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

[Klystron]

A new exposition in German art, maybe some would like it: "Welcome to Bauhaus, you can take control now..." At least that is what Flo' said.[snip]

Pardon me for not watching the vid but I recognize the allusion. The singer might be paraphrasing writer Tom Wolfe
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312429142/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I have an old (1981) copy of "From Our House to Bauhaus". Wolfe really nailed modern architects. Leaving off cornices and rain gutters on square block concrete buildings to conform to Bauhaus school orthodoxy leads to ugly streaks in wet weather.

 

[WWGD]

Pardon me for not watching the vid but I recognize the allusion. The singer might be paraphrasing writer Tom Wolfe
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312429142/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I have an old (1981) copy of "From Our House to Bauhaus". Wolfe really nailed modern architects. Leaving off cornices and rain gutters on square block concrete buildings to conform to Bauhaus school orthodoxy leads to ugly streaks in wet weather.

My only real issue in architecture, of which I know very little , is not having too many older buildings ( city stuck in the past) nor too many new ones ( no history, character). And I don't really like parks that much. When I tell people this, they react as if I had said I like to kick puppies or something; it seems to be a taboo of some sort.

 

[WWGD]

My only real issue in architecture, of which I know very little , is not having too many older buildings ( city stuck in the past) nor too many new ones ( no history, character). And I don't really like parks that much. When I tell people this, they react as if I had said I like to kick puppies or something; it seems to be a taboo of some sort.

Actually, I have done a bit of reading on urban design, though maybe not unbiased: the book " The Geography of Nowhere" , referring to current suburban construction and other books on "New Modernism" , both of which included some content on architecture and general design of living environments; the city, suburbs. But my knowledge doe not go too far beyond this.

 

[Klystron]

Actually, I have done a bit of reading on urban design, though maybe not unbiased: the book " The Geography of Nowhere" , referring to current suburban construction and other books on "New Modernism" , both of which included some content on architecture and general design of living environments; the city, suburbs. But my knowledge doe not go too far beyond this.

You 'hit the nail on the head' and other building metaphors. Paraphrasing Wolf's point "We live in buildings, but rarely question architectural designs". (Old Tom wrote about and lived among rich and privileged who regularly hire architects.)

I took urban planning courses to meet breadth requirements at university. We inspected several sites in San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge, yes, but otherwise simple buildings that emphasized the instructor's syllabus such as a tiny 9th Avenue bakery with black and white tile facade. My conclusion is that urban design rarely appeals to aesthetics but attempts to solve engineering problems.

 

[WWGD]

You 'hit the nail on the head' and other building metaphors. Paraphrasing Wolf's point "We live in buildings, but rarely question architectural designs". (Old Tom wrote about and lived among rich and privileged who regularly hire architects.)

I took urban planning courses to meet breadth requirements at university. We inspected several sites in San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge, yes, but otherwise simple buildings that emphasized the instructor's syllabus such as a tiny 9th Avenue bakery with black and white tile facade. My conclusion is that urban design rarely appeals to aesthetics but attempts to solve engineering problems.

Re engineering problems: same goes for road design. Other than cost, the only constraint is that of maximizing the flow rate of cars, never mind aesthetics, let alone pedestrian safety. Notice the smoothness of the curb as you make a turn ( rather than having roads intersect at right angles). It allows cars to turn at high speeds, endangering pedestrians trying to cross the street. If roads met at right angles, cars would be forced to slow down before turning. Cars over people. That's part of why I try to avoid the 'burbs.

 

[WWGD]

Dude, no. Not taboo, so much as shock; that an otherwise erudite citizen forgoes enjoying what to many is the best feature of the landscape.

Well, I don't fislike nature, I just prefer it blending in with the city, as in ttee-lined streets. I just lived a sedate life for a while and I now prefer human activity over quiet nature. And I respect nature enough to not go in hikes because I am not very knowledgeable on potential problems. Maybe I am being too cautious and I am missing out though.

 

[fresh_42]

I now prefer human activity over quiet nature.

You would like European parks in hot summers. And now that the US army is gone, we even do not have low and slow flying hueys anymore.

 

[WWGD]

There is this organization whose abbreviation I kept using even before I knew the org existed:

Our Future Our Choice : OFOC

 

[WWGD]

Wow, this woman said she was studying archaeology ; not sure if a class or her degree. What kind of field work do they do, dumpster diving? Most likely I misunderstood, I guess.

 

[WWGD]

OK, 7:30, waiting in line for coffee. Tourist guy from who knows where asking for something. Apparently all he knows to say is " No, other" , like 10 times. Poor Barista does not know how to say anything in Bachi-Bazuk. Then it is hand-signing: what's that? Bunt and steal second? Croissant? No, Pumpkin slice.
8:10, I end up getting my coffee.

 

[nuuskur]

Fundamental theorem of engineering: $\pi = e = 3 = 2$ roughly.

 

[WWGD]

Fundamental theorem of engineering: $\pi = e = 3 = 2$ roughly.

I had a snob Math Stats prof. you said that an engineer is someone who believes infinity starts at n=30 ( Central Limit Theorem, etc.). Bet he never had to take a 17 credit load or do heavy EE or else.

 

[WWGD]

A kind of weird angle. I overheard this exchange:
" You know how old people are".
I replied:
No, how old are they?

 

[cosmik debris]

Fundamental theorem of engineering: $\pi = e = 3 = 2$ roughly.

Yes, and the popular: 1 + 1 = 3, for large values of 1.

Cheers

 

[WWGD]

Still trying to control my promiscuous PC mouse that latches/clicks onto everything when someone farts in Western China.
I went over the mouse sensitivity, but no change in sight.

 

[fresh_42]

Still trying to control my promiscuous PC mouse that latches/clicks onto everything when someone farts in Western China.
I went over the mouse sensitivity, but no change in sight.

Optical (sensor failure), wireless (batteries), or ball (dirt)? It could as well be the browser, at least I had this error. A restart of the browser did it.

 

[WWGD]

Optical (sensor failure), wireless (batteries), or ball (dirt)? It could as well be the browser, at least I had this error. A restart of the browser did it.

A 'hand' or sliding mouse. Thanks a lot, I guess you took a deep breath and my SQL Server opened up and even somehow ran a query. I told you it was promiscuous.

 

[WWGD]

I am still trying to push for March 16: 3.16 as Square Root 10 day. Better approx than 3.14 for Pi day. But , to be honest, then we would have to celebrate 2.23 as Square root 5 day, etc.

 

[fresh_42]

It's no better approximation, but anyway, only 5.25 counts.

 

[WWGD]

It's no better approximation, but anyway, only 5.25 counts.

$| 3.14 - \pi| > | 3.16 - \sqrt10|$. Not sure of what you mean with the 5.25, unless you mean that $5^2=25$, which seems to trivialize the issue, since then $1^2=1$, etc.

 

[fresh_42]

$| 3.14 - \pi| > | 3.16 - \sqrt10|$. Not sure of what you mean with the 5.25, unless you mean that $5^2=25$, which seems to trivialize the issue, since then $1^2=1$, etc.

$0.00159265 \approx | 3.14 - \pi| \ngeq | 3.16 - \sqrt{10}| \approx 0.00227766$

I meant May, 25th, of course!

 

[WWGD]

$0.00159265 \approx | 3.14 - \pi| \ngeq | 3.16 - \sqrt{10}| \approx 0.00227766$

I meant May, 25th, of course!

Ok, my bad. Then I can still tell the lie that my great-great-great-great grandfather ( who was really my great-great-great grandfather, but he was really great) was born on March 14 1592 : 3.141592. And for that matter you than have 1/1, 2/4, 3/9, 4/16 and 3/9/690000 = (6/3/00)^2

 

[WWGD]

I have recently heard of a lot of cats' health being damaged because their owners try to "inflict" their vegetarianism on the cats. Cats have evolved as carnivores and seem to need nutrients from meat.

 

[Ibix]

I have recently heard of a lot of cats' health being damaged because their owners try to "inflict" their vegetarianism on the cats. Cats have evolved as carnivores and seem to need nutrients from meat.

 

[WWGD]

No Tofu for me either. The closest I get to Veg is Indian food. Since I can't afford it, I will stick to meat, chicken. I never feel full -enough eating vegetarian.

 

[fresh_42]

The beef industry is already working on meat that tastes like tofu to attack the vegetarian market.

 

[WWGD]

The beef industry is already working on meat that tastes like tofu to attack the vegetarian market.

...And destroy the meat-eating market, unless they don't sub in and keep the meat. The thing, AFAIK.s that it is essentially impossible to make controlled studies in nutrition. For one, how to make sure participants are sticking to the diet. That is just one of the issues: how to make sure the diet is the main factor affecting the variable in question.

 

[WWGD]

(Sorry, I had to)
Meat Cat-astrophe?

 

[WWGD]

This guy Sugar Ray has a song " " I just want to Fly"


I have trouble absorbing how someone can become so passionate about catching a fly, but I guess to each their own.

 

[WWGD]

The beef industry is already working on meat that tastes like tofu to attack the vegetarian market.

Can we agree that areal sausage should be either beef or pig? I ate a sausage with parts of chicken, pork, and might as well have chewed on a piece of rubber; lacking consistency.

 

[fresh_42]

Can we agree that areal sausage should be either beef or pig? I ate a sausage with parts of chicken, pork, and might as well have chewed on a piece of rubber; lacking consistency.

As a compromise, yes. I would have added donkey for the sake of traditional salamis, but beef and pig is definitely o.k.

They have a lot of sausages from turkey here in the supermarkets, but I always thought that they are especially for the turkeys, which we also have a lot. But strangely enough, I never actually saw a turkey on a farm.

 

[WWGD]

As a compromise, yes. I would have added donkey for the sake of traditional salamis, but beef and pig is definitely o.k.

They have a lot of sausages from turkey here in the supermarkets, but I always thought that they are especially for the turkeys, which we also have a lot. But strangely enough, I never actually saw a turkey on a farm.

From Turkey or made of Turkey ( take a piece of dust , import it from Istanbul)? I know some Turkish people are upset because the name of their country is used for some food. Maybe they can counter and name turkeys "US' in their country: I want a US sandwich! Sorry to kid, your English is $\infty$ better than my (10-word) German.

 

[WWGD]

But the more surreal part was last year when , during Thanksgiving apparently Turkey* attacked a plane. ??!

*Country? /Animal?

 

[fresh_42]

The turkey sausages are made from not in turkey, but I cannot imagine a native buying it, at least not the real natives. Modern women certainly do. For me it is with turkey for turkeys.

I know some Turkish people are upset because the name of their country is used for some food.

Do not send them over here, since we use the word for something even less pleasant: "etwas türken" = to "turk" something = to fake something. Hmm, fits to the sausages ... but the origin was another:

During the opening ceremony of the Kiel Canal in 1895 the orchestra played the national anthems of the countries of the various ships which came to the ceremony. Unfortunately, the orchestra didn't have the notes for the Turkish hymn, so they played Mozart's "Alla Turca" (KV 331) instead. They faked the anthem, and the word became a synonym since then.

 

[WWGD]

The turkey sausages are made from not in turkey, but I cannot imagine a native buying it, at least not the real natives. Modern women certainly do. For me it is with turkey for turkeys.

.

With turkey for turkey by turkeys in US constitution, I think ( For the people...).
Turkey needs bacon's help to be "Sandwicheable"..

 

[fresh_42]

With turkey for turkey by turkeys in US constitution, I think ( For the people...).
Turkey needs bacon's help to be "Sandwicheable"..

If in doubt, add bacon!

 

[WWGD]

Took care of friend's dog while friend was out. Playe3d goh
Fetch
with a boomerang. Dog never caught on.

 

[cosmik debris]

Took care of friend's dog while friend was out. Play3d ho fetch with a boomerang. Dog never caught on.

I'm interested to know how ho fetch goes?

Cheers

 

[WWGD]

I'm interested to know how ho fetch goes?

Cheers

It's a game for people who are impatient and have fat fingers, like myself.

 

[fresh_42]

Just read on CNN: "... the trio had to abseil down ..."

I can't stop laughing. This sounds so incredibly wrong, I break together laughing.

 

[nuuskur]

Oh, the forum's got a facelift. It's like moving into a new apartment .. can't find anything :D

 

[WWGD]

Just read on CNN: "... the trio had to abseil down ..."

I can't stop laughing. This sounds so incredibly wrong, I break together laughing.

Abseil? Deutsche CNN eist?

 

[fresh_42]

.

Abseil? Deutsche CNN eist?

CNN international - in English. I was laughing so hard that I had forgotten to look what the video was about. I only remember that it started with a zeppelin and ended somewhere on a peak in the Alps.

 

[WWGD]

.

CNN international - in English. I was laughing so hard that I had forgotten to look what the video was about. I only remember that it started with a zeppelin and ended somewhere on a peak in the Alps.

What does Abseil mean?

 

[fresh_42]

What does Abseil mean?

To climb down a rope - from a roof, a mountain etc.

 

[WWGD]

To climb down a rope - from a roof, a mountain etc.

Few people think highly of CNN nowadays. Maybe other networks will advertise: "This is NOT CNN "

 

[WWGD]

To climb down a rope - from a roof, a mountain etc.

Few people think highly of CNN nowadays. Maybe other networks will advertise: "This is NOT CNN "

 

[fresh_42]

Seil = rope, ab = down
I assume it originated from Alpine climbing. E.g. a team of climbers is called a "Seilschaft" = team on a rope.

 

[WWGD]

Abseil away with me? Back to 90s?

 

[fresh_42]

Few people think highly of CNN nowadays. Maybe other networks will advertise: "This is NOT CNN "

... but this is another question, and a political one. I seriously doubt that there is any objective discussion about CNN around in the states of today. I basically stopped watching as they turned into a 100% inner US affairs broadcaster - guess since when! However, it is not as bad as some people like to make it appear - for their personal reasons I'd like to add!

And CNN international is different from CNN US, although it's hard to recognize these days.