Post your random thoughts, questions, ideas here... I'll start
1) Have you ever watched America's Funniest Videos and wonder why the winning video is almost NEVER funny AT ALL?? We were watching some older episodes on Disney Plus and the final 3 videos are always stupid and not funny, and the worst one ALWAYS wins.. WTF..
2) How have cereal bags NOT been made with zip lock technology??
3) They need to make a container that can keep to-go french fries from getting soggy...
I've been having some audio issues with my TV/soundbar setup. So, I bought a slightly better toslink cable (fiber optic line, out from the TV, into the soundbar). When I went to remove the old toslink cable, I realized/noticed it still had little rubbery plastic translucent covers over the inner part at the end of the cable. I had assumed it was just like that, but you're supposed to remove them. It's amazing that the cable still worked despite this. Not even sure if it is the cause of my issue, but I did switch to the new cable (removing its covers first).
Googled it and found a youtube video titled "Optical cable.... have you taken the cap off, moron?" Reading all the comments of people who did the same thing made me feel a little better.
> I've been having some audio issues with my TV/soundbar setup. So, I bought a slightly
> better toslink cable (fiber optic line, out from the TV, into the soundbar). When
> I went to remove the old toslink cable, I realized/noticed it still had little rubbery
> plastic translucent covers over the inner part at the end of the cable. I had assumed
> it was just like that, but you're supposed to remove them. It's amazing that the
> cable still worked despite this. Not even sure if it is the cause of my issue, but
> I did switch to the new cable (removing its covers first).
>
> Googled it and found a youtube video titled "Optical cable.... have you taken the
> cap off, moron?" Reading all the comments of people who did the same thing made me
> feel a little better.
>
My guess is the rubber got breached so it was still making contact, or was it just that the plastic didn't stop the optical signal? Certainly possible that's what was goofing with it, but I'm assuming it was fine until it wasn't? Not sure why it'd get worse over time, maybe the rubber/plastic got cloudy with age.
Yeah, I think the light was going through the translucent covers. The audio signal must have been impacted, but I honestly can't tell the difference (I've never been much of an audiophile).
The issue I'm having may not have been related to the caps being on at all. I really don't know what's causing it. It's intermittent. It's like a buzzing sound that happens with some dialog, a kind of distortion. The soundbar is doing some processing to augment voices.
The soundbar has 2 optical in ports, so I switched to the other one and that seemed to fix it months ago. But, it came back last week. So, I switched back and that seemed to fix it again... but that doesn't make sense. Maybe some sort of grounding hum issue? So, I thought maybe the cable? The cable is the cheapest thing to replace. I'd also consider getting a new soundbar, but that's more money. It could be the TV too... expensive, but I could upgrade to 4k or whatever. Hopefully, it's fine now... or I'll just keep swapping the cable port.
Reading the 10TB drive thread got me thinking about the mid-90s, which another poster brought up. Back then, a few GB was a lot, because programmers could get great games to fit in a few MB. After all, FF6 was only 3 MB! And then I realized- you could fit both FF6 and Chrono Trigger on a standard PS2 memory card…
What's really crazy to me is that a standard C64 floppy was 170 kilobytes and had thousands and thousands of games that were only one or two disks in size, with only 64k of RAM to run both the OS and game in. Some really great games in that era too.
> What's really crazy to me is that a standard C64 floppy was 170 kilobytes and had
> thousands and thousands of games that were only one or two disks in size, with only
> 64k of RAM to run both the OS and game in. Some really great games in that era too.
I remember the days of saving and loading games from tapes. We had a vic20 when I was a wee lad. I about flipped out when a friend brought over an actual cartridge and the game loaded almost instantly.
On the subject of c64, there is still a very active development scene for the thing. Really cool to see what people are STILL doing with those kinds of limitations.
I had a a Tandy Color Computer that the difference between pulling programs off cassette and floppy where crazy! My high school 'computer lab' was 10x C64's! My dad was the one with the passion for computers even in the early 80s and I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know why. He never played video games but was the first to get me a Odyssey 2 for Christmas and then the family always had a computer in the house.
They were all great products of their time, some stand up better than others. But they were state of the art 30-40 years ago and started a lot of us onto careers in computers.
Some of the ingenuity on display in those simpler games makes them better than modern games that are high on flashy graphics and low on substance lol
It was a much simpler time, you had to load things from disks or tape with command line strings. Most modern emulators will let you attach a disk image and auto start them, though
>> Commodore was before my time, but I always thought having a Commodore PET would
> be neat.
>
> VIC-20 was fun. C64 was great. C128 was great. But the PET is not something I'd
> want except for a display piece maybe...
>
I had a boxed VIC-20 years ago! It didn't work when I initially got it, and I left it to rot in my garage for a couple years. A high school friend and I actually ended up reviving it, and getting it to work.
The thing literally just sat in my collection room untouched for so many years after. Last year that friend hit me up, despite years of no contact, asking if I still had the VIC-20. I ended up selling it to him.
It was a cool thing to have, but ultimately I don't have any attachment to these weird old PCs... meanwhile I have two C64s and an Atari 800 that I need to figure out WTF to do with. I MIGHT keep the CIB C64, but the Boxed 800 and other C64 should probably go.
Yeah....I get it Frank. I found a Tandy Color Computer app that could run in a browser. I spent hours upon hours on this system when I was a kid. I was done after 20 minutes. :D
This really is a great place online. As I mention almost ad nauseam: I love modern board games and I spend a lot time on Board Game Geek. You cannot even have a conversation there without a witchhunt/playground mob following your posts and trying to censor you. What's worse is that they have no problem banning you from the site.
My position in a lot of matters are pretty clear...but I'd never EVER try to silence someone of an opposing view even if I could. I think it self defeating and a declaration that you don't have a point in your stance.
> This really is a great place online. As I mention almost ad nauseam: I love modern
> board games and I spend a lot time on Board Game Geek. You cannot even have a conversation
> there without a witchhunt/playground mob following your posts and trying to censor
> you. What's worse is that they have no problem banning you from the site.
>
> My position in a lot of matters are pretty clear...but I'd never EVER try to silence
> someone of an opposing view even if I could. I think it self defeating and a declaration
> that you don't have a point in your stance.
I think part of the reason is we try to encourage people to keep politics and religion OFF the site. People generally can't handle adult conversations with different opinions on those subjects when they are with family and friends, so trying to do that with anonymous strangers who have no real reason to back down is going to be practically impossible.
And for whatever reason, some people hold grudges against random people on the internet they disagree with.
And I understand...but I still see it being discussed here on occasion and I think honestly, when it's an impasse HERE; it pretty much ends. I know most of us have a long history of interaction as opposed to over there and maybe that is a big reason.
When it happens here we mostly just lock the thread and tell people to cool off. Banning almost never happens, but we also have restriction as an option which I'm not sure BGG uses.
That might also be more a function of the exponentially higher number of users on that site where its easier to just ban and walk away than try to remember who has misbehaved in the past and increase penalties as appropriate.
You have good points. I just remember a time when being correct and truthful was important and that isn't directed to any of the typical divides except the cowards that simply try to silence you from the get go.
EDIT: this comment would be removed from BGG to give you an idea.
I’ve had some pleasant, or at the very least calm, interactions with folks over political/social situations on this site since the old guard of main users abandoned ship and stopped gaslighting folks in the main threads. I’m thankful/appreciative of that. Site may not be as crowded as it once was but it is a lot more understanding and a lot less obnoxious.
Edit: also appreciative of the negs in lieu of dorky thread fighting.
> I’ve had some pleasant, or at the very least calm, interactions with folks over
> political/social situations on this site since the old guard of main users abandoned
> ship and stopped gaslighting folks in the main threads. I’m thankful/appreciative
> of that. Site may not be as crowded as it once was but it is a lot more understanding
> and a lot less obnoxious.
>
> Edit: also appreciative of the negs in lieu of dorky thread fighting. Jason's?
I'm going to go ahead and neg you, but it's out of love. I may be way off base, but I've seen growth in you for not falling into the norms of the internet for quite some time most of the time. I think most of us need to take a deep breath and find our zen.
Lol I accept that neg and love @KCPenguins and offer nothing but love in return.
That’s what the world…
Needs now…
Is love…
Sweet negs.
BUT to be fair the growth that you’ve noticed is likely in part due to the fact that the folks who used to reign over the forums, who acted purposely antagonistic and elitist, have taken off. That or bill forced a block/I ignored certain folks lol.
Point being that the general crowd here on the good ol’ TZ seems a lot more nice these days. And I love yas.
One of the best things I ever did for myself on this site was have Bill hide negs for me. I only see the positive counts on scores. And it really made a difference for me.
>> You have good points. I just remember a time when being correct and truthful
> was
>> important and that isn't directed to any of the typical divides except the cowards
>> that simply try to silence you from the get go.
>>
>> EDIT: this comment would be removed from BGG to give you an idea.
>
> Ngl, I was tempted to delete it to prove your point
>
>
You could the revoke my posting/thumbing/geekgold giving privs and send me this msg (bold emphasis is mine):
"Disruptive comment removed
The above post is unwelcome in our forums and has been removed. This is not intended as a punishment and we do not think you are a bad person. Moderators remove potentially disruptive comments so the rest of the thread can continue without interruption.
Please also note that commenting on or complaining about moderation in a thread not specifically discussing moderation is also unwelcome, as such comments can quickly disrupt the thread.
Our moderators may disable the account's posting privileges to prevent continued disruptions if an account commits frequent or severe violations of site rules. (If this is the only moderation note you've received recently then this likely won't be an issue for you).
I had a really bad one in 2017 a bit after a family member died. Went to the hospital and the doctor asked me how I even got there with my blood pressure where it was at. Hasn't happened since. Wish I had a good answer for you but I just had to work myself to a better place mentally. Have you tried therapy at all?
Casinos/slot machines are the worst. Thankfully cashed out ahead (+$1100). Rarely have we left above. Gdamn machines know how to keep ya in the seat! Shoulda walked out with at least another $400, but oh well, a win is a win!
In Maricopa Arizona. We stole land from Native Americans, gave them land in the desert, and they built casinos and have lots of great tribal laws for protection and tax exemption yeah? But now, those casinos are run by mega Vegas empires, but retain tribal names. We're at Harrah's Ak-Chin which is owned by Caesars.
Are we screwing the Indians yet again? Survey says... yes.
> Casinos/slot machines are the worst. Thankfully cashed out ahead (+$1100). Rarely
> have we left above. Gdamn machines know how to keep ya in the seat! Shoulda walked
> out with at least another $400, but oh well, a win is a win!
>
> In Maricopa Arizona. We stole land from Native Americans, gave them land in the desert,
> and they built casinos and have lots of great tribal laws for protection and tax
> exemption yeah? But now, those casinos are run by mega Vegas empires, but retain
> tribal names. We're at Harrah's Ak-Chin which is owned by Caesars.
>
> Are we screwing the Indians yet again? Survey says... yes.
In a brief Google search, it looks like Caesars is the management partner, but the tribe owns it (and has been putting the profits to a lot of good use, both in expanding and improving the casino, and on the reservation itself.
If you are going to run a casino, may as well let the guys in Vegas who know how to do it best handle the day to day stuff
Many years ago I watched a Native American comedian. He said the US government would move NA tribes west and then sign a treaty saying the land was theirs "as long as the water flows and the grass grows". As white people moved further west and wanted the fertile land for farming, the US government would move the NAs again with another treaty saying again the land was theirs "as long as the water flows and the grass grows". He said the US government finally solved "the Indian problem" by moving them where the water didn't flow and the grass didn't grow.
Proposing in a month. Been with her for almost 12 years and have been living with her for like 7, so I certainly shouldn’t be anxious but boy, am I anxious.
> Proposing in a month. Been with her for almost 12 years and have been living with
> her for like 7, so I certainly shouldn’t be anxious but boy, am I anxious.
Go for it!
My wife and I had been together ten years before I proposed. The scariest thing was asking her father permission before I did it and that scared the crap out of me. I was a nervous wreck leading up to asking him.
DST started today, and absolutely NO ONE IN TOWN said anything about it. So I woke up and apparently it's 10:30 now. The entire week is going to be soooooooooooo much fun.
Sometimes I feel like there's just not enough hours in the day to do the things I want to do. The day ends too soon.
I once asked someone if he could have a superpower what would it be. He didn't say super strength or super speed or teleportation. He said the ability to not have to sleep. Because he'd be able to accomplish so much more. At the time, I really didn't understand it. I was surprised he didn't want teleportation or something awesome. But the ability to not have to sleep? It's more useful than I thought.
> Sometimes I feel like there's just not enough hours in the day to do the things I
> want to do. The day ends too soon.
This is me basically every day. Between work, school, coaching, keeping up with things around the house, and trying to spend a lot of time with my wife and kids....there's never enough time to do as much in each of these areas as I would like to.
> I once asked someone if he could have a superpower what would it be. He didn't say
> super strength or super speed or teleportation. He said the ability to not have to
> sleep. Because he'd be able to accomplish so much more. At the time, I really didn't
> understand it. I was surprised he didn't want teleportation or something awesome.
> But the ability to not have to sleep? It's more useful than I thought.
Anyway the snacks thread is closed so I'll put this here. Someone in that thread mentioned Magic Spoon cereal. Well I ended up buying some after all. I got the choose-your-own bundle where you pick out any 4 flavors and I got Maple Waffle, Cinammon Roll, Peanut Butter, and Cookies & Cream.
some things to know: The cereal is kinda like Cheetos. The inside of the cereal is white. The flavoring is coated on the outside. So a lot of the "sugar" falls to the bottom of the bag and it can be kind of nasty. Also, when picking up each box you can smell the cereal inside even before opening the bags inside, which I'm pretty sure doesn't happen with cereal at the store.
What I found interesting was that the boxes say the cereal contains allulose which is a "rare sugar" found in raisins, figs, and maple syrup. So is it just sugar in the end? I wonder how much of the sugar-free stuff out there is merely taking advantage of loopholes as to what the FDA does or doesn't count as sugar.
The thread got automatically closed bc nobody replied to it in a while. It's my fault, I should have posted sooner about Magic Spoon haul and other delicious things.
Allulose is considered a low-calorie sweetener. It also doesn't affect your blood sugar, supposedly. I also just found this: "Unlike sugar, allulose isn’t metabolized in your mouth, which can help keep cavities and other dental problems at bay." https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-allulos...
That actually doesn't sound too bad. I just thought it was weird that it was technically a sugar.
> That actually doesn't sound too bad. I just thought it was weird that it was technically
> a sugar.
Interesting that it's a sugar, because the yogurt I saw it in claims to have no sugar. "Chobani Zero Sugar."
Maybe the body doesn't process it like regular sugars?
What caught my attention was the flavor: Strawberry Cheesecake. But, imo, it didn't live up to its name, not at all. Was pretty disappointing actually. I'd say the regular strawberry was better.
School buses are way too loud for when you're trying to listen to a message on your phone outside. On that note, I wonder what things would be like living out in the country or a more remote place, and not in a busy city.
Welp, I want to go cry in a corner with a bottle of bourbon.
Facebook just reminded me that 12 years ago today, I landed a job with Microsoft - that was later pulled back due to a technicality (still salty about it).
12 years ago, the stock was $20. The absolute insanity of what I'd have in investments right now, J.F.C. that hurts.
> 12 years ago, the stock was $20. The absolute insanity of what I'd have in investments right now, J.F.C. that hurts.
I worked in a McDonald's in the mid-70s. Somewhere in the mid-90s I recall reading an article that said if I had invested something like $2,000 in McDonald's in the mid-70s it would be worth $250,000.
While I was getting a haircut yesterday, a call came in that the woman cutting my hair said was some Google AI (Google Duplex?) trying to make an appointment for someone. She said it was pretty strange, but it seemed to work. She regretted saying "thank you" at the end, because she was talking to a computer.
I'm not into Siri, Cortana, Google Assistance, Alexa or whatever. But, I figure: to each his own. I just turn them off and I'm good. But, now users of these products are inflicting it on other people? Seems rude.
Hmmm... Interesting. It doesn't actually strike me as rude. Most of them work pretty well. They just call and make an appointment for stuff -- and you can say no if it doesn't work.
That being said, I don't use those features either -- I have most of it turned off. Now and then, while driving, I do like to go "Ok Google, play my playlist from Spotify" and it just does it -- so that I can be touch-free while driving. I like that.
The only other thing I've used a couple of times to try it out is Google's "on hold" stuff. Like, when you call an 800 number, it gives you a text version of the options so that you don't have to listen for everything -- and then, it detects when you're on hold waiting, so you don't have to sit and listen to the entire thing. It listens for you and lets you know when someone actually picks up. And it is even smart about knowing when the music stops and it breaks into a "We want you to know that you are our number one priority and will be with you as soon as we can!" sort of message and then goes back to music. Like, it knows that isn't the real person.
Of course, all of those features are just me interacting, not forcing it on others, so a bit different.
Oh, if I get an unknown caller, I do sometimes use the option to have Google answer it. It plays them a message saying that the call is being screened and to say who they are and why the are calling -- and then it transcribes it for me so that I can then decide to pick it up or send it to voicemail (or just hang up). 9 times out of 10, it is a spam caller and they just hang up as soon as the screening starts. So, I guess I'm forcing that on people -- but that's why people get for calling me when I don't know them.
I was already familiar with all of the other features John mentioned, but I didn't know you could use Google Assistant to make appointments too. That's kind of wild, I may have to try it out some time. I hate calling to make hair appointments in particular, for some reason. I'm actually overdue for a cut right now.
)
