Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

We know where Guinness tankers go.

 

[beans-on-toast]

What laws apply in space?

When you're in the air you are technically not on planet earth. How high up and where international space begins and laws apply is debatable. Some countries claim 50km, others 100km.

People are already buying planets even though they have no right to sell them: Who Owns The Planet Mars - Planet Mars - BuyMars.com

 

[GwenOnBass]

In all my travels I'd say space begins beyond the Oort Cloud. Everything this side of it is on the local transit system. Things are getting lax. Used to be a computer didn't mind breaking a few rules to take humanoids to Jupiter.

 

[René_Julien]

I can't say but your sister and ex seemed to have a "friendly" breakup so that could make a difference.

Not exactly. He is a doofus that cheated on my sister while she was pregnant. But my sister handled it maturely and he didn't contested anything. And he better would have not. The doofus just wanted to be gone, and we thought that would be a great solution. Doofus fails to even pay child support.

The kids barely remember him. On the one hand it's good that he is out of their lives, on the other hand everyone wants to know who their biological father is.

My sister's new husband is a great guy.

 

[René_Julien]

One thing I always found hilarious was seeing the owner/driver of one of those 6-figure cars self-pumping cheap, unbranded gas into it. I spent 10 years in the oil industry. As bad as some of that was, I learned to NEVER buy garbage (unbranded) gas. I'll spare you the details, but there are several good reasons.

So, I hold my nose, close my eyes, wrap both hands around my credit card, and buy branded gas.

Yup, I work on motorcycles and scooters and most of the problems regarding injection and carburetors is due to tanking cheap gas.

I even hear that from car garages... on any brand of car.

An I also find it hilarious that people who buy a 36000€ Gold Wing pump cheap gas. I don't know if it is to save a couple of cents per liter, or it's just that those pumps are more convenient on their route, and maybe they have tank cards for particular brands issued to them.

 

[SoulReflection]

Not exactly. He is a doofus that cheated on my sister while she was pregnant. But my sister handled it maturely and he didn't contested anything. And he better would have not. The doofus just wanted to be gone, and we thought that would be a great solution. Doofus fails to even pay child support.

The kids barely remember him. On the one hand it's good that he is out of their lives, on the other hand everyone wants to know who their biological father is.

My sister's new husband is a great guy.

Ouch on the child support. Hopefully there are laws there that will make him pay.

 

[René_Julien]

2 - return to earth.

Make me!

 

[Deleted member 268085]

Yes, and I don't know why but unbranded stations seem to be shut down more often. I believe the branded ones have better maintenance, even though they seem to be regulated by the same authority. Maybe it's just me...

Just a head's up on gasoline in general. Additives are added in market, not at the refinery. Your unbranded gas station may have Shell one day, Chevron the next. Same gas that you buy at a Shell or Chevron station? Nope. No additives. They buy whatever they can get when their tanks get near empty. There's a grocery chain gas station in Colorado that has a separate additives pump next to the gas pump. Costs over $2/fill to add it.

And regular gas can be garbage gas. When filling storage tanks from a pipeline, the interface (mixed product, say gas and kerosene (jet fuel)) where the products interface in the pipe gets routed to regular gas (gotta go somewhere). So, when you see a little light blue smoke instead of white coming from the exhaust, that's the "contaminent".

 

[René_Julien]

Ouch on the child support. Hopefully there are laws there that will make him pay.

Eh, there are laws going after him, but it's not worth the bother. Don't worry, children are spoiled rotten. New stepfather is there, then there is also me and their grandparents.
We're never sure where doofus is residing to get a hold of him.

We're actually glad he doesn't pay, that means he also doesn't come and mess up their lives.

 

[René_Julien]

Just a head's up on gasoline in general. Additives are added in market, not at the refinery. Your unbranded gas station may have Shell one day, Chevron the next. Same gas that you buy at a Shell or Chevron station? Nope. No additives. They buy whatever they can get when their tanks get near empty. There's a grocery chain gas station in Colorado that has a separate additives pump next to the gas pump. Costs over $2/fill to add it.

And regular gas can be garbage gas. When filling storage tanks from a pipeline, the interface (mixed product, say gas and kerosene (jet fuel)) where the products interface in the pipe gets routed to regular gas (gotta go somewhere). So, when you see a little light blue smoke instead of white coming from the exhaust, that's the "contaminent".

My father used to own a gas station.

He said that all the tankers fill up at the same refineries in Antwerp. It's just that the top brands get first filled when the refinery tanks are full, the cheap brands get the last out of those storage tanks that might not be optimal fuel. Something about the refinery process and what storage does.

 

[Deeper Texan]

Here are some travel tips:

- Driving with the sun in your face in the early morning or late afternoon is a problem. In the mornings only travel west. In the afternoons, only travel east.
- Time zone changes and jet lag can be a problem. To avoid this, only travel north and south.

I have other travel tips like this but I can't promise they will be this good.

If you can't avoid traveling East in the AM, or West in the PM, just drive in reverse.

 

[GwenOnBass]

There are times and places where someone is going to say "put up or shut up" out loud or not. And I've been making all kinds of noise about air travel and good old ORD

and there it is. I'm on my way to visit Chicago come July, and it's really good

 

[the harp unstrung]

and there it is...
We're on our way to visit my 2 sisters in Colorado in July!!

And It's Really Good!

 

[Bushmaster]

Some animals prefer to go out into the woods to rest when they know that their time is near. Like you said, a last gesture of kindness to spare you the grief.

In some cultures humans do that, too (if they are able to, that is). It may be understood as the first steps of a journey that lies ahead of them.

In some cultures, the dead were disposed in the wilderness. At times, it was considered an auspicious sign if their remains were eaten by animals within a few days. Marking something like a return to nature.

I don't think this spares surviving relatives any pain.

In my younger days I, too, thought if I sensed my time has come, I'd go to some very serious place to await death. These days I'd no longer be able to, and in a way it also doesn't matter any longer.

 

[René_Julien]

Marking something like a return to nature.

I don't know if it was Neil Degrasse Tyson or Stephen Fry who said it, but it was something about wanting to be buried without a coffin or clothes in the wild. So that nature can feed of the human body the same way we fed off of nature.

I'd like that.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I'll take cremation after donating what parts I can. We are stardust...and we've got to get ourselves back to the garden.

 

[the harp unstrung]

I don't know if it was Neil Degrasse Tyson or Stephen Fry who said it, but it was something about wanting to be buried without a coffin or clothes in the wild. So that nature can feed of the human body the same way we fed off of nature.

I'd like that.

I'd like that, too...but the paperwork is done, and my family is prepared.

I've opted to donate my body to a school of medicine.
Young Doctors-To-Be can look around in there and learn.

It precludes donating organs to individuals, but it might come in handy if the youngsters ever bump into a patient with one ginormous kidney who smoked for 40 yrs... has battled peripheral neuropathy for 20+ yrs, and who needs hearing aids ( fo sho!).

The medical school cuts you up for up to a year, then cremates the remains, and invites all the families to come to a memorial, where they give the ashes back to the kin.

I told our son that I want him to jump the fence and throw a handful of ashes behind 2nd base at Wrigley Field...he said 'Daddy, I'm not going to JAIL for ya!"

 

[SoulReflection]

I don't know if it was Neil Degrasse Tyson or Stephen Fry who said it, but it was something about wanting to be buried without a coffin or clothes in the wild. So that nature can feed of the human body the same way we fed off of nature.

I'd like that.

Well, personally, I don't know about that. I want to go the way of the Vikings and some First Nations, here. I do not want to take up some space in a plot of land or contribute to potential hazmat problems. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust is fine by me. I now look forward to a happier topic .

 

[gtmalone]

Sitting on the patio watching and listening to the rain and two ducks that just flew over. Pretty nice, no wind. Supposed to have tstorms later. Rain is picking up. Need more coffee.

 

[René_Julien]

Well, personally, I don't know about that. I want to go the way of the Vikings and some First Nations, here. I do not want to take up some space in a plot of land or contribute to potential hazmat problems. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust is fine by me. I now look forward to a happier topic .

There should be a service where you can sign up: so that in the last 10 years of your life expectancy they come to kill you in climactic and creative ways.

So one day, you don't know when, your weary old bones are sitting on a terrace, drinking some ice tea. Then suddenly a knight on horseback appears. He unsheathes his swords and swiftly beheads you.

Imagine your grandchildren on the playground the day after. "Dude, dude, dude! You'll never guess what happened to my grampa!"


edit: sorry, replied to the wrong person. @Bushmaster made a beautiful post about how people in other cultures went of to die. And here I am ruining it with my dark sense of humour.