Random Rants LXXXVI: OH, FUDDLE-DUDDLE!

[Valka D'Ur]

My main problem with the Alert Ready system is that every single alert is sent at presidential level, which can't be disabled in the phone settings (at least without hacking it). So the "missing kid" alert is sent with the same urgency as "incoming nuclear bombs," leading to desensitization.

Many people have pointed this out in the CBC comments, and they tend to get flamed for it. It's like car alarms. Nobody pays attention to those except for wishing the alarm would stop.

As for "incoming nuclear bombs"... I'm old enough to have gone through "duck and cover" drills in school, in the event of nuclear war. Of course it would do nothing to protect us, but back in the '60s things were politically unstable in many regions of the world. People who were born after the Cold War have no idea what it's like to grow up with this fear instilled in you. We were told to listen for sirens, do our "duck and cover" thing if we heard that particular one warning of bombs, and somehow this was all supposed to be reassuring while simultaneously keeping us scared.

I can’t read about bad news all the time. I don’t need to spend $6.95 plus tax on a magazine to be miserable—I can do that for free!

In that case, may I suggest back issues of National Geographic?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

I know I’m in the minority of people that like old print magazines like that.

I feel like there’s too much nature and not enough geography in National Geographic nowadays. I guess their readers wanted more environmental news or what have you, but it doesn’t click with me like the old magazines did.

And all this science? I don’t understand. It’s just a job, five days a week.

I cannot fathom why I can't place that lyric.

I agree with you about geography in general. I don't really follow NG any more so wouldn't know how it balances, but back when I did follow it the most exciting issues to find in the mail where the ones with maps in them.

 

[Cutlass]

Drink lots of coffee. It won't help, but it means everything will taste of coffee anyway so you won't notice.

Smoking probably does the same. Never tried either.

 

[Cutlass]

I cannot fathom why I can't place that lyric.

Rocket Man
Elton John
She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour nine AM
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
'Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time
And I think it's gonna be a long long time

 

[Synobun]

I had a slurpee from 7-Eleven for the first time ever yesterday. I had an immediate, severe reaction to it. Looking at the ingredients, I can't figure it out. I've had them all in various forms elsewhere.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I agree with you about geography in general. I don't really follow NG any more so wouldn't know how it balances, but back when I did follow it the most exciting issues to find in the mail where the ones with maps in them.

The maps are why my grandmother subscribed to the magazine back in the '80s.

I had a slurpee from 7-Eleven for the first time ever yesterday. I had an immediate, severe reaction to it. Looking at the ingredients, I can't figure it out. I've had them all in various forms elsewhere.

Authentic Slurpees are different from slushes in a variety of ways. I've tried different kinds over the years, but I usually preferred the Slurpees (favorite flavors include pink bubble gum and mango). The only exception was when the corner store near my place (in the '90s) installed a slush machine. They had the best root beer slushes I've ever had.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Multiple people (including one RCMP officer) died. According to Global News, the shooter also got dead.

More than ten people got dead. They don't know how many for sure because it was all across the province.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

We're not even four months into 2020

I just want it to end already

 

[Takhisis]

Hell it's like 2016.

 

[r16]

that Elton John was never to Mars shows .

so , ı had a dream sequence ı remembered when awake . Not a lecture on how the unsolved issues are processed in some "relaxed" environment and being a professional would only bring in other peoples' stuff , you know , a couple of pages back in the thread . First ı discover a news anchorwoman came to my wedding and ı didn't know , though my relatives truly welcomed her . ı had no wedding , ever , so this is a post pandemic issue with US State Department people / will rush to mock me . A frying pan in the face solves so many things , as ı have been telling the joyous one , hopely ı will be obeyed this time . Hullo , ı want war with America !

then ı was either in a firefight or a FPS game . Never been in a firefight and ı don't play those , for being fake and cheapening the notions of fighting and stuff . Pretty sure this comes from Rouge One which was on TV last night . And my feeling of cheating as ı surfed away at times to resolve 10 000 BC , so these guys were not caught , but infiltrate the construction site at will . That people smart enough to build pyramids do not take a roll call on the mornings to discover 3 of the guards are missing , to call for an alert so that the whip guys would be on alert for the likes of this towering black dude who has never been whipped before is one of the things you wouldn't expect Hollywood to pay attention to . Yes , two South African White dudes with Rasta hair cross the whole continent taming beasts raising Native levies discovering stellar navigation and killing all this Cleopatra was Black nonsense , because the Pharoah was the whitest dude ever , and Egyptians are dumb because it was Atlanteans who made the pyramids . Also had moments of discovering Shrek 5 involves contracts and smallprints and stuff . Not because we would have body armour issues , short of a direct hit by the 105 mm tank gun type , they are cleared for action , was me who directed that series of tests . Not even that they have changed the dialog with Director Krennic , it is a Party channel and considering ı hate the Stuntwoman for rushing to warn ı might not be happy with the originals , as the TV version is not what ı heard in the movie theater , because as she knows much better me that there is a thing called e-mails or phone calls or whatever . lt's the very act of waking up , immediately digesting and interpreting and move a little and my back hurts . lf am like so smart , with this brilliant lQ of 80 or 90 why doesn't my brain tell me am a lazy fatso that needs more exercise ?

 

[yung.carl.jung]

got up early today, called in at my former job. they promised me after my internship was done (only took ~ a month) I could go back to working normally. they just told me, very discretely, that I should take all my vacation days and look for something else. my gf already lost her job months ago because gastronomy was gutted because of corona. just fantastic. if I hadn't saved up, I'd be homeless.

 

[amadeus]

I couldn’t stand Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz before this whole thing, but now they are not only making Americans less informed, but possibly putting lives at risk with their stupid, stupid opinions.

Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz are just medical board-certified versions of Jim Bakker and Peter Popoff. Take money from poor people that get suckered by their nonsense. Shame on them and shame on the television stations that continue to run their programs.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

People are losing respect for Canada's chief medical officer (the top doctor advising the federal cabinet). She's waffled back and forth over the past two months over travel restrictions, how many people were safe to be together in the same room, who should be tested, and whether or not people should wear masks.

A lot of cases could have been avoided if they'd just shut the borders except to returning Canadians and essential health and commerce (ie. truckers) travelers, cut down on the number of people allowed to congregate, closed the schools earlier, expanded testing, isolated the sick from the healthy in nursing homes, and promoted mask-making at least a month ago. Forpetessake, there are still American tourists wandering around Vancouver Island - they should have gone home weeks ago!

And our premier just gave away a lot of PPE items to other provinces... while ordering new ones from China. The new stuff has chemical odors, doesn't seal correctly, and causes rashes, headaches, and breathing difficulties to the wearers. This is what Jason Kenney thinks is perfectly fine for the nurses dealing with COVID patients, and not one person in cabinet will own up to being at fault for procuring useless equipment. The nurses who spoke up to the media would be fired if their identities were known.

We have three more years of this government. I wonder if we'll have any sort of functioning province when it's over.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Rant: I had a nightmare. It was not nice.

 

[Cutlass]

I know I’m in the minority of people that like old print magazines like that.

I feel like there’s too much nature and not enough geography in National Geographic nowadays. I guess their readers wanted more environmental news or what have you, but it doesn’t click with me like the old magazines did.

And all this science? I don’t understand. It’s just a job, five days a week.

I remembered another today that you might have an interest in. Smithsonian Magazine covers a lot of different topics.

 

[Synobun]

After waiting over six months on a wait list, I've finally been able to start reading The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It is a book about the origin of PTSD diagnosing, how it manifests, how it impacts the body, and how one can recover from it. I am about a third of the way through, and it is the most taxing book I've ever read. Almost every section has at least one observation that exactly describes an aspect of my experience. It's been an unending stream of, "Hey, that sounds like me," and then this is usually accompanied by observations that people with those traits or experiences tend to be the most damaged or difficult to treat, that they are often the ones to kill themselves because the system is simply incapable of helping them and all the possible options for treatment are inaccessible because of the damage done to the fundamental portions of their brain.

I've always lamented not being significantly emotionally impacted by reading, but I can't say I'm enjoying this side of the coin either.

I will probably try and read the rest as quickly as possible.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I want to go back to 2019.

 

[yung.carl.jung]

I want to go back to 2019.

I want to go back 60 years and become one of those guys walking around with a sign warning about the coming end of the world. a real doomsayer. honestly, that's probably how most time travellers end up.

salary cut 50 percent, except the low pyramid from our organization they got subside. I'm not bother about the cut, what I'm bother is what await us after the cut.

I feel you. I hope things look up for you in the future.

Front door? Open? Don't you make sure to hear the click? At least look it over with your peepers to make sure it's shut? I can't fathom going through life with no awareness of what you're doing (or not doing).

I am not advocating for anyone to leave their front door over, but this isn't so uncommon to me. my parents often left our houses' door open during the day, and rarely at night (mostly out of forgetfulness I assume, but maybe they simply didn't care). I grew up in a pretty small town with almost non-existant crime (well, if we're talking about theft and capital crime, anyway). It was simply easier than giving both their kids a key (plus one for each of my parents, plus a backup), which would've made five total. nowadays they mostly keep the door shut during the day, and always at night, maybe because they're getting older. we have a backup key hidden incase anyone wants to drop by.

of course they had a house in a relatively secluded part. when everyone has a garden and a garage and stuff houses are far apart. leaving your door open in an apartment building is a different horse.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I want to go back 60 years and become one of those guys walking around with a sign warning about the coming end of the world. a real doomsayer. honestly, that's probably how most time travellers end up.

I can't find it now, but I once read a story about time-travellers where someone went "this other person did much worse things than Hitler, I'm going back in time to kill him!" and then accidentally erases himself from existence.

 

[Arakhor]

I'm fairly sure I know which story you mean.

Edit: Here we are! Wikihistory - Abyss & Apex.