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Messages - Midnight Breeze

1
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2018 Apr 04, 21:45:27
When you ruin your brand spankin' new denim jacket by accidentally washing it with an ink pen on the very first wash. Why like that, man?! And on the night right before a convention, too.
2
Off-Topic / Re: Today's Smile
2018 Apr 02, 04:42:49
Quote from: Cloudy Skies on 2018 Mar 31, 16:23:38Spied on some ponies for fun, we all had a good laugh when we asked them how was it where they were and they were like "HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT!?"

Kinda creepy, I dare say.
3
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Dec 14, 19:26:17
This tendency people have, particularly on the internet, to use abbreviations and shortenings of longer words that completely change the meaning. I get the appeal of wanting to shorten lengthy words, but you have to take etymology into consideration to avoid changing the word completely.

A good example is 'androgynous' which is often shortened to just 'andro'. The word androgenous is a combination of the greek terms 'andr' meaning male and 'gyne' meaning woman. So androgynous pretty much litterally means 'Both masculine and feminine'. When you shorten it to just 'andro' you remove the female term entirely, so when you say that something is "andro", you are saying that it is distinctly masuline, which obviously isn't what you mean. It's like shortening 'black and white' to just 'black', it makes no sense.

Same thing with 'anthropomorphic'. Anthropomorphism is the act of assigning human characteristics to non-human things. 'Anthro' meaning human and 'morph' meaning to change or alter. When you shorten it to just 'anthro' then that's just human. It loses all connection with changing or altering anything in a human fashion, it's just humans.

Now, I'm normally not one to harp on grammar too much, but if you say "I like to draw andro anthros", then you are saying you like to draw this:

Spoiler: show




When you mean you like to draw this:

Spoiler: show



Big difference. I'm just saying.
4
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Dec 02, 08:20:00
When I moved into my new house I was so glad to be able to take baths again. I've been  having to take showers for the past 15 months because I haven't had bathtubs in the various dorms I stayed in.

Unfortunately, my bathroom has a vicious, outdated exhaust fan that roars at what seems like 60+ decibels. I can't even turn it off either because it's on the same switch as the light. Apparently it's some kind of rental law in South Carolina that windowless bathrooms on rental properties are required to have an exhaust fan active at all times during use to prevent mold growth.


Nooooo, South Carolina, how could you? You've stolen my somber bathtub relaxation time.
5
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Oct 28, 18:30:12
Quote from: Howitzer on 2017 Oct 25, 15:48:47I'm starting to feel the same way about my programming classes. I will sit in lecture and understand the logic behind the concepts that the instructor teaches, but as soon as he says "Now show me how to do it" I just sit there and cannot get as much as a thought out about how to actually accomplish it in practice. I feel like these things will come to me in time, but time isn't something I have right now.

I think for me it's more of a compatibility issue than anything. Weaponry isn't really my thing, I want to do something more practical rather than destructive.


I guess I'm just still a bit butthurt because I didn't get the job I wanted. I was supposed to be a space systems operator. That would have been a dream come true for me. I'd have been stationed near Denver, Colorado permanently and never deployed. While there I could have studied astronomy at the University of Colorado while simultaneously learning and getting experience in space tech through my job. By the time all was said and done I could have had a master's in astronomy and an associates in air and space technology, plus 10+ years of space operations and military leadership experience. With a resume like that I'd have been all but guaranteed a job at NASA when I got out.

Unfortunately, the Air Force giveth and the Air Force taketh away. They decided that I would be more useful to them in combat support...so yeah, they kinda did a switcheroo on me. I'm not angry about it, I understand that the military is not a charity organization and I'm supposed to be doing what's best for the overall mission, not what's best for me, but still...dey tewk mah jawb.
6
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Oct 23, 10:05:29
I suck at my job big time. Really, I do. I'm having trouble learning at a decent pace because, to put it bluntly, it doesn't interest me.

I work in electronic warfare, and no it's not anywhere near as cool as it sounds. I'm a mechanic, I maintain and repair radar jammers for jets. I'm six months into my apprenticeship and I still feel lost. Any time I try to sit down to study the material I feel braindead, it's not easy to absorb information that I'm not interested in.

I have my written exam coming up in a 6 weeks. I'm not worried that I'll fail it since they make it almost impossible to do so. I'll be given an oral exam in a few weeks and if I don't perform well on that I'll be put on mandatory study and forced to reread the material until I can pass, but what I'm most worried about is what comes after. Once I become a journeyman I'll be expected to work on my own without guidance. That scares me to death. I really don't want to be 'that guy' whom everyone else has to save from himself and pick up the slack for his incompetence.

Admittedly I have a bit of an inferiority complex. I have a history of underestimating my own ability and eventually proving myself wrong, but this is new territory. I realized I've never had a job before where I've had to actually think on my feet and use my own judgement. At every job I've ever had I've had people tell me what to do and I just did it, no real responsibility involved. Here I have a real potential to jack something up if I'm not careful.

Well uh, just 4 and a half more years and I can cross train out, eh? Assuming I can make it that long before getting kicked out for gross inaptitude.
7
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Oct 21, 03:15:03
Quote from: Thundergirl on 2017 Oct 21, 02:32:04I don't hate Americans (they're half-Europians after all)

Uhhh, I'm trying to find a way to word this that doesn't sound provocative but... you realize that's a pretty ethnocentric thing to say. Over 1/3 Americans aren't even white, and regardless of ancestry most Americans have no connection to their ancestral culture anyway.

I'm kinda curious what the other half of 'Half-European' is.  :s
8
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Sep 12, 09:54:31
So...The Crew 2. It's gonna be set in America...again. Why you do this, Ubisoft? A Crew sequel had real potential to open up to rarely-explored places in open world games. I was really hoping for Europe, but I would have been happy with Brazil, Australia, China, Russia, or even Canada. But nope...good old faithful USA again.

I mean, I get it. The reason so many open world games like The Crew are set in America is it's varied landscapes. From deserts, swamps, tundras, mountains, grasslands, deciduous forests, tropical forests, and even jungles if you count Hawaii, we have pretty much any biome you can think of. If you want to make a game lots of varied geography tied together by a single overarching culture, America is the obvious choice. However, that's what they did with The Crew 1. Why even both making a sequel if you aren't going to take the game to new, unexplored lands? Why not just make an expansion to The Crew 1?

Ubisoft, I am disappoint.
9
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Aug 31, 00:15:50
I can't find the logic behind why my university of choice doesn't have a mathematics minor for online students...why? What is it about mathematics that can't be done off-campus? I'm told that that mathematics is never a bad choice of minor because almost all white-collar careers require some form of math skills, not to mention the increased logical thinking skills that come with it.

My assumption is that it has to do with the lack of real-time conversation that they feel might make it difficult to grasp the material. That's the only thing I could think of. See, the fact that I can't see the logic in it probably shows that I need it...
10
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Jul 03, 04:29:47
Quote from: Sweet Brew on 2017 Jul 02, 20:44:15
I drank a Pepsi and felt like I had the flu for the next 3 hours, this has happened multiple times with specific types of soda.
I wonder why that happens...?


There is exactly a 0.0% probability that Pepsi is causing flu symptoms, you're just seeing a correlation where there is none. Since you don't know what exactly is causing those symptoms you are looking for any explanation you can find to explain it. If you drink Pepsi rarely and it happens to loosely correlate with experiencing flu symptoms, you begin to falsely associate the two. However, you are starting with the conclusion that "Pepsi is causing this", and starting with a conclusion makes it easy to see 'evidence' for it in hindsight, however it leave you vulnerable to conformation bias and selective memory.

I don't mean any of that as an insult to your intelligence, this kind of reasoning is deeply rooted in human psychology. We think like that because it's served our just fine for collective survival. Evolution just brings you to 'good enough', it doesn't guarantee optimal performance. This flawed way of thinking is why ineffective folk-medicine and unsupported superstitions reigned supreme in human society for centuries.

Yeah, I've been watching way too much Bill Nye, Michio Kaku, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
11
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 Jun 17, 19:15:58
I swore I wasn't going to be like a typical fiscally irresponsible A1C, but you could say that having such an enormous income surplus has made me a liiiiiiittle looser with my money. And by that I mean I'm sitting on $8000 in credit card debt. I'm not in any trouble or anything, since I'm having no problem making payments, but still. It's embarrassing that I let myself get so deep on frivolous spending, especially after I've been smack-talking financially undisciplined people for years.

I remember 5 years ago when I was broke as a joke and pinched pennies like a madman. I remember one time when I had a mini-panic attack after I realized that I owed $15 for a meal, and I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to go out and spend such an exorbitant amount of money. Now I don't fret over even the most egregious purchases. In tech school I dropped 2 grand on a laptop that I don't even use anymore. I bought it for 2 reasons : Because I wanted it, and because I could.

That was exactly the hellish path my father lived on his entire life. He was a rich oil rig supervisor who made a $90k+ salary (in 2017 dollars) for 40 years, but he spent money like it was water and never saved a dime. Long story short, he's now dirt poor and lives with his mom at the age of 64. I've always been way better with money than him and managed my finances incredibly well, I'll be darned if I'm gonna let that change now.

Well, at least I don't drive a A1C Mobile Ford Mustang GT like everyone else my rank. Indeed, the only reason I can afford to spend like I have been is cause I'm not paying $1000+ a month for car payment + insurance.
12
Off-Topic / Re: Today's Smile
2017 Jun 11, 00:44:48
Earlier this week,  Stephen Hawking announced that my hero Neil deGrasse Tyson won this year's Hawking medal for writing. He's the first American to win the award.



It's too bad I  can't see him in Charlotte tomorrow. It's only a 2 hour drive from my base, but the tickets were sold out before I discovered it. Bummer. I hope he comes back to my area soon, I definitely want to meet him.

Yes, my idolization of Tyson boarders on creepy. What can i say, he's the one who originally inspired me to open my mind and embrace logical thinking over ideology.
13
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 May 27, 00:05:22
I'm finally getting a chance to play Final Fantasy 15. Literally the first thing I did was sold my engine blade, now 20 hours in and I realize that the engine blade was kinda important for progression, right up to being needed to make the best sword in the game. What's more it can't be replaced so the only way to get it back is to start the game over.

Fuuuuuuuuuu....
14
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 May 17, 20:57:10
Ooooh, I am so triggered right now. I ran into an old BMT buddy today and he took me back to his palace...err, I mean dorm. His dorm is soooooo much nicer than mine it's sad. It literally looks like something straight off of HGTV - crown molding, recessed lighting, over-the-range microwave, full private bathroom, personal wash/dryer, the freakin' works!

Meanwhile I'm in the 1970s 1-room studios with a shared bathroom/kitchenette, and 2 freaking washers shared by the entire floor.

Those spoiled nonners, man, I swear. Well...We'll see who gets the last laugh when I get my own house in 9 months and he's stuck living with 3 roommates for 3 years, muahaha.
15
Off-Topic / Re: Today's Smile
2017 May 15, 18:53:53
My first sergeant says because of my age I'm getting kicked out of my dorm in 6-9 months, which is great. I'll be moving out way early than everyone else.

My suitemate leaves old food out in our kitchen and dirty towels on our bathroom floor. It'll be great to have my own place again and not have to share a kitchen and bathroom with a teenager. I am definitely enjoying not sharing a bedroom with 2 other dudes anymore, though, can't complain much all things considered.
16
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 May 13, 23:34:32
Getting kicked out of the mall for running up the down escalator...doh.
17
Off-Topic / Re: Dumb things that annoy you
2017 May 10, 03:04:37
This anti-GMO fear mongering propaganda is getting way out of hand. Everyone and their mother is slapping non-GMO labels on anything they can get away with. I've actually seen such outlandish nonsense as SALT being labeled non-GMO. I've gotta admit, GM salt would be the one GMO I'd genuinely be afraid of...seeing as salt is an inorganic compound that doesn't even have DNA that can be modified.

Trash like that should be regulated as deceptive advertising, but at least it helps informed people like me know which anti-science companies I shouldn't support.

Non-GMO = Non-sale. Take your pseudoscience some place else.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my delicious dinner of AquAdvantage salmon with a side of Golden Rice and Roundup Ready corn, an Arctic Apple for dessert, and a nice tall glass of GM rainbow papaya juice.
18
Off-Topic / Re: Today's Smile
2017 May 07, 13:31:33
I'm excited about Tesla's new affordable Model 3 starting production soon. I've always wanted a Model S, but...let's be realistic, the only way I could afford one of those is if I inherited a small loan of a million dollars.

The Model 3 on the other hand is only $35,000 before incentives! After incentives it will be affordable to almost all American families, cheaper than many affordable gas-powered cars.

An affordable, high-tech, all-electric modern car? Yes, please! Thank you, Tesla.
19
Music / Re: What are you listening to?
2017 Apr 18, 21:27:07
20
Off-Topic / Re: Today's Smile
2017 Apr 16, 00:53:21
I have just 10 days left and then I'm outta here, after 8 months I'm finally done with the AETC cancer.

I can't wait, I'm ready to leave this heinous, drama-filled base for good. I will not miss the place one bit.