What’s on your mind?

[decafjava]

We have a cyclone coming, which intends to deluge about 1000 km (500-odd miles) of coastline and inland, from mid-north New South Wales to the northern end of southern Queensland.

Rain up to 600 mm (3 feet). Winds up to 150 kph. Storm surge of 1 metre, on top of the high tide.
20,000 people in immediate danger, with possibly 1 million having property damage. Not counting livestock, crop losses.

The weather gurus are trying hard not to say it will make landfall on Brisbane, by saying it will land between Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. What's in the middle? Brisbane.

View attachment 2488884

Because of the way the winds are going, most of the rain will be in northern NSW, but the winds will be in QLD.

Woah, good luck with that and stay safe.

In other news there was a mild earthquake in BC (4.1) a few days ago that my Mom felt. I recall I was on my Xmas visit way back in 2015 when a stronger quake hit - no real damage though a few things fell off shelves and stupid me panicked and went outside forgetting our alarm was on.

 

[roguester]

Thinking of moving. Not even far just in the same neighborhood. I would like a place with a smaller additional bedroom for gaming.

 

[decafjava]

Thinking of moving. Not even far just in the same neighborhood. I would like a place with a smaller additional bedroom for gaming.

Good luck, what's the housing market like in your area? Here (Geneva, Switzerland) it is very hard to find and expensive.

 

[mtbdudex]

Wow, congrats on retiring from Nissan, my friend! You totally deserve it. You worked on so many incredible projects in the automotive industry, and you were even an engineer at Apple between GM and Nissan. I’m so glad you had a lot of experience as a leader in your field. I can’t wait to hear all about your new adventures! I already finished my first internship and job at NASA a month ago, and still continually looking for work.

Congratulations on the NASA internship, what was the .. coolest thing you did / were involved with?

Slight correction on me; I’ve been at Nissan 36 years in R&D activity, 3/1989 thru 5/2025, prior GM in Manufacturing 5/1985 thru 3/1989, I’ve never worked for Apple.
I was manager of Nissan Accy Engineering , 8 staff, 2003 - 2007 . That’s when we Nissan developed hardware & software interface to connect to the 30 pin Apple devices.
It was a huge success then. We met with Apple senior execs and staff during that activity. Very busy and fun times.

Now, I do have a good friend who’s wife left IBM and joined Apple in the mid 1990’s, she ended up $,$$$,$$$ via Apple stock options, but that’s TMI for here.

 

[VisceralRealist]

I have the next week off of classes, and so I'll be joining some [new] friends and traveling to Egypt. Looking forward to something different. 😁

 

[rm5]

They made us go outside in the pouring rain

What I've learned moving to the midwest is that NOTHING is canceled due to bad weather. Classes, rehearsals, admissions tours, student clubs, etc. all go on, even in a raging snowstorm. That is quite unusual to me, being from the southwest. If we had one drop of snow back home, an entire day's events would be called off. I mean, I'm not complaining—back home I've had far too many performances be canceled due to bad weather.

I still think of snowstorms as a unusual, foreign occurrence, to be honest. I haven't quite adjusted. Nor have I accepted that winter lasts November-April, as opposed to basically only January and February back home.

 

[rm5]

I have the next week off of classes, and so I'll be joining some [new] friends and traveling to Egypt. Looking forward to something different. 😁

Sounds fun! Never been there (yet). Enjoy!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Busy day. Traveled to London in a van for work. Not my usual day job.
London is so busy, noisy and dirty compared to the beautiful countryside where I live. How do these people stand it? Glad it’s just until Tuesday.

Going to be a long 12 day week. Worst part is having left Mrs AFB this morning, I won’t see her until Wednesday night.

Probably about the longest we’ve been apart.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Busy day. Traveled to London in a van for work. Not my usual day job.
London is so busy, noisy and dirty compared to the beautiful countryside where I live. How do these people stand it? Glad it’s just until Tuesday.

Going to be a long 12 day week. Worst part is having left Mrs AFB this morning, I won’t see her until Wednesday night.

Probably about the longest we’ve been apart.

That's why I love Glasgow so much. A lot less busy and a beautiful city. Nice friendly people. Probably my favourite city in these fair isles.

 

[bousozoku]

Busy day. Traveled to London in a van for work. Not my usual day job.
London is so busy, noisy and dirty compared to the beautiful countryside where I live. How do these people stand it? Glad it’s just until Tuesday.

Going to be a long 12 day week. Worst part is having left Mrs AFB this morning, I won’t see her until Wednesday night.

Probably about the longest we’ve been apart.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

As I've traveled across the United States, I always wondered why cities did not clean their buildings. Japan is quite clean, even in the worst of circumstances. These days, I don't see anyone sweeping the sidewalk or washing their windows, even in front of their houses, let alone their businesses.

My grandmother said to check a restaurant's windows. If they were clean, it was more likely to be safe to eat there.

 

[Apple fanboy]

That's why I love Glasgow so much. A lot less busy and a beautiful city. Nice friendly people. Probably my favourite city in these fair isles.

Not been that far North for a while, but I much prefer the quiet countryside to any city these days. Not much of a people person as I get older.

 

[roguester]

Good luck, what's the housing market like in your area? Here (Geneva, Switzerland) it is very hard to find and expensive.

It’s not horrible. I just am very picky about the style kitchen so that makes it hard.

 

[EllieCat]

Surprised that some middle schools still do recess. You guys don’t do 6-7 periods of classes?

4 in the morning, 2 for lunch and recess, 3 in the afternoon. We can’t even have our computers or do work in lunch or recess if outdoors.

 

[mtbdudex]

Planning stage for retirement…after 40 years of short(6 months) , medium (2-3 years), and long (5 years ) term planning it’s 2nd nature

 

[rm5]

4 in the morning, 2 for lunch and recess, 3 in the afternoon. We can’t even have our computers or do work in lunch or recess if outdoors.

My high school's schedule changed nearly every year, partially due to COVID, it was a mess.

Here's how it went:

• 2019-2020: 7 classes per day - 4 before lunch, 3 after. As we had eight classes in total, were on a six-day cycle (A-F days).
• 2020-2021: 3 classes per day. Still took eight classes as usual.
• 2021-2022 and 2022-2023: 4 classes per day

I guess this year, they changed it to something similar to the original schedule, with 5 or 6 classes per day and an 8-day cycle.

Here in college, it's quite simple. You either have a 70-minute class that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or you can have a 105-minute class that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Laboratory sessions for science classes meet once per week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, either from 8:30-11:30, or from 1:00-4:00.

Music ensembles are a bit different though. For instance, choir meets 3:15-4:15 on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 4:30-5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The jazz combo I'm in meets 7:00-8:00 on T/Th. That's where it gets a bit complicated, because every ensemble has a different rehearsal time. Some have the same rehearsal times though.

I spent like 3 hours one day studying the schedule here, so I know it inside and out. I also have all the Conservatory classrooms added to Outlook calendar in case I need to reserve them, so I know pretty well which classes meet where, at least in the music department.

 

[Chuckeee]

What I've learned moving to the midwest is that NOTHING is canceled due to bad weather. Classes, rehearsals, admissions tours, student clubs, etc. all go on, even in a raging snowstorm. That is quite unusual to me, being from the southwest. If we had one drop of snow back home, an entire day's events would be called off. I mean, I'm not complaining—back home I've had far too many performances be canceled due to bad weather.

I still think of snowstorms as a unusual, foreign occurrence, to be honest. I haven't quite adjusted. Nor have I accepted that winter lasts November-April, as opposed to basically only January and February back home.

Are any of your buildings connected via underground tunnels?

 

[bousozoku]

We have a cyclone coming, which intends to deluge about 1000 km (500-odd miles) of coastline and inland, from mid-north New South Wales to the northern end of southern Queensland.

Rain up to 600 mm (3 feet). Winds up to 150 kph. Storm surge of 1 metre, on top of the high tide.
20,000 people in immediate danger, with possibly 1 million having property damage. Not counting livestock, crop losses.

The weather gurus are trying hard not to say it will make landfall on Brisbane, by saying it will land between Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. What's in the middle? Brisbane.

View attachment 2488884

Because of the way the winds are going, most of the rain will be in northern NSW, but the winds will be in QLD.

Just watched 9News Australia and it looks significant, but hopefully, no worse than those hurricanes I experienced in Florida.

Watching people out at the edge of the water reminded me of how people would surf. Hopefully, no one ends up in hospital unnecessarily.

 

[rm5]

Are any of your buildings connected via underground tunnels?

No, but the campus is small enough that I never have to walk more than 5 minutes.

 

[decafjava]

Well, that was embarrassing. We have a lecture this morning and I greeted our lecturer and offered him a coffee or a glass of water. Problem, he is from Morocco and is observing Ramadan - I knew it was on but I automatically offer a coffee/tea or glass of water to our lecturers. I apologized but he was smiling so this must be familiar to him.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Well, that was embarrassing. We have a lecture this morning and I greeted our lecturer and offered him a coffee or a glass of water. Problem, he is from Morocco and is observing Ramadan - I knew it was on but I automatically offer a coffee/tea or glass of water to our lecturers. I apologized but he was smiling so this must be familiar to him.

Do you bring an apple as well?

 

[Tommy_7754]

I'm thinking about what to have for breakfast.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Well, that was embarrassing. We have a lecture this morning and I greeted our lecturer and offered him a coffee or a glass of water. Problem, he is from Morocco and is observing Ramadan - I knew it was on but I automatically offer a coffee/tea or glass of water to our lecturers. I apologized but he was smiling so this must be familiar to him.

Not embarrassing, but hospitable.

And, I would imagine that he is more than familiar with this, and there is no reason for him to take offence at a gesture that was intended as hospitable.

The other thing is that the actual timing of Ramadan, - governed, as it is, by the lunar cycle - changes every year; if it fell at the same time each year, I would imagine that those of us not from a Muslim background would find it easier to remember when colleagues are undertaking the fast.

In any case, in my experience, (and I have worked in six different countries that are either culturally Muslim, or are actually entirely Muslim), one tends to remember - and to some extent, adhere to (such as by not inviting Muslim colleagues for coffee) cultural norms when you are surrounded by - or immersed in - that particular culture at that particular time.

In other words, when in Kosovo, or Afghanistan (to take as examples two rather different Muslim countries where I happened to have been deployed when Ramadan occurred), one would never forget not to offer beverages to colleagues who observed the fast.

 

[The Clark]

I will never understand why people want to watch others die online. It’s sickening to think that person had a family - maybe a dog or cat, a wife or child, parents. I really struggle with anything even remotely gory on the internet. I feel like I shouldn’t be affected by it since I’m 30, and this is just how the world has always been, but seeing the awful things happening around the world really makes you appreciate how good we have it. Still, it doesn’t make it any easier for those who have it worse. Some people/animals are born without a chance.

 

[decafjava]

I will never understand why people want to watch others die online. It’s sickening to think that person had a family - maybe a dog or cat, a wife or child, parents. I really struggle with anything even remotely gory on the internet. I feel like I shouldn’t be affected by it since I’m 30, and this is just how the world has always been, but seeing the awful things happening around the world really makes you appreciate how good we have it. Still, it doesn’t make it any easier for those who have it worse. Some people/animals are born without a chance.

I do think sometimes it can wake people up to the horror happening around the world, certainly not for entertainment. I needn't say where but there are many places - it is truly horrifying.

Also many like watching simulated violence. The show my avatar is from - Vinland Saga - is about the main character, Thorfinn, a Viking, learning to let go his need for vengeance in a world dominated by violence. A minor character breaks the 4th wall in another anime - Attack on Titan - basically saying people seek watching horror.

This is the clip no violence shown in this part but I am putting it in a spoiler, it's also a spoiler for the show Attck on titan:

Spoiler: A subtle 4th wall break

The character ironically meets his doom shortly after. Are we better than the Romans? Well better leave it at that in an Apple forum.

 

[decafjava]

Not embarrassing, but hospitable.

And, I would imagine that he is more than familiar with this, and there is no reason for him to take offence at a gesture that was intended as hospitable.

The other thing is that the actual timing of Ramadan, - governed, as it is, by the lunar cycle - changes every year; if it fell at the same time each year, I would imagine that those of us not from a Muslim background would find it easier to remember when colleagues are undertaking the fast.

In any case, in my experience, (and I have worked in six different countries that are either culturally Muslim, or actually Muslim), one tends to remember - and to some extent, adhere to (such as by not inviting Muslim colleagues for coffee) cultural norms when you are surrounded by - or immersed in - that particular culture at that particular time.

In other words, when in Kosovo, or Afghanistan (to take as examples two Muslim different countries where I happened to have been deployed when Ramadan occurred), one would never forget not to offer beverages to colleagues who observed the fast.

Thank you, I realize the gentleman was not offended I was more mortified but of course my intentions were good. As we have another practicing Muslim lecturer coming in on Monday morning I won't make the same mistake. I recall fonldy by the way my time doing my MA at Carletron in Ottawa. Our student residence had individual rooms sharing a bathroom/toilet between two neighbouring rooms. One evening I got a knock on the door from my neighbour, a fellow from Afghanistan who invited me to share the Ramadan evening meal with him an other Afghan refugees and some friends from Pakistan (early 90s so he had lived through the Soviet invasion and the firstTaliban regime). The dinner was amazing as was the company. My parents, though both Greek, were part of the large Greek community in Egypt and they were well aware of Muslim religious observances, Mom always tells me of two neighbour girls, an Egyptian muslim and also a Jewish one and how they played together no problem. Sigh.