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Random Thoughts Thread Part 4

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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#981 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Fri Sep 17, 2021 10:45 pm

Ruzious wrote:Congrats about your son, CCJ. Always good to hear about your successes.



Update: Marine is doing well. Oldest (stepson) not so. He’s 25 and in jail…I feared as much might happen when he had to move and became homeless.

Family are converging in support; which is (more) good news.
Bye bye Beal.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#982 » by Zonkerbl » Thu Sep 30, 2021 10:50 pm

omg what a long day I just had. holy crap
I've been taught all my life to value service to the weak and powerless.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#983 » by payitforward » Fri Oct 1, 2021 3:03 am

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:PIF, in 2020 I almost died. I got involuntary hospitalized. I got all my possessions stolen. How?

I cannot recall but I think sleep deprived me was really off in the membrane. I had been in a veterans shelter for over a year and environment was getting to me . Plus one degenerate dude was one of my three roommates.

I was staying at a hotel in Waikiki and lost my mind, apparently. I don’t know but I could have had same rat bastard drop something on me OR I can add Schizophrenia to my laundry list of what is affecting me at times.

Long story short all I owned was in my 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe SUV. Wallet, keys, cell phone, clothes, memorabilia, important papers with military records...kids pictures...

When I was locked down in the psyche ward for allegedly threatening another veteran (TRANSLATION: Lying scared mofos played me or they were legitimately concerned) MY CAR WAS STOLEN back in October or so.

I didn’t even know for all the “treatment “ at the good ole VAMC...

So, they discharged me homeless with no phone, no access to my bank accounts or credit cards, and no picture ID . ...

Fast forward to Christmas holidays not hearing from sons or daughter. Jesus is the reason for the season but I’m feeling blessed just breathing and not having hurt someone or vice versa.

I’m good, PIF, but this year shook me to my core. COVID-19 and all kinds of restrictions..no beach access and YES I HAD A DUST UP with some local boy lifeguards who thought they didn’t want me at their beach

(That one turned out great! Fun dudes who respect me now and I do them; but the governor has everything on lock down here and they were just doing their job I guess)

Any how pif, the going through in short: Nate Robinson and Dwayne Haskins, I can sorta relate. The GOOD NEWS is I am communicating. Vulnerable. Candid. Unbroken.

Guys, I have good news.

My youngest son is now in the Marines. He and I hadn't spoken on the phone at length in YEARS. We spoke over an hour on the phone.

Haven't seen him in quite some time but he's doing very well. THE LOVE and the TIME were worth it, no matter what went down 7-8 years ago.

You know, man, everyone faces different challenges, everyone has his own road to travel, & they're all tough. No one gets away easy.

Just to tell you... I have a world of respect for you. I'm glad I know you, even the little bit that is my only opportunity to know you. Keep doing it, keep at it, you're on my mind.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#984 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sat Oct 2, 2021 1:35 am

Zonkerbl wrote:omg what a long day I just had. holy crap

I did,too!

Got things done but it was tedious and rough going all day long.

I feel like I’m lost today (Friday) after yesterday.
Bye bye Beal.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#985 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sat Oct 2, 2021 1:36 am

payitforward wrote:
Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:PIF, in 2020 I almost died. I got involuntary hospitalized. I got all my possessions stolen. How?

I cannot recall but I think sleep deprived me was really off in the membrane. I had been in a veterans shelter for over a year and environment was getting to me . Plus one degenerate dude was one of my three roommates.

I was staying at a hotel in Waikiki and lost my mind, apparently. I don’t know but I could have had same rat bastard drop something on me OR I can add Schizophrenia to my laundry list of what is affecting me at times.

Long story short all I owned was in my 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe SUV. Wallet, keys, cell phone, clothes, memorabilia, important papers with military records...kids pictures...

When I was locked down in the psyche ward for allegedly threatening another veteran (TRANSLATION: Lying scared mofos played me or they were legitimately concerned) MY CAR WAS STOLEN back in October or so.

I didn’t even know for all the “treatment “ at the good ole VAMC...

So, they discharged me homeless with no phone, no access to my bank accounts or credit cards, and no picture ID . ...

Fast forward to Christmas holidays not hearing from sons or daughter. Jesus is the reason for the season but I’m feeling blessed just breathing and not having hurt someone or vice versa.

I’m good, PIF, but this year shook me to my core. COVID-19 and all kinds of restrictions..no beach access and YES I HAD A DUST UP with some local boy lifeguards who thought they didn’t want me at their beach

(That one turned out great! Fun dudes who respect me now and I do them; but the governor has everything on lock down here and they were just doing their job I guess)

Any how pif, the going through in short: Nate Robinson and Dwayne Haskins, I can sorta relate. The GOOD NEWS is I am communicating. Vulnerable. Candid. Unbroken.

Guys, I have good news.

My youngest son is now in the Marines. He and I hadn't spoken on the phone at length in YEARS. We spoke over an hour on the phone.

Haven't seen him in quite some time but he's doing very well. THE LOVE and the TIME were worth it, no matter what went down 7-8 years ago.

You know, man, everyone faces different challenges, everyone has his own road to travel, & they're all tough. No one gets away easy.

Just to tell you... I have a world of respect for you. I'm glad I know you, even the little bit that is my only opportunity to know you. Keep doing it, keep at it, you're on my mind.


Thanks.

I appreciate your support and kindness.
Bye bye Beal.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#986 » by payitforward » Tue Oct 5, 2021 2:05 am

All this week my wife & I have been watching the PBS series about Muhammed Ali....

Nearly everyone on this board is a lot younger than I am. Muhammed was my contemporary. When he was a young man, so was I. There was never any question of his greatness, of the scale of his life. He was one of maybe a half dozen human beings who defined & dominated the second half of the twentieth century.

I watched him fight Sonny Liston twice. I sat in a theater in New York & watched the first Frazier fight. I watched him fight George Foreman in Zaire. I watched the thriller in Manila. I watched not all but certainly most of his fights.

I'm not much for having heroes, but if I had to have one Muhammed would be on the short list from which I'd choose my hero. Not because of those fights, although some of them were extraordinary demonstrations of human will. Because of so many other things he did. Above all his stance against war in the 1960s & the way he bore the consequences of that stance. But much more as well.

I was lucky enough to meet Muhammed once at a charity event in DC in the late 90s. He moved slowly, but he projected an aura that knocked down walls. I paid my respects, though I can't remember what I said, what the few words were that I mumbled. He took a small pamphlet from his pocket & handed it to me. It contained Islamic prayers.

I hope some of you will watch the 4-part series.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#987 » by payitforward » Tue Oct 5, 2021 2:30 am

The final stanza of Shelley's Adonais: An Elegy on the Death of John Keats


LV
The breath whose might I have invok'd in song
Descends on me; my spirit's bark is driven,
Far from the shore, far from the trembling throng
Whose sails were never to the tempest given;
The massy earth and sphered skies are riven!
I am borne darkly, fearfully, afar;
Whilst, burning through the inmost veil of Heaven,
The soul of Adonais, like a star,
Beacons from the abode where the Eternal are.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#988 » by Ruzious » Tue Oct 5, 2021 12:55 pm

payitforward wrote:All this week my wife & I have been watching the PBS series about Muhammed Ali....

Nearly everyone on this board is a lot younger than I am. Muhammed was my contemporary. When he was a young man, so was I. There was never any question of his greatness, of the scale of his life. He was one of maybe a half dozen human beings who defined & dominated the second half of the twentieth century.

I watched him fight Sonny Liston twice. I sat in a theater in New York & watched the first Frazier fight. I watched him fight George Foreman in Zaire. I watched the thriller in Manila. I watched not all but certainly most of his fights.

I'm not much for having heroes, but if I had to have one Muhammed would be on the short list from which I'd choose my hero. Not because of those fights, although some of them were extraordinary demonstrations of human will. Because of so many other things he did. Above all his stance against war in the 1960s & the way he bore the consequences of that stance. But much more as well.

I was lucky enough to meet Muhammed once at a charity event in DC in the late 90s. He moved slowly, but he projected an aura that knocked down walls. I paid my respects, though I can't remember what I said, what the few words were that I mumbled. He took a small pamphlet from his pocket & handed it to me. It contained Islamic prayers.

I hope some of you will watch the 4-part series.

Maybe the most popular sports celebrity around the world - ever. My Dad met with him on a financial matter for a few hours a few years after he retired - said he was surprised at how gentle and soft-spoken he was.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#989 » by bsilver » Tue Oct 5, 2021 4:41 pm

Saw most of Ali’s fights, the most memorable being the “rumble in the jungle” against Foreman. Everyone in the theater thought Ali was getting killed, leaning against ropes, getting pummeled. Foreman punched himself out after a few rounds and was quickly knocked out. We left the fight amazed at what just happened.

There was definitely a political element to the fight. Ali had been jailed for refusing the draft, while Foreman paraded around the ring with an American flag after winning the 1968 olympics - probably in response to the Tommie Smith/John Carlos protest at the same olympics. Most fight fans were in Ali’s side.

OTOH Ali’s behavior towards Joe Frazier was despicable. Frazier supported Ali’s draft position, but Ali was determined to paint him as an Uncle Tom, trying to turn the African American community against him. Frazier and his family suffered greatly. Many years later Ali apologized, but the damage had been done. Ali had been trying, and succeeded in making the Ali/Frazier fights political.
There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics — quote popularized by Mark Twain.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#990 » by payitforward » Tue Oct 5, 2021 5:57 pm

Agree -- his treatment of Frazier was inexcusable.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#991 » by dobrojim » Wed Oct 6, 2021 5:48 pm

I was too young to understand how a fighter could refuse to fight (be drafted) at the time.
I understand it much better now. Ali was an amazing figure. When I was a little older (HS)
my best friend at the time use to say Ali was the cockiest person on earth. At that age, this
was a notable and very positive distinction. He said Mick Jagger was the second cockiest.
High school/adolescent boys <sigh>. FWIW, One Night in Miami is a good watch too.
A lot of what we call 'thought' is just mental activity

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Those who are convinced of absurdities, can be convinced to commit atrocities
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#992 » by Ruzious » Fri Oct 8, 2021 4:34 pm

Read on Twitter
"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." - Douglas Adams
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#993 » by dobrojim » Tue Oct 12, 2021 8:53 pm

I got my booster today.

So far I haven't gotten sick from it or become magnetized.

A lot of what we call 'thought' is just mental activity

When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression

Those who are convinced of absurdities, can be convinced to commit atrocities
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#994 » by dobrojim » Tue Oct 12, 2021 9:17 pm

Love - (a poem by Czeslaw Milosz)

Love means to learn to look at yourself

The way one looks at distant things

For you are only one thing among many

And whoever sees that way heals his heart,

Without knowing it, from various ills.

A bird and a tree say to him: Friend

Then he wants to use himself and things

So that they stand in the glow of ripeness

It doesn't matter whether he knows what he serves:

Who serves best doesn't always understand
A lot of what we call 'thought' is just mental activity

When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression

Those who are convinced of absurdities, can be convinced to commit atrocities
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#995 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Tue Oct 12, 2021 10:47 pm

Jim, do you still bike or do marathons? I am assuming you do
Bye bye Beal.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#996 » by dobrojim » Wed Oct 13, 2021 2:48 am

Yes. Occasionally bike. Still run some but a few months shy of being
eligible for Medicare, I’m a pale shadow of what I formerly was.
I did recently have a moment of mild glory. There is a race is Manchester
TN around Labor Day weekend with a unique format to advantage old
runners. The race traditionally ends on Labor Day at noon. But there is
a staggered start based on age. Each runner gets the number of hours
equal to their age in years. The goal is to complete laps on a one mile loop
course. Laps are counted and at the end of race, noon Labor Day, the person
with the most laps wins. There are some extraordinary people who turn out
for this event. The oldest runner this year was 89. He completed over a
hundred miles (or laps). The winner did 200. The winning woman, a youngster
at just 49 did 195. I completed a modest 124 and stopped almost two hours
before the end. Two years ago on my first try there, there was an 82 yo woman
who did 153. It’s very inspiring to see these folks out there and there is a great
community of support among all the ‘runners’. I’d estimate in very seat of the
pants way that 90% of the runners are walking 90% of the time. You’re allowed
to stop and rest during your allotted time as you see fit, the main rule being
that if you leave the course, you must resume from where you left.

I just ran but mostly walked a virtual marathon on Friday taking a
leisurely 7 hours to finish. Did a hike in Shenandoah NP yesterday
of about 13 miles and 2575 ft of climb in four hours.

I’m signed up to do a 50 miler in November to try to get my tenth
finish in this race. Not sure how that will go.

But it’s all about the journey.
A lot of what we call 'thought' is just mental activity

When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression

Those who are convinced of absurdities, can be convinced to commit atrocities
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#997 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Wed Oct 13, 2021 5:56 am

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
Ruzious wrote:Congrats about your son, CCJ. Always good to hear about your successes.



Update: Marine is doing well. Oldest (stepson) not so. He’s 25 and in jail…I feared as much might happen when he had to move and became homeless.

Family are converging in support; which is (more) good news.


Praise God…

(Freed eight days ago!)
Bye bye Beal.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#998 » by dobrojim » Sat Nov 20, 2021 2:25 pm

To no particular person

lose and loose

2 similar sounding words but with very different meanings

lose is the opposite of win

loose is the opposite of tight

I understand typos happen but what I often see does not appear in many cases to be a typo.

Regardless, when I see the misuse, I know what was intended. Sorry for being a dick.
Being prone to the above misuse doesn't mean anyone is less intelligent.
A lot of what we call 'thought' is just mental activity

When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression

Those who are convinced of absurdities, can be convinced to commit atrocities
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#999 » by montestewart » Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:38 pm

dobrojim wrote:To no particular person

lose and loose

2 similar sounding words but with very different meanings

lose is the opposite of win

loose is the opposite of tight

I understand typos happen but what I often see does not appear in many cases to be a typo.

Regardless, when I see the misuse, I know what was intended. Sorry for being a dick.
Being prone to the above misuse doesn't mean anyone is less intelligent.

Sorry dobro, you loost me.
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Re: Random Thoughts Thread Part 4 

Post#1000 » by montestewart » Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:42 pm

Kings-Jazz Delayed 20 Minutes After Fan Vomits On Court

More proof the league has gone soft. Remember when teams would play through vomit? Makes me sick.

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