Octopus Overlords

A feel-good thread if you need a Friday pick-me-up.

Dont think Ive ever seen a Lantern Fly.

I've seen an airplane fly.

Having a 9 year old who steadfastly refuses to sleep past 6am (even on weekends) is just fantastic. Doesn’t matter when he goes to bed either. Regular bedtime at 8:30? Up at 6am. Stay up until 11:30? Up at 6am.

Doesn’t bother me a ton since I’m usually up to do my run by then, but it’s about to drive both his brother (who shares a room) and my wife insane. Not only does he wake up everyone else while “trying to be quiet”, he gets cranky AF every night because he’s so damn tired.

Maybe he would like to go running with dad? Are you close enough to a coffee shop to run to and get some coffee and juice together? I can't imagine a 9 year old wanting to go out on a cold morning to run tho.

I always loved sleeping in when I was a kid but now I'm up earlier trying to get things done... especially now with the sun setting at 4:30.

telcta wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:25 am I always loved sleeping in when I was a kid but now I'm up earlier trying to get things done... especially now with the sun setting at 4:30.

+1.... Though getting things done is too often leisure reading, game playing, or watching TV. I find it not too uncommon be sleeping by 20:00 and then be up wide awake at 02:30, so I just get up and do something. The next thing I know it's 04:30 so start the coffee and just stay awake. It's nice to be able to keep a whacked out schedule and not have it destroy my day to day existence... Of course, when you are still largely in isolation, the only time you need to make on time are appointments and when the grocer is open, and the rare gaming day or lunch with family.

telcta wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:25 am Maybe he would like to go running with dad? Are you close enough to a coffee shop to run to and get some coffee and juice together? I can't imagine a 9 year old wanting to go out on a cold morning to run tho.

Yeah, it was 15 degrees when I left for my run this morning. I think early runs might be a tough sell.

Plus, I don’t want him to embarrass me. I’m slow.

My 8.5yo is awakening by 6:30-7:00 everyone day as well... just a thing at that age I think. My older kids have outgrown it and, as teenagers, have to practically be drug out of bed in the morning. It does get better.

That said, my son will at leather entertain himself once he's awake. He'll go downstairs and watch TV or play Minecraft until the rest of us wake up, so it's not so bad. A couple years ago, he would be in my room at 5am expecting us to keep him entertained...was brutal.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Fri Nov 18, 2022 2:54 pm Dont think Ive ever seen a Lantern Fly.

For those who don't know, the Spotted Lanternfly is a highly invasive species that was first noticed in the Eastern US in 2014. It breeds quickly and causes economically significant crop and tree damage. Also, its shit grows toxic mold.

In Pennsylvania (and many other places) we've been instructed by government notifications to stomp them when we see them.

Squadron.com

I’ll repeat my post from the 50s science fiction thread I just made:

Harryhausen was a god.

I may have to get this.

My son (8.5yo) recently came home from school talking about Perseus and Medusa, which immediately brought to mind the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans. We watched it together a few days ago and he absolutely loved it, and I think some of Harryhausen's animated effects were his favorite parts...Pegasus, the mechanical owl, giant scorpions. Do they look 'real' by today's standards? No, but it's still pretty impressive and a testament to Harryhausen's talent.

Also loved that as a 12 year old

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad entertained me to no end as a kid even in the early 80s. That skeleton fight.

I saw it when it first came out in a drive in. Loved it ever since.

Yeah, the original Clash of the Titans is excellent.

Hey, Hep, I found that pine tree-shaped grinder you were looking for the other day.

Here's hoping splinters aren't a problem.

The Golden Girls TV Show 12 Days Of Socks

People without an avatar, it's so hard to get to know you because I can't visualize you.

Amazon seems to be pushing extended warranties like McDonald's pushes fries. They offered me a 3-year extended warranty on a set of replacement filters for my air purifier, and a 2-year warranty on a bottle of descaler solution for my espresso machine.

How much was the warranty on the filters? If they are supposed to be replaced every six months then 5 - 6 free replacements might have been an excellent choice. I know that's how battery warranties work and why they are sometimes worth it, if you plan to own a thing for a long time.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 2:29 am Squadron.com

I like the site, but how do you tell if the models are prepainted or not?
Alot of them have no description at all.

Edit: Nevermind.
I just called and the very helpful gentleman stated that I just happened to pick one of the very few models that comes prepainted.
A vast majority are not, fyi.

I know that one was unpainted because of the pictures. But alot of the others have only pictures of the box and no description.
I was looking at this one.....
https://squadron.com/1-10-frazetta-deat ... r-w-horse/

Better to check with the mfg.



or ze Goolez

disarm wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:45 am My son (8.5yo) recently came home from school talking about Perseus and Medusa, which immediately brought to mind the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans. We watched it together a few days ago and he absolutely loved it, and I think some of Harryhausen's animated effects were his favorite parts...Pegasus, the mechanical owl, giant scorpions. Do they look 'real' by today's standards? No, but it's still pretty impressive and a testament to Harryhausen's talent.

If he's a good reader, maybe try the Percy Jackson series (or any of the others by Rick Riordan). My 8 year old boy devours them and is currently obsessed with all sorts of mythology as a result. They're a little beyond his twin sister at this point (stamina-wise - they're pretty long), so it might depend on his reading level right now.

disarm wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:45 am My son (8.5yo) recently came home from school talking about Perseus and Medusa, which immediately brought to mind the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans. We watched it together a few days ago and he absolutely loved it, and I think some of Harryhausen's animated effects were his favorite parts...Pegasus, the mechanical owl, giant scorpions. Do they look 'real' by today's standards? No, but it's still pretty impressive and a testament to Harryhausen's talent.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Edith Hamilton's classic Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. It's a collected retelling of all the classic Greek and Roman god stories.

It's probably beyond an 8-y.o.'s reading level, but I remember it as pretty straightforward. (We had it assigned in 7th grade.) It would probably be good for reading aloud in the family. At the very least, your kids have it as a reference going forward.

Sudy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 11:10 pm People without an avatar, it's so hard to get to know you because I can't visualize you.

Is it better or worse than keeping track of the people who change avatars?

Better, I just treat those who change theirs as different people.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:20 pm Hey, Hep, I found that pine tree-shaped grinder you were looking for the other day.

Thanks, but it’s absolutely vital that its replacement have some kind of varnish.

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 6:14 pm Be sure to pick up a copy of Edith Hamilton's classic Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. It's a collected retelling of all the classic Greek and Roman god stories.

It's probably beyond an 8-y.o.'s reading level, but I remember it as pretty straightforward. (We had it assigned in 7th grade.) It would probably be good for reading aloud in the family. At the very least, your kids have it as a reference going forward.

i read this in grade school, so not many years to go there (if any). i credit this book with a huge and lasting impression, as the greater part of my current knowledge of Greek mythos descended directly from here.

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:36 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:20 pm Hey, Hep, I found that pine tree-shaped grinder you were looking for the other day.

Thanks, but it’s absolutely vital that its replacement have some kind of varnish.

It's always better if you varnish it yourself. It gives it that personal touch.

Ah, a fellow lover of “pine tree shaped grinders” I see.

Been thinking lately of when I have the money to redo my bedroom / computer room. Its been the same for 35 years nearly. Almost exactly the same.

Was thinking of maybe just this one room redoing it in some way I want it done rather than how everyone else always had my room done or a room done before me that I used.

Make it mine. Thinking of bright and dark paints and lots of glowing stuff. Some neon, a moon lamp and galaxy lights and black lights.

Then I think Im too old. The house is too run down. Dont bother. Waste of money. Couldn't sleep in it. Too different.

Just dont know.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:53 pm Been thinking lately of when I have the money to redo my bedroom / computer room. Its been the same for 35 years nearly. Almost exactly the same.

Was thinking of maybe just this one room redoing it in some way I want it done rather than how everyone else always had my room done or a room done before me that I used.

Make it mine. Thinking of bright and dark paints and lots of glowing stuff. Some neon, a moon lamp and galaxy lights and black lights.

Then I think Im too old. The house is too run down. Dont bother. Waste of money. Couldn't sleep in it. Too different.

Just dont know.

I'm thinking that making a place your own is less about what you buy and more about what you make.

Sure, the lava lamp or whatever might be cool for a while, but it will never mean as much as the desk or the shelves you assembled and sanded and fit just right.

There's always birch, if you want to change things up.

LordMortis wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 3:56 pm How much was the warranty on the filters? If they are supposed to be replaced every six months then 5 - 6 free replacements might have been an excellent choice. I know that's how battery warranties work and why they are sometimes worth it, if you plan to own a thing for a long time.

No, this was a $7 3rd-party warranty on a $60 set of HEPA filters and activated carbon prefilters, allegedly covering "failures due to power surge and other mechanical and electrical breakdowns." Filters don't get fried by power surges and they don't have mechanical or electrical malfunctions, they just get clogged up and need to be replaced and that is simply how they're designed to work. Similarly, descaling solution doesn't fail, it just gets used up. This is either a glitch where Amazon's back-end is mischaracterizing the product as if it were an appliance or it's an out-and-out scam.

That's bizarre, and about what I've come to expect from contemporary Amazon. Last week I was shopping for around-the-neck earmuffs, and there was a paid labelled Bluetooth. I got excited thinking it would be easier to listen to music on walks in the winter. But the reviews reported it was just plain earmuffs without any speakers lol. What baffled my mind is that other people gave them a good review (at least some of them looked legit) and they didn't seem to care. Or maybe they started shipping a different model at some point and didn't bother updating the product description. There's an option to "report error in item description", but the link didn't work. This will not stand, man.

We picked up an air purifier several months ago. Smallish one in the $100-150 range, but it was very well reviewed. I hoped it would help with some of our allergy issues/dust accumulation. Filter was supposed to last six months but the indicator light came on after three. I know we have a cat and a lot of dust in our small apartment, but I'm disappointed.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:53 pm Been thinking lately of when I have the money to redo my bedroom / computer room. Its been the same for 35 years nearly. Almost exactly the same.

Was thinking of maybe just this one room redoing it in some way I want it done rather than how everyone else always had my room done or a room done before me that I used.

Make it mine. Thinking of bright and dark paints and lots of glowing stuff. Some neon, a moon lamp and galaxy lights and black lights.

Then I think Im too old. The house is too run down. Dont bother. Waste of money. Couldn't sleep in it. Too different.

Just dont know.

Dude, you literally do not have a pot to piss in (i.e. you haven't been able to flush your toilet normally for months), and you're thinking of squandering what meagre resources and income you struggle to subsist upon on such frivolous moonshine as neon decor and lava lamps!? This seems… ill-advised to say the least.