Nothing in particular

elderflower · 2016-12-31 13:40:27

Best of luck with the job Robert and A Happy New Year everybody.

SpaceNut · 2016-12-31 16:21:13

Second times a charm.....

Happy New Year to NewMars Members posting or not for a year of prosperity to come.

Go Space X ....

SpaceNut · 2016-12-31 16:34:48

Void wrote:

I have only the best of intentions. Of course we know what the road to hell is paved with.
So, lets do be careful, yes. Happy New Years!

RobertDyck · 2017-01-12 15:35:06

Extreme cold warning today. Right now it's -24°C (-11°F), weather prediction for tonight is -31°C (-24°F). That's real temperature, not wind chill. I work in a call centre now, some people in the southern US complain it's cold with rain. Hah! This is Winnipeg...

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fitzpatrick.jpeg?quality=70&strip=all&w=720&h=480&crop=1

GW Johnson · 2017-01-12 16:27:25

Looks very familiar from the two winters I spent in Minnesota about 20 years ago. They were two 100-year record-setters for cold and snow. Real education for a Texas flatland boy who had never before lived north of Dallas-Ft. Worth.

GW

SpaceNut · 2017-01-12 17:17:47

Sure looks like home here in NH just a couple days ago it was -3 F for a few days in a row before warming to the upper 40's and raining but that will be short lived as its going to be going back down....

elderflower · 2017-01-13 06:42:17

It snowed here in southern England last night. About 1cm. Total chaos on the roads! Nearly all gone now.

RobertDyck · 2017-01-13 14:59:48

We've often heard of Americans in southern states panicking, can't drive if there's a light dusting of snow on roads. Here in Winnipeg snow usually arrives at the beginning of November and doesn't melt until end of March. We don't have the luxury of staying home. If it snows, just go to work. If there's 4" (10cm) of snow in one night, you could be excused for being 15 minutes late.

SpaceNut · 2017-01-13 23:16:29

Maybe true "can't drive if there's a light dusting of snow on roads " but I find it also that way even where we get pounded with feet ocasionally and I have to watch out for stupid that can not drive.....They should stay home and make it safer for everyone else.

RobertDyck · 2017-01-20 08:53:34

This morning I am officially unemployed.

Last week I got the notice that my contract will not be renewed. They scheduled me for Monday-Thursday, Friday off so I could volunteer, then Saturday. However, my contract ended today. The pay-week is Monday-Sunday, so Saturday would be part of the same pay-week. However, that would be one day beyond my contract so had to get permission from management. I ran around all week pestering all management. Didn't get an answer. I asked my supervisor to reschedule me to work Friday instead of Saturday. She wouldn't, ask me to find someone willing to swap days. No one would. Thursday my supervisor acted surprised that I won't be working Friday. She set the schedule, so why is she surprised? I offered to work Friday anyway; she said no. Said the schedule has too many hours. Often "end shift" would still have callers in the queue after quitting time. The system didn't admit calls to the queue after quitting time, but we took calls until everyone in the queue was serviced. Often meant working 15 minutes after quitting time, occasionally 30 minutes. Saturday December 31 the floor manager kept the queue open several hours longer than usual quitting time for Saturday. All meant more working hours for us, but now the project manager is trying to trim hours. She cut everyone's schedule by 1 hour per day this week. She wouldn't admit to it, but it meant she had no intention of letting me work that last day. It meant one whole man-day cut from her schedule. :'( I really would have liked a full work-week my last week.

So back volunteering today.

Last edited by RobertDyck (2017-01-20 10:10:34)

Void · 2017-01-23 22:59:49

RobertDyck.

I admire your work on this site, including especially with greenhouses.

I truly wish your fortunes will become much better.

I apparently have had better than I deserve. I am grateful for that.

I come from a background not that unlike yours.

A Canadian Scottish Grandfather, a English (Little bit of French) Grandmother (American English). And a Swedish Grandfather and Grandmother. But I am an American. I live in places not much less colder than you do.

Now, I am not going to let on that I am not without talent. I have a fair ability to put up with crap, which is how I was able to finish my work life.

I can tell that you indeed are very talented, and it feels to me that somehow you have what you need. Maybe where you live somehow was not a good match for you? Too bad maybe Alberta would have had something good, but if I understand just now it is having some problems.

Problems come and go. As my mother would tell me, you have to take it as it comes. Also, you have to roll with the punches. But you know that already

Good fortunes to you!

Last edited by Void (2017-01-23 23:02:36)

GW Johnson · 2017-01-24 13:27:10

Robert:

See if you can get a work visa to do something in commercial business. Many states are "business friendly", including mine. It's 78 F (26 C) on my front porch today. Stay away from space/defense, where the ITAR thing is killing you.

GW

RobertDyck · 2017-01-24 22:56:25

Uhh... Ever have the feeling someone is trying to tell you something? I had an interest in blade smithing because in my 20s I was part of a medieval recreation society. My father was a metal worker, so I became interested in medieval metal working. So there's a TV show I like called "Forged in Fire"; a realty show contest for blade smiths. My father was also interested in Atlantis, so I did some research to see what it actually was. There is strong evidence that ancient Minoa was Atlantis. After all, the name "Minoa" was coined by modern archaeologists, they don't know what that empire called itself. The "Critias Dialog" was written by Plato some time between 460 and 403 BC. It may have been written by Critias, published by Plato, but whatever. Reading that, the name "Atlantis" may refer to one city on an island of Minoa, not the empire itself. The island used to be known as Thera, now known as Santorini. There's a major archaeological dig there, dating back to the date of Atlantis. The island was a caldera, aka super volcano. The city was built on the top of the magma dome. Ancient Rome used geothermal heat, so Atlantis may have as well. All reports were the major metallurgical centre for the Minoan empire was there, so they may have used geothermal heat to smelt bronze swords. Also surviving blades from graves show they had a unique alloy. At the time modern bronze wasn't quite invented yet, copper-arsenic alloy was used throughout the early bronze age. But Minoa was unique throughout the Mediterranean, they used copper-arsenic-antimony alloy. Furthermore they used two different alloys: copper with low arsenic and no antimony for the core of the blade, then the skin used high concentration of arsenic with high antimony as well. The arsenic made it completely stainless, and the antimony made it harder than tempered steel. This two metal method reminds me of Damascus, or Viking Ulfberht, or Japanese Katana aka Samurai sword, but the Minoans did it thousands of years earlier. The Minoan empire ended with the tsunami created by the eruption of Thera somewhere between 1642-1540 BC. I had looked up how ancient bronze swords were made, but they were cast rather than forged.

The weird thing is today's episode of "Forged in Fire" has the contestants cast a bronze guard for their knife. None of them know how to cast. And they didn't cast copper or something else, it's bronze. Ok, is someone trying to tell me something? Or are the producers watching what I look up on the internet? I'm sure there must be more fans than myself, or the show wouldn't be successful. How did they know what I look up?

Another show I watch is "Lucifer". Sort of a crime/detective series with an unusual twist. The episode yesterday had the bad guy poison his victims with something unique. They got a nose bleed, couldn't stop bleeding. The detective character caught the bad guy, with a nasty twist. But the show ended with the detective getting a nose bleed wouldn't stop, just like the victims. What's weird is I spent New Years eve with friends from a club. We left just as the last bus was running. But when I walked to the bus stop, I got a nose bleed that just wouldn't stop. Then all buses ran past with "out of service" sign. I just missed the last bus, had to walk home. Walking home in the cold, the nose bleed just wouldn't stop. It eventually did stop. I bought a box of tissue at a convenience store, went through the entire box. That's a 1 hour and 15 minute walk in ideal weather, it was a lot longer between waiting for the bus and trying to stop my nose bleed.

This is two coincidences. One was freaky, but two? What's going on?

Ps. The liquor store said my favourite brand is on clearance. Not just one store, but for the entire city. Because of government regulation, the government owned liquor store has a monopoly on distilled liquors in this province, so there's only one chain. But why my brand?

GW Johnson · 2017-01-25 10:52:41

Well, your tales just prove a long-held thesis of mine: the universe is not uncaring, it is malevolent. Which is really just another statement of Murphy's Law.

GW

elderflower · 2017-01-25 11:29:14

If you want proof of nature's malevolence, you only have to visit Northern Australia. It, and everything in it, just wants you dead!

RobertDyck · 2017-01-25 12:42:38

I get the feeling the universe is trying to tell me to get to work. It won't let me get a normal job, I'm supposed to do something big and important. The message appears to be "get off your butt, get work now!" I've long wanted to do big things, but the universe or God or whatever appears to be saying that I'm supposed to do big things. And it's impatient, I'm overdue to do my part. Ok, so why is everything so hard?

SpaceNut · 2017-01-25 20:51:44

I have had nose bleeds that long when I was a teen, sort of was quite scary at the time not being able to get them to stop while not laying down and putting compression on the area that was bleeding....
I do hope you find that dream job and soon....

GW Johnson · 2017-01-25 23:50:32

Northern Australia is evidently similar to western Texas: everything is sharp or venomous or both. In summer, if not dressed right, you can die of heatstroke in under an hour just sitting still.

GW

RobertDyck · 2017-01-26 00:42:59

GW Johnson wrote:

western Texas: ... In summer, if not dressed right, you can die of heatstroke in under an hour just sitting still.

Oh, that sounds lovely. I visited Texas a couple times: 1991 visited Houston and Galveston, 2005 visited Houston and League City. Both times in summer. Beautiful. But I liked living in Miami in summer.

I'm still shocked at something that happened here in Winnipeg last summer. I was working the Census. It was a hot day in July, temperature between 28.3°C - 31.7°C (83°F - 89°F) ~80% humidity and no breeze. I dressed in white golf shirt and blue tennis shorts, with runners (running shoes) that have a mesh upper to breathe, and "bobby socks" also with a mesh upper and just reach the top of the runners. The shoes and socks were given to me by a customer; they were bright orange. But it was walking from house-to-house all day out doors, if I wore a long-sleeve shirt I got sweaty. Dressed this way was comfortable. The shock was when a 20-something girl called me over. She thought I was a gigolo. I realize young guys wear knickers down to their knees that they call "shorts", but really! Me? A gigolo? I'm a 54-year-old nerd who has difficulty getting a date. I was working for the census at the time, the federal government does not provide that service. I didn't know how to deal with that. I keep thinking I should have accepted the girls offer. Oh well.

I later learned that same street, several blocks further west, is where hookers hang out. Well, several addresses were on my list to collect the census.

Is that what you mean by "dressed right"?

Last edited by RobertDyck (2017-01-26 15:26:40)

GW Johnson · 2017-01-26 11:50:25

Well, no, afraid not. It was more about survival than style.

Many years ago my wife and I drove out through the trans-Pecos desert to visit my sister and brother-in-law at Big Bend National Park. This was mid-August in the desert. We came upon an accident on Interstate 10, way out between a small town called Sheffield and another one called Ozona.

It was a small pickup upside down and two occupants struggling inside. It was about 10 AM with air temperature at 85-90 and climbing 10 F per hour. They'd been like that for under 30 minutes, best I could estimate. Went to sleep at the wheel and ended up flipping it.

We stopped, drug them out, and started picking the broken glass out of them. It was 15 minutes before another car came upon us, and it stopped to help, too. It was 45 minutes before a big rig truck came upon us with a CB radio illegal enough to reach help. We never did reach the DPS troopers. But we did reach a tow truck and notified a doctor in Sheffield who could stitch them up.

This was long before mobile phones of any kind, but even today, that region lacks cell phone service. You are literally on your own in a dry, harsh, sharp, and venomous landscape. Very hot in the afternoon, very cold before dawn.

The couple was from California. They had passed through El Paso a bit over 2 hours before, and thought they were nearly to Houston. San Antonio was over 300 miles away, and Houston over 500 miles away, which shocked them to learn. They had no map, no water, no hard shoes, no long pants or sleeves, no hats -- 30 more minutes and the heat and shock would have killed them.

And no idea where they were. Towns are 45 miles apart on that stretch of interstate highway, and 87 miles apart on the older highway a few dozen miles north.

In contrast, we were outfitted like real west Texans with boots, heavy Levis, shirts in layers with short and long sleeves, hats, first aid kits, water, food, and extra fuel, plus hand tools to make repairs if the car quit. THAT is what it takes to survive a day in the west Texas desert. That and something to use as a weapon if a snake or a wolf attacks.

BTW, the car was an un-airconditioned VW beetle. Almost as good as a jeep, and over 300 miles to dry tank, on paved road. This was many years before I ever owned a car with air conditioning.

I know the situation described sounds about as primitive as the old 19th century "wild west", instead of mid-1970's. Out there in west Texas, it really still is that primitive, and it certainly still is that harsh. Myself, I'm used to it. Grew up here. So did my wife.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2017-01-26 14:35:55)

RobertDyck · 2017-01-26 17:04:50

I've driven from Winnipeg to Toronto many times. It's 28 hours one way if you obey the speed limits. It's 23 hours for a 20-something driving a sports car. Highway 17 is as barren as you describe, but no desert. It's forest and pavement and sky. Falcon Lake, Manitoba, is a tiny cottage community, not much there. But there to the town of Kenora, Ontario, is 55 minute drive on the Trans-Canada Highway. That's undivided with one lane in each direction, gravel shoulder in most places. Kenora to Dryden is 1 hour and 51 minutes, again if you obey speed limits. Dryden to Thunder Bay is 4 hours and 28 minutes; along the way are towns of Dynorwic, Ignace, Upsala, Raith, and Kaministiquia, but I've never seen anything other than a name on a map. Thunder Bay to Wawa along Highway 17, north shore of Lake Superior, is 6 hour drive. Again, along the way are some names on a map, but you better be able to drive through on one tank of gas. Two of the tiny communities are Schreiber and Neys, 70km apart or 1 hour drive at posted speed limits. There's nothing between those towns but pavement, trees, sky, and occasional views of Lake Superior. And forget cell phone service. Towns have cell service, but not along the highway. If your vehicle breaks down, there aren't any poisonous snakes but there are bears. If you drive that, be very careful with your fuel tank. And make sure your car is in good working order before you leave. If you drive in winter, make sure your car heater works. But bring a shovel, something for traction that you can put under wheels such as a piece of carpet, jack, tools to fix your car, layers of clothing, a good warm parka. Canadians wear a tuque in winter, it isn't stylish, it's practical. You need to keep your head warm. Americans call it a knit cap. In winter I typically wear a T-shirt as an undershirt, long-sleeve shirt, knit sweater, and down-filled parka. The parka has a hood that can be worn over the tuque, and snaps close tight, covering my neck and mouth. I wear regular shorts underwear, and long underwear, and jeans. Two pair socks, and winter boots. I have ski gloves, but when driving Highway 17 in winter, add a scarf, and "garbage mitts" which are traditionally used by garbagemen, they're leather mitts with fur lining and elastic wrist to keep cold out, although they can have polyester/acrylic pile lining. Don't get the ones with knit elastic wrist, get the ones where the cowhide leather with lining that goes all the way, with an elastic in the leather to pull it tight around the wrist.

And yes, carry fuel, first aid kit, food and water, in case you break down. A few years ago a friend took me ice fishing. Even bundled up it was cold. He wore an insulated coverall. A couple years after that, another friend had a room mate that moved out without paying last month's rent, and abandoned his stuff. My friend gave me the insulated overalls because they weren't his size. They're a lot warmer! It's denim with a lining that's not a thick as a parka, but feels warmer. It's very heavy, but man is it warm! Yes, it has a hood too. Zips tight at ankle, and elastic "gathers" at the belt line around the back. Large patches over the knees, this is designed for those who work outdoors all day in winter. If I ever drive Highway 17 in winter again, I'll throw this in the vehicle.

elderflower · 2017-01-27 03:45:50

Don't your bears hibernate, Robert?

RobertDyck · 2017-01-27 05:00:44

elderflower wrote:

Don't your bears hibernate, Robert?

I guess they do. So when freezing to death in winter, you don't have to worry about bears eating you. Bears are only a problem in summer.

I tried to relate to what GW said. I could describe a trip up north. That's even more remote. But my father took my brother and I for a trip up north when we were teenagers; all the way to Thompson. As an adult I haven't driven farther north than Beresford Lake.

GW Johnson · 2017-01-27 11:45:58

Well, there's bears and mountain lions and wolves both in the trans-Pecos part of Texas and up in Canada. Similar threats, I guess.

I can relate to the cold and snow Robert describes. About 2 decades ago I spent two winters and a summer in Minnesota, teaching at the State university in Mankato. That's about 80 miles (130 km) SSW of Minneapolis. Those turned out to be two 100-year record-setting winters for cold and snow. Real education for a Texas flatland boy.

Not many across the country can relate to the dry and the heat seen in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, tip of southern Nevada, and inland southern California. Last summer right here in central Texas (not out in the desert) I measured 112 F (44C) in my garage with the door open, on several successive days. It was around 50% humidity, too, so the heat index was really high (off the chart at slightly above 150 F or about 66 C).

If you're dressed right and stay hydrated, you can still work outside in that, although you must reduce pace. A little salt in the beer works very well to keep blood electrolytes maintained.

GW

RobertDyck · 2017-01-27 15:55:13

When I was in Miami, temperature in summer could get to high 90s to low 100s Fahrenheit. I liked it. When I visited Houston or Galveston, it didn't get any hotter. I could work for SpaceX, honest I could!

Well, got a few days work as substitute instructor where I volunteer. And my home business repairing computers got a couple customers. So I have some income.

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