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Google: We've decided to lock your account to make sure its really you. Because it would be terrible if you lost your account. Are you sure thats the same desktop computer you've been logging in from for 15 years?
Re enter your password. You have no other options.
Your password is not enough to convince us you're you. Sorry.
Please see our website. If this doesn't help (and it never does), don't call us, we don't don't respond to this. Recovery email? No we made you fill that in for no reason why would that be an option now?
In fact, don't call us about anything. All of our customer service representatives are busy. All the time. Have you tried our website?
I may have to spend more money than I'd like to wander down to NYC and say hello in person. Its amazing how much more effective that is in doing things that can't be done.
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My lack of imagination can be painful.
Impus Major and I were discussing the frustrations of formulaic writing, and I pointed out, "If you've already read Little Red Riding Hood, you're not going to want to listen to the stories of Little Green Riding Hood, Little Blue Riding Hood, and Little Yellow Riding Hood, being menaced by a badger, an... um... mole rat, and a... a... vole..."
At which point Impus Major completely lost it and responded, "What are you talking about, Dad? I'd love to hear the story of Little Yellow Riding Hood being menaced by a vole!"
And he started telling the story... while giggling uncontrollably.
It was... unfortunate.
I'm envisioning a Tom Waits children's album...
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Some of those little suckers are mean. I don't know how many snake owners I've heard stories from saying they found one, thought "Oh hey free snack" in put in with a deadly snake and came back to find any number of deadly snakes dead, half eaten, and with the shrew looking around for BBQ sauce.
Mr Big from zootopia (the tiny little Shrew) came about because they asked for the meanest animal the zoologist could think of in the arctics and the zoologist said without hesitation arctic shrew.
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"What are you talking about, Dad? I'd love to hear the story of Little Yellow Riding Hood being menaced by a vole!"
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My lack of imagination can be painful.
Impus Major and I were discussing the frustrations of formulaic writing, and I pointed out, "If you've already read Little Red Riding Hood, you're not going to want to listen to the stories of Little Green Riding Hood, Little Blue Riding Hood, and Little Yellow Riding Hood, being menaced by a badger, an... um... mole rat, and a... a... vole..."
At which point Impus Major completely lost it and responded, "What are you talking about, Dad? I'd love to hear the story of Little Yellow Riding Hood being menaced by a vole!"
And he started telling the story... while giggling uncontrollably.
It was... unfortunate.
Now we want to hear the story of Little Yellow Riding Hood being menaced by a vole too!
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What?I made buttermilk chess pies yesterday, just because.
So of course I brought them to the shop for everyone to eat.
The landscapers who all do physical work were super excited.
The mowers, who ride on mowers all day and actively shy away from physical labor are all on diets apparently because they were not excited. In fact one actually threatened to kick my ass if I did it again. I'm not worried, I can take him.
I said I can take him if he's going to be a dick about it.
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Now we want to hear the story of Little Yellow Riding Hood being menaced by a vole too!My lack of imagination can be painful.
Impus Major and I were discussing the frustrations of formulaic writing, and I pointed out, "If you've already read Little Red Riding Hood, you're not going to want to listen to the stories of Little Green Riding Hood, Little Blue Riding Hood, and Little Yellow Riding Hood, being menaced by a badger, an... um... mole rat, and a... a... vole..."
At which point Impus Major completely lost it and responded, "What are you talking about, Dad? I'd love to hear the story of Little Yellow Riding Hood being menaced by a vole!"
And he started telling the story... while giggling uncontrollably.
It was... unfortunate.
Little Yellow Riding Hood and the Seven Angry Voles.
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All vole-unteers, too.
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My father was such a fan of the scaling laws that he had a T-shirt made: "Have I ever told you why there are no giant ants?"
As such, he loved The Killer Shrews, and would force us to watch it any time it came on TV (remember I grew up in the pre-VCR days so we were subject to the whims of the television stations). He'd explain in extreme detail exactly why shrews had to eat so much, and why that made them so vicious, and why this made this horror film particularly realistic.
On the other hand, any movie that had anyone who shrank would make him derisively lecture us as to why a human the size of an ant would be the king of the insect kingdom and would have nothing to fear from anything of similar size.
So if you shrink down to 1/10 your size, you'd be 1/100 as strong, but weigh 1/1000 as much. Thus, you'd effectively be ten times as strong as a normal-sized person. Shrinking to the size of an ant is a reduction of over 100x, so you'd be 100x stronger in proportion. Yep. You'd be pretty scary. "Some ants can carry 10-50 times their body weight." Big deal. An ant-sized human could readily carry much, much more.
I am *such* the wrong generation for the modern workplace. We've introduced a new product that lets employees recognize each other's efforts, send them congratulatory cards, let management know what core values they represent, etc.
I'm not a manager. It's not my job to evaluate my fellow employees, nor do I need recognition from then. But then, I'm a grumpy old curmudgeon. The younger employees seem to think this is a fantastic idea, so whatever.
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sounds like a crummy excuse for social media, just 'ported into the workplace for the sake of another dopamine hit.
gonna be so many "congratulations" going around that they'll eventually have nothing to congratulate.
but i'm just a grumpy realist -- the "glass of water got holed by a .50" kind of guy.
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My father was such a fan of the scaling laws that he had a T-shirt made: "Have I ever told you why there are no giant ants?"
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sounds like a crummy excuse for social media, just 'ported into the workplace for the sake of another dopamine hit.
gonna be so many "congratulations" going around that they'll eventually have nothing to congratulate.
but i'm just a grumpy realist -- the "glass of water got holed by a .50" kind of guy.
Oh, the worst was when our SVP was justifying his back-to-office mandate with, "I don't care if no one on your team works within 1000 miles of you. I don't care if no one in your division works within 1000 miles of you. Go into the office, find someone new, and talk to them."
Nope. Being social is not in my job description. If you want me to waste 3 hours of my day commuting because you want me to waste additional hours of my day socializing with strangers, you've got the wrong guy.
And yeah, my manager, director, and VP all took one look at me and said, "No, you can keep working from home."
Neil should probably stop writing comics.... :)My father was such a fan of the scaling laws that he had a T-shirt made: "Have I ever told you why there are no giant ants?"
OMG, yeah. If you shrunk down but kept your current mass... eeeew!
Google: We've decided to lock your account to make sure its really you. Because it would be terrible if you lost your account. Are you sure thats the same desktop computer you've been logging in from for 15 years?
Re enter your password. You have no other options.
Your password is not enough to convince us you're you. Sorry.
Please see our website. If this doesn't help (and it never does), don't call us, we don't don't respond to this. Recovery email? No we made you fill that in for no reason why would that be an option now?
In fact, don't call us about anything. All of our customer service representatives are busy. All the time. Have you tried our website?
I may have to spend more money than I'd like to wander down to NYC and say hello in person. Its amazing how much more effective that is in doing things that can't be done.
I'll be here if you do. I'll call CH.
Neil should probably stop writing comics.... :)My father was such a fan of the scaling laws that he had a T-shirt made: "Have I ever told you why there are no giant ants?"
HE SHOULD
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Google: We've decided to lock your account to make sure its really you. Because it would be terrible if you lost your account. Are you sure thats the same desktop computer you've been logging in from for 15 years?
We need to make sure its you. Please enter a cel phone number
It turns out ANY cel phone number will do.....
Now, there was a comedy routine where the idiot cashier didn't like that a credit card wasn't signed, made the comedien sign the card in front of them, and then checked their signature against... their signature.
Is google THAT stupid or "hey we want your cel phone number or you're going to lose all your stuff" not close enough to legal for them?
Google: We've decided to lock your account to make sure its really you. Because it would be terrible if you lost your account. Are you sure thats the same desktop computer you've been logging in from for 15 years?
We need to make sure its you. Please enter a cel phone number
It turns out ANY cel phone number will do.....
Now, there was a comedy routine where the idiot cashier didn't like that a credit card wasn't signed, made the comedien sign the card in front of them, and then checked their signature against... their signature.
Is google THAT stupid or "hey we want your cel phone number or you're going to lose all your stuff" not close enough to legal for them?
Just wait 'til you get the classic, "Enter your phone number," you give them your land line, and you're hosed forever because you can't log in or change your phone number unless you enter the code that they keep texting you. (I know I have at least one account like that; I may have two.)
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Our fridge stopped cooling on the 16th. We ordered a replacement from Home Depot for delivery on the 21st. Yesterday they completed their dock search and said they would have to reach out to the manufacturer for a new appliance, with a 24-48 hour turn around before we will hear more.
Hey, we finally got a text saying it would be delivered tomorrow afternoon. Here's to hoping we will finally have a working fridge again.
Our fridge stopped cooling on the 16th. We ordered a replacement from Home Depot for delivery on the 21st. Yesterday they completed their dock search and said they would have to reach out to the manufacturer for a new appliance, with a 24-48 hour turn around before we will hear more.Hey, we finally got a text saying it would be delivered tomorrow afternoon. Here's to hoping we will finally have a working fridge again.
How have you been coping? Here in the Bay Area it's not even cold enough to refrigerate milk, but we were fortunate enough to have a garage freezer and a Yeti. Every day after work I'd walk over to the corner store, buy another 5-pound bag of ice, and make it another day.
And if that's not a solid advertisement for Yetis, I don't know what is. Kept our food cold for 10 days on maybe 30 pounds of ice total.
EDIT: And for those sitting there scratching their heads saying, "Er... garage freezer. Buying ice? Are you an idiot?", the freezer was quite dramatically full and didn't have enough space even for Ziploc baggies full of water. AND Impus Minor and I eat a LOT of ice.
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We were fortunate enough to have a backup.
Now, it hasn't been easy, what with having weekly meal prep delivered and five people in the house. But it was supposed to have been taken care of after Thanksgiving. The fact that Home Depot couldn't get their act together for three weeks more was an unpleasant surprise.
Eventually, that counter is going to get taken out in a remodel and we'll have room for a second full fridge there. The current fridge is on the other side of the wall.
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It's a bittersweet end of an era for me.
For the last few semesters, I've carried Impus Major through integral calculus, differential equations, mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, optics, and quantum mechanics. We've spent hundreds of hours working together, striving to give him enough of an understanding of the topics that he could pass his courses. We've built an incredible bond over that time.
And as of yesterday morning, he's done. A few days ago we learned he'd "aced" his differential equations final with an 83%, and in quantum physics he just squeaked by with a high enough score to pass. He's taken the last math class he'll ever need. He's finished enough physics to get his Associate's, and he plans on moving on to premed with his eventual goal of being a heavy metal forensic pathologist (which I fricking love).
But every time I think about not having those sessions any more, I tear up a bit. GothBard's his source of information now (she has degrees in Biology and Anthropology with a minor in Chemistry), and I can't really help him (my memory for names is appalling).
I'm sure we'll figure out a way to study together. We both love it. But it won't be nearly as rewarding when I have no idea what's going on. (I figure I'll be holding an anatomy book pointing at parts and asking him, "What's that called?")
a heavy metal forensic pathologist (which I fricking love).
Like he tests people for lead poisoning or keeps an electric guitar in the lab?
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I love Heavy Metal too. Don’t know about that other stuff…
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a heavy metal forensic pathologist (which I fricking love).Like he tests people for lead poisoning or keeps an electric guitar in the lab?
Cuts up dead bodies by day, cuts a mean electric guitar by night...
My math instructor in college was a pro football player and taught in the off-season. He played pro football for 10 years.
Afther he got his PhD ("Characterization of the Set of Asymptotic Values of a Function Holomorphic in the Unit Disc".) he was tenured faculty at
Case Western Reserve and later at Yale.He has an Erdős number of 3.
Seems perfectly reasonable that a multi-talented musician could also be a doctor. There's a medical syphony orchestra here that gives three concerts every year.
==========
Damn Skippy!!
Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted.source
It says a lot about me that not only did I understand the thesis title, but I knew what an Erdős number was and immediately set about trying to find mine. Unfortunately, the best-known name at UC Davis (Craig Tracy) isn't on the list of mathematicians with known Erdős numbers, so I think I'm out of luck...
EDIT: Oh, no, Craig's at 3. That probably puts me at 5. Let me see whether I can confirm 4...
EDIT 2: Well, that was a circuitous route, but yes, my Erdős number is 5.
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Congratulations, Impus Major!
I was a music major, I suppose, but I suspect I'd be in the 34% that wouldn't get in to med school (probably just as well).
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My math instructor in college was a pro football player and taught in the off-season. He played pro football for 10 years.
Afther he got his PhD ("Characterization of the Set of Asymptotic Values of a Function Holomorphic in the Unit Disc".) he was tenured faculty at
Case Western Reserve and later at Yale.He has an Erdős number of 3.
Seems perfectly reasonable that a multi-talented musician could also be a doctor. There's a medical syphony orchestra here that gives three concerts every year.
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Damn Skippy!!
Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted.source
Tell me more about this...math instructor.
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Just wait 'til you get the classic, "Enter your phone number," you give them your land line, and you're hosed forever because you can't log in or change your phone number unless you enter the code that they keep texting you.
I definitely would have found out if I still had taser resistance if that was the case....
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I think its more likely that the improvement is in the selection process
kids smart enough to learn the musical notes
Parents rich/involved enough to keep their kids in music lessons
The kid doesn't sod off from the music lessons
The kids have been prepared since conception for college applications and that includes music lessons.
To find out if something helps in education, you ideally raise 100 kids on an island with a skinner box but after the dingo incident that's out.. so you want randomized groups not self selecting groups.
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Speaking of bittersweet, with all the restaurant closures over COVID we're going to Shiro's favorite restaurant for our anniversary dinner because all our other favorites have closed. It'll be very odd to be there without him...
...though yes, there's a tiny bit of sadist that enjoys saying, "Oh, we went to so-and-so's last night! It was good!"
His retirement to a beautiful forest twenty miles from the nearest civilization might be idyllic, but it's not exactly a cornucopia of dining choices...
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Just got my Dresden Dolls tickets and I am taking Hermione as an early 13th birthday present!
If you must raise a teenage daughter in Texas, a good dose of radical feminist punk is important to counteract all the oppressive patriarchal bs she's gonna hear constantly.
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I'm all for radical feminist punk. It may not be all for me, however.
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There's one in every crowd.
As I've mentioned, almost none of the kids' friends drive. Last week one of them asked Impus Minor to go out to Oakland and drive him around on several errands and in return he'd buy Impus Minor lunch. Sounded like a fair trade... except he never bought Impus Minor lunch. Today, same guy called again and wants Impus Major to drive him around on a bunch of errands in Oakland. And I put my foot down. "If he's not going directly to or from our house, you shouldn't be giving him rides. We're not a taxi service."
The kids object, of course, and think I'm being mean. So far I've paid for their gas because I remember how unfair it was for me when my brothers would run the family car down past empty and I'd get stuck filling it every time. But if they want to start being a taxi service, they can start paying for maintaining the car for all the wear and tear that entails.
EDIT: Yep. It's exactly what I thought it was. He wants to do his Christmas shopping today so he wants the kids to drive him around to all the stores he wants to visit so he doesn't have to carry the packages on public transportation or spend $100 on Uber. But neither of the kids do Christmas shopping so it would just be driving him around for his convenience. Thankfully once I stopped them from blindly saying, "Yes," they thought, "Yeah, that kind of sucks," and both said, "No."
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I had a pretty good year this year despite.
1. Having to fill out divorce papers two days before setting up the garden show exhibit (and the day before valentine's day)
2. The fate of the universe resting on my shoulders all year (good news is it'll be fine!)
3. Getting divorced
4. Mr Hankey gunning for my job
5. Moving out.
6. The ex-wife estranging herself from Crookshanks
7. Super awkward Thanksgiving.
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I think this years record is stuck on the "i get knocked down" part of the song.
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Home Depot fumbled again. Canceled the order and went through Spencers. Now we see if the manager there also lied about having it on hand and we lose another one. At least my manager did the exact same thing and actually got her order.
FWIW, we went to Home Depot and Lowes, found the model we wanted (a 28cf Samsung), and then went onto the manufacturer's website and saved over 200 dollars, and they delivered precisely when they said they were going to (last Saturday).
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Yeah, I was calling Whirlpool direct and they still couldn't figure it out.
Spencers claims to have it in their store and are able to deliver Monday. So hoping they are telling the truth. Also, it was $300 cheaper!
I think the last time we bought appliances, it was from Sears.
I have finished Foregone, a quite lovely action platform game, with excellent music, nice animation and climatic graphics (if you are into that kind of style), and fast-paced melee (and some shooting) combat. It's strictly linear and with little replay value but I bought it on sale so it was a serious win. Took me a bit over 10 hours, but I revisited old levels to get all the secrets, and had to repeat a few side missions because the time limits were rather restrictive.
The weakest part of the game were skill and talent trees, could use much more work and complexity, and having to return to the outpost to change the skills instead of being able to switch them in field like the weapons.
Tell me more about this...math instructor.NFL Quarterback
LA Rams 1958-61
Cleveland Browns 1962-68
Washington Redskins 1969-71** spoiler omitted **
hnn.
I suppose I could...let this mathie go...
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*SNORT*
"Nope"
Woohooo...
There are certain advantages to being a backpacker.
I eat Quaker granola, so I'm affected by the recall due to salmonella contamination. Fortunately, salmonella is a bacterium that is only dangerous when it's alive. 5 minutes in the microwave renders its survival doubtful at best.
Yes, granola that has been microwaved for 5 minutes has an unfortunate texture, and it takes a surprising amount of time to cool down to edible temperatures. But its flavor is fine, so I don't particularly care. I've eaten worse.
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Alchemyooo!
Alchem
yooo!
I love it.
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