What’s on your mind?

[Pezimak]

I watched Dodgeball A True Underdog Story on Netflix, sadly I noticed they had edited some of the lines out, so I checked it on Comedy Central on Now TV here in the UK, ironically they happened to be airing it at the same time, I rewound it and saw they also had edited some lines out.

Very sad, it is making me think I should invest in a blue ray player and start a collection of physical films as opposed to digital ones?

 

[AlaskaMoose]

My Dad is unfortunately one of them. But his choice of source for the news is well known to be BS.

Sometimes I think the news is reported with such bias (either way), because the companies know people will engage.

That’s not true!
Yes it is!

So they get what they want out of it. More engagement (reposting and hits to their site) as people rush in to say it’s wrong or support it.

Such a polarised world these days. Not everything is black and white. Some things are grey.

Here it’s 6am on a Saturday morning. No idea why I’m awake so early. Been awake a while. I miss being young and the ability to sleep in at the weekends!

😅 Some of my family members from both side of the families do the same. It is quite common these days, but what is most surprising to me is that a lot of more mature people like myself believe that every news published or spoken of, regardless of where it comes from, is the truth. I would think that as one matures, one should at least become, for better words, a little skeptical, or perhaps raise some questions about its accuracy.

 

[Apple fanboy]

😅 Some of my family members from both side of the families do the same. It is quite common these days, but what is most surprising to me is that a lot of more mature people like myself believe that every news published or spoken of, regardless of where it comes from, is the truth. I would think that as one matures, one should at least become, for better words, a little skeptical, or perhaps raise some questions about its accuracy.

You’d think. But I’m afraid not. It’s probably the thing we talk about the most outside of football.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

You’d think. But I’m afraid not. It’s probably the thing we talk about the most outside of football.

Yes, that's so 🙂

 

[Apple fanboy]

So today no rain was forecast. The only day this week in fact. So I washed the car. Naturally the heavens have now opened! Better than snow I suppose.

 

[SuzyM70]

-40 wind chill on Friday (-36 actual temperature). I am not ready!

In the Southern Hemisphere, 44°C (111.2°F) predicted for tomorrow in Melbourne, where I am! 🥵🌞 Even higher in the rural areas of Victoria. Second 40° day here for this year.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

In the Southern Hemisphere, 44°C (111.2°F) predicted for tomorrow in Melbourne, where I am! 🥵🌞 Even higher in the rural areas of Victoria. Second 40° day here for this year.

Just pop up to Sydney for the day. 28°C here. But, they have promised us hotter weather later in the week...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

😅 Some of my family members from both side of the families do the same. It is quite common these days, but what is most surprising to me is that a lot of more mature people like myself believe that every news published or spoken of, regardless of where it comes from, is the truth. I would think that as one matures, one should at least become, for better words, a little skeptical, or perhaps raise some questions about its accuracy.

An attitude which probably dates from the time that news organisations prided themselves on on their reputations, and engaged in rigorous fact-checking and confirmation prior to publication; hence, one felt that one could trust the source re reported facts, even if one disagreed with their particular perspective or specific analysis.

You’d think. But I’m afraid not. It’s probably the thing we talk about the most outside of football.

Ah, yes.

This is all too true, alas.

 

[Apple fanboy]

An attitude which probably dates from the time that news organisations prided themselves on on their reputations, and engaged in rigorous fact-checking and confirmation prior to publication; hence, one felt that one could trust the source re reported facts, even if one disagreed with their particular perspective or specific analysis.

Ah, yes.

This is all too true, alas.

Well our football chat this morning was a lot more pleasant than it has been of late!

 

[decafjava]

Humans really love anthropomorphizing nature and animals - there are tons of videos. One example is somehow a clip from a film by Werner Herzog from almost two decades ago in the Antarctic is blowing up. A penguin that gets disoriented and heads away from its colony to mountains 70 km away, with something really wrong as it would turn back to the muntians even if it is placed back by the reseachers. The comments drawing big life lessons or philosophy are hilarious. Yes some of them are actually interesting but it's a penguin with a tiny brain (no offence). It has possibly a medical problem or something and likely died.

 

[rm5]

I've always found piano-bass duos (just me and a bassist) to be one of the hardest groups to play in. I think it all stems pretty much from one VERY bad experience I had playing with one particular bassist a few years ago. I think that was maybe the one time I've cried after a gig, it was awful. So I then worry that all subsequent piano-bass gigs will go equally badly. Thankfully, that hasn't ever been the case. Just thinking about that as I have one coming up with a bassist friend of mine. I'm sure it will go wonderfully, but I think that one show a couple years ago really cemented that in me.

 

[chown33]

Humans really love anthropomorphizing nature and animals - there are tons of videos. One example is somehow a clip from a film by Werner Herzog from almost two decades ago in the Antarctic is blowing up. A penguin that gets disoriented and heads away from its colony to mountains 70 km away, with something really wrong as it would turn back to the muntians even if it is placed back by the reseachers. The comments drawing big life lessons or philosophy are hilarious. Yes some of them are actually interesting but it's a penguin with a tiny brain (no offence). It has possibly a medical problem or something and likely died.

"At the Mountains of Madness" by H. P. Lovecraft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_the_Mountains_of_Madness

- Antarctica: check
- Remote mountains: check
- Bizarre penguin behavior: check
- Shoggoths: maybe
- Elder Things: hope not

 

[PandaPunch]

I think I've developed an anxiety around making friends online, I won't go into the the triggering event, but it did make me realize how spread out I made myself in an attempt to socialize online and how I tend up having deep anxiety of ignoring people online or creating misunderstandings.

I don't think I really enjoy communicating by text in general, actually. But it really sucks because I don't have a car and I don't really have a bus nearby (walking distance) to get around to socialize face to face.

I'm on the edge of mostly getting away from online spaces between that and issues like AI everywhere and how everything online is more about making money than anything else. This thread isn't too bad since it's more like a bunch of people in a library or bar just talking for a bit then going away for a bit. I don't know, it's just a lot of stuff I should talk with my therapist more about.

 

[rm5]

Fully agree with this. I've really begun to prioritize face-to-face connection. This year, most of my friend group in college graduated because they were two years ahead of me, so I lost a lot of friends (I'm still in touch with them via text, but it's not the same). So I'm in need of new friends and I've gotten to know a few of the new first-year students—so slowly but surely, I'm getting it back in a different form.

It's also helped that I've joined the classical piano studio this semester, which has a very strong community (we often all have dinner together after our studio class). And I'm grateful to have been welcomed into the classical space (for reference, I'm not a classically-trained pianist). I'm pretty much the main jazz pianist on campus, so I've been in that circle the whole time.

 

[Apple fanboy]

People you talk to online are not the same as friends in most cases. It’s not impossible to make online real friends (and I’d say I have to a certain degree), but the real world is where you should put your focus.

The rise of social media has done very little for the general state of people’s tolerance of one another or mental wellbeing.

At work recently they decided to create a Teams channel for social chit chat and organising social activities. You know the sort of stuff people used to just do organically. Anyway it quickly deteriorated into people posting memes and pet photos.
So I just quit the team as I really have enough work related pings on my Mac as it is.

 

[avro707]

I wasn't onboard - but I did see this go past:

Enthusiasts say goodbye to NSW 'steel rattler' train

The V-Set passenger train carriages bring back fond memories for many who have travelled between regional NSW to Sydney. Now it is the end of the line for these "steel rattlers".

www.abc.net.au

I was sitting outside a coffee shop having breakfast and saw the "blue goose" V-Set go past, last service. I spent a lot of years traveling onboard the Comeng V Set. It eventually got quite old but was always a very comfortable thing to ride in, also very quiet inside as well.

They repainted this one in the original colours at the front, so-called "blue goose". I'm not sure of the background of that name, but I only saw a few of them with those colours - they changed to the "candy" colours and then later the blue/yellow intercity colours, which frequently used to be white at the top in winter time when there was snow.

Nice bit of history. This one is being preserved.

I can remember a particular early evening train service (operated by these type of trains) having very nice food and "beverages" upstairs in the front carriage on Friday afternoon. So very civilised. The beverages were hidden away at a particular station, then when the train departed, they came back out again. That was a long time ago, nice people. 🙂

Some of the staff on board were classic with their creative announcements - some were particularly funny. 😉

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Returned some books to the library, and picked up some books (and ordered some more books) in my favourite (independent) book shop.

On my mind is a book I finished this morning (The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company by John Keay), a book I spent much of the past three days wholly immersed in, while I read it, devoured it, and pondered it.

Now, it is beautifully written, - Keay has an engaging, enjoyable and eloquent prose style - and meticulously researched.

Nevertheless, I do think that he explains away, shrugs off, and attempts to justify - or excuse - some of the actions of the company (and its officers) just a bit too readily, and I am not so certain that the fact it was a different time adequately explains, let alone excuses, some of what took place.

 

[rm5]

Had a very good day today, and spent it all with people, which is my favorite thing. Had a gig with bass/drums this afternoon, then I got together with a first-year piano major (now I'm starting to be able to call him a friend) and studio-mate. He's an EXCEPTIONAL classical player. Like really good—he's performed at Carnegie Hall and all this. Anyway, he's been wanting me to show him jazz stuff for months now, and I've been wanting him to show me classical stuff for equally as long, basically ever since we met when he came in last September. So we finally made this work, and we hung out together for about 3 hours and talked about piano. It was amazing. I hope we can do that again sometime.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Had a very good day today, and spent it all with people, which is my favorite thing. Had a gig with bass/drums this afternoon, then I got together with a first-year piano major (now I'm starting to be able to call him a friend) and studio-mate. He's an EXCEPTIONAL classical player. Like really good—he's performed at Carnegie Hall and all this. Anyway, he's been wanting me to show him jazz stuff for months now, and I've been wanting him to show me classical stuff for equally as long, basically ever since we met when he came in last September. So we finally made this work, and we hung out together for about 3 hours and talked about piano. It was amazing. I hope we can do that again sometime.

Sounds absolutely wonderful.

 

[decafjava]

Here we go again with the annual siren test in Switzerland. I was on the phone but fortunately the windows were closed. Last year during the test (first Wednesday in February) I was in Gruyere with our students, mostly American, so had to explain it was just a test.

Swiss siren test

Every year, on the first Wednesday in February, Switzerland conducts a nationwide siren test. This checks the readiness not only of the general alarm sirens, but also of the flood alarm system. People are informed in advance via radio and TV announcements and press releases. The public is not required to take any action or protective measures and is kindly asked to excuse any inconvenience caused by the siren test.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

Here we go again with the annual siren test in Switzerland. I was on the phone but fortunately the windows were closed. Last year during the test (first Wednesday in February) I was in Gruyere with our students, mostly American, so had to explain it was just a test.

Swiss siren test

Years ago post WWII similar tests with sirens were conducted in the US, but nowadays it's mostly done at military installations. It's assume that it can also be conducted during national or local disasters or great emergencies, but the younger generations of Americans probably have no idea of the reasons for playing the sirens.

 

[ClaraStahlbaum]

I think I've developed an anxiety around making friends online, I won't go into the the triggering event, but it did make me realize how spread out I made myself in an attempt to socialize online and how I tend up having deep anxiety of ignoring people online or creating misunderstandings.

I don't think I really enjoy communicating by text in general, actually. But it really sucks because I don't have a car and I don't really have a bus nearby (walking distance) to get around to socialize face to face.

I'm on the edge of mostly getting away from online spaces between that and issues like AI everywhere and how everything online is more about making money than anything else. This thread isn't too bad since it's more like a bunch of people in a library or bar just talking for a bit then going away for a bit. I don't know, it's just a lot of stuff I should talk with my therapist more about.

I can relate to this. At this point in time my circle of online friends is very small, and it is very small for a good reason. When it comes to communicating over text, it is ripe for misunderstanding that can create conflict. The internet is whatever you want it to be, as ultimately, you are in control of how you decide to use it.

 

[Hamdullah Retarderson]

06.02.2023
Today is the third anniversary
May God have mercy on the half million who died, and grant strength to the remaining 13 million. 🤲🏻
🎗️We have not forgotten, we will not forget🎗

 

[Madonepro]

😅 Some of my family members from both side of the families do the same. It is quite common these days, but what is most surprising to me is that a lot of more mature people like myself believe that every news published or spoken of, regardless of where it comes from, is the truth. I would think that as one matures, one should at least become, for better words, a little skeptical, or perhaps raise some questions about its accuracy.

I don't know how we could make it happen, other than become an overnight billionaire, but there is a space in the news market, for a publication, and streaming service, who simply supplies news, without adding or taking away context. In many ways, it's an area where Reuters et al, used to live, but sadly, as ownership changes, and how media is collated, it get's eroded.

 

[decafjava]

Pretty pumped about the Winter Olympics actually. Will watch the opening ceremony and missed the rhythmic dance team event for figure skating but caught the women’s event. Alysia Liu got first for the USA Kaori Sakamoto second for Japan (so far). The Swiss women hockey team is losing to the Czech Republic so far. Oh well as long as Canada wins for both men and women. Or Switzerland. I quite like the US skaters this time around looking forward to quadgod Ilia Malinin!