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This popped up on my Youtube feed. Kinda got choked up. Just the love and innocence of a child. I used to do this with CHIEF Jr. as my father had done it with me:

 

CHIEF

Edited by CHIEF
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Any good animal story is a good story, period.  These people must do good work.

 

  • 2 weeks later...
46 minutes ago, troph said:

Love is love…

 

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initially thought that guy was open carry (I don’t know the rules) and then realized nah he’s just an old with a belt holster for his phone. 

Or maybe he’s a Sneaky Pete kinda guy…..

 

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Well, at least you have a gun to shoot all the people that call you a nerd for having a laptop-sized satchel attached to your belt. 

 "Adios.  This is my last post.  You people are sick." -- Frank Drebin (fka Johnny Sack)

On 9/11/2025 at 9:55 AM, HenryJames said:

 

Suck it, Andreeessen.  Another grift down the toilet.  Everyone, except for douchey tech-bro billionaires, wins here.  

Superior Automotive on South 1st.  Best mechanic I've ever had.  Hard to believe but honest, knowledgeable and reasonably priced. The epitome of a place that doesn't screw you around.  

This is probably been here before, and my favorite part is the mom has started an instagram that is just the video everyday, and let me tell you what, nothing will brighten your morning than this little girls laugh:

 

  • 2 weeks later...

With so much shit going sideways today, on purpose, occasionally something good does happen, like Rush going back on tour.

 

  • Popular Post

Warning - very tldr, so just skip it if you're not into the whole reading thing...

Preface - I lead a Czech polka band, but we do a lot of Oktoberfests etc as well, just wrapped up our fall season.

Story #1 - We were playing in Round Rock on Saturday for an Oktoberfest.  There is a couple that lives in Round Rock, our band actually played their wedding reception in Austin in 1997, the woman's family is from the Czech Republic so they wanted a Czech band.  Their wedding dance song was a pretty waltz called "My Darling".  

We run into them from time to time, usually at this one Oktoberfest we do every year, and I would always try to have that song in our book so we w could play it for them.  Well, we hadn't seen them for a few years so I took it out, I do that from time to time, add new songs, pull old ones out etc.  So we played a gig in Taylor back in May.  Day-long festival on the town square.  This couple showed up, was glad to see them but was crushed when they asked us to play "My Darling" and I realized I didn't have it in the book.  I apologized and told them the next time I saw them, I would have it ready.  No big deal to them, they were just happy to dance, but it bothered me.

So as I was getting our books ready for our "fall tour", I made sure I put in back in the books.  Sure enough, Saturday we are playing and I look up and there they are, just hanging out with their friends.  Told them it was good to see them again, they danced a few songs, and then left for a little while.  I was kind of disappointed, but then they came back, guess they went to get some food or something.  Anyway, I told the crowd that we were going to to a song, wasn't an Oktoberfest song but our friends were here, and this is their song so we're gonna do it, and everyone else can just pretend it's a German song (nobody cared, we have great crowds that like whatever we play...). 

I could see the amazement on their faces when I announced it, they were not expecting it at all.  So we played it, they danced, and at the end they came up to the stage and they were both crying, like tears running down their faces (big strong men...).  Made me tear up as well.  Just to know I could bring that much happiness and emotion to two people just by playing a song.  Who knows what their lives have been like over the past 30 years, good times and bad, sickness and health and all that.  So to bring that kind of joy to them, wow, made my day.

 

Story #2 - next day, Sunday, we're playing a church picnic down in Hostyn, outside La Grange.  A lady comes up and askes if we could play the "Red and White" Waltz, classic Czech waltz, everyone knows it.  Said sure, so the next chance we got, we played it.  As soon as we started playing it I remembered why.  We play this picnic every year, but it's our only gig down that way so I don't know all those people that well.  But I look out and see this woman helping up an old woman with a walker, and it hit me.  This lady asks for this song every year, it's her mom's (the lady in the walker) favorite song.  Once I saw her I recognized them both, it all came back.

So the lady helps her mom stand up, and they begin just kind of gently scooting the walker around, "dancing".  I thought, wow that is nice.  So we're playing along, the next thing I see is a a guy, probably 60 or so, crazy guy, was running around all morning talking to people, had a home-made hat that he had made, took two of his favorite polka bands, cuts the hats in half and sewed them together, so a two-billed hat, like something you'd see on Hee Haw.  Just a goof-ball.  But a good guy, talked to him later, he has prostate cancer but is out there living his best life.

Anyway, I see him walk up and talk to the lady for a minute, and the next thing, they are setting the walker aside, the gentleman cradles the old woman in his arms and they begin just rocking back and forth, again, "dancing".  Holy hell.  I can see the daughter is crying, I'm trying not to choke up as I'm singing.  To see that level of kindness and empathy, I didn't expect that at a polka dance.  

 

TLDR: there's a lot of love and joy out there, it's just hard to find sometimes, but if you're lucky enough to see it, wow, it'll knock you down.

Edited by UTCzech III

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/15/2025 at 11:53 AM, HenryJames said:

 

There’s a 100% chance that Mr Beast dude has committed some kind of heinous crime.  Not sure if it’s pedo face or rapey face or what but he’s got “heinous crime face”.

This evening, take a moment to step outside as the sun starts to set.  In my neighborhood there there will be the little bitty Halloweeners.  If seeing those very young kids, out for what may be their first Halloween doesn't make you smile (and perhaps bring a tear if you are an old like me) there is something wrong with you.  

So free good vibes tonight early!

 

 

 

 

(think about those sweet kids, when the asshole teens roll up a few hours later)

Well, tonight was the wife and my 40th anniversary.  We had a reservation at Red Ash for a daylight saving time 5:30.  But thought, you know the one thing that makes me feel like I am still part of Austin is SoCo.  So I thought a decent Sunday pre-game time killer would be Chicken Shit Bingo at C-Boys. 

The long story short is, we walk in, and shortly later they toss the chicken in.  Well the first "bingo" was pretty large... And with some time to kill I buy the suggested $20 for 5 tickets.  Then they toss in the chicken, and it dropped two almost undetectable pebbles, that nobody but my non-drinking wife would have noticed.  But there it was, BINGO!  I just assumed they were gong to bring us the winnings.  But you have to go up front and let them count the money out to you in front of the band. The best part was when the band leader said, "Well congratulations on your 40th anniversary, and what a romantic son of a bitch bringing her to chicken shit bingo."  

Anyhow what could be more Austin that Chicken Shit Bingo followed by Red Ash...

https://www.today.com/parents/family/uber-driver-stayed-passenger-er-rcna231645

 

“It wasn’t even a question for me,” Lukumu, who now works in insurance, tells TODAY. “I was staying with Joey. He needed somebody to be by his side.”

Romano recalls how Lukumu took charge, signing him into the ER, and then sat with him from 2 to 8 p.m. Lukumu says the hours he missed at work didn’t even register; his new friend mattered far more.

 

“After losing my brother… and experiencing so much loss beyond that… I just became really insular. I could barely take care of myself, let alone others,” he says. “I just shut down and closed myself off. I became really cold."

Romano’s voice thickens with emotion as he remembers how Lukumu pulled him out of that dark, isolating place. Meeting Lukumu, he says, was a turning point. It’s what drives him to look for ways to help others whenever he can.

“That one act of kindness helped me see the good in the world again,” Romano says. “Having him spend his entire day with me — a complete stranger, for no reason than the goodness of his heart, helped me to put things into perspective. Beni absolutely changed my life."

  • Popular Post

I am waiting to hear back from a final interview for a job I really want, doing exactly what I was at my last job, but for more money and fully remote. Even if it doesn’t come through, I just spent the morning hiking with my dogs and now am on the back porch overlooking lake Austin in 75 degree weather, sunny with a lovely breeze, reading a book about indigenous plant wisdom. Gotta enjoy these days when you can. 

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1 minute ago, Biff Tannen said:

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I presume you braid it so it's easier to stick up your butt.  Thus making it a logical companion piece to the other work I cited.

1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

I presume you braid it so it's easier to stick up your butt.  Thus making it a logical companion piece to the other work I cited.

Obsession noted. 

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

NowThis is a solid reply.

Maybe the braid will be #101?  

 

Because my life has taught me there are some things Eastern medicine does better than Western medicine, (please note that I said some things,) I want to report that my new primary care provider has learned both schools. Yes, there are things that are getting better.

Edited by Willfully Horn

On 9/4/2025 at 9:22 AM, Armybrat said:

Or maybe he’s a Sneaky Pete kinda guy…..

 

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“Oh look! There’s a guy with one of those gun holsters that fools nobody…”

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