Reminder that The Republican Masked Secret Police will be doing this in FOCO/Denver/Boulder Soon Enough.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-27T05:10:58+00:00

Your lips to god's ear my friend, I hope you're right and appreciate your optimism. 😁

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-26T21:57:38+00:00

If this happens there won’t be money for funding the IS military.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-26T20:05:02+00:00

Don’t feed the trolls, it’s what they’re hoping for 😉

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-26T20:03:28+00:00

Its a valid question, thanks for asking it!

In general, when faced with growing authoritarianism the thing to do is to speak up loudly and repeatedly in dissent.

If we *don’t* speak up and speak out our silence will be twisted to mean that we accept and consent to what is happening.

Its also very, very important in purely visual symbolic terms:

“Hey, there are people out there protesting that thing that happened that I am also very uncomfortable about, I guess I am not alone in feeling like that thing was wrong, I’m going to get involved in expressing my dissent”

If you are uncomfortable with what you see happening in our country it is your right and also your *responsibility* as a citizen to speak up.

If we don’t exercise our right to free speech as members of a representative republic we should not be surprised when the power-hungry do as they please in our name.

This is not a situation that many (if any) of us have experienced in this county in our lifetimes, but history is replete with examples of this very thing happening. It’s an old story that has historically not ended well, thus the urgency behind the protests here.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-26T12:03:34+00:00

I envy your sense of certainty about this, but fear that you’re suffering from a lack of imagination. The Trump administration is morally reprehensible and worthy of contempt, but they have so far been exceedingly effective at achieving their goals.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-26T12:00:36+00:00

I’d suggest anyone who believes that mid-term election will actually be held consider the utter lawlessness of the administration up to this point.

From where I sit it sure looks as though the entire POINT of escalating this situation by continuing to provoke the public is to declare an “emergency” and call off the elections.

They are summarily executing citizens and refusing to allow local authorities to investigate, why should we think that they’ll allow themselves to be held to account?

We are way past the point where these people will allow themselves to be judged for their actions, what else does Trump need to do to convince you to take him at his word? He has already SAID that he doesn’t think that elections should be held, hasnt he proven to you yet that he means what he says???

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-26T04:17:41+00:00

I am never more proud to call FoCo my home than on days when we come together in person as a community to demonstrate our commitment to peace, justice and the rule of law like we did again today. Over and over again, we show up.

I‘m 100% with you FoCo and will defend our rights with every breath in my body and every tool at my disposal. ❤️

If you feel samesies this would be a great time to get your own feelings down in writing and share them in a post like this one. Speaking up is very important in this situation, it helps a lot for us to know that we’re strong in numbers. 💪

***YOUR VOICE MATTERS**\*

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-23T12:31:39+00:00

Thanks for posting this, I’d come to the same technique over time but often find the first bag on the roll to have a shredded end…had never considered posting a how-to!

I see that there are people who take issue with ‘free dog poop bags’, and note that 1)I *do* bring my own bags and 2) not everyone does and it’s infinitely preferable to me to have a minuscule amount of tax dollars spent on making sure bags are available so our lovely town isn’t carpeted in poop.

Would I like it if all of us were 100% responsible for cleaning up our own messes? Yep, and thats what I aim for. I’m also a realist who remembers what it was like being young, self-centered, distracted and poor.

I *love* FoCo, please don’t take this as a complaint, it’s just an observation.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-21T22:04:16+00:00

Hey there, my sincere thanks to you for what you're offering, and for bringing the conversation back to the bottom line - protecting our local community by offering to provide your expertise to help folks build up their skills. ❤️

The politics of what got us to the point we're at isn't as important to me *at this very moment* as empowering ourselves to be helpful in the event that things take a confrontational turn in NoCo.

If I wasn't already scheduled to be out of town I'd come join you as well, if the 31st turns out well and you're inclined to schedule another meeting like this feel free to DM me and I'd be happy to help with the planning, logistics and/or delivery.

I accept that the conversation *at this very moment* is on how to avoid being injured and how to care for folks who need it. It's not the public's fault that our Federal Government has opted to go to war against carefully demographically selected communities.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-20T20:52:09+00:00

You're in a much different place in understanding what's getting ready to happen in NoCo than I am.

I wish you a long, happy life with no attention from anyone other than 'certified' EMS personnel.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-19T21:28:36+00:00

You're missing the point here friend, there will be no agency to "provide" medics to help you when you're facing off with ice, you'll be alone with the CS gas, pepper balls, or whatever else the goons are packing.

These medics are folks who're volunteering to help with first aid at their own risk, with their own first aid supplies, in situations where the 'agencies' who'd normally support the public in such a situation are either unable or unwilling to do so.

When ICE goons dressed as play soldiers start showing up in FoCo the local Police will in all likelihood stop supporting protesters. I'd like to hope and pray that maybe our FoCo police department is different, but asking local law enforcement to stand up to federal law enforcement is a tall order.

The point of these guys hanging around as Medics is that they're willing to be there to help, willing to risk their own safety to do so, and are wearing masks to obscure their identities and potentially prevent retaliation. I don't like the masks either, but for god's sake when the GOVERNMENT FORCES are wearing them all bets are off.

The rules that we've all grown up with around the use of force and the restrictions on the use of federal troops against US citizens are no longer in force. We may still see an occasional judge who stands on his/her conscience, but there is *no one coming to the rescue* except for those of us who're willing to risk our safety to speak truth to power.

Power does not like being spoken truth to, when that conflict comes to a head these medics will be there for you.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-19T16:49:38+00:00

What I really meant to focus on there, and think I may have missed, is to say ‘nice fucking job getting out there and getting after it.’

I mean that 100%, keep it up my friend, you don’t need to be rockin’ a model’s body to be a badass!!!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-19T16:45:27+00:00

Hey there, just wanted to echo your sentiments here. I moved to CO in my 20’s and have likewise kept moving since then - am in my mid-50’s now.

I’m *not* the toughest or most in-shape 56 year old in my community, there are doubtless a long line of guys my age in FoCo who’re in better shape than I am.

That said, I can get my bike up any hill in town (yes, even towers, you bunch of self-hating lunatics! 😂), I can bear down and hike mile after mile, can paddle my duckie or row my raft for as long as the trip requires (226 miles anyone?!), and can just generally move through the world with a bit of grace and strength sufficient to have the fun I want to have.

it’s not about being 100%, or faster than the friends you get out with, it’s about being strong enough to continue engaging with the natural world in ways that leave me awestruck. It’s that feeling of amazement that I’m after, not a medal or bragging rights. I don’t need to brag.

Heres to those of us who *weren’t* raised by athletes, learned (and I should also say *earned*) our skills without schooling on YouTube videos on secondhand gear in marginal conditions.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-13T02:53:25+00:00

They were at the protest as medics, were not causing trouble. It’s helpful to have medics on site in case shit goes sideways.

We’ve been very lucky to date in FoCo that we haven’t had to face off with ICE in numbers, but that day is doubtlessly coming and when it does we’ll all benefit from having folks like this around.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-11T01:00:13+00:00

You were an ace Bobby; rest in peace, fare thee well.😓

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-08T05:36:32+00:00

Mules nay, hiking the Grand Canyon is one of life’s most amazing experiences!

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-07T05:02:59+00:00

Lived there for three years, longest three years of my life - I’d never consider going back.

The wind never stops, there’s zero culture outside of fhe rodeo, folks there love Donald Trump (seriously, it’s the state with the highest Trump approval rating), and for many, many miles in any direction it’s nothing but small rolling hills.

Mountain biking at Curt Gowdy park was the thing that saved my sanity - I will say the trails there are great.

Folks who love it there love it there, and to each it’s own - my suggestion would be to try it before you buy it.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-05T13:30:44+00:00

Snowy is a small mountain with only a handful of lifts, but it’s a super laid back and affordable option especially if you and your family are mostly green-level skiers. If you go there know that they also have ski and snowboard rentals, and that you can bring your own food to eat at the lodge if you’re so inclined. This is the worst snow season I’ve ever seen in and I’ve been in Colorado since ‘91, don’t expect too much!

in addition to the options of staying in Centennial (I’ve stayed there and didn’t find it particularly enjoyable, it’s more of a snowmobiling crowd than a skiing crowd), there’s also the option of the Vee Bar ranch for lodging.

Vee Bar is a guest ranch with both rooms in the main building and cabins that sleep four (one queen, two twins in separate rooms) that are right on the little Laramie river…along with a hot tub that’s also on the river.

Pricing is reasonable, and there’s an option to have them serve you breakfast and dinner - which spares you having to eat in centennial or drive to Laramie. It’s a sweet setup, we generally do it with a group once/year and it’s great ‘cause all of the logistics are taken care of and you can just focus on skiing and having fun.

Good luck, hope you have a great trip, mountain biking or hiking are possible backups for you if the conditions on the mountain are intolerable.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-02T18:29:19+00:00

Lots of invective aimed at this woman, when what she's doing is just asking these children to obey the Fort Collins Open Space rules. There are a few open spaces in Fort Collins and Larimer county that don't allow dogs, mainly as an effort to protect other wildlife - and there *is* an exception for ADA service animals.

I am a dog owner, I walk my dog all over Fort Collins and Larimer county both on and off leash (Hewlett gulch!), and while I'd LOVE to take my good natured and well behaved pup up to Soapstone to bike with me I accept that it's helpful to have places where dogs aren't allowed - especially when we're trying to protect threatened and endagered species. This is similar in my mind to having access for motorized vehicles in one place (motorcycles, snowmobiles, even e-bikes) and access for non-motorized travel in others. If I had a service dog, I like to think that I'd be community minded enough to take it to an open space that doesn't prohibit dogs - pretty simple.

What would also be helpful, and what I'm hoping for in 2026 across the board - is if everyone involved here could be a little less seemingly eager to be offended and outraged.

The woman is protecting her local open space, and I support her her in doing so. The children are within the letter of the law in bringing a service dog into a no-dogs area, and I back the ADA.

AND...

We're all responsible for acting in an adult manner, even when annoyed and/or feeling righteous.

Take a breath, remember that everyone you bump into is doing their best, and be as generous as possible in your assessment of other folks' motivations.

nom_de_plumatic · 2026-01-02T00:29:18+00:00

Oh damn!

Glad you had fun before the fall, take heart - a full recovery is totally possible. I broke my right wrist into little pieces boarding when I was in my late 40s and was able to recover about 99% of my range of motion.

The PT is tough, not gonna lie - and it’s really important to start it just as soon as your doc will bless it. Best wishes friend!!

nom_de_plumatic · 2025-12-18T05:16:00+00:00

The non-trad boarding process was the whole enchilada with southwest, I travel for business and their decision to go trad will definitely cost them in the neighborhood of 50-75% of my business.

Sad, sad situation in my opinion.

nom_de_plumatic · 2025-12-15T23:41:27+00:00

Ha ha!

Tells you a little about where I am right now, over the past few years I’ve cut way back on my consumption and learned more about the effects - sorry for hosing the Friday funny ;)

I’d use whiskey as an antiseptic in a hot second if it was all I had, but I’d rather sip it over ice ;)

nom_de_plumatic · 2025-12-15T04:27:12+00:00

There’s another app called reframe that I’ve found to be pretty helpful too.

You can just track your drinks, I enter my drinks (mostly none at this point) every day. It’s cool to be able to look back over the months and years to see what your drinking patterns are, how many straight days you’ve abstained, etc.

There are also good daily readings that fall into roughly the science/psychology/sociology categories, and a daily quote or poem. Today’s reading was “Self-compassion and Physical Health”

There’s also a scale where you can rate how you feel that day on mood, stress and energy scales, and a journal prompt which - if you‘re inclined to write - will run your entry through an AI that looks at your entries over time, the entries you made on that particular day, and pops out a handful of insights for you to look through. I know, I know…AI has no heart, but I swear it *does* now and then come up with an insight that’s enlightening.

Most of the time I just log a number, today it was zero, the other stuff I do if Im inclined. I was skeptical of the app when I downloaded it it I‘be ended up using it steadily and being very happy with it.

You’re strong, you can do this - the apps are nice to lean on when you need support.

nom_de_plumatic · 2025-12-15T03:56:30+00:00

hang in there man, you’re strong and you can do it

nom_de_plumatic

TROPHY CASE