The Thread Of Complete Randomness

    • Official Post

    ...which begs the question: which would you rather do? Try to vacuum out an eye, or have a fight with a grizzly? This is important - at any point, any of us might have to make that choice.


    By the way, I love this idea of having a 'fight' with a rat. The idea of seeing a guy writhing and wrestling about on the ground with a rat, "GRRAAAAARRRGGGH!" More so that some people thought they'd lose that fight.

    If it was a R.O.U.S., Rodent of Unusual Size, you’d lose. But moreover, I don’t think they exist.

  • Just took this actual photo of the actual eclipse from my home in the Scottish Highlands. Oh man... it's exciting to see this rare astronomical event. Here's the ACTUAL photo, made by me pointing my state-of-the-art camera telescope up at the sky, taking extra care of course to deploy the necessary filters and all loads of other technical stuff and things - never directly look at or photograph the sun, kids:


    [Blocked Image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E3g6k-XXoAIdQRg?format=jpg&name=900x900]

    Abandon all reason

  • Sitting in a café in Fortrose, I just heard a member of staff say to the smart speaker behind the counter what sounded like "Alexa, play Shuddering Thumb by Chris Ocasek". To which Alexa replied she was indeed getting that song ready to play, then played a generic angsty country rock type thing.


    I can't have heard correctly though. Chris Ocasek is the (apparently aggrieved) son of the late Ric, not a musician as far as I know, and I can't find any song called Shuddering or indeed Juddering Thumb.


    I could've just asked the staff here but the moment has passed and anyway I quite like not knowing. I think there should be a Shuddering Thumb, by the way!

    Abandon all reason

  • Awful scenes at the Euro championship today where Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field and needed to be resuscitated. He was very lucky to get rapidly treated and appears to be doing well in hospital.

  • It did feel good.


    New job is still working for the University but at a different location - working with nicer people, so all good

    Ah - an HE colleague. Which university? I'm a consultant and do policy, QA, regs, governance type stuff for whichever HEI wants to bring me in. PM me if you need any of that!

    Abandon all reason

  • It did feel good.


    New job is still working for the University but at a different location - working with nicer people, so all good

    I hope the old people don't see this post, or you'll come out of work to 4 flat tyres!

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Pentagon report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena coming out later this month. I find this sudden legitimization of the field very interesting, and it's piqued my interest in the field itself. What the hell are those things?!

  • Ah - an HE colleague. Which university? I'm a consultant and do policy, QA, regs, governance type stuff for whichever HEI wants to bring me in. PM me if you need any of that!

    University of Edinburgh - School of Biological Sciences

    “Without music, life would be a mistake”

  • Lost my WiFi card on my computer, so I decided to replace my 2013 laptop with an iMac. My old computer still works but cannot hook up to the internet.:(


    Now all I need, is to sort out all these passwords =O

  • I have 4 (5 if it weren’t for the fact a newly discovered tape is broken before it was played) tapes of a kids channel named Noggin recorded when I was a one year old back in 2006. Now these kinds of things are rare since less than 4 years later the channel rebranded to the Nick Jr. channel. Since then I have been hanging on to these tapes like as though they are of the most importance. Unfortunately although it still works, the 2nd tape has suffered a minor crack, furthering my concerns. It’s been 15 years since those tapes were made, and iirc that’s already half the lifespan of VHS tapes. I want to do this in two ways, fix the 2nd and 5th tapes as well trying to convert footage onto a digital source (like a file rather than a DVD, because unfortunately these tapes were longplayers), like 5-6 hours on average (first tape is just barely over 4).


    If one cares here’s the list of stuff on the first 4 tapes:


    Play With Me Sesame

    Jack’s Big Music Show

    Ebb & Flow

    Franklin (This is where first tape starts)

    Miffy (great stuff)

    Dora (often used just to make fun of)

    Maisy (wholesome kids show imo)

    Blue’s Clues

    Oobi (not on first tape bc episode of above show was an hour long it seems)

    Lazytown (usually cut off and switches to Jack’s Big Music show again, thank god)

    Miss Spiders Sunny Patch Kids (or whatever)

    Little Bear


    (And on the third tape is the sign off of the teen channel The N and the Noggin sign in, with an episode of Tiny Planets and the beginning of Maisy before the footage goes dead and have to wait a while before we return to the list above)


    Well this is one long thing, but it is random and I think one can relate to the theme


    You all have had some tapes that your parents had when you were kids right? I mean this is definitely a big moment for me. Now if only I was smart enough as a 4 year old to do the same thing.