Random Thoughts Part 5: Time to Split Again

[zoobyshoe]

Going around Facebook:

"I dreamt I was a muffler last night. I woke up exhausted."

 

[lisab]

I was out driving and noticed my gas gage was reading über empty. That is: as empty as possible. Which usually means one thing.

I pulled into a 7/11 parking lot and checked under the dash and sure enough, a fuse had blown. That's OK, cause I carry spares, which I fished out of the glove compartment. When I crouched down to put the new one in, I saw my glasses on the seat where I'd set them after I took them off to look at the fuses. They had become two dimensional.

Fortunately, I had thrown my old pair into the glove box when I picked up the new pair a couple months ago, so I could see to drive home. And fortunately, a bit of work with a couple pairs of pliers and my new pair became three dimensional again. Still, I'm wondering if Southern California is next.

Keep your tank full, Zooby. No electricity = no gas pumps. And keep drinking water in your car, along with blankets and food.

Also: if a big earthquake hits, bridges and overpasses might be unsafe to cross or go under. If you're at work when a big one hits, is there a route home that doesn't go over or under a bridge?

Here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm always waiting for it. Never used to bother me, but I definitely have more anxiety about it now.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Keep your tank full, Zooby. No electricity = no gas pumps.

Five or six years ago when there was a huge power outage here I found out that no electricity = no traffic lights = massive traffic jams. Also, not only were gas pumps not working, all stores were closed: all the registers are electronic. No one had any way to ring up any merchandise. I found one lonely liquor store where the guy was taking cash if you had it and ciphering on a battery calculator. I was able to get a large bottle of coke and some munchies.

Also: if a big earthquake hits, bridges and overpasses might be unsafe to cross or go under. If you're at work when a big one hits, is there a route home that doesn't go over or under a bridge?

If we add "unsafe bridges and overpasses" to the power outage traffic jams, then all traffic would be stopped completely, I think.

And keep drinking water in your car, along with blankets and food.

Yes, but in a backpack for the long walk home. Once you get there there's the issue of "What if the water supply has been interrupted?"

 

[WWGD]

It seems like brushing alone is not enough for healthy teeth. How do I find someone else to brush with?

"They asked me for a donation for their pool, so I gave them a glass of water"

 

[Ibix]

It seems like brushing alone is not enough for healthy teeth. How do I find someone else to brush with?

They got rid of the Relationships sub-forum, didn't they?

 

[WWGD]

They got rid of the Relationships sub-forum, didn't they?

No, that was the Relationships Intersection Dentistry forum. Best damn forum ever in PF. For some reason they canceled it. May be the CIA, pretty sure.

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Even duct tape can't fix stupid, but it can muffle the sound.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Friend of mine went to the emergency room last night with abdominal pain. They took his appendix out this morning. He's in his 40s. I always thought that was a kid's condition, like, if it's going to go bad, it goes bad before you're 18. Apparently not.

 

[WWGD]

Friend of mine went to the emergency room last night with abdominal pain. They took his appendix out this morning. He's in his 40s. I always thought that was a kid's condition, like, if it's going to go bad, it goes bad before you're 18. Apparently not.

Haven't you heard of all these adults, some 30+, with acne problems?

 

[Pepper Mint]

Friend of mine went to the emergency room last night with abdominal pain. They took his appendix out this morning. He's in his 40s. I always thought that was a kid's condition, like, if it's going to go bad, it goes bad before you're 18. Apparently not.

I have never had such an abdominal pain until now. And I certainly never wish to though.
And I've read online ads that one can still circumcise his penis at the age of 40 and over, which costs him about $1000-$1700 in the US/Canada and much less in Asia.

 

[Pepper Mint]

No, that was the Relationships Intersection Dentistry forum. Best damn forum ever in PF. For some reason they canceled it. May be the CIA, pretty sure.

So where did the previous owner hide ? I guess CIA used to enter the scene to investigate a lot of tax issues.

 

[Ibix]

Friend of mine went to the emergency room last night with abdominal pain. They took his appendix out this morning. He's in his 40s. I always thought that was a kid's condition, like, if it's going to go bad, it goes bad before you're 18. Apparently not.

Happened to a colleague of mine in his early thirties. He went home at lunchtime with a dodgy tummy. His wife called emergency services when she got home at sixish and he was appendixless by midnight. I hope you friend is doing ok.

 

[Sophia]

Happened to a colleague of mine in his early thirties. He went home at lunchtime with a dodgy tummy. His wife called emergency services when she got home at sixish and he was appendixless by midnight. I hope you friend is doing ok.

I also know a guy who got this in his late thirties.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Happened to a colleague of mine in his early thirties. He went home at lunchtime with a dodgy tummy. His wife called emergency services when she got home at sixish and he was appendixless by midnight. I hope you friend is doing ok.

He's doing fine. Probably get out tomorrow.

I googled and it seems it really is a kids condition, primarily affecting people between 9 and 25. The older you get the less likely it is you'll experience this.

http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs-wm/25845.pdf

The chart there doesn't even bother to go beyond 50.

 

[Ibix]

I had no idea of that - as far as I am aware my colleague is the only person I know who has had it and he had it at 30-something. That's the danger of small sample sizes and biased sampling, I guess.

 

[dlgoff]

I think I was just eat by a school of fish.

 

[DennisN]

Anyone up for some analysis?
LHC data at your fingertips (04/22/16)
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/lhc-data-at-your-fingertips

Today the CMS collaboration at CERN released more than 300 terabytes (TB) of high-quality open data. These include more than 100 TB of data from proton collisions at 7 TeV, making up half the data collected at the LHC by the CMS detector in 2011. This release follows a previous one from November 2014, which made available around 27 TB of research data collected in 2010.

The data are available on the CERN Open Data Portal and come in two types. The primary datasets are in the same format used by the collaboration to perform research. The derived datasets, on the other hand, require a lot less computing power and can be readily analyzed by university or high school students.

 

[OmCheeto]

Anyone up for some analysis?
LHC data at your fingertips (04/22/16)
http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/lhc-data-at-your-fingertips

hmmm... At my current internet speed, that will only take about 88 years to download.
Time for another upgrade I guess...

 

[Pepper Mint]

I just ate the whole mango served like this, wonderful!

 

[Pepper Mint]

I see a member on PF named Bradley and that reminds me of the author of "Teach yourself XXX in 24 hours.". I miss old days, if only Brad were also here.

 

[1oldman2]

The Higgs Boson walks into a church. The priest says we don't allow Higgs Bosons in here. The Higgs Boson says but without me how can you have mass?

 

[WWGD]

Interesting guy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Urschel

Plays in the NFL and is at the Math PHD program at MIT.

 

[zoobyshoe]

The Meyle Dimmer Relay contains no remanufactured components, and is designed to operate in either city or highway driving.

http://catalog.importrp.com/catalog-3/parttype/dimmer-relay/volkswagen/1972

The dimmer relay controls whether your high beams or low beams are on, so this claim: "is designed to operate in either city or highway driving" is as about as special as, say, Firestone, claiming your tires are designed to operate day or night, or Corning claiming your rearview mirror glass is designed to operate winter or summer.

Are anyone's dimmer relays designed to operate only in the city or only on the highway? Is there a name for this kind of vacuous boast?

 

[JorisL]

Are anyone's dimmer relays designed to operate only in the city or only on the highway? Is there a name for this kind of vacuous boast?

I'd call it politics, or bad product design if it matters whether you drive 50 km/h or 120 km/h.

 

[WWGD]

http://catalog.importrp.com/catalog-3/parttype/dimmer-relay/volkswagen/1972

The dimmer relay controls whether your high beams or low beams are on, so this claim: "is designed to operate in either city or highway driving" is as about as special as, say, Firestone, claiming your tires are designed to operate day or night, or Corning claiming your rearview mirror glass is designed to operate winter or summer.

Are anyone's dimmer relays designed to operate only in the city or only on the highway? Is there a name for this kind of vacuous boast?

Not a vacuous boast :). Now let me get back to my $5 bottle of fat-free, gluten-free water.

 

[WWGD]

Apparently there are no ATMs in the West Bank. Cheap bastards.

I found a fork on the road, picked it up (so I guess I took it). Thanks for the advice , Yogi ( close-enough, IMO).

 

[zoobyshoe]

I'd call it politics, or bad product design if it matters whether you drive 50 km/h or 120 km/h.

If you think about it, it would take a whole separate device to make your high/low beams sensitive to your speed. I can't think of a way for it to happen by accident or poor design.

Not a vacuous boast :). Now let me get back to my $5 bottle of fat-free, gluten-free water.

That's expensive. I hope it will hydrate you at both city and highway speeds.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Anyway, my left headlight was stuck on high and the right one was stuck on low. I pulled the dimmer relay off and shoved it back on again a couple times to clean off the contacts, and the right one started working again. I checked the spade connectors on the right headlight, and they were very, very tight. That wasn't the problem. Checking the connection of the right headlight to ground, however, revealed much rust. I sandpapered and wire brushed the crap out of all participants in this connection, and both the lights were suddenly about twice as bright, and both high/low beams now work perfectly.

 

[JorisL]

My body is a temple.
Too bad it's dedicated to Bacchus.

Also I think my coffee is broken, still sleepy.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

Also I think my coffee is broken, still sleepy.

What time zone are you in? For me, it says that you posted at 1:38 AM!

 

[JorisL]

GMT+1

It was 10:38AM but I was awake for 3 hours already, had a shower too.
Didn't sleep too long though (the joys of entertainment :D), about 6 hours tops

 

[WWGD]

GMT+1

It was 10:38AM but I was awake for 3 hours already, had a shower too.
Didn't sleep too long though (the joys of entertainment :D), about 6 hours tops

Ah, night Joris had the fun and screwed things up for morning Joris. It always happens.

 

[Rx7man]

My random thought for the day...

The Egyptians are heralded as such fantastic engineers... but seriously, is a stack of rocks that big a deal?
If they were THAT good at engineering, I'd have expected the pyramids to be built upside down.. now THAT would be impressive!

 

[zoobyshoe]

The other day I got bit by a mosquito. I now probably have zika virus.

It is really bad luck because, at any given time, there are only about 3 mosquitos in all of San Diego. It's too dry here for them. In the 30 years I've lived here, I've only seen about 5. Back east, you see about 5 a minute.

 

[OmCheeto]

The other day I got bit by a mosquito. I now probably have zika virus.

It is really bad luck because, at any given time, there are only about 3 mosquitos in all of San Diego. It's too dry here for them. In the 30 years I've lived here, I've only seen about 5. Back east, you see about 5 a minute.

My dad gave me a 3 day cruise up the Yukon river one year. At night we had to sleep under mosquito nets.
In the morning, I discovered that my hand had slipped out from underneath the net.
I counted over 100 bites.
Alaska has lots of mosquitos.
I never went back.

hmmmm... That was 41 years ago.

 

[zoobyshoe]

My dad gave me a 3 day cruise up the Yukon river one year. At night we had to sleep under mosquito nets.
In the morning, I discovered that my hand had slipped out from underneath the net.
I counted over 100 bites.
Alaska has lots of mosquitos.
I never went back.

hmmmm... That was 41 years ago.

I imagine Alaska has excellent mosquito environments all over the place. We had bad mosquitos where I grew up in New England, and also the scourge of little black flies, which are something like swarms of flying fleas.

My bite stopped itching, but there is a large red welt there now. I'm pretty sure it's zika. Dam basterd mosquitos. Vampires are never good news.

 

[OCR]

... also the scourge of little black flies, which are something like swarms of flying fleas.

Gnats ... maybe? We have them here, also.....

 

[WWGD]

I am walking in the streets and this guy approaches me and asks me: which way is East? I tell him. He says thanks, and starts heading South. I assume he chose a contrived way of figuring out which way is South : by knowing where the East is, where he could have plainly asked which way is South directly

 

[zoobyshoe]

Gnats ... maybe? We have them here, also.....

Black Fly. It's smaller than a mosquito and feeds on blood.

 

[OCR]

Black Fly. It's smaller than a mosquito and feeds on blood.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I am walking in the streets and this guy approaches me and asks me: which way is East? I tell him. He says thanks, and starts heading South. I assume he chose a contrived way of figuring out which way is South : by knowing where the East is, where he could have plainly asked which way is South directly

He just wanted to be oriented:

The foundation for all these words is the noun “orient,” first recorded in the works of Chaucer in the late 14th century. It originally meant a region situated to the east.

Thus, the verb “orient” (first recorded in 1728) originally meant “to place or arrange (a thing or a person) so as to face the east,” according to the OED.

The more general senses of the verb “orient”— including “to position or align (a structure, etc.) with, or in a particular way relative to, the points of the compass, or other specified points,” or “to turn towards a specified point or direction”—developed from the middle to the late 19th century.

http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/01/orientate.html

He could have asked directly for South, but that wouldn't have been as classical.

 

[fresh_42]

There are some people in the world who always cause me instantaneously to smile when I see them. The Dalai Lama and Chuck Berry are among them (for me). Does anyone else experience this effect?

 

[WWGD]

He just wanted to be oriented:

http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/01/orientate.html

He could have asked directly for South, but that wouldn't have been as classical.

Ah, maybe that is why the word orient (noun), oriental, etc. refer to the East

 

[Psinter]

I am walking in the streets and this guy approaches me and asks me: which way is East? I tell him. He says thanks, and starts heading South. I assume he chose a contrived way of figuring out which way is South : by knowing where the East is, where he could have plainly asked which way is South directly

Other funny situation. Someone asks you for directions for a place and you say:

Take a left on the third traffic light. Keep going forward and you will see to your left a big building. That's not the place you are looking for. Keep moving forward and you will see to your right an orange house. That's not the place you are looking for either... Keep moving forward...

Finally you will see a blue building... That's not the building you are looking for... It's the one besides it.

 

[WWGD]

Other funny situation. Someone asks you for directions for a place and you say:

Take a left on the third traffic light. Keep going forward and you will see to your left a big building. That's not the place you are looking for. Keep moving forward and you will see to your right an orange house. That's not the place you are looking for either... Keep moving forward...

Finally you will see a blue building... That's not the building you are looking for... It's the one besides it.

How about when someone asks you directions to a place right in front of where you are? I ask them to take a left four times and then turn right.

 

[Ibix]

How about when someone asks you directions to a place right in front of where you are? I ask them to take a left four times and then turn right.

I went to a conference once. One guy arrived a bit late and had forgotten to print the directions to the hotel. He got off the train, jumped into a cab and asked to be taken to the Railway Hotel. The clue is in the name, folks, and I gather that the cabbie's expression communicated that quite clearly...

 

[Psinter]

How about when someone asks you directions to a place right in front of where you are? I ask them to take a left four times and then turn right.

That's golden.
________________________________________________________________________

I think this is the funniest comment I've found to date in YouTube:

This comment section is sure to be full of well reasoned, rational responses and everyone will get along great.

You need to be positive, right?

 

[Ibix]

I think this is the funniest comment I've yet to find in YouTube:

This comment section is sure to be full of well reasoned, rational responses and everyone will get along great.

You need to be positive, right?

Were they discussing creationism or something controversial like cute cat videos?

 

[Psinter]

Were they discussing creationism or something controversial like cute cat videos?

No. It was a video of some girls stealing... I think... I don't know... I didn't really got what they were doing. The recording was of bad quality, it looked like someone on a phone moving it up and down. No stability to see if they were stealing or what they were doing.

 

[Pepper Mint]

No. It was a video of some girls stealing... I think... I don't know... I didn't really got what they were doing. The recording was of bad quality, it looked like someone on a phone moving it up and down. No stability to see if they were stealing or what they were doing.

Naughty girls! My mom would whip me to dead if I did something similar, or worse I might not be allowed to eat her yummy cheesy self-made hamburger for dinner.