Miscellaneous Discussion Thread II

Quote: billryan

The City of Tucson is in a bit of a sticky situation. Several years ago, the city agreed to lease the Kino Sports Complex to the World Cup organizers, who would have a team from the regional drawer take it over for a few weeks, and the city was supposed to act as the host to the team.
By luck of the drawer, Tucson was selected to host the Iranian team.
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No problem for Tucson. One of several things will happen:

1. Iran will choose not to send a team to the US
2. The US will deny access to the Iranian team.
3. The present dust-up will be resolved, Iran will have a secular leader and the Iranian soccer team will arrive and prove to be very pleasant normal people.

Although it's possible you may also hear a chant, progressively growing in volume: "Death to Arizona!"

Quote: EvenBob

That's why every town worth it salt had a clock tower so when it went off at noon all the men in town would stop what they were doing and check their pocket watches to make sure they were accurate.
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Yet even with a flux capacitor and DeLorean you still have to worry about time.

All the important businessmen needed to know what time it was, but the farmers didn't need to be told when to get up and when to eat.
Funny how that works.

On November 18, 1883, United States and Canadian railroads instituted standard time in time zones. Before then, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of local solar time, maintained by some well-known clock (for example, on a church steeple or in a jeweler's window). The standard time system was not immediately embraced by all. Standard time in time zones was established in U.S. law in the Standard Time Act on March 19, 1918, at which time daylight saving time was also instituted.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_time_in_the_United_States

"Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?" - Chicago

Daylight saving time was repealed in 1919, but standard time in time zones remained in law, with the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) having the authority over time zone boundaries. Daylight time became a local matter; ultimately, it was reinstated nationally early in World War II and was continuously observed until the end of the war. After the war its use varied among states and localities. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided standardization in the dates of beginning and end of daylight time in the U.S. but allowed for local exemptions from its observance.

On 11 October 1883, a convention of railroad executives met in Chicago at the General Time Convention (later renamed the American Railway Association) and agreed to the implementation of five time zones in North America, using Greenwich Mean Time as a basis.[5][6] Right to the end there was opposition expressed by many smaller towns and cities to the imposition of railway time.

In the mid-1960s the airline and other transportation industries lobbied for uniformity of DST dates in the United States. The federal Uniform Time Act became law on April 13, 1966, and it mandated that DST begin nationwide on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October, effective in 1967. The act explicitly preempted all previously enacted state laws related to the beginning and ending of DST effective in 1966. Any state that wanted to be exempt from DST could do so by passing a state law, provided that it exempted the entire state, and Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, and Michigan chose to do so. However, Alaska, Indiana, and Michigan subsequently chose to observe DST.
The act also continued the authority of the ICC over time zone boundaries. In subsequent years, the United States Congress transferred the authority over time zones to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).

In response to the 1973 oil crisis, DST began earlier in both 1974 and 1975, commencing on the first Sunday in January (January 6) in the former year and the last Sunday in February (February 23) in the latter. The extension was not continued due to public opposition to late sunrise times during the winter months. In 1976, the United States reverted to the schedule set in the Uniform Time Act.

I have some exciting news!

I was informed today that I will be having surgery number 27 or number 28 (I have lost count). Apparently I have an exploded lumbar disc that has extruded to a size measuring 16mmx9mmx9mm. The surgeon asked me how it happened and all I could say was that I woke up with a sore back. The surgeon said he has never seen one this bad that was not involved in an auto accident or other blunt force trauma. This will be my third surgery of 2026.

Godspeed!

Quote: DRich

I have some exciting news!

I was informed today that I will be having surgery number 27 or number 28 (I have lost count). Apparently I have an exploded lumbar disc that has extruded to a size measuring 16mmx9mmx9mm. The surgeon asked me how it happened and all I could say was that I woke up with a sore back. The surgeon said he has never seen one this bad that was not involved in an auto accident or other blunt force trauma. This will be my third surgery of 2026.
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I had surgery for an exploded lumbar disk in 2008. If all goes well you will feel better the instant you awake from anesthesia. The modern techniques are minimally invasive and you should recover quickly. My thoughts are with you.

Quote: DRich

I have some exciting news!

I was informed today that I will be having surgery number 27 or number 28 (I have lost count). Apparently I have an exploded lumbar disc that has extruded to a size measuring 16mmx9mmx9mm. The surgeon asked me how it happened and all I could say was that I woke up with a sore back. The surgeon said he has never seen one this bad that was not involved in an auto accident or other blunt force trauma. This will be my third surgery of 2026.
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At this point, they should offer you a volume discount, or frequent flyer perks.

Something I learned about health as a young guy, going fishing.

Wherever there is fishing happening, what will you find? Old guys! And very healthy old guys- they're alert, climbing and clambering, wading, hauling in fish just like young guys.

And what do those old guys all have in common?
- Physically active
- Outdoors a lot
- They eat fish

So that's what I do. You don't have to fish, there are a lot of other ways to do those 3 things. Now I know there is some correlation/causation argument there because the old guys who did not stay well might not make it out to the fishing spots so much, but given all the other data about those 3 things, if you do them, I like your odds!

Quote: AutomaticMonkey

Something I learned about health as a young guy, going fishing.

Wherever there is fishing happening, what will you find? Old guys! And very healthy old guys- they're alert, climbing and clambering, wading, hauling in fish just like young guys.

And what do those old guys all have in common?
- Physically active
- Outdoors a lot
- They eat fish

So that's what I do. You don't have to fish, there are a lot of other ways to do those 3 things. Now I know there is some correlation/causation argument there because the old guys who did not stay well might not make it out to the fishing spots so much, but given all the other data about those 3 things, if you do them, I like your odds!
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I once went fishing off this boat, my health should be perfect.

How did your spinal disc procedure go?

Quote: gordonm888

How did your spinal disc procedure go?
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Still waiting on a date for surgery. At this point it appears it will be a full disc removal and replacement with an artificial one.

Magic Mini Me Mushroom?

Quote:

Lanmaoa asiatica, a species of blue-staining bolete found in the Yunnan province of China, the Philippines, and potentially Papua New Guinea.

Unlike common "magic mushrooms" that contain psilocybin, this mushroom causes a highly specific and consistent effect known as Lilliputian hallucinations, where users see hundreds of tiny, detailed people or fantasy figures.

Key Characteristics of Lanmaoa asiatica

The Hallucination: Affected individuals consistently report seeing miniature people (often just 2 centimeters tall) marching across furniture, scaling walls, or even appearing on their dinner plates.

Local Names: In Yunnan, it is called Jian shou qing (meaning "turns blue in the hand") because its flesh rapidly changes to a vivid indigo color when touched or sliced. In the Philippines, it is known as Sedesdem.

Edibility vs. Toxicity: It is considered a culinary delicacy with a rich umami flavor. The hallucinogenic toxins are neutralized by thorough cooking (stir-frying for 15–20 minutes); hallucinations typically only occur if the mushroom is undercooked.
Unknown Compound: Scientists have confirmed that these hallucinations are not caused by psilocybin or muscimol. Chemical analyses at the Natural History Museum of Utah have yet to identify the specific active molecule, suggesting it may belong to an entirely new class of psychoactive compounds.

Phoenix has had one day in recorded history where it was 100 degrees in March. It's expected to hit triple digits today and will stay there for the next week and a half.
Here in Tucson, it is 76 right now, but is expected to hit the mid-90s this afternoon.

It's expected to hit 105 today, and the heat wave will continue for a week. The Arizona temperatures are approx. 30% above average for this time of year, and we are almost a month ahead of the usual 100-degree patterns.
After record-breaking weather in 2024, Tucson had a mild summer last year, but this year is trending towards record heat.

Quote: billryan

It's expected to hit 105 today, and the heat wave will continue for a week. The Arizona temperatures are approx. 30% above average for this time of year, and we are almost a month ahead of the usual 100-degree patterns.
After record-breaking weather in 2024, Tucson had a mild summer last year, but this year is trending towards record heat.
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Be glad we go not use C because it would be closer to 90% higher.

.
in the Wizard's online roulette game which is linked if for example you bet $5.00 on red and win the game gives you this message "you won $10.00", but they use the European symbol for the dollar sign

of course you actually only won $5.00

is that a glitch -?

or is it common to quote the win as including the amount bet - ?


https://wizardofodds.com/play/roulette/

.

It says European Roulette and the denomination is Euros. There's a single zero wheel.
I tried playing for awhile at €25 on the 1st & 2nd dozen. I was not really ahead at all. I was down to €725 when I finally hit a 0 and didn't get half of my bets back.
I hit "alt-0128" on my keyboard to make the € sign.
Typically on e-games, the amount you bet is included with the win amount when the bet is returned to you on a win. My €25 winning bets came back as €75, or 3 for 1 instead of 2 to 1. A €100 winning split bet that pays 18 for 1 would not be a hand pay this year.
https://wizardofodds.com/play/roulette/

Quote: ChumpChange

It says European Roulette and the denomination is Euros. There's a single zero wheel.
I tried playing for awhile at €25 on the 1st & 2nd dozen. I was not really ahead at all. I was down to €725 when I finally hit a 0 and didn't get half of my bets back.
I hit "alt-0128" on my keyboard to make the € sign.
Typically on e-games, the amount you bet is included with the win amount when the bet is returned to you on a win. My €25 winning bets came back as €75, or 3 for 1 instead of 2 to 1. A €100 winning split bet that pays 18 for 1 would not be a hand pay this year.
https://wizardofodds.com/play/roulette/
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It could be a handpay but no W-2G for winning $1,800. Even though e-roulette is a new game, they're not designed very well (lots of service calls) and the ones I know of are stuck with a $1,200 handpay threshold.

Does anyone pay full price anymore?
My Walmart membership is expiring, and the promo rate I paid was set to double. I looked up the AARP discount and renewed for $59, saving $40.
My HBO promo rate of $4.99 was due to expire, and the renewal was $109 a year. I declined, and the next screen offered $89 for a year.
Within a few hours, I was offered $5.99 a month for a year.
My free Sirius XM subscription ends in April, and they offered a renewal at $23 a month. A little research and I found a lower tier for $11 a month or $99 a year.
How does anyone put a value on a subscriber base when it is so easy to obtain discounts?
A service with five million subscribers at the Retail price of $12.99 a month should be worth more than if three million are deeply discounted.

They are hoping people will go ahead and resubscribe without looking for discounts. Kind of like when you are looking to rent a apartment they give you a fantastic deal for the first year. Then when it comes time to sign a new lease they rea6jack the price up.

That model used to be effective, but it seems like companies are now compelled to advise you that the subscription is about to renew at a higher rate. I have an Audible subscription. When I let a few months go by without claiming my free monthly book, they emailed me to suggest a lower-priced option.

Quote: DRich

I have some exciting news!

I was informed today that I will be having surgery number 27 or number 28 (I have lost count). Apparently I have an exploded lumbar disc that has extruded to a size measuring 16mmx9mmx9mm. The surgeon asked me how it happened and all I could say was that I woke up with a sore back. The surgeon said he has never seen one this bad that was not involved in an auto accident or other blunt force trauma. This will be my third surgery of 2026.
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My advice is to quit playing all that ice hockey in your spare time

.
I've never seen anything like this before

an Air Canada plane crashed into a fire truck at LaGuardia airport 2 days ago

the fire truck was given an okay to cross the runway by an air traffic controller, who later yelled "Stop Truck____________too late

the Controller later stated that he "messed up"_________indeed he did

sadly, many were injured and the 2 pilots aboard the jet were killed





the details of the incident are here:


https://archive.ph/Vko8Y

.

I had no idea planes taxi at such high speeds.

Quote: billryan

I had no idea planes taxi at such high speeds.
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21 knots (24 MPH) is not high speed.

Quote: KevinAA

Quote: billryan

I had no idea planes taxi at such high speeds.
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21 knots (24 MPH) is not high speed.
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The fire truck was traveling around 25-30 MPH when the collision occurred. The plane was estimated to be doing 105 MPH., according to multiple online sources. They might all be incorrect.

Quote: billryan

Quote: KevinAA

Quote: billryan

I had no idea planes taxi at such high speeds.
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21 knots (24 MPH) is not high speed.
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The fire truck was traveling around 25-30 MPH when the collision occurred. The plane was estimated to be doing 105 MPH., according to multiple online sources. They might all be incorrect.
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Read the NY Times article.

https://archive.ph/Vko8Y

Quote: KevinAA

It could be a handpay but no W-2G for winning $1,800. Even though e-roulette is a new game, they're not designed very well (lots of service calls) and the ones I know of are stuck with a $1,200 handpay threshold.

The $1200 handpay is just a machine configuration that any casino can change to whatever value they want.

Quote: DRich

Quote: KevinAA

It could be a handpay but no W-2G for winning $1,800. Even though e-roulette is a new game, they're not designed very well (lots of service calls) and the ones I know of are stuck with a $1,200 handpay threshold.

The $1200 handpay is just a machine configuration that any casino can change to whatever value they want.
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As I travel, I am seeing a number of smaller casinos electing not to reconfigure placed machine lockup thresholds. They may not issue W2-G forms until the new legal threshold is met, and they may offer to pay the smaller awards via key-to-credit rather than a handpay.

Has anyone ridden in a motorcycle sidecar? My nephew and his live-in girlfriend recently bought a used Ural and are talking about riding it from Boston to Iowa, and then down to southern Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with Urals, they are copies of WW2-era BMWs that were used by the nazi's.

Quote: billryan

Has anyone ridden in a motorcycle sidecar? My nephew and his live-in girlfriend recently bought a used Ural and are talking about riding it from Boston to Iowa, and then down to southern Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with Urals, they are copies of WW2-era BMWs that were used by the nazi's.
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No experience as a monkey, but I recommend windshields - get aftermarket bolt-ons, if needed. Windshields make the ride far more comfortable.

Quote: billryan

Has anyone ridden in a motorcycle sidecar? My nephew and his live-in girlfriend recently bought a used Ural and are talking about riding it from Boston to Iowa, and then down to southern Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with Urals, they are copies of WW2-era BMWs that were used by the nazi's.
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Boston to Iowa on a motocycle in general, or in a sidecar, would be pure torture.

The wind chill factor must be awful when it gets cold outside (below 55 degrees). There's also the bugs in the summer and the potholes and rough roads. Motorcycles are for short trips or motorcycle gangs out west. Of course people love their $25K Harley's. There might have been sidecars on the road 50 years ago or in the movies.

Quote: GenoDRPh

Quote: billryan

Has anyone ridden in a motorcycle sidecar? My nephew and his live-in girlfriend recently bought a used Ural and are talking about riding it from Boston to Iowa, and then down to southern Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with Urals, they are copies of WW2-era BMWs that were used by the nazi's.
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Boston to Iowa on a motocycle in general, or in a sidecar, would be pure torture.
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They're young and foolish and think it will be an adventure.
I think Urals come with a windshield and even a plastic tarp that snaps on to give rain protection.

Quote: ChumpChange

The wind chill factor must be awful when it gets cold outside (below 55 degrees). There's also the bugs in the summer and the potholes and rough roads. Motorcycles are for short trips or motorcycle gangs out west. Of course people love their $25K Harley's. There might have been sidecars on the road 50 years ago or in the movies.
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https://www.ironbutt.org/

I can't even sit on the stairs for 5 minutes. I need total cushion.

The algorithm heard me.
Seat cushions:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I5WX8yNR7gs

Quote: rxwine

Quote: ChumpChange

The wind chill factor must be awful when it gets cold outside (below 55 degrees). There's also the bugs in the summer and the potholes and rough roads. Motorcycles are for short trips or motorcycle gangs out west. Of course people love their $25K Harley's. There might have been sidecars on the road 50 years ago or in the movies.
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https://www.ironbutt.org/
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https://www.antimonkeybutt.com/

A useful product.

Bill, not every model has one windshield, much less two.

When my nephew was 16, he rode a moped from Long Island to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Turned away at the NYC bridges, he took the PATH subway to NJ and then proceeded on.
This is the sort of thing I thought about when I was young, but never tried.

Random joke:

Do you know why scuba divers, when they have all their gear on and are ready to go, sit on the side of the boat and fall backwards into the water?

Because if they fell forwards they'd still be in the boat.

Quote: billryan

When my nephew was 16, he rode a moped from Long Island to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Turned away at the NYC bridges, he took the PATH subway to NJ and then proceeded on.
This is the sort of thing I thought about when I was young, but never tried.
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I'm surprised he could get on the train more easily than the walkways of the bridges. Gasoline inside a closed car has never been popular.

I had taken the Metro-North from CT to Manhattan plenty of times with a straight bicycle. The best ride in my opinion is not where you'd think, it's not Central Park. It's the linear parks around the edges of the island, with lots of stuff to see and do. Then when you get down to the Battery you can take the Staten Island Ferry and ride there for a while, although that is not nearly as bicycle-friendly as Manhattan.

I don't believe there is a walkway on any of the Hudson crossings. He should not have been able to take a moped on the subway or the PATH, but he did. He got on 80 at some point and was on 81 when a trooper stopped him and drove him to the next exit.
My favorite rides in NYC were two islands- Governors and Randalls. Randalls, you could walk, ride, or drive, but Governors Island is only accessible by ferry.

Quote: billryan

Has anyone ridden in a motorcycle sidecar? My nephew and his live-in girlfriend recently bought a used Ural and are talking about riding it from Boston to Iowa, and then down to southern Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with Urals, they are copies of WW2-era BMWs that were used by the nazi's.
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I rode one of my motorcycles from Iowa City to Cleveland and back. It was about nine hours each way on the road. It was grueling but doable. I wouldn't ride that long again in one day but over two days it wouldn't be bad.

Quote: billryan

I don't believe there is a walkway on any of the Hudson crossings. He should not have been able to take a moped on the subway or the PATH, but he did. He got on 80 at some point and was on 81 when a trooper stopped him and drove him to the next exit.
My favorite rides in NYC were two islands- Governors and Randalls. Randalls, you could walk, ride, or drive, but Governors Island is only accessible by ferry.
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Oh sure, the GWB has a walkway and I think they always have. Goethals too, but that's difficult to get to.

The rebuilt Tappan Zee has a very busy walk/bikeway, and there's a population of commuters that use it to avoid the toll. I assume they work in the office buildings on either side of the bridge. Nicely lit, with viewing areas to rest at. It's quite an arch though, and as much work as you do going up it, you can go way faster than is sensible with pedestrians around on the way down.

I forgot about the GWB walkway, but it contains a lot of stairs, if I'm thinking of the right bridge.

Quote: DRich

Quote: billryan

Has anyone ridden in a motorcycle sidecar? My nephew and his live-in girlfriend recently bought a used Ural and are talking about riding it from Boston to Iowa, and then down to southern Arizona.
For those unfamiliar with Urals, they are copies of WW2-era BMWs that were used by the nazi's.
link to original post

I rode one of my motorcycles from Iowa City to Cleveland and back. It was about nine hours each way on the road. It was grueling but doable. I wouldn't ride that long again in one day but over two days it wouldn't be bad.
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Cycles are fun to zip around for an hour or two. But any kind of long trip turns into a sore ordeal. I still have my 2005 Harley Road King in the barn. I have not ridden it in at least three years. I'm too old. But I can't bring myself to get rid of it. Anybody who has ever owned a Harley completely understands this.

Strange story out of Nepal.
It seems sherpas were adding baking powder to climbers' food and having them drink excessive water. This caused symptoms similar to altitude poisoning and would result in expensive helicopter rescues. Even the local hospital was in on it, as they billed for non-existent treatments to cure the oxygen deprivation. Climbing Mt Everest can set a person back close to $100,000, and being airlifted off the mountain can cost $30,000 or more.
There could be close to 5,000 victims in recent years. A similar scheme was exposed years ago, and safeguards were supposedly in place to prevent this.

Amazon just announced a 3.5% surcharge on all third-party sellers, due to rising fuel costs. The Post Office recently announced an 8% fuel surcharge through the end of 2026.
The rooster is coming home to roost.

I do support freedom of the press, but there really should be a law that you are not allowed to ask a smart man a stupid question in a publicized interview.

Knowing all the excellence, education and training an astronaut must have for this kind of a mission, there are so many things we could talk about in an interview, I do believe my earthly life would expire before I got around to asking him anything about his skin pigmentation.

https://x.com/RedWavePress/status/2039771462970536238

Quote: billryan

Amazon just announced a 3.5% surcharge on all third-party sellers, due to rising fuel costs. The Post Office recently announced an 8% fuel surcharge through the end of 2026.
The rooster is coming home to roost.
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Fuel cost more 4 years ago than it did today. It cost more in 2007-8 than it does today not even accounting for inflation.