Miscellaneous Discussion Thread
Quote: DRichQuote: rxwineFYI. Maybe I’m not the only one who just found this out.
for junk mail you never signed up for, like credit card or insurance offers, the Federal Trade Commission recommends using the website www.optoutprescreen.com to prevent a deluge of letters for up to five years or permanently.
link to original post
I am probably one of the few people that likes getting junk mail.
link to original post
20 years ago I used to have a giant old mailbox an old farmer mailbox that was probably a cubic foot big and I would leave all my junk mail in the mailbox and usually when it got about half full I would get my mail one day and it would all be gone because somebody had stolen it. They do that when you live in the country they go around the mailboxes at 3:00 a.m. and steal whatever is in there and I would laugh and laugh imagining them going through all that junk mail and finding zero. Finally somebody stole the entire mailbox because it was made out of steel was probably from the 1930s and was worth some money so now I have a much smaller one.
Quote:When investigators went into the vault where Robert Higgins claimed he kept half a million of his customers’ silver coins, all they say they found were empty boxes filled with IOUs.
Investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission say the empty vault was the result of a complex coin-leasing scam in which Higgins claimed he was buying and storing American Eagle coins but pocketed tens of millions of dollars of investors’ money instead.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/an-empty-vault-silver-dealer-ordered-to-pay-146-million-in-case-of-500-000-missing-coins/ar-AA1dnKfO?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=2776b367e9b949caabb0cd1b473c23c6&ei=13
Quote: rxwineReminds me of Dumb and Dumber with the IOUs
Quote:When investigators went into the vault where Robert Higgins claimed he kept half a million of his customers’ silver coins, all they say they found were empty boxes filled with IOUs.
Investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission say the empty vault was the result of a complex coin-leasing scam in which Higgins claimed he was buying and storing American Eagle coins but pocketed tens of millions of dollars of investors’ money instead.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/an-empty-vault-silver-dealer-ordered-to-pay-146-million-in-case-of-500-000-missing-coins/ar-AA1dnKfO?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=2776b367e9b949caabb0cd1b473c23c6&ei=13
link to original post
It goes to intent. Rather than stealing from his clients, he was merely borrowing. It would have been replaced if the government hadn't shut him down.
the old saying "the cream rises to the top"
have been thinking about how hard it is - really, really, really hard - to be among the best at just about anything
ever watched the concert pianists - classical - doing all of that amazing stuff with both hands__________?
for every one that rose to that level there are prolly thousands who tried and couldn't get there
how many truly great h.s. & college athletes couldn't make the pros or could only ride a bench in the pros_____?________lots and lots and lots
to me it's kinna sad that so many have tried so hard to get to the top and just couldn't get there
.
Quote: lilredrooster.
the old saying "the cream rises to the top"
have been thinking about how hard it is - really, really, really hard - to be among the best at just about anything
ever watched the concert pianists - classical - doing all of that amazing stuff with both hands__________?
for every one that rose to that level there are prolly thousands who tried and couldn't get there
how many truly great h.s. & college athletes couldn't make the pros or could only ride a bench in the pros_____?________lots and lots and lots
to me it's kinna sad that so many have tried so hard to get to the top and just couldn't get there
.
link to original post
If it was easy to get to the top, no one would care.
Quote: billryanQuote: rxwineReminds me of Dumb and Dumber with the IOUs
Quote:When investigators went into the vault where Robert Higgins claimed he kept half a million of his customers’ silver coins, all they say they found were empty boxes filled with IOUs.
Investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission say the empty vault was the result of a complex coin-leasing scam in which Higgins claimed he was buying and storing American Eagle coins but pocketed tens of millions of dollars of investors’ money instead.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/an-empty-vault-silver-dealer-ordered-to-pay-146-million-in-case-of-500-000-missing-coins/ar-AA1dnKfO?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=2776b367e9b949caabb0cd1b473c23c6&ei=13
link to original post
It goes to intent. Rather than stealing from his clients, he was merely borrowing. It would have been replaced if the government hadn't shut him down.
link to original post
Sure it would, wink wink. Criminals like this crack me up because they know they're going to get caught eventually and the stress they must be under would be incredible. It would almost be a relief getting caught because the stress would go away. They say that if you want to commit a crime do it by yourself, tell no one, and only do it once. The chances of getting caught are almost zero.
Quote: lilredrooster.
the old saying "the cream rises to the top"
have been thinking about how hard it is - really, really, really hard - to be among the best at just about anything
ever watched the concert pianists - classical - doing all of that amazing stuff with both hands__________?
for every one that rose to that level there are prolly thousands who tried and couldn't get there
how many truly great h.s. & college athletes couldn't make the pros or could only ride a bench in the pros_____?________lots and lots and lots
to me it's kinna sad that so many have tried so hard to get to the top and just couldn't get there
.
link to original post[/link
The top people (if the pool of contenders is big enough) will have both the ethic of hard work and talent, When the pool is big enough, neither talent or hard work is enough by itself. But either may be enough for a time, if not so many people are involved in whatever the skill may be. At least that’s what I believe hold’s true.
Quote: rxwineHaving your brain take all the shots doesn’t accumulate to anything good over time.
per the link 41% of retired fighters have CTE
and 99% of former NFL players in the Boston Brain Bank
probably many of those who donated their brains for study had problems - so the 99% figure might not be very accurate
American football players and boxers account for most of the confirmed cases of CTE
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive and fatal brain disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions and repeated blows to the head. It is also associated with the development of dementia.
https://combatsportslaw.com/2022/12/18/study-41-of-retired-fighters-likely-have-cte-the-more-bouts-the-higher-the-risk/#:~:text=Study%20%E2%80%93%2041%25%20of%20Retired%20Fighters,the%20Risk%20%E2%80%93%20Combat%20Sports%20Law
.
cute comic from the paper"Enjoy yourself while you can."
Dog Hand
Burger King has flopped in Thailand with its new offering of a meatless cheeseburger they call a "real cheeseburger"
a bun with just 20 slices of cheese_____________yuck
the really strange thing - I don't think cheese is even a thing in Asian food culture - I don't recall ever seeing an Asian restaurant offering cheese with their entrees
I could be wrong
https://www.foodandwine.com/burger-king-real-cheeseburger-thailand-7559705
.
the Monty Hall problem - a very fascinating puzzle - originally appeared in Parade Magazine
from Wiki :
"Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors: Behind one door is a car; behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, "Do you want to pick door No. 2?" Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?"
Savant's response was that the contestant should switch to the other door. Under the standard assumptions, the switching strategy has a 2/3 probability of winning the car, while the strategy of sticking with the initial choice has only a 1/3 probability.
When the player first makes their choice, there is a 2/3 chance that the car is behind one of the doors not chosen. This probability does not change after the host reveals a goat behind one of the unchosen doors. When the host provides information about the 2 unchosen doors (revealing that one of them does not have the car behind it), the 2/3 chance of the car being behind one of the unchosen doors rests on the unchosen and unrevealed door, as opposed to the 1/3 chance of the car being behind the door the contestant chose initially.
The given probabilities depend on specific assumptions about how the host and contestant choose their doors. A key insight is that, under these standard conditions, there is more information about doors 2 and 3 than was available at the beginning of the game when door 1 was chosen by the player: the host's action adds value to the door not eliminated, but not to the one chosen by the contestant originally. Another insight is that switching doors is a different action from choosing between the two remaining doors at random, as the former action uses the previous information and the latter does not. Other possible behaviors of the host than the one described can reveal different additional information, or none at all, and yield different probabilities.
Many readers of Savant's column refused to believe switching is beneficial and rejected her explanation. After the problem appeared in Parade, approximately 10,000 readers, INCLUDING NEARLY 1,000 WITH PhDs, WROTE TO THE MAGAZINE, MOST OF THEM CALLING SAVANT WRONG. Even when given explanations, simulations, and formal mathematical proofs, many people still did not accept that switching is the best strategy. PAUL ERDOS, ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC MATHEMATICIANS IN HISTORY, REMAINED UNCONVINCED, until he was shown a computer simulation demonstrating Savant's predicted result.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem
.
Quote: rxwineMy fortune cookie fortune from my 'Four Seasons" meal take-out was of Oracle of Delphi quality.
"Enjoy yourself while you can."
link to original post
My life motto.
Quote: lilredrooster.
Burger King has flopped in Thailand with its new offering of a meatless cheeseburger they call a "real cheeseburger"
a bun with just 20 slices of cheese_____________yuck
the really strange thing - I don't think cheese is even a thing in Asian food culture - I don't recall ever seeing an Asian restaurant offering cheese with their entrees
I could be wrong
https://www.foodandwine.com/burger-king-real-cheeseburger-thailand-7559705
.
link to original post
If you are actually eating crap like this it's no wonder you have a weight problem. This kind of food will literally kill you and probably is. You have no idea what it's doing to you until you stop eating it and start to feel better and better instead of worse and worse. A guy I follow on YouTube just for an experiment cut out all processed food from his diet two months ago and his life is totally different now in every aspect healthwise. He can't believe how much damage all that processed food was doing to him.
Quote: rxwineMy fortune cookie fortune from my 'Four Seasons" meal take-out was of Oracle of Delphi quality."Enjoy yourself while you can."
That's cool, but MINE was "You are eccentric and your life complex."
How Delphic.
the James Webb telescope is out there in space and it has tremendous capabilities
the telescope is able to "see" distant planets and stars with much detail
the pic is one of the amazing photos it has returned
the link is questions and answers about the telescope from Nasa
https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html#:~:text=own%20solar%20system%3F-,Yes!,of%20planets%20and%20their%20moons.
.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4Tj-M-Pa7qc
Action, suspense, good characters, resolution, Delivers a consistent message.
Quote: rxwineThis 2 minute movie has everything a movie is supposed to have.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4Tj-M-Pa7qc
Action, suspense, good characters, resolution, Delivers a consistent message.
link to original post
Good plot, excellent directing though the ending was somewhat predictable.
https://fervoenergy.com/fervo-energy-announces-technology-breakthrough-in-next-generation-geothermal/
Quote:For a natural geothermal system to produce electricity, it needs a combination of heat, fluid and rock permeability, as Bloomberg notes. In many areas, the rock has the required levels of heat, but not enough permeability for fluid to flow through it.
An EGS creates this permeability artificially by drilling deep underground and injecting fluid to create fractures in the rock. That approach can vastly increase the number of potential sites for a geothermal power plant.
Quote: billryanCan this power be transferred, or do the houses have to be near the source? I'm not at all familiar with this method.
link to original post
It's quite possible if you have a resource somewhere the people might show up eventually.. I don't know how much water there is generally in that area. That might be the only other factor.
Quote: rxwineA geothermal experimental plant in Northern Nevada has achieved 3.5 MW of power. Some sort of lateral drilling was done. That's around enough power for 2200 homes,
https://fervoenergy.com/fervo-energy-announces-technology-breakthrough-in-next-generation-geothermal/Quote:For a natural geothermal system to produce electricity, it needs a combination of heat, fluid and rock permeability, as Bloomberg notes. In many areas, the rock has the required levels of heat, but not enough permeability for fluid to flow through it.
An EGS creates this permeability artificially by drilling deep underground and injecting fluid to create fractures in the rock. That approach can vastly increase the number of potential sites for a geothermal power plant.
link to original post
in theory geothermal is an under-used answer to getting off fossil fuels
but it ain't so easy, this is a good explanation of the problems,
Quote: TigerWu24 hour news channels were a mistake.
link to original post
I would watch the “no opinion” news.
Here’s a building burning.’
Here’s people throwing rocks and bottles.
Here’s someone wrecked on the highway.
Here’s a bank robbery in progress.”
Welcome to “no opinion” news. Where commentators receive electric shocks if they utter an opinion (after all you do need some entertainment value to bring the veiwership)
Quote: rxwine
Welcome to “no opinion” news. Where commentators receive electric shocks if they utter an opinion (after all you do need some entertainment value to bring the veiwership)
news shows that feature opinions have been hurt by forums such as this that allow political posts (this one doesn't obviously)
and especially by Twitter
some news commentator will make a perfectly reasonable argument and some clown on a forum or Twitter will call him an idiot, or much, much worse - or will slander the person with a cartoonish meme - just because they disagree with the guy
these forums have given a voice, a very loud voice, to the crackpot contingent
of course, they're not all crackpots and buffoons - but way too many of them are
.
Mission hasn't posted since early April of this year
and I hope he comes back and posts more
the dude really put out some excellent posts
.
I speak of course of men not shaving daily, allowing for a "grizzled look."
Not full beards, but rather a look that is caused by keeping it short.
Interesting phenomenon in men's fashion.
That’s for the birds, and the military.
But they DO "shave" or perhaps I should say "groom" their facial fluff regularly in order to maintain that look.
Most probably put down the razor and picked up an electric clippers.
Less frequent grooming but regular grooming nonetheless, with a lot of wiggle room to experiment until achieving that "just right" look.
I can't pull it off; it just look like I have dirt on my face.
Quote: TigerWuWomen supposedly like that look on men.
I can't pull it off; it just look like I have dirt on my face.
link to original post
I agree and I am in the same position.
I have limited my hirsute mods to a 'stache and some chin fuzz, sort of a goatee..
I like it, and my wife doesn't bitch so win-win.
100x easier than shaving. Needs to be done way less frequently, takes far less time, and most chicks seem to like that look.Quote: MrVOh, I understand, and I am not complaining, simply remarking upon it.
But they DO "shave" or perhaps I should say "groom" their facial fluff regularly in order to maintain that look.
Most probably put down the razor and picked up an electric clippers.
Less frequent grooming but regular grooming nonetheless, with a lot of wiggle room to experiment until achieving that "just right" look.
link to original post
I have been doing it on and off since high school. You still need to maintain the shape under your neck and above your cheeks if you want a cleaner look.
The first memorable person I remember having that look was George Michaels. At the time I didn't know he drove a Miata, nor did I know he was in Wham! or I would've probably been able to figure that out. And Zero chance I would ever wear an earring even though it was popular when I grew up.
Quote: AxelWolfAnd Zero chance I would ever wear an earring even though it was popular when I grew up.
link to original post
I would think you would embrace your pirate self, matey. Rrrrr.
I'd have taken them to Michigan.
Quote: billryanA family was arrested for fraud after they exported eight million dollars worth of cans to California. Cans sold in California are subject to a five-cent fee, which is returnable. Cans in Arizona are not subject to the deposit, so the family was able to buy scrap cans in Arizona for under a cent and transport them to Cali where they were worth a nickel each. Evidently, this is frowned upon.
I'd have taken them to Michigan.
link to original post
Sounds like a Seinfeld episode.
Quote: billryanA family was arrested for fraud after they exported eight million dollars worth of cans to California. Cans sold in California are subject to a five-cent fee, which is returnable. Cans in Arizona are not subject to the deposit, so the family was able to buy scrap cans in Arizona for under a cent and transport them to Cali where they were worth a nickel each. Evidently, this is frowned upon.
I'd have taken them to Michigan.
link to original post
8,000,000/0.05 = 160 million cans [I'm thinking it was over a period of years]
greed got em
Quote: odiousgambitQuote: billryanA family was arrested for fraud after they exported eight million dollars worth of cans to California. Cans sold in California are subject to a five-cent fee, which is returnable. Cans in Arizona are not subject to the deposit, so the family was able to buy scrap cans in Arizona for under a cent and transport them to Cali where they were worth a nickel each. Evidently, this is frowned upon.
I'd have taken them to Michigan.
link to original post
8,000,000/0.05 = 160 million cans [I'm thinking it was over a period of years]
greed got em
link to original post
Many businesses rely on crossing state lines for one thing or another. I can see the lightbulb going off in someone's head that led to going big time, They probably distributed way too many cans to a small number of processing centers which attracted attention eventually.
Bringing too much attention to yourself, in AP is bad, and in illegal activities, jail.
I'm sure nobody remembers but in the 2020 I reported here that my sister-in-law on the way to the same reunion contracted covid in the vehicle she was in from another relative who was coughing her head off and had no idea she had covid. The sister-in-law died in the hospital a month later and devastated the entire family and of course they have not forgotten this so panic set in and the entire reunion was canceled. With so many people not coming what was the point. Turns out there's a 10% bump nationwide in covid admissions in hospitals all across the country, worse in some places better in others. Do we hear about this on the news? Hell no, those days are long gone now we just pretend covid is no longer with us.
So my wife makes me stop at the Kewadin Casino in Saint Ignace in the UP and we're there about an hour so she can lose $75 in the slot machines. I was thinking the whole time how the hell did I ever play roulette in a brick and mortar Casino. It is so slow and you have to wait so long to make a bet if it's not playing your game, I honestly don't remember how I did it. I used to go a lot that's how I did it. Anyway so we're back home now and it was not even an adventure, it's the same old crap. Covid ruining everything.
Quote: odiousgambitQuote: billryanA family was arrested for fraud after they exported eight million dollars worth of cans to California. Cans sold in California are subject to a five-cent fee, which is returnable. Cans in Arizona are not subject to the deposit, so the family was able to buy scrap cans in Arizona for under a cent and transport them to Cali where they were worth a nickel each. Evidently, this is frowned upon.
I'd have taken them to Michigan.
link to original post
8,000,000/0.05 = 160 million cans [I'm thinking it was over a period of years]
greed got em
link to original post
It was done over six months.
Quote: billryanQuote: odiousgambitQuote: billryanA family was arrested for fraud after they exported eight million dollars worth of cans to California. Cans sold in California are subject to a five-cent fee, which is returnable. Cans in Arizona are not subject to the deposit, so the family was able to buy scrap cans in Arizona for under a cent and transport them to Cali where they were worth a nickel each. Evidently, this is frowned upon.
I'd have taken them to Michigan.
link to original post
8,000,000/0.05 = 160 million cans [I'm thinking it was over a period of years]
greed got em
link to original post
It was done over six months.
link to original post
How do you get that many cans?
