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Thread: What made you go WTF today?

  1. #3061
    On a chilly northern night, a thousand fools gathered under a starless, moonless sky to watch an open-air performance of Richard Strauss's opera Gundam Wing Elektra, played out on a stage the size of a football-pitch covered with piles of gravel and pools of blood-coloured water gushing out of stacks of shipping containers, with 7-12 metre tall puppets hovering around suspended from cranes and covered by a large troupe of dancers wrigglers clad in skin-coloured wetsuits. I kid you not.

    As the last painful, unintelligible bout of shrieking came to a triumphant end and the audience dutifully began a half-hearted round of applause, two conflicting emotions warred within my heart: rage--I cut our stay in sthlm short and paid way, way too much for this??!--and relief--at last it was over and I could go home.

    To be fair, the music was good, and the visuals were... cool... and I could see some of the appeal, both of opera as well as of this particular performance... but the overall experience left me so dissatisfied that, had I not been with the woman of my dreams using her nuclear-powered hands to keep mine warm and naughty thoughts to keep me awake, I would have been absolutely fuming. As it is, I've made a solemn vow never to go to any goddamned opera ever again if I can help it. And to bury all memories of this "culture capital" year as soon as I can, because, so far, it's mostly been a buncha garbage for desperate culture-starved northerners with more money than sense.

    It's possible I'm just not sophisticated enough a man
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  2. #3062
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    Well, what can I say; the hatred for traditional performances in our part of the world and Wagner have put me in a comateuse state in what must have been the most uncomfortable seats I have ever had the displeasure of paying for.
    Congratulations America

  3. #3063
    Classes start tomorrow. Space reserved for first impressions.
    Hope is the denial of reality

  4. #3064
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    What is it with people insisting on doing YouTube videos for programming stuff? I wanted to look at a framework for cross-mobile development (Cordova / Ionic) and sat through a ten minute video where I was shown how to install the Java SDK and stuff!

    The whole thing could've been condensed to a bullet list with 9 points, 8 of them being: "Go there and download that".
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  5. #3065
    A young man tried to take pictures of a girl while she was in a fitting-room trying out clothes. She saw him and pressed charges. He was charged with violating a law against taking photos that violate a person's integrity without their knowledge and consent in private places such as fitting-rooms. He was acquitted because the court interpreted the law as requiring that that the pictures must be taken in secret... and that the fact that she'd caught him in the act meant that he had not done it in secret No doubt there's some crucial piece of information missing from the media coverage but what the fucking fuck
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  6. #3066
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    Sitting in a tramway car, at a stop just behind a bridge in Amsterdam. I hear the syrens of a Fire truck, then I see the firetruck on the track coming at me high speed. The firetruck literally has my name on it, and changes lanes about 20 meters before the car I am in.
    Congratulations America

  7. #3067
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    The Steam page in my Chrome browser thinks I'm from Finland, for some weird reason.
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  8. #3068
    Happen to be using enhanced steam?
    "In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."

  9. #3069
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    Nope.
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  10. #3070
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    So, once again it's "do some research for a graded homework" time. Topic: "History of organic chemistry". Size: About one or two DIN A4 pages.

    First one I get into my hands has a nice, professional binder. The first page, however, is using a 20 pt font, has huge margins and half of the page's text is consumed by a single quote by Justus Liebig. And no, the enlarged photocopy of a stamp depicting the molecule benzene doesn't count.

    Second one has given no indications as to where he got his sources from. Though some quick googling of the choicer phrases reveal them very fast. Must require them to give me their homeworks electronically the next time so I can do reverse Copy&Paste on them (Copy their text & Paste it into Google).

    Third one will probably claim that she didn't do any Copy&Pasting because she typed it all herself. How do I know that? Because of all the spelling errors in otherwise identical texts to the sources.

    Fourth one: Did indeed some thinking of her own but went off in all the wrong direction. Gives an overview of what Organic Chemistry itself is while neglecting the "history" part completely. Not one date or name anywhere.

    Fifth one: Uses several sources and repeats the same events several times. Even manages to double back on himself.

    Sixth one: No, urea is not the same as uric acid. Far from it.

    Seventh one: Goes off on an irrelevant tangent and tries to explain the refractive index. May ask her tomorrow what a "phase velocity" is.

    Eighth one: "Organic Chemistry is defined as ..." - who defined that? No sources, once again.

    There will be some wailing and gnashing of teeth tomorrow...
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  11. #3071
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    Another one from today, this time about equipment, though.

    So, I recently got almost all of my Physics lab equipment, have it squared away (though not catalogued yet. Sorry, Wiggin, but that laboratory website has a target group too different ) and am now in the process of trying out all the new stuff to see if it really works.

    For example, I have this big demo electrical motor which can be assembled in a number of ways. The most basic variant would be the one with two permanent magnets as the stator and two electromagnet anchors as the rotor with coal brushes feeding a direct current through a commutator. Simple as it gets and yet it does not rotate, no matter the strength of the current or the initial angle or the push I give it. The rotor with three electromagnet anchors works just fine, though.

    The next step would be to reverse the setting and use that engine as a generator instead, generating some voltage and hence current. And since I got all this new-fangled electronic measuring stuff, I thought it to be nice to actually make use of it.

    The basic idea behind the measuring equipment is simple: You have a box which changes depending on what kind of stuff you want to measure (I've got a box for current and voltage, a box which interfaces with light barriers, one which does measurements of speed and acceleration in 1D and one which does three axis movement measuring), an interface box (Bluetooth) and optionally a battery box. Only that I found that the battery box doesn't provide energy from what I can see.

    Next step: Install the measuring software which then pulls data from the boxes via Bluetooth. For some reason this software is slow as molasses on our school PCs. Which made the next step not so fun: I needed to update the firmware on all the Bluetooth boxes (eight of them). I discovered that pairing more than one box makes the firmware upload unstable. Later on I also discovered that there was an update to the measuring software which also included another firmware update...

    ... which lead me to try the measuring app on Android. For which I needed to pair the boxes. Which resulted in demands for a PIN. Neither 0000 nor 1234 worked and the manual of the company actually stated: "You don't need to know the PIN because our software does that for you!" Yeah, on Windows. On Android, no so much.

    Well, the speed bumps of the software drove me to install the whole thing on my laptop which is somewhat beefier than our school PCs (not that much, though.) Which resulted in another problem: If I wanted to use my laptop I somehow had to connect it to the SMARTboard in the physics lab. A close examination revealed spare VGA and USB cords leading into the board. Success!

    But first I'd have to install the SMARTboard software. Downloaded the newest version and waited for 30 minutes to download and subsequently install the thing (the download servers of that company were really slow). Only to discover that my license key doesn't work for the newest version (but it does look exactly like the older one - I'm not sure what changed). It also told me that the 3D module is not fit for my laptop. Why, I don't know.

    Hooray for 90 day trials, though! Okay, my HDMI to VGA adapter works, not Full HD but 1600 by 900 comes close enough. I'm not getting the pencil/touch interaction with the board, though. Don't know why. Maybe it's because of the newer version?

    Downloaded the older version (the same one as on the school PC, another 30 minutes gone) only to discover that while it at first seems to accept the license key, it then display an error and tells me to call the hotline. 30 day trial this time. Still doesn't work.

    Decide to call it a day and head home at 1530h. I began the whole thing at 1000h. I was so productive!
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  12. #3072
    Thank God I don't teach high school.
    Hope is the denial of reality

  13. #3073
    Quote Originally Posted by Loki View Post
    Thank God I don't teach high school.
    Is that what professors say to themselves before they have their own children?

  14. #3074
    Pretty sure having a child is nothing like trying to teach a few dozen teens, half of whom are bored and the other half are in class only because they have to be.
    Hope is the denial of reality

  15. #3075
    Quote Originally Posted by Loki View Post
    Pretty sure having a child is nothing like trying to teach a few dozen teens, half of whom are bored and the other half are in class only because they have to be.
    Ah, since you haven't become a parent yourself.....you like to think being a teacher/professor is the hardest thing in the world?

  16. #3076
    Are you on drugs? Do you just have us say things in your head and respond to that instead of actually reading what we write?
    Hope is the denial of reality

  17. #3077
    Quote Originally Posted by Loki View Post
    Are you on drugs? Do you just have us say things in your head and respond to that instead of actually reading what we write?
    If I read your post wrong, and thought you were saying being a teacher/professor was harder than being a parent, you could have said so without making another insult.

  18. #3078
    Quote Originally Posted by GGT View Post
    Ah, since you haven't become a parent yourself.....you like to think being a teacher/professor is the hardest thing in the world?
    Like I told my wife the ther night, it's not harder, but it's different
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  19. #3079
    Quote Originally Posted by Aimless View Post
    Like I told my wife the ther night, it's not harder, but it's different
    Good parenting is hard and difficult, and shouldn't be confused with procreating. It's perhaps the one thing that can't be fully understood, or totally appreciated, until experienced first-hand.

    No offense to childless teachers, or "pet parents" like my sisters, but it's just not something that can be imagined or empathized. I only say that because I've been on both sides, and thought I understood what being a parent meant because I had parents. Everything changes after becoming a parent, and it rocks the whole world.

  20. #3080
    But is it harder than growing strawberries in Peru?
    Hope is the denial of reality

  21. #3081
    Senior Member Flixy's Avatar
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    I think growing strawberries in Peru isn't hard, really.
    Keep on keepin' the beat alive!

  22. #3082
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loki View Post
    Thank God I don't teach high school.
    I think I at least found the error with the SMARTboard, though. Even though the thing has two separate USB connectors, you may only connect one at a time. Will make certain of that tomorrow.
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  23. #3083
    Quote Originally Posted by Flixy View Post
    I think growing strawberries in Peru isn't hard, really.
    You, sir, are a monster.

    Quote Originally Posted by Khendraja'aro View Post
    I think I at least found the error with the SMARTboard, though. Even though the thing has two separate USB connectors, you may only connect one at a time. Will make certain of that tomorrow.
    You could always try emailing them if there's still a problem. Tech companies seem to like educators.
    Hope is the denial of reality

  24. #3084

  25. #3085
    Quote Originally Posted by littlelolligagged View Post
    WTF, indeed.

    Is that kind of shit that's supposed to explain away my new, and "irrational" fear of flying?

  26. #3086
    "Request Entity Too Large
    The requested resource
    /record/display.url
    does not allow request data with GET requests, or the amount of data provided in the request exceeds the capacity limit. "

    Was searching scopus for articles on a particular line of research into MS-therapy and this was the result of the most ridiculous query-string I've ever seen.

    Let me demonstrate:

    www-scopus-com.proxy.ub.umu.se/record/display.url?eid=2-s2.0-84860525574&origin=resultslist&sort=r-f&src=s&mltEid=2-s2.0-39049142995&mltType=ref&mltAll=t&imp=t&sid=8E3E027 773E056F3CA4713D89B19EF56.aqHV0EoE4xlIF3hgVWgA%3a1 70&sot=mlt&sdt=mlt&sl=982&s=REFEID%28%28%222-s2.0-33749059726%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0024504359%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-39049098211%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0029082566%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33846833929%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33644584352%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-34247608145%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33646810060%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0036094762%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33750604563%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0018324814%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0032950794%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-22544453860%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0037333270%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-30044434622%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-34249700046%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0032758913%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0034163331%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-3342884206%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0031594141%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-24344433564%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0034724380%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-34248230257%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0028057250%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0030926366%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0034076307%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33845395095%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0021035886%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0034955141%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-39049167559%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-39049171210%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33744802197%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-39049113470%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-39049095216%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-0033214207%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-33746961890%22%29+OR+%28%222-s2.0-39049168686%22%29%29+AND+NOT+EID+%282-s2.0-39049142995%29&relpos=7&relpos=7&citeCnt=0&searchT erm=REFEID%28%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33749059726\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0024504359\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-39049098211\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0029082566\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33846833929\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33644584352\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-34247608145\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33646810060\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0036094762\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33750604563\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0018324814\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0032950794\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-22544453860\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0037333270\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-30044434622\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-34249700046\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0032758913\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0034163331\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-3342884206\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0031594141\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-24344433564\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0034724380\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-34248230257\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0028057250\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0030926366\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0034076307\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33845395095\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0021035886\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0034955141\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-39049167559\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-39049171210\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33744802197\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-39049113470\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-39049095216\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-0033214207\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-33746961890\%26quot%3B%29+OR+%28\%26quot%3B2-s2.0-39049168686\%26quot%3B%29%29+AND+NOT+EID+%282-s2.0-39049142995%29
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  27. #3087
    The query string of champions!
    When the sky above us fell
    We descended into hell
    Into kingdom come

  28. #3088
    Quote Originally Posted by Aimless View Post
    "Request Entity Too Large
    The requested resource
    /record/display.url
    does not allow request data with GET requests, or the amount of data provided in the request exceeds the capacity limit. "

    Was searching scopus for articles on a particular line of research into MS-therapy and this was the result of the most ridiculous query-string I've ever seen.
    That URL was generated by the same server that later rejected it?
    "Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt

  29. #3089
    Let sleeping tigers lie Khendraja'aro's Avatar
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    Wait until you've seen the GET-data generated by some OpenID plugins - one of them required the webserver to be reconfigured so that he accepted 4 kiB of data...
    When the stars threw down their spears
    And watered heaven with their tears:
    Did he smile his work to see?
    Did he who made the lamb make thee?

  30. #3090
    4KiB seems to be standard now:
    http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/get7#myths

    Long URI's are essential if you want to make your web app state bookmarkable.
    "Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt

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