Is it time for Random Thoughts - Part 4?

[JorisL]

Molecular dynamics, I love to hate it.
Until it works then we're cool again.

 

[DiracPool]

Still, there are rules that make sense, some don't . Ignoring rules that make no sense or that are counterproductive can lead to positive change; ignoring rules that make sense is absurd IMHO. Seating far away makes sense; you want to let the other, someone you don't know well if at all , that you're not up to no good, and that you give them their space. Most people , I believe, want to keep some distance from total strangers .There may be exceptions in small towns, but this is NYC .
Believe me, I am no fan of rules for rules sake, but I am neither a rebel without a clue; I believe some rules have a good reason for being. I try to follow those and ignore the ones that do not.

One interesting twist on this is the movie theater. I always go to see a movie at least a couple weeks after it premiers so it's not a zoo inside. The other night I went to see "Guardians of the Galaxy" at a Regal RPX (it's version of the IMAX). In 3D. It's a huge theater, and even though there were only about 20 people in there during the showing I went to, everyone was jockying for the same region. The first people that get in there almost invariably plant themselves dead center, and then everyone else tries to fit in as close to that without getting "too close". How close is too close? It's interesting to see how people navigate that when they are selecting their final seat. Lol.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Some of these things date back to the days before formatting was commonplace on the Internet [Edit: e.g., Usenet news, dial-up bulletin boards, etc]. When using a 1200 BAUD modem for example, you didn't want to waste precious bytes with bunches of format tags. (Eventually things changed of course, with faster connection speeds.) [Edit: these conventions didn't change the actual format of the text, they just let the reader know that there was a particular emphasis.].

Underline used to be _Underline_

Italics used to be *Italics*

I'm not sure what boldface used to be, but maybe that's the #boldface#?

For the others, I guess I don't know (or don't remember).

What I remember is *bold* and _underlined_ on typewriter (printing) terminals, which was done by backspacing and overstriking characters, but the underlined text would be shown as italics when printed properly.

 

[DennisN]

There's a dead fly on my windowsill. A live fly just landed near it - I wonder what it thinks.

Time flies?

 

[WWGD]

Time flies?

I don't know about flies in general, but I do know a bit about time flies. Time flies like arrows, or maybe just one arrow. Haven't you heard? time flies like an arrow.

 

[Evo]

I don't know about flies in general, but I do know a bit about time flies. Time flies like arrows, or maybe just one arrow. Haven't you heard? time flies like an arrow.

Just one arrow? Or would they prefer a whole bunch of arrows like a quiver? Would a quiver make them shiver?

 

[WWGD]

Just one arrow? Or would they prefer a whole bunch of arrows like a quiver? Would a quiver make them shiver?

Only if it is in the river Chorna -- a Crimea river : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rivers_of_Crimea.

 

[WWGD]

Crimea river was the limit of my punning ability.

 

[lisab]

Hic.



Hic.



Hic.



Hic.

 

[Medicol]

I just talked to an American guy over the phone and he asked me why I was interested in his company. My answer might have upset and saddened him. Do you think so too ?
"Because I am seeking a job. And because your company is small and I think working for a small one is better because I can learn from more issues from a start-up than I can in an old one".

Oh noo...sorry I just couldn't think up anything else in such a hurry moment for a reply

 

[Evo]

I wouldn't wait by the phone waiting for it to ring.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Hic.



Hic.



Hic.



Hic.

Sorry, that's wrong. It's :

hic haec hoc
huius huius huius
huic huic huic
hunc hanc hoc
hoc hac hoc

 

[lisab]

I just talked to an American guy over the phone and he asked me why I was interested in his company. My answer might have upset and saddened him. Do you think so too ?
"Because I am seeking a job. And because your company is small and I think working for a small one is better because I can learn from more issues from a start-up than I can in an old one".

Oh noo...sorry I just couldn't think up anything else in such a hurry moment for a reply

First of all, congrats getting an interview! Even if you don't get an offer, going through the stress of an interview a learning experience.

Your answer is not a bad answer at all! Were you thinking that he would be offended about working at a small company? No, most companies in the US are small and that is not offensive to an American, not at all. And if he took that to be offensive -- well you probably don't want to work for him, anyway, he's an odd one.

You can't prepare for every question in the world, but you should always have a "canned" answer to this question: Why do you want to work for this company? "Your company offers more opportunity and flexibility than a large one. I can help your company expand into (whatever) market by using my experience in (something). I want to work for a company like (company name) because small companies are much more dynamic than large ones, and that suits me very well."

Something like that.

 

[lisab]

Sorry, that's wrong. It's :

hic haec hoc
huius huius huius
huic huic huic
hunc hanc hoc
hoc hac hoc

I'm not sure what you have, but I hope you get over it soon.



My hiccups are gone though. I rarely have them long...an intense 5 or 10 minutes, then they go away.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I'm not sure what you have, but I hope you get over it soon.



My hiccups are gone though. I rarely have them long...an intense 5 or 10 minutes, then they go away.

Oh, hiccups. I though you were practicing Latin declensions.
http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/101/DemonstrativePronouns.pdf

 

[zoobyshoe]

On TV it just said that crocodiles kill more people than any other predator on earth. However, this site puts them at #3, behind snakes and scorpions:

http://www.animaldanger.com/most-dangerous-animals.php

Regardless, crocodiles kill way more people than sharks. In fact, elephants kill way more people than sharks. In fact, Cape Buffalo kill way more people than sharks. It's all psychological. You yell, Cape Buffalo!, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell, "Shark!, and we've got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July!

 

[OmCheeto]

On TV it just said that crocodiles kill more people than any other predator on earth. However, this site puts them at #3, behind snakes and scorpions:

http://www.animaldanger.com/most-dangerous-animals.php

Regardless, crocodiles kill way more people than sharks. In fact, elephants kill way more people than sharks. In fact, Cape Buffalo kill way more people than sharks. It's all psychological. You yell, Cape Buffalo!, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell, "Shark!, and we've got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July!

I've heard that cows kill 10 times as many people as sharks.

We should fear them too.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I've heard that cows kill 10 times as many people as sharks.

Which animals kill more people per year in the United States, cows or great white sharks? Although a German tourist was recently killed by a shark in Hawaiian waters, the answer is overwhelmingly “cows.” How can this be? You rarely hear about a cow killing a human, but it happens about 20 times every year. Between 2003 and 2008, 108 people in the United States died from injuries caused by cattle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s 27 times the whopping 4 people killed in shark attacks in the United States during the same time period, according to the International Shark Attack File.

http://www.physiciansweekly.com/statistics-cows-vs-great-white-sharks/

 

[OmCheeto]

OMG. These cow memes are killing me.

THEY CAME WITH A1


WE CAME WITH C4​

 

[AlephZero]

Sorry, that's wrong. It's :

hic haec hoc
huius huius huius
huic huic huic
hunc hanc hoc
hoc hac hoc

Not content with British and American English, it seems there is also British and American Latin.

The Brits put the parts of speech in the order nominative, vocative, accusative, genitive, dative, ablative. That goes back as least as far as the Alice in Wonderland's complaint that learning how to address a table in Latin was pointless.

The USA seems to have used nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, vocative, ablative for some reason.

But even Latin pedants have to give up at the notion of the vocative case of a demonstrative pronoun, hence Zooby's table only has 5 rows not 6.

 

[AlephZero]

I've heard that cows kill 10 times as many people as sharks.

I suspect cows also kill 10 times as many people as bulls, which might be surprising. Bulls aren't very interested in humans, unlike cows which are quick to "circle the wagons" to protect their calves, even if they don't actually have any calves to protect.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I suspect cows also kill 10 times as many people as bulls, which might be surprising. Bulls aren't very interested in humans, unlike cows which are quick to "circle the wagons" to protect their calves, even if they don't actually have any calves to protect.

I just realized that going down in shark cages is pretty much an excuse to transfer a bull fight to the ocean under the guise of "research."

 

[OmCheeto]

I just realized that going down in shark cages is pretty much an excuse to transfer a bull fight to the ocean under the guise of "research."

hmmm...

Stange comparison.

Though, this morning, I was out by my mailbox, and saw something wiggling by my foot. I'm quite surprised I saw it. It was an 8 mm long white caterpillar being harassed by an army of 3 mm long ants.

I crouched down and watched, for about a minute or two, fascinated by the brutality of life.

Then I got bored, went inside, and posted something on Facebook.

I don't think I mentioned the battle.

 

[DennisN]

OMG. These cow memes are killing me.

THEY CAME WITH A1 WE CAME WITH C4​

They were all great! I'm saving those.

 

[Evo]

Love the cow memes!

 

[Astronuc]

StoryCorps Remembers 2 People Killed On Sept. 11, 2001
http://www.npr.org/2014/09/11/347594938/storycorps-remembers-2-people-killed-on-sept-11-2001

The late BEVERLY ECKERT: "Sean had warm, brown eyes and dark, curly hair, and we met when we were only 16, at a high school dance. When he died, we were 50. It's about 9:30 a.m. when he called and he told me he was on the 150th floor, and he'd been trying to find a way out. I think about that last half-hour with Sean all the time. I didn't want that day to end. As terrible as it was, I didn't want to go to sleep because as long as I was awake, it was still a day that I'd shared with Sean. You know, and he kissed me goodbye before leaving for work. I could still say that was just a little while ago, that was only this morning and I just think of myself as living life for both of us now."

RICHARD PECORELLA: "Every morning, Karen would drive with me to my office and then she'd take the subway from my office - one stop - to the Trade Center. I worked in Brooklyn, so my window - I could see the twin towers. . . .
. . . . I miss her eyes; her eyes sparkled to me. One day they were blue; the next day they were green - depending on how light hit them. Karen, I'll always be in love with you, and I will see you again. I will do enough good to make it up there."

 

[OmCheeto]

StoryCorps Remembers 2 People Killed On Sept. 11, 2001
http://www.npr.org/2014/09/11/347594938/storycorps-remembers-2-people-killed-on-sept-11-2001

The late BEVERLY ECKERT: "Sean had warm, brown eyes and dark, curly hair, and we met when we were only 16, at a high school dance. When he died, we were 50. It's about 9:30 a.m. when he called and he told me he was on the 150th floor, and he'd been trying to find a way out. I think about that last half-hour with Sean all the time. I didn't want that day to end. As terrible as it was, I didn't want to go to sleep because as long as I was awake, it was still a day that I'd shared with Sean. You know, and he kissed me goodbye before leaving for work. I could still say that was just a little while ago, that was only this morning and I just think of myself as living life for both of us now."

RICHARD PECORELLA: "Every morning, Karen would drive with me to my office and then she'd take the subway from my office - one stop - to the Trade Center. I worked in Brooklyn, so my window - I could see the twin towers. . . .
. . . . I miss her eyes; her eyes sparkled to me. One day they were blue; the next day they were green - depending on how light hit them. Karen, I'll always be in love with you, and I will see you again. I will do enough good to make it up there."

Reminds me of a silly meme a very good old friend shared yesterday:

"Marry someone who messes up your lipstick, and not your mascara".​

I haven't seen this good old friend in at least 20 years.

Facebook is kind of cool.

 

[DennisN]

Tomorrow we here in Sweden will be voting in our elections. I've been watching too much debates lately, and I am mighty tired of it all :zzz: I feel somewhat like this little girl:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQpf6VHCWDw

 

[Astronuc]

A club that doesn't want new members.

Israeli, Palestinian Parents Share Their Painful Stories Of Loss
http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/...n-parents-share-their-painful-stories-of-loss

 

[DataGG]

I laughed with this exchange. Posting here as others might find it funny as well:

[DataGG] 5:50 pm: I want a goddamn dog
[DataGG] 5:50 pm: but they're so expensive to maintain
[DataGG] 5:51 pm: =((
[General Chat]: Rocket50 has left at 5:51 pm
[fluidistic] 5:51 pm: what about a bonsai

 

[OmCheeto]

I laughed with this exchange. Posting here as others might find it funny as well:

[DataGG] 5:50 pm: I want a goddamn dog
[DataGG] 5:50 pm: but they're so expensive to maintain
[DataGG] 5:51 pm: =((
[General Chat]: Rocket50 has left at 5:51 pm
[fluidistic] 5:51 pm: what about a bonsai

I have about 12,000 hours of saved up, very inspirational, and wisdom filled chat logs, but nothing that compares to fluidistic's above response.

 

[AlephZero]

[fluidistic] 5:51 pm: what about a bonsai

I think he meant a chihuahua.

Bonsai pigs aren't so good as pets, either. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-29184035

 

[OmCheeto]

high schoolers are basically the Khmer Rouge with backpacks and skateboards

Just read that on FB on a friends timeline.

I thought it was appropriately random.

 

[lisab]

I laughed with this exchange. Posting here as others might find it funny as well:

[DataGG] 5:50 pm: I want a goddamn dog
[DataGG] 5:50 pm: but they're so expensive to maintain
[DataGG] 5:51 pm: =((
[General Chat]: Rocket50 has left at 5:51 pm
[fluidistic] 5:51 pm: what about a bonsai

You should look into volunteering at a dog shelter, to scratch that dog-itch you have.

And what are your thoughts on bonsai, anyway?

 

[lisab]

Ugh.

Just tried to open a new tube of super glue (cyanoacrylate). But it had really low viscosity, and it was under pressure (why??), so as soon as the foil was punctured it went all over my hands!

No, I didn't glue anybody parts to any other body parts. But now my skin is all coated, cracking, and tight .

 

[Enigman]

Nail polish remover works to some extent, the rest can usually be taken out by a nail file.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Ugh.

Just tried to open a new tube of super glue (cyanoacrylate). But it had really low viscosity, and it was under pressure (why??), so as soon as the foil was punctured it went all over my hands!

No, I didn't glue anybody parts to any other body parts. But now my skin is all coated, cracking, and tight .

I buy it in the little bottle:

http://www.supergluecorp.com/super-glue/-original-super-glue®/super-glue-spill-resistant-bottle

This is better than the tubes in many ways. You can often find it in these little bottles at dollar stores; a two-pack for a dollar.

 

[HomogenousCow]

I had a terrible superglue accident when I was nine, to this day I cannot stand the smell of superglue.

 

[Medicol]

I think you'll need a mask, a pair of gloves, and eye glasses while working with super glues then. bhuhahah

 

[dlgoff]

I never found superglue very useful.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I never found superglue very useful.

I use it to glue short colored pencil stubs onto fresh colored pencils. Forward to 1:22



Colored pencils are pretty expensive and it's irritating when you can't use those last couple inches just because you can't hold them well. That last length can represent about 35 cents if you paid full price in an art store. Gluing the last bit onto the next one allows you to just about use the whole length.

 

[dlgoff]

Now that would be useful.

 

[Psinter]

English is not my first language. That's why...

How I think I speak English: Good evening. My name is Lord Falcon, son of Lord Henry the Fifth and Lady Josephine, Duchess of Noble Island from La Lune. It is an unbearable honor to meet you here. Allow me to greet your commemorable precense with some of my best wine. I presently apologize if you find my humble mansion not up to your respectable standards.

How I really speak English: Yo, my name is Jumble Tumble. What's yours?

Spoiler

We should have a thread for Classy Talking. It would be fun...

 

[lisab]

English is not my first language. That's why...

How I think I speak English: Good evening. My name is Lord Falcon, son of Lord Henry the Fifth and Lady Josephine, Duchess of Noble Island from La Lune. It is an unbearable honor to meet you here. Allow me to greet your commemorable precense with some of my best wine. I presently apologize if you find my humble mansion not up to your respectable standards.

How I really speak English: Yo, my name is Jumble Tumble. What's yours?

Spoiler

We should have a thread for Classy Talking. It would be fun...

Reminds me of a good friend I had who was Czech. When she first moved here, she would meet new people with "How do you do?". She thought the amused looks were because she was saying it wrong, so she slowed it down and eee-nun-cee-ate-ed ev-err-ee sill-ah-bil to the best of her abilities.

(Btw no one ever says "How do you do" since...oh maybe 1970.)

 

[Medicol]

Very useful, I'd really love to see a thread that sums up all modern and classic ways of speaking English.

 

[Jimmy]

(Btw no one ever says "How do you do" since...oh maybe 1970.)

Ouch, that's embarrassing. I still occasionally use that one or "Nice/Pleased to meet you." when introduced to someone.

I've been avoiding "wassup" and "how's it hanging." Should I go with those instead?

 

[Enigman]

Reminds me of a good friend I had who was Czech. When she first moved here, she would meet new people with "How do you do?". She thought the amused looks were because she was saying it wrong, so she slowed it down and eee-nun-cee-ate-ed ev-err-ee sill-ah-bil to the best of her abilities.

(Btw no one ever says "How do you do" since...oh maybe 1970.)

 

[Evo]

I still say "how do you do".

 

[Jimmy]

I still say "how do you do".

*Hugs* Hurray! I'm not alone!

 

[zoobyshoe]

I say, "Nice to meet you." If it's a little more formal, I modify it slightly to, "Pleased to meet you."