Useless Conversation

[Merusk]

I am trying right now to decide if a small area of my backyard that has clearly subsided by 3+ inches in the last two days (about 3 feet across, it's a sudden little hollow in an area that was pretty much level though on a slight general slope that runs across the whole backyard) is an issue.

We haven't had any rain for 2 weeks. It's an area near where there was a huge pine tree that I had cut down about five years ago--I'm wondering if a big dead taproot has crumbled or something. No limestone or anything like that hereabouts.

Morlocks.  Get a gun.

[Furiously]

I am trying right now to decide if a small area of my backyard that has clearly subsided by 3+ inches in the last two days (about 3 feet across, it's a sudden little hollow in an area that was pretty much level though on a slight general slope that runs across the whole backyard) is an issue.

We haven't had any rain for 2 weeks. It's an area near where there was a huge pine tree that I had cut down about five years ago--I'm wondering if a big dead taproot has crumbled or something. No limestone or anything like that hereabouts.

Tremors.

[IainC]

I don't know if the hotlink from my FB feed will show up here but I currently have this lass under my desk:



She was laid out on the path outside my office and I assumed she was dead until I noticed that she was still breathing. Currently she's in a dark box with some water.

It's a female sparrowhawk which are fairly common around here.

[schild]

GG OWS.

[Cyrrex]

I don't know if the hotlink from my FB feed will show up here but I currently have this lass under my desk:



She was laid out on the path outside my office and I assumed she was dead until I noticed that she was still breathing. Currently she's in a dark box with some water.

It's a female sparrowhawk which are fairly common around here.

That thing pretty small?  My parents get birds that have slammed into their glass windowed patio all the time.  Not sure if it's just a bunch of bullshit folk-magic, but they alway taught me to pick the poor little bugger up and keep it warm between your cupped hands.  Sees to work okay (or maybe it's the simple passage of time?).  Anyway, worth a go if you aren't afraid of bird germs.

[IainC]

She's about a foot long from the top of her head to the tip of her tail feathers. She also has fearsome pinions and a pretty impressive beak so I'm in no hurry to try handling her in case she freaks out and rips me to shreds. Right now I've got her in a quiet spot under my desk with a box over her to keep her calm, I'm taking her to a bird sanctuary later this morning.

[Furiously]

It appears to be missing it's head. That might be its problem.

[Ironwood]

Damn you, I was going to say that.

[Cyrrex]

She's about a foot long from the top of her head to the tip of her tail feathers. She also has fearsome pinions and a pretty impressive beak so I'm in no hurry to try handling her in case she freaks out and rips me to shreds. Right now I've got her in a quiet spot under my desk with a box over her to keep her calm, I'm taking her to a bird sanctuary later this morning.

Heh.  Didn't know if it was more sparrow or hawk.  In any case, I think you should pick it up and give it a hug for about an hour, you giant baby.

[Merusk]

They're called sparrowhawks because they hunt smaller birds like... sparrows.

I wonder if it hit your building or it's just old. I assume the first because old birds just flop over in their nests, don't they?

Come to think of it I've never seen a dead bird that hadn't recently hit a building. Suspicious...

[Murgos]

I don't know if the hotlink from my FB feed will show up here but I currently have this lass under my desk:

It's a female sparrowhawk which are fairly common around here.

When I was in Costa Rica an Emerald Toucanette slammed into the window of the cabin I was staying in, snapping it's neck and killing itself instantly.  It was pretty disturbing.

[IainC]

Bird has gone to the sanctuary. The vet says she has a head injury that will either be entirely fine by tomorrow or if there's any internal bleeding then she'll die of a brain haemorrhage in the next few hours. If she survives then we have to collect her tomorrow and release her back where we found her.

She was a whole lot more active and mobile when it was time to go to the sanctuary compared to when I picked her up from the pavement so hopefully she was just cold and stunned herself.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Wait, you're going to have to go back to the sanctuary to get the bird and release it then?  That seems kind of odd.

I think my department is going to have a meltdown because we are (finally) changing breakroom vendors today, which means the vending machine, pop machine, water service and coffee service is being switched out.  I think the caffeine addicts of various flavors are going to explode before the new equipment arrives, and the biggest question I get is "are we still going to have .25 cent pop?!?"

[Paelos]

Is that where you hit someone in the face for 25 cents?

[RhyssaFireheart]

Ha. Ha.

No, our department subsidizes the pop/soda machine and the cost to people is only .25 cents.  Other departments have bottles of soft drinks and it's $1.50 but we get cans and pay extra so the vending price is cheap.  Bad part is that some people in other departments have discovered our machines and we've had instances of people driving to our building, coming inside and buying several cans of pop at a time, which is annoying as hell, IMO.

[Evildrider]

I'd clean your machine out for .25 cents a can.   

Although that's basically the same thing as going to the store and buying a 24 pack.

[IainC]

Wait, you're going to have to go back to the sanctuary to get the bird and release it then?  That seems kind of odd.

They are territorial apparently and need to be released back where they were found. The vet said she'd call us if the bird didn't make it and we've heard nothing all day so that's a good sign.

[Ingmar]

There's a broken slot in our (subsidized, but @ 30 cents/can) Coke machine that spits out 2 cans every time, so I talked our facilities guy into making sure that that slot is where the Cherry Coke Zero goes. 

[Rasix]

They took away our $.25 soda a while ago.  I miss it, but I just buy 12 packs now and bring them into work.  Roomie has a fridge.

Otherwise, the cheapest soda is a $1.50 bottle. 

[Xanthippe]

Goats wouldn't eat blackberry bushes, would they?  If so, I'm so renting a goat.

Yes, they will.  They'll even eat poison oak.

[Johny Cee]

Goats wouldn't eat blackberry bushes, would they?  If so, I'm so renting a goat.

Yes, they will.  They'll even eat poison oak.

This controversial remark on the eating habits of goats should obviously be moved to Politics.

 

[Xanthippe]

Goats wouldn't eat blackberry bushes, would they?  If so, I'm so renting a goat.

Yes, they will.  They'll even eat poison oak.

This controversial remark on the eating habits of goats should obviously be moved to Politics.

 

Why do you hate me so?

[murdoc]

Wait, you guys have to pay for your pop/soda?

We have fridges packed full of Coke and Pepsi products, juices, milk, water and a beer fridge on each floor. It's amazing I'm not huge.

[Bunk]

Pop cans are a $1.25 in the machine down the hall from me. 

I can however drink as much Starbucks coffee as I like all day. Oh, and we get fruit and pastries from Bread Garden brought in every Friday for the whole place.

[Viin]

We get free pop and flavored seltzer water, but have to pay $1.00 for a pack of M&Ms.

[Sky]

75¢ soda and not sure what the candy is, like 65¢ for small bars, I think.

I bring my own soda in and keep almonds, bananas and apples to munch on.

[Paelos]

Coffee, soda, tea, all free. FREEEEEEEE!

[Nebu]

My building doesn't have hot water, but I get all the free acetone, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen I can stomach!

[IainC]

Free coffee here - proper fresh ground coffee too not vending machine stuff, 60c bottles of Coke, Schwip-Schwap (a German thing that is orange and cola mixed together), mineral water and orange juice in sparkling water. We also have a beer vending machine that gives bottles of the local brew for €1.

[Johny Cee]

Coffee, soda, tea, all free. FREEEEEEEE!

We had free beer at our firm, and we still had a large stock of the hard stuff.  Between people being far better at not driving after having even one and the shift in culture, largely the alcohol was not imbibed.  Clients didn't ask for it, and it's tough to have a couple beers and try to work till 9 without falling asleep at your desk.

[Murgos]

As we are almost entirely funded by one government agency or another we have no free drinks or food.  Apparently the GAO frowns on taxpayers subsidizing fat engineers (we are a non-profit so that overhead is part of our bid, no profit means no extra cash).  To have a lab wide holiday party, for example, we would need to get specific funding for it proportionally from each of our clients (fat chance there).

We do usually get individual project level holiday parties though.  Approached separately it's not so hard to talk the Navy or NASA into a little extra funding for a little something once in a while.

[Chimpy]

We also have a beer vending machine that gives bottles of the local brew for €1.

I hate you.

[WayAbvPar]

Free soda and Starbucks/Torrefazione drip. Limited to whatever Costco stocks in bulk, so I haven't gotten Cherry Coke Zero in yet. I did successfully campaign for Coke Zero a couple of years ago, so there is hope.

[ghost]

My office has free stuff as long as I buy it.   

[Selby]

Government subsidized university == no free anything.  Our directorate does get bottled water delivered to our buildings free of charge, so that's pretty nice.  It was done in the name of our health.  The vending machines are like $1.50/soda and tend to eat your money more than anything.