Update for Everyone V: Born Under A Bad Sign

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I've gotten my second new phone in as many months. Why doesn't anything ever work?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I got into a screaming match at work with an Emory student about the upper middle class and their politics. Eventually it devolved into her holding her hand in my face and shouting "HILLBILLY" every time I tried to start a sentence. This is the first time I've ever been tempted to take a swing at someone during a political discussion.

Woo-wee, go git 'er Jambalaya Jethro. Riches get stitches. Bougies become Ref-ugees.

I'm totally stealing this

Smilo becomes the first Atlas poster to make me laugh out loud in 2017 via post. The forum's getting funnier these days with the likes of Smilo, Crabcake, Virginia, and Cathcon around. 

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

My best friend, who is a lesbian (or says she is), is now dating a friend of mine (a guy), who apparently broke up with another female friend of mine, because she wanted to be with someone else. Ugh.

What is the problem here?

It's just really strange feeling, she changed her sexuality, etc. and I have to deal with the relationship's consequences.

Yeah, it is her lifestyle choice.

Like being a dork is yours?

My smoking habit is a lifestyle choice and you have to respect it.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I've been drinking since noon. What a great day to be American!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

So I was just involved in something of an altercation with a Trump supporter at the women's March in Seattle. He was shouting abuse into the crowd, so I grabbed his sign trying act "all in good fun" (admittedly not the least childish thing I could have done) at which point he tackled me and slammed me into the ground. Some of the other protesters pulled him off me and made sure we we're both alright. Just goes to show that it's us white dudes who continue to be the problem and the women were the sane ones throughout the situation.

I like you, but you had that coming. That's just the truth. He had no right to literally do harm unto you but that's about par for the course. Violence begets violence.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Speaking of very left-wing people, I was the victim of road-rage again. Some girl probably twice my weight in a Honda cut me off as I tried to change lanes, remained next to me for some time (forcing the guy behind her to repeatedly honk since she slowed down considerably) which prevented me from merging, and repeatedly yelled at me. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but the words "fuck Trump" and "asshole" were uttered hysterically, and the universal gesture was given. I briefly was so enraged that I considered chucking my half-smoked cigarette into her car, but I'd rather not have a felony road-rage conviction over a desire to burn a small hole in her empty passenger seat's upholstery.

The girl looked sorta like this girl who I went to elementary and middle school with. Her mom was my second grade teacher and she was always a very active liberal who likes to pick fights on Facebook. I had to remove her after the election, in fact. It wasn't her-I'm pretty sure she's in DC-but this girl looked exactly like her (which isn't good, not that I'm really in any place to judge anyone's looks myself).

It's one thing to tear up a sign like Crumpets did (which didn't really warrant the body-slam, but that was to be expected) at a public protest where tensions are expected and already high. It's a completely other thing to pick a fight on the freaking road with a vehicle. This is getting out of hand.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I partied hard this last weekend from Thursday night all the way until Sunday morning for obvious reasons, and the very thought of being drunk right now almost makes me ill .

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm booked up and paid for the USA in March. I am struggling right now as I don't think I can visit in good conscience.

Maybe your visa will be cancelled for being a Scottish terrorist seeking to dismember the UK. It would make as much sense as anything else Trump's done so far with immigration.

Apparently when I renew my waiver I might be subject to hand over details concerning my social media. Even my own government hasn't asked for that and I work for them.

Are you Libyan or something? If you are I'd be the first I've heard of it. Otherwise you should be more or less totally unmolested besides the usual creeps at the TSA line.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Don't worry guys, thanks to being on one of my off days, I did NOT get caught in the Anti-Milo crossfire.

Can still hear the helicopters outside....

STILL?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Generic update for everyone else update: I'm seeing my school's shrink because I'm starting to crack. Maybe President Trump was right. Maybe I can't take this much winning perhaps?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm going to Florida next week!

Where in Flarda?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm going to Florida next week!

Where in Flarda?

Fort Myers and we will be making stop in the Alligator Alley, the Keys and maybe Miami.

Fort Myers is pretty cool. It's on the Gulf of Mexico so the beaches are more relaxed and tranquil. I only went their once. I think it was the weekend that Saddam got sentenced to hang IIRC.

The Keys are probably nice this time of year. I only went once to Islomarada in July '11 with my family. We stayed at this decrepit, run down "resort" in the worst heat I've ever felt in my life, extreme even for Florida. It had to be like 110 finksing degrees. The AC in the room didn't work, the TV had fifteen channels, and the beach attached to the resort was dirty and plagued by piping hot sand. All my brother and I could do was fish at this nearby canal for hours on end. One day we tried going to Key West but my mom got drunk and my autistic brother began to have a meltdown, so we had to go back. We ended up checking out early and going home, but halfway to Miami we had to turn around because we forgot my dad's favorite pillow.

But the Keys are still cool. I hope you like being around a ton of drunks. 80% of the people in Key West are inebriated at any given time, stumbling up the streets in their Hawaiian shirts, their breath smelling of lime and Patron. But there is a pretty cool Fort there that is haunted-my Aunt swears she had a ghost encounter there once, and you can get a chocolate covered frozen key lime pie on a stick supposedly according to my cousin, who I know is quite fond of such things.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm in Florida next month. Still need to flesh it out.

Florida isn't really all that bad, unless you visit Orlando, in which case you'll probably leave thinking its way worse.

You said you were going to St. Augustine right? Definitely check out the Castillo San Marcos. I went when I was ten. They had reenactors from the British era. I remember I asked one who was huddled in a corner if he was a Hessian, which he was. He was smoking a cigarette and gave me a lecture on why I should not smoke. I was thoroughly disappointed; age ten was the peak of my interest in Redcoats and the British monarchy of the Georgian era. I owe it all to Age of Empires III.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The winds are bad out here. This weekend, a wildfire on Route 60 destroyed much of the hunting club that my Aunt and Uncle have a very small campsite in. It looked like an atom bomb went off. Heavily forested or swampy back roads and ATV trails are now piles of ash, with burnt, smoldering stubs sticking out here and there. There wasn't even much rubble. The fire burned so strong that even the skeletons of the various campers, trailers, RVs, and shacks didn't survive. It's just a beach of smoldering, sandy ash from what my Aunt said, aside from the burnt up car here or there.

The fire wiped about 40% of the place out, but it stopped about a mile from them. They literally just built it after years of saving up for it. The worst part is that my Uncle's mother and sister were going to come down from WV for their first vacation since the floods up there, and they flew down here this weekend only to find that their intended destination was in the path of the flames. Pretty devastating fire, though. Commissioner Putnam was out there to survey the damage.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I make a point in making sure I'm never without cigarettes. I buy a pack before they close even if I have three or four left just to ensure if I get stuck up all night I won't be going crazy from nicotine deprivation at least.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Antonio, thanks to you I'm enjoy smoking even more /brtd

👍

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If someone's life is bad enough that they smoke, making them feel bad isn't going to improve things.

You don't have to smoke tobacco to feel good.  Just go with good old fashioned reefer.

Ability to treat the two interchangeably is dependent on lifestyle and structure. If you're trying to be productive at 2 AM, better to not be useless.

Yeah like seriously, coming from someone who smokes both weed and cigarettes (far less than I used to), they really aren't the same thing. Marijuana only impedes my ability to get sh*t done, whereas cigs help immensely. Thankfully though I've mostly replaced tobacco with the vape train, and don't feel the urge for a cigarette nearly as often.

See, Vape just doesn't do anything for me.

Things are beginning to look up, but due to my history with good times in my life, I'm expecting something terrible happening at any moment.

I'm the exact same way. People tell me that such thinking is unhealthy, but that advice is really unhelpful when the good times quit being so good.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I've figured it. Just like the urban legend about women and their coworkers who end up on the same cycle in an office, so are Atlas posters with their mental health. Notice that Carl's spirits are lifting a bit at the same time as mine.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

BTW Peebs, I was thinking about you today. Hope everything goes well when they read that email-you know Atlas has got your back.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

25,000th post in just over six years. Could be worse I guess. I could have 50,000.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm going to see Willie fucking Nelson on Wednesday!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I'm going to see Willie fucking Nelson on Wednesday!

Awesome!

I saw him play once live in the Bay Area California, and it was an amazing show----

Some of these legends aren't getting any younger and hope you have a great time at the show.

Yeah I've seen Bob Dylan three times but other than that I have very little concert experience so I'm stoked. I saw five minutes of Bob Weir once, and have also seen Jorma, Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Rogers, and John Anderson before but never anything huge. My biggest regret is missing out on Levon Helm.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Turned 18 and went to my local Democratic precinct meeting. Apparently turnout is way up across the whole county (2.5 to 5 times last years numbers). Got myself elected 2nd Vice-Chair and delegate to the county convention and got one of my resolutions to the county convention as well. Just need to make sure I can articulate what the resolution actually entails so I don't have over 50% of people abstaining again because they can't figure it out what it's about.

Congrats! Good luck with your fight (not too much luck lol); none the less you'll have fun!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

JoeRepublic is a radically anti-circumcision liberal IIRC.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I ran into my literature professor at the Willie Nelson concert. She reminded me I had a midterm tomorrow. Willie started strong but there was a serious lull in the middle. At one point the crowds idle chat was louder than Willie. I was almost borderline pissed to be honest-it seemed disrespectful, though I must admit even I was tuning out too. Willie would sing out lyrics to a crowd, but no one would shout back. There were literally extended dead silence, but none the less he got his groove back and the crowd was soon eating out of his hands.