38 thoughts on “August 28, 2014: My Theory Is…”

  1. I thought you were talking about Skinner.

    In the controversial books Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971) and Walden II (1946/1968), Skinner laid out his vision of utopian society in which behavior was controlled by the judicious application of the principle of reinforcement.[84] In those books, he put forth the simple but stunning claim that our subjective sense of free will is an illusion and that when we think that we are exercising free will, we are actually responding to present and past patterns of reinforcement. We do things in the present that have been rewarding in the past, and our sense of "choosing" to do them is nothing more than an illusion. Skinner argued that his insights could be used to increase human well-being and solve social problems. Not surprisingly, that claim sparked an outcry from critics who believed that Skinner was giving away one of our most cherished attributes − free will − and calling for a repressive society that manipulated people for its own ends. The criticism extended to TV Guide, which featured an interview with Skinner and called his ideas "the taming of mankind through a system of dog obedience schools for all."

  2. Alright, this deck is consuming me, so I apologize for bringing it up again. Anyway, I have two design ideas that make it possible to build this thing over my goram rock retaining wall. The two designs shown are the same dimensions with just an extra notch cut out of one that would make construction easier. My confusion lies with the beams and why the two main beams are so different. Any thoughts? I'm thinking I'm going to use the two notch design with two full beams but add a fourth post to the one just in case.

    1. I've been staring at this thing for the past 12 minutes....
      I still can't find the godd*mn sailboat.

      1. Seriously, I thought the image was 'flipped,' not an actual view from the underside. Like an optical illusion - I took my eyes off it to see bS's thoughts and then it clicked.
        My guess (and this is just a guess) is that the ledger connection for the main portion of the deck (between the 'wings' - where the 'notches' are) distributes the weight to the beams and footings, and that maybe the extra 'notch' requires some different distribution based on a lack of ledger connection to the home?

        Found this advertisement for deck hardware that actually has some pretty good information and non-Pinterest technical drawings.

        1. That kind of makes sense, but I think what they have there is overkill ( \m/ ). The top design had a 46 PSF load rating while the bottom is 63. That's a huge jump.

          1. I'm inclined to agree - 2 beams with 4 posts on the interior beam should be sufficient. Remind me again what the dimensions are and what is a "goram rock" retaining wall?
            [edit] nevermind - I looked at the picture of your virginia creeper removal and see what you're talking about...could you just say "boulder" retaining wall?

                1. *turns and shuns CoC for his lack of vital pop culture knowledge*

                  httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c2etjMl3WM

                  1. /turns and thumbs nose at bS for failing to provide direction on missing elements of knowledge/

                    You'll have to forgive me. I didn't read Ender's Game or American Gods or any of the Game of Thrones books until you all helped me see the light. I was a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek growing up (and sci-fi generally) but Firefly released while I was living on a destroyer without regular access to television.

          1. Well you know what? THERE IS NO EASTER BUNNY! OVER THERE, THAT'S JUST A GUY IN A SUIT!

    2. Some bad news: the diggers hotline already got someone to my property and there is a utility line where a couple of my posts will likely go.

      Good news: it's just the Verizon line which I canceled two years ago. So, dig away!

    1. I think a trade could be arranged. Minimum deal would have to be 4 starters, 3 consecutive 1st-round picks, 3 consecutive 2nd-round picks, a 3rd, a 6th, and maybe a few other sundry parts.

  3. Question for footie fans:

    I'm going to London Sept 25- Oct 2, mainly to watch soccer. I picked that week because that is also the week there would be Champions League games, although that schedule didn't come out until today.

    I already have a Chelsea ticket for Sat. Sept 27. Now it ended up that the only CL game is at Arsenal on Wed Oct 1. Unfortunately that's the same day as the only Fulham match that is will be in London during my stay. So do I go to Fulham and see Craven Cottage or do I go to the Arsenal- Galatasary game instead. I can go to other Championship level matches too.

    I could also go to a Manchester City CL match that Tuesday Sept 31. But that would mean train travel to get back to London for the Wednesday Fulham match.

    So what say you, what games would you pick?

    1. Seeing as how Fulham keep tanking, I would try to see Arsenal instead. You could always just tour Craven Cottage when a game isn't going on.

      1. That's kinda what I'm thinking. Tour Craven Cottage and go to a Milwall game on that Tuesday.

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