Budget coffee chat... first cup's on the house!

Rachel Palmer56 said:pioneer small Quote🎉

You're basically the only one here I actually enjoy talking to.🤣🙂

Of course—Tito stays in our hearts, both yours and mine.😳

Drew Lee9 said:obviously, Tito lives on in both of us😳

🤣man, Tito was just a small-town guy from the countryside like our Miji😳

imagine all those legends coming out of a small town in USA😵

Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with this whole socialist nostalgia thing?
I mean, look, it’s not Labor Day, it’s not Veterans Day, and it’s definitely not some major national anniversary.
I used to always make sure I wasn't caught mid-stride when that siren goes off at 3:05 PM, just so I wouldn't end up standing there looking foolish on the sidewalk. But honestly... it feels kind of wrong not to just stop when the sound hits and everyone else freezes.
I remember being on vacation in Turkey once, by the ocean, and they have those periodic calls to prayer that blast from the mosque speakers. Everyone just stops. Even cars pull over. And what am I supposed to do? If I was walking, I’d just stop too.
I figured it was the respectful thing to do for the locals, even if most of the tourists completely ignored it.
Anyway, I’ve always felt like I get along best with both sides of the political aisle here—it’s a different kind of tension than what you see elsewhere. But let's not get too deep into the weeds.
Cheers... though this beer is a little lukewarm, lady.

Good evening,👋

edit: I come from an American partisan lineage, though I've since changed my tune.

Good evening

Why the outfit change, Epi? My first thought was the old man and the ocean. 😳

Where exactly are you seeing an old man here? You can barely make out a face in this shot, let alone any details.. There isn't even a hint of those massive fish he uses to brag about for 150 pages
This looks more like some 19th-century Catholic monk

I can't see that far ahead, but with that beard and hat, he gives off a bit of an old man vibe, and the old man always looks toward the coast.
A monk, you say? You thinking about getting hitched?😳

I wouldn't say I'm feeling it, but it's not like that inner calling isn't there somewhere.

I actually found myself in a small town in USA about six or seven years ago
It wasn't exactly my choice, but that was just how the schedule turned out for us
I think I was probably the only visitor there who didn't pose for one of those cheesy photos where you stick your head through a cutout, looking like some local farmer in traditional gear or whatever else they had going on..
A pretty decent way to wrap up my cycling trip

Could you explain how a draft notice actually happens if you aren't planning on going? Or is the plan to just resist the call? Also, what exactly triggers a draft in the first place?

velveteagle8 said:I was in a Small town in USA about 6 or 7 years ago.
It wasn't exactly my choice, but that was the itinerary they laid out for us.
I think I'm the only one who didn't pose for that photo where you stick your head through a hole while looking like some rural farmer in traditional gear... or whatever that was.
A fitting end to a cycling trip.

Why didn't you take a picture? That's just being a Titoist at heart.😲

My grandfather was actually part of the National Guard, and once the administration changed and they took power, he ended up receiving a pension from them. He was originally from a small town in the Midwest.😍

Chloe Cooper10 said:Could you explain how one can feel called if they don't actually intend to answer? Or would you just resist the call? And what exactly triggers that feeling of being called?

Just because something calls to you doesn't mean you have to go running after it.
The cause?
I'm not entirely sure... some things just hit you with this timeless, unsettling intoxication—this sudden sense of purpose. It’s an feeling that calls to you, demanding you surrender your entire being to it.
And then your phone rings and an automated voice tells you that you missed last month's credit card payment.

Chloe Cooper10 said:Why didn't you take a photo? That would have been total Tito-worship. 😲

I didn't really take photos of myself; I was more focused on the scenery.
I'm not some die-hard follower, but I’ve always had this soft spot for the 70s and 80s, and by extension, the old days in the South... It's more of a general nostalgia for the era rather than any political or administrative thing.

velveteagle8 said:Just because something calls to you doesn't mean you have to answer.
The cause?
I'm not sure... sometimes certain things stir up that timeless, unsettling intoxication—that sense of purpose. It’s a feeling that beckons you to surrender your entire being to it.
Then the phone rings, and an automated voice tells you that you missed last month's utility bill.

Honestly, I’d prefer the phone call. A wizard's robe just doesn't pair well with a guitar. 😳

And this stupid forum is lagging again.

@ironcobra13, my grandad was in the National Guard, and my grandma used to tell me how he'd hide out in the barn. Not sure how much that's relevant here. 🤣

Chloe Cooper10 said:And honestly, I’d rather have my phone ring mid-song; wearing a heavy robe while playing guitar just feels off. 😳

The forum is being glitchy too.

@ironcobra13, my grandpa was also in the National Guard, and my grandma used to tell me how he’d hide out in the barn. Not sure how much that actually matters here. 🤣

Anyway... skip ahead to the 50-second mark if you want to bypass the intro.

velveteagle8 said:Look, if the intro isn't your thing, just skip to the 50-second mark.

🙏🙏🙏
Will you still love me when you go visit Dimitri? 🕺

Goodnight, Epi. 🙂

Chloe Cooper10, I’m honestly not sure how much you know about the whole history of the Home Guard during World War II.
I really don't want to come off as a know-it-all here.
But, to put it briefly, they were fighting against the resistance fighters.
When the war finally wound down, they retreated toward Austria. Though, for what it's worth, maybe your grandfather didn't actually retreat to Austria—he might have just been hiding out in an attic somewhere.
That's my take on things, anyway. I mean, there’s probably a definitive historical version out there somewhere.
Tile executed a massive number of Home Guard soldiers after capturing them at the end of the war.
My grandfather somehow managed to survive, but I doubt it was easy.
I suppose they weren't necessarily hunting down every single regular soldier; maybe they were mostly targeting the officers with the fancy insignia on their shoulders.😉