Out of the Blue

Happy Groundhog Day, the annual celebration of Woodchuck weather reports as well as the repeated chance to punch Ned right in his needle-nose. I've gone on a lot lately about the cold and gloom surrounding the BlueTower, where the pond hasn't thawed since it froze a month ago. So I'm eager for good news in the very exact science of foretelling the end of winter. If Punxsutawney Phil is indeed the paper of record in this area, then it's bad news, because in seeing his shadow, he's dashing hopes spring will arrive early, and setting our expectations for six more weeks of nastiness. On the other hand, "In the 10 annual predictions from 2013 to 2022, Punxsutawney Phil was less accurate with his weather predications than flipping a coin would have been. He was right four times in that period -- 2020, 2016, 2014 and 2013 -- and was incorrect in the six other instances." If I'm looking for more optimism, far closer to here than Punxsutawney, PA is Staten Island, where Staten Island Chuck is calling for an early spring. And according to that article, Chuck (and/or his replacement) is much better at this than his better-publicized rival: "Chuck has an 85% accuracy rate, higher than his more famous counterpart Punxsutawney Phil who has a 39% accuracy rate."

Accurate Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.

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13.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 3, 2025, 20:22
Jivaro
 
13.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 3, 2025, 20:22
Feb 3, 2025, 20:22
 Jivaro
 
glitch in the matrix. deleted.
Avatar 55841
12.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 3, 2025, 18:54
12.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 3, 2025, 18:54
Feb 3, 2025, 18:54
 
Feels like a glitch in the Matrix but "Happy Groundhog day!"
Don't ever change Blue
Avatar 58853
11.
 
Re: Deciphering Ancient Indus Valley Script Could Earn You $1 Million
Feb 3, 2025, 18:47
11.
Re: Deciphering Ancient Indus Valley Script Could Earn You $1 Million Feb 3, 2025, 18:47
Feb 3, 2025, 18:47
 
I'm guessing the translation of that ancient tablet says something along the lines of:
"Hello, we've been trying to reach you regarding your chariot's extended warranty!"
Avatar 13545
10.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 3, 2025, 13:33
10.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 3, 2025, 13:33
Feb 3, 2025, 13:33
 
WarPig wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 21:27:
jdreyer wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 19:34:
Update on my phone connectivity issues. Neither of my phones supports wifi calling, so it looks like I'm back to the booster to get a good signal.

This probably won't apply to you in the least, but just in case, I have a fairly weird story about mobile connectivity.

Back in 2022, when my old Galaxy-5 got old enough that it wouldn't run most apps, I replaced it with a Pixel 6. I also wanted to replace Verizon because of costs, so I signed up for Mint Mobile, which uses the T-Mobil network. Well, I couldn't get reception at home or at work. It turned out that someone at work had also just bought a Pixel 6 and he was using Google Fi, and it worked fine. We put our phones side by side and it was obvious that Mint Mobile just wasn't working. Here's the weird thing though (to me, anyway)... Google Fi also uses the T-Mobile network, but the difference was night and day. I ended up switching to Google Fi, and have been mostly happy - especially at less than $30 a month.

Anyway, it sounds like you simply live in a "hole" and there's not much you can do about it - my house is at the base of a hill, which is probably why I have fairly crappy service. I'm betting you've already checked out all the different carrier's connectivity maps, or maybe your phone is tied to a certain carrier, but if not, maybe you can ask anyone who comes to your house (including delivery drivers, etc.) whether or not they're getting any service. Maybe you'll get lucky.

I have an issue with my Pixel 6 losing cellular connectivity after a few days and requiring a reboot. It's on T- Mobile and the store tech recommended disabling 5G. He said if it works reliably on 4G, then it's probably a bad SIM card, and I should exchange it. Sure enough, that solved problem - it's been rock solid for 3 months. I've been too lazy to go back and swap the SIM, and frankly, 5G coverage around here is so thin, it hasn't been important to me.
"I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes."
- Joanna Maciejewska
Avatar 22380
9.
 
Re: Morning Legal Briefs
Feb 2, 2025, 23:56
9.
Re: Morning Legal Briefs Feb 2, 2025, 23:56
Feb 2, 2025, 23:56
 
Speaking of air traffic controllers...
The FAA's Hiring Scandal: A Quick Overview
Avatar 58068
8.
 
Re: The Federal Funding Freeze Will Cause Lasting Damage to Medical Research - WIRED
Feb 2, 2025, 21:40
Jim
8.
Re: The Federal Funding Freeze Will Cause Lasting Damage to Medical Research - WIRED Feb 2, 2025, 21:40
Feb 2, 2025, 21:40
Jim
 
Cutter wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 17:15:
If you take a look at the programs being frozen - and not just medical - it's long overdue. They're not being canceled, they're being frozen until they get some actual oversight as to the benefit to the taxpayer. Many of these programs overlap, are wasteful, not properly vetted, unnecessary etc. and you're talking about 100s of billions of dollars a year here. And most of this research being done at private universities have endowments large enough to fund their own research. Every taxpayer should want their government to constantly be scrutinizing where their money is going.
I get it, they carefully reviewed the list of agencies to be shut down, then used AI to generate the documents. Like the air traffic controllers which has been understaffed for years received notices to take a severance package and look for "productive" jobs. The same day of the crash. Air travel is the safest method of travel in the US. I guess safety will no longer matter in a world based only on productivity.
7.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 2, 2025, 21:27
WarPig
 
7.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 2, 2025, 21:27
Feb 2, 2025, 21:27
 WarPig
 
jdreyer wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 19:34:
Update on my phone connectivity issues. Neither of my phones supports wifi calling, so it looks like I'm back to the booster to get a good signal.

This probably won't apply to you in the least, but just in case, I have a fairly weird story about mobile connectivity.

Back in 2022, when my old Galaxy-5 got old enough that it wouldn't run most apps, I replaced it with a Pixel 6. I also wanted to replace Verizon because of costs, so I signed up for Mint Mobile, which uses the T-Mobil network. Well, I couldn't get reception at home or at work. It turned out that someone at work had also just bought a Pixel 6 and he was using Google Fi, and it worked fine. We put our phones side by side and it was obvious that Mint Mobile just wasn't working. Here's the weird thing though (to me, anyway)... Google Fi also uses the T-Mobile network, but the difference was night and day. I ended up switching to Google Fi, and have been mostly happy - especially at less than $30 a month.

Anyway, it sounds like you simply live in a "hole" and there's not much you can do about it - my house is at the base of a hill, which is probably why I have fairly crappy service. I'm betting you've already checked out all the different carrier's connectivity maps, or maybe your phone is tied to a certain carrier, but if not, maybe you can ask anyone who comes to your house (including delivery drivers, etc.) whether or not they're getting any service. Maybe you'll get lucky.
Avatar 1750
6.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 2, 2025, 20:08
6.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 2, 2025, 20:08
Feb 2, 2025, 20:08
 
HoundGrog Day sounds perfect to me so long as I can substitute iced tea in for beer.

I'm sorry to hear that about your phones. I hope you have better luck than I did with one. Just remember to put it on a UPS in case of an emergency so you'll still get reception.
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.

“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
Avatar 21247
5.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 2, 2025, 19:34
5.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 2, 2025, 19:34
Feb 2, 2025, 19:34
 
Update on my phone connectivity issues. Neither of my phones supports wifi calling, so it looks like I'm back to the booster to get a good signal.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
4.
 
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild
Feb 2, 2025, 19:14
4.
Re: OotB: Groundhog Wild Feb 2, 2025, 19:14
Feb 2, 2025, 19:14
 
Proposing we rename this day to HoundGrog Day, and celebrate it by drinking beer while hanging out with our dogs.
If Russia stops fighting, the war ends. If Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends. Slava Ukraini!
Avatar 22024
3.
 
Re: Morning Legal Briefs
Feb 2, 2025, 19:10
3.
Re: Morning Legal Briefs Feb 2, 2025, 19:10
Feb 2, 2025, 19:10
 
To guard against fraud, medical research should be a profession
Richard Smith, a previous editor of The BMJ, wrote recently about clinical trials: “We have now reached a point where those doing systematic reviews must start by assuming that a study is fraudulent until they can have some evidence to the contrary.” When someone as experienced as Smith makes such a statement, it is past time for us to put our house in order.

Medical research is already a mess.
Avatar 58068
2.
 
Re: The Federal Funding Freeze Will Cause Lasting Damage to Medical Research - WIRED
Feb 2, 2025, 17:15
2.
Re: The Federal Funding Freeze Will Cause Lasting Damage to Medical Research - WIRED Feb 2, 2025, 17:15
Feb 2, 2025, 17:15
 
Jim wrote on Feb 2, 2025, 14:59:
I am guessing the medical research days are over, similar to the way other countries are passing us as technology leaders

If you take a look at the programs being frozen - and not just medical - it's long overdue. They're not being canceled, they're being frozen until they get some actual oversight as to the benefit to the taxpayer. Many of these programs overlap, are wasteful, not properly vetted, unnecessary etc. and you're talking about 100s of billions of dollars a year here. And most of this research being done at private universities have endowments large enough to fund their own research. Every taxpayer should want their government to constantly be scrutinizing where their money is going.
“With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." - Aaron Sati
1.
 
The Federal Funding Freeze Will Cause Lasting Damage to Medical Research - WIRED
Feb 2, 2025, 14:59
Jim
1.
The Federal Funding Freeze Will Cause Lasting Damage to Medical Research - WIRED Feb 2, 2025, 14:59
Feb 2, 2025, 14:59
Jim
 
I am guessing the medical research days are over, similar to the way other countries are passing us as technology leaders
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