Anchorhead

Warbler said:

 I think the slide is in bad taste.   Yeah, I know its been 100 years, but still, over 1500 people died in the tragedy.   Yeah, none of the survivors are still alive, but it is still is a tragedy.   There are also descendants of of survivors and descendants of those that died.  I'll bet such a slide isn't funny to them.    Would we ever  consider it acceptable to do something similar in regards to 911?  If you traveled 100 years into the future and saw people and the future create something similar to this slide for 911, are you going to tell me you wouldn't be offended?   I know I would be.    There are many tragedies we wouldn't dare make fun of that happened before Titanic,  why should Titanic be an exception?  

I would have to say that's where I am on it as well.  Yeah, Titanic has become product, but at the heart of it all is still a very horrible event.

Bingowings said:

... had a look at the Yellow Submarine figures

When I get home tonight and can access Photobucket, I'll revisit this statement.

Cool on the bumblebee encounter.  They're pretty fascinating.

He had white Horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was led

Yes Twister, I'm a member of two beekeeping associations and once a month we meet and discuss the goings on in the beekeeping community.

Knoxville: Man, there is some really nice riding out there. Beautiful area and some great mountain roads.  

No doubt about it CP, meeting Gaffer would be a pretty big feather in your cap around here.

Double0,

Just a suggestion;  These are two things I think are very worthwhile.

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/

The AMA is a valuable resource and organization for motorcyclists' rights, pending legislation, and the community in general.  I joined over twenty years ago.  I'm a big supporter.

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/home.aspx

Motorcycle Consumer News is an advertising-free magazine that is invaluable for getting honest, unbiased reviews of bikes and gear. Also articles about routes, places to stay, techniques, etc. I've had a subscription for more years than I can remember.  Online community also.

doubleofive said:

Here she is, at home in her berth:

Nicely done, sir.   Nicely done, indeed.

Reminds me of the way I keep my parked...

Well - minus the easy accessibility.  ;-)

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me, I got to beware

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound?
Everybody look what's going down

Don't have a good pic of my bike handy at the moment.  She's identical to this;

Warbler said:

all those emotional outbursts can be explained by a virus, a poison from a plant, and Pon Farr.

His emotional outburst in the 2009 film is also explained.  In fact, it's at his own request that it's caused.

California tumbles into the sea
That'll be the day I go
Back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can't seem to get to you
Through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said oh no
Guadalajara won't do

Warbler said:

he did?  When did Sarek do this? 

I don't want to spoil the film for anyone who hasn't seen it, so I'll not discuss why, but it's late in the film.  Spock tells Sarek that he's just as confused as he was when he was a child, so Sarek tells him why he married Amanda.

Warbler said:

 Him being married human was explained.  Sarek was an ambassador, marrying a human allowed him to learn and understand them better.   It was logical. 

Yes it was. He confesses to Spock that the real reason he married her was because he loved her.  It had nothing to do with logic.

He also tells him not to ignore his human side, and that emotions run deep in Vulcans - often times much deeper than in humans.

Yes, we see a slightly different Spock than in TOS, but we're also seeing him much earlier in life.  I have no problem at all with how he is portrayed.  Quinto is outstanding in the role.

dark_jedi said:

Girls on Sporties is cool, but guys, not so lol.

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about people who ride 700-pound bikes with only 60 HP and "high performance" air filters, but I digress. 

Anyway, what we talking about again?  Oh yeah - about how the Sportster is the only Harley with any handling or performance capability. 

Very nice on taking the MSF and starting on bikes that fit!  I can't tell you how many times I see guys on the motorcycle boards I'm on talking about how they've never ridden before, but they know they have to respect the power of the Ducati 1198 they're about to buy. Plus, they had a dirt bike for a few months back in high school, so they understand motorcycles.

Then they add how they'll ride that Duck in a local parking lot for a week until they're really comfortable on the bike before they hit the freeways and the twisties. 

*facepalm*  

Again, hats off to starting correctly.  Pics when you have them.

Considering Harley is nearly as old a company as Triumph ;-) - I realize what a big statement this is and how many people would disagree - but to me the Nightster is the best looking bike to ever carry the Bar & Shield.

A few years ago I nearly bought one.  In fact, much to the chagrin of riding buddies, I was only days away from pulling the trigger on the deal.  In the end I couldn't get past the problems they were having with their electrics corroding and failing if you rode in the rain (something I do somewhat regularly).  I hope they have that sorted.  It really is a gorgeous machine. 

Good job, sir.  All this time and I never realized you were a rider.

Jay said:

As a long time Star Trek fan, I think they made the right call. The writers would've been saddled with so much baggage spread across all the previous series and films that doing anything fun or new while staying true to the existing material would've been next to impossible. With a new timeline, they can take the spirit of the original characters and send them on inspired new adventures that are worthy of, but not bound to, the preceding material. I really enjoyed the last film myself and can't wait for the next one.

I'm also incredibly jealous of Simon Pegg for being an unabashed geek who's totally living the dream. Imagine growing up loving this stuff and then being cast in such an iconic role. Lucky bastard.

Also a long time Trek fan and also agree on every point.  I didn't even bother with Nemesis, so I was really ready to get back to the spirit of the original characters, as you so eloquently put it. Which they did.

And yes, Pegg is living the dream, and doing a very fine job in the role.  I think he's perfect for it.  Those were some mighty big shoes to fill and he slipped into them nicely.

Warb, considering we knew absolutely nothing at that point, I still say it was eerily close to what they did - including having Pike as a main character.

Earlier today, while searching for a motorcycle post I made a few years ago, I stumbled onto a completely unrelated thread that caught my eye.

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/J-J-abrams-to-helm-Star-trek-Prequel/topic/5179/

Because it was a Skyjedi topic, I gave it a look to see what his thoughts were, so far in advance. It was just information and  a relatively short-lived discussion.

However, this post by Warb really jumped out at me;

I know they would never do it, but I think they need to take advice from DC comics and have a crissis of some kind that permanently changes the history of the Star Trek universe, restarts it and takes away all the s**t that has been added to it in the last 15 years....Don't do it on the cheap....Afterwards they would have a blank page to do any kind of series they wanted.

That is eerily close to the actual film they ended up making.  Good call, sir.

CP3S said:

The bees I work with keep swarming on us. We've had to go recapture two different hives two weeks ago. Both times it was during extreme rapid weather changes. They have plenty of room in the hives and we haven't found any queen cells, so it is puzzling.

Interesting alright.  I forgot where you live (you may be too far north for this) but are Small Hive Beetles an issue?  It's not likely the colony would leave if there weren't enough of them to ruin the hive, but perhaps they're being bothered.  Varroa mites could be a cause as well, and much harder to see. That said, if you have your West traps filled and clean, you should be ok.

Even more interesting is that you haven't found any queen cells.  The time of year is right, but no queen cells makes it seem like these aren't planned events.  More of a reaction to something.  Keep us posted.  I'll ask at my next beekeepers meeting (May).

Bingowings said:

The weather has been pretty crap this year but the bees are back and in greater numbers.

That's great news.  If it was a mild winter, the colonies would build up to full strength much faster.  They would also have more food on hand (stored honey not eaten during the winter) and flowers would be blooming earlier - more pollen for babies.  They build up to full strength based on availability of food (stored or otherwise).

I have a feral hive up in a Pecan tree that was fully exposed throughout the winter and they survived.  I was very surprised by that.  The entire hive is exposed and subject to winter temps and storms.  They are about one third their summer size, but they made it. 

They're high in the tree. I'm not sure how I could do it, but I'll try to move them into a hive this summer.

And God only knows
And God makes his plan
The information's unavailable
To the mortal man
We're working our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway
When in fact we're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

Star Wars has a mild presence in my world compared to most fans.  I read a select few novels somewhat regularly and I listen to the NPR version a few times a year.

Oh - and I'm a moderator on a Star Wars forum.  ;-)  In that regard it's very influential, although it has little to do with the movie itself. 

They call me, a little grown up
See, I’m upset because I've always been stuck
But I don’t know what it is I’m without.
Guess I’m in love with always feeling down
See the problem was I
Was fully consumed
With all of the petty things that I couldn’t do
All of the plastic products, shows and woes
I didn't ever show, I let it go

Plenty to pick from;

Bad guys

TV's Frink said:

This is the first time in some seven or eight years I'm not playing fantasy baseball. Not enough time...

:-(

Oh, and should be a fun year for me and Anchor, given that his Astros and my Cubs will probably be fighting for the NL Central basement.

:-(

I'm missing it myself, but I know what it's like to be bogged down. 

Yeah, the Astros will struggle this year alright, but I'm really digging the new ownership, the new front office, and the proper rebuild.  I was at Opening Day yesterday and the feeling of optimism and the more serious direction was palpable. 

Sorry KO, no can do on the cross-dresser.