04-08-2025, 12:11 AM (This post was last modified: 04-08-2025, 12:11 AM by Blaze.
Edit Reason: Seriously? How do you forget to add the image??!?
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When I saw "LP" I thought it was going to be "long playing", but I think the gas reference is much funnier. I tried my hand at scanning and converting my writing into a font. I spent a lot of time on it and at the time I wasn't aware that making enclosed circles mattered if you connected the vertices clockwise or counterclockwise. And then I gave up on it...
That would mean having to interact with people. It's been a while since I've been impressed by people. Also I don't really remember the last time I designed a form or needed to print something with a unique font...
Yeah, ok, you make a really good point. People, in general, just suck. Interacting with sucky people sucks even more. But just think: when you move, if you have that font you can print your letters and send them via snail mail and every one of those recipients will think you went out of your way and hand wrote them a letter. When all you did was avoid having to call them on the phone...
Except me, of course. 'cause I'll know.
On the flip side, you could use this to generate nostalgic printouts...
and so what uranus is a star - Rob
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Kruger
You make an excellent point. For you I'd make an exception and print it out using the 8-bit font. Only because you're probably the only one who would actually read the letter with a giant grin on your face...
Oh yeah, I would definitely read it if it were in that 8-bit font. I would probably read the most boring dissertation ever written if it were in that font. But spice it up like the Ski Tour Diamond Tour '94 journal and it's now considered a best seller...
and so what uranus is a star - Rob
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Kruger
I tried searching for a Suicide Skier "newsletter" but I think those are all gone. I did however find a printed out post I had to Omega Supreme aka Zup about creating a new light switch:
Remember all the butthurt that you caused when you posted that "question" to the skydiver forum? For us, it was a legitimate question and discussion. I have no memory on how it started, but I do seem to remember we were having a serious discussion, somewhat morbid, but structurally valid. The resulting firestorm of responses showed that most everyone with that hobby have no scientific curiosity.
Now, after having a few years of repairing roofs, I'm now leaning toward not much damage at all, at least to the ceiling of the top floor. You might see some structural damage, but a layer of 5/8" plywood sheeting plus paper and asphalt shingles are surprisingly sturdy. Branches and trees that collapse on a roof don't do as much damage that I would have initially expected. Granted, a thick branch speared directly into the roof does penetrate, but even large branches falling even slightly flat on the roof don't really penetrate through enough to even get to the insulation sitting on the ceiling of the next floor...
Now, as for report cards, ours were never mailed. They were hand carried home, and the parents at home knew when that was and were expecting to see them that evening. Luckily, that year the layout and border were made up of built in printer graphics and it was pretty easy to replicate the exact look and feel to the point where it raised no suspicions with the school when the signed copy was returned the next day...
and so what uranus is a star - Rob
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Kruger
I remember being able to find an archive of that skydiving list but didn't have any luck trying to resurrect that this time. I think the discussion started with a meteorite and it then morphed into the skydiver scenario. Yeah, there were definitely a bunch that got all butthurt over it, but if I remember correctly, there was one person that did reply with a scientific approach. I think the result was that there'd be a hole in the roof and a pretty sloppy attic floor. And if the person lawn darted themselves perfectly through the rafters and joists they could potentially hit the basement of a 2-story house.
It's nice to see a bit of my teenage legacy is still out there...
Oh yeah, now I'm remembering. I think it did start with a meteorite. Maybe Davlav found an article about one that hit a roof, or landed next to someone laying on the couch or something. Then it just went downhill from there. Now I do have fond memories of working there at the Tolland facility when Dave was our manager, then after he left and Frank took over. There were a lot of good people that worked there that I enjoyed working with. I still exchange holiday cards with Sue V, and used to enjoy popping in to visit when I would go up for a trip to CT...
and so what uranus is a star - Rob
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Kruger
Frank got outcasted to work down in Georgia for almost a year. Bonnie was the interim manager. I think Sue might have spent a few days running our dept as well (a lot of it is a blur) and then Dave took over the role. He was pretty good at managing, but crap at anything technical. I won't forget the day he asked for my help because Windows wouldn't work and kept giving him errors. Turns out he deleted the SYSTEM32 directory because he was running low on disk space. Luckily for both of us, he got me in time and I was able to run my "undelete" utility on his drive and recover his folder (I think only 3 or 4 files were lost, but easily copied over). The one bonus of working there was just the 100% amount of free reign to do whatever we wanted. I mean, I fully reversed engineered the IPDS protocol without a single piece of documentation. That alone took me a few months, even with taking breaks to screw with all you guys...
I vaguely remember all of those, but can't remember if it was because I was there and experienced it, or just things that I had heard after I came on board. But I do remember that Dave wasn't the most technically astute. And definitely we had a lot of leeway to do what we wanted, as long as what needed to get done did get done.
ps - and speaking of IPDS, I still think you needed an animated waving flags in your Six Flags program...
and so what uranus is a star - Rob
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Kruger
I think you hit the nail on the head there. There was also that dichotomy between our digital printing and the old school plate press printing. And those old schoolers despised us. All they saw us doing was having fun. When I was doing 3rd shift I'd have 12 of the Printronix machines running, the Kimbal continuous laser and maybe the Xerox running all at once. And I'd boot up a machine and play some Commander Keen and the old school shift lead over there would try to assert his authority to tell me I couldn't play games. It was great to just look at him and smile and then go back to playing. Dude, your powers don't work on me because I don't report to you. And since I was doing about 200% more than first and second shift combined, no one could say a word. Don't piss off the person who's creating more revenue than half of those pressmen. And that animosity never wore off for as long as I was there...
Oh yeah, the animosity that the press operators had toward pretty much anyone that wasn't a press operator was palpable. Especially everyone in the digital space.... But even within our group. I don't know how many times I was out on the floor running some Printronix printers and getting four, five, six... running all at once and Rick (I think that was his name) used to pull me aside and flat out tell me I'm only allowed to run two at the same time...
and so what uranus is a star - Rob
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Kruger
Yeah, Rick was like 2nd in command after the plant manager. He never gave me any kind of crap that I can remember, but your story sound familiar. And there were a lot of butthurt people that didn't like us having fun. So sorry your department manager has a stick up their ass and doesn't allow you to enjoy even a glimmer of joy...
