My top two answers involve religion and politics so I need to think on this one more.  When I was a toddler I believed the story of George Washington and the cherry tree.  To non-Americans who might not be familiar with the tale, as a small child George Washington chopped down his father's cherry tree just for the hell of it.  When his father confronted him about it George supposedly stated "I cannot tell a lie... I did it with my little hatchet."  Dad was deeply impressed with little George's honesty and forgave him with no punishment issued. 
    Jump to the 20th Century.  Little Rat Man took a colored pencil and scribbled inside of the porch closet.  I was two or three.  When Dad asked "Who did this?" I stated "I cannot tell a lie.  I did it with my colored pencil."  I got my ass beat and learned my first lesson on bullcrap.  That was the last time I fell for such moralistic tales.

joe_meadmaker wrote on Dec 19^th, 2024 at 11:55pm:


That's funny, I remember hearing the same thing on an old documentary-type program. No surprise it's fake, the amount of myths out there...

xud9a - call me zud 👍 wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2024 at 6:14am:


Well I dont know how it is over there but the media certainly does a good job over here at keeping us divided. And social media is even worse. I get on some of those posts and it's comment after comment of the most vile racist garbage you've ever seen. As a white guy it makes me feel sorry for the black people I've seen trying to defend the actions of someone that looks like them in the vaguest, most unimportant of ways when they themselves did nothing wrong. Then all my magnanimous thoughts disappear when the next post has a black dude saying white people are pure evil and deserve to be...well you know, and the comments are filled with racial slurs towards white while I'm fighting for my life trying to explain I don't know any Bubba's and I like my crosses unburned thanks very much.

Though it shows a lack of intellectual maturity to flip flop so fast I must allow this failing in me lest I fully reach sainthood and just ascend spontaneously into heaven. It's a necessary evil.

Point being, if being (probably a lousy) white supremacist is what it took to turn you into what is arguably one of the most outgoing and accepting people we've ever had here, that's a good trade off and no harm done in the long run.

xud9a - call me zud 👍 wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2024 at 6:14am:


At least with you it was just three weeks.  I spent the first half of my life that way.  Sad but true.

Interesting how a forum, themed around a hobby which transcends politics and culture, is able to bring a diverse and dispersed group of people together. I'm personally on the liberal leaning side of the distribution.

I used to think fashion changed reactively, following trends documented in the population. I later realized that brands and houses dictate the fashion trends.
I will never forgive them for kicking out baggy cargo pants from popularity. I used to love those comfortable and warm pants with the huge pockets. You could fit a 2L bottle of Cola in some of those pockets.

Now I see the younger generations wearing TIGHT jeans with their ankles naked in frezing weather. Makes me shudder.

xud9a - call me zud 👍 wrote on Jan 20^th, 2025 at 5:25am:


Flares so wide they get caught in the spokes of your bicycle wheel causing your bike to come to a VERY sudden stop, sending you over the handlebars to receive sprains, bruises, scrapes, or worse.

Two water ones:

Hot water freezes faster than cold water.

Boiled water will freeze into clear ice.