The harrier was good except for the times it would inexplicably lose control and kill the pilot, which was a lot more than most planes. They called it “the widow-maker” for a reason. I think it was improved in later versions, but the earliest ones were notoriously unstable.

I know a guy who almost got hit by a harrier that had suddenly flipped above the pad during a vertical take off, crashed upside down with full throttle engaged, and then slid right through a big-ass hanger he was right outside of. He had to literally dive out of the way and be among the very first on scene to fight the flames. MCAS Cherry Point 5/1/1980. Yeah, this happened on May Day lol

It happened again, also at Cherry Point, less than a year later when an experienced pilot was killed in very similar circumstances after his harrier also randomly lost control during vertical take off. 1/18/81. Interestingly, this was just 5 days after they had officially stricken the aircraft from the previous crash.

Maybe the trick is to leave some food (like diced and crushed fruit, unsalted peanuts in the shell, or mealworms) where they hang out when you see them? Them being out of your sight doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of their sight. They could be watching nearby. If they’re in the area often, they’ll probably find it. If you always see them at a certain time of day, try leaving it out there a bit before they show up. Maybe if you put up some feeders that have crow-friendly foods closer to the house, they’ll warm up to it and you, You could also try leaving some food out for them a ways away and just hanging out for awhile reading or something, then gradually over time, leave the food closer. I’d imagine it could take some time and persistence to get the crows to warm up to you.

I’ve heard that crows seem to recognize offerings made to them and respond well. Try going outside and, while in their sight (not too close, though), present some food to them where they can see it, carefully place it on the ground, and slowly back away out of sight once more. You may have to do this for multiple days or maybe even weeks, not sure. Otherwise, you can take solace in the fact that nesting season will probably be over shortly as crows usually only raise 1 brood a year. They also don’t usually reuse nests, but have been known to build on top of prior successful nests.

You should post an update somewhere in a week or two because this is pretty interesting!

Man, imagine slowly dying of late-stage lung cancer, then getting picked to be in a trial for a drug that could greatly improve your situation, but you get put in the control group. Placebos will still cure cancer if you think they will, right?

Not enough bread, too many circuses

Rice doesn’t have to be grown in flooded paddies, that’s just an ancient, chemical-free way to prevent weeds from growing. You could still grow rice the same way you’d grow wheat or corn and it can actually be less work to do it that way. It would, of course, require more reliance on herbicides for weed control, though, which is its own can of worms. The water also allows other means of food production to happen alongside the rice growing, such as raising fish or ducks. I wonder if symbiotic dual-use of the water would offset, or even directly reduce, the relatively higher methane levels that might be generated within the water. Bonus points if you hook up a turbine to the outflow when you go to drain your paddies.

Yeoman, what’s up?

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Last night I was looking at other contemporary examples of Austrian knight’s robes after seeing this post and found this example for robes of the Order of the Iron Crown of Lombardy (ca. 1815). The source said that the star embroidered on the chest indicated a rank of Knight I, so I inferred that the brooch of seemingly a very similar design would indicate the same. It might just be coincidence, though.

What about phone books? Are they good, or bad?

Wow, stunning! It’s a little more regal than I would have expected, though, despite the knightly class being part of the aristocracy. This is maybe just one or two steps down from what I’d think of as coronation robes. The ermine mantle, the long drape, and the somewhat intricate embroidery (perhaps not quite as intricate as actual coronation robes) all give me those vibes. That brooch indicates status as a knight of the first class, right?

This was over a year ago

😳

For real though, they aren’t unlike many other fundamentalist sects across different religions, so one going in should expect pretty strict adherence to their interpretation of biblical doctrine. That’s one of the things they’re famous for, besides the no technology, raising barns, and building quality wooden furniture. Nowadays, there’s a bit of flexibility regarding technology depending on which Amish community you live in, especially if it’s to promote an Amish business, but there are still limits. All that being said, most newcomers who leave do cite the religious aspects as growing tiresome over time.

But it’s not like the Amish are the kind of people who won’t let you leave or anything, they’re actually pretty big on the idea that one has to want to be a part of the Amish church and that it can’t be forced on anyone; they even have that Rumspringa thing where kids are sent out into modern society at 16 until they decide whether they want to formally join the church or not. They don’t believe in evangelism of any kind. I can’t claim to be any kind of expert, though, I’ve just had a personal fascination with them for awhile.

I didn’t intend for my first comment to come off that way, but I believe everything I’ve said is factual.

P.S.

I’ll add for OP that I’m not sure how your goal of continuing your math studies would mesh with the Amish community. Assuming you’d be attending some sort of higher education outside of the community to earn a degree, I’m not sure how they’d perceive that. The Amish do their own schooling and don’t offer classes at that level because they’re actually against higher education in most communities, plus a university would probably be too far for a horse and buggy, so you’d most likely need a car. In fact, it was actually by Supreme Court decision that allowed the Amish to stop education at 8th grade. They might feel you weren’t fully committed to the lifestyle.

If you were to stay after you earned your degree, what would you use it for? You’d likely have a job making furniture, doing some other handicraft, or farming. Your only option to use your advanced math skills would be to get a job in the non-Amish world, which might also ruffle some feathers. Hard to say for sure, though. I think even the more orthodox Mennonites are also a little more open to higher education, though, but I could be wrong.

Then again, you could still totally just get a degree, join whatever church you want, and live however rustically you choose.

The Amish tend to be pretty insular communities that have had the same extended families for generations, so being truly accepted might take a few years. Most “English” people who join tend to return to ordinary life within that time after the charm of the rustic lifestyle wears off. You’d also be required to learn Pennsylvania Dutch, as well as abide by all the other community rules, of course. Some Mennonite communities live pretty similar lifestyles, but are a little more relaxed in terms of strictness, so you may find them more forgiving, especially if it’s to continue studies.

The “don” suffix just means tooth, so it doesn’t necessarily have to do with dinosaurs; there are a number of mammalian genera that got it, like Smilodon, Daeodon, Dorudon, and Thrinaxodon

Popeyes when Popeno comes in

Celebrated? That’s not how I remember it at all. From what I recall, everyone pretty much immediately understood what was about to be lost and mourned it when it was gone. There was a huge effort to archive all the flash content people could find, so many people obviously felt flash content was worth preserving. I’ve got a flash emulator that natively has pretty much every flash game and animation I remember from when I was a kid. I might have to boot it up for a bit tonight for old time’s sake.

I’ve long wondered why airports don’t have movie theaters, arcades, and private sleeping spaces for exactly those times when travelers have hours long layovers.

Thank you for creating Boondocks content