For those who have been posting here more than 10 years, how does your old you compare?

You are a cranky SOB - a lot like Farmerman, but at least you aren't a geologist.

F geologists.

In any event, it takes one to know one, and I'm not even a geologist.

farmerman knows I am joking. And I admit to a certain crankiness. I offer no excuses. Such is life.

Remember, there are submarines and targets.

I luv Farmerman. He puts up with me, year after year. He is very often right, according to me, but what da I know. Except he hates cumin... (kidding, there are differing taste buds for that).

On the anger cycling around on a2k, I've cut down my political reading as the repetitive acrimony seems useless re actual discussions, and makes my brain nastify. When temperate arguments happen, I read and tend to think. I haven't entirely stopped reading politics as I am interested in the subjects - just diminishing the torture. I still learn sometimes, especially from ehBeth, who has a good mix of temperate and assertive going on, whether or not we agree on any given thing.

I try to summarize what I am thinking on this or that just once, but find new needs to explain again because there are so many similar threads. Also, my takes can change, and then I'll speak up again. Recently they went back and forth, annoying even myself.

How can I forget?

A few months ago I was pulled over by a Calif. motorcycle cop on a long downgrade on Rte 24 east of Oakland. I was going pretty fast and was a bit bummed out by the whole thing.

After getting my license & registration and checking me out on his radio or computer he walked back, handed me my papers and asked me, "What did you do in the Navy?" I guess they've got everything on their computers now, so I said "I was an aviator"? He replied cheerfully , "I was in the Navy too: I was in Submarines". I was so pissed I blurted out "Well I never met a submariner I really liked. He asked, still cheerfully " why is that". I said, "Late in my career, after squadron command. I had to go through some extended training in a submariner dominated program. It was like going through another tribe's puberty rite in middle age."

To my surprise he quickly guessed and asked, "Did you go through Nuclear power Training for a nuclear carrier?" "Yes," I said. "What prototype did you go through", he asked, "Idaho Falls' , I said . "I was an instructor there !", he said joyfully. It was all happening too fast and I blurted out , "I knew that before my life was over I'd run into another of you bastards who would spoil my day. He laughed.

I never got the ticket.

HA!. How much taller were you than the cop? (No I guess you were ahead, no sense getting mean about it)
So INL eh? been there enough for this life.

He was upbeat and cheerful throughout: I was the one angry, bummed out, and responding unwisely.

Me too concerning INEL. I still remember the 1 hour bus ride through the desert out to the prototype facility near Arco.

I'm a bit more informed on the issues that I defend, which gives me greater confidence and allows me to take a much harder line on those issues.

Hi everyone! It's been a minute since I was last here. Met you all on Abuzz way back. Hope all of you are well!

Hey. Great to see you. Don't be no stranger after this.

I dont believe we were introduced. Im a farmer, hence they call me farmerman. I am also of the male persuasion.

I remember you, or at least your username. Welcome back!

Hi, who's still here and who has gone?

I have met many of you over the years, and have enjoyed it tremendously. We may disagree about some things, but that's not a big deal for me, because I have disagreements with my siblings about religion and politics.
I wish I had met Robert, ehBeth, snood, roger, glitterbag, panzade, dalehileman, rosbourne, and many other active posters I have enjoyed over these many years. Sorry if I missed your name, but my memory is really bad.

Some are here some are not and that is for the most part a decision made by each person.

Of course some have left the realm of the living. Included in that list would be Dyslexia, Andy(Merry Andrew/Lustig Andrei), Dutchy and LightWizard and likely several others.