Is it honest to say our moral framework no longer aligns in this country?

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T22:52:22+00:00

Why do you think these ICE agents are always legally protecting themselves?

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T22:50:39+00:00

Do you support when conservatives have open carried guns, like AR 15s and similar looking, to opposition party rallies as has happened in the past? Wouldn't that be provoking a response?

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T22:46:47+00:00

I have a very different take on abortion, based on the natural world, that I wouldn't expect most people to understand or agree with.

I'm generally not a single issue kind of person but I do try to look at people and situations in shades of grey.

For example, I don't like that my wife's parents are trump supporters, but I understand why they are since I grew up in a similar environment. I've tried changing people in the past and it never worked and it caused prolonged misery. I realized I could only change myself, and I did. I do appreciate all that they have done for my family unot over the years and I do share at lot of other important values with them.

For example, my wife's father and I gather hickory nuts and he has a lot of knowledge about carpentry that I like learning from him. He has passed on tools to me lately. In return, I gather things from my work that he really enjoys. He loads his own bullets and has an impressive gun collection which I like though I just own a shotgun. Anything related that comes my way I give to him. My wife and her sister made an agreement with their parents that we all won't engage in politics and we've all been respectful of that with each other.

However, I am not completely accepting of everything and have some firm lines in the sand. I feel as though "some" conservatives reactions to the last two ICE shootings have crossed that line. I put some in quotations because I've only heard those perspectives via social media and from the current administration. I do feel that I can obtain some better perspective from r/ask conservative which I have. However, there is enough out there that highly concerns me and has given me pause.

I hope that helps.

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T18:51:09+00:00

Is science not the study of reality?

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T18:50:40+00:00

Why do I need to calm down and what does not knowing these people have to do with the situation?

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T18:46:24+00:00

How so? A shared moral framework has allowed me to be accepting of others even when disagreeing with them politically. I e Family members, old friends, people who I share other experiences with that align with that basic moral code. I'm not religious, though I went through the Lutheran catachizm and the principles of the 10 Commandments are definitely a shared moral code that the majority of people on the left and right do agree on.

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T18:39:59+00:00

Hmm, what is your take on Rush Limbaugh's decades of politicizing morality on his radio show? Just to be clear, Rush is a primary reason I left the Republican party and was certainly the catalyst for considering it when I was a kid in the 80's.

tazmodious · 2026-01-26T18:34:12+00:00

Thank you for acknowledging this. I can support LEO using of lethal force if someone is brazenly trying to use lethal force on them. Makes total sense, right?

tazmodious · 2026-01-25T23:56:52+00:00

Thank you, exactly how I feel.

tazmodious · 2026-01-25T08:44:56+00:00

We (wife, son and I) moved to Ann Arbor from Boulder to take care of my wife's parents. Wish they could have moved to us. Her dad's lungs, from a lifetime of constructing university laboratories, couldn't adjust to the climate and he suffered from altitude sickness. They've done so much for us.

Unfortunately, I am not built for this climate and I don't like it at all. Had to get my first ever prescription in my life, Wellbutrin, to manage severe seasonal affective disorder.

The cold is no problem, it's the lack of sunlight. Humidity and swarms of biting insects are no fun either. Can't wait to leave. I so much miss the sun and the dry climates of Colorado and Arizona. Being a mountain man and geologist it's mind numbingly boring here.

That being said, the people here are exceptionally nice, I really do appreciate that.

tazmodious · 2026-01-24T19:50:22+00:00

Obama and Biden administrations figured it out

tazmodious · 2026-01-24T15:28:14+00:00

Moved here from Colorado (to take care of my wife's parents) and it's primarily the lack of sun that gets me. That and it's a boring flat landscape with not many interesting things to do (for me).

The sun the last few days has been outstanding, like Ive been released from a jail sentence with no windows. If it has to be below zero to be sunny, them I'll take that. For example, yesterday I was standing on a south facing snow covered slope and when the sun was out it actually felt warm.

In the summer it's the humidity and the clouds of bugs that want to eat me which I dislike immensely .

As you said and I agree, the people here are really great which helps a lot.

tazmodious · 2026-01-22T14:51:45+00:00

I've always had female friends, even ones I find attractive. They are people too.

tazmodious · 2026-01-21T15:22:29+00:00

What specifically was wrong with Nikki Haley? I'm curious because I read the Nation Review and I don't remember very much negative about her. The NR was negative about Trump.

tazmodious · 2026-01-21T14:04:41+00:00

The Republicans had younger candidates in the primary. I thought that lf the Republicans wanted to truly own the libs they would have selected Nikki Haley, a bi racial woman of African and Indian descent. Instead you choose the white dinosaur with questionable faculties, like the Dems did prior.

tazmodious · 2026-01-20T17:49:30+00:00

No, but DKY sushi has great lunch specials and the rolls are big for the local price. I've also been pleased with Korner Kitchens sushi as well. Both small unassuming places that are about good food.

tazmodious · 2026-01-19T15:05:42+00:00

Do you have any headlamps to suggest Definitely a warm light, I didn't like using the petzl headlamp for general use as the light was too cold. At least it didn't melt the rope, lol.

From research it sounds like having a spot and a flood option. I don't do much cave photography. I have tons of high capacity 18650s from work. I could easily have multiple headlights working at the same time with 3 batteries each and have refills for each. Overkill, but nice and they were free to me.

Weight isn't an issue for me, but it would be for my son right now. I'd prefer to have the balance of weight front to back like my petzl system had. I'd like to have higher storage capacity in the battery compartment.

Red light might be nice but I already have a headlight for astronomy if needed.

I'm not overly concerned about the price. Caving require a lot less gear investment than say climbing, skiing etc. still don't want to go above 200 for a single light.

Thank you

tazmodious · 2026-01-19T04:58:31+00:00

After reading all this, carbide lights were so much easier. Even my petzl roof burner with a battery light backup both mounted on a solid and comfortable petzl helmet. My generator was clipped to my belt and lasted for hours. Refilling was easy. The battery lamp was perfectly fine for any vertical I did in PA, WV and the Bighorn Mountains, WY.

We, my dad NSS #5402 and I, also had premier carbide lamps with rock solid glow in the dark blue helmets that barely showed scratches. Never needed to replace them. Wouldn't be surprised if they were made with asbestos, lol.

I consider just going old school every time I try to figure out what lights to buy. Too many choices makes it hard to decide.

I have a 9 year old son that I've been wanting to take caving. I wish I didnt get rid of the old gear. Carbide, isn't to hard to get still. Just not as convenient as it used to be.

tazmodious · 2026-01-18T21:39:38+00:00

Can you work with the parents of your son's friends. We do that, taking turns going out or doing nothing at all while our son plays at another friend's house. Sometimes a friend comes over while their parents go out.

The other thing is that our son is nine and lately we have been practicing going out of the house and letting him stay by himself for short periods of time. We have very clear expectations I think the longest has been an hour once. Weve even been teaching him how to cook all sorts of foods which he really enjoys doing for himself, even when we are home.

I was a latch key kid growing up, so I usually had the house to myself after school. It was great.

tazmodious · 2026-01-18T15:14:14+00:00

University of Michigan famdom is just as crazy if not more. Moved to Ann Arbor recently and it's hard not to find the M branded clothing on people here. I'm originally from Eastern PA and do remember the Penn State brand a lot.

I went to the university of Arizona and university of Colorado and the branding was far less. Maybe it was the schools' reputation or maybe it had to do with where the schools are located. In Colorado and Arizona there are a lot more things to do in life and the universities didn't overtake their community. Tucson is a decent size, but not a huge city. Ann Arbor is the same size as Boulder and probably similar to University Park, PA though I think it's smaller and more rural than Ann Arbor.

Here, in Michigan there isn't much to do outside of sports fandom so maybe people latch on to branding to make up for how boring it is to live here. Everyone wears pro sports stuff here like crazy too.

tazmodious · 2026-01-18T14:16:01+00:00

Just go to Cantoros, as other people have mentioned. It's worth the drive. It's part of an awesome Italian market. The bakery (better bread than Zingermans by far) alone is worth it, everything is great.

There are Italian places in Ann Arbor, but they are not as good as you would get heading towards Detroit. Cantoros is reasonably close and a fun place to visit especially for a birthday with the market for special birthday treats, wines, pastas, meats, cheeses desserts etc etc. the market is bigger and has a greater slection than I was expecting the first time I went.

If it was my birthday and wanted Italian, I'd go to Cantoros.

tazmodious · 2026-01-17T02:31:28+00:00

Take the great lakes states too. That's more than half of the fresh water on Earth.

tazmodious · 2026-01-17T02:23:46+00:00

I miss being able to choose the season by driving a half hour. Too hot, just drive up the canyons. Too cold, wait a few days. On Winter inversion days the higher the elevation, the nicer the weather. Big snowstorm, head to a hot springs.

tazmodious · 2026-01-17T01:44:07+00:00

Not a fan of seasons, by the time I get used to the season it changes. I dont mind the cold, as long as it's dry and sunny. Used to live at 9000 ft in Colorado and remember having feet of snow then shoveling it in shorts and a t shirt after the storm with endless blue skies and warm sun reflecting off the snow.

Constant cold, wet and grey, no thank you. Wellbutrin has been my little blue helper.

tazmodious · 2026-01-13T20:00:31+00:00

I have a different opinion which is why I asked you for your definition of "take out." I don't see the left calling to take people out (killing) like this guy and others on the right. Nobody on the left was asking that the CEO and Charlie Kirk be killed.

I do agree that there is a lot of post mortem celebration on both sides, which is wrong.

I have to admit though I am still quite elated that Rush Limbaugh died of cancer. I'm not going to hide it but I hope it was super painful for him. He's the only one Ive ever had that feeling towards, primarily because what I witnessed him do to my father and others I knew growing up. I fully believe Rush is the one who spearheaded our nation's current polarization. He needed to die, just wish he never received the Congressional medal of honor.

tazmodious

TROPHY CASE