Who all still makes sense

[geewj]

I figured I'd make a running list of all the people that still made sense.

This ought to be interesting, ...for me anyways.

So who still makes sense. And I don't want just a 'yes' , 'no', or 'something else that is unrelated'. You need to show your work or you don't get any credit for this problem. And depending on your answer this may be a 2(3,4,5...) part question.

[Polly]

Dave Freese has just released version 1.2 of Fldigi, a popular new program for Linux and FreeBSD which enables amateur radio operators to join their radios and their computers at the hip and create a new kind of ham shack: a digital ham shack. Here's the story behind both the rising popularity of "sound card" digital modes in amateur radio and how Fldigi lets you enjoy enjoy them on Linux.

Hams use their own jargon, which is just as obscure to non-hams as IRQ, USB, or DDR are to non-computer geeks. I've included a brief glossary of terms used in this story, but for the inquisitve, here is a link to a more complete reference work explaining ham jargon.

According to Wikipedia, there are about 3 million amateur radio operators -- or hams -- around the world. There have been amateur radio operators for as long as there has been radio. The ARRL, which is the national association for amateur radio in the United States, was founded in 1914 and counts 150,000 active members today.

Hams communicate by radio, but only on government-allocated frequency bands where they are allowed to operate. They chat, they invent, they have contests to see how many stations they can contact within a given time frame, and when natural or man-made disasters occur, they are usually the first to establish any kind of communications between the stricken area and the rest of the world.

Early hams used Morse code sent by CW almost exclusively. Over time, the popularity of morse code -- also called simply code or CW -- has waned and interest in voice communications -- an analog mode as opposed to the on/off digital of CW or RTTY (radio telegraph) -- has grown. Learning Morse code and passing a test on it has long been a barrier to entry for new hams. You could get a beginner's license without passing the code test, but you couldn't progress to the next higher level without it. The FCC has recently decided to do away with the code test, and beginning in February of 2007, it will no longer be required.

In 1999, a new kind of digital mode appeared. It's called PSK, for Phase Shift Keying, and it's known as a "sound card" digital mode because it uses a computer's sound card to encode and to decode the transmitted signal. Older digital modes like RTTY have been revitalized as "sound card" modes, and completely new modes like PSK and MFSK have appeared. The new modes are proving as popular with long time hams as they are with new hams, like me.

There are several reasons why "sound card" digital modes are growing in popularity. First of all, other than the original equipment setup, using these modes is as easy as typing at your keyboard and reading from your computer screen. They are the amateur radio HF equivalents of instant messaging.

PSK in particular offers further advantages. You don't have to compete with expensive rigs generating megawatts of power to do global QSOs with PSK, for example. Even with my modest setup, running between 25 and 50 watts of power into a ground-mounted vertical antenna, I've enjoyed PSK QSOs with Cuba, South America, and Burkina Faso in Central Africa.

Meet Dave Freese, W1HKJ
Dave Freese retired from the Coast Guard in 1980. He is a graduate of both the Coast Guard Academy (BS-1960) and the Navy Postgraduate school (MSEE-1966). He has been a licensed ham since 1957. He started his programming career in 1966 and has worked on everything from "I have programmed everything from big IBM iron to embedded microprocessors. The applications range from machine control to business management and nearly everything in between."

He's been a Linux user almost from its inception, using SCO Unix and Minix before starting to use Linux. He started using sound card digital modes in 2001, and has written more than 20 GPL licensed programs over the years. I asked why he chooses to release his software under the GPL and he said:

I have no need for additional income and I like the concept of shared knowledge. Some of my work is original, but much depends on the generosity of others such as the author of gmfsk. The greatest flattery one can receive in the GPL world is for someone to take your code and build a better application or perhaps apply your ideas in a new and unique way. GPL is not for everyone though as you do expose yourself to a very wide audience of very skilled programmers. You need to realize that there is no criticism only critical analysis when you get feedback that is not flattering. But that is why the GPL code continues to get better all the time...

At present there are 11 programs offered on my web site, all GPL. Prior to Linux development I wrote applications for DOS and Windows. I made a half hearted attempt at the shareware world, but turned everything into give away software after a few months. fldigi has been the most intense and took place over the last 9 months. It has been intense for the dedicated crew of testers from all over the globe. They allowed me to test their operating systems, their computers and sometimes their radio equipment. Along the way we have become very good friends.

Another plus for PSK is its narrow bandwidth, which means that more stations can share the same band without interfering with each other's ability to send and receive distant signals. Unless, of course, you are over-driving your signal. That's the number one sin of new PSK users, myself included: driving the output signal way past what's required.

I saw an IRC discussion about lower-case PSK being faster than upper-case, and I immediately thought someone was trying to pull my leg. I've often joked about lower case taking up less space on disk drives, or being faster over Ethernet because of lower wind resistance. But in the case of PSK, it's not a joke. It's true. That's because PSK, like Morse code, uses variable length character encoding. The lower case characters require fewer baud -- think bits -- and therefore don't take as long to send.

One of the hams I interviewed for this story, Dick Swan, K4FAZ, has been a ham for over 70 years. That's not a typo. He was first licensed in 1936, and he is still going strong. Dick told me he got interested in amateur radio at the age of 12, when he was playing hide and seek, and an amateur radio operator found him peeking in a basement window while he was playing the game. My interview with Dick began during a PSK QSO on the 20 meter band, but had to be finished by email because of QRM.

Dick told me, "The ham who grabbed me by the collar turned out to be my mentor and I got a Class C license when I was 14 years old. My first rig was a single 6L6 oscillator and of course on CW." He kept building rigs over the years, added phone (voice) to his capabilities, and upgraded to a Class A license. As for the digital modes, he said "I started on RTTY in the 70s and then in the 80's was on PACTOR and AMTOR and packet in the 90's. Have been on PSK since about 2001. I love the digital modes although I have just been active using the computer and sound card for about 5 years."

Equipment needed

If all you want to do is to listen in -- to read what others are saying -- all you need is audio cable running from your HF radio to the sound card on your PC. But if you want to both send and receive, you'll need the proper license and:

* An HF transceiver which allows computer control
* A computer with serial port and sound card
* Software like Fldigi to encode and decode the signals
* An audio cable from your transceiver audio output to your PC's sound card line-in
* An audio cable from your PC's sound card speaker output to your transceiver's microphone input
* A cable from your PC's serial port to your transceiver's computer control port

The specifics for those last two items are rig dependent, varying not just by manufacturer, but possibly model by model as well. If you're handy with cables and solder, they are easy to make once you have the correct connectors and know the pin-outs required. If you're like me, and choose to remain solder-free, you can get those made for you at practically any Ham store.

Also note that on my Kenwood TS-450SAT, and many other radios, an additional piece of equipment is needed: an interface to convert the serial signal into meaningful instructions to the transceiver, and vice versa. There are a number of firms out there making interface devices for virtually every brand and model of transceiver.

Behind the waterfall

PSK Thumbnail
Click to enlarge
The Fldigi UI might seem complex at first blush, but when you look more closely it's quite easy to grok. There are three main sections to the UI. The top section -- not counting the command bar -- is all about logging contacts.

Keeping logs is very important to Hams, and Fldigi makes it easy to automate the process. Type in the call sign of the station you're working, for example, then click on QRZ. If you're connected to the Internet, Fldigi will query the QRZ.com website and fill in the details for the call sign based on what it finds there. You can also configure Fldigi to work from a CD version of the QRZ database if you prefer.

The center section, made up of two scrollable panes with a white background, shows the traffic sent and received during the session. Immediately below the text panes is a row of programmable macro-driven buttons which send pre-entered text when you click them. That way you won't suffer repetitive stress injury while sending CQ or bragging about your station particulars.

The bottom section is the waterfall, where all the action is, at least in terms of moving lights and active displays. The "waterfall" extends nearly all the way across the window. Next to it, immediately to the right, is the digiscope. Beneath them both are controls for tweaking their displays.

I used both Fldigi version 1.11 and several pre-release versions of 1.2 (with Hamlib version 1.2.6) while working on this story. Fldigi 1.2 has now been released. Like many other Linux programs, Fldigi has traditionally depended upon the Hamlib project in order to converse with and control the radio. Beginning with the 1.2 release, Fldigi offers you the choice of using the Hamlib interface or its own native interface.

Setting it up

Before using Fldigi for the first time, you'll need to configure it for the make and model radio you're using, the serial port you're using to communicate with it, and information, the device name for your sound card, and personal information like your call sign and location.

If you're using 1.11 or earlier, you'll need to create a .fldigi subdirectory in your home directory first, so Fldigi will have a spot to save its log and configuration files. Version 1.2 will create it for you if you don't have one.

Obviously, you'll need to have all the requisite cables correctly connected to your rig. Power on your radio first, then fire up Fldigi. Now you can click on Configure and tend to those chores before proceeding.

Each time you start Fldigi, first time or not, you'll need to select the Interface tab from the Configure option and initialize the interface so that the two devices -- the rig and your PC -- can have their conversation.

Don't be a lid: tune your station!

Before you start sending on the air, however, you have one more thing to do. Find an open area of the band of your choice and tune your station: the sound-card and the rig, so that you are transmitting a clean signal at the lowest possible power required to communicate. The number one sin of new sound-card digital mode operators is over-driving the signal and polluting the band with interference.

Some experienced ops I have met tell me they have found 25 watts of power is their sweet spot. That may or may not be true for you, but sending at 50 watts or lower should be your guideline. More than that will generate QRM in the form of side-bands and harmonics, which cause needless interference and hurt others' ability to communicate. It will also earn you a reputation as a "lid," which is ham-speak for lamer.

Proper tuning involves setting three different output levels: the audio output from your sound card, the mic gain on your transceiver, and the power used to transmit the resulting signal. The Fldigi help file, included in your download of Fldigi, explains in great detail how to tune your sound-card output. Read it and heed it.

When you can transmit the tuning carrier at 50 watts or lower, without ALC deflection, you're ready for the next step, which is to actually send a CQ or TEST signal. You may need to further tweak your mic gain and/or power when transmitting data, so keep an eye on your rig's meters and adjust accordingly when you transmit.

Three popular modes

MFSK thumbnail
Click to enlarge
By default, Fldigi starts up in PSK31, which operates at 31 baud per second. That's a comfortable speed for handling keyboard input, which is what it is asked to do. There are several other types of PSK, some of which are faster, some more robust. But PSK31 is far and away the most widely used.

The waterfall display normally shows a bandwidth of approximately 3,000 hertz. On the 40 meter band, for example, it might show signals from 7070 to 7073 kilohertz. A well-tuned PSK31 signal spans 60 Hz, so quite a few signals may appear in the waterfall at any given time. When you move the mouse in the waterfall, a pair of yellow lines moves with you. When those yellow lines are directly over a signal you're interested in reading, a click of the mouse changes the yellow lines to red. The red lines indicate the portion of the spectrum that Fldigi is decoding and displaying the results for in the upper text area. If you move the mouse around, the yellow lines still follow, but Fldigi is only listening to the signal between the red lines.

The space between the lines widens and narrows as you change operating modes. Select RTTY and it spreads to 170Hz, MFSK16 is wider still.

The image to the right shows a PSK and an MFSK16 signal nearly side by side, so it's easy to see the difference in bandwidth between the two modes.

The sound of each mode is unique, too, and your ears quickly become accustomed to distinguishing between them. That's especially true of the MFSK16 mode, which sounds like a snake charmer flutist recorded at 33 RPM being played on an accordion at 45.

PSK, RTTY, and MFSK are probably the top three in terms of popularity of all the sound-card digital modes, but there are a number of others, and new ones will probably appear in the future. These three are good for live conversations at the keyboard. MFSK16 can transmit images as well as text. None of these three offer error detection or correction, so QSOs -- like the interview with Dick Swan for this article -- are subject to disruption by man-made or natural interference.

Conclusion

I've been using Fldigi for a couple of weeks now and have barely scratched the surface of its capabilities. I've tried RTTY and MFSK16 in addition to PSK, but there are so many others: DominoEX, Feld-Hell, Olivia, and Throb, to name a few of the more exotic-sounding. And did I mention that you can copy CW with Fldigi, as well?

This is an excellent piece of work by Dave and his team of testers, and they can always use more help to make sure it works on even more rigs. If you're a licensed ham, and want a break from your phone or speed key, give Fldigi and the sound card digital modes a try. Maybe you can provide an XML file defining the characteristics for your rig so others with the same radio can benefit from your contribution. But be careful: PSK on Fldigi is as addictive as chocolate crack.

[Ether]

Sevens Mart is a discount liquor and grocery wholesales store located inside the city.

Keiichi's mom: "What's this, Keiichi? There's so much! You can't just get all the different flavors, you know?!"
I dumped cup noodles of various different colors all into the shopping cart.

Keiichi: "The cup noodles recently are all so fancy, and there are a lot of different types too. I want to try each one out at least once."
I know that this was half a selfish request, but I thought I'd make a challenge just for the heck of it.
Keiichi's dad: "Keiichi. Get the ones they sell in whole boxes, they're cheaper."
The old man's grumbling.

Well, I figured it'd end up like this.
If the old man comes into the play, then it can't be helped.

Keiichi: "But then there's only one flavor! I'll get tired of it!"
I'm resisting only in form.

Inside my mind, I have already given up and is lost over which box of ramen I should buy.

Keiichi's mom: "If you can't decide then Okaasan is going to pick for you."
Even if you rush me, it doesn't help...!
I quickly departed to search for the box of ramen that I want.

Keiichi's mom: "Tonkotsu Ginger flavor, giant cup? Hey Keiichi, can't you get something more normal?"
If I let the old hag pick, there's a good chance it'll be a steady choice like soy sauce or salt flavored.

Keiichi: "Tonkotsu tastes great! I know it's a big serving, but that doesn't mean it's tasteless...!!"
In this reminiscence, I was justifying my choice for the box of ramen that I had picked.

*screen freezes*
There's no way that I could turn around in this world, whose time has already ended, and has been laminated and packaged....

That's why.... the only thing that I can do is to make the eyesight, hearing, and feeling of the me in this time even more sensitive.

No matter where I searched inside my vision...... I can't find Rena.
Let's go back in time and look.

But of course, she's not found anywhere.

*screen blacks out*
Then... was she observing me from a blindspot outside of my vision...?

I go back on my hearing and feelings, and search again.

The presences of other customers.
All of them are mixed up... moving around randomly on their own.

None of them are observing me steadily, nor is there any presence of anyone following behind me.

None. Should be none. Probably none.

No matter how much my guard was down at the time... I would've definitely noticed if someone was following right behind me.
I'm laughing bitterly here for using an ambiguous expression like "probably", and yet using a contradicting adjective like "definitely"....

At that time, the replay of time stopped with a shiver.

.........There was a shadow presence behind me.

It was... a fear that can't be described.
If it was a presence that appeared behind the real me right now, then it's possible for me to turn around and make sure.

However, for the me inside a world whose time has already ended, it's impossible to turn around.

While carrying such a horrifying shadow behind me... I ran around the store happily looking for boxes of cup ramens...?

While making rude remarks about the old hag, I ran around the instant noodle aisle....
But.... behind me, that presence always stuck right onto me. It dangled right after me like a shadow.

Without...... a way to make sure of something, and not realizing it until just now...... is actually such a horrifying and repulsive thing......

I happily ran across...... the world whose time has already ended.

I held onto the cardboard box.
Patapata. (footsteps)

......But, if I listen to those footsteps carefully again...... there was a 'petapeta', something other than my own footsteps was definitely included in there as well.

Patapatapata. Petapetapeta.
Patapata. Petapeta.
Patapatapata. Petapetapeta.

Exactly the same as my running, the 'petapeta' sound of footsteps that sounded like they were made by bare feet followed behind me.

I happily ran across...... the world whose time has already ended.
But that was only because...... I couldn't hear it.

No, it is because I heard it that I'm able to recall it like this.

... I heard it, but I didn't mind it.
That's why I didn't turn around.
That's why, I couldn't turn around...!!!

In the world whose time has already ended, I'm always being chased by a 'petapeta' sound of footsteps.
I can't run any faster and escape either.
For the me whose time has already ended, I can only run at the predetermined speed.
Nor can I turn around.

Since the me whose time has already ended never turned around once.
And then, I arrive back at the sides of my parents, and begin a conversation. While carrying the shadowy presence with me.

Since I'm not moving, the shadow doesn't move either. Therefore there's no sound. That's all.
At the time, I was supposedly conversing with my parents without moving a single step.

I remained standing perfectly still. No doubt about it.
And yet, ......a 'peta' ... sound was made.

That can't be possible.
If I run 3 steps, you follow 3 steps. That was the rule, wasn't it...?

There are no more sounds after that.
At that instant, the entire world had a power outage.... It was a sudden total darkness.

This reminiscence trip is over now.
I want to sleep for today now.
I want to end this.
Somebody turn on the lights.

But my body won't move.
...As if it was sewed onto... this world whose time has already ended.

Peta.

The hairs on my entire body stand up.

No way...?!
You've been breaking the rules since earlier!!
I'm not walking!
So you can't walk either!!

I'm not moving! So you don't move either!! Follow the rules!!!

Peta.
And yet, once more, that sound echoed across the darkness.

The hairs on the back of my head stirs up.
To a distance behind me close enough that I can't tell whether it's touching my hairs or not....... it has come.

Why can't I move like how the presence behind me is moving?!?!

... I soon realized it.
I can move.
...... I just can't turn around because I'm afraid.

Now's the only time I can turn around.
The action was not allowed in the world whose time has already ended.... But...... I have to turn around now......!!

All the cells within my body, as if trying to stop me from doing this forbidden action, begin to claim of pains like needles pricking away at every single pore on my skin....

I'll turn around!
I'll turn around!
It ain't scary at all!!
I'll turn around!
I'll turn around!
It ain't scary at all!!!!

It was a scream without sounds within my chest.
oOoOoOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!

I turned around.

......And there, .......... I didn't get the meaning of it at first.

Keiichi: ".........Eh, ....................Eh?"
This is..................... Eh?

With the situation placed in front of me, it's like someone who has to take a bite out of an apple and drink it's juice before realizing that it's an apple......... my brain begins to eat the apple.

Munch, munch, it begins to chew on it....
Drinking the juice......... It realized that it's an apple.

In other words......... what's in front of me is,


GYAAAAAaAAaAAaAAaAAAaAAAaAaaA........

[McLaughlin]

I don't really understand what we're supposed to be doing here. I think I'm usually pretty coherent, but that may just be me.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

Solstis makes sense to me.

He has a point system, uses it when applicable, is not afraid to use it, and is sympathetic to the needs of all people- even if they're firebreathing dinosaur colorband newmen ranger transportation systems who are capable of "cry type things."

ALL-
-Without giving in to what's current like giving the endless praise that his peers might to a pop culture music band named FOB or DCfC. He never went discko (war) duck on us either. He represents without the falsification of trying too hard, or making an effort. Smooth and nimble, word to Jack. Makes his words count without counting his words. He just may have already made his "parental units" very proud.

[Nidramag]

I found my sanity in the oven just now!

[geewj]

So Triela and Ether refuse to take the test. I guess they still prefer indirect copy pasta to original thought. Plans are funny and all, but you get what you give.

Obsidian_Knight, that's a good start but you need to show your work. People, places, receipts. That sort of thing. Maybe a picture of you with the puppy you had when you were five years old. Pictures of puppies are always nice.


Hayabusa, I'm sorry but you can only sign yourself in.

[geewj]

Nidramag, you definitely need to start showing your work. You get the right answers but I have the feeling you are just copying off someone else's paper.

[Bot-Bot]

You no making the sense.

[geewj]

Bot-Bot, observations are a good start but you need to back them up. We don't want end up with the Bot-Bot who cried wolf.

[Bot-Bot]

Making sense you the no.

[geewj]

Or the wolf who Bot-Bot cried.

[Bot-Bot]

Now you've got it.

[Nidramag]

Here's why I make sense:
one day, after eating an arow and being in the range with my spaghetti, I found a Hand on the ground. It was a truly marvelous hand, and I wonder who had dropped it. I didn't care though and threw my towel up, as in through my eye, and dissapeared under it. I went and lit my cat on fire and started to bake my oven, and eat the hand. It was exquisite and I finished it off by dringing a slice of fresh-baked wood. My dog ate it. I decided the leprechauns weren't going to take up on my offer so I rewired the VCR and turned it into an office building, thus creating a very quiet pig sitting in my dvd player. I looked over the troops. G0r177az Dizzy, Moo2u, Frostheart, HAYABUSA-FMW-, wheatpenny and VanHalen. The glue bottle exploded and out flew the lawn knomes, as I had been searching for my umbrella for a month now, I opened it and strolled into the wonder-bread forest, singing in the potatoes. but they decided I was a sleigh so they put me in orbit. I landed in California, looked around, and ate the hot pizza that the waitress had served to me. I shouted that I had ordered over eight years ago and she said the ship was going down. I got up and took command of Voyager, after Janeway had sliced a pepperoni stick to bake Tuvix. but he turned into a lizard as I walked outside and onto the farm. I took a fresh of breath air and felt my deliciousnessly delivered chicken wings sit in the freezer while I went and chilled my computer. Then the potato fell and it landed in the pipes, I said I was sorry to my teacher at the plumbing school, so I got up and ate the rocking chair as the leather salesman walked backwards into the jelly doughnut doing the Mocarana with the jellybean I kept in the alligators cage here at the zoo. then I jumped in and swam home.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2007-02-08 12:48, geewj wrote:
Hayabusa, I'm sorry but you can only sign yourself in.


Are you telling me Solly doesn't make sense?

[Polly]

Here's why I make sense:
one day, after eating an arow and being in the range with my spaghetti, I found a Hand on the ground. It was a truly marvelous hand, and I wonder who had dropped it. I didn't care though and threw my towel up, as in through my eye, and dissapeared under it. I went and lit my cat on fire and started to bake my oven, and eat the hand. It was exquisite and I finished it off by dringing a slice of fresh-baked wood. My dog ate it. I decided the leprechauns weren't going to take up on my offer so I rewired the VCR and turned it into an office building, thus creating a very quiet pig sitting in my dvd player. I looked over the troops. G0r177az Dizzy, Moo2u, Frostheart, HAYABUSA-FMW-, wheatpenny and VanHalen. The glue bottle exploded and out flew the lawn knomes, as I had been searching for my umbrella for a month now, I opened it and strolled into the wonder-bread forest, singing in the potatoes. but they decided I was a sleigh so they put me in orbit. I landed in California, looked around, and ate the hot pizza that the waitress had served to me. I shouted that I had ordered over eight years ago and she said the ship was going down. I got up and took command of Voyager, after Janeway had sliced a pepperoni stick to bake Tuvix. but he turned into a lizard as I walked outside and onto the farm. I took a fresh of breath air and felt my deliciousnessly delivered chicken wings sit in the freezer while I went and chilled my computer. Then the potato fell and it landed in the pipes, I said I was sorry to my teacher at the plumbing school, so I got up and ate the rocking chair as the leather salesman walked backwards into the jelly doughnut doing the Mocarana with the jellybean I kept in the alligators cage here at the zoo. then I jumped in and swam home.

[Out_Kast]

Do I make sense? Or am I just something to goggle at in geewj's collection of 'People who don't make sense'?

[geewj]

I am saying you may only speak on your own behalf.

And Nidramag, you get an E for effort. Unfortunately that is not a passing grade.

[Polly]

Hey! you stole it!

[Nidramag]

Hey! you stole it!

[Scejntjynahl]

I have often believed that I make sense some of the time. Unfortunately I am always unaware of said times. And even when they do become apparent to me I have already wasted time pondering whether or not I truly do make sense. Do I make sense to myself? Or do I just inadvertely succumb to the current status quo of the time and make sense only to others? In short it would be the safest route to just assume I make no sense at all at any given time.

[Bot-Bot]

On 2007-02-08 13:12, Scejntjynahl wrote:
I have often believed that I make sense some of the time. Unfortunately I am always unaware of said times. And even when they do become apparent to me I have already wasted time pondering whether or not I truly do make sense. Do I make sense to myself? Or do I just inadvertely succumb to the current status quo of the time and make sense only to others? In short it would be the safest route to just assume I make no sense at all at any given time.


I'm sorry I don't understand.

[Nidramag]

YAY! I FAILED! I REALLY BELONG HERE!

[DizzyDi]

What is "sense" exactly? And who is to say what makes sense and what doesn't? Isn't it all perception? Isn't reality just a philosophical term? What makes sense to me, may not to you, and vice versa. So while I think that I may perfect sense to myself, an outsider may not see it as such, and may think I'm a loon.
So therefore, I submit that nothing makes sense.

[Jehosaphaty]

so the real question is, does passing graduate you out of fkl and into off-topic, or do you fail so that you get to stay in the shithole (lovable one at that) for the rest of your days? im not refusing to take the test, i'm just putting it off. i feel like i'm old enough to get a job without all that education crap. it's not you it's me.

[Nidramag]

hey, I chose to live th' rest of my life here!

[geewj]

Dizzy, excellent work, however...

Sense is derived from the 5 senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. To make sense is to derive an idea using input based on the information granted from one of these 5 senses, and then convey that information back to another individual that they may use their sense to understand your intended meaning. While this form of communication is subject to miscommunication, both parties are still aware that senses were used to attempt to make communication.

My request was to prove that you do in fact make sense. This would be done by taking any information and conveying it to me. At which point I would respond and you would confirm my response. And again, while this is still subject to miscommunication it will still in fact make sense given the low level of requirements I have placed on the specific sense making. There will however be a grade based on the result of the sense making, and should it not meet my requirements, and I suggest that you make no sense, this response of mine would make no sense to you and would have no bearing. Therefore, all that is required is your actions, after which the chips will fall where they may.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2007-02-08 13:32, Nidramag wrote:
hey, I chose to live th' rest of my life here!


(Why?! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOkTroM1wBQ)) That doesn't make any sense, you don't even like half the people in here.

Imagine when new d00ds storm the base.

Where I'm from, beans make the sense, burgers make the money.

[Scejntjynahl]

Unfortunately the five senses can be fooled.

[DizzyDi]

On 2007-02-08 13:33, geewj wrote:
Dizzy, excellent work, however...

Sense is derived from the 5 senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. To make sense is to derive an idea using input based on the information granted from one of these 5 senses, and then convey that information back to another individual that they may use their sense to understand your intended meaning. While this form of communication is subject to miscommunication, both parties are still aware that senses were used to attempt to make communication.

My request was to prove that you do in fact make sense. This would be done by taking any information and conveying it to me. At which point I would respond and you would confirm my response. And again, while this is still subject to miscommunication it will still in fact make sense given the low level of requirements I have placed on the specific sense making. There will however be a grade based on the result of the sense making, and should it not meet my requirements, and I suggest that you make no sense, this response of mine would make no sense to you and would have no bearing. Therefore, all that is required is your actions, after which the chips will fall where they may.



uh-huh.

[Nidramag]

says who? read my hero list...
I just like arguin'
besides..the off-topicers killed my cat AND goldfish AND avacado suit!

[geewj]

Out_Kast, that is yet to be determined, but I assure you I do not goggle and do not keep collections.

Scejntjynahl, in order to contemplate one must make sense. Contemplation requires input, which requires one to derive information from their environment to obtain said input. Once this process is occurs you have no choice but to respond, and in doing so contribute to the outcome of the situation. Those around you then have no choice but to then take your input for use in their own contemplations, therefore you have made sense. The quality of such is still yet to be determined. However it looks promising.

Jehosaphaty, this is a personal list for personal reasons. But I assure you I have no active plans for hiring new positions.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2007-02-08 13:38, Nidramag wrote:
says who? read my hero list...
I just like arguin'
besides..the off-topicers killed my cat AND goldfish AND avacado suit!


Off topic doesn't count in FKL.

And FKL doesn't count anywhere. So your stuffs is okay Dizzy didn't eat your catbabies.

[Nidramag]

who said "catbunny" all the time?

[McLaughlin]

Well, you see, there was this one time...at band camp...

You know, I'd rather not talk about that time.

[DizzyDi]

And that Sally did that one thi-....


Yeah its best we leave it alone.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2007-02-08 13:50, Nidramag wrote:
who said "catbunny" all the time?


You're lost my man. This isn't the Wheatpenny ?uestion thread. D=

[Jehosaphaty]

hypothetically speaking geewjeepoopoo. i have no plans for jobs either. that screw.

[McLaughlin]

Well, I can still make sense of Chemistry. Stoichiometry is cake.

Right now we're doing % Yield and Mass to Mass questions. % Yield is simply the Actual Mass of the substance (the mass you measured at the end of the reaction) divided by the Theoretical Mass, then multiplied by 100. The Theoretical Mass is found by doing a Mass to Mass calculation.

A Mass to Mass calculation is simple. You start with the mass of one substance and use that to determine the mass of whichever substance you choose. First you need a balanced equation. Then you get the number of moles of the substance for which you have a mass by dividing the mass you're given by its Molar Mass (the mass number on the periodic table times whatever subscript number is next to it. In the case of a Coefficient, every subscript number is multiplied by the Coefficient before the calculations are done). Once you have the number of moles on the substance you can do a molar ratio Substance Given to Substance Required. Then multiply the number of moles by the ratio. Once you have the number of moles for the substance you're looking for, you can multiply that number by the molar mass of the substance (as explained above), and that will give you the mass of that substance. This is the Theoretical Mass.

Now, if your % Yield is over 100% you've made a mistake, because your can't produce more than the Theoretical Mass, because that's the maximum amount you could produce in that reaction.

I could explain the Trigonometry we're doing in Math, but I'll save that in case there's a second question.

This is why I think I still make sense (sometimes).

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

Who's on the list soo far?

I really need to CC some RSVP USPS Christmas cards early to avoid that rush.

[Shadowpawn]

It's hard to make cents, you need the proper materials and tools to create the things. Also, you might get labeled a counterfeiter by over zealous government pencil pushes who demand a piece of the pie!

[DizzyDi]

no u

[Scrub]

Dizzy brings up a good point.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

On 2007-02-08 16:18, Shadowpawn wrote:
Also, you might get labeled a counterfeiter by over zealous government pencil pushes who demand a piece of the pie!


I'd expect as much from a government dog.

They say jump, you say: how high mistah president.

They say pay more taxes, you say: yes sir may I have another!

Rebel, rebel like your life depends on it! Keep all that pie for yourself! (and blow it on lottery tix FTW and FTL)

[Katrina]

The question itself "Do you make sense" in the way I'm perceiving it makes no sense to me. It's too general. Do I make sense in what respect?

[DizzyDi]

In the general one.

[Nidramag]

like me!
wait,what?

[navci]

So. There are 10 stones. This dude is gonna hop from 1 stone to the next until the end.
He can hop in a single, double, or triple hop. How many ways can he hop from the start to finish?

The easiest, or the hardest way is prolly to try to count them all.
So we will just think of the problem in a smaller scale.
If there are 2 stones, he can only do a single hop.
3 stones: 2 singles, or a double.
4 stones, 3 single, a double and a single, a single and a double, or a triple.

So.
in the case of 5 stones.
If your first hop is a single. It leaves you with 4 stones left.
First hop is a double, 3 stones left.
First hop is triple, 2 stones left.

So the ways to hop for 5 stones is.
4 + 2 + 1 = 7 ways.

Keep calculating until you get to 10.
Following the formula H(n) = H(n-1) + H(n-2) + H(n-3)

Now the dude can only jump double at his max now.
H(n) = H(n-1) + H(n-2) is the new formula.

How does that translate into
(5 choose 4) + (6 choose 3) + (7 choose 2) + (8 choose 1) + (9 choose 0)???

[Mixfortune]

There's a can of corn in my cupboard with your name on it, geewj.

[Jehosaphaty]

On 2007-02-08 18:21, Mixfortune wrote:
There's a can of corn in my cupboard with your name on it, geewj.



You know that won't digest properly geewj.

[geewj]

I know, but I like seeing those little guys come through the whole ordeal okay.

[McLaughlin]

So do I make sense geewj?

[Nidramag]

AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[astuarlen]

So, apparently, some lame basketball game is more important than my "Sex and the City" reruns. I say that's total crap. Who's with me?

[DizzyDi]

Yeah because we totally need to know more about the sex and the city gals and their CRAZY high heel misadventures in the big apple.

[Nidramag]

PPPPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGG GGGGGGGGEEEEEE!!!

[UnderscoreX]

Denver lost http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

[Nidramag]

I have three.

[Bot-Bot]

On 2007-02-08 20:35, Nidramag wrote:
I have three as an IQ.


That's too bad.

Try the test again, you should pick the correct answers.

[HAYABUSA-FMW-]

*_*

Bot-Burn.

[Nai_Calus]

I can state with absolute certainty that I do not now and have never made sense.

I like Elly, and Calus, and FOmars, and Rati, and Alis, and Lutz, and Rune, and bishounen with long blue hair. I talk about all of these at length, communicating absolutely nothing worthwhile or intelligent. Furthermore, none of these things actually exists, so talking about them is entirely nonsensical.

In addition to this, I still come to FKL and still post here, proving once and for all that I make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

[Ether]

Kei: "I give you my word. Should Satoko ever decide to hide out in these woods, she can take on an entire battalion."
Rena: "I know. [With traps like these, perhaps] Satoko was teaching trap lessons at a foreign country on the behalf of the Soviet Union."
Mion: "Enough with these chatters...someone help us~!!"

...How did we get into a predicament as we are in now? What kind of traps can put us into this situation?

Mion has her head stuck out of the ground as she fell into a very tight traphole. Rena has a tinplate bucket stuck on her head and cannot get it off. They both look pretty stupid, but at least they have their feets on the ground unlike me.

Mion: "How about you Kei-chan? Can you wiggle yourself out? If you can, help pull ojisan outta here."
Kei: "It's you who should wiggle out to help me! How the heck am I supposed to do anything when I'm wrapped up!"

I am in sumaki (wrapped up in a bamboo rug) and pulled up 2 meters into the air by a snare trap. What kind of trap did she setup to put me into this mess? Huh?! Satoko!

It all started when we decided to go into the woods as I've never seen much of the wilderness, coming from the city and all.

Rena: "Umm... but Rena doesn't know the back woods? Rena's gonna get lost. Hau."
Mion: "The back woods, eh? I used to play around there when I was little, but I haven't gone up there in quite a while. It's pretty easy to get lost there if you take the wrong path."
Satoko: "If it's the back woods, I do believe you can rely on us! The whole mountain is our playground. Right Rika?"
Rika: "...Mi-!"
Kei: "Really. Now that's encouraging. So why don't you guide us through a short hiking trip!"
Rena: "But Keiichi-kun... Did you read the notice that was passed around for summer break? It says that we shouldn't go into the woods as it is really easy to get lost."
Rika: "It's not summer break so it's still okay. Besides, we know the path so it's safe."
Satoko: "The woods are our playground! It's like our garden! I do believe we know every hidden paths and shortcuts around there!"

...Yes, Satoko and Rika-chan did know the way. Thanks to them, I was able to see a grand view of nature that I couldn't see in the village and breathe in fresh air of the wilderness. But something went wrong somewhere!!

Satoko: "Oh, yes. By the way everyone, you all should follow my footsteps exactly from here on."
Kei: "Huh...? What the heck are you saying all of a sudden?"
Rika: "...You should do exactly as Satoko tells you to do, for your own safety."
Rena: "Hmmm. Hey Mii-chan, what's this? I wonder. Do I pull on it? Pull on it?"

PING ....biiing ....swish swish ...gwa!!

When Rena pulled on a what seemed to be a kite string, a rain of bamboo spears fell from the trees right next to Rena!!

Mion: "Waaa!!! Waaaa!! What the heck is this?! Ahh?! Wha?! Gyaaaa!!"
Rika: "...Oh the memories. That was a trap that Satoko made in the second semester in the second grade."
Satoko: "I do believe you were lucky there. The tips of those bamboo spears are laced with dog poo so if it scratches you it will start rotting from the infected area."
Kei: "Since when did this place become Vietnam!!"

...According to Satoko and Rika-chan, Satoko seems to have gotten a huge interest in setting up traps in her early years in elementary school. As a result, she started setting up countless traps all around these back woods...

Rena: "...Keiichi-kun. I'm thinking that the real reason they told us not to go into these woods is not because we're gonna get lost, but because it is dangerous..."

I begin to agree with Rena's theory very much so.

Satoko: "So, c'mon. We'd better get hurrying or it's gonna get dark soon. I do believe that if it gets dark, it gets dangerous even for me."

Why the heck did you drag us into such a treacherous mountain!! Why should I, a normal healthy Japanese boy have to worry about his life by a bunch of booby-traps!!

...And just when we lost sight of Satoko and Rika-chan, us three became entangled in our respective traps...

Mion: "...Someone pull me outta here~! I need to go to the restroom~!!"
Rena: "Besides that~! Someone remove this bucket from my head~!! I can't see anything~! Hau~!!"
Kei: "...Hey Rena, stop flopping around too much. S...Someone might see your underwear..."
Rena: "H, Hau----!! Did you see it?! See it?! Keiichi-kun saw it!! Hau~~~!!!"

smack smack smack smaaaaaaack

Kei: "Hey you can see through it right...!! Even with that bucket over your head, you can see ri...ouch gaaa!! oof!!"

Mion starts crying out as I become a sandbag for Bucket Rena's punches.

Rika: "...Can't get out of the trap hole. Pity, pity."
Satoko: "...Sigh. Didn't I warn you guys? That's why I said to get far away from me!"

I realize it now. ...The main reason why Satoko wanted to bring us into the woods was to showoff her booby traps that she set up. I would've preferred it to just see it, NOT EXPERIENCE IT!!

Rika-chan started patting all three of our heads in pity as she smiled with glee...

[Scejntjynahl]

On 2007-02-08 19:36, geewj wrote:
I know, but I like seeing those little guys come through the whole ordeal okay.



Do you dive in to rescue them? http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif