Octopus Overlords

Co-worker's out of office message, verbatim:

I will be out of the office on Monday, November 28 tell December 2. I will be returning Monday, December 5.

Please contact your Client Partners with questions or assistance

Seriously? You're a professional for crying out loud.

Is it just me or is the Wilhelm Scream the worst part of contemporary movies. I'm not someone looking for realism. I got lost in movies pretty easily but no matter how light the spell, the Wilhelm Scream is like the hypnotic trigger word to wake up and be annoyed at the world around me. Find a better more subtle tribute to filming history already. And the worst part is now that it has forever entrenched itself as annoying gesture, it breaks the spell when re-watching old movies.

I think a WS warning should be mandatory for all movies going forward, so me and my frail sense of being can be given advanced notice to avoid them.

It's just you.

It's not just you.

It's like watching The Lord of the Rings and Legolas says, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" You no longer hear an elf, you just hear the meme.

Blackhawk wrote:It's not just you.

It's like watching The Lord of the Rings and Legolas says, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" You no longer hear an elf, you just hear the meme.

Heh, I hear not quite LotR quotes from CivVI all of the time and they make me smile. I have no idea if they were intentional or not. I suppose if they were part of an immersive dialog, the might bother me but as it goes when I load a game and hear

Your fascination with science and culture is a gift,

I just smile and picture the Elrond's Council discussion from the FotR and assume that this statement is being used ironically but I heard someone play it every damned movie where I'd be all crotchety.

coopasonic wrote:It's just you.

For you, though I'm not watching it, to verify it's contents. It would send me over the edge, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz0t07u_hmE

Apparently someone has been having some linguistic fun with our Russian accountant. Yesterday, when trying to tease me about being overly polite to an important client, she told me I was being a "greasy ass".

...we've had her substitute "suck up" in order to avoid HR complaints.

hepcat wrote: I was a being a "greasy ass".

Day Nahduh

hepcat wrote:Apparently someone has been having some linguistic fun with our Russian accountant. Yesterday, when trying to tease me about being overly polite to an important client, she told me I was being a "greasy ass".

...we've had her substitute "suck up" in order to avoid HR complaints.

She wasn't wrong.

We were just going to have her use "pulling a Romney" instead.

Another bit of randomness that just popped up.

There are approximately 2 movies in this world that I can't NOT watch when they pop up on TV. Con Air and Soldier. I don't know why, but if I see them in progress or just starting, I will sit down and watch them to completion. Every...damn...time.

So Vudu (a streaming movie service I use for much of my film collection) just sent me an email alerting me that Soldier is now available for rent or purchase.

How in God's name are they aware of my odd obsession with that film????

Blackhawk wrote:It's not just you.

It's like watching The Lord of the Rings and Legolas says, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" You no longer hear an elf, you just hear the meme.

You guys are just too "culturally" aware, or perhaps more aware in general. I don't know of the meme Blackhawk refers to so it's not a problem.

LordMortis wrote:

coopasonic wrote:It's just you.

For you, though I'm not watching it, to verify it's contents. It would send me over the edge, I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz0t07u_hmE

I've seen it or its (chrome is trying to get me to replace this with "it's" but I'm sure that's not right, but I get it wrong enough to not be sure) like before. Apparently my brain throws this knowledge away. Maybe it's just me.

coopasonic wrote:I've seen it or its (chrome is trying to get me to replace this with "it's" but I'm sure that's not right, but I get it wrong enough to not be sure) like before. Apparently my brain throws this knowledge away. Maybe it's just me.

Honestly, I think I broke when they started putting it everywhere in cartoons. Cartoons are my safe space. Between the Scream and Patton Oswald, it's like they want to destroy every thing that I keeps me as well seated as I am in day to day existence. They found my exposed nerve and just keep poking it.

LordMortis wrote:Is it just me or is the Wilhelm Scream the worst part of contemporary movies. I'm not someone looking for realism. I got lost in movies pretty easily but no matter how light the spell, the Wilhelm Scream is like the hypnotic trigger word to wake up and be annoyed at the world around me. Find a better more subtle tribute to filming history already. And the worst part is now that it has forever entrenched itself as annoying gesture, it breaks the spell when re-watching old movies.

I think a WS warning should be mandatory for all movies going forward, so me and my frail sense of being can be given advanced notice to avoid them.

The Wilhelm Scream was fun when I first heard about it, back when it was a true easter egg I had never previously noticed. Now that its existence is common knowledge, the scream sticks out like a sore thumb every time it happens, and like you it really breaks me out of being immersed in the movie.

It probably also has to do with why people watch movies. Different people consume media for different reasons. If you're one of those who watch films for the suspension of disbelief (the 'immersion' where you lose track of what's outside of the screen), then it is a harsh reminder that stops that experience in order to shout, "I'm a movie!"

It is the same reason I despise anything being splashed on the camera lens. I don't need to be reminded that I'm looking through a camera, thank you very much.

So a viagra commercial comes on that is montage of a previous viagra commercials, and all but one of the women in are wearing deep dark blue dress. Is that a thing that I'm not aware of? Is there some psychology between sexual dysfunction and deep dark blue?

Isn't viagra blue?

If the Wilhelm scream is used as a nod to the audience, it's fine. If it's used non-ironically or non-selfawarely (oh yes, I wrote that) it's not ok.

For me the best use is a casual and not overly overt use. Yes, we used it, yes, you and we are aware we used it, but we didn't punch you in the face with it.

I actually enjoy the scream in that sort of usage.

The entire point of the scream at this point is a sort of lineage and continuity. Making a compilation of them only validates that point, it doesn't undermine it at all.

For the record, it's a very, very rare movie that has me fully immersed in it, so the scream can't pull me out of the movie because I'm almost never in it.

hepcat wrote:, she told me I was being a "greasy ass".

Did you invite her to have a feel for herself?

She can't write a check like that without cashing it!

Hmm... Notepad++ has a tail function now (version 6.9.2 and higher - just click the 'eye' icon on the left of the toolbar). Nice!

So Mrs. Skinypupy managed to get in not just one, but two minor fender-benders on Wednesday. For the first, she nodded off while waiting to turn left, and drifted a bit into the next lane. Minor bump with another car, minimal damage, no injuries. About 2 hours later, she wasn't paying attention, and backed out of our garage...right into the front of my dad's Acura.

I was texting with my dad today about getting the damage to his car paid for. We can't submit it through insurance, as three accidents over a 12-month period (she backed into her mom's car the same way about 8 months ago) could get us dropped from our policy. So I'm paying out of pocket for everything. I was commiserating with my dad about how bad of a driver Mrs. Skinypupy is because she is a) always distracted and b) always going at least 10 mph faster or slower than is appropriate. I was also expressing how frustrated I was that this was going to cost me $2,500 and probably an insurance premium bump, simply because she can't be bothered to pay attention to what she's doing. It was cathartic to tell this to my dad, as I probably won't ever tell her directly...she would not take that discussion very well at all.

As we were having this discussion via text, Mrs. Skinypupy was apparently using my old iPad to watch some cartoons with the kids. The iPad that is linked to my account. The iPad on which all my text messages still show up on. Oops.

I'm in for a very rough conversation when I get home.

If everything you said was true, you might regret having said it...but not what you said.

In which kraken becomes obsolete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r0CiLBM1o8

Skinypupy wrote: I'm in for a very rough conversation when I get home.

If she doesn't want to be criticized for being a poor driver she should probably stop driving into things.

I'd apologize for her having to witness my feelings, but now that they are on the table, I'd absolutely double down.

Taking issue with a spouse who is at fault for 3 separate incidents in a single year is an appropriate reaction.

If that isn't clear, start accidentally breaking things she loves. That should help the empathy.

And of course none of this leads to marital bliss, so do as you like.

Good luck.

Yea, put a stop to it. You don't want the baggage of not stopping it and having her run over a kid backing out of the driveway.

GreenGoo wrote:I'd apologize for her having to witness my feelings, but now that they are on the table, I'd absolutely double down.

Agreed.

Current strategy is to apologize profusely for not coming to her directly, but let her know that doesn't change the general issue that she's an awful driver and really needs to pay more attention.

LordMortis wrote:In which kraken becomes obsolete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r0CiLBM1o8

Looks to me like FarmBot sucks at insect control...

LordMortis wrote:In which kraken becomes obsolete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r0CiLBM1o8

I've been obsolete since 2004.

That's a pretty cool hipster toy. Needs some provision for staking tomatoes and climbing vines, and needs a critter repellent mode. I notice their video didn't demo tomatoes, squash, or beans...my main crops.

I'd just like to point out that paying attention while driving a 2000+ lb death machine is the absolute least she owes the rest of us. This is pretty much directed at everyone, not her specifically.

If you don't want to pay attention to controlling a moving giant metal hammer, take the bus (that's what I do for my commute, I drive on weekends).

Again, not a criticism of her specifically, just people in general.

No one is going to nonchalantly and carelessly operate a wood chipper while picking up the kids, and cars are WAY more dangerous.

For the record, my wife is not "allowed" to talk and drive at the same time. She can make the occasional comment, but no full blown conversations. This is based on lessons learned, not random misogyny. And that's just talking with other people in the car. Thank god they made cellphone use while driving illegal up here.

I'm a mediocre driver (was better when I was younger. Yes, really) and don't do it much (couple of times a week?) these days.

It is amazing how many people out their think they're a good driver. Just because you haven't been in an accident doesn't make you a good driver. No matter what Allstate says.
A good driver is those stunt drivers in movies and TV. Maybe those who race cars for a living.

dbt1949 wrote:It is amazing how many people out their think they're a good driver. Just because you haven't been in an accident doesn't make you a good driver. No matter what Allstate says.
A good driver is those stunt drivers in movies and TV. Maybe those who race cars for a living.

I'm a terrible driver and both accidents I've been in were unavoidable on my end and completely the other person's fault. There are a lot of people out there who really don't understand the responsibility of hurling themselves around in tons of metal.

Kraken wrote:

LordMortis wrote:In which kraken becomes obsolete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r0CiLBM1o8

I've been obsolete since 2004.

That's a pretty cool hipster toy. Needs some provision for staking tomatoes and climbing vines, and needs a critter repellent mode. I notice their video didn't demo tomatoes, squash, or beans...my main crops.

I hear it grows only kale and hipsterbeards.

Skinypupy wrote:that doesn't change the general issue that she's an awful driver and really needs to pay more attention.

My wife is an amazing "forward" driver with a flawless record. We were even going down the highway once and hit a patch of ice, and the car (NIssan XTerra, not in 4WD) did a perfect 360 while she kept it in the lane and then continued as if we meant to do that. All of the other drivers around us gave a wide berth after that.

Backwards, however, she just can't. She's hit poles, pins, flags, and cars. The worst was in a parking lot in the middle of the winter, I was a passenger and got to witness her back up into another car, push it with her bumper, and then drive off. "WTF?" I asked... She replied with "What? All I did was push into a snow bank." No, no you didn't. That was a car. I had to crawl under her car to pop her bumper back out and she had the scuff there as a badge of shame until the car was driven into the ground. She never went back to leave a note for the other car because she was so embarrassed.

Even in my car with a rear-view camera, she's hit a post in our own driveway. She claimed she just didn't see it.

Discussion actually went pretty well. She admitted that she needs to be much better about paying attention and eliminating distractions. The Wonder Twins 3.6 don't help in that distraction department, but she has committed to be more focused.

She wasn't even upset about the text messages to Dad, and realized it was fair game for me to discuss frustrations with him. As positive an outcome as I could have hoped for, minus the $2,500 check I'll have to write for repairs.

Gävle goat

The Gävle Goat (Swedish: Gävlebocken) is a traditional Christmas display erected annually at Slottstorget in central Gävle, Sweden. It is a giant version of a traditional Swedish Yule Goat figure made of straw. It is erected each year at the beginning of Advent over a period of two days[1][2] by local community groups, and has become famous for being destroyed in arson attacks during December. Despite security measures and the nearby presence of a fire station, the goat has been burned to the ground most years since its first appearance in 1966. As of November 2016, the goat has been damaged 36 times.

Wife drove her powerchair over my foot a little while ago. I'm hoping when the pain stops I'll find it not broken.

dbt1949 wrote:Wife drove her powerchair over my foot a little while ago. I'm hoping when the pain stops I'll find it not broken.

In all fairness, you were obstructing the pathway to the gun cabinet.

I'm pretty sure those chairs aren't so easily broken.

Patton Oswalt's Year of Magical Parenting

Damn, it suddenly got dusty in here.