Octopus Overlords

I was thinking while watching some of these videos.....I'd get out and drive more if real life looked this good.

That being said, there are times and places in this country that I’ve seen beauty that could never be appropriately captured.
Our mountains and deserts and plains (and coastlines and arctics) all offer some amazing vistas.

My world changed a lot, vision wise, when I had my cataracts removed. Everything was greyer and darker.

But... but only in real life? I beleive you said that youtube videos look great?

Was that before, or after you took up smoking clove cigarettes?

Unagi wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 12:11 pm But... but only in real life? I beleive you said that youtube videos look great?

They do but they looked a lot worse with my cataracts. EVERYTHING looked worse.

Was listing to "Life During Wartime" while driving back from a coffee run and noticed something:

"I got three passports, a couple of visas
You don't even know my real name"

Before today I never heard the "you" in the second line which changes the meaning completely.

OMG, seriously? I always thought it was that he didn't know his own name, he was so 'clandestine'...

I mean, it's kinda better that way? "I've fooled you" is one level, but "I've even fooled myself" is the extreme.


at this point here in the song, still sounds like ".... don't even know my own name"

While cleaning up this room yesterday I found one of my wife's diaries. It was from 1997 and she only filled in April for some reason. But she really filled in those days and packed them with memories. It was actually nothing special just daily routines. Like us going to the mall or her parents selling a puppy. Me mowing the yard or delivering puppies. It was a lot about puppies

I loved it because it was just normal daily life. So nice to revisit. Some things Id even forgot about. Others I couldn't place the year and now I did. So wonderful to have that. After I cleaned and moved everything and rearranged stuff to be tidy I put it back where it was to revisit in the future.

On the other end I STILL cannot find my Canon digital camera box. Donna and her dad pitched in Christmas 2004 to get that for me. Want to put the camera away in it . It sat in one place for 15 or more years when I decided to move it 3 months ago. Now I have no idea where that I moved it to.

Unagi wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:08 pm OMG, seriously? I always thought it was that he didn't know his own name, he was so 'clandestine'...

I mean, it's kinda better that way? "I've fooled you" is one level, but "I've even fooled myself" is the extreme.


at this point here in the song, still sounds like ".... don't even know my own name"

I have never heard the "you" but makes sense either way. Nobody knows his real name.

Downloaded an app to my phone called CollX. It lets you take shots of your sports cards and tells you current value and lets you organize and document them. I must have 200 each of baseball and football cards from the late 70s early 80s with some Star Wars cards thrown in. Not sure about scanning those.

it seems ok. I took a handfull of baseball cards out who I recognized the names of. One it kept giving me the wrong name of 3 or 4 times and I gave up. Another well known name it simply couldn't identify. The rest it did good on.

Found out from this small 20 card sample I have a $57 Ozzie Smith and a $30 Nolan Ryan. Doesn't seem like much. But hey its cool to know. Last time I looked was in a price book in the 80s lol. Hated that.

Ive got some really well known football cards...I was a HUGE Steelers fan in the 70s and collected anything with them on it so have more of them. Have Bradshow and Green. Then I think from Dallas Ed 'too tall' Jones. Even an OJ Simpson I dont think football is worth as much. One day soon Ill scan them all. Never know who is worth a lot. Like I thought the Braves Gene Garber would be worth something...$2. Poor Gene deserves more

Ive had these since I was a little kid but Im seriously thinking of selling them. But hey if one was worth $100 or more it wouldn't hurt much

Jaymann wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 3:00 pm

Unagi wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:08 pm OMG, seriously? I always thought it was that he didn't know his own name, he was so 'clandestine'...

I mean, it's kinda better that way? "I've fooled you" is one level, but "I've even fooled myself" is the extreme.


at this point here in the song, still sounds like ".... don't even know my own name"

I have never heard the "you" but makes sense either way. Nobody knows his real name.

yeah, it makes sense either way - but I like it the way we all have always 'heard it'... he doesn't even know his own name.

Unagi wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 1:08 pm OMG, seriously? I always thought it was that he didn't know his own name, he was so 'clandestine'...

I mean, it's kinda better that way? "I've fooled you" is one level, but "I've even fooled myself" is the extreme.


at this point here in the song, still sounds like ".... don't even know my own name"

I've always heard it as "... Don't even know my real name," but "You" does make it creepier.

The whole song is addressed to a partner/lover ("You ought to know not to stand by the window"), so "You don't even know my real name" ramps up the discomfort.

I was listening to the album version during my drive - I don't think he says the "you" in the version on Stop Making Sense which is the version I'm most familiar with.

He definitely says the "you" in the Fear of Music version.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:22 pm Downloaded an app to my phone called CollX.

Thanks for the tip. We inherited a large collection of baseball cards that are reputed to be quite valuable altogether, and have had no idea what to do with them or what they're worth. I'd love to sell them as a lot if I can figure out a fair price.

Exodor wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 8:56 pm I was listening to the album version during my drive - I don't think he says the "you" in the version on Stop Making Sense which is the version I'm most familiar with.

He definitely says the "you" in the Fear of Music version.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 9:24 pm

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:22 pm Downloaded an app to my phone called CollX.

Thanks for the tip. We inherited a large collection of baseball cards that are reputed to be quite valuable altogether, and have had no idea what to do with them or what they're worth. I'd love to sell them as a lot if I can figure out a fair price.

Just be aware that for collectibles like that, condition has a huge impact on value. Something listed at $100 with a few flaws that only a collector would even notice might only sell for $20.

So... Michelle called from work (a state park.) She had an eagle-struck male wood duck with a one-inch gash down to the bone in his shoulder, losing blood. They called the state DNR and every wildlife rescue and rehabber they had on the books, and none could make it out. Most vets won't touch wild birds, and none around here will. They were basically going to have to put him out in the woods, likely to be eaten alive.

So I drove out. I have the bleeding stopped, his wound cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged, and I have him resting now, quiet, warm, and dark. I have done a fair amount of bird first aid and have the appropriate tools and materials. I have cared for and released wild birds in the past, but I'm not a vet, I'm not as well trained as a certified rehabber (what I did in the past was fostering under a certified rehabber.) This guy is pretty bad, and I don't have a ton of hope. But I'm giving it my best shot.

Tomorrow, should he survive the night, will be spent looking for a rescue who can take him in and finish the process.

And yes, I know exactly which lines I'm crossing legally. I'm still not going to leave him to be eaten alive if I might be able to help.

My vet took in a bald eagle once and rehabbed him. She was eventually able to free him.
I hope you all the best. I'm sure you can do it.

Id make a joke about thems good eats but those days are way behind me. I could do nothing but what you are doing. I cant stand to see an animal hurt and left alone. Good luck.

Oh, I'll do the best I can with what I know, what I can find out, and what experience I have. But birds are really, really tricky animals when it comes to injuries. Sometimes they heal and bounce back so incredibly well and fast from a serious injury that you'd swear they have superhero regeneration powers. Other times they'll get a small injury, look like they're getting better, and then die suddenly with no warning.

And this is a major injury on a bird that is about as flighty as a duck can get. Mallards - even wild ones that have never seen bread, will stick around if there's humans, so long as there is enough water between them and the humans. But wood ducks? They're hyper-aware and flee at the mere suggestion of people.

Maybe I asked this before..or will later......but is there a FREE VIN number lookup site? Some place where it will tell me where a car is now or where it was last owned or something OTHER than just where it was made? All the ones I try either dont work, want you to pay, or just show the build details.

Too bad Bob fell of the grid. When he posted here, he worked for the company that assigns VINs. If anyone would have that answer it would be him.

Im just curious where our Trans-Am is now and if its still not scrapped. Id sell half the stuff in the house to get it back lol. It was falling apart. But it is sentimental. I loved that car. So many great days in it.

You don't think trying to get that information is the least bit creepy?

Nope. in the old days before the net it was easier...or right after the net started up big. I found my first car . it was in NYC. I was surprised it was still on the road

It's Daehawk - he's always time traveling.

Ram Dass wrote:Free yourself from the illusion of a good day and a bad day. Labeling time makes us nostalgic of the past and demanding of the future. There is only here and now.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 12:07 pm Oh, I'll do the best I can with what I know, what I can find out, and what experience I have. But birds are really, really tricky animals when it comes to injuries. Sometimes they heal and bounce back so incredibly well and fast from a serious injury that you'd swear they have superhero regeneration powers. Other times they'll get a small injury, look like they're getting better, and then die suddenly with no warning.

And this is a major injury on a bird that is about as flighty as a duck can get. Mallards - even wild ones that have never seen bread, will stick around if there's humans, so long as there is enough water between them and the humans. But wood ducks? They're hyper-aware and flee at the mere suggestion of people.

i don't suppose you've considered going into wildlife rehab/veterinary medicine? and not necessarily in a job role --- more of a volunteer first responder.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:44 pm It's Daehawk - he's always time traveling.

Ram Dass wrote:Free yourself from the illusion of a good day and a bad day. Labeling time makes us nostalgic of the past and demanding of the future. There is only here and now.

My only demands on the future come from the parasites in my gut.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 2:33 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:44 pm It's Daehawk - he's always time traveling.

Ram Dass wrote:Free yourself from the illusion of a good day and a bad day. Labeling time makes us nostalgic of the past and demanding of the future. There is only here and now.

My only demands on the future come from the parasites in my gut.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:16 am So... Michelle called from work (a state park.) She had an eagle-struck male wood duck with a one-inch gash down to the bone in his shoulder, losing blood. They called the state DNR and every wildlife rescue and rehabber they had on the books, and none could make it out. Most vets won't touch wild birds, and none around here will. They were basically going to have to put him out in the woods, likely to be eaten alive.

So I drove out. I have the bleeding stopped, his wound cleaned, disinfected, and bandaged, and I have him resting now, quiet, warm, and dark. I have done a fair amount of bird first aid and have the appropriate tools and materials. I have cared for and released wild birds in the past, but I'm not a vet, I'm not as well trained as a certified rehabber (what I did in the past was fostering under a certified rehabber.) This guy is pretty bad, and I don't have a ton of hope. But I'm giving it my best shot.

Tomorrow, should he survive the night, will be spent looking for a rescue who can take him in and finish the process.

And yes, I know exactly which lines I'm crossing legally. I'm still not going to leave him to be eaten alive if I might be able to help.

Here's a list of wild bird rescue groups for the state of Indiana. I'd suggest calling around to find out if they can provide you with further guidance, or perhaps put you in touch with another group or organization that can help.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 2:33 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 1:44 pm It's Daehawk - he's always time traveling.

Ram Dass wrote:Free yourself from the illusion of a good day and a bad day. Labeling time makes us nostalgic of the past and demanding of the future. There is only here and now.

My only demands on the future come from the parasites in my gut.

My demands for the very near future are coming from the spicy burrito in my gut.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 2:53 pm Here's a list of wild bird rescue groups for the state of Indiana. I'd suggest calling around to find out if they can provide you with further guidance, or perhaps put you in touch with another group or organization that can help.

I've had that bookmarked for years, and as I said, that was always the plan. Michelle called me first, well before my alarm was scheduled to go off. I told her to contact a regular rehab or rescue, and what to do in the meantime. The park contacted all of the ones within range and a few names that aren't on the lists, and none of them were able to take him. It was only then - when the alternative was to drop him in the woods to die - that she called me.

As of right now, he's doing fine. He's heated, he's safe. I've changed the dressing on his wound once and the towels in the carrier once, but other than that we've just kept an eye on him via a webcam I stuck in front of the carrier. Early on he was extremely lethargic, and it wasn't looking good. But the good news is that he was standing for a good bit of the evening, and was quite a bit of his pedialyte. Drinking is a good sign.

Tomorrow afternoon I've arranged to drive him across the state to a professional we found who is willing to take him. We just need to get him through the night.

I've cared for a lot of sick and injured birds over the years - ducks, Canada geese (I had an abandoned gosling once that had been completely scalped by a seagull), a number of pigeons (two in the last three years), a crow, a magpie (he was an interesting one), a few others. But never a wood duck. I've loved wood ducks since I first saw a picture of one when I was probably 12, but I've only seen them in the wild at long distance, never up close. They're so easily startled that it's very hard to ever get close enough to see one without binoculars. I honestly believe that they're the most beautiful bird in North America.



Getting to take care of (and hopefully, save) one is a very special treat - although I'd still prefer that he be far away and not wounded.

I have especially fond memories of Lucy, the goose I mentioned. A seagull tried to take her and she ended up far from her parents with all of the skin on the top half of her head missing. We took care of her until she was fully fledged, then took her out and released her near a flock that had put in at a nearby park. She ran right over to them. We went back to that park a few days later. It was a busy park, full of people. And yet when we pulled up and got out of the car, she came running out of the flock, right to us. She stayed maybe twenty feet away, bobbed her head and honked a few times to say hello - and maybe thank you - then walked back over to her new flock. I've always been happy knowing that she got to live a life after that. That was about 23 years ago - it's possible (although unlikely) that she's still flying around, busy doing bald goose things.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:04 pm we've just kept an eye on him via a webcam I stuck in front of the carrier.

was that the one i sent you?

a magpie (he was an interesting one)

i wanna hear about that one

Has anyone else heard an old wives tale that states you can tame a bird by getting close enough to put salt on its tail? I remember my mother telling me that when I was a kid and I always wondered if she was just messing with me.

edit: answered my own question, never mind. It is a thing.

Also, I think I've found the new, official OO tattoo:

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:20 am

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:04 pm we've just kept an eye on him via a webcam I stuck in front of the carrier.

was that the one i sent you?

No, I was shorthanding it. It is a cheap Kasa security camera that I picked up during the last Prime Day for a pittance. It's got basic PTZ and night vision, which lets us keep an eye on him without disturbing him.

Your camera has seen quite a bit of use, though - despite the original reason for the request (my D&D game going online) imploding a few weeks later. It will continue to see use as soon as I get another game set up, possibly this summer.

hitbyambulance wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:20 am i wanna hear about that one

Lessee...

That was about 25 years ago. He was a black-billed magpie, and his name was Hamlet. They're large corvids, related to crows, and almost as large. They are also beautiful birds.



We were at a commercial petting zoo when we found him. He was sick, but the 'zoo' ended up being one of those that was primarily interested in profit rather than animals, and they wanted nothing to do with him. They told us to just let him die. So I jumped into the outer enclosure, picked him up, and we left. The bear in said enclosure was none to pleased about it (for clarity, I was at no point exposed to the bear - the bird was between the inner and outer enclosures, not in the enclosure that actually held the bear - but I still got huffed at quite a bit.) The one rescue in the area couldn't take him, and it was a lot harder to find others pre-modern-internet, so we ended up taking care of him ourselves.

He was sick, and he was dehydrated. We never found out exactly what he had, but we gave him the usual antiparasitics and kept him in fluids, and he improved fairly quickly. We had him for four or five months until the spring (it was cold when we caught him, and we took care of him in a warm apartment, which resulted in him adapting to the warmth - putting him back out into the winter weather could have killed him.)

As I mentioned, magpies are corvids. That means that they're smart, and they're mischievous. We kept him out of the cage most of the time so that he'd have the space to get exercise, and he was everywhere. His favorite spot was a horizontal rung under one of our kitchen chairs. Whenever he'd get underfoot (usually in the kitchen or bathroom), we'd just say, "Hamlet, go to your chair!" and off he'd go to perch on that rung. And there was one section of the entertainment center he loved to peck at, right near the reflective glass door. We used that entertainment center for another five or six years, and we'd always get a chuckle when we noticed that the bottom of that door had more divets than a golf ball.

But as soon as the weather warmed, it was time for him to go home. We took him to a local park with a healthy magpie population and released him. He flew up to a branch, and sat there for a few minutes, then gave us a loud "wock wock wock!" and went back to his life.

One thing we didn't know about magpies: they're smart enough that when they have excess food, they hide it for later. A year after we let him go, we moved. When we were packing the bookshelves, we discovered that every crack between books on the bottom shelf was packed with old, dried hamburger.

Thanks, Hamlet.

Dude if you get close enough to salt a birds tail then simply grab it.

I remember salt on a bird's tail though I don't remember why it was said.

Today I walked 30 minutes. The vast majority of you that means little. To me it me it means time and energy to do it and it's been well over a decades since I last walked for exercise and that's the only exercise I get beyond being forced to do yard work. I just need the sticktoitiveness to get this going and keep it going into something more meaningful.

My 68 degree house now feels roasting hot. I need to keep this up while it's under 50 outside.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:55 pm I remember salt on a bird's tail though I don't remember why it was said.

My mother had always explained it the way Daehawk did. She said that the general idea was that if you were in a position to put salt on a bird's tail, you were already in a position to catch it.

It's like: How do you get a girl to go out on a date with you? Well, it's easy, you just get her to fall in love with you.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Tue Apr 05, 2022 12:55 pm I remember salt on a bird's tail though I don't remember why it was said.

Today I walked 30 minutes. The vast majority of you that means little. To me it me it means time and energy to do it and it's been well over a decades since I last walked for exercise and that's the only exercise I get beyond being forced to do yard work. I just need the sticktoitiveness to get this going and keep it going into something more meaningful.

My 68 degree house now feels roasting hot. I need to keep this up while it's under 50 outside.

My wife used to walk in the house back and forth to music Id make her. She had these dumbells she'd carry. Ive been doing a little of that same walking lately but could never find those dang weights...until the other day..woooo score. Man they get heavy fast. Also my floors are not safe to do this on but no choice.