Random Rants #88: [incoherent screaming]

[JohannaK]

Free helicopter rides!

Helicopters over the River Plate have a particular connotation here that stems from the times, within living memory, when another unconstitutional government declared an emergency and started throwing sedated people into the river from aircraft flyying at an altitude low enough for the fall itself not to kill them.

So, yes, it's that twisted.

Pretty sure that was Syn's implication already.

 

[W|M]

I remember in SimCopter, you could eject your passengers out of the helicopter mid-air and then medevac them to a nearby hospital for more money than you got just transporting them.

probably makes more money irl too considering how high US medical costs are

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

What's funny is that you lose points (and I think money) for injuring your passengers....then gain more money/points for medevacing them.

Early versions of the game also had...an interesting easter egg:

The game gained controversy when it was discovered that designer Jacques Servin inserted an easter egg that generated shirtless men in Speedo trunks who hugged and kissed each other and appear in great numbers on certain dates, such as Friday the 13th.

This video has a demonstration:

 

[Synobun]

Pretty sure that was Syn's implication already.

Thank you for recognizing my genius.

 

[Hygro]

I love simcopter.

 

[shadowplay]

It's that time of year when summer's ending and Don Henley starts playing in my head.

 

[JohannaK]

Thank you for recognizing my genius.

It's Takhisis fault for living in 1999 when it comes to technology.

 

[Ajidica]

Rant: Went on a walk down by the trails on the Minnesota river because it was a beautiful day outside. The path followed one bank and along the other bank are a bunch of barge loading facilities. A big grain barge at Cargill's facility was being loaded and tugs/trains were doing work, but I couldn't see any of it because the path curved *away* from the river there! Would have been a great spot for one of those interpretative environment plaques the DNR seems to love.

 

[Takhisis]

It's Takhisis fault for living in 1999 when it comes to technology.

Please! If I did I wouldn't be subject to the nightmare known as Wi-fi. I'd still be happily connected to the Internet by means of an actual cable. Life would be awesome.

 

[Hygro]

It's that time of year when summer's ending and Don Henley starts playing in my head.

He who claims to be oppressed by piracy and therefore must employ 60 people full time to issue takedown notices so that people stop listening to his music.

 

[amadeus]

He who claims to be oppressed by piracy and therefore must employ 60 people full time to issue takedown notices so that people stop listening to his music.

Some might consider that a public service.

 

[Takhisis]

Stopping listening to his music, you mean?

I agree. The world needs to listen to ZZTop more.

 

[amadeus]

Stopping listening to his music, you mean?

Bingo.

Rant: stomach. Gassy. Maybe I can weaponize it and use it to maintain social distancing.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Yes but if someone you are ignoring asks you a question and you don't respond to that and respond to all the other questions it's pretty obvious.

That's the case at TrekBBS and they still reply to me anyway, with trollbait and flaming (in a part of the forum where anything goes except sexism, racism, and LGBT-phobia). The moderator of that forum basically does nothing about it unless it's one of the exceptions, and often joins in. If staff could be ignored, about 75% of the staff over there would have made my ignore list years ago. Some of them hide behind their badges to troll people in the Trek and media forums as well. The grievance procedure is a joke, as the admin has made derogatory remarks to and about people, 3 posts after claiming she hates bullying.

The reason I know they reply to me and are reading my posts is because I see them 'liking' posts that un-ignored people make that quote and troll me. It never stops even though some of them have been on my ignore list for over 5 years, some of them 10 years.

As to why this enmity started... I committed the crime of being vocal in my dislike of the first nuTrek movie in 2009. It continued for other reasons.

(at this point you may be wondering why I stay there... there are good people and good conversations there, you just have to figure out where to find them)

Is that really illegal in Canada? That's kinda standard here in the US. Landlords are free to make their own contracts with ISPs and block out other providers. I learned this back when I was renting an apartment and tried to get better internet and the better provider said they couldn't provide service because our landlord already had a contract with the crappier provider.

That's how it was when I was in my first apartment. It was Shaw or nothing. I hated Shaw, so it was nothing. I had no TV for a couple of years. I gave in when I moved to my second apartment because I missed my soap opera (hadn't realized at the time that someone was posting the episodes on YouTube and I could have watched it there).

In this building there's a contract with Telus, and people who opt in get a very good deal on TV and internet. I have to pay extra for any other channels I subscribe to, and if I go over my data cap (I never get close to half of it since I don't download movies and don't stream much, or play in-person games with other people). My phone is still a landline so I don't have the same problem that cell/smart phone users have with the predatory pricing of the telecoms.

People in this building are free to use Shaw if they want. The suites were originally set up for Shaw, but most here use Telus. Telus is the one to use if they want a good deal, though.

That said, I'm not looking forward to getting everything changed over yet again. It never fails that there's a communication glitch somewhere along the food chain and Telus will keep trying to squeeze $$$ out of me for things I've either already paid for or that they're not supposed to charge for.

Canada has horrible telecom prices. The CRTC stepped in some years ago and told the major providers that they were legally obligated to provide the option for a basic cable package costing not more than $25/month, and it must include CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). There are still major issues with phone prices, though. It's one of the reasons why I've stuck with a landline. My landline costs about $20/month, and that's what the phone itself cost. It's starting to die on me, though, so I'll have to get a new one either this year or next.

Multiple providers! The luxury.

There are only 4 major providers in Canada and they've colluded in pricing to the extent that all of them have major issues with customer dissatisfaction. The phrase "use a different provider" is basically meaningless, though I will say that I prefer Telus over Shaw.

A couple weeks ago I had the random thought that I have been on here long enough that it was only a matter of time before someone I knew here died, if it hadn't already happened without us knowing about it as people do sometimes just disappear.

The reality of the thing sucks. I am grateful to have found out that it happened instead of being left to wonder. Thank you @Timsup2nothin for letting us know.

The first time for me was back around 2006. One of the members had a young nephew (younger than 13) who was really into RPGs and the Fuzzy Knights webcomic. The boy's mother joined the forum, and they got permission from the admins to allow the boy to join and post. He was an engaging 10-year-old who instantly won a lot of people over... and then one day he had an accident at home. He fell down a flight of stairs, hit his head, and died.

The forum went into mourning. The custom at that site is that when a forum member dies, there's a black banner put up, and those who were close to that person put up either black avatars or candle avatars.

That child wasn't the only member of that forum who ever died. There were a couple of others over the years. I don't know about recent years, since I left there a long time ago.

On other forums and sites... someone in my friends circle on the Cheezburger site died some years back (cancer), and it was the same with another of my forums a few years ago. One of the members of my Doctor Who forum died by suicide (the obituary was candid about that), and I suspect the owner may have died as well - she hasn't been around for over 4 years, nobody has seen her on her usual sites, and all attempts at contacting her have gone unanswered. Since this is not remotely normal behavior, I have had to assume the worst. And there have been quite a few people over at TrekBBS who have either died or disappeared so thoroughly (again, it would be extremely unusual for them to just leave and not say goodbye) that we've just had to assume they've died. One of those disappearances really hurt, as the member was a friend.

So... this isn't the first time for me. But it's never easy to lose a fellow forum member, especially those who were either friends or at least on friendly terms. Rah and I argued sometimes, but we also had some really nice conversations. I'll miss him.

everyone.

My doctor now requires phone appointments before she'll see you in person.

So I have a phone appointment with her booked. Earliest available slot? September 11.

After that, it will be at least another two weeks before I can see her IRL and get a referral or lab form. And who knows how long it'll be to see them.

It's a good thing I'm so fat. I've dropped twenty pounds in three weeks. I might only be slightly obese instead of morbidly obese by the time I get to a lab.

I was supposed to have an appointment with my eye surgeon this month (apparently I am now allowed regular checkups, to make sure the cataract situation is still under control as the surgery doesn't always have 100% results; things went well back in November, but this is nearly a year later and a lot can happen in a year). But due to covid and the doctor taking holidays, my appointment was rescheduled... to September 11. Mine's an in-person appointment, though. They can't exactly do this sort of thing over the phone.

What's a CD?

One of those round things that contain either music or games.

I had a nice conversation with someone over at TrekBBS about LPs. He's running one of the current avatar contests, and chose the theme of vinyl album covers. So my entries are "The Music of Cosmos" and my favorite Irish Rovers records. We had a chat about why I chose those, so it was a nice conversation about Carl Sagan and my favorite music group.

 

[amadeus]

Re: TrekBBS

I just can’t imagine getting upset to the point of irritating other people on the internet because they didn’t like the thing I like.

I mean, intentionally. Normally when I irritate people it’s a byproduct.

 

[r16]

yay , it is time of the month ı lose an USB . Some x.ROGER file that like has has telegram and stockdata or whatever in its name , so this is apparently the adress to pay the ransomware . The files locked are possibly called x. LOCKBIT or whatever .

see , there is this bunch of people who think they were and are stronger and whatnot , for a decade and a half now . They were told to keep away from a chance to discover whether they could . There is this New Turkey , to boost . And there they are watching over everything ı do , everything ı say . That even a comic book hero does not fit the pattern they have imagined , because they had a decade and a half of preparation to mock the comic book hero , makes them to prove that they can hurt me . Awright , that is like known for a decade and a half . So , ı like lost downloads since August 10 , which can be saved from other sources . Are you any taller , any stronger ? Any respect from the mob you are so desirous to unleash on me ? Are they that dumb to believe you are in control ? Total control ? Safe from a response , secure from an answer , so much that you can even keep your mob afloat ? Does this latest victory of yours change anything ? In the overall scheme of things ? Let alone in your life ? Did it add to your life-span ? Happiness ? Bank account ?

yes , they especially hate sunshine blondes .

imagine the "joy" in the city if ı had known the last named !

 

[Kyriakos]

R16, you may yet be the new Hasan Tahsin Pasha.
After all, a few thousand traitors to the New already have emigrated here

 

[r16]

be careful there . ı will say Brexit was solely designed to destroy the Republic to make people migrate elsewhere so that there would be no more 1492 options and what not and Ml6 will come after ... YOU ... See , capital letters , it is true and important ! (Am not going anywhere as US State Department too would mention if ı was foolish enough ever to let them . Self-control while face to face is harder .)

also rant : ı have a wall of text of a thing of the three only / either Somebody or Someone wore the Blue and he is NOT Yüzbaşı Volkan , they are still saying he is ...

 

[Kyriakos]

Brexit wasn't expected, and I think that indeed if Uk was still in the Eu (and had Boris or another tory government) they would likely support Turkey. That said, the main catalyst of things is that Turkey tried to be some kind of hegemon of the arab world.
Problem there is that Turkey isn't arabic, so couldn't be that in the first place - it's not Egypt or Syria. Furthermore, historically the balance is against the sunni sides like Hamas/muslim brotherhood/Qatar, so it is a losing game.

I think that the only thing still maintaining some balance, not allowing for an actual defeat of Turkey, is Germany and the dead Eu. But it is highly unlikely to be enough, let alone when actual ships get sunk and airplanes downed.
Also Erdo openly speaks of crusades, Matzikert and whatever, but even the submarines of our own fleet could have ruined all of his fleet, so it's all make-belief, and dangerous. I do think Erdo managed to turn most of the actual protectors of Turkey against that country, so is doing fine imo.

 

[r16]

anyone who reads this page in Athens is a bonafide fool to believe things are not related . Brexit is a British ploy to maximize their benefits as they would have to pay at least lip service to EU positions . Brexit only became a thing and was rushed despite the sense of "What" that lately arised , because , you know , something inserted the Russians into Cold War ll . That happened only because New Turkey could not occupy Syria and be dead with trying the same with lran . That happened only because Ayn Rand is a god in the UK . Our issues , which existed before ı was born , as ı have some years on you , meaning also before you were born are burning this bright only because London is also believer in Yüzbaşı Volkan stuff and dedication . Your defeat will humiliate the EU , will provide extra bonus because these two bases will save Cyprus , more power to the UK in the Arab world , who knows , maybe a fistful of sand stolen from the Francophone Africa , too . Because nobody has ever told these people , the jerks who were always in ties and suits and BMWs and never in the field where one can really understand the feeling of mortality that Ayn Rand also died and there is this limit to what one can do , as there has always been . And yes , instead of trying to convince people that your people do not have secret deals with the British , you like ... ı don't know yet what ? Something ? Anything ? The Turkish echo chamber phrase fit with the British positions ? "Don't believe them, they intend to rape you!"