| Favorite team: | Montana |
| Location: | Cloud Cuckoo Land |
| Biography: | Got a short time to stay here, and a long time to be gone. |
| Interests: | Confusing cats. |
| Occupation: | Part time Expert |
| Number of Posts: | 13177 |
| Registered on: | 7/17/2005 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
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If this doesn't start properly then forward to 16:10 or so. Or watch the first part for Scarlet Begonias. Or Iko Iko at 16:10. Great version. Carlos Santana is in both sections but really underwhelms. Filmed in Bill Kreutzmann's back yard as practice for a tour. Good grief, what a band.
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re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
Posted by Tigris on 6/28/26 at 3:07 pm to Coeur du Tigre
This should be interesting. It was just dropped by Perun a couple of hours ago. Perun has been one of the best at analysis since the first week of the Russian invasion; and the two hot topics of the week are the title. I'm just starting a listen because I'm very interested in his take.
re: Cape Fear - Trailer (looks like a legit remake!)
Posted by Tigris on 6/28/26 at 11:44 am to tigerfan84
quote:
This is the book
Wow, I had no idea John Macdonald wrote it. And I've read every Travis Magee book he wrote. That series got pretty dark at times so I guess I can see it.
re: Kid falls off of Splash Mountain **New Video on Page 3**
Posted by Tigris on 6/28/26 at 11:26 am to chinhoyang
quote:
maybe the kid got scared and was climbing out and the parent pushed him to make sure he was clear
Watch it closely (pause and scroll slowly from the very beginning). The kid was in the front seat. And leapt out. The parent pushing him was several seats behind. I think you are basically right. He panicked when he saw the drop and jumped out of his seat to try to avoid going down. It didn't work out well for him.
re: What are you reading?
Posted by Tigris on 6/27/26 at 6:23 pm to dirtsandwich
quote:
Uncle Tupelo
I saw their name up on the Varsity sign many times and it just struck me as a pretentious band name. A decade later I was kicking myself.
The Who original lineup is the big regret. Mostly that I was slightly too young. That applies to a lot of these.
Frank Zappa
Jethro Tull
Elton John - could have seen him in 1975 with some major effort.
SRV
Allmans with Duane
Little Feat with Lowell
Mark Knopfler
Guy Clark
quote:
James Casey
RIP
Absolutely. He was a great one.
re: Big Bend National Park
Posted by Tigris on 6/26/26 at 4:24 pm to GentleJackJones
Yes, it's absolutely worth going.
The best way to get there is to be on a long road trip in a camper van.
You want to be there in late fall to early spring. It's damn hot.
To me the best parts are high elevation. Cooler and more trees. But Santa Elena Canyon and the hot spring on the Rio Grande are two must sees and lower.
Camping - yeah - Chisos Basin Campground is good. And if you can get in Chisos Mountain Lodge I'd do it. Not a great lodge but a GREAT location.
I've seen both black bear and mountain lion near those two spots. Boot Canyon Trail is good, everything around Emory Peak is good for hiking.
Starlight Theater in Terlingua is a must visit restaurant. I had an amazing experience there with a local band playing with a great song writer included. Terlingua is worth seeing in general; and if you can't get anything at the mentioned spots to stay then find a place in or near Terlingua.
The best way to get there is to be on a long road trip in a camper van.
You want to be there in late fall to early spring. It's damn hot.
To me the best parts are high elevation. Cooler and more trees. But Santa Elena Canyon and the hot spring on the Rio Grande are two must sees and lower.
Camping - yeah - Chisos Basin Campground is good. And if you can get in Chisos Mountain Lodge I'd do it. Not a great lodge but a GREAT location.
I've seen both black bear and mountain lion near those two spots. Boot Canyon Trail is good, everything around Emory Peak is good for hiking.
Starlight Theater in Terlingua is a must visit restaurant. I had an amazing experience there with a local band playing with a great song writer included. Terlingua is worth seeing in general; and if you can't get anything at the mentioned spots to stay then find a place in or near Terlingua.
re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.
Posted by Tigris on 6/26/26 at 4:06 pm to Coeur du Tigre
quote:
Putin’s residence in Valdai has been demolished
It seemed suspicious, but typical for the internet. Google AI says:
quote:
Vladimir Putin’s primary residence in Valdai has not been demolished. The reports of a destroyed estate actually refer to his Black Sea summer retreat in Sochi (Bocharov Ruchey), which was demolished following Ukrainian drone strikes.
I'll take that.
Also per AI on Valdai:
quote:
Heavy Fortification: Satellite imagery confirms the estate is heavily fortified, and equipped with a multi-layered air defense network consisting of at least 27 Pantsir anti-aircraft systems and protective anti-drone nets.
Holy crap! 27 Pantsir's for Putin's house. While refineries and supply routes burn. Sounds about right. Preston Stewart is saying today that the Russians are pulling air defense from the front lines to give better protection to Moscow. I can believe that. Unrest in Moscow is a far larger threat to Putin than front line performance.
The interesting thing to me now is Kostiantynivka. Even Ukraine admits problems there. So, which will turn out to be more important - Ukraine drones hitting medium range and distant targets at a brutal rate, or the Russian push in Konstiantynivka which threatens the fortress cities? Both sides adapt, so it's hard to say for sure. But it feels like a new phase of the war.
Thanks, I had not seen that one.
The one I haven't been able to stop watching for the last month or so:
A 1971 Jimmy Cliff reggae song that has been covered by the Dead and the Neville Brothers. This is with Bill Kreutzmann's very solid Billy and The Kids band, with James Casey also sitting in with some stellar sax. Billy Strings also does this in concert but this version is hard to beat.
The one I haven't been able to stop watching for the last month or so:
A 1971 Jimmy Cliff reggae song that has been covered by the Dead and the Neville Brothers. This is with Bill Kreutzmann's very solid Billy and The Kids band, with James Casey also sitting in with some stellar sax. Billy Strings also does this in concert but this version is hard to beat.
re: How far away do you live from your nearest nice salt water beach?
Posted by Tigris on 6/24/26 at 6:25 pm to cubsfan5150
Depends on how you define "nice". There is a beach I like 5 miles away. For "nice" St. George Island is an hour drive.
I guess I visit the local beach around 75 times a year. It's the end point of a bike route and usually I just take a quick look and head back.
I guess I visit the local beach around 75 times a year. It's the end point of a bike route and usually I just take a quick look and head back.
From the link:
I think this is exactly right. There is too much evidence showing that Ukraine mid range drones are savaging Russian supply routes. Crimea is the most difficult and least important of the three objectives for Russia. My guess is that right now Putin is gambling everything on the offensive in Kostiantynivka . Because it's the only thing that Russia has going for it. Their air defenses seem to be at the breaking point and Ukraine is only ramping up drone production.
I don't expect Ukraine to take Crimea back because that creates their own supply problems. But I think there is a small chance of it after a possible Russian collapse in the area south of Kherson; due to lack of ability to supply it. There is a larger chance of Ukraine taking Crimea than Russia taking the Donbas the way things are, in spite of Nate's wish casting.
quote:
Sources claim that the General Staff believes the Kremlin is trying simultaneously to protect the capital, hold Crimea, and continue offensive operations, but no longer has sufficient resources to do all three.
I think this is exactly right. There is too much evidence showing that Ukraine mid range drones are savaging Russian supply routes. Crimea is the most difficult and least important of the three objectives for Russia. My guess is that right now Putin is gambling everything on the offensive in Kostiantynivka . Because it's the only thing that Russia has going for it. Their air defenses seem to be at the breaking point and Ukraine is only ramping up drone production.
I don't expect Ukraine to take Crimea back because that creates their own supply problems. But I think there is a small chance of it after a possible Russian collapse in the area south of Kherson; due to lack of ability to supply it. There is a larger chance of Ukraine taking Crimea than Russia taking the Donbas the way things are, in spite of Nate's wish casting.
quote:
Gwinnett county, and probably most suburbs within 20-30 minutes of 285 in all directions, barely resemble what they did 40 years ago.
Good call on that one.
quote:
Gwinnett County, Georgia holds the record for the largest population percentage increase in the United States since 1970.Between 1970 and 2024, its population surged by an astronomical 1,263%, growing from just 73,941 residents to surpass the one-million mark with 1,003,869 residents.
quote:
I’d rather be at Ukraine’s 2% than Russia’s 12%, but the problem isn’t just their internal population; it’s what surrounds them. Russia and Ukraine will share the same fate vis-a-vis the Muslim takeover. Look at the map
Please do.
Where are the Muslim nations around Ukraine? There are none. Ironically, Crimea was a majority Muslim area until Stalin ethnically cleansed the Tatars. Now it's down to around 12%, the same as Russia overall. Meanwhile Russia has a huge border with Kazakhstan that is 69% Muslim. Azerbaijan is 96% Muslim. And, heh, there is always Chechnya for internal Muslim problems.
Honestly, I have no idea why you have this Muslim population take on Russia/Ukraine. But it is a very bad one. It's the very least of Ukraine's worries.
quote:
Both statements are correct.
Where are the Muslims going to come from to get to Ukraine? The current population is maybe 2% and they have no significant borders with Muslim nations. Now do Russia.
quote:
Russia will be left with a shrunken population and a birthrate so low that it’s just a matter of time before Muslims (and Chinese) take it over.
Fixed it for you. Russia is the one with the Muslim population problem. Russia disbanded after Ukraine left rather than have a majority Muslim USSR. Without Ukraine, Russia has zero chance of being a significant player again. That's what this war is about.
Putin, the master strategist, couldn't have screwed the pooch any worse.
Snowin on Raton / Tear Stained Eye - comparison by AI.
Posted by Tigris on 6/9/26 at 6:37 pm
OK, AI is getting scary good. It's occurred several times that two of my favorite songs had a very similar idea and lyrics.
Son Volt - Tear Stained Eye:
"Can you deny there's nothing greater, nothing more than the traveling hands of time?"
Snowin on Raton - Townes, and I think Jay Farrar had this in mind with his lyrics (circles of the sun/hands of time).
"Aw, bid the years goodbye, you cannot still them
You cannot turn the circles of the sun
Well, you cannot count the miles until you feel them
And you cannot hold a lover that is gone"
Two of the best songs ever written.
So I asked my AI for a comparison, as a joke mostly. This is pretty damn good:
These are results for snowin on raton tear stained eye comparison
"Snowin' on Raton" by Townes Van Zandt and "Tear Stained Eye" by Son Volt are two masterpieces of Americana and alt-country songwriting. Both tracks explore themes of the relentless passage of time, the open road, and moving forward from heartbreak, but they approach these subjects from distinctly different atmospheric and poetic angles.
Key Lyrical Themes
"Snowin' on Raton" (Townes Van Zandt): This song explores transience and the inability to hold onto the past. Van Zandt uses the harsh, isolating imagery of snow falling on the Raton Pass to symbolize emotional detachment. The recurring promise to "be through them hills and gone by morning" emphasizes the classic "rambler" archetype—someone trying to outrun their grief by moving forward.
"Tear Stained Eye" (Son Volt): Written in the aftermath of the historic 1993 Great Flood, the song uses flooded river towns and concrete urban settings (like the French settlement of St. Genevieve) as metaphors for endurance. Instead of just running away, the song grapples with moving through the pain, stating: "Saints don't bother with a tear-stained eye". It is an stoic acceptance that you have to take the bad news in stride and just keep going.
Van Zandt's Style: The track relies on raw, minimalist poetry. Townes's careworn acoustic guitar and weary, fragile vocal delivery make the listener feel the biting, quiet chill of the winter setting.
Farrar's Style: The Son Volt song is a much denser alt-country arrangement. Driven by Jay Farrar's yearning voice alongside the textures of an acoustic guitar, a softly plucked banjo, and a sweeping pedal steel, it creates an atmospheric "road-trip" feel perfectly suited for watching the miles pass by.
Poetic Metaphors
The Road as a Friend: Both writers treat the highway as an equalizer. Van Zandt states, "I'm thankful that old road's a friend of mine," treating the highway as a comforting companion. Farrar takes a grittier approach, singing about "getting to know the concrete" and looking for purpose from a neon sign.
Acceptance vs. Escape: Van Zandt's resolution is one of surrender—you cannot count the miles until you feel them, and you cannot hold a lover who has departed. Farrar's resolution is pragmatic endurance, concluding "If learning is living, and the truth is a state of mind / You'll find it's better at the end of the line".
Both tracks brilliantly capture the weight of human experience, with Townes capturing the poetic melancholy of the drifter, and Son Volt capturing the weathered resilience of the survivor.
Son Volt - Tear Stained Eye:
"Can you deny there's nothing greater, nothing more than the traveling hands of time?"
Snowin on Raton - Townes, and I think Jay Farrar had this in mind with his lyrics (circles of the sun/hands of time).
"Aw, bid the years goodbye, you cannot still them
You cannot turn the circles of the sun
Well, you cannot count the miles until you feel them
And you cannot hold a lover that is gone"
Two of the best songs ever written.
So I asked my AI for a comparison, as a joke mostly. This is pretty damn good:
These are results for snowin on raton tear stained eye comparison
"Snowin' on Raton" by Townes Van Zandt and "Tear Stained Eye" by Son Volt are two masterpieces of Americana and alt-country songwriting. Both tracks explore themes of the relentless passage of time, the open road, and moving forward from heartbreak, but they approach these subjects from distinctly different atmospheric and poetic angles.
Key Lyrical Themes
"Snowin' on Raton" (Townes Van Zandt): This song explores transience and the inability to hold onto the past. Van Zandt uses the harsh, isolating imagery of snow falling on the Raton Pass to symbolize emotional detachment. The recurring promise to "be through them hills and gone by morning" emphasizes the classic "rambler" archetype—someone trying to outrun their grief by moving forward.
"Tear Stained Eye" (Son Volt): Written in the aftermath of the historic 1993 Great Flood, the song uses flooded river towns and concrete urban settings (like the French settlement of St. Genevieve) as metaphors for endurance. Instead of just running away, the song grapples with moving through the pain, stating: "Saints don't bother with a tear-stained eye". It is an stoic acceptance that you have to take the bad news in stride and just keep going.
Van Zandt's Style: The track relies on raw, minimalist poetry. Townes's careworn acoustic guitar and weary, fragile vocal delivery make the listener feel the biting, quiet chill of the winter setting.
Farrar's Style: The Son Volt song is a much denser alt-country arrangement. Driven by Jay Farrar's yearning voice alongside the textures of an acoustic guitar, a softly plucked banjo, and a sweeping pedal steel, it creates an atmospheric "road-trip" feel perfectly suited for watching the miles pass by.
Poetic Metaphors
The Road as a Friend: Both writers treat the highway as an equalizer. Van Zandt states, "I'm thankful that old road's a friend of mine," treating the highway as a comforting companion. Farrar takes a grittier approach, singing about "getting to know the concrete" and looking for purpose from a neon sign.
Acceptance vs. Escape: Van Zandt's resolution is one of surrender—you cannot count the miles until you feel them, and you cannot hold a lover who has departed. Farrar's resolution is pragmatic endurance, concluding "If learning is living, and the truth is a state of mind / You'll find it's better at the end of the line".
Both tracks brilliantly capture the weight of human experience, with Townes capturing the poetic melancholy of the drifter, and Son Volt capturing the weathered resilience of the survivor.
quote:
Great songs get great covers by great bands as my journey into bluegrass has led me to find out as this one been popping on my feed and its just well like...heaven.
Yeah, I've been deep diving Billy Strings and all of his incredible covers. And Bluegrass at the heart of him.
Heh, Son Volt too.
re: Have you ever been on a ventilator?
Posted by Tigris on 6/9/26 at 5:41 pm to SaintlyTiger88
Just once. Gallbladder surgery. I keep telling doctors that my body shrugs off anesthesia. And they keep laughing at me. And it is a pretty awful situation because I'm still not lying and no doctor believes it. But yeah, coming out of gall bladder removal, on the table I was on a vent. And I was not supposed to be awake at that point. Typical. They pulled out the ventilator tube and it took me maybe 20 seconds of gasping to breathe. The only bad part of that surgery.
Yeah, I knew someone on a ventilator. She kept trying to take it out. For a week. Bad times.
Yeah, I knew someone on a ventilator. She kept trying to take it out. For a week. Bad times.
quote:
Will $188B be enough or do y'all want MOAR!!!!
What arse did you pull that number out of? Several options seem possible.
quote:
Then he tried to tell me that Jesus was the devil's brother and that some spirit came down to Joseph Smith and told him to start this religion. I told him that's not something I'm interested in hearing.
They were terrible Mormons then, because this is nothing like what the Mormon Church believes. Mormons absolutely are Christians, though with some odd ideas too.
quote:
In 1820, a 14-year-old Joseph Smith, confused by the differing claims of various Christian denominations, prayed to know which church was right. In response to this prayer, known as the First Vision, he recorded that he was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ, who told him to join none of them.
A very convenient answer for Joseph Smith, of course. But the very foundation of the Mormon Church goes back to a prayer answered by both God and Jesus.
To understand the Mormons you have to understand what was happening in the country at the time.
quote:
The 1800s were a massive catalyst for new religious movements. Driven by the Second Great Awakening, global exploration, and cultural shifts, several major faiths emerged, including Mormonism (1830), the Bahá'í Faith (1863), Spiritualism (1850s), Seventh-day Adventism (1863), and Christian Science (1879)
I grew up exposed to the Mormon teachings. And a pretty young age decided it was rather silly. I think there is an advantage to starting off with a rather obviously nonsensical religion. The idea that you were lucky and happened to have been born into the correct religion is pure silliness too.
But as nonsensical as the Mormons are, they definitely are Christians. I find it funny how much the other competing faiths hate them. Probably something to do with their relative membership growth rates. And yeah, if I'm hiring people then I'm going to be hiring as many Mormons as possible.
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