The longest thread ever

[budwom]

A really fascinating question (at least to me as a history/poly sci major). The Mongols killed millions of Chinese over a century and destroyed the three major empires of the Thirteenth Century. And at the time, China was certainly the most advanced known culture in the old world — followed by the Arabic cultures and the relatively simplistic European culture. (Not sure how to compare the civilizations of Mexico and South America at the time, which certainly has their days too).

Dan Carlin starts his talk by talking about a paper he wrote in college on the Mongol military conquests. His professor — a Chinese national — gave him a lower grade than Dan thought correct. When Dan went to the professor’s office to ask him why, the professor’s response was — what about the slaughter? What about the millions of men, women and children brutalized and killed?

So yes, I think people from the world torched by the Mongols may have a better sense of it than we do as Americans. Very fair point.

The Gengster was one of the biggest killers of all time, estimate up to 40 million, puts him in (and possible above) the Stalin Line. https://www.history.com/news/10-thin...2040%20million.

Not a chap you wanted to show up in your neighborhood.

[OldPhiKap]

The Gengster was one of the biggest killers of all time, estimate up to 40 million, puts him in (and possible above) the Stalin Line. https://www.history.com/news/10-thin...2040%20million.

Not a chap you wanted to show up in your neighborhood.

Censuses from the Middle Ages show that the population of China plummeted by tens of millions during [Genghis] Khan’s lifetime, and scholars estimate that he may have killed a full three-fourths of modern-day Iran’s population during his war with the Khwarezmid Empire. All told, the Mongols’ attacks may have reduced the entire world population by as much as 11 percent.

Yikes!

[budwom]

Yikes!

You'd have thought they could have offered him a shrubbery or something to go away. Can't even imagine what that era was like. Run away!

[YmoBeThere]

I had to do radical trimming of my shrubs this fall...they are almost a nuisance. I can see why he would not be dissuaded by such an offering.

[bundabergdevil]

I had to do radical trimming of my shrubs this fall...they are almost a nuisance. I can see why he would not be dissuaded by such an offering.

What constitutes radical trimming? Like, you dressed as the lead singer in an 80s hair band to do it? Weird look for gardening but whatever wets your whistle.

[YmoBeThere]

What constitutes radical trimming? Like, you dressed as the lead singer in an 80s hair band to do it? Weird look for gardening but whatever wets your whistle.

Razed rather than razor-less.

[bundabergdevil]

Razed rather than razor-less.

Every rose has its thorn.


Hard to imagine Bret Michaels pruning anything.

[budwom]

60+ mph winds blew my grill down the deck and around the corner, re-arranged everything out there. Power our for two hours, business as usual here.

[YmoBeThere]

60+ mph winds blew my grill down the deck and around the corner, re-arranged everything out there. Power our for two hours, business as usual here.

Still operable?

The grill that is.

[budwom]

Still operable?

The grill that is.

yup, it has wheels on one side, but the move was impressive. Just put out a question on our town's local chat list, asking if anyone measured the winds...(since the weather service said to expect "up to 45 mph gusts")...first response early today said they measured several gusts at 64 mph, which sounds about right.

Wife and I are off to Stowe to walk the dog, buy seafood, sherry (Newburg sauce!), get a takeout sandwich, this is what passes for a Big Day for us, seriously, not that I'm complaining...we're lucky thus far.

[OldPhiKap]

Wife and I are off to Stowe to walk the dog, buy seafood, sherry (Newburg sauce!), get a takeout sandwich, this is what passes for a Big Day for us, seriously, not that I'm complaining...we're lucky thus far.

Enjoy the day! I used to ski at Stowe back in the day. Beautiful town and area.

[bundabergdevil]

Faintest dusting of snow this morning. Jedediah’s walk to the outhouse was cold this morning I’m sure.

[budwom]

Enjoy the day! I used to ski at Stowe back in the day. Beautiful town and area.

It's the next town over from us, and we enjoy going there, though we haven't gotten to eat in any of the restaurants we love since the pandemic began.

So we settled on a four mile walk on the bike path with the canine, takeout sandwiches (Reubens!), and the purchase of 12 lbs of fresh seafood and several nice bottles of wine. Our biggest day out (literally) in months.

[budwom]

It's the pandemic year, down is up, up is down:https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermo...ember/34837602

Vermont's the warmest place in the contiguous states, eat your hearts out! Or it was, anyway...

[YmoBeThere]

It's the pandemic year, down is up, up is down:https://www.mynbc5.com/article/vermo...ember/34837602

Vermont's the warmest place in the contiguous states, eat your hearts out! Or it was, anyway...

All glory is fleeting.

[bundabergdevil]

When in Rome, eat as the Romans eat. No, thank you.

[budwom]

60+ mph winds blew my grill down the deck and around the corner, re-arranged everything out there. Power our for two hours, business as usual here.

Locals with anemometers verify our wind gusts were in the low 80 mph range...ack.

[YmoBeThere]

Hurricane level winds...

[-jk]

Hurricane level winds...

Sorta. Hurricane level gusts. A hurricane's winds are sustained. Huge difference!

-jk

[budwom]

Sorta. Hurricane level gusts. A hurricane's winds are sustained. Huge difference!

-jk

yeah, at the peak we probably had sustained winds of 50mph...breezy!