Hi.

Do you like going to concerts?

Linking Park played three hundred and twenty four concerts in 2001 alone!

Yea, I'd love to have went to the 1972 Deep Purple concert that was the loudest ever

Deep Purple?

Never heard of them.

Although in 1972 Pink Floyd recorded a concert at an ancient roman amphitheater in France!

You probably heard Deep Purple's song Smoke on the Water, it does has one of the most famous riffs in rock

Oh yeah I know that one thanks for reminding me lol.

There is also an ancient roman amphitheater in Croatia too!

The amphitheaters sound like a great place to listen to concerts although they are probably uncomfortable to sit in

Yeah I think I would prefer to stand honestly.

Hopeful Creed will never play at one!

I'd rather listen to the High Frequency concert Lou Reed did for dogs than Creed

Haha that is hilarious.

You must agree with those people who sued them for such a lousy concert than!

Yea, I'd rather listen to Abba, too bad they turned down 1 billion for a reunion tour

I love Abba actually.

Yes that would be hard to do I imagine .

Ariana Grande has been popular lately.

At 10 years old she founded a youth singing group!

That's pretty cool, I heard Grande has been compared to Mariah Carey

Yes very similar.

Her song about female empowerment was actually written by 3 men lol!

That's pretty ironic.

It's pretty funny that Grande is mistaken for being hispanic when she's actually Italian

That is hilarious lol.

She was also the first fan hit by a puck at the Florida Panthers arena.

She was 5!

Lol, that is pretty funny, so is Grande being caught licking a donut display\

Haha she's bad.

Although she has done some good like that charity concert where she raised 13 million dollars for the victims.

Yea plus Grande even made an appearance at Aretha Franklin's funeral

Very nice of her, great gesture.

She began her career in Broadway and it has certainly taken off since then.

Well it sure was lovely chatting with you.

Interesting, Grande was also in the show Victorious.

Well have a good one

You too!
Bye.


Hi do you follow football?

Good afternoon, yes, i do a little.
How about you?

I'm a big fan during the season.

Did you know that the University of Iowa painted the locker room of the visiting football team pink?

Kind of interesting...

Yes, it is, kind of an emasculating thing to do.

Make the other team feel all weak and girly!

Lol

lol  In the 1960's top bowlers made twice as much as the top fooball stars back then.

Bet that's different now.

Yes, it's changed drastically.

Bowling is not even in the same ballpark, anymore!

Do you watch college of NFL football or both?

I watch both.
How about you?

Me too, I don't get into that fantasy football, do you?

I played with a bunch of friends years ago but not recently.

Do you know what the highest score ever was in a football game?

It in 1916...and was a college game...

No, what was it?

Georgia Tech beat Cumberland 222-0!

That wouldn't happen, today.

It would be considered unsportsman like conduct and Georgia would have had to bench their 1st, 2nd, and probably 3rd string players, and most likely let their cheerleaders play Cumberland!

Lol

LOL  You're right.

Here's an interesting stat line: Benjarvus Green-Ellis who was a RB for the Patriots never fumbled the ball during his NFL career.

Oh, the pressure he must have felt to remain fumble free.

I couldn't have done it.

Kudos to him!

lol yes.
Impressive.
Are you familiar with Drake?

Yeah, I know he started that KiKi challenge and he's a Canadian singer that's about all I know about him.

He must have dropped out of school and went back because I'm reading about him and it says that he graduated high school in 2012 at the age of 25.

My goodness!

I applaud him for sticking with it and getting his HS diploma.

It must be super hard when you're trying to be a singer, too.

Yes.

It looks like he reeased his debut studio album in 2010.

So, yep he hit the big time before finishing school.

That's good for him!

Yes indeed.
It's been fun chatting with you!
Have a good day!


Hi.

I guess for those people missing NFL games they can do fantasy.

I know my grandson is really into it.

He's a huge Andrew Luck fan and hopes to ride him to a good season.

i have never tried fantasy sports.
how does it work?
do you bet or something?

There's different systems but the basics are that you make a team based on individual players and then play games.

Your points are based on how well your players do.

Some leagues you pay to join, i.e.

bet, others are just for fun.

It's perfect for a statistics nerd.

Like one who knows Luck's QB rating is 102.4.

could i choose the same players as your son then?

no limitations?

Usually you all choose players from the same pool.

So only one person can have Andrew Luck, others have to choose different quarter backs.

To make it more complicated, in some leagues you can sell your players.

Use that money to buy new, hopefully better personnel.

Or just sit that player out for the game and don't pay for him.

Like Michael Thomas the WR will have a stiff defense to contend with so don't waste him on that.

oh, so it is like a draft.
you take turns, and plan your choices?

Yes.

If that's not your thing but you need to bet on something there is betting on the National Spelling Bee.

Pick who you think the top spellers will be and sign up to back them, with money that is.

I wonder how they handicap talent for the Bee.

that seems funny, but people will bet on anything now.

You can get the results from the preliminary spelling bees.

You have to qualify for the nationals by winning at a state or regional level.

Or, call up the kid's English teacher and sweet talk, or even bribe, him/her into giving you some information.

Like a report card?

That would be a real scandal !

you seem to know an awful lot about betting on spelling bees.

you should start a blog.

you could handicap the whole thing!

LOL

Just fooling around.

How about starting a betting site that covers all the football varieties?

Like soccer, NFL, Australian rules, rugby and Gaelic.

That would be a hoot!

A new internet sensation.

I dont think i could keep track of them all.

too many variants.

i do like soccer though.

Me too, except watching Real Madrid, what stinkers!

How about just reading a book.

Simple, enjoyable, cheap, low stress.

Try a Terry Pratchett novel and have a good laugh in a completely different world.

I have not read him but i know people that rave about terry.

quite droll, very clever.

Or, for the ultimate in just chilling out, listen to some music.

That Drake guy is pretty good.

Quite popular with the teenagers that's for sure.

I get to listen every morning in the car while taking the kid to school.

Some is quite good, even for grown ups.

drake is canadian, right?

i guess he is the right sound for the kids.

even grown ups?

i guess ill have to take a listen.

Born in Canada.

He was a TV actor before taking up music full time.

Finally graduated high school when he was 25.

Look up his song "One Dance", not rappy at all, just a fun pop tune.

i wonder what took him so long.

doesnt really matter.

he is a great singer and talented writer.

Drake also apparently loves children's book too.

While touring in the UK he bought first editions of Charlotte's Web and Winnie the Pooh.

Not cheap those either.

Hope he enjoys them.

He should read audio books for kids.
He has a great voice.
Anyway, great chat!

That's a great idea.
Nice to talk to you.

Nice talking to you too!
Have a great day!

Waiting on the Done button.

Yes.
press <tab> <tab> after your comment.
it should be highlighted.

Don't see any done button.
I'll just send you this message.


Aretha Franklin's passing was quite a big deal from history, art, society, music on a lot of levels.

She was amazing.

I heard her funeral was quite a production.

She was carried in the same white cadillac that carried Rosa Parks and her father Rev.

CL Franklin

Yes, I was surprised her father was still alive as she's pretty old.

She'd been out of the spotlight recently, i'm sure old and ill health but the turnout showed her impact on everything.

I guess Bill CLinton was there and spoke, but Obama did not go.

Yes, Obama had Rev.

Sharpton read which I guess is good and I can't imagine Clinton missing a chance to shine in public, though he seems to appreciate music and black culture so I'm sure he was moved too.

Thats true.

I know Rev Jesse Jackson, Smoky Robinson and Isiah Thomas were there and spoke too.

I guess her family was fairly prominent in Detroit even aside from her fame.

Yes, what also was amazing was the diversity of music figures, pop, blues, jazz, sould; add in politics, music, religious, civil rights you had a very wide and diverse influence who paid tribute.

It was interesting to hear the quotes from the people in the community that had known her since she was a child, like the funeral director there.

SO often, I guess, you forget that big stars like Aretha were real people with normal lives and childhoods.

Yes, and the mix of dad as her preacher and her dad in the community and what and who she grew up around sounded like an amazing surreal childhood.

It does.

She must have had a really interesting life.

I can't even imagine what it must be like to be so famous.

That makes two of us,but who really could imagine her life.

Ironic and beautiful too she was carried in the same 1040 Cadillac that carried Rosa Parks, Daid Ruffin and Rev.

CL Franklin.

History and current all intertwined.

Right.

lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Did you know that Lou Reed put on a whole concert just for dogs?

I like dogs but stars are nuts.

Haha, my wife loves dogs and will probably look  for the album if it exists after I tell  her.

I think her influence on race was shown in all the athletes who attend, that surprised me.

I guess its especially fitting then, that she was carried in the same car as Rosa Parks.

Yes, as I mentioned her role in the 60's race movement, feminism and culture can't be understated.

She did good things with her success and fame.

So many musicians aren't like that these days, unfortunately.

Yes, seems her generation had more of that than the current generation of stars.

She was close to the community and her family so I think it kept her and her generation more grounded.

Right.
We could use more like Aretha today

I agree with your sentiment.

Ariana Grande got caught licking doughnuts at a doughnut shop.

I used to see her on Nickelodeon, she has a kid's show on there.

Yes, Nickelodeon and Disney kid stars often go onto fame with mixed results, unlike the gravitas of Aretha.

Yes, I think a lot of the new stars break through that way.


Good morning, do you like football?

Yea, I love the nfl which is known as Gridiron football around the world, do you?

I like it to a point.

I just think with the size and strength of players today it is just too dangerous.

How do you feel about this?

It is a pretty dangerous game, maybe it would help football if they didn't have to wear so much equipment and the players would be forced to better protect themselves and their opponents

That's a good thought.

Did you know that Iowa has painted the visiting teams locker room pink?

Yea, I guess Iowa is trying to psych out their opponents with pink lockers, or the fashion majors designed the locker room

Ha, could be.

Do you think it would be good payback if the opposing team shut Iowas hot water off?

I don't know, cold water is suppose to help with physical activity, maybe they could just paint over the pink locker room

Okay I'll go with that.

Did you know that in the 60's bowlers made twice as much as football stars?

No, I had no clue bowlers made much money in the 1960s, I did know NFL players didn't get paid much though

I think maybe in all sports the owners took a lot of advantage of the players.

I think the tables have turned today, don't you?

Yea in professional football.

players probably make more than all bowlers combined but the Colleges still exploit players

Yes they do.

Did you know that the highest score in a game occurred when Georgia beat Cumberland 222-0?

That's insane, was Cumberland a high school team lol

I don't know, but if you were playing for Cumberland would you have walked off the field at some point?

I'd probably just try and do trick plays and other stupid stuff if I was losing as bad as Cumberland

I guess what else could you do?

Soccer is also called football.

But as a game I just don't get it, do you?

I've never watched soccer too seriously, way too long for me.

I have watched Rugby and Australian rules football, both are pretty entertaining

Now Rugby I think I could get into.

But with soccer they just keep running up and down the field and nothing happens.

Yea, i wonder if they do fantasy drafts for soccer?

Probably since they have one for the national spelling bee and even congress

They probably do.
Worldwide it is very popular.
Thanks for the chat.

Have a good day


hey there, are you a fan of concerts?

Yes.

I love concerts.

I am always reading reviews about concerts.

Did you know that in 2002, a Creed concert was so bad that people walked out and sued the band.

It must have been really really bad then for someone to sue them

It had to be pretty bad.

I went to an Ariana Grande concert and it was amazing.

I just found out the other day that she is not hispanic but is Italian.

Do you know her real last name?

Grande-Butera.

I did think she was hispanic too though.

SHe has come a long way

Yes she has.

She is an extraordinary young woman.

At ten years of age, she co-founded a youth singing group which performed for charitable events.

Awesome girl.

She was even hit by a puck at the florida panthers current arena

I wonder if that is on video.

I just saw a video the other day of Ariana dressed as Anne.

She began her career in 2008 in the Broadway musical.

She even held a charity concerts after what happened in Manchester with the bombing

That was very kind of her to do that.

She also lends her voice to animated television and films.

Ironically, her famous song dangerous woman was written by three men.

go figure

Wasn't that Anthem called "Dangerous Woman."

I am sure she approved the lyrics in the end.

Oh I am sure of that.
Have you heard of the Ramones?

Aren't they the band that tours like all the time.

They've been touring for about 20 years, right?

Yeah and they have held something like 2263 concerts in thos eyears

That is hard work over the years.

Another band who worked really hard in 2001 was Linkin Park.

They played 324 concerts in only one year.

That is amazing, a lot of concerts.

THere is an ancient theatre in croatis where you can still have a concert.

I wonder if this is the same theatre where Pink Floyd recorded a live concert but they didn't have a live audience.

That is so strange, who did they hold a concert for?

I guess no one.

They just wanted to make the music for the album.

I guess.
It was nice chatting with you.


Are you a football fan?
American style.

I enjoy fantasy football, particularly in week 8.

I am unfamiliar with fantasy football.

Please share.

Football comes in so many different regional variations, fromm soccer, to rugby, to american football.

I am fascinated about it all.

Week 8 is halfway through the season, and players like Matt Ryan might be on a bye.

In regular american football, the players generally sign to a team before the season.

Trades are rare in season.

Appparently not so for fantasy football?

The point of Fantasy football is change, as you can always switch out players for a bye-week or injury replacement.

Interesting.

Is the sscore of games as important in fantasy football?

The highest score ever in footballl was 222-0.

I bet there would be some good fantasy points given that day!

That is true, although Georgia Tech is a college team and not in most fantasy football leagues.

Regardless of how you look at it--Pro, College, or fantasy--Cumberland took a real beating that day!

True.

I wonder if it would've been any different if they had a pink locker room like at the University of Iowa.

Nice.

Perhaps that would have sparked psycodelic dreams of fantasy.

You know a single fold in the brain is responcible for one's ability to perceive the difference between fantasy and reality.

I wonder how that would appear in things like the fantasy draft of the national spelling bee.

Spelling bee...Yellow and black I guess.

That was a klittle comedic fantasy for you, although I don't think I will be knighted for my "service to literature" over that remark.

Although, such a reward was granted to writer, Terry Pratchett.

I wonder if Pratchett ever wrote 15145 pages like a janitor from Chicago.

Good question.

If he did, I would select him for my celebrity writer's fantasy draft pick, or perhaps my fantasy congress draft if Terry ever becomes amember of congress.

I would go for rapper Drake who graduated high school October 2012.

Of course, unless he hides out at Drake University again, like he did in the middle of the night after students gave up trying to get him to come.

That would be funny, particularly if he had eminem with him.

Nice.

If they were televised together, they would earn an Emmy award for innovation, like ESPN did for creation of the superimposed yellow line on televised  football fields.

I wonder if ESPN has more viewers than people who purchased Drake's quadruple platinum "Views" in 2016.

Not likely.

Quadruple  platinum...probably where he earned all that money he used to buy first additions of those classic books, Charlotte's Web and Winnie the Pooh.

Thanks for the chat.

I'm off to try making a mixtape like Drake in 2015.


I have grown up in an era when Arethra Franklin has not been active as an entertainer.

I did not expect so many famous people to attend her funeral.

She was admired by many who came from different backgrounds

That is fair to say.

I wonder how Ariana Grande was chosen to sing at her funeral.

I am not sure myself but maybe Aretha's family were fans.

To me, they seem to come from entirely different generations and probably musical styles as well.

Did you watch the live stream of the funeral?

No, I actually did not.

The only footage I saw was the controversial way the pastor hugged Ariana Grande.

Given all the powerful people sitting right there,I was bothered as well by it.

I think it's unfortunate that this controversy overshadowed what should have been a respectful service.

Did you enjoy the other performances of the other entertainers?

I did not watch the entire service.

I only watched Clinton's remarks aside from Ariana Grande.

All those who spoke, did well to speak of her impact on the country in her music and personal strength.

Can you elaborate more on her personal strength?

I have a vague understanding that she overcame some personal challenges.

She became hugely successful during the height of oppression and discrimination in this country.

I see.

It now makes sense to me why a number of civil rights leaders were at the funeral.

Aretha will always be known as the Queen of Soul

I'm not sure I am too familiar with Soul music.

Are you a fan of Ariana Grande?

I enjoy listening to her more popular songs on the radio, but I don't seek out her other recordings or go to her concerts.

I went to her Manchester Bombing fundraising concert.

Oh, that's very interesting.

I'm curious to know what the mood must have been like.

She kept it an uplifting concert and it was a really good time.


How's it going?

Have you heard about the two nooses found at the Mississippi State Capitol?

How appalling

Hello!

Yes I have heard it, it's terrible.

I think it's indicative of a larger problem.

Trump was going to speak for Cindy Hyde-Smith that same day I believe, and she made a joke recently about a "public hanging", it's absurd.

It's alarming they haven't found any suspects yet

Maybe they have, I feel like they've just chosen not to release details of it.

It seems that even more power is shifting to the Republicans, and it could be against their agenda to release that info.

Yea, Hyde-Smith doesn't look good supporting public hangings and embracing the Confederate flag

Are you interested in the Senate in general?

I personally try to stay out of politics but think there are some very interesting aspects/facts that come out of it.

I know it was established by Article One of the US constitution

Some things are flat out humorous about them.

They actually used the same gavel for 165 years until Nixon broke it.

Yea, it's pretty funny a sergeant at arms actually carried a senator into the chamber

He must have really not wanted to be there haha.

They definitely have their share of fun, I hear there's literally a drawer full of candy, and it's a long standing tradition.

I wish my job had a candy drawer like they do in the Senate

I'm sure your job might still have more freedom.

Women in the Senate couldn't even wear pants until they protested it in 1993.

Yea that's strange, I wonder why republican are against pant suits, I know they like beards since every president with a beard was a republican

That's interesting, probably coincidental though.

A crazy thing about Republicans is that the last time a Republican was elected president without a Nixon or Bush on the ticket was 1928, that's nearly a century!

Yea and there hasn't been a non republican/democratic president since 1853, that sucks

But it makes sense, those two have dominated the parties, I can't see it changing.

I think the colors sort of represent that.

The blue and red colors weren't always used, but only consistently since 2000.

That makes me feel like it's a product of other parties not being successful.

It be nice if things did change, until 1805 the runner up in the presidential election automatically became vice president

I wonder if that would really be effective now though.

It seems that presidents in general are less professional now too.

The president of Indonesia actually released 3 pop albums in office.

I wonder if the president of indonesia ever visited the White House, the guest house is larger than the actual white house

Maybe he'd be one of the wealthier guests to ever visit too.

Trump is somehow not even one of the top three wealthiest presidents we've had, that seems impossible.

Maybe jfk, Washington, and jefferson have the most wealth adjusted for inflation

Probably, I'd guess regardless they'd have maybe been richer than President Banana, the legitimate first president of Zimbabwe.

Lol, well i have to go, nice talking with you


Hi, how are you?

I'm great!
Do you listen to the radio?

Yes, I do.
How about you?

I used to listen as a kid.
Not so much now.
I use the Internet.
Sometimes listen to podcasts.

That's cool.

I listen to my radio on my commute and from work every day.

That's a great time to listen.

Better than using a smart phone to text.

I hear that.

I see way to much of that on the roads!

I'm thinking about equipping my car with a flamethrower, like they do in South Africa.

I think that would be totally rad.

A flamethrower!

Give the keys to your teenager and let 'em have fun!

It's legal there to prevent car jacking.

I'd probably use it for road rage incidents or if I saw you using your phone.

I'd zap you a couple of times!

Light you up.

That would be good.

Or a giant phone jammer in the trunk to stop local cell phone connections.

Would you take your flamethrower through the drive thru?

Of course!

Forget my pickles, then I light you up!

You know Mcdonald's started the drive thru in 1975.

McD's did not plan on the flamethrower cars in SA, I guess.

'75 sounds late to me.

I figure it would have started like in the 60s.

I thought it was kind of late, too.

But, apparently it was done for the servicemen who couldn't get out and go into the restaurant in their fatigues.

That makes sense.

I've seen troops in fatigues walking around.

Maybe the rules changed?

I think it has changed, now.

But look what the old drive thru has done for the fast food industry.

It has made people even more immobile and overeating.

I figure with a bathroom in the car, we could go everywhere without leaving the vehicle.

Yeah, revolutionized it in a bad way.

Too easy to pull though and get your fix, like a junkie.

Do you watch any movies?

I do like my movies.

I usually go to Rottentomatoes to find out what's good.

I do too.

IMDb is a good source for movie info, plot summaries, biographies, etc.

I mainly use it to answer trivia questions.

That's a good reason!

I use imdb to find out the ratings for films.

Usually try to find things over 7.0.

Cool.
It's been nice chatting with you today.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!


Hello.

Anybody there?

I am trapped in the US Senate chamber and I can't get out!

Ok, it might be awhile, you know how slow they are to move in Washington.

Lol

No kidding!

I am Aide to one of the prominent Republican Senators, who stepped out of the CHamber yesterday and gave me instructions to keep him informed...TO let him know if anything "good" happens.

Nothing good ever happens here!

Oh, these Senators can prattle on for hours at a time without saying anything...

I hear you, friend!

Go look in the candy desk and eat you some chocolate, you'll be ok.

Senator Feinstein ate all the Pennsylvania-derived candy bars.

All that are left are jelly beans that taste like Mexican food.

You poor thing, you need to keep the crypt keeper run out of that candy drawer.

Tell her candy is bad for the environment and needs to be banned, but that Trump is against banning it.

She'll get right on it!

I sent the Sergeant-at-arms out to snag some Doritos for me...The SAR had to make a run out anyway.

The Democrars all run out and pretend they are running for President.

Lol, there's a pure pack of them running.

Wonder which one will float to the top?

Scum always rises to the top.

It could be any of them.

Did you know that back in the day, women weren't allowed to wear pants?

Women have overcome many obsticles.

Besides, I think the women get alot more done than any of the men up in Washington.

I agree.

I just like floor-length tweed skirts.

Something in a blue-grey blend.

I overheard on the the Dems whispering about trying to get Michael Jordan to run for President.

Silly notion.

I was there when Mr. Jordan said, Republicans buy shoes too!"

You would have thought NIKE got that message, but oh well, no more of my business and alot of others I know.

Are you a die hard republican?

I almost died once by way of a fast-moving hard object.

Does that count?

I was there the day Nixon cracked the old gavel.

I still have a lingering sliver-related injury from that day...

Are you that old?

Age is irrelevant.

Ask Trump.

I am old enough to remember Harry Truman's visit to Disneyland.

I was the one shooing away photographers when Harry was on the Dumbo ride.

And here I thought all that partisan crap didn't start until 2000 with the use of the colors, red and blue to represent each party.

You just burst my bubble!

Oh, I've seen it all.

People ask me, why didn't Hillary win?

I remind them that every us president with a beard has been republican.

Lol, waitress I'll have what he's drinking!

I have a meeting later with the President's emissary to the pygmies.

Apparently there is some uproar over inappropriate use of Fruit.

It all started with President Banana of Zimbabwe.

Blessed are the peacemakers...

Who are you supporting for President in 2020?

I may go on staff for the Libertarian candidate.

They get to wear sandals!

I hear they use one of the singles off of the third album from Pres of Indonesia as a campaign theme song.

Well, friend it's been fun chatting with you, this evening.

I'm sure your creative writing teachers really loved you over the years.

Your sense of humor is much appreciated while working.

MAGA 2020!

Have a good night.

Thank you for listening to me vent.
I have to go too.
The SAR has my Doritos... MAGA 2020

Peace out!


Did you know that every US president with a beard has been a republican?

Must be something in their philosophy.

Hopefully if they have a female candidate one day it not a requirement.

Interesting, they are also the only party to have 2 tv stars end up winning the presidency.

Maybe the democrats need to find a TV personality?

Any suggestions?

A pop star like the Indonesian one?

I'm not sure, they seem to have an awful lot of celebrities who "claim" to be democrats, though I don't know if that is just for TV.

There's been a few Senators, Al Franken comes to mind.

Who was Sonny Bono for?

Yeah, I remember that.

Sonny was a republican but he wasn't president.

I wonder if there will ever be a president other than a Democrat or Republican?

Probably not in my lifetime.

The multiple party system doesn't work that well I think.

Look at some of the Euro countries.

It depends on the country.

When you think of the best places in the world, they have multi party systems, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Germany.

Yeah, I don't know if I would consider any of those places the best in the world to be honest.

They are responsible for the last two world wars over there.

That's a long time ago under different systems.

Every country has skeletons in its closet.

But the multi party thing can be a hindrance, look at Britain right now

Yes, with Brexit.

I think multi-party systems make it much harder to build a final consensus on policy and thus end up in no progress in either direction.

At least the two party system can agree on one thing, the need for a candy desk in the Senate!

Did you know that in 1957 Truman visited Disneyland?

If I were president I's go to all the fun places, maybe arrange summits in the best resorts.

Yeah, I would go all over.

But it probably sucks to have all of that attention following you everywhere.

I used to work in retail in DC.

We'd get important politician in, once Dick Chaney.

Before they come in the secret service would scope the place out looking for emergency exits and such.

Then the person would come in surrounded by security, no privacy at all.

Interesting, I worked in DC too.

You see the politicians all the time if you go to certain places like the Hawk and Dove.

For example, ted Cruz hangs out at Tortilla Coast, it's pretty funny.

But I'm not into politics.

I'd always see them at the Palm restaurant on 19th street.

Senators and congressmen.

Yeah, hilarious.
Well, nice chatting with you.


Hi, did you know the US Senate used the same gavel for 165 years until Nixon broke it!

Sign of things to come...

I didn't know this.

Who is the presiding officer of the Senate?

In the Nixon era?

Agnew?

I do know there was a candy desk then (1968) where candy is available near the entrance.

So that will be the Vice President of the United States, correct?

Is this a quiz or a chat?

Yes, Agnew was a VP until he resigned due to tax evasion.

Funny, women were not allowed to wear pants on the senate floor until 1993.

No.
I was just looking for clarification.
I didn't know this about the women.
That is a very interesting fact.
Thanks

It is said that the top three wealthiest presidents were JFK, Washington and Jefferson.

Skeptical, JFK's money was his Daddy's money from bootlegging and how does one compare horses to limos, hotels to farms?

I didn't know this either.

Do you think Trump will be up there among the wealthiest presidents?

I would think so.

Not sure... Can you believe that before 1805, 2nd place in a presidential election was given the VP slot.

Can you imagine Trump and Hillary working together?

No I can't because those two will fight with just about on everything that has to do with policy.

It would be a good reality show if there is such a thing.

Maybe they could release a pop album like the president of Indonesia.

Yeah!!

It looks like he had a lot of free time in his hands to release 3 pop albums while in office.

Yeah, everyone needs their own thing to clear the head.

Wow, out two-party system has been around since 1853 for presidents.

Given the horrible treatment given to Trump, I'm surprised we're only had one civil war.

Wow!!!

The two party system has been around for a very long time.

Yes and so have beards.

Every US president with a beard has been a republican.

Wonder why...

I'm not sure either.

I read somewhere that the use of red and blue colors for republicans and democrats only started in 2000.

Seems like it's been longer than that.

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Do you follow US politics?

Yes I think it's important to stay up-to-date.

The Republican Party currently controls the presidency.

Or should I say the Grand Old Party!

lol  Did you know that every US president with a beard has been a republican?

That is a very interesting fact.

They're currently having some trouble though.

The president's former personal lawyer is pleading guilty to fraud and breaking campaign finance laws.

I saw that!

Not looking good.

There hasn't been a US president who wasn't a republican or a democrat since 1853.

I think we might see a different party within the next 20 years.

I would love to see a different party.

In the past the runner up in a presidential election automatically became the vice president.

Isn't that interesting.

Wonder how Trump and Hillary would have gotten along?

lol

That would have been hilarious.

They would cause havoc in the Senate.

The Senate is widely considered both a more deliberative and more prestigious body the House of Representatives.

Yes...the senate used the same gavel for 165 years until Richard Nixon cracked it!

Wow I bet Nixon was so disappointed.

Women were not allowed to wear pants on the US Senate floor until 1993.

That seems like the dumbest rule I've ever heard.

Michael Jordan once was asked why he wouldn't endorse black democratic candidate Harvey Gantt in a North Carolina senate race and Jordan responded "republicans buy shoes too"  lol

I love how he speaks his mind.

Have you heard about the candy desk tradition?

I haven't but I remember we had one in elementary school.

Oh cool.

Well the US Senate candy desk is currently supplied with candy made in Pennsylvania including Milky Way bars, mars bars, and jellybeans.

Nice!

That's pretty neat they still do that!

Consistent use of red and blue colors for republicans and democrats only started in 2000.

I remember them using the colors before that though.

Yeah that seems pretty recent.

I think it's interesting how the republican core base shifted after the Civil Rights Act of 1964!

I agree.

The Southern states became more Republican and vice versa for the North.

I didn't realize that the Republican Party was founded by anti-slavery activists.

I didn't know that either!

Did you know the first president of Zimbabwe was called President Banana?

lol  It's been fun chatting!

That is hilarious.

I wonder if they have any other nicknames for any other presidents?

Great talking to you as well partner.

Have a good one.

You have a good day too!
Thanks again!


Hello - did you know the top 3 wealthiest presidents in US history were JFK, Washington, and Jefferson?

I've heard that.

It's hard to believe that Trump isn't even in the top.

Yea that's crazy.

I would think Trump would be on top too.

It's also crazy that there's only been one president that's had a PHD, and that was Woodrow Wilson.

I guess you don't have to be that educated?

That is crazy.

I would have never guessed.

I saw that the president's guest house is actually bigger than the white house....

That's crazy too.
The White House is pretty huge.

Yea it's pretty massive.

I didn't know that up until 1805, the runner up for president automatically became the VP.

Could you imagine if it was the same way.

We'd have Trump and Hillary?

That would be a debacle!

That would be a nightmare!
lol.

Yes it would.

I found it cool too that Roosevelt selected Truman has his VP because he found so much corruption and waste that he saved the government $10-15 BILLION!.

We need someone like that again!

Yes, that would be really cool.

Did you know the president of Indonesia released 3 pop albums while in office?

LOL

I did not know that.

Could you imagine if one of our Presidents did that?

Maybe a Clinton, Bush, Obama mixtape could be in order!

LOL that would be hilarious!

I agree, I would pay for that one for sure.

It's also crazy that the last president to speak a foreign language fluently was FDR.

That's pretty crazy for sure.

I didn't know that there hasn't been a president who wasn't a republican or democrat since 1853.

Yeah that is crazy.

I wish we could get away from the two party system again, but it's doubtful that'll ever happen.

I agree.

I think it causes too much polarization.

I do too.

It's like they're in two rival gangs and don't want to work together.

It's like "come on people, we're Americans first!"

I think they need to start working together a little more to get some items accomplished.

Yes they do, stop with the mudslinging and get to work doing what people voted you in to do!

It was nice talking with you!


Good morning!
Do you like politics?

Hi, tricky question.

I like following political news but talking it can sometimes be difficult.

You right!
I really liked John Mccain though.
What about you?

The more time passes the more I came around to liking him, he seemed to do what he thought was right.

His brain cancer was a shame.

It really was.

I guess he family thinks a building should be named after him.

I think it should be.

But it's named after someone who is tied to racial segregation.

What do you think?

In my opinion it should be renamed anyway, whatever they call it.

It's amazing how politicians can tie themselves in knots over a simple renaming issue.

Thats true.

What do you think of how Trump handeled Mccain's brain cancer and death?

Whether you like someone or not you have to be respectful of them.

It would be hard time for the family and to hear the president attacking him publicly can't be nice.

That's very well put.

The republicans were shocked at Trumps behavior.

I guess he blames Mccain for Obamacare.

Did you know that the same gavel was used in the senate for 165 years?

Places like that love tradition, it's like the pants thing, woman not being able to wear them until 1993.

Isn't that crazy!

A lot of women still dont wear pants.

And they have a candy desk in the senate.

I'm like what?

It's like a bunch of school kids, hiding candy in class where the teacher can't see.I wonder if they let the president have his pick.

I bet he does!

Did you know the republican party was founded by anti slavery activists?

No.

I's kind of funny that the roles have reversed.

The Democrats would see themselves as the party of social equality now.

In the sixties voters in the south moved to the Republicans because of the Democrats stance.

You are right, Every thing has flipped politically.

I wonder about some of the things they support.

Republicans are very conservative.

Just like the Mormons.

I wonder where the red and blue thing comes from to represent the parties, I hear it's relatively new.

I think so.

Did you know that every president that has had a beard is republican?

How fun!

It'd be funny to see a beard on Trump.

It used to be the case that the runner up in the presidential election became vice president.

I'd love to see Trump and Clinton working together.

Oh my lord!

Could you imagine!

I wonder if Trump is one of the wealthiest presidents we had?

It's difficult to know since he won't release his tax records.

I know Washington and Jefferson were land owners, but I wonder where JFK got his money from.

Thats a good question.
I might have to look that up.

I doubt he made money by making pop records like the Indonesian president.

Thats true!

The Zimbabwe president was called president banana.

Have a good day.


Do you think it is OK for the opposing party to criticize past presidents?

I am not sure, I think instead of bringing people down by bringing up negative stuff about other people,  that people should just say positive things about themselves.

Agree but things sure aren't going that way.

Do you thing the FBI has been "upholding the rule of law."

I mean the top people under Comey's perview.

I have a hard time with those things,  ever since i seen that show House of Cards I honestly dont think anything is real,  they could be upholding the law,  they could not be,  they could be upholding a different law while getting paid or not by getting paid.

Heres a fun fact,  did you know that every president with a beard has been a republican lol I wonder who noticed that.

Funny.

It's getting nutty.

I personally don't think there is anything to the Russian collusion thing.

Mueller announced today that he's not even issuing a report.

So many millions wasted on a charade.

They used 30 or so machine gun equipped men on a 6am raid to apprehend one old man.

Disgusting...

yeah sounds pretty ridiculous.

I was surprised to learn that the "red" and "blue" colors for the parties didn't start until 2000.

yeah it seems like its always been like that,  I didnt know it was so recent either

I also would have thought that Trump would have been one of the top 3 richest presidents.

It turns out it was Washington, Jefferson and JFK.

I actually looked that up on Google the other day,  Trump is the wealthiest president we have had about 3700 million,  2nd is washington with 580 mil, 3rd jefferson with 3xx mill.

Interesting.

I wonder if it's true that Nixon crack a gavel that the U.S. Senate had used for 165 years.

Some kind of curse must have been released.

Why would you say a curse escaped?

lol That must be a long life for a gavel I wonder where it is now?

One word: Watergate.

The gavel probably got tired of all the treachery.

I'm an independent that doesn't believe in political parties.

They divide the county and people fight for their parties rather than the citizens of the country.

Too bad they've been around since 1853.

did you know women arent allowed to wear pants on the us senate floor until 1993?

I wonder if men could wear a dress.

Things change... Before 1805 the 2nd place person in the presidential election got to be VP.

Can you see Hillary and Trump working together?

That wouldn't work, in my opinion...

Not at all I think that would be devastating for our country honestly.

It would be devastating for the WH silver (again).

The US senate has a candy desk to distribute candy since 1968.

Funny traditions...

Haha thats nice,  keeps a light atmosphere to have candy.

Not so light was in 1988 when an obscure law was invoked where senators could be arrested for not showing up.

Seems draconian...

did you know the first president of zimbabwe was President Banana?

Wonder how he got that name.
Nice chatting with you.


hey there, do you know much about us politics?

somewhat, lets talk about the senate.

they used the same gavel for 165 years until nixon cracked it

I wonder if they were mad at him for doing that.

women were not allowed to wear pants.

Interesting that their is a candy desk which is near a busy entrance.

and they only have candy from pensylvania

absent senators can be arrested and force into the chamber to cast a vote.

yeah one of them was arrested and dragged in feet first.

what a strange rule

lets talk about the president next, JFK is one of the three wealthiest presidents in history

along with washington and jefferson .
they must have had so much money

In Zimbabwe the first president was called banana

wow, I wonder if that is a common name there though

I wonder also.

The guest house for the president is larger then the white house

they must get a lot of guests during the year.

did you know the president of indonesia is a pop artist?

no thats interesting.

Also until 1805 they used to have the runner up become the vice president

imagine if that happened now and clinton were the vice president

yup.

Lets talk more about the republican party.

Every president with a beard has been a republican.

Interesting one.

did you hear about truman refusing to take a picture with a dumbo?

no I have not.

Also red and blue representing the parties started in 2000

yeah apparently he did not want to be associated with republicans and their symbols in any way

republican and democrats have held the presidency since 1853, no other party has

I guess that is why we only hear from those two parties.

nice chat


How are you?

Did you know the Republican party was founded in 1854?

Never knew that!

It was founded by anti-slavery activists, economic modernizers, ex-National Republicans, ex-Free Soilers and Whigs.

It seems to have changed though.

Yea, the party shifted around 1964 after the Civil Rights Act

It's funny that every US president with a beard has been a republican.

Why don't Democrats like beards?

I don't know, I guess having a beard isn't considered young and hip or maybe republican just have better beards

There are other associations as well.

In 1957 president Harry Truman visited Disneyland and refused to be photographed on the dumbo ride so he wouldn't be associated with Republicans.

Lol I just don't get why Truman wouldn't skip riding Dumbo completely if he felt that strongly

Maybe at his age that was the most thrilling he could handle.

I'm surprised that the top three wealthiest presidents in American history were JFK, Washington, and Jefferson.

I would have expected Trump to be in there.

Maybe adjusted for inflation JFK, Washington, and Jefferson are the most wealthiest US presidents

I guess Washington and Jefferson owned a lot of land.

I think that Trump must be disappointed that the US president's guest house is larger than the White House.

Well he'd be more disappointed if the runner up automatically became vice president like it did up until 1805

That would make for some entertaining cabinet meetings every morning.

The president of Indonesia has released three pop albums while in office.

Do you think Trump will release albums?

I hope not, unless he records with the President of Zimbabwe Mr Banana

I wonder if he found that name "appealing."

Lol, I guess so.

Did you know that Richard Nixon cracked a 165 year old gavel in the Senate?

Ah, Richard.

It's astonishing that women were not allowed to wear pants on the US Senate floor until 1993.

I've also heard that originally there was no women's bathroom there.

That's crazy that Barbar Mikulsk and Carol Moseley had to protest the no pants rule

Change has to start at the top.

I am disappointed that Michael Jordan wouldn't endorse a black democratic candidate in a North Carolina Senate race.

I thought he would consider the greater good, since he has so much himself.

Well Republicans buy shoes too, lol

I wonder if he issued them in both blue and red.

Then again, consistent use of "red" and "blue" colors for Republicans and Democrats only started in 2000

I wonder if the candy desk has red and blue candy in the senate

I wouldn't surprise me if there were.

Well, I really had fun chatting with you!

Nice chatting with you too

Bye!


Did you know the Republican Party is also referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party)?

I've heard that.

It's crazy to think that there hasn't been a president who wasn't democrat or republican since 1853.

Maybe time for more than two parties?

That might change with the upcoming election in a couple of years, seems like people are tired of both parties.

I'd say I'm wholly tired of one party, tired of a few people in another.

: ) Consistent use of red and blue to identify the parties was not used until 2000.

I swear I remember this when I was a kid, but guess not.

Lol, I hear you on that!

Yeah that seems fairly recent but then again it's been almost twenty years!

I wonder when the animals (donkey and elephants) were introduced then because I remember that to be a long time ago as well.

Yeah, agreed.

Harry Truman wouldn't ride the Dumbo ride at Disney because he didn't want to be associated with the GOP -- so the elephant donkey has been around much longer.

That's interesting, do you know how the Dumbo ride at Disney and the GOP are related?

Dumbo is an elephant.

Elephant = GOP.

Don't think they are actually related Just the symbolism of the elephant.

Oh ok!
I forgot dumbo was an elephant!
Good call Mr. Truman!
Do you have a favorite president?

Hmmm.

That's a tough one.

Probably Obama or Lincoln, neither of which are among the three wealthiest presidents.

That would be JFK, Washington and Jefferson.

Me too, I think Obama was a great leader and delivered speeches very well.

I also liked Michelle too, she contributed to so many wellness programs!

Do you know how those presidents became so wealthy?

I'd guess Washington and Jefferson from politics and farming, as well as family inheritances.

JFK just came from a rich family.

I love Michelle too.

She is definitely my favorite First Lady!

Did you know the White House guest house is bigger than the actual White House?

Oh yeah and probably something to do with owning tons of land too probably and sadly back then slaves as assets!

I wonder when the president and the first lady bicker, whether or not they get stranded to the guest house, not a bad place considering it's much bigger!

Haha.

So true.

Speaking of bickering, it used to be that the runner up for president became Vice President.

Can you imagine Hillary and Trump in the same White House!

I'm truly wondering how that works because the runner up for presidency is usually the opposing party!

If that happened for the past election, I think we'd also be in a state of national emergency and shutdown probably.

Yeah.

And maybe nuclear war inside the white house!

The president of Indonesia has made 3 pop albums while in office.

Glad Trump is not going that route.

I think I'd get the goosebumps from listening to pop albums made from presidents.

Perhaps Kanye West would convince Trump to make a pop album so that he could stay in the grandiose guest house?

Haha.

Hopefully Kanye has learned to stay away from Trump.

The first president of Zimbabwe was named President Banana.

Wonder if that was his given name or he chose it when running.

Yeah!

What does one do to warrant such a nickname, my creativity is generating from the types of nicknames we could give to President Trump, but I'll keep those to myself for now.

Well, if they had President Banana, we could try to think of a fruit-based nickname for Trump as well.

You read my mind!

I think Alec Baldwin does a great impression of Trump on SNL!


Have you heard of the idiots who hung nooses outside the Capitol building in Mississippi?

I did, that was absolutely awful, I don't think they have found them yet.

I will never understand how someones color offends people so much that they would do things like that.

At least no one died this time.

Racial intimidation at it's finest.
I was surprised Gillum lost his race.

In my opinion, unless Trump is out of office come 2020 the racial divide will only worsen.

It started before trump, I find it interesting that Michael Jordan won't endorse black dem candidates.

Well when it comes to athletes most of them are in it for the money, and wont endorse anything that isn't paying them to do so.

That's not exactly true, many of them have expressed their views on social media.

that's true but its only started happening more recently.

It's sad that things had to get so bad for people to start making stands.

American politics are insane.

Strom Thurmond holds the record for the longest filibuster, he talked for 24 hours.

Amazing.

Oh yeah they sure are.

Americans take it very very seriously also, so much so that fights break out over who has the better candidate.

I think the whole American political system needs to be fixed.

Get rid of the two party system all together, and the electoral college.

I think the electoral college needs to go, and then work on the two party system.

If anything, a psychological test for the POTUS would be a great place to start.

Yeah but the Government is so full of corruption and yes men that that will never happen, at least not until we can vote someone in who really wants those changes and really fights for them.

They are all corrupt, in one form or another.

Yep, but did you know the u.s. president's guest house is larger than the white house?

Yes, a friend's husband works there and he was surprised when he reported for duty the first time.

Also the last time a republican was elected president without a nixon or bush on the ticket was 1928

I don't think that matters though, there are many political families.

Well politics are just insane right now and come 2020 its going to get really crazy.

The dems had better do something, other than run Sanders, Warren, Clinton, or another who has a lot of issues.

Yep well its been a nice chat, cheers mate.


Hello, are you particularly interested in politics?

I am very interested in politics, though it's hard to stay keep up with Trump, Pence, and most of the Republican party these days.

Yeah, even though a lot of things regarding the Republican Party has been consistent.

The last time there wasn't a Nixon or Bush on the ticket in a Republican winning election since 1928.

Another consistency is that not a lot of democrats want to be associated with Republicans.

Apparently, when Harry Truman visited Disneyland, he didn't want to be photographed on the Dumbo ride because he thought it would associate him with the Republican party.

That's interesting!

I wonder if something like that could happen regarding the colors red and blue.

Although that's a much more recent way to signify democrats and republicans.

So crazy how recent.

I feel like I remember that as I was growing up.

But I also never recall a republican president with a beard, but evidently, they are the only presidents to ever have one.

Yeah that's interesting, I wonder what the stats on beards are for earlier parties.

Although we'd have to go back a while to discover it, the last non Democrat OR Republican president was in 1853.

That's because the party system back then is completely different than it is now.

For instance, women weren't even allowed to wear pants on the Senate floor until relatively recently.

Oh yeah the Senate is definitely interesting, they've kept a lot of things the same for a long time.

They actually used the same gavel for 165 years until Nixon cracked it.

Or the candy desk?

Apparently they have had a desk near the entrance since 1968, where a senator will sit with a full drawer full of candy.

Yeah that definitely makes them seem like children at heart haha.

Then again I've heard horror stories too, like once I know a senator tried to leave the chamber and was dragged back inside.

I believe that was some crazy law passed in the 80s, that allowed the Sergeant-at-Arms to force absent Senators to the Chamber for a vote.

Oh wow that's interesting.

I think what I find interesting is how other people interact with the Senate.

Like Michael Jordan had his famous, controversial reason as to why he wouldn't endorse a Black Democratic candidat.

Just another Republican I don't want to be around, haha!

Ahah fair.

So are you interested in individual presidents at all?

I wish I knew more about the first Zimbabwe president, President Banana.

He seems like an interesting guy!

Ahah he sounds like he'd be funny.

I wonder who'd be more fun, him or the Indonesian president who released 3 pop albums while in office.

Hard to tell.

Now if some of the richest presidents, like JFK or GW, could throw a party and invite everyone... That would be a good time!

Oh yeah, they would have to just remember to hold it in the guest house and not the actual White House, which is somehow smaller!

There are a lot of surprising things surrounding the White House.

Like, how crazy would it be if the Vice President was actually just the runner-up to the President, like it was up until the early 1800s.

Oh it's definitely a good thing they've changed the system since then.

If not, we'd have Hillary Clinton instead of Mike Pence, which regardless of political opinion, would certainly make things confusing.

Actually, we'd have Donald Trump since Hillary actually won the election.

Talk about a crazy pair... President Hillary Clinton and Vice President Trump.

Who knows?

Maybe crazy enough to work.

Oh yeah that's true, I forgot how the popular vote turned out.

To be fair, Republicans have lost the popular vote in 6 out of the last 7 elections somehow.

Kind of says something about how the American people are feeling, huh?


Hi, how are you?

Good, thanks for asking.

Keeping an eye on the nation's politics, especially the presidency which is quite a prominent role.

I expected Trump to be one of the three richest presidents ever.

He isn't.

I heard that as well.

He doesn't have a phd like Woodrow Wilson.

Wilson  was one of the best educated presidents.

Which would you rather have, a rich president, or an educated one?

Educated for sure.

And the ability to speak other languages, like FDR, is a plus as well.

I don't know if Americans want smart presidents as much as tough-talking presidents.

I would like to see the pre-1805 system back in place.

Make the runner-up the VP.

Laughs galore!

That would be interesting.

Kinda the way five presidents have been elected with less than the popular vote.

That's a shame in a democracy.

Almost as bad as a president releasing pop albums.

Oh, the humanity!

Yeah, the president and congress really need to work together more, especially the upper chamber, the Senate.

In the past, Senators were appointed.
Now they are "elected."
I'm not sure how much has changed.
Women can wear pants, though.

For sure.

They still have the power of the filibuster though.

Strom Thurmond once spoke for over 24 hours against legislation.

I always thought that was a strange thing, the filibuster.

It's like a game.

Politics is not about right adn wrong, just power.

And the filibuster is a means to power.

Agreed, Republicans and Democrats alike crave power.

And they pretty much have the market cornered on it with the strength of the two party system.

The GOP and Democrats are locked in.

That candy desk is the draw.

They don't want to relinquish power over the candy!

Or their cushy benefits and pensions.

Ironically Hillary Clinton was president of the young Republicans in college.

Politicians quickly switch allegiances for the sake of gain.

I don't even know the difference between the parties now.

In 1913, we started electing Senators, but I don't know whether they represent me.

Yeah, they don't seem to get much done.

But they do find time to play a republicans vs. democrats baseball game every year.

That would be a fairer way to negotiate legislation.

Well, I enjoyed chatting with you!

Same to you.
Hope you have a nice day.

Thanks!


do you know much about the us senate?

Yes I know that they had the same gavel for 165 years until Nixon broke it

Yes and they were also mandated to come and vote under all circumstances

Yes and once they dragged a senator in feet first to vote

Yes they have a permit to do that for those that run away from voting

Yes.

Did you know they have a candy desk in there?

Yes and they have the good brands like Mars, jellybeans and milky way

yes they have to be candy that is made in Pennsylvania

Yes.

Did you know women were not allowed to wear pants till late?

Yes that was until 1993 and I think that was so sexist and weird

Yes I agree.

Good thing those two senators protested and now is a thing of the past

Yes me too.

Did you know what jordan said when they asked why he did not support a democrat?

Yes he said that republicans buy shoes too

Yes he is a smart businessman for sure and had to cover both sides

Yeah.

Do you know who the wealthiest presidents are?

Yes that was Jefferson, JFK and Washington

Yes.

DO you know what was the first president of Zimbabwe called?

Yes he is called President Banana

Yes.

Did you know the white house is smaller than the guest house?

I guess they need the room as they might get a lot of guests

True.
Nice chatting with you!


The Virginia House trying to expand medicare using Trump and Pence is an odd occurance

I agree.

House Speaker M. Kirkland Cox (R-Colonial Heights) contends that expanding the federal-state health-care program during the Trump administration offers the "best chance for conservative reforms."

It is sort of a reverse logic, but perhaps it makes sense.

Never really know what they're up to, though!

True.
It is mainly about being re-elected.

The House health care plan allows Virginia to work with the Trump Administration to expand Medicaid while guaranteeing common sense reforms to control costs and protect taxpayers.

Notice how they don't give you enough info to really tell you anything?

Yes.

That is more like propaganda than information.

Original when he was elected he was against reform and or expansion.

Yep.

The anti-Trump wave in the last election has persuaded him.

It would allow the state to pull out of expansion if the federal government reneged on its promise to pick up 90 percent of the $2 billion-a-year cost.

Kind of reminds me of the "wall".

The feds do that a lot.

They start a program, fund it a while then turn it over to the states.

The states usually cannot go into debt so it puts them in a bind.

Yeah your right!

on a lighter note did you know that Hillary clinton was president of young republicans in college.

I did know that.

She was later on the board of directors at WalMart but had to resign because their healthcare for employees was criticized by democrats.

Now that i did not know.

however Abraham Lincoln was the first President to be photographed and John Wilkes Booth was in that photo.

Incredible!

Are there any of the republican views like lower taxes, free market capitalism, free enterprise, strong national defense, gun rights, deregulation or restrictions on labor unions that you do not like?

I got to be honest the older i get and as far as what they stand for i'm leaning more and more republican.

However i'm just tired of struggling in this economy.

I am old and also republican.
I do value labor unions however.

I value them as well, but some times enough is enough.

So since i cant take it on a come by come basis i would have to say im for them as well.

I don't think they should be able to take dues from a republican worker and send it to a democrat campaign.

However, they helped balance the rewards from business success between the owners and the workers.

Yeah that's my understanding of it.

Its a double edge sword sometimes.

Some people don't deserve to keep there jobs if they don't appreciate them.

However i think everyone should have someone thats willing to go to bat for them, you know?

Yes.

The pendulum can swing too far.

In the 1960's the UAW won a contract provision that required automakers to pay 95 percent of pay to workers who were laid off.

Then overseas competition came in and Detroit was hamstrung.

That went too far.

Yeah, it's wild sometimes what people, bosses and organizations alike are allowed to get away with.

Yep.

Some companies fail as a result.

But, we have 3.8 percent unemployment today and wages are up 3 percent last year.

I am going to go now.

Nice talking with you.


Are you familiar with the US elected positions like the senate or president?

Yes.

I know the U.S. senate just had  a runoff featuring a black democrat.

Wasn't that the one where people hung nooses at?

That's correct!

They haven't released the surveillance video to se who was doing it.

There were signs hung as well on the same day President Trump had a scheduled campaign stop in the area.

It is a shame that people only judge based on skin deep skin color and find that enough justification for hate and their stupid behavior

I agree 100 percent!

The world would be a way better place if people could just get along.

I wonder why people want to encourage and propagate such behavior.

I hope people only just elected officials based on quality and future aims rather than gender or race

Switching gears a little...here's an interesting tidbit....the us congress has played a republicans vs democrats baseball game annually since 1909.

I never knew that.

Have you heard it?

I haven't but it does seem plausible.

Did you know every president with a beard was republican?

Perhaps it is the invasion of the brainwashing beard aliens

LOL  I never knew that either.

I'm learning a lot this morning.

Republicans dominated politics nationally and in the majority of the norther states from 1860 to 1932.

I was surprised that the red and blue people associate with rep and demo was a recent thing.

I always thought it was a tradition

Same here.

In 1912 Theodore Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party after being rejected by the GOP.

Would be interesting to see if someone could pull that off in this day and age.

I'm not a fan of either democrats or republicans.

No one if office seems like they do what they say they are going to do.

I wonder if a 3rd party will finally win.

I don't like the candidates both parties have been offering for the presidential election.

A election for president should have people wondering who is less bad

I agree!

5 presidents have been elected while still losing the popular vote.

I never really understood why it isn't a popular vote.

Just doesn't seem right at the core of it.

In any case, did you know the most wealthiest presidents were washington, jfk, and jefferson?

I guess wealth plays a part in making presidents great?

Interesting.

Never knew that.

Especially in this day and age.

Money talks.

The only president to have a phd was Woodrow Wilson.

We need ordinary people like doctors, etc.

to run in politics.

I agree to an extent.

It would be nice to have a person who genuinely is qualified and is motivated to do the best for the country rather than all the bureaucracy today

I guess on the bright side of things, at least we don't live in an authoritarian state where we have a dictator.

True.

Do you think that having the runner up in a presidential election becoming VP a good tradition?

I used to think so because someone would need to take the place of the president if something happened to them.

However, it seems the vice presidents over the last 20 years haven't done anything other than show their face in public.

Does the VP do nothing?

I though they still had a reasonable amount of responsibilities.

They do but it doesn't seem like we ever hear about them.

Seems like they are always doing public appearances, shaking hands, etc.

Almost like they are doing publicity for the United States.

lol

That makes sense.

In any case thank you for the informative chat.


Hello there, do you know much about politics in general?

Yes I follow it a lot.

It is awful what Republican leaders are doing.

They will not stand up to Trump at all.

Yeah I don't know what to think anymore with the whole thing.

Do you know when the red/blue colors used to differentiate the parties started?

It started really recently - like in 2000.

The only presidents since 1853 have all been republicans and democrats.

We need a 3rd party

Yeah I thought it started way long ago, and that is so true!

I would love to have another party who actually has a chance.

It was so bad that Harry Truman refused to be photographed on the Dumbo ride at Disneyland because he could not bear the thought of being associated with Republicans!

That is just too funny to be true, but it is lol.

But if you want to have a beard in office - better be Republican!

Democrats have all been clean-shaven

Isn't that really funny, I think the next democrat to win should grow one out just to put an end to that!

Well the next Democrat might be a woman so that could be difficult!

It is time that the United States has a woman as head of state.

Yeah I didn't even think about that, I really think we will have one in the next twenty years at the most.

I hope so!

I was surprised to hear that George Washington was one of the wealthiest presidents.

I had no idea he was so rich

Yeah same here, and JFK as well, I don't think our current president is as wealthy as he says he is as well.

Right.

Our president could perhaps have been friends with the Zimbabwe's president - President Banana!

Yeah that is true!

I think they called him that because of his name, but ours has his name because that's how he looks!

Yes.

It must drive him crazy that the president's guest house is bigger than the white house!

I really wonder what all the guests that come to stay there think when they see the size difference.

We haven't had any presidents as cool as the president of Indonesia - he released 3 albums while in office!

Yeah I bet those albums sold really well and made a ton of money too!

Profiting off his presidency just like our current president does!

Exactly good call!

Well it was nice talking with you today, I hope you have a good day.


did you know that Trump wouldn't be in the top 3 wealthiest presidents?

Like that must be adjusted for inflation

I did not.

That would be an interesting thing to look into.

Speaking of presidents, did you know that the first president of Zimbabwe was called President Banana?

haha no, I wonder if that was a compliment or not?

Like I don't know that I would want to be called president banana if I were president haha

Yes I have to wonder that also.

Another weird foreign present fact is that the president of Indonesia released three pop albums while in office.

that is crazy, can you imagine if Trump released pop albums while in office, that woudl be insane!

I can't imagine any American President releasing music while in office.

Before or after would be strange.

During is unheard of.

haha I agree, can you imagine if we had the old rules where the runner up would become VP, so Hillary would be VP and Trump would be president, just wild!

That would be a nightmare as partisan as things are now.

Were you aware that the guest house is bigger than the white house?

That seems strange.

I didn't know that and I don't see how that is possible, did you know that every president with a beard has been a member of the republican party

I did not.

That is a very interesting fact.

I wonder if there is any data about why that is?

I know that until our last election every Republican ticket that won since 1928 had a Bush or a Nixon on it.

ya that is kind of scary, except I don't think that is stilll true since Trump won

Correct, he was the first in a long time to break the trend.

We have a very strong two party system.

There hasn't been an elected president who wasn't a democrat or republican since 1853.

ya that is wild, and the use of blue and red for democrats and republicans only began in the year 2000 apparently

I am very surprised by that.

I would have thought that it went back much farther.

Did you know that when Truman visited Disneyland he refused to be photographed with Dumbo for fear he would be associated with republicans.

haha that is funny, did you know that the white house guest house is bigger than the white house itself, like how is that possible?

That does seem very strange.

I wonder how they let that happen.

Did you know that Nixon cracked the gavel that had been used in the senate for 165 years?

no that is crazy, did you know that women weren't allowed to wear pants in the senate until 1993?

That's way too late.

That's upsetting.

They always have a hard time modernizing it seems.

yes that is true, I guess a bunch of female senators did a protest in 1993 by wearing pantsuits which were supposedly off limits haha

I do not blame them.

Did you know that the senate has a candy desk?

I didn't know that, what kind of candy is inside?

that makes me hungry haha


Hey there.
The President is something else, huh.
He sure travels all over too.

yes he is always on news

Yea, good point,lol.

I was visiting D.C and noticed that the White House is much smaller than the guest house.

It s rather odd visually.

just got a news that naming senate building after McCain has been put on hold by republicans

Oh no.
Well that is sad to hear.
Too bad.

democrats are not happy with that

Gesh, I cant keep up with who is happy or mad lately.

I know that the U.S. senate used the same gavel for 165 years until it was cracked by Richard NIxon, I wonder if he was mad?

Well 165 years is quite old and easy to crack..

I also heard that they used to arrest missing senators to bring them to vote in 1988

HA!

Yeah and I love the thought of them carrying them feet first in order to force them to vote.

That's a funny thought and I sort of wish they still did it.

It would be interesting to see.

They have a candy desk full of candies in the senate entrance.

A  kid would be happy to have it in school

Oh, yeah!

Awesome idea.

I would like to raid it f I was around because I cant pass up good candy!

I heard that MIchael Jordan once asked to support a black democrat once and he said no because republicans buy shoes too.

I think that sort of makes sense in terms of being a businessman but he might rethink it now days, I don't know.

I heard that all US President who had  a beard was Republican

I know right!
That is kinda weird!
Not sure what's going on there.

The president of indonesia released 3 pop albums while in office.

Oh geez, that sounds unstable!

lol Its as silly as when Harry Truman wouldn't ride the Dumbo ride at Disneyland.

Do you know the 3 richest President in American history

Gosh, I bet Trump and JFK are on the List, I am right?

JFK, washington,jefferson.. Trump may be joining before he quits office

Ha, lol good point.

I like those fun facts!

I know that the president of Zimbabwe was nicknamed Banana.

At least we dont have that problem.

funny may be in future who knows what happens

Yeah, I agree.
Have a good one.

good chatting with you


Do you follow politics much?

Every once in a while I'll see an article that catches my eye

Yeah from time to time.

Do you know much about the Senate in the US?

Not much, but I've heard there's been some hesitation about renaming an office building after John McCain

I wonder why though.

I mean he was a republican so not sure why they are not moving ahead with that.

I think the problem is more that it seems like a rash decision because he recently died.

They're more against the process than they are actually doing it

I guess I do not know enough about politics.

I know that in the US Senate they have a desk with candy in it for people to grab.

Not just any candy, but the ones made in Pennsylvania.

It's a long-running tradition, too!

Yeah good for them.

They had a gavel that they used for 165 years until Nixon broke it

Wow.

I wonder what was being discussed when that happened.

Women have only been wearing pants on the Senate floor since 1993, and the only reason that changed was that two senators protested

I am glad they did, they should wear what they like, what is up with that.

Did you know that Jordan was asked why he did not support a Democrat candidate?

His response to that was pretty funny.

"Republicans buy shoes too."

Politics is definitely about more than just skin color, that's for sure

Oh yeah for sure.

And he is a businessman he was to think about that too.

Did you know that despite his wealth Trump is not the richest president?

I guess some of the others were just as influential and wealthy.

Sometimes we don't realize it due to inflation and the changing value of the dollar.

Until 1805, the runner up was VP rather than the winning candidate appointing someone else

Really different times.

There was some hierarchy there.

Did you know that the guest house is larger than the white house?

I wonder whose idea that was.

I wonder how many guests it can hold.

Indonesia's President has hobbies on the side while in office and has released three pop albums

What a president.

The president of Zimbabwe was called banana.

Maybe that was his favorite fruit.

Many of our Presidents have had beards, and all of them were Republican.

The Democrats are clean shaven

I wonder if they do that on purpose to keep up with a secret tradition.

Did you know why Truman refused to be photographed with a dumbo?

Probably since the Republicans use the elephant as their symbol.

The red and blue color associations are as recent as 2000

Yeah that is exactly.

How strange of him.

Do you know when the republican party was founded?

I know it has a long history and has changed much over the centuries


Have you ever followed the story of the Zodiac killer?

Yes I am listening to a podcast about him.

It took a long time to catch him!

Ive heard about a podcast that is in its second season through stuff you should know, Im definitely interested in it.

Its amazing that over 9 years no one was able to solve the case

Yes that is the one I listened to.

It is interesting how the killer communicated with the local newspapers.

He stumped the Law Enforcement so bad with those letters that they needed to get two college professors to help decode.

Yes he was a smart killer.
The case was never solved.

Its kind of crazy that he believed that the people he killed would be his slaves in the afterlife.

I had not heard that one.

The killer killed people in different ways - from execution style to how he killed young couples.

I think that was the key part that made it hard to catch him.

Yes.

Did you see the movie about the Zodiac case?

I didn't but I heard it was good, and that Toschi the cop who did much of the investigation thinks that the actor that portrayed him did a good job.

Yes it inspired the theme of the tough cop chasing the evil guys which occurred lots in Hollywood after that.

There are a lot of actors who certainly made their careers based on that model of a movie

Yes it took years for the cop to get over this case.

I bet, it would be something that would haunt me for sure.

I heard at the end of his life he was finally able to let go a little.

Yes the zodiac killer killed a bunch of people in cars - did you know that cars did not become widely available until early in the 20th century?

Yes, it all started with the Model T - the first mass produced car.

Yes they definitely worked better than horse drawn carts

A lot more efficient indeed.

They certainly have evolved, it is even legal in South Africa to put flame throwers on your car to prevent car jackings.

That is crazy!

It is illegal in Ohio to even warm up your car!

I live in Florida, warming isnt much of a problem here.

But the molten hot seatbelt latches and steering wheels in summer are killer.

Yes in Texas as well!


Are you familiar with the Website IMDB?

Yes I've heard of it before.

I use it almost every day actually, what about you?

I do know that Amazon owns them

See, I didn't know that Amazon owned them.

That really surprised me.

It's very interesting that IMDb has about 5 million titles and 9 million Personalities in their database, they also have about 80 million registered users, and I'm one of them haha

I know that Shawshank Redemption is the highest rated film on it.

Good movie btw.

Yeah I love the Shawshank Redemption!

Also crazy that Harrison ford and Robert De Niro share a lead for most film appearances in the top 250 movies, those are some good movies though have you ever made a goal to watch all of the top 250?

Yeah, they are.

Did you know IMDB started out on Usenet?

No I didn't know that!

That's really weird, do you know the order for all the Star Wars movies?

Apparently IMDb does, which is why I think they're useful haha

Yeah, I mean I know the release order and the actual order, if you ask me, all of them after the original 3 sucked though.

Yep I agree with you.

I don't like any of the new ones.

Especially the last Jedi, I thought that movie was absolutely terrible.

It said no like you said, that the Shawshank redemption is a great movie, and only made back about 3 million dollars more than its budget

yeah, I wasn't a fan either.
I remember when Shawshank came out.
It didn't do well.

Do you drive a car by the way?

I drive mine almost every day to work, I know that they started back in the late eighteen hundreds I think

I do, but rarely.

We use public transportation a lot here.

Did you know in South Africa it is legal to equip your car with a flame thrower?

No I didn't know that!

I could use that where I am though it's, freezing cold haha.

I also go to drive-thrus when it's freezing cold, do you know when those started?

So I heard they were started by McDonalds in 1975 to accommodate soldiers who weren't allowed to get out of their cars wearing fatigues.

Yep you're right!

They're so useful, I'm shocked that they weren't invented earlier, do you know the origin of the term trunk btw?

like the back of your car?

I heard that cars used to have big trunks on the back, is that what it was?

Yep you're right.

They would be big wooden Trunks, and you would put stuff in them, definitely a fire hazard if you were in South Africa and someone else had a flamethrower LOL

Hilarious, I can't seriously believe that this is legal in South Africa, but maybe so.

I guess!

speaking of cars, have you ever played the car video game Gran Turismo?

It's a racing game, and apparently someone was so good that they beat 90,000 people then became a professional race car driver

No, but I heard it is pretty good.
I wonder who that person is?
Well, nice chatting with you.


Hello - how are you today?

I am doing great.
How about you.

I'm doing good thanks for asking.

Did you know Jupiter has radio storms that can be detected on Earth?

I didnt know that.
Are you a space nut.
I dont mean that negatively.

Nope not really.

I like to learn about space from time to time, but would not consider myself a space nut.

I saw that in Canada it's a law to have a least 40% of the music played on the radio to be Canadian.

Thats understandable I guess.

Although I dont know why they would really worry to much about something like that.

Yea it seems like an odd law.

It really does.

Continuing  with the radio theme of our conversation.

Did you know that radios can be made using a razorblade and a pencil for the diode.

I might try to make one.

Oh wow I did not know that.
Pretty good idea though.

Yeah it is.

They used to make them in WW2.

They called them foxhole radios.

I guess anything to get some peace of mind in a time like that.

That's pretty cool.
Hopefully it kept them entertained.

Tue dat.

On a lighter note there is a website where you can listen to thousands of classic radio dramas for free.

That would be cool to hear what they listened to back in the day.

That's pretty cool they offer that for free.

Do you like cars?

I like cars.

I hate working on cars.

Not saying I dont work on them, I do, I think thats why I hate it so much.

LOL.

The trunk of your car is named that because the older cars actually had wooden trunks in them.

I had heard that before.

I wonder what people from those days would think about the cars of today.

They would probably be pretty amazed at how much they've advanced.

Yeah just the amount of cars on the road would probably amaze them.

With over 1.25 billion vehicles on the road in 2014.

That's a lot of vehicles.

I saw in South Africa it's legal to hook up a flame thrower to your vehicle to prevent carjacking.

Yeah that would sure deter me from stealing a car.

Definitely.
It was good talking to you!


Hey there.

Here's hoping you're not in Florida's Gulf Coast.

Seems to be storm central

Yea, people had to be evacuated due to Subtropical Storm Alberto

Can you imagine sustained 65 mph winds.

No, and that's not even all, there is going to be 12 inches of rain

Not sure what's worse a storm or an erupting volcano.

Did you hear about the evacuations in Hawaii?

Yea, all the lava ended up destroying residential property

Never really thought about toxic gas being an associated hazard.

Man FEMA there must have their hands full.

Yea that's not an issue one has to worry about in the US except if you live in Hawaii, an island made from active volcanos

Not a good time to travel anywhere.

Yea, it's already too expensive despite air travel being 10% slower than it was in the 60s

Yeah, hate flying as well.

You know what's crazy... Iceland has no public rail service so anyone there without cars uses domestic flights between towns.

Crazy.

That's crazy, I wonder if Iceland have many rabbits?

Sailors would release them as a future food source on newly discovered islands

That's kind morbid but smart too.

Think I might have read something like that on Facebook.

I think facebook is more trouble than it's worth, half of US divorce filing mentioned facebook in 2011

wow.

didn't know that.

wonder if any of those couples can sue facebook.

hey they're valued at $104 billion.

Lots to go after there.

I'm sure some will since 30% of adults use facebook as their primary source of news

Man, remember when we wanted to share something with a relative, we'd just pick up a phone?

Don't know why people need to share everything with the world.

Maybe it has something to do with their being more people on facebook then there were people in the world 200 years ago

I suppose.
Sorry, I'm old.
I actually remember rotary phones.

Did you know that an undertaker invented the dial telephone?

Weird.

Wonder what his motivation for that was.

Not sure.

Well I have to go, nice chatting with you


Hi do you use your phone much?

Hi there, yes quite a bit actually.

Do you know who invented the dial phone?

Hmm I am not sure but did you ever use a rotary phone?

It was invented by an undertaker and yes, I have used rotary phones but just for fun

Yeah they took forever to make a call.
DO you know wyy NY area code is 212?

Hmm I am not sure , why is it?

Well it is because it was the quickest number to dial on a rotary phone, pretty cool

Oh that makes a lot of sense.

Dolphins can communicate over the phone and they know who they are talking to

WOw that is impressive.
Have you ever used a phone book?

I have not but there are some in the house.

Actress Hedy Lamarr helped with the invention of the cellphone, gps and the wifi

Nice.
DO you travel much?

I do from time to time.

Did you know travel is 10% slower now than in 60s because of fuel costs

I guess that makes sense.

In Iceland there are no public railways.

Oh, so how do they get around, just drive cars?

Pretty much and if you do not have a car, people tend to travel by plane a lot

Wow that is a lot of plane trips.

SOme people steal gnomes and travel with them and then return them after taking pictures

Haha that is crazy.

Do you know who was the first king to travel the world?

Hmm I am not sure actually, but I know there is a website where people can put up their couches for you to crash when travelling

How convenient.
And the kinf is King Kalakaua of Hawaii

Neat.

Airports put the baggage claims farther so people do not complain regarding delays

THat is so smart, and keeps everyone happy


Hi, do you know much about telephones?

Yes I do.

New York has the fastest number to dial on a rotary phone

I saw that.
Isn't it 212?

Yes, it is.
Why was New York so lucky and special?

Not too sure on that one.

The cables carrying phone and data lines across the ocean are only 2.7 inches thick.

They left them on the ocean ground.
Fish might bite them.

I wonder if that ever happens?

I don't know.

We do not have to worry cuz I'm sure in the US we are changing to wireless (satellite).

True true.

It's impossible to separate two phone books that have had their pages overlapped.

I heard about it.

What other interesting facts do you have about telephone?

I know Unicef will donate a day of clean water to a child in need for every minute you don't use your cell phone.

I wonder how they keep track of the minutes.

Not too sure on that one.

An iPhone has more computing power than the US nuclear ICBM deterrent system.

Yes, I heard about it.
It's totally amazing.

I think so too.
Do you like to travel?

Yes, I do.

It would cost more than $300 in tolls to travel across Japan.

That's a lot of money in tolls.

I saw the Dutch are creating a bus that can travel 160 mph.

I will not ride on their bus.
It is scare to travel that fast.

Me either lol.

Mackinac Island in Michigan has banned all motorized vehicles.

I heard about it.

So, how do people travel around the island?

I guess by horse and buggy...

It should be fun but it can be annoying since they are slow.

I agree.
Well, good chatting with you.
Have a good one.


hi how are you doing?
do you like to travel?

I'm well.

I do enjoy travel.

I hope one day to make it overseas but time will tell.

Do you travel a lot?

i dont get to.
i dont have the time or money.
i have traveled overseas though.
it is worth it.

I think that Japan would be my favorite.

I think all the food would be amazing to try.

japan has great food and is great for tourists, especially the bigger cities.

it is a bit expensive, and can be quite hot in the summer.

I had read one time that all of the roads contain tolls.

I can see the reasoning behind it though because that must make a great deal of money for the government.

yes, the high speed roads cost money but they are speedy.

you can take the train too.

that is a good way to travel.

I've only ever done short trips on a train.

I spend most of my time commuting in a car.

I wish we had been bus travel near us.

yes, bus travel can be great, if the bus is comfortable.

i like trains too for comfort.

driving can be a hassle.

I think i would be terrified to try that new dutch bus.

Can you imagine being in a bus doing 160mph?

I would nope out of that so fast.

i think it would have a special lane or something.

yes, sudden braking could be terrifying.

and spill your coffee.

I prefer the travel in Mackinac Michigan.

Horses and bikes are more my speed.

i would love to see that island and chill for a while.

no phone either, if i can help it.

just unplug.

Cell phones are wonderful but i wonder if we have become too attached to them.

It is almost like an addiction for some people.

yes, a pacifier for adults.

give them a phone and they will clam up and behave.

So true.

I remember the days of corded phones that you could barely walk around the room with.

Now we have phones more powerful than government computers.

yeah, the phone has come a long way.

it feels like it owns us more than we own it.

i would like to get away from all the tech for a while.

Me too.

Maybe I'll take that unicef challenge and do some good while I stay away from my phone.

it couldnt hurt and it might help.

the unicef challenge is a great idea for raising awareness.

Anyway, great chat!

Yes it has been very enlightening.
Have a nice evening.

Thanks!
you too.

Goodbye.


Hello!
Do you like to travel?

I love to travel when i have the money and time.

which is not often these days.

LOL You?

Same!

It's been a while but I do love to travel!

Can you believe the Dutch are creating a bus designed to travel at 160mph?

That is way too fast for me!

Yeah, i bet they have a lot of safety measures in place for that though.

i would love to travel at that speed.

It would definitely save time!

That's for sure!

I'd like to see more people walking though.

It's so much better for the environment.

Mackinac Island, MI has banned motorized vehicles for over 100 years!

Most travel by bikes or horse-drawn carriages still.

Yes, walking is good.

human powered transport.

I would love to visit that island and unplug and relax.

Yeah!

I'd love to unplug and unwind!

It's long overdue for me.

Speaking of vacation, King Kalakaua of Hawaii was the first King to travel around the world.

He was a wise king.

see the world and gain the wisdom to rule your people better.

Oh, I agree!

Did you know that all of Japan's highways are tolls?

And it costs $300 to travel across Japan?

That's way too expensive!

Yeah, the trains are a better way to go there.

fast, comfortable and stylish.

Speaking of trains, Iceland has no public rail service and most Icelanders without cars use domestic flights to travel between major towns.

I think the terrain in iceland is not suited to rail.

if they have airports they have money.

Ah yeah I didn't think of it that way!

I would love to visit that country some day.

the name is totally misleading.

where woudl you like to go?

I'd love to visit Canada.

The weather seems so nice and way less hot than where I live.

Do you have a facebook account?

Canada is a nice place.
pick your season carefully though!
I do not have a facebook account!

Oh really?

I just got my first facebook account and it seems to be pretty pointless, since I don't have many friends.

Haha

I worry about privacy and data usage.

i figure that fb sells off tons of data to other companies.

Oh, I personally believe that Facebook must be selling our data!

Could you imagine if our government was rewriting our constitution via facebook, like Iceland is?

That's crazy!

Basically forcing their people to use Facebook, or miss out on important current events!

Maybe people would hack the system and make thursday free ice cream day!

LOL Anyway, great chat!

Yum, ice cream!
Haha.
Thanks so much for the great chat!
Have a good day!
Goodbye.

Have a great weekend!

Thank you!
I will and you too!


Hi!
Are you a traveler?

Somewhat, mostly domestically.

Have you ever heard of U2's song, "With or Without You"?

Yes.
Nice tune.
Why do you ask?

A figure skating duo used it in their act.

It was perfect since the two were parting ways after being successful together for so long.

A tear jerker...

That is touching!

Speaking of touching, just wanted you to know that UNICEF has a thing going where they will donate a day of clean water to a needy child for every minute a person does NOT use their cell phone.

This is a great thing they are doing.

It helps the children and encourages less exposure to cell radiation.

Win win!

That's great of UNICEF.

I guess that song by U2 affect the skater's life a great deal and helped her through a breakup.

It later somehow got her donations to attend the Olympic Games in PyeongChang.

Nice!

Traveling to the Olympics is a trip of a lifetime!

Maybe not as historic as King Kalakaua's trip around the globe, but still, a nice vacation!

Hawaii has a king?

Did you know the iPhone has more computing power that the entire US nuclear ICBM deterrent?

Scary!

King K was the first King to travel around the world, but that was some time ago...

I have an iPhone, and it has more computing power than I have...

I think my phone has a PhD because it often outsmarts me... Did ya know NY's area code is 212 because it was easy to dial with a rotary phone.

I resemble that remark!

I may have to unfriend you.

If I unfriend 10 people on FaceBook, Burger King will give me a free Whopper.

I jst hope I don't see any of those former friends at BK...

Why, do you have a PhD?

I wonder why BK is doing that?

It seems antisocial.

Meanwhile the Dutch are being productive with their 160 MPH bus...

Yes, I have a PhD and I am from NY...and I am lazy... Maybe BK is joining the fight against FaceBook addiction.

I wonder if we can ride that Dutch train with our heads sticking out the window?

Weeee!

I'm PhD ABD... Ah!

What is the concentration area?

Yeah maybe on the BK thing.

It seems a little evil.

I would like to go to Mackinac Island.

If I had to never use a car again, I would be fine with that.

Biochemistry.

I wouldn't mind going to Japan!

Would have to fill my pockets with quarters though...all highways there are toll roads.

Mines Systems Engineering... Yeah, $300 worth if you are going across.

You may want to consider a sub-300 MPH rickshaw.

I would mind a Buzz Lightyear jet pack!

Your rickshaw must be pulled by quite an athlete!

It is Godzilla-powered.

It's good to hear something positive about FB.

Iceland is using it to rewrite their constitution.

I really would like to go to Iceland...

Sure, but be aware that Iceland does not have a public rail system, to get ready to fly from city to city... Give me a slow canoe ride through the everglades and I am in heaven!

I do love to canoe and raft.

Maybe Iceland will legalize rickshaws of llama for the short hops with their new constitution.

Mopeds?

Just don't make the mopeds in Iceland solar-powered!

I travel the globe by internet cables.

I can get anywhere in the world online in seconds.

The toughest part is squeezing through those 2.7" cables that traverse the ocean's floor.

Yeah, I bet that's problematic.

Fiber optic ones are painful and embarrassing.

Right?
No privacy!
Nice chatting with you my friend!

Yes, everyone can see your plight!

Thanks to you as well.

You were excellent as well as entertaining!


Do you think that the American culture doesn't prioritize families?

Are parent doing their job?

I think there is less and less prioritizing on families and family life as time goes on.

I agree.
There is a lot more depression too.
I think it may be related.

I think that is true, but that is a topic of debate for sure.

Most kids in low-income households come from broken marriages.

In my experience, many young adults don't bother with marriage.

Yeah I think that hurts growing up and contributes to that depression.

Many parents are also in jail.

In short, two-parent families are becoming more rare.

It's sad...

It is getting rare and very sad, I hope there is a turnaround in the future.

Me too.

Did you know that an iPhone has more computing powers that the whole U.S. nuclear ICBM deterrent?

WOAH!

That is crazy to think about and really makes you think how far technology has come.

It's scary too.

It's wild that NY has a 212 area code because it was easier to dial on a rotary phone.

I wonder how that was the fastest?
I would have thought it was all 1's.

Yeah, that's true.

Wow, the 1st king to travel around the world was King Kalakaua of Hawaii.

Hawaii has a king?

I did not know that, I wonder what year that was?

Dunno.

I'm guessing a while back.

Did you know Iceland has not public train and most people there don't have cars?

That is pretty wild, sounds like they just use flights to get around to major cities.

Wow, it can cost over $300 in tolls just to travel across Japan.

Are there tolls for rickshaws?

I don't think so, but I do think that the roads there are in really good shape.

They should be.

Did you know Facebook is mostly blue because Zuckerburg has red-green color blindness?

Yeah I think I have heard why that is why everything is blue.

Yes, as I said, mostly blue.
Thanks for the chat.