Random randomness

[Isgrimnur]

To be clear, I'm not dismissing the offer, and I don't think Rumpy is, either. But taking something major that I've failed at repeatedly for decades, exposing a major weakness that most people have simply dismissed as laziness or stupidity, something that's humiliated me time and time again, and then making a serious commitment to someone involving those things is extremely difficult. Intimidating, even. It's hard to go back to something that has made you so miserable for so long.

It's not a serious commitment. It's an exploratory discussion to start. If it proves beyond my ability to help and your ability to tolerate, you pull the plug and we walk away.

[Kraken]

This thread has become as dull as math class

Math made my brain swirl and frustrated me because it wouldn't land. Calculus baffled me but trying to grasp it was never boring.

This is MIT's sportsball cheer:

You're a Beaver! We are Beavers all,
And when we get together, we do the beaver call!
e to the u, du dx, e to the x, dx;
cosine, secant, tangent, sine, 3.14159;
integral, radical, mu, dv;
slipstick, sliderule, MIT!

[raydude]

At my first job out of graduate school I found myself on a mission planning team; we were preparing observation plans for an Air Force satellite. A colleague had her orbital mechanics book from graduate school out because she wanted to verify a set of orbital parameters we were given. I looked at her book and said "They just GAVE you the equations?! We had to freeken derive those ourselves in our Orb class!".

I could see her point that giving them the equations meant they had more time to play with 'real life' orbital mechanics problems but at the same time by making us derive them my professor gave us a more thorough grounding in the fundamentals of orbital mechanics.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Yeah, I'd be afraid it would just be wasted time. The problem isn't a lack of access to education (nobody with internet access can make that claim), but some other roadblock that I haven't figured out yet. But the idea of someone helping is very appealing, regardless.

(I just wanted to repost this in case you overlooked it).

Have you ever tried learning the Trachtenberg speed system of basic mathematics? I found it to be a huge game-changer as a wee nipper.

The Trachtenberg method is not only speedy, but surprisingly simple. There are no multiplication tables, nor division. To learn the system one need only be able to count. It's really quite ingenious. So I always recommend reading that book (which is freely available courtesy of archive.org) to anyone who has difficulty with math, or for those interested in increasing the speed and accuracy of their mental arithmetic and calculations.

[Rumpy]

To be clear, I'm not dismissing the offer, and I don't think Rumpy is, either. But taking something major that I've failed at repeatedly for decades, exposing a major weakness that most people have simply dismissed as laziness or stupidity, something that's humiliated me time and time again, and then making a serious commitment to someone involving those things is extremely difficult. Intimidating, even. It's hard to go back to something that has made you so miserable for so long.

Yeah, pretty much. It would require a lot of rethinking and rewiring at this point, something I'm not even confident would work given how many tries at it I've had and with all the walls that have been presented to me. What comes easy for some people is difficult for others.

[Isgrimnur]

Ponder on it. If the desire is there, the teacher will wait.

[Blackhawk]

I really have been.

[Daehawk]

You can now rent your own movie theater for $99. Its the other costs that get you.

You can now rent a private AMC theater for just $99

It's part of the theater chain's effort to remain afloat this year as the Covid-19 pandemic contributes to record industry losses.

AMC allows rentals of up to 20 people. According to its website, rates start at $99, excluding tax, and increase to $349 depending on the movie, the theater's location and any other add-ons like food and drink. AMC's FAQ page lists renting a microphone to greet guests as an extra $100 charge, while more time to enter an auditorium, beyond the standard 15 minutes, will cost another $250.

Ouch.

[Blackhawk]

Something in the middle - say, $225. And you have ten people. That's $22.50 each. You get to see a film in the theater in private. That's not too awful. Post-COVID, bring 20 in for a reunion or work party and it's like $11.50 each.

And if you can't make yourself heard to 20 people, the microphone won't help.

[Daehawk]

Found a woollyworm or woollybooger or woollybugger today in the garage. The black/brown big caterpillar made like a toilet brush. I picked him up to crawl on my hand but its been so long since Ive held or even seen one I forgot they just ball up and play dead. I dont think Ive seen one in at least 20 years or more.

Ah online calls them a Woollybear. Folk lore says the blacker they are the worse the winter will be. Guess its going to be bad.





They make some pretty moths though.

[dbt1949]

Saw these in my backyard today.

[Rumpy]

Careful about those, Dae. Some of those furry caterpillars can be poisonous. I had a severe reaction several years ago and ended up having to get an antibiotic cream to get rid of it.

[dbt1949]

I have 115 different types of USB cables but every time I replace or get a new item for my computer I need a new type of USB cable. Not counting upgrades like 2.0 to 3.0.

[Sudy]

I found this video really interesting and well done. Not that you were likely actually looking for an explanation and history of USB, but I was reminded of it.

[$iljanus]

Usually I enjoy hearing the local coyote population doing their yipping and howling, even in the middle of the night. But when you're doing overnight crate training with a new puppy, I'm praying that she doesn't pick that time to want to go out and end up on the menu of a coyote pack...

[Rumpy]

I have 115 different types of USB cables but every time I replace or get a new item for my computer I need a new type of USB cable. Not counting upgrades like 2.0 to 3.0.

Oh, I know, right? It's like they get together in secret at night and multiply.

[Jaymon]

A couple of years ago I picked up a soldering iron. The intention was to learn to solder in order to add LEDs to miniatures as I see done from time to time. Everything I'd heard or read talked about how easy it was to do. So I sat down this week to learn, and *BAM*, brick wall. It's my old nemesis, math. Apparently there is a lot of math involved in hooking a battery to an LED, and I have a complete mental block when it comes to math.

I don't know if I have an actual learning problem (like dyscalculia) or if it is just a mental block from years of frustration brought on by a series of terrible teachers, but I've never been able to do higher math. I have a 142 IQ and I failed algebra three times (and never did pass it.) I do know that I have a lot of trouble with the abstraction of higher math (I can't relate the formulas to actual things, which prevents me from visualizing how it works, and I learn by visualizing.) It's like someone just switched the audio language of the movie I'm watching, and played it backward at that. When math is being described, it just makes no sense to me whatsoever.

It's frustrating. I've had to walk away from a number of things over the years because I'd suddenly find math where I didn't expect it. And now I'm getting it again.

Just turn it on, and walk away


hooking LED to a miniature sounds totally freaking awesome. Perhaps the hive mind could do the math for you, and then we could see the results?

[dbt1949]

I bet nobody here ever realized why so any OO oldtimers have left is that the Secret Service has arrested them for saying dubious things they take as threats to the presidents of the United States.

[Daehawk]

Lets see.

I loved Isis growing up.

I thought she was pretty.

[gbasden]

the foam in the seat of one of my computer office chairs is starting to compress too much. i could get new foam, carve it and sand it into the right shape, take apart the chair and remove the upholstery, remove the old foam, glue the new foam on and reassemble everything... or i have a brand new $500 home office furniture reimbursement from the job.

i tried to get this approved

https://www.madisonseating.com/aeron-ch ... mrald.html

with me saying i would cover all the costs above $500. i was just told NOPE CAN'T HAPPEN

anyone have a lead on a similar Aeron chair for ... just under $500? refurbished is fine.

There are quite a few refurbished Aeron chairs on Ebay for under $500. That's how I've gotten all three of the ones I have.

[Sudy]

Three... really? Isn't that a bit extravagant? How many butts do you have?

[wonderpug]

the foam in the seat of one of my computer office chairs is starting to compress too much. i could get new foam, carve it and sand it into the right shape, take apart the chair and remove the upholstery, remove the old foam, glue the new foam on and reassemble everything... or i have a brand new $500 home office furniture reimbursement from the job.

i tried to get this approved

https://www.madisonseating.com/aeron-ch ... mrald.html

with me saying i would cover all the costs above $500. i was just told NOPE CAN'T HAPPEN

anyone have a lead on a similar Aeron chair for ... just under $500? refurbished is fine.

There are quite a few refurbished Aeron chairs on Ebay for under $500. That's how I've gotten all three of the ones I have.

I've had this Alera Elusion for a bunch of years now and I've been really happy with it. Similar design to Aerons and much cheaper.

[Daehawk]

Agghhh temptation why must you tempt me so?? I swore off theaters before the pandemic. The last one I saw was The Rise of Skywalker. I planned for that to be my last ever. I saw it alone because me and my wife had seen the other two so why not. So after the pandemic I double or triple never want to go again.

But my theater is playing Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back right now and its less than $6.00. I haven't seen that in theaters since 1980 when I was 11 and dad dropped me off for the 9pm show. I sat next to a fat kid who kept ribbing me with his elbow the whole movie going "Watch this! watch this!" or "Oh this is great you'll like this part" because he had been there since the first showing. I admit it was amazing. Seeing it in a theater again is very tempting with the sound and stuff.

But I dont see myself going. Suffering or dying from COVID and leaving my little pets to die alone or be rehomed is not worth a movie.

[gbasden]

Three... really? Isn't that a bit extravagant? How many butts do you have?

It's not so many the number as the width...

[Jaymon]

I can finally say aint without my granny telling me it aint a word. Of course it wasnt when I used it as a kid hehe..... . Maybe Ill fix me some arsh potatoes soon.

I heard this many times as a child. I suspect many of us did "Ain't is not a word" and yet...

After my grandmothers death, I inherited her dictionary. Webster's new World Dictionary of the American Language Encyclopedic Edition, printed in 1950, the year of my mothers birth. I can tell you, the word "ain't" is IN FACT in the dictionary. So for all those years, our parents lied to us.

[Daehawk]

So unless Im wrong today at 8:20pm and counting seconds it was the 20th day and 20:20:20 in 2020.

[Isgrimnur]

Of the 10th month.

[stimpy]

[Paingod]

No one had "Reptilius" tagged. No winners this time.

[dbt1949]

It seems so strange when I'm on Steam to see so many familiar absentee OO names playing online and I think "Oh, they're still alive".

[Jaymann]

It seems so strange when I'm on Steam to see so many familiar absentee OO names playing online and I think "Oh, they're still alive".

At least their accounts are still functioning.

[Daehawk]

I instantly thought of that thread 'Ow my nuts' as I stepped across my dog gate and spread eagled on it. I just cleaned the floors and its slick anyways so when I stepped over and my foot hit the linoleum it just kept going.

Hey right nut should we be here on this dog gate?
Nope.
Thought so.

OUCH

[Jaymon]

First freeze of the winter is predicted for this weekend. its early, compared to previous years.
maybe it will be an extra harsh winter? and ya know what, I am kind of in favor of that.

I think I will make sure to have a bag of sand and tire chains in the trunk.

[Isgrimnur]

Daehawk:

[stessier]

That's great news. I've heard too many horror stories about shingles.

You still don't want to look at my face. I did a masked grocery run today, and the cashier was visibly horrified at the scabs around my eye.

If the mask hadn't covered the worst of the cheek blisters, I wouldn't have gone out at all.

How are things going now?

[Holman]

That's great news. I've heard too many horror stories about shingles.

You still don't want to look at my face. I did a masked grocery run today, and the cashier was visibly horrified at the scabs around my eye.

If the mask hadn't covered the worst of the cheek blisters, I wouldn't have gone out at all.

How are things going now?

Almost finished! I just finished up my full course of medicines (antivirals for the virus, steroids for the inflammation, and ointment for the blisters), and all I have left are a few big scabs still healing up.

There were three or four days of intense pain, then more days of stinging every time I made a facial expression (which moves your skin). I had a scare when a blister appeared on the tip of my nose, as that means (due to the way facial blood works) there's a risk of an outbreak on the eyeball itself. But I seem to have avoided that special horror.

All in all, mine was a pretty moderate case. I'd hate to endure a serious one.

Thanks for asking. Good luck to anyone who gets shingles!

[stessier]

Glad you dodged the worst of it!

[Rumpy]

They're filming the latest Resident Evil in the abandoned hospital in town. Our city has a weird obsession with not demolishing old dilapidated buildings. We used to have multiple hospitals, but in the mid 2000's, it all moved to a one-site hospital, leaving this one abandoned. They'd sold it to a property developer that was planning on doing something with it, that time came and went and they'd done nothing with it. We have a yearly arts festival where artists have been painting murals in several places in town, and last year the property developers had the idea to have an artist from LA come in to paint the entire building into a multicoloured mural that became the largest mural in Canada. Still an eyesore, but now it looks like a unicorn threw up on it, and film crews have been there for awhile now filming Resident Evil.

https://uphere.com/blog/2019/9/2/risk-m ... da-sudbury

[Jaymann]

The Chernobyl Hotel.

[Rumpy]

Is that what they'd be using it for?