Random randomness

Everything else!

Moderators: Bakhtosh, EvilHomer3k

Post Reply
User avatar
TheMix
Posts: 11270
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 5:19 pm
Location: Broomfield, Colorado

Re: Random randomness

Post by TheMix »

stessier wrote:What is it called when a character in a story has a name that matches their character? For instance, Sir Greed is greedy. Is it just allegory?
Maybe Aptronym?

Black Lives Matter

Isgrimnur - Facebook makes you hate your friends and family. LinkedIn makes you hate you co-workers. NextDoor makes you hate your neighbors.
User avatar
Holman
Posts: 29766
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Between the Schuylkill and the Wissahickon

Re: Random randomness

Post by Holman »

TheMix wrote:
stessier wrote:What is it called when a character in a story has a name that matches their character? For instance, Sir Greed is greedy. Is it just allegory?
Maybe Aptronym?
That fits.

The first example that comes to mind is Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and a search for "John Bunyan aptronym" brings up examples of people using the term in connection.

Bunyan loomed so large in English writing that it would be nearly impossible to do aptronymish names without appearing to recall him, at least well into the 20th century. (e.g. C.S. Lewis.)
Much prefer my Nazis Nuremberged.
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Brian wrote:A couple of Turkey Vultures on the ledge outside of my office window today.
Neat. I like how close to them you are.
User avatar
Brian
Posts: 12795
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:51 am
Location: South of Heaven
Contact:

Re: Random randomness

Post by Brian »

I had to take the pics from about 8-10 feet away and use the zoom on my phone.

If I got any closer they would give me a dirty look and waddle down the ledge away from me.

I eventually did get too close and they took off.

Image
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Brian wrote:I had to take the pics from about 8-10 feet away and use the zoom on my phone.

If I got any closer they would give me a dirty look and waddle down the ledge away from me.

I eventually did get too close and they took off.
Ah. Well I'm not exactly known for my photography expertise, but the pic did the job nicely.
User avatar
Pyperkub
Posts: 24157
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:07 pm
Location: NC- that's Northern California

Re: Random randomness

Post by Pyperkub »

Had a strange dream the other day - I was making an industrial sized pot of coffee, and for some reason I needed to mix in chopped chunks of raw beef to give it something extra (think chopped carne asada, before cooking).

WTF was going on in my dream brain???
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!

Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
User avatar
Brian
Posts: 12795
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:51 am
Location: South of Heaven
Contact:

Re: Random randomness

Post by Brian »

GreenGoo wrote:Ah. Well I'm not exactly known for my photography expertise, but the pic did the job nicely.
Thanks.

My daughter is going to be jealous when I show here the pics and video. :)
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
User avatar
Unagi
Posts: 28105
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 5:14 pm
Location: Chicago

Re: Random randomness

Post by Unagi »

Holman wrote:
TheMix wrote:
stessier wrote:What is it called when a character in a story has a name that matches their character? For instance, Sir Greed is greedy. Is it just allegory?
Maybe Aptronym?
That fits.

The first example that comes to mind is Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and a search for "John Bunyan aptronym" brings up examples of people using the term in connection.

Bunyan loomed so large in English writing that it would be nearly impossible to do aptronymish names without appearing to recall him, at least well into the 20th century. (e.g. C.S. Lewis.)
Like a few of the Harry Potter characters as well...

Delores Umbridge
Remus Lupin

or Dickens... with Mr Bumble, Mr Pecksniff, Martin Chuzzlewit, or Oliver Twist even.
User avatar
MonkeyFinger
Posts: 3223
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 10:23 pm
Location: South of Denver, CO

Re: Random randomness

Post by MonkeyFinger »

Unagi wrote:
Holman wrote:
TheMix wrote:
stessier wrote:What is it called when a character in a story has a name that matches their character? For instance, Sir Greed is greedy. Is it just allegory?
Maybe Aptronym?
That fits.

The first example that comes to mind is Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and a search for "John Bunyan aptronym" brings up examples of people using the term in connection.

Bunyan loomed so large in English writing that it would be nearly impossible to do aptronymish names without appearing to recall him, at least well into the 20th century. (e.g. C.S. Lewis.)
Like a few of the Harry Potter characters as well...

Delores Umbridge
Remus Lupin

or Dickens... with Mr Bumble, Mr Pecksniff, Martin Chuzzlewit, or Oliver Twist even.
'Hiro Protagonist' comes to mind.
-mf
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

MonkeyFinger wrote: 'Hiro Protagonist' comes to mind.
I'm not familiar with that Dickens character. Sounds cool. Probably has an energy katana that manifests when he gets angry.
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 71589
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by LordMortis »

After a week spent with my parents, waging war on my yard, we've reached a detente. It's unbelievable how much more I have to do as this marks the close of my vacation and I'm exhausted and I hurt. But that chainsaw, I am sure, will be the best $50 I spend this year, even if it never ever ever gets used again.
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

LordMortis wrote:After a week spent with my parents, waging war on my yard, we've reached a detente. It's unbelievable how much more I have to do as this marks the close of my vacation and I'm exhausted and I hurt. But that chainsaw, I am sure, will be the best $50 I spend this year, even if it never ever ever gets used again.
My wife bought a cordless electric chainsaw. I was unhappy for a variety of reasons. 2 hours after using it the first time, I apologized to my wife.
User avatar
Anonymous Bosch
Posts: 10693
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:09 pm
Location: Northern California [originally from the UK]

Re: Random randomness

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Pyperkub wrote:Had a strange dream the other day - I was making an industrial sized pot of coffee, and for some reason I needed to mix in chopped chunks of raw beef to give it something extra (think chopped carne asada, before cooking).

WTF was going on in my dream brain???
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. So it's clearly indicative of your secret desires for a steamy cup of Bovril, i.e. Bovril: a very beefy (and British) love affair.

Enlarge Image
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." — P. J. O'Rourke
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 71589
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by LordMortis »

GreenGoo wrote:My wife bought a cordless electric chainsaw. I was unhappy for a variety of reasons. 2 hours after using it the first time, I apologized to my wife.
There was much criticism from various peanut galleries about how much I would ever actually need a chainsaw. It can now take up 2 square feet in my garage for an eternity and it's been worth it. So many things cut. So many things cuts with so little comparative effort and I'm not done yet.
User avatar
Anonymous Bosch
Posts: 10693
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:09 pm
Location: Northern California [originally from the UK]

Re: Random randomness

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

...
Last edited by Anonymous Bosch on Fri Apr 28, 2017 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." — P. J. O'Rourke
User avatar
Paingod
Posts: 13206
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:58 am

Re: Random randomness

Post by Paingod »

GreenGoo wrote:
LordMortis wrote:After a week spent with my parents, waging war on my yard, we've reached a detente. It's unbelievable how much more I have to do as this marks the close of my vacation and I'm exhausted and I hurt. But that chainsaw, I am sure, will be the best $50 I spend this year, even if it never ever ever gets used again.
My wife bought a cordless electric chainsaw. I was unhappy for a variety of reasons. 2 hours after using it the first time, I apologized to my wife.
Can you elaborate? We have an electric chainsaw and it works "okay" but really lacks the oomph of its gas-powered rivals. We also have 8.5 acres of woodlands to contend with and most of what I do is trees that are 6+ inches wide. I'm not supposed to daisy-chain 100' extension cords out into the deep woods, and the gas-powered chainsaw bit the dust late last year and isn't worth repairing.
Black Lives Matter

2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Ok, but it doesn't sound like what you're looking for.

Like LM, I have a suburban property. It happens to have an unreasonable amount of wilderness on it.

I was unsure about cordless chainsaws because as you know, it takes a lot of sustained power to chop logs, and that's not batteries forte. I also knew nothing about them (cordless) and I KNEW my wife didn't do any research, so she could have spent money on a piece of junk.

But for my usage, which is no log with a diameter greater than about 6-8", and usually only for short periods of time (say 15 minutes) it works great. Sure it struggles at times, but only if I'm trying to chew up something bigger, and only if the battery has been in use for awhile. Otherwise it handles like a dream. It's light, easily handled and effective.

Now they do make larger ones with bigger batteries, so you might not be completely out of luck, but for anyone measuring their property in units larger than feet, I just don't see it getting the job done without frustration and constant recharging. I'd also invest in at least one more battery for any sustained work so you can swap them out.
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 71589
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by LordMortis »

Paingod wrote:Can you elaborate? We have an electric chainsaw and it works "okay" but really lacks the oomph of its gas-powered rivals. We also have 8.5 acres of woodlands to contend with and most of what I do is trees that are 6+ inches wide. I'm not supposed to daisy-chain 100' extension cords out into the deep woods, and the gas-powered chainsaw bit the dust late last year and isn't worth repairing.
I don't have that kind of yard. A $50 corded 14" electric with an easy tension setting and auto oiler had no problem getting through 8" "branches" of overgrown yews or assorted hard wood trees. Gas would have just been one more thing to worry about and I find that electric motors can sit for years and then start right and gas motors have to be maintained or babied to function over time. I have no idea what sort of battery it takes to replicate but my maker was greenworks, so making mine cordless is the difference between $50 and $250.

https://www.amazon.com/GreenWorks-20222 ... c+chainsaw

https://www.amazon.com/EGO-Power-14-Inc ... 2832502011
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Mine's a Riyobi with a...12" bar? maybe. Can't remember. Average as far as chainsaws go, although maybe just a smidge below average length. I'm sure they make smaller ones, but it's definitely a garden tool rather than a tool for logging.
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 44984
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Random randomness

Post by Kraken »

I need to borrow or rent a chainsaw pretty soon. Got about a dozen lower tree branches that I'd like to prune. Knowing how these things go, I will discover a lot more cutting that needs to be done once I have the power in my hands. But I really don't think it's worth buying one.
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Just remember that raising a chainsaw over your head is verboten from a safety standpoint.
User avatar
Kraken
Posts: 44984
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: The Hub of the Universe
Contact:

Re: Random randomness

Post by Kraken »

GreenGoo wrote:Just remember that raising a chainsaw over your head is verboten from a safety standpoint.
I didn't know that, but I have trouble raising my arms over my head for any length of time or while bearing any kind of load anyway. That's an Old Age thing that hit me about 5 years ago.

I can easily reach the branches that I want with a step ladder. That's why I need to remove them -- they're only 8-10' high, and when it snows they bend to the driveway.

I'd like to hire an arborist but those guys are crazy expensive.
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Kraken wrote:
GreenGoo wrote:Just remember that raising a chainsaw over your head is verboten from a safety standpoint.
I didn't know that,
Yep, because if they kick, like when they hit a knot or something, instead of cutting your leg off as nature intended, it kicks back into your face/head, which, if I'm reading the safety guidelines correctly, is bad for you.
Kraken wrote: I'd like to hire an arborist but those guys are crazy expensive.
Crazy expensive.

On the plus side you can rent a chainsaw from home depot or wherever for like 20 bucks or something.
User avatar
Zarathud
Posts: 16983
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:29 pm
Location: Chicago, Illinois

Re: Random randomness

Post by Zarathud »

Chainsaws scare the crap out of me. One uncle chopped up his leg, another his arm, and a third clipped his cheek. Be careful!
"A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on." -Terry Pratchett, The Truth
"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to those who think they've found it." -Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment
User avatar
Fretmute
Posts: 8513
Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:05 pm
Location: On a hillside, desolate

Re: Random randomness

Post by Fretmute »

Zarathud wrote:Chainsaws scare the crap out of me. One uncle chopped up his leg, another his arm, and a third clipped his cheek. Be careful!
I read Out, Out in high school. It's all nope for me.
User avatar
GreenGoo
Posts: 42991
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 10:46 pm
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: Random randomness

Post by GreenGoo »

Fretmute wrote:
Zarathud wrote:Chainsaws scare the crap out of me. One uncle chopped up his leg, another his arm, and a third clipped his cheek. Be careful!
I read Out, Out in high school. It's all nope for me.
Oh look, a link.

*click*
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 71589
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by LordMortis »

Zarathud wrote:Chainsaws scare the crap out of me. One uncle chopped up his leg, another his arm, and a third clipped his cheek. Be careful!
Power things designed to rip apart or crush together stuff scare the crap out of me, so careful I am. Having never run a chainsaw before this week, I find they have way less kick then I imagined, which makes taking care easier than I thought it would be but they change in heat, seriously loosening the chain, so you have to keep checking to make sure the chain taut but not to taut and being a creature who was shielded manly things growing up, this was the sort of thing I would never know by just picking one but for reading the manual before taking on the scary stuff.
User avatar
Holman
Posts: 29766
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Between the Schuylkill and the Wissahickon

Re: Random randomness

Post by Holman »

Zarathud wrote:Chainsaws scare the crap out of me. One uncle chopped up his leg, another his arm, and a third clipped his cheek. Be careful!
I've got a vivid, horrible childhood memory that haunts me still:

I was born and raised in the South, but for a brief time we lived in New Jersey. After the heavy snow, my dad borrowed a chainsaw and went out into the backyard to cut apart a large fallen tree to make firewood.

While my mother and I watched from the kitchen window, he cut for a while and then slipped on the snow/ice. He fell down behind the fallen tree, obscured from our vision, while the running chainsaw arced up and then came down right where it seemed like his face would be. I remember stopping breathing, and I remember turning towards my mom, whose face had gone totally pale.

We ran outside and it took a few seconds to reach him. The chainsaw had missed him by a couple of inches.
Much prefer my Nazis Nuremberged.
User avatar
LordMortis
Posts: 71589
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 11:26 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by LordMortis »

Learned something new from watching Brockmire. ASMR videos are a huge thing. Oh Internet, you are unique and new all of the time.
User avatar
Daehawk
Posts: 65578
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:11 am

Re: Random randomness

Post by Daehawk »

By the time I get my chainsaw started Im give out. I had a electric one but it had plastic gears and as soon as I hit something hard than plastic with it it broke.
--------------------------------------------
I am Dyslexic of Borg, prepare to have your ass laminated.
I guess Ray Butts has ate his last pancake.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/daehawk
"Has high IQ. Refuses to apply it"
Im a bilingual. A bilingual illiterate. I can't read in two languages.
User avatar
Default
Posts: 6491
Joined: Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:01 pm
Location: Handling bombs.

Re: Random randomness

Post by Default »

Found out my kid is monetarily supporting a published author through some sort of fancily named GoFundMe equivalent. When l pointed out that she has multiple books published and earns a decent living and he has a poverty level job, he got quite angry with me. Which was when l pointed out that he has done zero research on apartment costs, utility costs​ or how much buying his own food will cost and that l was letting him live here rent free specifically so he could save up to move out at the end of this December.

And he just stood there and fuckin' glared at me. Jesus fucking christ, how long am I supposed to carry you? You are fucking 27 years old. Grow the fuck up and get the fuck out.
"pcp, lsd, thc, tgb...it's all good." ~ Kraken
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 45814
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: Random randomness

Post by Blackhawk »

Patreon, I'm guessing?
What doesn't kill me makes me stranger.
User avatar
Shinjin
Posts: 2738
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:24 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by Shinjin »

Zarathud wrote:Chainsaws scare the crap out of me. One uncle chopped up his leg, another his arm, and a third clipped his cheek. Be careful!
Sounds genetic. Avoid!
User avatar
Shinjin
Posts: 2738
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:24 pm

Re: Random randomness

Post by Shinjin »

Default wrote:l was letting him live here rent free specifically so he could save up to move out at the end of this December.
Is it time to revisit the arrangement?


For context, my oldest is 14 and has no inkling of what he wants to do. But neither did I at his age, let alone when I was 22.

But I'm bumping into enough others who have had it with their 24+ kids who live still live with them and have no gumption to get up and get out. I have a coworker who has a 40+ year old daughter with no friends, not much of a career and is still living with her.

It blows my mind and I just hope that I don't end up facing a similar scenario with my own kids...
User avatar
Daehawk
Posts: 65578
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:11 am

Re: Random randomness

Post by Daehawk »

Left home at 18 and got married.
--------------------------------------------
I am Dyslexic of Borg, prepare to have your ass laminated.
I guess Ray Butts has ate his last pancake.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/daehawk
"Has high IQ. Refuses to apply it"
Im a bilingual. A bilingual illiterate. I can't read in two languages.
User avatar
hepcat
Posts: 53961
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 3:02 pm
Location: Chicago, IL Home of the triple homicide!

Re: Random randomness

Post by hepcat »

Daehawk wrote:Left home at 18 and got married.
How did Default take it?
Lord of His Pants
User avatar
pr0ner
Posts: 17506
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 3:00 pm
Location: Northern Virginia, VA
Contact:

Re: Random randomness

Post by pr0ner »

Blackhawk wrote:Patreon, I'm guessing?
Probably comes with hot nudez at the $25 per month tier.
Hodor.
User avatar
Brian
Posts: 12795
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:51 am
Location: South of Heaven
Contact:

Re: Random randomness

Post by Brian »

Our 26 year old eldest daughter still lives with us at a cost of $0 per month.

She WANTS to move out almost as much as we want her to move out but she's crippled by a combination of expenses (car payment, student loans, etc) and ownership of a pitbull which severly limits her choices in available housing (for example, she would have to live outside the city limits of Omaha and Douglas County) so finding a place she could afford that would also allow her dog is very much an uphill battle. One that she shows little to no signs of embarking upon I might add.

In addition to a 26 year old child living with us, we also have my 72 year old mother living with us as well. However, she makes a contribution in the form of covering the cable bill as well as investing in remodeling projects for the home.

So, we have yet to have the "empty-nester" experience we had actually planned for.

All of this might change soon as we have been planning to sell the house and move to Arizona in approximately 1.5-2 years but that timetable might get accelerated depending on how an upcoming interview with a pet clinic in Mesa, AZ goes.

If she is offered this job that she really wants, she may move down there early and rent an apartment while I continue with remodeling and upgrading the house in preparation for selling.

While mom has a tentative plan in place for what to do once we sell the house and move to AZ, the daughter has only a vague plan to complete her degree and then possibly move to California.

Maybe we'll get lucky and win that HGTV Smart-Home they are giving away in Scottsdale, AZ. Then daughter and mom could keep this house for themselves. :)
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln
User avatar
Daehawk
Posts: 65578
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:11 am

Re: Random randomness

Post by Daehawk »

So, we have yet to have the "empty-nester" experience we had actually planned for.
Thats all I ever wanted from 18 onward. I just wanted a life with me and my wife. Well in the 90s and 2000s family started passing away. We lived with my wife's parents and they died in 2006 and 2008. For a bit it was as I had dreamed of living. But over time Ive grown to miss everyone fiercely. Its too quiet, too dark, a bit lonely without them here. Cant just talk to them or get advice. Yes all the negatives associated with living with others is gone but so are the advantages. The social. The safety. The fun times.

Its not what you think it will be...or at least not me. Id give a lot to be back the way it once was. But thats life. I guess others have as much trouble getting used to life moving on as me but sometimes it feels like Im the only one.
--------------------------------------------
I am Dyslexic of Borg, prepare to have your ass laminated.
I guess Ray Butts has ate his last pancake.
http://steamcommunity.com/id/daehawk
"Has high IQ. Refuses to apply it"
Im a bilingual. A bilingual illiterate. I can't read in two languages.
User avatar
Blackhawk
Posts: 45814
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:48 pm
Location: Southwest Indiana

Re: Random randomness

Post by Blackhawk »

The idea of kids moving out of their parents' home as soon as they are considered adults is a very modern one, It started changing during the industrial revolution, but the numbers only really began to drop after WWII. We aren't experiencing a change so much as we're experiencing a return to historical norms, much of it driven by the iffy economy of the past decade. Of course, that's improving lately, but the jury is still out on whether that improvement will continue for anyone who isn't already rich.
What doesn't kill me makes me stranger.
Post Reply