Is it time for Random Thoughts - Part 4?

In summary: No, I'm not going to finish that.Some guy tried to sell me eh.. recreational tools today while I was getting groceries.I guess setting up a trashy website was too costly for him, so he just sold them in the frozen foods section at walmart.
  • #1,051
Borek said:
It says https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Младенец - so perhaps better translation would be "infant".

Sorry, neither my Russian nor English are perfect. Actually the same can be said about my Polish [PLAIN]http://www.bpp.com.pl/IMG/grumpy_borek.png[/QUOTE]
The reason I make a fuss is because "kid" is a very informal term, almost slang. Strictly speaking, a kid is a baby goat or sheep. Humans call their children "kids" colloquially. You'd never find it on an official document. It's much like the term "guy". It's only used in informal settings.
 
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  • #1,052
That's definitely not the case, младенец is not colloquial. I am going to correct the post.
 
  • #1,053
Without even googling the statistics I think dying in a plane crash is very low down on the list of most common causes of death. However, without even googling the statistics I can think of several famous people who died in plane crashes:

Glenn Miller
Richie Vallens
Buddy Holly
Aaliyah
John Kennedy Jr.

It stands to reason the list would be much longer had the plane been invented further back in history. If it had, I'm pretty sure we could add William Byrd and Johann Nepomuk Hummel to the list, for example.

Now, something that was invented much earlier in history was death by lightning strike. Despite that being the case, I have never heard of any modern or historical famous person who was killed by lightning.
 
  • #1,054
zoobyshoe said:
I have never heard of any modern or historical famous person who was killed by lightning.

What about Bill Murray's friend?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=gzYZOr8boh0
 
  • #1,055
zoobyshoe said:
Without even googling the statistics I think dying in a plane crash is very low down on the list of most common causes of death. However, without even googling the statistics I can think of several famous people who died in plane crashes:

Glenn Miller
Richie Vallens
Buddy Holly
Aaliyah
John Kennedy Jr.

It stands to reason the list would be much longer had the plane been invented further back in history. If it had, I'm pretty sure we could add William Byrd and Johann Nepomuk Hummel to the list, for example.

.

But there is another variable in play: the increase in safety; it is way safer to fly nowadays than it was back then. Assuming this trend continues, you will eventually be much less likely to remember of anyone dying in a plane crash : EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_safety_in_the_United_States
 
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  • #1,057
WWGD said:
But there is another variable in play: the increase in safety; it is way safer to fly nowadays than it was back then. Assuming this trend continues, you will eventually be much less likely to remember of anyone dying in a plane crash : EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_safety_in_the_United_States
In the meantime, if you have a fear of being struck by lightning, your best prophylactic against it, statistically speaking, would be to become famous.
 
  • #1,058
zoobyshoe said:
The reason I make a fuss is because "kid" is a very informal term, almost slang. Strictly speaking, a kid is a baby goat or sheep. Humans call their children "kids" colloquially. You'd never find it on an official document. It's much like the term "guy". It's only used in informal settings.

I would suggest "girl" or "child" (in English, "child" is curiously free of gender, but "kid" often means a school-aged child, usually a boy):

...they have shown us a girl, born in Wola on February 22nd (March 6th) this year at 10 p.m., from his legal wife Helena, born Leczkowska, 30 years from birth. The child was christened Janina Marcjanna...

In any case, the formality of the document is endearing; it gives a feeling of pride, joy, and significance. It's lovely.
 
  • #1,059
lisab said:
I would suggest "girl" or "child" (in English, "child" is curiously free of gender, but "kid" often means a school-aged child, usually a boy):
"Girl" would make it: "...and they have shown us a girl of female sex..."

I think the only two choices are "baby" or "infant". Which is best depends on how formal or literary младенец is in Russian.

In any case, the formality of the document is endearing; it gives a feeling of pride, joy, and significance. It's lovely.
I agree. It's enthusiastically thorough, as if the author really enjoyed the act of officially recording a new person.
 
  • #1,060
dkotschessaa said:
Image enhanced to see super duper rainbow.
Nice!
With some further enhancements more details appear:
14864184752_066ea902ac_c.jpg
 
  • #1,061
DiracPool said:
What about Bill Murray's friend?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=gzYZOr8boh0

Or his daughter's boyfriend?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=mAyV3fu5R1g
 
  • #1,062
dkotschessaa said:
I'm not superstitious, but certainly the temptation to read into random phenomenah is strong.

...


A few years back we buried my kindly Aunt Polly, a most gracious and wise lady.. Her pastor gave a eulogy and mentioned how she'd always loved rainbows. As we left the funeral a huge double one graced the eastern afternoon sky.
 
  • #1,063
lisab said:
In any case, the formality of the document is endearing; it gives a feeling of pride, joy, and significance. It's lovely.

I loved the wording, which is why I tried to translate it as closely as possible.
 
  • #1,064
I love wii games on my pc by emulators.
I mean this supposed to be random thoughts thread isn't it.
 
  • #1,065
What is the
:confused:STRING THEORY:confused:
 
  • #1,066
Mr.maniac said:
What is the
:confused:STRING THEORY:confused:

It's the theory concerning why feline animals seem to have such a fondness for string and string-like objects, e.g. yarn. It's complex, so I can understand if you don't understand it at first, but the basic idea behind the theory is that string is dangly, and cats like dangly things.
 
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  • #1,067
Char. Limit said:
It's the theory concerning why feline animals seem to have such a fondness for string and string-like objects, e.g. yarn. It's complex, so I can understand if you don't understand it at first, but the basic idea behind the theory is that string is dangly, and cats like dangly things.

But why? Why do cats like dangly things? What is the fundamental cause of their attraction?

We have some ideas, of course. But cats won't participate in experiments. So, we can't prove our hypotheses. It's a waste of time.
 
  • #1,068
lisab said:
But why? Why do cats like dangly things? What is the fundamental cause of their attraction?

We have some ideas, of course. But cats won't participate in experiments. So, we can't prove our hypotheses. It's a waste of time.

Because they can't see the string!


All they see is something in the air, attached to the string. Things caught out of the air, taste like chicken.

And their love of big string, aka yarn? They are actually studying it, to seek a deeper knowledge of the invisible strings, that hold the chicken flavored flappy things in the air.

mystery solved

o:)
 
  • #1,069
OmCheeto said:
mystery solved
Ridiculous. This whole school of thought was thrown out years ago.

It is now understood that cats perceive string to be a form of tail. Cats communicate to each other, in part, with their tails. String, and other dangly stuff, is perceived by cats to be disembodied tails saying hilarious, provocative, and sometimes profound stuff.

String Theory is the attempt by physicists to decode string language. We sense cats have uncovered a deep insight that remains obscure to us.
 
  • #1,070
hmmm...From a cryptic mosaic of quotes to a single Newt quote.
 
  • #1,071
zoobyshoe said:
Ridiculous. This whole school of thought was thrown out years ago.

It is now understood that cats perceive string to be a form of tail. Cats communicate to each other, in part, with their tails. String, and other dangly stuff, is perceived by cats to be disembodied tails saying hilarious, provocative, and sometimes profound stuff.

String Theory is the attempt by physicists to decode string language. We sense cats have uncovered a deep insight that remains obscure to us.

Interesting alternative hypothesis. This would imply that cats believe in ghosts, or in the least, Lewis Carroll.

hmmm... The Cheshire Cat Tale...

I have a cat with opposing thumbs. I will get him started on the novel right away.
 
  • #1,072
OmCheeto said:
This would imply that cats believe in ghosts, or in the least, Lewis Carroll.
Overly speculative! Overly speculative!

Getting back to Earth here: String Theory merely posits that cats perceive string, and other dangly stuff, as disembodied cat tails. No explanation is offered for the origin of those disembodied tails. As predicted by Enigman, String Theorists merely say, "Hypothesis non fingere."
 
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  • #1,073
Never believe safety equipment is 100% reliable.

_76842825_stuart_broad_reuters.jpg


Stuart Broad, England vs India, today. Apart from that broken nose, India got pulverized.
 
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  • #1,074
AlephZero said:
Never believe safety equipment is 100% reliable.
Unless that ball had some impossible to predict super velocity due to freak circumstances, I'd say that equipment was a complete failure.

I wonder what specific safety claims the manufacturer makes, if any.
 
  • #1,077
dlgoff said:
I had no idea that Glenn Miller was a MIA. Thanks.

The PBS video makes it appear highly probable that Miller's plane flew under a British bomber group that was dumping their bombs in the English Channel.

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/video/2365284626//
 
  • #1,078
zoobyshoe said:
Unless that ball had some impossible to predict super velocity due to freak circumstances, I'd say that equipment was a complete failure.

It was a bit freakish. He hit the ball with the top edge of the bat (intending to do something different) and deflected it onto his nose. The ball was probably traveling at 80 - 90 mph when it hit him.

The problem with designing a face-shield is that you need to be able to see the ball clearly - not just the position of the fast-moving ball but also where the seam is, which way it is spinning, etc.

People used to play cricket at all levels from international down to the village green without much protective clothing at all, the logic being that if you can't either hit the ball or get out of the way, you get what you deserve. Deliberately bowling to aim at the ribs or throat is fair game, so long as the ball bounces off the ground before it reaches the batsman.

Even with modern equipment, broken fingers are just "part of the game", and occasionally cricket balls break arms. There was a freak accident a few years ago when the ball hit the wicket and one of the bails flew off and blinded the wicket-keeper in one eye - ending his playing career, of course.

There is a slow motion video here (but not from a very clear angle):
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-the-face-by-varun-aaron-bouncer-9659084.html
 
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  • #1,079
zoobyshoe said:

edward said:
The PBS video makes it appear highly probable that Miller's plane flew under a British bomber group that was dumping their bombs in the English Channel.

http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/video/2365284626//
I listened to his music way back as a kid and still have his CH2CH (vinyl). Except for music, science was my focus. Thanks for sharing.
 
  • #1,080
AlephZero said:
People used to play cricket at all levels from international down to the village green without much protective clothing at all, the logic being that if you can't either hit the ball or get out of the way, you get what you deserve. Deliberately bowling to aim at the ribs or throat is fair game, so long as the ball bounces off the ground before it reaches the batsman.
So, I guess it's something like hockey. I don't think you're considered a real hockey player unless you're missing a few teeth.
 
  • #1,081
dlgoff said:
I listened to his music way back as a kid and still have his CH2CH (vinyl). Except for music, science was my focus. Thanks for sharing.
Miller wrote some great, classic stuff. Still, I go with Benny Goodman as the master of the big band sound.
 
  • #1,082
Maybe. But hockey players aren't required to catch missiles traveling at 90 mph with their bare hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPkwe3mivxQ
 
  • #1,083
AlephZero said:
Maybe. But hockey players aren't required to catch missiles traveling at 90 mph with their bare hands.
True.

The term "google" is originally a cricket term, isn't it?
 
  • #1,085
AlephZero said:
Ahem:

As will have been perceived from the foregoing Googly is a noun. The related verb is to google, which has several meanings. Firstly, in the strict technical world of cricket it can mean to put such a spin on the ball as to cause it to google, i.e. to move in the fashion described above, and thereby produce a googly. It past participle may be used to mean caught out. You are googled when, as a batsman, you have been caught out by the action of a googly. In general use the word comes to mean to catch your opponents out (in a non-confrontational and lighthearted way) by unexpected and surprising behaviours.
 

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