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Randomness XV: 'tis a silly place.


Froggy the Great
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Just saw a video on the uniforms of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

 

I found it very interesting that the current blackened steel helmets of the Gala uniforms (puff-and slash ceremonial, not the combat uniforms) are being replaced with 3D-printed plastic helmets. (The white metal helmets are not being replaced at this time.)

 

Further, the current ceremonial uniforms only date back to WWI, when they were standardized to look like something of a composite of the uniforms of the previous four centuries.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtJsjMqUS7w

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Things they never told me to expect in college #671:

 

Some guy wants to launch a startup with his friends, and he came to me, looking for advice on how to structure a pitch deck. :blink:

 

The poor, doomed fool.

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2 minutes ago, PaganMegan said:

Oh, sweet goddess of secrets! I LEAKED! I started telling Grump about my secret GM plans for the Norse game! ::o:

 

He's contagious!

 

He now knows why I want the Pelingham maps.

 

OPSEC

 

Remember, NPCs are people too!

 

From here:

 

http://securitychecksmatter.blogspot.com/p/security-poster-library.html

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20 minutes ago, Doug Sundseth said:

Just saw a video on the uniforms of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

 

I found it very interesting that the current blackened steel helmets of the Gala uniforms (puff-and slash ceremonial, not the combat uniforms) are being replaced with 3D-printed plastic helmets. (The white metal helmets are not being replaced at this time.)

 

Further, the current ceremonial uniforms only date back to WWI, when they were standardized to look like something of a composite of the uniforms of the previous four centuries.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtJsjMqUS7w

 

Doug, I feel sure that someone with your depth of background knew this already, but British ceremonial troops did this quite a while ago: 

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/cavalry-face-up-to-life-in-plastic-armour-1245613.html

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5 minutes ago, paintybeard said:

 

Doug, I feel sure that someone with your depth of background knew this already, but British ceremonial troops did this quite a while ago: 

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/cavalry-face-up-to-life-in-plastic-armour-1245613.html

 

I didn't know that. Thank you.

 

I suspect that the plastic might work about as well against most weapons as steel (both modern and older).

 

The one exception is that the mass of steel tends to reduce the effect of impact weapons specifically because of its mass. Back when I was playing in the SCA, even though steel armor was both hot and heavy, it really was noticeably better against the impact of rattan "swords" and the like than lighter materials.

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2 hours ago, Guindyloo said:

This isn’t your internet living room.

 

No, the Reaper forum isn't my internet living room. I was speaking more of social media in general, places what invite you to create your own space, like Twitter, Facebook, and so forth. Sometimes, people wander into my space, and behave unpleasantly. I regard this as akin to a guest behaving badly; I was making an analogy. I get that on Facebook occasionally, when I or a friend posts something someone takes exception to. And since it's my own space, I deal with it as I see fit. Although it's not a bad thing to remember that what Twitter giveth, Twitter can take away.

This is a moderated forum. I have no personal space here; I am simply a registered member. I have no living room, here; if I had to make an analogy, I'd describe THIS place as a mall, with separate spaces for separate topics, like the stores in a mall. But it's all public, and none of it is mine.

Consequently, the flip side of Living Room Reasoning is in effect: everybody play nice, or suffer the consequences. That's what mods are for. And the rules apply as much to you or me as anyone else. If I make a big ugly noise in a mall, mall security will warn me, perhaps lecture me, perhaps toss me out, regardless of what I think the rules should be or how hard I want them to be that way.

It ain't my mall, and I ain't the boss of it. That's really all there is to say, there.
 

2 hours ago, Guindyloo said:

And if your takeaway from Buglips' post was that he was saying that monetized social media is bad, I just don't even know what to tell you.


Actually, what I SAID was:Monetized social media has a stake in making you crazy, because you're more profitable that way. I think it's more complicated than that, frankly.

ANY business is built entirely around one focus: Profit. That includes businesses that are necessary and even altruistic in nature (although it excludes nonprofit type setups). A community NEEDS a grocery store, a bank, and so on. 

The difficulty comes when a given enterprise crosses a certain line. On one side of that line, the public weal as well as the business's well being are secured. On the other side, the profit margins are still good, and headed upward... but the public interests of SOMEONE, at least, are no longer relevant, and perhaps even under attack.

I think Buglips said it pretty well in his big hefty post. He spoke about social media's interests in provoking its users, in maximizing their usage of the platform by any means necessary... and if it means upsetting, angering, or terrorizing said users, well, it's not like we're KILLING anyone, right? We're just maximizing usage and the number of noses pointed at our content, right?

No single raindrop thinks it's to blame for the flood. Just makin' money, not breakin' laws, didn't MEAN to do any harm... and yet, here's the flood.

Buglips? If I got it wrong, do feel free to jump in here and correct me.

 

EDIT: It is true that Twitter and Facebook and other social media that offer you your own "internet living room" also have moderators and monitoring and rules, Terms Of Service," and so forth. I've noticed, however, that enforcement of those rules tends to be way less egalitarian on the larger monetized platforms than they are here. Hell, Facebook in particular is notorious for allowing what I'd call hate speech, and then banhammering someone for complaining about the hate speech because their response contained quotes from the original hate speech that Facebook allowed!

It's stuff like that that makes me ponder Buglips' remarks about their sustainability in the long run.

 

Edited by Dr.Bedlam
Adding additional thots.
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Good afternoon my fellow forumnites! 

 

I purposely have made it a goal to avoid the Kickstarter section of the forums... So far I have not purchased a miniature this year that was not directly painted for commission. :) My goal is the entire year without a purchase - that would be stored for later painting. 

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34 minutes ago, Doug Sundseth said:

 

I didn't know that. Thank you.

 

I suspect that the plastic might work about as well against most weapons as steel (both modern and older).

 

The one exception is that the mass of steel tends to reduce the effect of impact weapons specifically because of its mass. Back when I was playing in the SCA, even though steel armor was both hot and heavy, it really was noticeably better against the impact of rattan "swords" and the like than lighter materials.

 

Needless to say, NCO's hate the new plastic stuff; It doesn't require constant polishing!

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13 minutes ago, Arc 724 said:

Good afternoon my fellow forumnites! 

 

I purposely have made it a goal to avoid the Kickstarter section of the forums... So far I have not purchased a miniature this year that was not directly painted for commission. :) My goal is the entire year without a purchase - that would be stored for later painting. 

 

I would do that, if I were smarter and less impulsive.

Edited by Dr.Bedlam
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SparrowMarie, I hope your kitty feels better soon.

 

My mom's cousin found me a super friendly kitten I'm gonna be adopting as soon as I hear back from the apartment complex. She's so cute! Pictures and name will be posted once I have her in person. I want to meet her before 100% committing to a name, and all the pictures of her I have access to have my mom's cousin in them. But I'm sooo excited. 

Edited by Paradoxical Mouse
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3 hours ago, redambrosia said:

But I don't feel it's fair to Hubby to have to work so much. Aside from the fact that I'll hardly see him. But until I'm done breastfeeding, it's just not practical to have both of us working, even if I only worked part time. 

 

I'm just gonna to have to make it up to him by taking really good care of him and the house, so the time we do have together will be good, quality time.

 

Really this is where the ideal world collides with the real world.  Sometimes I hear about babies that sleep well and eat well, but they seem to be the exception, whereas all the parenting books lead you to expect that they are the norm.  I tried working with a baby that struggled to sleep, eventually I was so exhausted I was falling asleep at my desk.  I was very lucky to have both a supportive employer and my mom babysitting during the day.  Without both of those things I couldn't have managed.  I hope your hubby can find a job that pays well enough for him to only work one job.  

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