Random Thoughts Part 4 - Split Thread

[WWGD]

I was at the swap meet today and noticed an interesting bow. I am a fan of archery, and wanted to examine it, but there was a guy who had his eye on the same bow, who had gotten there before me. He picked it up, drew the string back to test the strength of it, and the lower limb of the bow snapped off with a sickening crackle. I was suddenly very happy he got to it before me.

I always wondered why so few people get killed/hurt when learning archery. While teacher shows, students are carelessly turning around while they hold their respective bows. Seems like a recipe for disaster, specially with easily distracted children and teens.

 

[WWGD]

A t-shirt sponsoring the state of Maine reads: " I love Me" (Me is the abbreviation for Maine).

Today's a happy day for many of us nerds: World Almanac 2016 is finally out.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Could be true, but AFAIK, what we call Chinese food in most of the U.S is already significantly different from the food most people eat in China( I wonder if a burger place in China qualifies as a " U.S restaurant"). And I believe the same goes for Mexican, Thai, etc. as prepared in the U.S: all the edge is removed to adapt to the U.S taste. Most people want to think they are eating/doing something exotic without actually wanting to take a leap into the unknown.

I don't know about NYC, but here in San Diego most Mexican restaurants are owned and operated by Mexicans for a Mexican clientelle. Chain Mexican restaurants like Taco Bell and Del Taco are obviously not authentic, but I get the impression all the others (there's one about every block here) are more or less what you'd find over the border. They're not what you'd get eating in a Mexican home, they're more like the Mexican version of the American "greasy spoon" restaurant. The menu is limited to things that are fast to prepare, cheap, and filling. It's working-class Mexican food, just like the greasy spoons were working class American food, before McDonalds put them all out of business.

I always wondered why so few people get killed/hurt when learning archery. While teacher shows, students are carelessly turning around while they hold their respective bows. Seems like a recipe for disaster, specially with easily distracted children and teens.

Yeah, you see that in movies about summer camps. If those movies are authentic, I would expect the kids are shooting each other all the time. I think serious archery lessons are one-on-one situations: one teacher coaching one student at a time. Although, back in the day when the bow and arrow were serious weapons of war, they must have had group training.

 

[WWGD]

I don't know about NYC, but here in San Diego most Mexican restaurants are owned and operated by Mexicans for a Mexican clientelle. Chain Mexican restaurants like Taco Bell and Del Taco are obviously not authentic, but I get the impression all the others (there's one about every block here) are more or less what you'd find over the border. They're not what you'd get eating in a Mexican home, they're more like the Mexican version of the American "greasy spoon" restaurant. The menu is limited to things that are fast to prepare, cheap, and filling. It's working-class Mexican food, just like the greasy spoons were working class American food, before McDonalds put them all out of business.

Yeah, you see that in movies about summer camps. If those movies are authentic, I would expect the kids are shooting each other all the time. I think serious archery lessons are one-on-one situations: one teacher coaching one student at a time. Although, back in the day when the bow and arrow were serious weapons of war, they must have had group training.

You're right, there are a few authentic Mexican ones here too, but I doubt there are many places where you eat like one eats in China,etc. even in greasy-spoon equivalents. But maybe I am wrong.

And I actually had a pretty nice experience in one of those authentic Mexican places: I was the only non-Mexican one, yet I did not feel like an outsider. It was a strange but nice experience. And the food was pretty good too.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Oh man! Fargo was sublime tonight! Best episode so far!

 

[WWGD]

It is upsetting to see myself doing basic mistakes. Not a strong predictor of success, to say the least.

 

[S.G. Janssens]

It is upsetting to see myself doing basic mistakes. Not a strong predictor of success, to say the least.

I think a lot of the errors I make ultimately go back to something that is, in hindsight, rather elementary. So either we are both idiots or this might happen to anyone. I prefer to think the latter.

 

[wolram]

The mornings are especially hard to adjust to. I helped myself cope this year by buying a cuddly and warm pullover. When I wear it, I feel like a big, warm, blue, fuzzy bear.

Aww, i will buy you some fuzzy bear slippers to mach

 

[WWGD]

I think a lot of the errors I make ultimately go back to something that is, in hindsight, rather elementary. So either we are both idiots or this might happen to anyone. I prefer to think the latter.

Hope you're right.

 

[DennisN]

 

[nuuskur]

I demand compensation!

 

[wolram]

I demand compensation!

Damn it was the same the second time.

 

[zoobyshoe]

A few years back this girl told me her mother had told her that oil was old dinosaurs. I'd never heard that before, and thought it was pretty hilarious. However, it then struck me that some small percentage of oil might well be old dinosaurs, and I am now wondering what percentage that might be. "Old dinosaurs" in the sense of life that was not plant life.

 

[rootone]

I'm pretty sure that coal is derived entirely from plant life, but not so sure about oil.
I have wondered for a while how it is that in some places there are coal deposits, but elsewhere there is oil instead.

 

[Borg]

A few years back this girl told me her mother had told her that oil was old dinosaurs. I'd never heard that before, and thought it was pretty hilarious. However, it then struck me that some small percentage of oil might well be old dinosaurs, and I am now wondering what percentage that might be. "Old dinosaurs" in the sense of life that was not plant life.

Are you counting dinosaur droppings also?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Are you counting dinosaur droppings also?

Hmmmmm.

 

[WWGD]

Are you counting dinosaur droppings also?

Imagine those of the largest dinos, must have been the size of a house.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Imagine those of the largest dinos, must have been the size of a house.

I'm thinking more like a car.

 

[Borg]

Imagine those of the largest dinos, must have been the size of a house.

For herbivores, it's just going to look like decayed plants.

 

[WWGD]

I'm thinking more like a car.

How about we settle for a motor home?

 

[Borg]

How about we settle for a motor home?

Or a hobbit-sized house?

 

[WWGD]

For herbivores, it's just going to look like decayed plants.

I'll double check at the Health Food Restaurant's bathroom tomorrow ;). EDIT: Sorry, going to far into disgusting mode here. Done with dumps for now.

 

[zoobyshoe]

How about we settle for a motor home?

Scientific facts aren't arrived at by negotiation. Well, they're not supposed to be. Adult apatosaurus poop had some average objective volume.

 

[zoobyshoe]

For herbivores, it's just going to look like decayed plants.

Yeah, that would just be part of the plant life content of oil (minus bacteria). I'm looking for the non-plant life content.

 

[WWGD]

Scientific facts aren't arrived at by negotiation. Well, they're not supposed to be. Adult apatosaurus poop had some average objective volume.

You should be more scientific: how many Courics ? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/12/couric-coined-the-unit-of_n_68211.html

 

[collinsmark]

Hee hee.

Today while playing Fallout 4 I entered a room with a chalkboard. The chalkboard was blank with exception of this number, written large on the board:

$$8.9875517873681764 \times 10^9$$

So I thought to myself, "Huh, that looks a lot like the electrical constant* expressed in SI units. It appears that one of the developers must have some background in physics or electrical engineering. But in any case, that's an odd reference. Of all the things one could put on a blackboard, why that?"

Then I noticed on a bedside table next to the chalkboard was a copy of "Tesla Science Magazine," upon which reading grants you a permanent +5% critical damage with energy weapons. Hee hee. I see what they did now.

*(the electrical constant $k$ as in $\vec F = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}\hat{a_r}$ where $k = \frac{1}{4 \pi \varepsilon_0}$ and $\varepsilon_0$ is the permittivity of free space.)

 

[OmCheeto]

My feral cats would not eat ANY of my post Thanksgiving treats.
IMHO, they are either freaks, or the dried cat food makers are putting some type of addictive kitty crack into cat food nowadays.

Anyways, I am currently attempting to make DIY dried cat food.

 

[zoobyshoe]

You should be more scientific: how many Courics ? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/12/couric-coined-the-unit-of_n_68211.html

It looks like the Couric is a unit of mass. That's not what we want since your claim was "as big as a house," by which I took you to mean "having the approximate volume of a house." Cubic meters is prolly all we need.

 

[WWGD]

It looks like the Couric is a unit of mass. That's not what we want since your claim was "as big as a house," by which I took you to mean "having the approximate volume of a house." Cubic meters is prolly all we need.

So I guess it depends on density. EDIT and maybe also surface area.

 

[collinsmark]

A few years back this girl told me her mother had told her that oil was old dinosaurs. I'd never heard that before, and thought it was pretty hilarious. However, it then struck me that some small percentage of oil might well be old dinosaurs, and I am now wondering what percentage that might be. "Old dinosaurs" in the sense of life that was not plant life.

That's an old adage, not to necessarily be taken seriously. Most coal, oil and natural gas was originally from plant life from the Carboniferous Period, before the dinosaurs. But still, it makes a pretty good metaphor.

There's a somewhat famous song lyric containing the adage originally written and performed by the band Soundgarden, and later covered by Johnny Cash.

Rusty Cage
(by Chris Cornell of Soundgarden)

You wired me awake
And hit me with a hand of broken nails
You tied my lead and pulled my chain
To watch my blood begin t boil

But I'm going to break
I'm going to break my
I'm going to break my rusty cage and run

Too cold to start a fire
I'm burning diesel burning dinosaur bones
I'll take the river down to Stillwater
And ride a pack of dogs

I'm going to break
I'm going to break my
I'm going to break my rusty cage and run

Hits like a Phillips head
Into my brain
It's going to be too dark
To sleep again
Cutting my teeth on bars
And rusty chains, I'm going to break my
Rusty cage and run

When the forest burns
Along the road
Like God's eyes
In my headlights
When the dogs are looking
For their bones
And it's raining icepicks
On your steel shore

I'm going to break
I'm going to break my
I'm going to break my rusty cage and run
​

Edit: Here's Johnny Cash's cover version:

 

[zoobyshoe]

Most coal, oil and natural gas was originally from plant life from the Carboniferous Period, before the dinosaurs.

Oh, it's all pre-dinosaur. I did not know that.

 

[DennisN]

Speaking of dinosaurs, it's been a long time since I saw the philosoraptor on this forum...

 

[DennisN]

Hehe, when I googled for philosoraptor I also found this comic:

 

[Silicon Waffle]

Speaking of dinosaurs, it's been a long time since I saw the philosoraptor on this forum...

This has occurred since I joined PF. Dinosaurs are male!

 

[zoobyshoe]

That's an old adage, not to necessarily be taken seriously.

Speaking of semantic fascism, I feel it incumbent upon me to point something out. Given the way you use the word adage, I feel you may not have a solid grasp of the term. An adage is actually presented to be taken seriously since it is supposed to embody a truth or guideline or insight: "a stitch in time saves nine" or, "an apple does not fall far from the tree". "Oil is dinosaurs," lacks any proverbial quality; there is no lesson or rule of thumb implied. Therefore it is more on the lines of mere misinformation than anything else.