What is the newest installment of 'Random Thoughts' on Physics Forums?

[berkeman]

I actually knew Robby Steinhardt.

Thank you Don. That was a very enjoyable music video

I found it interesting that the drummer was playing his drum set with his hands instead of his drumsticks, to accent the violin and lead guitar and the initial vocals. I never knew that about this song by them.

 

[dlgoff]

the violin

Robby learned to play the violin at the University of Kansas. His dad was a music professor. I played in a small country band for a while and Robby would sometimes attend and set in the back with me and my drums.

 

[WWGD]

I actually knew Robby Steinhardt.

​

see PF post: https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...suring-things-etc.755959/page-13#post-6196375

I try to stay away from alcohol, guns if I know the song will play while I'm around. Ditto for much of Nirvana 's music. Specially in Winter.
But do carry on with the topic, son. There will be peace. Or, if I'm eating my salad, peas. Peace.

 

[WWGD]

So the latest generation is called Z. What generation comes next, given there's no Z? Is that an omen?

 

[WWGD]

So the latest generation is called Z. What generation comes next, given there's no Z? Is that an omen?

Mistake: given there's no letter in the alphabet after Z.

 

[kyphysics]

So, here's a question:

What does it mean to "carry a balance on your credit card"?

When I read the news and it shows statistics that say something like:

"x-% of Americans carry a balance on their credit cards..." Is that saying they use their credit cards and don't fully pay off the balance when due (thus accruing interest payments) or that they simply used them and had a balance at SOME POINT, but maybe or maybe did not pay it off fully?

 

[berkeman]

Is that saying they use their credit cards and don't fully pay off the balance when due (thus accruing interest payments)

Yes. The amount of the balance may change a bit from month-to-month depending on how much the cardholder can pay each month and how much they purchase, but it means that they have a habit of not paying the whole thing off each month. It's a bit of a trap when you get in too much debt with the card where it's not possible to pay it all off in any month.

 

[kyphysics]

Yes. The amount of the balance may change a bit from month-to-month depending on how much the cardholder can pay each month and how much they purchase, but it means that they have a habit of not paying the whole thing off each month. It's a bit of a trap when you get in too much debt with the card where it's not possible to pay it all off in any month.

Thanks. That makes sense. Always wondered about what it meant, b/c the way it's worded, it could have meant one of two things: just using + paying off entirely...or using and NOT being able to pay off entirely.

With that in mind, here is an interesting stat:

Most Americans have some credit card debt. A recent GOBankingRates survey found that 30% of Americans have between $1,001 and $5,000 in credit card debt, 15% have $5,001 or more in credit card debt and about 6% have more than $10,000 in credit card debt. Although 6% may seem like a small amount, that means that based on the survey results, 14 million Americans have over $10,000 of credit card debt.

https://www.yahoo.com/video/jaw-dropping-stats-state-credit-130022967.html

 

[berkeman]

BTW, I believe that paying off your credit card every month fully does not help your "credit score" as much as letting a small/medium balance build up over a couple months and then paying it off and doing that again [reference needed]. It kind of makes sense, but I never researched it much.

Also, once I was finally able to get rid of a lingering (small) debt on my credit card, I made it a goal to always pay off my cards. That was decades ago.

 

[kyphysics]

BTW, I believe that paying off your credit card every month fully does not help your "credit score" as much as letting a small/medium balance build up over a couple months and then paying it off and doing that again [reference needed]. It kind of makes sense, but I never researched it much.

Also, once I was finally able to get rid of a lingering (small) debt on my credit card, I made it a goal to always pay off my cards. That was decades ago.

This is a good debate question.

The FIRST thing my banker told me when getting a credit card at Wells Fargo was that it'd help me build my credit score in this way. . .But, I've read headlines saying it's a myth. Never looked into much either.

 

[ergospherical]

I withhold - there’s few moment in life which feel as good as when a girl asks you to open a jar of pickles for her. In those few seconds, you’re freaking 1974-era Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

[berkeman]

you’re freaking 1974-era Arnold Schwarzenegger

And always keep the "breaking the jar's vacuum seal" tricks in your back pocket. Important manly tutoring going on here...

 

[WWGD]

Arnold mentioned that when playing "Omlette": To be or not to be.

 

[WWGD]

So I turn my Android phone on, access the web. 5 minutes later I have 99 tabs opened , not one by myself.

 

[WWGD]

Ok, an hour after hearing it, I translated "Buffalo, Buffalo at work" to "Buffer Overflow". Life makes ( a bit
) more sense now.

 

[russ_watters]

BTW, I believe that paying off your credit card every month fully does not help your "credit score" as much as letting a small/medium balance build up over a couple months and then paying it off and doing that again [reference needed]. It kind of makes sense, but I never researched it much.

Google tells me that's a common/persistent myth:
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/credit-score-does-carrying-a-balance-help

...helps the credit card companies profit though.

 

[kyphysics]

Is "superficially charming" a redundant saying?

I was under the impression all charm is by nature just an outward aesthetic and thus "superficial." Why do some people qualify the word charm with "superficial," as that would seem obvious. Or, is there such a thing as being "genuinely" charming?

*wonders*

 

[WWGD]

Is "superficially charming" a redundant saying?

I was under the impression all charm is by nature just an outward aesthetic and thus "superficial." Why do some people qualify the word charm with "superficial," as that would seem obvious. Or, is there such a thing as being "genuinely" charming?

*wonders*

I'd say charm is an " emergent property", made out of other " subproperties" combined in the right way. Sort of like the " wetness" of water. Or, a better analogy, in the area of psychology, like charisma.

 

[WWGD]

I'd say charm is an " emergent property", made out of other " subproperties" combined in the right way. Sort of like the " wetness" of water. Or, a better analogy, in the area of psychology, like charisma.

Sort of brainstorming, not a finished idea ( obviously , still half-baked).

 

[kyphysics]

I'd say charm is an " emergent property", made out of other " subproperties" combined in the right way. Sort of like the " wetness" of water. Or, a better analogy, in the area of psychology, like charisma.

Sort of brainstorming, not a finished idea ( obviously , still half-baked).

Yeah, keep going...very interesting!

 

[Mayhem]

C is hard.

 

[ergospherical]

I feel like this is the worst possible time of year to catch feelings for someone all over again! Got exams in like a month and haven’t done a single hour of work during the past week. Priorities are in order.

 

[skyshrimp]

I want to dive into learning the Unreal Engine 5 game engine to produce VR experiences I want to realize, but time is money. It's like having your own Star Trek holodeck to create with.

 

[WWGD]

Can't understand why boneless ribs are cheaper than " boneful"/regular ones at the Chinese take out. Id assume it takes extra work, processing, to remove bones, and total meat weight seemed roughly equal.

And in my days, an acid and a base would react. I mixed up baking soda and distilled vinegar to no effect. I used to use the mixture as a house cleaner.

 

[WWGD]

@Kidphysics: Sorry, lost track of my thoughts re our last exchange here on RT last Friday on Charisma, etc. Will get back to you if I have some new ideas.

 

[martinbn]

Can't understand why boneless ribs are cheaper than " boneful"/regular ones at the Chinese take out. Id assume it takes extra work, processing, to remove bones, and total meat weight seemed roughly equal.

Prices are determined by the supply/demand.

 

[Borg]

Prices are determined by the supply/demand.

And quality of the product. When you have ribs with bones, the meat is attached to the bone so you know where it came from. With boneless products, you're often getting compressed meat scraps that are called boneless so that you think of them as something that they never were.

Which makes me glad that Buffalo Wings aren't real. Who wants to clean their car after an overflight of buffalos?

 

[WWGD]

And quality of the product. When you have ribs with bones, the meat is attached to the bone so you know where it came from. With boneless products, you're often getting compressed meat scraps that are called boneless so that you think of them as something that they never were.

Which makes me glad that Buffalo Wings aren't real. Who wants to clean their car after an overflight of buffalos?

I remember though, seeing regular mozzarella logs being cheaper than the sliced ones, despite being otherwise identical ingredient-wise. As of some were willing to pay extra to have their cheese sliced.

 

[Hamiltonian]

Was out for a jog today, and saw a man literally walking backwards! he either has severe OCD or was dared to do so(although he was probably in his late 40's so that's a little improbable).

 

[WWGD]

Was out for a jog today, and saw a man literally walking backwards! he either has severe OCD or was dared to do so(although he was probably in his late 40's so that's a little improbable).

I heard he tried to convince all others that _they_ were the ones walking backwards. Mumble, mumble, my frame of reference.

 

[WWGD]

Don't know if the question is meaningful but in space-time , does time have to be the fourth coordinate, or could it be the 1st or otherwise? Or are the first 3 reserved to describe standard Euclidean space?

 

[kyphysics]

I love Panera's salads, but gosh darn, that "Would you like to add a tip?" thing on their credit card machine is starting to anger me.

The employees sit there and watch you put in yes or no...I feel guilty/cheap/embarrassed if I say no.

I usually add $1...it won't kill me and I don't feel ashamed...recently, I've declined (inflation is getting to me) and feel weird/embarrassed...

I wish they didn't have it on there and used their tip jar (which I sometimes put loose change in) only. The tip jar puts less pressure on us.

 

[Borg]

Don't know if the question is meaningful but in space-time , does time have to be the fourth coordinate, or could it be the 1st or otherwise? Or are the first 3 reserved to describe standard Euclidean space?

I like to randomly assign them. Sometimes it causes me to walk backwards.

 

[Ibix]

Don't know if the question is meaningful but in space-time , does time have to be the fourth coordinate, or could it be the 1st or otherwise? Or are the first 3 reserved to describe standard Euclidean space?

Usually it's the zeroth coordinate. It's fairly common to need only one or two spatial coordinates (motion in a line or a plane) but you almost always need a time coordinate, and making it the zeroth coordinate means it doesn't change number or leave a gap in the numbering when you're ignoring a dimension or two. But it's only a convention, and not a universal one. And not all coordinate systems use a timelike basis vector at all, so you don't even have to have a real "time" coordinate if you don't want to.

 

[WWGD]

I love Panera's salads, but gosh darn, that "Would you like to add a tip?" thing on their credit card machine is starting to anger me.

The employees sit there and watch you put in yes or no...I feel guilty/cheap/embarrassed if I say no.

I usually add $1...it won't kill me and I don't feel ashamed...recently, I've declined (inflation is getting to me) and feel weird/embarrassed...

I wish they didn't have it on there and used their tip jar (which I sometimes put loose change in) only. The tip jar puts less pressure on us.

I stopped using my tip jar when teaching/adjuncting. " Not Allowed ", " Are you Insane?" Yada, Yada.

 

[Oldman too]

So I turn my Android phone on, access the web. 5 minutes later I have 99 tabs opened , not one by myself.

I hate my android...

 

[WWGD]

C is hard.

Wait till you see the rest of the alphabet! ;).

 

[Oldman too]

And it brings about...Dust in the Wind. All it is Dust in the Wind.

Leftoverture... It was perfect for 8-track, you could listen to it endlessly.

 

[Oldman too]

Mistake: given there's no letter in the alphabet after Z.

Why limit oneself to only one alphabet? https://omniglot.com/conscripts/fictional.htm
This is an amusing site, The Tolkien tab is great fun also but my favorite just might be https://omniglot.com/conscripts/futurama.htm

 

[Oldman too]

This will be a life changing event for a lot of folks.
https://gizmodo.com/netflix-is-finally-cutting-you-off-from-your-exs-uncles-1848814721

 

[ergospherical]

Do you ever find that you drink to take the edge off certain occasions, but then end up with a hangover-fuelled, slightly uncomfortable/anxious feeling the next day which makes you want to drink more alcohol so that you're not as moody?

 

[WWGD]

This Chinese highway looks nightmarish

 

[Oldman too]

Kind of a random conversation point but I've been curious about India's "accidental launch" last month. Funny how those things just take off and follow flight coordinates, launch code included.
I've been waiting for information to come out but nothing new, anyone come across recent news on this?
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/asia/india-pakistan-missile-intl-hnk/index.html
https://www.orfonline.org/research/the-many-unanswered-questions-about-indias-missile-accident/

The most recent piece https://fas.org/blogs/security/2022/04/flying-under-the-radar-a-missile-accident-in-south-asia/ Doesn't really mention anything new.

 

[WWGD]

Meetings: Where minutes are kept, while hours are wasted.

 

[fresh_42]

Meetings: Where minutes are kept, while hours are wasted.

You could still play bullmanure bingo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzzword_bingo

 

[WWGD]

' Spalt' is just ' Spelt' but Missspellt.

 

[LCSphysicist]

I should move near to university, having 4 hours to sleep is not being effective. Appart from that, i have noticed that the deprivation of sleep makes me feel really strange, first is sleepy obviously, but the second behaviour is really interesting: I can't help moving myself (like when i am waiting the train i need to walk there -> and return <- there -> and return -<), or i am always rubbing my hands or rubbing my hands at my face. It reminds me the behaviour of a cocaine's addictive person!

 

[WWGD]

I should move near to university, having 4 hours to sleep is not being effective. Appart from that, i have noticed that the deprivation of sleep makes me feel really strange, first is sleepy obviously, but the second behaviour is really interesting: I can't help moving myself (like when i am waiting the train i need to walk there -> and return <- there -> and return -<), or i am always rubbing my hands or rubbing my hands at my face. It reminds me the behaviour of a cocaine's addictive person!

Can't you get on-campus housing? Or rent a room, if apartments are too expensive? IIRC, people who live close to campus do better by most accounts than those who don't.

 

[Oldman too]

' Spalt' is just ' Spelt' but Missspellt.

That was great fun to track down. Was looking for the connection between Triticum spelta synonym T. aestivum spelta and https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spalt.
Then I find,

It all makes perfect sense. I'd like to add that I've never seen misspell so artfully misspelled in my life, well done.

 

[Oldman too]

It reminds me the behavior of a cocaine's addictive person!

Are you familiar with chronic sleep deprivation and the lack of deep sleep?
@WWGD has some very good points.