Random Thoughts XV: Temere Cogito, Ergo . . .

[Gori the Grey]

Ok, then it's him I guess.

Good to see he's got his mind where it should be as he prepares to assume the responsibilities of US President.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Ok, then it's him I guess.

Good to see he's got his mind where it should be as he prepares to assume the responsibilities of US President.

Yes, haters keep on hating those who oppose them, even if they have the same appetite for food.

 

[Gori the Grey]

Yeah, not to put too fine a point on it but You're fat too, Donald, and it's because you too eat too many McDonald's hamburgers.

 

[Farm Boy]

Well, it's not like the orange rapist himself can stand the bigger man.

 

[Bonyduck Campersang]

A Kurd with his cat.

I love seeing photos from this time period. You would never see a Kurd nowadays dress like this. Modernisation and Westernisation has been the death of many rad outfits

 

[Narz]

Mapped: The strange link between obesity and corruption

If your government's ministers have a higher median BMI, chances are your country is more corrupt, study finds.

bigthink.com

Fat cats not just a figure of speech

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Yeah and who wore pants first? I think that settles it

Military men, usually. I did read that some Roman soldiers wore trousers. They'd have had to in some places. I can't imagine crossing the Alps while bare-legged.

 

[Samson]

Military men, usually. I did read that some Roman soldiers wore trousers. They'd have had to in some places. I can't imagine crossing the Alps while bare-legged.

I think trousers came before military. Ötzi was wearing trousers, and he died between 3350 and 3105 BC. He did not want to cross the Alps bare-legged.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Hopefully he wore a tunic of some sort. You don't want to cross the Alps without a shirt, either.

Which is one reason why I roll my eyes at one particular episode of BBC Merlin. The knights are on a mission to the "Northern Plains" and it's cold and snowy... and Gwaine's not wearing any head covering and Percival doesn't have any sleeves. Both of them should have had frostbite long before they were captured and taken to Ismere.

I'm fixing that in my fanfic sequel to this episode.

 

[Plains-Cow]

I'm going at this from a Canadian perspective.

Do you have a coat of arms?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Do you have a coat of arms?

What does this have to do with the price of potato chips on Talos IV?

 

[Plains-Cow]

What does this have to do with the price of potato chips on Talos IV?

I've heard Canadians can get them from the heraldry services and bequeath them to their children. The cost of Cheetos on Corneria didn't really cross my mind.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I've heard Canadians can get them from the heraldry services and bequeath them to their children. The cost of Cheetos on Corneria didn't really cross my mind.

What does this have to do with the topic of the thread? As it happens, I do have a heraldic device, but it would be off-topic to discuss it in this thread. Ask me in the Random Thoughts thread.

 

[lymond]

Moderator Action: @Valka D'Ur and @Plains-Cow, I restored and moved your posts here to continue this conversation. Cheers - lymond

 

[Plains-Cow]

What does this have to do with the topic of the thread? As it happens, I do have a heraldic device, but it would be off-topic to discuss it in this thread. Ask me in the Random Thoughts thread.

(Eagerly awaiting to learn more about Canada's heraldic devices in the thread thanks to the MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS!)

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Moderator Action: @Valka D'Ur and @Plains-Cow, I restored and moved your posts here to continue this conversation. Cheers - lymond

(Eagerly awaiting to learn more about Canada's heraldic devices in the thread thanks to the MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS!)

Could you explain why you're making a Canadian connection here? Is it because we're a Commonwealth country?

The heraldic device I have is because designing, registering, and displaying them is an integral part of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). It's one of the first things new people are encouraged to do, next to deciding what their persona's name will be, assembling a costume to wear, and gathering a basic nef kit (feast gear - dishes, tablecloth, and candles).

I attended an Ithra course on basic heraldry (Ithra is an SCA "university" in which people can take courses on many aspects of SCA and historical medieval life; heraldry is one of the basics that everyone is encouraged to take). We were taught the rules of SCA and historical heraldry, and also which things are forbidden. For instance, there are dozens of different types of heraldic crosses, and centuries ago the one we now know as the swastika was perfectly legal and okay. But due to the events of the mid-20th century, of course the swastika is forbidden. There are others that are also forbidden, for a variety of reasons.

To get a heraldic device approved in the SCA, it has to be unique, or at least not too similar to something already registered, either within the SCA or in real history. That makes it a challenge to figure out something unique that doesn't step on someone else's design. In my case, there was a bit of concern about stars, because lots of people have stars on their devices. But on the flip side, not that many people have panpipes. I chose stars and panpipes as a nod to my primary interests of science and music. If I'd been as involved in writing back then as I am now, I'd probably have tried to shoehorn a quill in there somewhere as well. I can think of how it could be done, and the only barrier would be if someone else thought of it first and got it registered.

Anyway, here's my device:

Per saltire Or and sable, in pale two mullets sable and in fess two clarions Or.

 

[Plains-Cow]

Could you explain why you're making a Canadian connection here? Is it because we're a Commonwealth country?

The heraldic device I have is because designing, registering, and displaying them is an integral part of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). It's one of the first things new people are encouraged to do, next to deciding what their persona's name will be, assembling a costume to wear, and gathering a basic nef kit (feast gear - dishes, tablecloth, and candles).

I attended an Ithra course on basic heraldry (Ithra is an SCA "university" in which people can take courses on many aspects of SCA and historical medieval life; heraldry is one of the basics that everyone is encouraged to take). We were taught the rules of SCA and historical heraldry, and also which things are forbidden. For instance, there are dozens of different types of heraldic crosses, and centuries ago the one we now know as the swastika was perfectly legal and okay. But due to the events of the mid-20th century, of course the swastika is forbidden. There are others that are also forbidden, for a variety of reasons.

To get a heraldic device approved in the SCA, it has to be unique, or at least not too similar to something already registered, either within the SCA or in real history. That makes it a challenge to figure out something unique that doesn't step on someone else's design. In my case, there was a bit of concern about stars, because lots of people have stars on their devices. But on the flip side, not that many people have panpipes. I chose stars and panpipes as a nod to my primary interests of science and music. If I'd been as involved in writing back then as I am now, I'd probably have tried to shoehorn a quill in there somewhere as well. I can think of how it could be done, and the only barrier would be if someone else thought of it first and got it registered.

Anyway, here's my device:

Per saltire Or and sable, in pale two mullets sable and in fess two clarions Or.

View attachment 713121

Do you have it registered here?

Grant of Arms, Flags and Badges

In Canada, the Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) manages the official creation of coats of arms, flags and badges. All Canadian citizens and organizations (municipalities, schools, associations, etc.) can contact the chief herald of Canada to apply for a grant of heraldic emblems.

www.gg.ca

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Do you have it registered here?

Grant of Arms, Flags and Badges

In Canada, the Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) manages the official creation of coats of arms, flags and badges. All Canadian citizens and organizations (municipalities, schools, associations, etc.) can contact the chief herald of Canada to apply for a grant of heraldic emblems.

www.gg.ca

I've thought of doing that now and then, but haven't yet.

 

[dusters]

I was thinking last night that each country is an organism. Some cells are benevolent, they benefit the whole. Some are there to eat away at others, like a virus or cancer.

Like in a saying "be a useful citizen to society* some people are giving more than they are taking. However, some people want others to die (not literally) to establish monopolies and take all
profit for themselves. Like we have only 2 telecommunication services in Latvia, because all the smaller ones have been bought off.

I hope you get the analogy so far.

However, on the whole whole organism is always headed towards something. Countries cease to exist at some point, but for some that period is thousands of years, for some just several decades.

At this point in time Latvia is 22 years (1918- 1940) plus 33 (1991 - 2024) which equals to 55 years old. Our population has dwindled from 2,3 mil to 1,8mil in last 20 years. Roughly 22% decrease.

Of these 1,8mil approximately only 60% are Latvians. Therefore roughly 1 million people. Latvia's native population has been decreasing at 1% per year rate.

In the past 23 years 400 schools have been closed and almost none opened.

Latvian ministry of education has not been keeping up with its promises about raising wages for teachers according to its own (!) plan for years.

Average wage in Riga is roughly 1700 euros, average wage for a teacher is 1200 euros. Therefore each year there are very few graduates, because who wants to spend 4 years in a STEM field (for physics, math, chemistry, IT teachers) and earn 75% of average while you can earn 150%+ of average in industry or abroad.

That being said - do you work in a field which is growing? If you don't, does the government's non-support affect you?

This post is not about blaming government, it is about feeling that the field is a sinking ship and I'm teaching others how to swim while I should, maybe, teach them how to build boats, or, much better,
motorboats.

How do you feel in your field? Is it getting bigger, is funding good, are there scientists working towards improving your field?

 

[Takhisis]

Last night somebody put on one of those alleged Christmas classics… besides the lack of any metnion of the Christ in question, it was utterly scary.

He knows what you do, better behave yourself, he'll punish you, etc. This Santa Claus/Claws is worse than the police.