Random randomness

[Sudy]

People forget furniture in bank parking lots all the time.

[Unagi]

It sounds like the only option, any time we have any problem, is to wait up to a week and make a 60 mile round trip just to ask a question.

Either that or be punished by the bank for asking for help.

Is there a particular reason your wife is compelled to stick with this particular bank? If not, put some serious consideration into switching to a more conveniently-located credit union in your locale. If the credit union I linked to above isn't, try using the NCUA’s Credit Union Locator to see if you can find one that is.

The nearest credit union is further than the bank. When I say I live in the middle of nowhere, I mean it. We can't even do our grocery shopping in the county we live in.

We'd likely be switching to a large, well established bank (Fifth Third, despite me hating the name), which just happens to have a branch I can see from my recliner.

If your life were a movie, I would call that a continuity error.

Lol. Totally.

Why is there a fifth third branch outside your house, but not even a grocery store in the county?
Sounds like an interesting branch office to work at.

“Man I hate going into work, it’s out in the middle of absolutely nowhere!”
— “yeah, why do they have that branch out there anyhow?”

“I guess there is this guy out there with like no bank options, and they wanted to see if they could get his account... he’s not yet even come in to look around though.”
—/ shrug

[Blackhawk]

Part of it, I think, is that we are 'town' for a bunch of the even smaller communities (populations in the hundreds) around here, plus all of the farmers (and there are a lot.) One bank is probably justified.

We also have a very small (non-grocery) Walmart and a few fast food places, but that's because we have a highway that bumps into the western edge of town that used to be a fairly busy one (US 41.) All of those businesses were established back in the 80s or before when it got a lot of traffic. One of them is already on the verge of closing.

And to be clear, we do have a grocery store. It's the only grocery store in 30 miles, they know it, and they price accordingly. Prices there are a solid 30% higher than Kroger's or Meier. It's fine when you need a gallon of milk, but it would cost hundreds extra per month to do our actual shopping there.

[Unagi]

Ok, well clearly you need to carve out a couple hours to go change banks.
No brainer.

[Blackhawk]

Ok, well clearly you need to carve out a couple hours to go change banks.
No brainer.

Couple of weeks, you mean.

[Sudy]

This probably warrants its own thread and I was surprised to be unable to find one, but I suppose discussion has occurred in the Disney+ thread, etc. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings debuted in theatres (and only theatres) this weekend, and has done the best of any film released during the pandemic. Mrs. Nym actually asked me if I wanted to go see it... she's probably left the apartment less than ten times in the past two years, and has been extremely reluctant to do so unnecessarily during the pandemic. (Mind you, she also deals with agoraphobia and anxiety.) We're both double-vaccinated, but delta cases continue to rise locally.

But for all the bluster of the Scorseses, the Spielbergs, and the Nolanses (though I think the latter's complaint may have been more financial, and didn't Spielberg back down a little?), Hollywood is really clinging to a 100% obsolete distribution platform. I think theatres are wonderful things, but they go back to actual live theatre and to when the equipment to project a film wasn't something you could have at home. That distinction has finally fizzled in the digital era.

Now, you can argue about fidelity all day long, and I sympathize with many of the arguments that claim going to the theatre is still a superior experience. But it shouldn't have to be an exclusive one. If I watch Star Wars for the first time on my cell phone instead of in a theatre with the best audiovisual equipment, how much is my experience diminished? 25%? 75%? The impact of most films will always be the stories they tell, rather than the quality of the delivery. (Something in IMAX may be a better example than a 1977 film, but I honestly can't think of something recent with the same cultural impact. No, not even Avengers: Endgame, I'm sorry. Avatar, maybe? Eh....) No one's talking about concert films replacing live music, here. Beethoven's 9th should knock your socks off the first time you hear it, whether you were in the audience in Vienna on May 7th, 1824 or heard it through an old tin can. The first is obviously far superior, but you shouldn't be denied the experience just because the tin can is the only option you have, or the one you choose.

To remain relevant, theatres really need to improve on the experience they offer. It needs to go beyond the movie. There's already been a move toward this in the past thirty years (D-Box, "good" food delivered to your seat, etc). Some ideas are better than others, and unfortunately some of the boutique theatres offering them haven't weathered the pandemic. But the pandemic has spurred something that should have been closer to happening regardless. Paying $8-$20 a ticket to go to your average local multiplex and pay more for bad popcorn and overpriced drinks isn't a good time. It's a nostalgic time, perhaps... but we've only continued to endure it because there's been no other option. (I guess if you want to include piracy at the opposite end of the fidelity spectrum, that's been an option for a while... but besides the legality, I think camcorder recordings are a step too far in terms of degradation in quality. But the fact remains that the majority of viewers want to pay a fair price for quality entertainment.)

[Daehawk]

For $20 I should get a good movie with great sound and a nice dinner.

Imagine going to a movie is like visiting Medieval Times to eat. But instead of a joust and floor show you get a movie instead. Id love to eat a meal and watch Robin Hood or perhaps hotpot and Blade Runner

[Sudy]

Imagine having the audacity to rant about self-checkout systems on Facebook and then claim you're doing so in defense of the working class. It ain't mom-and-pops that are installing these things.

[AWS260]

But for all the bluster of the Scorseses, the Spielbergs, and the Nolanses (though I think the latter's complaint may have been more financial, and didn't Spielberg back down a little?), Hollywood is really clinging to a 100% obsolete distribution platform. I think theatres are wonderful things, but they go back to actual live theatre and to when the equipment to project a film wasn't something you could have at home. That distinction has finally fizzled in the digital era.

I take your point, but for me at least, going to a theater offers something I can't get at home. I love to lose myself in a movie, to have my mind immersed in the story being told without distraction. That's basically impossible to achieve in my home: the TV is relatively small, I can't crank up the volume to cinema levels without disturbing my neighbors, buses go by the window on a regular basis, and family members are likely to be puttering around in other parts of the apartment that I can see from where I'm sitting.

If I could get a theater experience at home, I would be all over it. But right now, that would require either a lot more money or moving far, far away.

[Sudy]

Yes, I don't mean to say it's not a different/special experience, just that the purity arguments and gatekeeping seems really out of touch.

Even in my case, I generally won't watch movies on my phone--only television shows. And I'll wait till my wife's asleep/it's dark out if I want to be really immersed.

[Rumpy]

I laugh a little every time I see the "Only in Theatres" line during Covid. If anything, Covid has really fragmented viewing opportunities, particularly since whatever IS open is heavily dictated by area, and the box-office readings must be interesting to say the least since it must be difficult to get a clear reading. We live in interesting times.

[Blackhawk]

Before Michelle and the kids moved back in full-time, I'd occasionally go shopping for snacks, then pull an easy chair right up in front to the TV, plug in a set of good gaming-quality noise canceling headphones (so above retail/mass market quality, but below studio quality), turn out all the lights, and watch a movie. It wasn't perfect, but it was as close as I was going to get.

[Max Peck]

How well do VR headsets work in terms of providing a virtual large screen movie experience?

[Fardaza]

For $20 I should get a good movie with great sound and a nice dinner.

Imagine going to a movie is like visiting Medieval Times to eat. But instead of a joust and floor show you get a movie instead. Id love to eat a meal and watch Robin Hood or perhaps hotpot and Blade Runner

You can barely get a good dinner for that price anymore. Let alone pay the royalties for a movie. Or the price of the snacks.

[LordMortis]

For $20 I should get a good movie with great sound and a nice dinner.

Imagine going to a movie is like visiting Medieval Times to eat. But instead of a joust and floor show you get a movie instead. Id love to eat a meal and watch Robin Hood or perhaps hotpot and Blade Runner

You can barely get a good dinner for that price anymore. Let alone pay the royalties for a movie. Or the price of the snacks.

You can barely get a good lunch for that price anymore unless you make it yourself. A fast food lunch can cost you ten bones at most places and prices are only going up.

I'm trying desperately hard to plan for retirement and it's tricky trying to figure out how much stuff will cost in 10 years and how prepared I'll have to be.

[Blackhawk]

How well do VR headsets work in terms of providing a virtual large screen movie experience?

Excellent (and I don't know why I didn't mention that - my mind was focused on responding to the TV discussion.) It's between 1080 and 4k quality (closer to 4k), I'm able to stream any service or use local files, and the effect really is like sitting in a theater. Your brain can't tell the difference between the size of the screen in VR and one in a real theater. The sound isn't quite as good (although I could bypass the audio and use my headphones over the headset if I really wanted to.

Plus, you can watch in a black void, or you can watch in any number of 'theater' settings from a 'grand theater' that looks like something out of New York in the 30s to a vintage 70s theater.

Dammit, now I want to watch a movie. I wonder what's streaming?

[xwraith]

This is just cool

[Daehawk]

So we're all freaky aliens on the microscopic inside.

[xwraith]

So we're all freaky aliens on the microscopic inside.

It gets worse!

When a B cell recognizes an antigen, it is stimulated to divide (or proliferate). During proliferation, the B-cell receptor locus undergoes an extremely high rate of somatic mutation that is at least 10^5–10^6 fold greater than the normal rate of mutation across the genome...
This directed hypermutation allows for the selection of B cells that express immunoglobulin receptors possessing an enhanced ability to recognize and bind a specific foreign antigen.

[Jaymon]

We let some, but not all, of our cats into the garage. Since I am not a cat, I don't understand their reasons for wanting to be in there, but they do, and will spend hours lounging about.
We installed a pet doorbell so they can get back in. They were scratching at the door, so we put the sensor there, and it works great.
One of the cats will ring the doorbell, and wait patiently until we come open the door. The other cat rings the doorbell constantly when he wants in, which annoys us. His name is Scruffy. He is an asshole. Not intentionally, its because he is a special kind of stupid.

[Daehawk]

You ever put your pants on opposite leg than you always do? It feels so damn strange. Damn strange.

Me and my wife collected our cola cans. Id crush them and put them in garbage bags. I found some yesterday that we had both saved before she passed away and took them to sell today. Those 30 gal garbage bags hold more weight that I thought was in them so ended up getting more money than I thought I would. 4 30 gal bags and 1 13 gal kitchen bag full of crushed cola cans weighed 60 pounds. At 50 cent a pound I ended up with $30. I was expecting $20 from guessing the weight. Nice. Thought Id never get them in the Mustang. Only the small 13 gal fit in the trunk. The rest I had to squeeze into the passenger area with me.


EDIT: Shit..talk about typing the wrong stuff even though you are thinking the right stuff. I had to correct 15 mistakes in that post above.

[Fardaza]

So we're all freaky aliens on the microscopic inside.

It gets worse!

When a B cell recognizes an antigen, it is stimulated to divide (or proliferate). During proliferation, the B-cell receptor locus undergoes an extremely high rate of somatic mutation that is at least 10^5–10^6 fold greater than the normal rate of mutation across the genome...
This directed hypermutation allows for the selection of B cells that express immunoglobulin receptors possessing an enhanced ability to recognize and bind a specific foreign antigen.

...and it took millions of years for each one of these reactions to randomly mutate into a useable form.

[Daehawk]

I finds it fascinating that there are little things that spin like a generator in us and powered by atoms.

[coopasonic]

If I could get a theater experience at home, I would be all over it. But right now, that would require either a lot more money or moving far, far away.

It really is quite nice.

4k projector, 7.1 surround, blackout shades, ~108" screen, leather recliners and two rows of stadium seating, though I only really care about the front and center seat.

Of course I also have Cinemark Movie Club which has finally started charging again. I really need to do something with all those tickets that are going to be stacking up while I refuse to go out to the movies.

[Blackhawk]

I'd love that, although to be honest, it would require an unused room. If I had unused rooms, a home theater would be at least the third, possibly fourth in line (behind a workshop, an actual VR-friendly gaming room, and possibly a small home gym.)

[Blackhawk]

So here's a stumper: I have a package being sent to me via UPS. It has been in 'label created' status for over a week. That means that the company that's shipping it has notified UPS that it has a package to ship and reserved the tracking number, but never actually delivered it to UPS. Usually this means that the company lost the package, requiring contact.

Unfortunately, I have no idea who sent it. I'm not missing anything as far as I can tell. UPS doesn't list any sender information on it. A call to UPS gave me that it came from 'Sedgwick' in Des Moines, but I can't find anything except an insurance company with that name. Nothing in my emails.

Something has gone missing, and I have no idea what it is.

/edit - checked every outstanding crowdfunding project, too. Nope.

[Daehawk]

Well if ya dont know what it is and haven't missed it its not important.

[Blackhawk]

Well if ya dont know what it is and haven't missed it its not important.

That might be true for people with great memories.

[Daehawk]

I have or had a terrible memory. My wife started doing all the thinking lol. We used to tell people she was my brain. Really she was. Id go to the kitchen for a coke and have to make 3 trips because Id keep coming back without it. When she died I instantly had to take over everything and I was actually good at it and remembered stuff. Ive noticed that now nearly 3 years later Im starting to get memory troubles again as I forget my drink or to put something away more and more again now that most pressure is off and stuff isn't so important.

[dbt1949]

The last few times I've taken my wife to the doctors she's had major fits about waiting so long.
Today I realized it's because she's claustrophobic. A lot worse than me even.

[Daehawk]

My wife had some of that. She couldn't do an MRI or stuff. Said it was like a coffin. Ive done them fine. Loud as hell but gave me some music. I do wish they'd put a fan at one end. gets stuffy in there.

[Isgrimnur]

[Kasey Chang]

I tried air frying chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) that came out of a can. Turns out, you just need to drain the liquid out, put into an air fryer (one flat layer only), go 350 for 15-20 minutes, and you have a crispy snack that's full of protein. Add your own flavor, from a little salt and pepper to ramen flavor packets.

[Sudy]

From your phrasing, I can't tell if you're just being helpful, or neglected to drain the bean water and made a huge mess.

[Daehawk]

Had a shitty dream last night that just would not end. I was dreaming the shitty dream and woke up mad. Got back to sleep and the dream was still going. Woke up mad again cussing. Went back to sleep ...same dream. %$%#$@!. 4th time I woke up and went back to sleep it wasn't the same dream about the same thing BUT it was still in the same place with the same neighbors and stuff. Just a different main story line and different main people it centered on. Fuck I hate that.

Wasn't all bad as 1990s Jennifer Love Hewitt was my girlfriend. On a river swim trip no less. Also reobtained my old TransAm and was fixing it up.

[Blackhawk]

My dreams are rarely coherent linear narratives. It's more like they're individual moments with a theme, strung together like a hallucinogenic vision. Like the other day I was doing one thing after another (unconnected real life things), all connected with a sort of circuit patter of glowing, twisting... cords? that I was following from one to the next.

[dbt1949]

My dreams always morph into something else after a very short time. I never have had sex with Raquel Welch but a short time.

[Sudy]

Meanwhile, there's nothing I seem to be able to do to stop myself experiencing the dream about having sex with the 1890s South American telegraph network, night after night.

[dbt1949]

Just got a letter from USPS today. I need to raise my mailbox 4-9 inches higher so it's easy for pickup trucks. I haven't changed it in 21 years and we've never had mail carriers delivering mail in full sized pick ups during that time.
This coincides with my stepson having talked to the mail carrier a couple of weeks back.
His wife is moving back to Florida in a year or two, with or without him . Don't think he wants to go back. He said he needs to take care of us. And he wants a cut in his rent when she goes.

[dbt1949]

AAAAAAAAAARGH!