Old Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread • Page 3 • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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Old Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread
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sauromatian
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 10:11 am

Badmike wrote:Austin used to have a shanty town built on the main drag (Guadalupe) in a large alley between two buildings. I don't know if it's still there, but it got pretty large after awhile, making UT students have to run a gauntlet of panhandlers everytime they went to campus.

After an ATM mugging a while back, a lot of Austin's homeless ['dragworms' in local parlance] were driven away from the UT area. Not much left at the 23rd st. Renaissance Market [the shantytown you mention] but the arts 'n crafts booths.

Badmike wrote: their daughter sang, danced and ran around soliciting money which she delivered to her parents..

Organized panhandling seems to be on the rise. At the UT-area HEB grocery, I've been asked for money twice by young women holding babies. Both times were in cold, rainy weather. In better weather the babies are nowhere in sight, making me think they're a scam brought out only when it looks sufficiently dramatic. Their 'pimps' [the true recipients of the money given] keep them in SUVs in the parking lot, then they get out to approach their marks.

Badmike
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Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 11:33 pm

sauromatian wrote:
Organized panhandling seems to be on the rise. At the UT-area HEB grocery, I've been asked for money twice by young women holding babies. Both times were in cold, rainy weather. In better weather the babies are nowhere in sight, making me think they're a scam brought out only when it looks sufficiently dramatic. Their 'pimps' [the true recipients of the money given] keep them in SUVs in the parking lot, then they get out to approach their marks.

JohnGaunt gave a strategically placed homeless man (in front of a local Walgreens) money when he asked for cash to buy a "hamburger" on our trip to Austin today....

To our surprise the homeless guy went over to Whataburger and bought a hamburger....

I feel bad now about saying "Yeh, he needs a hamburger called Schlitz....."

However, plenty more homeless out in force all over the city today, although not quite as bad as I remember it in times past. Maybe they are moving to Dallas in anticipation of it's new 21 million dollar homeless center?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/022607dnmethomeless.17a2b6e.html

Mike B.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
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sleepyCO
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 1:26 am

killjoy32 wrote:first!

well it had to be didnt it

i just wasted an evening watching a totally boring manchester united match. though having a chat with john on the phone was cool, so not totally wasted

*goes off to search for stuff*

Al

Well, it's a week later and Man U wins a match 4-1 despite playing "down one" for a large part of the game! (PS I think the West Ham guy boxed Nani's ears before Nani did a 'head-butt' (?) on him; Nani should've been red-carded off as he was, but the West Ham guy should get something from the disciplinary board--thoughts?)

It's over if Chelsea outright loses this weekend (due to goal difference, if Man U is ahead three points + goal difference, that is effectively up four with one match left).----Or, will it be, down to the wire?

killjoy32
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 6:29 am

little niggly stuff like that happens in games all the time. what is needed is for someone to review incidents properly. i agree, the one provoking (as was VERY clear to see in your example there) should also be punished, but in the end, retaliating is very much frowned upon, and you get what you deserve basically.

what makes me laugh though, is the lame-looking head butts they do to actually GET sent-off. i mean its pathetic! if youre gonna head-butt someone, then do it properly and still get sent-off.

football is getting really pathetic imo. i dont watch it much anymore as i cant be doing with all the primadonna's and the cheating that goes on.

man-u will win the league. if they dont then they will have handed it on a plate to chelsea and i doubt for one second that will happen, they are too good for that. what you won't have seen though, is that they have had an immense amount of luck this season as well, but as they say, thats the way it goes sometimes!

in the same way, the fight going on at the bottom of the table is probably more interesting. reading are 99% relegated as to get out of it, they have to win by an incredibly ridiculous margin, but there is still one relegation spot up for grabs and a few teams can still fill it.

for 2 teams, the whole world is about to drop out from under their feet.

thats life.

Al

Are we nearly there yet?

Thunderdave
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 10:25 am

The thing with retalitation is that one much be a tad more circumspect... after taking a knock, everyone's eyes are on you looking for your reaction...

Much better to pick your spot - for instance, Scholes or Giggs would have replied with an enthusiastic tackle or two later on.

But, then, Nani's only about 20 - he'll learn.

killjoy32
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Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 10:47 am

hehe enthusiastic tackles .... i like that

there have been some of old who used to take great delight in that...the brits here will know them....

a few i can think of:

Roy Keane, Jimmy Case, Tommy Smith and Norman Hunter.....classic hardmen who were very very good at getting away with it and were well known for standing for no crap.

Man U are the team to beat once again in the UK. prob rightly so. i am a liverpool supporter, so hate Man U, but you cant help but admire their efforts at making yet another great campaign. though will they win the champions league? dunno....i think chelsea will edge it just.

Al

Are we nearly there yet?

Badmike
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Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 4:01 pm

Once again, a football player is in trouble with the law, those Dallas Cowboys, can't they keep their guys out of prison, I swear they...

Oh, wait, it's Cedric Benson of the CHICAGO BEARS that's in trouble this time. This story really gave me a giggle.....I swear JohnGaunt and I had nothing to do with this despite being in Austin all day Saturday; if Cedric had just hit the Half Price Books with JG and I he would have been ok.

Cedric Benson Arrested On Lake Travis
Former Longhorn Arrested For Boating While Intoxicated
AUSTIN (AP) ―
Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson failed a sobriety test while operating a 30-foot boat, then resisted arrest before being hit with pepper spray and dragged ashore by officers.

Benson faces charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest after the incident Saturday night on Lake Travis, Travis County Sheriff's Department spokesman Roger Wade said.

Benson was released from jail early Sunday on a $14,500 bond. A call to Benson's agent was not immediately returned.

Benson was operating the boat with 15 passengers aboard when he was stopped by a Lower Colorado River Authority officer for a random safety inspection. He failed a field sobriety test on the officer's boat and was uncooperative when the officer tried to take him ashore, the authority said.

"When Benson did not pass the test, he presented himself as a threat to the officer and argued about whether or not he would be taken to land to have a follow-up field sobriety test performed on land and refused to put on a life jacket," the authority said in a statement.

The officer had to use pepper spray to subdue Benson. He then refused to leave the officer's boat and authorities had to drag him to a car to be taken to the Travis County jail, the authority said.

Chicago coach Lovie Smith said he's still trying to figure out exactly what happened in Texas.

"I haven't had a chance to speak with Cedric yet, but any time we're talking about one of our players getting arrested you're disappointed in it," Smith said Sunday at the end of the Bears' three-day rookie minicamp in Lake Forest, Ill.

Bears officials said general manager Jerry Angelo was out of town Sunday and unavailable to comment.

Benson has had legal problems before.

He was sentenced to eight days in jail in 2003 for a misdemeanor trespassing charge after forcing his way into an apartment to look for a reported stolen TV. In 2002, misdemeanor drug and alcohol charges against him were dropped.

Benson rushed for more than 5,500 yards and 64 touchdowns at the University of Texas, going for 1,000 yards in four straight seasons.

The 25-year-old has done little since the Bears took him with the fourth pick of the 2005 draft.

As a rookie he couldn't beat out Thomas Jones and rushed for 272 yards in nine games. He was more effective the next season while sharing time with Jones, going for six touchdowns and 647 yards.

Last year, Benson took over as the featured back after Jones was traded away. He rushed for 674 yards, four touchdowns and 3.4 yards a carry before going on injured reserve in November.

In three years with the Bears, Benson has rushed for 1,593 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 3.8 yards a carry. He's also missed 13 games

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
Co-founder of the North Texas RPG Con
NTRPGCON

Kingofpain89
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 4:34 pm

Do something worthwhile with all of those postage paid junk mail envelopes:

http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/

:twisted:

You don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way. - Homer Simpson

Plaag
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:20 pm

Kingofpain89 wrote:Do something worthwhile with all of those postage paid junk mail envelopes:

http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/bulkmailer/

That is awesome :lol:

ShaneG.

I reject your reality and substitute my own

Kingofpain89
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 6:02 pm

On a more serious note.....ah screw it....this is funny as hell! Looks like the intelligence of college students is at an all time low:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/135736?GT1=43002

In particular, this is what cracked me up more than anything:

Those arrested included a student who was about to receive a criminal justice degree and another who was to receive a master's degree in homeland security. A sad commentary is that when one of these individuals was arrested, they inquired as (to) whether or not his arrest and incarceration would have an effect on him becoming a federal law enforcement officer.

Looks like they were trying to obtain enough money to buy a new frat house. Hey guys....Risky Business is a movie, not a documentary about making money.

Dumbasses.

You don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way. - Homer Simpson

mnw
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Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 6:10 pm

...and another who was to receive a master's degree in homeland security.

I'm probably being the dumb-ass now, but that's a joke - right? You can't REALLY get a master's degree in homeland security can you?

g026r
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:19 am

Hey, lemur-man, you never told us you could sing!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 883198.ece

"Reader, Carthegena was of the mind, that unto thoſe Three Things, which the Ancients held Impoſſible, there ſhould be added this Fourth ; To find a Book Printed without Errata's."

Badmike
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:29 am

The French humiliate themselves yet again....

French state decorates Kylie Minogue, culture star
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2008/05/post.html

I do find it funny that the nation that scorns popular culture and limits releases of foreign film and music artists, as well as foreign authors, swoons and giggles like little teenagers over giving them these silly awards.

Mike B.

"THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHY i DONE WHAT i DONE THE MORE i LAUGH" Cougar
"The Acaeum hates fun" Sir Allen
"I had a collecting emergency" Nogrod
Co-founder of the North Texas RPG Con
NTRPGCON

copycat
Sage Collector

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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:33 am

You can't REALLY get a master's degree in homeland security can you?

You can get a PhD in Thaumaturgy... so, why is this any different?

Those who can, don't. Those who should not, do.

killjoy32
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:39 am

serleran wrote:
You can get a PhD in Thaumaturgy... so, why is this any different?

i can hear that famous quote coming...... "ONLY IN AMERICA"

:roll:

Are we nearly there yet?

le Rahib
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:43 am

Badmike wrote:The French humiliate themselves yet again....

French state decorates Kylie Minogue, culture star
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2008/05/post.html

I do find it funny that the nation that scorns popular culture and limits releases of foreign film and music artists, as well as foreign authors, swoons and giggles like little teenagers over giving them these silly awards.

Mike B.

Unfortunately Chuck Norris is not chevalier yet...

That will be GREAT !

La la la...

I just can't get you out of my head
Boy your loving is all I think about
I just can't get you out of my head
Boy it's more than I dare to think about

La la la...

Can't stop swooning and giggling all the time...
:wink:

Kingofpain89
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 9:46 am

Yeah....I actually did a Google search for "homeland security degree" and found a ton of hits. At some larger schools for the most part it looks like a master's program. But there are other schools that offer it as a bachelor's degree. I pulled this blurb from one school's information page:

Graduates of the Homeland Security degree program will be prepared to work in a variety of settings and capacities such as private businesses, emergency management, safety management intelligence analysis, private security, airports, law enforcement, FBI, Secret Service, the DEA, Air Marshals, customs investigators, special agents, military service and border patrol.

Gotta tell you though....degree or no degree, seems like a bunch of idiots still run the show. Doesnt matter how sharp you are, if you are taking orders from a bunch of politicians and bureaucrats, all the degrees in the world won't do you a damn bit of good.

You don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way. - Homer Simpson

Kingofpain89
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Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 12:34 pm

If you have any problems identifying ambiguous warning or emergency signs then this website will be of use:

http://www.safenow.org/

:lol:

You don't like your job, you don't strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way. - Homer Simpson

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