Viewing profile — rex_gallorum2

There was a connection between deindustrialization in American cities (and the crappy property market in the 80s) and the music and arts scenes in the 80s and 90s. It was relativel…

Absolutely. The internet stopped being something you accessed and became something you were connected to 24/7, and that you have a persistent, high-speed connection. That was a hug…

30 years ago, the internet was a novelty, nothing more, and it remained so easily for another ten years after that. It wasn't until the widespread adoption of smartphones that perm…

Best comment of them all.

Again, you are absolutely correct, and for more reasons than most casual readers here will know.

You are absolutely correct. Living abroad for any length of time comes with tremendous costs. It changes you permanently. In the end you can never really go home, because home as y…

Good spot to look - you could try Flagpole Hill. :)

'Cause them women in Deep Ellum got them Deep Ellum blues. And you know what? If you go down in Deep Ellum, keep your carbeurator clean, 'cause them women in Deep Ellum'll sell you…

If you ever get a chance, feed a whole apple to an ostrich. Watching it move down their neck is really funny. Keeping geese taught me that this phenomenon is quite normal for birds…

People seem to believe me when I say I don't carry a phone, but they look at me like they're talking to a member of some 'uncontacted tribe'. I don't think it computes. The good on…

I've read that they have to be reachable in order to get any kind of state benefits, and being unreachable leads to automatic disqualification - which is a big problem as homeless …

This one irritated me. There was (and is) so much to do. People used to talk to each other and interact with other and with their environment more though. It's vastly harder now. D…

Wild strawberries and bilberries... I grew both for years. :) They are wonderful.

Yes but it's all squishy. Bread is not supposed to have that texture, ever. I can only guess that most Americans object to actually having to chew their food.

They exist in some cities, sure, but across wide swathes of the country, they are nowhere to be found. The craft is dead, and in its place we have industry and logistics. Where I s…

I've encountered the WhatsApp issue too. It's the communication tool in some parts of the world, but not others. In some circles people cannot imagine that you are a living breathi…

Banks tend to have some back up, such as a TAN generator. I have used those for Euro bank accounts that require 2FA. US bank accounts are usually fine with a phone number, which ca…

I do. I am beginning to feel the costs though. Even telling people that I don't have one is getting a bit awkward. Imagine the look of incomprehension. A lot of people talk about '…

We're increasingly like animals that become dependent on a single source of food or a single watering hole. It's really risky. You could hardly design more fragile systems (or busi…

It should definitely be illegal. There are so many other options for charging these kinds of fees, all of which were used by public bodies in the US in the past, from dropping enve…

In Germany for example it's the only way. Join the club and hang around their private bar!

Germany definitely tends to be like that - but it makes it all the more interesting when strangers do talk to you. It could also vary by region and the type of bar. I've done my sh…

So true. I had a similar experience in Germany. I'd say Ireland is small enough that everyone is connected to everyone else in some way, and people are curious about others, and di…

I too appreciated this one. Fascinating!