Sorry, guys, work and family precluded an original story in this slot, but I did want to relate the true story of what a former coworker of mine in Tallahassee called “The Redneck Bar Mitzvah”.
Just south of Tallahassee lies one of the largest by volume natural springs in the United States – Wakulla Springs has a flow rate of 200-300 million gallons per day. It has played the backdrop to several Tarzan films, Gene Hackman’s Night Moves, and the great creature feature Creature from the Black Lagoon.
In the swimming area around the springs, which are pretty deep (over 100 feet in some places), there is a diving tower, the high platform being 22 feet above the surface. When a North Florida Boy is ready to signal his journey to manhood has started, he gathers his courage and makes the leap – hopefully not belly-flopping – in front of all his friends and family.
After this, the young man is, of course, expected to begin doing extremely stupid things on ATVs, boats, and other motorized craft. He may or may not begin to make poor decisions in his interaction with local law enforcement. Each young man’s journey is different, but they start here.
whaddup doh’
TEDs’ PLAYED A HIT
I always play good music.
No biggie, now I have time to write pt 2
There are the quarries near Bloomington, IN, where folk do the same. It’s apparently quite popular, but it never came up among my crew so I’ve never been. IIRC, some of ’em are 20-50 feet deep, and likely several deeper. [looks it up] Well. I was technically correct. So, go me!
“Limestone quarries in the Bloomington, Indiana area commonly reach depths of 90 feet or more below the surface, as the Salem Limestone formation extends to significant depths.”
Fun fact I remember, the Washington and Lincoln Memorials are built from Indiana limestone.
Think about it.
Not seen Breaking Away?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078902
+1 cutters
That’s such a great movie that’s never on cable for some reason.
I *have* seen it cable and not too long ago*. I don’t remember which channel.
I wasn’t even following it closely but I do want to catch it again – looks good.
*The definition of this is more flexible than it used to be. Could by anywhere in the last 2 years, or 12.
Never seen it, but I certainly know of it and the Little 500. Never went to that either, and oddly, wasn’t hyped up much in town.
Refund?!! Refund?!!
I didn’t know where that film was located.
That town was also the location of a fellow I met “online” back when that meant “relay chat”.
We spoke for eight hours on the telephone later but it didn’t go anywhere after I expressed further “interest”. lol oh well
I think the kids call that “ghosting” now. So brat.
Huh. It won the Best Screenplay Academy Award, slightly more meaningful then. Didn’t expect that. But led me to Kramer v Kramer, which I’ve also never seen: “Kramer vs. Kramer explores the psychology and fallout of divorce, and touches on emerging and prevailing social issues such as gender roles, fathers’ rights, work-life balance, and single parents.”
Yeah. I’ll get right on watching that.
Yeah, KvK has never in the least piqued my interest.
Oh fuck me I just remembered that my buddy who introduced me to “chat” at the school he attended in Buffalo (different from the school I attended in Buffalo) met a fella of his own whom he actually visited. Some dude at a school in… I have no idea where. Upper midwest I believe. MN, or a Dakota.
@rhy: There are many Bloomingtons. (Ten, I learn. IL, MN and IN, the biggest.)
I assumed Springfield would be in the Top 3 of most common ‘towns,’ and it quickly became more complicated: “There are varying counts for the number of places named Springfield in the U.S., ranging from roughly 33 to over 90, depending on whether the source counts only incorporated cities or includes townships, populated places, and unincorporated communities. Popularly considered one of the most common town names, there is at least one “Springfield” in 35 different states. ”
Springfield’s ‘accepted’ as #2, Washington #1 with 88. (Go Capitals? I respect Ovetchkin, but no.)
Also many Chinas. (TW: new age)
I think it was Indiana because he described a large campus (“online” was pretty much a campus experience back then).
I was wondering the same about “Newark”. Coworker mentioned a Newark, Ohio. I grew up near Newark, New York. I guess there is one in New Jersey too.
+ “-ini foods”
Breaking Away = Slapshot
Change my mind.
We used to go swimming at a quarry in NC. Huge cliff to dive off of. Supposedly 300 feet deep. Divers train there.
The cliff is 3 Mississippi high. As in you jump and swing your arms around for balance. One…. two… three-brace. Maybe 2 plus a little Mississippi. In any event, dangerously high.
Great fun. Pretty stupid too.
“The cliff is 3 Mississippi high.” I stopped for far too long to think of how you were comparing them to giraffe, whale or bananas in height or size. Confused, I got. Then reality slapped me. Like the other day when I couldn’t figure out how to padlock the dumpster area shut. (Boss ‘caught’ me in that dumbery.)
Me very learned sometimes. Whoops. *Leared.
Who counts units of time in mississippis? I thought that was a myth.
I went to a quarry in Pennsylvania near my brother’s school (East Stroudsberg U) with that sort of height.
You had to wear sneakers and ensure your arms were straight up or down, otherwise you’d get some nice bruises.
UCS:
You ain’t one of those commies who uses “bananas” instead of mississippis when counting time are you?
Alligators (maybe not in FL).
Jimbo, are you cracked in the head?
Like all sane capitalists, I use a silent pause because I learned units of measure.
Wakulla Springs is mentioned in the niche market book Roadside Geology of Tennessee by Mountain Press.
Great series. I think they do all fifty states.
I guess Rhode Island is a tri-fold handout and Alaska’s looks like an encyclopedia.
Rhode Island is a small County with two senators.
Rhode Island is still bigger than these countries.
Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Andorra, Malta, Luxembourg, and Cyprus
Yes they do, great resource the the amateur geologist
dbleagle:
Rhode Island and Connecticut were combined in one issue. Unfortunately I believe currently out of print. New Hampshire and Vermont were similarly combined. My wife and I have been getting them for years. It’s amazing how both the knowledge and especially the graphics have changed over the years.
I have HI, AZ, WY, WA, and MT. They are a great resource.
I would rather RI be an independent ration than have two senators vote to lock up more land in Idaho.
Swimming in the spring is amazing. Where the water comes in it is crystal clear. There are springs and rivers all over north Florida like that. It is so clear it looks like the bottom is right there, even if it is 30+ feet deep. Amazing.
I have a vivid memory from about a thousand years ago of something like that – a swimming hole in one of the gorges that feed the Finger Lakes. Watkins Glen, I think.
My mom’s boyfriend in those years was an asshole but to his credit he did like to travel.
Kramer vs Kramer is fantastic. Prepare to cry.
Breaking Away is also fantastic. Kelly Leak from bad news bears is great in this too. (Jackie Earl Haley) Maybe better known to the younger folk as Rorschach from the Watchmen
“Prepare to cry.” That’s not sellin’ it. Why would people go to see a sad flick? Movies can *be* sad, sure, but (to use an easy one) Schindler’s List had a bigger story to show and share. I’m not seeing the bigger story behind a nasty divorce. And I’ve never been married! Why the hell would a couple go to see that?! Is the outing a therapy sesh? Is the director trying to warn ya, or show ya ‘what’s right?’ Or is it a solo flick? *rips hair out*
Cursory search of “best sad films” and Schindler’s the only one I’ve seen, and have no desire to see the others. I’m sure there are many sad movies I enjoy. Depending on how we’re defining it, natch. The Never-Ending Story *does,* for instance.
The best sad movies start out as fantastic comedies. Beaches. Steel Magnolias. And maybe the greatest: Terms of Endearment.
Miracle Mile for me. Starts with rom-com, ends with apocalypse.
I honestly plead ignorance of all three, though I’ve heard of ’em.
Huh. Young Mayim Bialik’s in Beaches. She was Blossom?! Never seen that, either.
“Each young man’s journey is different, but they start here.”
Each person’s journey is different but we all end in the same place. A lot of of crooked roads, a few good turns hopefully. We persevere and then it’s over.
Even Ol’ Yogi knew that…
We’re (OK, I’m) just as stupid into middle age! https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/971923380
If he really wanted to be irresponsible he’d learn how to dive in the caves, which go much deeper than 100’.
https://www.gue.com/exploration-history-wkp
We met one of those divers who gave a presentation to our university SCUBA club (FIU) in 98 or 99. He had all sorts of video. Dude needed a dump truck to haul around his ball sack.
That explains his penetration record.
/sensible chuckle
Seriously. That sounds awesome. And like all of the nope in the world.
I was never able to get cave certified, though I wanted to real bad, but I’ve spent a lot of time in caverns that are all over north Florida. Fun stuff.
As God as my witness, I thought turkeys couldn’t sink.
Yet another US nobody playing “elite” in Munich.
It’s supremely enjoyable watching (some of) Europe wipe the floor with our retarded has-beens and their insane ramblings and non-sequiturs.
Trump completely broke their reality. They used to speak in well-rehearsed sound bites. Now, they spew undiluted partisan hatred in every circumstance, for evey question. All of the establishment has come unglued. Left and right. Even Fetterman gives them this reaction these days.
There is a spot on the Lester River in Duloot called “The Deeps”. The kids jump jump from the surrounding cliffs into “The Deeps”. Every other year somebody bounces of the cliff rather than hitting the water.
off of
Ouch.
Did any of them survive?
A few.
natural selection
Now that everyone carries a camera there will be some interesting videos of those that almost made it.
Nick:
We used to do a multi-family camping trip to the North Shore each year. When the kids were little, they would jump into Lake Superior from a cut in the shore at Gooseberry State Park. It was 10-15 feet high and they thought it was so cool.
As they got older, they graduated to jumping into the falls at Tettagouche State Park from a small cliff. That was probably 20′ high, but it wasn’t a sheer cliff, so you had to jump out a way to hit the deep pool.
“The WKPP duo of Rick Sankey and Brent Scarabin set a world penetration record ….”
Once in NYC I think I saw World Penetration Record was being filmed at MONSTER in the village.
STEVE SMITH ONLY MONSTER HOLD WORLD PENETRATION RECORD.
“The Monster’s interior consists of a multi-level gay haven with a mix of vintage Lalique chandeliers and the famous mirrored staircase. ”
I’d take my lines like a man in the restroom over such inclusionary steps.
lol I may have been to that piano bar.
I have a buddy of the heterosexual persuasion who can recall the location of every nite club, dance club, goth club, dive bar we’ve ever visited.
I have little to no memory of any of them unless reminded.
Site not showing which posts are new on refresh.
Looks good though.
I thought that was just me. It does slow down my commenting.
Yeah I’m back to searching by time for new stuff. I need help.
Don’t you hear the call of the Commenting gloves? They yearn for your warmth. They promise haste, a happy ending for all.
(They may have gotten stuck together with their neighbors, but they can squiggle out, I’m sure.)
OTOH, the weirdly immediate response after posting a comment is interesting side-effect.
Well, the ones at the bottom of the thread are easy to find. A new comment in the middle sort of blends in when not highlighted.
I’ve noticed that following a link no longer opens in a new tab/window.
Not whinging, just reporting something I’ve noticed.
The Left is actively encouraging situations to produce more martyrs for the midterms. The younger and more ‘innocent,’ the better. On the other hand, I gotta say. OTOH, Trump and the ‘Right’ get *handed* more material for ‘Look at MORE of this shit we’re warning you about!’ to continually throw at ’em.
“Rhode Island hockey shooter ID’d as transgender father
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said that Dorgan, 56, also uses the alias Roberta Esposito.
The 56-year-old father, who shot family members and a family friend before he turned the gun on himself following the deadly rampage at the Pawtucket ice rink, used the alias Roberta Esposito, Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said during a press conference Monday night.”
Wow. It’s all disgusting and a remarkably, remarkably fucked up killer. Damn. In his “It’s MA’AM!” outfit, it’s about as non-passing as one can get.
Mercy… not another one.
Brett, I like this story.
When I was growing up, my hometown had several city beaches. On one end, there was a giant slide that was completely in the water. It also had a giant log that was chained in about 5′ of water. As summer went on, the log got slimier and slippier each day. I have no idea how many injuries happened on that log because we all tried to get on it and log roll it like a lumberjack. This beach is where most of the young kids swam.
On the other end of the city beaches was a big diving platform. The top deck was at least 20′ high. The bottom deck was just a few feet above the water.
At the beginning of each year, a new crop of youngsters would decide that they were big enough to jump from the top deck. They’d climb up to the top and try to work up their courage to jump. Anyone who tried to chicken out and climb down the ladder would be screamed at. “NO CLIMBING DOWN THE LADDER!!!!” Every kid who had already passed the test would scream it. It was implied that a kid who still tried to climb down would be met with violence.
In early summer, you could drive past the beach and see 10-20 little kids all huddled up on the top deck trying to work up their nerve. Eventually the new crop of kids would jump and get over their fear. You could see the newly minted jumper swagger back up the ladder to lord it over his classmates who hadn’t jumped yet.
By the end of the summer, people would still mob up on the top of the tower. Not because they were afraid to jump anymore, but because of the opposite. Anyone who got too hot and jumped first became the target for everyone else to “bomb”. Everyone would leap off the rails like a pack of lemmings and try to get as close to others below as they could. Again, I’m sure there were multiple injuries because of this each year.
My parents were from Hastings, MN (where the St. Croix and the Mississippi join). During visits there, the locals would take me out to a railroad bridge over the Mississippi and jump in. That had to have been about 30′ high. The height wasn’t the big deal though, it was the current of the river that was scary.
Growing up around lakes, the impact of current was new to me when it came to swimming. Once I figured out that you just had to go with the flow, it was no big deal.
First time I jumped from there, all the relatives there were impressed. My dad told me how he had done the same thing when he was a kid. Felt pretty special.
This is the best that we can do for a diving tower locally in Minneapolis.
My kids all jumped from there and had a blast.
Happy fastnacht day!
🍩😀🌤️
I celebrated. Coworker supplied from his church, baked fresh.
Plain, no sugar. Yummy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkITsv3Nk6M
I thought that was a night where you didn’t eat.
“almost night”?
fascist night?
Good morning, Sean, U, rhy, Roat, Ted’S., and Grumble!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
I don’t understand
Let the good times roll! : D
I miss my emojis. : (
There has to be a way to do them. I just don’t know what they are at the moment.
Mornin’.
Yer on Linux now? Can’t help you there.
But yeah, there is certainly a way.
😃 I found the character map!!!
🥳
🥳
🎉
I thought it was an hour later than it is.
Wondered where you all were hiding?
I’m where I always am.
Well, of course imaginary people are always in the imagination.
Sitting here for hours listening to the neighbor’s dog barking, howling, and crying.
The landlord is going to get a stern talking-to today. I can’t put up with this shit anymore.
I had the same problem not long ago. I bet our dog-owning neighbors were of the same demographic, not that that will make any difference to the landlord.
Chinese grad students?
PS. Six months’ notice from you to them?? Is that legal?
About that age, I guess. Mine also ignored the food deliverers pounding at her door.
It wasn’t in NYC.
I don’t know the laws upstate. But six months is ridiculous. It’s all grad students and a handful of (very) oldsters so I guess it makes it easier for them.
Less gator wrasslin’ than I expected.
suh’ fam
whats goody
TALL MARDI GRAS CANS!
🥞 🍯
It’s almost time to Re-Lent?
Race hustling will live on.
Anyone celebrating in Hymietown?
Maybe now that illegitimate kid his coalition paid for will get recognized.
That’ll happen about the same time as Joe Biden’s granddaughter.
Joe would recognize her if she smelled better.
NPR declared him “sometimes controversial” but gave ZERO examples of said controversies in their eulogy.
Defense Force labor union?
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/02/09/ireland-found-in-breach-of-european-treaty-over-lack-of-defence-forces-overtime/
I know we’re in the middle of a combat mission but I just hit my hours.
Meanwhile I haven’t been paid anything resembling overtime in decades.
Wahhhh
I’ve been exempt since 2011.
Simple solution – Withdraw ireland from all the Euro-slavery treaties. Then throw out the non-irish invaders.
Good morning!
I am tired. The older I get the more conflict-abhorring I become, and the longer I work in a job with a complete expectation of honesty, the more being lied to enrages me.
Action pistol drama-lies encounted last night before bedtime, so I am tired.
I do not understand people who live for drama and dishonesty. It takes so much more effort.
Two of the people who quite (one of which quite three times!) apparently UNquit, and took over the program. They claim they didn’t kick me off of Practiscore but golly gee shucks, they just can’t add me back ’cause they don’t know how. Even though they have done exactly this before.
Also they decided we’re using a new ruleset from these guys: https://galacticpistolalliance.com/
A full page of their 13-page rulebook is dedicated to abusing math, and they have a classification system (which is the purpose of abusing the math ) with “Platinum” at the top and “Pew-pewter” at the bottom, which is not cringe at all.
What’s the process to expell them from the club entirely?
Even if I were that level of aggressive, I don’t know if I have the political base to pull that off.
Far too many rely on it like a vampire needs blood.
The lies that bother me most are when the fork tongue knows that everyone in the room knows it’s a lie, but does it anyways. This is most of the corporate media, and almost every politician.
The South has a vocal register that is “I’m lying, you know I’m lying, I know you know I’m lying, but can we all please pretend that I’m not so that things go smoother?”
If that exists here, I haven’t developed an ear for it.
Fox socon idiots drooling over Australia’s social media ban.
“Now parents can just tell their kids it’s against the law!” 🤦
Yes! Let’s further entrench the state as de facto parents. That will make things better.
I feel like that collectively we’re all Batman, and that victory has defeated us, as we give over more and more to convenience.
https://youtu.be/QkHIglq9TM8?si=BpWFvWz1vZzwyzyA
So, it’s quite nice the formatting has been fixed. buuuut it now seems like new posts aren’t flagged as new…
You need to be more stoic…
That’s Friday.
Yeah, same problem affects Monocle. I think slum is on it.
But if there’s nothing for the JS code to target because of a WP issue it will probably have to wait 🙁
🙁