The Off Topic Topic

[CountDeMoney]

A lot of recent fossil research has suggested that prehistoric turtles developed their shells from enlarged rib cages not for protection, but to assist in digging.

I would've loved to have been a turtle biologist.  Such wonderful creatures.  It sounds like a quiet, satisfying life.  But then I would become a self-radicalized terrorist sympathetic to the Turtleban, and have to start killing Chinamen.

[jimmy olsen]

CdM

Anyways, I just read an interesting article on a Smithsonian naturalist who died on an expidition to Alaska in 1866

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/08/03/this-smithsonian-scientists-death-was-a-mystery-150-years-later-his-skeleton-helped-solve-it/

[Threviel]

Today I learned that the Swedish word for a turtle breaks out to "shielded frog".

"Shielded Toad"

[The Brain]

Hi Threv!

[Threviel]

Hi Threv!

Hi Brai! Läget?

[The Brain]

Hi Threv!

Hi Brai! Läget?

Tack bra! Själv?

[Liep]

Today I learned that the Swedish word for a turtle breaks out to "shielded frog".

"Shielded Toad"

Isn't it like that in all Nordic and Germanic languages?

[Threviel]

Hi Threv!

Hi Brai! Läget?

Tack bra! Själv?

Skall inte klaga, även om det känns som att hösten kom hit idag. Regn och rusk och elände.

[Josquius]

I always liked the swedish for badger. Gravling.
Sounds like sone nefarious ghoul.

[Sheilbh]

Some day I hope to grow out of hate-browsing property websites judging the interior design of the too wealthy 

In the meantime the 2016 election has proven an unexpected boon.

[Josquius]

My iPod is dead.
What does someone do these days when they need an MP3 player?
Could just use my phone but...batteries.

[mongers]

My iPod is dead.
What does someone do these days when they need an MP3 player?
Could just use my phone but...batteries.

By a replacement? 

To save you're phone battery, why not get one of those tiny sandisks, cheap, size of a small matchbox and with a micro-sd slot have effectively near infinite capacity?

[Valmy]

Well I just got back from Big 12 country aka West Virginia. The land of my hillbilly ancestors. You know one thing I both like and am creeped out about the South is its seemingly endless forests. Or at least the Virginia/North Carolina/Maryland South I am used to anyway. It gives everything an intimate feel like you are in the middle of nowhere even if you are say right in the middle of Charlotte or some shit. I am not sure how to explain it but for a Texan used to being able to see for miles it is rather strange.

But West Virginia just takes that to a whole new level with the mountains. And their twist two laner "highway" system was...um...well let's just say John Denver wasn't lying about the roads. And each little town has at least three churches and barely anything else. I have no idea who goes to those churches. They must have lots of people hiding out in the mountains I cannot see. You feel like if your car ever broke down you would starve to death or be eaten by a mountain lion or something before ever reaching civilization.

And one thing about poor rural areas in the US that makes me sad to see are the old beautiful barns and farm buildings and houses just rotting away that are probably a century old or more and hand made. Meanwhile the people all live in truly shitty pre-fab houses. But considering the upkeep on a 19th century wooden building I get it but still it is sad to see. It reminded me of driving through Oklahoma, the land of my current Okie family who are descended from said hillbilly ancestors.

Anyway I got to the resort we were having our family gathering at and I see a sign that says 'Saints Parking' and the emblem of the New Orleans Saints. I was like 'WTH?  Is this the Saints Fan Club meeting or something?' Turns out that no Saints training camp is being held at the same damn place. So as I am running around participating in all the family events I see Saints players, and wannabe players, just hanging out around the resort. And unfortunately I have not really been following them much lately so if the player wasn't Drew Brees I had no idea who he was.

So one morning I am out Pokemon GO playing with David and we are walking through the halls of the truly gargantuan main building and a group of about five massive Saints players come walking by. Well David has to talk to everybody so the following conversations took place:

David: 'Hi there! I am David! What are you doing?'

Saints Players: 'Hi David we are just enjoying our day off. What are you doing?'

David: 'We are playing Pokemon GO! We just found a Bulbasaur!'

Then they all start to laugh and hold up their cell phones and one of them says 'Hey us to! Where did you find that Bulbasaur?'

Me: 

This game man 

[Josquius]

My iPod is dead.
What does someone do these days when they need an MP3 player?
Could just use my phone but...batteries.

By a replacement? 

To save you're phone battery, why not get one of those tiny sandisks, cheap, size of a small matchbox and with a micro-sd slot have effectively near infinite capacity?

They don't make iPods anymore.

That's what I'm looking into, next best thing. Most I see though seem to just have next/previous track navigation, i want something with a navigatable menu.

[Savonarola]

I've been trying to brush up on Spanish of late.  In order to build up vocabulary I've been reading a variety of sources; one that's easy to read, but has a lot of vocabulary not taught in typical Spanish courses is Cosmo en Español.  Yesterday I learned that the idiom poner el cuerno (put on the horn) means "To be unfaithful."  (Cuckolds are supposed to have horns; when Othello, for instance, complains about the pain in his forehead it's because he imagines he is growing horns.)