Random Observations

A certain group in Norway just made a complete joke (and not a very funny one) of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Quote from Jay J. Foraker

Add to that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid!!!! Hate them with a purple passion!

Can't argue with your choices, Jay, but those two losers were included in my "Democratic politicians" group.

I need my head examined. I just bought a new pickup, even though my "old" one was an '07 model Toyota that was fully paid for. But I've been wanting a Honda Ridgeline ever since I saw one at my 50th HS class reunion in 2006.

Twenty years ago, if someone had told me that I'd pay almost 35k for a pickup (especially a compact pickup) someday, I'd have laughed in their face. I'd never have made this move, though, if the dealer hadn't given me such a good trade-in on the Toyota.

Quote from smokey

good looking 4*4 ute you have there stumpy

hope it doesnt take you to long to own and not have to share it with the bank

cheers smokey

Thanks, Smokey.

I intend to pay the balance owed in a year. I got a good interest rate (4%) on the 17k difference between my Toyota and the new Honda. And since I have no other expenses except groceries and utilities, I can afford pretty large payments on the note.

Quote from Stumpy

A certain group in Norway just made a complete joke (and not a very funny one) of the Nobel Peace Prize.

This explains it all.

Quote from dukefan1

Great looking truck, Stumpy. Sometimes, even when not done out of necessity, a great deal just can't be passed up. Enjoy your ride.

Mark

I like the dark blue but I wish Honda still made them in a candy-apple red. My Toyota was that dark red and the Ridgeline I saw in '06 at my reunion was the candy-apple red but in '07 (I think), Honda changed their red to a maroon color, which just doesn't appeal to me.

Thanks, Keith. For anyone considering a pickup, this is the one to get - it rides better than many cars I've ridden in. And one innovation I really like, it has a fairly large weatherproof, lockable trunk in the bed. It also tows 5,000 pounds.

Stumpy, the "country mouse".

I've always been a history nut so I was happy to discover this website a few weeks ago. It has a lot of very interesting (at least to me) information about the historical cost-of-living, birthdays of various celebrities, and other little tidbits about things of long ago. I'm sure some of you will also find the site to your liking.

BTW, Bill, did you know that Angie Dickinson was also born in 1931 (I think that's your birth year, isn't it?)

Because of their war against the West, I've developed a strong loathing of Muslims, per se, but this is an aspect of Islamic culture that I hate almost as much as the war itself. It's despicable and totally indefensible. But we sure don't hear any complaints from the Gloria Steinems in this country, do we?

What the greedy Hollywood SOBs don't seem to understand is that the constantly increasing DVD prices caused by BluRay and other technological "advances" turn off many potential customers.

Another thing inhibiting DVD sales is that many people (and I'm one of 'em) have over the years bought discs of their favorite movies and have no desire to spend more money buying BluRay versions.

Another is the fact that most releases nowadays are total garbage, with many great movies and/or TV shows barricaded behind copyright laws, etc. Each week I check new releases at a certain website and 99.9% of the stuff listed I wouldn't use to wipe my behind.

I don’t want a single negative thing happening to our JWMB friends in California (after all, they’re innocent bystanders who, I doubt, ever voted for a liberal Democrat in their lives) but it would not bother me at all to see this state go down the tubes.

I’m so sick of hearing and reading the expression “as California goes, so goes the nation” (and similar platitudes) that you wouldn’t believe it. Those of us who live east of the “Golden State” have been hearing that kind of crap for years. Who appointed Californians as examples for national culture and taste? In fact, when I think of California, the first things that come to mind are Berkeley and Hollywood (both examples of liberal thought carried to extremes, and both responsible (in my mind at least) for many of the problems besetting our country nowadays.); San Francisco (my favorite and most beautiful) American city that is also a hotbed of perversion and political leftism; Charles Manson and his followers; unrestrained illegal immigration (that may, if not stopped) lead to California reverting to the Mexican state it once was; Arnold Schwarzenegger, another pretend Republican; Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, Henry Waxman, Maxine Waters, Pete Stark and other outstanding examples of liberalism run amuck.

Of course, California has had (and still has) much to commend it. Ronald Reagan springs immediately to mind; some of the most beautiful scenery in America; an absolutely ideal climate in the vicinity of San Diego; and probably the best highway system in America.

There are other great aspects of California, too numerous to list here. But there’s no way I’ll ever accept California as the model for the rest of us to live by.

Something I've never understood is why political liberals are almost all concentrated on both seacoasts of the U.S. Is there something about living close to the oceans that does that?

Even in California, the hard lefties are found mostly in San Francisco and L.A. while many Californians living away from the coast are conservatives.
Weird.......

As an inveterate web surfer, I often read things on the internet that to me are totally ridiculous, such as this article.

I suppose there are "sensitive" people who get all bent out of shape if other people reject them but as a reclusive type myself, rejection doesn't bother me that much. Recently, I signed on to an online discussion group that is supposedly composed of nothing but conservatives. As y'all know, I'm extremely conservative myself so I figured I'd have no problems interacting with other people on that board. Imagine my surprise when, after two or three days of expressing what I thought were conservative opinions, I was banned and thrown off the discussion group. I was extremely puzzled by their rejection of me but not hurt. I figured what the hell, life goes on.

Quote from Stumpy

Recently, I signed on to an online discussion group that is supposedly composed of nothing but conservatives. As y'all know, I'm extremely conservative myself so I figured I'd have no problems interacting with other people on that board. Imagine my surprise when, after two or three days of expressing what I thought were conservative opinions, I was banned and thrown off the discussion group. I was extremely puzzled by their rejection of me but not hurt. I figured what the hell, life goes on.

My short stay on that "conservative" forum was very educational. I learned that the attitudes and opinions of many if not most conservatives is at least as rigid as those on the other side. If you happen to express opinions that conflict with those of others, especially the so-called "leaders" on that forum, you quickly become ostracized by everyone on the board.