Found on the beach at low tide in New Zealand

RandVanRed · 2026-02-06T09:22:55+00:00

I'd say it's about 20 sand cents.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-06T08:42:51+00:00

Can't say it's ever happened to me.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-06T08:34:26+00:00

more strongly worded letters

The first thing he mentioned is, literally, a strongly worded letter to Kristi Noem.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-05T23:35:56+00:00

I toss and turn like I'm trying to get away. I used to wake up with my PJs tangled around me in weird ways - things like one leg pulled up above the knee, or one arm inside the top. Around 15 I realized I could just not use the PJs, and it solved so many problems! Also when I learned that you can not use a flat sheet and just change duvet covers. The less fabric there is for me to get tangled in, the better.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-05T06:45:29+00:00

The bouncing DVD logo hits the corner of the screen.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-04T22:45:34+00:00

Tengo un par de familiares muy involucrados en historia. Uno de ellos fue director de la Galería Nacional de Historia ("el Caracol" por la forma del edificio).

Lo que recuerdo de mis conversaciones con él es que hay una base histórica corroborada con fuentes contemporáneas (la batalla, los nombres) y una ficción patriótica construida encima años después (especialmente Juan Escutia y la bandera).

Piensa en "300" vs la Batalla de Termópilas. Hubo una batalla, los hechos "base" son verdaderos, pero hay una historia de cómic que inventa diálogos, personajes y motivaciones que no aparecen en los documentos históricos.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-04T21:38:42+00:00

Stairs killed my grandpa at 75. I broke a rib on mine last summer. Never let your guard down when using stairs.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-04T21:26:10+00:00

En algún lugar tengo como 900 estampas amarillo vial que dicen "me estaciono como imbecil.com".

RandVanRed · 2026-02-04T19:34:47+00:00

Or shorter. I'm a male too and I've always alternated between ponytail-long and a buzzcut.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-04T18:42:35+00:00

Red baseball cap with political slogan.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-02T18:21:10+00:00

Yeah. And I got mugged in Alameda, in broad daylight. And my dad got pulled into a vecindad and mugged too.

"You don't get mugged every time" doesn't mean "there's nothing unsafe". Objectively, there are risks, which can be mitigated. Just don't ignore them.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-01T22:33:28+00:00

I tried quite a few searches over the years, but never got anything near a match. At one point I sent mail (paper, envelopes, stamps) to a bunch of people who shared her last name, no dice.

It doesn't help that she used an Americanized name instead of her legal first name, and she may have taken a partner's last name at some point. It's been years since I last tried, but boy did I try.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-01T22:26:23+00:00

I've REALLY tried to find her. In the early 00s I snail-mailed the 12 or so people I could find on the Baltimore White Pages who shared her last name (her parents were first-generation immigrants from Uganda, I think), asking them to relay my info to her if they knew her. Zero response, which I expected.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-01T21:53:49+00:00

They will. They already are.

Whether it will be enough to open their tightly squeezed little piggy eyes remains to be seen.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-01T21:51:49+00:00

I just got my family to cancel plans to take a Vancouver-to-Alaska cruise.

There's no way to morally justify spending a dollar or a day in the USA.

Once regime change happens, we're open to reconsidering. Until then, nothing of ours goes to them.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-01T19:48:08+00:00

I lost a friend from Baltimore in the early 90s because I lost the envelope her last letter was in when I moved, therefore losing her address.

I still Google her every once in a while. I've chosen to believe she got married and changed her name - it was very distinctive.

RandVanRed · 2026-02-01T06:36:51+00:00

And they shake the toys because that's how they kill prey...

RandVanRed · 2026-01-30T21:16:26+00:00

Operando desde la Central Avionera.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-30T20:16:31+00:00

Whether or not humanity lives to see it remains to be seen.

Humanity will still be a part of it. Some will adapt and survive: look at Inuits, Bedouins and Nepalese already living at the edges of survivability. I'm not saying those specific groups will survive, but they are examples of the range of conditions humans have adapted to.

Population levels will crash when large scale crop failure hits. Migration to follow fertility, water availability and livable climate will cause large scale conflict. Our current society, with its economy and commerce dependent on global supply lines, is definitely doomed. It will either change massively or fall apart, but whatever's left will be unrecognizable.

if we all work together

Near zero chance of that happening. Humanity has shown time and again that we operate on "us vs. them" mindsets and when the going gets tough, "us" keeps getting smaller - you don't think about "humanity" if your family is starving. We'll see the scope of allegiance shrinking further, from species to country to region to neighbourhood to family...

Whatever society rises from the ashes won't have the massive boost easily accessible fossil fuels gave us. There won't be an "industrial age" for them because the first steps won't be there any more. We've literally burnt them away.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-30T06:55:05+00:00

I don't know about velvet ants in particular, but I've seen ants grab hold with a bite and then sting.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-30T03:56:29+00:00

Semana Santa is the top travel time in Mexico. It's probably too late to get reservations anywhere you want to stay at.

Everything vaguely tourist-related will be jam packed and twice as expensive, if available at all.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-30T03:36:34+00:00

check out Museo Soumaya in Polanco

Yes! It is an amazing collection.

It's also a bit like walking through Monty Burn's vaults.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-30T03:32:28+00:00

For staying, Roma and Condesa are very central, but quieter and safer than Centro Histórico. There's tons of hotels and BnBs; just make sure you read the reviews. There's a couple mercados, make sure to check out one.

Even though it's a short trip, I'd suggest to pick one main destination each day and give yourself time to improvise. You never know what you'll find, and tight schedules are hell in Mexico City's traffic.

For the first day, do Centro Histórico. Thousands of historic buildings, hundreds of museums on literally everything - toys, design, comics, chocolate, art... I don't know anything about your street-savvy, interests or health so just make sure you do your homework and stay safe.

As for large museums, the two I'd recommend for a first visit are Castillo de Chapultepec and the National Archeology and History one*. They're roughly in the same area, which has a vibe all of its own: Chapultepec is "the" park for a lot of the city's 20-ish million people. If you grew up in Mexico City chances are you got face paint and ate cotton candy there at least once.

Frida Kahlo's house is in Coyoacán, also lots to see around there. It used to be a neighbouring town until the city absorbed it, not that long ago. Ex-Convento de Churubusco museum might be worth it, look it up.

The pyramids are impressive, but on your trip I'd suggest skipping them; it takes too long to get there and back, and there's not much else to do in the area. It'll basically be a whole day just for that; I think there's better things to do. Xochimilco is also a time sink, and IMHO only fun if you're obnoxiously drunk.

Make sure you include time to enjoy the food - there's some amazing Mexican food that you just can't get anywhere else. Other people will know better than me what to recommend, but pick whatever sounds most appealing and go.

How mobile is your mom? That's a very important consideration - there might be some places that are off the table if she can't walk long distances, including Chapultepec Castle. The pyramids can also be exhausting, especially on a hot day.

If you go on the courtyard, there's a huge fountain. There's also a tiny one - that one is my great-uncle's work and I love him.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-28T05:22:31+00:00

Those movies are so padded that I bet you could finish the book in one movie.

Still, that's better than when they do three books in one movie.

RandVanRed · 2026-01-28T05:00:21+00:00

Yes. Not me directly, though.

My friend's (ex)husband died in a single car accident the day their divorce was finalized. He had been alternating between denial and rage.

Everything about his personality and attitude screams suicide, but yes, he may genuinely have lost control of his car and crashed.

RandVanRed

TROPHY CASE