 509]

1 hour ago, Black Sox said:

Do any get kept as pets and properly domesticated and trained to behave?

 

[Sail4beer 2,013]

I carry a Swiss Army knife at all times. Line hangs out of the pocket so I don’t have to dig around for it.

Many uses for me during a day working on boats.

With a blade as small as it is, if I wind up in a knife fight with someone, I hope they’re like 95 years old...

[shaggy 736]

16 hours ago, Ishmael said:

People obviously should be armed in Australia, everything wants to kill you. At a bare minimum you'd want a snake gun, a kangaroo gun, a giant fucking crocodile gun, and a knife.

That aint a knife.....  Spider gun.  And what the fuck do you use on the damn Drop Bears??  

[kinardly 170]

I can't fathom London's mayor making a statement like that. So he never had to do something like cut a piece of tangled string off a baby stroller axle, open a balky Fedex pouch, lift a flake of paint to examine a possibly dry rotted porch board or whittle a walking stick to size? Geez, a screwdriver would be more of a weapon than a Swiss Army knife.

BTW, I use a piece of thin piece of bungee chord in a loop that goes over my wrist to secure my sailing knife when I'm using it up on deck. I would never hang anything around my or a child's neck, especially when on a boat.

[efrank 85]

Wait, whaaat?  You can't legally carry a Leatherman?  I know this thread is all about being respectful of other country's ways, but that is just fucked up:-) A person becomes 10x as useful with one of those.

[Cisco 155]

Its one of those laws....... you are not going to be shaken down and thrown in the slammer  for walking down the street  with a knife in your pocket..... involved in a brawl outside a night club... different story.

Some years ago in Melbourne a rather alarming number of people were having arms hacked off with Samurai swords most Friday and Saturday nights..... so they banned samurai swords....

However they did not ban machetes ... which they said were a legitimate tool.... handy if you planned some pruning in the Botanical Gardens after a night on the turps........

[olaf hart 540]

22 hours ago, Fah Kiew Tu said:

The day out useless Govt banned us all from carrying a portable toolkit with a half-decent blade AKA Leatherman and clones was a very sad one.

Including Swiss Army knives was piling insult on injury.

FKT

I always carry a leatherman in case I am called to an urgent obstetric delivery ....

[Fah Kiew Tu 1,908]

5 hours ago, olaf hart said:

I always carry a leatherman in case I am called to an urgent obstetric delivery ....

Hah. MikeJ could probably get Wilma to carry one for him on the grounds that she might need to pull a few teeth...

Not much of an issue down here of course. Nobody really cares and the local copper is a sane human being.

FKT

[B.J. Porter 2,823]

20 hours ago, TheDragon said:

Not to turn this thread to covid, but just playing around with the Financial Times plotter and wondered who had the highest current transmission rate, and it is French Polynesia! Fiji still at zero.

 

Although I recognize the economic imperative, it did not strike me as wise that French Polynesia opened to up cruise & air tourists like they did. They were doing so well, but with people coming in...well, there they are.

[Miffy 2,125]

1 hour ago, B.J. Porter said:

 

Although I recognize the economic imperative, it did not strike me as wise that French Polynesia opened to up cruise & air tourists like they did. They were doing so well, but with people coming in...well, there they are.

The folks who keep pushing for normalization without it being normal basically guarantee the most ignorant negligent people visit (those who have concerns don’t) and is almost a guarantee you’re going to have a massive outbreak.