Rater's Ridiculously Rambunctious Random Ranter #229

[Bartmanhomer]

Very saucy.

Yes. I'm adding these two dragons to my Dragondex.

[enderlord99]

A few weeks ago, I asked my mother whether the Daylight Savings system matched solar time during summer, winter, or neither. She just said "it's 'spring forward and fall back.' You should know this already!" and when I said she didn't answer the question she snapped at me. Apparently it's forbidden knowledge as to how exactly Daylight Savings started.

Please don't infract me for asking for more details. I'm not flaming or trolling. I'm legitimately asking a question. You don't have to answer it, though I'd appreciate if someone did. I intend no offense, and I really hope I'm not going about it too rudely.

[Rater202]

A few weeks ago, I asked my mother whether the Daylight Savings system matched solar time during summer, winter, or neither. She just said "it's 'spring forward and fall back.' You should know this already!" and when I said she didn't answer the question she snapped at me. Apparently, it's forbidden knowledge as to how exactly Daylight Savings started.

Please don't infract me for asking for more details. I'm not flaming or trolling. I'm legitimately asking a question. You don't have to answer it, though I'd appreciate if someone did. I intend no offense, and I really hope I'm not going about it too rudely.

1:Yourmother sounds like a not nice person.

2: If I've got the story right, Benjamin Franklin made a sarcastic comment about starting the day earlier in winter to save money on candles or lamp oil and what have you--start earlier and you have more hours of daylight--and his sarcastic comment was taken at face value.

Let this be a lesson: When you are known in your lifetime as an eccentric genius, you aren't allowed to be a wiseass anymore.

I don't know if that actually answers your question but that's the story I've been told.

[Tvtyrant]

A few weeks ago, I asked my mother whether the Daylight Savings system matched solar time during summer, winter, or neither. She just said "it's 'spring forward and fall back.' You should know this already!" and when I said she didn't answer the question she snapped at me. Apparently it's forbidden knowledge as to how exactly Daylight Savings started.

Please don't infract me for asking for more details. I'm not flaming or trolling. I'm legitimately asking a question. You don't have to answer it, though I'd appreciate if someone did. I intend no offense, and I really hope I'm not going about it too rudely.

It is an emergency measure adopted during the 1970s Energy Crisis by the US and Britain. We were lazy and didn't stop when the energy crisis did.

[enderlord99]

1:Yourmother sounds like a not nice person.

She's normally fine; I think she was just stressed out that day.

2: If I've got the story right, Benjamin Franklin made a sarcastic comment about starting the day earlier in winter to save money on candles or lamp oil and what have you--start earlier and you have more hours of daylight--and his sarcastic comment was taken at face value.

So summer is unchanged from solar, and winter is changed by one hour?

[Qwertystop]

She's normally fine; I think she was just stressed out that day.
So summer is unchanged from solar, and winter is changed by one hour?

First off, time zones are wide enough that your clock probably doesn't perfectly align 12:00 to solar noon anyway, regardless of the time of year.

But also: No. For example, the two time zones used on the east coast of the US are Eastern Standard Time and Eastern Daylight Time, and the latter is one hour ahead, as summer time. And Rater's story involving Ben Franklin is not the cause; he mentioned it in humor, but the US started observing DST in 1916 (inconsistently), standardized time-zones and daylight savings nationally in 1966, and has occasionally tweaked the rules since then.

[Peelee]

First off, time zones are wide enough that your clock probably doesn't perfectly align 12:00 to solar noon anyway, regardless of the time of year.

Indeed. I often lament that I live on the wrong side of a time zone, as there's a huge difference between Birmingham and, say, Austen, TX. Same time zone, but the light at 5pm in December is pretty honkin' different.

[Comrade]

I have a question for all y'all talking about Kerbal Space Program. I know a little about it and as somebody with a lifelong love of astronomy and space, it's definitely piqued my interest. But I'm also an extremely casual gamer, and I'm not really into games where you have to put in hours and hours before you're familiar/good enough to actually enjoy playing it-- basically I like games I can pick up and play for half an hour every now and then, and my sense is Kerbal Space Program is definitely not one of those games. Am I right about that or is it worth checking out?

[Peelee]

I have a question for all y'all talking about Kerbal Space Program. I know a little about it and as somebody with a lifelong love of astronomy and space, it's definitely piqued my interest. But I'm also an extremely casual gamer, and I'm not really into games where you have to put in hours and hours before you're familiar/good enough to actually enjoy playing it-- basically I like games I can pick up and play for half an hour every now and then, and my sense is Kerbal Space Program is definitely not one of those games. Am I right about that or is it worth checking out?

It absolutely is one of those games! Well, in my opinion, at least. If you'd like, I can share the unlisted videos I made for a friend with you. PM me for details if you're interested.

[Anonymouswizard]

It absolutely is one of those games! Well, in my opinion, at least. If you'd like, I can share the unlisted videos I made for a friend with you. PM me for details if you're interested.

To expand on this, it might take over ten hours to achieve orbit for the first time, and maybe a little longer to deorbit safely (hint: just thrust against your orbit, drop any engines below your heat shield, and check you've remembered the parachute). It'll probably take much longer to get anywhere else.

I've still not learnt how to properly discard
solid fuel boosterss without ruining the risk of explosions, I just make sure that my next stage gives me enough acceleration to get away before it's engine blows up (I think I'm maybe mounting them too high).

But that doesn't have to be in large chunks, I love booting it up, tinkering with a rocket, and having one or two goes to land on the Mün. If it's been a while I'll throw a couple of satellites into orbit first. Also the more you know about rockets the easier it'll be, I'm no Scott Manly but with a couple of pointers from a friend in aerospace managed to leap ahead in efficiency (and mostly discarded boosters for not going above orbit).

Oh, and tip: remember to pack solar panels or spare batteries, probably both when going beyond Minmus. I've not done that yet, and so really entirely on solar and inbuilt electricity storage, but either component is very easy to forget.

So yeah.

TL;DR: it is that kind of game, but it really does helps to have a basic knowledge of rocketry.

[Form]

Don't forget to tell them about the space krakens!

[factotum]

So summer is unchanged from solar, and winter is changed by one hour?

Other way round, as already mentioned. In the UK we're currently on GMT because it's winter, whereas when Summer Time is active we're on GMT+1.

I have a question for all y'all talking about Kerbal Space Program. I know a little about it and as somebody with a lifelong love of astronomy and space, it's definitely piqued my interest. But I'm also an extremely casual gamer, and I'm not really into games where you have to put in hours and hours before you're familiar/good enough to actually enjoy playing it

Blowing up Kerbals during your experimentation to find a better rocket is all sorts of fun, don't sweat it. It's also quite easy to get a rocket out of the atmosphere, it only starts to get tricky when you want it to stay up there, especially if you want to return it to the ground intact and with its occupants alive!

[Comrade]

Thanks for the info y'all!

[DataNinja]

Blowing up Kerbals during your experimentation to find a better rocket is all sorts of fun, don't sweat it. It's also quite easy to get a rocket out of the atmosphere, it only starts to get tricky when you want it to stay up there, especially if you want to return it to the ground intact and with its occupants alive!

(GLaDOS voice:) "Without the possibility for death, is it truly science?"

[Peelee]

To expand on this, it might take over ten hours to achieve orbit for the first time, and maybe a little longer to deorbit safely (hint: just thrust against your orbit, drop any engines below your heat shield, and check you've remembered the parachute).

I really hope they make sure to check they've remembered a parachute before figuring out how to deorbit.

I've still not learnt how to properly discard
solid fuel boosterss without ruining the risk of explosions, I just make sure that my next stage gives me enough acceleration to get away before it's engine blows up (I think I'm maybe mounting them too high).

At a pure guess, you have this problem in atmosphere and with wings attached to the boosters?

TL;DR: it is that kind of game, but it really does helps to have a basic knowledge of rocketry.

ahem

Blowing up Kerbals during your experimentation to find a better rocket is all sorts of fun, don't sweat it. It's also quite easy to get a rocket out of the atmosphere, it only starts to get tricky when you want it to stay up there, especially if you want to return it to the ground intact and with its occupants alive!

Rapid lithobraking is always fun.

Don't forget to tell them about the space krakens!

Those are best left discovered!

Thanks for the info y'all!

I am always happy to talk about Kerbal Space Program.

[jayem]

A few weeks ago, I asked my mother whether the Daylight Savings system matched solar time during summer, winter, or neither. She just said "it's 'spring forward and fall back.' You should know this already!" and when I said she didn't answer the question she snapped at me. Apparently it's forbidden knowledge as to how exactly Daylight Savings started.

Please don't infract me for asking for more details. I'm not flaming or trolling. I'm legitimately asking a question. You don't have to answer it, though I'd appreciate if someone did. I intend no offense, and I really hope I'm not going about it too rudely.

British Summer time is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. So in the Winter and at Greenwich, Peterborough and Hull, the time system matches Solar Time.
The way people talk about it you'd think it was the Winter which was the anomaly.

France and Spain start 1 hour ahead of Solar Time... (very few places start behind), and then spring forward again (I'm not sure when they synced up with Germany&Poland).

Basically at the end of March Daylight starts around 5:40 and sets at 6:40. For the average industrial worker this means that things are light for an hour*, then they get up and have breakfast and go to work, then as soon as they get home it's dark and they have to turn the lights on to have tea. 6:40 - 7:40, ties a lot better into a normal day.
As summer progresses this allows something after work (In June with Summer Time the sun rises at 5 and sets at 9:30, which would just about allow a weekday game of football as supposed to 4 -8:30).
We could of course change our lifestyle to do things before and after work, or decide to start work at 8 in the summer (I'm not sure why we don't).

*For comparison, In 3 men in a boat the, titular 3 middle class men agree to get up at 6:30 for an early start.
[Numbers and data via Search Engine, and sanity checked via Wiki]

[Bartmanhomer]

I'm babysitting a gold dragon hatchling today with my face mask on.

[Rawhide]

It is an emergency measure adopted during the 1970s Energy Crisis by the US and Britain. We were lazy and didn't stop when the energy crisis did.

Worse, it doesn't actually help.

[Peelee]

Worse, it doesn't actually help.

I wonder how that air conditioning statistic works. Because it's the same amount of daylight and thus the same amount of heat. I may also be a bit biased here because their studies were in the northern wastes while we keep the AC 24/7 down here in Tatooine.

[Qwertystop]

I wonder how that air conditioning statistic works. Because it's the same amount of daylight and thus the same amount of heat. I may also be a bit biased here because their studies were in the northern wastes while we keep the AC 24/7 down here in Tatooine.

People are more likely to be troubled by heat when they're up and doing things than when they're asleep and not moving much, and also will be cooling a larger portion of their house rather than just the bedroom(s). Also, if you have a job not in your home, your AC will likely be off or at least not set as cold during the hours when you're not at home, so having more daylight after you return home means more time when your house is having to maintain comfortable-awake temperatures in daylight.

[Rater202]

My mother has this bad habit of continuing to do childish Holiday things for me even when I tell her I don't want that anymore.

Easter baskets, Advent Calendars... Basically excuses to give away loads of candy.

We talked about it, and she, claiming she forgot, bought advent calendars for my brother and me this Holiday season. My brothers been doing it every day but...

In case anyone isn't aware, an advent calendar is a paper box with a holiday picture on it and compartments full of small pieces of milk chocolate, each labeled with a day from December first to either the 24th or the 25th.

A few days ago, my brother, who is terminally unable to mind his own business, bugged me about not getting into mine yet and I told him that I'd do it later.

I just never got around to it, I've been caught up in my own stuff and have a really screwed-up sleep schedule so getting up first thing in the morning just to eat a piece of chocolate isn't on the table. I just figured I'd binge it all at once on Christmas day becuase that's what I end up doing with Christmas candy anyway.

This evening, my brother, still unable to mind his own business, demanded that my mother talks to me about it(we talked about her breaking her word and doing it when she agreed not to anymore, but not but what to do with it,) and she gave the calendar she got for me to him and let him eat up to today then had us talk about it when I happened to walk out of my room.

Since he already ate half of it, and acted incredibly bitchy and entitled about the whole thing(calling me "careless and without good cheer") I just told him to take the rest of it.

So here's my problem: I didn't want the damn thing in the first place, but, it was mine and I did agree to accept it on my own terms, which wasn't good enough for my brother apparently and...

[Razade]

Worse, it doesn't actually help.

There's a reason Arizona didn't sign on to do DLS. Most of us anyway, the Navajo Nation does it but only because the parts in Utah do.

I wonder how that air conditioning statistic works. Because it's the same amount of daylight and thus the same amount of heat. I may also be a bit biased here because their studies were in the northern wastes while we keep the AC 24/7 down here in Tatooine.

*Laughs in Phoenician*

[Peelee]

People are more likely to be troubled by heat when they're up and doing things than when they're asleep and not moving much, and also will be cooling a larger portion of their house rather than just the bedroom(s). Also, if you have a job not in your home, your AC will likely be off or at least not set as cold during the hours when you're not at home, so having more daylight after you return home means more time when your house is having to maintain comfortable-awake temperatures in daylight.

Like I said, I'm biased, since those aren't really the case down here. Especially since having the A/C fluctuate usually ends up costing more in the hotter parts of the world as it tries to constantly readjust itself with the residual heat from all the surfaces in the house.

My mother has this bad habit of continuing to do childish Holiday things for me even when I tell her I don't want that anymore.

Easter baskets, Advent Calendars... Basically excuses to give away loads of candy.

We talked about it, and she, claiming she forgot, bought advent calendars for my brother and me this Holiday season. My brothers been doing it every day but...

In case anyone isn't aware, an advent calendar is a paper box with a holiday picture on it and compartments full of small pieces of milk chocolate, each labeled with a day from December first to either the 24th or the 25th.

A few days ago, my brother, who is terminally unable to mind his own business, bugged me about not getting into mine yet and I told him that I'd do it later.

I just never got around to it, I've been caught up in my own stuff and have a really screwed-up sleep schedule so getting up first thing in the morning just to eat a piece of chocolate isn't on the table. I just figured I'd binge it all at once on Christmas day becuase that's what I end up doing with Christmas candy anyway.

This evening, my brother, still unable to mind his own business, demanded that my mother talks to me about it(we talked about her breaking her word and doing it when she agreed not to anymore, but not but what to do with it,) and she gave the calendar she got for me to him and let him eat up to today then had us talk about it when I happened to walk out of my room.

Since he already ate half of it, and acted incredibly bitchy and entitled about the whole thing(calling me "careless and without good cheer") I just told him to take the rest of it.

So here's my problem: I didn't want the damn thing in the first place, but, it was mine and I did agree to accept it on my own terms, which wasn't good enough for my brother apparently and...

So there's a couple of thoughts here. First, your mother clearly gets happiness from doing this, and generally, accepting the gift honors the gifter; it costs nothing to thank her when she does and then ask your brother if he'd like second breakfast more candy, or see if your friends would want some, or just toss it in the trash. I understand that you don't want it, but it doesn't hurt you to accept it. So while I'm not going to pass any judgement here, I would recommend accepting it because that adds more happiness to the world, even if only to your mother.

As for your brother getting it... it sounds like when you talked to her, you told her you didn't want them (in general). It's not an unexpected reaction for her to then give it to someone else who clearly does want it. Your brother was definitely offputting in his reaction to you, but attaching strings to accept a gift from your mother which is inexpensive, does not intrude on you in any way, and... you know what, let's not dance around it, refusing to accept a box of once-a-day chocolates unless it's "on your own terms" is probably not something that's going to entice them to entertain you. You said you'd accept it on your own terms, which means she is perfectly in her rights to reject your terms and give it to your brother. Your mother could have been more considerate and respected your wishes (even if she forgot, which I see no reason to question, she could have given it to your brother once you reminded her), but overall she didn't do anything terribly wrong. At absolute worst, a minor transgression.

There's a reason Arizona didn't sign on to do DLS. Most of us anyway, the Navajo Nation does it but only because the parts in Utah do.



*Laughs in Phoenician*

Arizona's heat isn't the killer, its the absolute lack of humidity. Like being in an oven, I tells ya. [/unpopularopinion]

[Razade]

It's the heat. When you're 110+ for seven weeks in a row, it doesn't matter how humid it is or not. It also gets humid in Phoenix. We have a Monsoon season.

[Peelee]

Phoenix

I fear no man. But that thing? It scares me.

[Bartmanhomer]

I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier in this thread. It was totally out of line.

So anyway I'm so happy today. As I mention I got my two new glasses.

[Rater202]

So there's a couple of thoughts here. First, your mother clearly gets happiness from doing this, and generally, accepting the gift honors the gifter; it costs nothing to thank her when she does and then ask your brother if he'd like second breakfast more candy, or see if your friends would want some, or just toss it in the trash. I understand that you don't want it, but it doesn't hurt you to accept it. So while I'm not going to pass any judgement here, I would recommend accepting it because that adds more happiness to the world, even if only to your mother.

As for your brother getting it... it sounds like when you talked to her, you told her you didn't want them (in general). It's not an unexpected reaction for her to then give it to someone else who clearly does want it. Your brother was definitely offputting in his reaction to you, but attaching strings to accept a gift from your mother which is inexpensive, does not intrude on you in any way, and... you know what, let's not dance around it, refusing to accept a box of once-a-day chocolates unless it's "on your own terms" is probably not something that's going to entice them to entertain you. You said you'd accept it on your own terms, which means she is perfectly in her rights to reject your terms and give it to your brother. Your mother could have been more considerate and respected your wishes (even if she forgot, which I see no reason to question, she could have given it to your brother once you reminded her), but overall she didn't do anything terribly wrong. At absolute worst, a minor transgression.

So here's the issue here, a course of events that I should have included.

1: Every year, Christmas, Valentines, Easter, mother buys candy for me and my brother--every year, no matter what I say, and every year I accept it and I eat the candy because she says it's fine but it's obvious that she's not.

2: Timeline Beginning of the month: Advent calendars are purchased. I note that there are two but I am not told that one of them is mine, so I shrug it off.

Several days ago: My brother complains to me that I am not eating mine, I tell him I'll get into it later.

Later that day, I ask my mother about it, she confirms that it's mine, and we talk about it but we don't really settle on anything or discuss what to do with the one that has already been purchased.

I never get around to getting into it, days pass.

This evening: My brother, without my knowledge, confronted my mother and demanded that she make me get into the damn advent calendar, that she talk to me about it, becuase my brother can't help but get into other people's business. My mother gave him the advent calendar, he ate 13 pieces, and only then did she talk to me and ask me if I was going to take it or not.

3: My brother has a history of this kind of thing: He demands that I like the things he likes and do what he does and care about what he doesn't care about, even though he's the little brother. If anyone disagrees with him, they're automatically wrong. He eats all his candy ASAP and gets mad at me for not doing the same.

Back in middle school, he once stole my stash of candy--including valentines candy given to me by an aunt that came to visit from far away during February(he was given the same amount of the same candy and ate his own share when he got it)--and ate it all in one sitting to punish me for something he never really elaborated on, just that it was to punish me.

Back in July, I received a couple of used videogames for my birthday. I have an X-Box ONE and I don't really get video games often so there are often hours and hours of updates to install before I can get to playing new games, so I was waiting for a day when I knew for a fact I'd be able to sit there and monitor my setup for a full day in case a problem came up. He did not buy the games for me, but kept bugging me to try them immediately in case they were broken and needed to exchanged--I don't do that. Even if it's broken or something I don't want or need I keep every gift I'm given because it's a gift, and regardless it's really none of his business.

There's more, but this is just what comes to mind right now.

My mother has never really done anything to punish my brother for anything, or correct his poor behavior. He's lower functioning than I am, but that's really no excuse for behaviors that he should have been taught were not okay years ago.

[LaZodiac]

I think ultimately the issue here is Rater, why do you not want the free chocolate gifts?

[Mystic Muse]

I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier in this thread. It was totally out of line.

So anyway I'm so happy today. As I mention I got my two new glasses.

I think people were more concerned about your behavior in your youtube video.

The subsequent reaction in the thread obviously wasn't great, but the initial video was the real problem.

[Rater202]

I think ultimately the issue here is Rater, why do you not want the free chocolate gifts?

It's not about the chocolate, it's about the principle of the matter, my brother acted entitled and bossy about it, we talked it out, and then he went behind my back to try and get my mother to berate me.