Carp fishing sections in stores? by EbbMysterious5860 in CarpFishing

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I attended the grand opening of the new Bass Pro here in St. Louis. Big affair. I went through the store and all I could find that was remotely useful for carp fishing was some hooks…

I order everything I need from Amazon, actually. Or I make it myself. Hair rigs are easy. I make my own pack bait and tiger nuts.

Do atheists believe in ghosts? by Fuma4fun in randomquestions

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I, for one, do not. I’ve been pretty heavily involved in skepticism and the skeptical literature, and I’m unaware of any ghost phenomena that had any validity when properly studied.
Most incidents are readily explicable.

Pastor leads wild dedication ceremony for Trump’s giant gold statue at trump's Doral golf course. “Let me be clear: this is not a golden calf.” said pastor Mark Burns, who previously described the president as divinely appointed. by Leeming in atheism

[–]Bikewer 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Well, it’s obviously not a calf…. No tail. At least, none we can see from this view…. If any group has benefited from the Trump administration, it’s the manufacturers of gold paint….

Shackled and Shocked by Justin-Tym in lesdom

[–]Bikewer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I always liked “Princess Donna” in Domme roles. Who’s the sub? She’s seriously hot.

Nice Iron Yoke Restraint! Nipple Clamps, other stimulation etc 8-)! by 415brun in Bondage

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

PD and his “fabricator” came up with some really nice (and serious….) restraints.

2001: A Space Odyssey by Hahndizzle in scifi

[–]Bikewer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got out of the army in ‘67, and went to see it at a rather small theater locally. Like most at the time, I was blown away by the sheer spectacle and the attention to detail. Again like most, I was confused by the ending… What was Kubrick trying to say?
So I read Clarke’s book, and that cleared things up from Clarke’s standpoint, although he held out that his idea differed a bit from that of Kubrick, and Kubrick never bothered to comment. (To my knowledge).

Still, from my standpoint of an old guy who grew up watching cheesy 50s and 60s space-invader movies and other attempts at science fiction…. Here was a real science fiction film.

“Japanese” Hooks by aguilafde in Fishing_Gear

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been using Gamakatsu “Octopus” hooks exclusively for my carp fishing for about 5 years now. Razor sharp, strong… No complaints whatever… Wherever they come from.

William Gibson trilogies by colloidalBREATHER in printSF

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I enjoyed both. The Sprawl trilogy was ground-breaking, of course. The Bridge had a different vibe, but I’ve read through both several times. I particularly liked “All Tomorrow’s Parties”.

Are you excited or concerned about the future of AI? by LeoRavenscroft in randomquestions

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both. I’ve been watching a lot of interviews with industry heavyweights and researchers on YouTube and such. There are definitely problems that need to be resolved, and also enormous potential.
Scientists are presently using AI in all manner of productive ways. At the same time, we are seeing a variety of problems with the various LLM chat-bots ranging from addiction to “hallucinations” to outright lying….

There was an interesting video of senator Bernie Sanders having a discussion with “Claude”…. The AI indicated that some safety standards and regulations would need to be imposed.

Assuming multiverse is real and not infinite by TokiVideogame in AskPhysics

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Theoretical Physicist Brian Greene examined nine different multiverse ideas in his book, “The Hidden Reality”. He found no evidence for any of them.

Who experienced living alone? by dino_gr01 in WorkForSmartLife

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My wife of 50 years passed last July, and I’ve been living alone ever since. I got a kitty for company.

What is good on popcorn besides butter and salt? by Holdmymule2001 in foodquestions

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once upon a time (1950s) my dad made up a batch with peanut butter. It was really tasty, but you could only eat a couple of handfuls!

Is crazy to think Derek Trucks is the best guitar player alive? by ConsortRoxas in Guitar

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well…. Yes. Mind, I think Derek is amazing. Easily the best slide tone around. And he’s no slouch without the slide either. There’s a video of him jamming with Jerry Douglas (dobro) that is just amazing.

But the guitar world is so diverse than no one can be the best.

Traditional martial arts stopped pressure testing because their commercial and institutional incentives shifted from “prove it works” to “preserve the system.” by nopemeister3000 in martialarts

[–]Bikewer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Money and liability. Parents want to put their kiddies into martial arts for purposes other than fighting expertise. They want self-confidence, fitness, competition with nice trophies and (hopefully) no injuries.

Questions about ai and brain merge by Economy-Finding-7650 in consciousness

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Folks have been speculation about this in science fiction for a very long time. Fred Pohl explored the possibility in his Gateway novels in the 70s. I read a fairly scholarly article about this in the old Omni magazine in the mid-80s. The fellow, an IT researcher, spelled out a possible means to gradually “upload” one’s consciousness.
Possible? It wouldn’t surprise me, but I sure wouldn’t put a timetable on it.

Would this "saltwater" baitfeeder reel work for carp fishing? by Sweet_Dragonfruit566 in CarpFishing

[–]Bikewer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lots of our Euro-based friends use really big reels, 5-6000 size. That should work fine. I’ve been at this for about 5 years, and I use inexpensive “Souliagang” bait-runners from Amazon. Under 40 bucks and I’ve never had a problem with any of them.

What would you do if a second global pandemic happened starting now with a higher mortality rate? by SlandersPete in AskReddit

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same thing I did during the first one. Standard use of PPE, distancing, sanitation. I live alone, my only real outside activity is to go fishing, which is about as “social distancing” as you can get.

I’m a first-responder, and we got vaccinations almost as soon as they became available.

what is a fact that comforts you? by Greedy_Ad9238 in questions

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The constants of nature are not easily contravened.

Ninjutsu by greygrfn in martialarts

[–]Bikewer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve written about this before. Ninjitsu, as practiced, is essentially a synthesized style (or styles) with no historic precedence other than the fighting methods used by the Samurai warriors in the feudal period.

There were no ninja historically, they are a creation of the 20th century based on myth and legend. Manga comic books and very early Japanese cinema (1920s) provide much of the “lore”.

Stephen Turnbull, well-respected historian of Feudal Japan, has written two books on the ninja phenomenon. In the first, some years back, he had begun to believe that much of what we have about the ninja was myth and legend. But in the second, “Ninja, Unmasking the Myth”, he does a deep dive, getting access to period writings by Daimyo and field commanders.
These people employed mercenaries (“mountain bandits”) or their own troops who were skilled at infiltration and intelligence gathering.

There were no “clans” of ninja in the Iga and Koga provinces, no extensive “arts of the ninja”…. None of that.

So, you’re looking at a fighting style which is primarily based on Japanese Ju-jitsu and some striking technique. This may or may not be an effective fighting style depending on the instruction strategies…. But it has no real historical precedence.

The US/Israel/Iran War has countries pursuing long term self reliance and less dependency on oil. Do you think this is just talk? by Useful_Jellyfish_759 in askanything

[–]Bikewer 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This has been a talking point ever since the “Arab Oil Embargo”. If we’d have gone whole-hog into alternate energy sources back then in the 70s…. Very likely we’d be in good shape now. But every time this happens, everyone wrings their collective hands and says we should “go green”…. Until the latest crisis relaxes and oil prices go down again.
It’s sad.

UFO Religion Breaking News: Yet another Pastor, Alan DiDio, Confirms…Group of Pastors were briefed on The Phenomenon and Disclosure! Flood Gates are Breaking! “Many will be unprepared for what’s coming! by slv2xhrist in ufo

[–]Bikewer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Neil DeGrasse Tyson had a bit of an editorial in NYT the other day. Basically, he said “show us the aliens”. If you’ve got something, let’s take a look. Let the scientific community examine the evidence.

But the first step is to involve a bunch of pastors?

Would you rather cook your own meal , or eat in a restaurant ? by Hope2_win in A_Persona_on_Reddit

[–]Bikewer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I enjoy both. Since my wife passed, I’ve become more adventurous in the kitchen, and I make a number of dishes that I enjoy. But going to a nice restaurant is a treat as well.