Random Thought Thread

As someone who often has to explain sciency things to laypeople, I've reached the conclusion that misunderstanding is often the fault of the scientist in that they didn't explain things clearly enough. When it comes to the media, though, they're always after an angle, a saucy headline, existential dread, etc. to spice up their stories. They purposely "mishear" what they have been told or spin it beyond breaking point into something it was never intended to be.

Until we hold their feet to the fire and stop happily consuming clickbaity nuggets of packaged dog turds of stories, the media will continue to keep misinforming.

 

Guy puts on some red Lycra pants and black underpants over the top before bursting into the living room and saying to his wife in his best superhero voice “Hey! Do you fancy some super sex?”

His wife looks him up and down and says, “I think I’ll have the soup, please.”

 

2nd night in a row with less than 3 hours of sleep.

 

Oh, hallucinations are next.

 

I feel these messages were out of order....

...and I didn't assume sex was involved

 

I've been on a quest to try to research megafaunal wolves and dire wolves, and running into articles that are either simplistic and don't give any relevant information, or jargon-laden ones you'd need to have a doctorate in biology to even begin to understand. Finally, after many such articles, what finally showed me what I needed to know (how big they were and basically what they looked like) was a painting showing dire wolves and grey wolves (essentially the same as modern ones) fighting over a bison kill.

 

Some part of me wishes I was more adventurous, more daring, and that there were more abandoned buildings in Singapore. So I can explore them.

There's something about exploring a place that has long since been abandoned that excites me and makes me curious. The sensations of a place that once was bustling and full of life, now lifeless and empty of all human activity.
To run my hands on machinery untouched for a decade or so, outdated, abandoned, the life and aspirations it once had, no longer existing.

And then to write a story where that machinery once again comes to life.

 

I used to do that a quite a bit, when I worked downtown in a large Midwestern city. I agree it's compelling to find something abandoned, that once meant something. There was a large old department store with a fading painted sign, and I always pictured empty rooms and wanted to go in there,

There was also an abandoned railroad depot (since restored); which I did go into and I recall standing on a mezzanine and looking out over a vaast lobby with a huge crystal chandelier hanging down. Or climbing up into the control tower of an abandoned railroad drawbridge, and seeing the operator's logbook still open on a desk. For awhile I worked in place that leased an entire building but only used part of it, and the rest was full of remnants of whatever had been there before, lockers and machinery. I also went into an empty downtown office tower, and did maybe the stupidest thing I ever could have done. I got in an elevator and pushed the up button. The doors closed but it went nowhere. And for the longest time the doors didn't open; I had visions of being trapped in there forever -- but then the doors reopened and I got the Hell out. Damn, writing that now suggests I could have used the for the recent "Don't Do It" short story prompt. Oh well. Of course the real danger in urban exploring like that is the risk of running into some dangerous human elements.

 

Considering where you are, the life of a bubblegum smuggler could be quite exciting.

 

Lmao. You only get dinged for improper disposal or having huge amounts, which gives you a 1000 dollar fine. Might as well sell fish crackers, more profitable, more delicious.

Awesome.

I wish I could explore like that here. But it seems that Melbourne doesn't have any abandoned buildings, and if Singapore had abandoned buildings lasting for more than a month, i'll be surprised. And even if they did... well, humidity makes wood rot.

 

Sometimes it writes itself:

 

Like smuggling Kinder eggs into the US.

 

Mobile, Alabama is entering the phase of the seasons where it just can't quite decide whether or not it wants to either be freezing cold or cool and comfortable.

 

Or haggis, but I don't know how profitable that would be.

 

So why should all the weres (werewolf, werelion, werepanda) have to have human on one end of the equation?

What about, like, ducks that turn into raccoons when the moon is full?

Would we even notice?

It could be happening in a couple weeks, keep a sharp eye out.

 

Do pigs that turn into sausages count?

 

Only if they turn back...

 

Is it possible not to love John Goodman?

 

It's... it's snowing... A couple of days back it was spring and now came winter again. Actually it's pretty weird, because the snowflakes are thick but very sparse and it's also drizzling. I'm assuming that the snowflakes are traveling through the northern wind, as it's also raining here. What a weather!

 

Did the polar vortex reach you all the way down there in Greece? If not directly, you must be getting storms spawned in its frigid infernal depths.

Edit—Ok, technically you've got a 'break-off lobe' from the polar vortex, wandering down through Italy and into the Balkans and the Mediterranean where it can crap snow all over you. One last big blast of winter before spring arrives for real.

 

Today it did. About a week ago I think, the day I went to the park and shot the photos, it was so warm I was strolling around wearing a t-shirt. Yesterday it was cold, but today it's 3 degrees and the chill factor from the freezing wind makes it feel lower. This winter it's like... we skipped it. We had 3 to 4 cold days somewhere in January and then spring again. I have mosquitos in my room! The nature is blooming outside! The cats are mating! So off season. At least I'm not the only one out of synch.

 

I didn't see the news this year—when the groundhog came out to look for his shadow, did he freeze to death?

(In America we say if the groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog day it means six more weeks of winter.)

 

Who’d have thought my falling out of love with coffee would be down to the size and shape of the mug itself?

I picked up this on a whim and so far it’s been three out of three perfect brews! Almost like a miniature soup bowl in shape. I can only think there’s some kind of science going on with that large span... more room for the molecules to move... or something.

 

It was -2C yesterday. Apparently by Wednesday, it will be up to 15C.

 

It's 14c now, at 8:30 pm.