Random Chat, Thoughts, Posts, and/or Rants Thread

[Walter Hay]

My random questions:

1. Does anyone know who was the genius that decided that 12 PM should come after 11 AM?

2. By what authority did that genius change the whole world's understanding that 12 comes after 11?

3. Therefore if it was necessary to dumb down even our timekeeping should it not have at least been decided that after 11 AM the next hour would be denominated 12 AM ?

4. Has the world become so dumb that nobody knows that PM stands for Post Meridian (After Noon), and AM stands for Ante Meridian (Before Noon)? These terms have been used in the English language since 1563. After noon cannot logically happen at noon but a millisecond later. Some might argue that at 12.01 it is definitely afternoon and so it is, and always has been, but 12 cannot possibly be PM.

5. Surely if PM and AM were so difficult to understand, and alternative abbreviations were deemed necessary, could we not have used the slightly less ridiculous MD (Midday, formerly known as noon) and MN (Midnight, formerly known as midnight.)? At least 12 could then still come after 11 without being hindered by the illogical and mathematically incorrect AM and PM.

Finally, an authority: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language states "By convention, 12 AM denotes midnight and 12 PM denotes noon. Because of the potential for confusion, it is advisable to use 12 noon and 12 midnight."

Walter

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I don't know, when I think of this, I'm thinking you get $20/hr for a 10' x 4' space. That's the price of a sandwich and drink in an airport.

It would be far more than $20/hour, more like $60/hour and I was thinking the real gains comes from the expense/cost of goods side -- there is not a lot of overhead, food costs, labor, insurance, etc.

 

[ApparentHorizon]

We should move our clocks back half an hour and stop changing it twice a year.

 

[jon.M]

We should move our clocks back half an hour and stop changing it twice a year.

I think Europe's on its way to doing this, don't know the details but heard the news talk of constant summer time.

 

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[ApparentHorizon]

I think Europe's on its way to doing this, don't know the details but heard the news talk of constant summer time.

EU president is pushing for it across all member states. Voters polled overwhelmingly agreed on Daylight Saving Time. (summer)

Out of 195 countries in the world, 70 change the clock twice a year.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

We should move our clocks back half an hour and stop changing it twice a year.

One of the great benefits of living in Arizona, I don't miss messing with the clocks!

 

[ZF Lee]

I kinda miss the old internet around 2005.

I miss Windows XP Powerpoint.

Used to play around with it to make 'animation videos' using the motion buttons, clipart cartoons and speech bubbles, after being inspired by the Pink Panther.

That was the seed before I eventually experimented with Moviemaker, filming my own videos for school projects and Minecraft history vids. Humble beginnings.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Suggested nearly 8 years ago...

Motivate Guests to Reply and Register

They claim it's being worked on...

8 years go by and still nothing.

One of the most common UI changes any software can make to encourage users and registration.

Do they have it? Despite being suggested 8 years ago?

Nope.

But lets build on what worked in 1999!

Now I know what it feels like to be stuck in a 5 year old car that still has 6 years of payments remaining.

Said it 10 years ago, said it 5 years ago, and I'll say it today... forum software that has evolved with today's user tastes is a goldmine waiting to happen. Discourse (open source) is growing and supposedly they now have 30 employees to serve their SAAS offering. But even that solution is lacking.

Just goes to show, there's money to be made. And Xenforo's adoption rate has been on a slow decline. They only reason why I haven't left in a fit of fury is because the alternatives aren't much better.

Common question: Hey MJ, if you were 20 and starting over again in today's world, what would you do?

Read the above.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Morbid prediction: Shaq of NBA basketball fame will be dead in 5 years. The guy does not look healthy and I recently heard he'll drink 10 Cokes in one sitting, backed up by 3 steaks, and a chocolate cake.

Food kills. And it's killing Shaq.

 

[BlindSide]

Morbid prediction: Shaq of NBA basketball fame will be dead in 5 years. The guy does not look healthy and I recently heard he'll drink 10 Cokes in one sitting, backed up by 3 steaks, and a chocolate cake.

Food kills. And it's killing Shaq.

This is so sad. I've been hearing a lot recently how the guy looks noticeably heavier than usual.

Food addiction is a serious problem, and it's crazy how much control it can have over our lives. Just yesterday I was fantastic on my daily meal plan, and was proud of how I was managing myself.

Then I saw a plate of cookies.

I ate 4 and even had a Reese's on top of it! It's like I didn't even think, and just did it. Next thing I knew, I was lying in bed to go to sleep and going, "What in the world just happened out there?"

Hope Shaq focuses on himself a bit more. He's still pretty young, and it's sad to see someone reducing their lifespan just for temporary enjoyment.

 

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[sparechange]

People that actually like cities, complete insanity.

I prefer more secluded locations, privacy/peace & quiet.

 

[becks22]

Since this is for random postings-- wish I could find a way to find out which trick or treaters will be my last so I can give them the rest of my candy so I don't need to keep it. Last year had about 150 and this year about 160 kids

 

[BlindSide]

People that actually like cities, complete insanity.

I prefer more secluded locations, privacy/peace & quiet.

Not even smaller cities?

We just moved to Irvine, CA a few weeks ago, and I already hate it. Way too many people here with a need for speed and just HAVE to be riding right on your bumper to get where they go to go 2 seconds faster.

But cities like Cincinnati? Love it.

 

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[sparechange]

Never been there since I am a snow mexican, but a small town is big enough for me. I spent a snowboard season up in the mountains and was the happiest I've ever been in my entire life, going back to the city made me super miserable, constant horn honking, people in a rush all the time, etc

 

[Bearcorp]

Can't stand peoples impatience on the road, my city is small, literally takes 20 minutes to get anywhere, and people drive like their life's on the line if they lose a second on the road. Leave earlier if your running late! If you want to treat it like a race track go and race go karts or something.

 

[sparechange]

Can't stand peoples impatience on the road, my city is small, literally takes 20 minutes to get anywhere, and people drive like their life's on the line if they lose a second on the road. Leave earlier if your running late! If you want to treat it like a race track go and race go karts or something.

Story time, after work heading home on my bicycle I got clipped by a BMW X5 riding on the shoulder (road is like a 20km speed)

 

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[Bearcorp]

Story time, after work heading home on my bicycle I got clipped by a BMW X5 riding on the shoulder (road is like a 20km speed)

FFS, what's wrong with people! Not hurt too bad I hope, you or the bike?

It's not like the people that are in such a hurry use the time they MIGHT save by driving like hoons productively anyway

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Since this is for random postings-- wish I could find a way to find out which trick or treaters will be my last so I can give them the rest of my candy so I don't need to keep it. Last year had about 150 and this year about 160 kids

Live in a town where the median age is 62. Problem solved.

 

[sparechange]

FFS, what's wrong with people! Not hurt too bad I hope, you or the bike?

It's not like the people that are in such a hurry use the time they MIGHT save by driving like hoons productively anyway

Just an elbow scratch nothing big,

What do ya say we gather the forum together and ring MJ's doorbell wearing costumes next year for Halloween?

 

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[B. Cole]

Yesterday in my news feed, scientists in China wrap up research concluding that the biggest contributor to peripheral artery and heart disease is oxidative stress within your artery walls from high levels of iron, rather than high levels of cholesterol as currently suspected. The iron in your blood oxidizes and basically roughs up the lining of your artery walls at the molecular level, creating a surface for cholesterol to readily adhere rather than pass through and metabolize. Medical Scientists have coined the term “rusty blood”.

Think red meat - high levels of iron. Typically people who eat a lot of red meat, especially in America, have high cholesterol diets. This is an accelerated path to heart disease.

Menstrating females and those who donate blood regularly are at an advantage because they cyclically turn over their old, iron rich blood for new.

Also caught an article calculating the mass of the entire human race if you “deflate” us. Turns out that atoms are mostly free space, and can be compared to a football stadium in which the atom’s nucleus is a grape in the center of the field, with electrons orbiting the grape at the distance of the outer most seating in the stadium.

When all of this free space is removed, and all nuclei and electrons are in direct contact with each other, humanity's combined mass would occupy a space half as small as the distal section of your pinky finger.

Carry on.

 

[PureDirect]

To make the iron issue worse, some multi-nutrient supplements contain additional iron. So you think you're doing something good for yourself by taking them, in reality you're making yourself sick.

More miscellaneous tidbits about diet & supplements:

• Zinc and Magnesium are very common deficiencies and 50% of the population are deficient in at least one key nutrient[1]
• Zinc is important for wound healing[2], collagen synthesis[3] and protein synthesis in general[4], maintain oxidative balance[5], as well as bone density and bone formation[6]
• Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions[7], it’s important for a healthy carbohydrate metabolism[8], normal insulin sensitivity[9], and it helps prevent arterial calcification[10]. It is also anti-inflammatory[11].
• Both get depleted by stress, sickness, and exercise.

It’s a good idea to test your red blood cell content of magnesium and zinc to see if you’re deficient in one of them. If you take too much magnesium the body will just absorb less, so there is no serious risk associated with taking too much, but taking too much zinc can have negative consequences.

A random thought I had the other day:

Organized religion like the Catholic Church may be the oldest MLM scheme still in business. The business is worth Billions, but those farthest from the top are usually poor.


[1] B. N. Ames, “Micronutrients prevent cancer and delay aging,” Toxicology letters 102-103 (1998).
[2] L. Russell, “The importance of patients' nutritional status in wound healing,” British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) 10, 6 Suppl (2001): 4; Marcel Binnebösel et al., “Zinc deficiency impairs wound healing of colon anastomosis in rats,” International Journal of Colorectal Disease 25, no. 2 (2010).
[3] B. C. Starcher, C. H. Hill, and J. G. Madaras, “Effect of zinc deficiency on bone collagenase and collagen turnover,” The Journal of nutrition 110, no. 10 (1980).
[4] Robert H. Demling, “Nutrition, anabolism, and the wound healing process: an overview,” Eplasty 9 (2009).
[5] Hector L. Lopez, “Nutritional Interventions to Prevent and Treat Osteoarthritis. Part II: Focus on Micronutrients and Supportive Nutraceuticals,” PM&R 4, no. 5 (2012): S157.
[6] Natasha R. Ryz, Hope A. Weiler, and Carla G. Taylor, “Zinc Deficiency Reduces Bone Mineral Density in the Spine of Young Adult Rats: A Pilot Study,” Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 54, no. 3 (2009).
[7] Gudrun Winther et al., “Dietary magnesium deficiency alters gut microbiota and leads to depressive-like behaviour,” Acta Neuropsychiatrica 27, no. 03 (2015): 168.
[8] Ibid., p. 168.
[9] J. L. Nadler et al., “Magnesium deficiency produces insulin resistance and increased thromboxane synthesis,” Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) 21, 6 Pt 2 (1993); Gudrun Winther et al., “Dietary magnesium deficiency alters gut microbiota and leads to depressive-like behaviour,” Acta Neuropsychiatrica 27, no. 03 (2015).
[10] Amber O. Molnar et al., “Lower serum magnesium is associated with vascular calcification in peritoneal dialysis patients: a cross sectional study,” BMC Nephrology 18, no. 1 (2017); E. Ishimura et al., “Significant association between the presence of peripheral vascular calcification and lower serum magnesium in hemodialysis patients,” Clinical nephrology 68, no. 4 (2007); H. E. Meema, D. G. Oreopoulos, and A. Rapoport, “Serum magnesium level and arterial calcification in end-stage renal disease,” Kidney international 32, no. 3 (1987); Gorgels, Theo G. M. F. et al., “Dietary magnesium, not calcium, prevents vascular calcification in a mouse model for pseudoxanthoma elasticum,” Journal of Molecular Medicine 88, no. 5 (2010); ter Braake, Anique D., Catherine M. Shanahan, and de Baaij, Jeroen H.F., “Magnesium Counteracts Vascular CalcificationHighlights,” Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 37, no. 8 (2017); Juan M. Diaz-Tocados et al., “Dietary magnesium supplementation prevents and reverses vascular and soft tissue calcifications in uremic rats,” Kidney international 92, no. 5 (2017); Zelt, J. G. E. et al., “Magnesium Modifies the Impact of Calcitriol Treatment on Vascular Calcification in Experimental Chronic Kidney Disease,” Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 355, no. 3 (2015).
[11] Haruka Suzuki-Kakisaka et al., “Magnesium Sulfate Increases Intracellular Magnesium Reducing Inflammatory Cytokine Release in Neonates,” American Journal of Reproductive Immunology 70, no. 3 (2013); Mojtaba Mojtahedzadeh et al., “Randomized Trial of the Effect of Magnesium Sulfate Continuous Infusion on IL-6 and CRP Serum Levels Following Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery,” Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR 15, no. 4 (2016).

 

[sparechange]

Random thought, bit off topic since its actually on topic.

Business social media is a waste of time, I've spent so much time trying to grow an IG/FB with no success, only throwing money down the drain. Recently read about MJ talking about being a marketing company if you rely on ads, ah that cut me deep. @Xeon thought you'd enjoy this beautiful post

For the love of god the amount of bots on IG is ridiculous

 

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[sparechange]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcsNbQRU5TI

 

[IceCreamKid]

Quality of life in the Bay Area is turning to shit. Literally.

• If you walk around the financial district it is not uncommon to see someone shooting needles and pooping on the sidewalk. Every time I go for a walk it's pretty much guaranteed that I will see human poop on the ground. San Francisco's Sidewalk Poop Crisis, Explained - CityLab
• Due to the lack of cleanliness, there is a growing epidemic of a flesh eating bacteria that acts like a staph infection on steroids
• Tech money is pouring in and causing a price war for real estate, causing the cost of living to skyrocket. A middle class home 2 blocks away from me was bought for $2.8M cash and they completely gutted out the interior because it hasn't been updated since the 1970's.
• An overwhelming majority of homes in SF are renting out their garage for multiple people to live in
• Homeless people are on every intersection begging for handouts
• traffic has gone nuts(bumper to bumper traffic from 7am-10am, to give you an idea)

If you live in the Bay Area then it's probably in your best interest to leave unless you work in tech or have your own business here.

 

[garyfritz]

That's why I never moved to California. Better job opportunities there (I worked for HP in Colorado) but too damn many people, quality of life much better here. I live in a 4000' lakefront house that doesn't *exist* in the SF Bay area, but would probably be $10M if it did.

 

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[garyfritz]

To make the iron issue worse, some multi-nutrient supplements contain additional iron. So you think you're doing something good for yourself by taking them, in reality you're making yourself sick.

Iron is toxic for adult males and postmenopausal females. Kids need it to build growing bodies, menstrual women need it due to their monthly blood loss. Anybody else should avoid iron supplements. (Including e.g. in cereal and other foods.)

As long as we're on the nutrition / metals / etc kick in the random rants thread... I'll share my particular obsession. MANY people suffer from this and don't realize it.

Mercury is the 2nd-most-toxic element, after plutonium. And yet dentists still stick it in your mouth, where it leaches out and causes untold neurological damage. Broken fluorescent bulbs, seafood, coal-fired power plants, and some vaccinations also contribute, but for anybody with a bunch of "silver" fillings in their mouth, that's the main source of mercury.

And you would not believe how many ways it can f*ck up your body, especially your nervous system. I know people who had psychotic episodes within hours after having their fillings removed without proper protection. People who had been treated for MS for 15 years until they got the fillings out and chemically extracted the mercury from their body and brain. People who were anywhere between miserable and bedridden who completely cleared up their problems. All kinds of mind-boggling health problems resolved by cleaning out the mercury.

For me personally, I had some long-standing neurological issues that vanished as soon as I got my mercury fillings removed. I'm currently going through a detox protocol (a self-administered chemical chelation process designed by a PhD chemical engineer, not some woo-woo hippie diet) to remove the residual mercury from my organs and most especially my brain.

This site lists some of the common mercury symptoms: https://chriskresser.com/could-mercury-toxicity-be-causing-your-symptoms/

This site has some testimonials and success stories of people who have gone through the chelation process. (And I should point out, nobody's selling anything, other than a book here and there.)
CUTLER SUCCESS STORIES

If you'd like to learn more, I recommend https://www.amazon.com/dp/1494747898/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20
It outlines common mercury symptoms, explains the processes that mercury messes up, and also describes the chemical detox process that can extract the nasties out of your system.

I know hundreds of people (in an online community) who have hugely benefited from this process. It has an extremely high success rate. I'm actually an exception in that I got great improvements from removing my fillings, but so far I've only seen very minor improvements from chelation. Most people (who start out sicker than I was) see dramatic improvements.

 

[Lionhearted]

Morbid prediction: Shaq of NBA basketball fame will be dead in 5 years. The guy does not look healthy and I recently heard he'll drink 10 Cokes in one sitting, backed up by 3 steaks, and a chocolate cake.

Food kills. And it's killing Shaq.

Success can kill you too. You have to be able to afford to eat like that and no one who knows him dares to tell him to stop either. SAD

 

[sparechange]

Whos watching DC vs Lewis tonight?

Im taking DC by TKO R2

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17IWIuvblPY

 

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[Ninjakid]

T

Whos watching DC vs Lewis tonight?

Im taking DC by TKO R2

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17IWIuvblPY

Derrick KO's DC R4

 

[sparechange]

T


Derrick KO's DC R4

not with his cardio, DC will gas him out by then