did you know in the 50's that a judge wanted to ban a comic book because it had a black character?

Astounding.

People have always freaked out over fiction.

In the 1700s there was a moral panic.

But in the 1950s due to race?

ya apparently, what do you think about fan fiction?

I know that George RR Martin hates it

It may be bad for aspiring writers as Martin thinks.

They should come up with their own characters.

but I don't think it violates copyright unless sold.

no I don't think so, I mean even Julius Caesar wrote fan fiction about hercules

I'm not sure I'd want to read someone else's fan fiction.

So much else to read.

ya, have you ever read starship troopers?

apparently its on the military's reading list

I have read it.

Also Ender's Game, which is also read in the military.

Loved that one.

ah how different are those from the movies, I liked the movie starship troopers but I didn't like the ender's game movie

It's like Stephen King: many of the movies are worse than the books.

Did you know King thought Bambi was a horror movie as a child?

that is pretty wild, I do know that you can burn almost 200 calories watching a horror movie, he must have burned that many watching bambi haha

That's not enough to offset the buttered popcorn people eat, LOL.

They also say horror movies make you appreciate abstract art more.

Weird.

that is weird, have you ever seen the movie The Shining?

The book was written by Stephen King

Yes, I've read the book and seen the film several times.

Apparently, the child actor didn't know it was a horror film when they were shooting it.

that is good because that movie is messed up!

have you ever heard of the instrument the waterphone?

Waterphone?

That makes those creepy sounds, doesn't it?

ya I think so, it makes scary movies scarier I guess, I don't think they used it in the Shining though

I know these use modernist, atonal music in horror films, which may go back to how those movies make people appreciate abstract art.

do you read any books at all?
They could be horror or not

Yes, I read a lot.

Mostly non-fiction, but some fiction and occasional horror.

I'm curious about John Hart, who won the Edgar Award in 2009.

oh interesting, Poe was the first person to write about a cyborg btw


Have you watched the show Ozark?

Yes I have, I love that show.

I also just finished the last season of The Punisher.

The Punisher was a great show, too bad its getting canceled or at least Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage are

It is cancelled, season 3 was the final one.

All of the marvel shows have now been cancelled, and I am guessing we will see them pop up on Disneys streaming service before to long.

That makes me really angry, they were great shows, Netflix will lose subscribers with Disney streaming service coming up

Yeah plus they just increased the price of the subscription for Netflix as well.

Have you seen the show stranger things?

It is arguably the best Netflix original behind Narcos.

I haven't, I heard good things about the show though, is it good?

have you watched it?

Yeah I have watched both seasons, its very much styled like old shows from the 80s, and I love it.

I can't wait for season 3.

What is your favorite Netflix show?

I have to say House of Cards or Better Call Saul, what about yours?

If I am looking for little 30 minute sitcom types of shows, probably The Ranch, or Fuller House, but for longer shows I really like Orange is the new black, also Narcos, the show about Pablo Escobar, is really really good.

I agree those are really good shows, cant believe the services has 137 million subscribers all over the world,

What amazes me is that it has 137 million subscribers, yet not a single ad anywhere, it is a really refreshing feeling not to have an ad thrown at your face every 10 minutes, like you do on regular satellite or cable tv.

Cutting the cord from sat and cable was the best thing I ever did.

I only use Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon prime video now.

I only use Netflix and Prime video and will use the Disney streaming service when it comes out- and yeah, a lot of subscribers, mostly in the US

Have you seen the Expanse?

It is on prime video, and its probably my favorite thing on there.

No I havent, how many seasons now?

Im looking for a new show to watch, the name seems great

It has 3 season right now.

It was on syfy first but it got too expensive for syfy to continue to make so Amazon took it, so now you can watch all the season on prime video, fourth season will come out sometime this year.

Ok thanks for the recomndation I will watch that show for sure, did you know Blockbuster had the chance to buy Netflix at one point

Yeah but I am glad they turned it down because they couldn't even keep themselves from going under, I hate to think where Netflix would be if they had bought it.

Maybe as a really expensive service, Blockbuster charged a lot of money for its serice and the late fees made me really angry

Yeah blockbuster really shot themself in the foot when they made you start leaving a credit card on file when you rent a movie or game so they can charge you the full price of it when it's late.

Yeah I can relate to Reed Hastings a $40 late fee is a lot of money for a single movie


Hi, how are you?

hey I'm good, do you buy any items on Amazon by chance?

Sometimes I buy things on Amazon.

They work hard to help customers and provide quick delivery.

What about you?

yes I like them, I think it's crazy that Jeff Bezos took a mountain and built a clock in it, I don't know why it needs to run for 10,000 years though

He probably plans to be immortal.

It's a strange honor that a building got named after the first customer.

I guess it makes as much sense as another reason.

ya, what I do like about amazon is that they deliver on sundays, thats come in handy for me a lot, they have a special deal with usps apparently

I'm surprised that postal service was willing to do that, but the pay must be pretty good, so the workers went for it.

ya I guess so, would you ever work for amazon?

I guess in their warehouses a worker can get up to 15 miles of walking done in a day, that's quite a workout!

Probably not so much obesity among the workers.

Not so easy when you're in middle age though.

Quite a change from a desk job in an office.

ya, it would be a good workout but would get old fast, also amazon owns imdb apparently, I didn't know that

I guess it helps with sales of videos and such.

Netflix would have a good reason to own IMDB too.

yes that's true, have you heard that the universe is just a giant hologram?

apparently thats what elon musk thinks

What does that even mean?

A hologram?

You mean no physical matter, just a projection?

Ok, what does Elon want me to do with that information?

I still gotta pay rent in this universe.

haha ya well some people think he's smart but maybe not if he believes that haha, but yes all of this around us is a projection, kind of like virtual reality, that is his theory anyway

Some scientists  theorize that universes evolve through natural selection much like different species.

Why would that be?

Are some physical laws better than others?

Do universes disappear because they couldn't fit the population of universes?

that's a good question, do universes evolve moons or other features?

Another wild theory is that the universe is made of only 1 electron, I guess I really don't understand that one

Probably many such theories could be possible, given the mathematics.

Maybe there was a universe made of one electron, but it lost in the battle of universes.

haha I want to watch that show!

Battle of the universes, maybe the winner would be the universe with stars cold enough to be touched by a human hand

You could put odds on different universes.

The winning universe would get to have all the inhabitants of the losing universe.

haha I would watch that on netflix!

did you know that netflix takes up about a third of all internet traffic, that is a crazy amount

People want their video entertainment, and Netflix has the quality right now.

As the video resolution goes up, the Internet traffic will increase as well.

thats a good point, I know youtube came out with 4k content, so it doesn't surprise me that netflix and youtube together make up half of all traffic!


Hello, Do you enjoy reading?
I do and find it relaxing.

I love reading - I do it every night before I go to bed!

It requires creativity and I love it

I do too!
Do you enjoy fiction?
It uses imagination!

Yes I love reading but cannot do speed reading like Anne Jones - 4700 words a minute!

Yes, I know she is unreal!

Do you know how they measure that?

They don't have to understand what they're reading?

I think they do understand it!

But at least there is no moral panic these days about reading like there was in the 18th century!

I would like to see her do it!

Yeah, the panic of spread of reading novels!

As opposed to other books like Ender's Game which was suggested reading for the marines

Yes, I heard there was a movie also.

Did you know Julius Caesar wrote fan fiction?

I did!
Of Hercules and Oedipus!
That is awesome!

Have you read much of the famous Edgar Allan Poe?

He wrote the oldest example of a cyborg!

Yeah Poe was a crazy dude.

Some people dont like fan fiction however - George Martin says it is copyright infringement

Really, that's interesting.

Wiki ranks fictional characters according to their powers!

That is pretty cool - sort of like the pokemon app on your phone!

Yeah, Do you like horror films?

Good to know you can burn calories while watching!

lol

Yes that is part of my new diet plan!

Back in the 1950's a judge tried to ban a sci fi comic because it featured a black character.

How dumb is that?

That's unbelievable, upsetting!

Yes, I guess you can add that extra butter on your popcorn while watching horror.

I know I always try to check out a horror flick before going to see abstract art - it always seems to help me enjoy it more

I heard that it helps.

Who knew?

Can you tell what the waterphone sounds like?

It makes those creep metallic noises in horror flicks -  its very weird sounding

I can see why any child would be upset in Bambi when his mother dies!

Stephen King considers it his first horror movie.

Good chat!

Yes that was awful!


hello.how are you?

Good thanks.
Watch any good shows lately?

Yes.

I just started watching Sherlock on Netflix.

Its not bad

Did you know that the creator of netflix had a $40 late fee thats how he was inspired to create netflix

No I had never heard that before.

Blockbuster declined to buy netflix for $50 mil.

It is now worth $2 billion

yes I had heard that one before.

Have you heard about Ozark on netflix?

No.
i have never heard of it.

What about patriot on amazon?

No.
I have never seen that one either.
I am more of a mystery or sci-fi fan.

That show has some bad marketing.

It might be to blame why no one watches it.

Counterpart, is a good show if you like sci-fi

I have watched counterpart before, a few times.

But I lost track of it.

If you are into sci-fi, are you also interested in the universe?

Sure.
I think its interesting.

What do you think of the theory of the universe being a giant hologram?

I am not a big fan of that theory.

Do you have any theories?

I am pretty much open to listening to most theories, just not crazy about the superhologram  idea

Im really interested in stars that are cold enough to be touched.

That is amazing i would like to read more about that

have a great day!


Hello there, do you shop online much?

hello, quite a bit actually.
I love shopping on amazon, and you?

nice , me too I shop everything from their more expensive stuff to AmazonBasics

Yeah they have good stuff in there.

Did you know Jeff built a clock on a mountain?

Yes heard it is supposed to run for 10 000 years.

I wonder why though

No idea actually.
And they also own IMDB since 1998

Not surprised, they are everywhere.

And they are delivering on Sundays
 now too

Yeah thanks to a contract with the USPS How convenient for us

That is very true.

Their first customer got a building named after him and he spent less than $30

That is so cool.

Did you hear that they are so busy their workers walk up to 15 miles a day?

I am not surprised actually but wow, that is a lot of steps in a single day

That sure is DO you follow up with science at all?

I do actually as I am one myself.

I have not published papers like the Emperor of Japan though

That guys sounds pretty cool.

Do you know who was the only scientist to walk the moon, not astronaut?

Hm I think it was Harris Schmitt.
right?

Yup it was him.

Do you know when and who invented the world wide web, www?

Yes it was a guy from England working in Switzerland in 1989 at the CERN institute

We are so grateful to him for sure.

Scientists at Harvard stored gif animation into a bacteria.

It was of a galloping horse?

WOw that is remarkable.
Do you like reading much?

Yes I read quite a bit actually.
Have you read the Starship Troopers?

I have actually and I really liked it.


Are you on facebook?

Yes I am, How about you?

I use it from time to time, mostly just to post pictures and talk with family

Mark Zuckerberg really made it huge at 104 billion

Right, and to think, myspace could have bought it for like 75 million dollars!

I wonder how myspace is doing now

Myspace is dead!

Imagine a group of college kids doing that!

then suing the crap out of each other lol!

Did you ever hear of the burger king promotion?

About unliking people?

yep, you get a free whopper if you un-add 10 people.

I wish I would have known when I deleted like 500 people one time lol

Whoa, I dont understand what BK wants out of that?

Maybe divorces?

Right!

I think a lot of divorces happen because of Facebook.

You think they would be smarter than to use that

In 2011 a third contained the word facebook!

wow, that is great, but sad at the same time lol!

Do you know Iceland is rewriting their constitution using facebook

Great way to get more involved via social networking!

For sure, power to the people I'd say!
What do you think of Earth?

3rd planet from the Sun is the best place to live

That is what I heard lol.

Unfortunately that same planet has had 80% of their forest destroyed

4.5 billiion years old and we already killed 80% so bad

and I am sure the other 20% will take only like 100 more years unfortunately.

It was so nice chatting with you!

We better start taking care of it...take care!

For sure!
Enjoy your weekend!


Hello, How are you?
Do you enjoy reading?
I love to read and use audio books too!

I used to read more before internet stole my brain.

Funny, only the most skilled readers in the middle ages could read silently.

That is strange!

It too is funny in the 18th century reading novels was a moral panic!

I think I'm having a moral panic with everything that's going on these days.

"Old Hickory" never attended school and was helped to learn the R's by his wife.

I know how your feel, everyday its something upsetting!!

Aww, I didn't know that is nice about Old Hickory!

Wow, a man wore 70 items of clothing in China to avoid a bagging charge.

Times must be tough over there.

Really, I never heard of that!
!

Did you know that people used to d o their laundry in Old Faithful?

No, that's interesting.

Makes sense, kind of.

lol Did you know apple had a line of clothing in 1986?

I never saw any of it.

I don't remember it either.

I guess the plain grey shirt Zuckerberg wears costs him $300-$400?

Ha, ha, ha that sound about right!!

Yeah, would like to know the brand he is wearing?

Mine's Fruit of the Loom.

I am deeply grateful for whoever invented the t-shirt.

It was invented in 1904 for guys like me that are sewing impaired.

Yes, I buy that brand too!

lol How do you feel about Rip Curl has their clothes made in North Korea but their labels say China?

I think it's very strange, I wonder why it's like that!

Very true, and we allow people to use them.

Did you know gang fashion in China is layering shirts.

lol

That wouldn't work in Atlanta of Hotlanta as it is known.

I wonder if that guy in the Chinese airport was in a gang?

Ha, ha, ha, that's what I was thinking, He was a gang member...

Nothing new for him...In Hawaii, they dress so casual in office attire, instead of a suit, they wear the Aloha shirt.

I like that.

So do you think kids have a legal right to protest during the school day?

I didn't feel like I had that right when I was in school

That's true, same in my day.

Its just ridiculous!!

Not very smart!

In one state they want 16 years old to vote.

Its getting out of hand!

It is...

True!

I think these kids need a wake up call.

I worry they aren't going to be able to cope when they grow up!

Thinking everyone know Polo shirts were invented for tennis.

Maybe not!

Great chat!

Yeah, I've never played polo in mine.
Thanks and keep the faith.
You were great!


hi, do you enjoy dramas?

I do, do you?
If so what is your favorite one?

I love the House,how about you?

yeah, Hugh Laurie is a great actor, but I think the series is over.

Right?

It is over now.

He made a lot of money soemthing like $700 000 per spidoe

WOW!

that is a ton of money.

That is awesome, is he the highest paid actor?

No I do  not think so.
Do you know jimcarrey?

He's a good comedian, I'm not so much into his dramas though.

He does not make them anymore though because they do not have a positive outcome

Interesting, I haven't seen him in anything in a long time.

Did you know that Patrick Stewart teaches masters classes?

Good for him, he is amazing.
DO you like radio dramas?

I do, apparently they have a lot of them.

Yeah and they are all free so there you go

Did you know that there is a show called Ikea heights?

o I did not know that.
Do you know michael caine?

I liked him in batman.
Did you see it?

I though he eas good.
Do you know how ge got into acting?

No, I don't.
How?

He enrolled in drama class because all the pretty girls were there

That's awesome.

He's a great actor.

Apparently Hugh Jackman went to comic con wearing the full costume and nobody noticed.

Hahaha he is so funny.
Nice chatting with you


Hi.
Do you use Facebook often?

Everyday!
I guess anyone who is 13 can use it too

That seems really young!

I didn't realize it has been around since 2004, that's 15 years already!

Thats a long time.
It's valued at 104 billion!

Incredible.

Myspace could have bought it for $75 million but they turned down the offer!

I'm sure they thought it was a lot of money then!

Facebook's "like" button is illegal in the german state of schleswig-holstein.

I wonder why.

Probably just one of those strict German rules.

Kind of strange.

Kind of like Iceland!

Iceland are rewriting their constitution via facebook; allowing the public to make suggestions and alterations.

Imagine what a mess it would be if America did something like that.

That would be awful!

Burger king had a promotion where if you unfriend 10 people on facebook you get a free whopper.

I bet that got them a lot of attention!

I didn't know that Facebook was just for Harvard students at first.

Yep!

Cause that was where Zuckerberg was!

Facebook is primarily blue because mark zuckerberg suffers from red-green colorblindness.

That's an interesting fact.

Facebook was the highest valued company for a newly listed public company.

Crazy stuff!

According to radiometric dating and other sources of evidence, Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago.

Can you imagine the cycles the earth has been though!

That's amazing!

In the beginning of Earth, days used to only be 5.5 hours long.

This is sad.. More than 80 percent of the earth's natural forests have already been destroyed

That's a shame!
There won't be any left soon.

you are right.

This is super cool!

If earth's entire history was viewed as a 24 hour period, humans would only represent 1 minute and 17 seconds.

That's crazy to think about!
71% of the Earth is covered with water.

That is a lot of water!

Apparently Elon Musk is having problems.

Poor guy.

I guess lots of issues come with that kind of money!

Tesla's CEO lashed out at analysts and the media during a wide-ranging earnings call.

He was mad!

It will be interesting to see how things pan out for him.

Thanks for chatting, Have a great day!


do you like to read ?

Hello, I love to read.
What about you?

I love to read, it requires so much from the brain, creativity and critical analysis, it is cerebral exercice.

For sure.

Did you know Starship Troopers is the first sci-fi novel on the reading list for 3 branches of the military?

I know it is military themed, I have seen the movie, but did not read the book is it any good ?

I haven't seen it actually.

The world record for speeding reading was 4,700 words per minute.

a line is around 15 words.

that is 300 lines per minute.

She must have hurt her hands tuning the pages that fast.

Haha for sure.

There was a moral panic back in the 18th century because of the spread of novels.

They were like the video games of today.

Nowadays, I challenge you to find someone complaining that kids read too much.

I agree.
Do you like fashion and clothing?

When I have to money, I like to shop for clothes.

I am not a pilgrim.

I do too.

Did you know the pilgrims actually wore colorful clothing?

I thought they wore only black, should I buy new history books ?

I always thought that too.

Maybe the history books need to be updated lol.

It would cost more since they cannot get away with black and white pictures anymore.

Most definitely.

Rip Curl makes clothes in North Korea, but their tags say China.

That is bad, North Korea is not paying its workers, it is worst than than the low-paying job that you have in other countries.

Have you shopped for used clothes ?

That's terrible to hear.

I have never really shopped for used clothes.

What about you?

No, but there is a store that sells clothes from unclaimed bagages, I am sure there are nice clothes there.

Not sure I would like to buy used clothes.

I would have to think about that one.

Well, you have to travel to Alabama for it, and if you lose your baggage, it could end up  also there, it is win-win situation.

For sure.
Well, it was great talking to you.
Have a good day!


Hello there, do you like to dress up in costumes on Halloween?

I have always loved Halloween.

I have heard during Comic Con Hugh Jackman walked around in full wolverine costume unnoticed.

That is pretty cool, that sounds like a fun Comic Con to attend.

Did you know that Panda researchers wear costumes to work?

No, but I guess if they want to interact with the pandas then it makes sense to wear a costume.

Yeah I think that is pretty wild that they would dress up in those suits to work with the animals.

I find it amusing that Gilligan aka Bob Denver dresses in full Gilligan costume to let make-a-wish kids rescue him from an island.

That is very cool, that sounds a bit like what Johnny Depp does, he sports his full Jack Sparrow costume for visits to sick kids in hospitals.

Speaking of acts of kindness, a guy that's Scottish has a homemade giraffe costume that he dresses in and does kind acts.

That is very cool, it sounds like costumes bring a lot of joy to a lot of different people.

Did you hear about the actor Sean Bean?

No, I have not heard of that actor.

I guess that he is so afraid of flying, he would hiked to the locations for filming during the Lord of the Rings wearing his whole costume!

Oh my gosh, that is really extreme!

I did not hear that on the news, but knowing that some stations like MSNBC are 85% opinion, I am not surprised.

I think I have heard that, I didn't know how big Fox News really was as well.

Even though the average age is 68 for a FOX news viewer, I still watch because they only run on 55% opinion.

That is better than the 85% I'll say.

Did you know that Fox News is more popular than CNN and MSNBC combined?

No, but I can see why it would be.

There are 86 countries or territories overseas worldwide that provide FOX coverage.

Wow, that must be why, I never knew that they were that big around the world.

Yes, I would imagine that is the case.

Did you know that president Nixon had a hand in creating the network itself?

Oh, that is ironic considering his popularity.

Although it is a subsidiary of 21st Century Fox.

Yeah that's what I thought as well.

Anyways, it's been nice talking with you today, I hope you have a good day!


Have you heard about Elon Musk lately?

not really.
Whats he into now.

He just recently lost his cool on a call.

Im sure as the ceo of Tesla.
he probably is under a lot of stress.

He criticized journalists for just trying to get clicks.

Tesla doesnt do any advertising, and he pointed that out.

Well maybe he is just a jerk then.

He has been known to be one.
I read one of his biographies.

Did you know that the Tesla model s runs linux software.

I had heard that.

They could also test it on an indoor track because it doesnt produce emissions.

Maybe he is so stressed because he is giving his salary back to Tesla.

He actually did that in 2014

That is quite the possibility.

He founded paypal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors.

He is really an innovator.

So he is probably not really hurting for money.

Lol.

I would think money would be the last thing he needs.

I do think he spends a lot of it innovating the next things though.

True.

Tesla actually helped develop the 2nd gen rav 4ev that toyota produces.

That is in part because Toyota owns 10% of Tesla

Seems like that relationship is backwards to me.

I would agree with that.

I would have thought it would be the other way around as well.

All I know is that he is one of the wealthiest men on earth.

Speaking of, did you know that the earth will soon be helium free.

I heard that.

I am not sure what the ramifications of that are, but it doesnt sound good.

We will have to find something else to keep birthday balloons in the air.

Maybe if we stop using it now in the balloons, we might be able to conserve a bit more of it.

I dont know how it all works, but it is a thought

You should take that to your local congressman.

Have a good one.


It's a shame Jim Carrey won't make dramas anymore.

I was unaware of that and it is a shame.

Why has he decided that?

He doesn't want to star in any movies that don't project positivity.

So I guess just comedies from now on.

That's interesting.

If that is what makes him happy I can understand.

Do you know who the highest paid actor for a TV drama ever is?

I thought it would be the cast of Friends, but Hugh Laurie beat them with earning 700,000 per episode!

Yes he did.

I suppose it is only counting dramas but I wonder if that also considers premium channels like HBO.

I find it hard to believe that the Cast of Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, etc.

have not been well payed.

Too big of a cast to pay all them well!

If you like dramas there's a website where you can listen to old radio dramas for free.

I do enjoy dramas.

I will look into that.

Were you aware that Jon Hamm used to teach drama at his old high school.

I can't imagine him in a career other than acting.

I wasn't, I bet teaching helped him hone his skills.

I wonder if he taught anyone who ended up famous too?

Actually he did.

One of his students was Ellie Kemper from The Office.

What are the odds?

Crazy.

I loved that show.

The crew really dressed them in appropriate costumes.

I also loved that show.

They certainly did look like convincing typical office workers.

Have you watched Firefly?

One of the best shows that only got one season, they used costumes left over from Starship Troopers, another of my favorite guilty pleasures.

I have not but I have always meant to get around to it.

I hear it's fantastic and I like the cast.

Interesting that they used the costume from Starship Troopers.

I never would have guessed that.

That movie is a whole lot of fun.

Binge it, it's awesome.

You can't go wrong with a space western!

The writing is superb and the actors all really mesh well.

I will definitely check it out.

Speaking of costumes, did you know that Panda researchers wear panda costumes to work?

Why do you think they need to do that?

Probably so the pandas will accept them as one of their own.

That must be a fun job, dressing up like a panda for work.

That was my guess as well.

Then they would not be a disruption to the Panda's lives.

It would be fun as long as it was not too hot.

I just read the most interesting thing about pandas the other day, apparently their stomachs can't digest bamboo well, but they eat it anyway cause they like it.

That is interesting.
I wonder if it causes issues?
Are you a fan of the movie Labyrinth?

I haven't seen it since I was a kid.
I remember liking it though.

I love that movie.

Apparently the costume for the character Hoggle was lost in shipping.

It now sits in an unclaimed baggage museum in Alabama.

Given the staying power of the film, I'm surprised it would be in such a niche museum.

That is surprising.
Thanks for chatting!
!


Race has been in the news a ton lately, especially people doing blackface....

Yeah I'm sorry but that is never been okay.

I don't care what some pundit off tv says was okay in her childhood.

Megyn Kelly, right?

I wonder if it really was ever okay.

I know historically certain people used it soley to make fun of black people, but I bet some people were just being dumb.

Probably.

The whole situation is just bad.

Like who thinks that comments like that are okay especially in this day and age!

What's interesting is before she even worked for the today show, she's never been very politically correct anyway, like when she was on Fox.

I honestly can't believe she was hired on the today show.

Doesn't really seem like a good fit in the first place.

I agree.

I get the feeling the producers just look at ratings and nothing else and pay little attention to their audience.

So true.

Not liek the today show is known for their good choices.

Look at the whole matt lauer debacle.

Yeah...lol.... What's funnier is when a black person (like Hall) says Santa will always be white and doesn't want a black santa.

Comedians have sets about that, but seems out of place on a talk show / semi news.

Stuff like that doesn't make for sensational news and that's all the they are concerned with is the ratings and padding their pockets in the network.

Right, and in that format it makes it feel like it's a deep seated belief much more than an off the cuff remark or attempting to be funny or "provoking".

I miss the days when journalism was a profession that was held to high standards of integrity.

Now it is all about who can make the biggest "splash"

It's about entertainment and telling you how you should feel about it.

Telling you what it "means".

Instead of just giving you the facts and maybe you can make up your own mind.

When the news plays out like a drama rather than a facet for information I think we are in trouble.

Very much so.

Sometimes going as far as purposefully misrepresenting information in order to lead people to an incorrect conclusion.

It's theater and not news.

I'll stick with real dramas in the real theater.

It is better for my blood pressure than the drivel these "journalists" present on tv.

Agreed.

But about the whole blackface thing, is that really news to begin with?

I mean, it wasn't like someone did it last month.

lol....

Although, makes you think about people dressing up like Indians, just as offensive?

I think if it is done with the intention of just being funny or doing it as a way to make fun of a race it is wrong but if it is done in a respectful manner it isn't a terrible thing.

Yeah, I agree.

Intentions are hard to tell, though, especially when the news tells you the intention, without having any idea.

lol

It is all about feelings now.

I remember a time when acting with feelings was a thing for the stage not the news desk.

The village people would be a hate crime and people would burn MP3 players.

lol.

Thin skin is certainly a problem.

It can be.

People just need to be respectful of each other.

I don't understand why that is such a difficult concept for some to grasp.


Good Morning!

I'm from Cleveland and used to love Lebron James!

Hi, you used to love him?
You don't think he's the GOAT?
Lol

LOL...I don't even know what the GOAT means, just heard it in the last 2 weeks.

So stupid, Lebron is a good player and could never be a GOAT.

Greatest Of All Time.

I just thought he called himself King James?

Yeah, just saw that.

Okay he's not the Greatest Of All Time, yet he's up there.

He's got enough money, let him call himself whatever he likes I suppose.

Michael Jordan still deserves the moniker of GOAT as he's got the rings!

I agree with you on that!

Michael Jordan is the GOAT in my mind.I still remember when the Air Jordans were banned in the NBA and Jordan wore them anyway, because Nike didn't mind paying that fine.

And that was cool of him.

I love the fact that the garbage Lakers did everything they could to get Lebron James, and this is the first year he's gonna miss the playoffs.

Cleveland laughs at Los Angelas.

Lebron just wanted to relocate his family there for the weather.

Too funny!
You're right about the weather.
You must watch alot of basketball?

Not too much NBA.

I do love the NCAA College Tournaments though, so much more drama and teams to cheer for.

Do you get into the whole March Madness thing, filling out the brackets, and all?

OMG yes, I usually start with the Conferance Championships that are going on right now.

So cool to see smaller schools with arena's of under 200 people in attendance fighting to get into the main March Madness field of 64

That's awesome, I've done it a few times, but I think I'm much better at video games.

Lol

Video Games would me a lot less taxing on my gambling.

I didn't do it this year, but last year I bet anywhere from $4-$20 on every single NCAA tournament game.

It was insane.

But almost $3800 last year, and ended up $4.00 ahead for the season...LOL

Oh my!
My wife would not be happy, man.
I better just stick to the video games.
Lol

Which is why I'm single....LOL.

Nothing like being retired, betting some basketball games, cracking open some brews and not getting yelled at for it.

Man, I'm so jealous.

Lol I did read that in South Korea it's illegal for kids under 16 to play video games after midnight.

That's so funny to me, because who is reporting them if they do?

Their parents or is there a video game police that tracks who's playing?

I would have stayed in trouble as a kid if I lived there.

LOL.....I used to play video games back in the day, but I discovered a gambling site instead now.

Though getting back to the NBA, Cleveland wishes Lebron James nothing but the best now.

He got us to a couple of championship series and even won one.

So, that's cool with us!

That sounds like a love/hate relationship you have with Lebron?

Always has been since he killed us by going to Miami for 3 years.

You can always see right through Lebron James.

He wants to do the right thing, but screws up doing it most of the time.

Ok, I understand.

Being that you're from Cleveland, did you ever attend any of his high school games?

No, though I live about 10 miles away from where Lebron James went to school.

He's a good story, and will be for a few more years.

Good talkiin' with you this early morning....have a Great day!


Hi.
Do you watch YouTube?

Yes I do, I love Youtube.

I know that it was created in 2005 and that Google bought it in 2006 for $1.65 Billion.

I did not know that it was created near where I used to live for 25 years (San Bruno, California).

Cool.

Did you know that YouTube allows users to upload, view, rate, share, add to favorites, report, and comment on videos?

I know some features but not all.
I mostly watch music videos on it.

Yes, me too but it offers a wide variety of user-generated and corporate media videos.

Available content includes the music videos we watch but also TV show and other video clips, short and documentary films, audio recordings, movie trailers, live streams, and other content.

Those are a lot of features - mostly we can use them for free.

We have to watch ads but I think it's okay.

Ads don't bother me that much either.

Mostly, I love watching educational videos along with short original videos and video blogging.

Mostly, I learned many, many things on educational videos.

My grandchildren learned a lot from youtube programs.

You just have to supervise them.

They like to press subscribe buttons - I did not like it.

I found loads of good educational ones from learning programming languages to repair videos on appliances.

Actually, Youtube is the second largest search engine on the Internet.

That's what I heard.

I assume it's just behind their parent company, Google.

You probably have a good point there.

But, Netflix and Youtube together make up half of the peak Internet traffic in North America.

Yes.

When I heard about it, it did not surprise me.

Another interesting fact is that the police actually have their own youtube channel called bluetube where they share law enforcement videos.

Now is that cool or what?

It is cool.

I'm surprised that YouTube did not complain or sue for any reason.

I want to see the blutube.

Me too but it's probably in a VPN (Virtual Private Network) that is password protected so we are out of luck.

But still, we have access to a lot of information on Youtube especially if you are a registered user.

Yes, I'm a registered user.

Apparently Psy's gangnam style got so many views on YouTube that they had to upgrade the view count integer to 64 bits.

Wasn't that amazing?

Yes, a 64-bit integer is very, very big.

Did you know that Justin Bieber's 'Baby' is the most disliked video on Youtube?

Yes, I read about it.

I would like to know the reason why it's disliked by the majority of people who view Youtube.

Yes, I thought that was strange too.

It's probably the kids that don't like Justin.

Since Youtube allows everybody to rate the videos, one could see that happening to someone so popular and rich.

You are probably right.

Apparently the content on YouTube is also uploaded by media corporations such as BBC, CBS, etc.

It's getting late.

It was nice chatting with you.

Have a good night.


Hi!

Do you like snakes?

I used to have one.

They are ectothermic so need a heating lamp.

I am really scared of them so not really, there is a flying snake

OMG really?

I never knew that.

There are also legless lizards that basically look just like snakes.

Yeah I am really afraid of them no kiddin, I would like to live in New Zeland because there are no snakes over there

Yeah there you go!

Even though crocodiles look like snakes they are more related to birds.

I guess that flying snake makes more sense now,

Haha yes true.

The legless lizards actually have eyelids and external ears which snakes lack.

Souns likd you know a lot about snakes, those overlaping scales just give me creeps, there are many poisonous snakes out there

Yes there are you gotta be careful.

The snake jaws have several joints which allow them to swallow such large prey.

Dont worry I will run at first sight, run as far as I can, do you like to attend to concerts?

Haha.

Yes I do.

Luckily I never saw Creed apparently they were not great.

They had a really bad concert back in 2002, 4 goes sued the band

Wow must have been pretty bad.

Crazy how often the Ramones played...2263 concerts over 20 years!

I used to love that group, too bad I didnt had the chance to go to one of those concerts, pretty big tours I guess,

Yeah sounds like it.

Croatia would be a fun place to see a concert.

They have an ancient Roman amphitheater!

That sounds like an amazing venue, a lot of history there must be awesome to attend to a concert in the place

Yes it would.

Another ancient roman amphitheatre is in pmpeii where pink floys had a recorded concert.

I head he recorded that concert withou an audience, I wonder what are his reasons behind that

Yeah maybe the seating wasn't good?

In any case I'm sure it was better than Creed's concert.

Yeah I bet it was, no one sued Pink Floyd because of that concert that is a sure thing,

Yea exactly.

The Dark side of the moon is for sure one of my favorite albums, hard to believe it was released 40 years ago!

Nice talking with you have a good day!


Hello!
Do you like music?

Hey there!

Who doesn't like music?

I like everything rap, rock, pop, and on and on.

You?

I do, too.

Do you listen to albums more or like going to concerts?

I don't go to concerts as much anymore now that I'm older.

Me either I've seen some good ones.

I saw Tom Petty maybe like seven years ago.

You have any memorable concerts?

Probably Stevie Wonder.

That was a great show.

I saw Linkin Park probably back in 2001 when they played over 300 shows.

Stevie Wonder?

Wow that's awesome.

I saw the Global Citizens Festival in Central Park.

It had the Black Keys, Foo Fighters and Neil Young.

Pretty solid.

Can't say I'm a fan of Linkin Park.

Apparently, their Hybrid Theory album is the best album of the 21st century so far.

What?!

I wonder whose standard that's according too.

I certainly don't think that's accurate.

I'm sure we could both name a ton of better albums.

I don't think what's better really matters, it's about sales and fads, I guess.

Dark Side of the Moon was the best selling album in 2014, randomly.

Probably as a re-lease or re-mastered or something like that.

Do you like rap and hip-hop at all?

I do!
Do you?

I do.

Mostly the older stuff though.

Today, I don't like much outside of Kendrick Lamar.

NWA's Straight Outta Compton was an impressive album.

Yes, that's a classic.
Plus it gave us Dr. Dre.

Did you know it was the first album to reach platinum without a major tour or much airplay?

I did.
Did you the movie about NWA?

I haven't yet, no, but I heard it was great.

Me either.
I'd like to check it out.
Do you remember that band Creed?

Haha, unfortunately, I do.

Apparently one of their concerns was so bad that 4 of that people that attended sued them for it lol

I don't blame them, Creed is terrible.
Anyway, have a good night!


What do you think of Trump's plan to slash food stamps?

I think it can save money but will leave a lot of people who cant afford food without it.

It doesn't sound so bad.

But I'm not confident in Trump ability to handle money.

If he wasn't' born rich, he'd be on food stamps himself, from what I see.

I totally agree there.

And the fact that he wants to stop food stamps and do an apron meal type of program is weird.

It would cost more that way

Yeah.

How many bankruptcies has he had.

I wouldn't be surprised if a Frenchman scammed him into buying the Eiffel tower.

I think he makes snap judgements without really thinking.

They say this program he wants to replace food stamps will cut what people get in half

Yeah.

Now he;s in charge of the US Govt...which owns 86% pf the land in NV.

We got a guy who managed to bankrupt a casino in charge of a lot of real estate.

True, if he listened to what people said like how people cancel meal programs like Harvest Box because they are too expensive he would realize they will not work.

Well, he's going to shut down the govt agains anyways.

It almost like he's working for the enemy, like Wikileaks.

That is true.

Should be shutting it down soon.

They say the white house has twin buildings in Ireland and France.

Maybe he should go there.

Once he figures out how to use the Floppy Disk system in his office, I'm sure he might

Maybe go back to dial up so his tweets will take longer to post.

George Bush put solar panels back in white house I am sure trump will remove them.

He probably thinks they're windows.

I wonder if the thinks the Geneva Conventions are some get togethers in Wisconsin.

Probably would.

What surprises me is that all the security at the White House and in 2011 it took them 4 days to realize bullets had struck the white house.

Maybe they thought the WH was as immortal as a Jellyfish.

That could be it.

I did not know a seahorse was the only fish to have a neck.

I find that interesting.

Sounds fishy.

The black swallower doesn't even need a neck to eat something twice its length.

Yes and the black swallower can also add something twice it's weight .

That sounds pretty crazy.

Man.
Get those things some Blue Apron meals.
They sound out of control.

And the zebrafish has 84% of the genes known to be associated with human disease.

I don't eat fish so I'm not too worried.

Good for you!
Great speaking with you.


Hi!
Do you like snakes?

Yea, I find snakes fascinating, like how their skulls have more joints than lizards

That is crazy!
Have you heard of legless lizards?

Yea, there are many lizard species that have evolved with no or reduced limbs, pretty cool

It is crazy that they are still lizards and not snakes.

Yea, true snakes don't have eyelids or external ears like legless lizards do

Oh wow!
That is crazy.
Have you ever visited new zealand?

No, I've never been outside the US, I know there are some legless lizards in FL

There are no snakes in New Zealand.
I should go there.

There are no snakes living in Ireland either

I love Ireland.
Are you scared of snakes?

Not really, only the venomous ones which in australia outnumber non-venomous snakes

That is crazy.
I am scared of them.
Monkeys are too!

Most people are, there's a man who developed his own antivenom by just having snakes bite him so many times

That is a painful way to become antivenom!

Yea, I wonder if he could sell the antivenom in his blood and make some quick money

He deserves some type of reimbursement.

Maybe he could check out the Lou Reed high frequency concert they had for dogs

I have never heard of that!
That is unique.

Yea, that's pretty crazy, so is Bob Marley's Legend album being on the album chart for over 914 weeks

I am going to go listen to it!
Have a nice day.


hey there what are your thoughts on the USA congress right now

I think it's an exciting time, with so many women like Ocasio-Cortez getting in the game

yup a lot of interesting people for sure, did you know congress members have subway lines exclusive for their use in DC?

That's crazy, I wonder how they'e accessed.

I guess that's one of the perks of the job, like naming honorary citizens, even though that's only been granted to 7 people.

ya did you hear that repubs and dems play an annual baseball game?

That's interesting.

I wonder if they have Facebook groups, too haha?

ya I don't know they must, but ya Republicans are up by 3 games overall which is interesting

I guess they're winning somewhere.

Did you know that they used their override power to pass the Volstead Act after President Wilson vetoed it?

That's a win.

huh I didn't know that, what ws the Volstead Act?

It's what started Prohibition.

There's actually a whole documentary on it; I wonder if excerpts are available on YouTube.

ah Ill have to check it out, how often do you watch youtube?

Not as frequently as I used to, but probably a couple times I week.

Definitely not enough to get through all 70 episodes of The Joy of Painting that are available on the site, although I imagine some users could.

what is surprising to me is that youtube is the 2nd largest search engine, second to google probably

Yes, it was smart of them to buy it in 2006 for only $1.65 billion; they have great synergy, and it definitely helps that other media companies have developed partnerships with them.

oh for sure, crazy that it started back in 2005, that seems so long ago

Yes, I remember both YouTube and Facebook becoming a big thing back in those days at pretty much the same time; did you know that Facebook was initially limited to Harvard students?

ah yes I did know that, also their like button is somehow Illegal in one of the German states, weird

That's odd; the Like button was also originally going to be named the Awesome button, which seems kind of silly!

haha ya that definitely sounds dumb, did you do the facebook burger king promotion back in the day?

I don't think I've ever engaged in any promotion on Facebook; it kind of bothers me that it's basically an ad company and profiting from our personal information, but I guess that's a form of currency.

ya, if you unfriend 10 people you got a free whopper, pretty funny!


Hi.
Have you ever visited the White House?

I did when Bill Clinton was the President.

Have you?

No, but I think it would be neat to see.

Every President has lived there since 1800!

They say that the White House has twin buildings in Ireland and France.

I guess they liked the design.

I guess so!

The white house has solar panels which is pretty cool.

I wish I had solar panels.

I guess it was George W Bush that put them back up.

It's funny that they are advanced enough to have solar panels but still use floppy discs.

Who, the White House?
LOL

Yeah!

Apparently they still use floppy discs to store some files!

That is so insane.
I wonder why?

I have no idea!

I guess they're out of touch on a lot of things.

They didn't know bullets hit the White House in 2011 until four days later.

LOL.

That is really sad if it wasn't so funny.

You would think the Secret service would be a bit more aware!

You really would think that considering all the training they get.

Exactly!

It's strange to think the White House is where the President lives AND works.

I wouldn't want to live at my job.

I work from home.
I'm an artist.

Well, that's true, I guess a lot of people technically live where they work!

Speaking of government, did you know a man in France sold the Eiffel Tower twice while pretending to work for their government?

LOL.

There is a fool born every minute and a scammer.

Very true!

Governments have a lot of power, ours owns 86% of Nevada's land for example.

I wonder why they would want to.
I've been to Nevada.

No idea!

I guess it's just a bunch of empty space for them to have?

Who know!

It's been nice chatting with you, Have a great day!


Hey there, do you have much interest in nature?

About the same as the average person.

I don't mind a short hike in the woods, or sitting by a river trying to catch some fish.

Nice, sounds fun.

Did you know that there are species of fish that can eat prey twice their size?

I'd like to see what they look like after a meal.

Like I feel after Thanksgiving.

Hahaha so true.

Yeah, they are called the black swallower, how fitting their name.

Is a jellyfish a fish?
I heard there is one that is immortal!

Yeah that is the one species of jellyfish that scientists have been studying for so long trying to crack their secret.

I guess sometimes it is hard to tell what a fish is, like the seahorse.

I just don't know how you know something is immortal.

they must have studied them for so long.

same as they do a lot of experimenting with zebra fish.

Speaking of science and up to date technology, it turns out the White House still uses floppy disks.

to store date.

Old school but there must be a good reason for it.

speaking of the white house, it has twin buildings in ireland and france.

I wonder why that is and who built them.

I used to live in DC, we always looked forward to see the tree go up around the White House.

I do not know actually and I wonder also who lives there.

Well good you got a chance to see it now.

Apparently Roosevlet banned them from the white house

Yeah, bit of a conservationist.

Just like the Norwegians, they donated a billion dollars to the amazon rain forest once.

That is a  lot of money.

On the other hand the US government has really shifted their focus towards protecting their employees from prosecution if they violate geneva conventions

I wonder if it's against the Geneva Convention to see national monuments.

A man in France pretended to work for the government and sold the Eiffel Tower, not once but twice!

That is just insane, wow.

Do you know when the White HOuse started getting used as a president's house?

I understand since John Adams.
Isn't he the second president.

That house must require a lot of maintenance.

I wonder if they still have the solar panel that George Bush put back in it?

'd like to think of Bush up there installing them himself, with his tool belt on and cursing as things don't go right.

You'd think it would be a Democrat putting up solar.

Hahaha well there you go.
It was nice chatting with you.
Have a good one


Are you afraid of snakes?

Hello - no I am not.

I actually had a snake as a pet growing up.

What about you?

As a pet?

wow, I am really afraid of them I find them facinating though

I had a corn snake as a pet.

It never bit me.

Did you know there are no snakes in New Zealand?

Then New Zealand is a great place for me to settle down lol, I didnt hear about it, you know that the fear of snakes is not only a human thing but monkeys also have it

LOL.

That's funny that monkeys have a fear of snakes.

I saw that crocodiles are more closely related to birds than they are to snakes and lizards.

Thats a cool fact, they look a lot more alike snakes and lizards, theres a breed of snakes that can fly

I agree.

There is a species of flying snake that can actually launch themselves at prey.

I would be really afraid of those, you know there are legless lizards but they arent considered snakes

I didn't know about the legless lizards.

Very interesting.

Do you like music?

I do, I love going to concerts, live music just inspires me

Me too.

Linkin Park played 324 concerts in 2001 alone.

Linking Park is one of my favorite bands, 324 concerts sound excessive though, they had no life during that year and no free time im guessing

They are one of my favorite bands too.
Stinks that Chester killed himself.

It does, the world of music lost a lot that day, he had a unique voice I guess the life of an artist can be lonely as well

Yep, I love listening to Linkin Park.

Did you know that in 1974 Pink Floyd played a live concert in Pompeii?

No I didnt hear about that concert, well I wasnt even alive back then, was it good?

Linkin Park's hybrid theory is the best selling album of the 21st century.

Its my favorite album actually, another one is Dark Side of the Moon,

That's pretty cool.

It is a cool album, still one of the best selling albums

Good talking to you!


The internet is an interesting phenomenom, someone can become famous in just a day

They can become famous, sometimes infamous.

I'd rather be rich.

You?

Yeah, I would rather be rich as well the life of celebrities can be tedious and without privacy,

I would rather have privacy than money.
People bothering me all the time.
No thanks!
Do you use Facebook?

I do, I have my account since 2009 I think, what about you?

I do not use Facebook, for religious reasons.

Pride and such.

I figure it's better to keep my privacy as well.

Do you use the "like" button much?

I can respect that, and yeah I use it often, its one of the things I like the most about Facebook

The like button has been outlawed in parts of Germany.

That is odd, and a bit fascistic to me.

I do wonder if 56 gender options is enough these days.

56 gender options?

I can only think of 6 tops, did you hear about the Whopper promotion BurgerKing had?

Burger King is always messing about in human affairs.

What did they do this time?

Human sacrifice?

No, no humans were harmed this time well at least not phisically a lot of them got their feelings hurt, they would give a free Whoper to anyone that unfriended 10 friends

Unfriending people to satisfy fast food cravings.

Seems barbaric.

Burger King is indeed the opposite of civilization.

Sounds like you have a lot of negative feelings towards Burger Kind?

I am impartial in general, but I have to draw the line at fomenting dissent to the point of ending friendship for the sake of appetite.

I can see your point, Iceland is reliying on Facebook a lot, they are rewritting their constitution using Facebook

I see absolutely no problems with that.

Nothing could go wrong.

4-chan couldn't hack the site and mandate gun ownership and free ice cream.

Or Whoppers.

Ive always wondered why Facebook has blue as its main color

Blue is the purest, truest color.
The color of the sky.
Plus the Zuck is color blind.

Oh I see, so his colorblind it makes sense now, not a marketing strategy afterall

FB probably owns stock in all the major divorce law firms.

They are the root cause of so many troubled marriages.

Facebook must be sponsored by divorce lawyers, they are the root of many fights I agree,


Hi!
Do you have Facebook?

Yes I'm on Facebook.

Do you happen to know when was their website first got launched?

I believe it was in 2004.
I got it when I was in college.

That is right.

Was their website's membership always available to the public?

Not always, it started as just a college site, where you needed a .edu email address to get in.

Oh I see.

So it was at first limited to just Harvard students.

Correct!

I cant believe MySpace didnt buy them back in 2005.

I read somewhere they foolishly turned down an offer to buy them for $75 million.

Facebook now is worth in the billions.

$104 billion.
What a huge mistake!

It was a major mistake by Myspace indeed, why would they turned down that offer is beyond my understanding.

I think they didnt thing FaceBook could compete with them.

I agree.

Myspace at the time had the momentum but it quickly fizzled as other players came into the picture like Facebook and Twitter.

It is true, then although while it is not as socially based, YouTube came on to the scene too.

I agree.

Youtube in fact is the 2nd largest search engine on the net.

It along with Netflix make up half of peak internet traffic in North America

Wow!!
I didn't know this.
Very interesting indeed.
Wasn't it Google that bought them?

I believe it was, back in 2006.
I cant believe that was 13 year ago.

Amazing.

I believe that they bought them for 1.65 billion is this accurate?

Yeah.

Crazy.

I wish I have the ability to create something that would be worth that much!

Me too!!!

Do you know when was the service first created?

Im not quite sure, I think I remember using some of it back in 2004 or 2005.

It was back in 2005 to be exact.

It seems like it was yesterday, yet so long ago.

Yeah!!!
Long time ago indeed.
Well it was nice chatting with you.
I hope you have a great evening!!
!

Same to you!


How do you feel about Fox News?

I think it's ok but they are a little biased.

I know right!

I think most ppl think that but some how they are watched more than msnbc and cnn combined.

Probably because they are in 86 countries worldwide.

Strength in numbers might help tip the scale?

Yeah your probably right.
They broadcast primarily from new York.

Did you know that the gaming website IGN is owned by Fox corp., who also owns Fox news?

I did not know that.

I did hear at one point they tried to sue the Simpsons to stop them from clowning them, lol.

That's funny.
Doesn't Fox own the Simpsons?
Interesting...lol

I know right, maybe that's why they tried to create a channel that only played the Simpsons.

I think that would have been something that would have worked.

Sometimes we binge watch the Simpsons in the winter time.

Did you know that there was an episode that Bart was not in or mentioned.

I didn't know that.
I wonder why they did that?

Mystery!

Apparently Fox was created by two republicans.

I see that Richard Nixon was one of them!

Yeah and a Republican strategist named Richard Ailes.

The two Richards lol.

Hahaha That's funny.

Speaking of funny...are you a fan of comedies?

Only when it's funny, lol.
Have you seen 3rd rock from the sun.

I have.

I used to love that goofy cornball comedy they did.

Yeah the actually won a Golden Globe for it in 1997.

They must have had some good competition that year from Friends, Frasier, and Seinfeld.

Do you like Bill Murray?

Yes he's a goofball and Ghost buster's was hilarious!

How about you?

I loved him in those movies as well as others like Caddyshack, Meatballs, etc.

I've never seen Kung Fu Hustle which he thinks is the supreme achievement of the modern comedy age.

I've had fun chatting with you!

Interesting!

Do you remember the Nintendo Gaming system?

I do!

I had the original one that could display 54 colors.

Wow we technology has come a long way.

Apparently they just discontinued it in Japan in 2003.

It's been nice chatting with you!

You're right.

The way technology has come a long I'm surprised the Nintendo lasted that lone.

It's been a pleasure!

Have a good day!


Hey there what did you think about Pat Conroy?

Hello there, I haven't read any of his work I don't think, how about you?

I haven't seen his work either.

But he sounds very talented.

I'll have to watch the movie The Great Santini, I think my dad liked it

I do think that Robert Duvall is a pretty good actor so I think I will check it out myself.

Yes I agree with you.

I loved him in The Godfather.

What do you think about planet Earth by the way?

That is a classic, love that one.

I know that the Earth is very dense, like 4x as much as the sun even.

That is really cool.

It does make me sad that 80% of Earth's forrests have been destroyed, I hope that we can reverse that someday

That is very sad, and we should all work together as a planet to help reverse that, but it will take time.

Yep I agree with you.

I wonder if Earth days will keep getting longer, when the Earth was first formed a day was only about six hours long.

I think they will always be getting a bit longer, but it will take hundreds of thousands of years yet.

That would be a long work day if it were a thousand our day haha.

It scares me though that Earth will be out of helium by the year 2100.

Isn't that a wild fact, no more blow up balloons and making your voice super high I guess.

Nope it'll be a sad day!

It's also sad how humans have only existed on this planet for a short time, humans would be about 1 minute if Earth's entire history existed for 24 hours

That is crazy, makes you feel very insignificant when you think of stuff like that.

Yep I agree with you.

I think it's silly though that the United Nations has an ambassador to extraterrestrials, that guy has a very easy job lol

That is very funny, I wonder when they started that position and how many people have gone through that job.

That's a good question!
It seems like a very pointless job.
How often do you dance by the way?
Bruce Lee was apparently a great dancer

I usually only dance after I have had some drinks, and yeah I think that is so cool, he was very talented.

Yeah he was.

He won a Cha-Cha championship in 1958, he was definitely very quick on his feet lol

That is awesome!

I wish there was a YouTube video of that performance.

I would totally watch it!

I also think it's cool that Michael Jackson has a patent on the lean device that he uses to do the extreme lean, I think he should be the only one who ever used it though

That is really cool, he was the king of pop and dance in my opinion.

Good talking with you, I hope you have a good day.


hey there, do you know much about earth?

I know a little bit.

Did you know that Earth is almost four times as dense as the sun?

that is cool.

and sadly more than 80% of the forests have been destroyed

Sad.

I always worry about getting hit by an asteroid but we will probably destroy ourselves before that happens.

Jupiter says earth from many asteroids that head towards it.

true.

thinkig about it when earth was created the day was only 5.5 hours long

Cool!

And the earth's magnetic field direction reverses every 200,000 to 300,000 years.

did you know UN appointed an amabassador in case extreterrestrials evern make contact with us?

I hope that person has other duties in the meantime before that happens.

Haha.

Speaking of outer space, you could fit all the planets in between earth and the moon and you would still have room after that to spare.

wow so far from each other, so much space in between.

Did you know earth will be virtually helium free by the end of this century?

That is sad.
No more helium balloons?

I guess not.
do you like dance?

Sure!

Did you know Michael Jackson wasn't the first to do the moonwalk?

really?
I thought he did.
WHo was it?

It was tap dancer Bill Bailey!

wow interesting.
even bruce lee was a dancer

That is cool.

I would not peg him as a dancer but I guess it makes sense.

Did you know there was an episode of Mr. Rogers where he learned to break dance?

oh cool.

and of all people, tupac was a dancer, do you know what kind?

Well, probably hip hop dance?

actually it was ballet.

Ha, would have never have guessed.

I wonder if he ever tried the ballet slippers that make drawings from the dancer's movements.

That is pretty cool!

I don't know but they are such tough dancers, the ballet one, they go through 4 pairs of shoes a week

That sounds so painful!


Are you a fan of Seth MacFarlane.

I agree that one should believe the opposite of what one hears on the big news stations.

Yes, Fox news channel is watched by more people in the nation.

Yeah, their ratings beat CNN and MSNBC combined.

The channel was created by Rupert Murdoch.

Murdoch is the current executive chairman and Suzanne scott is CEO.

Yeah, I've always know the MaCFarlane hated Fox but I don't think he is being fair.

He condemns them for bias when there is obvious left bias coming out of every pore on CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.

Fox news described as practicing biased reporting in favor of the Republican party.

The possibility of creating a cable channel that would only air the simpsons.

Maybe.

If one complains about Fox's bias then one should complain about the bias of all new channels.

They don't which reflect their own bias.

Yes,  The game website ign is own by fox news corporation.

Cool.

Personally I get my news from many sources on the internet.

I actually prefer comedy like Bill Murray's views on the "Kung Fu Hustle."

"kung Fu Hustle" The supreme achievement of the modern age comedy film.

Hee.

Did you know the Nintendo Entertainment System could only provide 54 colors.

I hardly noticed...

The nintendo entertainment system was finally discontinued in Japan.

For it's time, it was cool.

It's funny that Bill Nye got his start by winning a Steve Martin lookalike contest.

I don't see the resemblance.

Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and make the audience happy and forget the worries.

I know, that's why I can't stand the politicization of so-called comedy shows and sports.

Give the negativity a rest.

Entertainment make people free from the stressful but it was differ from culture to culture.

I suppose.

There is a type of movie called Bromantic that includes "the Hangover."

It was pretty funny and stress relieving.

People must laugh it give so much relax and focused in the work.

Here's something funny, Reagan was once turned down for a role because he didn't have "that presidential look"  I guess he got the last laugh on that.

Some time Jim carrey movie are funny and intelligent.

Yeah, he can be funny.
Nice chatting with you!


How are you?
Do you like entertainment?

I'm doing great!

Of course I love entertainment!

Did you know there's a circus that performs for people with special needs?

Wow I didn't know that.
Makes me happy to hear that though.

Yeah, it's really great.

They even make accommodations for people with autism.

That's very cool.

Did you know Britain bred chickens for entertainment and not food back around 50 BC?

I've heard something about that.

Are you a chicken expert?

Can you trace their evolution from the Cambrian explosion that happened 542 million years in the past?

I am not a chicken expert lol.

That's interesting.

All the way back to 542 million years ago?

Lol yeah it's crazy right?

But don't you think it's crazy how we've used horses from everything such as warfare to putting on rodeo shows?

Very crazy.
I do think that is pretty crazy.
Do you like Nintendo?

You know I never got into Nintendo sadly.

How about you?

Do the 54 colors it can display drive you wild?

I grew up with Nintendo.

Hard to believe how much technology has changed over the years.

Definitely.

But we still have roots in the past.

Like how that circus I mentioned has changed so much culturally but still uses horses.

In particular one with a name honoring Frank Sinatra haha.

I agree.

Did you know Bill Nye got his break from a contest?

That's really interesting!

Was the contest held in the Circus of the Senses?

Did he compete against that horse Frankie?

It said it was a Steve Martin look alike contest which I don't think he looks anything like Steve Martin.

What do you think?

I can see a young Bill looking like Steve Martin lol.

But do you think he looked more presidential than Ronald Reagan did back then?

I would say no, but that cracks me up Reagan was turned for a role because of that.

I bet the person that turned him down feels like an idiot.

Hindsight is 20-20 my friend haha.

Us humans haven't gotten out of our animal brains.

I mean we still have hiccups - and that's from when our ancestors had gills!

I agree.
Do you like animals?

I do indeed.

Horses are my favorite.

Especially Icelandic ones that can tolt lol.

But I unfortunately have to make like a horse and bolt soon.

I love horses.
Well, it was great talking to you!


hello, do you know much about earth?

Well, the Earth is the third planet from the sun.

Cool, sadly, I know that 80% of the forests we have are gone

Do you know how much of Earth's surface is water?

71% percent I believe, that is a whole lot

True.

What is the core of the earth made from?

It is made of solid iron.

Do you know how long the day was when it was formed?

I know it was much shorter - something like six hours long.

yeah something like that.
Do you believe in extraterrestrials?

I am uncertain, but you know what I do believe in?

Dance!

Yeah that one is more fun.

But just in case, UN has appointed an ambassador for the extraterrestrials.

WHat kind of dance do you like?

I have liked the Cha-Cha since I learned Bruce Lee was an expert.

Yeah that man was so skilled on many things.

Do you enjoy ballet?

Not so much, but I am surprised that they can go through 4 pairs of shoes every week!

Yeah that is crazy.

Do you like libraries or visit them often?

I try.

Did you know that there are more Libraries than McDonald's in the United States!

Yeah, I like that fact.

Did you hear about that man that was put in jail and studies law during that time and proved his innocence?

That is pretty amazing.

A lot of friends of mine use the library for free music and video viewing.

Yeah it is pretty good to have them nearby.

Have you heard about "library of things'?

I think they are trying the idea in Sacramento.

Pretty cool if you need something only once in awhile.

Yeah so handy.
Nice chatting with you


I love the circus... all the different acts are always amazing!

I can't remember the last time I have been to the circus.

yeah me either... it's very hard to find one these days!

Would of loved to have done one of those touch tours!

What was the movie that just came out about the circus.

It was awesome.

I didn't finish it and had to leave early, but I keep waiting for it come on Netflix.

Do you remember the name?

The greatest showman... and yes it's an amazing movie!

Circus's are so great for autistic kids too!

Yes.

That is it!!!

Really about the autistic thing?

I did not know.

Can you elaborate?

I have a very close friend of mine who has an autistic kid.

They are bringing the circus closer to the kids to help them with their sensory issues.

And the parents get something out of it too.

Ah very interesting.

Does Barnum and Bailey still have their circus??

I think that was what it was called.

No they don't!

i believe they closed down a few years ago.

Sad :(

Ah, that was a good one.

What was the article on the horses about?

it's cool how Dalmatians would calm the horses

Yes.
You would think otherwise.

did you see that fact about hiccups?

No.
Which article?
What did it say.

that hiccups are a carry over from when animals had both gills and lungs

AH.

Was hoping it said something about how to cure them.

I get them and absolutely can't stand them.

hahaaa... yeah!

Don't think anyone really likes hiccups!

Do you do these hits often?

I'm curious.

I have participated in about two of these.

yeah i have!

See clint eastwood is allergic to horses?

Yes surprising.
Would love to ride a horse.
Such beautiful animals.

yeah they are!
Unless your riding it to school!
LOL

For sure.
Been nice chatting.
Merry Xmas.


Did you know the nintendo could only disply 54 colors?

seriously?

had no idea, that seems like very little

yeah, apparently.

I used to play it a lot, but not anymore.

I can't believe that they only discontinued the NES in 2003, and it came out in the 80's.

It lasted such a long time

Crazy, I've never been to NEW

what or where is NEW?

I meant to type NES, did you know that Bill Nye got his break in entertainment by winning a Steve Martin lookalike contest?

I don't see it, do you?

seriously?

he doesn't look anything like him.

I wonder who was those judges were, haha

They were probably drunk.
I don't see it at all.

most likely, yeah.

When i get drunk I tend to gamble, mostly on horse racing.

did you know that icelandic horses have a fifth speed?

They can speed walk!

Interesting, Icelandic horses, have fifth speed.

yeah, horses are facinating.

they have actually evolved over the last 45-55 million years.

they used to be small multi-toed creatures

Interesting.

I don't know the difference between Icelandic horses and regular horses.

well, there are over 350 breeds of horses actually, and icelandic horses are just one of them, and they are from Iceland.

Interesting, apparently dalmatians are good at calming horses and protecting them.

wow, I had no idea.

I hope to own a farm one day, with horses, so I guess i'll have to get a dalmatian too.

I've never ridden a horse, have you?

Apparently Clint Eastwood is allergic to them.

Yeah, one or twice, it's really fun actually.

Interesting.

he's been in so many movies with horses, from my memory, so that surprises me

Yeah, pretty crazy.

I like the movie Unforgiven, he must have been taking meds for his allergies the entire movie!

Honestly, that wouldn't surprise me, and actually makes the most sense.

Yeah, it is pretty crazy.

Apparently 2 high school kids rode their horses to school on "no vehicles to school day" and got suspended.

I love a good prank like that, honestly.

I just wish schools wouldn't be so uptight.

Just accept the joke, and move on.

No need to suspend the students.

Interesting.
They take themselves to seriously.


Did you hear a lot of people that star on Fox are outraged by the coverage of the immigrants on the news channel they have?

I have heard that, I am not sure how I feel about it

Yeah.

Me either really.

They seem angry at Tucker Carlson as well, for defending Trump policies.

I get it to an extent, but the whole media seems to be against trump, and anyone who does not adamantly oppose him

True there.

It's a shame.

I think other forms of entertainment are better.

Nothing much worse than the news, that is for sure.

I love comedy movies much more, but sometimes it is not a successful genre

Yes.

Were you aware Ronald Regan was rejected for a movie role because he did not have the presidential look?

Like he was rejected for the role?
That is hilarious.
Life is like that sometimes though.

Yeah.

An executive didn't think he had "that presidential look".

What do you think about video games?

I am a big fan of video games, I love the nintendo switch so far!

Ah.

Did you know that the nintendo entertainment system was finally discontinued in september 2003 in Japan.

that is a long time, like almost 20 years, that is quite the run!

Yes!

In the beginning of it, the NES had 54 colors it could show.

that is insane, how much progress we have made in such a short time span!

entertainment is honestly probably what keeps people wanting to be alive, it keeps us happier

Yes.

It can be great for humans.

Just like comedy.

3 rd rock from the sun was a good series.

i am a big fan of monty python, the inspiration for the coding language!

Yeah.

It's funny, Bill Murray thinks Kung Fu Hustle is "the supreme achievement of the modern age in terms of comedy".

I liked Evan almighty, it had a budget of 200 million dollars!

Wow.

Far different from many movies.

There is a genre of movies called bromantic comedies and include Harold and Kumar, The Hangover, and Pineapple express.

Is that like RomComs for men?

Haha kind of.

I saw harold and Kumar.

The main characters were just very close and went on adventures so to say.

Demetri martin was accepted into harvard law, but left out of boredom to pursue a career in comedy

not all comedy is a success though, comedy central has cancelled over 100 shows


Wow, did you know when the earth first formed the days were only 5.5 hours long?

That means it's slowed down almost 5 fold, that is incredible.

That is amazing.

Sadly more than 80 percent of the earths natural forests have already been destroyed.

Yes I know, with industrialization and increased C)2 and waste gases we could use the photosynthesis from those trees.

Plus Helium free by the end of the century.

The arc of our planet isn't looking good right now.

Sad.
That's surely nothing to dance to.

Yes, I'm old enough to remember Bruce Lee movies when they came out, did you know he was the Hong Kong Cha-Cha Champion in 1958?I guess with his athleticism and limberness that not a shock.

I agree with you.

I wonder who has to pay for the 4 pairs of pointe shoes that ballet dancers go through in 1 week?

My wife and daughter danced in their childhood (one I was parent, the other child) so I believe it, usually mom and dad early on.

Were you a Pat Conroy reader at all?

I'm not familiar with him.
Could you enlighten me?

I'm not really familiar either, I saw "The Great Santini" and "The Price of Tides" in the movies and enjoyed them, but though I'm a voracious reader I've never read him.

I actually got a writing degree at Iowa and published, but didn't know if you publish in Norway the government will buy 1000 copies, I went to school in the wrong country.

Do you read much?

I do read a lot but I tend to read autobiographies and historical books that have to do with certain areas, people, or events.

Nice, I'm more a fiction guy but do enjoy history and biography.

Did you know there are more libraries than McDonalds in the US?

That surprises me and I'll be in 100 years that won't be true.

That's interesting,  and sadly you're right.

I love libraries.

Saved me a ton of money through the years.

I never understood why people would rent dvds when you get them for free from a library to watch.

Also, I could never afford all the books I ever wanted to read so the library was a Godsend for me.

Plus, I lived in a rural area for the 90's and up until 2012.

I had nothing else but the library in my little town.

In fact, we just had a library, post office, school, and a small restaurant that was only open for breakfast.

Sounds like Norman Rockwell's America, along with libraries I miss local books stores where you knew the owner and he/she knew what you like and you had an ongoing relationship.

Not everything in modernism is better.

I saw where the new Michael Jackson paints an ugly picture of him, did you see he has a patent for that gravity defying lean he did in those old videos?

Yes!

Love going through old book stores.

Loved it when they were everywhere.

There's not one now within an hour from where I live.

That is neat about Michael Jackson.

I always thought that was natural skill.

lol  The rapper Tupac once danced ballet in high school when he landed a role in the Nutcracker.

Yes I saw that, I'm no a rap fan and I think he died early in that genre, maybe he should have stuck with ballet.

Babies can spontaneously dance when they hear music is news to me, I've have two left feet, can't dance all my life so I must have lost that skill along the way.

Interesting about the babies but I can see it.

Jumping back to libraries the Sacramento public library started a library of things where you can check out things like sewing machines and other items that patrons may find useful but don't need to own long term.

What a novel idea!

Yes, kind of reminds me of my dad's poor, small home town in Arkansas.

He said the block only had one lawn mower, TV, most tools, few cars and so they just loaned them back and forth like the Library idea.

I think most American's probably have a basement and garage full of things they don't need long-term, but hey it drives the economy.

I read somewhere the moon is leaving the earth orbit about a meter a year and some infinite time in the future will fly out to space, I wonder how the beaches and surfers will be with no tides then?

Wow.
That sounds kind of scary!
That's Earth's natural satellite!

Yes, it always amazed me to we have a core of molten iron, spinning to give us a magnetic field.

While the ground seems so solid, it slowly sliding on plate tectonics on top of a liquid metal ball.

That kind of freaky to me.

I agree!

It's amazing to think about.

If Earth's entire history was viewed in a 24 hour period, humans would only represent 1 minute and 17 seconds.

We only represent a tiny amount of the Earths history.

Yes, when I think of evolution it seems like the time human's have been human like is too short from that 1 minute 17 second standpoint, but with fewer trees and no helium who knows how long we have left?

Scary to think about it.
I have to get running.
Nice chatting with you.
I enjoyed it.
Have a great night!


Hi, do you listen to music?

I do on occasion, but I tend to spend more time listening to audiobooks.

I'm also a fan of poetry

Oh that is nice.

Did you know there is a poem that read backwards is depressing and read normally is inspiring?

I wonder which one it is.

Is it completely backwards, or is it reading the words in the opposite order.

i'll have to look up that one later

Yeah check it out.

The Javanese alphabet forms a poem if recited in order

I wonder who discovered that tidbit.

Are you familiar with what palindromes are?

Yeah and demetri martin wrote one of them with just 224 words

How many hours did it take him to write that?

Or is he naturally talented at poetry?

Edgar Allen Poe wrote "The Raven" and only got $9, but it probably grew in popularity after he died

Yeah as it usually happens, sadly.

DO you know where the hobbit characters names came from?

Didn't they originate from an Icelandic poem?

Leave it to J. R. R. Tolkien to be versed in Icelandic poetry

Yeah that is true, it was the poem "dvergatal"

Something like that.

Don't ask me how that's pronounced though.

It would be interesting to see translations of the African hunting poetry during the prehistoric times

Yeah that sounds pretty cool actually.
DO you like Linkin park?

I like some of their music.

I don't listen to them often, but sometimes I'm in the mood for their first album.

It's one of the most popular of this century

Yeah it is the best selling one.

Did you hear about those twin in Japan that released an album at the age of 100

And a rap album, nonetheless.
Maybe they also really enjoy poetry

Yeah that is so cool.
Do you know who Reel Big Fish are?

I'm not familiar with their music, but I heard they rerecorded their popular songs for their big hits album.

Yeah after they lost the right to them.
What a dedication

I know.

It was probably fun to relive some of the bigger songs together though.

Hard work, but fun

Yeah I bet and they managed to get them back out there.

Nice chat :)


hi, do you like rap music?

Hi!

I'm not too big of a rap music fan but I am interested to see who ends up winning the grammy for tonight.

Do you?

I am not a huge fan either but listen to it sometimes.

Did you know tupac's music is in the library of congress

Really?!

Where is the library of Congress located?

McDonald's pays rappers $5 for every time they reference big macs in songs, I have yet to recall any songs with that reference yet.

Can you think of any?

No I cannot but that is a lot of money actually.

Do you like eminem?

Yes, I like to listen to Eminem's music, I don't think he has released any new songs in a while.

Is he one of the world's fastest english rapper?

I think he is.

he dreamt of being a comic book artist originally

Oh he's super talented then because his lyrics are like poetry and dramatic stories with very catchy tunes.

Poetry was once considered an olympic sport, if Eminem competed, I think he'd win a lot of awards!

Yeah along with sculpture, music and others, they should still be

Yeah, I wonder why they don't consider those Olympic sports anymore.

Do you have a favorite poet?

Not one per say, I like ancient and modern ones.

do you have one?

I don't have a favorite poet, but am fascinated with Aristotle's Poetics which uses speech in rhetoric, drama, song and comedy.

It becomes very entertaining when they stylize it like that.

He is so amazng.

did you know there is a poem that when read backwards is inspring and when read normally is depressing?

Really?

I'm not familiar with that type of poetry, it really sounds interesting though, are there any famous ones that use that?

I do not know a specific one.

have you ever heard the javanese alphabet?

I've never heard of that, I'm only familiar with the American alphabet, I imagine it to be quite different?

yeah, apparently when recited in order, it forms a poem.

how beautiful is that?

Oh wow!

That must be really easy to learn then!

Japanese seems really graceful even their alphabet is elegant!

Japanese artists wouldn't have to worry about Walmart not selling their albums because if an artist refuses to make a clean version of their album, Walmart won't sell it.

Yeah that is interesting about walmart.

Do you know where the names of the characters for the hobbit came from?

No, where did they come from?

I actually really enjoyed that series, its from the Lord of the Rings right?

Yeah, it came from the poem dvergatal.
nice chat


Hello, Do you listen to Rap music?

A little here and there.

Donald Glover got his rapper name Childish Gambino from an online Wu-Tang Clan name generator.

interesting, did you know that Tupac's music is in the library of congress of cultural significance.

I didn't know that.
Interesting!

yes it is interesting, Eminem's dreamed of becoming a comic book artist and he loved spider man.

Neat.

There is a deaf rapper named Signmark who rhymes in sign language!

that's creative, Korean rappers invented a new type of rap called compliment battle.

I like that ...lol throwing compliments.

Jason Paige the singer of the Pokemon theme is also the rapper on "Black and White" by Michael Jackson.

wow I didn't know that, that is cool.

Do you know who the fastest rapper is?

No I don't, who is it?

Noclue is his name.

lol He can rap at a rate of 14.1 syllables per second.

that's impressive, I bet I won't  be able to understand what's he is saying.

lol  McDonalds payed rappers $5 for every time they referenced Big Macs in songs.

Never heard that before.

I have never heard of that either.

a Judge in Michigan delivered her ruling in the form of rap during a case against Eminem

Haha That would have been funny.
Do you have any favorite album facts?

yes I do, Two twins in released a rap album when they turned 100 years old, that happened in Japan.

How cool is that!

Led Zeppelin decided not to title their fourth album to confuse the hated rock press.

lol

haha that's funny, well it's been nice chatting with you

Aerosmith made more money from Guitar Hero than any album.

Whoa!

It was fun for sure!

yep it is.
have a nice day

Have a good one!


hi, do you like rap?

Hi, how are you?
I'm not really much of a rapper myself.
Do you rap?
Can you spit mad fire yo?

Nope not at all.
Do you know tupac?

Haven't met him.
Is he a good guy?

I am not sure, unfortunately he is dead but his music is in the library of congress

The Library of Congress likes rap?

I never knew they listened to that music in a library.

Usually libraries are quiet.

Actually it is there as music of cultural significance

Oh, so there isn' a boom box in the library?

Tupac must be disappointed.

He could have been a judge, considering that judges delivers verdicts in rap form sometimes.

I know .

did you hear about that judge in Michigan?

Was that judge's name Tupac?
That would be a heck of a coincidence.

No I do not think so.
Have you heard of compliment battle?

Uh, no.
Not much of a battle, if you ask me.
How do they determine the winner?
The more gracious person?

Hahhaa i guess.
do you know busta rhymes?

Don't know the man.
Is he a rapper of sorts?

yeah he is and he actually voiced the reptar wagon in the rugrats movie

Does he look like a wagon?
Could be some sort of typecasting.

I am not too sure actualy.
DO you like Linkin Park?

I have never been to Linkin Park.
Is it nice?
Lots to do there?

Actually it is a music band their album is the best selling one for 21st century

Huh.
Never heard of 'em.
I guess they must be good.

They are super good.
that album was hybrid theory

I guess the kids must love them.
I don't know their music.
I'm too old.
What about NWA?

I do not really know them.
Nice chatting with you,


Hi!
Do you like poetry?

Very much.

Whitman, Frost, mostly American poets, but a few other dead poets, too, and some rappers.

Nice!

Have you heard of the japanese alphabet?

Yes, when you recite it in order, it forms a poem.

Clever!

Did you know Tolkien took Hobbit character names from an old Icelandic poem?

I never knew that!
That is very unique.

The Greeks claim to have invented poetry, but it's much older, probably dating back to prehistoric African hunting poems.

Some texts date from 25th century BC.

Ever heard of these?

I heard about the epic of gilgamesh being written in sumerian!

Me, too.

Studied it once while writing a drama version of Noah's Ark.

Epic of G. takes place in real ancient city of Ur.

Interesting flood story - very old...

Are you familiar with edgar allan poe?

Love Poe.

Especially "The Raven"..."nevermore"...Poe only got a paltry $9 for publishing it.

Most poets aren't rich - in dollars.Do you have a favorite poem/poet?

I wish he got more money!

I find Demetri martin's work very inspiring.

Yes.

Even rappers can inspire.

Ever hear of Cardi B?

Was on VH1's "Love & Hip-Hop New York", then released rap album in 2017 that went viral.

I am surprised that show is still around!

I know.

Cardi has been called a connoisseur of talk: trash talk, sweet talk, pillow talk (former stripper), crazy talk.

Some call her a modern-day poet.

Like JayZ or Tupak.

Do you agree?

I agree that rapping is definitely a form of poetry just vary different than how we think of poetry.

We need to open our minds to more than just shakespeare type work.

Right.

Even Shakespeare's language takes getting used to.

Maybe rap really started w/guys like Muhammad Ali.

His "fly like a butterfly; sting like a bee" and other verbal wittiness were like a lot of rap lyrics.

Did you know that busta rhymes was teh reptar wagon voice in rugrats?

That's funny.

Tupac's music is now in the Library of Congress under "cultural significance".

Seriously.

I wonder how he got awarded that honor instead of other rappers.

Good question.

JayZ has also been recognized as, perhaps, the greatest rapper.

Last album w/wife, Beyonce, in 2018 was indcredible.

Ever hear any tracks from it?

I have not.
I will go listen to it now!
It was nice talking to you.


Are you into poetry?

I am, poetry is amazing, a form of art, are you into it?

I love that form of literature using aesthetic and rhytmic qualities of language to evoke meaning!

Roses are red...

Poetry has been influence by characters like Dante, Goethe, Poe, its a genre with many talented writters

Yeah, and Cookie Monster too!

"C is for cookie, that's good enough for me.."  Did you know that there's a poem that, when read forward is depressing, but when read backwards is inspiring?

Really?

that poem must require a lot of work, make it have two meanings

Very creative, with hidden significance!

Like the Hobbit.

Did you know that almost all the characters names come from an Icelandic poem entitled, dvergatal?

No I didnt know that, I guess poetry inspires a lot of people, Edgar Allan Poe sold his poems for almost nothing

$9 for The Raven.

Yeah only $9 for the most famous poem in the history of mankind or at least one of the most famous ones

Demetri Martin wrote a 224 word palindromic poem, but he got a Comedy Central special out of it...

I didnt hear about that, so do you also like music?

heard any good albums lately?

Sure a set of 100-year-old Japanese twins recently recorded a rap album that is turning heads... You?

I heard about those twins, they released the album back in 1992?

and yeah I have

Yeah.

Dark Side of the Moon is always a good listen.

in fact, after 40 years since it's release, it was still a top selling album of 2014!

Stands up to the test of time!

That was a great album another really good one was The Hybrid Theory, not sure if you are a Linking Park fan

Can you hum a few bars?

I can't place it...Is it anything like NWA's "Straight Outta Compton?

That is another best selling album right?

Yeah.

The first album to go Platinum without support of a major tour or airplay.

I prefer Korean rap music, like the freestyle form known as, Compliment Battle"

That seems like an odd style a compliment battle lol, did you ever watch Rugrats?

No, but I heard that Busta Rhymes voiced one of the characters.

Nice chatting with you!


I've always enjoyed reading.
How about yourself?

Yes, I do like reading.

It's a complex process, one that few appreciate.

Yes I also think it is done far too little.

Did you know that Starship Troopers is the first sci-fi book on the reading list for three out of five military branches?

What a strange book to pick.

Heinlein was in the military and he loved to write about war.

I think the branches want to instill a military mindset in the troops.

Makes sense.

Ender's Game is also suggested reading for military organizations.

Another military strategy/tactics books.

I guess that there is something in there that resonates with military folks.

I guess so.

I would expect more sophisticated military books.

Do you know anyone who can speed read?

I've heard about people that can read fast.

I wonder how much they retain, say, a week or two later.

I wonder that also.

A woman named Anne Jones holds the record for speed reading.

She can read 4700 words per minute.

That's insane!

I would want to give her a reading comprehesnion test.

I like the idea of reading bicycles to keep students exercising while reading.

That is a very good idea.

It would help with our obesity epidemic.

Did you know that in the 18th century there was a moral panic about reading novels?

It seems there has always been a moral panic about something.

People in those days thought poetry was appropriate reading material.

Novels were decadent and led to moral decay of the young.

I wonder when silent reading caught on.

That's so strange.

That's a good question.

I learned a while ago that people always used to read out loud which is super strange to me.

I think it probably was a rare skill to read, and maybe you read to others who were illiterate.

Possibly.

Off topic but I find the Earth to be fascinating.

Do you feel the same?

The earth is a pretty good place.
I call it home, myself.
Spent a large part of my life here.

Ha ha.

Did you know that when it was first formed a day was only 5.5 hours long?

Now it's just over 24 hours.

I figure the work day will get longer and longer.

Soon people will be working 20 hours a day!

Seems that way.

Were you also aware that we will be out of helium by the end of this century?

We gotta find another source and soon.

I guess a byproduct of fusion is helium.

If we can get a fusion reactor going, we have a ton of helium!

That's true.

I wonder how vital it is to our way of life though?


Did you know that LeBron James wants to make a new "Space Jam" movie?

No I didn't, that's awesome!

He must be happy since he became the 1st player in NBA history reach 30,000 points!

Yes, he is really going after that who is the greatest player, Lebron James or Michael Jordan.

Very true!

Drake actually made a video and posted it online saying he's going to make a song for LeBron.

Very cool!

Drake must have had a tough life, too.

He didn't graduate from high school until he was 25.

Oh Wow!

I didn't know that.

He's an awesome person.

I forgot he was in the teen drama DeGrassi too.

He stopped to visit Drake University in the middle of the night That's cool.

Drake University is in Iowa.

Yep, I am from Iowa!

he has broken several top chart records too

I am from Iowa, too.
Where did you grow up?

Born and raised in Ottumwa....almost to the Missouri border where are you from?

The Des Moines area, not too far from Drake University in Knoxville.

Ohhh, yep Ottumwa is 2 hours from Des Moines.

We always went there to do any decent shopping lol or go to the airport.

Yep, Drake University is well known.

And I didn't know Drake is from Canada...

I didn't either.

Did you have any famous people from Ottumwa?

Lebron James is the kid from Akron.

We have Tom Arnold and Radar O' Reilly but that's it.

We are a small town.

But we did hear about Drake visiting Drake University.

I don't know if we have anyone really famous from Knoxville.

I didn't know that Drake visited Drake University.

I wonder if any other famous people have visited there.

I am not sure.

Yeah, we are well known by the older generations about Radar O'Reilly from being in MASH years ago.

But we love the NBA and LeBron!

Yes, we loved the NBA, too.

I actually saw Kareem Abdul-Jabar speak in Nebraska.

That's awesome!
Another great NBA player!

Yes, he was speaking about a history book he wrote.

He was also a historian, apparently.

cool!

Did you know NBA players are the world's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.

How awesome is that.

I love basketball.

I didn't know that.

I like basketball, but it is a big time commitment.

You really have to be a dedicated fan to keep up with the games.

Yes you do!
It was great chatting!!!
!

Nice chatting with you.
Have a Happy New Year!

Happy new year!!
!

Have a good night!

Bye!! !