Random randomness

[hepcat]

BAM?

[Archinerd]

**Details of expensive helicopter rides.**

So ... I don't ever want to have to get flown anywhere to save my life. Yes, I'd agree to it - but I'd hate myself for it too.

/A nonny mouse leaves for helicopter school

Good thinking. Why pay for a life saving helicopter ride if you can just do it yourself? I should sign up too.

But on second though, seems a bit impractical. Where will I keep the helicopter when I don't need it? Will I need some sort of government permission to use it? Where do I buy helicopter gas and how much does it cost? For that matter, how am I even going to afford a helicopter?

[Daehawk]

Could always borrow one. I hear theres some at the airport.

[Max Peck]

**Details of expensive helicopter rides.**

So ... I don't ever want to have to get flown anywhere to save my life. Yes, I'd agree to it - but I'd hate myself for it too.

/A nonny mouse leaves for helicopter school

Good thinking. Why pay for a life saving helicopter ride if you can just do it yourself? I should sign up too.

But on second though, seems a bit impractical. Where will I keep the helicopter when I don't need it? Will I need some sort of government permission to use it? Where do I buy helicopter gas and how much does it cost? For that matter, how am I even going to afford a helicopter?

The helicopter pays for itself. You just go into the air ambulance business -- the more competition you have, the higher the price everyone pays. It's a guaranteed money-maker.

[hepcat]

I would abuse the hell out of a helicopter. I'd use it to go out to the mailbox, to go down the street to the burger king, sometimes I'd just sit in it with the rotors running while pretending I'm in that scene from the original Dawn of the Dead where the zombie gets the top half of its head chopped off when it gets too close. I'd constantly tell people that I had to "Get to the choppah". At Christmas, I'd attach fake cardboard reindeer to the front of it and drop presents onto the neighbors' houses. At Halloween, I'd drape a long white sheet over the cab and cut out two giant circles in the front, then follow kids around while they were trick r' treating so I could get some of that candy loot.

Yup, I imagine life would be preeeettttyyyy sweet if I had a helicopter. Pretty sweet indeed.

[dbt1949]

If you could afford a helicopter you could afford to hire somebody else to do all that.

[ImLawBoy]

If you could afford a helicopter you could afford to hire somebody else to do all that.

That's the problem with your generation. Too damn lazy to do things yourself.

[Holman]

In Junior High my buddy's dad was chief pilot for a construction company with sites all over the South. He was close to the company owner (possibly both had been pilots in Vietnam, and the owner loved planes), and he basically had personal use of the aircraft for a certain number of flight hours each month.

He used to check us out of school and fly us around over Birmingham in the company helicopter. It was pretty awesome.

They even had a two-seater open-cockpit biplane. It was amazing.

[Holman]

A belated R.I.P. to that Russian guy who once upon a time decided not to kill all of us.

When alarms began to ring and a control panel flashed in front of Stanislav Petrov, a 44-year-old lieutenant colonel seated in a secret bunker south of Moscow, it appeared that the world was less than 30 minutes from nuclear war.

“The siren howled,” he later said, “but I just sat there for a few seconds, staring at the big, back-lit, red screen with the word ‘launch’ on it.” His chair, he said, began to feel like “a hot frying pan.”

Col. Petrov, an official with Russia’s early-warning missile system, was charged with determining whether the United States had opened intercontinental fire on the Soviet Union. Just after midnight on Sept. 26, 1983, all signs seemed to point to yes.

The satellite signal Col. Petrov received in his bunker indicated that a single Minuteman missile had been launched and was headed toward the East. Four more missiles appeared to follow, according to satellite signals, and the protocol was clear: notify Soviet Air Defense headquarters in time for the military’s general staff to consult with Soviet leader Yuri Andropov. A retaliatory attack, and nuclear holocaust, would likely ensue.

Yet Col. Petrov, juggling a phone in one hand and an intercom in the other, judged that the red alert was a false alarm. Soviet missiles, armed and ready, remained in their silos. And American missiles, apparently minutes from impact, seemed to vanish into the air.

“I had a funny feeling in my gut,” Col. Petrov told The Washington Post in 1999. “I didn’t want to make a mistake. I made a decision, and that was it.” He celebrated with half a liter of vodka, fell into a sleep that lasted 28 hours and went back to work.

While the “50-50” decision may have averted catastrophe, it ultimately destroyed the career of Col. Petrov, who died May 19 at his home in Fryazino, a center for scientific research near Moscow. He was 77.

His death — much like the defining moment of his life — was largely unreported. It was announced by Karl Schumacher, a friend and political activist who said he heard the news from Col. Petrov’s son, Dmitri, and that Col. Petrov had been sick for the past six months with “an internal disease.”

HAPPY STANISLAV PETROV DAY!!

Thread:

[Daehawk]

Dang is it that time of year again already?

[Archinerd]

**Details of expensive helicopter rides.**

So ... I don't ever want to have to get flown anywhere to save my life. Yes, I'd agree to it - but I'd hate myself for it too.

/A nonny mouse leaves for helicopter school

Good thinking. Why pay for a life saving helicopter ride if you can just do it yourself? I should sign up too.

But on second though, seems a bit impractical. Where will I keep the helicopter when I don't need it? Will I need some sort of government permission to use it? Where do I buy helicopter gas and how much does it cost? For that matter, how am I even going to afford a helicopter?

The helicopter pays for itself. You just go into the air ambulance business -- the more competition you have, the higher the price everyone pays. It's a guaranteed money-maker.

Not sure how you think I'm going to afford air ambulance school after immediately graduating from helicopter school and buying a helicopter. I'll be in debt forever.

[A nonny mouse]

**Details of expensive helicopter rides.**

So ... I don't ever want to have to get flown anywhere to save my life. Yes, I'd agree to it - but I'd hate myself for it too.

/A nonny mouse leaves for helicopter school

Good thinking. Why pay for a life saving helicopter ride if you can just do it yourself? I should sign up too.

But on second though, seems a bit impractical. Where will I keep the helicopter when I don't need it? Will I need some sort of government permission to use it? Where do I buy helicopter gas and how much does it cost? For that matter, how am I even going to afford a helicopter?

The helicopter pays for itself. You just go into the air ambulance business -- the more competition you have, the higher the price everyone pays. It's a guaranteed money-maker.

Not sure how you think I'm going to afford air ambulance school after immediately graduating from helicopter school and buying a helicopter. I'll be in debt forever.

See you just have to fly more in order to pay for the school and helicopter and training and fly more for gas ans repairs and maybe injure people to get more customers and them fly more to get the extra.

Or credit card.

[Archinerd]

Looks good on paper, but why would I be flying if I don't need to go to the hospital?

[wonderpug]

Looks good on paper, but why would I be flying if I don't need to go to the hospital?

How else are you going to get to flying ambulance school?

[LawBeefaroni]

If you could afford a helicopter you could afford to hire somebody else to do all that.

Nah. Pilots take up valuable space better used for guns, dogs, and prescription drugs.

[Archinerd]

An underrated Warren Zevon song.

[Isgrimnur]

Aggressive Goats Addicted to Human Urine Airlifted Out of Olympic National Park, WA

[wonderpug]

Aggressive Goats Addicted to Human Urine Airlifted Out of Olympic National Park, WA

Again?!

[Freyland]

Aggressive Goats Addicted to Human Urine Airlifted Out of Olympic National Park, WA

That article makes reference to a tragic story where a 67 year old hiker was gored to death by a goat that followed him, within 6 feet, for almost a mile.
He probably thought to himself, "how cute!" when in reality he should have been thinking, "Boy, urine trouble now!"

[AWS260]

Aggressive Goats Addicted to Human Urine Airlifted Out of Olympic National Park, WA

Again?!

I needed to restock.

[Daehawk]

The seasons. I used to love summer the most when I was younger. Hell I really didn't hate any until I was in my 40s. But its a lot different now.

Spring - my favorite. I love spring. The cold is going away and it is getting warmer and will just keep getting warmer. Awesome.

Summer - Its still ok. Better than winter. I dont like it so hot now though. At least its not cold.

Fall - Fall you'd think Id love as much as spring. Almost. But fall means its going to get cold again. I hate cold.

Winter - I hate it. Forget the holidays it has its cold! I hate cold. The bathroom is cold, the toilet seat is cold, and the kitchen is freezing cold. Outside is cold. I hate it.

[Kraken]

I endorse all of that. When I was young I used to live for summer, but for the past few years I've been glad to see it end. The heat waves that used to last a few days at most are chronic from mid June through late August now, and I just don't tolerate heat as well as I used to.

For that reason, I've come to appreciate the fall more. It's still the time of dying and digging in, and that's depressing, but the weather's generally beautiful right up until Thanksgiving.

Winter...I hate the prolonged darkness as much as the cold. And (shudder) the holidays. And shoveling.

[Daehawk]

Yes that darkness is a big hate too. In summer its daylight from around 7am or earlier to 9:30pm. Winter maybe 8am - 6pm. Hate the darkness. So depressing.

[Smoove_B]

Not depressing!

[Daehawk]

Always loved The Darkness band. Hated when they broke up. Glad they are back. But also hate the drummer had to leave for medical reasons.

[Kraken]

Yes that darkness is a big hate too. In summer its daylight from around 7am or earlier to 9:30pm. Winter maybe 8am - 6pm. Hate the darkness. So depressing.

We're on the eastern edge of our time zone. Around the winter solstice it's fully dark at 4:30. Can we please abolish Daylight Wasting Time?

[Daehawk]

I went out back to feed my outside dog. As I was headed in I passed a rolled out back window near my backdoor and it was buzzing. I saw a yellow striped wasp on the window and squished it with my metal feeding spoon. I then looked behind the glass and there was a nest the size of my fist or bigger. UGH. I hate wasps. I hate killing any living thing as they are only doing their thing but it being so near my door and my dog I made an exception. I went in and got a can of Lysol and sprayed them from inside through the screen then went out and tore it down. Man it was loaded with empty cells. Guess they were all out and about to leave soon due to cold weather. I hated to do it but they would be back to make new ones next year too.

[dbt1949]

Damn but everybody is putting in more commercials. TV of course but I've noticed more on the web now. They've found out how to bypass Firefox and Youtube is putting in commercials in the middle of the clip.
I'm thinking about becoming a Luddite. Go back to playing board games.

[Holman]

Damn but everybody is putting in more commercials. TV of course but I've noticed more on the web now. They've found out how to bypass Firefox and Youtube is putting in commercials in the middle of the clip.
I'm thinking about becoming a Luddite. Go back to playing board games.

They're not bypassing anything, The providers are selling you out.

(Remember the online rule: if it's free, the product is you.)

[Holman]

I went out back to feed my outside dog. As I was headed in I passed a rolled out back window near my backdoor and it was buzzing. I saw a yellow striped wasp on the window and squished it with my metal feeding spoon. I then looked behind the glass and there was a nest the size of my fist or bigger. UGH. I hate wasps. I hate killing any living thing as they are only doing their thing but it being so near my door and my dog I made an exception. I went in and got a can of Lysol and sprayed them from inside through the screen then went out and tore it down. Man it was loaded with empty cells. Guess they were all out and about to leave soon due to cold weather. I hated to do it but they would be back to make new ones next year too.

Don't feel too bad. There's no consciousness there. Insects are running BASIC.

I'm vegetarian-adjacent, but "life" is not the important principle; sentience is. Your immune system is killing living things literally all the time.

[mori]

NPR's running a story on the cost of life-saving helicopter flights... and how the cost is completely unregulated. The average they've gotten from bills people have sent them was around $40,000 and insurance might pay $12,000 of that... leaving you with a $30,000+ burden. The pricing is completely arbitrary, too. One person might get charged $15,000 while another is charged $55,000.

$12,000 would be a fair-market value and profitable if there wasn't a glut of competition. Apparently, in this market, more competition drives prices up as they have to spread operating costs over fewer patients. To compound the problem, more than half of the flights they make are done for Medicare/Medicaid who only reimburse them $6,500 and they can't go after the patients to fill in the blanks... so they roll that cost right over to everyone else.

So ... I don't ever want to have to get flown anywhere to save my life. Yes, I'd agree to it - but I'd hate myself for it too.

Absolutely refuse helicopter rescue unless you are close to death, or on medicare. You will be on the hook until you are actually dead otherwise.

[Kraken]

Damn but everybody is putting in more commercials. TV of course but I've noticed more on the web now. They've found out how to bypass Firefox and Youtube is putting in commercials in the middle of the clip.
I'm thinking about becoming a Luddite. Go back to playing board games.

I read that networks are speeding up older TV shows by 7%. It's only barely noticeable and lets them squeeze 2 more minutes of ads into a half-hour show. If the jokes seem a little off or the pratfalls look weird when you're watching Seinfeld reruns, it's because they broke the timing.

[Blackhawk]

Damn but everybody is putting in more commercials. TV of course but I've noticed more on the web now. They've found out how to bypass Firefox and Youtube is putting in commercials in the middle of the clip.
I'm thinking about becoming a Luddite. Go back to playing board games.

I read that networks are speeding up older TV shows by 7%. It's only barely noticeable and lets them squeeze 2 more minutes of ads into a half-hour show. If the jokes seem a little off or the pratfalls look weird when you're watching Seinfeld reruns, it's because they broke the timing.

Wow. I looked into it, expecting to see Snopes. Nope, they're really doing it.

[Kasey Chang]

I just spent 2 hours this morning studying something I don't ever want to buy: duty belts, battle belts, and related accessories.

I know there's at least one LEO among us, plus one or two active or former military, maybe a few in security, so you know what I'm talking about. Inner belt, outer belt, MOLLE attachments, pouches, cobra buckles, etc.

[Daehawk]

Former Apple engineer states the obvious in court.

https://www.siliconvalley.com/2018/09/2 ... er-claims/

[GreenGoo]

Former Apple engineer states the obvious in court.

https://www.siliconvalley.com/2018/09/2 ... er-claims/

By all accounts Jobs was a slave driving perfectionist with little respect for his employees.

So things are worse now, somehow?

None of that article is obvious. How could it be? 95% of it is behind closed doors. 50% of it the engineer himself would have little access or direct knowledge of.

I don't even like Apple and I find some of his claims questionable.

Good luck with your lawsuit, dude.

[Daehawk]

In my opinion Apple has sold overpriced junk that breaks for years now. And they refuse to support the shit. And now they dont even repair stuff they release or allow others to do anything with them. I hate them. I cant believe people buy their overpriced junk.

[GreenGoo]

Jobs has only been dead for 7 years.

What was the last Apple product you owned? And not exactly delicately, but how on earth could you afford it?

Their stuff definitely has a premium on price. And while I can't speak to most of their products, their phones are definitely not junk.

[gbasden]

In my opinion Apple has sold overpriced junk that breaks for years now. And they refuse to support the shit. And now they dont even repair stuff they release or allow others to do anything with them. I hate them. I cant believe people buy their overpriced junk.

I'm no huge Apple fan, but they just went back and replaced batteries for free in years worth of iPhones. They do in fact repair their stuff, often free or cheaply depending on the issue. I fully agree it is in some cases overpriced, but what you are saying simply isn't factual.

[Daehawk]

2011 and 2015. Ipod. Battery stopped charging after 8 months to a year. Would not do anything about it. Airport router. Would not work on my PC even though stated it was for PC also. Tried to sell me another Apple product to try ...'try' ..( a phone) and make the router work. Refused to refund my week old purchase. Said too bad. Ended up selling it on here for an instant loss. Been seeing horror stories online for years. Wont allow 3rd party fixes, wont provide parts, wont repair the newest computers...are unfixable they claim. And you can get better things that do what their stuff does at sometimes half less or more.