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

[Haborix]

I prefer to only discuss deadlines with Europeans when they occur on or after the 13th day of the month.

 

[fresh_42]

I have read dozens of times people mocking that man in math schoolbooks who buys 57 water melons, but never seen anybody be surprised by things like that:

 

[Ibix]

Is that a typo, or is that what you're actually supposed to prove?

I have to say I've never seen the 57 melons thing in the wild. Although somebody on here (I think - my search is failing me) did ask a question about a 1.5g diamond falling out of a ring in the swimming pool, which posters noted was worth in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

 

[fresh_42]

Is that a typo, or is that what you're actually supposed to prove?

No, typo. Screenshot from SE.

I have to say I've never seen the 57 melons thing in the wild.

Or similar strange exercises. E.g., "Three men are digging a hole in three days. How long do six men need?" As if they were faster!

 

[Ibix]

Slightly related, a topic that always puzzles me is how difficult people find simple order of operations problems. If I say I have three 10p coins and four 20p coins everybody will agree I have £1.10, give or take arithmetic slips. As soon as I write 3 × 10 + 4 × 20 a sizeable minority will start moaning how they can't understand why the answer isn't £6.80.

 

[ProfuselyQuarky]

iOS 17 is so trash I hate it

 

[BillTre]

iOS 17 is so trash I hate it

So, don't use it!

 

[pinball1970]

One of the first American guys I met in Manchester was in 1990. A funny smart as hell lad. Lovely guy. From NY but I think he wanted to eventually live in Tel Aviv. I thought of him this week.

 

[WWGD]

Why do they send me a document to sign assuming I have a digital pen? My pc doesn't have one!!

 

[fresh_42]

It took exactly one month between the assassination and the Austrian declaration of war in 1914. Just saying.

 

[Borg]

I retired from my company and started working for another company. My old company has been giving my contact info to various companies like life and health insurance companies. Fortunately, I don't need either but the plans that they're offering are an insult. For example, the health insurance plan that they offered is twice what it would cost me if I purchased it directly from the health insurance company. I found out quite some time ago that they were charging employees based on their salary. I guess that extends into retirement as well.

I have seen similar things in health insurance before. One time when I was picking up a prescription, the price seemed pretty high even though I had insurance. I decided to ask the pharmacist how much it was without insurance and it was actually cheaper. Buyer beware.

 

[gmax137]

I found out quite some time ago that they were charging employees based on their salary.

That's how it was where I worked. Each option (single, married, with kids) was a certain percent of monthly base pay. It really didn't bother me that I was paying more in dollars than some others.

 

[fresh_42]

That was close in Paris.

 

[WWGD]

So now examples in Wiki pages are abstract, sort of the same as the body, only are called examples.

 

[gmax137]

Post 11,025 in the aptly named Random Thoughts thread.

 

[WWGD]

Post 11,025 in the aptly named Random Thoughts thread.

Though, arguably non-random, $11025=105^2$

 

[Borg]

That's how it was where I worked. Each option (single, married, with kids) was a certain percent of monthly base pay. It really didn't bother me that I was paying more in dollars than some others.

Paying more is one thing. Paying twice what it costs to get it directly from the insurance company itself is just plain theft.

 

[gmax137]

Twice the price does seem unreasonable. I think US health insurance rates are as non-intuitive as airline fares. Maybe the employee demographics are skewing the company rates?

If you are eligible for Medicare you should look into the plans available in your location.

 

[Borg]

I'm covered under my wife's insurance for a reasonable amount which is why I don't need coverage from my previous employer. I'll eventually be required to sign up for Medicare but not yet. I'm sure that will be loads of fun to navigate, when the time comes.

 

[gmax137]

I'm sure that will be loads of fun to navigate

When the time comes (about 64 1/2) find a local broker, they charge the providers so it's free to you. When I did this, I got a clear explanation of everything I needed to know in about an hour. The brokers spend all their time explaining the ins and outs, so they're very good at it. At least that's my anecdote, lol.

 

[WWGD]

Why are so many recently leaving me 8-second-or-less voice messages in WhatsApp? Wouldn't that take fewer than 6 words or so?

 

[Tom.G]

Talking is less time-consuming that typing -- and more natural.

 

[WWGD]

Talking is less time-consuming that typing -- and more natural.

For the one sending the message; kind of awkward for the recipient, often.
Edit: For messages that are 8 seconds or less?

 

[Borg]

Got the Covid booster yesterday. So tired today...

 

[WWGD]

Confusing motto: " 90% of startups fail. We can improve that". You mean, like having 100% of startups fail?

 

[gmax137]

"We're not happy until you're not happy!"

 

[WWGD]

"We're not happy until you're not happy!"

My memory's still fresh on the " Ship your pants" ad. Maybe it was intentional.

 

[Ibix]

Got the Covid booster yesterday. So tired today...

Hope you're feeling better.

I had my first jab at 9.30am and worked from home. My last meeting ended at 2.45 and I was fine apart from a sore arm. When my wife came to say she was off on the school run at 3.15 she found I had literally fallen asleep in front of my computer. Then I was good for nothing for 24 hours, then fine again.

 

[berkeman]

she found I had literally fallen asleep in front of my computer. Then I was good for nothing

That's not very nice of her to call you names like that...

 

[WWGD]

Fundamental Theorem of IT: At most 3 weeks after you do away with an old cable, device, you will needed again, and won't be able to find a viable replacement.
Now, let me see how I can transfer from that external Seagate drive....