Useless Conversation

[voodoolily]

What's a thermal blind?

Bought some Peppermint Extract today and tried various mixtures. Succeeded in getting the smell but not the taste. Didn't work with coffee either. Trying next with a Latte and some baking chocolate.

I prefer Rumpelminz and hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. Tastes like a snow day!

[stray]

I've moved on to mostly tea. Coffee only occasionally. Irish tea being the best! Afaik there is no whiskey involved though.

[Cheddar]

edit. You need to bring out the Christmas Strazos Avatard.  Its the holidays!

Like when I'm not spending an hour telling some latecomer to a meeting that Yes, we can do classified in this room if we follow these rules.

No, I know the room is not cleared, by default.

No, that doesn't mean we can't do it.

(FFS) I've had multiple briefings with security, they ok'd it...What's that, you don't believe me?

Let me do my job, plzkthx. (Sorry, venting)

This humors me.  Especially considering our conversations not too long ago.  Welcome to the guberment.

[Soln]

So apparently there's snow headed to WA state this weekend.  I will get groceries and stay home to await the inevitable chaos.   

This comes from someone who grew up shovelling driveways in CDN where we were kept home from school only when "the buses can't get out."  So yeah, a wee bit more snow.

[Sky]

Last two mornings I've been able to run the snowblower, woohoo! Actually able to kick the FJ into 4WD for some of the ride into work, too. They're slacking on plowing today.

[WayAbvPar]

So apparently there's snow headed to WA state this weekend.  I will get groceries and stay home to await the inevitable chaos.   

This comes from someone who grew up shovelling driveways in CDN where we were kept home from school only when "the buses can't get out."  So yeah, a wee bit more snow.

At least it will be warmer? It is fucking COLD right now. I don't mind snow on the weekend. It is just when it starts fucking up my commute that I have a problem. Or I have to dig out my driveway to have a $2k water heater installed 

[Murgos]

Red Doritos are 85 cents, blue Doritos are $1.00.  Discuss.

[Brogarn]

I don't mind snow on the weekend. It is just when it starts fucking up my commute that I have a problem. Or I have to dig out my driveway to have a $2k water heater installed 

What pisses me off about the weather are all the asshats that have lived here their entire lives (upstate NY) but still don't have an extra set of winter tires and leave at the same time they did when it was warm out so they end up trying to drive fast on shitty tires in bad weather.

I don't care that it was a run on sentence. I'm irked! I was born and raised in sunny southern California yet I'm apparently 50 times smarter about driving in the weather than the locals. I mean ffs it's easy! Good tires! Leave early! Drive carefully! TA-DA! I made it to fucking work and didn't end up in a ditch like the two assholes I saw on my way in this morning.

/rant

[Sky]

I had four people pull out in front of me on snowy roads the other day. Luckily I knew they were going to do it (I'm good at spotting bad drivers at a distance). My favorite was the one that pull out in front of me (with no traffic behind me) so he could then stop to wait for traffic so he could make a left onto an alley. Then a half block later a guy cut in front of me, he was making a left without a signal, blowing a stop sign. I love the first day of snow, it really reminds you how many fucking retards you are surrounded by. Kinda like a visit to walmart, but with slabs of hurtling death.

I'd be afraid of the snow that would be able to fuck up my commute.

[Cyrrex]

People tend to behave opposite of what they should do when snow is in play.  When a few flakes are falling down but it isn't even remotely slippery or dangerous yet, everyone slows to an annoying crawl (better safe than sorry, but it still annoys me).  But then in blizzard conditions with a sheet of ice covering the pavement, they all begin driving like maniacs.  WTF?

[Segoris]

People tend to behave opposite of what they should do when snow is in play.  When a few flakes are falling down but it isn't even remotely slippery or dangerous yet, everyone slows to an annoying crawl (better safe than sorry, but it still annoys me).  But then in blizzard conditions with a sheet of ice covering the pavement, they all begin driving like maniacs.  WTF?

I always chalked that up to the people who were driving slow before just don't go out in blizzards because of the whole better safe then sorry attitude. Meanwhile, the people who do drive like jagoffs are all that remain on the road and thus that much higher % of them on road and that much more noticeable. From that point on it's a chain reaction as they keep trying to out-dumbfuck each other by driving worse then the next person.

[nurtsi]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

[Cyrrex]

Gadzukes!  That doesn't sound fun.  I can't imagine anything more terrible than that, and I don't even know what procedure you're going to have.

Oops, I mean...I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake.  No problem at all!

[Signe]

Good luck, Nurtsi.  And blueberries! 

[rattran]

Good luck, I drove a friend to/from one of those laser-type eye surgery things a couple years ago. They had a live close-up of his eye surgery on the monitor in the waiting room, it was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. Then they gave him a copy of the video. ugh

On an unrelated note, my prepaid cell phone is starting to suck hard, and I need to get a real plan. Looking online, seems no one does a cell phone plan just for talking anymore.

[JWIV]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

Good lulck with it!  If it's Lasik, my wife had it done a few years ago and still swears by it.

[stray]

Good luck, I drove a friend to/from one of those laser-type eye surgery things a couple years ago. They had a live close-up of his eye surgery on the monitor in the waiting room, it was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. Then they gave him a copy of the video. ugh

On an unrelated note, my prepaid cell phone is starting to suck hard, and I need to get a real plan. Looking online, seems no one does a cell phone plan just for talking anymore.

I usually use att, but i have a second verizon number that's prepaid. Works fine for me. If I call a number, I get no additional charges if I call the same number all day for the next 24 hours. I don't use SMS much with it, but it just charges some cents per text message if I do. It's not a part of the default plan. [edit] Oh, the complaints are about the phone. Well my phone is alright. It's a cheapo Samsung. If I talk to French girls, there are terrible problems. Otherwise, you can hear them clearly.

[Segoris]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

Good luck.

On an unrelated note, my prepaid cell phone is starting to suck hard, and I need to get a real plan. Looking online, seems no one does a cell phone plan just for talking anymore.

Almost every carrier has a plan for ~$30-40/month for just talk packages. Of course then there's carriers like Cricket Mobile who do $25/month for unlimited talk and text. If you've been on prepaid this whole time, I'm guessing this would probably be good enough for the (assumed) limited amount you use it. I know of 3 people in the Chicagoland who use them for light cell phone usage with little travel so far and have nothing but good things to say about it so far.

[rattran]

It's the plan not the phone, and I travel around the country 6 months of the year or so. So none of the small providers really work.

I'll figure something out. Tin cans and string maybe.

[Yegolev]

Red Doritos are 85 cents, blue Doritos are $1.00.  Discuss.

People with no taste are also bad with money.

In other news, I'm starting to assimilate a following.

[Cyrrex]

Red Doritos are 85 cents, blue Doritos are $1.00.  Discuss.

People with no taste are also bad with money.

In other news, I'm starting to assimilate a following.

Hey, we might troll you sometimes, but that doesn't give you the right to call us followers.

And blue Doritos are more expensive due to being more versatile.  They go better with salsa, obviously.

[Yegolev]

[Signe]

Red Doritos are 85 cents, blue Doritos are $1.00.  Discuss.

In other news, I'm starting to assimilate a following.

Why?  How?  Are you eating them?  Absorbing them?  Are they changing into something just like you?  I don't understand!!

[Ironwood]

Life Sucks.  Men are Scum.  Women are Whores.

More news as events warrant.

[Yegolev]

In other news, I'm starting to assimilate a following.

Why?  How?  Are you eating them?  Absorbing them?  Are they changing into something just like you?  I don't understand!!

They want to be like me.  At the moment.

[HaemishM]

Life Sucks.  Men are Scum.  Women are Whores.

More news as events warrant.

That did not sound good, even coming from a Scot.

[Signe]

It doesn't really sound very good, does it?  But then, Scots do specialise in cynical hopelessness at the best of times.  It must be something in the deep fried batter.

[stray]

Life Sucks.  Men are Scum.  Women are Whores.

More news as events warrant.

Enjoy

Hey, it's better than posting lyrics.  

[Nerf]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

I had LASIK done about 2 years ago, and it was easily the best thing I have ever done for myself.  The valium they gave me did /nothing/ going into the surgery, I was just too damned nervous, 5 minutes after the procedure I was out like a light.  I was 20/30 the next day, and 20/15 about 3 weeks out, which I have retained.  The only thing I'm still not used to is things like smoke bothering my eyes - the contacts provided some sort of buffer I suppose so smoke from cooking/bbqing/smoking never bothered me if it got in my eyes, it stings like a bitch now.

No halos, minor starbursting (that I had before anyways), and it was pretty much pain-free.  I did get a stye on my left lower eyelid, but those can be prevented by putting a warm towel over your eyes for a few minutes every day in the days that you're not allowed to touch/wash your eyes/eye area.

Good luck, keep everyone updated, I would do it again in a heartbeat if my eyes starting going bad again.

[SnakeCharmer]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

Heh.  I'm getting a vasectomy in 4 weeks.

I'm freaking terrified.

[Signe]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

Heh.  I'm getting a vasectomy in 4 weeks.

I'm freaking terrified.

Fear is good for you.  It builds character.  I'm afraid of nearly everything so I must be bursting with character.  Or maybe it just builds neurotic personalities.  No matter.  I'm sure a vasectomy is nowhere near as horrendous as the maiming that most American boys suffer right after being born!  I guess it's a good thing that humans have such selective memories.  Wouldn't want to remember that. Anyway, I really do hope everything goes well for Nurtsi's eyes and your bits.  You probably won't remember it.

[Salamok]

Going to get eye surgery tomorrow. I'm not nervous yet.

Heh.  I'm getting a vasectomy in 4 weeks.

I'm freaking terrified.

If you lived in Austin you could go to Dr. Dick Chopp for this!

[nurtsi]

First morning after the FemtoLasik surgery. I have quite a bit of crust in my eyes and I can't wash them or rub them (no water in the eyes for two days). Rubbing is a no-no for two months. I can see a lot better without glasses than I used to, but things are still a bit blurry. I can't see shit with my glasses anymore :) For some reason, it's hard to focus my eyes on this gray on black here at F13. I can read black on white a lot easier.

As for the surgery itself, they told me many people say it's worse to go to the dentist than it is to get Lasik. Let's just say I've been to the dentist that was not this bad.

The thing starts with the pre-surgery tests that are pretty standard fare. They took some 3D images of the surface of my eye, checked the eye pressure and did something called wavefront analysis. I got to see cool pictures of my eye. One thing that suprised me was that they can actually measure your sight automatically with a machine. It felt like it shot short bursts of air into your eye and took about 5 seconds. They still use it only as a guide and trust the traditional "can you see the number on the wall" test more. After some consultation with the doctor, I was off to the surgery.

The actual operation started with me getting few different drops in my eye. Then I had to wear the cool hat that covers your hair. Now, at this point I was not nervous at all, so I decided to skip the Diapam they offered. Then they put me on the operating table under a machine with a ring of bright lights and covered my left eye with a shield. Then came the nasty part. First, they taped my eyelashes to my forehead which was unpleasant but after that they put the thing that keeps you from closing your eyes in and that actually hurt a bit. Think Clockwork Orange.

Then it was laser time. They took this small thing and pressed it against my eye pretty hard. It has a vacuum and it sucks at your eye from what I overheard the operators talking. I lost my sight at this point. Then it just felt like bursts of air as the laser cut a flap on my cornea. This took about 25 seconds. After that, the doctor removed the machine and my sight returned, but it was really blurry. Then he lifted the flap of with something and my sight went even more blurry. I was told to look a green spot above me and then the other laser did the actual remodeling of my eye. This time there was no machine involved that I could see, the laser just came from somewhere. I smelt something burning, but this took only 7 seconds or so. After that, the doctor folded the flap back into place and dried my eye with a small cloth. Then they removed the Clockwork Orange apparatus and the tape from my eye lashes and put the shield from my left eye to my right eye. Then the procedure repeated for the left eye.

All in all, the surgery took something like ten minutes. Thank god for the nurses that hold your hand during the operation. After the operation, I went to rest in a darkened room for a bit, with nurses giving me more eye drops every once in a while. One check with the doctor where I could already see good enough to drive a car and I could leave. They told me it takes around two weeks for the sight to fully stabilize. Now I'm using eye drops every few hours for the first week and moisturizing eye drops for six months.

[stray]

I have a slight astigmatism, and I heard it's the most successful with that. I've thought about it over the years (well, my eyes started screwing up about 10 years ago), but I've grown to like glasses actually. Just another excuse to "accessorize". I've never bothered with contacts either. Good luck on a full restoration though!

[Selby]

I have a slight astigmatism, and I heard it's the most successful with that.

Yes, the wavefront analysis can actually tell whether you have an astigmatism or not, even very slight.  It said I had an extremely slight one, and he would correct it anyways.  20\15 after 3 years, so I can't complain at all.  No complications whatsoever either.

The hardest part about it was going to the doctor for all of the pre-op consultations.  I think it ended up being 6 hours over 3 different visits as the doctor was very particular about doing everything right and knowing everything he could about your eyes.  Can't argue with the results though.