Let's repopulate the thread area with things not written by bots

[Spike1007]

Originally Posted by crazykate

There's also Morgan Freeman. Look up "True Facts about Morgan Freeman" ...or, to complete the circle back to the topic of parenting, here's Morgan Freeman reading a bedtime story. (Best wait until the younger kids are out of earshot though.) [url]https://youtu.be/1G17wQR3DL0[/url]

I have seen that before, and there's a downloadable (I wonder if that works in WordTwist?) copy of the book available somewhere. While I'm not a parent, I can sympathize. I have a niece, who in her younger days, went through the "why" period, asking that about everything. We came up with the answer "Shut up, that's why", although I wouldn't swear that we said that to her face.

[Spike1007]

lalatan, While it can be annoying (and sometimes fatal), you kind of have to admire the singlemindedness of farm dogs that can chase cars, trucks, tractors, etc. all day. The training trick sounds interesting. I wish there were an equivalent for city cats. They don't actually chase cars (meowing all the way), but it's not uncommon to have them go 2D in the street (or, as we used to refer to it, get "truck poisoning").

[lalatan]

Originally Posted by crazykate

Lol, while reading this my inner narrator's voice (is that a thing? Or can you say "mind's voice", like the "mind's eye"?) dropped by two octaves and acquired Attenborough's customary rhythm.

Good narration can make everything seem more interesting. For example, on the Graham Norton show, David Attenborough was asked to narrate a video of a tortoise attempting to mount a croc (of the footwear variety). Have a look: [url]https://youtu.be/f7Z5k1_LgkE[/url]

There's also Morgan Freeman. Look up "True Facts about Morgan Freeman" ...or, to complete the circle back to the topic of parenting, here's Morgan Freeman reading a bedtime story. (Best wait until the younger kids are out of earshot though.) [url]https://youtu.be/1G17wQR3DL0[/url]

I refer to it as "my inner voice" but have no idea what the vernacular here would label it. Attenborough's voice was reading it back to me as I wrote it.
The first video was hilarious! Although I'm not a fan of the f-bomb, I listened to the second video in its entirety. Watching both in quick succession had me laughing, wheezing, snorting and coughing. It was funny when Freeman almost cracked up. Thanks for sharing kate!

[lalatan]

Originally Posted by Spike1007

lalatan, While it can be annoying (and sometimes fatal), you kind of have to admire the singlemindedness of farm dogs that can chase cars, trucks, tractors, etc. all day.

At the risk of seeming mean-spirited, I confess that even now, after all these years, I cannot muster even a shred of admiration or respect for Bennie. He indubitably besmirched my attitude toward any dogs of his ilk. I doubt if he knew of or even cared about the emotional devastation his reckless behavior caused me.
lol about the "truck poisoning"

[lalatan]

Originally Posted by Brisul

I hit 978 on 5x5...a new record for me! It makes me wonder why any one would play for any other reason than to go for the highest average score per game. It feels so great to see how many points you can score in 3 minutes.

Congrats on your record. It must be a heady feeling indeed to rack up a score like that.
Since you wonder why: I have no desire to spend the time it would take to train my mind to instantly recognize word patterns one after another nor to train my fingers to type at lightning speed. Some may think me a slacker because of it, but I'm content and feel fulfilled to find long words, set new records, score some points and get trophies for avg pts/word.

[Spike1007]

I agree. Congratulations, Brisul! I sympathize with lalatan's "slacker" comment though. I have nothing but respect & awe for those players who who can rack up a huge number of points per game, but I don't think I have that in me, so I take my satisfaction elsewhere. Anyway, let us know when you break 1000. I'm sure it'll be soon.

[Spike1007]

Originally Posted by lalatan

At the risk of seeming mean-spirited, I confess that even now, after all these years, I cannot muster even a shred of admiration or respect for Bennie. He indubitably besmirched my attitude toward any dogs of his ilk. I doubt if he knew of or even cared about the emotional devastation his reckless behavior caused me.
lol about the "truck poisoning"

I'm sorry about the whole Bennie thing. You're not really responsible for how pets make you feel, especially if they insist on going out & getting flattened (and you're charged with scraping them up).

[flops]

I leave you people alone for five minutes, and look what happens! Flat dogs and cats, cross species copulation, slave labour bears (although they seem to be getting the better part of the deal there).....

Luckily nature tends to always give you a good one (I never acknowledge having a favourite child, but I have always have a current "best", and as we are quite a competitive bunch, it gives them something to strive for). Great share on the Freeman/Attenbourough front, Kate. I hadn't heard the Attenbourough one, and very much enjoyed revisiting Morgan Freeman's narration.

If we have a "minds voice", then contemporary cinema has lead to Morgan Freeman's voice being that of God in my mind...God telling the lil darlings to rest their weary heads is always very calming, regardless of the vernacular.

My (quite successful) training techniques are generally very positive, well...at least when it comes to dogs. Training the family to support the dogs training is generally positive (the positive feedback is when the dog performs what they want it to do, and impresses the friends) and occassionally sticking up for the dog when they use the wrong word or signal. Training the family to be people starts with a unicorn crapping cupcakes, but can slide though firm advice giving, sarcasm, punitary measures, finally descending to the icy silence that brings with it the knowledge that whatever it is that they want, that want will remain unanswered for quite some time. I would just say "no", except then the silence is broken, and not as ominous.

Mud licks. Max talks, ceaselessly, and like a wookie, if you put a lead on him. Well, he used too, but since he is an 18 year old labrador, I don't often have cause to put a lead on him.

[Spike1007]

Obviously we need adult supervision. Apparently, you get the job. (Just what you wanted. More kids.) I assume that it's only a matter of time before I'm wearing a hat to hide my little purple dot.

Edit: Sorry, that's a big responsibility to throw on you, I take that back, but you'll have to live with the results.

[thinkbig]

Thanks Spike. I used a little hyperbole there about the emotional devastation, thus the at the end. I resented him mainly for the constant barking at machinery. (It went on for 2 years or so and you were going out to field fairly often: plowing, discing, tilling, seeding, spraying, fertilizing, mowing hay, baling hay, hauling bales, swathing, harvesting, baling straw.) More so than the fact I remained the cattle dog because of his incompetence. I recall that driving the tractor with no barking was quite blissful for a while.