What’s on your mind?

[Apple fanboy]

Well, I am rested, recovered, and recuperated.

However, while I was in the shower, the sky clouded over, - it had been unnaturally bright and cheerful earlier (which reflected my mood), so, now (once again) it is threatening rain.

Time for a coffee, and, perhaps, a quick trip into the farmers' market.

Been raining here all morning. Not complaining. The garden needs it to be honest.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Ohhhh... yeah. I think I know what thread you're talking about.

Here's the thing--and I am certainly no exception: Young people are very unaware of not only what the world used to look like, but also the long-term effects of economic issues. And there's nothing we can do about it--it seems you learn more as you get older, and are therefore more attuned to such things. So I think it's a matter of talking and listening to a variety of "older people" (whatever that might mean). That way, as people my age get older, we know what to look out for.

Hope I'm making sense here--it feels like the thoughts going through my head and the words I'm writing here aren't aligning...

I think I know what you mean. The disadvantage I think young people have is they have grown up with the curse of social media etc. It gives people a false sense of how the world is, and how people interact in the real world.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Been raining here all morning. Not complaining. The garden needs it to be honest.

Raining here, now, also.

Just back from the farmers' market where some fruit (cherries, and fresh apricots - I already have strawberries, as well as my usual weekly oranges, lemons, and grapefruit), herbs (thyme, basil leaves, and coriander - they were already sold out of parsley), several heads of garlic, cherry tomatoes, along with olives, mozzarella, semi-sundried tomatoes, pesto (both wild garlic pesto and standard pesto), Parmigiano Reggiano and yet more Gorgonzola, along with some (organic, free range) chicken thighs, and bacon rashers and butcher's sausages - were all bought.

And some locally produced honey.

And a few (free range, organic) eggs.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Raining here, now, also.

Just back from the farmers' market where some fruit (cherries, and fresh apricots - I already have strawberries, as well as my usual weekly oranges, lemons, and grapefruit), herbs (thyme, and coriander - they were already sold out of parsley), and cherry tomatoes, along with olives, mozzarella, semi-sundried tomatoes, pesto (both wild garlic pesto and standard pesto), Parmigiano Reggiano and yet more Gorgonzola, along with some (organic, free range) chicken thighs, and bacon rashers and butcher's sausages - were all bought.

And some locally produced honey.

And a few (free range, organic) eggs.

Wow. That’s quite the haul.

Here the sun has made an appearance.

Mrs AFB has just finished cooking a batch of lentil flatbreads. One of her staples these days.

I’ve just had some scrambled egg on toast. My weekly ration of a couple of slices.

This mornings weigh in was good. Lost a couple more pounds. So 5 more to go to hit my target.

Later F1 British qualifying. Live for a nice change on my TV.

Followed by the England match. Just as well I’ve closed my rings already.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Wow. That’s quite the haul.

Here the sun has made an appearance.

Mrs AFB has just finished cooking a batch of lentil flatbreads. One of her staples these days.

I’ve just had some scrambled egg on toast. My weekly ration of a couple of slices.

This mornings weigh in was good. Lost a couple more pounds. So 5 more to go to hit my target.

Later F1 British qualifying. Live for a nice change on my TV.

Followed by the England match. Just as well I’ve closed my rings already.

Yes, it is.

Pesto and (fresh) French bread is a sublime pairing, especially this time of year.

I am sipping - and thoroughly enjoying - an afternoon mug of coffee, and have just discovered that someone who has been in the news these past few days, and whom I already greatly respect and hold in high regard is an Arsenal supporter, a detail that had inexplicably escaped me.

 

[VisceralRealist]

Ohhhh... yeah. I think I know what thread you're talking about.

Here's the thing--and I am certainly no exception: Young people are very unaware of not only what the world used to look like, but also the long-term effects of economic issues. And there's nothing we can do about it--it seems you learn more as you get older, and are therefore more attuned to such things. So I think it's a matter of talking and listening to a variety of "older people" (whatever that might mean). That way, as people my age get older, we know what to look out for.

Hope I'm making sense here--it feels like the thoughts going through my head and the words I'm writing here aren't aligning...

While I think that's true, it's also true that some older people's conception of how the world works is frozen in time, and they can be unsympathetic to how the circumstances (particularly economic ones) are different for young people today than they were when they were young. They, for example, were able to land a high-paying job and buy a home right after graduating high school or college. It's simply not going to be possible for many people to do that anymore for a variety of reasons, but there's an attitude of "well I did it, why can't you?". "In my day" discourse can only go so far when your day doesn't look much like the current day. I don't believe human nature has fundamentally changed over time, but economic conditions certainly have. It requires different generations listening to each other (not just older people lecturing younger people) to understand how best to navigate the world.

 

[bousozoku]

While I think that's true, it's also true that some older people's conception of how the world works is frozen in time, and they can be unsympathetic to how the circumstances (particularly economic ones) are different for young people today than they were when they were young. They, for example, were able to land a high-paying job and buy a home right after graduating high school or college. It's simply not going to be possible for many people to do that anymore for a variety of reasons, but there's an attitude of "well I did it, why can't you?". "In my day" discourse can only go so far when your day doesn't look much like the current day. I don't believe human nature has fundamentally changed over time, but economic conditions certainly have. It requires different generations listening to each other (not just older people lecturing younger people) to understand how best to navigate the world.

Maybe that is the case with some, but I'm working retail for minimum wage right now. I went from a four-bedroom, tri-level house that I bought with cash to moving to another state and even being homeless for a while. Am I out of touch with the situation? I'd say that I know it quite well.

 

[VisceralRealist]

That's fair, and I think anyone of any age can come to know the current economic situation better if they change careers (or need to look for a new job), or if they move. I know people my parents' age who did just that (were forced to change careers in middle age due to being laid off) and found the situation quite different from when they first found that job as a young person.

 

[Apple fanboy]

While I think that's true, it's also true that some older people's conception of how the world works is frozen in time, and they can be unsympathetic to how the circumstances (particularly economic ones) are different for young people today than they were when they were young. They, for example, were able to land a high-paying job and buy a home right after graduating high school or college. It's simply not going to be possible for many people to do that anymore for a variety of reasons, but there's an attitude of "well I did it, why can't you?". "In my day" discourse can only go so far when your day doesn't look much like the current day. I don't believe human nature has fundamentally changed over time, but economic conditions certainly have. It requires different generations listening to each other (not just older people lecturing younger people) to understand how best to navigate the world.

I think there is a perception of how easy we had it back then. Interest rates were massive. When we bought our first home we used to eat economy groceries, beans on toast for dinner as it was cheap. No holidays. No new clothes or tech. Nights out and takeaways were a treat (like once or twice a year), not a weekly occurrence.
If we couldn’t afford it we didn’t have it. No loans or car HP.

I don’t see many young people who scrimp and save like we did back then.

 

[VisceralRealist]

It depends on where you live. I know plenty of young people who save and don't spend like a profligate, but buying a home is just out of reach for them. Especially when you live in a place where the median income is $120K a year, the median home price is $1.5 million, and making $90K is considered "low income". And yes, to be fair, I also have friends who've had to borrow money because they had nothing in savings and they were laid off from their tech job in a tech market that's increasingly volatile and unpredictable. Everyone needs to make good choices and plan for the future. But certain things are just more difficult to do today. The economic outlook is bleak for many young people (particularly when it comes to owning a home), and it's not all a result of a personal moral failing on their part.

 

[VitoBotta]

On my mind right now: super happy to have found a request smuggling vulnerability in a new bug bounty program. It's one of my favorite. Reward: $8K. Are there any other bug bounty hunters here?

 

[Clix Pix]

Ohhhh... yeah. I think I know what thread you're talking about.

Here's the thing--and I am certainly no exception: Young people are very unaware of not only what the world used to look like, but also the long-term effects of economic issues. And there's nothing we can do about it--it seems you learn more as you get older, and are therefore more attuned to such things. So I think it's a matter of talking and listening to a variety of "older people" (whatever that might mean). That way, as people my age get older, we know what to look out for.

Hope I'm making sense here--it feels like the thoughts going through my head and the words I'm writing here aren't aligning...

I remember back when I was in high school that politics didn't really interest me until the year there was a vital new, young president who seemed as though he were going to do wonderful things for this country. Even at that, though, I didn't register to vote once I had turned eighteen, and instead waited until a few years later and I was living on my own in the DC area instead. By then my interest in world affairs had shifted significantly, and for good reason.....

The year I was a freshman in college was 1963, the year President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and that has left an indelible mark on everyone who was around at that time and continues to do so. Five years later, while I was living in the DC area as a graduate student wrapping up work on a master's degree, two more brutal assassinations occurred in the spring of 1968: Martin Luther King in April of that year and Robert F. Kennedy in June.

Any naïveté that I still had quickly dissipated in the horror of those two events, which only compounded the shock the world had experienced with the death of JFK just a few years before. Like many others of my generation who hadn't really paid much attention to some of the other things going on in the world prior to this, I had a truly rude awakening and finally began to understand the importance of all of us paying attention to our country and the world as a whole and our lives, roles and responsibilities within them.

 

[decafjava]

I’m glad that I am so busy actually though starting holidays the end of next week. Yes I am living a very privileged situation now. I can watch football while Dr. Gabs’ amber beer is keeping me company (currently pouring now).

 

[Herdfan]

Just as well I’ve closed my rings already.

English term I am unfamiliar with.

 

[Apple fanboy]

English term I am unfamiliar with.

Apple Watch activity rings.

 

[Doctor Q]

There's an Apple web page explaining close your rings.

 

[Apple fanboy]

A very good weekend for English sport. A penalty win in the Euros.
A British Grand Prix win for Lewis Hamilton.

Now sadly my thoughts are regarding Monday and another 7 day working weekend.
At least I’m off for the week after. Trying to meet up with my parents, but not sure it will work out.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

......
At least I’m off for the week after. Trying to meet up with my parents, but not sure it will work out.

Hope that works out well for you.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Hope that works out well for you.

Indeed, although it looks like my Mum is already bailing on me.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Indeed, although it looks like my Mum is already bailing on me.

That is a terrible pity.

At the end of the day, you only have one mother, and, - irrespective of how close (or not) the relationship is, - all I can suggest is that you try to cherish it - what you can of it - while they still remain with you.

Today, given our mutual (passionate) interest in politics and current affairs, I would give anything to have my parents - especially my mum - around to discuss - for example - the outcome of a very recent election. They would have been glued to the TV coverage, as I was, although they wouldn't have stayed up all night, as I did.

Instead, I would have been asked to provide them with a succinct summary of overnight events, at around 8.a.m., as they prepared to get ready for the coming day.

 

[Apple fanboy]

That is a terrible pity.

At the end of the day, you only have one mother, and, - irrespective of how close (or not) the relationship is, - all I can suggest is that you try to cherish it - what you can of it - while they still remain with you.

Today, given our mutual (passionate) interest in politics and current affairs, I would give anything to have my parents - especially my mum - around to discuss - for example - the outcome of a very recent election. They would have been glued to the TV coverage, as I was, although they wouldn't have stayed up all night, as I did.

Instead, I would have been asked to provide them with a succinct summary of overnight events, at around 8.a.m., as they prepared to get ready for the coming day.

I try. But she always seems to find a reason not to meet up for some reason or another. Not great, but it is what it is.

At least my Dad is a bit easier. As long as he can hide what he's doing from his wife!

My family is a complicated one.

I did spend a long time this evening on the phone to a friend. We are meeting up in August. He lost his Dad earlier this year and one of the things he mentioned was how much he misses him.

I should be heading to bed as it will be work soon enough. Sadly I have a couple of contractors coming in to see me, so I have to go in to the office which I don't often do on a Monday. Hopefully it's quiet.

 

[VulchR]

A very good weekend for English sport. A penalty win in the Euros.
...

As a former goalkeeper and somebody who teaches master's level statistics, I am glad to see the guess-and-go-before-the-ball-is-kicked strategy, which presumably relies on precognition to overcome the tactical deception of the kicker's body language, and which has lost England so many games, is finally starting to die out. For at least some of the players, Pickford was intending to take the set-and-react approach.

 

[VulchR]

I think there is a perception of how easy we had it back then. Interest rates were massive. When we bought our first home we used to eat economy groceries, beans on toast for dinner as it was cheap. No holidays. No new clothes or tech. Nights out and takeaways were a treat (like once or twice a year), not a weekly occurrence.
If we couldn’t afford it we didn’t have it. No loans or car HP.

I don’t see many young people who scrimp and save like we did back then.

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old person claiming to have walked 100 miles through frozen tundra to get to school and back, when I arrived in the Scotland to be with my partner and our baby daughter in the 1990's, I didn't have a job for 6 months. We managed on frozen diced rabbit curry (or egg curry) and rice for dinners, had heat in the house for only an hour a day, and my partner and I used to split one bottle of lager between us on a Friday as a treat. I am not making that up. Thankfully at the end of the six months I got a lectureship and our household income literally doubled.

 

[Apple fanboy]

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old person claiming to have walked 100 miles through frozen tundra to get to school and back, when I arrived in the Scotland to be with my partner and our baby daughter in the 1990's, I didn't have a job for 6 months. We managed on frozen diced rabbit curry (or egg curry) and rice for dinners, had heat in the house for only an hour a day, and my partner and I used to split one bottle of lager between us on a Friday as a treat. I am not making that up. Thankfully at the end of the six months I got a lectureship and our household income literally doubled.

To be fair, the last couple of winters our thermostat doesn’t go above 16. And then only in the evenings.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

I get a message -- "Your parcel has arrived...".
Good, it's something I have been waiting for.
I get home, it's not where they usually leave things, so they've found somewhere new to hide it.
Spend literally minutes searching my massive 700 sqm estate. Can't find it.
Go back to the message to reply "Which house did you leave it at?"
On closer inspection, the message continues "arrived in your country". Great. If it has arrived in Sydney it's only 60 km away. OTOH, if it has arrived in Perth or Darwin, it's about 5,000 km away.