Random Questions & Thoughts

IN 1979 I was in USA for a year. Landed in SF and after a while someone - can't remember details - invited me to stay at their house in Oakland. I had no idea - but I survived.

Later in the year I was in NYC staying in an apartment on 110th near Amsterdam and used to wander around and I'd pass this clothing store and look at the window and then i got my heart set on a green flannel double breasted suit with flared trousers - so one day I walked in - the atmosphere was a bit tense -I have no idea - this cat says "What you doin' in here white boy" - I said "Want to try that suit" - another cat says "Why you wanna dress like a *******" - I said "I'm Australian i didn't know the rules" - the cat said : "Australia cool accent - ok man - you serious - then we'll make you look like the coolest motherfucker in Australia"

And I spent an hour there and they were very friendly and funny and then after that if I was passing I'd call in for a chat.

So I got the suit - it was very very nice - wore it for years dunno what happened to it

** apparently the software doesn't like the N word
 
I'm wearing an orange tie today. I feel like I am copying George Santos.
 
fxh said:
IN 1979 I was in USA for a year. Landed in SF and after a while someone - can't remember details - invited me to stay at their house in Oakland. I had no idea - but I survived.

Later in the year I was in NYC staying in an apartment on 110th near Amsterdam and used to wander around and I'd pass this clothing store and look at the window and then i got my heart set on a green flannel double breasted suit with flared trousers - so one day I walked in - the atmosphere was a bit tense -I have no idea - this cat says "What you doin' in here white boy" - I said "Want to try that suit" - another cat says "Why you wanna dress like a *******" - I said "I'm Australian i didn't know the rules" - the cat said : "Australia cool accent - ok man - you serious - then we'll make you look like the coolest motherfucker in Australia"

And I spent an hour there and they were very friendly and funny and then after that if I was passing I'd call in for a chat.

So I got the suit - it was very very nice - wore it for years dunno what happened to it

** apparently the software doesn't like the N word
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Wonderful story. I had a similar experience in NYC in the mid-90s wandering around buying some mixtapes. Hadn’t thought of this in years probably.
 
güero said:
Wonderful story. I had a similar experience in NYC in the mid-90s wandering around buying some mixtapes. Hadn’t thought of this in years probably.
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+1

For me it was wondering around the crack house streets in South Chicago. One of many times in my life that an Australian accent got me out of a bad situation.
 
Had some girl hit on me today as I was going down in the morning.
 
fxh said:
Is that a euphemism?

Like “she showed me her map of Tasmania.”
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belinmad said:
Say more?
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Nothing happened. I was wearing a mask so I was surprised she was talking to me. Maybe it was my attire or eyes up to my hair. She had her mobile out so I thought she was on a call.

One offs with women in your own building is never a good idea. They can come over and knock and I don't particularly want to move out with rent at all time highs.
 
Fwiffo said:
Nothing happened. I was wearing a mask so I was surprised she was talking to me. Maybe it was my attire or eyes up to my hair. She had her mobile out so I thought she was on a call.

One offs with women in your own building is never a good idea. They can come over and knock and I don't particularly want to move out with rent at all time highs.
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What did she say to hit on you?
 
So many people dressing up to go out. So many with takeaway bags to eat at home. So many last minute groceries to make dinner at home. Roses, roses and random flowers everywhere.
 
It was the first alumni speaker series dinner I attended since February 2020. I didn't know they had resumed the in person dinners until it was already half way through the season.

It was something I started doing when I came back from the US and wanted to find a low commitment thing to do with my alma mater. The dinner usually has a group of regulars, people who sign up because they are interested in that evening's particular speaker, and at the last minute they release any unsold tickets to undergraduate and graduate students. I attended stag for years.

The dinner starts with a cheese and wine reception for a half hour for people to mingle and get to know each other. Then you sit at a long table with random people from the group. The head is usually where the chair and the speaker sit. After the dinner, there's a speaker who sometimes uses aids (PowerPoint on a projector) or sometimes just talks from speaking notes.

There is an older gent and his wife who always attend. When I first met him he was in charge of marking down people's names and checking tickets as well as herding people from the reception to the dinner and making sure people don't sit in awkward lonely seats. In his former life he was an insurance broker so he never drank anything other than sparkling water. He said he had a lifetime of drinking being in insurance. His retired life is attending these dinners, tennis, lawn bowling, and going out trying new restaurants in this unofficial supper/lunch club his wife runs. He has occasional memory problems and his retina detached one year so they took away his duties. Last night after not seeing him since 2020 I saw him start drinking red wine. At the end of the dinner he told me he is 89. I realised if I don't go to the final speaker dinner next month that I might not even see him in the next season.
 
It's the annual mining or prospector conference. All the hotels around my area are booked up and the convention places are filled with 99 percent men. Those in hospitality like the bartenders I know circle the week when they are in town. When resource commodities are high they tip well. Whatever mineshaft they crawl out from they eat everything, drink everything until last call and then some. Pre pandemic word was we ran out of escorts so they flew some in from other cities to meet the demand.

You can always tell who they are because they often under dress for Canadian weather. Rain coats when it should be a wool overcoat or just a three season suit when it is barely above 2C. Crap suits or suits with crap shoes or both. They love wearing their conference badges around their neck everywhere including restaurants, bars, and local landmarks where they take selfies.
 
Fwiffo said:
You can always tell who they are because they often under dress for Canadian weather. Rain coats when it should be a wool overcoat or just a three season suit when it is barely above 2C. Crap suits or suits with crap shoes or both. They love wearing their conference badges around their neck everywhere including restaurants, bars, and local landmarks where they take selfies.
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The hookers or the attendees?
 
Do people in major cities of European countries (west+central+east) dress better for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations) than your typical North American?

Just coming off of watching weeks of European - mostly Italian shows on Netflix where even a teenager of school age automatically runs to his closet to change into a dress shirt and a blazer when it's a first dinner date. This is in contrast to the all the winter gatherings I went to especially those within family where a long sleeve collared shirt was rare never mind a dress shirt with a sweater on top.
 
Fwiffo said:
Do people in major cities of European countries (west+central+east) dress better for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations) than your typical North American?

Just coming off of watching weeks of European - mostly Italian shows on Netflix where even a teenager of school age automatically runs to his closet to change into a dress shirt and a blazer when it's a first dinner date. This is in contrast to the all the winter gatherings I went to especially those within family where a long sleeve collared shirt was rare never mind a dress shirt with a sweater on top.
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There is no "typical" North American.
 
My father just praised Heathrow as the best and most advanced airport in his past month of travels. You never hear that in the media.
 
Fwiffo said:
My father just praised Heathrow as the best and most advanced airport in his past month of travels. You never hear that in the media.
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What other airports has he been through? And which Terminal? Heathrow is a right mess 90% of the time
 
belinmad said:
What other airports has he been through? And which Terminal? Heathrow is a right mess 90% of the time
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He had a BA transatlantic business class ticket.

Barcelona. Florida. Of course here at home - which is arguably the worst in the world in terms of customs clearance and luggage carousels.

I guess he was lucky there was no "industrial action".
 
The stuff that kids watch these days. I've been through multiple generations of them starting with Teletubbies, Wiggles (I think), Dora, and now Tayo which isn't even English - it's Korean stuff with English voiceovers. It's astonishing what we label as educational television for children.
 
Going to someone's birthday party tonight. I really don't know what to expect. The wife I barely saw last year during the wedding where I got coronavirus.
 
When you don't have power, you don't have influence. When you don't have money or can't hand out money, you don't have power.

Then people start cancelling on you forgetting all those favours and largesse that you kindly bestowed on them when you were once with influence, power and money.
 
Fwiffo said:
When you don't have power, you don't have influence. When you don't have money or can't hand out money, you don't have power.

Then people start cancelling on you forgetting all those favours and largesse that you kindly bestowed on them when you were once with influence, power and money.
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What happened?
 
Dropbear said:
What happened?
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Nothing that everyone on here doesn't already know. I had someone in the industry cancel on me for the 2nd or 3rd time...mostly because I have nothing to offer anymore.

I bought tickets to the Friday night dance/DJ party at the museum tonight so I'm excited about that even though my lady friend date is a bit older than I wanted but beggars can't be choosers.
 
Fwiffo said:
even though my lady friend date is a bit older than I wanted but beggars can't be choosers.
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Older than you? Or just, like, not a bar tending college student listening to teeny pop? Or is this the one with the kid who calls you “daddy”? What’s the age difference or what is her age?
 
Dropbear said:
Older than you? Or just, like, not a bar tending college student listening to teeny pop? Or is this the one with the kid who calls you “daddy”? What’s the age difference or what is her age?
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+4. Yes she is the one with the kid...
 
Last year I met this guy at an urban development lecture at my university. I showed up after work in my usual suit and tie. I even wore a mask. I was sitting by myself until this rather over-eager young man (also in a mask) started hitting me up for my mobile number, what I do, adding me to LinkedIn. I later realized he was baiting me because he worked for a bank where we took over part of their insurance portfolio so he knew about my company but kept playing stupid. He left the lecture early and we traded a few text messages and that was it.

I was wandering around on Sunday hitting up one mainstream grocery store after another when some guy walked ahead of me, up the second floor, grabs a basket, pauses and then turns around to me and said, "Mr. Fwiffo?"

I have no clue it is. "Oh I'm Ted..." - then I vaguely remember it was the guy from the lecture. How does he know how I look like? Other than my LinkedIn photograph. I was dressed casual (okay in a blazer and cardigan) so I look nothing like last year and I wore a mask back then. I feel like I'm being stalked.

Then he starts telling me about the fish selection, how this is his preferred store, and how is work, we should connect at some point...creepy.
 
Fwiffo said:
Last year I met this guy at an urban development lecture at my university. I showed up after work in my usual suit and tie. I even wore a mask. I was sitting by myself until this rather over-eager young man (also in a mask) started hitting me up for my mobile number, what I do, adding me to LinkedIn. I later realized he was baiting me because he worked for a bank where we took over part of their insurance portfolio so he knew about my company but kept playing stupid. He left the lecture early and we traded a few text messages and that was it.

I was wandering around on Sunday hitting up one mainstream grocery store after another when some guy walked ahead of me, up the second floor, grabs a basket, pauses and then turns around to me and said, "Mr. Fwiffo?"

I have no clue it is. "Oh I'm Ted..." - then I vaguely remember it was the guy from the lecture. How does he know how I look like? Other than my LinkedIn photograph. I was dressed casual (okay in a blazer and cardigan) so I look nothing like last year and I wore a mask back then. I feel like I'm being stalked.

Then he starts telling me about the fish selection, how this is his preferred store, and how is work, we should connect at some point...creepy.
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Dude wants to get his white parts together with yours, I’d say.
 
Fwiffo said:
Last year I met this guy at an urban development lecture at my university. I showed up after work in my usual suit and tie. I even wore a mask. I was sitting by myself until this rather over-eager young man (also in a mask) started hitting me up for my mobile number, what I do, adding me to LinkedIn. I later realized he was baiting me because he worked for a bank where we took over part of their insurance portfolio so he knew about my company but kept playing stupid. He left the lecture early and we traded a few text messages and that was it.

I was wandering around on Sunday hitting up one mainstream grocery store after another when some guy walked ahead of me, up the second floor, grabs a basket, pauses and then turns around to me and said, "Mr. Fwiffo?"

I have no clue it is. "Oh I'm Ted..." - then I vaguely remember it was the guy from the lecture. How does he know how I look like? Other than my LinkedIn photograph. I was dressed casual (okay in a blazer and cardigan) so I look nothing like last year and I wore a mask back then. I feel like I'm being stalked.

Then he starts telling me about the fish selection, how this is his preferred store, and how is work, we should connect at some point...creepy.
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stalking.gif
 
I was dressed casual (okay in a blazer and cardigan) so I look nothing like last year

You do realise thats Formal Wear these rays - ask yourself how many others dress like that.
 
belinmad said:
Dude wants to get his white parts together with yours, I’d say.
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That makes it all better.

fxh said:
I was dressed casual (okay in a blazer and cardigan) so I look nothing like last year

You do realise thats Formal Wear these rays - ask yourself how many others dress like that.
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I only mentioned it because I can't imagine a person could associate me based one brief conversation and access to my LinkedIn photograph from a year ago.

It's spring so I have colourful palette but last year I distinctly recall dressing in a subdued navy suit, white shirt, dark tie because of that lecture and I came off some video meetings with the people from his bank that day.
 
There is a rather attractive young woman sitting across from me sun bathing, and feeding two pigeons with her biscuits and yogurt.

She is talking to the birds when they fight for the morsels she tosses at them.

Normal behaviour or psychotic?
 
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