Random Thoughts Part 4 - Split Thread

[collinsmark]

When a police officer is waving his hand up and down it means the driver has to slow down Not stop the car.

Being in the United States, that sounds so bizarre to me. There's absolutely no parallel here. There's no signal at all in the USA where a police officer would signal someone to simply slow down. [Edit: Well, besides pulling them over first, and then verbally telling them face-to-face, as a warning, to slow down.]

 

[nuuskur]

We have a whole system of signals meant for traffic regulators primarily, because they are sometimes needed due to roadworks or w/e the reason when a traffic light won't cut it. Waving means "slow down", stretched out arm without moving means "stop". You would think a local police officer would know that in his sleep, but apparently not :/

 

[collinsmark]

Fascinating.

[Oh, I should mention that sometimes road workers hold up caution signs that have "SLOW" printed on them. So there's that.]

 

[OmCheeto]

3 year old Chuuks sound like baby Klingons, when they want in, and their mother has shut the front door.

"TU VA WA APA WA TAH! Wahhhhhhhhhhh!"

hmmmm... I wonder if this is where Neal Stephenson got the idea.

ps. Does anyone know if "Wah" is the British equivalent of the American "Blah"?
When I first watched the Concert for George, I didn't like that song.
But, lately, it's stuck me as one of the best.
Kind of like broccoli, I suppose.

Live and learn.

 

[nuuskur]

Fascinating.

[Oh, I should mention that sometimes road workers hold up caution signs that have "SLOW" printed on them. So there's that.]

Depends on the extent of the roadwork at hand. What they typically do is seal off that area of the street entirely, because the entire road will be torn up for weeks hence impassable. Traffic lights are not portable, unfortunately, so these people stand at the strategic points that lead into that part of the town and regulate traffic from there. It wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for public transport.

 

[WWGD]

I thought the signs "SLOW CHILDREN" just meant there was a special needs/special ed school for children nearby.

 

[jfizzix]

"An apothem is the smallest radial distance in a regular polygon."

"An apothem is altho a north American marthupial"

 

[lisab]

My husband has been overwhelmed at work, so I took today off work so I can catch up on farm chores.

Farm life, in a nutshell: everything that should move (hinges, valves, etc.) does not move. Everything that should not move (fence posts, anchor bolts, etc.) will not be still.

I remembered Borek's advice from many years ago. WD-40 to the rescue! Unfortunately, duct tape does not work on fence posts, though.

 

[DennisN]

I remembered Borek's advice from many years ago. WD-40 to the rescue! Unfortunately, duct tape does not work on fence posts, though.

WD-40 is great. Catholic priests have holy water, engineers have WD-40.

 

[nuuskur]

Farm life in a nutshell: everything is wet even if it's dry.

 

[WWGD]

I thought the signs "SLOW CHILDREN" just meant there was a special needs/special ed school for children nearby.

This sign is posted next to my school. I wonder why ?!

 

[OmCheeto]

Phil Plait just retweeted this:

Let's compare...

I've decided that I like Twitter.

 

[Astronuc]

Phil Plait just retweeted this:

Let's compare...

I've decided that I like Twitter.

There's no comparison, unless one really wants to compare something with nothing.

 

[Astronuc]

Porsche at Le Mans: The Definitive History - XCAR


http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/ - 13-14 June, 2015The 917 is still my favorite.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Porsches are awesome. I have a Porsche designed car:

 

[Borg]

I've got an appointment with some mandatory fun.

 

[lisab]

I've got an appointment with some mandatory fun.

Nice! That is sure to be weird and great!

 

[WWGD]

Best argument against suit and tie?
No one has _ever_ said " Let me change myself into something more comfortable" and then went on to wear a suit-and-tie.

 

[Evo]

Best argument against suit and tie?
No one has _ever_ said " Let me change myself into something more comfortable" and then went on to wear a suit-and-tie.

Well, I actually always felt more comfortable in more formal clothes, I never wore t-shirts or jeans, I found jeans very uncomfortable, so I guess I would be an exception. I do not own a single pair of jeans and no t-shirts or other casual clothes except sweats.

 

[WWGD]

Well, I actually always felt more comfortable in more formal clothes, I never wore t-shirts or jeans, I found jeans very uncomfortable, so I guess I would be an exception. I do not own a single pair of jeans and no t-shirts or other casual clothes except sweats.

Maybe because jeans are not made to suit different body types? It took me many years to find ones that fit me well. Maybe the same is the case for more formal clothes, though I think it my be pretty expensive to have formal clothes taylor made to fit one's body , more so than having jeans be taylor-made.I think so; I am not much into fashion.

 

[Evo]

Maybe because jeans are not made to suit different body types? It took me many years to find ones that fit me well. Maybe the same is the case for more formal clothes, though I think it my be pretty expensive to have formal clothes taylor made to fit one's body , more so than having jeans be taylor-made.I think so; I am not much into fashion.

Well suits are supposed to be tailored to fit your body, that's why suits aren't finished when you buy them. Ok, I guess really cheap suits can be purchased finished off of a rack, but iI have never seen any, they are always tailored to your body. For men, that is, women aren't so lucky.

 

[Abtinnn]

An engineer and a mathematician become roommates. One night, the engineer wakes up, goes to the kitchen, and sees a fire in the kitchen. He finds the fire extinguisher, extinguishes the fire, and goes back to sleep.

The next night the mathematician wakes up, goes to the kitchen, and sees a fire. He looks at the fire extinguisher, he is convinced that the solution exists, and goes back to sleep.

 

[WWGD]

Well suits are supposed to be tailored to fit your body, that's why suits aren't finished when you buy them. Ok, I guess really cheap suits can be purchased finished off of a rack, but iI have never seen any, they are always tailored to your body. For men, that is, women aren't so lucky.

I bought a couple of prefabs from the men's wearhouse ( there house), a buy one get one free deal. It may also be a matter of having the $$ necessary to have the tailor-made suits. I don't use them often, if ever; I bought them just-in-case.

I wonder if it is fair to say that a woman's body may,on average, be more complicated, in a sense , than a man's body, making adjustments for women's clothes more difficult than those for men's clothes.

 

[zoobyshoe]

An engineer and a mathematician become roommates. One night, the engineer wakes up, goes to the kitchen, and sees a fire in the kitchen. He finds the fire extinguisher, extinguishes the fire, and goes back to sleep.

The next night the mathematician wakes up, goes to the kitchen, and sees a fire. He looks at the fire extinguisher, he is convinced that the solution exists, and goes back to sleep.

I don't get it. Does this mean mathematicians have a reputation of not writing up and publishing?

 

[Evo]

I bought a couple of prefabs from the men's wearhouse ( there house), a buy one get one free deal. It may also be a matter of having the $$ necessary to have the tailor-made suits. I don't use them often, if ever; I bought them just-in-case.

I wonder if it is fair to say that a woman's body may,on average, be more complicated, in a sense , than a man's body, making adjustments for women's clothes more difficult than those for men's clothes.

Yeah, back then they didn't have Men's Warehouse, so a cheap suit would start around $200, but it was tailored for free and you wore it every day. I was one of the first women at my company to start wearing pant suits, I was in data and it kind of went with the "woman in a man's job" thing.

 

[Evo]

I don't get it. Does this mean mathematicians have a reputation of not writing up and publishing?

I don't get it either.

 

[WWGD]

Yeah, back then they didn't have Men's Warehouse, so a cheap suit would start around $200, but it was tailored for free and you wore it every day. I was one of the first women at my company to start wearing pant suits, I was in data and it kind of went with the "woman in a man's job" thing.

Good thing it does not happen the other way round, I wouldn't like wearing a skirt --I am not Scottish, for one-- nor a dress. And I guess you set the tone for Hillary and her famous pantsuits in congress. I think society is not ready to accept men wearing dresses nor skirts yet. I remember this guy in college walking around wearing a skirt to make this point; I thought, out of all possible , fruitful points to make on the foibles of society, this guy chose a ridiculous point to make; what a waste of a protest.

 

[WWGD]

QUOTE="Evo, post: 5059171, member: 5155"]I don't get it either.[/QUOTE]
I think it refers to the perception that engineers look for solutions, i.e., are goal-oriented, while mathematicians( non-applied ones) live in a world of ideas and are only interested in understanding the structural/theoretical forms/ideas, not their application.

 

[OCR]

It may also be a matter of having the $$ necessary to have the tailor-made suits.

Money is necessary, of course... but one absolutely needs to be a ... lol

 

[zoobyshoe]

I think it refers to the perception that engineers look for solutions, i.e., are goal-oriented, while mathematicians( non-applied ones) live in a world of ideas and are only interested in understanding the structural/theoretical forms/ideas, not their application.

This makes sense, and, in principle, the joke conveys that perception of mathematicians, but it somehow the joke simultaneously fails to be funny. Possibly because it portrays that abstruse mathematical mindset as ultimately tragic?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Better Call Saul:

Man, what a great episode tonight!

 

[Enigman]

Best argument against suit and tie?
No one has _ever_ said " Let me change myself into something more comfortable" and then went on to wear a suit-and-tie.

[*]

 

[Silicon Waffle]

When I'm happy, I will sleep a little longer. : ))

 

[Abtinnn]

I don't get it. Does this mean mathematicians have a reputation of not writing up and publishing?

well I'd say it means mathematicians don't really care about the solution as long as it exists. They don't solve the problem, they just make sure it has a solution. It's not true in all cases of course.

 

[nuuskur]

It's odd. I lack the complete perspective of a mathematician, but from what I have seen, it's the mathematician that cares about the completeness of a proof, it merely existing is not enough.

You guys don't have to mention the joke about the burning hotel room and engineer, physicist and mathematician dealing with the fire :D