Random Thoughts Part 5: Time to Split Again

[Silicon Waffle]

What are those, insurance companies?

Yes, they are, Sir!

Need to do the correlation job. Taking too long.

 

[Ibix]

Yes, but the usual reason I'm trying to remember it is to give it to someone whose right there, and a person who has to look up his own phone number comes off as a major dork.

"My card..."? Or is that worse on the dorkometer?

You could always go with the face-saving lie. You've only had the number a couple of days and haven't memorised it yet. If they don't already have your number they aren't going to know you've actually had it for months (or whatever).

 

[collinsmark]

"Dork"? You mean "awesome"?

 

[Sophia]

I've got my number written on bottom side of the phone. With permanent marker.
Trust me, I'm (not) an engineer
:-D

 

[zoobyshoe]

Sorry to have to agree on that :(.

The thing is, I agree with it too. If I ran onto someone who couldn't remember their own phone number, I'd think, "What a dork!"

"My card..."? Or is that worse on the dorkometer?

You could always go with the face-saving lie. You've only had the number a couple of days and haven't memorised it yet. If they don't already have your number they aren't going to know you've actually had it for months (or whatever).

The reason this situation exists is that I never call myself, I never actually use my own phone number, so there's no naturally occurring reinforcement of it in my memory. Since I consider it something I, myself, am never going to use, it is relegated in my mind to a thing of low priority. However, other people find that weird, surmising, I guess, that by the same logic, a person could justify forgetting their own name.

 

[zoobyshoe]

"Dork"? You mean "awesome"?

Yes, my hope in these situations is that the person will mistake it for a sign of eccentric genius or at least some kind of abstruse artistic Weltanschauung.

 

[Ibix]

The reason this situation exists is that I never call myself, I never actually use my own phone number, so there's no naturally occurring reinforcement of it in my memory. Since I consider it something I, myself, am never going to use, it is relegated in my mind to a thing of low priority. However, other people find that weird, surmising, I guess, that by the same logic, a person could justify forgetting their own name.

True. You could ring yourself every evening until you stop getting wrong numbers? Or use Sophia's solution of writing the number on the case. That way you could just present the reverse of your phone to the person and let them copy/error check by themselves.

 

[zoobyshoe]

True. You could ring yourself every evening until you stop getting wrong numbers? Or use Sophia's solution of writing the number on the case. That way you could just present the reverse of your phone to the person and let them copy/error check by themselves.

Actually, I'm just going to make the extra, strenuous effort to memorize the new number, reminding myself that it's not just going to stick in my head effortlessly. I did eventually memorize my old number after enough incidents of forgetting it, so I know it is humanly possible to do so, however unnatural and unhealthy that effort seems.

 

[DennisN]

A wonderful little story: http://thejumbuckisalmostextinct.com/2009/12/cookies-by-douglas-adams/ .

The thing I like particularly about this story is the sensation that somewhere in England there has been wandering around for the last quarter-century a perfectly ordinary guy who’s had the same exact story, only he doesn’t have the punch line.

 

[1oldman2]

True. You could ring yourself every evening until you stop getting wrong numbers? Or use Sophia's solution of writing the number on the case. That way you could just present the reverse of your phone to the person and let them copy/error check by themselves.

Actually, I'm just going to make the extra, strenuous effort to memorize the new number, reminding myself that it's not just going to stick in my head effortlessly. I did eventually memorize my old number after enough incidents of forgetting it, so I know it is humanly possible to do so, however unnatural and unhealthy that effort seems.

We should all realize, the contact list does nothing to reinforce good short term memory skills.

 

[fresh_42]

A wonderful little story: http://thejumbuckisalmostextinct.com/2009/12/cookies-by-douglas-adams/ .

I've once been told a similar story: A mathematician (there has been an actual name involved) walked home at dusk through a park in Chicago. All of a sudden a threatening guy came his way. As they've passed the mathematician panicky looked after his watch and couldn't find it anymore. It wasn't there. He plucked up all his courage, turned around and loudly claimed his watch back! The daunted stranger handed it back to him. Being back at his apartment he had a drink, relaxed and realized he had an additional watch in his pockets.

 

[fresh_42]

They are making iPhones in China . They get paid a whopping 3 cents/hr.

You can save a lot of money if you go to Bangladesh!

 

[OmCheeto]

That's why I hated History. It's only war, war, war and revolutions. And memorizing years. Booooriiiing!

This is why I like "insider" history.
I once worked with a lady from Tutayev Russia.
The "official" story of how her town got its name was that "General Tutayev" was the only casualty in a battle fought there. He died a hero, defending the town.
Her story was, that he was the town drunk, stumbled between the two sides, to see what was going on, and was unfortunately, the only casualty in the conflict with Napoleon's army, which was apparently lost at the time. [ref PF]
Perhaps, the "general" came from everyone, at the time, considering him "generally an idiot".
Who knows.
But it's fun thinking of what history was really like, without all the historians erasing all the funny stuff that happened.

............I love observing old miners.
There's so much warmth when they meet their friends from the mine. They always say that a special kind of friendship is formed down there.
And their hands. So large with thick skin that bear witness to their hard labour.

My dad used to live in an old abandoned silver mine.
I never went to visit, as it was very far away, but I saw pictures.

 

[Sophia]

This is why I like "insider" history.
I once worked with a lady from Tutayev Russia.
The "official" story of how her town got its name was that "General Tutayev" was the only casualty in a battle fought there. He died a hero, defending the town.
Her story was, that he was the town drunk, stumbled between the two sides, to see what was going on, and was unfortunately, the only casualty in the conflict with Napoleon's army, which was apparently lost at the time. [ref PF]
Perhaps, the "general" came from everyone, at the time, considering him "generally an idiot".
Who knows.
But it's fun thinking of what history was really like, without all the historians erasing all the funny stuff that happened. [emoji2]
My dad used to live in an old abandoned silver mine.
I never went to visit, as it was very far away, but I saw pictures.

Yep, history could be really interesting if you had a good passionate teacher.
And it is important to know the history because it repeats itself. Our teacher made us write on the first page of our notebooks : History is teacher of life.
To be honest, I had no idea what it means until I was much older :-) but I always drew pretty flowers on that first page anyway :-)

Your dad lived in a mine? Do you mean the building where miners changed their clothes and showered? Or underground?

 

[OmCheeto]

Yep, history could be really interesting if you had a good passionate teacher.
And it is important to know the history because it repeats itself. Our teacher made us write on the first page of our notebooks : History is teacher of life.
To be honest, I had no idea what it means until I was much older :-) but I always drew pretty flowers on that first page anyway :-)

Your dad lived in a mine? Do you mean the building where miners changed their clothes and showered? Or underground?

Underground.
Though, the entrance to the cave was in the side of a cliff, so technically, it was more a "Pueblo" type dwelling.

Montezuma Castle

On December 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt celebrated the passage of the Antiquities Act by declaring four sites of historic and cultural significance as our nation's first National Monuments. Among these was Montezuma Castle, which the President identified as a place "of the greatest ethnological value and scientific interest." Although very few original artifacts remained in the structure due to intensive looting of the site, Roosevelt's decision assured the continued protection of one of the best preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings in North America.

Montezuma Castle National Monument quickly became a destination for America's first car-bound tourists. In 1933, "Castle A", a 45-50 room, pueblo ruin was excavated,

Though, his was just a bunch of wood nailed across the front.
He was after all, just one guy, and not, a nation.

 

[Psinter]

Underground.
Though, the entrance to the cave was in the side of a cliff, so technically, it was more a "Pueblo" type dwelling.

Though, his was just a bunch of wood nailed across the front.
He was after all, just one guy, and not, a nation.

What's the material of those walls? I like how it looks.

 

[zoobyshoe]

What's the material of those walls? I like how it looks.

Most likely:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe

 

[Psinter]

Most likely:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe

Awesome! I want to build something out of that!

A fort maybe? My own fort, bwahahahaha! I'll allow you to enter zooby.

Psinter: "zoobyshoe on sight! Open the gates!"

 

[1oldman2]

Impressive durability in that wall material, wouldn't you say?. I wonder why its not marketed more aggressively ?

 

[Psinter]

Impressive durability in that wall material, wouldn't you say?. I wonder why its not marketed more aggressively ?

I agree. No idea.

 

[collinsmark]

Perhaps I spoke too soon. Could this be what the future holds?

 

[axmls]

Am I imagining things here, or did the font change ever-so-slightly on these forums in the past couple of days?

Something's off... something..seems strange.

 

[collinsmark]

Am I imagining things here, or did the font change ever-so-slightly on these forums in the past couple of days?

Yep.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/was-there-a-font-change.855379/

 

[Sophia]

Underground.
Though, the entrance to the cave was in the side of a cliff, so technically, it was more a "Pueblo" type dwelling.

Though, his was just a bunch of wood nailed across the front.
He was after all, just one guy, and not, a nation.

Wow that's something! I guess lots of people especially men dream of living in something like that and your father's dream came true!
When you guys go to the Tiki island you can use that material to build your dwelling!

 

[Psinter]

Scams when you travel: http://imgur.com/gallery/hJBQxzw

Good thing I don't travel. I think the most effective must be The Fake Policemen. I mean, police almost always infuse/instill fear into people by mere presence and you will be probably too scared of going to jail in a foreign country. It says that one is common in Mexico City, Bogotá, Bucharest, Bangkok.

 

[OmCheeto]

Wow that's something! I guess lots of people especially men dream of living in something like that and your father's dream came true!

After he retired, at the astonishing age of 38, he did live that way, for most of his remaining years. He spent the first 20 years in Alaska along the Yukon river. Then the remaining time in Arizona in the high desert mountains. For the last few years, when he was around 75, he abandoned the abandoned mine life, and got a small house in a nearby town.

But the cave thing was probably more for practical reasons, as he also had a small shack that he lived in during the summer.
Let's see, low temperature for Yavapai County for this week is today, @ -8°C. High temperature will be 22°C next Wednesday.
Yup. Makes total sense to live in a cave, with those extremes.

When you guys go to the Tiki island you can use that material to build your dwelling!

hmmm... I don't imagine the need for too many dwellings. Here's a picture of my future house:

 

[fresh_42]

One of the saddest dialogues I've had this year:
"Good that I don't have the money to travel anymore. It would be embarrassing these days to be American."
"Pretend you're Canadian. Most won't realize the difference."
"I've done this before."

 

[Silicon Waffle]

I always fall asleep once lying on a hammock.

One of the saddest dialogues I've had this year:
"Good that I don't have the money to travel anymore. It would be embarrassing these days to be American."
"Pretend you're Canadian. Most won't realize the difference."
"I've done this before."

But that makes me sound like an American star living in an American dream, yet a falling one.

 

[collinsmark]

One of the saddest dialogues I've had this year:
"Good that I don't have the money to travel anymore. It would be embarrassing these days to be American."
"Pretend you're Canadian. Most won't realize the difference."
"I've done this before."

Yeah. But the fact that Americans can so openly debate and discuss crazy issues and crazy viewpoints is the good part.

I'll grant you that one or two sides of the discussions are embarrassing, if not outright depressing here and there. That's true.

But the fact that such discussions are allowed to happen (and even encouraged) in the first place keeps me optimistic in my opinion. After careful consideration I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[fresh_42]

But the fact that such discussions are allowed to happen (and even encouraged) in the first place keeps me optimistic in my opinion. After careful consideration I wouldn't have it any other way.

Me, too. It's not a gift, it's an achievement which many nowadays unfortunately take for granted. It's similar to this somehow artificial concept called EU. I'd wish people would remember the times before. Then they probably wouldn't risk it so easily as they seemingly do nowadays. Idiots in political offices. Discussing embarrassing points of view is one thing. I only wished those morons weren't followed by so many. And this isn't an American problem alone. Nationalists and racists gain ground in Europe. Politicians often are so incredibly stupid that it is hard to stand that they are still elected. The distinguishing issue about America however is that this upcoming election might affect the rest of the world as well. Having this in mind it frightens me to see most of the candidates. (To be honest I've only seen 2 or 3 which I weren't afraid of, and one of them with apparently no chance.)

 

[Silicon Waffle]

I guess fresh_42 might have eaten some bad food for thought today. You sound totally different from what you did yesterday. Horrible!

 

[fresh_42]

I guess fresh_42 might have eaten some bad food for thought today. You sound totally different from what you did yesterday. Horrible!

No. Toothaches ...

 

[Silicon Waffle]

No. Toothaches ...

So you won't be able to bite me then.

 

[gjonesy]

Random thought, What would the world be like if people would be more accepting and tolerant, less judgmental with more open mindedness, not being fixed bigoted with a focused narrow minded ideology, less rigid, more open to opposing Ideas given the benefit of the doubt and yet maintain analytical objectivity? World changing perhaps?

 

[wolram]

Random thought, What would the world be like if people would be more accepting and tolerant, less judgmental with more open mindedness, not being fixed bigoted with a focused narrow minded ideology, less rigid, more open to opposing Ideas given the benefit of the doubt and yet maintain analytical objectivity? World changing perhaps?

Utopia maybe.

 

[Psinter]

So you won't be able to bite me then.

That's relative on who wants to bite you. You never know if fresh_42 looks like this: http://memegenerator.net/instance/59417216


EDIT:

I cannot argue with that.

 

[fresh_42]

That's relative on who wants to bite you. You never know if fresh_42 looks like this...

Or this: http://www.charliepunk.de/WebRoot/S...57C3/9CD7/C0A8/28BD/780F/muppets-t-shirts.jpg

 

[Psinter]

When you write a big lengthy forum post and someone replies you with only 2 words:

 

[Silicon Waffle]

That's relative on who wants to bite you. You never know if fresh_42 looks like this: http://memegenerator.net/instance/59417216

Sure I will think again.

EDIT:

I cannot argue with that.

I would laugh my x off if I happen to grade any of such a paper test's answers.

 

[1oldman2]

Here is a random thought, A friend and I were discussing meanings of old terms/words. The phrase "don't let the cat out of the bag" comes up and I say that refers to the cat O' nine tails which was kept in a bag on board ships. Friend says no way! where can I get the truth on this?. We also can't agree on "freezing the balls off a brass monkey". I say the "monkey" was a platform that held the cannon balls on old ships, Friend says no way!. Can somebody help me look smarter than my friend here, or give me an idea where to find this info?. Being somewhat bored I have taken the liberty of searching these phrases and it seems neither my friend or myself were likely correct. (File under things I learned today)

 

[WWGD]

Awesome! I want to build something out of that!

Just write a file and save it as a .pdf.

 

[Psinter]

Just write a file and save it as a .pdf.

Haha. Very funny. (-.-)

 

[WWGD]

Haha. Very funny.

Did you really expect a good joke from me :) ? C'mmon, you know me better.

 

[Psinter]

Did you really expect a good joke from me :) ? C'mmon, you know me better.

I'll take you here and then hear your jokes:

It's a joke.

That's why I hated History. It's only war, war, war and revolutions. And memorizing years. Booooriiiing!

So, what did you learn about Napoleon and Hitler's attempts to invade Russia?

Spoiler: Lesson

Come on, you can say it without looking at the spoiler.

 

[Sophia]

No. Toothaches ...

That's unpleasant, I'm sorry. I hope you'll be able to go to the dentist and solve it ASAP.

 

[Sophia]

Here is a random thought, A friend and I were discussing meanings of old terms/words. The phrase "don't let the cat out of the bag" comes up and I say that refers to the cat O' nine tails which was kept in a bag on board ships. Friend says no way! where can I get the truth on this?. We also can't agree on "freezing the balls off a brass monkey". I say the "monkey" was a platform that held the cannon balls on old ships, Friend says no way!. Can somebody help me look smarter than my friend here, or give me an idea where to find this info?. Being somewhat bored I have taken the liberty of searching these phrases and it seems neither my friend or myself were likely correct. (File under things I learned today)

Try googling the word / phrase + etymology

 

[Silicon Waffle]

Flash news on tv:
TPP signed : Japan, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam...
The US estimates to earn $131B from this annually.
Disgraced ex-IMF chief joins Ukrainian bank.

 

[Psinter]

Probably trivial to some of you, but today I learned:

When people are grieving, do not throw your story on top of theirs.

Sympathy is the ability to express ‘culturally acceptable’ condolences to another's plight.
Empathy is the ability to place yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand relate as best as you can to how that person feels in the situation.
Don’t assume that you know what others feel – listen to what they say, and remember to listen closely.

And realized I'm terrible at supporting. And probably will continue to be. But I'll try to get better. No promises thought.

 

[Psinter]

Dammit, this is random thoughts! I thought this was Today I learned thread.

 

[Ibix]

Dammit, this is random thoughts! I thought this was Today I learned thread.

So remind me - what do I do here? Tell you a story about a time I posted on the wrong thread, or offer ways to help spot which thread you are on?