|
Post by Chuck on Sept 8, 2017 20:38:06 GMT -5
Welcome back! I'm down here in Florida so I've been distracted by Irma. I'm up near Pensacola, so I'm currently just out of "the cone" on the west side, but I never trust a hurricane to go where they say it is supposed to go. In any case, I've been dealing with that more than games the last week. I'm still here though! After Harvey whacked Houston (I have family there), I've been keeping an eye on Irma (tragically named after the late mother of one of my former significant others, so I'm not surprised at the intensity) and Jose (as opposed to JosB). My thoughts and prayers are for both of them to "just go away." Glad to hear that you're out of the worst of it though. :-)
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Sept 10, 2017 0:10:09 GMT -5
Glad to hear that you're out of the worst of it though. I second this. As to this series of hurricanes . . . dare I posit global warming as a factor? I admit to never paying hurricanes much mind before (living in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains as I do, all we usually see from hurricanes is steady as opposed to intermittent rain), this train of massive storms IS impressive.
|
|
|
Post by erisred on Sept 11, 2017 15:30:11 GMT -5
Glad to hear that you're out of the worst of it though. I second this. As to this series of hurricanes . . . dare I posit global warming as a factor? I admit to never paying hurricanes much mind before (living in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains as I do, all we usually see from hurricanes is steady as opposed to intermittent rain), this train of massive storms IS impressive. I put up the storm shutters, expecting...at least...gale force winds. So far we've only gotten a few gusts in the 30's and maybe a 0.25 inch of rain. Worst damage is a turned over flower pot and a few small limbs down in the yard. Not even any thunder and lightning. Irma tracked along the east of the NHC's cone and looks like it is dying out fast enough so we won't have weather worse than we got last night/this morning. Now, I'll just have to take the shutters down in a day or two and clean up the yard, I hope. Yeah, I think you can blame the increasingly freaky weather events we have see , and will be seeing, on Climate Change, ie. Global Warming. Personally, I come down on the "man is causing most of this" side, but that really doesn't matter. What matters is what we can do to moderate the changes we're seeing. In the past, quite a few civilizations have collapsed and disappeared due to changes in their local environments and in many cases those changes were human caused. Those collapses were local or, at worse, regional but the changes we're looking at now are taking place on a global scale. It looks to me like we're well into a new world-wide extinction event and we humans are at the top of the pyramid. The difference is we humans have the ability to do something about it. To paraphrase "The Six Million Dollar Man"..."We can rebuild things. We have the technology. We can make the world better than it was. Better, stronger, faster." Do we have the will, and good sense, to take action before we reach the point of no return, though?
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Sept 11, 2017 18:41:15 GMT -5
My grandfather got his first set of degrees in Petroleum Engineering, but after a few years in the West Texas oil patch (which nearly killed him several times), he decided that having survived WWII (both theaters, looooong story) he would return to school and complete another set of degrees in microbiology. His comment to me back in the 70's was that man is the only thing on earth besides viruses that actively destroys his environment. The Middle East used to be a fertile oasis but deforestation and other man-made disasters have turned it into the barren landscape that exists today. Being the chair of the biology department at the local college, he would talk at length to us about how the earth's climate is always changing but that man's pollution is constantly exacerbating the problem. He said that he hoped that humanity as a whole would extricate its head and realize that between destroying the environment with pollutants and overpopulating can only end in disaster for the planet. However, I didn't get the impression that he was that hopeful... :-(
In any case, (as the tune from Asia goes) only time will tell...
And on that depressing note, it's time to re-watch The Lorax.
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Sept 16, 2017 21:24:07 GMT -5
I rather like playing Peng, especially his laziness. Because of course Peng was too lazy to actually study the free overview map of the city provided to all visitors by the starport . . . which would clearly show that they're all facing a bit of a walk before they reach the out-of-bounds district.
|
|
|
Post by erisred on Sept 17, 2017 23:58:13 GMT -5
I rather like playing Peng, especially his laziness. Because of course Peng was too lazy to actually study the free overview map of the city provided to all visitors by the starport . . . which would clearly show that they're all facing a bit of a walk before they reach the out-of-bounds district. Oh, it's not that far, and you might even be able to hitch a ride once you're outside...if you're lucky.
|
|
|
Post by erisred on Oct 6, 2017 16:19:31 GMT -5
It looks like Nate is coming to visit. The track has moved east from Louisiana to the AL/MS line and may either move more east or track NE after landfall. Nate is projected to be a Cat 1 at landfall, but with the warm water in the Gulf could get up to Cat 2. Keep in mind that going up from a Cat Level means about 10 times worse damage.
I'm 10 miles east of Pensacola and about 20 miles inland. We are sure to get prolonged Tropical Storm winds and if Nate strengthens (and I think it will) Hurricane force winds for a few hours. TS isn't too bad, but even Cat 1 is a real witch! Ivan just about destroyed the coastal areas here and it was a Cat 2, and you all know what Cat 3 Katrina did. Folks, I've only evacuated once and that was when Cat 3 Opal hit us back in 1995.
Where I am there's no danger of storm surge or flooding and this house is sturdy, so unless a tornado hits us I think we'll be okay from the winds of a Cat 1 storm. At the moment, I'm more worried about roof damage and leaks than anything else. Overall, I'm sure there will be some damage to trees and the maybe to the house, but unless we roll two or three consecutive 2's we should be okay.
However, electricity, cell and internet will very likely go out and stay out for a long time. We were dark for two weeks when Ivan (Cat 2) came through in 2004 and one week when Dennis (Cat 1) hit in 2005. So, don't be surprised if I'm not around for a couple of weeks. Don't been overly worried, because I'm probably fine, just dropped down a few tech levels for a bit.
I'll continue to post until I lose power, but don't be surprised if the games aren't my primary interest right now. On the other side of this when I get a chance to let y'all know that I'm okay, I'll do so.
Wish me luck!
|
|
|
Post by Admin Pete on Oct 6, 2017 16:36:02 GMT -5
Stay safe erisred and we will keep you in our prayers. Hope you come through with no problems.
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Oct 7, 2017 11:41:10 GMT -5
Hang in there erisred and be safe. We'll keep you in our thoughts.
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Oct 10, 2017 1:47:07 GMT -5
So . . . did you have good luck?
|
|
|
Post by erisred on Oct 11, 2017 14:23:31 GMT -5
So . . . did you have good luck? Pretty good luck, I'd say. The Hurricane didn't get above Cat 1, it came ashore about 120 miles to my west, but all the bad weather was over this way and the center angled to the east and went above is in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning. We had squall after squall as the outer bands trained over us. Every time a squall went through we got 40+ mph winds and horizontal rain. Between the squalls the winds were in the 10 to 20 mph range and the rain ranged from none to sprinkles. That lasted from about 11 pm Saturday night to about 10 am Sunday morning. After that it was just the occasional squall over the rest of Sunday and into Monday morning. I looked around Monday and got a good look around outside yesterday. We had one large branch from a pecan tree down and a host of small branches from oaks and pecans scattered around the yard, but no trees down and as far as I can tell no damage to the house and buildings. Yesterday and today I've been busy cleaning the yards. Last time we had these kinds of tropical storm squalls we got a pop-down tornado that took out an old oak tree and twisted the top half of a pecan tree right off the rest of that tree. That was about 2009. The pecan tree is still alive, but doesn't produce pecans any more.
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Oct 11, 2017 20:43:47 GMT -5
So . . . did you have good luck? Pretty good luck, I'd say. Good to hear! . . .twisted the top half of a pecan tree right off the rest of that tree. That was about 2009. The pecan tree is still alive, but doesn't produce pecans any more. Yeah. Extreme stress can really change a body.
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Oct 13, 2017 10:40:17 GMT -5
Glad to hear that you got by with little damage!
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Oct 18, 2017 23:41:31 GMT -5
[tap . . . tap . . .tap . . .] Hello? Is this thing on?
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Oct 21, 2017 21:25:51 GMT -5
Elvis has just left the building -- Those are his footprints, right there Elvis has just left the building -- To climb up that heavenly stair
Frank Zappa - Elvis Has Just Left The Building
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Oct 25, 2017 1:11:15 GMT -5
Welcome back, Mighty Darci!
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Oct 26, 2017 16:22:05 GMT -5
Welcome back, Mighty Darci! Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Oct 29, 2017 15:50:36 GMT -5
Hi Darci!
Nice to see you back and I hope that school is "settling down." :-)
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Oct 29, 2017 18:59:28 GMT -5
Hi Darci! Nice to see you back and I hope that school is "settling down." :-) Thanks! Good to be back, but I don't think "settling down" is happening anytime soon.
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Nov 1, 2017 3:47:39 GMT -5
Hi Darci! Nice to see you back and I hope that school is "settling down." :-) Thanks! Good to be back, but I don't think "settling down" is happening anytime soon. Oh? What's happening? Anything you want to talk about?
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Nov 1, 2017 11:24:07 GMT -5
Thanks! Good to be back, but I don't think "settling down" is happening anytime soon. Oh? What's happening? Anything you want to talk about? As I expected it is a lot of study time required and there are a lot of distractions from study time that have to be mostly declined. Not all work and no play, just have to make sure that I don't drop the ball on the work. Oh wait, you meant something else! No, nothing going on.
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Nov 2, 2017 3:21:47 GMT -5
Oh? What's happening? Anything you want to talk about? As I expected it is a lot of study time required and there are a lot of distractions from study time that have to be mostly declined. Not all work and no play, just have to make sure that I don't drop the ball on the work. Oh wait, you meant something else! No, nothing going on. I think both our minds need to be elevated just a tad, eh?
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Nov 3, 2017 7:21:20 GMT -5
As I expected it is a lot of study time required and there are a lot of distractions from study time that have to be mostly declined. Not all work and no play, just have to make sure that I don't drop the ball on the work. Oh wait, you meant something else! No, nothing going on. I think both our minds need to be elevated just a tad, eh? I am sure yours does, mine was just fine, I decided you wanted to know if I was dating someone and the answer is no. If you were thinking something else, that is all on you.
|
|
|
Post by mormonyoyoman on Nov 4, 2017 15:31:51 GMT -5
Good to hear from you again, MD. Been too quiet around these parts.
Still - you 'n' Mr Clw need to knock off the tomfoolery. ("Hey! You guys fooling old Tom - knock it off!")
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Nov 7, 2017 0:40:06 GMT -5
I think both our minds need to be elevated just a tad, eh? I am sure yours does, mine was just fine, I decided you wanted to know if I was dating someone and the answer is no. If you were thinking something else, that is all on you. Honestly, I hadn't even considered anything like that - dating OR "something else" - until you made your two-part reply. Which is why I replied that we both needed an uplift. Just because my Peng is Peng, doesn't mean I am Peng, too!
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Nov 8, 2017 22:06:12 GMT -5
I am sure yours does, mine was just fine, I decided you wanted to know if I was dating someone and the answer is no. If you were thinking something else, that is all on you. Honestly, I hadn't even considered anything like that - dating OR "something else" - until you made your two-part reply. Which is why I replied that we both needed an uplift. Just because my Peng is Peng, doesn't mean I am Peng, too! Sorry about that, you play Peng so well it is easy to forget that it is a part and not the person. It is easy to forget with the lack of body language and no personal knowledge or history of a person. I apologize, will you forgive me?
|
|
|
Post by raikenclw on Nov 9, 2017 21:29:39 GMT -5
Honestly, I hadn't even considered anything like that - dating OR "something else" - until you made your two-part reply. Which is why I replied that we both needed an uplift. Just because my Peng is Peng, doesn't mean I am Peng, too! Sorry about that, you play Peng so well it is easy to forget that it is a part and not the person. It is easy to forget with the lack of body language and no personal knowledge or history of a person. I apologize, will you forgive me? It's all good. In point of fact, I *am* extremely awkward in social situations in real life. You see, in face to face encounters, one really should think before one speaks. I don't. In an appearance on The Graham Norton show, Seth MacFarlane once commented that Peter Griffin is based on "a thousand guys I knew growing up; whatever was in their heads came out their mouths, with no editing mechanism." I could be one of those guys.
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Nov 20, 2017 23:38:19 GMT -5
Hi All,
Sorry to be so quiet but I'm coaching an FTC Robotics team and that's like having a second full time job. However, you can count on Gil to be part of the cavalry if needed. :-)
|
|
|
Post by Mighty Darci on Dec 1, 2017 13:01:02 GMT -5
Hi All, Sorry to be so quiet but I'm coaching an FTC Robotics team and that's like having a second full time job. However, you can count on Gil to be part of the cavalry if needed. :-) I am suitably impressed!
|
|
|
Post by Chuck on Dec 3, 2017 14:10:22 GMT -5
It's my second year as a coach. The kids seem to be learning although sometimes they get themselves into a time bind because they talk more than they do. 14 year old boys are are more difficult to coach than girls of the same age. Too twitchy and easily distracted. Unfortunately, I didn't have any girls sign up for the team because they'd keep the boys in line. ;-)
Maybe next year...
|
|