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The U.S. Government could ask the Chinese, Israelis and even some old East Germans for help closing the Southern border. The fraking Romans built two walls across what is now Great Britain before 200AD so maybe we could ask The Italians for some help with a wall? It's not like borders haven't been closed before. ^_^


so how many of these previous walls were successful?

i think the southern border wall should be a pair of walls 200 feet high. 200 feet deep to discourage tunneling , make the walls 2 miles apart with sensors to detect tunneling, put a lethal voltage electric fence between the 2 walls. make the surface between the walls impossible to walk on....

with rough rocks, razor wire, motion detectors etc..... add some auto fire guns to kill anyone in the dead zone.....

a few miles from the wall put up a high fence so that anyone who wants to tunnel will have to dig a 5 mile tunnel.

of course then illegals will use boats along the coasts, and just walk across the canadian border......

possibly more practical will be a nationwide secure id system.

photos, retinal scan, fingerprints, DNA sample, along with a ID chip that can be read from a distance.....

anyone wanting to get a job will have to present their papers and put their hand on a iD reader. this would replace credit cards, much more convenient

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On 8/30/2015 12:35 PM, rbowman wrote:
On 08/30/2015 11:19 AM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
The current time is Brown-Red-Brown-Orange-Red-White.


Great idea! 0.02% of the population can read a resistor. I'm really not one of
them anymore except for the popular values.


Most folks looking for "unconventional" clocks aren't looking
for something that is "easily read" or "universally readable".
Rather, they are looking for something "unique" -- a conversation
piece.

To fill that requirement, you have to balance readability against
uniqueness. E.g., the Braille clock I mentioned up-thread qualifies
as definitely unique. However, if someone asks "what *is* this?"
and you tell them "it's a clock", there is no easy way for them to
"learn" how it is displaying the time; Braille digits are kinda
funky (until you learn the pattern).

By contrast, the Orbichron that I posted (pix) earlier is rather
easy for folks to pick up on -- almost *too* easy (where's the
fun in that??)

I suspect the telephone clock will result in folks picking up the
handset more than once to "try it". But, overall, it's not very
interesting. The real appeal lies in the alarm function.

I also have plans for some *unary* clocks built in long glass
tubes (artsy-fartsy). I.e., like big bar-graphs. Again, no real
magic in reading this -- the appeal would be in the artsy nature of
the implementation.

[I'm also looking for some large brass pipes to make a door bell]
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On Sunday, August 30, 2015 at 2:43:15 PM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 08/30/2015 12:36 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
The U.S. Government could ask the Chinese, Israelis and even some old East Germans for help closing the Southern border. The fraking Romans built two walls across what is now Great Britain before 200AD so maybe we could ask The Italians for some help with a wall? It's not like borders haven't been closed before. ^_^


Don't forget the Danevirke. The Germans though about converting it into
a tank trap in WWII but Himmler decided it made a better historical
artifact than a defensive barrier.


I guess we wouldn't ask the French for help with a wall since the Germans simply drove around the Maginot Line. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Line Monster
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On Sunday, August 30, 2015 at 2:44:51 PM UTC-5, rbowman wrote:
On 08/30/2015 12:42 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
The the trip down the road to Hell always begins with small steps. ^_^


Been there, got the t-shirt...


Oh, you took those first steps down the aisle to arrive in Hell. Funny how evil dresses in all white. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Angelic Monster
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On 8/30/2015 12:40 PM, rbowman wrote:
On 08/30/2015 12:11 PM, Don Y wrote:
My "cream my pants" idea would be to *levitate* BOWLING BALLS to
varying heights depending on the current time. Yeah, it's relatively
easy to do this with ping-pong balls, etc. What would make *this*
impressive would be the fact that lifting and suspending 8-10 pound
balls would, itself, be a significant technical challenge!


I had a professor who had a demonstration where he suspended a bowling ball on
about a 20' wire. He would stand on the side of the podium, place the ball
firmly against his chin, let go, and stand perfectly still while the ball
described its arc. It convinced first year physics students he knew more about
physics than they did.


Presumably, the position at his cheek was *not* the "rest" position!

We had a Foucault (sp?) pendulum at school. It was *really* LLLLOOOOONNNNGGGGG
and had a period of oscillation that was LOTS of seconds! It almost looked
like it was moving in slow motion!

They apparently have a newer, bigger one, now! (I guess it's relatively
cheap to build such a thing compared to, say, a superconducting magnet!)

The same guy was also known for firing off a model pulse jet in the lecture
hall. That convinced the students he was completely insane.





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On 08/30/2015 08:08 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 20:36:21 -0600, rbowman
wrote:

On 08/29/2015 12:52 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Since we don't have pennies up here any more, any change is rounded.
Created a huge confusion amongst cashiers. When item is charged
by CC or debit, we still count pennies to exact amount.


Do they still play the $1.99 game? Pennies would go extinct by
themselves if merchandisers didn't know their clientele were stupid
enough to think $1.99 is much cheaper than $2.00.


How does the penny go away?. At $2 you'd pay $2.12 after tax in CT.



Round *up* to the nearest nickel? So $2 becomes $2.15.
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On 8/30/2015 12:50 PM, bob haller wrote:

The U.S. Government could ask the Chinese, Israelis and even some old East
Germans for help closing the Southern border. The fraking Romans built two
walls across what is now Great Britain before 200AD so maybe we could ask
The Italians for some help with a wall? It's not like borders haven't been
closed before. ^_^


so how many of these previous walls were successful?


I'd wager *none* (folks claiming otherwise will state that when the walls
*were* breached, they had already fallen into disuse, etc.).

A static fortification is of very little use -- esp in the 21st century.

i think the southern border wall should be a pair of walls 200 feet high.
200 feet deep to discourage tunneling , make the walls 2 miles apart with
sensors to detect tunneling, put a lethal voltage electric fence between the
2 walls. make the surface between the walls impossible to walk on....


And, do it all for ZERO cost! : Along with zero *maintenance* costs!

with rough rocks, razor wire, motion detectors etc..... add some auto fire
guns to kill anyone in the dead zone.....

a few miles from the wall put up a high fence so that anyone who wants to
tunnel will have to dig a 5 mile tunnel.


Why? Come out of the ground, walk those few miles, then start digging, again!

of course then illegals will use boats along the coasts, and just walk
across the canadian border......


Exactly. Or, get smuggled in a suitcase, wade across the Rio Grande, etc.

possibly more practical will be a nationwide secure id system.


Won't happen. Because it can too easily be LOGICALLY applied to all
sorts of *other* problems that the folks who want to curb immigration
*don't* want "solved"!

No more carrying multiple driver's licenses -- it would be too easy
to know that you had a valid license in some *other* locality and
AUTOMATICALLY notify them that you now have a *new* license, "here".

Gun checks?? (NRA would scream like a stuck pig: national database
of gun owners???)

Hiring undocumented workers? No, you'd have to hire "guest workers"
who would probably end up having LEGAL RIGHTS (so you couldn't
threaten them with deportation, etc.)

Professionals (doctors, lawyere, etc.) whose licenses have been revoked in
one jurisdiction wandering to another and getting a *fresh* license.

"Off the books" financial transactions? Provide your ID to register
the transfer of monies (so Uncle Sam can see who's got what).

Etc.

photos, retinal scan, fingerprints, DNA sample, along with a ID chip that
can be read from a distance.....


Remote reading is prone to exploit. Do you carry your (new) passport (RFID)
in an unshielded case? Ditto certain credit cards?

Do you want Big Brother installing readers on every street corner to
track the movement of peoples? (instead of having to rely on more
costly facial recognition)

anyone wanting to get a job will have to present their papers and put their
hand on a iD reader. this would replace credit cards, much more convenient

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On 08/30/2015 03:40 PM, rbowman wrote:

My "cream my pants" idea would be to *levitate* BOWLING BALLS to
varying heights depending on the current time. Yeah, it's relatively
easy to do this with ping-pong balls, etc. What would make *this*
impressive would be the fact that lifting and suspending 8-10 pound
balls would, itself, be a significant technical challenge!


I had a professor who had a demonstration where he suspended a bowling
ball on about a 20' wire. He would stand on the side of the podium,
place the ball firmly against his chin, let go, and stand perfectly
still while the ball described its arc. It convinced first year physics
students he knew more about physics than they did.

The same guy was also known for firing off a model pulse jet in the
lecture hall. That convinced the students he was completely insane.


One of the aeromodeller magazines I had as a teenager had drawings for
making a pulse jet but unfortunately I didn't have the equipment needed
(lathe, for example) to make it. I've never even heard one, but the
description of its sound caught my interest. I guess my parents had
heard pulse jets (V-1s), and they were hardly going to encourage me to
make that sound again.

Perce




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On 08/30/2015 03:35 PM, rbowman wrote:

The current time is Brown-Red-Brown-Orange-Red-White.


Great idea! 0.02% of the population can read a resistor. I'm really not
one of them anymore except for the popular values.


Since most components these days are surface-mount and have the actual
value printed on them, the color code will fall ever more into disuse.

Perce

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On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 12:50:18 -0700 (PDT), bob haller
wrote:

The U.S. Government could ask the Chinese, Israelis and even some old East Germans for help closing the Southern border. The fraking Romans built two walls across what is now Great Britain before 200AD so maybe we could ask The Italians for some help with a wall? It's not like borders haven't been closed before. ^_^


so how many of these previous walls were successful?


The great wall of China worked very well, considering technology of
the times. They had to keep Genghis Khan and the Mongols out :-\

i think the southern border wall should be a pair of walls 200 feet high. 200 feet deep to discourage tunneling , make the walls 2 miles apart with sensors to detect tunneling, put a lethal voltage electric fence between the 2 walls. make the surface between the walls impossible to walk on....

with rough rocks, razor wire, motion detectors etc..... add some auto fire guns to kill anyone in the dead zone.....

a few miles from the wall put up a high fence so that anyone who wants to tunnel will have to dig a 5 mile tunnel.

of course then illegals will use boats along the coasts, and just walk across the canadian border......

possibly more practical will be a nationwide secure id system.

photos, retinal scan, fingerprints, DNA sample, along with a ID chip that can be read from a distance.....

anyone wanting to get a job will have to present their papers and put their hand on a iD reader. this would replace credit cards, much more convenient


....and make Mexico pay for it ALL. Plus, water board all the illegal
grazers.


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On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 13:47:27 -0600, rbowman
wrote:

On 08/30/2015 01:04 PM, Oren wrote:
A kid recently was trapped under his fallen truck. Siri communicated
and called 911 rescue -- saved the kid.


Lassie is currently unemployed and homeless. Send dog food, preferably dry.


Research shows dog prefer fatty food.
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On 08/30/2015 02:18 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
Since most components these days are surface-mount and have the actual
value printed on them, the color code will fall ever more into disuse.


Looking at the video card laying on the desk and assuming the components
labeled R634 etc are resistors, some are labeled, some aren't. And I had
to break out my loupe to make that determination. Of the ones that are
labeled, the markings are cryptic like E5A.


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On 08/30/2015 02:01 PM, Don Y wrote:
Presumably, the position at his cheek was *not* the "rest" position!


No, he'd displaced the bowling ball well away from the rest position.
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On 08/30/2015 02:15 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
One of the aeromodeller magazines I had as a teenager had drawings for
making a pulse jet but unfortunately I didn't have the equipment needed
(lathe, for example) to make it. I've never even heard one, but the
description of its sound caught my interest.


The word that comes to mind is 'loud', like 140 dB.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...on_System.html

For only US$99 you can do to your hearing what all those rock concerts
never could. That one has a flapper valve but you can find plans for
valveless designs. They're even worse since operation depends on setting
up resonance in the plumbing but are somewhat easier to build.


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"rbowman" wrote in message
...
On 08/30/2015 02:18 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
Since most components these days are surface-mount and have the actual
value printed on them, the color code will fall ever more into disuse.


Looking at the video card laying on the desk and assuming the components
labeled R634 etc are resistors, some are labeled, some aren't. And I had
to break out my loupe to make that determination. Of the ones that are
labeled, the markings are cryptic like E5A.


Some of the resistors are labeled, but most of the small components aren't
labled. As they are usually put on by machine by the roll it doesn't mater
like it used to.
Lots of them are too small to really label.




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On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 09:01:47 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 8/29/2015 7:50 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 07:59:34 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 8/28/2015 10:56 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:


I was at a historical site at the same time a bunch of high school
kids were. A girl asked me what time it was. A quarter after eleven
meant nothing to her. Eleven fifteen made sense.

Did you tell her you'd inform her at the
bottom of the hour?


Kids just look at this clock and scratch their heads.

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/clock.jpg

In the 70's, I built a "digital analog clock" as a gift for
my in-laws. A friend tried to get me to manufacture them:
"No! Then it wouldn't be unique!".

Some years later, he purchased this for me:
http://orbichronics.com/CoverOrbCropped.jpg
I suspect largely as an "I told you so".

[I enjoy designing/building clocks as gifts. My favorite was
a clock that "displayed" the time in Braille, using LEDs for
each dot position in the 6-dot Braille cell. The humor, of
course, lies in the fact that the folks most likely to
understand what it even *is* are folks who are blind -- to
most folks it just looks like an odd collection of blinking
lights! Yet, those blind folks would typically NOT be able
to SEE the LED lights! :-/ ]


I have a wris****ch timepiece, which I've squirreled away in a drawer.
It's branded "Apha" Swiss made. Waterproof, Anti-Magnetic.
Bought it from a Chief Boilerman in the Navy in 1964.
$60. Almost a month's pay as an Fireman's Apprentice.
I can't get it focused in my camera, so I'll describe it.
I has a window with the hour, which flips to a new hour.
Directly under that is a window with minutes on a revolving dial.
Near the bottom is a window with seconds on a revolving dial.
I just wound it and it still runs!
Very neat looking watch. But you need good eyes.
I prefer time-at-a-glance analog. Don't need numbers.


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On Sun, 30 Aug 2015 11:38:50 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

I have a few of those too

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/bar.jpg


My what big feet you have! ^_^


12W
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On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 06:59:34 -0500, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 8/28/2015 10:56 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:


I was at a historical site at the same time a bunch of high school
kids were. A girl asked me what time it was. A quarter after eleven
meant nothing to her. Eleven fifteen made sense.


Did you tell her you'd inform her at the
bottom of the hour?

Nah. I was running slow that day.


--
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On 8/30/2015 5:07 PM, Vic Smith wrote:
On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 09:01:47 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 8/29/2015 7:50 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 07:59:34 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 8/28/2015 10:56 PM, Dean Hoffman wrote:


I was at a historical site at the same time a bunch of high school
kids were. A girl asked me what time it was. A quarter after eleven
meant nothing to her. Eleven fifteen made sense.

Did you tell her you'd inform her at the
bottom of the hour?

Kids just look at this clock and scratch their heads.

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/clock.jpg

In the 70's, I built a "digital analog clock" as a gift for
my in-laws. A friend tried to get me to manufacture them:
"No! Then it wouldn't be unique!".

Some years later, he purchased this for me:
http://orbichronics.com/CoverOrbCropped.jpg
I suspect largely as an "I told you so".

[I enjoy designing/building clocks as gifts. My favorite was
a clock that "displayed" the time in Braille, using LEDs for
each dot position in the 6-dot Braille cell. The humor, of
course, lies in the fact that the folks most likely to
understand what it even *is* are folks who are blind -- to
most folks it just looks like an odd collection of blinking
lights! Yet, those blind folks would typically NOT be able
to SEE the LED lights! :-/ ]


I have a wris****ch timepiece, which I've squirreled away in a drawer.
It's branded "Apha" Swiss made. Waterproof, Anti-Magnetic.
Bought it from a Chief Boilerman in the Navy in 1964.
$60. Almost a month's pay as an Fireman's Apprentice.
I can't get it focused in my camera, so I'll describe it.
I has a window with the hour, which flips to a new hour.
Directly under that is a window with minutes on a revolving dial.
Near the bottom is a window with seconds on a revolving dial.
I just wound it and it still runs!


When I was (very much!) younger (I no longer wear a watch), I had an
"autowinding" watch. Didn't last long. I guess you're not supposed
to *deliberately* wind them! :

Very neat looking watch. But you need good eyes.
I prefer time-at-a-glance analog. Don't need numbers.


Exactly. Much easier to read "angles" than to try to make out
micro-miniature digits!

One of the flaws with the Orbichron is you can't easily read
the "angles" -- all you effectively see is the tips of the
(imaginary) hands.

The clock I made for my in-laws was octagonal shaped -- "corners"
at 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 & 11. So, even in the dark, you could get
a reference as to where the (tip of the) minute hand was located by
just watching the second hand for, at most, 10 seconds (the length of
the longest "side" of the octagon).

With the orbichron, you don't have a "reference" until the second
hand passes 12 (which you know by noticing the *minute* hand's
motion!)
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On 8/30/2015 1:19 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:

The current time is Brown-Red-Brown-Orange-Red-White.

I had an idea for a clock that used 6 full-color LEDs that could be made
to be any color, time would be indicated by color according to the color
code used in electronics, "Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet
Gives Willingly" where the digits 0-9 are represented by Black, Brown,
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Gray, White.


The original memory jogger was Black Boys, which helps
to remember which one was black and which was brown.

Now days, the original memory jogger meets with some
resistance from the PC crowd. I'm an old man, a stripe
of a different color.

Violet gives willingly to silver and gold. Don't let
out the magic white smoke.

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learn more about Jesus
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On 8/31/2015 7:11 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 8/30/2015 1:19 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:

The current time is Brown-Red-Brown-Orange-Red-White.

I had an idea for a clock that used 6 full-color LEDs that could be made
to be any color, time would be indicated by color according to the color
code used in electronics, "Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet
Gives Willingly" where the digits 0-9 are represented by Black, Brown,
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet, Gray, White.


The original memory jogger was Black Boys, which helps
to remember which one was black and which was brown.

Now days, the original memory jogger meets with some
resistance from the PC crowd. I'm an old man, a stripe
of a different color.

Violet gives willingly to silver and gold. Don't let
out the magic white smoke.


It's actually "Gold, Silver, and None" , remembered by "Get some now" or
"Good stuff".
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On 8/29/2015 12:53 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 8/29/2015 11:08 AM, Don Y wrote:
OTOH, when I encounter someone who actually knows how to
count change *back* to me, I make a point of drawing attention
to that fact: "Ah, someone who knows how to COUNT CHANGE!!"
with a broad smile.


I think a person has to be at least 45 to remember how to COUNT CHANGE!


Now days folks under 45 only know hope and change.

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learn more about Jesus
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On 8/30/2015 2:56 PM, Oren wrote:

If fences and walls do not work; why do prisons and the White House
have them?


Either union regulations, or discrimination?

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On 8/29/2015 12:12 PM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
Some twenty years ago in Taiwan we used to go to a supermarket that had
fancy electronic cash registers, on top of which were sitting abacuses
(abaci?). If anyone disputed the total, they checked it with the abacus.

Perce


A couple decades ago, I read a wise saying. Some thing
about kids do figures by hand and check with a calculator.
Adults do things with a calculator, and check by hand.

Same concept.



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learn more about Jesus
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On 8/29/2015 10:32 PM, rbowman wrote:
On 08/29/2015 11:55 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
I've been given too much money at the bank drive through and returned
it. I have people ask me why I gave the excess back? My answer is
because IT'S NOT MINE.


If it were a large sum I'd return it but for a buck or two I figure I've
probably been short changed enough by mistake that it all evens out.


I'm remembering the story about the McDonalds, late
at night. The manager put the bank deposit bag in a
McBag, and set it down "for a second" next to the
drive through window. The PYT handed the bag out
to the next drive through customer. Who circled around
and brought it back to the window.

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learn more about Jesus
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On 8/29/2015 1:33 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:

I suppose most people don't know the the ancient

Chinese invented the first pocket calculator. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Abacus Monster


1) One free in every 20th cereal box
2) For the rest of us, look for the
20% off coupon in Sunday's paper.

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On 8/29/2015 1:33 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:

I suppose most people don't know the the ancient Chinese invented the first pocket calculator. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Abacus Monster


I some how remember a cereal box with a 45 RPM single
molded into the box. The sound quality was awful,
I don't remember what it was. Probably 30 second
commercial for breakfast cereal.

They don't make advertising like that no more.

They also don't make nun names like that no more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQa3_wWrR4

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Default OT - adding without calculator

On 8/30/2015 2:56 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:

Isn't there an app for smartphones that can read barcodes? If the seller would allow customer smartphones to access a database of barcodes and prices, the customer would know how much money they'll be spending in realtime. I could see the smartphone accessing the Internet to get coupons for the items just scanned. The future is here. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Shopping Monster


My Mom used to comment on the woman she knew who
would drive across town to save a dime on a bag
of potato chips.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
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Default OT - adding without calculator

On 8/30/2015 3:55 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:

Don't forget the Danevirke. The Germans though about converting it into
a tank trap in WWII but Himmler decided it made a better historical
artifact than a defensive barrier.


I guess we wouldn't ask the French for help with a wall since the Germans simply drove around the Maginot Line. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Line Monster


That was really low of them.

(My old social studies teacher said the Benolux
[Belgium, Netherlands, {and} Luxembourg] were
the low countries, due to thier lower altitude.)

It's not often I can use three level parenthases.

I avoid double negatives like the plague, but not
for lack of trying.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
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Default analog versus digital time

On 8/31/2015 9:11 AM, Mr. Emann wrote:
On 8/31/2015 7:11 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
Now days, the original memory jogger meets with some
resistance from the PC crowd. I'm an old man, a stripe
of a different color.

Violet gives willingly to silver and gold. Don't let
out the magic white smoke.


It's actually "Gold, Silver, and None" , remembered by "Get some now" or
"Good stuff".


Thank you. I can see you are a man of similar
stripe.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
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..


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Default analog versus digital time

[snip]

"Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives
Willingly" where


s/Violet/Virgins/


That sounds better, although there do seem to be a lot of variations on
that saying.

[snip]

My "cream my pants" idea would be to *levitate* BOWLING BALLS to
varying heights depending on the current time. Yeah, it's relatively
easy to do this with ping-pong balls, etc. What would make *this*
impressive would be the fact that lifting and suspending 8-10 pound
balls would, itself, be a significant technical challenge!

(anyone have some extra Flubber to spare??)


One clock I have seen had an alarm where when it starts ringing a piece
detaches itself from the top of the clock and runs around the room. You
have to catch it and return it to the clock to stop the loud ringing.
It's hard to ignore that alarm.

BTW, the alarm clock I used in college was NOT next to my bed and had NO
snooze button. These things would make it easier to cheat.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"It is sad, but in the USA today the ignorant think everything is an
opinion and this somehow levels the playing field." -- Christopher A.
Lee, alt.atheism
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Default OT - adding without calculator

On 8/29/2015 12:16 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 8/29/2015 9:53 AM, Muggles wrote:

OTOH, when I encounter someone who actually knows how to
count change *back* to me, I make a point of drawing attention
to that fact: "Ah, someone who knows how to COUNT CHANGE!!"
with a broad smile.


I think a person has to be at least 45 to remember how to COUNT CHANGE!


That may be so. OTOH, it seems like *being* 45 doesn't guarantee
they *will* count change! I see just as many older cashiers who
hand you a pile of money and a receipt. Or, who count what they
have *given* you to ensure it agrees with what the machine
claims they should have given you!

People no longer seem to have a "feel for numbers". When a friend/neighbor
asks me to help one of their kids having trouble with "math", the first
thing I do is ask them to "show me 3" -- invariably, they hold up three
fingers. "Great, now show me 9" -- again, 9 fingers, but now they're
starting to get a bit nervous in anticipation of my *next* request!

"OK, show me 27" (Crap! Even if I take off my shoes, I can't get to 27!!)

So, their eyes dart around as they try to find "27 of something". I.e.,
they are *counting* things looking for a total of "27". (Whew! Thank
god there were all those books on the shelf!!)

When you jump to even bigger numbers is where you start to make your
point: "show me 395"; "show me 5,329"; etc. Of course, they soon
realize that they can't find 5329 of *anything* and verify that count
in the time available. But, neither can *I*! So, they pick something
and *reason* that it's "about 5329". Or, "395". Or, "85,032".

And, that's the whole point -- to get a *feel* for magnitudes. E.g.,
"2" is one more than "1". But, it's also TWICE as much! Yet, just a
sixth of a dozen, etc.

I purchased two IDENTICAL bottles of something some time ago at the
grocery store. Each was $9.95. I pulled a $20 and two singles from my
wallet in anticipation. And, was amused when the cashier told me it
would be 40-something.

I have a pat way of handling this situation (it happens often): I
pull my cash back to my chest, smile and say, "What's wrong with
this picture?". An astute cashier will quickly survey the purchase
and the total and catch their mistake (I once was billed JUST
$11 for a few pounds of crab meat and super colossal shrimps...
celarly WAY undercharged).

This one got adamant/defensive and demanded to know what my "problem"
was.

Still smiling, I picked up one of the bottles: "This is $9.95 -- let's
call it $10" and set it aside. Then, reached for the second IDENTICAL
bottle: "This, *too*, is $9.95. Let's call *it* $10. $10 plus $10..."
and pointed to the $40+ total displayed on the register.

Still not catching on, I just said, "could you please void the sale and
ring it up, again?"

Of course, in that case, *I* would have been out the extra $20 so no
skin off the cashier's back (until trying to balance the drawer and
wondering why there was "extra" money!).

But, what if our roles had been reversed? Her incompetence (at
gauging numbers) would have *cost* her $20! How often could she
(on her wages) afford to get screwed in that way??


I've always liked numbers.

--
Maggie
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Default technology changes

On 8/29/2015 12:37 PM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Saturday, August 29, 2015 at 11:39:53 AM UTC-5, Muggles wrote:
On 8/29/2015 7:02 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 8/28/2015 11:16 PM, Muggles wrote:
On 8/28/2015 9:44 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
My every day utility watch is Solar powered with battery back up.
Charger works even under candle light. If and when power is getting
weak it goes into hibernation turning off all functions except time
keeping. Radio controlled any where in the world. I never saw this thing
stopped yet. Navy SEAL was issued Rolex submarine but now they wear
Casio G-shock I heard. May be today's kids will have hard time to read
time on analog watch.

Things have changed so much just since I got married let alone since I
was a child. The sky's the limit for what might be a possibility in the
future, I think.


Years ago, the original Star Trek had the communicators,
flip em open and talk at the device.

Now I carry a flip cell phone, and I can flip it open,
and talk at the device. Internal speaker is loud enough
that I can hear the other person. I keep wanting to say
"Scotty; two to engage"

With the improving technology, people become reliant,
and don't know what to do when things break down.
I worry that some day the people who run the country
will turn off internet, and we'll all stand around and
whine and cry.


I'd miss the internet mostly because I'd miss interacting with nice
people all over the world. After lamenting the people I missed, I'd be
in the back yard doing stuff, or otherwise finding things to keep me
busy.

I wouldn't miss the hackers, crackers, nutcases, pedophiles, or other
online criminals who feel it's their goal in life to steal from and/or
harass others.
--
Maggie


Darn, where would I find my victims if the Internet broke? o_O

[8~{} Uncle Monstrous Monster


It's funny ... yesterday we got up to find our internet was down due to
some big outage in our area.

--
Maggie
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Default OT - adding without calculator

On 8/29/2015 1:52 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Muggles wrote:
On 8/29/2015 11:08 AM, Don Y wrote:
On 8/29/2015 5:04 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 8/29/2015 1:14 AM, Tony Hwang wrote:

People are getting dumber, robots are getting smarter I think. Go to a
bank and see young tellers can't even add two simple numbers without
calcutor.

I like to hand the clerks paper money plus some
coins. Make their lives easier. I calculate the
change in my head, they use the cash register.

Most likely they would be lost without the screen.

I've found that, more often than not, their first instinct
is to hand the coins *back* to me. Especially if the tab is
$X.17 and you hand them $X.42... all those coins (4 dimes and
two pennies) seem like "way too much".

*Some* folks will hand me back two dimes (i.e. $X.22 yielding a
nickel change) and I'll suggest that I'd prefer to have a quarter
as change, instead of a *nickel*.

Regardless, when their eyes glaze over, I tell them, "Just type
it in and let the MACHINE do your thinking for you..." in a
mildly disgusted tone.

OTOH, when I encounter someone who actually knows how to
count change *back* to me, I make a point of drawing attention
to that fact: "Ah, someone who knows how to COUNT CHANGE!!"
with a broad smile.



I think a person has to be at least 45 to remember how to COUNT CHANGE!

Since we don't have pennies up here any more, any change is rounded.
Created a huge confusion amongst cashiers. When item is charged
by CC or debit, we still count pennies to exact amount.


No pennies? How does that work when it comes to balancing?

--
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On 8/29/2015 3:18 PM, Tony Hwang wrote:
Oren wrote:
On Sat, 29 Aug 2015 05:37:40 -0700 (PDT), bob haller
wrote:

one day a cyber attack will take the internet off line, and kill our
economy.

everything is networked even traffic lights, the power grid is
controlled by the net. take out the power grid will cause a cascade
failure, taking out water plants etc


Always have a backup plan. We go back to the Pony Express or Native
American smoke signals Know where to collect water, where to feed the
animals, how to build a fire and talk of the old days of life when
stuff was easy.

Mick Dodge has it figured out, if you watch _The Legend of Mick Dodge_
on Nat Geo.

I have survival training during the time in Boy scout and military
service, LOL!


Some years ago we lost power for 10 days due to weather related power
outages. We learned how to use generators real quick, although, we
already had one small generator at the time, it wasn't enough to keep us
going for 10 days. We bought a second generator and got most of the
essentials up and running. I'd even bring in outside solar garden
lighting and place the individual lights all around the house at night
so we didn't need any lighting.

--
Maggie


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Default analog versus digital time

On 8/31/2015 7:16 AM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
[snip]

"Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives
Willingly" where


s/Violet/Virgins/


That sounds better, although there do seem to be a lot of variations on that
saying.


It's more outrageous. Far easier to remember than "Roy G. Biv", etc.

My "cream my pants" idea would be to *levitate* BOWLING BALLS to
varying heights depending on the current time. Yeah, it's relatively
easy to do this with ping-pong balls, etc. What would make *this*
impressive would be the fact that lifting and suspending 8-10 pound
balls would, itself, be a significant technical challenge!

(anyone have some extra Flubber to spare??)


One clock I have seen had an alarm where when it starts ringing a piece
detaches itself from the top of the clock and runs around the room. You have to
catch it and return it to the clock to stop the loud ringing. It's hard to
ignore that alarm.

BTW, the alarm clock I used in college was NOT next to my bed and had NO snooze
button. These things would make it easier to cheat.


In school, a guy crashed with us for a while. He had this annoying
home-brewed alarm clock -- essentially a traditional (electric)
mechanism but the "buzzer" replaced by a Sonalert (makes a sound
similar to a smoke detector -- piercing whistle). No big deal.
But, he had installed a huge bank of capacitors (Sonalerts draw very
little power, considering the noise they make) so the sonalert
would sound virtually *forever*... EVEN WITH THE POWER CORD UNPLUGGED!

He, of course, wouldn't show us the way to turn OFF the alarm
("It's a secret!").

After a few mornings of burying our heads in pillows while he
chuckled his way across the room to shut off the alarm, the
next morning, I just opened the window and, with the alarm clock
still plugged in, threw it out the window!

Of course, he got to *see* that happening. He thereafter decided
NOT to use his alarm clock!


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Default OT - adding without calculator

On 8/29/2015 7:32 PM, rbowman wrote:
On 08/29/2015 11:55 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
I've been given too much money at the bank drive through and returned it. I
have people ask me why I gave the excess back? My answer is because IT'S NOT
MINE.


If it were a large sum I'd return it but for a buck or two I figure I've
probably been short changed enough by mistake that it all evens out.


A friend, here, some years ago, called us with a dilemma. Someone
(I can't recall if it was UPS, USPS, DHL, etc.) delivered a *box*
full of *CASH* to her house (no signature required -- obviously,
the delivery firm had no idea of the box's contents. Equally
obvious was the fact that the shipper hadn't wanted to *indicate*
its contents on the packing list!)

She wondered if she could keep it.

IANAL. But, the first thought out of my mind was "be careful who you open
the door for, in the coming months!" I.e., its likely that the sender
knows the address to which *he* addressed the package (unless dyslexic
and transposed some digits when writing it on the packing slip). So,
likely when "whatever" associated with that delivery is found not to
have "happened", someone is going to come looking for it!

That suggested, to me, that she might want to get some "authority"
behind her -- if only for her own protection!
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Default OT - adding without calculator

Oren posted for all of us...


...and make Mexico pay for it ALL. Plus, water board all the illegal
grazers.


Make it an Olympic sport.

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Default analog versus digital time

Don Y posted for all of us...


When I was (very much!) younger (I no longer wear a watch), I had an
"autowinding" watch. Didn't last long. I guess you're not supposed
to *deliberately* wind them! :


How else would one strengthen their forearm?

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Default OT - adding without calculator

On Mon, 31 Aug 2015 09:47:15 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

They also don't make nun names like that no more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQa3_wWrR4


Look at those legs

It must be racist vegetablelist. They left out Arugala.
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