Random randomness

[Holman]

Wouldn't surprise me if it was some type of stylized helmet (not an ant head) with the colors signifying Knights Templar. There's a guy that lives in my town that tells people on social media he's a "modern Knights Templar", whatever the fuck that means.

It means he's Islamophobic and probably a Christian Nationalist.

[em2nought]

Wouldn't surprise me if it was some type of stylized helmet (not an ant head) with the colors signifying Knights Templar. There's a guy that lives in my town that tells people on social media he's a "modern Knights Templar", whatever the fuck that means.

It means he's Islamophobic and probably a Christian Nationalist.

Maybe it just means he watches Oak Island.

[Blackhawk]

Wouldn't surprise me if it was some type of stylized helmet (not an ant head) with the colors signifying Knights Templar. There's a guy that lives in my town that tells people on social media he's a "modern Knights Templar", whatever the fuck that means.

Those colors with a Spartan helmet or Punisher skull are also pretty common - and they usually have some hard right meaning. Black, white, and red are a popular combination with the militant right for some reason...

Spoiler:

[Isgrimnur]

Black, white, and red are a popular combination with the militant right for some reason...

And others

[Anonymous Bosch]

Any recommendations for a really sharp yet not too costly chopping knife. For something like onions. I have to use decades old steak knives. I have one big knife that should be for this but its dull and the blade is thin so it cuts all over the place.

I need it to be sharp and cheap. I had a really sharp peeling knife I got at Walmart once. It broke after 2 weeks. But it worked. I want to mince onions and not simply cut them into slices or chunks sometimes.

You won't find much better bang for yer buck than a Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife:



Victorinox is same company best known for making Swiss Army Knives, and their kitchen knives are superb.

No knife will remain sharp indefinitely though, so I'd also recommend getting a decent ceramic honing rod/sharpener to go with it. This one includes built-in angle guides that make it pretty much effortless to hone and maintain your kitchen knives:

Sharpeak Total L.17.5-Inch/Rod L.12-Inch 3000-Grit Ceramic Sharpening Rod with Built-In Angle Guides:

[Blackhawk]

*quietly adds things to Amazon wish list*

Do steak knives next! Do steak knives!

[Daehawk]

Thanks Bosch. I now also know its called a chef's knife.

[Anonymous Bosch]

*quietly adds things to Amazon wish list*

Do steak knives next! Do steak knives!

Here y'go: Victorinox Swiss Classic 6-Piece Steak Knives Set



Or if you don't require a full set: Victorinox Swiss Classic Steak Knife

As one of the Amazon reviews aptly observes, 'Not very giftable because they're not "pretty" but MAN, can they cut.'

Since they're serrated (i.e. a simple chisel grind on only one side), all you need to do to maintain sharpness is touch 'em up every now and then with a simple tapered rod sharpener like this:

Smith's DRET Diamond Retractable Sharpener

[Kraken]

Thanks Bosch. I now also know its called a chef's knife.

A chef's knife is a fundamental kitchen tool. I use mine just about every time I cook anything. I have a drawer full of old mismatched cheap and dull knives that I ought to throw away because the only ones I ever use are my chef's knife, bread knife, steak knives, and occasionally a paring knife.

[Daehawk]

Bosch is a shareholder me thinks ..jk

[Anonymous Bosch]

Bosch is a shareholder me thinks ..jk

Heh, I'll always appreciate quality products whenever I come across 'em; all the more so when they are available for an affordable price. And Victorinox is a Swiss brand that has been around for 140 years, so they definitely know how to design and manufacture well-made tools and equipment.

But you needn't take my word for it; this New York Times review of the Victorinox Chef Knife further explains what makes it such a terrific bargain.

[Fardaza]

Utah is the BEST state in America for the second year in a row!

But once again, claims of Utah's grandeur are supported by the title of best state in America according to the U.S. News and World Report.

It's the second year in a row that Utah has topped the podium, swiping the gold medal from Washington in 2023.

Rankings are determined by analyzing the state's performance in eight categories including; natural environment, fiscal stability, education, infrastructure, health care, economy, opportunity and crime and corrections.

Interestingly, Utah did not rank number one in any particular category, but ranked in the top 20 in seven of the eight categories, signaling that consistency is key to success.

Utah's highest-ranked category was education, taking the number two spot out of all states, right behind Florida.

I don't have doubts about this. U.S. News and World Report is not exactly some extreme right-wing rag. You may not agree that Utah is the best for whatever reasons, but their selection criteria seems pretty solid. As a retired teacher, I think coming in second in education is worth bragging about!

Just curious...Where does your state rank in education or crime and corrections for that matter?

[Holman]

Black, white, and red are a popular combination with the militant right for some reason...

And others

My neighbors fly that flag.

They're pretty mellow.

[LordMortis]

Took this on my walk. Best I could do without being crazy creepy on my old phone

[Max Peck]

Took this on my walk. Best I could do without being crazy creepy on my old phone

That's a Jedi Order flag, isn't it?

[hepcat]

I just looked it up and it sure looks like it to me.

Also

[LordMortis]

And there we go. Why does it look like an insect head? Mandibles. Antennae. Is that intentional? I fell out of Star Wars... a long time ago...

[TheMix]

That looks nothing like an insect head to me.

[hepcat]

And there we go. Why does it look like an insect head? Mandibles. Antennae. Is that intentional? I fell out of Star Wars... a long time ago...

The Jedi order drew its inspiration from someone who had just watched Jerry Seinfeld's The Bee Movie.

That looks nothing like an insect head to me.

For some reason, I see the bottom part of that logo as being a sphincter. Something is wrong with me.

[Unagi]

Took this on my walk. Best I could do without being crazy creepy on my old phone

Do you realize how many man-hours we just wasted looking for ants or wasps?!

[Unagi]

For some reason, I see the bottom part of that logo as being a sphincter. Something is wrong with me.

first steps

[hepcat]

Christ, that staircase is gonna kill me.

[Unagi]

Yeah, you don't want to look up. Just one step at a time.

[Isgrimnur]

_

Just curious...Where does your state rank in education or crime and corrections for that matter?

I live in Texas. I’m well aware that my state has no standing to compete.

[Blackhawk]

And there we go. Why does it look like an insect head? Mandibles. Antennae. Is that intentional? I fell out of Star Wars... a long time ago...

I always took it to be stylized wings.

[Smoove_B]

Learn something new every day.

The Jedi crest, also known as the Jedi insignia, or as a Jedi symbol, was the emblem of the Jedi Order. In the shape of a living sunrise, the crest was a winged blade of light, and greatly resembled the emblem of the Old Republic.

Glad he's not a racist religious fundamentalist like the guy in my town.

[hepcat]

But what's with the sphincter? Is that supposed to represent the Empire?

[Jaymann]

Phrases I could live without:

A thing is not a failure, it's a FAIL.
If something is incorrect, it's BROKEN.
Something that is mildly disturbing is TERRIFYING.
Scientists can't explain...
He was LITERALLY a giant.
He was DECIMATED at the loss of his loved one.

Others?

[Blackhawk]

Anything bothersome is cringe.
Moichandising, moichandising, moichandising! No, that was fine. What bugs me is merch.
Most other words with more than one syllable being reduced to one syllable.

I'm fine with decimated. Yeah, I know what it originally meant (and even have a whole year of high school Latin 33 year ago!), but very few Latin root words mean what they originally did. Unlike with 'literally', it's been 1500 years since Rome was a power, and about a thousand since Latin stopped being widely spoken. Or, as one source puts it,

Come to think of it, you deserve more than that—you deserve an ovation. Except that the original meaning of ovation in English was “a ceremony attending the entering of Rome by a general who had won a victory of less importance than that for which a triumph was granted,” so I guess we can’t use that word.

No matter, we can say that if you stick to your guns you will surely have a triumph. Wait—the first meaning of triumph was “a ceremony attending the entering of Rome by a general who had won a decisive victory over a foreign enemy,” so let’s not use that. For those who truly believe that words which started out in English having a single meaning that pertains to ancient Rome should remain that way forever, the following list of such will come in handy:

Century: “a subdivision of the Roman legion.”
Forum: “the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business.”
Tribune: “a Roman official under the monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the plebeian citizen from arbitrary action by the patrician magistrates.”
Missiles: “Gifts thrown to the crowds by Roman emperors.”
Actor: “In Roman law, one that conducts a legal action.”
Legion: “the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry.”

Also, if one insists on Roman usage, one should also be using the Roman pronunciation.

In the end, the English word 'decimate' isn't the same word as the Latin word 'decimate.' They're related, the way humans are related to Australopithecus africanus.

[Jaymann]

I chuckled at the image of a Roman emperor chucking missiles into the crowd.

[Kraken]

That looks nothing like an insect head to me.

Me either, until I realized he's looking at the negative space (the white part).

[Fardaza]

_

Just curious...Where does your state rank in education or crime and corrections for that matter?

I live in Texas. I’m well aware that my state has no standing to compete.

Ah. I thought you lived in Illinois.

My state is #27. Texas is only #29. I'm surprised TX is not higher on the list to be honest.

[Pyperkub]

HOw does one even find a Circuit City to hide in???

The California man who hid for 6 months in a secret room inside Circuit City
Jeffrey Manchester, who became known as 'Roofman,' lived a double life

[LordMortis]

That looks nothing like an insect head to me.

Me either, until I realized he's looking at the negative space (the white part).

That's what I thought I said. White head on a black flag with red silhouette. And this was closest but not close enough and colors were off

[Kraken]

Yup, that's what you said...but my eye naturally went to the intended image -- the red phoenix wings. Reading comprehension fail on my part.

[jztemple2]

The page with the article and original image source: New York Has the Highest Tax Burden of Any State

[Blackhawk]

That looks nothing like an insect head to me.

Me either, until I realized he's looking at the negative space (the white part).

That's what I thought I said. White head on a black flag with red silhouette. And this was closest but not close enough and colors were off

FWIW, the part that threw me off (and I know why now) was that I was looking for an insect head with a red outline - not a perfect circle.

[Jaymann]

Wow, the difference in tax burden between Vermont and New Hampshire is stunning.

[Daehawk]

Jedi Order flag

[TheMix]

That looks nothing like an insect head to me.

Me either, until I realized he's looking at the negative space (the white part).

That's what I thought I said. White head on a black flag with red silhouette. And this was closest but not close enough and colors were off

Just as an FYI, my undergraduate degree was Wildlife Biology. And while I didn't take any specific insect-related classes, I did get a bit familiar. Enough so that I wouldn't have gone with "insect" even if I was looking for something to compare it to. That's just me, though. I certainly don't hold it against you.