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Thread: The next person to post in this thread...

  1. #8601
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    True. I don't get to eat fried chicken at any temperature all that often, and I do love it, so if I'm gonna have it, I'd rather have it hot. But I'll eat it cold.

    TNP just finished a book today.

  2. #8602
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    Nah. I scour many, many books, sometime rather thoroughly, but always with some idea of what I want out of the book, which is often not the whole thing from soup to nuts. But that last book I finished front to back was when I read all of David McCullough's books. I think it took me a solid weekend, but not only is his prose masterful, and suitable for reading quickly, I was just really on a roll and couldn't help myself. Caffeine and my tobacco pipe helped.

    TNP spends an obscene amount of money, relatively speaking, on eating and drinking in places out.

  3. #8603
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    Probably more than I should, yes. But not as much as I might.

    TNP had three cups of coffee today.

  4. #8604
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    Ha. You have no idea. It is a pretty prodigious amount, each and every day. Well, not really so much these days, more like two liters a day. I suppose that's not unusual for a person to drink a pot of coffee a day, but it still seems at the upper limit for people who don't just sit around in their domiciles all day drinking coffee, where a gallon or so would be more typical for me or such people. Doesn't even make me jumpy or shaky, just am used to it.

    It's a rather good mixer for whiskey, as well, which is nice.

    TNP drinks quite a lot of milk per week: say, a gallon or so, or whatever seems like a lot to TNP.

  5. #8605
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    No, maybe a pint or so. I like it with cookies and other baked goods, and once in a blue moon on cereal.

    TNP had a bowl of cereal today.

  6. #8606
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    Nope. Haven't had a bowl (or scoop or spoonful or plate or whatever) of cereal in probably over a decade. Granola's good, though! I should pick some up next time at the store, were it not that I use all my whole milk for coffee. A gallon a week!

    TNP does not think that one has to be a psycho to be perfectly calm while privately enraged and actively seeking vengeance.

  7. #8607
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    Some people have that type of mental equanimity, sure. Not me.

    TNP's New Year is off to a pretty good start.

  8. #8608
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    So far so good. I gave myself until Epiphany to do a deep-cleaning of my apartment, right down to scrubbing the floors and preparing enough visible carpet to at least run a vacuum over it. Also, for the month of January, combined with the Lenten season, not drinking at home (just at a few bars/breweries) should yield in itself the minimum twenty pounds of weight loss I desire to get a head start. (No alcohol at all during Lent, but for January, strictly at-home consumption is forbidden).

    TNP will offer some observations of the San Diego zoo, if he or she has been there (or perhaps regardless).

  9. #8609
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    I've never been to San Diego, but if I do, I would certainly hope to visit the zoo.

    TNP has seen two movies in the past week.

  10. #8610
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    I don't really remember. Almost surely, but they were likely partial re-visitings of movies I'd seen a lot of before.

    TNP has on a couple of times regretted giving a large, but undeservedly large gratuity to a server at a bar/restaurant. Purely because it seems odd, or perhaps eccentric, or gives the wrong impression. (OTOH, for ordering food at the bar, they have to tip out the guy at the kitchen, so an ordinary 50% tip on drinks, when they're given in the right temporal succession, and with no questions asked, plus something extra for the kitchen, doesn't seem so odd: it probably seems odd to the bartender at first glance, though. ETA, no, that's still wrong, no matter how one slices the percentages.).

  11. #8611
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    Sometimes, yeah, out of inattention or not being willing to seem stingy.

    TNP almost always tips 20%.

  12. #8612
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    Sure. But, then, I only ever eat food served at a bar, or drink at a bar. So, the standard rules (maybe more if it's some fancy drink somebody intends to nurse over an hour, especially at a busy place, but I wouldn't know about that) end up to 50% or over. It ensures promptness, I will say, and it's a lot better reputation to carry than the guy or gal who gets a can of Rainier while fidgetingly pushing a bunch of coins in the general direction of the bartender.

    TNP would never like to handle food or beverage for a living, except maybe on the docks. It seems odd and it is, given how many preferences and superstitions customers have about stuff.

  13. #8613
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    No, I've thought from time to time it might be kind of fun to be a bartender in a classy bar or a server in a fine restaurant. But I suspect reality would be much less fun.

    TNP is on a first-name basis with at least three bartenders.

  14. #8614
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    Ha. Yeah. I probably shouldn't admit too much, but yes, certainly. It's a pretty small community, really, and there's kind of a revolving circus of people who know people who sometimes sub for other people, in addition to the regular workers one sees. Probably a dozen who know my name and likewise, and probably more who sort of know me in passing, but not by name until a little refreshing? I started to list the names, but it got to be tedious and depressing, like trying to remember old "girlfriends" and all that....not worth the effort, or the somewhat depressing fact that one could do such a thing.

    Generally a good bunch of people: there are some "characters" with dubious work ethics and of limited capabilities, but I find them to be, as a group, reliable, friendly people who, as a rule, work really hard and definitely earn their pay.

    A self-selecting group, IME: the good ones are the ones who stick around, generally because they're very good at what they do and seem to enjoy the job, for the most part.

    If TNP owned his or her own cab and drove it for money, he or she would strongly consider printing up a sign saying "Do not talk the the driver, please. This is for your own safety." And maybe have the passengers sign a contract agreeing to the terms. More generally, TNP can't stand driving while a passenger is talking to him or her.

  15. #8615
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    Nah, I'd value my tips too much to do that.

    TNP kinda dislikes driving in general.

  16. #8616
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    No, I like it. Good chance to go places, meet people, see things, listen to audiobooks, etc.

    TNP is listening to an audiobook these days.

  17. #8617
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    Sort of. The original, first series of Dr. John's instructional tapes on cassette. (He did some others later on new-fangled DVD and all that, but this is the first one). It's pretty much an audio version of a book about music, except where a book might have some printed out examples, he just plays them instead.

    TNP has at most four reasonable ways to commute home, none of which are good at all when it's dark and rainy and during rush hour. Freeway is the default "good" answer: slow, but you probably won't die too much.

  18. #8618
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    I have two routes which I regularly drive; I could figure out two or even three or four more without too much difficulty. Dark, rain and rush hour aren't particular problems for me on most days.

    TNP has been watching Netlix's The Crown since it premiered.

  19. #8619
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    Nah, for some reason I can't develop an interest.

    TNP watches Netflix, like everybody else, but is pretty sure their business model is unsustainable.

  20. #8620
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    I suppose that's probably true, although I've never thought about it, nor even read anything about their dealings. So, OK, if their revenue is from leasing content and providing it ad hoc to customers, that does seem limited. Video/DVD rental stores physically seemed to do OK for, what, twenty years or so? At most? I have doubts Netflix is going to see much recovery of their investments in original content. They're like an old-fashioned movie studio, who indulges every once in a while in a "prestige" picture, but Netflix seems to be going all-prestige, and not only haven't they shrunk their competitors to nothing by their out-of-the-gate saturation, they don't have the kinds of exclusive rights or power the studios had over moviehouses. They're not like Amazon which, despite providing things like physical delivery bonuses for old-fashioned consumers of toilet paper, clothing, or whatever, streaming products, also has a powerful product called AWS (more or less raw computing power, in the form of platforms and infrastructures, with powerful self-developed software tools, to be licensed to deep pockets who will require such off-site "cloud" storage and serving in the corporate world, now and in the indefinite future).

    TNP accepts the argument that CGI alterations to actors' appearances is not different in quality/kind to make-up or prosthetics, but still doesn't like it.

  21. #8621
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    Definitely. Still not completely comfortable with de-aging, etc. Too often it falls into Uncanny Valley territory.

    TNP has been to the Uncanny Valley and doesn't want to go back.

  22. #8622
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    Oh, I've been there, but I'd go back if I had a day or two off work, such as a weekend. It's only uncanny the first few times you visit. Then the ghoulish apparitions, phantom sounds, and physical plasticity feel downright heimlich.

    TNP is or would be completely horrified and mortified if he or she thought that a person of the desirable sex suspected him or her of carrying a torch for him or her in private.

  23. #8623
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    Nah, I'd be cool with that. What the heck.

    TNP sometimes thinks spaghetti would make a good breakfast food.

  24. #8624
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    Ew, no, not really, thanks. But knock yourself out!

    TNP far prefers bacon and eggs, or pastry, or pancakes, or waffles for breakfast instead of a punch in the face.

  25. #8625
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    My mistress won't let me have food until she thrashes me about the head and neck with a riding crop. No, that's false. I don't actually think anybody likes being punched in the face: it kind of hurts, you know, although it does inspire the recipient to retaliate with great vengeance and furious anger. FWIW, I often have noodles of some kind for breakfast, when I eat something then. Fast to cook, no mess, fast to eat.

    TNP would much rather take a strong punch to the face (no rings on the fingers, please!) than one to the gut.

  26. #8626
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    Probably, if I had to choose. Chances of me being in a position to retaliate are probably better.

    TNP is less surprised by the lack of civility on the Internet than the lack of it IRL.

  27. #8627
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    Generally, yes, although I'm a pretty polite guy all in all.

    TNP has been known to curse other drivers under his breath when they do something dickish.

  28. #8628
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    Uh-huh. Yeah. I followed a driver to his or her house after he or she honked while I was letting a little old lady cross (in a signalled crosswalk, no less, after I'd seen her waiting patiently for her signal, in fairly cold, dismal weather). Yesterday. I won't give the license plates, make and model, or address here, but I do on Facebook. I really got lucky being able to follow the driver through a circuitous route through the west hills of Portland, but like James Best said in Crazy Larry Dirty Mary, "I was born here." No, I didn't tailgate the object vehicle, or turn the brights on while directly behind them, but I'm pretty sure he or she about wet themselves when, after some passages where cars intercepted my path, I retained the path of my prey.

    TNP thinks these two rules suffice for travelling via private vehicle: (i) don't use the horn, ever, unless there's a goddamned good reason (ii) don't tailgate, ever

    TNP thinks a better strategy in the case described above would have been, upon hearing the rage horn inflicted upon an innocent, to stop his or her car completely, crack open the driver's side door, set one foot outside, then reverse the process and continue. As in, "chill them motherfuckers out, including oneself." OTOH, I think I found a new route to commute, and a place I can sip some coffee both going to and coming from the job. A bit out of the way, but it's not an unpleasant drive, and I know those roads blindfolded.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 10 Jan 2020 at 02:28 PM.

  29. #8629
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    No, that could get you shot in some neighborhoods around here. At most I will glare at people and honk my horn if I think it would do any good.

    TNP has spilled very hot coffee on himself or herself in the car at least three times.

  30. #8630
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    No! For that is the act of a foolish man! IOW, sure, I've spilled coffee and other drinks on myself lots of times. Not in the car, though, I don't believe. Sure, I drink (coffee) and drive and smoke(tobacco) and drive and play music at deafening volumes while driving, but I've never managed to soil my garments while driving.

    Just good luck, I guess.

    TNP has the unique combination of having been detained or (inclusive) arrested by police on charges, yet has never received a single moving violation in his or her life (verbal warnings excepted).

    ETA Oh fuck, shit, yeah, obviously it wasn't James Best in the walnut groves, but it was some actor who looked and sounded like him. [Jive]Cut me some slack, Jack[/Jive]

    EETA Well, yeah, it's not like we lack for peckerwoods or gangbangers here either, but IME, that's a good reason to not start no shit unless you have a twenty-pound club sitting at your right hand. In fact, I think it's so popular it has its own brand and trademark. Viz, "The Club." No, it's not for displaying or threatening, but it's nice for peace of mind to have handy. Then again, it's also nice to be 6'3" 240 pounds and wearing a safety vest as well.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 10 Jan 2020 at 09:36 PM.

  31. #8631
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    No, never been arrested or even briefly detained by police, but I have been ticketed for speeding a time or two in the past.

    TNP has sneezed in the past hour.

  32. #8632
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    I'd say no. A full sneeze? In the past twelve hours, yeah, for sure: in fact, I've been sneezing quite a bit lately, and I certainly remember about twelve hours ago. Since then, no, I seem to have controlled my symptoms with Loratadine and Sudogest. The latter seems to do a good job supressing any sneezing, but at the cost of drying out the nasal passages and those connected. It's hard for me to control for substances and give an accurate account, since I take diphenhydramine in addition to the loratadine daily, for years now.

    TNP has recently realized that he or she should use more colored pencils/pens lately. As in, they're probably not just a kids' toy, but can be useful, especially compared to multiple layers of pencil annotations on various texts.

  33. #8633
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    No, I sometimes go weeks without using a pencil.

    TNP has at least six pencils within arm's reach right now.

  34. #8634
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    (Counts quickly)...No, not that many pencils, but too many pens.

    TNP thinks that printers with built in staplers are an invention that took way too long to come along.

  35. #8635
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    I'm really not sure: haven't those been around for quite a while? At least a few decades, I'm pretty sure. Of course, when needed, they're very good pieces of equipment. Collating too, as well as "duplex" printing, but I'd bet those features have been around for even longer.

    TNP uses a printer at home fairly often, even if it's an older model without the fancy office features.

  36. #8636
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    Yup, fairly often. Got a usually-reliable HP printer for our home office.

    TNP owns an HP printer.

  37. #8637
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    Well, however did you guess? Yeah, actually. It's an OK piece of equipment. I don't have anything good to say about HP inkjet printers (nor their notebook computers, but that's a different topic entirely) but this older model of a "Laserjet" isn't so bad. It's an older model, with not very much RAM, but it accepts new bodies of toner cartridges fine, and with a bit of finesse, it's printed me many thousands of pages just fine, and still does just fine. I've only owned this model for a few years, and it was old then, but it's an OK printer.

    TNP gets quite a bit of satisfaction from using equipment well beyond its "use-by" date. You know, "Best By blah blah." In other words, as long as it works, or you can make it work, if it isn't broke, it's good enough.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 14 Jan 2020 at 01:28 AM.

  38. #8638
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    Yes, I do. I'm frugal and/or habitual that way.

    TNP saved at least $20 on something recently.

  39. #8639
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    Not yet, but thanks to Microsoft Rewards I can get $30 worth of free cigarettes, assuming I decide to go all the way out to Walmart. I should really buy something more useful like a swanky new high-visibility safety vest that isn't falling apart, or maybe some new undershorts, but that would be silly.

    TNP would describe himself or herself as pretty suspicious when it comes to assessing the motives of others.

  40. #8640
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    No, I tend to assume the best of people while striving not to be either naive or foolish. (Sometimes I even manage to pull it off).

    TNP has attended the swearing-in of a public official since the start of the year.

  41. #8641
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    No, never! Hardly ever!

    TNP would probably rather have a houseboy than a live-in maid. No running trying to bone the help all the time. Well, for certain tastes, that is.

  42. #8642
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    I'm afraid a sexy young maid (French or otherwise) might too often tempt me to break my marriage vows, so yeah, a houseboy would probably be best.

    TNP has bonded with a hotel staffer over an extended stay.

  43. #8643
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    I don't think "bonded" is really the right word. Certainly mutually antagonistic, cooperative, or indifferent attitudes.

    TNP has stayed in the same hotel for a month or more.

  44. #8644
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    No, I think a week is probably the longest I've ever been.

    TNP could use some time on the beach right about now.

  45. #8645
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    Negative, Colonel. I feel like getting a running leap at the new year.

    TNP ha a reflex reaction against parking a car nose-in: sure, sometimes it has to be that way, but it's, TNP feels, a bad compromise. Better to walk an extra hundred meters than park a car bad.
    Last edited by Jizzelbin; 18 Jan 2020 at 12:30 AM. Reason: nuff said

  46. #8646
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    Nah, I don't mind. Although sometimes I'll part nose-out for a quicker getaway.

    TNP has worn a hat today.

  47. #8647
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    No. I haven't worn a hat in a few years. The weather forecast for out here, next week or so, seems to be rather warm (you know, above freezing), so I likely will not wear one in the near future.

    TNP has a pretty strong opinion about why umbrellas are indispensable. Alternatively, why not.

  48. #8648
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    It rains quite a bit here in season, so yes, I usually have umbrellas close at hand, in my car, office and house.

    TNP owns at least three umbrellas.

  49. #8649
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    Don't own a one. Got sick of them being ruined by the Prairie winds years ago, and never got back in the habit after I moved.

    TNP has been sleeping badly lately.

  50. #8650
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    Yes. I've had to miss some work recently thanks to only getting a few hours of sleep the night before. Not worth it to try to function under those conditions, even if I likely could. The malaise, the uncoordinated motor skills, and the general feeling like shit.

    TNP considers one of the hallmarks of a good night sleep that one is aware of having had several dreams, even if one cannot recall them or they were not interesting.

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