Random Thought Thread

[Dngrsone]

Popcorn is a lot easier to do than a decent textured ceiling. Though I prefer textured to popcorn.

 

[jefboyardee]

I suppose it's difficult, sometimes impossible, to make a graceful descent from divine stardom to aging relic. God bless him.

Prince's former drug dealer tells how the legend spent $40,000 at a time on six-month supplies of Dilaudid pills and Fentanyl patches - highly addictive opioid pain killers - for 25 years

Prince's former drug dealer has revealed the full extent of the late-star's secret drug addiction - telling how the superstar was hooked on powerful opiates for over 25 years.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Online, the performer's long-time dealer - who asked to be named only as Doctor D - revealed the singer would spend up to $40,000 a time on six-month supplies of Dilaudid pills and Fentanyl patches - both highly addictive opioid pain killers.

Prince, who was found dead on Thursday at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was secretly cremated in an intimate ceremony at a nondescript funeral home in Minneapolis shortly after an autopsy was completed on Friday, Radar reports.​

Prince stayed awake for SIX DAYS before his death as pals fear 'dodgy doctor' prescriptions

Prince stayed awake for “154 hours straight” despite being hooked on sleep-inducing painkillers , detectives have been told.

As the star ’s family gathered at his home for a memorial 24 hours after his private cremation, his brother-in-law told how the singer had not slept for six and a half days before he was found dead in a lift.

Maurice Phillips, who is married to Tyka Nelson, the Purple Rain star’s sister and only full blood relative, said: “I was with him just last weekend.

"He worked 154 hours straight. He was a good brother-in-law.”

Friends fear he may have been overprescribed drugs by a dodgy doctor.​

 

[jefboyardee]

Why are we so bored?

It amazes me when people proclaim that they are bored. Actually, it amazes me that I am ever bored, or that any of us are. With so much to occupy us these days, boredom should be a relic of a bygone age – an age devoid of the internet, social media, multi-channel TV, 24-hour shopping, multiplex cinemas, game consoles, texting and whatever other myriad possibilities are available these days to entertain us.

Yet despite the plethora of high-intensity entertainment constantly at our disposal, we are still bored. Up to half of us are “often bored” at home or at school, while more than two- thirds of us are chronically bored at work. We are bored by paperwork, by the commute and by dull meetings. TV is boring, as is Facebook and other social media. We spend our weekends at dull parties, watching tedious films or listening to our spouses drone on about their day. Our kids are bored – bored of school, of homework and even of school holidays.

There are a number of explanations for our ennui. This, in fact, is part of the problem – we are overstimulated. The more entertained we are the more entertainment we need in order to feel satisfied . The more we fill our world with fast-moving, high-intensity, ever-changing stimulation, the more we get used to that and the less tolerant we become of lower levels.​

 

[kct1975]

Why are we so bored?

It amazes me when people proclaim that they are bored. Actually, it amazes me that I am ever bored, or that any of us are. With so much to occupy us these days, boredom should be a relic of a bygone age – an age devoid of the internet, social media, multi-channel TV, 24-hour shopping, multiplex cinemas, game consoles, texting and whatever other myriad possibilities are available these days to entertain us.

Yet despite the plethora of high-intensity entertainment constantly at our disposal, we are still bored. Up to half of us are “often bored” at home or at school, while more than two- thirds of us are chronically bored at work. We are bored by paperwork, by the commute and by dull meetings. TV is boring, as is Facebook and other social media. We spend our weekends at dull parties, watching tedious films or listening to our spouses drone on about their day. Our kids are bored – bored of school, of homework and even of school holidays.

There are a number of explanations for our ennui. This, in fact, is part of the problem – we are overstimulated. The more entertained we are the more entertainment we need in order to feel satisfied . The more we fill our world with fast-moving, high-intensity, ever-changing stimulation, the more we get used to that and the less tolerant we become of lower levels.​

Very Well thought out Rant and Very Well Written!

I completely agree with you! [emoji106]

 

[Clementine_3]

I can neither agree or disagree with your soliloquy or @kct1975's approval because I didn't read it all because I got bored.

 

[jefboyardee]

I completely agree with you!

I can neither agree or disagree with your soliloquy

Mind you, I didn't write a word of it, that would be boring. And if I tried, it sure wouldn't come out like that.

 

[Deleted User]

I think a big problem here in the UK is that as a society we are placing less importance on music and drama in schools. Music has a lot of beneficial effects, and can actually help a child's academic performance in other subjects.
And because we don't give kids the opportunities to learn to play an instrument, and make music with other people at an early age, then this only leaves a void which is filled with other mind numbing activities, like video games, mobile phone apps/texting and watching TV.
After being involved in a show like Cats last week, I realise how much young people love to do this stuff. But there's precious little going on in schools, which seem obsessed with relentless and utterly useless testing.

 

[zuben el genub]

I think a big problem here in the UK is that as a society we are placing less importance on music and drama in schools. Music has a lot of beneficial effects, and can actually help a child's academic performance in other subjects.
And because we don't give kids the opportunities to learn to play an instrument, and make music with other people at an early age, then this only leaves a void which is filled with other mind numbing activities, like video games, mobile phone apps/texting and watching TV.
After being involved in a show like Cats last week, I realise how much young people love to do this stuff. But there's precious little going on in schools, which seem obsessed with relentless and utterly useless testing.

Music and almost any of the arts will help. So can some forms of science. Example - what star was overhead when you were born and what constellation? What did the sky look like when the dinosaurs were here? What did the piece of ground I'm standing on look like 50,000 years ago?

Life sciences to identify plants and animals. Basic meteorology.

My father used to take me on long walks every weekend. He knew where to find grind holes left by the Indians when they lived there. He knew birds, how to track, and some basic astronomy and weather lore. Being a farmer, he also knew plants

Any kid (including mine) got the full treatment. Never were bored.

Best bit of WHAAT? I got was when a child's mother asked what he did that day. He said he petted a mountain lion.
The Mercury Cougars were in town, and too good to be passed up.

The problem is the standardization and compartmentilization of people. If everything is alike, it's easier to teach.
We were told we were being elite snobs since we had a telescope, binos, birding books and all kinds of musical instruments around. Almost everything educational was at least looked at to spark an interest.

Other kids didn't have it available or parents didn't care.

 

[Dngrsone]

Those in power don't want smart kids... Smart kids ask inconvenient questions. Better to have a tame, less intelligent populace who will do as you say and not question your judgement (or motives).

Standardized testing fits the bill well: set a target, teach the kids the test, everyone thinks you are pro-education without running the risk of those kids actually learning how to think for themselves.

 

[bjacks12]

The downside, of course, is those idiots then go on to support people with really bad toupees.

 

[lunatic59]

The downside, of course, is those idiots then go on to support people with really bad toupees.

Hillary wears a TOUPEE??

 

[bcrichster]

Brandy is good...but you should really try Courvoisier

I liked Brandy too, she was just too moody all the time.. [emoji41]

 

[bjacks12]

Hillary wears a TOUPEE??

 

[Bearsyzf]

You may have grown up, but not enough to drink brandy.

Brandy is only for the super mature...

And rappers

I drink it and I'm neither

 

[Gmash]

I drink it and I'm neither

Don't be modest. We all know about your mad rap skillz.

 

[bcrichster]

Don't be modest. We all know about your mad rap skillz.

Shh.. It's "Beat boxing!" [emoji41]

 

[jefboyardee]

What Was The Purpose Of ‘Popcorn’ Ceilings?...and now that the popcorn had been removed, I miss it.

And this, of all things, is about to end the business relationship of my super and me. First thing, she set out to remove the popcorn because it looks ugly. To her credit, popcorn removal is all the rage these days. But I, too late, remembered why they were popular in the first place – they were never there for the looks, the were there for the diffusion of reflected sound waves. They remove the reverberations in a room. And now I'm horrified by the results and she thinks I'm just being silly again.

The house gets listed tomorrow, a terrible way to see who's right. In this case, I have to hope I'm wrong.

 

[Kaat72]

Tomorrow the Dutch celebrate Kingsday. Party!!!
http://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/2014/04/25/no-58-kings-day-koningsdag/

(and my b-day )

 

[Dngrsone]

Have an early happy b-day wish from me, Kaat!

 

[Deleted User]

And this, of all things, is about to end the business relationship of my super and me. First thing, she set out to remove the popcorn because it looks ugly. To her credit, popcorn removal is all the rage these days. But I, too late, remembered why they were popular in the first place – they were never there for the looks, the were there for the diffusion of reflected sound waves. They remove the reverberations in a room. And now I'm horrified by the results and she thinks I'm just being silly again.

The house gets listed tomorrow, a terrible way to see who's right. In this case, I have to hope I'm wrong.

I think a similar thing we have is called 'artex' ceilings (photo below). It's where the plasterer got a bit creative, though it's debatable what artistic value it adds, and the modern trend is to go for smooth ceilings.
My parents house, which is quite old, had artex on most walls, and it wasn't neatly patterned, just random spikiness. Looked awful. It was so thick/spiky, you could actually cut yourself on it if you weren't careful

 

[jefboyardee]

the modern trend is to go for smooth ceilings.

Yep, that's the predicament I'm in, where a smooth look is more important than a sonically manageable room. I googled Artex and, like popcorn, almost all the links were about how to get rid of it.

 

[Dngrsone]

Personally, I like the texturing on my ceilings. Popcorn is so... ugly. But how do you clean a non-flat ceiling?

 

[Unforgiven]

Personally, I like the texturing on my ceilings. Popcorn is so... ugly. But how do you clean a non-flat ceiling?

Kilz

 

[Dngrsone]

Isn't that paint? I'm supposed to just paint over the dust that accumulates on my ceiling?

Sorry, sorry... that was one of my pet peeves in the Navy-- "that bulkhead is dirty; paint it and it'll look clean again" Or, you could, I don't know, going on a limb here, wash it with a sponge and some hot water?

Seriously, there are a lot of people who don't understand the properties of hot water.

 

[Unforgiven]

Isn't that paint? I'm supposed to just paint over the dust that accumulates on my ceiling?

Sorry, sorry... that was one of my pet peeves in the Navy-- "that bulkhead is dirty; paint it and it'll look clean again" Or, you could, I don't know, going on a limb here, wash it with a sponge and some hot water?

Seriously, there are a lot of people who don't understand the properties of hot water.

Well, vacuuming and dusting only go so far, but you can't scrub it, so eventually, you need to paint it.