The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 09

[drobert44]

Uh... one of my several hats in my careers was as a cartographer. Maps and globes are very poor in conveying the feel of a locale.

A dense city map will tell your logical mind that, gee, there are lots of buildings and people and cars, but until you're standing on that street corner with the sensation of the concrete canyons closing in on you, only then do you feel the density. Conversely, when you're out West (or in the Outback) with the desert or plains surrounding you with horizon to horizon... well... horizon, do you understand the empty vastness in your gut.

If you wanna know vast, try driving in northern Saudi Arabia and SW Iraq........no landmarks, hard to find stuff, like a British unit we escorted thru the berm in the ground war of 1991.

 

[Lifestyle66]

How in hell did the staff Cpt get to his rank?

Good NCOs!

 

[Duleigh]

Anyone else seen the pictures from the James Webb thing of "the pillars of creation" ? It is a most impressive picture.

Meanwhile, I'm tired.
I think 'feet up on sofa' might be indicated.
But with a nice long coffee.

Yes! Just incredible! And so different from the photos that the Hubbel took, it's like the Pillars are being worn away...

We're going to have to appoint a committee to investigate this, maybe start a "Save The Pillars" organization, it's clearly mankind's fault... I need coffee

 

[TxRad]

Welcome to another Sinday. Sin as/if ya got em.

The coffee is fresh, hot, and black.

Shredded Wheat for breakfast.

 

[ecorche]

We're now in the 21st century. In addition to maps, we now have visual simulations like Google Earth - not just hi-res satellite imagery, but highly detailed 3D models of buildings and bridges. Back when I was a public transit frequent flyer, I used to scope out transit centers and transfer points with Google Earth in advance of a trip, and when I traveled, it was like I had been there before.
I've lost my hearing from sonic trauma - exposure to loud noise. Spouse and I went out for dinner yesterday and the waitress spoke with the soft whisper of a schoolgirl reading her first essay in front of the class.
But the lasagna paired well with that glass of Sonoma cab sav, so all is forgiven.

 

[oggbashan]

One of the advantages of being old, looking old, and disabled, moving with a four-wheeled walker, is that people assume I am deaf as well and stand in front of me and speak clearly.

It helps that I have to produce a pocket torch to read the menu under the subdued restaurant lighting.

I can usually order coffee with no problem, but 'Do you want thick or skinny fries?' can be met with a blank stare and a request to repeat...

 

[oggbashan]

Since the beginning of 2023, I as oggbashan, have received over 50 requests to confirm my details so a package can be delivered.

There is a problem. oggbashan doesn't have any financial accounts and therefore can't order anything. So apparently 50 packages I didn't order are waiting for delivery when I provide details of oggbashan's imaginary bank accounts.

Tough luck, scammers! You've picked the wrong account.

 

[MrPixel]

Ogg, for the scammers to target you that hard in that short a timespan means that your e-mail addy is being circulated on the dark web as a probable patsy. Don't have a solution for you other than abandoning that e-mail address, but I certainly know that'll cause waaaaaay more trouble for you. Does your e-mail service not have an effective spam filter? Is your real e-mail address exposed on a website somewhere?

I personally haven't seen a phishing spam in months if not years, although my wife gets maybe one a month. We're both on an e-mail server on a domain I own that I have physically administered for about 20 years. Apparently being outside of the Google/MS/AT&T/whatever universe has so far worked fairly well. (Those days are coming to a close, tho'. The biggies are starting to block private servers just because they can.)

 

[Duleigh]

 

[Handley_Page]

I was offered a bewildering variety of 'coffee' (made worse by it not being in English). I took the cup back and said "I don't speak Italian; can
I please have an ordinary coffee ?"
It took a couple of attempts, but I got it in the end.

 

[oggbashan]

Ogg, for the scammers to target you that hard in that short a timespan means that your e-mail addy is being circulated on the dark web as a probable patsy. Don't have a solution for you other than abandoning that e-mail address, but I certainly know that'll cause waaaaaay more trouble for you. Does your e-mail service not have an effective spam filter? Is your real e-mail address exposed on a website somewhere?

I personally haven't seen a phishing spam in months if not years, although my wife gets maybe one a month. We're both on an e-mail server on a domain I own that I have physically administered for about 20 years. Apparently being outside of the Google/MS/AT&T/whatever universe has so far worked fairly well. (Those days are coming to a close, tho'. The biggies are starting to block private servers just because they can.)

I rarely use that email address and all of the delivery emials are automatically sent into spam but so are a few emails that shouldn't be, so I have to check the spam folder daily.

On my main account, I fell for one of the delivery scams a few months back. My bank picked it up straight away. I had to change my bank acount number and replace my debit card, but that account maybe gets two or three a week. My other two accounts get none. Odd.

But now I know what to look for. Anything sent to 'oggbashan' is deleted as soon as it see it - but it is a nuisance checking for real communications among all the rubbish.

 

[Duleigh]

What's up with the show-jumping goat?

Jumped all over the New England Patriots today. Very exciting game! Best one I've seen in a long time, they actually found a break in the weather and played without blizzard conditions there on the shores of Lake Erie.

 

[colddiesel]

But now I know what to look for. Anything sent to 'oggbashan' is deleted as soon as it see it - but it is a nuisance checking for real communications among all the rubbish.

Og, an old friend of mine in England has the surname "Lord;" he gets massive amounts of junk mail, spam etc. (especially from "Charities") because spammers seem to think that he is a wealthy aristocrat. He has his spam folder on a short timed auto delete, he reckons it keeps the place tidy and only deletes one or two useful items annually.

 

[ecorche]

The evening coffee is on. I'll even wash a few mugs while I'm behind the counter.
My word of the day book has continued to entertain me with fascinating etymologies. "Quarantine", anyone? Or how about "fun"?
I'm preparing to submit a proposal to edit a short story anthology (non-erotica). It will either be an enriching and challenging project, or a writing career killer.

 

[TxRad]

Three quarters of the boat is assembled. Now to give it time for the glue to dry. Then I can install the drain plug and eye bolt and paint the inside.

The evening coffee is good. Supper was taco salad.

Bright sun for the most part today. A tree got blown over on a two story rental down the road. Luckily no one was there. The off season around the lake.

 

[TxRad]

I'll make the midnight coffee before I wander off to bed.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Thanks. 35 yesterday, 18 today. Bec likes today's weather.

And Bec is coming to terms with my writing. I just wish Laurel would hurry up and delete my early stories.

 

[Rustyoznail]

@Duleigh, a photo for you from the local beach yesterday.

 

[Duleigh]

@Duleigh, a photo for you from the local beach yesterday.

View attachment 2200952

The nice thing is that I don't have far to paddle to get a nice refreshing dip in the ocean

 

[Duleigh]

Here's a photo for you @Rustyoznail
Every time one of my B-52s came back from a TDY to Australia we would find this stenciled in some interesting places on and in the airplane. I even found them inside the "Ammo Bay" a small compartment that holds ammo for the tail gun. It's like the RAAF saying, "I Was Here!"

 

[TxRad]

D, maybe you found the secret code for the Kangaroo World Order.

The morning coffee is up and running. I hope it isn't too fast because I'm a little slow this morning.

Biscuits and ham for breakfast and a handful of the normal pills. Why would I want to be normal? What is normal and compared to who or what?

 

[ecorche]

It's quiet in the AH Coffee Shop & Reading Room.
Too quiet.
I'm putting on the lunch coffee and making it strong enough to wake the dead.

 

[MrPixel]

Busy writing stories, I guess. Comments in the RL thread this morning inspired a new story that I'm already 2K words into.

Time for a break. Coffee is done for the day here, so it'll be a big glass of chocolate milk. Yum!

 

[Duleigh]

Finished my Valentines day story, trying to put together a 750 word story, but are both events going to happen? Haven't heard a peep from Laurel.

 

[Handley_Page]

I fear I need a new chair; a tall one.

But I really need a large coffee