No one knows why humans have chins? Hmm, maybe I do...

"Humans are the only animal that have a chin, and no one knows why."  Well, I think know why.  Chins acts as a third hand to hold things against your chest when your actual hands are full or otherwise occupied in some sort of tool. Chins are very important for rudimentary tool use, or just lugging things from one place over short distances when your hands are full.  

Toebzilla is Toebchillin

 Toebzilla is Toebchillin on the sofa

Morning beverages at First Watch

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These berries are blue, but are they blueberries?

 

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Streets ahead?

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Rays Boathouse

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Field of Grass and Trees

 

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Drunk Otter?

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce9vvZZP95Z/

Visit to Snoqualmie Falls

 Allie and I recently visited Snoqualmie Falls and enjoyed that awesome views.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce9dBknPgui/

Honey at the Salish Resort gift shop

Found clickbaity video entitled "Stop the government from buying your home (the SOLUTION)"

It's hard to use a blog article to criticize a YouTube video.  I've tried before, and will keep trying.  I'm just not interested in the idea of making actual reaction videos (yet).  Anyway, sometimes I run across an op-ed that's so bad in my opinion but presented so slickly, it makes me want to respond.  "Stop the government from buying your home (the SOLUTION)" is one of those videos.  In this video, the presenter is someone who claims to be involved in real estate.  However, he provides opinions that ultimately seem to me to be questionable. 

There's a lot of conflation of information and opinions in this video.  In my opinion, this leads the video to support a conclusion that really doesn't amount to much.  This is a very disappointing presentation.

As someone who grew up in low-income housing, I find the presenter's comments about government-directed affordable housing to be rather nonsensical.  He pulls some very specific and extraordinary examples of supposed failure and presents these as if they are the norm.

Worse, the presenter comments about specific problems for some affordable housing projects in NYC as if they are general to all affordable housing projects in NYC, or anywhere in the US.  Ironically, at least some of the problems he ties to affordable housing are actually pretty common in NYC, even in the most expensive skyrises.  

Hell, the presenter even conflates affordable housing with eminent domain, as if every effort for affordable housing by government requires the use of eminent domain.  This simply isn't true. 

The presenter's solution is to rely on developers, but in a way that appears to ignore local democracy.  A major portion of this video shows a developer talking about process for a real estate development project.  Nothing talked about by the real estate developer seems unreasonable. The process for real estate development includes the sited steps in order to protect the interests of the people already living within the city and provide adequate support for new denizens.  Further, the presenter completely ignores the fact that such projects also sometimes require the use of eminent domain. 

To me, this video feels like watching a "60 Minutes" hit piece more than something that's actually factual and useful.  Worst still is that the title of the video appears to be pure clickbait, as this video doesn't address how to actually stop the government from buying your home.  A more accurate title might be "One idea on how to address housing shortage over time."

Ring Mining for Profit music release!

 

Other ED inspired music:
Explorer's Path
Cloud View
Orbital Dance

Ring Mining for Harmony

Ring Mining for Profit

Is breakfast cereal a soup? Nope! It's a salad!

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Evolution isn't running backwards, I promise!

Here’s a sneak peek of the “Lonely Nights” music video

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A post shared by Cecilia Castleman (@ceciliacastleman)

Check out spacy ambient music inspired by mining activities in planetary rings in Elite Dangerous

 

Spacy ambient music inspired by mining activities in planetary rings in Elite Dangerous

Other ED inspired music:
Explorer's Path
Cloud View
Orbital Dance

Ring Mining for Harmony

Ring Mining for Profit

Bitter, there are bitter things or why I don't touch coffee

Fishy Cold Place Sweden Mandela Effect

So, have you heard of The Fishy Cold Place and wondered why your friend called it Sweden?  Well, it's not the Mandela Effect.  It's Julie Nolke.  I know.  I know.  Hard to believe, but it's true.  BTW, this post is an experiment based on the comments for Julie's video:

Hi!

Letter (at least some) that we should think about restoring to English

Eight years ago, I wrote an article about the letter thorn, that used to be used in English to represent TH sound.  Before that, I wrote about even more common sounds in English that aren't represented by English letters. Well, a few years ago, Austin McConnell also covered this topic in his video 10 Letters We Dropped From The Alphabet. In particular, my mind was blown at learning the origin for the name of "&".

Out of all these letters, I think we'd benefit from the restoration of thorn, and maybe some modification thereof so that the voiced and unvoiced TH sounds can both be represented.  (Much like Austin, I'm not a fan of eth.)

In N Out Burger in the snow

Larimer County, Colorado

 

"Face Plant" @ Summit House Restaurant

 

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Crystal Mountain Resort @ Mt. Rainier

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Ink monster

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Confusion about why audiences of Star Trek and Star Wars were alienated in recent decades

 

Chris Gore is an America writer and founder of Film Threat magazine.  I remember him when we was on Attack of the Show on the now defunct G4 cable channel.  The video above, titled "How To Alienate The Audience - Chris Gore", is a recent interview where he discusses how modernization of story franchises alienates audiences.  In my opinion, he badly misses the mark.  His argument is that franchises shouldn't be modernized, instead they should be told in the traditions within which the story originated.  His examples (vague references to Star Wars and Star Trek) are based on either his own opinion about style or bad examples of storytelling in general.  But, instead of recognizing bad storytelling as just that, he incorrectly links his examples to a generalization about modernization of franchises. 

Gore first talks about the movie adaptation of Lord of the Rings, in which he admits he's not read the original books, but he is a fan of the Peter Jackson's movie trilogy.  While I agree that great choices were made in the production of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, I disagree where Gore tries to extent his argument to all franchises that are based on older source material.

For example, I don't agree with his reference to Star Trek reboot's use of Beastie Boys music.  His snide comments seem to suggest he is too close to the subject matter.  The Beastie Boys song is an intentional period piece choice that represents what a major character is experiencing.  As such, it's no more out-of-place or dated than any Disney animated movie with a musical number that does EXACTLY the same thing.  Why is 20th Century rock/rap taken so much less seriously than 20th Century faux-classical music?  

Maybe some Sci-Fi fans are turned off by this music choice in Star Trek reboot. However, this rejection may have more to do with established and predictable expectations for Sci-Fi movies more so than what makes a good Sci-Fi movie.  Why are some dismissive of music in a Sci-Fi movie that isn't written by Danny Elfman, Alexander Courage or John Williams?  Even in the original Star Trek series, non-traditional music was used for particular scenes to capture a particular emotion for that scene, so I would challenge Gore's argument on this point as well.  There's nothing inherent to the Star Trek franchise that precludes rock/rap music. 

Gore then states his issues with the quote "It felt only natural to us that an adaption of the author's work would reflect what the world actually looks like."  His issues with this quote reinforce to me that he is confusing bad storytelling with the concept of modernization of franchises.  Well, as I mentioned above, bad storytelling is not the same thing as modernization of a story franchise.  Modernization can include bad storytelling, but you don't necessarily make a story bad because you've modernized it. 

Basically, what works for Lord of the Rings may not work for other story franchises.  Retelling stories in difference periods from the original works often necessitates updation.

Maybe Gore would benefit by exposing/re-exposing himself to Joseph Campbell works about storytelling of myths and how each Age needs to retell stories for that Age.  We don't need to tell stories to preserve them indefinitely for future generations.  We should tell stories so that they make sense for us today.  Future generations will determine if or when a story becomes timeless.

So, lots of nope going on here with some creepy child mannequins

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3DEXPERIENCE World 2022 (Virtual Event)

  

From February 6 to February 9, we experienced a second virtual 3DEXPERIENCE World but for 2022 with Heather Hasz, Steve Calvert, Casey Gorman, Daniel Ferrucci-Herzberg, Jeff Mirisola, Joe N Lance, Kirby Downey, Betty Baker, Jonny Harrison, Dan Riffell, Todd Blacksher, Maria Sarkar, Kristen Wilson Syrek, Robert Jost, Brad Hakeman, Rachael Naoum, Kim Richardson, Chinloo Lama, Salih Majid Al Ani, Josh Mayes, Brandon Fuzz Walters, Mike Buchli, Brian Zias, Stephen Endersby, Mark Martel, Suchit Jain, Mark Rushton, Tom Smith, Ed Gebo, Deepak Gupta, Eric Beatty, Pruthvi Venkatesh, Brad Williamson, Brad Thompson and The CORE Podcast. (Facebook, backup)

Evidence of a fox that uses my yard as its own personal highway

Backyard (Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZkfcdFFbJs/)

Crossing the driveway

How to fix Soldyne's Fruit Stand v12 missing asset prop in Cities Skylines as reported by Loading Screen Mod on Steam Workshop

The Steam Workshop for Cities: Skylines is full of buildings, props and other game assets that are uploaded by "content creators" (aka, users who make their own content for the game).  The problem with Steam Workshop is that many assets come and go all the time.  It's difficult to keep up.  If you subscribe to an asset, that asset can be removed from the Workshop for a number of reasons, and you'll never be notified.  You'll just have to notice the empty lot or missing decoration while playing the game.

The problem is compounded when you subscribe to a building that uses other content creator props.  The props can be removed while your subscribed building is still available for you.  This issue causes a silent error when opening your cities.  In turn, this can drastically slow down how long it takes to open your cities (saved games) within the game.

Soldyne's Fruit Stand v12 missing asset

I use the Loading Screen Mod (or its temporary replacement for Airport DLC) which let's me see such errors.  A strange one that keeps popping up is the missing asset of "Soldyne's Fruit Stand v12".  Even with all Workshop assets turned off, this error still pops up and slows down the opening of saved games.  

After looking into the issue, I discovered that the content creator renamed the asset, but other content creators that used the asset didn't update their own assets in kind.  In my case, the commonly subscribed building H2 4x4 Chinatown Temenent uses the originally named asset and was never updated to use its new name.

The Fix

I fixed the issue for myself.  In the Asset Editor, I opened a similar asset named "Soldyne's Fruit Stand v1" and then saved it as "Soldyne's Fruit Stand v12".  Because the name was already used on the Workshop, and I cannot reupload this new asset for everyone else.  Workshop still recognizes it as the original asset and its original creator.  So, you'll have to do this for yourself in one of two ways.

Open "Soldyne's Fruit Stand v1" within Asset Editor and save it as "Soldyne's Fruit Stand v12"

If you don't want to edit assets directly.  Perhaps you may prefer to just download a fix instead.  I can provide the fix via the following PC file management workaround.  First, be sure to exit the game.  Then, download the attached zip file (at the bottom of this article).  It contains the renamed asset.  Unzip it to your folder here:  

%installfolder%:\Users\%yourwindowsusername%\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Assets

For example:

C:\Users\brainfive\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Addons\Assets

Soldyne's Fruit Stand v12.zip

Once I created this replacement asset, the error was gone.

Note: there are no affiliate links in this article.

Just a reminder - Han also shot first in Empire Strikes Back (against Vader himself)! Seems like a good habit for a swashbuckler.

Technically, "shoot first" just means you shot before something happened, not necessarily both parties taking a shot. "Shoot first, ask questions later."

For Winter, just a reminder that there is a 100 percent chance of weather every day

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcqSb9l2Sx/

How many hot dogs do you see?

1...2...,um ...3?

These are homemade Sonora-style Hot Dogs.  Joie is wondering which one is hers.

Marshal Fire Before and after scene of Downtown Superior - devastation

Here is a before and after scene of Downtown Superior

and the devastation of the Marshal Fire:

Referenced on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYVTc97MjTl/

Here's the actual full tiered list of all MCU movies as of 2021 - Which tiers would you place them?

Beyond The Trailer recently released a video in which all Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (MCU) are ranked from 1 to 27 (there being 27 movies as of the end of 2021).  I didn't agree with her list nor the method used to rank the movies.

I don't think such an ordered ranking is possible for the Marvel Movies.  There's just too many of them now.  Additionally, my favorites are too different from one-another to try to compare them to each other.  So, instead, I created a tier list, from "Favorite" to "Ugh".

The movies are tiered based on how much I enjoy watching them and how often I will rewatch.  I'll rewatch Favorites endlessly.  I regret ever watching Ughs even once.  My tiers may differ significantly from others.  In particular, I prefer Avengers: Infinity War over Avengers: Endgame.  I also list Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp higher than other fans.  However, this is my tier list.  You can make your own!

Create your own tier list from this template on Tiermaker: https://tiermaker.com/list/marvel-dc/actual-list-of-mcu-movies-as-of-the-end-of-2021-874581/1858535

Telegram is still a thing, and it's an interesting holdover

I recently made a Facebook post about the pager network.  I pointed out that the Flex and reFlex protocols used by the pager network will still be running long after 2G, 3G and 4G are gone. (See below for the sunset schedule.)  It's weird that this old 90's tech will still be in operation after several generations of the cellular network are gone.  (See Old School: Pager Code for look-a-like codes and Beep Codes list for common standard 3 digit codes.)

What's weirder than that?  Telegraph networks are still operating.  That means a system originally started in 1840's will outlast several generations of the cellular network!  Wow!

Now, I must admit that I recently discovered telegrams are still a thing in the 21st Century from a Youtube video.

So, you know what I did?  I sent a xmas message via telegram to my friend.  And, I learned a few things about the process along the way.  Despite operating completely through a website (as all things must), it appears the process still has manual nuances.  For example, any type of special instructions must be typed into the either the address field or other special field, in specific ways.  There's no website checkboxes for many types of instructions, such as stating a delivery date or specifying to only deliver to the addressee.

My friend's telegram was sent by me in November, and slated for delivery yesterday.  However, it appears to have been delivered a day late.  I guess there's numerous possible reasons for the one day delay.  Either way, my friend is very delighted by this unique gift (well, unique for the 21st Century).  

Now, I didn't use iTelegram, which apparently is the successor to Western Union's telegraph service.  I think if I need to send a telegram as a legal document in the future, I would use iTelegram since they provide substantial proof of delivery.

In other news,

Upcoming cellular network sunsets from T-Mobile (some of these services have already been shut down by other carriers): [Edit: this schedule is outdated, as end dates have been pushed out.]

• 2G was already dropped most major services some time ago, but still hangs on with T-Mobile.  They'll be shutting it down in 2023.
• 3G is actually getting shut down before 2G, at the end of 2021.
• 4G is also getting shut down before 4G, sometime during 2022.

For Elite Dangerous, see inside carrier interiors, including sounds that are already working!

You can see your own carrier's interior, but it's not easy. Here's a tour, including sounds such as corridor announcements and pilot welcomes!

Ten Commandments are not so simple - several traditions, and the actual list which is often sidestepped

It's just ironic how adamant people can be about putting up monuments to these things, and it's not even clear what they are talking about.  Even more ironic is that all these traditions ignore or sidestep the actual 10 commandments that was placed within the Art of the Covenant, found at Exodus 34 (shown in last column in the table above).  [Originally created by me and posted on Reddit.]

UPDATE: I've updated the Ten Commandments spreadsheet based on corrected information provided by this video, 7 Secrets of The Hebrew Ten Commandments.  From here on, the Ten Commandments table will be provided on a Google Sheets spreadsheet.  I haven't updated the image above, so the Google Sheets spreadsheet should now be used as the primary reference.

This will soon be the closest I've ever lived to an In-N-Out Burger location

 Coming soon to Thornton, CO:

Look who's moving to the neighborhood!  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CW1ibS9lRPN/?hl=en

Trail 2 - City Park in Lakewood

Belmar Park is listed in the book 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder as Trail #2.  However, this park is really just a well designed city park around Kountze Lake in Lakewood, CO.  There is a paved trail and several dirty offshoots with varying sizes.  A combination of paths allow you to walk around the lake.  The various dirt trail widths allow for simple walks (narrow), walking your dogs (two-way), and riding your horse (wide).

 

On this day, the lake served as a respite for a bunch of geese as they head South for Winter.  Even though this is late Fall, the afternoon was warm and pleasant.  

My dog, Toebzilla, typically barks at everything.  However, on this nice afternoon, we passed by cackling children, several big dogs, geese and even horses (which he particularly hates when they show up on TV).  He didn't bark or even look as though he wanted to bark.  He was very interested in the horses and their smells, but he wasn't nervous by their presence. 

Much of the park's trail network runs through other areas, including a significant section that traces a nearby stream called Weir Gulch. 

The park is surrounded by homes and businesses, and this fact is obvious as you peruse around.  As mentioned above, this is a city park.  There are other trails in the Denver Metro Area that would be much closer to what one might call "trails".  I enjoyed walking here.  My dog also seemed at ease.  However, it's a bit of a stretch to call this a location for hiking.

One added word of caution about the name of the park.  The name of the park is Belmar Park.  However, the name of the neighborhood around the park is also called Belmar Park.  If you look this place up in your navigation app, make sure it's taking you to the park and not to the center of the neighborhood.

The patient's condition has been upgraded from animal to human! (Oct '14)

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVI8jLnlEFN/

Awesomeness, lobster dinner

Allie, her father and I enjoying lobster at New England Lobster Market & Eatery

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWPSYHTFZ6Z/

Totally Epic, with mustard and ketchup, kinda

 

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Glazed and chocolate yeast doughs, double-chocolate cake donut, and an apple fritter

 

From original The Donut House in Aurora, Colorado

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