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The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Mildly interesting

Mildly interesting

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
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  • MikM Offline
    MikM Offline
    Mik
    wrote last edited by
    #2528

    ORNAMENTAL HERMITS were hired by wealthy landowners in the 18th century in Britain and Ireland to live on their landscaped estates.

    Ornamental hermits were part living garden ornament, part conversation piece. They were meant to evoke a sense of ancient wisdom, solitude, and rustic wildness, aligning with the era’s fascination with nature, ruins, and the sublime. Sometimes the contracts were bizarrely specific: the hermit might be paid to grow out his hair and beard, wear rags or druid-like robes, never wash, avoid speaking to visitors, and remain on the estate for years, providing an atmosphere of poetic decay.

    Some estates advertised for hermits in newspapers. One famous example is Charles Hamilton’s estate at Painshill Park in Surrey. He built a hermitage and offered a seven-year post to any man willing to live as a recluse under strict conditions. Legend says the first hired hermit was discovered at a local pub after only a few weeks and was promptly dismissed.

    "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

    1 Reply Last reply
    • MikM Offline
      MikM Offline
      Mik
      wrote last edited by
      #2529

      Before they're ripe it's easier to understand why they're called eggplants.

      alt text

      "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

      1 Reply Last reply
      • jon-nycJ Online
        jon-nycJ Online
        jon-nyc
        wrote last edited by
        #2530

        I had no idea. That’s cool

        Thank you for your attention to this matter.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • MikM Offline
          MikM Offline
          Mik
          wrote last edited by
          #2531

          I had always been mildly curious about the name. Now I know.

          "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

          1 Reply Last reply
          • jon-nycJ Online
            jon-nycJ Online
            jon-nyc
            wrote last edited by
            #2532

            Thank you for your attention to this matter.

            1 Reply Last reply
            • jon-nycJ Online
              jon-nycJ Online
              jon-nyc
              wrote last edited by
              #2533

              More surprises that I would have guessed.

              https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16vRBZrtyL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

              Thank you for your attention to this matter.

              1 Reply Last reply
              • MikM Offline
                MikM Offline
                Mik
                wrote last edited by
                #2534

                Indeed. What's Mixue? The meteoric rise of Subway, Starbucks.

                "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                LuFins DadL 1 Reply Last reply
                • MikM Mik

                  Indeed. What's Mixue? The meteoric rise of Subway, Starbucks.

                  LuFins DadL Offline
                  LuFins DadL Offline
                  LuFins Dad
                  wrote last edited by
                  #2535

                  @Mik said in Mildly interesting:

                  Indeed. What's Mixue? The meteoric rise of Subway, Starbucks.

                  Subway, in particular, was interesting to me. I wonder if their success has much to do with the simplicity in terms of food prep and kitchens? No grills, no deep fryers and the infrastructure that goes along with that. Just refrigerators, a couple of toaster ovens and standard kitchen prep stuff… Lower retail space needed, lower equipment costs and maintenance, lower training, it really is simple.

                  The Brad

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                  • MikM Offline
                    MikM Offline
                    Mik
                    wrote last edited by
                    #2536

                    Yes. A Subway franchise was within pretty easy reach.

                    "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • MikM Offline
                      MikM Offline
                      Mik
                      wrote last edited by
                      #2537

                      This is competitive spirit.

                      86a6ef37-11e1-4dc0-852e-e4d27993309b-image.png

                      "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • jon-nycJ Online
                        jon-nycJ Online
                        jon-nyc
                        wrote last edited by
                        #2538

                        Heh

                        Thank you for your attention to this matter.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • MikM Offline
                          MikM Offline
                          Mik
                          wrote last edited by
                          #2539

                          Wow - they had Unitarians way back then?

                          alt text

                          "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • jon-nycJ Online
                            jon-nycJ Online
                            jon-nyc
                            wrote last edited by
                            #2540

                            World Bank’s stratification of countries by GDP per capita. Low bar for rich countries.

                            IMG_6363.jpeg

                            Thank you for your attention to this matter.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • MikM Offline
                              MikM Offline
                              Mik
                              wrote last edited by
                              #2541

                              "Imagine standing in a neighborhood reduced to rubble—no homes, no shelter, no signposts of life—only silence where once there was vibrant community. Now picture that devastation unfolding beneath the waves, where coral reefs—once the rainforests of the sea—are fading into ghost towns. Over half of the world’s coral reefs have disappeared since the 1950s, and in Australia alone, nearly 50% of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral died in just two heatwaves.

                              But where destruction leaves a void, innovation dares to fill it.

                              Off Australia’s coast, scientists are turning to an unlikely hero: 3D printers. With ceramic blocks designed like underwater Lego, they’re building homes for fish, one interlocking piece at a time. And the wildest part? The ocean is responding. Fish are already moving in. Coral is beginning to regrow. Nature is adapting to what humanity has created—this time, not out of exploitation, but restoration"

                              IMG_5087.jpeg

                              "The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell." Simone Weil

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • HoraceH Offline
                                HoraceH Offline
                                Horace
                                wrote last edited by
                                #2542

                                My local police department posts these sorts of updates to their page every month. It's impressive how much effort they make to be likeable.


                                Fulshear Police Department Crime Report
                                June 22 – July 17, 2025
                                Between June 22 and July 17, 2025, the Fulshear Police Department responded to 649 calls for service.
                                What is a ‘Call for Service’?
                                If you contact us because something seems wrong, odd, loud, alarming, broken, missing, barking, or even mooing, you’ve made a Call for Service. This includes everything from traffic accidents and animal complaints to house watches, suspicious activity, alarm calls, porch pirates, and overly ambitious solicitors.
                                Need Help?
                                Here’s How to Reach Us:
                                Emergencies or in-progress incidents: Dial 911
                                Non-emergency dispatch: Call 281-341-4665 #1 or 281-346-2202 #1.
                                Please don't be confused when the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office answers the phone, they are the ones who will dispatch a Fulshear officer to your location.
                                Administrative line (Mon–Fri): 281-346-8888 (Note: We do not dispatch from this number)
                                And no, we don’t dispatch through Facebook. Please call us.
                                Noteworthy Incidents:
                                Snoozing and Boozing at HEB
                                Officers observed a male asleep in a parked vehicle at the Cross Creek HEB, showing signs of intoxication including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of alcohol, and after confirming his impaired condition, placed him in custody for Public Intoxication and transported him to jail without incident.
                                Ford, Fail, Felony
                                A reckless driver in a gray Ford F-150—caught chasing a black SUV, nearly causing a crash, slurring, reeking of alcohol, unsteady, with vomit in the car and booze in the door—failed sobriety tests and got himself arrested for DWI.
                                Wrong Turn, Right Arrest
                                Pulled over in Fulshear for an improper turn, a driver was arrested after officers discovered active Florida warrants for Fleeing, Reckless Driving, and Street Takeovers and Stunt Driving—proving one wrong turn can really catch up with you.
                                Soliciting, Scooting, and Substances
                                After trying to sell a product door-to-door and ramming our officer with his scooter, a man who refused to ID himself was arrested for soliciting, failing to identify, and possessing controlled substances without a prescription, ending his sales pitch in jail instead of a commission check.
                                Dealer’s Detour into a Daycare Zone
                                A driver with expired dealer tags ended up busted in a Fulshear drug-free zone near a daycare after voluntarily admitting he had illegal and non-prescibed drugs, leading to the discovery of cocaine, ecstasy, Xanax, hydrocodone, marijuana, codeine, and even Viagra, earning him a stack of felony charges and a ride to jail.
                                Wrong Way, No Way Out
                                A driver going the wrong way on FM 1093 blamed it on unfamiliar roads and a little wine, but after refusing to sign a citation, despite officers' warnings, he earned himself a ride to jail instead of home.
                                Too Fast, Too Curious, Too Young
                                A shoeless teen doing 77 in a 50 with no license, a broken radar detector, bloodshot eyes, beer in the backseat, and vape in the console got cited for DUI-Minor and released to Dad after admitting he'd downed “three to four” drinks and planned to share the rest with his brothers.
                                Wrong Way, Weed, and a UFC Wannabe
                                A wrong-way driver on FM 1093, smelling of weed and booze, stumbled through sobriety tests, thought he was in Pearland, hid marijuana in his jeans, and capped it all off by threatening to elbow an officer, earning himself a list of charges and a ride to jail.
                                Lost, Lit, and Lights Out
                                After cruising in the wrong direction with a broken brake light, slurred speech, glassy eyes, and no clue where he was or where he was going, a disoriented driver failed sobriety tests, nodded off in the patrol car, and was booked for DWI.
                                Knife, Fear, and a Ruined Family Fight
                                After a drunken argument turned threatening, a man wielded a chef’s knife to scare his wife, prompting her and their son to barricade themselves and call 911, landing him in jail for terroristic threat against a family member.
                                Tequila, Turnaround, and Totally Lost
                                A woman parked at a Fulshear park with a cup of tequila, slurred speech, and no clue she wasn’t in Cleveland, TX, was arrested for public intoxication, proving once again that alcohol mixes well with everything except good decisions.
                                Challenger Full of Red Flags
                                Pulled over around 3AM for speeding and lane violations, a Dodge Challenger packed with gloves, masks, and a gun led to the arrest of a convicted felon for unlawful possession of a firearm, raising plenty of questions about what he was up to. (That's what we call a clue.)
                                Booms, Busts, and a Bit of Restraint
                                Although many got away with it—proving the old adage, “there’s never a cop around when you need one”—Fulshear officers still issued 12 citations for fireworks violations during the Fourth of July, doing their best to enforce the ordinance; and for the first time in a long time, the city saw a noticeable drop in complaints, a testament to residents largely respecting the law and celebrating responsibly.
                                Quick Stats:
                                Animal Calls (4): From baby gators to loose dogs going for a stroll without their owners. One pesky gator gave a churchgoer quite the fright by hiding under their car after service.
                                Alarm Calls (43): All false. We check them all anyway, but some system maintenance can save you a visit and keep us on the streets.
                                Traffic Accidents (18): Two involved injuries, none were life-threatening.
                                Assist Other Agencies (27): We help when needed, especially near city boundaries. In urgent situations, such as in-progress crimes, medical emergencies, or major traffic accidents, your officers may respond to calls just outside city limits if they’re the closest available unit. This ensures help arrives as quickly as possible until the appropriate agency with jurisdiction can take over.
                                House Watches (160): Out of town? Let us keep an eye on your home- Request One Here: https://www.fulsheartexas.gov/.../vacation-watch-program
                                Final Thoughts:
                                Even with this level of activity, Fulshear remains one of the safest cities in America. That doesn’t happen by accident, it’s thanks to a strong partnership between our residents, our officers, and a healthy dose of good old-fashioned Texas sense.
                                We believe in accountability, second chances, and clear communication. That’s why we share what’s happening with honesty, transparency, and the occasional chuckle.
                                Growth comes with challenges, but with your support, we’ll continue to keep this community safe.
                                As always, thank you for your continued support, we have your back, and we know you have ours.

                                Education is extremely important.

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