OT: The OT Thread: False spring is the worst season of all (Warning in post 368)

[TheMistyStranger]

Have some minor edits left, but the LLC website is live, at least. Time to order business cards and start advertising this puppy.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Man, reading through the first few pages of the 'what are they doing now' thread made me realize we've lost some great posters over the years. Im hoping it's due to the Sabres being ass. Woodhouse was someone I completely forgot about, but loved his posts. This place was probably poppin' when the team was contending.

 

[KiwiGriff]

Been on the wagon most of 2025. Gotta say, NA beers nowadays are a far f***ing cry from that O’Douls bullshit. Scratches that itch. Might be able to keep this going a long time. Maybe forever.

I agree. They used to be atrocious. Heineken 0 is actually a solid drink. Clausthaler is good too.

 

[Chainshot]

Man, reading through the first few pages of the 'what are they doing now' thread made me realize we've lost some great posters over the years. Im hoping it's due to the Sabres being ass. Woodhouse was someone I completely forgot about, but loved his posts. This place was probably poppin' when the team was contending.

I miss Woodhouse too. Great person, wonderful poster. There are a lot - just go through the introduce yourself thread and there are even more. Terry's killed a community.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I miss Woodhouse too. Great person, wonderful poster. There are a lot - just go through the introduce yourself thread and there are even more. Terry's killed a community.

Wow! You're not kidding. Seeing Clock's name feels like going in a time machine. He's a GOAT! It's pretty cool we have these tidbits of thoughts from these posters. Really cool thread.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

I miss Woodhouse too. Great person, wonderful poster. There are a lot - just go through the introduce yourself thread and there are even more. Terry's killed a community.

Between this and my kid's birthday, the Old Man Yells At Clouds gif feels eminently relatable.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Oh god I shouldn't have clicked on page 1 of that thread. Christ on a bike.

 

[oldgoalie]

I miss Woodhouse too. Great person, wonderful poster. There are a lot - just go through the introduce yourself thread and there are even more. Terry's killed a community.

Community, team, organization; what else should we pin on him? (And staying away from the political side of things…).

 

[Mike McDermott]

I was 25 in my introduction post way back when in that who is who thread.

Wow! You're not kidding. Seeing Clock's name feels like going in a time machine. He's a GOAT! It's pretty cool we have these tidbits of thoughts from these posters. Really cool thread.

Clock and PK still have probably one of the most unique “how they met and became a couple” stories out there.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

I agree. They used to be atrocious. Heineken 0 is actually a solid drink. Clausthaler is good too.

I bought that randomly to try to compare it to regular Heineken. It was pretty good, but I’m not a fan of the price. $14 for a six pack, compared to $15 for a twelve pack of Bud Zero.

There are some craft beers I can get here that are alcohol free, but they’re pushing $4 a can, and buying in bulk doesn’t give you a deal.

It’s a catch-22 because I’m trying to quit drinking myself, but I also like the taste of beer. But other than the first two I’ve mentioned, any other alcohol free (or 0.5%) I’ve found doesn’t have a “regular” beer equivalent so I know what to expect.

 

[Mike McDermott]

Quitting anything addictive, be it for preference to just change lifestyle or out of necessity is never easy. And it is even harder when said thing is in your face constantly. I give all of you who are trying to quit or curb drinking a ton of props.

I never used to understand how people couldn’t just quit drinking, drugs, etc. until I had to quit my own particular vice. Now, I have so much more understanding and respect for people who have actually stopped or who are making a true effort to do so.

 

[Dubi Doo]

I'm a relatively healthy dude outside of alcohol and my diet isn't consistently healthy. I down about 10 beers a week. Love my weekend brews. Not sure if it's an addiction, but a slight buzz is just what the doctor ordered after a long work week.

 

[sabremike]

WE ARE SO BACK!!!!!!!

 

[TheMistyStranger]

WE ARE SO BACK!!!!!!!

I expect they will make at least double their investment

 

[MarkusKetterer]

 

[CowbellConray]

Open question - for those with kids, how much would you spend for good tutoring for early education (Prek - 3rd grade prep)? My wife (we live in Florida and I know it may very city to city) is considering being done with teaching at Public school and I am trying to get her to start a tutoring business.

She is an incredible teacher, every year she has taught she has been the highest performing in her grade, and has taught Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd. Over a decade of experience. She is her Principle's star, always is the classroom he takes district leaders to when they come to the school. I can't speak highly enough of her quality.

I think $50 an hour would be more than fair for in person one on one tutoring at the child's home, but not sure if parents would agree.

Would love your thoughts!

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Open question - for those with kids, how much would you spend for good tutoring for early education (Prek - 3rd grade prep)? My wife (we live in Florida and I know it may very city to city) is considering being done with teaching at Public school and I am trying to get her to start a tutoring business.

She is an incredible teacher, every year she has taught she has been the highest performing in her grade, and has taught Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd. Over a decade of experience. She is her Principle's star, always is the classroom he takes district leaders to when they come to the school. I can't speak highly enough of her quality.

I think $50 an hour would be more than fair for in person one on one tutoring at the child's home, but not sure if parents would agree.

Would love your thoughts!

I would say between 30 and 50, depending on the subject and the kid.

 

[brian_griffin]

<snipped treatise on the gullibility of a trusting older generation> (I may have included one particular pic of the ships of the US Navy at anchor in Philadelphia for Christmas back in the early 2000's with the words splashed on them "Bigfoot acquires aircraft carrier, appoints Elvis as captain" as a way of showing him how it was being done.)

Definitely fake. Elvis was an admiral.

I've picked up a few mental drills which I use to filter every bit of news / information I get. I'll entertain any idea that way, but exceedingly few pass.

Here’s my government conspiracy theory model:
1. Is the US government capable of it?
2. Could the US government keep it a secret?
3. Who would execute the mission?

My aunt in Idaho who thought the UN was coming to take her land about a decade ago told me her theory. So, I ran it through my model:

1. There's no way the US could reasonably plan that operation. Only the DoD could come close to planning it, and couldn't do it without help from DoS, etc. Last big plan we had was Iraq. Great first 37 days, not so great the rest of the way.

2. There's no way that the thousands of people who would be need to plan such an operation internal to the US, or even external, could keep it secret. Not now, especially with the internet. To keep a secret, the circle needs to be small and those who know need to be motivated to keep the secret.

3. Unless some other country was doing invading, there's no way anyone in the military or law enforcement lifts a finger on that plan.

Failed conspiracy theory. She still thinks it's possible though.

My wife has a PhD in engineering and the (one-sided) social & mainstream media propaganda and fear-mongering she believes makes me wonder how she can apparently turn off the analytical portion of her brain. Some example simple questions / comments which I think but don't verbalize when she shares an occasional tidbit:
"Won't happen. Article W section X of the constitution grants that power / authority to branch Y, not branch Z."
"Can't happen. The Nth amendment limits or prohibits the federal government from doing that. The Supreme court most recently upheld that in Roadrunner vs. Acme."
She is willing to take headlines prima facie without consideration of context, nor how side A may be spinning to impugn side B.
I will open my mouth periodically to take an apparent position to it's logical extreme to show how untenable it is.
I love her much more now than when we met, and I (largely) don't care what she believes that I disagree with. I just don't want her to suffer the mental and emotional angst from it. Her father posts to social media yelling at the clouds. I don't want her emotional well-being devolving to that. I am approaching the "get off my lawn" phase of my life but I'll be damned if the broadcast and social media wars take me as a hostage.

Yeah, my friends who work at various governmental branches tended to laugh off the conspiracy theory stuff. One story - one works in a branch that couldn't get an updated policy manual published on time because someone at the top of the food chain insisted that they restore two spaces after every period. Which is no longer required by any style manual, including the one approved and adopted by that particular department. It was sent back. The person at the top said no. It had to go to a review because the appointee insisted they were right rather than use the standards of the dept. in question - that had been worked out by actual professionals prior.

When I first joined HFBoards, I noticed my posts with two spaces after a period were autoformatted to a single space. I was briefly disappointed. I still habitually double-spacebar after sentences.

I think people mentally assign a level of competence to the government which does t exist. What you described is basically the way the entire government works.

The same government that we think has this super massive evil plan for us is also the same government which pays thousands of dollars for plungers.

In parallel, not simply competence, but benevolence, prudence, temperance, etc.

I read and watch anything I can. I’ll entertain any idea. But in the end they wind up failing apart when put to scrutiny.

The "logical extreme" thought experiment I use often discredits both the plausibility of the wild ideas, and the purported benefits of the apparent "well-intentioned" ideas.

Haha.

View attachment 1000512

EXACTLY!

Been on the wagon most of 2025. Gotta say, NA beers nowadays are a far f***ing cry from that O’Douls bullshit. Scratches that itch. Might be able to keep this going a long time. Maybe forever.

I gave up beer (I don't drink wine, liquor, cider, seltzers, etc.) for Lent. Haven't done that in 10-15 years (can't remember). I thought I'd have a problem doing so but it's been remarkably un-tempting, and/or my willpower is buttressed by Lent. My consumption isn't scary like a blackout binge drinker, but it's definitely above normal, and I have a little family history on both sides of alcoholism*,
The beer is still in the (garage beverage) fridge. I see it every day with the soda pop, potatoes & onions & eggs we keep in there.

*the "socially acceptable" "high-functioning" kind, not the violent or family-abandoning forms. My sympathies to those who endured / are enduring the latter. My encouragement to those who are struggling to stay sober, or who have successfully moderated their drinking and kept it in control. If you think you need help, you probably do, and help is available. I've met / known many who have quit and/or got it under control so it doesn't rule their lives. Joy and peace are attainable.

Somehow, I am officially a father of an adult, as of today.

Hopefully he/she learned how, else you'll be a grandparent soon!!! Congrats!

I suppose I should add that, while I find it unnerving as I am still very much a child in many ways, I am always grateful that I have such a good relationship with my kid. For 90 minutes, I made them laugh tonight by incorporating Nine Inch Nails lyrics into my sentences, trying to make it sound as natural as possible.

My wife visited her BFF this past weekend. The BFF's only child (boy) will be 9yo mid-summer. Wife reported he is now officially a huge Metallica fan. (This emergence happened since last time I saw them last summer.) Parents taking him to see them on June 8th in Tampa.

AA helps as well, support groups and sponsor very important for focus, long term, and in the end helps you determine your fate/health/life. Give it a try.


I see what most kids listen to and most others are oblivious to. I don't really have much faith when a generation has not listened to The Beatles.

I like the Beatles more now that I'm older.

I bought that randomly to try to compare it to regular Heineken. It was pretty good, but I’m not a fan of the price. $14 for a six pack, compared to $15 for a twelve pack of Bud Zero.

There are some craft beers I can get here that are alcohol free, but they’re pushing $4 a can, and buying in bulk doesn’t give you a deal.

It’s a catch-22 because I’m trying to quit drinking myself, but I also like the taste of beer. But other than the first two I’ve mentioned, any other alcohol free (or 0.5%) I’ve found doesn’t have a “regular” beer equivalent so I know what to expect.

Wholly agree. If NA beer was cheaper, I'd drink it. If I'm going to pay good money for beer, it needs to have alcohol in it. I've had a couple NA IPAs which were quite good. But I can't justify the price.

And if I want water instead of beer, I'll drink Coors Light. Or water. Same thing.

Open question - for those with kids, how much would you spend for good tutoring for early education (Prek - 3rd grade prep)? My wife (we live in Florida and I know it may very city to city) is considering being done with teaching at Public school and I am trying to get her to start a tutoring business.

She is an incredible teacher, every year she has taught she has been the highest performing in her grade, and has taught Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd. Over a decade of experience. She is her Principle's star, always is the classroom he takes district leaders to when they come to the school. I can't speak highly enough of her quality.

I think $50 an hour would be more than fair for in person one on one tutoring at the child's home, but not sure if parents would agree.

Would love your thoughts!

No idea what fair value is for tutoring, especially for kids that age.

But I'm more than willing to dispense unsolicited annoying grammar corrections for free. Principal (in education) not Principle (tenet, fact).

(If I was a parent of a youngster, especially if I was cash-strapped, I'd just take them to the library and have them pick out an assortment of books to read, then make them read, and gradually advance their reading level as they required. I'd help them if/as they needed it, but I'm sure there are online tutorials or books on how to do that.)

Good luck to your wife!!

Similar experience / secondhand story. My sister in law is a HS math teacher who moved from AZ to FL and is apparently a stellar first rate educator given the FL education system. Similarly praised by her administration and district given her accomplishments with her students, including many international students from around the globe. She got all her remedial students to pass. All but (2) of her AP calculus cohort got 4s or 5s, and the "stragglers" received 3s.
I think she has another year to go to get her student loans forgiven (did several years in PHX at "disadvantaged" HS which qualified for the loan forgiveness criteria). Don't know if she'll stay in public HS, move to private school, or move to Community College. Probably has another 15 years to go, minimum, in her career. Wife and I gave her money last year towards a new car after her 11-12yo Prius was not worth repairing. Even with paid summer instruction and/or grading AP exams, she's underpaid for her worth/value in FL. The over-supply driving down the public market, the private market too small to influence the public market.

 

[Der Jaeger]

The "logical extreme" thought experiment I use often discredits both the plausibility of the wild ideas, and the purported benefits of the apparent "well-intentioned" ideas.

In the strategy portion of my grad school, we learned about narrative courses of action to figure out what is happening. Essentially, take a story and see what facts from the surrounding situation stick. The more that sticks, the more you should consider that option as a viable reality.

The opposite approach works as well to disregard narratives.

We had an Australian in our class that could do it really well. He took notes in picture form (drew pictures in a sketch book). He was able to find the narrative stories which were most plausible very effectively.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Hopefully he/she learned how, else you'll be a grandparent soon!!! Congrats!

My wife visited her BFF this past weekend. The BFF's only child (boy) will be 9yo mid-summer. Wife reported he is now officially a huge Metallica fan. (This emergence happened since last time I saw them last summer.) Parents taking him to see them on June 8th in Tampa.

Definitely not worried on that front: they've made it very clear that their one true love is music.

The first music I ever bought for myself was Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" album on cassette tape. I spent $2 to buy it used from a kid on the bus in 4th grade.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

A 2nd job during retirement years is going to be really fun...

 

[Beerz]

Open question - for those with kids, how much would you spend for good tutoring for early education (Prek - 3rd grade prep)? My wife (we live in Florida and I know it may very city to city) is considering being done with teaching at Public school and I am trying to get her to start a tutoring business.

She is an incredible teacher, every year she has taught she has been the highest performing in her grade, and has taught Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd. Over a decade of experience. She is her Principle's star, always is the classroom he takes district leaders to when they come to the school. I can't speak highly enough of her quality.

I think $50 an hour would be more than fair for in person one on one tutoring at the child's home, but not sure if parents would agree.

Would love your thoughts!

Seems a lot for a child that young but if you're comfortable with it.. I guess it depends how many hours a week you're looking to have her tutor.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

These are the most people kicked out of a game in the NBA since the “Malice in the Palace” game… Apparently it got pretty kinky.

 

[Jim Bob]

Seems a lot for a child that young but if you're comfortable with it.. I guess it depends how many hours a week you're looking to have her tutor.

Marketing would be the key.

You need to find the parents with more money than time to invest in the education of their young children.

 

[oldgoalie]

Ahhhh Ahhhh Achooo!

sniff
that is all.