Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Michelle Palmer6 said:So, prostate issues, huh?

Ever since you stopped hanging out in the showers at the convention center, things have just been off. ☕

Paul Sanders5 said:🤣

Man, let's just wrap all this nonsense up by the end of the month already. I am so done wasting my summer on this crap.

I'm standing by and ready to go! Just send over the content you need me to work on, and I'll get started right away.

I’ve been following this discussion closely, and honestly, I have some thoughts! It feels like we’re finally getting to the heart of the matter, and I am absolutely here for it. The way everyone is weighing in is just fascinating. You see people throwing out theories left and right, and while I love the energy, we really need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It isn't just about one single factor; it's the combination of everything happening in the US right now that makes this so complex. I was reading what urbanhawk17 had to say earlier, and I have to agree—there is definitely a layer of nuance here that most people are overlooking. We can't just jump to conclusions without looking at the data! And while I know some of you are itching to settle this once and for all, let's keep things civil and thoughtful. I truly believe if we dig a little deeper, the answer will become much clearer to all of us. Let's keep the conversation going! kaže:
Ever since you stopped hanging out under the showers at the Convention Center, things just haven't been the same around here! A lot of stuff has been totally thrown off balance without you. ☕

Wait, wouldn't that just solve the whole thing?

Paul Sanders5 said:Look, I'm not talking about people whose dorms actually got trashed or something. I mean plenty of folks just decided to bail on Washington, D.C. entirely. They're heading to places that can't handle it if they actually end up getting sick. Right now, staying put at home is just the smartest move.

So if they chose to leave Washington, D.C., does that automatically make them locals? I mean, I doubt anyone born here with family nearby would ever pack up unless they absolutely had to. Usually, it's someone who already has roots elsewhere and realized that moving back home is a safer bet—especially if their job was cut and they've got nothing left to lose in the city. You see this massive exodus from dorms, apartments, and rentals; it isn't just one specific group of people leaving, it's everyone. Service workers are heading back to their hometowns because everything is shut down and they can't afford rent without a paycheck. The earthquake just sped up an inevitable process...

Personally, I’d never dream of leaving D.C. during a crisis like this, regardless of whether there are more tremors coming or health scares... everyone I care about is right here. What good is some vacation house on the coast? I'd just be sitting there alone with even more to worry about. And I know plenty of families that are split right down the middle—one parent stays here while the other heads south—so they end up divided. You don't have to be biased to see that happening after reading the news. ☕

Michelle Palmer6 said:I'm standing by and ready to go! Just send over the content you need me to work on, and I'll get started right away.

I’ve been following this discussion closely, and honestly, I have some thoughts! It feels like we’re finally getting to the heart of the matter, and I am absolutely here for it. The way everyone is weighing in is just fascinating. You see people throwing out theories left and right, and while I love the energy, we really need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It isn't just about one single factor; it's the combination of everything happening in the US right now that makes this so complex. I was reading what urbanhawk17 had to say earlier, and I have to agree—there is definitely a layer of nuance here that most people are overlooking. We can't just jump to conclusions without looking at the data! And while I know some of you are itching to settle this once and for all, let's keep things civil and thoughtful. I truly believe if we dig a little deeper, the answer will become much clearer to all of us. Let's keep the conversation going! kaže:
Ever since you stopped hanging out under the showers at the Convention Center, things just haven't been the same around here! A lot of stuff has been totally thrown off balance without you. ☕

Wait, wouldn't that just solve the whole thing?

😢

Matthew Young35 said:At the very least, the main impact hit at the most ideal moment possible.
If it had gone down just a few hours later, people would have been out on the streets, and we’d be looking at a much higher death toll.
The second the strike happened, the power cut out completely. If the shaking had coincided with total darkness, we would have seen absolute chaos.
I mean, you wouldn't even know if the room you're standing in was still intact, let alone what was happening outside.
The panic would have been exponential.

The first quake was around 6:25 AM. You're saying if it hit a few hours later there'd be dead bodies, Darkness, and zero clue what's happening outside?

Good God, when does the sun even come up in New York City? In San Francisco, you can see everything by 6 AM even without power.
And those people who supposedly would've been outside—what, camping under the roofs of drafty old buildings waiting for dawn like they usually do a few hours after 6:25 AM? Then they'd all "suddenly" die?

You're just a jerk/troll.

Had this happened any later, we would have been dealing with absolute chaos thanks to the crowds outside. On the other hand, if it had occurred any sooner, we would have been left in total Darkness, facing nothing but panic over widespread power outages.

wearywolf49 said:The first quake was around 6:25 AM. You're saying if it hit a few hours later there'd be dead bodies, Darkness, and zero clue what's happening outside?

Good God, when does the sun even come up in New York City? In San Francisco, you can see everything by 6 AM even without power.
And those people who supposedly would've been outside—what, camping under the roofs of drafty old buildings waiting for dawn like they usually do a few hours after 6:25 AM? Then they'd all "suddenly" die?

You're just a jerk/troll.

It would have been pure Darkness if it had happened a few hours earlier, say at 4:00 AM. No electricity, just total Darkness.
Perhaps I phrased it clumsily, but my intent should be clear from the context.

If it had happened a few hours later, say around 9:00 or 10:00 AM, there would have been plenty of people out on the streets. There were damn near endless chimneys and roof tiles falling from buildings. In my own yard, about 300 to 400 pounds of bricks fell from one side of the building, and just as much from the other. Is there any chance someone could survive being hit by that?
Everything happens in a matter of seconds; it’s hard to imagine there wouldn't have been people who simply didn't have time to take cover.

I truly don't see why I'm being labeled a bad person just for stating that, given the circumstances, it happened at the least catastrophic time possible.
How you see trolling in that, I have no idea. It's just you.

I was seriously looking forward to this spring—had some huge plans lined up too—and then this damn flood hits out of nowhere. Most importantly, everyone stays safe and healthy, because everything else can be replaced... But over here, they’ve slapped us with total lockdowns, so nothing’s open except grocery stores.

I don't know how you guys are handling this, but I'm a total workaholic—it's a curse—and I can't stand these restrictions on personal freedom. Honestly, the psychosis from being stuck inside is going to kill me long before the virus does.

As someone who lives and breathes control, there’s nothing quite as suffocating as the realization that I have zero influence over my own circumstances or how I navigate my life.

If the pandemic hadn't already pushed me to the edge, this morning felt like having a heavy concrete slab dropped right around my neck. Doesn't it just make you feel like a tiny, insignificant worm, waiting to see if some unconscious boot decides whether or not to crush you?

Paul Sanders5 said:Nah, after that earthquake hit Athens, they actually started taking construction seriously. On paper, all these buildings should be able to withstand an eighth or even a ninth magnitude tremor.

Man, that was wild. It’s honestly fascinating how dogs just sense it coming—that raw animal instinct is 🙏

Some people feel it too—usually those who are already struggling.

A colleague of mine has a brother with cerebral palsy who's basically immobile, and he told her he was up at four in the morning, crying and begging her to stay by his side...

The biggest rule-breakers when it comes to staying home to stop the spread are those people walking their dogs. They're all over the streets. It’s not like we didn't see this coming ☕
...

Michelle Palmer6 said:The wind just picked up, and honestly? It’s the perfect setup for a massive bonfire!

You asked, you received. ☕

It's still way too cold for locusts; maybe in two weeks or so...

It’s already getting chaotic.

But hey, at least there's no real damage—besides, those islands are absolutely packed with New Yorkers right now anyway.🤷

Joseph Clark37 said:The biggest rule-breakers when it comes to staying home to stop the spread are those people walking their dogs. They're all over the streets. It’s not like we didn't see this coming ☕
...

There’s one guy near my place who went on a marathon today, walking his dog thirty times. I’ve honestly never seen him out with the dog before; it’s always the kids doing the walking. They usually stop to chat for a bit, let the dogs play, then head back. But hey, typical American behavior...

A friend of mine over in Dojc tells me the situation there is eerie—nobody is out on the streets at all, he said it looks like Twilight. You just see police patrols driving by, and if they spot anyone, they immediately go check their IDs. The only people you see are folks carrying grocery bags from the local market, and that’s about it. People are actually following the rules, even though you're technically allowed to get some exercise near your house, like taking a walk at a safe distance or running a lap...

He works for a construction firm where everyone is an immigrant, and he says despite everything management tells them about following the protocols, nobody gives a damn. They act like they’re invincible, thinking a little whiskey makes them immune to a virus or whatever. Now they'll probably end up shutting down the whole job site because leadership realizes they're just talking to a brick wall when it comes to safety rules during the lockdown...

Jokes aside, the worst group of people right now—especially when we all need to maintain distance—are parents letting their kids run around outside, constantly bothering others and buzzing around like flies. Instead of teaching their children how to behave properly during this period, they honestly couldn't care less. Not everyone is like that, but I've seen far too many examples. Regarding those construction workers you mentioned... there are plenty of them out there. Just ignorant, stubborn people who refuse to listen to reason.

P. S. Larry Fox5? How is your dog handling this crisis now that he can't go to restaurants anymore? 🕺

Larry Fox5 said:I was seriously looking forward to this spring—had some huge plans lined up too—and then this damn flood hits out of nowhere. Most importantly, everyone stays safe and healthy, because everything else can be replaced... But over here, they’ve slapped us with total lockdowns, so nothing’s open except grocery stores.

I don't know how you guys are handling this, but I'm a total workaholic—it's a curse—and I can't stand these restrictions on personal freedom. Honestly, the psychosis from being stuck inside is going to kill me long before the virus does.

Ugh. I had this whole thing mapped out for the summer—flying out to see a healer for some ritual work I’ve been putting off forever. I was planning to time it perfectly with a three-month medical leave, just so I could finally sit down and properly obsess over a major soccer tournament, then head off for a laid-back trip through the Baltics. No stress, no responsibilities, just pure freedom.
At the end of the day, it’s all going to boil down to playing bunker.

Of course, that’s all a very minor issue.

Michelle Palmer6 said:I'm standing by and ready to go! Just send over the content you need me to work on, and I'll get started right away.

I’ve been following this discussion closely, and honestly, I have some thoughts! It feels like we’re finally getting to the heart of the matter, and I am absolutely here for it. The way everyone is weighing in is just fascinating. You see people throwing out theories left and right, and while I love the energy, we really need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It isn't just about one single factor; it's the combination of everything happening in the US right now that makes this so complex. I was reading what urbanhawk17 had to say earlier, and I have to agree—there is definitely a layer of nuance here that most people are overlooking. We can't just jump to conclusions without looking at the data! And while I know some of you are itching to settle this once and for all, let's keep things civil and thoughtful. I truly believe if we dig a little deeper, the answer will become much clearer to all of us. Let's keep the conversation going! kaže:
Ever since you stopped hanging out under the showers at the Convention Center, things just haven't been the same around here! A lot of stuff has been totally thrown off balance without you. ☕

Wait, wouldn't that just solve the whole thing?

I’m thinking about finally starting to track the water levels on the Mississippi River, but honestly, I think I’ll wait until things stop being such a disaster. Just not ready for that headache yet.

Joseph Clark37 said:Jokes aside, the worst group of people right now—especially when we all need to maintain distance—are parents letting their kids run around outside, constantly bothering others and buzzing around like flies. Instead of teaching their children how to behave properly during this period, they honestly couldn't care less. Not everyone is like that, but I've seen far too many examples. Regarding those construction workers you mentioned... there are plenty of them out there. Just ignorant, stubborn people who refuse to listen to reason.

P. S. Larry Fox5? How is your dog handling this crisis now that he can't go to restaurants anymore? 🕺

Man, I’ve completely lost my mind... Woke up this morning, headed out the door, and realized my car was just gone. Called the FBI to report the theft... what a disaster...
So I drag myself all the way to the police station—after an hour of dealing with their paperwork and nonsense—only to realize I left the damn thing somewhere else yesterday... so I just walked all the way back home empty-handed...

So now some cop is telling me they haven't had any car thefts in years—which is totally sketchy—because apparently all the new cars have GPS tracking and remote locks built in... what a joke...

I’m struggling with all of this too. That’s why I’m so angry. Life has ground to a halt because of some virus that’s harmless to 90% of the population, just like plenty of other things that don't cause the world to stop.

Managed to sneak onto Manhattan for work
A quick word on these travel bans
We received some official confirmation that the ExxonMobil terminal and the Zlobin - Omišalj pipeline are considered projects of national importance
And just like that—we’re stuck in this base of 120 people perched on a hill—construction crews, cleaners, welders, engineers, managers, mechanics, NDT techs... folks from all over the US. Official vans packed with eight people each, trucks with six, cars with three...
I'm looking at this permit I got for my car, and there isn't a single stamp from a Civilian agency or the FBI or anything like that.
Either the contractors are greasing some palms, or it's just a massive oversight.
They call this a "national" ExxonMobil project, yet they openly admit they have an interest in 20% of the terminal's capacity.
What happens if they shut down travel? I'll be trapped in damn Njivica—especially if someone catches a cough, we'll all end up in quarantine because of the greed and stupidity of a few individuals.
Whether the country is actually functioning or not, this is sheer idiocy.
It's a miracle how Ahmetovićka puts up with us—you'd think she would have lost it by now, seeing about 150 people gathered on this hill every single morning in what feels like a labor camp.

Paul Martinez73, look, we don't see eye to eye on some big-picture stuff, but man, the way you break things down and just tear through this topic... I gotta give it to you, 🙏 Kenek is an old joke, but the kid is killing it. It's actually a blast reading this. Cirque du Soleil better watch their back because there's serious competition coming 🤣