Random thoughts.

Been a bit of a miserable bastard recently but I woke up in a legitimately good mood today, for no real reason. So I'm riding that high!
 
Audiophile said:
They literally run into burning buildings but they can't give hot girls a ride, talk about ungrateful:

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"Frat house" mentality. Tell me you've never set foot in a station or talked to a firefighter without telling me.

Nothing wrong with this. Its a big clubhouse. They have extremely stressful jobs in between long periods of boredom
 
Mistake said:
From what I read in the news, your catfish are eating them
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Those things are the worst!

I always chuck em back in though

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In all seriousness mind you, it could well be 🤷‍♂️
 
I love reading Katakana. it's like doing a little word puzzle.

I was motivated to write this because Spotify randomly put the Japanese version of an album into my recommendations this week. this happens from time to time for some reason 🤨. and I'm not talking about an actual Japanese album, but the japanese localised one of an English language album, where all the song titles and the band name are written in Katakana.

so I basically saw the song ザ・ダーク・エレメント by ザ・ダーク・エレメント (yes, it's a self titled song on their self titled debut album)
and while all of these are English words, due to japanese having to write everything in syllables that end with a vovel (except for n), it's like decrypting a code 🤣
 
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A random thought I had regarding Fincher's 1997 film "The Game".
How much did all of that cost?
I asked Grok to contemplate the cost of the CRS service. It took a bit of work to get the AI to understand all the facets involved, but it eventually arrived at a number.

$2.5 million (in 1997 dollars)

Here was its full breakdown:

Revised Cost Estimate
Factoring in the branching paths, which significantly increase the resources needed, I estimate the cost of the CRS game in 1997 dollars to be $1,500,000 to $5,000,000. Here's the breakdown:
  • Base Operation ($500,000–$1,000,000):
    • Core elements: 20–50 actors ($1,000–$5,000/day each), sets ($50,000–$200,000), surveillance tech ($50,000–$100,000), psychological profiling ($10,000–$50,000), and logistics (e.g., vehicles, travel) for a multi-day operation.
    • This aligns with the initial estimate but assumes a streamlined, "expected" path for Nicholas.
  • Branching Paths Multiplier ($1,000,000–$4,000,000):
    • Contingency planning for multiple decision points requires 2–4x the base resources. For example:
      • Alternate locations and sets: $100,000–$500,000 per major branch (e.g., 5–10 branches).
      • Additional personnel: $200,000–$1,000,000 for standby actors, techs, and coordinators.
      • Redundant tech/props: $50,000–$200,000 per scenario for backups.
    • If Nicholas has 5–10 major decision points, each with 2–3 possible outcomes, CRS must fund parallel setups, many of which go unused, inflating costs.
  • Overhead and Profit ($500,000–$1,000,000):
    • CRS's exclusivity and corporate structure suggest a high profit margin (e.g., 50–100% markup) for catering to billionaires like Nicholas.
    • Administrative costs (e.g., planning, legal, and risk management) add another $100,000–$500,000.
Most Likely Cost: $2,500,000. This accounts for a sophisticated base operation ($750,000), doubled or tripled by branching paths ($1,500,000), plus CRS's premium overhead (~$250,000). It reflects the game's complexity, the need to anticipate Nicholas's unpredictability, and CRS's elite status, while staying plausible for a 1997 high-end service.
Reasoning for Range
  • Low End ($1,500,000): Assumes fewer decision points (e.g., 5 branches) and leaner contingency plans, with CRS optimizing resources based on strong psychological profiling to predict Nicholas's choices.
  • High End ($5,000,000): Assumes extensive branching (e.g., 10–15 decision points with 3–4 outcomes each), requiring massive redundant setups, personnel, and tech, akin to a small-scale intelligence operation or film production.
  • Why Not Higher?: Costs above $5 million approach the budget of a 1997 mid-tier film, which seems excessive even for CRS's bespoke service, given the game's focused scope (one client, ~1 week).
  • Why Not Lower?: The branching paths and CRS's ability to manipulate a billionaire's life (e.g., hacking accounts, staging crises) require resources far beyond a $500,000 operation, especially with contingencies.
Assumptions and Notes
  • Branching Paths: I assume CRS plans for 5–15 major decision points, each with 2–4 possible outcomes, based on the film's depiction of Nicholas's proactive and skeptical nature. Each branch requires pre-funded resources (e.g., actors on standby, alternate locations), even if unused.
  • 1997 Constraints: I'm using 1997 pricing for labor, tech, and services, avoiding modern inflation or tech assumptions (e.g., no advanced AI or drones). Surveillance and props reflect 1997 capabilities (e.g., analog cameras, basic hacking).
  • No Film-Specific Data: The film doesn't provide a dollar amount for the bill, so this estimate extrapolates from the game's scope and reasonable assumptions about CRS's operations.
  • Ignoring Conrad's Finances: Per your request, I'm not limiting the estimate based on Conrad's ability to pay, allowing for a higher cost reflective of CRS's full effort.

I think it underestimated by a factor of ten.
 
Woggleman said:
I thought my HVAC unit died but I just flipped the breaker panel on the side off and back on and it works like new. That was a relief.
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Yup. Sometimes that happens.

10 or so years ago a new tenant rented out my new condo. She said AC didn't work. I went over and flipped the switch. By default the builder has it turned off. Up to the owner to flip it. Forgot to for my tenant.
 
This is from the Cologuard home colon cancer screening kit instructions regarding the step where you have to apply the preserving fluid to your sample.

That this has to even be included is why I weep for humanity. 🙄


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Nydius said:
This is from the Cologuard home colon cancer screening kit instructions regarding the step where you have to apply the preserving fluid to your sample.

That this has to even be included is why I weep for humanity. 🙄


92QAPIMg8C81ten9.jpeg
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I'm also fond of the obvious "lift the bottle...out of the box" & "hold the bottle and turn the cap to unscrew it". Just in case folks aren't fully familiar with the minutiae of picking a bottle up and opening it. :messenger_grinning_sweat:
 
Audiophile said:
I'm also fond of the obvious "lift the bottle...out of the box" & "hold the bottle and turn the cap to unscrew it". Just in case folks aren't fully familiar with the minutiae of picking a bottle up and opening it. :messenger_grinning_sweat:
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My favorite 'instruction' in the entire booklet is: "Remember don't overthink it"

Yeah, that's easier said than done for someone whose hobbies include anxiety and overthinking. 🤣
 
I was watching Bad Times At The El Royale (Fantastic Movie BTW) and Jon Hamm had a small but memorable role. I never saw Mad Men but now that I'm watching this Apple TV Plus show called Your Friends & Neighbors with once again Jon Hamm starring and having the lead role this time, made me realize, I have to get on with watching Mad Men later this year. Everything I seen this actor in, he does a fantastic job acting. He's a very underrated actor
 
NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt said:
I was watching Bad Times At The El Royale (Fantastic Movie BTW) and Jon Hamm had a small but memorable role. I never saw Mad Men but now that I'm watching this Apple TV Plus show called Your Friends & Neighbors with once again Jon Hamm starring and having the lead role this time, made me realize, I have to get on with watching Mad Men later this year. Everything I seen this actor in, he does a fantastic job acting. He's a very underrated actor
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I remember him just for Skip the dishes ads.
 
I'm thinking of taking up archery. There's a club three miles from me and I can get there walking a lovely scenic route on the canal. Gets me out of the house. I was mulling over trying to find a local five a side footy team, but I have health issues which render that unviable, I think.
 
Me:
*Trying to catch a lay in after a late night*

My cat for an hour and a half:
"I have important business"

Me:
*Drags arse downstairs and opens back door and front flap*

My cat:
*Walks three feet from the back door, spends 10 minutes licks his butthole, 10 seconds chasing a fly, then lays down for an hour*
 
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ForAcademicPurposes said:
His most expensive concert ever.

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Dude deserves the shit he gets. Not only because of the affair, but because he's been so fucking retarded to think that at a concert with thousands of people with phones, there wouldn't be a chance to get exposed.

I would actually question if that guy is fit to be in a leading position.
 
Hudo said:
Dude deserves the shit he gets. Not only because of the affair, but because he's been so fucking retarded to think that at a concert with thousands of people with phones, there wouldn't be a chance to get exposed.

I would actually question if that guy is fit to be in a leading position.
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I'm European and I have no idea who that person is.

I do know that this goober just wasted half of his assets right then and there.
 
NBC/Universal announced they'll be raising the rates of their Peacock TV streaming service by the end of the month. Third price increase in three years. But don't worry, they're adding an even more stripped down version at the former price point!

We did it chaps! We cut the cord to break away from cable only to end up with Cable a la Carte where every damn streaming service now has their own individual form of "basic", "expanded basic", and "premium"! Hooray! 🙄
 
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There's a very specific genre of woman that can be best described -- among a larger set of characteristics -- as, "scuffs along in flip flops" and they are the epitome of a collapse in femininity.
 
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