Posts by Dennis Evans6

rapidstag2 said:They certainly are not 😁

I’d tell you to just take a hike: it’s time!

it looks like you were reading them in black and white too, if my memory serves me right🤔

even if it’s just one, it’s still way too much

Everyone’s running around like headless chickens trying to scrape together a living, yet somehow people still act like making $10,000 a month isn't enough to get by.

so, the pink slip ☕

Sure, if it’s got two wheels and a chain that actually turns, you’ve got a bike, but the real question is whether you’re actually getting anything decent for your money.
At the $450 price point, finding something brand new that isn't just a collection of cheap, disposable components is a losing game, so if I were you, I’d stick to Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace where you can actually get some value for your cash. 🙂
Personally, I think those bottom-of-the-barrel bikes with the 3x7 drivetrains and cheap front suspension are a total waste of money. They don't offer any real advantage over a rigid bike; you're basically just hauling extra weight around for no reason. And if you actually try to take them off-road, that budget suspension won't do much besides rattle your teeth before inevitably falling apart.
Something like this —without the front fork and with a solid 1x8 drivetrain—would be more than enough for most people. It's not much more than $167 in terms of cost difference, but on paper, it’s a way better investment.

p.s. I forgot to mention the gears. With a 3x7 setup, sure, you technically have more options, but most people don't actually bother shifting constantly. It’s a hassle to keep track of which gear you're in, so you end up riding in the middle cog about 95% of the time anyway. Plus, since most people don't maintain their bikes regularly, the derailleurs get finicky and the chains get worn out, making shifting even more of a headache. A 1x system is just much simpler for the average rider and covers all the bases you need for daily commuting.

It might be a bit much for a new rider, maybe this one if it’s got the right frame size and they’ll give you a decent discount for paying cash—though honestly, I wouldn't bank on anything fancy with those Promax mechanical brakes; you don't really expect top-tier components at that price point anyway.

Do a little digging on Marketplace, see what kind of bikes are actually out there, check out some local shops, and then just jump back into the cycling thread; someone there will definitely weigh in and help you make a call.

CO2 neutrality is nothing more than a pipe dream, at least when you look at the sheer scale of modern global civilization as it stands today—or even if we were operating on some similar level of complexity. As for actually pulling net CO2 out of the atmosphere? That’s basically a hallucination dreamt up by people who are just as delusional as those obsessed with colonizing a neighboring galaxy... but hey, there's no harm in daydreaming, I suppose.

Switching gears from the whole situation in Ukraine for a second...

What’s the deal with The Last Duel?

I haven't seen much buzz surrounding it lately—people seem to be calling it a total flop, but honestly, I thought it was pretty solid 🤷

So, they’re merging all these PDFs together, yet the PDF fans are still clinging to the old way even when there’s barely any info left on them, if anything at all?

The big bosses were against splitting up the HNL data back when it first happened—heaven knows when that was—but honestly, keeping it unified is just cleaner and easier to read than having everything scattered everywhere. I don't really care about the specifics, but I fail to see the point here; unless, of course, Anderslona is trying to save some pennies by managing fewer files?

Anthony Wright30 said:I will be heading back home in a few days, so I should have enough time during my quarantine to catch up. I have played him since I was a child, and then I started playing more seriously on the ship with colleagues during my downtime. I guess I became quite obsessed, often spending the whole day just waiting for my turn to play, haha. I am actually looking forward to continuing to sharpen my skills. Once this isolation period passes, perhaps you can join me for a game of chess.😁

We can work something out, though I wouldn't call myself much of a player; I much prefer sitting back and watching a high-level match rather than stumbling around the board myself.🙂

edit: Was Magnus actually at the top of the Premier Fantasy rankings?

brightpilot6 said:I’ve been playing my entire life, though I became absolutely obsessed once sites like Chess.com started popping up. It’s a blessing they exist, honestly, because most of my local players have pretty much hung it up. It’s such a beautiful game, even if it does trigger these intense bouts of addiction and total preoccupation.

If there’s any silver lining to this whole pandemic situation, perhaps it’s that I’ve finally managed to catch up with the new generation of players, since I didn't really know anyone outside of Magnus Carlsen before. They’re still out there competing, so there’s plenty of action to follow.

Our own American grandmaster has an excellent chess channel on YouTube (Agadmator)—it's actually one of the biggest in the world, so I highly recommend checking it out!

I was actually going to suggest this to you, Anthony Wright30, but I see brightpilot6 beat me to the punch... link to the channel

Unfortunately, because of all the pandemic lockdowns, the Candidates tournament to find the next challenger for the world title got scrapped, but Magnus is putting together this massive online tournament instead, so there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. The only downside is trying to swallow that many videos a day if you're busy, though for me, there isn't much better than sitting down with my morning coffee and working through one or two brilliant games.👍

edit: It’s a bit chaotic jumping into his channel right in the middle of the tournament, so if you want to catch the beginning of this latest run, here is the first video.

bluebison47 said:Exactly, I guess... which is why they’re pushing this four-day idea, just so people can have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off.🙏

Look, it doesn't even have to be about "holy" Sundays or whatever... any young cashier would probably want to go out on a Saturday night, but she can't because she's stuck working Sunday.

And then she can't even head out on Monday evening either.

I mean, do you really have to sign up for three consecutive days off? Does it even matter which ones?

What’s the big deal with working a four-day week? Honestly, even if we were grinding through Saturdays or Sundays, I don't think the old ladies running the local corner stores would have anything to complain about either.

I have a feeling most people hold that kind of attitude right up until the moment they actually have to pack their gear and head into the mountains, and then they'd probably find any excuse to stretch out their stay just a little bit longer.😉

Paul Martinez73 said:Splish splash... ☕

I really don't see why I should have to explain to him why the government and the City are involved in restoring the Cathedral. Anthony Jackson2 would probably just tear the whole thing down anyway...
Since a priceless national monument holds the exact same weight as some private apartment owned by Despot and Dezulovic. Apparently, Anthony Jackson2 doesn't realize that the City participates in the restoration of cultural monuments and heritage sites even when they're privately owned. He clearly hasn't grasped that the Department of Culture puts out grants every single year for the renovation of these types of buildings, regardless of whether they are state-owned or not. Public funds are used for the restoration and preservation of private properties all the time.

Look, I’m not trying to jump into your debate about the Cathedral, but since you seem to have such a firm grip on the subject, would you mind throwing out a few specific examples? Just since you clearly know they exist.

mindhunter

So, have you already eaten dinner or is that happening later? Sorry, I was out of the house and completely blanked on the fact that I could've just given you an answer right away.🤣

I’m not really sure what the scene is like around the downtown area, but I do know that Duffy's is top-tier. Especially those pâtés they serve on warm pizza crust for appetizers—honestly, I could probably live off just those for dinner.
The city is packed with a million little eateries, and while I’ve hit a few, it was all during the off-season, so I can't tell you what the vibe is like right now... The Nostromo down by the fish market is widely considered to have "the best seafood in town," but if you aren't looking for fish, go somewhere else because they are strictly a seafood joint. In this general area, there are a couple of other spots (like Hvaradin or Tinel...) that are also more about the catch of the day than anything else; some people mention the bay area as being a good spot, but I didn't find it particularly impressive.
Lucia's up on the north side of Mount Marjon is decent enough...
Anyway, I don't know, I'm hoping someone with more experience can give you a better steer. I just pulled these links from Google for you, so hopefully, you can make sense of them.😛

Fish, steak, or maybe a little bit of both? Do you want to be right in the heart of downtown, or would you prefer somewhere a bit further out where parking isn't such a nightmare? And honestly, what kind of budget are we looking at here—how much are you planning to drop per person?🙂
I’m certainly no culinary critic, but I can definitely give you a rundown of a few local spots that everyone knows by name.🤣

I mean, they were basically playing a hand using the joint Government's chips until just the other day 🤷
Since the Democratic Party actually signed off and the GOP didn't, what else were they supposed to do?