[LOCKED]WTF

At least you didn't get the response, "That's a stupid question".

With my Echo Dot, Alexa has dumbed herself down... I'll ask related questions about random stuff that I had in the past, as a test. Sure enough, I get "I'm sorry. I don't know that."

Beachcpl1204 - Maybe it's the Costco/Sams Club/BJs model where some people just assume that they are getting a deal because they buy in volume. Many times, that's not the case. Even worse is if you're buying a perishable and it goes bad before you can use it all AND you paid a higher unit price than the grocery store, it's a double whammy.

A funny semi-related thing. We tell Alexa to throw stuff on various shopping lists as reminders. We have a BJs list, and Alexa will not say BJs like a regular person. It's more like B.........Js, with that pause in the middle.

@mayhem8, it takes more labor/effort to throw two items in a box so they need more $$$ for their efforts!!!!!

Lol!

I know math is hard, but was just looking at an Amazon item that is $6.50 each, or you can get 2 of them for $14. Really?

You can have some fun with your sister by pointing out the fact that veterinary care is largely rooted in preventing disease and parasites in livestock so that they can be eaten, usually by armies, where vets doubled as food inspectors. This goes back for centuries.

Caring for small animals as pets is a fairly new concept.

I thought about the 'conspiring' notion for a few hours, before responding. To be honest, that is something that I have to be conscious of. I have been networking, have feelers out and have introductory sessions currently in the works for going back to school.

It is a weird notion when you know that your tenure at your job is slowly coming to a close. I just know I have done the best I could for the company in my two years there. I cannot do any better in the dead-end position that I am in, nor can I do better in-branch, when I am handcuffed, stymied and stonewalled by superiors. So, my resolve is to find something better suited for me.

Perhaps they're conspiring against you.

Something was very wrong today at work... Today was civil, quiet, non-toxic, my dead beat co-workers actually 'worked' and the managers did not have a burr up their ass.

Something was definitely wrong today!

A similar notion of basing aliens off of humans is what my vet tech sister and I discussed, when she tried to get on her high horse about myself not knowing anything in small animal care. In short, my sister was stating that cats and dogs are complicated beings and need specialized care and some other dribble. My retort was that humans are the superior being compared to cats and dogs, due to evolution... Humans at the very start of veterinary care had to base the care of small animals to human bodies, as that is all that humans knew. There was no instruction manual of rudimentary small animal care and humans did the best they could over time to build that knowledge that she has stored in her brain.

My sister still has not responded to that and has dropped that particular discussion. Gotta love when you put someone in their place. :-)

Most sci fi works assume that aliens look humanoid, or at least similar to other familiar creatures (snakes, spiders, etc) in structure. But maybe this isn't as ridiculous as it seems.

There is a term known as "convergent evolution, where unrelated things nevertheless evolve similar patterns or structures. Why? Because it's a superior configuration.

An example outside of living things is what's happening to exotic cars. Many people are complaining that all exotic cars - from the Corvette to the Pagoni - are beginning to look like whatever Ferrari is doing. This probably isn't the result of copycats so much as it's a drive towards an optimized configuration, and any divergence from that is detrimental.

I'm reminded of a scifi book who's name escapes me. The character is in a university class where they're speculating on the anatomy of an alien that they're describing as a class project. The professor comes in and looks at the drawing and such and the first thing he says is "Okay, so where's the anus?" Point being that the professor was still thinking in terms of terrestrial beings using similar biologic structures for waste removal. A truly alien species might rid itself of biologic waste through some other method.

Basically, I just wanted to type out "Okay, so where's the anus?" ;)

I'd appreciate the help getting in touch with that "visitor"

"Some species do not have their genitals between their legs..."

The Forum has gotten a bit slow these days and I visited the Wall to fill the boredom gap but since that disappeared I looked at approving profiles.

The WTF are these two statements came from two different, sequential profiles for review:

"People that can take me to different galaxies"

"New to this world please welcome me"

Maybe they'll meet.

Sorry Flip, I forget where the second one indicated they were currently located and the profile didn't say what world they were from.

VA, when I was a kid we had the same gold fish for 15 years...lol

Our daughter's cat has a toy on the end of a springy string that chirps when it's moved. This is a hand-me-down from our old cat.

This thing is at least 13 years old. The battery in it still works. This is the wtf.

Some engineer needs to pull it apart and figure out how. I may have the answer to 2,000 mile electric car ranges sitting in our living room.

Or a MAGA. Same difference.

For the record an enhanced driver's license works to drive to Canada. You need a passport to fly there. That's the sole reason I got an enhanced DL almost 20 years ago.

"Guy: But, since they'll be a state soon...."

(Brain thinking...)

Me: Is this a prank?

Yep that's what I was thinking too.

This either was a prank or a profoundly stupid person.

Lol!

A good friend of mine, a travel agent just shared her WTF for today. Too damn funny

****

Being a travel agent and having had to answer thousands of questions over the years about passports, visas etc. it should come as no surprise that the following conversation took place today:

Me: This is Ina at European Travel...may I help you?

Guy: Yeah, is this a travel agency?

Me: Uh, yes!

Guy: So, you're a travel agent?

Me: Yes!

Guy: OK, so I need help. I want to go to Tahiti. Do I need a passport or can I just use my driver's license to get there?

Me: Uhhhhh, so you need a passport.

Guy: It's not a U.S. territory, then, right? (???)

Me: Correct. Imagine you're flying to France. You need a passport.

Guy: Oh, haha, okay. So, it's only to U.S. territories that I don't need a passport, right? Like Hawaii.

Me: Well (rolling eyes), Hawaii is a state, so you only need your license. You can also go to Puerto Rico or Guam with your license. THAT'S a territory. But as of May 7th, you'll need an ENHANCED license OR a passport to fly to any U.S. state. Or territory. Do you need more information about that?

Guy: Uh huh. OKAY. So, same rule applies for Canada, right?

Me: Canada is a different country. You need a passport to fly there.

Guy: But, since they'll be a state soon, are they okay with me using just a license NOW? Like, can I just drive there with my license? Like when is the whole state thing taking place?

Me: Is this a prank?

Guy: Whaddya mean.

Me: Are you serious? Or is this a prank call?

Guy: Oh no, I'm serious. I need a place to go with the wife but we don't have passports.

Me: (mouthing "WHAT THE FU**?!")

Guy: Hello?

Me: Try Texas. Or Florida.

******

Todays award goes to single College Park Ga single male.. poorly written profile and selfies in his bathroom.

Just wondering do they even read ones profile! Guess NOT!

Pass the popcorn!

If they're not in a big hurry to get settled right now, a contractor can file a lien on real estate within a certain period. The lien could just sit there for years but when the property owner wishes to sell, refinance, take out a 2nd mortgage, has the property foreclosed, etc., whoo boy, that's when things get interesting.

In commercial construction, often the prime contractor has to put up payment and performance bonds. No reason to settle for $0.10 on the dollar when you can collect the entire amount by filing against the bond. Been there, done that in a couple of cases- just before the contractors filed bankruptcy.

I'm glad I don't have to deal with that stuff anymore.

GOODENUFF

Back when a particular company used to hire Pro Desk people who actually worked in the field, instead of the current policy of just throwing an underpaid body behind the counter, I worked with a guy who was formerly a contractor, and he told me quite the tale.

It seems there was a guy who had a rather nice lakefront home, and wanted to do quite a bit of remodeling. So he hires 1 guy to do the deck, another to do windows, another to do the kitchen, another to do the bathroom, etc., etc., etc..

The homeowner knew what the threshold was where it became a losing proposition for the contractors to take him to court, to collect for unpaid bills. He paid each contractor just enough to reach that threshold, then quit paying. He got a lot of work done on the cheap, by fucking over several contractors. Eventually the word got out about him, and just about nobody would do work for him.

Just one of the reasons why I only did new construction, and avoided remodel like the plague.