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

[WWGD]

Was there only one waiter/waitress there at the time?

No waitresses around. You order your food on a screen , pick it up when it's ready, sit and eat it.

 

[berkeman]

Sounds like it's good to have somebody to talk to...

 

[pinball1970]

So they say... While this was probably true 30 years ago, I think in the US that is mostly ancient history. I struggle for recognition of my work at times too. If I don't stand up for myself, I get walked on. That has nothing to do with gender.

We had a young female engineer, 25 years old at the time, who often took over meetings with a bunch of gray-hair men. She asserted herself and people listened. She ended up being my assistant and I had the pleasure of working closely with her for two years. Everyone thought highly of her. But she didn't get recognition just because she was often right. She had to fight for it just like any man.

People try to take credit for my work too.

PS. I fell in love with my assistant but I was a good dog. She could tell and we had a wonderful personal and working relationship. I looked forward to working with her every day.

When I was younger, a lot younger we interviewed for a lab tech.

I was too busy (or not asked ) to be on the panel ,so I did not see any of the interviewees till they got a quick tour of the lab.

I only got a glimpse as I was busy but saw candidate 1. Fat bald guy 2. Pretty blond girl.

When I saw my boss I grabbed hold of her arm and said “get the blond! get the blond! get the blond!” Very professional- she saw the funny side.

Months later (she got the blond) and it turned she was quite fiery and opinionated, we went head-to-head a lot.

At lunch in the canteen, she came out with some stupid nonsense about looks, women or something implying she was stunningly beautiful.

I made a joke at her expense and everyone laughed so she looked right at me said, “Get the blond, get the blond, get the blond!”
My female boss sold me out without me knowing.

A slam dunk. I did kind of pull it back by congratulating her on winning the contest of attractiveness between her and a fat bald guy, however..

She thought on her feet

 

[jack action]

The first human-made object to break the sound barrier was a whip.

 

[WWGD]

#$@ StepTracker App keeps sending me notifications: You've taken too few steps today.

 

[WWGD]

History Channel built, then burst, my bubble. Some fun, interesting shows on food, branding, then back to: Ancient Aliens dreck.

 

[fresh_42]

We live in strange times. Carrington? Overdue! Yellowstone? Overdue! The Big One? Overdue!

 

[fresh_42]

They have a show on one channel here at night called Space Night where they show uncommented satellite pictures, or ISS pictures with some music, sometimes old Apollo shows, e.g. 13, and things like that. Tonight they show satellite pictures (before and after) from all over the world. The copyright marks are from the who-is-who of the sector: ESA, DLR, NASA and USGS, Google Earth.

Quite impressive, or should I say depressive? Especially the screenshots per year from 1986 until today. Glaciers, deserts, rain forests, farmland. Nice pictures, but what they show is dramatic.

 

[WWGD]

They have a show on one channel here at night called Space Night where they show uncommented satellite pictures, or ISS pictures with some music, sometimes old Apollo shows, e.g. 13, and things like that. Tonight they show satellite pictures (before and after) from all over the world. The copyright marks are from the who-is-who of the sector: ESA, DLR, NASA and USGS, Google Earth.

Quite impressive, or should I say depressive? Especially the screenshots per year from 1986 until today. Glaciers, deserts, rain forests, farmland. Nice pictures, but what they show is dramatic.

Dramatic you mean the disappearance of those landscapes?

 

[fresh_42]

Dramatic you mean the disappearance of those landscapes?

Yes. The slide shows, 1986 - 2020 for instance, are very telling.

 

[WWGD]

More Math impossibility results: Changes in my Uber passenger score.

 

[WWGD]

Not likely my command line app will ever work put.

 

[Tom.G]

Not likely my command line app will ever work put.

Gee... wonder why?

 

[nuuskur]

Sank my teeth into Baldur's Gate 3. Holy moly what a game! Packed full of content. Day 3 and I'm still only level 5 and discovering new things around the starting areas.

 

[WWGD]

Only game I really got into was ' Crusin World', much more low tech, a standard arcade game.
Kind of funny I would end up poring sweat while playing. People would often ask me, upon seeing this, whether I just came out of the rain.

 

[WWGD]

Wow,
NOT A JOKE:
A random , not so great event. I'm minding my business walking through a parking lot, and this 12-15 year old gets out of a car, starts shouting at me, threatening to beat me up. I ignore him at first, but he keeps coming at me, threatening me further. I rush towards a fast food place , while he comes in, still shouting, inviting me to fight. While inside, I ask him to throw the first punch, after which I said I'd kill him. I just want to make sure if a fight has to happen, that witnesses are available to testify of the other party starting the fight, throwing the first punch.

He ultimately left, his mom( I didnt know she , anyone else, was in the car)coming after him. It took me like 10 minutes to get it together.

I'm together enough to understand that any police record will essentially ruin any good thing that may happen in my future.

Phew!!!

 

[berkeman]

this 12-15 year old gets out of a car, starts shouting at me, threatening to beat me up. I ignore him at first, but he keeps coming at me, threatening me further. I rush towards a fast food place , while he comes in, still shouting, inviting me to fight. While inside, I ask him to throw the first punch, after which I said I'd kill him.

I'm very glad that you are okay. You did the right thing trying to get away, and especially get away to a neutral public place with witnesses and hopefully cameras running. I don't recommend threatening to kill him as part of defending yourself, though. That won't diffuse the situation in most circumstances.

Crazies sometimes carry guns and don't give a crap about using them. So even if you are legally CCW or exposed carry, they can still beat you to the draw and get the first shot in. Not good.

A better strategy IMO (easy for me to say from my couch) is to call 911 and ask others in the place to also call 911 and take pictures and video of your assailant. That should hopefully do a better job of detering further aggression by them, and will at least get emergency services headed your way.

He ultimately left, his mom( I didnt know she , anyone else, was in the car)coming after him.

That's a good time to keep taking pictures, especially of their vehicles and license plates. It soulds like this juvenille had some issues going on (maybe delerium or schizophrenia, which he is in the right age group for), and it would be best if law enforcement and mental health services could contact him and his mom.

 

[WWGD]

Just mov

I'm very glad that you are okay. You did the right thing trying to get away, and especially get away to a neutral public place with witnesses and hopefully cameras running. I don't recommend threatening to kill him as part of defending yourself, though. That won't diffuse the situation in most circumstances.

Crazies sometimes carry guns and don't give a crap about using them. So even if you are legally CCW or exposed carry, they can still beat you to the draw and get the first shot in. Not good.

A better strategy IMO (ease for me to say from my couch) is to call 911 and ask others in the place to also call 911 and take pictures and video of your assailant. That should hopefully do a better job of detering further aggression by them, and will at least get emergency services headed your way.That's a good time to keep taking pictures, especially of their vehicles and license plates. It soulds like this juvenille had some issues going on (maybe delerium or schizophrenia, which he is in the right age group for), and it would be best if law enforcement and mental health services could contact him and his mom.

Yes, it was my reptilian brain in fight-flight mode.

Fortunately, a minimally-rational " angel", reminded me that if I have a criminal record, I'll have a steep climb in getting back to normalcy, let alone thriving.

 

[berkeman]

Yes, it was my reptilian brain in fight-flight mode.

That's never happened to me. Nope. Never.

 

[fresh_42]

Just mov

Yes, it was my reptilian brain in fight-flight mode.

Fortunately, a minimally-rational " angel", reminded me that if I have a criminal record, I'll have a steep climb in getting back to normalcy, let alone thriving.

My preferred strategy for such situations is language. I can talk in a language that those people can barely follow. And the more aggressive they get, the more elaborated is my language. The plan is to pull the battle on my ground, not theirs. Maybe German is especially suited for such a strategy. We can build really complicated long sentences with really rarely-used words. And it is so much more satisfying than simply saying "Shut up, idiot". I like the desperation in their eyes when they try to follow my words.

 

[WWGD]

My preferred strategy for such situations is language. I can talk in a language that those people can barely follow. And the more aggressive they get, the more elaborated is my language. The plan is to pull the battle on my ground, not theirs. Maybe German is especially suited for such a strategy. We can build really complicated long sentences with really rarely-used words. And it is so much more satisfying than simply saying "Shut up, idiot". I like the desperation in their eyes when they try to follow my words.

Agreed. I was in tunnel-vision mode. Rest of the world faded away.

 

[fresh_42]

Agreed. I was in tunnel-vision mode. Rest of the world faded away.

I know what you mean. F63.

 

[WWGD]

I know what you mean. F63.

F63. Chess through RT?

 

[fresh_42]

F63. Chess through RT?

No. ICD-10 code for impulse control disorder. In case you need an excuse.

 

[WWGD]

How about they tell me they're closing in 15 minutes _ before_ I order my drink/food? Not _after_ I've sat down with it.

 

[fresh_42]

How about they tell me they're closing in 15 minutes _ before_ I order my drink/food? Not after I've sat down with it.

This is similar to annoying me by telling me to wait at the MacDonald's Drive-Through when I order a Fish-Mac. Can't they say this beforehand? I mean, if I wanted to wait, I would have gone for real food somewhere else!

 

[WWGD]

Though unless the place has takeout, that means the last 15-20 minutes of the shift are dead. Or maybe used to close down.

 

[fresh_42]

Though unless the place has takeout, that means the last 15-20 minutes of the shift are dead. Or maybe used to close down.

Hawaii shift: "Get out but leave your money!"

 

[berkeman]

Important Public Service Announcement (PSA):

When you need to break into your vehicle to save your baby from the heat (after you mistakenly locked them in the vehicle), it's best to break a side window instead of trying to break the front windshield. The windshield is highly reinforced, so what takes dozens of blows to break the windshield, takes only one to break the side window. FYI, dad.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/24/texas-father-smashes-windshield-to-save-baby-from-hot-car/

 

[WWGD]

Would be great if a digital version of ( analog) phones existed. What do you do if your phone breaks down or get lost away from home?