Humor Random Comments Thread

[Thunder Chicken]

Fun with a number cruncher:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/university/media/press/10013-english.pdf

Some more fun with a number cruncher:

http://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...ggeMAI&usg=AFQjCNGk9RQurxYXNJIlX0fAPuPyAhU9oQ

And the conference presentation:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL_-1d9OSdk"]Chicken chicken chicken - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Evil_Onyx]

Fun with a number cruncher:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/university/media/press/10013-english.pdf

Nice, I live in the shire than (looking out the window at a dull/damp morning), from J.R.R. Tolkien description it should be alot better out side.

 

[Urwumpe]

Wladimir Klitschko is no longer heavy weight champion after 9 years, Fury has defeated him with the better strategy.

 

[steph]

Just saw a convoy of military trucks preparing for the national day parade (1st of December) . While most of the tech they were carrying (mostly rocket launchers and whatnot) looked surprisingly modern, the trucks themselves were antique. I'm quite certain they were pre '89, probably decades old. Just from seeing the white smoke they were belching , you could realize they weren't in top shape. What's the point of having an army if half your vehicles would break down on the way to the conflict area?

edit: they were in town, but the police had cleared the way, and they still weren't moving much faster than 20 kph. I was easily able to keep up on a bike. I didn't have the speedometer mounted, but it couldn't have been much more than 20 km/h. At the very most 30, but probably less.

 

[Urwumpe]

A bit over 50% of the citizens of Hamburg have voted against applying for hosting the Olympic Games of 2024.

 

[Andy44]

A bit over 50% of the citizens of Hamburg have voted against applying for hosting the Olympic Games of 2024.

Many cities worldwide are finally getting a clue that the Olympics is a giant disaster for the host city and should be avoided. I think Boston just turned one down as well.

I seriously hope it never comes to my area. It's a huge waste of money and a security and traffic nightmare.

 

[steph]

Would building a sports "city" somewhere out in the open work?

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Many cities worldwide are finally getting a clue that the Olympics is a giant disaster for the host city and should be avoided. I think Boston just turned one down as well.

I seriously hope it never comes to my area. It's a huge waste of money and a security and traffic nightmare.

A non-profit group, Boston 2024, put the bid in before there was any public comment on it. It died a swift death after it came to light and the potential taxpayer liability was exposed. Gillette Stadium is only a couple of miles from my house - when the Patriots play home games there traffic gets snarled up for a couple hours. I shudder to think of what it would be like if they were running events there continuously, especially during the summer with tourist traffic to Cape Cod. DO. NOT. WANT.

Speaking of snarly traffic - I observed Black Friday by not shopping, making a list of the heathen, unscrupulous companies that made people work on Thanksgiving so I can actively blacklist them, staying home, and drinking my home-brewed Baltic porter. Yummy.

 

[Urwumpe]

Would building a sports "city" somewhere out in the open work?

No, the problem is not the sports. The problem are the organisations behind.

Paris and Los Angeles are now left in the bid for Olympic Games 2024, both already have pretty good infrastructure for this and don't need a massive Urban Renewal.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Would building a sports "city" somewhere out in the open work?

It's an idea. One sport "city" vs one sport "city" built frantically (and haphazardly) every four years, only to fall into disuse afterwards. Would need to find a place for it, means to pay for and maintain it, and find ways to utilize it between the Olympics.

The Greeks can have the "Urban Renewal" :lol:

 

[Andy44]

Would building a sports "city" somewhere out in the open work?

Well, maybe we could use it to revitalize the space program and build this city on the Moon where it won't get in anybody's way.

Plus, lunar gravity games would be fun to watch.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, maybe we could use it to revitalize the space program and build this city on the Moon where it won't get in anybody's way.

Plus, lunar gravity games would be fun to watch.

I don't want to try javelin then.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Hammer throw. That'd be epic!

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Hammer throw. That'd be epic!

Golf on the Moon should be an Olympic sport.

---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:16 PM ----------

I'm not against the Olympics in concept - nations competing in peaceful sport wins in my opinion. It's the IOC and the backroom dealings and the funneling of taxpayer dollars into things that don't better their situations are what I am against.

FIFA is another similar offender. I like how football/soccer is really an international sport (vs. American baseball and football, that are "international" only because there are a couple of Canadian teams). I'd like to see soccer become more popular in the U.S., just simply because it might remind Americans that there are other peoples and cultures out there other than those in the U.S.

Many of us in the U.S. live in a media bubble - most have no idea what happens just across the borders of our nearest neighbors of Canada and Mexico, never mind what happens overseas. The only time international news really penetrates the bubble is if it is truly dramatic and feeds our own fears (e.g. the Paris attacks).

 

[Andy44]

Well, I do have a problem with the Olympics, aside from the corrupt IOC: the fact that it is basically a vehicle for disgusting displays of nationalism and flag-waving, with the athletes as pawns. Every time that stupid ceremony with the flags and national anthems goes on, every time you see the "medal counts" on the news, reminiscent of the Vietnam War body counts, there it is right in front of you. I watch some of the events but I always change the channel when the medals are awarded.

There are the 1970s/80s East German womens' team and their horribly damaged bodies as fine examples of the real purpose of the "sports". Those poor girls to this day live with the consequences.

And then, since we decided to let professionals compete, we have the spectacle of wealthy privileged clowns embarrassing us. The US basketball team made a disgrace of themselves and I actually hoped they would lose.

Maybe if the athletes were arranged into random multinational teams or competed as individuals instead of representatives of this or that state it would be more of an actual sporting event than a thinly veiled exercise in power diplomacy.

Or we could just throw off the facade and play some Rollerball. I'd be okay with that if it really meant no more wars.

---------- Post added at 11:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 PM ----------

BTW I just realized this is the "normal" random comments thread; I thought I was in the Basement one. Hard to tell sometimes. So if my post was too much, sorry and go ahead and move it to the Basement if that's where it belongs.

 

[Urwumpe]

I think that from the athletes side, Olympic games have their right to exist. It is one of the biggest sports events and because of the large diversity in the different sports, also one that gets most attention in the world (for example, IAAF World Championships in Athletics is something only known to athletics fans).

It is important.

But its political overload should really be dumped, just remember that 90% of this stupid nationalistism was introduced to the Olympic games by Hitler in 1936. It never really managed to get over it and find a new identity.

Also, a large number of the athletes at the Olypmpic games are soldiers or police officers in special units actually (At least the German ones). It really makes it easy to mistake it for war by other means.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Aren't the "classic" games based on war fighting skills anyway?
All the track and field events, archery, shooting, wrestling (not rasslin'), the marathon (not so much 'war fighting' but has a historical significance), biathlon, etc.
There are some events that I wonder about (curling? some hot chicks throw rocks), bowling, ping-pong? badminton? There are others...
But some are just freakin' cool; long jump, skeleton, all the downhill stuff (speed skiing was pretty awesome but I think it got relegated to a demo sport, then removed).

BUT! I don't think professionals should participate, except maybe as announcers.

 

[Urwumpe]

BUT! I don't think professionals should participate, except maybe as announcers.

The difference between professional and a amateur is pretty small anyway in terms of training and conditions, the only difference is that an amateur has to finance his logistics himself, while the professionals are getting millions from the tax payer. I remember the noise that resulted after the abysmal performance of the German bobsled team in Sochi - and especially the costs, that are needed for a professional bobsled team. The bobsled for Sochi had alone 900,000 € R&D costs and failed epically.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

:bananadance:

Kiddo got her job offer! $60K per year starting salary, almost as much vacation time as I have, plus a crapton of other perks!

:woohoo:

Now my salary can go towards early retirement instead of tuition (rent, food, textbooks, food, transportation, food, and probably booze). Any idea how much food a young adult can consume??? Booze at that age is generally cheap, as a person ages (generally) so does the quality of alcohol.

 

[Artlav]

Kiddo got her job offer! $60K per year starting salary, almost as much vacation time as I have, plus a crapton of other perks!

Ain't that a lot! If that's her first job, then either it's a great career path or money is really cheap on your continent.
In any case, pass her the congrats!

Any idea how much food a young adult can consume???

Comfortable minimum? $1000 per year at Russian prices. Maximum? $2000-$4000 a year if rational, unlimited if not.