Snowflake's Forum

  W hen I was very young , around three years old, my father defended a doctor who'd been caught performing illegal abortions here in Ohio.  Dad's career as a lawyer was pretty new in those days.  And the doctor was bankrupt.  He couldn't pay dad for getting him off (which he did) So the doctor gave him his family library in payment. Some of my earliest memories are of dad bringing in a load of already measured boards and nailing them into bookshelves that covered the entire north wall of the living room.  Enough shelving for 1000 books.  I helped!  I held the hammer. Recently, I installed so much shelving in my current home that I could put those books on shelves, along with my own collection.  Much of that doctor's library had slipped from my memory.  But I'm now realizing how much it shaped me to have stuff like this around whilst I grew up: It's not a simple one-to-one.  Neither of my siblings became obsessive bibliophiles, let alone...

  Richie Rich rich.  Money is no concern to you at all.  You want it?  You got it.  You want it done yesterday?  Done.  If that situation suddenly became yours, what would you do? Mr. & Mrs. Bunny would buy the next house, which has been unoccupied for years, and have it torn down.  Could then widen the parking space, and put a cover over it.  Plant trees around the perimeter for privacy, and make a nice large garden.  Plants, flowers, cat and bird feeders.    No jets, fancy cars, gold toilets…just something comfortable and relaxing.  What would you do with your unlimited wealth? J. P. Bunny

  Saturday`s  paper always has an interview with an author.  One question is always “which three authors, living or dead, would you invite to a dinner party?”   Bunny shall take it a bit further.   Which people, living or dead, would you invite to dinner?   Bunny would like Lincoln, Mark Twain, Henry VIII, and Richard III.    Who would you invite?   Luckily, the Universal Translator is working. J. P. Bunny

 First for the narcissists who took part in yesterday's puzzle. Here is the answer: As for you Neanderthals: NEW YORK (AP) –   Humans and Neanderthals cozied up   from time to time when they lived in the same areas   tens of thousands of years ago . But we don't know much about who got with whom, or why. But the study, published Thursday in the journal Science, shows "that whenever Neanderthals and modern humans have mated, there has been a preference for male Neanderthals and female modern humans , as opposed to the other way around," said author Alexander Platt, who studies genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. If more human females mated with Neanderthal males than the other way around, over thousands of years, you would expect to see just what they found: more human DNA in Neanderthal X chromosomes and less Neanderthal DNA in human X chromosomes. https://www.sciencealert.com/neanderthal-dna-is-missing-from-our-x-chromosome-this-could-be-why As for the bold...

  Presents.  Can you wait until it’s time to open them, or do you need to shake them and try and figure out what they are?   Can you wait to find out how the book ends, or peek at the end?  Need to know how a movie will progress, or eschew the spoilers? Bunny can wait.  Hates to spoil the surprise.  And you? J. P. Bunny

 Someone sent me a puzzle to unravel and I have no idea why at the top of the puzzle it says most people are narcissists. However, just for fun, let's see how many of you can figure out the right answer to the puzzle. While also figuring out why the wrong answer would make one a narcissist.

  Bunny’s house is on a corner.  The street facing the driveway is rather narrow.  Also, very quiet.  Seldom any cars, until you need to do something on the street, then come the cars.  Pulling weeds from the stones in the driveway, means moving the car somewhat out into the street,  Of course, that’s when the cars, trucks, and everything else come by.  Need to pull the car back in each time.    Happens without fail. Any things that always happen to you? J.P. Bunny

 I mean seriously, what else is there to talk about. Hour by hour blow by blow on every US news network and almost as bad on Canadian networks. Need an update?  What we know IRAN WAR INTENSIFIES:  The United States and Israel hit thousands of targets inside Iran, pressing their joint campaign after killing Supreme Leader  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei . Iran’s Red Crescent said more than 550 people were killed in the strikes. TEHRAN HITS BACK:  Iran escalated attacks on Israel and targets across the Middle East, with  three U.S. service members killed  and three U.S. fighter jets downed by friendly fire. 11 people were killed in Israel, officials said, with deaths reported in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. CONFLICT SPREADS:  Iran-backed   Hezbollah in Lebanon fired missiles at Israel, which launched a new campaign in response that has seen dozens killed, according to Lebanese authorities. TEHRAN SAYS NO TALKS:  Iran’s top nationa...

That is exactly the kind of protocol I had follow for  years  when I was doing my dissertation research -- it was very tedious, requiring constant focus on every little thing As we all know, the sciences, especially the social and biomedical sciences, are fraught with published research that cannot be replicated and is thus either questionable or debunked. This is a huge problem. At least scientists no longer dismiss the problem as minor. It is major. Steps have been taken to reduce non-replicability, e.g., by posting detailed research and data protocols online before conducing the research. That has reduced the plague of p -hacking[1] to what appear to be low levels. Other changes include now requiring scientists to post all of their data and detailed protocols online so that other labs can re-analyze the data to see if there are mistakes in the data analysis. At least scientists are giving it the good old college try!   🤪 A SciAm article , AI-powered smart goggl...

I'm baaaack!   For a while, they were believed to be extinct. But they weren't quite all gone. A SciAm article describes the return to the Galápagos Floreana island of Floreana tortoises bred in captivity. About 180 years ago the Floreana Island was believed to have lost its unique tortoise, the Floreana giant tortoise ( Chelonoidis niger niger ). It is a subspecies of the Galápagos giant tortoise. After the arrival of sailors, pirates and a slew of invasive species, the tortoise was believed to have been wiped out.  Actually, in 2000 scientists found a population of tortoises 70 miles away on Isabela Island. Those critters looked a lot like the Floreana giant tortoise with their distinctive saddle-shaped shells. Genetic testing found that these were hybrid tortoises descended from Floreana giant tortoises. They apparently somehow wound up by accident on Isabela island after being put onboard ships for food. Anyway, 158 of these tortoises with Floreana ancestry are back ...

  Bunny has always liked clocks and timepieces.  Grandparents had a nifty Seth Thomas that would loudly tick, and chime every 15 minutes.  Mrs. Bunny doesn’t like cuckoo clocks, so none now.  But, except for the toilet, a clock can be seen in every room.   Watches are analog.  Pocket watch from the 1800s.  Not obsessed with time, but like timepieces.     And you? J. P. Bunny

 Maybe I should make a once a week recurring thread so we can all complain about what is irking us. The SOTU speech really irked me. The dumb reactions of the Dems irked me. We had another winter storm, and though SNOWFLAKES I generally like, fuck the cold already. I am irked by the demise of Disqus: AI says: Yes, there are strong indications that Disqus is losing participation, popularity, and trust as a primary commenting platform, although it remains a major, widely-used service. The decline is driven by user and publisher frustrations regarding, among other things, ad-heavy interfaces, privacy concerns, and restrictive, sometimes faulty, moderation.   Here is a breakdown of why participation in the Disqus ecosystem is waning: User and Publisher Frustration:  Critics frequently cite that the platform has become too ad-heavy, and for publishers, removing these ads often requires a costly subscription, making it less attractive to smaller creators. Declining Performance/...

  Things that sound great, but really aren’t.   For Bunny, it is flying cars.  We have enough trouble with morons on the road, now, imagine them in three dimensions.  Nowhere would be safe. What inventions and innovations would you rather not go anywhere? J. P. Bunny

  Trudeau trolls Trump after Canada bests USA at hockey "You can't take our country — and you can't take our game," Trudeau wrote on X. https://abcnews.com/Politics/trudeau-trolls-trump-after-canada-bests-usa-hockey/story?id=119039286 So, of course, the Trump White House had to do one better: This is what the world has devolved into. Yeesh 😒

  Life isn’t static.  Things change all the time.  How do you deal with it?  Do you jump in and embrace what the newness has to offer?  Act with caution?  Need to be dragged kicking and screaming? J. P. Bunny

  This is about the Olympic records that depend on speed.  Cheers, tears, and celebrations when someone beats the world record by a few hundredths of a second.  This is so minuscule as to be nonexistent.  We have all tried to count to ten within one second.  A speedy slur, but doable.   Now, count to one hundred in one second.   Nope.  Without specialized machines and ultra fast timepieces, no one would know. Technically, the person was faster, but does it really count?  If you wash and wax your car before heading out on the highway, you will get better gas mileage.  But, it is so infinitesimal, it would take decades to notice.  Same with these Olympic records.   Are these really records breakers?  Should people take pride in winning something that needs high tech to show it?    Should tenths of a second be the limit for these records?  Are these new world records really worthy of the title? J. P. Bunny

  Toys.  Did you have a favourite?  Did you take good care of your toys, or did you see how much punishment they could take?  Do you still have any of your old toys?  Have some new ones?  Bunny loved his Matchbox cars and Erector Set. J. P. Bunny

 And so.....? As you all know by now, I am a school crossing guard, and this being a Monday, I got up this morning, got dressed for work, and went to my assigned spot, and stood there like a fool. You see, here in Canada, today is a thing called Family Day, a holiday. People don't go to work. Most of 'em anyways don't. Especially kids don't go to school. How long before I figured it out? Where I cross, I am next to the school parking lot. No cars. No teachers showing up. No kids being dropped off. THEN it hit me. Sheesh!!!

  Gambling.  Do you do so?  Enjoy it?  Make money from it or do it just for fun?  If so, which venue do you enjoy? J.P. Bunny

  Heartfelt Dreamer As an Emotional Thinker, your heart guides your choices, leading you to seek deep connections with others. You embrace vulnerability and are fearless in your pursuit of joy and imagination. Trust and forgiveness come easily to you, making life a beautiful adventure. Found this out by doing this quiz......... https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=what-kind-of-thinker-are-you Of course one can answer a quiz in a way that makes you look good or answer it honestly but then the answer still isn't you. I mean, me - a heartfelt dreamer? - seriously? Well, maybe I am. That is for others to decide. I am a dreamer though, so at least the outcome of that quiz was 50% right. What about YOU? Care to give it a try?

  A SciAm article discusses the personalities of doggies. Unfortunately, I can't find all the data for all the the breeds. All the article shows is doggies grouped by small, medium and big sizes. 👎🏻  But here's some nice images with the personality data summarized.  Compared with larger dogs, smaller ones tended to score higher for fear, aggression and excitability and lower for trainability. Cute little doggies    Hm, wait a minnit. That last one might not be a doggie. Sort of looks like a woof.

  You have a nice little painting in the hall.  It is of some European town.  Nothing great, but you enjoy it.  A friend comes by and tells you to toss it out.  The artist`s name, hidden by the frame, is A. Hitler.  Of course, you don’t like the guy, but the painting is something you like.   Should you feel guilty about liking the art, music, works, of some decidedly nasty people? J. P. Bunny

  The morning fluff TV programs are going on about the winter Olympics.  This morning’s paper had a photo of some athletes.  Bunny had no idea.  Now know the Winter Olympics are soon to be held someplace. Bunny doesn’t really care.  Is such interesting for you?  Can you show interest in some events?  Are some, such as curling, even considered worthy of televising?  What are your thoughts on the games, both winter and summer? J. P. Bunny

  Two Memphis City Council Members Claim Snow is Fake Two Memphis City Council members think the snow from Winter Storm Fern is man-made. Council members Pearl Walker and Yolanda Cooper Sutton both publicly said the snow was artificial in differing Facebook posts and comments this week. Claims of fake snow have been rampant on social media during the storm, especially TikTok. “It’s not melting [it stinks] when you set fire to it OMG, Jesus Christ, what is happening!!!”  — Yolanda Cooper Sutton, Memphis City Council More: https://www.memphisflyer.com/the-snow-is-fake-claim-two-memphis-city-council-members/

 Truly goofy songs. Post 'em. I mean TRULY goofy.  Might have to click on "watch on Youtube" to see this one:

 Comedians.  Present day or yesteryear.  Bunny prefers clever ones.  And you? J. P. Bunny

Mnemonics and other special ways to help you remember things.  Most of us know Roy G. Biv for the colors off the rainbow, but are there any others you know?  Anything original?  Bunny keeps forgetting where Neptune and Uranus go.   So, it’s Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and SUN. What do you use? J. P. Bunny

 No, not the person in real life. The movie. ‘No One Saw That Coming’: Hollywood Press Shocked by Melania Trump’s Box Office Performance Melania Trump,  America’s next big movie star? That’s a bit of stretch, but the First Lady has stunned the Hollywood press with the better-than-expected debut of her new documentary, aptly dubbed  Melania . The top entertainment trades are projecting  Melania  will pull in $8.1 million during its opening weekend — outperforming what the box office experts predicted and overcoming some absolutely brutal reviews from critics. https://www.mediaite.com/media/no-one-saw-that-coming-hollywood-press-shocked-by-melania-trumps-box-office-performance/ USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt  said "Melania" (★½ out of four) doesn't quite work as a documentary BUT.................... clearly the woke crowd, the Hollywood types, the Trump haters who suffer TDS aren't going to be sway fans into not seeing the movie. ARE YOU GONNA GO SEE IT O...

  Bunny was listening to his driving CDs, when the theme for Hawaii 5-0 came up.  Realized that TV programs rarely make music that ends up on the radio, or elsewhere.   What music from TV or the movies do think are great stand alone music? J. P. Bunny

 I really really hope this is on the up and up. With interactions with people on the internet, you can never be sure if what we hear is real. BUT, because we have all been wondering what happened to Susan, I will repost an email I got this morning: Hi, This is Walter, Susan's step son who she mentioned live in California.  I am sorry to inform you that Susan took her life the day before Thanksgiving by locking herself in the garage with the cars running.  I can see from your communications that she trusted you and that is why I am informing you that she committed suicide.  Thank you for encouraging her to trudge along in life if her husband were to die.  I wish she would have listened to you closer.   The email did come from her email address . So, I replied with condolences and thought it best to drop this note to let you all know of her passing. To my authors who have her on their invite list, you can now remove her name.

 Ironically, this thread is inspired by a news item I ran across where a NATO leader stated publicly that Europe could not defend itself without the US. I thought to myself, is it true? Well, no, they CAN defend themselves without the US, but it's citizenry has gotten too comfortable, too entitled, too spoiled, to fight. Imagine the current generation accepting the life Brits had to live through during WWII with hiding in bomb shelters or surviving on food rations.  Ukrainians put the rest of Europe to shame.  Now, it's gotten bitterly cold. The number of kids I end up crossing in this weather has dropped to just a few. Most get driven. Even ones I know live just two blocks away. BUT why should our kids need to freeze when we can drive them? Yet, growing up, I never got driven to school and we lived more than two blocks away. Think of the protestors in Minnesota. The linking of arms and walking side by side to defy ICE is being replaced with screaming expletives at ICE ag...