The next person to post in this thread...

[Elendil's Heir]

Hmm, no, I've never done that, but I have used their helpfully-provided postage-paid envelopes to reply to candidates and causes I loathe.

TNP has donated to a political candidate sometime in 2025.

[Jizzelbin]

Well....if you count my contributing to make Australian patriot/hero/legend Paul Hogan a member of parliament, then, sure.

TNP is pretty sure texting an on-again-off-again girlfriend "I wish you were never born" is probably not the most diplomatic of retorts. Bonus TNP if TNP has ever said worse via text.

[Elendil's Heir]

Yes, I'm pretty sure it is. And no, I've definitely never texted worse than that!

TNP has a particular movie he or she would like to see before the end of the month.

[Jizzelbin]

Actually yeah. Just found out a bit ago about a documentary about and featuring snooker legend and enfant terrible Ronnie "Rocket" O'Sullivan, called Ronnie O'Sullivan: The Edge of Everything. I think it might be on Amazon Prime or something, but haven't been that diligent about searching it out. I think it was released in 2023.

Also, haven't got around to watching The Roses, a pretty recent remake of the semi-classic War of the Roses directed by Danny DeVito himself.

TNP would like to take about a six month sabbatical from working his or her straight job and just doing some other things. And is kind of annoyed he or she isn't in a position to do so.

[Elendil's Heir]

I could definitely put a six-month sabbatical to good use, but it's just not gonna happen.

And yes, I'd like to see The Roses, too. The trailer looks great (although I've never seen the original).

TNP likes pumpkin spice flavor in... something.

[Jizzelbin]

Sure. Preferably on someone else. Like in their eyeballs.

TNP suspects comedian Ricky Gervais might be a "tankie"; or at least a deplorable person.

Alternate TNP: TNP was stoked that the Blue Jays came so far in this MLB season.....anybody but the Yanks or the BoSox, amirite! And Seattle? Who knew?

[Elendil's Heir]

Well, the Cleveland Guardians had a terrific comeback late in the season, but then they fell apart at the end. Still, it was exciting while it lasted.

TNP needs a space heater tonight.

[Jizzelbin]

Yep. I've had mine set up by my desk for a week or so now.

TNP would consider making and eating a blood sausage made from non-pathenogenic human blood.

[Elendil's Heir]

Eww, no thank you!

TNP will now tell us about the most disgusting thing he or she ever ate.

[Jizzelbin]

Uhmmmm....a sip of my on-again off-again girlfriends blood that she captured in the aftermath of oral (periodontal) surgery.

It is not good. But she did collect per my request a few ounces in a mason jar, and when she returns from a family visit I'm going to insist we each drink a cocktail mixed with it.

It's vile, and potentially a very real biohazard. But one's only young once, right?

TNP thinks cheap motels are the ultimate solution to the "your place or mine?" minefield of dating a person with whom one is in an actual relationship.....if neither partner is particularly willing to change the interior decorating of his or her abode. That or a taxicab/Lyft, out the door at two or three AM.

[Elendil's Heir]

I was in cheap motels a few times with a cute girl back in the day, yeah, and I have lots - well, some very good memories of them, too.

TNP will be seeing a movie this weekend.

[Jizzelbin]

Yes. I've been reading four or five books by John Waters (in the memoir, not fiction category) in the past week, and I've never seen *Hairspray* nor a few others. That should be corrected.

TNP manages to remain calm when one's car passenger (for example, one whom one sacrificed quite a bit to pick her up from the airport) starts literallly screaming "go straight! don't turn here!" and so forth. Outwardly calm but irritated to the highest degree.

[Elendil's Heir]

Yes, definitely. Fortunately my passengers are usually better-behaved than that.

TNP has taken part in a Zoom meeting today.

[Jizzelbin]

No, thank God. I hate those things. It's better than commuting to some shithole place to sit at a table, in some cases, but it's never as satisfying as face-to-face.

TNP played a sport today. Or watched one. Whichever.

[Elendil's Heir]

No, not today. The last sports I watched was, I think, a postseason Cleveland Guardians baseball game.

TNP has been in Ohio in the past four years.

[Jizzelbin]

Far from it. Haven't been through Ohio in some years indeed. I don't even think I stopped for gasoline last time through. After all, who can contain their enthusiasm to stay over in Indiana next door?

TNP considers himself or herself to be competitive or better at a card game, such as gin rummy, yet fails to find people willing to gamble for small stakes at his or her game. TNP will answer yes or no, and if yes, will state the game.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

No, not much at cards at all. My wife loves them, though.

TNP is planning on travelling this Holiday Season.

[Elendil's Heir]

At this point, no, although we'll be visiting my dad in Naples, Fla. early in the New Year.

TNP has been watching Ken Burns's excellent new documentary series on the American Revolution.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

No, am not feeling too enthusiastic about American independence these days.

TNP watches a lot of YouTube videos.

[Jizzelbin]

Unfortunately, it seems to be the native medium. So, a "lot"? No, not when avoidable. But, occasionally a pool or snooker clip of a great run or match is irresistible, and some obscure artifacts turn up occasionally. Gr.ex., some OOP album that I might have on LP but can't be bothered to cue it up at home.

TNP is pretty annoyed by the sentimentality of some of his or her peer cohort, despite the obvious allures of physical textures such as vinyl recording discs and so forth.

[Elendil's Heir]

Plenty of other things to annoy me right now, but not that. My youngest son is into vinyl, though ("It's expensive and has poor sound quality," he jokes).

TNP has spoken to a police officer today.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

No, thank god. Glad it’s not in my job description, even. Being a magistrate must be wearing.

TNP finds the idea of having a compost pile interesting, but can’t manage to make one that isn’t just a garbage pile.

[Jizzelbin]

No. Not at all of interest. Having grown up in a household where recycling was revered, and including most of the relevant branches of the family who lived nearby, it's frankly farking déguelasse, for no common good that I've observed.

TNP has been or has ever been disillusioned about the "recycling" business, and as a result no longer cares much for that charade.

[Elendil's Heir]

The practice has certainly had its ups and downs, and isn't always convenient or cost-effective, but I still think it's worthwhile overall. We try to be diligent in recycling (and also do composting).

TNP will be seeing a movie this weekend.

[Jizzelbin]

No. I used to have a woman to do things like that with, but had to put her down. Reading Graham Greene instead. Better sorts, what. Evelyn Waugh. Keeping banker's hours.

TNP would probably put about twenty points on "the book better than the movie." Could go either way, one understands, but puts the spread at about twenty points difference. If one were a bookmaker and had to set the odds. Not much of a game there. Some better, some worse, but 20% in either direction.

[Elendil's Heir]

Yes, most books are better than their movie adaptations; a cliche that just happens to be true. Two exceptions I can think of off the top of my head, though: Patriot Games by Tom Clancy and Contact by Carl Sagan.

TNP can think of another movie that was better than the book.

[Rube E. Tewesday]

LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM. Movie was only mildly incoherent. The book was totally incoherent.

TNP talks to Alexa or Siri a lot.

[Elendil's Heir]

No, very rarely. Kind of creeps me out.

TNP is concerned about AI and its eventual impact on humanity.

[Jizzelbin]

Sort of. I don't try to engage with smaller children, but what they say is upsetting to me.

TNP suspects about 75% of the "content" he or she reads when trying to find out stuff online is "written" by some kind of robot machine.