Random thoughts that don't warrant a thread

[52-80 19151]

Ive always been curious about what the yields and economics of sunflower farming must be like.

Because I drive by these massive sunflower fields, and how much of them do you need to press to extract sunflower oil…which happens to price out cheaper than bottled water?  For the seeds, you got to dry them and husk or roast them and salt them and they still sell them for pennies. 

Seems like they’ll be much better use for all that land. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

Ive always been curious about what the yields and economics of sunflower farming must be like.

Because I drive by these massive sunflower fields, and how much of them do you need to press to extract sunflower oil…which happens to price out cheaper than bottled water?  For the seeds, you got to dry them and husk or roast them and salt them and they still sell them for pennies. 

Seems like they’ll be much better use for all that land. 

Similar thought, but with plastic Chinese stuff. Are there that many people making that much money from cheap plastic stuff that they will design all of it on a computer somewhere, contract out with a company in China, create a mold for it, set up assembly, make thousands of them, ship them across 6,000 miles of ocean so that kids can buy it for $0.25? I'm thinking of stuff like the small random figures you find at Terra Toys of a frog or a horse. 

[Superhero 8829]

39 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Similar thought, but with plastic Chinese stuff. Are there that many people making that much money from cheap plastic stuff that they will design all of it on a computer somewhere, contract out with a company in China, create a mold for it, set up assembly, make thousands of them, ship them across 6,000 miles of ocean so that kids can buy it for $0.25? I'm thinking of stuff like the small random figures you find at Terra Toys of a frog or a horse. 

Wish that cheap Chinese crap wouldn't be so cheap so people wouldn't hand them out like candy. I've probably thrown away hundreds of my kids' cheap trinkets and rubber wrist bands over the years. 

[52-80 19151]

42 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Similar thought, but with plastic Chinese stuff. Are there that many people making that much money from cheap plastic stuff that they will design all of it on a computer somewhere, contract out with a company in China, create a mold for it, set up assembly, make thousands of them, ship them across 6,000 miles of ocean so that kids can buy it for $0.25? I'm thinking of stuff like the small random figures you find at Terra Toys of a frog or a horse. 

Yeah that shit blows my mind too. Once i bought a generic Fitbit watch on Aliexpress for like $1.32 all-in shipped to my house from literally across the globe. So its a knock off, but its got a real lcd display, actual optical sensor, a functional usb port, and connects to a computer and displays all the right thing…and even with “economies of scale”, this thing has passed through 5 middlemen with software and hardware stack on top…how is it even possible?

[52-80 19151]

Here's a candidate for worst design choice in a public building ever: floor to ceiling mirror in a bathroom.

You walk into this room and there are only sinks visible. No urinal or toilet stalls.

How many people try to walk towards/into this mirror here, thinking its passageway to another hall?  everyone.

(the toilets are in another room through a closed door)

 

[Guest]

Had a co-worker arrested for domestic violence last night.  The kicker is that there is a previous conviction.

Want to talk about it, but also don't.  Weird feeling, especially considering I don't know the facts, but there damned sure had to be a reason to call the cops, right?

I feel like:

and

[Superhero 8829]

 

[Guest]

Yeah, there are no details about whom the victim(s) were.  Think Saturday afternoon cookout that leads to evening card games/ whatever.  Multiple generations of family and friends consuming copious amounts of alcohol blending into talking about whoever knows what.  No telling what happened, but we know 1 result.

[Hook1997 5354]

What’s with our players and the photo shoots at gas pumps?  Just seems odd, I can think of a lot better places to take some pics.  

[Guest]

No brakes?

[Gil Bang 25948]

On 7/29/2023 at 9:28 AM, 52-80 said:

Ive always been curious about what the yields and economics of sunflower farming must be like.

Because I drive by these massive sunflower fields, and how much of them do you need to press to extract sunflower oil…which happens to price out cheaper than bottled water?  For the seeds, you got to dry them and husk or roast them and salt them and they still sell them for pennies. 

Seems like they’ll be much better use for all that land. 

and sunflowers need a lot of water

[Guest]

Learned something today.  Thanks motherfucking Surly.   LOL

also @Gil Bangsunflower is one of the most drought-tolerant crops,

https://farming.org.ua/Sunflower yield per acre, sunflower yield per hectare.html

Edited July 30, 2023 by slorch

[Gil Bang 25948]

1 minute ago, slorch said:

Learned something today.  Thanks motherfucking Surly.   LOL

also @Gil Bangsunflower is one of the most drought-tolerant crops,

https://farming.org.ua/Sunflower yield per acre, sunflower yield per hectare.html

No shit?   The GF loves sunflowers, and the farmer that we buy them from at the farmer's market is always talking about how much water they take and how he won't plant them again.

[Guest]

I know sunflowers have come and gone in faddish ways in the Panhandle, especially the western side.

[Kennythetiger 9380]

40 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

No shit?   The GF loves sunflowers, and the farmer that we buy them from at the farmer's market is always talking about how much water they take and how he won't plant them again.

That’s so your girlfriend feels bad and pays his marked-up price. 

[Kennythetiger 9380]

44 minutes ago, slorch said:

Learned something today.  Thanks motherfucking Surly.   LOL

also @Gil Bangsunflower is one of the most drought-tolerant crops,

https://farming.org.ua/Sunflower yield per acre, sunflower yield per hectare.html

They come and go up here on the high plains. Their residue (stalks) makes great cattle grazing feed, but the stalks are absolute hell on equipment. They’re like tree branches sticking out of the soil. Also, sunflowers are extremely hard on the surface of fields, as they turn the topsoil into powder which tends to blow off in dry conditions. 

[Guest]

Radio ad for Lume Deodorant claims to stop odors from pits, under-boob and even your butt.

challenge accepted on the butt portion.  There’s just no fucking way if I want to try. 

[deft 6845]

Here's a candidate for worst design choice in a public building ever: floor to ceiling mirror in a bathroom.
You walk into this room and there are only sinks visible. No urinal or toilet stalls.
How many people try to walk towards/into this mirror here, thinking its passageway to another hall?  everyone.
(the toilets are in another room through a closed door)
 

It’s a public head so the designer probably assumed there’d be someone there licking it 24/7

[Brothahorn 10087]

8 hours ago, Superhero said:

 

[52-80 19151]

14 hours ago, slorch said:

Had a co-worker arrested for domestic violence last night.

if youre going to commit violence, international violence is just so much more exotic

[52-80 19151]

11 hours ago, slorch said:

Learned something today.  Thanks motherfucking Surly.   LOL

also @Gil Bangsunflower is one of the most drought-tolerant crops,

https://farming.org.ua/Sunflower yield per acre, sunflower yield per hectare.html

local walmarty store is 1 Hectare in footprint = 1.1 Tons yield of oil = about 1000 L of oil, selling at at $2.50/L = $2500 retail price of goods harvested from that real estate.

Seems like you'd make more money just planting a few poles and selling the billboard space instead of doing the farming.

[Crapinon 2257]

4 hours ago, 52-80 said:

local walmarty store is 1 Hectare in footprint = 1.1 Tons yield of oil = about 1000 L of oil, selling at at $2.50/L = $2500 retail price of goods harvested from that real estate.

Seems like you'd make more money just planting a few poles and selling the billboard space instead of doing the farming.

I think the real money in farming is defrauding the USDA. https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/four-defendants-plead-guilty-in-11-point-5-million-fraud-case

[52-80 19151]

6 minutes ago, Crapinon said:

I think the real money in farming is defrauding the USDA. https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/four-defendants-plead-guilty-in-11-point-5-million-fraud-case

 

 

[GoPokes83 2240]

During my weekend out in publics I realized I really miss the days when fat, completely out of/never attempted to be in shape women had the decency to be appropriately ashamed of their bodies when it came to dressing. Maybe that’s a middle age man thing, maybe I just don’t like looking at two Hefty Bags of cottage cheese stuffed into the back of a pair of white Lycra shorts, IDK…

[Guest]

On 7/29/2023 at 3:45 PM, 52-80 said:

Here's a candidate for worst design choice in a public building ever: floor to ceiling mirror in a bathroom.

You walk into this room and there are only sinks visible. No urinal or toilet stalls.

How many people try to walk towards/into this mirror here, thinking its passageway to another hall?  everyone.

(the toilets are in another room through a closed door)

 

One of the things that stuck with me the most in grad school was a product design class. The professor talked about user error of products and how sure if one person uses it incorrectly, it's maybe on them. But if you're seeing the same "error" again and again, that's the fault of whomever designed the product.

I think about that a lot with things like signage that has to be repeated or intrusive in order to make sure something -- a door, a tool, a pathway -- is used correctly. Also there are a lot of unobtrusive visual cues you use. For instance, a piece of trim that ran across the bottom of this mirror would no longer make it look continuous (especially since the tile right in front of the mirror is a half tile, making the reflection look like a whole piece of tile).

[thunderlounge 7820]

And here I am wondering how many of these idiots can't recognize their own reflection. Must be a lot of vampires. call Sam and Dean.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

6 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

And here I am wondering how many of these idiots can't recognize their own reflection. 

There's an old guy impersonating the 20 something guy I think I am in mine. 

[thunderlounge 7820]

2 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

There's an old guy impersonating the 20 something guy I think I am in mine. 

That teasing bastard. 

[Superhero 8829]

What is the point of stormtrooper armor if one blaster shot kills them the same way a blaster shot kills someone not wearing armor?

 

 

I asked the question about the Walking Dead and didn’t get any responses. But why do they battle with the zombies without at least putting on a thick jacket, riding gloves and a scarf? Seems like an easy way not to get bit, but they go in with tank tops and t-shirts. 

[GoPokes83 2240]

What is the point of stormtrooper armor if one blaster shot kills them the same way a blaster shot kills someone not wearing armor?
 
 
I asked the question about the Walking Dead and didn’t get any responses. But why do they battle with the zombies without at least putting on a thick jacket, riding gloves and a scarf? Seems like an easy way not to get bit, but they go in with tank tops and t-shirts. 

In one of the first couple of episodes they draped themselves in zombie guts and were able to just walk around amongst the zombies unnoticed, then immediately abandoned that useful tactic for the rest of the series I watched. The first of a hundred plot holes.

[52-80 19151]

9 hours ago, GoPokes83 said:

In one of the first couple of episodes they draped themselves in zombie guts and were able to just walk around amongst the zombies unnoticed, then immediately abandoned that useful tactic for the rest of the series I watched. The first of a hundred plot holes.

Many such cases !

[Guest]

No CR, but been thinking a lot about climate change and battling heat (gee, I wonder the fuck why).

As a society, we do some collectively dumb shit. For instance, I just put a new roof on the house. Guess what color I chose? Brown. Because that's what the previous one was and that's what matches the house. I did that instead of going with something lighter to reflect sun.

I see tons of new apartment complexes with with this weird Scandinavian design that has practically zero eves to provide shade for the building. Our streets are universally a black asphalt that just absorbs heat. We seem to have a love affair as well with cutting down trees for new development. 

I drive a light-duty truck that I absolutely love, but it gets 20 mpg and I only need the capability of a truck about 2% of the time. I've looked at hybrids, but my understanding is that you are better off continuing to drive what you have versus the resources to create a new car.

[GoPokes83 2240]

We went to Wal Mart after lunch and I was killing time while the girls shopped. I knew I had at least an hour before they were going to be ready. Came out of the bathroom at the exact time another guy was reaching for the door to come in and we almost bumped into each other. I gave him an “Excuse me… sorry” and he didn’t reciprocate, just mean mugged me and brushed by. I was thinking what a rude ass he was when I saw his loaded up cart full of stuff he’d left outside the bathroom and spent the next 10 minutes putting everything back on the shelves.

[Kennythetiger 9380]

1 minute ago, GoPokes83 said:

We went to Wal Mart after lunch and I was killing time while the girls shopped. I knew I had at least an hour before they were going to be ready. Came out of the bathroom at the exact time another guy was reaching for the door to come in and we almost bumped into each other. I gave him an “Excuse me… sorry” and he didn’t reciprocate, just mean mugged me and brushed by. I was thinking what a rude ass he was when I saw his loaded up cart full of stuff he’d left outside the bathroom and spent the next 10 minutes putting everything back on the shelves.

Why would you willingly spend over an hour in wal-mart?  

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

19 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

Why would you willingly spend over an hour in wal-mart?  

To take a shit, apparently. 

[GoPokes83 2240]

Why would you willingly spend over an hour in wal-mart?  

Because I’m retired and have little else to do, and after 30 years my wife still lets me do naked stuff with her on occasion. An hour of wasted time in a store for a solid two minutes of workout seems like a more than a fair trade at this point in my life.

[Superhero 8829]

6 hours ago, GoPokes83 said:

Because I’m retired and have little else to do, and after 30 years my wife still lets me do naked stuff with her on occasion. An hour of wasted time in a store for a solid two minutes of workout seems like a more than a fair trade at this point in my life.

Braggart.

[52-80 19151]

still dont understand how taylor swift is such a cultural and economic powerhouse. 

i mean ive heard her music and some of it is good, but her talent doesnt seem equal to the icon status of  a michael jackson, elvis presley, madonna.  but her tour seems to basically shut down entire cities for transport and accomodations. 

[Lurch 5930]

still dont understand how taylor swift is such a cultural and economic powerhouse. 
i mean ive heard her music and some of it is good, but her talent doesnt seem equal to the icon status of  a michael jackson, elvis presley, madonna.  but her tour seems to basically shut down entire cities for transport and accomodations. 

Elvis didn’t have social media. My understanding is she mastered it at just the right time.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, 52-80 said:

still dont understand how taylor swift is such a cultural and economic powerhouse. 

i mean ive heard her music and some of it is good, but her talent doesnt seem equal to the icon status of  a michael jackson, elvis presley, madonna.  but her tour seems to basically shut down entire cities for transport and accomodations. 

With you. I don't get it.

In my old man defense, however, I also don't get Beyonce, though I would put Beyonce > Swift.

[Kennythetiger 9380]

14 hours ago, GoPokes83 said:

Because I’m retired and have little else to do, and after 30 years my wife still lets me do naked stuff with her on occasion. An hour of wasted time in a store for a solid two minutes of workout seems like a more than a fair trade at this point in my life.

This is the Trust Tree. I wasn’t judging, just wondering if there wasn’t a sports bar nearby at which the girls could drop you off. An hour in wal-mart sounds miserable. 
Undefeated….  😊

[Kennythetiger 9380]

5 hours ago, 52-80 said:

still dont understand how taylor swift is such a cultural and economic powerhouse. 

i mean ive heard her music and some of it is good, but her talent doesnt seem equal to the icon status of  a michael jackson, elvis presley, madonna.  but her tour seems to basically shut down entire cities for transport and accomodations. 

I think a lot of it has to do with us getting older and aging-out of pop culture. I joined Shaggy 20 years ago when I was in law school. At that time, the board seemed centered around college football, sex, and food. 
Now the Politics board gets as much or more traffic than the football board, many Daily Texan threads are infused with politics, and noticeably lately is a tremendous amount of “anything other than the music I like sucks”, which is what our parents told us, and their parents told them. 
 

tldr- Surly is getting old. 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Kennythetiger

[52-80 19151]

17 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

With you. I don't get it.

In my old man defense, however, I also don't get Beyonce, though I would put Beyonce > Swift.

seems like in pop music theres a huge element of luck, serendipity, and oh people think this persons awesome, so i must too. 

if you asked me based on what i know who *should* be the biggest female pop star, i wouldve guessed lana del rey.  she's attractive, makes banger hits, and her style/image/presentation is just completely unique to all the other artists. 

beyonce shes good but.. should she be twice as critically acclaimed as rihanna?  they seem neck in neck.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

36 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

tldr- Surly is getting old. 

Old and more surly.

[BehoId, The Underminer! 11669]

swift is amazing because she's been famous for so long and everyone said she's great since whenever.  but it was like any other top act.  clint black or foo fighters or whatever.  but then in the last 2 or 3 years, it somehow morphed into just mass hysteria.  

my theory as to a big part of the puzzle: the parents are ok with it now, which typically is the curse for uncool for people, but here it has fueled 15 year olds doing huge outings with the blessing (and purse strings) of mom and dad.  her last couple albums have been good and palatable for 40 somethings.  now mom and dad get to feel like they've got something in common with kiddo that everyone can celebrate together, and the parents are excited about that and want to encourage it.

 

[GoPokes83 2240]

still dont understand how taylor swift is such a cultural and economic powerhouse. 
i mean ive heard her music and some of it is good, but her talent doesnt seem equal to the icon status of  a michael jackson, elvis presley, madonna.  but her tour seems to basically shut down entire cities for transport and accomodations. 

Because people really are like sheep. Social media says something’s cool, then you better jump in line! And bitch don’t show up to Barbie not wearing pink!!

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

One should not be employed in the capacity of project management or project controls if you have subpar communication skills. Communicating in those roles is half the job, sometimes more.

[Kennythetiger 9380]

2 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

One should not be employed in the capacity of project management or project controls if you have subpar communication skills. Communicating in those roles is half the job, sometimes more.

The older I get, the more I think that every single job is made up of two jobs- the actual physical work itself, and communicating with people. 

[Kennythetiger 9380]

19 hours ago, GoPokes83 said:

We went to Wal Mart after lunch and I was killing time while the girls shopped. I knew I had at least an hour before they were going to be ready. Came out of the bathroom at the exact time another guy was reaching for the door to come in and we almost bumped into each other. I gave him an “Excuse me… sorry” and he didn’t reciprocate, just mean mugged me and brushed by. I was thinking what a rude ass he was when I saw his loaded up cart full of stuff he’d left outside the bathroom and spent the next 10 minutes putting everything back on the shelves.

I wanted to make sure that you knew that my response to your post was made completely in jest. 
I have told my wife (and only half kidding) that if I outlive her, I am going to discreetly trickle her ashes down the aisles of our local Wal-Mart. 
I swear neither her nor my mother-in-law have ever met a Wal-Mart that they didn’t like. 

[thunderlounge 7820]

1 hour ago, Patricio Swayze said:

One should not be employed in the capacity of project management or project controls if you have subpar communication skills. Communicating in those roles is half the job, sometimes more.

I had a recruiter call me earlier this morning. Could hardly understand them with the accent as thick as it was. It was a terrible experience, and not uncommon.