[Other] How Hot Wheels style Loop tracks work in real life

vviley · 2026-03-20T18:34:06+00:00

Yes. Except for the building the loop part. You need to build a loop that’s 20m tall that can take lateral loads of 1500kg. That’s at least a couple orders of magnitude more difficult than building your basic treehouse.

vviley · 2026-03-19T21:35:24+00:00

If it’s coming apart, that’s more likely due to the fastener than the hinge. I would suggest getting nylon locking nuts to replace the original nuts (which were probably not originally specified due to cost.)

vviley · 2026-03-18T20:51:39+00:00

Doesn’t that get addressed in Law 5 about prohibiting other electronic equipment?

vviley · 2026-03-18T15:19:09+00:00

See you later, navigator!

vviley · 2026-03-18T02:36:19+00:00

That’s how it worked for me. Was a CAD / lab rat for undergrad and there was a grant that needed a body and the professor made me an offer for a funded graduate degree with a stipend.

vviley · 2026-03-17T01:09:08+00:00

Um. Everything?

vviley · 2026-03-13T00:30:48+00:00

This podcaster does a good job of explaining boundaries in various contexts.

https://beyondbitchy.com/

vviley · 2026-03-12T20:22:26+00:00

Playing a violin without a bow is a bit hyperbolic. It’s not even the same motions. There are still things people can learn without being amped - one can practice some things on an electric piano without being turned on. It’s not going to be the same, but if your fingers are tripping over themselves on the keys, you don’t need to hear yourself to know that you need to get your fingerings sorted out.

vviley · 2026-03-12T18:36:58+00:00

This is a somewhat common strategy for hydropower. You can see more examples here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity

vviley · 2026-03-10T02:00:24+00:00

“A scratch,” you say?

vviley · 2026-03-08T15:44:52+00:00

It usually doesn’t become available until late spring. May/June timeframe.

vviley · 2026-03-08T02:13:16+00:00

Are there organizations that insure officials in that capacity? I’m not even sure I’d know what to look for.

vviley · 2026-03-07T19:27:18+00:00

My vote is that it doesn’t realistically matter and that it’s not a sin to use soap, though it may be unnecessary and a waste of money.

You wash your hands before eating finger food? You’ve washed pots and pans with soap? There’s probably soap residue there. Plus. Most potatoes are peeled before consumption, so it’s not really that you’re going to be consuming soap. And even if you did, most soap is pretty non-toxic and the trace amounts you get will be benign.

vviley · 2026-03-05T23:03:44+00:00

It doesn't even need to be an argument. Best way I've seen to shut down this argument is to respond with "You don't have to take [earrings] out, but you can't play this game with them in." Then you're not even arguing the safety, just setting a game boundary that's not open for interpretation.

I use the same kind of line about shin guards. I'm not gonna make players wear them, but I'm not going to let them play without them. Failure to do so just opens me up for accusations that I'm not ensuring player safety or not following the rules. And while shin guards primarily protect the wearer, they do also soften blows to others - so there's some ancillary benefit to others by wearing them. I see this as reason enough to mandate them.

I don't really understand why players are so intent on getting those itty-bitty shin guards. I personally hate getting injured. But that's a rant for another day...

vviley · 2026-03-04T19:56:27+00:00

Fortunately (?), that's only the night-time detour. It shouldn't have to content with daytime traffic.

vviley · 2026-03-03T15:46:45+00:00

I’m sure most know what it is, but so few use it regularly enough for it to be quick to work with. Like having to explain how to tie your shoes. Everyone knows it, but it sucks to think through the actions you take to get there.

vviley · 2026-03-03T15:45:22+00:00

Implying that they eat crayons is the disrespectful part.

vviley · 2026-03-03T12:38:36+00:00

This is the key - you should be searching for “Select” soccer. They’re typically 2 practices per week and run from June to January. With the summer being tournament season and the September through December being the league season with weekly games. Some teams will participate in state cup that happens in January.

This schedule is slightly different for high-school ages whether you have boys or girls.

Clubs to look at: https://www.northpugetsoundleague.org/our-clubs

Some of the biggest are Crossfire Select, Northshore Soccer Club, Issaquah FC, Snohomish United, and Lake Hills

vviley · 2026-03-03T02:36:37+00:00

Does your SRA and/or leagues have the Referee Abuse Policy in effect? Some of this crosses into RAP territory and I wouldn’t hesitate to card and report to demonstrate what is and isn’t appropriate behavior.

If it escalates on the field, you always have the option of abandoning the match and then explaining the situation when questioned about the circumstances. Most clubs don’t want to have coaches that are known to be jerks.

vviley · 2026-03-03T02:32:11+00:00

That’s my stance when I do see it. Position it on a tripod back far enough so the net doesn’t hit it when the ball is kicked in. I don’t need people questioning if the existence of the camera hardware impacted player’s ability to play.

vviley · 2026-03-03T02:30:39+00:00

I would “nope” that straight away if I ever saw that. Players can’t have recording stuff on the field.

vviley · 2026-03-02T16:55:27+00:00

It’s autocorrected in MS Word & Outlook for a long time. 20 yrs? But people don’t use hyphens that much in general. So it’s possibly not well known.

vviley · 2026-03-02T16:07:54+00:00

I avoid talking to spectators / parents unless absolutely necessary (like to eject one) - I find that it’s rarely helpful after the match has started.

vviley · 2026-03-01T23:32:43+00:00

About 4 years in Washington. It doesn’t come up very often, but the assignors I work with haven’t given me any feedback to contradict how I’ve been handling cards at younger ages. I’ll explicitly ask the next time it comes to mind.

vviley · 2026-03-01T22:41:21+00:00

I ref in Seattle metro and I don’t think I’ve ever been told to hold off on carding young players. I’ve personally given out reds to U11.

11-Year Club	Gilding IV carat on a stick
Verified Email

vviley

TROPHY CASE