Can PF Random Thoughts be Split to Help with Server Load?

[zoobyshoe]

Apart from the manouvering at the ends of the voyage, the fuel burn doesn't depend on the mass of the ship, only how fast it's going and how deep in the water it is.

But you don't want to be bobbing around like a cork across a thousand miles of open water, so if there was no cargo you would be carrying more water ballast to compensate.

This makes sense. I can't imagine paper is in such short supply in China that they'd pay much for our leftovers. They still have to go to the expense of breaking it down and remaking it, after all.

I'm kind of ticked we don't do it here. It just means more trees bite the dust.

 

[Borek]

This makes sense. I can't imagine paper is in such short supply in China that they'd pay much for our leftovers. They still have to go to the expense of breaking it down and remaking it, after all.

Could be they are reading it all to spy on you.

 

[AlephZero]

There's another engineering issue here. Most container ships carry a lot of containers on deck as well as in the holds. Empty containers on deck can get blown or washed overboard in rough weather, and they can float for a long time as a hazard to shipping before they eventually fill with water and sink.

This was one of the many things that killed of the "FastShip Atlantic" project (intended to run a fleet of container ships from the USA to Europe sailing at about 40 knots, and with new systems for fast loading and unloading). We did some work on the propulsion system (basically, water-jets powered by modified jet engines) but figuring out what to do if a floating container went under the ship and got stuck in the water intake was a tough problem to solve!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Could be they are reading it all to spy on you.

It would be one way to take the pulse of the US, yes.

There's another engineering issue here. Most container ships carry a lot of containers on deck as well as in the holds. Empty containers on deck can get blown or washed overboard in rough weather, and they can float for a long time as a hazard to shipping before they eventually fill with water and sink.

This was one of the many things that killed of the "FastShip Atlantic" project (intended to run a fleet of container ships from the USA to Europe sailing at about 40 knots, and with new systems for fast loading and unloading). We did some work on the propulsion system (basically, water-jets powered by modified jet engines) but figuring out what to do if a floating container went under the ship and got stuck in the water intake was a tough problem to solve!

Now I see why you know something about shipping.

 

[Borek]

So, the world finally came to an end.

At least for Harold Camping.

 

[zoobyshoe]

So, the world finally came to an end.

At least for Harold Camping.

You're saying he passed away?

 

[turbo]

You're saying he passed away?

Camping has passed from this mortal coil.

 

[AlephZero]

Camping has passed from this mortal coil.

Don't worry, folks. There'll be another show starting real soon now...

"Amazingly, when I go back and look at some of these things in the Bible, I have to conclude that he was largely correct," retired transit engineer Robert Fitzpatrick, 62, said when reached by telephone on Tuesday at his Staten Island home in New York City.

(from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/17/us-usa-doomsday-prophet-idUSBRE9BG16320131217)

 

[drizzle]

Oh the wind! It brings tears to my eyes.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Don't worry, folks. There'll be another show starting real soon now...



(from http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/17/us-usa-doomsday-prophet-idUSBRE9BG16320131217)

Holy hindsight bias batman!

 

[zoobyshoe]

Don't worry, folks. There'll be another show starting real soon now...

It's like the Mandan rain dance, which was 100% effective. The reason being, once they started the dance they refused to stop till it rained.

If they keep refreshing their prediction, eventually it will be right. Could take a while, though.

 

[OmCheeto]

Oh the wind! It brings tears to my eyes.

Tears for Fears.

That's the band.

 

[AlephZero]

It's like the Mandan rain dance, which was 100% effective.

Just like this UK joke (apologies if it's actually an international joke)...

On UK commuter trains, the people who get on at the most distant stations (where there are still empty seats available!) tend to sit in the exact same seats every day. There was this guy who every day read a page of his newspaper, then carefully tore it into 1-inch squares and dropped them out of the open window one at a time.

After watching this for a couple of years, one of the other commuters finally asked him why.

"It's to stop wild elephants attacking the train".
"But there are no wild elephants in Surrey".
"Yes, it's a very effective deterrent, isn't it?"

 

[drizzle]

I think I took the pill twice...

 

[Evo]

When did gold members become gold again? Last time I looked they had been changed to "Patrons". I like "Gold' better.

I like the snowman too.

 

[Borek]

Each time I see the red hat of the snowman at the top bar I think it is a facebook notification.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Despite becoming an expectant father, losing my own father, being president of the math club, doing research and presenting a paper to the local chapter of MAA, 5 classes, 3 of them math, one of them Analysis, I think I did pretty well.

 

[Evo]

Despite becoming an expectant father, losing my own father, being president of the math club, doing research and presenting a paper to the local chapter of MAA, 5 classes, 3 of them math, one of them Analysis, I think I did pretty well.

Well done!

 

[dkotschessaa]

Well done!

Thank you! To quote discovery channel... I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE!

 

[Evo]

Stupid or honest?

I recently bought a new coffeemaker. The one I had was one of the first Mr coffees ever made that a roommate of Evo child's was throwing away. My coffeemaker had mysteriously "vanished" during my move a couple of weeks earlier. It was finally Mr Coffee's time to go to the coffee maker graveyard.

I bought the new one on sale and a couple of weeks later the thermostat went out. I called customer service and they agreed to just ship me a new one for free. Well, today I got TWO new ones. I knew they had no record because nothing was sent to me on it.

I called them and they had no record of sending me the second one, so I agreed to send it back.

Now I am afraid that the one I choose to keep will be defective, because that's how my life is.

So, was I stupid or honest to advise them they sent too many machines or just stupidly honest?

I do stuff like this all of the time, I found a wad of cash at a Walmart in the change dispenser when they had those automated checkouts, and turned it into customer service. The woman looked at me like I was nuts. She asked me who it belonged to. I said I didn't know. She asked me what to do with it, she didn't seem to want to be bothered with writing it up. I told her if no one claimed it, then maybe she could keep it, that lit her eyes up. I guess I know where that money went as soon as I walked out. Oh well, at least I didn't keep it.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Stupid or honest?

I recently bought a new coffeemaker. The one I had was one of the first Mr coffees ever made that a roommate of Evo child's was throwing away. My coffeemaker had mysteriously "vanished" during my move a couple of weeks earlier. It was finally Mr Coffee's time to go to the coffee maker graveyard.

I bought the new one on sale and a couple of weeks later the thermostat went out. I called customer service and they agreed to just ship me a new one for free. Well, today I got TWO new ones. I knew they had no record because nothing was sent to me on it.

I called them and they had no record of sending me the second one, so I agreed to send it back.

Now I am afraid that the one I choose to keep will be defective, because that's how my life is.

So, was I stupid or honest to advise them they sent too many machines or just stupidly honest?

I do stuff like this all of the time, I found a wad of cash at a Walmart in the change dispenser when they had those automated checkouts, and turned it into customer service. The woman looked at me like I was nuts. She asked me who it belonged to. I said I didn't know. She asked me what to do with it, she didn't seem to want to be bothered with writing it up. I told her if no one claimed it, then maybe she could keep it, that lit her eyes up. I guess I know where that money went as soon as I walked out. Oh well, at least I didn't keep it.

Evo - it's good, admirable, and wonderful. I hope the coffeemaker you kept works ok.

 

[JorisL]

That's a very nice and rare thing you did. Kudos

I only wish my coffee maker didn't break this morning :(
Normally 6 rather large cups a day. Today only 1 small cup.

And so I'm already running behind on my schedule for studying. Coffee is the thing that mentally commits me to my books.

On the upside, it's still under warranty.

 

[lisab]

I get this, when I click on that link:





ps. Should I make LisaB "earn" her $200,000,000?

It might sound like an indecent proposal to others, but to me, it would be; "Tell me why Platinum is less reactive than Nickel, and then you can have your bloody money...".

I switched from Chemistry to Physics before taking Inorganic Chem! But I'll take a stab at it .

 

[dlgoff]

... today I got TWO new ones
...
Now I am afraid that the one I choose to keep will be defective, because that's how my life is.

So, was I stupid or honest to advise them they sent too many machines or just stupidly honest?

Honesty is the the best policy but I'm thinking that whoever put the second one in the shipment thought of it as "spare parts" OR they know about your life's problems. But I wouldn't call it stupid; maybe too quick on the draw.

 

[Evo]

Honesty is the the best policy but I'm thinking that whoever put the second one in the shipment thought of it as "spare parts" OR they know about your life's problems. But I wouldn't call it stupid; maybe too quick on the draw.

I'm thinking that one works and the other is defective, one of the boxes was open, the tape had been sliced open all around. I think it's a cruel joke for complaining.

What was really weird was the Fed Ex guy, he was giving me the third degree "are you supposed to get two?" "why did you get two?" "let me see that first box again", "I should just take this one back". I actually had to insist that he give me both boxes.

I told him hell no you aren't taking one without any documentation, I might be stupid, but I'm not dumb.

 

[dlgoff]

I'm thinking that one works and the other is defective, one of the boxes was open, the tape had been sliced open all around. I think it's a cruel joke for complaining.

What was really weird was the Fed Ex guy, he was giving me the third degree "are you supposed to get two?" "why did you get two?" "let me see that first box again", "I should just take this one back".

I told him hell no you aren't taking one without any documentation, I might be stupid, but I'm not dumb.

Dang. I have a Fed Ex delivery friend and he told me that he was trained to not interfere. "If you suspect there may be illegal drugs in a package, deliver it unless you actually see the contents coming out of the package. I'm surprised by your guys questions. Now's the time to be making a telephone call.

 

[zoobyshoe]

So, was I stupid or honest to advise them they sent too many machines or just stupidly honest?

I do stuff like this all of the time, I found a wad of cash at a Walmart in the change dispenser when they had those automated checkouts, and turned it into customer service. The woman looked at me like I was nuts. She asked me who it belonged to. I said I didn't know. She asked me what to do with it, she didn't seem to want to be bothered with writing it up. I told her if no one claimed it, then maybe she could keep it, that lit her eyes up. I guess I know where that money went as soon as I walked out. Oh well, at least I didn't keep it.

There was a feature article in the paper here quite a few years back that told the story of two people who had found large sums of cash and did the right thing, bringing it to the police. In both cases the person who lost it came forward and claimed it. THEN, though, both of the honest people went on to acquire an even greater windfall, one won the lottery and the other got a big inheritance they weren't expecting. They both felt that their honesty had been rewarded by a just universe where tabs are kept, sort of thing.

However, this guy I know at a cafe told me two opposite stories where people who had found things lost by rich people and returned them were both generously, generously, I say, dripping with sarcasm, offered a $5.00 reward for their trouble. One guy returned an expensive set of golf clubs, the other a wallet with several hundred dollars in cash in it.

The reason he mentioned these incidents was in response to my having found a wallet in the parking lot there. It had about $300 in cash in it, credit cards, etc. and a driver's license. I was about 100% sure the woman would be back very soon looking for it, so I set it on my table and waited. She arrived in about ten minutes and I walked over and gave it to her. She eyeballed me with severe suspicion, checked the contents, then muttered, "thanks," and walked agitatedly away.

I sort of understood. When you lose something as important as a wallet you are filled with dread, paranoia, suspicion. She couldn't quite shed that all of a sudden just because the wallet was rescued, and she probably wondered if I hadn't picked her pocket for some devious reason.

Anyway, sometimes honesty is rewarded and sometimes you get kicked for it. I don't know what to tell you.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Each time I see the red hat of the snowman at the top bar I think it is a facebook notification.

I've clicked on it 5 times now, trying to get my message.

 

[Evo]

Dang. I have a Fed Ex delivery friend and he told me that he was trained to not interfere. "If you suspect there may be illegal drugs in a package, deliver it unless you actually see the contents coming out of the package. I'm surprised by your guys questions. Now's the time to be making a telephone call.

I wouldn't let him take it because although I assumed (correctly) that they had no record of sending it to me, that returning it with no information would have resulted in confusion. And if it was on record and it was just returned to the warehouse, no telling what would have happened. As it was, they didn't know what to do when I called to report it, since they had no record of sending it, it didn't exist and they didn't know how to take it back. I suggested that it was meant to be, it was my lucky day, it's the Christmas season, but they said no, they'd take it back, although they had no idea how to put it back into inventory, they had never had anyone report an extra shipment before. They did give me a coupon for $30 of coffee for my honesty.

 

[Evo]

The reason he mentioned these incidents was in response to my having found a wallet in the parking lot there. It had about $300 in cash in it, credit cards, etc. and a driver's license. I was about 100% sure the woman would be back very soon looking for it, so I set it on my table and waited. She arrived in about ten minutes and I walked over and gave it to her. She eyeballed me with severe suspicion, checked the contents, then muttered, "thanks," and walked agitatedly away.

I sort of understood. When you lose something as important as a wallet you are filled with dread, paranoia, suspicion. She couldn't quite shed that all of a sudden just because the wallet was rescued, and she probably wondered if I hadn't picked her pocket for some devious reason.

Anyway, sometimes honesty is rewarded and sometimes you get kicked for it. I don't know what to tell you.

How odd. I've always been honest and never got a thing. But I always think of all of the times honest people found my ex-husband's wallet (he was constantly losing everything).