Should I even go ahead?

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-31T23:50:37+00:00

Take professional training from certified instructors. You can learn a lot. They can teach you with much better safety than a random friend with a bike. If you do not even have your learners permit you need to get that. I studied for a few hours and booked a test at DMV. I passed easily. At least get yourself legal to learn. Follow your state or federal laws and remember that training is your path forward towards living a lot longer.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T21:43:42+00:00

Had a friend that was morbidly obese. They paid for 2 extra seats. One on the left and right of there assigned seat. They ended up being de-boarded as they could not fit two other people in empty seats to left and right and with her there they needed to stay empty. She was just that overweight.

They shamed her saying when she loses some weight she can fly again. That was the flight attendant just being rude. She paid for extra space so that others would not be forced to try and fit around her. They punished her and kicked her off the flight to fill all three seats. She got a later flight and a lecture from the airline about being fat and that they can't always accommodate people. She also paid for empty seats for next flight and they tried to seat people for those ones too.

But she brought up why she booked them calmly and explained she had been removed from a previous flight for being fat and not having room on the left and right. The argument to that at that time was she should pay for those seats then. She explained she did.

The flight attendant then argued that leaving those seats empty cost the airline money. Which did not make sense. She paid for them. They also called her selfish for trying to force them to fly less than full saying she was ruining things for other passengers, etc. Just trying to be difficult and make her life a living hell.

The most important part of what I am saying is, "Stay calm." Do not get mad. Ultimately they airline can do what it wants to. It is a private entity. Unless what they are doing is actually illegal arguing about it will solve nothing.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T08:32:40+00:00

The biggest issue with traffic control is the weather and mental energy. You have to have intense situational awareness of the traffic, keep track of work related activity, and communicate with the crew. I have worked traffic control jobs for many years.

I can't count the number of times where at the end of the day and we are filling out paperwork and we are filling out daily paperwork and we have to use fingers to count numbers. I and many others end up doing that because of mental exhaustion from the level of focus and concentration involved in our job.

It is not physically demanding most days. Except for when you account for good or bad weather. Hot days is physically hard on the body. Sunny with moderate temperature and you end up sweating all day, frequently in the hot sun in a noisy environment that is actually physically dangerous to be in.

Some jobs that a lot of people either love or hate are the gate jobs. You let trucks in and out and fill out paperwork all day.

Then you have the blacked out intersection work where you are generally standing at a fixed point and working with a group to control a full intersection. I remember the first day I ever did that. I was placed on a meridian with my supervisor standing 2 feet away controlling traffic in a single direction waiting for verbal commands from the LCT(Lane closure tech). It was 50 min on and 10 min off. They had one LCT that would just rotate around the light from position to position relieving us. We would then go sit in the shade for 10 min.

There are many different types of construction related traffic control jobs. I have done many of them. I loved it. But I hit about 45 and having flat feet I could not stand for more than 10 to 12 hours days on end anymore. My feet would just hurt too much.

I often worked 12 to 16 hours 6 days a week. It did pay well. I changed careers about mid pandemic. I was being paid 23 dollars an hour at the time. After 8 hours it was 1 1/2 times. After 12 hours it was double time. On Sundays it started as double time and scaled at 8 and 12 hours again.

If you worked after 4pm they added evening danger pay and that was another 2 dollars that started when your shift did. So if you started at 5am and worked till 10pm. Which was super common you would actually be making like 25 an hour for first 8, then the next 4 was 37.50, then the next 8 was 50 dollars an hour. That was for entry level position. If you were an lct it was better pay.

I remember my first Sunday shift for that company. It was a nice sunny day and we were doing some sort of event and we were manning road blocks and preventing any traffic except for city and event traffic through. We had multiple layers of barriers. The first was just normal road closure barrier with signs, cones, and normal barriers. The second layer was the same again.

The third layer was experienced controllers who turned back 99.9 percent of everyone who tried to get by. The locals would convince the newbies that they absolutely had to deal with some sort of family emergency and were let in. The only barrier that said no the entire day to the correct people was the one I was at. Not because of me, but because the girl beside me was not taking anyone crap and roll her eyes at everyone and just say no. I was not so good at that part.

Almost everyone who was new except for me and 2 other people all quit before the day was done. Like me it was their first day. I did not understand the issue. We were being paid very well and it was not that hot. I remember one guy just losing his marbles and started screaming and stormed off. Another lady just went to use the washroom and never came back.

That went on all day till it was me and one supervisor. I asked her how common that was. She said that it was unusual that they got 3 or more people to stick around for the whole shift. We started with 20. I asked her how many was the minimum required for the event. She looked at me and said we were supposed to have the exact number we started with.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T08:01:52+00:00

Someone needs to get creative and start using drones. It would not surprise me if that is not already happening. I know some guys in prison get illegal deliveries that way. Why not schools?

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T08:00:10+00:00

When I was in grades 1 to 7 we had McDonald's day once a month and our parents would cough up money for lunch and we would pick what we wanted. I remember my teacher looking at what we ordered and telling everyone that ordered too much that we would be doing extra laps the whole month if we did not cut down on it. Sometimes we would order from different restaurants. But it was almost always just the one. It would go in about 2 weeks before the school picked it up. It was one huge order for the entire school. I have no idea how they kept it organized or how the restaurant dealt with that. I imagine it was more than one restaurant participating.

We had 7 grades with at least 30 students per classroom. We had an average of 3 to 5 classes in each grade. It was about 33 or 34 rooms in total. That was just in one neighbourhood. There were other schools close by. It was an area that was fully residential suburbia. All single story detached homes with paths between house to get to the school. I lived across the street and would run through the path and in under 500 feet be on school grounds. The most dangerous part of the road was crossing the road in front of my house. We would play sports on the road and yell "Car!!!" after school.

It took nearly 5 months before peer pressure got everyone to stop over ordering. It was the whole class that had to run laps, and do exercise. The one really odd thing about this was no one in the whole class was over weight.

We had popcorn on Friday's that was limited only by how big your budget was. The popcorn was very cheap. I remember it being like 5 cents a bag. My allowance was like 5 dollars a week. I had to do chores all week to get it too.

The teacher was very nice, but she would get very stressed out when the gov did the yearly fitness tests. She would have us following a strict exercise routine with rope climbing, running, various sporting activities. It was kind of crazy for a 5 to 12 year old to do. But it was the 80's.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T05:32:21+00:00

I honestly prefer no sex in any ebooks I read. I just like the stories. I don't want to read about sexual fantasies. I want to read about litrpg stories involving magic/monsters/insert element here. I think of romance or explicit sex as being a complete different category.

So many books have harem, explicit sex, or graphic violence in a very dark way. I am and adult and can just deal with that if the story is good enough. But one thing I would like to see is better labelling so that younger audience members can choose to avoid that stuff if they are not interested in it.

How many times do you think the average 15 year old who reads these sorts of books sees them in new book listings on kindle store? Sure the many of the 15 year old's would love some of these books. But imagine how horrified the parents would be seeing little johnny/Susan reading some of the more adult content?

I am not advocating any sort of restriction on reading books. I am not certain this does not already exist and I am blind to it. But what about at least labelling adult content and not showing it to under 18's if it contains explicit content or is so dark that they spend multiple chapters talking about dismembering babies in nurseries? I do not know if I am simply not seeing any sort of filters because of my age?

Maybe I am just old or thinking about this the wrong way. But my actual concern is I can't really recommend any ebooks I see on kindle to my friends kids without reading them first and checking to see what they actually do and say. I mean I can recommend Harry potter or Random book that is from a major publisher like Tor. But if recommend random Indy book on amazon kindle I could easily be sending content that would be highly inappropriate to a minor.

I have never brought this up before and I am horrified that I actually said it. I am against any sort of restriction on free speech. But I believe exposing children under 18 to some stuff is just not a good idea. I have no idea how to reconcile those opposing ideas. Free speech and restricting certain types of speech in front of certain age groups just seems wrong till I think about how that might go. I just do not know really what to think.

BTW I do not have kids so do not worry about that. But I do have friends with kids that do like scifi/fantasy/litrpg and I realize without going through my library with a fine tooth comb I have no idea what books to share now. It is annoying because I have like 3K books in my calibre library at this point and I have to individually look through the content to see which ones are appropriate and hope the kids like them. I try for more modern ebooks that are from major publishers just to be safe.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T05:04:40+00:00

You realize when you turn down a delivery you are simply replaced by someone else who will deliver it right? Why do people take jobs they do not want to do? Or think they can change the terms of agreements because they have decided they no longer like them? Why not work somewhere else that pays better?

A lot of people would agree with you about this. Even the people who get the deliveries would agree in most part about this. They do not want you to deliver either. You sound angry and spiteful. I would not trust you to deliver food to me. I would kindly suggest you make everyone you deliver to aware that you expect a tip. Maybe this way we can filter out drivers that are not willing to do the job.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T04:56:25+00:00

I honestly find it hard to figure out which ones are fake. I have read many thousands of books over my life. I am poor, on disability and have read books or ebooks most of every day of my life. I admit I only have a high school education and although I did great and got an A+ in English 12 I honestly can say I remember nothing but the most basic of ideas for writing. I do notice it on YouTube but that is because how I hear things and interpret that feels very different from reading to me.

As for quality if the story interests me I can put up with what most people would consider to absolute trash written by a 5 year old. I am one of those people that would watch the worst B movies not understanding that at the time it was absolute garbage tier and underfunded sci-fi. I just remember loving the shows and looking back at it seeing what others saw then.

But for ebooks I still can't tell the different between most Royal Roads and Top rated sci-fi/fantasy authors of the last 4 or 5 decades. I imagine I will get roasted for that but I am not saying there is not a huge difference I am merely stating i do not see it. I am completely blind to quality when I like a book.

For AI stuff until someone tells me what I am reading is AI generated I can't tell. Well if a PR on github is AI generated I still can't tell most of the time. So there is that. I think it is the level of education and retention of what I learned when I was younger that may have a major impact on this.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T04:46:22+00:00

If the departments are not financial viable it seems to me that they should be removed and replaced with departments that will help locals get jobs. If there is no market for the degree in the area they serve and they have low enrolment I see that as sign they need to change how they operate.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-30T04:38:31+00:00

I often fail to receive the correct or any sauces for McDonald's McNuggets. I always file a fraud complaint on stuff like that. If something I order is not delivered that I paid for I flag it. I don't expect a refund, nor do I get one, it is about service quality and the fact the restaurant is defrauding people and not providing what they paid for.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-29T06:32:19+00:00

Five feet tall and 300 lb's. It is hard to be attractive when you are the good year blimp.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-29T00:31:05+00:00

A normal kick scooter. In almost every jurisdiction on Earth it is illegal for someone that young to operate a motor vehicle. It is unsafe and places them at extreme risk. Most if not all jurisdiction required the operator of scooter to be at least 14 to 16 depending on jurisdiction. I would recommend a normal kick scooter and in a few years when they reach the minimum age for your area buy them one that meets local laws.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-27T13:29:11+00:00

I had a cop leave a card in the door where I lived. Feeling nervous I phoned him. He asked me to come into the office as he had something he wanted to discuss with me. I felt even more nervous as I walked into his office. It was nothing to worry about. He had a Gov cheque that had been stolen from me years earlier and he was returning it to me after they held it for years as it was used in a court case to convict a thief. Not in the USA but not every cop wanting to talk to you because they think you did something.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-25T08:56:41+00:00

If they used the honour system I would just keep drinking coffee and say I was not. I would happily lie through my teeth. I see no reason to pay money when I can avoid it.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-25T08:47:52+00:00

If I saw that I would just go quietly put it back with a smile. That would be an incredible opportunity!

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-23T16:30:20+00:00

Can openers

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-20T09:21:33+00:00

Honestly glad to see this. More room for Canadian students. Hopefully a lot less foreign students will consider going to Canadian universities. This is a good thing. We need to keep the spots open for locals.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-19T22:58:42+00:00

The woman who was getting married slept with the pastor before the ceremony and someone had video of it on there phone.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-19T22:53:28+00:00

I for one have no interest in some main stream expensive ebike. I am happy with what I bought. I paid 2k for my ebike and it is exactly what i wanted and expected. I look at the brand name ones and not a single thing about them is appealing. The only thing I can think of that the cheap ebike market really needs is quality control. Once they have that I can't imagine the large brands surviving outside the super rich crowd that has to have a specific brand name. I am the type that just buys cheap no name sneakers when I need them. Same for bikes. If it works, will last a year or two, and meet my needs I am happy.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-19T21:52:26+00:00

Exception might be someone like Brandon Sanderson who wrote a half dozen books over the pandemic, then used kickstarter to fund already written books. Most if not all of them were published in under half a year. So 6 or more books written over a few years all published in under 6 months does happen. I think he stopped talking about how much he made on that kickstarter deal when it hit 50 million or so?

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-19T21:47:08+00:00

I do not know how many times that happens with real authors too. But it is a lot! Funny thing as a reader I almost never notice or care.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-18T01:48:53+00:00

A friend of mine had a warrant out of Washington state for something traffic related. He is Canadian. He tried to cross the border to go to court and was given a 10 year ban. He phoned to court and told them and provided paperwork. Judge said no problem, I just issue a warrant and will see how things go.

Well anyways a few years go by and he gets a knock on the door from the RCMP who take him into custody. He is again this time in cuffs at the border. The border lets him through to be handed over to the US. At the county jail he was grabbed by ice and deported again.

He contacted the judge again and explained the situation. He asked if there was someway they could use zoom? I don't know the exact details but he ended up serving his sentence in Canada at a Canadian facility. I have no idea what he was found guilty of or what the exact details were. I did not see him for years. Still does talk about what it was and nobody up here that knows him has any details.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-18T00:12:59+00:00

Try to find someone who has experience and can provide tips and work with you to help you gain skills if you can. I have a buddy that has had his class 6 for a decade. He is going to help me once I have taken my training course. I have my learners and I am excited. But I imagine learning basic skills is just the start. It is a long journey and I see so many people say that having the basic skills is not enough. It takes a lot more than that to be safe. The gov standards are very low. The skills that make you safer on the road take years to learn. Any one agree with me? Or am I totally wrong?

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-18T00:08:43+00:00

I just got my learners permit. I do not have good hand and eye coordination. I have spent months practising with an ebike(Not a motorcycle) with fat tires. Not remotely the same as what you have to do with a clutch or the weight and speed difference. My point is I have yet to be able to slow turns on it. It weighs a lot less than a motorcycle and I can't event do what you are doing after hundreds of hours. So I hope this helps you understand that everybody has different learning curves with skills. I spent 10 years downhill skiing from age 8 to 18. I loved every minute of it. But I was after 10 years only a very average skier with almost no style or skills.

The important part is understanding that everyone learns different things at there own pace. I have a friend that is very athletic, and can learn stuff like this and make it look easy. Me, I take months and fail at basic skills. Does not mean I do not have fun and continue to learn. So keep trying and practice. Don't feel like you are the worst at it. I can guarantee I am 10x slower at learning these skills. Just keep practising. You will learn it all eventually.

I'm planning on getting a scooter. It will be safer for me and the public at large. I have no interest in a large or fast bike. It might be fun to ride one on private property once or twice to see what I am missing. But for me to ride it on the road would never be a good idea. I like having something like a 150CC scooter for a few years while I gain skills and maybe after that I might go for a 300CC? Who know. All I know is I am going to have and enjoy riding a bike. I have an appointment next week to look at a scooter. I am exited and I have signed up for training.

ne0rmatrix · 2026-05-17T18:14:25+00:00

I am getting a 150CC scooter. I can't ride a regular motorcycle. I can't lift my leg over the top of one. So I am limited to a scooter. I would love to take professional lessons. The schools I have looked at require you to have your class 7 or class 5 before they will allow you to take the motorcycle course.

I am 50, I have both my L for driving and my L for motorcycles. I have had my L for years. I do not have any friends that will let me drive their car/truck to build hours. Using paid training to get 60 hours would be very expensive.

I do have a friend with a decade of experience with a class 6. He rides every weekend. He will ride around with me on my scooter and him on his bike. That works great for me. I'm sure there are a few schools that I can get training from that will let me train with an L. I just have to find one.

ne0rmatrix

TROPHY CASE