Random Thought Thread v2

[btimbit]

He kinda snapped and just started doing nothing but trolling, then silently dissapeared

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by btimbit

He kinda snapped and just started doing nothing but trolling, then silently dissapeared

Oh yeah, that was it. I now remember even posters that liked him being like "dude, you're going too far". His creation of the "gun nuts" thread was part of that.

[btimbit]

Yeah I'm starting to remember now. Pretty sure I ended up blocking him near the end there.

Seen that a few times over the last few years sadly, lost of lot of people I consider friends from assorted online communities because they spent way too much time just mainlining politics and social media and losing it to the point that they couldn't even stand being around people that had different views than them

Hope he's doing alright

[Erick Estrada]

That’s why I follow politics just enough to remain informed but not enough to get sucked into the vortex. Seen too many people go bat #### crazy and ruin relationships and careers. Seen two long tenured guys at work fistfight over politics leading to both getting fired. So dumb.

[Dion]

There was this Rabbi who lived in a small Russian town at the turn of the century. And after twenty years of pondering the very deepest religious questions and spiritual issues in life, he finally came to the conclusion that when he got right down to the rock bottom, he just didn't know.

Shortly after reaching that conclusion, he was walking across the village square on his way to the synagogue to pray. The cossack, or local czarist cop of this little town, was in a bad mood that morning and thought he would take it out on the Rabbi. So he yelled, "Hey, Rabbi, where the hell do you think you're going?"

The Rabbi answered, "I don't know."

This infuriated the cossack even more. "What do you mean you don't know where you're going?" he exclaimed in outrage. "Every morning at eleven o'clock you have crossed this village square on the way to the synogogue to pray, and here it is eleven o'clock in the morning and you're going in the direction of the synoguge and you try to tell me you don't know where you are going. You're trying to make some kind of fool out of me and i'll teach you not to do that."

So the cossack grabbed the Rabbi and took him off to the local jail. And just as he was about to throw him into the cell the Rabbi turned to him and commented, "You see, you just don't know."

Fact is no one knows. We dwell in a profoundly mysterious universe. In the words of Thomas Edison, "We don't even begin to understand one percent about ninety percent of anything"."

[CroFlames]

That Tarzan animated film from the 90s is actually a great movie. Just the right amount of predictable and just the right amount of violence. Phil Collins is on fire too.

[BrolyTheUnholy]

I have thoughts about this new thing that's being announced where companies are installing software that monitors keystrokes on employees' computers, takes screenshots every 10 minutes, and tracks what they do all day. On one hand it seems like a horrible invasion of privacy and on the other, I can see why companies want to see what they're paying people to do, especially with so many working from home now. But is it necessary? Surely you'd be able to tell if an employee is on YouTube all day rather than working if their output is lacking or minimal, so tracking software wouldn't be necessary if supervisors were supervising and doing regular check-ins. I feel like I'm leaning more on the "inappropriate, micromanaging, and invasive" side.

[btimbit]

Yeah that's just lazy management to me. Either someone is getting their work done, or they aren't. Track their work not their activity

[DoubleK]

Has anyone seen any hot air balloons around Calgary? That's a late summer/early fall thing no?

Is it not a thing anymore?

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Has anyone seen any hot air balloons around Calgary? That's a late summer/early fall thing no?

Is it not a thing anymore?

August/September I'd see them over Fish Creek every Saturday/Sunday morning on my drive home from work

[Locke]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Has anyone seen any hot air balloons around Calgary? That's a late summer/early fall thing no?

Is it not a thing anymore?

They used to store their balloons and equipment next door to my old office and I'd do the taxes for a good number of their operators which, I must admit, was pretty interesting seeing as most of them are from Eastern Europe and are doing this as a gig.

Fun story, my first year at that office they started moving their equipment into the parking lot and got me wondering, "what the hell is going on out there?"

Well. They do a meal where they boil a ton of corn. In the parking lot.

They take a gigantic cauldron, fill it with water and corn. Then they take a Balloon 'engine' the burner things that fill the balloon with hot air, lay it on its side in the parking lot aaaand....fire it up to boil the water.

It was a unique event.

A 20 foot plume of Flame will generate some attention.

A quick 'Heads Up' for the new guy would have been appreciated because the heat and the noise was insane and the displacement shook the building.

I think they're still around, but I havent seen them in a long time.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Has anyone seen any hot air balloons around Calgary? That's a late summer/early fall thing no?

Is it not a thing anymore?

A few weeks ago, directly over the Blackfoot Inn.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Wormius

A few weeks ago, directly over the Blackfoot Inn.

Thats one of their take-off locations.

[calf]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Has anyone seen any hot air balloons around Calgary? That's a late summer/early fall thing no?

Is it not a thing anymore?

I've probably seen a dozen or so on my way to work the last few weeks, usually somewhere around Glenmore/Stoney/Crowchild in the SW

[Wormius]

They need pretty particular weather conditions to take off don't they? I've always wanted to try one, but it sounded like basically flying standby and weren't sure when you'd get to go.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Wormius

They need pretty particular weather conditions to take off don't they? I've always wanted to try one, but it sounded like basically flying standby and weren't sure when you'd get to go.

Okay...well...I can speak to that too because I have done it.

You are not wrong.

Its worse than standby though because you tend to show up in parks and hotel parking lots on random days at 6am waiting for a last-second 'Go or No Go.'

They do have a phone number that you call the night before which lets you know if you should even bother showing up, but it absolutely is a Game Time Decision in the parking lot.

My mom bought her friend a flight as a gift and I think it took her around 2 years and dozens of attempts to actually get up in the air.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Locke

Okay...well...I can speak to that too because I have done it.

You are not wrong.

Its worse than standby though because you tend to show up in parks and hotel parking lots on random days at 6am waiting for a last-second 'Go or No Go.'

They do have a phone number that you call the night before which lets you know if you should even bother showing up, but it absolutely is a Game Time Decision in the parking lot.

My mom bought her friend a flight as a gift and I think it took her around 2 years and dozens of attempts to actually get up in the air.

Hmm, you didn't say if it was worth it though? What would be better, helicopter ride over the Rockies, or hot air balloon ride over Calgary?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Hmm, you didn't say if it was worth it though? What would be better, helicopter ride over the Rockies, or hot air balloon ride over Calgary?

I havent done the Helicopter ride (Haha! Accountant Jokes!) but the Balloon trip was amazing. It was really, really cool.

Thing is though...its a personal call. I've done it and I'll probably never do it again.

The company is excellent, the ride is a blast and an experience you'll never forget, the process of getting into the air is an unmitigated nightmare that will consume your soul for years.

I want to be clear, the company was phenomenal, its just the uncontrollable eccentricities of the process. You will loiter in hotel parking lots at 5 or 6am a few times a month...probably for years.

I'm not exaggerating. You might get lucky, but odds are it will actually take years to get up in the air.

You gotta really want it.

[Sliver]

You couldn't get me in a random parking lot at 5am even once, so I can confidently say I'll never go in a hot air balloon...ever again. You see, because I, too, have been in a hot air balloon. The year was 1992. It was Canada's 125th birthday. I was celebrating at some city park and there I went up about 50' in a tethered balloon. It was kind of neat.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You couldn't get me in a random parking lot at 5am even once, so I can confidently say I'll never go in a hot air balloon...ever again. You see, because I, too, have been in a hot air balloon. The year was 1992. It was Canada's 125th birthday. I was celebrating at some city park and there I went up about 50' in a tethered balloon. It was kind of neat.

The thing is...it can be so hard.

I'm self-employed, so there are times when its no problem and there are times when its simply impossible. Furthermore, I can juggle things, although that can be a pain in the ass on its own, but my wife is an employee, there are limited days she can just take off.

So if you take the Day off but you dont 'Take Off' then the day is essentially wasted.

Its tough.

I'm not trying to talk people out of it, because it is awesome, I'm just trying to convey the realities of the experience.