The Random Image Thread (keeping it PG-13 at the worst)

[ukimalefu]

[jkahless]

I don't understand the appeal of wrist watches to begin with, I really don't understand the wrist watch as status symbol thing.

They're useful if you need to tell the time while working actively.

The status symbol thing is just because they are the only jewellery that it is acceptable for men to wear in mainstream western society other than a wedding band.

[dv]

I don't understand the appeal of wrist watches to begin with, I really don't understand the wrist watch as status symbol thing.

They're useful if you need to tell the time while working actively.

The status symbol thing is just because they are the only jewellery that it is acceptable for men to wear in mainstream western society other than a wedding band.

Cufflinks, tie clips, class rings. Necklaces (chains) and earrings are not completely unheard of either.

Peacocks gonna... rooster?

[Geesie]

[dv]

Daaaaamn.

[TOS]

jesus h christ

[ukimalefu]

[user]

fixer stains

[Ribtor]

contact.jpg

[DukeofNuke]

Nice. Your's?

[ukimalefu]

[dv]

That says a lot about the demographics of the calculator-buyer.

[Geesie]

Hm. I seem to recall that most of Asimov's golden age writing still had gigantic computers.

[maurvir]

[Ribtor]

Nice. Your's?

It's a test. I'm planning on a series to decorate my shop walls.

[user]

Looks like other stuff has been smeared on it as well.

[DukeofNuke]

Don't the celebrities pay for their own star on the walk-of-fame?

[DEyncourt]

Don't the celebrities pay for their own star on the walk-of-fame?

While they can, the usual practice is that the people nominating the "star" puts up the money (reportedly $30 K, payable upon a successful nomination).

[dv]

Don't the celebrities pay for their own star on the walk-of-fame?

While they can, the usual practice is that the people nominating the "star" puts up the money (reportedly $30 K, payable upon a successful nomination).

So who nominated him? John Miller?

[DEyncourt]

Don't the celebrities pay for their own star on the walk-of-fame?

While they can, the usual practice is that the people nominating the "star" puts up the money (reportedly $30 K, payable upon a successful nomination).

So who nominated him? John Miller?

Heh.

Most likely it was NBC since they were getting a lot of ad revenue from the various forms of "The Apprentice", and Trump getting his star would have promoted those programs too.

[dv]

Don't the celebrities pay for their own star on the walk-of-fame?

While they can, the usual practice is that the people nominating the "star" puts up the money (reportedly $30 K, payable upon a successful nomination).

So who nominated him? John Miller?

Heh.

Most likely it was NBC since they were getting a lot of ad revenue from the various forms of "The Apprentice", and Trump getting his star would have promoted those programs too.

off topic but not-false: I had a college professor named John Miller, who I learned recently retired.

[sean]

Road planners need to stop smoking crack.

[DukeofNuke]

They'll have us going around in stick fiddling circles before you know it.

[TOS]

Road planners need to stop smoking crack.

that's the hot new thing

[macaddict4life]

I don't know that I see the benefits, particularly compared to more standard traffic circle designed that reduce collision points.

[ukimalefu]

[ukimalefu]

[sean]

I don't know that I see the benefits, particularly compared to more standard traffic circle designed that reduce collision points.

I drove through that monstrosity yesterday. There are no benefits.

[Metacell]

It seems designed to cause as many acute angle collisions as possible.

[TOS]

man i remember that issue ... it caused such a firestorm

i wonder how many people still have that level of devotion for apple?

[macaddict4life]

Screen Shot 2016-05-04 at 11.01.42 PM.png

[Pithecanthropus]

Road planners need to stop smoking crack.

that's the hot new thing

Diamond interchanges actually make a lot of sense, and they're not at all confusing to drive on. It might look weird from the air, but on the ground it's easy.

[DukeofNuke]

it's easy.

Yeah. Like driving your American car in Briton for two minutes, twice a day.

[Kirk]

Yeah, well, we are still using inches, pounds, slugs, quarts and furlongs.

[macaddict4life]

Road planners need to stop smoking crack.

that's the hot new thing

Diamond interchanges actually make a lot of sense, and they're not at all confusing to drive on. It might look weird from the air, but on the ground it's easy.

I'm thinking this through further...

It looks like this replaces a traditional flyover ramp design. It looks like it might take up a little more space, but not much, and it looks a lot simpler to engineer and build. I doubt the confusion lasts more than a couple of drives, because it is signal controlled at the intersection.

Issues I see include the long intersection distance from where you stop to where you are clear, and the presence of the left hand merge, something not super common in standard onramp and offramp designs, that people need to get ready for. It also seems like a short merge when jining the main road from the left, particularly if you then need to get over the the right to avoid returning to the freeway, but I guess that road isn't running at freeway speeds either.

Reconsidering what I said about collision points, while it does not reduce the number of traffic lights relative to standard flyovers, it would make them 2-direction intersections, with no left turn phases needed, which should simplify intersections and speed up flow and clearance. That also should reduce collision points, though a traffic circle at that cross would potentially be even better in that respect. Plus, a traffic circle would reduce concerns about an inattentive drive (especially one who is tired or impaired) getting it wrong, by preventing a straight-isa drive through path that leads to the wrong direction.

On the other hand, I've certainly seen elaborate flyover designs that do not need a traffic light at all, but they are complex and expensive, and often there's another intersection so close they aren't a big help. Also, it doesn't look like this would work well on smaller roads, though maybe it would be over-engineering on a 2-lane road anyway (where it seems like it'd work, but awkwardly). It's definitely over-engineering on a 1 lane road.

My big question would be how does it handle traffic? It seems like it could backup badly, in a way even worse than flyovers would, but maybe the improve intersection design (just 2 directions with no turns) makes that less of an issue. But if entering traffic is backed up badly (or if you are running metering lights and backups get really bad) it looks like it would be an extra-big mess.

I've also assumed this is a major city road intersection a major freeway. If this is a less major freeway or a highway intersecting a freeway, that brings up other possible concerns (like higher speed on the merge, the impact of higher speeds on people mishandling the crossover intersection, and the undesirability of traffic lights on a highway).

[DukeofNuke]

Look what I found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY8xU-UAQWs

[macaddict4life]

Wow, 100% perfect drivers! Just like real life!

And, as a Californian, that traffic volume and level of service seem like a cruel, mocking joke. "So this is what roads are supposed to be like..."

[DukeofNuke]

Wow, 100% perfect drivers! Just like real self-driving cars!

FTFY

[maurvir]

[maurvir]