The totally off-topic thread

[Princess Fiona]

One of my fellow alumni recently tweeted outrage on a GLA-LHR flight that his seat buddy was continuing to use a kindle throughout the flight including descent. It turns out that it was a pilot paxing, interesting times indeed.

 

[JohnK]

To put an interesting spin on perspective here.... what's the bet though that the way you are now, 50 years earlier had people sitting there going "OMG, I can't believe he's doing that"! It's all relative really

Evolution in the wrong hands is deadly.

Gadgets and devices are not the answer to all of society's problems.

People have lost the ability to think. People cannot sit still for 5 minutes without feeling the need to play with some gadget. Many people cannot do simple arithmetic. Many people struggle to spell.

Time to start from scratch. Time to rebuild....

 

[Bundy Bear]

Not sure if anyone has seen these 2 recent videos.

This is water, or Learn How to Think and Learn to Pay attention.
THIS IS WATER - YouTube

When Did You Choose to Be Straight? or I didn't think of it that way.
When Did You Choose to Be Straight? - YouTube

I haven't been much on AFF, moving house does that, and the amount of bags in my life is incredible.:shock:

 

[Flashback]

Evolution in the wrong hands is deadly.

Gadgets and devices are not the answer to all of society's problems.

People have lost the ability to think. People cannot sit still for 5 minutes without feeling the need to play with some gadget. Many people cannot do simple arithmetic. Many people struggle to spell.

This is oh so true! Technology has indeed made us lazy. I admit I tend to do it a bit, but every now and then I try using my noggin to keep it ticking along...

 

[medhead]

Evolution in the wrong hands is deadly.

Evolution is a naturally occurring and self regulating process. It can't really be in anyone hands, ultimately.

This is oh so true! Technology has indeed made us lazy. I admit I tend to do it a bit, but every now and then I try using my noggin to keep it ticking along...

My daughter got 0/4 for the calculator section of a recent maths test. Achieving something like 34/40 overall. How the hell did she fail the easy bit?

 

[Rox]

Evolution is a naturally occurring and self regulating process. It can't really be in anyone hands, ultimately.

Go to a dog show and you will see that it can be ( tho I guess that's not "natural" selection) and can be unbeneficial.

 

[medhead]

Go to a dog show and you will see that it can be ( tho I guess that's not "natural" selection) and can be unbeneficial.

That's not evolution. That's selective breeding. Of course, I guess it could be argued that the dogs have adapted to thrive in their environment. ie perform well and get fed.

 

[SeatBackForward]

You could have at least tried to be subtle with your insult.

You think evolution always produces the right results? Just look at society today and you will know that statement is totally wrong....

Not an insult, and certainly not directed personally at you. It applies to us all and is a simple facet of human nature that every generation has to deal with. The rate of change these days is phenomenal but that there is change is constant (ironically).

Regarding evolution, there is no right or wrong, its simply a result that can go either way. Bit like how there's no such thing as "good" karma. There's just karma that's all.

 

[Shelf]

I'm feeling old tonight - I'm interested in the Budget announcements

 

[ComeFlyWithMe]

I'm feeling old tonight - I'm interested in the Budget announcements

Sad, isn't it, I'm glued to it too.

As always, some creative mathematics on display.

 

[JohnK]

So the government is going to cut spending and there will still be a deficit.

 

[drron]

No you are really old when you give up listening to budgets.
I am really old!

 

[straitman]

If I flight planned like the Federal Budget. Firstly I'd assume that I had an highly unlikely tailwind. Then I'd remove my variable reserve (don't need that) and I'd reduce my fixed reserve to a razor thin margin. Despite being on a tight plan I'd pick a higher fuel flow than I needed and include discretionary diversions that use more fuel. Once I got airborne and discovered that I didn't have the tailwind required I wouldn't reduce to range power because that would be 'irresponsible'. I would however blame the previous crew for burning excessive fuel (which they did) even though they handed the aircraft over with fuel in the tank. Of course I wouldn't let anybody know that I had a fuel issue until I could no longer hide the fact that we couldn't get to the destination. In the end the result would probably be the same though, I'd be out of a job by the end of Sept.​

 

[medhead]

No you are really old when you give up listening to budgets.
I am really old!

Yep, I did the family christmas video. I'm sure I'm not as old as you.

If I flight planned like the Federal Budget. Firstly I'd assume that I had an highly unlikely tailwind. Then I'd remove my variable reserve (don't need that) and I'd reduce my fixed reserve to a razor thin margin. Despite being on a tight plan I'd pick a higher fuel flow than I needed and include discretionary diversions that use more fuel. Once I got airborne and discovered that I didn't have the tailwind required I wouldn't reduce to range power because that would be 'irresponsible'. I would however blame the previous crew for burning excessive fuel (which they did) even though they handed the aircraft over with fuel in the tank. Of course I wouldn't let anybody know that I had a fuel issue until I could no longer hide the fact that we couldn't get to the destination. In the end the result would probably be the same though, I'd be out of a job by the end of Sept.​

Almost. You ask someone else (treasury) to tell you about the tailwind and then blindly accept their highly unlikely estimate.

 

[anat0l]

No you are really old when you give up listening to budgets.
I am really old!

I don't consider myself that old but I've given up listening to budgets since I realised our form of government is a ******* dysfunctional poor excuse for a democracy that has even the worst Socialist leader laughing in their grave. (And that applies to our entire government, not just the carrot incumbent and the rest of her veggies).


To parody poorly a famous movie phrase, "Frankly, darlin', why should I give a damn?"

 

[serfty]

....
Almost. You ask someone else (treasury) to tell you about the tailwind and then blindly accept their highly unlikely estimate.

So after 5 years of highly unlikely tailwind estimates that prove utterly incorrect, you don't sack them for incompetence.

Hey - this is getting too on topic for this thread ...

 

[amaroo]

Almost. You ask someone else (treasury) to tell you about the tailwind and then blindly accept their highly unlikely estimate.

But you've planned for this contingency.....by branch stacking the treasury with political interference and trained them to do the calculations over & over & over again until they finally come up the conclusion that suits your flight plan.

 

[medhead]

Two posts highlighting the politicisation of the tailwind forecasting bureau. It should be impossible to sack them so that they can give full and frank information without fear. Unfortunately, successive pilots have ignored such convention - as per the second post.

 

[markis10]

If I flight planned like the Federal Budget. Firstly I'd assume that I had an highly unlikely tailwind. Then I'd remove my variable reserve (don't need that) and I'd reduce my fixed reserve to a razor thin margin. Despite being on a tight plan I'd pick a higher fuel flow than I needed and include discretionary diversions that use more fuel. Once I got airborne and discovered that I didn't have the tailwind required I wouldn't reduce to range power because that would be 'irresponsible'. I would however blame the previous crew for burning excessive fuel (which they did) even though they handed the aircraft over with fuel in the tank. Of course I wouldn't let anybody know that I had a fuel issue until I could no longer hide the fact that we couldn't get to the destination. In the end the result would probably be the same though, I'd be out of a job by the end of Sept.​

And the company would tell you that the passengers were well paying miners but the actual loads would be Jetstar passengers on a fly a friend or three for free fares.

 

[cove]

It's 6.30 am and I pulled a modern express train to the west in Sydney. I thought NSW was broke.
Better not tell Wayne!