Overheard on Facebook

[mustachepungoeshere]

25% coonhound

Okay, I had to google this. Do you guys not use coon for black people too?

Not sure why this got flagged to me, but yes, Americans often use the term 'coon, with or without apostrophe, to refer to black people.

I don't think it's right to say Americans "often" use that term that way. I've literally never heard someone say this in my entire life, because it's despicable. Which is probably why someone flagged it. I'm not sure where foreigners are getting the idea that this is common usage.

I agree ... I reworded what I wrote once I realized how I wrote it.  I meant that it's considered racist in the U.S., whereas other places in the world might not know anything about the word.

Toque.

It's considered racist by the rest of Australia too, but unfortunately it's still a brand of cheese.

Toowoomba academic Stephen Hagan ... said he would now focus his time and effort on fighting Dairy Farmers’ Coon cheese.

“Initially, Dairy Farmers said it was named after Edward Coon, who revolutionised the speeding process of making cheese,” he told AAP.

“But I’ve questioned the authenticity of that story.

Mr Hagan claims the cheese, formerly manufactured by Kraft, used to have a black wraparound and was named Coon as a joke.

“I want Dairy Farmers to show me the evidence of Edward Coon being honoured an honorary doctorate and what year he received that honorary doctorate,” he said.

“If they can prove to me that Edward Coon was a famous cheesemaker, I will drop my campaign.

https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/activist-targets-coon-cheese/343670/

[Just Joe]

25% coonhound

Okay, I had to google this. Do you guys not use coon for black people too?

Not sure why this got flagged to me, but yes, Americans often use the term 'coon, with or without apostrophe, to refer to black people.

I don't think it's right to say Americans "often" use that term that way. I've literally never heard someone say this in my entire life, because it's despicable. Which is probably why someone flagged it. I'm not sure where foreigners are getting the idea that this is common usage.

Go further south. I've heard a couple of old timers (long dead now) use the term to stir up problems.

[katscratch]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

When the dog DNA tests first came out they were only accurate for mixed breed dogs due to the particular genetic markers they were looking for. I worked at a veterinary hospital and companies would let us send ours in to test against their database. I have a Miniature Pinscher that was from a show breeder and had documentation of generations of lineage back to when they were still used for hunting. His result came back with a tiny smidge of Shih Tzu hahahaha - we joke all the time that the Shih Tzu would've been that one crazy uncle that's always drunk at family gatherings. Every time my dog does something dumb and un-terrier-like we blame it on "Uncle Bob" :)

[Dollar Slice]

Go further south. I've heard a couple of old timers (long dead now) use the term to stir up problems.

Most of my family is in, and from, the deep south. I've been in FL, AL, TN, GA, TX, LA, etc. Never heard it. It is not a thing that people commonly say. I'm not really counting "long dead" people. ;-) 

Thanks for the clarification @FrugalToque - I posted while you were editing, I guess.

To the topic (or at least the current tangent) a Facebook friend of mine did her dog DNA thing and it came back half and half chihuahua and pit bull... they tell people they have a Chia Pit.

[ketchup]

Go further south. I've heard a couple of old timers (long dead now) use the term to stir up problems.

Most of my family is in, and from, the deep south. I've been in FL, AL, TN, GA, TX, LA, etc. Never heard it. It is not a thing that people commonly say. I'm not really counting "long dead" people. ;-) 

Thanks for the clarification @FrugalToque - I posted while you were editing, I guess.

To the topic (or at least the current tangent) a Facebook friend of mine did her dog DNA thing and it came back half and half chihuahua and pit bull... they tell people they have a Chia Pit.

I rescind my previous scorn of this practice.  That makes it 100% worth it.

[Rural]

I've not heard the derogatory use of "coon" in years, I'm happy to report. I did hear it, frequently, three and more decades ago, so things are better on that front.


"Coon" is still a very common word, referring to racoons. Or coonhounds.


Speaking of which, coonhounds are crazy, I can confirm. Do not keep as pets (or try to). They can climb chain-link fences and dig under anything at all. They'd very much like to please people, are incredibly sweet, and just. can't. help. themselves. Not meant for pets. Not their fault.

[geekette]

And then there are these kids...

(T)he team from Kings Mills, Ohio, ... was named “The Wet Dream Team.” They also noticed that the names on the backs of the high-school-aged boys’ jerseys included phrases like “Knee Grow” and “Coon.”

[Inaya]

And then there are these kids...

(T)he team from Kings Mills, Ohio, ... was named “The Wet Dream Team.” They also noticed that the names on the backs of the high-school-aged boys’ jerseys included phrases like “Knee Grow” and “Coon.”

Okay, teens pushing boundaries, etc., I get it.  But wtf were the adults who paid for and approved the jerseys thinking?!

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Go further south. I've heard a couple of old timers (long dead now) use the term to stir up problems.

Most of my family is in, and from, the deep south. I've been in FL, AL, TN, GA, TX, LA, etc. Never heard it. It is not a thing that people commonly say. I'm not really counting "long dead" people. ;-) 

I currently live in Georgia, but have previously lived in MS, SC, and FL. I haven't used the term in question used as a racial epithet since high school. High schoolers are shitheads everywhere, not just in the South (consider the article referenced immediately above as Exhibit A).

[RidetheRain]

Speaking of which, coonhounds are crazy, I can confirm. Do not keep as pets (or try to). They can climb chain-link fences and dig under anything at all. They'd very much like to please people, are incredibly sweet, and just. can't. help. themselves. Not meant for pets. Not their fault.

Oh that's sad. My roommate has a coonhound that is just the sweetest best-behaved thing I've ever seen. But, he does have a tail like a steel bar. Don't get behind him while he's happy and wagging his tail or you might just get kneecapped. Many a coffee table has been cleared by that tail.

[Just Joe]

Go further south. I've heard a couple of old timers (long dead now) use the term to stir up problems.

Most of my family is in, and from, the deep south. I've been in FL, AL, TN, GA, TX, LA, etc. Never heard it. It is not a thing that people commonly say. I'm not really counting "long dead" people. ;-) 

Thanks for the clarification @FrugalToque - I posted while you were editing, I guess.

To the topic (or at least the current tangent) a Facebook friend of mine did her dog DNA thing and it came back half and half chihuahua and pit bull... they tell people they have a Chia Pit.

No, you own't hear it today much but I've heard it. Also spent time with a 60-ish fellow a couple of weeks ago who thinks nothing of using the "N" word n casual conversation. They are rare even in my world here in the south but they pop up occasionally. Cringe worthy.

Worth a chuckle to look at the mild mannered family tail wagger and realize that he/she is related to the wolves and coyotes on the Nat Geo specials.

[Miss Piggy]

I've not heard the derogatory use of "coon" in years, I'm happy to report.

I have never heard the term "coon" used in a derogatory way. This is new to me. (And I'm not a spring chicken.)

[ixtap]

I've not heard the derogatory use of "coon" in years, I'm happy to report.

I have never heard the term "coon" used in a derogatory way. This is new to me. (And I'm not a spring chicken.)

I have only ever read it in the context of coon hunting, which was a grotesque euphemism. As a child, I was naive enough to think they were after trash pandas.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I've not heard the derogatory use of "coon" in years, I'm happy to report.

I have never heard the term "coon" used in a derogatory way. This is new to me. (And I'm not a spring chicken.)

I have only ever read it in the context of coon hunting, which was a grotesque euphemism. As a child, I was naive enough to think they were after trash pandas.

They may have been.

As a kid I actually didn't spend all my time composing music or finding ways to get away with fighting in public. Once I went out with some of my dad's Texan relatives hunting raccoons. Raccoon hunting really is a thing. It's like fox hunting but far less expensive because you don't need horses or special attire.

The goal in raccoon hunting is to reduce the number of raccoons in the immediate area while having fun in the process. Raccoons are absolute geniuses at raiding chicken coops, destroying trash cans, or occasionally even tunneling under a building slab or into an attic, where they were hard to eradicate and the stench created by their droppings and their half-eaten food required expensive renovation to fix. They aren't indigenous to the southern or western United States, and are an example of an animal from another region that adapted very well to being around humans and that was able to out-compete (or just plain eat) the local wildlife including some very endangered quail. The only way to save the indigenous animals was to get rid of the intruders. Naturally, someone found a way to make this into a sport.

There was also briefly a market for "Davy Crockett" style raccoon-skin caps for children. To satisfy the market required a good supply of dead raccoons. This demand dovetailed nicely with the interests of farmers who were tired of having their eggs stolen and their barn cats disemboweled. A person with a brace of "coon hounds" could sometimes earn an extra few dollars, at a time when cash was otherwise hard to come by. The market for raccoon-skin caps has since mostly dried up but the sport will probably never die.

To go raccoon hunting, one requires a set of "coon hounds": nose dogs good at following a scent who are assertive enough to chase the animal up a tree and yappy enough to let you know where they are. It's like fox hunting, except there aren't any horses and it's done at night. One therefore also needs a flashlight and (if playing for keeps) a firearm. The dogs are trained to give voice when they find the scent. They would find the raccoon and start chasing it, hoping to eventually chase it up a tree. Before this happens the animal generally runs for a while. Everyone therefore goes sprinting and leaping through the bush chasing the dogs and hoping we wouldn't trip over something and break our necks. When I went out with these distant relatives of mine, it was supposed to be more of a "sport" kind of outing, so my dad's brother did not actually shoot the raccoons that were treed. We just shone our lights on the ones that were treed. They all had a vaguely annoyed expression. Wild animals were therefore inconvenienced but not actually harmed. However a generation or so before, the trash pandas would have been toast.

[Nudelkopf]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

[Cookie78]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

I started listening to a hunting podcast recently and had no idea what a coon was. Eventually I asked my favorite American what it was and all the pieces finally clicked into place. But until this thread I had no idea it was also a racial slur!

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

I understand your confusion, but Google is your friend in situations like this. To be sure, if you talk about coons, coon-hunting, or coonhounds anywhere in the southern U.S., the immediate assumption will be that you are referring to raccoons. As noted by many people above, the term is known, but not commonly used, as a racial epithet. I have been coon-hunting myself, and my great-grandfather had an entire wall of trophies in his home from decades of competitive coon-hunting. He was well-known in the state as a top-notch coonhound breeder.

[MightyAl]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

I learned about this when I was a kid after reading "Where the Red Fern Grows".

[Sibley]

Well, you're more than welcome to visit me and significantly reduce or eliminate the population of raccoons.

[Just Joe]

Apparently there is even more nuance to the term:

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=coon

[Nudelkopf]

I understand your confusion, but Google is your friend in situations like this.

Did you even read the original comment that started this conversation?

[ixtap]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

I learned about this when I was a kid after reading "Where the Red Fern Grows".

You know, I always think I never read this book, but I wonder if I read it when one of my brothers had to read it. I often stole their books, as the librarians kept shooing me back to the children's section. I just have this vivid memory of "what do trash pandas have to do with any of this" (although I didn't call them trash pandas back then).

[I'm a red panda]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

I learned about this when I was a kid after reading "Where the Red Fern Grows".

You know, I always think I never read this book, but I wonder if I read it when one of my brothers had to read it. I often stole their books, as the librarians kept shooing me back to the children's section. I just have this vivid memory of "what do trash pandas have to do with any of this" (although I didn't call them trash pandas back then).

It's a great book. It still makes me cry when I read it.

It's where I learned that racoons can be trapped just by getting them stuck- they will close their fist on something and then not have the wherewithall to let go if they can't get their arm out of the hole they reached it in.  That's apparently true.

[dragoncar]

Please don’t use the term “trash panda” I have panda relatives who find it offensive

[mm1970]

Back to overheard on FB.

Some of you may have heard of our recent wildfire, then our more recent rains and terrible mudslides.  They are still looking for missing people.

Due to the slides, the highway is closed to the south.  For many many days.  So, nobody who lives there can get to work.

Well I've read at least one complaint about the 2 boat companies (who usually do day trips or whale watching) who have set up ferries to get people to and from.  For approx $32 each way.  The complaint is "that is too expensive", "people cannot afford that", "they could build good will by offering the services for free".

Well.
Gas isn't free.
I'm assuming the employees that work for the boating companies don't work for free.
"They could donate their time."
They are paid by the hour, and probably not that much.
These companies lost tens of thousands of dollars in December due to the fires - resulting in ZERO money coming in from tourists.
20,000 people do this commute every day.  At best these boats can serve a few hundred.  How do you choose?

(The answer is that I'm fairly sure our local hospital system is booking, and paying for, their employees to get to work).

These are not large, multi-million dollar national companies.  For all I know they are working at cost.

I tell you, this whole process has shown me the reason to have food and water on hand, how to be ready to go at any time, and how to determine what is REALLY an emergency.  I have the kind of job that when push comes to shove, is completely unnecessary on any given day.

[dandarc]

I have the kind of job that when push comes to shove, is completely unnecessary on any given day.

That about sums it up for me.

[ixtap]

There isn't much that can be done with the highway and rails washed out. I tried to get around traffic on 101 once. Ended up taking a long, scenic drive through the mountains. Google takes an enormous detour to get south, passing just shy of Bakersfield in the desert. Air is the only other alternative, and I doubt they are going to get that to cheaper than $32/trip.

The price is only very slightly less than a whale watching tour, but I bet they do the whole trip at gas guzzling speeds, without any tooling around looking for whale spouts and flippers. It looks like people might be finding arrangements on the other end, as the Friday evening ferry is already booked up.

[zolotiyeruki]

Heh, here's an idea:  Since the highway is closed anyway, just use a stretch on either side of the mudslide as a pair of temporary runways.  Get the FAA to grant a waiver so that anyone with a private plane can take passengers for hire, and let them puddle-jump from one side of the slide to the other.  It's only about a mile across the exclusion zone, so a plane could hop back and forth every 10 minutes.  Hire the same air traffic controllers they use for the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, and let 'er rip.  Send planes every 20 seconds.  Let the pilots charge $10/passenger, charge them $1/passenger to cover ATC, and you're off to a good start.

I vote for a bunch of Twin Otters.  I got to ride on one once, and they're an amazing aircraft :)

[ixtap]

Heh, here's an idea:  Since the highway is closed anyway, just use a stretch on either side of the mudslide as a pair of temporary runways.  Get the FAA to grant a waiver so that anyone with a private plane can take passengers for hire, and let them puddle-jump from one side of the slide to the other.  It's only about a mile across the exclusion zone, so a plane could hop back and forth every 10 minutes.  Hire the same air traffic controllers they use for the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, and let 'er rip.  Send planes every 20 seconds.  Let the pilots charge $10/passenger, charge them $1/passenger to cover ATC, and you're off to a good start.

I vote for a bunch of Twin Otters.  I got to ride on one once, and they're an amazing aircraft :)

At $10/passenger, who is paying the pilot? A quick google search suggests that 19 passengers at $10 would barely cover fuel, much less other costs. Even a non profit can't operate at a loss without a generous benefactor.

[frugalnacho]

It's where I learned that racoons can be trapped just by getting them stuck- they will close their fist on something and then not have the wherewithall to let go if they can't get their arm out of the hole they reached it in.  That's apparently true.

haha, they are as dumb as homer.

[Uturn]

Heh, here's an idea:  Since the highway is closed anyway, just use a stretch on either side of the mudslide as a pair of temporary runways.  Get the FAA to grant a waiver so that anyone with a private plane can take passengers for hire, and let them puddle-jump from one side of the slide to the other.  It's only about a mile across the exclusion zone, so a plane could hop back and forth every 10 minutes.  Hire the same air traffic controllers they use for the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, and let 'er rip.  Send planes every 20 seconds.  Let the pilots charge $10/passenger, charge them $1/passenger to cover ATC, and you're off to a good start.

I vote for a bunch of Twin Otters.  I got to ride on one once, and they're an amazing aircraft :)

As someone who holds a private pilot license, I can say there is good reason that pilots and planes for hire have much more stringent requirements. 

[mm1970]

Back to overheard on FB.

Some of you may have heard of our recent wildfire, then our more recent rains and terrible mudslides.  They are still looking for missing people.

Due to the slides, the highway is closed to the south.  For many many days.  So, nobody who lives there can get to work.

Well I've read at least one complaint about the 2 boat companies (who usually do day trips or whale watching) who have set up ferries to get people to and from.  For approx $32 each way.  The complaint is "that is too expensive", "people cannot afford that", "they could build good will by offering the services for free".

I get why the boat companies are doing this, but $64/ day in minimum transport cost (not including cost to get to the ferries and then to get from the ferries to where ever they are working) really isn't possible for most people. I hope someone is working on an alternative way to get people in and out of the area.

There is quite literally no way to get 20,000 people to and from the town every day by boat anyway.  Or any way other than the freeway.

The $64 is probably close to being at cost, and is also a number that means they have fully booked days in advance.  What is means is the people who HAVE to be at work can get there.  There are people who can afford it.  There are companies who are willing to pay for their employees to take the boat.

One alternative is to drive "around" (through Central valley, skirting Bakersfield, coming in from the north).  Google says the the normally 30 mile drive would be 258 miles and 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Some people have chosen to do that and get a hotel.  Enough of our production employees are stuck, and so some of our areas are shut down.

A few people have been able to get flights, and the hospital has paid for flights for a few key employees.

Yesterday Amtrak reopened.  The schedule isn't great, but it's only $32 round trip.

[OneStep]

One week before Christmas:

Sisters Post: Look what my Mommy got for Christmas!!! (Insert picture of brand new 2018 Honda CR-V)

My Reply: Awesome! My car will need replacing in 5-7 years so I will buy this when I'm ready. (Current Car: 1997 Honda CR-V that my Mom purchased brand new in 1996. Bought that from her when she was ready for another new vehicle in 2001. I still drive it. Sitting at 246,000 miles and running strong. Might have to replace a timing belt again, but I've already done that myself twice. Why not a 3rd time.)

Mom's Reply: I will put it in my will that it will go to you! (Mom is 62 and in great health. I'm taking this as a positive that she is going to live a long and healthy life and change her ways and not purchase any new vehicles. Doubt it though...this is her 3rd brand new car since I bought her CR-V in 2001.)

Talked with my Mom yesterday asking why she got a new car. Says my Dad pressured her because her last car's warranty was up. I could tell she knew they was making dumb car decisions, but she said she didn't care enough not to do it. I guess it's good she is a least aware of it.

Got a text the other day saying that my Dad has been fired from his job. Luckily he has been expecting it and has something lined up. Apparently he had been causing a lot of issues with his supervisors because he didn't like they way they were running things. They had grounds, for unrelated reasons, to terminate and they did. On one hand I'm glad he stood up for what he thinks is right and on the other I think he is crazy for buying a new car for my Mom when he thought this could be a possibility.

[katscratch]

Coonhound as was said earlier is a group of breeds in the larger hound group of dogs - bred for game hunting, specifically raccoons. Nothing to do with the other phrase.

This is what I was confused about. I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

Oh gosh, yes, that would be mortifying. To me, anyway.

OneStep that's unfortunate on the timing and purchase of the new car. I'm glad your dad has something lined up though.

[zolotiyeruki]

Heh, here's an idea:  Since the highway is closed anyway, just use a stretch on either side of the mudslide as a pair of temporary runways.  Get the FAA to grant a waiver so that anyone with a private plane can take passengers for hire, and let them puddle-jump from one side of the slide to the other.  It's only about a mile across the exclusion zone, so a plane could hop back and forth every 10 minutes.  Hire the same air traffic controllers they use for the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, and let 'er rip.  Send planes every 20 seconds.  Let the pilots charge $10/passenger, charge them $1/passenger to cover ATC, and you're off to a good start.

I vote for a bunch of Twin Otters.  I got to ride on one once, and they're an amazing aircraft :)

At $10/passenger, who is paying the pilot? A quick google search suggests that 19 passengers at $10 would barely cover fuel, much less other costs. Even a non profit can't operate at a loss without a generous benefactor.

We're talking about a flight that covers a couple miles at most, so the cost of fuel and engine time gets amortized across a lot of passengers, leaving lots left for the pilot.

[JLee]

Heh, here's an idea:  Since the highway is closed anyway, just use a stretch on either side of the mudslide as a pair of temporary runways.  Get the FAA to grant a waiver so that anyone with a private plane can take passengers for hire, and let them puddle-jump from one side of the slide to the other.  It's only about a mile across the exclusion zone, so a plane could hop back and forth every 10 minutes.  Hire the same air traffic controllers they use for the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, and let 'er rip.  Send planes every 20 seconds.  Let the pilots charge $10/passenger, charge them $1/passenger to cover ATC, and you're off to a good start.

I vote for a bunch of Twin Otters.  I got to ride on one once, and they're an amazing aircraft :)

At $10/passenger, who is paying the pilot? A quick google search suggests that 19 passengers at $10 would barely cover fuel, much less other costs. Even a non profit can't operate at a loss without a generous benefactor.

We're talking about a flight that covers a couple miles at most, so the cost of fuel and engine time gets amortized across a lot of passengers, leaving lots left for the pilot.

The most common private plane has four seats, including the pilot.

Asking a bunch of non-commercial pilots to make trips ferrying passengers between improvised runways is a recipe for disaster, IMO.

[PMG]

Not money related but ...

[dragoncar]

Not money related but ...

Hilarious, but did you really overhear that or is it a forward from grandma?

[PMG]

Not money related but ...

Hilarious, but did you really overhear that or is it a forward from grandma?

I overheard it as much as you can overhear anything on facebook.  A friend who lives in Oconee County shared it directly from the police department who posted it about 14 hours before I posted it here.   

ETA more from the sheriff’s department.  Not sure if this is new found fame, but someone there has some snark going on all day.

[katscratch]

Those are hilarious :)

[I'm a red panda]

I liked the Wisconsin comment.

[merula]

I liked the Wisconsin comment.

Ditto. To be fair, the comment is accurate, though we never seem to point out to those outside the Frozen North that we all forget how to drive in the snow and the first storm of the season is insane.

[I'm a red panda]

I liked the Wisconsin comment.

Ditto. To be fair, the comment is accurate, though we never seem to point out to those outside the Frozen North that we all forget how to drive in the snow and the first storm of the season is insane.

Well by now midwesterners have all remembered how to drive again.

[katscratch]

I liked the Wisconsin comment.

Ditto. To be fair, the comment is accurate, though we never seem to point out to those outside the Frozen North that we all forget how to drive in the snow and the first storm of the season is insane.

Well by now midwesterners have all remembered how to drive again.

Judging from my commute yesterday, not in the city they haven't :/

[merula]

Judging from my commute yesterday, not in the city they haven't :/

Which city? I almost never car commute, but had to go from downtown St. Paul to St. Louis Park and back at rush hour and I didn't have any problems.

[havregryn]

I joined a group on Facebook called "Minimalist mom". OK, by now I really get it that there are enormous differences in perceptions of space between the US and Europe but still I really can't help not chuckle reading all these discussions by MINIMALIST moms who think that living in less than 2000 square feet borders on impossible and requires extreme sacrifice.
Meanwhile only about 5% of all houses advertised for sale here where I am have more than that since 2000 sq feet and those all fairly rural, in the city this is unheard of.

I think it's a bit silly in the whole minimalist vibe, other than that I completely get it. I come from a place where 500 square feet is supposedly perfectly fine for a family of 4-5, and I could not do it now that I got used to a slightly better standard. It's funny (or sad) how primed humans get by what they know best.

But to insist you're a minimalist but require 3000 square feet of space for all your stuff, what!?

[Mississippi Mudstache]

I understand your confusion, but Google is your friend in situations like this.

Did you even read the original comment that started this conversation?

Yes. In you first comment, you said you googled it, but then you said this:

I've never heard of racoons being called just coons, so when I saw a dog breed called coonhound (& you guys are from the US) I assumed it was a dog bred to hunt people back in the day. And I thought that was weird that you'd still call those dogs coonhounds.

If you had actually read the Wikipedia articles on coonhounds or coon hunting, it should have been clear that there were no racial overtones implied. So maybe you used Google, but not very effectively.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Not money related but ...

Hilarious, but did you really overhear that or is it a forward from grandma?

I overheard it as much as you can overhear anything on facebook.  A friend who lives in Oconee County shared it directly from the police department who posted it about 14 hours before I posted it here.   

ETA more from the sheriff’s department.  Not sure if this is new found fame, but someone there has some snark going on all day.

I work in Oconee County. The sheriff is a national treasure. He's been posting stuff like this on their Facebook page for years. He's only recently been noticed by the national media, and his page has been quoted on CNN on many occasions in the past year.

[katscratch]

Judging from my commute yesterday, not in the city they haven't :/

Which city? I almost never car commute, but had to go from downtown St. Paul to St. Louis Park and back at rush hour and I didn't have any problems.

I was biking the side streets (so, not fully plowed yet) mostly in south Minneapolis from St Paul and kept seeing cars sliding at intersections. The stop sign by my house was knocked down that day, too! I was genuinely surprised at how people kept driving as if they were on the plowed/salted roadways.

[partgypsy]

Oh my. That was me making the original coon comment, and I did not think of any racial overtone to that. If used in that context, I would think it is an old reference, not currently used (I've never heard anyone actually use that term, though I have heard in person the "n" word.

The actual breed referenced by the test was treeing walker coonhound, but apparently there are many kinds. One of the reasons I wanted to test him was that 2 different people asked me if he was plotthound or part plotthound. So I looked it up. He is brindled with a black saddle, but has long hair (not a characteristic of plotthounds) but I became curious enough to test him.
He has an incredible nose. One time I was walking him and he sniffed out a rat hidden over 50 feet away (and killed it).  Killed another rat hiding in our back porch. Have found a dead raccoon and a dead (enormous) possum in our yard. However is sweet (and smart enough) to be friends with our cat. Between our cat killing mice and voles, and our dog, our daughter calls our yard "the kill zone".