Random Stuff X: Something Weird

[Draginon]

Here's the haul from Voodoo Doughnut

The different ones here are: Grape Ape (doughnut with grape tang and purple sprinkles), buttermilk bar, Maple Blazer Blunt (cinnamon coated with maple glaze covered with red sprinkles), Gay Bar (bavarian cream filled with Froot Loops in a rainbow), Tangfastic (doughnut with tang and marshmallows), Homer (strawberry icing and sprinkles), Voodoo Bubble (pink icing, bubble gum dust and a piece of double bubble), Triple Chocolate Penetration (chocolate doughnut with chocolate icing and Cocoa Puffs) and a Portland Cream (just Bavarian cream filled)

The final I'm putting in a spoiler tag since it does look suggestive

Spoiler

This thing is huge! It could take me two servings or more to finish unless I come into it hungry and I might need a knife and fork just to eat it.

[Draginon]

Sigh... My mom seems to think that the ship we're going on in December is laid out differently than it is. She looks at partial pictures of the front end and where she's counting deck 6, where we're staying, she puts it on the pool deck or the deck directly under the pools. The problem is the ship is 14 decks tall and the lowest pool is on either deck 10 or 11, so at least 4 or 5 decks between us and the pools. The outside is painted navy towards the bottom and she thinks the only deck down there is deck 2 (deck 1 is just first aid) despite the navy being where decks 1-4 are, that includes the lobby itself. Despite showing a picture that shows the decks numbered on the outside she still doesn't believe me.

[Sunbird]

Discworld quote meme for all our Pratchett fans

[Kobold King]

The Very Organized Thief is a free game available on Game Jolt in which the player takes the role of a thief with a meticulous list of items they must steal from a house. The owner of the house will arrive at a certain point and will personally catch and subdue the thief if they are not fast enough to get out. It is a simple game with nothing in the way of a story, but that doesn't stop me from overthinking it a bit.

Theory: the titular Very Organized Thief knows the Owner and has been to the house before in a non-criminal context.

Here's my reasoning. The Thief enters the home with a randomized list of items to steal, and will not take any item (aside from stacks of money) that is not on the list. This is slightly peculiar behavior for a thief, but it gets weirder. Some items on the list are fairly generic; the list might include a television, or a computer, or other items that one could wager almost certainly exist in an average house. But some items are oddly specific. The list might include such items as "a stamp album," "expensive wine," or the especially specific "portrait of a lady." To me this suggests that the Thief has been to the house before, and knows exactly what items are good enough to steal. Most of the items can be debated, but the "portrait of a lady" almost certainly indicates an amount of specific foreknowledge on the part of the Thief. It's simply too specific of an item to randomly guess exists in a house.

The game rewards the player with a high score for acquiring all required items in a short amount of time, which is virtually impossible on a first playthrough. Subsequent playthroughs however will give the player a very good idea of the layout of the house and the placement of items, allowing the Thief to steal everything on their list in as little as forty seconds in some playthroughs. From a meta perspective, this is because of the ability to start the game over fresh and learn the layout of the house through trial and error. From an in-universe perspective, the fact that the title "Very Organized Thief" is only given for such a run suggests to me that if a story exists, it is that the 'protagonist' of a Thief is capable of this feat without the Undertale-like ability to reset time. This ought only to be possible if they have been in this house before.

(Admittedly, this is my weakest point. It relies on the meta detail of the game's scoring system. However in a game titled "The Very Organized Thief," I feel it's fair to assume that the ending which bestows this title upon the player is the most likely to be 'canon,' such as that word is.)

From these two lines of reasoning we can believe that the Thief has been to the Owner's house before, and knows its items and layout well enough to conduct a very organized targeted robbery in the dead of the night. The question becomes this: who is the Thief, and when did they first come into this house? Here are a couple of hypotheses.

1:

The Thief stakes out their targets ahead of time. It is possible the Thief set their sights on this house beforehand, potentially even making entry in the past to scout out its loot and layout. It would be a scheme befitting of a "Very Organized Thief," and seeing as the Owner possesses a personal safe with goldbars and thousands of dollars worth of cash in their bedroom, it's probable that they are a known wealthy individual and thus a likely target for an aspiring plunderer.

2:

The Thief has visited the house in a non-criminal context. Perhaps they were invited to a house party, or visited as a plumber or a electrician to work on the house. If this is the case I would suspect the Thief to be an electrician, as the player has the ability to selectively cut wires and disable functions of the house alarm system should they so choose.

3:

The Thief and the Owner are estranged family or estranged lovers. This is my personal favorite theory. If the Thief and the Owner were former romantic partners sharing a home it would explain how the Thief knows the layout of the house and has the means of creating a list of items to steal. Perhaps after a bitter dispute the Thief breaks in to steal all of the items that they feel entitled to. Perhaps they were not romantic partners but were instead siblings, and what we are witnessing is an inheritance dispute.

Perhaps the Thief is a deadbeat sibling or spouse, and although ostensibly kicked out of the Owner's life, they feel entitled to break in and "borrow" any item they feel like. Perhaps the Very Organized Thief lives a Very Lonely Life, shunned by the one person they had some semblance of family with.

Perhaps I'm really REALLY over analyzing this free Game Jolt game.

[Draginon]

Went on a bit of a shopping spree yesterday. I had some coupons that were going to expire today at B&N. One was for the collectible edition books they have and they happened to be doing a buy one get one 50% off so I grabbed The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare. I then had three 20% off coupons and used them to get more MST3K. Was going for just 3 but ended up with 4 because there was a cheap one available. The ones I got were Volume 25 (containing the episodes Robot Holocaust, Operation Kid Brother (actual title is Double 007), Kitten with a Whip and Revenge of the Creature) Volume 31 Turkey Day Collection Tin (containing Jungle Goddess, The Painted Hills (riffing poor Lassie!), The Screaming Skull and Squirm) Volume 35 (containing Teenage Cave Man, Being From Another Planet, 12 to the Moon and Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell) and Volume 39 (containing Girls Town, The Amazing Transparent Man, Diabolik and Satellite Dishes which is the host segments of the 11 episodes they can't get permission to release)

Also stopped by the Lego store and got four Architecture sets and got the free storybook set

[SmurfAquamarineBodies]

8213574109874018751209750129385129851069752475

[Silverblade5]

If anyone is in Wyoming, I'll be driving up to Laramie on July 4 to launch fireworks. 

[Sunbird]

Nature photodump incoming!

Waterfall (2 photos):

Spoiler

Butterflies (3 photos):

Spoiler

Viceroy, a butterfly that mimics the foul-tasting Monarch in order to deter predators from eating it:

Calippe Fritillary (underside view):

Calippe Fritillary (topside view):

Birds (3 photos):

Spoiler

Western Kingbird adult:

Western Kingbird fledglings (recently left the nest):

Eastern Kingbird:

 

[AngelEy3]

1 hour ago, Sunbird said:

Nature photodump incoming!

Waterfall (2 photos):

  Reveal hidden contents

Butterflies (3 photos):

  Reveal hidden contents

Viceroy, a butterfly that mimics the foul-tasting Monarch in order to deter predators from eating it:

Calippe Fritillary (underside view):

Calippe Fritillary (topside view):

Birds (3 photos):

  Hide contents

Western Kingbird adult:

Western Kingbird fledglings (recently left the nest):

Eastern Kingbird:

 

Burbs! 

[Zelly]

On 7/1/2018 at 5:57 AM, SmurfAquamarineBodies said:

8213574109874018751209750129385129851069752475

 Stop that.

 

I'm doing a major clean/purge in my house, getting rid of a lot of unnecessary stuff.  Most interesting so far is a cache of old purses, some from proms and weddings at least 10 years old, the type of things you only use once because they match a dress you only wore once.  Instead one purse was nothing but a purple and gold origami swan.  I have no memories of this swan, nor do I know how to make them. It is delightful.  Another purse had a matching necklace/earrings set which I don't think I've ever seen before in my life.  Trashing the purse, keeping the jewelry.

 

[Draginon]

Found a couple DIY Japanese candy kits the other day at the store. The first was a sushi candy and the other was a donut 'candy'. They're both good and interesting to make. The sushi had candy dough for the rice, lemon jelly for the egg sushi, strawberry jelly for the salmon sushi, a grape flavored paste for the nori and orange salmon roe. The donuts do the dough but in custard and cocoa flavor with vanilla and strawberry frostings, chocolate sauce and can be topped with cookie crumbs and sprinkles. Except for the crumbs and sprinkles everything is a powder mixture that needs water added. I'd make these again in the future.

[soyperson]

IT'S (I'm) ALIVE

[StrikerEZ]

31 minutes ago, Bleeder said:

IT'S (I'm) ALIVE

Heyoooooo! And right around when I return, too! Welcome back!

[Sunbird]

10 hours ago, Bleeder said:

IT'S (I'm) ALIVE

Welcome back!! We missed you.

[Draginon]

Trump complaining about NATO and countries owing us money leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I mean there are countries we owe money to but you don't see him clamoring to pay them back. It's a big case of "I know I owe $20 to everyone here but you still owe me that $5 I lent you last week" if you ask me. Also Mr. President NATO is an alliance not a business so everyone doesn't have to pitch in with money.

[Orlion Blight]

48 minutes ago, Draginon said:

Trump complaining about NATO and countries owing us money leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I mean there are countries we owe money to but you don't see him clamoring to pay them back. It's a big case of "I know I owe $20 to everyone here but you still owe me that $5 I lent you last week" if you ask me. Also Mr. President NATO is an alliance not a business so everyone doesn't have to pitch in with money.

He has no idea about the layers involved in foreign policy and does not have anyone around that does either. 

Between those comments and the trade wars, he seems determined to destroy the liberal order that helped shape the US into the power it is today. 

But knowing that requires reading and thinking and where's the glamour in that? 

[Draginon]

15 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

He has no idea about the layers involved in foreign policy and does not have anyone around that does either. 

Between those comments and the trade wars, he seems determined to destroy the liberal order that helped shape the US into the power it is today. 

But knowing that requires reading and thinking and where's the glamour in that? 

And it's like he's complaining about Germany owing us money when we owe China 10x times what the entire European continent owes us. And with him specifically saying Germany I say he's out of line because the Germans have suffered enough after the post-WWII stuff (part of my family came from the German Empire so you can see why that has me hot and bothered)

I support him but this is one of the few things that's gone too far with his words/actions.

[+Sorana]

Wow... a discussion about Trump in a fantasy Forum.

Tbh I'm afraid where all of this will lead us as a world. There are so many unspoken/ outspoken conflicts. Not only Trump, but also Erdogan and many others.

Edited July 13, 2018 by Sorana

[+Slowswift]

Trying to look up the origins of a super obscure word IS A PAIN. The few places with definitions don't include word origin.   

[Sunbird]

8 hours ago, Slowswift said:

Trying to look up the origins of a super obscure word IS A PAIN. The few places with definitions don't include word origin.   

What is the word you're trying to look up? I wonder if I might be able to help.

[+Slowswift]

20 hours ago, Sunbird said:

What is the word you're trying to look up? I wonder if I might be able to help.

Pervigilium. Obviously it's Latin, but I was trying to find something a bit more in-depth (most places didn't even acknowledge its Latin-ness, let alone give a comprehensive origin).

ETA: I found one for what I appears to be the Latin root, but I'm still not sure if it's what I was looking for exactly. 

Edited July 19, 2018 by Slowswift

[Sunbird]

5 hours ago, Slowswift said:

Pervigilium. Obviously it's Latin, but I was trying to find something a bit more in-depth (most places didn't even acknowledge its Latin-ness, let alone give a comprehensive origin).

ETA: I found one for what I appears to be the Latin root, but I'm still not sure if it's what I was looking for exactly. 

Huh. Yeah, I got nothing. Sorry.

But in other news, nature photodump incoming!

Birds, part 1 (5 photos):

Spoiler

Yellow Warber (male):

Baltimore Oriole (male):

Northern Cardinal (male):

Prothonotary Warbler, also sometimes called a "swamp canary":

Northern Parula (female), a type of warbler:

Birds, part 2 (5 photos):

Spoiler

Tree Swallow:

Great Egret:

Dunlins (a type of sandpiper):

Purple Martins (male right, female left):

Purple Martin (male):

Insects (3 photos):

Spoiler

Not sure what this is. Some kind of weevil perhaps?

Maybe some kind of ladybug, but it looks slightly different than the ladybugs I'm used to, which have white faces.

Another mystery beetle.

Bunny (1 photo):

Spoiler

WARNING: Under this next spoiler is a SNAKE photo. Totally innocent photo unless you have a snake phobia, so this is just a heads-up.

Spoiler

Watersnake:

 

[Orlion Blight]

12 hours ago, Slowswift said:

Pervigilium. Obviously it's Latin,

That's your problem. Anything online is going to focus on the etymology of English, where saying something is Latin or Latin rooted is a legitimate explanation of the root. You would need to find some source exploring the etymological roots of Latin, preferably a dictionary of some kind. So your best bet is a college library. 

[+Slowswift]

21 hours ago, Sunbird said:

Huh. Yeah, I got nothing. Sorry.

No biggie. Like I said, it's a super-obscure word. 

14 hours ago, TheOrlionThatComesBefore said:

That's your problem. Anything online is going to focus on the etymology of English, where saying something is Latin or Latin rooted is a legitimate explanation of the root. You would need to find some source exploring the etymological roots of Latin, preferably a dictionary of some kind. So your best bet is a college library. 

Point. I'll have to see if they've got anything next time I'm at BYU, then!

[Unlicensed Hemalurgist]

Italian greyhounds are a buncha dang ninjas: