The Random Crap Thread 2: It Hits the Fan.
- Thread starter North_Ranger
- Start date
I have to wonder what skimpy clothing refers to in the icy tundra that is Canada.
North_Ranger
Staff member
Today was the initial get-together of the Medieval Market crew. First question anyone asks me: "Is [the name of my ex] coming, too?"
Yeah... Not fun, that.
Yeah... Not fun, that.
figmentPez
Staff member
I wanted something recent, and I don't think that article talks about accidents. A more comprehensive article from the Oak Ridge National Labratory can be found here: Coal Combuistion: Nuclear Resource or Danger It's even older, from 1993, but it seems to be based on the same information as the Scientific American article, and doesn't talk about accidents either. Even then, some of the numbers are shocking. The nuclear material found in coal could provide 1.5 times the amount of energy as burning the coal itself. In the US in 1982 more nuclear material was released from coal plants, than was used for fuel in nuclear reactors.
Lastly, when the article was written, the radioactive waste from coal plants was not treated as nuclear material, and did not have to be disposed as such (I can't find any evidence this has changed). "Nuclear waste products from coal combustion are allowed to be dispersed throughout the biosphere in an unregulated manner. Collected nuclear wastes that accumulate on electric utility sites are not protected from weathering, thus exposing people to increasing quantities of radioactive isotopes through air and water movement and the food chain." All this while the construction of nuclear plants had been halted because of fears about where to store the nuclear waste. *facepalm*
This was exactly my day, except replace Jehova's Witnesses with Church of Latterday Saints.
figmentPez
Staff member
I got my Bag of Crap from Woot.com in the mail today. For $8.50 (with tax and shipping) I got:
1 swivel stand for a laptop
1 toy cellphone with a Barbie-like picture on the box
1 prank shock-cellphone
2 cables for some odd model of MP3 players
1 monkey keychain
1 very very cheap tote bag
4 Sansa Clip MP3 players (two 1GB and two 2GB)
The MP3 players came bare, with no cables, earbuds, manuals or anything. The other random cables don't go with them, but they just use standard mini-USB cables, so that's okay. My mom wanted a simple MP3 player to take on a cruise, and one (or two) of these might fit the bill perfectly. Also, my current MP3 player is becoming cranky, so I might use one of the 1GB models to listen to podcasts. Save wear and tear on my more advanced player for when I want the larger storage/features.
1 swivel stand for a laptop
1 toy cellphone with a Barbie-like picture on the box
1 prank shock-cellphone
2 cables for some odd model of MP3 players
1 monkey keychain
1 very very cheap tote bag
4 Sansa Clip MP3 players (two 1GB and two 2GB)
The MP3 players came bare, with no cables, earbuds, manuals or anything. The other random cables don't go with them, but they just use standard mini-USB cables, so that's okay. My mom wanted a simple MP3 player to take on a cruise, and one (or two) of these might fit the bill perfectly. Also, my current MP3 player is becoming cranky, so I might use one of the 1GB models to listen to podcasts. Save wear and tear on my more advanced player for when I want the larger storage/features.
fade
Staff member
I have one of my Master's students doing a radiation scintillometry survey near Baton Rouge right now looking for heavy metals in fly ash. We're following up some work another student did about a year ago using magnetic susceptibility measurements as a proxy for heavy metal contamination.
I'm going to go hyperventilate now.
North_Ranger
Staff member
The final session of our eighteen-month-long Changeling: The Lost campaign was today. It ended quite violently; the queen we had thought our benevolent ruler and ally showed her true colours, effectively mind-raping our characters into pursuing their passions at the expense of anything else. Why? Well, she was envious of our recent successes in dealing with a neighbouring Kindred population. Unfortunately, for Amelie, our haughty beauty, her deepest passion meant being worshipped - which led into her trying to assassinate the queen and then being killed by her guard. My character and the other player were on a wild goose chase at the time, and my character arrived barely in time to try and save Amelie (his sister, mind you). But, he was too late. And the queen? Well, the characters didn't know it was she who set the events in motion, so she played the part of a fellow mourner, saying she had no choice but to have Amelie killed.
In the post-game chat we discussed what the surviving characters would do afterwards. Mine and the other surviving character decided to leave town; my character because of sorrow for his killed sister, the other character because he was getting tired of vampires hanging about in the club we ran. The ST suggested that in time our characters might find out that it was the queen who drove Amelie into such lunacy. "This story shall also be told", in the final words of Conan the Barbarian.
A somewhat drastic ending, but it also served as a final reminder why C:tL is called "the game of beautiful madness": backstabbing, treachery, the use of fae magic for personal gain. It also helped me bring something new out of my own character. He had been the party's joker, the social bastard with a quick smile and a knack in making allies. But he also felt deeply attached to his sister, his only family left in this world. So when she died, he was thoroughly devastated; the smiling devil breaking into cries of anguish and loss.
A bittersweet end to a fine, enjoyable campaign.
Tl;dr: A long roleplaying campaign ended bittersweetly. Felt like venting.
In the post-game chat we discussed what the surviving characters would do afterwards. Mine and the other surviving character decided to leave town; my character because of sorrow for his killed sister, the other character because he was getting tired of vampires hanging about in the club we ran. The ST suggested that in time our characters might find out that it was the queen who drove Amelie into such lunacy. "This story shall also be told", in the final words of Conan the Barbarian.
A somewhat drastic ending, but it also served as a final reminder why C:tL is called "the game of beautiful madness": backstabbing, treachery, the use of fae magic for personal gain. It also helped me bring something new out of my own character. He had been the party's joker, the social bastard with a quick smile and a knack in making allies. But he also felt deeply attached to his sister, his only family left in this world. So when she died, he was thoroughly devastated; the smiling devil breaking into cries of anguish and loss.
A bittersweet end to a fine, enjoyable campaign.
Tl;dr: A long roleplaying campaign ended bittersweetly. Felt like venting.
The Naga Viper has already been dethroned as the world's hottest pepper.
Introducing the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T.
Introducing the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T.
It is hard enough to eat the chilitepin, or as they call it the bird's eye chili.
What in the!? I don't even....WHAT!? *brainmelt*I should probably just start a Nightmare Fuel picture thread. Eh, whatever.
figmentPez
Staff member
It's thousands of "daddy longlegs" (the type that aren't actaully a spider). They're so densely packed on the walls in the photo that they look like some sort of hairy mold.
W
Wasabi Poptart
My best friend's boyfriend broke up with her ("I care about you, but I'm not in love with you"). She's devastated. And I'm basically a continent away where all I can do is send her cyber-hugs and tell her all the same crap she's heard before.
Wait, that's the weather for Istambul, not Constantinople?Istanbul: 45F, cloudy, light showers
Not to be outdone by KFC's Double Down, Taco Bell is testing tacos with shells made out of Nacho Cheese Doritos.
I've been watching groups of hispanics heading off in one direction for the last hour or so. Now, all of them just came walking back the other way together, carrying bags and cases of beer. One was holding two cases on his shoulders, and I was struck with the image of a victorious raiding party...
Perhaps I need to get a bit more sleep...
Perhaps I need to get a bit more sleep...
W
Wasabi Poptart
Fire ze missiles!!
That was late last night on my husband's ship. They were testing something new with the missile systems.
That was late last night on my husband's ship. They were testing something new with the missile systems.
W
Wasabi Poptart
Even better! There's video!
This is a blend of win and rant. At the moment, it heading back toward win, but since we can't be sure: random.
We had two dogs for a very long time, but a few years ago Lady passed away, and this November, Lucky had to put down (he had been very ill and he was bleeding internally one night... Pretty brutal). So, recently, we decided we would buy two new dogs, and we found a woman selling two black German shepherds, brothers, six months old and already house trained (a selling point to be sure!). We were very excited and we went out to meet the dogs, and agreed to buy them.
And the next day, she sent an email saying she had decided she was going to keep the dogs. Now, my brother, who has been extremely excited about this, was apoplectic with rage before sinking into despair. Sam sort of goes all-in with his emotions: he's never a little happy; he's super excited, and conversely, he's never a little frustrated; he's punching a hole in the wall. So that was disappointing to my family. But then there was yet another email: she changed her mind again and she is going to move, and she is going to sell the dogs. So my parents are supposed to go there tomorrow and buy them.
So! Will it be rant: she reneged again? Or win: we have dogs? Tune in tomorrow night. Different Bat-time, different Bat-thread.
We had two dogs for a very long time, but a few years ago Lady passed away, and this November, Lucky had to put down (he had been very ill and he was bleeding internally one night... Pretty brutal). So, recently, we decided we would buy two new dogs, and we found a woman selling two black German shepherds, brothers, six months old and already house trained (a selling point to be sure!). We were very excited and we went out to meet the dogs, and agreed to buy them.
And the next day, she sent an email saying she had decided she was going to keep the dogs. Now, my brother, who has been extremely excited about this, was apoplectic with rage before sinking into despair. Sam sort of goes all-in with his emotions: he's never a little happy; he's super excited, and conversely, he's never a little frustrated; he's punching a hole in the wall. So that was disappointing to my family. But then there was yet another email: she changed her mind again and she is going to move, and she is going to sell the dogs. So my parents are supposed to go there tomorrow and buy them.
So! Will it be rant: she reneged again? Or win: we have dogs? Tune in tomorrow night. Different Bat-time, different Bat-thread.
Make sure they call her a Sweat South Carolina Peach, if she does sell. That'll seal the deal for sure. 
I'm mildly allergic and I've thought about getting those shots... A friend has had quite the success with them, but they've been utterly useless on other people I know. I don't know if I'll rename the dog that's to be 'mine'. I'm told it's not hard to get them used to a new name. He's currently "Cyrus" which I don't mind too much... I told my dad I was going to name him Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, but strangely he rejected it.
Well, naturally.Make sure they call her a Sweat South Carolina Peach, if she does sell. That'll seal the deal for sure.
figmentPez
Staff member
I say "I tend to overthink things" and people who have known me for like five minutes give me a sarcastic "no, really?" You'd think I'd learn something from that, but I don't.