Threaded's Eclectic Blog

The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

Labels: joke, zen buddhism

Labels: joke

On the office wall has been placed a poster giving the information that two words rhymed.

Didn't quite know if they were telling us the two words rhymed, the meaning of the word 'rhyme', some other information they wished to impart en-passant, or possibly all of the above.

I was contemplating this when it popped into my mind that the popular music act 'Sex Pistols' had managed to rhyme 'Antichrist' with 'Anarchist' in one of their songs.

Labels: zen buddhism

Ad Hominem:
This is the best logical fallacy, and if you disagree with me, well, you suck.

Appeal To False Authority:
Your logical fallacies aren't logical fallacies at all because Einstein said so. Einstein also said that this one is better.

Appeal To Emotion:
See, my mom, she had to work three jobs on account of my dad leaving and refusing to support us, and me with my elephantitis and all, all our money went to doctor's bills so I never was able to get proper schooling. So really, if you look deep down inside yourself, you'll see that my fallacy here is the best.

Appeal to Fear:
If you don't accept Appeal to Fear as the greatest fallacy, then THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON. Do you want that on your conscience, that THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON because you were a pansy who didn't really think that Appeal to Fear was worth voting for, and you wanted to vote for something else? Of course not, and neither would the people you let die because THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON.

Appeal To Force:
If you don't agree that Appeal to Force is the greatest logical fallacy, I will kick your ass.

Appeal To Majority:
Most people think that this fallacy is the best, so clearly it is.

Appeal To Novelty:
The Appeal to Novelty's a new fallacy, and it blows all your crappy old fallacies out the water! All the cool kids are using it: it's OBVIOUSLY the best.

Appeal To Numbers:
Millions think that this fallacy is the best, so clearly it is.

Appeal To Tradition:
We've used Appeal to Tradition for centuries: how can it possibly be wrong?

Argumentum Ad Nauseam:
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.

Begging The Question:
Circular reasoning is the best fallacy and is capable of proving anything.
Since it can prove anything, it can obviously prove the above statement.
Since it can prove the first statement, it must be true.
Therefore, circular reasoning is the best fallacy and is capable of proving anything.

Burden Of Proof:
Can you prove that Burden of Proof isn't the best logical fallacy?

Complex Question:
Have you stopped beating your wife and saying Complex Question isn't the best fallacy?

False Dilemma:
I've found that either you think False Dilemma is the best fallacy, or you're a terrorist.

False Premise:
All of the other fallacies are decent, but clearly not the best as they didn't come from my incredibly large and sexy brain.

Gambler's Fallacy:
In all the previous talks about this subject, Gambler's Fallacy won, so I just know the Gambler's Fallacy is going to win this time!

Guilt By Association:
You know who else preferred those other logical fallacies?
*(insert pictures of Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot here)*

Non Sequitur:
Non Sequitur is the best fallacy because none of my meals so far today have involved asparagus.

Post Hoc/False Cause:
Since I've started presuming that correlation equals causation, violent crime has gone down 54%.

Red Herring:
They say that to prove your fallacy is the best requires extraordinary evidence, because it's an extraordinary claim. Well, I'd like to note that "Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence" is itself an extraordinary claim.

Relativism:
Well maybe all those other fallacies are the best for you, but to me, the relativist fallacy is the greatest logical fallacy ever.

Slippery Slope:
If you don't like Slippery Slope arguments, you will do poorly in class, drop out of school, commit crimes, go to prison, and die of AIDS.

Special Pleading:
I know that everyone is posting about their favorite fallacies, but Special Pleading is out-and-out the best, so it should just win with no contest.

(Credit should go to Brian McGroarty who compiled this list)

Labels: joke, recycling

Had a few errands to run yesterday and ended up feeling I'd have much rather stayed in bed due to all the nuts on the road.

First trip was to BMW Service in Rødovre, to buy a new battery for a renovation project. It was recommended to me by a motorcyclist I chatted to some time ago who just happened to be riding the same type of motorcycle as the project, and was filling up at a petrol station I was passing, so thought I'd ask where he gets the parts. Anyways the shop happened to be shut, but I do know where it is now. Can nip in on the way to and fro'. First nut of the day I met was driving at speed the wrong way up a one way street on the way there. Didn't think it much out of the ordinary, it being Denmark after all: they appear to have a relaxed attitude to such things. Just pull over, smile, but try not to make too much eye contact.

Next stop was the Road Bike Shop where I heard they were having a sale. Thought I might pick up a few bargains. On the way I had to make a left turn across the traffic at a Y junction. The road splits for the Y and both parts get traffic lights. Whilst waiting at the lights got some loon peeping their horn at me. The light for straight on was green so maybe they thought my red light for going across the oncoming traffic should be ignored? Anyways, they pulled sharply into the right hand lane, cutting up the fast lane traffic going straight on. Lots of blaring horns and the light there was red now, and mine went to green. I didn't look back. Maybe they like standing at red lights peeping their horn. It takes all sorts I guess.

Just after this junction the road narrows very sharply to single lane, widens again to four lanes for a cross roads, narrows again to one. As I was in the inside lane and I knew I'd eventually be wanting a left turn, and I knew this turn would be at a load of road works, just thought I'd hang back and let everyone in the fast lane pass me. Which would have worked a charm but for the idiots who ran the red lights from the other direction. So there I am trying to make a left turn at some roadworks, but could not as the gap was removed by said red-light jumping fools, and then the junction itself gets blocked by one of them thoughtless types parking their car in it, only allowing one car in or out at a time.

A while later I manage to get into the road, and 10 meters down it next idiot I meet shoots out of a petrol station car park straight across the road and nearly crashes into a car parked opposite. I emergency stop and start laughing at the bizarreness of the driving, guess his foot slipped off the clutch or something. Big mistake, never laugh at a Danes inability to drive. You can insult their mother, but never obviously question their driving ability. So he's now having a fit. Spends so much time mucking about that he can't reverse as some other fool, also lacking situational awareness, blocks that path. Someone has come up behind me, even though I tried reversing they were minded to notice the reversing lights and roll up to almost touching bumpers to stop me. Another comes from the opposite direction and blocks that path. Impasse. Turns out car from the opposite direction wants some petrol so they drive up onto the pavement and squeeze through the tightest gap between a wall and the parked cars and into the petrol station. (I've been thinking on this, and I still can't figure out how they did that maneuver without hitting anything.) First car realises his only way out is up the road where the last car came from, which is exactly the opposite direction he wants to go, but off he goes nevertheless.

Whilst at the Road Bike Shop bumped into Janus and separately another friend, Aske, who were also bargain hunting. Janus is looking for a new fixie, some chummy having stole his the other day.

I got myself a new spinning set-up for the winter and some spare tubes for my Bugatti road bike which I intend to use on the trainer. They also had some Primal Wear shirts and picked one out that looked nice, and was one of the only two that was my size. A new PC68 chain for my 29'er. The current one isn't all that old, but I've taken to waxing my chains and the one on doesn't have a handy link, also I just don't like it. There again, I might just keep it as a spare for my commuter bike for swapping due to mid-week downpours and don't have the time for all the messing about. And there again, again, maybe I just can't make my mind up, but it was shiny and I wanted it.

From there I set off to Heino Cykler to hopefully pick up my race bike that I'm having modified. At Damhus Sø the road narrows from two to one lane. The nut I met here seemed to be incapable of overtaking or pulling in so as not to look like he was going to overtake right on the pinch point. Of course as soon as I tried to make his mind up for him he decided to floor it and overtake in the pinch point. I drive a car that says I don't care how fast you think you are, I am faster, at stopping. So no doubt he got his kicks thinking he'd upset someone and I got to feel good about my driving skill, and another road-nut to write abuse about on my blog.

At Heino Cykler, Steen was working on a Saturday, which is unusual. The work on my race bike wasn't finished. They'd fixed my rear caliper, which kept jamming on, but some communication problem with the DT Swiss distributors over bushings meant the new rear shock and lockout hadn't been delivered. Bought some new shorts instead, and agreed to pick the bike up when he 'phoned me.

Decided that as I was not having the best of days would give Rødovre Center a miss and go somewhere quieter and further from the city.

So off to City 2, following the navigators instructions. Knew it would take me by the motorway, considering motorways are safer, thought that I'd maybe gain a little respite from the lunatics. Error!

On the motorway caught up with some blue wreck that decided to change lanes just as the motorway splits at Albertslund. This makes most people think they want to take the left fork, so some drivers start to set up to overtake on the inside as they're taking the right fork. Me, having met more than my fair share of lunatics so far today know they are a prat and are wanting the fast lane on the right fork, yet want to go at a speed significantly below the posted speed limit just to annoy people and hopefully die in a horrific high speed fireball. I lay back and watch the sudden look of horror in the eyes of several drivers as they see the attempted suicide and check their rear view mirrors as they go into avoiding maneuvers. One 7 series BMW ended up shooting across three lanes to avoid a shunt and took the left fork. Bet he was well annoyed.

At City 2 they're doing this 'Extreme Makeover' thing and so they're lots of road works. My favourite car park has a new tarmac sealant layer on it which along with the light rainfall has encouraged the local boy racers to come and use it as a skid pad. So on entry was met by a hand painted purple Renault Megane hot-hatchback with bean can exhausts spinning at high speed, backwards, towards a line of parked JCBs. "Figures!" I think.

As I gingerly made my way to some safe area to park a security guy appeared and the boy racer disappeared in a cloud of tire smoke. I could still hear him going as I entered the shopping centre. A seriously loud exhaust there and I think his throttle had only two positions - fully on pressed through the floor or ignition off.

In Kvickly, first up a trolley took my coin but would not unlock. An assistant came with a pair of pliers, which I noticed are helpfully left laying in a nearby closet. I shall have to remember where they keep them for future repeats of such an episode.

Later in the chilled foods section I was assaulted by a shopper ramming his trolley into me which cut my hand. He made no attempt at an apology and cowardly ran off when he saw my displeasure.

Labels: bizarre, cycling, Pavlovs dog, purple

Harder Better Faster Stronger by hands

Todays crash involved three cars and a bicycle. The cyclist was not me I hasten to add. I was watching from my office window, vicarious amusement I know: but I do like to look up occasionally and watch the rush hour traffic at a nearby traffic-light controlled T-junction whilst doing the usual morning chores, especially if there is a squeal of tires, a blowing of horns. If they just co-operated with each other they'd all get through so much quicker, but they'd rather not methinks. Occasionally the various antics drivers get up to at the junction make for a bit of a chuckle.

This mornings chuckle involved three cars and a cyclist all running red-lights, the ensuing crumple of metal, shouting match, and then the ritual exchange of insurance details.

All rather mundane, but it was raining lightly, and as time went on the rain became harder, and then harder. The harder it got the more I wondered when they'd pack in with the shouting match and get onto the exchange of details, if only to save from getting soaked.

Then, just as they exchanged details and were heading back to their cars thoroughly soaked; the rain stopped like a light being switched off.

Labels: bizarre, car crash

Saw, well initially heard approaching, a purple car that had recently been involved in an accident, and the occupants were making their getaway.

Front end smashed in, front bumper being dragged under the car, held on by wires for the lights.

Quite a racket, with lots of sparks flying out the sides from underneath the car. They were driving quite in excess of the posted speed limit and ignored the red light at the next set of lights. So never quite saw where they eventually must have come to a halt.

From the attitude of the other road users this would appear to be nothing too extraordinary.

"See that!" I inquired of a fellow cyclist I met waiting at the red light.

"See what?" Was the response.

Labels: car crash, cycling, purple

Darn it, my bottom bracket has started to creak again on the commuter bike.

Generally, when your bottom bracket starts to creak it is just about anything but the bottom bracket. It is one of those quirks when riding a bike that odd mechanical noises appear to originate from the bottom bracket.

There again, last time I ignored a creaking noise from the bottom bracket this is what happened: threaded's dead bicycle, yes, the spindle itself broke.

Labels: cycling, Pavlovs dog

Realised what obvious means: those things you write instructions for, for the use of those who don't embrace obvious quite so easily.

Labels: joke, Pavlovs dog, programming, zen buddhism

Managed three circuits in todays race. Feel I did really well. Even managed to stay on at several of the corners, but did have three over-the-handlebars impromptu flights.

A young lad won a bicycle, he was so stunned, lovely moment. Then he 'phoned his mum to tell her, and I don't think, from overhearing one part of the conversation, that she quite believed he'd won a seriously-good brand-new mountain-bike either.

Motion based player

Results Woo hoo I didn't come last!

Labels: cycle race, cycling

In my never ending quest to not come last in the bicycle races I enter I have had a Polar power meter fitted to one of my bicycles.

After spending a not inconsiderable amount of time checking and double checking the set up: the chain length, weight, distance between centres etc. all being quite important to the little beasties calculations, I took it out for a ride.

Found a nice long hill with steep bits and blasted up it, looked down and: 746 watts.

One of those WTF moments, lost my concentration, and nearly fell off!

On the way home got a puncture. Well, it is a racing bike after all, and has Panaracer tour guard tires, generally OK for the road, but a bit crap for the cycle paths round here. On my regular commuter I have Dutch Perfect armored tires, that's what is needed.

Checked all the measurements and settings, even took the chain off to weigh it again. Yeps, it is all correct.

Blooming 'eck, 746 watts: that's 1 horse power!

Labels: cycling